DH Biking

[trinac]

Kicking Horse is the second best DH mountain I've been on, next to Whistler of course. I've also been to Fernie & Panorama. So if anyone is into this sport and hasn't gone there, you gotta do it!!

KH is now more beginner friendly too, the catamount chair is open now which takes you right to some pretty easy green runs. For any mountain, including COP you can rent DH bikes & gear. Depending on the amount of travel your shocks have on your Brodie you could be okay. I've seen people ride everything on the mountains including hard tails, which I think is crazy but whatever floats your boat! Having said that.. those riders weren't exactly going mach chicken or anything either.

I googled Moose Mountain, looks pretty cool!! Definately will have to check it out sometime this summer. I'm just not sure when?! Maybe in 3 weeks time, I know the weekend after next is another kicking horse trip. I've just been to COP once. Marcellus goes quite a bit over the summer. I just get kinda busy with work sometimes. I'll probably be there more this summer.

[Parker]

Originally Posted by trinac

I've seen people ride everything on the mountains including hard tails, which I think is crazy but whatever floats your boat! Having said that.. those riders weren't exactly going mach chicken or anything either.

I have a friend that rides a hardtail with a 5" fork up front, I can't come close to hanging with him on my 6x6. That being said the guy can really ride though and he's a tad insane! Notice I'm not addmitting that my skills might suck as the reason I can't hang with him! haha

[kien]

Looks like a lot of fun. I myself am not a downhiller though. I'm more into cross country and actually enjoy biking UP the hill

[Parker]

Originally Posted by kien

Looks like a lot of fun. I myself am not a downhiller though. I'm more into cross country and actually enjoy biking UP the hill

People that like biking UP the hill scare me, there's something not right with you people! I'm kidding, sometimes there's no better feeling then clearing that hill you've been working on all year!

[kien]

Originally Posted by Parker

there's something not right with you people! !

probably the lack of oxygen... But there is nothing like completely clearing your lunges of air.

[trinac]

lol... the bikers that like riding on highways scare me... daredevils I tell ya! The noise level, the close proximity to 110km/hr screaming semi trucks/cars/motorhomes/trucks/motorcycles, and inhaling loads of gas fumes all day is quite frankly terrifying to me!!

I did see that there is construction going on of a biking trail along the transcanada within Banff national park. Most of the paving is done, and they have a bit of bridgework to do.

Crosscountry is nice too. But my Kona definately says no way to going uphill.

And ya, there are some wicked riders out who kick ass on hardtails, I think they are good for getting air too. I'd personally, get bounced right off the bike though I am sure! haha I enjoy my cushy ride with BOTH shocks!

[saltcreep]

I have to admit that there is some sort of guitly pleasure in sitting on a lift to get you to the top of the mountain.

[trinac]

Originally Posted by saltcreep

I have to admit that there is some sort of guitly pleasure in sitting on a lift to get you to the top of the mountain.

AGREEEED!!!! Its a nice break, get to watch other riders, take in the scenery, and oh! we are at the top, time to go down again! tra la la! The only time it wasn't so nice was on a hot day in Whistler, I made the mistake of taking the gondola up with some stinky guy. I go up the chair there on hot days now. haha


Oh and I forgot to answer your question Tony, its a stock fork.

[Delphinus]

Ironically enough I think most of my uphill climbs could be describes as "lunges" as well. But I agree that the lunges clear the lungs out real nice.

I seem to be in an unusual category in that I enjoy both XC and DH. When I ride with an XC crew they tell me DH'ers are crazy and when I ride with a DH crew they tell me XC'ers are either crazy, or don't know what they're missing. They're probably both a little bit correct. And that's why I do both!

See I think ROAD bikers are crazy. I can understand the thrill of the open road and an epic 60km or 80km ride, there was a time I yearned for it too ... but as I get older I trust people in cars less and less. The ground hurts when you fall off a mountain bike but it hurts in more or less predictable ways.

I loooooove riding at Whistler. Not a beginner friendly mountain though. I have seen so many people carted off that mountain with serious head, neck and back injuries. Or internal injuries. (I myself might once have been carted off the mountain in a meat wagon. Lucky for me the Whister Medical Centre is top notch!!) But I've been back there since and still love riding there, although a lot of those bigger drops still scare the H**L out me!!!!

For DH I've ridden Panorama, Fernie, Whistler and COP. A couple years ago a lot of the trail designers (from Whistler) reworked COP and it was awesome. The problem with COP is that it's run by a bunch of skiiers and snowboarders and not bikers. They run the lifts anyhow for the sightseers so they might as well let bikers pay them some money too. So the new trails were AWESOME until they started needing maintenance. Which they are doing better at this year, a little, but they've raised the prices of season's passes so much that I still get sticker shock.

[trinac]

Ya.. $200 for a season pass at COP seems a little steep to me as well, considering that is the going rate for a season pass at the mountains. The $25 / 4 hours seems decent though.