Mountain bike Bash around Olympic course in Lysterfield (Narre Warren)

[stradlater]

I want to head out to Lysterfield park over the xmas break, to hammer around the olympic mountain bike riding course that is there.

There's a bunch of different courses there, which each varying in difficulty.

Anyone else keen? Hen, here's looking at you!

The place is located off the Belgrave-Hallam Road in Lysterfield.

Maps are here:

http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/resources05/05_1413.pdf

http://www1.dvc.vic.gov.au/ocgc/building/SMBC_Map.pdf

[haison]

Damnit! I just sold my xc bike.. I've tried riding around lysterfield on my DH bike before.. not fun. Plus they've closed down all the fun tracks

[stradlater]

What the devil is the difference between a DH bike and an XC bike?

[ed]

one goes DownHill (goes hell fast down summer ski runs, and looks like an engineless moto bike)
the other one goes XrossCountry (and is ridden by geeks in lycra)

[stradlater]

I gathered their purposes..... I'm not that stupid.

The question was, what's the physical difference. IE XC has gears, DH doesn't? Or something similar? Are the frames/suspension/brakes different? Why would there be a problem riding DH on an XC track?

[ed]

ok - imagine and engineless motorX bike....

now imagine trying to pedal it UP a hill....

[ed]

VS

[stradlater]

So the top one is DH yeah?

[ed]

ie
male


VS

ghey

[stradlater]

yeah, yeah, alright, enough.

Just answer the question.

[ed]

So the top one is DH yeah?

correct...

[stradlater]

and, judging by the images, the DH is markedly more expensive than the XC.

[ed]

generally speaking, yeah, a lot of technology has been drowned into the DH market in the last 10 years. that said, if you wanted to spend 10k on an XC bike, you could do it in a heart beat.

dh bikes are good for 1 thing... gravity runs. the suspension, the brakes, the steering geometry, the weight, the way the gears and chain work, the strength of the components etc etc is all very use specific - this makes it one SUPER pain in the asshole to get UP a hill without a chairlift

that, and DH boys are generally less interested in going for 'rides' and going 'uphill' slowly... so you generally never see a DH bike on an XC course. even your younger sister on her 24" sisssy bar kitted toy bike could beat me around fairfiled if i was rinding my bear

[stradlater]

so, in that case, I'll stick to XC for the time being, as Iwouldn't even know WHERE to go DH riding.

[ed]

mt buller, mt baw baw, falls creek.... man you vic guys have some of the best tracks in the country

ahhhh mt buller... i wish i didnt have a responsible job...