I'm 43 now, and have been riding bikes since 1995. Due to some crashes jumping bigger jumps on my BMX years back, I've always felt very unsafe when it came to bigger jumps. I never trusted myself to keep my composure in the air, and thus screw up the landing.

This summer, my son (11) and me went to Kopřivná Bikepark in the Czech Republic to finally get over that resistance. He's usually much more naturally talented than myself, and towed me over some jumps before - but this time I was a bit quicker to get over the big ones in this clip. The trail is named "Baby Zilla".

We recorded the video after we both cleared the entire Jumpline. And after the cam fell into some rocks - hence the marks on the lenses.

I'm very happy about this progression, and have since cleared many big jumps that I had an issue with before.

I want to show that progression like that is always possible. You don't need to be a teenager for that 😜.

I am not talking about another documentary, I am talking about a drama film like Lord of Dogtown! I went to the mountain biking museum over the weekend and was amazed by how far mountain bikes have come. Hollywood writers, if you are reading this, start writing!

Was a roadie for 5 years. Did occasional/casual MTB but never got super into it. I found it hard and liked the smooth cadence of the road.

Well, last few months I've been compelled to get off the road. Reasons:

- CARS. I hate them. They hate me. Shoulders are nonexistent or not wide enough. I live in the south where big trucks and coal rolling are commonplace. It's stressful always having someone up your ass.

-Dogs. Again, in the south, getting chased by aggressive dogs is not unusual.

-Heat. On the road you are just roasting in the hot sun pretty much the whole time. It wears on you during the summer.

-Grind. Road can be fun, dont get me wrong, but 80% of it is grind.

-Discomfort. Because you are sitting and pitched forward almost the whole time, road is tolerable at best and miserable after about 90 mins. Yeah I know---saddle, bike fit, blah blah blah. There is only so much comfort to be found from sitting on a saddle bent forward with your neck in extension for hours on end.

MTB has none of these. No cars, no dogs, you are out in the woods with plenty of shade, you ride upright and are out of the saddle constantly. Yeah it can be hard but the skills element adds a lot of progression and the hard stuff gets more fun.

The main drawback is that for most of us, we have to drive to get to trailheads. But it's worth it, IMO.

For me I need to at least 1 good DH run or something that's me feel at least a little out of control.

Hey guys, need and opinion on what to do.

About to commit to my first really high end bike. I have a couple of really good options but just need some advice from some more experienced riders.

I’m debating between a Santa Cruz Megatower vs Hightower vs Rocky Mountain Instinct. I know that the megatower greatly differs from the two other bikes but from what I can tell it is downhill focused but can still be fun everywhere else. While I’m worried that if I get a shorter travel trail bike like the Hightower or instinct I won’t have as much fun in tough descents. I don’t live in a mountainous area for daily riding so this is why I’m still considering going for a trail bike.

I currently have a Scott Spark that is a XC style bike

So in your guy’s opinion should I go with the megatower, because it favours the style of riding I enjoy but don’t get to do all the time, or go with the instinct or Hightower for a more balanced overall bike.

Also open to other bike recommendations it’s just that these bikes are on sale in my area right now.

Hey all,

I'm going to do a bigger maintenance on my MTB this winter, including changing the rear triangle bearings, fork and shock service, etc... due to this i need to take the bike apart, and while im there im thinking to repaint the bike to a different color to make it a bit custom.

Bike: Cube Stereo T150

Do you have any suggestions what to look out for with sanding, what primer to use etc.?

Thanks for all the comments!

This one looks smaller on the vid but is probably 43-4metres or so from lip to landing.

TLDR: I wanna get into single trail riding, and I'm not sure if I should spend money and time on getting a free 90's MTB trail ready or if I should make the jump straight away to a modern low-end hardtail for 150-200€ more?

Long Story:

A year ago I started getting into gravelbiking/bikepacking with my Cube Nuroad EX and I quickly swapped my stock tires to G-One RX 45mm (that's my frame limit) for more grip. I mostly ride Cat 2 & Cat 3 German Forest roads. In my area there are a lot of MTB single trails with varying difficulties, and I'm curious in checking them out, but on my gravelbike the drivetrain (50t rear - 40t front) and said tires, my back tire is spinning through the dirt quite quickly. Important to say: I have ZERO trail experience!

I was given a 90's Marin Palisades Trail for free from a friend with the notice "it needs a lot of work done" and indeed it does. To get it into a somewhat rideable state, I invested so far 80€ for new brake- & shifting-levers + new cables and a new handlebar with new grips as well. I also installed an Acera RD-M360 I had lying around. I like the geometry a lot, and I can see myself ripping around with that thing. I'm fine with wrenching around and investing in parts if it will enable me to have some fun on the trails.

Right now it has cantilever brakes, 2.1" tires, and a 3x7 drivetrain (11-28t back - 28-38-48t in front). I was planning on installing Deore V-Brakes, 2.3" Continental Cross Kings and swapping to 2x7 for more simplicity (11-34t back - 22-36t in front). That (and some other minor things that need fixing) would cost me another 215€ - so all in all 295€.

When I was looking around Marketplace, I saw some modern entry 29" 1x Hardtails going for around 450-500€ (that's before negotiating the price). So now I'm not quite sure what I should be going for. I like the old Marin allot, and if it will enable me to do allot more single trailing than my current gravelbike, that would already satisfy me allot. I also like the idea of building it to my own desires, and I see myself doing a custom paint job down the line. But I'm just not sure if it is worth it if I can get an HT for such a little jump in price

I have finally put together a decent kit to bring with me on trails. My pack consists of the following:

- hydration bladder: 2-3 liters of water
- 16 piece multitool
- cylinder minipump
- snacks
- small bottle with electrolyte water mix
- inhaler
- plug darts
- wallet/phone/keys

This thing is heavy! Somewhere between 10-15 lbs. I am a heavy sweater, so I'll easily go through 3 liters of water on a warm day.

How much does your pack usually weigh?

Ciao MTBers,

I came across a Pinkbike article and am inspired to head to Yunnan with the MTB early November as I'll already be nearby for a work trip. It's pretty hard to find information online (at least searching in English) but have so far seen there are some bike companies around but none have responded yet.

Has anyone rode in the area before? And happen to have any guide / tour company / MTB shop contacts from there?

My plan is to head for riding around Kunming, Dali, and Lijiang. Any beta would be much appreciated!

Cheers and thanks!

Hey everyone, I am a Western Australian based videographer and recently released a short documentary following a local enduro rider in the lead up to the 2025 Enduro National Championships in Collie, Western Australia.

The film follows training, racing and preparation for nationals, showcasing a bit of the WA mountain biking scene along the way.

Hope you enjoy watching!

Hello to all. I own a 2016 capra L. It has an 180mm grip 2 fork, and I wanna reduce it to 160, because the wheel flop is horrendous, and the handling suffers in tight corners. I want to compensate by installing a 65 mm riser bar. The one I have now is 40mm. I don't want to add spacers, I will lose reach, and it's fine as it is right now, which is almost no spacers. The bike has a low stack compared to modern standards, so I want to be more upright, also because of back issues. Am I missing something? Will I stand to lose smth if I go this route?

Thanks

Now I can Work in my jumps whenever I want.

Anyone who knows anything about freehubs? I need some human involvement, help me out:

I have set of Enve Foundation wheels, currently with HG cassette body. I want to upgrade to XDR to fit on a new bike. Had a lengthy conversation with Chat-GPT about it:

Hub is identified as the older ENVE Foundation Road hub with the ID360 40T ratchet, not the newer INNERDRIVE hub. So I need

ENVE ID360 XDR freehub body: 100-4001-308
XDR/Campagnolo 12×142 drive-side end cap: 100-4001-416

Thanks, chat GPT! So far so good, now comes the interesting part: they are hard to find in stock shipping to Denmark. So chat-GPT suggests that Mavic parts that should fit, referencing deep-linked Enve product support pages.

Mavic XDR body alternative: V2580101
Mavic end-cap alternative: V2510701

Calling on the Reddit-hive-mind:
Anyone on here that has tried it?

Im looking to buy a new bike, the sort of riding I’m planning is longish distance (at most probably 20 miles) on hard packed dirt, gravel and pavement for the most part. Im after something comfortable for a few hours of steady riding. there’ll be no jumps and probably nothing that steep, budget no more than £350. What are people’s recommendations.

Has anyone heard any rumours of dates for the RB hardline event in 2027? Looking to buy ok some provisional accommodation.

I recently lost my trusty clear lenses on the trail and need to get something new. This got me thinking: is clear the best option out there for my riding?

There are lots of threads about eyewear on r/mtb. Some are particular, some just want what works, some use safety glasses from the hardware store. But there's not as much discussion about lens colour and tint.

So what works for you and why? Make sure to note typical weather and canopy conditions for your local riding (what works in Moab might not be great on the North Shore).

Also, how have photocromic lenses worked out for those that use them? I've heard they are too slow to adapt for forested riding on sunny days, but maybe they're getting better?

Hey gang,

Need your help. I’m looking for a youth saddle that has a very low stack height (rail to top of saddle). There doesn’t seem to be much info online about saddle height.

Currently on a saddle that’s about 6cm. Would like to drop it down to under 5cm.

Thanks!

Hi everyone!
I’m currently running a Shimano CUES U6000 groupset with an 11-50T cassette.
I’m looking for a lighter cassette to reduce some weight without replacing the entire drivetrain.
Has anyone tried using a lightweight aftermarket cassette, especially from Chinese brands like ZTTO, Sunshine, or similar?
Will it work properly with the Shimano CUES U6000 derailleur and shifter, considering the LINKGLIDE system?
I’d appreciate any recommendations or real-world experience. Thanks!

I have a 2019 Chameleon that I dont ride much anymore as I’ve started road biking. But, I’m not really ready to sell it either as I wont get much for it and it’s worth more to me to keep it. I’ve got a few bent spokes and broken nipples on the wheels and both are so out of true i cant bring them back in anymore. These are the original WTB wheels.
So, I’d like to get new wheels but not wanting to spend a ton of money. I’m considering a set of Reserve aluminum 29” HD wheels as the quality seems good for 699 a set. But, wondering if anyone has a better suggestion for me. I’m a trial use not hard core, older guy now and 210lbs so no lightweight dude. Thanks for any help.

Looking to buy a used full-sus XC frame as an upgrade from my hardtail and found a Cobalt Hellbender for sale. Never heard of the company, website is pretty sparse, and there's functionally no industry reviews I can find of this bike. Should I assume this is a Mainland China-made frame with logos slapped on or am I missing something here?