Used bike "only park ridden" - this is not an ad.

[mko72]

I'd like to hear your thoughts on looking for a used bike and someone says "this bike has only been ridden in the whistler bike park". You can cover a lot of ground in the bike park, so isn't a bike like that the same as buying a high mileage car?

I used to work for a car dealership and when someone has super high mileage on their car and say "it's all highway" that's BS. The engine, tranny, wheels, brakes etc. still have to make a crap-ton of revolutions to get that high mileage. All of that stuff creates friction and friction causes wear. It might not be as bad as city miles, but the notion that highway miles preserve the value of a car is a myth. If you don't believe me, go ask what the trade in value is on your vehicle and then say "it's all highway miles".

Spending a day on Whistler is the equivalent and riding 5-10 laps in north van right? While the jumps do have smooth transitions that make landing a lot softer than slamming into a flat landing, there's still quite a bit of downward force acting on the head tube and other welds; also, you're probably hitting about x100 more jumps per day in Whistler than in North Van. Plus all the braking, brake pads ain't cheap and dialing those brakes "just right" can be finicky. So, you've got lots of miles, lots of revolutions, downward force.

I don't know what the answer is so I really want to hear what other people think about "only park ridden"

cheers

[ReductiMat]

Yeah, generally speaking, there's a higher probability the bike will have been used for its intended purposes than if you were buying the same bike from someone in the West End.

[Dirk]

I concur.

Most of the mileage on my DH Bike has come from the Bike Park in the last few years. You can get a years worth of shuttles in 3-4 days up in Whistler. And to follow your "highway mileage" anology, I think Bike Park mileage is worse than other trail mileage. Braking bumps. Runs with dozens and dozens of jumps each roll through. I'd say this is worst case scenario type stuff.

But, then again, I know some guys whose bikes I'd rather buy after a year of bike park riding vs. dudes whose bikes I wouldn't touch after they've owned it for a month or two.

It's usually pretty easy to tell if a bike is beat or not. Generally, if the cosmetic and easy to see stuff is in decent shape, the rest of the bike is going to follow suit.

[Kevin26]

if it's a good deal have a look.. could be beat to shit or could not. If it's far away at least ask for good pictures. One of my friends is really only into riding the xc/am trails and has a bike that's park-only... it probably has a dozen days on it and most of those days are only 3-4 laps, and he doesn't hit any of the bigger stuff

[kperras]

1 day in the park = 10 days of non-lift accessed riding.

The only bikes that you should consider buying, if they've been around bike parks, is the rental shop ones. Those bikes get torn down at the end of the season and get rebuilt usually with brand new parts and sometime new frames.

[walleater]

I've seen plenty of DH type bikes that look in great condition, until you get close up and personal and find the fatigue cracks. If the bike is dirty when you check it out, run a mile as it might be covering terminal issues. I'd never buy an 'only park ridden' bike unless it was just being sold for the price of the parts.

[Sharon]

but what if its Lady Ridden?

[Duncan]

I'll say one thing about DH and FR bikes ... the drivetrains hardly ever wear out. When I used to ride XC a lot, I would burn through a couple of drivetrains a year. I've never worn down the drivetrain of a DH/FR bike after even after years of riding them.

Also, it depends on what kind of rider the person was. If they were a poseur, weigh 140 lbs, bought a DH rig for one season and never really maxed out its capabilities, then yes, it will probably show little wear. You can often tell frames that have had the crap beaten out of them ... just look at the chainstay, BB and underside of the downtube. A thrashed bike is more likely to have lots of scratches, chips and dings that are hard to hide.

[Rivs]

Originally Posted by Sharon

but what if its Lady Ridden?

Nope,lots of tha womens run hard in the park nowadays.
Park ridden is park ridden.

[Uncle Duke]

Originally Posted by Sharon

but what if its Lady Ridden?

i've seen you ride. no sale..

[Zedbra]

Originally Posted by Uncle Duke

i've seen you ride. no sale..

i've seen you hack, same thing

[wizardB]

Originally Posted by Sharon

but what if its Lady Ridden?

Sharon you need a sarcasm emoticon cause they didn't get it

[FullMonty]

also be careful of the ones that look REALLY good but are a couple seasons old. there are probably scary issues with suspension or hubs or something but the owner is trying to dump it so out comes the polish.

[Uncle Duke]

Originally Posted by Zedbra

i've seen you hack, same thing

im far less abusive on my bikes. im an old man...

[Uncle Duke]

Originally Posted by wizardB

Sharon you need a sarcasm emoticon cause they didn't get it

i think maybe your sarcasm meter is broken as well?