CAN A BUDGET HARDTAIL MTB SURVIVE WHISTLER BIKE PARK??
Вставка
- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- After riding Whistler mountain bike park for a whole week of Crankworx and Red Bull Joyride, it’s clear that almost every rider spends thousands of pounds on their enduro and downhill mountain bikes. But I wanted to answer the question, can an affordable budget hardtail MTB survive whistler bike park’s downhill tracks, jump trails like A Line and double black diamond downhill tracks.
Enjoy the test video on the Marin San Quentin 1.
Legends
----------------------------
Intro Music by Damtaro -
SoundCloud: / damtaro
Facebook: / damtaromusic
UA-cam: / @damtaromusic ------------------------------
Music from freetousemusic...
Nothing by Damtaro
• Damtaro - Nothing [FTU...
90% rider, 10% bike. Matt could ride a Walmart $300 bike harder than many people could on a proper MTB. Cheers!
But it’s great viewing haha
Idk man when I was 14 I had a da Vinci kicker and I flew past everyone on full suspension
Reasons why young no sense of danger
And it’s smoother the faster you go
Wire brakes. Couldn’t stop even if I wanted
This
More like 45% bike 55% rider
It's all ride percentages have nothing to do with bike skills and he's has been riding a bike as lone and as much as he walks it like walking for Matt don't hate just ride more good on ya Boyz
Matt Jones: Complains about his shoulder injury on first day riding Whistler on his fully spec'd full sus bike....
Also Matt Jones: Sends entry level hard tail down double black diamond run...
A very generous pay check can make the pain go away...
@@benclarke8699 Let's not pretend any of us could do what he does (and survive) if only the money was right. The guy has immense talent. That comes first. The money is consequence of said talent, not vice versa.
Landing on perfect groomed transition every time is way different than sending enduro lines full of boulders. Dirt jumpers have almost no travel either and do fine on big jump lines.
Matt Jones really sets the standard, doesn’t he? I’m working on some fails and epic sends from entry-level bikes-check it out sometime if that’s your thing.
I rode a hard tail for so many years and the skills translated incredibly well to my full suspension. Every one should start on a hard tail, they are brilliant!
I agree man and they really are good!
I went naked for ten years before I bought clothes. Everyone should do that too.
The guy in the background “MaATT JonES”😂😂
nah i disagree. i got a full sus after not riding for years and could whip and cuttie, wheelie in a couple months
Couldn’t agree more-hardtails teach such solid skills! I’ve been sharing a mix of hardtail and full-sus moments on my channel. Drop by if you’re interested in some MTB nostalgia!
As someone who lives in Vancouver and hasn't mountain biked before, this is very tempting... I've been watching this channel all summer and would love to give MTB a go!
you should definitely with the trails near you you have a massive advantage on a lot of people. hope you try it out !
get into it bro!
Head out to whistler and give it a go! Tons of good blues and greens there for beginners, my favorites are una mas and blue velvet
Rent a bike at whistler, or drive up to kamloops or vernon and go to sun peaks or silverstar. Both are awesome
Definitely should
Ive saved up some money and bought my very first "real" mountain bike, and its a 2021 marin san quentin 1 in gray
Saw your vid shredding one and decided to go with the san quentin
Ive owned it since january, upgraded the fork, and my skills have progressed so much with the help of my bike, and i truly love mine, thank you matt
What fork did you upgrade it with?
@@gelma4343 2022 Rockshox Yari 140mm 29er
I think we have different definitions of budget Matt
🤣
sadly accurate lol!
I'd agree, but with a new bike if you went any lower, you just wouldn't get any name brand parts that are decent mtb parts. If you want to spend less used it the way to go, budget can't be good for much less new.
@@willemteale5020 again, sadly agree! especially these days compared to before. i got a sweet new beauty for my birthday, so i’m happy for the time being 😂, but pinkbike has always had my back for awesome used bicycles at deadly prices 👌🏽 cannot complain!
That’s a pretty low budget bike. Most peoples forks cost the same as that whole bike
This actually was the MTB that I started with and it’s not bad at all, love the progression I had then switching to full squish made me so much better
what full squish?
@@arionairmtbit means full suspension
@@ANAX_GR I know, I'm asking what bike
I felt the same way when I had my 2021 Rocky Mountain growler, it was amazing and I would have another one again. These days these budget aggressive trail bikes are such amazing value for the dollar
ive been running the same one. how have those tyres been for you? cause this tyre rim combo makes it super hard to remove
Same! Loving my Growler
I bought a used specialized big hit 06. Best DH bike I've ever had lol heavy tho
@@antgarce you found the limit where your dropouts ovalized though
@@geckolord0337 stop finding me
Being a diehard hardtail rider, this gets me stoked! Well done!
I got this exact same model 2 months ago. I got it because you got involved in designing it. I truly do not regreat it. Best bike ever! I'm loving it!
Dude, this guy here with this winning comment is trying to scam. He is trying to verify his identity with an Id with the picture of the prince in it. Lame
A lot of hardtail riders watching this in knowing agreement. They can absolutely shred (if you have the necessary skills). Nicely displayed here! Proper hardcore dropping in on the big features!👍💪
I love my San Quentin 1 I have the silver one and still in stock form. I've beat the crap out of it, hit dirt jumps, DH trails, climbs, and bombing around downtown. It's awesome! Definitely going to be upgrading to the San Quentin 2 frame next year with the rear thru axle.
people sleep on HT I swear. They want their full squish to do all the job, when feeling the trail is half the fun.
Did you end up getting the sq2? What’s so good about thru axles other then being slightly more stable and accurate fitting?
@@ProjectLabz It's a stability thing for me. Tracks and holds your lines better, less deflection in choppy stuff. Also easier maintenance, wreaks less havoc on the hub, the rear end of the frame, and its stronger of course. I have a SQ2 and Norco Fluid HT 1 29er with thru axles f/r on that!
@@DBrown87 perfect thank you! Finally someone has answered me about this. I’ve asked nearly 20 people and still didn’t give a proper explanation. 🙏
matt it was my 11 birthday today and i got some of your helfere tshirt today love all your content! keep it up matt!
I got my mrs that exact bike, an once we swapped to an air fork, she’s ripping it now an absolutely loves the bike. Especially the colour! Great bit of kit for the money! 👌
I visited Whistler for the first time and took my Chromag Stylus. I was kinda anxious, literally didn't see another hardtail in the lift lines the whole day, but still was able to shred. I'm definitely bringing my hardtail back again.
Your videos! Are a true inspiration, I miss riding so much , I haven’t ridden, a bike ( bmx ) in almost 10 years , I always wanted to ride a dirt jumper, I’m older now, so I think that would be most efficient for me now , that I’m 50 , I know I can still ride for sure , but they are so expensive, I’m trying to work my magic everyday to try to get one , and that Alcatraz might the dopest D J I’ve seen. Thank you for your inspiration
I actually gasped during this video lol. I just got my first hard tail (Fuse) at age 54. I won't be trying anything close to this lol. Well done mate 👏
The fuse is a good bike 👍
So stoked to see you rip the San Quentin at whistler! I’m from Vancouver island and have a full custom San Quentin 3. I’ve taken it to whistler, the north shore, Squamish and up and down the island and it eats everything up. Best short travel hardcore hardtail I’ve had👌
I've been watching mountain bike videos since like COVID lockdown. Have gotten really into it, but was happy sticking with my BMX. Well I finally took the plunge and picked up a 2022 Marin San Quentin 1 for $700 with less than 5 miles on it.
I am new to MTB but I've ridden BMX forever so I needed something that could handle some abuse and be able to jump. I knew I would be sending it over doubles on day one and needed something strong. A $500 XC hardtail just wouldn't cut it.
This bike is really awesome. The internal cable routing is so awesome. Plus it has internal routing for a dropper post. Matt playing a part in the design of the bike definitely swayed me into buying it lmao.
But I can confirm this is just about the perfect beginner bike. It's a great bike and looks fantastic as well. Marin makes some awesome stuff. I think it's only a matter of time before I also get a Rift Zone lmao.
I have a san quentin 2, and i love it, but i couldn't imagine that I would be good enough rider to take it to a legit bike park, haha. that's wild
me too.one of the reasons i chose sanquentin is because of mattjones. look how crazy he was with his sanquentin before...sickkk 🔥🔥
Why don't you do down blues only instead of blacks. Heck even greens are super fun.
Marin San Quentin added to cart. Love the videos❤️
Sick!! I just got this bike!! I love it so much and it’s the first nice bike I’ve ever owned. Great video!!
It feels good to see what can be done with a hard tail. I am just getting in to it and got a hard tail and have a few times thought "Should I have gone full suspension"
You can buy a full suspension, but no reason for. I switched from hardtail to full suspension after 2 years.
But i can give you a tip: NEVER sell your hardtail, believe me, you will regrett it sooner or later.
If you want to ride more enduro like trails (with lot of paddling over roots) it's better to have a full suspension. It's realy a struggle to keep your feet on the pedals while paddling over lot of roots (only with flatpaddles).
Hes right about the hardtail
@@RiddleDiddle @steven finday Thanks for the advice. I'm still new to it, so have been on some easier trails. I'll stick to my hardtail for now, and will remember to hold on to it if/when I get a full suspension in the future.
I spent my first 3 years riding hardtail when I got into mtb, rode everything from dh parks to xc trails and really feel like developing my skills on a hardtail made me such a better biker. Feel the same about flat pedals as opposed to clips but I dont think Ill ever ride clips. I still use my hardtail from time to time and its great fun. You don't need full suspension and the longer you ride your hardtail, the better you will feel when you get your first full suspension bike. Happy trails m8
I only have a hardtail, hit the bike park once a month. Raced an enduro on it (see my channel for the vid). You can go really really far with a good hardtail and if you don't care about speed, you don't need anything else. In time, you will find that the true limit to your hardtail is what your body can endure because going fast on it can be BRUTAL on the hands. 3 years into the sport, I am looking for my FS to handle bike park days and the occasional enduro. For 95% of my riding, my hardtail is way more than capable.
started mtb'ing on a 1978 Raleigh 10-speed roadie......in 1978......on abandoned neighborhood dirt bike trails.....back then, we just called it bike riding (how quaint)
This Marin San Quentin hardtail would have been the most incredible steed EVER back then, now it's entry level! blows my mind a bit.
How lucky we are to be in this point in the time-stream....
in 202 i got my first MTB hardtail from my local bike shop 550$, I've since upgraded every single part on that bike and I've been loving it all these years!!
this shows how fricking good of a rider matt is, crazyyyyyyyyyyyy.
I started out with a trek roscoe 6 and absolutely wrecked it by the time I got a proper bike and this video is giving me such nostalgia 😂😂
I recently have brought a San Quentin 3 and it’s the best purchase I’ve ever made you can literally ride the bike anywhere!
ooohhh yeaaahhh!!!mattjones ride sanquentin again...makes me very excited!
hardcore hardtail!!!🤘🔥🔥🔥
This video is the reason why I've just bought a san quentin 1👌
Awesome, Matt! I love your video. Wish I can go to the Whistler with my sq 3. I love my ht. Well done, Matt! keep for being inspiration.
Sweet. You should shred hardtails with Blake Samson. All that energy could knock the Earth out of orbit. Rock on, man!
Man you were FLYING down those trails. Exhilarating to watch
I loved the videos you did building and riding your other two San Quentins. Cool to see you on the hardtail again.
That was a very effective advertisement. My 2010 Remedy is feeling outdated and I'm considering a new bike. I want this one.
I had the same experience with my 1500$ hardtail (Vitus), it's incredible what i could ride with this bike. Downhill with lot of rocks, roots and stuff, so fun!
unfortunately i had to sell my bike, kind of regrett it :(.
Now i've got a full suspension, still LOT of fun, but not the same.
Marin, Polygon and Vitus make some incredible hardtails for the money.
I took my Marin Bobcat Trail 3 to a downhill park and it was so much fun!!
Let’s also remember what great bike handling skills you have, Matt. Someone wanting to buy a budget bike does not know how to ride that smooth ;)
Had the green one a few years ago as my intro into mtn biking. It was PERFECT and I’d totally recommend it. I rode the h out of that thing, tinkered on it to learn all the basics and then still sold it without a chain for $500.
My daughter is currently riding my San Quentin 3 at Livigno. Stable bike, helps with confidence on the big berms, perfect.
I ride a super low budget hardtail down black diamonds and pretty tech stuff. But that Marin seems super reliable, I’m jealous!
Wow he exceeds my expectations again your a real inspiration
Hardtail for life!
Great to see some HT content again, and how capable they are (obviously the rider helps). Love my SQ3!
I bought this exact bike 3 weeks ago as my first mtb bike ever and I've been having a blast with it
Matthew Jones! Super cool playing the nail game with you at the bar 😎
The 1 definitely has the coolest paint job.
Matt Jones I enjoyed watching you enjoy yourself 😁😁
I have the same exact bike, just upgraded to a 160mm Lyrik up front and a dropper and xt drive train. I love it. Bought it cause of the geo and wanted to swap between the full suspension and ht. Amazing bike for the price
That is awesome, so glad I chose the San Quentin!
one of the reasons i chose sanquentin is because of mattjones. look how crazy he was with his sanquentin before...sickkk 🔥🔥
Hitting that section on "Fade to Black", on a HT, definitely takes some serious skills, props Matt. While I will agree with those saying a good rider can ride almost anything, I think a nice HT is so underrated, as you kept saying, much more "in touch" with the trail and feedback, just takes more ride input and no "Sleeping on the Job" like you can get away with on a modern FS.
If we use the logic of what a pro rider can do on a bike, we’d all be out on bed bikes (a la Sam pilgrim). Great video though,short and sweet.
I took a stock San Quentin 2 to Angel Fire a few years back; It was rough, but the bike made it all day. The bumps are awful, but it's so fun on the jumps
Just got home from a trail ride with the pup and look at my phone to my surprise 😮 Matt with a fresh edit at the dream park
My palms 🌴 r sweeting out here in California headed to gravity game to watch Kyle straight and other shredding daul slalom my ribs r still broken trying ease back in but can't help but go Full Send u, Ben, ur older but less sendy bro , and pro mates were a big inspiration for me when I got sober ur videos gor me thru the withdrawals and not sleeping g for a month but I beat it currently riding more then i did as young boy more fired up then ever at 39 years young can't wait for more whisgnar edits 😀 hardtails for the win
I own that exact bike! Did a few upgrades a here and there such as air shocks and whatnot, but I can confirm that that bike is perfect. I jump it, I ride it through local trails, ect and it suited my needs perfectly. The bike is also bombproof. I have down some funky stuff to that bike when learning to jump, and amazingly it works like new. Would def recommend for beginners and even intermediates, cuz I don’t see myself upgrading any time soon.
i know someone with that bike and they seem to love it.
How much did you pay for the whatnot?
I probably put it another grand to the bike shocks and some other shit
Yes boy finally some hardtail content 🤙
I bought that exact SQ1, same colour even, I upgraded fork to RockShox Pike and I'm loving it :) it can handle bike parks like any other machine !!
Although your camera is better quality Duncan’s I prefer as it actually shows how fast you are really going. But love the vids.
I bought the new huffy rock creek 29, just recently got new tires, Kenda sport nevegal 29 2 20, i have the trexler nature preserve here in Allentown Pennsylvania and it handles everything from the jumps, berms and more.
As diehard HT rider.....I approve of this content.
Got into your channel coz of hardcore-hardtails. Still building up my Orange crush, still love it!
I love hardtails so so so much. Ive only owned 1 full squish.....I sold it. I still ride the CUBE Pro LTD I built (1200.00) and Id never trade it.
Just shows what a skilled rider can do 👍
Why the hell was I looking for hardtail Whistler videos like an hour before this went live 🤣
Have had this bike almost a couple of years now it is epic, I don’t ride anywhere near these kind of trails but it is more than enough bike for me. Always a fun ride 😅
When Matt says "stay tuned we'll have heaps of videos this week"... =( still waiting.. haha
Nice! I just built a Ragley Big Al! My bare rear wheel cost more than the frame, my fork cost more than the frame, my brakes cost more than the frame, but man I LOVE IT!!!
So rad. I freaking love hardtails. I have a new niner air 9 aluminum hardtail that I have built up. It handles awesome. Of course you feel the bumps. But I love it!
Damn dude u can ride a big wheel and do well with your skill set. Awesome
I ride a San Quentin 3 that I recently single-speeded and use for dirt jumping. Reminds me of my BMX days. It’s a perfect bike.
dude people think you need full sus to jump they forgot BMX exists, its the rider not the bike.
@jeff mate, how you feel on it jumping? Bike's weight isn't a problem?
@@jacekbucko3623 Bike is crazy light, even more so now without all the gears. Super easy to maneuver in the air.
Love this! I have an Alpine Trail C2 but my wife has this exact bike with a dropper post. I love to snag it to take to our local jump trail and it handles it great. Really sweet bike for the price and a great frame for future upgrades.
Im literally hoping to get this same exact bike, going to try and order it on monday! I have a few trails around me and I used to ride. Im always so eager to watch your new videos so I think I owe it to myself to get myself one. I seen the 2022 on sale for a price I think I can manage. Ill just need a helmet and some fivetens!
Yes this video is two years old, but I just watched it, so I'm commenting on it. I have a (2009) Trek 6000 hardtail, that I a) love, and b) likely fits the "budget hardtail" definition for this video, even if it is an older bike now, that said, I agree with @griffmtb that it is 90% the rider, because as good as my Trek might be, while Matt could absolutely send it down Whistler bike park, I cannot lol Very cool video though!
Ahhh yes good old mountain biking with an £800 *budget* mountain bike
things cost money 😭😭😭😭
I rode a Norco torrent and a Da Bomb hardtail on Whistler throughout 2000 - 2002 on every run and had a blast and turned some heads :)
Now that's some riding.
Great video! It's really a reminder that your bike isn't holding you back.
hardtails rule. full stop.... I run a Steel Reserve with a Circus Expert. rock on!
I actually have that bike. I had it for 4-5 months and I love it. 🔥
I started watching you in lockdown, I bought a San Quentin 3 here in Australia then about 2 months later it was stolen from my apartments garage, my other bike was right next to it without a lock on it and wasn't touched, so sad, wish I still had a good hardtail
Rode Antur Stiniog & Dyfi on my 2019 Trek Rosco 7 about 2 weeks ago, no issues, great riding.
Gutted I just missed bumping into you - hope you had a blast in Whistler - if you're touring Van Isle you might enjoy heading to SendAir an airbag jump centre on the island. 👍🏼
Hi Matt love your videos you were the reason I started riding. You are such an inspiration would love to meet you one day
Well that's a proper bike ad if i've ever seen one.
Pretty sure the back of those forks say something like "not for mountain use" lol.
the BB will too, or at least "not for jumping or downhill".
@@jammydee8399 yeah the fork and square support is trash
one very important thing i have learned is that being comfortable matters! you could be 6foot 10 and still ride a 27.5 x m frame mtb bike because it makes you feel like riding an oversized BMX, some people like to have more safety and comfort and go for a bigger bike, but a bigger bike is also (most of the time) heavier, this bike with a 27.5 and a large or mid frame for a 6foot guy is perfect specially if you wanna jump high and far.
long story short , but buy into the "sizing" thing you have to try and see which bike fits your style of riding and comfort level and go for it, the sizing is just a recommendation, not a must
insane video matt love the bike i hope to see you in woburn
Love you’re videos Matt keep shredding
That bike would have been destroyed if I would have ridden it 😆
Matt is an awesome professional rider, and that matters a lot!
My specialized rockhopper was stolen and I ended up replacing it with what I could afford in the moment which was a Marin Eldridge and it has been amazing. It is fully custom now with upgraded parts and i converted it to a 1X. Little thing rips and is light as shit. Got over 2000 miles on it. Never sleep on a hardtail...they will surprise you everytime.
We have a load of San Quintin rentals where I work! They’re great!
I love these bikes. I nearly brought sq1 but wanted a through axle so got sq2 only thing I wish I’d done is gone for medium frame rather than large so I could throw it about a bit more
I'm in the same boat, I looked hard at the sq1 but ended with an sq2 I'm 5,9-5,10 and as with you I would imagine the size chart put me in a L wishing in would know to go with a M. Anything you have done to your bike so far to help the fit?
It wouldn't do all that with me riding 😂😂. Matt jones you have to take a hell of alot of credit.
Thanks! Now I know that hardtails are so capable I am thinking about getting a commencal meta ht am. Love you videos Matt!!
Check out the Ragley Big Al also. $450 and super solid I take it off big drops. Shipping was fast. Got it from chain reaction cycles.
Love all your vids, your awesome just got me some new fresh helfare gear😁😮💨😮💨
8:00 loved the wave lol
I bought a SQ 2 this spring and as a very heavy rider it has been holding up great!
I’ve been guilty of building a number of hardtails over the years where the bottom bracket is the only new part, everything else is from the local bike shop bin or ex-eBy or similar sites. The key is a reliable frame, most of mine have been Nukeproof Scouts. It makes the initial outlay easier to live with, you can aim for a higher spec (accepting a little wear) and you learn loads about servicing your parts.
I feel like riding a hard tail builds so much skill. It asks more of you, especially the legs as that is 100% your suspension.
I have a hardtail. The part of the US that I’m in I didn really see it necessary to buy a full sus bike. Most trails are fairly smooth if not then it’s mostly roots. So I spent my money on a higher end hardtail and I love it.