Downhill Bikes: rent or buy?

[skinipenem]

^agreed. Going used without mech knowledge is probably a bad idea. However, you can score a great used dh bike for a fraction of the new cost of you can confidently check through the bike... in person of course.

[jm2e]

I don't totally disagree with any of the above. But, here's my $0.02:
If the frame is clean, and there aren't obvious gross problems (bent rims, gritty headset/BB bearings, bent RD, spongy brakes), then it's a pretty safe bet saving $2-3K. So you end up needing to service the shock and fork? $300 combined for rebuilds. So you need new bottom bracket? Oh No! $30 for that!
Rental bike? It will never feel like YOUR bike. It'll ride like something from a rental fleet. Just like with skis. This won't be the equivalent of the car you pick up from Hertz that has 75miles on it. It'll be like the Ford Taurus you got from Rent-A-Wreck that drives perfectly fine but has 75K miles on it, pulls to the left when you brake and has a funny vibration when you get it above 80mph. Then there's the damage. Not sure why people ever point out damage like it's a reason to rent. You dent a rim on a rental, you may be out the cost of the whole wheel. You dent a rim on your bike, you keep riding on it and realize it's just fine. Same thing goes with the janky RD you tagged last run and the bent brake lever from the time you failed your first double. Beating on bikes is fun. Worrying about damaging bikes takes all the fun out of it.

[XXX-er]

Inspect carefuly grasshopper

back in the heyday of the big freeride bike maybe 10-15yrs ago there was a shop guy at a dealer(Steed Cycle) in North Vancouver (probably the birthplace of freeride) ran into 10 cracked frames in one day, they weren't all easy to find he inspected all the bikes that came in that day bikes with a UV light and found some of them were just hairline but would eventualy fail

[Anospa]

I got hosed buying an ex-rental bike a few years back, do not waste your money on it.

Selling my Wilson for $2300: https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2118022/ and quite literally only ridden 5 times, always spend too much time on my race bike,. wanted to ride more DH trails with it but would always grab my Troy instead.

[jm2e]

I'm in a different but similar situation coming this summer. Buddy coming out for 6-7 days of DH park riding. Would honestly rather buy something and flip it than pay $150/day ($900) for a rental. Hoping someone knows someone near here who's got an old beater that we can "rent".
DH is definitely an ordeal.

[Anospa]

And the words about injuries, 100% stuff to consider. I go full storm trooper most days I'm riding lifts, get the gear that works and fits your well and you won't care.

[milestogo]

Looks like the local Norco could be the one. $1900. I looked at it today and it gets an enthusiastic thumbs up from the local pro who works at the shop and is a stupidly good rider.
https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2079463/

[gramboh]

Looks like the local Norco could be the one. $1900. I looked at it today and it gets an enthusiastic thumbs up from the local pro who works at the shop and is a stupidly good rider.
https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2079463/

Nice. Seeing the bike in person and having a mechanic check it out is huge. I would still try to talk it down a few hundred... 26 inch DH bikes are very hard to sell, I feel like a 4 model year old bike (even if mint) should not be much over $1,500-$1,600USD. See Anospa above is selling a one year old Wilson 27.5 for $2,300USD, yeah the Aurum has Fox stuff but still...

Maybe see if he has some extra tires or other parts to sweeten the deal... still a much better plan than the Wilson rental!