Aluminum DH Bike Recommendations for Non-Racing Bike Park Riding
Thanks everyone, I have edited and added some background myself.
I’m 47 years old and I mainly want a DH bike for bike park riding. I don’t race, and I’m not looking for the fastest or most aggressive race bike. I’m more interested in something with a higher margin for error — stable, confidence-inspiring, fun, and reasonably easy to handle.
My main idea is to have a 200mm DH bike that I can take to overseas bike parks once or a few times a year. Most of my regular riding is on my Specialized Epic for training, and I also ride bikes like a Santa Cruz Nomad 7(on the way) and a Specialized Levo e-MTB. Because the DH bike would have a relatively limited purpose, I don’t want to spend too much on it. Ideally, I’d like to keep the budget under US$6,000 if possible.
I’m also leaning toward an aluminum frame instead of carbon, mainly because I want something more durable and less stressful to own for park riding, travel, and possible crashes.
For those of you who ride DH bikes in bike parks, which aluminum DH bikes would you recommend for someone like me? Any models that feel fun, forgiving, and confidence-inspiring rather than overly race-focused?
Thanks in advance!