Lakeview MTB Trail at Whirlpool HQ // POLYGON SISKIU T8

[@MTBTrailRider]

Trail Details: 🚴‍♂ Trail Length: Approximately 8-8.5 miles (As reported on Strava) 🌲 Trail Type: Cross-Country with Intermediate Features Sprinkled Throughout 🚵‍♀ Difficulty Level: Suitable for Beginner and Intermediate Riders ⚡ Class 1 E-Bikes Allowed 🚫 One Wheels: Not Allowed (Due to being fully motorized) 🔄 Trail Direction: Clockwise for Bikers Location: 📍 Trailhead Address: 750 Monte Rd, Benton Harbor, MI 49022

[@3ravines275]

Rode here with the wife today. My only complaint is that it is not longer. Without a doubt, one of the best trails we have ridden to date. Sick flo out of nowhere. Just good old, smart, trail building . We live in valporaiso and the drive is worth it. Between NWI and SWM , there are some really good trail systems popping up. Plus, having lake Michigan to dip in afterwards is fantastic.

[@greg1083]

Just found your channel. Great review on this trail system. My son-in-law works for Whirlpool so we rode when it first opened when I got the chance to bring the bikes to the westside. I worked for a trail building company at the time and was busy with the DTE build in Chelsea. Builder did a great job considering the limitations in elevation. Trail boss always said building on flat is harder then on elevation. I have always felt that trail systems like Lakeveiw are very important additions to the mtb communities riding opportunities. It's the gateway drug so to speak. 😂

[@bikesonline]

So close to 10k!! Let’s go!!!

[@MTBTrailRider]

So close! Ahhh! 🎉

[@akiramiyazono]

Nice park! Has some fun features. I wanted to ask, what are your thoughts on the new T9? I am trying to decide if it is worth it for me to spend the extra money or do upgrades like you have instead. I might go to bike parks 2-3 times a year and everything else is pretty much blue to maybe black trails.

[@MTBTrailRider]

Hey there! So, I like the t9 build… I like that there are more build configurations for those who just want to buy the higher quality ready to go out of the box. It’s an $800 difference, but you’re getting a bigger fork - Fox elite 36 vs performance 34. The bigger stanchions will be noticeable at the bike park. I don’t know how hard you ride, but I’ve taken my t8 to a bike park in Michigan and handled blue trails no problem. But I’m not sure how it would hold up to a full day of abuse at like windrock in TN or big DH park in Colorado. I increased my travel on my fork to 150 with a new air shaft and fine tuned it with volume spacers. Love the feel of the fork but the beefier stanchions would be nice on park days. The trp brakes a nice upgrade but the 4 piston tekro are quite capable. Maybe just switch out the pads and throw a 200mm rotor up front to give you more confidence. Traditional blue and black enduro trails or all mountain trails, you should be fully confident with on the t8. I switched my rear cassette out along with the derailleur to the XT replacing the SLX. It was nice, but hard to notice the difference unless you’re an avid rider. I keep the slx crankset. So… to finalize my long explanation, if you have the $800 extra, you would be very happy with the build out - especially when it comes to park days (I would still increase the fork travel to 150 by replacing the Fox air shaft - bike shops can do this no problem if you’re not confident with that type of work). But if that $800 is significant and not in the budget, you would be happy with the T8 for normal riding days but big DH parks might take a little bit to feel confident with. This isn’t a DH bike. But it’s a very capable all mountain bike that I’ve been able to push pretty hard. I hope this helps and didn’t confuse you more. 😂 if you have more questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. I don’t always get notifications on KZbin replies, so Instagram works good too: @jjorgensen428

[@MTBTrailRider]

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