I use Edmonton’s trail system a lot. In fact, I consider the system an alternative highway, a lovely secret shared by all of us who use it to cyclecommute to work or campus each day. But when it comes to recreational road riding, the trails don’t really cut it. For road riding, one ultimately needs a road.
The stigma in the industry about downhill bikes being heavy is changing for the lighter. The pros are all riding lightweight rigs, so why can't we, right? That's where the idea of building a lightweight DH rig started. With all the amazing frames, and parts out there we wanted to do the build with stuff that is easily accessible for the average consumer.