5 GREAT FOREST RIDES PLUS ROUTES TO DOWNLOAD

MAY 2018 l £4.99 l mbr.co.uk

TRAIL
BIKE
OF THE YEAR
Q
Q
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GR OUP T E S T

CLIPLESS
Suspens on secrets es
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NEW BIKES FROM CANYON, ANCILLOTTI & STARLING
        
         

    
 




            

 
 
  
 
     





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 ON THE COVER
James Bracey rides
the Canyon Spectral
in our Trail Bike
of the Year test.
Photographer:
Roo Fowler

FEATURES
ON THE COVER

78 MAKING OF A MODERN TRAIL BIKE

RockShox and SRAM’s latest suspension designs are
drawn up on computer screens, but they’re born,
nursed and flourish on the testing trails of Afan in
South Wales. We get behind-the-curtain access to
the development of Nukeproof’s Mega.
Contents MAY 2018
ON THE COVER

12 AFFORDABLE E-BIKES BIKES IN THIS ISSUE

E-bike prices are dropping through
the floor, meaning you can pick up
Ancillotti Scarab Evo 29 28
a good ’un for around £3,500. We
showcase Canyon’s Spectral:ON Calibre Bossnut V2 98
with mismatched wheels to get Canyon Spectral:ON 12
the best out of 29in and 27.5in; Canyon Spectral CF 8.0 52
and the Vitus E-Sommet with long, Canyon Spectral WMN
low and slack geometry and a CF 9.0 SL 34
price tag starting at £3,199.99.
Commençal Meta TR V4.2
ON THE COVER Essential 50
Giant Trance 2 48
28 FIRST RIDES
We visit Turin to try the Ancillotti Intense ACV Pro 64
Scarab Evo 29, a bespoke enduro Lapierre Zesty 527 Ultimate 92
bike designed to order, and also Merida One Forty 700 46
ride the steel framed Starling Rocky Mountain Pipeline 50 66
Murmur Factory 29, and Canyon’s
Scott Genius 720 68
Spectral WMN CF 9.0 SL.
ON THE COVER

42 TRAIL BIKE OF THE YEAR

BIKES & GEAR Scott Genius 900 Tuned 97
Saracen Kili Flyer 94
Specialized Stumpjumper FSR
Trail Bike of the Year is the most Comp Carbon 650b 62
important test of 2018, with 12 of suspension and revised geometry. the Specialized 2FO Cliplite shoe Starling Murmur Factory 29 32
the hottest new suspension bikes Plus updates on the Whyte 905, and much more.
Trek Fuel EX 9.7 29 58
on test. There are three wheel Scott Genius, Trek Remedy, Calibre
ON THE COVER Trek Remedy 8 27.5 Women’s 99
sizes (29er, 27.5in and 27.5in Plus), Bossnut and Saracen Kili Flyer.
prices ranging from £2,699 up to
ON THE COVER
106 TESTED: CLIPLESS Vitus E-Sommet VR 14
£4,000, and three champion bikes. TRAIL PEDALS Vitus Escarpe 29 VRX 60
100 PRODUCT As the trails dry out (hopefully!) Whyte 905 96
92 LONGTERMERS Is SRAM’s GX Eagle the best value it’s time to try out clipless pedals.
Whyte S-150 S 56
A new longtermer enters the drivetrain on the market? It’s on We’ve got eight on test, from
stable, in the shape of a Lapierre test to find out. Plus reviews of Crank Brothers’ Mallet DH to YT Jeffsy 29 CF 54
Zesty AM 527 Ultimate with OST+ the Dirtlej suit, Ergon GE1 grip, Nukeproof’s Horizon.

MAY 2018 mbr 5

CONTENTS EDITOR’S LETTER

Trail Bike of the Year

In the market for a new bike?
Look no further...

W
hat was the biggest influence when
it came to buying your last bike?
Was it a recommendation from a
friend, a review in a magazine or on a
Skills king Andy website or a test ride at a demo day?
Barlow shows you Or were you swayed by a racer, a rider in a video
how to pump, p88 or a social media ambassador? Probably it was
a combination of some or all of those things, but
either way, the route to a new bike is more complex

HOW TO
ON THE COVER
Red alert:
RockShox unleashes
new Lyrik, p16
and nuanced than ever before, and with more
sophisticated ways of influencing your decisions
being developed all the time, how much can we
actually believe what we see, hear and read?
22 BUZZ: BODY FIT TEST As this is our crucial Trail Bike of the Year test
Are you fit to ride? Pro coach Alan
Milway shows us how to assess our issue, I want to be as transparent as possible about
strengths and weaknesses and how to the testing procedure and leave you in no doubt
develop as a better and stronger rider. that the result can be completely trusted.
To begin with, we’ve split the test into three
24 BUZZ: HOW TO WORK categories with three different wheel sizes. Each
IN MTB… category comprises four different contenders, with
The modern way. From drone pilot to the price point as closely matched as possible. And
YouTube vlogger, bike designer to demo much as it appears spectacular to throw a whole
fleet mechanic, there are plenty of ways load of bikes into the ring and invite as many test
to earn a living doing what we love. riders as possible to weigh in with their opinion, in
ON THE COVER reality this just leaves you with a messy, confused
result. So we allocate one category per tester,
86 SKILLS: HOW TO PUMP which gives plenty of time to really get under the
Perfect your pumping skills for free skin of each model.
speed — Andy Barlow from Dirt School
Last year’s winners are always invited back to
shows where we’re going wrong and
defend their crowns, then we try and get hold
how to maximise our power.
REGULARS of all the significant new releases and all of the
biggest brands. Finally it’s the fun part: getting
them dirty, on a variety of trails and in a wide range
8 BIG PICTURES
of conditions. And boy did we get all four seasons
12 BUZZ thrown at us this year.
New bikes from Canyon and Vitus usher At the end of it all we have three clear winners,
in the era of direct sales e-bikes with each of which were a total blast to ride and we
lower price tags, plus help, advice and would unreservedly spend our money on.
Vitus joins the inspiration on where to ride, what to We hope you enjoy reading the test and
e-bike fray, p14 buy and how to ride faster watching the videos (YouTub
user/MBRmagazine) as muc
36 MAILBOX enjoyed making them. The s
Your rants, raves and witty ripostes starts on page 42.

118 AFTERIMAGE
Photographer Andy Lloyd shows us
his favourite shot, from the Himalayas
in Northern India Editor, m

SPR ING
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6 mbr MAY 2018

 !     !   
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 Big picture
British winters: harsh, cold, wet
and unforgiving. If, however,
you do brave the elements and
experience even half an hour
of low sun, the snow-topped,
iced-up sparkle can allow you
to forgive and forget all the
hardship... just!
Sam Flanagan

8 mbr MAY 2018

MAY 2018 mbr 9
BIG PICTURE

10 mbr MAY 2018

Big picture
In early August we spent a few
days based at Hotel Weisshorn
above the town of Saint-Luc, in
Val d’Anniviers, Switzerland. This
mountain hotel, which opened
in 1884, is located 2,337m above
sea level and is surrounded by
epic trails. There are literally trails
right outside the hotel and they
are in a stunning setting. This
particular shot was taken one
evening when we were surprised
by a rainstorm, which created
this beautiful rainbow. Stephen
Matthews and Julia Hoffman are
captured just near the hotel, in
between courses at dinner.
Mattias Fredriksson

MAY 2018 mbr 11

 S TA RT YO U R R I D E H E R E

Edited by Jamie Darlow

GEAR RIDES FA S T & F I T I N S P I R AT I O N G E T S TA RT E D

THE NEW
E-bikes are maturing and closing the price
gap on conventional powered bikes
150mm-travel front
and rear (except the
ntil this month, if you’d wanted a decent e-bike

U
Spectral:ON 8.0 and
you’d have to pay top dollar for it, with bikes like the 9.0, with a 160mm Fox
Lapierre Overvolt, Merida EOne-Sixty or Specialized 36 suspension fork)
Turbo Kenevo all costing around £5,000. Now
though, the bright sparks at Canyon and Vitus have pulled
the bottom out of the market with a pair of bikes that cost
two-thirds of that, at around £3,500. OK, so that’s still not
chickenfeed, but it does bring much greater parity on price
between e-bikes and conventional rides, and we think a new
era for e-biking.

B R I G H T S PA R K S
Take a cursory glance at Canyon’s new Spectral:ON — you
could be forgiven for dismissing it out of hand. Surely it won’t
be any good when the wheels are a Frankenstein mix of 29in
front and 27.5in rear and the battery is so obviously plonked
within the main triangle, instead of stealthily enclosed within
the down tube itself? Well, looks can be deceiving, because
while this Shimano Steps-equipped machine may both defy
convention and fall foul of fashion, it’s one of the best riding
e-bikes currently on the market.
How so? Well, by forgoing the sleek integrated battery,
Canyon has lost out on the catwalk but gained in the
handling department. That’s because the battery can be
positioned lower and more centrally within the frame,
making the front wheel easier to get off the ground and the
bike easier to turn. It also simplifies removing the power
pack for charging, or swapping batteries mid-ride.
Odd wheel sizes are not a new thing and Canyon has
resurrected the concept in order to gain maximum traction
from the big footprint of the 2.8in Plus tyre out back, while
maintaining the precise steering characteristics of a 29in
wheel. And because there’s only (roughly) a 10mm difference
in diameter they don’t feel at all quirky on the trail.
Throw in a host of other well-thought-out e-bike specific
touches, such as four-pot brakes with 200mm rotors, short
165mm cranks for pedal clearance, wide bars, short stems
and progressive suspension that lets you load the bike up
and get it off the ground, and you’ve got a mountain bike
with assistance rather than a motorised bike.

12 mbr MAY 2018

 E-bike specific detailing:
spoiler saddle to hold you on
climbs, 165mm cranks for extra
pedal clearance and four piston
brakes with 200mm rotors.

Adjustable geometry,
allowing BB height
changes of up to Spectral:ON 6.0
11mm and changing of starts the range at
head and seat angles £3,449, and the top
end 9.0 costs £5,499

Mismatching wheel sizes:

29x2.5in front wheel/tyre
for steering precision,
27.5x2.8in rear wheel/
tyre for comfort and grip

Shimano Steps E8000

system on all models,
providing 250 watts of
power from the externally
mounted battery

MAY 2018 mbr 13

 I N T RO

VITUS E-SOMMET VR
Just like Canyon, Vitus has turned up fashionably The E-Sommet range is low, long and slack, Dale
late to the e-bike party — the new E-Sommet is says, with the reach growing 20mm longer over
its first effort, and gets 160mm of travel, 27.5in last year’s Sommet enduro bike. The VR version
wheels, an alloy frame and the Shimano Steps of the bike here comes with a RockShox Lyrik fork
E8000 motor. And just like Canyon, it has applied and Guide RE brakes, and both bikes in the range
the same direct sales pricing structure to its new get 200mm rotors and Maxxis Minion tyres with
assisted model — the top end E-Sommet VR here the extra Double Down sidewall protection.
costs £3,599.99 and the base model in the range “That’s why we ended up with 2.5in not 2.6in
is £3,199.99. tyres,” Dale explains. “That’s not fashionable, but
Why did Vitus hold off on developing its own it stops you trashing your tyres — the bike will take
e-bike then? “We were always pretty anti e-bikes,” a 2.8 front and rear though, if you want.”
says Dale McMullan from Vitus. “And we’ve always What about the relatively low price of the
been standoffish on new stuff until we know E-Sommet? There’s no chic internal battery on
whether it’s a goer and worth doing — we didn’t the E-Sommet that requires lots of extra material
do any fat bikes, you’ll notice.” and manufacturing costs, and just like Canyon,
What changed for Vitus was riding some of the Vitus can take apply its direct sales savings to the
competition, and figuring out how much fun they finished product.
are, Dale says. “We learnt what not to do too — no “We have such a good relationship with
flimsy forks with 34mm stanchions, big brakes, Shimano and pushed them hard for a good price
aggressive geometry and good battery placement.” on the Steps,” Dale says.

Horst link suspension

delivers 160mm travel
through a RockShox
Super Deluxe RC3,
paired with a 170mm
Lyrik RC fork

Shimano E8000 motor

mounts to the down
tube and delivers
250W of power

14 mbr MAY 2018

 E-bike components:
Maxxis Minion DHF tyres,
SRAM Guide RE brakes
and 200mm rotors

Sump guard protects the

motor from rock strikes,
and Vitus has added a
mini mudguard to protect
the shock and motor from
rear-wheel spray

MAY 2018 mbr 15

 GEAR

FRICTION
FIGHTERS
RockShox wages war on stiction with the
new Lyrik, complete with the Charger 2
damper and DebonAir spring
RockShox has a glorious past in
suspension engineering; anyone
riding mountain bikes in the
Noughties or Nineties will probably
have lusted after a Judy, or a BoXXer
with its glorious red lowers. Well,
they’re bringing BoXXer Red back as New Charger 2 RC2
an option on the new Lyrik RC2 fork. damper has independent
The changes go beyond skin high and low-speed
deep though. Inside is a new compression adjusters
Charger 2 RC2 damper with
five-position, independent high-
speed compression adjustment
to complement the low-speed
adjuster introduced on the original
fork. RockShox has also focused
its efforts on removing as much
friction as possible from the Lyrik,
concentrating on all the little parts
that can add stiction to a fork. Take
the air spring for example, it now
has more bushings in its assembly to
reduce friction under side loading.
RockShox has also revamped
the DebonAir air spring to reduce
the friction and improve bump
absorption and response under load,
and it has increased the size of the
negative spring by using the hollow
cavity within the air shaft. This is
designed to give the fork more mid-
stroke support.
Brands have been experimenting
with shorter offset in recent
years too, aiming to optimise the
handling and steering, so the Lyrik
RC2 comes in two options for both
wheel sizes. At £989 it’s certainly Lyrik is now available
not cheap, but it does undercut the in 150-180mm travel
main competition (the Fox 36 RC2) options, in 10mm
by some £60-£150. If you’re not in increments
the running for a new fork just yet
though, don’t despair, you can buy
some of the technology in a Damper
Upgrade Kit for £235-309 and plug
it into certain older forks.
Is it better than the Fox 36 then?
We’ll have to come back to you
on that one, after some serious
back-to-back testing and a full
review of the new Lyrik later in the
year. Expect a close battle though;
our first rides suggest it’s a very
good fork.

16 mbr MAY 2018

 PUNCHING THE WIND
O U T O F P I N C H F L AT S
New tyre system promises no more flat tyres
What’s this SmartMousse system all about then? says this weight is negated though, because you
Two offset options are
available for both the 29er Sounds like something for my hair? can run thinner-casing sidewalls... besides, this
fork and the 27.5in fork No, no, it’s a new wheel protection system from a system has been designed for e-bikes, so weight is
company called MrWolf that positively guarantees less of a factor.
an end to punctures.
Is it any good then?
We’ve heard that one before, haven’t we? We’ll bring you a test in due course. The Procore
Well yes, Schwalbe released its dual-chamber system worked really well on rough and rocky
Procore system in 2014, promising increased grip, ground, but we weren’t able to run the crazy
improved comfort and far fewer pinch flats and low pressures we hoped because the tyre rolled
DebonAir air spring has
burped tyres. Oh, and then there was Huck Norris due to a lack of support from the sidewalls. The
reduced friction, and the
negative has increased in 2016, a cellular foam ribbon inside the tyre, SmartMousse might remedy that, and on e-bikes
for better support designed to stop the wheel rim from pinching it could really shine. Price TBC, from mrwolf.bike.
against the sidewalls. And not forgetting Cushcore
and Flat Tire Defender. All are still around, but none
has exactly taken off.

So what’s different about SmartMousse?

There’s mousse involved. Like Procore,
the SmartMousse system has a small
air-filled inner tube giving the
tyre its shape and suspension.
Surrounding that is a ‘C’
section of mousse, or foam,
£989 buys you a new protecting the inner tube
Lyrik: you can also from both the wheel’s rim and
upgrade your old outside objects like rocks and
damper for £235-309 roots.

Sounds great, what’s the catch?

The weight… each tyre insert
weighs between 500 and
640g, depending on which
of the three sizes you
go for (27.5in for 2.5 or
2.6in width tyres, 27.5in
for 2.8in and a 29er
version for 2.5 or
2.6in). That’s a whole
extra kilo of rolling
weight. MrWolf

A LT U R A O N E 8 0 G 2 7IDP TRANSITION T R OY L E E
3 With a simple
design, the Altura
The Transition is as minimal
as you can get on a glove, with
DESIGNS
SPRINT
OF THE One 80 G2 is
built around its
a perforated palm that’s pre-
curved to improve the fit, made
With a thinner
back and
BEST superlative
palm, with 3D
from thin but robust material
for maximum feel. To allow you
thumb-length
nose wipe,
patterning to get your hand in without the along with
that contours need for a cuff fastening, the even thinner
SUMMER your hand
exceptionally well
Transition features
a stretchy back
material along
the sides of the

G L OV E S and eliminates
bunching. The stretchy mesh
panel covering the back of the
panel that’s
terrific for
airflow.
fingers, it’s more suited to long
days in the saddle than the
TLD Air version. There are
Get a grip when hand is equally unencumbered, £19.99, rubberised fingertips on the
riding gets hot meaning it’s supremely flexible decade- main braking fingers for extra
and manages sweat in a wide europe.com purchase, and they’re also
and sweaty range of temperatures. touchscreen compatible.
£24.99, altura.co.uk £24.99, zyrofisher.com

MAY 2018 mbr 17

 GEAR

HOT STUFF
WHAT WE’RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS MONTH

MOST
WA N T E D
F O X 3 6 F L OAT
FAC T O RY
E-BIKE FORK
£ 1 ,0 4 9
The first thing to say about this e-bike 36
fork from Fox is that it’s not just for e-bikes.
Not exclusively anyway. Fox has added
material to the chassis, beefing it up to take
bigger impacts and giving the fork better
durability, all of which sounds great for any
gravity-orientated bike, regardless of your
power choice. Of course it’s been designed
with e-bikes in mind, but the tune Fox has
selected comes from regular enduro bike
testing, which we think means it’ll be firmer:
perfect for heavier riders, bike breakers (you
know who you are) and e-bike riders.
We do know the E-36 comes with the new
Fox FIT4 damper tune and the latest EVOL
air spring and updated upper tubes to improve
sensitivity. The stanchions are Kashima coated,
it comes with a Boost QR and delivers 160mm
travel. Downsides? It weighs 200g more than
the regular 36, and it costs over a grand.
Silverfish-uk.com

18 mbr MAY 2018

A L L DAY S E S S I O N KNEE SLIDERS H E A D ST RONG
Narrow and no-nonsense, the Dakine Session Built around a 3DF foam that hardens on The Sixer is Bell’s top-end open face, boasting
12L is a lightweight hydration pack with internal impact, the Leatt Knee Guard 3DF 6.0 also an integrated camera or light mount, MIPS
storage, a place for your helmet and handily has a hard outer shell to help the pad slide. protection, and an adjustable visor. This
labelled tool pockets. It also comes with a two- Comes with Velcro straps and silicone strips colourful Joy Ride is the women’s version.
litre HydraPak bladder. £74.00, 2pure.co.uk on the inside. £86.99, hotlines-uk.com £149.99, zyrofisher.co.uk

BOTTOM LINE B E L O W T H E B E LT FULL MOTO

The Bontrager Yatra Elite saddle comes in three The Deemax Pro Under Short from Mavic is The newest and biggest fender, RRP’s
widths and a wider cut-out and shaped nose, designed for maximum airflow so features ProGuard Max Protection has a long front
specifically for women. It comes with titanium minimal padding and shorter legs. Available curve to reduce high-speed spray, and an
rails and a carbon-fibre shell for flexibility and in colours other than this Michael Portillo indent for the fork brace to give extra tyre
low weight. £89.99, trekbikes.com theme too. £53, Mavic.com clearance. £27.99, extrauk.co.uk

S T R A P D O N ’ T PAC K J U S T A D D WAT E R C U P PA M T B
You don’t have to be an enduro racer to enjoy Guy Martin’s Proper Cleaner comes in Show everyone at work just how much you
riding packless, and the Lourí Frame Strap capsule form, not liquid — you just add like mountain biking by drinking tea out of this
makes things easier, cinching bottles, tubes and water to the bottle, shake it up and you’re cool MTB Obsessive mug from Broken Riders.
more to your bike. There’s a saddle strap option good to clean. £6.50 bottle and pouch, They do socks, hats, T-shirts, artwork and
too. £14.99, Cyclorise.com guymartinproper.com stickers too. £13, brokenridersuk.com

MAY 2018 mbr 19

 RIDES

Five trails that need to be ridden as the forests come back to life
WAT E R S M E E T, E X M O O R G R I Z E DA L E F O R E S T, L A K E D I S T R I C T
25km (15 miles) 14km (9 miles)
Exmoor is well-known for its coast and moors, but less so for its Grizedale really comes into its own in the spring — and this ride
woodland. Time to put that right. If you start at Lynmouth (Landranger combines great trails, great views and a bluebell or two if you time it
181/SS724494) then it’s down to the finish and plenty of places for right. For the best opener, start at the Visitor Centre (Landranger 98/
fish and chips on the seafront to wrap it up. Climb E on the A39 to SD334943) and follow the signs for the North Face Trail that climbs first
Countisbury then follow a BW S to Rockford. Turn R and R again to on a gravel track and then on some really great singletrack to the top
gain the Watersmeet path. At Hillsford Bridge take the BW to Combe of the forest. Stay with the signs on forest tracks to a large fingerpost
Park and climb away from the track to continue to a road. Turn R, at SD318943. Turn L and follow a great, scenic track to Low Parkamoor
taking tarmac to West Lyn, then track NW to the B3234. Turn L to and steeply up to T into another track. Break L to cross the felltop and
climb then follow lanes that wind up to a BW on Caffyn Heanton Down. at a X-road, take the BW SA. Follow this across two forest roads to
Follow this N to the coast and turn R to climb on tarmac through the Satterthwaite and follow the road back to the centre.
Valley of the Rocks to Lynton, where you drop back to Lynmouth. Ride time: 1.5-3 hours
Ride time: 4-5 hours Why ride it? Great singletrack climb and awesome natural
Why ride it? A bit of everything and great views too trail descents
Where to eat? Lynmouth has it all Where to eat? Visitor Centre or Eagles Head, Satterthwaite
GPS download po.st/Watersmeet GPS download po.st/GrizedaleSpring

20 mbr MAY 2018

 Descend on Exmoor
when spring
has sprung

G R E AT G L E N WAY, GLYN CEIRIOG, BERWYN HILLS G R OV E LY W O O D,

I N V E R G A R RY 37km (23 miles) W I LT S H I R E
20km (12 miles) There are more tracks than you can shake 22km (14 miles)
This is a fun little loop around the central a track pump at in the Berwyn Hills. This One of our favourite Wiltshire rides at any
Highlands — well sheltered and good for loop is great in spring when the verges time, but even better when carpeted with
any weather, but definitely at its best in the and woodlands really come to life. From snowdrops in the spring. Start in a layby
spring. From the Invergarry Heritage Centre Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog (Landranger 125/ SW of Great Wishford (Landranger 184/
(Landranger 34/NH296011) take the lane to SJ357128), follow a good track N over Bryn Du SU062347), and head up SW to Grovely
Faichem and head into the campsite. Double to Ty’n-y-pistyll then jink R-L-R on the road to Lodge. Take the broad track NW to the road,
back sharp R then loop L to head N, keeping then track E over Cefn Canol to Glyn Ceiriog. where a L then L will get you onto another
Loch Lundie to your L. Stay with this N then Leave town SW on B4579, then take tracks S broad track (Monarch’s Way). Take this SE,
E then S to the Bridge of Oich. Here, turn R to SJ225325 and then SE to Rhydycroesau. eventually climbing onto Crouch’s Down.
onto the road, then R again onto the Great Take the track SW to Coed Crochion, and then Continue E to a major junction at SU083323
Glen Way. Climb into the forest and follow it NW across the B4580 to Clyrun. Head W to and turn sharp L then fork R to climb NW into
SW, eventually enjoying a great, switchback Fron, then NW then N around Hen Graig and the wood again. Continue for 2km to a X-roads
descent back into Invergarry. on to Tregeiriog. L to finish. and bear R across Haddon Hill and down to
Ride time: 2-3 hours Ride time: 5-6 hours Great Wishford. Turn L and L again to finish.
Why ride it? Good all-weather outing Why ride it? Remote tracks in a wild area Ride time: 2-3 hours
Where to eat? Cafe in the Invergarry Where to eat? West Arms Hotel, Llanarmon Why ride it? Stunning and fun woodland setting
Heritage Centre Dyffryn Ceiriog Where to eat? Royal Oak, Great Wishford
GPS download po.st/GreatGlenWay GPS download po.st/GlynCeiriog GPS download po.st/GrovelyWood

MAY 2018 mbr 21

 FA S T & F I T

T H E B O DY
WHO IS
ALAN
M I LWAY ?
Alan is arguably
the best mtb coach

FIT TEST
in the business.
He’s steered world
champions like the
Athertons to gold,
and helps regular
riders like us to get
the most out
Are you fit to ride? Time to find out where
your strengths and weaknesses are, and
pull them back into balance
Do you have any tightness that is limiting performance or
increasing pain? Any specific weak link that is affecting
technique or power on the bike? An injury that is healed
but not properly rehabilitated? If the answer is yes to any of
these then you need these home exercises to balance your
body again.
Modern working often means we spend long hours
hunched over a desk, or sat in a car, and we tend to use our
dominant hand much more frequently for manual tasks.
Combine this with previous injuries that may not have been
rehabilitated properly, and you have a recipe for pain,
soreness and a consistent lack of progress regardless of any
training you might be doing. Here’s how to set yourself back
on the right path.

UPPER LIMBS
S I N G L E -A R M
OV E R H E A D P R E S S
In a lunge position with your rear knee on the
floor, take an 8-12kg kettlebell held upside
down. Press from the same side as the knee
that’s on the floor. Holding it ‘bottoms up’, aim
to press it overhead so the arm is in line with
the ear for 12-15 repetitions and then repeat
with the other hand. Is the dominant hand
much easier? Is there a big difference between
the two? Often our non-dominant hand is
much weaker, or a previous injury highlights
itself. Use assessment exercise as rehab. Start
and finish with your weak side to increase
volume and balance the lagging arm.
Illustrations: Jason Hardy

22 mbr MAY 2018

FA R M E R’ S WA L K G R I P
Pinch a 10-15kg weight plate between
your thumb and first two fingers, then
walk (don’t race!) to cover as much
distance as you can before it slips
out of your fingers. Repeat for the
other hand. What is the difference?
More than 15 per cent will highlight
a significant difference and often
a previously broken wrist that
wasn’t rehabilitated fully. If there is
a difference greater than 15 per cent, you need to
spend more time using the weaker hand — simply
carrying day-to-day items at work will improve it.

L OW E R L I M B S
CALF RAISES
Simple but effective — with shoes off,
and in a steady rhythm, do as many
calf raises from heel dropped to fully
up on to toes on the left leg, then the
right. Compare the maximum number
— anything more than a 15 per cent
difference would suggest that you have a
discrepancy to address. Do more sets on
the weaker side over the next few weeks
and re-test. Take your max number and
do training sets of 85 per cent of this
number over the next couple of weeks
before re-testing maximum reps. The goal
is 25 on each leg — once you have reached
this, reduce reps but carry a weight while
C O C OA & A L MON D
doing them.
ENERGY BALLS
HOP AND HOLD Pocket-sized fuel for your legs
Again with your shoes off, stand
on one leg and raise the other These compact little snacks are perfect for fuelling during long rides. Wrap in
knee up in front of you, with cling film or foil, pop in your pocket, and scoff one after about 30–40 minutes
hands on hips. Hop forward and into your ride, and then every 15–20 minutes. They provide a healthy mix of
aim to ‘stick’ the landing without carbohydrate and protein, along with iron, B vitamins, zinc and magnesium.
wobble. Perform 3-4 hops on the You can substitute cashews or hazelnuts for the
left leg, then repeat on the right. almonds if you prefer.
NUTRITION,
Film yourself or use a mirror for PER BALL
useful feedback. There can be a QINGREDIENTS (makes 16 balls) • 86 kcal, 3g protein,
big difference if there has been a 125g (4oz) ready-to-eat soft or Medjool dates* 4g fat (0g saturates),
previous knee or ankle injury that 100g (3 1 ⁄2oz) ground almonds 9g carbs (5g total
sugars), 1g fibre
hasn’t been addressed fully. This 75g (3oz) rolled oats
will rapidly help improve coordination 2 tsp almond or peanut butter
and proprioception for each limb. 1 tbsp cocoa powder
*Or use standard dried dates: leave them to soak in WHO IS
CLAMSHELLS boiling water for 10–15 minutes, then drain A N I TA
Lying on your side, legs slightly bent at the knees, To coat Cocoa powder, sesame seeds, finely BEAN?
raise the uppermost knee to the ceiling, while chopped pistachios, finely chopped mixed nuts, Anita is an award-
keeping your heels together. Pause at the highest desiccated coconut, or chocolate chips. winning nutritionist,
point, then lower the knee back down. Repeat 12-15 author and champion
times on one side, then the other. I often use a mini QMETHOD athlete, specialising
band placed just above and around both knees to Place the dates in a food processor with the in sport and exercise
create tension as you pull the band apart. This works almonds, oats, nut butter and cocoa powder, and nutrition. This recipe
comes from Anita’s
a much maligned and underused part of the glutes process for 2–3 minutes until you have a very stiff
latest book, The
— the glute medius — and any tightness or weakness paste. You may need to scrape down the mixture Runner’s Cookbook
between left to right will soon shine through with from the sides of the bowl a few times.
this exercise. Take a small amount of the mixture and roll it
between your hands to make small, bite-sized balls.
Choose your coating, spread it on to a large plate,
then roll each ball around until nicely coated.
Place in an airtight container and store in the
fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to
three months.

MAY 2018 mbr 23

 I N S P I R AT I O N

H O W T O WO R K Starling supremo McEwan

(right) started out as a
one-man brand

IN MTB... THE
M O D E R N WAY
From drone pilot to YouTube vlogger, here’s how to live
what you love, and get paid for it

DRON E PI LOT
Photographers are so 20th century, darling (Ed — we still love
you really!). Drone pilots are the new snappers of the sky, and
probably represent the most novel of all jobs in mtb.
Eastwood Media’s Chris Davies tells us how his background
in adventure photography and film-making perfectly prepared
him to become an early adopter.
“When I first saw drone technology back in about 2013 I
knew it was something I wanted to get into, so I went through Drone pilots are the
the process of getting a licence and Civil Aviation Authority new kings of the sky
[CAA] permissions and I’ve really not looked back.”
Chris’s remit goes beyond the mtb industry: “We’re the UK
Pilot Team for the drone manufacturer DJI and they give us some pretty cool work. Chasing
rally cars with drones is the toughest job we do but it’s a lot of fun.”
There are drawbacks though. “Doing things properly means getting permissions, writing BIKE DESIGNER/BUILDER
risk assessments,” says Chris. Make sure you know what you need to do, to make sure you You don’t have to be part of a big bike
do it safely. Start by contacting the CAA for advice and book yourself onto a drone course. company now to make your own bikes,
you just need a shed and some good
ideas. From Starling Cycles to Airdrop,
YO U T U B E V L O G G E R ARBR to Robot Bikes, one-man-band bike
The mtb industry uses social media to educate, companies are thriving in the UK, finding
entertain and sometimes completely bemuse niches and using their creative genius. And
us. So, how do you earn a living from it? they are here to stay.
You start with an idea, as Seth from Seth’s We asked Joe McEwan, from Starling
Bike Hacks, explains. Cycles how he got started.
“I started Seth’s Bike Hacks without any idea “Following a frame building course with
of how large it could grow,” he says. “Once I Dave Yates, I set up in my shed as a hobby
noticed that viewers were looking for someone frame builder,” Joe tells us.
to relate to — an average dude with grey beard Several years’ hard work and one
hairs, I ran with it.”
Knowing your market is important and Seth’s
marketing and web development background
It’s amazing what you can bolt
certainly helps. onto a mechanic’s skillset
So what advice can Seth share with us for
budding vloggers? “With thousands of others
Robinson had to get his vying for their spots in the industry, you may
hands dirty on the way up not have the luxury of choosing how you get
there,” says Seth. “So follow opportunities, not
dreams. You could end up with a dream job that
PRODUC T DEV E LOPM E N T you never dreamt of.”
All that fancy kit we wear... someone has to
design it. So who are these people, and how do
we get there? Bobby Robinson from Fox Racing
Europe got into the job by riding his bike... lots.
He spent three years literally shovelling coal to
fund his bike habit before getting into coaching
and then managing a bike shop, so he could
understand the market. “Make your passion
your occupation,” he says. “I shovelled coal, and
now I know what colour your socks are going to
be in 2020.”
In short, there’s no dedicated career path Seth’s found a home
into product development, you’ve just got to in vlogsville
want it badly enough.

24 mbr MAY 2018

 H O L I DAY S
ARE COMING
Three exotic alternative ride destinations
M Ü R R E N, ANDES TO S L OV E N I A N
SWITZERLAND PAC I F I C , C H I L E ALPS
Mürren is a tiny, car-free The Andes Pacifico The most unexpected and
village high in the Swiss enduro race is one of exciting mountain biking
Alps, only accessible by the hardest and most destination we’ve been
a narrow-gauge railway. amazing enduro races on to in a while, Slovenia is
Perched on a high plateau, the planet, drawing in pro a felicitous destination
with the Eiger pretty much riders, locals and seriously packed with great riding,
in view at all times, this committed privateers. food and people. Ride
could be the most beautiful With Montenbaik.com Peca Mountain one day
place you’ll ever ride a bike. you can ride roughly the and discover Europe’s
Hundreds of kilometres of same route but without longest flow trail — an
trails stretch through the roughing it in a tent, over endless-seeming white
valleys and into famous seven days, and without ribbon of berms and
villages like Grindelwald, the pressures of racing. tabletops that takes a
all linked together by cable Bear in mind it only runs ridiculous 20 minutes to
cars. Don’t expect many October to May because descend. The next day, ride
purpose-built trails but there’s too much snow inside the mountain at an
do expect raw mountain in the mountains during abandoned lead and zinc
tracks and fine-looking a Southern Hemisphere mine, with an unforgettable
breakthrough review in a magazine later, vistas. Go to muerren.swiss winter for the enduro labyrinth of trails. Want it
Joe was in the enviable position of being for your accommodation, route. If you’re going in more natural? Ride rocky,
able to give up his day job in the aerospace myswitzerland.com our summer though, check technical and loamy trails to
industry to focus on his passion full time. for getting there and out the website for shorter, your heart’s content, with
It’s not all plain sailing (or riding for that schilthorn.ch for lift passes. three-day tours. bikenomad.com.
matter) though, and Joe shares some of
the drawbacks of being your own boss in
this industry: “You can never actually turn
off when you run your own company, and
the livelihoods of yourself and your family
depend on it!”
And a top tip for anyone wanting to
pursue this dream? “I just got on and did it,
but you also have to learn from your own
mistakes,” Joe says.

THE MODERN MECHANIC

Established and familiar, the role of mechanic
is evolving to include product training, running
demo fleets, and even running race teams. So,
how do you go from a qualified mechanic or
working as a Saturday boy in a bike shop to…
well, doing all that?
“I got chatting to Whyte Bikes at the London
Bike Show,” explains Neil Halcrow at Whyte
Bikes, who started out as a mechanic. “They
were toying with the idea of finding a product
trainer, so I put myself forward.”
Things didn’t stop there though. “The role
has evolved, to running the northern demo
fleet, running the Whyte race team and
managing a sales area,” he said.
As well as hard work, dedication and no
small sacrifice in terms of time away from home
and sitting in traffic, Neil offers this piece of
advice: “You really need to be a people person
and always do what you say you’re going to do. Sublime Swiss trails
Reputation goes a long way in this industry.” are hard to beat

MAY 2018 mbr 25

 G E T S TA R T E D

I N T E G R AT E D B R A K E
& SHIFTER CLAMPS
Back in 2006 Avid’s Matchmaker united gear and brake controls with a single, sleek
mount. That was the promise — reality turned out to be a little more complicated
What’s the deal with SRAM?
In 2006 it was dead simple, if you had Avid
brakes with a twin-bolt clamp and SRAM
trigger shifters with removable clamps then,
bingo, you could combine them by buying a
special Matchmaker clamp. Avid eventually
ditched the twin-bolt mounting system and
along came the split clamps that you see on
SRAM brakes today. This enabled the birth of
Matchmaker X, thus allowing the mounting of
not only your Matchmaker SRAM shifter/s and
brakes to one clamp, but also a Reverb dropper
and certain RockShox suspension remotes.
Putting it simply, if you are dedicated to SRAM,
and you want full compatibility and minimal
clutter, you are going to want Matchmaker
X-compatible products.

What about Shimano, I’m confused about

I-Spec compatibility?
Shimano’s I-Spec
When Shimano joined the integrated clamp system comes in
party it confused everyone by adding three three flavours
‘standards’. These were I-Spec A, I-Spec B and
I-Spec II. I-Spec A and B have a very similar
design but are not fully compatible. I-Spec those beginning with S, we have seen products Matchmaker X
II is entirely different; it uses a wraparound arrive to help everything get along — even if the cuts bar clutter
shim that protrudes from the shifter and fits parts are from rival gangs. Problem Solvers has
underneath the brake lever clamp. Older brakes a stack of adaptors available allowing you to
(I-Spec A) are compatible with I-Spec B shifters pair SRAM and Shimano onto one clamp. Brake
but not the other way round, and I-Spec II is companies such as Magura, Formula and Hope
only compatible with itself. have also joined the game with aftermarket
clamps to pair their brakes with shifters, as
What if I want to mix and match? have dropper remote manufacturers like Wolf
Thanks to a few companies a tad smaller than Tooth — tidy.

HOW TO SHORT E N A SR A M BR A K E HO SE
5-MINUTE FIX

SRAM’s new Stealth-a-majig is backwards compatible with all SRAM

and Avid brakes — here’s how to make the connection

Secure the shortened

05
Measure twice and cut hose to your lever.
01 Ensure that the silver It’s recommended that
once. Ensure that you Using fingers only,
03 04
get full movement of the bars hose fitting is threaded screw your new red olive you use a Crow’s Foot
and that suspension action all the way in and that its into place anti-clockwise wrench and correctly
is unhindered. Mark the hose Lubricate the threads shoulder cleanly butts up until tight. This should leave calibrated torque wrench
02
then make a clean and straight of the silver hose fitting against the hose with zero between 0mm and 0.5mm of for this (check your brake
cut using a new Stanley knife with SRAM/AVID Dot Grease gap. Ensure that the nut and the silver hose fitting exposed manual for correct torque
or dedicated hose cutter. and screw it clockwise into the any rubber shroud is in place as shown. The hose can now settings). Bleed your brakes
Always trim at the lever end! hose using a T8 Torx key. on the hose. be connected to the lever. for optimal performance.

26 mbr MAY 2018





 





 



 

 
  

 
       
 !   "    "

 "
  "  
NEW BIKES

First rides
SWINGING A LEG OVER WHAT’S HOT THIS MONTH

ANCILLOTTI
SCARAB EVO 29
€ 2 ,9 0 0 ( f r a m e & s h o c k ) / 2 9 i n / a n c i l l o t t i .c o m

The mtb equivalent of Savile Row, Ancillotti

takes customisation a step further than most...

I
NEED TO n a world where bikes tend to come
from the same source and tick all
the discussion begins in earnest to pin
down the sizing, geometry and the build
KNOW the same boxes, it’s rare to find a kit, if you’re buying a complete bike.
modern enduro race bike with a It is not just Ancillotti’s approach to
O29er enduro bike
USP… The Ancillotti Scarab Evo 29 customer service that’s sets it apart
with 165mm travel has several. either; the bike is unique too. The main
OFrames are To begin with, Ancillotti has no desire departure from convention being that
handmade in to be a mainstream brand. Producing the suspension uses bushings in the
Italy with fully between 35 to 40 bikes a year, Tomaso pivots rather than cartridge bearings.
customisable
Ancillotti and his father source the raw I’ve been testing bikes for long enough
geometry and sizing
OCoil shock only, aluminium tubing from Germany, then to know that while bushings are a better
also produced the tubes are formed, mitered and engineering solution in theory, bearings
by Ancillotti welded in Florence, Italy. always win the day because ultimately
OCustom complete Because each frame is made to they reduce friction. Well, the Scarab
bike builds available
order, you can choose your preferred Evo 29 made me rethink that firmly
to order
geometry and sizing. Need a shorter held belief, because the rear end on the
seat tube to fit a 170mm dropper? team bike that I rode in Valperga was
Not a problem. Longer chainstays to completely free from stiction.
balance a long front end and slack head Sure, when the bike is new there’s a
angle? That’s possible too. You can have bedding-in period, one that I witnessed
whatever you want. first hand this Christmas as my riding
But rather than just fire off a random buddy Davide from Livorno got to grips
set of numbers via email, Tomaso with his new Scarab Evo 29. Under
encourages potential customers to visit Tomaso’s instruction, the rebound
him at his workshop in Valperga, Turin, damping was run wide open for the first
in the foothills of the Alps. couple of rides and after every few days
You spend a full day riding different of riding Davide was told to add one
bikes, fine-tuning the set-up, and then or two clicks of rebound as the system
freed up. After three weeks of riding
it was buttery smooth. At this point
Tomaso instructed Davide to use the
geometry adjust feature to raise the BB
a hair to offset the lower dynamic ride
height of the bike.
OK, so the Scarab Evo 29 isn’t the
only enduro bike to have adjustable
geometry, but the way it’s achieved
is unlike any other bike I’ve tested.
Instead of having a two-position
design with a flip-chip, the lower
link on the Scarab’s suspension has
Coil shock with
a threaded interface that can be
165mm of plush, extended or shortened one thread
responsive travel at a time. Tomaso was keen to point
out that, because the bike has been

28 mbr MAY 2018

MAY 2018 mbr 29
NEW BIKES

Proving ground: the

Scarab shreds through
Alpine foothills

custom built for the rider, he knows it’s pivot location that makes the bike pedal
Formula Selva fork
going to fit, and the geometry adjust really well; stiffness also plays a part. makes it easy to
feature is more about fine-tuning the The way the swingarm is triangulated, customise compression
balance of the bike for different terrain. and the fact that it’s bolted between
In the lowest setting the BB height two lugs on the front triangle, rather
is approximately 340mm. In fact, it’s than the other way round, make a
probably the only measurement other difference too.
than the travel that’s fixed. I emailed The Pull Shock design is also
Tomaso asking him to supply the important. The term is somewhat lost in
geometry for the Scarab Evo 29, translation though, as the bike actually
but no sooner than I’d hit send, I uses a conventional push shock. A more
realised how dumb that question was. accurate description would be pull-link,
How can you list geometry when each as it’s all about the way the swingarm
bike is unique? So the geometry printed pulls on the linkage that compresses the mud highlighted one weakness in the
here is only for the team bike I rode shock to keep the system in tension and frame design, namely mud clearance.
in Valperga. aligned. Tomaso likes to use the analogy Granted the 2.35in e*thirteen
that towing a car makes it much easier rear tyre was pretty chunky for the
PROGRESSIVE AGGRESSION to control than pushing it because the conditions, and when I mentioned this
And it’s not just the geometry that’s system is in tension, and this makes to Tomaso he said that if you need
adjustable on the Scarab Evo 29; travel perfect sense. more clearance for fatter tyres, he just
can be reduced to 155mm by changing So we’ve established that the increases the chainstay length by 5mm.
the linkage position on the swingarm Ancillotti Scarab Evo 29 is completely When you’re the guy that designs and
too. Ancillotti also offers a different customisable, pedals really well and manufactures the frame, it’s that simple.
shock link with increased progression has some truly unique design features Getting info on this bike is a little
for more aggressive riders. that question modern manufacturing trickier though, and when I questioned
For years people have been telling techniques and attitudes. That’s all well Tomaso about his website not being
Ancillotti that it should use an air-sprung and good, but as an enduro race bike it updated since 2014, he simply said that
shock, but Tomaso was having none of needs to be fast and easy to ride when people still manage to find him. In many
it. And if the quality of the suspension fatigued. The Scarab 29 Evo easily ticks ways that just adds to the appeal. There’s
on the coil-sprung enduro bikes in last both those boxes. no marketing strategy or hard sell,
month’s bike test is anything to go by, Coming from the Specialized Enduro Ancillotti lets its product do the talking.
he was right to stick to his guns. The 29, a bike with similar proportions, I was Alan Muldoon
coil shock on the Scarab Evo 29 is built most impressed by the Scarab’s ability
by Ancillotti and has external rebound to maintain momentum even on the
adjustment and a lockout lever, but the roughest trails. The rear end just didn’t 1ST IMPRESSION
latter is more a Bandaid for riders who hook up as much on square-edge hits
think coil shocks are going to feel mushy
and soft when pedalling. They are not.
as the Enduro 29, and even though the
suspension was very supple, offering
 HIGHS
Super easy to ride fast. Fully
Even on the steepest climbs I never superb levels of grip, the bike felt customisable sizing and geometry, and
felt the need to use the lockout, even steadfast through high-speed turns and with adjustability built in, it’s a very
though the spring rate was low enough could still be preloaded and popped into versatile bike. Excellent suspension.
for me to bottom the shock a couple the air in the blink of an eye.
of times on every run. And given how
sensitive the suspension was off the
The second time I rode the Ancillotti
was also in Italy, this time in Tuscany
 LOWS
Bushings take time to bed in. Box One 11-speed
top, it was one of the most efficient- where it rained for three days straight. You’ll need to go to Italy to get your rear mech
pedalling bikes I’ve ridden. The bike still felt superbly balanced hands on one. Wait a minute, that’s a
And it’s not just the slightly rearward sliding around in the slop, but the sticky plus, right?

30 mbr MAY 2018

 SPECIFICATION
Frame Aluminium,
165mm travel
Shock Ancillotti Coil,
w/progressive link
Fork Formula Selva
Twin-Air Prototype,
160mm
Wheels Formula Linea
G Boost, e*thirteen
TRSr 29x2.35in tyres
Drivetrain SRAM GX
chainset, Box One
11-speed r-mech
and shifter
Brakes Formula
Cura 4-Piston
Prototype, 180mm
Components Level
Nine Pro Team carbon
785mm bar, Level
Nine Team AM 50mm
stem, KS Lev Integra
dropper post,
SQlab saddle
Sizes Custom
Weight 13.5kg
(29.76lb)

GEOMETRY
(MID POSITION)
Size ridden Custom
Head angle 65°
Seat angle 75°
BB height 345mm
Chainstay 440mm
Front centre 810mm
Wheelbase 1,250mm
Top tube 620mm
Reach 490mm

Unique threaded
adjuster allows
geometry tweaks

Pivots use bushings

that are completely
stiction-free

MAY 2018 mbr 31

NEW BIKES

STARLING MURMUR FACTORY 29

£ 1,850 (frame & shock only) / 29in / starlingcycles.com

NEED TO Bristol’s Starling is determined to prove that for frame and RockShox Deluxe RT3
Debonair shock. That’s not cheap,
KNOW steel-tubed bikes can be enduro high flyers especially given it’s not made in the UK,
although we should point out you can

S
OReynolds 853 teel is great stuff to make That’s a slow process for one man, still get a Bristol-built frame if you’re
steel TIG-welded hardtails out of because frame so this year Starling is expanding, prepared to wait.
frame, with builders can take advantage of sub-contracting construction to the Clapping eyes on the Murmur
140mm travel
the material’s relative flexibility Far East and creating this Factory Factory for the first time, there’s no
OBuilt for 29in
wheels with compared to aluminium. That version of the hand-built Murmur, and doubt about what it’s made from, with
clearance for means the back end has some give in consequently dropping the price by skinny straight tubes, X-shaped bracing
2.5in tyres it to improve comfort. Steel comes in some £500 (the shed-made Murmur on the rear triangle and none of the
OFactory frames regular round tubing, too, it’s readily costs £190 more but doesn’t come with seamless sculpting we’re accustomed
cost £1,850 available, relatively affordable and a shock, while the Factory does). to from hydroformed alloy or moulded
including a
RockShox Deluxe
pretty simple to cut and join, using The Murmur Factory frame is made carbon. It’s all very steampunk, thanks
OAggressive either welding or brazing. All of which from top-end Reynolds 853 tubing, to those long, copper-pipe thin
enduro bike makes it a firm favourite for small bike TIG-welded in Taiwan, and delivers seatstays and external cable routing. Is
geometry: long, brands like Starling. So steel works for 140mm travel through its single-pivot it handsome? I’m not so sure, but who
low and slack hardtails, but does it make sense for design bolted to your choice of metric am I to judge, nor do I care as long as
full-suspension bikes, where you don’t shock. Up front, Starling recommends it rides well. Even when you can’t see
need that natural compliance? Starling you spec a 150mm fork — the bike we the bike, because you’re on it, it’s hard
sent us the Murmur to find out. tried came with a DVO Beryl. This steel to escape the ferrous frame matter. It’s
Starling Cycles is Joe McEwan, and chassis then rolls on 29er wheels, and a heavy bike — not a pig to climb by
the company HQ is based at the bottom has enough clearance for 2.5in tyres, any stretch, but you can feel the extra
of his garden, where Joe has spent the Starling says. It comes in just two sizes, weight of the Murmur whenever you
last five years hand-welding frames. many, many colours, and costs £1,850 steer a course uphill.

32 mbr MAY 2018

Starling’s traditional
SPECIFICATION
aesthetics are wedded Frame Reynolds
to modern geometry
853 steel,
TIG-welded, 140mm
Shock DVO
Topaz T3Air
Fork DVO Beryl
fork, 150mm
Wheels Hope Pro 4
hubs, Sixth Element
carbon rims, Maxxis
Minion DHF and High
Roller II 29x2.3in tyres
Drivetrain Shimano
XT cassette, r-mech,
shifter, Middleburn
RS8 cranks, spider
and TT ring
Brakes Shimano SLX,
180mm
Components Burgtec
Ally RideWide bar,
Burgtec Enduro 2
stem, Fox Transfer
Factory 150mm
seatpost
Weight 14.55kg
(32.08lb)
Sizes S, M, L, XL

GEOMETRY
Size ridden L
Rider height 6ft 1in
Head angle 65°
Seat angle 73.9°
BB height 331mm
Chainstay 445mm
Front centre 817mm
Starling has stamped
Wheelbase 1,262mm
its identity on the
swingarm brace
Down tube 744mm
Top tube 628mm
Reach 485mm

Cut-out sections trim

weight but the Murmur’s Shimano SLX brakes boost
still a beefy bike control and confidence

The Murmur saves itself with a great too heavy to really enjoy riding for hours
Reynolds 853 frame
with 140mm single- riding position though, which works on end, and flatter, contouring trails
pivot suspension both uphill and downhill. The super- really don’t play to the bike’s strengths.
long chainstays mean you’re never in Starling also needs to increase its size
danger of looping out on a steep climb, range, with a bigger option for riders
and when descending it makes for over 6ft. Does steel work in a full-
one hell of a stable platform on steep suspension application then? I think
techie sections — the bike seems to stay the material choice is immaterial; you
composed and in control where others can build compliance or stiffness into
might pinball in all directions, tracking any bike, so as usual it comes down to
the ground when the trail is doing whether that bike is good to ride. The
everything it can to throw you off. The Murmur is good, although I’d really love
Murmur’s geometry is hard to fault, with it if it was a couple of pounds lighter.
a relaxed head angle and a low bottom Jamie Darlow
bracket helping you push for grip on
loose corners. And in the era of e-bikes,
where we’ve learnt just how beneficial 1ST IMPRESSION
weight can be in helping suspension
perform well, perhaps it’s no surprise
the Murmur works best on descents.
 HIGHS
Great poise and confidence on
The Murmur is fast and sure-footed, fast and rough trails.
no doubt about it, and would work well
as an enduro race bike, provided you’re
fit enough to haul its hefty weight up
 LOWS
Weighty, and expensive at
hills all day. As a trail bike though, it’s £1,850 for frame and shock.

MAY 2018 mbr 33

NEW BIKES

CANYON SPECTRAL WMN CF 9.0 SL

£ 4 , 4 9 9 / 2 7. 5 i n / c a n y o n . c o m

NEED TO Custom-tailored for women,

KNOW Canyon’s Spectral is a well
mannered and smart ride
O Canyon’s

W
first full carbon, hen Canyon decided to launch a
full-suspension women-specific range, it married a
bike designed
love of statistics with a desire to see
specifically
for women women believing in themselves and
O Shortened their ride.
reach for a more Analysing nearly 70,000 women’s
balanced ride measurements resulted in a revised, gender-
O Smaller frame specific frame geometry. It sees the reach
sizes down to XXS
O A 150mm Fox
shortened to help shift weight forward, a lowered
34 Factory fork bottom bracket for extra stability, shortened
and Fox Float DPS chainstays to keep a handle on the rear end, and
shock tuned for a standover height that’s dropped to give more
lighter riders
O Accessories
clearance. For smaller women, there is also the two nifty solutions with a new range of accessories. SPECIFICATION
addition of a XXS frame size. But how does it ride? Well it’s insanely fun, Frame Canyon
range adapted
to complement The spec leaves nothing wanting with a 150mm- instantly trustworthy and its traction is noticeably Spectral WMN
smaller-frame bikes travel Fox 34 Factory fork and 140mm Fox Float DPS good from the get go. The suspension feels like CF, 140mm
shock. The WMN model adopts the same suspension it can handle anything — even my dodgy line Shock Fox Factory
Float DPS EVOL
configuration as the men’s, but the linkage is refined choices on the technical rocky descents around
Fork Fox Factory 34
to minimise squat and rise. It leaves a bike that is Nice didn’t fluster it. The shortened reach comes Float, 150mm
efficient when pedalling uphill and doesn’t unseat into its own, willing you to ride in a more forward Wheels DT Swiss XMC
you when braking. Attention to geometry and spec fashion. It’s instantly responsive and encouraging 1200 Spline, Maxxis
point to a bike that prioritises handling and control. in corners. It’s definitely moreish; more fun, more Minion DHR II/Maxxis
Ardent 2.4in tyres
The bike bristles with smartly considered miles. I didn’t want to stop riding it.
Drivetrain SRAM X1
engineering tweaks. A removable down tube Laura Bailey Eagle Carbon cranks,
protector doubles as a cable channel. It gives the SRAM X01 Eagle
appearance of internal routing without any of the r-mech and shifter
practical challenges when it comes to changing 1ST IMPRESSION Brakes SRAM Guide
RSC 200/180mm
cables. A hidden quick-release lever, which pulls out
 HIGHS
Components Canyon
of the axle, lets you remove the rear wheel easily, H23 Rise CF bar,
but leaves a clean dropout when you’re riding. Even It’s an impressively specced, intelligently Canyon V12 Stem,
the pivots have sealed industrial bearings boasting designed machine with all the elements to make RockShox Reverb
a doubled lifespan against mud, grime and careless for a seriously fun ride Stealth B1 Seatpost
bike washing. No need to worry about whether a Weight 12.2kg (26.9lb)

 LOWS
Sizes XXS, XS, S, M
bottle will fit in the smaller frame, either, as
Canyon has specifically engineered not one, but No size large for those ladies over 178cm

34 mbr MAY 2018

 YOU R L E T T E R S
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EDITORIAL
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Sim Mainey, Andy McCandlish, Alan Millway,
Dan Trent, Al Vines
RAINBOW OIL
I have both Shimano XT Trail and Magura MT7
questions answered

Subscribe to mbr brakes: Shimano takes the pink Shimano mineral

oil, Magura takes Magura Blood mineral oil. Last
Oneyearsubscriptionrates(13issues,
priority mail) UK £68.85; Europe €144;
week I was in need of a bleed on my Shimano
USA $184.85; rest of world £123.55 brakes, but my LBS was out of stock of Shimano
EMAIL ENQUIRIES [email protected] mineral oil. Instead it sold me Finish Line Mineral
PHONE ENQUIRIES From the UK call 0330 333
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Also, can one just use mineral oil from the
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PAGE FACTORY
Group chief sub editor Dan Thomas three different types of mineral oil, WINS
Chief sub editor Jonathan Emery especially when I normally just a Madison Zenith
Sub editor Steve Shrubsall want to top-up. waterproof jacket
mbr art editor Ben Smith Jack Perry WORTH it will not absorb water from the
Group art editor Dan Baines £99.99 atmosphere once a container is
Senior designer Steph Tebboth
Ed — Hi Jack, we’ve got to confess, opened. This means that mineral oil
ADVERTISING we don’t know the exact properties has an indefinite shelf life, whereas
Head of market Sean Igoe of Magura, Shimano and LHM mineral DOT absorbs water, which lowers its
01252 555372, [email protected] oil. But we do know that for you to boiling point and therefore effectiveness.
Senior media adviser Robert Hudson, have the least amount of trouble should a So if you buy the right oil for your brakes it
01252 555338, 07946 513 184,
[email protected]
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Editorial Complaints We work hard to achieve the highest standards of and joy super safe but the rebound feels too slow on the
editorial content, and we are committed to complying with the Editors’ Code
of Practice (www.ipso.co.uk/IPSO/cop.html) as enforced by IPSO. Revelation fork (compared to my old
If you have a complaint about our editorial content, you can email us at
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65kg, and had been running the fork at
We will endeavour to acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days
and we aim to correct substantial errors as soon as possible.
65psi, giving about 25 per cent sag, with
the rebound adjuster all the way to fast.

14,401 Any suggests of to fix it?

I’ve completed a lower leg service,
AU DITED SALE S JAN - D EC 2017 (PR I NT AN D DIG ITAL)
I’ve tried 2.5wt fluid in the damper,
should I just get a replacement rebound
&19.9:)*

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 The Revelation
suffered a smidgen
in the harsher months
OLD BLOKES
WHO SHOULD KNOW BETTER
Send your digital injury pictures to
[email protected]

WHO: Dave Lover

WHEN: 2017 (two
days before best
mate’s wedding… where I was best man)
WHERE: Ashton Court, Bristol HOW:
Bike slid out on loose rocks and the knee
took the brunt. Made it to the wedding
damper and remove a shim or two? I we had during February. Another then spent a fortnight in hospital and
don’t think I could justify changing to Revelation (fitted to our Stumpjumper had four operations. Always wear
a Charger 2 damper (£200). Would it test bike) had under-sized bushings kneepads. Cake was a nice touch.
even help? which made it very difficult to
Ben Harris compress and this fork was fixed under
warranty. So, if it’s the former, a service
Ed — Funny you should mention that; should solve the problem. If it’s the
we’ve been trying to solve the exact latter, get it checked under warranty. In
same problem in this month’s Trail Bike both cases the remedy was successful
of the Year test! Our S-150 also suffered and the forks felt fine, although we still
from a similar sluggish Revelation, and needed to run the rebound damping
this was due to excessive assembly wide-open, so you won’t need to rush
grease — not a problem in warmer out and upgrade the damper, although
weather, but enough to slow the fork this is definitely something worth WHO: Mark Addiscott WHEN: January
down in the harsh winter conditions doing in the long run. 2018 WHERE: Wytchmoor Wood,
Hampshire HOW: Full OTB faceplant
when I over jumped a tabletop. Knocked
out for five minutes, ended up with a

SEEKING NEXT
MONTH
trip in an ambulance strapped to spinal
board, concussion, broken wrist and
facial grazing. Bike’s OK though!

SPRING PLUS
When Seasonal Affected Disorder
strikes, you have to get creative
E-BIKES
COMPLETE GUIDE
Bikes, motors,
TESTED batteries, skills, WHO: Kelly Alexander WHEN: January
Q Pivot-free short travel rippers tips & more 2016 WHERE: Forest of Dean
HOW: Lost control of the front wheel
Q Dropper posts and went straight into a tree. Severely
fractured both wrists and had surgery
a week later to pin them both back into
place. Back on the bike and enjoying it
again just 10 weeks later.

WHO: David
Wetherell
WHEN:
December 2017
WHERE:
Penn Woods
HOW: Thrown
off after hitting
branch
on trail.

ISSUE ON SALE WEDNESDAY MAY 2

MAY 2018 mbr 39
 TRAIL
BIKE
OF THE
YEAR
Twelve trailblazing full-sus machines,
three categories, three outstanding winners
— it’s the most important bike test of 2018
Words: Alan Muldoon, Paul Burwell, Danny Milner
Photos: Roo Fowler, Chris Catchpole

42 mbr MAY 2018

I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H

MAY 2018 mbr 43

 I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H

BIKE TEST

ear after year the relentless in test, all coming in around the £3.5-4k mark. easily the most abundant, so it was relatively
march of progress brings And with additional longer-travel Plus bikes straightforward getting four great bikes
the full-suspension trail entering the fray, we decided to break with around the £2.5k mark. Last year’s winner, the
bike inching ever closer to tradition — we didn’t invite last year’s winner, Commençal Meta TR V4.2, is back with some
perfection. And while it’s the Scott Spark, back to defend its title. Instead, minor changes, but has Commençal done
easy to bemoan the constant we brought in the 150mm-travel Scott Genius enough to retain its title against new bikes
revisions to geometry and sizing, to take its place. And joining it are the Rocky like the Merida One Forty and the Canyon
or the lack of standardisation Mountain Pipeline, Intense ACV and Specialized Spectral? Giant has also addressed the issues
and inherited obsolescence that Stumpy FSR Comp Carbon 650b. we highlighted last year with the finishing kit on
goes hand in hand with progress, For the 29ers, the target price point is £3k the Trance, which leaves everything to play for
it’s this constant evolution that makes every and we have the YT Jeffsy back to see if it can in this test.
generation of trail bike that bit more capable repeat last year’s success. We also issued a wild So we have three categories, all with
than the last. card to the Vitus Escarpe 29 VRX at £2,699, different wheel sizes and prices, but all 12
This year is no exception. We’ve got 12 trail simply because the specification was every bit bikes share between 130mm and 150mm of
blazers in the mix, and we’ve split them into as good as the more expensive bikes in that suspension, which seems to be the sweet spot
three distinct categories based on wheel size. category. Factor in the new Whyte S150 with its between weight, pedalling efficiency and
That means we have four 27.5in trail bikes, four progressive geometry and sizing, and our 2017 capability for trail riding. Which bike strikes
29ers and four 27.5 Plus bikes. Not only does Bike of the Year, the Trek Fuel EX, and the 29er the best balance remains to be seen, but one
this allow us to compare apples with apples, category has a seriously stacked field. thing is certain, the modern trail bike has never
but by breaking it down into bite-size chunks Of the three wheel sizes, 27.5in trail bikes are been in a better place.
and allocating each category to an individual
tester we can maintain our thorough evaluation
procedure while bringing you one of the
biggest tests of the year. Effectively our Trail
Bike of the Year umbrella encompasses three
MEET THE BIKES
separate tests, which is why we have a winner 27.5in 29in 27.5 Plus
in each class. Q Commençal Meta TR V4.2 Q YT Jeffsy 29 CF £3,199 Q Scott Genius 720 £4,099
To give the best possible spread of bikes, Essential €2,999 Q Whyte S150 S £2,850 Q Rocky Mountain Pipeline
and to avoid duplication due to so many of Q Canyon Spectral CF 8.0 Q Trek Fuel EX 9.7 29 £3,000 Carbon 50 £4,199.99
the models being available in multiple wheel £2,699 Q Vitus Escarpe 29 VRX Q Intense ACV Pro £4,299
sizes, we also have different price points for Q Merida One Forty 700 £2,699 Q Specialized Stumpy FSR
each category. £2,500 Comp Carbon 650b £3,500
The four Plus bikes are the most expensive Q Giant Trance 2 £2,499

44 mbr MAY 2018

 
  
  

 




 

$


 I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H

27.5in TRAIL BIKES

MERIDA ONE FORTY 700
T
he One Forty is the latest the down tube. It’s a very effective
£2,500
platform from Merida to adopt approach, and the large entry ports COMPONENTS
its Float Link suspension, a make it much easier to replace a brake Merida and Giant both fit SLX chainsets
SPECIFICATION design first introduced on the hose or damaged gear outer casing. with 30t chainrings. The hollow-forged
Frame 6016 One Twenty and One Sixty arms are stiff and lightweight, and
aluminium, 140mm
Shock RockShox
models. All three bikes take their name SUSPENSION with a two-piece design that preloads
Deluxe RL
from the amount of suspension travel, The Trunnion-mounted RockShox the bottom bracket just like a headset,
Trunnion Mount and by bringing the 140mm-travel Deluxe RT gets external rebound nothing comes close to matching the
Fork RockShox trail bike in line with its stablemates, adjustment and a two-position SLX chainset at this price point. Merida
Revelation RC, the shock on the One Forty is now compression lever, the firmer setting has the upper hand with an XT rear
150mm approaching a full lockout. In the cold mech, but don’t let that fool you, as this
suspended between the upper rocker
Wheels Joytech/
Shimano Deore
link and an extension of the chainstay snap that engulfed the UK during doesn’t improve shifting performance
Boost hubs, Merida yoke that protrudes forward of the testing, the firmer setting stopped one jot. As such, we’d much rather
Expert 29mm rims, main pivot. working altogether and we had the Merida spent its budget more wisely,
Maxxis Minion Having a lower shock mount that exact same issue with the shock on ideally on a seatpost with more than
DHR II/Rekon EXO
27.5x2.6in tyres migrates forward and down as the the Canyon. Once the snow melted 125mm of drop.
Drivetrain Shimano suspension compresses allows the and temperatures returned to positive The Deore brakes on the Merida have
SLX 30t chainset, engineers at Merida to fine-tune the figures, the second compression the best lever feel of any Shimano brake
Shimano XT r-mech progression rate of the suspension to setting was quickly restored. Not that we’ve tested. The organic pads take a
and SLX shifter
each specific application. It’s a similar the Merida needs a firmer setting, as it little longer to dry out when wet, but
Brakes Shimano
Deore MT500,
concept to the Full Floater configuration climbs and pedals perfectly well with stopping power and modulation on this
180mm found on the Trek Fuel EX in the 29er the shock in the fully open position. entry-level brake are first rate.
Components Merida category of this test. Unfortunately, the 150mm-travel
Expert TR 760mm
bar, Merida Expert
The One Forty frame also benefits RockShox Revelation fork felt congested PERFORMANCE
from Merida’s smart entry cable routing, in all weather conditions and required With a shorter wheelbase, steeper
TR 3D 40mm stem,
Merida Expert 125mm where the internal cables are secured the biggest of hits to get it moving. head angle, fatter 2.6in tyres and a
dropper, Merida under tension at the point of entry Not even the extra cushioning of the tighter suspension response than the
Sport saddle to stop them rattling around inside chunky 2.6in Maxxis Minion DHF front acclaimed Merida One Sixty enduro
Sizes S, M, L, XL tyre could mask its shortcomings. bike, the One Forty offers a more
Weight 14.63kg playful and versatile ride. It’s noticeably
(32.25lb)
more sluggish than the other bikes in
Contact Merida-
bikes.com this test however, and even though it
had a harder compound, faster-rolling
GEOMETRY rear tyre than the Canyon, the Merida
Size ridden L couldn’t match its acceleration and zip.
Head angle 66.1° Point it down anything steep
With a 150mm RockShox
Seat angle 67.6° Revelation leading the however, and the bike comes to life.
BB height 331mm charge, the Merida One Well, the rear end does anyway, as the
Chainstay 433mm Forty has 10mm more Merida was the third bike in this test to
Front Centre 766mm travel up front have a somewhat underactive RockShox
Wheelbase 1,199mm Revelation RC fork. As we found out
Down tube 710mm elsewhere, tight bushings or excess
Top tube 603mm assembly grease are the most likely
Reach 455mm culprits, but even when working at 100
per cent capacity, the Revelation is no
match for the Charger-damped Pike
fitted to the Commençal and Canyon.

VERDICT
The suspension and geometry
improvements to the new One Forty
frame are a welcome development.
But while the rear suspension works
very well when bombing downhill,
and remains steadfast under power
on the climbs, the bike is heavy and
lacks sparkle, feeling sluggish on
flatter, flowing trails.
The real sticking point, quite
literally, was the RockShox
Revelation fork, but
as the bushing
problem is
covered under
Single-ring only frame warranty, we
design gets a 1x11 Shimano didn’t let that
SLX/XT drivetrain influence the score.

46 mbr MAY 2018

 I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H

27.5in TRAIL BIKES

GIANT TRANCE 2
G
iant made a raft for revisions issues have all been addressed, but the Roller II tyres has made an even bigger
£2 ,4 9 9
to the Trance platform in 2017. price has also increased by £100. difference. It’s just a shame Giant didn’t
Changes that saw the frame get the memo about fitting a softer
SPECIFICATION length grow by 10mm and SUSPENSION compound 3C option up front for
Frame ALUXX SL- the head angle relax. These The Trance was an early adopter of the improved cornering grip.
Grade aluminium,
improvements finally brought the Trunnion-mounted metric shock. Which, The Shimano SLX drivetrain remains,
140mm
Shock Fox Float
geometry and sizing of the Trance combined with Giant’s Co Pivot design but Giant has reduced the chainring
Performance in line with its 140mm travel. — that sees the main pivot hardware size from 32t to 30t, a move that not
Trunnion A smooth, one-piece, injection- of the lower link double as a shock only gives the Trance a lower gear for
Fork Fox 34 Rhythm moulded carbon upper link was mount — gives it superbly sensitive rear climbing, but also lowers the chain-line
Grip, 150mm suspension. As such, it’s the plushest
also added to bolster lateral frame relative the Maestro’s floating pivot,
Wheels Giant Tracker
Boost hubs, Giant
stiffness, giving the Trance the bike here, by quite some margin. making the rear suspension feel
XC-1 rims, Maxxis backbone it needed to match its The range of adjustment with the tighter under power and less wallowy
High Roller II 60a new-found swagger. And, sleek as the Fox Float Performance shock is better on the climbs.
27.5x2.4in tyres carbon upper link looks, it’s what Giant than the RockShox-equipped bikes too.
Drivetrain Shimano
SLX 30t chainset,
has done with the aluminium tubing At 83kg we found ourselves in the mid PERFORMANCE
SLX 11-speed profiles, forgings and pivot hardware range of rebound adjustment — great Of the four bikes in this category, the
r-mech and shifter that really make the Trance frame a news for both lighter and heavier riders. suspension on Giant Trance took the
Brakes Shimano class act. Next to the Commençal and It’s a similar story with the 150mm- longest to set up. And not because
SLX, 180mm Merida it is on another level in terms travel Fox 34 Rhythm fork, at least there’s anything inherently quirky about
Components of quality alone. It’s light too — the when compared to the Revelation on the design, it’s just that with the Fox
Giant Connect
Trail 780mm bar, complete bike is almost 1kg lighter than the Merida. Thankfully, those 34mm fork and shock having a wide range of
Connect 50mm the similarly-specced Merida. upper tubes on the Fox fork are just usable adjustment, you actively need to
stem, Contact SL So how come the Trance 2 didn’t as stiff as the 35mm RockShox units. find what works best for you.
Switch-150mm perform better in this test last year? In the end, we settled on a firmer
R dropper post,
Contact Neutral Basically Giant hamstrung the bike with COMPONENTS set-up, with more air pressure front and
saddle a silly long stem, a narrow handlebar We’ve already mentioned that Giant rear, combined with mid-range rebound
Sizes S, M, L, XL and sub-standard tyres. For 2018 those improved the cockpit layout by fitting damping. This combination delivered
Weight 13.87kg a 780mm bar and 50mm stem, but more stable handling, without robbing
(30.58lb) the switch to fatter 2.4in Maxxis High the Giant of its magic carpet small-
Contact giant-
bump sensitivity. We also ran the Fox
bicycles.com
shock in the mid–compression setting
GEOMETRY all of the time, as this stopped the front
end from lifting on steeper climbs —
Size tested L
Head angle 66.2°
a direct result of the seat angle being
Seat angle 68° too slack.
The Giant gets a QR15 Once dialled in, however, there’s
BB height 333mm
front axle, but you’ll need a directness to the ride of the Giant
Chainstay 435mm an Allen key to hand to
Front centre 750mm remove the rear wheel
Trance that makes it feel very efficient
Wheelbase 1,185mm and fluid to pedal. And unlike the
Down tube 700mm Canyon, it doesn’t trade as much
Top tube 623mm of its big-hit capacity to achieve it.
Reach 448mm It also has stacks of grip, and the
balanced flex response of the frame
means you never get rattled around
on fast, rooty, rocky terrain, even
with narrower 2.4in tyres.

VERDICT
Big improvements to the cockpit
and tyre specification have helped
unlock the the frame’s potential and
showcase its superb suspension.
The Fox suspension also impressed,
and with a lighter touch to the
rebound damping, the Giant is the
best option here for lighter riders.
But while moving to 2.4in Maxxis
High Roller II tyres is a big step in
the right direction, the Trance is
crying out for the
extra front-end
Giant’s Maestro grip that only a
twin-link 3C Maxx Terra
suspension
compound tyre
delivers 140mm
of smooth, will bring. Maybe
controlled travel next year.

48 mbr MAY 2018


 

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 I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H

27.5in TRAIL BIKES

COMMENÇAL META TR
V4.2 ESSENTIAL of the Charger II damper gives more
rider feedback than the old Pike or
the current Lyrik, so it doesn’t sync as

O
ne year ago to the day, we for an even less versatile Minion SS. harmoniously with the Meta’s pitter-
€ 2 ,9 9 9 crowned the Meta TR V4.2 Last year we swapped the front tyre patter rear suspension.
Essential our 27.5in Trail Bike for a softer 3C compound, but given
SPECIFICATION of the Year. A lot has changed the Meta’s attitude we were hoping this COMPONENTS
Frame 6066 in the past 12 months however, would now come as standard. It hasn’t. Courtesy of Commençal’s Essentials
aluminium, 130mm so has Commençal done enough to range, there’s full-width 780mm
Shock RockShox
Deluxe RT
retain its crown? SUSPENSION handlebar, while a 50mm stem matches
Actually, it’s done very little. The The Meta TR V4.2 pumps out 130mm the reach perfectly. Unlike most of the
Fork RockShox Pike
RC, 140mm bike now gets a 12-speed SRAM GX of very effective suspension. It’s a 29er bikes in this test, the seat tube on
Wheels Formula Eagle drivetrain, but the price has also single-pivot design with a progressive the size L Commençal is short enough
hubs, Spank Oozy crept up by €100 to reflect the change. linkage, and unlike some designs, the to allow riders of average height to take
Trail 295, Maxxis Interestingly, Commençal hasn’t used progression isn’t so fierce as to limit full advantage of the RockShox Reverb’s
Minion DHF/Minion
SS 27.5x2.3in the massive 50t Eagle cog to give the the suspension before bottoming out 150mm drop. Even Commençal’s Ride
Drivetrain SRAM GX Meta more RPMs for attacking the the metric-size Monarch Deluxe RT Alpha saddle is comfortable.
Eagle 34t chainset, climbs. Instead, it’s upped the chainring shock. The rear end is super sensitive
SRAM GX r-mech and
shifter
size from 32t to 34t, giving the bike too, thanks in part to the shock yoke PERFORMANCE
more grunt for bombing the descents. eliminating the bushing in the lower Throwing a leg over the Meta quickly
Brakes SRAM Level
LT, 200/180mm It’s also moved to slightly wider rims, shock eyelet. As such, we ran a little reminded us why we fell head over heels
Components Ride even if the 24.5mm internal width isn’t more rebound damping on the Deluxe in love with this bike 12 months ago. It
Alpha 780mm bar, particularly wide by modern standards. RT than some of the other bikes in test just feels right.
Ride Alpha 50mm The tyre specification has also changed with the same shock. There’s been a lot of discussion in
stem, RockShox
slightly. The Meta is still rolling on Like all of the bikes in this category this test about feeling ‘in the bike’,
Reverb Stealth
150mm, Ride Alpha Maxxis rubber, but the High Holler front the Meta gets 10mm more travel up and one way to do that is to boost
saddle tyre has been replaced by a 2.3in Minion front, a top-quality 140mm RockShox standover clearance. Commençal
Sizes S, M, L, XL DHF, while the Ardent rear makes way Pike RC to be precise. And while it’s a achieves this with a cutaway in the
Weight 14.3kg big step up over the Revelation in terms underside to the top tube to house
(31.74lb) the shock. It goes one step further,
of performance, the new sportier tune
Contact commencal-
store.co.uk
though, and by bucking the trend for
super-short chainstays, Commençal
GEOMETRY has also centred rider weight perfectly
between the contact patches of the
Size tested L
Head angle 65.5° tyres. Which makes it doubly frustrating
Seat angle 72.1° that the TR V4.2 Essential doesn’t come
BB height 327mm The RockShox Deluxe with a tyre combo that really allows
Chainstay 437mm RT shock has two you to load up the side knobs and rail
compression settings: every turn. The slightly longer chainstay
Front centre 766mm
open and pedal. You
Wheelbase 1,203mm won’t need the latter
also ensures the front wheel remains
Down tube 709mm planted on even the steepest climbs.
Top tube 620mm And it’s why the Commençal Meta TR
Reach 460mm V4.2 is still our first choice for anyone
needing a size XL. With better tyres,
the Meta would still be in the running
for the win, but with Canyon ticking
every box, Commençal can’t afford to
get complacent.

VERDICT
It’s telling that the Commençal and
Canyon are the best-handling bikes
in the 27.5in category, as both share
very similar geometry and sizing.
Their specifications are similar too,
and there’s very little separating
them in terms of price.
Yes, the carbon-framed Canyon
is almost 1kg lighter, but what
you notice on the trail is that the
skinnier, harder tyres
on the Commençal
lack the grip and
Boost dropouts increase
wheel stiffness, but control of the
depending on your shoe/ Canyon’s 2.6in
pedal combo your heels rubber. And that’s
can rub the wider stays a deal breaker.

50 mbr MAY 2018

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27.5in TRAIL BIKES
CANYON SPECTRAL CF 8.0
L
aunched just four months Scottish-based team riders Joe Barnes is keen to emphasise that the Revelation
£2 ,699
ago, the Canyon Spectral is and the Dudes of Hazzard. is essentially a Pike chassis with a less
the newest bike in the 27.5in Then there’s the down tube-mounted expensive damper, it’s the Charger
SPECIFICATION category. And make no mistake, cable cover that doubles as a frame damper that makes all the difference.
Frame Spectral this isn’t just a facelift with a nip protector — no more threading cables Hence the Pike on the Canyon is a big
CF/aluminium,
here and a tuck there to extend the shelf through the frame then. The Spectral step up in terms of performance.
140mm travel
Shock RockShox
life of an existing platform. also has a steering lock to stop the
Deluxe RT Canyon’s redesign of the Spectral is handlebar controls hitting the top tube, COMPONENTS
Fork RockShox Pike so comprehensive only the model name, and it offers a tighter turning circle than The RockShox Reverb is still one of
RC, 150mm travel 140mm travel and Canyon’s competitive Trek’s Knock Block design found on the the best dropper posts and the new
Wheels DT Swiss pricing remain unchanged. Pricing that Fuel EX in the 29er category of this test. under-bar 1x remote is a joy to use.
M1700 Spline wheels,
Maxxis Minion DHF/
affords a lightweight carbon front end The integrated seat clamp on the
Rekon 3C Maxx Terra and a parts package that wouldn’t look SUSPENSION Spectral frame means you need to
27.5x2.6in tyres out of place on the £4k Plus bikes in Our main criticism with the old get the correct torque setting though.
Drivetrain Truvativ this test. Spectral was that while its 140mm rear Too tight and the clamp restricts the
Decendant 32t Design-wise, the new Spectral marks suspension was supple, it lacked the post’s movement, too loose and the
chainset, SRAM GX
Eagle r-mech a major shift in styling for Canyon’s support needed to ride the bike hard. seatpost spins in the frame when you
and shifter longstanding trail bike, where a slightly Basically it wasn’t very stable, causing lean on the nose of the saddle when
Brakes SRAM Guide longer and much lower top tube the bike to pitch or wallow under hard cornering. Thankfully Canyon supplies a
R, 200/180mm combine with an extended seat mast to loading. Canyon has addressed this, torque wrench with the bike to take the
Components Race make the fit of the Spectral less boxy and once again the inspiration comes guesswork out of it.
Face Aeffect 760mm
bar and 50mm stem, than before. from the Sender DH bike. Its three-stage
RockShox Reverb A cursory glance at Canyon’s Sender progression rate is supple off-the-top PERFORMANCE
Stealth 150mm DH bike reveals the inspiration for for traction, offers good mid-stoke From the get-go the Canyon Spectral
dropper, SDG Fly the new look, but the Spectral has support for control and the final impressed. Canyon has delivered a
Mtn saddle
some cool features of its own. Like ramp-up prevents harsh bottoming. trail bike with good sizing and poised
Sizes S, M, L, XL
Weight 13.23kg the additional weather sealing on all It does what it says on the tin. handling. The 10mm lower BB height
(29.12lb) the pivots, thanks to feedback from Up front, the Spectral gets more and dropped top tube make the bike
Contact canyon.com suspension firepower with the 150mm almost disappear beneath you, and
RockShox Pike RC. And while RockShox the extra length in the front end —
GEOMETRY combined with the softer compound
Size tested L 2.6in Maxxis tyres — give you the
Head angle 66.1° confidence to dive headlong into any
Seat angle 70.9° descent. So much so that we had our
BB height 330mm feet bounce off our flat pedals a couple
Chainstay 430mm of times. Perhaps it was the progressive
With a carbon front
Front centre 775mm end and the best nature of the rear suspension kicking in?
Wheelbase 1,205mm specification, the Canyon Equally, it could just be the geometry
Down tube 721mm Spectral is easily the and tyres allowing us to take the
Top tube 622mm lightest in class
Spectral that bit closet to its limit.
Reach 460mm
And it’s not just on the downs
that the Spectral displays a sense
of urgency. This bike rips uphill too,
thanks to the relatively steep seat
angle, snappy pedalling response and
low overall weight. It’s the ultimate
all-rounder.

VERDICT
With the new Spectral, Canyon
has built on the strength of its
market-leading specification while
addressing the bike’s underlying
weaknesses — namely geometry
and suspension. As such, the
Spectral CF 8.0 has no equal in the
27.5in segment of this test.
The modern geometry and sizing
let you push this 140mm trail bike
to the very limits of its 2.6in tyres.
It’s everything a
modern trail bike
should be and a
deserving winner
SRAM’s Eagle 12-speed of mbr’s Trail
drivetrain means you Bike of the
have all the gears
you’ll ever need
Year 2018.

52 mbr MAY 2018

 I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H

TRAIL BIKE
OF THE
Y E A R 2 018
2 7. 5 i n

Internal cable routing Quick-release lever

cover doubles as down retracts into axle body
tube protector

Steering lock stops

cockpit colliding
with the top tube

MAY 2018 mbr 53

 I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H

29in TRAIL BIKES

YT JEFFSY 29 CF
T
welve months ago, the Trail bike RockShox Pike RCT3 fork and Monarch lowest gear is actually harder to push.
£3,199
of the Year in the 29in category RT3 shock. Front and rear travel is the We’d definitely consider swapping to
was the YT Jeffsy. It’s back same at 140mm, but the fork offset is a 30t if you struggle with fitness on
SPECIFICATION again this year and on paper now 51mm, rather than 44mm, so the the climbs.
Frame Carbon, looks every bit as well specced bike is a little longer. Following the current trend for more
140mm travel
as its predecessor, but a year is a long On the rear the Jeffsy 29 CF still has drop, YT has fitted a 150mm E13 TRS
Shock RockShox
Monarch RT3
time in the bike business and there are adjustable geometry, which is accessed dropper post to the size L Jeffsy, but
Fork RockShox Pike three new bikes challenging for that via a flip-chip located on the tip of unfortunately, we ran into a sizing issue
RCT3, 140mm travel coveted crown. the seatstay assembly. There are two with the longer post. That’s because
Wheels E13 TRS Price-wise the Jeffsy 29 CF is £200 settings: low/slack or high/steep. You increasing the drop makes the post
29 wheelset, TRS + more than anything else in its class, can flip the chip mid-ride but you will longer overall, but the upper link pivot
29x2.35in tyres
but for the extra dosh you do get a full need two 5mm Allen keys to do so. on the Jeffsy prevents it from inserting
Drivetrain Race Face
Turbine 32t chainset, carbon frame, and that means front Very few manufacturers bother to all the way into the frame. On our
Shimano XT r-mech triangle, chainstays, seatstays and fit the bigger 31mm Torque caps to large test bike there’s about 25mm
and shifter linkage. It’s nicely finished too and mate with RockShox dropouts. These lower shaft exposed, which means it’s
Brakes SRAM comes with armour at all the pinch increase steering precision but the like riding a 170mm post and at full
Guide RS
points like the down tube, chainstays ones on the E13 wheels are loose-fitting extension we really struggled to reach
200/180mm
Components
and BB area. Four sizes are available so constantly fell off when we tried to the pedals. With infinitely adjustable
35mm Turbine R and to keep the handling balanced get the wheel in and out. posts, like the RockShox Reverb, you
780mm handlebar, across the range, YT uses proportional can just drop it a bit to compensate, but
Race Face Turbine
R 50mm stem,
chainstays — small and medium frames COMPONENTS the E13 TRS dropper uses three pre-set
E13 TRS+ 150mm get 435mm stays, large and XL bikes YT bucks the SRAM Eagle trend and fits heights, so we actually had to run the
dropper post, SDG have 440mm. a Shimano shifter and derailleur with post in the second position and with
Fly MTN R saddle E13’s new 11-speed, 9-46t cassette. This even more of the lower shaft exposed to
Sizes S, M, L, XL SUSPENSION has a whopping 511 per cent gearing get the correct saddle height. YT does
Weight 13.75kg Last year’s bike came with Fox range so the jump between the upper offer the Jeffsy 29 CF with a 125mm
(30.3lb)
Performance Elite suspension front and and lower gears is bigger than on a post, which may be the better option if
Contact yt-
industries.com rear but for 2018 YT has switched to a SRAM Eagle cluster. Overall, the gearing you’re of average height.
is higher, though, and combined with
GEOMETRY a 32t chainring up front, the resulting PERFORMANCE
(LOW SETTING) Jeffsy 29 CF is every bit as well dressed
Size tested L as last year’s bike and even comes with
Head angle 66.9° a few upgrades like a better fork and
Seat angle 75° rear shock. However, the geometry is
BB height 340mm starting to look dated — the bike has the
Chainstay 440mm shortest reach, the steepest head angle
The E13 TRS carbon
Front centre 735mm
wheels come set up and the highest bottom bracket height
Wheelbase 1,175mm tubeless and feature the for its travel. It’s still nippy and efficient
Down tube 720mm excellent Plasma valves but the sizing is just too short and the
Top tube 616mm fit is compromised by the lack of infinite
Reach 445mm adjustment in the dropper post. That’s
not the fault of the post, it’s just the two
things don’t mesh very well together.
The Jeffsy 29 CF has also put on about
half a kilo since we tested it last year but
that seems to be the case with all bikes
that have gone to Boost spacing.

VERDICT
Even though the Jeffsy 29 CF is
£200 cheaper than the bike we
tested 12 months ago, it still has
an amazing frame and fantastic
components for the money.
Unfortunately, while the spec has
moved on, the ride quality has taken
a step back. We felt perched on the
Jeffsy 29 CF and it felt more nervous
compared to the other three bikes
in this test. The issue with the
seatpost also put the
mockers on a lot
of our rides as we
were constantly
A flip-chip on the worried about
seatstay assembly offers it firing back to
two geometry settings
full height.

54 mbr MAY 2018

  


 

 

   
 

 
 
 


 
   

       
 

 


 

 I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H

29in TRAIL BIKES

WHYTE S-150 S
D
uring our summing up of the lockout. It uses the exact same chassis like to see a slightly wider handlebar
£2,850
Whyte T-129 in last year’s and spring assembly as the Pike so than the 760mm fitted. We’d also go
Trail Bike of the Year test, stiffness is the same, but instead of a higher rise too, because the Whyte
SPECIFICATION we predicted the company Charger 2 damper you get a cheaper S-150 S has a low-stack head tube.
Frame 6061 would launch a longer-travel Motion Control unit with limited
aluminium,
150mm travel
29er trail bike — well, here it is. Called adjustment. Out of the box the fork felt PERFORMANCE
Shock RockShox
the S-150, it has 150mm of travel, incredibly sluggish, which we thought Whyte is at the cutting edge when it
Deluxe RT Debonair Boost spacing and Whyte’s dedicated was due to it being new, but after three comes to geometry and the S-150 S is
Fork RockShox SCR (Single Chain Ring) frameset weeks it didn’t free up, so we sent it much lower to the ground than anything
Revelation RC, design. To hit our desired price point back to the RockShox service centre. else on test and has the longest reach
150mm travel and slackest head angle by quite some
we picked the cheapest model in the After new seals and fresh oil, it now
Wheels Alloy Boost
hubs, WTB STp i29
three-strong range: the S-150 S, which feels much more responsive and supple margin. There’s tons of room in the
rims, Maxxis High has an aluminium chassis, GX Eagle but the basic damper still doesn’t offer cockpit and you really feel like you’re
Roller II/Crossmark II groupset and RockShox Revelation fork. the same sort of control as the Charger sitting in the bike rather than being
29x2.3/2.25in tyres The S in the name stands for 2 damper when hitting stuff hard — perched on top. It’s also the only bike
Drivetrain SRAM GX Switch, which means the bike can also spiking on high-speed hits, which you here where the use of a 150mm dropper
Eagle 32t chainset,
r-mech and shifter accommodate 27.5in wheels with 2.8in can really feel in your arms and wrists. doesn’t impact on the sizing and fit.
Brakes SRAM Level Plus tyres. Whyte even sells these in kit To complement the progressive
TL 180/170mm form (Alloy £599, carbon £1,299) with COMPONENTS geometry, the Whyte S-150 S features
Components Maxxis tyres, disc rotors, sealant and The wheels on the Whyte S-150 S are a fork with a custom offset. We don’t
Whyte 35mm alloy the workshop tools needed to swap the heaviest on test by over 600g, but have room here to get into a detailed
760mm handlebar,
Whyte Gravity over the cassette. oddly it’s not the heaviest bike and description about steering geometry
50mm stem, as the alloy frame is pretty light you but essentially the 42mm offset results
RockShox Reverb
150mm dropper,
SUSPENSION can save a chunk of weight with some in a trail measurement that’s 25 per
The two models above get RockShox sensible upgrading. We’d also splash cent greater than normal. This makes
Whyte saddle
Pike forks but the Whyte S-150 S comes the cash on a new rear tyre at the same the steering more stable and less likely
Sizes S, M, L, XL
Weight 14.58kg
with a Revelation RC fork, which has time because the Maxxis Crossmark TR to feel all squirrely, especially deeper
(32.14lb) rebound adjustment and a compression isn’t one for all seasons. in the travel. We also found we could
Contact whyte.bike Although the bigger wheels and run the fork a little softer than normal
long/low geometry add stability, we’d to increase grip without it getting away
GEOMETRY from us on the really steep stuff.
Size tested L An associated benefit of the long trail
Head angle 65.4° measurement is that it has a greater
Seat angle 74.5° restoring force on the steering, so when
BB height 330mm the front wheel is getting knocked about
Chainstay 440mm in tight technical sections you don’t have
Front centre 800mm With a 474mm reach to fight as hard to get it back on line.
Wheelbase 1,250mm measurement on the Unfortunately, the basic Motion Control
Down tube 750mm size L, the Whyte’s
sizing is very generous
damper inside the Revelation can’t quite
Top tube 640mm
keep pace with the improvements in
Reach 474mm
the handling. There is light at the end of
the tunnel though as you can upgrade
the Revelation with the Pike’s Charger
2 damper for around £200. This will
really transform the bike — we know this
because we’ve also ridden the top-end
S-150 C and it has the Pike as standard.

VERDICT
The Whyte S-150 S has the best
geometry and sizing in test, it also
feels incredibly balanced and holds
a line in a corner truer than any
bike here. The only limiting factor
is the lacklustre performance of the
RockShox Revelation fork. That’s not
really the fault of the fork though,
we just think Whyte should have
bitten the bullet and fitted the
better Pike fork. This would have
pushed the price of
the Whyte S-150
S to just over the
£3K and it would
Whyte was one of still have been
the first brands to within the price
introduce a single-ring
range of this test.
only frame design

56 mbr MAY 2018

 I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H

29in TRAIL BIKES

TREK FUEL EX 9.7 29
T
he Vitus and Whyte have full This year Trek has fitted a 150mm so it was predictable that something
£ 3 ,0 0 0
aluminium frames, the YT is all dropper to the 19.5in Fuel EX, but like had to give. On the Fuel EX it’s the
carbon; the Trek Fuel EX 9.7 YT and Vitus, this impacts the fit at full drivetrain. The other bikes all feature
SPECIFICATION 29 has a bit of both — a carbon extension as we had trouble reaching the wide-range cassettes, but the Trek has
Frame OCLV carbon/ front triangle married to an pedals. Thankfully, the Bontrager Drop an 11-42t SRAM NX. Shifting is positive
alloy, 130mm travel
aluminium rear end. You’re only looking Line post is infinitely adjustable so you but the drivetrain is a little noisier and
Shock Fox Float
Performance EVOL
at around 150g in weight saving over can chip away a few millimetres when some of our older testers really missed
Fork Fox 34 Rhythm, an aluminium frame, but the Fuel EX is climbing. The ideal solution, however, is that 50t Eagle cog as it’s dead handy
130mm travel easily the stiffest bike here. a shorter seat tube, especially if you’re when grovelling up steep climbs.
Wheels Bontrager A lot of this is due the Straight Shot upsizing to get a longer frame. We also missed the Bontrager
Line Comp 30 down tube design, the direct approach XR4 Team Issue tyres that are listed
wheelset, Schwalbe
Nobby Nic
being shorter and stiffer than one with a SUSPENSION as standard; our bike arrived with
29x2.35in tyres curve at the head tube junction. On most Trek states that the Fox Rhythm fork Schwalbe Nobby Nics. It turns out Trek
Drivetrain SRAM bikes this curve is necessary to provide on the Fuel EX is custom tuned, but we ran out of the Bonty tyres but more
NX 32t chainset, 1x11 clearance for the fork dials, but Trek couldn’t find out if this is a unique tune are on their way so by the time you
r-mech and shifter gets around this by limiting bar rotation or just one of the off-the-peg options read this all new bikes should have the
Brakes SRAM Guide
to about 120 degrees with a device offered by Fox. What we do know is original tyres fitted. Swapping tyres
R 180/180mm
Components
called the Knock Block. This consists of the Rhythm fork is around 100g heavier is tricky, though — the Bontrager Line
Bontrager Line a machined stop bolted to the frame, a than the aftermarket Performance fork. Comp 30 rims have plastic tubeless rim
750mm handlebar unique headset with integrated spacers, That said, the Grip damper is a big strips fitted as standard and they work
and 60mm stem, and a matching stem. step up from the Motion Control unit in so well it took us a good 10 minutes to
150mm Drop Line
dropper post and There were a couple of times when we the RockShox Revelation fitted to the get the tyres unseated.
Evoke saddle wished the bar would turn a little further, Whyte, with less jarring through the
Sizes 13.5, 15.5, 17.5, like when weaving up steep zig-zag hands and more composure in choppy PERFORMANCE
18.5, 19.5, 21.5in climbs or loading the bike in the back of terrain. It also comes with a nicer QR If you compare geometry on the Fuel
Weight 13.98kg a car, but the Knock Block is removable, axle, which slots in first time, every time. EX and YT Jeffsy, you’ll see a lot of the
(30.82lb)
where rubber bumpers on the down numbers are the same but there are a
Contact
trekbikes.com tube protect the carbon frame. COMPONENTS few key dimensions that make the Fuel
As you can see, Trek has invested a lot EX ride better. Firstly, it has a slightly
GEOMETRY of budget in the frame and suspension, lower bottom bracket height. As such
(LOW SETTING) it feels more confident on steeper stuff
Size tested 19.5in and less perched when railing deep into
Head angle 66.9° turns. It is also about 20mm longer in
Seat angle 74.7° the reach, so is less cramped and has
BB height 330mm much more balanced handling at speed.
Chainstay 432mm With 130mm travel on the rear
Front centre 750mm 180mm rotors front and and more traditional geometry, the
Wheelbase 1,182mm rear boost stopping Fuel EX doesn’t quite have the Vitus
Down tube 725mm power from the SRAM
Escarpe’s confidence when flying down
Top tube 610mm Guide R brake
rougher tracks, but it’s still a competent
Reach 465mm descender, you just have to pick your
lines more carefully. The rear suspension
is incredibly supple and, unlike the
Jeffsy, which tends to ramp up quite
suddenly, the Trek makes full use of its
suspension capability.

VERDICT
Being sold through bricks and
mortar retailers means Trek can’t
offer the same stellar build as direct
sales brands like Vitus and YT but
the Fuel EX is still a really balanced
package. The 11-speed drivetrain
is a step down but the suspension
is first rate, the frame is stiff and
lightweight and the bike has the
best wheels on test. As a result,
it flies uphill and feels incredibly
agile on twisty singletrack. If we
had to knock out an
all-day epic or long
Trek’s Mino Link weekender at a
flip-chip in the seat UK trail centre,
stays offers two the Fuel Ex 9.7 29
geometry settings is definitely the
bike we’d reach for.

58 mbr MAY 2018

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29in TRAIL BIKES
VITUS ESCARPE 29 VRX
T
he last time we tested a Vitus The Escarpe 290 Pro we tested DHF and DHR tyres combo featuring the
£2 ,699
Escarpe was back in 2015 and three years ago came with a 150mm top-end 3C rubber, where the front uses
it was the 290 Pro model. RockShox Pike but Vitus has upgraded the 2.5in WT (wide trail) option for extra
SPECIFICATION We rated it 10 out of 10. this to a Lyrik. Sure, the Lyrik is 200g cushioning and grip.
Frame 6061 Fast-forward three years and heavier, but it’s more sensitive and the With such quality rubber you’d
aluminium,
the top-end model is now called the damping feels more composed when think Vitus would save money on the
140mm travel
Shock RockShox
Escarpe 29 VRX and it features a raft you’re charging down rough trails. The wheelset but again these top-end DT
Deluxe RT3 of improvements, including upgraded only annoying thing about this is the Swiss E1700 hoops are first-rate, and
Fork RockShox Lyrik suspension, an extra 5mm of rear wheel Maxle Stealth axle, which requires an come set up tubeless ready from the
RCT3, 150mm travel travel and a revamped specification. The Allen key tool to get the front wheel out. factory. The only iffy component is
Wheels DT Swiss geometry has been brought up-to-date the Nukeproof alloy handlebar, which
E1700, Maxxis
Minion DHF/DHR
too with a 20mm increase in the reach COMPONENTS lacks upsweep.
29x2.5/2.3in tyres measurement on all four frame sizes. For £2,600 the Escarpe 29 VRX has an
Drivetrain SRAM absolutely blinding specification. It has PERFORMANCE
Descendant carbon
32t chainset, GX
SUSPENSION most of a SRAM GX Eagle groupset, Vitus has upgraded the dropper post
One of the main changes to the Escarpe the only thing not GX is the crank, which this year to a 150mm unit, but it hasn’t
Eagle r-mech and
shifter 29’s V-Link suspension is the rear shock is a better Descendant carbon model! chopped anything off the seat tube to
Brakes SRAM Guide mounting. Instead of connecting to Vitus also fits an MRP chain device. accommodate the additional length
RE, 200/180mm the top of the shock, the linkage now SRAM also provides the Guide RE of the post. This meant that at full
Components bolts to the side of the shock body via brakes and the Escarpe was the only extension the saddle was around 15mm
Nukeproof 800mm a Trunnion mount. This creates more bike on test with a 200mm front rotor. too high for mbr’s average (5ft 10in)
alloy handlebar,
Nukeproof Neutron clearance above the shock, allowing Both levers felt a little spongy when testers, and it’s going to be much more
45mm stem, Vitus to drop the top tube and increase we got this bike but that was because if you’re upsizing from a medium frame.
RockShox Reverb standover clearance. Vitus has also there were no braking surface left on Vitus did say it will be correcting this
150mm dropper, tweaked the kinematics to improve the pads. Fitting new pads restored the on 2019 bikes but a quick fix now is to
Nukeproof Horizon
SL saddle the small-bump sensitivity and create positive lever feel we’ve come to love either swap the 150mm Reverb for a
Sizes S, M, L, XL more consist progression through the on the RE brake. 125mm, or buy a 150mm X-Fusion Manic
Weight 14.77kg 140mm travel. One area where bike manufacturers dropper post, which is about 20mm
(32.5lb) save money is with the tyres. Vitus has shorter overall than the Reverb.
Contact done no such thing; the Maxxis Minion The bottom bracket on the Vitus
vitusbikes.com
is also a tad too high. It’s not that
noticeable because the Escarpe 29 is
GEOMETRY so long but on steep roll-ins we did feel
Size tested L a little pitched forward over the front.
Head angle 66.4°
Normally you can make little corrections
Seat angle 74.5°
to the BB height with offset bushings
BB height 345mm Improved standover
clearance and Boost spacing but with the Trunnion mount you can
Chainstay 450mm
Front centre 800mm but thicker walled tubing, only fit one in the lower eyelet.
Wheelbase 1,250mm which adds 200g The rest of the geometry figures
Down tube 740mm are spot on. The wheelbase is the
Top tube 640mm longest here and the head angle is
Reach 467mm reasonably slack, so when charging,
the Escarpe feels incredibly stable.
It’s not quite as solid as the Whyte in
turns but the RockShox Lyrik fork is way
more controlled when barrelling down
rocky trails.

VERDICT
The Vitus Escarpe 29 VRX has a
real urgency about it and when you
combine that with the stunning
build, it’s a shoo-in for 29in Trail
Bike of the Year. It falls short of a
perfect 10 because it’s a bit too
tall in the seat tube, the BB is a
touch too high and it’s the heaviest
bike on test, mostly due to the
Double Down reinforced casing
tyres. It is, however, the cheapest
bike on test by almost
£150, which means
you’ll have a bit
Vitus has fitted more of money for
powerful Guide RE brakes those corrective
and upped the front rotor
size to 200mm
components and
some lighter parts.

60 mbr MAY 2018

 I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H

TRAIL BIKE
OF THE
Y E A R 2 018
29in

Trunnion-mounted Top-quality Descendant

RockShox Deluxe with chainset with MRP
140mm travel chain device

150mm-travel
RockShox Lyrik fork
is a worthy upgrade

MAY 2018 mbr 61

 I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H

27.5 PLUS TRAIL BIKES

SPECIALIZED STUMPJUMPER
FSR COMP CARBON 650B the Pike, it slipped under the radar
during our initial inspection. But on
the first ride it barely moved, even on

L
ast year we tested the big compressions, and we decided
£3,500
specific Plus-tyre version of SUSPENSION something had to be wrong. Sure
the Stumpjumper — called the The 650b Stumpjumper gets 150mm of enough we found out that undersized
SPECIFICATION 6Fattie. For 2018 this model rear-wheel travel, which is as much as bushings were choking the fork’s
Frame FACT 9m only half exists, as it retains the the Scott and makes it the joint-longest abilities to move. Apparently only a
Carbon/M5 alloy
rear, 150mm name and the ability to run Plus, but travel bike here. But it also has the small batch of forks are affected, and
Shock RockShox actually comes with 29in wheels and shortest-stroke shock, and this means it’s an issue that’s covered by warranty.
Monarch RT 2.3in tyres. So, we’ve changed tactics, the damping circuit in the Monarch RT
Fork RockShox and used the 650b model for this test. has to work much harder than the Fox COMPONENTS
Revelation RC, 150mm Shod with 2.6in tyres means it meets shock on the Scott to control the same Specialized’s 2.6in Butcher tyres boast
Wheels Roval our Plus bike criteria, but also makes amount of travel. While this is only a similar tread pattern to the Maxxis
Traverse wheels,
Butcher Grid Gripton the Stumpjumper Comp Carbon really an issue on long descents, the Minion DHF and work extremely well in
27.5x2.6in tyres something of the black sheep here. Specialized design does relinquish its a wide variety of terrain and conditions.
Drivetrain Race Face As it’s the cheapest bike in this travel more easily than the other bikes The new Gripton rubber compound
Aeffect 30t chainset, category, there are obvious sacrifices in here and doesn’t hold your body weight sticks to wet roots with such conviction
SRAM GX 11-speed
r-mech and shifter
the spec compared to the competition; up particularly well in compressions and that we could really trust in the traction
Brakes SRAM Guide the Comp Carbon makes do with a bermed corners. where the Rekon began to flounder. Put
R, 180/160mm RockShox Revelation fork and a 1x11 Having a unique anchor point to the a Vernier caliper on the carcass and the
Components drivetrain with a narrow spread of gears. stirrup-shaped shock yoke limits your width difference is only 4mm, but it’s
Specialized alloy bar One major selling point of the options for upgrading the suspension, a completely different ride experience.
780mm, Specialized
Stumpjumper over its competitors is too, and while the Autosag system is There’s a much more direct connection
Trail 60mm stem,
Specialized the SWAT door in the down tube of the designed to make set-up easier, on this with the ground, and you can really load
Command Post IRcc carbon front triangle. Unlocking the hatch bike we struggled to achieve the right the tyre up in turns without any of that
dropper post 125mm, takes seconds and gives you access to a balance. Instead we used a tape measure vague, squishy feeling that sometimes
BG Henge saddle
massive compartment that will swallow to dial in 12mm of sag on the shock body, comes with a bigger-volume option.
Sizes S, M, L, XL
food, tools and even a jacket. and this helped keep the bike from using
Weight 13.80kg
(30.07lb) up its travel in the blink of an eye. PERFORMANCE
Contact Because the RockShox Revelation Rewind 12 months and we gave the
Specialized.com shares a sturdy 35mm chassis with Stumpjumper 6Fattie a grilling for its
diminutive sizing and disappointing
GEOMETRY suspension. A year has passed and none
Size tested L of our criticisms have been answered. In
Head angle 67.1° fact, by testing the Comp Carbon 650b,
Seat angle 69.7° we’ve actually taken a step backwards,
BB height 332mm as the frame is even more compact. The
Chainstay 420mm Half-waffle, half-file tread
size large Scott Genius shares a very
Front centre 740mm Sip grips come in two
diameters depending on similar seat tube measurement to the
Wheelbase 1,160mm
the frame size Stumpjumper, but the reach is 30mm
Down tube 710mm
longer and the wheelbase is 70mm
Top tube 618mm
longer. Yes, these are just numbers on a
Reach 442mm
chart, but the consequences overwhelm
the ride experience and the result is a
bike that feels unsettled at speed and out
of its depth on challenging trails.

VERDICT
Specialized’s motto is Innovate or
Die, but the Stumpjumper seems
to have lost sight of that battle
cry. It desperately needs a refresh
with more modern geometry and
improved suspension to bring
it back into the game. As it
stands though, you’d have to be
staunchly brand loyal, or completely
sold on SWAT to forgive its
shortcomings. Thankfully we
know Specialized
has the talent and
the resources to
Neat multi-tool fix it, so we’re
hangs off the convinced this
bottle cage will be a matter
of when, not if.

62 mbr MAY 2018

 
   

 
 
 
  

 

 
 

 
 

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 I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H

27.5 PLUS TRAIL BIKES

INTENSE ACV PRO
I
ntense has always been the Gucciest As you’d hope from something with
£4,299 of Gucci brands, the marque we that iconic flaming head badge, it’s COMPONENTS
all lusted after while holding our a gorgeous looking frame; the squat Early versions of the ACV came with a
SPECIFICATION lottery scratch cards, but a switch standover, acute top tube angle and few quirky components that hampered
Frame Full UD to a direct sales approach last year classic twin-triangle silhouette with its the bike’s performance, but these
carbon, 115/ means that our pockets don’t need stubby suspension links receding into creases have been largely ironed out on
130mm travel
to be (quite) as deep to afford one. the shadows. the 2018 model. The extra-wide 780mm
Shock RockShox
Monarch RT3 That said, the ACV Pro is still the most bar is clamped by an in-house stem that
Fork RockShox Pike expensive bike here, and £4.3K is not an SUSPENSION looks identical to Renthal’s Apex, the DT
RCT3, 150mm travel insignificant amount of money, but by Those short, counter-rotating links Swiss M1700 wheels are light, fast and
Wheels DT Swiss ordering online you net a hefty £1,000 form the basis of the ACV’s JS-Tune quiet and the Fabric Scoop saddle is a
M1700 Spline, saving. Cutting the local bike shop out suspension design. It’s a similar virtual great shape with plenty of cushioning.
Maxxis Rekon EXO
27.5x2.8in tyres of the equation means your bike now pivot layout to that used by Santa However, the 2.8in Maxxis Rekon
Drivetrain Truvativ arrives in a box. Cruz, but using Jeff Steber’s (the tyres lack the grippy 3C compound, so
Descendant carbon ACV stands for Air-Cushioned Intense CEO) own take on axle path you simply can’t corner as aggressively
32t chainset, SRAM Vehicle, and sits under Intense’s and kinematics. or trust the bite in slippery conditions
X01 Eagle r-mech and
‘Enduro’ umbrella, which we think is We set it up with 25 per cent sag, as much as you can on the other bikes
GX shifter
Brakes SRAM Guide
somewhat misleading seeing as it only which equates to 13mm on the shock here. And the lock-on grips clamp at both
RS, 180/160mm has 130mm of rear-wheel travel. For us, body, and the O-ring only got close to ends, forcing your hands away from the
Components Intense the modest rear travel and relatively full travel on big, flat drops, so there’s outer edge of the bars, which effectively
Recon 780mm bar, conservative geometry mark the ACV no lack of progression, but the defining narrows the bar back to 760mm, but
Intense Recon Elite out as a trail bike through-and-through. ride characteristic of the JS-Tune is one leaves a couple of protrusions either side
50mm stem, Fox
Transfer 150mm It’s also closely related to the Primer of absolute pedal efficiency. for catching on trees.
dropper post, Fabric 29er, sharing the same full carbon Whether standing up or sitting down,
Scoop saddle front triangle, albeit married to a the ACV squanders none of your energy, PERFORMANCE
Sizes S, M, L, XL unique swingarm with stiffer, twin surging forward at every turn of the Get on the gas and the ACV takes off
Weight 13.62kg upright configuration and additional crank. There’s an urgency about it that like a Tesla in Ludicrous mode, and the
(30lb)
tyre clearance. only the Scott can get close to, and only steep seat angle and pedalling bias
Contact
intensecycles.co.uk when it’s in Traction Mode. mean it laps up steep climbs. But there
is a trade-off to be made for all that zip
GEOMETRY under power. The suspension doesn’t
Size tested L handle rough terrain or square-edge
Head angle 66.9° bumps as well as the other bikes on test,
Seat angle 72° and it clams up under braking, with the
BB height 319mm back-end tending to skip over stutter
Chainstay 435mm bumps on the approach to downhill
Front centre 756mm corners. There’s a fair bit of friction in
Wheelbase 1,191mm Two positions on the the shock hardware, too, so it doesn’t
Down tube 720mm shock link let you
feel quite as sensitive as it could.
Top tube 624mm choose between 115mm
or 130mm of travel While hardly conservative, the steeper
Reach 438mm head angle and short reach reduce
stability on faster, flowing trails as well as
steeper descents. And because it doesn’t
have the suspension firepower, it starts
to feel a little under-gunned on more
challenging terrain compared to a couple
of the other bikes on test.

VERDICT
If you want to cover the most
ground with the least effort, and
you’re a surgeon on the descents
rather than a steamroller, then the
ACV is the bike for you. Its sharp
handling and eye-watering pace are
addictive assets — and who doesn’t
want that head badge hanging in
their garage? But the traits that
ensure it stomps away from the
competition on pedally trails also
hinder it on more
challenging terrain.
It’s a balancing
act, and you have
Lower link
features a to decide on
grease port for which side of the
speedy bearing scales you sit.
lubrication

64 mbr MAY 2018





 



 

 
 




  

 


   


   


  
     

 

 

 I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H

27.5 PLUS TRAIL BIKES

ROCKY MOUNTAIN PIPELINE
CARBON 50 the difference here is that bearings
lend themselves much better to the
Pipeline’s mass production techniques.

W
hile the Intense ACV This system gives you the There’s no shortage of grip, then,
£ 4 , 1 9 9.9 9
shares a front triangle with opportunity to customise the and in complete contrast to the Intense,
its 29er stable-mate, the handling and feel of your Pipeline in the Pipeline feels like it has more than
SPECIFICATION Rocky Mountain goes one nine different ways. The window of 140mm of travel, and it takes deeper
Frame Smoothwall step further, using a single adjustment is one degree at the head holes and braking bumps in its stride.
carbon front,
FORM alloy rear, frame for both the Pipeline Plus bike and seat angle, and 13mm at the bottom Better still, the shock works in perfect
140mm travel and the big-wheel Instinct. Considering bracket, while simultaneously changing unison with the Fox 34 fork, and its
Shock Fox Float DPS there’s only one Pipeline model for sale the progression of the suspension too. self-lubricating Grip damper, so you
Evol Performance in the UK and two Instincts, it’s obvious can attack the rowdiest of trails without
Fork Fox 34 Float
Performance,
which one Rocky Mountain feels will be SUSPENSION getting completely out of shape.
140mm travel more popular. Either way, if your budget While the Ride 9 system is a nice selling
Wheels Rocky doesn’t align with the Pipeline 50, there point, we have a feeling the designers COMPONENTS
Mountain/DT Swiss are options above and below in the and engineers really designed the bike With the most aggressive tread pattern
370 hubs, Sun Duroc range that will accept 27.5 Plus wheels. to be ridden in position one — the most on test, the Pipeline’s Minion DHF/
40 rims, Maxxis
Minion DHF/DHR Back to the chassis though, and progressive suspension allied to the DHR tyre combo generates as much
27.5x2.8in tyres while it shares a similar profile to slackest geometry. So that’s what we confidence as it does grip. Even though
Drivetrain SRAM Stylo its predecessor, it’s actually had a did. And we immediately questioned neither use the multi-compound 3C
32t chainset, SRAM comprehensive overhaul for 2018. Not why we’d ever want to run it in any of rubber, the deep, stable blocks cut into
GX Eagle r-mech
and shifter only is the new frame significantly the other positions. Perhaps for a bit of pretty much any soil type and ensure
Brakes SRAM Level more refined, all the pivots now rotate extra pedal clearance if you ride trials-y sure-footed cornering, whether braking
TL, 180mm on bearings rather than bushings. We terrain, but fitting shorter 170mm cranks or accelerating. The carcass is also
Components Rocky also like the fact that Rocky’s signature would do the same job. stiffer than the popular Rekon, so you
Mountain AM 760mm
Ride 9 compendium of geometry and The small-bump response is buttery can run slightly lower pressures and
bar, Rocky Mountain
AM 50mm stem, Fox suspension settings now sits within the smooth thanks to that full complement there’s less chance of tearing a sidewall.
Transfer Performance shock link, rather than along the top of bearings (even the shock eyelet In fact, we think Rocky could save some
Elite dropper post tube, where it knocks against your knees. uses one). If you’ve read the first weight without compromising the ride
150mm, WTB Volt
Race saddle
ride on the Ancillotti (p28), that will by using a narrower 35mm-wide rim.
Sizes S, M, L, XL sound completely contradictory, but
Weight 13.45kg PERFORMANCE
(29.6lb) Although we’ve rated them equally,
Contact bikes.com the Pipeline and the Intense ACV sit at
GEOMETRY opposite ends of the spectrum in terms
(POSITION 1) of ride and handling. While the ACV is
Size tested L West Ham or Aston a rapid and highly efficient pedalling
Head angle 65.2° Villa fan? The Pipeline machine, the Rocky Mountain is a bit
Seat angle 69.7° also comes painted in
stodgy under power, and always feels
BB height 322mm claret and blue
a bit draggy on long rides. But it comes
Chainstay 436mm
alive on the descents with an infectious,
Front centre 775mm
engaging ride quality and capable
Wheelbase 1,211mm
Down tube 730mm suspension. It’s hard not to get carried
Top tube 628mm away when you ride it; sessioning turns,
Reach 450mm playing on jumps and generally acting
like a bit of a child. And we think that’s a
very good thing.

VERDICT
Much as it consistently put a smile
on our faces, one thing about the
Pipeline had us scratching our
heads. While the geometry is
designed around a 150mm fork,
Rocky fits a 140mm Fox and a 10mm
spacer under the head tube. We’d
much rather have a bit of extra travel
up front than an inert lump of alloy.
The new Pipeline is leagues ahead
of its predecessor, is an absolute
scream on technical
terrain and, in this
test, pulls the
Shock eyelet gets a pants down on
sealed bearing for one of the most
stiction-free response iconic suspension
bikes on the planet.

66 mbr MAY 2018

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27.5 PLUS TRAIL BIKES
SCOTT GENIUS 720
T
welve months ago, Scott and wheel sizes, the Genius uses a we could run more sag (30 per cent)
£ 4 ,0 9 9
walked away with the win in this single chassis with the choice of either and use the lower BB position for better
test thanks to the progressive 27.5in or 29in wheels. It’s refreshingly DH performance, and yet still avoid
SPECIFICATION geometry and finely tuned simple, with 2.8in tyres on the 27.5in catching pedals everywhere on flat trails
Frame HMF suspension of its short-travel bike and 2.6in rubber on the 29er allied and lumpy climbs.
Carbon/6011 alloy
Spark Plus. This year it’s back with to a neat flip-chip at the rocker link that
rear, 150/100mm
Shock Fox Nude
the new Genius, and while it closely lets you tweak the head angle and BB COMPONENTS
Evol Trunnion resembles the bike that impressed us height accordingly. Bolted to the arch of the Fox 34
Fork Fox 34 so much last year, it’s packing an extra Performance fork is a specially designed
Performance,
150mm travel
30mm of travel, a more aggressive SUSPENSION Syncros mudguard. Unfortunately, as
attitude and the burden of even greater The four-bar suspension design neat as it looks, it lacks the coverage to
Wheels Syncros TR
2.5 CL wheels, Maxxis
levels of expectation. dishes out 150mm of travel via the really keep mud out of your face when
Rekon EXO 3C The basis of the frame layout has longest stroke shock in this category. the bike is leant over.
27.5x2.8in tyres been cut and pasted from the Spark, This means the damping doesn’t The Scott is the only bike here with
Drivetrain SRAM X1 which means it gets an upside down have to work as hard and helps keep Shimano brakes, but the SLX units
Eagle 32t chainset, shock, cradled in a Trunnion mount temperatures down on long descents. offer stacks of power and plenty of
GX Eagle r-mech
and shifter at the down tube. There’s the familiar Even without a bearing in the top modulation from their stubby levers.
Brakes Shimano Twinloc system that reduces rear travel shock eyelet, it’s still impressively Equally impressive is the shifting
SLX, 180mm to 100mm and firms the compression supple on small imperfections, offers quality of the GX Eagle drivetrain, but
Components Syncros damping on the fork and shock via a plenty of support for loading up the Scott has missed a trick by fitting longer
FL1.5 Mini Riser twin-lever remote under the bar, and bike in turns, and doesn’t bottom 175mm cranks. When the BB is as
760mm bar, Syncros
FL1.5 50mm stem, there’s the tangled web of cables that out too easily. In short, it’s the best low as it is on the Genius, we’d rather
Fox Transfer dropper accompany it. suspension here by a long shot. sacrifice 5mm of leverage for a bit of
post 150mm, Syncros But the extra travel of the Genius And yet thumb the lower lever of the extra pedal clearance.
XM 2.0 saddle means it gets a chainstay pivot, rather remote and the travel drops to 100mm,
Sizes S, M, L, XL
Weight 13.63kg
than the flex-stay arrangement found the damping tenses up, the dynamic ride PERFORMANCE
(30.01lb) on the Spark, and instead of an array of height raises and it transforms into a We didn’t need to get the tape measure
Contact different frames to suit various travels superb climber and an efficient pedaller. out to realise that the Genius has by
Scott-sports.com And because you can alter the far the most progressive geometry
attitude of the bike so easily, it meant here. From the first pedal stroke it was
GEOMETRY obvious that it boasts the slackest head
(HIGH POSITION) angle, the longest wheelbase and the
Size tested L lowest bottom bracket (measured in
Head angle 65.3° the low position). But, what’s equally
Seat angle 68.9° clear is that it feels completely natural
BB height 330mm to ride, and we never got tangled up in
Chainstay 435mm 29er version comes the bike around tight switchbacks or
Front centre 795mm with Schwalbe Nobby rapid direction changes. Indeed, thanks
Wheelbase 1,230mm Nic 2.6in tyres instead to its perfectly judged suspension and
Down tube 734mm of 2.8in Maxxis Rekons
excellent proportions, the Genius is the
Top tube 632mm
most agile bike of the bunch.
Reach 472mm
It was almost as efficient as the
Intense on the climbs, easily the fastest
bike on the descents (despite lacking
the grippiest tyres) thanks to the sheer
confidence it inspired, and yet it was
also the most playful.

VERDICT
The new Genius lets you go full
hooligan on the descents, without
paying a penalty on the climbs.
However, the Twinloc remote is
still clumsy and takes priority over
the dropper post lever, and we don’t
think it benefits from being hooked
up to the fork. We’d also like to
see shorter cranks, a wider bar and
a slightly steeper seat angle. But
the fact that the Genius still stands
head and shoulders
above the rest of
the bikes in this
Geometry chip is easy category shows
to flip provided you how Scott has
have a Torx T30 completely nailed
the fundamentals.

68 mbr MAY 2018

 I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H

TRAIL BIKE
OF THE
Y E A R 2 018
2 7. 5 p l u s

Flip-chip on rocker Smooth-shifting

link changes BB SRAM Eagle drivetrain
height and head angle with chain device

Twinloc remote adjusts

adjusts front and rear
suspension together

MAY 2018 mbr 69

BIKE TEST

TRAIL BIKE TRAIL BIKE

OF THE OF THE
Y E A R 2 018 Y E A R 2 018
2 7. 5 i n 29in
Canyon Spectral Vitus Escarpe
CF 8.0 29 VRX

e kicked off our

2018 Trail Bike of the
Year test by stating
It’s not always the groundbreaking changes
that progress is
relentless. And while
that make the biggest difference to
we wholeheartedly
stand by that statement,
the ride quality of a trail bike
it’s not always the
groundbreaking changes
that make the biggest difference to the ride Spectral is the only 10 rated bike in this year’s could throw at it. So why not give it full marks?
quality of a trail bike. test, making it the outright winner of our 2018 Well, great as it is, it’s not quite perfect. The
Take the Canyon Spectral CF 8.0 for Trail Bike of the Year Award. seat tube is too tall for the 150mm dropper and
example. Bar a 5mm increase in the reach The 29er category was the most closely the BB is 10mm too high, criticisms that were
measurement and a 10mm reduction in BB fought this year; proof, if it were needed, also levied at last year’s winner, the YT Jeffsy.
height, the rest of its vital stats are virtually that 29er trail bikes haven’t lost any of their Both of these brands are young and dynamic,
identical to last year’s bike. These subtle momentum. And it was a wild-card entry from and we suspect that neither will take our
improvements to the geometry and fit, Vitus that won the day, no easy task given that feedback lying down. For now though, Vitus
combined with a revised suspension layout it was also the cheapest bike in the category has the upper hand.
and fatter 2.6in tyres, make the 2018 Spectral by quite some margin. Once again, it was the Winning Trail Bike of the Year in the Plus
a completely different proposition though. It’s details that really made all the difference. Little category two years on the trot, it’s fair to
fast, fun and now gives you the confidence to things like the fatter 2.5in front tyre to improve say that Scott is on a roll. With the most
attack every trail. It’s everything a great trail cornering confidence, with a thicker-casing progressive sizing and geometry in class,
bike should be. Canyon has nailed the build Double Down rear tyre to help avoid punctures. the new Genius takes the winning formula
kit too, and when you factor in its direct to The RockShox Lyrik fork also gives the Escarpe first developed on the short-travel Spark and
consumer business model, only Commençal 29 VRX a distinct advantage over its rivals; the applies it to a 150mm platform. Scott is so far
comes close to matching the Canyon’s value for more DH-focused tune to its top-of-the- range ahead of the competition, no other bike even
money. Taken together, it’s easy to see why the Charger RCT3 damper absorbing everything we comes close to challenging its lead. However,

70 mbr MAY 2018

 I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H

TRAIL BIKE
OF THE
Y E A R 2 018
2 7. 5 P l u s
Scott Genius 720

when you’re paying upwards of £4k for a bike

Scott Genius:
smartest Plus you can afford to be fussy, and much as we love
bike here having the two travel settings on the rear of
the Genius 720, we see no need for the lockout,
or having the twin-lock remote linked to the
fork. Yes, this system makes a lot of sense on a
short-travel bike that’s used for racing, but on
a trail bike we’d prefer to have a fork with fully
independent damping adjustment. That’s the
only fly in the ointment, but it was enough to
stop the Genius 720 getting a perfect 10.
So that wraps up our 2018 Trail Bike of the
Year test, but we are already thinking about
how we can make next year’s test even better.
We really like the format with three distinct
tests, one for each wheel size, not least
because we can allocate each category to a
specific test rider. But with tyre and wheel sizes
finally beginning to settle down, we suspect
that 27.5in trail bikes will gravitate towards
the middle ground, with 2.8in tyres being the
upper limit and 2.4in being the minimum. And
with travel being the defining characteristic
of a trail bike we may group all of the 27.5in
bikes together next year and just have two
categories: 29in and 27.5in, with six bikes in
each. Either way, it will be an amazing test.

MAY 2018 mbr 71

 S P E C I F I CAT I O N
BIKE TEST
This month’s bikes at a glance
Merida Giant Commençal Canyon
A Head angle 66.1° 66.2° 65.5° 66.1°
B Seat angle 67.6° 68° 72.1° 70.9°
C BB height 331mm 333mm 327mm 330mm
D Chainstay 433mm 435mm 437mm 430mm
E Front centre 766mm 750mm 766mm 775mm
F Wheelbase 1,199mm 1,185mm 1,203mm 1,205mm
G Down tube 710mm 700mm 709mm 721mm
H Top tube 603mm 623mm 620mm 622mm
I Reach 455mm 448mm 460mm 460mm

Merida One Forty Commençal Meta TR Canyon Spectral

Make/model Giant Trance 2 YT Jeffsy 29 CF Whyte S-150 S
700 V4.2 Essential CF 8.0
Price £2,500 £2,499 €2,999 £2,699 £3,199 £2,850
Weight 14.63kg (32.25lb) 13.87kg (30.58lb) 14.3kg (31.74lb) 13.23kg (29.12lb) 13.75kg (30.3lb) 14.58kg (32.14lb)
commencal-store.
Contact merida-bikes.com giant-bicycles.com canyon.com yt-industries.com whyte.bike
co.uk
FRAME

Sizes S, M, L, XL S, M, L, XL S, M, L, XL S, M, L, XL S, M, L, XL S, M, L, XL

Size tested L L L L L L
ALUXX SL-Grade Spectral CF/
Frame material 6016 aluminium 6066 aluminium Carbon 6061 T6 aluminium
aluminium aluminium
RockShox Revelation RockShox Revelation
Suspension fork Fox 34 Rhythm Grip RockShox Pike RC RockShox Pike RC RockShox Pike RCT3
RC RC
Fox Float RockShox Monarch
Rear shock RockShox Deluxe RL RockShox Deluxe RT RockShox Deluxe RT RockShox Deluxe RT
Performance RT3
Front travel 150mm 150mm 140mm 150mm 140mm 150mm
Rear travel 140mm 140mm 130mm 140mm 140mm 150mm
WHEELS
Joytech/Shimano Giant Tracker
Hubs Formula 110/148mm DT Swiss 110/148mm eThirteen 110/148mm Alloy 110/148mm
Deore 110/148mm 110/148mm
DT Swiss M1700
Rims Merida Expert 29mm Giant XC-1 Spank Oozy Trail 295 eThirteen TRS + WTB STp i29
Spline
Spokes Stainless steel Stainless steel Stainless steel Stainless steel Stainless steel Stainless steel
Maxxis High Roller
Maxxis Minion DHR II/ Maxxis High Roller II Maxxis Minion DHF/ Maxxis Minion DHF/ eThirteen TRS+
Tyres II/Crossmark II
Rekon 27.5x2.6in 60a 27.5x2.4in Minion SS 27.5x2.3in Rekon 3C 27.5x2.6in 29x2.35in
29x2.3/2.25in
GROUPSET
Shifters Shimano SLX 1x11 Shimano SLX 1x11 SRAM GX 1x12 SRAM GX 1x12 Shimano XT 1x11 SRAM GX 1x12
Front mech N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Shimano XT Shadow Shimano SLX Shadow Shimano XT Shadow
Rear mech SRAM GX Eagle SRAM GX Eagle SRAM GX Eagle
Plus Plus Plus
Truvativ Descendant
Crank Shimano SLX 30t Shimano SLX 30t SRAM GX 34t Race Face Turbine 32t SRAM GX Eagle 32t
32t
Bottom bracket Shimano PF92 Shimano PF92 SRAM GXP PF92 SRAM GXP PF92 Race Face PF92 SRAM GXP
Shimano Deore
Brakes Shimano SLX SRAM Level LT SRAM Guide R SRAM Guide RS SRAM Level TL
MT500
Rotor sizes 180mm 180mm 200/180mm 200/180mm 200/180mm 180/170mm
COMPONENTS

Saddle Merida Sport Contact Neutral Ride Alpha SDG Fly Mtn SDG Fly Mtn R Whyte Dual Density

Contact SL Switch-R RockShox Reverb RockShox Reverb eThirteen TRS + RockShox Reverb
Seatpost Merida Expert 125mm
150mm Stealth 150mm Stealth 150mm 150mm Stealth 150mm

Merida Expert TR Race Face Aeffect Race Face Turbine R

Handlebar Connect Trail 780mm Ride Alpha 780mm Whyte alloy 760mm
760mm 760mm 780mm
Merida Expert TR 3D Race Face Aeffect Race Face Turbine R
Stem Connect 50mm Ride Alpha 50mm Whyte Gravity 50mm
40mm 50mm 50mm
Rating

72 mbr MAY 2018

 I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H

YT (low) Whyte Trek (low) Vitus Specialized Intense Rocky (p1) Scott (high)
66.9° 65.4° 66.9° 66.4° 67.1° 66.9° 65.2° 65.3°
75° 74.5° 74.7° 74.5° 69.7° 72° 69.7° 68.9°
340mm 330mm 330mm 345mm 332mm 319mm 322mm 330mm
440mm 440mm 432mm 450mm 420mm 435mm 436mm 435mm
735mm 800mm 750mm 800mm 740mm 756mm 775mm 795mm
1,175mm 1,240mm 1,182mm 1,250mm 1,160mm 1,191mm 1,211mm 1,230mm
720mm 750mm 725mm 740mm 710mm 720mm 730mm 734mm
616mm 640mm 610mm 640mm 618mm 624mm 628mm 632mm
445mm 474mm 465mm 467mm 442mm 438mm 450mm 472mm

Specialized SJ FSR Rocky Mountain

Trek Fuel EX 9.7 29 Vitus Escarpe 29 VRX Intense ACV Pro Scott Genius 720 Make/model
Comp Carbon 650b Pipeline Carbon 50
£3,000 £2,699 £3,500 £4,299 £4,199.99 £4,099 Price
13.98kg (30.82lb) 14.77kg (32.5lb) 13.80kg (30.07lb) 13.62kg (30lb) 13.45kg (29.6lb) 13.63kg (30.01lb) Weight

trekbikes.com vitusbikes.com specialized.com intensecycles.co.uk bikes.com scott-sports.com Contact

FRAME
13.5, 15.5, 17.5, 18.5,
S, M, L, XL S, M, L, XL S, M, L, XL S, M, L, XL S, M, L, XL Sizes
19.5, 21.5in
19.5in L L L L L Size tested
OCLV carbon/ FACT 9M carbon/ M5 Smoothwall carbon/ HMF carbon/6011
6061 aluminium UD carbon Frame material
aluminium alloy FORM alloy alloy
RockShox Revelation Fox 34 Float
Fox 34 Rhythm GRIP RockShox Lyrik RCT3 RockShox Pike RCT3 Fox 34 Performance Suspension fork
RC Performance
Fox Float RockShox Deluxe RockShox Monarch RockShox Monarch Fox Nude Evol
Fox Float DPS EVOL Rear shock
Performance EVOL RT3 RT w/Autosag RT3 Trunnion
130mm 150mm 150mm 150mm 140mm 150mm Front travel
130mm 140mm 150mm 130/115mm 140mm 150/100mm Rear travel
WHEELS
Specialized Rocky/DT Swiss 370
Bontrager 110/148mm DT Swiss 110/148mm DT Swiss 110/148mm Sycnros 110/148mm Hubs
110/148mm 110/148mm
Bontrager Line Comp DT Swiss M1700
DT Swiss E1700 Spline Roval Traverse Sunringle Duroc 40 Syncros TR2.5 CL Rims
30 Spline
Stainless steel Stainless steel Stainless steel Stainless steel Stainless steel Stainless steel Spokes
Specialized Butcher
Schwalbe Nobby Nic Maxxis Minion DHF/ Maxxis Rekon EXO Maxxis Minion DHF/ Maxxis Rekon Exo 3C
Grid Gripton Tyres
29x2.35in DHR DD 29x2.5/2.3in 27.5x2.8in DHR 27.5x2.8in 27.5x2.8in
27.5x2.6in
GROUPSET
SRAM NX 1x11 SRAM GX 1x12 SRAM GX 1x11 SRAM GX 1x12 SRAM GX 1x12 SRAM GX 1x12 Shifters
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Front mech

SRAM NX SRAM GX Eagle SRAM GX SRAM X01 Eagle SRAM GX Eagle SRAM GX Eagle Rear mech

SRAM Descendant Race Face Aeffect Truvativ Descendant

SRAM NX 32t SRAM Stylo 32t SRAM X1 Eagle 32t Crank
C 32t AL 30t C 32t
SRAM GXP PF92 SRAM GXP Race Face PF30 SRAM GXP PF92 SRAM GXP PF92 SRAM GXP PF92 Bottom bracket

SRAM Guide R SRAM Guide RE SRAM Guide R SRAM Guide RS SRAM Level TL Shimano SLX Brakes

180mm 200/180mm 180/160mm 180/160mm 180mm 180mm Rotor sizes

COMPONENTS
Syncros XM 2.0
Bontrager Evoke 2 Nukeproof Horizon SL BG Henge Comp Fabric Scoop WTB Volt Race Saddle
CroMo
Fox Transfer
Bontrager Drop Line RockShox Reverb Command Post IRcc
Fox Transfer 150mm Performance Elite Fox Transfer 150mm Seatpost
150mm Stealth 150mm 125mm
150mm
Bontrager Line Nukeproof Horizon Specialized alloy Intense Recon Rocky Mountain AM Syncros FL1.5 mini-
Handlebar
750mm 800mm 780mm 780mm 760mm riser 760mm
Nukeproof Neutron Specialized Trail Intense Recon Elite Rocky Mountain AM
Bontrager Line 60mm Syncros FL1.5 50mm Stem
45mm 60mm 50mm 50mm
Rating

MAY 2018 mbr 73


 

 


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F E AT U R E

RockShox and SRAM’s killer

suspension may be conceived on
a computer screen but it’s born
on the testing trails of Afan —
we witness the labour pains of
the new Nukeproof Mega
Words & photos: Mick Kirkman
MAY 2018 mbr 79
F E AT U R E

very autumn,
British brands using
RockShox suspension
meet SRAM technicians at a low-
key tuning camp to perfect their
latest machines. It’s the crucial
final stage for every
modern trail bike,
and we got exclusive
behind-the-curtain
access to find out exactly what
goes down.
Like most brands, Nukeproof
works years in
advance of its
production line.
Long before a bike hits the shops or the
internet, a team of designers, engineers and
product managers brainstorm the original
concept. Everything from frame material
and construction techniques, commercial
potential, strength-to-weight ratios, geometry,
suspension rates, specification and finish have
to be considered; each informed by multiple
influencing factors, and a bit of good old
crystal ball gazing.
A bike’s specific remit is often defined in
terms of suspension travel. For Nukeproof
and its Mega, that means roughly 160/170mm
travel (the industry consensus for an enduro
bike) but any new bike faces ever-shifting
constraints on top of this too. Things like
manufacturing costs, new trends or design
ideas, fresh technologies and standards, and
even rider, or race team feedback, also figure
in the equation.
Meeting up with RockShox each year is
a bridge that connects computer modelling
Afan’s abundance of varied
and paper drawings with real-world scenario trails make it the ideal
testing. A new bike’s success can hinge on shock-tuning location
the quality of the suspension performance,
so tuning with the shock manufacturer is a
critical part of the process.
Before any brands arrive at the camp, A FA N T ICK S E V E R Y BOX , W I T H A
suspension and component manufacturers
like SRAM keep (more powerful)
manufacturers in the loop about forthcoming
W ID E C OMBIN AT ION OF T E R R A IN
technology to smooth forward planning
and ensure loyal customers don’t get caught
A ND T R A IL C ONDI T IONS
cold. It’s a lengthy development process, and
if you’re buying a new bike now, chances are
it was prototyped, refined and signed off lairy sections with deep compressions to test TEAM ROCKSHOX
years ago by designers and engineers. Right bottom-out resistance and support for your Based on the valley floor, with a compact,
now, they will be working on stuff you won’t body weight through the travel. pit-style EZ Up tent, RockShox rocks up with
see until 2021. Dotted around the Welsh hillsides are its latest generation suspension goodies and
slower, steeper, hand-cut tracks too — key technical staff. For the Nukeproof session,
IT’S IN THE TRAILS technical trails where fore and aft rider its tuning wizards are Torben Borowy and
The most common location for SRAM’s UK stability becomes more important and grip Chris Mandell.
tuning camp is at a public trail centre in South and braking traction is critical. Add in some German technician Torben is a super-
Wales. While not the most glamorous location, classic faster, flowier trail centre descents and experienced suspension boffin hailing from
it ticks every box for this kind of work, with there’s the full gamut of terrain on tap with SRAM’s European HQ in Schweinfurt. He
a wide combination of terrain and trail which to mirror what potential customers will gets his hands very dirty riding hard and fast
conditions. Older, degraded tracks serve up end up riding. To maximise test time, SRAM every day alongside designers and product
rough and rocky surfaces that are constantly and the various bike brands that attend use a managers from the brands. And in his bulging
trying to impede a bike’s progress, as well as local uplift service to pump out the runs. pack are multiple suspension options ready

80 mbr MAY 2018

 Base camp’s the place
for a quick tune-up

Testing notes record each

shock’s configuration

Inside a suspension
technician’s toolbox

Numbers gleaned from

the test trail are used to
dial in the Mega

for immediate back-to-back trail comparisons.

Torben is always hard at it, and, if the team
aren’t out riding, he’s continuously building
dampers or messing with shock tunes back at
the pits.
RockShox suspension product manager
Chris Mandell (who also happens to be an
absolute shredder) makes the long journey
from SRAM’s suspension HQ in Colorado
Springs, USA. Chris was instrumental in
the design of Kona’s much-heralded Process
models before joining RockShox and prior
to arriving in Wales, has worked on the
development of the new dampers, making
him perfectly placed to understand exactly
how the products tick. The American happily
drills into the inner workings of the shocks on
the side of the trail and, although he doesn’t
say as much, is probably picking up on any
feedback with which to help improve future
SRAM products.
On Nukeproof’s side, the test team may
have seen drawings, or prototypes of the
F E AT U R E

point in time. The entire process can be

seen as an amalgamation of a brand’s
in-house understanding of its bikes and
SRAM’s product knowledge and expertise.
Before any tyres hit the dirt, computer
programs model the exact leverage rate of
every Nukeproof model and Torben prepares
different shocks for each bike as a baseline.
There are a confusing number of variables
to juggle — compression and rebound tunes
with names like L1, L3, L, M, H representing
different damping forces (you might have
noticed these on your own bike’s shock), and
RockShox product manager
Mandell is hand over fist then different air can volumes, lockout force
the best man for the job adjustments, and the ability to increase or
reduce progression in the spring on air shocks.

new products in Taiwan, but this UK camp SUCK IT AND SEE

will be the first time they actually get to ride So new products are developed on computers
on the latest gear. And while updates may be and sophisticated test rigs, but it’s only out on
as subtle as a new manufacturing process, the trail that suspension can be dialled in as
they can also be as drastic as a brand new part of the bike’s overall character. Repeated
shock (and/or fork) with a different chassis, back-to-back on the same track are the basis of
damping architecture and springs. The bigger each evaluation, and ultimately it’s a process
the changes, the more difficult it is to draw that involves personal preference. Testers rule
Factory-fresh shocks from previous knowledge, and the same is true out as many variables as possible by checking
await calibration if a brand brings a completely new bike design tyre pressures before every run, religiously
to the session as well. setting sag on every different shock and also
keeping well fuelled and fresh to try and
MAN VERSUS MACHINE discount tiredness or fatigue.
In theory, suspension products continually Riders generally prefer to ride at around
evolve and improve, but they still need to be 80 per cent on relatively short fixed test loops.
perfectly tuned to bikes and riders, which This ensures repeatability, and helps tune into
isn’t always easy, as multiple parameters shift. the nuances of each bike on certain passages.
Geometry, wheel size, tyre width, suspension The best test tracks throw a bit of everything
curves, chassis stiffness, fork offset and more into the mix, from heavy compressions, grip-
all affect the system, and even the type of trails demanding wet roots and rocks, off-cambers,
Playing spring curve and tracks we ride continually change too. big landings, pointy speed-sapping sections
Etch A Sketch Helped by the RockShox team, testers need to and even short, sharp climbs. The tuning
find the best balance of variables at any one emphasis is most focused on performance

82 mbr MAY 2018

T E S T ING T IME : NUK E P ROOF ’S D A L E
MC MUL L A N & ROB SHE R R AT T
Each brand typically brings
a small number of test riders
to do the shock tuning — for
Nukeproof, two key testers are
R&D boss Dale McMullan and
marketing manager Rob Sherratt.
Dale and Rob talked us through
the annual SRAM tuning process
from Nukeproof’s perspective.

mbr How important are the

SRAM suspension tuning sessions
to the final ride quality of
Nukeproof bikes?
Tuning camps with SRAM are
crucial. We get a good starting
point working closely with
Rockshox in development, and a
base setting from leverage rates
and curves. But these bikes don’t
live on paper, and actual testing in
real-world environment is crucial
to creating the feel we want on
our bikes and perfecting the
correct tunes. The test is also an
awesome opportunity to tap into 2D digital design + 3D
the knowledge and experience of reality check = cutting-edge
SRAM’s test team. suspension performance

What kind of things are you

looking out for/to achieve
during the tuning camp? R E A L-W OR L D T E S T ING IS C RUC I A L T O
Being able to provide our
(customers) riders with the
best performing Mega possible
C R E AT ING T HE F E E L W E WA N T A ND
for the following season. Out of
the test we plan to finalise the
P E R F E C T IN G T HE C OR R E C T T UNE S
correct shock tune and air-can
volume options for all the new
shocks for each new Nukeproof However, it is crucial that we have the changes are. This may come Why does Afan represent
Mega models. the opportunity to test any new from experience on the bike or a a solid test ground for
standard/sizes to see what the knowledge of the characteristics suspension tuning?
What are some of the hardest performance advantages are, of design. We’ve been coming here for years;
things to nail down in terms of before speccing on any Nukeproof. it’s great to be able to feel the
suspension feel/balance? How does the EWS team and progression year on year of the
With modern shocks one size Does SRAM help you choose riders like Sam Hill feed into bikes on similar terrain. Afan has
doesn’t fit all and the hardest starting points on suspension the equation? an awesome variety of trails too:
thing is striking the correct tunes? How close is the Having an experienced team steep climbs, flat singletrack, fast
balance. With shocks improving relationship in terms of sharing and a legend like Sam Hill test rough sections with high speed
so much and becoming much suspension leverage data? our bikes is crucial to the overall hits and G-out compressions. If
more tuneable, we aim to offer We have a good idea from package. It’s awesome that you have any over-damping or
a really good base setting that the outset on what damping SRAM supports the team so shock stiction problems this track
rides well out the box. Each rider/ ranges will work and the ride this can help massively, providing will tell you! There’s also the added
customer has the potential to characteristics we want to the best products for our riders/ bonus of the Afan Lodge hotel
optimise the settings due to the achieve, but RockShox help a lot customers. They do have slightly being a good place to enjoy a
number of variables affecting also. We supply our kinematics different needs from the bike, post-ride ale too!
shock performance such as in advance and in this case we but their experience is crucial
rider’s weight/riding style/pedal sent them a sample bike to get in the development process. Does a UK manufacturer have
preference/terrain and so on. another opinion. From here we We tested with them just after specific requirements to match
work together to perfect the ride this camp at a separate Rockshox our UK trails/climate/terrain?
How far in advance do you character we want. We will then test from a blank sheet of paper. That’s a tough question, to be
find out about new products/ test some sample tunes a number With no previous knowledge, honest — we try and test in all
developments, and how long do of months ahead of meeting up in a blind test, it was a nice terrains, and with riders around
you have to adapt something like at the camp where we perfect the surprise that Sam came up with the globe. We want our bikes to
a Metric shock into the Nukeproof tune together. exactly the same tune for his work well in all environments.
product range? Mega 275c that we had chosen But not much beats wet, slippery,
On average we get a 12-18 month What makes for a good test rider? at the production test — the only rooty conditions in the UK where
heads-up. On rare occasions Being able to notice and feed back difference being that he chose the bike has to find grip. A badly
— such as with the new Metric the feelings that they are picking to run two volume bands to help tuned shock or fork here will have
sizes — we had slightly longer. up — no matter how small/subtle the progression. you on your ass!

MAY 2018 mbr 83

F E AT U R E

Tight, bermed turns

are ideal for testing
compression settings

“Cooperate or the gloves

come off” — Torben applies
the shock treatment

pointing down and along, but also takes in

steep-in-places technical climbing to help
assess chassis balance and stability.
Learning the flow of a test track helps
the riding part become second nature and
makes it easier to concentrate on what the
bike is doing. Parameters like roll over,
support, comfort, fun-factor, perceived speed,
support when sat down climbing, smoothness
under power and urgency when sprinting
are all mentally balanced against personal
experience and each individual bike’s aims
and intentions.
A quick glance around at the bottom of a
test run can reveal some intense technical
babbling and jargon, often with Torben and versatile on different terrain too. Eventually,
Chris hunched over, changing shocks for the a consensus determines the best overall ride
next lap. Test riders discuss infinitesimal quality for the bike and potential customers.
details of a damper feel and try to predict The entire process normally takes a couple
improvements and swap damping tunes of days for a smaller brand like Nukeproof.
with colleagues so they can experience any Test riders might then have a chance to take a
sensations explained first-hand. Some take couple of shock options away (often hand-built
notes or dictate into their phone. Looking in, by Torben) to review at home before finalising
it looks a lot like a few mates out for a ride, but any decision. Within a matter of weeks Using the same shock pump
in reality there’s a fairly intense search to pin though, Nukeproof, like any other brand, has ensures consistency
down exactly what feels or works ‘the best’. to press play, stick its neck on the line and
Shock tuning is a process of elimination as commit to a shock tune. SRAM then informs
much as anything — does a change improve its suspension facility in Taiwan, the order
the bike or not? It’s detailed work that requires gets sent and that’s it; the bike is signed off.
confidence, quick decisions and sensitivity to It can then be a long wait until the
the exact ride feel. Once a test rider homes in manufacturing and assembly process runs
on a specific tune, or prefers a previous one, its course and product arrives back on these
the process moves a step forward. One tiny shores to face judgement at the hands of bike
change can make or break a new model, so testers and consumers. Only at this point
it’s vital to get it right. When a bike has been do the brands get to see if this fascinating,
tuned to a certain track, the brands mix it detailed R&D process has hit the nail cleanly Does this mean a coil-
up in the next session and try a completely on the head, or if they’re left with bloodied sprung Mega is on the way?
different trail to ensure the suspension is thumbs and empty order books.

84 mbr MAY 2018

 



   
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TECHNIQUE

W H AT
The backbone of modern mountain biking, pumping is an oft overlooked
opportunity to exploit the trails. Andy Barlow tells us how it’s done...
Words: Andy Barlow Photos: Andy McCandlish

86 mbr MAY 2018

 THERE’S AN
APP FOR THAT!
Dirt School’s coaching
app lets you see
YOUR COACH
the right and wrong
techniques in slo-mo.
ANDY BARLOW
Before joining Dirt School, Andy liked to win things —
races like the Scottish XC Champs and the
Scottish Downhill Championships. Since
2009, though, he’s coached some of the
world’s best riders with Dirt School and
helped bring on the BASE MTB course
at Borders College in the Tweed Valley.
But what Andy really likes to do is
communicate those same pro
techniques to everyday riders.

MIS-SPENT YOUTH
One of the biggest differences between the way that kids
learn nowadays compared to a generation ago is that they
watch everything online. Twenty years ago if you were going
to watch your heroes ride you’d either have to be at a race,
know someone with Eurosport, or obsess over static images in
magazines. The difference now is that the internet has hours
and hours of good footage that can influence riders, and in
turn they end up imitating a more dynamic and fluid style of
riding. One of the best places you can practise this fluidity is at
a pumptrack.

BEST TIMES TO GO
Don’t be intimidated by all the teenagers. They might look like
they know what they’re doing but it’s only because they ride
there all the time. Nobody looks like a pro the first few laps
they do of something like this. You’re going to have to swallow
your pride and just give it a go. The quietest times are likely
to be first thing in the morning before the hangovers have
cleared, and mid-week when all the kids are at school. You’re
best going on a dry day so that you don’t slide in the corners,
and preferably one where there isn’t too much wind. You’ll get
your heart rate up pretty quickly so it’s best to take layers so
you can shed them as you heat up, or add them as you start to
slow down and get tired. You won’t be able to do more than
a couple of laps at a time, so just get to know the place first
before you start going fast. You’ll have done plenty of laps by
the end of your session.

Flat pedals are a must here

— if you don’t have riding
shoes then a pair of trainers
will do. Make sure you wear
a helmet as well. Other
than that you should just
look like you’re going to
the pub — which is exactly
where you should end up if
it all gets too much for you.

mp is a word that gets of us make excuses for not being able

hrown around a lot in to master it fully? Or think we can do
he world of mountain it when in actual fact we’re awkward
iking. It describes the and clumsy.
t of pushing your bike Over the next few episodes we’re
trail and is essentially going to encourage you to go slightly
kbone of modern riding. out of your comfort zone and try
y nd control that capable something new. We’re going to try
riders have all revolves around their and persuade you to add a little
ability to apply pressure to the trail structure to your riding. This doesn’t
for traction, stability, and control. have to suck the fun out of it — this
This in turn allows them to be more is mountain biking after all. All we’re
confident and ultimately ride quicker recommending is that you try setting
with no extra risk. Why is it then that some clear goals before you ride so
this seemingly easy technique eludes that you can make progress through
so many riders? And why do so many doing some purposeful practice.

MAY 2018 mbr 87

TECHNIQUE Staying close to your
bike will allow you a lot
ROOM TO MOVE
more control through The best thing you can do here is get low and close to your
opening up a massive bike. The track is going to throw you all over the place at first
range of motion. so being close to your bike will give you plenty room to move.
You’ll likely be moving a lot more than you normally do — part
of the reason it’s a good idea to practise this, so be prepared
to buzz your bum off your rear tyre now and again.

Notice how if he wants to stay

on the ground it’s completely Andy manuals here by
different. He keeps his body letting the bike come back
low and allows himself that up into him, then allowing
range of motion with his arms himself space to push with
as well as his legs. his legs and fill the gap.

2. Move your weight back

and allow your arms to
go a little bit straighter. 4. Save that strong final push
This will counterbalance for the start of the upslope
your front end and mean of the second roller. This
1. Come in low and allow you don’t have to pull. will be the ‘heaviest’ part of
the track to push your bike the shape so you’ll need the
up into you opening up most energy to balance it.
even more range of motion.

5. Allow the bike to come

3. Push with your legs back into you and absorb
and fill the gap by using the second roller, allowing
the range of motion your front wheel to make
that the collapse on the contact with the track again.
way in opened up.

FILL IN THE HE AV Y PUSH

SPACE BELOW Try coming in lower than you naturally would and keep your legs and
arms bent. You can absorb the impact of the rise beforehand a little
Don’t look at the bumps and rises as features that you have to and should be all coiled up and in a good position ready to push your
absorb. Instead try and see the lower parts of the track as the places arms and legs away again with plenty of room. As you fall into the hole
where you’re trying to push into with your legs. This will generate between the rollers, tense your arms then push powerfully with your legs
a lot more control because you’ll be taking control of the situation so that you feel a whoosh through the lowest part. It will likely make a
every time you pass through a ‘heavy part’. By ‘heavy part’ we mean noise as your weight is heavier on the track and should not only neutralise
the lowest part of the track where it changes direction and starts the shape of the trail, but generate a lot of stability at the same time. Stay
coming back up again. This is where you force your weight back fluid and immediately allow the track to push your bike back into you. You
into the track by pushing against all that heaviness. don’t need to pull it in as the shape of the track will do that for you, and
you’ll be ready for the next shape.

88 mbr MAY 2018

TECHNIQUE

Taking a higher line in the

corners will allow you to keep
the line consistent and the
movement clean and strong.

CORNERS
The same goes for the corners. Remember that bermed turns like the ones you’ll
find here are basically just jumps lying on their side. As long as you stay high and
take a clean line all the way round, you can make the same slow powerful leg
extension and enjoy the same stability that your pumps allow you on the rollers.
The whoosh noise from the rollers should follow you through the turns as well,
only it will last longer because you’re riding a bigger shape and moving your limbs
slower relative to the distance that you’re spreading the force over.

MANUAL CHALLENGE THE BIKE

Once you start getting the hang of the back wheel into the gap and filling the
movement and feel like you can do laps hole. As long as you’re low enough to You don’t need to have a dedicated pump track bike to
with relative control, it’s time to take it begin with you should have loads of space do this, but there are a few things that you’ll need to get
up a notch. Find a mellow roller and roll to do this with. You’re not lifting your front right if you’re going to get the most out of it. Firstly it
through it a few times, getting the hang end over the gap. You’re pushing your really needs to be a hardtail. The smaller the frame, the
of the timing of the shapes. Once you back end into it with your legs. better, but remember that as you go down a size you’ll
feel confident enough also lose a bit of length off the reach. Ideally you want
to try this, you want to something with a very low standover height and a long
let the bike come back top tube. This will be the heart of your ride, so if you’re
into you and open up going to spend any money at all a good frame will mean
loads of space to work the rest of your build will work well. If you get this part
with underneath. Don’t right you’ll be amazed by how cheaply you can build up
pick the front wheel up. the rest with spares and old parts. Finally you may have
Instead try hanging off The manual is found a use for all those old 26in wheel parts!
the back allowing the the backbone of Slick tyres are also a big advantage as it will mean
front wheel to remain modern riding. you have a much lower rolling resistance. We run ours
light because you’re Mastering it in at about 65psi or 4bar. After all, it’s all about generating
an environment
counterbalancing with momentum and speed. Knobby tyres at low pressures
like this will mean
your bum behind the that you can make will not only slow you down but also start to squash and
saddle. Think about progress easily deform in the corners, causing you to wobble. Get some
pushing your legs and once you’re back faster rubber on there and you’ll be a lot more stable
out on the trail. once you’re up to speed. Two brakes are a bonus, but

SLOW MOVEMENT at least one on the rear one will keep the weight down
and mean you can still stop safely. It also means that
A full-suspension bike can let you get away with your timing a little as your travel you’ll be legal when you travel to and from the track. Any
has time to sink or rebound, meaning that you can make it last longer. A hardtail, old forks will do, but sticking with suspension forks will
however, will immediately transfer any efforts you make into the surface you’re give you a bit of cushioning if you come up short. You’re
working with. At first this can feel awful as you’ll be pushing way too fast and in the basically going to pump them up as hard as you can.
wrong places. This is kind of the point. You won’t be able to get away with riding this You can probably find a pair of fairly decent 26in forks
way, and instead you’ll be forced to slow it down and ramp it up towards the tops. second-hand if you look around. The burlier, the better.
With a bit of practice, jumping a hardtail will become so subtle and smooth that once Your local bike shop can reduce the travel for you and
you go back onto your full-sus bike it will feel like an armchair. Remember and slow it about 100mm will be plenty. You’ll probably only use
down. Short, sharp stabs at the track will just result in you spiking and losing control. about half of it.
The longer you can draw out powerful, smooth, exaggerated range of motion, the Don’t listen to the haters. Get out there and pump!
cleaner the experience will be and the more control you’ll have.

90 mbr MAY 2018

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LONG
TERMERS

INTRODUCING

BENJI’S LAPIERRE
ZESTY AM 527 ULTIMATE
£ 3 , 5 9 9 / 2 7. 5 i n / l a p i e r r e - b i k e s . c o . u k

MONTH 1: The classic Zesty sharpens up its the day, the way OST felt was actually
disquieting to some riders. The lack of
act with a geometry upgrade and Boost axles skittishness and the overtly planted
and traction-hoovering characteristics

I
n the UK at least, it seems that of the few Horst-link bikes available that were often accused of being “vague” or
bike brands — and bike models — wasn’t a Specialized. Everyone loved to “inefficient”. Both of these slights were
definitely have their purple patches. bang on about the myriad wonders of bogus. Nothing was faster or more fun
A period where they are THE bike Horst-link suspension back then. And than a Lapierre.
THE RIDER to have. A time where every other of course, there was the Nico factor. Although the aesthetics and side-
BENJI HAWORTH mountain bike you see is that model of Lapierres were touched by the hand of profile of the 2018 Lapierre Zesty may
Position Deputy bike. Bikes like the Commençal Meta God (AKA Monsieur Vouilloz) and were hark back a few years, the supple and
digital editor
5, the Orange Five, the Santa Cruz therefore inherently special. supportive ride qualities of the bike
Mostly rides
The North Bronson, the YT Capra and so on. But what of the Zesty in 2018AD? shouldn’t be so polarising now the rest
Height 6ft 1in Once upon a time, in the mid-to-late In certain senses the modern Zesty is, of the mountain bike industry — and the
Weight 73kg Noughties to be exact, THE bike to have quite frankly, an easy thing to ignore. riding public — has caught up with how
was the Lapierre Zesty. Where I lived It looks pretty much like a Zesty suspension should be done.
THE BIKE anyway. Most people either wanted one always has done, right down to the deep Look closer, however, and certain
■ Carbon-framed or had one. Certainly everyone knew section seatstays and the iconic ‘shark modernisation moves become apparent.
all-mountain/
enduro bike with someone who had one. Some burly folk fin’ rear mech protector. Geometry is decently long and low albeit
150mm travel opted for the longer-travel Spicy, but Having said that, this is actually not pioneeringly slack. The metric shock
■ Rolling on 27.5in most riders were still rather timid when very reassuring to me. Kudos to should make the suspension even more
wheels and 2.3in it came to the amount of suspension Lapierre though for not fixing something dial-able and consistent. Boost dropouts
tyres, but fully Plus
compatible they packed beneath them, so the that isn’t broken. The Zesty front and rear won’t do any harm and
■ OST+ suspension Zesty was the go-to Lapierre. only looks like loads of other certainly help to create sufficient tyre
design has a Horst What made the Zesty bikes because loads of clearance to make it Plus compatible.
link pivot and so popular? No doubt it WHY IT’S HERE other bikes have ended It’s also 1x specific and the spec is great.
counter-rotating
was something about Lapierres ruled up looking like a Zesty. In fact, the only eyebrow raiser for me
upper link
■ Metric shock and
how they looked. The the roost 10 years The OST+ suspension is the 760mm bar and 55mm stem
Boost axles bring mtb market is heavily design should be combo. I’ll give them a try, but expect
ago, but how does
the Zesty bang fashion-based after all. brilliant. It certainly a wider and shorter cockpit to go on at
up-to-date The Zesty was also one
the new Zesty always has been. Back in some point.
fare in 2018?

92 mbr MAY 2018

 SPECIFICATION
Frame Lapierre
Carbon OST+, 150mm
IN THE
Shock RockShox
Deluxe RT
Fork RockShox
SHED
Revelation RC
Boost, 150mm
Wheels Lapierre AM
hubs, Lapierre AM
27.5in rims, Maxxis
High Roller II EXO TR
27.5x2.3in tyres
Drivetrain SRAM
Shark-fin rear mech 27.5in
Descendant Carbon
protector remains 32T chainset, SRAM Calibre Bossnut V2 £999
GX Eagle r-mech
and shifter
Brakes SRAM Guide
Boost spacing front R, 180/180mm
and rear
Components
Lapierre 6061DB
760mm bar, Lapierre
CNC 55mm stem,
Lapierre 150mm
dropper post, Fizik 27.5in
Tundra M5 saddle
Sizes S, M, L, XL Lapierre Zesty AM 527 Ultimate £3,599
Weight 12.8kg
(28.2lb)

GEOMETRY
Size tested XL
Head angle 66.5°
Seat angle 74.5°
BB drop -10mm
Chainstay 430mm 27.5in
BB height 335mm
Saracen Kili Flyer £1,849.99
Front centre 800mm
Wheelbase 1,240mm
Down tube 730mm
Top tube 655mm
Reach 483mm

In-house bar and

stem are a tad too 29in
narrow and long
Scott Genius 900 Tuned £6,999

Metric-size Deluxe
shock offers 150mm
travel via Horst link

27.5in
Trek Remedy 8 27.5 Women’s £2,700

27.5+
Whyte 905 £1,699

MAY 2018 mbr 93

LONGTERMERS

DAN’S SARACEN KILI FLYER

£ 1 , 8 4 9 . 9 9 / 2 7. 5 i n / s a r a c e n . c o . u k

MONTH 5: Battle scars are showing but the Saracen is more SPECIFICATION
Frame 6013
than up for the fight hydroformed and
butted aluminium,
tapered head tube,

F
ive months in and I’ve had sufficient time 120mm travel
Matt blue paintjob is
on the Kili Flyer to discover whether hitting tough to keep pristine
Shock X-Fusion 02
that price point has left any chinks in the Pro RL
THE RIDER Saracen’s armour. A couple spring to mind. Fork RockShox
Recon RL, 130mm
DAN TRENT The matt blue paint looks smart, and Wheels WTB STP
Position Freelancer/ the bike’s understated graphics mean it appears i25 TCS 32H rims,
freeloader
classier than the price tag suggests. But I’m finding Formula DC-71 15mm
Mostly rides front hub, Shimano
West Yorkshire the paint a little vulnerable to chipping and flaking
M475 quick-release
Height 5ft 11in off in chunks and it’s all the more obvious for the rear, Maxxis Ardent
Weight 73kg bright primer beneath. Fair enough on chainstays 27.5x2.25in tyres
and cable rubbing points — the latter my fault Drivetrain Shimano
THE BIKE for not protecting them earlier. But it seems even Deore M6000 r-mech
and shifters, Samox/
■ Affordable unavoidable stone chips and knocks can damage
Saracen 32t Narrow/
progressive full- the paint, leaving the bike looking a bit scratty.
Deore rear mech is Wide chainset
suspension trail bike
designed by UK
The Shimano Deore rear mech has proven a all too easy to bend Brakes Shimano
riders for UK riding little fragile too, a seemingly minor brush on a rock M396 hydraulic,
folding the jockey wheel cage pretty much into 180/160mm
■ Aluminium frame
with 27.5in wheels, the spokes. Faced with a potentially ride-ending Components
120mm rear travel Saracen 6061 OS
situation, my only choice was to gingerly bend 760mm bar, Saracen
and X-Fusion rear
shock with lockout it back, wincing in anticipation of it snapping off 6061 50mm stem,
completely. The softness of the metal was Kore Connex saddle,
■ Basic 10-speed
JD YSP15 120mm
Deore-based worrying but, thankfully, I was able to
dropper seatpost
drivetrain realign it and the gears now work as
■ Cable-operated they should. It seems fine but I’m fully
WHY IT’S HERE Weight 14.7kg
(32.4lb)
dropper post
as standard aware it’s probably even weaker than Will a fresh Sizes S, M, L, XL
before and am training myself to ride start revive GEOMETRY
higher gears when weaving through this venerable slide around. Which it does a lot on
Size tested L
the rocks so as to minimise the risk of wet trails, obviously. The nature of
brand? Head angle 67°
further strikes. the local riding — lots of short, intense Seat angle 73°
On the plus side, the new WTB tyres bursts interspersed with transfers on BB height 305mm
have given me a huge confidence boost on road, towpath or hardpack — suits the set-up Chainstay 430mm
the downhills, without seemingly too much penalty though, the fast-rolling rear tyre a real bonus and Front centre 753mm
on the ups. A solitary frosty ride on hard ground gripping more often than you would think it might Wheelbase 1,183mm
gave a hint of the speed in the Riddler on the back, slip. It’s clearly not a winter combination. But as the Down tube 705mm
my faith in the burly Convict up front meaning I trails (hopefully) dry I think yet more potential will Top tube 645mm
can lean hard on that and let the rear of the bike be unlocked in this bike. Reach 468mm

94 mbr MAY 2018

 
   


    

   
 
LONGTERMERS

SPECIFICATION
Frame 6061-T6
aluminium
Fork RockShox
Revelation RC,
Boost, 130mm travel
Wheels Whyte hubs,
WTB STp i35 rims,
Maxxis High Roller II
3C/Rekon 27.5x
2.8in tyres
Drivetrain SRAM
Descendant 32t
chainset, SRAM GX
11 r-mech and shifter
Brakes SRAM Level
T, 180/160mm
Components Whyte
low-rise 760mm
bar, Gravity 40mm
stem, Whyte Drop.It
150mm post,
Whyte saddle
Sizes S, M, L, XL
Weight 13.38kg
(29.49lb)

GEOMETRY
Size tested M
Head angle 64.6°
Seat angle 72.2°
BB height 296mm
Chainstay 431mm

CHARLIE’S WHYTE 905 Front centre 762mm

Wheelbase 1,193mm
Down tube 716mm
Top tube 635mm
£ 1 , 6 9 9 / 2 7. 5 P l u s / w h y t e . b i k e Reach 446mm

MONTH 4: Whyte’s test-winning hardtail is

proving more than a match for frozen trails

A
lthough it’s been rather nippy Instead I’m going to talk fork offset.
of late, I’ve still been out on Whyte equips the 905 with a shorter
the 905 discovering how it 42mm offset fork — the reduced offset
THE RIDER handles the frosty conditions. resulting in a longer trail measurement.
CHARLIE COLLINS Apart from the odd icy patch In real terms this mean you get the
Position on the trail, my local riding spot has steering stability of a slacker head angle
Writer/tester
been running fast and far more akin to without placing the front wheel further
Mostly rides
Bristol, South Wales summer than our typical damp winter out in front. The outcome appears to
Height 5ft 10in conditions, and the Whyte’s been be a ride that’s impressively stable at RockShox Revelation
Weight 75kg lapping it up. speed, and coupled with an overall fork: minimum faff,
The low BB height and dialled lightweight build, a bike that’s also maximum fun
THE BIKE geometry make for some impressive super agile in the tighter stuff.
■ Aggressive handling. When you get up to speed, And while I’m on the subject of
27.5 Plus-tyred, this great frame shape allows you to be forks, the decision not to increase the In testament to the RockShox
130mm hardtail totally unfazed by the fact you’re on a fork travel from the original 130mm Revelation RC’s ease of set-up, I’ve not
■ Mid-range model hardtail. In fact, it’s not until you tackle hasn’t turned out to be detrimental to really had to do anything with them.
of a three-strong
line-up the absolute roughest of sections that performance at all. Considering many of Yes, we’ve had some Revelations with
■ Progressive you have to ease off a little. Of Whyte’s competitors are fitting sticky bushings but that’s not been the
geometry and course it would be rude not longer-travel forks, I case with the fork on the 905. I’ve been
sizing available in to give some credit to the think the geometry running only two clicks of rebound, no
four size options
2.8in tyres on the 905,
WHY IT’S HERE swings you get with compression damping and 100psi in
■ All essentials
accounted for in a but I’ve praised those It’s proved it’s more travel makes a the air spring, and they’ve performed
well-considered almost every month since got the moves, hardtail less, not more, flawlessly. This could also be said about
spec with nothing I’ve had the thing so let’s capable, and the 905 the rest of the bike too, so it’s easy to
left wanting
but can it go
not go over old ground. has proved this so far. see why the 905 was a test winner.
the distance?

96 mbr MAY 2018

 ROO’S SCOTT GENIUS 900 TUNED
£6,9 9 9 / 2 9 i n / s c o t t - s p o r t s .c o m

MONTH 6: Splitting hairs and dreaming of dry trails SPECIFICATION

Frame IMP carbon,
150mm

L
ast month’s frustration with tightening the
Fox 36 fork is the perfect Shock Fox
grip collar has been forgotten now, as I’ve Nude EVOL
partner to Nude shock
come to accept that it’s just one of those Fork Fox 36 Float
things that is inherent with integration. Factory FIT4, 150mm
When everything works well it’s brilliant, Wheels DT Swiss
but when there’s a problem it’s a bit more of a pain M1825 Spline CL,
THE RIDER Schwalbe Nobby Nic
than it should be. 29x2.6in tyres
ROO FOWLER
Position Freelance
And while I’m on the subject of integration, as Drivetrain SRAM
photographer the cable for the Fox Transfer seatpost stretches a XO1 Carbon Eagle
Mostly rides little, it means that a particularly enthusiastic push 32t, SRAM X01
Surrey Hills of the remote lever is enough to make it hit the Eagle 12-speed
r-mech and shifter
Height 6ft 4in remote lockout with sufficient force to actuate it.
Brakes SRAM Guide
Weight 86kg Which means you can actually drop your seatpost RSC, 180mm
THE BIKE and release the lockout with a single push. Components Syncros
■ 29er with
Not, I imagine, an intentional feature. Hixon iC SL Carbon
With a quick twist of the barrel bar/stem 760/50mm,
progressive
geometry and adjuster on the remote to take up the WHY IT’S HERE Fox Transfer 150mm
post, Syncros XM1.5
genuine XL sizing slack everything was back to normal. It’s the longest Ti saddle
■ Full carbon frame In fact it is all working perfectly geometry, the designers at Scott
production Weight 12.43kg
with 150mm travel
once again, and everything is just have decided to keep the seat (27.4lb)
■ TwinLoc 29er from a Sizes XS, S, M, L, XL
suspension provides as I want it! I usually spend a bit of tube angle and chainstay length
three distinct settings time playing with air pressures and mainstream somewhat more conservative. This GEOMETRY
■ SRAM X01 volume spacers when getting to grips brand isn’t to say the Genius is a bad climber (LOW SETTING)
Eagle drivetrain with a new bike, but looking back over by any means, it’s just I think it could be a Size tested XL
■ Flip-chip in shock the past six months, I’ve done nothing touch better on the ups. Head angle 65°
link means geometry
can be adapted for other than set the air pressure in the shock I’m splitting hairs once again, but on a bike at Seat angle 74.8°
27.5 Plus wheels and dial in the rebound. I really can’t fault the this price that’s exactly what you’re going to do as BB height 345mm
suspension on any level; the Fox 36 up front you expect it to be perfect. Chainstay 438mm
and that Nude rear shock make for an incredibly More importantly, after months and months of Front centre 834mm
well-balanced combo. wet weather and wet trails, and running 2.3in mud Wheelbase 1,272mm
Down tube 787mm
What does keep floating back to the surface of tyres, I’m itching to get back to drier tracks and
Top tube 670mm
my thoughts as I ride however, is why, after being the opportunity to run the 2.6in Maxxis tyres which
Reach 499mm
influenced by other bikes with more extreme come stock on the 900 Tuned.

MAY 2018 mbr 97

LONGTERMERS

JAMIE’S CALIBRE BOSSNUT V2

£ 9 9 9 / 2 7. 5 i n / g o o u t d o o r s . c o . u k

MONTH 10: Workshy fop Jamie’s still dropping

his chain but at least he’s picked up a new bar

I
’m the kind of person who’d rather And yup, you’ve guessed it, the Bossnut
ride with a frayed shifter cable on doesn’t have any of that hardware. If
the verge of slipping than spend 10 you’ve got any suggestions for available
THE RIDER minutes fitting a new one. There, devices please write in.
JAMIE DARLOW I’ve said it, and now I feel better. In the meantime, I think the best
Position Buzz editor It’s not that I’m bone idle, it’s just that I thing to do is remove one of the
Mostly rides hate doing the routine maintenance on chainrings and set the bike up as a
Surrey Hills
bikes that most mountain bikers I know single-ring machine. I haven’t had
Height 6ft 1in
Weight 75kg
seem to revel in — you can almost hear to do this sort of thing in about five
the gleeful anticipation in the voices of years, and it’s something I’ve been
my riding friends when they bend or resisting on the Calibre, not
THE BIKE break something. So it’s actually with least because I hate doing
■ 130mm-travel trail
bike with RockShox
some relief that I tell you I haven’t been the spanner work. Did I WHY IT’S HERE
suspension front able to get a double chain device for mention that already?
and rear my bike, because now I won’t have to More importantly, I’ll miss Surely there
■ Budget £1k price fit it. In just a few short years 2x chain the spread of gears when must be No progress with the
tag twinned with
modern low and
retarders have gone from must-have I’m climbing. Off-setting a catch? chain-dropping issue,
slack geometry to has-been. that is the hope that I’ll then, but I have managed to
■ Shimano drivetrain The TRS by e*thirteen was my first gain some chain retention by change the bar for one of the
with Shadow Plus choice, but the UK distributor Silverfish switching to a narrow/wide chainring. new Renthal Lites, the shape of which
rear mech for isn’t bringing them into the country I’m also skirting round the nuclear I much prefer. Strangely enough though,
silent running
anymore. I got the same blank stare option like a seasoned diplomat, taking the old Ritchey bar off revealed
when I asked Ison Distribution for an avoiding replacing the whole drivetrain it to be not 760mm as I’d thought all
MRP guide — yes, they make them still, with SRAM NX… I’ll Trump that button along, but 780mm, so I’ve actually
and they even import them, but only in a few years’ time when the old one regressed to a narrower bar. Clearly
the version that fits ISCG-05 mounts. has worn out. shape is more important than width.

98 mbr MAY 2018

 SPECIFICATION
Frame Alpha
Platinum aluminium,
150mm
Shock RockShox
SPECIFICATION Deluxe RT3, RE:aktiv
Frame Hydroformed Fork RockShox Lyrik
6061 aluminium, RC, 160mm
130mm Wheels Bontrager
Shock RockShox Line Comp 30,
Monarch R Bontrager XR4
Fork RockShox Team Issue
Sektor Silver, 27.5x2.4in tyres
130mm Drivetrain SRAM
Wheels Formula Descendant Eagle
hubs, WTB ST 32t chainset, SRAM
i25 rims, WTB GX Eagle 1x12 r-mech
Vigilante/Bee Line and shifter
27.5x2.3/2.2in tyres Brakes SRAM Guide
Drivetrain Shimano R, 180mm
Deore chainset Components
36x22t, Shimano Bontrager Line
Deore 2x10 shifters 750mm bar,
and f-mech, Shimano Bontrager Line
Deore Shadow Plus 50mm stem,
r-mech Bontrager Drop
Brakes Shimano Line 125mm post,
M506 levers, M447 Bontrager Evoke 2
calipers, 180/160mm Women’s saddle
Components Ritchey Size 15.5, 17.5, 18.5in
MTN Trail 760mm Weight 13.74kg
bar, Calibre 60mm (30.29lb)
stem, alloy seatpost,
WTB Volt Sport GEOMETRY
saddle Size tested 18.5in

LAURA’S TREK
Weight 15.1kg Head angle 64.5°
(33.3lb) Seat angle 68.6°
Sizes M, L, XL BB height 326mm
Chainstay 435mm
GEOMETRY
Size ridden XL
Head angle 66.2°
Seat angle 70.5°
REMEDY 8 27.5 WOMEN’S Front centre 755mm
Wheelbase 1,190mm
Down tube 694mm
Top tube 585mm
£ 2 , 7 0 0 / 2 7. 5 i n / t r e k b i k e s . c o m
BB height 340mm Reach 445mm
Chainstay 436mm
Front centre 757mm
Wheelbase 1,193mm MONTH 3: Laura and Tracey brave the elements together
Down tube 696mm

T
Top tube 640mm hree months into
Swinley Forest proved
Reach 463mm our relationship,
the perfect testing ground
Tracey and I
are settling into
life together.
THE RIDER Adding Storm Emma
LAURA BAILEY and the ‘Great Freeze’ to
Position Cycling the list of awful weather
events manager
we’ve braved together,
Mostly rides
Wherever work I’ve adorned her with
takes me a Mudhugger Shorty
Height 5ft 9in mudguard to tide us
Weight 74kg through till spring.
After three months,
THE BIKE the buzz is still there. I’m
■ Trek’s women- still loving spending time with her, and buoyed on really wide range, thanks to that leg-saving,
specific enduro bike by our burgeoning love affair I’ve got bold and dinner-plate cassette, I’m yet to hit that awful
with 150mm travel
entered my first ever Enduro. Gulp. moment when you run out of gears on a climb.
■ Gets a 160mm
RockShox Lyrik up Up at my local forest, Swinley Bike Hub has The range means I want to keep riding and don’t
Renthal Lite bar’s front to take the hits established a women’s only Swinduro. Testing a panic about tiring, meaning I am riding for longer
shape hits the spot ■ Women’s women-specific bike, with a women-specific race and enjoying bigger days in the saddle.
finishing kit with up the road, I felt I couldn’t say no. On the downs though, the SRAM Guide R
Bontrager women-
specific saddle
The team at the Swinley Bike Hub also ran a hydraulic brakes just aren’t hitting the spot and
■ SRAM GX training weekend recently, mustering over 100 bleeding them has given only temporary respite.
Eagle 1x12 drivetrain women over the two days to try out the trails and The spongy feel has returned and will need
offers a massive swot up on our skills. There was much cackling, addressing again. The bottom bracket also needs
spread of gears and new trail friendships emerged throughout attention as it is now grumbling like a 90-year
■ The only 27.5in
the day. It was a great chance to firm up old’s arthritic hip, and the Bontrager
bike in Trek’s range
without Plus tyres some thoughts on the ups and downs Dropline seatpost isn’t dropping with
of Tracey. WHY IT’S HERE quite the ease I would like. I’d best get
Hitting the ups with repeated Is it worth it all looked at before my first race
climbs to get back to our favourite day. By the time you read this it’ll be
buying a
trails, I was continually impressed by all over, so I’ll let you know how Tracey
the SRAM GX Eagle groupset. With a women-specific and I got on in my next update.
bike?

MAY 2018 mbr 99

NEW PRODUCTS

Tested

YOUR
TESTERS
ALAN MULDOON BEN SMITH JAMES BRACEY MICK KIRKMAN
Spent a relaxing weekend in Flooded his brand new kitchen Finished Cooking with Poo, Been snowed in since
New Zealand, just time to nibble out trying to make slush leaving lots more time to get his September 2017, cabin fever
a lamb chop before jetting puppies with the fridge. octogenarian dad into e-biking. just tempered by thoughts of
home. #EarningAirmiles Major meltdown Much kudos @sky2trail enduro in June

100 mbr MAY 2018

SRAM GX EAGLE GROUPSET
£425 (see box)
SPECIFICATION Weight: 1,759g (for individual weights, see box) • Contact: zyrofisher.co.uk

S
RAM’s first foray into 12-speed, the very durable and totally rock-solid in terms
X01 Eagle groupset, launched last of chain retention. I don’t run a chain device
year, brought a gear range that was of any kind and have yet to suffer any chain Shifting is sensitive
previously unheard of in the single-ring loss, despite the bike being raced, slung down to initial set-up
market. We loved it and gave it top rocky Italian mountains and slogged through a
marks, but at £977 it was hardly affordable. muddy winter. It also runs very quietly and I’ve
A couple of months later, however, the yet to suffer any chainsuck. Chain life has been impressive too, with very
everyman’s version was announced, offering The GXP bottom bracket has been a little less little stretch over the test period. I did manage
the same massive 500 per cent gear range at durable; I got seven months’ use from the first to snap a chain, but this was completely my
less than half the price. Is there a catch? Well one before it needed replacing. Since my bike fault, as the bike lay filthy in the garage for a
I’ve been running it on my bike for the last nine was kitted out though, SRAM has launched the week, and it rusted solid.
months to try and find out. new DUB system, which makes for a stronger, So, is there a catch? I looked hard but
The heart of the Eagle groupset is the dinner- lighter crank/BB combo with larger bearings, couldn’t find one. Sure, the shifting isn’t
plate cassette, which stretches from 10 teeth and GX Eagle is available with a DUB option. quite as crisp as X01 Eagle, but it’s less
to a whopping 50 at its lowest. It uses the than half the price. Sure it weighs a
same 50t alloy sprocket as its more expensive SRAM GX EAGLE little more than X01, but it’s less
counterparts, but rather than the expensive Price Weight than half the price. Until Shimano
one-piece CNC-machined X-Dome technology Crank (GXP) £105 629g comes out with a suitable rival,
found on high-end versions, GX makes do with Rear mech £95 290g GX Eagle is the cheapest and
stamped and riveted sprockets. This saves a lot best way to get a proper
Shifter £30 122g
of money (£170 compared to £302 for the X01 wide-range, 12-speed set-up
Cassette £170 448g
version) but adds 90g in weight. and is the transmission
The rear mech is noticeably bigger than a Chain £25 270g bargain of the year.
regular 11-speed GX unit and hangs a lot closer Groupset £425 1,759g Ben Smith
to the ground as a result. At 290g it’s only 14g
heavier than X01 Eagle and is £90 cheaper, and Alloy chainset weighs more
while it has to make do with cheaper jockey but feels stiffer than carbon
wheel bearings and a heavier steel actuation
spring it still has the Type 3 clutch mechanism
and handy cage lock for easy wheel removal.
The 12-speed shifter runs on a bushing
instead of a bearing, as found in X01, and isn’t
quite as smooth or as crisp as a result, but
it still has that clunky SRAM solidity to the
shifts. Setting the gears up properly is a fickle
process and is incredibly sensitive to B-Tension
adjustment, so you need to use the guide tool
that’s supplied. I also found that cable-routing,
and cable quality, make a huge difference to
how cleanly and accurately the gears shift. In
fact, I’d recommend binning the standard cable
and fitting the best quality inner/outer that you
can find, and spend some time working out the
cleanest cable run that you can. Shift quality
and consistency will both increase as a result.
Alongside the cassette, most of GX Eagle’s
extra weight comes from the crankset. At just
£105, the cold-forged 7000 series alloy cranks
are a third of the price of X01’s carbon units, but
you pay a 133g weight penalty as a result. The
open pattern on the back of the crank is a mud-
magnet, but they feel plenty stiff enough; more
so than the costlier carbon cranks in fact.
The X-Sync 2 chainring is superb. The tooth
profile is very complex but has proved both

mbr
ratings
explained 1-4 Something’s wrong. It’s rare, but sometimes
a product will have a design flaw or some 5-6 OK — one or two
faults but it has 7 Good —
worth
Very
8
good 9 Excellent
— a slight 10 Simply
the best
The scores other weakness that means we can’t
recommend it. Steer clear.
potential. considering. — for the
money,
mod or two
and it might
— we couldn’t
fault it.
on the doors we’d buy it. be perfect.

MAY 2018 mbr 101

NEW PRODUCTS

TEST
WINNER!

SMITH SESSION MIPS SWEET PROTECTION

£ 1 3 9.9 9
SPECIFICATION Weight: 395g • Sizes: S, M, L • Contact: ultrasporteu.com
BUSHWHACKER II MIPS
£ 1 5 9.9 9
SPECIFICATION Weight: 382g • Sizes: S/M, M/L, L/XL • Contact: jungle.co.uk
Brand new for 2018, Smith’s Session is an all-mountain lid offering
Koroyd technology at a lower price than its flagship Forefront helmet.
The shell blends traditional EPS (expanded Polystyrene) with the The Bushwhacker II is the latest-generation trail helmet from
(claimed) class-leading impact absorption of Koroyd in strategic Scandinavian brand Sweet Protection. It sits close to the head,
zones on the front edges, rather than using a complete looks great and offers extended coverage at both the tail and
honeycomb skeleton. temples. The polycarbonate shell is made from five pieces for
This allows the Session to place huge and very effective toughness, while the interior features a multi-layered EPS
vents on top of the forehead, which feed into internal
air channels and really pump cooling air over the scalp;
HEAD liner and MIPs impact protection system (which allows
the helmet to rotate slightly) to help absorb any hits. For
something the original Forefront didn’t excel at. The
interior has a MIPS slip-plane liner that’s well integrated into
TO HEAD a perfect fit, it’s also supplied with two sets of moisture-
wicking pads of different thicknesses.
the padding and a lightweight rear webbing design that locks Since I tested the first-generation Bushwhacker in 2015,
down firmly and comfortably through three height positions. the brand has completely redesigned the less than perfect
The liner pads are perfectly placed for isolating the shell and really retention system, using a tensioning dial and comfy, silicone-
good at absorbing sweat. padded cradle that tightens a wrap-around webbing (with solid
The Session fits better and runs cooler than Smith’s previous mid- positive increments) that keeps the helmet rock solid. The interior
range Rover helmet, and has also addressed niggles such as a visor that shape is also tweaked for comfort and increased cooling. The outer
got in the way when looking down the trail with a new three-position shell feels like it balances several contact points on your skull and
peak that tips up so you can stash goggles underneath. Smith helmets forehead for more airflow, rather than fully enveloping and connecting
also have a clever eyewear ‘slot’ to store glasses in while climbing that with the whole scalp.
works great too. The Bushwhacker II has a shatterproof visor that lifts high enough
My experience is that Smith helmets to stash goggles underneath, along with
are extremely comfortable, and the VERDICT forehead inner air channels that do a
Session backs this up by really cradling Sweet Protection’s Bushwhacker II is improved in reasonable job of keeping you cool when
the skull with no pressure points and a every way, making it a totally sorted brain box. Other riding. Riding hard, there’s no wobble or
sense the weight is well spread over brand’s helmets offer similar protection, features and rattling and good moisture absorption
the head. It’s also stable, cool and feels fit for less cash though, so you’ll need to decide if the when sweating, so the transparent
light when riding. With sorted finish cool, boutique look and branding justify the premium. Bushwhacker blends nicely into the
quality, performance and Koroyd Smith’s new Session just gets the nod in this background too.
protection technology, shoot-out. It is £20 cheaper, the shell’s a bit more Sweet Protection’s trail lid
it means the price being scratch-resistant and wraps around the skull better is now totally sorted, but
at the top end for more comfort with similar cooling. The Session the £160 asking price is
of the spectrum is also offers the sophisticated Koroyd protection in expensive and other lids
just about the only key zones, something that’s claimed to deliver more out there are lighter and
concern here. impact protection than traditional EPS. also run a little cooler.
Mick Kirkman

102 mbr MAY 2018

NEW PRODUCTS

SPECIALIZED 2FO CLIPLITE

£ 140
SPECIFICATION Weight: 846g (size 44) Sizes: 39-49 • Colours: black/green, black/dark grey,
black/red camo
Contact: specialized.com

Any shoe marketed for trail use has BOA retention

to balance the need for comfort and system, the result
outer sole grip with the stiff efficiency is a rock-solid
of an XC-race version. Depending on connection to your
the shoe in question, the pendulum foot. That stiffness
can swing either way to result in a also extends to the
slight bias towards one application. composite plate that runs
The Specialized 2FO Cliplite manages through the centre of the sole,
to straddle the tightrope and mix both giving it efficiency when clipped in
qualities in almost equal measure. even if Specialized has tuned the level
At the heart is the Body Geometry of stiffness to keep it comfortable for
footbed and midsole. This places the off-bike use. The heel and toe flex more
foot in a completely aligned position for than a race shoe, so walking is both
both injury prevention and ergonomics, natural and comfortable.
it also supports the arch and metatarsals The outsole takes inspiration from
in order to limit foot pain and numbness. Specialized’s flat shoe, using its SlipNot
I’ve always got on with the shape and rubber and hexagonal tread. The cleat
comfort of Specialized shoes, and recess is relatively deep, and this did
instantly the 2FO had that familiar feel. cause some engagement issues with
I really enjoy the additional support, some of the larger, platformed clipless just doesn’t
and throughout the testing period pedals tested on p106 — particularly offer enough
they remained incredibly comfortable. Crank Brother’s Mallet. This was easily purchase walking up
I even prefer them to stiffer shoes rectified by using a spacer under steep or muddy trails. But if you don’t
for all-day rides thanks to this extra the cleat, but it is something to note intend walking much, and are looking
comfort. However, if you are looking when setting up the shoe. My only real for a great all-round clipless shoe,
for a slipper-soft construction you will disappointment with the Cliplite was the Specialized 2FO Cliplite should be
be disappointed. The upper is quite the level of off-bike grip. The hexagonal right up there.
stiff, and combined with the double tread and smoother rubber cleat area James Bracey

ERGON GE1 EVO FACTORY GRIP GRANITE

£ 3 5 .9 9 DESIGN HEX
SPECIFICATION Weight: 94g/pair • Sizes: slim, regular • Contact: extrauk.co.uk

Ergon’s curvy ergonomic GE damping. The liner has smaller

STAND
grip is a personal fave. Its holes here and less rubber $ 7 9.9 5 ( $ 2 0 d e l i v e r y )
defined shape puts hands in touches the bar, so it kind of SPECIFICATION Weight: 678g • Colours: black, silver,
exactly the same place every balances out any comfort gains green, orange, blue, red • Contact: granite-design.com

time, and you can also twist from the softer compound.
the inner clamp to tweak wrists I can take or leave this Workstands are a godsend for repairs
and forearm alignment for a new stickier rubber option, and maintenance but usually a bit
perfect position. since the slightly firmer, less too cumbersome to take on the road.
This ‘GE1 EVO Factory’ is a twisty, original grip is almost Granite Design’s Hex Stand, however, is
new model with a super-tacky as forgiving, more solid when perfect for stashing in the car, or even in
compound that feels ace without riding and less cash. Either way, the bike bag, for remote working.
gloves and also deforms a though, sculpted Ergon GE grips Made from lightweight 6061
fraction more under the palm offer a unique feel as well as aluminium, it uses a folding tripod
— there’s around 0.5mm of lasting pretty design to retain stability despite its
rotation, which adds comfort well and justify small size and weight. You just flick the
and isolation. On the older GE the higher quick-release on the back of the main
grip, the plastic liner is cut out price tag. strut and slide the two legs downwards.
so rubber directly connects with Mick There’s a handy indicator to tell you
handlebars, which improves Kirkman where to lock the legs in place to
make sure they are flat and in a stable
position. Then lift up the retainer arm
until it slots into place.
It works simply by using the hollow
axle of your crankset, where the spring-
loaded arm simply slots into place to
hold the bike snug. This arm can be
adjusted for height to accommodate
bikes of differing bottom bracket

104 mbr MAY 2018

 DIRTLEJ DIRTSUIT CLASSIC
€199
SPECIFICATION Weight: 806g • Sizes: S-XXL • Contact: dirtlej.com

This bright green onesie may roll it up and tuck it in you The price might seem
be aesthetically divisive but end up covered in the muck steep at first glance, but
the Dirtsuit’s aim is laudable: you were trying to avoid. factor in the cost of a
to eliminate all the little ways Also, I can’t help think that separate jacket and shorts
water and mud can sneak a separate jacket and short and it starts to look pretty
inside your outer layers. It’s combo would give you a bit reasonable. Either way, the
available in a full-leg version, more versatility. The Classic Dirtsuit is now my go-to
called the Core, but we’ve version is pretty chunky outer shell for uplifts
tested the Classic design although Dirtlej does and messing
with its short/jacket combo. make a lighter, around in the
At its heart is a durable, more versatile woods when
waterproof and breathable Dirtsuit suitable for the weather is
fabric with the only a wider range of properly foul.
exception being a panel weather conditions. James Bracey
of stretchy material across
the lower back to increase
articulation. All seams
are taped to increase the
water/wind resistance of
the Dirtsuit, and to increase
breathability there are six ‘air
intakes’. These are located
on the legs, chest and arms
and can be zipped shut to
keep you snug. Topping it
off is a helmet compatible,
roll-away hood. All zips are
waterproof and the main zip
has a nice big pull-ring.
Size-wise, the Dirtsuit
could be a little more
generous. It’s the length
heights and is set in place using a single that’s the issue — I’m 183cm
5mm hex bolt. It also has a removable (6ft1in) and when in a riding
sleeve to enable it to fit axles of varying position the medium size
diameters. Slide your bike onto the pulls the back and crotch a
arm and it easily raises the rear or front touch tighter than is properly
wheel enough to allow full access. comfortable. It’s not an
In use, the first thing we noticed is issue when uplifting but
that it requires flat ground to function all-day pedalling can get a
properly as any slope can cause the little uncomfortable. I could
bike to slide off the retaining arm. Once go up to a large, but then
you have this sorted, the Hex is pretty it would be too loose in all
stable, even when working on bikes over other measurements. Get
14kg. The arm also places the bike far the fit right and the Dirtsuit
enough from the stand so you performs impeccably. The
can fully spin the pedals. heavier-duty material shrugs
Its simple, off scrapes and crashes, and
practical design despite the garish green it
has made it washes well at 30°C.
a permanent In terms of keeping out
fixture in my van the elements the Dirtsuit
for all those car park fettling works exceptionally well. It
sessions. The only real sticking certainly protects from dirt
point is currently the Hex Stand and filth and leaves you nice
is only available via Granite’s and clean and dry inside.
US website, although it will Living with the Dirtsuit
happily ship to the UK. does raise a few issues
James Bracey though. Firstly, if you are
in a habit of stopping for a
mid-ride bite or aprés beer
you need to strip down to
the waist and have a mucky
jacket dragging around
behind you. If you try to

MAY 2018 mbr 105

GROUP TEST

Clipless trail pedals

We test eight pedals that combine XC efficiency with wide-platform support
Words: James Bracey Photos: Chris Catchpole, Dan Gould

F
or a long time, riders comfort, pedalling efficiency and
wanting the efficiency and bike control. That larger platform also USED & ABUSED
security of clipless pedals makes a better target to aim for when
had to put up with running
smaller, cross-country oriented
needing to clip in after a dab, and,
worst-case scenario, you can actually
How we test
systems. While these pedals were rest your foot on them until you get Trail pedals are only as good as the support they
light and performed well in the mud, clipped in. provide for your foot; otherwise you might as well use
they didn’t offer much in the way On the flipside, they are heavier a lighter cross-country pedal. Each pedal was tested
of foot support when riding more than pedals without a platform and and evaluated for how well the cage engages with the
technical trails, and required stiff- they do tend to cost more. sole unit of our test shoes. Sole engagement mustn’t
soled shoes that were awkward to We have eight of the latest compromise cleat engagement, however, something
walk in. And that’s where the new systems on the market, including that is dependent on the thickness of the rubber and the
breed of bigger-platform trail pedals new entries from Funn, DMR and depth of the cleat recess. To provide a fair comparison,
come in. Nukeproof, alongside the best every pedal was tested using the same Specialized 2FO
The advantages of these platform models from our last round-up. Cliplite shoe (EU size 44), as tested on p104.
pedals extend beyond simply looking Each has its own slight variation on Of equal importance is the platform size; pedalling
more appropriate on modern trail the theme and we’ve still doubled-up and cornering testing helped determine the ground
bikes. With shapes inspired by flat on Shimano and Crank Brothers, as clearance and practicality as well as determining how
pedals, they also provide considerably they both have multiple offerings easy the pedal is to locate in a hurry.
more foot support. This improves ride that fit the bill.

106 mbr MAY 2018

JARGON BUSTER
CLEATS
Know your clipless trail pedals The cleat is the physical link
between pedal and shoe. Normally
made of steel or brass alloy, all
mountain bike cleats use a two-
bolt design to attach them to the
PLATFORM SIZE shoe. They have special shaping
The bigger the platform around the to enable them to engage with the
mechanism, the better the foot sup pedal mechanism. Many cleats are
A larger platform will give you based on Shimano’s original SPD
somewhere to rest your foot if design and are cross-
unclipped. A larger contact patch w compatible. Bu
also make pedalling more efficient some brands
much more comfortable, especially such as Crank
softer-soled trail shoes. Brothers use
a specific,
unique
design.
FLOAT
All of the pedals here have
floating cleats. Float is the free
movement you feel when you
are clipped into the pedal. For
the majority of systems float is a
good thing, as it helps to reduce
the stresses of being clipped in
on your joints and can prevent
unwanted release.

BEARINGS AND SEALING

Most pedals use a combination of bearings
to keep them spinning smoothly and
prevent lateral play. The typical set-up
is a combination of one or two cartridge
bearings combined with a plastic or
ceramic bushing. Sealing is very important
due to the location and forces that go
through the pedals in order to keep mud
and water from penetrating.

ASE TENSION
how much force it takes
ase your foot. Most of
the larger, edals on test allow for
tyle pedals take form of adjustment
ration from flat ke them easier to
ls and include e or less likely to unclip
stable height ntally. On pedals such
o alter grip. In k Brothers, with its
ases these need mechanism, tension
ely tuned to djusted and release
traction and the altered by mounting
unclip safely. fferent sides.

MAY 2018 mbr 107

GROUP TEST

CRANK BROTHERS MALLET DH

£ 14 9.9 9
SPECIFICATION Weight: 480g • Platform size: 100x79mm • Contact: extrauk.co.uk

Without doubt, the Mallet was one of the first but the lighter action and mechanism
pedals to really give riders the stability of a design means that engagement in muddy
flat pedal with the efficiency of being clipped conditions is exceptional.
in. This latest version builds on the tried-and- The Mallet DH, alongside Nukeproof’s
tested design with a few improvements. It Horizon, is the stand-out pedal when it
still has the slightly concave construction, comes to foot stability and confidence.
and four adjustable pins at each end, but You can really feel the platform supporting
Crank Brothers has now incorporated the all of your foot, no matter how much
Traction Pad Technology found on the pressure you put through it, creating
Mallet E to let you fine tune the pedal/ probably the only true
shoe interface. flat/clipless hybrid
Setting up the proprietary brass in this test.
cleat immediately highlighted the
solid connection between the two.
As with the Mallet E we had to run
a spacer between the cleat and the
sole and wind the pins in almost all TEST
the way to enable a solid engagement
and reliable release. The cleats provide WINNER!
around 6° of movement when engaged,
plus they can be swapped to provide two
differing release angles depending on how
quickly you want to release. We would
recommend running the minimum float
and angling the front of the cleat towards
the crank slightly so you don’t get stuck
in them. Engagement isn’t as positive as
the more traditional SPD-style pedals here,

CRANK BROTHERS MALLET E

£ 14 9.9 9
SPECIFICATION Weight: 423g • Platform size: 92x79mm • Contact: extrauk.co.uk

The Mallet E shares a similar overall profile of sliding one out and swapping over.
to the classic Mallet DH, albeit pared down Setting them up took a little more time
to provide a lighter body with better thanks to the low profile of the brass cleat.
clearance for pedalling and cornering. The Specialized 2FO test shoes wouldn’t
The Mallet E’s aluminium platform has engage with the mechanism without adding
six adjustable pins per side and also uses a spacer between the cleat and the sole
Traction Pad Technology. This consists and reducing the height of the pins. While
of two replaceable plastic plates that sit we’re on the subject, not all of the forward
either side of the clip mechanism and help pins can be fully wound into the pedal
to provide a solid interface with the shoe. thanks to the shallow body. Once set up
Two thicknesses are supplied, switching though, the Mallet E provided one
between them of the easiest engagements, and
is a case unlike Crank Brothers pedals of
the past, this was accompanied
by a nice clear snap. Thanks to
the four bar, rotating mechanism
you can pretty much engage in
any direction, even straight down.
Plus, the open design makes the Mallet
the best performing pedal in bad weather,
as the action of engagement seems
to squeeze any mud away from the
cleat. But it’s the shaping of the Mallet
E that hinders its performance — the
chamfered edges, combined with the
added play of the mechanism, leaves the
foot feeling less supported even than the
much smaller XT Trail.

108 mbr MAY 2018

DMR V-TWIN
£130
SPECIFICATION Weight: 568g • Platform size: 104x80mm • Contact: upgradebikes.co.uk

When Shimano’s patent for a spring-loaded easier engagement, it also adds weight — the
clipless mechanism expired, DMR seized the V-Twin is the heaviest pedal on test.
opportunity to create its first ever clipless Maintenance and durability are not a
pedal. The floating central mechanism sits strong point. Over several months of use
the nose up, allowing for easier cleat location the axle bearings have developed play and
and quicker engagement than a standard the sprung mechanism has become sluggish
clipless system. DMR’s version actually and refuses to fully cooperate. Sure, it’s
allows the clip to rotate in both directions, a relatively easy fix to clean and regrease
effectively allowing the foot to float or grip the retention mechanism, but the bearing
the platform depending on your weight play will require
transfer. To provide a better shoe replacement
interface, DMR provides the V-Twin parts.
with a variety of different shims and
pins to tune foot stability or grip
when not clipped-in.
But in reality, the V-Twin seems to
work best with the stock nylon platforms
or a pin front/platform rear set-up. The
V-Twin also works well with any Shimano
compatible cleat, but the ones that
come with the pedal do provide slightly
easier engagement and smoother float.
The mechanism has adjustable release
tension and this is indexed for consistent
tension top and bottom and left and
right. Accessing the adjustment screw on
the left-hand pedal is a little awkward and
while the mechanism does provide slightly

FUNN RIPPER
£100
SPECIFICATION Weight: 565g • Platform size: 98x89mm • Contact: funnmtb.com

Funn’s new Ripper pedal follows in the shoes, may experience issues with crank rub.
footsteps of its popular fixed-position pedal, At the core of the Ripper is the spring-
the Mamba, in having a super-wide body loaded clip mechanism, but unlike DMR’s
for extra foot support. It’s the widest pedal pedal, this only rotates to a flat position, so
here by far, so in theory should suit riders doesn’t quite elicit the same floating feel.
with bigger plates of meat. I say in theory, It does, however, give a secure base for the
because the mechanism is offset, sitting shoe. Like many of the pedals, initial set-up
closer to the crankarm than most other of the Ripper proved that the pins grip too
pedals. As such, riders with large well, and optimum engagement occurred
feet, or bulkier with the rear pins recessed further
than is standard. Engagement with
the Shimano-compatible cleat is
positive, and they share the same
degree of float as many of the
other pedals on test.
The Ripper also boasts
adjustable release tension, once
again via a 3mm hex bolt, but this
is inaccessible without moving the
mechanism manually. Mechanically,
the Ripper is starting to suffer after a
winter of use. The sprung mechanism
has lost its snap, preventing the
front from sitting up quickly for easy
engagement. Also, the bearings have
developed considerable resistance,
which probably means they will need
replacing soon.

MAY 2018 mbr 109

GROUP TEST

HT X2
£ 1 1 9.9 9
SPECIFICATION Weight: 441g • Platform size: 104x85mm • Contact: ison-distribution.com

The X2 has the largest platform of stepped, flat pedal-like cage comes
any pedal in HT’s vast range, and was with three forward pins and two at the
developed with the help of Aaron rear. During set-up it was obvious how
Gwin. It approaches retention a little much the rear pins gripped the shoe
differently to most other systems, using and prevented unclipping, so the X2
a mix of Crank Brothers-style stirrup at is best run with just the forward pins
the front and a more Shimano-inspired in place.
design at the back. Both of which are It’s also noticeable just how
independently sprung, so engagement low-profile the body is; at just
is easier and you can stamp down 13mm, pedalling feels really
vertically as well as toe-first, as you efficient, allowing
need to with the Shimano units. you to push low
The mechanism is very into corners.
positive with a nice audible
click when you clip in,
something echoed by the fact
that the X2 has the strongest
spring retention on test. Even
the lowest tension setting requires
considerable force to disengage. This
is a good thing if you move about a lot;
no matter how loose you get on the
bike, there’s no chance of unclipping
accidentally. The obvious downside
being that it can hold onto your shoe
when you don’t want it to; something
to consider if you are a lighter rider or
prefer a lighter release tension. The

NUKEPROOF HORIZON CL
CRMO DH
£100
SPECIFICATION Weight: 523g • Platform size: 109x83mm • Contact: hotlines-uk.com

The Horizon CL CrMo DH is the larger cleat spacers. Tension is independently

of Nukeproof’s two clipless pedals (the adjustable for each side; the brass spring
smaller being the CS Trail), retains the ensures minimal corrosion and helps retain
machined/anodised, two-tone finish of the a consistent force. Locating the mechanism
flat variants and is available in four colour on the CL was easy and engagement gave
options. It incorporates Nukeproof’s own a nice positive click. The cleats supplied
double-sided clipless mechanism, and this offer 4° of float; for those that prefer a
sits a little proud of the main body, enabling little more movement, Nukeproof sells an
relatively simple engagement and release 8° cleat. We find 4° to be about right for
without needing to comfort and freedom.
faff about with The CL offers the largest platform
of any pedal on test, just shading
out the HT X2, and foot support is
second-to-none. Three pins each
end help with support, and unlike
many of the other systems, the
pins had just enough clearance to
minimise any fouling of the sole.
Equally impressive is the durability.
After several months of smashing
them into rocks and roots, they are still
spinning smoothly, with all features
intact. The machined areas minimise the
typical scruffy appearance that most
pedals assume after use, and all pins and
mechanisms are working perfectly.

110 mbr MAY 2018

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GROUP TEST

SHIMANO SAINT M820

£ 1 0 9.9 9
SPECIFICATION Weight: 542g • Platform size: 98x77mm • Contact: madison.co.uk

So here it is, the long-awaited Saint gravity- clean more forcefully than any other pedal to
based clipless pedal. Rather than going for encourage engagement.
an articulated, caged pedal like the older DX The Saint is no lightweight either, in fact
M647, Shimano has opted for a fixed position it is the heaviest fixed mechanism pedal on
pedal in the same vein as the XT Trail. test. The upshot to that heft is the super
Effectively, the Saint pedal stretches out that robust build quality and the construction
design to offer a wider platform, and also should withstand years. Like the XT Trail, the
extends the XT’s wings into a platform that sealed cartridge bearings and cro-mo axle
increases contact with the shoe. Additionally, have shown zero loss of performance and
Shimano has added extra pins to provide should make the Saint
traction when perching on the platform. another reliable choice
Being the orginators of the off-road for clip-in
clipless pedal has given Shimano gravity riders.
plenty of time to perfect its
mechanism, and the Saint pedal
provides one of the most positive
engagement of all the pedals. You
certainly know when you are clipped
in. Release tension is adjustable, but
as with the XT pedals, the factory default
position feels perfect. If you do need to
adjust, the indexed mechanism helps
to maintain even tension for both sides.
Mud clearance can be an issue with the
Saint as its blocky profile inhibits mud
clearance. On particularly mucky days
the Saint needed the cleats to be stamped

SHIMANO XT TRAIL M8020

£9 4 .9 9
SPECIFICATION Weight: 405g • Platform size: 91x68mm • Contact: madison.co.uk

Barring some cosmetic differences, foot, thanks in part to the stiff axle and
Shimano’s XT Trail pedal has changed very wide stance. The forged aluminium body
little since it was first introduced. Rather is as tough as old boots, and despite the
than having a proper platform, the XT Trail sorts of pedal strikes that have you looking
has protrusions at each end that do more for aluminium shrapnel, they have survived
to protect the mechanism than actually relatively unscathed.
support the foot. In comparison to the In fact, we would recommend the XT
cageless XT pedal, the Trail has greater Trail if you happen to ride rock-strewn
real estate either side of the mechanism trails every day. Being Shimano, the clip
to provide better lateral support. Even mechanism utilises the fixed front, sprung
though the body and rear jaw approach to cleat retention.
cage is the smallest Release tension is adjustable, and easily
here, it still feels accessible, using a 3mm hex key. It is
supportive also indexed, enabling you to accomplish
under even and reliable release, no matter
which side you use. Shimano’s
steel cleat wears exceptionally
well and provides a comfortable
amount of float without feeling
too vague. Engagement is
accompanied with a crisp,
precise snap.
It’s not a pedal for riders wanting
the added reassurance of a large grippy
cage when unclipped, but for sheer
reliability and unfussy performance, it’s
a faithful companion.

112 mbr MAY 2018

 If you prefer a softer shoe, such as a
GROUP TEST Giro Chamber or Specialized 2FO, then
the extra support of the larger-caged
pedals is a better match.

Conclusion
Both DMR and Funn have produced
their own take on our old favourite
Shimano DX M647, with its articulated,
sprung-loaded clip mechanism. Both

W
ith trail pedals reaching have added their own slant, but neither
maturity, there’s much less has achieved a pedal that eclipses
of a compromise when the original. They have both suffered
the terrain becomes more under the debilatating effects of a
technical. Looking at all DMR’s V-Twin takes its
British winter, and look like they’ll
eight contenders, it’s good to see that, cues from Shimano’s need more regular TLC than any of
for the most part, they all offer a viable venerable DX M647 the other pedals.
choice for the rider seeking the security Shimano’s newly-launched Saint
and efficiency that this type of pedal clipless pedal has pushed its nose
can bring. Rather than being split 50/50
in terms of platform size, it’s only the
evergreen Shimano XT Trail M8020 that
Crank Brothers into the wind as the Japanese giant’s
premier gravity pedal, and if you are
looking for sheer durability then this is
resembles a beefed-up cross-country
pedal. All seven of the alternatives have
Mallet DH is still the pedal for you. Its solid bulk should
have rocks quivering in its shadow.

the best option It also has one of the most positive

engagements, thanks to Shimano’s
highly-developed SPD design, and the

on the market mid-sized shape offers good clearance

for warp-speed trail riding.
Whereas in our previous trail pedal
test Crank Brothers’ Mallet DH was
the clear winner, this time around
more in common with flat pedals in it sustained heavy pressure from
terms of shape, level of foot support Nukeproof’s Horizon CL. The Horizon CL
and grip. offers great foot support and requires
One thing to consider, though, before far less fettling to create a stable
you make your ultimate choice, is your position. It’s also 50 quid cheaper and
current choice of shoe. Riders who are uses Shimano-compatible cleats. But
happiest using a lighter, stiffer race shoe it’s a touch heavier and a shade harder
will be perfectly happy with the smaller to engage the cleat, especially in muddy
XT Trail or Mallet E, thanks to the better conditions and after a quick dab. And
support that comes with a stiffer sole. it’s this edge in performance, combined
with the only true flat pedal-like shoe/
pedal connection, that ensures the
Crank Brothers Mallet DH remains the
best option on the market.

TEST
WINNER!

Price Weight Platform size Contact Rating

Crank Brothers Mallet DH £149.99 480g 100x79mm extrauk.co.uk

Crank Brothers Mallet E £149.99 423g 92x79mm extrauk.co.uk

DMR V-Twin £130 568g 104x80mm upgradebikes.co.uk

Fun Ripper £100 565g 98x89mm funnmtb.com

HT X2 £119.99 441g 104x85mm ison-distribution.com

Nukeproof Horizon CL CRMO DH £100 523g 109x83mm hotlines-uk.com

Shimano Saint M820 £109.99 542g 98x77mm madison.co.uk

Shimano XT Trail M8020 £94.99 405g 91x68mm madison.co.uk

114 mbr MAY 2018

 



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Please remember to mention mbr when responding to advertisements: t 01252 555 333 MAY 2018 mbr 117
 image Our favourite
people choose their
favourite photos

A S C H O S E N B Y. . .

ANDY LLOYD
PHOTOGRAPHER

Where: Munsiyari, India

Who: Rowan Sorrell
When: October 2015
Photo: Andy Lloyd

O
ver the years of being a was spied with the help of my Czech in us working with some of the key
photographer I have been friend Pavel Hornik. Rowan Sorrell was people from the town and surrounding
lucky enough to travel all dispatched to hike even higher and villages, teaching them how to build and
over the place with bikes and pedal his arse off to get in the air. At maintain a mountain bike trail, as well as
cameras and have a fair few around 4,000m he was less than keen teaching the local children how to ride
‘epic’ travel images to choose from, to do it more than a couple of times. In mountain bikes.
but it’s this image from a trip to India the end it took three attempts to get Since our visit a local group has
in October 2015 that really stands out the two of us in the right position to continued to dig and extend the trail we
Andy has travelled
the world shooting
for me. capture the reflection in the pool along started with them, along the lines that
anything and We were in Munsiyari, in northern with Rowan above the ridgeline, with we mapped in the study, and they’ve
everything India, carrying out a reconnaissance the peaks of Rajrambha at 6,500m now created a 3km singletrack descent.
that rolls on study for a local government and Panchachuli at 6,900m as the Towards the end of 2016 Munsiyari
knobbly tyres department. It was a remote, barely stunning backdrop. hosted its first mountain bike race using
accessible part of the Himalayas and a This was one of the many high this very trail and a road climb to form
trip that was a little out of the ordinary. points of this project that culminated a 6km loop.
We were there to map the area to
ascertain its viability as a mountain
bike destination. The night before this image was taken
The night before this image was
taken we had hiked to camp at 3,500
metres and awoke at 5am to continue
we hiked to camp at 3,500 metres and
our ascent of Khaliya Top, above the
town. After a long hike-a-bike traversing
awoke at 5am to continue our ascent
a ridge beyond the summit, this shot

118 mbr MAY 2018

 

 
            

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