Mountain Bike Action - 2009-11-09

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Att’n Retailer: Pleasedisplay until November 5

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NOVEMBER 2009

INTERBIKE SHOW PREVIEWINTERBIKE SHOW PREVIEW

ALL-NEWHOT GEAR:SEE ITBEFORE THE BIKE SHOPS DO

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THIS MONTH

Don’t wait for the Interbike Show toopen its doors. We bring you the show-stoppers early. Page 52.

TECHNICAL

74 As Seen On ETThree components from ourEllsworth Truth.

84 Inside The Pros’ BikesMax Plaxton shows off hisSpecialized cross-country racer.

106 The Downhill WorkhorseRiding the 2010 RockShoxBoxxer Team fork.

COMPETITION

116 Crowning America’s2009 ChampionsAmerica’s best battle at SolVista,Colorado.

BIKE TESTS

38 BMC TrailFox 01Switzerland’s long-travel trail-bike interpretation.

70 The Ellsworth TruthThe truth and nothing but thetruth.

90 The Specialized EnduroSL Pro CarbonOwn the entire mountain.

112 Gary Fisher’sHoo-Koo-E-KooA hardtail with history.

DESTINATIONS

96 Sedona’s Warm WelcomeWhere to go when the snow falls.

FEATURES

42 Trek Unveils Its 2010LineupBet Lance wants to ride one ofthese.

78 Giant Rolls Out The2010’sFaster, lighter andcolor-coordinated.

TRAINING & FITNESS

46 Ten Long-Travel TrailbikeTipsMake your bike do the work.

108 Damage ControlTips for surviving a crash.

MBA 2009 INTERBIKE

PREVIEW

52 Backstage Pass ToMountain Biking’sAnnual Trade ShowOver 70 products that you’ll seebefore the bike shops.

PEOPLE

88 Young RippersIntroducing Cierra Smith.

DEPARTMENTS

12 Happy TrailsDamon, Rebeca and Priority Cycles.

16 Mac AttackThe application store.

20 Hard TalesSpecialized shows off the restof its 2010’s.

Stop rightthere: Thestoppersthat wecompare allotherbrakes to.They arefromGermany.Page 74.

104 Riders Who InspireSouth Mountain Bike Patrol,stewards of the preserve.

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VOLUME 24, NUMBER 11NOVEMBER 2009

108

November 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 5

contents

WARNING: Much of the action depicted in this magazine is potentially danger-ous. Virtually all of the riders seen in our photos are experienced experts or pro-fessionals. Do not attempt to duplicate any stunts that are beyond your owncapabilities. Always use discretion and wear the appropriate safety gear.

ON THE COVER

(Clockwise from top left) New components pour out of our pre-Interbike specialsection. Aaron Gwin flies to a national championship. Photo by John “Are thosethunderheads?” Ker. The 2010 Felt Virtue 2 gets a face lift and looks yearsyounger. The BMC TrailFox is from a Swiss visionary who believes the only wayto succeed is to make every design an over-the-top effort. Photo by John “Thehills are alive” Ker.

Bead it up: This handy gadget takes thework out of mountain biking’s mostthankless job. Page 32.

MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION Magazine (ISSN 0895-8467 Canada GST 12500#9266RT: CPC INT’L. PUB MAIL40024492) NOVEMBER 2009, Volume 24, Issue 11, is published monthly by Daisy/Hi-Torque Publishing Company,Inc., with editorial offices at 25233 Anza Dr., Valencia, CA 91355. Subscriptions $19.98 for 12 issues (one year).Canada add $12 additional postage for one year, $24 for two years. Foreign add $15 additional postage for one year,$30 for two years. Foreign subscriptions are shipped by surface mail and may take up to 15 weeks to receive.Copyright ©2009 by Daisy/Hi-Torque Publishing Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Nothing in this magazine may bereprinted in whole or in part, by any means, without the express permission of the publisher. Contributors:Photographs should be submitted in digital form on CD or DVD. Images should be 4 megapixels or higher. High-qual-ity, low-compression JPEG images are preferred. Please limit submissions to no more than 20 photos at one time.Transparencies and prints will no longer be accepted for consideration; such images should be scanned and submit-ted as high-resolution digital files. Captions should accompany all submissions. Make sure the photographer’s name,address, phone number and e-mail address are clearly labeled on each CD or DVD. Submissions will not be returned.Written articles should be submitted on CD (unless other arrangements have been made with the editors), saved as“text” files, and accompanied by a printed version. Written submissions, both on paper and CD, will not be returned.The publisher does not assume responsibility for unsolicited material. PERIODICALS: Postage paid at Santa Clarita,CA 91383, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mountain Bike ActionMagazine, P.O. Box 958, Valencia, CA 91380-9058. Printed in U.S.A. For Canadian returns mail to: BleuchipInternational, P.O. Box 25542 London, ON N6C 6B2.

24 TrailgramsA new team, a new hope andmore 29er intrigue.

26 Trail MixAll you need is love and acamera.

32 Thrash TestsA warm vest, cool helmet andfast inflator.

35 Inside LineMore on mystery drag andgetting tubed.

82 How To Subscribe ToMBA.Twelve issues for only $14.99(lowest price of the year).

126 Quick ReleasesGear bags for hauling yourstuff.

130 Down The TrailOld tips that still ring true.

©2009 F

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EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT

JIM McILVAIN • EDITOR

RICHARD CUNNINGHAM • EDITOR-AT-LARGE

JODY WEISEL • FEATURE EDITORS

ZAPATA ESPINOZA

SEAN McCOY • MANAGING EDITOR

JOHN KER • ASSISTANT EDITORS

RYAN CLEEKKATHARINE McCOY

JEFF SPENCER • TRAINING CONSULTANT

JOHN TOMAC • CONSULTANTS

MIKE BELLJOHN PERRY

BRAD ROE • ONLINE [email protected]

TOM [email protected]

ART DEPARTMENT

EDUARDO GUTIERREZ T • DESIGNER

ALMA MARTíNEZ de DICSö • ASSISTANT DESIGNERS

JACKIE CLEVELAND

CASSANDRA MITTELBERG • COPY EDITOR

LINDSAY WORDEN

PAT CARRIGAN • PHOTO ARTIST

WILLIAM C. HAWLEY IV • PRELIM COORDINATOR

ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT

ROBERT REX • NATIONAL

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DIRECTOR, [email protected]

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ADVERTISING & EDITORIAL OFFICES

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HAPPY MEDIUMEXCAVATORBLUE

GROOVE

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signature seriesPhoto Credit:Chris Wood

Photo Credit: Dean Howard

HFACTOR OFION

BBGTELONIX EL MOCO

Photo Credit: craigglaspellphoto

Photo Credit:Tom Lopes

Damon’s candid, quiet demeanor didnot mask his enthusiasm for buildingbicycles. He rolled the Portafortuna upand admitted that he used many ofBrent Foes’ suspension concepts in thedesign. The 7007-alloy aluminumframe was beautifully painted with acreamy white sparkle finish, but itsconstruction was a bit rough and angu-lar—far removed from the curvy car-bon and manipulated aluminum tubesthat grace the latest big-brand bikes.That said, the Priority Cycles designsported a number of unusual featuresthat begged for explanation.

Any skepticism that I harboredabout the utilitarian machine beforeme faded as Damon glided around hiscreation, describing the purpose ofeach detail. The triangulated swingarmwas long and Foes-esque, with a scissorlink above to control lateral flex and asingle pivot located well ahead of thebottom bracket center. Machined arch-es and dogleg fittings reinforced thelengthy chainstays and directed theswingarm beneath the front derailleurand bottom bracket. He explained that,as complicated as it seemed, the for-ward pivot was the simplest way toachieve good pedaling without adverse-ly affecting the suspension. Like Foes,Damon settled upon a low-leverage 2:1

From Twin Falls, Idaho, toMountain Bike Action’soffices in Southern

California is a long stretch ofdriving for a one-day visit, butDamon Madsen and his wife,Rebeca, made the trip for theopportunity to show me his“Portafortuna” five-inch-travel,dual-suspension design. We hadnever met face to face, and I wasunfamiliar with Priority Cycles(Damon is the lead designer,fabricator, welder and founder),so I had no preconceptions aboutthe bike’s design or its intendedpurpose. All I knew was that theplan was to shake hands, go overthe bike, take some technicalphotographs and then head outfor an afternoon test ride. Damonand Rebeca drove straightthrough (check out Highway 93on Google Earth, then tell methat was fun). They showed upearly, got the 25-cent Hi-Torquetour and were ready to rock.

suspension rate, which drove a FoxDHX Air shock (“Its wide range ofdamping and rate adjustments made itthe only choice”). By the time Damonfinished his dog and pony show, I wasreally curious to ride the Portafortuna.

During the pre-ride fiddling, ourconversation traversed Damon’s bud-ding career as a frame builder. He andhis brother were inspired to build theirfirst custom dual-suspension bike inhigh school after reading a line inMBA that mentioned that the easiestway to experiment with new designswas to grab a hacksaw and modify anexisting bike. “It was a SchwinnCrossroads 700C bike,” Damonlaughed. “We made a crude shock onan old lathe and grafted a swingarmonto the frame. The rear wheel waslike, five inches off center, and it hadsomething like a 76-degree head angle.We quickly learned a lot about bikes.”Damon’s interest lies in dual-suspen-sion trailbikes, but he has built a num-ber of designs, including hardtail 29ersand even a few road bikes. He freelyadmits that his Priority Cycles enter-prise has not grown large enough tosupport him—yet—so Damon day-jobsas a machinist. Miracles happen; itwasn’t so long ago that I, too, wasburning up welding rod well past mid-night, hoping to break into the moun-tain bike biz.

The three of us set off on a localloop that I often use for bike testing.

12 www.mbaction.com

HAPPY TRAILS By Richard J. Cunningham

Damon rode my Santa Cruz Blur LT-Carbon, Rebeca had a prototypePortafortuna much like the one I wasriding—and I was surprised (to put itmildly) that Damon’s latest design wasa sweet performer. Without touching aplatform lever, the 29-pound trailbikebreezed up the route’s steep single-tracks and carved the twisting descentswith a nimble and balanced feel. It bog-gles the mind that such accolades couldbe bestowed upon an industrial-lookingmachine, but the reality was that everyattribute that Damon had previouslyascribed to the bike was brought to lifeas I made my way around the test loop.

Before I rode Damon’sPortafortuna, I would have scoffed atthe suggestion that at such a late pointin the mountain bike’s developmentcycle, an aspiring garage buildercould produce a single-pivot suspen-sion trailbike that could go wheel towheel with the likes of Specializedand Trek in both the handling andpedaling departments—but I wouldhave been wrong. Damon has tosmooth out the cosmetics before hisPortafortuna will be ready for primetime, but the engineering and perfor-mance are spot-on. I hope we hearmore good things from PriorityCycles, and I guess I should thankDamon and Rebeca for driving such agreat distance to remind me to dig alittle deeper when I search for innova-tion—where the new sprouts live. ❑

Damon MadsenDamon Madsen

GAME.— NED OVEREND, STRETCHING HIS LEGS IN OAKLAND, CA

“WHEN SPECIALIZED SHOWED ME THEIR CONCEPT FOR BRAIN TECHNOLOGY, I THOUGHT ‘THIS IS A GAME CHANGER’.

I’M PROUD THAT FOX RACING SHOX HAS BEEN ABLE TO PARTNER WITH SPECIALIZED ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION

OF THE NEW BRAIN REAR SHOCKS.” — BOB FOX, FOUNDER FOX RACING SHOX. TEST RIDE THE NEW STUMPJUMPER FSR AT

YOUR SPECIALIZED DEALER AND SEE HOW BRAIN, FSR, AND TOTAL SUSPENSION INTEGRATION MAKE IT THE FASTEST CLIMBING,

BEST HANDLING, AND MOST CAPABLE XC TRAIL BIKE OUT THERE.

GAME CHANGER.

THE MAC ATTACK By Jim McIlvain

16 www.mbaction.com

As a rider who just a few yearsago fell on the leave-it-behindside of the cell phone debate, it is

hard to believe that today I feel naked ifI leave for a ride without my trustyApple iPhone stuffed in a hydrationpack pocket. The little device hasbecome as essential as the helmet on myhead and the cushy chamois under myother end.

The reason for jumping ships startedout with safety concerns. Knock onwood, but after 20-some odd years ofmountain biking, I’ve never foundmyself lost or seriously injured while ona ride. A good sense of direction andnever giving in to peer pressure (“Comeon Jimmy, you can jump down that.”)has worked pretty well for me. Still, thephone gets stuffed between the sparetube, patch kit, tire pump and Clif Bars,so I might save the day for some othertrail user.

But my iPhone has turned out to beso much more than a 911 terminal.

Software from Apple’s application storeturns the iPhone (or iPod Touch) into asupercomputer that would make DickTracy jealous. The application store hashundreds of applications that were writ-ten just for mountain bikers. Strollingthe virtual aisles of the mountain bikers’applications section, I couldn’t believethe apps being offered.

SpinCycle: Place the iPhone in yourbaggy short pocket (or tuck it in the legof your Lycra short) and this applicationmonitors your spin. It instructs you toshift up or down based on your cadence,the incline of the trail and your exactlocation on the mountain (based oninput from the built-in GPS sensor). Youcan choose between race, training orcruising modes, and you’ve got 32 voicesto choose from for receiving instructions(mine is set on Sgt. Hartman, the gun-nery sergeant from the movie Full MetalJacket).

Cheater Line: Using data acquiredfrom GPS, enhanced satellite imagingand the U.S. Department of Interior

maps, Cheater Line charts a cross-country, Super D or 24-hourcourse and suggests where anunscrupulous rider can cut thecourse with the least likely chanceof being detected. While the com-pany protects the identity of theriders who have already purchasedthe program, they claim, “A num-ber of top professionals, includingtwo former national champions,are currently using the program.”

Lift Line Time: Tired of wait-ing in the lift line at your favoritebike park? Lift Line Time moni-tors the length of the lift line andthe number of riders coming downthe mountain, beeping you whenyou will experience the shortestlift line wait.

In The Bag: Ever drive to atrailhead only to find you forgot topack your shoes, or gloves or hel-met? Enable In The Bag, placeyour iPhone inside your gear bagand lift it up. The phone’s built-inaccelerometer senses the bag’sweight and will alert you of whatit thinks you are missing. “You for-got a shoe,” is broadcast in thevoice of Jill Taylor (the “HomeImprovement” mom). I don’tknow how it does it, but this appeven alerted me to a missing Haloheadband.

Perfect Shift: Use the iPhone’s built-incamera to shoot a photo down the chain-line (including the derailleur pulleys andcage) and this simple program instructsyou which way and how much to turn thebarrel adjusters on your shifters for per-fect drivetrain shifting performance. It canidentify Shimano or SRAM components(including the Truvativ HammerSchmidtcrankset), and a SRAM XX group updateis promised. An added feature alerts youto a bent derailleur hanger.

Disaster Avoidance: Using all thetricks the iPhone offers (accelerometer,proximity sensor, ambient light sensor andmemory), Disaster Avoidance learns howfast you ride in different situations andcalculates your riding ability. If it sensesthat you are riding over your head, itbroadcasts “Danger, Will Robinson!Danger!” in the voice of the “Lost InSpace” robot. It’s already saved my skinon a number of occasions.

Virtual Joe: Say you come to a trickyswitchback and would like some coachingon how to clean the section. Take a photoof the section and let Virtual Joe do therest. In a few moments, Virtual Joe deliv-ers an animated video of Bikeskill’s JoeLawwill riding the troubling section whilegiving tips for proper positioning and useof the bike’s controls.

Skunk Dunk: Alerts the rider when anarticle of riding gear is omitting an offen-sive odor. We’ve heard this is one of thebest-selling applications used as a gift. Betyou know somebody to give Skunk Dunkto.

Stuff Yo Face: This app calculates howmany calories you’ve burned on a ride andthen suggests the appropriate amount offood to consume after the ride. It can beprogrammed for bakery, burger, pizza orMexican food and, using the GPS feature,will actually order you the meal from alocal restaurant so it is ready when youarrive.

Ride It Off: The same as Stuff Yo Faceexcept it tells you how long you have toride to burn off the pizza, burrito anddonuts you ate yesterday.

Leave Me Alone: My favorite. It dis-ables all the other programs and lets youenjoy your ride. ❑

He cannot remember his iPhone

number, so you’ll have to reach

Jimmy Mac by e-mailing him at

[email protected].

Visiting The Application Store

F A S T E R , N O M A T T E R T H E T E R R A I N .

Designed for riders who appreciate the superior performance and quality of a lightweight, hand-built wheelset,

Bontrager XXX, RXL, and Rhythm Pro wheels help you climb with less effort, accelerate out of switchbacks more

quickly, and descend with greater confidence and control. Whether you’re looking for the lightest option for your

29er or an incredibly strong cross country wheelset for your trail bike, Bontrager has the perfect wheelset for the

way you ride. Upgrade your ride to the legendary performance of Bontrager wheels.

BONTRAGER.COM

© 2009 TREK BICYCLE CORPORATION

The Power of 4The four most innovative brands in cycling have come together behind one singular goal: to craft the most advanced 2x10 cross country group ever: XX™

A complete group that weighs in at less than 2300 grams. The fastest, cleanest shifting in mountain biking. More options and adjustability than ever before. New patented technologies. Praised by the best riders in the world. Faster. Lighter. The game has changed.

© 2009 SRAM, LLC

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HARD TALES

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Going Big With SpecializedSpecialized introduces their long-travel line in Whistler

n our October issue we brought you a first look atSpecialized’s refined and redesigned cross-country andtrailbike lines from Snowbird, Utah. For their gravity

bikes, Specialized hosted media from around the world atWhistler Mountain, the world’s premiere gravity park.

Whistler was the ideal spot for throwing a leg over the fifthgeneration of the Enduro all-mountain trailbike, and the Big

Hit and Demo downhill bikes. Along with ripping throughWhistler on Specialized’s latest downhill creations, we hadthe opportunity to ride with Specialized team riders SamHill, Brendan Fairclough, Matt Hunter and DarrenBerrecloth.

We’ve included highlights of Specialized’s 2010long-travel bikes in this month’s “Hard Tales.”

SPECIALIZED DEMO 8 IIAt first glance, the 2010 Demo 8 II downhill race bike may not

appear to have undergone any changes other than new Teamgraphics. Not true! Specialized altered the D8’s geometry to meetthe demands of their World Cup downhillers Sam Hill andBrendan Fairclough. The new Demo 8 has a 1.5-inch head tubeand features the refined “Team” geometry with a lower bottombracket, slacker seat tube angle and integrated bearing head tubefor a lower handlebar height. In order to achieve the geometrytweaks, Specialized had to basically redesign the entire Demo 8frame. The Demo 8 is built up with a Fox Shox DHX RC4 coilshock, a 29-inch-wide handlebar, the air-sprung RockShoxBoxxer World Cup, and custom Avid Code brakes. You’ve heardus sing the praises for Specialized’s downhill tires, but we’re notthe only ones who know their capabilities. Sam Hill and BrendanFairclough are free to run any tires they choose, and they preferto run Specialized’s downhill rubber. The 2010 Specialized Demo8 is equipped with a Specialized Clutch front tire and aSpecialized Chunder rear tire.

We’ve ridden nearly every generation of the Demo 8 line, andwe can say without a doubt the revised 2010 has the most activerear suspension to date, which means you’ll have more controlon high-speed rugged terrain. Specialized says the completeDemo 8 II package weighs in at 38.5 pounds.

Performance tune:The Demo 8’s FSRsuspension separatessuspension actuationfrom the wheel path.How progressive thesuspension feels isgoverned by the sub-seat stay driving theshock.

Race-specific: The 2010 Specialized Demo 8 features race-orientedfixed geometry, such as the 64-degree head angle and a 13.5-inchbottom bracket.

SPECIALIZED SX TRAILOne of the most versatile and popular long-travel bikes,

the SX Trail sees some major revisions for the 2010 modelyear. Most noticeably is the straightened-up top tube. Theframe has trimmed down by a quarter of a pound thanks tonew tubing and shock mount configuration. The bike parkoriented SX Trail now has a 29.5-inch-wide handlebar,Specialized’s Clutch tires with the SX casing, FSA Gravitycranks and a Gamut shiftable chainguide.

A favorite of Specialized team riders Darren Berreclothand Matt Hunter, The SX Trail has dialed geometry forthrowing big tricks or charging technical downhill terrain.

Built to go big: With relaxed geometry and short chainstays, theSX Trail is an agile long-travel machine built to shred bike parks.The 2010 SX Trail is claimed to weigh about 36.5 pounds.

Badge of honor:Specialized cold forgesframe junctions thatconnect the bike, suchas the head tube, tomaximize framestrength.

Trail tuned: The SX Trail is equippedwith the new Fox Shox RC4 shockfeaturing a custom yoke that goesaround the seat tube.

I

22 www.mbaction.com

HARD TALES

S-WORKS ENDUROThe fifth generation of the Specialized Enduro gets a com-

pletely redesigned six-inch-travel “X-Wing” carbon fiber frameand custom-tuned Fox RP23BV shock with Fox’s Boost Valvetechnology. Specialized says the size medium S-Works Enduroweighs 26.8 pounds without pedals.

The new frame aligns the shock and the seat stay forincreased rear-end rigidity, and the drivetrain features a cus-tom Shimano double ring 22/36 cranks and a Gamut shiftablechainguide.

Specialized ditched their dual-crown fork found on the high-end Enduros over the lastfew years, opting for the air-sprung, single-crownSpecialized E160 FutureShock fork. It has adjustabletravel from 5.3 and 6.3 inch-es and a 20-millimeterMaxle thru-axle, and aclaimed weight of just 3.9pounds.

Claimed to come in atunder 27 pounds, the S-Works Enduro is anextremely capable bike, as itcan crest the toughest climbsand roar through technicaldescents.

SPECIALIZED BIG HITIf you’re looking for a capable

downhill or park bike but are on alimited budget, the seven-inch-travelBig Hit was made for you. The BigHit uses technology that has trickleddown from the Demo line of bikes tocreate an affordable downhillmachine. The Big Hit III featuresSpecialized’s FSR suspension and hasgeometry dialed in for aggressiveriding and agile handling. The BigHit III features a Fox DHX 4.0 shockand a RockShox Domain fork with a20-millimeter Maxle thru-axle. TheBig Hit is equipped with a 29.5-inch-wide handlebar and Specialized’sClutch downhill tires.

Do-it-all: The 6.3-inch-travelEnduro is built to conquer

whatever the mountain throwsyour way, including technical

climbs and challenging down-hills. The Specialized Eskar

tires and adjustable CommandPost seatpost speak to the

Enduro’s versatility.

Cool cap: No part of the 2010 S-Works Enduro wasleft unrevised, including this ultra-lightweight top cap.

Specialized

24 www.mbaction.com

keeping agile handling, plus you getmore fork travel. It would look funny,but 29ers look funny anyway, so, noharm, no foul.

Jonathan DoddsKansas City, Missouri

YEAR OF 29I just read Richard Cunningham’s

August “Happy Trails” about this beingthe year of the 29er. I agree with all ofthe 29er advantages, but disagree thatthe 26-inch-wheeled hardtail will be“left without a chair.” Having lived inthe West and now the Midwest, I havelearned that the location and local ter-rain should decide what type of moun-tain bike best suits a rider’s needs. If Iwere still living in Idaho, the bike I’dplan to buy would be a long-travel 26eror short-travel 29er, because the terrainis rough and technical. Here in Iowa,our trails are hardpack with short hillsand tight switches. There are a fewsmall drops and logs to ride over, butnothing big. Riding these trails withsuspension or big wheels makes it tooeasy and takes away the challenge andthe reason I love mountain biking.Riding anything other than a 26erhardtail on my trails would be just likeriding on the road. It is for this reasonmy new mountain bike in 2010 will bea Specialized Stumpjumper Comp HTwith 26-inch wheels.

Jonathan OlsonCedar Rapids, Iowa

LOCKED UPI was very surprised to read in the

August “Inside Line” that riding with aFox fork locked out causes prematurewear and is not recommended. I havebeen riding my Titus Racer X with theFox 32 F-Series RLC fork locked andthe blow-off threshold set low for aboutsix months (ever since another MBAarticle recommended this very setup.)MBA editors said that this setup is con-sidered to be the best all-around aggres-

GOING BIGGERI was reading Richard

Cunningham’s August “Happy Trails”and thinking about his obvious addic-tion to 29ers. I could not help thinkingthat he is already a generation behind.Everyone knows the real future is in32ers. The 32er size will easily carryyou over any obstacle, including curbs,stumps and Smart cars. The contactpatch delivers insane grip, even withlightly knobbed tires, allowing smoothrolling and high traction. Sure, it willtake frame designers and componentmanufacturers a little to optimizeeverything, but at this size, 1.5 inchesof travel will feel like five inches on aless wheeled bike. The 32er will alsoallow for radical simplification of thedrivetrain. There will be a need foronly a 1x9 drivetrain with a grannyout front. This will primarily be usedfor climbing, as the momentum fromthe 32er will carry the rider over anyflat and downhill section once up tospeed. Yes, change is always difficult,but once riders get a hold of the 32er,nothing else will do. Okay, I think27.5-inch wheels are a better answer,but could not resist.

Jeff BradleyDenver, Colorado

96er BACKWARDSI don’t care for 29ers, but I see them

as acceptable from a scientific stand-point. A bigger wheel will increasepedaling efficiency and have a bettercontact patch, etc. The flipside is youhave extra weight, decreased agilityand slightly slower responses on thefront end.

My random thought is this. Run a29er frame with a 29-inch rear wheelto take advantage of the bigger contactpatch. Then run a fork with 1.5 inchesmore travel than intended for thebike’s frame and run a 26-inch wheelup front! This would maintain theintended geometry of the frame while

BEND IN THE ROADOur friend Jim (the guy on the

right) is getting ready to return from aseven-year stint in Germany. Afterreading your article about Bend,Oregon, (MBA, May 2009), Jim addedBend to his short list of places to settle.He flew back on a scouting missionand asked my husband, myself and ourmutual friend, Gordon, from Phoenix,Arizona, to join him. We started nearMt. Bachelor and rode the WhoopsTrail to this convergence of trailsmarked with a red Phoenix (the localssay it’s a magical place). After ridingthe sweet, twisting singletrack throughthe pine forests, we have to agree. Jimbought a house in Bend before the biketrip was over.

Linda StraubBoise Idaho

sive trail-riding tune and found onnumerous pros’ bikes. Moreover, Fox’sowner’s manual recommends that rid-ers leave their fork in the locked-outposition. So what gives?

David YardenNewbury Park, CaliforniaLockout is no longer an on/off switch

on most new suspension components(although it can be adjusted to feel thatway). The damage outlined in Fox’sanswer (bushing wear, performance dete-rioration and oil breakdown) is causedby extensive lockout use when the lockoutforce adjustment is set near or at itsmaximum resistance. Fox does not rec-ommend this setting for extended use(and neither do we). Reducing the lock-out force and riding with the lockoutlever engaged is a recommendation thatFox and MBA have suggested for riderswho want a firm riding fork. Neverengaging the lockout and instead adjust-ing the low-speed compression is anotherway to arrive at close to the same ridecharacteristic.

TRAILGRAMS

TAKING SHOTSGreat write up on the Tomac

Snyper (MBA, August 2009). Ourentire fleet of Tomac Bikes is on itssecond full season of racing without asingle frame failure. Some of thesebikes are even from 2004 when theywere retired from racers like JeremyHorgan-Kobelski and Dave Wiens.These bikes are still raced almostevery weekend. Charles Libolt (ProDH), Austin and Cody Benge (U-23),and Jim Roff (Cat 1) regularly racedownhill and slalom/4-Cross on theirSnypers if the course dictates a faster,shorter-travel bike. Vanessa Humic(Cat 1) has landed podium spots indownhill, cross-country and Super D,all on her two-year-old carbon Tomac

STAY AFTER SCHOOLI can tell from the August “Mac

Attack” that you get it. It’s true thatthunder in the distance is getting loud-er! You can’t go to a race (NorCal orSoCal) and not be swept up. It’s inter-esting to see where SoCal started atthis year and where NorCal is now. Itwas also eye opening for the SoCal kidswho went to the first state champi-onship as they saw the “promisedland” of large fields and deep, high-level racing. They saw what SoCal willbecome. But the fantastic thing aboutthe state championship is that, eventhough the level of sophistication washigher in NorCal, the spirit was thesame. Everyone was helpful, welcom-ing and hugely passionate. In my mind,the high school movement is the futureof the sport. And 25 years from now,when these kids have kids, it will beeven more magnified!

Matt GunnellExecutive DirectorSoCal Interscholastic Cycling League

Write us at [email protected] or hard copy us at MBA Trailgrams,25233 Anza Drive, Valencia, CA 91355. Trailgrams tip of the month: Theamount of pressure you apply to your brake levers depends on the surface youare riding. The worst braking technique is locking either wheel. Keeping thewheels rolling is the key to control. A locked-up wheel cannot be steered.

DANGER ABOVEJohn Neiley (August “Trail Mix”)

probably had Steve’s Loop to himself,because off in the distance it looks likethere was a storm a brewing. Being outthere in an electrical storm is notwhere I’d want to be. The lightning isone thing, but it is the risk of flashfloods that would worry me. TheSteve’s Loop and Mary’s Loop trail sys-tem winds its way in and aroundcanyons and washes where flash flood-ing is prevalent. Just a little safety tipfor those unfamiliar with the risks ofriding in the backcountry.

Andrew JarolimekMcKinleyville, California

Carbide. Thanks to Joel Smith andeveryone affiliated with Tomac Bikesfor looking after people who love toride and race, whether they arebeginners or pros.

Chris SharpTeam DirectorBackbone Adventure Cycling

NEW TEAMA company who wanted to form a

mountain bike team approached me. Iremembered reading the story aboutstarting a team (MBA, July 2009) andgrabbed the issue. It’s been a great helpwith getting ideas and knowing whatto do. We now have a bike companybacking us and a shop offering dealson parts and service. We are a smallsquad of four riders from a Cat 3Clydesdale to a first-year Cat 1 rider.Thanks for a great article and support-ing grassroots mountain biking.

Kerry WaldmanRodder Racing ❏


MBA,August

, 2009

26 www.mbaction.com

TRAIL MIX

��

Our bikes during the bumpy

trek down to Gooseberry Mesa

near Hurricane, Utah.

Shalyn and Jason Gates

Temecula, California

This is the coolest mistake I’ve ever made with a camera. I went out for a

night ride in the fresh snow and wanted a self-portrait. I set the timer on the

camera and set the camera to night-mode. After the red light flashed like it

usually does, I thought the camera was done, but it wasn’t. The shutter

sound went off as I picked up the cam, and I thought I had a useless picture

of my palm. Not true at all.

Eric Whiteside

East of Osan AB, South Korea

��

��

While mountain biking the NewHartford Town Park Trail system inNew York, I came across a field of tril-liums in bloom. I leaned my bikeagainst a tree so that I could take thepicture with my cell phone.

Peter InserraOriskany, New York

After having crawled through the concrete jungles ofTokyo Metropolis for one sultry day, my bike, Marin,eventually found what was all around that could helpmake it get going on...love.

Chaturong YongsiriTokyo, Japan

http://www.feltbicycles.com

Used to be, you had to choose. Balanced, confidence-inspiring trail bike or quick and agile race whip. Now you can have both in one race-ready package. The all-new 22.5-pound Felt Nine Team, with a superior Ultra High Modulus (UHM) carbon fiber frame that’s custom designed to make the most of its 29-inch wheels. The Nine Team is one of five new bikes in Felt’s 2010 Nine series.

Go big. Go fast. Go Felt.

TRAIL MIX

28 www.mbaction.com

��

��

A photo taken after a long dayriding the Palo Duro Canyon locatedin the Texas Panhandle. A greatplace to ride and camp.

Rick KiefferAustin, Texas

Are there any bad trails in Tahoe?Riding through Big Meadow.

Brian Bartholomew Santa Clara, California

��

My ’05 Norco Six in its element,Alpine Country, Pemberton, B.C.,Canada. All mountain...all of it.

Cookie BloseeVancouver, B.C., Canada

30 www.mbaction.com

TRAIL MIX

��

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This is the view enjoyed by my Specializedand me from the top of Santiago Peak, at5700 feet, the highest peak of the SaddlebackMountain range in Orange County,California. Clouds were around 4000 feet, soit felt like being in an airplane looking downat the clouds. It took over four hours to gethere, and it was worth all the effort.

Jeff EalesMission Viejo, California

BECOME ALMOST FAMOUSWe want to make you a star. Here’s how: 1) Image file size needs to be 600 KB or

larger.2) Tell us what is going on in your photo

(include names).3) Include your name and the city and

state where you live.4) E-mail it to Trail Mix

([email protected]).Trail Mix rider of the month: Matt Fritzinger ❑

Nothing compares to Moab, Utah, for the trails, views and people.I recently completed six days of riding that words can’t describe andpictures that don’t do it justice.

Kell Heikoop and Daryl Goodfellow Burlington Ontario, Canada

32 www.mbaction.com

THRASH TESTS

Wish the air compressor in yourgarage had a presta valve adaptor soyou didn’t have to hand pump everypresta-valved tube and tubeless tire?PrestaFlator gives you that adaptor—and a lot more.Tech features: The PrestaFlator

connects to your air compressor with areplaceable I/M compressor quick-release attachment. It has a cast alu-minum pistol grip handle with bead-blasted finish. A two-finger, variable-rate trigger valve controls airflow. Anair gauge (up to 174psi) is protected ina rubber housing. The brass prestachuck is rebuildable. The tool willwork on presta and Schrader valves.The PrestaFlator sells for $39.95, andthe company offers an array of accesso-ry attachments and rebuild kits.

You can reach PrestaFlator at(518) 577-2150.

Lazer Helmets knows that no twoheads are the same, and instead ofdesigning a helmet with a liner thatmight favor one type of head over anoth-er, they came up with an idea to fiteverybody.Tech features: The $175 Genesis RD

Race helmet has an internal fitting har-ness that Lazer calls the Rollsys. Plopthe helmet on and turn a dial (poppingup from the shell near the rear of thehelmet) to adjust the harness to the sizeand shape of your noggin. The helmet’sliner and shell are in-molded (they startproduction as two pieces and come outas one). The helmet has 19 vents. Padsare removable for easy cleaning. Thehelmet weighed ten ounces. You canreach Lazer at (952) 236-4440.

After the thrashing: The firsttime we used the PrestaFlator, weblew a loose-fitting Kenda Nevegaltire right off the rim. After the ring-ing in our ears had subsided and wehad collected the shards of rubberfrom the ripped tube, we tookPrestaFlator’s instructions moreseriously. It says right there in themanual to take it easy with a lighttrigger squeeze when adding air. Fromthat point on, we filled tires and tubes

without incident (or breaking asweat). The PrestaFlator really comesin handy for tires that just don’t wantto seat properly. The PrestaFlatormade short work of those jobs. Wefound the tool’s gauge to be accurate,and the big printing makes it easy toread. The PrestaFlator feels like a toolthat will last for years. Get one andyou will have the most popular garageon the block.

After the thrashing: The Rollsys fit-ting system is not a cute gimmick. TheRollsys dial reels in or takes out a tinymonofilament line that runs through thehelmet’s fit pads. We didn’t have troublefitting any of the wrecking crew with asingle helmet. Lazer was also niceenough to use different colors for theretention straps so it is easier to knowwhich strap to pull on when adjusting.The helmet feels light and offers ade-quate coverage for cross-country racingor trail riding. Some riders will experi-ence slight changes in their head sizeduring rides due to temperatures (of theenvironment and their bodies). Theseriders will love the Rollsys, because theycan adjust the fit on the fly. The GenesisRD 1 Race is highly recommended forriders who have had fit issues with con-ventional helmets.

Thrash test rating:★★★★★ Perfection★★★★✩ Delivers above average value and performance★★★✩✩ Recommended for intended application★★✩✩✩ Shows potential but has drawbacks★✩✩✩✩ Save your hard-earned bucks

PRESTAFLATOR

Never have to pump again★★★✩✩

LAZER GENESIS RD 1 RACE★★★✩✩For the hard-to-fit head


A must-have accessory in your clothing arsenal is a high-quality riding vest. A vest will help you survive a cold ridein comfort and may get you out of a bad situation.Woolrich offers the $70 Weatherchaser Vest that is ready todo both.

Tech features: The Weatherchaser Vest has a 100-percent Polyester Microfiber shell and 90/10 poly-ester/cotton liner. It is available in Cinder, Burnt Orangeor Tidal colors in sizes medium through XX-large. The vesthas a full-length zipper, three zippered pockets and a 2.5-inch-tall collar. The vest (size large) will increase yourhydration pack load by 11 ounces. You can reach Woolrichat (800) 995-1299.

After the thrashing: This is not a cycling-specific vest,so why did we like it so much? It’s warm. The shell does agreat job of blocking the wind, and the thin liner holdsbody warmth in. We were caught by a surprise cold snapwhile on an overnighter, and the Weatherchaser was thewarmest item we had next to leg and arm warmers. We arehappy to report that it kept us toasty in mid-30-degreetemps. The construction is impeccable. It’s hard to believethat we are headed into fall, but that’s why we opted forthe Burnt Orange color. That color helps eliminate you asa target during hunting season. One tip is to buy one sizesmaller than usual if you are looking for a snug cycling fit.

Continental brand tires are good enough for the first fami-ly in downhill racing—the Athertons. The new Kaiser tireshave a downhill-specific tread pattern and sell for $75 each.

Tech features: The Kaiser features a double-walled,three-ply casing, and is constructed with Conti’s special softand tacky Black Chili compound. The Kaiser is sold in onlya 2.5-inch width and for 26-inch wheels. The ramped centerknobs are designed for minimal rolling resistance, whilebroad shoulder knobs provide cornering bite. TheContinental Kaiser tires weigh two pounds, three ounceseach. (877) 395-8088.

After the thrashing: From a distance, the Kaiser tirelooks better suited for a monster truck than a mountainbike, so the first thing we did was weigh the tire side-by-sidewith proven downhill treads—the Maxxis 2.5-inch 3C HighRoller and Specialized’s 2.5-inch S-Works Chunder. Despiteits appearance, the Continental Kaiser was six ounces lighterthan the Maxxis High Roller and ten ounces lighter than theSpecialized Chunder.

The Kaiser does not roll as fast as other downhill tires onhardpacked terrain, but in loose, rocky and damp conditions,it blew us away. This is a tire built for the dynamic terrainof the World Cup circuit, and it showed its capabilities onthe steepest and rockiest trails. The tacky Black Chili com-pound maintains excellent traction through slick rock gar-dens and high-speed off-camber corners. Despite the Kaiserbeing significantly lighter than other top downhill tires, wehad only one pinch-flat puncture during testing. TheKaiser’s superb performance on steep, technical terrain andits relatively light weight make it the ultimate sleeper indownhill race rubber.

CONTINENTAL KAISER TIRE★★★★✩Tires handmade in Germany

WOOLRICH WEATHERCHASER VEST★★★✩✩It does more than keep you warm

THRASH TESTS

34 www.mbaction.com

The Oakley Retro Grip hoody is designed for riding inbreezy weather, but is stylish enough to be worn off the bikeas well. The Retro Grip hoody sells for $85.Tech features: Made from 100-percent polyester, the

Retro Grip has a special pocket for your media player and aport for your earphone cables. It has a fixed hood, thumb-hole cuffs, and the Retro Grip gets its name from the graphicon the chest. If you look closely, you’ll see it’s a closeup shotof Oakley’s first product, a grip for a motocross bike. Oakley,(800) 431-1439.After the thrashing: To be honest, this is one product

we didn’t want to completely “thrash,” because it’s a stylishand versatile product that we hope to wear for months tocome. The Retro Grip hoody is perfect for cool weather ridesand commutes, as polyester doesn’t absorb sweat, and thethumbholes will keep the sleeves in place when you’re pin-ning down the trail. We regularly found ourselves reachingfor the Retro Grip hoody and stashing it into our hydrationpack before rides instead of our old standby jacket. The bestaspect of the Retro Grip hoody is that it can function as abrisk-weather riding jacket and fit the bill for casual wear.

OAKLEY RETRO GRIP FLEECE HOODY★★★✩✩Stylish performance outerwear

SPECIALIZED PHENOM SL SADDLE★★★★✩Road-race style turned dirty

Specialized took the high-performancequalities of their elite road racing Toupésaddle and adapted them to cross-coun-try riding and racing. The Phenom SLsells for $150.Tech features: The Phenom saddle

features Specialized’s Body Geometrydesign to assure blood flow to a man’ssensitive areas. The carbon-reinforcedshell is tuned for sitbone flex and ismore rigid than the Toupé road saddle.The Phenom has a snag-free recessedcuff, and the down-turned perch isdesigned for seated climbing. The hol-low titanium rails support the ultra-light,dual-density foam padding, and thecover has a water-resistant Micromatrixcover. The Phenom SL is available in

two widths, 130- and 143-millimeters,and weighs 6.7 ounces (130-millimeterversion). Specialized, (877) 808-8154.After the thrashing: The saddle is

often an overlooked component of themountain bike, which is unfortunate,because besides being a contact pointbetween you and your bike, it greatlyinfluences your position on the bike andcan reduce the aches and pains associat-ed with long rides. All of the featuresSpecialized set out to address with therace-oriented Phenom are evident whenon the bike. You may not necessarilynotice the increased blood flow, butrelieving pressure on certain nervesreduces numbness. The sloping nose ofthe saddle is important, because it does-n’t interfere with the male anatomy and

allows your hips and lower back tocurve in a natural manner.

The rounded corners and top coveron the Phenom mean you won’t snagyour shorts on the edges of the saddlewhen moving front to back and side toside. Often we reached for theSpecialized Phenom SL after riding atest bike with a saddle that caused lowerback pain or excessive numbness, and itremedied the problem.

If you’re unfamiliar with Specialized’sBody Geometry products, we recom-mend visiting a dealer to see if the gearcan improve the quality of your ride. ❑

GETTING TUBEDDoes it matter what tubes I use in my tires?Danny MacroneRedmond, OregonShort and sweet. That is how we like “Inside Line”

questions. Your to-the-point question is something veryfew riders pay much attention to. That’s why we con-tacted a guy who devotes most of his attention to thesubject. Jim Wannamaker, Kenda’s North AmericanBicycle Division marketing director, explains theimportance of picking and using the right tube.

Does it matter what tubes you use in your tires? Absolutely.To begin with, you need the appropriate tube size for your tire.Check the sidewall of the tire for this information. If the tire ismarked 26x2.35, then use a corresponding size, such as a26x2~2.4 tube. This will fit best.

A tube is a bag that holds air and will fit the cavity it isplaced in. So a 2.3~2.4 tube will fit the 2.35 tire pretty easilyand not give you grief. If you take that same tire marked 2.35and insert a tube that is marked 26x1.75~1.95, the tube willfit, but it will be undersized. Once the undersized tube isinflated inside the tire, it will stretch and thin out its wallthickness. This is when you are more likely to have a blowoutor become more susceptible to a puncture, as the tube is verythin.

If you use a larger tube, say 2.5~2.7, in this same 2.35 tire,the first problem is mounting it and getting it to fit inside thechannel of the rim and the tire. You will have trouble gettingthe tire on the rim with this oversize tube. And once on andinflated, it will be heavy and may not roll as true as a tirewith the correct size tube in it.

The next thing to take into consideration is the type of rid-ing you are doing. Tire and tube manufacturers make tubes indifferent wall thicknesses for different purposes. Tube wallthickness can range from a very thin 0.45-millimeters to athick 2.25-millimeters (these are Kenda sizes). Obviously, thethicker the wall, the harder it is to puncture the tube, but alsothe heavier the tube becomes. And tubes can come with asealant inside them to seal punctures.

What tube to use? A downhill or gravity rider with a big-hit bike most likely will have 26x2.5 or larger tires on hisbike. The ideal tube for this tire is one that has a thicker wallof rubber, and this would be a 1.2- or 2.25-millimeter thick-

ness (these are Kendathicknesses. Othermakers may have dif-ferent thicknesses). Afast cross-countryracer may want toshave weight, so hecould opt for a thinnerwall tube (0.73-mil-limeters) compared toa standard wall thick-ness. The typical week-end warrior will dobest with a normalwall (0.95-millime-ters) thickness tube.

Keep in mind yourweight, riding type,bike type, where you ride and the air pressure you run. Eachone of these has an impact on what tire/tube combination isright for you. A 220-pound rider has different needs from a150-pound rider. Someone who is really hard on the bike needsto consider the forces applied to the tire/tube.

The fork and shock of a dual-suspension bike will absorbmore of the bumps and keep the wheels on the ground betterthan a hardtail bike. Hence the tire may wear faster. Ridingwhere there are lots of sticks and sharp-edged rocks is differentfrom riding on hardpack or soft dirt trails.

Nothing affects the ride more than air pressure. Tubes withno air mean you are not going anywhere. Tubes with 40 psi(pounds per square inch) mean you can pedal, but you maybounce too much. Start high and lower the air pressure byincrements of 2 psi until you feel a better ride.

Finally, try to use tire and tube products from the samemanufacturer. Why? Many manufacturers have different waysof calculating size, and if you have a tire marked 26x2.10 fromone company and a tube from another marked “Fits26x1.75~2.35,” you may run into difficulties. It is like shirtsand shoes. Companies have different measuring methods. Onecompany’s large is another company’s medium. One compa-ny’s size 10 is another company’s size 11. So you have to checkthem out as to what is a good fit. ❑

INSIDE LINE


36 www.mbaction.com

INSIDE LINE

Got a question about mountain biking? Send it to “Inside Line” and let some of the most know-ledgeable folks who ride answer it for you. E-mail your question to [email protected], and we’llget it answered.

WHAT A DRAG, PART III ride a five-inch-travel, 2007 Specialized Stumpjumper

equipped with a Fox fork that adjusts from 5.5 inchesdown to 3.1 inches of travel. When I’m climbing and dropthe fork to its lowest travel setting, I immediately feel dragin the drivetrain. Pop it back to full travel and the drag isgone. What is going on? Is there a way to prevent thisfeeling?

Dan NewmanSacramento, CaliforniaWe ran this question in our May 2009 issue, and

many riders wrote to say they felt the same sensationas Dan. David Roman of Thousand Oaks, California,who is a schoolteacher by trade, put some thought intothe phenomenon and came up with this explanation.

I have an explanation for the sensation of drag when lower-ing a fork for climbing. The reason is actually fairly simple.The force that propels the bike forward is transferred forwardfrom the center of the rear wheel in a straight line from therear axle to the front axle (i.e., parallel to the ground, whetheron an incline or level ground). This “straight-forward” forcepushes the front wheel forward at the axle. Because the frontend (fork/head tube) is at an angle to that forward force, theforce acting on the front end is split into vertical and horizon-tal vectors (shown below). The slacker the head angle, themore force going toward the vertical vector, which is whyslack/long-travel bikes tend to wheelie (succumb to the verticalforce) or at least get squirrelly on steep climbs.

Conversely, the steeper head angle when the fork is loweredmeans more of the force is transferred into the horizontal vec-tor. The reason for the drag is that the horizontal vector ispointing into the incline (i.e., there’s more force trying todrive the bike into the mountain, instead of moving you upit.) Add in the fact that the rider usually shifts his weight for-ward while climbing, thus compressing the fork and steepen-ing the head tube, and the effect is even more pronounced.

The benefit of lowering the fork is that it puts the rider in abetter position for effective and powerful pedaling, but thetrade-off is that it also increases the horizontal vector of theforce pushing forward on the front wheel.

As a quick experiment to demonstrate the effect, place abook on an incline (simulating the incline of the mountain).Place a pencil (eraser side down) on the book and hold thepencil toward the top. The pencil represents the front end(head tube/fork) of the bike. With a finger on your otherhand, apply horizontal force (not parallel to the book’sincline, but perfectly horizontal) near the bottom of the pencil.Try it with the pencil at different angles. The steeper theangle, the more the pencil pushes into the book and, thus, themore force required to move the pencil up the incline. Theslacker the angle, the more easily the pencil moves up theincline, until the angle becomes too slack and it just rotatesupwards (like a slack bike doing a wheelie on a climb).

Hopefully, the image and the experiment will demonstratethe simplicity of the concept.

ww

w.form

ula

-brake.c

om

351g

A well-rounded brake at a

competi t ive price. At 351g

(160mm rotor, front, post mount),

the RX is a lightweight brake

with the power to handle all of

your XC, Trail , All-Mountain,

and Enduro needs. Featuring a

1-piece caliper, the RX delivers

impressive modulation and power.

Experience the value of Formula’s

RX on your next ride.

38 www.mbaction.com

MBA est

Switzerland’s Long-Travel TrailbikeInterpretation BMC TrailFox 01

WHICH COMPONENTS STAND OUT?With its over-the-top design and engineering, you’d expect

that the TrailFox 01 would be outfitted with a flashier-than-necessary component group. Not the case. BMC splurgeswhere performance must never be compromised (Fox RacingShox suspension, DT Swiss X 1800 wheels and Schwalbetires). BMC then opted for Shimano’s workhorse XT groupfor the TF01’s drivetrain and brakes. For the cockpit, BMCspecs its home-designed Scor Race saddle, seatpost, stem andbar.

HOW DOES IT PERFORM?BMC’s TrailFox 01 takes a mile or so to make friends

with. At first, the chassis feels tall and its geometrytoo cross-country to be taken seriously by those

with a ride-aggressively-or-go-home attitude.However, the first-time TrailFox rider quicklydiscovers that BMC knows a lot about trailriding.

Pedaling: The TrailFox’s rear suspensiondips slightly with every pedal stroke, but itseffect on performance is negligible, so we werenot tempted to flip the shock’s ProPedal lever

on except during long climbs orendless fire road sessions.

Use the Fox fork’sTALAS travel adjust-

ment to furtherbrighten theTrailFox’s climbingperformance. TheBMC’s steeringresponds morequickly with the

fork travel short-ened, and the slightly

steeper effective seatangle leaves your legs

feeling fresher on steepclimbs.

On the trail: Steering feelsquicker than we have come to expect from a 68-degree headangle, probably due to the TrailFox’s short, 90-millimeterstem and mid-width handlebar. Drop the air pressure in thejumbo-sized Schwalbe tires to 28 psi front and 30 rear, andthey roll faster than many 2.0-inch cross-country tires, butwith gobs of traction in reserve for steep climbs and fast cor-ners. The bike’s ride-everything-from-the-middle handlingmakes any type of ride a delight, because the rider is alwaysin the sweet spot for climbing traction, balanced corneringor hard braking. The front end can feel light up steep grades,but this is due more to the abundance of grip afforded by the2.4-inch tires than a flaw in the bike’s geometry.

Descending: Open up the TrailFox 01’s suspension andlet it rip. The BMC rolls smoothly over some gnarly bumps,and it keeps the tires on the ground around fast corners.The feel of the BMC is trustworthy, but if you push it deepinto the realm of a black-diamond bike, bouncing throughboulder fields and sticking bad landings from sizable jumps,

BMC hails from Switzerland and is a name thatAmerican riders will be hearing more of. Its presi-dent, Andy Rihs, is a Swiss visionary who believes

that the only way to succeed is to make every design anover-the-top effort. The BMC TrailFox 01 is a stunningexpression of this belief.

WHO IS IT MADE FOR?Trail riders seeking a longer-travel machine will find the

BMC a near-perfect blend of aggressive and efficient quali-ties.

WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?The TrailFox 01 is an aluminum-framed work of art,

crafted with triple-butted tubes that are so wildly profiled

and manipulated that it rivals the curvy linesof cutting-edge, carbon fiber designs. BMC gave the TrailFox01 5.5 inches of suspension travel on both ends with theirown rendition of the ever-popular dual-link rear suspension.

The beautiful BMC’s design features are beyond skindeep, as evidenced by its upper rocker link and bottombracket assembly, which are created by welding mated alu-minum forgings together. This construction method resultsin lightweight, yet rigid, structures. The TF01’s dropouts aresimilarly constructed, with the rear brake caliper cleanlyintegrated into the left-side forging (BMC calls this “NaturalBorn Post Mount”).

Other BMC treats can be found at the head tube, wherethe headset bearings are integrated into the frame, and at theseat tube/seat stay junction, where BMC works some metalmagic to split the top tube into a tubular Y-shape to rein-force the area. BMC’s wrap-around, quick-release seat tubeclamp is quite impressive. The frame and shock can be hadfor $2249.

Switch hitter: The BMC will climbsmoothly without switching on theFox RP2 shock’s ProPedal feature,but the addition of the pedal plat-form gives the TrailFox 01 an ener-getic feel under power.


an aggressive rider will notice flex in its rear suspension.Speed control is not an issue aboard the TrailFox, becausethe seven-inch rotors and fat rubber make for impressivebraking. Shimano gets high marks for its no-rub XT discbrakes. XTR and XT stoppers usually develop a rub at leastonce during a day’s ride, but not this time. They wereresponsive and powerful without being grabby.

TRICKS, UPGRADES OR TIPS?We hit upon one troublesome detail that was probably an

assembly mistake at the factory. The left-side retainingscrews backed out of the suspension’s lower pivot linkage,twice. A call to BMC North America netted new screws andhelped us find the root of the problem. It seems that the alu-minum screws should have been secured with a thread-lock-ing fluid. Our TrailFox pivot bolts were assembled withgrease. A thorough cleaning of the pivot assembly and theapplication of some thread locker was an easy fix.

Most accomplished bike handlers will toss the TrailFox’snarrow 25-inch handlebar and opt for a wider one. Finally,riders who are more gravity oriented will accuse BMCdesigners of making the chassis too lightweight for no-com-promise descending.

BUYING ADVICERiding the BMC TrailFox 01 was an unexpected pleasure.

Its performance is well-suited for all-day rides over technicalterrain, and its easy-going manners and smooth-riding sus-pension make the hours pass by in a most enjoyable fashion.BMC’s long-travel trailbike joins MBA favorites like theGiant Trance for do-it-all, cross-country performance. ❑

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Quick, like a fox: Brisk steering and a light feel at the pedalsmake the BMC TrailFox 01 a great choice for racer types whoare making the transition to a dedicated trailbike.

Trailbike Interpretation

BMC’ing: (Clockwise fromtop) BMC uses a dual-linksuspension configured muchlike Giant’s Maestro system.Paired halves, which are thenwelded together, form a light-weight and rigid rocker link.The same construction tech-nique is used for the bottombracket shell. Shimano XTdisc brakes delivered no-drag and right-now stoppingperformance.

BMC TRAILFOX 01Price $4499Country of origin TaiwanWeight 29 poundsHotline (952) 941-9391Frame tested 18.5" (medium)Bottom bracket height 13"Chainstay length 17.125"Top tube length 23"Head tube angle 68°Seat tube angle 73°Standover height 30"Wheelbase 44.25"Suspension travel (front) 5.5"Suspension travel (rear) 5.5"Frame material AluminumFork Fox 32TALAS 140Shock Fox Float RP2Rims DT Swiss X1800Tires Schwalbe Nobby Nic (2.4")Hub DT Swiss X1800Brakes Shimano XTBrake levers Shimano XTCrankset Shimano XTHandlebar Scor Race (25")Shifters Shimano XTFront derailleur Shimano XTRear derailleur Shimano XT (Shadow)Chainrings Shimano XT (44/32/22)Cassette Shimano XT (11-34)Pedals None (weighed with Shimano XT)

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2010 BIKE UPDATESAlthough Trek’s entire line of moun-

tain bikes receives revisions andupgrades, we’re going to focus on theupdates to their flagship and upper-endmodels. You will find many of the tech-nologies applied to these bikes willtrickle down to more budget-friendlyversions.

Top Fuel ($2599-$6499): Trekclaims their carbon fiber Top Fuel 9.9 istheir fastest race bike ever, that’s alsoversatile enough for trail riding. Theeye-catching carbon fiber frame retainsthe no-cut seat mast, BB90 Net Moldedbottom bracket with drop-in bearings,ABP Race System and magnesium EvoLink. New for the 3.9-inch-travel TopFuel is the custom Race Cam shock thattakes a Fox RP23 shock and makes itequal parts race, and equal parts trail.The ProPedal positions 1 and 2 maintainthat same plush trailbike feel, whileposition 3 gives the highest degree oflockout ever offered by Fox, ideal forout-of-the-saddle sprints and extendedclimbing. The premium 21.2-pound TopFuel 9.9 features the SRAM XX group,Bontrager XXX Lite wheels and has aprice tag of $6499.

Fuel EX ($1399-$6499): We fell inlove with the 2009 4.7-inch-travel FuelEX 9.9 (tested in our August 2009issue), but had a short wish list of modi-

fications we’d like to see on the bike,such as utilizing one of the new thru-axle trailbike forks. The 2010 Fuel EX9.9 now is equipped with an air-sprungFox Shox 32 F-Series Fit RLC fork witha tapered alloy steerer tube and 15QRthru-axle. However, the biggest newscomes in the area of the Fuel EX 9.9’snew shock and rear triangle. The EX 9.9receives Fox’s DRCV (Dual Rate ControlValve) RP23 shock technology that Trekdescribes as having two shocks in one.The goal of the DRCV is to provide effi-cient pedaling while being able to transi-tion into soaking up big hits without anycompromise in suspension performance.The Fox DRCV shock is designed toseamlessly transition between the firstand second chambers providing the lin-

2010 TrekMountain BikesTrek debuts new suspension bikes in Austria

In 2007, Trek Bikes under-went a significant change intheir mountain bike culture,

and in the company itself. Thedecision was made to invest inthe terrain around the companyby building over ten miles oftrails and hiring a full-time trailbuilder. Around this same time,Trek began development onwhat has become their breadand butter ABP (Active BrakingPivot) and Full-Floater suspen-sion, found on their high-endcross-country bike the Top Fuel,the Fuel EX trailbike and theversatile Remedy all-mountainplatform. We’ve been impressedwith each of the above-men-tioned bikes and were eager tofind out how Trek would beable to improve on these plat-forms for 2010.

We had the opportunity to geta first glimpse at Trek’s TopFuel, Fuel EX and carbon fiberRemedy in the Salzkammergutarea of Altaussee, Austria.

ear shock feel of a coil spring. The FuelEX will carry the DRCV shocks downthe line to the aluminum EX 8 model.

The carbon fiber-framed Fuel EX 9.9and the 9.8 receive Trek’s OCLV carbonseat stay. The carbon stay uses Trek’sNet Molded precision-fit bearings andall-carbon disc brake tabs.

Taking a page from the Top Fuel, theFuel EX line will utilize the lighter, one-piece ABP Race rear axle down to theiraluminum EX 7 model.

Remedy Carbon ($2600-$6499):Trek takes their OCLV carbon frames tothe all-mountain category as their six-inch-travel Remedy gets a carbonmakeover. Designed specifically for thecarbon Remedy, Trek deploys theirCarbon Armor to protect against rocks


The hills are alive: Trek’s 2010 cross-country and trailbike launch took place

on the breathtaking terrain of Altaussee,Austria. Trek’s Travis Brown puts down

the power aboard the new Fuel EX.

Top-notch: Trek says their 21.2-pound Top Fuel 9.9 is their fastest mountain bike ever.The premium Top Fuel gets SRAM’s XX group, a custom Fox Shox RP23 Race Camshock, and Bontrager XXX Lite wheels. It could be yours for $6499.

Fueling the fire: The Top Fuel 9.8 is equipped with cross-country’s hardest workingcomponent group, Shimano XT, and shares the same frame and Fox Shox RP23 RaceCam shock as the premium 9.9 version.

Shock therapy: The new Race Cam RP23shock from Fox is specific to Trek’s Top Fuelcross-country racer. The ProPedal positions1 and 2 maintain that same plush trailbikefeel, while position 3 gives the highestdegree of lockout ever offered by Fox.

kicking up into the downtube. The four-layer Carbon Armor adds embeddedstiffeners to the main frame and tops itoff with a replaceable polymer shield.

Like the Fuel EX, the Remedy gets theFox DRCV RP23 shock (all four modelsdown to the Remedy 7). The Remedyline keeps the triple chainring crankset,acquires the ABP Race suspension, aFox Shox 15QR fork, and is now avail-able in a new 18.5-inch size. The carbonRemedy 9.9 and 9.8 models share theBB95 press-in bottom bracket.

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Great got greater: One of MBA’s favorite bikes of 2009, the 4.7-inch-travel Trek Fuel EX 9.9, now features a Fox Shox 32 F-Series Fit RLCfork with a 15QR thru-axle, the Fox DRCV (Dual Rate Control Valve)shock and a carbon fiber Truvativ Noir crankset.

2 for 1: The FoxShox DRCVRP23 shock

serves as twoshocks in one,

as it offerssuperb pedaling

performance andseamlessly

opens up the topair chamber tosoak up harsh

impacts.

Born in the USA: Trek’s American-made, OCLV, carbon fiber Fuel EXframes feature the tapered E2 head tube. The E2 puts more frame materialin an area that takes the brunt of high-speed hits along the trail.

All-mountain beauty: It was only a matter of time before Trek unveiledtheir carbon fiber, six-inch-travel Remedy all-mountain trailbike. Trek willoffer two carbon and two aluminum-framed Remedies, each of whichwill utilize a Fox Shox fork with a 15QR thru-axle, and the Fox DRCVRP23 shock.

Midas touch: The gold-trimmed Remedy 9.9 features aCrankbrothers Joplin remote-controlled adjustable seat-post, massive head tube junction and SRAM X.0 shiftersand rear derailleur. ❑

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Long-TravelTrailbikeTips

10

Make your bikedo the workR.Cunningham

Long-travel trailbikes—dual-suspension designs with five or six inchesof wheel travel and cross-country-suitable geometry—are the most pop-ular bike choice for today’s experienced riders. Those who make the

transition from a hardtail or short-travel cross-country dual-suspension biketo a long-travel trailbike usually waste at least six weeks choosing lines andapplying power in much the same way they did on their old mounts. All newor improved technology comes with a revised operating handbook, and long-travel trailbikes are no exception. Bike setup, line choices, braking technique,pedaling style and position over the bike are different for long-legged designs,so to get the most performance from your Giant Trance, Pivot Mach 5, orSpecialized Stumpjumper, study the following tips.

The new face of cross-country:Pedal-friendly suspension andplatform damping have made long-travel trailbikes practical for riding allday or all out.


Resist the temptation: Trek’s suspension-sag gauge graphically reveals how much neg-ative travel a trailbike needs to operate cor-rectly. Don’t over-pressurize your air springsto hedge against pedal bob.

Set the suspension softer than you may believe is best. The first big errornewbies make is pumping up the air spring of the shock and fork to achieve asimilar feel to a three-inch cross-country racer. Big mistake. You will neveruse the full travel of either end of the bike, and worse, you will effectivelyraise the bike’s ride height (and thus the center of gravity), causing the biketo bounce and chatter over the bumps more than your old short-stroke cross-country machine ever did. Set the suspension sag at 25 percent and lower theride-height of the bike. Pedaling will not be less firm, because the suspension(and any built-in anti-bob attribute) is designed to work in this range. Theoverall ride of the bike, climbing and descending, will be miraculouslyimproved.

Hey, the inertia valves on the Specialized Stumpjumper’s Brain fork andshock are not ornaments. Turn them up and the bike will pedal marvelouslywell while you—the ex-hardtail monkey—flail away at the pedals as if thecrankset were your arch enemy. If your bike is sold with a Fox RP23 shockand a Fox fork with the TALAS feature, its designer is telling you thatswitching to a firmer pedal platform in the rear and lowering the front endwill enhance your climbing—and maybe boost the performance elsewhere onthe trail. Same goes for handlebar-remote lockouts and in-flight-adjustableseatposts. Once suspension travel exceeds five inches, the interplay betweenthe fork and shock action can alter the bike’s effective frame geometry by upto two degrees in extreme situations. Experiment. Use your on-the-fly tuningoptions to speed up or slow down the steering as needed, to lower your cen-ter of gravity, or to maximize your pedaling efficiency.

The 2.35-inch Kenda Nevegal is the long-travel-trailbike national anthem,and for good reason—it sticks on any soil, climbs like a goat and rolls withreasonable efficiency. Schwalbe’s Nobby Nic and Rocket Ron 2.4-inch tiresare also big-volume/fast-rolling tires. Why big rubber? For starters, you’ll becarrying more speed, braking with more force and attacking technical sec-tions that previously you may have walked or soft-pedaled. Big tires protectlightweight wheels, and wide, soft, aggressive tread will find adequate climb-ing and braking traction, regardless of where the rider’s weight is balancedover the bike. Go big, and if you want to save weight, then convert to tubeless(we highly recommend this).

SUSPENSION SETUP—SOFT

BEFORE YOU HIT THE TRAIL

1

GADGETS—USE THEM2

TIRES—GO BIG3

Be a knob twister: Remote seatpost-heightand fork-travel adjustments help extend theversatility of trailbikes, especially when wheeltravel edges towards the six-inch mark.

FIVE LONG-TRAVEL SETUPS TIPS

Get some leverage: Big, grippytires can transmit a lot of forcethrough the steering. Wider handle-bars help tame the handling of amodern trailbike when the terraingets wild.

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Large-volume tires require less air pressure to support thesame weight when compared to skinny 2.1 or 1.9 racing rub-ber. If a 2.1 tire feels rock hard at 50 psi, a 2.35 tire will feelthe same at 40 psi. Cross-country pressure for a 170-poundrider with 2.35-inch tires will average 28 in the front and 30 inthe rear—depending upon riding style. Excessive tire pressurein large-volume tires will make for a harsh, bouncy ride andmess with the bike’s low-speed suspension performance.

TIRE PRESSURE—TEN PSI LOWER5

GETTING ALL YOU PAID FOR

FIVE LONG-TRAVEL RIDING TIPS

Forty-five-millimeter stems are fine for level jump parks andsteep descents, but the slacker head angles (68 to 69 degrees) ofthe modern trailbike put the rider’s weight too far aft of thefront wheel for climbing. Ninety- to 100-millimeter stemsweight the front tire for better cornering and climbing, andslightly wider handlebars (26 to 27 inches) will boost technicalcontrol while descending without adversely affecting climbing.

STEMS AND BARS—GO LONG4

ROCK GARDENS—GEAR UP1

LINE CHOICE—STRAIGHT

TO THE APEX2

Don’t sweat the rocks: Use yoursuspension and higher-volume tiresto your advantage by straight-lining

rough and rocky sections that theskinny-tire bikes must weave through.

Sit down and pedal: Smooth and steady pedaling ispossible aboard a long-stroke trailbike, so use this toyour advantage and conserve energy on long, arduousclimbs. Sit down and spin.

Poking through the rocks in low gear may have been aneffective strategy for your nearly rigid bike, but you’llneed some speed to bust through the rocks with a long-travel machine. Below a certain speed, five- or six-inch-stroke forks can soak up enough energy to stop a riderdead in his tracks. Big-travel bikes can surf over hefty-sized rocks and logs, but you’ll need to be bold and run

through the boulders in the middle chainring. Practice ona short section of way-larger-than-you-would-normally-ride-over rocks and hit them with your weight backslightly and your arms braced so the forks take the fullimpact instead of your body. Try different speeds untilyou find a gear that uses the full travel of your bike’s sus-pension and rolls over the rocks with conviction. Don’tfocus on the largest obstacle in your path. Instead, lookacross the rock garden, or ten feet ahead of the bike, andkeep pedaling.

Forget about all that wiggling and waver-ing and pretend that the well-worn line onthe trail doesn’t exist. Rigid bikes forcecross-country riders to sweat every bump orsoft spot on the trail. Carry some speed andlet your suspension and momentum workfor you. Take the straightest path betweencorners, even if this means pounding over afew rocks or soft spots. When you approachcorners, ignore the wide, sweeping path thattimid cross-country riders use and arc fromthe outside line to the inside apex. You’llcross over some rough ground near the apex,but your turns will be faster and you’ll exitwith more speed and control. Take thestraight line down technical descents for thesame reasons. Should you make a mistake,your bike will stay on line.

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Over three years in development, the Carbide SL is the ultimate in lightweight,

stiffness and pedaling efficiency. At a scant 4.4 pound frame weight with a

DT Swiss carbon shock, it's one of the lightest XC full suspension bikes on the

market, and certainly the stiffest. The Carbide SL can be hammered through

anything a cross country rider can throw at it.

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CLIMBING—GEAR DOWN

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Armed with six inches of wheeltravel and 2.35-inch tires, you shouldrarely have an occasion to lock up atire. Use more front brake than wouldbe practical with a cross-countryracing bike and brake later andharder—on the last straight section oftrail before the corners. Gain yourtime on the straighter sections of thedescent and brake late to enter thecorners at a safer, more controlledspeed and you will make fewermistakes. Ease off the brakes as youlean the bike into the turn so you arecoasting at the apex. Control yourspeed on steep or long descents bybraking harder where the trail issmooth and your tires can find maxi-mum traction. Ease up where tractionis sketchy or the grade is chopped upso the wheels can roll through. Youcan’t steer a bike with a lockedwheel—period. A bike that rolls isunder control.

No need to skid: Aggressive tires and morecapable handling boosts braking power andcontrol, so lay off the binders until you actuallyneed to slow down and brake late in short,powerful intervals.

10 Tips

You don’t have to climb every hillin the granny gear, but your long-travel suspension and oversized tireswill work to your advantage if youstay seated and pedal smoothly in alower gear. Your climbing efficiencycomes from the fact that your bikecan maintain traction and soak upthe bumps on the trail ahead whileyou remain in an optimal cyclingposition—in the saddle and over thecranks. Skinny-tired hardtail boysmust shift their weight constantly tomaintain traction and to attack stepsand roots successfully. Let your bikefind its way up the climb. Keep yourheart rate in the zone and take thestraightest path, knowing that yourtires will find grip in soft soil andallow you to cross ruts that maystymie lesser men on inferiormachines. This is your long-travelstrength—use it wisely.

3

BRAKING—LATER

AND HARDER4


The more wheel travel your dual-suspension chassis has, the easier itis to upset the front/rear balance byexaggerating your body positionfore or aft. Stay centered. Confineyour fore/aft weight shifts to thelength of the saddle and you willnever be caught out of position fora surprise climb or drop. Excessiveweight shifts unload one side of thesuspension and over-compress theother—which can make a greatbike feel like a monster. Stay cen-tered and you force the suspensionto act against your mass—which isbalanced between the wheels—sothe bike will also remain in bal-ance.

There is one exception to thestay-centered rule: When you needto sprint or power out of the saddle,lean over the front of the bike andpreload the fork with your weight.This will compress the fork abouthalfway through its stroke andboost the spring and damping ratesso it will bob less under a 100-per-cent effort. ❑

STAY CENTERED—

EXCEPT IN ONE

SITUATION

5

Stay centered: Keep your suspen-sion balanced by riding from themiddle of the chassis. Crouch downto lower the bike’s center of gravityfor steep descents or hard brakinginstead of sliding to the extremerear of the saddle.

52 www.mbaction.com

Crashing MountainBiking’s AnnualTrade Show

See the new stuff before the doors open

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Car nuts have the Detroit Auto show.Gamers have the E3 ElectronicEntertainment Expo. Surfer dudes get

the Orlando Surf Expo. Snowboarders attendthe Snowsports Industries America TradeShow. But none of these shows are as excitingto us as Interbike.

Interbike corrals bike shop employees in aLas Vegas convention center where they get tosee the latest offerings from folks who makebikes, components and apparel for mountainbikers. We asked these companies if we couldgive riders who depend on Mountain BikeAction a sneak peek at what they are taking toInterbike. The response was overwhelming(we couldn’t fit everything in), because youare important to these people.

Stop the bleeding:Adventure MedicalKits’ QuikClot Sportis a sponge made ofporous fabric thatcontains tiny beadsof the mineral Zeolite.When placed onto awound, the QuikClotsponge conforms tothe shape of theinjury and is claimedto stop even venousand arterial bleedingin less than three

minutes. How? QuikClot claims to act as a molecular sieve,sifting molecules by size. When QuikClot comes into con-tact with blood, it rapidly absorbs smaller water moleculesfrom the blood, effectively sucking out all of the liquid. Onlythe larger platelet and clotting factor molecules remain inthe wound in a highly concentrated form. This process pro-motes extremely rapid natural clotting and prevents severeblood loss. QuikClot Sport has a suggested retail of $9.99.You’ll find it at bike shops and sporting goods stores.

Right price: The $150Xpedo Twins XMF6ATpedals reportedlyweigh 10.5 ouncesand use a titaniumaxle and aluminumbody with a three-car-tridge bearing systemthat Xpedo claimsincreases strengthenough to extend thepedals’ life span by 20percent. The front andrear claws haveadjustments for eithertoe-in or step-in entryand work withShimano cleats.Take a shot: The $139 EVS Sports BJ33 Ballistic Jersey

is an all-in-one protector that incorporates upper-bodyprotective gear in one piece of equipment. It offers a fulltorso, newly designed elbow protection and is machinewashable. Available in black or gray in both youth ($79)and adult sizes up to XXXXL. (888) 873-8423.


Downhiller’s necklace: The Leatt-Brace GPXSport is an injection-molded, glass-reinforced,nylon/carbon fiber neck brace system designedby medical professionals to help preventextreme forward, rearward and sideways headmovements. It should also reduce spinal col-umn compression, hyperflexion and hyperex-tension. The $595 GPX Sport is available in twosizes, small for four- to 16-year-olds who havea thin build, or medium for riders older than 16years old. Leatt-Brace also makes neck bracesfor adults. Call them at (800) 691-3314.

Slippery stuff: The$9.99 Muc-Off WetLube is a naturallyderived, biodegrad-able lube formulatedfor long-distancelubrication and pro-tection. It can beused in wet or muddyconditions where itwill repel water andinhibit rust and corro-sion. (562) 945-9944.

Three ones: The $129.95 Cygolite Milion 200 LED Li-Ion lighthas one light, one battery and it comes in one piece. Thisrechargeable headlight system integrates a high-brightness LEDlight with a three-hour Li-Ion battery. It weighs a claimed 4.6ounces and offers USB charging, three lighting modes, chargingand low-battery indicators, plus helmet and handlebar mounts.(714) 437-7752.

Fast wheels:Fulcrum is rollingout (pun intended)the Red Metal 1 XLwheel, which takesweight off their pre-vious offering withthe use of 24 alu-minum spokes (bothfront and rear). Thespoke lacing isclaimed to improvewheel performanceduring braking andtorquing in the bigring. The hub’sbearings are dou-bled sealed and canbe run with a tradi-tional nine-millime-ter axle or 15-mil-limeter thru-axle.

Pump it up: GenuineInnovations gets you back

riding fast after a flat tire withtheir new $39.99 Mountain

Pipe. It is the best of bothworlds, with a combo CO2 inflator

and hand pump. The Mountain Pipehas a magnetic lock that keeps the

barrel locked and closed. The slip-onvalve fits presta valves, and a Schradervalve adaptor is included.

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Light feet: The new $230Xpedo M-Force XMF08TTpedals are claimed to tip thescales at 7.4 ounces. They hitthat weight with the use of atitanium body and axle. Theaxle still floats on three car-tridge bearings. The pedalsare Shimano cleat compatible.(310) 993-5949.

Trade Show

Save your marriage: The$29.99 Save-A-Seat mayjust save your marriage.Instead of plastering thefamily car seat with every-thing you just finished ridingthrough, pull the Save-A-Seat over the car seat (likea window shade) and pro-tect it from your muddybackside. You can reachSave-A-Seat at(724) 962-2072.

Bling-a-licious:The guys atCrankskins.comcontinue to comeup with ideas toadd bling to yourbike and protectit at the sametime. They offerchainstay guards,crankarm guardsand, new for2010, Rimskins,which will sell forbetween $15 and$20. Crankskinsoffers customgraphics in smallquantities tomake your clubor team look pro.

Comfort in a jar: Okole Stuff wasdeveloped by six-time NationalEndurance Champion Monique“Pua” Sawicki. “No chamois oint-ment stayed the distance, so I creat-ed Okole Stuff using lanolin, allan-toin, tea tree oil, aloe, love andsecret ingredients. It provides com-fort and healing for rides around theblock all the way to the 24-HourSolo World Championships.” The$25 Okole Stuff (six ounces) can bepurchased at KHS dealers or atteammata.com.

Added protection: Element Case offers the$149 Alloy Base case for select iPhone andiPod Touch models. The flip-lid is translucentacrylic with laser-engraved graphics. Youchoose your color and graphic for a customlook. The molded polycarbonate bezel keepsthe phone secure in the base. The Alloy Baseis CNC-machined from aluminum, anodized,and laser-engraved with custom graphics.Nickel-plated fasteners resist corrosion. Youcan get more info at (650) 226-3680.

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Home mechanic: Need to remove your Shimano Hollowtechbottom bracket? You need special tools, and Icetoolz givesyou everything you need in this $12 kit. (888) 804-1095.

Toolbox in a bag: The $119 Icetoolz Tool Wrap includes populartools (including an Allen wrench set that is hard to see in thephoto) in a handy and durable nylon wrap. We keep our Wrapunder the car’s front seat so we are never at a loss when itcomes time to make those last-minute trailhead adjustments.

Strong and pretty:The Cane CreekPremium 110One.Point.Five head-set is available inblack, silver, blue,red, purple orturquoise. The $175Premium Headset isclaimed to weigh 5.5ounces, with a split-lip, black oxide upperbearing and a 1.5-inch lower angularcontact bearing. It ismade in the U.S. andcomes with CaneCreek’s 110-yearwarranty. More info at(800) 234-2725.

Feeling thirsty?: The Elite JossaWater Bottles’ special spout guaran-tees consistent, abundant flow whenthe middle of the bottle is squeezed.The Jossa is compatible with moststandard bottle cages. Available intwo sizes and four colors (blue,clear, red or smoke). The Elite JossaWater Bottle is $18.99, and the EliteSuper Jossa Water Bottle is $21.99.Contact them at (800) 279-3793.

Be visible: The $15 Frog Strobe light is five LEDs rolled into one. It uti-lizes patented strobe technology and is five times brighter than the origi-nal Frog. It has four modes: normal flash, normal constant, strobe flashand strobe constant, with a claimed 180 hours of flash time. Featuring 12colors, the new Frog Strobe has an integrated clip and comes in low-impact, recyclable packaging.

Fly to the finish: The $4295 Fly Team 29er titaniumis made from a 3/2.5 butted titanium tubeset withMotobecane’s Vari-butting. They offer the bike in foursizes (15, 17, 19 or 21 inch) with FSA Afterburnercranks, Shimano XTR components and a 3.9-inchtravel RockShox Reba 29 fork. Claimed weight is23.5 pounds.

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Serious training: The EliteRealPower CT Internet Trainer fea-tures an electronic resistance unitthat replicates slopes up to 20 per-cent. Ride conditions are simulatedaccording to gradients, speedsand rider/bicycle weights. Trainaccording to fixed power, heartrate, speed and distance. TheRitmo dancing mechanism followsthe movements of your body asyou train. The $2300 trainerincludes 15 video races, a heart-rate belt, standard feet and auto-matic software updates.(800) 283-2453.

Stylish trio:The $270 Remedy CF is Giro’s ultimatefull-face helmet. It is engineered to meetCPSC and ASTM downhill standards and fea-tures a full-carbon shell with removable interiorpads. The all-new $50 Station MTB goggle is theperfect complement to the Remedy, thanks to a Super FitEngineered frame that matches up flawlessly and offers a comfortable,wide-open field of view. And the all-new $34 DJ glove, designed withinput from riders like Greg Watts and Paul Basagoitia, is durableenough for digging and riding, with extra style points, too.

Get a grip: Fizik’s new XC Grips provide mountainbikers with an opportunity to use the handlebar tapeused by roadies. Incorporating their mictrotex barwrap into an interchangeable mountain bike grip, thenew XC Grips employ a dual cover of matte andsuede microtex, encasing a shock-absorbing but leanblue, foam padding. The Grips are capped withbrushed aluminum lock-on clamps, secured withstainless steel M3 screws. The clamps are easilyremovable, the core collapses, and your XC Gripcover can be changed in a flash. The XC Grips willcome with two covers: black/black suede orwhite/gray suede, and will retail for $47.99. Additionalgrip covers will be sold separately for $13.99.

Have it your way: Two new lights from NiteRiderTechnical Lighting Systems come with D.I.Y. software(do it yourself) that allows you to customize the light toyour specific needs. You can program the number oflight outputs, how bright they will blast, and you caneven customize your own flash rate. The $500 Pro 600LED (single beam) offers an eight-step fuel gauge,quick-release battery system, a low battery warningand it is all compatible with the NiteRider Explorerheadband. The $650 Pro 1200 LED (dual beam) has allof the features of the Pro 600.


Saddle holder: Fizik’s new $125 Cyrano 3D forged 7075aluminum seatpost has mast walls that are thicker in thefront and back for strength and thinner on the sides forweight savings. Radiused clamp edges prevent damageto rails. The tilt mechanism is a two-bolt system (withthumb wheel for front adjustment) with infinite angleadjustment to accommodate a variety of seat tubeangles. The Cyrano includes a silicone ring useful formarking your post height. The Cyrano comes in fourdiameters (27.2-, 30.9-, 31.6- and 34.9-millimeters) andthree lengths (270-, 350-, and 400-millimeters).

Important info: The$9.95 SafeTband is alittle pouch thatattaches to yourhydration pack orgoggle strap andcontains emergencymedical informationfor first responders.A neat little productthat could save yourlife. Get one atwww.safetband.com.

No Fox tail: Fox took the V3 motocross helmet and re-engi-neered it for bike-specific use by trimming some weight(down to a claimed 2.6 pounds) with the use of carbon fiberin the shell lay up. The $379.95 V3R has rear venting, amulti-channel internal EPS liner for airflow and a fully remov-able and washable Coolmax liner and cheek pads.

Padded cell: The Fox TitanSport Jacket is a new upperbody suit for the gravity setthat won’t break the bank at$139.95. It offers hard shellplastic protection on the back,shoulders, chest and arms,with a mesh chassis for maxi-mum comfort when railing theberms.

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Feel a draft?: The $119.95 FoxVentilator Short is new for 2010and features a lightweight shellwith a shorter outseam, specifi-cally designed for hot weatherrides when the humidity is high.Ventilation ports and a detach-able inner mesh short optimizethe airflow, and a new Evochamois adds comfort.

Casual cool: The Fox 2010 Dirt Shirt Collection uses a unique bamboofabric that is both wicking and anti-microbial. Fox then adds graphicsthat seem to appeal to everyone from trials riders to downhillers. Theshirts sell for $39.95 each.

Knee-high protection: The $59.95Fox Launch Pro Knee Pad is a new,soft-shell kneepad with a hard plasticknee insert. The insert is an ergonom-ic shape for comfort and stability. Theperforated neoprene helps preventsweaty-knee syndrome.


Budget rubber:The CSTCamber tirecomes in 26x2.1or a fatter26x2.25 sizethat mimics thelow profile ofexpensivecross-countryrace tires. Itdoesn’t mimictheir price,though. All tireswill be availablein wire or fold-ing bead. TheCamber pricesstart at $17.

Germanprotection:The $110UvexSupersonicGT helmetoffers theIAS 3Dadjustmentsystem(adjustable inheight andwidth), 23 ven-tilation open-

ings, on-the-fly chinstrap adjustment, and for-

ward vents screened to keepbees out. Uvex helmets arenow available in Americathrough Magura USA,(800) 448-3876.

Sun power: The $179 VaudeSolar Charger is a pack accesso-ry that mounts solar panels thatcharge your batteries with sunpower. It fits all Vaude packs andonly adds 12 ounces to yourpack. Available from Magura USAat (800) 448-3876.

Up front: Magura’s$899 Thor fork hasadjustable travelfrom 5.5 inches to3.9 inches withremote controlrebound, compres-sion and lockoutadjustment. Youget a Maxle 360thru-axle and adisc brake post-mount for seven-inch rotors. Addimproved wiperseals and anoptional conicalsteerer and you areready to rage.

Light brake: Lighten up your ridewith some $99.95 Carver titaniumdisc rotors. Claimed to weigh lessthan two ounces, the titanium discbrake rotors are currently availablein a six-inch diameter with a six-boltpattern and should be compatiblewith all popular cross-country racebike brake calipers. Carver Bikes,(207) 442-7840.

Add some cushion: Smooth out thebumps with a Carver Ti Seatpost. It hasa two-bolt micro adjust with Carver’sunique setback design. The titaniumpost is available in 27.2 x 350 millime-ters, and they will make custom sizes.The matte finish is $169.95 and thebrushed finish goes for $199.95.

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Real steel: It is not new for 2010, but you can’t sue us because we thinkthe chromoly Brodie Heritage Series is simply elegant. Brodie says,“Chromoly is in our blood, and with a little something for almost everyone,we just couldn’t leave it off the menu any longer. Whether riding down atrail, along a long and winding road or across town, we have you coveredwith the classic feel of steel.”

Hats off to THE: The 2010 carbon Tiki helmet goes for $299 and comes with two visors and an all-new cool dry, washable padset. It comes in sizes from X-small to X-large. THE at (562) 407-2184.

Inflated action: Newfor 2010, the $30.99Axiom Enforce Air Prohand pump has adual-density handle,aluminum barrel and160 psi maximumpressure. With ananodized body andnickel-plated accents,it looks as good as itworks. Like all Axiompumps, it is complete-ly serviceable withavailable replacementparts and is backed bya lifetime warranty.Available from Norcoat (800) 663-8916.

Sturdy shorts: The Mace $100 NOS Equipe Short isa loose-fitting short for epic rides. Made with woven

stretch fabric and 30-percent lighter than Mace’s reg-ular NOS shorts, the NOS Equipe won’t restrictmobility. Anti-UV and DWR (Durable WaterRepellency) are combined with anti-abrasion coat-ings. Available in men’s and women’s styles, theNOS Equipe shorts are for anyone who wants acomfortable over-short for longer rides in warmweather or just cruising around in the summerheat. Available from Norco at (800) 663-8916.


Ear warmer: Getready for the fall and

winter riding season withthe $16.95 Halo Anti-Freeze

pullover headband. It features awider profile and ear protection to block

the wind and cold weather. The one-size-fits-all designincludes the patented Sweat Block Technology that preventssweat from getting in your eyes. Halo, (800) 508-4256.

Check out these colors: THE doesn’t call this $200 downhill helmet the Throwbackbecause of its technology. It’s because of the colors! You get two visors and an all-newcool dry, washable padset. Comes in sizes from X-small to X-large.

“Please Mace me, man.”: The $80 Mace NOShelmet has a lightweight micro-shell with plentyof vents for those epic rides. Available in threecustom colors, the helmet comes with a remov-able visor and rear fin that allow you to customizethe look of your helmet. The NOS is for cross-country and trail riders looking for a solid, light-weight helmet. (800) 663-8916.

Not a passing Faze: The 2010 Norco Faze SE has 4.7 inches of travelwith a frame made from butted tubing and a new, one-piece carbon linkarm. The Faze SE is lighter and stiffer than the 2009 model.

Bottle holder with style: TheAspire Velotech $39.50 ProCarbon Water Bottle Cage isclaimed to weigh less than anounce and is constructed withhand-laid unidirectional carbonfiber. It has a clear gloss andaccepts standard-diameter, shortor tall bottles. All Pro CarbonComponents come with a limitedlifetime warranty. (425) 823-2453.

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Coming soon: Wegot our hands on a2010 Turner Flux andwill have a test in ourDecember issue. Untilthen, drool over thisfour-inch-travel trail-bike that thinks it is across-country racer.Now with the dw-link,the frame-only priceis $2395 from Turnerat (951) 677-1711.

Stay in place: The $27.50 Pro CarbonComputer Mount from Aspire Velotech isa solution for securely mounting your

computer and accessories on eithercarbon or aluminum handlebars. It

features a 7075 T6 aluminummount arm for strength and a truecarbon tube that’s sized to fit anycomputer and power meter. It fitsstandard and oversize handlebars,

and also fits both standard and over-size computer mounts for complete ver-

satility. The shims and all the hardwareyou need are included. (425) 823-2453.

The In-Crowd: Chris King’s InSet headset has user-serviceablestainless steel bearings and aluminum cups, bearingcap and stem cap. It’s a member of theNoThreadSet family with the same ten-year war-ranty. InSet is a low-stack threadless headsetdesigned for use with contemporary framesfeaturing what would traditionally be calledoversized head tubes. InSet is available in1-1/8-inch upper andlower cups ($129)and a tapered1-1/8-inchupper cupwith 1.5-inchlower cup($149).

Fight mold: The $29.99ZeroGoo Hydration ReservoirDryer stuffs in the filler hole ofyour CamelBak and a fanforces air in, drying the reser-voir and making it as fresh asthe day you bought it.ZeroGoo, (402) 202-3505.

The WeirWolf lives: The redesigned$60 WTB WeirWolf gets an extra rowof transitional tread between thecrown and side knobs. This slightalteration is claimed to give the tirepositive feel and consistent tractionat any lean angle, from moderate toextreme. It will be available in USTand TCS. TCS stands for TubelessCompatible System and couplesWTB’s Race casing with a UST bead.


Haro Porter: Eric Porter, Haro’s go-to guy for going big, offers a sig-nature model for 2010 called, surprise, The Porter. He gives you acustom Fox 36 Float RC2 fork (set to 3.9 inches of travel and at aheight just right for the frame), a FSA Gravity Gap Mega EXO cranksetand bottom bracket, FSA Gravity Chain Guide, Pivit Featherlite CNCpedals and Hayes Stroker Ryde brakes with six-inch rotors. If youthink $3350 sounds pricey, try building this bike with the same com-ponents. It is a steal!

Red, white and true blue: Thenew American Classic MTB 26

Disc Tubeless and MTB 29Disc Tubeless wheelsets

use 14/15 gaugestainless steelspokes, fullysealed cartridgebearings and tita-nium quick-releases. Eachwheel has 32spokes that arelaced in a three-

cross pattern. Thenew Tubeless 26 MTB

Black Crest color goesfor $779.95 and the

Alphatype White is $819.95.American Classic, (800) 813-5545.

Racers ready: The WTB $50Vulpine SL 1.9 Race tire is

claimed to weigh 14ounces and features DNA

Rubber Compound,minimal center tread,

mid-sized transitionknobs and raisedoutside knobs withadded cornershelf tread.Designed withfeedback fromTeam Sho-Air’sMax Plaxton.

Big axle compatible: The $44.95 Sequel15mm from Hurricane Componentsadapts most suspension forks using15-millimeter axles to existing bike rack.Call them at (951) 280-6036.

XX marks the Zaskar: With a 2008 World Championshipunder its belt in the Under-23 category, the Zaskar Team XXlooks like the fastest rig on the planet. The all-new SRAM XX2x10-speed group is the choice of world champions as well,and that, combined with the all-new SID XX fork, makes theTeam a very exclusive race rig.

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Super T: The $3400 Mongoose Teocali Super gets a 5.7-inch-travelRockShox Revelation Race fork, a RockShox Monarch 4.2 air shockwith Floodgate adjust and a SRAM X.O rear derailleur paired withShimano SLX Shadow front derailleur. This is a trailbike too pretty tobe so tough.

Race day ride: The $2499 KonaHei Hei 100 uses hydroformedaluminum frame tubing, a slopingtop tube, and scandium, asym-metrical chainstays. The four-barrear suspension uses magnesiumrockers for 3.9 inches of travel.

Take a stab at it: The $5999Kona Stab Supreme has asloping top tube, a compactrear triangle, a tapered headtube, a 7005 aluminum frame andKona’s take on a four-bar rear sus-pension for what appears to be aroundeight inches of rear wheel travel.

Foxy fork: The new$740 Fox F Seriesare the lightestforks that Fox hasever made. The3.9-inch travel 32F100 FIT RLC isclaimed to weigh3.14 poundswith Fox’sintegrated FITdamper tech-nology. TheFox IsolationTechnology(FIT) damperuses auniquebladderdesign,whichprovidesthe lowest possiblefriction for a sealed damper, reducesfluid aeration for enhanced suspensionconsistency, and reduces unsprungweight for faster wheel response andincreased steering precision.


Speed thrills: The Niner Air 9 Carbon canbe run as a single-speed or geared andthe bottom bracket will work with sev-eral bottom bracket systemsincluding the new BB-30standard that single-speed riders crave. Wecan’t wait to get ourhands on one ofthese. High-speed sin-gletrackfun!

Get a Glimpse: The $1895Glimpse (frame and shock) isEllsworth’s most affordable,high-performance, Instant-Center-Tracking suspensiontrailbike. It is made with a U.S.-certified drawn seamless alu-minum, swaged, shaped andtapered tube set and rockersmachined by Ellsworth.

K H Yes: Always one of ourfavorite bikes for getting the

most bang for your buck,the 2010 aluminum-framed

KHS XCT555 is comingwith five inches of rear

wheel travel, a Marzocchi44 TST2 with 15-millimeter

axle, Truvativ Firex 3.1GigaPipe cranks and Hayes

Stroker Trail hydraulic discbrakes. The suggested

retail is $2199.

Color your ride: The $20 KMC PatriotSeries and Bravo Series chains allow youto mix and match your color choices forthe ultimate custom look. These colorfulofferings are for your cruiser. KMC offersthe $75 X9SL chain for the dirt.

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Color guard: The $2499 Felt Virtue Two is a 5.1-inch travel trailbikethat has an aluminum main frame and carbon fiber rear triangle. Thinkof this as a cross-country/trailbike, because even with its long travel,it thinks it is a race bike.

Large hoops: The $4999 Felt Nine Team takes a carbon fiber frame andenforces it with their replaceable “Dingle Guard” (a replaceable Kevlardowntube protector) and bolt-on Kevlar chain watcher. You get MavicCrossmax 29-inch wheels with WTB Vulpine tires.

Become an outlaw: The $330 AzonicOutlaw Welded Wheel Sets Come in135- or 150-millimeter rear hub spac-ing, anodized black, red, gold, cyan orgreen. The rims (also available sepa-rately) are a 7075 aluminum double-walldesign with eyelets and a wide profilefor extra strength and rigidity. The frontwheel is compatible with a nine-milli-meter quick-release axle and 15- or 20-millimeter thru-axle conversions.

Carbon coverage: The $299 O’NealSkad Joker Carbon Helmet hasremovable and washable cheekpads, height-adjustable visor and adouble-D closure. Available in sizesX-small to X-large with a claimedweight of 2.1 pounds. O’Neal at(800) 326-6325.


Feeling compulsive?: The $4299 Felt Compulsion uses Felt’s Equilink rearsuspension to squeeze 5.9 inches of travel out of the double-butted aluminumframe and rear triangle. Comes with a RockShox Monarch 4.2 shock. ❏

Winning wheels: The $950 2010 ZTRPodium MMX cross-country-racingwheelset has seen the top podium spot atthe Olympics, World Cups and nationalchampionships. Claimed to weigh just 2.6pounds, the little company from UpstateNew York is the David against a bunch ofGoliaths. NoTubes, (607) 562-2877.

Value racer: The $2600 Sette Vexx DH bike features a 6061 aluminum, eight-inch-travel frame with a monocoque top tube. The Vexx has CNC-machinedstruts and linkage with oversized ten-millimeter pivot bearings. Componentsinclude a RockShox Boxxer Race fork and Vivid 4.1 shock, SRAM X7/X9 dri-vetrain and FSA Gravity MegaExo DH cranks. Only available from Price Pointat (800) 774-2376.

Go custom: Squadra makes custom clothingfor professional (and professional-looking)teams or clubs. They offer jerseys, shorts,jackets, vests and more. Want to take it tothe next level? Call them at (760) 431-0870.

Crank up the volume: The $250 Azonic Raptor CrankSet comes in 170- or 175-millimeter lengths with yourchoice of black or double-anodized black/red. Thecranks are compatible with all four-bolt 104-millimeterchainrings and chain guides. It has an outboard sealed-bearing bottom bracket and includes a bashguard.

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Fast to the top: The activerear suspension lends a handwhen climbing rough terrain.The Truth pedals as well as thebest stable-platform trailbikes.

MBA est

The Instant Centers of most four-bar mountain bike sus-pensions intersect in the area near the crankset and behindthe front wheel. Ellsworth’s Instant Centers range fromthree feet to a number of yards in front of the bike.

WHICH COMPONENTS STAND OUT?Three components steal the show: The Magura Marta

SL Magnesium brakes, the Magura Durin Marathon forkand the Ellsworth XC Wheelset. We look at each of thesecomponents separately immediately following the test.The Syntace P6 carbon seatpost, Syntace F119 stem andVector handlebar combo with Syntace lockable grips arealso noteworthy.

HOW DOES IT PERFORM?Ergonomics: The last few Truths to roll through the

test fleet were built for cross-country racing. This is atrail-friendly Truth with a longer-travel fork (4.7 inchesof travel instead of 3.9), nice wide bars, the super-com-

fortable WTB Pure V saddle and a Syntace carbonfiber seatpost. The rider is still not as upright ason a long-travel trailbike. Think of it as a sportytrail riding position.

Moving out: No ProPedal lever? No problem.In or out of the saddle, the Truth, with its custom-tuned shock, just motors away with a firm rearsuspension, remaining responsive to the trail sur-face and immune to your pedal mashing. Even

efforts out of the saddle don’t createsquish in the rear suspension.

Cornering: The Truthshines while negotiatingtight, technical single-track. Switchbacksrequire nothing morethan a flick of the han-dlebar to full-lock. Therider feels perfectly cen-tered, and there is no

need for exaggerated bodyEnglish to get the Truth to

do what you want.Stay over the middle of the

bike and the Truth holds its lineand will carve around corners without pushing the fronttire.

Climbing: The active rear suspension definitely lends ahand when climbing rough terrain. It softens the worstbumps, but it doesn’t feel all that supple. If your litmustest for a great-performing cross-country bike is a firm-pedaling platform, then the upside of the Ellsworth’srough ride is that it pedals as well as the best stable-plat-form trailbikes.

In the rough: The Truth’s suspension feels firm, butthe sensation does not adversely affect the handling.There always seems to be enough suspension travel inreserve to ride aggressively, but you must be mindful of itssteep steering geometry when you drop down somethingsteep, especially if you build your Truth with the recom-mended 3.9-inch travel fork.

The American-made Ellsworth Truth has been aroundfor 16 years, but it has never sat still. Those yearshave seen plenty of changes, including additional

travel, new materials (including a titanium version) andrefinements to the frame’s geometry.

WHO IS IT MADE FOR?The Truth is a versatile platform to base your dream bike

on. Using expensive carbon fiber, titanium and magnesiumcomponents, it can serve as a competitive (and lightweight)cross-country racer. Build it with more durable componentsand the four-inch travel frame will serve as your high-perfor-mance trailbike. Build it somewhere between the two andthis bike will do both. Our Truth was built as a trailbike,and that’s how we evaluated it.

WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?The Truth uses an aluminum, diamond-style frame with a

large walking-beam link at the seat stay junction. The reartriangle is also aluminum, and all the pivots rotate on large,sealed ball bearings. A massive gusset is employed in frontof the seat tube/top tube junction, allowing for a sloping toptube and a great standover height.

The small print on the top tube is patent language for theEllsworth Instant Center suspension. The term “InstantCenter” explains an imaginary point in space that one sideof a four-bar linkage rotates around. To find it, draw animaginary line through the middle of the two upper pivotsand another line through the center of the lower pivotpoints. The Instant Center is where the two lines intersect.The pivot’s actual location often changes as the rear suspen-sion cycles through its travel, so the “Instant” part of theterm refers to where the lines intersect at any given momentin time.

The Truth & Nothing But The TruthThe Ellsworth Truth


Call up the reserves: There always seems to be enough sus-pension travel in reserve to ride aggressively. Still, this is madeto be a cross-country racer, and it comes with the geometryto match.

The TruthTRICKS, UPGRADES OR TIPS?

We do not recommend equipping the Truth with anythingother than the Ellsworth-valved shock. The Truth’s rear sus-pension is firm enough without help from a stable-platformshock.

Ellsworth requires a 3.9-inch travel fork for the Truth. Ifyou are going to use the bike more for trail riding than rac-ing, you may want to go for a slightly longer-travel fork. Itmakes descents more manageable and slows down the cross-country-race geometry. This trick will void the frame’s war-ranty, so make the upgrade at your own risk.

BUYING ADVICEOne of the most common mistakes riders make is buying

too much bike. If your trails require a long-travel suspensionbike because of the severity of the terrain, Ellsworth hasplenty of models to choose from. However, if your trailsthrow challenging obstacles at you with plenty of climbingand descending, a Truth built just like this one would serveyou for years. ❑

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Truth serum: (Clockwise from top) A large walking-beam linkat the seat stay junction is part of the Ellsworth InstantCenter suspension. The seat tube is enforced by a massivegusset. The Fox shock is tuned just for this application.

ELLSWORTH TRUTHPrice $2195 (frame and shock)Country of origin USAWeight 26.6 poundsHotline (760) 788-7500Size tested 20" (large)Bottom bracket height 13.9"Chainstay length 16.5"Top tube length 24.5"Head tube angle 70.2°Seat tube angle 72.7°Standover height 29.5"Wheelbase 44"Suspension travel (front) 4.7"Suspension travel (rear) 4"Frame material AluminumFork Magura Durin MarathonShock Fox Float RRims Ellsworth XCTires Kenda Nevegal 2.35,

Kenda Small Bock Eight (r)Hub Ellsworth XCBrakes Magura Marta SL MagnesiumBrake levers Magura Marta SL MagnesiumCrankset Shimano XTShifters Shimano XT RapidfireHandlebar SyntaceVector (27")Front derailleur Shimano XTRear derailleur Shimano XTChainrings Shimano (44/32/22)Cassette Shimano XTR (11-34)Pedals None (weighed w/Shimano XTR)

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Our Ellsworth Truth was equipped with three com-ponents that deserve to be more than a footnote inthe test. The Magura Durin Marathon fork, Magura

Marta SL Magnesium brakes and Ellsworth’s just-releasedXC wheelset.

Tech features: The $799 XC wheelset features 24 spokes with a two-cross lac-ing pattern and Ellsworth-patented Quad Butted Spokes. The 29-millimeter-widerims have tapered walls. The hubs are compatible with a standard quick-release ora 15-millimeter thru-axle. The wheelset comes with extra spokes, nipples and thespacers you need for your axle preference. These wheels are also available in 29-inch diameters. The rear wheel with rim strip weighs one pound, 13.4 ounces,while the front is one pound, 9.5 ounces. Ellsworth skewers are 2.1 ounces (rear)and 1.9 ounces.After the thrashing: These wheels are beautiful, with striking attention to

detail from the polished hubs to the red Ellsworth rim strip. Mounting tires on thewider-than-usual-23-millimeter rims was no hassle, and the tires beaded to the rimeasily. The wider rims gives any tire the feel of being slightly larger because itincreases the contact patch. We found the wheels to lack the necessary rigidity forbig-gear-mashing, cross-country racing and any type of trail riding. We were able tomake tire contact with the fork slider and seat stays under hard efforts or G-outbumps. The wheels were taken to an Ellsworth dealer, who determined the spoketension was correct. A lightweight racer (say, under 150 pounds) looking for theweight advantage these wheels bring might find them acceptable. It is our opinionthat larger riders will not find them rigid enough.

Rating:★★★★★ Perfection★★★★✩ Delivers above average value and performance★★★✩✩ Recommended for intended application★★✩✩✩ Shows potential but has drawbacks★✩✩✩✩ Save your hard-earned bucks

ELLSWORTH XC WHEELSET★★✩✩✩

MAGURA MARTA SL MAGNESIUM BRAKES MAGURA DURINMARATHON FORK★★✩✩✩

Tech features: The $799 DurinMarathon fork has a cold-forged, alu-minum fork crown with integrated cablestops for an optional remote lockout con-trol. The stanchion tubes are 32-milli-meters in diameter, and the one-piecefork slider design includes Magura’sDouble Arch Design (DAD). The fork isavailable with an adjustable travel optioncalled Flight Control Remote (FCR) thatoffers from 3.1 to 4.7 inches of travel (itgoes for $899). The model we tested was fixed at 4.7 inches.

External adjustments allow the rider to turn on a lockoutfeature, adjust the small-bump compliance (a pedaling plat-form) and dial-in rebound.After the thrashing: The fork is easy to dial in because

the external adjustments actually make changes a rider canfeel. The rigidity of the fork is above average, especially underhard braking. Magura’s DAD really works. These forks havethe feel of a fork with larger diameter stanchions (but with-out the weight penalty). The only area where the DurinMarathon falls short is in its damping characteristics, whichdo not deliver the smooth feel of many of today’s popularforks. You can dial in small-bump compliance, but you giveup some big-hit performance. Get the big-hit coverage you arelooking for, and you lose a little small-bump compliance. ❑

MBATECH

As Seen On ETThe Ellsworth Truth, that is

Tech features: The flagship ofthe Marta brake line, the $389Marta SL Magnesium is an open,hydraulic, disc brake system thatuses forged-magnesium, fixed, dual-piston calipers and integrated reser-voirs. Carbon fiber levers and titani-um hardware are two more tricksthat let Magura hit the ridiculouslylight weight of 11 ounces. Eachbrake comes with a five-year leak-proof warranty and will work withsix-, seven- or eight-inch Magura SLrotors. The brake pads do not needto be removed to check wear.After the thrashing: The adjustable levers feel like they

were individually shaped for your fingers. The brake-fluid reser-voir is ample in size, yet never gets in the way during get-offs orsnags on brush. A rider can apply the ideal stopping power,depending on the incline and trail surface, by modulating thesqueeze on the brake levers. Even theMBA wrecking crew—who intentionally dragged the brakes—couldn’t get them tooverheat, fade or become grabby. The brakes don’t squeak orsqueal even after water crossings. Pad replacement is ultra-easy.The company also backs the product with exceptional technicalfield support. This is the brake that theMBA wrecking crewcompares all other brakes to.

★★★★★

msrp $750

$59998

Mavic

Crossmax ST Disc

Wheelset ‘09 Giro Athlon Helmet

$9998

msrp $130

IRC Mythos XC II

Racing Tire

$1498

msrp $50

Fox Ranger

Short$4498

msrp $70 Fox Baseline

Short$3998

msrp $60 Fox Live Wire

Jersey$3998

msrp $55

msrp $105

$8498

SRAM

X.9 9-Spd Trigger

Shifters ‘08

msrp $67

$4998

SRAM

X.7 9-Spd Trigger

Shifters ‘08

$750 M i

msrp $60

$2998

San Marco

Ponza Saddle

msrp $85

$5998

Selle ItaliaShiver Gel

Flow Saddle

msrp $50

$3498

WTBSpeed V Pro

Gel Saddle

msrp $40

$2698

WTBSpeed V

Comp Saddle

Hayes Disc Brake

HFX 9 XC

$5998

msrp $150

Avid Single

Digit 7 Brake

$2198

msrp $40

Alligator Wavy Rotor

$998

msrp $45

Panaracer Fire

XC Pro Tire

$2198

msrp $40

Kenda

Nevegal

Lite-DTC Tire

$3698

msrp $53

Planet Bike

Super⇑ash

$1798

msrp $30

Crank Brothers

Egg Beater C

Pedal

$5498

msrp $80

Fox Baseline

Jersey$2498

msrp $40

msrp $500

$19998 SetteRazzo 29er Frame

Dakine Limelight Zip Hoody

$3498

msrp $80

Fox Women’s Sierra Short

$3998

msrp $65

Dakine Mask T-Shirt

$1298

msrp $25Price Point Team Sock $398

msrp $8

msrp $250

$8998 SetteReken Hardtail Frame

AdidasBike Jacket

$2998

msrp $55

AABBBJJJ

Sette Element MTB Shoe

msrp $100

$4998

SetteQuantum-X Cyclo- Computer Ver. 2.0

msrp $35

$998

Adidas Trail CP Storm Jacket

$5498

msrp $130

AATTSSJm

Sette Type-S Lock-On Grips

msrp $30

$998

S

Oakley Descent Short

$5498

msrp $140

Rockshox

Dart 2 ‘08

$7998

msrp $119

Easton EC70

Carbon

Seatpost

$7998

msrp $120

WTB DX28 w/Shimano

M510 Wheelset

$8998

msrp $130

Sram PC971

Chain ‘08

$1998

msrp $32

Fox Incline Glove

$1498

msrp $22

Camelbak HAWG ‘08

$5998

msrp $100

Titec El Norte

Gold Stem

$1498

msrp $50

Easton EA70 Monkeybar ‘08

$4998

msrp $60

Sette Torx ST-21 Tool Kit

msrp $100

$4698

Sette XLR Low ¾ Riser Handlebar

msrp $40

$1998

Sette Amp Saddle

msrp $70

$2498

Sette Neo Alloy Water Bottle Cage

msrp $7

$298

Sette Epic MTB Shoe

msrp $150

$8998

Hoss Ponderosa Short

$4498

msrp $50

MB

ATECH

78 www.mbaction.com

Giant Lightens UpA first look at Giant’s 2010 Maestro suspension bikes

Before 2005, Giant employed a variety of full-suspensionplatforms in their mountain bike line. When theyunveiled their Maestro suspension that same year

everything changed, as many of their bikes have become someof the sport’s most highly regarded performance machines.The evolution of Giant’s dual-link Maestro has resulted intheir lightest and most capable mountain bikes yet.

What is Maestro suspension? In short, it’s a design withfour pivot points that allow two rocker arms to articulate in amanner that creates a single floating pivot point.

We had the opportunity to get a first look at their flagshipfull-suspension Maestro models on the challenging terrain ofthe Keystone, Colorado, resort. The technical Keystone down-hill courses and epic cross-country trails played a perfect hostto Giant’s all-new, six-inch-travel, all-mountain Reign X; theWorld Cup-tested Glory downhill bike; reborn seven-inch-trav-el Faith park bike; the all-new Anthem X Advanced SL; andthe highly anticipated carbon fiber version of the bike thatwonMBA’s $2500 trailbike shootout—the five-inch-travelGiant Trance.

Entering the 2010 model year, Giant knew they were sittingon a remarkable-performing suspension platform, so their goalwas to refine those designs and shed some weight. We’ll touchon some highlights and refinements of the Reign X, Faith,Glory, Anthem X SL and Trance X Advanced SL.

LONG-TRAVEL MAESTROFor Giant, the beauty of their Maestro suspension was they

could now use the same suspension platform for both short-and long-travel bikes.

Reign X: Giant’s 6.7-inch-travel, all-mountain Reign X seesa massive weight reduction for 2010. Compared to the 2009version, Giant says the all-new aluminum Reign X frame drops1.5 pounds alone, and a production bike out of the box withoutpedals weighs 30.2 pounds. Giant was able to shed someweight in the frame by going to a co-pivot design and not pierc-ing the downtube. The new Reign has Giant’s OverDrive headtube and tapered steerer tube to stiffen up the frame, and a12x135 Maxle Lite rear thru-axle.Faith: Back from the dead is Giant’s Faith black-diamond

bike. Like the Reign, the Faith sees a massive drop in the frame

Total package: Giant revamped their all-mountain Reign X from the ground up. The new frame utilizes their OverDrive tapered headtube and has a 67-degree head angle ideal for aggressive trail riding.

Hard goods: The 6.7-inch-travel Reign X features all-new suspen-sion hardware and forged upper rockers.


weight. We were told the all-new Faith’s frame is 2.5 poundslighter than the last generation of the Faith, and the completeseven-inch-travel bike out of the box weighs 36.8 pounds.

Glory 0: You may have spotted Giant World Cup racer JaredRando’s 2010 Giant Glory downhill bike in our September2009 issue “Inside The Pros’ Bikes.” For the past couple ofyears, Giant’s Glory downhill bike was an excellent performingmachine; however, it couldn’t be denied it was a beast, weigh-ing upwards of 46 pounds. Completely redesigned from theground up, the new eight-inch-travel Glory is claimed to weighjust 37.9 pounds out of the box. New features to the Gloryinclude the OverDrive head tube to increase frame stiffness,and despite being incredibly lighter than last year’s Glory,Giant says the new design is actually stiffer. Giant was able todrop the pounds from the Glory by pushing the limits of hydro-forming the aluminum tubing, and going away from thepierced downtube shock cradle design.

SHORT-TRAVEL MAESTROKeeping with the theme of the long-travel machines, Giant’s

proven cross-country racing and trailbike designs also lightenup significantly for the 2010 model year. Giant utilizes theirAdvanced Composite Technology to achieve the maximum

Keeping the faith: The Faith returns to Giant’s gravity lineup and isbuilt to handle huge drops and stunts. How tough is the new Faith?Giant rider Kurt Sorge rode his to a podium finish in the Red BullRampage. The Faith comes stock with two sets of replaceabledropouts. The different dropouts change the head angle by half of adegree and either drops or raises the bottom bracket.

Weighting game: Giant’s 2010 Faith drops an incredible 2.5pounds from the frame alone, and Giant says the complete bikeweighs 36.8 pounds out of the box. Suspension duties are han-dled by RockShox’s Vivid 5.1 shock and air-sprung Totem fork.

Race ready: Giant’s Glory downhill bike has been one of the bestdeals in the expensive sport of downhill racing; however, it was abeast at over 45 pounds. Giant says their completely redesigned2010 Glory weighs an impressive 37.9 pounds out of the box andis World Cup ready.

Glorious descender: Tested on the World Cup circuit, the eight-inch-travel Glory downhill bike utilizes Fox Shox suspension,Shimano Saint components and a 65.5-degree head angle.

80 www.mbaction.com

strength to weight ratio of their carbon fiber frames, and thatis exhibited in their Anthem X cross-country racer and theultra-capable Trance trailbike.Anthem X Advanced SL: Giant says their flagship four-

inch-travel Anthem is their lightest, fastest and stiffest full-sus-pension bike they’ve ever made. Out of the box, a size mediumcarbon Anthem X is claimed to weigh 21.8 pounds, and theframe alone is almost a half-pound lighter than the 2009 car-bon version. The Anthem X SL utilizes Giant’s OverDrivetapered head tube, and taking from their road bike technology,Giant utilizes their massive MegaDrive downtube forincreased front-end stiffness.Trance: The 2009 Giant Trance was one ofMBA’s top

choices of the year. How would Giant improve on an alreadyimpressive five-inch-travel platform? By utilizing their carbonfiber manufacturing resources. The new carbon fiber Trance XSL sheds nearly an entire pound off the trailbike frame alone,while also improving overall stiffness. Giant could’ve takeneven more weight out of the Trance by spec’ing ultra-lightcross-country racing components, but the goal was to createthe lightest bike possible with “real world” parts that will meettheir performance standards. The Trance X Advanced SL hasa claimed weight of 24.5 pounds. ❑

Giant

Race tested: Giant’s four-inch-travel carbon fiber Anthem XAdvanced SL cross-country race bike was put through the pacesby the highly skilled World Cup racer Adam Craig. The collabora-tion of engineering and rider input resulted in Giant’s lightest,fastest and stiffest full-suspension bike.

Riding tubes: To maximize the strength to weight ratio on theAnthem X Advanced SL, Giant employed their OverDrive headtube and MegaDrive downtube. The flagship carbon Anthem isequipped with SRAM’s XX group, and is said to weigh just 21.8pounds.

Inside job: Along with the 2010 bikes, Giant introduced their ownhouse brand of components, like this sleek carbon fiber stemfound on the Anthem X SL.

Ultimate versatility: Giant set out to make their impressive five-inch-travel Trance trailbike even better. The Trance X AdvancedSL has a carbon fiber frame, which shaves 14 ounces from thebike’s total weight, dropping it down to a remarkable 24.5pounds, 15-percent lighter than the 2009 aluminum version.

Tuned in: The Trance’s Maestro suspension operates with a FoxFloat RP23 shock and carbon fiber upper rocker links. The fiveinches of Maestro suspension is designed to be fully active underbraking and power for all conditions.

MB

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Canada’s Max Plaxton has been climbinghis way to the top of the cross-countryranks in North America. Max, now 24,

started mountain biking at 14, when his familywas living in Spain. When the family movedback to British Columbia in 2002, Max wonCanada’s Junior Cross-Country NationalChampionship.

Moving forward, Max took the Pan AmericanEspoir (Under-23) cross-country title in 2006and 2007, and a bronze medal in the U23 classat the World Championships in 2006. Max alsowon gold medals in the Team Relay races at twoWorld Championships.

Max’s first big national win in the U.S. camein the short-track event at the Santa Barbara,California, National in 2007. This summer,Max took his first pro cross-country win at theColorado Springs Pro XCT National, beatingCanadian rival Geoff Kabush and Americanchampion Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski.

Max rides this Specialized Epic for TeamSho-Air.

Max Plaxton’s Specialized Epic

1. Specialized Carbon Epic S-Works frame, size large.

“The frame is 100-percent stock. TheEpic frame, fork and shock are devel-oped together, resulting in one fast cross-country bike. I am truly blown away byhow fast it is, and I really think I havean advantage over my competitors.”

2. Specialized Future Shock e100fork, 3.9 inches of travel, carbon 1-1/8-inch to 1.5-inch steer tube.

“This fork knows the differencebetween rider-induced force and terrain-induced force. Basically, you never haveto worry about locking or unlocking thefork, which adds up to save me valuableseconds.”

3. WTB Vulpine 2.1 tires, Kevlarbead.

“This is a super-fast tire and great fordry, hardpacked trails. It’s very light,too.”

4. Stan’s NoTubes Tire Sealant.

5. Specialized Roval Controle SLrims, disc, 24mm.

“Very light rims. They form a solidbead with the tire, allowing me to runlow pressure without burping any air.”

6. DT Swiss Aerolite 2.0/1.6 spokeswith black alloy nipples.

“They’re super-stiff and light spokes.”

7. Specialized Roval Controle SL XCCarbon front hub and Roval SL disc-style rear hub.

“They’re very light and fitted with theEnduro ceramic bearings—a super-fastcombo.”

8. Hayes Stroker Gram brakes, titani-um hardware.

“Light, powerful and adjustable to suitmy braking style.”

9. Race Face, Carbon Next, Low RiseSL handlebar, 26-inches width.

“Perfect width and low-rise—one of thebest-looking handlebars out there for sure.”

10. Race Face Carbon Next SL seat-post.

“Very light and stiff; this seatpost hasamazing adjustability.”

11. ESI Silicon Racers Edge grips.“Amazing feel to the hands and

superb control.”

12. Specialized S-Works MTBcrankset, 175-millimeters.

“The S-Works cranks use a BB30 bot-tom bracket. This means the bearingsare fitted inside the frame, resulting insuperior stiffness. The carboncrankarms shave serious weight.”

13. Specialized S-Works chain-rings, 7075 T6, 42/26.

“A real cool feature about the S-Workscranks and chainrings is the possibilityof running different size chainrings,depending on the race course. They’revery smooth shifting as well.”

14. Crankbrothers Eggbeater 4 Tipedals.

“They’re very light, with really easyaccess in all conditions—a must-havepedal.”

19

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84 www.mbaction.com

Inside TheInside ThePros’ BikesPros’ BikesInside ThePros’ Bikes

25. Specialized AFR remotemini shock with Brain inertiavalve with Brain Fade, rebound-adjustment and 3.9 inches oftravel.

“Just like the Brain Fork, thisshock does it all for you. It remainsfirm on smooth terrain and goes fullyactive in rough terrain without hav-ing to touch anything. I am superlucky to be riding on the mostadvanced suspension technology outthere.”

26. Enduro ceramic bearings arefitted in the bottom bracket andhubs.

“This is one of the best upgradesanyone can do to their race bike. Itsimply makes the bike faster.” ❑


15. Shimano Dura-Ace chain.“I always prefer to run this chain. I have

never had a broken chain in a race or train-ing and hope to keep that streak going.”

16. Shimano XTR Shadow rearderailleur.

“Combined with the XTR triggershifters, there is no better combination forflawless shifting.”

17. Shimano XTR front derailleur.

18. Shimano XTR Rapidfire Plusshifters.

“Super-solid shifting and very precise.”

19. Shimano XTR 11-34 cassette.“Perfect gear ratio for a fast-pedaling

downhill or a steep uphill.”

20. WTB Silverado SLT seat.“The Silverado is the perfect choice for

me. At 6.5 ounces, it is light but also verycomfy.”

21. Race Face Deus XC stem,110-millimeters, at minus-6degrees.

“Very stiff and lightweight.”

22. Jagwire Ripcord cablehousing.

“Simply flawless shifting withouthaving to change the housing all thetime.”

23. Threadless headset,Campy-style 1-1/8-inch upperand 1.5-inch lower cartridgebearing.

“I am blown away by how stiff thehead tube area is. Accelerating out ofthe saddle is when I notice it themost.”

24. Chris King titanium water-bottle cage.

“It’s my all-time favorite cage. Ithink most people would agree.”

Weight: 20.5 poundsEstimated worth: $9000

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1.909.947.2100local or international

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Disclaimer* Quantities on some items may be limited - shop early for best selection. Pricing may vary between our magazine ads, catalogs, showroom, retail stores, and website. Currency ⇑uctuations, manufacturer price increases, model year changes, and other factors may cause our costs to change. JensonUSA reserves the right to modify our prices at any time without notice. Prices listed do not include shipping. Errors in product descriptions, weights, prices, or photography are unintentional and subject to correction. Customer bears the cost of return shipping for exchanges/returns unless Jenson USA has made a shipping error. Please call for a return authorization number. Jenson USA strives to offer the best prices on every item we sell. We will price match any nationally advertised price - just give us the details at the time of your order. The identical item (size, color, model year) must be in stock at the time your order is placed. This does not include items which are on sale/clearance/blowout. Price match may not be combined with any other offers. * All Shimano logos and brands are the exclusive property of Shimano American Corporation.

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MB

AYOUNGRIPPER Introducing Cierra Smith

ing. You can do whatever you wantthere because it has such an awesomevariety of trails. If you can ride the trailsthere, you can ride anywhere.”

Although still very young for a moun-tain bike racer, Cierra’s been a part ofthe Santa Cruz crew for a handful ofyears.

“There used to be a junior Santa CruzSyndicate division, and I was with themthe past couple of years,” explainsCierra. “When it became the AllRideAcademy, I was picked from the originalteam to stay on board.”

“Cierra rocks!” says all-around eliterider Kirt Voreis. “I’m excited to havethe opportunity to help youngsters likeCierra have opportunities in this sport.Seeing the passion she has for riding, itinspires me everyday to keep ridinghard and helping out wherever I can.The girl is super tough and has an all-or-nothing attitude. She’s totally humblewith a laid-back demeanor.”

The World Cup circuit is still a fewyears down the road, but Cierra’salready proven to be the best on thebiggest stage she’s been on so far.

“The U.S. National Championship

Most 14-year-old girls spendtheir summer vacation day-dreaming about entering high

school in the fall, what experiencestheir freshman year will bring, or, well,whatever it is teenage girls daydreamabout. Cierra Smith prefers to spendhers training for downhill racing. Herwork has paid off, as she was recentlycrowned the Junior Division NationalChampion at the U.S. NationalChampionships at the SolVistaMountain Bike Park in Granby,Colorado. Cierra’s riding skills not onlycaught our attention, but that of theSanta Cruz AllRide Academy, a juniordevelopment mountain bike racing teamheaded by Santa Cruz Syndicate’sAllRide Tour leader and championgravity racer Kirt Voreis and his, wifeLindsey.

“My family has been involved incycling for a long time,” explains Cierra.“My grandpa used to race road bikes,and then he and my dad got into moun-tain biking. My dad then began ridingdownhill and started to bring me to themountain.”

Northern California has incrediblemountain biking terrain, and Cierraappreciates the world class trails in herbackyard.

“My home mountain is definitelyNorthstar at Lake Tahoe,” she says.“I’m so lucky to live about 20 minutesaway from there, and I spend practicallyevery weekend riding or racing down-hill there. Northstar is so great for train-

event was crazy!” says Cierra. “I was sohappy to win that race, because I finallyhad some competition. Before, I was soyoung I hardly had any other girls torace against, because not that many ofthem were doing it.”

“She took a bad fall in practice andshe got pinned head-first at the bottomof a nasty rock section,” says KirtVoreis. “As soon as the course workersremoved the bike from atop her pret-zeled body, she jumped up chucklingsaying, ‘Dude, that was crazy! I definite-ly think I need to take a break.’ She dust-ed herself off, jumped onto her bike andripped down the course. Cierra has whatit takes to be the best.”

“My goal is to be a world champion,”Cierra says confidently. “I want to raceall of the UCI World Cup stuff and go asfar as I can with racing. I want to try tobe the best in the world. I can’t reallypicture myself doing anything otherthan being a pro mountain biker.

“Racing takes a lot of time and dedica-tion. I’m really thankful for, and luckyto have, all of the people helping me outracing, especially my dad.” ❑

Home turf: Junior national downhillchampion Cierra Smith races at theNorthstar Mountain Bike Park, just

outside of her home in Reno, Nevada.

Photos by Wil Smith

90 www.mbaction.com

Supreme descender: With a 67-degree head angle, thru-axle forkand an eight-inch front brake rotor,the Enduro SL Pro Carbon cancharge high-speed terrain.


MBA est

Own The Entire MountainThe Specialized Enduro SL Pro Carbon

stem make for a comfortable cockpit and speak to the bike’sdescending competence.

To achieve optimum suspension performance, you’ll needto set the correct amount of sag. Specialized includes a littlesag meter that you can use to determine when you’veachieved 25-percent sag in the shock. With the Fox fork,you’ll want to run 20-percent sag with the fork in the full-travel setting.

Climbing: For a bike with six inches of travel, the Endurois a snappy accelerator. We were impressed with how well itscrambled uphill on loose terrain. The Enduro is capable ofcresting any climb you have the lungs and legs to hammerup and over.

The AFR shock has a four-position pedaling platform,with the first setting being the most plush and

the fourth the most firm. The first and thirdsettings were the easiest to find while

wearing gloves, but it’s easy to unin-tentionally press the lever past thefourth position. On technical climbs,our best results were with the shock

in the third setting. It offered aconsistent pedaling platform

with enough bumpabsorption to handleterrain features.

The Fox 32FTALAS fork’s abilityto lower the front endis perfect for keeping

the front end fromwandering when spin-

ning in the saddle.Although three positions are

available on this fork, we weremore comfortable during long

climbs with the travel set in the middle (5.1-inch) position.Lowering the fork to this setting allowed us to maintain acentered and aggressive riding position on the bike. Only onextended fire road climbs did we reach for the lockout fea-ture (in the softest blow-off setting), as spinning in the sad-dle on singletrack trails caused slight unwanted fork move-ment.

The key to cresting the steepest of climbs is to keep yourweight forward and spin a low gear. The 34-tooth ShimanoXT cassette helped keep the wheels rolling and our legschurning.

Descending: As you approach downhills, open up thefork and shock, and if you’ve set the suspension sag correct-ly, you’ll be stoked by how well the front and rear of theEnduro work in synchronization to gobble up rocks, rootsand trail chatter at speed.

The 15QR thru-axle on the Fox fork drastically improvesthe front-end rigidity when riding technical trails. Whatdoes a stiffer front end mean to the rider? When you’re ableto hold your intended line without the front end deflectingor twisting, not only do you conserve energy because you’renot fighting the bike, but you can focus farther down thetrail and choose your lines earlier. This ultimately addsspeed and efficiency to your ride.

Long-travel trailbikes combine relatively lightweightsuspension technology with a smattering of durabletrailbike or high-end cross-country components.

Specialized’s offering in this category is their six-inch-travelEnduro. Four models carry the Enduro title, including twowith carbon fiber frames and two made from aluminum.The Enduros range in price from $7700 to $3300.

WHO IS IT MADE FOR?With six inches of front and rear travel, the Enduro is

ideal for a trail rider who doesn’t shy away from technicaldescents and has the fitness to haul wider tires, plush sus-pension and more overall weight uphill. These chassis aredialed so riders can muscle their way to the top of technicalclimbs and let it fly on challenging downhills.

WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?Our 2009 Enduro SL Pro Carbon is the

least expensive of the two carbon fiber-framed Enduros. The carbon frame uses arocker-link-actuated, four-bar suspension fea-turing Specialized’s FSRdesign and operates oncartridge bearings.The Enduro’sadjustable geome-try allows for sit-uation-specifictuning. The twobottom shockmount positionsoffer either a 67-degree head angleand a 14-inch bottombracket height or a 68-degree head angle and a 14.5-inch bottom bracket height.

WHICH COMPONENTS STAND OUT?Each of the four Enduro models feature Specialized’s AFR

air-sprung shock. The damping curve is specifically tuned tooptimize the FSR suspension design, and toggling the bluelever activates the four-position pedaling platform. TheSpecialized Command Post adjustable seatpost is a nicetouch, and one of three seat height positions can be chosenby pressing a handlebar-mounted lever.

Those of you familiar with the high-end SpecializedEnduros of the past few years will notice this model is spec’edwith a Fox 32 TALAS fork instead of the Specialized FutureShock E150 fork found on the 2009 S-Works version. After weexperienced inconsistent performance with the E150 fork onthe 2008 Enduro, we welcomed the Fox slider on this test bike.

The Fox 32F TALAS RL fork offers premium perfor-mance and has adjustable travel with 4.3-, 5.1-, and 5.9-inchtravel settings.

HOW DOES IT PERFORM?In the saddle: For a six-inch-travel bike, the Enduro has

a low, 29.5-inch standover height, which makes riders com-fortable when riding aggressively. The 67-degree head angle,74-degree seat tube angle, and 75-millimeter Specialized

Another key to the Enduro’s descending merit is theSpecialized Command Post adjustable seatpost. With a flickof the lever you can drop the seat to make drops, jumps andultra-steep chutes less daunting. If you’ve spent much timeaboard a seatpost like this, you’re likely already a believer.Cornering: The Enduro’s supple suspension keeps the

tires hooked up on chattery, off-camber corners. The stiffnessof the front end lets you really lean on the front wheel toconfidently hold a line in a corner, and the 2.3-inchSpecialized Eskar tires are easily some of the best all-moun-tain/trailbike tires out there for moderately loose trails. Theyhave an aggressive center tread and hard-biting side knobs.

TRICKS, UPGRADES OR TIPS?You may have seen the 2010 Specialized Enduro S-Works on

the cover of our October issue. Although the 2010 Enduroshares the same name, it is very different from the 2009 testedhere. The 2010 model receives an all-new frame, a two-chain-ring crankset, plus a different fork and shock. It takes the bikecloser to the gravity-oriented, black-diamond or stunt category.

BUYING ADVICEThis is a terrific time of year to buy a new bike, because

shops are offering deals on existing models to make room forthe new ones. We touched on the changes made to the 2010Enduro, but if you’re in the market for a long-travel, pedal-it-six-hours trailbike, holding off for the 2010 Endurodoesn’t make sense.

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Tried and true: The Shimano XT crankset, plus SpecializedEskar 2.3-inch tires and Command Post adjustable seatpost,speak to the all-mountain capabilities of the 2009 Enduro SLPro Carbon.

New slider: The 2009 Enduro SL Pro Carbon ditches the dual-crown Specialized fork found on the more expensive Enduroand uses the reliable Fox Shox 32F TALAS RL fork equippedwith the 15QR thru-axle.

The Entire Mountain

The Enduro SL Pro Carbon surpassed our expectations innearly all areas of testing, and with features like the ultra-reli-able Fox Shox 32F TALAS fork, Specialized Command Postand Avid Elixir brakes, finding a smoking closeout sale onthis Enduro would be the Holy Grail for any bargain-huntingtrail rider. Heck, even paying full boat would be a deal. ❑

SPECIALIZED ENDURO SL PRO CARBONPrice $5500Country of origin TaiwanWeight 30 poundsHotline (877) 808-8154Frame tested Medium)Bottom bracket height 14"Chainstay length 16.6"Top tube length 22.6"Head tube angle 67°Seat tube angle 74°Standover height 29.5"Wheelbase 45"Suspension travel (front) 5.9"Suspension travel (rear) 6"Frame material CarbonFork Fox 32F TALAS RLShock Specialized AFRRims Custom DT Swiss E440STires S-Works Eskar (2.3")Hub (f) Specialized Hi-Lo, DT Swiss 370Brakes Avid Elixir R Carbon SLCrankset Shimano XT CustomShifters SRAM X.9Handlebar Specialized Enduro mid-rise (26" wide)Front derailleur Shimano XTRear derailleur SRAM X.9Chainrings Shimano XT (44/32/22)Cassette Shimano XT (11-34)Pedals None (weighed w/Shimano XT)

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Gray, sunless skies, dropping temperatures and falling snowdoesn’t mean it is time to put the mountain bike away and prayfor spring to arrive early. There are places that don’t come into

their riding primetime until other locations are covered in snow, iceand slush. Sedona, Arizona, is a mountain biker’s winter getaway thathas a lot more to offer than warm temperatures.

Sedona’sWarm Welcome

Accessibility: Road tripsoriginating from anywhere butCalifornia don’t make a lot of sense.Ride areas to the north or east ofSedona could be under snow fromNovember to March, so your ridingopportunities are limited to your finaldestination. Your best bet is to jet itto Phoenix, Arizona. Phoenix is amajor flight hub, and that means pret-ty good deals on airfare. Remember touse your free bike voucher if you arean IMBA member. Rent a car, headnorth on Highway 179 and exit atSedona. If you have time, take anextra day to visit South MountainPark and Preserve in Phoenix beforeyou head to Sedona.28 miles from Flagstaff, Arizona113 miles from Phoenix, Arizona278 miles from Las Vegas, Nevada341 miles from Durango, Colorado482 miles from Los Angeles, California792 miles from San Francisco, California1384 miles from Seattle, Washington2580 miles from Boston, Massachusetts

Where to go when the snow falls

Cooling off: Sedona trail riding is made moretolerable in the hot weather due to the numberof rivers and streams that are encountered. Howdo you find them? Look for the green below thered rocks.

The people you meet: We spied former World Cross-Country Champion Ruthie Mathis (right), a native ofDurango, Colorado, sampling the Sedona sun-shine with a friend. Sedona is an option for

getting away from a long winter.

GRAND CANYON108 mi.

28 mi.

119 mi.

230 mi.

FLAGSTAFF

PHOENIX

TUCSON

SEDONA

ARIZONA


Maps: Buy Fat Tire Tales AndTrails as soon as you arrive inArizona. The book is sold in mostbike shops, and it is the consummateArizona mountain bike trail guide. Ithas 13 unique rides listed for Sedonaalone. You can also get a free copy ofthe Experience Sedona Guide by call-ing (800) 288-7336 or visitingvisitsedona.com.

Pay attention: Thescenery begs to betaken in, but don’tbe sightseeing whileriding. The loosesurface, severedrop-offs and men-acing foliage will allattack if you are notpaying attention.

Trails: Sedona is called theRed Rock Country, and you’llfigure out why before you’ve leftthe trailhead. The hills and cliffsthat surround you offer viewsthat are totally unique to thearea. This wild terrain alsooffers everything from beginnertrails to white-knuckle, cliff-sideriding insanity.

You’ll want to launch yourSedona riding adventure at theBell Rock Pathway off highway179 in the Village of Oak Creek(Sedona’s southern neighbor).Local riders affectionately referto the place as “The BoatRamp,” because it is the jumpingoff place for so many of thearea’s rides. Bell Rock Pathwayoffers good trails for beginnersand opens up to more technicaland advanced riding.

The town of Sedona itself issurrounded by trails. It is hard to ridehalf a mile on any street without see-ing a trailhead. The trails east oftown are not recommended for begin-ners. These trails feature a lot ofrocks, drops, steep climbs, switch-backs and loose rocks. These can befrustrating rides, because onemoment you are rolling along fun,flowy singletrack and the next secondyou are trying to clear six two-foot-

tall rock steps. Talk about a flow kill!It is the type of terrain that you’llstruggle to clean and then feel exalta-tion when you do.

The trail surface is everything fromhardpack to sand with lots of flat-edged slate thrown in for added trac-tion. We are talking desert ridingwith all the prickly vegetation thatyou’d expect.

Equipment: Sedona is not aplace for lightweight hardtails or evenshort-travel, cross-country bikes.While a four- or five-inch-travel trail-bike works great, if you are going totackle the technical trails, bikes likethe Pivot Firebird, SpecializedEnduro, Giant Reign, Fisher Roscoeor Trek Remedy are the ticket. Manylocal riders use flat pedals rather thanclipless pedals. Fat tires with sealantare highly recommended.

Poachers: We have been ridingSedona for years, and our most recenttrip revealed an alarming number ofillegal trails. It makes no sense,because there are so many great exist-ing trails. It is hard to believe that ahiker or biker would feel compelled tobushwhack. Off-trail riding, hiking orclimbing in this fragile desert envi-ronment creates lasting damage. Wedon’t have to ask you to stay on desig-

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nated trails, because we know youwill. We will ask you to take amoment during your ride to block theentrance of an illegal trail with fallentimber or rocks.

Shops: Sedona Bike & Bean,(928) 284-0210, (bike-bean.com) offersmore than maps, bike rentals andrepairs. The closest shop to the BellRock Pathway partners with a localresort to offer accommodations tai-lored for mountain bikers. The resorthas a number of large cabins (to fityour crew) that include kitchens, apool, washer and dryer, gas grills andhot tubs. The place is within ridingdistance of the Bell Rock Pathway.This is a great base camp for yourSedona adventure.

Absolute Bikes, (928) 284-1242, isanother bike shop close to the trailsthat offers bike rentals, repairs andspare parts.

MBA DESTINATIONS

Sedona

Change it up: The trails in Sedonacan be sweet, flowy, big-ring funone mile while the next is two-footstair steps comprised of looseshale. This is not the place for light-weight components.


Eats: Sedona offers tons ofrestaurants on the two extremes.There seem to be either expensive,hoity-toity, napkin-in-your-laprestaurants or fast food places andgreasy spoons. If you don’t have thebudget to blow on grub, we’d suggestbooking a cabin with the Bike &Bean and doing the grocery shoppingand cooking yourself.

Weather: Sedona is aSeptember-through-May riding desti-nation. When summer hits, so doesthe heat. Triple-digit temperaturesare not uncommon in the summermonths. The place has been know toget dusted with snow in the winter,but it won’t stick around long. Besure to pack some warm riding cloth-ing during the winter months, as themornings can be cold.

Advisory: Put a comb in yourhydration pack. If you do pick up acactus bulb, the only way to get it offis to flick it with a comb.

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Red and it rocks: Sedona is known asRed Rock Country for obvious reasons.The trails snake through canyons andmake any rider feel like he or she has beentransported back in time. This is what theWild West used to look like.

Sedona


Before the ride: The Sedona Bike & Bean offers rental bikes(nice ones), spare parts, professional service, maps and mostimportant, a great cup of Joe to get you off on your rides.Photos by Jan Sullivan/Retro Art By Jan

Mountain bike resort: The Bike & Bean runs a resort that istailored to the needs of visiting mountain bikers. The cabins areyour home away from home, while the pool and barbecue areais great for after-ride tale telling.Photos by Jan Sullivan/Retro Art By Jan ❑

Arizona riders who care for alltrail users


At over 16,000 acres, the South Mountain Preserve inPhoenix, Arizona, has 51 miles of primary trails forhorseback riding, hiking and mountain biking. That’s a

lot of territory to care for, and with budget cutbacks, it seems likean impossible task. This is why the South Mountain Bike Patrol(SoMo BP) was formed and why it is so important.

“We want to keep things natural and don’t want to see thepark spoiled,” explains SoMo BP member Tom Cavaretta. “Wewant our kids to enjoy the preserve as much as we do.”

The SoMo BP is the eyes and ears of the park’s rangers.Members complete a park stewardship program that includesCPR and first aid training, a background check and fingerprint-ing. Certified members are expected to donate 60 hours a year tothe patrol.

“I am going to be riding the park anyway, so it never feels likeI’m working,” explains Tom. “I always carry a first aid kit, toolsand some spares, even when I’m not in uniform.”

The SoMo BP has many duties, the most important being com-munication. “We have hikers, equestrians and mountain bikerssharing the trails, and it is key for trail users to understand prop-er trail etiquette and to communicate with each other,” explainsGabe Lucero, who is part of the North Mountain Bike Patrol,formed after the success of the SoMo BP.

Stewards OfThe Preserve

The SoMo BP has already saved lives. Giving water tounprepared trail users on a plus-100-degree day saves lives.Blocking bootleg trails so hikers and riders don’t get lost saveslives. Repairing trail damage saves lives.

“We may stack some rocks to make a drop safer for begin-ners, but our goal is to keep the park’s trails as natural as pos-sible,” explains Tom. “The trails hold up very well until themonsoon season hits. That’s when we put in a lot of waterbars.”

What’s the biggest problem the SoMo BP has encountered?Dogs off leash.

“I love dogs and want to keep them safe,” says Tom. “A situ-ation can get out of hand quickly if a few dogs show up at thesame place. I’ve had to use my bike to keep dogs apart. Thepreserve is home to predators like coyotes and rattlesnakes. Ahiker lost her dog to a snake bite last year.”

The SoMo BP and NoMo BP show all trail users that moun-tain bikers care. Funding cutbacks have hurt every park sys-tem in America, so there is a good chance that the park whereyou ride could use your help. Tom and Gabe suggest visitingthe IMBA website (imba.com) and checking out their bikepatrol resources page. Like Tom says, “You are going to be outthere anyway. Why not pitch in to preserve the places we loveto ride?” ❑

The few, the proud, the dirty: The South Mountain Bike Patrol, from left, are TomCavaretta, Scott MacFarlane, Mike Lust, Kurt Krause, Bryan Fox, Chris Gardner,Micky Santa Maria, Brian Higgins, Dan Ryan, Gabe Lucero and Chris Capages.

Fun work: Members of the South Mountain Bike Patrol claimthey would be riding anyway, so their duties never feel like work.They are being modest. Training and volunteering hours is work.

Photos by John Romero

MBARIDERSWHOInspire

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The RockShox Boxxer isthe most decorated forkin downhill racing history,

and for the first time since theoriginal prototypes debuted in1996, it has been redesigned fromthe ground up. We first broughtyou images and riding impres-sions of the three, eight-inch-travel 2010 Boxxer models—the World Cup ($1700), Team($1160) and Race ($775)—inour February 2009 issue.

The DownhillWorkhorse

BOXXER RECAPRockShox set out to accomplish

three goals with their new downhillfork: to be lighter, stiffer and achieveincreased control. The new Boxxerjumped from the 32-millimeter stan-chions found on most cross-countryforks to a thinner-wall, 35-millimetertubing. This change improved stiffnessand reduced weight. The Boxxer’s newforged crowns use less material thanprevious versions, and the new MaxleLite DH also shaves a couple ounces.The World Cup and Team forks get thenew Mission Control DH damping sys-tem with Dual Flow adjust compres-sion and rebound damping. This damp-ing system was developed to optimizefront wheel traction.

We put the mid-priced version of thenew Boxxer, the Team, to the test onour Santa Cruz V10.

BOXXER TEAM SPECIFICSThe 6.57-pound 2010 Team fork is

5.3 ounces lighter than the previousyear’s version of the Team and is abouta half-pound heavier than the pricierair-sprung World Cup model. The dif-ference between these top-end down-hill forks isn’t merely the weight or the$540 price difference; it also has to dowith a rider’s preference for the feel ofair-sprung or coil-sprung suspension.

The coil-sprung Boxxer Team has allof the tuning features of the World Cupbut uses different methods to achievethem. The Dual Flow compressionadjustment interface is atop the rightfork leg. The blue knob tunes high-

Break it in: The BoxxerTeam’s tight bushings

take a few days of rid-ing to break in. Oncethe fork’s been given

the business on sometough terrain, it has a

plush coil feel that canabsorb repetitive mon-

ster hits.

speed (fast shaft speeds) hits, and thesmaller silver dial on top of the high-speed knob tunes low-speed (slowshaft speeds) travel.

The Dual Flow Rebound adjustmentsits on the bottom of the right fork leg.The larger red dial controls the ending

stroke rebound for when the fork isfarther into the travel, while the grayknob controls beginning strokerebound when the fork is in the ini-tial part of the travel.

A new feature of the 2010 BoxxerTeam is the DropStop bottom-out


adjustment atop the left fork leg. Insidethe center of the coil spring is the MCU(an elastomer) that smoothes the tran-sition between the spring rate and thebottom-out pad. Turning the DropStopdial changes how soon it kicks in.

When purchased aftermarket, theBoxxer Team includes two alternativetuning springs and both upper crownsizes.

SETTING UP THE BOXXERAlong with the additional springs,

RockShox includes their handyTrailside Tuning Guide with theBoxxer forks (also available as PDFs ontheir website). The tuning guide andsprings are included so you can tuneyour fork to your particular weight,riding style, and terrain. The stock redspring is said to be for riders between160 and 180 pounds, and one lighterand one heavier spring are included.The tuning guide offers nine differentterrain or downhill course scenarios asstarting points for your fork tuning.

RIDING THE BOXXER TEAMOn paper, the stock red spring was

supposed to be perfect for 170-poundriders in full gear. The fork sag lookedgood according to the gradient on thestanchion. However, after numerousdays of riding the Team, we were able

to achieve full travel on certainimpacts, but were not using any of thecompression tuning features or theDropStop bottom-out adjustment.Originally, we thought this wasbecause of the very stiff bushings, butafter the fork was sufficiently brokenin, it had supple small-bump absorp-tion, yet was still too firm for ridersbetween 160 and 180 pounds to utilizethe tuning features. Thankfully, thelighter yellow spring was already in thebox.

Instructions for swapping the forkspring were easily downloaded online,and what a difference the change made.The sag on the stock spring read 25percent, but was too firm when on thebike. The sag reading on the softer yel-low spring read between 25 and 30percent, and gave us the opportunity touse the Tuning Guide and the com-pression and bottom-out features.

With the softer yellow spring, ourdefault settings became four clicks ofthe blue high-speed compression knob,three turns of the low-speed knob, andone turn of the bottom-out adjuster.

The increased rigidity of the newBoxxer eliminated all twisting sensa-tions felt in the previous versions.Whether riding low-speed steep terrainor bombing run after run at NorthstarMountain Bike park, we chose ruggedlines with confidence. Although out ofthe box the Team felt slightly sluggish,once broken in it had superb small-bump performance.

The tunability of the high- and low-speed rebound is most noticeable onfast, rocky terrain with repeated bighits, drops and holes. The ability tokeep the fork stuck to the ground witha slower rebound setting improves trac-tion and speeds up the rebound so thefork can return to full travel on harshhits. It works very well for maintainingcontrol on trails that put every part ofthe bike to the test.

Through corners, whether berms orrutted off-cambers, the Boxxer’s rigidi-ty helped us keep our intended lineand took the brunt of the harshestimpacts at speed. On more than oneoccasion there was a wince after animpact from a gnarly line choiceaboard the Boxxer Team, but the 2010stayed true, and this Boxxer showedmuch less deflection than previous ver-sions.

Although it took some tinkering andhead scratching for us to bring themost out of the new Boxxer Team, it’sfair to say that RockShox seriouslyimproved upon an already excellentand race-proven design.

For on-board video of testing theBoxxer Team, visit mbaction.com. ❑

Workhorse: The coil-sprung RockShoxBoxxer Team features tunable beginningand ending stroke rebound, high- and-low-speed compression, and utilizes thenew Maxle Lite 20-millimeter thru-axle.

Tuning in: Tuning the beginning and end-ing stroke rebound allows you to tune yourride to the terrain. The red dial controls thefork’s rebound when deeper in the stroke,and the gray knob controls the beginningstroke rebound.

Spring time: The stock spring is said tobe ideal for riders between 160 and 180pounds. We found riders around 170pounds were able to achieve more suppleand active suspension by swapping thestock spring to the lighter yellow spring(included) and turning the blue high-speedcompression dial up a few clicks.

MB

ATRAININGANDFITNESS

E very rider crashes. Smack downs are not reserved aspayback for wide-eyed wild men who take insane risksand ride above their natural ability. Soil samples hap-

pen to skilled riders who happen to roll into the wrong placeat the wrong time. Singletrack tilling can begin with amechanical failure as innocent as a blown tire or as evil as apedal cleat that won’t release. Yard sales are held after theearth gives way unexpectedly, a low-hanging branch rips youfrom the saddle, or a deeper-than-anticipated water crossingswallows you. There will come a time when you will findyourself eye-to-eye with a rabbit or lizard, no matter howcareful a rider you may be.There are ways to limit the pain and suffering inflicted by

these unexpected mining expeditions. Using our tips forcrashing gracefully may result in brushing the dirt off yourjersey rather than heading to the ER to find out how goodyour health insurance coverage really is.

How to crash and walk away



RELAX

PICK YOUR IMPACT

Tuck and roll: This rider does a great job of tucking and rolling after what appears to be losing the front wheel to a slippery root.Bonus tip: Never jump back up to your feet. Wait until you are sure that the bike is not about to bean you and that you are not injured.

If your bike is on the ground when you lose control, ride itout to the very end. Your bike can absorb more of the crashthan you can. Everything on the bike sucks energy out of thecrash.

Your bike’s suspension is designed to absorb impact, but therest of the bike will do it, too. If your bike lands hard off ajump or drop-off and the rims, spokes, fork, handlebars,cranks and seatpost bend, the energy absorbed in that bendingreduces the shock to your feet, ankles, hands, wrists, arms andshoulders. It’s similar to the way a stack of cardboard boxescan collapse and absorb the impact of a stunt man falling off aroof in a movie. This is a good thing. It’s usually less expen-sive (and less painful) to let the bike, rather than your body,absorb the energy of a crash.

Relaxing doesn’t mean giving up. Think fast, keepyour eyes open and do your best to minimize the sever-ity of your impact by picking where you are going toland. Remember, the bike is your greatest asset forabsorbing the impact’s energy. Also, long tumbles arebetter than stopping abruptly (like hitting a tree). Doyour best to aim for a soft landing spot.

If you are separated from your bike, don’t land with yourarms straight out and your palms facing down. If you do,you’re likely to break your collarbone. Instead, try to rollwhen you hit the ground, keeping your hands in fists andyour arms tucked into your body.

Unlike learning a new riding skill, we would never suggestpracticing this crash technique from the bike. You are askingfor injury if you do. Instead, practice on a trampoline, whilejumping into a pool or falling on a bed or tumbling mat.

Tensing your muscles before a collisionwill transfer more impact force to your vitalorgans. Intoxicated people involved in a car crashhave disproportionately higher survival rates than therest of us. Why this occurs is not proven, but one theoryis that people who are drunk may be more relaxed beforeand upon impact.

Now, we are not suggesting that you down a stiff onebefore your next ride. Practice your tuck and roll tech-niques, and if the time comes when you are forced to usethem, go with the flow. Use the confidence built fromyour practice to remain calm. Much, much easier saidthan done.

STAY WITH THE BIKE

TUCK AND ROLL


Slide into home: Gravity racers get tons more experience crashing than their trail-riding compadres. One thing they’ve learned from experience, and the hardest tech-nique to teach, is to remain relaxed and go with the flow.

This is probably a good time toremind you that when you ride, ridewith a buddy, or at least tell someonewhere you are going. Make sure yourhelmet retention system is properlyadjusted. Always wear glasses (day ornight, bright or overcast) and gloves.Have a first aid kit in your hydrationpack. Don’t ride a bike that is notmechanically sound. Finally, knowyour limits and don’t take wildchances. ❑

MB

ATR

AIN

ING

AN

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NES

S

If you crash hard, don’t stand upright away. Riders often have so muchadrenaline released during a crash thatthey stand up right away and thencollapse. Many spinal injuries are theresult of the rider standing up rightaway.

There’s a reason emergency medicaltechnicians immobilize an accidentvictims’ heads when they think thespine may be injured. Vertebrae canfracture on a hard impact, and yetthere may not be any injury to thespinal cord until they stand up. Staydown and assess the damage.

PRECAUTIONS

Live to tell: There is nothing wrong with getting off the bike and walking down a sec-tion of sketchy trail. In many instances, it is faster than riding the section (even if youdon’t crash).

THE AFTERMATH

Niner W.F.O. 9 >> The most capable 29er ever. Get the details: www.thebigrevolution.com

Drifter: The supple action ofthe RockShox Recon forkkeeps the front wheel hookedup to the ground, and allowsthe Hoo-Koo-E-Koo pilot torelax and look down the trail.



MBA est

A Hardtail With HistoryReturn to roots with Fisher’s Hoo-Koo-E-Koo

some getting used to and is on the narrow side by today’sstandards.Pedaling:With a hardtail, you’re practically guaranteed

snappy acceleration. The Hoo-Koo-E-Koo’s rigid bottombracket area provides a stable platform for hammering onthe trail. Popping through the gears when on the gas wasmade easy by the SRAM X.9 and X.7 components, and spin-ning in the saddle is made easier with the help of Shimano’sOctalink cranks and M505 clipless pedals. Depending on theterrain, we ran between 28 and 32 psi in the Bontrager tiresfor ideal traction and fast rolling.Climbing: Lean forward, choose the perfect gear and

spin away. The rear Bontrager Jones XR tire is mountedbackwards, which elicits more scoop from the tread pat-tern. The direction of this rear tire has a large impact onthe Hoo-Koo-E-Koo’s climbing performance. You’ll find

yourself wishing for a 34-tooth cassette instead ofthe 32-tooth version the bike comes with. Those

couple of extra teeth could be the differencebetween grinding up a climb in the middlering and having to drop down to the grannygear. When the time came to choose betweenchainrings, big-ring shifting was made easy bythe precise action of the SRAM X.7 front

derailleur. During extended seat time,we appreciated the cush of the

comfortable Bontrager Racesaddle. To aid out-of-thesaddle efforts, you caneasily lock out theRockShox fork by flip-ping the blue compres-sion knob atop theright fork leg.Cornering: The

Bontrager Jones XRtires are a good fit for

hardpacked or slightlyloose trails. Despite the

tires being on the narrowside of 2.2 inches, they have

good side knob bite for off-camberturns. The best way to attack

uphill switchbacks is to stay in the saddle and spin thecranks. The Hoo-Koo-E-Koo’s G2 geometry and tightcockpit take the edge off of maneuvering tricky uphillcorners.Descending: Don’t think that because it’s a hardtail the

Hoo-Koo-E-Koo can’t rip descents. The coil-sprungRockShox Recon fork takes the brunt of harsh hits on thedownhills. The stock spring feels spot-on for a 165-poundrider and smoothed relentless trail chatter and brakingbumps. The Hoo-Koo-E-Koo’s descending is hindered bythe 24.5-inch handlebar. Going up to a 26- or 27-inch barwould take some twitchiness out of the bike’s handling. Abig reason for the Hoo-Koo-E-Koo’s stability on thedescents (despite the handlebar) is the Bontrager Dusterwheelset. The Duster shares the same 28-millimeter-widerims as the popular Rhythm wheels, but it uses less expen-sive spokes and hubs to get the job done.

T he Gary Fisher Hoo-Koo-E-Koo hardtail trailbike’sname may not exactly roll off of the tongue, but witha little backstory it’s a fitting title. Hoo-Koo-E-Koo is

a historic reference to a tribe that once lived on MountTamalpais, the mountain made famous by Gary Fisher andhis pals racing down fireroads on their modified beach cruis-er “Klunkers.”

Fisher offers ten hardtail trailbikes ranging in price from$439 to our $1429 Hoo-Koo-E-Koo test bike.

WHO IS IT MADE FOR?The Fisher Hoo-Koo-E-Koo is aimed at the hardcore

enthusiast looking to push the limits of his riding with a 3.9-inch travel fork and hydraulic disc brakes.

WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?The aluminum-framed Hoo-Koo-E-Koo features Fisher’s

G2 geometry, which offers the amount of fork offset neededto improve slow-speed handling. This reduces the amount oftrail to make the bike steer quicker without changing therest of its handling characteristics. The Hoo-Koo-E-Koo isbuilt with a 68-degree head angle and 12.25-inch bottombracket.

WHICH COMPONENTS STAND OUT?The Hoo-Koo-E-Koo’s 28-millimeter-wide Bontrager

Duster wheels are tubeless ready and are mounted up with2.2-inch Bontrager Jones XR tires. The cockpit features a24.5-inch-wide Bontrager Race Big Sweep handlebar, RaceLite grips and Bontrager Race saddle.

HOW DOES IT PERFORM?Ergonomics: The 23.5-inch top tube comfortably posi-

tions the rider in the saddle, not overextended or toorelaxed. The Bontrager Race Big Sweep handlebar takes


Climbing high: When attacking long climbs, the backwards-facing Bontrager Jones XR tire provides plenty of scoop to grabtraction on loose terrain.

Narrow-minded: Despite the narrow 24.5-inch handlebar, theFisher Hoo-Koo-E-Koo is a more than capable descender. Youcan thank the trail-riding-oriented 69-degree head angle for itsdescending abilities.

FisherBraking: The Avid Juicy 3 brakes have an adjustable

lever reach and operate on six-inch rotors. The popularJuicy brakes with organic pads have a comfortable feel at thelever and sufficient stopping power on mellow, meanderingtrails. When flying down high-speed descents, we found our-selves over-riding the power of the Juicy 3s and had towatch how much we let it hang out on the Hoo-Koo-E-Koo.

TRICKS, UPGRADES OR TIPS?After riding the Hoo-Koo-E-Koo, a few suggestions come

to mind to help its overall handling and performance. A 34-tooth cassette would make tough uphills more manageable,the aforementioned wider bar would aid in both ascendingand descending, and you’ll want to look into a metallicbrake pad or two for the front brake. This will give the Juicy3 brakes more bite and you more control of the bike.

The Duster wheelset is tubeless ready, and we highly rec-ommend taking advantage of that feature.

BUYING ADVICEThe hardtail is as integral to mountain biking as the Hoo-

Koo-E-Koo riding area was to the first mountain bikers onNorthern California’s Mount Tamalpais. The Hoo-Koo-E-Koo may fall near the “recreational” price point category,but don’t be fooled; it’s a cool and extremely capable hardtailmountain bike. For $1429, you get a great-looking, root-beer-colored aluminum frame; dependable RockShox andShimano components; a high-performance trailbike wheelsetand a little piece of history. ❑

FISHER HOO-KOO-E-KOOPrice $1429Country of origin TaiwanWeight 27 poundsHotline (800) 585-8735Frame tested MediumBottom bracket height 12.25"Chainstay length 16.25"Top tube length 23.5"Head tube angle 69°Seat tube angle 72°Standover height 29.5"Wheelbase 42.7"Suspension travel (front) 3.9"Suspension travel (rear) NoneFrame material AluminumFork RockShox Recon 335Shock NoneRims Bontrager DusterTires Bontrager Jones XRHubs Shimano M525 discBrakes Avid Juicy 3Crankset Shimano OctalinkShifters SRAM X.7Handlebar Bontrager Race Big SweepFront derailleur SRAM X.7Rear derailleur SRAM X.9Chainrings Shimano (44/32/22)Cassette SRAM PG950 (11-32)Pedals Shimano M505

MBA Competition


Racing mountain bikes on American soil, the birthplace of thesport, attracts riders from all over the world. Our national serieshave traditionally pulled riders from Europe, Asia, South Africa,

Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and north of the border in Canada(Canadians have become a greedy bunch when it comes to carting homeAmerican medals).

The international flavor of our national events is a testament to theattraction of American culture, great racecourses, deep pockets of spon-sors and Denny’s (hey, they have nothing like it in Krasnoyarsk).American race promoters like the melting pot approach because it attractsmore interest from spectators and pushes the level of competition.

But once a year we bar all them foreigners and throw a party called theUSA Cycling National Mountain Bike Championships. This event, openonly to American citizens with big legs, larger lungs and cat-like reflexes,determines America’s top mountain bikers in a variety of cross-countryand gravity disciplines.

This year, the National Mountain Bike Championships were held inGranby, Colorado, at the SolVista ski resort, about an hour and a halfwest of Denver, high in the Rocky Mountains. These are the highlights,along with the names and ranks of America’s 78 fastest men and women.

America’s best battle at SolVista, Colorado

New champion: Mitch Ropelato was recently featured in MBA’s“Young Rippers” as a hot up-and-comer. Well, young Mitch has

now officially arrived. The teenage pro battled the darkness tobecome America’s new 4-Cross National champion. Mitch

Ropelato also won the Junior Expert Downhill Championship.


4-CROSS RESULTS

Into the night: The decision to delay the4-Cross Pro finals until nightfall did not sit

well with many spectators, who packed upand went home. Those who left missed a

memorable show under the lights.

PRO MEN’S 4-CROSS1. Mitch Ropelato, Cafe Rio2. Rich Houseman, Intense/Team Houseman3. Brian Buell, Team Geronimo4. John Swanguen, Intense/Troy Lee/ODI/Fox Shox

PRO WOMEN’S 4-CROSS1. Jill Kintner, GT2. Melissa Buhl, KHS3. Kathy Pruitt, Jamis4. Darian Harvey, Cannondale

Back to work: Jill Kintner returned to ourNational Championships this year to winthe 4-Cross title. She missed last year’sbiggest mountain bike races to concen-trate on the Olympics, where she picked

up a bronze medal in BMX.


MBAMBACompetition

Target practice: Women downhill racers need to pin a bull’s-eye on MelissaBuhl’s back if they ever have dreams of a stars and stripes jersey in theircollection. Melissa has a closet full of them.

Changing it up: Adam Craig can be counted onto earn at least one championship every year. Hedidn’t disappoint. He dominated the short trackevent with the powerful rider’s trademark mix ofdetermination and enthusiasm.

Pitched battle: America’s top cross-country riders came out in force forthe 2009 national title race. AdamCraig (269), Todd Wells (270), andJeremy Horgan-Kobelski (23) led thefield up the steep climb that beganeach of the five long laps.


Big-wheel history:Jeremy Horgan-Kobelskicemented himself in the

history books by becom-ing the first pro man towin the cross-country

national championship on29-inch wheels. JHK is

hooked on the big hoopsfor his Fisher hardtail and

dual-suspension race rigs.

RESULTS

PRO MEN’S CROSS-COUNTRY1. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski, Subaru/Gary Fisher, 2:02:102. Adam Craig, Giant Bicycles, 2:08:573. Sam Schultz, Subaru/Gary Fisher, 2:09:344. Jeremiah Bishop, Monavie/Cannondale, 2:09:555. Jay Henry, Tokyo Joes, 2:10:196. Andy Schultz, Kenda/Tomac/Hayes, 2:10:237. Sam Jurekovic, Sho-Air-Specialized, 2:11:548. Ryan Trebon, Kona, 2:12:579. Michael Broderick, Kenda/Seven, 2:14:1410. Barry Wicks, Kona, 2:16:33

PRO WOMEN’S CROSS-COUNTRY1. Heather Irmiger, Subaru/Gary Fisher, 1:55:402. Willow Koerber, Subaru/Gary Fisher, 1:57:583. Katie Compton, Katie Compton, 2:00:094. Georgia Gould, Luna Pro Team, 2:00:35

CROSS-COUNTRY

5. Mary McConneloug, Kenda/Seven, 2:01:396. Pua Sawicki, Ellsworth, 2:03:427. Judy Freeman, Tough Girl/Scott, 2:05:018. Lea Davison, Maxxis/Rocky Mountain, 2:06:199. Kelli Emmett, Giant Bicycles, 2:07:3510. Krista Park, Incycle/Magur, 2:08:22

PRO MEN’S SHORT TRACK CROSS-COUNTRY1. Adam Craig, Giant Bicycles2. Todd Wells, Specialized3. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski, Subaru/Gary Fisher4. Ryan Trebon, Kona5. Sam Schultz, Subaru/Gary Fisher6. Carl Decker, Giant Bicycles7. Jeremiah Bishop, Monavie/Cannondale8. Andy Schultz, Kenda/Tomac/Hayes9. Bryan Alders, Monavie/Cannondale10. Colin Cares, Kenda/Tomac/Hayes

PRO WOMEN’S SHORT TRACK CROSS-COUNTRY1. Georgia Gould, Luna Pro Team2. Heather Irmiger, Subaru/Gary Fisher3. Lea Davison, Maxxis/Rocky Mountain4. Willow Koerber, Subaru/Gary Fisher5. Mary McConneloug, Kenda/Seven/NoTubes6. Kelli Emmett, Giant Bicycles7. Judy Freeman, Tough Girl/Scott8. Chloe Forsman, Luna Pro Team9. Pua Sawicki, Ellsworth10. Zephanie Blasi, Kenda/Tomac/Hayes

MBA Competition


Return of “the Palm”: A silver medalist inMen’s Downhill at the 1996 WorldChampionships, Shaun Palmer, 40, is backracing downhill and finished 12th. Judgingfrom how he cleared the 55-foot doubles, thefamed snowboarder still has his bike skills, too.

Seeing red: Georgia Gould used the Nats to debut Luna’s newline of women’s sports apparel. Maybe they should call it “sportsperformance apparel,” because Georgia’s competition saw red asshe rode away in the short track.

Family affair: HeatherIrmiger laid claim toher first cross-countrynational title, and shedid it on a Fisher 29erSuperfly. Her hus-band’s win gaveFisher a 29er sweepof the cross-countrytitles. Yes, theHorgan-Kobelski/Irmigerhousehold has a lot ofstars and stripesjerseys.

MBAMBACompetition


America’s best: Aaron Gwin dominated the Pro Men’sDownhill event to score his first National Pro Downhilltitle. Considering that he made two World Cup podi-ums in the next two weeks, Aaron is America’s mostpromising downhill competitor in ten years.

RESULTSPRO MEN’S DOWNHILL1. Aaron Gwin, Yeti/Fox Factory, 2:11.722. Duncan Riffle, DDR/Giantnerd, 2:13.873. J.D. Swanguen, Intense/Troy Lee/ODI, 2:15.694. Cody Warren, Specialized, 2:16.925. (tie) Gerrit Behtagh, Morewood Bikes, 2:16.945. (tie) Joey Schusler, Yeti, 2:16.947. Luke Strobel, Maxxis/Rocky Mountain, 2:17.648. Kyle Strait, Specialized, 2:18.029. Michael Sylvestri, Santa Cruz/Allride, 2:18.0310. Curtis Keene, Specialized/SRAM, 2:18.51

PRO WOMEN’S DOWNHILL1. Melissa Buhl, KHS Bicycles, 2:41.132. Kathy Pruitt, Jamis, 2:41.203. Lisa Myklak, Fox Racing Shox, 2:47.834. Jaqueline Harmony, Vixen Racing, 2:52.595. Katie Holden, Specialized, 2:55.316. Darian Harvey, Cannondale, 2:59.917. Rachel Bauer, Banshee, 3:01.148. Jennifer Wolf, Vixen Racing, 3:19.009. Jennifer Whalen, Jenxracer.com, 3:19.3510. Stephanie Leonard, Crested Butte Mountain, 3:21.71

GRAVITY

MBAMBACompetition


Never too old: Ned Overend’s racing license says 54 years old, but he put thehurt to lot of young guns. “I was hovering around tenth when I blew on thefourth lap,” laughs Ned about his early race enthusiasm. The 1990 UCI Worldchampion and six-time National champ finished 21st out of 69 pros.

Rookie champion: Only 30 pros, including AdamCraig, Ross Schnell, Carl Decker and Eric Carter,entered the Men’s Super D. “It was hectic,” saidwinner Aaron Bradford (shown) of the uphill Le Mansstart followed by a six-minute singletrack descent tohis first national title.

Elke’s return: None of the out-of-retirement starsdid as well as Elke Brutsaert. She retired frompro downhill in 2001, but came back and wonthe Pro Women’s Super D title, less than a monthbefore her 40th birthday.

She’s back:Colorado’s AlisonDunlap (345), the2001 WorldChampion andformer nationalchampion, cameout of retirementto compete in thepro short track.She led KelliEmmett (267)and MaryMcConneloug (1),but faded to 11thby the finish. ❏

RESULTSPRO MEN’S SUPER D1. Aaron Bradford, Onsite Ultrasound2. Mike West, Maverick3. Ross Schnell, Trek/Oakley4. Jon Wilson, Northstar/Giant5. Eric Carter, GT Bicycles

PRO WOMEN’S SUPER D1. Elke Brutsaert, Durango Devo2. Jacqueline Harmony, Vixen Racing/Loeka3. Kelli Emmett, Giant Bicycles4. Krista Park, INcycle/Magura5. Kyia Anderson, Hidden Bay Sports

SUPER D

SHOWCASE


3


W ith the explosion ofsuccessful regional raceseries across the country

and the ever-growing bike parkscene at ski resorts, people aretraveling with their bikes and gearmore than ever before. We’verounded up some worthy gear bagsto help make those travel adven-tures go a little more smoothly.

Built to last: The O’Neal MX4 gearbag is made from 600 Denier nylon andhas four fixed handles and one that tele-scopes. The MX4 uses wheels for easymaneuvering, has a padded shoulderstrap, an I.D. holder, separate boot com-partment, four internal and two externalpockets, and heavy-duty zippers. TheMX4 measures 35x28x25 inches in size.$139, (800) 326-6325

In transit: Fox’s Transport gear bag isthe newest and largest cargo carrier intheir line of luggage. With room for allyour big stuff and intelligent pockets anddividers for the little essentials, theTransport super-sizes your race case.Now, you have no excuse for forgettingsomething! The Transit features ventedpockets and urethane wheels. $189,(888) 772-2242

Tanked: Oakley’s 16 Gallon TankLuggage is built to travel with you, com-bining big volume with low profile. Atelescoping handle and built-in wheelsmake it roll with ease. Special zippers areengineered to fit your lock, and with allthe pockets and storage features. The 16Gallon Tank measures 22x14x9 inches insize, and has a 50/50 design that opens inthe middle like a suitcase for convenientaccess. $135, (800) 431-1439

Flight path: The Flight Bag from TroyLee Designs has a 15-inch retractable han-dle, expanded pockets with a zippered clo-sure and a wide base for rolling stability.The Flight Bag measures 22x14x10 inch-es. $125, (951) 371-5219

Catch the Shuttle: Built to fit in air-plane overhead compartments, theSixSixOne Shuttle gear bag has a telescop-ing handle, urethane wheels for smoothrolling, and an expandable compartmentthat nearly doubles the storage size.$129, (888) 520-4888

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Bag it: The all-new Rider’s Duffle bagfrom Dakine has 3100 cubic-inches ofspace and weighs 1.4 pounds. Madefrom polyester and twill, the Rider’sDuffle features a U-shaped opening,tarp-lined side pockets, a shoulder strapand internal mesh organizers. $60,(541) 386-3166

Team issue: Made from durablenylon fabrics, the Team Pro Bag fromSpecialized can hold all of your gear andmore. The stiff bottom has sliding rails,and the inline skate-type wheels aresmooth and durable. The telescopinghandle retracts easily for storage, and aseparate compartment houses dirtyclothes and gear. $145, (877) 808-8154

Supersized: The Ogio 9800 is madeto move with its oversized, off-roadwheels and a retractable handle, but itsprotected compartments appeal to any-one who travels hard and heavy. Theredesigned 9800 features the new SLED(Structural Load Equalizing Deck) sys-tem, along with a front accessory pocket,goggle pocket, large main area, a fold-outchanging mat for muddy conditions andcompression straps. $179, (800) 922-1944

Kick it: Designed to organize andprotect all of your gear, the Kicker bagfrom Thor has over five cubic feet ofspace, oversized zippers and a PVC base.The Kicker has three compartments thatcan be combined to form one large maincompartment. $109, (619) 448-8467 ❑

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DOWN THE TRAIL Illustrations by Dwight Wanhala

Only riding hard.

Skipping the group rides.

Only eating when hungry.

Only concentrating on what you are good at.Not getting enough rest.

I t was ten years ago in our November 1999 issue that we werewarning riders about training traps. We still see riders falling intothe same traps today. Okay, sometimes we are looking in the mirror

when we see these riders; so let’s take a quick refresher course.

visit us at SIXSIXONE.COM

or call 661 257 2756

Photo by: ©MichaelDarter.com

CITYFLAGE

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US National Champ

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Mountain Bike Action - 2009-11-09

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Transcript of Mountain Bike Action - 2009-11-09