mountain bike action - april 2009 (malestrom)

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Attn. retailer: Please display until Apr. 9 ISSN 0895-8467 $4.99 Cannondale Specialized WORLD’S BEST BOLT-ONS...UNDER $100 YETI’S BIG SURPRISE! FROM $769 TO $7700 MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION FORK BUYER’S GUIDE WHAT IS THE BEST DEAL FOR YOU? YOUR TIRED BIKE CAN RIDE LIKE NEW APRIL 2009 www.mbaction.com CCC 02983 O MOUNTAIN BIK YOUR TIRED BIKE CAN RIDE LIKE NEW APRIL 2009 www.mbaction.com

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Page 1: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

Attn. retailer: Please display until Apr. 9

ISS

N 0

895-8

467

$4.99

Cannondale Specialized

WORLD’S BEST BOLT-ONS...UNDER $100

YETI’S BIG SURPRISE!

FROM $769 TO $7700

MO

UN

TA

IN B

IKE

AC

TIO

N

FORK

BUYER’S

GUID

E

WHAT IS THE BEST DEAL FOR YOU?

YOUR TIRED BIKECAN RIDE LIKE NEW

APRIL 2009

www.mbaction.com

CC

C 0

2983

OM

OU

NTA

IN B

IK

YOUR TIRED BIKECAN RIDE LIKE NEW

APRIL 2009

www.mbaction.com

Page 2: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)
Page 3: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

©2009 TREK BICYCLE CORPORATION

Page 4: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

FSR

Page 5: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)
Page 6: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

BIKE TESTS

40 The Specialized S-WorksStumpjumper FSR CarbonThe Ferrari F430 of trailbikes.

56 Salsa El KaboingSpice of Life

80 The Yeti 303 R-DHRide the Rail

108 The Cannondale F5Cannondale’s best-sellingmountain bike.

MBA SPECIAL SECTION

60 MBA’s 2009 ForktionaryYour guide for speaking in forkedtongue

TURES64 Fork Tips, Tricks AndSecretsGet all the performance you paidfor.

68 2009 Fork Buyer’s GuideFront-end upgrades.

TECHNICAL

46 Bring New Life To ThatOld BikeWhen upgrading makes a lot of$ense.

76 World’s Best Bolt-OnsFive simple, cheap products thatwill make you faster.

86 Inside The Pros’ BikesMelissa Buhl’s KHS worlddominator.

102 How To Fix A Flat TireYou think you already know,don’t cha?

112 The Garage FilesStem research.

40

Photo

byJohnKer

FEATURES

90 Riders Who InspireBrian Bushway, leading the blind.

92 The Nine MostUnderrated Components...and one great bike get theirlong-awaited recognition.

116 Who The Heck Is AaronGwinn?Meet the USA’s top World Cupthreat.

TRAINING & FITNESS

96 The Lazy Man’s Guide ToGaining SpeedBecome a better bike handlerright now.

COMPETITION

124 Focus On WinningElite gravity athletes specialize inone discipline.

DEPARTMENTS

12 Happy TrailsTwenty years of innovation.

14 Mac AttackLeft out in the cold.

6 www.mbaction.com

56

Photo

byJohnKer

THIS MONTH

You know you want to upgradeyour fork. We show you what is outthere and give you tips on how toget the most out of them. Page 60.

Fine tune: Thereare plenty of tricks

when mountingyour bike’s stem.The Garage Filesshow you the ups

and downs.Page 114.

Page 7: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

16 Hard TalesWild saddles, demo rides andGoldfinger

19 TrailgramsThe Santa Cruz debatecontinues.

24 Trail MixLife found on Mars.

30 Thrash TestsA lifesaving bag and more.

Photo

byCraig

Grant

Photo

byJohnKer

MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION Magazine (ISSN 0895-8467Canada GST 12500#9266RT: CPC INT’L. PUB MAIL 40024492) APRIL 2009, volume #24, issue #4, is publishedmonthly 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 mailand may take up to 15 weeks to receive. Copyright ©2009 by Daisy/Hi-Torque Publishing Company, Inc. All rightsreserved. Nothing in this magazine may be reprinted in whole or in part, by any means, without the express permis-sion of the publisher. Contributors: Photographs should be submitted in digital form on CD or DVD. Images shouldbe 4 megapixels or higher. High-quality, low-compression JPEG images are preferred. Please limit submissions to nomore than 20 photos at one time. Transparencies and prints will no longer be accepted for consideration; such imagesshould be scanned and submitted as high-resolution digital files. Captions should accompany all submissions. Makesure 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 beenmade with the editors), saved as “text” files, and accompanied by a printed version. Written submissions, both onpaper and CD, will not be returned. The publisher does not assume responsibility for unsolicited material. PERIODI-

CALS: Postage paid at Santa Clarita, CA 91383, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send addresschanges to Mountain Bike Action Magazine, P.O. Box 958, Valencia, CA 91380-9058. Printed in U.S.A. For Canadianreturns mail to: Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542 London, ON N6C 6B2.

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.

VOLUME 24, NUMBER 4APRIL 2009

117

ON THE COVER

Three great bikes for three verydifferent reasons. The SpecializedS-Works Stumpjumper FSRCarbon, the Cannondale F5, andthe Yeti 303 R-DH. All shot throughthe lens of John “Wish I got a cashbonus for every cover shot” Ker.

36 Inside LineAre custom-made bikesworth it?

98 How To SubscribeEntertaining, educational,sometimes controversial—andcheap, too.

136 Quick ReleasesHeads, you win.

138 Down The TrailAn insane stunt that lookedawesome.Group ride: Let

your young’uncome along forthe ride andget a work-out at thesametime.Page 30.

108

April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 7

contents

Page 8: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

MBA STAFF

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

ED ARNET • CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

JEFF SPENCER • TRAINING CONSULTANT

JOHN TOMAC • CONSULTANTS

MIKE BELLJOHN PERRY

BRAD ROE • ONLINE [email protected]

TOM [email protected]

ART DEPARTMENT

ANTJE SCHROEDER-ERNST• DESIGNER

ALMA MARTíNEZ de DICSö • ASSISTANT DESIGNER

JACKIE CLEVELAND

JIM ALGAR • COPY EDITOR

KAY DEICKEN • PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

PAT CARRIGAN • PHOTO ARTIST

RYAN D’ERRICO

WILLIAM C. HAWLEY IV • PRELIM COORDINATORS

ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT

ROBERT REX • NATIONAL

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

ROBB MESECHER • ADVERTISING MANAGER

DERRECK BERNARD • ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

ERIC HARTER • ADVERTISING PRODUCTION MANAGER

JENNIFER EDMONSTON • ADVERTISING PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

LISA BECKWITH • ACCOUNT ADMINISTRATOR

SEAN McCOY • EXECUTIVE WEB ADVERTISING

DIRECTOR, [email protected]

ROLAND HINZ • PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER

LILA HINZ • ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

CASSANDRA MITTELBERG • ASSISTANTS TO PRESIDENT

KATHARINE McCOYTOM HINZ

JEFF SHOOP • CIRCULATION DIRECTOR

TIM LaPAGLIA • PROMOTIONS

ADVERTISING & EDITORIAL OFFICES

25233 Anza Dr.Valencia, CA 91355(661) 295-1910

Fax (661) 295-1278

www.hi-torque.com

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE IN TAIWANWHEEL GIANT INCORPORATED

P.O. Box 80, Changhua, Taiwan R.O.C.Tel (047) 352555, 350500

Telex: 58312 WGI Fax: 886-47-357860

www.mbaction.com

Any change of address or subscriptionproblems please contact us by e-mail:

[email protected] or call (800) 767-0345.

Page 9: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

Pic

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©2008 G

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giantbicycle.com

Putting the “X” in “XC,” the all-new Giant Anthem Xcranks up the travel while shedding the weight.World Cup-proven geometry, four plush inches ofMaestro travel and the lightest aluminum full-suspender Giant has ever produced. Available nowat your local authorized Giant retailer.

Page 10: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)
Page 11: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)
Page 12: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

By Richard J. Cunningham

fork with adjustable preload. A reliablesuspension fork in the mid ’80s—onethat actually worked? Come on! Fouryears later, when the first generation ofsuspension forks did arrive, theygushed like pedal-powered oil wells.

It boggles the mind that the lowestcommon denomenator in Haro'smountain bike lineup—a $500 hard-tail—reflects such an astoundingamount of innovation and (dare I sayit?) performance. Of course, the valueof the Escape S is mirrored by otherbike brands, and this further under-scores the fact that mountain bikemakers, through hard work and imagi-nation, have placed a busload of tech-nology under the saddles of bicyclesthat almost anyone can afford.

The last components to come out ofthe Haro box were pedals—one-sided,toe-clip style pedals—the items whichfirst inspired me to glance over to thevintage Mantis across the room,because it too was equipped with toe-clip pedals (and straps). It seemedquite comical to me that the only com-ponents on the Haro left unalteredafter 20 years of innovation were theones I despised the most. I love my

Shimano SPD pedals. I remem-bered fussing with cages and strapswhile negotiating technical trails, and Irealized that I could live withoutalmost every modern mountain bikeinvention, but I never wanted to flip atoe-clip pedal again. Of course, in 1985,nobody would have noticed that. �

The Haro had aneight-speed cassette,while the vintage Mantishad six cogs—but theterm “cassette” was notintroduced until 1989.Period mountain bikeshad screw-on freewheelsthat tightened with eachpower stroke until thehub and freewheel werepressure-welded together.They required a Herculeaneffort to remove—andquite often were destroyedin the process. The noveltyof an eight-speed hub alonewould have knocked thesocks off of mountain bikeenthusiasts in the eighties,when the largest cog aderailleur could shift numbered 28teeth. They would have killed for theEscape's 34-tooth low gear and theSRAM 3.0 long-cage rear derailleur. Soimagine their shock at SRAM's SX.4under-the-handlebar trigger shifting.

Index shifting was still around the cor-ner, and trigger shifting? Well, that wassomewhere in outer space. Mountainbikers of that period shifted gears man-ually with friction thumb levers.

Sealed components were premiumpriced items in the early days. TheHaro’s no-name bottom bracket, namehubs and headset had sealed cartridgebearings. Cartridge-bearing hubs andbottom brackets were only available inmountain bike widths from Phil Woodback then, and Chris King made theonly cartridge-bearing headset. Low-friction, Teflon-lined cable housings—the stuff that comes on every bicyclemade today—were patented, cutting-edge technology. The topper for any-one who squealed through mud ormoisture, however, would be theHaro’s “Bengal” disc brakes. TheTaiwan knockoff of Hayes’ mechanicaldisc brakes would most certainly havebeen depicted in action on point-of-purchase videos near bike-shop cashregisters throughout the world.

Mountain bikers who flocked to bikeshops to squeeze the mighty Bengalbrake levers would be blown away bythe radical lines of the Haro’s tapered,rectangular-tube aluminum frame.

Most would have never seen a weldedaluminum bicycle frame of any kind inperson—and manipulated tubes simplydidn’t exist. But the wonder of all won-ders would be the Escape’s unprece-dented innovation: the SR Suntour 3.9-inch-travel, spring-action suspension

Iwas assembling an afford-

able hardtail when I had

one of those “ah-ha!”

moments that made me realize

exactly how far mountain bikes

have progressed. A dear friend

had (reluctantly) returned a

vintage steel-framed mountain

bike that I had built in the mid

1980s. It was outfitted with the

best components from its era

and probably would have

retailed for a then-exorbitant

sum of $1800. The modern

mountain bike that I had just

pulled from the box was a Haro

Escape S. It retails for $490--

which in 1985 dollars was prob-

ably $150. To put it mildly, the

low-level Haro represented a

technological leap. Its most

insignificant features would

have left both the press and the

racing community of the 1980s

openmouthed.

“Awestruck’ might

be a more appropri-

ate word.

12 www.mbaction.com

HAPPY TRAILS

Page 13: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)
Page 14: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

Living on the northern edge

of Southern California

doesn’t present a lot of op-

portunities for true cold-weather

riding. So when a cold snap blows

through the Heritage Valley, like

it did recently, I’m stoked. But I’m

not just stoked, I’m prepared.

I wanted to share what may have been the last cold day of the season and I had made a number of calls to invite friends to join me for this ride. No luck. The sun was starting to climb into the gray sky, so I knew I couldn’t waste any more time trying to fi nd a partner. I wanted to be on the trail while it was still crunchy. I started to suited up.

It takes 30 seconds to get ready for most rides, but not when it is frigid outside. You have to plan carefully. The operative word is layering. I start slip-ping into a thermal top and then ther-mal tights. I slide a set of regular riding tights with over-the-shoulder holders on top of the thermals and a baggy short over those.

Next come the socks. Then I realize I’ve blown it. The long socks should have gone between the thermals and tights for a better system seal. The shorts and tights come off and I pull on the long socks. Then I put all the other stuff back on. A recycled plastic bag goes over each sock, and I put another pair of socks on to hold the bags in place. My toes are toasty, even if there is the faint smell of peanut butter and jelly (the plastic bags were used for last week’s lunch).

I blow the dust off the awesome Gaerne Polar cycling shoes in the back of my closet. The shoes, that look more like boots, are fi ve years old and still ap-pear to be brand new. That’s because I only get to wear them about three times a year. Once I get these guys laced up and zipped, I slide a set of booties over them. I don’t like numb toes.

I look at the clock. It has been twenty minutes since I started dressing. I try to focus. A long-sleeve jersey. A jacket shell. A vest. It will be snowing, so I put another shell over all those layers.

Uuuuugh, did it again. My gloves! I wanted them under the jersey. Off with the shells, vest and jersey. On with the gloves (the thin ones). Jersey, shell, vest and shell two go back on. I slide another

Cold Weather Ridingmitt over the gloves. Dang it, I’ve got to snap my helmet. The mitts come off. A Buff head gasket gets slipped over my head so it covers my ears. I should have put that on before the jer-sey, but it is going to be July before I leave for this ride, so I compro-mise and tuck it in best I can. The helmet goes on, glasses in place, mitts back on. I slip on the CamelBak and the straps are digging into my shoulders. Have to let them out to accom-modate all those extra layers. I’m ready to go. Total dress time: 27 minutes!

I don’t know if it is the anticipation of the adventure ahead or over-hydration, but I take two steps towards the garage and nature calls. Actually, it yells. I have to go through the drill of stripping layers away, but I am getting good at do-ing each step in its proper order. I only waste another ten minutes.

I open the garage door. Flat tire! I keep my spirits high. It could be a slow leak. I get to pumping and it is hard to hear through the Buff. I pull the Buff down to uncover one ear. The tube is leaking faster than a New Orleans levee. I’m not giving up.

I strip halfway down, change the tube, pump up the tire and slip the wheel back into the bike. My feet are sweating by now and one of my two chamois is soaked. I follow the drill to get all my gloves, layers, helmet, Buff and glasses back on. I’m fi nally ready for my nine o’clock ride. It is 10:22.

The phone rings! I don’t take any-thing off as I press the receiver against my Buff-covered ear. “Speak up,” I yell into the phone. It is Sanders. He’s returning my call about going for a ride and just wants me to know he thinks I’m nuts. I thank him for calling back and wasting another two minutes of my ride. I head back into the garage and grab my bike.

The trailhead is just up the road. I roll down the driveway, make a left and am surprised by a sheet of ice. The front wheel shoots to the right like somebody attached one end of a rope to the right slider and the other end to the bumper of a garbage truck. I go down so fast that I don’t even get my hands out to soften the blow. Luckily, all that layering takes the brunt of the impact. I have to rock back and forth a few times to build enough momentum to get to my feet. The front brake lever is snapped and the stem is pointing at a 45-degree angle.

I roll the bike back into the garage and I walk inside my warm house. I strip down to the thermals and turn on the computer. The Weather Channel pre-dicts a high of 67 degrees by tomorrow and the TV listing shows an episode of Law And Order is just starting. I’ll have to try that cold weather ride next year.

THE MAC ATTACK

14 www.mbaction.com

Don’t be left out in the cold. Write to me at [email protected].

Page 15: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww knucklebox ccccccccccooooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmmm

w

Page 16: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

HARD TALES

TroyLeeSpeaksItalian

Gear

Ivan BassoShreds Snow

Cross Training

Troy Lee Designs is best known forits riding gear, casual wear, hel-mets and custom helmet painting.Hard to believe that Troy Leeand his zany crew of designersand painters find time to take onmore projects, but they do.Recently, the TLD group got

paid the ultimate complimentwhen the 112-year-old Italian saddlecompany, Selle Italia, asked for somegraphic input. Italian companies arerenowned for their design expertise, sotapping the Corona, California, compa-ny for design input was flattering tosay the least. Compliments aside, Troyand the gang dipped into their bag oftricks and came up with saddles thatlook so cool, you’ll want to pedal out ofthe saddle for the first month after youget one.The limited-edition TLD Selle Italia

saddles are available from your localbike shop. You can get more informa-tion from Selle Italia’s importer,ProNet, at (800) 279-3793.

Hard tail: Not part of the TLD Selle Italia sad-dle line but equally eye-catching is this three-ounce, all-carbon CX Zero saddle. Only themost hard-core weight weenie will be attract-ed to this expensive (around $500) saddlethat needs to be carefully cared for.

Where are the rails?: The monocoque car-bon CX Zero saddle has integrated rails.Our advice is to invest in a great torquewrench if you are willing to plunk downhalf a grand for this saddle. You don’twant to crimp these rails.

What do top roadies do to get in shapefor the road season? They ride mountainbikes! Elite professional road racer IvanBasso was spotted riding a carbon fiberCannondale Moto at the Team Liquigastraining camp held in Italy’s Dolomitemountain range. The focus of Ivan’s train-ing is to knock off Lance at the Girod’Italia this coming May.

Look fast (clockwise from bot-tom left): The $170 Vertebrae Yutaak,the $99 Shiver Paint Can, the $210SLR T1 25 Years of Troy Lee Designs,the $210 Flight Eyeballs and the $188SLR XP Spider Web.

16 www.mbaction.com

Photo

byRobertoBettini

Page 17: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 17

Wanna Ride

A Pivot?

Demo

Pivot Cycles is on the roadagain with their demo fleet ofMach 4s, Mach 5s, Mach 429sand Firebirds. This is yourchance to throw a leg overthese impressive bikes with-out committing to a purchase.(Warning; after your ride itmay be tough not to commit.)The fleet will appear at the

Sea Otter Classic in Monterey,California, before heading toColorado and New Mexico inMay. They haven’t figured outwhere the highway will leadthem after May, so you cancheck their website or call(480) 467-2920 to track thedemo fleet’s progress

You Too Can Own AFormer Downhill Champ!

Truck Stop

In 2001, former MBA photo riderTodd LeDuc won the NORBANational Series downhillchampionship. LeDuc leftmountain bike racing to joinhis father Curt and brotherKyle (also a former MBAphoto rider) to race trophytrucks. The LeDuc name ringsin the off-road truck world likethe name Andretti in open-wheel racing. Thanks toTodd’s truck racing success,you can now buy a replicadecal kit of his Rock Star ride foryour R/C truck.

Winning ways: Todd LeDuc in a2001 Azonic advertisement.

Stick up: The Todd LeDuc graphic kit foryour RC truck.

April 16-19, Sea Otter Classic,

Monterey, California

May 2, Wheatridge Cyclery,

Wheatridge, Colorado

May 3, Golden Bike Shop,

Golden, Colorado

May 9, Old Town Bikes,

Colorado Springs, Colorado

May 14-21, Ride the Rockies,

Rocky Mountains, Colorado

May 16, Sports Garage,

Boulder, Colorado

May 23, Santa Fe Mountain Sports,

Santa Fe, New Mexico

May 30, Fat Tire Cycles,

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Pivot Demo Tour

28,724Mountain bikes in useby police departments

across America.

Fact

Page 18: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

18 www.mbaction.com

The Golden Bike Series

April 19,Sea Otter Classic,Monterey, CaliforniaMay 2, GHORBA Big RingChallenge, Coldspring, TexasMay 17, Spring ThawMountain Bike Festival,Ashland, OregonJune 7, Massanutten HOO-HA!,Harrisonburg, VirginiaJuly 4, Firecracker 50,Breckenridge, ColoradoAugust 9, Ore to Shore,Marquette, MichiganSeptember 13, Landmine

Classic, Hingham,Massachusetts

Golden opportunity: Theseries leader gets to choose aGT Zaskar or GT Marathon(shown here). Both will featurea golden monocoque carbon-fiber frame and Shimano XTRcomponents.

GT Wants To Make

You A Star

Winners

The GT Golden Bike Series is like a reality TV show made just for cross-country racers. And unlike TV’s secretly scripted “reality” shows, there areno fixes or behind-the-scenes manipulations going on at the GT Golden BikeSeries. It works like this:GT has chosen seven races that make up their Golden Bike Series. The

amateur cross-country racer (over 18 years old) to turn the fastest timebecomes the GT Golden Bike Winner. This rider doesn’t have to be racing aGT bike to be eligible, but there’s a catch. The Golden Bike winner mustdefend the bike’s ownership by racing it at the next event in the series or for-feit the prize package worth more than $10,000 to the second-place finisher.“The only way to get the Golden Bike is to crush the competition,”

explained Jenni Cathcart, Director of Marketing for GT Bicycles. “There’s nosilver or bronze in this competition. It is all about the gold.”GT doesn’t expect the Golden Bike winner to fund the bike’s defense

alone. That’s why GT will cover an all-expense-paid trip for two to the nextrace in the Golden Bike Series, bestow the use of a commemorative GTGolden Bike, supply a $250 Sugoi gift certificate and top it off with a swagbag of cycling gear.It gets better. A professional bike mechanic, and a personal cheerleading

squad known as The Gold Diggers, will support the Golden Bike winner. Ofcourse, if another rider throws down the fastest time at the next event, allthese rewards are taken from the last event’s winner and transferred to thenew winner.Since professional riders do not qualify for the Golden Bike Series, we pre-

dict a few of last year’s back-marker pros will not renew their pro license sothey can go after the Golden Bike. After all, the Golden Bike winner will gettreated way better than most pro winners. �

HARD TALES

Moral support: The Golden Bike winner getsan unfair advantage at the next race—theencouragement of The GT Gold Diggers.

Page 19: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

TRAILGRAMS

MBA,January, 2009

SLOW YOUR SPINMBA encourages riders to spin at 80

rpm (“New Years Riding Resolution”,January 2008). This works for smoothtrails, but when the going gets rough(extended rock gardens, and extendedrooty sections), I find I get betterresults in a bigger gear. Use more mus-cle and, voila, you make it through therough stuff. I understand the dynamicsof the pedal stroke, but the advice ofpedaling at high rpm does not alwayshave its place. Push the gear and learnthe burn!Tom “Lefty” LowrieDalton, PennsylvaniaThey’re your knees, Lefty.

THANKS FROM TONYThanks again for the story on

my Forward MotionFoundation (MBA,December 2008). We havealready received interest inhelping out as well as donationsto the Re-cyclery. One of the contactswas from a guy who works with theMetro Transit System here in SanDiego. He is helping us set up theroutes so folks without cars can getto our events. This is really cool, aswe are working with many folkswho do not have driver’s licenses.Tony DiLorenzoForward Motion Foundationwww.forwardmotionfoundation.org

THE LAST PROFLEX LETTERI bought my ProFlex 956 in 1996. I

still ride it. Not much of the originalbike remains, but it is still essentially ashort-travel, stiff-backed, dual-suspen-sion, cross-country bike—absolutelyperfect for the type of riding I do.Curiosity has led me to test a few

modern bikes, but I just don't seem to“gel” with them. Although they floatalong the trails, they seem too heavy,bouncy and detached compared to theProFlex, which tells me absolutelyeverything that’s going on underneathits skinny wheels.Mark LovattNewtown, Wales

MORE COLD TIPSI ride all winter in Salt Lake City,

Utah, and when the trails are toosnowy, I climb the steep roads in thefoothills near the state capital to keepmy muscles ready for slickrock in thespring. The trick is to layer with wick-ing materials and wear a big CamelBakpack. I begin the ride with an amountof clothing that makes me feel a bitcool to start the climb and usuallyincludes a polypro underlayer, long-sleeve jersey, wind vest, windproofjacket and appropriate leg covering. AsI ride up, I stop briefly to shed a layeras needed before heat builds and caus-es profuse sweating. At the top of theclimb, I start pulling layers out of mypack and putting them back on (fleecejacket, windproof jacket, head bandwith ear muffs, a fleece-lined face pro-tector, thick gloves, knee/shin guardsto break the wind). Then I bomb downto the bottom secure in my clothingcapsule. What a blast, and what a wayto turn heads!Brooks CarterSalt Lake City, Utah

BE AN INSPIRATIONAfter reading about Tony DiLorenzo

in the January “Riders Who Inspire,” Ithought of a friend who is worthy ofbeing featured in a future story. Shewould never think about promotingherself, so what is the best way for meto submit her for consideration?Bill HessChicago, IllinoisMany riders who deserve to be featured

in “Riders Who Inspire” would neverrecommend themselves, and that’s whyfriends like you are so important. Drop usan email ([email protected]),and it will speed things up if you type“Riders Who Inspire” in the subject line.Tell us about the person who deserves alittle recognition and how we can contactthem. As you may already be aware, wehave a broad definition of who a riderwho inspires is. It can be someone who hasdone things to benefit the entire mountainbiking community, a rider who helpedyou out of a tough situation, or a riderwho is fighting against great odds.

April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 19

Page 20: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

Write us at [email protected] or

hard copy us at MBA Trailgrams, 25233

Anza Drive, Valencia, Ca. 91355. Include

the town and state where you live.

Trailgrams tip of the month: Don’t fill up

your hydration bladder to the top. Measure

the amount of water you’ll need for the

ride. No need to carry the extra weight.

TRAILGRAMS

CRAIG FANThanks for the profile on

Adam Craig (“America’s BestMountain Biker,” MBA,January 2009). I have been afan of Adam based on hisresults, and now I’m more ofa fan based on his attitude. Ifthere were more well-roundedriders like Adam racing today,I believe cross-country racingin the United States would bea lot more interesting.Chris LewisBoise, Idaho

RE-TREADMBA recommends putting a Kenda

Small Block Eight tire on the rear ofthe bike to lessen weight and improvemomentum. Nowhere do I see a dis-claimer stating not to follow thisadvice if you live in the Northeast. TheSmall Block Eight tire might do whatyou say, but at a cost of lost time dueto lack of traction with all the mud wehave here.Peter InserraOriskany, New YorkMBA Disclaimer: Riders who ride

on frozen lakes, in deep snow, mud bogsor quicksand shouldn’t use a KendaSmall Block Eight tire on the rear either.

THE SANTA CRUZ DEBATEGOES ONI have to side with Santa Cruz. They

are not attacking consumers with a"loophole,” but rather sticking to theirguns. Why should they release a newbike when nothing has changed? Shouldthey offer a new color next season, hopthe price, and tell riders it is the all-newBlur LT? They have, in fact, differentiat-ed their models—not by year, but bycharacteristics, design, and technology:Blur, then Blur LT and Blur XC (thesewere different bikes and different fromthe Blur); and now the new BLT2, orBlur LT2 with VP2. A shop that doesnot know how to explain this to cus-tomers isn't committed to the lines theycarry, and that consumer should find ashop they can rely on.Josh DennisSalt Lake City, Utah

SLIDE GUIDEI tried Paul Thomasberg’s cable

tricks (“Garage Files,” January2009) on my Santa Cruz Blur LTthat uses Shimano XT componentsand could not believe the results.The rear derailleur shifting isnoticeably crisper with less pressureneeded at the shifter. The addedbenefit of keeping dirt out of thehousings is just a bonus to the mod-ification. Please keep these kinds oftips coming.Joe McAdamsSan Diego, California

FUNNY AND INFORMATIVEI realize it is only your January

issue, but the photo of DanGaudenzi using a glove and tiretube to dress his head wound hasmy vote for the funniest photo ofthe year. It was funny and at the sametime informative. I wonder if I wouldhave been so resourceful if I foundmyself in the same situation as Dan?Eric RhodesCalgary, Alberta, Canada �

20 www.mbaction.com

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The good fight. cannondale.com

BATTLE PROVEN.The HollowGram SI Crankset. The lightest, stiffest crankset on the planet.

Standard on the Cannondale Factory Racing Team Scalpel.

Page 24: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

24 www.mbaction.com

TRAIL MIX

IDAHO EPICIn mid November people in our area are

thinking about skiing and snowboarding onsome of the best snow on earth, at Jackson Hole,Wyoming’s Grand Teton Village. But we werenot done riding. We needed to go on one lastride. It was the first time my wife and I had rid-den on snow and ice. Your bike tires make a dif-ferent kind of sound going over snow. The bikeshandle differently, and even though you knowthe six-mile trail, it has changed. The bumps,climbs, drops and rock gardens all make the traildifferent. As we continued down the trail, thesnow turned to mud and we got dirty in a verygood way. It was an epic ride that I wouldrecommend to anyone.Cody SaxtonSheryl SaxtonDanny KellyJackson Hole, Wyoming

A FOXY LADYRiding during my

vacation to the Alps.Elayna CaldwellFox Racing Shox

Page 25: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)
Page 26: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

TRAIL MIX

LIFE FOUND ON MARSThis is me riding the Fin

on Thunder Mountain Trailnear Bryce Canyon, Utah.

Shannon LynchWheat Ridge, Colorado

HAPPY BIRTHDAYCelebrating my 54th birth-

day at Plattekill, Roxbury,New York. If you ride, youunderstand.Tony SuppaStamford, Connecticut

26 www.mbaction.com

TAKE A PICTUREThis is my wife and I riding just

north of Quebec City, Canada, in theJacques Cartier National Park.Biking is time we take to spend

together, enjoy life and have a blast.As for the most part we are runningwith too many things to do and toolittle time to do them. On this ride,

we managed to figure out how to runthe timer on the camera to get a pic-ture of both of us to remind us howmuch fun we have biking together.Michelle LeBlanc and Rheal Jaillet

Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada

WATCH YOUR STEPMark Dimond (left) and me sitting on the edge of

a cliff next to the Slick Rock Trail in Moab. Theblack line on the middle right is a road, and you cansee a car down there. Probably wasn’t the smartestthing to do, but we got some pretty cool pictureswith our cell phones!

Bryson ChamberlainOak City, Utah

Page 27: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

BELIEVE

RIDE

With 150mm (6”) of fully active travel, the 2009 Compulsion utilizes our award-winning patented Equilink™ technology to achieve true pedaling e� ciency. No longer must you “pepper” your pedal stroke to o� set rear-end travel. Experience a plush, fully-active suspension operation that is completely isolated from drive train infl uence. Aggressive, agile and lightweight, the Compulsion’s trail design is capable of tackling all-day, all-mountain riding, no matter the conditions. One ride will make you a believer.

Felt’s 2009 Compulsion family of bikes includes the One (shown), Two and Three.

RIDE…Fast. Hard. Forever.

Page 28: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

28 www.mbaction.com

FACE ITWe want your face in MBA. 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: Ryan Trebon.

TRAIL MIX

LITTLE JUMPERCameron Ory at the Snowmass

Colorado State Championships. At 11years old he finished second in themountaincross and smoked the field inthe downhill. Junior racing and develop-ment is the future of the sport.Mo OryDenver, Colorado �

TAKING IT ALL INCris, Dave, and Bill taking

time to check out the viewof Castle Peak from the Holein the Ground Trail atDonner Summit near LakeTahoe, California. The placehas awesome singletrack,slickrock and views. Youwould never know you areso close to Interstate 80.Cris McReynoldsLa Honda, California

A REAL CAMEL BACKMy wife Jill and I on a 35-mile

epic ride in Judea Desert, Israel. Thephoto was taken in a dry riverbedcalled “gmalim” that means camelsin Hebrew. Dry riverbeds in theJudea Desert are the only placeswhere you’ll find vegetation for foodand shade, so a lot of local Bedouinsbring their camels to this place forrest and grazing.Samuel BacharRichmond, Virginia

NEW FRIENDSFriends I made on

a bike trip throughthe Congo.Tracy PricePhoenix, Arizona

FAMILY RIDEThis day out with Dad comes to you from Phoenix, Arizona. Got to love

Phoenix in the winter months, and having two boys, Dylan and Luke, who loveto mountain bike with their Dad!Vince Kaderabek.Phoenix, Arizona

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IBERT SAFE-T-SEAT !!!""Giving Junior a front row seat on your next ride

Many riders have a youngster who is too young to pedalalong on a ride, so iBert Inc. has come up with the safe-T-seat, a $94.95 child seat that attaches to the steerer tube ofyour mountain bike.

Tech features: The Safe-T-Seat is designed for children agefour and under. The minimum age is 12 months, because thechild needs to be able to sit up and have the strength to holdthe weight of a helmet. The maximum height of the child thatcan use the Safe-T-Seat is 42 inches. Kids much taller thanthat will be uncomfortable. The recommended max weight is38 pounds. You can reach iBert at (801) 440-4024.

After the thrashing: The Safe-T-Seat slides onto a patentedstinger mounting system. The stinger clamps to the bike’ssteerer tube below the bike’s handlebar stem and above theheadset (so you need at least 3/4 inch of steerer tube from theheadset to the stem). We mounted the Safe-T-Seat on ourManaging Editor Sean McCoy’s tandem mountain bike, whichnow let him include his youngest child on rides.The installation of the stinger clamp was a simple task and the

directions were easy to follow. The Safe-T-Seat slides on and offthe stinger clamp easily. We found tolerance between the Safe-T-Seat and stinger to be loose, and this resulted in a bit of play. Theloose fit makes the seat slightly sway from side to side, which takes some timeto get used to.The drill for getting your child in the Safe-T-Seat works like this: straddle the bike,

lift and place your little critter in the Safe-T-Seat. Slip the harness buckle over his orher head, then close the pivot lap bar and you are ready to go.On the trail, we found that the Safe-T-Seat was positioned perfectly to allow the

rider total access to the handlebar for normal steering, and pedaling was not hin-dered at all. The weight distribution of the child is also far better for bike handlingthan a seat that positions the child behind the saddle.A few things to remember: your little riding partner is doing a great job of shelter-

ing you from the wind, so remember to dress your child warmly. Also, pick your trailwisely. Leave the technical loops and fast sections for rides you’ll do solo.

CYCRAGUARD TWINPACK !!!!!Deflect your tires’ spray

Commutes or dirt road exploration on rainy days become a drag fast with aconstant spray of water and mud coming off the tires and into your face. ThisCycraguard Twinpack contains universal front and rear fenders that are designedfor quick installation and removal. Cycra suggests a retail price of $44.99.

Tech features: Cycra includes all of the hardware necessary to mount frontand rear fenders to almost any frame and seatpost. Both the 15-inch-long frontand 20-inch-rear fender measure four inches wide. They are injection moldedfrom an unbreakable composite plastic. Two quick-hook rubber bands attachthe front fender beneath the bike frame’s downtube. A bracket with a quick-release clamp holds the rear fender off the seatpost. The fenders are availablein black, white, or titanium colors. Cycra Bike can be contacted at (800) 770-2259.

After the thrashing: The complete Cycra fender assembly weighs 11 ounces. Thefenders mount to the bike in an instant. Spacers are included that will adapt the frontfender to bikes that run the gear cables beneath the down tube. Tuneable position andangle features make it easy to adjust the rear fender to the lines of the bike.The fenders do an amazing job of eliminating the splash that tires throw up while

riding in the wet. Besides keeping mud from splashing up on your glasses, the Cycrafenders keep the rider from getting soaked by tire spray. You stay drier, warmer andmore comfortable in inclement conditions. This is one of the best mods that a ridercan make to his bike for wet-weather riding.

THRASH TESTSThrash test rating:!!!!! Perfection!!!!" Delivers above average value and performance!!!"" Recommended for intended application!!""" Shows potential but has drawbacks!"""" Save your hard-earned bucks

30 www.mbaction.com

The stinger

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Page 32: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

ADVENTURE MEDICAL KITSEMERGENCY BIVVY !!!""Something right for the times when things go wrong

There may come a time when a mechanical failure, poormap-reading skills or lousy planning leaves you strandedon a trail overnight. If that ever happens, you better hopeyou were smart enough to pack a $16 Adventure MedicalKit Emergency Bivvy in your hydration pack.

Tech features: The Adventure Medical Kits EmergencyBivvy, when stowed in its pouch, is smallenough to fit in the palm of your hand andweighs 3.5 ounces. Once unfolded, it mea-sures eight feet long by three feet wide. Theultra-thin Heatsheet material used to con-struct the bevvy has a burnt orange outercolor and a reflective metallic interior. Thisvacuum-metalized polyethylene material isclaimed to reflect up to 90 percent of yourradiated body heat back to you. The mate-rial, while thin, is stretchable so it resistsrips. You can reach Adventure MedicalKits at (800) 324-3517.

After the thrashing: Remove wetlayers of clothing, leave on anything thatis reasonably dry, unfold the bivvy andcrawl inside. It feels too thin to be effec-tive, but you will sense your body heatbeing reflected almost immediately. The bivvy has zeropadding, so you’ll need to find a soft place on leaves orgrass before calling it a night.We spent a fitful night under the stars in the bivvy as

temperatures dipped into the 40’s. The bivvy reflectedenough heat to allow us to sleep for around five hours, andno moisture came through the bag. While not the mostcomfortable night we’ve ever spent in the great outdoors, itfelt like a five-star hotel compared to sleeping on the groundin cycling gear.In addition to warmth, the bivvy sack makes a great wind-

breaker too. One more benefit of this bivvy: turning it inside outwould make a large reflective target for anyone looking for youfrom the sky or neighboring mountaintop. We were even able to

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

fold it up tight enough to fit it back in its pouch. Amazing.Hopefully you will never need to use the Emergency Bivvy,

but since it only weighs ounces, fits into a small pocket of anyhydration pack and costs a measly $16, we can’t think of anargument not to carry one. It could end up being a real life-saver.

MUC-OFF BIKE CLEANER !!!""Keeps that bike looking new

You want to keep your pride and joy looking as clean as theday you bought it. Yes, that’s impossible, but there are productsthat can help you keep it looking, if not new, at least pre-sentable. Muc-Off is a non-aerosol spray-on bike wash in a bot-tle. A one-quart, hand pump-bottle of Muc-Off retails for $11.99.

Tech features: Muc-Off touts nano technology. What thatmeans is that it contains cleaning and protective componentsthat at the very finest molecular level have been customrestructured to elevate effectiveness. Whatever. That’s theirpitch, not ours. Muc-Off is claimed to contain no harsh ingre-dients, is safe to use on all surfaces, and is friendly to theenvironment. Give Muc-Off a call at (562) 945-9944.

After the thrashing: Muc-Off does not magically blastcaked mud off your stays, downtube or bottom bracket area.It also does not degunk an over-lubricated drivetrain. It is adetailing spray. Get the offending stuff loosened up using asponge and brush before rinsing with water (no powersprayers!). Now spray Muc-Off on the bike. Its nano-tech

chemicals work immediately to lift dirt stains and surfacegrease, which after two minutes easily wash away during asecond rinse. Muc-Off’s protective coating reduces waterspotting and gives the surfaces of the components and chas-sis a smooth look. It also contains non-oily ingredients,which means that it is safe on discs and pads. Your bike isonly going to get dirty again, but Muc-Off will make it looksweet until then.

32 www.mbaction.com

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Page 34: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

THRASH TESTS

LOUIS GARNEAU DURANGO SHORT!""""A short made from earthy materials that comes up short

The $109 Durango shorts from Louis Garneau take a holistic approach tocycling apparel. Can you feel the difference?

Tech features: The Durango short is made from Bamtex, an eco-friendly fabricmade with bamboo. Bamtex is abrasion-resistant, moisture-wicking, and has anti-odor qualities. The Durango comes with a mesh inner short featuring Garneau’snew HD chamois. There are LT-Stretch inserts on the hips, at the back and at thecrotch area. This fabric has four-way-stretch and is designed to ensure breathabilityand fit in motion. You can reach Louis Garneau at (800) 448-1984.

After the thrashing: The Durango short fits snugly at the waist and hangslow, crossing the leg just below the kneecap. The Bamtex material is breathable,yet it stood up to scraping along trail shrubbery without ripping or snagging.The pockets directly above the knee do not seem to serve a purpose other thanbeing a convenient place to briefly drop your car keys while you’re unloadingyour bike at the trailhead. If you store anything in those pockets while you ride,say a multi-tool, energy bar or car keys, it will flop from side-to-side as youpedal. There are tension straps with buckles on the front of the short at thewaistline. We never needed these straps to achieve a secure fit; however, theyinterfere with the waist belt of a hydration pack, digging the buckles into yourmid-section. After a couple rides in the Durango shorts, we cut the buckles offthe front of the shorts for a more comfortable fit. The stretch-like material inthe crotch area is comfortable before or after a ride, but on more than one occa-sion this material snagged on the saddle when we stood up to pedal or dis-mount. The Durango shorts have a lot of features that may look good on paper,but on the trail it becomes clear that they’re better suited for lounging aroundthe house.

SERFAS ST-SL SLIMLINECHROME MINI TOOL!!!!"You don’t have to break the

bank for a reliable multi-tool

A new entry into the multi-toolgame, the Serfas Slimline offers 11tools in one and carries a suggestedretail of $20.

Tech features: The Slimline mea-sures three inches by two inches, is5/16 of an inch thick and weighs fourounces. It includes a chain tool,Phillips screwdriver, flat-head screw-driver, T25 Torx driver, a 3.23-mil-limeter and 3.45-millimeter combospoke wrench, and 2-, 2.5-, 3-, 4-, 5-and 6-millimeter Allen keys. TheSlimline is produced by Serfas, whichcan be reached at (800) 424-0047.

After the thrashing: The Slimlineis a simple, effective and easy-to-usemini multi-tool that is a steal at its $20price. It has no detachable parts (soyou won’t lose them) and is bullet-proof. The Slimline is much easier touse than a pocket knife-style multi-tool, which likes to tangle its individ-ual wrenches. With the Slimline, thetools fold out together on one end; it is

easy to select the wrench needed andto fold the unneeded ones back intothe body. All of the tools have suffi-cient extension and can reach into thetightest spots.On the opposite end of the body is

the chain breaker, which is the mostuseful one that we have seen on amulti-tool. A two-inch-long handle onthe driver supplies more than enoughtorque to extract a chain pin.Additionally, swinging the handle outto the side provides effective torque forthe Allens andscrewdrivers.Finally, includedon the end of thefoldout handle isthe combo spokewrench. The twowrench sizes arethe same as themost commonblack and redshop spokewrench sizes andwill service bothcross-countryand downhillrims. The handleextension makesit easy to reach

the wrench into the wheel, and thefour-sided socket design gets a goodbite on the spoke nipple. The ST-SLSlimline actually has 12 tools and givesyou more than claimed. It doesn’t comewith useless features like bottle open-ers. It only offers the tools needed toservice a modern mountain bike,including brake lever reach.The only drawback is the lack of an

eight-millimeter Allen key, but the priceis right. �

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

34 www.mbaction.com

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Page 36: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

CUSTOM RIDEIs there a big advantage to buying a custom-made

frame over an off-the-rack production frame?James KehoeBrattleboro, VermontSherwood Gibson, a prolific fabricator and the man

behind Ventana Bicycles (a company that offers bothcustom-made and production bikes) explains:

“There are advantages to both. With production framesyou get the opportunity to participate in lower pricing andmarket-driven design trends that are supported by theirsheer volume of sales. For example, a big bike company canbe both trend-setting, with swoopy-tubed frame designs, andalso offer affordable pricing because they sell a whole lot ofthem. But in order to meet volume requirements, productionframes are generally offered in five or fewer sizes per model,and geometry is determined by the manufacturer with veryfew customization options available, if any. So, if you arelooking for value, your body proportions fit stock sizingjumps, and the stock geometry is to your liking for your rid-ing style, then a production frame is your best bet.

On the other hand, a custom-made frame has the advan-tage for all those riders who lie outside of the “normal” pro-duction sizing and geometry envelope. All people are notbuilt in equal sizing increments. Really tall or short folkswith long or short legs and long or short arms, riders withphysical ailments restricting their movement or body posi-tioning, and riders who just want something different are allcandidates who should consider getting a custom bike.

Ventana offers three levels of customization ranging froma simple lengthening of a top tube to a full-custom buildwith tube diameters, wall thicknesses, and frame geometrytailored to the rider’s intended use and needs. To top thingsoff, we also offer custom powder coat colors and additionalbolt-on upgrades to further customize your ride. So the bigadvantage to going custom is that you can get a bike builtspecifically to fit you, to your exact specifications, and witha more individualized look.”

A SAGGING QUESTIONMany of your tests recommend setting suspension sag. I

understand how to measure and set sag, but can you explainwhy suspension needs sag? Doesn’t setting sag (let’s say 20percent sag) rob you of 20 percent of your travel?”Howard KinunenOrlando, FloridaJose Gonzelez, who worked on motocross suspension at

Team Green and designed mountain bike suspensioncomponents for Manitou before establishing TrekBicycle’s West Coast test facility, explains why sag is soimportant to your mountain bike.

“Suspension sag is critical for proper performance for numer-ous reasons:

1. Suspension sag is a key factor in maintaining traction. Dueto sag, the suspension is constantly in traction mode, driving thetire into the ground and maintaining contact as the surfaceundulates. This is especially the case when weight transfer istaken into account under braking, in off-camber turns, climbingand descending.

2. One of the biggest myths about suspension is that sag robsyou of travel. This is not true, especially in off-road situations.There are as many bumps that are cavities in the surface asthere are protruding from the surface. Suspension sag allows thesuspension to “track” the bump’s shape and respond to bumpsand holes that are below the surface. Without suspension sag,your bike would not be able to “track” the bump and it woulddrop into the bump—just like what happens when you ride ahardtail. Sag is what gives that “floating” feeling when travel-ing at speed over uneven terrain.

3. Sag also serves to allow the suspension to achieve a “set-tling” point for chassis stability. The sag point is basically a sta-bilizing point that reflects the proper spring force required tocarry a given load (riderweight plus bike weight).But all it takes is a small

36 www.mbaction.com

INSIDE LINE

Do you know theway to sag, Jose?:It doesn’t take uptravel and it makesyour bike ride bet-ter. Trek’s JoseGonzalez talksabout the impor-tance of settingsuspension sag.

Page 37: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 37

spike in load, such as hitting a small bump, to destabilize thatbalance and force the suspension to move and absorb the impact.

On the subject of sag, one interesting note to put sag into per-spective: off-road racing trucks have 36 inches (yes, that’s cor-rect!) of travel. They set sag pretty much at 50 percent, or 18inches up and 18 inches down. It is amazing to drive along at100 miles per hour over terrain that’s infested with five-footbumps and not feel a thing. That’s because the wheels are track-ing the shape of the bump and floating along. I’ve been fortu-nate enough to have experienced this, and it is truly amazing!”

TIRED TIRESI ride on trails that have ideal conditions (soft, loamy sin-

gletrack). I can ride a tire for a month and those little mold-release hairs are still intact! A year later, my tires’ knobsstill look new. Is there another way to determine if a tireneeds to be replaced other than looking at knob wear?Randy BurglingSeattle, WashingtonWe contacted Maxxis International USA’s Bicycle

Product Manager, Christopher Warrick, who not onlyanswers your question, but gives yousome great tips for making your tireslast longer.

“This is a great question and one that alot of riders wonder about. There are otherfactors that affect your tire’s performancethan just tread wear. I’m in a similar spotin that I can put a lot of miles on a moun-tain bike tire without it showing muchwear on the tread. I’m pretty light, and Itry to avoid locking the wheels up to avoidunnecessary damage to the trails I love.

Other factors to look at are the internalcasing, the sidewall, and the rubber itself.It’s possible for the outer tread to still bein great shape but for the internal casingto be suffering from wear and tear. Lookinside the tire to make sure you don’t seeany places where the casing is becomingvisible, and make sure the bead isn’tshowing wear from rubbing on the rim. Ifyou are starting to see an increase in flat-ting, then it is very possible the casing isstarting to lose its shape.

On the sidewalls, you want to look forabrasions and any other sign that theouter rubber is worn and the casing is leftvulnerable. For the actual rubber itself, justgive it a good look to make sure that it isn’tstarting to crack or harden. It’s possiblethat it isn’t worn down, but the elementscan still have an adverse affect on the outerrubber and change the performance of yourtire. Feel the rubber with your fingernailand see if it is as soft as it was when youpurchased it. If it is harder and more brit-tle, it is ready to be replaced soon.

How you care for your tires goes a longway in determining how long your tireswill last. Always riding at the properpressure for the current conditions is thefirst step. If your bike stays in the garage,try and keep it up off the floor. Cementgarage floors attract moisture and cold, soover time they will decrease the life of atire. Inspect your tires before and aftereach ride. Make sure you look for anydebris that may have stuck to the tire thatcan eventually work its way inside.

Just like your car, bike tires benefit fromregular rotation as well. Unless you arerunning a front and rear specific tread,rotate them to increase the life of the set.The rear tire takes a lot more abuse sinceyour weight is right there. Enjoy the ride!”

Looking beyond the knobs: Tirewear cannot always be judged

by measuring the knobs.Maxxis tire’s Christopher

Warrick talks about inspectingtires and gives a few tips to

make them last longer.

Page 38: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

LOOSE HELMETI race downhill and purchased

a used full-face Troy LeeDesigns D2 helmet. When I gothrough fast sections that arerough, the helmet gets jiggledaround and I have to push itup. Have you had the sameexperience with this product?Andy LewisFort Collins, ColoradoWe have a lot of hours

with our heads inside TLDD2s and have not experi-enced the problem youdescribe. We spoke to MikeRedding, TLD’s BicycleProduct Manager.

“It sounds like you have a siz-ing issue there, Andy. Our D2helmets come in two shell sizesto assure a proper fit to a widerange of riders. You may havepurchased a D2 with the largeshell and, in that case, you areout of luck, because it is not agood idea to wear a helmet thatis too large. It will move aroundon you while riding. But all isnot lost.

“Every D2 comes with a shimkit to fine-tune the fit. It couldbe a few shims will get your hel-met fitting perfectly. The shims,available from any shop thatsells Troy Lee Design products,are very easy to install. You pullout the inside liner and putshims where needed on the EPSinner shell. I’d try that, becausethe shims should help the fitand keep the helmet from mov-ing up and down so much onyour head.

“Finally, Andy, there areplenty of places to try to savemoney, but buying a used hel-met is not one of them. You’verun into the first problem, aproper fit, but the helmet’s EPSinner shell can be compressedfrom an impact, and that dam-age may be tough to spot. Theouter shell can look fine, but theinner shell has done its job andis finished. I’d recommend try-ing to trim your budget inanother area (like buying yourtires used from a sponsoredrider) and buy your helmetnew.” �

38 www.mbaction.com

INSIDE LINE

Got a question for the “Inside Line?” E-mail it tous at [email protected] and we’ll have one of thesport’s most qualified experts answer it for you.

Page 39: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

Royal Argyle Jersey:

Sweat wicking polyester, with breathable

fade resistant graphics.

Royal Elite Glove:

4-way stretch, sweat wicking

spandura, and vented Clarino palm.

Royal F-Tech Short:

4-way stretch, water shedding fabric,

with pop-snap waist closure.

visit us at ROYALRACING.COM or call 661 257 2756

in Canada call 604 542 5661

Page 40: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

40 www.mbaction.com

Fast track: The SW Stumpy has lots oftravel without the negatives associatedwith long-travel trailbikes (lacklusteracceleration, slow handling and addition-al weight). Think fast.

Page 41: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 41

There is no other trailbike like the Specialized S-WorksStumpjumper FSR Carbon. No other company hasthe nerve, the wherewithal, or the energy to commit

as much energy or has gone to such great lengths to delivertheir vision of the perfect trailbike. “Compromise” or “mak-ing do” were not permitted with this project. If a componentdidn’t exist to get a specific job done, no problem.Specialized just made it themselves.

NO COMPROMISE AND THE SPECIAL PARTSThe S-Works Stumpjumper FSR Carbon (SW Stumpy for

short) uses a dual-diameter head tube matched to aSpecialized Future Shock fork that uses a dual-diameter car-bon fiber steerer tube molded in one piece with the forkcrown. The Specialized fork’s air spring, cartridge damperand inertia-valve anti-bob hardware are all housed in theright leg, leaving the left leg empty.The frame tubes are molded separately, bonded together

and reinforced with hand-applied layers of carbon at eachjunction. This process, while time-consuming, is the lightestway to build complex tubular carbon frames.The SW Stumpy uses a rocker-link suspension. The mag-

nesium-alloy link moves on full-cartridge bearing pivots anddrives a Specialized AFR Brain shock with a remote inertia-valve-equipped compensator chamber. An external clickeron top of the swingarm-mounted reservoir tunes the anti-bob function to rider preference. Specialized retains theHorst-Link rear dropout linkage, and the seatstays are car-bon fiber, while the swingarm is welded aluminum.

MBA est

The Ferrari F430 OfTrailbikesWhile we’ve touched on the major features, further

inspection reveals even more Specialized touches. The tires,rims, hubs, grips, handlebar, seatpost and saddle are allSpecialized. Even the Avid Ultimate SL Mag brakes weremodified just for the SW Stumpy

INVEST IN THE FUTURE (SHOCK)The SW Stumpy is a precision instrument, not a bike

you jump on and ride off into the sunset. We found that“getting close” doesn’t cut it for setting the SW Stumpy’ssuspension. You have to nail it—all of it (air pressure,inertia-valve adjustment and rebound). You will be disap-pointed if you don’t take the time to set the suspensionproperly. If you take the time, you will be amazed—andyou only need to do it once. After that, minor changes canbe made for particular trail conditions, but the bike will beready to rock.The new SW Stumpy owner needs to visit the Specialized

website and watch the video on their suspension setup page.

UNLEASHING THE FERRARIGetting up to speed: The SW Stumpy feels crazy light

because it positions its minimal weight low. The SpecializedRoval wheelset and Captain tires give the SW Stumpy cross-country-race-bike-like acceleration. The Specialized AFR Brainshock is amazing. Go ahead, mash a big gear or get out of thesaddle. The rear suspension doesn’t fall into its travel unlessthe tire hits something in the trail. This bike feels like a hard-tail that turns into a dual-suspension bike when you need it.

The Specialized S-WorksStumpjumper FSR Carbon

Page 42: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

S-Works

42 www.mbaction.com

Stumpys, and neither felt like overkill in the real world. Thefront rotor would occasionally scrape a brake pad duringclimbing and make a very annoying noise. No amount ofadjustment cured the problem. Removing the brake caliperand mounting hardware revealed post mounts with a thick,uneven layer of paint. Sandpapering the post mounts smoothand reinstalling the hardware and caliper finally cured theproblem. Your Specialized dealer should do this for you.Pointed downhill this bike feels like a five-inch-travel trail-

bike that responds like a short-travel trailbike, and that’s nota dig. Think precision riding. Use the bike’s great handlingand unique suspension to slice and dice the downhills, notplow through them.One final note; the SW Stumpy rider never has to reach

for a lever during a ride. If the suspension has been set prop-erly, the suspension’s Brain adapts to the situation at hand.That means it is firm during sprinting and climbing andabsorbent when downhilling and hitting the rough stuff.

ARE YOU A FERRARI RIDER?The SW Stumpy is very much like a Ferrari. If you want a

car to commute to work and take the kids to the movies in,a Ferrari is not it. If you want a five-inch trailbike that youcan ride hard, put away wet, and neglect, the SW Stumpy isnot it either. Both a Ferrari and this bike require a commit-ment from its driver (rider). And, as with the Ferrari, a siz-able financial commitment is required to enjoy the tech-nology Specialized delivers here.The rider willing to take the time to set up and under-

stand the suspension and who wants a lot of cross-countryracer blood in his trailbike will love the Stumpjumper S-Works Carbon.

Crowded house: The right fork leg houses the air spring, car-tridge damper and inertia-valve anti-bob hardware. The giantfront disc brake rotor is only found on large and extra-largeStumpjumpers.

Long days: Twenty-five pounds was a respectable weight fora cross-country race bike just a few years ago. If you havethe bucks, you can have the best of both worlds—long traveland light weight—for those epic-length rides or lunchtimehammer loops.

Cornering: The SW Stumpy’s slack head tube angle, tall-feeling head tube, and the resulting handlebar position makethe bike feel like a trailbike up front, but its seat tube angle,bottom bracket height and high-riding rear suspension giveit a racer-like sensation in the rear. Like the suspension, theCaptain tires will not deliver if not set properly. The wreck-ing crew felt that five-psi could be the difference betweensticking and skidding.

Climbing: When 2x10 drivetrains are unleashed (a ten-cog cassette mated to a two-chainring crank), the Specializedprobably will offer it as an option. Why? We seldom neededthe granny and found ourselves powering up climbs in themiddle chainring. Best results were found in a seated posi-tion, moving forward on the saddle as necessary to keep thefront wheel in contact with the ground on steep climbs.

In the rough: This is where proper suspension setup is anecessity. Wrecking crewers who came back disappointedwith suspension performance were sent back to the work-shop for a suspension setup review. Changes as small as tenpsi in air spring pressure or a few clicks of rebound adjust-ment (adjustments that would be undetectable on many sus-pension components) make a big difference. Once set cor-rectly, the travel feels like a long-travel cross-country racebike. It stays light and responsive, even in the rough stuff.

Downhilling and braking: The seven-inch rear brakerotor looks way too big, as does the eight-inch front rotor.These massive discs only come on the large and X-large SW

Page 43: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 43

Special parts: (clockwisefrom top left): Dual-diameterhead tube, remote inertia-valve-equipped compensatorchamber, AFR Brain shock,Ned Overend signature TheCaptain tire and Thick lock-on grip.

S-W

OR

KS S

TU

MP

JUM

PER

Using their clout: Specialized had Avid modify the Ultimate SLMag brakes for the SW Stumpy. They use the Ultimate lever(the lightest Avid makes) with a magnesium Elixir caliper. Brakepads are alloy-backed pads and all hardware is titanium. �

Price $7700Country of origin TaiwanWeight 25 poundsHotline (408) 779-6229Frame tested 19" (Large)Bottom bracket height 13.2"Chainstay length 16.5"Top tube length 24.5"Head tube angle 68.5°Seat tube angle 74.5°Standover height 29"Wheelbase 45.5"Suspension travel (front) 4.7"Suspension travel (rear) 4.7"Frame material Carbon fiberFork Specialized Future Shock S120Shock Specialized AFR BrainRims Roval Controle SLTires The Captain (2.0"/2.2" front)Hub Roval Controle SL XCBrakes Avid Ultimate SL Mag (modified)Brake levers Avid Ultimate SL Mag Crankset Shimano XTRShifters SRAM X.0 triggerFront derailleur Shimano XTRRear derailleur SRAM X.0Chainrings Shimano XTR (44/32/22)Cassette Shimano XTR (11-34)Pedals None (weighed with Shimano XTR)

Page 44: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)
Page 45: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

Atlas FR, the

new standard in

freeride and DH

race cranks.

50 grams lighter

than its closest

competitor, while

maintaining Race

Face’s legendary

strength and

stiffness.

Machined in Canada

from US made

OPTIM-AL aluminum,

a material 20%

stronger than 7050

alloy, so no need for

pedal inserts.

If you’re tired of hollow

promises, look to Atlas

FR. Your prayers have

been answered.

Available in Tippie inspired colours: Bad Ass Black, Rum Red, Blue Steel, Nurple Purple and Agent Orange raceface.com/atlasFR

Page 46: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

MB

ATEC

H

46 www.mbaction.com

Well worth it: Be straight with yourselfabout a bike makeover. If your bike stillrides like a dream with only a few roughedges, you are ready to proceed.

Page 47: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 47

Bring NewLife To That

Old BikeWhen upgrading makes a lot of $ense

You don’t have to pony up the big bucks for a

new mountain bike to enjoy a jump in perfor-

mance and an improved overall mountain biking

experience. There are lots of smart ways to breathe new

life into your old bike.

Page 48: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

48 www.mbaction.com

OldBike

WORTH THE EFFORTIf your bike is getting you down the

trail without major complaints, it is agreat candidate for an upgrade or two.However, if the frame creaks or showssigns of rust, the rear tire rubs thechainstays during hard efforts, or ifevery bearing and bushing has a loosefit and feel, your mountain bike’s daysare numbered. Sell that old bike to thebusboy who needs cheap transporta-tion and think about replacing it ratherthan turning it into a money pit.

TRADE INIf you have determined that your

bike is not upgradeable, it doesn’tmean you have to buy a new bike.Grab our March 2009 issue and read“Ultimate Recycling.” This story givesyou our best tips for finding and buy-ing a new “used” mountain bike.

ROUND THEM UPOne of our most costly upgrade sug-

gestions is also the most effective.Slapping on a new set of wheels givesany old bike a new lease on life. Strollingdown the aisles at Cambria BicycleOutfitter reveals some amazingly greatwheelsets that would benefit any usedmountain bike. The $350 AmericanClassic Terrain Disc wheelset, the $320DT Swiss Onyx 4.1D wheelset, the $250Azonic Outlaw wheelset or the $125wheelset made with Shimano LX hubsand Bontrager Mustang rims would allfreshen up any old mountain bike.Make sure that if your bike uses rim

brakes the new wheels are engineeredfor your brakes. Many new wheelsetsare disc-brake specific.Since we are naming names, Bob’s

Bicycles is a great place to find high-end wheelsets at not-so-high-endprices. They specialize in offeringwheelsets at around a 30 percent dis-count off suggested retail.

RUBBER SIDE DOWNIf you don’t want to go the new-

wheel route, the next best thing iswrapping your rims with new tires.Our top ten tire recommendationsbased on our 2008 tire shootout (MBA,September 2008) are:1. Kenda Nevegal DTC 2.12. Specialized S-Works Eskar 2.33. Kenda Telonix DTC4. Maxxis Advantage 2.255. Syncross Flt 2.356. Hutchinson Enduro Toro 2.357. Kenda Excavator DTC 2.18. Kenda Nevegal DTC 2.359. Kenda Nevegal L3R Pro 1.95

10. Specialized S-Works Roll X

Found in the barn: Not all bikes are worth upgrading and not everyone can afford a newbike. Don’t rule out a search for a great previously owned mountain bike as a viablealternative to spending big bucks.

Check the hands: Bar ends clamp to the ends of your handlebar to give you more handpositions (and many riders believe more power).

Page 49: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

visit us at SIXISIXONE.COM or call 661 257 2756

Sabrina Jonnier

in Canada call 604 542 5661

The SixSixOne Pressure

suit sets the standards for

the ultimate in upper body

protection. Injection molded

plastic cups on the shoulder,

arms, and forearms. Removable

high-impact plastic back protector.

Chest protection with removable inner

plastic plate allows you to choose your

level of protection. Improved fi t and thumb

loops help to keep everything in place in the

worst crashes.

Page 50: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

50 www.mbaction.com

THE END OF THE BARBar ends have fallen out of favor due

to the widespread use of riser bars, butthis may be more of a fashion state-ment than true obsolescence. Bar endsgive you more hand positions and afeeling of increased power when crank-ing along the flats or climbing. Thebest thing about bar ends is that theyare a very inexpensive upgrade.A quick search of Price Point’s web-

site revealed Sette XE Curved AlloyBar Ends for $12, Titec bar ends for$15 and the very cool Cane Creek ErgoControl 2 Bar Ends for $35.

THE BAR ITSELFHandlebars don’t really wear out,

but they can be weakened due toabuse. You may also find that the han-dlebar that came on your bike was rela-tively narrow. Many riders feel betterwith a slightly wider handlebar

Roll call: If you ride hard, jump high andmake mistakes, your wheels are not roundanymore. Wheels like the Azonic Outlaware great for aggressive riding and won’t

break the bank.

Connected with a chain:A drivetrain makeover is

best approached as all ornothing. All includes ninecogs (1), a chain (2), thebig ring (3), the middle

ring (4) and thegranny gear (5).

OldBike

1

2

3 4

5

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52 www.mbaction.com

Bar code: Slapping on a new handlebar and grips gives the most tired mountain bikethat new-car smell. Don’t worry about saving weight. Go for a wider bar than yourstocker so you can experiment with your riding position and the bike’s handling.

because it slows the bike’s steeringslightly and opens up the chest formore comfortable breathing.Wheel World (a shop with two loca-

tions in Los Angeles and an onlinestore) had a selection of EastonMonkey Bars for a ridiculously low$15 each (these bars sometimes sell for$50). You can’t really lose at that price.

HEART OF THE DRIVETRAINWe’ll talk about a new chain, cogs

and chainrings, but if you havesmacked your cranks on a few hundredrocks and submerged your bottombracket during numerous stream cross-ings, a fresh crankset and bottombracket will deliver new power to yourdrivetrain.We found a killer deal on the proven

Race Face Deus-XC Triple Cranksetand bottom bracket from Bike Bling inSan Diego. They were selling them for$200 (or $99 less than suggestedretail). They also had cranksets fromFSA for under $200.

THE DRIVETRAINThis is an all-or-nothing deal. It is

not a great idea to throw a new chainon a tired drivetrain, because the worn

OldBike

niterider.com

Trust the lights that Tinker trusts.

TriNewt LEDFirst to market and

STILL best in class

FEATURES

3 Retina searing LEDs 3 ½ to 7 hours of run time

High, low and �ash modes Battery status indicator

Optional wireless fob Quick release handlebar mount for remote light operation Tinker Juarez

2007 Solo 24-Hour World Champion and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame Inductee

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Page 54: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

54 www.mbaction.com

Wear it well: Don’t limit your upgrades to the bike. New gloves give the handlebar andcontrols a different feel. New shoes can produce more power. A short with a high-qualitychamois might make an old saddle feel new.

cassette cogs and chainring teeth justwon’t play well with the new part. Ifyou are on a tight budget, you need toat least replace the cogs that you usemost often when you replace the chain.These are usually the cogs from themiddle to the top of your cassette.

CONTACT POINTSDon’t overlook your riding gear

when it comes to upgrading. A newpair of shoes can make a giant differ-ence. Cycling shoes come with specialsoles that stink for walking but aregreat for pedaling. Over time, thesesoles wear out and you lose power.Even if you don’t use clipless pedals,take a look at your shoes.Shorts are your next contact point to

review. You better be riding in shortswith a chamois (and without under-wear). If not, you will need to budgetbetween $30 and $50 to get yourself agood cycling short. The baggy andLycra shorts have pros and cons. If youcan get past the fit that reveals every-thing, go for a Lycra short. �

OldBike

Page 55: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

TECHNOLOGY >> The new R.I.P. 9 combines 4.5“ of effi cient CVA™ suspension with new hydroformed top and down tubes, tapered steerer technology and 10 new forged or extruded parts. The result? Drastically increased stiffness with no weight penalty and the high quality CVA™ ride you expect from Niner. Learn more: www.ninerbikes.com/cva

TESTING >> The R.I.P. 9 has undergone a painstaking process of FEA, mechanical stress tests and real world testing to be as strong, effi cient and fun as possible.

TESTIMONIALS >> The Niner R.I.P. 9 has garnered applause from all major US mountain bike magazines and online publications such as MTBr.com, including a Best 29er of 2007 and a Consumer Choice Award. Read them all on our website, and know that the new R.I.P. 9 is even better.

WWW.NINERBIKES.COM

WHY CHANGE SOMETHING SO GOOD?(WE DON’T REST ON OUR LAURELS, NO MATTER HOW MANY WE EARN)

Page 56: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

56 www.mbaction.com

Hang on: The wrecking crew lovedhow the El Kaboing responded to hardefforts. Its light feel, twist-free chassisand stable suspension turned the Salsainto a very quick and responsiveall-mountain ride.

Page 57: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 57

Back in the day, Salsa founder Ross Shafer came towork with a bag of chips and a jar of picante salsa.While pounding those salty carbs, he began experi-

menting with lugless frame construction. He first fillet-brazed his frame joints, and then began TIG welding them.Ross was one of the men who pioneered the move awayfrom design-restricting roadie lugs, which ultimately resultedin the radical dual-suspension frames of today.Salsa likes to build with scandium, because adding the

scarce element into 7000-series base alloy nets a high-strength aluminum that can be used to construct frameswith smaller tubes, less material and in wilder shapes. It alsohas an improved fatigue life, which makes scandium alloythe perfect aluminum material to use for pivotlessconstruction.

FIVE-INCH FLEX STAYS?The El Kaboing uses a single-pivot suspension. Only one

main pivot is used at the bottom bracket; there are no pivotsat the dropout. Instead, Salsa shaped the scandium seat staysto flex just above the dropout. This might seem like reverseevolution, yet Salsa claims their design increases lateral sta-bility and elevates suspension damping.The El Kaboing frame uses seven forgings made out of the

scandium material. Especially nice are the windowed bottombracket housing, svelte main pivot yoke and post-mount reardisc caliper bracket. Although equally light and trim-looking,the rocker link is forged from aluminum. Both the leftdropout and right dropout/derailleur hanger assembly are

MBA est

replaceable using standard chainring bolt hardware. Salsasells the frame and shock by themselves for $1522.

SCANDIUM IS ELEMENT #21The scandium frame weighs 6.9 pounds, which is

respectable for a five-inch-travel trailbike. Take into accountits heavy-duty wheelset with brass nipples and seven-inchfront disc rotor, and it’s the frugal weight of the frame thatkeeps the bike’s final reading down to 30.6 pounds. Add thesmooth-rolling Kenda Nevegal DTC tires and you have anall-mountain bike that snaps to attention.Making the bike look more polished is that the Race Face

crank matches the Race Face Deus XC seat post and DeusXC stem. Finishing off the hardware package is a SalsaProMoto riser bar and a chromoly-rail WTB Rocket V saddlewith a cool embroidered Salsa chili pepper.

FLEXING ITS STRENGTHWhen the rider is hammering along in or out of the sad-

dle, the El Kaboing’s suspension feels as responsive as manymulti-pivot designs. Take it up to speed and the El Kaboingresponds with the feel of a five-inch-travel trailbike whenhitting square-edged bumps and landing off jumps.The flex-stay rear suspension shows its unique personali-

ty at slower speeds and during less-than-aggressive riding.The suspension just doesn’t sag. Running the shock’s airpressure on the lower end of the recommended range orturning off the shock’s ProPedal platform has little effect onthe suspension. There is an ultra-strong pedaling platform

Spice Of LifeThe Salsa El Kaboing

Page 58: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

Salsabuilt into the El Kaboing’s suspension, and it is set in stone.Use the gears to keep up a good spin and you will motor

ascents aboard the El Kaboing. The Fox RP2 shock’s strongpedaling platform is actually overkill in this application. TheEl Kaboing’s rear suspension is firm enough to keep thechassis level, the steering responsive and the handling spot-on when climbing or railing corners. The big surprise washow well this firm-pedaling, pivotless rear suspensionabsorbed terrain chatter. We were expecting a harsher rideand wheel spin. Didn’t happen. The El Kaboing’s suspen-sion is tuned to address small changes in the trail surface.Aboard the Salsa El Kaboing, you need to take on tough

singletrack with a sense of urgency. We again have to point tothe Kenda Nevegal DTC tires. These hot-rod-traction tires arepowered through a responsive five-inch chassis that slingshotsturns like a much lighter and tighter trailbike. The Salsa riderwants to stay on the gas and hammer hard between sections.

TALL IN THE SADDLESo what is the drawback to the El Kaboing’s rear suspen-

sion? If the trails you ride require frequent dismounts, youwill find them to be more challenging aboard the Salsa thanother five-inch-travel bikes. That’s because, as explainedabove, this bike sits high in its travel. Many of the wreckingcrew opted for a slightly-lower-than-optimum saddle heightwhen riding the El Kaboing on technical trails.

FLEX IS HERE TO STAYIt is easy to understand why this bike has such a loyal fol-

lowing. Salsa backs it with a five-year limited warranty,relieving concern about the durability of those flexing seat-stays. Its single-pivot design keeps things simple. It deliverssporty performance and doesn’t punish its rider, but at the

58 www.mbaction.com

SA

LSA

EL K

AB

OIN

G Price $3990Country of origin TaiwanWeight 30.6 poundsHotline (952) 941-9391Size tested 18"Bottom bracket height 14.1"Chainstay length 16.9"Top tube length 23.5"Head angle 69°Seat angle 73°Standover height 30"Wheelbase 43.7"Suspension travel (front) 5.5"Suspension travel (rear) 4.9"Frame material ScandiumFork Fox Float RLShock Fox RP2Rims Salsa Semi DiscTires Kenda Nevegal DTC 2.35Hub Shimano XTBrakes Shimano XTBrake levers Shimano XTCrankset Race Face DeusShifters Shimano XTFront derailleur Shimano XTRear derailleur Shimano XTChainrings Shimano XT (44/32/22)Cassette Shimano XT (11-34)Pedals None (weighed with Shimano M520)

Push the pace: The El Kaboing needs to take on tough single-track with a sense of urgency. The rider who stays on the gasand hammers hard between sections will reap the most rewards.

Nice bends: Rather than use a pivot, the thin-walled scandiumseat tube bends as the suspension compresses. When the sus-pension begins to move, there are five inches of very sweet travel.

same time, encourages him to push the pace. Finally, it is analternative to big-name-brand mountain bikes.The Salsa El Kaboing is a bike that pays tribute to its deep

roots while delivering modern-day performance. And onceyou are done with your ride, that bag of chips and a jar ofpicante salsa are going to taste great. �

Page 59: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

m

Page 60: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

60 www.mbaction.com

MBA Fork Special

MBA’s

ForktionaryYour ultimate reference forunderstanding and talking forks

The MBA wrecking crew is proud of the sus-

pension settings we recommend after testing

a bike. But all our tinkering, experiment-

ing and perfecting won’t help you if you don’t

understand the terminology. To help you

better understand our recommenda-

tions, we bring you the MBA

Forktionary.

wwwwwwww

Page 61: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

Anti-dive:Any device,usually a formof low-speedhydraulic com-pression damp-ing, that is usedto prevent thefork from com-pressing underbraking forces.

Bleed circuit(free bleed): Achannel inside ahydraulicdamper thatallows some sus-pension fluid tobypass therebound or com-pression valves.Bleed circuits aretoo small to pass significant volumes of fluid and thus areused to control low-speed damping. Almost all externalrebound and compression adjustments control bleed circuits.

Blow-off valve: A spring-loaded valve in the compressionside of a hydraulic fork that protects the fork from destruc-tion by releasing fluid when internal pressure exceeds safelevels. Blow-off valves are employed most often in forks witha lockout feature.

Bobbing: An aggravating condition that occurs when thefork repeatedly compresses with each pedal stroke.

Bottom-out: When a fork is compressed to the point ofreaching the end of its travel.

Bottoming compression: The internal valving or anexternal adjustment that controls the fork’s resistance tobottoming out. Bottoming compression is used to preventbottoming after a hard impact without causing the fork toride harshly through the majority of its stroke.

Bushing: A simple, tubular-shaped, metal or plastic bear-ing. Most forks use bushings where there are sliding sur-faces like fork lowers or damping pistons.

Cartridge damper: A self-contained damping system,similar to a slender shock, that is inserted into a fork.Cartridge dampers can be manufactured under strict con-trols to increase reliability, are easier to service, and arelighter weight than damping systems which are assembleddirectly into the fork sliders (see “Open-bath damper”).

Clicker: Any adjustment knob or lever that has an indexingdetent. Typically, the low-speed rebound and compression dials.

Coil spring: Any spiral-wound spring, usually steel ortitanium.

April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 61

Forktionary

Compression: The action of the suspension (using eithera coil spring, air spring, elastomer, damper or combinationof all of these) in which the wheel travels up, or closer tothe bicycle frame.

Compression damping: Friction, usually hydraulic fluidforced through various valves, used to control the fork’s rateof compression. The primary reason for compression damp-ing is to slow the damper near the end of its stroke to pre-vent harsh bottoming and to maintain a certain ride heightfor better cornering and braking (low-speed compression).

Crown: The piece of the fork that joins the two fork legsto the steering tube. Most mountain bikes use a singlecrown, although bikes designed for gravity use will use dualcrowns.

Damper: A device, usually hydraulic, that opposes (slows)the suspension as it compresses or rebounds after a bump tokeep the suspension from bouncing out of control.

Damping: The action caused by the damper.

Damping clickers: An external dial used to adjust thedamping force.

Air springA compressed-air chamber that

replaces a conventional coil spring.

Dual-crown forkA fork that uses an upper and a lowercrown for additional strength.Generally found on long-travel bikes.

Page 62: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

62 www.mbaction.com

MBA Fork Special

Elastomer stack (MCU): A wide range of plastic springsused as main springs in many forks and top- or bottom-outcushions.

Curved reinforcement that connectsthe lower fork tubes over the fronttire. Designs vary so the fork archcan pass in front, behind or on bothsides of the fork tubes.

Fork leg: The assembled combination of a fork slider andstanchion tube.

The maximum distance that the forkcan be compressed.

Front fork: A redundant term used incorrectly todescribe a bicycle fork.

Free-bleed: A tube or port that allows suspension fluid tobypass the main damping circuit in a hydraulic fork. Free-bleed circuits are typically fitted with adjustable valves forfine-tuning low-speed damping.

Harsh bottom-out: Same as bottom out, but the forktransmits a metal-to-metal clank that a rider will often feelthrough the handlebars.

Inertia valve (mass valve): Used by Specialized on itsFuture Shock fork and, until recently, by Fox inside its X-forks, the inertia valve is basically a weighted valve whichcloses off the flow of suspension fluid in compression. Whena bump moves the bike upwards, the weight unlocks the sus-pension. A properly operating mass-valve is the ultimateanti-bob weapon.

Lefty: A Cannondale-developed fork that uses a singlefork leg connected to the bike with a proprietary dual-crownand axle. The Lefty requires a dedicated front hub.

Linear spring: See “spring rate.”

Lockout: Any device that temporarily prevents a forkfrom operating in compression.

MCU: See “elastomer stack.”

Main spring: The spring that supports the rider and bicy-cle’s weight. Can be a coil spring, air spring, elastomer or acombination of all of these.

Negative spring: Used primarily for air-sprung forksbecause air springs have a large amount of static pressure atthe beginning of the travel. A negative spring acts againstthe main spring at full extension to soften the initial spring

Dust boots: Corrugated (like an accordion) rubber tubesfitted externally to forks to shield their moving parts fromdirt and grime. Improvements in dust wipers and fork sealshave made dust boots nearly obsolete. May be added to thefork as an accessory by riders in areas of extreme weatherand trail conditions. Fork travel (stroke)

Fork arch

Dust wiperAn external plastic seal that forms

the first line of defense to keep crudfrom attacking the seals inside a fork.The dust wiper is usually visible wherethe fork stanchion enters the slider.The fork’s dust wiper can be removedfor cleaning and lubricating.

3.9 in

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April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 63

Forktionary

Rising rate: See “progressive rate.”

Sag: The measurement of how far the fork is allowed to settleunder the rider’s weight when the bike is at rest.

Speed-sensitive valving: A hydraulic damper that pro-vides a different damping rate at low or high shaft speeds(the velocity at which the fork or shock moves).

Spring rate: The ratio used to measure how resistant aspring is to being compressed (or expanded) during thespring’s movement, usually measured in pounds per inch.Example: a 300-pound linear spring will store 600 pounds ofenergy if it is compressed two inches.

Sprung weight: The weight suspended by the fork (youand your bike).

Stanchions: The upper part of a telescopic fork that isclamped to the crown. These tubes remain stationary duringthe operation of the suspension.

Stiction: Initial friction when the fork tries to move fromrest into its travel. Fork seals, bushings or poor design maycause stiction. Stiction may occur at either end of the forkstroke. Less stiction is better.

Straight rate: When the spring remains proportionate tothe suspension travel.

Fork travel: The distance the wheel travels in the sameplane as the suspension.

Top-out: When a fork returns abruptly to its full exten-sion, causing a clicking noise or even the feel of metal-to-metal contact. This is a sign that the fork lacks properrebound damping.

Triple clamp: See “dual-crown fork.”

Thru-axle: An oversized axle (usually 15 or 20 millime-ters in diameter) that requires a special wheel hub and canbe clamped to the fork sliders with a variety of differentdesigns.

Unsprung weight: The mass not suspended by the bicy-cle suspension. That is, your wheels (tire, rim, spokes, axleand hub) and fork sliders.

Valve stack: One or more thin, flexible steel washers thatblock the flow of suspension fluid in a hydraulic fork. Fluidmust bend the washers to pass. The stiffness of the “washerstack” determines the amount of damping, and the configu-ration of the washer stack changes the damping rate at vari-ous shock speeds.

Wheel travel: The maximum distance the wheel travelson the vertical plane. �

rate. The stronger (higher pressure) the negative spring, thesofter the suspension will ride in the first 20 percent of itstravel. Negative springs can be pneumatic, coil or evenclosed-cell plastic foam. Coil-sprung forks don’t require neg-ative springs, because a coil spring has no stored energywhen it reaches full extension.

Open-bath damper: Damping that operates completelyimmersed in a reservoir of fluid. There is a continualexchange of fluid during operation that keeps the systemcool and lubricated.

Pack up: When a fork’s rebound valving is too slow toallow the suspension to fully extend between bumps. Thiscauses the suspension to remain fully or partially compressed.

Pogo: A severe lack of rebound control that causes the sus-pension to bounce off bumps instead of follow the terrain.

Preload: The amount of energy stored in a fork springwhen the suspension is completely extended. Often external-ly adjustable, more preload requires more force to move thefork into its travel. Less preload allows the fork to move intoits travel faster.

Progressive rate: When the suspension’s spring rateincreases during compression. Example: a 300-pound linearspring will deliver 600 pounds of resistance if it is com-pressed two inches. A 300-pound progressive-rate springmight deliver 700 pounds of resistance if it is compressedtwo inches.

Rebound: The action of the fork while the wheel returnsto its original position. When the suspension rebounds, it isextending its length.

Some form of friction (see “compres-sion damping”) that opposes the main-spring as it returns the suspension toits extended position.

Rebound damping

SlidersThe lower part of the fork assembly

that attaches to the front axle and

slides up and down on the stanchion

tubes (upper tubes) as the suspension

operates.

Page 64: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

MBA Fork Special

Fork Tips,

Tricks &SecretsGet all the performanceyou paid for

YOU WON’T FEEL IT

Your fork will function even if neglected, and that’swhat fools riders. Loss of performance and damagefrom lack of proper maintenance are gradual(although they could end up leading to a catastrophicfailure at some point). Forks may function for yearswithout service, but you are losing performance thatyou paid for. Use a calendar to determine when tohave your fork serviced, not feel.

BREAKDOWN

The oil circulating in your fork’s damping systemhas two functions. One is to absorb energy, and theother is to lubricate moving parts. When oil mole-cules start breaking down, the film that onceoffered a protective barrier disappears. If you don’ttreat your forks to periodic oil changes, the damp-ing quality suffers and you’re going to be wearingdown and tearing up components.

There is good news and bad news about the

modern mountain bike fork. The good news

is that today’s forks boast hundreds of fea-

tures, have tons of adjustments, and can be better

dialed-in for your type of riding and your riding

style. What’s the bad news? Understanding all

those features and adjustments!

The MBA wrecking crew put their collective hel-

mets together and came up with a bunch of tips,

tricks, suggestions and secrets to get the most out of

your fork.

Tip 1 Tip 2

64 www.mbaction.com

Page 65: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

REPLACE IT

You have a great frame, drivetrain, wheels and aclapped-out fork. Do you rebuild the fork with updat-ed features or bite the bullet and throw on a newfork? Bite the bullet. If you don’t believe us, priceout the total cost of upgrading the forks (if that iseven possible) and compare it to the price for a newfork. The price difference may not be as wide as theperformance gain you are going to feel.

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

Your bike’s fork is a mechanical device that is sub-jected to a lot of abuse. Just like your car needs an oilchange every 3000 miles, your fork needs mainte-nance. There is no such thing as a maintenance-freefork design.

April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 65

Fork Tips

DON’T BE ILLITERATE

Your fork came with an owner’s manual thatexplains how and how often to service your forks. Ifyou have a fork with a cartridge-damping unit, con-gratulations, your service is going to be a snap. Ifyou’re riding an oil bath system, budget more time(and shop rags), but don’t freak. Unless you aremechanically inept, you’ll do just fine.

PLAN AHEAD

Don’t buy a bike thinking you’ll upgrade the stockfork later. While there are some upgrades that makesense, most upgrades are not cost-effective. You arefar better off choosing a bike with a good fork thatalready has the travel, axle size and adjustability youwant.

Tip 6

Tip 5

Tip 4

Tip 3WORDS OF WISDOM

A good fork will make a bad bike good.

LOWER RIDER

If you add an inch of travel to your fork and can’tget used to the taller position, try removing a fewspacers from under your stem. That will get you backinto a more familiar position.

Tip 7

Tip 8

Page 66: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

Soft touch: Not getting full travel out of your fork? The fix may beas simple as a tap on the Schrader valve pin, as expensive asreplacing a coil spring, or as technical as reducing compressiondamping.

MBA Fork Special

EASY EXPERIMENT

Many riders have never taken the time to properlyset up the fork’s damping. It is not that hard. Find ashort loop that has varied terrain. Ride the loop withyour fork at its current settings. Now change the set-tings to full open and ride the loop again. Come back,change the settings to full closed and do another lap.This exercise will give you an understanding of what

the settings do. Our preference is to run our fork a little moreon the fast side (lively) than on the slow side (sluggish).

SPRING THING

Your fork was delivered with springs for a 150-170pound sport/expert-level rider (unless you have airforks). If you are lighter, you need a lighter spring. Ifyou are heavier, you need a heavier spring. Your bikeshop should have replacement springs to experimentwith. Make sure you have the manufacturer’s recom-mended sag when you’re done. Proper sag may be themost important adjustment you make to your fork.

TAKE ADVANTAGE

Fork companies’ race support areas at major eventsare not there solely for professional and sponsoredriders. They are there for all the racers who use theirproducts. The guys who work the support areas canset you up perfectly. Take advantage of this killerservice.

ADDING TRAVEL

Adding an inch of travel to your fork will not signifi-cantly alter the handling of your bike. Some of theextra travel will be used when setting the fork sag any-way. Adding an inch of travel will lift the front end3/4 of an inch. You will slacken your head angleapproximately one degree for every inch you raise the

head tube. Slacker steering geometry steers slower, but moreprecisely, and more fork travel makes your bike easier to han-dle in technical sections. Word of warning: adding a longer-travel fork to your bike may void the warranty.

DON’T BE BIASED

Modern full-suspension bikes are much more effi-cient and lightweight than the beasts of the past.Changing fork suspension settings can alter the feel-ing and action of the rear suspension as well. It isimportant to have the proper balance of front andrear suspension to get the most out of your ride.In general, if you make the fork stiffer or softer,

adjust your shock in the same direction. Signs of improperbalance are laziness in the steering or handling (rear suspen-sion is too soft relative to the front) or stink bugging, thefeeling that the bike is trying to send you over the bars (thefront is softer than the rear). When riding on flat ground,bounce up and down in your normal riding position and seeif the suspension is moving in a balanced manner. Usespring preload or air pressure changes to make yourmachine a balanced unit.

Tip 9

Tip 10

Tip 11

Tip 13

Tip 12

66 www.mbaction.com

Page 67: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

Fork Tips

TROUBLE SHOOTING

RECOMMENDATIONS

Problem: Your fork is not using all its travel orthe travel feels harsh. These are signs of overlystiff spring or compression damping settings.

Solutions: Lower air pressure or use softer coilsprings. You should also try a reduced compres-

sion damping setting.

Problem: Your fork bottoms out too easily or toooften. This is a sure sign of a spring rate that is too lowthroughout travel. It may also be that you have set yourcompression damping too light.

Solutions: Add air pressure or use stiffer coil springs.You may also need to increase compression damping.

Problem: The fork feels great on small bumps butgets overly harsh when impacting larger bumps.

Solutions: The fork’s compression damping is set toohigh. Reduce the fork’s compression damping.

Problem: You feel every small bump as you cruise along,but the fork still uses its full travel when you hit somethinglarger. This is a sign that the initial spring rate or preload istoo high. You may have also dialed in too much compressiondamping.

Solutions: Try lowering your fork’s air pressure orinstalling softer springs. Reduce compression damping orreduce spring preload.

Problem: The fork reacts great to the first in a series ofbumps, but feels like it firms up and loses performancewhen you hit bumps in quick succession.

Solutions: You’ve dialed in too much rebound damping.Reduce rebound damping if that feature is adjustable onyour fork. If it is not, you may have to use lower-viscosityfork oil.

Problem: The fork springs back too quickly after bumps,sometimes making a clicking noise.

Solutions: Your fork does not have enough rebounddamping. If the fork has an external rebound setting,increase the rebound damping. If it is not externallyadjustable, take the fork to a technician for servicing. �

No service schedule: If you put excessive demands on yourfork, it will need more attention than a fork used by a rider whosticks to mellow singletrack.

Tip 16

ZIPPY IDEA

Secure a zip tie to the fork stanchion between thefork slider and the fork crown. Slide it down to thetop of the fork slider. Go ride a loop that mimics yournormal ride and make sure there are some big hitsincluded in the loop. After the ride, measure the dis-tance between the zip tie and the top of the forkslider. If you are not getting the full travel of your

fork, you have too much air pressure, too stiff of a coilspring or too much compression damping.

Tip 15

BOOTIES

If you ride in extreme conditions and your forkdoesn’t have fork boots, try a product like the $13.99Lizard Skins Fork Boots. They will pay for themselvesin the first month of operation. The trick is not toleave them on indefinitely. Only slap them on whenconditions are bad. Today’s quality fork seals do notrequire booties under normal riding conditions.

Tip 14

April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 67

Page 68: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

MBA Fork Special

Big Slider

Buyer’s

GuideFront-end upgrades

68 www.mbaction.com

Mountain bike suspension

has advanced in the past

five years more than any

other component in the sport.

Forks today are more tunable, user-

friendly, lighter, and stiffer than

ever before. We’ve broken down our

fork buyer’s guide into sections

related to the appropriate type of

bike and riding the forks are

designed for.

Page 69: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 69

Fork Buyer’s Guide

Fork: RockShox SID World CupTravel: 3.1 or 3.9 inchesClaimed Weight: 3.2 poundsDamping: Black Box Motion controlAdjustments: External rebound, lowspeed compression, ‘Lock’ with externalFloodgateSpring: Dual airOuters: Magnesium, carbon fiber PowerBulgeSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: Black, white, SID blueBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: StandardPrice: $1020

Fork: Manitou R7 MRD TPCTravel: 3.1 or 3.9 inchesClaimed Weight: 3 poundsDamping: Cartridge TPCAdjustments: External rebound, com-pressionSpring: Noble airOuters: Reverse arch magnesiumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: Candy redBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: StandardPrice: $649

Fork: Magura Durin SLTravel: 3.1 or 3.9 inchesClaimed Weight: 3 poundsDamping: Oil with fix compressiondampingAdjustments: Air pressure and reboundSpring: AirOuters: Magnesium Double Arch DesignSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: White, black, custom availableBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: StandardPrice: $869

Fork: DT Swiss XRC 100 Air RLREMTravel: 3.9 inchesClaimed Weight: 3 poundsDamping: Open oilAdjustments: Air pressure, rebound,lockout, blow-offSpring: Air, negative springOuters: Hollow carbon arch, carbontubes, magnesium dropoutsSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: CarbonBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: StandardPrice: $1351

Fork: Marzocchi Corsa CentoTravel: 3.9 inchesClaimed Weight: 3.6 poundsDamping: OilAdjustments: TST Micro, lock-out, com-pression, rebound,Spring: Air, negative springOuters: MagnesiumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch alloyColors: WhiteBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: StandardPrice: $649

Fork: X-Fusion VelvetTravel: 3.1, 3.9 and 5.1 inchesClaimed Weight: 3.8 poundsDamping: Sealed cartridgeAdjustments: Rebound, air pressure,Spring: AirOuters: MagnesiumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: BlackBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: StandardPrice: $300

The cross-country

forks in

this sectionrange in travel

from 3.1 to 3.9 inchesand

are designed to be light-

weightand tuned for

endurance racing.

CROSS-COUNTRY

FORKSShort-travel sliders

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70 www.mbaction.com

MBA Fork Special

Fork: RST First Platinum RLTravel: 3.1 or 3.9 inchesClaimed Weight: 3.3 poundsDamping: OilAdjustments: Air pressure, rebound,remote lockout, compressionSpring: AirOuters: MagnesiumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: Black or whiteBrake Mount: Post-mount disc, V-brakeDropouts: StandardPrice: $299

Fork: Spinner Aeris ProTravel: 3.1 inchesClaimed Weight: 2.5 pounds (withoutsteerer tube)Damping: Open oilAdjustments: Air pressure, rebound,compressionSpring: AirOuters: MagnesiumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch scandiumColors: BlackBrake Mount: Flange mount discDropouts: StandardPrice: $999

Fork: Fox Racing Shox 32 F RLCTravel: 3.1, 3.9 or 4.7 inchesClaimed Weight: 3.3 to 3.5 pounds(with standard axle)Damping: Open bathAdjustments: Air pressure, low-speedcompression, lockout force adjust, lockout,reboundSpring: AirOuters: MagnesiumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: WhiteBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: Standard and 15QR availablePrice: $700

Fork: FoxRacing Shox 32 FloatTravel: 5.5 inchesClaimed Weight: 4 poundsDamping: Open bathAdjustments: Air pressure, low-speedcompression, lockout force adjust, lockout,reboundSpring: AirOuters: MagnesiumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch or 1.5-inch taperColors: WhiteBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: 15QRPrice: $750

Fork: RockShox Reba TeamTravel: 3.1, 3.9, or 4.7 inches fixed travel,U-Turn travel adjust available between 3.5and 4.7 inchesClaimed Weight: 3.6 to 4 poundsdepending on optionsDamping: BlackBox Motion ControlAdjustments: External rebound, low-speedcompression, external FloodgateSpring: AirOuters: MagnesiumSteerer: 1-1/8-inchColors: Black, white silverBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: Standard or 20-millimeterMaxle LitePrice: $741

Fork: Magura ThorTravel: Adjustable between 3.9 and 5.5inchesClaimed Weight: 3.9 poundsDamping: Albert Select Intelligent oilAdjustments: External rebound, traveladjust, remote lockoutSpring: AirOuters: Magnesium Double Arch DesignSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: Black, white, custom availableBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: 20-millimeter MaxlePrice: $899

TRAILBIKE FORKSDesigned for all-day explorationsThe difference betweencross-country and trailbikeforks can be a little fuzzyat times. Trailbike forksmost often range in travelfrom 3.9 inches to over fiveinches and are equipped witha type of thru-axle. Forks inthis category generally fillthe gap between cross-countryracing forks and burlier all-mountain models.

Page 71: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

MAKE CONTACT

MANUFACTURERS GUIDE

Avalanche (860) 537-4306Bontrager (920) 478-2191BOS bos-engineering.comDT Swiss (970) 242-9232Foes (626) 683-8368Fox Racing Shox (800) 369-7469Magura USA (800) 448-3876Manitou (800) 747-1681Marzocchi (661)-257-6630Maverick (303) 415-0370RockShox (312) 664-8800RST (310) 895-7776Spinner (800) 666-5000Surly (877) 743-3191Vicious Cycles (845) 883-4303White Brothers (800) 999-8277

April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 71

Fork: Manitou Minute Elite TPCTravel: 3.9, 4.7, or 5.5 inchesClaimed Weight: 3.5 to 3.5 poundsDamping: TPCAdjustments: Air pressure, rebound,compressionSpring: Mars airOuters: Magnesium Reverse ArchSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: BlackBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: Standard or 20-millimeter HexaxlePrice: $529 (std axle), $589 (Hex Axle)

Fork: Marzocchi 44 ATA MicroTravel: Adjustable between 3.9 and 5.5inchesClaimed Weight: 3.8 pounds (std. axle),4 pounds (QR15 axle)Damping: OilAdjustments: Air pressure, lockout, com-pression, rebound, Terrain SelectionTechnology, ATA travel adjustSpring: Air, negative airOuters: MagnesiumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch alloyColors: WhiteBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: Standard or QR15 axlePrice: $759 (std axle), $799 (QR15 axle)

Fork: DT Swiss XMC 130Travel: 5.1 inchesClaimed Weight: 3.5 poundsDamping: Open oil bathAdjustments: Air-pressure, compression,threshold launch control systemSpring: Air, negative airOuters: Hollow carbon arch, carbontubes, magnesium dropoutsSteerer: 1-1/8-inch alloyColors: CarbonBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: Standard, DT Swiss thru-boltPrice: $1351

Fork: RST Titan AirTravel: 3.1, 3.9, 4.7, or 5.1inchesClaimed Weight: 3.7 poundsDamping: OilAdjustments: Air-pressure, compression,rebound, lockoutSpring: AirOuters: MagnesiumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: BlackBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: Standard axlePrice: $399

Fork: Maverick SC32Travel: 4.7 inchesClaimed Weight: 3.8 poundsDamping: OilAdjustments: Rebound, air pressure, oilvolume and viscositySpring: AirOuters: AluminumSteerer: 1-1/8-inchColors: Blue anodizedBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: Maverick 24/7 (24mm)Price: $575

Fork Buyer’s Guide

Page 72: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

MBA Fork Special

Fork: Manitou DoradoTravel: 8 inchesClaimed Weight: 6.4 poundsDamping: TPC+, open bathAdjustments: Rebound. High-speed com-pression damping, TPC compressiondamping, air preloadSpring: AirOuters: CarbonSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: Black, carbon, redBrake Mount: Post and IS-mountbracketsDropouts: 20-millimeter Hex axlePrice: $2775

Fork: Marzocchi 888 RC3 World CupTravel: 7.9 inchesClaimed Weight: 8 poundsDamping: OilAdjustments: Rebound, high-and-low-speed compression, volume adjustSpring: Titanium coilOuters: MagnesiumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: SilverBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: 20mm thru-axlePrice: $1659

Fork: Foes F1-XTDTravel: 8.5 inchesClaimed Weight: 8 poundsDamping: OilAdjustments: Rebound, compression,bottom out, air pressureSpring: Coil (titanium and steel available)Outers: AluminumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: Foes team colors

Brake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: Foes 25mm thru-axlePrice: $1999 (steel spring)

Fork: Fox Racing Shox 40 RC2Travel: 8 inchesClaimed Weight: 6.8 poundsDamping: FIT cartridgeAdjustments: Low-speed compression,high-speed compression, coil spring pre-load, reboundSpring: Titanium coilOuters: MagnesiumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: White or blackBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: 20mm thru-axlePrice: $1600

Fork: BOS Idylle ProTravel: 7.9 inchesClaimed Weight: 7.2 poundsDamping: Oil cartridge and piggybackreservoirAdjustments: High-and-low-speed com-pression damping, rebound springpreload, air bleed screw springSpring: CoilOuters: AluminumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: blackBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: 20mm thru-axlePrice: $1700

Fork: RockShox Boxxer World CupTravel: 7.9 inchesClaimed Weight: 5.9 poundsDamping: Motion Control DHAdjustments: External beginning strokerebound, ending stroke rebound, high-speed compression, low-speedcompressionSpring: Solo AirOuters: MagnesiumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: Boxxer red, black, whiteBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: Maxle Lite DHPrice: $1602

Fork: RockShox Boxxer TeamTravel: 7.9 inchesClaimed Weight: 6.6 poundsDamping: Motion Control DHAdjustments: External beginning strokerebound, ending stroke rebound, high-speed compression, low-speedcompressionSpring: CoilOuters: MagnesiumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: Boxxer red, black, whiteBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: Maxle Lite DHPrice: $947

DOWNHILL FORKSDual-crown forks designed for

downhill riding and racing

Downhill forks average about

eight inches of travel, and

the stanchions vary in width

from 35 to 40 millimeters.

These forks are at home at

bike parks with a chairlift.

72 www.mbaction.com

Page 73: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

Fork Buyer’s Guide

Fork: Avalanche DHF-7 MTTravel: 7.5 inchesClaimed Weight: 8.7 pounds (includestriple-clamps, steerer tube and axle)Damping: Oil bath cartridgeAdjustments: Compression, rebound, airbleed screwSpring: CoilOuters: AluminumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: BlackBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: 20mm thru-axlePrice: $995

Fork: Fox Racing Shox 36 Van RC2Travel: 6.3 inchesClaimed Weight: 5.2 poundsDamping: FIT cartridgeAdjustments: High-and-low-speed com-pression, coil spring preload, reboundSpring: CoilOuters: MagnesiumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminum or1.5-inch optionColors: BlackBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: 20QR thru-axlePrice: $930

Fork: RockShox Totem Solo AirTravel: 7 inchesClaimed Weight: 5.9 poundsDamping: Mission ControlAdjustments: Rebound, high-speed com-pression, low-speed compression,FloodgateSpring: Solo AirOuters: MagnesiumSteerer: Aluminum 1.5-inch or1-1/8-inch taperedColors: Galvanized, black, whiteBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: Maxle 360Price: $1096

Fork: Marzocchi 55 ATA MicroTravel: Adjustable between 4.9 and6.5 inchesClaimed Weight: 5.2 poundsDamping: TST closed cartridgeAdjustments: Lock out, compression,rebound, Terrain Selection Technology,air pressureSpring: AirOuters: MagnesiumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: WhiteBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: 20mm QR Torque AxlePrice: $949

Fork: Magura WotanTravel: 6.3 inchesClaimed Weight: 5.5 poundsDamping: Oil, adjustable Albert SelectplatformAdjustments: Albert Select, rebound,preload via air valve, Flight ControlRemoteSpring: AirOuters: Magnesium Double Arch DesignSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: Black, custom availableBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: MaxlePrice: $999

Fork: White Brothers Fluid 140Travel: 5.5 inchesClaimed Weight: 4.6 poundsDamping: Open oil bathAdjustments: Air pressure, compression,reboundSpring: AirOuters: MagnesiumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: BlackBrake Mount: Flange discDropouts: 20mm thru-axlePrice: $879

LONG-TRAVELFORKSFor aggressive all-mountain andbike park riding

These single-crown slidersare found on bikes with anaverage six inches of rearwheel travel and are at homeon technical descents or goingbig at the bike park.

Fork: Spinner CargoTravel: 5.9 inchesClaimed Weight: 4.5 poundsDamping: T-Spul valve systemAdjustments: Air pressure, compression,reboundSpring: AirOuters: MagnesiumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: BlackBrake Mount: High flange mountDropouts: 20mm thru-axlePrice: $500

April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 73

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MBA Fork Special

Fork: Maverick DUC32Travel: 6 inchesClaimed Weight: 3.9 poundsDamping: CartridgeAdjustments: Rebound, air pressure,Climbing Mode travel adjusterSpring: AirOuters: Aluminum (inverted fork)Steerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: BlackBrake Mount: Flange discDropouts: Maverick 24/7 axle (hub notincluded)Price: $970

Fork: Marzocchi Dirt Jumper 1Travel: 3.9 inchesClaimed Weight: 5.7 poundsDamping: Cartridge pre-set byMarzocchiAdjustments: Rebound, air preloadSpring: CoilOuters: MagnesiumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: GreyBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: 20mm thru-axlePrice: $429

Fork: RockShox Argyle 409Travel: 3.1 or 3.9 inchesClaimed Weight: 5.2 poundsDamping: Motion ControlAdjustments: Air pressure, rebound,low-speed compression, lockout withFloodgateSpring: Solo AirOuters: MagnesiumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: Black, PurpletratorBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: 20mm Maxle 360Price: $570

Fork: Marzocchi 4X World CupTravel: 3.9 inchesClaimed Weight: 5.7 poundsDamping: RC3 cartridgesAdjustments: Rebound, high-speed com-pression, low-speed compression,air preloadSpring: Coil, air assistOuters: MagnesiumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: WhiteBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: 20mm thru-axlePrice: $599

Fork: RST Space JumpTravel: 3.1 or 3.9 inchesClaimed Weight: 5 poundsDamping: Oil bathAdjustments: Air pressure, reboundSpring: AirOuters: MagnesiumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: BlackBrake Mount: Flange-mount discDropouts: 20mm thru-axlePrice: $299

DIRT JUMP FORKSDesigned for dirt jumps andskate parks

Forks designed for dirt jumpingand street riding usually rangein travel from 3.1 to 3.9 inchesof travel, have a thru-axle, andare more robust than trailbikeforks with similar dimensions.Occasionally, these forks areused for 4-Cross or dual slalom,because some riders use the samebike for jumping and gated rac-ing.

74 www.mbaction.com

Page 75: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

Fork: Surly InstigatorTravel: NoneClaimed Weight: 3.1 poundsOuters: Chromoly steelSteerer: 1-1/8-inch steelColors: BlackBrake Mount: Flange-mount discDropouts: Standard axlePrice: $79

Fork: Bontrager Race X Lite SwitchbladeTravel: NoneClaimed Weight: 2 poundsOuters: Carbon fiberSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: BlackBrake Mount: Flange-mount discDropouts: Aluminum, standard axlePrice: $299

Fork: Vicious MountainTravel: NoneClaimed Weight: 2.6 poundsOuters: SteelSteerer: 1-1/8-inch steelColors: BlackBrake Mount: Flange-mount disc, rimDropouts: Standard axlePrice: $275

Fork: Fox Racing Shox 32 F29 RLCTravel: 3.1, 3.9 or 4.7 inchesClaimed Weight: 3.8 poundsDamping: Open oil bathAdjustments: Low-speed compression,lockout force, lockout, air pressure,rebound.Spring: AirOuters: MagnesiumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: WhiteBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: Standard axlePrice: $740 �

Fork: Manitou Minute 29erTravel: 3.1, 3.9 or 4.7 inchesClaimed Weight: 3.7 poundsDamping: Absolute Platform DamperAdjustments: Rebound, platformSpring: Mars airOuters: Magnesium Reverse ArchSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: WhiteBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: Standard or Hex Lock thru-axlePrice: $569 (std. axle), $629 (Hex axle)

RIGID FORKSOld-school, suspension-free forks

Rigid forks appeal to a niche

bunch of riders who ride rigid

mountain bikes. There are a few

manufacturerswho still make

them, and they appeal to riders

who want to keep it real or who

just want to add a novel rigid

bike to their garage.

Fork Buyer’s Guide

29ER FORKSBig-wheel sliders

Twenty-niner bikes may stillbe a niche segment withincross-country bikes, but, moreframe and fork manufacturersare making 29er-specificdesigns than ever before.

Fork: RockShox Reba Team 29erTravel: 3.1, 3.9 or 4.7 inchesClaimed Weight: 3.5 poundsDamping: BlackBox Motion ControlAdjustments: Air pressure, rebound,low-speed compression, lockout,FloodgateSpring: Dual airOuters: MagnesiumSteerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminumColors: BlackBrake Mount: Post-mount discDropouts: Standard or Maxle LitePrice: $701

April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 75

Page 76: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

76 www.mbaction.com

MB

ATEC

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World’s Best

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MOUNT UP KENDANEVEGAL TIRESThis two-time MBA shootout win-

ner is the overall best accelerating,climbing, descending and corneringtire made. It’s a $47.99-times-twoinvestment that is one of the ulti-mate bolt-on upgrades any rider canmake to a mountain bike. Odds arethey will last a full season even ifyou live where the “season” is yearround.

Abolt-on is a simple

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incredible riding happiness.

After years of testing, the MBA

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the five best under-$100 bolt-on

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Five simple, cheapproducts that willmake you faster

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Page 77: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

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Page 78: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

78 www.mbaction.com

MB

ATEC

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CONVERT TONOTUBESNo other modification offers as

much bang for the buck as goingtubeless. Purchase the $59.95NoTubes Tubeless System. Watchthe how-to videos on Stan’sNoTubes.com. Spend the hour it takesto convert your current wheels totubeless. Run between 25 and 30 psiof tire pressure. Your old tires willgrip and turn better than they didnew, and the bike will take bumpslike it has a good inch more of sus-pension travel. Best yet is that thetires will hold air better and become“self healing” after a puncture.

BOLT-ON LIZARD SKINS LOGO

LOCK-ON GRIPS

For $27.50, these grips give bettercontrol of the bike.

The Logo’s tacky rubber surface is unparalleled. Locked to

the bar, the Logo gives an instantinterface between rider

and machine.

NOKON GEAR CABLES AND HOUSINGOne of the best $80.99 investments you will ever make.

Other than giving the bike a factory look, Nokon’s alu-minum ball-and-socket housing results in quicker and moreaccurate shifting every time.

WTB ROCKET V PROSADDLEAt $90 and at a reasonable weight

of 9.4 ounces, this WTB saddle isthe everyman’s version of the elitetitanium-rail saddle. It has the per-fect shape for mountain biking. Theprofile keeps the rider seated in thesweet spot. Even when wheelying orriding without hands, it won’t takeextra arm strength to hold yourbody position. �

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Page 79: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

Royal Argyle Jersey:

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visit us at ROYALRACING.COM or call 661 257 2756

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Page 80: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

80 www.mbaction.com

If there’s a brand that’s been synonymous with racingthroughout its history, it’s Yeti Cycles. Names likeTomac, Furtado, Voreis and Giove paved the way in the

1990s for this decade’s World Class gravity riders, likeNathan Rennie, Tara Llanes, Jared Graves, SamBlenkinsopp, Justin Leov, Aaron Gwin and Rich Houseman.In 2006, Yeti debuted their 303 DH downhill bike featuring

the Linear Rail system: two gliding pivots (one horizontal andone vertical) that work together to provide an efficient suspen-sion system with a wheel path that transfers impacts directlyto the suspension with nominal effect on a rider’s momentum.Although proven on the World Cup circuit, and ideal for ultra-intense and steep courses, the 303 DH frame is pricey at$3870 and not offered as a complete bike. Yeti set out to createa more agile, budget-friendly, complete downhill package. Thefinished product is the Yeti 303 R-DH.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?The new model is more than simply adding an “R” to the

previous 303 model name. As opposed to the original 303DH (still available as a frameset) which was designed forWorld Cup level courses, the new 303 R-DH is built to bequicker, more nimble, a better jumping bike, and more versa-

MBA est

Ride The RailYeti’s new 303 R-DH

tile for a wider range of downhill trails. Yeti says the 303 R-DH frame weighs 10.5 pounds, about two pounds lighterthan the other 303. The letter R in the new model namerefers to rate, meaning the only rail on the new frame con-trols the spring rate on the single-pivot design. The “R” hasan eccentric shock mount for adjusting the head anglebetween 64 and 65 degrees.

TEST BIKE BUILDOur 303 R-DH test bike features the Yeti factory team build.

Although it’s possible to buy the new 303 R-DH frame andbuild up a “team” bike, Yeti is not selling this build as a com-plete bike. Our team bike features a 2009 Fox Shox 40 RC2with the new FIT damping cartridge, a full Shimano Saint dri-vetrain and hydraulic disc brakes, DT Swiss 5.10 EX wheels,Sunline handlebar, Chris King headset, and Yeti lock-on grips.

YETI SPOTTED IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAThe original 303 took riders to multiple World Cup podi-

ums. Can the 303 R-DH fill those big Yeti shoes?Ergonomics: Those familiar with Yeti’s previous 303 will

instantly notice the new single-pivot version’s lower toptube, tighter cockpit, and significantly shorter wheelbase.

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April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 81

Forty-millimeters to free-dom: Fox’s 2009 40 RC2fork features the FIT RC2

damping cartridge, a titani-um spring and robust 40-

millimeter stanchions.

Page 82: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

303 R-DH

82 www.mbaction.com

Cornering: We can’t say enough about how well the Fox40 and the Yeti rear-end with the Fox DHX 5.0 shockworked together. Whether charging through gnarly terrainor cornering at speed, the front and rear end worked in har-mony, allowing you to get the most out of your effort. The29-inch-wide Sunline handlebar is ideal for turning a bigbike with eight inches of travel. The wide handlebar slowsdown steering and takes away twitchiness in the front end.

Braking: With single-pivot frames, “brake jack” or stiffen-ing of the rear suspension is often a problem. On the Yeti, itwasn’t an issue. When riding a downhill bike you want tobrake before gnarly sections and let the suspension do itsjob. We’ve ridden the Shimano Saint brakes a ton over thepast year. The levers are easily adjusted to your desiredreach, and the power is impressive. It had been a fewmonths since we’d ridden Saint brakes, and it does take afew runs to get re-acquainted with their power, especiallythe front brake’s effect on traction.

MINOR CHANGESIt was difficult to find one thing we’d tweak on the new

303 R-DH. The most obvious one is that its name is almostthe same as Yeti’s other downhill bike, the 303 DH, whichcould cause some confusion.The shock’s rebound adjuster is almost impossible to

reach without removing the shock. We’re fans of direct-mount stems. Not only are they stiffer than traditionalstems, but they don’t get twisted in a crash. Now that themountain bike industry has settled on a direct-mount stemstandard, we’ll use the Yeti and the new Fox 40 to test somedown the road.

YETI 303 R-DH BUILD KITS

COMPLETE DOWNHILLBIKES NOW AVAILABLE

The new 303 R-DH is the first complete 303 downhillbike offered by Yeti. The complete race-ready bike willsell for $4700, and the frame and shock for $2570. Thecomplete bike features a Fox 40 RC2 fork, Fox DHX 5.0coil shock, Mavic DeeTrax wheelset, Truvativ Hussefeltcranks, Avid Elixir brakes, Maxxis High Roller tires and aSRAM X.9 rear derailleur.

Jump start: Need to sprint into a double jump? No problemaboard this Yeti. It is one of the most nimble downhill bikes wehave tested.

The 29-inch-wide Sunline handlebar is spot on for a versa-tile and competitive downhill bike build.

Pedaling: The single-pivot “R” frame uses a Fox DHX 5.0coil shock, featuring bottom-out adjustment and theProPedal platform. The Yeti sprints with the best of them,and no energy is wasted transferring the power to the ped-als. The benefit of such an efficient-pedaling downhill bikeis that we ran just a couple of clicks of the ProPedal adjust-ment, opting for maximum small bump absorption.The reliable precision of the Shimano Saint rear derailleur

and shifter gives you confidence to sprint while poppingthrough the gears out of a corner. With the Saint componentgroup, you get an excellent mix of efficiency, power anddurability.

Technical descents: Use the sag with the sag-meterstamped onto the frame to make sure you have the correctspring rate, and point the new 303 R down hill. This bikescreams over rough, rocky terrain. The “R” maintainsmomentum over rock sections and out of corners better thanany downhill bike we’ve raced over the past year-and-half.On practice runs when we were just scoping out the courseand different lines, intentionally not pinning it, we foundourselves riding near race speed.Yeti and Fox Shox work closely on frame and suspension

development, and that was evident on this bike. The supplerear end tracked well over choppy terrain, and the new Fox40 RC2 featuring the FIT damper is a completely differentanimal. In the past, we found the 40 to be very stiff anddurable, but at times brutal on your hands and wrists. Thenew damping cartridge improved tuneablility to the extentthat we were able to run less low-speed compression toachieve supple beginning stroke travel so the fork main-tained traction at speed. We increased the high-speed com-pression for race-speed drops and impacts. The Yeti (ODI)lock-on grips are worth mentioning. They have an aggressive“Yeti” pattern as the design, and your hands stick to themlike glue on rough terrain.

Page 83: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

Rail slide (clockwise from top left): TheShimano gravity-oriented Saint rearderailleur, the Fox 40 RC2 fork offers high-and-low-speed compression, rebound andpreload adjustment, the single-pivot sus-pension design uses a swing link to drivethe shock and the rail controls the shock’sspring rate.

April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 83

YET

I 303 R

-DH

Fast times: It may sound silly, but the Yeti 303 R-DH carriesmomentum so well you’ll find yourself nearing full-speed whenit feels like you are just cruising. The powerful Saint brakes witheight-inch-rotors easily bring in the reins.

Price $6915 (frame and shock $2570)Country of origin TaiwanWeight 41 poundsHotline (303) 278-6909Frame tested MediumBottom bracket height 13.75"Chainstay length 17.25"Top tube length 21.5"Head tube angle 65/64°Seat tube angle 58°Standover height 30"Wheelbase 45.25"Suspension travel (front) 8"Suspension travel (rear) 8.25"Frame material AluminumFork Fox Shox 40 RC2Shock Fox Shox DHX 5.0 coilRims DT Swiss 5.10 EXTires Maxxis MinionHubs Shimano SaintBrakes Shimano SaintBrake levers Shimano SaintCrankset Shimano SaintShifters Shimano SaintRear derailleur Shimano SaintChainrings Shimano SaintCassette Shimano XT 11-34Pedals Weighed with Shimano M647

VERDICTIt had been too long since we reviewed a Yeti. And what a

pleasant surprise the 303 R-DH was. The new simpler sus-pension design, shorter chainstays, and lighter frame makethis an agile descender that absolutely rips on technical ter-rain. Although our test bike featured the “team” build,which is only available if you buy the frame and build it upyourself, the new complete bike will offer a competitivepackage at a real-world price. �

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86 www.mbaction.com

InsideThePros’Bikes

Melissa Buhl, 27, had a dreamyear in 2008. She won the 4-Cross title at the World

Championships, and U.S. national cham-pionships in 4-Cross, dual slalom, anddownhill. She even won the Jeep48Straight dual slalom series.Born in Colorado on January 25,

1982, Melissa took up cross-country rac-ing at 14, but she would soon concen-trate on gravity events.Buhl joined the Devo team in 1998,

racing junior expert downhill and produal slalom that year. “I spent most ofthe time on my head,” says Melissa ofher rookie pro experiences, but she wonAmerica’s junior downhill title that year.Buhl won her first pro title in 2002, in

mountaincross. Her first pro downhilltitle came in 2005. In 2006, she took afirst place in the National MountainBike Series and a fourth at the WorldChampionships in 4-cross. In 2007, shewas the national dual slalom champion,NMBS downhill champion, and the USACycling Gravity Racer of the Year. Now,with her performance in 2008, Buhl isclearly the top female gravity rider inAmerica.Off the dirt, Melissa is completing her

pre-med degree in kinesiology atArizona State University and planningto go to medical school.Here is the bike that Melissa uses

when she’s racing dual slalom andmountaincross.

“I put a little more air pressure in it formountaincross racing. If it’s slalom, Ilet a little out of it.”

3. Thomson Elite X4 stem, 50-millime-ter reach, zero rise.“Thomson makes a good gravity stembecause it’s shorter, which makes for a lit-tle quicker handling and better cornering.”

4. Kenda Nevegal tires, 26x2.1-inchfront, 26x1.95-inch rear.“Nevegal is my favorite all-around tire.I can take it anywhere in Europe, and itcan fit a lot of the conditions. Evenwhen it’s muddy, it’s pretty good, andit’s got a good life span.”

5. Sun Ringle Charger wheelset, with SunDirt Flea hubs andWheelsmith spokes.“They’re lightweight and good foracceleration. They’re strong too, so I

don’t have to worry about them break-ing off big jumps.”

6. Shimano M647 SPD pedals.“I like the Shimano pedals because theynever break. I like the limited range offloat. I can always tell when I’m clippedin. I can pull up really hard with thesepedals and not worry about pullingout.”

7. Kenda Ultralight inner tubes.“Rolling weight’s always a big concern.When I’m picking tubes, I’m usuallypicking a lighter-weight one.”

8. Shimano XT cranks, 170-millimeters,with 36-tooth chainring.“I usually go with 165’s on my down-hill bike, but I go with 170’s for moun-taincross because they have a littlemore leverage.”

Melissa Buhl’s KHSworld dominator

Weight: 26 poundsPrice as equipped: $2950

11

10

12

9

7 16

1. KHS DJ 300 frame, 6061 aluminumtubing (designed for dirt jumping).“This particular frame has a little bitshorter chainstays. I like the respon-siveness of the shorter stays that makethe bike feel snappy out of the gate.”

2. X-Fusion Velvet fork, 3.9 inches oftravel.

Page 87: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

9. Shimano XT rear derailleur, shortcage model.“It’s just really reliable and really sturdy.I’ll go through three derailleurs a yearracing downhill, but with this bike, onederailleur is good for a whole year.”

10. Shimano Ultegra, 9-speed cassette(12-23).“I chose that range because it’s theleast amount of jump between gearswith that ratio.”

11. Thomson Masterpiece seatpost.“It’s really light and strong.”

12. SDG Ti Fly saddle.“A seat that’s a little lower profile isgood when you’re getting behind yourseat in steeper sections, and it’s reallystrong, so you don’t have to worryabout the seat rails bending if you

come down hard off a jump.”

13. ODI Lock-On grips“They’re the best. They last forever,and if it’s wet, you don’t have to worryabout them coming off.”

14. Shimano XT shifters“They’re quick and they’re responsive. Idon’t have to worry about them jump-ing too many gears when I’m down-shifting.”

15. Hayes Stroker Trail brakes, withsix-inch rotors and carbon fiber levers.“These particular brakes are perfect formountaincross. Some brakes are toograbby and slow you down too much. Iprefer the modulation on these brakesand the lightness of the levers. One ofthe misconceptions of gravity racing isthat you don’t brake that much.”

16. Gamut P30 chain guide.“I’m extremely happy with that chain-guide. I’ve never had it derail the chain.Some chainguides make a lot of noiseand cause a lot of friction when youride. This one is a lot quieter. Whenyou hear noise, you know you’re losingenergy. This one’s more efficient.Overall it’s one of the better chainguides I’ve ever ridden.”

17. Cane Creek Solo headset.“It’s strong. I don’t have to worry aboutit all season long.”

18. Azonic B52, handlebar, 3/4-inchrise.“I went with a little lower rise this yearto see how I would like it for gating andcornering, and I liked it. The bar is 28inches wide stock and I cut it down to27 inches.” �

13 15

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3

4

6

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April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 87

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MBA RIDERS WHO INSPIRE

An unlikely mountain bike leader

90 www.mbaction.com

Brian Bushway was 14 when it happened.He had been on his school’s mountain biketeam while in seventh grade in Rancho

Santa Margarita, California, and loved to ride.Then his eyesight started getting bad.“The doctors didn’t know why I was going

blind,” says Bushway, now 26. “I was anactive 14-year-old, skating and stuff. Myvision started affecting all these things insmall ways. Finally, I remember wakingup one morning and I had barely usablevision. And then, the next morning, Iwoke up and it was gone.”

BrianBushwayLeading TheBlindReady to ride: Brian

Bushway had a greatexcuse to quit mountain

biking, but he is not a manknown for making excuses.The blind-man’s cane getshim from his home to thetrail. He straps it to therack when he takes off.

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April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 91

Doctors diagnosed it as optic nerveatrophy, but they couldn’t stop it. Infour months, he went from having nor-mal vision to a world of darkness. “Iremember being in a state of unknow-ing. I didn’t know how to process it. Ifelt ‘done’ as a mortal being. I askedGod why it was happening. There’s anatural grieving process when this hap-pens to someone. Still, the hardest partabout going blind was how everybodytreated me differently.”Brian’s parents enrolled him in a

school that teaches mobility skills tothe blind. While there, he learned thatAndy Griffin and Dan Kish, twoinstructors on staff, were experiment-ing with mountain biking for the blind.Griffin, a fully sighted instructor andregular mountain biker, had found hecould ride his bike blindfolded, usingthe sound cues of his girlfriend ridingin front of him, and he thought blindstudents might enjoy riding, too. Kish,who had grown up completely blind,had learned to ride a bike in his neigh-borhood with his friends as a kid.Brian Bushway and some other stu-dents heard about the blind mountainbiking experiments and wanted to do ittoo, so the Blind Adventure TravelSociety, the name they came up withfor the group, was born.The BATS began to go on regular

mountain bike rides in the hilly trailssouth of Los Angeles. With zip-tiesclicking against their spokes, theycould follow each other by ear, withinstructor Griffin leading. A story onthe BATS appeared in our May 2001issue, and that led to exposure byAustralian, Japanese and Europeanmedia outlets. Television crews trav-eled thousands of miles to tape thegroup’s rides. Bushway, the mostskilled blind rider, was featured promi-nently in the coverage; taking on stair-step downhills, narrow singletracktrails, and rocky stream crossings.The BATS shrunk over the years as

riders headed off to college or careers.Griffin got a job at another school, andKish left to start his own nonprofitbusiness, World Access for the Blind,teaching mobility skills, includingecholocation, to the visually handi-capped. Bushway attended PepperdineUniversity and then joined Kish’s orga-nization, which they now run together.Brian found that mountain biking

helped blind students face the worldwith confidence and courage. In recentmonths, Brian’s mountain biking hasusually been done for the benefit of doc-umentary crews and cameras, but that’sabout to change. A number of histeenage students recently started bug-ging Brian to take them mountain bik-ing. It’s time for the BATS to rise again.�

Finding his way: Merelygetting from the garage tothe trail head is a majorchallenge when you’reblind. Brian strapped hiscane to the back of hisbike when he was readyto ride.

Good trails: Brian has a great trail systembehind his house, but finds it hard to get agroup together for rides. It’s not that theydon’t want to ride; none of them can driveto the trailhead.

No handicapped parking:BATS co-founder AndyGriffin leads a group of

blind riders in 2001. Brian(fourth from rear) and thegroup’s co-founder, DanKish (beside Brian in thedark shirt) do what most

would consider impossible.

You can contact Brian Bushway at

www.worldaccessfortheblind.org

Page 92: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

DT SWISS SPOKESBefore you laugh, consider that every rider input

and every force generated by cornering, acceleration andbraking is communicated through the spokes of your wheels.DT Swiss has made a science of spoke design and manufac-ture. The stainless steel wire is selected from the best sourceavailable, and the spokes are not pulled into their finalbutted shape like most. DT Swiss developed a rotary forgingtechnique that slowly kneads the high-strength stainlesssteel into its final butted and tapered profile. The resultingreliability and performance have outlasted every fancy spokealternative for nearly 100 years.

MB

AFEATU

RE

And one great bike get theirlong-awaited recognitionby R. Cunningham

The Nine Most Underrated

Components

Life isn’t fair. Fancy products and flamboyant personalities become media darlings, while we

take dependable people and well-engineered components for granted. They are there when we

need them, always do a little more than we ask for, and rarely complain. So it is with moun-

tain bikes and components. It is easy to fawn over the assumed stiffness of a swoopy carbon fiber

suspension frame, or rave about the performance of a fork that bristles with color-anodized clickers,

while the front derailleur that has never missed a shift across 300 miles of singletrack is not men-

tioned. I want to highlight ten items for this feature that deserve some long-awaited recognition.

GIANT TRANCE X0Giant got it right when they built the Trance XO.

This low-slung, five-inch-travel, dual-link suspension chassishas a fresh, cross-country feel that would have fallen victimto the big-bar, shorty-stem, black-anodized, 33-pound, all-mountain trend had its designers not been top bike handlers,hungry for a lightweight, all-day trailbike. The Trance X0remains pure. Maestro suspension and balanced, center-of-the-bike handling give the Trance set-and-forget suspensionperformance that is rare in the long-travel, cross-countrygenre. It climbs effortlessly and pumps up the fun factor ontechnical descents. The Trance XO’s silver-anodized alu-minum frame will look beautiful for years because it won’tshow scratches. Giant sells it in four sizes, its componentselection is near perfection—with a variety ofdirt-proven itemsnot often seen onmass-market menus—and its $5700 averagestreet price simply mocksits competitors. TheTrance X0 is like getting ahand-built bike, but witha major-manufac-turer’swar-ranty.

THOMSON SEATPOST AND STEMThomson’s seatposts and stems are almost invisi-

ble because we see them on so many bicycles. Beautifullymade and impeccably finished in silver or black, they pumpup the look of anything they grace without shouting “Hey,look at me!” Thomson’s simple two-bolt saddle adjustmentis not revolutionary—just trouble-free and tuneable to with-in a millionth of a degree. Their stems, with the internal-

wedge steerer clamp and four-bolt handlebar cap,have a precise, “we care

that it fits” fit. IfThomson products had

typical, matte black,made-in-Asia finishes and

graphics, they would still gracehigh-performance production andcustom bicycles worldwide.Thomson, however, goes the extramile—from good-looking to stun-ning.

92 www.mbaction.com

1

2

3

Page 93: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

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Page 94: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

94 www.mbaction.com

MB

AFEATU

RE

ROCKSHOX REBA FORKThe first RockShox Reba was not as much of a rev-

elation as it might have been because it was released beforemid-travel cross-country bikes went mainstream—andSRAM, RockShox’s parent company, didn’t completely com-prehend how good a fork it was. With a micro-adjustable,low-speed compression and pedaling threshold (MotionControl/Floodgate), and Dual-Air negative and positive air-springs, the Reba fork can be easily tuned from technical-trail supple to cross-country-racing firm. It can be bought ina 20-millimeter Maxle Lite through-axle configuration andin a 29er size. The top-drawer Team Reba has an adjustable-

travel U-Turn fea-ture. With 32-mil-limeter stanchions,it steers preciselyin the rough—andyou get all of thisin a 3.5-poundpackage. Rebas areversatile enough tohave won bothWorld Cup cross-country and dual-slalom competi-tions, but themountain bikingmasses have notabsorbed this mes-sage. Before youstart shopping forthe ultimate cross-country trailbikefork, look down—you may be ridingit already.

MAGURA MARTA SL BRAKESNo disc brake looks sexier today, but when Magura

abandoned the motorcycle-style, in-line brake lever/mastercylinder in favor of a vertical piston and reservoir integratedinto the lever perch, the design was not so well received. Ofcourse, Magura was ahead of its time, as evidenced by its pre-sent imitators. Themagic of Magura’sMarta SL brake ishidden, however;it’s what the Martadoesn’t have thatmakes it the bestcross-countrybrake. Martas havethe best reputationin the industry forrunning drag-free,and they weigh ascant 11.6 ounces(the magnesiumversion with car-bon levers onlyweighs 11 ounces).Perhaps the reasonthat Magura’s stan-dard-setting stop-pers are not cham-pioned is that onlysqueaky wheels getattention.

CHRIS KING HEADSETWhen you buy a Chris King headset, you can be

sure that there are no alternatives that can claim to be bettermade or designed, but the nearly flawless look and construc-tion underscores those facts. What you may not know is thatKing recycles everything they use in their production—cut-ting oil, metal chips, exhaust air—they even return theirwater in better shape than when it comes to them from thecity pipes. Quality control is so stringent at King that wholebatches are recycled because the anodized color isn’t right.Chris King headset owners have been known to substituteanother brand when they sell their bikes so they can re-

install their usedheadset on theirnew bike. Still, it’sjust a headset,right? Not to thepeople at ChrisKing.

SHIMANO XTIf Shimano had forgotten to make its impressive-

looking (and wildly expensive) XTR ensemble, we would, nodoubt, extol the shifting precision, light weight andbombproof reliability of Shimano XT. But because there mustbe a number two in order to keep number one at the top, mar-keters, both at Shimano and within big-ticket bike brands,have suppressed the performance of Shimano’s silver-anodized secret for a decade. Shimano often releases innova-tions under the cover of XT a season earlier than the samefeature appears on XTR (like the Shadow low-profile rearderailleur). Bottom line: unless you absolutely need to shave3.5 ounces from your drivetrain, there is no significant perfor-mance difference between XTR and XT—and after youscratch it up for a year, performance is all you have left.

4

5

6

7

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April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 95

FOX FLOAT RP23 SHOCKIf you’ve never had problems with your rear sus-

pension, your trailbike probably has a Fox Racing Shox FloatRP23 damper. So many suspension bikes are sold with RP23shocks that this exquisitely machined and assembled deviceis predestined to be ignored. Like a great Swiss-mademechanical timepiece, the RP23’s internals include dozensof delicate parts that somehow wake up with you every dayand go to work with precise accuracy. All the knowledgeRP32 owners need to ride a Fox Float RP23 shock once thespring pressure and rebound are set is which way to flickthe lever for the climbs.

EASTON EA70 MONKEYBARHow did an aluminum riser handlebar achieve a

place on this list of ten? Well, has anyone ever broken, oreven bent one? If you have, I’d love to see the video. In theanything-goes world of park riding and all-mountain adven-ture, Easton’s EA70 MonkeyBar is the ruler of the risers. Itcomes in three heights and has the bend that everyonecopied. It was the first bar to go wide and will be the lasthandlebar you will ever own. At 9.3 ounces, it isn’t light-weight, but it isn’t heavy enough to warrant a fancier carbonreplacement, either. Easton’s EA70 MonkeyBar earns aplace in the mountain bike strength-to-weight museum—anedifice populated by Easton Products. �

DKG QUICK-RELEASESEATPOST CLAMPS

Dave Garoutte was in Marin County when it all hap-pened. Dave’s unbridled appetite for design, fabrication andCNC machining attracted notables like Gary Fisher (RS1),Wilderness Trail Bikes (Roller Cam brakes), The KoskiBrothers (Koski Trailmaster frameset), Moots (suspensionparts) and ultimately Ross Shafer of Salsa Cycles, which ledto the development of the best quick-release seatpost clampever made. It fits the hand, never slips out of adjustment,and clamps smoothly and securely every time—and, like allproducts from DKG (Dave’s company), it’s a functionalwork of art. DKG, (415) 479-5482, still makes the originalseatpost clamp that graces both production and custommountain bikes throughout the world.

8 9

10

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MB

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AIN

ING

The Lazy Man’s Way To Gaining

SpeedBe a better bike handler in 2009

96 www.mbaction.com

Maneuvering your bike is the most fun

skill to work on and results of this

work come fast. No painful hill repeats

or threshold workouts required; read the terrain,

respond appropriately, easily clear the obstacle,

and then move on to the next one.

Bike handling is a combination of balance and

reflexes. Improved bike handling keeps you calm

and builds confidence. With better balance and

handling reflexes, you can float over obstacles,

land lighter off jumps, and be able to get out of

any tight situation without panicking and bruis-

ing your knees.

You don’t have to join a school or travel to a

special location to work on your bike handling.

You can (and should) work on these skills every

time you ride. Using these simple exercises will

turn you into a better overall rider and make

every ride more enjoyable. �

Track stand: Slow to a stop,turn the wheel in, and see howlong you can balance (applyingand releasing your brakes willhelp). Practice in both seatedand standing positions. Thisskill will come in handy whileriding a tough switchback andeven in climbing situations.

Setup: Adjust reach and dead stroke sothe lever engages the brakes as theknuckles form a square angle. Crucialbraking control is lost if the leverfirms with the fingers too stretched outor too close to the grip.

Look ahead: Make it a habit to look wayup the trail instead of just a few feetin front of your front tire. Read theterrain and size up what you will beriding over. Choose the best line, shiftto an appropriate gear, and stand beforebeing forced into a panic situation.

Page 97: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

Stay loose:Relax yourgrip, get overthe handlebarsand keep theelbows bent andup; let thebike move aroundbeneath you.Tightening theupper body turnsit into a rigid,upright exten-sion over thebike and thisthrows yourbalance off.

Tread lightly: Read

the upcoming trail

and stand early. When

the bike begins skip-

ping across bumps or

lands off jumps, help

absorb the impact

with arm and leg com-

pression. The bike

will thank you by not

rebounding wildly off

hard hits.

Learn to bunny hop: Find a

six-inch-tall rock (or sponge

if you are worried about

dinging your rims). Approach

it at a moderate speed, push

into the bike, spring off the

suspension and lunge forward

while pulling up on the bar.

Practice until you can easily

clear the obstacle. You’ll use

this skill on every ride.

April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 97

Armor up: Not having to worry

about a scraped knee or

banged elbow elevates confi-

dence and improves a rider’s

ability to tackle challenging

terrain. The obstacle-train-

ing course should be chal-

lenging enough to make pads

an absolute requirement.

Page 98: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

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In-depth Product Reviews,

stunning action photography,

helpful maintenance tips,

& Much More!&

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XT M760 Dual

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New World DisorderBox Set w/ Bonus DVD

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Sette Ryde ST-850 SuspensionDropperSeatpost

HutchinsonPython New Gen Air

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Page 102: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

MB

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H How To Fix A

Flat Tire

In the hierarchy of mountain bike maintenance, fixing a flat tire is probably the

second thing you learned to do after lubing your chain. The question is, did you

learn to do it right? We’ve personally witnessed experienced riders whose meth-

ods of fixing a flat tire shocked us. Here is the proper way to do it.

You think you already know, don’t cha?

102 www.mbaction.com

Step 1: Make the best of a bad situa-tion by hanging your bike from a treebranch. No tree? Pick a fairly clear area soif you drop something, you won’t lose rid-ing time looking for it. Shift your bike tothe smallest or second smallest cog if youhave a rear flat. Unlock the quick releaseand slide the wheel out.

Step 2: If the tire is still holding someair, let it out. A partially inflated tubemakes getting the tire off the rim a bear.

Step 3: This is the most misunder-stood step of fixing a flat tire. The tire hasa bead that pops into the rim when airpressure is added. You have to unseat thisbead into the rim before you do anythingelse. Grab the tire and push near where itconnects to the rim with both thumbs.Push hard. You will feel the bead pop intothe rim. Go all the way around the rim,popping the bead out. You can leave thebead seated on the other side of the rim,but this makes getting the tire off a littlemore difficult. We pop the bead on bothsides of the rim.

Step 4: Carefully slide a tire tool between the tire’s bead and rim wall.

Step 5: Take a second tire tool andslide it in about two inches from the firsttire tool. Push down on one tool, lifting thebead over the rim’s wall. Now do the samewith the second tool.

Page 103: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)
Page 104: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

Destination

Monterey!

Flat Tire

MB

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H

Step 6: Leave one tool between thebead and the rim and work the other far-ther away, pulling the bead over the rimwall as you move along. Some tire/rimcombos fit tightly while others fit looselyenough to be removed without tire tools.

Step 7: Once you get the bead mov-ing, you can peel the tire off with yourhands. Note that we only take one side ofthe tire off. You are not replacing the tire,just the tube (or adding a tube to a tube-less setup).

Step 8: The biggest mistake in fixing aflat is not finding out what caused the flat.Run your fingers inside the tire. You arefeeling for whatever could have puncturedyour tube. You may cut a finger doing this.Sorry.

Page 105: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

Tecnic FS 900

www.lapierrebikes.com1-800-238-6377

Step 9: Even if you found the “stinger”on the inside of the tire, inspect the ex-terior. Its other end may still be there readyto work its way into your new tube. Also, ifyou picked up one thorn, there may beothers ready to strike.

Step 10: Get out your spare or patchedtube and inflate it just enough so that itholds its shape.

April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 105

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MB

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H

Step 11: Slide the tube’s valve into therim. You can put a valve nut on the stemso it doesn’t slide into the rim.

Step 12: Work the tube into the tire. Step 13: Slip the tire’s bead into therim, starting opposite the valve stem.Make sure you are not catching the tubebetween the tire’s bead and rim’s wall. Youshouldn’t need tools at this point.

Flat Tire

Page 107: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

Step 14: The bead will get tight as younear the valve stem, and you may needyour tire tools to lift the last five or sixinches of the tire’s bead into the rim. Inmany cases, your thumbs will do the trick.

Step 15: Add some more air. Makesure the tube is not caught between thetire bead and rim wall. Keep adding airuntil you hear the bead pop on the rim.Put the wheel back on the bike and rideaway. �

Page 108: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

108 www.mbaction.com

Great fit: The F5 fits like an old pair of yourfavorite jeans. Cannondale has had a lot oftime to perfect the geometry of their best-selling mountain bike, and it feels like it.

Page 109: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 109

We didn’t ask Cannondale to send us their mostexpensive cross-country race bike. We didn’trequest a long-travel, downhill, gravity sled. And

we didn’t place an order for a big-buck trailbike. Instead, weasked to ride Cannondale’s best-selling mountain bike. Thatturned out to be the $769 Cannondale F5.The F5 is an aluminum hardtail. The frame boasts

Cannondale’s trademark oversized and ovalizedPowerPyramid downtube. Most of the frame tubes are inter-nally butted. Don’t know what that means? Look at theheadtube (because it is externally butted) and imagine itinside out. That is what internal butting is.The F5 has mechanical disc brakes, a quick-release seat-

post clamp, full cable housing to the rear derailleur (cutsdown on maintenance), trigger shifters, aluminum rims, afork lockout, mounts for a book rack, aluminum 26-inch-wide bar and a fork with 3.9 inches of travel. Add the beau-tiful finish and understated graphics of our Race Red F5 (itis also available in Jet Black) and you have a classic hardtailmountain bike ready to roll.

FLYING THE F5The MBA wrecking crew gets spoiled riding ultra-expensive

mountain bikes, but none of us felt like we were being pun-ished when asked to ride the F5. A few twists on the forkspring’s preload knob, positioning the saddle, and angling theshifters and brake levers were all it took to become comfort-able on this bike. Simplicity is one of the most welcomed fea-tures of the F5. And just because you could buy seven F5s for

MBA est

the cost of one top-of-the-line trailbike, we didn’t restrict ourrides to easy trails and bike paths. The F5 was asked to attackthe same terrain that all the expensive bikes eat up.

Moving along: Proportionally, the F5 is as close to perfec-tion as a hardtail trailbike gets. It should be. It benefits fromevery Cannondale hardtail that came before it. The bikefeels right from the first pedal. The bar is a good width, thegrips feel fine and the top tube length is spot on. The saddleneeds a bit more width, but it is acceptable for rides of lessthan epic length. The proven SRAM drivetrain shifts crisply,and the shifter triggers are right where you need them.Spinning along the trail is the only time the platform pedalsshow their inferiority to clipless pedals (when spinning agear, your feet have the tendency to lift from the platformsurface at the top of the stroke).

Cornering: The F5 is a quick-steering little package. Itswoops along tight singletrack without breaking a sweat.Cannondale’s big trick in the cornering department is wrap-ping the rims in Kenda Nevegal tires with Stick-E rubber.These tires give the F5 a knob up on lesser-equipped hardtails.

Climbing: The tires we just praised earn more accoladeson the climb, as they bite regardless of rider position. Thisbike’s weight is noticeable, but not overwhelming. Move upa cog on the cassette and work it. The frame, wheels andcranks keep you moving up the climbs at the pace you arewilling to throw down.

Technical: Where a dual-suspension bike allows the riderto be a little lazy, the F5 (and any hardtail) requires an alertand responsive rider in the technical sections. Stay out of the

Cannondale’s Best-SellingMountain BikeThe Cannondale F5

Page 110: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

F5saddle, bend your arms, and choose your lines. The F5 will getyou through without complaint. Riders will find themselvesattempting tricky sections on the F5 because the platform ped-als give them the guarantee of a quick escape if they goofed.

Descending: You don’t want to get too crazy on fast orsteep descents, as the quick-steering F5 doesn’t give therider much room for error. The fork travel feels too short inthese situations. A longer travel fork is a necessary upgradefor riders who want more descending performance. Pickyour line, don’t try to hang on the wheel of the guy with thefive-inch-travel trailbike, and take advantage of the Kendatires and Avid disc brakes.

F5 FACTSEarly production RockShox Dart 3 forks suffered oil leak-

age (fixed at no charge by RockShox), but this one didn’t.The lockout feature offers some subtle adjustability. Turningthe lockout dial from its most-firm lockout position of sixo’clock to five o’clock gives the fork a very nice pedalingplatform while still taking the bite out of trail chatter. Thereis a blow-off circuit so direct hits while locked will notknock your dentures loose.Recommended upgrades? When you have spent a year on

the wheels (or less if you are tough on wheels), you could havethem rebuilt with lighter spokes. Clipless pedals would be anice, but not essential, upgrade. Lock-on grips and a chainstayprotector are both products that you should work into the dealwhen you buy the bike. A 4.7-inch-travel fork would be anover-the-top upgrade that should only be considered by riderslooking to ride the F5 more aggressively on the downhills.

Sweet, smooth shifting: The F5 gets more than the provenSRAM X-7 rear derailleur. A single-piece housing from the trig-ger to the derailleur protects the cable from contaminants. Thisequals less maintenance for the rider.

110 www.mbaction.com

NO SURPRISEAfter spending time on the F5, we can see why this is the

best-selling mountain bike in the Cannondale lineup. Itworks great and looks awesome doing it. A good rider on

Page 111: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

CA

NN

ON

DA

LE F

5 Price $769Country of origin TaiwanWeight 30.5 poundsHotline (800) 726-2453Frame tested 17" (medium)Bottom bracket height 12"Chainstay length 16.5"Top tube length 23.5"Head tube angle 70°Seat tube angle 73.5°Standover height 29.5"Wheelbase 42.5"Suspension travel (front) 3.9"Suspension travel (rear) NoneFrame material AluminumFork RockShox Dart 3Shock NoneRims Jalco Disc X320Tires Kenda Nevegal (2.1")Hub Formula DC20/22Brakes Avid BB-5Brake levers Cannondale XCCrankset FSA CK-306TTTShifters SRAM X-5 triggersFront derailleur SRAM X-7Rear derailleur SRAM X-5Chainrings FSA (44/32/22)Cassette SRAM PG-950 (11-34)Pedals Wellgo platform

Not cheap: Don’t let the low price fool you. There is nothingcheap about the Cannondale F5. Don’t hold back. Take the F5on any trail and go for it. The F5 has got your back.

this bike will embarrass a lesser rider on a more expensivebike, and a beginner will be treated to what a real mountainbike is supposed to be. Add your enthusiasm and go.One final note. You cannot discount the importance of the

strong Cannondale dealer network. Your F5 will be builtproperly and then fitted to you correctly. Back up a greatproduct at a super price with a knowledgeable staff of pro-fessionals and you have all the ingredients necessary for abest-selling product. There you are—the Cannondale F5. �

Page 112: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

MB

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Stem research

112 www.mbaction.com

Your bike’s handlebar is an important connection to your bike that affects braking perfor-

mance, shifting accuracy, cornering prowess, climbing ability and overall rider comfort.

That’s probably why we tend to overlook the importance of the handlebar stem. No more!

The Garage Files takes a look at little stem tricks that can make a big difference in your bike’s

performance.

Most bikes come with a num-ber of spacers positionedabove and below where thehandlebar stem clamps to thefork’s steerer tube. In thiscase, there are two aboveand two below. The bar feelsa little high to the rider, so weare going to reposition spac-ers to lower the bar. Beforeyou start, you should knowthe torque recommendationfor the stem’s hardware. Thiswill be available from thestem maker or fork maker.

If the bike is in a workstand,make sure the front wheel isin contact with the ground.Remove the top cap screwand slide off the two topspacers.

Loosen the stem’s bolts thatclamp the stem to the steerertube. These bolts do notneed to be completelyremoved. The handlebar isremoved in this photo, but ifyou are only repositioning thespacers, you can leave thebar attached.

Slide one of the spacers thatwas positioned below thestem off the steerer tube.

Slide the stem back on, position-ing three spacers on top.Replace the top cap and snugthe screw. This screw is adjustingthe headset tension; crankingdown on it will cause binding andleaving it too loose will result inheadset play. It may take a fewtries before you feel the sweetspot. Tighten the bolts thatclamp the stem to the steerertube using the recommendedtorque setting specified by thestem and/or fork manufacturer.Don’t just torque each bolt to themax setting. Tighten the pinchbolts in increments until youreach the recommended torquesettings.

1

2

3

4

5

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Page 114: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

MB

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HFINE TUNE TWOUSE THE SPACER

This Specialized stem has asleeve that allows for moretuning.

The spacer is eccentric. You’llnote that it is thicker on oneside than the other.

Positioning thethicker side of theshim towards thefront of the stem willlower the bar slight-ly, and positioningthe thin side for-ward will raise thebar slightly. This is avery sweet fine-tunetip if your stem hassuch a shim.

A

B

C

FINE TUNE THREEFLIP OUT

If shuffling spacers and rotat-ing shims doesn’t get the barwhere you want it, manystems can be inverted tolower the handlebar. Removethe handlebar from the stem(leave the shifters, brakelevers, grips and all cablesattached). Follow our stepsto remove the stem, flip itand put it all back together.

Tighten the bolts that clampthe handlebar to the stemusing the recommendedtorque setting specified bythe stem and/or handlebarmanufacturer. Don’t justtorque each bolt to the maxsetting. Tighten the pinchbolts in increments in theorder shown here until youreach the recommendedtorque settings.

A B

2 3

14

Page 115: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

FINE TUNE FOURGET STRAIGHT

One of the most difficult adjustments is getting the handlebarperfectly parallel to the front axle. A trick is to position a straightedge either on the fork crown or fork tubes and eyeball down thehandlebar. This stem is pointing way too far to the left.

Aligning the handlebar to the straight edge can save you a lot oftrial-and-error in finding the stem’s true north. �

This is a stem that was tight-ened incorrectly. The top twobolts were tightened beforethe bottom two bolts. Theclamp is now pinching thehandlebar, which will severelylimit the bar’s lifespan (andmaybe yours).

This shows a handlebarclamp that was correctlytightened.

~ WRONG ~ ~ RIGHT ~

C D

wtb.com

Page 116: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

Mountain Bike Action: You are practically unknown in themountain bike world. What is your cycling background?

Aaron Gwin: I started riding bikes at three years old andgoing to BMX tracks and racing at four years old. By the age ofsix I was racing all of the ABA and NBL nationals and wassponsored by Dan’s Competition. By age eight I was racing fullnational seasons, but began to get a bit burnt out. I quit BMXand switched to school sports for a while. At age 12, I picked upmotocross and raced at the intermediate level until I was 17.

USA’s top World Cup threat

IntroducingAaron Gwin

Aaron Gwin’s rise to the forefront of American mountain biking appears sudden.

However, to Aaron, it’s long overdue. At just 20 years old, he is a seasoned veteran of

two-wheel racing. He was a BMX champion before the age of ten, and a promising

motocross career was cut short due to a laundry list of injuries.

Southern California’s Gwin threw a leg over a downhill mountain bike for the first time in

2007. Less than nine months later, he scored two top-ten World Cup results on notoriously brutal

courses and watched his stock rise as a professional downhiller. Rather than radiating arrogance

after his improbable first-year success, Gwin has the quiet confidence of a seasoned veteran. His

demeanor can’t help but make us think he knows something the rest of the competition doesn’t.

We caught up with Aaron at his training grounds in Temecula, California, to find out what dri-

ves this up-and-coming American racer and how he plans to follow up such an incredible year.

116 www.mbaction.com

MBA: Tell us about racing motocross?AG: Motocross was a major part of my life. My goal was

to make a living racing. I was home schooled so I couldride moto every day and work with my trainer. I was rid-ing injured a lot of the time, and I had put too much pres-sure on myself. I was never healthy and that was frustrat-ing. The injuries were what made me quit motocross,because riding stopped being fun.

Ready to strike: Don’t tell downhillracing rookie Aaron Gwin that his

improbable World Cup results werebeginner’s luck. To him, this kind ofsuccess was a long time coming.

Photo

byCraig

Grant

MB

ACo

mpe

titi

on

Page 117: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 117

MBA: Do you put that same amount of pressure on yourselftoday?

AG: My approach to mountain biking is a lot differentfrom motocross. I’m more relaxed and do not put that kindof pressure on myself.

MBA: What turned you on to mountain biking?AG: One of my good friends in the Palm Springs area

where I live owns a bike shop, and he’s friends with CodyWarren (pro downhill racer). I went to Interbike in 2005and met Cody there. He had recently won the U.S. NationalDownhill Championship, and I remember his bike andawards on display. Cody and I ended up hanging out there inLas Vegas and riding BMX together. Later in the year, hetook me up to Big Bear to ride cross-country. We just hadshort travel bikes, but it was a lot of fun. I ended up buyinga mountain bike after that trip. Cody talked me into ridingwith him in 2007 while the mountain bike movie “Stars andBars” was being filmed. I hadn’t ridden a downhill bikebefore, but got comfortable quickly and several of my whipsare in that video. A couple of months later I entered my firstdownhill race at Fontana, California. I had only ridden adownhill bike a few times, and never raced a mountain bikebefore. I decided to enter the pro class and got third place(out of 20 pros) in my first race. After that race, I thoughtabout doing it more than just once in a while.

MBA: How did motocross and BMX skills prepare you fordownhill?

AG: The mixture of BMX and moto worked out well.Riding motocross taught me to be aggressive and study lineselection. A course like Mont-Sainte-Anne, that most riderscategorize as gnarly and fast, seems mellow to me. BMXtaught me to be smooth on the bike and taught me basichandling skills.

Photo

byCraig

Grant

MBA: Did Cody Warren motivate you to ride at his level?AG: I tend to take everything to the limit. I want to be

good at everything I do. With a guy like Cody around, youknow what going fast looks like. I think riding with himhelped me and opened my eyes to how fast top guys like himcan go. If you want to ride with guys like him, you have tostep up and go for it. Cody is really supportive of me and isthere if I need help with anything. I was lucky to have himaround from the beginning.

MBA: You’ve had a fairytale inaugural season. How did itfeel to go from racing local downhill events to World Cups?

AG: It was crazy. I had a season plan that I put togetherwith SoCal Yeti team manager Rich Houseman. I was goingto ease into it. I did a few races at Fontana and someColorado Mountain States Cup events and did well. TheWorld Cups were certainly a new experience, and I felt it atthe first two I raced. I felt like I belonged at the World Cupfinals in Schladming, Austria. Also, it helps when you haveteammates like Sam Blenkinsopp and Justin Leov. I canalways go fast in practice, but going fast in the race is some-thing totally different. When they tell you you’re on paceyou tend to believe it!

MBA: Is racing something you’re enjoying for the moment, orare you working towards making a career out of it?

AG: Downhill racing is definitely a career focus. I triedthe college thing for a while, but it wasn’t for me. I left themotocross thing unfinished, and believe I could have madeit there if I was healthy. I belong in some kind of racing,and I have the best support from Yeti. This is the perfectmix of racing for me, meaning my health, enthusiasm, andsupport. I plan on making it last as long as I can and amworking to make it lead to industry opportunities afterracing.

Throttle jockey: Gwin’smotocross background is evi-dent in his downhill riding. He

attributes his ability to navigatetechnical World Cup courses atspeed to his early moto days.

Page 118: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

118 www.mbaction.com

MBA: What surprised you about world-class level racing?AG: The number of guys who can go fast at the World

Cup level was eye-opening. When I raced moto there wouldbe a couple of fast guys at local races, but at the World Cups20 guys go really fast, and the top 100 are all really good rid-ers. Everyone’s times are really tight, and I’ve learned howlittle things can make a big difference. A foot dab can lead toa five-second loss, and 25 spots.

MBA: What was the reaction of the seasoned racers to youreighth place at the World Cup finals?

AG: Everyone was just stoked for me and they were reallycool. Sam, Justin and I all want to beat each other, but yourresults are on you. You want your fastest time, of course, butare happy when a teammate does really well. The 2008World Cup finals in Schladming were awesome for Yeti. Samwon, Justin got sixth, and I finished eighth. All three of usfinishing top ten was a cool experience. All of the other fastdudes showed support and said congrats as well. It’s prettysick to see how for the most part everyone gets along and iswilling to help out.

MBA: A common trait of elite athletes is the confidence thatthey will succeed. In the back of your mind did you know you’dfind success at some form of racing, and it all came together indownhill?

AG: When it comes to racing, I’ve always felt like I belongat the top. I have my own way that I approach racing. I workreally hard and want to keep improving. I’m not sure whereit comes from; I guess my dad’s pretty competitive. Havingsuccess in BMX at an early age makes me want to transferthat aspect to riding and competing in other sports. I feelonce you learn what speed is, you want to keep that level ofperformance. I’m working hard with my trainer these daysto be the best I can.

“I was introduced to Aaron through Rich Houseman.He runs Yeti’s SoCal regional program scouting for tal-ent to mentor. Rich did a good job bringing in AaronGwin and Kevin Aiello to our program. Rich told me thisAaron kid was fast and that we needed to get him on abike. I trusted him, but it’s always tough to tell how fastsomeone is. A rider can look fast in a section or two,but can he string it together for a complete run? Wehave new team riders ride with our top World Cup guysfor their evaluation. I asked our top two riders, SamBlenkinsopp and Justin Leov, if Aaron could hang topten at World Cups. They said absolutely. We rely heavilyon what our racers say to gauge new talent.

“One criterion for our riders to advance to the WorldCup level is that they have to dominate the Nationalevents. Gwin had beaten both our Junior WorldChampion Sam Blenkinsopp and perennial World Cuppodium threat Justin Leov in Mountain States Cup races,so we thought he would compete at the next level.

“Talking with Aaron, you’ll notice how incrediblygrounded he is—laid back, but intense about racing. Ona near perfect run he will tell you ten things he could’vedone better, where and how he could improve. Whenevera racer can see things so clearly, they’re likely to get bet-ter quicker. Aaron is also surrounded by some of the bestdownhillers in the sport on the Yeti team. They’re all inter-ested in seeing him succeed. Our team riders want topull him up to their level, not keep him down.

“Honestly, Aaron’s top ten World Cup results weren’tsurprising. The funny thing is that I watched the Mont-Sainte-Anne event online where he got tenth. He wasexcited about it, but I could tell he secretly wanted to betop five. When he was racing and beating Sam andJustin locally, I knew right then he was at least as fast ona good day as those guys. A top ten World Cup result isno fluke. It was a ‘real deal’ moment for us, as we real-ized he could continue to be a top ten threat each race.”

YETI’S CHRIS CONROY ON GWIN

THE BOSS SPEAKS

Aaron GwinM

BA

Com

peti

tion

Page 119: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 119

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Page 120: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

120 www.mbaction.com

Nickname: GwinyAge: 21Birthday: 12/24/87Hometown: Morongo Valley,CaliforniaHeight: 5' 11"Weight: 165Marital status: SingleCurrent home location: MorongoValley, CaliforniaStarted mountain biking: 2007Turned pro (year): 2007Sponsors: Yeti, Monster Energy,Smith optics, Freestyle watches,Houseman racing, Jett, 661,loopd.com, and Dylan Dean designsRiding specialty: GoonersFavorite place to ride: Anywhere newFavorite food: MexicanJobs held other than bicycle rider:I used to be a motocross mechanic,

Roost: Speed can’t be taught, andGwin has it early in his career. Heis entering his true rookie World

Cup season with a couple of top-ten finishes from 2008.

and before that I worked as a plumberfor a little bit.Goals: To always give it 100 percentand be the best I can be.Heroes: GodMost embarrassing moment: When Iasked the guys at Yeti how to take therear wheel off while packing my bikefor Schladming.If you were not a pro rider youwould like to be: A pro motocrossrider or some type of sports trainer.Cars owned: 1999 Toyota Tacomarace machine.Something you always take whenyou travel: My laptop, cell phone, andwallet.Favorite bands: Jimi Hendrix,Wolfmother, and Jack Johnson.Favorite hobbies: Surfing, tennis,moto, snowboarding.

MBA: What will be your encore performance in 2009?AG: I will race the full World Cup schedule and the

World Championships on the Yeti team with Justin andSam. I’ll definitely race the U.S. National Championshipand some Mountain States Cups. My goal is to consis-tently be in the top ten at World Cups. 2009 will techni-cally still be my rookie year racing the complete circuit.

MBA: How do you stay focused in the presence of youralmost immediate success?

AG: My first-year success doesn’t really get to me. I strug-gled a lot to make it happen in moto. I had the speed, but itnever worked out, because of either bike problems or injury.Something always seemed to hold me back. I don’t mind anyhype around me now. I’m not cocky, but confident in my abili-ties. In my mind it’s an “about time” kind of thing for me. �

Aaron Gwin

AARON GWIN

MB

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Page 121: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

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Page 124: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

MBA Competition

Twenty years ago, it was common for moun-

tain bike racers to race a cross-country

event on Saturday and compete in the

downhill the following day, often on the same

bike. Once the sport introduced dual slalom,

many downhillers added that discipline to their

schedule. Today, at the elite World Cup level, you

can count the number of riders who race both

downhill and a gated event (dual slalom or 4-

Cross) on one hand. Even just five to eight years

ago, many top World Cup gravity racers often

competed in dual slalom (or 4-Cross) as well as

downhill.

Has each gravity event become so specialized it’s

impractical to be an elite racer in both disciplines?

We asked the sport’s top racers for their input on

the subject.

Elite gravity athletes specializein one discipline

Focus On

Winning

MICK HANNAH

Mongoose rider Mick Hannah took a break from racingduring the 2008 season. Before his hiatus, Mick was aperennial podium threat for dual slalom, downhill and 4-Cross racing. He is also one of two riders to ever win both aNORBA dual slalom and downhill in the same weekend(Eric Carter being the other). Mick is back on the WorldCup circuit for 2009 and gave us some insight into his rac-ing plans and thoughts on the specialization of gravity rac-ing.“This year I’ll be focusing on World Cup downhills and

will race some 4-Cross events,” explains Hannah. “Itdepends on the race’s scheduling for the weekend. My pas-sion is downhill. I raced BMX growing up and then fell inlove with downhill. I like to ride 4-Cross, and I’ve done wellin qualifying, but I have had trouble getting through therounds.“The World Cup 4-Cross tracks have been really good the

past couple of years, but I’d still like to see bigger jumps. We[pro riders] can ride a lot bigger courses, but nothing like thathas been built yet. In 4-Cross, the crowd needs to look at the

Party on: Dual-threat riders tend to compete in mul-tiple events at stand-alone festival races that are not

part of a series. Dual slalom national champ ChrisHerndon leads slopestyle star Kyle Strait in the 2008

Crankworx Giant Slalom.

124 www.mbaction.com

Page 125: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)
Page 126: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

Winning

126 www.mbaction.com

MBA Competition

racing and be in amazement of the racer’s bike handling. Inregards to riders choosing one event and specializing in it, Ibelieve the level of both downhill and 4-Cross racing is muchhigher now, and it’s difficult to be competitive in both events.It goes back to training, too. Downhill training is quite a bitdifferent from 4-Cross; one is like a 100-meter sprint and theother is like training for a mile-long race.”

STEVE PEAT

Legendary downhiller Steve Peat has won multiple WorldCup downhill championships, been a three-time downhillWorld Championship runner-up, British 4-Cross champion,and an accomplished World Cup dual-slalom racer. Wecaught up with Steve at the 2010 RockShox Boxxer intro inAlicante, Spain, for his thoughts on the specialization ofdownhill racing.“I stopped racing 4-Cross because the tracks weren’t really

fun anymore. I would race dual slalom if it made a comeback.It’s fun, and I feel it takes true bike handling skills. And in 4-Cross the tracks need to be longer, because the races are allover after the first turn. It’s becoming more specialized ingravity, because not all guys have the time necessary to prac-tice BMX gates while preparing for downhill racing.

Thoroughbred: Once the UCI made the change from dual slalomto 4-Cross, most elite gravity racers opted to specialize in down-

hill. Why the drastic drop-off in participation?

Master and student: Australian Jared Graves (left) talks 4-Crossstrategy with world champion Brian Lopes. Graves is one of the

few top-tier downhillers who also race 4-Cross. Lopes knows thededication required for an athlete to be competitive at both events.

Page 127: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 127

Page 128: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

128 www.mbaction.com

MBA CompetitionGoing strong: Brian Lopes has more UCIWorld Cup career wins than any othermountain biker, including three 4-Crossworld championships and one dual slalomworld championship. Today, he is still atop contender at unique downhill events,like the Garbanzo endurance and A-Linedownhill races in Whistler.

Winning The king: Legendary World Cup downhillracer Steve Peat is also accomplished at

dual slalom and a British 4-Cross NationalChampion. He would race more 4-Cross

events if the courses were more challenging.Photo by Victor Lucas

Page 129: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)
Page 130: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

130 www.mbaction.com

MBA Competition

“The guys who race 4-Cross are amazing on their bikes,but sometimes the tracks don’t make them look as skilled asthey really are. In downhill, the clock doesn’t lie, and all ofthe pressure is on you.”

BRIAN LOPES

Brian Lopes specialized in dual slalom and 4-Cross late inhis career, but the four-time World Champion also dominateddownhill. A three-time NORBA downhill series champion inthe late 1990s, Lopes continues to be the man to beat atworld-class downhill events like Crankworx in Whistler,British Columbia. Brian, who is never shy about commentingon the state of mountain bike racing, gives us his two centson why so many gravity racers are choosing one discipline.“There are a few reasons racing has gotten more special-

ized. Riders are figuring out that if they are going to becompetitive at the highest level, it takes intense focus, plus alot of time and energy. When it comes down to it, putting

DUAL SLALOM TURNS TO 4-CROSS

THE DUEL GETS DOUBLED

The Dual Slalom World Cup was launched in 1998

and involved knockout heats with two riders on the

course in each heat. Slalom evolved into 4-Cross

(with four riders per heat) in 2002.

Winning Two-of-a-kind: Mick Hannah and Jared Graves battle atthe 2007 Sea Otter Classic dual slalom. Mick and Jared

are the rare exceptions at World Cup events, as they oftencompete in both downhill and 4-Cross.

energy and training into one event ultimately negativelyaffects the other.“For 2009, I have no intention of racing any World Cup 4-

Cross events. But, if dual slalom were brought back, I wouldconsider doing a couple of events. A couple of years ago at aWorld Cup in Slovenia, I sat down with officials and down-hillers to discuss what it would take to get more downhillracers racing 4-Cross at the World Cups. There were a lot ofdownhillers there, and one of the topics that came up wasdual slalom. The question was asked, if 4-Cross went backto slalom, would more downhill-specific riders race it? Itwas interesting, because a lot of riders said they’d considerit. But there wasn’t an overwhelming number of riders say-ing yes they’d definitely race both events if slalom wasbrought back. Occasionally you’ll find a guy like JaredGraves, who wasn’t the best at either discipline, but workedhard and now he’s a top rider in both.“If you’re a top-ten downhill guy, why would you want to

waste time and energy racing 4-Cross? Not to mention therace scheduling and cost. It’s so expensive flying bikes. A lotof guys probably don’t think it’s worth packing two bikes,extra tires, and the rest of their gear. There seem to be moreand more factors against riders competing in both disciplinesat the World Cup level. However, there are popular eventslike Crankworx that spread out the races over a week. You’llhave more guys racing both slalom and downhill there,because the event is stretched out over a week with plenty oftime to practice downhill and gated events.” �

Page 131: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 131

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Giro E2 Helmet ‘07Combines 24 cooling vents with Giro’s Roc Loc 4 fit system and an adjustable visor for the best in comfort and fit.Black Carbon(S,M,L) Red/Titanium (S,M,L)

Silver/White ( S,M,L)

HE402A03 MSRP $130

40%OFF

$78$78

$499$49954% OFF

Also Available as FRAME Only for $499.99 FR289B01

Shimano XT 756/TA Rhynolite WheelsetNeed an aggressive wheelset? Then look no further this wheelset features Sun Ringle’s strong Rhyno Lite rims laced to disc hubs with DT Swiss spokes.WH296A00

msrp $299.99$139$13954%OFF!

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$699$699

BMC Trailfox 2.0 Frame ‘07This could be the long-travel, lighweight XC frame you’ve been looking for.White/Black 17, 19, 21, 23”

FR293H00

MSRP $1950

$765$76561% OFF

Sun Ringle Disc-O-Tek XC Wheelseta lightweight and smooth rolling wheelset that is great for any XC rider.WH295A00

MSRP $499 $229$229

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$279$279

RockShox Ario 2.2 Sh

TitusThe shaprovidedurabiliFR288B

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Compare at $130

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Page 133: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

with the Lowest Prices Guaranteed!

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 fluctuations, 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.

15

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FREE DVDGet A Free “Hypnosis”

Or “Synopsis” Dvd With Any 2009

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Shimano Dura-Ace CS-7800 10sp Cassette173 grams, 10 spCS706A00

11-21T was $207.99 NOW $9212-21T was $207.99 NOW $13512-23T was $207.99 NOW $135

Bell Faction Helmet ‘07Design inspired by skateboarding. Cool and comfortable!Red, Black or White

HE402F01 MSRP $39.99

Shimano LX ST-M585 LeversDual-control design (one lever operates brakes and shifters) in a hydraulic specific design. 9sp.SL604B02

msrp $216.99

$49$49

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Marzocchi XC 700 ATA ‘08White 100-140 mmFK303A06

MSRP $699

Marzocchi 55 R ‘08Black, 140 mmFK303A13

MSRP $399.99

Marzocchi XC 600 ‘08Black, 120 mm, TST2FK303A07

MSRP $390

$189$18952% OFF

$389$38944% OFF

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Jamis Exile Single Speed Frame ‘07

A Strong and stiff air-hardened Reynolds 631 Chromoly Frame.15, 17, 19, 21FR289G00

$235$235

Jamis Exile Single Speed Frame ‘06

A Classic hardtail with a air-hardened Reynolds 631 steel chassis. 13, 15, 17, 19, 21

FR290A00 MSRP $350

$235$235

Shimano XT M765 Hydro Brake Lever SetFits Calipers M800, M765, M756, M555BL409Z00

MSRP $169.99 $79$79

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Bianchi Via Nirone 7 AL/ Carbon Tiagra Bike ‘08Features BAT and K-VID technology to help absorb vibration providing you with a comfortable and stable ride that can go the distance.BI298C14

msrp $1199.99 $895$895

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Shimano Saint M801 Rear Derailleur f/135mm FrameLong Cage Top NormalRD311A01

msrp $129.99

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Easton EA50 StemForged 2014 aluminumST295A05

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Easton Vice AM Stem ‘08Perfect for aggressive all-mountain riders.ST402A05

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Jamis Diablo 1.0 Bike ‘07A strong freeride/downhill bike that eats up drops, big hits and jumps while still giving you a smooth ride to the bottom of the hill.BI294T00

MSRP $2300

$1299$129944% OFF

Bianchi Axis LX/Tiagra CyclocrossBike ‘08A smooth rolling cross bike that features a full Alu 7005 hdyroformed frame with different wall thickness for strength and weight savings.BI298C36

msrp $1300 $939$939

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Marzocchi XC600 ‘08 ForkATA. 100-140mmFK303A07

MSRP $459

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Manitou R7 MRD ‘08 ForkThe MRD (Manitou Race Development) represents “as good as it gets” design for cross-country riders. Features weight-saving tricks like a hollow cold-forged crown and 30mm alloy stanchions. Red, 80mm, Disc Only.FK301A01

MSRP $699

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Page 134: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)
Page 135: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 161

SHOWCASE

April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 135

DRAW ATTENTIONTO YOUR AD WITH

FOUR-COLOR

SIZE 3x 6x 12x

1-inch 4/C $345 $330 $305

2-inch 4/C $520 $495 $455

3-inch 4/C $655 $625 $570

1/6 Page 4/C $935 $895 $855

Call or e-mail:

DERRECK BERNARD

661.367.2153800.767.0345 ex153

[email protected]

Page 136: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

Protecting your noggin

should be your numero

uno priority when select-

ing equipment for your ride, and

you should always dress for the

inevitable crash. For this edition

of “Quick Releases,” we’ve round-

ed up a handful of the sport’s top

brain buckets for you to wrap

your head around.

Built for speed: Giro’s Athlon hel-met is geared for cross-country competi-tion, but doesn’t sacrifi ce smooth style. The Athlon features 23 wind tunnel vents with internal channeling, the ROC LOC 4 fi t system, and a remov-able visor. Olympian Adam Craig will be sporting Giro’s Athlon helmet in 2009, along with Giro eyewear and gloves. $130, (800) 456-2355.

Strategically placed: The fi rst mountain-specifi c open-face helmet from Specialized, the Tactic has an inte-grated visor and the Pro Fit 2 retention system. Specialized’s patented 4th Di-mension cooling system draws fresh air across a rider’s head and out the back of the helmet. $65, (408) 779-6229.

Bell rung: The Variant helmet from Bell is a go-anywhere, do-everything mountain bike helmet. It features Bell’s Twin Axis Gear fi t system and Fusion In-Mold Microshell construction with trail-tuned ventilation. $90, (800) 456-2355.

Going back to Kali: Durgana means diffi cult to control and is also the name of this helmet from Kali Protectives. The Durgana is designed for downhill riding, has an EPS liner, 14-vent Air-fl ow system, an antibacterial washable liner, and breakaway visor. $149, (408) 224-3600.

Turn it up: If you’ve never rid-den with music, you don’t know what you’re missing. The Azonic Surround Sound helmet has built-in speakers that don’t hamper outside noise. This unique mountain bike helmet has 11 ventilation holes, is compatible with most MP3 and CD players, and is available in either matte black or Army green. $39, (800) 326-6325.

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QUICK RELEASES

136 www.mbaction.com

Page 137: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

Women only: The Diva helmet from Louis Garneau is a women’s helmet that’s available in white, blue and pink, has an ergonomic quick-release buckle, and offers Airdry Fusion ventilation for optimum comfort. $39, (800) 448-1984.

Fashion meets function: You won’t fi nd a more stylish full-face helmet in downhill mountain biking than the Troy Lee Designs D2. The D2 Carbon Crow Black has a Hi-Flow ventilation system, TLD color-matched visor, tita-nium hardware, removable roost guard and one-of-a-kind graphics. $375, (951) 371-5219.

Fly high: The SixSixOne Flight 2 Hy-brid LTD helmet is a DOT and SNELL approved motocross helmet that’s also very popular on the downhill mountain bike scene. It features an adjustable vi-sor, removable and washable lining, and triple front air intakes to keep you cool. $199, (888) 520-4888.

Fit for a giant: Not everyone knows that Giant Bicycles makes helmets. The Ares helmet features their Car-bonCrown reinforcement ring, Cinch retention system, 22 vents to keep you cool, and is available in white, red, blue, charcoal and pink. $107, (805) 267-4600.

Tinsel Town lid: The new line of full-face helmets from THE has killer graph-ics. The composite Hollywood helmet has 15 vents and a dual EPS liner. The chinstrap has stainless steel D-rings and custom THE rivets. If the Hollywood helmet doesn’t suit you, check out their other new looks for 2009. $199, (562) 407-2184.

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April 2009 / MOUNTAIN BIKE ACTION 137

Page 138: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

DOWN THE TRAIL

138 www.mbaction.com

Our April 1999 issue had

one of the most spectacu-

lar covers in our illustrious

history. Ace photographer John

Ker captured movie stuntman

Eddie Fiola being lowered down

an impossibly steep rock face at

Stoney Point in Chatsworth, Cali-

fornia. We asked John how well

he remembered the day. “Like it

was yesterday,” John replied.

“I don’t know how long it took for Eddie and his guys to set up the shot,” remembers John. “I showed up, determined the best angles to shoot, and Eddie was ready. It was so scary to see Eddie hanging 50 feet above the rock landing! I just wanted to get the shot done and get Eddie down safely. We removed the cables from the photo that appeared on the cover. I have always wondered if that cover shot inspired Josh Bender to start his career of jump-ing off cliffs.”

Page 139: Mountain Bike Action - April 2009 (Malestrom)

NORCO FACTORY TEAM RIDER >RYAN LEECH

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> 2.35” TIRES, 7” ROTORS, TRIPLE CHAINRINGS AND PIGGY BACK AIR SHOCKS

> ADJUSTABLE 5-6” TRAVEL WITH 20MM THRU-AXLE FORKS

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