what_mountain_bik_2014-01.bak.pdf

No.156 January 2014

TheBikeBuyer’sBible

Electric bikesPensioners, beards andGermans love them.Should you?

Design secretsrevealed

COULDYOU BUILD A

TRAILBIKE?

TESTED INSIDE

TRAIL WHEELSThe top six for 29ers

PEARL IZUMIX-PROJECT SHOESCunning mix of race & trail

FSA’S K-FORCECRANKS

Superlight carbon majesty

PLUS MORE!

WINTER SHORTSThe perfect UK attire?

Brand new bikes tested from Santa Cruz,Trek, Orange, Yeti, Salsa and more

BIKE TESTSPECIAL

2014THE

BRAKE TESTSHOOTOUT

Zero to pro winnerin two yearsSally Bigham broke allthe rules–you could too

Everything a riderneeds to know

The Lake District

MAP+DOWNLOAD

Cycling is big andgetting bigger, butroad cycling isgetting the lion’sshare of money andattention. Good.

For a start, countthe number of cars

in the picture above. Finished? Now justlook at that congestion! It’s not becauseno-one is riding; this was a cold, wetweekday at Llandegla and we saw a regularstream of riders, from fully geared-upenthusiasts to football-socked dads beingshown up by their six year-old’s skills.

The thing is we, in our forests, are less

obvious. We’re less of a target – literally.Sadly, road riders are getting attention

for often terrible reasons. A spate of Londondeaths set off a huge debate, and not all of itwas intelligent. Conservative peer LordJames announced to parliament that cyclistsare ‘longing’ to be run over so they can filmit, and attacked The Times’ safety campaignfor ‘pursuing the cause of cyclists.’

Meanwhile the Met Police commissioner,Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, says he wouldn’tride in London for fear of bad drivers, andofficers have since been told to crack downon… cyclists. And fine at least 10 a month.

London, the seat of power and too oftenseen as the whole world by those in charge,

is a battleground. The battle is ideological,but it involves real injury and death – justnever for those who wish to maintain theirmotoring privilege. Which is nice for them.

So count the number of cars in thepicture above once more – and the numberof Tory peers – and breathe a big, clean-aired sigh of relief that mountain bikes canquietly make their own brilliant roads.

You can’t do thiswhile texting…

EDITOR’SWELCOME

... today and get a pairof Shimano PD-M520pedals worth £35!Call 0844 848 2852,quote offer codeWMBP2J or visitwww.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/wmbp2J

TURNTOPAGE

42

SUBSCRIBE...

Steven Williams, editor

GO DIGITAL!Buy a digital edition of WhatMountain Bike for iPhone,iPad, Android, PC or Mac– for more details turnto pages 61 and 76.

ON THE COVERRider: Jon WoodhousePhotographer: Russell BurtonBike: Santa Cruz 5010CLocation: The Purbecks

4 January

“Great support unless you’ve donesomething stupid enough

to incite it. Which you will.” - p28

CONTENTSFIRST RIDES SPECIAL16

6 January

18 ORANGE FIVE RS

22 YETI ARC BIG TOP

26 NUKEPROOF MEGATR 275 PRO

30 TREK FUEL EX 9.8 29

32 SANTA CRUZ 5010C

36 SALSA HORSETHIEF II

40 LYNSKEY PRO650 VF

94 COTIC ROCKET

96 WHYTE 729

97 NICOLAI TANDEM

THEBIKES

10NEW ARRIVALS

Brand new kit we haven’teven smashed up yet

44FUEL

Investigation, opinion, insideinformation, letters and more

113RIDE GUIDE

Your pocket guide to the Lakes –everything you need to know

118WORKSHOP

How to replace and refreshyour bearings

120TECH TALK

Your technical questions answeredby the experts

122BUYER’S GUIDE

The biggest and best guideto bikes and gear available

98

January 7

REGULARS

78HOW TO BUILD A BIKE

Just exactly how do you do it?Nukeproof reveals its secrets

98SELF-MADE SALLYHow one woman went fromnon-rider to race-winning

professional in two years flat

FEATURES

32

66

66DISC BRAKESGROUPTEST

The 10 best disc brakes availableragged, melted and rated

86TRAIL TESTED

The truth behind the latestclothing, components and more

92WINTER SHORTS

Waterproof or just resistant?These are the top choices

10729ER TRAIL WHEELS

GROUPTESTBoost your speed and findthe right set for your bike

THEKIT92

107

78

What Mountain Bike isbrought to you by themost authoritativeteam in the business.With 150 years

of testing between us, we’veexperienced thousands of bikes,components and trails. The result isa recognition that we’re the best atslicing through the hype.

We test in the UK on a massof routes around Bristol, Bath,South Wales, Gloucestershire, theMendips, the North York Moorsand the Dales. We use trails bothnatural and manmade, and ourverdicts are the results of hours ofdebate – not just one journalist’sview – for the most consideredjudgements possible.

Our missionTo arm you with the best buyingadvice available, so you get thegreatest pleasure – and value – fromyour biking passion.

Our tests areRelevant: Every month we testnewcomers against the benchmarks,test kit at all price levels and coverbikes and gear across the entirecross-country to aggro trail spectrum.

Comprehensive: We test morebikes and gear than anyone else,and have expert male and femaletesters who put in thousands oftrail miles each for the completepicture – both initially andlong term.

Independent: What Mountain Bike ispart of Future Publishing and issubject to its strict code of conduct ontesting. Products from advertisers aretested to the same exacting standardsas every other, even when this worksto our immediate commercialdisadvantage – our credibility is moreimportant in the long run, bothcommercially and morally.

Accurate: We measure, check andrecheck everything with our ownequipment so you get hard data –not just the claimed figures.

THE WAYWE TEST

THE RIDING WE COVER

100% expert, impartial advice you can trust – every month

BUYER’SGUIDEFor more essential buying information, take alook at our comprehensive guide. Turn to p122

MEET THETEAMSteven Williams, editorSteve’s highlight this month was the day spent with two testbikes, six wheels and only three viable tyres. SUCH FUN.Favourite saying: “When all is said and done, there’susually more said than done.”

Su Kear, operations editorMany assume Su owns a tree house because she’s from theForest of Dean. Such bigoted ignorance! It’s rented.Favourite saying: “That money talks, I’ll not deny. I heardit once – it said ‘goodbye.’”

Jon Woodhouse, technical editorBandy-legged homewrecking nicotine addict Jon has beenso busy riding he’s probably not going to sue for libel.Favourite saying: “There are only the pursued, thepursuing, the busy and the tired. I’m all of them.”

Mark Rutkowski, deputy art editorMark’s so quiet we’re convinced he will, one day, stun theX-Factor judges with a world-class baritone singing voice.Most likely to say: “Never underestimate the power ofstupid people in large groups. Like One Direction.”

Robin Coomber, art editorThis month Robin juggled looking after his two young kidswith moving house, riding 34 miles a day and designing themag, which is to say he’s gone very politely mad.Favourite saying: “Have you come about the croutons?”

Entry level: £500Great: £1000Stupendous: £2500

XC HARDTAIL

No rear suspension means direct powertransmission and low weight. Steep angles,80-100mm forks and flex prioritise climbing.

Entry level: £1300Great: £2500Stupendous: £3000+

XC FULL SUSS

Classically 100mm both ends, but travel is onthe up. Extra weight can be more than offsetby better traction and reduced rider fatigue.

XC

CROSS-COUNTRY (XC)XC terrain includes bridleways, paths, fields andsingletrack over hills and dales: inclines can besteep, but big, difficult obstacles are rare.

CROSS-COUNTRY RACEXC race terrain is more likely to test fitness thanbike handling skills, but steep or rough techsections are becoming more prevalent.

8 January

HOW OUR SCORING WORKSWHAT THE SCORES MEAN

Exceptional: a genuine class leader.

Very good: one of the best you can buy.

Good: it’ll do the job and do it well.

Below average: flawed in some way.

Poor: simply put, don’t bother.

WHAT MOUNTAIN BIKE AWARDS

WINNER

The best on test interms of quality,performance & price.

VALUE

Excellent value formoney — this denotesa genuine bargain.

LOOK OUT FOR

Our Women’sSpecific badgeflagging up geardesigned for women.


TRAIL HARDTAIL

A little tougher, slacker and longer-travel(120-130mm) than XC, so a little heavier– but a balance of up and downhill fun.


HARDCORE HARDTAIL

140-160mm forks, very stiff frames andburly parts put weights – and abilities– on a par with trail full suss. Total fun.


TRAIL FULL SUSS

The widest and most popular categorygoes from 120-150mm, 25-32lb and26-29in wheels. Choice is huge.


ALL MOUNTAIN (AM)

These tend to be 160mm or more, but AMbleeds into the burlier end of trail bikes too.Forks, axles, and frames are big-drop tough.

DOWNHILL

TRAILThere are a lot of manmade trails, butplenty of natural ones too. Typically it’snarrow, contouring singletrack withoccasional roots, rocks, small bermsand jumps for that roller coaster,skill-testing sensation.

AGGRO TRAILTake the steepest, trickiest or fastestbits of a trail centre and push on fromthere – preferably into natural, woodsyterrain and local downhill lines withsketchy rock gardens, tricky turns, badcambers and sprawling root systems.

DOWNHILL RACE (DH)Downhill tracks are the steepest,roughest, fastest and most demandingterrain – often hard to walk on. Strength,stiffness and excellent suspension arekey. Check our sister mag MBUK forreviews of bikes this specialist.

ALL-MOUNTAINAll-mountain is a woolly term. It overlapswith Aggro Trail terrain but spreads outto go bigger – and faster too. Drops andjumps can get meaningfully large, whileobstacles can require proper skills (andstronger bikes) to negotiate.

January 9

Rock is a good rider, buttends to lag behind onthe pedally bits

NEWARRIVALS

10 January

They’re here, we just haven’t damaged them yet…

Endura Rollerkit bag £125Pack your bike kitsafely and stylishly

As the wet, cold skies grindyou down, your mind willprobably turn to foreign

trips, sunshine and ‘winter training.’But while you may have a bike bag,you may not realise how useful aproper kit bag is – so useful you’llprobably start using it here, too.

There are plenty of smart touchesto this Endura offering. It featuresdedicated compartments, witha padded one for your helmetand others for shoes, glovesand socks. There’s a separatesack for wet and/or stinkykit, plus a mat for standingon when you’re changing.Add in loads of additionalstorage, tough rollers, apullout handle and soft,hand-friendly Neoprenestraps and you’re all set,while its stylish looksare not garish enoughto attract thewrong kindof airportattention. Nowto book thetickets…www.endura.co.uk

Storage seemscomprehensive and

well thought-out

January 11

Garmin VIRBElite camera £350Can the GPS-meisters beat GoPro?

Well-known for its excellent GPSunits, Garmin must surely still benervous about entering the camera

fray. But this 1080p HD unit, which thecompany reckons has the best battery life outthere, has a host of smart features.

The multi-element lens has threewide-angle settings and there’s built-instabilisation, while the high-resolution 1.4indisplay means you can set up your angles andreview footage easily.

It’s wirelessly controllable with asmartphone, and can record your heartrate and cadence along with your video viaANT+ equipped Garmin devices and sensors.Combine that data with the highly accurateGPS positioning, altimeter and accelerometerand you can quantify your terror/pleasureto several decimal places. And make otherpeople watch it. Will having all this asstandard be enough to challenge the mightyGoPro? We’ll let you know…www.garmin.com

NEW ARRIVALS

Alpkit Glowe light £13Rugged torch/lantern combo that makes life easier

Thanks to the sun nowonly working part-time(austerity, eh? Thanks

Cameron), it’s common to finisha ride in darkness. Packing upbecomes a right faff. This 122g,170-lumen LED torch is perfect

as it doubles as a lantern – thatopaque sleeve slides up to doublethe length and give a bright, softglow. Foldout feet stabilise thebase, plus there’s a hook. Weightincludes three AAA batteries.www.alpkit.com

Park Big BlueBook of BicycleRepair £25It’s a book, it’s bigand it’s blue

Most men arenaturally averseto reading

the manual beforeattempting any kind ofmechanical feat, so thisbook is for after almostany kind of bicycle repairgoes terribly wrong – itshows what you shouldhave done. It’s the idealgift for women, who’llprobably use it, plusanyone who regularlydoes a lot of disassemblyfollowed by driving tothe bike shop. Even ifthat person is you...www.madison.co.uk

12 January

14 January

Correctly adjusted spokes areincredibly important to the buildof a wheel, as it affects both thestrength and feel of the finisheditem. Legendary DH racer NicoVouilloz – now developing bikesfor Lapierre – was renownedfor his attention to spokes, as itactually affects grip. Even spokeadjustments also mean the wheelis less likely to buckle, and seriousbuilders use tensiometers such asthis one to accurately measure howtight each spoke is. Place the spokebetween the rollers and squeezethe red handles: the tension isdisplayed on the analogue dial. It’ssimple and very effective.www.madison.co.uk

No more tension over spoke tension

DT Spoke Prolinetensiometer £400

It may be the cheapest itemhere by orders of magnitude,but a spoke key is the essentialitem for everything from a quickstraightening tweak to a fullbuild. This one is forged steel

for an accurate and long lastingfit, while the circular designincorporates eight nipple sizeswithout making the tool too bigto fit between spokes.www.i-ride.co.uk

It’s cheap and will definitely make you cheerful

Cyclus forgedspoke key £2

If you’re a serious home mechanic orprofessional, a proper wheel-truingstand is a must. Park stands have beenthe gold standard for bike shops fordecades, and the TS2.2 continues thistradition. It can be mountedto a bench or in a vice,and the heavy gaugesteel frame means it’sutterly solid in use. Thisaccepts any currentwheel size and rims upto a whopping 100mmwide, with fast and simpleadjustment to take differentwidth hubs.

The standard callipertips are made fromcomposite to stop rimsgetting scratched, butwe’ve got the optionaldial indicatorset, whichshows lateraland radial runout to a tiny0.01mm –this allowsincrediblyaccuratewheel builds.www.madison.co.uk

Proper bits of kit for serious mechanics

Park TS2.2 truing stand £200TS2di dial indicator £100

NEW ARRIVALS

GET TOOLED UP!The shiny secrets of wheel building

16 January

ORANGEFIVE RS£4200Update of the classicFive gets the newmid-sized wheels,RockShox Pike forkand Avid brakes

YETI ARCBIG TOP£3195 (XT/RACEFACE BUILD)Unusual hardtailwith an aluminiumfront end andcarbon rear

NUKEPROOFMEGA TR 275PRO£3200Popular hard-hitting130mm/150mm trailbike gets a 650bmakeover

TREK FUELEX 9.8 29£4000The super-popularFuel switches to29in wheels – andditches the customDRCV forks

SANTA CRUZ5010C£7984

Every possiblemodern advantagecollides in onebeautiful carbontrail bike

SALSAHORSETHIEFII £1500 (F/O)The Horsethief getsa shorter rear, longerfront and Split-Pivotsuspension in thisgreat redesign

LYNSKEYPRO650 VF£1500 (F/O)This racy andtraditional titaniumhardtail gets 650bwheels where youexpect 29in…

First RideSpecial

As 2014 heaves into view,there’s a fresh crop of bikesarriving in shops up and downthe country. Many of them

represent genuine change – a greatexcuse for us to get hold of some of nextyear’s hottest and most interesting bikes.

Over the following pages you’ll findeverything from punch-a-rock-in-the-face trail bikes folded into shape byroll-up smoking Northern metalworkersto delicate, knife-like hardtails sculptedfrom exotic metal in the sub-tropicalatmosphere of Tennessee. In between liea whole host of frames built in thethrobbing Far Eastern hub of the bikeindustry that is Taiwan.

These bikes show the breadth andscope of mountain biking in 2014, andalso point towards the future. It doesn’ttake long to notice that more than a feware old classics updated to take that mostmodern of wheel sizes: 650b, or shouldyou prefer, 27.5in. And it’s anincreasingly binary choice; 26in wheelsare disappearing fast. But that doesn’tmean the original spirit and enjoymentof such bikes is gone. Far from it…

The RS needs a moreaggressive cockpit, butthis Thomson one iscertainly plush

SDG FalconOrange Ti-Alloy

saddle is theplace to perch

SRAM parts, including the superbRockShox Pike RCT3 fork with 150mmof travel; the 140mm of bounce at theback is taken care of by a MonarchRT3. The 11-speed SRAM X01drivetrain is a highlight, with a gearrange wide enough to cover mostriding without the weight andcomplication of front shifters and rings.Note the RS frame, unlike any other inthe range, actually lacks a front mechmount entirely.

The single front-ring also neatlysidesteps the single-pivot design’stendency to react badly to pedalling in

certain sizes of chainring, and givesless kickback though the cranks whenyou hit rocks too. Another bonus is thelack of clutter on the bars making thedropper post remote for the internallyrouted Reverb second nature tooperate, even at full speed.

With the 32-tooth front ring it’spretty neutral, though by nature thelong swingarm creates a fair amount ofchain growth as you get deep into thestroke. It’s not a bike that isolates youentirely from the ground in the waythat, for instance, Split-Pivot designscan (see the Salsa on p36), but that’salways been part of its charm –feedback is rich and detailed.

The same goes for when you’regrabbing a big handful of the powerfuland progressive Elixir 9 Trail brakes.The rear end stiffens markedly to skip,slide and rattle instead of grip, whichcan catch you unawares – andunsettling the bike if you makethe error of brake-dragging midcorner. Do your braking early, use thatkick forwards to load the front and youcan make it work to your advantage,tightening turns with a light touch ofdrift before getting on the pedals,shifting grip rearwards and enjoyingmaximum exit punch.

It’s a very satisfying feeling when it

Should you want to upsetpeople, try taking a staple ofthe British riding scene – abike known for its unflashy

simplicity, resistance to major changeand general conservatism – and addingsomething completely new.

That’s what Orange has doneby switching its evergreen Five trailbike to 650b wheels, with no quartergiven to those stick-in-the-muds stillmuttering about conspiracies,marketing and… well, we stoppedlistening there. But the 26in-wheeledFive is no more.

The same but differentScratch the surface and there’s morethat’s new about this Five than someslightly bigger wheels. There’s been amass of geometric tweaking, includinga longer toptube, a kicked-back headangle, altered suspension geometryand pivot location, and a move to atakes-any-fork straight 44mminternal-diameter headtube from theslightly heavier tapered item. It’s alsofinally got a proper 142x12mm rearend, which means wheel fitting ismuch easier than with the older135x12mm design.

This is the top of the line RS model,which comes kitted with a full house of

18 January

AT A GLANCEORANGE FIVE RS

PRICE £4200

TOPTUBE LENGTH 23.6in

SEAT TUBE LENGTH 17in

HEAD ANGLE 66.5°

SEAT ANGLE 74°

BB HEIGHT 13.4in

CHAINSTAY LENGTH 17in

WHEELBASE 45.7in

SIZES XS, S, M (tested), L, XL

WEIGHT 13.02kg (28.7lb)

FRAME 6061-T6Monocoque/ Reynoldscustom butted aluminium

FORK RockShox Pike RCT3,150mm

SHOCK RockShox MonarchRT3

WHEELS Hope Pro II Evo15mm/142x12mm hubs,Mavic XM319 27.5 rims

TYRES Schwalbe Nobby Nic,650bx2.35in

CRANKS SRAM X01 1xX-Sync with guard

GEARS SRAM X01 11spd

BRAKES Avid Elixir 9 Trail,180/170mm rotors

CONTACTwww.orangebikes.co.uk

trail bike is a more-than worthy successor

THE FIVE IS DEAD

Chunky, brutal andunpretentious, theFive’s aesthetic is a

love or hate affair

RockShox MonarchRT3 performs well

“The spaciouscockpit helpswith this weightshifting dance”

For the full review ofAvid’s Elixir Trail 9brakes, see p73

comes right, though for flatter pedallysections it definitely pays to leave theshock in ‘Pedal’ mode (there’s a cluethere), as the suspension can feelsomewhat soggy and bobby if youleave the shock fully open.

Weight shiftingThe spacious cockpit helps with thisweight shifting dance, giving plentyof room to aggressively shift about.It’s important to keep on top of thishowever, as although the effectiveseat angle is a steep 74 degrees,the seat tube is offset for betterclearance and actually kicked backat 72 degrees. This puts your weightwell back when you’re sat down

pedalling, and it requires aconcerted effort to weightthe front wheel for corners.Be passive and the Five canget understeery on flatturns and rather wanderyon climbs.

This issue is exacerbatedby the frankly awful hardcompound Schwalbe Nobby

Nic tyres, which are quite happy to letgo at the slightest hint of waterand aren’t the most predictable

Janaury 19

ORANGE FIVE RS

Evolution is a strange old thing. Atiny tweak here and a little changethere can create some big shiftsover time. Okay, so the Five’sdecade-long journey from its boxy

roots was never going to end up with acosmetically thoroughbred look, but that’ssimply not what it’s about. And to write offthe Five’s single-pivot simplicity andget-the-job-done constructionwould be a mistake. There’s aracehorse under there. Jon

TESTER SAYS...

Some say it looks like a skip.We disagree, but those hard-compound Nobby Nics shouldbe in an actual skip

Left: A newbottom bracketarrangement isone of the mostobvious updates

once they do start letting go. Wequizzed Orange about this choice ofrubber on what’s supposed to be anaggressive enduro racing bike, and itadmitted that supply issues had limitedits choice with early production runs.We’re dearly hoping it moves to a moresuitable soft compound and potentiallya more aggressively-shouldered tyre assoon as possible.

All that said, if you get your headdown when climbing it’s an effectivetechnical height gainer, with the easyto understand mechanics of thesuspension allowing you to bounce,force and push your way onwardsand upwards despite the lack of grip.

Aggressive kitWe’d also like to see a more aggressivecockpit than this admittedly lovely-looking and lightweight pairing ofThomson’s carbon bars and X4 stem.At 730mm wide and 70mm longrespectively, they’re just a bit toonarrow and long for really masteringcontrol of the slack, confident66.5-degree front end. Orange offer aRenthal 780mm bar and 50mm stemcombo as an upgrade on its otherFives, but not this limited edition RS…disappointing, but it’ll probably bephased in as full production begins. Werecommend ticking that box if you can.

Poking stubbornly from the solidembrace of the 44mm headtube is thesuperbly composed RockShoxPike fork, which offers masses of grip

from a supple beginning that’sbalanced with great support furtherinto the stroke. Smack it really hardand it recovers from near bottom-outbrilliantly, thanks to the RapidRecovery system found in the sealedCharger damper.

The strength of the 35mm-leggedchassis allows you to push on with

confidence in rough terrain, and theadjustable low speed compressiondamping on the open mode – alongwith pedal and lockout modes – makeit easy to fine-tune to trail conditions.

With more aggressive tyres andcockpit fitted, we did begin to eke outsome torsional twang from that longswingarm and the main frame. It’salways been a feature of Orange bikes,and the slight compliance and the wayit unloads on corner exits does affectaccuracy but, like so much with theFive, it just adds to a characterful andinvolving ride feel – albeit one dulledslightly by the low-spec Mavic XM319

20 January

Big, slack and tough –it’s the very image ofdependable

ORANGE FIVE RS

“Wheels notwithstanding, thisbike remains theOrange Five”

It’s not without its issues,but the RS is packed

with character

TAP HEREFOR MOREPICTURESApple newsstand andKindle Fire HD only

rims on those durable Hope hubs. It’sa heavy rim and narrowish rim, and acost-saving measure – necessary tokeep this British-built, low-volumebike competitive against direct salesgiants and mega-brands with fargreater buying power.

To judge the Five too harshly on itslower spec is to miss the point, though– like comparing a Caterham to anAudi and complaining about the lack ofair conditioning. One is an affair forthe heart, while the other is a choicemade with your head.

SummaryWheels notwhithstanding, this bikeremains the Orange Five through andthrough. It’s to the company’s creditthat there’s only a slight change in theoverall feel after the move to 650b. It’sa bit more planted, there’s more gripand while it’s less keen to change tackhurriedly, it’s a hyper-stable bomber atspeed and can still take on nine-hourPeak District loops, full-on enduro

races and everything in between. Itwill never compete on spec, but itstrue value isn’t to be found in numbersand names; it’s in the sense of thisbike being something a bit special, andthe performance to back it up. In thatsense, the new Five is the same as theold Five – a fantastically fun bike.

January 21

“Totally modern geo and wheel size.Spec is low-value, but the Five’s waymore than the sum of its parts.”

We spoke to Orange for thelowdown on the new Five RS

WMB: What testing did you dowhen switching the Five to 650b?

Orange: From pen-and-paper work toprototype mules, this version has probablyhad more work put into its development thanany since the original design. This was the firstbike to move to 650b wheels, so we needed tospend time getting it right. From fitting 650bto an Alpine prototype (with a special sliderthat reduced the travel to 130mm) to buildingup a number of Strange-branded mules withdifferent geometry, we spent a lot of timetesting on the trails. We compared it with the26in version – if the 650b one was no better itwouldn’t get to production.

WMB: What did you have to change to makeit work with the new wheels?Orange: As a silhouette the new Five might notlook that different from the outgoing one, butit’s a comprehensive redesign. Designing for650b isn’t just a case of adding bigger wheelsto a slightly stretched frame… the maindifference, visually, is the new seat tube andbottom bracket arrangement. It’s allowed usto keep the swingarm as short as possible tokeep the feel lively and controllable, and keepstiffness levels up. Things like a slightly alteredpivot position, lower bottom bracket, longerfront centre and more relaxed head angle arethings that would’ve been changed regardlessof what wheels we fitted.

WMB: Were you worried about alienatingthe Five’s traditional customers by movingto the new wheel size?Orange: We weren’t worried, we just knew wehad to get it right first time. And we believewe have. Changing any product that’sregarded as a benchmark, much loved byits users and with the momentum of historybehind it always comes with a certainpressure. But that pressure also meanswe can’t be complacent and can’t stoppushing things along.

ORANGE SAYS...

With a pedigree that stretchesback into the mists ofmountain bike time, Yeti isa name that makes riders

sit up and pay attention. The new ARCBig Top, first seen in 2010 as Yeti movedinto 29in wheels, follows in the footstepsof its aggressive stablemates andimpresses over just about any terrain.

One look at the frame confirms thehardcore intent. It’s a bulldog of a bike –large diameter alloy tubes oozepurposeful strength and capability, whilea tapered headtube and removablechainguide mount indicate an intent overand above standard cross-country.Bolt-on cable guides that are compatiblewith full-length outers will appeal to UKriders too (other countries with lessamiable climates are also available).

A frame weight of 4lb isn’t exactlyfeatherweight XC either, but promisesdurability and strength. Does it deliver?

Added carbonInitially designed as a full alloy bike, theBig Top was quickly found to be too stifffor everyday riding. The solution was

unusual – a carbon rear triangle meldedto the alloy front to take the edge off.

While we never tested the alloy bikeso can’t vouch for it, the 2014 Big Top isstill a super-stiff frame that, although stillfairly harsh to ride, is presumablysignificantly less so than if the whole bikehad been constructed of metal.

Topping off the frame feature list arethe replaceable dropouts, so it can take

on any guise from fully adjustablesinglespeed, through 135mm quickrelease to 142x12 bolt-thru at the back.This makes it tremendously flexible andmore likely to grow with your needs asthe fancy takes.

Throwing a leg over the Big Tophighlights one of its real strengths.Power. Press the pedals and it feels likeeverything is funnelling directly throughthe bottom bracket and into the wheels.Climbing is lively – it’s an area everytester mentioned – and it’s aided by theflow and bump-munching characteristicsof the 29er platform.

When the trail starts to twist thatrock hard front end just goes where youpoint it, holding sharp lines with its70-degree head angle and slightlyfront-heavy riding position. It needs

op o o o o oUNFORGIVING SPEED

“The Big Top impressesover just about

any terrain”

There isn’t a lotof room here formud from UKwinter trails

Power transfer is super-direct – it’s very efficient

on smooth ground

22 January

Racy 70-degreehead angle works

commitment, but push on through andyou’re rewarded by high speeds andgreat fun. Yes, the riding position isdefinitely on the racy side, but it’s notso extreme you won’t enjoy it on yourless well-groomed and more tricky trailstoo – those big 29in wheels steps inwhere necessary to mellow things outjust enough.

The short rear triangle tucks underthe seat nicely, helping with powertransfer and traction when the inclinesget steep and loose. It all adds up toa super-efficient distance machine, ashappy buckling down to a long fireroad muscle-twitcher as it is skitteringover roots and threading its way throughnadgery singletrack.

Tried and tested travelWhile our test bike featured therecommended 100mm Fox fork, it’s alsorated for 120mm – and our local steepand technical trails were soon demandingsomething a little more capable thatwould gently slacken the head angle (bya degree or so) while it was at it.

So on went an identical Fox stretchedout to 120mm – and dashed ourexpectations. Far from adding stabilityand speed, the longer legs just took theedge off the fast and confident handlingelsewhere, and rendered the steering alittle twitchy for our liking. Reluctantlywe went back to the 100mm, and wesuggest you stick to that length too.

The rest of the build kit is bangon. Capable, smart and robust XTcomponents do their job without fuss,while the Race Face Turbine stem,seatpost and cranks are all top-line parts.Appropriately wide 730mm Race Facecarbon SIXC bars take the worst of thetrail buzz off that super-stiff front end,but a long day in the saddle still leavesyou feeling a little like you’ve beenworking a heavy machine gun.

The DT Swiss XR400 rims on 350hubs have stood up stoically over thelengthy test, with neither a complaintfrom the bearings or deflection of therim over several thousand kilometers –not bad at all.

The only parts we swapped during thetest were the 90mm stem, ditched for astubbier 70mm, and the front MaxxisIkon tyre. They’re good, but we needsomething with a little more tread forour soft conditions.

There are only a few minor detaildrawbacks. On loamy and muddy trailsthose plate-style braces across the chainand seatstays accumulate more grimethan standard bar brace styles, and whilethe interchangeable ‘chip’ dropoutswould come in handy for a change ofsetup, we took a few days to narrow aparticularly annoying creak down to bothsides loosening at once. A judicioustightening and application of threadlockfixed it, but still – irritating. Neither ofthese things even approach deal-break

AT A GLANCEYETI ARC BIG TOP

PRICE £3195 (XT/Race Facebuild)



HEAD ANGLE 70°

SEAT ANGLE 72°

BB HEIGHT 12in

CHAINSTAY LENGTH 17.1in

WHEELBASE 43in

SIZES M (tested), L, XL

WEIGHT 24.7lb (11.2kg)

FRAME Yeti Pure custombutted alloy front triangle,high modulus carbon rear

FORK Fox Float 32 Fit CTDKashima 15mm, 100mm

WHEELS DT Swiss 350/XR400 F-15/R-QR

TYRES Maxxis Ikon, 2.2in

CRANKS Race Face Turbine

GEARS Shimano XT, 10spd,Race Face Turbine Double38/24, XT top pull mech (F),XT (R)

BRAKES Formula R1,160mm rotors

OTHER STUFF Race FaceSIXC bars, Race Face Turbine90mm stem, Yeti lock-ongrips, SDG Falcon saddle,Race Face Turbine seatpost

CONTACTwww.yeticycles.com

Aluminium frontend and carbon rear…

it’s an odd approach

Formula R1 stoppersare light and powerful

YETI ARC BIG TOP 29ER

January 23

From day one I loved thespeed and trail munchingcapability of the Yeti. It’sa super-stiff frame withuncompromising ride

characteristics, but combining thiswith the big wheels just seems tomellow it all out into a crackingall-rounder. It’s a little steepangled and front heavy forconfidence on very steep andtechnical ground, but youcan’t have it all. Andy

TESTER SAYS...

status of course, but were slightlydisappointing nonetheless in what isotherwise a very well-made, smartlydesigned and premium-priced frame.

SummaryKnow why it’s called the Big Top? It’sbecause Yeti originally thought 29erswere clown bikes. Having built one andexperienced these wheels themselvesthough, they changed their minds, and ifblasting through the twists and turns of aracecourse or the rooty singletrack ofyour local woods is your regular ride, theBig Top will entertain you too.

It’s a stiff and steep bike though, so ifyour trails are broken and fast withtechnical challenges and major inclines,look to more trail-friendly options fromthe likes of Whyte or Saracen. The BigTop is unforgiving of rough or extremeterrain, and stiff enough to pass on all itsdispleasure to you – it’s built for speedand accuracy, but on the right kind ofsmooth, flowing trails, that’s exactlywhat it delivers.

“The Yeti isbuilt for speedand accuracy”

Big wheels allieviate some ofthe frame’s stiffnessto create a fun ride

We swapped thestock 90mm Race

Face stem forsomething alittle shorter

24 January

“The softened frame is still stiff, butmellowed a little by the big wheels.A tough and capable XC ride.”

Peter Zawistowski, the brainsbehind the Big Top, speaks out

WMB: So you realised the framewas a bit harsh in aluminium, but

why did you only make it half carbon?And was bonding the back end to the metalfront problematic?PZ: At the time we had no intentions of makinga full carbon frame. Our goal was to producean aggressive hardtail that could be riddenhard – as the geometry suggests – rather thana full-blown carbon race frame. We’ve had alot of experience with bonding carbon to alloyin the past (since 2002), which made thisconstruction smooth for manufacturing.

WMB: Were you tempted to go 120mmto increase its trail credentials?PZ: Although the frame was specced with a100mm fork, it was designed around both a100 and 120mm fork. Running 120mm is agreat option if you want slightly slacker, moreaggressive geometry.

WMB: Did the 2010 foray into big wheelsinspire the larger range of 29ers now?PZ: There was a large push from some of ouremployees to make a 29er frame. The ARC-BigTop was a natural starting point. We learned aton through the design process, and were ableto apply it to the future 29er models.

WMB: Will you be sticking to 29in, ormoving down the 650b route instead?PZ: We believe there’s an optimal size for aspecific platform, but sometimes there areexceptions. The new ARC-C hardtail has 29inwheels for sizes M, L, XL and 650b wheels forsizes XS and S. This allowed us to achieve thedesired geometry and performance for thesmaller sizes. It also, in our opinion, makes thesmaller sizes look nicer and proportionate (noclown bikes!). For these reasons thereare no XS or S sizes of Big Top.

DESIGNER SAYS...

It may not be a bikefor all day epics butfor some serious trailfun check it out

Since the resurrection of theNukeproof brand, its Mega trailbike has undergone quite atransformation. The clue to the

big mountain enduro racing intent of theoriginal was always in the name, but in aprocess similar to cellular division, thatoriginal bike split into two models. For2014 they’ve further evolved, moving tothose on-trend 650b wheels.

Family tiesThe chunky silhouette remains for thislinkage-driven single pivot frames, butthe two bikes have different intents. TheAM is this bike’s rough and tumble bigbrother with 160mm travel, but this, theshorter travel TR, is supposed to be theoverachiever. It sports 150mm up frontand just 130mm at the rear, for a mixthat Nukeproof reckons can handle bothhardcore hooning and all-day long-distance hauling.

Its slimmed down tubing reduces theweight over its longer-travel brethren,but that doesn’t mean it’s a twangy waif.One look at the well-built frame and youget an idea of what this bike’s about.Picking up the 31lb heft of this top Promodel, you get a bit more of an idea,especially about the Nukeproof moniker.The cockroaches will at least have

something to ride in the event of anynuclear apocalypse.

The 44mm internal diameterheadtube can house any fork steererstandard going, while the clamshelltwo-piece bottom bracket assembly alsoserves as the lower pivot mounting pointfor firm, flex-free operation. The seattube gets a neat, removable tab for adirect-mount front mech, and the back

end gets interchangeable dropouts– they’re set up here for a 142x12mmMaxle thru-axle. Up from the bracedseatstays, a chunky linkage drives aRockShox Monarch RT3 shock, offeringthree-position low speed damping.

A hard rideThe Pro nails its flag to the harder-ridingside of the wall straight off with a singlering, 1x10-speed drivetrain and chaindevice. In place of the left-hand shifter isan under-bar remote for the internally-routed RockShox Reverb Stealth post.

Once you’ve spun the tall 36T ring upto speed, the bike reveals more of itscharacter – and it’s a confusing one. At588mm (23.1in) for the Medium, theeffective toptube is 8mm shorter thanthe longer travel AM, and the 73-degreeseat angle only makes it feel shorter still.We’re usually fans of steeper seat anglesas they help push your weight forwardsonto the front tyre, but as the toptubedoesn’t ‘grow’ as the saddle is raised,they must be combined with enoughtoptube reach in the first place.

Mix the stiff gearing (which requires alot of out-of-the-saddle hauling effort)with the solid weight and the crampedcockpit and the Mega TR is a bike thathas you tolerating the ups rather than

Nukeproo s updated Mega R has tra n ts name –that’s the TR. But is trail riding really in its nature?

THE PROOF ISA BIT OF A PUDDING

AT A GLANCENUKEPROOF MEGA TR275 PRO

PRICE £3200



HEAD ANGLE 67°

SEAT ANGLE 73°

BB HEIGHT 13.1in


WHEELBASE 45.2in

SIZES S, M (tested), L XL

WEIGHT 14kg (31lb)

FRAME Double-welded T66061 aluminium

FORK RockShox RevelationRCT3 Solo Air, 150mm

SHOCK RS Monarch RT3

WHEELS NukeproofGenerator TR275

TYRES Maxxis High Roller,MaxxPro 60a, 650bx2.3in

CRANKS TruvativDescendant 1.1 GXP, 36T

GEARS SRAM X9, Type 2rear mech

BRAKES Avid Elixir 9 Traildiscs, 180mm rotors

CONTACT www.nukeproof.com, www.hotlines-uk.com

The Revelationis a stiff and

impressiveperformer

26 January

enjoying them. Moving up a frame sizecould help, though that may leave youwith a bit too much seat tube to becomfortable on steep descents.

It may be tight, but the Nukeprooffinishing kit still makes it a comfortableplace to be. The supportive saddle,decently wide 760mm bars on a stubbystem and lock-on grips rounding out thecontact points. The Maxxis High Roller 2tyres are grippy with good shouldersupport, while their harder 60acompound gives good rolling resistance– the loss of mechanical grip being neatlyoffset by the increased contact patch ofthe 650b wheels.

Nukeproof’s Generator 275 wheels area solid, no-nonsense setup, offering

strength and stiffnesswithout too much of aweight penalty. TheSRAM stop and go gearis excellent too, withthe progressive powerof the four-pot ElixirTrail 9 brakes being aparticular highlight.

Short but sweetSo far, so-so. Then

came the moment of revelation.Sometime between the first trail centreberm and the second set of rollers, theMega TR began to redeem itself. The tautrear suspension and shorter front endcombine to give a very playful feel,making it easy to loft the front end andmanual through dips and rises, all thewhile pumping for speed like a fully-suspended, big wheeled BMX.

The stiff frame means you can snapout of corners, while the secure singlering drive means positive engagementevery time. With limited space to shiftabout any rougher or steeper sections area bit more committing, but boss the bikearound, pick it up and flick it and it’sentertaining pinball wizardry. The

“Sometime betweenthe first berm andsecond set of rollers,the Mega TR beganto redeem itself”

NUKEPROOF MEGA TR 275 PRO

Slimmed downtubes mark the

TR 275 out fromits longer

travel sibling

Own-brand finishing kitincludes bars, stubbystem and saddle

January 27

If you’re into all-day loops andmulti-hour climbs, the Mega TR isnot for you – though one look at theaggressive single-ring drivetrainwill tell you that anyway.

If you’re into flat-out ragging throughyour local woods, scaring yourself sillyon jumps and attempting to double upevery trail centre roller you see, then it’llbe right up your street, giving crisp,visceral thrills that a longer travelbike would mute. Jon

TESTER SAYS...

‘only’ 130mm rear lets you get away withfar more than you feel you ought, thanksto a progressive spring curve that givesgreat support and resistance to blowingthrough the travel unless you’ve donesomething stupid enough to incite it.Which you will. That rear is matched bywell-damped RockShox Revelation forks.

SummaryThis isn’t a trail bike in the conventionalsense. It’s a bit cramped and hefty toconsider as an all-day bike (ironicallywe’d look to the AM for that), but as aplay bike for taking to the trails, this is ahuge bundle of fun. For every frustrationthere’s a compensatory laugh. The MegaTR may be undersized, but there’s plentyof life and fight in it.

ALSO CONSIDER

Commencal Meta HipHop 1 £3500The 26in wheels may be ananachronism, but matching 120mm ofrear travel to a 140mm fork – raked outat 66 degrees – spells mad, risky fun.www.decade-europe.com

Lapierre Zesty TR 527£3200Also updated with 650b wheels for2014, there’s an evenly matched150mm of travel at either end of thisversatile, low-slung and superblysuspended machine.www.hotlines-uk.com

Santa Cruz 5010 from£3299 completeThe alloy-framed version of thelow-slung, VPP-suspended, 650bcarbon trail-killer mixes short travelwith hard-hits – see p32 for the review.www.santacruzbikes.co.uk

“A burly, if weighty, short travel rigthat prioritises downhill thrills overtrue trail potential.”

“Boss the bike around,pick it up and flick itand it’s entertainingpinball wizardry”

One giant leap for Jonand the Nukeproof

Decently wide bars addsome comfort to the

Mega TR 275 Pro


28 January

The new Fuel EX has bigshoes to fill. Luckily it’s

got big wheels

Trek’s new Fuel EX 29 isessentially a 29er remake ofthe existing 26in Fuel. Toaccommodate the bigger

wheels, the frame has been redesigned– and it includes loads of technology fromTrek’s big bag of chassis tricks.

Fantastic geometryThe new 120mm-travel Fuel EX 29chassis pushes aside the shortcomings ofthe outgoing Rumblefish to mimic theplayful feel of the 26in Fuel EX – not abad thing, given that bike’s longtermpopularity. The company has done agreat job on the geometry. The bottombracket matches the 26in Fuel at a low338mm (13.3in) off the deck, giving astable and planted feel through corners,plus the ability to quickly transition fromedge to edge. The chainstays are prettylong at 452mm, though, which matchesthe more XC-focused, 100mm travelTrek Superfly FS.

Still, the Fuel feels sharper thanthe Superfly, despite having a slacker69.5-degree head angle, and that’sperhaps due to the Fuel’s more linearsuspension – it lets the bike settle a littlefurther into the travel. It’s playful andflickable, relishing medium-sized dropsand small doubles while happilyattacking bermed corners.

The relatively long wheelbasecompared to a 26in bike and harder toturn 29in wheels make it trickier to pilotthrough ultra-tight switchbacks. Trek’sG2 fork geometry, with its increased51mm crown offset, creates a lighter-feeling front end at lower speeds so tight,slow-speed sections are still manageable,providing you have room to manoeuvre.

The feel of the rear suspension isslightly firm off the top with lots of popthrough the mid-stroke and a deep welltowards bottom-out thanks to the

Trek-exclusive Dual Rate ControlValve-equipped Fox rear shock, whichhas a secondary chamber that opens upin the last third of the travel to give amore linear ending stroke. It’s worthpointing out that harder UK riders tendto get on less well with the system thanthose of countries whose trails tendtowards more rolling, less technicalterrain; British trails can turn a linearbike’s smooth plush to choppy mush.

Trek’s ditched the matchingDRCV-equipped Fox fork of previousyears, however, and instead gone with aFIT-cartridged but non-Kashima 32 Float,whose now-flatter spring rate supposedlymore closely mimics the rear – somemight say by diving excessively – withoutany expensive custom bits. Sadly it onlyuses the rather dull Performance damper.

Rear triangle stiffness is good, butthere’s still some noticeable flex in thefront under high loads, such as tightcorners on steep descents. Maybe that’sthe price to pay for such a low frame

.It’s a big one – can the 9.8 29 stay true to its heritage?

REFUELLED FOR 2014

“It’s playful andflickable, relishing

medium-sized drops”

Full Floaterdesign providesa more tunable

spring rate

30 January

Cables andhoses use a

mix of internaland external

routing

Shimano Deorebrakes with IceTech rotors – basicbut excellent

It’s massive! That’s atree under the cranks

weight – Trek claims the top-end 9.9frame weighs just 1920g (4.23lb), withthe rear shock adding another 350g.

Trek’s bag of tricksThis new carbon frame digs heavily intoTrek’s arsenal of features. The rear end isbuilt with the company’s Full Floaterdesign, which mounts the shock on twosuspended points for a more finely-tunedspring rate. It also gets the ActiveBraking Pivot rear dropout pivot tominimize the effects of braking on thesuspension, and a 142x12mm thru-axleto tie it all together. Up top is the Evorocker link, along with asymmetricalaluminium chainstays. The extra-wide,press-fit BB95 BB shell has bearing seatsmoulded directly in and supports equallybig down and seat tubes for greaterstiffness… which is still not that stiff.

Gear cables are internally routed,while brake and dropper post lines areexternal – a stealth-type dropper posthousing runs alongside the downtubebefore entering the frame just ahead ofthe BB, which features chainguide tabs.

Other features include hefty plasticarmouring for the underside of thedowntube and driveside chainstay, andlarge-diameter pivot axles throughoutthe rear suspension. The direct-mountfront derailleur tab is removable to givea clean look when running singlefront-ring drivetrains.

The spec is solid and safe, andincludes a nearly complete ShimanoDeore XT 2x10 drivetrain and matchinghydraulic disc brakes with 180/160mmIce Tech rotors (but no finned pads).Shift performance is flawless front andrear, even under full power, and

Shimano’s brakes remain the currentgold standard thanks to their generouspower and superb modulation.

Aside from the previously mentionedRockShox and Fox components, it’s allBontrager. That’s certainly not a badthing – we found the Evoke saddle verycomfortable, for one thing, though we’dprefer something a little wider than the720mm Race X Lite handlebars here.

The stock 2.3in Bontrager XR3Team Issue tyres deliver good grip evenon the loose-over-hardpacked Arizonadesert, but while Bontrager hasannounced brand-new Rhythm Elitewheels, for now Fuel EX 9.8 29s willcome with last year’s versions. The oldones are 200g heavier at 2010g.

SummaryOur test bike was a little heavier than weexpected at 12.37kg (27.27lb) withoutpedals. Like the spec and, for some, thesuspension, it’s not bad but it’s not greateither – if that’s what floats your boat.

AT A GLANCETREK FUEL EX 9.8 29

PRICE £4000


SEAT TUBE LENGTH 16.54in

HEAD ANGLE 69.5°

SEAT ANGLE 73.6 °

BB HEIGHT 13.31in


WHEELBASE 44.84in

SIZES 15.5, 17.5 (tested), 18.5,19.5, 21.5, 23in


FRAME OCLV Mountaincarbon mainframe andseatstays

FORK Fox Performance 32Float CTD, 120mm

WHEELS Bontrager RhythmElite, 15mm front hub,142x12mm rear hub

TYRES Bontrager XR3 TeamIssue, 29x2.3in

CRANKS Shimano Deore XT11-36, 10spd

GEARS Shimano Deore XT

BRAKES Shimano Deore XT,180/160mm rotors

OTHER STUFF RockShoxReverb Stealth dropper post,Bontrager Race X Litecarbon bars, Cane Creek IS-3headset, Bontrager Evoke 3saddle

CONTACTwww.trekbikes.com

The 9.8 is undoubtedly afun bike on the trail and, justlike its smaller-wheeledcousin, it’s highly capable.Toss in its strong pedalling

performance and you end up withan immensely versatile andfriendly machine. James

TESTER SAYS...

“The Fuel EX 9.8 29 is a funand capable bike, and agreat all-rounder.”

TREK FUEL EX 9.8 29

January 31

The 5010 shines brighterthe harder you push

Fox 32 Float FIThas CTD and130mm, butcan’t always

keep up

internally routed cables and the ultimatein clutter-free frames, it’s somethingwe’re sure will be appreciated laterdown the line when it comes to carryingout maintenance.

The same can be said for the bottombracket, where Santa Cruz has opted touse a 73mm threaded unit rather than amore fashionable press-fit number,which are fiddly and not the mostpleasant things to work on. And whilewe’re on the subject of the bottom

bracket, it’s worth noting just howbulbous the down, seat and bottombracket tube junction is – it’s a designthat screams taught, instantaneouspower delivery and super-high pedalefficiency. And delivers it.

To further enhance corner carvingstiffness, the rear triangle is pinnedtogether with a 12x142mm bolt-thrurear axle, collet axle pivots withangular contact bearings and forgedupper and lower links. The doublesealed pivots also feature greaseports to keep them running smoothwith as little faff as possible –another nice, home mechanic-friendly thought.

Key to cohesionWhen a frame is made so astutely withsuch a high potential then, it only seemsright to choose the finest kit availablewhen building it up. Our test bike wasone of very few Santa Cruz can supply,and has some differences to the bikesthat will come as standard here in theUK. The cockpit here is a non-standardmix of Easton’s Havoc carbon bars andHaven stem, while the hubs are DTSwiss 240s instead of Hope.

Following up on the massivesuccess of the 650b-wheeled,highly acclaimed Bronson, SantaCruz hasn’t left us waiting long

before launching its latest mid-wheeltrail bike, the 5010 – no longer known,for legal reasons, as the Solo.

With 125mm (4.9in) of rear wheeltravel and a composite frame for this top5010C model – and a componentpackage that gets jaws droppingwherever it rolls – it’s easy to fall forthis bright orange beast before evenhitting the trails. But just how good is it,and will it live up to the hype? Wemanaged to get our hands on one of thefew test samples in existence, and reallyput it through its paces.

Love at first sightIt’s hard not to fall in love with the5010 Carbon’s smooth, beautifullyformed lines. Although there’s internalrouting for stealth dropper posts, thereare provisions for externally routedposts too – ideal if you’re buying aframe only. Other cables are run neatlyon the upper side of the downtube andsit nicely out of harm’s way. Althoughthis seems to buck the trend for

AT A GLANCESANTA CRUZ 5010C

PRICE £7984, £2599 (f/o)

TOPTUBE LENGTH 23in


HEAD ANGLE 68°

SEAT ANGLE 73°

BB HEIGHT 13.1in


WHEELBASE 43.9in

SIZES S, M (tested), L, XL


FRAME 5010 carbon

FORK Fox 32 Float CTD FIT,130mm travel

SHOCK Fox Float CTD TA

WHEELS ENVE AM 650brims, Hope Pro Evo hubs

TYRES Maxxis High Roller II,2.3in

CRANKS SRAM XX1 34T

GEARS SRAM XX1

BRAKES Shimano XTR Trail

OTHER STUFF EastonHavoc bars, Haven stem

CONTACTwww.santacruzbikes.co.uk

, …speed, great pedalling and low weight with svelte beauty

A NEW TRAIL GOD!

32 January

This 125mm of reartravel and those650b wheels canactually outperfrombigger bikes

Super-stiff ENVEcarbon rimswrapped in Maxxisrubber

The only other difference is in thebrakes, which are Shimano XTR ratherthan Avid XO Trail.

SRAM’s superb 1x11-speed XX1transmission and a RockShox ReverbStealth post are a perfect fit to boostboth the intent and the capability of the5010, and also to create pleasurablyclean, clutter-free handlebars. This thenhelps with the fluidity of the ride – awide enough gear range lets you tacklejust about anything the trail can throwyour way, and it’s all controlled by theone shifter and one of the smoothestdropper posts out there.

Turn of speedChucking the slight 11.7kg (25.8lb)5010 from turn to turn is a feeling tosavour, and certainly a highlight for us.

This thing can really becarved hard, with plenty ofstiffness and corneringconfidence letting you driveall your weight downthrough the bike tomaximise every undulationand turn on the trail. Thisnature is thanks in part tothe relatively low 335mm

bottom bracket which, although someriders may find it takes a little time toget used to, is something we grew tolove, especially when tackling fastand loose terrain.

I’m quite an aggressive rider andlove to ride trail bikes hard,especially downhill. It wassurprising to find a bike with125mm of travel and 650b wheels

that I could ride as hard as I liked, and notfeel like I was constantly on the bike’s limit.The fact it weighs so little and is so capableunder pedalling is a massive bonus onlonger rides. I’d definitely jump up to aLarge though (I’m 5ft 8in) to get a bitmore cockpit room. Rob

TESTER SAYS...

“It’s hard not tofall for this orangebeast before evenhitting the trails”

Our test modelwas still in Solo

guise – productionbikes are 5010s

SANTA CRUZ 5010 CARBON

January 33

Form follows function, andit functions beautifully…

Santa Cruz’s Virtual Pivot Point – VPP– rear end, once fully dialled in, providesa decent amount of support when beingpushed hard on the descents, letting youpump into and through ugly, G-out stylecompressions with confidence and areassuring amount of exit speed.

Point the 5010 back uphill and you’llbe pleasantly surprised by the lack ofpedal bob and the sprightly fashion inwhich it wants to claw its way backup the trail.

Even with the shock fully open andthe climb stretching out in front of you,pedalling remains neutral enough thatyou won’t find yourself scrabbling forthe CTD (Climb Trail Descend) leverin a panic, just getting on with meteringout the power. Perfect.

We did notice some front wheel lifton steeper climbs though, as even witha 70mm stem fitted the 5010’s cockpitisn’t particularly stretched out. Still, forthe most part our 5ft 8in test pilot feltcomfortable with the 583mm (23in)toptube on this Medium frame and thestandard stem, but an extra fewmillimetres in the toptube certainlywouldn’t go amiss. It would improve theclimbing position and increasehigh-speed stability; in hindsight, we’dgo for a size Large next time around,with the only potential downside being

the lengthier seat tube. That has thepotential to scupper dropper postoptions later down the line, though.

When hitting rough ground, thoselarger diameter wheels help to booststability and trail confidence, butwithout dulling down any of the5010’s playful nature when it comesto tackling more technical terrain.You can pick your line down a root androck riddled trail in a self-assured,nimble manner, thanks to the agility andprecise handling created by that stiff,low slung frame. In fact, it doesn’t

take long until you start riding wellbeyond the normal boundaries of a125mm travel bike… which is wherewe need to return to the subject ofcomponent cohesion.

You’ll find Fox 32 forks on manybikes with similar amounts of travel tothis, and frequently it’s a smart choice.Here, though, the combination of theextremely capable frame and a set ofsuper-stiff carbon ENVE wheels asksquestions that only something burliercan answer. We’d certainly be temptedto plug in a bigger-stanchioned unit

RockShox Stealthdropper post is

a perfect matchfor the 5010

Above: Cables arekept out of harm’s

way neatly onthe downtube

34 January

such as Fox’s own Float 34 or RockShox’new 35mm-legged Pike, to really makethe most of the 5010’s hard-chargingpotential – even if it meant we ended uprunning an extra 10mm of travel. Theresulting rise in bottom bracket heightcould easily be counteracted by fittingoffset shock bushings.

The 32mm-legged Fox here certainlyisn’t bad, but when pushing hard– which the 5010 really does encourageyou to do – the flex in its relatively thinlegs really does become apparent.

SummaryConsidering the 125mm (4.9in) ofrear wheel travel, we felt we could pushthe 5010 harder even than manylonger-travel trail bikes on similarterrain. For those looking for a trail bikethat you can really push hard – withoutbeing held back on all-day stints in thesaddle – then this bike will set yourworld on fire. It’s the same blend thatNukeproof’s Mega TR (p26) aims for, butit’s the 5010 that nails it. Much of that

is budget: you can have 2.5 Mega TRsfor this price, and this particular 5010Cis littered with the cream of thecomponentry crop. But it’s worthremembering that it’s the frame that’sthe heart of any bike, and this is oneseriously impressive frame.

“The 5010 is extremely capable andloves to be ridden fast, which isexactly when it excels.”

“It doesn’t take longto ride well beyondthe boundaries of a125mm travel bike”

This bike is at the cuttingedge of trail bike designand build

SANTA CRUZ 5010 CARBON

ALSO CONSIDER

Norco Sight LE £5000Norco’s Gravity Tune geometry andthoroughly proven A.R.T suspensionsystem is known for delivering timeand again, and this 2014 offeringdoesn’t look likely to change.www.evanscycles.com

Santa Cruz 5010 aluframe £1799 (f/o)The aluminium version is certainlyworth a look – the lines might notbe quite as smooth or clean asthe carbon, but the fundamentalsare all there.www.santacruzbikes.co.uk

Devinci Troy Carbon RR£5499The lengthy front centre and lowbottom bracket mean the Troy is morethan happy going fast on rough terrain,with the throttle held wide open.www.havendistribution.co.uk

January 35

The Horsethief feelsmore nimble than its 30lb

weight suggests

51mm-offsetfork is integral

to the design

confidence-inspiring on steep, rough,natural descents too – the ‘local’ kindthat hit every root at an awkward angle,flick round the backs of trees and fire youinto the roughest ruts. It’s a playful trailbike, not a finicky XC bike, no matterwhat the headline numbers suggest. Thesimilarity of the deeper numbers toSpecialized’s Stumpjumper FSR 29 EVOis no bad thing either.

The Schwalbe Nobby Nics on our testbike are big, and a good indication of theupper size limit… and nothing else,thanks to the awful PaceStar compound.Clearance is tight, and big tyres leavelittle room for winter filth to fall through.Slimmer tyres (such as the HutchinsonToros we tried) help, but nothing stopsslime piling onto the mech mount, mainpivot and linkage. It’s quite a mud trap.

With a head angle of 68.1 degrees it’sneither notably slack nor steep, but thelonger fork offset the frame is designedfor – the axle is 51mm ahead of thesteering axis, not the common 46mm– puts the wheel further forward toeffectively slacken that angle. Salsa saysyou should fit a 530mm axle-to-crownfork with a 51mm offset – a Fox Float 32at 130mm/Float 34 at 120mm, thoughother makes will fit. The 51mm offset isimportant as it reduces trail to createquicker steering responses; a 46mmoffset fork may feel sluggish.

The Fox Float CTD rear shock has themid-level Performance damper insideand no Kashima outside, and the result isa slightly grey, muted response to hardcornering where there could be a morevibrant, colourful pop. It’s certainly not

The Horsethief first appeared in2011, but this is a newlyredesigned frame. The 2014version is shorter at the back,

stiffer, and half a degree slacker up front.It’s also a lot better.

With 120mm of rear travel and 29inwheels it may sound pretty XC, but evenif this build wasn’t a hefty 29lb 8ozwithout pedals, the Salsa’s heart lies inmore aggressive trails. It’s at home onworn descents, and it rarely feels asheavy as it is on the climbs. It’s agile too,with rapid yet well-planted steering thatonly starts to tuck, rather than pushwide, on the steepest, tightest lines.

Build optionsIt’s frame-only option in the UK, but ourimported Horsethief II features arepresentitive, if not top-end spec. Notethat UK frames are gunmetal grey (withlime decals) only, and not the vibrantgreen of this complete bike. Shame.

Back-to-back with a much lighterhardtail on pedally, twisty trails it’s asfun and (surprisingly) often as fast thanksto its predictable, feelsome stance undercornering, and its eagerness to pumpextra speed from every dip. It’s

AT A GLANCESALSA HORSETHIEF II

PRICE £1500 (f/o)

TOPTUBE LENGTH 24in


HEAD ANGLE 68.1°

SEAT ANGLE 73.5°

BB HEIGHT 13in


WHEELBASE 45.3in


WEIGHT 13.4kg (29lb 8oz)

FRAME Aluminium

FORK Fox F29 CTDEvolution, 130mm

SHOCK Fox Float CTDPerformance Boost Valve

WHEELS Stan’s ZTR Rapidrims, SRAM MTH hubs

TYRES Schwalbe Nobby NicPaceStar, 2.35in

DRIVETRAIN 2x10 SRAMX7/X9T

BRAKES Avid Elixir 7 Trail

OTHER STUFF WTB Voltsaddle

CONTACTwww.ison-distribution.com

proves surprisingly wild on foreign soil

THOROUGHLYMIDDLE-AMERICAN

36 January

There are a lot ofshelf-like surfaces

here to hold mud…

Wheel choice iskey; go for wide butlight to get the bestout of the frame

bad, though – just not amazing.If we were building a Horsethief, for

once we’d take the lower weight of a 32over the extra stiffness of a 34. Withbolt-thru axles at both ends and strong,wide wheels, the Horsethief is accurateenough to let you choose more zing andlower weight. These Stan’s ZTRRapid-rimmed wheels are a solid choice,and though the 21mm internal-widthrims aren’t available aftermarket, they’resimilar to Stan’s Crests. As with any29er, wheel choice is vital, and carbonhoops such as Whyte’s £1000 XC/Trailsor Superstar’s £749 AM Carbon Enduroswould be right at home.

Strong stoppingThe Split Pivot rear suspension providestaught pedalling thanks to its inherent

anti-squat – it rises underpower, counteractingpedalling forces withoutneeding loads of low-speedcompression (such as heavyProPedal) damping. It alsoallows the shock to workunhindered under braking, sostopping is strong. Groundclearance is good thanks to

the reasonably high (329mm) BB, thoughits 36mm drop below the axle line meansit feels poised neatly between precariousand low-slung. Sprint climbsstanding up and you’ll feel the

Despite initial reservationsabout the front triangle of theMedium being too short for me, Iloved my time on Salsa’s 2014Horsethief. Nothing about it is at

the extreme end of any measurement,strength or weakness, but while thiscan lead to utter averageness, here itdoesn’t. It’s surprisingly fun andconfident in a wide range of conditions,and feels like it has plenty more togive too. Steve

TESTER SAYS...

“It’s a confidenttrail bike, nota finicky cross-country bike”

Complete bikes getneat colour coding– it’s frame-only inthe UK, though

SALSA HORSETHIEF II

January 37

suspension pulsing, and not every riderlikes this – or the supple but slightlydisconnected feel Split Pivot creates – butwe had no issues here. It strikes a goodbalance between efficient pedalling andstability-enhancing plush that suits thisshort-travel, do-it-all frame well.

Sizing is good, and the shorter rearstays (437mm) combine with a well-proportioned toptube (610mm on the M)to create a stable, roomy bike that’s stilleasy to carve and pop around. If you’rearound six foot you’ve got a choicebetween Medium and Large, and whilesix-foot testers were happier on the Mthan expected, we’d recommend the Lfor the extra 20mm of toptube andwheelbase (with the same 437mm rear).

SummaryIt’s to the frame’s credit that, even in this£2300 build, it feels underdressed.

Vitally, the Horsethief – even cloaked inthis very solid if unspectacular kit – haswhat you need from an expensive,relatively rare boutique frame: that senseof being special, an air of quality, styleand exclusivity. As good as it is inreal-world dress, this redesigned frame

feels like it has more to give. That’s agood thing that bodes well for years ofriding and upgrading, and with a willingcredit card your Horsethief could besomething special – but totally usable.It’s a fun and characterful ride.

“The Split Pivot rearsuspension providestaught pedalling”

29ers can be harder tomanual than 26ers, but thisone pops up easily

“The Horsethief is a really enjoyable,capable and versatile frame witha pleasing premium feel.”


38 January

The ti frame is compliantin a good way, but can

flex in a bad way too

Lynskey’srightlyproud of itshand-craftedin Tennesseeheritage

further by Lynskey’s own titaniumseatpost, which combines verycomfortable give under stress withenough stiffness to resist unwantedtwisting under pedalling.

Unfortunately, you can’t say the samefor the frame itself. That titanium flexthat’s so comfy under vertical forcesallows the bike to bend laterally, leadingto imprecise responses under pressure.Pushing hard through corners and berms

results in a fair bit of twang on the exits,and the rear end lacks the directtaughtness of other materials whensprinting. The frame’s got a fair bit todeal with in that 130mm RockShoxRevelation fork – it’s a fairly long, stifflever to twist all that titanium. It’s aproven fork, though, and the qualityMotion Control damper inside ensuresimpressively controlled performance.

Quality kitThe wheels do a decent job of stayingstiff, as the Sun Ringle hubs are laced toWTB Frequency i23 rims. Their 21mminterior width supports tyres up to 2.2in,so the WTB Wolverine 2.2in tyres blowup with a round but stable profile. TheWolverines work well on hard-packedtrails, but their shallow tread lacks biteon natural winter terrain.

The largely X0-level SRAMcomponentry found elsewhere ispredictably excellent, if generally notquite as long-lived as its Shimanoequivalents. The 2x10 gearing with26/39T front rings and an 11-32Tcassette provides a great range ofgears, while the shifting from theX0 gears is crisp. Once bedded in,

Lynskey is one of the biggestnames in titanium. It’s wellknown for its own high-endframes, but other companies

also use its expertise – it’s built chassisfor Cove, Ragley and On-One, amongothers. The Pro650 is its trail hardtail,hand-crafted in Tennessee around amid-length 130mm fork and mid-sized650b wheels.

Corrosion freeTitanium alloys can create light,extremely compliant frames with a realspring in their step and zero chance ofcorrosion, and when steel ruled the worldthey were a major step forward. Theyhaven’t got any cheaper since then,however, as titanium remains as hardas ever to work with.

Is the Pro650 as smooth as we werepromised? In the end it’s still a hardtailand it’s always going to transmit thehits and smacks back to you, but thehigh frequency buzz of rough trails –especially rock-based trail centre ones– is noticeably dampened. It’s a morecomfortable ride than most carbonor aluminium frames, and usefullyfriendlier on the lower back. It’s helped

AT A GLANCELYNSKEY PRO650 VF

PRICE £1500 (f/o)

TOPTUBE LENGTH 23in


HEAD ANGLE 69°

SEAT ANGLE 74°

BB HEIGHT 12.5in

CHAINSTAY LENGTH 17in

WHEELBASE 44.5in



FRAME Double and triplebutted 3/2.5 titanium tubes

FORK RockShox Revelation,130mm

WHEELS WTB Frequency i23rims, Sun Ringle hubs

TYRES WTB Wolverine, 2.2in

CRANKS SRAM XO

GEARS SRAM XO

BRAKES SRAM XX,180/160mm rotors

OTHER STUFF Answer Procarbon bars, Rove XC 70mmstem, WTB Volt saddle

CONTACT www.hotlines-uk.com

e yns ey ro com nes var ouseras to create a modern trail bike

OLD NUMBERS,NEW WHEELS

40 January

As titanium isa hard metal towork with, theframe doesn’tcome cheap

SRAM XX brakesare as lush asthey look

the XX brakes stop squealing like stabbedpigs and offer plenty of power andmodulation.

The Pro650 frame is short. Measuringup we found our Medium has a 584mm(23in) toptube, which is at the shorterend of the scale. This results in a ratherperched feeling, which isn’t helped by abottom bracket that’s 318mm (12.5in) offthe ground and only 30mm lower thanthe axles – quite high for a hardtail withthis travel. The steep 69-degree headangle is only slightly softened by theslightly-bigger-than-26in wheels too. It’sto the Lynskey’s credit, then, that thisbike feels lively and active without everedging into nervous or confidence

sapping. Still, we recommendlooking at the larger sizes(L and XL) to get a longerfront centre, and go as largeas the standover allowed.

The cockpit is pretty muchspot-on, with a middling75mm Answer stem giving abit of extra room and the720mm bars – Answer’sexcellent Pro Taper – offeringauthority over the steeringwithout so much leverage as

to simply overwhelm the frame.

SummaryThe upcoming 2014 version will get a12mm axle and Lynskey’s impressively-twisted Helix downtube, though thestiffness benefits of the latter is less wellknown than the former. As it is, thePro650 is a flexy, fast and comfy XC flier.

LYNSKEY PRO650 VF

Despite making me feel a littleperched up in the air, thanks to thehighish bottom bracket, thePro650 is a really fun bike to beon. It’s not a modern feel, a long

sled ready to rip down anything you pointat it; it’s much more involving than that.Riding the Lynskey requires careful inputand considered line choice, and even thenyou’ve got to be ready for the bike to movearound. Frustrating at times, but farmore often rewarding. Tom

TESTER SAYS...

“It’s a morecomfortableride than mostcarbon oraluminium frames”

Answer cockpit– Pro carbon720mm barsand Rove XC

70mm stem – isspot on

“Navigate the short sizing successfullyand the Lynskey Pro650 VF is acompliant, fun ride.”

January 41

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44 January

News Views Opinions

IN FUEL THIS MONTH...

Knowhow p52So your expensive waterproofis a little leaky. What can youdo to fix it?

WTF? p54Triple-clamps, single-crowns,dual crowns… here’s what itall means

Opinionp64Writer Tom gets stressed outby how much technologyhas taken over

Eye Candyp50Go large with youradventures on Salsa’sBeargrease fat bike

January 45

THE RIDE OUTWhere is it? Strathpeffer

Bike Giant TranceRider Jenn Hopkins

Photographer Russell Burton

While everyone’s beendistracted by the finerpoints (and not-so finer

points) of wheel sizes, a quietrevolution of a different kind hasbeen taking place. And we do meanquiet. The only noise you’re likely tohear is the hum of an electric motor.If you’re of a certain age it may evenremind you of early mornings and theclink of milk bottles on doorsteps.

Electric bikes are here and, moreto the point, they’re now availablewith knobbly tyres. No longer just thepreserve of the unfit, the beardedand the Germans – who’ve been

News Views Opinions

E-BIKES:WILL THEYTAKE OVER?™Electric bikes are big in Europe – they even race them.Are they the next big thing on our trails too?

INVESTIGATION

enthusiastically buying far moree-bikes than any other Europeannation for reasons that aren’t entirelclear – bikes with motors arebecoming both mainstream andgenuinely off-roadable. But who arethey for, and are they any good?

The benefitsLeading the charge (pun intended) isGerman automotive componentmanufacturer Bosch. And Bosch,maintains Dan White of Cube, has‘cracked it.’ The company’s range ofdedicated motors now offersdesigners a viable off-the-peg

olution that makes the latest e-bikesook a lot less like the offspring of aicycle and a milk float, and a lotore like something you’d actuallyant to ride.Fitting a motor, battery and

ontroller into the limited space of abike frame isn’t that easy, butmanufacturers such as Cube,Cannondale and Haibike arebeginning to hone the placement ofall that extra bulk. And it is bulky –adding to, rather than replacing, abike’s transmission. It’s also veryheavy, adding around 8kg (18lb) toa typical full suspension bike.

There are many options,but Bosch started earlyand its second-generation designis well-developed

46 January

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Despite the weight they’re wayeasier to pedal than lighterunpowered bikes. As it’s sprungweight it doesn’t affect suspensionperformance in the difficult way thatunsprung weight – such as chunkywheels or heavy gearbox hubs –does, but there’s no doubt it puts astrain on suspension and brakecomponents designed to control farless mass than this.

The motors deliver up to 60Nm oftorque and power assistance up to15mph (25kmh) through the existingtransmission – bar the cranks, whichare bespoke. The control unit theresenses the rider’s input at thepedals, and matches it with a boostthe rider can tune.

So you pedal and the motor addsan extra kick. For injured riders it’spotentially a godsend, though there’sundeniably a fun aspect to theprospect of riding further and faster(a range-indicator displays how faryou can go based on battery state

and how you’re riding). Used flat outin full-on lazy mode, a Bosch 400drive unit is good for 30 miles. Use itsensibly and it can deliver 100 miles.

The law wonBut are these still bicycles? Ormotorcycles? Or perhaps mopeds?Metaphysical status aside, Europeanlaws limit power output to 250W,and the maximum assisted speed to15mph (25kmh). The electric motorcan only be engaged when the pedalsare being turned, too, meaningyou’ve got to be putting in someeffort rather than just twiddling athrottle. And, unlike bicycles, e-bikeriders must be over 14 years old.

That’s pretty much it on the legalfront. It’s all designed to prevente-bikes – which are fantastic forgreen, congestion-easing citycommuting – getting mired inlegislation designed for motorcycles.Because e-bikes qualify as bicycles,they can go anywhere a bicycle can

“Because e-bikes qualify asbicycles, they can go anywhere abicycle can go without a licence”

Weight distribution is more of achallenge than the mass itself – 18lbin the wrong place would be hideous

Next-level developmentor unnecessary fad? 2014sales will be the judge

January 47

48 January

iNews Views Opinions

go without a licence or insurance. InEngland and Wales, that meansbridleways, roads and trail centres,which generally follow legislativeconvention to define which users areallowed on their trails.

But do they really work there?There are certainly plenty of issues,

Cube’s Stereo e-bikes iskitted out with 650bwheels, 140mm Foxfork, and a Bosch motor

and not least is that even gentlepedalling gives you a power stroke,whether you want it or not – switchfeet or adjust the pedals into aslippery corner and you can get intotrouble. In the UK you really need totrust the manufacturers’ ability towaterproof those vital parts, too,while all that hard-to-centraliseweight – 45-50lb, plus mud – clearlyhas an effect on handling, brakingand performance in the air. Andpedalling it with a flat battery isn’tmuch fun either…

Cheat! Cheat!Purists, of course, see e-bikes in thesame way as Lance Armstrong’sblood supply. “A lot of my friendstease me about Cube’s e-bikes,”says Dan White. “And I’m like…‘Well, I’ve got one in the back of thevan, do you want a go?’ And eventhe haters, I guarantee, will havethe best day out mountain bikingthey’ve had for a long time.

“I’m still a purist. I think bikesshould be pedalled. But get out andride an e-bike – and then makeyour decision.”

I FOUGHT THE LAWThis monster, the Bomber fromAustralian outfit Stealth Electric Bikes,throws both conventional wisdom andlegislation out of the window. Tagged‘for off-road use only,’ it’s capable of50mph and features a nine-speedsequential gearbox. It weighs 53kg. Yes,kilograms – that’s not a typo. At 53kg(116lb) it’s just 1kg off a 145mph, 250ccMotoGP race bike.

We’ve ridden the Bomber and it’s ablast, though it’s more like a lightweightmotorcycle than a mountain bike. As adownhill machine with its own built-inuplift it starts to make (a bit) moresense. Although $9999 would buy aregular DH bike and a lot of uplifts…stealthelectricbikesunitedkingdom.com

“Even the haters willhave the best day outmountain biking they’vehad for a long time”

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Like most fat bikes, Salsa’sBeargrease (named for aMinnesota sled-dog marathon)

uses huge tyres on special 100mm-wide rims for a massive contactpatch that ‘floats’ bike and rider overdeep, loose surfaces that would haveregular bikes floundering.

While most people associate suchbikes with vast steel weight, archaicdesign and snail-like progress

through frozen wilderness, theBeargrease is one of a new breed ofmodern racers. The carbon framekeeps weight to a minimum – thewhole bike weighs 29lb – plus itfeatures a tapered steerer fork andthru-axles front and rear to keep ittracking true.

Unlike vanilla fat bikes that arecovered in rack mounts for globalepics, the Beargrease is pared down

to a pair of bottle cage mounts.Kicked-in chainstays give maximumheel clearance when wearing bulkywinter boots, while the broaddowntube acts as a mud/snowguard.

This model costs £2800 with aSRAM X7/9 drivetrain, Surly RollingDaryl rims and Avid BB7 cable discs.Does it work? It’s a race winner inthe legendary 350-mile Iditarod…www.salsacycles.com, www.ison-distribution.com

SALSA’S MADBEARGREASE

EYE CANDY

™Fat gets light with this wilderness-taming carbon racer

Making it turnThe huge inertia of the large rims andtyres means changing direction can be aponderous affair, but by using a fork witha large 51mm offset Salsa has livened theBeargrease back up without having to makeit too steep. Interestingly, the fork is thesame length as a 100mm travel suspensionunit, hinting at future fat bike development.

Big bottomMaking such a huge tyre fit meansan especially wide bottom bracket,combined with fat bike-specificcranks to give enough clearance.The 12mm thru-axle rear uses astaggering 177mm spacing– ‘regular’ bikes are 142mm. Upfront the tapered carbon fork hasa 15mm axle… with the 142mm hubsize usually found at the back.

Four inches of pleasureThe 45NRTH Dillinger tyres not only measure

a whopping 4in wide, they’re also available withmetal studs for riding on ice and – though you didn’t

hear this from us – the faces of your enemies. The hugevolume and supple 120tpi casing allow very low

pressures for maximum grip on soft snow and sand.

50 January

News Views Opinions

REJUVENATEYOUR WATERPROOFS™Can you restore old gear instead of buying new? Yes you can – here’s how

KNOWHOW

While most of us wash smellyinner layers between rides,waterproofs rarely get the

same care. And if you do wash thema lot, it can actually reduce theirperformance anyway.

Fabrics such as Gore-Tex andeVent are complex. They have abreathable waterproof membranewhich lets vapour through, but not

liquid, plus a hardwearing outerfabric for protection, which is itself.treated with a Durable WaterResistant (DWR) coating. This makeswater bead on the surface and stopsit soaking in, but the DWR coatingwears (or washes) off over time,leading to ‘wetting-out’ and stoppingthe vapour (your humid sweat) frompassing through the fabric.

So a well-worn jacket can leaveyou soaked, but as Edd fromwaterproofing specialist Grangerssays: “This isn’t the membraneletting water in, it’s your sweat notgetting out – waterproof fabric willonly let water in when it’s damaged.”

That DWR coating is vital, then,and restoring this invisible layer isthe basis of re-waterproofing.

52 January

6. CHOOSE FAST OR THOROUGHMany companies offer all-in-one wash andre-waterproofing products. Should you usethese, or are individual detergent andre-waterproofing products better?All-in-one’s only require one wash cycle,so they’re quicker, but your clothes willusally need to be (gently) heatedafterwards to activate the DWR. Their twocomponents work against each other, andthe DWR needs a heat boost. All-in-oneproducts don’t perform quite as well asindividual products.

7. CHOOSE SPRAY OR WASHRe-waterproofers come in two types –wash-in or spray-on. Wash-in productstreat the whole garment, but that’s okay asthe DWR will mostly only bind to existingDWR on the outer surface. Spray-ontreatments are better if the inner fabricis breathable.

8. DRY IT RIGHTGenerally you should let your garmentsdrip-dry after washing. However, if thegarment’s label allows, a cool-ish tumbledry can help speed up the process – plus,as mentioned earlier, it activates the DWRwhen an all-in-one solution has been used.Remember to empty the pockets of waterbefore hanging, though!

9. USE A QUICK FIXIf you don’t have time for a full wash, thereare a couple of quick fixes that can help.Firstly, you can wash the jacket with atechnical wash and not use a re-waterproofer at all. Removing dirt andsweat will boost breathability. Secondly,a quick run of an iron on its coolest settingcan rejuvenate existing DWR – but checkthe garment’s label first.

10. DIY DWR?As DWR is a coating, you can add waterrepellence to almost any clothes with awash-in product. It won’t last long, or be aseffective as factory DWR though, as properwaterproofs are built with physicallyresistant details and heat-treated duringproduction; Gore takes its fabric to 300degrees. Try doing that with an iron!

3. RUB-A-DUB-DUBWashing machines can harbour residuesfrom regular detergents, and LancashireSports Repairs suggests a quick empty runto clean it out. Once you put your clothesin, run them through on a 30 or 40-degreeregular cycle, with the zips zipped up andtoggles shortened as much as possible.

4. PAY FOR THE BEST RESULTSA proper technical wash can be pricey– expect to pay £6-£7 for 300ml forGrangers or Nikwax-type product. Nikwaxsays two garments will need 100ml ofwashing liquid in soft water areas or 150mlif your water is hard, so you’ll get throughit quickly, too. These detergents don’t haveany additives, however, and unlike soapflakes, don’t create a scum in hard water.

5. REMEMBER IT’S WORTH ITNow your gear is properly prepared, you’reready to get to work – new DWR will onlyreplenish old DWR if it’s clean. Re-waterproofers add a new DWR coating,enabling water to bead and membranes tobreathe. How much performance will itrestore? Once the DWR is reapplied, yourclothes should perform ‘pretty much asnew,’ says Grangers.

1. KEEP IT CLEANMud, grit and sweat clog the membrane,and the abrasive mush can wear away theDWR with friction. Waterproofing specialistGrangers suggests spraying off visible mudafter each ride, and doing proper washesevery three rides or so.

2. TAKE CARE WITH CHEMICALSRegular detergents have additives, such asperfume, and are designed to wet-out thefabric so the detergent passes through –which is not how waterproofs work. Manyrecommend special ‘tech washes’ instead,but surprisingly Gore says they don’t reallyoffer any benefit. Anecdotally we’ve foundour stuff needs re-waterproofing moreoften when using normal detergents,however. And definitely avoid fabricconditioners and stain removers.

10 STEPS TO SUCCESS

January 53

News Views Opinions

WHAT ARETRIPLE-CLAMP

FORKS?

?WTFLIFE’S BIG QUESTIONS

ANSWERED

ou see these on downhillbikes, and Specializedfitted its own triple-clamp forks to the very

trail-oriented Enduro SL between2007 and 2009. Even manysupermarket bikes have them.So why, if they work well and aren’tnecessarily expensive to make, aremost forks just single-crown?

THE ISSUESThe seemingly obvious issues arehigh weight and low steering lock.But these are misconceptions. Andlet’s clear up another misconception:while ‘regular’ forks are known assingle crown, these aren’t triplecrown – they’re triple clamp, anddual crown. The ‘triple’ refers to thethree holes in each clamp (two forthe fork legs and one for thesteerer). The ‘single’ and ‘triple’prefixes refer to two different things.

While most triple-clamps areheavy, it’s not because of the extrastanchion. It’s because such forksare either a) cheap rubbish andtriple-clamp because they’re actuallyeasier to make or b) have 200mmof travel, and have to cope withenormous impacts and leverage.

WHY LOOKS MATTERIt’s harder to brace the fork legs in asingle-crown design (try controlling

a broom with one hand instead oftwo) than a dual-crown. And twosimple clamps needn’t weigh morethan one complex, tough 3D one.

For instance the 203mm travelFox 40 Float weighs 2710g, whereasRockShox’ Domain R – single crownand 160mm – is actually heavier at2801g. Okay, the Fox 40 is a cutting-edge air-sprung design and theDomain is an affordable coil-springthat can stretch to 180mm, sothey’re not comparable for value,but they do show what can bedone with the best design andmaterials. They also make sense ofSpecialized’s decision to use tripleclamps when it built its own e150forks for the 2007 Enduro.

Nevertheless, the customers’perception of weight is ingrainedenough to be a real problem. Simplyput, they look heavy.

WILL THEY FIT ANY FRAME?More tricky is the steering lockissue, though even this isn’t as badas many assume – even very long,slack downhill bikes get round tightharpins, after all. While it can beunsettling to run out of lock, thebigger issue is what happens in acrash. Because the bars stop turningsomething else has to give: framesneed extra strength and protectionagainst the stanchions, and that

Y

adds weight. Even tough bars such asRenthal’s Fatbars can snap if they can’tspin out of the way; all the failuresRenthal knows of have been ontriple-clamp forks. It’s a bad idea to fittriple-clamps to a frame that’s notmeant for them.

So, these forks are a strongengineering solution that has someissues on mountain bikes – but notreally the issues you might think.

54 January

THINGSYOU’DNEVERKNOW*5

*Unless we told you

P I C T U R E S T O R Y

IT’S IN ECUADORThis is the Mama Rumi route , which ends in Telimbela, Bolivar, inEcuador. The nearest big town is San Miguel. There are many SanMiguels across South America (it means St Michael), but if you’rethinking of the beer, you’re off course – that’s in the Philippines.

IT WAS BUILT BY SMUGGLERSThis fantastic trail was originally an alcohol bootlegging route used bysmugglers. Alcohol, as you may know, is quite popular, which may bewhy the trail is carved so deeply into the hillside in places that it almostmakes a natural half pipe.

THOSE ARE BANANA TREESThis part of the route is towards the bottom and goes through abanana plantation. It’s ridiculously slippery thanks to all the leaves onthe ground – at times it was hard for the photographer to stand up, letalone for the riders to ride it.

THERE ARE TWO STARS HEREThe rider is Wade Simmons , Canadian ‘godfather of freeride’ andwinner of the first ever Red Bull Rampage. Which goes a long way toexplaining how he’s still upright rather than slithering down on hisface. And behind the lens is Dan Barham , Vancouver-basedMancunian. Highly respected for his photography and videography,Dan’s first big shoot was for – you guessed it – What Mountain Bike.

YOU CAN RIDE ITIt’s one of the longest descents in Ecuador, and there’s a race everyyear (www.facebook.com/DownhillMamaRumi) . You can also find touroperators who run rides there. Just watch out for the tarantulas…

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3

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56 January

News Views Opinions

January 57

DIfewerTo be fair, sand justifiably come

separate ‘for running’ classification, but themajority are from the same genus: a whale-tail,back pockets, reflective emblems and clever cufftapering. There’s a good array of colours so Icould excuse my consumption-frenzy with theneed for coordination, but a black jacket goeswith everything and there are at least half adozen of those. And yes, I’ve paid for them all.

It dawned on me, as I sat adrift in the sea ofGore-Tex, that I’d been well and truly marketed.The season-by-season advertising that told meof superior this and never-before-seen that hadwriggled into the part of my brain responsiblefor rational decision making, and I’d willinglyhanded over the credit card with the certaintythat this £100 would change my wet-weatherriding into the effortless, extreme-comfortexperience I knew it could be. But like all theothers, that jacket, with its gotta-try-it-to-believe-it new feature, was soon relegated tothe under-bed jacket graveyard as the latestmodel came blinging into sight.

I cast my mind back to the early days of mymountain biking life, when I’d enthusiastically

ven if itcleaning my

se days any bit ofust one thing – good

red.remember my first massive wet weather

ride, from North to South Wales. It was March,windy, stormy and – let’s not forget – Wales, soit rained constantly. Dropping into Dolwyddelanin the shadow of a clag-topped Moel Siabod therain lashed my face, but I was smiling…cocooned and safe from all that Welsh weatherby my head-to-foot waterproof… whatever.I was dry, warm and riding my bike, and thatmemory is clear, but I can’t remember what Iwas wearing. I just remember being happy.

So my new month’s resolution is to lookbackwards to the days when I didn’t own 19waterproof jackets; to when riding in the rainwas about staying dry and not comparinghydrostatic head ratings. This winter I willdecommission the kit-critic part of me andinstead strive to seek out the simplicity of thatgorgeously indulgent cocooned feeling andbreathe it in every chance I can.

And if my jacket doesn’t coordinate with oneof the 36 different jerseys or 28 pairs of shortsI could be wearing at any one time, I’ll be braveand get over it.

58 January

With a cycling heritage that flits unashamedly from racing round (and round) in circles to epic tours ofunpronounceable lands, Fi Spotswood is a clusterbomb of knowledge, opinion and feeling for that beloved, ill-definedpastime we know as cross-country mountain biking.

In-country

DE-CLUTTERING HER WINTERWARDROBE HAS LEFT FI PINING

FOR SIMPLER TIMES

T H E F I S P O T S W O O D C O L U M N

60 January

My thumbs hurt. They ache all thetime, but after riding they reallythrob; being locked around gripsdoesn’t suit them. It’s got to thepoint that I took my hands to

the doctor to show him my thumbs.Rather than looking at them as I sit

opposite, thumbs up in a Fonzie from HappyDays stance, he taps fitfully on his computerbefore turning round. “Well, you’ve brokenboth of them, haven’t you?” (At this point Idrop my thumbs.) To add insult to injury,albeit a self-inflicted one, he continued,“You’re not as young as you used to be andthese injuries can flair up a bit.”

That was it – no splints or salves. I can takepainkillers if I want to, but there’s nothing elseto be done. But as I pedalled home I stoppedfeeling so bad. At some point soon I’ll be ableto use my thumbs as examples of how extremeI’ve been, probably in some post-ride pubcompetition for who’s had the most injuries.

What’s interesting about those moments isthat there’s rarely a sad face and story ofpain… well, perhaps a bit if you want to tell areally good story. Tales are mostly recountedwith a bit of swagger, invisible handlebars outin front, air bikes making weird shapesthrough an invisible forest towards the‘biggest tank slapper ever’, or a ‘massivelyoversent jump’ or ‘straight into the rockgarden at full chat’ and finally the crash that

caused the injury. Cue the removal of an itemof clothing or the rolling up of a trouser leg toshow the scars, the staple marks or weirdbeaten curve of an ankle.

You sense you belong to a special group –those who’ve crashed and come back for more.We’re heroes of the trail! I’m sure most of youhave bent, broken, gashed, separated or tornsomething. Perhaps you’re gingerly rotatingsomething as you read this.

My thumbs are the least of my injuries,really. I’ve snapped ankles, wrists and hadsurgery on my knees. Injuries are a bit like arelationship break up. They’re really hard atfirst, and it might take you time to get back onyour feet, but you’ll look back at that time withfond memories a second before realizing yourlimits were back there on the trail and you hitthe ground, again.

Not long ago, as I creaked downstairs (myright hip isn’t my morning friend) to make acuppa, take Glucosamine and do weird wrist-twisting rituals to kick them in to life), mylong-suffering partner looked at me, then ourone-year-old son, and shook her head. ”Whaton earth are you going to be like when he’sgrown up?” she said.

Obviously, I didn’t answer – I may begung-ho but I’m not stupid – but I imagine I’llhave a new knee and hip, and maybe use astick. But when he asks me why I’m hobblingI’m going to have some great tales to tell him!

Years of trail riding – plus racing everything from endurance to downhill – probably didn’t take the psychic toll thatworking in a bike shop did. But he’s working through all that now, and it’s important to share…

Trails & Tribulations

DON’T LET THOSE INJURIESAND ACCIDENTS KEEP YOU OUT

OF THE SADDLE

T H E M A T T L E T C H C O L U M N

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Once the magazine has downloaded, no internetconnection is required. So don’t delay – go digital!

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KEEP RIDINGThe Waterfoot Women Wheelers(and Ted!) prove that cold anddark nights don’t mean an end tomountain biking. We ride everyWednesday evening and Sundayafternoons, rain or shine, summerand winter. It also shows thatwomen do love to ride mountainbikes – there are around 15 of uswhen everyone is out.

Our pic was taken atCompston’s Cross in Rossendale,Lancashire. It features from left toright Ted Maden (honorary

but the PaceStar compound is plastickyand can be treacherous, especially on wetrocks and roots. Even with the same treadpattern, the difference between thecompounds in cornering, braking andaccelerative grip is marked. Schwalbeisn’t alone in this, and it’s common to findcheaper, harder-compound versions ofpopular tyres on bikes from many brands.

Interestingly, 29ers (and to a lesserextent) 650b bikes feel less sketchy onhard compounds than 26ers.

In truth, Schwalbe tyres cannot besaid to be ‘good’ or ‘bad’ as that’s justtoo sweeping a statement. It’s morecomplicated than that! There are manyfactors in a tyre’s performance – whether

READERS’ PICTURESWhere have you been riding this month? Emailus your pictures to [email protected]

Got something to say? Send your lettersand photos to [email protected] we’ll print them here…

TRAIL TALK

TEXT US FROMTHE TRAILS!Send photos from yourmobile to 87474 with thetext ‘WMBPIC’. Text yourentry for 25p!

member), Jackie Lord, HeatherButterworth, Janice Morton andme. Candice Harwood took the pic.Claire Kirk, by email

WMB says: Hi Claire, thanks for the pic. It’sgood to see so many of you out enjoyingyour bikes, whatever the weather. It’swhat it’s all about. Happy trails! Su

TYRE CONFUSIONI’m puzzled and perhaps you canexplain why, in issue 154, Schwalbetyres are praised up in your Gear ofthe Year section, yet in issue 155every time a review bike hasSchwalbe tyres they’re criticisedand we’re urged to change them assoon as possible! Are they good orto be avoided?Paul Diss, by email

WMB says: Hi Paul. The differencebetween the good and bad Schwalbetyres, as we point out in #155, is in thecompound of the rubber. Schwalbe usesthree main compounds: the soft VertStar,medium TrailStar and hard PaceStar.

Schwalbe makes a lot of great tyres,and in VertStar especially we’re big fans,

Not all tyres are createdequal – the compound,carcass and beadmaterial all have majoreffects on what canlook like the same tyre

News Views Opinions

RIDER: Becs MorganBIKES: Trek Lush S & Lapierre Zesty 714SNAPPER: Tim GreenWHERE: Dunkery Beacon, Exmoor

RIDER: Max AinscoughBIKE: Titus X CarbonSNAPPER: Ben DaviesWHERE: Ladybower, Derbyshire

RIDER: Steve WalkerSNAPPER: Jason HodgettsWHERE: Follow The Dog,Cannock Chase

Get yourself some warmkit and decent lights and

ride on through the winter

62 January

it’s Schwalbe or any other company –and the compliance of the rubber isa big one. Steve

TO WEAR ORNOT TO WEAR?Having read Matt Letch’s column inyour November issue, I’d like to letyou know about my decision aboutwearing a helmet or not. I got intomountain biking later in life. I havean eight-year-old daughter and I’dprefer to be able to laugh at herclothes or boyfriend while it’s stillpossible, than risk injury from amajor spill and not even know she’sin the same room. I would alwaysrecommend wearing a helmet.Tim Abbott, by email

WMB says: We’re with you on that, Tim.Concussion is no fun, and who wantsworse? The separate subject of legislationis trickier – should we be responsible forourselves, or be infantalised by agovernment that decides for us? Okay, soit’s not that tricky – but I personallyalways choose to wear one. I like ridingfast and want to keep doing it! Steve

EMBRACE CHANGEI recently rode my first mountainbike again, an excellent no-namebike now used by my son. I canhardly understand how 10 yearsago I could ride the trails in myback yard (in Greece) on such aheavy and badly-sprung hardtail!

Still, that bike gave me the tastefor the sport, and now my bikinginvolves almost exclusivelyexcursions along the very rockynatural trails near me. In thesecircumstances, there’s no doubt inmy mind that 29ers are far superiorto 26in-wheeled bikes. Now theindustry has got its 29er acttogether, I’m saying goodbye to my26in hardtail in order to buy a 29infull suss. Mountain bike design hasgone through some radical changesin the last five years!Marc Salzer, by email

WMB says: It certainly has, and quality,choice and value is better than ever. Andif you ever want to hit those rocks harderbut still roll over easily, try 650b… Steve

Twitter:@wmbmag

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EDITORIALEditor: Steve Williams [email protected]: Robin Coomber [email protected]:Mark Rutkowski [email protected]: Jon Woodhouse [email protected]: Guy Kesteven [email protected]: Su Kear [email protected]:Jo Burt, Max Darkins, James Huang, Simon Greenacre, Matt Letch, Tom Marvin,Andy McCandlish, Ric McLaughlin, Seb Rogers, Fi Spotswood, Robin Weaver

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16,074A member of the AuditBureau of Circulations

Jan-Dec 2012

26in wheels, QR axles, spindlyheadtubes, narrow bars, longstems, tall seat tubes…2009’s bikes were simplyless capable than today’s

Ah, technology. Billions of ones andzeroes flying around in the ether,doing magical things that make

everything better. These streams of binarycodes dominate our lives now. The world isruled by the pixel and the bit. You can’t getaway from those tiny little squares for lovenor money, especially when the NSA getsinvolved. Inevitably, even in our simpleworld of mountain biking, gadgetry ismuscling its way in. Smartphones, GPS,GoPros, heart rate monitors… all havetaken the place of the simple wired speedo(or wildly exaggerated guess) we hadas kids.

GPS devices, those tiny boxes ofsuper-clever satellite technology, could’vebeen designed for me. GlobalPositioning Satellite coordinatesare accurate enough for

the US army –

they should be,as it’s an army

system. GPS was onlymade public, by President

Reagan, after the Soviets‘accidentally’ shot down an

off-course Korean airliner.It’s magic. In fact,

GPS is so clever itactually allows forthat whole Special

Relativity thingthat Einstein had

such a hitwith: it

compensatesfor the

clocks in

“Inevitably, even in our simple worldof mountain biking, gadgetry

is muscling its way in”

OPINION

Words: Tom Marvin Illustration: Jo Burt

the satellites running faster than the oneson the ground. They do that as they’refurther from the Earth, andtime itself runs slowernear a massive body(one of the manyreasons The NuttyProfessor was so painfulto sit through. I know thatmovie was 13 years ago, but Ican’t let it go).

Back in the day we justlooked at a map. Somepeople wereable to

remember more thanone junction ahead, saving

the inevitable faff of map readingat every turn, but not me – my

sputtering memory meant maps just ruinedmy flow. I’d constantly have to stop, takeoff my bag, find the map, work out where Iwas and where I wanted to go, stow themap and put the bag back on. A kilometrelater I’d have to do it all over again, lest Iend up in Yorkshire’s version of theSomme. Sigh.

So the GPS should’ve been my epiphany,a device to guide me anywhere. Gone! Thefaffing. Gone! The worry I was going to endup in the middle of nowhere with nosandwiches left. Plus I’d have an estimateof how much fat I’d burnt, everything.Imagine the power!

Instead frustration, anger andinterminable beeping leave me weeping bythe side of the trail as my GPS gets evenmore confused than I used to. One minute Ihave 20 miles to go, the next I’ve passedmy destination and need to make a U-turn.The touch screen doesn’t like to betouched, but thinks every bump is a thickfinger wanting the backlight and a displayof what my max speed was yesterday. Myblood pressure rises, the foliage curls at mylanguage and the screen learns the hardway what a stabbing finger really feels like.

Yesterday, in a fit of anger, I stoppedand looked at a map. Technology?Bollocks to it.

CK RELEASESWales is getting its own Cycle Show to be held 5-6 April 2014 at the National Velodrome in Newport. Check out bikesfrom Trek, Whyte and more and get your mountain bike skills assessed. www.welshcycleshow.com

January 65

THE RIDE BACKWhere is it?Cwm RhaeadrRiders Gareth Rees,Carl JenningsBikes Santa Cruz Heckler,Orange FivePhotographer Russell Burton

66 January

Choose YourPerfect BrakeThere are more brakes on sale than stars in the sky.Nearly. So how do you know which you need, and whatadjustments, sizes and specs to choose? Read on…

Disc brakes haverevolutionised mountainbiking. The control andconfidence even themost basic hydraulic

systems give is enormous.

Cable discs are cheaper!Yes. But if you want performance,you want hydraulic. Cable-operateddiscs are better than rim brakes,but performance drops badly in thewet. By contrast, the solid hydraulicconnection between lever and padgives far greater feel than a stretchycable, and high leverage ratios meanbig power for little squeeze; brakesthat work with one finger leavethree others to grip the bars.

Hydraulics also compensateautomatically for pad wear andheat expansion, while cable brakesrely on frequent adjustments of thepad spacing, wire tension and camposition. Hydraulics aren’t as scaryto bleed/service as they seem, either.

Which fitment is best?All the callipers here attach withtwo bolts – either directly to apost mount on the frame or fork,or to a bracket that then attachesto an International Standard (IS)mount (IS mounts hold their boltshorizontally across the frame/fork.Post mount bolts lie within a linedrawn parallel to the length of thebike). Most forks switched over

to post mounts some years ago,and PM is rapidly becoming morecommon on frames too, as they’reeasier to adjust.

With remote levers for dropperposts and suspension lockoutsfilling up bars with extra clamps,the availability of combinedmounts to tidy it all up is key.

What size discs?The bigger the rotor, the greaterthe power – each 20mm increasein diameter brings a 20% increasein stopping power – and biggerrotors run cooler on long descents.Check your frame has theclearance and your fork is ratedfor the sizes you pick, though. The

January 67

common 180mm front/160mm rearcombination is a great compromisefor trail (and cross-country, unlessyou’re counting grams), but you cango as small as 140mm or as large as220mm. These extremes are rare:203mm is the biggest common size,and if your bike is heavy (33lb+) oryou ride a lot of steep/fast descents, a203mm front disc is a good upgrade.

It’s unusual to need more thana 180mm rotor on the back onanything aimed at trails, as it’s thefront that does all the stopping – andthis unweights rear tyres, reducingtheir ability to use the extra power.

Manufacturers are increasinglyselling brakes (lever, hose andcalliper) separately to rotors andmounts, so you don’t have to replaceeverything. Check your new brakesyncs properly – any part of the padnot ‘swept’ by the rotor will form alip that stops the pads pushing ontothe rotor. A 5mm difference counts,so check you’re not putting a 180mmdisc together with a 185mm mount.

Are they reliable?None of the brakes in this test (or insister mag MBUK’s, out Feb 7) havefailed. But some designs are moreconsistent over time than others. Ifyou plan to service and adjust yourbrakes, check with our reviews thatthey’re easy to bleed – which is tosay, it’s easy to get all the bubblesout. Unlike hydraulic fluid, air canbe compressed, so improperly bledbrakes get spongy and weak.

The importance of controlNumb, uncommunicative brakesare a problem when you’re trying

Do I need adjusters?Leverage adjustment is a premiumfeature, but even the simplestbrakes have a reach adjuster forwinding the resting position in andout from the bars. Simple ones areAllen key adjusted; others are tool-free, but once you’ve set them upthere’s little need to change them.

More advanced brakes let youadjust the bite point/free stroke (howfar the lever moves before the padshit the rotor) independently of reach.However, this adds complexity,weight, cost and potential reliabilityissues, and in many designsthe adjustment is minimal andinconsistent between levers.

Are expensive ones better?Prices vary widely, and there’s notalways a direct correlation betweenprice and performance. Moreexpensive brakes should use moreexpensive materials – such as carbonand titanium – to save weight, oroffer extra power and adjustability.That said, some super-expensive XCbrakes are stripped of everythingpossible to shed grams.

There’s scope to spend selectively.The most popular upgradesare rotors; different sizes andlightweight options are obvious,but there are other options, mostlyaimed at dissipating more heat

to control speed in places whereeven a momentary lock-up canhave big consequences. You needa progressive, predictable increasethat’s related to lever pull – and youneed it just as much as power. Thisdoesn’t show in the numbers, andthat’s where our testing comes in.

How this modulation feels at thelever is down to personal preference.Some like a direct, instant responsewith tiny pressures; others a slowerbuilding wave for a longer squeeze;many are in between. Not all leverswork well in all settings… Formula’sradial levers don’t work well if runclose to the grips, for instance.Again, we’ll let you know any issues.

Servicing your brakes canmake a massive difference– and is far cheaper thanbuying new. First thingsfirst: replace the fluidand bleed your brakes.Hydraulic fluid graduallysucks in water from the

atmosphere, which makesthem soft and squishy,while any air makes themvery spongy. Air alsoexpands with heat,potentially locking thelever. Clean the rotors withdisc brake cleaner or

alcohol regularly, andcheck the pistons aremoving freely in thecalliper. It’s not uncommonfor them to stick. Ifthey still aren’t givingpredictable braking, it’stime to upgrade.

DON’T REPLACE, REFRESH

Tester Guy (Alien-shapedskull) and the folks atHope (youthful) get readyto torture our test unitson the dyno

Yes, that’s a mountainbike brake running at690°C, or 1274°F!Impressive, no?

68 January

to avoid warping and glazing.Shimano’s Ice Tech rotorssandwich aluminium centres intwo steel braking surfaces, whilefloating or semi-floating designscarry their heavy steel surfaceson separate (often aluminium)spiders. Fully floating discs aretwo separate pieces; semi-floatingare one piece, but cut and pinnedat half the spokes to allow heat-growth to occur without forcingthe whole disc to warp. You canalso fit tough braided hoses, anddry-break connectors for dealingwith internal cable routing.

Can I upgrade pads?Yes! Resin pads are popularstandard fitments, as they’re quietand work better than sinteredfrom cold. Premium pads canadd performance; dyno testingshowed that RWD’s resin pads,for instance, boost power 10% –and offer better heat resistance– over Avid’s standard resin pads.However, resin pads fade whenwarm and can fail completely withextreme heat, as the resin meltsand the discs ‘aquaplane’ on acushion of gas vapour.

Sintered pads (full of metalparticles) offer slightly lessfriction, but stay consistent at alltemperatures and last longer.

TURN OVER FOR THE BEST BRAKES

DISC BRAKES£105-£309

The padsThere are many materials and hundreds of differentshapes, but beyond getting the correct shape foryour calliper, you have two real choices: sintered orresin (also known as organic). Sintered pads areimpregnated with metallic particles, which meansthey last longer and deal with heat better. Resinpads are often quieter, but not always.

The master cylinderIt’s built into the lever and clamp bodyup on the bars, which also carries thefluid reservoir. The cylinder pumps fluidthrough the system, and houses theleverage/bite point adjustments.

The calliperTwin-piston (or two-pot) brakes use opposing pistonsto squeeze pads against the rotor. The calliper is the

shell that holds them in place; it must resist the pistonforces trying to push it apart. Some are formed

from one piece for strength, but they’re harder tomanufacture than the weaker design of two sidesbolted together. Four-piston (four-pot) brakes use

two pistons each side, and push longer pads.

The rotorThe larger the rotor the greater the leverage

the calliper has, and the greater the response.Solid rotors are simple to make but the heat of

long descents can force the disc to warp – the hotedges expand more than the centre, and the only way

it can go is sideways. Floating rotors mount thebraking surface on a separate alloy spider, and

joining dowels allow vertical expansion. Shimano’s Ice Techrotors tackle heat by sandwiching an aluminium core

between the two steel braking surfaces.

January 69

The biggest part of testing is toride all these brakes, in closelycomparable conditions. To check

reliability and versatility we’ve beenriding most – or their predecessors– for years in the widest range ofconditions. We also grill local shopmechanics to double-check ourdurability and servicing data.

We’ve tested every brake(using a new front unit and a 180mmdisc) on a state-of-the-art dynoto find definitive power results.Each was run on a series of leverforce-calibrated stops from30kmh, and we’ve given heat-fadeinformation where relevant. All thebrakes were tested with the clamp for

the actuator piston fixed where yourfinger would sit naturally if onefinger braking. Where possible, bitepoints were set so the pads bit withthe lever parallel to the bars forequal leverage. In the interests offairness – as Hope owns this dyno –we pulled the Hope brakes testedourselves, at random, from its stock.

Reliability of all our newgeneration Magura brakes hasbeen good, and bleeding is noworse than most units withthe Magura kit. That’s a goodthing, as you’ll have to chop theexcessively long hoses down.

Angle-adjustable hosesand top-loading pads makesetting up simple, but thoroughbedding in is essential to getthe full power and lifespanfrom the pads. And even whenproperly prepped, the MT8sonly give adequate stoppingpower. Smoothly-squeezedmodulation is good enough tocope with slippery winter traildescents though, and all rotorsizes are the same price. It’sexpensive, though, and there’sno brake-only option.

As the flagship ofthe German Magura

family, the MT8 is lightbut expensive, niggly andwith adequate rather thanaspirational braking power.

The Carbotecture SLcomposite material andminimalist Storm SL rotormake it the second lightestbrake here. Your fingerswon’t be slipping off thebroad, deeply crooked levereither, although our long-term samples started to rattleafter only a couple of months.

The captured-bolt barclamp fixtures need seriousTLC, and you’ll be scupperedif you lose one in the field asyou can’t use the usual trickof bunging a bottle cage boltin as an emergency fix.

“Super-light race brake with decentcontrol, but awkward clamp andinevitable hose-cutting niggles.”

“Thorough bedding in isessential to get the fullpower potential”

Magura MT8 £300Weight 339g (180mm front) Power 90Nm Contact www.zyro.co.uk

Magura’s composite MTSis a decent weight and

price, so long as you don’twant tons of stopping poweror adjustment features.

For £20 more than the MT4the MTS gets a CarbotectureSL composite master cylinderwith a hollow-pin lever pivot,and the lightweight StormSL – rather than plain Storm –rotor. The result is a raceableweight at a more reasonableprice than most brakes ofsimilar mass. It gives good,subtle feedback through thebroad and crooked alloy leverblade, although the not-so-stiff composite body means asoft and slightly flexy feel ifyou’re really hauling on them.

You don’t get the tool-freebite point adjust of the MT4s

and power is relatively lowcompared to most modern trailbrakes, so you might want totake advantage of the flat priceon rotors and go up a size.There’s no brake-only option,which is a pain if you’ve got arotor and hardware that willwork with it.

As with the MT8s (left),having to cut overlonghoses down from the start isannoying, even if bleedingis relatively simple, and theminimalist clamp bolts arenerve-wracking to work with.Bedding in also needs patiencefor full performance and padlife, but the power equals thelighter MT8s and reliability isgenerally good once they’refinally on and set up.

“It gives good, subtlefeedback through thebroad and crooked lever”

“Reliable and softly communicativefor the money, but overlong hosesand fragile clamps.”

Magura MTS £160Weight 414g (180mm front) Power 92Nm Contact www.zyro.co.uk

70 January

BRAKES

brake is sold separately if youdon’t need a rotor, and it canalso be upgraded with leverageadjusters and a very clever drybreak coupling for bleed-freeinternal routing.

It takes a while to bed in,but once sorted lever feel issmoothly progressive, witha slight squeeze rather thana direct hardness. Power isadequate if not amazing for atwin-pot brake, but modulationis excellent, even on theslipperiest slopes.

We only received the brakeweeks before the test deadlineso its longterm durability iscurrently unproven. We’vehad no issues with fade,overheating or generalreliability so far.

Formula’s all-new C1is designed as an all-

rounder entry point to thepremium Italian brand…and that’s exactly what it is.

It’s distinctive looking, withthe fluid reservoir at the farend of the lever body ratherthan above it. The lever pistonsits in a self-contained (andreplaceable) cartridge in thecentre, with the hose exitinghalfway along the body. Itstill feels and operates likea conventional brake, andweight is competitive for the£125 brake-only price.

Pad retraction is extrawide so it’s easy to set uprub-free even in wet andgritty conditions, and it’sambidextrous for easy swapsif you ride Euro-style. The

“Not very powerful, but light withsoftly-spoken modulation and neatupgrade options.”

“Power is adequate if notamazing, but modulationis excellent”

Formula C1 £165Weight 406g (180mm front) Power 98Nm Contact www.silverfish-uk.com

The Race E4 is simply arenamed Race Evo M4,

but it’s still a beautifullybuilt mid-weight, mid-power,high-control Enduro brake…though that’s premium price.

The minimalist Race lever,with its drilled alloy blade andlightweight cutaway clamp,combines with a titanium boltkit to save over 50g comparedto the Tech 3-lever version.The short crooked blade isdrilled for dirty weather gripand, despite its small size,it’s actually more powerfulthan the same calliper withthe Tech 3 lever thanks to analtered pivot position.

There’s no bite point orexternal reach adjust onthe Race lever, but controlis still very good thanks to

the progressive application ofthe pistons behind each sideof the long pads. Power witha 183mm rotor is more thanenough for most situations,and sintered pads as standardmean extended lifespans in UKconditions, which helps offsetthe price a little.

Overall reliability andHope’s factory-direct backupis outstanding, with onlyoccasional squeal interruptingan otherwise fit-and-forgetperformance from all themulti-pot Hope brakes we’vebeen running as longtermers.The quality UK workmanship,titanium hardware and optionalfloating rotors are reflectedin the price, but the brake isavailable for £180 on its own.

“Sintered pads as standardmean extended lifespansin UK conditions”

“Beautifully made with controlledpower, excellent reliability andfactory backup, but expensive.”

Hope Stealth Race EVO E4 £221Weight 416g (183mm front) Power 115Nm Contact www.hopetech.com

January 71

BRAKES

Another new brake fromFormula; its radical R1

Racing reverses conventionaloperation to create thelightest disc brake available.

While the big, very wellproven R1 calliper and padare unchanged, the riderend of the Racing gets a newlayout. The large reservoir isnow side-mounted with a bigplastic cap to reduce weight,while the master cylindergets a unique pull ratherthan push piston. This onlysaves 6g per lever over theprevious brake, but it putsthat lever much closer tothe bar compared to the oldfingertip-stretching R1s.

The same Kevlar-reinforced hose and singlepiece SL or floating rotor

(8g lighter) options meancomplete system weight is alsolower than any other majormanufacturer’s. We found a15% reduction in power on thedyno when compared to theprevious R1 Racing though, andthat data syncs with the senseof adequate but not amazingstoppage it delivers on the trail.Softly-squeezed modulation isexcellent though, with enoughsubtle control to let us runslippery-slick race tyres evenin horrendously sketchywintery woods.

Reliability’s been fine so far,and you can add all the usualFormula leverage and brakesplit adjustment options to thebasic £269 brake if you want.

“There’s enough control tolet us run slick race tyreseven in wintery woods”

“The lightest brake here still hastons of subtle control for ragged-edge cross-country racing.”

Formula R1 Racing £309Weight 322g (180mm front) Power 89Nm Contact www.silverfish-uk.com

This also means you can usea smaller, lighter rotor withoutpeople outbraking you intocorners. Hope even makes aspecial thinner rotor to shavemore weight out of the fullytitanium-bolted setup.

The brake is sold separatelyfor £155 so you can choosefrom single-piece, floating orextra light rotor options, or useyour old hardware.

Improved sintered padsas standard mean a long andweatherproof life. Hope’sfactory-direct backup andevent support goes aboveand beyond the call of duty,although we’ve not had asingle issue with a Hope brakein years of longterm use.

The lightest brake in theLancashire-lathed Hope

arsenal, the Race X2 packs atrail-weight punch into a race-weight package.

The minimalist Race leveronly has Allen key reachadjust, but it feels good withone or two fingers and isdrilled for extra grip withfilthy gloves. The slightlyaltered pivot position means itpumps more power out of theX2 calliper than the Tech 3lever, making it the pokiest ofthe race brakes here.

Modulation is still goodin sketchy conditions, andthe reduced lever pressureneeded to get the same stopas the competition leaves yourarms less pumped on longdescents with skinny tyres.

“Well-proven race-light but trail-powerful brake, with excellentreliability and factory backup.”

“Improved sintered padsas standard mean a longand weatherproof life”

Hope Stealth Race EVO X2 £196Weight 377g (183mm front) Power 110Nm Contact www.hopetech.com

72 January

cam. Once you’re used to thechange in piston speed duringthe stroke it’s a well-controlledbrake for tip-toeing downsketchy trails. The heat-eatingsteel/alloy/steel sandwich RT98Ice Tech rotor is the defaultoption (brake only is £170), butthere’s an RT99 Freeza optionwith further cooling fins too.For more hardcore use, the 50gheavier XTR Trail gets finnedpads, but has a lower-techaluminium lever and body.

The double-barrelled pistonand reservoir layout are easyto bleed, and Shimano brakereliability was unanimouslyrated the best by our shopmechanics. Spare sintered padsare included with the brake.

Shimano’s revampedRace packs proven XTR

performance into a lighterpackage for an extremelycompetitive XC brake.

The most obvious changeis that the little, deeply bentsingle-finger lever is nowa carbon fibre compositerather than cold forgedalloy. However, the slightlydarker shade of the newbrake is a clue that it’s nowmagnesium alloy. Togetherthese changes slice 21g offeach brake, putting the Racecomfortably mid-pack amongits premium race peers.

Power is unchanged witha reassuringly strong effectfrom even a small amount oflever effort thanks to ServoWave – a leverage-altering

“Excellent single-finger control andreliability, and now light enough tobe properly race-ready.”

“The slightly darker shadeis a clue that it’s nowmagnesium alloy…”

Shimano M987 XTR Race £227Weight 357g (180mm front) Power 110Nm Contact www.madison.co.uk

Avid’s Elixir 9 Trail usestechnology trickled down

from the flagship X0 Trail tocreate a beautifully controlledall-rounder at a cracking price.

You need to be sharp eyedto spot the difference betweenX0 and X9 – the only changeis the use of a hollow axleand bushing for the bladepivot, rather than a cartridgeball bearing. The close-to-bar positioning and straightlever profile are the same tomaintain Avid’s excellent,ergonomic ‘Power ReserveGeometry,’ and system weightis the same too.

Link all this to long padspushed by two pistons perside and the modulation andcontrol is outstanding, evenwithout the smooth luxury of

the cartridge bearing.The lever geometry also

makes the 9 feel more powerfulon the trail than it looks onthe dyno, and we never feltshortchanged for sheer stoppinggrunt. The bite point is easilyadjustable with the inline barreladjuster, and previous bleedissues with SRAM brakes havebeen totally sorted in currentgeneration designs.

The resin pads fade slightlyas heat increases, so we’drecommend switching to SRAMor RWD sintered replacementsonce they’re gone. The rotorsare expensive, so matchingthe £140 brake with existing/alternate hardware makesbetter financial sense.

“With two pistons perside the modulation andcontrol is outstanding”

“Tech trickle down delivers excellentlightweight control – but they’rebetter value without the rotors.”

Avid Elixir 9 Trail £194Weight 387g (180mm front) Power 109Nm Contact www.fisheroutdoor.co.uk

January 73

WINNER

For morereviews seeMBUK 300

On sale7 Feb

“Heavy but powerful trail brakewith the best lever adjustmentavailable and rock-solid reliability.”

per brake over the Race X2though, and it’s relativelyheavy for what it is.

Still, the ability to get yourlever positions and contactpoints exactly where you wantis a massive help to comfortand control of an alreadywell-modulated and powerfulbrake. Hope’s changed its padsupplier for more consistentand quieter results too; thesintered compound lasts longerin typically wet and gritty UKconditions than the resin padsof other brands. Reliabilityand factory-direct back upare legendarily good, and this£130 brake can be completedwith a range of plain or fancyrotor and hose options.

Hope’s new Tech 3 leveradds perfect tuning

potential to its proven X2calliper, and without theexcess weight and bulk ofthe old Tech lever.

While the twin-pot X2calliper remains unchanged,the Tech 3 lever body is adownsized evolution of theoriginal Tech lever. Happily,the smaller profile syncs withother bar controls better,and it looks a lot neater.You still get the drilled leverdetails for all-weather grip,plus separate reach and bite-point adjusters that work farmore simply and consistentlythan anything from othermanufacturers.

These changes and thecheaper steel bolts add 63g

“This evolution of the techlever… syncs with otherbar controls better”

Hope Tech 3 X2 £171Weight 440g (183mm front) Power 115Nm Contact www.hopetech.com

It’s the heaviest brakehere, but if you want

outstanding reliability andcontrol in all conditions – ata bargain price – nothingcomes close to SLX.

The double-barrelledmaster cylinder and reservoirdesign is similar to XT andXTR, but without the freestroke adjustment thatrarely works convincinglyanyway. SLX gets a sturdier,dimpled alloy lever that’s sotough it’s used in the Saintdownhill brake, and it sharesthose distinctive finned‘Stegosaurus’ pads (there toboost cooling) with Saint andXTR Trail. It teams well withShimano’s Ice Tech or Freezarotors too, if you’re headingfor big hills.

Control is excellent, andmodulation and fine feedbackis as good as any other brakehere – at least once you’re usedto the changing leverage of theServo Wave cam. The powerassist from the cam makesmerely decent dyno readingsfeel plenty powerful on the trail.The few extra millimeters of padretraction the cam brings alsomean cleaner, quieter runningin dirty conditions, and beddingin is rapid.

Bleeding is easy, the I-Specmounts integrate with Shimanoshifters and reliability isabsolutely excellent. Thatleaves high weight as the onlydownside to this benchmark ofperformance versus price.

“The alloy lever is sotough it’s used in theSaint downhill brake”

“All the performance you need forany trail, with outstandingreliability and a fantastic price.”

Shimano M675 SLX £105Weight 485g (180mm front) Power 111Nm Contact www.madison.co.uk

74 January

BRAKES

The over-whelmingfeedback fromthis year’s crop isthis: these are

the best brakes we’ve evertested. Reliability is betterthan ever, with no major failsduring a ferocious testperiod. The subtle brakes aremore controlled, the lightones lighter, the mostpowerful are even strongerand the cheaper ones bettervalue. You just have tochoose the combinationthat suits your ridingbest. Guy

TESTER SAYS...

1The best brake here willstill feel crap compared tothe worst if you don’t

keep it clean, well-bled andregularly serviced.

2You can fit biggerrotors, but you can’tcompensate for a lack

of a predictable relationshipbetween you and the tyre.

3We saw a significantincrease in power, heatmanagement and

lifespan when we swapped toRWD pads from Avid originals.

4Reducing surface areareduces power; biggeris better. But beware,

some alloy-centred rotors areheavier than full steel.

5Mineral and DOT fluidswork fine in the brakesthey’re designed for. But

mineral brakes can use cookingoil in an emergency.

FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED FROM THIS TEST

January 75

“Reliability is betterthan ever, with no

major fails during aferocious test period”

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78 January

BUILDATRAILBIKE

HOWTO...

January 79

I N V E S T I G A T I O N

Weld a few triangles, bolt in a shock andbosh! You’ve got a pile of junk. There’smore to building a trail bike than theodd doodle and phoning a Far Easternfactory: we unravel the story ofNukeproof’s newMega TR

Words: Ric McLaughlin Photos: Ramsey Cardy

packages – ‘computer-aided design’programs for engineering in 3D.

“I always thought 150mm wasfine, but it labelled it a bit of adescenders’ bike. There were a lot ofdiscussions between the likes ofNigel Page, the [World Cup DH]team, and us. Should it be 120, 125or 130mm? Eventually we ended upwith 130mm, even though Pageystill thinks it should be 125mm.”

Starting pointsThe screens light up with the linesand curves of the slimmed-downbike. “We started tweaking points onthe linkage program to get the right

li Beckett’s desk sits in the backof a busy office. There’s littlechatter, but the rumble offingers on keyboards says thepeople here don’t really have thetime. You expect certain things

of an office – family photos, potplants, the wailing ghosts ofchildhood dreams. A pen tidy. Butranged around Beckett’s desk areprototype frames, new parts, whiteplastic mock-ups and components…all awaiting riding and testing.Without doubt, this is the desk of abike designer.

The Nukeproof Mega TR is animportant bike for the NorthernIreland-based operation. Its harder-hitting AM variant is a 160mm

bruiser capable of shrugging off longdays in the Alps, but the new130mm rear (150mm front) TR hasa tighter, more refined and – darewe say it – more British feel. Not tomention those all-important new650b wheels…

“I’d always ridden shorter travelbikes, so when I came onboard I waskeen to produce another model withit trimmed down a bit,” saysBeckett, powering up his twinmonitors and clicking some CAD

80 January

A

“Thehardest part wasgetting clearancefor the chainringand frontmech”

Computer aideddesign makes

prototyping a far morescientific affair

The Nukeproof office:a mix of computersand bikes, a bit likeWMB HQ

sure it’d go! It fits even with areservoir-equipped shock [suchas Fox’s new Float X, reviewedin WMB154].

“The hardest part was gettingclearance for the chainring and thefront mech,” says Beckett. “That’swhy we’ve put a lot of time into thebottom bracket cluster on the TR.It’s a one-piece forging which isactually keyed in – there’s a slot onone side.” They do all the machiningfor the facings afterwards to makesure the bearing seats are flush.It’s a complex process, and onewhere every decision affectsanother, and another…

“If all you were working onwas the frame, you should be

suspension curve,” says Beckett.“It was important to have one thatmimicked the old Mega, as we knewthat worked well. With that sagpoint we’d get a pretty linear feelthrough the travel. Another thingwe looked at was the fact you can’tfit a water bottle inside the fronttriangle on the old bike.”

That might sound a small thing,but it’s especially important whentackling the US and Australianmarkets. Lapierre’s new S-benddowntube, for instance, is designedjust for this purpose.

“It meant a 10mm increment inlinkage height,” says Beckett,tapping the screen. “We even had a3D model of a water bottle to make

January 81


We play catch up as Alishows off the TR andhis skills – note Ric’s

look of mild concern…

able to get a working drawingdesigned in a month, a month and ahalf,” he says. “Working across thefull range there’s a lot of stuff – bitsand bobs – constantly going on, butsometimes having a break betweenlast looking at a project can be ahelp, as you see it with fresh eyes.”

Numbers gameOnce the linkage was in place, Alistarted to massage the geometry.

crown. A lot of people can overlookthat, but it’s really important. If youget that wrong the bike can feellonger or shorter when you have theright fork in. We picked a fork in themiddle to build the TR around. Itwas a 150mm fork, but because wehave our own internal and externalheadsets we can counteract thatdepending on what cups we run.”

External bearings add quite a bitbetween the fork and the frame,lifting the front and effectivelylengthening the fork. A headtubethat can take internal bearings aswell (for zero extra length) is aclever bit of detail that seems to playto the bike’s adaptability.

Size mattersInevitably, among the much-trumpeted new breed of650b-wheeled designs are afew we think feel a touch rushed.We were keen to hear what designquandaries, if any, arise whenadapting an existing framearound them.

“The main thing to do was dropthe bottom bracket,” says Beckett,evenly. “13mm is the magic numberwe worked around, as that’s thechange in your axle height. Wedropped the bottom bracket by13mm but kept the axle path thesame – then we had a new axle-to-crown [length at the front].

“The old Mega had a head angleof 66 degrees. We thought thatmight’ve been a bit much for the130mm bike, so went back to 67.We still wanted to be able to run thebike with a 150 or even 160mm forkto allow it to cater to differentcustomers. That’s not everyone’scup of tea – the US market seems tocater more towards the steeper,shorter-travel forks,” he says.

“One of the crucial dimensionsyou have to put in is the axle to

82 January

Above: For 2014, allNukeproof’s trail bikes

sport 650b wheels

Below: The trails closeto Nukeproof’s base arean ideal testing ground

for new bikes

“There was only 3mm differencethere, so we shortened the headtubeby 5mm to help keep bar heightdown, but still give us that largeweld area to keep things stiff. “Wecould’ve just put 650b wheels in a26in frame… in fact we did, and itwas horrible!” Beckett laughs at thememory. “The bottom bracket’s too

high, and there’s just no point indoing that. We did have to adjust thechainstays slightly – on the new TRthey’re 10mm longer and on the AMthey’re 5mm longer. Those changeswere both made for increased tyreclearance.”

Hype aside, what does Ali Beckettreally think of the new size?

“I keep comparing it to Goldilocksand the Three Bears,” he says.“Nobody’s questioned 26in foryears, and 29ers are a big jump

“Wecould’ve just put650bwheels in a 26inframe... in factwe didand it was horrible!”

Above: The finalprototypes line upin the warehouseready for testing

1. Measure upAll numbers are important,but none are more importantthan the shock linkage figures.Engineer the shock curve youwant, then build outwards,placing the dropouts andheadtube at the perfect placesand angles for stability,steering response andhandling. Join them withindividually designed tubes.

2. Add pedalsWhile you were working onthe suspension design, youobviously made proper spacefor the chainrings and frontmech. “A lot of people starthere [at the BB], but I end upputting it off, then taking timeover it once I’ve a better ideaof how the frame will look,”says Beckett. So long as youcan change gear withoutexploding the suspension,you’re golden.

3. Build a prototypeWelded by hand in Taiwan,your prototypes will beheavier than the final model

and rough around the edges,but this is your chance to findout if the thing works. Ofcourse it’ll work! You slung inbigger wheels and hydro-formed tubes and that’s allthere is to it, right? You won’teven need to tune suspensionresponse, consider the spec orhave it all stress-tested bymachine. Probably.

4. Complete the lookGraphics are important… butsubjective, and tricky as aresult. Beckett works closelywith the graphic designers tofigure out the look of thefinished bikes, includingspeccing smooth headtube

welds to allow a tidier look inthis key area. Painting it allmatt black might look stealthand no-logo ‘real,’ but in yourpromo pics it’ll just look likeDarth Vader’s front gate.

5. Go into productionRight: press the big buttonmarked ‘GO.’ Now is a goodtime to hope that it really isthe simple lash-up the forumswould have you believe.Problems with any aspect ofthe frame will now be beingmagnified into the hundreds(or thousands) until container–loads of warranty claims andcustomer nightmares are atsea. Not stressful at all then!

Two-minute trail bikedesignOurcut-out-and-keepguide todoing it yourself


in terms of feel. The more you hopbetween the two, the more you feelthe need for something in between.It’s hard to explain, but once you’veridden it, it makes sense.”

And the company’s putting itsmoney where its mouth is. With theexception of the downhill machines,which stay on 26in, all Nukeproof’sbikes will be 650b for 2014.

“It’s not a good time to be adesigner right now,” laughs Beckett.“Purely because there are so manydirections that things could go.There’s quite a lot of pressure to go650b and if you do so, do you thenforsake 26in? It’s hard to predict.We did a lot of testing and decidedthat the 130-160mm bikes, that sideof things, really do benefit from it –so at that stage we made acommitment to 650b.”

In the metalSo, the numbers are set. What next?We head into an airy warehouse tofind Beckett’s workshop, wheredemo bikes, test mules and racebikes mingle underneath spotlights.

“Prototypes come from theproduction factory,” says Beckett,popping a bright yellow TR 275 intoa bike stand. “Most good-qualityvendors have a specific departmentthat takes care of that, and have a

bit more expertise. An off-the-shelfwelder won’t do them, they’ll bedone by hand. They use a 1:1drawing, lay all the parts out on thatthen tack them up and weld. Youhave to be careful as even goingthrough heat treatment the framecan warp slightly.

“When it comes to welding, youcan dictate what style you want;whether it’s a smooth weld, doubleweld or a TIG-weld,” he says. “Thebutting’s important too.”

Butting involves varying the wallthickness of a tube, putting extramaterial and strength where it’sneeded. It saves a lot of weight overa plain tube that’s the heaviestthickness all along its length.

“Some frames with a downtube-mounted shock will need strengthand, as a result, extra material in themiddle of it,” says Beckett. “The TRdoesn’t have that, so if we butt itheavily at both ends for strength, wecan remove weight from the centre.We’ve taken between 500-600g outof our initial protos and the finalversion of this bike. That’s all part ofthe process though, and underlines

84 January

“We’re keen tomakebombproof, reliable bikesthat peoplewant to race”

Production bikes lostnearly 1.5lb over the

prototype, just throughcareful tube butting

why you need to leave yourselftime during a project.”

Once you have a workingprototype it’s time to test it.But there’s more to it than justriding. Machine testing is vitalfor checking a frame’s longevity;currently Nukeproof outsourcesthis to a German firm, but istooling up to bring it in-house.

“We’re not looking to build thelightest bikes in the world,” saysBeckett. “We’re keen to makebombproof, reliable bikes thatpeople want to race.” So howdoes the Mega TR shape up to itsaims? “As with all our testing, weaimed at bettering the previousmodels’ results – and did so. Sowe were happy.”

Time to rideVan loaded with a pair of finalproduction-prototype TR 275s,we head to Ali’s local trails.

Spinning up into an old leadmine between the County Downtowns of Newtownards andBangor, our SRAM XX1-equipped

bike feels dialed from the off. Itprobably should do too – it’s AliBeckett’s personal bike.

We’re impressed straightaway with its bob-free climbingefficiency, but as our snapperRamsey points to a rocky drop, itquickly becomes clear that the TR275 isn’t averse to holding a lineeither. There’s a hint of that‘ankles below axles’ feel familiarfrom full 29ers, but the smallerwheels make connecting uplaunches and rocky backsideseasy; something Beckett promptlyproves by gapping into a dropwith seemingly no run out at all.It’s definitely beyond what would,until 2013, be considered 130mmbike territory. But it’s trails justlike these – more than all theCAD packages, linkage designsand wheel-choices in the world– that have bred this newly-evolved, deeply considered andhighly capable trail bike. WMB

Check out p26 for our FirstRide review of the newTR 275 Pro.

January 85

Howdoyouknow it’sfinished?

“We learnt the hard way,and have probably spent toolong working on the designs,”says Beckett. “Before youknow it you’re running late toproduction and are up againstit with the vendors…

“Designing and prototypingyou can do pretty quickly, butwhen it comes to thatcommitment to production, it’sas simple as this: you have tohave it finished by here to haveit in the shops by here. Fromthe moment you sign off on thedrawing to having the bikes ina container and on their way,you’re looking at a year,realistically. A year iscomfortable as there are somany things to it. They have tomake the jigs for welding it,then open tooling for thewelding. All these tubes areour own designs, so they haveto make the hydroformingmoulds for all of those… evenmaking a hydroformed tubeis a 10-stage process!”

When todown tools


From final design to shopfloor will take just over ayear. So you better be goodat predicting trends…

Ali is involved ineverything – includingthe graphic design

Even the weld styleneeds defining as partof the design process

EXPERT TUITIONEasy to follow riding techniques to

help improve your skills on the bike.Plus step-by-step maintenance guides

so you can fix your bike yourself

THE BEST TESTSThe most experienced testers inthe world give their verdicts on

the latest bikes and kit so you canbuy with confidence

GREAT RIDE IDEASAmazing routes and rides from the

UK’s best mountain biking locations.Plus the most exciting foreign

adventure destinations

THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP ALL YOURRID ING DATES IN CHECK

FREE GIFT!

Calendar2014

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ON SALE 13 DECEMBER

Interview

98 January

V ictory in 2007’s tough,12-hour Dusk Til Dawnnight race, given thatBigham had only been

riding a mountain bike for a year –with no major race wins – was asurprise. But it was only a teaserfor what was to come.

One year later she’d wonMountain Mayhem 24-hour soloand become National MarathonChampion, for the first of manytimes. Skip forward five years to2013 and, after consistent victorieson the worldwide UCI marathon(races of around 100km) andgruelling multi-day stage racecircuits, Bigham, 35, took silver atthe UCI World MarathonChampionship in Austria.

Her rise to domination as Britain’smost successful internationalmountain bike racer is bizarre andinspiring in equal measure.

Sally has a PhD in psychology,and until 2010 had a successfulcareer as an academic atBournemouth University. Thegeneral idea even today is that sheshould be entering middle age withmarriage, career, kids and LauraAshley curtain fabric firmly in theforefront of her mind. Instead, sheditched the job and became aprofessional athlete, racing forTopeak-Ergon – the team in greenthat consistently dominates

marathon and stage races acrossthe world. It’s partly due to herunwavering capacity for the painand suffering that goes with beingone of the best climbers in thebusiness. It’s also the source ofher nickname: Iron Sally.

Over the hill?“Far from being a brake, my agehas been a huge accelerator for mysuccess,” says Bigham. “As ateenager it’s impossible to knowwhat you really want, but I wasolder when I started racing and hada bit of history, education and workbehind me. When I started trainingand racing properly, I knew exactlywhat I wanted and knew what itwould take.”

She was an accomplished if notstar-quality runner in her twentiesbut started biking for fitness wheninjuries got the better of her. Sheadmits that if she’d had the sametalent for running she would’vetaken the same approach as withmountain biking and “becomecompletely obsessed.”

Her partner Dave laughs; she is,he says, “a bit full-on.” Bighamdoesn’t contradict him. “I havethe same work ethic now as ittook to get my PhD. I work hard,relentlessly. If my coach [DavidBailey] says ride for three hours

From novice to one of Britain’s most successfulmountain bike racers – in just two years. How?Sally Bigham is an inspiration to us all

Words: Fi Spotswood Photos: Russell Burton

Self-made

January 99

I’ll pedal for three exactly, notincluding any descending time. Inever miss a session. I just don’tthink you can commit like thatwhen you’re younger. You needexperience, you need history andyou need support.”

Her support comes in no smallpart from Dave, who gave up alucrative if uninspiring job in IT tobecome the Topeak-Ergon RoadManager (so he’s “part soigneur,part mechanic,” he says). His ageand experience have helped too.

“I knew from my time as acompetitive windsurfer that tocompete at the top, Sally wouldnot only need the absolute bestequipment but it would have to bein perfect order – with noexceptions. I took a job in a bikeshop to learn more about mechanics,and my role isnow to make sure that everythingon her bike is working perfectly.”

Just as much as Sally’s own,Dave’s attention to detail and– dare we say it – obsessiveness

is a huge part of his girlfriend’ssuccess.

Of course, Sally’s age means shenever passed through the BritishCycling ranks alongside the likes of23-year-old Olympian Annie Last.BC spots and coaches youngsters upthrough the Talent Team (14-16year olds), Olympic DevelopmentProgramme (for juniors), AcademyProgramme (for under 23s) andfinally the Olympic PodiumProgramme. The last is for fully-fledged professionals.

Sally was too old for all of them,having picked up a mountain bikefor the first time in her late twenties.But as she has proved she certainlywasn’t over the hill, as her top UCImarathon ranking and recent wins atthe Transalp, Cape Epic, Leadville100 and Andalucia Bike Race amongothers demonstrate.

“I haven’t had the support I’dhave liked from British Cycling,” shesays, “Which is a shame – and I’mgetting faster all the time.” Shebelieves the BC’s lack of interest

in her is down to the inflexibility oftheir programme structures.

“I think they need to cast the netwider when they’re scouting fortalent,” she says. And she has apoint: current World ChampionGunn-Rita Dahle Flesja – who’s beenWorld Champ five times in the last10 years – is 40 years old, while2013 Olympic XC silver medallistSabine Spitz is 42, and 2010 WorldChamp Esther Suss (fifth at theOlympics and number one for themost appropriate mountain bikingname ever) is 39. Sally has beatenall three of these riders inmarathon races.

Olympic medal hope?British Cycling’s mountain bikecoach, Phil Dixon, disagrees. Heclaims it’s Sally’s ‘lack of interest’ inXC racing – something he describesas ‘a great shame’ – that’s behindthe decision, and the reason shedoesn’t enjoy the same support asAnnie Last, for instance, or up-and-comers Bethany Crompton and AliceBarnes.

“XC is an Olympic sport, whereasmarathon isn’t and we’re onlyfunded with Olympic medals inmind,” he says.

Interview

100 January

“I have the same work ethicnow as it took to get my PhD.I work hard, relentlessly”

Sally and partnerDave share the samepassion – to succeed

January 101

SallyBigham

AGE: 35WEIGHT: 50-51kg

LIVES: Poole, with partner and‘road manager’ Dave Padfield

PAST LIFE: PhD inpsychology, academic atBournemouth University

TEAM: Topeak-Ergon

Sally’svital statistics

The good news for Dixon is thatSally is very interested in cross-country racing. She’s eagerlyawaiting details of how to qualify forthe 2014 Commonwealth Games,and has been building experienceby “racing the guys” at as manyBritish XC races as she can fit intoher schedule.

It’s perplexing that Dixon doesn’tacknowledge this, especially as she’sgoing quicker than many top XCriders. Put her times on XC-lengthstage-race prologues against thoseof the top European UCI XC ridersand you find she consistentlydominates them.

“I’m fast at cross-country lengthraces, and getting faster,” saysBigham. “I’m beating the top namesin these short prologues andwinning British XC races againstthe best. I would’ve loved to haveraced at the Olympics alongsideAnnie, and just hope I’m given thechance to show my mettle inGlasgow next year.”

The Rio Olympics may be threeyears off, but partner Dave Padfieldis adamant that Sally is far fromtopping out at her athletic peak.

“Her training is getting smarterall the time. Her recovery is gettingquicker and her strength, resilienceand technical skill keep improving.”

On top of that, as she clocks upyears racing on the elite UCImarathon scene – plus the stageraces she loves to do – her growing

experience and confidence areshaping her into a true force.

“She’s just never satisfied andalways looks for ways to improve,”says Padfield. Indeed, despitewinning the Leadville 100 andsmashing the record by a full11 minutes, her post-race debriefwas essentially this: “I know I cango faster.”

Tomorrow’s World ChampWith her incredible desire forsuccess and the drive to work hardfor it, it’s no real surprise that Sallywas a favourite for the UCI WorldMarathon championships just sixyears after her first mountain bikerace; a 24-hour solo she did with flatpedals and trainers.

“2013 was the first year I everdared to admit to myself that I wasgoing after a medal in the WorldChamps,” she says. “I knew I hadthe speed and the experience.I’d raced all the girls in that frontbunch. I knew I was fast enough.”

Despite strong preparation andexcellent form on the day, shehad to settle for second. Gunn-Rita was catapulted by three teammates to the front on the firstclimb, and despite Bigham stayingin touch for the whole race, Gunn-Rita’s team changed her wheel(for a chunkier tyre) to blast thefinal technical descent and shepulled away.

Interview

102 January

Grand CanyonCF 29 SLX1 Ritchie 27.2mm carbon post with

reducer from 30.9mm for more comfort2 Ritchie flat carbon 660mm bars,

80mm/20-degree stem3 Ergon SM3 saddle4 Magura MT8 brakes with 160mm rotors5 Ergon GX1 small grips6 SRAM X0 2x10 170 cranks with SRM

power meter7 Q factor 166’ 26/39 rings or SRAM 1x11

XX1 cranks with the new 104 BCD SRMpower meter and 32 front chainring8 SRAM X0 long cage Type 2 rear mech

for 2x10 and XX1 rear mech for 1x119 SRAM bolt-on front mech for 2x1010 Shimano XTR pedals11 Topeak carbon bottle cages x 212 SRAM chain13 Continental Race King 2.2 Protection orRace Sport tyres with Stan’s milk14 DT Swiss XRC 1250 carbon wheels15 RockShox carbon World Cup SID forkwith hydraulic lockout

“Sally’s rise to glory is inspiring toall ‘over the hill’ riders and racerswho wonder what could’ve been”

Even the computer is inTopeak-Ergon team colours

We could well be cheeringSally on to victory in next

year’s Commonwealth Games

BIKE HIGHLIGHTS

January 103

Approxbike weight:

9kg

1012

13

14

15

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

11

SRM power meterallows Sally to track

vital power output info

A cockpit ready torace – 660mm flatbars and 80mm stem

The RockShox World CupSID fork with carbon crownand steerer keeps weight low

ISallyBigham

“I should’ve changed a wheeltoo, but that was just a choice wemade,” she says. But with anotheryear of experience and hard work tocome, you get the sense that therainbow jersey is Iron Sally’s forthe taking.

You can do it tooSally’s rise to glory is inspiring to allthose ‘over the hill’ riders and racerswho wonder what could’ve been,if only they’d started riding earlieror been spotted by British Cyclingsome time between being in thewomb and getting old enough todrink. Sally would tell them to stopwondering and just get on and do it.

“Ride hard, work hard and neverwaiver from fighting for what youwant,” she says.

Despite the lack of assistancefrom British Cycling she’s reachedthe top of her game, but it’s notbeen without its costs.

“I had a few years of injuries andproblems with nutrition when I

started 24-hour solo racing,” shesays, although these were fixedthanks to support from the likes ofMatt Hart of Torq, who was her firstchampion. “Then James Towlsonfrom Ergon backed me and I got myfirst professional contract withTopeak-Ergon.”

Although she couldn’t believe shewas getting paid to do what sheloved, it was, she says, nowherenear enough to live on. Not someoneto let a little thing like money get inher way, Sally sold her car to makeup the shortfall. A sacrifice, then,but given the support she wasgetting, a sound investment too.

“The team let me gradually buildup my experience and race wins,”

Investigation

says Bigham. “And with each year ofsuccess my salary grew.”

Despite the immediate appeal ofbeing paid to ride, the professionalcyclist’s life of relentless travel,training and racing isn’t foreveryone. But for Sally, there’sno doubt the positives outweighthe negatives.

“I’ve ridden my bike in some ofthe most beautiful places on theplanet – the Colorado mountains,Africa, the Alps and the NorwegianArctic. And I’ve met some of themost incredible people. But it’s stillhard work, every day,” she says.

Aside from the obvious talentthat courses through her DNA,Sally’s success is self-made. Sheundoubtedly deserves the life she’sworked for; deserves the sparklymedals and shiny pedals she’searned with sweat, stitches andsuffering. And what’s more, shedeserves to be heralded as a trueBritish sporting hero, despite –or frankly because of – herunconventional rise to glory. WMB

Interview

104 January

“I’ve ridden mybike in someof the most

beautiful places”

1st UCI World Marathon Rankings 2011, 2012Silver UCI World Marathon Championships 2013

Silver UEC Marathon Championships 2011, 2012, 20134 x British Marathon Champion

Leadville 100 Winner (new course record)ABSA Cape Epic Winner 2011, 2012Bike Transalp Winner 2012, 2013

Alpen Tour Trophy Winner, 2012, 2013Andalucia Bike Race Winner 2011, 2012, 2013

Dolomiti Superbike Winner 2012, 2013Sellaronder Hero Winner 2013

Roc D’Azur Winner 2010, 2011, 2012

Careerhighlights

January 105

SallyBigham

E BEST29IN WHEELS

New wheels can give a huge, instant boostin performance – if you buy right

THIS TEST EXPLAINEDBig wheels used to either bea) stiff and light but scarilyexpensive, b) light butfrighteningly bendy or c) stiffand affordable but heavy.

That was before Hopelaunched its Stan’s-rimmedHope Hoops, which combineddecent weight and stiffnesswith excellent hub reliabilityand a good price. Then Mavicstepped in with seriouslystiff tubeless wheels – at alower cost than the carbon

sets they were competingwith – and Kinesis followedsuit with its own excellentIX wheels. Carbon certainlyhasn’t had it all its own wayhere, despite its suitability.

So, has the situationchanged? Can the latest alloywheels beat the establishedbenchmarks for performance,price… or both? We’ve takento the trails and knockedseven bells out of six sets ofmetal wheels to find out.

YOUR TESTERSGuy Kesteven, bike test editorOur northern test crew chief seems hellbent on redefining relentless with atesting schedule that only the bestcomponents come through unscathed.

Jamie Booth, testerJunior racer Jamie puts in more trainingmiles in a week than most of us do inmonths, making him an ideal perpetualmotion wheel punishment machine.

January 107

Words: Guy Kesteven Photos: James Looker

5. The hubThere are loads of hub designs, all claiming some

sort of advantage over the opposition. For the mostpart they just look a bit more exciting but don’t perform

noticeably better. How well the bearings are sealedagainst weather and how long the freehub lasts internallyand externally when you’re giving it full gas up a staccato

power climb does make a massive difference. The lagbetween the pawls picking up drive after freewheeling also

varies a surprising amount once you start counting the clicks.

2. The materialMany manufacturers areturning to carbon for theirtop wheels. Why? Because it’sincredibly stiff for its weight(almost too stiff for smallerwheels, in truth). Carbon iswell suited to 29in hoops, butwe’re looking at aluminiumhere – it’s much cheaper.Done right it still doesa pretty good job.

3. The spokes29er spokes are long and suffer greaterleverage than smaller wheels – they’reunder a lot of stress. The fewer spokes,the more stress each one is under;thankfully most manufacturers haverealised low spoke counts and bigwheels are a bad mix. But there are stillstraight-pull or traditional ‘J bend’ spokes– in several gauges – and various lacingpatterns to choose from. See the reviewsfor how they shape up.

1. The rimsAny extra weight in therim is magnified on thesebig wheels – it’s spinningon the end of a longerlever than 26in or 650bmass, so it’s harder tobrake or accelerate. Masscloser to the hub has lesseffect, so rim weight isin many ways moreimportant than theoverall weight.

4. The axlesThe extra stiffness that

screw-thru axles addto the long fork legs and

rear stays of a 29er – overold-fashioned QRs – is

massively obvious. Hubsthat can be converted

are a wise investment,as they’ll let you get thefull benefit of later fork

or frame upgrades.

FIVE THINGSTO LOOK FOR...When you’rechecking outwheel upgrades

108 January

are definitely better suited tonarrower XC tyres and lessagressive riders.

Much of that high weightis in the robust hubs andsteel freehub body (it’s heavybut doesn’t chew up like alucan), where it doesn’t affectacceleration. They’re stiffenough to spin up well.

The bearings feel fantastic,and we were consistentlyimpressed with how fastthe XTs made our test bikesfeel. The loose bearings areadjustable/serviceable and,if you’re handy with conespanners they’ll potentiallylast years past the point wherecartridge bearings would needreplacing.

Mavic’s good-looking yetaffordable CrossRides

now come in 29in. Inevitablythat low price means a weightpenalty, so they’re more acosmetic upgrade for XC thana performance one.

Considering they onlyhave 24 spokes at each endthey’re reasonably obedienton the trail, and not noticeablymore wayward than most ofthe wheels here. The 19mminternal width means 2.2in isas wide as we’d recommendgoing with tyres, and unlikemore expensive Mavics, theseare not tubeless compatible.Our long-term experienceshows that Mavic rims of all

types can take far more of abeating on rocky trails thanmost other brands and stillstay rideable.

Although the 2kg weightmeans more wattage to getrolling, they don’t feel soft orbaggy however hard you stampon the pedals. Those brassnipples are tough and easy toadjust – alu ones are lighterbut can freeze and round off.

You can switch to QR frontor 142x12mm rear axles withaftermarket spacers. The TS2freehub is tough but relativelyunproven for reliability, andthe 15-degree lag is noticeableon rolling trails. They look waybetter than anything else atthe price, though.

Mavic CrossRide 29er £235Weight 957g (F), 1063g (R), total 2020g Contact www.mavic.com

“Mavic rims can takefar more of a beatingon rocky trails thanmost other brands”

Shimano’s latest XTwheels are an interesting

mix of both modern andtraditional ideas – high mileagecross-country riders will likethem, but more radical riderswill find them restrictive.

The neatly machined rims– with raised sections for eachspoke to sit in – are sealed toUST standard, so tubeless tyresblow up very easily without aseparate sealing strip.

At only 19mm internalwidth any tyres over 2.2inare undermined, as they’retoo pinched at the base andliable to squirm and flop if youfling them through corners atlow pressure. As such, these

Shimano WH-M785 XT 29 £330

“Fast-rolling tubeless XC wheels withbearings that can last forever.”

Weight 848g (F), 1011g (R), total 1859g Contact www.madison.co.uk

“Affordable and axle-versatile, butnarrow and a little unresponsive.”

“We were consistentlyimpressed with howfast the XTs made ourtest bikes feel”

29IN WH

January 109

The rest of the wheel isfairly conventional. The spokesare laced three-cross frontand rear for plenty of crosssupport and a precise, stiff feelconsidering their low weight.They accelerate and copewith climbing power well,adding noticeable pep to ourtest bikes.

The freehub is slow toengage and can clunk on pickup, though, and the once-flawless DT Swiss reliabilityhas suffered a little of late.The narrow rims struggle tosupport 2.2in tyres when youstart ripping through cornershard, and they’re expensive –especially if you use DT’s £40per wheel tubeless kits.

Ison’s Vapour trail wheelsare conventional in the

best way; well-priced all-rounders with proper supportfor fat tyres, and instant pickup for maximum flow.

The fizzing freehub buzzand minimal 2-degree lagbetween pedal push andforward drive is the first thingyou notice, and leads to theVapours feeling a lot moreeager than their middlingweight suggests.

The broad, 21mm internal-width rims are totally happywith our fattest Maxxis testtyres – even at less than 25psi– and the rims are tubeless-compatible with a kit.

The conventional spokingpattern is well built-up, witheven tension and no settlingin period or re-truing needed.The tight build gives them asurefooted and confident – ifnot pin sharp – feel on thetrail, especially if amplifiedwith big tyres. They’re notthe best for precise tracking,but the instant drive wasappreciated by aggressiveriders who jump on the pedalsat the slightest chance.

Be careful of the pretty butsoft red alloy nipples, however,and get the second generationVapours with captive axle caps– our early set has separateones, and fitting/removing thewheels is a fiddly pain.

Halo Vapour 29 £320Weight 806g (F), 966g (R), total 1772g Contact www.ison-distribution.com

“Broad, 21mm (internal)rims are totally happywith our fattest test tyres

– even at less than 25psi”

DT’s new Splines arelight and stiff enough to

compete with carbon for XCperformance, but they don’tlike fat tyres and engagementis slow for the price.

The Splines take their namefrom their fancily-machinedhubs, which are designed toallow seriously high tension inDT Swiss’s bladed, straight-pull spokes. The disc mountsare also splined – they’reShimano Centerlock – butadaptors for six-bolt rotors areincluded. You can also switchto QR axles with spacer kits(available separately) and therear is compatible with theXX1/X01 freehub body.

DT Swiss XR1450 Spline 29er £770

“Light and precise XC wheels, butexpensive and slow-ish on pick up.”

Weight 751g (F), 882g (R) total 1633g Contact www.hotlines-uk.com

“Instant drive and do-anything width,but you need the redesigned caps.”

“They accelerate and copewith climbing power well,adding noticeable pep toour test bikes”

cross pattern. They create asmooth and flowing ride feelthat’s very noticeable overhard-baked rock and rippledtrails, even on hardtails.

The DT Swiss-based freehubpicks up drive with only a10-degree lag, and it’s XX1/X01 compatible; you also geta comprehensive bag of axlespacers and QR skewers.

Weight is relatively high,and while grip is great thesofter ride inevitably meansthey don’t feel particularlysharp through the pedalsor bars. Other wheels, suchas Hope’s Hoops, offer verysimilar performance forsignificantly less money.

Novatec has overhauledits Flows, and the result

is a stiff, responsive set of trailwheels that supports all axleand tyre sizes really well.

Pretty much everything onthe Flow is new, startingwith a low-profile 20mm rim(internal) that goes tubelesseasily with aftermarket kit andshoulders 2.35in tyres withoutissue. They take 2.5in tyres ata slight pinch, too.

The 32 conventional Sapimspokes lace into oversizedhubs that keep the three-crosslacing pattern short – thewheels stay stiff and solidhowever hard you carve. Bigtyre compatibility and inherentaccuracy mean they won’t get

bullied off line in the rocksand ruts, and the Flows evencome with oversized alloy QRs,meaning even open-dropoutbikes feel stiffer. You also getaxle adaptors, spacers andspare spokes.

They’re light for trailwheels, but that’s down tothe hubs rather than theparticularly low-mass rims.With just a 4-degree lag fromthe steel-reinforced freehubbody, however, speed and trailflow is boosted impressively.Sealing and bearing reliabilityon previous Novatecs havebeen excellent. The price ishigh, but the performance andversatility is worth the money.

Novatec FlowTrail 29 £475Weight 764g (F), 948g (R), total 1712g Contact www.extrauk.co.uk

“Big tyre compatibility andaccuracy mean they won’tget bullied off line”

Specialized’s mid-pricetrail wheels aren’t the

lightest or most responsive,but they’re smooth-rolling withsupport for fat tyres, tubelesssystems and all axle types.

The Roval Control Trail isan affordable version of thecarbon-rimmed Control andControl SLs, based around alow-profile 22mm (internalwidth) rim. They come withtubeless rim strips and valvesas standard, and blow up easilywith a just squirt of sealantand suitable tyres.

The Rovals support 2.35inrubber well, even at lowpressures, and are laced with32 very skinny DT Super Compspokes in a conventional three-

Specialized Roval Control Trail 29 £500

“Axle versatile and tubeless-ready,but relatively expensive.”

Weight 881g (F), 966g (R), total 1847g Contact www.specialized.com

“Tight, light and responsive wheelsthat fit any axle and tyre.”

1Tubeless-ready tyres caneasily blow up lopsided andstay there – keep pumping

until they pop into place, then letthem down to proper pressure.

2It’s worth checking forloose spokes! It cansave you a destroyed

wheel, an accident or a longwalk home.

3If the profile looks like alight bulb, your tyre’sgoing to flop around or

even pull off if you ride hard. Fita narrower tyre instead.

4Make sure you tightenthe cassette lockring –loose cogs dig into soft

alloy freehubs, and gettingthem back off is a nightmare.

5If there’s potential to takeup wobble as bearingswear, do it fast – it

doesn’t take wobby cup-and-cones long to damage your hubs.

FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED FROM THIS TEST

“The Rovals support2.35in rubber well, evenat low pressures”

29IN W S29ers put more stress ontheir wheels than anyother bikes, and thatmeans only the bestwheels can really cope

with regular hard riding. Carbon isperfect for keeping such big hoopsstiff and light, but our test – andNovatec’s win – prove you don’thave to spend a fortune. It alsoshows that conventional buildsoften beat the specialists… which ishow they got conventionalin the first place. Guy

TESTER SAYS...

WINNER

110 January

Turbotrainers

We test 10 turbo trainers designed to fast forwardyour winter fitness while standing still

Turbo trainers areexactlythat away to turbochargeyourtrainingwh lewinter’s coldwindswait outside We’renot talkingaboutwimpingouthere Riding in sub zero conditions

means riskinghittingapatchof iceand rollinga setofdice that atbestwill comeupshowing‘bruisedandscuffed’ andcancomeupwith‘ruinedb ke, brokenbones’ orworseHigh intensity trainingmeansheavy

breathing Outdoors thatmeanssucking lotsoffreezingair deep into your lungs,with theirdelicate linings The results canbebronchitisandapainful, hackingcough that couldwellscrewupChristmasandyour early seasonFinally, enoughwinter gear to keepyou ridingregularlymeansaconstantly full laundrybasket,which’ll cost a fortuneandst llwon’tguaranteeyourwarmthIn contrast, a turbo trainer cansit in a less

host le environment Atworst, it’ll beacoldgarage that you ll soonbegladof anywayas

youmelt yourself intoa solitarypuddleofsteamandsweat Asmuchaspeelingyourselfoff the couch to stareat aheartratemonitor isn’t easy, any reluctance shouldbeoffsetby the fact youwon’t be fixingapuncturewith frozen fingersas your lightflickers and fadesThere’sno traffic or terrain tobreak

your trainingona turbo, soyoucansmashouta30 secondsprint followedbyanexact30 second rest and repeat Andas this testreveals, thebest of the latest generationoftrainers aremoreefficient, interactive,entertainingandversat le thaneverWe’ve includeddatawith theanecdotal

feedback To illustratepower spread,weusedaPowertapwheel togive speed readouts forbothminimum50Wresistance levels andhigh load500WlevelsWe’vealsomeasured the ‘coast’ time from20kph to standstill togauge flywheel sustainandhave takenadec bel readingat20kph toindicatenoise levels

120 | Janua y2014 | CYCLINGPLUS

1

1

3

3

2

2

4

4

R IDDEN & RATED

ROADTESTED

RESISTANCEUNIT

Thesourceof suffer ng

var es Thesimplestwind

trainersuseawind fan Gel or

hydro trainersuseapropellor

churn ng inviscous l quid to

create resistance Magnetic

trainersusea eversedelectr c

motor tod schargeyour legs

ROLLER

The rearwheel runsona

roller todrive the

res stanceeng ne Metal rollers

last longest butwear tyresout

quicker thanelastomer rollers

Check theaxle clampto roller

d stancecancopewi hall the

b kes likely tobeused

CLAMP

Most turbo trainersuse

twoscrew in cups that

clampaspec al steel quick

release skewer normally

suppliedwith theunit l kea

vice A lot of them includea

cam styledevice for easy

open ngandclosing too

FRAME

Thesevary fromas mple

fold out ‘A’ frame toa

cassette equ ppeddesign that

replaces your rearwheel What

su ts youwill dependonstab lity

demands storage space what

you’re comfortable liftingand

whatb keyou’reusing

CYCL NGPLUS | January2014 | 121

SUFFERSO GOOD

What is The Sufferfest, and can all this pain really makeyou a better cyclist? We immerse ourselves in this

underground culture of bike training videos to find out…

WORDS NEIL PEDOE

PICTURES SIMON LEES

154 | Janua y2014 | CYC INGPLUS CYCLINGPLUS | January2014 | 155

£120 Super hi-viscycling jacket

Why you need...

MAVIC VISIONSOFTSHELLREGULATION REFLECTIVITY

1There are no half measures here

Mav c wants you to be seen

The European EN 1150 Standard sets

the legal requ rements for optimal

visibil ty in all ight and weather

cond tions and this jacket’s VIZ+

material exceeds these The standard

requires a minimum of 0 32m² of

visible f uorescent mater al and

900cm² of visible reflective material

w th no sing e p ece of reflect ve

material being less than 25 square

centimetres In a word: blinding

MATERIALISTIC

2Plan to ride n a l w nter

cond tions? You ll need a

weather resistant warm and

breathable garment The Vision’s

softshell materials provide this

shrugging off the worst of the

weather providing plenty of insulat on

and w cking moisture away from your

skin The lightweight techn cal R pstop

fabr c should be tough enough for

ntensive commutes or n ght t me

training rides

CUT TO PERFECTION

3The long arms and dropped back

mean the Vision should keep

you well protected when you’re riding

The roomy shoulder sect ons provide

plenty of articu ation while the deep

elast cated cuf s keep the wind out A

sl m cut a lows some room for

ayer ng underneath but the thermal

properties of the softshell material

suggest it’ll be pretty snug

BIKE BASICS

4The Vis on can be worn as a

s ng e layer and so there are

three deep pockets on the rear to

carry your kit Under arm vent lation is

there to keep you from overheating

while the soft flap of material at the

neckline keeps draughts at bay The

z p tab s a decent size ideal for

work ng w th gloved hands

www mavic com

18 | January2014 | CYCLINGPLUS

£1400 Nothing to write home about or an Absolute beauty?ZERO ABSOLUTE SL

You won’t have heard of Zero yet but

the Dorset based brand looks set to

make a splash with its launch of road

b kes and components in January And

if our sample Absolute is anything to go

by, Zero wi l certainly be a name to look out for,

thanks to its blend of quality and value

The Absolute is the first b ke Zero will be

launching, with a time trial bike and some carbon

wheels also currently in development Zero has

been working in cooperation with a well

established b ke company on the designs and

bu ld, ensuring that both benefit from design

acumen and economies of scale

The Absolute SL is very much an all rounder

it’s more aggressive than a sportive bike, though

not quite as harsh as an all out race machine The

tapered head tube gives way to a chunky down

tube with a squared off rounded profile, while

box l ke chainstays meet the huge, stiff bottom

bracket junction that houses a threaded bottom

bracket Stick a pair of st ff racing wheels in this

frame and it ll really fly

Looking at that stout down tube, BB and

chainstays you might expect a pretty harsh ride,

but slim seatstays and a top tube that narrows

towards the seat tube take the sting out, while the

tapered teardrop prof le carbon fork provides

plenty of steering accuracy without jarring your

wrists The boxed chainstays change shape along

their length, into a more rounded prof le which

Zero says gives far better ride characteristics than

full box section stays

Zero has used Toray T700 carbon fibre for the

Absolute SL, which it says gives a more comp iant

ride than the T1000 it plans to use on a more race

orientated frame

Our Absolute SL came with dependable if not

flashy kit SRAM’s 10 speed Apex groupset is its

cheapest offering but it st ll provides faultless

shifting; the only negative is the lack of bite of the

hard waxy pads on the SRAM calliper brakes The

Fulcrum wheels and Schwalbe tyres are both

reliable bits of kit, and the Deda and Prologo

contact points a l do their job well, too, though a

carbon seatpost would offer extra comfort

The b ke’s handling is neither too relaxed nor

too sharp we’ve done a bit of everything on the

Absolute, from long days in the hills to short,

sharp sprints and we’ve never found it lacking By

not pigeon holing itse f into a race or sportive

category the Absolute is a great option for those

looking for a one bike fits all solution

www zero bicycles com

SPECIFICATION WEIGHT 8 05kg (57cm) FRAME Carbon FORK Carbon GEARS SRAM Apex BRAKESSRAM Apex WHEELS Fulcrum Rac ng 7 FIN SHING KIT Deda Zero 1 aluminium stem Deda RHM 01a um nium bar Deda RSX 01 a uminium seatpost Prologo Kappa Evo saddle 23mm Schwalbe Durano S tyres

HIGHSWell engineered frame; handling

LOWS Brake pads lack bite

We’ve done a bit ofeverything on the Absoluteand never found it lacking

RATING

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January 113

For real mountain riding, epic views and awesome adventuresWords: Max Darkins Photos: Russell Burton

The Lake District

Max Darkins, writerWriter, event organiser androute finder Max is willing totravel all over the country to hunt out the sweetestbits of singletrack, the hardest climbs and the mostdramatic descents – he’s the man to show you thebest riding there is to be had in the UK. Max alsowrites the Rough Ride Guide books, so knows all theelements that go to creating a great day’s riding.

YOUR GUIDE

Ordnance Survey Mapping ©Crown copyright. Media 013/13

YOUR POCKET GUIDE TO...

Get off the beatentrack for a spot ofon-bike caving…

114 January

The Lake District NationalPark covers 2292 squarekilometers of spectacular,mountainous landscape.

It’s huge, and broadly split by itsgeology into three regions: thesmooth mountains of the north,formed from the oldest sedimentaryrocks; the high, craggy peaks ofvolcanic and sedimentary rock inthe centre, such as Scafell Pike andHelvellyn; and the more gentle hillsof the south, where mudstone,sandstone and limestone havefolded, faulted and eroded away.But even here magma and graniteoutcrops jut from the ground toremind you just how rugged thisplace is.

The huge U-shaped valleys,nonporous rocks and high rainfallhave created England’s highestmountains and its biggest anddeepest pools, plus numerous tarns.Yet, Bassenthwaite is the only reallake – the rest are meres or waters.

The terrainThe topography can be likened to awheel, where the hub is just northof Grasmere and valleys and lakesradiate like spokes. The higherpeaks are rocky and bare, so drainwell for good riding even in winter,despite the higher than averagerainfall (the Lakes are home to thewettest place in England: no, notHarry Potter’s sock drawer, but aplace called Seathwaite).

Lower on the slopes you finddeciduous woods, conifer

plantations, lakes and moorland –beautiful cycling, but such spots canget boggy. Also be aware of thehigh winds and changeableconditions – some areas really areremote, and you must respect thatto stay safe.

The best bitsThere’s a lot to cover in the Lakes,with classic routes in the northsuch as ‘Back’o’Skiddaw’ and‘Borrowdale Bash’ providingtechnical trails and amazing views.The blue and red grade trails atWhinlatter Forest provide moresecure and safe riding.

As you head south, look for HighStreet and Helvellyn routes (thelatter’s the highest rideable peak inEngland) plus high mountain passessuch as Sticks Pass and GarburnPass. These will really test yourskills. Ambleside is a great base forall this, with excellent riding fromthe door at places such as Arnside,

The geology createsthree distinctregions. But rocksfeature heavily

Rocky terrainmeans the trailskeep running well inthe rain

January 115

LAKE DISTRICT

get anywhere quickly. Train accessis limited to Windermere and ferrieson the lakes usually take bicycles.

What it’s best forThe Lake District is one of the mostbeautiful places in the country, withstunning views, amazing terrain andspectacular riding. It’s the place youcome to do real mountain biking and

pass-storming – carrying your bikewhen it can no longer be ridden.People have actually been doing thissince 1890, and while some seemdetermined to keep doing it with thesame level of technology, evenriders on today’s bikes will be forcedonto foot at some point. Big steepclimbs and descents with verytechnical, rocky lines areeverywhere, with plenty of remoteareas too – despite the crowds.

Be prepared for the quick changesof weather, and never be afraid toturn back if things are deteriorating.There are lowland rides and acouple of trail centres (in Whinlatterand Grizedale) for bad weather days.

The Lakes get extremely busy inpeak time, but the trails stand upwell to the wet, so we almost preferit in winter – choose (or luck into) anice day and you practically get theplace to yourself, which only makesthe experience more stunning.

Turn the page for our route map!

Nukeproof Mega TR £2700A tough trail bike is ideal for these longrocky descents, but with big climbs youdon’t want too much weight. 130mm-150mm is about right, and either 26in or650b wheels have the best combo ofstrength and agility. Big tyres with strongsidewalls – such as the Hutchinson ToroHardskin or Schwalbe’s Hans Dampf in2.35in – provide much-needed impactprotection and grip, and generally thetheme here is to choose reliablity/strengthover low weight/fragility. Also, dropperposts are designed for places like this, andwell worth their weight.

THE PERFECT BIKEAll you need for round ‘ere

Loughrigg Fell and Jenkin Cragg,while just to the south lies GrizedaleForest, home to the excellentmanmade North Face trail. It alsohas superb bridleway trails, such asthe forest singletrack fromHazelseat to Low Dale Park.

To the west you’ll find thetechnical treats of Rossett Pike andGreat Gable, plus the infamousWalna Scar Road around the OldMan of Coniston. And don’t miss thesublime open fell singletrack atDunnderdale and Woodland Fell tothe southwest.

The accessWith over 8 million visitors everyyear the park can get congested.Access is off the M6, with junction40 at Penrith offering the best routeto Keswick along the A66. The A591cuts right through the centre of thepark from Kendal via Ambleside,but be prepared to search forparking spaces and don’t expect to

OrdnanceSurveyMapping©Crowncopyright.Media080/12

Simply

cutalongthe

dottedline

foryour

handy,portableroute

map

anddirectionsLAKE DISTRICT DIRECTIONS

AccommodationSide Farm campsite,Patterdale (017684 82337),Patterdale YHA,(0845 3719337)

Tourist informationwww.lakedistrict.gov.uk,01539 724555

Bike shopsBiketreks, Ambleside(www.bike-treks.co.uk),Keswick Bikes(www.keswickbikes.co.uk),

Cyclewise,(www.cyclewise.co.uk)

Map requiredOrdnance SurveyLandranger No 90,Penrith & Keswick

GuidebooksLake District Ian Boydon,£13, Lake DistrictVertebrate Graphics£16, UK Breaks withBikes Rough RideGuide £25

NEED TO KNOW

To download the route into your GPS or computer’smapping software, go to www.bikely.com and enterLake District into the search bar, then select theroute you want from the results list. That will takeyou through to the online route. Click on the ‘Share’tab above the route map and select either ‘Download.gpx’ or ‘.kml (Google Earth)’. Save to your hard discand then import into your GPS-compatible mappingsoftware, such as Memory Map, or upload to yourgpx-compatible GPS.

DOWNLOAD THIS ROUTE FOR FREE!

All the information on your destination

Start/finish Patterdale car park,GR NY395/159Total distance 33.7km (20.9 miles)Total ascent 1368m (4488 feet)Time 3-5 hoursSummary Epic mountain trailsand technical singletrack, butwith options to customise theroute length to suit your needs.

Head south on the A592 toBridgend, turn left on a

bridleway by the last house. Crosstwo fields, and the river and bearleft to a good track. Turn right ona bridleway to a road, signedHartsop. Cross a cattle grid andbear right at a fork, downhill.

Continue over a bridge andshortly before Hayeswater

cross the river and (walk) up thehillside (there’s no real visible

bridleway). Bear right at theridge, and keep left of the Knott.Bear right down to a wall andT-junction with the High StreetRoman road.

Go left, uphill to RampsgillHead, then left at the

summit on faint trail, downhill,then uphill to High Raise.Continue on main track, bearingright at a wall, over a stile,through a gate, with a fence onleft. Continue down and throughgap in a wall to a fork by a cairnat the base of Loadpot Hill.

Bear to the left of the hill,then right at a fork on the

faint grassy track, downhill for3km to a T-junction where thegradient levels out. The Cockpit isright, but for this route turn left.Keep left at a junction on the lessobvious path, to gate by a house.

Walk to the right of thedrive, then turn left through

a gate on a bridleway. Cross the

river and head uphill to acrosstracks. Continue ahead onMartindale House bridleway. Gouphill on a steep grassy track,bear left, then right to a chapel.

Turn left on the road,then right at a junction

(Sandwick), downhill. Turn righton a track leaving the road, andright when re-joining the road.Turn left on the Patterdalebridleway before the village.

Follow the singletrack alongthe water edge, bearing left

uphill on a not-too-obvious trail.When the trail exits the trees takea short rocky walk uphill. Followthis trail, keeping left at a fork,then right before heading downinto Rooking. Join the road to theA592 and turn right to Patterdale.

NOTE: The descent from BoredaleHause to Martindale is fun, andthe climb from Boredale up toBoredale Hause provides analternative route option.

STRENUOUSNESSTECHNICALITY

OVERALL

NAVIGATION

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PEAKDISTRICTShrigleyHall Hotel21-23March2014

WiththePeakDistrictonthedoorstepofthisluxuryhotel,therearestunning

rideswhicheverwayyouturn.

SOUTHDOWNSNortonParkHotel25-27April 2014

WinchesterisjustontheedgeoftheSouthDownsNationalPark,makingthishoteltheperfectbaseforriding.

COTSWOLDSHeythropParkResort16-18May2014

TackletherollinghillsoftheCotswoldsfromthisbeautiful18th

centurycountryhousehotel.

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OFFICIAL PARTNERSNUTRITION PARTNERTR AINING PARTNERBIKES PARTNER

Clues that bearingsare worn are excessive

movement, noiseand nasty red sludge

oozing out

118 January

Money may make the worldgo round, but when itcomes to bicycles, ball

bearings work a lot better thanpound coins. From hubs to headsetsand suspension linkages and bottombrackets, well-maintained bearingsare essential to keep you on thetrails with your bike workingwithout creaks, play or stiffness.

The whyThere are two main kinds of bearingon your bike. Most are now of thesealed cartridge type, where thesteel (or ceramic) balls are encased,rolling between the two sides of thebearing in a channel called a race.Dirt and water is kept out byexternal lip seals, which alsokeep the lubricating grease in.Maintenance is generally limited toreplacing the entire unit, whichmakes them less trouble in the shortterm but more costly to run.

The other bearing type isgenerally only found in Shimanohubs. These are cup and conebearings, named because the ballssit in a cup-shaped race in the hub,facing a cone-shaped race on theaxle. They’re simpler to maintain asthe balls and/or cone race can bereplaced, and theoretically they offerlower friction than cartridge units.Friction is dependent on the tensionbetween the two races being kept atits optimum level, however, anyplay can lead to self-destruction –the extra movement can damagethe cup race, which will write offthe hub. Carefully maintained andgreased they can last a lifetime, butthey aren’t a fit-and-forget optionlike cartridges.

The howAre your bearings worn? Here’show to tell. Wiggle/twist the partand they feel notchy or there isside-to-side movement. Excessivelyfree movement or a hollow

Bearings are the magic in everything fromhubs to headsets. Here’s all you needto know to keep them spinning free

WORKSHOP

Sponsored by

ones correctly aligned whenpressing in, saving you a lot oftrouble in the long run. Mostmanufacturers also make bearingtools specifically for their products,though prices can be very high.

Proper maintenance can increasethe life of your bearings massively.Jet-washing your bike can blast

rumbling noise is also a bad sign, asit means the bearing is dry, free ofthe grease – and grease is essentialfor long life. A bearing that’s in topcondition feels smooth, but withsome light resistance.

Red sludge oozing from the sealsis another sign that bearings havecorroded and need replacing. Forbearings in suspension linkages,remove the shock and check forplay, then cycle the suspension tofeel for any roughness.

Once you’ve identified whichbearings are worn, you need to findthe right replacement. Look for acode on the shell or the seals. Thisis usually a string of letters andnumbers; for example ‘6902 RS,’which is a common hub bearing.If there are no identifying marks,use a vernier calliper to measure theinternal and external diameter ofthe bearing, plus its depth. Somebearings have angled edges, and amatching replacement must beused. The devil is in the detail.

One easy way is to buy a fullbearing kit; most manufacturerssupply packs that contain all thereplacement items you need, andfrequently include fresh bolts andspacers too.

Removing cartridge bearings isrelatively easy. Some simply pushout, while others can be drifted outusing a hammer and section of bar– though we don’t recommend thisfor very worn ones. When hit, a verytired bearing can disintegrate,leaving a race stuck in place. Its lowprofile means it’s really difficult todrift out, and the steel is muchharder than the surroundingmaterial, making cutting it free arisky proposition…

A bearing tool, such as the RRPBearing Press and Extraction Tool(£60, www.extrauk.co.uk) is thebest option for removing trickylinkage bearings without causingdamage. Via a series of correctly-sized adaptors, it simply presses oldbearings out and keeps the new

January 119

Sponsored by

water past seals, contaminating thegrease and introducing grit and dirt,damaging the bearings inside. Also,using water-dispersing spray lubesdirectly on bearings can dissolve theall-important grease, so it’s best toclean near bearings gently and drythem off with a rag afterwards.

Although cartridges are pre-

“Propermaintenance can

increase the lifeof your bearings

massively”

packed with grease, you can(carefully) pop up the rubber sealswith a thin blade (think Stanleyknife or similar) and top them up. Asmear of grease to the outside of theseal will also help keep the elementsat bay. These may be small, unsexyparts, but you’ll only be spinningsmoothly down the trails if they are!

BASIC TOOLSGrease Allen keys

OPTIONALBearing press/removal toolVernier calliper Thin knife bladeHammer Drift

Specialist tools, such as thisHope hub bearing one, makethe job way easier

*Frame

only

CARRERAVULCAN £360TheVulcanoffersclass-leadinghandlingand

specatagreatprice providedyoucanlivewiththeweight.Despiteafewnigglesthis isoneofthebestbeginnerbikesavailable(for themoneyit’sexceptional)andforthat, itcomeshighlyrecommended.Withawell-balancedridefeel,it’sa truetrailenthusiast’sbike.

WEBSee http://bit.ly/tFMqCW for a full review

RATING

2

1

1

2

RIDGEBACKCYCLONE £350Aswaptoknobblytyres isall it takesto

transformtheCycloneintotheperfectstartermountainbike.Optingforarigidforkgetsyoualighterbikeandthesortofqualitygo-anywherecomponentrymixthat’ll lastyouforages.Rackandmudguardbossesmeanitwillhappily takecareofcommuterdutiesshouldyouneedit to.

WEBSee http://bit.ly/VLVDDo for a full review

RATING

ISLABIKESBEINN29 £450ThisisthenewincarnationofIslaRowntree’s

onlyadultbike.It’sthemostadaptable,fastestandlightest£450mountainbikewe’veevertested,mainlybecauseitshunsheftyandfunction-compromisedlowbudgetsuspensioninfavourofthesmootheasy-rollingadvantagesof29inwheels.Wewentforthemountainbiketyreupgradeforanadditional£35.REVIEWSee WMB142 p110 for a full review

RATING

SARACENMANTRA £450ThisbaselevelMantra(fromarangeofsix)

iswellequippedforitsprice,witheventhelow-costforknotundulycompromisingitsoveralltrailperformance.Onhigh-speedsingletrackthehandlingissprightly,well-controlledandconfident.Thequalityframemakesupgradingtomoreupmarketpartsagoodidea.

WEBSee http://bit.ly/Ja1aAL for a full review

RATING

SARACENMANTRATRAIL£770

Thegeometryisdialledtomakethemostofthe120mmforktravel;handlingisrelaxed,butthelow-risebarsandshortstemmakefornimblesteeringwhenthetrailsgetrough.Stabilityatspeedisexcellent,andthebackendistightforalivelyclimbingfeel. It’sagreatride.

WEBSee http://bit.ly/18YeLXS for a full review

RATING

TREKMAMBA £700The100mmTrekrespondssuperblytoevery

nuanceofriderinput,neverfeelslikea14kg(31lb)bikeevenontheclimbs,andtamesbumpyterrainmoreeffectivelythana26in-wheeledbikecouldwith120mm.TheDeore/Acera/Aliviomix3x9drivetrainisdownmarketcomparedtoitsrivals,butfunctionisstillexcellent.

WEB See http://bit.ly/15yxUkm for a full review

RATING

Entry Level

1

2

BEST Beginner Bikes

VALUE

HOW OUR SCORING WORKSWHAT MOUNTAINBIKE AWARDS

Quite simply thecurrent best bike in itsclass, bar none.

Excellent value formoney – a real bargain.

VALUE

BESTBUY

WHAT THE SCORES MEAN*

Exceptional: a genuine class leader.

Very good: one of the best you can buy.

Good: it’ll do the job and do it well.

Below average: flawed in some way.

Poor: simply put, don’t bother.*The bikes featured in The Guide are regularlyreassessed against the current crop. As a result,we may re-rate older bikes to reflect the currentstate of the market.

We list the recommended retail price (RRP); although thereare deals to be had, the RRP will be the most you shouldexpect to pay.

Spotted any incorrect prices or bike details in The Guide?Send us an email at: [email protected]

PRICES IN THE GUIDE

Welcome to TheGuide. Hereyou’ll find the

48 greatest bikes and70 most essential

products, cherry-picked fromthose we (and sister magazineMBUK) have tested, across everybudget and style; everything fromwispy cross-country hardtails toaggressive full suspension trailbikes and beyond.

Each has a link to the fullreview, so you can get ascomplete a picture as possible– whether it appeared in WMB orat bikeradar.com. Just follow thebit.ly link. We update this guideevery month, making it theultimate reference. Read on andknow you can buy in confidence.

Steven Williams, editor

Mid Range

High End

GUIDETHE

Choose your perfectbike and kit with

Britain’s bestmountain bike guide

FOR MORE GREAT REVIEWS VISIT

January 123

BEST Helmets

CARRERA SHAKE £35The in-mould construction of the

Shake partly explains its low weightof 298g, and is great to see ona helmet at this price. The shape fittedour testers’ heads well, with no unduepressure points.

REVIEWFull reviewseeWMB152p56RATING

GIRO HEX £80The little brother to the Xen and Xar,

the Hex shares the same plush,comfortable padding and lower rearsection. The Roc Loc 5 retention system isstill a joy to use – even after months oflongterm testing.


SPECIALIZED S-WORKS PREVAIL£160The racing intentions of the Prevail are

obvious – there’s no visor, but a wholeload of ventilation. If you’re looking for ahelmet so light it’s barely noticeable, andoffers amazing venting, look no further.


SCOTT LIN MIPS £80New version of the popular Groove II

helmet, the Lin comes with an ultra-lowfriction liner that will provide an extralayer of grey matter protection. Not themost radical styling and we’d love it moreif the peak was adjustable.


TROY LEE DESIGNS A1 £140Don’t be fooled by its spot in this list

(which takes price into full account) –Troy Lee has a proven heritage and this,its first open-face in years, is brilliant.Supremely comfy and well made, it’s aGear of the Year must-have product.


1

2

5

4

3

Entry LevelCARRERAFURY £600Aslightdowngradeinforkspecfromprevious

modelsbutnowwith10-speedgearing,thelatestFuryisthedo-it-allentry-levelhardtailthatwillallowyoutotackleeverythingfrombridlewaystoblackruns.Extrasteeringtrailtostabiliseitmeansyoucanhittechnicalsectionswithconfidence.Thebenchmarkstarterbikeforcross-countrytrails.

1

WEBSee http://bit.ly/wI6DIQ for a full review

RATING

2

1

2

1

CUBELTD29 £889TheCube’sRockShoxReconSilverforkisasolid

performerandremainscomposedevenwhentacklingterrainyouwouldn’tautomaticallyventureonwitha100mmhardtail.TheShimanodrivetrainisbasicbutveryfunctionalkit, anddecentown-brandbarshelpyousteeritsbigwheelsthroughthetoughstuff.

REVIEWSee WMB151 p60 for a full review

BOARDMANTEAM £850Toputitsimply,theBoardmanisaneasybiketo

ride.It’scomfy,confidentandstable,andtheair-sprungforkdealswithtrailshockswithoutfuss.Thefactthatitoffers120mm(4.7in)oftravelratherthanthe100we’remoreusedtoonbikeslikethisintroducesanelementofcarefreechuck-abilityonroughdownhills.

WEBSee http://bit.ly/LuEzi9 for a full review

RATING

KHSALITE2000SL£900Thefactthatthe2000SLhaslightwheelsand

fasttyreswillboostitsappealtoanyonewhovaluesfloatycross-countryspeed,butthe120mm(4.7in)offorktravelfromaRockShoxRebameansit’snotaversetotakingdodgylinesonfasttechnicalstuff. Itmaytakeawhiletogetusedtothelivelyhandling,butthisisatopsub-£1000offering.

WEBSee http://bit.ly/MZ2OpY for a full review

RATING

SCOTTSCALE710 £3399Scott’sScale710deliverstrueracebreedspeed

andanaggressiveattitudethatspansthe29ersmoothness/26ersprintgapsuperbly.Itsmixofimmediatepunchplusinstantagility withtraction-boostingtrailconnectionandsmoothfloatoverstaccatorootsandrocks marksitoutasafantasticfast,technicalsingletrackweapon.

WEBSee http://bit.ly/19PixlK for a full review

RATING

FOCUSRAVEN29R4.0 £2399Thisbikeplacesyousquarelybetweenthe

wheelsforaconfidentstance,andisassistedbytherelativelyslackfrontend.ClimbingisparticularlysatisfyingwithonlyminimalbodylanguageneededtocoaxtheContinentalX-Kingtyrestofindtraction.TheRavenfindsthebestinyourridingandamplifiesit.Agreatbike.

WEBSee http://bit.ly/193GDd1 for a full review

RATING

*Frame

only

2

BEST Pedals

SHIMANO PD-M520£35Amazingly consistent performance on

the trail sees the M520 hit the top in ourgroup test. Entry and release mechanismis the same as more expensive Shimanoofferings, making these great value, too.

WEBFull reviewhttp://bit.ly/NTOPorRATING

SUPERSTAR NANO TECH£43These strong, grippy pedals give a

performance matching others at up tothree times their price. Smooth, tautsealing sees them spinning true afterconsiderable trail abuse

WEBFull reviewhttp://bit.ly/Q2GuenRATING

DMR VAULT£70The wide platform suits even the

chunkiest of riding shoes, while 11well-placed pins and a concave platformgive loads of comfortable grip. The Vaultsare pleasingly light and look good too.

WEBFull reviewhttp://bit.ly/NX94xORATING

TIME ROC ATAC£55The clipless pedal pedigree of TIME

shows in the Roc Atac. Feel under foot istight to make clipping in and out apositive experience. We’ve used thesehard and the bearings still feel smooth.

REVIEWFull reviewWMB143p56RATING

SHIMANO XTR PD-M980£100The larger pedal surface area gives you

something to really push on to get thepower down. Bearing and seal qualitymean plenty of trail action beforeservicing is needed.

WEBFull reviewhttp://bit.ly/STyAaGRATING

1BEST Cross-Country Hardtail

Mid Range

High End

5

4

3

2

2

ROSEDR.Z 8£3034The2013RoseDr.Z’sfocusonspeedand

handlingwouldshameplentyofsmaller-wheeledbikes.Theweight-shavingspecandspot-ongeometrymakesitapleasureratherthanachoretohustlethisbikethroughtights-bends.Thefunfactorblendswith29ereasyrollinginawaythatwillgiveyouaworkoutbutleaveyougrinning.

WEBSee http://bit.ly/1009fQv for a full review

RATING

MERIDANINETY-SIXTEAM-D£6000

Thecompactframed,racecockpitdoestakesometamingbutit’satopflightracebikewithoutstandingacceleration,accuracyandsmoothness.Whileit’snorelaxedandeasyoption,it’sfarmorefunthanyou’dexpectfromsuchalight,race-honedride.

WEBSee http://bit.ly/8OIVIt for a full review

RATING

124 January

ETHE GUID Best Buys

MERIDAONE-TWENTY900-D £1250

Yougetalotofbangforyourbuckfromthe900-Danairsprungforkandshock,130mmoftravel,a

10-speedShimanoSLXtransmission, andXTrearmechandexcellentframefinish.Widerbarsandashorterstemwouldmakethisarevelationforanycross-countrynovice.

WEBSee http://bit.ly/1eoTprK for a full review

RATING

B’TWINROCKRIDER9.1 £800TheRockShoxReconSilverforkandX-FusionE1

shockcanhandleaprettyseriousbeatingonrough,high-speeddescents,soalthoughit’smoreXCthantrail inintent, it’sverycapableonbigdownhills.The11-36Tcassettecombinedwithatripleupfronttogiveyouallthegearingyouneed.Foran£800bikeit’sseriouslyimpressive anditstillwouldbeif itcostwellover£1000.REVIEWSee MBUK291 p165 for a full review

RATING

GIANTANTHEMX1 £2950Frametweaksbeefupthe2011versionto

createanall-terrainathletehappytoterrorisethetrailorturnonitscompetitiveside.Its11.47kg(25.28lb)weightmakesaccelerationandaltitudegaineasywhilebenchmarktrailkithelpmakeitaWhatMountainBike favourite.Atotallyrippedall-terrainathlete.

WEB See http://bit.ly/nSf9EH for a full review

RATING

MARINRIFTZONEXC8£2600Marin’sadoptionofa142x12mmrearendsadds

usefulextrastiffness(Marinsays15%)totheswingarm.This,combinedwitha15mmscrew-thruaxleupfrontandgeometrythat’sspot-onforhigh-speedsingletrackchicanery,meanstheRiftZoneconvincinglydestroysthenotionthat29erscan’tbethrownaround.

REVIEW See WMB151 p84 for a full review

RATING

*Frame

only

BEST Cross-Country Full SussLUMICYCLE EXPLORERFROM £185Utterly bombproof and upgradable,

this is great for real riding. 2700 lumensfrom three Cree LEDs translates as vastamounts of easy-on-the-eye illuminationin various power levels.

REVIEWFull reviewMBUK295p128RATING

BIKERAY IV £120Battery life is shorter than the claimed

time, but it’s still better than most lightsat this power/price. You can leave it at fullwhack for most reasonable (2-3hr) rides.It secures to the bars with a simple O-ringwhich keeps it stable on rough trails.

WEBFull reviewhttp://bit.ly/15TEvouRATING

GEMINI DUO 4 CELL £170The Duo packs serious power and

performance into a convenient size. Theeven light levels across the beam makesit less tiring on the trail than high-contrast lights, and the battery runsfor 2-3 hours at full power.

WEBFull reviewhttp://bit.ly/1jjog78RATING

EXPOSURE SIX PACK MK4 £400The six LEDs in the front of this

sculpted barrel launch a powerfulmega-lux beam into the distance. It’stightly focused so you need a helmetlamp too for tricky trails, but battery lifeis more than enough for 2-3hr rides.

WEBFull reviewhttp://bit.ly/HX8p26RATING

NITERIDER LUMINA MICRO 220 £55Despite a claimed output of just 220

lumens (compare that to the Explorer atNo.1), the Micro creates enough light tokeep more expensive options in sight.Battery life is limited so save full beamfor the sketchiest bits of 2-3hr rides.

WEBFull reviewhttp://bit.ly/1aDOxLFRATING

BEST Lights

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Mid Range

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High End 1

VALUE

2

1Entry Level

BEST TrailTyres

HUTCHINSON TORO 2.35INHARDSKIN £50Light enough to keep you bike nimble,

but more than capable of tackling rocks,roots and steep and slippery singletrack,these are also great performers whentrails turn to mud.


MAXXIS IKON KEV/EXO 29X2.2IN £58Ikons are great on the rear anytime, or

on the front for dry hardpacked trails. Ifit’s wet, think XC-only for front ends. Fastand light, the shallow, closely-spacedknobs and supple carcass add up to acomfy but rocket-fast tyre.


CONTINENTAL MOUNTAIN KING2.2IN PROTECTION £50Aided by the clever Black Chili

compound, the Mountain King seeksout grip on just about every surface.Despite high-ish weight (724g), itmanages to feel sprightly and quick.


SCHWALBE HANS DAMPF 26X2.35INSNAKESKIN TL-READY £50With the aggressive tread pattern

and voluminous carcass, this gives plentyof grip in just about every situation. Therounded profile makes corneringpleasingly predictable.


SPECIALIZED GROUND CONTROL 26AND 29X2.1IN £30This high-profile rounded tread grips

well in the 26in format, and even betteras the 29er. If you like to just fit a tyreand forget it until you see the threadswear through, this is the one for you.

REVIEWFull reviewWMB148p126&128RATING

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January 125

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ORBEAALMAMTEAM29ER£6899

Asa100mmcross-countrycarbonracesteed,theAlmaislong,low,stiffandnimble.Alowerheadtubeandsteeperseattubeangleoverpreviousincarnationsputyouinagreatclimbingposition,butthatdoesn’tmeantheOrbeadisappointsonthewaydown.

WEBSee http://bit.ly/15CPyBQ for a full review

RATING

NINERJET9CARBONXTXC£4949

TheJet9Carbonisanaturalclimber,andaquick-wittedsingletrackerwithtonsofboutiqueidentity.ItsContinuallyVariableArcsuspensionsystemtracksthegroundreallywellforstrongtraction,andithasnoticeablylessbus-likemannersthanmanybigwheelers.

WEBSee http://bit.ly/1irzLLZ for a full review

RATING

SANTACRUZSUPERLIGHT29DXC £2724

TheSuperlightsharesallthedurable,communicativecharmsofSC’soriginalsingle-pivotchassis,theTazmon.This2.5kgframeislightenoughthatevenwithheavyUSTtubelesstyresandbasicShimanoDeorebuildkit, itneverdragsitsheelsoutofcornersoronclimbs.

3

WEBSee http://bit.ly/16AYDbO for a full review

RATING

4 BMCFOURSTROKEFS0329ER£2800

TheBMChasaneager,agileandsure-footedfeelthatsomebigwheelersstill lack.True,thesingle-pivotswingarmwithitsshortlinkagesdoessufferafewquirksunderpressure,buttheycaneasilybeoverlookedifyouwantabiketocovergroundquicklyandefficiently.


RATING

BEST Cranksets

SHIMANO M675 SLX£155Shifting performance from the ramped

and pinned rings is excellent, heaving thechain into the big ring even at hightorque. Naked alloy arms mean scuffingisn’t an issue, sealing its workhorse rep.

WEBFull reviewhttp://bit.ly/12vj1giRATING

SHIMANO M985 XTR£460The hollow-forged and then machined

alloy arms equal most carbon units forstiffness. The Hollowtech bearings arehold up well too, even when put throughsome seriously vile weather.


MIDDLEBURN RS8 UNO£252.50Their reputation for strength is

unparalleled, and we’ve seen loads ofsets being used for DH and Freeride. Theaxle works with any Shimano-compatibleBB and a preload collar removes wobble.


SRAM XX1£500For SRAM’s revolutionary 11-speed

transmission only, the carbon arms fromthe X0 DH cranks mate with a lighter axlefor a light, strong and flex-free unit.Those odd teeth hold the chain tightly.


RACE FACE SIXC£549We’ve ridden hard with these through

UK filthy weather and rocky Alpineexcursions, and they’ve proved toughand durable. A premium all-rounder witha proven track record.

WEBFull reviewhttp://bit.ly/1a5EAG4RATING

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1

BEST HydrationPacks

CAMELBAK VOLT/SPARK FROM £80Camelbak’s lateral bladder keeps allthat heavy water (not H3O, just normal

water that’s heavy) low around your hipsto reduce swaying, and is one of the mostcomfortable packs we’ve ever used. TheSpark is the women’s-specific version.

WEBFull reviewhttp://bit.ly/15CDtbSRATING

VAUDE SPLASH 20+5 £70If you want to spend long days in thesaddle and be fully prepared, the

Vaude holds 20 litres, and can beextended for an extra five. The materialis tough and can handle most of whatthe elements can throw at you.

WEBFull reviewhttp://bit.ly/1bYhcKPRATING

CAMELBAK CHARGE LR £75The low centre of gravity reservoirkeeps it rock solid stable but the large

mouthed, instant release hose of the newAntidote design makes it easy to use. Thelight ripstop bag has proved tough. Holdsall you need for an all-day mission.

WEBFull reviewhttp://bit.ly/XFoIYaRATING

SHIMANO UNZEN 10 £85A heavily pre-curved shape andfeathery materials mean dry weight

is low, and the back fit is brilliant.The slinky 10 is great for generaluse, so long as you’re ruthless withyour packing.

WEBFull reviewhttp://bit.ly/15CDtbSRATING

OSPREY RAPTOR 10 £85Osprey’s build quality is thebenchmark. The Hydraulics bladder

has a big carry handle to make fillingeasier, though it creates a degree ofstiffness some may not like. Waterdelivery is efficient and drip-free.


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LAPIERREX-CONTROL310£1500

Lapierre’sX-Control310deliversalight, livelyandfunridethanks,inpart,toitsmismatchedtravel(100mmtravelrearand120mmupfront).Goodgeometryandsuspensionletitcopewitharangeoftrails. Itcomeswithagoodcomponentspecforthemoney,too.

WEBSee http://bit.ly/MFcvLB for a full review

RATING

TREKFUELEX7£2000Whilethebasicdesignhaspersistedforyears,

theFuelEXhasbeenthesubjectofconstanttweaksandevolution.ItbenefitsfromTrek’sABPpivot,DualRateControlValveshockteamedwithaFoxEvolution130mmfork.TheBontragerXR3tyrescombinethecushioningofhighvolumewithdecentgripandafast-rollingnature.

WEBSee http://bit.ly/17Jtp5d for a full review

RATING

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126 January

Entry LevelWHYTET-129 £1700TheT-129sharesitsframewiththeslightlymore

expensive(£2100)TrailBikeoftheYear-winningT-129S.It’sabikeeven29ervirginscaninstantlythrash,butsimpletounderstanddoesn’tmeandumb withanexperiencedridertheT-129isseriouslyfast.Thespecisspotonand,ifyou’rewillingtogetinvolved ratherthanjustpointthebars thisbikewillrepayyouinspades.

1

WEBSee http://bit.ly/16Tx3d3 for a full review

RATING

BOARDMANFSPRO£1600

For2014theFSProrollson 650bratherthan26inwheels,andit’smadeagoodbikeevenbetter.Theygiveasmoothstabilitythatevenekesgripfromthetoo-hardrubber.TheRockShoxRevelationforkiscomposed,andthere’snoshortageofstiffnesstobackupthebalancedhandling.


RATING

WHYTET-129S £2100Withspot-ongeometrygivingnoreasonto

brakeandthebigMaxxistyresgrippingextremelywelldespiteveryfast-rollingtread,theT-129Ssimplyfliesineverysituation.It’sbarelymoreexpensivethanthatbase-levelT-129,butgetsaReverbStealthdropperamongotherusefuldrivetrainandwheelupgrades.There’snowa£2600Worksspec,too.WEBSee http://bit.ly/13Cp2G5 for a full review

RATING

GIANTANTHEMX291£2000

Atunder27lbit’slighterthanmanyfarmoreexpensivecarbonbikes,andwithGiant’simpressiveown-brand,tubeless-compatiblewheelskeepingaccelerationfreshit’sanoutstandingrace,marathonorepicmachine.What’sevenmoreimpressiveisitstrailability.

WEBSee http://bit.ly/12n0yk4 for a full review

RATING

2

BEST Gears

SRAM XX1£1010Despite months of intense use, SRAM’s

dedicated single ring setup has seriouslyimpressed. Shifting accuracy anddrivetrain smoothness is superb. Agenuinely game-changing gearset.


SHIMANO XT£515Incorporating many of the features of

XTR, but at a much more attractive price,XT is a great addition to any bike. Weightis kept reasonably low and it looks goodtoo. Double chainsets coming soon.


2013 SHIMANO SLX 2X10£640This package is light, durable and

incredible value for money. Shifting iscrisp thanks to tightly sprung mechs.The 38/24T chainset and 11/34 cassetteoption was ideal for trail centre blasting.


SRAM X0£1185Not quite the top of the SRAM tree, but

outshines its main rival from Shimano,namely XTR. It offers precise lever feelwith absolutely no slack or play andsmooth changes.


SHIMANO XTR£1065Race-inspired double ring chainset is

the jewel in the XTR crown. Stiff and light,with dual release paddles, two or threespeed selector switch and the ability toshift multiple directions make it versatile.


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VALUE

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BEST Forks

ROCKSHOX PIKE RCT3 FROM £750The Pike (see the RCT3 Solo Air review

on p78) has quite fired its way straight tothe top of the mid-weight, long-traveltrail fork charts. It’s lighter and far morecontrolled than a Fox 34, and availablefor all wheel sizes. You want one.

WEBFull reviewhttp://bit.ly/1dOvp1aRATING

FOX 32 FLOAT 120 CTD TA 26 £749Fox’s top of the range F120 punches

above its weight when it comes to chaoscontrol and technical terrain confidence.It’s a fantastic fast ride all-rounder, butdoes come at a price. Great adjustabilityso will even suit the most finicky fettlers.


BOS DEVILLE £890Once the Deville is correctly tweaked

– even small adjustments really count –it offers a subtlety that few other forkscan dream of. The 160mm of air-sprungtravel delivers incredible, supportiveperformance for hard riding.

WEBFull reviewhttp://bit.ly/1dNZfDERATING

X-FUSION SLANT RL2 £455The progressive stroke resists braking/

berming dive and won’t slam to thebottom over every drop. Rebound isbalanced, the chassis is strong and priceis fantastic; X-Fusion is on the up, and thishigh-value fork deserves its GOTY spot.

WEBFull reviewhttp://bit.ly/17MUPcTRATING

FOX 34 TALAS 26 £990A new hydraulic lockdown adjuster,

an air spring and a more progressivespring curve has helped the dive issuesthat’ve plagued TALAS systems. In the26in version we tested the chassistracks accurately.

WEBFull reviewhttp://bit.ly/18RgGB6RATING

ETHE GUID Best Buys*Fram

eonly

1

SANTACRUZTALLBOYLTC£2599(FRAME&SHOCK)

Followingonfromthesuccessofitsshortertravelbrother,SantaCruzhasunleashedanotherbenchmark-makingbike.Thebestfast,fun,egoboostingall-roundtrailbikewe’veriddeninafour-figuretestinghistory.Preparetopresstheresetbuttononyourriding!

WEBSee http://bit.ly/Hz3wES for a full review

RATING

MARINMOUNTVISIONC-XMPRO £5000

Thepricewillattractalotofinterest thespecisfantastic butthechassisperformanceisjustasimpressive.Outstandingframestiffness,smoothsuspensionresponseandthatgreatvaluekit(SRAMXX1,FoxKashimaforkandshockandmore)makethemostofthesortedtrailgeometry.


RATING

2

High End

1Mid Range

WINNER

1

BEST Trail Full Suspension

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January 127


CANYONNERVEAL7.929ER£1599

Direct-buybighitterCanyonhasdeliveredagainwiththebig-wheeledNerveAL7.9.Itbrilliantlycoversgroundwithminimaleffortandtrauma,anditssub-13kgweightkeepstheNerveresponsivewhetheryou’reheadingupwardsorlaunchingoutofcornersonsingletracksprints.


RATING

MONDRAKERTRACKERR£1499

TheTrackerR’sspecwillgrowasyougrowasarider,butwillcontinuetokeepupwithproperlyfasttrailmachinery.Ifyou’relookingtodipyourtoeintofullsuspensionwatersanddon’tmindmakingsomecomponentupgradesasyougo,thisbikeprovidessmilesandthrillswellaboveitsstation.

WEBSee http://bit.ly/184svjB for a full review

RATING

SANTACRUZBLURTR £1749*Straightaway,theBlurTRfeelsfast.The

lengthywheelbaseandlow-slungbottombracketinstantlytranslateintohigh-speedstabilityandgrinsofapproval.WithFoxCTDshocksfrontandrear, it’seasytosetupandthenadjustasyougo,andinTrailmodetheTRheadsupalmostanything.FromdownhillrunstorippingupXCsingletrack,theBlurTRisupforit.

3

WEB See http://bit.ly/14AYseO for a full review

RATING

4 LAPIERREZESTY514 £3100Thecarbonframeand142x12mmaxletighten

upthealreadystiffrearendtogivetheZestyaprecise,cleanconnectiontothetrail.Addthelongerchainstaysandslightlyslacker66.5-degreeheadandyoucanforgetaboutthesketchytyres(well,binthem)andtwangyfork.ThebasicshapeandspeedappetiteoftheZestyisinfectious.

WEB See http://bit.ly/19sZkGg for a full review

RATING

SANTACRUZ5010C£2599*Thegeometryofthe5010(néeSolo)ismidway

betweentheextremesandcreatesanagile,keenfeel,withgreatoverallbalanceandarealtalentforfastdirectionchanges.125mmofimpressivesuspensionandthelightandtightcarbonchassismeansthelastthingonyourmindiswheelsizethey’re650bandworkbrilliantly.It’sstunning.

REVIEW REVIEW See WMB156 p32 for a full review

RATING

SCOTTGENIUS700SL£6699Theframeisaslightasmostracebikes,but

stifferthanmostall-mountainmachines.Thatanditssortedgeometrymakeitagreatshowcasefortheadvantagesof650bwheels.AFox34TALASforkupfrontgivesyou150mmoftravel-happyplush,whiletheScott/DTSwissNude2shockoffersaclimb-friendly120-150mm.Itscarbon-loadedspeclistgoessomewaytojustifythepricetag.WEB See http://bit.ly/1dDe8Fp for a full review

RATING

4

3*Fram

eonly

3

4

SPECIALIZED RIME£140The Rime combines a race-style upper

with a chunky full-length Vibram sole.Not everyone likes Specialized’s BodyGeometry canted and contoured footbed, but we’re big fans.


FIVE TEN FREERIDER VXI £95The grip from the Five Ten is better

than anything else out there, but the lackof tread pattern under the front of thefoot means it’s smooth where the pedalsits for movement. Bobbly bits areretained elsewhere for off-bike traction.

WEBFull reviewhttp://bit.ly/17yFeeURATING

SHIMANO AM41£85The AM41s are our new favourite flat

pedal shoes – they’re a fantastic blend ofweight versus protection, pedallingstiffness versus off-bike comfort andsplash-proofing versus breathability.

WEBFull reviewhttp://bit.ly/192Fu3oRATING

MAVIC SCREE £155Low cut ankle backs and heel pull

straps make them easy to get in and outof. The rubberised heel wraps keep themsecurely while you stomp the pedals.Mavic shoes are generally bombproof,which will help ease the initial outlay.


O’NEAL STINGER £85Good levels of grip are aided by the

finely-judged sole flexibility; you can feelthe pedals but not skate around. Thesynthetic leather upper is robust and toesget solid protection from the toe box,which is tall and roomy.

WEBFull reviewhttp://bit.ly/194PjCfRATING

BEST Footwear

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BEST Saddles

CHARGE SCOOP (CHROMOLY RAILS)£40Influenced by the shape of Charge’s

Spoon, the Scoop is another fantasticallydesigned and comfortable place to perch.A lighter titanium-railed version isavailable for £60.


SUPERSTAR PEAK£35You get a lot for your money with the

Peak saddle. Titanium rails keep theweight respectable, deep firm paddingabsorbs shocks and it’s covered ingenuine leather.


NUKEPROOF PLASMA STRIPE TRAIL£50The dimpled outer cover is grippy and

the broad nose and relatively flat profilemean it’s easy and comfortable to shiftforwards on steep climbs. A decentmiddle channel relieves pressure.


CHARGE SPOON CHROMO£25The Spoon’s shape holds you in place welland the broad but well-rounded noseallows steep climb perching. Build qualityis good, but there isn’t any edgeprotection against crash damage.


PROLOGO SCRATCH PRO X14 TI 1.4£100The shape of the saddle provides acomfortable and firm position, andthe carbon-injected base and titaniumrails bring it in at a reasonable weightof 258g.

WEBFull reviewhttp://bit.ly/I1f6ADRATING

1

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VALUE

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2

128 January

BEST WinterShorts

MADISON ADDICT £60The central waterproof panel on

the back prevents most splashesmaking their way through, and furtherwaterproof sections are backed up bysealed seams. The slightly stretchy fabricmakes for a good fit.


1

POLARIS AM 500 REPEL£55The good-length legs don’t ride up and

keep your thighs well covered, while aDurable Water Resistant treatment keepsspray out – but does restrict the shorts’breathability.


ENDURA MT500 SPRAY£65The seat and back of legs are

constructed of a taped waterproof fabric,so the rest is left to ventilate, breathe andstretch as you ride. An elasticated waistcombines with a belt to ensure easy fit.

WEBFull reviewhttp://bit.ly/19HHr6SRATING

RACE FACE AMBUSH £77They’re not waterproof, but are made

of a heavy-weight fabric with waterresistant finish. Pockets are ideallyplaced and vents allow enough airflowto keep dampness down without chillingtoo much.

WEBFull reviewhttp://bit.ly/19HHr6SRATING

ALTURA ATTACK£60The three-layer breathable React fabric

makes the Attacks fully waterproof. Theyhave a good cut and fit well, despite thematerial not having any stretch in it,or the shorts featuring stretch panels.


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ETHE GUID Best Buys

Entry LevelVOODOOBIZANGO £600Voodoo’s new29er hardtailprovesthatgreat

designandsmartspecchoicesdon’thavetocostafortuneifyoudoitright.Themid-travel(120mm)forkhasenoughstrengthtofightoffrocks,rootsandruts,whileawell-weightedriderpositiongivesimpressiveconfidenceonfastorloosetrails.

1

WEBSee http://bit.ly/16WVWSI for a full review

RATING

1

1

2

PINNACLEJARRAH4£700The26-inwheeledJarrahisnotquitethe

hard-hittingtrailbikethe120mmforkmayimply,butthesteepfrontandsmallwheelskeepitlively.It’ssurprisinglynimbleoneventherootiest,rockiestandtwistieststretches.Theframeisnicelybuiltwithgenerousstandoverclearance.

WEBSee http://bit.ly/1cbeRA4 for a full review

RATING

WHYTE901 £1199Aslack66.5-degreeheadangle,longframeand

widebarsmeanradicalhandling.It’snotabikeforshyorretiringridersbutthemixofaproventubeset,plusthelatestwheelsizeandsortedcomponentrycreatesafantasticblendofresponsivenessandconfidencethat’llmakeanysortofmountainbikingalotoffun.


RATING

ORANGECRUSH £1300Anothertrailhardtailthat’sembracing650b

wheels,theCrushisareallyfunandcapablebike,especiallywhenyoupointitdownhill. TheRockShoxSektorforkdoesagreatjobofsmoothingoutthetrailwithits140mmoftravelandtheAvidElixir1brakesarereliable.Thesizingcancomeupsmall,soouradvicewouldbetotrybeforeyoubuy.REVIEWSee WMB155 p24 for a full review

RATING

PACERC127 £500*TheRC127isagreattechnicaltrailall-rounder

thatfullyembraces andexploits theadvantagesofmid-sized650bwheels.ItsReynolds853steelframestandsoutinaseaofaluminiumcounterparts,andwhileproductionmodelsweren’tavailableatthetimeofwriting,theprototypewetestedispunchyenoughforblackruns,yetoffersgreatsingletrackspeed.WEBSee http://bit.ly/15VZaFp for a full review

RATING

COTICSOUL£499*Webuiltourtestbikewitharealisticmixof

trail-toughparts,ratherthansuper-lightXCgeara 2x10SLXgroupset,CrankBrosCobaltwheels

andTruvativ,SDGandCBfinishingkit.TheSoul’ssolidyetpliantandcharacterfulfeelgivesyoutheconfidencetopushharder,andwhetheryou’rethrowingthebikeintobermsorflowingthesingletrack,italwaysfeelsagileandplanted.WEBSee http://bit.ly/1b6Diee for a full review

RATING

*Frame

only

BEST Trail Hardtail

Mid Range

High End

2

2

BEST WarmLayers

ALTURA TRANSFORMERWINDPROOF £90With removable sleeves and only a light

fleece behind the windproof panels, thisis one of the most versatile jackets we’vetested. Breathable fabric at the backmeans you won’t overheat as temps rise.


RAB BOREAS PULL-ON£45Breathability is high, and while it

doesn’t keep rain out it dissipates itquickly over the surface and dries inminutes. The hood keeps breeze offsweat-soaked hair and stops drafts.


ENDURA WINDCHILL II£76This is one for when temperatures

drop to single figures, featuring a fleecebacking on the front and sleeves. Thesnug neck and brushed interior are cosyand the softshell wards off wind and rain.


PEARL IZUMI ULTRA BARRIER WXB£150The fully waterproof Ultra Barrier fitsbrilliantly, stretching over thermalunderlayers without flapping in the wind.It only comes in black, so if you use theroads much it’s not the best choice.


GORE BIKE WEAR ALP-XWINDSTOPPER ACTIVE SHELL LIGHT£140With no pockets or other frills to bulk itout, this scrunches up small and light, butis still tough and durable. Breathability isgreat even in muggy weather.


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OPTION

OPTION

January 129


Entry LevelVITUSESCARPE1 £1750TheEscarperangeof140mmbikessitsatthetop

ofVitus’traveltree.OnthetrailtheEscarpe1isimpressivelystiff,yetfeelsrelaxed,withrelativelyconservativehandlingthatstill letsyouhitthedescentshard. Tyreclearanceisgenerousandthere’splentyofseatdroptoo.Animpressivelywellbalancedandversatiletrailbike.

1

WEB See http://bit.ly/ICtZWT for a full review

RATING

2 CARRERABANSHEEX £800Decent140mmsuspensiontravelfrontand

rearandasolidspecincludingSuntourEpiconforkandshock,SRAMgearingandContinentalMountainKingtyreshelpproduceagoodoptionifyou’relookingforgravity-assistedfun.More‘freeridelite’than‘budgettrailbike’solovestechnicaldescents.

WEB See http://bit.ly/zDTWQq for a full review

RATING

TRANSITIONBANDIT2£2900

Transitionhaspulledoffagoodtrick:theBanditlooksskinnyandlow-key,butpeercloserandit’sbuilt likeatrain.Ifyoulovetodescend,cornerandjumpthosecheekywoodedtrailsfasterallthetime,butwantsomethingtopedalratherthanpushuphill,theBanditisthatbike.

WEB See http://bit.ly/OYMtpx for a full review

RATING

SPECIALIZEDSTUMPJUMPEREVOCOMP £2500

It’snotlightorfastontheclimbs,butSpecializedhasdoneasuperbjobofcreatingaproperriot-bikechassis.Withconfidentlylow,slackandlongangles,fluidsuspension,stickytyresandadropperpost,theStumpjumperEvocomesfullyloadedforthelairiesttrailridinglaughs.

WEB See http://bit.ly/v6ONxf for a full review

RATING

COMMENCALMETASX1£3750

TheSXistheharder-edged,longer-leggedversionofMeta’sAMtrailbike.With160mmofon-the-flyadjustableFoxCTDsuspensionandasingle-ringdrivetrain, it’scompletelyfocusedasarideableenduro-styledescendingmachine.Itsailsintotheroughstuff,andcomesoutunscathed.


RATING

CUBESTEREO160SUPERHPCRACE £3000

Thelightcarbonframeandexcellentpartspickforthemoneymeansliftingitoutoftheboxisaseasyasmost120mmbikes,buttheheavy-duty650bHansDampftyresanddownhillstable66.5-degreehandlinggiveitthesurefootednessofamuchheaviermachine.

WEB See http://bit.ly/Z8hHyg for a full review

RATING

2

1

2

1

BEST Aggressive Full Suspension

Mid Range

High End*Fram

eonly

BEST WaterproofJackets

BERGHAUS VAPOUR STORM£230Technically not a bike-specific jacket,

but the fit works well when you’re in thesaddle. There’s room for layers and thehood fits over a helmet, while clevergill-like vents really help cooling.


GORE POWER GT AS£175Gore has combined its light Active Shell

fabric with a sleek minimal design. Thecut is slim, while the sleeves curve withyour arms and the rear hem sits suitablylow for great fit and performance.

WREVIEWFull reviewWMB155p76RATING

GORE ALP-X GT AS£220The new Active Shell material means

this feels as close to a non-waterproofjacket as we’ve found, but still fends offthe elements impressively. Yes, it’sexpensive but you pay for the best.


MAVIC STRATOS H2O£270The offset zip ensures there’s only soft

fabric to rub against your chin. Thegenerous vents prove effective, and weespecially like the one down the lengthof the front zip.


ENDURA MTR EMERGENCY SHELL£90Taking minimalist design to a new level,

the Emergency Shell impresses – it’s light,scrunches tiny and works really well. Thefabric is a thin two-layer waterproof withstretchy inserts in the cuffs and shoulders.


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BEST RidingGlasses

MADISON SHIELD CLEAR £18The epitome of function over form. The

arms look flimsy but flexible rubbercoated ends hold them in place and don’tinterfere with helmet straps. The lensesare clear and distortion free. Therounded frame suits most face shapes.


OAKLEY RADAR LOCK PATH £195These come with a choice of two tinted

lenses. The clear lens will set you back anadditional £50, but was the sharpest ofour test group. They’re comfortable andsecure with no helmet strap interference.


TIFOSI DURO FOTOTEC £70Tifosi is doing a great job of mimicking

more expensive glasses, with a quickreacting light sensitive lenses and stylishlooking frame that feels well put togetherand doesn’t look daft off the bike.


ENDURA BRIGG £65These offer a decent field of vision and

an effective colour change, starting witha very light orange tint to effectivelyblocking all but very un-British brightsunlight. An anti-fog coating copes withall but the most humid rides.


BBB SELECT PH £120These move from almost clear through

to well shaded and have little lensdistortion despite the wraparounddesign. The large lenses mean they’reeffective at keeping wind off andpreventing dirt flicking up inside.


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OPTION

And that’s his radically-angled,weird-barred titanium rocketship. He couldn’t find one on

sale, so he made it up.And he’s not theonly one at it…

DR JONFive big bikes that dominate bike parksFirst Rides on Santa Cruz, Yeti, Turner & moreGroup test one! Six rear shocks, one winnerGroup test two! The best winter base layersGroup test three! The top rear mechs

PLUS

the trails – and quiz the men who built them

FULL CUSTOMDREAM BIKES

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WMB157On sale 14January

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