Indholdsfortegnelse for October 2022 i Mountain Bike Rider

KINGDOM BIKES VOID This truly unique machine belongs to Paul from suspension specialists TF Tuned and was successfully raced over the Ard Rock weekend. It’s based around a prototype Void frame from Kingdom Bikes that offers 160mm of travel in a single-pivot layout with the frame made from a mixture of certified aerospace-grade Ti-3AL-2.5V titanium tubing and 3D-printed parts of grade Ti-6AL-4V. The frame is unfinished on this proto bike, and there are 3D printed Ti parts welded into the main chassis to form the rear triangle. Welding with titanium is notoriously tricky, but the joins are neat and tidy. And that seat tower gusset – no words. Seeing as it belongs to a suspension specialist, the rear damper is an Öhlins coil shock and a very special Intend Ebonite…

From leaderboards to race results, to having the lightest bike, we all love to compare ourselves to others. And even if you’re not outwardly competitive, secretly, it’s human nature to size each other up. So this month we’ve put together seven performance metrics that every mountain biker should meet, or at least aim to achieve. Some riders will breeze through all seven challenges, while others will find gaping holes in their ability, which in turn will provide areas for improvement that will ultimately make you a better rider. And that’s because this isn’t a random collection of challenges. No, these performance metrics have been chosen specifically with mountain biking in mind. By completing the seven challenges outlined here you’ll be testing your strength, balance, power output, stability, coordination and mental…

£2,899 • 29in • alpkit.com Laser guided mellow days. OK, so I’ve put a twist on the title of Spiritualized’s debut album from 1992, but these words really do sum up my late summer trail time on the Sonder. With the local trails baked dry and littered with ruts, dust and (so rarely seen) dry roots, I’ve really been able to step on the gas and explore the limits of this steel hardtail. And it’s been an absolute blast. Last month I ran through the sizing of the Sonder and how it fits my height and proportions almost perfectly – straight from the box. I feel totally connected to this bike and it’s particularly noticeable when pushing on hard. As the terrain gets more chaotic, with the rear wheel bucking…

SPECIFICATION Weight: 1,030g front S30, 1,150g rear S35 • Internal rim width: 30, 35mm • Freehub: XD driver, Microspline or HG • Rotor mount: six-bolt and centrelock • Contact: mavic.com My first handbuilt mtb wheels used Mavic rims, I learned to build wheels using Mavic rims and I raced DH with Deemax wheels hese fornew years, Sun soRinglé it’s satisfyingwheels use tothe see the French brand’s proven back doingDüroc whatrim mated it doesto bestallnew after going financial installed, difficulties. with two bottles of sealant, These and alloyboth E-DeemaxSRAM XD S wheelsand Shimano are a relatively bodies. new addition to the Mavic range and are available 35mm two different – and two ways. diametersFirst, you – 29in can line andup 27.5in all six – for the even twoon sizessignificantly to makelighter…

British industry has been in a sorry state of decline since the 1970s. And while the switch to a service-based economy has all but extinguished the furnaces that kickstarted the industrial revolution, there are pockets of manufacturing that aren’t just smouldering away, they are blazing. The British bike industry is one of them. Brands like Orange, Cotic, Hope and Atherton Bikes are all making domestic manufacturing work to their advantage. Yes, the vast majority of mountain bikes and components are still made in Asia, and no doubt it will continue like that for the foreseeable future. But with increasing shipping costs and environmental concerns, it’s not only feasible to manufacture bikes in the UK, it’s become profitable too. And with Brexit making imported goods that much more expensive, UK-based brands…

When it comes to manufacturing bikes in the UK, no one can accuse Orange of simply flag waving. Based in Halifax, and with over 25 years of manufacturing knowhow, it is arguably the quintessential British bike brand. Models like the Five and 224 have made Orange a popular mtb household name. And while the elements that go into Orange’s full-suspension bikes haven’t changed dramatically over the years – mostly seam-welded sheet aluminium to form the monocoque tubing, combined with a single-pivot suspension design – Alex Desmond, senior design engineer at Orange, has added a new ingredient without completely changing the flavour profile of the brand. That’s right, the Switch 7 has a linkage-actuated shock to give the bike more progression. Not that you could tell by looking at the side…

Big picture Loic Bruni winning the World Championships DH in front of a partisan crowd in Les Gets last month was a moment that will go down in mtb history. Never has the sport witnessed such a huge and passionate congregation – for Bruni really is worshipped – and such an intense, intoxicating atmosphere. France also locked out the podium with Amaury Pierron second and Loris Vergier third. There was also redemption for Vali Höll after a string of mistakes and bad luck in the Women’s DH and a fairytale 10th elite gold medal for veteran Nino Schurter in the XCO. France also celebrated with a win in the Women’s XCO as Pauline Ferrand-Prévot crossed the line nearly a minute ahead of her rivals. Bartek Wolinski/Red Bull Content Pool Big…

MOST WANTED EVIL EPOCALYPSE E-BIKE £12,699.99 Well, it held out a pretty long time. But after Santa Cruz, Yeti and then Transition released e-bikes, it was only a matter of time before we had an E-Evil to ogle. This is the new Epocalypse, a name we really should have seen coming given Evil’s penchant for bastardising words. In fact, the new bike is based on the Wreckoning, meaning it also rolls on 29in wheels and has 166mm travel delivered through Evil’s Delta suspension platform, and the same Superboost+ rear end. So while the bike looks fiendishly complicated, it’s still a single-pivot design with a linkage-actuated shock, now perching a little higher to make way for a Shimano EP8 motor. Two years in the making, the frame is unidirectional carbon-fibre, with…

How close are we to the top? Is there a pub halfway round? Is the final descent steep? Plenty of us only find out the answer to facts like these when (and if) we get there, according to a poll from Ordnance Survey that showed 27% of people were never taught how to read a map. Worse still, 31% of the 2,000 people polled said they were worried about getting lost. Well, mbr is here to help set that straight with our top tips for map reading. Before we get there though, the answer is yes. Yes, it really is still important to know this essential skill, we’re ‘mountain’ bikers, for goodness sake! Besides, GPS units can be foiled by weather, your phone can lose reception, and all the electronic…

Autumn is here. The trails are wetter, roots and rocks seem to be everywhere, and the ground that once provided grip and stability is now slippery and inconsistent. With all this movement on the trail, it’s time to focus on riding with clean technique. This issue, we’ll look at how to smooth out complicated bits of trail, how to balance the effects of gravity with how much grip is available, and how to make the control you have on hectic trails feel more consistent and predictable. SUSPENSION SET-UP Setting your bike’s suspension is always a compromise. If it’s firmer it will move less and pedal really well, but runs the risk of feeling harsh on choppy terrain. If it’s soft it will feel plush over small bumps but bottom out…

£4,499 • 29in • privateerbikes.com This is the first bike I’ve ever spent any time on that comes with a coil shock. And I’m quickly finding out that, whatever the benefits in performance and ride feel may be, they come at the cost of convenience and ease of set up. As standard, the Öhlins shock on the size P3 Privateer 141 comes fitted with a 457lb spring. Now, given that I’m at the smaller end of the size range it was no surprise that the stock spring was too firm for me. If this was an air shock I’d just have to whip out the shock pump and set the pressure accordingly. Not here. With the coil-sprung Öhlins TTX22M shock I had to order a lighter 434lb spring and wait…

Cotic is probably best known for its hardcore steel hardtails, originally the Soul and more recently the BFe. And what started out in the Peak District over 20 years ago as a relatively small direct-sales operation to scratch owner/founder, Cy Turner’s itch, Cotic has grown in size but has always remained true to its roots. As the brand has evolved, so has the range of bikes it offers, the latest and most accomplished being the Gen 4 RocketMax. A fullsuspension enduro bike that blends a custom 853 Reynolds tubeset with alloy chainstays. The steel tubing for the front triangle is designed in Sheffield and immaculately welded in Scotland by Five Land Bikes. The top tube is ovalised and tapers neatly to merge seamlessly with the seat tube. Being a steel…

“There’s not much elevation here.” Ranger Pete Haskett’s words from our phone call the day before, keep coming back to me. I’m tackling a series of seriously steep switchbacks down towards the reservoir below, but with the overnight rain lingering on a surface of crushed stone and clay, it’s really the trail that’s tackling me. My rear wheel wants to go sideways more than forwards, and it’s taking me close enough to the edge to be scary. There are high lines round these corners that take proper commitment, and I’m not ashamed to admit I don’t dare. Honestly, this wasn’t what I was expecting from a blue route round a reservoir in Pembrokeshire. The trail we’re being shown round is new. It hugs the shore of Llys-y-Frân in Pembrokeshire, a…

Y DAS, THE BLACK MOUNTAINS 39.5km (24.5 miles) What’s your favourite kind of climb? Steep, loose, gentle, grassy, techy? However you like your ascents, this route has them all. Straight out of the gate – or more accurately, through the gate – you have to settle in for the long haul. The grassy climb is low on grip and charges through contour lines at a fair rate, before getting rockier. Easy? No. Satisfying. Oh yes. The return leg is a much more steady ascent, giving you time to catch your breath and appreciate this often quiet and always beautiful part of the world. GPS download bit.ly/YDas CADAIR IDRIS, NORTH WALES 17.4km (10.8 miles) Mountain bikes should be able to ride up mountains, right? In actual fact there are very few…

STAR LETTER OFF-ROAD TRIP I just wanted to say thanks for the ride inspiration! Last year I saw the Sarn Helen trail in your magazine and it sparked the idea of an adventure from North to South Wales. Without slavishly following the ancient Roman route, and instead aiming for some key locations, I spent many a happy hour planning my perfect route. I started in Bangor, taking in Snowdonia, Coed y Brenin, Machynlleth, Cadair Idris, Pen y Fan, Afan Forest and ending up at my old home town of Bridgend. Blessed and cursed to have chosen the hottest week of the year to do it in July, it was a 184-mile epic (6,232m ascent, 6,129m descent). There was stunning scenery, with rugged mountains, lush valleys and a great mix of…

£7,400 • 29in • specialized.com MONTH 10: Fence sitting or straddling the world of full-power e-bikes and analogue bikes? Jamie and the Kenevo SL have a lot in common Bike test editor Muldoon’s been giving me some grief, and for once it’s not for my carrot-coloured hair. Or my gangly limbs. (Yes, he’s a bully alright.) He reckons I’ve sat on the fence for the best part of a year and we still don’t know whether I like this bike or not. Well, he’s right, and it’s time I climbed down and delivered my verdict on the Kenevo SL. Honestly, it’s not the one for me. But that’s not for the reasons you’re probably thinking – the whole low power problem. Sure, there are now a handful of mid-powered e-bikes…

£6,299 • 29/27.5in • giant-bicycles.com If you happen to look back at my previous longtermer reports on the Giant Reign E+ 1, you’ll see a thread running through a couple of them, or, more specifically, sticks running through the rear derailleur. Each time it happened I tried to back off on the power, but most e-bikes motors, including the Giant SyncDrive here, have a bit of overrun which keeps the drivetrain spinning ever so slightly after you’ve stopped pedalling. This means if there is a stick in the derailleur cage it will keep getting mangled. The cage on the current crop of Shimano 12-speed derailleurs is really flimsy – so I bent the cage on both my failures and several other mbr staff have done the same. All of which…

Of the two main players here, RockShox has changed almost everything on its flagship trail fork for 2023. And while RockShox’s new Pike has nailed the majority of its changes with some real improvements in an already dialled product, it’s not quite perfect. The Pike’s philosophy seems to lean towards a sportier and more supportive, rather than fluid and supple ride, but we’d argue not all riders are looking for those characteristics on a shortertravel trail bike where DH speeds and loads won’t be quite as high as an enduro rig. This is because off-the-top sensitivity and grip might be even more important to maximise control and comfort in this sector; at least for riders that prioritise maximum downhill fun. Fox’s Float 34 is 100g lighter and £100 more expensive…

Hope has a lofty aim. It doesn’t just want to build bikes in the UK, it wants to make every single component right on its doorstep in Barnoldswick. So while other brands are happy to slap logos on existing components or outsource the process entirely, Hope wants to be involved every step of the way. And it’s well on its way to realising that vision. The HB916 is Hope’s third full-suspension bike and it’s a bike designed for enduro racing. It has suspension components from Öhlins, tyres by Maxxis, and a SRAM 12-speed transmission, but virtually everything else carries the Hope logo. And while small components like CNC-machined hubs, stems, headsets and cranks are relatively straightforward for Hope to manufacture, it quickly realised that if it wanted to produce high-quality…