A few weeks back I had a chance to go on a road trip down to Seven Springs in Pennsylvania with my buddies. I was so stoked to pack up the gear and take that 7-hour drive from my home to Seven Springs, especially since I didn’t have to drive my car. Packing up the gear in my buddy’s pick-up took a bit of time but we had to make sure nothing moved (a lot of damage could occur just during transportation). So in the end with all the spares (shocks, springs, cranks, cables, nuts, bolts, brakes, and any other part you could possibly think of), tools, bikes (spare ride included), armor, clothing, and food, you can see that the truck got pretty full.

From Toronto the trip to to the Super 8 near Seven Springs took about 8 hours including various “scheduled” stops. Needless to say, we were baked at the end of the day. We still had to unpack the truck and basically sleep with our gear. I don’t know about you but $30,000 worth of gear open for all to see is a bit too much of a temptation. So that hour was spent for good measure. Of course after a long ride we were tired but still stoked because the next morning we knew we’d be out hitting the slopes. There was another hour or two of chatting it up and watching bike videos until finally the Red Bull / Monster concoction that we had on the drive down wore off.

Arriving at Seven Springs there was the obligatory buddy shot (*tip* take camera shots before you hit the slopes, things tend to break soon after), on the rocks which I almost overlooked; fortunately my buddy Jay saw the shot. This is where a good camera, proper lighting, and a tripod come in handy. It took a bit of running and setting up white balance as well as proper exposure to get this shot but it did turn out well.  For this shot I used a 24-70 lens with a f2.8 minimum aperture. I had fun taking the shot and playing around on the computer to change up the look of the shot.

Seven Springs offers a good mix of slopes to ride, from easy blue dot trails (007) to more complex and techy diamond and double-diamond runs (Frankenstein and EC1 – upper and lower). In fact the DH runs were so much fun I found it hard to stop and get my camera out to take pics. On the second day of our trip I hung out on the collector a bit and took some shots of my friends and some other folks clearing the awesome 25ft tables.

The slopes offer good vantage points for taking great shots, especially with a fast lens like a 24-70 f2.8

The next shot is of my two riding buddies just playing in the air – with a table top jump you get a lot of hang time. It’s almost enough time to start thinking about life. The funny thing about the tables at Seven Spring is the first few times the kicker tends to buck you slightly forward. But once you got used to it you were in for a lot of fun!

At the top of the slopes at Seven Springs there are some great trail features. The Burner line has three back-to-back features which, when hit properly, are super smooth. You come in and hit a step down wooden drop, followed by a rainbow bridge about 6ft+ high in the air, and then hit a picnic bench jump. Once you land that you have a super smooth wooden berm which then merges you into trail EC1 (upper). Lots of fun.

On the lower section of EC1 there is a mandatory roll-over drop into a quick right hand berm which will make most people think twice. I did hit it and made it but it was one of those features that I had to say OK, did it, not doing it again. A bit sketchy but that’s part of the charm. I do have to give props to the trial builders at Seven Springs as they really did a great job at using what they had. With limited elevation they still managed to make some sweet fast runs. The wood-to-wood features were all well built and flowy.

Now the only thing that bothered me a bit was the shuttle up; there is a lift but only on the weekends and only when there are enough riders to turn it on. The trailer, in my opinion, did not have enough padding to keep the bikes safe. On one of my bikes the brake line was bashed hard enough to crack the inner liner and cause it to leak. They did offer to refund my money but I was more interested in getting a new line and riding. Luckily we had spare parts with us and ended up fixing the bike ourselves and continued on the day.

Lift passes cost about $30 Mon- Thurs and $35 from Fri- Sun. There are DH bikes and equipment you can rent at the resort – $85 for the full day rental on the bikes and $25 for the armor package. The bikes were Jamis BAM’s from what I saw displayed. As far as looking good, the retail side sells Oakley, Fox and Dakine gear at a decent price too.

If you’re in the area, check out Seven Springs and consider bringing the family along. Visit their website for more details on biking and other summer activities.

The Shore goggles from Ryders is designed by mountain bikers, for mountain biking. In order to provide a mountain bike-specific fit, Ryders has incorporated a high bridge over the nose so as not to inhibit breathing and to allow the goggle to sit lower down on your face than a moto or snow goggle would. This ensures the Shore goggles mesh perfectly with almost all mountain bike helmets.

A set of mountain bike goggles also needs its own specific venting system that is inherently different from those found in moto and snow goggles. According to Ryders, “Our vents are designed to block the vapor from your mouth and nose, while channeling fresh air from the front and sides of the (goggles) to flow up the back of the lens, keeping your face cool and eliminating fog problems.”

The frame itself is designed to be ultra flexible, ultra durable (the flexibility helps with this), and lightweight. Attaching this quality frame to the face is high density, multi-layered, hypoallergenic foam that maximizes comfort and minimizes the build up of nast’ from sweating day after day. Keeping all of this in place is an adjustable strap with anti-slip beading that locks into the helmet for a solid feel.

While the frame, strap, and foam are all important, the lens is the heart of every goggle. If the lens is crappy, the goggles are worthless. Thankfully, the Shore’s lens is anything but crappy! The lens on the goggles I tested had a clear tint for low-light conditions, but still blocks “100% of UVA, UVB, and UVC rays, and harmful blue light to 400nm.” It also features a dual-lens construction, which works to eliminate fogging by putting a gap between two lens panes. Topping that off is an anti-fog coating for more protection as well as a scratch-resistant coating.

But possibly the most important feature of the Shore’s lens is the shatterproof polycarbonate lens material. No matter how hard you crash, this lens will not shatter. It may get busted up, but it won’t splinter into little eye-piercing shards. Finally, Ryders has integrated posts for tear-offs directly into the lens for easy loading.

But how would all of these features translate on the trail?

Real World Testing

Downhilling at Crested Butte Mountain Resort.

I’ve spent some quality time with the Shore goggles, but it didn’t really qualify as rest and relaxation… more like body pounding and nervous adrenaline rushes! The Shore did its job and kept my vision clear and unimpeded.

I know this may sound rather cliché, but I really did almost forgot that I was wearing a pair of goggles. They were honestly that comfortable! I’ve used goggles in the past with foam padding so thin I could feel the frame pressing straight into my face. Not so with the Shores! The triple-layer foam did an excellent job of cushioning my face, allowing me to focus on the trail in front of me. Also, the MTB-specific design worked superbly with my helmet. I had no uncomfortable pressure points to speak of.

Close up.

As for fog, I didn’t even think about my goggles fogging up until after the fact when I realized that they simply stayed clear the entire time.

At first I wasn’t sure if the goggles would stay secured to my helmet, as the strap area on my lid doesn’t have a deep recess or clip. I had no reason to worry, though, because the strap’s rubber seemed to just lock into the hard shell of my helmet as if it were velcro. This goggles stayed put all day without a single adjustment.

What more can really be said? When something just works the way it was intended to perform, it tends to take the words right out of the reviewer’s mouth! The one thing left for me to say is that the Shore goggles offer this stellar performance and quality construction with supreme attention to detail at an extremely affordable price: only $49.99 MSRP. For just 50 bones, you can’t possibly go wrong!

Many thanks to Ryders Eyewear for providing the Shore goggles for review.

Crested Butte is legendary as one of the birth places of mountain biking. While Marin, California may receive most of the fame (infamy?), Crested Butte was also one of the places that the earliest mountain bike pioneers called home. Unlike Marin, Crested Butte has maintained its legendary status with the oldest mountain bike club in the world, CBMBA, and the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. The quality of the trails in the area back up this rich history: the greater Crested Butte area may boast one of the highest concentrations of singletrack anywhere in the United States, perhaps in the world!

Traditionally, Crested Butte has been strictly known for massive cross-country rides at lung-taxing altitudes on singletrack that sports truly epic views. However, that may be slowly changing.

Enter Evolution Bike Park.

Christian Robertson on the Timeline trail.

Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) has been running their lifts for mountain bikers for 8 or 9 years now, but up until just 3 years ago, the runs consisted of old hiking trails and cattle paths – they were anything but mountain bike-friendly. In 2008 CBMR made the decision to hire on a crew of full-time workers to build and maintain a park designed specifically for downhill mountain biking, and Evolution Bike Park was born.

Since that time, the bike park has grown at an astounding rate! It now boasts 25 miles of trails that are open to mountain bikes, and five of those trails have been purpose-built for downhill mountain biking and are closed to uphill riders and all other trail users. In 2009, CBMR logged 3,500 rider days; in 2010, that number jumped to 8,000. According to Christian Robertson, the bike park manager, they hope to log at least 10,000 rider days this year.

Over the past couple of years, CBMR has been a popular stop on the Mountain States Cup race series, and just this year they got certified with USA Cycling. As a result, CBMR has been added as a stop on the international-caliber Pro GRT race series.

My Experience Riding Evolution Bike Park

I was fortunate enough to be shown around the mountain by none other than Christian himself, and he was kind enough to let me pick his brain on the chairlift rides up the mountain. CBMR also hooked me up with a free pass, one of their Specialized Demo 8 rental bikes, and some body armor so I could get a true bike-park experience.

The Demo 8 performed superbly!

All kitted up, and ready to rip!

All of the mountain bike trails are serviced by a detachable high-speed quad, which means less time on the chairlift and more time on the mountain bike!

I was impressed by the number of groms tearing around the resort. Turns out there’s an organization in town called Gravity Groms.

Like everywhere else in Crested Butte, the views from the top of the lift are surreal!

Without further ado, here’s a breakdown of several of the trails that we rode:

Avery

Christian pinning it through one of the rock gardens.

Avery is Evolution Bike Park’s race course, and as such there is a little bit of everything incorporated into this top-to-bottom black diamond trail. You’ll find plenty of drops (including a 12-foot cliff), technical rock gardens, bridges, table-top jumps, big berms, off-camber turns, slick mud, a step down, and tons of roots. Basically anything you can imagine, Avery will throw at you!

After just one run down this trail, I knew it was my favorite run on the entire mountain. I absolutely love the variety and technical nature. And while it is challenging, I didn’t feel like I was going to die every time I rounded a turn.

Check out some of my GoPro footage from Avery:

Timeline

According to Christian, Timeline is the most popular trail on the mountain. Its design embodies what many people have come to expect in a fast, flowy jump trail. If you want to catch air and find your flow, Timeline is the place to do it! Almost every corner is bermed, rocks are few and far between, and the jumps vary from small kickers to table tops to massive cheese-wedge booters.

Christian Robertson.

Christian Robertson.

Wood’s

Wood’s Trail is far out on the rider’s right-hand side of the resort and it takes a little pedal to get there and back – but it’s well worth the effort! The top of the trail starts off with a quick barrage of small jumps and berms, but lower down the trail straightens out and speeds up as it feeds into a massive pair of back-to-back wooden wall rides. The lower section of Wood’s is currently under construction, but it looks like it holds a fast line of medium-size jumps.

Be sure to check out the wall rides at 1:07-1:25:

Luge

Luge is the classic intermediate trail at CBMR, and it flows quickly down the mountain. True to its rating, it isn’t very difficult: this is a great warm-up run for advanced riders. Check out the video to get an idea of what it’s like:

Psycho Rocks

The only double-black trail at CBMR, Psycho Rocks is full of (you guessed it) rocks and drops. If you are looking for gnar, a real test of your suspension, or are possibly suicidal, drop into this technical whirlwind!

Check out this video (not mine) to get an idea of what kind of challenges this trail holds:

Final Thoughts

While the Evolution Bike Park is quickly turning Crested Butte into a downhill mountain biker’s paradise, the lifts can also be of use to those who are of a more cross-country persuasion. There are many trails at CBMR that are not downhill-specific, meaning they require more pedaling and are much smoother. Cross country riders can ride the lift up, and then hop on one of these less-challenging trails for a fun ride without nearly as much climbing! Since CBMR is adjacent to many of the other area trails lying outside of the resort boundary, you can truly build an epic XC ride with a fraction of the normal effort. While this might sound lazy to some, this can be a great benefit to riders coming from much lower elevation, and to those who just aren’t used to climbing very much. Epic trails like 401 still require a serious aerobic effort, though!

While they already have 25 miles of trails, Christian and the crew are not done building: Wood’s Trail is currently under construction, and they are hoping to break ground soon on another intermediate trail with mid-sized jumps to help riders progress their levitation abilities.

After I sprayed my bike off and returned it to the shop, I wondered to myself, “What is the most fun I’ve ever had on a mountain bike in a single day?” I’m not sure, but this day of shredding might have been it!

If you’re worried about the price of admission, well, you shouldn’t be. I was amazed at how affordable the riding is! A full-day lift ticket is only $35, and if you’re a beginner, you can get a package deal with a bike rental, lift ticket, and lesson for only $70! How sweet is that?

Many thanks to Christian Robertson, Erica Reiter, and Crested Butte Mountain Resort for the royal treatment!

Some of you may not be familiar with the name Nukeproof but the company has actually been around since 1992. Nukeproof started off in Grand Rapids, MI producing high quality carbon bar ends and titanium/aluminum and carbon/aluminum hubs. Now owned and distributed by Hotlines in the UK, Nukeproof is really making a name for themselves once again, this time with a full complement of MTB gear. I recently got my hands on a complete set of Nukeproof cockpit equipment for testing: the Warhead flat bar, Warhead direct mount stem, and the Element skinny grips.

Warhead Handlebars

I tested the no-rise flat bar version of the Warhead (medium and high rise versions are also available) at 800mm wide with a 9-degree  back-sweep. These bars are meant to keep you low on the bike with plenty of control and torque. A 760mm version is also available for those who would prefer to trade torque for lower weight and better clearances.  The 7075 aluminum is strong and quite stiff – hey, as the name implies, these are nuke proof. Talk about tough.

Warhead Direct Mount Stem

Complimenting the Warhead flatbar is the Warhead direct mount stem. The version I tested was the BoXXer direct mount (also works with Manitou, Fox, and anyone else who shares the 4-bolt pattern). This stem is made from 6061 aluminum and has been CNC machined to reduce as much weight as possible while maintaining strength (136grams). With a 31.8mm diameter bar (Nukeproof only produces 31.8mm diameter products) the 4-bolt face plate makes for a solid connection. Having a 45mm reach and just enough rise to clear most forks, this stem allows you to ride a bit further back on the bike than some other stems on the market.

Element Skinny Grips

The Element Skinny grips tie everything together and connect the rider to the bike. Using a familiar locking arrangement, these Kraton-clad grips have a fine knurled pattern and a relatively small diameter for maximum control, even in wet, muddy conditions. The 7000-series aluminum lock rings and end cap ensure nothing comes loose when it counts. The solid end cap with the logo also really helps prevent injury and eliminates “core samples” on the trail (think sharp bar ends penetrating the skin).

Installation

Installing the gear took about 30 minutes and two tries. While bolting up the bars and stem I did come across a small defect in the design. I noticed that if you clamped down one end of the stem then the other, the bars did not mate well. What you have to do is loosely assemble the bar and stem, then tighten down the gear. I found that the hard way when I noticed that the bars didn’t sit straight on the first go. Once I changed the way I mounted the parts, things worked much better.  The grips were a piece of cake to install and I had no issues there.

On the trail

On the slopes I enjoyed the control and ease of steering that I had with these mammoth 800mm bars. It was easy to handle my DH bike through everything that crossed its path. Even round rocks on the rock gardens didn’t alter the bike’s path thanks to the great grip and leveraged positioning of my hands. Throughout my test I didn’t hear a noise or feel anything slip when riding. My positioning on the bike (lower and back) was great when things got really rough, offering good weight distribution over the bike.

The only negative thing I can really say is the bar is a bit too stiff for me. I did get a lot of feedback into my hands which over a full day of riding got to be a bit numbing. My suggestion: ride this bar with padded palms (I didn’t).

Overall the Nukeproof gear is on par with other brands out there as far as price vs. performance ($100 MSRP for the stem, $85 for the bars, and $25 for the grips). With three colors to choose from (black, silver and yellow) you can really trick out your bike. Check out Nukeproof for yourself and see what else they have in store.

Thanks to the Martin at Hotlines and the folks at Nukeproof for providing the gear for review.

After spending a month in Italy, we were anxious to get across the border and into a new country. We were also a little behind schedule to get to Le Tour de France, so we decided to take a train from Lake Garda to Lake Como, where we would cross into Switzerland and head to Zurich. After arriving in Como, we hopped on our bikes and rode a short 30 km across the border and to our campsite for the night near Lugano.

As we were setting up camp, another mountain biker rode by with his kids and took notice of our bikes. He asked about our trip and introduced himself as Adam, a British ex-pat who had been living in Switzerland for around 15 years. He had brought his family to Lugano for a week of camping at the lake, but said he had a big trail ride planned for the next morning and invited us along. After hearing him describe the trail and stories of riders coming from around the world to do this ride, we were sold and agreed to tag along the next day.

The next morning, we got together and rode out of camp ready for an epic ride. We rode to the train station near the campsite and took a train to Lugano’s main station, where we changed trains for a short connection to the bottom of the chairlift we would be going up. We each loaded up our bikes and took off up the mountain. We were a little worried on the way up as we saw the steep technical downhill track pass underneath the lift, but Adam assured us that we would be on a much smoother cross country trail on the other side of the mountain and our bikes, both hardtails set up for touring, would do just fine as long as we went slow on a few sections.

Once at the top, we took a minute to enjoy the view which was impressive in spite of the cloud cover that had rolled in. We also took a quick walk around a chapel that was built at the top of the lift by a famous local architect. Once we were ready to ride, we started heading up the final ascent to our trailhead. Despite having taken the lift, we still had 45 minutes worth of riding and walking uphill before we reached the summit, where our trail began.

We reached the radio tower at the top of the mountain and stopped momentarily for a quick bite at the Tibetan mountain hut while chatting with some of the hikers on the trail. After finishing, we made our way onto the trail to start our descent down the mountain.

The first section of trail was very rocky, and while it was fun, we both ended up with flats. With our spare tubes used up within the first 15 minutes of riding, Adam assured us that the rocks would end once we hit the nearby forest, and from there we would have smooth singletrack down.

With our tires re-inflated, we started back down towards the tree line, and there we found smoother trail with some flow like what we are used to in the States. We were able to really open things up on this downhill and fly over the roots and moss-covered dirt much faster than the loose rocks found on most trails in this area. After a few kilometers of downhill, we came to a trail intersection with a  great view, so we climbed over the fence beside the trail to sit in the grass and soak in the scenery.

Back on the bikes, we continued down another technical portion of the trail that had some more loose rocks. We picked our lines carefully through the rocks and before long the trail ended and we were back on pavement. We rode through the rolling hills on the road and passed through several small mountain villages along the way. We arrived at the bottom of our second lift just before 2:00 and with just a few minutes before the kitchen closed at a nearby restaurant. Since we were there just in time we put in our orders and took a break to eat some lunch before continuing on.

Once fed, we rode across the street to the chairlift and loaded up our bikes for another downhill run. After the short trip on the lift we were able to hit the trail with no additional climbing. The trail here began as wide doubletrack, then narrowed to an eroded drainage ditch for rainwater to run down the mountain.

Like the first trail we were on, the rocks only lasted until we reached the forest, where the trail turned to singletrack. The descent was still steep, and a long series of tight switchbacks meant that we had to keep our speed in check on the way down. After a couple of kilometers of tight switchbacks, the trail turned into a forest road and eventually back to paved road.

We coasted down the mountain on the road back into town to finish up the day. We had plans to catch a train back to the station near our campground where we started the day, but since the next train was still 30 minutes away we grabbed a couple of drinks from a nearby store and jumped in the lake to cool off while we waited.

After finishing the ride, we thanked Adam for showing us around on some awesome trails. This is definitely the best off road ride we’ve found in Europe so far, with lifts available, downhill singletrack, great views, and lots of interesting places to grab some food along the way. Our only regret would be riding it on cross country bikes since the trail is very technical in places and would be best enjoyed on something with a little bit more suspension. Even on our XC hardtails though, this was a great ride that we will remember for a long, long time.

Want to hear more about our trip?  Read more at mtnbikeurope.blogspot.com.

I love having the opportunity to check out cool and exciting new MTB products, especially those from smaller niche manufacturers. Elka suspension opened its doors in Quebec, Canada back in 2000, starting out in the performance / racing ATV market. The company has now grown into a multi-discipline manufacturer but mountain bikers still get all the individual attention and professional support that only a pro racer would expect.

The Elka Stage 5 is a 4-way adjustable rear shock ranging in sizes from 7.5″ x 2″ all the way to 10.5″ x 3.5″, covering nearly all the AM-DH bikes that are out there.  The shining feature here is the bike-specific custom valving, a feature that no other manufacturer I know of provides standard. The shock is constructed using hard anodized machined aluminum on the body, main shaft, main piston and reservoir and features easy to use adjustments with a wide range of tuning. The clickers all have a very positive feel to them with no need for tools to turn them.

Due to the high-flowing internals of the shock, Elka uses a high-volume external reservoir to ensure adequate internal oil flow. To guarantee a long service life, Elka included long life premium seals, O-rings and wear bands in the internals of the shock plus DU bushing for the eyelets and a quality micro-cellular urethane bumper. As an added bonus, Elka didn’t want to re-invent the wheel so they used standard spring and mounting hardware (1/2″ DU bushing hardware and 1.38″ inner diameter springs). Looking carefully on the outside you will also notice the razor perfect lines of CNC machine work. An optional titanium spring is available for those who are concerned about saving weight.

Internally there is a standard De Carbon main damping system (shim stack main piston). The shim stack can be easily tuned by Elka during production to fit each bike and rider’s needs. Upon delivery the rider can further tune the shock externally, with the two HSC / LSC concentric adjusters. The technicians at the Elka factory tune and calibrate to perfection with the perfect amount of low-speed damping, usually on the strong side, providing a suspension that is firm, nimble, stable and quick. Out of the box the shock tends to maintain the bike’s ride height, using less travel and maintaining stability.

On the high speed side of things, the exclusive high-speed compression circuit is in fact an adjustable progressive blow-off valve, based on a piston and shim stack design. A calibrated spring controls the initial resistance of the valves and the HSC knob changes the pre-load on that spring. The adjustment controls the threshold where the blow-off circuit opens to reduce the pressure building up in the shock upon impact. Since this circuit is parallel to the low-speed compression circuit, the transition between the “firm” state and the “plush” state is progressive and smooth and proportional to the force of the impact. Elka’s rebound circuit is a shim stack that is speed-sensitive.

Having run the Stage 5 for a few months now I’ve decided this rear shock is one of my top three favorites (though it’s hard to say which of those three is the best!). Since the Stage 5 has a ton of settings, it’s important to follow the correct procedure when setting it up. After installing the shock, set the sag (assuming you have the correct spring rate) by adjusting the spring collar. Usually 2 – 3 turns maximum will do the job. If you find you’re turning more than 5 that is a good indication that your spring rate is too low.

After setting the sag it’s off to the slopes for testing! What I have found that works for me is setting everything at one third the total range. Doing this forgoes possible endos and other nasty things when you have way too little rebound.  At this point I focus on the things a rear shock should handle: cornering, hits (both big and small), and straightline stability. That’s a tall order but it’s what all the suspension manufacturers have to contend with!

When I dial in a shock I tend to set rebound first followed by low and high speed compression. The key is to do only one at a time until you’re satisfied. When setting rebound you’re looking to get to a point where the wheel maintains traction (contact with the ground) but does not pack up (lose travel after a series of bumps). Rebound takes care of the dreaded bronco-style rides that can result when the setting is way too low. I ended up having my rebound set at 23 clicks (out of 30) from full soft (pretty active).

Low speed compression (LSC) takes care of things like rolling hills and rider inputs (pedaling) and corner entry. I rode a series of high speed berm turns and flats to jumps to get the attitude and level of control I wanted. I wanted my bike to be sensitive enough that I felt the ground beneath me without too harsh of a ride (chatter). I also tried off-the-saddle sprints when pedaling to jumps and I ended up with 17 click of adjustment (out of 22).

Finally I set the high speed compression (HSC), and based on the recommendation from Patrick at Elka I did my best to set up the shock with as little HSC as possible. Following the guide I started with no HSC and added 2 clicks at a time until I was satisfied that the bike was not bottoming out. Seeing that from slope to slope and park to park there are wild combinations of jumps and varying degrees of height, this is a setting that will see a lot of adjustment. With the slopes of Blue Mountain and my style of riding (I tend to land both wheels at the same time) I found a setting of 6-8 clicks (out of 22) was all I needed. The bike stayed in control, didn’t feel harsh, and as a few other riders who also tested out the bike said, it was amazing.

So check out Elka and contract them if you’re looking for a near-custom valved shock for your AM – DH rig. Elka’s ability to provide the individual service in itself is worth the $495 MSRP ($450 for the shock, $45 for the spring).

Thanks to Patrick and the folks at Elka for providing the Stage 5 for review.

For gravity-oriented mountain bikers, the Fox DHX RC4 should already be familiar. But if you’re just starting to get serious about DH mountain biking, read on to learn about this essential upgrade.

The DHX is your top level rear shock from Fox with more features than you can shake a stick at. For the techie rider you’ll love playing with this unit to get it to do exactly what you want. With 15 rebound settings, 18 low speed compression settings, and 12 high speed compression settings (plus 4 turns of bottom out control), this shock is all business.

The Fox DHX RC4 is a high performance, racing-oriented rear shock designed to give you complete freedom to set up and control your rear wheel. Fox spent a ton of time dialing the shock in and incorporating their Boost Valve technology and the latest Boost Valve implementation features speed-sensitive dampening control over the last third of the shock travel. This means the shaft speed of the shock determines the amount of dampening you get as you approach the end of the shock travel. So those big drops and rock gardens that are your nemesis now become non-issues. Working in parallel with the Boost Valve are the two compression circuits (high and low speed) and the rebound circuit, providing precise control over the rear end of your bike.

With all those potential adjustments, setting up the RC4 takes a bit of time (it gets easier the more you do it). You’ll want to make sure you have a reference spring rate before you get started – check with Fox or your frame manufacturer if you’re not sure. My Opus Nelson with 7 inches of wheel travel and a shock travel of 2.75 inches has a leverage ratio of approximately 2.54. So being 200lbs with gear and knowing I gotta stop that mass in about 2.3 inches (to prevent excessive bottoming) plus the fact that my previous spring felt a bit too soft, I went with a 450lb spring (200lb x 2.3″= 460lb/inch approximately). With this spring I use very little pre-load which is a good thing. I opted for the titanium version to keep the weight down on my bike, though steel springs are much more affordable and cost about $30 each.

Once the spring was in and installed correctly (make sure the ends of the spring are seated on the lower retainer and not in the gap), I set the sag according to the table in the owner’s manual. From there I headed to the slopes at Blue Mountain and the flowy Haole trail with a 2.5mm and 3mm allen key for some fine tuning. I have a checklist I use for setting up my shocks starting with low speed compression, high speed compression, then rebound. After those are set I work on the extras like Boost Valve.

The Haole trail at Blue Mountain features sections of slow rises and falls as well as mildly rooted sections and a few small jump features. There are also some sweeping berms and switchbacks which are perfect for configuring low speed compression settings. So after a few runs I ended up going with 10 turns back from full +ve. After I was happy with that setting I concentrated on the high speed compression. Going to another slope with squared edged rocks and heavily rooted sections I sessioned Waterfall and O-chute (black diamond and double black diamond runs). This is a perfect workout for any shock and I ended up with a setting of  6 from full +ve. Finally I turned my attention to the rebound which I had been playing with throughout the day and finally settled on 8 from full +ve. Tweeking the Boost Valve to get just the right amount of rise on the spring rate I ended up with 1.5 turns back from full-in.

So how did the DHX RC4 do? Well, so far this is my favorite coil shock I’ve ridden. It’s very smooth and produces virtually zero sticktion. Plus I can feel everything on the slope with this shock.

At one point I did back-to-back runs with the RC4 installed on my FR bike and my DH bike and found this shock allowed my FR bike to give my DH bike a run for its money. Sure it would have been a better test to use identical bikes but knowing both bikes very well I could say that the traction off the back on my FR bike was superior. The RC4 produced smoother tracking in the rear end compared to the banging I felt on the other bike. I found I could really toss the bike deeper and faster into corners with the rear end hooking up nicely.

I would definitely recommend the DHX RC4 for anyone upgrading their rig or planning on stepping up their game on the race circuit. For $585 MSRP for the shock plus $30 for a steel spring you’re getting a world-class rear shock well worth the coin for your AM-DH rig.

I would like to thank the folks at FOX for sending up the 2011 DHX RC4 for review.

Every so often, someone in the bike industry comes up with something really unique… something truly revolutionary… something that’s just FRIC’n cool! Tom Ritchey and the folks at Syncros / Ritchey have had more than their fair share of these types of products and a little while back I got my hands on the new FRIC stem which I tossed on my bike right away.

The FRIC is intended for the FR/DH crowd. With a patented forged design, you’re getting a super strong stem that’s shockingly lightweight. How light? My stem weighed in at 123g according to my scale, which matches the claimed weight from Syncros. But how is this stem different from all the others on the market?

For one thing the steering tube clamp bolts are forward of the steering tube, adding precious space for the family jewels, just in case you find yourself in a bad situation. Sure, a few other brands have forward set bolts (or forward facing pinch wedges) but that’s not all. What really sets the FRIC apart is the revolutionary 260-degree 4-bolt wrap clamp. With this patented design [Intelligent Clamp (IC™ )] you thread the bar into the Fric and then use the small segments to fasten down the bar. This method applies more uniform force around the bar, reducing the chance of cracks and fatigue.

As far as fit goes, the FRIC is only offered with 45mm of extension, which is a pretty safe choice for most AM-DH bikes but may disappoint those looking for more options. The zero rise on this stem may require you to add spacers if you’re finding yourself a bit down and over the bars so if you’re installing this on a fresh fork, keep a bit of extra length for spacers until you find the perfect height (or bar rise).

Installing the FRIC did take a bit more patience than a standard stem as the clamp makes you thread the bar through rather than placing it in. A note to people with painted bars: due to the tight fitting clamp, lube up your bar with soap to allow it to slide in easier. The added layer of paint makes for a very tight fit, though carbon and anodized bars should be fine. I installed an Easton Havoc carbon bar with no issues or scratches. For those of you with full rise bars (40mm+), bring them to the store with you to make sure the FRIC can pass the bends (just in case). After you thread the bar it is a matter of following the installation instructions and warnings. Torque the stem clamp bolts first, followed by the handle bar clamp bolts. It may take two tries on this to get your bar position just right, but it’s well worth the added time taken.

Using the FRIC I have to say that I truly loved it and not just because the compact design makes for a very clean look. What I really appreciated was the silent operation of the stem with no slippage or creaking to be heard. Even on the roughest rockgardens I didn’t observe any signs of flex or twist. That’s pretty impressive considering the size and design of this stem.

Now for $79.99 MSRP you’re definitely getting your money’s worth. The only bad thing here is the fact that you only have one steering tube size so for those with the 1.5″ steering tubes you’re outta luck (for now). The Fric comes in either white or black and as I stated before, visit your LBS to make sure it fits your bars.

I would like to thank the folks at Syncros for sending up the FRIC for a review.

I’ve been running ITS (Intense) tires for a while now and this season I’m rockin’ the ITS Invaders on my DH rig. The Invader was originally simply called the DH tire, and for good reason too. At 1300 grams and a full 2.5 inches wide these are big tires. Some of you probably gasped at the weight, didn’t you?! Well there’s a reason for all that heft.

For starters, the Invader is a double ply tire which is two fabric layers for added protection, durability, and flat resistance. ITS also included a pinch flat bumper on the sidewalls for even more protection. The bumper is inserted between the bead and the tread to reduce chances of pinch flatting off squared edged bumps plus it adds support at lower tire pressures. All this adds up to one tough tire.

The tread pattern on the Invader is a mix between three different knob zones. The central trapezoidal knob has a decent bite and cuts into the softer stuff nicely. The double row of transitional square knobs work on corner entry and exit while the stout outer cornering knobs are slightly edged to keep your bike on line.

I installed the Invaders on my Deemax wheels with no tubes and 4 ounces of Stan’s per tire (no these aren’t tubeless tires but I’ve been able to run them without tubes). I had no problem beading or seating the tires – I just used a floor pump and they beaded perfectly with no real strain getting them on. Some tires are a pain to seal when going tubeless but the Invaders sealed up nice and fast, probably due to the double ply and extra rubber. Now this task took a total time of 1 hour (mounting, adding Stan’s and spreading the sealant around each wheel). After that I reset the pressures (I run 30psi) and I was off to the slopes.

I received these in January and had a chance to use them in very firm ground conditions initially (literally frozen) and more recently in soft, muddy terrain mixed with slate rock and roots. This extreme mix of terrain provided the perfect testing conditions. Over the course of my testing, the 50a durometer tread started to show some signs of wear which is to be expected, especially when riding the hard rocky stuff (think of dragging an eraser along sand paper).

In soft conditions (tacky mud) these tend to run a bit on the slow side as they really bite into the terrain (I found at faster speeds massive mud chunks would fling off the back of my bike and into my buddies’ faces.) This is actually a good thing since the tire offers both good speed and lateral control (some slip but manageable). On the medium terrain is where these work best; I got great directional control and good braking. On the harder terrain (hardpack and rocks) these tires work well but tend to wear quickly, especially if you make the mistake of being to aggressive on the brakes when riding rocks.

Overall the ITS Invader is a good high volume tire (your rims will love you for this) capable of handling a wide range of terrain. These feel like a mix between a Maxxis Ardent and Kenda Nevegal with characteristics of both. Over my time with these I didn’t get a single puncture or one ding on my rims (for me that is great, I hate rim dings). So the dual ply and pinch flat bumpers are working well. At about $54 MSRP these should last a full season of riding (unless you’re riding slickrock a lot).

I would like to thank the folks at ITS for sending down the Invaders for review.

With the advent of the many affordable HD helmet camera options on the market (especially the GoPro), the number of point of view (POV) mountain bike videos on the internet has exploded! To be brutally honest, the vast majority of the POV videos uploaded every day aren’t worth the time that it takes to watch them.

There are 2 main reasons for this poor video quality, despite the access to excellent equipment:

1) The camera angle never changes, many shots are shaky, and/or the only perspective used is boring.

2) Poor editing.

In the first half of this two part series, I will analyze a number of popular camera mounting options for mountain biking. Hopefully this will help you add a little extra zest to your next trail video.

Helmet: Top, Facing Forward

Photo Credit: Contour.com

The default camera mounting option for most people seems to be on the top of the helmet, facing forward. This is expected, as these types of point of view cameras are commonly referred to collectively as “helmet cams.”

Unfortunately, this perspective can sometimes be the absolute worst choice for an interesting video. If you are riding solo, this shot tends to create a flag pole-type perspective with nothing in the frame to add depth to the picture. It’s almost impossible to tell how steep the trail actually is or how large the obstacles are as there is nothing else to compare them to. Also, the bike is not in the picture at all, so the viewer has no idea how exactly the rider is handling his bike.

However, if you are filming a chase scene with another rider in front of you, this angle does an excellent job of capturing what the other rider is doing on the trail. This is the only instance when I’d personally recommend this mount.

Helmet: Top, Facing Backward

Again, this angle is really only useful if you are shooting a chase scene. Obviously, it would capture the performance of the rider behind you.

Full Face Helmet:  Side Mount, Facing Forward

This is a pretty popular mount with gravity riders wearing full face helmets. The angle inevitably captures part of the helmet in the picture, and that little section of helmet is usually enough to lend a little bit of perspective to the image. Also, you can usually see the bike a little bit in the bottom of the frame, which is especially cool on jump lines.

Here’s an actual video to give you an idea of what this perspective looks like:

Handle Bars

Photo Credit: GoPro.com

After the forward helmet mount, this is probably the second most common mounting option… unfortunately. Because of the fact that the camera is mounted directly to the bars, it is constantly being jolted and shaken by the smallest bumps in the trail. When I watch videos shot from this perspective I can rarely make out what is going on, and most of the time my head starts hurting and I turn it off. It’s also impossible to see how the rider is working the bike.

The one thing that a bar mount does well is provide a good view of the trail surface, if it is relatively smooth.

Seat Post: Rear View

Photo Credit: GoPro.com

While at first glance you might think that the camera would suffer a lot of shaking mounted in this position, the truth is that this is actually a very stable mount, especially on a full suspension bike. This is a very unique perspective that I find is a lot of fun to watch. When you are riding a bike, you never get to see the trail disappearing behind your tires. But with your camera mounted like this, you can when you get home to your computer!

Also, the rear wheel provides a focal point for viewers to keep things interesting and to provide a little bit of depth to the picture. I also find it fun to watch how the suspension responds to changes in the terrain.

Chest Mount

When I’m riding solo, the chest mount is hands-down my favorite choice! Mounting the camera on your chest avoids the flag pole effect by providing close-up objects in the frame (arms and handlebars) that create perspective.

But the number one reason I enjoy this perspective so much is that the viewer can see exactly what the rider is doing, and how he manipulates the bike.  Everything from shifting to braking to steering is visible to the viewer, making for a much more interesting video, especially if there are no other riders present.

One word of caution: make sure that your camera is aimed high enough to catch the trail out in front, because we don’t want to be staring at the top tube of your bike the entire time!

Get Creative

From ground placements for ride-by shots to having a camera spin around your head, your creativity is really the only limit when it comes to creating a unique perspective for your next trail video!

Coming Up

In the next installment, I’ll cover a few tips to help you edit your videos so they don’t end up in the expansive vault of neglected YouTube videos.

Based on the videos that you’ve watched or created, what is your favorite video camera mounting option?

Whistler Mountain bike park is opening today after the second snowiest season in the resort’s history kept the trails buried longer than usual. And in Utah, Sundance resort opens today as well May 25, though it will be the first in the state to do so. According to Salt Lake City’s City Weekly, Deer Valley opens June 17 and Snowbird will still have skiing in July but they predict the MTB trails will be ready by Father’s Day.

There’s still snow in Colorado as well which means resort trails and the high elevation backcountry rides (think Monarch Crest and Trail 401) will need at least a few more weeks to thaw and dry. Meanwhile, those of us in the southeast have been riding for months. A case of quality vs. quantity (of riding time)? That’s certainly up for debate…

Here’s a list of some key (projected) opening dates for 2011:

Open: Whistler (British Columbia), Diablo Freeride Park (New Jersey), Sugar Mountain (North Carolina)

May 25: Sundance (Utah)

May 27: Snow Shoe Mountain (West Virginia)

June 3: Sol Vista (Colorado)

June 4*: Keysone (Colorado)

June 10: Northstar at Lake Tahoe (California)

June 11: Trestle Bike Park (Colorado)

June 17: Deer Valley (Utah)

June 24: Mammoth (California)

* Unofficial estimate / wild guess

Help us add to this list by adding additional opening dates using the comment form below.

The Mavic DeeMax Ultimate is one of the lightest DH specific wheelsets on the planet! Already an icon in the DH world, many of the top DH mountain bikers run these wheels and it’s easy to understand why.

Mavic has been producing high quality gravity-oriented products for some time now and still manages to improve its products. The DeeMax Ultimate wheels weigh in at 1,965 grams (AFAIK, the only ones below 2,000) while the next lightest competitor’s wheels weigh 2,050 grams. Now that weight is all in, valves included. The Ultimates feature a UST rim meaning there’s no need for rim strips and the UST valves are provided.

Speaking of the rims, Mavic ‘drills’ only one wall of the 21mm internal width rim (good for tires from 2.3″ to 3.0″). This is what Mavic calls their Fore drilling process; essentially the process uses a ton of friction to displace a quantity of material to the side of the hole just before the drill pokes through the wall of the rim. The displaced material is then threaded and becomes the holes for the Mavic-specific spoke nipples. Seeing that the inner wall is not affected there is no need for rim tape and a seal can be formed.

Mavic’s SUP process also helps ensure a stronger, lighter rim. Essentially after bending the rim, the rim gets welded together and its surface is milled smooth. This jointing process really improves the overall strength of the rim. The rim itself is made from an aluminum alloy called Maxtal. Now this isn’t a 6061 material like others use, though I can’t say exactly which type of alloy Mavic is using. It could very well be a similar 6000-series aluminum with a specific treatment process kept secret by the company.

Mavic uses an “Interspoke milling process” to remove non-structural material from the rim’s surface, leaving only what’s needed for strength. Looking at the rim you can see a slight build-up of material around the spoke holes as well as a spine of material along the center of the rim.

On other Mavic wheels I’ve reviewed, the company used Zircal spokes which are not found on the Deemax Ultimates. Mavic decided to go with bladed and double-butted stainless steel spokes here to add to the durability of these wheels. Mavic also specially designed the hub using their SRS system to arrange the spokes and keep them in place, preventing the spokes from popping out of position. This is a great feature since the Ultimates do have a bit of flex built into the rim (which allows the wheels to absorb some stresses without cracking). I spoke with Sean Sullivan from Mavic and he mentioned that the ability for the rims to flex was an important trait that some of the top level DH riders wanted in a wheelset. Because of the small amounts of flex that may happen on the gnarliest of courses in the rocks, they had to make sure spokes didn’t pop out.

The DeeMax Ultimate hubs are only offered in a 20mm through-axle front and 12x150mm rear configuration. If you have a bike with a 12x135mm rear, go with the DeeMax wheels (slightly less expensive) and 23mm inside spacing on the rim.

The freewheel hub features Mavic’s ITS4 cassette body which uses two pairs of cam pawls for fast engagement. This works great for the rider who wants to just kick the cranks a bit rather than try to stroke the pedals while floating over rocks and roots. It takes very little crank rotation (about 5 degrees) to engage the wheel compared to other hubs I’ve used that need double that or more (though to be fair Mavic isn’t the only company offering quick-engaging hubs).

Servicing the hubs and replacing parts is a cinch thanks to an intelligent design. I really like the way the cam pawls are arranged and how they engage the hub. The cams have been designed with as large of a diameter as possible to engage right under the drive spokes which produces a more direct path of power. With two bearings supporting the cassette body along with the other two bearings supporting the hub itself, this makes for a hub that performs solidly. Up front you get two over-sized bearings sitting within the hub and the stout axle shaft. Freeplay from the bearings cans be finely adjusted using the bearing tool (supplied with the rear wheel).

Seeing that these wheels are UST I decided to run my wheels tubeless for the duration of my review. I used Stan’s as sealant (4 oz. with 2.5″ tires was needed to seal things up) and soapy water and away I went. The lack of a tube increases the response of the wheels for sure. There is less resistance to the whole set-up as these wheels are all go when you’re on the pedals.

How do these feel on the slopes? In a word: Awesome! The Deemax Ultimates can really send it. The minimized rotating mass makes these wheels feel like someone hid an electric motor on the bike to propel me down the hill. These wheels really do accelerate quickly. When I am off the pedals and descending, I don’t slow down and I got super quick changes of direction and responsiveness all day long. Compared to some wheels that take a bit more effort to get you moving, these just go.

A while back I reviewed the Crossmax SX wheels and loved them. Now, picture the Deemax Ultimates as the bigger, tougher brother. Many of the technologies are shared between the two, just scaled up for World Cup level abuse. At first I was a bit worried that these lightweights wouldn’t hold up to rockgardens and serious gnar. But after hitting the step downs and rock gardens at a few familiar trails, I quickly realized these can take more than I am willing to give them, even with the tires on dangerously low pressure (oops!). At such low tire pressures the Ultimates stood up great – not a single ding and they held my limp tires firmly in place despite the fact that the tires should have peeled right off the bike.

Mavic offers a program called MP3 which, when purchased at the same time as your wheels, will cover your wheels for two years no questions asked. So if you do trash a rim, you’re covered. All you have to do is send them back (at your cost) and they rebuild the wheels and send them back to you. Not a bad insurance policy for those who like to shred!

If you’re an aspiring DH rider and really want to step up your game, grab a set of Deemax Ultimates. For ultimate speed and agility these wheels are right up there with an MSRP to match ($1190). Hey, no one ever said high performance would come cheap. If you’re planing on going big (I mean really big) you may want to consider the slightly heavier and less expensive DeeMax wheels ($899 MSRP).  Whichever way you go, Mavic will get your rolling.

I would like to thank Mavic for sending up the Ultimates for review. Another quick thanks to the folks at SRAM, Rockshox, Banshee, Loaded and THE.