Now that I’ve had plenty of time on these stoppers I’m ready to give you all the late breaking (pun intended) news on these brakes.  A little while back I introduced The ONE and talked about the specs and the type of riding they’re designed for so now it’s time to talk performance.

At just 309 grams these DH brakes are really impressive and stop like a son of a you-know-what. The ONEs also feature excellent modulation which allows the rider to come to a controlled stop every time. This makes The ONE perfect for trail and AM riders who run on super technical trails as well. These brakes develop a ton of stopping force that does not fade away which is great for those shuttle runs that go on forever before you gotta shut it down in a hurry and toss the bike sideways.

I got a chance to install these brakes on nearly all my bikes to see how they work on long-travel FR rigs, shorter AM bikes, and even DJ bikes. In every case, the brakes rocked. Make sure you use only the recommended T15 Torx bit to tighten the brake lever in place and follow all the precautions for these high performance brakes. As always, torque all the bolts using the instructions provided and give yourself a good 30 to 50 stops at medium force to burnish and bed the pads in as well. Overall install time should be about 30 minutes.

Using The ONEs on my FR bike with 203mm F&R rotors, I really got some eye popping performance that other manufacturers will have a hard time matching for while. For starters, these brakes run ultra-quiet, even when they’re wet. The ONEs also develop a serious amount of torque to really slow you down, allowing you to execute multiple high speed stops without any fade or pump up (where the fluid expands and causes your lever to engage earlier).

Looking at these brakes you might guess they’re fragile based on the small size of the lever and cylinder. Well, don’t judge a book by its cover – I can personally attest to the strength of these brakes. Even after casing a drop down badly (see the Epic Stealth Cam Review for the crash footage), not a single bolt or lever was bent or tweaked (to my relief).

Perhaps the best thing about these brakes is the outstanding modulation. The rider has total control over speed without the jerky feeling that may be experienced with other systems. The bite is exactly proportional to the amount of force placed on the lever, which is actually pretty rare on hydraulic MTB brake systems.

I put together a quick chart characterizing performance of The ONE below.

Looking at the chart you can see that you really can’t go wrong with these brakes. The “worst” item on this chart (an 8 out of 10) is noise and even then am I being very critical. You can see that a premium brake (at a premium cost) is worth the extra dollars that you worked hard to earn.

If anyone asked me on the trail if I would go out and get another set of these, I wouldn’t hesitate to say yes. For now these are in my top three favorite brakes (that is until something else comes along) and I could say to anyone who wants powerful brakes, that these are some of the most reliable and powerful ones out there.

Specs from Formula

Here is yet another great MTB product from the Great White North Shore for ya, eh. Race Face was nice enough to send down the Respond component group for my dream project bike, the Opus Nelson Freeride. Today I’m going to give you the skinny on just the crankset – you’ll have to wait to hear about the rest later.

Whoever said you can’t have performance, light weight, and low cost in one package obviously hasn’t see the Respond crankset from Race Face. At just $160 MSRP, this crank is a big time value. Not only are you getting a high performance crank at a budget price but you’re also getting DH strength at all-mountain weights.

The Respond crankset is all about the features. Made from 7050 aluminum, the crank arms are not only relatively light but super strong. The newly designed DH Race bottom bracket, which starts out its life as a forging and is then machined in a CNC, keeps the crank arms all lined up and spinning smoothly. The over-sized bearing cups hold 35% more bearings and are packed with Phil Woods lube to prevent water wash out; and Race Face keeps it all contained using completely revamped triple seals.

The “Whitemare” model pictured above (love that name), comes with a ton of fitting options. Choose from crank arm lengths of 165 / 170 / 175mm and BB cup sizes including 68/ 73mm / 83mm. On top of that you also get choices on ring sizes. I opted to get a single chain ring with 36T and a matching light weight bash guard.

Installing the Respond took a bit of work but nothing a semi-skilled home mechanic couldn’t handle. Just make sure you have all the necessary tools on hand: an external BB tool such as the Park BBT-9 and an 8mm allen wrench or 8mm allen socket and wrench. Seeing that everyone out there has their own favorite chain retention device and various chainlines, it is also wise to have a ISIS crank arm puller.

Once you have all the tools gathered, it’s time to remove the old BB cups and give the BB shell a good cleaning.  After that, read over the instructions and pay close attention to the width of your BB shell so you can match the correct number of spacers and get their respective positioning (keeping in mind the chain retention device if you’re using one). Once the spacers are configured, tighten up the cups to get the shell all squared away. Install the cranks and check alignment.

For my installation I found I had to shuffle the provided spacers to get a no noise condition with the chainrings and top guide on my e-thirteen SRS+. After all is said and done, expect to spend about 30 minutes getting the cranks set up. Be sure to check the final torque (61 N-m) and don’t forget the pedals before you head out.

Hitting the trails with the Race Face Respond crankset was awesome. Off jumps and rockgardens there was zero perceivable flex from the cranks on landing. Hammering the bike in rock gardens and bashing the crank on the occasional rock didn’t seem to affect the crank at all and I really enjoyed the smooth pedal feel from the new bottom bracket. Even after a few good rides with all kinds of crud and repeated washings, I didn’t notice any loss in bearing smoothness or performance. Clearly the bearing cup and seal re-design made a big difference in how well this unit seals out contamination.

The beefy DH specific chain ring and the relatively light bash ring also make a good combo on the trail. The strong chain ring kept my chain moving along nicely and the bash ring saved the teeth of my chainring more than once. The bash ring also kept the chain from getting pulverized, giving me a confident feeling when wailing over the sharp and unforgiving Canadian Shield granite. I found myself looking a bit further down the trail than usual instead of worrying about my cranks getting bashed.

Stay tuned for more on the Race Face Respond group as well as some other great goodies from RF as well. If you’re on the fence on getting a new AM/DH/FR crank, then check these out for sure.

Specs from Race Face

BUILT FOR:AM/DH/FR
SIZE: 165,170,175 68/73, 83mm BB SHELL
WEIGHT: 1092g (22,32 & BASH)
RING CONFIGURATION: 22,32 & BASH
24,36 & BASH
DH & BASH
DH RING
COLOR: Whitemare

I would like to thanks the great folks from Race Face for providing the Respond cranks for a review. Ehh..

photo courtesy hansrey.com.

This morning at the IMBA Summit, Mr. No Way himself, Hans Rey, gave a great talk about where he’s been and what he’s been up to lately. Hans brought some amazing photos to share including shots from many first rides and first descents around the world from Egypt to Machu Pichu to China and beyond. In the mountaineering and climbing worlds, first descents are a hot topic and it was cool to imagine taking a mountain bike to places that have never seen knobby tires. Of course IMBA’s official stance is that unless bikes are expressly allowed in an area, the area should be considered off limits to biking which sorta puts a harsh on first descent bagging.

Hans also talked about a new trail designation he’s pushing for adoption in the MTB world: Flow Country trails. If you’re a mountain biker you already know what flow is and the “country” part is a nod to cross-country riding. Anyway, the idea is to certify “flow country” trails that are appropriate for all skill levels and even all riding styles (FR, DH, XC, etc.). Hans showed a video of the first flow country trail in Livigno, Italy and it’s best described as flowing and fast, with bermed turns and small jumps for getting air. Here’s the official flow country description from Hans Rey’s website:

Flow Country trails are flowy, purpose-built singletrails for mountain bikers of any skill level or for any kind of mountain bike, no matter whether beginner or expert or on a hardtail XC or downhill bike; and especially for the ever growing section of All Mountain/ Enduro riders. This mountain bike specific trail will provide a common playground for both worlds of riders, the endurance driven riders and the Freeriders. The tracks shall neither be extreme, nor too steep or dangerous, small berms and rollers shall provide the addicting rollercoaster feeling and sensation.

Although we didn’t get all the details this morning, I’d venture to say some of the loops at FATS here in Augusta might qualify (we’ll see what Hans has to say after he rides there this afternoon). I got a chance to sample the Big Rock loop there yesterday afternoon and flow country seems to be a pretty good way to describe it.

We’re stoked to see the movement toward uniting all types of mountain bikers with a single trail type that everyone can enjoy instead of fragmenting the sport further. As IMBA gets behind the flow country idea, look for designated trails around the US and the world.

Ten days ago I reviewed the RockShox Totem fork and I mentioned testing the matching Vivid 5.1 rear shock as well. Now it’s time to let you know a little more about this shock.

The RockShox Vivid 5.1 is chock full of features but first I want to talk about its construction. Using race proven, hard anodized forged aluminum construction and a 12.7mm hard anodized 7075  aluminum piston shaft, this shock can take a serious drubbing. The Vivid also sports an intelligently laid out control system which allows you to get to the knobs without too much worry.

Speaking of controls, the Vivid 5.1 lets you tweak beginning and end stroke, rebound, and low speed compression. You can also adjust the spring pre-load (common on sprung shocks) and the drop stop bump stop.

Setting up the Vivid 5.1 just right took a bit of work. Using the trailside tuning guide that comes with the Vivid is a great start – it even includes a section for you to note your set-ups for specific courses. I recommend writing everything down, including temperatures and soil conditions as well (just in case).

My Opus Nelson was set up with a spring rate of 400lbs which was a touch too soft so I decided to get the 450lb spring from Rockshox. I set up the preload to about 20% sag and continued with the shock adjustment. RockShox mentions an initial set-up of 3-4-10: 3 clicks low speed compression, 4 clicks ending stroke rebound, and 10 clicks beginning stroke rebound.

I hit the trails with the preliminary settings and quickly realized I need to make adjustments. My local trails are mainly on the harder side of things with small patches of loamy and soft pads. Based on the conditions I went with a softer compression setting (2 clicks) which gave me a bit more grip when the tire was looking for traction. The end stroke rebound setting was the toughest one to nail down but I managed to get it right after carefully adding a drop of synthetic lube to moisten the seal and working the adjustment a bit. I ultimately ended up with 5 clicks on the end stroke control and it felt great. On the beginning stroke rebound, I dialed back to 8 clicks which was a bit too quick of a return so I ended up with 9 clicks, which felt just about right. Note: these adjustments may seem minor (just one click in either direction from the initial settings) but trust me, it makes a huge difference in performance!

The Vivid 5.1 felt comfortable hitting everything from rock gardens to step downs to major jumps. Fully dialed in for the terrain and your riding style, this versatile shock works very well. The internal hydraulic circuits are sensitive enough to control both slow and fast shaft speeds with equal efficiency thanks to the Dual Flow adjust technology. The control dials need to be worked loose a bit so I added synthetic lube to the seals which made it easier to turn the knobs. Other than that, I found the Vivid 5.1 to be a good rear shock with no need for using air to control the bottom out resistance like some other shocks I’ve tried. Rockshox wisely opted to used a nitrogen charge that you won’t need to fiddle with.

This shock is for anyone who has a bike with 6 inches of travel or more and intends to hit the trails and slopes hard. And with the Vivid 5.1, the harder you hit the trails, the better it performs. You’ll also find the Vivid 5.1 adapts well to the varying terrain beneath your wheels. My test bike, with 7.2 inches of travel, felt like it magically gained an extra inch of with the Vivid 5.1. The progression of dampening worked great in compression, with a smooth increase in resistance near the end of its stroke. I don’t think I ever bottomed out the suspension but if I did, it was so smooth when hit the drop stop bump stop that I didn’t feel a thing.

Give the Rockshox Vivid 5.1 ($343 MSRP + $30 spring) a test for yourself and I’m sure you’ll agree it’s a solid choice. Before you order you may want to contact your bike manufacturer and ask them what spring rate would work best for your weight and riding style. Sometimes it may take a few days for a reply but it will be worth it in the end.

I would like to thank the folks at RockShox for sending over the Vivid 5.1 for product review.

Specs from RockShox

After clocking dozens of miles over the past few months with Answer products on all my bikes, I’ve finally come to grips with my love (pun #1) for the ProTAPER 780 DH ($65 MSRP + $10 for white) and the ProTAPER 720AM bars ($60 MSRP). I’m also smitten with this gem of stem, the Answer DJ stem ($72 MSRP). The all new 2010 line up from Answer really fills the needs of the modern DH / FR / DJ and AM rider and responds to the wider bar with shorter stem trend that more and more riders are discovering. Having spent a lot of time with both the longer/narrower set-ups and the shorter/wider combos, I have to say I’m sold on short and wide.

ProTaper Bars

The ProTaper AM and DH bars share a few vital characteristics. First up, both the AM and DH bars are designed with the same 4° up sweep and 8° back sweep. When paired with a slightly shorter stem, this gives the rider a great comfortable wrist feel without over-flexing the forearm. The DH bars are offered in a 25.4mm rise configuration or a shallower 12.5mm rise for those DH riders who like to keep their weight a little lower up front. The AM bar is also offered with 25.4mm rise or a deeper 50.8mm. I decided to roll with the same 25.4mm rise on both the AM and DH bars.

Both ProTaper bars are made from 7050 aluminum which is very strong with just enough flex to take the edge out of those hard square-edged rocks and drops. At 335 grams and 315 grams respectively for the 780 DH and 720 AM, these are not massive weight savers nor are they overweight lead pipes.

With a choice of black, red, gold (DH only), gray (AM only), and white, Answer offers a decent selection of colors  to choose from.

DJ Stem

With all this talk about handlebars stemming from Answer (pun #2) I really have to talk about a jewel of a component that looks amazing. I dare you to pick up a DJ stem from Answer and try to find a flaw. This stem looks as if it was cut and shaped by a professional diamond cutter. Thanks to precise machining practices, you won’t see any tooling marks on this stem.

Another thing that really caught my attention was the detail that went into the finishing of the DJ stem – every consideration to both safety and weight was clearly considered. The underside of the top cap was even machined a bit to remove unnecessary weight. The use of tapered head bolts instead of regular rounded ones adds to the effect that Tom Porter and the wizards at Answer wanted to give us. Answer also opted to go with a 61mm wide face plate and attachment area that spreads the loads across the bar, securing the bar to the stem like a starving anaconda on fat cow.

The DJ stem weighs in at 210 grams for the 35mm reach and 250 grams for the 50mm reach version and both stems are designed for 31.8mm bar diameters (24.5mm is not offered). The DJ stem is made from stiff, durable 7075 aluminum, the same stuff used to make aircraft landing gear. A cool thing about the DJ stem is that it also comes in four top cap color options (black, white, red, and gold) to coordinate with your bar. With the DJ stem, Answer also includes a 10mm stainless bolt which allows you to run a line through it for a clean, tangle-free brake connection. Perfect for those who intend to to bar spins or styling on those progressive jumps.

Performance

I tested the bars on all three of my bikes (AM, FR, and DJ) and the DJ stem on my jumper. Bottom line: these bars really rocked. Once I got the feel for the wider bars I found it very difficult to consider going narrower; in fact, I won’t consider riding a bar less than 700mm anymore. For a guy like me with wide shoulders and a medium build at about 5’9″, these bars are perfect. I got back a whole bunch more control plus more power to steer and control the bike over the nastiest of terrain. Speaking of nasty, when going over rocky and rooted trails, the ProTaper bars took a significant edge off the vibration as well as the shock (thanks in part to the patented technology on board). These bars keep the weight where it should be and are the perfect wall thickness under the palms of your hands.

Try the ProTaper bars and the DJ stem for yourself – you won’t be disappointed.

I would like to thank the folks at Answer for providing the ProTaper bars and DJ stem for review.

Words like tail whip, case proof, table tops, doubles, rock garden waterfalls, shuttle runs, and sessioning will get your heart pumping and adrenaline soaring but before you saddle up you need to make sure you and your machine can survive it all. I recently had the privilege of putting some time in with the RockShox Totem Solo Air fork and Vivid 5.1 rear shock on my Opus Nelson and not only did we survive – we owned it.

This year’s RockShox Totem Solo Air DH ($1096 MSRP) includes a high pressure pump as well as the SpeedLube kit. You have a choice of aluminum steering tube options (1 1/8″ straight, 1 1/8″ – 1.5″ tapered and 1.5″ straight) so if you’re in the need of a 180mm fork the Totem is sure to have you covered. My fork comes in at 5.8lbs which is more than half a pound lighter than the previous Totem coil I was running.

Installation and Setup

Since this fork costs over a thousand dollars and sports a 1.5″ steering tube, it may be wise to have someone with the proper steering tube cutting guide tackle installation for you. I recommend the SG-7 from Park Tool or a pipe cutter capable of cutting pipes over 1.5″ in diameter. Either way you go, it’s imperative that you get the steering tube cut straight and to the correct length the first time, especially if you’re not planning on using spacers. The proper tube length can be determined by measuring the steering tube, adding the stem measurement (the length of steering tube that the stem covers), and finally the stack height. Don’t forget to subtract 3mm from that total to allot space for the top cap. Check this article on how to install a fork for further information.

Once the Totem is installed it’s important to break in the fork. Pump in the recommended amount of air into the left fork leg and then jounce things around for a good 20 minutes or so to get all the fluids where they should be while relaxing the internals a touch.  After that, it’s time to set up the Totem and head for the trails.

The Totem Solo Air DH has settings for beginning rebound, high speed compression, low speed compression and air spring pressure. When personalizing my settings I usually start with air spring pressure. I put on all the equipment I normally wear on the bike – helmet, armor, hydration and snacks. I weigh myself with full gear and use that number to get the recommended air pressure setting. Looking at the sag meter on the right fork leg I set my fork at 25% sag.

Low Speed Compression

Setting the low speed compression is the next step and it’s a good idea to start at full soft (about 4 clicks in) before adding clicks until you’re satisfied that the front of the bike doesn’t dive excessively when pedaling or hitting the brakes hard.

High Speed Compression

Finding the right high speed compression setting will take a bit of time riding as you need to get the speed of the fork up. The best way to check your settings is to take a drop or a square edged corner to get the shock reacting quickly. Again, I like start at about 4 clicks in and I keep adding damping until I have a controlled fork compression without the fork eating up all its travel and bottoming out (stopping abruptly in its internal bump stop). You will know you have too much high speed compression when you feel your wrists compress and an uncomfortable amount of force travels through your body on impact.

Rebound

Rebound is the final setting to manipulate and you can also do this one on the trail. Here you’re looking for a controlled return to ride height after the fork compresses. You don’t want the fork to feel like it’s tossing you off the bike on return (too little rebound) nor do you want the fork to come up so fast that it feels like the fork is losing travel over multiple bumps (too much rebound). I set rebound so that when my palms are open and I press down hard, the returning force doesn’t push my hands away from the bars.

On the slopes with the Totem

Hitting my favorite testing ground with a new fork this early in the season was a real treat and I almost immediately noticed a difference in how the fork performed compared to the older coil unit that I had. Right off the bat the reduction in weight on the front end made it much easier for me to change direction through tricky obstacles. Consequently, going over flowy sections on the slope didn’t leave me as tired from pulling on the bars and left me with an ever bigger grin than usual.

The trails where I ride offer a great mix of rock gardens with progressively larger rocks (one of BTB’s favorite features to challenge riders) plus sections of super fast and smooth lines. These trails also go from raggedy, off-camber rooted sections along steep slopes to multiple step downs, step ups, and progressive table top jumps – basically your everyday freerider paradise.

The transitions from fast stretches dropping into the tighter, technical rooty sections was great for testing the Totem’s low speed compression. This fork maintained its composure, controlling the attitude of my bike while braking and keeping the front end at ride height without feeling harsh in my hands. With the drop downs and table top jumps I felt like I was landing on a soft pillow before rapidly recovering with a controlled return to ride height. Whenever the bike hit the ground, the fork did its thing on initial impact, slowing me down without that harsh feeling on the wrists. Rebound also felt good coming back without bucking me off like a wild bronco.

From my tests I could also tell that this fork is tough – really tough. At one point I cased a jump so bad I had a few of my buddies on speed dial to 911 as I skidded across the dirt in a 720 degree body flip. There wasn’t a scratch or dent on the fork despite that tumble and everything still works great.

For those of you who are looking for a heavy-duty, single crown FR fork, the Totem Solo Air DH should be on a real short list of must haves. If pressed for a complaint about this fork I’d have to say I’d like to see a cable clip for the brake cable instead of having to use a cable tie (nitpicky, I know). I really love the simple layout and how easy it is to tune this fork; the high flow compression piston is my new best friend. And for those of you who love being an individual, the Totem comes with a massive sticker pack that allows you to make this fork uniquely your own. Check out the RockShox website for further details.

My overall ratings (out of 10)

Specs from RockShox:

I would like to thank the folks at RockShox for providing the Totem Solo Air DH for review, and of course the good folks at OPUS for the Nelson as my test bike. Stay tuned for the Vivid 5.1 review.

As a professional trailbuilder, my trail backpack gets a lot of use and abuse. I need a comfortable pack with lots of space and functional pockets to hold tools plus it needs to be tough since trailbuilders like me tend to be hard on equipment. Enter the Dakine Builders Pack, a backpack designed to fulfill the needs of the most demanding trailbuilders.

Features

The expandable chainsaw pocket in the front is the main feature that sets the Dakine Builders Pack apart from other backpacks. This pocket is large enough to fit most any chainsaw and has a slit in the bottom for the chainsaw handle to stick out. The pack also features three straps to secure your saw and the two upper straps are lockable which helps you get to your destination without having to stop and adjust. Of course it’s always good practice to travel with the chainsaw bar cover on to prevent injuries (and yes, I am aware that I don’t have a cover on in the following picture).

Another unique feature of the Dakine Builders Pack is the lopper strap located on the front of the chainsaw pocket. This allows your loppers to slide between the big rubber strap and the chainsaw pocket, and gravity holds them in place. The pack also has a large front pocket, perfect for holding a drill with extra batteries, and a small nylon pocket inside, suitable for holding saw tuning and other small or fragile tools.

The two side pockets are intended to hold fuel or water bottles. Between the side pockets and main compartment are a slot and strap intended to hold a hammer, mattock, hatchet or other tool without a long handle. You can slide the tool in right side up or upside down, whichever you prefer.

The small top pocket is useful for storing safety glasses and the nylon pocket inside is suitable for storing a pen, paper and keys. The main top flap is great for access to the main compartment, making it quick and easy to add or remove items. You can also access the main compartment from the back via a full length zipper.

You’ll find another nylon zipper pocket in the main compartment which is ideal for keeping your cell phone, radio, camera or other valuables out of the rain. Just below that is a stretch pocket with a first aid bag (medical supplies not included).

There are two more small pockets on the waistband with waterproof zippers, perhaps useful for carrying easily accessed snacks. The Builders Pack has six utility loops on the front and four on the back. These can be used with bungees to carry bulky items like a tent, sleeping bag or tarp.

The Dakine Builders backpack has excellent padding, found in the back, lumbar, hip and shoulder areas which you’ll appreciate when this pack is fully loaded with tools and supplies. The padding has a comfortable, gel-like feel. The shoulder strap is adjustable on the top and bottom, the chest strap is adjustable in height and length, and the waist strap is adjustable in length.

The Builders Pack is made of Cordura Ballistic Nylon, an extremely tough fabric designed to resist tearing. The buckles are made of thick, strong plastic which is great because trailbuilders like me tend to break standard buckles quickly.

The nail storage bag has four compartments and two handles and is built tough. You can fit about 100 12-inch spikes in this bag which is a heavy load.

Aside from trailbuilding, the DaKine Builders Pack is very useful for riding days too. The chainsaw pocket works well as a full face helmet holder and there are multiple places to stash armor, lunch, goggle,s and valuables with room to spare.

This pack costs $140 MSRP, holds 1800 cubic inches or 29 litres of volume, measures 21”x11”x8”, and weighs 4 pounds empty.

Testing

While trailbuilding I fill this pack with a chainsaw, fuel, bar oil, saw tuning tools, lunch, hand clippers, a tape measure, a hammer, nails, spikes, a mattock, water, a cell phone, safety glasses, and earmuffs. The DaKine builders pack stores all this with room to spare. It sits nicely on your back and feels lighter than it actually is when loaded up. The best part is that I no longer have to use my hands or a wheelbarrow to carry the majority of my tools. This means my hands are free to carry larger tools that are too big to be carried on my back, or I can ride my bike into the building zone.

The Builders Pack is very useful for riding days too. I often pack it with my full face helmet, goggles, knee/shin pads, arm pads, tools, spare tube, water, and lunch and it holds all these items with ease. Some might argue that this pack is too big to use as a riding pack, but Freeriders/Downhillers who have to pedal or hike 4+ miles to the top of a hill will appreciate a place to store their armor.

The Verdict

As a professional trailbuilder, I wholeheartedly recommend this backpack. You can fit almost every tool you need on your back, freeing up your hands for other tasks. It’s built tough and should last for years plus it makes transporting tools to the work site really easy. For me the icing on the cake is it works equally as well for transporting DH and freeride gear. The DaKine builders pack is well thought out, durable, and very functional.

A big shout out to DaKine for providing the Builders Pack for review.

Over last 5 years, more and more riders have been choosing to equip their DH and freeride bikes with Syncros FR Wheelsets. These wheels are easy to identify thanks to their distinctive white rims and prominent logo placements. Syncros parts are quite popular in British Columbia, Canada, where the company started and the Syncros-sponsored NSMB team is also located in B.C. Here in the east, however, Syncros wheels are not as widely used which is a shame. As a former resident of Vancouver’s fabled North Shore, I’m excited to test these wheels since many of the riders I look up to used Syncros FR Wheels.

The 2010 Syncros FR Wheelset features their strongest rim yet, the DS 32, laced to the Syncros FR hub, which uses an impressive 4 bearings per wheel. All that strength comes with a slight weight penalty as the Syncros FR wheels weigh 2725 grams as tested which is about 500 grams heavier than many DH racing wheel sets. However, if you value long-term durability and build quality over weight, the Syncros FR wheels should fit the bill.

These wheels are individually hand-built with DT Swiss spokes and nipples, ensuring excellent quality and maximum durability. The FR wheelset is built with standard J-bend spokes in a 3X pattern. They come in matte black or white hubs while the rim is only offered in white. These wheels are available in 135×10 and 150×12 rear hub spacing and a 20mm thru-axle only front hub.

First Impressions

These wheels feel much lighter than they are when installed because the bearings roll so well. The distinctive white rim looks great and makes your bike stand out. The tolerances on the FR Wheelset are very tight, so much so that installing the thru-axles required more force than usual both front and rear. This isn’t a bad thing, because there is literally no play – an important feature when you’re hucking around. These wheels are true and still spinning fast after weeks of pounding at Joyride 150, an indoor bike park. Stay tuned for a full review in the spring after I have a chance to test these wheels on some real DH terrain.

Thanks to Syncros for providing the FR Wheels for testing.

About Syncros

Syncros started operating out of a Vancouver bike shop in the 1980’s, producing parts that could withstand the pounding riders dished out on the nearby North Shore Mountains. Syncros was bought by Ritchey in 2003. Today Syncros produces high-end components built tough enough to withstand the most difficult trails while maintaining competitive weights and prices.

photo courtesy konaworld.com.

Kona is sponsoring a really cool and unique event starting Friday called “White Style” at the Kona Leogang Bike Park in Austria. White Style basically creates a DH/FR course out of snow to challenge some of the world’s best riders including Darren Berrecloth, Cam McCaul, and Sam Pilgrim.

Here are some course deets from Konaworld:

Kona Clump team rider Grant Fielder promises to present a course built out of snow that is even better than last year: A start section with two different parallel drops (a high one and a lower one with a kicker on it), followed by two massive doubles made completely of snow, but also featuring a second wooden kicker for the ones who prefer a shorter transition to throw down big tricks. The second half of the course begins with a decent step up to roller and kicker step down combination, just like a fruit bowl, which is not too big, but provides the perfect speed for a more challenging satellite dish step up step down combo that guarantees some more airtime for big tricks. The most spectacular obstacle is the final big hitter, which marks the end of the course: A huge snowboard big air style kicker shooting following riders into Leogang’s sky.

For those of us stateside, Red Bull will air highlights from the event on March 6th at 11:30 pm CET on www.servustv.com. Click below for last year’s highlight vid.