Hailing from Fort William, Scotland, Joe Barnes has been steadily working his way up through the ranks on the Enduro World Series circuit, consistently placing in the top ten last season, including two third place finishes. That top step has proven to be elusive, but with round two taking place in Ireland on terrain that Barnes is very familiar with, he's sure to be one to watch come race day.
Due to the tight and twisty nature of the course, Barnes has chosen to ride the Canyon's 140mm Spectral CF rather than the 160mm Strive. The Spectral's shorter wheelbase and steeper head angle should help with the required bobbing and weaving through the trees, and for popping up and over the roots and stumps that fill the clearcut sections of the track.
SuspensionUp front, the RockShox Pike has been set up with one bottomless token in place, but with more air pressure than an average rider would typically run. This gives the fork a very stiff, but still fairly linear feel, which Barnes prefers over a setup that's plush initially and then ramps up at the end. Rear suspension is handled by a RockShox Monarch DebonAir that has been outfitted with a hydraulically actuated lockout, allowing the bike to go from plush to firm with the push of the handlebar mounted lever. There's a piece of grip tape on both the lockout lever and the dropper post lever for extra traction just in case the weather turns foul – when winning times are separated by only a second or two, absolute precision is a must, even when it comes to little things like locking out a shock or raising a seatpost.
Cockpit Setup
Ergon's grips are well known for their unique shape, but it looks like Joe (or an angry beaver), has taken matters into his own hands, trimming down the overall length and shaving the surface to create a fully custom design. The grips are fixed to a 740mm Renthal Fatbar Light carbon bar that's mounted to a 50mm Renthal stem.
740mm is fairly narrow, but at 5'8” Barnes isn't the tallest rider out there, and the track has plenty of tight sections where being able to wiggle around the tree trunks could be an advantage. There are no spacers under the stem, and the upper portion of the headset has been shaved down by two millimeters to get the front end even lower. Two millimeters isn't much, but for a rider whose job it is to go as fast as possible, being completely comfortable and confident with their bike's setup is extremely important. Will all of the little personalized touches pay off for Joe Barnes this weekend? Stay tuned to find out.