Bike Check: Wyn Masters' Bulls - World Cup DH, Lenzerheide

Jul 7, 2015
by Paul Aston  
Wyn Masters Bike Check

Wyn is riding a prototype Bulls Wild Core that sports 200mm of rear wheel travel by way of a single pivot, linkage activated suspension layout. The main pivot sits extremely high and well behind the imaginary vertical line drawn between the bottom bracket and seat tube, a design that provides a rearward axle path that is often associated with a bike that carries speed well over rough ground. An idler pulley keeps chain growth in check, although it does make for a more complicated drivetrain. Note the long cage Shimano derailleur that's required to take up the change in chain tension, as well as the odd angle of the chain guide.

While Masters didn't provide a weight for his machine, last year's bike came in at just under 38lb with a very similar build kit that certainly leans more towards reliability than out and out gram counting.


Wyn Masters Bike Check
Wyn Masters Bike Check

Wyn Masters Bike Check
Wyn broke his scaphoid three years ago and had it operated on. There's no ongoing issues from the accident, but he likes to wear an Allsports Dynamics wrist brace for peace of mind.
Wyn Masters Bike Check
His BoXXer World Cup is set up to be very progressive through its stroke, with 115 PSI and six Bottomless Tokens installed.

Wyn Masters Bike Check
  Wyn uses a a full Gravity cockpit, including the Gravity Light handlebar at 760mm, a 50mm stem and their lock-on grips.

Wyn s Mechanic - Peter Northern Duke
  Wyn's mechanic, Peter 'Northern' Duke.



Wyn had to rush off up the hill for practice, but his mechanic, Peter 'Northern' Duke, gave us the low down on how Masters likes to run his bike.

Let's start with the handlebar?
We're using an alloy Gravity Light bar, 760mm with 30mm rise and a 50mm stem.

Stem spacers?
None, running the front end standard.

Headset cups?
Just -1 degree Works Components headset, and the head angle at the moment is 63 degrees.

Bottom bracket height?
The BB height is high enough, haha!

Tire choice?
Depends on the track, but we are always on Schwalbe, which are the best tires on the market. A cut down spike on the back right now, just to make it brake a little bit harder into the dust. 26 PSI in the front, 28 PSI in the back.

Wyn Masters Bike Check
A Schwalbe Magic Mary at 26 PSI
Wyn Masters Bike Check
... and a cut down Dirty Dan at the rear at 28 PSI.
Wyn Masters Bike Check
A custom top cap to match his Works Components -1 degree headset.
Have. Fun. Always.
Have. Fun. Always.

Are you guys using Schwalbe's Procore system?
Depends on the race and how the track is. Here, no.

Any special tubeless mods?
Nope, just standard, with a special northern rim tape.

Is that to pack it out a little?
Just a little bit. It depends on which thickness, but we've got a few different rim tapes in there to make it stay on.

Clutch turned on or off?
There is no clutch on this one, mate. Because this is a bike that gets longer, so a clutch derailleur would hold the suspension back and ruin the small bump sensitivity. We have gone back to this to make the suspension perfect for him.

Sag?
Depends on how much he has had for breakfast, but normally 15% in the rear and nearly 0% at the front. He's a big lad at 93kg and rides hard!

How do you measure the sag?
I just go on his weight, and we go on track conditions more than anything for sag,

How many Bottomless Tokens in his BoXXer?
At the moment we are on six. Wyn does the hard yards, and he's an Enduro specialist so he's strong enough to hold on to this mother licker.

How do you change the bike when you go to a new track?
We just start with what we know, which is our basic setup that we run at home, and go from there dependant upon rider feedback.

What have you changed for this weekend?
Gone up 10 PSI in the forks up to 115 to hold the front end up, and we have also gone down one compression tune in the shock to allow him to go up in spring rate and not have too much compression. It's a 325lb spring, standard steel spring. None of this titanium malarkey. Like I say, he's a strong lad.

Aluminum handlebar, I see...
Yes, to keep him nice and comfortable.

Wyn Masters Bike Check
  Saint cranks, Crank Brothers Mallet DH Race pedals, and an old school clutch-less XTR derailleur.

Does he always use 200mm rotors?
Always big rotors, mate. We're not into saving weight, and we can just shave an eyebrow off if we need to lose 5 grams, y'know.

Marsh Guard products all round?
Yes, we always run a Marsh Guard, even in the dust, as well as the number board helping it to be aerodynamic as hell. Also the Slapper Tape, one of the best things to ever happen to mountain bikes. How to make the loudest mountain bikes quiet! Get some Slapper on there!

Are you saying this is a loud bike?
No, I'm saying there are loud mountain bikes out there and this stuff makes everything quiet, and even the lovely quiet Trek's could do with a bit of this on them.

H.F.A?
Have Fun Always. Standard issue, you gotta be 'avin fun mate, else you wouldn't be here. We're all about smiles on faces.

Tire Pressure?
Tire pressures are always the same, really. We don't change much with pressure, and he always goes as low as he can for grip, but then as high as he can to stop them rolling in corners. The one thing that we have changed is from a Super Gravity casing on the back to a full DH casing. Still SG on the front. We use the EX417 rims, the softer ones. He's loving them, and they're working really well. The 'Gwin tireless run' rim! There's a nice little washer insert in there that you have to put on the nipple which lets the rim work better. It allows the rim to move a bit which is making it work better. They're a f***er to build, but work well.

More compliant?
Good word choice, compliant. You've been reading the dictionary, mate!

Do you play with things like spoke tension?
Not really, but we might change them a little bit. Standard Champion 2.0 gauge spokes. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. You can try to go lighter on your spokes, but then you just snap 'em all the time.

Author Info:
astonmtb avatar

Member since Aug 23, 2009
486 articles

74 Comments
  • 110 0
 Yessss! Keep articles like this coming Paul. I can't stand when a bike check just skims over a parts list. I can look at photos and figure that out myself. The info in this and the previous article are what I like to read. More in depth info on bike setup.
  • 3 2
 Stoked to see him using slapper tape, it's a way better solution that wrapping or zip tying an old tube to the chain/seat stay. Stuff works great!
  • 1 0
 Its real name is 3m 2228 Mastic tape.
  • 1 1
 Yep, waterproof electrical tape. Got it on all my rides... especially running from the BB up the bottom of the downtube for rocks coming off the front wheel.
  • 77 1
 "We're not into saving weight, and we can just shave an eyebrow off if we need to lose 5 grams, y'know."
Hahahaha
  • 125 1
 Sam Hill would save like 500g
  • 3 0
 I actually own a set of Sam hills eyebrows myself. I weighed em and yep, they are 500g each.
@Jim-laden that is one of the funniest things i've read all week.
  • 2 1
 @Jim-laden He would never shave them. They are the source of his speed.
  • 47 0
 what??? 760mm aluminum bars? no cluch? medium cage? aluminum rims? Have funz? what is all this???? has the industry been LYING to me????????????????????
  • 20 1
 db spoke don't snap all the time. they are more elastic through their center. straight gauge will snap more often at the nipple or the J. Sheldon Brown, mother fucker!
  • 11 0
 Seriously. Someone needs to tell ol' boy that straight gauge spokes are less durable than DB spokes.
  • 3 1
 @a-r-c is that for real?
They would be less elastic as [I'd imagine] the damn thin part is generally achieved by effectively stretching a slightly shorter plain gauge spoke at certain points to make them thinner, steel has a certain amount of elasticity before it snaps, which isn't much in normal measurement terms! By butting the spoke you are pre-using some of that elasticity, leaving less 'stretch' left in the material before it will snap.... Albeit a plain gauge spoke has a thicker x-section so may take more force to stretch, and I expect that's where this idea comes from. But a plain gauge spoke will stretch further before it snaps - you will have a more flexible wheel with db spokes, but are also more likely to snap spokes.
  • 2 1
 DB spokes snap on me. SG spokes don't.
  • 4 1
 You sirs are fools, do your homework. I have been building wheels for decades and I see more nipples pulled through rims and spokes snapped at the J and end of the threads where straight gauge is used then I ever have with DB. I am not agruing the construction method of the two types. I am simply stating that db spokes are more elastic through their centers and therefore can absorb tension either through the build process or due to sharp impacts more effectively.

This is the last word on wheels.

www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html
  • 4 0
 Butted spokes are forged into shape not stretched. (At least DT Swiss ones are) This actually makes them stronger as the metal is denser.
  • 1 0
 i agree with what you guys said here, it sounds logical and you guys have the facts to back them up.

yes, Butted spokes are more elastic, period.

BUT why do i snap butted spokes so easily?
bear in mind, my wheel is built by a decent wheel builder ( lets not question his quality of work )
whereas i dont break SG spokes at all?
  • 15 0
 Interesting to see different people's set ups. 15% sag at back and 0% at front. Might give that a go,probably end in tears though .
  • 17 1
 You probably should go like Brendog does for sus setup "Setup it up hard as f*ck and then ride faster and faster until it feels comfortable"
  • 10 0
 H.F.A. actually stands for Huge Fat Asses, ya know, 'lil cushion for the pushin eh?
  • 4 0
 I like this. None of that fancy industry talk or jumble of numbers I could care less about. Their setup works for them and it's durable, no changes needed. I wish more people would build bikes on what actually lasts and works instead of falling prey to industry advertising and fads/trend. Thanks for keeping it real! Smile
  • 4 0
 The legend that is Northern........................ Surprised he's not banged up or knocked up by now, lol.

Had an awesome holiday partially thanks to that fella a few years back, good to see your still living the dream :-)
  • 5 0
 "We can just shave off an eyebrow if we need to lose 5g"

hahahah

my kinda mechanic... Big Grin
  • 7 0
 that chainline.....
  • 2 0
 I've been loving the look of this bike since I first saw some pics of it. Finally a decent design that is out of the box, different and not just a re-hash of the same old designs that always seen to be churned out... I'd ride the s**t out of it if I had the chance.
  • 1 0
 You'll probably like this one then too:
www.pinkbike.com/news/remi-thirion-commencal-bike-check-world-cup-dh-lenzerheide.html

It seems like PB has a theme going on with their bike checks Wink
  • 2 0
 kinda looks like a canfield jedi dh ring. They have 2' rear ward, rear travel. makes 11 inches of full travel. so smooth over roots and rocks
  • 1 0
 Balfa bb7 did it first
  • 5 0
 I love looking at Wyn Masters' Bulls
  • 5 0
 Looks like a Breezer
  • 2 0
 "Depends on how much he has had for breakfast, but normally 15% in the rear and nearly 0% at the front. He's a big lad at 93kg and rides hard!"

wait, what? O_o
  • 3 0
 325 lb spring? And he weighs 92 kg? Little soft?
  • 8 0
 depends on leverage ratio and rider weight
  • 1 5
flag scottzg (Jul 7, 2015 at 23:39) (Below Threshold)
 120lb girlymen need not apply....
  • 4 0
 the shock has a 3.5 inches of travel. and at 200 mm of frame travel the leverage ratio is 1:2.3. so for a 93 K rider and 28% sag you need a 292 LBS spring. so 325 isn't that soft.

www.tftuned.com/spring-calculator

you can double check here^^^
  • 3 0
 Spring calculators are way off and pretty much entirely irrelevant. His shock might also have a reworked compression stack, so going by the spring weight, it won;t tell you much. In the interview he's said that he rides it stiff at 15%
  • 4 0
 EX417 ...maybe 471 Smile
  • 3 2
 I thought the EX471 was a more (dare I say it) "Enduro" targeted rim?
  • 2 0
 danob it is made with enduro in mind but is easily capable for downhill riding as well as it's a strong rim and it's also lighter weight which is why quite a few DH bikes are using them Smile
  • 3 0
 EX471 for sure.
  • 3 1
 The pivot is so high that it may perform good on square edge hits but reaction time pays the price.
  • 6 0
 Yah probably why he runs 15 % sag ! Get a little pop back in the biotch
  • 2 3
 Front wheels have a rearward path, how do they deal with this reaction time problem? maybe adjust the rebound dial
  • 4 1
 Sag is so overrated in WC racing.
  • 2 0
 115 psi and 6 tokens on the boxxer? That must feel like riding a jackhammer. Hard core.
  • 2 0
 I would like to know more about little washers on nipples.
  • 2 0
 Have fun always. Best reminder on a race rig I've seen.
  • 1 0
 Sick bike for sick rider... Not sure about 0 sag though
  • 1 0
 Those sag setup will become a trend with no chain DH setup?
  • 1 0
 looks like a yt. and not a session.
  • 1 0
 Have Fun Always... my new motto...
  • 1 0
 Old dirt and rust on the drivetrain, love it!
  • 2 1
 finally one that definitely does not look like a session
  • 1 0
 Great article - love the tuning info.
  • 1 0
 Why did they use an xtr rear der and not a saint?
  • 3 1
 Since Shimano doesn't offer a longer cage one.
  • 1 0
 His front wheel looks ramed to the fork bridge. Not much mud clearance.
  • 1 0
 awesome article i want more haha
  • 1 0
 sag is bullshit!!!
  • 1 0
 6 Tokens....Holy F
  • 2 2
 93kg ! This sounds like a joke he looks more like 73kg.
  • 2 0
 Winston ain't no short arse, and is built like a brick shithouse
  • 2 0
 Ah. He ain't tall either. I've seen him at some local races and even with no shirt. I'd belive 80kg max.
  • 3 0
 haven't seen him in no pants.
  • 2 0
 I'm a nudge under 6 foot, and he's taller than me, he's also solid muscle with forearms that popeye would be proud of. and about 6kgs of hair on his head. But you've seen him in passing and I lived with him for a while. I wouldn't know anything
  • 1 2
 OK sounds like I was wrong, thanks for the correction, but really there was no need to be a sarcastic a*shole about it was there?

Here's some advice Ricky, get over yourself and try to be a bit less of a cock all the time, cause people are getting sick of it.

Congratulations on being the first person I've ever been rude to on the interweb, what does that tell you?
  • 1 0
 Nice bike and tire setup
  • 2 3
 Looks more like a demo
  • 1 2
 #nevergofullenduro
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