4 Downhill Bike Checks - Crankworx Rotorua

A deep pool of DH talent has gathered in Rotorua as riders use the Crankworx downhill as a chance to sort out the final details of their bikes before the first round of the World Cup. Brook Macdonald had his Session kitted out similarly to the last time we looked it over, but the rear FOX shock is looking more production ready than ever, complete with an orange spring and a new coating for the shock's shaft, as well as new graphics. The RAD labeling is gone, replaced by the DHX2 designation. Macdonald also still had the SRM PowerMeter that he's been running in the off season as a way to measure the progress of his training.



Connor Fearon's sideways airtime scored him a second place result at the Whip Off Contest aboard a prototype 27.5" wheeled Kona. The bike looks similar to the company's 26" Precept 200 model, although the shock is now mounted atop the down tube, rather than on the top tube. RockShox handles the suspension and SRAM takes care of the 7 speed drivetrain, while Stan's Flow rims are shod with Maxxis DHF tires.



Loris Vergier will be racing in the Elite division for 2015, after finishing last season with both the overall Junior World Cup title as well as a convincing victory at World Champs. His Lapierre DH has 210mm of rear travel via a scissor link driven single pivot design, and was set up with a RockShox Vivid Air. Many riders are running spikes like the Schwalbe Dirty Dan that Vergier had on his bike, since there's the chance that the track could turn into a steep and muddy mess. The dirt was relatively tacky for today's practice, but it's been threatening to rain, and it won't take much moisture to upset the balance and make just getting down the hill a challenging feat.



Wyn Masters is a rider to keep an eye on come race day, when he'll be rocketing down the track on his Bulls DH bike. The bike has a high main pivot that's positioned behind, rather than even with, the bottom bracket, a design that creates a rearward axle. This requires an idler pulley to be installed in order to prevent chain growth from affecting the bike's suspension. For those who were wondering, somewhere along the trail today Wyn broke the backing plate and lost the pulley for his chainguide - the lack of a lower pulley wheel isn't on purpose. Schwalbe's Dirty Dan tires and a Marsh Guard front fender ensure that Wyn will be ready if the rain arrives.



And finally, this just in from Eddie Masters (Wyn's brother).

Stay tuned for more bike checks and tech content from Crankworx Rotorua all week long.