Josh Carlson's Reign: Samoëns EWS

Carlson's Samoens Crusher
One of the great things about the EWS series, and about enduro racing in general, is that it pits competitors from different backgrounds together. This fact makes for some widely varying setups that can have the machines of the World Cup downhill circuit looking pretty boring in comparison. Yes, a top downhill rig is an impressive thing, but when you're asking a six inch travel bike to go nearly as fast over terrain that varies much more than a taped-off downhill track, as well as to perform well over a five or six hour day, you're going to end up with all sorts of different styles of bikes.

With a few notable exceptions, we've seen a lot of racers turn to air shocks, handlebar-mounted pedalling aids, and mid-weight but relatively fast rolling rubber and wheels. Giant Factory Off-Road Team's Josh Carlson is usually on the opposite end of the spectrum, though, preferring a burlier setup that's all about traction and more consistent suspension performance, things that he's happy to pay a weight penalty for. And while a lot about his 160mm travel Reign could be called off the shelf, there's certainly a few things that have his Giant standing out from the crowd.





Suspension Setup
The weight difference between a 27.5'' Pike and 27.5'' Lyrik is said to be just 144 grams, so it's no surprise to see Carlson on the 160mm travel Lyrik given that the fresh chassis is claimed to be more rigid. Yes, the 35mm stanchions are the same diameter as a Pike, but RockShox says that the gains in torsional stiffness come via redesigned lowers and their Torque Cap design that provides more contact between the end of the hub and the fork dropouts. If that idea sounds familiar, it's because in 2009 Specialized debuted 28mm hub endcaps that were designed to do the same thing, albeit in a quick release system. The new Lyrik can be run with either Boost 110, Torque Caps, or with a standard 15mm x 100mm thru-axle, and it appears that Carlson has gone with the latter.


A coil-sprung RockShox Vivid R2C is employed on the back of the bike, with Carlson being one of the few EWS racers to not use an air-sprung shock on a regular basis. His thinking is that running an air shock as stiff as he prefers would make for a less active ride, and therefore less traction, whereas using a coil shock and a stiff setup will provide more suppleness at the top of the stroke that will help his tires stick to the deck. The 450 in/lb spring is from EXT and is a steel composite unit that's said to be lighter than a titanium version of the same rate.





Bike Setup
The burly theme continues elsewhere on Carlson's Reign, with a set of Schwalbe's Magic Mary tires mounted up at both ends. Rolling speed obviously isn't too high on Josh's wishlist while racing in France this weekend, as the Magic Mary tires are all about clawing into the ground rather than carrying momentum for long periods of time, although it's Carlson's strong fitness that allows him to take a different approach. The front tire is even Schwalbe's softest 'Vertstar' compound, while the rear is a slightly faster rolling, longer lasting version. Note that he's not using Schwalbe's interesting Procore system, either.

A man-sized 36 tooth chain ring means Josh will alway have something to push against, even when the speeds get high, and he's using a minimalist MRP chain guide to prevent a race-ruining mechanical. He has chosen to not use a traditional chain guide - there is no lower roller - but there is a bolt-on taco guard to protect that big 36 tooth ring. Other notables include 180mm rotors for his Guide Ultimate brakes (no 200mm up front), and a clever computer mount that sees his GPS unit attach to the stem cap rather out in harm's way on the handlebar.