Logan Binggeli's Single-Speed KHS - Red Bull Rampage 2016
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The list of people who've stood on a Red Bull Rampage podium is rather short, and it includes names such as Zink, Lacondeguy, and Semenuk, among many other legends. Oh, and a Utah native named Logan Binggeli who is one of the fastest downhill racers in North America. Sure, there are a few World Cup contenders who have traded the beeps of a start-house gate and course tape for the inflatable Red Bull arch and cliff-side lines but, for the most part, Rampage is the domain of riders who get paid for style and amplitude instead of their outright speed.
''It all started back in 2004, in middle school when I saw a poster and then went out to the Rampage to see Kyle Strait win it,'' Binggeli told us last year when we questioned him in 2015 about his path from grom to top racer, and eventually to the Rampage. ''Obviously, with Rampage you can’t just hop on the boat right away so I went back to my roots and started racing mountain bikes.''
He turned out to be pretty good at it, with his results allowing him to try to qualify for the Rampage back in 2008, although he didn't make the cut eight years ago. He did score a top-twelve in 2010, however, and then a spot on the podium in 2012. Crashes and injuries then kept him away until 2015 when he qualified fourth and finished fifteenth in a wind-affected final.
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Just like in 2015, Logan is aboard on of the most interesting bikes at Rampage. Last year his bike was a prototype version of what would later become KHS' DH 650 race rig, with the production bike now looking pretty similar to what Binggeli was pointing off the Utah cliffs, and that's also true for 2016. ''We've dialed in the geometry a little better, and it's an extra-large with some lighter tubing for racing. That's the difference between the production and the prototype frame,'' he explained of his personal 210mm-travel DH 650 that's more of a lightweight race-special than a Rampage one-off. Weight is of close to zero concern here in the desert, of course, but Logan clearly wants to be on a bike that feels like home rather than something unfamiliar to him.
With taller a taller handlebar, even slacker geometry, and ridiculously firm suspension, it's probably fair to say that a proper Rampage bike would likely feel horrible anywhere other than, you guessed it, Rampage. Just how different is Logan's cliff drop-friendly suspension setup? Logan used a dirtbike analogy to get the point across: ''Way different; completely different. I mean, it's like going from outdoor motocross suspension to straight FMX, past Supercross.'' So it's firm, then. ''It's as stiff as the suspension will go, band-wise [in the shock] and clip-wise in the fork, and pressures. A lot slower rebound, and I've cranked the compression in,'' he went on to say.
 | You know, you're not looking for much tracking or corner speed here; it's just compression, compression, compression, so you're basically just setting the bike up for massive compressions versus tracking, stability, speed, and whatnot. - Logan Binggeli |
Logan showed up in 2015 with a single-speed drivetrain that turned some heads, and he's back with a similar setup this year. ''You might not really even need a chain to get down this hill. Obviously, you're just going down cliff bands, so you're not shifting,'' he reasons, which does make a lot of sense. Truth be told, while the top slopestyle riders usually run a derailleur and some sort of modified drivetrain, this is likely down to sponsorship commitments rather than their need to shift gears on their way down a Crankworx course. The same applies here at Rampage.
Binggeli's KHS is running a set of Shimano Saint cranks, along with an e*thirteen chain guide (sans lower roller) and a KMC chain. Last year head he used two larger cogs to sandwich a single small drive cog on his freehub body, but he's gone with a proper single-speed kit this time around, along with the same burly Shimano Alfine chain tensioner.
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There's also some trickery going on with the ENVE wheels on Logan's bike: ''I've got some prototype ENVE wheels; they're 33mm wide with some 'stripper technology' rim strips that should be available soon to the public.'' Zooming in to look at the rims reveals a strip that runs around their entire circumference, and on both sides, that appears to be some sort of sealing rim strip that extends up and over the sidewalls. If I were to speculate, I'd guess that this is a relatively stiff, plastic-like rim strip of sorts that fits into the rim bed to both seal the spoke holes and protect the rim's sidewalls.
MENTIONS: @khsfactoryracing / @shimano / @ENVE / @maxxis / @foxracingshox
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@vinay - sorry, MTB is not really that much about performance, because it can't be. Carbon rims themselves are questionable enough. Have you seen anyone running raw alu rims on world champs?
@Chadimac22 - that is just straight bollocks for making a counter argument. So it's not good for rims but it's ok for bars and frames? Rovals must be soooo much worse than ENVEs and Lahar is such a fast frame.
It's not just enve either,hopes are made of icing sugar.x fusion..comedy tattoo's. slik graphics..here's another order..
@WAKIdesigns Good question about the raw alu rims actually. Could it be that the very thin paint is actually lighter than the oxidation layer that would otherwise form? Of course oxidation in part is from the aluminium that was already present. But as the profile should be dimensioned based on the unaffected aluminium, painting could simply be lighter. Or it is just that no one has ever thought about raw alu competition level rims. But then again, surely someone should have thought about anodizing the rims and I haven't seen these either.
single parent here. (3 kids).
work 55 hours a week. 7am -6pm
ride 5 days a week (10-15 hours riding time, ~ 80-120miles)
You type comments on here MOAR hours a week than I work and RIDE combined
Riding bikes is what keeps me happy and sane!
May I suggest you sort your shit out and quit whining?
Xx
Oh... and they've all ridden with me. from 3 months old. By the sounds of it. my eldest is probably right around your age.
Talking about yourself in the third person on the internet? Really? Come on man?
Like I said. sort your shit out and quit whining
step away from that keyboard from time to time. it might make you a happier man.
You see in Pinkbike terms I am a loser for riding once a week, since I have no time between 7:30am and 7:30 pm on a week day. Then I'd like to spend time in the evening with my wife to be a husband. Is it such a bad thing for me to help my wife abd then spend time playing with them so I don't ride? I work 80% to be with them. My son is the cutest pain in the ass I have seen.
So yes it's a matter of priorities. I should simply give up mountain biking totally. My writing here? One post takes max 5 mins and can be made anytime anywhere. Riding requires continous time span of 3 hours that has to fit family and work.
Cheers!
Aside from just the regular commute on bike (to work, the shops, bringing the kids to school...) this is the schedule:
Monday: Easy as I bring the kids to my girlfriends parents on the way to work and we're getting them back late in the afternoon. We both work. Straight after work I've got to push myself to go for a ride. I've to be home at 8pm because then my girlfriend leaves for her yoga session.
Tuesday: We both work. We keep this day flexible, so no one has a fixed slot. Usually we use this to fix stuff in and around the house, do administration etc.
Wednessday: I work, my girlfriend doesn't. She takes care of the kids. When they're at school she does yoga and strength training. I go for a ride when I'm back from work.
Thursday: My girlfriend works, I don't so I take care of the kids. When the kids are at school I do the groceries, cleaning, prepare food and go for a ride. There is so much you can do in five hours! In the evening my girlfriend is off for pilates.
Friday: I work, my girlfriend doesn't. So it is similar to Wednessday, except I don't go for a ride in the evening. Instead we keep the evening flexible.
Saturday: I go for an early morning ride while my girlfriend brings the kids to swimming lessons. Except if I go for a long ride on Sunday, then we trade. When she's back, I usually take care of the kids while she's off for the groceries. The afternoon if flexible.
Sunday: She usually goes for a run unless I go for a longer ride and we traded on Saturday. We keep that limited to the morning so that the afternoon remains flexible. But it depends.
My daughters are 4 and 6 years old now so they can entertain themselves reasonably well, but I can't just leave off of course. My oldest daughter broke her thumb a few weeks ago in an unfortunate mountainbike crash. She's going to have her cast removed today and she wants to go riding with me again. That doesn't reduce my riding time. Instead it is called quality time with the kid. She'll be doing the RL ratcheting exercises, I'll be working on my manuals.
But on an Mtb note I'm with comments above that it is almost too scary to watch and too soon after Paul Bas but it was f*cking unbelievable to see him out on course during the week. That takes balls. Respect,
I've 3 kids now and they are great, but one is disabled and my wife has had issues with depression for some years.
Everyone's situation is different, and some people prioritise certain aspects of life more than others, have different levels of support or are just able to make things work better for their circumstances than others. I'm all for that, but it won't work the same for everyone. For me it's an hour drive to get to the trails, but I wouldn't leave the city because of the special needs provisions it supplies my daughter, so I spend a lot of time on the turbo trainer (which I hate but I've no other real option to be as fit as I want to be) or night riding on my own as the evening is the time I've less demands on me from other people. I don't want to burden other family members more because they are my kids and they do a lot for me already. Sounds like you are doing well too get the one ride in a week to me!
To those who fit a lot of riding in I have a lot of respect for that too. I'm currently waiting for my kids to grow up a little more and I hope to join your club, even if it is just every now and again!
"Everyone's situation is different, and some people prioritise certain aspects of life more than others, have different levels of support or are just able to make things work better for their circumstances than others. I'm all for that, but it won't work the same for everyone" AMEN
My being here is one of effects of prioritizing my family and perhaps even work above biking. I hate this "how much you ride" bollocks... maybe I ride better than you?! I can manual and scrub, can you manual and scrub during those 4 rdes a week? Should I get credit for that and look at you like you are a piece of sht? Then this denial of job importance is so stupid, "make sure you ride enough, fk service to the society, fk them". What if you were a doctor and prioritized riding?! WTF?! Would you like to wait for fixing your broken hand cuz your doc is still riding and he may want to go for a post ride beer? The only acceptable occupation on Pinkbike is being an engineer having something to do with vehicles or manufacturing. And those dudes are like vegans. Wondering whether Pinkbike commenter is a material engineer? Don't ask, he'll tell you! And it's always some 26 year old fkr that just finished studies and he has ass full of attitude and know-how. Other than that you should stop stupid office desk job and go riding. If you don't you are a loser that got caught by the system. This is the reason I am thinking: WTF am I doing here on Pinkbike?! The values of so many people here are so fkd up. This: Dentists with ENVE wheels, can you imagine that someone tries to dis you for being a dentist. What the fk?! Who fixes your teeth? Peter the skater dude?
I do have a little kid. infact in a regular week I look after 9 kids. youngest being 2 with another due to be born any minute. (biologically father of 3)
You know who's advice I'd recommend not to listen to on parenting? New parents.
So far you've wasted what? an hour or two of your precious time typing shit online?
Good work.
Which brings me back to my original point. Which was simply. Quit whinging.
Being Scottish we probably have waaaay moar to whinge about than you.
Anyway, my point was that you know you're getting a solid product because without painting the rims, there is no way to hide the imperfections. With a painted rim, there is a good chance that some voids and imperfections exist that are potential weak points. Consistency is very important when we're talking about a product that has to maintain it's integrity at every single potential impact point and tension points.
I do agree that the decals can look cheap after being beat up, but at least you can replace them, customize them to make your baller Yeti look mean, or you can simply remove them and admire the incredible piece of art and engineering that exists in its raw form.
BTW, Mavic uses decals on their rims also.
Nevermind. I admire you now more than Dan Bilzerian. You are male Alpha on my list
while you guys are at it mind mailing me some stuff you don't use? I mean you guys really prefer to be in front of the keyboard instead of rigind so... ehm , well I type enough stuff for work, don't feel the need to type just as much I rather grab my bike. (although I do have a biking website where I write about biking)
@dietersanchez : Trying to help a brother out. I hope you don't mind.
I never quite got the hate against dentists here really. I used to work at a bikeshop where we sold quite some titanium frames (Litespeed, Merlin etc). I talked to a customer who came to pick up his custom geometry Litespeed racebike frame and components up. He was going home to take his time to lace his wheels, build his bike etc. Just enjoy the process. The bike would be about 9000 euros. Which, to a mountainbiker like me, sounds like a lot of money for a bike without suspension and with rim brakes. He's a dentist. Mellow guy, bit of a George Clooney type. He said he could either spend the money on a fancier new car and it will have evaporated in a year. Just gone. But he loves riding his bike and this would just get him a bigger grin. I love that. He's going to stick with this bike for years. And he's enjoying himself when he should. I hate it when people moan when they should be enjoying themselves. So yeah, this is what a cycling dentist had become for me. Someone who gets durable quality gear because that's what he/she can afford and maintain. And then just goes out have a good time.
Finally I think it is very important to share your passions and interest with your kids. Not only your abilities but also what you're working on. It makes you human. Not only does this make them more considerate, it also helps them see the importance of having a passion and making their own choices. It eventually makes them less susceptible to bad influences if they have developed the ability to analyze what they like and what they don't. And they accept it may be different for others.
I've got some mix cd's copied for in the car. One had been missing for a while though I didn't really mind. It was just a copy after all. One day I was in my oldest daughter her room fixing something for her. "I can play a tune for you while you're at it, dad. I'm sure you'll like it." She turned on her stereo and there came Megadeth pounding from her speakers. Big grin: "You like that right? Shall we dance?"
So basically I learned nothing here. Again. Stickers on ENVE rims are as perfect as Gary. I could never live up to his standards. Sorry,I learned from you that I am attention seeking online whore
Anyway what we doing here cause Logan's run was a non run or am I remembering some kind of sci if film?
Logan bingelli october 2015
Lol logan
-RedBurn October 2016
Lol redburn
I don't personally know him but I'm sure he's a cool guy, just doesn't have the vibe or awe that some other guys actually have (ie Rogatkin).
Did he actually mean that? or was he being sarcastic? I mean, seriously. Can any rider have such low self-awareness?
I doubt he seriously considered ever winning rampage, specially with the guys next to him. I mean COME ON !!!