12 Short Travel Dual Slalom Bikes from Silver Star - Crankworx Summer Series

Jul 30, 2020
by Aidan Oliver  
With all riders at the Crankworx Summer Series competing in every event, we saw a big variety in bikes being raced. After all, how may bikes can a rider bring? From modded enduro bikes to short travel trail bikes we saw a bit of everything.

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Rhys Verner and his Kona Process 111. Not in Kona's current line up, but makes for a great dual slalom bike.


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Mark Wallace opted for the short travel Canyon Nueron over a hardtail or the Spectral.


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ALN was running the same new Rocky Mountain as she raced in the Enduro, but still wouldn't spill the beans...


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The custom Ride Wrap sure does look good though.


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Kasper Wooley was running the new Yeti SB115.


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Fabien Cousinié and his Polygon Siskiu T


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Jesse Melamed was also running the new Rocky Mountain bike but had a very different approach. 29" wheels replaced with 27.5" wheels, a shorter travel Fox 34 fork to replace the 36, a shorter stroke shock to reduce the rear travel and Cush Core removed.


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Bas Van Steenbergen and his Hyper. Being a SilverStar local Bas actually helped build and design the Dual Slalom course.


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Jakob Jewett and his Canyon Stitched. Jakob was the only rider using a hardtail in the Dual Slalom.


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Remi Gauvin had built up a Dual edition of the Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt with a small cassette and big chainring.


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Loenie Picton and her Liv Hail.


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Seth Sherlock's Intense Primer.


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Vaea Verbeeck's Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt



Mentions: @officialcrankworx



Author Info:
aidanoliver avatar

Member since Jun 10, 2006
63 articles

68 Comments
  • 22 0
 The Process 111 is a sweet bike, but I'm kinda disappointed it's not a custom one like Fearon's "Brocess" from a few years back. Got me thinking though, that a 111 with 27,5 wheels (or even 27,5 + 26 mullet) would probably be ridiculously fun. Probably not very sensible for actual trail riding, but for events like this or just regular flow trails. And you could always use one of those headset cup extenders to account for the shorter axle-to-crown without having to bump up the fork travel.
  • 1 0
 Guerrilla Gravity Trail Pistol(a) with 27.5 works just like that, but the low BB is a thing, so I get around that by using shorter cranks, currently running Trailcraft 152mm, low BB for great handling without a pedal clearance issue.
  • 1 0
 Sorry, I know I'm being that guy commenting a year late, but watching US Nationals DS rekindled my interest in racing slalom. Doing some quick math - the 134 has the same CS length as the 167 - 420mm. I think the 134 and 111 front triangles are basically the same, but the 111 has a 6mm shorter shock.I think if you take a 134 and chop it to 111/120 you would have an amazing bike
  • 17 0
 It would be a good thing if the mtb industry still made some short travel 650b bikes for ripping trails and slalom. There really isnt to much to choose from for these style of events anymore.
  • 2 0
 This, x1000
  • 1 0
 Unfortunately not many events like that anymore, so the market would be very small.. the 650b bikes of a few years ago would be a good start there.. I had a 140mm 650 some years ago and a 120mm 650 after that.. used it in our local slalom series.
  • 3 0
 @likehell: Yeah very true... I just want 650b options in general, had to sell my remedy recently, and if I'm honest about my local trails I could go with a little bit lighter / shorter travel bike, but there's just not much to choose from. They can say what they want but I have no desire at all for 29" wheels. Also, regardless of the commercially available bikes I say MORE SLALOM!
  • 2 0
 The idea of building a 5010 just for slalom use is something that I would like to do, but it would be hard to justify because it wouldn't be used enough..
  • 1 0
 That's basically what "downcountry" bikes are. XC levels of travel with more enduro like angles. Like Lumpy said stuff like the 5010 are perfect if you have to get a new one. But 26" are still amazing for DS since acceleration and nimbleness is important.
  • 1 0
 Put the fun between the legs!
  • 17 0
 Man I wish I could get a Kona Process 111, they look so much fun! Why discontinue Kona, WHY!?
  • 3 0
 I always wanted this bike, but the price in Europe was insane. Still I can see one in local polish distributor's shop and it is literally 2x price of 2020 process 153 with the same level of equipment.
  • 2 1
 Just get a Rocky Mountain element and slap a 2 degree angleset on it and ride it on the high setting. Nearly identical geo.
  • 1 0
 Having a hard time getting rid of mine...
  • 1 1
 @dglass: might be easier if you posted it in buy/sell ????
  • 3 0
 @santacruz-ing: What I meant was I'm having a hard time letting it go because I'm enjoying it too much! I've gone through a couple new rear ends and shocks though.
  • 11 1
 I think the series wouldve been even better if it was a one bike (frame and fork at least) event. Seeing how they would modify wheels and shocks for different things wouldve been great. Now for bike sponsors it would stink since it would show you only REALLY need one bike but it would be cool to see where people chose to focus their equipment and where they would just fight through it being the wrong tool for the job.
  • 3 0
 The downhill is where everyone would suffer. Either that or someone suffers through 3 other events each week in order to bring a bike capable of a proper DH.
  • 2 1
 That is what I thought but the bike sponsors wouldn't agree. More bikes more things to buy..bikes always evolving gotta upgrade!!!!
  • 1 0
 @dr-airtime: They could do it like Formula 2, everyone has the same car (frame in this case) but they can put whoever's logos they want on it. With so many brands not selling a dual/slope bike at all it won't hurt them very much. But we wouldn't get to see the funky prototypes and one offs anymore if they dad and that's no fun.
  • 1 1
 @Mattysville: I'd just ride the hardtail DJ bike on the DH. Seth's Bike Hacks did something like it but on a bmx!
  • 2 0
 @Mattysville: This. The DH tracks are legit at these bike parks too, can't wait to see that race.
  • 13 5
 Dual slalom is great, but I really would love to see more 4X races !!!
  • 6 5
 Naaah Dual is bettererer!
  • 4 8
flag vinny4130 (Jul 30, 2020 at 6:30) (Below Threshold)
 @likehell: dual slalom, or dual is and will always be better than the shit show that is 4x.
  • 8 0
 @likehell: DS is awesome but 4x is so exciting, watching them go bar to bar, stuffing each other into corners, like BMX but faster and bigger. I wish 4x would get back to being mainstream again now that pumptrack and DS are growing in popularity it would be cool to see more of the head to head styles of racing as opposed to the traditional time trial style of DH and enduro.
  • 3 0
 @vinny4130: why the hate ???
  • 4 0
 it will come around again once they want/need more exciting racing.
  • 3 1
 @vinny4130: why do i get the feeling you once entered a 4x race and didnt get a shiny medal?
  • 2 1
 @vinny4130: how is 4x a shit show? why so mad?
  • 2 1
 @vinny4130 is one of the guys who got stuffed into a berm. “Stay in your lane bro I’m scared to fall.”
  • 3 0
 Dual slalom is one of the sickest events! So many different types of bike competing against each other! So happy racing is back!
  • 1 0
 That Hyper though... it looks like it could go into production as it seems to share a lot of the front triangle of the hardtail that's been around for a couple years! That could easily be a competitor in DS, 4x, speed & style and slopestyle with all of the experience Hyper has from both freestyle BMX and BMX racing.
  • 1 0
 Anyone know how Jakob Jewett got a rear mech on his Canyon Stitched? As far as I can tell the Stitched hardtail frame has horizontal dropouts only.
  • 2 0
 Whatever happened to when deity used to put out sweet edits all the time? Seeing Bas makes me think about that.
  • 1 0
 hey remember when slopestyle bikes were a thing and the entire bike industry didn't just agree to completely delete them from existence?
  • 1 0
 Process 111, angle headset and a fox36 = very viable trail bike for years to come.
  • 6 8
 What happens to all these one off builds once the event is finished...? Are they reused, kept for next year, sold on....or just stored in a garage somewhere to gather dust? Constant new bikes and components for single events seems a tad wasteful.
  • 1 1
 Agree!!! Throw that Hyper my way please!
  • 2 0
 They generally get to keep them. It's not unheard of that pro's former bikes and frames end up on the used market. Recently saw an ex-Wyn Masters GT frame turn up for sale here.
  • 2 0
 I think Bernard Kerr said that being able to keep or sell that year’s bike is part of their wage.
  • 9 2
 @streetkvnt-kvlt: I always smirk when I see former pros' bikes for sale on PB classifieds. People advertise the fact that a pro owned it like it will make it more valuable when surely it's the opposite. I know one guy who's a pro and he beats the shit out of his bikes. Literally treats them worse than anyone else I have ever met.
I would not touch an ex-pro bike at all!
  • 1 0
 @Upduro: I see Bernard Kerr selling his bikes on Instagram every once in a while.
  • 1 0
 @jaame: Moto and ATV are the same way ! True race bikes maybe maintained wellbut are worn out, the practice bikes are CRAP !
  • 1 0
 @jaame: I get what your saying and agree for the most part but there are exceptions...
  • 1 1
 I’d wager something is either wrong with the bikes or the event Id every pro is riding something bodged together like this.
  • 4 1
 No, it's just events like this require bikes that aren't useful for any normal riding
  • 1 1
 @Civicowner: or the industry is just brain washing everyone into buying long travel bikes!
  • 2 0
 @Civicowner: that’s what I’m saying. Either supply some proper bikes or tweak an old event format. Maybe dual slalom courses should be bigger or steeper or include some rock gardens if all the pros are only going to be able to bring are enduro bikes. It’s not a big deal, I just feel like it cheapens an event when riders aren’t able to use the right tool for the job.
  • 3 0
 @Civicowner: Not to mention that 'events like this' only seem to exist in unique places where few people ever have the opportunity to do them. I've never seen a short track race in my life...nor heard of one being put on anywhere near me. I'm sure they exist, but kinda like luge racing....
  • 1 0
 Looks more like a 167 than a 111
  • 2 2
 What is the best wheels sizes for dual slalom?
Not going to be 29 out back that is for sure?
  • 1 2
 @bikebike69: 24" rear 27.5 front is better?
  • 1 1
 @aljoburr: no.....just 26 f/r is perfect.
  • 3 3
 NS Bikes still make a 26" singlespeed bike the Soda nsbikes.com/soda,31,pl.html
  • 5 1
 friend everybody does thats a DJ
  • 1 3
 @EarlyRise: It is a full sus 26" Slope Bike. I dont know anyone else making one now.
  • 6 0
 @dirtybikejapan: BlckMrkt - Killswitch, Trek - Ticket S, Specialized P-Slope...there are a number of options out there for short travel 26" full suspension bikes.
  • 1 1
 BB pivot sucks for racing DS and 4X, and I'm pretty sure that the rules require running at least 3 gears on the cassette... That is a single speed and would require some modifications to run a rear derailleur.
  • 2 1
 @edsleadsleds: my DMR Bolt is bb pivot, got 2nd in the last 4X race I entered.
  • 2 0
 Looks like a bottle rocket...
  • 1 0
 @edsleadsleds: soda includes an optional mech hanger
  • 2 0
 @TBaldwin90: don’t forget Commencal absolute sx, canyon stitched 720,DMR bolt, Santa Cruz 5010 if you want bigger wheels
  • 2 0
 @TBaldwin90: polygon Trid ZZ, RADIO Siren.
  • 1 0
 @nojzilla: no doubt, rider makes the bike. Congrats! It is just that the BB pivot bobs too much when you're sprinting out of the gate
  • 2 0
 @edsleadsleds: maybe a while back when suss tech wasnt too good but, nowerdays we have better shocks with WAY better tunes.







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