The fight for the Union Jack sleeve has begun in earnest in Glen Coe in the Scottish highlands, but before racing gets underway tomorrow we've stopped a handful of the riders to see what bikes they are running:
Greg Williamson and his UNNO Ever.
Euan Thomson and his Commencal Supreme.
Matt Walker and his Saracen Myst 29er.
Luke Birkett and his Mondraker Summum.
Lewis Summers and his Specialized Demo.
Danny Hart and his Saracen Myst 27.5.
Daniel Cope and his Nukeproof Pulse.
Callum Hard and his Santa Cruz V10.
Laurie Greenland and his Mondraker Summum.
Katy Curd and her Specialized Demo.
Jamie Carruthers and his NS Fuzz.
Liam Higgins and his Trek Slash.
Kade Edwards and his Trek Session.
Jason Shill and his Trek Session.
Michael Vickers and his Santa Cruz V10.
Kirs Gemmell and his Transition TR11.
Euan Bisset and his Zerode G2.
Ryan McGuire and his Orange 224.
Adam Brayton and his Scott Gambler and Meg Whyte with her Transition TR11.
Cairn Bell with her Transition TR500 and Mikayla Parton with her Trek Session 8.
Ben Deakin and his Pivot Phoenix.
George Gannicott and Jack Reading with their Nicolai ION G19s.
I always sneered at Oranges. Dumb can crusher design, looks only a mother could loves, Porsche levels of design innovation, and pretty expensive for it. but I noticed a few years ago a the Dyfi Enduro, there were two type of bikes there (give or take)
This-years-model-plastic-fantastic-multi-link-latest-tech bikes. or beaten up Orange fives.
Decided I had had enough in group 1, especially with a baby on the horizon so any time on the bike i wanted to be riding, not maintaining or cleaning or fixing, and bought a five29.
I have ridden a lot of those bikes and the Pivot Phoenix is my favorite. I wish I never sold it. I'm running an Intense M16c now and it's a close second. I will probably go back to the Pivot next season. Luckily I work at a local bike shop so I am fortunate enough to be able to buy bikes at cost and switch them up every season or so.
@Lokik9: I believe the carbon bike with a Zee build is $5200. you should check out their website. Pivot is making some of the best bikes out there today. They make a Mach 429 trail bike that absolutely kills it as a do everything xc/trail bike.
@Lokik9: I forget but it was about $3000. Most bike companies will sell bikes to shop employees cheaper than wholesale so that you can ride their bikes and tell everyone how great they are. So I am able to buy and sell bikes regularly and have a new bike every season or so. But it's my job to be able to give people real world feedback on the bikes that I sell.
The YT Tues looks like a stealth fighter, because of the solid lines and angles. That and it has a little Moto GP look with all that Kashima and the murdered out look to the fork and frame. The Unno bikes are too damn beautiful to be intimidating, but are definitely the most jaw dropping. The Commencal Supreme's look kind of like naval F14's with this years graphics and I love it, those and the Saracen's both have the overall aesthetics down the best as far as looking like race machines, imo.
@andydhteam: In Ireland where these are designed and tested you can see plenty of them all accross the country, some seriously old too, I am very surprised by what you say but maybe down under the gravity is harder on the bike !
I Unno if those bikes will Transition into those berms, those who don't will Trek down to the bottom where they'll Summon the Phoenix to Gamble the Session
www.google.com/search?client=ms-android-verizon&biw=360&bih=265&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=aXlUW7j0O6vp_QbNnqOACw&q=foes+lts&oq=foes+lts&gs_l=mobile-gws-wiz-img.3..0.6477.10745..11310...0.0...251.1599.0j8j1......0....1.........41j0i10i24j0i8i30j0i5i30j0i8i10i30.x0Qj6jfBu2Y#imgrc=0hVun1b8HnX1AM:
but I noticed a few years ago a the Dyfi Enduro, there were two type of bikes there (give or take)
This-years-model-plastic-fantastic-multi-link-latest-tech bikes.
or
beaten up Orange fives.
Decided I had had enough in group 1, especially with a baby on the horizon so any time on the bike i wanted to be riding, not maintaining or cleaning or fixing, and bought a five29.
Now I totally get it..
I whispered "Oi Oi" silently as i saw him!
you should check out their website. Pivot is making some of the best bikes out there today. They make a Mach 429 trail bike that absolutely kills it as a do everything xc/trail bike.