Day 2 of the 2006 Outdoor Demo at Bootleg Canyon
Today it had to be over 100 degrees out there in the desert-IT WAS DAMNED HOT! Steph, Splatt and I all rolled in first thing and things were in full swing with bikes going every where. It was so busy today with everyone grabbing all the big travel bikes they could and getting into the shuttle line up for a ride up the mountain. Here's what day #2 had in store for us:Eastern 26 SLASH:
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I liked this bike from the get go. It seemed to understand how adverse I was to climbing and easily pedaled wherever necessary. The suspension was how I liked it-reactive-a little faster then regular freeride or DH bikes, but definitely not a Fly Bar. This is not a bike you point and shoot. It's like riding a skinny guy-cut from hours spent in the gym, strong enough to take what ever you throw at him, you're not about to see him enter a world's strongest man contest. It was a little rough keeping the tires on the ground, but it was a blast to use the suspension and double up the terrain. With this bike you can turn every rock and roller into a jump.
My final thought: If I was taken to the top of Whistler; Garbanzo would be a little rough, but we'd be an A'line machine. Eastern 26 SLASH and I could dominate the WEST!-Steph
Ryan Leech's Norco Fluid SE
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Ryan and Hoots were out riding with all of us Media and Retailer types so we asked Ryan if it was cool to sneak a few shots of his personal Norco Fluid SE. Like always, he was nice and obliged-Thanks buddy!
Giant Glory Freeride 8.0
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I had never ridden a Maestro induced bike before throwing a leg over the new Glory Freeride, but from all I'd been hearing for the past 1.5 years it had big expectations to fill. The long travel Giant bikes have always been hiding out in the woods and killing trails, but the Glory was being hailed as a trail slayer. Well I have to say that I am stocked on this little/big bike. I say little cause it is fun to ride and easy to throw around like a much smaller travel bike would be. I would say that it rides similarily to my Cove Shocker in the rear-stands up nice and doesn't run too far into the sag. I am a huge fan of dual crown forks on my freeride/DH bikes, but today's long travel single crown offerings all very confidence inspiring. I'll be looking to do a long term test on one of these this year.-Brule
Marin Quad XLT Quake 7.3
![photo]()
My very first mountain bike was a Marin Nail Trail. I learned how to "freeride" on that hard tail. So when Shaums and Jones talked me into riding a new DH bike from Marin I was stoked.
The Quake 7.3 is a futuristic looking rig-ominous and looking like a laser rifle. It uses a Marin patented rear suspension design to differentiate it from all others. The rear suspension is powered by Fox's DHX air shock, while the front tamed the trail with a Fox TALAS 36. Dropping in at Bootleg Canyon felt a little sketchy at first, but 30 seconds later I was in control (this occurs to all of us that have no idea how to ride loose ass rocks, when we're used to real dirt). It was by far the most stable ride I've thrown a leg over in some time. Even though there is a bit of brake jack, the bike felt amazing in corners. Dropping into a corner I had confidence to let it roll knowing that I could control any skid or drift. The Quake had amazing POP as well. It was so easy to air this bike out that I found myself having to suck it up at times so that I wouldn't send it too far off the little booters. If you get a chance to throw a leg over a Quake, do it and see what Shaums and Jones have been raving about!-Radek
Specialized Enduro S-Works Carbon:
![photo]()
When I first started riding down the trail I had forgotten I was testing out an XC bike, until I hit the first pile of rocks. I also forgot I was riding a sub 30lbs Carbon Fiber bike until I gave it back to Specialized at the end of my ride.
Its hard to review a bike that isn't the right size for you, but I really wanted to give this new Enduro a go, so I got one the was a wee big and let it buck. That said, the mechanics at the tent personally set up the front and rear suspension for every individual rider. Being a little long for me, it was easy to unweight the fornt end and lose traction in the loose terrain. But as I mentioned previously, the bike handled the shuttle run really well considering it is primarily an XC ride. Traversing the technical off camber rocks was where this bike really shone. The lightness of the bike, combined with the new suspension was perfect for carrying momentum and maneuvering the narrow trails as well as pumping over jagged rock piles. All in all, I was surprised and impressed by the way this Enduro took a DH beating with no mercy. I realize that this was not where it will ridden, but we wanted to see how it'll handle on the rougher end of the biking spectrum.-Steph
Yeti 303:
![photo]()
I was super excited to give this bike a go and it didn't dissapoint. This bike was a bump eating machine that gave these trails a beating they won't soon forget. We've ridden the same trail for every bike test for comparison sake and I'm sure I was ALOT faster on this then anything else, but that's a given since that is what this rig is made for. Stay tuned for a more indepth look at this bike that will be posted soon.-Splatt
Cane Creek Double Barrel shock
![photo]()
Possibly the trickest upgrade you could make to your ride, the Double Barrel is the highest of highend shocks. Designed in partnership with Ohlins Racing this little baby offers an amazing amount of adjustabilty. The unit I rode was bolted to the back of a Specialized Demo 8 and it turned a great bike into a superbike.
Super sensitve, amazing pedaling, stable and it refused to blow through its travel even on the regressive design on the Demo. We'll have a more indepth article up soon once we return home from Sin City.-Splatt
Lot's of bikes were ridden over the past two days by folks from all over the world that were here to see just how next year's models were put together and how they'd fair in real world testing. Here's a nice mix of bits and pieces from the past two days at the outdoor demo:
Well folks, its super late and I need to get to bed now, so check back tomorrow to see what Day #1 of the indoor show has to offer us. This is Tyler signing out for Pinkbike's Outdoor coverage from Bootleg Canyon for Interbike 2006.
For all pictures from Interbike 2006, click HERE.
| Make and Model: | Eastern 26 SLASH |
| Spec Highlights: | •7" rear travel using Ellsworth Atlas Suspension Design • Marzocchi 66 up front w/ a DHX 4.0 out back •DJ geometry |
| Contact Info: | www.easternbikes.com |
 |  |  |
I liked this bike from the get go. It seemed to understand how adverse I was to climbing and easily pedaled wherever necessary. The suspension was how I liked it-reactive-a little faster then regular freeride or DH bikes, but definitely not a Fly Bar. This is not a bike you point and shoot. It's like riding a skinny guy-cut from hours spent in the gym, strong enough to take what ever you throw at him, you're not about to see him enter a world's strongest man contest. It was a little rough keeping the tires on the ground, but it was a blast to use the suspension and double up the terrain. With this bike you can turn every rock and roller into a jump.
My final thought: If I was taken to the top of Whistler; Garbanzo would be a little rough, but we'd be an A'line machine. Eastern 26 SLASH and I could dominate the WEST!-Steph
Ryan Leech's Norco Fluid SE
| Make and Model: | Norco Fluid SE |
| Spec Highlights: | •XTR wheel set •Full XTR drive train-pretty trick |
| Contact Info: | www.norco.com |
 |  |
Ryan and Hoots were out riding with all of us Media and Retailer types so we asked Ryan if it was cool to sneak a few shots of his personal Norco Fluid SE. Like always, he was nice and obliged-Thanks buddy!
Giant Glory Freeride 8.0
| Make and Model: | Giant Glory 8.0 |
| Spec Highlights: | •8" of rear Maestro travel •2 pounds lighter then its DH brother •Race Face Evolve DH Cranks & e13 DRS guide •Marzocchi 66 SL1 ATA |
| Contact Info: | www.giantbicycles.com |
I had never ridden a Maestro induced bike before throwing a leg over the new Glory Freeride, but from all I'd been hearing for the past 1.5 years it had big expectations to fill. The long travel Giant bikes have always been hiding out in the woods and killing trails, but the Glory was being hailed as a trail slayer. Well I have to say that I am stocked on this little/big bike. I say little cause it is fun to ride and easy to throw around like a much smaller travel bike would be. I would say that it rides similarily to my Cove Shocker in the rear-stands up nice and doesn't run too far into the sag. I am a huge fan of dual crown forks on my freeride/DH bikes, but today's long travel single crown offerings all very confidence inspiring. I'll be looking to do a long term test on one of these this year.-Brule
Marin Quad XLT Quake 7.3
| Make and Model: | Marin Quad XLT Quake 7.3 |
| Spec Highlights: | •6.8" of rear travel-feels like 9" •Fox 36 TALAS fork and DHX Air shock out back •SRAM X.9 shifter and rear derailleur |
| Contact Info: | www.marinbikes.com |
 |  |  |
My very first mountain bike was a Marin Nail Trail. I learned how to "freeride" on that hard tail. So when Shaums and Jones talked me into riding a new DH bike from Marin I was stoked.
The Quake 7.3 is a futuristic looking rig-ominous and looking like a laser rifle. It uses a Marin patented rear suspension design to differentiate it from all others. The rear suspension is powered by Fox's DHX air shock, while the front tamed the trail with a Fox TALAS 36. Dropping in at Bootleg Canyon felt a little sketchy at first, but 30 seconds later I was in control (this occurs to all of us that have no idea how to ride loose ass rocks, when we're used to real dirt). It was by far the most stable ride I've thrown a leg over in some time. Even though there is a bit of brake jack, the bike felt amazing in corners. Dropping into a corner I had confidence to let it roll knowing that I could control any skid or drift. The Quake had amazing POP as well. It was so easy to air this bike out that I found myself having to suck it up at times so that I wouldn't send it too far off the little booters. If you get a chance to throw a leg over a Quake, do it and see what Shaums and Jones have been raving about!-Radek
Specialized Enduro S-Works Carbon:
| Make and Model: | Specialized Enduro S-Works Carbon |
| Spec Highlights: | •Specialized's own dual crown fork and rear shock •Red Magura Marta SL Carbon stoppers •Sub 30lbs bike weight •XTR Drive train |
| Contact Info: | www.specialized.com |
 |  |  |  |
When I first started riding down the trail I had forgotten I was testing out an XC bike, until I hit the first pile of rocks. I also forgot I was riding a sub 30lbs Carbon Fiber bike until I gave it back to Specialized at the end of my ride.
Its hard to review a bike that isn't the right size for you, but I really wanted to give this new Enduro a go, so I got one the was a wee big and let it buck. That said, the mechanics at the tent personally set up the front and rear suspension for every individual rider. Being a little long for me, it was easy to unweight the fornt end and lose traction in the loose terrain. But as I mentioned previously, the bike handled the shuttle run really well considering it is primarily an XC ride. Traversing the technical off camber rocks was where this bike really shone. The lightness of the bike, combined with the new suspension was perfect for carrying momentum and maneuvering the narrow trails as well as pumping over jagged rock piles. All in all, I was surprised and impressed by the way this Enduro took a DH beating with no mercy. I realize that this was not where it will ridden, but we wanted to see how it'll handle on the rougher end of the biking spectrum.-Steph
Yeti 303:
| Make and Model: | Yeti 303 |
| Spec Highlights: | •8.5" rear wheel travel • Fox DHX 5.0 rear shock • Fox 40RC2 fork • DT wheel set |
| Contact Info: | www.yeticycles.com |
 |  |
I was super excited to give this bike a go and it didn't dissapoint. This bike was a bump eating machine that gave these trails a beating they won't soon forget. We've ridden the same trail for every bike test for comparison sake and I'm sure I was ALOT faster on this then anything else, but that's a given since that is what this rig is made for. Stay tuned for a more indepth look at this bike that will be posted soon.-Splatt
Cane Creek Double Barrel shock
| Make and Model: | Cane Creek Double Barrel shock |
| Spec Highlights: | • Adjustable High speed compression and rebound • Adjustable Low speed compression and rebound • Steel or titainium spring option • Laser etched graphics |
| Contact Info: | www.canecreek.com |
 |  |  |
Possibly the trickest upgrade you could make to your ride, the Double Barrel is the highest of highend shocks. Designed in partnership with Ohlins Racing this little baby offers an amazing amount of adjustabilty. The unit I rode was bolted to the back of a Specialized Demo 8 and it turned a great bike into a superbike.
Super sensitve, amazing pedaling, stable and it refused to blow through its travel even on the regressive design on the Demo. We'll have a more indepth article up soon once we return home from Sin City.-Splatt
Lot's of bikes were ridden over the past two days by folks from all over the world that were here to see just how next year's models were put together and how they'd fair in real world testing. Here's a nice mix of bits and pieces from the past two days at the outdoor demo:
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
Splatt getting loose on the Cane Creek equipped Demo 8
 |  |
Radek wishing he was back at the house enjoying another threesome instead of changing this flat tire in 100+ degree heat.
Well folks, its super late and I need to get to bed now, so check back tomorrow to see what Day #1 of the indoor show has to offer us. This is Tyler signing out for Pinkbike's Outdoor coverage from Bootleg Canyon for Interbike 2006.
For all pictures from Interbike 2006, click HERE.
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2 Comments
- 0 0
browzer
(Sep 27, 2006 at 12:49)
Good job on covering all the bikes! I liked the Quake and 303. Want to see more on the 303 asap. thanks.
- 0 0
conskier2003
(Sep 27, 2006 at 22:24)
303 is the sickest suspension design on the market. Makes so much sense for those rough edged bumps, Good Coverage!
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