September 2017 - Good Month or Bad Month?
September may mark the turning of the seasons in the northern hemisphere—that point when the leaves and mercury begin to drop, but it’s still a hot and heavy month for racing with both World Champs and the Enduro World Series making crowning their winners.
Who was this September kind to? All sorts of people, naturally. Cecile Ravanel blazed her way to another decisive EWS overall title at Finale... Nino Schurter walked away from Cairns with yet another rainbow-colored sausage suit... ditto for Loïc Bruni. Two other racers' stories, however, truly stick out in September. I'm talking about Miranda Miller and Sam Hill.
Miranda Miller
Finishes her first full-ride season as World Champ.
Finishes her first full-ride season as World Champ.
Miranda Miller, stood atop the podium at Cairns. No mean feat, given that Tahnée Seagrave and Tracy Hannah were blazing their final runs… until crashes took them out of contention for the top spot. Miller, however, had an undeniably strong race, edging out 2017’s World Cup overall winner, Myriam Nicole, by a tenth of a second. That's all good and well, but how sweet must it be for Miller, who just made the leap this year from working full time (shout out to Corsa Cycles in Squamish) to focusing purely on racing? Miller transitioned in 2017 from the privateer life to the full factory ride. The new gig with Specialized Gravity was a big step up for Miller and she's clearly made the most of it. A good month for Miller? Hell, yeah. In fact, it's been a good year.
From privateer to DH World Champ.
Sam Hill
Still kicking arse.
Still kicking arse.
Sam Hill. That’s right—Sam Hill. For all the naysayers who counted Hill out as a competitive racer, I point to him straddling his prototype Nukeproof Mega 275C enduro bike at the Downhill World Champs and finishing sixth. Wait, did Hill even race DH this season? Just one other time (Fort Bill), because he’s been focusing on the Enduro World Series. Why didn’t Sam ride a full-fledged DH bike? Because he’s SamDamnHill, that’s why. A true honch. Okay, sure, Cairns isn’t exactly Val di Sole and, yes, the whole riding your enduro whip in the World Champs DH event has been done before (Jared Graves raced his Yeti SB66c to a third place finish at Pietermaritzburg in 2013), but, still, it’s always awesome to watch a man lay waste with a knife during a gunfight.
Officially still killing it.
And then there’s Sam wrapping up September as the 2017 Enduro World Series Champ. Again, for all the people who said Hill's glory days were over. Boom. Mic drop.
Thirty-two years old… flat pedals… bushy, defiantly un-aerodynamic eyebrows… first full EWS season. And just crushing it.
Call me nostalgic, but it’s good to see Hill on the top step again.
The Rumor Mill
Word has it that Shimano XTR will go 12-speed
Word has it that Shimano XTR will go 12-speed
Shimano-philes who’ve been jealous of the 50-teeth of hill-taming freedom enjoyed by SRAM Eagle-riding types had reason to rejoice in September. Why? Because the rumor mill was rife with reports that Shimano is working on a new 12-speed version of XTR that’ll sport a, wait for it, 51-tooth granny gear.
In case you somehow missed the obvious, that's one tooth more than Eagle.
Tit meet tat.
In case you somehow missed the obvious, that's one tooth more than Eagle.
Tit meet tat.
At this point it's still a rumor, but an Eagle-battling XTR seems inevitable.
Shimano, to be clear, has not confirmed said rumor and is undoubtedly annoyed that we are talking about 12-speed XTR yet again, but since a whole lot of my conversations of late with other industry types have included sentences where the speaker says, “You know when Shimano finally rolls out 12-speed XTR…”, it feels silly to not mention what seems like an inevitable response to what SRAM has been doing these past couple years.
Anyone Who's Been Waiting for a Carbon Process
It's here. Finally.
It's here. Finally.
People have been clamoring for lighter, carbon versions of Kona’s Process bikes since, well, since late 2013; back when the company first rolled out their aluminum 153, 134 and 111 models. While rumors and spy shots have been floating about the Internets machine for months now, September was the month when Kona went and got all official, with the debut of two carbon-fiber 153 CR 27.5 Process models. In addition to going plastic fantastic, the new Process models receive a new shock orientation, bigger bearings (at the rocker and main pivots), more anti-squat and a bit more progressive suspension feel.
Lighter, more efficient... now in carbon.
If you were hoping for carbon versions of the Process 134, no dice. Not yet. Likewise, the company rolled out a 153-millimeter travel 29er (big news in and of itself), but it’s an aluminum-only 29er party. For now. But, hey, after four years of waiting, a lot of people are going to be happy that carbon Process models exist at all. Of course, if you still hate composite frames, you can also rest happy in the knowledge that the same design tweaks are available in more affordable aluminum iterations of the Process 153 27.5.
Inspiring Moments
Martyn Ashton rides Whistler.
Martyn Ashton rides Whistler.
Look, there are a lot of reasons to not be stoked with the state of the world today: threats of a nuclear showdown, hurricanes, madmen with automatic weapons, polar bears eating polar bears… chances are you can name something that craps all over your inner unicorn.
Fortunately, there are also seemingly small moments that make you realize how strong some people are and how awesome our world can be. Like this one.
Fortunately, there are also seemingly small moments that make you realize how strong some people are and how awesome our world can be. Like this one.
I’m just going to park this video (which rolled out in September) here.
Martyn Ashton, a living legend and a man of incredible strength, is still out there riding and living life to the fullest; all this despite an injury that would stop 99 percent of people. If this doesn’t impress the hell out of you or get you a little misty eyed, I question whether you have a beating heart. Check it out.
Rachel Atherton
Another injury takes her out of the running.
Another injury takes her out of the running.
Well, you can’t stay on top forever and Rachel Atherton’s record-breaking World Cup winning streak (10 consecutive), couldn’t go on forever, but still… 2017 has been a bit rough for Atherton. That dislocated shoulder at Fort William effectively banjaxed her season. Yes, the five-time World Champion returned in time for Vallnord and is still fast as all hell (she’s been in the top five all season), but wrecking during a practice run at World Champs this month, resulting in a fractured clavicle, had to be a cruel blow as Atherton was clearly back in winning form.
A string of injuries comes on the heels of a perfect year.
Graham Agassiz
Injury ends Aggy's Rampage quest. Again.
Injury ends Aggy's Rampage quest. Again.
Graham Agassiz and the Red Bull Rampage have this trying relationship; it's a relationship in which Aggy keeps being a contender for the top spot—and keeps getting derailed by injury or less-than-perfect performance on his final runs.
Sadly, an ankle injury that Agassiz incurred back in April in taking him out of contention this year.
Here's hoping that Aggy recovers fully and gets his chance for a win at Rampage 2018.
Ankle takes Aggy out of the running at Rampage.
 | I've battled with pain and injuries going into this one in the past but this time is different. It's just not ready for where I need it to be for an event like Rampage. This has been one of the hardest decisions I've had to make, and I apologize to those I may be letting down..... Rampage will forever be my holy grail. Hopefully we can get a fresh canvas again next year and I'll be back! Till then, I have a couple projects planned for this fall to cap the season off, but what I'm really looking forward to the most is some much-needed soul-shredding with friends and family. |
That Guy Who Lies About How Rad His Last Ride Was
Technology measuring your actual "radness" is coming.
Technology measuring your actual "radness" is coming.
There’s always that one guy who talks an impossibly big game about how awesome his last ride was. The trail was always “super gnarly” and he was always “ripping” or, alternately, “schralping” it up. And the hang time? Insane. Absolutely insane. Like, totally, Joyride levels of air time.
Well, was that ride, objectively speaking, truly that awesome? Until now, most of us were content to shrug off the answer. In September, however, we learned that Science—in all its pocket-protector-loving glory—has delivered us a device that can accurately measure the precise radness (or lack thereof) of your last ride.
Well, was that ride, objectively speaking, truly that awesome? Until now, most of us were content to shrug off the answer. In September, however, we learned that Science—in all its pocket-protector-loving glory—has delivered us a device that can accurately measure the precise radness (or lack thereof) of your last ride.
Just how awesome was that last jump, really? Now you can quantify it. Is that a good or bad thing? That's entirely up to the user.
ShredMate is being touted by its developers as the first mountain bike cyclocomputer capable of measuring your air time, the G-forces you experienced upon landing that huge jump, your speed and the roughness of the trail. How does it do all that? If you want to read about motion sensors, algorithms and telemetry, check out the story here.
The people developing ShredMate have raised more than 75 percent of their Kickstarter campaign target. Their product is now available at a discounted rate of £60 ($77 USD, $97 CAD).
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And I'd like to point out that I will also absent from Rampage due to an ankle injury.
Well maybe if you started listening to Fun a bit more you'd know what he wants!
Sidenote: The Trace snowboard app has provided airtime for over two years now, just using your phone. Why would I need this stupid kickstarter device? All modern phones have accelerometers in addition to GPS.
Bad: Marzocchi hasn't brought back the Bomber. (yet)
#ashtonyoufrickinhero
I don't want or need the data, that's not the type of riding I do (either on the Strava gotta pin it and be fast end of the scale, nor on the freeride gotta get the biggest hucks and gnarliest hits end). But I don't think there's anything pathologically wrong with people who are into the data acquisition bit. Whether that's because of a sense of challenge (I know a guy who gets a kick out of setting himself insane goals for vertical feet climbed - it's part of his prep for some truly epic rides), or just for something to geek out about. As long as using apps doesn't cause pathological or antisocial behavior (screwing up trails by cutting corners in a KOM attempt; scaring the hell out of other users on multi-use trails and endangering trail access that way; taking stupid risks that lead to gnarly injuries and subsequent trail closures; what have you...), more power to their makers and users.
I think some of the opposition here is rooted not so much in worry about the antisocial extremes, though, as it is in anti-poseur sentiment. That I get as well, even though the poseurs don't really bother me (I've got enough shit trying to impede my naturally optimistic outlook to get too arsed about whether someone else may or may not be a legit rider; I'd rather just have a good ride). But there's a fringe element that goes beyond that, with an almost irrational hatred. It's one thing to shake your head about poseurs, it's another to vociferously call for spiritual purity in mountain biking. That can be downright harmful - just look at the whole aggro bullshit posturing leading to real-life antisocial behavior in, say, surfing, if you want to get an idea where that kind of thing can go seriously off the rails.
I've got a 111. Sure, if there'd been a new short travel 29er Process announced, I'd feel an urge to try it (and, if I liked it, I'd probably feel a bit of lust). But that bike is damn fun now, just as it was damn fun when I got it a year and a half ago.
Think I've got something in my eye's.
Its a bad month for: Everything I was expecting
After the sh!t summer we had, September rocked. Did I mention I just installed a 160 Pike on my Trance!
Woo
Hoo
Bad month as I lost some contracts for work which means no more new bike end of year.
Bad Month For: Greg Minnaar's rear wheel.
I can see how some of the actual strava dorks are gonna dig it, but now they'll have to ride 1/2 less every time to deal with the new amount of data...
Errr... Really?
Silly enough there was a time when a 600% range was quite common. You know, 3x9 setup with 22-32-44 in the front and 11-32 or 11-34 in the rear. Alright, chain retention wasn't perfect but what we're seeing now is getting pretty nuts too. Huge derailleur cages, expensive wear parts, more unsprung weight (for those who run rear suspension). If someone presented this future to me fifteen years ago or so (when I was actually running a triple) I wouldn't be too stoked. Invest in Rohloff or Pinion and be done with it.
It's almost as if the size of the smallest cog is at least as important as the largest. Who could have known that cassette range could be so complicated???
I'm currently running 1x because I wanted to run an oval ring (32t) but yeah indeed with 11-32 in the rear I can't make it up the steepest climbs anymore. But I wouldn't ever want one of these long derailleurs. Much rather a Rohloff for me.