Tech Randoms: Leogang DH World Cup 2019

Jun 6, 2019
by Ross Bell  
Teams have had their hands full since the timing stopped ticking in Fort William on Sunday... Bikes and tents were hurriedly packed away so they could crack on with the 2000km drive to Leogang, Austria, before they could then repeat the process of building pits and stripping down bikes before the on-track action starts tomorrow. Rebuilds and general maintenance was the name of the game today, but we did manage to spot a few more interesting details that slipped our eyes in Fort William:

photo
Something new inside Adam Brayton's Ohlins fork? There'd normally be an air valve here... Looks like it could be a new coil in there.

photo
Marine Cabirou's Scott Gambler...

photo
photo
...She seems to be gelling well with her new bike and team.

photo
Phil Atwill's Cube Two15 nearing completion after a rebuild.

photo
Atwill raising his bars up.

photo
photo
Troy Brosnan wheel details.

photo
The linkage on the Canyon Sender of Mark Wallace getting a little bit of TLC.

Plate no.2 on Vali Holl s bike is something we are definitely not used to seeing. Let s see if she has something to say about it on Sunday.
Plate no.2 on Vali Holl's bike is something we are definitely not used to seeing. Let's see if she has something to say about it on Sunday.

photo
photo
Different shock mount positioning in the Commencal pit.

photo
Remi Thirion's Commencal Supreme, he has made the switch back to 27.5" after a lot of time spent on the 29er over the last few years. He feels the smaller wheels suit his riding style better.

photo
photo
Wheel weights and an e-bike tire... A combination that won in Fort William last week.

photo
A little extra purchase on those levers with a strip of grip tape.

photo
This cassette in the GT pits is a fairly wide range by downhill standards. They don't use the top two cogs, however, with Mechanic Matteo explaining that this range helps give them a slightly straighter chain line, helping with reliability and offering a little better suspension performance.

photo
photo
Marshy starting afresh.

photo
Loris Vergier and his mechanic P.A on the weight reduction program, swapping from a Saint BB to an XTR BB. A grand saving of over 20g.

photo
They're also looking for a little more stiffness from that rear end.

photo
photo
Bedding in brake pads in the Santa Cruz pits.

Out with the old in with the new... Neko Mulally and a heap of a reduntant M29 frames.
Out with the old, in with the new... Neko Mulally and a heap of reduntant M29 frames.

John Hall with the end on site on Aaron Gwin s bike build with the new color-way.
John Hall, the end in sight on Aaron Gwin's bike build with the new color-way.

New racing color-ways for the M29 at Intense Factory Racing.
New racing color-ways for the M29 at Intense Factory Racing.
No such thing as too much velcro tape at the World Cup.
No such thing as too much Velcro tape at the World Cup.

Jack Moir and the crew will be running Kenda prototypes for the weekend ahead.
Jack Moir and the crew will be running Kenda prototypes for the weekend ahead.

MS Mondraker have been enjoying running the Michelin prototype DH 22 tyres.
MS Mondraker have been enjoying running the prototype Michelin DH 22 tyres.

photo
Gee Atherton on prototype number 7.

photo
photo
Atherton's bikes details

photo
Grant Sides ain't got time to waste on tightening rotor bolts by hand.

Henry Fitzgerald simply cannot decide between organic or metallic pads so he runs them both simultaneously.
Henry Fitzgerald simply cannot decide between organic or metallic pads, so he runs them both simultaneously.

photo
photo
Mix-matching pads in the Norco pits.

Darren over at Norco has a nifty pad spacing tool made from an old six in rotor.
Darren over at Norco has a nifty pad spacing tool made from an old six inch rotor.

photo
The Hope riders' bikes certainly have their own unique look and build.

photo
photo
Brake bleed time for the Hope crew.

photo
photo
Mick Hannah's Polygon XquarOne DH with a Fast Suspension coil shock.

photo
Alex Marin has joined teammate Danny Hart on the mullet Myst, moving from a full 27.5" setup to a 29" on the front.

Jack Roure gets ready to complete Loic s Specialized build with his unique yellow Ohlins lowers.
Jack Roure gets ready to complete Loic's Specialized build with his unique yellow Ohlins lowers.

photo
The Pivot Phoneix 29er is a thing of beauty.

P.A. on tire duty. Loris Vergier is swapping over from a 2.5 front and 2.4 rear wide combo with ZK housing to 2.4 wide all around without ZK. The likelihood of punctures and tears is minimal here so he s opting for a lighter tire and the 2.4 will fold a lot less while railing high speed berms.
P.A. on tire duty. Loris Vergier is swapping over from a 2.5" front and 2.4" rear wide combo with ZK housing to 2.4" wide all around without ZK. The likelihood of punctures and tears is minimal here, so he's opting for a lighter tire, and the 2.4 will fold a bit less while railing high speed berms.

Loris Vergier getting on the tuning train at Fox. He says his main difference from last week s race is to have the bike behave more like a BMX to tackle the bike park track. There a jumps as well as rhythm sections which if done properly can save you lots of time here.
Loris Vergier getting on the tuning train at Fox. He says his main difference from last week's race is to have the bike behave more like a BMX to tackle the bike park track. There are jumps as well as rhythm sections that, if done properly, can save you lots of time here.

Leogang although fast is characteristically different than Fort William. Racers are anticipating a stiffer more responsive set up than that of last weekend. Low speed compressions will be set up better suited to negate any chattering in the bike park sections.
Leogang, although fast, is characteristically different than Fort William. Racers are anticipating a stiffer, more responsive setup than that of last weekend. Low speed compression will be set up better suited to negate chattering in the bike park sections.
Fork cleaning services are so hot right now.
Fork cleaning services are so hot right now.

Cleat check with Marcelo Gutierrez.
Cleat check with Marcelo Gutierrez.

Faustin Figaret went for the less is more approach with hi cassette. He only needs these fours cogs for this track so why bother with the rest
Faustin Figaret went for the less-is-more approach with his cassette. He only needs fours cogs for this track, so why bother with the rest?
The Gamux team have been hard at work perfecting their 3D printed components. Pulley wheels on Faustin Figaret s bike ready to roll.
The Gamux team have been hard at work perfecting their 3D printed components. Pulley wheels on Faustin Figaret's bike ready to roll.

New hoops being laced left right and center in the pits. Fort William wasn t at all kind to equipment.
New hoops being laced left, right, and center in the pits. Fort William wasn't at all kind to equipment.

Track walk gave enough clues for some to predetermine what settings will be changed on they re suspension setups. Last week s bog in Fort William had many riders opting for softer bikes and slower rebounds to help plant the bike for added grip.
Track walk gave enough clues for some to predetermine what settings will be changed on their suspension setups. Last week's bog in Fort William had many riders opting for softer bikes and slower rebounds to help plant the bike for added grip.

photo
"Rog" might not run at the moment, but still takes pride of place in the Pivot pits...

photo
photo
Complete with Renthal bars and flat pedals.


Regions in Article
Leogang

Author Info:
rossbellphoto avatar

Member since Apr 25, 2010
145 articles

154 Comments
  • 391 1
 Commencal may want to take some weights off Amaury's front wheel after last week.
  • 7 11
flag L0r1nc (Jun 7, 2019 at 3:39) (Below Threshold)
 cryin XDXDXD
  • 78 3
 I'll gladly take one of the "old" m29 frames????
  • 38 3
 wouldn't want them winding up in the ocean or anything...
  • 17 28
flag Boardlife69 (Jun 6, 2019 at 13:16) (Below Threshold)
 (Grabs tin foil hat)....so Gwins bike was stolen before the race at Ft Bill. During race he gets tossed like a rag doll from the remaining bike. Few days later old frames "redundant" and have new frames with new colors. Possibly new geo and rear suspension tune? (Puts tin foil hat away) .......who cares? As longs as its a good race. I hope Jack gets his Mojo back.
  • 16 2
 @Boardlife69: it takes more than a few days to make changes to a carbon frame and have it in front of you. new linkage would be possible, new paint definitely doable, but not a whole new front triangle mould, layup, cure, finish, paint and assembly.
  • 55 3
 Those 'old' frames were ones John Hall had kickin' around his garage...
  • 15 25
flag WAKIdesigns (Jun 6, 2019 at 15:00) (Below Threshold)
 @MTBrent: John Hall is to blame again!
  • 6 0
 Redundant just means backups for backups, not useless. But yeah, sure, toss one my way while you're at it.
  • 1 4
 @inked-up-metalhead: My point exactly, this was planned.
  • 8 91
flag bonfire (Jun 6, 2019 at 22:56) (Below Threshold)
 how funny is this bullshit “oh no! His frame is stolen” next week all new paint and frames for the team. What a pathetic waste of media. Can’t win a race, so it’s ride the injury wave, ride the theft wave, ride the crash footage wave to stay relevant.

Gwin is a chump, couldn’t hack it in moto, comes to our tiny sport, changes teams constantly, can’t keep his rubber side down, blames his mechanic. Perhaps needs to spend spend some more time with father repenting.
  • 13 1
 @bonfire: oh come on, they just reported the bike is stolen. You’d do the same in their shoes
  • 22 0
 @bonfire: what is wrong with you?
  • 67 0
 So that is what a clean, well taken care of bike looks like...
  • 6 13
flag RedBurn (Jun 7, 2019 at 1:07) (Below Threshold)
 They do to much to the point its ridiculous... I mean changing frame bushings everyday, just a joke! lol
  • 26 1
 @RedBurn: How much does it cost to get a full team, support crew and pits to a world cup weekend? I would guess around 30-40 grand at least for the big teams.

How much do all new bearings and bushing cost? Less than a hundred quid. One of them failing in a race run would make that 30 grand investment wasted. It is definitely worth making sure everything is perfect.
  • 14 0
 @Patrick9-32: It isn't about bearings failing it is about stripping off the seals to reduce drag. This is why there are constant rebuilds! No seals more craps getting inside hubs, bbs, etc! They also replace hub grease with oil to further reduce drag. I recall a Nico Vouilloz interview where he stated the stock Sunn Radical plus was 3-4 seconds slower than the race bike because of all that!
  • 2 0
 @SintraFreeride: I ride mine like that all the time. Check my hubs twice a month check my pivots weekly.
My CK hubs I run without the metal c-clips on the seals because it makes them draggy.
My pivot bearing checked a few months ago with seals on 2 seized and after removing seals no grease.

So now just grease them no seals they don't do anything anyway.
  • 50 8
 Some rider complain about this track being too smooth and flowy for a world cup DH but its a nice change and shows which riders can run both types of terrain. I like the variety!
  • 57 0
 I love backlashes against backlashes.
  • 25 0
 You're right tho. it's a series so it should be all encompassing. It replaced the Germany round in that regard. Let's be honest tho, Leogang has produced some of the most dramatic racing the last few years. So good for spectators.
  • 7 2
 If they track is too easy, they should have no problem slaying it. Seems like the fast guys always ride fast no matter what the track.
  • 14 0
 You don't even need to pedal to win, what's not to like?
  • 10 1
 As long as it isn't Cairns then it can't be THAT bad
  • 3 0
 It’s always the race I look forward to the most.
  • 1 0
 This going to be a real shootout, everyone knows the track and hungry for points.
  • 27 0
 No pictures of Atwill's hardtail?
  • 5 6
 Cube don't make cool hardtails. Just xc ones
  • 4 0
 @dh1stan: You should take a closer look at the Cube . They have a nice 4x/Dirt-Hardtail-Frame Wink The Flying Circus Smile
  • 17 2
 The old timers here just got a hard-on seeing those tied spokes. You know you did.
  • 3 0
 Yeah - next we’ll really throw it back to twisted spikes!!
  • 6 0
 Twisted spokes
  • 1 0
 Lovely addition. A dying art haha
  • 3 0
 I thought tied spokes doesn't help wheel 'stiffness', but does help broken spoke retention?
  • 5 1
 @timwdavid: they help placebo. That's only thing that matters.
  • 3 0
 www.pinkbike.com/photo/10371086


Like my front wheel ???
  • 13 0
 Whats going on with that pad bedding? I usually install them then ride around in the street speeding up then slowing down slowly.
  • 13 0
 @lognar Marshy talks about it here in an old Syndicate video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=piWBVDh1pTE

Around the 5 min mark.

I've been using that technique as well and new pads seem to bed in faster that way.
  • 3 1
 They make them wet so it forms an emulsion with brake dust.
  • 2 0
 @adrock-whistler: I discovered this technique by accident, and my brakes have never been better. I wish I had known about this years ago.
  • 2 0
 I screen capped this post to come back to it once I tried it myself, works like a hot damn.
  • 14 0
 Ohlins+coil, possibly the best combination of words known to man
  • 14 0
 I get a feeling that you're in on this
  • 5 0
 They should have had this from the beginning, and in their trail forks (I know they do now). Plus the yellow lowers should be mandatory.
  • 13 2
 Where is waki, he predicted eddy current will dominate, he misses his triumph.
  • 5 0
 Dont encourage it..
  • 1 1
 They atill used MMary on front so no champaigne yet. We’ll see in drier conditions. There was so much buttery gloop in Fort Bill that I’d use MMary on front as well.
  • 2 0
 @WAKIdesigns: it wont be used as a fronttire until they do a purple version of it.
  • 8 0
 I have a nifty pad spacing tool made from an Alaskan fisherman's wife's ulu. Great photos yet again OB. Love the back to back WCs
  • 10 0
 redundant intense frame lol I've got my hand up aaron
  • 117 0
 Sometimes punctuation does make a difference.
  • 6 1
 I thought quali points went towards the overall? Therefore, if they do contribute, how is Vali in second when she has won both qualifying and won 1 round and got 2nd at Fort Bill while Newkirk was 3rd in Quali at Maribor and 2nd in Fort Bill?
  • 6 0
 I believe quali points only count for Elite, not Junior
  • 2 2
 There’s more points from the race than qualifying
  • 5 0
 I don't think they count in Juniors, and with Newkirk being the more recent winner she would take the 1st plate.. I may be wrong though.
  • 2 0
 @Janes28: aahh ok that makes sense.
  • 10 3
 I see Vali Holl got her new YT. When is mine gonna show up?!
  • 15 4
 It was a bit painful to see all the Fox resources at the races while my shock was in for warranty work for almost a month.
  • 2 1
 @DanKaplan: that's because it's fox.
  • 4 5
 @DanKaplan: maybe send it in during winter... just a thought
  • 8 1
 @pjo39: I didn’t realise you could choose when a component needs warranty work. In that case, I’d probably choose in not going in at all over winter.
  • 1 0
 @DanKaplan: Lucky man. Mine was there for seven weeks... supposedly because they just moved their service center.
  • 1 0
 3 days for my 40 last month, fox servicing is quick in England.. But maybe because its performed by silverfish, fox's only approved service place
  • 6 0
 That Cube color scheme gave me the feels. Reminded me of the Monster Energy Iron Horse Sunday.
  • 7 2
 After seeing Sam hill struggle after dominating and now Gwin, I can't help but think Kenda tires actually are shit.
  • 1 0
 Sam rides Michelin. But I do agree with the kenda are shit idea
  • 1 2
 @hairy1976: He switched to kenda this year
  • 4 1
 I recall there was a minimum number of working gears required to compete in UCI DH (at least when leaving the start hut). Was four gears enough?
  • 5 0
 Not in recent times, one french i think is running singlespeed.
  • 3 0
 I was wondering why not just go single speed. It seems like some of those ranges seemed too small to even bother with the weight and complexity.
  • 5 0
 I like that new red/steel blue color on Gwins bike.
  • 5 1
 Thanks. Aaron was really into the design process and had a lot of input on the overall design/paint. Really great to have athletes that interested in the bikes.
  • 6 1
 I had no idea Sean Connery was Marine Cabirou's mechanic?!
Nice!
  • 4 0
 On Remi’s frame, did they just use a 29er frame and put 27.5 wheels on it?
  • 3 0
 i still don't understand the linkage on the robot/atherton bikes. we need video
  • 3 0
 It’s called 6 bar. A nifty dual link tucked in front of the chainstay.
  • 11 2
 Well ya see, it allows the back wheel to go up and down...maybe a lil backwardsish too
  • 4 0
 Does safety wire around spoke intersections really stiffen up the wheel?
  • 7 0
 Typically it's also soldered in place so the spokes can't slide against each other.
  • 4 0
 interesting on the weight on the wheels for pierrion
  • 2 0
 I would love to hear his mechanic explain the decision to run that E Bike rear rubber choice.
  • 2 0
 @digthehills: heavier duty tyre to deal with extra weight of e bikes. Fort William has some nasty rocks!
  • 1 0
 @Inertiatic: Yeah that is what I assumed but it did also say that Loris was taking a different approach in opting for an even lighter tyre as he thought chances of puncturing was minimal. Interesting to have 2 different takes on the idea and for those 2 guys to be the fastest qualifiers.
  • 5 1
 “coil sprung damper in there“
404 ERROR
  • 2 1
 Wait what?. Regardless of the mistake,... I have yet to be able to set an air fork to feel as good as a coil fork... Im weak and stiff as old bread on the bike so coil fork is way better for me, night and day
  • 3 0
 @Lagr1980: coil is the spring, independent of the damper. Just a typo on their part
  • 2 1
 @Lagr1980: I'm with you man, regret so much I sold my RC2DH coil, but you know, apparently air is more environemntal friendly and politically correct
  • 2 1
 @milkdrop: I had an MRP ribbon coil , sweeet, and the Push ACS3 conversion on Fox 36 is fantastic as well... no air for me...
  • 4 0
 Miss ratboys song we rail barmmms in leogannnnggjaa
  • 3 0
 Man that Supreme looks... supreme.
  • 3 0
 What’s the deal with running mixed left/right organic/metallic pads
  • 1 0
 Minnaar has been doing it for a while, or at least used too. I remember a PB report with it, and they need to go in specific locations.
  • 6 0
 I just looked it up, metal pad reported goes on side with best airflow - inside on front, outside on rear
  • 2 0
 Supposedly to get a little bit of the best of both worlds. I"m not sure what the advantages of organic pads are besides being quieter I always hated them so always run metallic, but there are supposed to be differences in initial bite and overall friction, so combining one of each kind of puts you in between using one or the other.
  • 1 0
 @preston67: ^ this is what I've heard as well
  • 1 0
 In wet conditions (winter) I remove one metallic pad and replace it with a organic pad - helps the brakes not squeal as much when wet. The pads do wear at different rates though.
  • 3 0
 that öhlins yellow is rad
  • 2 1
 Rog! Can't believe the bike company from Slovenia (Yugoslavia) is in the pits while still being the most popular city bike in our capital (Ljubljana).
  • 2 1
 What’s the trick with the water for bedding in the brake pads, oh and why would you run one metallic pad and one organic in the same caliber ?
  • 3 1
 Wow, I forgot how much harder raising a stem is without a real stem. Downhillers gonna downhill I guess
  • 3 0
 Nice coverage!
  • 2 0
 I gotta friggen learn how to use Lightroom!
  • 2 1
 CNC'ed linkage makes me moist.

Also Hope kit lookin blingy as hell.

#lookfastgofast
  • 3 0
 I got the Hope bleed kit, now bleed my brakes and the wife's every week!
  • 9 0
 @santoman: I can't tell if this is a euphemism or not.
  • 5 0
 @dburpasaurus: I hope so b/c homie needs new brakes if he's bleeding them that often
  • 4 0
 @dburpasaurus: just taking a piss! But I do have to say the bleed kit is sweet and makes bleeding less of a crappy job. Now, every time I bleed my xt's (on another bike) I hate Shimano for their plastic funnel and plug. Serves the same purpose but quality, nondisposable stuff is just nicer.
  • 2 0
 Any chance I get have that pedal and pop ROG?
  • 2 0
 Wow, a coil sprung damper...
  • 4 0
 But then I suppose a grip/grip2 is a coil sprung damper.
  • 3 1
 Are the intense designers color blind
  • 1 0
 Anyone know the brand of the drill Grant Sides is using to tighten the rotor bolts, is it a torque driver?
  • 1 0
 I don't know, but I just use my driver has a clutch with ten settings. I keep increasing the clutch setting while checking the bolts with a torque wrench, and stop at the first clutch setting that exceeds torque requirement. Mark the driver with a sharpie for next time.
  • 1 0
 Looks like a Milwaukee M12 Fuel
  • 2 0
 Prototype, the selling name
  • 1 1
 Here's to all the brave soles riding Enve rims down World Cup downhill tracks at full pace, possibly braver than the old X-15 test pilots of the day
  • 1 0
 They have spare frames lying around like spare tires. Nice.
  • 2 1
 well yeah.. theyre a factory racing team. did you think they each had one?
  • 1 0
 Great pics and some gorg kit to get moist over
  • 1 0
 what's the thinking behind pierron's heavy tire and weighed-down rim?
  • 4 0
 The weights are just for balancing the wheel
  • 3 0
 The weight is to counter balance the valve on the opposite side to help the wheel roll smoother... in theory
  • 6 3
 Heavier rear wheel keeps the bike level in the air
  • 4 1
 @manuelandphillipe: How many weights was he running on the his front wheel at Ft William?!
  • 1 0
 @SonofBovril: Not sure it's just a theory. It's standard practice on passenger vehicles.
  • 2 0
 @SonofBovril: I have never felt it on my mt bike but on my road bike on steep long hills where you can hit 80 km it is really noticeable.
  • 1 0
 @SonofBovril: on my xm481 the seam of the rim is the heaviest point. Even with the tubeless valve installed my wheel still rotates seam down on my stand.
  • 1 0
 @fabwizard: but you've also never ridden a dh bike as fast as them. Also remember that something can be effecting you at some levels without you perceiving it's influence. If the clock says they are faster with the balancing, you can bet they are going to do it.

That said, that increased speed could totally just be a placebo effect.

That said, the placebo had a positive effect on their race times, so it worked and who cares if it works not by physically influencing your the bike in a positive way, but by psychologically giving you an edge.
  • 2 0
 @freestyIAM: totally agree. I was just putting it out there that if you go fast enough it will have an effect.
  • 1 0
 That Pivot gives me wood.
  • 5 4
 Saving 20g on a bottom bracket. Good job on the placebo homies
  • 2 1
 When are those michelin tyres going to be available?
  • 6 1
 Never.
  • 1 0
 When they've sold all the wild grips....
  • 1 1
 where is that cup going on the hope brakes .. there is no bleed port the whole cover comes off...…
  • 3 0
 The Hope bleed kit has a replacement cover with a port to swap on temporarily while bleeding.
  • 1 1
 @maxyedor: that makes no sense to me. Explain
  • 2 0
 @freestyIAM: You remove the normal redo cover and put a different one in that lets you use that cup. Bleed them like a Shimano brake, abd when you’re done you go back to the sealed redo cover. Not totally necessary because Hope have a pretty good size resi already, but if I had to bleed them often and under a time constrain I’d pick the kit up www.sjscycles.co.uk/tools/hope-easy-brake-bleed-kit-tech-3-httebk1
  • 1 0
 @maxyedor: thanks for the link, i’ve Just ordered, been looking for this for ages
  • 1 0
 Bit harsh to photograph Loris on the toilet.
  • 1 0
 Anyone notice that the pedals are backwards on the ROG?
  • 1 0
 does anyone know where to buy stem risers?
  • 2 0
 Ti springs used to sell them
  • 1 0
 @hairy1976: thank you!
  • 1 0
 @hairy1976: don't buy anything from that company you will never receive it
  • 1 0
 One organic pad, one metallic? Sorcery
  • 1 0
 P.A. stands for Personal Assistant?
  • 1 0
 7900 dura ace cassettes. wow
  • 1 0
 Cleat check with Marcelo Gutierrez wink wink
  • 1 1
 CERO Intense rear triangle?

So UNNO / Cesar makes prototype/race rears for Intense?
  • 2 0
 The M29 was designed in collaboration wuth Rojo
  • 1 0
 That new Pivot and Scott frames are gorgeous Drool
  • 2 3
 using bottled water while bedding in those brake pads... exactly why single use plastics should be banned.





Copyright © 2000 - 2023. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv65 0.058095
Mobile Version of Website