The Best Tech from American EWS Rounds

Aug 1, 2020
by Ed Spratt  
If the 2020 season had gone according to plan we would we have seen the EWS head to Burke for the sixth round of the series this weekend. But we will have to wait until next year to see the world's best take on the Vermont trails. With no EWS racing in the US this weekend we have looked back through the archives for some of the fresh tech we spotted at past American EWS rounds.

Winter Park - 2014

Enduro World Series 5
Transition's Lars Sternberg rolled up with a polished prototype

Transition prototype. Matt Wragg photo.

Enduro World Series 5
BMC's Francois Bailly-Maitre raced with a 36 tooth Saint chainring with an upper and lower guide for extra security.

Enduro World Series 5. G5 prototype
Trek athletes were on prototype Bontrager tires, 29" versions of the company's G5 tread pattern.

Enduro World Series 5

Enduro World Series 5

Enduro World Series 5. Specialized Slaughter
Conditions were dry and fast, so many riders opted to go with a lower profile rear tire.

Enduro World Series 5

Enduro World Series 5. Giant Reign 27.5
Yoann Barelli raced on a pre-production 27.5" Giant Reign.

Enduro World Series 5. GT Sanction
Dan Atherton's GT Sanction was set up with a 170mm Fox 36 and a higher rise bar than he typically uses.



Crested Butte - 2015

EWS tech
Justin Leov was running the 2016 Fox DHX2 coil/over damper, armed with their new lightweight steel SLS spring.

Johnny Wenner is racing this weekend on his homebrew steel Wenn 01 full-susser. He fabricated the bike himself and reckons that with the high pivot and idler pulley this 38lb machine will climb like a far lighter bike.
Johnny Wenner raced on his homebrew steel, Wenn 01. He fabricated the bike himself and reckons that with the high pivot and idler pulley this 38lb machine will climb like a far lighter bike.

EWS tech
Cody Phillips' Prototype Maxxis Tires

EWS tech

EWS tech
Tracy Moseley's Signature Fox 36 Fork

EWS tech
Bontrager's Wide-Format Carbon Rim

Francois Bailly-Maitre's BMC Trailfox 1
EWS tech

EWS tech
EWS tech

EWS tech
EWS tech



Aspen - 2016

Cody Kelley is making the switch from 27.5 to 29 this weekend - moving from his trusty SB6C to an SB5.5C.
Cody Kelley made the switch from 27.5 to 29 this weekend - moving from his trusty SB6C to an SB5.5C.

Pit Walk EWS Round 5 Aspen-Snowmass
Pit Walk EWS Round 5 Aspen-Snowmass

This may not look to exciting here but this is one of the sweetest Di2 installs we have ever seen. Yeti mechanic Shaun Hughes got one of the guys at the factory to make him a plug for the headtube to store the battery there. Just behind it is a junction box epoxy d into the frame so when he whips the fork out he can simply unplug it at the junction rather than having to deal with the whole cable each time.
Yeti mechanic, Shaun Hughes, uses a custom plug in the headtube to store a Di2 battery. Just behind it is a junction box, so when he removes the fork out he can simply unplug it at the junction.

Richie Rude's Yeti SB6
Colorado USA. Photo by Matt Wragg.

Colorado USA. Photo by Matt Wragg.
Colorado USA. Photo by Matt Wragg.

Curtis Keene is keeping his Vivid coil strapped on for here in Colorado.

While Nico Vouilloz may be out ill his mechanic Mat Gallean is here with the team and sporting this prototype rear tyre from Michelin. He says it will be call the GripR and the profile is different from many intermediate tyres in that there is a pronounced channel between the centre and the sides which should help the rider know where on the tyre they are riding.
Although Nico Vouilloz wasn't racing we did spot a prototype rear tire from Michelin on his race bike.

Joe Barnes has one of the neatest tyre plug solutions we have seen so far strapped to his top tube.
Joe Barnes with a simple tire plug solution strapped to his top tube.

Mckay Vezina is another rider rocking the coil shock for this weekend. After a solid showing last time out in La Thuile he could be one to watch this weekend.

Robin Wallner's Ibis Mojo HD3
Colorado USA. Photo by Matt Wragg.

Colorado USA. Photo by Matt Wragg.
Colorado USA. Photo by Matt Wragg.



Aspen - 2017

Adrien Dailly's Lapierre Spicy
Adrien Dailly s Lapierre

Adrien Dailly s Rockshox Vivid coil which has been very very custom tuned by Nico Vouilloz.
Adrien Dailly s SRAM Eagle drivetrain

Josh Carlson s new Giant Reign complete with a lockout option.
Josh Carlson's Giant Reign using a coil shock with a lockout option.

Rockshox has a new gripshift style lockout system for their rear shocks in the works. It replaces the above the bar lever seen earlier in the year. So far we have only spot on the bikes of Josh Carlson Cecile Ravanel and Jerome Clementz.
Josh Carlson, Cecile Ravanel, and Jerome Clementz were testing out Rockshox's new grip shift style lockout system

Thomas Lapeyrie's Sunn Kern LT
Thomas Lapeyrie s Sunn Kern LT - EWS Aspen 2017

Thomas Lapeyrie s Sunn Kern LT - EWS Aspen 2017
Thomas Lapeyrie s Sunn Kern LT - EWS Aspen 2017

Richie Rude's Yeti SB5.5
Richie Rude s Yeti SB5.5

Richie Rude s Yeti SB5.5
Richie Rude s Yeti SB5.5




Author Info:
edspratt avatar

Member since Mar 16, 2017
3,006 articles

27 Comments
  • 70 1
 How did people race back then on puny 36s and lyriks?
  • 37 2
 The old xtr cranks were beautiful
  • 16 0
 Raw outer face meant they stayed that way for ever as well, no heel rub if there's no anodising to rub off
  • 28 10
 Water bottles ruined the beauty that was Yeti. Thanks Mike.
  • 45 8
 Guess that's why Ride needed to borrow a water bottle.
  • 17 2
 Back then Richie drinks from other people's bottles.
  • 2 4
 @chyu: He carried them in his Yeti Enduro bibs (with back pockets). That's how I do it, anyway. Smile
  • 1 0
 @dthomp325: shots fired
  • 1 0
 Yeah that down tube bent to accept a water bottle is a design flaw. It smashes into everything. I blamed Pinkbike too.
  • 15 3
 Like the look of the 5.5 over the 150.
  • 5 0
 I raced all of these races, thanks for bringing back the memories PB! RIP Will Olson.

PS - Ol' Man West was rocking an SB5 with a 29" fork and front wheel in CB, ahead of the curve on the modern mullet bike.
  • 4 0
 Saturday was the 5yr anniversary of EWS CB and Will's passing. I was up at the crash site with Bonnie, my wife and another of Will's best friends. Can't believe it's already been five years, FUC€ I miss him so much!
  • 7 0
 Ah yes, the Spiciest hunch-back ever seen
  • 5 0
 The enduro knee gap! NOOOO!
  • 5 0
 I miss the GT Sanction, that was a good looking rig.
  • 4 0
 That prototype Maxxis was rocking the Kyle Casing.
  • 3 0
 That layeyrie looks pretty spicy
  • 2 0
 looks like Cody Kelley switched more than tire size? Are you sure about that caption?
  • 1 0
 "Joe Barnes with a simple tire plug solution strapped to his top tube."

Desire to know more intensifies
  • 2 0
 They forgot Rudes bottle
  • 1 0
 Wait, is Joe Barnes racing an old Strive?

I thought he was Orange?
  • 1 0
 I missed the dates. 2017. I get it now.
  • 1 0
 I wonder where these bikes are now?
  • 2 1
 Raw, not polished. =)
  • 2 1
 It's still polished.
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