6 Urban DH Bike Checks - Valparaiso Cerro Abajo

Mar 3, 2015 at 13:00
by Mike Kazimer  
Mick Hannah
Mick Hannah showed up to Valparaiso aboard yet another prototype version of Polygon's downhill rig. The top tube no longer has the drastic bend of the prior version, and the overall reach of the bike looks to have been increased. The bike's head angle appears to be slacker as well, likely to add a bit of stability at the warp speeds that occur on the World Cup circuit. The suspension configuration remains relatively unchanged, a floating dual-link layout with the BOS Void air shock situated between the seat tube uprights. Other details include 27.5" e*thirteen LG1r wheels shod with Kenda Honey Badger tires, a Spank Spike bar and direct mount stem, and Crank Brothers Mallet DH pedals.

Mick Hannah
A closer view of the rear shock linkage. The forward link's shape is slightly different than the previous version - it's not as boxy, and looks closer to being ready for production.

Mick Hannah
Mick will be running a selection of Box Components' products this year, including this short cage rear derailleur and their unique single lever shifter.
Mick Hannah
An air sprung BOS Idylle RaRe was mounted up on the bike, complete with black stanchions and the new Frequency Control Valve, which is claimed to be able to differentiate between whether compression forces are coming from the rider or from an impact.

Ignacio Rojos
  Ignacio Rojo's orange Banshee Darkside and DVO Emerald was hard to miss, even amidst the brightly colored graffiti that abounds in Valparaiso. Ignacio took a wicked fall, tumbling head first down a flight of stairs entangled in his bike, but somehow ended up rolling out of it and standing upright at the bottom, much to the delight of the crowd. Ignacio's running a Cane Creek DBAir rear shock, with a SRAM drivetrain and Saint cranks, and Maxxis Minion tires.

Urban DH bike check
  Tomas Slavic rode a 27.5" wheeled version of Ghost Bikes' Northshore model to a second place finish, right behind Filip Polc. A Schwalbe Rock Razor in the rear keeps the rolling resistance down, while a Magic Mary up front provides plenty of grip when necessary. Slavic was running SRAM's X01 DH 7-speed gruppo, which is sure to be a familiar sight this race season.

Urban DH bike check
  Remy Metailler, the reigning king of Whistler helmet cam footage, stands with his Commencal Supreme. Race Face SIXC cranks help shave some weight, and OneUp Components new DH block cassette spacer has been installed to create a 7 speed setup. Michelin's downhill tires have fallen out of favor over the past few years, but they're working hard to change that, and Remy was running prototype tires from the French company mounted to a set of Easton Havoc wheels.

Urban DH bike check
  Another Commencal, this one piloted by Nico Quere. A stray dog in the track cost Nico valuable seconds in the finals, but that's one of the inherent perils of urban DH racing. His bike is equipped with Marzocchi suspension, Hutchinson Toro and Squale tires on American Classic rims, and SRAM's X01 DH drivetrain.

Urban DH bike check
  This year's winner (for the fourth time in a row), Filip Polc with his Evil Undead. Fox takes care of the suspension duties, complete with red decals on the fork to match the Race Face SIXC cranks. A Hans Dampf / Rock Razor tire combo was the ticket this year for Filip to continue his Urban DH dominance.


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66 Comments
  • 119 1
 genuinely impressed that the polygon has no SRAM, Shimano, Fox of Race Face... it's a refreshing thing to see!
  • 37 41
flag jaha222 (Mar 3, 2015 at 13:49) (Below Threshold)
 oh no those corporate bastards are taking over the world with there progressing design and cutting edge weights
  • 47 0
 I'm not complaining about shimano or SRAM, however I dislike the amount of partnership between brands on the WC circuit. Having to have SRAM and rockshox OR shimano with Fox (unless you're gwin) is a bit annoying.... so having a few more options varies things up on the WC circuit and gives a few more options for me to ogle at on bike checks!
  • 37 1
 Whatever you're giving me for free, I'll take it and break it!
  • 6 28
flag fedz (Mar 3, 2015 at 15:00) (Below Threshold)
 How many MTB vacations/trips do you take a year on average?
  • 4 1
 anyone else notice the carbon rear end on the polygon?
  • 1 0
 Thought they are still using shimano brakes?
  • 3 0
 @wikenrider I thought so too, I wonder if it's because the brands like people to be riding all or nothing on their gear? kind of like jerome clementz and mavic, he couldn't pick and choose his sponsors as mavic wanted him to ride all of their gear or none of it....
  • 3 0
 Brakes on Miks Bike are Magura
  • 1 0
 they were listed as running shimano earlier, moved to magura now obviously
  • 1 0
 As long as they aren't Formula
  • 1 0
 @somismtb I think WC downhill is about the only place formula brakes make sense actually.... they perform amazingly when they are within a perfect setup window, so when you have a mechanic bleeding them every five mins and an unlimited supply of pads and rotors then formulas lose that downside surely?
  • 1 0
 I had the C1 model and they were stiff with no modulation. The rear ended up failing on me on a high speed trail and I have a hard time considering any of their products ever again. I have heard the T1's are nice
  • 48 6
 That Evil.........fuck yes!
  • 35 0
 Very, very interested to keep hearing about the BOX components. Wanna see these guys succeed, even if only to throw some new life into the drivetrain market, and hopefully shake things up a bit with some more players.
  • 4 0
 they already seem to have a foothold in the high end bmx racing component market. they are all through the latest dan's comp catolog.
  • 34 2
 That Evil Undead... Words can't describe how sexy that bike is.
  • 10 0
 Evil bikes are devilishly sexy....
  • 12 1
 So much for 26" slowing him down on all those square edges that the 27.5"s are supposed it be destroying.
  • 5 2
 Tight steep and dangerous courses do better with 26's because you can brake harder and turn tighter. The best bike of the bunch is the bike that won, hands down.
  • 15 2
 Riders win races Not bikes
  • 2 2
 sometimes when riders are equally skilled like Slavik vs Polc, the 10% of the race that's the bike is the difference between winning and 2nd. The narrower contact patch of Slavik's 27.5'er probably caused his near crash on the stairs to flat corner in Brazil. Polc's choice of the evil's 26'er rear with a 26'ers wider but shorter contact patch probably let him carve that corner at a speed that would make a bigger wheel drift.
  • 3 1
 Sure bud
  • 19 1
 I always thought red bikes with a green emerald were disgusting....not my cup of tea
  • 6 0
 disgusting maybe, but as always if it was given to you you wouldn't say no !
  • 4 0
 that banshee is orange - here is a better example of the color: www.mtb-news.de/news/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/1632712-hpiow70wu6uo-large.jpg

i love it!
  • 2 0
 Doesn't it seem like the front wheel is smaller than the rear?
  • 11 2
 Dat banshee would easily turn me to the darkside...
  • 5 0
 Anyone have an idea of what pressure they're using in tires or why they aren't riding something less knobby(or is it just hard to tell that the knobs are cut down far)
  • 1 0
 most tracks will always have some areas where knobs will help a lot. Also most tire manufacturers don't have tires with big knobs that can withstand the forces of the impacts
  • 1 0
 Yeah i guess i didn't think about the forces on impact. I was just going off my experiences and thought it would be better to have more traction with more of a dirt jumper style tire. I just thought maybe they cut down the middle knobs a bit and pump the tires up to like 30ish psi
  • 1 0
 Yeah I also feel that a Maxxis DTH, hell even a Kenda K-rad would provide enough traction and take the impact forces on a track like this one, however I can't say I've ever taken stairs at those speeds.
  • 6 1
 so i take it we're just going to skip the fact the micks bike has a carbon rear end
  • 2 0
 Are dirt tires really the best option for these guys? Or, is there nothing else more specific for the task? Seems like you'd rip half the knobs off a Magic Mary 20% into your run on pavement.
  • 1 0
 Can someone try the Canfield Bros Jedi on one of these courses? I just took a friends 2015 for a spin and drove it straight into a curb and didn't feel a damn thing? It was like riding on a comfortable, fast... couch ? That rearward suspension is literally making me think twice about the majority of current DH bike designs. Wonder if we'll start seeing more bikes in the future with that kind of geo
  • 3 0
 Ignacio Rojo's orange Banshee Darkside and DVO look like 26" wheel front and 27.5" rear
  • 1 0
 Maybe a dumb question, but why do these guys run DH treads for this race? Wouldn't a custom road tread give someone a big advantage here?
  • 3 0
 polygon looks like a nice rig very unique
  • 1 0
 I was going to pick up a commencal until i talked to the european customer service reps. Worst customer service ive ever had in my life.
  • 2 1
 Hey @poundsand. Please send us a private message with your email address so we can get in touch and find out exactly why it is you're so annoyed with us. Thanks.
  • 1 0
 @COMMENCALbicycles Please tell me what good will come of that? I already tried contacting you guys through several medias and to no prevail. You have lost a customer for life and I wont continue to waste my time writing you an email. However, I have plenty of time to let everyone know my feelings on the matter.
  • 1 0
 If you wish i can tell the story right here... And the reps name, who clearly has no people skills
  • 2 0
 @poundsand, we can't promise to cheer you up but having seen your comment, we're now trying to offer you a better service than the bad one you've had. That is the good we hope will come of it. To be honest, no, we'd obviously rather you didn't tell the story here as this thread has nothing to do with our customer service, it is for comments about bike checks.

To further our business and service, we would like to know about the experience you had to try and stop it from happening again. As you do have the time then please email me directly at lauren@commencal.com and we can take it from there.
  • 1 0
 sent
  • 2 0
 That Ghost looks like a repainted Kona Stab from way back.
  • 2 0
 black upper tubes on a boss idylle ???? SO BEAUTIFUL !
  • 2 0
 Love the simplicity of the Banshee
  • 4 2
 Looks like he's running 27.5" rear and 26" front on the Banshee?
  • 5 0
 no, rear rotor looks bigger too. Think it's just the camera
  • 4 0
 That first pic of the supreme looks like that too must be camera angle or something?
  • 2 0
 Chris I was thinking the same thing!
  • 3 1
 A important detail:50 psi in tires for urban DH.
  • 3 1
 wtf! ignacio's rear wheel is massive compared to his front??! I am so lost
  • 4 4
 It's the rotors. I love 29ers with 2.4 tyres and 140 rotors, they look MASSive!!!
  • 1 0
 Anyone know what chain Mick is running? That thing is sweet.
  • 2 0
 KMC DLC.
  • 1 0
 Why riding 26 front and 27,5 rear?
  • 2 0
 the darkside tho
  • 1 0
 it gave me the chills bro!!
  • 1 0
 why would Slavic run with a Marshguard?
  • 9 0
 Lots of stray dogs = lots of dog poo.
  • 1 0
 BOS with black stanctions???!!!
  • 1 0
 That is just pure EVIL.......!!!!
  • 1 0
 No way I'm gonna crash that Banshee on stairs.
  • 1 0
 Idylle black stanchions?
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