@Bennnnnnnybike: yes!!! And I was just talking about the sexond coming of Steezus Bryce and some folks of weak faith didn’t believe me. That was fricking amazing. Joshua plays the role of who Cedric Gracia was on his last years on the World Cup circuit. He makes it so much more cool to watch. It’s been like “ehat did Cedric throw this timr”. Thank you Josh, thank you, that was awesome.
@WAKIdesigns: You should've seen Josh jumping at the last Megavalanche... he was riding behind me, I didn't know.. heard some ununderstandeble talk... I rode a bit offline, and kabemmmm Josh jumping meters over a little bumb... bike completly sideways, tanktop on... insane! I didn't realize it was him after I saw him later...
I looked at the Chile EWS pictures and it seems that about half of them aren't riding with bottles. I don't think I saw any "fanny packs" either. So yeah, quite a few backpacks and another few with the water bladder integrated in their clothing (armour or similar). I'm surprised to see that Pinkbike reviews all those hip packs but rarely (if ever) mentions these integrated packs. I can imagine they may be a bit more fiddly to get on compared to a separate pack (or just a bottle in the cage) but at least it will stay put.
Not sure about the air shock. I think I've seen it before. Airsprung suspension has come a long way.
@vinay: I have a dakine fanny pack 2L bladder, it’s really nice on long rides over a pack to me; but have to put jersey over it otherwise it’s pretty bouncy. It took getting use to, but know I’m a huge fan never run packs anymore. It’s all personal preference.
But nothing beats bottle cage and one or two small bottles in your bib. Especially since lots of these races have fill stations between stages.
pretty sure it is different for each race and depends on how often they get to refill... if you can’t refill often you need like 2-3 litres and good luck with that in bottles and a fanny.
@WAKIdesigns: There needs to be some kind of embargo on the term "fanny". When anyone with British blood hears fanny, we hear c**t. And we don't need any more of that in our minds.
@vinay: Are you frequently hydrating for conditions in blistering heat at 11,000 of elevation, with full sun exposure, climbing 5,000 feet a day with a full face helmet at race pace? If not, a hip bag or water bottle should be fine.
@bvd453: This was an observation as after an older article on PB someone mentioned (and it was generally agreed upon) that EWS racers ride with water in bottles, not on their backs. I highlighted the integrated hydratation/protection vests as I consider those enduro specific.
I'm surprised to see you mention those conditions. Several visitors here have stated their preference for having room for at least two (big) bottles inside the front triangle. That's probably close to 1.5l, the same as what my backpack takes (Ergon BE1) and I doubt these protection vests carry much more. Hip packs probably also carry something like that. So the environment may dictate how much water you need to carry, but not really how you're going to carry it. It is only when you really need to carry 3l that the backpack becomes the only choice. Below that, it is preference.
I personally talked to Nigel Page, nukeproof team manager, and he said "Sam rides air shocks because he prefers is over coil shocks" Then I was shocked! Lol
@tsuful: do you remember the flood of sub 15kg DH bikes popping up on bike forums all over the internet around 2010-2012? Hanging a DH bike on a scale was a thing. I knew people who bought Parktool scales for that purpose alone. Ti screws, small rotors, Flow rims on DT aeros, no chain guides, Dura Ace derailleurs and what not. Then Steve Jones and DirtTV goes around pits and Minnaars V10carbon (V.1 at that time) is 16.5 and there is literally not a single bike lighter than 15kgs?
@WAKIdesigns: Sure I do, I did that myself for long time. It was a learning process for myself and what I've learned from that was that it wasn't worth it. Now I'm riding 14.5kg enduro bike cause I've replaced all the parts that were breaking too often ( carbon rims/frames but not only). Im just trying too say different strokes for different folks. Learn from your own experience as what works for you, might not work for me. Theres no golden rule for everything and everyone have different needs. Sam Hill might be the best on flats, but there are fast guys on clips as well. Anyways PROs needs might be very different from regular riders.
@hostforaxenomorph: 435mm is pretty standard for a medium nowadays, go back five-ish years and that is as long or longer than most XL frames. It's funny how the perception of 'normal' shifts over time.
@WAKIdesigns: The Medium Mega is actually quite small, specially when compared to those new bikes with really long top tubes.
Moral of the story is, those trendy brands posing as hipster brands that brag about not enforcing marketing bs on riders are in fact selling new trends that people don't really need. *coughtransition*
@Amukinado: all depends on the point of reference... then all those new brands, well these are niche brands, so nobody is enforcing anything on you. They are doing something different. You can sound the alarm when Trek, Cube or Giant comes with the whole line of bikes with 1300mm wheelbase. So far so good. Although at some point Kirk Pacenti was a niche frame builder with his silly 650B wheels.
@WAKIdesigns: You are kind of right. Niche brands don't enforce things but they come up with the ideas that later on are going be forced on us by the big manufacturers. Like DVO with the 20 mm boost (just why), or Transition copying Cotic, Mondraker and Nicolai on that long top tube, or Banshee with the 66º head angle on the V1 Spitfire. Big brands can't afford to be bold these days so they just follow the niche brands creating the trends when they see that people are going with it.
In my earlier post I was kind of joking with transition that brought us the COCK AND BALLS technology to make fun of mostly Trek and Specialized and now they are trying to tell us that the Giddy up thing is the way to go when it has actually been around for a while. Truth is, they are no longer a niche brand and you will be seeing other manufacturers doing the same thing eventually. Brands should be focused on making the sport more affordable and enjoyable instead of recycling ideas just to be number 1.
@Amukinado: The sport is affordable, the question what level of performance do you want to be able to afford. BMW M3 or Subaru WRX are affordable sport cars. But food luck hoping for a Ferrari to come at the price of Fiat Panda. Just because there are luxurious items out there, doesn't mean we shouldn't be able to manage our desires and demanding those high end products to become cheaper is not a good way of doing it. Just buy a low end Canyon, Commencal, Radon or YT. I am fortunate to own 3 bikes, one high end one, one average, and one piece of crap. Should I whine that my DJ isn't built on raw Ti frame, pimped up with CK hubs, Hope brakes and full Spank kit? Or my shitty roadie not being an S-Works Venge? These days, for 3k, you get a decent full susser that will last for years, 10 years ago if you wanted something for this money, you were getting an absolute piece of rubbish. It is a matter of priorities
@WAKIdesigns: Giant Reign for 2018 is looooong. Medium Reign is 475mm reach which is the same as a Transition Patrol large. And with a 73 degree seat tube the TT lengths are huge. XL wheelbase is 1258 so not quite hitting your sound the alarm measure, but getting up there. I have ape arms though so I'm all for long bikes!
Martin Maes right up there, guy has got a bright future ahead of him. Love to see Sam Hill on top once again. Does he have 5.10 dotty rubber on his helmet for any practical reason or just to highlight that he's riding their flat pedals?
He won junior on the first year of EWS. he's always consistent when he's not having a mechanical or whatever. He just need a clean season and he will pull it off.
well, to be honest, you probably suck just a little bit. I came from clips last year because I broke my ankle, and first few rides were sketchy, but now man, I can't go to clips anymore, for me it is better.
dubiousdesigns - pedals make a huge difference too. I bought Saint flats and hated them, even with grippy five ten shoes. They are so slippery (to me). Now I run DMR Vaults and my foot's planted. Try different pedals, mate.
@doakwolf: 2nd that. Had old v8 that I wanted to replace. Went through 2 other sets from other brands and sold them both to purchase new v8s. Pedal design works differently for everyone, it’s a process, one which has many impacts and sore shins, but awesome when you get there...
I never got along with being clipped in so I'm quite happy riding with platforms. But I understand that others are more comfortable riding clipped in at the moment. If you want to make the transition, you may want to look into one of the Ryan Leech courses. I think the one about riding with flat pedals (for those who came from riding clipped in) is actually free. His courses and guidance are quality so I expect this one to be no different. Worth a shot!
@nug12182: it wasn't bike related incident. After injury it was pain pedaling cliped in, so I switched to flats for a while and stayed on flats till today
@doakwolf: Saints slippery? Got them and riding five tens as well. Grip is awesome. Actually I was wondering if I should back up some pins a bit to reposition my feet easier. Maybe you ran them in the stock position with spacers under the pin heads. I removed them immediately as i got them. You can extend the pins simply by removing these spacers
@GawiQ: Yeah I tried them with stock pins and also removed the washers and tried slightly adjusting the pin positions. I never found a happy medium with them. As I said though "slippery (to me)" as I know others will have had great experience with Saints. I think @VwHarman has summed it up well with their comment "Pedal design works differently for everyone". OP should be looking at pedals as well as shoes
I run Nukeproof horizon pedal which are the same as he runs minus the Sam Hill signature and titanium axle and they are amazing. They are amazing value at 90 New Zealand dollars (nothing comes close) and new bearings are like $5 off crc, have have yet to wear put the first set of seal bearings but it's nice to know new ones are cheap
Good pedals (i.e- Burgtec Penthouses or DMR Vaults) and Stealth rubber (Adidas or FiveTen) and i never had a problem...and that's ridden in the UK when 90% of the time its wet/muddy. But it does require more skills on the descents and when you get air sweeten the tyres...and tougher on the climbs...but i much prefer flats to spd's in terms of fun factor.
I think the main challenge with the transition is that if you're used to pulling away from the pedal, the platform pedals will not replicate that. No matter how much grip you've got, if you lift your foot from the pedal it is going to come off. Develop the skills to ride with platforms and this will never be an issue. Only then you may start to develop a preference for more or less grip. As your skills improve you may find yourself looking for less grip because you know how to extract the grip when it counts. Though usually on a mountainbike too much grip usually isn't a big issue. Maybe for those who pull big tricks, they might like some more agility. On the mountain unicycle (MUni) I also find that too much grip can be a bad thing as releasing pressure from a pedal challenges your balance so shifting your feet a little isn't as easy. I can imagine the same goes for those who implement trials type moves in their riding.
What pulled me towards platform pedals many years ago is the predictability. You can make them grip when you want to and if you want to get off there is nothing holding your feet down.
What good would doping do going downhill... I beat dopers all the time doing DH's on my road bike.. Just an odd question for the EWS riders~ If you rock DH segments, then you don't need dope... you need balls!
@Jaybirdy: it would let you train harder and get better fitness in all aspects: strength, stamina, endurance etc. Not claiming people are doping in EWS/WCDH just that there are definitely benefits possible.
@gramboh: If you like to cheat... sure! True Winners don't need to cheat! & Certainly not Sam Hill.. still an odd question to bring up given the outcome today.
@Jaybirdy: while I agree that the main things that makes an elite downhiller fast are skills and daring, everyone at that level is well equipped with both so it comes down to things like fitness to create an edge.
@kaeton-sf: Fair~ But when a question like that is posed.... WHO is it posed at? because the winners here were Sam & Cecile. I don't see the need to even ask
@momsnub: Battle Born Enduro @ Reno.. & Yea Fitness plays a part.. but Line choice/reading & DNA take over the majority of what makes a winner, not solely fitness.
At any National Federation sanctioned event on any EWS calendar, Anti-Doping tests may be carried out at any time. All riders entered into the event must comply with local Anti-Doping regulation procedures if asked to do so. Failure to do so will result in disqualification from that event and further penalisation as deemed appropriate by the EWS Board.
The Enduro World Series organisers and EMBA will respect and assist any National Cycling Federation operating anti-doping controls at Enduro World Series events.
Any competitor entering an EMBA event must follow any anti-doping procedure that may be asked of them by an Enduro World Series organiser. With the interests of keeping enduro mountain biking clean from the start and to avoid the spirit and reputation of enduro mountain bike racing from being brought into disrepute, any cyclist, regardless of cycling discipline, who has previously been found guilty by any court or regulatory body of any use of or involvement with banned, performance enhancing drugs will not be entitled to compete or take part in any Enduro World Series event.
Any cyclist prevented from competing or taking part in any Enduro World Series event by virtue of the foregoing paragraph may appeal to the Board of EMBA for exemption from that rule and in exceptional circumstances the Board of EMBA may at its absolute discretion, grant such an exemption. However, in the interests of transparency within the sport of enduro mountain bike racing, the Board of EMBA reserve the right to maintain a zero tolerance approach to drug taking in cycling and will communicate any appeal decision publicly.
@casey79: Yes, there is a policy where racers are subject to testing. But, is there a protocol for testing at this point? In other words, are racers actually being tested in or out of competition? In another PB article, it was suggested that the EWS was planning to implement an actual testing protocol beginning in 2018.
He got so angry that his specialized tyres get punctures every time he rides them that he ripped them off and threw them at a wild baby goat. Unfortunately the baby goat died and as a result he got disqualified. #fakenews
If a 29er ever wins the EWS overall championship. The industry will be more than eager to kill off the 650b saying this is proof that 29ers are faster. I hope that a 29er will never win the overall.
Who took the time to neg prop this..speak up and say somethin if you don't like thy humor!~ Everyone had feet out all over the place.. clips just take more time to get settled once unclipped, whereas FLAT pedals have NO disadvantage!
@YouHadMeAtDrugs: At least someone was high enough on drugs to squeal~ Great point I should really watch myself~ Don't want to comment on my own comment.. that would be like Pinkbike Social Suicide ;-O
I didn't realize it was him after I saw him later...
www.instagram.com/p/BWK48DUFMbP/?hl=en&taken-by=ratboy_bryce
www.instagram.com/p/BgyWGSJgiQ9/?taken-by=samhill13
Not sure about the air shock. I think I've seen it before. Airsprung suspension has come a long way.
But nothing beats bottle cage and one or two small bottles in your bib. Especially since lots of these races have fill stations between stages.
I'm surprised to see you mention those conditions. Several visitors here have stated their preference for having room for at least two (big) bottles inside the front triangle. That's probably close to 1.5l, the same as what my backpack takes (Ergon BE1) and I doubt these protection vests carry much more. Hip packs probably also carry something like that. So the environment may dictate how much water you need to carry, but not really how you're going to carry it. It is only when you really need to carry 3l that the backpack becomes the only choice. Below that, it is preference.
Then I was shocked! Lol
Moral of the story is, those trendy brands posing as hipster brands that brag about not enforcing marketing bs on riders are in fact selling new trends that people don't really need. *coughtransition*
In my earlier post I was kind of joking with transition that brought us the COCK AND BALLS technology to make fun of mostly Trek and Specialized and now they are trying to tell us that the Giddy up thing is the way to go when it has actually been around for a while. Truth is, they are no longer a niche brand and you will be seeing other manufacturers doing the same thing eventually. Brands should be focused on making the sport more affordable and enjoyable instead of recycling ideas just to be number 1.
XL wheelbase is 1258 so not quite hitting your sound the alarm measure, but getting up there.
I have ape arms though so I'm all for long bikes!
Every time I try flats I nearly die a horrible death and swear off them, but then Sammy just reels me back in to thinking they're not so bad...
What pulled me towards platform pedals many years ago is the predictability. You can make them grip when you want to and if you want to get off there is nothing holding your feet down.
www.enduroworldseries.com/rule-book
Point 15
At any National Federation sanctioned event on any EWS calendar, Anti-Doping tests may be carried out at any time. All riders entered into the event must comply with local Anti-Doping regulation procedures if asked to do so. Failure to do so will result in disqualification from that event and further penalisation as deemed appropriate by the EWS Board.
The Enduro World Series organisers and EMBA will respect and assist any National Cycling Federation operating anti-doping controls at Enduro World Series events.
Any competitor entering an EMBA event must follow any anti-doping procedure that may be asked of them by an Enduro World Series organiser. With the interests of keeping enduro mountain biking clean from the start and to avoid the spirit and reputation of enduro mountain bike racing from being brought into disrepute, any cyclist, regardless of cycling discipline, who has previously been found guilty by any court or regulatory body of any use of or involvement with banned, performance enhancing drugs will not be entitled to compete or take part in any Enduro World Series event.
Any cyclist prevented from competing or taking part in any Enduro World Series event by virtue of the foregoing paragraph may appeal to the Board of EMBA for exemption from that rule and in exceptional circumstances the Board of EMBA may at its absolute discretion, grant such an exemption. However, in the interests of transparency within the sport of enduro mountain bike racing, the Board of EMBA reserve the right to maintain a zero tolerance approach to drug taking in cycling and will communicate any appeal decision publicly.
And a great photo btw...
Another phenomenal display of race craft from a true master. Much Respect to Sam Hill!
Sam Hill!!