Tech Randoms: Lenzerheide DH World Cup 2021

Sep 1, 2021 at 12:19
by Ross Bell  
The dust has barely settled from last weekend's epic World Champs in Val di Sole with the World Cup circus already rolling into the Swiss mountain town of Lenzerheide. The pits were busy today as mechanics stripped and rebuilt bikes from last weekend with some fresh frames and paintwork appearing, our photographers have gone for a lap of the pits and track to see what was happening:


Deep dark clouds hanging over the venue as the pits went up yesterday evening.
Deep dark clouds hanging over the venue as the pits went up yesterday evening.

Big service day for the Kashima Crew.
Big service day for the Kashima Crew.

TRP brakes and a prototype linkage at the Intense pit.
TRP brakes and a prototype linkage at the Intense pit.

Luca Shaw s fresh-look V10 awaits some allen key action.
Luca Shaw's fresh-look V10 awaits some allen key action.

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photo
Detail shots of that new paintwork on Luca Shaw's V10.

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photo

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The new Shimano 6 bolt Ice Tech rotors that were launched last week.

Lyle getting into the build of Greg s new gold-fleck V10 after Worlds.
Lyle getting into the build of Greg's new gold-fleck V10 after Worlds.

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photo
Gold for the World Champ.

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Linkage on Greg Minnaar's Santa Cruz V10.

Remember last weekend It was kind of epic.
Remember last weekend? It was kind of epic.

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Another closer look at those finned Galfer rotors in the Commencal pits.

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A fresh wheel build going down for one of the Commencal riders.

Norco s Lewis getting everything sorted for the first day on track.
Norco's Lewis getting everything sorted for the first day on track.

Request accepted Myriam Nicole will be racing her Worlds bike this weekend.
Request accepted: Myriam Nicole will be racing her Worlds bike this weekend.

Slightly soft and sticky after a lot of rain.
Slightly soft and sticky after a lot of rain.
The Straitline DH course is mostly unchanged except for a couple of unhelpful rock piles to block the inside line.
The Straitline DH course is mostly unchanged except for a couple of unhelpful rock piles to block the inside line.

Kade for the olympics circus.
Kade for the olympics/circus.

The significantly tuned up scrub jump should be interesting for practice tomorrow.
The significantly tuned up scrub jump should be interesting for practice tomorrow.

Camille Balanche no longer bears the stripes but is a definite threat for the win here on home soil.
Camille Balanche no longer bears the stripes, but is a definite threat for the win here on home soil.

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photo
Loris Vergier's mechanic P.A really sweats the details. He has multiple wheel setups with different spoke thicknesses that they tailor to each track.

A special potion conjured up for Sam Blenkinsop
A special potion conjured up for Sam Blenkinsop?

A lightweight tube ready for Luca Shaw s bike.
A lightweight tube ready for Luca Shaw's bike.

Freshies and overhaul s everywhere and the Intense pits are no different.
Freshies and overhaul's everywhere and the Intense pits are no different.

Naked carbon linkage on the Cube bikes.
Naked carbon linkage on the Cube bikes.

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Bits and bobs in the Trek Factory Racing pits.

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Brake bleeds aplenty.

3D Fox 40s ready to go on to Brook and Laurie s Summums.
3D Fox 40s ready to go on to Brook and Laurie's Summums.

Benoit has extended Brook s reach after taking a set up tip from best bud Blenki.
Benoit has extended Brook's reach after taking a set up tip from best bud, Blenki.
3mm is the order of the day.
+3mm is the order of the day.

Tahnee is back to her old tricks like pink on pink and maybe winning.
Tahnee is back to her old tricks like pink on pink and maybe winning.

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photo

Troy Bronzenan headed out for a post trackwalk spin.
Troy 'Bronzenan' headed out for a post trackwalk spin.
Orange and white for the remaining races for Troy and the CLTV.
Orange and white for the remaining races for Troy and the CLTV.

Gee Atherton is back at the races as an Team Atherton helper heckler.
Gee Atherton is back at the races as a Team Atherton helper/heckler.
Chicks do dig em.
Chicks do dig 'em.

Jack dials in Loic Bruni s rig for the week of Swiss sending.
Jack dials in Loic Bruni's rig for the week of Swiss sending.

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photo
New colourways for the SCOTT team.

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What's going on inside those Saint cranks then?

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Data acquisition ready to go on Finn Iles' Specialized Demo.

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Joe Breeden's office.

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Suntour clickers in the NS pits.

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Suntour coil shock.

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photo
Andreas Kolb has been running thinner tubing on parts of his Atherton bike that has made the ride more compliant.

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World Champs left overs on Troy Brosnan's race bike.

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Monika Hrastnik's Commencal Supreme getting some TLC.

Danny Hart s new paint scheme.
Danny Hart's new paint scheme.
Army green colorway over at Cube.
Army green colorway over at Cube.

What s this from Fox
What's this from Fox?

Various Buzzworks cups in the Syndicate pits to fine tune the optimal configuration.
Various Buzzworks cups in the Syndicate pits to fine tune the optimal configuration.

Greg Minnaar checking out the new build.
Greg Minnaar checking out the new build.

A mostly blue sky day this afternoon moody skies and cold temps still threaten the action in the next days.
A mostly blue sky day this afternoon, however moody skies and cold temps still threaten the action in the next days.


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85 Comments
  • 150 1
 That lightweight tube looks like a horse condom
  • 25 1
 #bikeporn
  • 112 0
 New syndicate rider. Don Kiedick
  • 18 2
 Yeah they drain horses and use the material as sealant
  • 49 3
 Looks like a regular size one to me
  • 21 0
 Pretty cool you know what a horse condom looks like.
  • 4 0
 @iamalexm: Better play it safe
  • 2 0
 @won-sean-animal-chin: Bart Simpson prank in real life

twitter.com/lovinmygirls218/status/1432460842554040329?s=20
  • 1 0
 @ComradeLorry: fair play
  • 75 3
 YOU get a custom bike and YOU get a custom bike....CUSTOM PAINT JOBS FOR EVERYONE!!! No wonder none of us get get bikes haha. Everyone got custom rigs 5 days ago and...SURPRISE new custom rigs again!
  • 7 3
 As a black van pulls up to your house and two non descript men in black suits drag you away and you’re never heard from again.


#tinfoilhat
  • 65 0
 Good to see Gee back out there! Not racing yet but after that crash most of us would be bedridden for months, props to him!
  • 52 0
 Gonna have to disagree, most of us would be dead. I myself experienced a cracked rib just watching the video.
  • 5 0
 @mab411: Yup - I felt my bones turn to pus on the first impact and then spray out all over the mountain on the rest of the rag doll ride to hell. Turned my blood it did I tells thee.
  • 6 0
 Absolute savage to just get right back into travelling and being around the scene after that crash. Built different to say the least. It's hard to see how that's not a career ender. Glad he got the level of medical attention he required and deserved.
  • 5 0
 the sheer fact that he is back at all...is the most important, most impressive tech to be spied.
  • 17 0
 Has Gee now got more titanium connectors than an atherton bike?
  • 2 0
 @AyJayDoubleyou: lol. BRILLIANT!!! Well played sir.
  • 53 2
 SC bikes for their riders = dope colors
SC bikes they sell = colors picked by blind people (they are getting better, but my goodness do they look terrible next to these)
  • 4 2
 And they fade in the sun
  • 13 0
 @boozed: They fade in the what?
  • 1 0
 @boozed: I have had many SC bikes, mine never faded
  • 37 1
 Troy 'Bronzenan' - That's Gold!
  • 20 0
 I'm not sure he wants that nickname to stick
  • 11 0
 no, its bronze
  • 4 0
 Could not think of a more appropriate name for troy. If there was a medal for consistency, Troy would be a gold for bronze.
  • 3 0
 That awkward moment when the nickname youve been given is sooo good your mom calls you it
  • 25 0
 Tube for Luca? someone help me understand
  • 4 0
 ^^this. Head scratcher for sure. 2nd valve hole for partially inflated tube to finish the run?
  • 4 0
 A tube + cushcore and/or Enve rim strip seems like a good idea, burping is eliminated and pressure can be maintained even if the tube is pinched, if the tube valve is kept in place with a locking nut.
  • 1 0
 Maybe just running a lightweight tube rather than a tubeless set-up. I personally still run tubes over tubeless. Tried both normal tubeless and ProCore and found no real benefits running tubeless.
  • 14 1
 Greg deserves way more Gold on that bike!
  • 4 0
 Agreed...Greg is literally a golden god
  • 8 1
 I know World Champion bike builds are typically one off's. But why is it always a mad dash to get forks serviced/rebuilt at every World Cup? Cannot this be done in between races? Surly qualified World Cup mechanic can rebuild a fork as good as someone from the Fox tent...
  • 19 0
 At a certain level, most of the 'big guns' have contracts with Fox or Rockshox. Part of those contracts are fork/shock services. Those guys are even faster and more efficient than the team mechanics. It also frees up time for the mechanics to do the full bike builds and rebuilds.
  • 5 0
 @bman33: after 3 bike park days for us normal riders the feel of the Fox 40 and X2 has already started falling off, at these guys pace I could only imagine how they feel, especially if it’s been wet or super dusty.
  • 3 0
 @DHhack: Exactly. I have an X2 on a trail bike..no issue. However, on my DH bike I have a full coil. WC Boxxer, with Air, but still does fall off after a few days at Trestle or Whistler
  • 10 0
 @DHhack: you just accumulate fatigue after 3 days.
  • 2 0
 @nickmalysh: didn’t say in a row. Fox is notorious for needing more frequent service.
  • 4 0
 Rally teams have their entire cars rebuilt every race, or even over night by their mechanic teams. Performing at the top level of a tech/equipment based sport doesn't mean rebuilding your stuff once every three seasons like everyone else. You need your equipment at the top level every day and who knows what they broke during their race runs. Ever see bent shims?
  • 1 0
 You can be sure it's also done after each race. And after each day if the riders are feeling like it.
  • 8 2
 I assume they’ve possibly put weights in the cranks on the Scott. It’s a pretty light bike anyway and a few people have tested adding weight to bikes (Chris Porter seemed to think it made a difference). And you can’t get a lot lower and centred on the bike than there.
  • 1 6
flag nickmalysh (Sep 1, 2021 at 19:38) (Below Threshold)
 Try ride ebike downhill, will overshoot all jumps without pedaling, it gets up to speed faster then traditional mtb
  • 10 0
 Troy 'Bronzenan' is freaking savage!
  • 7 0
 Man, Gregs V10 paint job is nice!
  • 3 0
 PB, can we get an in depth on data acquisition some day?

What sensors are fitted, data are the tracking, how they use it over a race weekend etc etc.

Slap it in a podcast too.
  • 4 0
 What's with those blue backed decals on the black fork. That looks terrible. Almost as bad as the black backed ones on orange forks. Definitely not in the style guide. Ha!
  • 5 1
 They let some schlep go last year, he blamed it one covid. I think this shows the real reason…….
  • 10 1
 If you'd paid attention to Mondraker's bikes at World Champs, and you had some 3D glasses, you'd understand...
  • 1 0
 @bkchef2000: LOL
  • 2 0
 @BCDragon:Nice try. I actually did pay attention. Those aren't the Mondraker decals. Those are Charlie Hatton's off his Atherton bike.
  • 2 0
 I'm pretty sure they're from the Atherton riders Charlie Hatton and Andreas Kold. If you find pictures of their bikes from World Champs last weekend, you'll see that they were kitted out with Atherton and Fox decals to match their British and Austrian team colors.
  • 6 1
 "A fresh wheel build going down for one of the Commencal riders." How many Enve's where broken last weekend?
  • 3 0
 “Request accepted: Myriam Nicole will be racing her Worlds bike this weekend” Do riders need permission to ride their World Champ bike at a W/C race?
  • 1 0
 Hoping to learn the answer to this too.
  • 3 0
 I suppose some brands might want to keep the winning frame for display/museum/history purposes
  • 1 0
 @src248: that makes sense. Especially with custom paint.
  • 2 0
 Are the new frames to keep the market interest fresh with new paint or to prevent frames from catastrophic breaking and catastrophic marketing failure as a result?
  • 4 0
 Maxxis rubber on Loic Specialized?
  • 3 0
 yes, hes been doing it for a while now!
  • 1 0
 And they tested a new Specialized rear tire at VDS too. Something new in the works there.
  • 4 0
 NSFW
  • 2 0
 Nice to see Gee there on the pits, I do see him as good coach or team manager.
  • 2 0
 Loving the Syndicates colors. Especially Luca's! I'm not one for flames, but for some reason I really like that! Damn!
  • 1 0
 great seeing Gee back with the crew.
Is LUca's tube filled with sealant? I used to do that in 2001 with slime.

So stoked for DH
  • 1 0
 That caption on Tanhee's photo is savage..."Tahnee is back to her old tricks like pink on pink and maybe winning." Maybe winning is an old trick??
  • 2 0
 Very much interested in that new SR SUntour Coil shock! Trunnion mount, take my money for 185x55 please Razz
  • 1 1
 It never ceases to amaze me how often the pros are are new bikes. No wonder the retail prices keep going up to fund it. I would expect a single frame to last a season barring crashes and not need repainting every race
  • 1 0
 Most of the time they get new to look fresh for the media and or events. Yes, occasionally things crack/break at that level. However, rocks and just packing and travel scratch up bikes often. The top of the sport are selling bikes and equipment...good look fresh. Similar with auto, moto and off road racing except they can often just changed the bodies or the cars, trucks and motos to look fresh.
  • 1 0
 The machining and design on the TRP linkage looks stellar! Hard to tell at a glimpse, but no visible tool transitions and surface finish is outstanding!
  • 3 0
 Troy for overall!!
  • 1 0
 I see SC have finally made a rear end for Greg that they then don’t need to bolt additional length to.
  • 1 0
 I guess Galfer is releasing those rotors soon but according to them there will be no fins
  • 1 0
 Wonder why one of the Scott Gambler frames has alu seatstays, and the other has carbon? to do with flex/compliance?
  • 1 0
 What's in the flask is all I want to know
  • 1 0
 So good to see Gee in the pits. Seems to be enjoying himself greatly
  • 2 0
 Some great shots Nathan!
  • 1 0
 It's called "Olive Drab"
Below threshold threads are hidden







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