I S S U E T H R E E I N T E R N A T I O N A L |足 2 0 1 2
BETTER FASTER FURTHER
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COVERSHOT ALE DI LULLO RIDER BRETT TIPPIE
EDITORIAL
ISSUE 03
CRAZY? It’s about time again: months before Eurobike, manufacturers present their new products, trends, and innovations. True to the motto “better, faster, further,” and sometimes even “crazier.” After years of improvements, there is only one question left. Aren’t the products already good enough? If you believe all the magazines, you need to get a new bike and equipment annually in order to be able to still ride a bike. And how about an additional mid-season model, just for fun? But is last year’s bike really ready to be sorted out? By now, it’s really only a nuance, a millimeter, one-tenth of an angular degree, and the smallest weight difference – that’s why people outside of the scene think you’re pretty crazy. Right! That’s exactly what makes it so appealing to be a bike freak. The newest refinements, the newest technology, tuning like crazy, adjusting, and styling the bike. It’s simply fun and that’s what it’s all about, no matter what. On that note, enjoy the shoptalk, working on your bike, and of course, most important of all: Enjoy your ride! Cheers, Robin Schmitt
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CONTENT
ISSUE 03
06 WORDPOOL
THE MOST IMPORTANT INNOVATIONS.
08 SUSPENSION SETUP WITH THE MAG41 RACING TEAM.
16 INTERVIEW SICK MICK APPLAUSE IN BIKEPARK ALBSTADT.
26 BIKETEST BERGAMONT MGN - MORE THAN ENOUGH.
36 QUO VADIS ENDURO? AN ENDURO SELF-EXPERIENCE.
46 BIKETEST CANNONDALE DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE.
54 COMMENCAL
PRESS CAMP 2012, ALSACE.
64 THINK GLOBAL, RACE ... ... LOCAL. TEAM CHINA.
72 HEROES OF WORK
THIS IS MAG41 ISSUE 3 - THANKS!
74 WORLDMAP
OUR GLOBAL COOPERATION PARTNERS!
78 IMPRESSUM
WORDPOOL
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THE MOST IMPORTANT INNOVATIONS YOU AND YOUR BIKE WILL NOT WANT TO MISS! 10-SPEED At first a taboo, now woo-hoo! The roadies are already used to them and now the mountain bikers need them as well. But didn’t the 9-speed rear derailleurs work just fine? What are the new features of the 10-speeds, except for more precision and sensitivity? It seems like we have no time for consideration and there is already a new ‘must-have.’ Looks like the future is all about eleven gears now. Who would have guessed? After all, the fellows from the street have them already. What’s next? Aerodynamic bottle holders? Maybe! But fortunately there’s a glimmer of hope. With the new Carbon Demo, Specialized chose to spec a 9-speed rear derailleur again – this time, however, with only seven gears. Crazy, right!?
SIXFIFTY WHEEL Twenty Nine, Twenty Six, Twenty Four, Six Fifty? Lots of measurements, little savvy. This many numbers may swiftly confuse. Same with the Italian manufacturer Marzocchi, as the labels of his forks rather remind us of roulette than something sturdy with their numbered labeling of 22, 33, 44, 55, 66, 888. They probably went for the Russian style. And it struck them – unfortunately. We might pay more attention regarding the wheels. We definitely do not want to lose our passion for biking when we have to face this extent of complexity! Experts are already spreading rumors about a new trend for their labeling with freaky new number combinations. But shhh… it’s a secret! We definitely do not want anyone to steal this crazy idea…
COATING In times of the most variable coatings for fork tubes in colors like gold, black or “exclusive,” most magazines profess that there is no way to go without a coating and that the differences are as obvious as day and night. Sure about that? After all, the forks of the (usually newly delivered) test bikes come with less than 100 km on their clocks. Also, you cannot tell the color in the dark anyway – right!? Besides,how about breaking it in first? With seals/anti-friction bushings being too tight, it doesn’t matter how great the stanchion tubes are – adjusting the tolerances is definitely the better way to go. And this also assures one important feature: less babbling… just like ours! Cheers!
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SUSPENSION SETUP
PHOTO & TEXT ROBIN SCHMITT TRANSLATION LISA GRETEMEIER
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What’s the point in using the best material if it’s not operated, adjusted, and tuned correctly? None. Right – even the slightest nuances can cause huge differences, especially regarding suspension setup. That is exactly why we took our downhill racing team, aka “Team Germany,” accompanied by suspension specialist Daniel Portmann from RockShox, to the German bike park “Winterberg” to figure out the perfect setup. The mission failed, but we still learned a lot – and everyone who wants to learn something as well should keep on reading.
We were initially skeptical about the trail: “Not rough, long, and crazy enough compared to international racing tracks.” Is it possible to challenge the suspension’s ultimate limit? Will the Hot-Rod technology, promising consistent damping even when the oil is hot, be part of the game here? These questions may remain unanswered, because this meeting was basically about other intents and purposes: comprehension. In fact: fundamental comprehension. A lot of seemingly sincere wisdom about precise chassis tuning are set in our minds by now. The answers to questions about the reasons are usually “I’ve always been doing it like this” or “The others do it this way, too.” That’s why we started off where others rush forward to the next step. Instead of giving instructions, we will provide you with tips for a better understanding.
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The differences in taste were obvious, right from the beginning, after only a few downhill rides with varying tunes. After a warm-up run with the Vivid Coil, which the team has already ridden in races, we swapped to the Vivid Air shock. Benny and Ferdinand were testing the internal setting M/L (medium rebound/low compression), while Noah and Robin tested shocks with M/M settings. The very lush and plush performance in the mid-stroke was to Benny’s utter satisfaction, whereas Ferdinand was criticizing too little feedback from the ground, more specifically a too plush/undefined performance. This was especially clear in tough curves and jumps, because of slight sagging on compressions. Within these base ranges, an external low-speed-compression doesn’t hold out, but rather more damping in the mid-stroke range. And, as
a matter of fact, Ferdinand did feel a lot more comfortable with an M/M-tune. As he was “higher” in rear travel, the geometry was more balanced, which made it easier to maneuver the bike more smoothly around the curves. All in all, it was better suited regarding his active riding style – even though it was accompanied by a loss in grip on braking bumps and rough terrain. Benny, on the other hand, has a different style than Ferdi: getting through the braking bumps and rocky patches with the least possible effort is the name of his game. The M/L-tune was not only more consistent on the trail, but also offered a lot more grip and safety! In the meantime, tunes were changed and the chassis on the trail was being observed from the side edge. Focus on the spectators – Dani and Elmar from RockShox are checking out the chassis. Key question: Does the bike stick to the ground?
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It didn’t take us long to realize that finding the ideal setup is not only a matter of time, but also a very individual matter! From a certain point on, the stopwatch should come into place as well. With the correct use, it offers solid measured data, either proving or falsifying previous settings and feelings. In the end, anyone can be wrong every now and then. It doesn’t need to be fast to feel right. What have we learned? Issue 1: A correct sag setting is extremely important – even for very fast racers
that tend to adjust their setup rather too hard. However, the sag only determines the neutral position, so the spring rate should not be adjusted via corresponding springs or air pressure, but rather via the damping. Issue 2: For tuning and testing, only adjust one parameter at a time for an exact tracking back of the effect of single adjustments. This way, the outcome is retraceable and can be undone. Issue 3: While the suspension setup varies, depending on the track, the sag re-
mains ception rider’s weight also ch Issue 4 pensio riding definit the mo rider d the se for it!
basically the same. The only exns are super steep tracks where the s position changes enough for the t displacement to shift, which then hanges the neutral sagged position. 4: A perfect adjustment of the suson according to the kinematics, the style, and personal preferences is tely worth seeing an expert. Even ost expensive bike is useless if its doesn’t take care of its centerpiece: etup. Therefore our advice: look out
DID YOU GET IT? REBOUND: The separate setting of low- and high-speed rebound offers more control. Lowspeed regulates the expansion speed of the beginning and middle stroke. A slow high-speed tuning avoids jerky movements on hard drops.
COMPRESSION: The low-speed compression regulates, similar to a platform, the forces induced by the rider (e.g. berms and slow steps). The high-speed compression influences the damping on hard and fast hits. The Vivid’s highspeed compression damping is only regulated WORD MESS: What’s actually the difference between beginning- and ending-rebound and low- and high-speed rebound? There is none. Rock Shox chose the words ‘beginning’ and ‘ending’ to make the functions of the tunings more clear, and to show which tuning of the rear travel is most appropriate for certain conditions.
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HERE AND HAPPY!
ick hanna M H THE
INTERVIEW
A powerful, aggressive style that can’t deny its BMX coining. Confidently smooth jumps and top speed – as flashy as 28-year-old Mick Hannah’s performances at the Downhill World Cup are, the Australian seems rather unflashy off the race track. He really doesn’t need to be anyways… “Sick Mick” already made quite the impression in 2001 as a 17-year-old World Cup rookie in Martin Whitely’s Global-Team, in 2009 with his third place on the Downhill World Cup, and last but not least a strong third place at the first round at the World Cup in Pietermaritzburg. Mag41 met up with Mick at the stopover in Albstadt bike-park for a little talk and experienced a man that seemed to have found himself after an unlucky streak of injuries.
PHOTO JENS STAUDT / 4ZIG.NET INTERVIEW ROBIN SCHMITT EDITED BY MICHAELA JAMMERS / FLORIAN STORCH
18 Mick, people call you “Sick Mick” – what’s
the story behind it? When we were younger, maybe about twelve or something, my friends had a little bike-park of their own at their house and I would always do the big jump first or try crazy lines, and they just thought I was sick so they ended up calling me “Sick Mick.” I would say everyone actually knows you, but you are not the loudest racer in the World Cup. So maybe you can give us a little insight. Who is Mick Hannah? Well, I’m Mick Hannah, as you know. I’m from Cairns in Australia, it’s northeast. The main attractions there are the rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. They are actually trying to have the World Championships there in 2016, but I’m based in Colorado in the US most of the time. I was married to a girl from Colorado – we have two little boys, 2 and 3 ½ years old. They are based around there, so I can spend as much time with them as I can. They are both starting to get into riding themselves, especially the older one. All he talks about is racing. When I left for this last trip, he asked me if I was going to be sad when I left, because it’s always hard for me when I leave the boys. He’s like: “ You can’t be sad! You’re going racing.” In 2011 we saw you on GT bikes, and in 2012 you are part of the Hutchinson/United-Ride teams on Morewood bikes. How did this deal come up? I worked for GT for three years. It was quite good. Obviously it’s a big company and the team was very well-supported. Well, I got let go by the end of last year – it was a
shock. But Fabien (Fabien Cousinié, founder and team manager of Hutchinson/UnitedRide, comment by edit.) emailed me about the same time for Hutchinson/United-Ride. He wasn’t actually asking me about the team, he was just asking what I was doing, what my plans were for the winter, because I had asked him to come and train with me in Cairns. I said that GT just fired me and he worked hard to put a deal together and it has worked out so far. It’s a small team, but it’s a great group of people. The product we’re on is amazing. I really believe it’s at least competitive with the best in the world, if not the best. I’m really happy, having fun on the bike, and the results are coming. We are having a good time. How does it feel to be on the same racing team with your sister? Being able to travel and race on the same team with my sister just is an amazing opportunity. I’ve been on the World Cup circuit for eleven years now. That’s a lot of time away from your family, and it’s nice to have some of my family here with me. We are living together now, training together and we can talk about track, practice, and things like that. Just to have somebody that you grew up with and can relate to really makes it a lot more comfortable on the road. Did it affect your attitude towards racing when you became a father? I’m not sure. Before I had kids, I wondered how I would go with being a father and how that would change my perspective. I don’t feel like it’s changed much at all. I’m actually riding better and faster now than
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APPLAUSE IN
Albstadt
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WE are
AfraiD I was before. For racing it doesn’t feel like you’re taking a risk. The goal is not to take risks. To win a World Cup and do well a whole year, you have to be consistent. You have to finish a race to win a race. So it’s very rare that you’re really taking a risk or riding outside of your comfort zone. Sometimes in training, in sections, you push quite hard. But at the race, your speed is already built. If you don’t have the speed when you get to the race, you can’t create more speed. That’s just taking unnecessary risks. I don’t think it’s really changed. It’s been a long time since I’ve really wanted to take big risks on my bike. I only do something that I know that I can do. When will your kids get their first More-
wood bikes? Maybe I will try to go down there and build them a bike myself. I’d love to make their bikes myself. That would be fun! We’ll see, but I think it’ll be pretty soon… Both of them got on their little bikes with no pedals at 15 months. Before our little one was big enough to stand on the bike, he walked around the house with it, just pushing it, walking beside it. You’re on a French team and you don’t speak French. How does the communication work? Je m’appelle Mick… [laughing] It’s a secret, how much I really know – I give them a false sense of security. They think they can talk about me [smirking]. I’m learning a little bit.
I am starting to understand. The mechanic for the last three years is French also. I’ve actually made the decision where I think I’ll start to learn French. We’ll see how that goes. You are known to be really strong on the pedals – talent or training? I think some of my pedaling strength is genetic for sure, but I’ve done a lot of training: a lot of road miles, especially when I was younger. I raced BMX from when I was six years old. That really helps your pedaling technique. A lot of pedaling comes from your technique, as much as it does from actual strength. Obviously, I’ve got quite a bit of strength compared to the smaller guys like Hart or Brosnan. I still do quite a lot of cross country and road riding. How important is mental training for you in downhill? Downhill has a huge mental aspect to it. Generally, once you get into the top twenty or thirty guys, who can all ride a bike pretty well, on any given day one of you can crush. That’s when the mental side comes in. You have to balance training, and not wear yourself out mentally. So when you come into a race, you still have the energy in your mind to be able to figure out the course, relax, and deal with the pressure, deal with the business. You have four minutes to give everything you have. Everything you do, all the training, the whole week, all the traveling. Everything rides on those four minutes. You definitely have to take care of your mind, learning how to separate your personal life and the racing life.
When I get into a place where I’m frustrated for a few days, being able to really have a good hard look at myself and get back into a place of reality is important – to just enjoy what I’m doing. Relaxing and then coming into a race with a good mindset. Are you going through the course in your mind before the race? I definitely see the benefit of it. But at the beginning of my racing, I would get super nervous. When I was younger, I would try to visualize a full run. It’s kind of funny, but I couldn’t visualize a full run without crashing in my mind. So I just quit, I was like: “That doesn’t work” [laughing]. When I roll out of the gate now, I’m just thinking about the piece of track that I’m on at the time. It’s just a constant flow. The trail is flowing through my mind. We all get nervous, I don’t care what it looks like on the outside. We are all afraid before a race – that’s the only way to put it. I have a hard time sleeping the night before. It takes a lot to just chill out and be calm enough to do a clean, smooth run and trust your speed. Learning to trust your speed is really helping your run. What do you think about Enduro races, especially with the upcoming Enduro World Cup in 2013? An option for you? Yeah, it’s funny you ask about the Enduro thing, because I’ve had some people asking me about it over the last few weeks. That is something that I’m interested in moving into. There is going to be a big push over the next couple of years, maybe even away from cross country and more to Enduro. That is a really exciting prospect.
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It’s a really fun event, a fun atmosphere. Hopefully, with it becoming the World Cup and more serious, the racing stays the same. It’s more of an adventure. It’s a fun race to be at. So that could be something I could get into, especially as I get a bit older.
ally feel like it’s a gift. I love to ride my bike, when I can just go out and not think about anything else. It’s so much fun, it really gives me a lot of joy. I’m really starting to focus on that now when I go to a race, instead of thinking about the result or any of that – just enjoying my time. It’s amazing to ride in all these different places. It’s really cool to come to a place like this and see how much fun people have watching us race. There is a lot of interaction with the fans and the athletes. All those things are really enjoyable for me and that’s why I still do it.
Why do you race? Out of fun or to win? That’s a good question for this year. Because at the beginning of this year, I had a knee injury and I’ve had a few personal problems. I really had a big question about whether I was going to race or not, whether I should race or not. My closest friends and family around me, back home, said that I have the So your philosophy fits your team perfectopportunity to race and it’s a gift. And I re- ly: “dream, ride, and share.”
Yeah, that’s the team idea: dream, ride, and share. That’s it! Followed our dreams, ever since we were little kids. Everybody on the team dreamed about racing and traveling the world. I love to travel and I love to ride my bike. As it says, I love to share it as well. It’s definitely a high level of skill that we have in this field. It’s fun to be able to come to places, travel around the world, and show people that skill. Here in Albstadt, we got to ride with a few people and a guy said it was his dream to ride with us. That’s the share part of it.
been using that for a couple of years, and I’ve been on it for a couple of years. It’s just a little system, the best one I’ve come across, for now. They have been working with Hutchinson.
…and your suspension preferences? I think at our level, generally, we run quite hard suspension. It’s high speed and the well-kept tracks are fast, steep, and rough. So you need stiffer suspensions. As you get stronger, you can ride stiffer setups. The suspension setup doesn’t change too much “Down Under” is known for a lot of fast from track to track, but other things like riders. What’s the difference to other na- bar height do, depending on how steep or tions? flat the track is. Different tires for different I’m not sure what the difference is. I came courses. into the World Cup race when Australia was really strong. Every World Champion- What do we need to know about you, that ship, for the first half of my career, there nobody knows yet? were five Australians in the top ten. It’s not Ummm… Fabien has a crush on me. That’s really like that anymore. It kind of goes in interesting, but more to Fabien, I guess waves: the French were strong, now the En- [everyone starts laughing]. He likes my salglish are quite strong. An advantage that we sa shirt. I don’t salsa-dance, I don’t dance at have in Australia is that we can ride all year all, other than on my bike I guess. I’m prearound. We have the climate to always ride tty quiet. I like a simple life at home. I am a – riding motorbikes or bicycles. Maybe it’s strong Christian. I love my family, my family just a pattern. We had a strong time, I think life, my kids. I enjoy fishing, camping, and we still have the potential, but there are a hunting. Anywhere from close to the ocean few young guys coming through that have a or up in the mountains I am happy. lot of potential. America is starting to have a few fast guys. Aron Gwin, obviously, is brea- Mick, thanks a lot for this interesting conking records. He is really inspiring a lot of versation. the younger guys. Let us talk about your bike: I saw that you are riding with two valves. So you ride tubeless with milk, but with additional tube? Yeah, that’s a system that’s not very well known. There’s two mechanics that have
Special thanks as well to Renate und Holger Blum for their exceptional cakes and the funny tracks at Bikepark Albstadt. More Info: www.bikepark-albstadt.de United Ride Fanpage www.facebook.com/UnitedRide
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First stop, then stand and admire: In times of “loud colors,” “preferably striking” and hip colors, the Big Air’s hydro-formed, matte black chassis appears sublime or even mature. The subtle symbols and cool design are still visible on second sight. Nevertheless, we do not want to grade this amazing black beauty down to its looks – after all, what’s on the inside is what really counts. We start right at the heart of the bike: the suspension system. The rear suspension
system is called CPS (Coax Pivot System), a faux bar, where the rear swing arm bearing is concentrically positioned around the rear axle. This is similar to the “Split Pivot” system designed by Dave Weagle, which is also successfully running at Trek under the name “Active Braking Pivot.” This technology is completely patent-free in Europe and is supposed to minimize the pedaling and braking influences on the suspension system in current Bergamont bikes.
Regarding the equipment, high-class and reliable components promise top performance and long-lasting riding enjoyment: the 180mm FOX Talas 36 can be lowered by 40 mm and boasts a FIT-damping cartridge and rebound adjustments, as well as tunable high- and low-speed compression settings. The rear suspension is damped by the high-volume RockShox Vivid Air R2C, offering low- and high-speed rebound for superb downhill performance.
Kicking back wheels on hard hits in downhill? Not a problem! Another highlight is the Hammerschmidt crankset, allowing the Big Air lots of freedom on the ground, and at the same time serving as chain guide, allowing the fastest gear shifts even under great stress. The pivot point of the rear suspension is exactly tuned to the Hammerschmidt crankset to minimize pedaling effects. The X0-gearand braking-center speaks for itself!
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BERGAMONT BIG AIR MGN | FACTS FRAME: FORK: REAR SHOCK: BRAKES: HANDLEBAR: STEM: INFO:
Alloy 6061, 185mm Federweg FOX Talas 36 FIT RC2 RockShox Vivid Air R2C Sram X0, 200 mm / 200 mm Easton Havoc Carbon 750mm Syntace Megaforce 2, 70mm www.bergamont.de
REAR DERAILLEUR: Sram X0-10, medium cage CRANKSET: Truvativ HammerSchmidt WHEELS: DT Swiss EX1750 TIRES: Schwalbe Fat Albert Evo, 2.4 SEATPOST: Rockshox Reverb, 125 mm SIZES: S / M (tested) / L
4799€eur 15,9 kg
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WHICH WAY TO GO? A LITTLE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE AT THE NEW GERMAN SPECIALIZED ENDURO SERIES.
Of course, I sort of knew what to expect on the first German Enduro-run in Winterberg. Two awesome days of riding Enduro with flowing downhills, relaxing climbs, and fun with the guys. The best thing about it: as opposed to downhill, there shouldn’t be any traffic jams on the track or gladiator-like safety jackets and full-face helmets that we would have to wear (in which you can only see nature through the fogged double glazed goggles or feel it, after a painful fall). The anticipation after those countless long days and nights at the office was enormous.
PHOTO SEBASTIAN SCHIECK TEXT ROBIN SCHMITT TRANSLATION MICHAELA JAMMERS
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Pain shared is pain halved! Riding up that hill together with your buddies is motivating!
Enduro riders are allrounders: André Wagenknecht proves his 4X-skills on the Continental-track.
But everything turned out differently. The voices and faces after the training day, a day prior to the match, couldn’t have varied more. Many complained about the long traverses on the gravel tracks, which cost a lot of meters in altitude – uphill and downhill – while others complained about sections of the track being too difficult. “If it rains, this is going to be suicidal!” Some pros even dropped out of the race – for several different reasons. Only a
few were stoked about the challenges – “After all, I’m not here to ride racing bikes.” Oh well. The night prior to the race, a short race took place on the modified Conti-track in order to determine the line-up for the Enduro race. The fact that the rest of the track wasn’t anything like that short section of the modified Contitrack, and that some riders entered the race with a 4-cross bike, left some question marks on a lot of faces, but – in the end the following race day counted!
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So we started the race with mixed feelings – after the occurrences the day before, euphoria was not dominating the ranks. In order to complete the course together, we decided to wait for each other after each stage and ride on together to the next one – our main focus was on the group experience and fun. Total-time-hurry? Not for us! A decision, which we made after a long discussion and philosophizing the night before the race, turned out to be an insight: everyone experiences Enduro differently and has
their own definition of it. For some, Enduro simply stands for climbing downhills with your own muscular strength; for others, it’s a relaxing ride with their buddies, or just simply a technical Enduro race. And then these questions came up: who defines Enduro? Which is the right format – mass start, single start, taking time with set start times? Training, or riding on sight? Questions over questions that can’t just be answered that quickly – even though there was enough time in between the different stages, at least for some people.
The winding course demanded a lot of effort, but most of all thick calves and hard acceleration – or the other way around? Nevermind, RenÊ Wildhaber has got both!
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No matter which track. Man against time. Push as hard as you can. Same conditions for everyone.
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Laura Brethauer going fast on her Cube AMS. The girls had to fight on the technical stages!
Others took the illegal short cuts and minimized the time in between the stages (the time in between isn’t relevant for the end result). Why? Mostly not even because of tactical reasons or to save energy, but rather due to a lack of will: rules and laws live off either strong control or the acceptance of those who are “ruled.” For the better alternative, you need more than just good organization. Good communication between organizers and riders helps to ensure acceptance, by explaining the meaning and purpose of rules and the track setup. Understanding all that will
help to make it easier to respect the rules! The fact is, Enduro lives off community, shared pain, effort, and fun. It’s a way of mountain biking that is theoretically accessible to anyone, and – even the pros say this – is supposed to be fun with its family kind of flair. And damn, it was! At the first stage already! No matter how big the discussion was on the night before – we were on our bikes together, suffered together pushing each other to get up that mountain to the next stage, and enjoyed the view together! Sounds like a happily ever after? Almost. Some Canadian friends gave
up and blamed it on the tires – it doesn’t matter what you make out of the track’s condition, there is no giving up, especially not for a pro! It’s not a question of how something is, but rather what you make of it. We definitely made the best of it: fun, action, excitement – and everything with our buddies. A great tour! And we learned something on the way too: a lot of work is ahead of us to form this young discipline. Better communication and collaboration between riders and organizers can move mountains! We are already looking forward to the next race! Thumbs up!
SPECIALIZED ENDURO SERIES POWERED BY SRAM // NEXT RACES: 15.-16. September // #3 Navis, AUT 13.-14.October // #4 Treuchtlingen, GER More Info: www.enduroseries.net
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CAN NOND ALE 2012 TRAIL SHAPER
test. jekyll carbon one PHOTO FABIAN RAPP TEXT & DESIGN DANIEL HÄBERLE TRANSLATION LISA GRETEMEIER
For a bike brand to name its Enduro bike Jekyll was actually just a matter of time. After all, today’s Enduro bike needs to strike by its schizophrenic design. Good against evil. Fast on uphill and downhill rides. Dr. Jekyll against Mr. Hyde. Is the test going to have a similar ending to the novel?
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„Schizophrenic Suspension“ Beginning with its black and white coloration, the splitting characteristics of the 150mm trail bike are quite obvious. But what’s really behind the facade of the perfectly shaped carbon ride? First impression: The Jekyll connotes a maximum value, even at a first glance. No surprise! No matter where you have your eyes, you always capture one upscale component after another. After all, you have to pay 5,499 Euro to call this bike your own. As initially mentioned, Cannondale puts an
all-carbon frame on the Jekyll One. The Dyad RT2 Pullshock, which was designed in cooperation with FOX, makes up the bike’s centerpiece. Because of its two massive air chambers, it actually appears quite stunning. The massive 1.5 headtube almost makes the slim Fox F32 Talas fork disappear in its shadows. Lots of gears at the handlebar let your mind disappear into the cockpit of jet fighter – only for a second though. The back wheel is held by a Syntace X-12 axle.
The bearings of the rear suspension also make a reliable impression, thanks to the solid and high-class industrial bearings. A combination of Shimano XTR/XT gearing and SRAM carbon crankset, as well as Mavic Crossmax wheels, is obligatory in this price range. Before enjoying the Jekyll, the fork and shock need skillful adjustments. What seems to be practiced sleepwalk regarding the fork turns out to be quite a memo-
ry when it comes to the shock. Two chambers of the Pullshock need to be filled with air. In the end this is rather easy, thanks to an imprinted scale and manual. Highand low-speed rebound can be tuned individually. The determination of the negative rear travel is a little more complicated, due to the construction design. There is no use of an O-ring or other measurements, but rather confidence in the “poppometer� and the scale. After a first tuning, we are off to the trail.
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Downhill and on the trail: with 150mm of front and rear travel, the Jekyll provides enough travel for rough terrain. A 68° steering angle may seem a little steep on the specs, but only makes itself felt with a little nervousness in really fast sections. Other than that, the Jekyll turns out to be an absolutely powerful sprinter in All Mountain/Enduro with sufficient absorption capabilities. However, the suspension set-up according to the scale seems a little disharmonious. The tight and sportive suspension system didn’t really want to go with the relatively linear spring rate curve of the sensitive Fox 32 Talas. Having released a little more air out of the shock (one level below the recommended benchmark), the rear experienced a plusher ride. Beginning with the first crank rotation, the efficient suspension system, together with the light wheels, let the Jekyll slide along the trail like a rocket. This is where the 12.3 kg bike plays out its trump card. Agile and with only a little stress, the Jekyll can be curled around the curves and im-
presses with its maneuverability. Thanks to its light front and short chainstays, a relatively slight pulling at the handlebar is sufficient to move the Jekyll onto its back wheel. And this is where we have to mention that our test bike was equipped with a 750mm- wide handlebar and a 50mm stem. Different to a conventional factory bike, but definitely fun according to our gusto! Almost standard, but nevertheless worth mentioning: the stepless adjustable Reverb seatpost. Click. With a 125mm higher saddle we are now on our way uphill. And this is where the previously mentioned gears come into the game. As soon as you have internalized the operating order, the ballsy trail bike transforms into a real climbing performer. The travel-adjustable and lockable fork at the front wheel constitutes a great support. At the rear we find the Dyad RT2 shock, which can be reduced to strongly progressive 90mm travel via the handlebar. The riding characteristics change within seconds. Jekyll turns into Hyde –a comfort you would not want to
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miss. Unfortunately, the remote lever did not turn out as comfortable. Due to the construction design, the release button is a little too wobbly to use – especially on the trail! Bottom line: the Jekyll is, without a doubt, a contradictory bike. On the one hand a trail bike par excellence: swift, frisky and fun. On the other hand a climbing performer, looking for an equal in his uphill mode with a rear travel of 90mm. Everyone willing to spend a little fortune acquires an exclusive bike in return, which offers equal fun on speeding down ordinary trails, shredding in the Alps, or on gravel-marathons on the way to the office. A little too exclusive and specialized? The unconventional construction of the shock might not meet everyone’s expectations, but it neither caused any problems during our test rides, nor did it raise any hasty skepticism. Our personal advice: everyone who enjoys riding in rough terrain should swap the front fork to a bigger one and add a chain guide.
5499€eur 12,3 kg
CANNONDALE JEKYLL | FACTS FRAME: FORK: REAR SHOCK: BRAKES: DISCS: HANDLEBAR: STEM: CRANKSET: SEATPOST: SADDLE: R. DERAILLEUR: TRIGGER: CASSETTE: WHEELS: TIRES: TUBES: SIZES: INFO:
Cannondale Jekyll Carbon FOX F32 Talas RLC FIT FOX Dyad RT2 Avid Elixir 9 Carbon 180 / 180 mm Truvativ Boobar 750mm Truvativ Holzfeller 50mm SRAM S2210, BB30, 38/24T Rockshox Reverb Fizik Gobi Mg Shimano XTR Shimano XT SRAM PG-1070, 11-36T Mavic Crossmax Schwalbe Hans Dampf 2.4 with air S, M (tested), L, XL www.cannondale.com
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If you have been to various press camps, you can probably foresee what this presentation is all about: “This year, our bike is even lighter, even stiffer, and therefore even faster than last year!” This is one of the common and often heard slogans. If this is what it takes to attract potential buyers – nice! At first glance, the explanation seems logical and that’s why the bikes are easily sold.
PHOTO SAMUEL DECOUT TEXT ROBIN SCHMITT TRANSLATION LISA GRETEMEIER
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Yet, this year is different. The place of consideration: a small village of twenty souls in Alsace. An alley, lined with white birches, led me directly to the Commencal Press Camp. Novelties for midseason and the upcoming year were supposed to be presented in a private atmosphere.
Day one: The short-travel trail machine Meta SL is being presented. 120mm. Which category? All mountain? Enduro? Tour? The target group is vague. It actually might need to be established or found first. But that doesn’t matter. It’s actually the same approach Apple had with their iPad. After a little discussion there are keywords like UK trail center or smooth singletrack. Well, that’s something, isn’t it!?
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It’s an entirely individual decis whether or not the Meta SL a purchase. Fact is, the 68° angle, the short chainstays (4 and the very compact and seating position equip the bik lot of liveliness and a great fu In rough terrain, the suspens tem slightly reaches its limit a little more linearity and a spring rate curve would be d and at the same time would d provide better safety and trac top of that, the XC-oriented S Rocket Rons reduce the down formance – at least on rough A little room for an “even bet formance, regarding the s on, was even affirmed by an u party: “Unfortunately we ha received the special tune by this year’s model. The perform good already, but the new se allow an additional boost!” are curious already. Without this bike is constructed for rid want a direct feeling while rid well-maintained trails, and w what a downhill-oriented geo worth. With this much riding almost forget its weight. Neve we should mention it anyways in medium size! Price: € 3,999
sion as to is worth steering 428 mm), centered ke with a un factor. sion systs, where less stiff desirable definitely ction. On Schwalbe nhill perh terrain. tter� persuspensiunofficial aven’t yet y Fox for mance is etting will Well, we a doubt, ders who ding down who know ometry is g fun you ertheless, s: 12.8 kg 9.
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LOTS OF AIRTIME AT BIKEPARK LAC BLANC
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It got down to business on the second day. Next to the 180mm park bike Supreme FR V3, the revised version of the DH V3 was being presented. Apart from weight savings of about 250 g, one special feature of the DH bike definitely needs to be highlighted: the confinement to moderation! A shock link built out of two pieces without connecting rods is supposed to provide lateral flex. A sense of less stiffness is quite evident: lateral ruts, like those in tough curves, cannot be completely absorbed by
the shock (unfortunately, suspension only works ideally in vertical directions). However, due to the lateral flex, the Commencal frame manages to “balance out� the irregularities a little more and therefore offers more traction, control, and with it faster times in curves. In contrast, a stiffer chassis would rather jump or drift here. In medium size, the DH V3 is pretty compact and clearly reveals its flexible-frisky character. At the same time, the Commencal manages the balancing act to offer enough safety and smooth running on rough trails.
In a nutshell: absolute feel-good geometry true to the motto “plug & play.” The defined suspension system absorbs well, is plush on the trail, and doesn’t sag to the sides in any way, which is not only positively noticeable in curves but also on jumps! The bike is just as sturdy when gliding through the air. The money-talk was a little less comfy. Colossal € 6,499 are to be paid for the only moderately equipped top version of the bike. X.9-trigger, home brand hubs? C’mon! That’s why this bike will stay a dream for many…
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THINK G RACE L
T L
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GLOBAL LOCAL
T G
R
PHOTO & TEXT MESUM VERMA TRANSLATION MICHAELA JAMMERS
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MAG41 RACING TEAM CHINA
F a S t c N B o p c w
Far away from those famous rice fields and the enormous mountain chains in Southwest China there is more happening than you would think at first: on the east coast are cultural centers like Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou; up north the capitol Beijing. All of them never-sleeping motors of China, the strongly growing economic power. That’s where money is made, stacked and spent – there’s nowhere in the world where Porsche sells more Cayennes,
where fashion labels have bigger stores – but at the same time there is another side to this coin. Lots of immigrants from the country, poorly paid employees, poverty– the contrast couldn’t be bigger. A Chinese middle class is barely existent. Nevertheless, you can still find them: the bike riders who don’t look at a bike as a means of transportation, but as sports equipment. Four years ago, a small bike scene was established, with three to four races a year.
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COUNTRY OF THE RED DRAGON They met up in small groups to have fun together, and of course to lock horns. Every now and then “laowais” (Chinese for “foreigners”) attended those races. That’s how, slowly but surely, the idea of forming a multi-national team arose: the Mag41 Racing Team China. Our fastest rider is Xu Jin, a bike mechanic living in Nanjing. He’s the only Chinese in this team. As an
ex-BMX pro, he had the perfect qualifications for downhill: his worst result, in his so-far second season in MTB DH was second place – after five races! The business city Shanghai is home to Marco. He’s a branch manager of a Swiss trading company and has one big problem: the size of China. Within a radius of hundreds of kilometers there are no mountains
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to be found – not necessarily the best circumstances for downhill. But he is even more motivated whenever he drives to his team manager in Nanjing to train together. “The French” works in Yancheng, 250 km north from Shanghai. Gueno is an engineer at a French company and, at 26 years, the youngest team member.
And then there is the “Swindian,” who was born in India but raised in Switzerland: Mesum Verma – he manages the team in China and is, as a photographer and founder of two MTB magazines in India, an absolute bike fanatic. Nevertheless, he has been asking himself: who is going to be interested in a bag of
rice falling over in China? Right, no one! But… China is a strongly expanding market, a market where the future of tomorrow is being formed. By now, there are over 30 downhill races all over the country, and several racing series. The government flies in Canadians to build bike parks. Three are soon supposed to emerge. Everywhere
there is construction and training going on. The racing atmosphere is going through a change – more excitement, more seriousness, a more competitive appearance. Compared to Europe, the scene is rather small in percentage to the population – but what’s one percent of one billion people again?
HEROES OF WORK ROBIN SCHMITT
MAX-P
A lot to do and even more ideas. Besides team management & Downtown magazine, planning the next issue of the mountain bike magazine is his main priority. Get ready to buckle up and hold on – next time it’s going to blow your minds!
On our way trip, MP ha ring every s tax accoun about it – s organizing
FLORIAN STORCH
FABIAN
And he did it again! With his loud, cheeky, but still very established style, “Storchi” is a real blessing for our editorial team. Not only in terms of his writing abilities – have we ever mentioned his skills on the dance floor?!
Fast daddy, of the ridin le, and auth Big Air test German Do ters’ league
MESUM VERMA
JENS S
Our man in China! The “Swindian” (Indian that grew up in Switzerland) is managing our Chinese racing team locally. On this note, thank you very much for a great time in Nanjing and always follow your nose: “Laowai!”
Inhouse ph de and join for design j us for the i example fo News.de &
PHILIP SCHMITT
DANIEL HÄBERLE
y back home after our China ad the honorable job of prepasingle Chinese check for the ntant – chapeau! Best thing soon he’ll have the pleasure of Asian checks again… hmmm?!
Daniel is one these people: he likes to ride fast, is not afraid of any climb, and charges downhill. Same applies to his activities on our editorial team: creating layouts, texts & researching – is that why he loves Enduro?
N ARZBERGER
CHRISTIAN LÄMMLE
y, husband to a fast wife, owner ng technique school Riding Styhor of this issue’s Bergamont t. Fabian is also the current ownhill Champion in the mase! www.ridingstyle.de
Graphic designer Chris is a highly sought-after man. With a couple of tough night shifts, he created clean & smart layouts for us – in order to improve the resolution of our issue. He rocked it, right? WWW.LAEMMLEDESIGN.COM
STAUDT
FABIAN RAPP
hotographer of MTB-News. nt owner of 4zig.net (network jobs). He was in Albstadt with interview with Sick Mick. Best or our cooperation with MTB& Synergieeffekte!
He managed to break out! After weeks of Christmas glitter, the smell of cinnamon, and candlelight in his own photographic studio, Fabian was excited to break out of his studio into nature. Check out his photos in the bike tests! www.fabianrapp.com
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Editorial Department Mag 41 www.mag41.com E-Mail: Info@mag41.com Publisher: 41 Publishing & Marketing UG Hummelbergweg 12 71229 Leonberg Directors: Max-Philip Schmitt, Robin Schmitt Editors: Robin Schmitt, Florian Storch, Mesum Verma, Daniel Häberle Design: Christian Lämmle, Daniel Häberle Photo: Ale di Lullo, Fabian Rapp, Sebastian Schieck, Mesum Verma, Jens Staudt Daniel Geiger, Samuel Decout, Johannes Herden, Advertising: Max-Philip Schmitt mpschmitt@mag41.de
Social Media: Manfred Schmitt Revision: John Morse Website: Daniel Adams ( bowstreet.de ) Special thanks to: Johann Flickinger, Daniel Geiger, Manfred Schmitt, Basti Dietz & all the other supporters © 2012 by Mag41 Publishing & Marketing UG. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this document or the related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.