Highway to the Downhill Zone

I couldn't have guessed. There's no way that I, or my riding buddies could have foreseen it. We'd only ever dreamed, but not once had we assumed it would become reality...

Things started slowly. An enduro race here, a trip down a "one spot DH track" there. Then we started pushing up hills, chatting about the runs we'd just done, favouring that over the slog of the uphill struggle.

Last summer, we booked the first of what has and will always be our annual Wales Pilgrimage, including Bike Park Wales on the opening weekend. Another day was spent at Antur Stiniog and the trip represented our first true uplift days. After the first run at Antur, we gathered at the bottom of the run, wide eyed and nursing a combination of emotions, ranging from fear to elation. We often talk about the effect when your speed reaches the point where your vision narrows to a single spot 30m down the trail. In reality, I've only ever experienced it in one location; Antur.

We were hooked on DH and once home, we started to build our experience at our local DH venue, Descend Hamsterley. I'd be lying if I said it had been smooth sailing. Some of the guys have suffered more than others, but we've been tackling the same features at roughly the same time, goaded on by the progression of our peers. At the time of writing, there are two features left for me to complete - horrible drops that I can't quite see myself landing - but I will, and I'll survive them. Fear is not something I've felt on the mountain bike for a while, but with DH, it's always there. The fear of hurting myself and the fear of being left behind.

Still, the fact that I'm on DH trails shows a huge boost in confidence and I attribute so much of that confidence to the Nomad. The Nomad, and my understanding of how to change suspension settings for different tracks / conditions.

So what happens now? Invest in a DH rig? Sell the Nomad?

I won't be getting rid of the Nomad in a hurry. I have a kind of loyalty to the bike that brought on my riding so much and it seems counter productive to get rid of it just because I'm starting a new discipline. After all, there will always be trail centres, and time trail / enduro races and kids rides. It's still such a capable bike, that for anything other than Redbull Rampage, it's going to cope...but still...still the security of being on a full DH rig must be the same in confidence again, right? I say "must" because I've not ridden one in anger, and that ladies and gentlemen, is the problem.

I want a DH bike. A good one. 27.5" carbon goodness with BOS forks maybe? It must look amazing too. Maybe I should just get a cheap one whilst I'm learning the turns? Nah, I always get the best I can manage. You see, I believe a bike should never be the excuse for a crap performance - only the rider. Anyone who really knows me, knows I'm obsessive by nature and this new discipline will consume my every thought and spare moment, until the next thing comes along. I will get a new bike within the next year or so, I'm convinced it will progress my DH riding further and I will approach this new chapter of mountain biking with the same emotions as Antur; fear and elation.

Happy riding!

Introducing Nomad...Finally!

There's not much more I can add - this is a fantastic bike to ride, and I'm having a blast on it. I'm riding quicker and more confidently every time I go out and hit bigger drops at every opportunity. All in all, well worth it!

Mowa, Mowa on the floor

Its another small part update today. I felt it was criminal to build this amazing bike and then simply zip tie the cables on. Mowa a create some really nice aluminium cable guides that are anodised in any number of colours. Whilst I agonised over the gold or black decision for a few seconds, I surmised that the last thing you want to do is bring too much attention to the cables so black it was.

As usual with Chain Reaction Cycles, the order arrived the next day with two boxes of clips. Obviously is straight out to the bike to fit them but was sorely disappointed to find they were loose and didn't clamp the cables tightly. The solution took a few moments to surface but turned out to be super simple. I raided the children's playroom for black play foam and found a couple of pieces that had fallen under their toy boxes. Then I grabbed some double sided tape from the "man drawer" where all useless items reside. By cutting off small rectangles and putting tape on them, I was able to stick them to the frame with the cables on top. The cable guides now grab the cables tightly.

Time will tell how reliable this fix is, but for now they look mint! I'll post photos when I'm home next!

It's the small things...

So, the breaking news is the bike was finished about a month ago and rides brilliantly...but more to come later!

What I wanted to talk about is something I'm very proud of, but no one would ever notice unless prompted! The KS Lev dropper seat post has been fantastic after an initial hiccup where I snapped the internal actuating cable - oops. The Lev comes with a nice outer cable which I assume is about 4mm in diameter. Now, being a perfectionist, I couldn't very well have different colour outers for gears, brakes and seat post, so the whole bike uses Jagwire Carbon Silver outers which (annoyingly) are 4.5mm in diameter. Admittedly, 0.5mm difference doesn't sound like a lot, but the outer has a special plastic cable end on it which, in addition to it's normal job, also holds the KS Lev aluminium cap in, so you don't lose it whilst chattering down the trail. The problem, which should be evident by now, is that the Jagwire outer doesn't fit in the cable end.

My first solution was to simple drill out cable end, which would have worked nicely had I not been hamfisted and drilled right through it - so I decided to make a new one...out of metal! Below is the process:

The Jagwire Carbon Silver kits come with a number of aluminium cable ends which complement the outers perfectly. I took one of those and flattened off a thin strip along its length so I had a good gluing surface.

Next, I took some old SPD cleats and used the countersunk bolt plate (the small one on the outside, not the metal plate under your foot) and used a Dremel style rotary tool to grind and sand a suitable lug.

Araldite Precision was the glue of choice (actually, the only suitable glue I had) and after a fiddle few minutes positioning the pieces, I left it to dry over night.

I checked it out this morning and gave the whole thing a once over with a sander to remove any glue, and it was done...

Trying the new cable end out in the Lev confirms a perfect fit and I'd be surprised if anyone could spot the difference, but I know...

Good things come to those who wait!

I'm still waiting for the frame to arrive at the not-so-local bike shop and the suspense is killing me! I must have built this bike a hundred times over every time I close my eyes so waiting for shipments from the U.S. is inconvenient at best!

All other parts arrived at the bike shop a couple of weeks ago, but it's about a 2-3hr round trip so it's not worth making unneccesarily and the frame is due the first week in February. To support the build, I have had to invest in certain tools. I thought it might be interesting to publish what is required:

• Lezyne Cassette & Bottom Bracket Tool
• Huge 38mm adjustable wrench
• 1/4" Torque wrench
• Magnetic hex bit to 1/4" socket adapter
• Teflon Grease
• Copper Grease
• Chain whip
• Shimano Hollowtech II Pretension Tool
• Spoke Tool
• IceToolz Headset Press
• Park Tool Crown Race Setting Tool (1.5")
• Birzmann Tube Cutter
• Superstar 3rd Hand Tool
• Superstar P-handled Allen Key Set

As you can see, there are alot of tools that I've had to add to my arsenal to actually be able to build this bike. I've been using these new tools to strip and deep clean my Cube Hardtail.

February can't come soon enough!

It's All Go!

So it's been a long time since I last updated this blog, but don't be fooled into thinking there has been a lack of progress. On the contrary, I am very nearly ready to start building. Here is the final build spec...

• Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon
• Fox 36 TALAS 160 RC2 QR20 1.5 Taper 2013 Forks
• Shimano XTR M986 Shadow+ 10sp Rear Mech
• Shimano XTR M985 Top Swing 2x10 Front Mech (Low Clamp, 34.9mm)
• Shimano XTR Shifters 10sp Direct Attach M980
• Shimano XT M771 10 Speed Cassette
• Shimano SLX M665 Double Chainset (175mm - 36.22t - 68/73mm)
• SRAM PC1091 10 Speed Hollow Pin Chain
• Fizik Gobi XM MTB Saddle 2012
• ODI Rogue MTB Lock-On Bonus Pack
• Easton Havoc DH Bar - Black Mid Rise 750mm
• Hope FR Stem - 50mm 0 Deg Gold
• Hope Head Doctor Headset Adjusters Gold
• Hope M4 Evo Brakes with Hope Matchmakers for XTR Shifters
• Hope Hoops Pro2 EVO Wheelset - Front & Rear - Stans Flow EX No Tubes - 2012
• Hope Tech Lever Shifter Mount Clamp Shimano XTR Pair Black
• Hope Ceramic Bottom Bracket in Gold (73mm)
• Superstar 180mm/203mm Floating Rotor Discs in Black
• Superstar Sintered Pads for Hope M4
• Cane Creek 110 Headset
• KS LEV 430mm Adjustable Seatpost (150mm travel)
• Jagwire Hose Kit Hyflo MTB Carbon Silver 3M
• Jagwire Ripcord MTB Gear Cable Kit - Carbon Silver
• Jagwire Hydraulic Fitting Kit (Formula & Hope)
• 2 x Continental Mountain King II Protection Folding MTB Tyre - 26 x 2.4

Interestingly enough, my timescales set out in my very first post have been spot on. I now have the majority of parts on my work bench and the final pieces are due for delivery shortly. The remaining parts are the frame which will be on it's way to the UK in the next few days, the fork and most of the Hope gear. They're all going to the same shop so will be picked up in early February.

If you've read my previous posts, you'll know that I had my heart set on a black/gold theme. Unfortunately the 2013 frame is no longer available in that configuration and Santa Cruz were unable to do anything such as provide a blank frame or produce a frame with old colours (believe me, I tried!). Also, removing the top clear coat to remove the decals voids warranty so that's that then. So, rather than swap to a black/blue theme, I am going to stick my head in the sand and march on regardless.

Finally, I'd like to share the detail I'm going to on this build. As you may have seen in my Hope M4 write up, I got the special edition team variants which are all black with green accents (bore caps and adjustment screws). I wanted the get the matchmakers for the XTR shifters to clean up the bars but I had to go to great lengths to find those in black to match! Additionally, at great effort and cost, I found a supplier to replace the adjustment screws with gold ones. I say supplier, it was actually two because neither had enough stock to replace all four! However, how amazing do they look?!

Hope Tech Evo levers with gold adjustment screws

Growing Arms and Legs

So I received some devastating news the other day; the black/gold colour scheme is no longer available from Santa Cruz and the new colours are also accompanied by a stiffer rear end 142x12 axle. I'd even bought a Fox Rampage Rockstar full face helmet on the basis of the black/gold theme!

So, current thought is get a frame, take it straight to an airbrush artist and get a custom paint job done. Only thing over the original I'd really like is a Union Flag (better known as the Union Jack) all in gold behind the seat tube ala Steve Peat's 2012 world champ v10 Syndicate bike.

Also, bars are going to be Boobars me thinks...

All this is really for my own memory so is subject to change!!!

Testing the Santa Cruz Nomad C

Where to start?! Another Thursday, another bike demo! This time, we headed over to Kielder Forest to try out the Santa Cruz Nomad C (for Carbon) on the Deadwater Trail. This type of riding is more akin to our usual, so I was expecting to instantly fall in love with the Nomad, partially because of the terrain.

As we arrived, I saw the bike sat in the shop's van and it really is as breath taking as a bike can be! The carbon is not the square patch carbon you may imagine, but indistinguishable from a car painted with a kind of pearlesant black paint. It seems to sparkle somehow, without being glossy like a painted/powder coated bike. What is clear that the carbon frame is special! This demo was fitted with Fox 36 Talas 160mm, a non-Kashima RP23 shock, Easton Haven bars (same as mine) and some DT Swiss wheels. The drive train was Shimano XT 3x9 or 3x10 (I didn't count!).

As I'm somewhat heavier than your average trail rider at around 205lb/93kg, setup took a little time. Even as I pedaled up to the trail head, I wasn't convinced it was right. Nevertheless, we headed out for a circuit of Deadwater to try it out. On the skills loop, it felt excellent. It had grip, the acceleration was fantastic, but I was climbing hills as quick as my buddy who is usually way ahead. I'm sure many factors will have played a part in that, but the stiffness and lightness of the bike was impressive.

A little way into the trail, I had a nasty crash, caused by what I believe was soft front end suspension. On a berm, there was a small ditch. The wheel dug in, the 160mm maxed out and I kept going, hitting my head and scraping my now bloody leg along the ground. Obviously this had knocked my confidence, but we finished the trail on a high - the last sections of Deadwater, straight after Superbowl are great fun.

Up to this point, I would have chosen the Yeti over the Nomad - no doubt at all.

Back at the car, we changed the suspension pressure and tried again. This time, I was able to trust in the bike to soak up the worst the trail had to offer, allowing me to go faster and faster, ultimately ending in a super fast run though the last sections! It felt so planted but man, this bike can fly too!

Flying, brings us nicely onto the Orange graded tabletops - it had to be done! The Nomad was effortless in the jumps and was easily clearing them (and more on a couple of occasions). My only problem with the jumps, and this is by no means limited to the Nomad, is that you have less feel on the face of a jump with a full sus bike. With the hardtail, as you push against the face of the jump, you can feel the opposite force pushing directly against your feet - not so with the Nomad (and I assume any full sus). Even so, the same technique seemed to work just as well.

I will mention that the Talas forks were mightily impressive as they were on the Yeti but I felt like the 36mm stantions were overkill for the riding we were doing. The bike felt front end heavy as a result so it might benefit from carbon bars and 34mm forks. The Pro Pedal feature on the shock was broken on the demo bike, and whilst the pedal bob was more noticeable than on the Yeti, it never felt like it hampered my progress. On the contrary, my climbing was quicker than it's ever been.

I've struggled to write this review, because it ultimately means I have to make my decision off the back of it. The big question is, is the Nomad worth £600 more than the Yeti SB-66? It is a question I'll be pondering for a while yet.

What I have learnt is that the Carbon-phobia is ridiculous and just shouldn't be worried about. Carbon and Aluminium have different failure modes - Carbon will break, rather than deform, but it will do that at far far higher loads. Stiffness is the amount of force that can be applied to a material whilst it can still return to it's natural form, which is very different from strength which will apply force until a material breaks. Bikes are measured in stiffness, because who wants to ride around on a mangled Alu frame?! In that respect, carbon makes a lot of sense and I truly believe it will be the norm for trail bikes.

Size to choose: X-Large

Rising from the Ashes of Cracked Dreams

I choose my words carefully when I say I love the Yeti SB-66c. It's not just a crush, but a full on infatuation so it is with a very heavy heart that I say the Yeti build is no more!!! Let me explain...

As you may have read, I was recently on a skills course with the guys from Pro Ride Guides. They do a lot of product reviews for the likes of MBUK including the review of the SB-66. They ride Santa Cruz Nomads themselves and were of the opinion that the SB-66 was more of a trail bike that wouldn't be capable of big hits like other similarly priced options. Believe me when I say I was crying on the way home...I wished I hadn't asked!

Fast forward a few weeks and the seed of doubt had been sewn, so I took the pragmatic approach and emailed Yeti with my concerns including whether the frame could cope with big hits and spills. As you would expect, their response was quick and encouraging. Then this happened...a forum post about the frames cracking and a number of people claiming "me too".

I do not have thousands of pounds to spend on a frame every month and the idea of a frame cracking whilst out in the middle of nowhere does not appeal. So, I've heeded the advice of people far more in the know than me, and arranged a test ride on a Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon.

The proposed spec is similar to the SB-66c with changes here and there (headset, longer travel seatpost, front mech, and bar grips!)

• Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon
• Fox 34 TALAS 160 FIT CTD w/Trail Adjust
• Industry Nine All Mountain (Black Stan Flow Rim, Black spokes, Gold Hub)
• KS LEV 430mm Adjustable Seatpost
• Hope M4 Evo Brakes
• Shimano XTR M985 Shadow+ 10sp Rear Mech
• Shimano XTR M985 Top Swing 2x10 Front Mech (Low Clamp, 34.9mm)
• Shimano XTR Shifters 10sp Direct Attach M980
• Shimano XT M771 10 Speed Cassette
• Shimano M810 Saint Bottom Bracket (73mm)
• Shimano SLX M665 Double Chainset (175mm - 36.22t - 68/73mm)
• Cane Creek 110 Upper Assemblies Separates  ZS49/28.6 8mm SH 1.5-1 1/8 inch Conversion, Zerostack, Short
• Cane Creek 110 Lower Assemblies Separates  EC49/40 SH 12mm 1.5 inch steerer, External, 49mm headtube bore
• SRAM PC1091 10 Speed Hollow Pin Chain
• Fizik Gobi XM MTB Saddle 2012
• Point 1 Split Second 50 (in black of course)
• ODI Rogue MTB Lock-On Bonus Pack
• 2 x Continental Mountain Queen Protection Folding MTB Tyre - 26 x 2.4