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

Testing the Yeti SB-66

Yesterday was a fantastic day! I got to test the large Yeti SB-66 aluminium bike in the beautiful North Yorkshire Moors. The night before the test, I had a quick chat with Ian, from Big Bear Bikes in Pickering who was due to take a friend and I on the guided test. We had a chat about skill levels, normal riding terrain and pedals. With that sorted, we arrived to a fully prepped turquoise SB-66 outside their shop. I was bowled over by it's confident look and stature in comparison to my trusted Cube LTD Pro.

Ian is a big advocate of natural off-road riding as opposed to groomed trail centers, so we headed towards Dalby Forest, stopping short at a car park overlooking the rolling Moors. It only took a few minutes to get used to the Yeti, which is testament to it's pedaling efficiency in my opinion. I was soon pinning it down hills and catching air off any bump I could find.

One of the highlights of the bike was the Fox 32 Talas 150mm Kashima forks. Without shadow of a doubt, these are the smoothest forks I have seen. On one occasion, they did dive causing a sketchy moment, but I'm told it's a characteristic I'm going to have to get used to on a long travel bike. The real party trick though, is the Talas feature. The SB-66 was no slouch on the climbs (I was, but that's another story!) but to provide even more of an advantage, a quick turn of the right hand Talas dial on the forks will drop them to 120mm. It effectively steepens the head angle by lowering the front of the bike, allowing for improved pedaling on climbs. When you're ready to descend, turn the dial back again and the forks gently rise back to their 150mm configuration. Very, very slick!

My major concern when moving from a hardtail to a long travel bike has been pedal bob. Through some miracle of engineering, at no point did I feel my energy was being sapped through the rear shock. There was no bob but by keeping an eye on the rather hypnotic rear shock, it was clear that the rear of the bike continued to react to the terrain, keeping traction at all times.

As mentioned, this was not the type of terrain my friends and I generally ride, but I know my Cube so well, I know exactly what it would feel like, so I my thoughts are in comparison to that. On a couple of descents, my head was telling me to pick my way through because my hardtail would kick like a mule, but then came the advice from Ian - "When we reach the next corner, fingers off the brake levers and let the bike go". I'm quite good at mind over matter (or talking myself into dangerous situations if you prefer), so I did as instructed and WOW! what a revelation! The Yeti soaked up all the roughness which allowed me to stay on track at hair raising speeds, but ensuring enough confidence that I was trying jumps en route. It was so poised, and never twitchy. When I've read that this bike or that bike will give you confidence, I always assumed it was over a matter of weeks as you get used to it, but it was instant. Seriously impressive stuff!

A benefit I hadn't considered was the lack of pain in my backside at the end of the ride. It was so much more comfortable, so I'm guessing long rides (5-6 hours) would be much more enjoyable.

When trying the scientific weight test (one bike in each hand), I believe my Cube and the Yeti weight almost exactly the same. That's some feat of engineering!

The drive train was XT throughout and I have to say, the gear changes was phenomenal! Maybe it was just that my own setup is getting tired, but the XT was very good. So much so, that I got Big Bear Bikes to give the Cube a full overhaul when we got back!

It wouldn't be fair to write all this up and not give a shout out to the lads at Big Bear Bikes. Their knowledge and willingness to help is unsurpassed. They opted to take us for a guided ride instead of giving us the bike for the day and not making the most of it. In addition, they brought along a Trek Rumblefish 29er to compare against. I was quite excited to try the 29er, but really didn't like it when I was actually on it.

Following the service of my Cube, my buddy and I headed over to Dalby Forest to hit the skills area and first couple of sections of the Black trail. After a few attempts we were clearing the table tops in the freeride section, and believe me when I say these things are BIG! Okay, maybe not Brandon Semenuk big, but big enough for us. It's such a buzz when you take off and make the perfect landing on the down slope instead of catching a wheel on the top.

What a day! And next week, I'm testing the Santa Cruz Nomad C - I can't wait!

Size to choose: 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

That Flat Feeling

Many moons ago, before getting my Cube LTD Pro, I used to ride with flat pedals. Once I started riding with the guys from work, I got into the idea of being clipped in. The reason was three-fold (although misguided)

1. I could cheat at bunny hopping (true, but bad practice)
2. I could pull as well as push on up hill pedaling (bad idea as it turns out)
3. You stay attached to the bike on jumps (true)

The downside to clipless pedals are that it's easy for your technique to get lazy. So I've done it - I'm back to flats with a set of Superstar Components Thru-Pin Nano pedals and 510 Impact Low shoes.

On my first ride, I'm loving them and I feel as secure as I do clipped in. A good move that is bound to bring on my riding.

I thought this might be a good time to update you on the Hope M4 brakes as well. I had some trouble fitting these. The fronts were perfect, but the backs just didn't seem right. I emailed their excellent support team and went through the motions though it transpires I'd followed the instructions to the letter. So, I stripped them off and refitted them and I can only imagine that I hadn't centered the calipers properly the first time round. These things are amazing!

They never grab, the reach and bite point adjustments are a revelation and they don't fade. I've heard the sintered pads are even better so I'll try those when it comes time to replace. I couldn't be happier.

Pro Ride Guides

In November 2011, myself and two friends attended a private course at Hamsterley with Pro Ride Guides. It was Joe Rafferty taking the course - if the name sounds familiar, Joe and his brother Alex are the guys responsible for the MBUK skills pages and a good share of their bike reviews too. It was fair to say we were going to get a lot out of the day, but things turned bad when one of our group had a insignificant-looking that actually resulted in a broken ankle and 8 months off the bike!

Joe kindly offered to finish the course at a later date, and that took place at the end of July 2012. The setting was Stainburn in Yorkshire this time. We rode the trails a few times and did a huge amount of skills training in and around the car park and finally headed back to the trail.

Joe used an iPad to replay various features and show where we could improve and reinforce what we were doing well - very high tech but it worked well.

As someone who enjoys buying gadgets and bike parts, I reluctantly came to the conclusion that no bling or bike will improve your performance more than a private skills course. There really is no better "bang for your buck".

Below are some shots and a video of the day. Anyone who has tried videoing or photographing a mountain bike will know how difficult it is to show the perspective. This rock looked FAR worse from the top than it does here!

All in all, a fantastic day and I would highly recommend the friendly guys at Pro Ride Guide.