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10/06/2008
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Bikes Only
Words and photos unless noted Cam McRae
Click images to enlarge
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I guess it's just not feasible. Thinking about the pros and cons of the
Sea Otter Classic, and swirling the somewhat bitter aftertaste around in my
mouth, I have come to some conclusions. The first one is that this is
an event for competitors. At Crankworx there is a lot to see and do as
well as some world class riding on and off Whistler Mountain. At Sea Otter
most of the courses are closed to Joe Rider, and while there were some nice
demo zones - including a couple of sweet pump tracks - if you aren't a racer
you end up being a wall flower.
The events I like best have a great community feel. They bring people together
and make you feel like you are part of something. The best example I've
seen of this is the North Shore Ripper series. Obviously these are tiny
compared to Sea Otter but it would probably be possible to make the Otter seem
smaller. I watched some of the awards being given out this year and there
was a two bit stage set up at a dusty intersection in the expo area. There
were some nice grass zones that would have been perfect for this - and why not
have some of the race heroes get up there and address the masses as in years past?
I'm not saying it would be easy to make this a friendlier, more inclusive event
but it's certainly worth a try.
The 2008 Norco Shore Frame looks very nice. It features
a 150 mm Maxle at the rear and a 1.5" head tube to go along with some sweet
hydroformed tubes. It also loses 1.6lbs when weighed against the 2007
model.
One of the issues is the huge venue. Laguna Seca is a motor speedway
when Sea Otter isn't happening and the scale is large. It's a 20 minute
walk from the dual course to the downhill and there are no shortcuts - everyone
funnels into a few walkways that go over the race track. Events
held at ski hills have a focal point and finish lines can be placed near one
another to keep the vibe rolling.
Still, Sea Otter signals the start of riding season and the energy and optimism
are palpable. Riders are displaying their brand new bikes, companies are
showing off new designs and everyone is stoked to be leaving winter behind.
There is also a massive number of the best riders in the world from every dirt
discipline and the opportunity to ride on the same course as Steve Peat or Cedric
Gracia is a rare treat. The best event at the Otter is probably the XC
race. It is a long and picturesque course with ample climbing and descending
and a good mix of passing opps and single track. The short course is a
great spectator event with lots of excitement and the dual (no 4X this year
for some reason) always draws scores of racers and spectators. The downhill
is short (just over two minutes for the winners) but it has some nice spectator
features and it's an easy start to the season for most racers. The Super
D, a first for Sea Otter this year, was by all accounts a bust. The course
covered a lot of ground on fire road and the finish line was just 300 vertical
feet lower than the start. Predictably an XC rider won and someone even
rode a cross bike. That's not super and it's no D.
The absence of compelling competition left great opportunities for to scope out
2008 bike goodies - like the ones you'll see below from Norco, Bionicon, Tomac
(yes they are back) and Commençal.
Ben Boyko's Norco Six - he'll be saddling this up for Slopestyle's
and for much of his filming this year.
Et tu Brute? I felt surprised and a little bit betrayed
when I laid eyes on Norco's 29" wheel bike. I guess I shouldn't knock
it until I try it but I just can't see these bikes being much good in B.C.
The Bionicon Edison - this could be a very capable and versatile
29lb ride with 150mm of travel front and 140 rear.
Bionicon is a German brand that has engineered a unique system into each of their
bikes. Hoses connect the front fork with the rear shock and air can be transferred
between the two by operating a bar-mounted valve switch. Want to go uphill?
Press the button, lean on the fork and air pressure moves rearward and tips the
bike forward. The ride height of the fork drops and the rear shock extends
increasing the seat angle. When it's time to point it you just hit the valve
again and squeeze air in the opposite direction to transform the bike into a slack
and capable descender. It sounds a little gimmicky but I've ridden their
big bike, the Ironwood, and I really liked it. Bionicon is interested in
getting us a test bike so you may hear more about this soon.
The Super Shuttle has a little more travel (150mm front, 160mm
rear) than the Edison, slacker angles and a slightly longer wheelbase.
All Bionicon models share a triple crown fork design and a zero
offset fork. The offset comes from the head tube junction where the crowns
reach forward to capture the stanchions. This gives a full 180 degree
turning radius. The unique bar to bike junction allows for a variety of
stem length options - again adding to the bike's versatility.
Who is that guy? He looks familiar. John Tomac putting
his namesake bikes through their paces at Sea Otter. Photo ~ Sterling Lorence
The Tomac brand originally went into production in 1999 - a year after the company
was founded by Doug Bradbur and John Tomac. The brand was licensed to the
American Bicycle Group from 2001 to early 2005 when it went dormant. Joel Smith,
formerly brand manager for Answer Manitou, began re-launching Tomac in 2006 and
the new bikes debuted at Sea Otter. The presentation was held the day before
I arrived but I did have a chance to meet with Joel and hear about the trial and
tribulations of reviving a bike brand. Joel, along with his wife and their
young daughter, spent three months in Taiwan overseeing production and making
sure every was happening as it should.
More hi jinx from Tomac. Photo ~ Sterling Lorence
Never heard of John Tomac? Here are a few of his accomplishments during
his 30-year racing career (1975-2005) on bmx, road bikes, XC bikes and even DH.
•6 Time World Champion
•4 Time NORBA World Champion
•1 European World Title
•1 UCI World Title
•10
Time National Champion
•5 NORBA National Titles (3 DH, 2 XC)
•2 National Road Race titles
•1 BMX National title
•1 World Cup Championship
•3 World Cup Final Event
Wins
•8 World Cup Event Wins
•14 NORBA National Event
Wins
•1 Amateur National Motocross Championship |
•Mountain Bike Hall of Fame Member
•U.S.
Cycling Hall of Fame Member
•1991 Velo News Mountain Biker of
the Year
•1994 Korbel Lifetime Achievement Award
•1996
Mountain Bike Action Rider of the Year
•1997 NORBA Sportsmen
of the Year
•1997 Mountain Bike Action Rider of the Year |
The Tomac Snyper is a 140 mm travel trail bike. Photo
~ Sterling Lorence
John Tomac and Doug Bradbury are very involved in the resurrection of the brand
and the company's goal is to create products that reflect John Tomac's unparalleled
legacy.
The bikes themselves are all single pivot designs with rocker links.
The folks at Tomac tell us this config. was chosen because of its superior stiffness,
non-linear shock rate, simplicity and light weight. Instead of a pivot
at the rear dropouts the Tomac bikes use a carbon fibre flex stay to increase
rear end stiffness, reduce weight and to eliminate what they call a "heavy,
loaded bearing."
The DH bike wasn't on display at Sea Otter but it will be available only as
a frame in 2008 and is said to rotate through 220mm of rear wheel travel.
The Tomac Carbide is a 90mm travel machine. This is not aimed
at the North Shore market. Photo ~ Sterling Lorence
Cedric Gracia's Commençal Meta 5.5.
And Cedric's Supreme DH machine.
I'm still running a hefty sleep debt (woe is me!) but I'm determined to squeeze
every bit of Sea Otter Juice out onto your screen. Stay tuned for info
on the Furry Flury jump comp, the DH race as well as more product info.
Speak
it here.
Cam McRae
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