Timmigrant profile

I'd like to have a go on one regardless!

What Pete said, I'd love to see that. Having spent time on a track in my slow ass Honda and being mentally tired after a couple 20 minute sessions at 1G, I can't imagine how tough those machines must be at 4G. Factor in the additional effort of 80kg brake pedal force multiple times a lap, a gorilla pulling on your helmet, multiple brake bias adjustments per lap, engine modes, ERS modes, DRS activation, wheel to wheel racing, calculating lap time deltas of various tire compounds vs. fuel load and tire wear ... and still having the mental bandwidth to watch the track side screens to see where your competitors are. It all seems "easy" from the outside, but those drivers are incredible athletes.

I don't think anyone is wrong here, but I think the particular bikes geometry, suspension kinematics and vertical travel all play a part. The Druid certainly feels like it has more travel than its published 130 mm of travel when descending. I've ridden some bikes with more travel that feel less capable. The perfect Druid+ for me would be a bit more rear travel, with more fork travel, but I'd more so want a slacker head angle than either of those with a touch more reach to increase the wheelbase.

Fully agreed, but what's neat with MotoGP is even when Marc is so dominant, what he's doing on the bike is much more visually apparent than F1. Regardless of whose leading I can watch that man sliding through corners all day long ... and then those saves in 2019!

I'm also a MotoGP fan and watch every race. What a year for the Marquez brothers!

You have to at least try and ride all the skinnies!

That made my palms sweaty!

I have the Osprey Savu and frequently use it with the pouch full, and two large water bottles. It's comfy and seems to stay put when riding.

Giant were the first to admit that the previous versions weren't up to task. I was still skeptical to test and trust these wheels for that reason. Giant told me the rims had been redesigned, and they'd had some fast local guys on them with good success. I ramped up the abuse on these and was quickly pushing these past the limits of my abilities with no problems. I have to say the latest versions of the TRX0 tested here proved impressively strong and durable. Its further good to hear that Giant was great with their warranty.

Great comment! Everything you said is bang on, and so I went and took a closer look at the wheel. When the spoke failed I noted it was in the middle and near where the spokes cross. I saw some abrasion on the spoke, facing into the wheel, and just assumed it was from spoke to spoke contact. I WAS WRONG. The spokes are all miles apart and no other spokes have any abrasion. The portion of the spoke with the abrasion mark is free to rotate because it's straight pull. Closer inspection reveals a damage area to the spoke that must have been caused by a rock strike, crash or shuttle damage. No marks on any of the other spokes. The damage must have created a stress riser in the spoke, and it failed in fatigue. Classic case of miss diagnosed failure. I've requested to have that paragraph updated. 

As for the crash. It was nasty. I just missed the tree with my head, but went right shoulder into the trunk. I don't think I've ever stopped that suddenly before. As I hit the ground I was certain I had broken everything in my shoulder. I picked my bike up expecting my shoulder to fall apart, but it surprisingly stayed together. It was sore, thumbs tweaked, but everything still moved, so I rode out the stage. I'm still bewildered I didn't break my shoulder in that crash.

To my understanding it is the 36 Grip2 damper. Having ridden both the 36 and the Z1 with the Grip2 the damper performance feels identical. Also my Z1 is a 180 mm travel 27.5, which I don't believe is a variant option on the 34. The air spring for the Z1 is different to the 36 however due to the thicker stanchions being used.

I noticed an increase in stiffness with the Marzocchi Z1 over the Fox 36 and the Lyrik. Apparently the Z1 CSU is also less susceptible to creaking. Better yet the Grip2 damper will drop into the Z1 chassis. It's the setup I'm running at the moment and love the fork. I love the stiffness of the Z1 chassis, I like the air spring, and as you know the Grip 2 damper is outstanding.

Over the last 18 months I've got 55 bike park days, and 250,000+ m of vertical on a set of Race Face Next R pedals. Tons of bike park, pedaling, shuttling predominately between Whistler and North Shore. I'd had some issues with the previous generation Next SL cranks, but the newer Next R carbon cranks have been flawless. I've also been impressed with the newer bottom brackets. Still on the original BB.

klankilla, you're right a lot of trails in Squamish and Whistler were built by moto trials guys. However moto trials bikes are definitely not easier on the trails. There is an order of magnitude fewer riders, and all the purely moto trials trails I know in the Sea to Sky are in far worse shape that any of the comparable age mountain bike trails.

That's great, you're making progress in the right direction. I agree with what Znarf is saying. I've been running a Luftkappe from Vorsprung. This increases the negative chamber volume, and reduces the positive chamber volume, which makes the air spring more progressive. This way I can run the fork softer off the top, but then nice and progressive. This seems to match the rear of the Range well. The last 10 mm is emergency travel on the fork for mistakes, and is quite difficult to get through. The new Lyrik seems to have gone in a similar direction. I believe they make a similar product for the 36, which might help make the fork more progressive.

But before you start buying parts for the fork you can also try and add a bit more LSC and remove a few psig of air. Removing a click of rebound might also help. The combination should help the fork stay a little taller in the travel under braking and other low speed inputs, but still allow you to get through more of the travel with higher speed compressions. All without making the fork too harsh or too mushy.

You're most welcome, and it looks like you're trending in the right direction! 30% is probably a bit too much, and I find the bike still works very well with a little less sag. Aiming for 28% should make a positive difference.

Unfortunately the only way to combat the bottoming out is either to increase the air pressure or increase the compression damping. You might want to try a bit of both, to better control the bottom out events. Try increasing the high speed compression a few clicks, and see if that makes an improvement. If possible try and take a sag measurement, and let me know where you're at. I do bottom the rear of the bike once or twice a ride, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. 

As for the fork I personally prefer to run the HSC almost all the way out, with some LSC. I find this gives good support during braking and cornering, but lets the fork soak up the high speed bump in places like the bike park. You'll notice I've taken a similar approach on the rear shock setup.

The bikes are the same, but I wasn't sure if the Fox X2 shocks came with the same number of spacers. I think that shock needs the full 5 spacers in the air can to get anywhere near the air spring progression I like.

I'm a little lighter than you, but I run my bike a bit firmer than most. Try my settings with 200 psig in the air spring and let me know how things go.

What settings are you running on the fork? You want to make sure that when you're bouncing the bike in a quasi normal riding positive that the fork and shock are compressing and rebounding at similar rates.

Hey kenwood. I know we don't know each well yet, but how much do you weight, and what fork are you running?

As for the Fox X2 this is the setup I'm running. I find this gives me the best compromise for the variety of terrain I ride from soft, slow, steep loamy trails, to wind open fast bumped out trails in the Whistler Bike Park, to pedaling efficiency.

Air Can has 5 (max) spacers. This was the stock configuration on my 2017 Range frameset. Check yours is the same.

Air Pressure; 200 psig (this is going to be different on your bike as the leverage ratio is different). I personally run my bike a bit stiff at 25%. Most folks prefer 28 - 30% sag.

LSC - 11 clicks out from fully closed

HSC - 16 clicks out from fully closed

LSR - 15 clicks out from fully closed

HSR - 15 clicks out from fully closed

Adjust the rebound settings to your taste, mine are probably on the quicker side for most. If you increase air pressure then fewer clicks out of rebound, and vice versa.

Top three get automatically volunteered for next race?

Come in guys! Brian and Maya are doing a killer job keeping this afloat. It can't happen without more helpers! If a quarter of the racers volunteered to help out with just one race, maybe we'd even see Brian race one of the Fivers.

Awesome Apres burgers Steed Cycles! Thanks! Love the new shop!

We're all scared to see Brian race!

Agreed that was an awesome race and loved the different course, even though I suck going up. Fantastic after party by Steed! Thanks!

And a round of applause to all those in the tight and bright outfits, well played.