Sport Systems MountainTop Cycling is happy to announce that New Mexico Sports Authority will be the title sponsor for this years New Mexico Mountain Bike Championships.
New Mexico Sports Authority supports local, national and international sporting events. Their motto is “Creating a Destination though Sports”
Now this is the bike that I cannot wait to rip!
Why?
Because it’s super fast, super efficient, and surprisingly comfortable.
I borrowed a teammates 2010 S-Works EPIC with SRAM XX, front and rear spez suspension with the Brain, on Roval Control SL wheels (1385g). If you’ve ever been sketched out by borrowing a bike you can’t afford to jack up…this is that time for me. This bike is stacked with all the components I could wish for on a full suspension platform that is designed for one thing – speed through efficiency!
My first impression of the bike was – WHAM I’d been transported to early April and my fitness was top notch! It seemed as if it was too easy to ride this fast given my off-season-lack-of-form. Seriously, I felt like I was floating up hills and railing this flyweight bike through the turns as if I had extra fitness and speed to give.
The component mix is top notch (SRAM XX, Spez Carbon everything, lightweight yet sturdy wheels (140g less than my XTR’s from last year), and the best Avid brakes I’ve ever squeezed.
The frame is as killer looking as it is to ride, smooth carbon that inspires confidence. The front and rear suspension need some setup and re-adjustment to get the right combination of absorption and efficiency. Efficiency is the strength of this bike and it often times felt so stiff I had to bunny hop it to make sure the suspension was actually working. After lowering my shock and fork pressures in the front and rear I started to feel the absorption more over the embedded rock sections. The Brain is really easy to adjust with external clicker knobs and noticeable clicks when adjusting. The feeling of an inertia valve opening is different to say the least, I’ve used inertia valve forks before and it was a quick reminder of that feeling. The benefit of the Brain is that you get the suspension when you need it (activated by upward pressure on the wheels) and not when you don’t (driving the pedals down and hammering). I cannot imagine trying to replicate this by locking out/unlocking a fork or shock, it would be humanly impossible. On this bike it’s done for you immediately based on the terrain. I understand why it felt so fast, like a full rigid bike on the smooth hammering section, and a smooth full suspension over the rocks and through the braking bumps.
It’s a leap to lose control over lock/unlock or pro-pedal on/off suspension adjustment. I am betting that this pays off in speed and faster times this season. Hopefully it will work so well that I never want to go back to a fork that I have to manually lock or open again…hopefully. If two days in the foothills are the early indicator, a race season on this bike should be very fast! One question still remains though – If a bike can make me feel this good in the off-season; can I skip intervals this Spring?
Damian
