NSMB.com Team

2011 Specialized SX Trail

Posted by Jerry Willows on 2010-10-24

The last time we posted a bike check some folks missed that the bike was under one of our team riders - despite the provisos top and bottom.  I will try and be a little more emphatic this time. Jerry Willows is one of our team riders and he also works on product development and testing for Specialized - so he often gets bikes first.  This is not meant as an unbiased, objective editorial review - for the simple reason that there is the perception of bias.  It is meant to be informative and to give you some of Jerry's impressions of the bike.  Please let us know what you think about this using the link at the bottom of the article. Cam McRae

I've been testing the 2011 Specialized SX Trail since early June and I'm pretty sure I got the very first one.   I've been on a SX Trail since 05 and very familiar with the model.  It came via courier along with the Demo 8 (sort of stoked) then straight to John Henry Bikes for Buckwheat to work his meticulous magic.  It sure created a buzz getting built up at the local shop and suspension setup at SuspensionWerx.  So what's all the fuss about ?  Well the bike has been arguably the best all arounder for awhile and it just got better for 2011.  Main highlights for me:

- travel jumped to 180mm (different stroke length on shock which gives a lower leverage ratio)
- 12 x 142mm rear hub spacing (stiffer is better)
- slacker Head Angle (from 66.5 to 65.5)

This bike is supposed to replace the Demo 7 (as well as the previous SX Trail) but I found the bikes are different animals.  The Demo7 felt like a Demo 8 with less travel and the new SX Trail feels like the older SX Trail but better.  More details on riding impressions coming up.

Small details for 2011:
Hydroformed Seat Tube: eliminates forging which reduces weight but keeping the strength.
Eccentric Pivot: stiffer rear end.  There is a pic and explanation further down the article.     Customized SX Trail

I'm not sure what she weighs in at but out of the box it's 36 lbs.  I have dual ply Maxxis Ardents and the Hammerschmidt to weigh things down a little.  My Lyric is 170mm and the stock fork is 180mm so my H/A is around the 66 degree range.    12x142 mm rear hub spacing

Not another standard !  Here's the deal on this one:

- This system is supposed to be as fast as a quick release but Specialized has a couple of bolts you need to undo before getting to the thru axle: In my experience it's not as quick as the QR but the self centering feature is nice.
- supposed to be as stiff as 12mm x 150.  Not sure, feels stiffer than a QR but an engineer could give you the numbers.
- wheel dish is the same and cassette/rotor are in the same relation to the hubs centerline as previous SX.
- works the same as QR for chainline so no need for an 83mm bottom bracket shell.      Eccentric Pivot - Specialized's linkage system featuring a main pivot with eccentric spindle and wishbone shock yoke.  A true North Shore bike is always dirty BTW.

Sounds like a mishmash of engineer lingo but basically it creates a stiffer rear end by the eccentric spindle using an offset bolt location that can only key in at one position, leaving the two sides of the link no room to twist.  Fancy Schmancy Mr. Chamberlain!    The infamous "Loam Ranger" in his element.  I also hate having my picture taken.

For me it's a hard bike to peg down in a category as it does everything well but doesn't stand out in any category.  You're not going to win any DH races with it (well maybe Sea Otter) and you're not going to out-climb an All Mountain bike on it but you will keep up.  I would put it in "if you have one bike" category.  I've climbed Old Buck in mid ring with it, rode every trail in Whistler Bike Park, Ride Don't Slide and the best of what the North Shore gnar has on offer.  The only place I wouldn't take this bike would be the Chilcotins. I've logged more saddle time on this bike than the Demo this year which is a first.  I really look forward to my all mountain Seymour rides with it.
   I love bikes !

It definitely likes to go down more than up but it's capable at both.  With the slacker H/A and slightly more travel it doesn't climb as well the SXT of 2010 (barely noticeable) but it certainly goes downhill faster.  It doesn't give a feeling of a DH bike like a Demo but is more nimble and agile especially at the lower speeds which makes it perfect for 95% of the North Shore trails.  At higher speeds the bike really comes to life.    Getting jiggy with it.

    Nothing beats riding the North Shore in the fall.

In the big picture not much has radically changed but what has changed is for the better and you can feel it.  It is currently my true all mountain bike.Cheers,
Jerry Willows

Jerry rides for team nsmb.com and Specialized.  He's sponsored.  This is not intended to be a bike review.  If you need more clarity on this please see my note at the top of this article.
What do we have to say this week?  Let's hear it here...

Cable cam

Posted by Justin Wyper on 2010-09-18

So this year I have been rocking BlackMarket Frames as some of you know. On of the things we are doing is web edits, four a year.  Peter Bailey (Epic Mountain) is shooting them, and doing a killer job behind the lens. Here was the first of four

Justin Wyper June 11 2010 from peter bailey on Vimeo.

We are curentley working on the second edit and we are upping the ainti. This edit will be a little more mountain focused. One thing we were discusing is how we didnt want it to be like every other bike park web edit that is out there. So we are taking are time and trying some new things. One new thing that we have not done is use a cable cam.

Here is a little tease of whats to come. This is the first time we used the cable, just some test shots to see how things will work. we have figured out all the kinks and have got some amasing shots for the edit. but for now check out a few throw away shots... (they are about halfway through the video)

Josh Stack and Justin Wyper from peter bailey on Vimeo.

My Spanish Experience

Posted by Eamonn Duignan on 2010-09-17

Where to start? Well I guess it would help to give some context to how I ended up doing shuttle runs in the south of Spain on a fully supported trail shredding, and berm-blasting mission with an unruly and utterly fantastic bunch of English and Irish bike junkies. I guess I owe it all to my girl? You see, I was planning a trip to see my girlfriend graduate from her master’s program in Madrid, after which we had planned on joining her family on a little get-away to Spain’s Costa Del Sol for a few weeks. Then I thought, wouldn’t it be rad to do some riding while I was there?  Bike and beach: the best of both worlds combined.  Eventually, with a little guidance and support from nsmb and Rocky Mountain, I was able to hook up with MBUK for the systematic abusing of my 2011 Slayer on Spanish soil.

Riding bikes in Spain. It doesn't get much better. Photo: Pete Drew

For the duration of our MBUK shoot, we were stationed in the pueblo of Benalmadena — a picturesque mountainside town in the province of Malaga, situated about 430 kilometres south of Madrid, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.  The crew for the trip consisted of staff writer and fellow Irishman Ric Mclaughlin from MBUK, Pete Drew from Silverfish UK- the distributors of many fine products, including Rocky Mountain Bikes (shameless plug)-and Jim Varney, freelance photographer for MBUK and all around nice guy. And last but not least, our Spanish liaison/ tour guide and owner of SwitchbacksDH.com, Michael Saunders.  

  The Motley Crew. From left to right: Jim Varney, Ric Mclaughlin, Michael Saunders, 'Lucky' our driver, and myself. Photo: Pete Drew

When people ask me what the riding in Andalucía during peak summer was like, I usually say something akin to, “It’s like riding in an oven with your full face helmet on.” In short, it was damn hot. For a kid visiting from the west coast of Canada, adjusting to the heat was probably the biggest challenge, aside from maybe the jetlag. Luckily I arrived several days before the crew came, so I was somewhat able to acclimatize to the daunting heat. We had a few days of shooting that were well into the 40’s, with locations that had zero shade. The sun was so intense that between shots, or when the photographer was busy setting up, we would scuttle like ants running for their lives from a magnifying glass to the nearest sliver of shade.

What? Shirts off are mandatory in Spain! Photo: Pete Drew

After our first afternoon shooting, we decided it was best for our health to ride in the early morning, stop for the pool and mandatory beverage break during the peak sun hours, and then ride again in the evening.

The trails we rode ranged from haphazardly made tracks too some pretty fun DH shuttle rips that ranged anywhere from a few blistering minutes to about half an hour in length. Over the course of the trip we rode a number of trails and DH tracks. Our first trail, dubbed the ‘Sram Test Track’ gave us a good taste of what the local conditions were like. The terrain shifted from super loose and ultra-light dirt, to sand, to hardpan single track, to rock-garden outcroppings, then back again (not necessarily in that particular order) and all in the matter of a few feet.  At first the conditions proved challenging, but as time passed, and you placed more faith in your front tire’s ability to hook-up in the powder like dirt, things became more natural.

As the sun goes down in Spain. Photo: Pete Drew

We rode through “forests” that literally consisted of nothing soft or cushioning, and very little that was green to be honest. It seemed that every single plant was a thistle, prickle, or some sort of jagged spear with razor sharp edges that were more than eager to draw blood. This made eating it in a patch of the nearest green a less-than-ideal option.

The Spanish back country. Photo: Pete Drew

One thing that really struck me about riding in Malaga, Mijas, Torremolinos, and Benalmadena was that, no matter where we were, we were never far from an urban area. This was especially apparent when riding ‘911’, which actually finishes at the beach (via a considerable road ride) and starts at a significant elevation. One minute it seems that you’re in the middle of the Spanish backcountry, and the next you are literally under a 6-lane freeway wondering how in the world this was possible.  It was an unnerving and contrasting trait compared to riding in BC, but one that it I feel really embodies the European experience.

Malaga's coastline on a hazy day. Photo: Pete Drew

It is truly funny, the more spots that I get to ride in this world, the greater my appreciation and love for home becomes. Riding in Spain certainly has it pros, and was unquestionably a great experience, but it’s kind of like getting sent to the minors once you’ve played in the majors all your life. Anyhow, keep your eyes open for a feature or two about our escapades in Spain in upcoming MBUK issues, and in the mean time, live your life, ride your bike, and keep smiling.

Eamonn

Whistler - The Non Riding Side

Posted by jaydub on 2010-08-18

Last Sunday I was cranking laps in Whistler and misjudged the opening corner on Lower A-Line.  End result was not good.

I really need to wear pads... lesson learned.

What to do in the best bike park on the planet and your not able to ride ?  Turns out a seasons pass at the bike park is good for all mountain access including the $50 million Peak to Peak Chair that was built for the 2010 Olympics .  I decided to take full advantage of this.

I hopped on the Whistler Village Gondola and took it as far as I could. At the top I walked down  to the Peak Express Chair which took around 10 mins.  This takes you as high as you can go on the mountain and I thinks it's 7,100 ft.  I didn't have anything good for a camera so my BlackBerry had to do.

Top of the world !

Black Tusk in the background.

Coming down the Peak Chair was the highlight for me.  Super scary as you are really high up but what a great view.

I am now off to try the to Peak to Peak.  Basically the Gondola takes you from Whistler Mountain to Blackcomb Mountain in 11 minutes (4.4 km's).  It holds world records for the longest free span between ropeway towers at 3.03 kilometres and highest point above the ground—436 metres. Impressive to stay the least.  The 360 degree views were spectacular and impressive.

That's a long ways down.

From the Peak to Peak Gondola, I took the Solar Coaster down to the Wizard Express which drops you down to base of Blackcomb.

All in all it was a great tour of the local mountains which I've never really stopped to smell the flowers sort of speak of as it's usually go go go.  All and all it was a great time and sometimes nice to take a break of just pinning it all day.

Cheers,

JW

Epic

Posted by Trevor Hansen on 2010-08-16

The man, the myth, the legend James Wilson, keeper of the epic faith. He has been hiking and gathering info on epics in the Lower Mainland since the nineties. His latest find is in keeping with the modified for busy parent epic tradition: gotta be in in 4 hours.

This one required forty minutes of bike on back climbing which I have come to enjoy now that I have figured a somewhat comfortable arrangement with my bike and my back.

Looking just like the 90's but rocking the Euro biking attitude with beer, sausage and bug dope George Stenning earned a mandatory epic invite.

James rolling down and around the lake. I just noticed that he put his shorts on for the photo...he has been going lycra lately.

Finally starting the downhill after almost 2 hours of up.