Team bikes ridden hard for a year
JCW’S ORBEA RISE H10
£6,623 (with point-of-sale upgrades)
Time for some more tenacious tyres and a bit more bar height
My Month
HIGHS
It’s a relief finally knowing exactly how much juice I have left
I’m looking forward to hitting some tech descents with my new bar and tyre set-up
LOWS
Linking bike and Garmin isn’t an intuitive process
It’d be good to see an 800mm bar on an XL bike
UPGRADES
Garmin Edge 530 GPS, £259.99 www.garmin.com
Nukeproof Horizon V2 Carbon bar, £109.99 https:// nukeproof.com
Maxxis Assegai 3C MaxxGrip EXO+ 29×2.5in WT tyre, £74.99 www.extrauk.co.uk
Rockstop Rim Protector tyre insert, £65 www.extrauk.co.uk
Topeak Tubi Pod X tyre-plug kit, £44.99 www.extrauk.co.uk
Tubolito Tubo MTB inner tube, £27.99 www.extrauk.co.uk
I mentioned last time that I wanted to link up a Garmin GPS unit to the Rise H so I could view more ride and battery data. Well, it took a while (top tip – make sure to follow Orbea’s video guide rather than just attempting to download the Orbea RS toolbox in Garmin’s Connect IQ app) but I’ve now got it up and running. I feel much happier having more detailed battery info (also attainable by fiitting a Shimano E8000 head unit), and I’ve been having fun playing with the Edge 530’s other functions, too.
Before fitting the Garmin, I swapped the stock Race Face Next R bar for a Nukeproof Horizon Carbon V2 with a higher rise (38mm vs 20mm). I’d been meaning to do this for a while, as on descents I felt like my weight was too low over the front. The original bar was also narrower than I like, at 780mm, giving a slightly cramped feel on flatter sections. Hopefully this will fix that.
On the subject of spec changes, with summer drawing to a close it’s time to switch out the Orbea’s low-profile tyres – which are more suited to the brand’s sunny Basque homeland than the often dank UK – for something a bit toothier. Extra UK have sent me a Maxxis Assegai for the front – with tacky 3C MaxxGrip rubber, so it’ll be interesting to see how that affects rolling resistance. That allows me to move the stock Maxxis Dissector to the back, where it should be more capable in damp conditions than the Rekon.
I’m worried its EXO Protection casing may not be man enough for the job, though, so I’ll be fitting a Rockstop Rim Protector as a precaution (and because I’m interested to try out this UK-made product). Just in case the insert still isn’t enough to safeguard the thin sidewalls, I’ve got a neat, frame-mounted Topeak Tubi Pod X tyre-plug kit and a tiny Tubolito inner tube as back-up. The chunkier-treaded tyre and Rockstop insert will add weight, but still leave the Rise H a lot lighter than any other e-MTB I’ve tried.
For now, though, I’m putting off that workshop time and making the most of the still-dry trails, where the Rise H really excels. It’s got plenty of pop, even with all the extra gubbins I’ve fitted! www.orbea.com
JULIA’S JULIANA JOPLIN CARBON C S
£5,599
Our newly-promoted deputy art editor has been pushing her bike harder than ever – has she found its limits?
My Month
HIGHS
Triscombe is up and running again!
I had an amazing day at BPW’s women’s social ride
The Juliana and I seem to have got our mojo back
LOWS
A crash followed by a puncture
uplift days can be demanding on both bike and body
I had to wash the Joplin for the first time in a while… can’t the trails stay dry forever?
Back in issue 406, I mentioned that the Juliana had had an easy life and it was time to step it up. Seven issues later, I feel like I’ve been true to my word. I’m committing to the bumpiest trails with complete trust in the Joplin. It’s not always the smartest approach, but I’m slowly rewiring my brain to see cheat lines as ‘race lines’ instead!
This month, after hearing rumours that some of the trails at Triscombe, in the Quantock Hills, were back up and running, I headed over, eager to hammer my Juliana down some more tech. I began with sessioning the top section, where the bike felt totally at ease… until I dragged it to the infamous ‘other side of the hill’ (there’s always one of those, isn’t there?).
That’s when things got steeper and gnarlier, and the Joplin’s 120mm rear end started to give harsh feedback and feel limiting. At the end of the last run, I noticed that my Maxxis Minion DHR II rear tyre was looking pretty worn. It’s held together for over 18 months, but the coming winter demands more grip, so it needs replacing.
My next adventure was the women’s social ride at BikePark Wales. After the success of the Gowaan Festival, I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for more ladies’ group rides. They usually have a friendly and encouraging atmosphere, and this one didn’t disappoint! We started off in the uplift van at 9.30am and I didn’t get back home until late in the evening. Completely worth it! I joined the event on my own, vaguely recognising a few faces, and it was amazing how quickly I connected with other riders, and how many of them had also come along solo.
Starting off on a blue trail, the Juliana was flowing well. But as the obstacles got bigger, the feeling that I’ve outgrown my bike became harder to ignore. Don’t get me wrong, it’ll pin it down everything I dare hit, but over techier trail features I’m seeing the limits of its relatively short travel. The poor thing also got a bit of a beating that day when I hit the deck hard, snapping the bolt on my dropper lever. A ziptie came to the rescue, but then I got a puncture on, you guessed it, Rim Dinger. I should pay attention to the trails’ names! Big thanks to the folks who helped get me running again, particularly BPW’s mechanic. www.jungleproducts.co.uk
TOM’S REVEL RANGER
£3,699 (frame only)
A bunch of workshop tinkering for senior tech editor Tom this month
My Month
HIGHS
The weather has remained pretty consistent, so I’ve still not had to wash this, or any other bike, for months!
LOWS
Forgetting to double check the shock-mounting bolts before ordering a pair of bushings was a bit silly!
After riding a Bird Aether 9 in the Alps, jumping back onto the steeper, shorter Ranger took a bit of getting used to. In its XC configuration the bike feels rapid, but I wanted to give it a more aggressive shape for some trail-riding exploits.
The head tube holds a IS42/IS52 integrated headset, so it’s tricky to find a compatible angle-adjust headset. Instead, I got onto www.offsetbushings. com and asked them to send me a pair. Their hardware effectively shortens the eye-to-eye length of the shock (see p108). I calculated that running two offset bushings would slacken the Range’s head angle by up to 1.5 degrees, while also dropping the BB by 15mm. At £27.99, this is a pretty goodvalue way to adjust or modernise your bike’s feel. However, I placed the order without looking too hard at my bike. It turns out that the Revel’s rear shockmount bolt has an integrated sleeve, so I’ll only be able to fit the front bushing and will get about half the hoped-for change. At the time of writing, I haven’t managed to remove the old shock hardware; I’ll report back next month.
While I’ve been playing about with bushings and things, I haven’t had a ton of time to ride the bike. However, I’ll soon be starting on our annual disc brakes test for MBUK 415. With this being split between enduro/DH brakes and XC/light-trail ones, the Ranger is going to carry the lighter cohort of stoppers, so there are plenty of miles on the way! https://cyclorise.com
JIMMER’S SANTA CRUZ TALLBOY C S
£5,599
I’ve been really enjoying hitting jumps recently. In a bid to erase years of ingrained bad habits, I’m trying to imbed Will S’s sage-like advice of staying tall on the bike and relaxing my body. I’ve got a bad habit of pulling the frame up towards me, leaving no room to move around it or correct my position. Luckily, the Tallboy’s proven the perfect machine to progress on, because I feel so intune with it, and it’s paying dividends. Hitting smaller jumps mid-trail has become second nature (almost) and is now a lot more fun. It does help that the suspension works so well, with the acceleration gained on landing after a jump giving me the confidence to keep up the momentum into tech sections rather than pull on the anchors. www.santacruzbicycles.com
LUKE’S EVIL INSURGENT
£3,799 (frame only)
Unfortunately, I never got around to that big summer trip I’d hoped for, and now that the rain has started to settle back in, it looks like I’ve missed out this year. I also haven’t managed to ride the Evil as much as I’d have liked this month, because of the other bikes I’ve been testing for this issue’s 2023 All-Stars test. Still, that means the Insurgent will run brilliantly when I do get back on it! Now that there’s a bit of mud around (at least when I write this). I’m keen to see how the intricate linkage holds up through an autumn and winter of dirt, grime and bike-washing. I’ll keep you posted as to whether or not those fine details become a cause for concern. www.evil-bikes.com
ROB’S TREK SLASH
£4,500 (frame only)
This old dog is keen on learning some new tricks
My Month
HIGHS
The RockShox Flight Attendant system is working really well and helps make the Trek feel like an efficient trail bike when pointed uphill
I’ve been loving spending some time working on my riding technique with Luke’s help
LOWS
My riding still has a long way to go so more time practising is certainly the order of the day/month
I’ve had a few great rides on the Slash recently and have been loving how efficient and sprightly the RockShox Flight Attendant system makes the bike feel. It’s punchy and responsive on mellow singletrack or uphill, but point it down and it transforms back into a big-hitting beast. So, I’ve been using it more like a trail bike rather than just reserving it for big days on really tough terrain.
I know, I’ve said this before, but I’m always pleasantly surprised by how quick and familiar the Trek feels every time I jump on it. And that’s been a real plus on my recent rides.
Earlier this month, Luke and I took some time out from our regular test ride and he gave me some coaching advice, which I really appreciated. I’m always keen to improve but haven’t had any proper coaching before – something I’m keen on changing when I get a chance. Luke may not be a professional mountain bike trainer, but he is a highly qualified ski instructor with nearly a decade of experience under his belt, along with being an accomplished former World Cup downhill racer, so it’s fair to say the man knows his stuff. He filmed me running through a couple of turns and picked up on some bad habits that I needed to rectify.
After a quick chat it was back up the hill to try the same corners again. Because I spend most of my ride time thinking about the bikes and products I’m testing, I tend to neglect analysing my technique. Having the chance to spend some time learning on the bike and fix some quirks has left me buzzing with enthusiasm.
I took the Slash with me to Innerleithen in Scotland for the first of our Ride Together ride-outs with Nukeproof and CALM, where I was able to put Luke’s advice into practice as we made our way down some incredible trails. Not having to think about bike set-up or anything makes this sort of stuff a whole lot easier. I’ve still got loads to learn, but I’m excited to get out there on the Slash and keep improving my technique. www.trekbikes.com
MAX’S WHYTE T-160 RS V2
£4,199
The T-160 really shines going downhill, but you do have to get it back to the top, which, on my recent Lake District trip, meant a bit of off-bike work. And I’m talking about carrying, not just pushing the thing. A heavier bike can leave your arms very tired, which isn’t ideal for the descent, so I packed my PeakRider gadget. This telescopic rod slips into your pack. When needed, it extends and hooks into a pocket strapped to your bike’s frame. This enabled me to carry the Whyte hands-free and with its weight taken by my legs, making hike-a-bike easier and safer, and leaving my arms fresh for the ride back down. It’s a game-changer and the perfect addition for mountainous regions. https://whytebikes.com