IT’S ALLDOWN-HILLTOVICTORY

SAM HILL CAPTURED HIS 2010 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ON THE RELENTLESS TERRAIN OF MONT-SAINTE-ANNE, QUEBEC; AS TRACK CONDITIONS CHANGED EACH DAY, HE CALLED ON ALL FOUR SPECIALIZED DH TIRES TO GET THE JOB DONE: THE BUTCHER, HILLBILLY, STORM, AND CLUTCH. FROM DUST TO MUD, SAM HAS EVERY TIRE HE NEEDS TO BE THE FASTEST DOWNHILLER IN THE WORLD, AND SO DO YOU. LEARN MORE ABOUT SPECIALIZED TIRES AT SPECIALIZED.COM

IT’S ALLDOWN-HILLTOVICTORY

SAM HILL CAPTURED HIS 2010 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ON THE RELENTLESS TERRAIN OF MONT-SAINTE-ANNE, QUEBEC; AS TRACK CONDITIONS CHANGED EACH DAY, HE CALLED ON ALL FOUR SPECIALIZED DH TIRES TO GET THE JOB DONE: THE BUTCHER, HILLBILLY, STORM, AND CLUTCH. FROM DUST TO MUD, SAM HAS EVERY TIRE HE NEEDS TO BE THE FASTEST DOWNHILLER IN THE WORLD, AND SO DO YOU. LEARN MORE ABOUT SPECIALIZED TIRES AT SPECIALIZED.COM

028 BITS & PIECES SRAM’s DH group

As I was soon to discover he had all the reason in the world to be excited about the new range. SRAM have been making cranks, brakes and drive trains that people have been using for DH and big mountain freeriding for years. But they’ve never actually offered a specifi c complete ‘DH’ branded groupset until now. You can’t just go slapping ‘DH’ on the side of a component without the item being seriously good and seriously tough I guess, otherwise you’d be opening up a whole can of warranty worms, not to mention everyone would be hating the brand as the parts failed. SRAM sure ain’t no fl y-by-night fools though and when they set out to offer the market a fully fl edged DH groupset they damn near almost reinvented the wheel in terms of the technology and materials they’ve enlisted. The XO DH range is the result of SRAM’s relentless pursuit to develop the best components to meet the needs of their Black Box program athletes enlisted such as Sam Hill, Peaty, Semenuk, Zink, and the (name dropping) list goes on. Making parts for those guys is all well and good, but what about the rest of us mere punters? SRAM has just revealed that the entire XO DH will be hitting the shelves across Oz mid September. XO DH is far from an entry level offering, in fact it is the polar opposite, with each item near exclusively reserved for the very, very fast riders out there, or at least, the very, very rich. A carbon crank for DH? Come on, it was only ever going to launch as a top shelf item. That said you can be sure the fi lter down effect of all these radical new technologies will soon fi nd their way throughout SRAM’s range catalogues in seasons to come. In the meantime however pull out some tissues and get ready to drool as we run you through the XO DH range...

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Or so said SRAM’s head of marketing, Tyler Morland, with his signature laid back tone of voice and a casual wink of the eye. This conversation was taking place during the recent Crankworx festival in Whistler and Tyler was unveiling the all new XO DH groupset.

Welcome to the future....

Wilson is now part of the family. // tOnY nOlan

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The bike aka WilsonSRAM didn’t want to just show us the XO DH component range sitting on a shelf and tell us how well it performed, instead they wanted us media cats to get out on the trails and shred some shit aboard the gear. Sounded like a good deal to me. Especially when Tyler handed over the keys to this Devinci Wilson. “We had the boys set the suspension to your weight and swap the brakes around so they’re all Aussie for you.” Stoked, I made a b-line for the chairlift and headed straight to the very top of Garbanzo. 5 hours and 11 runs later my hands and arms were completely toast but I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. Impressed? Blown away more like! How did XO DH and the Devinci ride? You’ll have to check back next issue once I’ve had more than just one day of riding on it before madly rushing home to meet this deadline. The Air Canada check-in girls weren’t stoked when I rocked up with a bike box, but it was a small price to pay to bring this bad boy home with me. Welcome to the family Wilson...

Truvativ crankTruvativ have been developing this carbon crank under the radar with their riders for several years. Prototype models were often coated in thick paint to avoid attention from prying eyes at the races. Sam Hill in fact had the cranks on his bike when he won Worlds last year. Interesting random fact about that set of cranks: they were exactly 167.5mm in length at Sam’s request! See, SRAM really do go the extra mile for their riders... Anyways, the production model as they appear here weigh in at just 750g including bottom bracket. You get your choice of chainring size, 34, 36 or 38. (I wonder whatever happened to that 48 tooth ring I used to race Thredbo on?) The BB also scored a heap of new tech with the introduction of a DH30 spindle.

Tyler explained that “these cranks come in basically every length and every bottom bracket you could get to fi t any type of bike.” That means: 170 or 165mm arms; Press Fit 30, BB30, Press Fit GXP, GXP and Press Fit 30 DH bottom brackets, with 73 or 83mm spindles. There is no alloy spine through the middle of the crank arm, instead the construction is made entirely of carbon. You should see a cut out cross section of these things, they’re mental! However the spider that attached the chainring to the drive side arm is made from forged alloy. When I mention to Tyler that most of the shuttle transport at DH races over here in Oz was done with long trailers that hold the bikes in place via the crank arm, he shuddered and said “jeeeez...” My exact thoughts too.

XO Chain DeviceTo complement the crankset Truvativ wanted to deliver an XO level chain device and so they signed a deal with MRP and began working on designs together. “There’s no point having the best crank, chain and rear mech if the customer then goes out and slaps on any old chain device drops the chain everywhere or feeds it into their frame or whatever,” explained Tyler. The XO chain device looks very similar to the MRP G2 SL guide and is coming in two sizes, 36-40T or 32-36T, weighing 185g and 168g. It features sealed bearings on the pulleys, easy installation thanks to captive hardware and front-access bolts, and compatibility with BB-Mount, ISCG and ISCG 05 mounting standards. It’s available in two colours, black or white.

XO Rear derailleurThe ultra short-cage X0 DH rear mech has been designed to provide fast and precise shifts for the close-ratio cassettes used on downhill, four-cross and jump bikes. SRAM spent years of R&D on the relationship between the mech and the rear cassette and discovered that consistent and accurate shifting all comes down to the gap between the two components and the angle on which the chain is fed between the two. Personally I don’t have a science and industrial engineering degree so I can’t really explain too much more about the technology to you. Tyler made it all sound simple and I really wish I hadn’t drunk so many beers later than night so perhaps I wouldn’t have forgotten all the points I should now be detailing to you, eh!? Theory and technology aside I can tell you one thing for certain, I’ve never shifted gears on a bike that delivers such a confi dent ‘snap’ as you push on the gear paddle and the new gear is engaged. It’s awesome. Up and down the rear cassette the noise, feel and precision engagement is the same. I honestly never want to ride anything else now that I’ve ridden an XO drivetrain. The rear derailleur weighs just 190g thanks largely to a carbon fi bre composite outer cage, forged aluminium inner and titanium hardware, yet has been designed to stand up to the brutal punishment of downhill racing, with sealed bearings for unquestionable durability.

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64

INTERVIEW BY JT PHOTOS BY TONY NOLAN

1RHYSATKINSONIn a sport littered with phenomenal talents it is often diffi cult to stand apart. Being at the top of the top in the racing game, everyone you’re up against is beyond fast themselves and are capable of stealing the win on any given day. So to rise above them all, consistently, and stomp your domination throughout an entire summer of racing on course to winning the National overall Championship, that takes something extra phenomenal. Rhys showed everyone last season that he was the man. No longer lurking in the shadows of his older brother. Rhys went into last summer with something to prove and after a handful of podiums he took out the overall series. Talking to Rhys face to face it is easy to be fooled by how casual and humble he is about his riding. Truth is though, he’s deadly serious. He sets his goals high and he’s on a mission to ‘get it done...

YOU KNOW WINNING THE OVERALL DIDN’T EVEN CROSS MY MIND HEADING INTO LAST SEASON. Until the fi rst race was over I honestly hadn’t given it a second thought. I like to set goals and work towards them but I was more focused on simply doing better than I had the year before having come off a horrible overseas season in 2010. That’s what was motivating me with my training. Not so much a trophy, just wanting to ‘do better’ for myself. Everything else just came as a bonus.

WINNING THE OVERALL IS ALL ABOUT CONSISTENCY. For me consistency is all about where your head game is. I think the key is to develop confi dence and belief in yourself and it will naturally refl ect in your results. As for race runs, shit, sometimes you get lucky!

HAS MY LIFE CHANGED SINCE BECOMING NATIONAL CHAMP? Haha not at all. It’s been a great learning experience and achievement that I have made happen. I constantly set myself goals and I’m stoked to have that one in the bag and be one step closer to my ultimate goal.

I’VE NEVER REALLY BEEN A NERVOUS KIND OF PERSON AND SO I HAVEN’T EXPERIENCED TOO MANY NERVES AT THE RACES. Even heading into the fi nal National round where it was clear I could take it out if I had a half decent run, I still didn’t get that nervous. I knew I had a job to do and so I just went to work on them fools out there!

RACING OVER HERE IN OZ ISN’T THAT PHYSICALLY DEMANDING BECAUSE THE RACES ARE SO FAR APART YOU HAVE TIME TO REST UP AND HEAL. Overseas however, yeah, everything really starts to take its toll as the season gets deep. With so many races stacked up back to back to back it can get pretty tough for sure.

72 PRO’S OTHER BIKES

BIKE MAGS ARE LITTERED WITH PRO BIKE CHECK ARTICLES. SHINY NEW BIKES, COVERED IN EXOTIC PARTS AND SPONSORS STICKERS. MOST OFTEN US MERE MORTALS CAN ONLY DREAM OF OWNING A BIKE LIKE THAT... PRO RACERS ARE GIVEN AMAZING DH BIKES TO RACE, BUT HAVE YOU WONDERED WHAT THEIR ‘OTHER’ BIKES LOOK LIKE? THEY’D HAVE TO BE EQUALLY EXOTIC AND INCREDIBLE, RIGHT? AS WE RECENTLY DISCOVERED, NOT NECESSARILY. WE ASKED A HANDFUL OR RIDERS IF WE COULD CHECK OUT THEIR EVERY DAY WHIP.

THE BIKE THEY SPEND THE MOST TIME RIDING EACH WEEK. WE WERE AMAZED AT THE RESULTS. AWAY FROM THE GLITZ AND GLAMOUR OF RACING, PRO RIDERS RIDE RUN OF THE MILL, OFTEN OLD AND WORN OUT BIKES, LIKE YOU AND I? SHOCK HORROR! EVEN BMX’S AND MOTOS. IT’S INCREDIBLE WHAT YOU CAN FIND OUT IF YOU ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS AND SCRATCH THE SURFACE A LITTLE. HERE’S A LOOK AT SOME OF THE COUNTRY’S BEST RIDERS ON THEIR (OTHER) BIKES.

PRO’s BiKeS

WORDS BY Jt

CONNOR FeaRONconnoR is anything but youR aveRage young dh Racing phenomenon. RatheR than being calculated and clean cut on the bike he Rides loose and wild, to the edge of cRashing and buRning at eveRy oppoRtunity. off the bike he is as quiet as a mouse but his insane style and Raw speed scReam loudeR than anyone else on the mountain. he has taken a bit of an unoRthodoX path to becoming the incRedible talent he is today. connoR isn’t big on tRaining pRogRams and Xc bikes. he’s not a huge fan of stRict diets eitheR. he Rides whateveR bike he feels like at the time and he eats whateveR he feels like. foR connoR all this seems to woRk peRfectly. we Recently caught up with him out on his bmX. we asked, “do you Ride bmX to help with youR dh skills” he Replied, “nah, i don’t think it’d do much to help. it’s heaps of fun though so that’s why i Ride it!” and that’s eXactly the Reason we love connoR, he doesn’t caRe about what’s good and what isn’t good, he’s just having a ball and shedding on eveRything he touches!

how long have you been riding street and park on a BMX for?

I’ve been riding BMX for about 5 years now. I tried BMX racing for a bit but didn’t really like it, so stuck to park and street!Do you get out on your 20” often?

Yeah I do ride pretty often. There is a park right up the road from school which is pretty handy since most of my 20’’ buddies are from school.how wild do you get on a BMX? Can you send some pretty solid gaps or boost many tricks?

Most of the time too wild! I have a lot more crashes on my BMX than on the DH rig! I love sending big street gaps and stair hucks! As far as tricks go I consider myself pretty good. I like to just fl ow around the skatepark though with big airs!has riding your 20” helped improve your Dh skills do you think?

Nah I don’t think so, although it might have helped me become a smoother rider and hit some crazy gap lines!

how does the BMX scene in adelaide compare to the MtB scene over there?

I think the BMX scene is a lot bigger in Adelaide. We have plenty of very decent legalized trails and a handful of sweet skateparks. I’d say this is because BMX is a lot cheaper and more convenient then MTB.Do you follow the BMX scene overseas or at home?

I watch my fair share of YouTube videos. My favourite riders would have to be Chase Hawk because he has style for miles! And also Big daddy a.k.a Pat Laughlin. See Youtube “Daddy Vision” to see him shredWhat bike is it and how have you got it decked out?

Once upon a time it was a Eastern, but I replaced the parts as they broke and now its a Fit DeLaRosa signature frame with strong Strictly B*tch cranks and Odyssey hazard wheels to put up with the abuse! I run it brakeless because the frame has no brake mounts to put them on.

BIKE MAGS ARE LITTERED WITH PRO BIKE CHECK THE BIKE THEY SPEND THE MOST TIME RIDING EACH

PRO’s BiKeS

“BmX is a lot cheaper and more conVenient than mtB.”

// Steve Hillenbrand

NathaN ReNNieRennie was neveR ‘just a downhilleR’. even thRough his many yeaRs Racing on the woRld cup ciRcuit. he was a maniac on a diRt jump bike and even enteRed the odd jump comp oveR in euRope. he was of couRse a seRious moveR and shakeR on the fReeRide scene too. RemembeR his woRld distance long jump attempt and that mega Ramp Red bull made foR him? how he even found the time to become woRld cup champion is beyond us! nowadays howeveR nathan’s life has taken a quieteR tuRn and he has just finished building his house up on qld’s gold coast. he confesses that he still loves Riding his dh bike, howeveR, with theRe only being 24 houRs in eveRy day he now finds himself Reaching foR his Xc bike foR those late, afteR woRk Riding missions. heRe’s a little moRe info on what he’s been up to and what he’s been Riding.

What bike are you riding here Nathan?

It’s my Intense Tracer XC. It’s the same bike that I raced in a 40k race at the Mt Joyce escape.Now that you’re not racing the World Cup circuit full time these days do you find yourself reaching for your trail bike when you feel like heading out for a ride, rather than your big downhiller?

Unfortunately time just isn’t on my side these days. I work 6 days a week. Lately I have just been getting in about 30 min around home. There are a few short trails around, but often I cruise along the water near by my house before dark. By choice I ride my big bike Intense M9 any chance I get. It’s usually just at the races or to the gym down the road. Things just aint what they use to be… sigh.

how far are the trails from the house you just built?

There is a loop I do a fair bit which is pretty close but it’s only short. Kids have built some jumps down the street which is pretty good, but I think I’ll need to got down there and upsize them for them. For me these days it’s a case of time and money. Fuck I miss racing properly...how wild do you get on your tracer XC bike?

Getting sideways is one thing that is easy on just about anything I touch! I constantly need to remind myself that my XC bike is not a downhill bike. You sure can get wild on them but it’s more of a ‘fuck, should I be doing this on this’... I tend to prefer to confidentially dismantle a true downhill with my M9 like it’s supposed to be!

Do you set your XC bike up with any similarities to your Dh bike?

I try and make it close to my DH bike but this stops at flat pedals and wider bars. The rest is set up to get up the hills.You always want to be comfortable when you’re out on the trails, how does the Fox Racing gear ride?

Mate comfort is always a big one with me. It’s nice to be able to throw any Fox kit on and ride out the door no matter what the weather is outside. I never knew the Gold Coast could get so cold!?

Can you give us a rough spec list of this bike?

Intense Tracer frame size large, Rock Shox Revolation Air u turn forks, SRAM XO 2x 10 drivetrain, Avid brakes, Truvativ parts throughout, SRAM grips and a Charge seat. Oh and I always runs Maxxis rubber.

“For me these days it’s a case oF time and money.

FUck, i miss racing properly.....”

// Steve Hillenbrand

At the biggest freeride contest on the planet with thousands of people watching live right around the globe, Brandon also had the weight of being the hometown hero of Whistler riding on his shoulders. Didn’t seem to hinder him to much though. // Sven Martin

080

Whistler is no joke. It honestly lives up to all

the hype and fuss that everyone makes about

the place. On any given day throughout summer

the place delivers mountain bikers the time of

their lives. For the week that Crankworx

Festival is on however, shit goes right off the

scale! The biggest riders, the best brands, the

latest prototype bikes, the cream of the

worlds media, the best photographers and

videographers, all make their annual

pilgrimage to the mecca of gravity MTB. What

then ensues is the biggest party on two wheels

knowN to man! With different contests and

races held each day 30,000 fans and

spectators descend on the village sparking an

insane atmosphere that buzzes throughout the

day and well into each night.

STORY BY JT

All the major race teams have their giant trailers set-up side by side in the pits next to which you’ll fi nd a massive expo area where all the killer brands have huge displays. That leads you to the central hub of the village at the base of the mountain where all the race tracks fi nish and the mighty slope style course sits in wait. The entire mountain is plastered with huge bike brand banners, billboards, giant projection screens and sound systems that blare live footage and pre-recorded MTB goodness out to the crowds. Huge open air restaurants and pubs line the whole area, fi lled with thousands of people watching the action unfold as they sip beers and eat a horizon of maple syrup covered goodies. In amongst all of this commotion are the chairlifts and gondolas that relentlessly shuttle endless lines of riders up the hill from 10am right through till 8 at night. Crankworx is the most unique, and yet strangely bizarre and humbling, MTB Festival on the planet as it brings together racers and shredders competing for massive prize cheques, yet everything is totally casual and laidback. There is no pressure, no one is stressed, everyone just has a good time and gets loose for a solid week!

I’ve done a few Whistler Crankworx Festivals now and they just keep getting better and better and leave even bigger and more burning impressions in my mind. If you only ever get to tick one item off the bucket list during your lifetime, make sure it’s to attend Crankworx one year. These next few pages are fi lled with random memories and thoughts from this year’s event. To the special people that were there and the good times that were had, cheers and god bless cold beers!

88 THE BENNY PHILLIPS INTERVIEW

u n k n o w n d a r k h o r s e

b e n n y p h i l l i p s

b y B r i a n F i n e s t o n e

I m a g i n e f o r a s e c o n d t h a t y o u w e r e a k i d . A t a l e n t e d k i d , f r o m s o m e w h e r e f a r a w a y f r o m t h e M o u n t a i n B i k e e p i c e n t e r t h a t i s W h i s t l e r . Y o u h a v e p r o b a b l y b e e n r e a d -i n g t h e m a g s f o r a f e w y e a r s , s e e n e v e r y v i d e o o f t h e F r e e r i d e i c o n s l i k e S e m e n u k , L a c o n d e g u y , Z i n c , G u l l y a n d t h e M c C a u l s . Y o u r i d e e v e r y d a y a n d y o u a r e t h e l o c a l k i n g p i n a t y o u r r u g g e d j u m p t r a i l s b u t t h a t i s a f a r c r y f r o m t h e i n d u s t r y r a d a r . I m a g i n e t h a t y o u s a v e d a l l y o u r d o u g h a n d m o v e d t o W h i s t l e r t o b e c l o s e r t o t h e s c e n e a n d m a y b e c a t c h a g l i m p s e o f s o m e o f t h e b i g n a m e s . Y o u m a y e v e n g e t l u c k y a n d s c o r e a s e s s i o n a t t h e R i v e r J u m p s w i t h o n e o r t w o c e l e b s .

N o w i m a g i n e t h a t s o m e o n e t a p s y o u o n t h e s h o u l d e r a n d o f f e r s y o u a s p o t a s a n a l t e r n a t e i n t h e J o y r i d e S l o p e s t y l e . Y o u s h o w u p t o t h e f i r s t r i d e r s m e e t i n g a n d e v e r y r i d e r y o u h a v e e v e r l o o k e d u p t o i s t h e r e . Y o u a r e s t o k e d o u t o f y o u r m i n d a s y o u g e t t h e m a g i c b r a c e l e t t h a t g i v e s y o u V I P a c c e s s t o e v e r y p a r t y i n t o w n . T h i n g s a r e g o i n g p r e t t y w e l l f o r y o u a n d t h e n y o u r e a l i z e t h a t y o u n o w h a v e t o r i d e t h e t o u g h e s t c o u r s e e v e r b u i l t , w i t h t h e b i g g e s t , m o s t i n t i m i d a t i n g j u m p s y o u h a v e e v e r s e e n – i n f r o n t o f t h e s u p e r -s t a r s a n d t h e e n t o u r a g e o f p h o t o g r a p h e r s a n d m e d i a t h a t f o l l o w t h e i r e v e r y m o v e .

Super clean fronty whip to pedals. This is a ‘warm up’ trick for Benny. // elliOt SMitH

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96 ROADTRIP

Turning 30 is pretty big right? I always thought so. I mean you feel old when you hit 25 then again at 27. But 30 was big, there was still so much I wanted to do before I got “old”. It was around this time last year when it was my 30th. What was I going to do? I couldn’t really afford to go on a trip then. I had been overseas taking photos at world cups before but never really ridden. It was time for something different. I can take photos when I’m old. That’s what old people do right. So a rough plan was hatched. Not with anyone else in mind just for the sake of that little part of me that doesn’t want to

grow old. I wanted to see more of Europe, and ride the Alps and so that meant Megavalanche. Megavalanche was always one of those events, one of those must do’s before I got too old and decrepit. I could already feel old age creeping up on me. It was nothing specifi c just a few lingering injuries, that wouldn’t go away and those little crashes that just took that little bit longer to get up from. It was time to tick the box. Before I found myself standing at the top of the next decent thinking ‘ooooh that’s a little bit too rough isn’t it. I don’t know about that, maybe I’ll just walk it.’

So as the Australian summer months rolled away, I tried to ride more, get fi t and get a bike to take to Europe. I knew which bike I wanted. This trip was as much an excuse to buy a Specialized S-works Enduro as it was to try and prove to myself I was still young and could still hold my own on the descents. I always enjoyed building a bike from the frame up, there is something enjoyable about researching each part and deciding which would best suit my needs. Some nice forks, Fox 160 Float 36’s. Sorted.

Mega Mission Words and pics by TBS

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Killer looking wheelset, it had to be Mavics and a set of Crossmax SX’s I hoped would be up to the job. Sram X0 10speed and a RockShox Reverb post a must for the Mega and I was pretty much there. Winter started closing in, my regular work was coming to an end, and the lust for the Alps, Megavalanche and some Sun increased. Tickets were purchased and a plan had come to fruition. A flight via the U.S to Manchester, pick up a mates van in Sheffield and drive straight to the Alps. A little warm up riding in the Portes du Soleil region, with

Champery, Chatel, Morzine, Les Gets and a few others all within a few lifts reach, it was always going to be killer. There is always something strange about riding on the other side of the planet. Yes your wheels still spin in the same direction. But you feel so vulnerable. You have a 5 week trip planned, Mum is too far away to kiss it better and Medicare cards don’t work here. Injury scares you. You ride like a little bitch and it messes with your head. There was really only one solution, to man up, bit the big line fast and send the little carbon

bike like it wanted to. A few small crashes later and all was good and warm up was pretty much complete and the famed Alpe d’Huez awaited our arrival. Megavalanche is actually more than just the one race from the top of Pic Blanc to the town of Allemont and the bottom. There is also a proper DH race the “Avalanche Cup” in Oz-en-Oisans and a Enduro type stage race in Vaujany both are separate little villages to Alpe d’Huez but all are accessible from each other by lifts or shuttles.

All in! // tbS