TESThas a tough race bike character, and the spec reﬂ ects this well. A Shimano XT groupset...

THE MBUK BIKE TEST

100 Mountain Biking UK

Jargon busted!■ CNC MACHININGConstruction technique using a ‘computer numerically controlled’ milling machine to chew bits off an aluminium block to create the required shape.■ HORST LINKSuspension system designed by Horst Leitner that’s been patented by Specialized and licensed to a few others. Uses a pivot ahead of the dropout on the chainstay and a linkage between the frame and

seatstay top to alter the axle path – usually to an almost straight line to reduce any pedal and braking feedback.■ LINKAGEShort section of frame with a pivot at either end that joins two other pieces together so that they can move independently.■ MONOCOQUEConstruction technique using a single-piece ‘stressed skin’ frame rather than tubes.

■ MUD CLEARANCERoom between a tyre and the frame to allow a muddy (or fat) tyre through. US bikes sometimes don’t have enough mud clearance for UK trails.■ VPPA suspension system where the rear subframe swings on two short linkages to create a ‘Virtual Pivot Point’ suspended in space, which moves as the wheel pushes through its travel, changing both the shock leverage and

wheel path at different points in the stroke. The advantages of this are that it stiffens under power for a solid sprint, but it also swings open easily over big, square-edged hits.■ DW-LINKTwin linkage system designed by Dave Weagle (hence DW) that moves the suspension around a different ‘virtual pivot point’ but with similar changing leverage and axle path benefi ts to a VPP.

MBK204.biketest 100MBK204.biketest 100 6/9/06 17:21:396/9/06 17:21:39

07 TRAIL FULL SUSSERS

Mountain Biking UK 101

INTENSE EVP 5.5

Does a legally forced change in suspension system mess up one ofthe best trail bikes ever?

TURNER FIVE SPOT

Ballet-weight full suspension beauty from Canada’s fi nest

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELEMENT 70

Steel and Ti legends Ibis relaunch with a curvaceous, cutting edge carbon trail rig

IBIS MOJO CARBON

This month’s bikes on test…

One of California’s punchiest trail irons gets a UK-friendly makeover for 2007

£2,695 COMPLETE (£1,395 FRAME AND SHOCK)

£1,699 FRAME AND SHOCK

£1,495 FRAME AND SHOCK

£3,100 COMPLETE (£1,649.99 FRAME AND SHOCK)

2007 trail full sussers

Manufacturers have been hyping 150mm (6in) travel bikes as the ‘do-it-all’ future for a couple of years, but we’re seeing a defi nite backlash for 07. By keeping rear travel around 100-130mm (4-5in)

and staying with cross country rather than freeride style kit, next generation trail bikes are far lighter, more agile and more responsive. The latest tyre and suspension technology means you can still push the pace on descents though, and such bikes are fantastic on the typical twisty, roller coaster technical trails found in the UK. The fact that most suspension designs are

now sorted enough to offer functional, effi cient performance means that what the back wheel does isn’t the dominant factor in bike choice anymore. Handling character, frame feel, weight, shock performance, ground/mud clearance, reliability and aesthetics are all back around the top of the list when it comes to choosing your ultimate trail bike.

This issue we’ve tested four hard-and-fast trail bikes that showcase the latest tricks you can expect on next year’s models. So, who’s setting the new benchmarks and who’s providing the sweetest ride? Time to fi nd out…

It might still be autumn 2006 but we’ve already thrashed four of 2007’s most wanted trail-riding full sussers. Find out where you should be spending your wonga…Words Guy Kesteven Pics Steve Behr



The Element is Rocky Mountain’s longest-running frame design, which has been given a

few tweaks over the years to keep it up to date and looking fresh. The 2007 bike features some signifi cant structural changes, but the classic ride is still intact.

The chassis The big change for 2007 is the one-piece carbon seatstay section. The Element had carbon seatstays in 2006, but now they’re a lot beefi er, swelling to a fat centre section and bridge before tapering away slightly at either end.

Some members of the Wrecking Crew loved the look, others hated it, but this design really helps lower weight and retain reasonable mud clearance without losing stiffness. The Element certainly isn’t shamed on the scales, with a frame and shock weight of around 2.5kg (5.5lb) and a complete weight of 11.8kg (26.1lb).

There’s more sweepiness at the front end too, thanks to a brand new curved and radically hydroformed down tube. This fl ows from a very tall ovalised section to an equally radical fl at oval area at the bottom bracket.

Typically for Rocky, the CNC’d sections on the dropouts, linkages and chainstay bridge are as accurate and indulgently worked as you’ll fi nd anywhere, and each bike is proudly signed by its builder. Rocky Mountain’s paint jobs are also second to none, with a multi-coat arrangement allowing a trademark maple leaf-detailed, two-tone fi nish.

The detail The Element has a tough race bike character, and the spec refl ects this well. A Shimano XT groupset (including disc brakes) with an XTR rear mech and cassette provides great shifting and subtle but controlled braking, and the Wheeltech wheels are hand-built by Rocky Mountain. Up front is a Fox 32 F100RL fork and there’s a Fox RP23 shock at the rear.

Alloy RaceFace Deus XC kit features heavily to provide lightweight strength without high carbon cost, and even the saddle is chosen for comfort rather than just the gram count. There’s obvious potential for signifi cant weight loss via upgrading though.

The price might seem high compared to other ‘mainstream’ bikes but it compares pretty well

with the other builds here, and you’ve got the options of four other models, from Element Team to Element 10.

The ride Most people will buy Rocky Mountains for the combination of luscious quality and balanced ride manners rather than the value. After years of use, the bike’s 3DLink suspension platform is pretty much dialled, with a naturally fl uid and reactive stroke. Very little feedback through the pedals means consistent traction, and although the bike occasionally gets walloped or left hanging in the air by big square edges and sudden drops, it loves rolling dips and softer, rounded terrain. You have to be careful on uneven terrain though, because the very low bottom bracket means it’s easy to ground the pedals.

You’ll also need to click the dial on the Fox shock into its middle ProPedal damping position to stop it bobbing and squatting when you stomp the power down. This inevitably means a harsher feel over small bumps and the short shock stroke means the rear feels pert rather than plush, even with its smooth mix of needle and cartridge bearings on the pivots.

Proven hand-built speedster gets a tubing twist

Rocky Mountain Element 70

MBUK’S MECHANIC SAYS…

Classy fi nishingRocky Mountain have been hand crafting some of Canada’s fi nest bikes for decades, and their fi nishing standards are still some of the best around. The tubes and CNC’d pieces are all cut and joined with incredible precision, making their frames a joy to work on if you build them up yourself. The iconic two-tone maple leaf cut-out paintjob never looks anything less than stunning either.

THE BIKE TEST

£2,695 COMPLETE (£1,395 FRAME AND SHOCK)




Whatever shock action you use, the ride quality is defi nitely enhanced by the overall bike feel. The shaped frame and carbon rear end fl ex just enough to give a classic XC race bike spring and sideload feel. This is obvious when you’re really pushing hard through corners or wrestling big gears round, but the bike still manages to fi re forward when you put the hammer down, and

it tracks confi dently through ruts and braking bumps.

With 100mm (4in) travel at either end reducing dive or wallow, Rocky have also gone with a sharp 71/73-degree head and seat angle set-up. This means the Element dives into corners instantly and decisively, with plenty of weight on the front wheel for authoritative grip through loose corners or up steep

climbs. A standard length top tube reach – rather than stretched for race speed – keeps the weight centred and the low-slung cranks add extra confi dence when things start getting steep or sideways.

The Element is a proper hard-riding trail bike (as long as you watch your pedals) and the low weight and sharp handling mean it certainly won’t disgrace itself in cross-country races either.

MBUK VERDICT ■■■■■■■■■■ VALUE ■■■■■■■■■■ CLIMBING ■■■■■■■■■■ DESCENDING■■■■■■■■■■ SINGLETRACK

Not the sweetest suspension system but the hand-built quality and excellent handling pedigree of Rocky Mountain bikes still shine through in the Element 70

8

SO GOOD

■ Gorgeous, high quality, hand-built Canadian frame

■ Light, highly responsive, reasonably stiff and smooth ride

■ Aggressive and very well balanced high-speed handling

NO GOOD

■ Limited pedal clearance■ You have to compromise between

squishy but smooth or stiff but a bit clattery pedalling

The Element’s chainstay bridge is on par with the rest of the frame’s excellent CNC work, adding rigidity whilst saving weight

State-of-the-art hydroformed tubing mixes with carbon stays and sweet CNC’d detailing

You’ll need to adjust the shock to fi nd your ideal pedal/plush suspension balance

»




The new Ibis Mojo, which featured as our Superbike last month, caused such a stir that

we thought we’d see how it measures up against other 2007 best trail bike contenders.

The chassis The full carbon chassis is state of the art, and produced using the latest monocoque techniques. The result is a swooping, organic frame with seriously deep and broad top and down ‘tube’ sections, as well as a heavily reinforced head tube anddeep seatpost and bottom bracket sections. This gives massive front end stiffness but still keeps the frame weight below 2.5kg (5.5lb).

The asymmetric rear end is all smooth curves and big junction sections, but there are some nice structural touches too. The big chainstays feature a metal protector plate to prevent damage if the chain comes off and there’s plenty of sculpted mudroom through the unbridged seatstays.

The twin links for the licensed dw-link rear suspension system are beautifully sculpted forgings that hug the frame shape and sit in pockets set into the fl anks. The links are nickel plated for

maximum longevity and, rather than having to hammer new bearings in when they wear out, you simply replace the whole linkage set to guarantee correct bearing alignment.

Ibis also nickel plate the best light-action quick-release seat collar we’ve ever had the pleasure of using, and you even get a proper metal head badge. Production bikes will come with black anodised not polished dropouts and disc hardware, plus the cable routing will be changed to stop current rear tyre contact and baggy cable issues.

The detail There are two things we need to point out about the kit on our test bike. Firstly, it’s a US build that was used just to get us the bike as quickly as possible. Secondly, you could have the bike built up far lighter (our build weighed 12.6kg/27.8lb) because components like the basic Hayes disc brakes, Ibis-branded fi nishing kit and RaceFace Atlas cranks aren’t the lightest around. Ibis had a show version of the bike with 06 XTR components that weighed around 11kg (25lb), so you could go a bit lighter using 07 XTR parts, or you could go for

something burlier but still light to fl atter the bike’s 140mm (5.5in) of rear travel.

The ride We’ve already mentioned that the monocoque front end is remarkably stiff and that’s the obvious fi rst impression you get as you climb aboard. Then there’s the very crisp and effi cient feel of the dw-link suspension – whether you’re clattering over small stuff, grunting up rough climbs or walloping through boulders and drops, it always seems to move just enough to stay totally controlled but still sharp and responsive through the pedals.

Several times on test we had to check the O-ring to see if the shock was really working, as power transfer or traction never dropped and the shock stayed fl oated and level however hard we thrashed it down some very long and lairy descents.

The handling is equally well balanced – it’s not noticeably slow in tight sections, but it doesn’t tuck under on sharp turns either. The bike just goes where you want, when you want and with plenty of calm, collected control, whatever the speed or terrain.


Material worldAfter more than 20 years of setting the benchmark for truly sumptuous steel, alloy and titanium build quality, Ibis have returned after a short break with a new material for them – carbon fi bre. Happily, all their trademark attention to detail is still very evident in the Mojo. The monocoque frame is both a ruthlessly effi cient structure and a beautiful rolling sculpture right down to the little recessed arc pockets for the swing links.

£1,699 (FRAME AND SHOCK) Ibis are back with a stunning new carbon trail basher

Ibis Mojo Carbon

»



Nothing is perfect, though. If you really load the bike sideways you can get the unbraced seatstays to defl ect visually along the seat tube, but it’s largely unnoticeable at the rear wheel. The bike can also get noisy if the chain starts to thrash around, so we’d defi nitely fi t a thick chainstay guard and recommend a SRAM rear mech, which should bounce around less than the Shimano mech we had.

Finally, beware of rocks fl ying up from the front wheel, as we put a hairline crack in the outer cosmetic carbon layer just above the bottom bracket. This area is reinforced to take impacts though, and it was a smaller wound than those regularly suffered by alloy bikes in similar circumstances.

The damage didn’t affect the ride at all, so we’re not going to let it stand in the way of an

overwhelmingly impressed overall opinion. We predicted that 2007 would see the appearance of bikes that are light enough to race or climb very competitively, but still show most bikes the way home on the descents. The Mojo delivers exactly that performance thanks to impressive stiffness, very low weight and one of the most effortlessly effi cient suspension systems currently on the trails.

SO GOOD

■ Gorgeous frame detailing■ Sweetly balanced handling that’s

built to tackle anything■ Outstandingly effi cient dw-link

suspension action ■ Stunning lightweight, long travel

carbon fi bre frame

NO GOOD

■ Sadly, there’s an extremely long waiting list already

■ Occasionally noisy chain without a chainstay guide

■ Carbon damage is potentially hidden rather than obvious

»

The carbon Mojo frame comes with a proper metal head badge – a touch of class!

The dw-link suspension system is one of the most effi cient around, and it’s enhanced by replaceable nickel-plated and forged asymmetric linkages

The nickel plated seat post quick release is the nicest we’ve ever used

THE BIKE TEST


Looks beautiful and climbs and descends better than everything else here when the going gets ugly – the new benchmark trail bike

9




£1,495 (FRAME AND SHOCK) SA sweet chassis with slightly altered rear suspension

Turner Five Spot

Dave Turner’s Burner bikes were some of the fi rst truly versatile, trail-worthy suspension bikes,

and they’ve remained essentially unchanged but widely copied for well over a decade. Pressure from other manufacturers means Dave has now changed his original suspension design a bit, but does one pivot placement really matter?

The chassis The basic frame layout is certainly preserved for posterity, with a sloped, extended seatpost supported by a cable-straddling gusset and neat – but not over showy – CNC work at all the corners.

There’s a lot of hidden detail that really makes a difference, though. The head tube’s internally machined to cope with the extra stress of long travel forks, and the big ‘keystone’ CNC bottom bracket section supports the bottom end of the rear shock.

The simple round tubes used here might not be in vogue at the moment but they’re custom butted for the right blend of fl ex, stiffness and strength, depending on where they sit in the frame. The low-slung frame does show more seatpost than most bikes

with a similar top tube length, so try it for size fi rst if you’re short bodied but long legged.

Very importantly for British riders, the pivots feature ‘Zerx’ grease injection ports that let you easily pump out contaminated/gritty grease and replace it with fresh lube. As a result, Turners have some of the best longevity track records of any suspension bikes. They also feature tough anodized fi nishes as standard, so the reasonably priced frame is a wise investment.

What has changed is the position of the rear pivot compared to the original frame – it’s moved from the chainstay to the seatstay, so it’s no longer a Horst Link. This was done to avoid various legal issues, and it changes the rear system from a four-bar link set-up with a non-arc axle path to a simpler arcing swingarm design. Clever positioning has minimised the impact on the wheel path, but has the change produced a noticeable difference in ride compared to the old bike?

The detail There was nothing outstandingly light on our build – in fact, we used a couple of relatively heavy components –

but the 2.9kg (6.3lb) frame still came out acceptably light for all-day or even race use, with a complete weight of 12.8kg (28.2lb).

The Magura Phaon fork was also impressively smooth thanks to a long bedding-in period, and the Magura disc brakes provided good control in greasy, rainy conditions. To speed up the handling we fi tted a shorter (80mm) stem rather than the 110mm model provided.

The ride The overall feel is particularly refi ned, with a ‘just right’ blend of slight compliance but stiffness and strength where needed that only comes from very long frame building experience. Whatever the shocks and tyres are doing, the Five Spot adds a top note of smoothness and pedigree that lifts it well above a mere suspension platform.

As soon as we were aboard we felt totally at home, and the bike adds pace and enthusiasm to every situation – it turns in with easy balance and poise and, although it shimmies occasionally if you really stamp the power down, it drives hard for a ‘lighter than actual weight’ feel in most situations. It also has the longest


Classic, enduring designWith a frame layout that’s probably become the most copied on Earth, the Turner is proof that if you get it right the fi rst time you don’t have to change. Luckily, the attributes that make a Turner such a great bike extend deeper than a pivot point location. So while tech geeks will argue long and hard about theoretical stuff, we’d rather take a leaf from Dave Turner’s book and just go ride.

»

MBK204.biketest Sec1:109MBK204.biketest Sec1:109 6/9/06 17:27:016/9/06 17:27:01


wheelbase of the bikes in this test, so it has more high-speed stability than you’d expect for its lively feel.

A Fox DHX shock handles the 127mm (5in) rear travel. The new frame design is more sensitive to set-up than Horst Link Turners, and at fi rst it bobbed horribly up climbs and pinch fl atted over square edges. Using a higher pressure than expected but less ProPedal (two clicks) and almost

minimal Boost Valve and bottom out damping totally sorts the back end though. Traction is then constant and the bike sucks up hits with little pedal interruption.

Despite this, the back wheel now slides marginally earlier than previously under braking, and it occasionally hangs up over block impacts or gets left by sudden drops. But once you’ve got the bike set up properly, any minor

problems are outweighed by the distinctive Turner ride feel and the longevity advantages.

The Five Spot was one of the fi rst bikes to really ride like a cross-country bike on the ups but still give a real big-impact, high-speed edge on the way back down. If you’re a real suspension sniffer determined to notice a difference then you might do, but it still has a fi ne overall ride.

SO GOOD

■ Chuckable and agile character

■ Massive shock tuning potential

■ Good price for the high-quality, low-maintenance pedigree

■ Unique long-life, high-smoothness grease-injected bushing system

NO GOOD

■ Bike needs careful shock tuning to ride at its best

That controversial new pivot location

The shock and carefully engineered frame mean that the change of pivot location doesn’t really affect the ride

Grease injection bushings make maintenance easy

»

THE BIKE TEST


The new suspension might be more awkward to set up, but the latest Five Spot has all the fantastic on-trail character and charm of classic Turner bikes

8

MBK204.biketest Sec1:110MBK204.biketest Sec1:110 6/9/06 17:27:086/9/06 17:27:08

Intense have always made some of the most sought after suspension designs available. The EVP 5.5 is even more

suitable for UK conditions now, but its take-no-prisoners character isn’t for everyone.

The chassis Like Rocky Mountain, Intense have their own custom tubing created by experts in the fi eld Easton. They’ve really gone to town on the 5.5 too – round, rectangular, diamond, triangular, oval, curved, tapered, externally machined… there’s every shape of tube imaginable, and they’re joined together with chunky, pocketed, machine-cut junction sections and plates.

There’s also a conventional throat gusset and unconventional two-piece clamshell gusset wrapping over the top tube, head tube and down tube to create a solid front end for long travel forks. With all this work, it’s no surprise that the Intense is the most expensive chassis in this test.

Signifi cantly for UK riders, the seatstays have lost the big CNC’d bridge that used to clog easily in mud, and now there’s plenty of room for both fat tyres and fi lth. There’s a little bit more sway in

the back end, but it’s not hugely noticeable, and not much of a negative compared to the advantages of more mud clearance.

We’re not sure that the totally naked – not even lacquered – ‘Works’ fi nish will react well when exposed to winter wet and road salt though. It looks fantastic, but a painted fi nish makes more sense. Choose your frame size carefully too – get a demo ride if possible. Although the 5.5 is relatively compact in terms of cockpit reach and wheelbase, the upswept end to the top tube means a very long seat tube and correspondingly short seatpost extension, even on the Medium frame we tested.

The detail Our Intense came from the North West Mountain Bike Centre built up using their X9 Pro kit (but with Avid Juicy 5 brakes rather than Juicy 7 and steel-bead tyres instead of the usual folders).

As you might expect from a shop run by Steve Peat’s long-term mechanic (Andy Kyffi n), it’s the burliest build here, with heavy-duty Mavic/Hadley wheels and a bolt-through axle RockShox Pike fork that really suit the bike’s

aggressive character. The Truvativ cockpit kit is perfectly judged to give a hardcore handling feel too. Such parts do add a lot of weight to a bike that could otherwise be reasonably light (frame weight is just over 2.9kg/6.5lb and our build was 13.8kg/30.5lb complete) though, and the fork top caps got caught on the frame gusset during a crash. The ride With its relatively compact dimensions and super responsive handling, the 5.5 screams at you to go faster and harder as soon as you climb on. The VPP (Virtual Pivot Point) suspension – offering 140mm (5.5in) of rear travel – is equally communicative as it fl ows back and forward beneath you in time with the trail. This is certainly no wallowy mess though; stamp on the pedals and the suspension stiffens and lifts out of the bike’s usual ride position for solid power transfer and dig-in traction. But hit a big square block at speed and the suspension just opens up like a trapdoor, swallowing the impact whole.

Not everyone likes this over-emphasised action and the constant sensation of pedal

Aggressive riding rig that’s great for UK conditions

Intense 5.5 EVP


Top quality Easton tubingEaston are the biggest hitters in the alloy bike tubing market. The 5.5 gets one of the most elaborate Easton sets we’ve ever seen. All sorts of tube sections and profiles are used to tune the way each piece flexes or twists to create the bike character. The seat tube badge even tells you who hand-made the frame.

THE BIKE TEST

£3,100 COMPLETE(£1,649.99 FRAME AND SHOCK)


feedback, but it really suits more aggressive riders who push their bikes hard through, rather than fl oating over, terrain.

Add the chunky wheel build to the suspension system and the 5.5 is the natural big-hitter of this test line-up. The short wheelbase and rapid handling mean you really need your wits about you on descents though. You’ll also have to watch out for the fork tucking

under occasionally on loose, slow terrain if you turn in tight, and it won’t hesitate to slam you into the fl oor hard if you foul up.

The addictive fl ipside is that when you’re on form, the 5.5 is a phenomenally fun bike to hammer super hard. Very communicative suspension, great tracking accuracy and a punch- through-anything attitude meant we were ripping our test trails

apart. Even some novice riders with very little suspension experience immediately turned into psychos on the 5.5.

Even if you tried really hard, you couldn’t pick a better name for this bike than Intense. If you work hard and concentrate, nothing can touch it over seriously aggressive technical singletrack. Slip up though, and it won’t show you any forgiveness.

SO GOOD

■ Much improved mud clearance■ Packed with addictive and

aggressive ride character■ Superbly responsive Easton-

tubed frame■ Highly communicative sprint-

hard/boulder-swallowing VPP suspension

NO GOOD

■ The raw metal ‘Works’ fi nish will hate winter

■ Constant pedal feedback isn’t everyone’s cup of tea

■ Unforgiving ride character if you’re having a bad day

The intricate shaping of the Intense 5.5 is a rolling Easton tubing catalogue!

Hard-working VPP suspension is all part of the Intense love/hate experience

Thankfully, the 2007 bike has a lot more mud room out back than previously


Both the most thrashed and most crashed bike on test, the EVP 5.5 is a totally Intense experience. It offers a responsive ride and it can handle almost any situation

8

»




PRICE £2,695 complete (£1,395 frame and shock) £1,699 frame and shock £1,495 frame and shock £3,100 complete (£1,649.99 frame and shock)

DISTRIBUTOR Silverfi sh 01752 313253 www.silverfi sh-uk.com Stif 0113 2251111 www.stif.co.uk Roundel 01925 727286 roundelmtb.com North West Mountain Bike Centre

0161 4283311 www.nwmtb.com

WEIGHT 11.8kg (26.1lb) complete without pedals 12.6kg (27.8lb) complete without pedals 12.8kg (28.2lb) complete without pedals 13.8kg (30.5lb) complete without pedals

FRAME Custom Easton FS 7005 Ultralite aluminium, 100mm (4in) rear travel

Carbon fi bre monocoque, 140mm (5.5in) rear travel Custom aluminium, 127mm (5in) rear travel Easton Ultralite custom aluminium,

140mm (5.5in) rear travel

FORK Fox 32 F100RL Fox Float R32RLC, 140mm (5.5in) travel Magura Phaon, 125mm (4.9in) travel RockShox Pike Team 456 Dual Air, 140mm (5.5in) travel

SHOCK Fox Float RP23 Fox Float RP23 Fox DHX 5.0 Air Fox Float RP23

HEADSET FSA cartridge Cane Creek integrated Aheadset Hope FSA Aheadset

WHEELSHUBS: Shimano XT RIMS: Mavic XC717 disc SPOKES: DT black double-buttedWHEEL WEIGHT: F 1.77kg R 1.99kg

HUBS: Hope Pro IIRIMS: Mavic XM717SPOKES: 32 DT black double-buttedWHEEL WEIGHT: F 1.95kg R 2.31kg

HUBS: Hope XC discRIMS: Mavic XC717SPOKES: Sapim silver double-buttedWHEEL WEIGHT: F 1.86kg R 2.22kg

HUBS: Hadley DH discRIMS: Mavic XM321SPOKES: 32 DT black double-buttedWHEEL WEIGHT: F 2.22kg R 2.77kg

TYRES IRC Mibro ‘For Marathon’, 26 x 2.25in F: Kenda Nevegal DTC R: Kenda Blue Groove DTC (both 26 x 2.3in) Nokian NBX, 26 x 2.1in Panaracer Cinder, 26 x 2.25in

CRANKSET/BOTTOM BRACKET RaceFace Deus XC/RaceFace Deus XC RaceFace Atlas/RaceFace external FSA Afterburner ISIS/FSA ISIS Truvativ Stylo carbon/Truvativ GXP

DERAILLEURS F: Shimano XT R: Shimano XTR Shimano XT F: Shimano XT R: SRAM X-7 F: Shimano XT R: SRAM X-9

SHIFTERS Shimano XT Dual Control Shimano XT SRAM X-7 SRAM X-9

CASSETTE/CHAIN Shimano CS-M960/HG73 SRAM PC970/PC970 Shimano M760 11-32t/SRAM PC 971 SRAM PC970/PC990

BRAKES Shimano XT hydraulic discs, 160mm rotors Hayes HFX-9 hydraulic discs, 160mm rotors Magura Louise, 180mm front rotor Avid Juicy 5 hydraulic discs, 185mm rotors

BAR/STEM/GRIPS RaceFace Deus XC riser/RaceFace Deus XC/Rocky Mountain Ibis riser/RaceFace Deus XC/Pedros Lock-On FSA XC190 riser/FSA XC110/

Club Roost Go Fast Lock-OnTruvativ Team DH OS riser/Truvativ Team OS/ODI Ruffi an Lock-On

SADDLE/ SEATPOST Selle Italia C2 Trans Am Manganese/ RaceFace Deus XC Fi’zi:k Aliante Gamma/Ibis Titec Ithys Gove/FSA SL280 Intense Ti saddle/Truvativ Team seatpost

FRAME ANGLES HEAD 71° SEAT 73.5° HEAD 69° SEAT 73° HEAD 69° SEAT 73.5° HEAD 70° SEAT 72°

MBUK VERDICT■■■■■■■■■■ VALUE ■■■■■■■■■■ CLIMBING ■■■■■■■■■■ DESCENDING■■■■■■■■■■ SINGLETRACK

8

MBUK VERDICT■■■■■■■■■■ VALUE ■■■■■■■■■■ CLIMBING ■■■■■■■■■■ DESCENDING■■■■■■■■■■ SINGLETRACK

9 MBUK VERDICT■■■■■■■■■■ VALUE ■■■■■■■■■■ CLIMBING ■■■■■■■■■■ DESCENDING■■■■■■■■■■ SINGLETRACK

8 MBUK VERDICT■■■■■■■■■■ VALUE ■■■■■■■■■■ CLIMBING ■■■■■■■■■■ DESCENDING■■■■■■■■■■ SINGLETRACK

8

THE SPEC DECK

18in Large Medium Medium

13.25in16.9in

28.3in

19in

23.6in

43.3in

13.25in

16.9in

31in

17in

23in

43.8in

12.3in16.8in

30.75in

18in

22.8in

42in

13.25in16.8in

30in

19in

23in

42.65in18in

The verdictWe couldn’t stop riding these bikes – a sign that they’re all at the top of their game, with not a bad one among them. They’ll all make a perfect riding partner for someone, depending on ride preferences.

After thrashing these rigs for weeks – head to head, in 24-hour races and on singletrack, downhills, drops and climbs – we sniffed out the nuances that characterise each rig and we’re fi nally happy to report

that we’ve found our benchmark trail full susser for 2007.

Rocky Mountain’s Element 70 is lightweight, beautiful and it handles superbly, but it has too little ground clearance and too much suspension compromise to take the prize. The Turner Five Spot is outstanding in terms of overall feel and perpetually enthusiastic handling balance, but the changed pivot position makes accurate shock setting vital. The

Intense 5.5 EVP does exactly what it says on the elaborately-shaped Easton tin, laying down a rabid, rampaging ride that’ll let

you tear the trail apart or leave you whimpering.

And the winner is…The Ibis Mojo Carbon gets our ultimate accolade though, as it oozes confi dence and descends like a much bigger bike, but climbs and sprints like the potential lightweight it is. There is already a large waiting list for this beauty though, so get your order in now before the list extends into 2008. c

Next monthSerious starter bikes 07The latest starter rigs from £300-£645…

Trek 4300, Mongoose Tyax Super, Marin

Northside Trail, Giant XtC 3.5 Disc

IBIS MOJO CARBON

TURNER FIVE SPOT

INTENSE 5.5 EVP

THE BIKE TEST

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELEMENT 70

IBISMOJO CARBON


TESThas a tough race bike character, and the spec reﬂ ects this well. A Shimano XT groupset...

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Transcript of TESThas a tough race bike character, and the spec reﬂ ects this well. A Shimano XT groupset...