Preview: Sixpack Millenium - Handlebar

It seems to me that anyone who has got some set of higher skill levels on a bike is running a wider bar. Stability and control is what the deal is about. And the best riders in the world swear by it. The trend started in the US and Canada a few years ago, and its just been spreading like a wildfire, riders in the UK, Germany and France began to pick up these super wide bars, and more and more companies started to make wide bars.. 

I want to know what the buzz is about, so I got my fingers on the Sixpack Millenium handlebar - 760mm of 7075-T6 alloy thats double butted - all wrapped in a white powder coated finish. 

I want to know how it affects my riding for XC, trail, AM, light FR, and some DH and steeet. And I hope to conclude my findings with a review here on this blog. Meanwhile, check out the pics:

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(cut the bar a bit down to about 74cm, its about 75cm with endcaps)
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wiiiide:

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Had my first AM ride today with the new bar, and its very promising regarding to jumps, drops and overall descends. More to come.

Preview: Pure Racing KS 900i 2010

Being fed up with my Crank Brothers Joplin L and its questionable durability and reliability, I decided to try out the Pure Racing KS 900i. Its supposed to be improved for 2010 by having new DU bushings and open bath oil lubrication. The 900i has 125mm (5") of height adjustment, thats 2" more than the Joplin, and I really welcome that. So far its working great, it feels solid and tight.

The KS 900i adjustable seatpost has gotten some great reviews lately, so im expecting a product that works, and continues to work with no durability or reliability issues - thank you. Keep your eyes on this blog, as I hope to post a full review when I finish testing this seatpost mid summer.

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A bit more heavy than the Joplin:

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I hope to do a comparison review at some point, between the Joplin L, and the KS 900i:

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Easter riding 2

Todays trip took us across the border. Germany to be precise. Well, the trip started in Denmark, everything was good, the company was great, and we where set to go, everything went ok in the beginning, but somehow my skillset decided to plunge in the middle of the day, leaving me with a crash, and bad hucking skills. Fuck that - I managed to rise and eventually ended the day by hucking the biggest shit ive ever taken outside a bikepark. Awesome! Thanks all.

Returning to an old "friend":

Peter shows us how its done:

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Kim shows us how not to do it : ) :

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Warming up:

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The happy ending; hucking the biggest drop ive taken outside a bikepark:

(Some pics where shot and compiled by martin, so thanks man.)

Im tired.

Easter riding 1

Easter is here, and what better way to enjoy it than riding abit, here goes a few pics:

Going down, wheelie style : )

Thomas battling the tricky descends:

We found a pretty good huck... and the we hucked the shit out of it:

Dicking around, its supposed to be fun, right? ; )

Ready for more.

Technical AM

...is the best word I can find that describes todays trip. What a great day; sunshine, a great trail, a good wibe, and alot of fun : ) ... during the 7 hours of riding(!). Awesome!

I dont think it gets much steeper than this (well not here anyway):

I still have alot of respect for this drop, the landing is somewhat sketchy:

Pure fun:

Technical (and damn tricky) descends:

My body and mind craves for some R&R.

New Video: Testing the High Speed function

I had the opportunity to test my new camera and its features. And it all came down to a little test-movie, check it out: 

First downhill session of the year

...and it was awesome! I almost forgot how much fun it really is. There where some decent riders along, so there was a chance to grab some tricks and hints as to how to decimate the rockgardens in the fastest way possible. Good stuff. 

Btw, it was my first ride with the Leatt Brace, and the Deviant-2 helmet. Both products surpassed my expectations, so im really pleased with that. I actually vent on to forget that I was wearing the Leatt Brace!

Anyway, some pics:

Christian:

Sebastian:

Me:

The invisible Leatt Brace:

Ready for more.

FINALLY! Some AM action.

Man, we had such a fun time today! Hucks, drops, jumps, and technical riding, all with 11c in the spring sun, I really cant ask for much more. Fuck yearh.

Finally hucked this SOB:

Ready for more.

Preview: Specialized Chunder SX 2.3

Finally got my hands on the Specialized Chunder SX 2.3. I really wanted to test this tire for a long time, but it turned out to be quite hard to get hold on. Well I finally managed that, so why all the buzz?

Well the Chunder SX 2.3 is a near replica of (in terms of thread pattern) of my all-time favorite AM tire; the Maxxis High-Roller 2.3. But the Chunder SX adds a few things into the mix; First of; its HUGE, the 2.3" is as big as a Maxxis 2.5". Secondly, the knob-hight is about 20% higher than that of the Maxxis tire - that could mean more grip in the corners at high speeds and on the descends. The side pattern is huge and ultra aggressive, and the center knobs are ramped up to give as little rolling resistance as possible - just like the High Roller. Everything has a price tho', this tire is a heavy weight at 1060 gram, but thats for the "indestructible"-dual-ply version im testing.

I have high expectations for the Chunder SX, and I hope to drag this tire through AM, DH, FR, in several different countries during this summer, so watch this space, as I conclude it with a review here on my blog.

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 Shameless copy of one of the best tires ever made:

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But I want it anyway!

Finally a bit trail action

We had a chance to spin the bikes a few days ago. 2 days later the snow hit us again : /

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Christian on my bike:

Christian crashing my bike, he walked it off afterwards:

Im ready for more.

Preview: Specialized Deviant II Carbon 2010

Got my new fullface helmet today, its the Specialized Deviant II Carbon. Specialized made some changes for this helmet for 2010, apparently they took in some of the criticism there was of the original Deviant I, and remade it. This new version has a new chin bar, mouthport and face port design with improved goggle compatibility.

Here are my first impressions; This helmet is light, comming in at 982 gram (M), and its VENTILATED - this thing has vents all over it! I really like that, my head felt too hot in my 661 fullface helmet, so I welcome all the vents, and hope that they can reduce the heat, and keep my head as cool as possible. The fit is good, tight but good. The mouthport is huge, and really makes it easy to breathe - I dont feel "enclosed" when I wear this helmet. One thing I'm abit skeptic about is that this helmet has a double d-buckle retention, and I have never been a fan of that, always been into the click-system. But so far its proven itself to be pretty easy to work with, so I will give it a shot.

I hope to do a proper review when I get some field-time with this helmet, in the meanwhile, check out the pics.

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Review: Five Ten FreeRider 2010

Had to post a small review of the Five Ten FreeRider shoe. Been riding this shoe for 3 months and I think I have a pretty good fieldtest to back it up.Ive been using the Five Ten Impact 2 Low for a year now, but always felt they where a bit "big", warm and heavy, fine for downhill but a bit too much for AM, so when the FreeRiders where announced I had to try them out.

These shoes are awesome, they stick to flat pedals like friggin magnets! The secret behind this is the special Steath-rubber - you just have to try it to believe it. The sole is really holding up well, and there is almost no wear, so I expect a long life from these shoes (unlike the Shimano AM40). The shoes are still a bit "big", but way smaller than the Five Ten Impact 2 Low, they have a stiff sole, and a comfortable fit - so its pretty much the quality you would expect from Five Ten. The only downside is the design, I like it, but I dont dig it - well design is subjective anyway, so what do I know.( The AM40's are downright sexy tho')

If you are looking for a great solid shoe for you platform pedals, then look no further, these suckers are great, and will stick to the pedals like nothing else. They will improve your riding by giving you more control, and make things a bit more easy for you. Great stuff.

Score: 5/6

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The sole is really holding up nicely after 3 months:

Spike tires vs Regulars - visual representation

Took this pic from the trail, showcasing the difference between a spike tire, and a normal tire - regarding the grip on ice.

So here is the deal; im riding on compact ice, on my front wheel is my spike tire (Schwable Ice Spiker), on my rear is the normal tire (Maxxis Swampthing). The spiketire sticks to the ice (green arrows), whereas the normal tire strives to keep on track, you can actually see it slide away from me by looking at the tire-pattern on the ice (red arrows).

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Fun in the snow - Part 3

So the snow-situation has turned into a love/hate thing for me. I love the scenery, and the added challenge, but I really hate how it hinders me from enjoying my favorite trails, and it holds me back from the big hits. So snow, be gone soon please! Shot a few pics on my last couple of rides, click on them too see them in a larger version.

Preview: Manitou Evolver ISX-6

Finally got my new rear shock, the Manitou Evolver ISX-6. After reading alot of good reviews of this shock, and the fact that it has low AND high speed compression - I just had to try it out. It offers rebound and a no-tools volume adjust, which controls the end stroke. All of it is combined into the Intrinsic damping. Funny thing about Intrinsic damping is that Manitou is abit tight lipped of how it works, and even on how it works for this shock. 

Anyway, im REALLY looking forward to kick this shock around in the woods, and to fine tuned it for my trails. Ive been on a small 15min ride, and so far its amazing; stable on the pedaling, and sucking in on the drops - but I need to do so much more testing.