Status

I should be doing this:

But instead, all im doing is this;

Things might slow down a notch for a short while. Ill be back shortly tho', stick around.

In the mean time, check out these updates and notes:

-Updated the "Discarded videoes of slow/fast rebound" post, specifying which vid is slow/fast in the comments section. Check it out HERE.

-Got a small bit of information about my RaceFace SIXC crank warranty. Check it out HERE in the comments section.

-A few words on the 661 2012 EVO Knee, in the comments section. Go HERE for that.

-Lastly I stumbled upon THIS little fun vid on my HD, containing a small crash. Read more about the origin HERE. Good times : )

Review: Continental Mountain King II Racesport

The Continental Mountain King has been out for quite a few years. A few years ago it got a complete makeover; the Mountain King II was born. Gone where those awkward placed knobs, and a more aggressive sidewall pattern was implemented.

I have been hearing alot of positive hands-on statements about this tire, and I even got more than a few direct encouragements to test this tire - the red line was; the Black Chili compound is above the rest. Black Chili is a german-produced tire compound, that's said to improve grip, but also decrease rolling resistance - it sounds a bit contradicting to me, but I have been trying to be open minded about it.

I have been using this tire for 5 months now, and I must say that I am pleasantly surprised; the tire has a good bite, corners predictably, braking is consistent as well. Its not a tire without some rolling resistance, but its okay. Ive been running this tire in soft and loose conditions, both dry and wet, and this is actually a decent performing tire, I have a hard time putting my finger on a single bad thing for these conditions - well besides the slight-above-medium rolling resistance

 Mountain King II has given me a single snakebite during my test time, contrary the Schwalbe Nobby Nic, that just kept the snakebites coming (and yes, Im using the same pressure, and riding the same trails). The carcass seems to be putting up with the heat as well. But for very rocky conditions it would probably be a wise thing to go with the "Protection" version of this tire, boasting a thicker sidewall. The size I have been testing is a 2.2", and is just that, not bigger, not smaller (take note Maxxis).Overall a great performing tire for the Trail and AM rider, who wants a lightweight tire, and doesnt ride trails with needle-sharp rocks. Definitely recommended.

Size: 2.2"
Tested on: Rear
Claimed weight: 550 gram
Actual weight: 531 gram
Score: 5/6

The Black-Chili compound is not the holy grail of grip, but it IS really good.

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Discarded VIDEOES of "Fast vs Slow rebound TEST #2"

These two vids had too many variables to be considered good enough for a head to head comparison. The line wasn't as good as we had hoped, as well being a bit too jumpy, and not really representing what we had in mind.

Ill post the vids anyway, however I wont tell you whats SLOW and whats FAST rebound. Im kinda curious whether you can guess it, just by watching these two vids. Lets call it an experiment. Answer will be posted after feedback.

VIDEO 1 Raw edit:

VIDEO 2 Raw edit:

So whats slow, and whats fast? VID 1 or 2? Comments does not require sign in.

Slow vs Fast rebound. TEST # 2

My second take on slow vs fast rebound. Last time I did this kind of test, it was somewhat inconclusive. This time around; we had a better setup, let me summarize;

-some 75m of testing range (240 feet).

-more variation in bump size.

-way faster rider speed.

-camera focus on fork action, and nothing else.

-testing done with a BOXXER R2C2, allowing for longer stroke action

-polarizing between slow and fast is bigger, a massive 17 clicks. Slow is slow, fast is fast.

So what we wanted from this test is to see how slow vs fast rebound would affect rider, traction, and overall performance. Lets take a look:

Fast rebound, 240 fps:

17 clicks slower rebound, 240fps:

Conclusion:

When looking at the footage I still have a hard time seeing any actual difference. However I did FEEL a difference. 

When riding the fast rebound, the bike felt more alive, and a bit more - say, playfull. This appealed to me as a rider. It was however a bit harder to steer, and a tiny bit more energy consuming. I wouldn't run a fork with such a fast rebound setting, but boy, was it fun to try. 

When riding the slow rebound, the ride felt a bit more stabilized and controlled. The fun factor suffered a bit, but that really depends on who you are, and what you want out of your ride. Traction felt a bit better, but there was no gain in actual speed, or in some way better clearance over the cluttery stuff.

There was NO DIFFERENCE in A-B speed.

Im still not completely satisfied with this comparison, like the small change in line, and an even longer test section would be nice, so expect to see some more.

Do you see something I don't? Have an suggestion? Feel free to comment, it does not require a sign-in. 

Another Roadtrip

Another trip to the mountains of Germany. We didn't really shoot that many pics, but the few we did shoot are here. I guess I was the photographer, because im not on a single of the pics : D Anyway, we had 2 days in Braunlage Bikepark, and once again there was new features and improvements to find here. We also had a day in Schulenberg Bikepark, witch turned out to be quite surprisingly good for its size, I hope do do a small mashup-video that shows some of the lines, as well as adding some text to go along with it. First up, the few pics we did shoot from Braunlage:

Normally I crop pics to some extend, this one however, stands its own.

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I wasn't the only one shooting pics..

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Had this pic been in a higher resolution, It would probably be one of my best shots of the year. Note the couple sitting on the rock enjoying the view.

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Some house-wife decided to strip her clothes outside the hotel, made the guys, old and young, (allmost) jump out of the window. Apparently, tits are still in.

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Janus was riding aggressively, I could barely recognize him from our trail session earlier this year. I on the other hand, was taking it easy.

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Braunlage Bikepark has been the place to destroy gear, this time was no different. My pedal slammed into a stone, so much so that the pedal thread got ripped out! Pedal itself was unharmed. Im currently trying to warrant it, ill keep you guys updated on that matter.

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So without my left pedal arm, on the first day of riding, I had to think outside the box, spare SIXC crank arms are not particular easy to get hold of. I talked to the local bikeshop near the bikepark, and got this Hussefelt crank arm for a bit cash. Does it fit into the Raceface? No. Did we install it anyway? Yes. Did it work? Sorta - just be near an allen key at all times. I call it the "FrankenCrank", 175mm on the right side, 160mm on the left side - and constantly loose. It was.. interesting.

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