Workshop: How to clean and lube your bike

By BikeRadar

One Dirty Drivetrain (Bikeradar)

If you’ve let the muck build up on your bike, here's a step-by-step guide that will get it looking like new – and running much better – in less than an hour.

We think this is best avoided: a five-minute hosedown and application of lube straight after your ride will help keep your bike running smoothly, if not showroom shiny. But nobody's perfect - least of all us - so here's how to shift serious grime.

• Time: 1 hour
• Skill rating: Easy
• Cost: Degreaser, grease, chainlube (approx. £15)

Tools you’ll need

1. Bucket
2. Very hot water
3. Washing-up liquid
4. Brushes and sponges
5. Old toothbrush
6. Narrow flat-blade screwdriver
7. Old spoke
8. Degreaser
9. Polish/detailer
10. Grease
11. Chain lube
12. Rags

1] Scrub the chain

The chain is the most important part of the transmission. The first step to cleaning it is to use hot water — wearing rubber gloves will help you use hotter, more effective, water. Add regular washing-up liquid to your bucket of water and allow it to foam up.
With the chain in the biggest gear, apply the mixture vigorously using a stiff bristle scrubbing brush. You’ll see a bright, shining chain emerge.

2] Degrease the chain

With the chain free from dirt, apply a biodegradable degreaser to the chain and allow it to soak into all the links. This will remove any debris and sticky residues you can’t see, and make for a free-running chain.
Rotate the cranks backwards a few times to get the degreaser right into the links. Allow to drip-dry, or wash off with clean water.

3 Wipe the chain

Use a soft rag to wipe the chain completely clean — you’ll be surprised what still comes off a clean-looking chain. You’re trying to massage the links, moving them through as wide a range of movement as possible — this helps expose the sections of link normally hidden from view.

4] Lube the chain

Apply lube only when the chain is clean. We prefer to lube a chain as little as possible, with as light a lube as we can get away with. Use a dripper bottle, because it’s easier to apply accurately and with minimum wastage.
Coat the whole chain, spinning the cranks to force the lube into the links. That’s where lube is most useful — not coating the outside plates, as many believe. Wipe excess lube away with a rag.

5] Wipe cables

Slide the outers to expose previously covered sections of inner cable. Give the entire inner cable a wipe-over with a section of rag soaked in degreaser. If you come across any sections that are rusty, replace with a new inner cable. Most dry cables can be reinvigorated with a little light grease.

6] Lube cables

The best way to apply grease evenly to a cable is to first apply the grease to a clean (lint-free) rag. Holding the rag in one hand with the greased section between thumb and forefinger, gently pinch the section of inner cable in the rag and draw it through.
The idea is to allow the grease to get into the fine strands of the cable without creating any blobs of grease.

7] Scrub front mech

Front mechs always suffers from neglect. They’re hard to access and are often jammed full of dry mud, and have pivots drier than a Jacob’s Cracker. The first thing you can do to get your front mech swinging happily again is to apply steaming soapy water. Use a small toothbrush to get right into the parallelogram and underneath the band.

8] Wipe front mech

Give the mech a good going over with the rag. Use a thin strip of rag to thread though the body of the front mech — this allows you to floss the body. Don’t overlook the inside of the front mech cage, as these get pretty grubby from rubbing the chain all day. A couple of minutes and you should have a gleaming front mech.

9] Scrape out rear mech

There’s no point having a free-running chain if the jockey wheels of your rear mech are bunged up. Use an old spoke or the blade of a thin, flat-bladed screwdriver to carefully hook out any old grass and oily gunge that’s trapped between the jockey wheels and the mech arm side plates.

10] Scrub Jockey Wheels

With the serious grime gone, use a little degreaser and an old toothbrush to scrub the jockey wheels (not forgetting the insides of the mech arm). It’s possible to unscrew the jockey wheels from the mech arm, but we don’t recommend you do so unless you’ve got a thread lock to use when reinstalling the pivot bolts. Sadly, we’ve seen too many rides ended by bottom jockey wheels falling out.

11] Lube Jockey Wheels

Re-lube the jockey wheels. They really only need the very lightest touch of lube, as they’ll pick up enough from the chain through use. Remember these little wheels attract a lot of dirt, and with lube being sticky, it doesn’t pay to make matters worse by overdoing it. Wipe the excess away with a rag. They should look dry.

12] Unclip cables

Set the rear gears into the largest rear sprocket and then, without letting the rear wheel spin, shift into the smallest rear sprocket. This will free up a bunch of inner cable and allow you to pop the outers from the slotted cable stops on the frame. With the cables now fully unclipped from the frame you can inspect, clean, re-lube and reinstall everything.

13] Lube Front Mech

Use the lube dropper bottle to apply drops of lube to all the pivots on the front mech. These take a lot of load, and can use all the help you can give them to remain mobile. Shift the mech into the smallest chainring and then work the parallelogram with your fingers to get the lube worked in.

14] De-Gunk Rear Sprockets

The rear sprockets are the final port of call on this bicycle maintenance mystery tour. They’re full of technology to help faster shifts, but also full of grease, mud and grass. Pick the worst lumps out with an old spoke or the blade of a thin, flat screwdriver. You’ll be surprised what hides in those tight spaces, even on expensive, open alloy carrier versions.

15] Scrub Rear Sprockets

Get the hot soapy water on them and get scrubbing with a brush. Really stubborn grot can be shifted with a dose of degreaser and another hit with the scrubbing brush. Getting to the backs of the sprockets can be tricky, but it’s really worth persevering, as the cleaner you make it, the less easy it is for new mud to stick.

16] Wipe Rear Sprockets

Give the sprockets some flossing with your strip of rag. This helps dry the sprockets, and also buffs away any outstanding marks. The cleaner you can keep your sprockets, the faster they’ll shift and the longer they’ll last. Dirt acts like a grinding paste when in contact with any part of your transmission, so get rid of it.

Tip: don't forget the general clean-up

You can get away with just cleaning the important parts, but a full wash-down should be part of your regular post-ride plans. Take the wheels off the bike and wash everything, beginning with the underside of the saddle and working downwards.

Tip: lube the pivots

Add a drop of lube to your brake lever pivots — they dry out too and work better with some liquid love. Ditto the shifters. For SRAM X.9/X.0 gears, simply unscrew the top caps and drop a few drops on the spring and cable nipple. With Shimano, undo the plastic grub screw and put a few drops inside before replacing the grub screw.

Tip: polish it off

If you love your bike, show it offby taking a soft duster and some nice polish and giving the paintwork a buffing it’ll never forget. Apart from making the bike look shiny, it also helps make it harder for dirt to stick to the frame the next time you’re out.

Tip: hot water and detergent FTW

The marketplace is rammed with bike cleaning fluids, and they’re mostly pretty good. Most are applied using a trigger bottle spray, requiring you to leave it on for 30 seconds and then wash off with a brush.
That’s all well and good, but we have just as much success with car shampoo and hot water. You can even use washing up liquid, but remember it contains salt so you want to be sure you get it all off. For all the marketing hype, the detergent and the grime-busting strength of steaming hot water are hard to beat. Have a good selection of sponges and brushes available to get into all the nooks and crannies.

Specialized Bicycles FSR XC Comp (09) | $1410

By Seb Rogers, What Mountain Bike

Specialized’s FSR suspension design has been around, in one form or another, for about 15 years. It’s a sign of the times that the company's mid-range, trail-orientated FSR XC bikes now get 120mm of rear wheel travel. The entry-level Comp boasts a full complement of Specialized kit, a Shimano transmission, and X-Fusion shock and RockShox fork pairing.

Bikes like the FSR XC Comp are the mainstay of Specialized’s business, so it’s no surprise to discover that the 2009 version is as competent an all-rounder as ever. If it weren’t for the limitations of its fork then it would definitely be in with a shout for top honours. As it is though, it’s a brilliantly executed do-anything machine that represents excellent value.

Ride & handling: Do-it-all performance, but frame needs a better fork to do it justice

It’s hard not to like the XC Comp from the first turn of the pedals. Relaxed angles – particularly at the front – hint at handling that’s biased towards higher speeds, but this isn’t the case. The Specialized feels equally at home plodding up a steep, rooty climb at walking pace or carving turns on a high-speed singletrack descent, with weight distribution that feels perfectly ‘planted’ and pleasantly benign steering that does what you ask of it, when you want it to.

With no compression damping – adjustable or otherwise – on the basic rear shock, it pays to take a little time to fine-tune setup. Specialized’s FSR rear end is naturally active, so a shock with too much sag and a choppy pedalling style can easily provoke a fair degree of rear end bounce and wallow.

Pump it up firmly enough, keep the power smooth and the rear end does what it was designed to do, remaining impressively active and supple over everything from the tiniest trail ripple to the biggest wheel-eater. Flicking the rebound adjust lever to lockout removes any trace of bob and bounce on smooth surfaces, too.

The fork matches the shock bump-for-bump, right up to the point where the hits are bigger, squarer-edged and faster, at which point it blots its copybook with a hint of bushing rattle that acts as a confidence-inhibitor. There’s no doubt that the frame would definitely warrant a long-term fork upgrade, and that this would unleash its true downhill potential.

Frame: Time-proven FSR design in a good looking package

Specialized take the aesthetics of their bikes extremely seriously, with an entire department devoted to everything from decal design and paint finishes to finessing tube curvature. Perhaps that’s why the FSR XC Comp is one of the more elegant 120mm travel bikes out there, with clean lines that flow uninterrupted from the head tube to the rear dropouts. The detail is also impressive, from the bolt-on cable guides under the down tube to the custom rubber chainstay protector.

It’s more than just a pretty face, though. For 2009, Specialized have managed to reduce standover height, giving a bit more space over the top tube for those unscheduled bail-outs. A longer seat tube also gives more scope for dropping the saddle out of the way on steep descents, and the impressively minimalist shock rocker linkage is also new. The patented Horst link (the key to the FSR suspension design) is still there on the chainstay, of course.

Equipment: Sound speccing decisions, with emphasis on quality own-brand kit

Spring duties are carried out by a custom-tuned X-Fusion air shock at the rear and a RockShox Tora SL coil fork up front. The shock is easy to set up and features a lever for adjusting rebound damping on the fly and, if necessary, locking the shock out completely. It’s a neat solution, and far easier to use than the usual dial (though also easier to knock out of position, too).

Our test bike’s Tora fork behaved better than other samples we’ve ridden, with good low-to-medium speed performance and just a trace of bushing looseness on square-edged hits to betray its budget build

There’s barely a component on the XC Comp that hasn’t been tweaked by Specialized’s designers, from the wheelset to the excellent seatpost and saddle.

It all works well, though experience suggests the funky-looking red aluminium spoke nipples may not survive that many clumsy wheel-truing attempts.

[Specs] Bianchi Mutt 7800

Mutt 7800 Alu XT Disc - Y9B66

Technical features Code Y9B66 Colours 8Z Sizes 38-43-48-53 Frame Bianchi MUTT Alu TB Rear Shock // Fork Marzocchi Corsa TST2 - 100mm travel, TST Remote Lockout Headset Fsa ZS4-CUSTOM Shifters Shimano XT Rear Derailleur Shimano XT Front Derailleur Shimano XT Crankset Shimano XT 44/32/22 Chain Shimano LX Sprocket Sram PG970 11/34 Brakes Shimano XT Disc Brake Lever included Wheels Rear Hub Shimano XT Front Hub Shimano XT Rims Mavic XM 819 Disc 32h - Black Tire Hutchinson Python NG Tubeless Light 26x2.00 Stem Fsa ST-OS-150LX Handlebar Fsa XC-180 Flat - White Grips Velo VLG-059-6A - superlight foam Seatpost Fsa SL-280 - 31.6mm Saddle Selle San Marco Ponza Power - rail CrMo, black/white Pedals Shimano PDM505 Waterbottle Hanger Aluminium

Merlin 5.25 Works (09) (Frameset) | $3980.73

By Steve Worland, What Mountain Bike

US titanium pioneers Merlin’s new mid-travel full-suspension mountain bike frame costs a hefty £2,800, but while there’s no doubting the build quality of the 5.25 Works, it’s a bike with a confused personality.

It’s light and fast enough to be a fine all-rounder but it requires imagination to get the best out of it. However you set it up, the high bottom bracket is always an issue. At its best, it feels awkward at slow speeds but romps along at high speeds with a 120mm fork, the rider sat back with lots of shock sag and the back doing more work than the fork. At its worst, it feels more gawky giraffe than careering kangaroo.

Ride & handling: Surprisingly efficient at speed, but feels a bit gawky on slow, technical singletrack

It’s been years since we’ve had a Merlin Metalworks bike on test. The titanium specialists have only created a few full-suspension frames, and while the mainframe of the 5.25 bears all the classy tube forming hallmarks of the brand, we’ve never been persuaded that titanium tubes offer any advantages when it comes to full-suspension chassis design.

The 5.25 is said to be designed with 120-150mm travel forks in mind, so we were surprised to find that our test bike came with a 100mm Fox 32. As always, we only took our measurements after the first ride. A 100mm fork resulted in static 69-degree head and 72-degree seat angles, and a lofty 14in bottom bracket height. This encouraged a soft rear shock and a firm fork setup.

We plugged in a RockShox Revelation fork with 110-140mm of U-Turn travel. At full length this relaxed static geometry by a couple of degrees but lifted the bottom bracket by half an inch. Crucially, it also allowed for more fork and shock sag, which dropped the bottom bracket again. A floaty fork setup seems to suit the back end.

The best setup compromise seemed to be a soft 120mm up front combined with a medium-soft back end permanently set to middle stage ProPedal platform damping. Whatever we did though, that high bottom bracket and slack head angle still felt awkward on slow speed terrain.

We began to see why, contrary to the marketing spiel, our sample was equipped with a 100mm fork. As one tester put it, after an awkward slow speed tumble: “Like a kangaroo, or a giraffe, it’s surprisingly efficient once it gets up to speed but feels a bit gawky on slow-speed, technical singletrack.”

The high bottom bracket may suit you if you like to ride with a long-forked front and soft rear setup. This allows you to pedal hard and fast through rough terrain with minimum pedal strike risk while feeling at ease on rough downhills with the fork set to full travel. This, of course, makes for a wallowy ride on anything that involves lots of body language – such as hills.

If you like a floaty setup like this you’ll be using the ProPedal settings a lot, and you’ll probably use the suspension lockout on long uphills. To avoid the high centre of gravity caused by that lofty bottom bracket at other times, the perfect fork choice would be one you can lock down on climbs rather than lock out fully extended.

If you want the Merlin to feel tighter or firmer, a shorter fork and generous use of the ProPedal shock settings is the best way. The Revelation set to 120mm offered decent hard-riding cross-country trail performance and enough tuning adjustments to make it feel at ease with the back end on most terrain. But it took us a while to get to a point we were happy with, and we still felt the bottom bracket was too high.

Frame: Well thought out titanium chassis with Merlin's legendary quality control

A look at the technical specifications and forming expertise in the 5.25's tubes gives you a clue as to why Merlin have been around since 1986. Every 3/2.5 (three percent vanadium, 2.5 percent aluminium) tube on a Merlin is custom drawn to a ‘Merlin Tubing Specification’ standard that exceeds aerospace industry standards for straightness, ovality and wall thickness.

Merlin's quality control requires testing processes that are generally ignored with non-aerospace tubing and its cold worked precision tube forming processes, while not obvious to the untrained eye, are the envy of the industry. In short, a Merlin frame has gone through a lot to earn its price tag. We love the engraved head tube too.

Merlin’s previous full-susser, the 4.0, used an Ellsworth Truth’s back end on Merlin’s titanium main triangle. Merlin designer Brad DeVaney’s loved the 5.25-inch travel Epiphany but Ellsworth wouldn’t let Merlin use the patented ICT (Instant Centre Tracking) four-bar linkage back end on the 5.25, so Brad designed it without ICT.

The cam-link rocker system on the 5.25 dictates the wheel-to-shock travel ratio in a way that optimises the 5.25in of travel without any overly plush or unwanted ramp-up spots within the stroke. Unsurprisingly the back end looks like an Ellsworth but the dropout pivots are on the seatstays and the rocker is shorter than on the Epiphany so the lever ratio and resulting ride feel are different.

Riders and manufacturers sing the praises of four-bar linkage bikes with chainstay pivots, but shock tuning and platform damping can allow seatstay pivot bikes such as the Merlin to work as well in most trail scenarios.

Despite its plain looks, there’s a lot going on in the 5.25’s mainframe. The big down tube has been formed to create the ideal mix of low weight and high strength, with a big weld contact area into the reinforced head tube. The sloped top tube has plenty of standover clearance and is tube-braced across to the seat tube to allow for ideal placement of the main rocker pivot. The seat tube base is heavily sleeved to hold the main swingarm pivot and lower shock mount.

All the tubes are 3/2.5 titanium, machined parts are super-tough 6/4 titanium and tube wall thickness varies according to frame size. There’s also a custom build service for those who can afford it. The back end is tough but light box-sectioned aluminium, with premium quality pivot bearings, and there’s lots of mud room.

Equipment: Pick your own – but put some thought into your fork choice

The air shock – Fox’s RP23 with three-stage ProPedal platform damping – and headset are included in the hefty price, but the rest is up to you.

Our test bike came with a Shimano XT drivetrain and brakes, Bontrager wheelset, Maxxis Larsen TT 2in tubeless tyres, Thomson seatpost and stem, Ritchey Pro Rizer bar and a Fizik Gobi saddle. The all-in weight was just over 27lb.

Tester’s thoughts

“I wanted to like the 5.25, especially as I love the Epiphany. Unfortunately its confused personality and a frame price that would buy a complete Epiphany didn’t impress. I prefer climb on, pedal and steer bikes rather than fiddling with suspension settings on the fly.” Steve Worland

Designer's thoughts

We asked Chris Hewings, director of international sales for the American Bicycle Group, about the Merlin brand.

What sort of rider typically buys a Merlin, and who do you think will buy the 5.25?

That’s very hard to answer as we do no after-sales research to identify our customers, but I would guess at wealthy enthusiasts who recognise Merlin as one of the oldest, most reputable and experienced frame manufacturers, and want to buy into that reputation and experience. A lot of sales come from existing Merlin customers who want to try our new products. We make them, and they sell!

Does a depressed economic climate have a negative or positive effect on top-end bikes?

Again, very difficult to answer as I’m not an economist. I’d guess at this level of bike purchasing, the customer is wealthier than the norm so they should be more insulated than the average man in the street from the economic downturn. We’ve not noticed a slowdown in sales over the past few months — in fact it’s been the opposite.

What is Merlin’s best selling frame these days?

The XLM hardtail in the mountain bike range — we sell more Merlin frames in Europe than in the USA.

What sets Merlin apart from other top end titanium frame builders?

They’re all designed and manufactured in the US, using the highest grade titanium available, with no shortcuts on material or design. The tubing manipulation on the downtube cannot be matched by any manufacturer. It’s why we manufacture titanium for aerospace applications for NASA.

There's no bike company on the planet that comes close to our titanium manipulation expertise. As different parts of a frame undergo totally different stresses during a ride, tubes need to be tuned (by manipulation and butting) to handle different forces that act at different points on the frame. We also manufacture different tubesets for each size of bike. It does cost us a small fortune to do this, but we won’t – and don’t – compromise.”

Nutrition: Supermarket superfoods

By Christine Bailey

Add these superfoods to your shopping list and your daily diet will boost both your health and your performance.

Prune power

Need to supercharge your ride? Take a pack of dried fruits and you can top up your energy stores quickly. Dried apricots, figs, prunes and raisins are all excellent sources of quick releasing carbohydrates to prevent the dreaded ‘bonk’ and keep your muscles fuelled. They’re rich too in antioxidants to aid recovery and support immune health, plus potassium to maintain electrolyte balance and lower blood pressure.

Go nuts

Nuts are another great portable snack that is rich in monounsaturated fats, vitamin E and magnesium – important for maintaining a healthy heart, joints and bones. Vitamin E, along with other antioxidants present, can help protect against free radical damage which can be linked to muscle soreness and slower recovery. A good source of protein, nuts can also help stabilise blood sugar levels and so prevent energy dips.

Wholegrain holy grail

Pasta and rice are well known staples for cyclists, providing plenty of easily digestible carbohydrate to help refuel your glycogen stores after a long ride. Choose wholegrain for additional B vitamins, needed for energy production, and fibre. Combine it with some protein to fuel your muscles and aid repair.

Egg sample

Eggs are one of the best complete protein sources around. One egg contains 5.5g protein, over 10 percent – of your daily needs – with only 68 calories. So if you’re trying to build up your strength and endurance, add a couple of eggs to your morning breakfast. Packed with choline, an important B vitamin for brain health and reducing inflammation, they also contain the antioxidant lutein for healthy eyes and B vitamins to facilitate energy production.

Fish fat

Fish is an excellent high-quality protein food. A 100g (4oz) serving of salmon will deliver about 30g of protein – more than a third of your daily requirements. It’s also one of the best sources of omega 3 fats – essential for keeping inflammation in check, improving blood flow to muscles and boosting the immune system, helping you to train for longer. If you’re short of time, add a can of salmon to your pasta or salads, or mix with mayo for a great topping for potatoes.

Take your leaf

Broccoli and leafy greens like kale and cabbage are rich in phytonutrients known to protect against cancers and boost immune function. A good source of vitamins C and K, calcium and magnesium, these are essential foods for healthy bones and joints – useful if you suffer from stiffness. They also provide plenty of beta-carotene, the vegetable source of vitamin A needed for a healthy respiratory system – important when cycling in the cold.

Banana appeal

The fantastic, energy-boosting banana is the perfect choice for long rides. Choose ripe fruit with a higher glycaemic rating for an easily digestible source of carbohydrate to keep glycogen levels up. Bananas are a great source of potassium needed to balance fluid levels, keep muscles functioning effectively and assist in carbohydrate metabolism. They also provide plenty of B vitamins and magnesium needed for energy production to keep you in the saddle for longer.

Sweet spuds

A fantastic source of easily digestible carbohydrate, baked sweet potatoes make a quick, easy snack to refuel tired muscles. Packed with beta-carotene and vitamin C, these important antioxidants can help the body fight off ills and can help reduce any inflammation. Sweet potatoes also supply iron, manganese and copper – essential nutrients for energy production and muscle function.

Berry booster

Their brightly coloured skins are the reason why blueberries, blackberries, cherries, raspberries and strawberries are such a good choice. Rich in powerful antioxidants known as anthocyanins, they can boost immune health and prevent the buildup of free radicals that can cause damage to the body. Include these in your post ride meal or snack to aid recovery, prevent muscle soreness and to speed up repair.

Cannondale announce riders for 2009 Factory Racing squad

By BikeRadar

The Cannondale Factory Racing team ride together (Cannondale)

Cannondale have revealed the lineup for their 2009 Factory Racing team, which will be led by 10-time Belgian mountain bike champion Roel Paulissen.

Paulissen, who last year became world marathon champion, will be joined by Italian cyclo-cross sensation Marco Aurelio Fontana and Swiss mountain biker Martin Gujan.

Bike options for the team include the Scalpel and Taurine for off-road competition and the SuperSix and CX9 for road and ‘cross events. The riders will compete in World Cup races, road and ‘cross events, and hope to ride in the 2012 London Olympic Games.

For more information, go to Cannondale.com.

Folding bike wins international design award

By BikeRadar

Pacific's MODE folder has won an international design award (Pacific Cycles)

Pacific Cycles have won an international design award for one of their folding bikes. The iF MODE was given a gold award at the CeBit trade fair in Hannover, Germany.

Designed by Mark Sanders, the futuristic-looking bike has an enclosed drivetrain and is designed to be easy to clean. It features Pacific's iF (Integrated Folding) technology that offers a single-action, automatic fold that requires no tools or removal of parts.

The iF Product Design Award is presented annually by international Forum (iF) Design in Hannover. Consumer products from all over the world compete for awards in 16 categories, including leisure and lifestyle, lighting, consumer electronics and interior design. This year, 2,808 products from 39 countries competed for an award, with 50 achieving gold.

2009 Truvativ Hammerschmidt - first in Indonesia?

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click the link below to see a larger pic of the bike!
http://img4.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc03089m.jpg

Hi guys,
here is the first bike in Indonesia with the brand new Hammerschmidt dirve train installed.

The conversion from a traditional crank to Hammerschmidt is pretty straight forward. You need a couple of special tools to prepare the BB (you need to face the BB and the ISCG mount) before mounting the crank, but besides that it's pretty simple.

The Hammerschmidt can only be installed on frames with ISCG mount!

The installation took around 1 hour to setup the BB and to make sure the ISCG mount is even, once the ISCG and the BB is done it's easy.

The Banshee Scythe setup is following:

-Hammerschmidt FR with 36/22T ratio (you can also choose 38/24T ratio)
-SRAM X.9 trigger rear with the matching X.9 Hammerschmidt trigger
-SRAM X.9 Super Short Cage with 11/34T cassette
-SRAM PC-991 chain

Saturday morning the initial testing was done on flat ground before it's being put through the paces on Sunday/Monday at our house track in Bedugul.

The shifts (even under load) are instant, you can shift while cruising and even paddling backwards or standing.
On a normal 24/36T crank you have around 1/4 to 1/2 rotation of the crank delay when shifting - here the shifting is with a blink of an eye, no rattling - very precise.

Improved ground clearance (you are basically running a 22T chainring).
No chain slack - with a super short cage no chain noise - shorter chain less weight - less slack.

After the conversation the bike gained a mere 350 grams of weight, than before (single chainring 36T/Gamut chainguide set-up).


Well let's see what the real world testing will bring in the next couple of days.

[Downhill Event] Kinabalu Rose Cabin Borneo Downhill Challenge 2009

Event Name : Borneo Downhill Challenge 2009
Main Sponsor : Kinabalu Rose Cabin
Date : 16th and 17th May 2009(CONFIRMED)
Location : Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Borneo Malaysia.

Categories :


Mens Open(18 years old and above)

Prizes :
1st - USD1000.00

2nd - USD750.00

3rd - USD 500.00

4th - 7th To Be Confirmed in cash or kind on a later date


Mens Master(35 years old and above)

Prizes :
1st - USD500.00

2nd - USD250.00

3rd USD150.00

4th - 7th To Be Confirmed in cash or kind on a later date


Registration Fee : Ringgit Malaysia One hundred and Fifty Only.

More info: http://www.mygravityriders.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=36

Bike review: Guru Geneo

Guru builds custom bikes for riders who want to ride as fast as possible. Period. When my cycle arrived I was almost afraid to touch it. The single-piece, carbon-fiber frame resembles a sculpture by Calder. The Dura-Ace components look like they ought to be stored on red velvet. This isn't a bicycle — it's a stealth fighter on wheels. Four or five pedal strokes send you flying. On a 100-mile ride I averaged 19 mph, painlessly. You'd have to be a little crazy to spend this much on a bike. But after a few miles on this exquisite machine, that sort of insanity is contagious.

Wheels: 27 in.
Gears: 20
Weight: 16.2 lb.
Average speed, 10-mile loop: 20 mph
Highest level speed: 24 mph
Bottom line: Built by obsessives for obsessives.
Manufacturer website: gurubikes.com

Bike review: Raleigh Passage 4.0

Hybrid bikes such as this are designed as compromises between road and trail. “This is for the person who just wants a pleasant ride,” says Steve Kahn, owner of Danny's Cycles, in Scarsdale, N.Y. With a cushy seat and front suspension, it rides like an old-time Cadillac. Too poky for long trips, and too heavy for steep trails, it's just the ticket for easy tours of dirt roads or bike paths. I found the upright riding position comfortable, but slow (too much wind against your torso). So, while it is well-made and easy to ride, this bike wasn't for me. More speed, please. Wheels 28 in.