no chances. In my pack’s waist belt and what
I though would be the most accessible spot
tubeless tyre plugs were loaded and ready to
jam through any mid to large holes that could
occur while riding. Also in the same pouch was
a CO2 inflator to get me pumped up quickly.
With the first stage descending more vertical
metres than a whole club Enduro round
back home, brakes were an easy choice. The
consistent and predictable feel of SRAM’s Code
DH brakes paired with 200mm rotors front and
rear worked flawlessly the whole event, even
if my cramping hands barely had the strength
to squeeze the levers. I like how the Code’s
perform when used heavily and are super hot,
it’s in these situations that brakes are needed
most.
SRAM’s XO/XX1 Eagle group set was again
an easy choice with its huge range, low weight,
crisp shifts and a solid rear mech. I used
shorter 170mm cranks for clearance over the
jumble and even remembered to go down to a
32t from a 34t chainring before leaving. With
a spare derailleur at camp and a chain and
hanger with me, I was relieved that none of my
spares would be needed in the end.
A Fox 36 was my go to fork, this year running
160mm paired with Fox’s DPX2 rear shock. For
me, I really like having adjustable high and low
speed rebound up front and the 36 allows me to
get the front wheel tracking just the way I like it
and maintain as much grip as possible on loose
and unknown corners. I opted for an air shock
as making small adjustments due to gradient/
pack weight are much easier. It’s one thing to
have your bike setup back home but when you
arrive, the terrain is much steeper than home
and being able to make changes getting my
body position dialled were important. Air shocks
get super hot with long relentless descents and
I packed a spare set of seals/lubricants just in
case.
Touch points can be easily overlooked andprovide hours of agony if wrong. Ergon GA1
grips offer a low profile and fatigue reducing
compound and shape which helps on rougher
trails I raised the stem by 15mm and flattened
out the brake levers slightly too as the steep
gradients require you to get back a tad further
than the local. A WTB Rocket V and Time ATAC
DH pedals kept the undercarriage comfortable
and attached to the bike with super easy release
and the easiest cleat engagement around for
some foot off action.
To keep excess weight off my back, I had
the following stowed in my frame’s SWAT
compartment hidden neatly in the downtube,
arranged so that the most important things
were just under the cover:- 2 x tubes
- a handpump
- 2 x CO2 canisters
- more Slugplugs
- Weldtite tubeless repair plugs
- spare cable and ferrules
- chain links and quick links
- deraileur hanger
- tyre boots and patches
- gaffer tape and super glue
- a space blanket.
With the frame and wheels jam packed full
of goodies the whole package weighed in at
15.7kgs and tracked like it was on rails, bikes
are less skittish and better behaved when
running heavier tyres and this was appreciated.TRANS PROVENCE