Set up the giant NRS shock

How to set up the giant NRS shock for uphill climbs and decent downhill.



1. Set the spring pressure so that the shock will not sag on level ground
2. Add 1- to 25 psi to compensate for rearward weight transfer of the upgrade

This bike is for trail riding only. Don’t use this bike to do downhill especially if you have a big and heavy posture. Better ride the dual purpose bike like Giant Reign.

SLX groupset from Shimano

a review by By Guy Kesteven
full review read www.bikeradar.com

There's a real split in current Shimano groups between the punchy feel and styling of XTR and Deore XT, and the more soft focus operation of Deore LX and Deore. No surprise then that the new SLX group brings a lot of Shimano's latest technologies to a mid-price group, while adding several new ideas to the mix too.




So to recap, new SLX is:

* About the same weight as current Deore LX, but with a tougher build, snappier all round performance and much meaner aesthetics.
* Shadow rear mech, sharp shifting two way Rapidfire, Servo Wave braking and 20mm front axle options drop down from Deore XT.
* SLX debuts new 36/22 double chainset and dedicated front mech designs, plus a revised brake lever shape.
* The Shadow rear mech, reinforced 'double strength' crank with polished face mean SLX has the potential to build up as a seriously tough grouptest without destroying your bank balance.
* It's also possibly a hint of things to come higher up the 'extreme groupset' hierarchy later in the year.

Oakley MTB DH and BMX Dirt Jump 2008

The Oakley event is coming at this March 29-30 at Cikole. Cant wait to see this event. Seems that last year riders will compete again this year plus more pro riders. Hope the pro/elite riders from Malang will race at this event so we can see more action ..please

BRIAN LOPES's 1st win with Ibis

BRIAN LOPES WINS LEAPING LIZARD
from www.brianlopes.com

The annual clandestine Laguna Rads' race known as the Leaping Lizard took place in the hills of Laguna Beach, CA. Brian's maiden voyage aboard a Ibis MojoSL netted his first win of the season...looks like its going to be a good year!

Last year Brian's fast time was 2:06. In 2008, Lopes blasted off two
1:59 runs.

2008 LEAPING LIZARDS RESULTS
1. Brain Lopes
2. Kevin Aiello
3. Joe Lawwill

see the race at glance here

The 2008 Ellsworth Moment

from mbaction
$5300

33.3 pounds

6-inch rear wheel travel

Maxi test: February 2008




Highlights: The Moment's frame and its fine attention to detail and craftsmanship grabs your attention and imagination. You find yourself wondering how the prominent four-bar-linkage, all-new Fox DHX 5.0 air shock and Fox 36 Van RC2 will perform (while catching the eyes fellow riders) ripping up the most technical trails. Our Moment test bike is built up with the versatile Shimano XT component group, which is becoming a staple on high-end do-it-all bikes with between four and seven inches of travel.

Best quote: "With a few hundred feet of our very first descent aboard the Moment we knew we were experiencing something special. The combination of suspension stability and traction puts the pilot in complete control, while the all of the bike's moving parts disappear below, allowing the rider to purely focus on the terrain."

Bottom line: Without knowing what to expect from the new Moment, the overall performance was a wonderful surprise. It's unique component spec is perfect for a trail rider who doesn't shy away from any trail obstacle, and is pure enjoyment in the hands of an experienced downhiller. The trail capable Moment is a steady climber, but truly shines on the descents in the corners.

Earthed 5 - Laws Of Fives

Brian Lopes signed with Ibis Cycles

It has just been announced that current world Four-Cross champion Brian Lopes, who unceremoniously parted company with GT at the end of the 2007 season, has signed with Ibis Cycles.

Below the article about lopes' new ride by mr Sal Ruibal, read here for the full article and more photos.





BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Sal Ruibal

Beauty (Ibis Mojo Sl) meets the Beast (Brian Lopes). Brian Lopes is the best all-around bike rider in the world. He rules the 4-cross and dual slalom world and could probably kick buttocks on the XC circuit if he set his mind to it.

On banked and bermed tracks, there’s no one who can catch him. In a road sprint, look out Boonen and Cipollini, he’s on your wheel. He can freeride like a Canadian on fire and hop over picnic tables like like a kangaroo on caffeine.

So that’s why I was set aback to hear from Mr. Lopes that he was switching from longtime bike sponsor GT to Ibis, a brand known for exquisitely crafted bicycles that are so beautiful that many are on living room walls instead of bike racks. The back-order wait is longer than getting a green card in El Paso.

But Lopes can ride whatever he wants and he wants Ibis. It is hard for me to visualize Lopes bombing down the 4X course, swapping paint with the rough trade and exposing all that wonderful, curvaceous carbon to mud and rocks.

He’ll start his Ibis era with the scrumptious MojoSL, a full-suspension carbon machine better known for sculpting lines on singletrack trails than bashing miscreants hubs-over-head in 4X. It just looks too pretty for the sport.

When the super stiff Ibis Tranny hardtail debuts later this year, Lopes will be more in his element. Full power transfer and explosive sprinting will rule the day.

Brian Lopes will just keep on winning, but now he’ll look cool while he does it.

another funny thread

another funny and touching thread from sepedaku about mountainbikers - between their bikes and wives whose concern about their domestic budgeting. check here

heres one quote

istriku : tumben minggu pagi udah jalan, dari mana mas ? Hmm
aku : dari toko sepeda mam… Sweat
istriku : wah.... papa beli sepeda yaa....? Applause
aku : iya nih... mama juga aku beliin... buat kita minggu pagi olahraga.. Sweat
istriku : asyiikk makasih yaa paaa.... tapi kok beda yaa sepeda kita..? Hmm
aku : iya dong sepeda laki dengan perempuan kan beda.. Sweat
kalo papa pake Giant Anthem karena bobot papa lebih berat
kalo mama pake Polygon Astroz karena mama kan lebih ringan... Sweat
istriku : aduuh... papa memang perhatian sekali deh sama mama..
mama jadi tambah sayaaang... deh sama papa..... Kiss
aku : .......

Kona Coilair Supreme

from bikeradar verdict
check also their website here
By Matt Skinner

Kona introduced the air-sprung Coilair a couple of years ago, and for 2007 they extended the line to include a second model, the Supreme. With 160mm (6in) of travel front and rear, the bike is targeted at the aggressive all-mountain rider.

Crucially, Kona have also used their DOPE floating calliper braking arm technology to combat the brake jack that can upset suspension performance under hard braking. But is the extra £205 (or £220 for the 12mm kit) for the DOPE arm worth it for the performance return?




The frame

The Coilair Supreme shares the same frame as the other Coilair and Coilers. Beefed up with a box-profile front end, it uses 7005 aluminium tubing that tapers ovally and curves subtly into the bottom bracket. The steeply sloping top tube gets a pipe brace, and the seat tube is bulge reinforced at the point where it supports the rocker pivot of the rocker-activated single-pivot configuration. The back end also features replaceable quick-release dropouts, although a 12mm bolt-through kit can be added to truly stiffen things up for £56 more (not including a new hub/wheel). A full, uninterrupted seat tube allows the saddle to change from down low for drops to up on high for climbing.

The detail

The bike is decked out with top drawer parts, including a Fox 36 Float RC2 160mm (6in) fork, matched by a Fox DHX Air 5.0 shock. RaceFace supply an Atlas AM X-Type crankset with bashring and an Evolve AM oversize bar and stem combo. The brakes are Shimano hydraulic discs with 180mm (7in) rotors instead of the 203mm (8in) gravity norm. Burly riders might find the limits of the smaller brakes but, for the most part, they're solid.

The ride

A 65.7-degree head angle working with a 70.7-degree seat angle on our 17in test frame, combined with a low 13.7in bottom bracket height, gives the Supreme poise and precision on the trail, making it at home on the tighter, techy stuff as well as North Shore and flowing trails. But at higher speeds over gnarlier terrain it isn't quite so sure-footed. Instead it demands aggression to prevent it getting out of shape and is best suited to riders who come alive in the red mist. Rear end stiffness could be increased for gravity-orientated duties by buying the 12mm bolt through dropouts, because there's noticeable flex at the back when seriously cranking, but for all-mountain convenience, the QR does the job.

Although more at home when things point downwards, the bike is capable of climbing - helped by the shock's ProPedal which reduces pedal bob. And even though the bike (which weighs 16.45kg/36.26lbs) isn't exactly sprightly, it will slowly grind upwards. Which brings us to the DOPE system - it works. It smoothes out brake jack in the rough under heavy braking, but only the fastest riders will truly appreciate its value - and by then they'll be pushing the bike's capability - because at £205 it's not a cheap upgrade.