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Entries in Downhill (5)

Thursday
Jul112019

Scott Introduces The Gambler Tuned

The all NEW Gambler Tuned was designed for one thing and one thing only, pure, unadulterated speed. We made it to get you to take lines you’d never thought imaginable, to make you want to go to the bathroom before your race run - twice. We made it so that when you drop out of the start gate, the only aspect holding you back will be, well, you. Taking years of racing development and mixing it with our carbon expertise, this bike is our answer to the needs of white-knuckle downhill racing.

Adjustability

Our downhill bikes have always pushed the boundaries of adjustability. Both a rider and a bike need to be able to adapt to tracks, weather conditions and choice of shock (air or coil.) The new Gambler allows you to switch between wheelsizes without changing any other components on the bike.

Chain stay length can also be adjusted, independent of wheelsize choice. Short with 29”, sure thing. Long with 27.5? Yep, that too. The Gambler also comes with spare angled headset cups, so that you can adjust head angle relative to wheelsize, fork choice etc.

We also have a 4-way chip to allow not only bottom bracket height adjustment relative to wheelsize, but more importantly for geometry/kinematic tweaks depending on tracks, shocks or rider preference. We want the bike to be optimizable for each shock and rider given the track.

All this adjustment allows us to focus on balance. And by balance, we mean on the perfect combinations to find traction. Geometry and shock curve options help get a rider’s center of mass in the perfect spot between the wheels for optimum levels of balance and traction. However, as race tracks change, this balance point changes, and not all bikes can change with it – we wanted to be able to do so.

For instance, a bike with geometry for a steep track will roll slowly and push wide in turns on a flatter track, whereas a bike set up for flatter tracks will make it difficult for a rider to keep their center of gravity far enough back for steep tracks.

Geometry

Compared to previous Gambler platforms, we now offer 4 sizes – S, M, L and XL. All sizes have been upsized and modernized with regards to geometry, providing an option for riders of all sizes. We don’t need to tell you any more about how the bike’s geometry is dialed for the job it has, but we do have some interesting points to mention. Saddle position is often very critical for racers, especially shorter ones. If a saddle that CAN give enough extra tire clearance to lower, or slide back the saddle by 10mm, it can make a huge difference. With the Gambler, we steepened the seat tube angle on the small and medium sized frames, which allows smaller riders to keep their saddle low and to avoid the dreaded tire buzz. For larger riders, we made sure to keep the saddle out of the leg area leaving riders free to move around in the air, in corners etc.

SCOTT GAMBLER TUNED

Tuesday
Jun062017

Jordie Lunn Rough RF2

Almost immediately after Rough AF dropped last December, freeride legend Jordie Lunn returned to his second home, the deep woods of Vancouver Island, to dig and build fresh new line lines. Nearly half a year later, the result were lines - or at least what Jordie calls lines - that define what 'Rough AF' really means.

“The build for Rough AF 2 was much more ambitious than the first! About five months of hard digging, cutting and wondering how each line would ride. There were definitely a few stunts that had me second guessing myself! It was a super fun project, and everything rode quite well in the end. I was pumped for Kali's support on this build and for sending Sterling Lorence over! It had been quite a few years since we've shot together, so I was pretty excited to show him what I'd been working on. On to the next build now!" - Jordie Lunn

Helmet:
Shiva 2.0 Carbon - Available at your LBS

Filming & Editing:
Jordie Lunn

Photos:
Sterling Lorence

Drone Operators:
Conrad Jay
Cam St. Godard

Video Assistants:
Craig Lunn
Kyle White
Luke Fulton
Caitlin
Erin Springinotic
Dan Batchelor

Friday
Dec302016

Giant Announces Their 2017 Off Road Team

"Following an ambitious year that saw its riders compete at international off-road events of all disciplines, all around the globe, the Giant Factory Off-Road Team looks back at a successful 2016 season while also preparing for the year ahead.

The core of the team, including six-time Colombian downhill champion Marcelo Gutierrez and Australian enduro specialist Josh Carlson, will return for 2017, and at least three new riders will be added to the roster.

Highlights from the 2016 season included race wins and podium finishes at Crankworx World Tour events and Enduro World Series races around the world. Gutierrez won his sixth Colombian DH national championship, and Carlson continued his progression at the top level of enduro racing with a podium finish at the Whistler, British Columbia round of the EWS and a top-10 overall series ranking.

“It was another wild year on the enduro tour,” said Carlson. “I was especially stoked to come back from a crash and score that podium finish at Whistler with my friends and family there watching. We did a lot of development with our bikes and gear throughout the season, and I think it showed with some of our results.”

Carlson’s teammate Yoann Barelli also showed moments of brilliance in 2016, scoring two top-10 finishes in the Enduro World Series before he was slowed by injury in the second half of the season. And the surprise enduro racer for Giant last year was 20-year-old Canadian Mckay Vezina, a member of the North American Giant Co-Factory Team who broke onto the EWS circuit as a rookie and immediately became a consistent top-20 finisher.

The team’s U.S. riders Adam Craig and Carl Decker also chalked up some big results in North American racing. The versatile Craig scored wins in a variety of off-road events, from enduro to cyclocross, and Decker found success at races ranging from gravel grinders to XC and cyclocross competition.

Decker will return for 2017, targeting a mix of off-road races, events and festivals. Craig will also continue, but in a new capacity as an ambassador. The longtime Giant racer will evolve his role to help inspire riders of all levels, connect with retailers at events, and provide valuable rider input on new bike and gear development projects.

While the core of the team remains the same for 2017, French riders Yoann Barelli and Guillaume Cauvin, along with Spaniard Alex Marin and American Seamus Powell will depart at the end of the year.

“Each of those athletes brought a lot to our program,” said Giant Factory Off-Road Team manager Joe Staub. “Their energy and commitment has been a constant over the past few years. We wish them each good luck in the future.”

The coming year will also see some new faces for the team, with a focus on up-and-coming young talent. In enduro racing, Vezina will step up to become a full-fledged member of the Giant Factory Off-Road enduro squad. And for downhill racing, Gutierrez will be joined by young talents Jacob Dickson, a four-time junior national champion in Ireland, and Eliot Jackson, a former motocross racer from the U.S. who scored top-10 results at two Crankworx DH events last year.  

More information on the 2017 Giant Factory Off-Road Team, including the final team roster as well as all the details on new bikes, gear and equipment sponsors, will be announced in early 2017. 

 You can follow the Giant Factory Off-Road Team all season long on their Facebook page."

Monday
Oct102016

2017 Propain Rage CF First Edition

The release of our new Carbon Downhill Rage CF was definitely one of the highlights 2016 for us. After the success of the Tyee CF it was an easy move for us to upgrade our downhill bike Rage as well. The new full carbon frame features a wide variety of geometry options ranging from three different top tube lengths to two different chain stay sizes for each frame size to customize the geometry from park riding to WC racing.

Just like the Tyee CF in 2016 the Rage CF will be available in a limited “First Edition” for pre-order. At € 4,999 the pricing is as attractive as the frame which comes in an exclusive color only available for the “First Edition”.

Development

Constant evolution is our mantra when it comes to new bikes. The new Rage CF represents the fourth generation of our downhill bike but this time the result might well be called revolutionary. The frame has been redesigned to get the best out of the carbon attributes and features a whole host of new improvements and adjustments. What has stayed the same, though, is the highly acclaimed Pro10 suspension design, which combines pedal efficiency with small bump sensitivity.

One Bike For Everyone

The Rage CF can be built just below 15kg and therefore belongs to the lightest Downhill bikes available. The frame weight tips the scale at 3.1kg which is more than 500g lighter than the AL version. Even though the frame weight is impressive, it was not even the main development objective through. The primary goal actually was to use the benefits of the carbon material in order to increase the rigidity of the frame, which in turn leads to a more direct feel while pinning hard. A lot of input from our Propain Dirt Zelvy Worldcup team went into the development of the frame. The riders around Ben Reid know exactly what is needed to get the most out of the bike. As a result, the Rage CF features a new and revolutionary reach adjustment which along with the new chain stay length adjustment enables you to adapt the bike perfectly to fit your needs from park riding to WC racing. 

 

Surprisingly the feedback from all team riders on the head angle was similar so we decided to move away from the head angle adjustment and instead focused on the flexibility to adjust the reach and the chain stay length. Another area of improvement is more progressive suspension kinematics of the rear end to stay higher in the travel.

  

Propain Dirt Zelvy team rider Phil Atwill on the brandnew Rage CF Carbon Downhill Bike in Finale Ligure!

Versatility

The new reach adjustment provides ample flexibility to adjust the frame size according to your needs, your size or the track. Simply by flipping the headset cups the reach can be adjusted be +/-10mm and with another neutral cup the frame can be ridden in the 0mm position. Combined with the new chain stay adjustment this will give you tons of options to customize the geometry to your needs. The wheel base can be adjusted by 34mm (longer or shorter)!

Features

  • Carbon Monocoque main frame
  • Unique reach adjustment (+10 mm / 0 mm / -10 mm)
  • Chain stay length adjustment (445 mm / 459 mm)
  • Internal cable routing optimized to match a race plate
  • Combined fork bumper and cable routing
  • Durable and strong downtube protection made of special plastics
  • Exchangeable ISCG mount to protect the frame against heavy impacts
  • New, futureproof metric sized shocks (250x75mm)
  • Threaded BSA bottom bracket; no fancy new standard means it is easy to get replacement parts at the races
  •  

     

    Rage CF "First Edition“

    As with previous launches there will be a limited, highly exclusive “First edition” of the new Rage CF. The bike will be available in a limited volume for pre-order starting at midnight on the 10/10/2016. Besides an amazing build kit the frame is dressed in a stunning matte royal blue, which is only available for the First Edition.

    Build Kit

     

    Fork Fox 40 Factory Kashima
    Rear Shock Fox Float X2 Factory
    Drivetrain Sram X01 DH 1x7
    Crankset Sram X01 DH Carbon
    Brakes Magura MT7 "First Edition"
    Wheels Zelvy Carbon DH 35
    Handlebar Sixpack Millenium Carbon 785
    Stem Sixpack Millenium 35
    Seat post Sixpack Forward
    Saddle Sixpack Kamikaze
    Tyres Onza Ibex DHC 650B
    Weight 15.1 kg
    Price 4,999 EUR

     

    Geometry

    2017 Propain Rage CF

    Monday
    Apr182016

    2016 Sea Otter Classic DH Final Photos

    Dylan Crane

    Alex Marin

    Quentin Derbier

    Seamus PowellQuinton SpaldingMatti Lehikoinen

    Essence Barton

    Marcelo GutiérrezRachel ThroopAnneke BeertenCory SullivanEliot JacksonMarcelo Gutiérrez Cody Kelley

    Matti Lehikoinen