Old-school hardtail / 10 best windproof tops Vitus Sommet

THE
5
2014
OF
Everything you
need to know
Genesis Mantle – Old-school hardtail
Vitus Sommet – Secret trail-slayer
BH Lynx – Spanish 150mm magic
MAP + DOWNLOAD
PLUS: THE £10,000 GADGET GIVEAWAY!
The Chilterns
10 best windproof tops
TRP’s Quadiem brakes
KCNC’s titanium cassette
Bont’s posh new shoes
Future Publishing Ltd
30 Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2BW
Tel: 01225 442244 Fax: 01225 732275
Email: [email protected] Web: www.bikeradar.com & www.whatmtb.com
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EDITORIAL
Editor: Steve Williams [email protected]
Art Editor: Robin Coomber [email protected]
Deputy Art Editor: Mark Rutkowski [email protected]
Technical Editor: Jon Woodhouse [email protected]
Bike Test Editor: Guy Kesteven [email protected]
Operations Editor: Su Kear [email protected]
CONTRIBUTORS
Editorial: Jo Burt, Max Darkins, Shim Kelly, Matt Letch, Tom Marvin, Andy McCandlish,
Ric McLaughlin, Rich Owen, Faye Sanders, Fi Spotswood
Photography: Jonathan Ashleford, Russell Burton, Ramsey Cardy, Callum Jelley,
James Looker, Andy McCandlish, Dan Milner, Joby Sessions
Editorial Director: Jim Douglas
Creative Director: Robin Abbott
Group Art Editor: Matt Hunkin
ADVERTISING 01225 442244
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Sales Executive: Ben Corlett [email protected]
MARKETING
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Subscriptions: Ryan Lewis [email protected]
PRODUCTION
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Photo Manipulation: Future Premedia (Cover: Andy Bodman)
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Ad Production Coordinator: Sarah Joyce
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EDITOR’S WELCOME
One of the
wonderful things
about mountain
biking is that it’s
so technologically
advanced –
unless you don’t
want it to be. You can choose a
fully-rigid steel bike with one
gear, or an all-springing, alldamping full susser, and there’s
no right or wrong. Did you like
that pun? You’re welcome.
So, while our man Ric has
sworn off the bounce – and
every other advance of the last
10 years – to discover if rigid
bikes really do still have a place,
the rest of us have been
immersed in the latest gear.
2014 will be the most
interesting year for us all since
the first mountain was built,
back in 1402 by Odin of
Abergavenny, in a (literal)
attempt to raise house prices
on his otherwise dreary semidetached castle.
As you’ll see from our pick of
Eurobike – which is to biking
what Cannes is to movies –
there’s a lot to play for. Wheel
sizes, bike weights, remoteadjustable everything, materials,
suspension travel… Thanks to
the honing effects of enduro
racing, the very nature of the
trail bike is in serious flux.
Where things will settle is
down to us; and what we buy
will be driven by what is proven
to work. Ironically, Jared Graves
almost won the UCI downhill
World Champs recently on a
26in-wheeled trail bike, against
full-on DH monsters, 650bs and
even 29ers… Interesting times.
But one thing is certain:
today’s high-tech LED lights are
better at keeping us riding than
Odin’s Patented Off-Road Riding
Candles, and for that we can
all be very grateful.
Steven Williams, editor
The Bike Buyer’s Bible
No.153 October 2013
TRUTH
THE
about suspension – how
much power does it sap?
b
P
OP
TO
TO
TS
HT
0 LLIIGH
10
11-speed:
2013 Eye candy: Lynskey’s titanium Pro650
Discover what
D
g
urns night
u
turns
into day
INVESTIGATED
11-SPEED
IS BLING
Why it may never
be affordable
will it ever be affordable? Track and
THE
5
kill squeaks – workshop
ST
MOST
PORTANT
IMP
BIKES 2014
OF
Genesis Mantle – Old-school hardtail
Vitus Sommet – Secret trail-slayer
BH Lynx – Spanish 150mm magic
PLUS: THE £10,000 GADGET GIVEAWAY!
10 best windproof tops
TRP’s Quadiem brakes
KCNC’s titanium cassette
Bont’s posh new shoes
£4.50
MAP + DOWNLOAD
PRINTED IN THE UK
Everything you
need to know
OCTOBER 2013
The Chilterns
CONTACT THE TEAM
What Mountain Bike, Future Publishing Ltd,
30 Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2BW
TEL 01225 442244
EMAIL [email protected]
WEB www.bikeradar.com
EDITOR Steve Williams
[email protected]
ART EDITOR Robin Coomber
DEPUTY ART EDITOR Mark Rutkowski
TECHNICAL EDITOR Jon Woodhouse
BIKE TEST EDITOR Guy Kesteven
OPERATIONS EDITOR Su Kear
ADVERTISING Richard Hemmings
[email protected]
ON THE COVER
THE
RIDERS Steve Williams & Jon Woodhouse
PHOTOGRAPHER Russell Burton
BIKES Lapierre Zesty 514 & Cotic Rocket
LOCATION Salisbury Plain
WEARING SW: Bell Super helmet, Royal
Racing Slice jersey, Shimano AM41 shoes
JW: Troy Lee Designs A1 helmet, Fox Draft
jacket, Gore Fusion 2.0 shorts
5
2014
A member of the Audit
Bureau of Circulations
16,074
OF
Jan-Dec 2012
EVERY ISSUE
48 TRAIL TALK
Got something to say?
Then send it our way. Your
letters and photos
50 OPINION
Ric McLaughlin pines for
the good old days and
embraces the idea of one
bike to do it all
RIDING
RIDES TO INSPIRE
109 RIDE GUIDE
A classic ride through
The Chilterns with
flat-out fast descents
through dappled beech
woodlands, numerous
country pubs and lots
of wildlife
Call 0844 848 2852,
quote offer code WMBP2F
or visit www.myfavourite
magazines.co.uk/wmbp2F
8 October
p36
KNOWLEDGE
GET UP TO SPEED
12 NEW ARRIVALS
Shiny kit, ready and
waiting to be thrashed
30 FUEL News from
Eurobike, a look at the
Lynskey Pro650,
opinions and more
64 SUSPENSION
DEMYSTIFIED PT. 3
How much power does it
really soak? We find out
re
SUBSCRIBE...
... today and get a Lezyne
Stainless 19 multitool
worth £40!
ON THE
COVER
TURN
TO PAGE
74
92 A MONTH
WITHOUT BOUNCE
W
Are we being spoilt by
Ar
te
technology? We take the
rig
rigid (and singlespeed)
Ko
Kona Unit challenge…
116 WORKSHOP
Track down and sort out
those irritating squeaks
and creaks
119 TECH TALK
Your technical questions
answered by the experts
92
FORK OFF!
Surviving a
month without
suspension
ON THE
COVER
TRAIL TESTS
EXPERT ANALYSIS
18 FIRST RIDES
We deliver the verdict
on Vitus’s Sommet 1, BH
Bikes’ 650b-wheeled Lynx
6 and the Mantle 30
from Genesis
52 LIGHTS GROUPTEST
As the dark evenings
descend, we rate the front
lights for every riding style
and budget
76 TRAIL TESTED
The latest kit reviewed and
rated – plus updates on our
longterm fleet
101 AUTUMN LAYERS
GROUPTEST
FIRST RIDES – Page 18
TRAIL TESTED – Page 76
Take your pick from
10 weatherproof jackets
and ace jerseys to
see you through the
changing seasons
122 THE GUIDE
Our definitive, always
up-to-date pick of the
best bikes, parts and
kit for 2013
THE GUIDE – Page 122
October 9
HOW OUR SCORING WORKS
WHAT THE SCORES MEAN
+++++
Exceptional: a genuine class leader.
+++++
WHAT MOUNTAIN BIKE AWARDS
WINNER
The best on test in
terms of quality,
performance and price.
VALUE
Excellent value for
money — this denotes
a genuine bargain.
Very good: one of the best you can buy.
+++++
Good: it’ll do the job and do it well.
+++++
Below average: flawed in some way.
+++++
Poor: simply put, don’t bother.
LOOK OUT FOR
Our Women’s
Specific badge
flagging up gear
designed for women.
MEET THE TEAM
It’s all their fault
Steve Williams, editor
Steve had one of his stupider crashes this month, clipping
a tree at speed and getting sent straight into a barbed
wire fence. “I’m joining a red bit to a blue bit,” said the
nurse sewing his arm, eyeing the sliced tattoo
suspiciously. “Is that right?”
Most likely to say: “And the moral is… don’t… hit barbed wire?”
THE WAY
WE TEST
W
100% expert, impartial advice you can trust – every month
hat Mountain Bike is
brought to you by the
most authoritative
team in the business.
With 150 years
of testing between us, we’ve
experienced thousands of bikes,
components and trails. The result is
a recognition that we’re the best at
slicing through the hype.
We test in the UK on a mass
of routes around Bristol, Bath,
South Wales, Gloucestershire, the
Mendips, the North York Moors
and the Dales. We use trails both
natural and manmade, and our
verdicts are the results of hours of
debate – not just one journalist’s
view – for the most considered
judgements possible.
Our mission
To arm you with the best buying
advice available, so you get the
greatest pleasure – and value – from
your biking passion.
Jon Woodhouse, technical editor
This month Jon flew to Friedrichshafen – around 125 miles
from Munich, near the shore of Lake Constance – for the
Eurobike show. It’s huge, and a milestone in the mountain
biking year. Find out what he discovered from p36.
Most likely to say:“So, this hotel ranks 17th out of 18
in the area? And it’s next to a burnt-out crack house? Book me in!”
Relevant: Every month we test
newcomers against the benchmarks,
test kit at all price levels and cover
bikes and gear across the entire
cross-country to aggro trail spectrum.
Su Kear, operations editor
Su’s been paying the price of car ownership this month,
and for a failed electronic box it’s high – £1300. With fancy
gadgetry clearly looming in the off-road future (electric
shifting and suspension, for starters), are we facing an
era of decent bikes becoming economic write-offs?
Most likely to say:“Why, is it made of gold?”
Comprehensive: We test more
bikes and gear than anyone else,
and have expert male and female
testers who put in thousands of
trail miles each for the complete
picture – both initially and
long term.
Robin Coomber, art editor
Robin is already thinking about designs for our glorious
Gear of the Year issue, which is coming next month in
issue 154. We’ll be revealing the most important,
impressive and exciting new products available today, and
it’s Robin’s job to make it look amazing. No pressure…
Most likely to say: “Can we get David Bailey to shoot it all?”
Mark Rutkowski, deputy art editor
Mark’s been holidaying. Our Quiet Man of Design infiltrated
a Russian submarine base, stole the plans for a radical
new suspension design, slapped Vladimir Putin and
evaded a gunship by jumping from a dam. “Good holiday?”
asked Steve, on his return. “Mmm,” said Mark. “Quiet.”
Most likely to say: “Specialized’s patent on Horst links lapses Sept 2014…”
Our tests are
For more essential buying information, take a
look at our comprehensive guide. Turn to p122
10 October
Accurate: We measure, check and
recheck everything with our own
equipment so you get hard data –
not just the claimed figures.
THE RIDING WE COVER
CROSS-COUNTRY RACE
CROSS-COUNTRY (XC)
XC race terrain is more likely to test fitness than
bike handling skills, but steep or rough tech
sections are becoming more prevalent.
XC terrain includes bridleways, paths, fields and
singletrack over hills and dales: inclines can be
steep, but big, difficult obstacles are rare.
XC
XC HARDTAIL
BUYER’S GUIDE
Independent: What Mountain Bike is
part of Future Publishing and is
subject to its strict code of conduct on
testing. Products from advertisers are
tested to the same exacting standards
as every other, even when this works
to our immediate commercial
disadvantage – our credibility is more
important in the long run, both
commercially and morally.
XC FULL SUSS
No rear suspension means direct power
transmission and low weight. Steep angles,
80-100mm forks and flex prioritise climbing.
Classically 100mm both ends, but travel is on
the up. Extra weight can be more than offset
by better traction and reduced rider fatigue.
Entry level: £500
Great: £1000
Stupendous: £2500
Entry level: £1300
Great: £2500
Stupendous: £3000+