Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted June 29, 2015 Posted June 29, 2015 (edited) RIDE REPORT When I got the mail from Iwan, late Friday afternoon, all it said was "Iwan's Priority #1: Leave the office immediately to collect said Reign otherwise it will be too late." To say I was jealous is a peach of an understatement. What I did not expect, however, was a followup message saying asking if I wanted to ride it for 2 weeks, as he had work commitments and wouldn't be able to get onto the trails. Picture a fat kid in a cupcake factory. Yes. That's right. The jubilation could not be withheld. I was gonna Make It Reign When I picked it up on Saturday afternoon from Cycle Factory Store (who had, as always, built up the bike spectacularly) before taking it through to Iwan for the "On Test" photos (my DSLR, his Full Auto wizardry - his camera battery had died) all I could think of was how wrong all the internet pundits had been when describing the paint scheme as "puke green", "camo" and various other not-so-flattering colours. It was, to be honest, resplendent. To this day I have only found one set of photos that does it justice, and that is on the MTB MAG test shoot. LINK On Sunday (yesterday) it got its maiden ride. Together with Raydek, Marko35s and his little whippersnapper, we hit up Contermanskloof and Bloemendal on what turned out to be a brilliant day for riding (apart from the wind) After a few tweaks to the Monarch Plus Debonair and Pike RC Dual Position (with what I am sure is a duff shock pump) I managed to find a happy-ish yet sub par medium with pressures with the sag in the rear set up to just over 35% and 25% at the front. I would have tried to get it to 30% on the back, but my shock pump only goes up to 300psi, and the shock can accept up to 350psi (note to self - get better shock pump) My initial impressions of the bike itself were OMF that's light! Bear in mind though, that up until 2 months ago I was riding what could only be described as a behemoth. No adjustments have been performed on the stock build, so it still has tubes in the tyres, a 2x10 drivetrain and all other standard fittings. IOW - it still has weight to spare, and with a bit of fettling I reckon it can shed at least another 1.5kg (wheels, tyres, tubes, front derailleur etc) to make it a proper trail shredder. On to the ride though. With my shock pump acting up, I was expecting a bit of a pig on the climb thanks to the higher amount of sag in the rear. How wrong I was. With the compression set in the "mid" (trail, to you CTD guys) there was a hint of bob, but nothing that couldn't be fixed by a smooth pedalling style (which I tried, but ultimately failed at) However it still climbed brilliantly. With a bit more pressure in there, I reckon it'll be good to go. I've made a mental note to fix that tonight when I get home. The only other full sus bike that I've ridden in this segment that pedals this well is Iwan's old MOJO. When I flicked it to the "Firm" setting (Climb, again for you fox followers) there was a distinct sharpening of the response to my pedalling, and I found myself climbing with far less wheezing than I've come to expect. The fact that I ENJOYED the climb was another revelation. Those of you who have climbed Conters know that there aren't any tight switchbacks, technical sections or anything resembling a technical challenge, but in that climb the bike handled itself well, with no complaints in the uphill switchbacks, no floppy steering or anything resembling a light front end. It behaved itself remarkably well. One thing that I did notice is a pretty low BB, and a few pedal strikes, but I attributed that to A: My lack of skill B: My lack of skill C: The low pressure in the rear (for my weight) D: My lack of skill. Once we got to the top, we decided to take the Blue Route down, and then make the small climb back up to the Kloof section. That would test the bike's abilities (and my lack thereof) on various different terrains. Fast and flowy on the blue route, and a bit more technical on the Kloof section, with a few jumps, stepped sections, loose rocky areas and drops thrown in for good measure. I flicked it into the Open setting for the descent, and put the Reverb Stealth all the way down. My first impression of the bike on the way down, as I put the power down, was that it was suuuuper stiff. That carbon front end really made its presence felt, and I was able to get off the mark a bit faster than I normally do. After that though, and without pedalling at all, I made the second realisation. This thing gathers speed. FAST. Far faster than my admittedly limited skillset would normally allow for, but it felt as if it were begging me to just let it run. I decided then and there that I would call it Ricky Bobby. Shake 'n Bake, baby! On the blue section of trail, it gathered speed super fast. It felt composed, super compliant and just plain comfortable to be riding. The turn ins were on point, and it goes where you point it. At this point though, I still hadn't got to the correct suspension settings, so it was feeling a bit off on the jumps and drops. It'll take a while for me to get them to where I like them, but for now I was just getting to know her. And she was rewarding me already - the speed that this bike carried over the chunder and in the technical sections was just amazing, and I could just let go of the brakes and let it handle all that came ahead. It's something that I'll have to get used to - a bike that pushes me, tries to help me find my limits and expand them, rather than me trying to find its limits. Moving on to the short climb between the Blue Route and the Kloof, I again switched the M+ to the Firm setting, and though I was absolutely poked by this point, it was far easier to climb than it ought to have been on something this big. Again - completely composed on the tighter switchbacks here, and not once did I feel as if the extra travel was making me suffer. It still felt tight, whilst my legs felt like jelly. Taking it down the Kloof was very interesting indeed. Back in to Open. I remarked previously on how this bike just seems to float over the chunder, and my experience here just confirmed that feeling. Not once did it feel uncomposed, not once did I feel out of control, and not once did I feel as if the bike would let me down. It just floated over everything. What I'd imagine Bruce Lee would have said to many students who tried to take him on. Hmmm.. Nice try. Next please? Those rutted rocky stepped sections? Hmph. Whatever. Drops? All day, thanks. Jumps? And? You were saying? Why don't you whip me, ffs. Come on, just try it. You can do it. You can, I promise... Take me faster, please. Please... You can do it... The trundle down to the coffee shop was again met with glee. It's not a technical section at all, and having just one slightly off camber right hander (next to the jump - forgot about that one) means that it doesn't have a lot to tax a bike & rider, but still - down the jeep track it felt super composed and just wanted to go faster. And faster, and faster. Flick it back into the Firm position for the remainder of the jeep track back to the coffee shop, and it shot ahead like a bullet. From there (after coffee) we went to Bloemendal to check out Lombards Terra, and I finally started playing with the rebound and compression settings on the fork and shock to try and get them dialled in. Lombard's Terra is a fast, flowy, bermed section in Bloemendal, great for sessioning and getting some flow in to your ride. With a couple of slightly technical sections thrown in to the mix, it's a fun ride. Again, the bike handled it with perfection. I was starting to feel comfortable on it (something that takes a while given how little I've been riding lately) and whilst my lungs were begging for release from this torture, the bike was begging for more. On the jumps on the final sections, I again realised that this bike loves to be airborn. Again - that word. Composed. It's been used a lot, but it's truly how it felt. When we got to the bottom, I had one thought on my mind. "WOW! I love this bike!" I have a feeling that the more time I spend with it, the faster it'll push me. It FELT effortless. It WANTED more. I wanted more. If this is the stuff the new generation of long travel All Mountain bikes are made of, the world is going to be a very, very fun place to be. Shake n Bake, baby... Edited June 29, 2015 by Renaissance Man Chavo, marko35s, Wannabe and 5 others 8
Iwan Kemp Posted June 29, 2015 Author Posted June 29, 2015 , but also popcorn_skollie and Captain Fastbastard Mayhem 2
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted June 29, 2015 Posted June 29, 2015 More to come.... Hopefully Conters tomorrow.
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted June 29, 2015 Posted June 29, 2015 (edited) And then some Rhodes Mem so I can have a go :DMaybe this weekend. It's a bit difficult to get there in time unless we do a night ride... And the OH is training for squash... Or - maybe... Actually, fuggit. Rhodes mem tomorrow. PM for deets. Edited June 29, 2015 by Renaissance Man
Hairy Posted June 29, 2015 Posted June 29, 2015 IMG_20150628_102514.jpgIMG_20150628_102541.jpgIMG_20150628_102500.jpgIMG_20150628_102529.jpgHey Fatty , did you have strava on for the ride Thanks for the ride report Captain Fastbastard Mayhem 1
Chavo Posted June 29, 2015 Posted June 29, 2015 IMG_20150628_102514.jpgIMG_20150628_102541.jpgIMG_20150628_102500.jpgIMG_20150628_102529.jpgSaw this bike at Contermans yesterday. Awesome looking machine!
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted June 29, 2015 Posted June 29, 2015 Saw this bike at Contermans yesterday. Awesome looking machine!Who were you? And yes, it is!
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted June 29, 2015 Posted June 29, 2015 Hey Fatty , did you have strava on for the ride Thanks for the ride reportno I didn't, unfortunately. I will next time though. Hairy 1
Iwan Kemp Posted June 29, 2015 Author Posted June 29, 2015 ... On to the ride though. With my shock pump acting up... https://www.bikehub.co.za/features/_/gear/previews/on-test-lezyne-shock-digital-drive-r2645 [Disclaimer: not a take it on the trail solution, but " " nevertheless]
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted June 29, 2015 Posted June 29, 2015 https://www.bikehub.co.za/features/_/gear/previews/on-test-lezyne-shock-digital-drive-r2645 [Disclaimer: not a take it on the trail solution, but " " nevertheless]LOL. Still only goes to 300PSI. Needs 350...
Steven Knoetze (sk27) Posted June 29, 2015 Posted June 29, 2015 Bet you're glad it didn't turn out to be a complete dog of a ride seeing as you have one on order......... Captain Fastbastard Mayhem 1
Iwan Kemp Posted June 29, 2015 Author Posted June 29, 2015 LOL. Still only goes to 300PSI. Needs 350... 1. Pump to 300PSI2. Add 50PSI Sorted.
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted June 29, 2015 Posted June 29, 2015 1. Pump to 300PSI2. Add 50PSI Sorted. HAHAHAHAA!!!
Chavo Posted June 29, 2015 Posted June 29, 2015 Who were you? And yes, it is!Saw the Reign parked outside the Conters coffee shop before I went off onto the trails on my OneTen29. It was mid-morning, assume you had returned from the trails already. But yeah, the bike certainly caught my attention!
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