2016 Trek Superfly 7 // The first 1000 km

Yep, I just got the first 1000 km on the 2016 Trek Superfly 7, so I think it's time to put together a post about my thoughts on this machine. First of all I need to say that (and I'm confident to say so) I'm on probably one of the best bikes I ever had. I can only imagine what it would be to run a carbon frame & some savage high spec combo! 

Since I got the bike back in early February I managed to ride it on many different trails and in a wide range of weather conditions also. All I can say that I'm freakin' loving it! But lets see some details now:

Pros:

• the cable casings are well sealed thanks to the internal cable routing and as a result I'm still running the original gear cable on the back
• both wheels are nice and strong, they are running true & smooth although I hit some hard stuff once or twice
• the FOX 32 is simply brilliant, as smooth as it can be
• the bolt-through axles are easy to work with and they do keep things stiff

Cons:

• the Bontrager tyres are a tad bit too soft, they do wear out fast I'm afraid
• the sealed bearings are gone already in the rear hub 

So, after this 1000 km I'm truly impressed: Trek wanted to give us a savage XC weapon and they nailed it sooooo well! It is fast, light, reliable and gives me massive smile each time I hit the tails on it. The 2018 racing season will kick off in 3 weeks time and I can't wait to see how the Superfly will perform under proper pressure! Bring it on!  

2016 Trek Superfly 7 // The first 500 km

I'm over the first 500 km on the Trek since I started to use it, so it's time to say a few words about my impressions. 

The machine has been tried & tested under many conditions. The first thing to mention is riding this XC weapon just simply feels right. It could be it's size or the geometry but it feels like a nice machine altogether. I've had a few proper off-road spins and also big, long trainings on the road. 

But lets check some details:

• The frame is absolutely brilliant! It handles very well, it is very responsive and yet comfortable. The features such as bolt-through rear end and brake positioning on the chainstay give a stiff and proper riding experience.
• The Fox 32 suspension fork is savage! Takes a lot of beating and it's really smooth indeed. The CTD system works great, I particulary like the Trail settings where you have active suspension but it isn't too soft. Many times this setting is the perfect choice for me. 
• The Bontrager wheels are still running true and smooth, loving them.
• The gears work well, although I have changed the system around a bit to suit me needs.
• The Shimano brakes do give plenty of braking power but if I need to be honest here I have to say that my old Avid Elixirs were much more powerful...

So, the Superfly is a proper XC machine that rides sweet, climbs like a beast and very comfident on the descends. The 27,5" wheelsize and the geometry create a very agile bike that feels like a freakin' rocket on the trails. Kudos to Trek, thanks for creating such a nice bike! :)

MOTSUV Oval Chainring

I just picked this beauty up freshly from the local post office after it's been delivered from the Far East. We are lookin' at a MOTSUV 34T Narrow/Wide Oval Chainring. I'm using oval chainrings for more than a year now, so the decision was pretty straight forward. 

But lets see some details:

The weight is 50 grams

It is a 34T chainring with 104 BCD that has a narrow/wide profile, so it's ideal choice for riders who rather prefer single chainring at the front. It is made out of 7075-T6 alloy and has a friendly enough weight also. 

Got it fitted with a set of custom made 1,8 mm thick spacers

I'm pretty curious about this ring, especially about the lifetime of it. I've been using very similar products (also from China) before and I was super happy. So, I hope it'll be the same story once again! :) 

Ready to roll, will test it in the next few days

 Stay tuned for short term review!

  

RNOX Raceday helmet

I'm just received a parcel today. A parcel that was sent from the Far East a few weeks back and contained my new helmet: an RNOX Raceday. 

Before we get into things we need to make one thing clear: the RNOX helmet is a copy of the well known POC helmets. I know it, you know it, everyone knows it. Having said that lets have a look at the helmet itself, shall we?

Brilliant way to pack a helmet that travels around the World! 

Large wents for the proper ventilation

Good padding and size adjustment

It weighs in at 223 grams

To be honest I'm impressed! I mean we are talking about a helmet that cost 14 EUR, so I didn't have high expectations here. But when I take a close look all I can say is that the paintwork & decals are nice, the adjuster feels sturdy and works well, the general finish of the helmet is great. For a helmet that comes with CE standard also it's pretty nice, isn't it? 

Yeah, sure: it may not be as sweet looking, as good quality and so on as the POC, but for this price it's damn hard to resist!

I take one please! :) 

2016 Trek Superfly 7 // First thoughts

Today was the day when I finally managed to get on the on the new bike and had my first test spin on it. I was absolutely dying to see what's the bike like as I got sick pretty much staright after I got it. So it was sitting in The Shed waiting to be ridden. But only until today! 

I took the bike only for a short 2 hours spin around the local hills. Unfortunatelly the weather is still pretty grim with a massive amount of mud so there was a very little off-road along the way.  

Anyway, my first impressions are very good I have to say. The bike feels nice! The frame is very rigid yet still comfortable. The spec of the bike works well and it is more than perfect what I need it for. The riding position is bang on and the handling feels very responsive too. So all in all it's a savage XC machine and I can't wait to give it a proper go on some sweet trails. Come on dry weahter, help me out here!! :) 

2016 Trek Superfly 7 // My new machine

Yep, something has changed recently! I sold my faithful Niner and got this lovely Trek Superfly 7 XC machine for myself. This is the 2016 model from the range of Trek and there is plenty of change compare to my last 2,5 years: the bike has gears and also has a suspension fork. I guess I'm getting back to my roots after the longish single speeder years. :) 

But lets have a closer look at the machine itself!

The frame is made out of Trek's Alpha Platinum Aluminum and it comes with tapered head tube, internal cable routing, bolth through axle and press-fit bottom bracket. The lines are sweet and the weldings are nice & smooth. This is a 15,5" size that means the bike runs 650b wheels. The seatpost size is 27,2 mm and it has my old Fi'zi:k Tundra saddle on.  

At the front there's a sweet FOX 32 CTD fork with 15mm bolt through axle and 100 mm travel. We can't ignore the decal colour design, it looks absolutely brilliant! The cockpit is nice and low thanks to the 100 mm long Specialized stem with -16°drop. The 690mm wide Bontrager handlebar is the right size fro the bike and the beast looking ESI grips will make things comfy indeed.     

I've made some changes to the gear system of the bike as I'm running a single chainring at the front. There's a lovely 36T AbsoluteBlack oval ring fitted to the Shimano M627 cranks (massive thank you to my good friend Majláth Gyuszi for sorting me out with this brilliant piece of art). Of course I put the old set of Shimano XTR pedals on, they are simply the best out there in my opinion. At the back there's a 10 speed Shimano HG50 casette with the range of 11-36. The Shimano XT Shadow Plus rear mech does a perfect job. 

The stopping power is provided by the Shimano Deore hydraulic brake system. They will stop the wheels (Bontrager Mustang Elite) just fine! The Bontrager XR2 Expert 27,5x2,20 Tubeless tyres will keep me rubber side down on the trails.     

So, this machine will be my new companion on the trails. Am I excited to ride this bike? Jaysus I am!! Can't wait to get out and have my first proper test spin on it! Stay tune for first impressions!! :) 

Bike Mayhem // The proper game for mountain bikers

Ok, I didn't see this coming. There was I, browsing the app store searching for something to kill time with on my mobile. The store suggestion popped up and the name was Bike Mayhem. I didn't get my hopes up as all mountain biker games that I've see before were kinda sh*tty. 

Not in this case though. After a quick download I was already rocking the trails! :) The biggest suprise was the physics of the game. The way the bike reacts to the ground and obsticles is amazing. 

There is a ton of customization in the game. You can pick different helmet, clothing, frame and wheels. Them two actually has an impact on the gameplay! 

Different wheels do have different properties such as better acceleration or top speed. Same with the frames: some of them are for heavy downhill stages, some others are for tricks and jumps. 

There is 100+ trails in the game and they look brilliant. You can fly through forests with roots, deserts with massive rocks and test you dirt jump skills on proper jump tracks also. 

Each and every trail is rated and you gotta achieve 1 star at least to progress and to unlock new trails and locations. 

The control of the game is pretty staright forward: you have a pedal and a brake button on your right thumb, you have a move balance forward, backward and a jump key on your left. The tricks layout is on the right also and all you have to do is to smash the one that you're trying to pull off. Simple as!

So, if you are interested to test this MTB game out waste no time! It'll give you many hous of fun and challenging trails indeed. :) 

Shimano Alfine chain tensioner on a single speed XC mountain bike // First impressions

I've done a few spins since I got the Shimano Alfine chain tensioner fitted. Done about 90 km and 4,5 hours so I guess it's about time to see my first thoughts. 

Lets have a look at the details here:

• The firts thing that pops in my mind is that the system is super smooth & quiet. Once the chain line is bang on the chain runs real nice. Of course this is how it should be anyway but still, it's lovely!  
• The body of the tensioner is very stiff, there is no flexibility whatsoever.
• The tension of the spring is at another level folks, it keeps the chain über tight!
• Oh, it looks savage! Did I mentioned that? Sure I did!! :) 

I have picked some rough local trails to see how the Alfine performs off-road. The test went well, can't mention a single problem so far. Of course the brutal winter spins are still ahead with all the mud, sleet and snow. But I have a great feeling about this tensoiner and I'm sure it was a good decision to fit the Alfine for single speed mountain biking! 

Fabric cage-less water bottle system

Now, here is something truly special! We are talking about a bottle cage. Is it there? Is it not there? What's happening?! 

It's the revolutionery cage-less bottle from Fabric. The award winning idea that completely rethinks the classic design. And sure, it is there but it does look fairly different compare to normal bottle cages. Lets see the details:

It's a 600 ml BPA free plastic bottle with direct mounted screws and studs. The studs are mounted directly to the bottle bosses and the bottle sits over them. Simple as that. 

The kit contains the bottle itself and 2 sets of mounting kit. This way you can have the studs fitted on both tubes on the frame or just simply have a spare set in case you run only one bottle. 

Extremely light-weight 

Simple as that. No more bottle cages just nice and smooth lines of the frame. I love the idea altogether, finally there's something on the bike market that raised my eyebrows. I'm excited about this cage-less system and I look forward how it will actually perform. Especially in some savage off-road conditions. Let the testing begin! 

Shimano Alfine (CT-S500) chain tensioner

I have been struggling with chain tensoiner problems recently. After a bit of a research I made up my mind and got a new chain tensioner for the single speed beast. I had my eyes on the Shimano Alfine CT-S500 mondel for a while. It looks savage and the spring tension is outstanding for sure. Ah, sure... it's not quite common part on single speed XC bikes but you know me well: I'm not too worried about things like this. :)  

The weight is just over the 200 gramm mark

It's a non-adjustable tensioner with fixed chain line. Runs two pulleys and got kitted out with a mega strong spring to keep the chain nice and tight. Juuuuust what I was after! 

The box contains 3 spacers with the total of 5 mm spacing thickness. They go in between the drop-out and the tensoiner itself. This way there's a slight adjustment to have the chain line bang on. They were handy indeed, I had to use them all to have everything running smooth. 

All set, good to go!

After the short work I had the bike ready to be tried. The tensoiner is on and it looks... well, it looks awesome in my opinion. The Alfine isn't a single speed specific part that's designed for XC machines but I'm sure it'll work well for me! Stay tuned for some first impressions post in the near future! 

Snail Oval Chainring // Short term review

Ok, I think it's about time to get this short term review together and share some thoughts on this Snail Oval chainring. I got this ring fitted on the bike a little while ago and done about 150 km on it at this stage. 

Now, about the first impressions you can read here. But lets see how things are after a couple of decent bike ride. 

First of all it's important to know that I'm running single speed. So, there's no need to talk about the narrow-wide profile of the ring as the tensioner keep things in order for me. On the other hand the oval shape and it's benefit definitely the new thing to me. I freakin' love it! 

The ring seems to me durable, but of course there's no point to talk about durability at this point. We will see abou that in the long term review. The system works very well with this ring, after I got the chain line sorted it's nice & smooth.

I've tested the ring in many different conditions and terrain also and long story short: it works perfectly. Do I recommend it to give the "Oval Hype" a go? Hell yeah! Absolutely!!  

Niner Carbon Fork // Review

Last night I've been doing some TLC on my bike so I took the opportunity and grabbed the fork to write a few words about it. 

I'm riding with Niner's rigid carbon fork since the summer. This is the first rigid for that I have experience with and all I can say I surprised in a very positive way. Sure, it has a very different feel to it compare to any suspension forks but it definitely has it's own benefits! First of all it's light as hell. Then it has zero maintenance to worry about and last (but not the least) it looks awesome. :)

It's just uner 600 gramms...not too bad for a fork that takes proper off-road beating!

But lets see the details: it's a disc only fork that comes with carbon (tapered) steerer tube and can accept rotor up to 185 mm. It works with standard QR and has Niner's classic black & white finish that gives the iconic look to this award winning fork.   

So, it's no secret at all: I'm pretty impressed! Neath looking MTB fork that's also durable and comfortable thanks to the damping charecteristics of carbon. I had some question marks at the beginning but all that went away pretty much straight away. So, are you thinking abouth making your move and gettig a rigid MTB fork? Then wast no time, go for it!   

Niner EMD 9 - SS // The first 500 km

The first 500 km is done in the saddle of this Niner EMD 9 single speed XC weapon. So, it's time to post a few words about my thoughs just as I always do after the first 500 km on a new bike. 

First and foremost I'm lovin' this bike! It's nice and light and has fantastic geometry. Niner really nailed the 29er XC geometry alright and it's very noticeable during every spin. Climbs well and has brilliant and sharp handling too. Just the way a proper 29er should be!

I've been riding the bike on loads of different terrain but pretty much only in dry summer conditions. So, I also look forward to dip into some sticky Hungarian mud and go a bit sideways on the trails. There's not too much to mention regarding of the parts as it's a very simple bike I have to say. The Avid, Truvativ and Mavic parts are a good combination, let this be enough. 

But let's see the bit more interesting details of the bike. The rigid carbon fork definitely forces you to ride your favourite trails a bit different way. You need to pick your lines more carefully and need to be very precise about where you aim that front wheel as there's very little room for error. Once you get used to it, it's a sweet ride. Surprisingly comfortable though! And of course it looks super sweet!

Now, let's chat about what it's like to ride a single speed bike off-road. It's freakin' hard...at the first few times, then you get used to it and it turns into something else. It's clean and pure without anything taking your focus away from the ride itself. Fantastic experience it is!

So, the first 500 km was a great opportunity to bond with this machine. I'm sure I'll have countless hours of fun and many off-road adventures in the saddle of the Niner. Can't wait!    

Niner Carbon Fork // First thoughts

I'm riding on this rigid carbon fork from Niner for almost a month at this point. I've done just a bit over 350 km on it, so I figured why not write a few words about it?!

Going off-road and hit the trails on a rigid fork was a completely new experience to me. I was very curious and I also had about 1% doubt. Sure, I didn't worry about the durability or strength of the fork as the carbon fibre technology is very advanced these days. I was thinking more about the technique and riding style that's requested to handle something like this.  

Alright, let's see what my thoughts are at this point:

• the font end of the bike feels very light thanks to the total weiht of 565 g that's stated by Niner
• the handling feels very precise
• the whole thing feels super stiff
• thanks to it's unique design it takes advantage of the damping characteristics of the carbon fibre and this make the fork feel very comfortable indeed 
• on rough trails it takes a little getting used to it as there's no forgiveness if you hit a big rock with a high speed

All in all I like this fork. First thoughts are absolutely positive: it's light, it's stiff, it's comfortable and it look super sexy! What's not to like?! I also like the way it changes my riding style a bit as well, it seems like I pick my lines a lot more carefully 'cause I know if I make a mistake I'll pay the price. 

Oh, and one more thing: riding a mountain bike with rigid fork is badass! :)

Niner EMD 9 - SS // First impressions

Taking out a new bike and spend the first couple of hours in the saddle is always a brilliant feeling. This is the time when I get to experience something I was only reading about up until now.  

Alright, let's have a look at this. Since I picked up this Niner EMD 9 SS just a few days ago I had 2 spins on it with the total of 3 hours and about 60+ km. So, I guess it's about time to post this first impressions post.

The bike is a 29er and I'm sure we all know by now how freakin' cool it is to ride one. The geometry is great, the bike feels comfortable and handles very well. But I think it's no surprise from a 29er specific company. I won't get into too much details I think, instead I'd like to talk about the rigid carbon fork and the single speed setup as I find both of them pretty unique. 

No suspension 

I've been riding off-road for almost 20 years but I never had a bike without a suspension fork. So, rocking my favourite trails on a rigid bike was a new experience! It's pretty rough but once you find the flow of the trail and you get things right it's absolutely manageable. Tyre pressure can be critical, so I need to find my way around that too. 

1x1

So, single speed, eh? I was riding the SSWC '11 and back then I was usin a 2:1 ratio on the bike. This one has slightly easier one with 36T x 19T, but when you're riding a single speed MTB off-road the word "easier" has a completely different meaning...

...it is hard as hell. Dealing with the climbs with only one gear knowing there's no option to change gears is a savage task. But it is also very rewarding! I also love the simplicity of the bike, simple and straight forward with no complications. It feels very pure!

A new chapter has started in my mountain biking life with the machine and after 2 rides I can tell one thing: it's gonna be a savage, brutal hard but fantastic chapter indeed. All I need to do is raise to the challenge! Bring it on!

Race Face - Narrow/Wide Single Chainring

It has been a while since I got this lovely looking Race Face Narrow/Wide single ring specific chainring fitted on the bike. It's a rough guess but I'd say I've done about 750 km on it and I can tell only good things about it. 

I was running a single ring setup before but because it wasn't anything specific I was running into problems. But this one is a different ball game altogether!

Tech info:

• Narrow Wide tooth profiling ensures ultimate chain retention
• Stiff 4mm plate thickness and I-beam construction transfer loads without flexing
• 7075-T6 aluminum, aerospace grade strength
• Reversible laser etched graphics.
• Compatible for 9, 10 and 11 speed.
• Sizes: 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 104 BCD (4 bolt)
• Weights: 37-57g (36T – 50g)

Thoughts:

First of all the weight of this ring is impressive in my opinion. Yeah, "it's only a chainring" but still, it is very light indeed. 

I picked up the Race Face Narrow/Wide ring because I heard a lot of nice things about it from friends and racer mates. I wanted to run a 1x10 system that can be 100% reliable without using a chain guide. I was after simplicity that can serve me well all the time without any hassle. And this chain ring deliveres all that! :)

Have been using the system in tough conditions on the rough trails of the Wicklow Mountains and it didn't drop the chain. Not even once. Impressive. 

So, I'm 100% happy with this ring and I can only recommend it to anyone who is fancy to do some single ring conversion!