ED’S SPECIALIZ ENDURO ELITE CARBON 29 £4,200

Big wheels have their haters, but they’re helping Ed hit stuff harder

I haven’t made any spec changes this month, but now that the sun has finally shown its face I should probably think about pulling off the Specialized Hillbilly spike tyre I’ve been running on the front all winter in favour of something a bit faster rolling. That would probably be tempting fate though!

Not only are the dry trails putting a smile on my face but they’re also highlighting to me just how much speed you can carry with the big 29er wheels. It’s no wonder some of the top downhillers have made the switch for this year’s World Cups. Some say this is a sign that we’re sanitising the gnar of DH, but I’m gonna throw it out there and say that’s rubbish! For me at least, the big wheels have done nothing to diminish my love of steep, techy descents and just mean that I can hammer into them even harder.

The ability of the bike to hit stuff hard but still maintain grip and smallbump sensitivity is something I’ve been playing with recently, by adding volume spacers to the fork and shock, and dropping the pressures a bit, to let the bike sit into its travel a bit more but still give mid-stroke support. I’ll report back on my findings next month when I’ve had more time to fettle.