TIME TO FLY!

GET READY FOR TAKE-OFF AND HIT JUMPS & DROPS WITH CONFIDENCE

This summer has seen some huge grins on my face and some creaking and squeaking from the Foxy’s drivetrain thanks to the ultra dusty conditions. It’s nothing that tightening the chainring bolts and applying a splash of lube won’t cure though.

The Fox 36 fork is dealing with the zeromaintenance approach really well and actually feels better than ever. It’s still very supple now I’ve dialled it in for my local rides, and I’ll probably struggle when I have to fit another fork in its place. It’s a good job it’s as good as it is though – it’s bloody expensive.

Out back I’ve installed a bigger volume spacer in the Fox Float X shock, because I was finding the bike a little wallowy when hitting the jumpier trails at the Forest of Dean. As well as ramping up more towards the end of its stroke, the shock feels a bit more supple at the beginning of the stroke too, which matches up really well with the 36.

Tyre wise I’m still running the excellent Mavic Crossmax Charge up front, which is 2.4in wide, has a huge volume and is made from grippy slow-rebound rubber. Out back I’ve struggled to find a tyre that offers enough support when run at a good pressure, but have settled on a Schwalbe Hans Dampf in the TrailStar compound and with the impressive Super Gravity casing. Not only does it feel pretty fast but I made it through an alpine trip with no punctures.

I’ve been using the latest X-Fusion Hilo dropper post with internal cable routing for a month or so now and, despite the outdated lever, absolutely love its action. It’s very smooth, has a decent rebound speed without any nasty topping out and has given me no issues at all. I was about to praise the post for being great value too – as most X-Fusion products are – when I spotted that the retail price is a princely £320. That’s a lot of money when the mighty RockShox Reverb only retails for £295 and can be picked up for considerably less online.