ED’S CANYON SE ND ERCF 8.0£3,646.98(inc.shipping)

For testing DH bikes, there are few places better than Fort Bill

I’ve been to

watch the Fort William World Cup a few times and it always leaves me chomping at the bit to ride. The problem is, I’ve never had a bike with me. So this year I crammed the Sender into the MBUK van and booked myself in for a few extra days in the Highlands.

After managing to resist the allure of post-race Sunday beers, Monday morning saw me head up in the gondola to tackle the course for myself. I’ve raced nationals at Fort William before, but it’s been several years and I’d forgotten how much of a bike-beater this course is! With Mavic’s new Deemax DH wheels on test (you can read my review on p96), I figured it was an ideal opportunity to put them through their paces.

I remembered roughly where to go but, diving in at full speed without walking the track, got myself into trouble a few times. Things come at you so fast, it’s easy to misjudge the odd line and get taken on a rodeo through some vicious rock sections. Hammering into big chunks of granite doesn’t just test wheels, it’s a pretty solid test of all-round bike set-up too, not to mention technique and endurance!

Thankfully, the Sender’s airsprung progressiveness meant it rarely got unsettled, even by the harshest of impacts. With the conditions being so dry, grip on the loose gravel surface felt like a balancing act and it made me wonder what a more sensitive coilsprung set-up would feel like. Would the extra suppleness be offset by a more linear suspension curve and a higher likelihood of bottoming out? Either way, it’s made me keen to get hold of a Fox X2 coil shock for some back-to-back testing with the Float DHX2 in the Alps this summer.

I should also mention the Shimano Saint brakes here. Having heard complaints of wandering bite points, I was prepared for problems on this long track, but my set stayed consistent and powerful despite the heat build-up. I’m still undecided on whether I prefer the feel of these over SRAM’s Codes, but maybe the Alps will help me decide that too...