JULIA’S JULIANA JOPLIN CARBON C S £5,599

Our newly-promoted deputy art editor has been pushing her bike harder than ever – has she found its limits?

Back in issue 406, I mentioned that the Juliana had had an easy life and it was time to step it up. Seven issues later, I feel like I’ve been true to my word. I’m committing to the bumpiest trails with complete trust in the Joplin. It’s not always the smartest approach, but I’m slowly rewiring my brain to see cheat lines as ‘race lines’ instead!

This month, after hearing rumours that some of the trails at Triscombe, in the Quantock Hills, were back up and running, I headed over, eager to hammer my Juliana down some more tech. I began with sessioning the top section, where the bike felt totally at ease… until I dragged it to the infamous ‘other side of the hill’ (there’s always one of those, isn’t there?).

That’s when things got steeper and gnarlier, and the Joplin’s 120mm rear end started to give harsh feedback and feel limiting. At the end of the last run, I noticed that my Maxxis Minion DHR II rear tyre was looking pretty worn. It’s held together for over 18 months, but the coming winter demands more grip, so it needs replacing.

My next adventure was the women’s social ride at BikePark Wales. After the success of the Gowaan Festival, I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for more ladies’ group rides. They usually have a friendly and encouraging atmosphere, and this one didn’t disappoint! We started off in the uplift van at 9.30am and I didn’t get back home until late in the evening. Completely worth it! I joined the event on my own, vaguely recognising a few faces, and it was amazing how quickly I connected with other riders, and how many of them had also come along solo.

Starting off on a blue trail, the Juliana was flowing well. But as the obstacles got bigger, the feeling that I’ve outgrown my bike became harder to ignore. Don’t get me wrong, it’ll pin it down everything I dare hit, but over techier trail features I’m seeing the limits of its relatively short travel. The poor thing also got a bit of a beating that day when I hit the deck hard, snapping the bolt on my dropper lever. A ziptie came to the rescue, but then I got a puncture on, you guessed it, Rim Dinger. I should pay attention to the trails’ names! Big thanks to the folks who helped get me running again, particularly BPW’s mechanic. www.jungleproducts.co.uk