Bothy biking was an adventure that began innocuously enough last December. Picking up the phone to our man in the north, photographer Andy McCandlish, I was cheerfully informed, “och aye, it’s a hoot, mon”. OK, he didn’t actually say that; he said that biking into the hills before seeking shelter in a bothy, cooking your own food round the fire and sipping whisky would be great fun: “Try it tonight when you get home — turn the lights and heating off, set fire to the furniture and squat on your haunches eating raw food from your grubby fingers and you’ll get a taste for it.” He actually did say that. I was instantly hooked, my flights booked for the land where the haggis roam.

Climbing through the heather into the Monadhliath Mountains

What better way to escape from all the nonsense of urban living that traps us into a salary, mortgage and dinner with the in-laws? Who needs the aroma of finest Arabica beans, ground to perfection and piped with steam when they can smell the Scottish Highlands on a crisp winter morning; air so pure you nearly pass out trying to breathe it all in? Who needs London nightlife when you can stand in perfect stillness and watch red kites soaring on thermal currents in the valley below you?

That was my dream, anyway. But heading north for the reality, I was starting to have doubts. A metropolitan southerner through and through, and the weather in usually-mild London now five degrees below, I was genuinely nervous that I might be found dead in my sleeping bag come the morning — the coroner wouldn’t even need to zip me into a body bag. Too bad. I’d packed all the warm clothes I had and it was too late to turn back now anyway. Thankfully though, coming off the flight at Glasgow airport, I already felt calmer — a bit like stepping off the plane on holiday, a wave of warm air hit me as the cabin doors opened and I realised Scotland was a balmy three degrees above zero. I was set.

Into the wee wild

Riding a bike with three wheels is surprisingly easy. Towing 50lb of kit in a Bob trailer up a mountain is unsurprisingly difficult. Climbing up into the Cairngorms from the village of Kincraig, the trail heads upwards with unrelenting monotony, and soon the chat from the three Andys ceases as our heavy loads start to drag. Still, there’s an incredible amount of traction to be found from weighting your rear wheel, giving us tons of purchase on the muddy and slippy terrain.

We’ve left the hum of the A9 behind, crossing the river Spey and heading into the Monadhliath Mountains (say Mo-nah-lee-ath), a beautiful and wild stretch of terrain butting up against the western edge of the Cairngorms. It’s remote and much less visited than the mountains to the east or the built-up resort of Aviemore to the north, and the only people we’re likely to meet are the odd stalking party from the Alvie Estate or an angry gamekeeper. A sign tacked onto a deer fence warns us it’s shooting season — enter at your own risk. It’s a nice reminder that this is no dude ranch; nothing here is for show and tourists are certainly in the minority, unless you’re up from London, blowing the tails off grouse or sniping at stags.

Every couple of miles we’re forced to stop and negotiate another of these deer fences, cramming the bikes and trailers through swing gates that really restrict our right to roam. Never mind; we get through by unhitching the trailers and wheeling them through, and as the sun comes out we’re treated to that most wonderful of winter scenarios — the temperature inversion. It feels warmer the higher we climb, and soon Andy McKenna, our guide from mtb holiday company Go-Where Scotland, has stripped off his gloves. “I’m a really sweaty rider,” he says. He’d be down to his undercrackers if it wasn’t for the photos. We say a small prayer for the presence of lensman Andy McCandlish.

McKenna is a true mountain man, someone who refuses to touch the heating in his draughty cottage in Innerleithen even in the depths of winter (you can stay in the guest apartments he rents out, where, conversely, the heating is red hot). He says after riding in Spain last winter and acclimatising to the roasting temperatures there, he came back to Scotland and felt the cold for the first time in his life. The solution was to trudge up into the hills on an evening where the thermometer touched -20°C and spend the night in a snow hole. Cured.

Taking in the veranda's views from our bothy

Hame sweet hame

There’s nowhere near enough snow on this trip for a snow hole, so we have to make do with a bothy. Our original plan had been to head high into the hills, wade a couple of rivers where there had once been bridges, and check in to a high mountain hut. But a late start means the light is starting to go as we pass the first of two bothies within 100 metres of each other. They remind me of bike sheds, with peeling green paint and rusting bolts holding the whole thing loosely together. The one we’ve got our eyes on has a veranda though, and an old iron stove — luxury items for a bothy, I’m told.

We rattle at the door but the handle turns uselessly. We rattle harder, slightly panicked, before walking round the side onto the veranda. I’m chuffed when I manage to jimmy the window open a crack, and wriggle through. Just as I hit the ground in a heap, McKenna walks calmly in through the back door, a smug look barely concealed by his beard. Bugger. Still, I bet he didn’t get anywhere near the sense of adventure I got.

Cleats tapping on bare boards, we troop in and survey the scene in silence, before Operation Survive the Night commences. The third Andy — Stanford — kneels respectfully down in front of the fire and begins carefully to arrange a wigwam of twigs around a scrap of newspaper, the tiny yellow flame nurtured like a can of precious Irn-Bru. He looks Ray Mears-esque, like he knows exactly what he’s doing (he should do; he’s an outdoor instructor for Glasgow City Council), so we ask if the furniture really needs to be this high? Surely we could saw a couple of inches off the bottom for firewood? No answer. We slink away and busy ourselves with other essential tasks — dragging in dry, natural firewood and collecting water from the stream babbling 100 metres below us.

Drying and fumigating our gear in one foul swoop

Back inside now, we can already feel the warmth of the fire as it fills the room with its smoke. Water boils on the stove and the smell of instant, self-heating all-day-breakfast is thoroughly enticing. The scrambled egg and toast (yes, toast) inside the pack is less seductive, but we’re too hungry to care and wolf it down, the view from the porch the perfect condiment.

The evening’s entertainment gets going — two of the Andys have brought along hipflasks, one with single malt whisky, the other a shoddy blend. I’m no whisky buff though and the only detectible difference is that one makes me shudder slightly less than the other. They both warm me from the inside though, and the banter flows all the better as we pass it along.

Andy McKenna recounts a story from his misspent youth when he nearly burnt his parents’ shed down, but lost all of his facial hair instead. He also tells us how material from a well-known brand of waterproof-but-breathable fabric goes up like a Christmas tree — he popped a knackered old pair of trousers into the stove just last week to try it out, he says proudly. The fire dies down and as we run out of wood; none of us is prepared to donate our trousers, so we blow up our Thermarest mats and settle into down sleeping bags instead. I’m out like a light, the stench of smouldering all-day-breakfast packets acting like a calming Vaporub for my nostrils.

Rude awakening

It’s Baltic when we wake up, not quite ice on the inside of the windows but it can’t be far off. It’s not that kind of damp cold you often get when you sleep in a tent, though, probably because the bothy has such great ventilation from windows that leave cracks big enough to get your hand through — the smog has thankfully cleared from the room too, and my eyes have stopped itching. Strangely enough, I’m enjoying myself too — I’ve had the best night’s sleep in months and I’m itching to get going. Coffee and instant porridge gets everyone moving and soon enough, we’re packed up and ready to roll, having taken care of ‘business’ outside — you just dig a hole with the bothy-supplied shovel and then relax — and bagged up all our rubbish from inside, as per the bothy code (see ‘How to bothy’, p75).

We’re heading higher up the mountain this morning, very close to Munro height, so there’s plenty of snow as we slip and crunch our way up the inclines. Thankfully it’s frozen hard enough to ride on the crust so we make steady progress most of the time. We’re inspired too: the vapour trails from two jets high in the atmosphere cross an otherwise perfectly blue sky, forming a perfect saltire — my Scottish hosts take this as a good omen for a great day’s riding.

It’s a natural high for us, as we reach the top of the climb and look around this vast landscape. We’re 15 miles from the nearest track, which sounds pretty crummy in numbers but it’s about as remote as you get in the UK, and the tough terrain guarantees solitude. Red kites are lazily looping round us, and a hare, resplendent in its white winter coat makes a break for it between the heather: these are the only other creatures sharing the landscape. We hang around taking pictures, trying to get the obligatory silhouette against an increasingly darkening sky before deciding it’s time to head back down — black clouds are gathering and the wind is starting to chill us.

Retracing our steps was never part of the plan, but we’ve run out of time so the loop we had mapped out is canned. I take the lead, my trailer bouncing and jumping around like Jeremy Clarkson towing a caravan. Taking in the first switchback, I try to use the whole track, made wide by the snow filling every ditch and rut, but disaster strikes! What had been a hard frozen crust on the ride up has been busily melting in the sun, and my front wheel plunges two feet into a drift. I’m neatly ejected, flying five feet into another comfy ditch, leaving the bike and trailer jack-knifed off the trail. I feel like a wally, but it’s a lesson learnt: I take the more sedate lines back until we’re below the snowline, my inner Clarkson thoroughly deflated.

Tow to tango

Chased from the Cairngorms by the worsening weather

Towing trailers means we’re not tackling the most technical of singletrack, but none of us seems to mind. The addition of snow and ice and 50lb of unbraked load following us down lends enough spice to the ride. But there’s more to it than that. It’s a kind of two-wheeled enjoyment I’ve been sorely lacking in my riding up until now — the pure joy of experiencing a fantastic and wild environment with friends. It’s a unique experience for me [Ed — what, friends?]. I can easily imagine myself spending a week up here, leapfrogging from one bothy to the next as I cross the Highlands.

We could all easily afford it too — this has got to be the cheapest weekend riding getaway you could have. My flight costs aside, four people have spent two days riding for the price of a bottle of whisky, a dozen packets of instant grub and half a tank of diesel. Take that, George Osborne.

Back at the van I’m shattered, but on the ride back down I’ve been thinking about what makes this kind of adventure so appealing. I ‘get it’ now: It’s about putting ourselves in an uncomplicated situation. If we can find enough dry firewood to keep us warm through the night, enough water to make gallons of tea and enough food to fill us up, we’re gloriously happy. And without any single one of those most basic of human wants we’d be desperately miserable, in as tough a mental place as any we’d experienced. That’s what I felt in the Cairngorms — I no longer cared what I looked or smelt like, or where my phone was. Bliss.

Ride for free this summer!

Detach your pedals and dig out two pieces of photo ID; ’tis the season to ride other people’s bikes for free.

There are demo days taking place all over the country this summer – here’s just a selection for this month and next:

Beeline Bicycles Oxford; multiple brands available. May 18

www.beelinebicycles.co.uk

Blazing Bikes Church Stretton, Shropshire; Scott bikes available for advance booking year-round

www.mtb-shropshire.co.uk

BikeTreks Ambleside Lake District; Orange/Santa Cruz May 19; women’s Orange/Santa Cruz/Specialized and Scott June 2

www.bike-treks.co.uk

Pace Cycles Dalby Forest; full range available for advance booking year-round

www.pacecycles.com

Orange Bikes dealer demos on May 12 (Bike Bristol), May 13 (Buckingham Bikes), May 19 (BikeTreks) and June 30 (Big Bear Bikes)

www.orangebikes.co.uk

Wheels, Wings and Water Haldon Forest on May 20; Yeti, Mondraker, Commencal and Nukeproof bikes, plus 661 pads, Urge helmets, Race Face and One Industries components.

Dean Forest Cycles Forest of Dean; multiple brands available and a barbie to boot! May 19&20

www.deanforestcycles.co.uk

Some of the sights from the 24hrs of El Peublo

Click here to read our first impressions

March 2012

I got an email the other day from an old mate. The subject line simply read ‘Munter’. I immediately assumed he was talking about his latest Saturday night conquest. But no, the fugly swamp donkey to which he was referring was my longtermer. Now the YT is no oil painting (it’s definitely more post modern abstract impressionism), but to label it a munter was going a bit far. Under all that multi-coloured slap there’s actually a mighty fine bone structure.

OK, so I wasn’t convinced at first. But this was mainly because the RockShox Revelation RLT fork rode so deep into its travel at the recommended pressures that the whole bike felt completely unbalanced. The front end was too low, the head angle too steep and the fork would bottom out as soon as the trail tilted downhill. Incrementally I increased the pressure in the positive chamber until I had achieved a more favourable dynamic sag. Unfortunately the pressure I ended up with was 160psi, which RockShox recommends for a 90kg rider, leaving the small bump sensitivity a little anaesthetized. I’m going to see whether RockShox has a fix for this, but in the mean time I’ll have to put up with a bit of a harsh front end to keep the geometry shipshape.

Finding the perfect fork set-up took time

When I first pulled the Wicked out of the box, the rear shock felt very sticky. But with 100 miles under the belt, it’s loosened up nicely. There’s very little range offered by the rebound adjuster, but what’s there doesn’t leave me wanting for more, or less damping.

Finally, rare though my YT is on these shores, it is not alone. A few days after writing my first longtermer instalment, I spotted another Wicked pounding the Surrey Hills. It belonged to Marcus Gange and he’s had the bike since last summer. Initially he had a few problems with the forks, but they were replaced under warranty. Since then his dealings with YT have been limited to asking for some clips for his dropper post remote (which were posted out without charge). A shorter stem and wider bars are his only other upgrades, both items I’m considering for later in the year, but for now I’m happy to keep my YT stock.

2012 Wicked 150 is now on sale

April 2012

Not wanting to let my 2012 longtermer become a protracted soap opera of exchanging fork internals (eh, Darlow?!), I’ve sent my RockShox Revelation RLT Dual Position off to SRAM for a bit of fettling. By leaving it to the pros I’m hoping to avoid my YT hanging limbless on a meat hook for months while it gets sorted, and maximise my riding time on the new improved version. Conversing with SRAM revealed that the Dual Position Revelation has a more linear spring curve than the Dual Air version, a trait that is preferred by the German market. Our Continental cousins like to slam their forks for those three-hour fireroad climbs, followed by something nice and plush for those long, er, fireroad descents. OK, so that’s being a bit unfair, but I can see why YT has specced the Dual Position version when most of its sales will come from the Bundesland. That doesn’t help my situation, however, so SRAM is kindly offering to change the characteristics of the fork to, hopefully, suit my preferences. In a nutshell it’s going to reduce the size of the air chamber, which will increase the progressiveness of the spring. Sounds promising, and all being well, I’ll be able to let you know next month whether the modification has worked.

The Wicked inspires confidence when pushed

May 2012

My forks are back from SRAM, but the modifications were not quite what I’d anticipated. Initially we’d discussed reducing the size of the air chamber to alter the spring curve. I wanted more progression without compromising too much on small bump performance, and tweaking the spring curve looked like a pretty good solution. As it turns out, it wasn’t possible to shrink the chamber without ruining the overall performance, so SRAM put the Revelation back together in its original form and sent it back to me with a few set-up suggestions.

The new settings recommended book pressures for the air spring, mid-way on the low-speed compression damping and two-clicks from fully open on the Floodgate. Theoretically, this should add support via the damper to reduce the tendency to dive at lower pressures, while keeping the harshness at bay. I haven’t had a proper chance to ride the fork yet, or play with the settings, but I’ll let you know next month what effect they’ve had.

Just before the fork got sent away, I got hold of a new chain guide that comes standard on the 2012 YT-Wicked. It’s a dangler-style tensioner, made by Bionicon, which hangs from the gear cable outer casing beneath the chainstay. Simple and lightweight, it seems to work pretty good. Shifting is still smooth and quiet, and I haven’t experienced a dropped chain since it went on. I’m still a little sceptical about using the cable outer casing to support it, as a couple of zip ties would seem the obvious choice, but so far it’s getting my thumbs up.

And talking of the 2012 bikes, I’ve had a few people ask why I’m not on one of the newer models shown under ‘Preview’ on the YT-Industries website. The answer is simple and it all comes down to availability. With the first shipment of new models only due to arrive in Europe around the time you read this, it simply wasn’t possible to get one in time for our first longtermer deadline.

Most of the changes centre on the spec anyway, with the addition of a 10-speed drivetrain, the aforementioned chain guide and a smattering of Race Face and DT Swiss components. Unfortunately the price has crept up a little, to €1899, but considering the spec, it’s still a steal.

Bionicon chain device simple but effective/fork settings now dialled/outer ring removed to make way for bash ring

June 2012

The opportunity to knock seven shades of sheep sh… you know what out of my YT rarely presents itself locally, but on a recent trip to the South Wales Valleys the Wicked received its due punishment. The sentence: an afternoon squaring up to the roots, rocks, stumps and jumps of this old Dragon downhill track.

So how did it cope? Well, hand on heart, I’m extremely impressed, and we’ve entered a new era in our relationship. Climbing to the top was pleasantly efficient considering the bike’s weight and travel. Turn the pedal platform on, dial in some compression damping on the fork and it’ll churn its way to the top with very little wasted energy.

But it’s with the saddle down and the dials off that it really performs. I’ve always thought YT has done a wicked job with the geometry, but clattering down a Welsh mountain really cemented that view for me. The slack head angle combined with a decent wheelbase length and reasonably low bottom bracket made for a stable companion at high speeds, and I found my confidence swelling rapidly on the bald slopes of the upper mountain.

There’s a stepdown as the track enters the trees, enough to buck a trail bike into the bracken, but the YT suspension feels great deeper into its stroke, staying settled enough for only a light tap on the brakes before hitting a maelstrom of roots and loose rock. The new fork settings recommended by SRAM are also doing their job very well, bringing mid-stroke support without the initial harshness I was experiencing at higher pressures.

Handling is everything on the lower third of the Mountain Ash track, with frequent changes of direction, often coming shortly before or after getting airborne. It’s fair to say the YT isn’t the nimblest of movers, but I have a theory this is more to do with the suspension than the geometry. While it copes well with bigger hits, the suspension definitely lacks suppleness and, as a result, it neither has the grip nor the pop that often goes hand in hand with brilliant small bump performance. Let momentum carry it over the gaps and be fluid with your movements and it’s impressive what it can take on, but the reward for the rider is not as rich as perhaps it could be.

Which has led my attention to move back to the shock again. Initially I complained about the Monarch RT3 shock being sticky out of the box, and although it freed up with a few miles under its belt, I’m back to thinking it’s over-damped on the compression side. The ‘H’ for high compression tune on the air can certainly adds weight to my argument, so my next step is to try and get hold of a lighter tuned Monarch to see if this helps soak up the pitter-patter and provide a little bit of sparkle to a machine that is brimming with ruthless Teutonic efficiency

Better by bike? Your call

The first bank holiday of the year is fast approaching, and tradition dictates that we must all get in our cars and seek out various traffic jams across the country as we attempt to have a long weekend away. If you’re not doing this you’re either planning to repaint the second bedroom, mow the lawn or possibly, just possibly, you’re going to ride your mountain bike.

This weekend I fall into the former camp, the one that requires me to pack up a few hastily gathered together belongings into a bag and drive somewhere. This isn’t just any old somewhere though: I’m heading to the Peak District. Which is great, except that it’s a walking holiday with girlfriend and friends and I’m under strict instructions from those non-mtb friends that mountain bikes in any shape or form will not be tolerated over the weekend. But to drive 300 miles to one of the best riding locations the UK boasts and not take my bike sickens me — the sheer bloody wasted opportunity.

Which brings us to my moral dilemma — do I smuggle the bike oop north and turn my legs in a pleasing gyratory manner, or leave it at home and trudge around on my own feet? Please post your responses below.

Save money by making your own workshop tools

Bike tools costs money and while it’s a false economy to scrimp on tools you use regularly like Allen keys and the like, you can bodge together several major tools from some everyday hardware found in B&Q, Wickes or wherever. Not only is this a cash saving exercise, it will saves time because it’s unlikely that your local bike shop will have a headset press and a rocket tool to sell you, or the workshop time available at the last minute to replace your knackered headset. All the materials used here were bought from B&Q; they cost about 30 quid in total and made three sets of tools, which would have totalled around £900 for the real deal! Obviously our ghetto tools aren’t of the same quality, but they will get the job done and for the money who cares? A word of warning just make sure you take your time and avoid damaging something more precious, such as your frame or hand!

Olympic course gets Annie's seal of approval

What does British rider and Olympic hopeful Annie Last think of the course at Hadleigh Farm? Find out in the June issue of mbr. Here’s a taster for now…

“The course felt really good, when you start doing full laps it flows well and fits together well — it’ll race really well,” she said. “The wider switchbacks are better for overtaking, really important in a race: you’ve got to be able to get past people to make a race. The extra rock garden will be great for the race and also as a spectacle for spectators.”

And what about World Cup courses, are they getting better and more challenging, we asked?

“The World Cup courses have changed a bit over the last few years, from the traditional XC style course. It’s good for races and spectators and it’s good to encourage different spectators in – not just the normal bike riding crowd, but the general public. How the courses are now really does make that easy.”

Danny's custom Camber. Click to zoom

The concept for this project was simple: build the perfect Sunday bike. It had to be lightweight, short travel, sharply focussed on fun and able to dance down singletrack like a roe deer.

But first, let me be completely straight. Piecing together a dream build will always be the height of self-indulgence, with an end product that is as unique to its owner as a set of fingerprints. Inevitably the process will take much longer than you’d intended, and involve many hours of procrastination.

There will be moments of elation – as the final piece of the jigsaw drops through the letterbox – and moments of despair – when you realise that it’s the final piece of a different jigsaw. Days turn into weeks, and progress grinds to a halt waiting for something as trivial as a spacer or an adaptor, but when the final bolt is tightened and life is breathed into the tyres, it’s a moment of great satisfaction.

Yet somehow, knowing all this didn’t stop me from embarking on this project. Actually, it’s probably why I did. When what you want – or, more accurately, what you think you want – doesn’t exist in the marketplace, you set about building it.

The mission

No build can succeed without a clear vision of the end goal. In this case the objective was shaped by the terrain on which it would be ridden. My regular weekly ride consists of a dozen or so minute-long descents followed by equally short, sharp climbs, and that means lots of saddle height adjustment. The descents put a big emphasis on handling, but you need very little in the way of suspension. Corners come thick and fast, jinking through both native woodland and forest plantation and there is ample opportunity to get airborne. And the whole area is covered in a wonderful, loamy earth of the type that, being a snobby London media type, reminds me of Lavazza Gold.

So, in order of priority, my requirements are:

1. Fun to ride
2. Agile handling
3. Short travel
4. Lightweight, ideally 26lb or less
5. Dropper post compatible
6. Some way of mounting a chain device
7. Bottle cage bosses

Camber suspension animation

Frame

Specialized Camber M5 / weight: 2,948g / size: medium / travel : 120mm / Fox Triad II shock / M5 alloy

Before I’d even finished the above list, my thoughts from the 2011 Bike of the Year Test echoed through my mind:

“Long and low, the Camber is born to corner, and married to a short back end, limited travel and lack of mass means it can be manualled, popped and drifted like few bikes on the planet. The low standover height is a massive ally, allowing you to move around the bike unimpeded. All the features that make a 4X bike so rewarding, albeit with enough cockpit space to be ridden all day.

Quite simply it’s one of the most inspiring bikes to ride on sale this year and is the perfect tool for anyone who enjoys getting creative on dirt.”

So I had my prime suspect, but if the Camber had a flaw, it was chassis stiffness. For 2012, however, Specialized has introduced a 142x12mm through-axle and a tapered head tube on the range-topping Camber Expert and in doing so it has answered our main criticism. So with the frame sourced, my attention turned to the components.

Cable guides used to cleanly bolt mudguard

Fork

Fox 831, 130mm travel / weight: 1750g / FIT RLC damping / 15mm QR / tapered steerer

Although the stock bike matches the front and rear travel at 120mm, I wanted to run a 130mm fork up front. This was for two reasons: Firstly a longer travel fork would increase the potential of the front end and help keep a lid on things when the trail gets a bit rowdy: secondly it would tweak the geometry, reducing the head angle, lengthening the wheelbase and raising the bottom bracket. The stock Camber gets such a low bottom bracket that you’ve got to time your pedal strokes accurately on flatter terrain. I hoped that the longer fork, in combination with another component choice I’ll talk about in a minute, would increase the clearance without compromising the cornering ability.

Ever since Fox introduced the Fit-damped 32 fork I’ve been a big fan. With a nice progressive spring curve that is supple at the top of the travel, but offers plenty of support when braking or riding steeper trails, it suits my riding style perfectly. The damping is controlled and consistent throughout the stroke and it can be configured in any travel you want between 80mm and 150mm.

I’d chosen a JPS black and gold colour-scheme for the frame, that not only harked back to the fag packets and Lotus F1 cars of the seventies, but evoked memories of Specialized’s definitive Enduro of 2003. Unfortunately this threw a spanner in the works when it came to the fork. I knew I didn’t need a TALAS fork – my local climbs are so short that there’s just no reason to drop the front end height – but the 32 Float RLC only comes in white and Kashima gold, which just wouldn’t look right. The solution came in the shape of the lesser-known 831 dirt-jump/4X fork. It uses the same chassis and FIT RLC damper as the 32 Float, and although it comes stock with 100mm of travel, this can be increased to 140mm by removing a few internal spacers.

Wheels

Shimano XT / weight: 810g front, 1002g rear, 1812g total / 15mm front, 142x12mm rear / 21C width

I could have chosen a significantly lighter wheelset, but I didn’t want to compromise on stiffness or spend too much time at the truing jig. Shimano’s XT wheels are tubeless compatible, available in two widths and various axle configurations, and most importantly, there was a pair already in the office that would fit the frame.

Specialized’s Storm tyre are a firm favourite around the office and work well on our local trails. They begin to run out of steam when it gets really parched, but for Autumn/Winter/Spring conditions the grip is ample and when they do let go, the slide is progressive. I’ve chosen to run them tubeless on the Camber, which might end up being a mistake as the sidewalls don’t give a lot of support, and pressures need to be increased to compensate.

'Dangler' customised to fit Camber chainstay

Drivetrain

Shimano XTR/XT/SLX / weight: Shimano XT shifter right 149g, Shimano XTR Shadow Plus derailleur 207g, Shimano SLX cranks (170mm) and E13 34T chainring 691g

Without any arduous climbs to worry about, I knew I could get away with a 1X10 drivetrain on the Camber. A 34t chainring up front with an 11-36T cassette would provide a ratio that was more than ample for anything I would have to haul up.

For me, Shimano still has the edge in the shifting department. Its crisp, well-defined cog-swapping is super-light in action and less prone to accidental double shifts than SRAM’s offerings.

Unfortunately the Camber frame doesn’t come with ISCG tabs for a chain device, so I was forced into a slightly untidy solution. Specialized had sent one of its Dangler chain tensioners with my frame, modified to fit the Camber chainstay protector, but that still left me needing to find an upper guide for the chainset. In the end E13 came to the rescue with a direct mount XCX that bolts onto the swingarm. For a belt and braces finishing touch, I elected to fit one of Shimano’s XTR Shadow Plus derailleurs.

And to further reduce pedal strikes I decided to run shorter cranks. By using a Press Fit BB30-to-73mm-threaded converter I could run an old set of 170mm SLX cranks with one of Shimano’s durable sealed bottom brackets.

XT brakes with Easton Havoc carbon bars and upside down Reverb remote

Brakes

Shimano XT with 160mm front/160mm rear / weight: 288g front/305g rear, Centrelock rotor 135g

Shimano’s new brakes are simply superb. The lever shape is perfect for one-finger braking (as long as you use your index finger), modulation is great and there’s bags of power. Being Shimano, you shouldn’t need to waste time constantly bleeding them either. My only complaint is the Servo Wave brings a bit of initial resistance to the lever, but dropping a squirt of lube on the cam reduces this considerably.

Components

Easton Havoc bar, 750mm, 310g / Easton Haven stem, 70mm, 145g / RockShox Reverb seatpost, 30.9mm, 521g / Specialized Henge saddle

We fitted Easton control components to both the 2011 and 2012 Cambers when we tested them, and the 750mm bar/70mm stem combo seemed to suit it really well. So I decided to keep the recipe the same for my Camber. I’ve added a Reverb post, using the right hand remote lever mounted upside down on the left of the bar for a clean cockpit and easy access.

By routing the rear brake hose around the right of the head tube and the derailleur housing around the left, then crossing them over under the down tube, I should avoid any cable rub on the frame and fork crown. Just to be sure, I added Madison’s frame protector tape to the sides of the head tube. 3M rubber mastic tape was applied to the driveside seatstay, to protect and dampen chainslap, and beneath the down tube as a shield from flying rocks.

So they’re always to hand, I’ve written my pressure settings on the side of the shock and fork with permanent pen, and then covered them in frame protection tape.

I wanna be next to you; black and gold. Click to zoom

Angle Finder

• Head angle: 67.6
• Seat angle: 70.4
• Wheelbase: 1,120mm
• Chainstay: 420mm
• Bottom bracket: 335mm
• Front centre: 700mm
• Down tube: 660mm

Performance

I’m planning to update this page once the mileage has increased, but the two short rides I have completed on the Camber have been everything I’d hoped for. Although the full build came out a little over my 26lb goal (26.6lb), honestly those few hundred grams were imperceptible on the trail. The bike feels as sprightly as our previous test bikes, despite carrying an extra pound of seatpost around. Ultimately, by ditching the SLX crank and going for a SRAM Press Fit item I know I can save a chunk of weight at some point in the future.

Not only is it incredibly chuckable, but the lack of weight makes it easy to accelerate. It’s the kind of machine that lures me into cranking up climbs out of the saddle rather than sitting down and finding a pace. Reducing the mass also lets me run 160mm rotors and still get more than ample stopping power.

One of the Camber’s greatest assets is its suspension souplesse. Grip levels are impressive and, coupled with the playful geometry, means confidence is never an issue. In fact the biggest problem is that I can no longer blame the bike for any shortfalls in my riding. Raising the bottom bracket and running shorter cranks has eliminated pedal strikes, and although I did initially notice the slight reduction in leverage, I’m convinced it’s a worthwhile compromise.

My only question mark concerns the fork. 831s come with firmer compression damping and a more progressive spring curve, and I’m not convinced that it’s the perfect partnership considering the incredibly supple rear end. A re-valve to the stock 32 Float RLC settings might be on the cards.

Still some fine-tuning to be done then, but for a first shakedown, I’m very satisfied with how the bike has turned out. It’s a bike that puts a massive smile on my face every time I ride it, and ultimately, that should always be the driving force.

MBR June 2012 issue

What’s in the latest issue of MBR? It’s in the shops Wednesday 2 May.

INCLUDES FREE MBR SOCKS!

• Trailhead: The month in pictures, changes to the Olympics course, and Shimano’s new Saint and Zee groupsets.
• City Limits: Manchester. We scout out all the best riding around Manchester. Includes a free pull-out route map.
• First look: Pivot Firebird. Arizona’s Pivot Cycles and its 170mm rooster.
• First look: Fox DOSS dropper post. Does Fox raise the bar with its new remote controlled dropper post? We get the first UK ride.
• Tested: E13 LG1+ pedals, FSA Afterburner stem, Deity Dirty 30 bar, A2Z brake pad pins, KS Supernatural 150mm dropper post, Giro Junction shoes, Camelbak bit valves, Teva Pinner shoes, Abus Hill Bill helmet, Scott Roarban hoody, Bryton Rider 20 GPS, Altura Summit short.
• 2012 Longtermers: The fleet gets a workout, and suffers the consequences. Scott Scale Elite 29er, Orange Alpine 160, Specialized Safire Comp, Trek Lush, Devinci Dixon XP, Lapierre X-Flow 412, YT Industries Wicked 150 and Giant Trance X4.
• NEW FEATURE: Top Drawer. We metaphorically rummage through the drawers of our staffers to find out the stuff that they wear off-duty.
• Soapbox: Jamie Darlow explores the unspoken hierarchy that pervades our riding groups.
• NEW FEATURE: Samurai of Singletrack. Modern trail bikes are more capable than ever, while old downhill tracks supply the perfect testing ground. Join the challenge and compare your skills on the Hopton downhill track against our staffers and pro rider Neil Donoghue.
• Icons: Shimano XT. Mountain biking’s first purpose-built groupset is now 30-years old. We ride the old and the new and explore how far technology has progressed.
• Best British trail centre: With much jubilation, Queen Elizabeth Country Park’s new singletrack is open for business.
• Bike test: £1800 full-suspension bikes. Kona Tanuki Deluxe, Lapierre Zesty 214, Norco Sight 3, Vitus Escarpe 1.
• Grouptest: Trail packs. 12 all-day trail packs go through the grinder. We test the Camelbak Charge and Octane, Crank Bros Ascender, Dakine Drafter, Deuter Compact, Ergon BX2, Evoc CC10, Geigerrig The Rig, Hydrapak Big Sur, Lezyne Svelte, The North Face Torrent and Osprey Raptor 14.
• Grouptest: Prescription eyewear from Adidas, Oakley, Bolle and Tifosi.
• How to: Megavalanche winner Jerome Clemantz shows you how to prepare for your first gravity enduro race.
• Shop smart: stuff we thoroughly recommend from 29ers to 120mm full-suspension bikes along with helmets, shoes, knee pads and GPS watches. Plus our bike finder passes on his latest buying tips.
• Q&A: tech. Custom built vs pre-built wheels, the importance of headset spacers and fitting a QR skewer.
• Workshop: bodge your own ghetto toolkit and save big bucks.
• PLUS – Four free route maps: rides in the Peak District, Howgill Fells, Greater Manchester and the South Downs.

City Limits Manchester June 2012

Longtermers June 2012

Samurai of Singletrack, Hopton, June 2012

June 2012 bike test