When I first joined FreeFlow I was a bit unsure of what brand to go with and what model, after a few months and a lot of heated debates I landed on Mondraker. A brand that is still very young in the mountain biking market. Founded in Alicante, Spain 2001 Mondraker started off with only 7 bikes in their range catering for the newly developing freeride scene in Spain. Since then Mondraker have rapidly climbed the ladder to huge success as one of the leading high end bike manufacturers and now cater for every style of riding from the DH world cup winning Summum Pro Team to the very sought after Duel Pro Team Pro BMX.
In 2010 Mondraker lunched the new Stealth tubing frame and Zero suspension system. The Stealth Tubing is one of the most advanced structures and designs used in the Mondraker range. Stealth is characterized by flat faces and sharp edges opposed to the more traditional curved or rounded shapes. You can really feel the stiffness of the frame when you are up out the saddle peddling the frame stays solid on the uphill and in every stroke you feel the force drive through the frame into the back wheel ensuring you are getting the most efficient pedal power.
So I hear you asking what model did you go for and after much research and debating I decided upon the Dune R a bike that I felt would handle my inexperience and progression alike with its oversized frame and stealth tubing the Dune R takes a beating with ease and trust me it gets one.
After a few pedals around Mugdock country park I started feeling a little more confident and started following some trails into the trees, I quickly found myself at the top of a hill and the only way was onwards and downwards. This was my first experience of any real natural trails and found myself having to drop off what I thought at the time huge rocks, Stevie later showed me what a HUGE drop off looked like, my experience then looked more like a pavement. So over rocks and roots I went frantically holding on to the bars gripping for dear life my feet firmly glued to the pedals due to the outstanding combination of FiveTens and DMR Vaults in and out the trees I went trying to follow the line previously left until bang sky ground sky ground sky ground…..ground laying out flat on my back I looked up and seen the Dune still upright handle bar held by a branch, picking myself up I had a look around, great no one about. Jumping back on the bike I was surprisingly keen to pick up some speed. More rocks more roots and the Dune just glided the rear Zero suspension system absorbing every bump that I encountered, Then before I knew it I was back on the main path grinning from ear to ear heart racing and wanting more.
I have been thrown in at the deep end trying to keep up with the likes of Stevie and Gaz but even though my skill level can’t keep up the bike can, I definitely know I have chosen the right bike as it pedals up hill and around the country parks with ease but also tackles the more advanced DH routes at Glentres and alike.
After pretty much neglecting my hardtail since I purchased my Carbon Road Bike just over a year ago, I was tempted back into the saddle by my mates who have recently purchased hardtails. I must admit I have really enjoyed getting back on the hardtail for some “Fun”.
I switched from flats to SPD’s on the hardtail several years ago and haven’t looked back, until now that is. After a recent ride down the muddy glen I felt a little uneasy as I wasn’t able to bail as quickly as I would have liked. Not having the technical riding knowledge I felt I wasn’t attacking the ride as much as I would have liked. Then I made the decision I’ve been contemplating for a while now……… I purchased a pair of Five Ten Impact 2 Low shoes and DMR Vault Pedals.
Boy I have not been left disappointed! With the Stealth sole of the Impact 2 Low and the grippy pins of the Vaults, my feet stick like glue to the pedals, with the ability to bail a lot easier if I need to now! It’s also a lot easier to walk in the pub for that after ride pint or mid ride pint! So far, touch wood, I have managed to avoid rattling the pedal off my shin, which looks like it could do some damage if it made contact! Think it would be advisable to look into purchasing some form of knee/shin protection.
Not only is the Five Ten Impact 2 Low shoe grippy, it’s comfy, fashionable and very practical. The DMR Vault Pedals come in come in 8 different colours with replaceable pins.
Five Ten Impact 2 Low
DMR Vaults
Why not create your perfect pedal/shoe combo by checking out our range of Five Ten Shoes and DMR Pedals. There’s not a better time to create your perfect combo, use discount code “FFB10” to get 10% off your entire order, that INCLUDES sale items! You’ll need to be quick though as this offer is for a limited time only.
After much debate I decided to purchase a Turbo Trainer, well to be honest the weather forced me into it. I opted for the Tacx Satori Pro, which I’ve been very impressed with.
Ten of us decided to enter our very first Sportive, The Scottish Bike Show Sportive in April 2012, and opted for the 65 mile route, while raising money for The Friends of the Beatson.
As expected the minute we signed up for Sportive the weather took a turn for the worse, storms followed by snow, then by ice…….. not ideal conditions for heading out on a Carbon Road bike! After a couple of weeks off the saddle getting frustrated I gave into the temptation to buy a Turbo Trainer. To be honest I’ve never seen the attraction of them before, I hated the gym and sitting on a static bike in a sweaty room going no-where, so why would I buy a turbo trainer!
My wife was sure that my new purchase was going to be yet another “Dust Collector”, boy am I determined to prove her wrong! She didn’t buy the assurance that it wouldn’t be because I’ve a 65 mile Sportive to train for.
The first stage was to build the turbo trainer, which you wouldn’t imagine would be too hard, but after building, dismantling, building, dismantling and building I finally got it right. Although what was more worrying was the amount of screws, bolts, washer and o-rings that were left over! Apparently there should be spares depending on what wheel size you are using etc.
I’ve now had 2 sessions on the turbo trainer, a 30min and a 45min session and really enjoyed it. What makes it different from a bike in the gym? Well it’s MY bike I’m on, it’s MY living room, I can watch what I want on MY tele and I can listen to MY music……… Oh and it doesn’t cost me £35+ a month!
The unit folds up fairly flat for storage but I think I may invest in the carry bag to protect it from little inqusative fingers that roam around my house. The unit comes with the resistance lever so you can adjust resistance. Also included is a QR skewer which I advise you use as it is specifically designed to fit snuggly into the trainer.
Prepare to mop out your living room after your training session as it’s a sweat generator. Lol
Overall I am very pleased with my purchase as it allows me to carry on training regardless of what the weather decides to do.
Why don’t you check out our selection of Turbo Trainers.
This article is by our test pilot ad boy genius mechanic Romo Kadri, who we hope to have more from soon. Views are the Romi’s own and not reflective of FreeFlow Bikes; for example I know Neil keeps insisting the new Intense 951 is his weapon of choice. Anyway, read on for an in depth review of the revolutionary two shock freeride bike the 2Stage Zed8.
One of many things that we mountain bikers rarely admit to is our constant questioning of ourselves: “What kind of rider am I?!”
Am I a smooth or heavy rider? Do I drift or stick? Do I use my weight to bomb through sections Rennie-stylee, or keep it light and floaty like Gee and Rachel? Do I throw the bike around, or do I let it do all the work; Do I hit jumps big or keep it low and fast; Do I pedal or pump to pick up speed; Do I rail the berms or cut them tight?? And on, and on, and on it goes… With all of this questioning being subconciously driven at choosing the bike or components that suit our own personal riding style to perfection, you sometimes begin to wonder; how far could I actually take this process?! After years of this, I finally met and quickly became familiar with 2Stage Bikes, and eventually decided to try something which seemed a little different. Although I was unsure how the 2Stage’s major technological difference would unravel itself down the trail, it took just one run of our infamous track at Fort William for me to realise that it was inevitable for this to be the first bike in the world that would truly blow your mind, no matter how YOU ride it.
Having worked at FreeFlow Bikes, Scotland for over 2 years now, I’ve built, ridden, maintained and analysed a hell of a lot of bikes down to the very finest detail. We conduct these standard ‘tests’ on all new technologies and innovations we receive at FreeFlow Bikes. These are simply to ensure the respective technology’s mechanical sustainability, along with its genuine rideability that so often lies disappointingly deep below the marketing blurb it’s plastered with. Although these are simple tests, we can quickly tell which new technologies will, and won’t take off.
I was the first of our staff to notice the gorgeous 2Stage Bikes when I was doing some team mechanic work down at the 2006 UCI World Champs in my beautifully fragrant hometown of Rotorua! There, grabbing unheard-of attention, like an angel had hit the trade stands, I saw this:
Just as confused as everyone else, I spent a good few weeks trying to work out how those linkages could possibly function effectively? Still confused, and deeply curious about this unique bike, I contacted 2Stage in an attempt to fill in the end of the story. Little did I know, 2Stage were only on the second page having perfected their design, and were soon planning to expand into the UK, the Americas and the rest of the globe. Sadly, it took me almost a year from my first sight of these bikes to be straddling a 2Stage Zed8 for my truly mind-blowing first ride at Fort William. But, this beast couldn’t possibly have been more worth the wait! Even the Zed – an 8” travel freeride rig designed for that ‘all-round’ day out – was taking me faster than ever down one of the most varied and painstaking downhill tracks in the world. In fact, the 2Stage was the first ever rig on which I could be faced with the most mental looking section of track and simply want to pedal straight into it.. this bike is so confidence-inspiring from the moment you sit on it, it’s something quite unbelievable that makes even the toughest tracks so much more enjoyable; it’s so ‘easy-riding’, it almost feels like cheating.
I’ve seen so many reviews of 2Stage bikes that simply boast about how their ride handles every single track or jump-based scenario possible, but I’m not going to hesitate to boast about these yet again! So here goes:
The Straights – If you want to take it slow, it grips. If you want to plough, pedal and sure as hell, it ploughs!
The Corners – If you’re a nutter of the Sam Hill variety, throw that weight forward a touch and feel the most perfectly tailored drift swipe beneath your shorts every time. Or, if you’re one to retain a little sanity like the rest of us, whether you kneel the bike in or keep it straight, keep your weight anywhere behind the ‘drift point’ and both wheels will anchor:- I promise, you’ll soon have the speed and confidence of a leopard chasing a sheep round a tree.
The Rocks – Forget them! Huck, suck, pump, roll; whatever you like – it’ll take it on its back.
The Roots – Keep the tyre pressure low, and 2Stage does the dirty work – just visualise that line and keep it pinned!
The Jumps – Any pilots out there?! I’ve never ridden a bike before now that I can truly justify myself in saying: pull back to go up; keep it straight to stay level; push down to go down. Honestly, get a demo and go try it!
The Drops – Whether it’s a step-down, gap-drop, rock-drop, whatever; you name it – you’ll be craving a huck 3feet bigger than your previous ‘max’ from the moment you turn a 2Stage’s pedal.
The Airtime – Sailing in the wind: whether it be a Zed or Elite that you fly, you couldn’t feel more confident in the air if you tried. Now give us a suicide no-hander! It sure ain’t suicide anymore…
The Landing – Like a blowtorch through butter; melt into that landing! Even if your jump wasn’t the most desirable on the planet, the smoothness of your landing will come as a warmly welcomed surprise.
Everything – Just ride as you want to ride; hit what you want to hit; lean where you want to lean; do everything exactly as you want to: you’ll have the ride of your life, and the next one will be the ride of your life all over.
Because I discovered all of this about our Zed-8 and Elite-9 demo bikes during my first couple of days riding, I began to drift back to that fundamental question I mentioned earlier. But this time, it wasn’t with the bike – I was having the time of my life; it was purely the components attached to it.
Again, doing things differently, I decided that to eliminate the ‘what’s the right componentry for me’ question once and for all, I’d make an attempt to build the perfect downhill bike. I wanted to create a bike which was truly incredible to ride, no matter where it was ridden, no matter what the conditions, no matter by whom, or how they were riding.
So, being slightly clueless as to how to go about this, I put together a tonne of spreadsheets with different specs; different prices, weights and technologies. Eventually, I settled for a sort of ‘collocation’ of the mountain bike industry’s newest technologies – those of which the FreeFlow Bikes team had tried and tested to find nothing but perfection in terms of performance, weight, strength, durability, and value for money. Although I couldn’t keep my hands away from a couple of in-the-limelight components that brought weight down and kept performance up, the bike is very much standard spec. Built straight off the shelf, my custom Zed-8 with Shimano Saint & XTR Shadow drivetrain, ‘zocchi 888 SL ATA forks, Formula Oro Bianco brakes, fizik contact points and Spank finishing kit would weigh in at just over 35lbs – just 15.9 kilos, and would lighten your pocket by a very reasonable £3,800GBP ($9,865NZD).
For those of you new to donwhilling this may seem like a lot of money, but when compared to other top end bikes like the Foes 2.1 DHS Mono at £2,700 ($7,000) for the frame only, you begin to realise the value of the 2Stage; which, in all honestly, far outperforms any other top end downhill bike out there anyway. Besides, which one would you rather get dirty with?!
Okay, so maybe I did’t quite do it justice; but see below how stunning this bike truly is when built with some thought. With a few post-build tweaks, the bike is so successful that we have every intention of using this build on our Zeds and Elites across the breadth of our team for next year’s season here at Glasgow Cycles, and team replicas will also be available from our street and online retail stores along with any other build you could possibly desire. Build it well, and you’ll find it simply impossible to get bored of this bike.
Don’t believe me? You’re missing out big time.
UPDATE: You can see the 2Stage Bikes in action here:
