The other day I claimed on instagram that this trail bike is the only one in the world
capable of a bar spin.
People got pissed off because that was pretty arrogant of me.
I’ve seen Sam Pilgrims’s ebike tailwhip, which was most certainly a world first.
I just assumed though that he must have disconnected a bunch of stuff to keep his cables from getting
tangled, but in reality Sam devised a pretty simple solution: extend all the cables, forego
a dropper post, and run the front brake through the stem like a dirt jumper.
Sure, it’s a little messy, but cable tidiness can take a back seat to ebike tailwhips any
day.
But I was excited about my new hardtail modifications.
This is certainly one of the least cluttered cockpits I’ve ever seen on a trail bike,
considering it still has a dropper lever, front and rear brakes, and an 11 speed drivetrain.
The bike also functions the same if you spin the bars all the way around.
That’s the key point I was trying to make.
If you’ve ever crashed your trail bike and had this happen, you know it’s not pretty.
The front brake hose can get damaged from hitting the frame, and gear cables can get
pulled and twisted up causing problems with your shifting.
So, it’s time to get back in the hack shack for a little project.
Today we’re going to do something kind of silly and expensive, for the sake of learning
and having fun.
We’ll start with this special stem cap and star nut that Eric Porter sent me.
It’s designed for BMX and dirt jump bikes, but will work on any fork including this MRP
Ribbon air, which I’ll be testing.
The purpose of this special piece is to run the front brake hose through the steerer tube,
keeping it free and clear of the frame when the bars spin around.
The little notches in the star nut, and the angled hole in the cap make everything look
and work like they belong there.
As for the rear brake hose I’m simply installing a longer one.
This should be good for two spins in either direction without causing any damage or impacting
performance.
I’ll just install new ends on these hoses, hook them up to the levers, and fill them
up with TRP mineral oil.
Easy, done.
Now for the shifting, which is gonna get interesting.
This is the archer components D1x, which allows you to add wireless electronic shifting to
any derailleur including my 11 speed box two.
The system has two components; this bluetooth transmitter which gets mounted on your bars,
and this control module which pulls on your shift cable using a servo.
I tried to bury it inside the frame, but it didn’t fit.
Archer recommends mounting it to the underside of the chainstay which is what I eventually
did.
Once the D1x is mounted and hooked up, you program it through the app.
It has you shift through your gears one by one, and make little adjustments to ensure
the derailleur is aligned with the cassette.
If any one gear is acting up, you can fine tune it and correct the issue.
Pretty amazing for such a small company to create an app that works so well.
GoPro should take note.
I asked Archer Components why people would want this system and they acknowledged that
it was for specific cases.
For instance some recumbent bikes have like 7 foot shift cables, and this is a lot easier.
Also people with thumb problems that would make it difficult to use a normal shifter,
like me three days ago.
There are also guys like No Front Brakes, who need to rely on one hand to do everything.
Just pushing some little buttons could actually make thing easier for him, and I’d be interested
to see if it does.
On my bike it shifts incredibly smooth, better than any lever I’ve ever seen, but time
will tell how reliable it is.
So far so good.
So now we’re left with the easiest problem to solve, the dropper post.
This wireless Magura seat post was also an Eric Porter contribution, and I’ve been
using it for months now.
Easiest dropper install ever.
The dropper itself charges with micro usb, and the thumb switch has a replaceable battery.
It’s surprisingly reliable, low profile, and perfect for this application.
Now that everything is hooked up I can give this bike a test ride.
This is a lift barspin, which you could learn in an afternoon on a BMX or dirt jump bike.
Just lift the front wheel, pinch the seat with your legs, and throw the bars.
Of course you have to catch them which is always easier with a cleaner cockpit.
So far my new creation is working as planned, but to get the most out of it, I’ll need
to put myself to the test.
I’m doing some test runs out of this concrete bowl, because I want to spin my bars while
in the air.
I haven’t done this in like 20 years, and the last time I attempted it I jammed my finger.
So today I’m being cautious and landing on the deck of this concrete bowl.
This is known as a fly out, and it’s a great way to learn tricks since it gives you a fair
bit of air time for barely any forward speed upon landing.
So maybe not a world first, but there’s definitely no bike out there like this one.
I would have tested this beast on the trails, but it’ll be another few days before the
dirt around here is ready to see tires.
Until then I’m just gonna stare at this bike in all its uncluttered wonder.
If you want to know more about the D1x or anything else in this video, check the description
for a summary.
Thanks for riding with me today, and I’ll see you next time.