(electronic music)
- [Steve] Alpes Maritime, South of France
suns out...amazing trails.
Ten time world downhill champion Nico Vouilloz.
We're doin' a pro bike check.
This is a prototype Overvolt team.
So the production bike has a four-seven-five chain stay.
This bike has a four-five-five chain stay, right?
- [Nico] Yeah, right. I moved the,
I adapt the Shimano Engine which is really compact,
so I was able to move it on the rear,
and have a different geometry,
different seat tube angle,
and make it even better in downhill stuff.
- So what's the
Shimano involvement then?
You're a test rider for Shimano?
- Yeah, I became a test rider for Shimano,
and so it's why I really like this Overvolt Carbon.
I take good part in the development of this one,
trying to make a really easy bike
handling bike, you know light, the steering,
like a normal bike, try to be close.
And so it's why with the Shimano engine
was one kilo lighter than the Bosch one.
It's even the bike is even lighter.
- Do you think weight is important on an E bike?
Is it, do they need to be lighter?
- Yeah, yeah.
For sure and the most important is weight distribution.
- Okay, should we go through your bike set up?
- Yeah.
Let's start at the front.
Now, you've got a 180 fork on this, not a 160, right?
- Yeah, it was more for the geometry
because I never use really the 180 mil,
but it's more for the position.
I really set my bike like a downhill bike
with big travel at the front,
some soft compound Michelin tire front and rear.
- So you've got an Enduro tire on the front
and a downhill at the back?
- Yeah.
Downhill in heavy casing, yeah.
E Bike...you know, it's heavy and I like to ride something safe,
and strong.
- [Steve] And because you've got a downhill tire
on the back, that lowers the bottom bracket as well, right?
- Yeah, exactly.
I'm around yeah, 340 - 342 mil, so quite low.
Yeah, okay.
- Carbon wheels I see you've got here, Nico.
- Yeah, Carbon.
33 mil inside.
Yeah, we just work on the Carbon wheel
and try to make something strong and stiff.
And it's effect less than the normal bike
because with the weight, it's okay even if it's,
if the wheels are quite stiff, you feel less,
and you need a precise bike for me
in E bike with the weight.
- [Steve] So this is a 32 spoke wheels
and these are Lapierre wheels, right?
These are prototype Lapierre wheels.
- Yeah, it's soon in production
with a 2 mil spoke.
- Brakes, brakes are super important on an E bike.
- Yeah, I didn't receive my new XT four piston yet,
but I have a big rotor in 203
and for sure, I will put on the four piston.
I'm not a heavy rider, so even with the XTR it works for me.
- But it's always 203, right?
- It's always 203 for me yeah.
- Di2 gears, you're on the Di2 gears on this bike.
- Yeah, it's quite fun to use this gear on your bike,
because it's managed by the main battery.
And yeah, you make a bit more motor and yeah, I like it,
with a big cassette as well.
46.
- So what?
Okay, what chainring do you have?
- 34 on the front.
46 on the rear.
I like to climb steep parts, so I need uh...
- I mean that's the whole point of the E bike right? All round riding.
- Into the details, you've got a
Truvativ Descendant bar there.
What is that?
760, 780?
- Yeah, 770.
- 770.
- (laughs) In between.
- Got a detail on there, on the grip here.
Is that a handle, wrist injury?
- Yeah, my broken grip.
Yeah, just because I have poor wrists and I try to
have a more in line position.
So I move and I try to make some thing grips it more.
Really, it's troubling with my wrists.
- You lever is quite far out I see.
And different on one to the other.
- Yeah, yeah.
A bit different.
The front always closer from the grip than the rear.
That's because of your.
- You don't want to use too much of it.
(laughs)
And the guards, new style guards.
- Yeah, always.
I use it for bushes, I like it.
It's like a bit more moto style.
And I like it.
- Let's move down to the
shock absorber.
So you no lockout or anything, quite a basic ...
what shock have you got on here?
- Yeah, it's a super deluxe from Rockshox,
with a piggy back.
I mainly using uphill the trail mode, so In between position.
Just less movement and
yeah, more traction, yeah.
- Okay, Nico, wrappin' up, you got a Garmin here.
You use that a lot?
- Yep.
- Cover a lot of miles?
- No, just to play with err, with Strava.
(laughs)
- Seat post and what sort have you got?
- Yeah, I mean, I am the same.
I'm a bit in between 125 and 150 and what I'm doing is 125
and I set a bit lower, my
height position because the same in the E bike,
you try to climb technical things and if you are a bit low
one or two centimeter it doesn't affect your position.
- Perfect, great.
Oh, come on, one thing, pedals.
Your in the clips?
- Yeah, why not?
- I don't know.
- I have the feeling it's even better in E bike because
bike is heavier,
so when you want to move over the rocks and just play
with your bike with clicks, it help.
And with the flat,
and even to pedal.
The flat pedal are big, so you can hit the rocks
and it's not, it's really,
I'm not used to use as well a flat.
But I think in E bike,
it doesn't help so much.
- Nico, thanks so much for going
through your pro bike check.
Yeah, so, for anymore EMBN content,
the channel, how to climb, big adventures, click down here.
- I'm going Steve.
- (laughs) Okay.
Yeah, don't forget to subscribe
and give us a thumbs up.
Signing out from south of France.