- So were here at the World Enduro Series.
I'm going to take a walk of the pits
to talk to some of the pro mechanics
to ask what it takes to look after a bike at an EWS race.
(Music plays)
I'm with Todd from SRAM Rockshox.
You look after everyone's bikes.
From amateurs to pros,
but also across all disciplines.
Cross country, downhill, and enduro.
Are the enduro riders particularly heavy on their bikes?
- [Todd] It's inherent in the sport for sure.
I mean these guys are out all day long riding,
really narly tracks.
I mean going as fast as possible.
These guys are all incredibly talented athletes.
So yeah, I mean these bikes are taking a beating.
Every aspect of the bike
is just getting totally hammered,
and pushed to the limits, so yeah.
We see a lot of just, yeah, tired parts
at the end of the day.
Tired riders, tired parts.
- It's almost like riding downhill tracks
on trail bikes really.
And its a bit of a reliability test
for riders and bikes.
Do you ever see rider's picking maybe,
something like an aloid rim over a carbon rim.
Just cause they need that reliability.
- Definitely, definitely, its, enduro
is a matter of, it comes down to atrition.
And so not only riders, but also the equipment.
So yeah, there looking at getting parts
that are more durable,
so for sure aluminium is normally, yeah,
for most riders the selected rim.
- I'm with Jordi at Fox,
and something I find really interesting
is my background is in downhill racing.
Where I would spend a lot of time trying
to find the perfect setup for that one course.
And with suspension you'd be playing around
with clickers or air pressure to get your perfect setup.
But with enduro, the course is big.
The terrain is vary, the riders themselves,
do they play with their suspension much
while their out there for the day?
- [Jordi] Yeah, they do.
And then by the end of the day
they've forgotten what they've done
and then you have to kinda decipher it.
I think, like, one of our jokes with Enduro
is even a s***** setup works somewhere,
on an enduro track.
So, its, I don't think there trained as much
as a downhiller is and your also,
your not repeating the same section over and over again.
So it is much harder to nail down a perfect setup.
- Do you ever have to like, educate a rider,
and say alright, this is what your high speed does.
This is what your low speed does.
So when their out there and their thinking
all this doesn't feel quite right,
so they know what they need to do themselves?
- You do.
Sometimes you have to educate them
over and over and over again, the same riders.
But, I guess it helps if they can adjust it a little bit.
But really, they do end up getting a bit lost.
And I mean, we've all done it.
You go to, you go on a ride and you click something.
And you think it feels better,
and then the next day it feels worse.
I think suspension is one of those things,
you have to be really careful
about what your doing and tracking what your doing.
Otherwise, you end up getting a bit lost.
- And as far as lockouts, things like that,
does your average enduro racer want a lockout
on their bike to take advantage
of that in the pedalling sections.
- Maybe not so much for the pedalling sections.
But for transfers for sure.
Just to keep the bike at an attitude
that's a little more comfortable to ride.
Since they're riding such long travel bikes.
At least keeps the seat up
in a more comfortable pedalling position.
- So of the hundreds of riders here
at Enduro World Series,
of course not everyone has a pro mechanic.
There are lots of people who have to look
after their bike's themselves.
Martyn, you've done the first days racing.
It's a big day out, is it seven hours,
something ridiculous, 50 kilometres.
You've now finished, what are you going to do to your bike?
- [Martyn] First of all were going to wash it.
We've sat here in this line now
for 30-40 minutes.
We've yet to eat so probably should have eaten.
Once we've done that give it a good check over.
It's had a pretty hard ride.
I'll probably wipe my seals.
A little low service, and then set the gears,
check the brakes, every bolt check.
- I guess you want to try and keep it to a minimum.
You don't want to be up all night fixing your bike,
but obviously you don't want
your bike failing tomorrow either.
- Well that's it, yeah like.
We were up pretty late last night.
We had, pretty lucky we got some bigger brakes intact.
So we had the three team bikes
to change the brakes on ourselves, and things.
But yeah, try and get an early night for rest.
- As far as today on the trail,
did you have to do anything to your bike?
- I had to ride shambles to be fair.
I crashed on the first stage.
Levers went down, my bar is twisted.
My bars even rolled, so I was trying to go align.
Punch my levers back flats.
- So there it goes.
A lot of work that goes into looking
after these bikes to make sure
they get around this whole EWS circuit.
And the riders do the best they can.
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