MTB_plus_2

C O N T E N T S
Shimano XTR Di2
18 28 52 86
Sworks Specialized
Enduro 29
2015 Giant Reign
Advance 27.5 Team
SONY Action 4K CAM
REVIEW
MOUNTAIN BIKERS
PROFILE
Aaron Gwin, Curtis
Keene,Steve Smith and
more......
Singapore Mountain Bike
CARNIVAL 2015
68
TAMPINES TRAIL
BUKIT TIMAH TRAIL
36
Use of forest trail:
It’s bikers against
nature lovers
44
Hitting Singapore’s sparse but
Precious Mountain Bike Trails
76
Are You On The Right Trail ?
KENT RIDGE TRAIL
PULAU UBIN
KETAM TRAIL
MANDAI
TRACK 15 TRAIL
60 62 64 67
FEATURE
COMMUNITY
Check out
MOUNTAIN BIKE HASH
@ KUALA LUMPUR !
http://klmbh.org

about
us

Singapore’s best selling mountain biking
magazine
MTBplus celebrates everything that is great about
mountain biking and enables riders of all ages and
abilities to have a better time on their bike. Packed with
the most exciting mountain bike action on the planet;
the very latest kit tests from the most respected testing
team in the industry; useful skills and maintenance tips
and all the knowledge on the best places to go and ride,
MTBplus delivers the ultimate off-road riding hit.
MTBplus Singapore has been delivering the highest
quality mountain bike content to its readers for over 25
years. We feature the best places to ride in the UK and the
most spectacular locations in the world, with the help
of some of the biggest names in mountain biking. Our
expert tuition gives riders the skills to take straight to
the trails and the knowledge to fix and fiddle with their
bikes confidently. We pick out the most important new
tech developments, testing the most relevant gear so
that our readers can spend their money more wisely. But
above all MTBplus is about the fun, thrills and freedom
that you get from riding a mountain bike!
Faisal Ali
Editor-in-Chief, MTBplus Singapore
+65 6123 5678 (ext: 666)
faisal.ali@mtbplus.sg
Rosnita Ismail
Art Editor, Rosnita Ismail
+65 6123 5678 (ext: 777)
rosnita.ismail@mtbplus.sg
Mohammad Syukri
Advertising Director
+65 6123 5678 (ext: 888)
mohammad.syukri@mtbplus.sg
Noraini Ismail
Account Sales Manager
+65 6123 5678 (ext: 555)
noraini.ismail@mtbplus.sg
Mohammad Ismail
Advertisement Manager
+65 6123 5678 (ext: 444)
mohammad.ismail@mtbplus.sg
Customers interested in syndicating Immediate content should visit
our syndication site. Please contact one of the sales team for a log-in so
that you can browse and search our content.
Licensing customers with an existing log-in can access the Global
Content Site.
the ultimate mountain bike magazine

Profile
Aaron Gwin
Hi, my name is Aaron Gwin. My
discipline is MTB downhill. My
friends call me Gwinny. I was born
on 24 December 1987 in California,
USA. My special talent is whips
and jumps. My favourite food is
gluten-free spicy chicken pizza. My
favourite music is country, rock,
rap, whatever – I like it all.
“I remember every rock and turn of every course.”
Bio
Aaron Gwin started his cycling career off early, racing BMX from the age of four and
competing in the nationals by the time he was eight. Despite moving on to motocross,
he later quit after being plagued by constant injuries. The young American is now
conquering the mountain bike world by competing in the UCI Mountain Bike World
Cup, specialising in downhill.
Much of Aaron’s style and skill come from his motocross days, and his whips and
jumping technique are clear in videos. He also gained a lot of flow from racing BMX
for so many years - something that shows in his Dual Slalom and Mountain Cross
results.
In 2011, Gwin not only took the overall UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, he also set the
record for the most wins in a single season (five). In 2012, he wrapped up the season
early, taking an overall win at the penultimate round, with a month to go until the final
race of the series. After a disappointing UCI season in 2013, Gwin went into the 2014
season seeking redemption from spectators and sponsors alike and duly found it amidst
the dust and heat. Riding an adjusted Specialized Enduro, he promptly went and won
the first race in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
After a heated season, it all came down to the final in Leogang, Austria. Setting off at
full speed, the perilous downhill track looked ripe for the taking, but when Gwin’s tyre
blew out, the fans thought it was all over… They were wrong. ‘On fire without a tyre,’
the headlines later proclaimed. Gwin’s tyre proceeded to roll off the wheel completely
but the American smashed down the rest of the track at full speed. Despite losing out
on the title, Gwin earned heap of respect and proved that, whatever the obstacles in his
way, there’s just no stopping him.
16

Brook Macdonald
Hi, my name is Brook Macdonald.
My discipline is MTB downhill. I
was born on 15 November 1991
in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. My
philosophy of life is just enjoy
life as much as you can because it
only happens once. My favourite
food is a roast meal – can’t beat
that. My favourite music is a bit of
everything... R&B, hip hop, house.
“1 was always the one who wanted to win bad!”
Bio
At the 2009 Junior World Championships in Canberra, New Zealand’s Brook
Macdonald stormed the hill to take the gold medal and make his first dent in the world
of international mountain bike racing.
Racing since 2006, Brook is definitely on the up and up in the downhill scene and
starting to make it big. In 2011, he scored two third place finishes on the UCI World
Cup circuit in both Canada and on the famed Fort William track in Scotland. He also
took the title at the iXS European Downhill Cup round in Todtnau. And it just keeps on
getting better and better.
Riding for Trek World Racing Team, Brook’s 2013 started as he meant to go on; the
young Kiwi was again standing on the podium with a silver at the UCI Mountain
Bike World Cup in the Downhill category at Fort William, UK. But after a season of
promise, Brook had to retire early due to a shoulder injury and had to undergo surgery.
Having made a good recovery, Brook’s sights are now set on bagging the overall UCI
Mountain Bike World Cup, but he’s being careful not to get ahead of himself. “I’m
definitely going to take it one race at a time because of my injury but I’m feeling pretty
confident going into this season,” says Brook. “One of my goals is to win overall but
I’ll just take it as it comes…”
17

Review
Shimano
XTR
Di2
“I plugged it in
to the Shimano e-Tube
software and all I had to
do was to swap the shift
sequence and that was
all it took. I did the same
to my other shifter and
it was all good again. I
no longer had to think
while shifting, and soon,
it felt natural once more
and I was able to attack
the climbs with the right
gear. No more secondguessing
and it was just
shift and go”.
It has been an awesome privilege to
have been able to install and test the
Shimano XTR Di2 system on my
bike for the past 3 months, and before
I knew it, I’ve covered about 1400km
worth of calf-numbing mileage on the
groupset. The past few weeks has been
a bittersweet period where I looked back
and made notes about my experience with
the Di2 system, and its now time for an
in-depth review.
Our approach for this long-term
review was simple: Ride the crap out of
the groupset, and see if we can make it
explode. Kids, we don’t recommend that
you try this at home or ride the same way
because our belief is that if you take care
of your bike, your bike will take care of
you. Having that much time on our hands,
we’ve also managed to ride in all sorts of
18
weather. From blistering hot sunny days, to
horrid Singaporean-style thunderstorms,
we managed to rode it all. We also left the
bike in it’s awesome après-ride condition
(see photos below) for about a month
to see if we could convince a colony of
ants to take up residence, but our genius
side-experiment was thwarted when Hari
Raya Aidilfitri came along and my wife
threatened to throw the bike away if I
didn’t clean it up.
First and foremost, the groupset
is not cheap. It was never meant to be
cheap because it was built for cyclists
who has zero tolerance for compromised
parts and expects top-shelf performance.
A quick check online will give you an
idea on how much the different parts will
cost and apart from the brakes, wheels
and cranks, we urge you to talk to an
experienced and capable mechanic who’s
willing to help you through the process of
purchase and installation. Trust us, it will
save you a ton of headache and anxiety.
But for those of you who understand
bikes and are great with tools and moving
parts, it’ll be a piece of cake. Here in
SingaporeMTB.com we build and service
bikes on our own, (and occasionally run
to our favourite mechanics when we
screw things up) and we found out that
the Shimano XTR Di2 is a different breed
altogether, and we’ve learned alot ab out
the system over the past 3 months.
Ease of use and performance
Is it easy to use? That was
the first few questions that we asked
ourselves during our rides. Like most

high-end consumer products today,
usability and ease of use is now more
prevalent and expected. Users of all sorts
of products are bench-marking their needs
and expectations even higher than ever
before. They no longer expect it to just
look pretty and work, they expect it to
work beautifully.
The Shimano XTR Di2 is one of
those products. It’s flawless, so simple
to use and there’s definitely alot that
goes on behind the metallic grey covers
that make it such a joy to shift, brake
and pedal. And especially the electronic
shifting performance, and that’s really
the core here, is in a class of its own. The
XTR Di2 groupset shares some of its
components with it’s mechanical sibling,
the M9000 series, namely the brakeset,
cranks, pedals, 11spd cassette and 11spd
chain. The only electronic parts of the Di2
system are the following;
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
SW-M9050 Firebolt shifters
SC-M9050 Display Unit
SM-BTC1 Battery Case / Mount
SM-BTR2 Battery
FD-M9050 Di2 Front Derailleur
M9050 Di2 Rear Derailleur
So lets talk about the shifting
performance. Out of the box, the SW-
M9050 Firebolt shifters are pre-configured
with a certain shift setting. If you look at
the photo below, the smaller paddle shifts
into a higher gear while the larger pedal
shifts into a lower gear. It kinda felt weird
to me since my muscle memory on my
shifting fingers are actually the other way
round. There were numerous times when
I multi shifted on the smaller paddle on
the M9050 shifter to shift to the 40T gear
only to end up on the 27T or 24T gear. It
was frustrating for a bit and it took a while
to get used to but it still didn’t feel quite
right. This was a personal preference but
a couple of buddies who had tried my bike
said the same thing, and had confirmed
my hypothesis. Fortunately, the Firebolt
shifters are programmable.
I plugged it in to the Shimano
e-Tube software and all I had to do was
to swap the shift sequence and that was all
it took. I did the same to my other shifter
and it was all good again. I no longer had
to think while shifting, and soon, it felt
natural once more and I was able to attack
the climbs with the right gear. No more
second-guessing and it was just shift and
go.
The default shift settings might
be perfect for others, and it was great that
anyone can swap the settings to meet any
riders’ preference. You can even tweak
the shifter paddles’ reach by loosening the
allen bolt and moving the paddle inwards
or outwards as shown in the photo below.
And while we’re on the subject
of shifting, the Firebolts shifters are
insanely good. All of my shifts felt light
and precise and so far, there wasn’t any
case of miss-shifts or ghost shifting (it
can happen if you have a slightly bent
hanger) and the chainlines are still perfect
to this day. All that was needed to do was
to set it up right, and shifting becomes a
dream. It’s buttery smooth, even during
multi shifts and mid-climb shifts, both
front and rear. And because it was so
smooth, I could easily shift more often to
maintain my comfort-zone cadence, on
lazy days and on hard-charging sessions.
And because you don’t have to pull any
cables to shift, it felt so light and easy.
Even my 8 year old daughter could shift
the paddles with her tiny little fingers. It
got us thinking that having an electronic
shifter made sense for riders with finger
disabilities or for riders with old injuries
on their shifting thumbs, which can truly
help them shift effortlessly.
I’ve been riding 1×10 and 1×11
gears for quite a while now and I had
totally forgotten how useful it was to have
a double ring up front. I’ve been happy
with 1×11 (30T front and 11-42T cassette)
and I felt that the gear range was sufficient
for my fitness and for most trails here in
Singapore. But, for the past 3 months, I
realised that I’ve been using ALL of the
gear range on the Di2 without realising it
and I’ve actually enjoyed having a bailout
front ring. There were numerous
times when my legs were at the verge
of decoupling, and I bailed out into the
granny ring mid-climb and I was able to
make the climbs with a gear or two to
spare.
19

Review
Yeah! Achievement unlocked. And having
a bigger front ring allows me to commute
slightly faster to the trailhead too, instead
of spinning on a 30t.
I think I’ll stick to double rings for now
and you’ll be glad to know that the FC-
M9020-2 2X Trail Crankset is totally
compatible for a single ring setup, should
the fitness allows for it in the future. So
that’s good news for ultra fit riders who
only needs one ring to rule them all.
Except for Sauron, the dude doesn’t even
ride a bike.
As for the rest of the groupset, I’ve never
been needed to make any adjustments
on the wheels or cranks, and the XTR
brakes are rock stars in their own right.
Modulation was good, biting power
was immense, and there hasn’t been
any need for a bleed since day 1. The
Ice-Tech finned brake pads and Freeza
rotors worked perfectly in all the riding
conditions that we’ve managed to try, and
our only gripe is that the Freeza rotors were
only available in centre-lock, which is a
bummer since we can’t use it on our 6-bolt
wheels. However, we don’t think you can
feel any difference in braking power even
though you’re using the Shimano RT86 or
20
RT76 rotors or any other good rotors from
3rd party brands. The only difference is
the fast cooling action from the fins on the
Freeza rotors.
The extra aluminum area on the Freeza
was designed for cooling down the rotors
during hard braking or long descends. We
didn’t manage to see if this truly worked
but after barbecuing a couple of rotors
on our overseas trips, we’re quite sure
that Shimano’s claim of 50° C reduction
in heat gives a for greater durability and
longer pad life will help riders in those
long brake dragging situations.
Durability
Battery Life
The fully-sealed, 7.4-volt lithium-ion
rechargeable battery unit is the same
battery that’s used for both road and
mountain Di2 systems. I’ve read very
good reports about battery life on road
bike applications prior to my test ride
and it’s been reported that the battery
can last for up to 2000km on one charge.
However, mountain biking requires alot
more shifting than road riding so there’s
definitely a trade-off. So how has it been?
The battery life is awesome. Throughout
the 3 months, I’ve only needed to charge
the system ONCE. And that wasn’t even
needed cos I still had one bar left. Being
the typical OCD that i am, I decided to
charge it when I saw that it had one bar
left, which I regretted because I had
planned to use all of it’s juice up, and see
if I can make it home by charging through
a USB powerbank. In theory, I should be
able to do that and I definitely will try.
So what’s the verdict? In the beginning,
I was abit worried about having to charge
the damn bike before every ride, but I’ve
realised I was just an idiot.
While the battery does not have an IP
rating, it has managed to stay alive
despite riding it through some heavy
thunderstorms. We didn’t manage to take
it out for a swim though, and we don’t
recommend that you do either. However,
alot of pro riders have put these systems
through the worst of conditions so I’m
confident they’ve designed it for the
worst scenarios in mind.
Overall durability
As for the rest of the components, overall
durability has been excellent. I’ve had
some minor crashes a couple of times, and
all of the parts are still in one piece. So far,
nothing has came loose on it’s own and
all of the moving parts are still working
like they’re supposed to. Mud, sand and
trail debris haven’t been much of an
issue at all. The whole build seems really
robust and we’re confident that all the
electronics will last for a really long time.
Cosmetic damage was to be expected and
a few scuffs here and there are just your
typical battle scars. The chain and carbon/
ti cassette are still working like new and
there wasn’t any need for any major
maintenance work other than the usual
clean up and chain lube. And oh yeah, the
XTR chainrings are strong. Like really
strong. I’ve accidentally bashed them into
rocks, roots and they remain undamaged
to this day. There are some minor visible
wear on the teeth but that’s only expected
with metal grinding on metal.
Be careful with the display unit’s screen

though, and never wipe the screen with
a gloved muddy finger. An innocent
swipe of the screen during a ride with
my muddy gloves resulted in some
really nasty scratches. If you’re the sort
of rider who looks after his parts for
maximum mileage and enjoyment, keep
that in mind. It’ll be awesome if Shimano
releases new versions of the display unit
made with Gorilla Glass.
The XTR M9020 27.5″ wheels are
amazing to say the least. The rims are
actually constructed from alloy and are
laminated in carbon with a cool looking
grey on black carbon layup finish.
They’ve been jumped over roots, skidded
into tight turns, and bashed into rock
gardens and they remain true. The wheels
were bolted on straight out of the box,
and there wasn’t a single need for me to
touch the spokes. The hubs use Shimano’s
classic cup and cone bearings, which are
well sealed and spins ultra smooth when
I’m out on the trails. The freehub body
used to be really quiet, but it’s a little bit
louder now with all that mileage. Even
though there’s only 28 spokes per wheel,
they have held up well under a rider that’s
above the national average in terms of
weight and size. I know, I’m getting fat.
Stop rubbing it in.
Flex was non-existent (and even if there
was, I couldn’t really feel it) with its
27.9mm wide rim with an internal width
of 26.4mm, and mounting up tubeless
tyres was amazingly easy with my floor
pump. The wheels are tubeless ready out
of the box and there’s no need for any
tubeless conversion kits. All you need a
little bit of sealant after you’ve mounted
the tyres, and you’re good to go. I started
off with a pair of Maxxis Minion DHFs
and now I’m on Shwalbe’s Muddy Mary
and Hans Dampf, and swapping out the 2
brands of tyres was a non-issue. While not
as flashy as some other carbon wheels, the
XTR trail wheels are just as good, or even
better in their own right. Serviceability is a
huge plus with the XTR wheels, and with
the right care and maintenance, Shimano
hubs can roll for the longest time.
Our Final Take
Did we make it explode? Not even close.
So is it for everyone? Nope, Tidak, 没 有 ,
எந்த. We believe the XTR Di2 groupset
was designed and built for cyclists all
over the world who has zero tolerance
for compromised parts and expects topshelf
performance and absolutely nothing
else. If you’re a serious rider, a committed
racer, a bike geek or this guy, you’ll
be able to appreciate and immensely
enjoy the tangible benefits of electronic
shifting. However, this doesn’t mean that
the rest of us can’t use it. Of course we
can, and there’s no stopping anyone from
using whatever components they choose
to. But if you’re looking for the level of
performance and durability that Shimano
is famous for but you’re not willing to
splurge, you’ll be glad to know that trickle
down technology has already made it’s
way into the new 11spd XT groupset, and
we’ve been hearing good things about
them.
And so, it’s been an amazing 3 months
and we’ve learned alot about how the
XTR Di2 can change the multi faceted
dynamics of mountain biking. In a
nutshell, it’s smooth, brilliant, precise
engineering and full on performance is
what makes us flash teethy white grins
like a crazy psychopath in the middle of
Bukit Timah. It’s insanely impressive how
Shimano has managed to cram all that
performance and digital technology into
these tiny works of art, and at the same
time allowing multiple levels of custom
setup. The XTR Di2 is a huge refinement
of an already amazing mechanical
groupset, and it has proven to be so much
better than we had expected. And as long
as nobody is turning bikes into T-800
Cyberdyne Systems Model 101’s, the
future of electronics in mountain biking is
definitely looking awesome.
21

Maufacturers spec bikes one of two
ways: either group-by-group or part-bypart.
Group-by-group is easy; almost a no
-brainer: Buy a full package in one swell
food, then create an identity in the paint
booth. It’s convenient, so parts makers
and high-volume builders love it.
We hate it.
Spec’ing part-by-part, on the other
hand, is a hassle. Lead times are longer,
supply is iffy, it costs more, and if you
blow it and spec incompatible combos,
you look foolish. Parts makers and high
volume builders hate it. Not us.
Since no one group has the best of
everything, spec’ing part-by-part makes
a lot of sense. Up to now, this was only
done on custom bikes or cost-no-object
models.
But now we’ve brought you the
benefits of spec’ing part-by-part in our
very affordable MB-4.
The MB-4’s low Q-Factor Sugino
crank keeps the pedals 8-14mm closer
together than group-issue cranks, for
smoother spinning and more clearance in
narrow singletracks.
The MB-4’s custom SunTour front
derailleur shifts faster and fits more
cranks than the super-wide group-issue
models.
And why use group-issue brake
levers, when Dia-Compe’s Tech 5’s weigh
less, feel better, and have plenty of power
and sensitivity?
Don’t put up with the weak links in
a full group just to get a couple of strong
ones. And don’t just lust over bikes you
can’t afford.
Get the almost custom Bridgestone
MB-4: Proof that a great mountain bike
doesn’t have to cost a lot.
It just has to be spec’d the hard way.
The Almost
Custom MB-4

Profile
Curtis Keene
Hi, my name is Curtis Keene. My
discipline is Enduro. My friends call
me things that are not appropriate
for this site haha. Most of the
time Keene or CK. I was born on
21 November 1979 in Hayward,
California, USA. My special talent is
I grew up doing electrical work,
and oddly, I was pretty good at it.
My philosophy of life is treat others
the way you want to be treated.
The most important person in my life
is family in general. Wouldn’t be
where I am today without them. My
favourite food is Mexican, of course.
My favourite music is I love all music,
but metal has a special place in my
heart.
“Enduro is fresh; it’s kind of like a new start”.
Bio
Although Curtis Keene was a successful downhill mountain bike racer for over a
decade, with many contest podiums from Sea Otter to Crankworx to USA Cycling
Mountain Bike Nationals, he found his true calling in the up-and-coming sport of
Enduro mountain biking.
Enduro, which is relatively new in North America but has been popular in Europe for
years, involves daylong or multi-day mountain bike races where riders pedal uphill
but are only timed on the multiple descents. In his first year of racing Enduro, in 2012,
Curtis won the overall title on the North American Enduro Series.
The California native goes by “American Dream” in the mountain bike world, due
to his Hollywood good looks and the fact that he’s consistently been one of the top
Americans in a sport dominated by Europeans. “Nicknames choose you, you don’t
choose them,” Curtis says. “Wherever I go, I can’t escape that nickname.”
26

Dan Atherton
Hi, my name is Dan Atherton. My
discipline is mountain bike downhill
and enduro. I was born on 25 January
1982 in Wells, UK. My special talent is
digging awesome tracks at home.
My philosophy of life is rise and rise
again. My favourite music is The
Strokes, Bat for Lashes, Eagles,
Hawkwind and maybe some rap.
Bio
“The world’s greatest bike handler”.
The instigator of the Atherton family’s involvement with bikes, Dan has a lot to answer
for. Starting out racing at fourteen on a BMX in the cider swilling setting of Somerset
it was only a couple of years before his enjoyment expanded to mountain bikes, taking
his younger brother and sister along for the ride.
This interest to try new things has led to Dan investigating every avenue of riding
that he can, and his extreme talent has led to him being counted at the top of them all.
Crowned Downhill National Champion in 2004 and taking a second place World Cup
finish a year later put him amongst the best on the downhill circuit early in his career.
In 2012, after recovering from a serious neck injury, he made the switch to to focus on
the emerging discipline of Enduro. Dan was quick to earn a series of world class results,
including victory at 2012 Superenduro, 2012 Maxi Avalanche and podiums in the first
rounds of 2013 Enduro World Series and continues to court success. These days, there’s
still no stopping the man his siblings call ‘The Machine’.
The variety of terrains and obstacles that Dan rides could be the reason behind his
unique and fabulous style that makes him stand out in any situation, whether it be
jumping what others won’t on a race track or pulling off moves that dedicated trick
ferrets would be proud of.
27

Review
Enduro 29
To ride all mountain, your bike has to be able to ride
the entire mountain. This means being ready for
whatever the trail throws at you, whether it’s heading
up or down, and there’s no better bike for doing
this with speed than the S-Works Enduro FSR 29. To keep the
weight down, the frame is constructed from our top-tier FACT
IS-X 11m carbon fibre. This material comes with the added
benefit of being incredibly stiff, which is balanced out by our
29 Geometry’s roomy top tube, short chain stays, slack head
tube, and longer wheelbase. To ensure top-level performance on
the descents, this geo is mated with 160mm of plush travel up
front and 155mm at rear. And handling suspension duties out
back is the revolutionary Öhlins single tube rear shock. For the
build, the Enduro spares no expense at hitting the pinnacle of
performance, with a full SRAM XX1 groupset, powerful Guide
RS Carbon brakes, hand-built carbon Roval wheels, and our allnew
Command Post IRcc with up to 10 middle positions. Make
the mountain bend to you.
• FACT IS-X 11m carbon fibre chassis w/ M5 alloy rear end
stands as the pinnacle of lightweight, efficient, and tough
trail performance. It’s been built off our 29 Geometry in
order to provide an aggressive, well-rounded ride. And
with internal Command Post IR routing and full cartridge
bearing pivots, you get a bike that’s clean, dependable, and
ready for anything that trail has to offer.
• The custom Öhlins single tube air shock at the rear features
high- and low-speed compression, as well as low-speed
rebound. You’ll also find an extra-volume reservoir that
allows for more oil, which results in more control and an
ultra-plush ride quality.
• RockShox Pike RCT3 29 fork features a 15mm Maxle
Ultimate thru-axle and 160mm of plush travel to take on
big hits and bumpy terrain with supreme confidence and
efficiency.
• Roval Traverse SL 29 carbon wheels feature an ultra-wide
design that allows for greater tire volume to increase stability
and control, without sacrificing anything to climbing
performance.
• Command Post IRcc seatpost features up to 125mm of
micro-adjust height adjustability for a more customizable
position, ultimately resulting in more control and increased
handling on both climbs and descents.
28

Tech
specs
FRONT BRAKE
SRAM Guide RS Carbon, metallic pads, 200m Centerline rotor.
REAR BRAKE
SRAM Guide RS Carbon, metallic pads, 180mm Centerline rotor.
BRAKE LEVERS
SRAM Guide RS Carbon, carbon lever, reach adjust, cartridge bearing
lever pivot
REAR DERAILLEUR
SRAM XX1, 11-speed
SHIFT LEVERS
SRAM XX1, 11-speed, trigger
CHAIN
SRAM PC-XX1, 11-speed, w/ PowerLink
CRANKSET
S-Works, FACT carbon, 30T X-Sync ring, 104mm BCD spider
BOTTOM BRACKET
SRAM, PF30, OS press-in bearings, sealed cartridge
PEDALS
Nylon, CEN std., w/ toe clips
FRAME
FACT IS-X 11m carbon, 29 geometry, FACT IS
construction, FACT carbon front triangle, M5 alloy rear
triangle, tapered head tube, PF30 BB, internal Command
Post IR routing, 142mm dropouts, full cartridge bearing
pivots, replaceable derailleur hanger, 155mm travel.
REAR SHOCK
Öhlins, single tube, 3rd Chamber air spring technology,
compression adjust, rebound adjust, 215.9x57.2mm
FORK
RockShox Pike RCT3 29, Solo Air spring, 160mm travel,
2-stage compression adjust, rebound adjust, tapered
steerer, 46mm offset, 15mm Maxle Ultimate thru-axle.
HEADSET
Hella Flush, 1-1/8” and 1-1/2” threadless, Campy style
upper w/ 1-1/2” lower, cartridge bearings.
HANDLEBARS
Specialized FACT carbon, 8-degree backsweep, 6-degree
upsweep, 780mm, 31.8mm.
GRIPS
Specialized Sip Grip, light lock-on, half-waffle, S/M:
regular thickness, L/XL: XL thickness.
RIMS
Roval Traverse SL 29, carbon, disc, 30mm inner width, 24/28h
FRONT HUB
Roval Traverse SL, 15mm thru-axle, 24h
REAR HUB
Roval Traverse SL 142+, DT Swiss Star Ratchet, 54t
engagement, SRAM XX1 XD driver body, 28h
SPOKES
DT Swiss Revolution
FRONT TIRE
Specialized Butcher Control, 60TPI, 2Bliss Ready, folding bead, 29x2.3”
REAR TIRE
Specialized Slaughter Control, 60TPI, 2Bliss Ready, folding bead,
29x2.3”
SADDLE
Body Geometry Henge Expert, hollow Ti rails, 143mm
*Specifiations subject to change without notice.
29

Profile
Filip Polc
Hi, my name is Filip Polc. My
discipline is downhill mountain
biking. My friends call me Polcster.
I was born on 10 April 1982 in
Bratislava, Slovak Republic. My
special talent is urban racing. My
philosophy of life is keep pushing
your limits. The most important
person in my life is my girlfriend.
My favourite food is thai.
Bio
“I am always trying my best... I am always
trying to push my limits higher.”
Mention mountain biking in Slovakia and chances are that you’ll hear the name ‘Filip
Polc’. Filip has achieved legendary status in his sport, having started competing on
bikes at just four years old in the cyclotrial discipline.
After just two years, the young rider moved into BMX and, by 1990, Filip took part
in the European Championship in Switzerland, where he reached the semi-finals. In
the same year, he took part in the World Championships in France, making it through
to the quarter finals. In 1991, Filip earned acclaim in his discipline when he became
champion of Czechoslovakia and Slovakia.
By 1994 Filip had begun to divide his efforts between BMX and Cross-Country MTB,
before making the switch to full-time mountain biking in 1996. Filip has also developed
a taste for extreme urban downhill riding, competing in the likes of Red Bull Valparaíso
Cerro Abajo, the Bratislav City Downhill, and taking the win at Descida das Escadas
de Santos in Brazil in 2013.
He has earned a name for himself amongst the downhill elite and, two decades later,
incredibly he is still competing shoulder-to-shoulder alongside the cream of the crop at
world championship level.
34

Gee Atherton
Hi, my name is Gee Atherton. My
discipline is MTB downhill. My friends
call me Geeman. I was born on 26
February 1985 in Salisbury, UK. My
special talent is 4X. My philosophy of life
is to never be satisfied, and always
aim higher. My favourite music is
anything with big beats.
Bio
“If you’re in control, you aren’t going fast
enough…”
Known across the world of mountain biking as Gee, the middle Atherton sibling has
been a sensation in the sport since the age of 15.
In 2004, at the age of 19, Gee won his first Downhill World Cup on the technically
challenging track in the Austrian resort of Schladming. A win at this level may have
seemed inevitable after his results in the junior categories, including two World
Championship medals, but to gain it at such a young age was outstanding. That year
he also won the National Championships at his first attempt and has gone on to top
podiums the world over, finishing in the top five of the World Cup series every year
since, most notably taking gold at the 2008 World Championship alongside sister
Rachel, and securing the 2010 Mountain Bike World Cup crown.
With second at the inaugural Red Bull Rampage, the toughest of events to be judged on
creativity rather than speed, he demonstrated his all-round talent.
Gee placed second at the end of the 2013 World Cup Series, after a tough battle with the
Canadian Stevie Smith. That was on top of his victory at Crankworx Polygon Air DH in
Les 2 Alpes, and of his title as British downhill national champion 2013.
Gee headed into 2014 even more focused and determined. Taking the win at the World
Championship win at Hafjell was a highlight in the British rider’s season. He tore into
the World Cup competition in Cairns to take the win, but couldn’t find the pace for the
podium in a tough field, ultimately finishing his 2014 World Cup season 5th overall.
For 2015 he’s been training hard and fast and is in better shape then ever before, ready
to dial it in for another World Champion title.
35

Community
Singapore Mountain Bike
Carnival 2015The Nationals
Date
6th Sept 2015,
Sunday (6AM – 5PM)
Venue
Lorong Asrama, Singapore
Getting there
The venue is off Mandai
Road in northern Singapore
Participant Parking
Participant may park at
‘Track 15′, off Mandai Zoo
Road
Event Details
The 9th edition of the Singapore Mountain Bike Carnival will
co-host the OCBC Singapore National Mountain Bike
Championship 2015. Bringing the glory of the the Nationals
to Lor Asrama, Singapore. the current hosting venue for the
Carnival.
Unlike our usual Carnival, we will be introducing variations to
our race category for 2015. On top of a 6-HOURS mountain
biking marathon event, the cross country olympic format (XCO)
and National Downhills events is added into the mix of event
options.
After years of absent, we will be reintroducing the Youth 1
lapper race into the Carnival, while bikes and gears demo
carnival will continue to offer spectators and supporting riders
the chance to sample the newest offering from the industry.
Race Course
Cross Country Olympic Format (XCO) and Marathon Course
21st July 2015 – we are actively sourcing for more singletrack
options for the route and further revision expected for a better
experience.
26th July 2015 – 3 additional singletrack zone in addition to our
popular Hill265 and Foxhole run, that’s a good 50% of the race
course.
Downhill Championship Course
The course profile for the Downhill Championship were held a
day before the event, it will be located at the Fox Hole Run at an
approximate course length of 400metres.
36

Event Schedule
06:30 Race Secretariat Opens
(limited Kit Collections slots)
08:00 Cross Country Championship (XCO)
Start of Race (all categories in wave start)
08:00 Mens Open
08:01 Mens Masters
08:02 Juniors / Mens Super Masters
08:03 Womens Open / Youth / Fatbikes
08:05 6-hours Marathon – Start of Race
(all categories)
09:00 Outdoor Demo (Pit area and surrounding)
11:00 Downhill Championship Free Practice
13:00 Downhill Championship Timed Run
14:05 6-hours Marathon
Last Rider off the Start/Finish Point
14:30 Downhill Championship Final Run
15:45 Prize Presentation
Event Schedule
Category
Laps
Men’s Open/Elite (19yrs and above) 4
Womens Open/Elite (17yrs and above) 3
Men’s Masters (35-44yrs) 3
Men’s Super Masters (45yrs and above) 3
Men’s Juniors (17-18yrs) 3
Youth (16yrs and below) 1
Fat Bikes (3in width tires and above) 2
Cyclocross Open 2
• Any category with less than 5 participants may be combined
with other categories at the organiser’s discretion.
• Participant age is determined by the following : current
year minus birth year, eg 2015-2001 = 14 years.
• Lap count for Cross country subjected to changes.
• Championship categories will crown the 1st Singaporean
Citizen across the line as National Champion for 2015.
Non Singaporean Citizen are still allowed to race for race
categories podium.
• Fat Bikes and Cyclocross Open will not be part of
the Championship category.
• Riders may be asked to stop racing (counted as Lap down)
so not to affect the race schedule ahead.
37

Profile
Loïc Bruni
Hi, my name is Loïc Bruni. My discipline
is Mountain Bike Downhill. My
friends call me Brownie. I was born on
13 May 1994 in Cagnes-sur-Mer
(near Nice), France. My philosophy of
life is to have fun and smile always.
The most important person in my life is
my dad. My favourite food is a bit of
everything.
Bio
“I would love to go riding every day.”
Everything seems predisposed for Loïc Bruni to become a big name in downhill
mountain biking. His father, Jean-Pierre, was one of the European pioneers in the
discipline, collecting national and international titles throughout his career.
Loïc watched and learned, succumbing to the passion of mountain biking from an early
age. In the wake of fellow French Riviera “neighbours” Nicolas Vouilloz and Fabien
Barel, the young boy from the Côte d’Azur soon showed off his downhill talents in
junior races on the French circuit as well as the French National Series.
Picked up to ride for Team Lapierre Gravity Republic as a junior in 2011, Loïc, or
“Brownie” as he has been nicknamed, went on to become junior champion in France.
He announced his arrival on the world scene in 2012, when, still a junior, he claimed
his first podium in the Elite World Cup at Windham in the United States and also took
the junior World Championship.
In 2013, his first year as an elite athlete, he once again stepped up on the podium in Val
di Sole (Italy), before scoring a second place in the World Cup in Leogang (Austria),
finishing fourth overall for the World Cup that season.
Loïc is a modern athlete who leaves nothing to chance when preparing for a competition.
His professionalism at his age is impressive and the natural talent he possesses promises
a bright future at the highest level of downhill mountain biking.
42

Nick Beer
Hi, my name is Nick Beer. My discipline
is downhill mountain biking. I
was born on 17 September 1981
in Switzerland. My special talent is
riding as if it’s all or nothing. My
philosophy of life is I’m an outright
racer. The most important person in my
life is my girlfriend. My favourite food
is my grandmother’s potato salad.
My favourite music is ... I like almost any
kind of music.
“I’ve never stopped working toward being one
of the top riders in the world.”
Bio
An engineering apprentice until he turned pro as a mountain bike downhiller in 2007 at
the age of 19, Nick Beer certainly made the right move in engineering his career, taking
the iXS European Downhill Mountain Bike title in 2009.
Just three years after his first downhill race he was named Swiss Junior Champion and
made his World Cup debut. Swiss national champion multiple times, Nick made his
mark in the 2010 iXS series as well as claiming two top 10 finishes in the UCI World
Cup. Nick had another solid UCI season in 2011 and in 2012 made it a fifth win at
the iXS Swiss Downhill Cup. And, as odds-on favourite, he didn’t disappoint when he
added to his prestigious haul of national titles a year later. In between, Nick has stood
on the podium with a third place finish at the Canadian Open in Whistler, and continues
to gain ground at Crankworx and on the World Cup circuit.
When he’s not racing he’s a big fan of snowboarding and skiing and is also known to
play the drums.
43

Community
Use of forest trail:
It’s bikers
against
nature lovers
“We are not picking
on the mountain
biking community. Our
opposition to the use
of the Butterfly trail is
consistent with our overall
policy on the conservation
of native habitats in the
nature reserve - areas
for the conservation of
native flora and fauna.
This applies to mountain
bikers, hikers, runners
and, especially, ourselves.”
Bike group wants Butterfly trail reopened; nature group
says keep it closed
CYCLING enthusiasts have started a petition for a
trail in a nature reserve to be reopened for mountain biking, but
nature lovers oppose the move.
The trail in question is the Butterfly trail in the Central
Catchment Nature Reserve, which was closed by the National
Parks Board (NParks) in March, as parts of it fall within the
construction site of the upcoming Chestnut Nature Park.
Mountain bikers have lamented the loss of this trail,
famous for its terrain of interlocking tree roots and views of
Upper Peirce Reservoir.
Yesterday, the Mountain Bike Association Singapore
started a petition to the Government to reopen the site. Its
president, Mr Calvin Chin, said that the 1,000-strong association
hopes to get 5,000 signatures and will write to the authorities
“within the next couple of weeks”.
But environmentalists hope the trail stays closed to all
human activities, including mountain biking, hiking and running,
as these have damaged the century-old nature area off Chestnut
Avenue.
On a site visit with NParks and the Nature Society
(Singapore), or NSS, last Friday, The Straits Times saw that the
roots of trees along the man-made trail were exposed, and the
nutrient-rich leaf litter and topsoil layers were eroded.
“These issues result in the destruction of seedlings, as
well as the loss of mature vegetation immediately adjacent to the
trails,” said Mr Tony O’Dempsey, chairman of the NSS’ plant
group, in a forum letter to The Straits Times on May 21.
But Mr Chin said bikers who use the trail are
environmentally conscious. “We tell our members not to litter,
and we do not veer off the tracks,” he said, adding that a member
paid about $500 last year for restoration works on the trail.
Cyclists can now go mountain biking at only four other
areas - Bukit Timah, Mandai, Kent Ridge and Pulau Ubin.
Until recently, mountain biking was not allowed at the
Butterfly trail, with riders risking fines from NParks. In 2012,
the mountain bike association lobbied for the trail to be opened
for recreational use and sent the parks board a study on the use of
the Butterfly trail for mountain biking. NParks decided to allow
cyclists to use the 3.2km trail until the building of new biking
trails at the new Chestnut Nature Park began early this year.
Asked to comment on the report sent by the association,
NParks told The Straits Times that the paper might have touched
briefly on the environmental impact on the forest trails, but it
cannot be considered an environmental impact assessment. Such
an assessment is considered more rigorous.
It noted that the paper “did not make a comprehensive
assessment of the current biodiversity found there nor a thorough
assessment of the impact on the area should mountain biking be
allowed to continue”.
Studies done by NParks and NSS between 2013 and
this year found a number of rare and endangered flora and fauna
in the Butterfly trail site, including the Malayan porcupine and
Hopea and Shorea trees. This was contrary to the association’s
study, which found no endangered species there.
Said NParks: “We are considering the possibility of
closing the trail permanently. However, no decision has been
taken yet and we will make another assessment of the area in
2016 before deciding.”
The Straits Times understands that the mountain
bike association and the NSS are meeting to exchange views
tomorrow.
44

Said Mr O’Dempsey: “We are not picking on the
mountain biking community. Our opposition to the use of
the Butterfly trail is consistent with our overall policy on the
conservation of native habitats in the nature reserve - areas
for the conservation of native flora and fauna. This applies to
mountain bikers, hikers, runners and, especially, ourselves.”
The wheels have stopped turning at one of Singapore’s
last five mountain biking trails. The 3km-long Butterfly trail,
located off Chestnut Avenue in the Central Catchment Nature
Reserve, was closed for “upgrading works” in March by the
National Parks Board (NParks). According to an NParks notice
at the entrance of the trail, it is supposed to reopen in the fourth
quarter of this year.
However, The Straits Times understands that NParks
is likely to close it permanently.The waterside track was not an
official mountain biking trail - unlike those at Bukit Timah, Kent
Ridge and Pulau Ubin - but bikers said they had been riding the
kampung path for at least 30 years.
The move comes after the Tampines Bike Park - which
had a mountain biking trail and the only BMX track here -
was closed in September last year to make way for a housing
development.
NParks director of conservation Wong Tuan Wah said
the trail was closed because of the construction of Chestnut
Nature Park. “As the entrance and part of Butterfly trail fall
within the construction site... the area had to be closed to visitors
for public safety,” he said. He noted that trail had widened and
deteriorated significantly in recent years because of “increasing
human usage”, which was damaging the forest. Seeking the
understanding of cyclists, he said the new nature park will open
by the end of 2016 and feature more than 6km of cycling trails in
a different location.
“Unlike the Butterfly trail, hikers and bikers can look
forward to separate trails designed specifically for each activity,”
he said.
But cycling enthusiasts are still disappointed. “It is an
extremely beautiful trail,” said Mr Jason Lim, 40, a mountain
biker and stockbroker. “A portion of it hugs the fringe of Upper
Peirce Reservoir - you are riding just beside peaceful and clear
waters.”
The Mountain Bike Association Singapore (MBAS),
which has around 1,000 members, intends to submit a petition
to the Government to encourage it to reconsider closing the site.
Its president, Mr Calvin Chin, believes the Butterfly trail can be
combined with the new trail at Chestnut Nature Park and another
nearby trail called Track 15. “There could be a solid opportunity
to have close to 30km of mountain bike trails within the Central
Catchment Nature Reserve,” said Mr Chin, 40, a business
development manager. He said that MBAS had lobbied about
two years ago to open the trail for recreational use. Before then,
riders who used it did so illegally, risking fines from NParks.
MBAS carried out its own environmental impact study at the
time, which showed that there were no endangered species there
- and sent it to NParks, which then allowed hikers and bikers in
informally.
“We have trail days where we will maintain and repair
the track,” said Mr Chin. “We have taken good care of this
place.” Former national cyclist Junaidi Hashim, 33, said: “It is
pretty sad. We keep getting news that more and more trails are
closing - there are so few places left to ride.”
45

Profile
Simon Andreassen
Hi, my name is Simon Andreassen.
My discipline is MTB XCO. My
friends call me Gotse. I was
born on 30 September 1997 in
Odense, Denmark. My special
talent is everything on a bike. My
philosophy of life is hard work
pays off. The most important
person in my life is my family and
my girlfriend. My favourite food
is italian. My favourite music is
house.
Bio
“Hard work pays off.”
Simon Andreassen is considered to be one of the biggest talents emerging on the
mountain bike scene in the past few years.
With numerous national and international titles in his pocket, he consistently astonishes
with outstanding performances – be it at cyclo-cross or mountain bike cross country
events.
Still at the beginning of his career, the mountain bike elite definitely has to keep an eye
on the young Dane in the future.
50

Stevie Smith
Hi, my name is Stevie Smith.
My discipline is mountain bike
downhill. I was born on 25
November 1989 in Cassidy, British
Columbia, Canada. The most
important person in my life is my
mum. My favourite food is sushi,
Subway, Thai, Mexican, Vietnamese
and beef jerky. My favourite music
is metal.
“I like riding anything that is full of rocks and
roots – the gnarlier the better!”
Bio
At the age of five, Stevie Smith became the lucky recipient of his first BMX bike.
Although it wasn’t a shiny new bike wrapped with a big bow, the story of how this used
bike ended up in his hands is worth explaining a little deeper.
Born and raised in Cassidy, British Columbia, Canada, Stevie was raised by a single
mother and her loving parents. One day his grandmother put together an ingenious plan
to trade the owner of Nanaimo BC’s Realm Bikes, one dozen apple pies in exchange for
a used BMX bike. Talk to Stevie and you’ll learn that he has one of the most devoted
moms ever. It wasn’t long before she spent the majority of her time driving her son up
and down the mountains after school and from dusk till dawn on the weekends.
Who would have thought that a dozen apple pies would lay the foundation for Stevie
to later become widely heralded as one of the best Downhill Mountain Bike racers in
the world. Whether he’s out ripping it up with the best talent in the world overseas or
terrorising the local Nanaimo-area trails, one thing is for sure - his mother and sister
will be waiting at the bottom of the mountain.
Despite all the world travel and international recognition that Steve has amassed over
the years via his biking career, he remains humble and loyal to his friends.
51

Review
S1600 Reign
Advanced 27.5 0 Team
It’s a technology: A
solution. An atitude,
even. Giant 27.5 is an
engineered approach to
smoother, faster, more
confident riding. From
flat-out racing to all-day
adventures. Agressive
DH tracks to the steepest
XC climbs. However,
whatever, wherever you
ride-Giant 27.5 lets you
ridewithout limits
After over two years of
development, testing, and fine
tuning, the Giant Reign 27.5
is finally here. While Giant
may have begun their 27.5 quest with a
prototype Reign, it’s the last to hit the
market. Why did it take so long? Giant
says they were busy trying to make the
best bike possible, and that took time.
The bike is redesigned from
the ground up for 27.5-inch wheels.
It’s longer, lower, and slacker than ever
before, making the 6.3-inch (160mm)
travel bike even more capable. For 2015,
Giant will offer the Reign with Advanced
Composite (carbon) and aluminum
frames. While the bike may have grown a
bit, the aluminum frame comes in lighter
than its predecessor by 140-grams, and
the Advanced Composite version is the
lightest Reign ever produced.
If you’ve followed the 2014
Enduro World Series at all, chances are
good that you’ve seen the Giant Factory
52
Off-Road Team sporting the prototype
Reign 27.5 bikes shown in the video
above. Giant worked closely with the
team to engineer new geometry that gives
it a lower center of gravity and longer
wheelbase compared to its 26-inchwheel
predecessor to improve stability
and handling on rough terrain. The bike’s
front center averages 30mm longer than
the previous version, plus it has improved
standover, a lower bottom bracket, slacker
65-degree head angle, and shorter 17.1-
inch chainstays.
Interestingly, the bike also
comes with a custom RockShox Pike
fork featuring a 46mm offset, something
you won’t find on any other 27.5 Pikeequipped
bike at this time. Why the need
for a custom offset? Giant says they did
it to improve handling. During early tests
they felt the standard 42mm offset could
create an odd cornering feel due to too
much trail. Giant arrived at the 46mm
offset using blind tests of several forks
with their Pro riders, and the 46mm offset
was unanimously chosen as the best,
noting that knifing in high-speed corners
and the tendency to flop during uphill
switchbacks was drastically improved.
If you’re the inquisitive type and
if it truly is better, you’re likely wondering
why Rockshox doesn’t already offer the
Pike this way to customers. When we
asked Giant that question, they told us that
it’s exclusive to Giant for now, but may be
offered to other OEMs in the future. The
custom fork is created by combining 27.5
Pike lowers with a 29er Pike crown.
Perhaps the biggest HECK
YES moment struck us when we were
told that Giant will no longer use their 1
1/2 to 1 1/4-inch Overdrive 2 headtube
system which caused a lot of headaches
when you’d go to swap stems. They were
the first to produce bikes with tapered
headtubes, and while they still believe
Overdrive 2 does offer an advantage,
they’re returning to the original Overdrive
headtube (standard 1 1/8 to 1 1/2-inch
tapered) in favor of convenience.
The Reign continues to use
the Maestro suspension system, where
four pivot points and two linkages work
together to create a single floating pivot
point. Bearings in the upper shock mount
help improve small bump performance by
reducing stiction by up to 10% during the
initial stroke.
Nicely executed internal cable
and dropper post routing complements
the frame’s clean lines and smooth looks.
Rubber plugs at the cable entrance and
exit points help keep water and grime out.
Two carbon (left) and two aluminum
(right) models will be available in the
USA with prices ranging from $3,400 to
$8,250. Different availability and prices
may be in place globally.
Initial Impressions
So how does the redesigned
Reign ride? We met up with the Giant
crew in Pemberton, British Columbia to
find out.
Our two day adventure included
several shuttle runs as a shakedown,
followed by a high alpine heli-drop
adventure with nearly 7,000 vertical feet
of descending - enough ride time to make
some sound observations. Pemberton’s
terrain isn’t for the timid. Get distracted
for a moment and chances are good that
you’ll end up on the ground. It’s a non-stop
root and rock fest where the occasional
loamy corner is a breath of fresh air. With
temps pushing 100-degrees Fahrenheit
for the last few weeks, dirt conditions
were as loose and dusty as could be. We
were guided by Pemberton Bike Co.’s
Seb Wild and Bush Pilot Biking’s Johnny
Smoke, both legends in their own right.
At 5’10” tall we opted for a size
Medium Reign Advanced 27.5 0 Team
bike. With an impressively long 444mm
reach and 620mm effective top tube, the
Medium Reign 27.5 is every bit as long
as many other brands’ Large frames. The
change in geometry allowed Giant to ditch
the long stem in favor of wider bars and
a stem in the 40-60mm range, depending
on the size. The added frame length may
be a shock to some at first, but it’s for the
better. Rider weight is centered well while
standing, and the 73-degree seat angle

puts you in a good position for climbing.
Pointed downhill, the Reign is free of any
odd quirks. Pick your line and let it rip.
Even on the challenging Pemberton trails
we never once felt in over our heads, and
the 65-degree head angle let us point it
down some pretty hairy sections without
worry. It’s plenty stable through the
rough, yet the short rear end, progressive
leverage curve, and air shock help the bike
maintain a nice playful feel. Getting the
front end off the ground is easy to do at a
moment’s notice.
We were surprised at the high
pressures required to achieve 30% sag
(~230psi for a 175-pound rider). Even
so, small bump performance is greatly
improved, a combined result of the new
RockShox Monarch Debonair shock
with a larger negative air chamber and
the bearings in the upper shock mount.
Square edge hits don’t disappear under the
Reign, but the feedback to the rider isn’t
overly harsh either. It’s well supported on
g-outs, drops, and jumps. Though we used
full travel routinely we never felt a harsh
bottom-out. Paired with a RockShox Pike
fork, the bike is well balanced front to
back, and the performance of the fork
complements the rear end well.
The Advanced Composite
front end and ALUXX SL rear triangle
are plenty stiff. The bike is snappy and
precise. You can pump hard in the turns
and place it exactly where you’d like it.
How about that custom 46mm
fork offset? We’d have liked to do some
back-to-back testing to really see the
benefit, but we will say that we never felt
any odd handling issues. In fact, we could
honestly do away with the dual position
Pike feature - tight uphill turns were a
breeze even at the full 160mm of travel.
Out of the saddle sprinting the
bike picks up speed with the best of them.
Pointed uphill it’s quite efficient for having
160mm of travel, and a healthy amount of
anti-squat inherent in the design pretty
much eliminates the need for a climbing
platform on the rear shock.
Build Kit
The Reign Advanced 27.5 0 Team
build kit features some nice parts from
SRAM, RockShox, Truvativ, MRP, DT
Swiss, and Schwalbe. Our pre-production
test bike lacked the SRAM Guide brakes
and Schwalbe tires that will come stock,
which were replaced by Maxxis Minion/
High Roller II tires and Avid X0 Trail
brakes.
Overall there was very little
to find fault with, especially out of the
box. Everything worked as expected and
the build is perfectly suited to all-day
adventures or hauling down Enduro race
courses.
Things That Could Be Improved
We’d favor some slightly higher
rise bars instead of running spacers under
the stem, as well as slightly thinner or
softer grips. There was also some cable
rattle inside the frame. Those on a size
Small frame will unfortunately have to
settle for just 100mm of dropper post
adjustment, while bigger sizes benefit
from 125mm.
What’s The Bottom Line?
Giant’s attention to detail is
readily apparent and carries throughout
the entire Reign 27.5. Just about
everything is dialed, and it’s clear they
didn’t just cram some bigger wheels in the
frame. The components are solid and the
ride is comfortable and capable. We give
it two thumbs up and think it was worth
the wait. Now it’s time to #makeitreign.
53

Review
8
14
1
Advanced Composite mainframe/ALUXX SL rear swingarm and full
ALUXX SL frame options
10
Molded downtube and chainstay protectors
5
Internal cable and dropper post routing
4
6.3-inches (160mm) travel
6
Overdrive tapered headset (1 1/8-inch upper, 1 1/2-inch lower)
8
Front derailleur direct mount with optional cover
7
Custom 46mm fork offset exclusive to Giant
2
27.5-inch wheels
54

6
5
1
4
7
2
3
13
15
9
10
11
12
15
11 Oversized BB/chainstay area with 92mm BB 12 ISCG05 mount
14
New 142/135mm convertible rear thru-axle design
Air or coil shock (200x57mm) compatible
13
Water bottle mount
16
5.42-pound (2,460g) ALUXX SL frame weight without shock
(size Medium)
17
4.98-pound (2,260g) Advanced Composite frame weight without shock
(size Medium)
9
Post mount disc brake tabs
3
Maestro suspension design

Feature
Are you
on the
right
trail?
Bukit Timah MTB Trail
The oldest mountain bike trail in Singapore. Rated as
an Orange grade trail (moderate to difficult), the total distance
for the loop is 6km. The trail consists mainly of singletrack, with
super sweet climbs and downhill runs to satisfy all riding levels.
Access to the trail is available from the various trail heads along
the loop, but the most common starting points are at the Visitor
Centre Carpark at Hindhede Road, and at the Dairy Farm Car
Park where shower and washing facilities are available. Vending
machines and watercoolers are also available at these 2 points.
A favorite amongst the mountain biking community,
Bt Timah mountain biking trail is a 6km loop in the Bt Timah
Nature reserve with some steep climbs and exciting downs. One
can access the trail from the various trail heads along the loop,
but the two most popular trail heads are at the visitor centre
carpark at Hindhede Road, and meeting point 3 at Zhenghua
Park (Chestnut Ave).
The loop contains a mixture of singletrack, concrete,
and manicured trails through secondary forests of the Bukit
Timah nature reserve. It also includes couple of sections where
one has to hike, and carry the bike up over a long flight of stairs
and a very tricky initial climb over some slippery granite at the
start of the trail from the visitor’s centre carpark side. It is said
that some of these challenging sections exist to deter hikers, as
well as scramblers from using the mountain bike trails.
Due to the nature of some of the lung busting climbs, it
is not everyone’s favorite trail and most shun this to ride
other technically more challenging illegal trails in the central
catchment area which are easier on the lungs.
As of Oct 2012, Bt Timah trail is in much need for repair.
Many sections have eroded badly, and the trail is scheduled for
some major revamp work. Dirtraction has been appointed by
Nparks after open tender as trail consultant for this project, and
work is said to start in 2013.
The revamp work is said to have entire steep and fun
sections being redone with sustainability in mind, as these slopes
are also monsoon drains when it rains heavily, causing further
erosion. Having been the venue of several national MTB races
in the last decade, it is currently not in a race-ready condition
until the revamp works are complete. One could see the relics
of the past kampongs and human settlement around the area,
with water pipes and construction material being unearthed with
erosion making it technically challenging at parts.
The mountain bike trail still sees a high number of
hikers although it is designated as a mountain biking trail off
limits to hikers. Mountain bikers are urged to beware of hikers
on the trail, and to exercise basic courtesy to other trail users.
60

“We are simply thrilled by the turn out this morning at Mountain
Bike Association Singapore Community Trail Day at Bukit
Timah Mountain Bike Trails, Singapore. A total of 45 riders,
friends of trails, and National Parks Officers gathered for a 4 hrs
work session at Tunnel Vision, to fix a section of the trail that
were badly chew up by the monsoon season a month ago.
The 4 hours community effort works magic for a good 60
metres of trails, where rock are meticulously placed to armor
and build up the trail thread so to ensure a sustainable riding
surface from now on. The Mountain Bike Association Singapore
will be looking at future trail day soon, probably as a continuity
of work at this section, extending the fix to the lower portion
of this B-line. Thanks to the volunteers and contributors again.
Contribution of recycled aggregates for use as trail filler by Ian
Ong / Aik Sun Demolition & Engineering Pte Ltd and various
resource activation by National Parks Board for the preparatory
work are key to the success of the day!”
61

Feature
Kent Ridge MTB Trail
The Kent Ridge MTB trail is located along Pasir
Panjang Rd off South Buona Vista Road and along Vigilante
Drive. Kent Ridge MTB trail is a technically challenging 2km+
loop of singletrack and a separate flowy and fun Super D line.
Maintained by the Ride Brothers community, the trail has seen
numerous improvements over the years and it remains as one
of the most challenging places to ride. There have been several
National XC & Downhill MTB race events held there, and it
played host to the last Red Bull Dark Knights DH race in 2011.
The Super D line is super fun, and the only thing that might kill it
is the steep climb up Vigilante Drive and back to the start of the
trail. Other than that, we love this place!
Regular trail days are also held over at Kent Ridge to
battle the constant erosion and to maintain and build sustainable
trails for all skill levels.
Located at the hilly ridges of Pasir Panjang off South
Buona Vista Road, Kent ridge is a technically challenging,
2km plus loop of singletrack. It also has a Northshore style ride
feature. There have been several National XC & Downhill MTB
race events held there, and it played host to the last Red Bull
Dark Knights DH race.
It is not a highly frequented trail perhaps due to it being
a short, isolated loop, and recent trail conditions have been
dismal. One could pretty much have the whole trail to himself
even on a weekend.
Due to erosion over the years, certain sections of the
trail have seen considerable wear. There are recent volunteer
efforts, namely by riding group RideBrothers, and ACS(I)
school, which have adopted.
62

63

Feature
“Conceptualized
in 2003, Ketam
was designed with
IMBA standards
in mind, with
trails rated green
circle, blue square,
black diamond
and double black
diamond to reflect
varying technical
difficulty to better
guide and challenge
cyclists.”
64

Pulau Ubin Ketam MTB Trail
Ketam Mountain Bike Park, located in Pulau Ubin, is
the first in Singapore to meet international standards for mountain
biking competitions. The 45-ha park features 10km of mountain
bike trails catering to both leisure cycling as well as international
competitions. The construction of the cycling tracks was based
on International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA)
standards and there are five ratings of difficulty, namely, White
Circle, Green Circle, Blue Square, Black Diamond and Double
Black Diamond. White Circle is the easiest and Double Black
Diamond is the most difficult track to engage.
The design of the mountain bike tracks had been
carefully chosen and constructed with regards to the International
Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) standards. The
Singapore Amateur Cycling Association (SACA) was roped in
as well, to provide consultation and expertise. The mountain
bike trail at the park is designed such that it can be enjoyed by
leisure cyclists and competitive cyclists alike.
The trails at Ketam Mountain Bike Park include the
following IMBA ratings:
• Blue Square – Trails with a combination of some steep
slopes, narrow track with poor traction.
• Black Diamond – Trails with a combination of long step
climbs, drop-offs and tricky obstacles
Double Black Diamond – Trails with a combination
of very steep climbs and drop-offs, sharp corners and tricky
obstacles
Access to the trail requires a short boat ride from
Changi Point Ferry Terminal along Lorong Bekukung which
will cost you SGD$4.50 (one way) and then another 15mins
ride from the access road in Pulau Ubin Jetty straight into the
trailhead. Shelters are strategically located along the tracks.
These shelters double as resting points for tired cyclists. They
are also good spots where one can capture a good view of the
surrounding landscape around Ketam Quarry. To guide cyclists
around the island, signs are positioned at the key locations such
as the intersection points.
The Ketam trail is Singapore’s first purpose built
mountain biking trail, located on an offshore island around a
disused quarry. One would need to hop on a bumboat at Changi
Point Ferry Terminal, and pay $4.50 for a one-way trip to Pulau
Ubin jetty, and ride for about 15 min Westwards to reach Ketam
bike park (follow the road signs). This is probably the best
mountain biking trail in all of Singapore, and going to Ketam is
always an adventure.
Conceptualized in 2003, Ketam was designed with
IMBA standards in mind, with trails rated green circle, blue
square, black diamond and double black diamond to reflect
varying technical difficulty to better guide and challenge cyclists.
The bike park was built at a cost of $1m, and consisted
of 10km of MTB trails of varying difficulty, with the main 5km
plus loop being extremely nice and flowy, with some lungbusting
climbs such as ‘lactate’ and rewarding downs such as ‘china
bowl’ as well as ‘Black cobra drop’. There is also a skills park,
which sadly, is little used these days.
Ketam bike park is a glowing example of how a
proper MTB trail should be done, with proper riding flow and
sustainability in mind.
Located at Pulau Ubin. To access Pulau Ubin, you will
need to reach Changi Ferry Terminal. Carparks are available
there so driving is not an issue. The ferry ride over to Pulau Ubin
is $4.50 ( $2.50 for a person and $2.00 for the bike ). The return
ride will also cost the same amount.
65

Feature
66

Mandai Track 15
Running parallel to the Bukit Timah expressway for
the most part, T15 stretches from Chestnut Ave to Mandai Rd
(5.8km one way). It is a vehicle accessible double trail narrowing
at certain parts with gentle climbs and downs. Considered
a beginner’s trail and relatively non-technical. It is connected
to Gangsa hill, a freeride area adopted by local freeride group
Se7en with jumps, berms and slopes for big air time, Gangsa
hill is recommended only for expert riders, and use of appropriate
protective gear (guards, helmet) is mandatory.
With the proposed Chestnut Nature Park due in the
next few years, with proposed trail additions, there should be
more trails for mountain bikers in the pipeline.
There are two entrances to T15. The first entrance
brings you from north to south. At the junction of Mandai road
( where it leads into the zoo) there is a park connector. Follow
the PCN and it will take you to T15
You may want to enter through Chestnut avenue. Follow
the road which will take you under the BKE and back up
a long road climb. On your left you should see a green barrier.
Carry your bike over the barrier and that would lead you to the
southern entrance of T15.
“It’s definitely a great place
for more experienced riders
to hone their skills too. There
are a few features where
if you push your pace on
Track 15 a lot of the corners
can be more challenging and
you can actually get a bit of
air on some of the hills,” he
says.
For those not skilled or confident enough to enjoy the
BT experience, a worthwhile and close-by alternative exists
in the form of the Chesnut/Track 15 route. This 5km long trail
starts near the end of Chesnut Avenue where a waste-high
metal barrier marks the entrance. The simple act of lifting the
bike over the barrier leads into a fast and fun mixture of dirt,
mud and broken concrete that comes out at Mandai Road at the
junction of Mandia Lake Road, aka Zoo Road. Out and back
provides a fantastic 10km adventure.
Just anybody can ride this trail and while it undulates
frequently, the only real technical challenges are sections of
gnarly tarmac/concrete and the odd muddy bog during wetter
spells. The Track 15 trail is probably the best place in Singapore
for beginners to build their basic skills and confidence
but it’s also popular with the faster riders as it’s one of the few
places they can truly let go.
Says Low: “It’s a great point-to-point trail to explore,
it links to a lot of other trails and it’s manageable even for most
beginners, indeed I would say it’s definitely the best place for
beginners to practice in Singapore. As long as they keep their
pace down it’s a very predictable trail and all rideable. The
climbs are OK and the descents are not sketchy at all.
But he concurs that Track 15 is not just for the newbies.
If Track 15 has a downside it’s that it’s a twoway
trail meaning it’s most likely that a few bikes coming the
other way will be encountered, especially at the weekends. It’s
also a shared trail so watch out for hikers and walkers too.
67

Feature
“As a mountain biking
venue for the community,
it sees a fair amount of
use, although still less
frequented than trails
in the central catchment
area, as it is said that lack
of forestation around the
trails makes for very warm
riding conditions from late
morning onwards.”
With the entrance to the bike park at the junction between
Tampines Ave 7 and Ave 9, TBP consists of a BMX dirt jump
park and an estimated core 4km XC trail loop (expandable to
6.8km based on the recent 2012 Singapore MTB carnival 8 hour
enduro race). TBP was the host venue of the BMX and mountain
biking events of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games, as well
as the venue of the recent national MTB cross-country and
downhill championships.
Certification is required before one could use the BMX
jump park. The mountain biking trail is open to public use during
the day time at no charge
As a mountain biking venue for the community, it sees
a fair amount of use, although still less frequented than trails in
the central catchment area, as it is said that lack of forestation
around the trails makes for very warm riding conditions from
late morning onwards.
It has been known amongst the mountain biking
community that Tampines Bike Park (TBP) may not be a
permanent facility after the 2010 YOG. With the release of the
Land Use Plan by MND which mentioned Tampines North as a
future housing estate to support plans for 6.9 Million people, it
became clear that the days for TBP may be numbered.
MBASG is still formulating our course of action on this
matter, and is working with various interest groups to examine
options available. We know that many mountain bikers are
concerned about future plans for TBP because it is one of our
four precious mountain biking trails on mainland Singapore, and
serves many mountain bikers residing in Eastern Singapore. We
know that a concerned mountain biker wrote to Mr. Baey Yam
Keng, MP of Tampines GRC to voice his concerns about this
development.
MBASG understands the need for more residential
housing in Singapore as the population expands, but we hope
that the relevant authorities also see the benefits of having
adequate green spaces for outdoor activities and sports such as
mountain biking.
68

69

Profile
Aaron Chase
Hi, my name is Aaron Chase. My
discipline is Mountain Bike Freestyle.
My friends call me AC. I was born on 17
November 1978 in New Hampshire,
USA. My special talent is my unique,
technical style and creative lines.
My philosophy of life is ride hard and
have a good time. The most important
person in my life is my wife and kids.
My favourite food is grilled cheese
and apple sauce. My favourite music
is Pink Floyd.
Bio
“Ride hard and have a good time.”
Although he’s only in his mid 30s, Aaron Chase has already been declared a “legend
of mountain biking”. He’s been on the cutting edge of the sport for over a decade,
innovating not only the way people ride, but the way courses and bikes are built, as well
as how MTB films are scripted and shot.
Since winning the dual urban freeride grails of Red Bull Bike Battle and Red Bull
District Ride, ‘AC’ has gone on to pioneer the all-terrain slopestyle movement that
reclaims the creative spirit of mountain biking. And one look at his schedule – packed
with film shoots, comps and coaching gigs – proves that, when it comes to the legend
of Aaron Chase, there’s still a lot left to write.
A long-time collaborator on Freeride Entertainment’s “New World Disorder” series,
Aaron is also a popular director, editor and rider for Don Hampton’s DH Productions,
and starred in the company’s 25th DVD adventure, “Here We Go Again”.
Riding, films and designing courses, Aaron is taking on anything that comes his way
and admits he just loves to share his passion for catching air.
74

Marco Fontana
Hi, my name is Marco Fontana. My
discipline is cross-country. I was born
on 12 October 1984 in Giussano,
Italy. My philosophy of life is to have
fun. The most important person in my
life is my wife.
“No matter what, dream big, go big.”
Bio
Marco Aurelio Fontana is Italy’s foremost cross-country rider. Marco first started
competing in road cycling events at the age of 11 before moving on to riding mountain
bikes and cyclocross at the age of 14. In 2002, aged just 18, Marco had his first big
success, becoming Italian Cross Country Champion in the junior category at Trentino
(Italy).
The Italian’s breakthrough in the senior ranks came at the Olympic Games in Beijing in
2008, where Marco finished fifth. An impressive result, that saw Cannondale Factory
Racing sign Marco up in 2009. Marco continued to experience good results in both
the cross-country and cyclocross disciplines over the next few years. In cross-country,
Marco was the senior national Italian champion in 2009 and 2011, while taking the
national crown in cyclocross in 2010.
2012 proved to be Marco’s most successful year yet. Consistent displays in the UCI
World Cup series saw him take three third place finishes in races in France, Belgium
and the United States. He followed up those successes with a bronze medal at the
London 2012 Olympics, while also becoming World Team Relay MTB champion with
his Italian colleagues. In 2013 he won gold at the UCI Mountain Bike and Trial World
Championship as a member of the Italian team.
Marco is clearly unstoppable in every field.
75

Community
76
“It’s a great point-to-point
trail to explore, it links to
a lot of other trails and it’s
manageable even for most
beginners, indeed I would say
it’s definitely the best place
for beginners to practice in
Singapore. As long as they
keep their pace down it’s a
very predictable trail and
all rideable. The climbs are
OK and the descents are not
sketchy at all.”
HITTING SINGAPORE’S SPARSE
SINGAPORE’S BUT PRECIOUS SPARSE
BUT MOUNTAIN PRECIOUS BIKE
MOUNTAIN TRAILS BIKE TRAILS
While Malaysia’s mountain bikers seem to have it all,
an abundance of trails and tracks, and a network of extremely
popular jamborees held on most weekends all over the country,
Singapore’s dirt lovers are stuck with a limited number of places
to ride.
The closure of the purpose-built Tampines Bike Park
last year to make way for, what else, a housing development,
cut into that choice further, but rather than make a political
stance on this sorry state of affairs, we’ve chosen to celebrate
the remaining trails where Singapore’s mountain bikers can strut
their stuff.
At least what remains is of a pretty high standard thanks
to a dedicated core of riders and trail-builders determined to
deliver a worthy experience.
As well as describing the trails through our eyes, we also
captured a few wise words from mountain bike skills coach and
uber adventure racer Wilson Low of Athlete Lab.
Bukit Timah Mountain Bike Trail
The BT (or Bee Tee) trail is undoubtedly the centre of
the Singapore MTB scene and offers a tricky 6km loop through
the jungle. While there are some sections of flowing single track,
it’s mostly a twisting network of ups and downs, some steeper
and more than technical than others.
Starting and finishing adjacent to the Bukit Timah
Nature Reserve Visitors Centre on Hindhede Drive, a major
facelift completed in 2013 left a quality track challenging
enough to test the technical skills of the best riders but also fair
enough that those of an intermediate level can still venture in and
be confident of making it all the way round unscathed.
Wilson Low agrees that BT is best suited to advanced and
intermediate riders but says there is also a place for beginners.
“BT is a good cross-country loop with lots of line choices, but its
features require more commitment than your average trail,” Low
says. “Beginners can go into BT but maybe they shouldn’t ride

the entire trail. There are certain sections [such as the Belukar
Track] which are really good for beginner’s to practice on but if
they want to do the whole lot in one push, they might find they
have to walk some sections.”
He also cites caution during or after a big storm.
“BT tends to get a bit slippery in wet weather, so it’s maybe best
to stay off the trail in such conditions,” he says.
While we love BT, those line choices that Low mentions
aren;t exactly the best marked out in the world and be aware
of one spot in particular. About halfway in just before what is
probably the most difficult section of the trail, a fork offers a left
and a right option, with a sign stating “right path recommended”.
This leads directly into a series of Double Black Diamond rated
(ie, super difficult) rock garden drop-offs, where a high level
of skill and confidence is required. The “unrecommended” left
option also leads to a series of rock gardens, but of nowhere near
the same level of difficulty. While the trail builders are obviously
highly skilled exponents of the art, we think that the left path
would be the preferred choice for the majority of those riding
BT.
Another thing to be aware of in BT is roamers. No,
we’re not talking about zombies from The Walking Dead, but
errant hikers. Despite an extensive network of hiking trails in
the nature reserve, the single dedicated mountain bike trail has
always been plagued by walkers, hikers and runners, so care
should always be taken especially coming out of fast downhill
sections and coming in and out of blind corners.
What was previously an occasional annoyance has now turned
into a full-time hazard with the medium-to-long-term closure of
the BT hiking trail network for renovation and upgrading. The
mountain bike trail is still supposed to be for bikers only, but
with nobody to police it, the best course of action right now is
ever-more defensive riding rather than confrontation.
Track 15
For those not skilled or confident enough to enjoy the
BT experience, a worthwhile and close-by alternative exists
in the form of the Chesnut/Track 15 route. This 5km long trail
starts near the end of Chesnut Avenue where a waste-high metal
barrier marks the entrance. The simple act of lifting the bike over
the barrier leads into a fast and fun mixture of dirt, mud and
broken concrete that comes out at Mandai Road at the junction
of Mandia Lake Road, aka Zoo Road. Out and back provides a
fantastic 10km adventure.
Just anybody can ride this trail and while it undulates
frequently, the only real technical challenges are sections of
gnarly tarmac/concrete and the odd muddy bog during wetter
spells. The Track 15 trail is probably the best place in Singapore
for beginners to build their basic skills and confidence but it’s
also popular with the faster riders as it’s one of the few places
they can truly let go.
Says Low: “It’s a great point-to-point trail to explore,
it links to a lot of other trails and it’s manageable even for most
beginners, indeed I would say it’s definitely the best place for
beginners to practice in Singapore. As long as they keep their
pace down it’s a very predictable trail and all rideable. The
climbs are OK and the descents are not sketchy at all.”
But he concurs that Track 15 is not just for the newbies.
“It’s definitely a great place for more experienced riders to hone
their skills too. There are a few features where if you push your
pace on Track 15 a lot of the corners can be more challenging
and you can actually get a bit of air on some of the hills,” he
says.
If Track 15 has a downside it’s that it’s a two-way
trail meaning it’s most likely that a few bikes coming the other
way will be encountered, especially at the weekends. It’s also a
shared trail so watch out for hikers and walkers too.
77

Community
Gangsa Track
Halfway along the Chesnut/Track 15 trail comes
something definitely not for beginners – the Gangsa Track! We’ll
be honest, we’ve never ridden this fast, carefully built stretch of
nastiness, which is firmly the domain of the full-helmet, flatpedaled
baggie brigade. But Low has ridden it and gives us his
description.
“A really dedicated trail crew have built Gangsa up over
the years. It has big drops, big jumps, and requires a lot of
commitment, so advanced riders only should do those features.
A novice or intermediate rider could probably roll through them
without too much trouble but if you wanna get your air, get your
bike totally airborne, well that requires a lot practice before you
can take on all the features there. It’s not long, it’s over in like 40
seconds.”
You have been warned.
Butterfly
Just a few hundred metres along Chesnut Avenue from
the Track 15 entrance sits Butterfly, a love-it-or-loathe-it, 3.3kmlong
trail that offers Singapore’s definitive experience in roots
riding. It can be ridden both clockwise and anticlockwise but
obviously with the dual-direction option, watch out for other
riders. Butterfly is also a shared facility so take care not to hit
any roamers.
Low is firmly in the love camp.
“Fantastic trail, most technical trail in Singapore, real jungle
riding with a lot of roots, slippery sections, a couple of jumps. I
think you need to be physically fit to ride this trail even though
there’s not a lot of climbing. It used to be an illegal trail, but
through some very positive lobbying and participation of MTB
interest groups they managed to get it open and it’s a favourite
trail among many,” Low says.
Any point in beginners venturing into Butterfly?
“No … probably not … not at all,” Low says.
He also informs us that with a lot of work currently going on to
build additional trails in and around Butterfly, it might undergo
some closure in a few weeks time.
Kent Ridge Park Mountain Bike Trail
The Kent Ridge Park trail is located just past Car Park
A on Vigilante Drive, but keep an eye out for the actual entrance
as it’s not completely obvious. Built for the most part on the
side of a forested hill, the relatively short but highly technical
Kent Ridge cross-country trail is not for the faint-hearted. But
for higher-skilled riders with a good level of fitness and nerve its
combination of steep, twisty and obstacle-filled descents and an
even steeper climb back to the starting point is a true test.
Once in there, just follow the trail on its mostly downwards
trajectory. Due to trail maintenance work some sections of the
Kent Ridge trail are temporarily closed, so it can occasionally be
confusing where to go, but down is a good bet. The best place
to exit the roughly 1.5km trail is currently onto the tarmac of
Vigilante Drive, which leaves that nasty little road to be climbed
to complete the loop.
There’s also a downhill line, the Sidewinder, at Kent
Ridge that we haven’t tackled, but after speaking to Low we me
just have a go.
“The downhill line is very interesting, lots of big berms,
a few drops and a couple of table-top jumps, so guys with the big
downhill and trail bikes can really enjoy themselves there,” Low
says. “But it’s still suitable for beginners to work on their skills.
The corners are actually really, really smooth so if you control
78

your speed it’s actually really, really nice. Of course the faster
you go the more exciting it gets”.
As for the cross-country trail, Low suggests beginners
give it a wide berth.
“The cross-country loop is actually the harder section
and I wouldn’t recommend it for beginners. Very technical
climbs and descents, you are traversing along the side of a hill
and it includes a steep, loose descent to the lower section of the
trail and there are a lot of roots, similar to Butterfly actually. It’s
tight and narrow, all very compact,” he says.
Ketam Bike Park
Last but definitely not least, we give you Ketam
Mountain Bike Park, a purpose-built mountain biking facility
on Pulau Ubin, an island off the northeast coast of Singapore.
A twisting set of trails over 6km in length offers something for
all skill levels, with the different options of difficulty clearly
marked by huge signs; pity the mainland trails aren’t so clearly
defined.
If Ketam was on mainland Singapore it would probably
be more popular than even BT, but the fact that it requires a trip
on bumboat (albeit only a 10-minute one) from the fairly distant
Changi Village keeps it comparably quieter. That’s not to say it’s
not worthwhile making the journey, and the weekends especially
see a lot of biker heading over.
We visited Pulau Ubin twice recently and a more
comprehensive review of the riding there is available here.
Low is very enthusiastic about the riding at Ketam.
“Love that trail. Sure, it requires a bit of work to get there, taking
a boat over, but once you are on Pulau Ubin it’s like taking a
step back in time and well worth it. You can do the easy nontechnical
outside loop, which is just like village tracks, or if you
want singletrack you do the Ketam loop,” Low says. “There’s
stuff that’s suitable for beginners as well as “A lines” where
more advanced riders can actually test their skills. It’s a really
good mix. I really enjoy teaching there because of the variety of
choices that all riders can find.”
The Green Corridor
OK, we said Ketam was last, but we can’t leave
without a quick mention for the Green Corridor, which while
not real mountain biking territory, can provide a good place for
completely novice riders to test the MTB waters, or mud as is so
often the case on the old KTM railway track.
Completely flat and with no obstacles, it stretches
unbroken for 13km from just north of the Tanjong Pagar Railway
Station to just past Rail Mall, where the removal of the railway
bridge over Hillview Mall brings things to an end. It’s possible to
go all the way to Woodlands but his involves numerous detours
onto Singapore’s busy roads.
While it’s bone dry at the moment, the Green Corridor
can resemble a swamp in places after only a few days of rain.
Strange to have such poor drainage for a strip of land that
recently housed an international infrastructure link, but we’re
not going to knock it, because at least it’s there and provides a
fantastic route into town for commuters and it can be used for a
high-speed time-trial hit out too.
At the southern end enter off Silat or Kampong Bahru
roads, and it can be exited/entered at numerous spots on it’s way
north to Rail Mall.
79

Mountain Bike Hash
The only place for MTB fanatics in Kuala Lumpur
http://klmbh.org

KLMBH holds monthly Mountain Bike Hashes
(“Bashes”) in the Klang Valley area, usually on the last
Sunday of each month.
You are welcome to join us on our forays into the
countryside around KL. Turn up at the designated Bash
site and pay just RM 15 to ride with us if you are not
already a member. If you are a member, it’s FOC.
Membership
If you wish to join as
a member, bring along
RM70 (actually one
RM50 note and two
RM10, you get the idea)
at the next Bash location,
fill in a form at the Bash
registration counter and
you’re in for one year!
Member’s fee for Juniors
under 18 is just RM50.
Alternatively, you can
head to the Membership
Registration Page and
proceed with your online
registration right now !
Or, if you are not sure
whether you want to
become a member? Easy;
give it a try by riding as a
guest while paying a guest
fee of RM15. If after the
ride you decide that the
Bash is the bees’ knees,
the most fun you have
had with your clothes on
and you’re craving for
more, then you can join as
a member by paying the
difference. Of course, this
is same-day valid only.
Bash Disorganization
Bash Basics
Head Basher: Matt Morris - headbasher at klmbh.org
Bash Cash: Robert Spinks - bashcash at klmbh.org
Bash Piss: Richard Burditt - bashpiss at klmbh.org
Ass Piss: Peter Taylor - asspiss at klmbh.org
Hare Raiser: Steve Thomas - hareraiser at klmbh.org
Bash Bones: Martin Gilliland - bashbones at klmbh.org
Back Bones: Greg Philips - backbones at klmbh.org
Bash Web: Marcus Kuchiak - bashweb at klmbh.org
Share your favourite riding areas with the rest of the
club by being a hare this year or the next. Without Hares
we cannot organise a bash. Even if you have never set a
Bash, but think you would like to, we have people who
can guide you in planning a Bash.
It really is as much fun organising, as it is to ride.
In general terms, the purpose of a Bike Hash
is to provide an unguided social ride that can
be enjoyed by both new and experienced
riders, even in unfamiliar terrain. Weeks or
months in advance of a Hash an area will be
explored by a small group of riders called
“Hares” who are responsible for setting the
hash. They will plot out two trails, the “Long
Ride” (longer and more challenging), and the
“Scenic Ride” (shorter and easier), and mark
them with paper, flour, signage and other
methods, leaving gaps called “Checks” at
intervals to provide a challenge for the hashers
and keep the pack together. These gaps in the
trail markings force the faster riders - aka the
FRBs, Fast Riding Bast*rds - to explore and
find where the trail resumes. The lead riders
are expected to find where the trail resumes
and use extra paper to fill in these gaps so that
slower riders can thus follow a complete trail.
In this way riders of vastly different fitness
and ability can share the same ride and still
have an enjoyable time.

Profile
Yannick Granieri
Hi, my name is Yannick Granieri.
My discipline is MTB freeride. I was
born on 22 December 1986 in Lyon,
France. My special talent is creativity.
My philosophy of life is live to ride, ride
for life.
“The ‘Stocky Slopestyler’ from Lyon.”
Bio
Yannick Granieri is a lover of life and a pursuer of dreams. The young mountain
bike professional from Lyon, France has been surrounded by bikes since birth, as his
grandfather, Joseph Follis, was the renowned bike manufacturer of the Follis brand.
However, as a child, Yannick was more focussed on gymnastics, and left biking to his
older brothers. But with such strong family ties linking him back to bikes, it didn’t take
long for his heritage to catch up with him.
Now, with his lively but aggressive style, Granieri is a textbook biker with one distinct
advantage: his past gymnastic experience. Not only does he execute his tricks with
refined grace and finesse, but he has impeccable spatial awareness to boot!
In his career so far, the Frenchman has managed to secure an abundance of wins and
titles at competitions around the globe. In the last few years alone, Granieri has taken a
3rd place at the White-Style contest in Leogang, Austria in 2010, a 1st place at the best
trick contest at the Claymore Challenge in New Hampshire, USA in 2012 and a further
1st place at the 2012 Nine-Knights contest in Neuenkirchen, Austria for ‘Best Trick’.
After being out of commission for a whole six months following ACL and knee injuries
sustained in 2012, Yannick came back in 2013 stronger than ever, and picked up a win
at Crankworx Les 2 Alpes and a second place at Crankworx Whistler. Having taken a
podium in both the 2013 and 2014 Bearclaw Invitationals, Yannick is looking to the
future with much enthusiasm.
84
With his skill as a rider constantly improving, each year he continues to pull something
pretty remarkable out of the bag, each time bigger, better and badder than the last.
Yannick Granieri is most definitely one rider to keep both eyes on!

Thomas Genon
Hi, my name is Thomas Genon. My
discipline is MTB freeride/slopestyle.
My friends call me La Frite (The Chip).
I was born on 18 August 1993 in
southern Belgium. My philosophy of
life is just love life. My favourite food
is chips (hence my nickname). My
favourite music is rock.
“The ‘unknown’ teenager who won Red Bull
Joyride.”
Bio
Thomas Genon, who comes from southern Belgium, is fast climbing the rankings in
MTB slopestyle. After promising results in 2010 and 2011, it all came together in a
great FMB World Tour 2012 season!
Claiming victory at Red Bull Joyride @ Crankworx was the real highlight of this
‘unknown’ teenager’s career to date. “I was fixing my music at the top of the run and
someone came over to tell me that I won the comp,” said Thomas about the surprise
victory. Thomas also took an impressive win at 26TRIX that same year and went on to
finish third in the general classification for the FMB World Tour 2012. Since then, he
has taken podium finishes at the Vienna Air King, Red Bull Rampage and the King of
Dirt.
In 2014, Genon took the win at Hall of Dirt, along with Mountain Bike Slopestyle
victories at both the FISE WORLD Andorra and the FISE WORLD Montpellier. He
also claimed second place at Crankworx Les 2 Alpes.
Thomas’ consistent top spot finishes are a true testament to his unrivalled skill atop the
saddle. Being one of the youngest athletes on the tour, such victories proves his great
potential to climb even more top steps at slopestyle events in the future!
85

Review
5 TIPS
TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR
SONY 4K Action Cam
Capturing your riding moments and replaying them on
your TV or computer is always awesome fun. And thanks to the
latest video technologies from Sony, you have the power to be as
creative as you want to capture and make your own ride videos.
All it takes is a little camera savvy and some practice. We’re
not Hollywood directors or filmmakers, but we’ve had fun over
the last few months of playing around with the cam and we’ve
compiled a couple of useful tips that you can use the next time
you’re out riding.
Here’s 5 useful tips and tricks that you can do with your
own Action Cam to get the most out of it.
5 tips and tricks that we often
use to get the most out of our
own Sony 4K Action Cam.
Let us know if you’ve tried
any of the tips above, and
send us a link to your video
and we’ll post it up on our
Facebook page!
1. Plan your story
If you’re planning to shoot more than just a POV (point-of
-view) video, you’ll need to plan your story before you head out
into the trails. Knowing where you’re going to ride makes it alot
easier but if you’re heading into unknown territory, keep your
scene options open so that you’ll have at least story to guide you
through your shots. Having planned scenes in your head will
keep your raw footage flowing smoothly between shots and it
will make editing more fun. Here’s a sample of some true and
tested scenes that you can use the next time you’re planning your
own edit;
Scene 1: Ride prep, low angle shots of friends lubing chain,
checking brakes, putting on helmet
Scene 2: Fist bump, and start riding
Scene 3: Chest POV following a friend
Scene 4: Following shot of your buddy railing a berm
Scene 5: High5 and laughter of friends, scenes of nature, trail
ground
Scene 6: High angle shot of continuing the ride etc..
You might also want to start thinking about your soundtrack
choice at this point. If you’re planning to use a song for your
video, make sure that the song that you use is royalty-free.
86

2. Have the right mounts
Make sure you bring with you the right mounts for all the scenes
that you plan to shoot. Sony has a wide range of available mounts
for the Sony 4K action cam, but having a little creativity with
your mounts can get you the best results. One of our fav mounts
is the Sony AKA-CMH1 Chest Mount Harness for Action Cam
and the Sony Action Monopod, VCT-AMP1. We use both of
these mounts on most of our adventures, especially with the
Sony Action Monopod. We also use the Hybrid Gorillapod from
Joby for mounting our cams on tree branches, uneven ground
and sometimes on our arms. It’s lightweight and it doesn’t add
much weight to your hydration pack. Another trick that we use
with our Action Monopod is to mount the Live-View Remote
RM-LVR2 using a couple of cable ties. It makes it alot easier if
you’re doing panning shots or taking high angle shots. You have
full control of the cam via the Live-View Remote and you can
make changes to your settings easily this way.
3. Practise and test your angles at
home
Nothing is worse than having weird angles and bad scenes
showing up on your computer after a whole day of shooting. So
practise your shots and your angles at home before you head out
for your ride. This way, you won’t waste time and battery juice
from testing and figuring out your shots in the trail. If you’re
planning to get really creative with mouting your camera on low
areas on your bike, be sure to test it out beforehand or you’ll risk
damaging your camera on a rock.
4. Shoot from the hip/Shoot above
branches
The Sony 4K Action Cam is alot more than just a video camera.
It has an awesome burst mode where you can take a sequence of
stills in rapid succession to ensure you capture fast-action motion
at just the right instant. You can choose to shoot 10 fps for 1
second, 5 fps for 2 seconds, or 2 fps for 5 seconds. By using the
inbuilt burst modes, you can capture some really unique photos
and stitch them up in Photoshop later. Try using the cam together
with the Action Monopod to get some high shots and practise
shooting from the hip to get the angle that most photographers
love.
5. Shoot a Time Lapse
Time lapse videos are always fun to watch, and you can get
really good MTB scenes if you know how to do it. If a particular
scenes take a long time to complete, you can try using the inbuilt
time lapse feature and sneak in some of those shots into
your next video. To set up the Sony 4K Action Cam for time
lapse photos, press the NEXT button or PREV button to select
[SETUP] – [LAPSE], then press the ENTER button. From there,
you can set your Action Cam to shoot still images every 1 sec, 2
secs, 5 secs, 10 secs, 30 secs or 60 secs. The cam shoots all the
stills and you can join them up later for an awesome time lapse
video. Here’s a couple of scenes you can try;
– building up your bike
– sunrise & sunsets
– trail maintenance scenes
– short breaks in the middle of the trail
So there you have it, 5 tips and tricks that we often use to get
the most out of our own Sony 4K Action Cam. Let us know if
you’ve tried any of the tips above, and send us a link to your
video and we’ll post it up on our Facebook page!
87