GOOD TIMESHARD TIMESLET´S GET READY FOR 2013

EDITORIAL

Movember – excuse me – November has just passed and we already know that 2013 is going to be amazing! By now, enduro is on everyone’s lips. The industry and riders are excited about next season. 2012 was a year that will go down in history in the evolution of this young “discipline” (but already old idea). It was a year full of ups and downs: initial enthusiasm about a UCI Enduro World Cup, which everyone expected, but never came; then chatter and rumors flying around about an alternative at the spectacular end of season race in Finale Ligure and finally the announcement of the Enduro World Series. Within one year enduro has gained worldwide recog-nition, attracting riders from all disciplines pushing the sport even further. Voilà. All’s well that ends well? No! Because now we need to use the time to recall the past year, evaluate it, and do it even better in 2013.Every one of us has gained experiences and learned from it – let’s at least hope so. That leaves us right at the heart of this issue: Winter is here! Put on warm clothes, or just escape southwards? What suits you, who trains how, and where is the best place to be?

Have fun reading this issue. We’ll see each other in 2013, even bigger, stronger, and better. That’s a promise!

Robin Schmitt DIRECTOR, ENDURO MOUNTAINBIKE MAGAZINE

HE IS HERE. SHE IS HERE. AND EVERYONE IS GETTING READY.

WE WANTED A BIKE TO RIDE LIKE A TRAIL BIKE AND DESCENDLIKE A DH BIKE. SO, WE LIGHTENED UP THE ENDURO, BOOSTED ITS

TRAVEL TO 165MM AND MADE IT PEDAL AND CLIMB EVEN BETTER THANBEFORE, MAKING SURE THE ENDURO KEEPS EVOLVING. IN BOTH

DIRECTIONS. SEE THE FULL ENDURO RANGE AT SPECIALIZED.COM

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03 Editorial Enduro writes history06 Design & Innovation Award by Enduro Mountainbike Magazine08 Biketest Scott Genius 700 SL22 Bye Bye Winter! The warmest, brightest, and cleverest gadgets36 Winter Workout #1 Pump it up50 Biketest Morewood Jabula58 Biketest Trek Rumblefish Elite62 Winter Workout #2 with the Cube Action Team72 Travel Living like Kings in Spain ...84 SuperEnduro Finale Ligure Future in the making92 Heroes of Work We are Enduro94 Cooperation Partners ¡Viva ENDURO!98 Resources This issue’s products100 Masthead & Preview

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CONTENTSISSUE 02

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The Design & Innovation Award is an avantgardist prize by Enduro Mountainbike Magazine, in collaboration with a select jury consisting of well-respected, international characters of the bicycle industry awarding the best and most innovative products in the following categories: bikes, parts, accessories and equipment.More details: www.enduro-mtb.com/en/design-innovation-award

DANIEL GEIGER (GER)

PHOTOGRAPHER

DESIGNERARTIST

FABIEN BAREL (FRA)

3-TIME WORLD CHAMP

MASTERMINDLEGEND

CESAR ROJO (ESP)

EX-WORLDCUP RACER

ENGINEERGENIUS

ENRICO GUALA (ITA)

ORGANIZER ENDURO

WORLD SERIESVISIONARY

ENDURO MOUNTAINBIKE

MAGAZINE

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CONTENT

SCOTT GENIUS 700 SL BIKE TEST

PHOTOS FABIAN RAPP WORDS ROBIN SCHMITTTRANSLATION MICHAELA JAMMERS

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“Genius” - titles call for quality, fueling high expectations. This name wants to state: Don’t settle for average – I am the top of the crop! With their Genius 700 SL, Scott wants to

be no less than the very best in the trail bike and all-mountain arena. For the considerable price of 7,499 Euro, it is supposed to fulfill the maxim “fast-er-lighter-bigger-better” and to top all

the prior models. To achieve that, the youngest addition to the Genius family is equipped with 27.5” wheels, a carbon chassis, and a completely new frame design.

In alpine terrain or at an enduro race, what is the Scott Genius really capable of? More “wanna-be” or a true “meant-to-be”? We did not spare any efforts to figure this out. >>

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PUTTING THE BIKE TO THE TESTTHE SCOTT GENIUS 700 SL

NEEDED TO PROVE SUCCESSFUL DURING THE RACE AS WELL AS

IN HIGH ALPINE TERRAIN.The components give a true mission statement: slim Schwalbe Nobby-Nic tires in 2.25”, XX trigger shifters, carbon Syncros wheels, and other carbon parts show the clear focus of the Genius 700 SL on propulsion prowess. For this rea-son, the Genius hints that it can be a lot, but does not necessarily want to. Thanks to the variable geometry setup via Flip-Chip and IDS-SL dropout, there is still room for individual adjustment.

The heart of the carbon chassis is the Nude 2 rear shock, developed in cooper-ation with DT-Swiss. Its “dual air spring” technology deploys two levels of rear travel with different characteristics. Via the Twinloc lever on the handlebar, the rear travel is easily reduced to 100mm by “turning off” the second air chamber. A more progressive spring curve and steeper seat and steering angles result-

ing from less sag are the desired effect. Pushing the lever another time will lock out the suspension. In general, the sus-pension performance is optimized for the full travel mode (150mm).The Twinloc lever also simultaneous-ly regulates the Fox 34 TALAS Factory fork’s “CTD” (climb-trail-descend).

A brilliant reference to dial in your chas-sis is the “Scott Suspension Setup Tool” available on the Scott homepage. Con-sidering the rider’s weight and riding style, it offers us a good starting point: for 75kg body weight, 105 PSI is sug-gested. As a geometry setup via Flip-Chip, we chose the slack setup with a steering angle of 67.7°. During the practical test, the Genius had to demonstrate its abilities on alpine trails as well as in low mountain range terrain under racing conditions. >>

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After having taken a seat on the bike it turned out to be quite compact, and for 650B newbies the general variation in length and height, compared to a 26” bike, hardly makes a difference. The rider will learn to appreciate an intense sense of wellbeing on board the Geni-us – which doesn’t come as a surprise, since you are nicely positioned in the center of the bike. At the German enduro series’ final in Treuchtlingen, the Genius 700 SL had to prove its abilities under racing condi-tions on stages that were quite varied.Uphill: by pushing the Twinloc lever all the way down, every uphill seemed to lose its scare-factor due to the rear lockout and a fork lowered to 120 mm of travel. Without a doubt, the low rotat-ing mass of the wheel-tire combination

contributed to the ease of climbing as well. Additionally, the steep seat angle (74°) and the low front ensured an ideal pedaling position and ergonomics. On flat or flowing terrain, the traction mode offered an ideal compromise of grip and propulsion with its 100mm of rear travel. In combination with the Re-verb Stealth from RockShox, the Twinloc lever always provided maximum perfor-mance and efficiency in racing mode, although the synchronized operation requires a little bit of practice. After a long pedaling passage, “riding your butt off,” a sudden downhill appears. Click: full rear travel at hand. After familiari-zation, the fingers find their way to the lever effortlessly. Good accessibility and operability of the lever during a race is crucial. >>

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HELMET Poc Trabec GLASSES Oakley Radar XL JACKET Scott SHORTS Scott AMT PROTECTION Bluegrass Bobcat Knee pad

THE GENIUS IS AN OUTSTANDING TRAIL ROCKET. yet FOR TOUGH ENDURO RACES,

IT LACKS A LITTLE BEEF.

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Downhill: on steep, tight turns that demand precise change of direction, the Genius needs a strong hand on the handlebars with its 440mm long chainstays. Smooth running and stability on the trail? This is where the 650B Genius is at home! Even the slim 2.25er Nob-by Nic Evo tires with Pacestar com-pound surprised us in open turns and off camber trails with sufficient grip. Nevertheless, a large-volume tire would enhance the downhill perfor-mance considerably. Basically the Genius reveals a calm and neutral character – which is lack-ing a little vitality and instinct to play. A severe disadvantage? Probably not for most riders: they benefit from the clear advantages of the 27.5”-con-cept, including better bump absorp-tion and enhanced traction from the tires.Due to the progressive suspension and the big wheels, the Genius passed little challenges effortlessly with its very defined handling. On rougher terrain we hit some bumps: “Comfort? No chance! Fast? Hell yeah!” For less experienced rid-ers (or racers), a plusher suspension action may make more sense, creat-ing a greater feeling of safety in high speed sections.Another tiny flaw: the chassis doesn’t quite seem to work in harmony with-

out some tinkering. The progressive suspension coupled with the relatively linear Fox 34 CTD up front only began working together once we lowered the air pressure in the rear shock about 5 PSI (equals the recommended“soft set up” of the Scott Suspension Setup Tools). An advantage of the soft set up: the angles are slacker, the bottom bracket lower, and the suspension plusher – and thanks to the Twinloc lever, maximum efficiency is guaran-teed at the push of a button. Still, the acceleration is brilliant, even in full-travel-mode.

Conclusion: altogether, the Genius offers a consistent overall perfor-mance. For most riders, it’s a real trail rocket: this is where the Genius will have its main target audience. For racers that desire less travel and tend to prefer a tight set up, the Genius 700 SL is an extremely fast racing machine on more moderate enduro trails. The Genius benefits from fast acceleration and the often confident handling. On more chal-lenging downhills, the Scott is miss-ing some beef and an aggressive downhill-oriented geometry.

FACTS SCOTT GENIUS 700 SL

FRAME: CARBON, 150 MM TRAVELFORK: FOX 34 TALAS FACTORY CTD FIT KASHIMA AIR 150 - 120 MM TRAVELREAR SHOCK: SCOTT / DT NUDE2BRAKES: AVID X0 CARBON, 180 MM / 180 MM DRIVETRAIN: SRAM X0 / XXHANDLEBAR / STEM: SYNCROS FL1.0 CARBONWHEELS: SYNCROS FL1.0 CARBON 650BTELESCOPIC SEAT POST: ROCK SHOX REVERB STEALTHTIRES: SCHWALBE NOBBY NIC EVO 650B X 2.25“ PACESTAR-COMPOUNDSIZES: S / M (TESTED) / L / XL

PRICE: 7499 EUR WEIGHT: 11,80 KG INFO: WWW.SCOTT-SPORTS.COM

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PRO & CON: the light and slim tires from Schwalbe are fast-rolling but reduce the downhill performance. Further-more, wider 27.5” tires would display better rollover qualities even more compared to the 26”.

LOVE FOR DETAIL: the IDS-SL dropouts offer incredible wheel compatibility: 142mm x 12mm, 135mm x 12mm, and 135mm/quick release. We also like the well-placed post mount brake setup.

GEOMETRY SETTINGS: the Flip-Chip on the lower rear shock mount allows an adjustment of the head tube and seat angle of about 0.5°, as well as the height of the bottom bracket by about 6mm.

TWINLOC LEVER SYSTEM: the Twinloc lever al-lows the simultaneous adjustment of the suspen-sion elements. Three positions are possible: open, traction mode (100mm), and locked out.

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ACCESSORIES

BYEWINTER

THE BEST, WARMEST, BRIGHTEST (!) AND CLEVEREST GADGETS TO FIGHT MUD AND WINTER THAT HAVE BEEN ROAMING AROUND

IN OUR OFFICE AND HEADS.

MARSHGUARD. STAY CLEAN, DUDE!There are many different “splashguards,” but none of them are as simple and clever as the MarshGuard. Thanks to its flexible material, this splashguard is combinable with almost any fork and attached in no time with the help of some zip ties. Despite its solid design, it very efficiently catches most splashes that are whirled up from the front wheel: it’s simple, light, and clever. The MarshGuard helps you keep clear vi-sion and is a must-have on wet, muddy days! Since it didn’t bother us – lazy as we are – we kept it on our bike, even on dry days. Of course, this was only in case a nasty mud puddle was to appear…

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SMART: LEZYNE RAP TOOL.A tool specially designed for the winter? Almost! If a little repair should take longer than expected – which is likely to happen every now and then on the way back home (this usually happens to Enduro staff member Manne) – you would be well-equipped with the removable LED light of this multi- tool. Available as a 7-, 14-, and 21-piece tool. www.lezyne.com

17 /20 /30 €

GORE ALP-X 2.0 GORE-TEX ACTIVE JACKET.Wonderland GORE-TEX is putting an end to wet dreams. For most enduro and singletrack riders, the ALP-X 2.0 from Gore’s high-end assortment is a neat way to be protected from the elements. With see-mingly uncountable features, the very light, water-proof, and breathable jacket manages to harmonize minimalistic design with the highest functionality. You can withstand even the most adverse conditi-ons with its body-fit cut and expandable back panel. Discreetly placed reflector stripes keep you safe in the dark and make sure you are seen.

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O‘NEAL WINTER GLOVE.Everyone who wants to avoid riding with Granny’s oven mitts during the cold season is well served with these fluffy warm winter gloves by O’Neal.A water- and wind-resistant coating, as well as thin palms inside, ensures maximum comfort and a perfect fit. www.oneal.com / 40 €

ALL-WEATHER SHOE: SCOTT MTB HEATER.Fashionable shoes are a sensitive issue – and not only for women! But in the cold and muddy seasons, a classic black color and convincing functions, as in the Scott MTB Heater, are sufficient. With its light, water-resistant outer material, and a high rise above the ankle, this shoe is ideal for every sort of weather. Due to its compact and light design, the Heater is mainly meant for temperatures above freezing.

www.scott-sports.com160 €

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LET‘S GET DIRTY: SCHWALBE DIRTY DAN.

Enduro riders are usually looking for the best compromise for the widest array of conditions. With regard to tires, this means the lowest rolling resistance with the best possible grip and safety. At about 920 grams, the Dirty Dan FR in 2.35” is definitely not a lightweight. But what use is a fast rolling light tire filled with mud, barely offering any grip under adverse conditions? Right. No use at all. Our test rider Dan(iel) “threw on” his namesake “dirty” and witnessed Dirty Dan work its magic. With its rough, mud-penetrating lugs, this Schwalbe tire not only guaran-tees security on downhills, but is also

very convenient on muddy uphills. There were parts of the track where his buddies failed miserably and their wheels were spinning, but Daniel passed masterfully – despite his tiny calves. Besides, rolling resistance is relative on muddy tracks. What really counts are grip, guidance, and a not too squishy feeling in the lateral bor-derline when it gets down to harder ground. Lateral curve claws ensure a soft transition while cornering. No sign of losing control! Thanks to a soft Vertstar rubber composition, the Dirty Dan grips well on stone or roots too. Price: € 55.www.schwalbe.de

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LUPINE BETTY R12.

If you have used the early nightfall and long-lasting workdays as a reason to avoid riding, you are now out of ex-cuses: with its brutal 3600 lumen, the Lupine Betty R12 shines stronger than the xenon light of a Porsche Cayenne. The light only weighs 150 grams and can be attached to your helmet or hand-lebar with an optional fixture. Store the battery in your backpack or attach it to your bike. Another nice feature: atta-ched to your seatpost, the diodes of the battery can be used as a backlight. Via radio remote control, you can choose between four individually adjustable le-vels of brightness. Its light-beam is very steady and, thanks to the 26°- radiation angle, illuminates the track broadly and brightly! The Lupine Betty is usable from -30°C up to +55°C. The only excuse not to use it would be the price of €875. But that’s the thing about freedom… www.lupine2013.de

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PEDRO‘S MINI PIT KIT 2.0.One mud puddle after another and no soapy, biki-nied car-wash girl awaiting you and your dirty bike at home?! That’s usually how we feel. For everyone with the same problems of daily life, we suggest Pedro’s Mini Pit Kit 3.0 with all-purpo-se cleaner, degreaser, etc… These gadgets help to foam it up! www.pedros.com

44,5 €

GOPRO HERO3 SILVER EDITION.Recording your winter trip to the warm south for your friends? Now you can record your epic adven-tures better than ever before: GoPro consistently keeps enhancing their popular HERO2 helmet cam and presents the HERO3 Silver Edition as another good reason to use up your Christmas money. In addition to its enhanced image and audio quality, this resilient action camera is now equipped with WLAN and is therefore able to be wirelessly con-trolled via smartphone app or water-resistant mini remote. The extensive supply of accessories and fixtures is unchanged.

www.gopro.com350 €

FREELAP STOPWATCH-KIT.The racing season is over and the next one only starts in a couple of months? What to do during the months in between? Racing, of course… with your buddies on your home tracks. Ideally with the Freelap Stopwatch-Kit: rock-pa-per-scissors will determine who will have to go down to the finish line to position the transmitter to mark the goal. Every rider wears their own watch, which allows them to start with a timer function. Simple, right? That’s how you go from stage to sta-ge puttig together easily a small race…

www.freelap.ch315 €

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EVOC BIKE TRAVEL BAG.The best way to keep your bike protected during the winter would probably be a big bag, just like the Evoc Travel Bag. Pack up your bike, send it down south, and just join it for the flight. The travel bag weighs 8.6 kg and is foldable, offering ideal protection for your bike with its many thoughtful features.It’s sized perfectly: even downhill bikes and 29ers can fit, and only the handlebar, pedals, and wheels need to be detached! Lockable zippers and sturdy wheels for transportation ensure a stress-free and safe trip to the airport!

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CG DIRT DEVIL GAME.For quite some time now, there has existed an en-tertaining bike-game for Android and iOS. Perfect for the lonely winter days of the off-season, “CG Dirt Devil” stands for the downhill-icon Cedric Gracia, who has successfully specialized the game with his “cra-zy Frenchman”-character. The rules of the game are easy to explain: tilt your smartphone to navigate Cedric through a tricky downhill course. Besides the common obstacles, you need to overcome cows, wheelchair users, yetis, groupies willing to procreate (CG is obviously the master of drive-by-mating – try it!) as well as grannies with rolling pins (the groupies’ mothers?). You can crash this seemingly resilient Frenchman three times. After that, it will be ‘game over’ and you will receive a short video message from Cedric with a personalized, usually bitchy comment depending on your success. By the way, there is a high score as well. The Enduro team managed to make it to the 2196 meter mark – who can do better?

www.itunes.apple.com1,80 €

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UVEX G.GL 9 RECON READY.Right before our deadline, we received a package with the UVEX G.GL 9 Recon Ready goggles. They seemed like normal goggles, but their true secret is hidden inside – the RECON MOD Live Sys-tem. These goggles allow you to check your cur-rent speed, traveled distance, and altitude on the integrated mini-LCD display. You can even localize your buddies around you. The goggles are also avai-lable with lenses for the winter so you are perfectly geared up for the next winter vacation. During the upcoming weeks, we will test the goggles and the integrated RECON system. For everyone who can’t wait: the UVEX G.GL 9 RECON Ready is available at your trusted retailer or at: www.uvex-core-range.com

www.uvex-core-range.com

500 €

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PHOTOS OLIVER ROGGENBUCK WORDS DANIEL HÄBERLETRANSLATION LISA GRETEMEIER

WORKOUT – FUN GUARANTEEDWhat’s better than mixing business with pleasure?The sudden and dramatic spread of pump tracks offers exceptional workout conditions for every ambi-tious enduro rider. Pump tracks not only push the fun meter all the way to the top, but also help to impro-ve riding techniques and fitness. All of these are important aspects to make use of during an ordina-ry ride, as well as during a focused workout. Everything that works well on the pump track can be ap-plied off-road. >>

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You begin with the build-up of speed – which the name ‘pump track’ itself al-ready connotes – you have to pump the terrain in order to gain speed. In addition, manualling and jumping improve impor-tant and useful skills that can be trans-ferred well to deep-tread everyday life.

To “read” the terrain and deliberately push to increase speed pays off, since this way is usually faster than dull pedal-ing on hazards. On top of that, it saves you a lot of energy and provides a certain flow to your sequence of movements. The im-

provement of your ability to react, due to the fast series of rollers and berms on a pump track, features another advantage that we can transfer to trail riding.This is where the entire locomotor sys-tem is being trained, especially regard-ing coordination. Legs and arms, as well as upper body and mind, need to be in perfect synchronicity. Sufficient practice and exercise eventual-ly turn everything from being hard work, to automaticity and ease. You loosen up from workout to workout and are able to increase your speed. >>

“PUMP TRACKSARE EXTREMELY USEFUL, ESPECIALLY IN REGARDS TO THE PRECISION AND COORDINATION OF UPPER AND LOWER BODY. IT IS ALSO GOOD CARDIO-TRAINING BECAUSE YOU’RE TOTALLY OUT OF BREATH AFTER ONLY A FEW LAPS.” JEROME CLEMENTZ, TEAM CANNONDALE

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“GENERALLY SPEAKING, IT HELPS YOU WITH ANY KIND OF DISCIPLINE IN MOUN-TAIN BIKING, AS IT IS ALWAYS ABOUT THE MOMENTUM, SEC-TIONS TO RIDE STANDING UP, AND TURNS THAT HAVE EXTREME IMPACT ON YOUR GROUND SPEED. YOUR FLOW IS OF EXTREME IMPORTANCE! YOU USUALLY KNOW THE ENDURO STAGES ONLY PAR-TIALLY, OR NOT AT ALL, WHICH MAKES IT EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TO RIDE SMOOTHLY AND WITH THE GOOD TEMPO THAT COMES THROUGH FLOW.” ANDRE WAGENKNECHT, CUBE ACTION TEAM

Change of direction: a pump track is not a never-ending straight line but a cohesive system with corresponding berms. The right feeling for berms is crucial. Most

people forget or simply do not manage to take advantage of the berms in order to use them as a chance to benefit from momentum or even to accelerate. >>

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“MOST OF ALL, WE RIDE PUMP TRACKS FOR FUN. THE FACT THAT IT IS A PERFECT WORKOUT AT THE SAME TIME IS A PLEASANT SIDE-EFFECT … THE MOUNDS AND ROLLERS ON ENDURO TRACKS ARE DEFINABLY HANDLED FASTER BY PUMPING AND SURFING. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU PRACTICE WELL ON PUMP TRACKS.” CAROLIN & ANITA GEHRIG, TWINS MTB-RACING

No matter whether it’s a single fast round or 15 continuous laps, every-thing varies according to the inten-tion of the individual. This is where the perfect combination of fun and work-out becomes full circle and we forget

about the sweaty smell of monotonous gyms. It isn’t surprising at all, as a refur-bished greenhouse offers a pump track, and therefore first class oppor-tunities to enjoy long winter nights. >>

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WHAT KIND OF BIKE DO I NEED TO RIDE PUMP TRACKS?There is not really a specific answer to this question, as pump tracks can ba-sically be ridden with almost any two-wheeled contraption including BMX, MTB, 20”, 26”, 29”, aluminum, carbon, and steel. Generally, however, we may say that the majority of ambitious pump track riders go for compact 26” hard-tails with suspension forks. We built up such a workout bike, of course including a gentle touch of love for detail. A light and stiff Merida alu-

minum frame (Hardy Team) serves as the basis. Yet again, this is where we apply a gen-eral rule: as much as necessary, as lit-tle as possible. An easily modulated rear brake is totally sufficient for pump-ing, just as you only need a single speed. Our main focus is on light, stiff, and at the same time solid wheels. Our solu-tion: the specifically designed Acros 1G single-speed hubs, combined with DT spokes, aluminum nipples, light rims, Eclipse tubes, and fast rolling Continen-tal Speed King tires. This guarantees

acceleration, stability, and low rotating mass. The front is equipped with a firm tuned RockShox Argyle RC fork. The cockpit is completed by an Acros headset in com-bination with a stem by Renthal, the cult brand based in England. Weight: 9.4 kg without having to make any sacrifices. Is light weight manda-tory? Not necessarily. As soon as the weight fetishism is at the expense of stability and riding quality, this is where the weight negotiation stops– even on pump tracks.

WHAT KIND OF EQUIPMENT DO I NEED TO RIDE PUMP TRACKS?Biking could hardly be any less compli-cated than on pump tracks:A helmet and bike are the only neces-sary tools. Other than that, maintenance of the track, as well as due respect to locals, goes without saying. As soon as you have internalized these basics, you are ready to start pumping and pulling – except maybe for when it’s bad weather. But that’s why we have a roof over our heads for now …

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MERIDA HARDY TEAM

The Hardy Team frame, by Merida (in our case a prototype), not only looks especially neat, but also lives up to its promises: its 1.6 kg offers the perfect basis for a light hardtail. 9.4 kg, including pedals without any risky experiments, speaks for itself. The frame will weigh 1.9 kg for series production (designed for hard dirt tracks).

PRICE: 329,00 EUR (FRAME) WEIGHT: 9,4 KG INFO: WWW.MERIDA-BIKES.COM

THE COCKPIT: Renthal Fatbar and Duo stem, Avid Elixir Carbon brakes, carbon spacer and an Acros head-set. A matte black RockShox Argyle, tightly tuned, paves the way ahead. What else could you ask for?

THE WHEELS: Continental Speed King – this tire delivers as promised. And as the bottom line of deca-dence: 59g Eclipse tubes. The Acros 1G VR hubs go without a disk brake system, providing a greater flange distance and more stability, despite the radial lacing design.

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PHOTOS FABIAN RAPP WORDS FABIAN SCHOLZTRANSLATION LISA GRETEMEIER

TESTING THE MOREWOOD JABULA

THE NAME MOREWOOD HAS REPRESENTED SINGLE

PIVOT SUSPENSION SYSTEMS AND MASSIVE SQUARE

TUBES FOR MANY YEARS NOW. 2013 WILL BE THE YEAR

THE SOUTH AFRICAN BIKE MANUFACTURER INTRODUC-

ES ITS FIRST AND LONG-AWAITED SPLIT PIVOT DESIGN

TO THE MARKET.

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In cooperation with kinematics guru Dave Weagle, Morewood developed the Jabula, a bike completely differ-ent from the usual designs of the com-pany. The Jabula utilizes extensive hydro-forming, carbon fiber seatstays, and split pivot design – just a few of its many fundamental innovations. The split pivot design is supposed to mini-mize pedaling influences during accel-eration. So much for theory – how does the Jabula perform in practice?

Plug & play: as soon as we held the Jabula in our hands, we took it out for a spontaneous enduro race in bike park Beerfelden in southern Germany. In the end, second place marked a successful debut for the Jabula.One of the keys to its success are the high-quality components of the 5000-Euro bike, including highlights like the BOS Deville fork and a Cane Creek Dou-ble Barrel Air shock which provides 170 mm of rear wheel travel. All the oth-er features, like the DT Swiss EX 1750 wheels, light Schwalbe Hans Dampf tires, Formula’s snappy The One brakes, the SRAM X0 crankset, the telescop-ic RockShox Reverb seatpost, and the Spank cockpit parts complete the over-all package. “Jabula” is Zulu and basically means “to be happy.” It seemed like we had a little less luck with our second test ride – but let’s start at the beginning.

The slightly high but central seating po-sition provides a solid feel-good factor. The balanced geometry, made up of a 66.5° head tube angle and other solid numbers, shows that the bike is de-signed for fun on enduro tours and in the bike park, rather than for the abso-lute extreme. The 433mm short chainstays equip the Jabula with sufficient agility and friski-ness, but at the same time offer a sol-id smoothness in high-speed sections. The Jabula only requires little effort in fast curvy sections or to get onto the rear wheel.The crew had to face unexpected com-plications with the BOS fork and the Cane Creek suspension. In fact, the BOS Deville failed after only one day due to a defective damping unit. Thanks to the fast reaction of the German distribu-tor Sports Nut, we were provided with an exchange fork in no time, which then managed to win us over with its famil-iar and particularly sensitive response characteristics. According to Sports Nut, the French BOS headquarters de-tected the cause of the defective damp-ing in the inside of the fork and rectified the flaws of all the affected forks.The Morewood’s suspension setup proved to be quite demanding regarding its handling at the beginning of the test rides. The cause for this was the Double Barrel Air shock, which is equipped with five external setup options, >>

HELMET iXS Metis GOOGLE POC Iris DH JERSEY iXS Crappus BC SHORTS POC Flow PROTECTION iXS SLOPE-SERIES EVO Knee pads

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allowing the Jabula to be adjusted to any imaginable requirement. This is possi-ble because of the high- and low-speed compression, high- and low-speed re-bound, and the air spring adjustment. However, even after countless adjust-ment trials, the Cane Creek tuning seemed inappropriate for Jabula’s kine-matics: we found it was too progressive and it was not possible to take advan-tage of the entire travel, even with ex-treme levels of sag. After consultation with Cane Creek, we established that the shock was from a faulty batch and was equipped with too little air capacity. After fitting a flawless exchange shock, the suspension was able to fully exploit its performance. The time-consuming basic setup paid off: the rear suspension has been impres-sive ever since, and with its lush damp-ing performance the rear wheel was ba-sically glued to the ground. Despite its great downhill performance, we noticed some pedaling influences

on the rear suspension during uphills. This was mainly noticeable in the small chainring and during out-of-saddle ped-aling. While pedaling in the saddle, the bobbing was hardly noticeable. One thing is certain: the rear suspension is especially designed for ideal downhill performances, and that’s why we have to lower our expectations slightly re-garding pedaling

Bottom line: The rather neatly equipped Jabula was not able to completely meet the high expectations of the test crew in practice. One of the reasons might have been the numerous attempts un-til the Morewood was able to show off its performance abilities and qualities. With its 170mm of suspension travel and masterful handling, it definitely has a focus on heading downhill. Bike park, home track, or alpine freeride trails constitute the Jabula’s exper-tise. This is where the Jabula lives up to its name!

FACTS MOREWOOD JABULA

FRAME: ALU, CARBON SEATSTAYS, 170 MM TRAVELFORK: BOS DEVILLE 170 MM TRAVELREAR SHOCK: CANE CREEK DOUBLE BARREL AIRBRAKES: FORMULA THE ONE, 203 MM / 180 MM DRIVE TRAIN: SRAM X0 / 2X10HANDLEBAR / STEM: SPANK SUBROSA 747 MM / OOZY 60 MMWHEELS: DT SWISS EX1750 TELESCOPIC SEATPOST: ROCK SHOX REVERBTIRES: SCHWALBE HANS DAMPF 2.25“ PACESTAR-COMPOUNDSIZES: S / M (TESTED) / L / XL

PRICE: 4999 EUR WEIGHT: 14,10 KG INFO: WWW.MOREWOODBIKES.COM

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➤ BOS DEVILLE: usually synonymous with and guaranteed for the best perfor-mances, the French fork’s damping fai-led twice during this time’s test runs. After exchanging the fork, everything was back to normal: top-notch!

➤ SPLIT PIVOT DESIGN: The split pivot rear suspension scores with nice bump absorpti-on and hardly stiffened during braking – in contrast to the clas-sic Morewood single pivot rear ends. Complaints: the accele-ration influences in the small chainring and during out-of-saddle pedaling. But let’s be honest: the Jabula is not meant to be a mountain goat!

CANE CREEK DOUBLE BARREL AIR: a plethora of adjustments for everyone, or is this overkill? Even some of the testers thought this had too many options for enduro. “In con-trast to downhill, you ride so many different tracks within a really short time frame in enduro, which neither makes perfect fine tuning possible nor reasonable.”

➤

SPANK OOZY STEM: the mounting of this light all-mountain

stem unfortunately did not manage to keep the handlebar reliably on track

during the test. The construction, with only one screw at the steerer tube, cau-

sed concerns for some of the testers.

➤

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OCTOBER 2012 IN DAVOS, THE SWISS ALPS. WE ARE ON OUR WAY WITH A

SCOTT GENIUS, MOREWOOD JABULA, AND THE TREK RUMBLEFISH PRO!

YOU READ CORRECTLY, WITH THE TREK RUMBLEFISH: THREE BIKES, THREE CATEGORIES, AND NOW ONE GOAL:

FOTO FABIAN RAPP TEXT MAX-PHILIP SCHMITTTRANSLATION MICHAELA JAMMERS

CONTENT05

8

you had another inch of rear travel at hand. This was not least because of the DRCV suspension technology built into the Trek, which ensured linear spring characteristics providing a harmonic feeling of the suspension. Don’t under-estimate the need for more pressure on the 29 inch front wheel to push it through tight curves. After a couple of hundred meters of downhill there was

the first climb. With its comfortable and sporty seating position, the Rumblefish climbs very efficiently. Quick acceleration, even though the sus-pension is fairly pedal-neutral ,seems a little dull due to the big wheels. Thanks to the more efficient roll-over charac-teristics of the big wheels, obstacles on climbs or rough terrain can be left be-hind effortlessly.

We were particularly excited about the Trek Rumblefish with its 29” wheels, but – to be quite honest – a little nerv-ous as well. Before we even started, there was a bit of a fight over the other two bikes. No-body wanted to go downhill in alpine terrain on a 29er with only 120mm of travel. As it turned out, after the first turn the Trek was already lots of fun on

the primarily flowing and open trails. That’s when we got excited about tak-ing the first more technical and steeper sections. Especially in those more chal-lenging technical sections, the big 29 inch wheels were a plus. They created security throughout the steeper parts of the trail, and offered a bit more riding comfort and a smoother feel in rough terrain. You could have easily thought

CONCLUSION: The Trek Rumblefish Pro was a convincing trail and single-track bike with its linear suspension and balanced geometry. A telescopic seat post, as well as a shorter and wider stem/bar combo, would push the fun factor even more.

FULL FORCE: The DRCV technology combines two air chambers and therefore the advantages of a low volume rear shock while pedaling with the features of a high volume rear shock on big hits: efficiency and good bump absorption in one package.

PRICE: 3999 €WEIGHT: 12,8 KgINFO: www.trekbikes.com

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WITH THE FIRST GERMAN ENDURO SEASON OVER, ALL ENDURO NEWBIES PROB-ABLY HAD TO FIND OUT WHERE THEIR STRENGTHS LIE – AND ESPECIALLY WHERE

THEY DON’T. BY TAKING THE CUBE ACTION TEAM RIDERS ANDRÉ WAGENKNECHT AND LUDWIG DÖHL AS EXAMPLES, WE WANT TO PROVE THAT THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A UNIVERSAL FORMULA, BUT THAT IT IS UP TO EACH INDIVIDUAL TO WORK ON HIS OR HER OWN WEAKNESSES. JUST LIKE LUDWIG AND ANDRÉ: THE FIRST AN EX-CROSS-

COUNTRY RIDER, AND THE LATTER AN EX-DOWNHILL RIDER …

ELIMINATEELIMINATE

Y O U R W E A K N E S S E S

TIME TO

ILLUSTRATIONS ALBERT ESCODA WORDS ANDRÉ WAGENKNECHTTRANSLATION LISA GRETEMEIER

CONTENT06

2

Ludwig DöhlSkills over endurance„As I come from a cross-country back-ground, my training during the last few years was pretty much focused on en-durance. Even though I still pedaled many kilometers on a racing bike this spring, I continuously increased my units on a mountain bike as the season was approaching, usually with interval train-ing. Generally speaking, I kind of slacked on my endurance training in order to polish my biking technique. Still, this doesn’t mean that I don’t do long rides anymore or that I only chill out at the bike park. In fact, it only means that my training is now a lot more multifaceted. One thing I’ve changed, for example, is that I ride technical sections on single-tracks several times, in order to find the perfect line or to try to ride more fluently by purposely pedaling less and trying to generate speed by pumping. Whereas I used to ride the whole trail full speed, I now take more time and try to per-fect my riding style. Overall, I would say that I increasingly play with the terrain, also because an enduro bike has a lot more to offer compared to my hardtail. Nevertheless, I plan on participating in a marathon race or two during the upcom-ing year in order not to lose my fitness.“

Line choice“I was facing some problems regarding line choice at the beginning of the sea-

son. I had never owned a fully before and I used to cope with the downhills in cross-country by adhering to the motto ‘save energy and relax.’ In enduro, it was suddenly all about tenths of a second and not about cutting in on someone. An example par excellence for this was when André and I were riding the down-hill track in Winterberg, Germany. Arriv-ing at the bottom of the trail, I told him he was riding like a beginner because I had loads of space to overtake in every sin-gle turn. During our second test run, we stopped at all the elementary spots and he explained to me why he decided to ride one specific line. With every following key spot, I understood more and more what it was all about. It is not about making your way against hundreds of competitors, but about getting as much speed out of the turns as possible to master the trail as smoothly as possible.”

High-speed sections & jumps“Another relic from my hardtail times is my inhibition regarding large jumps or extremely fast sections. Even though I manage to jump almost anything at a race, it always costs quite a mental ef-fort. During workouts at home, I usu-ally do not manage to force myself and therefore skip the jumps. When riding with team colleagues, we tend to push each other. Normally, André rides first, because he has the soundest riding style and >>

Open your eyes to chose the perfect line! It saves a lot of effort, it allows

taking more speed through corners and

reduces wear and tear on your bike!

064

the most practice in enduro. He can ac-tually get me to do difficult jumps and, most of the time, I think he is less com-fortable with doing that than I am myself. I want to ride more with the downhill bike next year, and I might actually compete in a downhill race or two in order to gain confidence in speed and jumps.

Concentration“When I started racing enduro, I might have been able to ride single sections pretty fast, but I used to crash on almost every stage as well. This was partly due to the fact that I was not used to these high

speeds, and also due to a lack of con-centration. Instead of completely focus-ing my concentration on myself and the track, I sometimes even checked out the spectators next to the track. Even though it is extremely hard to train ‘concentra-tion,’ I found a couple of ways that work for me. You simply have to find some re-ally difficult things that need your entire concentration to actually succeed. And by these ‘really difficult things,’ I do not mean big drops or challenging trails, but rather things like juggling or slack-lining. I often even combine different ex-ercises with one another.

For instance, I juggle with three balls while I balance on a large stability ball. If I do not entirely concentrate during this exercise, I slip off the ball. This is exactly the kind of concentration I need during the start and throughout a race to com-plete a smooth and flawless ride.”

André Wagenknecht“To be honest, during my time as a down-hill rider, I never used to be a ‘workout-nerd,’ unfortunately. Instead, I was one of the guys who were looking for their free-dom, even during biking. It was always important to me to do exactly what I felt

like. During the junior years, we already had workout timetables, but I realized eventually that I was not exactly that kind of guy and that the mind plays a big role, too. Therefore, the motto was ‘be fit and have fun’ – somehow, the plan worked out. Changing over to enduro was a new challenge for me. The biking itself hasn’t changed – it is still all about time – but new aspects have been added. And then there was the great BAMMMMM! Damn it! I really need to be fit for only three to four minutes. I definitely imagined the shift to enduro to be a lot easier. >>

“WE HAVE TALKED QUITE A LOT ABOUT THE INDIVIDUALLY LAID OUT WORKOUT SESSIONS AND CAME TO THE CONCLU-SION THAT THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A UNIVERSAL FORMULA. EVERYONE HAS TO PURSUE THEIR PERSONAL OBJECTIVE.”André Wagenknecht, about specific enduro training

ELIMINATEELIMINATE

Y O U R W E A K N E S S E S

TIME TO

066

I had always been doing just fine with my fitness on short stages, but as soon as they got a little longer I was totally screwed. In my opinion, a very well trained rider with a good technique is generally faster than the best rider (technically speak-ing) with only moderate fitness.For me, this means that I have to catch up to Ludwig, regarding fitness, where-as he has to pick up some more techni-cal skills. So in the end, we complement

each other pretty well. I haven’t had a good and enjoyable season like this one for a very long time, which is the result of the extremely positive atmosphere throughout the team. Ludwig and I are now looking for some motivation for the winter season. This also means getting off of the bike and onto the skis (Nor-dic and alpine) for once. Runners and swimming trunks will find use, just like the ‘half-a-liter-beer-measurements’ for the brain!”

“I WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO SUFFER THROUGH THE WINTER IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT STAGES. THE MOST DIFFICULT PART ABOUT IT IS TO CONQUER ONE’S WEAKER SELF.”André Wagenknecht, commenting on his winter workout plans

068

ANDRÉ’S WORKOUT TIPS“To stay fit over the winter, I often do some easy and simple exercises, which everyone can basically do at home. The most difficult part is to actually conquer your weaker self. I basically work with my own body weight; I neither use weights nor fitness machines. All I use as a training aid is the ‘Blackroll’ to strengthen proprioception. All exercises with three sets of twenty repetitions and a continuous increase of the number of rep-etitions in the course of the winter. I cur-

rently train at a lower intensity level, mean-ing easy rides or runs in combination with

a couple of exercises for stomach, legs, shoulders and back. For this, I currently only use my body weight, a stability ball

and light weights. I set a maximum of three times a week for the exercises, with three to four sets each. To train my stamina, I usu-ally bike, go running, or cross-country ski-ing three days in a row, followed by a break for a day or two. At the moment, I basically

train for the workout. This means that I am currently only under a little amount of stress, which relaxes me for the upcoming workouts. You actually lose more through-out the season than you might think. You

tend to get stiff and stressed. We’ll do a per-formance test in December. It’ll get more

intense after that ...”

VARYING PUSH-UPSFor this, the Blackroll is

positioned under the toes. I usually start by support-ing myself with my hands

shoulder distance apart and then decrease the distance

between my hands with each set. The closer the

hands come together, the more the forearm muscle

is trained.

PULL-UPSI hold my hands on the pull-up bar just like I hold the handlebar on a

bike. Make sure that the grip is simi-lar to your grip on a handlebar. Eve-ryone holding the bar the other way around only trains the biceps, and not the desired entire upper body. Again, I vary the distance between

the arms. The farther the hands are apart, the meaner and harder

the exercise.

SIT-UPSFor this exercise, I put the

Blackroll underneath my butt and do ‘simple’ sit-ups. I vary this exercise by turning the

upper body either left or right.

LATERAL PUSH-UPSThis exercise is done by

supporting myself with one forearm on the ground and my ankle positioned on the Black-roll. I move my hip up and down from the ground. This is a very

good exercise for the lateral back muscles. Make sure to stay straight and, just like all the other exercises, do them

smoothly.

SINGLE LEG SQUATSSingle leg squats are a mixture of strength and balance exer-

cises. Precise movement is es-sential, because otherwise this

exercise can be harmful for the knee joints. I always try to keep the knee behind the toes when squatting down and I lift the non-weight bearing leg to

the front.

070

The Spanish La Fenasosa bike park is a paradise fit for royalty. Here, the blend of cultures

not only represents the owners, but also applies in a metaphorical sense.

This is where German professionalism meets the Swiss love for detail, Mediterranean

atmosphere, and Spanish food – prepared, organized, and lived by a Belgian.

PHOTOS & WORDS ROBIN SCHMITTTRANSLATION LISA GRETEMEIER

CONTENTLiving like

in

SPAIN

KINGSKINGS

072

THE BASE OF PARADISE.

“El Jefe” of the bike park, Jean-Philippe, is a man who lives without compromises – at least when it comes to the well-being of his guests.For about five years now, the former Moto GP racer has run the park on his private property near Alicante: an estate with a small castle on 1, 000 hectares of land. The castle offers a royal accom-modation to its visitors, where they can socialize and be provided with home-made specialties, house wine, and – if they are lucky – freshly collected mush-rooms. We were lucky! Another culi-nary highlight is the Valencian paella for lunch.Pretty knightly and rustic – like ancient times… qualities you often miss nowa-days. But it is still exactly what you wish

for in the postmodern era. No electric-ity at night, but instead dark and peace-ful solitude. A country lifestyle, isolated from civilization. However, WLAN has been installed recently. This much flair lets you forget about the main purpose of your stay pretty easily: biking. The property offers numerous demanding enduro trails, as well as various ways of getting uphill. The most convenient one is the shuttle to the peak, operated by former military trucks. Riders organize side by side with one another, everyone in their modern knight’s armor, ready to defeat the mountain. We decided to go for the “real” enduro, pedaling power and open face helmet – although we did make use of the shuttle service every now and then. >>

074

SPANISH LEGEND JACOBO SANTANA WAS A DOWNHILLEROF THE FIRST DAYS. AFTER TEN YEARS OF ABSTINENCE, HE IS BACK WITH ENDURO.

076

The first day was dedicated to settling in: the rugged rocks and larger jumps offer challenges and ideal workout conditions for enduro riders. From natural trails via north-shore bridges and wood parks up to table lines – there is enough for every taste. La Fenasosa has a lot to offer. The bike park follows the same principle as its owner and operator Jean-Philippe: “If you go biking, then enjoy it 100%.”

“EL JEFE” HIMSELF SERVING PAELLA

078

080

GOOD TIMES, THE FINEST MEALS & BEST POSSIBLE COMPANY INCLUDED: LA FENASOSA IS A PLACE YOU’D LIKE TO COME BACK TO.

BEST TIME FOR TRAVELING: SPRING AND FALL. CLOSED IN AUGUST, DUE TO HEAT TRACKS: MORE THAN 10 TRACKS SUITABLE FOR ENDUROACCOMODATION: IN A 19TH CENTURY CASTLE, LOCATED DIRECTLY ON THE PREMISES. BOARD AND LODGING 115 € / DAY AND PERSON OR 170 € / DAY AND DOUBLE ROOMPRICE: 16 EURO / DAY FOR TERRAIN ACCESS. 15 EURO / DAY FOR SHUTTLEJOURNEY: BY PLANE TO ALICANTE, PICKUP ON REQUEST CONTACT: WWW.LAFENASOSA.COM

INFO GUIDE LA FENASOSA

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CONTENT84

IN 2012 AT THE SUPERENDURO IN FINALE LIGURE, A WINNER YET AGAIN HAD TO BE FOUND. BUT THIS YEAR’S CENTER OF ATTENTION WAS NOT THE RACE ITSELF, IT WAS THE YEAR 2013 AND THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION … PHOTOS MATTEO CAPPE / SUPERENDUROMTB.COM

WORDS ROBIN SCHMITTTRANSLATION MICHAELA JAMMERS

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What will happen in 2013? Who is go-ing to ride for which team? Is there go-ing to be an enduro world series and if there is, who is going to be in charge? This year’s paddock was full of rumors, strategies, and (still) secret bike tech-

nologies for the upcoming year. Except for the occasional one, the “who’s who” of the enduro scene was present. It was pretty obvious: 2013 had already start-ed in their heads, in their planning, and also in concrete agreements. Those of

you who have followed the Italian Su-perEnduro series have noticed that the technical, physical, and mental require-ments have increased proportionally to the racing teams. Is this an event solely for pros now? Probably not. But still, a

strong tendency towards professional-izing everything seems to be the goal of organizer Enrico Guala. “Enduro is a very serious business – there are brands out there investing millions of dollars in this sector,” stated Enrico >>

88

in a serious tone during an interview that lasted for several hours. In the en-tire hubbub about the alleged cancella-tion of the enduro world cup by the UCI, a lot has been lost in translation. Shout outs for an alternative “world series” were arising. Even organizers unfamil-iar with the enduro scene showed great interest. Temporarily, it almost looked like there

were formations of different groups which were all working on their own world series – a great risk, which could make the whole progress and credibility of this sport suffer. Once the switch has been changed and the train has passed, it will take a lot of time to get that train back on track. An immediate turn is not possible. That’s why fast reaction was crucial.

Said and done! Under the overall con-trol of the former UCI coordinator Chris Ball, Enrico Guala (SuperEnduro), Fred Glo (Coupe de France), and Darren Kin-naird (Crankworx Events Inc.) founded the Enduro Mountain Bike Association in October, which will organize the en-duro world series in 2013. The rapid de-velopment of enduro as a sport is seen in the pro riders’ times: three stages

were almost identical to the prior year, some even longer or slower. Neverthe-less, the times of the pro riders were up to 30 seconds (!) faster than in 2011.

In a nutshell: 2013 can come and, thanks to the enduro world series, is going to be even more exciting. Rapidly increas-ing standards, support, and interest go without saying.

3 PEOPLE, 2 OPINIONS, AND 1 VISION: Chris Roberts (www.nakedracing.com) and Enrico Guala (on the picture with Franco) both wanted an en-duro world series for 2013. Under the overall control of Chris Ball, Enrico Guala (SuperEnduro), Fred Glo (Coupe de France), and Darren Kinnaird (Crankworx Events Inc.)

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INTENSE UNTIL THE VERY END: As opposed to downhill, cross country, or marathon, you don’t know where you are placed until the very end. Even better to be standing on the podium afterwards: Dan Atherton (GT), Davide Sottocornola (Ibis), and Curtis Keene (Specialized).

ENDURO IS NO LONGER A FOOTNOTE: Full Expo areas and more than 500 participants speak for itself. The major issue for the organizers: making everyone happy from the world elite all the way to the amateurs. Stages, time limits of the transfer stages, and the order in which to start need to be calculated precisely.

FULL OF RUMORS & SPECULATIONS: Extensive talks, negotiations, and discussions about enduro and the upcoming season defined the topic at the dinner table, during long nights, and any other time.No surprise, ACC (Ibis) won the women‘s category.

NOW OR NEVER: Enrico shows the flag for enduro and the world series. He is authentically and honestly dea-ling with the topic – the opposite to the current Pinoc-chio-mascot of the UCI. Together with Chris Ball and two other organizers, Enrico is running the EMBA.

ROBIN SCHMITTCurrently situated in Barcelona, Robin and the creative cluster around the Blackmedia crew and Cero Design are preparing quite a lot that will impress you guys. Oh, and don’t worry: silly 3D glasses are not a necessity for that …

HEROES OF WORKMAX-PHILIP SCHMITT While his dear brother is totally losing it in Spain, Max is occupied with moving, organizing, and preparing for Downtown Magazine #03. All of his leftover brain cells are dealing with the new Design & Innovation Award …

CHRISTIAN LÄMMLE Even though this issue has just been released, Chris has (also) recently used his grey matter for something else … of course for our benefit. Find out more about that, shortly! Note: It’s going to be awesome! WWW.LAEMMLEDESIGN.COM

DANIEL HÄBERLE Pumping iron like a madman. If Daniel would spend as much time at the gym as he does on the pump track, he would probably have broader shoulders than Arnold Schwarzenegger. But he is fit nonetheless: see you next year, at the races!

FABIAN RAPP Boooom! The one and only. Chasing down the hills with us in Davos like there’s no tomorrow and still manages to pull the finest pics out of his hat – excuse me – camera! Helmets off! Oops, I mean hats off! WWW.FABIANRAPP.COM

FABIAN SCHOLZMaster of design, mechanical engineer, god of the pump tracks, and consistent top 10 competitor at enduro races – Fabi’s skills are undeniable. That’s why he took the Morewood for a spin and chased down the pump track with the Merida.

AARON STEINKE A man well aware of compromises: in addition to his university studies, Aaron works full-time for Enduro – hopefully with a completed degree in 2013. He uni-fies his IT and editing knowledge with his merciless enthusiasm for bikes. Let’s go!

ANDRE WAGENKNECHT Fast action: the charismatic Cube Action Team rider provided us with an awesome and straightforward workout story in no time: there is no such thing as a “simple” solution.

OLIVER ROGGENBUCK Indoor – outdoor? Doesn’t matter! It’s the photos that count in the end. Like the ones in the pump track story and on the acces-sories pages. He brings along fresh spirit and a good eye to enrich our magazine! WWW.ROGGENBUCK-PHOTODESIGN.DE

THE PEOPLEBEHIND THIS ISSUE

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WANT TO BECOME A COOPERATION PARTNER? MAIL US: MPSCHMITT@ENDURO-MTB.COM

SPECIAL THANKS TO: BASTIAN DIETZ

MAP OF COOPERATION PARTNERS ENDURO

01

02

04

03

08

12

11

05

19

09

13

06

14

14

10

13

EUROPE

17

18

20

21

15

ASIAAMERICA

11

MAP OF COOPERATION PARTNERS ENDURO WANT TO BECOME A COOPERATION PARTNER? MAIL US: MPSCHMITT@ENDURO-MTB.COM

13

07

23

24

25

ACROS www.acros.demail@acros.de

BLUEGRASSwww.bluegrasseagle.combluegrass@bluegrasseagle.com

CONTINENTALwww.conti-online.com2wheel.marketing@conti.de

ECLIPSEwww.eclipse.checlipseswiss@gmail.com

EVOCwww.evocsports.cominfo@evocsports.com

FREELAPwww.freelap.chcontact@freelap.ch

GOPROwww.gopro.comsupport@gopro.com

GOREwww.goreapparel.decustomercare@eu.goreapparel.com

LEZYNEwww.lezyne.cominfo@lezyne.com

LUPINEwww.lupine2013.deinfo@lupine.de

IXSwww.hostettler.demarcel.ulrich@ixs.com

MARSHGUARDwww.marshguard.commarshguard@gmail.com

MERIDAwww.merida-bikes.comPhone: +886-4-8526171

MOREWOODwww.morewoodbikes.cominfo@morewoodbikes.com

OAKLEYwww.oakley.comcustomercare-europe@oakley.com

O‘NEALwww.oneal.comsales@oneal.com

PEDROSwww.pedros.compedrosmail@pedros.com

POCwww.pocsports.cominfo@pocsports.com

RENTHALwww.renthal.commail@renthal.com

ROCK SHOXwww.sram.comPhone: +1-312-664-8800

SRAMwww.sram.comPhone: +1-312-664-8800

SCHWALBEwww.schwalbe.deinfo@schwalbe.com

SCOTTwww.scott-sports.comPhone: +41 26 460 16 16

TREKwww.trekbikes.comsupport@trekbikes.com

RESOURCES PRODUCTSISSUE #002

CONTENT98

MASTHEAD

Enduro is a free digital mountainbike magazine that comes out six times per year. EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT41 Publishing & Marketing UG Rutesheimer Strasse 40 71229 Leonberg Deutschlandinfo@enduro-mtb.com www.enduro-mtb.com DIRECTORS Robin Schmitt & Max-Philip Schmitt EDITORS Daniel Häberle, Aaron Steinke, Fabian Scholz, Florian Storch,Fabian Arzberger, Ferdinand Brunold, Trevor Worsey, André Wagenknecht, Patrick Sauter DESIGN & POSTPRODUCTION Christian Lämmle (www.laemmledesign.com) PHOTOGRAPHERSFabian Rapp, Oliver Roggenbuck, Tom Bause,Sebas Romero, Daniel Geiger, Sebastian Schieck,Irmo Keizer, Matteo Cappé, Manfred Stromberg,Philip Ruopp, Hoshi Yoshida

ILLUSTRATIONSAlbert Escoda WEBSITEAaron Steinke

COMMUNICATION & SOCIAL MEDIAManfred Schmitt

TRANSLATIONLisa Gretemeier, Michaela Jammers

REVISIONJohn Morse, Trevor Worsey SPECIAL THANKS Johann Flickinger (www.wmcc.de) ADVERTISING Max-Philip Schmitt mpschmitt@enduro-mtb.com+49 177 5992289

© 2012 BY 41 PUBLISHING & MARKETING UG. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.NO PART OF

THIS DOCUMENT OR THE RELATED FILES MAY BE REPRODUCED OR TRANSMITTED

IN ANY FORM, BY ANY MEANS (ELECTRONIC, PHOTOCOPYING,

RECORDING, OR OTHERWISE) WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF

THE PUBLISHER.

CONTENT

AMAZING THINGS WILL HAPPEN!everything you have to know, must have, and may need in 2013

www.enduro-mtb.com

Enduro #003 will come out in March 2013

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