Hey lads and laddettes, figured I'd do a show and tell of my lesser known almighty Enduro rig which entered the stable on Friday afternoon.
So, bike is a 2015 Focus SAM 1.0 Trail Team, size large. Tips the scales at 13ish kg which is impressive for an alloy frame dripping with expensive things...
It's got an XX1 drivetrain with a 32t ring which has been amazing for the climbs, Guide RSC's (200mm F + 180mm R), Pikes (drool worthy, big step up from worn out 34's), Monarch Plus and Reynolds AM27.5 Black label carbon hoops.
Goddamn this thing goes like a cut snake. Everything I've ridden in the 2 days I have owned it is literally a toasted marshmallow, it pedals pretty darn well and as soon as it points downhill it gets super rowdy and is an absolute blast to ride. All my DH strava times have been beaten without even trying....
Will post here as I put it through some races and proper miles, but so far, impressed! I'll be at Rd5 Mt Joyce Enduro this weekend, grey Focus team kit and this mighty fine rig so feel free to come say hey!
Cheers,
Nitro
RIDE REPORT:
So I went out to Mt Joyce for practice today with a mate and his dad, and we cruised around on some of the stages for tomorrow's Enduro. Really cool to go out and hang with a couple of rad guys and learn the trails which are not familiar at all. And that's where I learned....
THIS THING IS A ROCKET!
It climbs relatively well for a pretty burly setup. The very sharp angled seat post was strange at first and while on paper the wheelbase is a bees member shorter than a bus it feels quite the opposite. You don't sit in this thing, you sit on it. The Monarch firms up well in the middle and firm setting, and there is very little pedal feedback and it has so much grip on all surfaces attempted so far. 25psi in the Mountain King is plenty and it doesn't squirm on the Reynold's rims, which are sublime and tough! 22 in the Trail King is heaps, and the wider wheels give buckets of contact patch and look the goods.
Speaking of pedalling, the XX1 has been performing well so far, no chain slap and it shifts nicely. It's not so happy dropping into the 10 tooth, seems to be quite a delay before the gear engages, which is something I'll have to attend to. 32 tooth ring rocks!
Now the fun stuff - the downhill. If you want to chunder down a section, no complaints. Want to go wild and lily pad? Go for it. It rips! Once the Guides bedded in, it went from confident descender to yelling and screeching and re learning what I love about All Mountain riding. It didn't try to buck me off - 30% sag in the Monarch + leaves plenty of travel in reserve but still has enough squish to turn the logs on Blackrock into toasted marshmallows. In fact it turns every damn thing into a toasted marshmallow. Plush? I THINK YES! The Pikes are glorious and very well behaved, and with minimal tuning time and overall time in the saddle this is more planted than my Makulu... and that's saying something. And the jumps! Oh my lawd the jumps. Hucking and a tweaking and a whip the shiz out of that!
So with minimal time in the blunt axe resembling Tundra (which is OUT OF HERE soon ish), I'm over the moon with this bloody thing and while it hasn't taken me to school and said HELL NAW yet I don't think it's about to any time soon, it is seriously going to take a hell of a lot to push the SAM out of it's comfort zone.
I also named it, as I do, because I'm weird like that, so Spirit (in the Spirit of ALL MOUNTAIN) is definitely a keeper. I give 9.99/10. Make that 10 tooth a snappy shift and 10/10.
If you're looking for a new 160mm beast to add to the stable... check this sucker out. Definitely a looker!
So, bike is a 2015 Focus SAM 1.0 Trail Team, size large. Tips the scales at 13ish kg which is impressive for an alloy frame dripping with expensive things...
It's got an XX1 drivetrain with a 32t ring which has been amazing for the climbs, Guide RSC's (200mm F + 180mm R), Pikes (drool worthy, big step up from worn out 34's), Monarch Plus and Reynolds AM27.5 Black label carbon hoops.
Goddamn this thing goes like a cut snake. Everything I've ridden in the 2 days I have owned it is literally a toasted marshmallow, it pedals pretty darn well and as soon as it points downhill it gets super rowdy and is an absolute blast to ride. All my DH strava times have been beaten without even trying....
Will post here as I put it through some races and proper miles, but so far, impressed! I'll be at Rd5 Mt Joyce Enduro this weekend, grey Focus team kit and this mighty fine rig so feel free to come say hey!
Cheers,
Nitro
RIDE REPORT:
So I went out to Mt Joyce for practice today with a mate and his dad, and we cruised around on some of the stages for tomorrow's Enduro. Really cool to go out and hang with a couple of rad guys and learn the trails which are not familiar at all. And that's where I learned....
THIS THING IS A ROCKET!
It climbs relatively well for a pretty burly setup. The very sharp angled seat post was strange at first and while on paper the wheelbase is a bees member shorter than a bus it feels quite the opposite. You don't sit in this thing, you sit on it. The Monarch firms up well in the middle and firm setting, and there is very little pedal feedback and it has so much grip on all surfaces attempted so far. 25psi in the Mountain King is plenty and it doesn't squirm on the Reynold's rims, which are sublime and tough! 22 in the Trail King is heaps, and the wider wheels give buckets of contact patch and look the goods.
Speaking of pedalling, the XX1 has been performing well so far, no chain slap and it shifts nicely. It's not so happy dropping into the 10 tooth, seems to be quite a delay before the gear engages, which is something I'll have to attend to. 32 tooth ring rocks!
Now the fun stuff - the downhill. If you want to chunder down a section, no complaints. Want to go wild and lily pad? Go for it. It rips! Once the Guides bedded in, it went from confident descender to yelling and screeching and re learning what I love about All Mountain riding. It didn't try to buck me off - 30% sag in the Monarch + leaves plenty of travel in reserve but still has enough squish to turn the logs on Blackrock into toasted marshmallows. In fact it turns every damn thing into a toasted marshmallow. Plush? I THINK YES! The Pikes are glorious and very well behaved, and with minimal tuning time and overall time in the saddle this is more planted than my Makulu... and that's saying something. And the jumps! Oh my lawd the jumps. Hucking and a tweaking and a whip the shiz out of that!
So with minimal time in the blunt axe resembling Tundra (which is OUT OF HERE soon ish), I'm over the moon with this bloody thing and while it hasn't taken me to school and said HELL NAW yet I don't think it's about to any time soon, it is seriously going to take a hell of a lot to push the SAM out of it's comfort zone.
I also named it, as I do, because I'm weird like that, so Spirit (in the Spirit of ALL MOUNTAIN) is definitely a keeper. I give 9.99/10. Make that 10 tooth a snappy shift and 10/10.
If you're looking for a new 160mm beast to add to the stable... check this sucker out. Definitely a looker!
Last edited:
