Thanks a lot for checking.

Thanks that would be great!

Hi, thanks for the info. Yes it should be exactly the same as the 2015 model. With the seats in but folded flat, there is adequate space but I would never use these seats so would just whip them out and use the space for other things.

Hi All,

Thanks for the responses! Much appreciated. I missed out a super critical bit of info in that I am looking only at 2010 or newer model with the fold flat seats. I need to know whether to look for a 5 seater or can also look at 7 seaters if I can easily take out the seats and make use of the space.

From studying pics on the internet it seems like you would be left with some brackets and stuff…

5 seater version with flat boot

With rear seats in place

I cannot find a picture anywhere of the 7 seater version without the seats in place! My intention would be to build a compartment in that space to bring the level up to make a bed and have storage underneath.

Thanks a lot.

More info here in the audio http://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/First-Look-2015-Scott-Gambler-and-Voltage,7852/Slideshow,0/bturman,109

For the Gambler, the adjustable chain stay length is not to accommodate the bigger wheels. Either wheel size can be run in both chain stay lengths. The 425mm short setting is the same as the 2013 26 only Gambler so the geo has not been compromised. BB height is actually lower than the previous model all while keeping the travel at 210mm. If you set the BB adjustment to high position and run 26 wheels, you will have a very similar BB height to running 650B wheels with the low BB position, meaning you can run a very similar geo setup (with the independently adjustable headset) between the wheel sizes. 26 wheels can be run in the low BB position if the fork is run at or near full extension (which many people do anyway). Geo numbers are quoted with minimum axle to crown height of the fork.

The Voltage is slightly different in that it is made to be a fun park bike/DH bike and so the shortest chain stay option is (a very short) 410mm which will not accept the bigger wheel. However, even in the long setting, the chain stay is still short at 425mm.

I have just ordered that exact setup to build up a Genius LT but I guess I won’t ride it for a week or two. I’ll post back when I have tried it if no one else can comment.

3.25 is the shock stroke so use the same stroke or you’ll bind the spring before the damper bottoms out.

Thanks for the replies. If I get any further with organising something, I will drop you a line about your guide friend, sounds good, thanks!

Plenty of people use DH bikes there, however I have only ever used my Genius and would probably never bother to take a DH bike. Best bike for there is a 150-170 bike with slack angles, strong wheels and DH tyres (if you are uplifting). The trails are not so extreme as to need a big bike and damn they are fun on a smaller bike, plus you often need to pedal around a little bit.

This is the problem with the SRAM 1080 cassette (which I already have). You have to remove the 15t (I think) which leaves you with a large jump. The bonus is you end up with a super light cassette compared to using an XT or a 1070.

Removing the 11t makes no sense to me either. Its the range I want to get as close as I can to my XX1 setup on my other bike.

It’s interesting. Hope and One Up Components state that you can convert an 11-36 with the 40t cog but e13 specify you have to use an 11-34 cassette to avoid shifting problems with the 40t. Who has tried 11-36 with a hope 40t-rex? Does it shift without problems? I’m thinking of running a 40t-rex with a SRAM 1080 cassette and a Zee short cage RD for an alpine plaything.

They are probably the biggest uplift operator in Finale (going by the number of their vans I saw when I was last there). There are many operators and they all have a similar trailer system to those used in UK. I wouldn’t worry too much about bike damage, it seems you can load and unload your bike yourself anyway.

Yes take a full face in addition to your normal helmet. I ride all the time on technical, exposed alpine singletrack in the alps with only a normal helmet and knee pads so thought it would not be a problem to do the same for the race. First day I crashed hard twice and then wore my full face for the rest of the week. Racing the trails as opposed to just riding them is a whole different kettle of fish. Try with the normal helmet on the first day and then see how you feel but I’m sure you will be glad of having the option of something safer.

It’s not that the bike design won’t work, it’s that you wouldn’t be able to quite achieve the same saddle position as you could on an equivalent 26 bike. Saddle position is very important to many downhillers, especially high level ones so if you can achieve an extra 10mm lower saddle or 10mm further back, then why not have a saddle with extra clearance built in? The saddle is not 650B specific (although the Bike Rumor chaps obviously know how to push certain people’s buttons 🙂 ), it would still be useful on a 26inch DH bike for certain size people and frame sizes.

I started running these back in the summer and so have ridden them a whole bunch on my trail bike and my downhill bike in just about every condition imaginable (all over the Swiss Alps, Finale, San Romolo, Trans Savoie). In short, they are superb in just about every situation, especially soft and loamy. They don’t roll so well on hard pack and they weigh a chunk more than the equivalent HD (due to larger shoulder knobs) but they are the best tyre I have used for the type of riding I do. I usually run Supergravity front (Vertstar) and back (Trailstar) tubeless or in combination with a HD on the back.

The 3D connexion thing I have is a Space Explorer. It just is not as fast (or as accurate) at moving the model around as using the mouse and wheel. I also have a mouse mat with a gel wrist support but I actually find it worse sometimes.

So far, I’m leaning towards the Logitech mouse I linked to a few posts up. Don’t think I want to go down the tablet route.

Thanks for all your help. Surprising number of CAD people on here.

I have a 3D Connexion thingy for the left hand but I don’t use it much as its slower and less accurate at moving the model around than the mouse alone.

Considering this mouse as a halfway between a crappy cheap standard mouse and the Evoluent: http://www.logitech.com/en-gb/product/performance-mouse-mx?crid=7

Sounds like the trackball is a bit love or hate so maybe I won’t risk wasting my money.

Thanks a lot for the help.

These guys are friends of mine here in Switzerland, I ride with them quite a lot in the summer. They worked super hard on this for the last few weeks so it would be very cool if it were to be successful.

Check out some of their other videos on PB http://www.pinkbike.com/u/endless-gap/ they have some nice little edits.

Try Churchill. I live in Switzerland and after some searching around, found that they would add me to my parents’ policy for when I return home to visit. Many companies would not.

I have to admit, I’ve never used SBB to book special train tickets! The Glacier Express has its’ own website though.

http://www.sbb.com but maybe thats what you have been looking at already. Looks like you will have to change in Visp whether you take the Glacier Express or not.

If you take a look around the sbb website, often you will see deals on tickets or travel cards which you could also use for something like the Gournagrat railway in Zermatt.

I bought my movies in iTunes. I hope that doesn’t make it harder or impossible to stream them from the NAS to TV.

I don’t want to hijack the thread but maybe my questions would also be useful. I am just about to invest in a NAS and have settled on a Synology because they always seem to come out on top. The choice is the DS213J, the DS213 or the DS213+. Can anyone tell me if I need to pay the extra for the more powerful 213 or 213+? The most intensive thing would be to stream HD movies to my TV (assuming I can get it to work).

Also, If files (for example movies or music) are backed up using time machine, are they locked away only to be accessed using time machine on my mac or can my TV/phone etc. access the files within the time machine backup files?

Didn’t realise your bike was limping home quite so much messiah! Great to meet you and to share some of those grinding climbs.

I’ve finally finished my report on the race. you can read it on my blog here[/url]. Lots of pictures to gawp at.

Blogs are contagious, I started one too! My training story is a little less positive than yours messiah, although I hope you didn’t train thinking you only had to ride 21,000 feet of DH rather than metres?!

http://www.skidsareforkids.com[/url%5D

Details of my bike build too if anyone is interested.

Get a permit and climb half dome in Yosemite. Its 18.5 mile round trip but so very worth it. Go to Mammoth Lakes outside Yosemite and ride the bike park. Visit the redwoods north of San Fran and Point Reyes National Park.

Have fun.

Some amazing riding in that area. Did you take the lift out of Grimentz and then climb up to Becs du Bosson (3000m, incredible view) and then descend down the shale slope to the lake? Its part of the longer Brazilian loop.

I’ll post my bike next week once I have got back to Switzerland and can finish building it. I’m still debating, amongst other things, bag size, helmet choice, tyres and the number of inner tubes I should take. Way too much to think about in the next two weeks!

Give it a pull?

I haven’t asked them but their website tells me they won’t unlock until the end of my contract which runs out in 18 months and even then I’ll have to pay.

Despite my determination to be super prepared, everything is going to be last minute for me! I’ve ridden off road in anger a total of 3 times in the last 10 weeks due to injury and I still haven’t finished building my bike! I think I’ll be relying heavily on those discounted energy gels.

I rode mine for the first time at the weekend after having to stare at them for a month due to a broken finger. I rode on a whole variety of tracks in Port Du Soleil and, to be brief, they are superb. Super smooth and plush and with plenty of support and a good range of adjustability.

I’m very happy with mine, I think they’ll be a big seller.

I don’t think you can officially space the travel down. My ones are fixed at 160mm and only come with spacers to adjust the air spring volume. Perhaps there is scope for an unofficial mod though, but I’m sure that would give you warranty issues. The forks are super nice and the claimed weight is pretty accurate. Frustratingly I have not been able to ride them though due to a broken finger. My colleague has and had only good things to say about them, before breaking his arm! Maybe they’re a curse.

I ride there all the time with the guy that is responsible for building and maintaining them. He does a good job! Opening weekend was last weekend and trails are running well apparently. The road gap at the top of the red/black run is a little bigger and longer and there are a few other new additions as well I think. As has already been said, they are probably the best built DH trails in the PDS. There’s about 3-4 main trails varying in difficulty and also some off piste trails in the woods (they’re actually old runs that are no longer officially on the map) that are steep twisty and natural. Its always a lot quieter as well and I’ve never had to queue for long to get the lift, unlike Chatel which can be a nightmare.

Trail lid for me although I may through the full face in as a backup. I have the benefit of not needing to fly so am a little less restricted when it comes to baggage allowance!

I broke my finger 4 weeks ago and it still on the mend so training is not going as well as I’d hoped. Gym time and running but no technical riding training. I would normally be doing big all day enduro sessions in the mountains at this time of the year.

I’ll start building my bike soon and will probably post pics once its done.

What rims are you running Messiah?

I’m trying to get a set of the new DT Spline One EX wheels but its questionable whether they will turn up in time so my backup is to build up a pair of Flow EX rims. Durable but a bit porky.

The cube would be a good bet. I’ll be on a Scott Genius 700 (650B) that will be man sized for the race.

Stage one is about 1900m of climbing and 5000m of descending, 4700 of which is timed at race pace! I saw these stats and realised I better step up my training. I then prompted crashed while riding DH and fractured my finger. Bollocks.

My colleague did very well this year. He came 8th riding a Scale 29. Highest placed hard tail and he told me this morning he had to run (!) for 1 hour and 18 minutes (from GPS data) through quite deep snow.

It may just be they did not sell enough xl to warrant making them any longer ,

This.
Unfortunately for tall people like me, the number of XL sizes that are sold is very minimal so it is hard for Specialized to justify producing an XL size for a model that they are probably predicting will see a big hit on sales numbers with the introduction of the new 29er version.