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Partially two of our World Cup tech interviews, we stopped by to talk with SRAM. When you have ever been to a World Cup earlier than you’ll have seen the large SRAM service truck within the pits serving to preserve UCI elite groups and privateers going all through the race weekend.
I spoke to Evan Warner who was proper in the course of a Boxxer fork service (sorry about that Evan). Evan is the person to talk to in relation to SRAM service at a World Cup. It was good to listen to what he needed to say about how they preserve the world’s quickest riders operating at their greatest.
Have you ever seen any large modifications the riders are making to their brakes right here at Val Di Sole?
Yeah, we’re simply entering into elite practices, and we did the junior observe yesterday. Over time, we usually anticipated Val Di Sole to be probably the most brake-intensive monitor of the sequence. So yeah, this monitor positively stands out. Sometimes, it feels actually sizzling right here. That is one purpose it is very steep and really quick. There’s all the time mud all over the place too. It is form of like an ideal trifecta storm of all of the stuff brakes hate. So we normally come right here and have a tendency to search out that each one the downhill athletes are going up a rotor dimension. However typically, contemporary pads and rotors for this spherical are fairly key.
Do you see lots of brake pad compound modifications too?
Not usually, though I should not say usually because it modifications from rider to rider. However I’d simply say we begin contemporary principally. If we will begin off the weekend on the nice foot, like with contemporary pads and rotor, we’re in a great place.
Has this intensive block of racing modified the problems you are seeing?
Yeah, for positive. We now have had an intensive block with 3 World Cup races shut collectively and Crankworx in between. The individuals who did not go to Crankworx might have gone to Schladming or Morzine, that are additionally robust on brakes. So now we have executed lots of brake bleeds and simply flushed some new fluid in there, beginning contemporary from there. It is rather a lot like what we do for suspension the place we do a decrease service and stuff initially of the week. We are inclined to do the identical right here for brakes. We use new rotors and provides a great flush of brake fluid. It is simply as a lot as you are able to do to get your bike working properly earlier than you begin observe. That is why we have been very busy throughout monitor stroll yesterday.
What’s the commonest form of subject you see right here on the World Cup?
It is lots of easy stuff, like that man who simply got here in. He modified pads however didn’t change his rotors, so he must go and do this too. It is all about attending to the contemporary place to begin like I stated. I feel lots of instances, we see some setup points extra from the privateer facet. It isn’t on goal, however perhaps they did not have the fitting bolts or the fitting adapter. Even simply probably the most staple items like, I went from a 200 to a 220, I did not have the fitting adapter. So I attempted to bodge it with this 203 adapter, and now I am not getting full contact. So even simply the setup stuff, I imply, clearly not with the professional elite groups, however by way of a privateer side, simply the fundamental setup of like, oh, I had this 203 rotor, I am making an attempt to apply it to a 200 put up mount. Stuff like that, we’re like, properly, that is not gonna work. Ideally, having spare elements and the required elements to begin contemporary, as we have been saying, is vital. As a result of it is the one factor that as a rider, as an athlete, professional crew or privateer, you may’t management your bike, you may’t management the climate, you may’t management the monitor, however you may not less than present up along with your bike working proper. I feel the important thing right here is simply beginning off actually good and contemporary.
What do you suppose is the important thing to getting brakes good for World Cup racing?
For me, it is understanding your setup, having hung out taking part in with the attain, taking part in with the pad contact, even making an attempt pads that you could be not like, reminiscent of natural versus metallic pads. Understanding the facility variations between the 203 rotor and 220 rotor, having all that discovered earlier than you present up right here. As a result of, once more, we do not consider brakes as suspension you can tweak and alter, however you may. It is good to know what a 200mm entrance rotor and 220mm entrance rotor really feel like or what an natural set of pads does and what a metallic set of pads does. Do your homework and know the professionals and cons.
What’s your recommendation to your common rider who needs to set their brakes up higher?
I feel for me, usually, it is simply normal upkeep. Brakes aren’t essentially one thing you can set and neglect endlessly. I feel usually bleeding brakes helps a lot as properly, particularly at this stage. I am not making an attempt to say overdo it, however positively do not let your pads put on down an excessive amount of. Just like the poor little man who simply got here in. His rotor was simply glazed over as a result of his pads have been worn. It is simply being attentive to issues like that, that helps preserve contamination at bay. Additionally, be aware that you do not need to spray lots of stuff if you wash the bike. That is an enormous one. I make that mistake, nevertheless it’s one thing to be much more aware of at this stage. You do not have lots of observe time, so it’s a must to maximize it. You are not going to do your self a favor for those who contaminate your brakes by not cleansing them proper and price your self monitor time. So, simply consider the brakes a bit like suspension at dwelling, the place it wants some upkeep and a focus to element.
After seeing the fellows at SRAM, I headed spherical to the Trek pits and had a chat with Reece Wilson about his brake arrange.
So Reece, do have any form of prerequisites in relation to your brake arrange?
I’m pretty explicit with brakes set-up however principally I’d say how in board I run the lever, so the precise lever and blade. If you happen to take a look at the entrance of the bike, its near grip and into the stem than most individuals. I by no means actually thought of it being for leverage however I assume that is one of many advantages of getting it there. You get a bit of bit extra leverage on the top of the lever in addition to not having to squeeze as exhausting I assume is that’s end result of that. I feel I do simply because I’ve received actually large arms although for being a fairly small man and I feel that I identical to them having my fingers turned inwards a bit of bit and it simply feels good on my wrists and elbows. So yeah, that is the one factor that I am tremendous tight on.
Do you might have an enormous pull in your brake lever?
I’ve a really brief pull. Yeah, once more I do not know. That is not one thing I actually thought of with a view to have the setup however now that I’ve had the arrange for the reason that begin of me using mountain bikes, I assume the way in which I take a look at it now could be the nearer your arms are to being a full fist, the stronger you’re. , so I wish to run the levers fairly near the grip. The draw back to that may be in case your brakes fade, then you haven’t any room, so I assume it is a bit of a excessive threat arrange however fortunately for us having mechanics to work on the bike each single run, it is not too dangerous. Additionally these new brakes with thicker rotors, truly SRAM introduced us a brand new two millimetre thick rotor now, and that simply disperses much more warmth and provides you much more consistency with the brake really feel and it would not fade as a lot, in order that has meant my brake setup is working fairly properly now.
What diameter rotor dimension are you operating?
I am operating 220mm rotors proper now. As quickly because the 220mm rotors got here out I needed them, as they assist preserve the least quantity of warmth you may have within the rotor as attainable.
If there’s one piece of recommendation you’ll give to folks about coping with their brakes, what wouldn’t it be?
For me it is getting the pad as near the disc as humanly attainable, so that you simply enable your self as a lot put on with out the lever altering an excessive amount of. So you probably have lots of, what I assume some folks name it a free float, chopping that down and having the lever as sharp as attainable so the chunk is nearly instantaneous and that provides the brake only a actually stable really feel. In order that’s one factor to amateurs I’d say attempt to get that pad as near the disc as you will get it with out it rubbing and you are going to get a way more stable brake really feel. Some folks will go in opposition to that. I feel there’s assessments being executed now with the brake sensors being introduced out, it says that folks drag the brake however I feel there is a distinction between that sense of being engaged as a result of the levers transfer, you then truly making use of forces. Us athletes are fairly good at braking and also you form of know if you’re braking even when it is a superb drag you most likely need to.
Right here might be probably the most difficult place all yr on brakes historically, do you do something completely different for right here brake clever?
Probably not no, like I stated our brakes are fairly stable now. It has been a very long time since we have had a criticism a couple of brake at a race. So no I do not do something I set and neglect with the brakes levers staying the place they’re. I am going to click on them right here and there and perhaps transfer them up and down on the bar ever so barely relying if we’re becoming new bars and perhaps just a bit bar roll right here or there, I’m not overly explicit with that I’ll sit and faff with it, however now they’re stable.
Partially 3 of our dive into brake tech on the DH World Cup, we’ll communicate to the fellows at TRP about their brakes.
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