[quote=“jaame”]
Are you in Taiwan at the moment Pommes? [/quote]
no - but Mike is. I’ll be back second week of June I think.
I’ve just been told there’s a DH race at Jung Fu Gong in Taoyuan on Sunday.
Last time out it was $150 entry, registration from 9, shuttles included and three timed runs which turned into two on account of the foul weather. Winning time was Mr. Fan with a 1:36 I think.
My new bike isn’t ready and my old bike is in bits on the floor so I don’t think there’s much chance of me competing. If not, I’ll probably head over to watch for a couple of hours (or less depending on how whingy my daughter gets).
May the god of Rockshox please smile down upon me, delivering my parts tomorrow so I can get the shit in!
I was the only foreigner attending the race this morning and sadly it din’t go as well as I hoped. My new parts didn’t come through but the desire to race saw me rebuild my jump bike yesterday.
I knew registration was at 8, but rolling up at about 8:30 I was told I was too late to do the first DH run. I wasn’t bothered because I thought there would be two more and entry was free. I did one, not really letting the brakes off because I’ve been off the bike for about six weeks and it was really hard, really bumpy and dusty. I was mindful that a fall today would have been very painful. Anyway I got to the bottom in one piece and waited… and that was it. No more DH runs, the whole thing over before 10am. I was 5 seconds slower today than I was in January (even with a crash and in the pissing rain) to give an idea of how I wasn’t in the groove. The fastest guys were about 9 or ten secs faster than that day with 1:27s. Eventually I was 16th out of 38 finishers. Pretty shit.
Hey, at least you made it to the top half :bravo:
That’s one way of looking at it but to be fair, half of the guys who ride there are fat old men who only started riding in the past couple of years as an excuse to get away from their families for a few hours!
Still, there’s always the next one (if I find out about it in time!).
On the positive side, I found out today that Rockshox are going to release a dual air Totem next year, 150 or 180mm travel. Dual air is supposed to be a reliable system and one of those set at 150 plugged in my Corsair would be the closest thing to sex I can imagine without actually doing it ha ha!
By the way, I’m keen to get a day’s riding in at Dadu Shan in Taichung as soon as my bike is operable. You should come too. Check out the Dada Shan Community facebook page for pics and info if you’re undecided…
howsabout next weekend? I should be landing on fridaymorning.
about the race; imagine you would have done the race on your brand new Corsair and ate shit - 
Next week may be possible but probably not. I’m not going with my old bike, I’ve lost the desire to ride it now. If my new parts show up this week then I’ll probably drive down on Sunday to get them, in which case Saturday the 18th may be possible.
How long are you staying for?
Also Johnny the videographer is trying to put together a crew of “the best riders in Taiwan” to make a video about downhill racing here. It’s going to be shot at Jung Fu Gong at the weekend, Saturday and Sunday. If you feel like ripping it up on film… I’m sure he’d have you. Taiwan doesn’t exactly have an embarrassment of riches in terms of fast guys hey…
Hey Roel, I watched the world cup DH from Scotland yesterday. Danny Hart ripped it up for second place on his Glory. His run was loose as, I’m surprised he stayed on but it worked for the young lad! You should check it out on Freecaster.tv if you didn’t see it!
[quote=“jaame”]
video about downhill racing[/quote]
damn, no more DH bikes available for me in Taoyuan nowadays… only in Taichung. Staying at least 2 weeks so lets ripppp!
I believe there’s a DH event in Taichung soon… I’ll look for info.
Late notice!
X ride 5 race taking place somewhere near Taichung NOW!
Plasmatron… thanks for the intel regarding the sex machine of forks. Let me know the price when I come down for the other bits if you will thanks. We’re heading to Europe for a month upto the middle of August, I’ll be in the market for one of those or a standard 180 coil when we get back depending on what takes my fancy when I stump up the cash.
Is it full 2012 spec or a half breed with the new air spring but old damper dials and stuff? I’ve got to have the latest shit! If totally new, how is it available so soon? Does this mean the 2011 Totem coil will be on offer?
I’ll also need a Cane Creek 40 Series tapered headset - 44mm headtube fit, 1.5" external cup at the bottom and 1.125" zero stack at the top so I can fit a tapered steerer fork in my 44mm straight headtube. Yo ma?
[quote=“jaame”]Late notice!
X ride 5 race taking place somewhere near Taichung NOW![/quote]
Damn, why can’t events like that be announced a few weeks earlier…
They probably do, you just have to learn chinese!
I’m pleased to announce that I’ve ordered a Totem Dual Position Air fork to compliment my Monarch Plus RC3 shock on my new bike. It’s going to be fully plush, fully pimp boing action coming my way (after the 20 hour break-in period and subsequent rebuild using the Rockshox service Youtube page). I’ve read every review of the Totem on the internet and I’m not sure what to expect, what with this being a new model with new air spring, as yet untested in the Totem (but good on the Boxxer).
150-180mm adjustable travel is just what I want. I’m aware that the feel of air forks isn’t that good, so if they turn out to be shit I’ll maybe rebuild them with the coil internals. I’m ready to be amazed… hopefully they’ll be smooth as a baby’s bum. If not… well, at least I’ll still have the best looking forks money can buy, as important in itself as the performance IMO.
Roll on X-ride VI.
Excited is not the word. FUCKING GET IN Is the word!
Hahaha, poser! No offence though, I’m also a poser myself 
I will be just as soon as I roll. I’m going on holiday in four weeks, I hope it’s going before then. It’s turned into a long, drawn out process but I’m sure it will be worth it!
I’ve got a pair of Schwalbe Wicked Will tyres winging their way here as we speak. Those Maxxis Minions are shit when it’s bone dry. The Wicked Wills are designed for southern california “where it never rains” so they say (although the two weeks I spent in San Diego before I moved here were decidedly wet). Hopefully they’ll be a pretty good summer choice here on the baked clay trails.
Also ordered a Cane Creek headset to compliment my tapered steerer Totems.
I wrote down my costs so far and the $3000 here, $4000 there on this and that I’ve spent are all going to add up to $100k by the time I’ve finished I’m sure. Still, it will be forgotten about in a few months’ time, and I know that it’s still going to cost me about half of what it would cost in the UK for the same spec. And it will be a proper custom build.
Check my bike’s progress on Pinkbike!
I’m going to Europe in a couple of weeks for a month. I’m not holding out much hope of getting it rolling before then, to be honest.
Damn sweet ride you’ve got there! I’m sure it was worth the wait once you got it rolling. I’m off to Europe also for the biggest part of July. Taking my bike with me for a week of shredding DH in the Alpes. Oh man, how I missed those chairlifts since I came to TW.
You lucky bugger! We’re going to the UK for ten days then driving round central Europe for a while. I could do Fort William and Maribor world cup tracks if I took my bike but I’m pretty sure I won’t (even if it’s ready in time, which isn’t looking likely).