Burgenlandtrails with Nils and Luke

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"Recently I was involved in a bike park project in my home province of Burgenland. It was pretty special, revolving around natural singletrack trails on one mountain in the eastern part of Austria.
After the official opening of the so-called “Burgenland Trails”, I sent out an invitation to my fellow Hope Ambassadors to come visit and ride together. Nils was the first to answer. He suggested he could pop by for a weekend of riding and filming with his girlfriend and younger brother.

I was stoked to meet them and to show them the trails. Nils would also provide invaluable feedback, especially with his background in racing bikes all across Europe.
I’m still amazed how easy going and laid back all three of them were. Even a 13h drive the day before in the heavy rain and plenty of traffic jams couldn’t darken their good mood. We met at the trailhead in Rechnitz the morning after the storm hit the mountain (and dropped a load of water on the trails)

We started steady on the first lap. The trails had basically soaked up all the precipitation, so we went straight to business on Rechnitz Trail. All the trails actually were super tacky and even the sun said hello for some sweet sundowner shots on the Batthyány Trail. We spent the day shooting and filming the trails on the southern side of the mountain and had some Burgers afterwards.

On Sunday we chose the northern side of the mountain, on Esterházy Trail. This is the longest (around 9km in total), but also a bit mellower. It has a lot of diversions with different difficulties, some nice jumps and a sweet technical trail diversion to finish next to a medieval castle.  After we enjoyed some Schnitzel and ended the day by the lake.

I’m amazed by the outcome: great shots and a really nice video! We’re already in talks of me visiting them next spring so they can show me their local trails." Luke

Luke rides: 

HB130:
// Size L
// Mullet set up (140mm front and rear)
// Matte varnish paint job
// Öhlins RXF 36 fork
// Öhlins Coil shock in the rear
// Silver/ Blue Tech 4 V4 brakes with 200mm front rotor and 180mm back rotor
// 35mm Hope Carbon bar cut down to 760mm
// Black 35mm stem
// 170mm silver Hope Evo cranks with a black oval 32t chainring
// Hope Fortus 26 rims laced to Hope Pro4s
// SRAM X01 shifter with Hope jockey wheels
// OneUp 210mm dropper post
// Maxxis Assegai 2.5 with EXO casing/ Maxx Terra up front and a Maxxis Dissector 2.5 EXO casing/ Maxx Terra in the rear

I’ve tried to go with a rather subtle combination of ano-colors on my HB130. A mix of silver and black components was my choice. The Öhlins suspension was new for me so it took some time to set it up, but in the end I was really impressed. I only rode Fox before, which was also really good. The Öhlins coil shock was a game changer for me, it is absolutely unrivaled on techy trails. Originally the bike was set up as a full 29er, but once Hope released the mullet kit, I was keen to give it a try. I have comparably short legs, which resulted in some bum hits on my rear tyre on some occasions. 

So I was guessing a smaller back wheel could solve that issue. After converting the bike, I immediately ventured out to test it on a local trail. I was blown away by how playful and nimble the bike became, without sacrificing too much of the downhill capabilities or ground clearance. The bum strike issue was also solved. This particular trail also has some rather tight turns in dense forests, which were arduous before but now became easy money. I also love how the new oval chainring improves the uphill riding. Moreover I moved to the new Tech 4 brakes, and honestly I never looked back. Don’t get me wrong, the “old” Tech 3 are great, but the Tech 4 are just next level.



HB916:
// Size: H2
// Mullet set up (170mm front and 160mm rear)
// “Neutral” paint job (black-white)
// Öhlins RXF 38 up front
// Öhlins Coil shock in the rear
// Black/ Purple Tech 4 V4 brakes with 200mm rotors front and rear
// 35mm Black gloss Carbon bar 800mm wide
// 155mm purple Hope evo crankset with 32t round chain ring
// Hope Fortus 30 rims laced to Hope Pro4s
// red SRAM X01 rear mech and gold cassette (bling bling haha)
// One Up 210mm dropper post
// Maxxis Assegai 2.5 with EXO casing/ Maxx Grip up front and a Maxxis Minion DHR 2 2.5 EXO casing/ Max Terra in the rear

In contrast to my HB130, I went purple and black ano on my HB916 to make it stand out. I like the way the purple contrasts the black and white of the frame. The frame itself is a work of art, you have to see it for yourself to appreciate it. I like that it comes with a frame storage box, so you don’t need to carry a hip bag or backpack. After being impressed by the mullet conversion of the HB130, I went for a mullet specc-ed frame straight away and I have to say it rides excellent. Nimble on turns and in the corners, fast on techy bits, just as I like it. The Öhlins suspension is a treat to say the least, also quite easy to set up. The short 155mm cranks were a bit strange in the beginning, but the improved ground clearance is a big bonus. No pedal strikes so far. The only thing I’ve not yet acquainted myself with is the higher pedaling frequency required due to the shorter cranks. The slightly higher seat position is also quite amazing, coupled with the steep seat angle I enjoy riding uphill now and especially steep climbs a lot more than I used to.

Nils Rides:



HB916:
// Size H2 - Chameleon
// Öhlins RXF 38 fork
// Öhlins Coil shock in the rear
// Tech 4 V4 brakes with 220mm front rotor and 220 Back Rotor
// 35mm Hope Carbon bar
// WTB Volt Saddle
// Black 35mm stem
// Hope Evo cranks 
// Hope Fortus 30 Rough rims laced to Hope Pro4s
// SRAM X01 with XX1 Oilslick Cassette
// OneUp 210mm dropper post
// Maxxis Assegai 2.5 MaxxGripp DD Terra front and rear.
// DMR Death Grips (Thin/soft)

First, I present my new HB916. A bike that catches the eyes! An absolute Enduro Race machine that draws all eyes to itself. Oil slick as far as the eye can see!
The idea for me was to build a solid race machine that feels at home on the roughest and steepest track. Especially in the bike park, the HB916 gives me great pleasure!
I love the frame butty box! I like to ride without additional equipment. There I can easily stow everything I need for a few hours on the trail! You just feel more free and inside the bike everything is safe! Here I also love my 220mm discs that even on the longest and steepest trails they always provide enough braking power! Also the Fortus 30 Rims have survived everything without a single ding.



HB130FR:
// Size XL - Factory Racing
// Rock Shox Pike Ultimate (MY23)
// Fox DPX2
// Tech 4V3 brakes with 200mm front rotor and 180mm back rotor
// Hope XC Stem with 70mm
// Hope Evo cranks 30t
// Hope Fortus 30 rims laced to Hope Pro4s (Training wheelset for rough tracks and winter training)
// SRAM GX shifter with X01 Cassette
// Fox Dropper 200mm
// Maxxis Aspen EXO 2.4 (rear) Maxxis Rekon Race EXO 2.4 WT (front)

Last year my HB130FR had a completely different setup. Mainly for bike parks and enduro use. This year it is my XCM bike and my favorite on home trails.
I always take it to the XCE World Cup races incase the tracks require ful sus or incase my Hardtail has a mechanical. The focus of the HB130 is direct power to chase uphill and downhill. Making it a lot of fun!