Camille Balanche of the Commencal Dorval crew will be looking to make it two out of two at Fort William this weekend. At Spherical 1 in Lourdes, fewer than a 2nd separated Camille from second placed rider, Myriam Nicole of Commencal Muc-Off. Between the cold and damp (many thanks, Scotland) education operates of Friday afternoon, we caught up with Camille’s mechanic, Yanik Braun, to verify out her Commencal Supreme DH V5.
Update: Camille Balanche competent quickest, going 1.794 seconds more quickly than RockShox-Trek’s Valentina Höll who competent in second. In the Elite Men’s subject, the Santa Cruz Syndicate’s Laurie Greenland went fastest. See the complete effects from today’s qualifying operates listed here.
Camille Balanche’s Prototype Commencal Supreme DH V5
The closing creation Commencal Supreme DH V5 will have a mullet wheel configuration, as seen listed here on Camille Balanche’s race bicycle
In the ultimate phases of prototyping, the V5 Commencal Supreme DH you will see right here will endure pretty several changes prior to last production goes ahead at the conclude of 2022. The Virtual High Pivot Suspension platform that utilizes a 6-bar linkage style and design is incredibly considerably confirmed, with the chain routed up and about an loafer pulley in a bid to dissociate drivetrain forces from people of the suspension.
Higher and lessen backlinks of the 6-bar suspension style are connected by way of a 3rd strut-like hyperlink that sits inboard, and a little bit rearward of, the seat tube struts
The placement of that idler pulley is a thing that is even now less than consideration, as is the quantity of teeth. Camille’s crew mate, Benoit Coulanges, is delighted to operate an idler pulley that permits some sum of pedal kickback, in fact preferring the bike’s journey feel when it is current. Yanik tells us that Benoit feels as nevertheless the bicycle is missing one thing when it is absolutely absent.
A enormous bash guard mounted more than the idler pulley guards it in opposition to rock strikes and doubles up as a chain manual. The generation bike will element a related guard on the non-generate facet in a bid to prevent build up of mud about the linkage pivots
Camille, on the other hand, prefers to lower pedal kickback and the connected fatigue that arrives with it, opting for an idler pulley of 15 teeth (as opposed to the available 14T or 16T selections). The laser-machined pulley mount is also easily replaced by other individuals of differing heights, making it possible for the workforce to continually engage in all-around with this aspect of the bike’s kinematic.
Each bolt on Camille’s Supreme DH has a small sharpie marker that helps mechanic Yanik rapidly discover any bolts that have rotated away from the sought after torque location
Yanik tells us that, in preceding Downhill Entire world Cup seasons, the Commencal race engineers located they ended up opting for a setup that was very much at the restrict of what the V4 Supreme DH was able of. Tracks such as Maribor, Slovenia, highlighted the lack of development and the have to have for far more compression damping than the riders were automatically satisfied with.
We can’t offer any particular kinematic info, though Yanik says that the previous race placing that was on the restrict of the V4’s adjustability can now be identified all-around the middle of the adjustment assortment of the new V5, enabling for a a lot more usable assortment of tuning to enable riders to adapt their bike set up to distinct race tracks.
Camille Balanche runs a Renthal Fatbar Lite version for the enhanced vibration damping it provides
In fact, there are a multitude of geometry and kinematic adjustments to engage in around with on the V5 this is real of both of those Camille’s race rig and of the output bicycle that is thanks at the conclude of 2022. Starting up in the cockpit, the head angle can be adjusted by +/- .5° for the tough rock gardens of Fort William, Camille’s has opted for the slacker of the two options.
As the rear-middle duration is altered, the rear brake mount only slides together a rail into place no adapters, or up- or down-sizing of the rotor, are needed in this article
Chainstay length can be modified also, with a +/- 4mm variety of adjustment available. Camille has selected to run the bicycle in the mid-setting listed here. Yanik tells us the vary of adjustment at the dropouts may enhance for the creation bicycle, potentially offering a flip-chip that alters rear-heart length by 5mm or 6mm.
The ultimate place at which the body geometry, and kinematic, can be altered is at the reduce shock mount, wherever a 4-situation flip-chip can range both of those the peak and the fore-oft mounting posture in buy to influence the bike’s base bracket height and the over-all progression of the linkage.
Camille’s Supreme DH rolls on Crankbrothers Synthesis DH 11 Carbon wheelset, with Schwalbe Magic Mary Super DH Casing tires on the front and rear. That difficult casing, as very well the use of a Cushcore XC tire insert (front) and a Cushcore Pro (rear) permits Camille to operate extremely low tire pressures of 18 PSI and 21 PSI, respectively.
Yanik suggests the minimized amount of money of rubber in the sidewalls of this prototype tire mean it is lighter and feels a lot more adaptable than Schwalbe’s current Super DH casing
“First Ride” indicates these Magic Mary tires are prototypes. We spoke to Grant Wildman at Schwalbe to discover far more, but he remained tight lipped, sharing only that this is a manufacturer new rubber compound that will be readily available on generation tires by the finish of the yr. Yanik stated only that this compound is meant to be speedier rolling, and offer you additional grip that the existing array of Addix compounds offered by Schwalbe.
Camille has selected to race on a Magic Mary on the entrance and rear, whilst crew mate Benoit Coulanges prefers to run a Dirty Dan in the rear
Yanik sets up Camille’s 9-Pace Cassette so that the leap in between gears 4 and 5 is much even bigger than the leap observed involving the other cogs. This suggests she only requires to change gear as soon as as she pedals out of the get started gate if the leap was smaller, she would need to improve gear two times to find the ideal ratio for laying down the energy.
It’s apparent that Camille likes her bike to run very quietly Yanik would make use of Chris Kovarik’s STFU chain dampers and VHS slapper tape to keep chain slap sound to a minimum amount. The STFU chain damper positioned closest to the seat tube doubles up as a secondary chain tutorial, limiting how much the chain can move from facet to side as the bicycle rates down via tough sections this sort of as the infamous Pinball. Yanik works by using a wire to provide added protection to the chain dampers, in case a traveling rock damages the cable ties.
Mechanic Yanik Braun observed in shape to style and design his very own bash guard, braced in a place whereby the guard is not likely to bend when hit by a rock
We want Camille and the complete Commencal Dorval team the very best of luck this weekend.