Lucky number 13

Singapore is flat, the highest point is Bukit Timah Hill (this means, translated, Tin Hill, although apparently Timah is a corruption of Temek, which is a variety of tree which grows locally).

Bukit Timah is 164 metres above sea level which makes Singapore slightly less flat than Monaco (highest point 161m) and slightly more flat than Denmark (171m).

It’s about the 20th flattest country in the world, insofar as 30 seconds of Googling shows anyway.

So I just bought a downhill bike.

It’s a present to myself on this, the 13th anniversary of getting off the sauce.

I’m building it to be used in Australia and New Zealand, Japan and the Alps.

So far I have ordered the frame, fork, shock, stem and handlebar.

All else to come- and suggestions are welcomed.

It’s a Raaw Yalla.

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I am quite tempted by the idea of a full TRP groupset, although I suppose Saint would be the lowest risk. But TRP strikes me as fun.

I know nothing about DH bikes but it does look frickin cool

Yep, nice looking bike. Saint sounds sensible. It also seems to manage a 36t cassette on my bike perfectly without the mode converter.

With TRP I could use their whole group- brakes, shifter, cranks, mech, cassette and chain.

Saint then I’d use Magura brakes.

Now, that would give me a benefit from a spares perspective of course.

Ahem, and would look better. I'm not sure about the browny/gold on the TRP. Saint looking a bit more subtle. But you're having a small cassette anyway or TRP with the dinner plate?

7 speed, small cassette

Of course. Something just doesn't look as nice on the TRP stuff for me. Although I'm not a fan of the shiny bits on the Saint mech either. Not that any of this matters really, I'd like to try the TRP kit.

So how many RAAWs will this be now?

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Congrats on lucky 13.

Obviously another set of mt7’s makes the most sense in terms of servicing and spares but wouldn’t you be tempted by something new?
Hayes and TRP both have dh brakes that seem to be well regarded these days. The Hayes in particular looks interesting.
Cascade Components is worth a look. A guy in Switzerland called 612Parts is making some very fancy looking brakes.
Sram also have a new dh brake that’s been on all the pro sram bikes at the world cups, release must be fairly soon. Its apparently going to use mineral oil.

I have a sram xo dh groupset currently and had saint on my old dh bike. There’s honestly not a whole lot between them, they are both great and I’d be happy with either.
The only thing that might swing it to the xo is the natty 7 speed x-dome cassette that’s very light and reassuringly expensive. The carbon xo crankset is nicer and lighter than Saint but a friend has snapped two sets of xo cranks.

DH bikes still excite me like a teenager. Mine is my least used bike but it’s by far my favourite.

Just spent two months out in Canada and spent a lot of time in whistler - my trp evo dh brakes didn’t skip a beat. However I did get to have a go on some of the new hayes dominion and they will be my next brakes for sure . Probably because I have ‘done’ the trp’s but felt like they had more power and modulation. A lot of people out there were making the switch from the trp’s to the hayes

Having thought about it I might go with Saint so I can swap on the cranks from the Madonna, which have a Shimano ring.

I had not thought about Hayes.

Yalla uses an 83mm BB, no? (Madonna 73mm)

Aye, you'll need a longer dh axle crankset. This is why I use RaceFace cranks, they're interchangeable.

Hah, this is going to be a learning journey. Wider rear axle, wider BB.

What else have I missed?

It would seem strange in some ways to have the WRP spider on the Enduro bike but not the DH bike, but then I don't know which of them will benefit from the removal of chain tension effects on the suspension performance.

In terms of use, I do need to feel my way a little here. Riding in Chiang Mai and Perth would be the Madonna, riding in Cairns maybe the Yalla? But I'd take the Madonna out on my first trip.

Definitely the Yalla if I go to some of the more exciting spots in NZ.

Places like Fujimi and Fujiten would be the Yalla, and I'd say the same for the PDS.

One interesting datapoint from Enduro Magazine when they tested the Yalla is that it's not that heavy - relatively. It may be lighter than the Madonna, which out here (with no generous BA sporting equipment allowance) does make a difference to where you can go.

I admit I am tempted by the SRAM DH group simply because it's (of the Shimano/SRAM pair) significantly newer, which to my mind (possibly wrongly) says "better".

Ok, lets hash out a rough spec list:

• Magura MT7 brakes, Root Pro levers, 200/220 MDR-P rotors
  
• OneUp components bars and stem (frame comes with these)
  
• Grips - I'm not sure here, the Renthal grips I liked to use previously don't work out here, where it's 30+ degrees and 70% humidity. Recommendations for grips that work despite your palms being soaking wet appreciated
  
• Seatpost and saddle - no idea on these, I'd probably pick an Ergon saddle because brand loyalty, but IDK what. Dirt Jump saddle maybe? Are DH posts just cut down conventional ones?
  
• Wheels - I've got carbon rims on the other two bikes and they're very much in the "just works" category, and if I held true to what I'd been doing here I'd probably get Reserve wheels with Rimpact inserts. I need a 20mm front axle and a 157mm (?) rear
  
• Tyres, tempted by Michelin here, as they worked well on the Madonna and I like the look of the tyre patch (yes, I'm super basic)
  
• Group, the easy choice here might be all SRAM everything, because the WRP spider is SRAM pattern (as that's what the EE Wings use), so albeit slightly painfully I could swap the spider between the bikes (and if it works get another one maybe).
  

Looks like the big German sites won't sell SRAM to Singapore, which is a bit odd.

R2-bike.com ship to Singapore but there's a minimum order value of 280euro including shipping.

Grips - Ha, good luck.
Saddle - Get one thats small and out of the way, you wont be sitting on it.

Have you received or used the WRP Centrehub yet? I'm really interested to hear how you find it.
I've read up a bit on it and there seems to be some debate on how much it actually can reduce kickback. I'm slightly confused by it all.

I'm getting this from all the big German places:

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Happens in the UK too.
Brexit (boo)