This article originally appeared on BikeRadar
As Aaron Gwin begins his title defence here in Lourdes, let's take a look at the reigning Downhill World Cup champ's weapon of choice.
Gwin is the man to beat at the first round of the 2017 Downhill World Cup, having won the overall title in 2016, as well as the opening round that year — which was also held in Lourdes. Now starting his second season riding for the YT mob, Gwin's bike setup has been refined and honed.
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We talked to Gwin's mechanic, John Hall, to find out the details designed to help Gwin win.
How hard?
Gwin is known for his rock hard suspension, but just how hard is it? When asked about air pressure and volume spacers in his Fox 40, Hall was saying nothing, but when I pushed down on the bars to test the firmness of the fork, (as you do) the spring rate didn't feel super-human solid. In fact, it felt like it had been set up for a relatively normal person. Maybe Gwin is human after all.
Of course, this says nothing of the end-stroke progression or damping support of the fork. Speaking of which, the 40's compression adjuster was a single dial, rather than the high and low speed adjustments usually seen on Fox 40 forks.
Taking stock
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