Bruni is coming into the 2020 season as the man to beat. After a tense finale last year, he was the first rider to win both the World Cup overall and World Championships since Sam Hill in 2007. He's back this year hoping for more success on the mullet version of the Demo that Specialized released earlier this year.
Specialized switched up the sizing on the Demo and Bruni is running an S3, which represents a stock reach of 446mm. His geo may be slightly different, though, as he is also running an offset headset and eccentric BB to dial in his perfect numbers. The Specialized Gravity team keep their set up details pretty close to their chest, and there's clearly something going on in the middle of this bike that we're not allowed to see, but here's what we can tell you about Loic's bike.
Specialized's impressive in-house machine shop allows them to quickly create frame parts like this in order to test ideas out in the real world, like this previous custom link for Loic Bruni from 2019.
...it's connected to this switch.
Some adjustability was added to the 2021 Demo including a flip chip in the Horst pivot but the team has added to offset headset cups and an eccentric BB to further dial in Loic's geo. There's no word on what the final numbers are, though.
Plenty of one-off bits of kit adorn Loic's frame
Give up on TTX?? You realize TTX and your average OEM twin tube damper are apples and oranges?
Give up TTX? As in F1, MotoGP, LMP and most of the field in any professional auto or motorcycle road course race giving up TTX??
In a secret recording I have of them, Jack can be heard clearly saying
"When you press this button Loic, things I can't explain happen too you. I've called it the SuperBruni button, and when you activate the setting, your body and riding automatically activates to 130%, however, there is not enough elixer syrum for a whole race run, so make sure you only use it when you have to engage SuperBruni"
Loic - "whats the carbon stash box for?"
Jack - "It has a sandwich in case you get hungry"
(Legendary skier Gunde Svan trolled his competition and tve skiing federation in the 80ies by saying he was developing a really fast one pole ski technique and was featured on state television when doing so)
Not my field, just speculating.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/19573784
Can’t get parts at lbs
Lever doesn’t feel sturdy
Bite point moved out an inch when riding alps
Bleed them every other week
No modulation
Apart from that they are super strong brakes
In my view it’s a better bleed too because Magura is screw on at the calliper vs shimano push on, but you can use the shimano funnel at the top which is handy.
Recommend using shimano mineral oil as it has a higher boiling point than Magura and the pads are finned like saints. Like others have said just sell the MT5 levers and buy SLX ones plus an olive kit.
Stock Magura are tough to bleed, I was having to do mine every few weeks but haven't had to touch them after changing the levers almost a year ago. I just flushed Shimano mineral oil thru the system.
Marketing dude: Make a cover for top of the shock to shield it from prying lenses.
Specialized: Yeah, but what's different about the shock?
Marketing dude: Nothing...
[high fives all round]
Loic is looking for as much speed as possible, your average consumer is trying to get down the trail and have fun.
What is it that is so hard to understand?
Downhill bikes are race machines to me, I consider them like the F1 cars of mountain biking. And I want one. LOL
The riders obviously don't feel that's the case though.
gotta believe he had two setups ready for the lower section of that track...
"Some adjustability was added to the 2021 Demo including a flip chip in the Horst pivot but the team has added to offset headset cups and an eccentric BB to further dial in Loic's geo. There's no word on what the final numbers are, though."
Lol...I don’t buy that for a second. There are some successful racers on platforms that don’t require so much tech to actually function properly on a race course....and there are those that are not.