On The Pedals

By Jason Giacchino

The Making of a Test Rider

Aside from requests for freebies, one of the most asked questions any magazine (print or digital) seems to receive involves test riding. From afar the prospect of sampling new equipment can and does sound awfully whimsical and as such it really comes as no surprise that there is no shortage of enthusiasts out there willing to lend their expertise in trashing on someone else’s equipment. It isn’t until the reality of long days spent pounding the same loop three dozen times sets in that forces many an overly eager test rider to “hand in his badge” so to speak.

Mountain Bike Tales shied away from bike tests initially, due in no small part to the fact that selecting ideal test riders was something we didn’t take lightly. Have you ever encountered a bike test in which several different test riders each came back with varying results? Not only is such a test completely useless in determining whether or not the bike is suitable, it’s also the result of poor test rider selection.

There was a time in the not so distant past where labeling more than one particular model as excellent was akin to copping out, or picking winners without having to hurt anyone’s feelings by naming the losers. Today, technology has advanced to the point that most all of the bikes we test are excellent; finding a loser in the bunch is more of a challenge now than it ever was before. This is why assembling a proper test crew is so critical, it is basically all a case of splitting hairs of late. The differences are in the details and are virtually invisible to the untrained eye.

So what then constitutes a good test rider you ask? Most people mistakenly believe it is a pro caliber racer or the fastest rider on the block. While speed is a natural companion to bike handling skills, it does not necessarily a good indicator of bike performance. There is truth to the reasoning that a fast rider can win races on even the most inferior equipment. Conversely, slow riders could manage to fumble results with even the most costly products the market has to offer. Rather than speed (or lack thereof) a good test rider needs an extensive history of bike models to draw from and a great understanding of how minute changes to the hardware affect the overall riding experience.

We’ve also noted that individuals overly qualified in mechanical engineering and physics tend to over-think their conclusions. Too much science can lead to too many variables in the equation; the bottom line is that an inconclusive test is about as helpful to the reader as no test at all. Indeed finding the proper candidate is often a matter of patience and luck.

A few months back it was finally looking like we had assembled a group of about eight individuals who made the grade; riders and enthusiasts who understood and recognized the infinitesimal nuances that separate the year’s best bike from the worst. Excited to put our crew to the test, we immediately sought a Santa Cruz Nomad demo bike and proceeded to the local hot spots with clip boards in hand. To be totally honest, (as certainly many of our riders will attest) test riding isn’t quite the glamorous affair the photographs make it out to be. It requires extremely long days of attacking the same trail section over and over while making mental notes of various setting changes. Time spent in the saddle is spent equally filling out forms and comparing hard data. It is here that test riders have to be on the same proverbial page as, like stated earlier, conflicting results don’t do anybody any good.

So how did it go then with the Nomad? Well that was the beginning of a new commitment from us to our readers. You’ve spoken up and asked our opinion on hundreds of products and the time has come for us to delve into the product pool to provide some insight. The Nomad was followed up with a Kinley SX Pro review, a KHS AM1000, Felt RXC, and countless component reports. This month we’ve ventured into the custom builder scene in the form of a Ventana X-5 full review and a Gary Fisher Fat Possum ride report. The bottom line is that Mountain Bike Tales has heard your requests and intends on making them a reality. If you happen to be a company looking to get your product out to the mountain bike community, we encourage you to please drop a line at Editor@mountainbiketales.com for more information.