Rachel Atherton's Trek Session looks to be all new, with a non-floating shock linkage - Tom Marvin / Immediate Media
Manon Carpenter's CarboCage chain guide looks light, with a reinforced carbon bash and alloy roller - Tom Marvin / Immediate Media
Data acquisition equipment on Faustin Figaret's Radon - Tom Marvin / Immediate Media
Various speed and suspension data is collected from riders, with the aim of providing feedback later in the season - Tom Marvin / Immediate Media
Precision on one hand, brute force on the other; a torque wrench and hammer sit on the workbench - Tom Marvin / Immediate Media
Brendan Fairclough's mechanic gets tyre pressures spot on - Tom Marvin / Immediate Media
What else would you do when you're bored? - Tom Marvin / Immediate Media
Commencal are another team looking at collecting data - the lower linkage has been shaved to prevent it hitting their equipment - Tom Marvin / Immediate Media
Custom light tune for Myriam Nicole's suspension. She's also using custom carcasses in her prototype Hutchinson tyres - Tom Marvin / Immediate Media
No, Commencal aren't racing their e-bike here, but we wonder what SRAM and Shimano think about running an EX1 group with a Steps motor - Tom Marvin / Immediate Media
Tahnee Seagrave has the new Mallet DH pedal with the pins ground right down and the thicker plate in place - she finds it easier to clip in with this set-up - Tom Marvin / Immediate Media
Mismatched organic and sintered pads, there to tune heat management and power - Tom Marvin / Immediate Media
This Cavalerie enduro bike had an interesting spring contraption on the down tube - Tom Marvin / Immediate Media
This Nicolai DH bike allows a Effigear gearbox to be used with a standard SRAM shifter - Tom Marvin / Immediate Media
Agata Bulska is riding an Antidote Dark Matter custom carbon bike - Tom Marvin / Immediate Media
The suspension linkage looks to get the benefit of a high pivot point, with idler, without the associated brake jack due to the floating rather than fixed pivot point - Tom Marvin / Immediate Media
Big data is everywhere these days, even on the bikes of world-class downhill riders. As the UCI World Cup kicked off this weekend in France, data acquisition sensors were found on many bikes. Some teams talk of using the data to compare suspension and gear setups; others aren't quite sure exactly what to do yet with all the measurements of frame-mounted accelerometers and gyroscopes.
The pre-race hype was all about 29ers, but there weren't actually all that many on hand in Lourdes.
Commencal are another team looking at collecting data - the lower linkage has been shaved to prevent it hitting their equipment - Tom Marvin / Immediate Media
Check out the gallery above for a closer look at the data acquisition setups, plus some unique bikes and brake-pad configurations.
Keep an eye out for more in-depth pro bikes from Lourdes in the coming days.
Rachael Atherton's Trek Session looks to be all new, with a non-floating shock linkage - Tom Marvin / Immediate Media
Tom Marvin is MBUK’s YouTube presenter and podcaster, as well as a regular contributor to BikeRadar.
He writes mountain bike reviews for the site, while also testing components and kit.
His work as a presenter has seen him race pro riders, tackle World Cup downhill courses and attend international launch events.
He has been part of the MBUK and BikeRadar family for 11 years, contributing to all aspects of tech content, including a spell working heavily on Cycling Plus magazine.
In that time, he has tested hundreds of bikes and more than 1,000 products.
He has been mountain biking for 25 years, with cross-country (XC) and trail riding his speciality, although he’s more than happy dipping into the world of enduro whenever there’s a chance.
Tom’s photos of bikes and food covered in ketchup can be found on his Instagram account.
Height: 182cm
Bike size: Large
This website is owned and published by Our Media Ltd. www.ourmedia.co.uk
