Anka Martin is part of the Juliana Bicycles team, and races the Enduro World Series and the Mavic Trans-Provence annually. With the 2015 Trans-Provence rapidly approaching, we got the lowdown on the setup of her Juliana Roubion mountain bike.
Enduro racing involves long days in the saddle, varied terrain, and plenty of technical climbs as well as a long, timed descents. Although much of the componentry on her Roubion is similar to the equivalent retail model, Martin has selected several tried and trusted elements to suit her riding and the demands of the discipline.
The Trans-Provence is particularly brutal on both bike and rider. With competitors covering an average distance of 43km per day, with 1,429 elevation gain and 2,143 drop, this isn't an event for the faint hearted. Martin's not fazed though, having ridden the event since it started in 2011. She placed second in 2014, and won the event in 2013.
The Roubion is the most recent addition to the Juliana range. Released in 2014, it’s essentially the Santa Cruz Bronson frame – indeed, Martin referred to prototype models as her ‘Bruliana’ before the company officially launched the Roubion. Named for her favourite French town, a cliff-hugging picturesque cluster of buildings on the Trans-Provence race route, it’s proved popular with enduro-racing women worldwide.
The small, thin Juliana grips have drawn Martin away from the SRAM lock-ons she used to use, citing a better fit for her smaller hands.
The SDG Women’s Allure saddle wasn’t just chosen for comfort. Martin designed the distinctive Fantail bird graphic herself, and has been one of SDG's sponsored riders for many years.
Martin is very attached to her Crankbrothers Mallet pedals and admits she uses them on all her bikes. The open system means they rarely clog with the mud that's a near-certainty on most enduro courses, allowing reliable access and fewer failed clipping in attempts. Martin is also a fan of the float offered by the pedal, which allows plenty of movement on the bike.
The Rockshox Monarch Plus shock is tuned to the Roubion, specifically adapted to suit the shock curve of the bigger air can on the DebonAir. On the front, Martin runs two red spacers in her Rockshox Pike fork to give increased stiffness without adding low speed compression – and they’re bedecked with custom SRAM athlete stickers. The Pike offers 160mm travel – 10mm more than the RCT3 forks that come with the retail model.
Varying racing conditions mean tyre choice is crucial. Schwalbe Magic Marys with the Vert Star compound are the tread of choice, with either the Super Gravity Casing for extra puncture protection or the Snakeskin casing on smoother and more pedally tracks.
On the rear, Trailstar compound Schwalbe Hans Dampfs with Super Gravity casing are the usual choice for Martin, but she's also rolling on the prototype First Ride Nobby Nics on trails where more grip is called for.
Martin opts for metallic rather than synthetic brake pads for better performance in the wet, and her brake levers of choice are Blackbox. As she says, it’s the little things in life.
Complete bike specifications
- Frame: Juliana Roubion Carbon in Small
- Rear shock: Rockshox Monarch Plus rear shock, Debonair RC3
- Fork: Rockshox Pike Fork 160mm with two magic tokens
- Headset: Chris King
- Stem: Truvati Stylo T 20 Stem, 50mm
- Handlebar: Truvativ carbon Blackbox Jerome Clementz handlebars, uncut, 750mm
- Grips: Juliana
- Brake levers: Blackbox
- Brakes: SRAM Guide Ultimate RSC Brakes with SRAM Centreline 180mm or 200mm rotors front and rear
- Rear derailleur: SRAM XX1 Derailleur Type 2
- Shift levers: SRAM xx1
- Cassette: SRAM XX1 11-speed 10/42 cassette
- Chain: SRAM XX1 11-speed with Truvativ chain guide
- Crankset: SRAM XX1 170mm cranks and SRAM Direct Mount Chainring 32 or 30
- Wheels: SRAM ROAM 50 Alloy Wheels 27.5 tubeless
- Pedals: Crankbrothers Mallet
- Front tyre: Schwalbe Magic Mary
- Rear tyre: Schwalbe Hans Dampf or prototype Nobby Nic
- Saddle: SDG Allure Fantail Saddle
- Seatpost: SRAM Stealth Reverb dropper post 125mm
- Other accessories: SRAM Garmin Holder
Critical measurements
- Rider height: 5'3"
- Rider weight: 58 - 60kg
- Top tube length: 554mm
- Seat tube length: 407mm
- Head tube length: 90mm
