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8 Pro Bikes from the Strait Acres Slalom Invitational 2021

Jul 31, 2021
by Heather Young  
Tyler McCaul's GT Distortion
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Photography by Heather Young

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Tyler McCaul // GT
Hometown: Toquerville Utah
Instagram: @tylermccaul

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GT Distortion Details
Frame: GT Distortion
Shock: Fox Float 100mm
Fork: Marzocchi Z2 Bomber 120mm
Wheels: Raceface AR30 26in
Tires: Maxxis Minion DHF and Ardent Race
Drivetrain: Shimano Saint 7 Speed
Brakes: Shimano XT
Cockpit: Deity
Size: Large


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Kialani Hines's Pivot Mach 5.5

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Photography by Heather Young

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Kialani Hines // Pivot Cycles
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
Instagram: @kialani.hines

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Pivot Mach 5.5 Details
Frame: Pivot Mach 5.5
Fork: Marzocchi Z1 Bomber
Wheels: Stans CB7 27.5
Tires: Maxxis Dissector i andArdent
Drivetrain: Shimano XT and Saint
Brakes: Shimano
Cockpit: Deity
Size: Medium


Mitch Ropelato's Cannondale Habit
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Photography by Heather Young

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Mitch Ropelato // Cannondale
Instagram: @mitchropo

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Cannondale Habit Details
Frame: Cannondale Habit
Shock: Rockshox Coil
Fork: Rockshox Pike
Wheels: Reserve
Tires: Maxxis Minion DHF and Specialized Ground Control
Drivetrain: 7 Speed
Brakes: Sram
Cockpit: Renthal
Size: Medium

bigquotesI got her one piece at a time, just like Johnny Cash—Mitch Ropelato

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Dani Johnson's Liv Pique Advanced
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Photography by Heather Young

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Dani Johnson // Liv
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Instagram: @dani.johnson6

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Liv Pique Advanced Details
Frame: Liv Pique Advanced
Shock: Fox
Fork: Fox 32
Wheels: ENVE 29 front, 27.5 rear
Tires: Maxxis Assegai
Drivetrain: Shimano XT
Brakes: Shimano
Cockpit: ODI
Size: Small


Joey Forestal's GT Distortion
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Photography by Heather Young

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Joey Foresta // GT
Instagram: @joeyforesta

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GT Distortion Details
Frame: GT Distortion
Fork: DVO Diamond 120
Wheels: Stans Flow MK3 27.5 Front, 26 rear
Tires: Kenda Pinner and Booster
Drivetrain: TRP DH7
Brakes: TRP G Spec
Cockpit: ODI
Size: Large

bigquotesSuper techy track, but I think I have the right bike for it.—Joey Foresta

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R-Dog's Trek Fuel EX
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Photography by Heather Young

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R-Dog / Ryan Howard // Trek
Instagram: @r_doggystyles

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Trek Fuel EX Details
Frame: Trek Fuel EX
Shock:Rockshox Super Deluxe 130mm
Fork: Rockshox Lyrik 150mm
Wheels: Bontrager Kovee Pro 30
Tires: Bontrager SE5 and SE3
Drivetrain: SRAM 7 Speed
Brakes: SRAM Codes
Cockpit: Truvativ Descendant

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Luca Cometti's Canyon Neuron
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Photography by Heather Young

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Luca Cometti // Canyon CLLTV
Age: 25
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Instagram: @luca_cometti

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Canyon Neuron Details
Frame: Canyon Neuron
Shock: Fox 130mm
Fork: Fox 34 Elite 140mm
Wheels: FSA Gradient // 27.5"
Tires: Kenda Pinner and Booster
Drivetrain: TRP 7 Speed
Brakes: TRP G Spec
Cockpit: FSA Gradient
Size: Medium

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Dante Silva's Canyon Stitch
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Photography by Heather Young

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Dante Silva // Canyon CLLTV
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Instagram: @dantesilva_122

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Canyon Stitch Details
Frame: Canyon Stitch
Shock: Rockshox Monarch 100mm
Fork: Rockshox Pike DJ 100mm
Wheels: Stans 26"
Tires: Maxxis Aggressor and Ardent Race
Brakes: SRAM RSC

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Posted In:
Racing and Events Bike Checks Dante Silva Joey Foresta Kialani Hines Luca Cometti Mitch Ropelato Ryan Howard Tyler Mccaul


Author Info:
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Member since Jan 23, 2020
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88 Comments
  • 84 3
 26 ain’t dead bitches!
  • 17 0
 Defo not dead in my household!!
  • 15 5
 Whoever gives you a bike with a coil shock at the beginning of a slalom race hates you lol.
  • 2 1
 @krumpdancer101: yeah and then the guy goes and takes 4th over all...somebody really hates him ‍♂️
  • 6 1
 @krumpdancer101: Spring weight: 1 ton
  • 1 0
 @megatryn: Race Results: 4th Overall
  • 42 2
 26 always looks better.
  • 12 0
 Yes it does.
Just wondering did someone spot Dante Silva's Canyon Stitch got fork with STRAIT name on it ?
  • 2 0
 @allbiker: Dante does not have a suspension sponsor and all the stores were out of 100mm Pikes, so he borrowed the fork from Kyle.
  • 35 0
 They told me 26''was dead...
  • 29 43
flag bman33 (Jul 31, 2021 at 8:00) (Below Threshold)
 Unless slalom or DJ, it pretty much is
  • 28 1
 @bman33: so what you're saying is it's not dead...
  • 7 3
 @bman33: Or unless you're short, a kid or can't afford/don't want to spend money on a new bike
  • 9 5
 @stumphumper92: every person on this thread knows exactly what I mean. 90% of the articles people comment *26 ain't dead" on are trail/enduro bikes for adults. Yes kids bikes are 26-in now and I actually have one for my nephew. I will wait my down votes.
  • 27 0
 Man, I had such a chub for those GT Distortions back in the day. Super cool to still see some in the thick of it.
  • 5 0
 Me too, would love a modern version.
  • 4 0
 Same!
  • 1 0
 also reminds me of the old pivot m4x at least without the advertised dropper. So good handling and extremely light. A pleasure to ride!
  • 19 0
 This article right here is proof that companies need to start making slalom/slope bikes again. Most of these riders are on enduro and trail bikes with rigid posts.
  • 1 0
 Yeah, noticed that too. Frown Where are the slalom bikes?!?! It's great seeing slalom on such a big stage though.
  • 17 4
 Now is it just me or is 26 attempting to make a comeback and none of the PROS really want to talk about it??? Just look at that crown gap (pun intended)!!!
  • 24 2
 They all want it but the all the bike companies design teams are just trail/enduro riders who think a Jib/jump bike should have 29" wheels because it sells better, and most pro riders would rather keep their mouths shut than lose their sponsership. Or maybe not I just made all that up. Either way I want 26" back, 29" just doesn't make sense for all types of riding.
  • 8 0
 26 hasn't gone away. Almost all major bike brands make a 26" dj. And then quite a few make 26" slope bikes. They're still around and fun as ever!
  • 2 0
 i think a huge number of freeride/slopestyle pros would be much happier on 26" bikes look at Nell, T-mac, Zink, Aggy...
  • 1 0
 @bennspencer: @bennspencer: Lots of smaller brands still offer 26 options, just the big brands that have sunk millions into R and D don't want to admit to 29 don't being everything ti was hyped up to be. I sold my 26 yeti 303 Wc edition, ex-team to fund a process G2 in carbon and 29 and still regret it. Wishing I had gone for an evil or something like that which have the option of running 26
  • 17 9
 Man those shrunken enduhhro bikes just don't look right. R Dogs trek an the canyon look great, fast an fun. The others just look janky an awkward.
  • 19 2
 No matter how much you mod a trail bike, it just will never be the same as a 26" slope bike. Unfortunately slope bikes don't sell well, so the only thing that gets made is trail and enduro bikes to sell to the walmart crowd.
  • 5 1
 @luckynugget: sad but true
  • 2 0
 @luckynugget: you know trek makes a 26" slope bike, right? The Ticket S. He had a choice, and he went with a trail bike
  • 3 0
 @wako29: slope bikes can be too short for racing. Great for spinning tricks but, twitchy an unstable at speed
  • 1 0
 @wako29: I agree with @nojzilla reply..The ticket S is not a 4x/dual slalom bike but is a slopestyle bike (a dirt mtb with rear shock). The perfect 4x bike is in the middle between a dirt/slope and a short travel trail bike..but they are no longer produced..this article is very interesting in this regard:

www.pinkbike.com/news/bike-check-scott-beaumonts-specialized-enduro-sx.html
  • 11 3
 I feel bad for that Marzocchi fork with scratched stantions in Kialani's bike
  • 5 0
 It’s from the plastic gates at the flat turn section at the bottom.
  • 10 3
 For someone who knows better, build 26” wheeled bikes
For certain disciplines, except for the stitch they look
Wrong with 27.5
  • 6 0
 Thats a Habit id be glad to have! All Jiby Jaby lookin, and everything just sitting there. All rural,, an an and, seshy like
  • 7 0
 I love that DVO DJ fork...
  • 1 0
 Just a lowered diamond nothing too fancy
  • 1 0
 @freeridejerk888: Ah, it looks great nonetheless Big Grin
  • 5 0
 One has Assegai front and back, other Aggressor front and Ardent race back. Very different choises!
  • 1 0
 Always love seeing the tire choices!
  • 5 0
 That stitch slope by was always beautiful. Makes me miss having a slope bike
  • 5 0
 Well the Trek Fuel has come a looooooooong way since I used to drool over them in the Trek catalog 15 years ago lol.
  • 7 0
 7speed no dropper = WIN
  • 2 0
 Still love how a short travel 26 wheeled bike feels so I recently restored my meta SL1. Still liked riding it after owning multiple 29ers it's still cool to go back to the agility of the smaller wheeled bikes
  • 1 0
 @stumphumper92: I agree I'm an adult but short and I laced up a set of boost 26" wheels for my 2021 Kona process 153!! I swap between 27.5 and the 26 and I see no real difference in up hill speed but the 26 are way more fun being short!!
  • 3 0
 should have stopped looking after the first bike...
  • 2 0
 What makes a good slalom bike other than slamming your seat down and tilting your saddle up?
  • 12 0
 26" wheels, faster acceleration out of the gate, stiffer an more agile
same for the frame, small light agile for throwing about and railing berms, no instacutty jugernaughts here.
short stiff travel, almost locked out. no energy wasted in pogo'ing unessecary travel
fast rolling tyres, no drag
close ratio, road or "small block" gearing maybe even something like a custom 3 speed. Less unessecary wieght an predictable gear changes

pretty much a 4X bike
  • 4 0
 @nojzilla: You nailed it. I might add 2 things: frame with low bottom bracket (to suck you into berms), and many slalom riders choose wider bars than slopestyle, to get leverage into the corners. 36t chainring is common, unless its a flatter track Smile If I say anything more it'll be behind a paywall.....
  • 2 1
 All the slalom bikes are badass! They are 27.5 short travel trail bikes with a dj or 2 in the mix. Wish companies were still flooding the market with this genre of mtb.
  • 1 0
 Joey Foresta’s purpose built slalom bike and mixed wheels. Pretty sweet. Nice ride to second place after the win at nationals!
  • 1 0
 is there some industry wide ban on frame art or graphics? these 1 or 2 tone bikes were refreshing at first now they're just getting boring.
  • 7 5
 pivot and marzocchi. oxymoron. tell me im wrong.
  • 14 1
 You’re wrong
  • 1 1
 fact
  • 2 0
 Bring back the Intense Tazer FS from the early 2000's....
  • 2 0
 R Dogg is on 27.5 wheels on a Fuel EX frame!
  • 4 6
 Joey Foresta has been bought by Cedric Gracia’s ebike company and is now obligated by contract to go by the name of “Joey Forestal”
  • 2 2
 these look good but wheres the grim donut 2.0??
  • 1 0
 Buy my 26”
  • 1 0
 Whatcha' got
  • 1 0
 @ATV25: 2014 pivot Mach 5.7c
  • 1 0
 Insane event! Thank you
  • 1 0
 interesting
  • 6 6
 Come to RUSSIA !
  • 11 5
 Yer boy trump will be there soon guaranteed
  • 10 7
 @SterlingArcher: Hunter is already there with chinese spy hookers.
  • 4 7
 @NateMob: Okay derpderp derp
  • 7 3
 @SterlingArcher: you must not be into smoking parmesan cheese like ol HB.
  • 3 6
 @NateMob: you should have stayed in school
  • 6 5
 @SterlingArcher: lol okay lil buddy, best of luck to you too.
  • 8 5
 @NateMob: and daddy's backing him up
  • 2 1
 @NateMob: liberals are so obsessed with Trump it's hilarious. there is a senile kiddy sniffer running the country to the ground and all they focus on is the mean tweet guy that offended them 4 years ago. or sterling is just obsessed with men that don't care he exists, like trump, myself, and sterlings dad.
  • 1 2
 @TotalAmateur: I see you chickened out answering that question on the other thread LOL. So beta! Beer
  • 2 1
 @TotalAmateur: Biden derangement syndrome isn’t good for your mental health Smile

And I’m super happy that you’re so obsessed with me - I love having fans!! So thank you! I’m happy to validate your existence Big Grin
  • 3 1
 @NateMob: See what I mean? lol
  • 1 2
 @TotalAmateur: dude you’re obsessed with me. I’m taken, but thanks I’m flattered. I’m happy that I validate your existence though.
  • 1 1
 @SterlingArcher: COmE To RuSsia !
  • 1 3
 Did GT make up the distortion from the sanction...new bushings every ride
Below threshold threads are hidden







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