The Scot from Dunvegan has turned the world of cycling on its head with a single YouTube video – and has never stopped being a child at heart. He is someone who sees stairs, bridges and mountain peaks not as obstacles, but as an invitation. As a playground.
Here, Danny explains his Santa Cruz Vala.
Probike: Danny MacAskill’s Santa Vala
That’s why the Vala
That’s my ‘go-to bike’. To be honest, I ride the Vala most of the time. It’s so much fun, and it’s great for pulling off tricks too. Sure, my 5010 is more agile, but still: you can do anything on the Vala.
Mixed suspension
Up front, I’ve got the Fox 38 – that was already fitted. I did, however, retrofit the EXT steel-spring shock. The 500 spring suits my 78 kilos perfectly. The shock is a revelation. I’m really looking forward to trying out the matching fork soon.
Cockpit – aluminium, please
I’ve fitted the SFX-Cast aluminium handlebars – and cut them down to 770 mm. I’m a co-owner of the brand and I simply prefer aluminium handlebars: they feel better, and I don’t have to worry about them in the event of a crash. We should offer higher rise options at Cast. I don’t want a Harley-Davidson-style handlebar, but a bit more rise would often help – especially on steep terrain.
The Anchor
My choice: the Magura MT7 with HC3 Pro levers. I had these levers specially designed almost ten years ago – with slightly flatter lever blades than standard, and a bit longer. On a trials bike, you apply the brakes so hard that you really strain your fingers. Flatter levers help with that. Set to maximum power, 220mm discs at the front. A great, great deal of braking power.
Choosing tyres
I’m running the Protagonist 29×2.4 with an Enduro/DH casing at the front, and the Antagonist Smart Evo DH Compound 27.5/2.4 at the rear. A really fun combination – great for drifting. The rear tyre’s more suited to hard-pack, but you can have a bit of fun with it. I usually ride at around 1.4 bar, front and rear. I’m not the sort of rider who’s constantly adjusting my tyre pressure and fiddling about with the pressure gauge. When the going gets rockier, I just pump it up a couple of strokes. That’s it.
Chassis set-up
I just go by feel. After a ride or two, I’ve got a rough idea of where I want to be. I set the front suspension to about 25 per cent sag, the rear to a similar amount – and then I’m off.
And what about ABS?
I’ve already tried ABS on demo bikes, but not yet on my own. It’s an exciting concept – though not ideal for my riding style. I want to be able to lock my wheels; that’s part of it. I was just out riding with Hans Rey and Stefan Schley; they had ABS and were raving about it.
Electrical circuit?
Yes, I’ve already had it fitted to my Santa Cruz Vala – I’ll just go with that. I’ve been riding with the SRAM XO AXS for a while now, though, and I particularly appreciate the robust derailleur hanger. You see, I ride a lot in deep ruts back home – a high-risk area for the derailleur hanger – and I’ve never had a failure so far.
Danny’s no-gos on the bike:
- 1 "Cable routing through the headset. That makes everything complicated. For example, if you want to change the brakes quickly."
- 2 "Inner tube in the tyre". Since I started riding tubeless, I haven’t had any punctures or flat tyres".
- 3 "No front mudguard "Fitted. It won't work without it!"
Laurin Lehner
Editor
