>Q. I'm thinking of building up my Cove Stiffee hardtail to ride downhill, as I saw someone going down the DH course at Cwm Carn in South Wales at the weekend and they were flying - too fast for me to catch up and see what kit they had on their Stiffee. What big-ass forks, tyres, wheels, bars and brakes would you suggest?
Dave Lee Travis, Newport
A. There's a load of excellent tough but fast new kit out there at the moment, which will big up your Stiffee without slowing down your vinegar strokes. We'd go for a RockShox Pike Air U-Turn up front so you can run full 140mm for DH but shorter for XC. Fatten up your rim action with some DT 5.1s or Mavic XM321s, then rubber up with some French ticklers in the form of Michelin's new Dry 2 reinforced. To stop you leaning back and falling out at the crucial moment, fit some low riser bars too. We're loving the shape of the new Race Face Atlas or Evolve AM Low Riser bars right now. >
