On his day Sam Hill is the fastest man to have ever swung his leg over a downhill bike – without question. So is it all down to the rider? Well not entirely, Sam is pretty switched on when it comes to bike set up and developing a frame package; developments which unfortunately Iron Horse never really made full use of. Thankfully Specialized are more astute and the new Demo 8 takes in a lot of the tweaks (but not all) that Sam and team mate Brendan Fairclough have made to their bikes for the ‘09 race season. The result is a bike with good angles, a stable and low ground– hugging bottom bracket that sticks the bike to the floor through the turns, and a very
capable rear end that deals with all manner of abuse with ease, yet remains super plush over the small stuff.
The top of the range Demo II comes with a great build; World Cup BoXXers, 750mm wide bars, direct mount stem and custom Avid brakes made up from an Elixir lever and Code callipers. At a touch over 38lbs it’s pretty much on the money weight wise and the rear suspension is of the highest order. Like the Iron Horse Sunday, expect to see plenty of Demo 8’s on the hillside once these hit the stores.

A solid, performance package.

£3,999.99 (Frame: £1,999.99)
Specialized 0208 391 3530
www.specializeduk.com