Nrml MTBer, or Sebastian Bauer, is changing the mountain bike media landscape one viral instagram post at a time. Unless you live under a rock, you have probably come across one of his many hilarious Instagram reels or YouTube shorts. Now while these seemingly are just another funny post, bigger picture what is not shown is how Sebastian is dramatically changing the landscape of mountain bike media. People, as well as companies, are starting to realize that short form, relatable content where the end goal is to make the person on the other end of the screen laugh is here to stay. It's pretty evident to me as well that Sebastian was one of the first creators to pivot in this direction.
Sebastian also shreds and at 330lbs, hitting huge jumps and steep tech trails in his content clearly shows he trusts his bike set up! We wanted to find out just what goes into his thought process and when he let us know he built up the worlds strongest Specialized Stumpjumper Build we were very intrigued. And then he started talking appoalypse and we were sold...
So what makes this build so special? Looking at it looks like you went a bit burly and reliable component wise. Are there any key stand out components or things you went with for a specific purpose?
This bike is called the Apocalypse Build! Essentially the idea of this build was to make a bike which could live and thrive through the apocalypse and each piece was thought out with that specific purpose and reason.
(FRAME) The frame is a Specialized Stumpjumper Evo carbon, and in my eyes is one of the best and most versatile mountain bikes money can currently buy. I have taken the Evo to DH parks, jump parks, xc rides, shuttle runs, skate parks, and road rides…. and it handles it all exceptionally… plus not to mention its ability to be easily converted to mullet or full 29er wheel size. Also, the carbon frame was specifically chosen because its a little lighter and stronger than aluminum equivalents and in the unlikely scenario that the frame brakes, it can be (sorta) fixed in a pinch.
(SUSPENSION) I kept the suspension super simple here. The rear shock is a base Float X and the fork is a 170mm Marzocchi. Simple and reliable. No major adjustments or un-needed parts to go wrong, just pure reliability and good feel.
(DRIVETRAIN) As you can see the drivetrain is an outdated Sram GX system. And thats for good reason. Parts are much easier to find for this generation, its very strong, and most importantly its not electric. No batteries, no charging, no bullshit. Just hop on and ride. Infact nothing on this bike is electric or requires batteries. In the case an EMP hits, this bike will ride just fine whereas cars, motos, and e bikes will get destroyed.
(WHEELS) I went with the Roval Traverse wheels because I have built up an insane amount of trust over the years riding them and never had any hubs or wheels explode on me. I have added Cushcore inserts and fitted Specialized GridGravity Cannibal tires, which, in my opinion are the best tires on the market right now.
(Color of Components) You might look at the shiny paint and chrome/gold components and think, “hmmm… thats not very stealthy. If it was truly the apocalypse, you want a camo color scheme to blend in with nature…” but no no no no no…. Look at it this way, after an apocalyptic scenario or war, the survivors all bunch up into groups. In these groups there is instantly a hierarchy and a leader is chosen.
Well, if my bike is colored in shiny extravagant colors it instantly boosts me up the hierarchal ladder. Boom, now I’m a tribe leader! But, I also really just like the gold TRP DHR EVO brakes so thats why I chose those…
As a heavier rider, what are the more common issues you run into with components? Have you had any near catastrophic failures with anything specifically?
As a heavier rider (330lbs 6’4”) my main worry in regards to parts breaking might surprise some people… youd think that I break wheels constantly but honestly I havent broken a wheel (unintentionally) in years. I do, however, go through brakes faster than Lizzo goes through cake. Whether its blown out pads, fried oil, or warped rotors I have to do some kind of major brake service at least once or twice a month. Now, theres a very good reason I have TRP’s on my bike… because in the year ive owned them all I have done is replace the pads…. once…. However other brands (which I will not name) cause me problems constantly. But, other than brakes I bend cranks every once in a while.
What is in store for Nrmlmtbr in the future? I know you guys just moved out to Reno! Can we expect a new form of content from you soon?
The move to Reno was something we were super excited about! Ill have a video on my Youtube channel explaining why I made the decision to come out here but in summary taxes, access to nature, riding, cost, and got sick of California. The move out here stems into a bunch of other stuff too, we were able to build a studio and dream shop so viewers can expect ALOT of Youtube this year, some potential live streaming and most importantly wayyyy cooler riding and scenery!!
Check out Nrml MTBer here: https://www.instagram.com/nrml_mtber
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