Pro Bike Check: World #3 Kevin Miquel’s Sunn Kern at EWS Zermatt 2020

A few days before racing got underway at the opening round of the Enduro World Series in Zermatt, we caught up with World #3 Kevin Miquel of the Sunn Enduro Factory Race Team. The Swiss Alps offer some of the roughest and rockiest riding seen on the EWS circuit. So, like most riders, Kevin’s bike setup efforts put emphasis on reliable kit and puncture protection. Here’s Kevin Miquel’s Sunn Kern enduro race bike for EWS Zermatt, featuring the unreleased Formula coil shock.

For context, Kevin stands at 189cm tall and weighs 86kg in full riding kit. Unfortunately, Kevin’s race got off to an unfortunate start with his rain jacket somehow getting tangled up in his cassette on Stage 1. His team mate however, Theo Galy, got off to a scorcher landing his first ever EWS podium.

Kevin Miquel Bike Check: Sunn Kern

Kevin Miquel rides a prototype XL frame Sunn Kern that is, as of yet, unavailable to consumer. It is made up of a carbon front triangle and carbon rear triangle with fixed geometry.

It boasts 160mm rear wheel travel delivered via the new Formula coil shock. Yes, that’s the same shock we saw earlier in the year on the Orange Bikes of the Hazard Racing team. More details on that to follow…

For the sharp boulder fields of EWS Zermatt Kevin ran new Hutchinson Griffus Racing Lab prototype tires with a stiffer hardskin sidewall than found on the regular Griffus tires available on the market. Like Isabeau Courdurier, he ran a 2.5″ tire on the front and a 2.4″ in the rear with a Smooth tire insert from Slicy-Products.

Kevin’s entire tubeless setup is courtesy of Slicy-Products, including the Rocket valves, rim tape and Banana Sealant. Aforementioned tires are seated on an alloy Afterburner wheelset from FSA with 27mm internal width rims.

Kevin Miquel’s Sunn Kern features a Selva R Air fork. He runs the Soft Special (Gold) CTS valve on the damper side with 75 PSI in the postive air chamber and 100 PSI in the negative.

His race bike currently houses SRAM drivetrain components including a 10-50T cassette, XO1 derailleur. However, the he Sunn Enduro Factory Race Team aren’t supported by SRAM but by FSA- they are patiently awaiting the arrival of a full 12-speed electronic shift drivetrain from FSA. The other components are from FSA, including a 36T chainring and 175mm SL-K cranks.

For stopping, Kevin Miquel relies on Formula’s 4-piston Cura 4 brakes running 203mm rotors front and back. Kevin adds a friction strip to the brake lever (and the gear shifters) for additional purchase in wet conditions.

In the cockpit, Kevin opts for a 31.8mm clamp aluminium bar cut to 780mm to add a bit of compliance to his otherwise very stiff setup. It is held by a 45mm reach stem.

As for tools and spares, Kevin carries an innertube and tire levers on the frame’s top tube with a Zefal frame strap. His steerer houses a multi-tool from OneUp Components, complete with chain breaker and CO2 canister.

Within the handlebar, Kevin Miquel keeps a Zefal weapon of mass destruction knife. This is for use in tubeless repair – to make the hole in the tire larger so it can house a repair plug. On the other side, the Zefal insert is home to quick links and a tubeless plug insert tool.

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