[Bikecheck] Nick Pescetto's Scott Gambler 710

Nick Pescetto is the best Italian freerider and one of the original members of the FEST Series. When he is not riding his bike, he’s possibly filming the best riders in the world or surfing at the world’s best beaches. Recently, he injured his knee but with some rehab and time to rest he is pretty much ready to ride again.

Before Nick starts his summer trips all over the world, I met up with him in Barcelona so he could show me his Scott Gambler 710 and talk about what he has been up to and what are his plans for this summer.

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Frame: Scott Gambler 710 2015
Fork: RockShox BoXXer World Cup
Shock: FOX DHX RC4 Coil Kashima
Handlebar: Renthal Fatbar
Stem: Hope Direct Mount
Grips: Hope Lock-on
Headset: Hope
Brakes: Hope Tech 3 V4
Wheels (Rims + Hubs): Hope Tech Enduro Pro 2 EVO + Hope Pro 2 EVO
Tyres: Schwalbe Big Betty
Cranks: Shimano Saint, but I’m gonna run the new Hope soon.
BB: Hope
Sprocket: Hope 34T
Pedals: Hope F20
Chain: Shimano
Seat: Chromag Overture
Seatpost: Syncros FL 1.5
Shifter: Shimano Saint
Rear derailleur: Shimano Saint
Cassette: Shimano 9-speed
Weight: Around 17kg.

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IMG_2266-001 — My suspension is most of the time, really hard. Unless I’m riding Downhill, I keep it stiff all the time. Lots of air in the front, dense oil and 500 spring in the back. It makes it way better for jumping and riding the FEST series tracks. You always wanna’ make sure that you are able to carry speed for the jumps. Often a soft setup doesn’t work at all. I like to keep my bike stiff so that it almost feels like my hardtail, but just bigger.

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IMG_2240-001 — My bars are 780mm length and 8mm rise. My stem is 32mm, so it’s pretty short. I like to have big bars and short stems which allows me to have better control when I jump. I like the bars a little bit higher, which makes it easier for manuals, jumping and the bike is easier to handle.

IMG_2239-001 — My brakes are the best ever. I recommend to ride Hope brakes because they are super progressive and they last forever. The colors are also the best so, pimp your bike and go for Hope.

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IMG_2261-001 — 26” vs. 27.5” – 26 for life- I’m never going to use 27.5” unless on a pedal bike. I like jumping and I know that 26 is the original deal, I don’t want to ride 27.5” just because the industry says it’s better and cooler.

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IMG_2260-001 — I love the Gambler. It is super solid and gives me a lot of confidence on the ground and in the air. It is able to take any hit and it feels like a jet that can fly through anything.

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What have you been up to lately?

Since the beginning of the year, I have been riding quite lots of different stuff. I was riding lots of hardtail and dirt jumping around Barcelona, then in March I went to So Cal, where I rode some big bike jumps and then I started chasing the FEST series in Santa Cruz (USA) and Kamloops, BC (CAN). In between the 2 stops I went to Bali to ride for ION and shoot for their new catalogue. I think Bali has been my favourite, I was there with Antoine Bizet and we were surfing and riding everyday, it was awesome. Unfortunately, in Kamloops I tored the ligaments of my knee and I have been out for the past months. It was a very simple crash. It was very windy, I hit a jump that I shouldn’t have jumped in that moment, the wind caught me and I put my foot down. I was very bummed because I couldn’t ride Aggy’s Reunion at all.

What are your plans for this summer?

I think that my knee is pretty much healed and ready to ride. Next stop is Crankworx 2 Alpes, then FEST series in Norway and Belgium. In August I will go to Whistler for Crankworx and the last FEST series in Nelson. We have a few CPGANG events planned. I will try to get some surfing too and work on filming projects where I will be behind the camera. It’s gonna be a fun couple months for sure.