BH BIKES STORIES | The Perfect Melody by Ismael Esteban.

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THE PERFECT MELODY by Ismael Esteban.

In the hotel, on a Sunday in autumn, the hustle and bustle can be heard in the corridors… outside, it's a wet start to the day. The opening and closing of doors is the soundtrack that wakes the guests. The coffee pots are steaming and the smell of freshly baked bread wafts up to the rooms on the first floor.

Ismael gets up, looks out of the window to a grey, drizzly morning, and thinks how he would be better off anywhere but here. And at 38, he's not getting any younger. He remembers that aroma of competition, the taste that intoxicates the palate on the starting line... he's not ready to give up yet.

Bicicletta nera appoggiata a un cancello in un patio.

The PA system is playing The Ride of the Valkyries and the chords of Wild Thing, the music that once led the way for Martin Sheen, playing Captain Benjamin L. Willard, as he headed downstream into the Cambodian jungle in Apocalypse Now. Nerves, tension, two breaths of air, a clear mind... let's hit the road!

It's time to play. We are at the races. This is our playground, our Cambodian jungle, our temple.
And may the music continue to play even louder.

Ciclista gonfia gomma accanto a bici da montagna.
Ciclista solleva bici in giardino.

Just like the old rockers of the 70s, he has tasted and experienced all concepts and disciplines. MTB, road racing, cyclo-cross, enduro... even e-bikes. Anything on two wheels. Many of you will know Ismael Esteban. A multi-discipline cyclist long before multi-discipline cyclists became fashionable. A rider who conveys passion, who has cycled with the very best for many years, despite having to work much harder than them to be there. Although it's hard to believe, for many years, Ismael Esteban's life was closer to that of an amateur than a professional athlete.

As a young boy, he took up bike trialling, which led him to his first competitive event. His first bike wasn't just any old bike, it was handmade by his father. It didn't take him long to demonstrate his worth, winning and taking the podium in his first competitive races.

Uomo che raccoglie pomodori in un giardino verde.
Uomo seduto al tavolo con caffè e avocado.
Uomo con felpa BH Bikes gioca con un cane accanto a una bici.
Uomo che osserva piante in un giardino con statua di Buddha.
I was very disappointed. Now I regret that. I tried road racing because I swallowed the whole 'you're going to get rich' thing, but I never really had a chance to go pro.
Ciclista fuori da un garage con bici blu e abbigliamento sportivo.

First local ones, followed by national and then world races. Step by step, he made a name for himself and came of age in the world of racing. Initially, he was only involved in MTB. But the dream of becoming a professional road racer crossed his path. It was a different time, and the only way to make a living on two wheels appeared to be on asphalt. The results came, but not the expected leap to being a pro.

Another kind of music played in the offices, a ritornello of Baroque music, where the harpsichord and organ muffled the harmonious roar of the guitars and keyboards of a young man brimming with enthusiasm, but not so many opportunities. It seemed like the beginning of the end. A big blow that ended with Ismael Esteban retiring completely from racing.

Ciclista in gara di ciclocross, bici coperta di fango.
Ciclista sale su una collina fangosa con bici da corsa.
Ciclista in gara di ciclocross su terreno fangoso
Ciclista celebra vittoria in gara ciclistica sotto cielo nuvoloso.

He came to experience the less pleasant side of the sport. But he never disconnected completely from cycling. He went to work in a bicycle shop, giving up racing for months. But competing was in his DNA.

His typical lunchtime rides while at the shop were the spark that ignited the flame of his return to the racetrack. This time his first focus was cyclo-cross. And what a return it was. Combining his work in the shop, he became champion of Spain. It was the beginning of Ismael Esteban version 2.0. His absence from the circuits had made him realise that racing was what truly fulfilled him.

My pre-race settings

Persona che regola il sellino di una bici con attrezzi.

Suspension pressure
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Ciclista gonfiando pneumatico di mountain bike accanto a un container.

XCO tire pressure
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Ciclista attraversa una pozzanghera di fango durante una gara.

Mud and dry pressures
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Uomo tiene una bicicletta appesa in officina coperta.

Cyclocross setups
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Uomo con mountain bike vicino a una struttura con logo BH.

Cross Country setups
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Uomo che regola mountain bike accanto a una cassetta degli attrezzi.

Tightening review
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Persona regola la sospensione di una mountain bike.

Suspension pressure

On my Lynx Race I usually have 70-80 psi on the fork.

And between 130 and 140 psi in the rear shock depending on the circuit and the state of the terrain.

Ciclista gonfia mountain bike con pompa

XCO tire pressure

I use 2.4 tires with 30mm inner rims —sometimes 35mm in order to lower the pressures further.

Depending on the circuit, the pressures vary from 0.8 to 1.2 BAR .

Ciclista attraverso pozzanghera di fango su mountain bike.

Different tire pressures in mud and dry conditions

In cyclocross the pressures vary a lot depending on the circuit and the terrain, but especially the weather.

In mud conditions we use pressures of 0.8 to 1.2 BAR . While in dry they vary between 1.1 and 1.3 BAR.

Persona che sceglie una ruota di bicicletta in un'officina.

Cyclocross setups

My favorite option for the RX Team is 42 or 44 depending on the race and the circuit.

And cassette 11-28, or even 11-32 if the difficulty of the circuit is high.

Persona con una bici BH accanto a una scatola BH e Rotor.

Cross Country setups

In World Cup races I usually use 36D and 10-51 cassette.

Sometimes we also use 38D.

Uomo regola bici da montagna con attrezzi all'aperto.

Tightening review

Even though I have amazing mechanics, I always put the finishing touches on my bikes.

This way, if something fails, the ultimate responsibility is mine.

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The new Ismael Esteban made his character clear from the outset. A born fighter, unafraid of any rival and ready to compete with the best. "I would rather be a lion's tail than a mouse's head." MTB became more important with every passing season. When he found a comfortable domestic calendar in which he could shine easily, he decided to go big.

I like to be on the best circuits, with the best riders. The more technical and harder they are, the more challenging and exciting it is. The harder the races, the better for me.

It is clear that he is no longer just a promising youngster. But you'd never know it by hearing him talk about how he sees racing. The music changes over the years, but the composer's imprint remains the same.

His words are more reminiscent of a junior rider than a biker with more than two decades of racing behind him. And the results back him up.

Ciclista in montagna in salita con effetti di luce.
I'm still improving, I'm getting faster every year, even in technical and difficult sections. Logic says I should be slowing down, but that's not the case. That motivates me, and I still see myself as having room to grow.

With his own structure, he has travelled all over Europe. There is only one thing that still grates: "being my own team means I cannot devote myself solely to training and racing. I have to make a living on a day-to-day basis. I would like to go into competitions having spent all my time training, racing and resting, just like the rivals I am up against will have done. But I'm doing what I enjoy, and that fulfils me."

It is the soundtrack of his life. His favourite melody, his preferred song. You can dream your whole life with the ideal script, with the perfect music; but to have that script come to life, and for you to be the one setting the pace, is incredible.

Discover Ismael Esteban's playlist
for the warm-up before competition Spotify

Ismael Esteban still has a lot to give, he has successfully adapted to changes in the competition and is able to remain competitive in any category. You can still see him racing in the mud in winter, on the XCO World Cup circuits, or now in the World E-Bike Series. His evolution is not over yet. Old rockers never die.

Persona con cappello BH e maschera dietro un numero uno.