Review
Chopper Fielder flying on the S.170 at Darkfest
26 April 2025
Grant 'Chopper' Fielder is a legend of the sport; a slopestyle and freeride pioneer and star of the British dirt jump scene, in fact he’s widely acknowledged as the Godfather of British slopestyle! We’ve known Chopper for a really long time! Dan, Gee, Rach, Peaty and Chopper were the only British riders in the iconic New World Disorder Series, well worth a re-watch or a watch for any youngsters who haven’t seen it before! Chopper now travels the globe as FMB World Tour’s head judge and social media guy for Muc-Off so we were super-stoked when he chose the S.170 to take to Darkfest 2025.
CF: I guess I’m best known for progression, and I know that’s something ingrained in the character of the Athertons themselves and every bike they produce, so I was excited to get my hands on the S.170.
I didn’t have much time to get to know the bike, but after watching Gee ride the S.200 at Red Bull Hardline, I knew that it was more than ready to hit the biggest jumps on the planet without a trial run. Straight out of the gate, the bike felt like an extension of me, responsive, planted, and aggressive in all the right ways.
Despite minimal setup time, it performed exactly as I needed. Every line, every send, every sketchy landing, this bike handled it. It gave me the confidence to push hard from the very first descent. The result? Some of my biggest moves yet... It sure turned heads at the event and racked up a lot of double-takes online. Chopper on an Atherton? Wait, what? It’s a pretty badass combo in my opinion. This thing ate Darkfest for breakfast and still gave me plenty of room to express my style. What a beast!!
Chopper Fielder's Darkfest Bike Spec
FRAME: S.170 Size 5 of 12 standard sizes (450mm reach, Chopper is 1728 tall but sized down for tricks!
REAR SHOCK: Fox X2 FORK: Fox factory 40, 203mm travel
BRAKES: Hayes Dominion A4, Galfer rotors (203 front and rear) and green Galfer pads
DRIVETRAIN: Sram XO 7 speed mech and cassette CHAIN: KMC 11sp chain
CHAIN DEVICE: MRP G3
HANGER: Burgtec UDH
CRANKS: Sram GX
POST: FSA K-force
SADDLE: Prologo Proxim
WHEELS: 29” front, 27.5” rear, Stans Flow EX3 rims and Stans' M pulse hubs,
TYRES: Continental Kryptotal front on both front and rear, 40psi in each. Tubeless with Stan’s sealant
BARS: FSA Gradient Alloy, 31.7, 40mm rise, 780mm wide
STEM: FSA Gradient 35mm
GRIPS: ODI Longneck
PEDALS: Crankbrothers Stamp