APRIL 2013 RECAP
SEA OTTER CLASSIC COVERAGE SRAM 22 & HYDRAULIC ROAD BRAKES 2014 SHIMANO XTR OVERVIEW ULTEGRA 11-SPEED • TRP ROAD DISCS BRAKE FLUID BREAKDOWN & MUCH MORE!
to make it easier for readers to catch up. We really appreciate our daily readers, but we know not everyone can hold that pace. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. But, like early morning rides, the thought of actually adding more to my workload (let alone something that was both regularly recurring and had finite deadlines) wasn’t too appealing. I hemmed and I hawed and made excuses. But, same as rolling out with the rising sun, once I got going, I knew I’d be happy I did. So, like setting out my clothes the night before and having bottles pre-mixed in the fridge, I used the flights home from Sea Otter to get things ready. And over the past two weeks, I continued to refine the layout, add content and pester Zach for his part of the 650B feature. Then, after a final two solid days of converting images, links and blurbs into the e-mag you see here, it was time to write this introduction. Then rewrite it. And rewrite it again.
We
pump a lot of info onto Bikerumor. As I put this together, even I was surprised by how many posts we did in April. As such, it’s easy for the bigger news to get buried quickly. We’ve done what we can with the layout to keep the really good stuff in the top featured section for a little while, but even that cycles through pretty quickly. So I wanted
This is the first edition. Things will change (we already have ideas) and improve as we go along. And as we hear from you. We’re always open to feedback at Bikerumor. Enjoy!
Tyler Benedict Founder
Want to write for Bikerumor? We’re looking for folks that are both talented riders and writers. People who are passionate about bikes, the components and the technology, as well as the people and brands behind them. Not fanboys, just enthusiastic folks that are happiest around bicycles and want to share their knowledge and perspective with others. In particular, we’d like to find new writers in Colorado and Europe, but we want the right talent regardless of location. You don’t necessarily have to have been published before, but you should know proper sentence structure, grammar and spelling at least as well as you know how to change a flat. You know who you are, and you know how to reach us. ©2013 BikeBoardMedia, Inc.
The Bikerumor Recap is a monthly guide to all the lastest cycling news, tech, rumors & reviews we’ve posted on Bikerumor.com. Not everything will be here. Videos, Friday Roundups and Pics of the Day will only be online. But, we’ll have some new stuff here, and it’s a chance for us to add a second thought to anything we’ve already covered online. All content is shuffled into four categories (MTB, Road/Cyclocross, Other & Reviews), with links back to the full story, plus a little fresh editorial for those of you that’ve seen it all. It’s arranged in chronological order, so the the first stories are from the first of the month. Here’s a quick guide to how it works:
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Giro Releases Limited Edition Blue Empire Road Shoes As part of their monthly limited edition releases on Facebook, Giro’s released a shiny, day-glow neon blue version of their Empire road bike shoes. Only 400 are being made, and, likely, by the time you read this, they’ll all be claimed...but never hurts to check, right? »read more»
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Santa Cruz Bronson
We had a feeling going into Sea Otter that the biggest movement of the show was the impending march to 650b wheels. Manufacturers did not disappoint. 650b was everywhere – wheels, tires, frames, tubes (people still use tubes?) and forks. While the 29er movement took quite a while to gain a foothold, the 650b (r)evolution is happening seemingly overnight. Talking to many product managers, the future of 26” wheels seems bleak. Manufacturers will surely continue to support the wheels in the near future, but talks of new product revolved solidly around 650b. In the trail/AM category, we didn’t see a single new 26” bike. There were tons of 27.5s, a few 29s, but very few if any 26ers. Is it because 27.5” is radically better than 26”? On paper, the 27.5” size does offer some advantage over the 26” without giving much up in terms of weight or playfulness.
The biggest area of improvement looks to be in the Trail/AM category where the smaller wheels allow for tighter suspension designs while still offering better roll over ability compared to 26”. A bit of history: As many of you may know, 650b is not new. Some of the very first mountain bikes used 650b wheels to fit the Nokian Hakkapelitta tires that were far more advanced than 26” inch tires at the time. There are various reasons people give for the demise of the tire size, ranging from lower import duties on 26” tires to the Russian Military hoarding all of the Hakkapelitta tires in the early 80’s so the US couldn’t get any. Whatever the reason, the tire size died off until Kirk Pacenti gave it a second wind with his hardtail at the 2007 North American Handmade Bike Show. Pacenti’s effort to bring 650b back around competed with the huge buzz surrounding 29” wheels at the time, and the new/old wheel size stayed mostly dormant until recently.
Why the Sudden Explosion?
Last summer, we interviewed brand reps for bike, component and tire manufacturers to see where the “sudden” interest was coming from. Many admitted it was industry driven, a way to drive new sales. That’s not entirely untrue, but we really like the quote from MRP’s Paul Aeta: “The industry is fueled by thousands of enthusiasts (like me) who strive to make a better bike. The victor is the consumer because they keep getting better and better bikes and gear that they didn’t even think to ask for.”
Pivot Firebird 275
They also clued us into the opportunities abroad. 29er’s are growing overseas, but uptake has been much slower than in the US, and 650B might just be the thing for increased sales. And, several brands have made it crystal clear to us that they see the European market as a much more important growth market. You can read the full interview here.
What Does It Mean For Riders & Shops? Choice. And lots of it.
On the shop owner’s side we’ve heard the argument about having to stock more sizes of the same SKU, which can certainly be a burden to smaller shops. On the flip side however, what customer is going to come into the store looking for a 26 inch bike? When I (Zach) was working in shops back in 2010, customers that were very green to the sport were already coming in with their mind made up that they were going to buy a 29er. The general riding public may not be clamoring for 27.5 wheels, but they certainly are no longer enthusiastic about 26”. For riders, it means a modern bike with plenty of travel if you want it and a better ability to roll over the small stuff. And for really short riders, the latter is particularly appealing. And it’s not just choice of bikes. Every single fork, tire and wheel manufacturer had something in the new size (or at least said it was coming) on display, many with options for various disciplines and budgets. Ultimately, we see the 27.5 not as a replacement for the 29” wheel, but more likely the 26”. With XC, Enduro and DH races already won on both 27.5 and 29 inch wheels, even pros are looking for the advantage of the bigger wheel. It may not happen in the next year, or the next 5 years, but with a few exceptions (DJ bikes), expect to see a whole lot more 27.5” and 29er and a lot less 26”. On the next page, we’ve compiled links to most of the 650B bikes we spotted at Sea Otter Classic. A few others are spread throughout the Mountain Bike section, too, along with all of the forks, tires and wheels.
by Tyler Benedict & Zach Overholt
Norco Sight Carbon 27.5 Prototype
Marin
Marin has jumped into the 650b pool head first with three new bikes, including the rebirth of the Attack Trail (above). Between the alloy Rocky Ridge AM hard tail, and the carbon Mount Vision and Attack Trail full suspension bikes, Marin has the 27.5” market covered across the spread. »read more»
Norco
Already seeing great sales with their current line of Killer B, 650b bikes, Norco has taken their incredibly popular Sight Killer B and molded it in carbon. In addition to the carbon Sight 650b, Norco also launched an alloy full suspension bike in the form of the Fluid 650b, as well as a carbon 650b hard tail the Revolver. Showing the versatility of the middle sized wheel, Norco factory racer Jill Kintner went on to win the Sea Otter DH race on her Sight Carbon Killer B. »read more»
Pivot
Chris Cocalis had hinted at this for a while, and the new Pivot Firebird 27.5” actually uses the same frame as the 26” version with just a few small tweaks. That means you won’t be able to get a really wide tire in there, but you do get a whopping 167mm (6.6”) of rear wheel travel. »read more»
Jamis
Marking their third year making 650b bikes, Jamis was able to refine current designs rather than having to invent them from scratch. That isn’t to say they had nothing completely new. The Dakar AMT is now offered in a 150mm travel 650b bike (pictured next page, top right). In addition, the Dakar XCT Team 650b full susser and Nemesis 650B Hardtail will now be carbon fiber (and lighter!). »read more»
Fezzari
Expanding the offerings of their consumer-direct business model, Fezzari is now offering two new 650b bikes. The carbon Timp Peak 150mm full suspension trail/AM bike (above, left) and the more budget concious alloy Nebo Peak 140mm trail bike join two new 29ers, too. Like all Fezzaris, they’re offered with custom fit build kits and shipped straight to your door. »read more»
Scott
Thanks to Nino Schurter’s successful World Cup and Olympic campaigns, Scott’s pro-only-untilnow Scale 650b gained a lot of attention. To satisfy demand, they’ve introduced a limited edition run of Scale 27.5 bikes, the carbon 710 (bottom, right) and alloy 740. Built with slightly different geometry than Nino’s bike, they’ll fill the middle sized gap until new bikes are released for 2014. »read more»
Focus
Focus is also, um, focusing on hardtails to start. The Raven carbon hardtail (bottom, center) borrows the sharp lines and routing of the 26” and 29er version and adapts it to 650B wheels. An extra nice touch includes a dropped top tube on the smallest size to improve standover clearance. »read more»
Intense
Intense beat everyone to the game with the first full production 650B downhill bike (bottom, left). The new 951 had all of its angles and tube lengths tweaked, some only slightly, to create a bike that they and their team riders seem pretty pumped on. »read more»
Santa Cruz
Last but not least, the Santa Cruz Bronson had everyone worried for a split second that it was an April Fools joke thanks to a 4/1 debut. Thankfully, the 150mm bike is, in fact, real. And it’s available in both carbon and alloy frames with plenty of color choices and build options. »read more»
Fox Tackles Enduro Racing w/ Updated 34 TALAS Fork, New Float X Shock Beyond 650B bikes, Enduro racing is a major trend in the mountain bike scene. In its essence, you have people doing what they do anyway -ride with friends up a mountain then try to beat each other on the way down- but in a timed format with prizes. Fox took a hard look at the needs of this growing discipline and the additional stresses it puts on equipment otherwise designed for XC to Trail use and developed the all-new Float X shock. It uses a piggy back damper reservoir to improve performance when things heat up. The design sits between the DHX Air and normal Float shocks, but gets CTD controls since it’s as likely to be pedaled up the mountain as down. The new 34 TALAS has completely new internals that both lighten the fork and improve performance. A new hydraulic switching system makes travel adjustments snappier, and the overall tune is said to better mimic their non-
adjustable air forks and improve the individual CTD settings. How does it all work? That remains to be seen as Saris heads to their Enduro test rides and race in May. For now, get all the tech details and images in this post.
Shimano XTR Sheds Weight w/ New Brakes, Adds Carbon 29er Tubulars & More Shimano’s new M987 XTR Race disc brakes shave a whopping 40g per wheel by getting thier first carbon lever blade and new magnesium bodies for the master cylinder and caliper. Ti hardware helps, too. DH rotor tech comes to the XTR level with new finned rotors. Carbon 29er tubulars will be offered in limited numbers, giving you pro-racer spec if you want. There’s also new 650B wheels, an updated chain (that could signal things to come) and a new, lighter bottom bracket. Sadly, looks like their chainguide isn’t coming. Full story here.
Leonardi Prototype Lefty Stem, XX1 Chainring Spiders Italy’s Leonardi Factory has a thing for upgrading Cannondales and, lately, drivetrains with lightweight parts that also add or change functionality. We spotted several newer items at Cannondale’s Team MTB Camp, including a drop stem and XX1 spider adapter. »read more»
New Santa Cruz Bronson 650B Weighs In Curious what the new Santa Cruz Bronson 650B mountain bike shows on the scales? The Medium with SPX build kit and Specialized Bennie pedals came in at 30lb 15oz (about 14kg) with upgraded Fox Kashima suspension. Thanks to Scott Valley Cycle Sport for sending in the pics and weights! »read more»
Dan Atherton Spied on Prototype GT 650B Enduro Mountain Bike Yep, another 650B bike spotted in the wild, and we have word GT’s working on some pretty big things for 2014...which we’ll be covering (and riding!) in June, stay tuned. »read more»
Kona Explosif 650B Steel Hardtail Now Available Technically available in February, we caught wind it was shipping and thought it worth an update. »read more»
WTB Adds 650B Tire Options, New Rims We spotted prototypes on Cannondale’s team bikes, then WTB teased a Richard Bronson-approved Vigilante tire on April Fool’s Day. Thankfully, they followed through with the real deal, and more, including the new Beeline and a new family of rims. »read more» Rockshox Brings Back Pike, Updates Reverb & Monarch Rockshox has revived the long-travel Pike, using it to introduce plush new Charger damping technology and stanchion coatings. Starting just over 4lbs, travel ranges from 140mm to 160mm depending on model and wheel size, all three of which are offered. That, and the Monarch Plus, get new Rapid Recovery Rebound, helping to keep the bike floating higher in it’s travel. »read more»
Prototype Geax Saguaro Ultralight Tubeless Tires We spotted these at the 6 Hours of Warrior Creek, with the words “Team Prototype” all but luring Tyler across the pits like Pepe LePew following that cat. All Geax would say is that they’re testing a new ultralight casing, but we hear the feel is up there with tubulars. »read more» Momsen Vipa Takes Cape Epic Win in Prototype Form Momsen’s Vipa wasn’t even out of prototype form when it took a Masters win at Cape Epic. The bike is a pretty sweet short travel 29er race bike. Or, at least, the larger sizes are...the smaller frames will be coming with 650B wheels. Final details are still under wraps, but check out the bike spec and add-ons it takes to win one of the longest, toughest races around. »read more» Sarif Cycle Worx Handmade Steel 29er w/ Interesting Touches Greensboro, NC, builder David Johnson started Sarif Cycle Worx because, well, he figured it was about time. In his 50’s, Johnson had dreamt of building bikes all his life, and, despite being a roadie, his first six frames have all been 29er hardtails. This one features NASCAR-approved tubing and more! »read more»
First Look! Niner RIP9 RDO in Licorice Black While we’re fans of the original blue color, too, there’s just something about a blacked out bike. Niner’s newest color for the RIP9 RDO is Licorice Black, and it’s a looker. »read more»
French Brand BOS Suspension Drops Into America BOS Suspension has a long history in offroad motorsports, and European riders have had access to their mountain bike forks and shocks for years. Now, finally, they’re coming stateside. Hit the link to see why we’re excited. »read more»
Prototype 1,100g Fulcrum 29er Wheels Being Tested Sometimes the details we get are short, in this case just a brand and a claimed weight. That doesn’t mean we didn’t pick apart the images to make a few educated guesses about what’s going on with these insanely light Fulcrum prototypes being raced by Merida’s riders! »read more»
SRAM Expands Mountain Bike Wheel Line w/ Roam, Rail SRAM’s Rise wheels are joined by two new hoops, the Roam and Rail look toward the longer travel segments and (thankfully) come tubeless ready, a big improvement over the Rise. They claim to be the perfect balance between weight, stiffness and durability. »read more»
Christini AWD Fat Bike Makes Push for South Pole Christini built this custom version of his 2-wheel-drive 29er hardtail mountain bike for adventurer Kate Leeming’s attempt to ride to the South Pole. For the rest of us, he’s making a limited run of these and standard AWD 29er frames later this year. »read more»
Olympia Rolls Out Shapely 650B Bull Hard Tail Olympia’s third 650B hardtail mountain bike follows the curved upper lines of its carbon siblings, but forms them with 7005-series alloy. »read more»
Juli Furtado Breathes New Life Into Juliana Women’s MTB Line Deets are scant, but the full launch is coming on May 17. From what we’ve seen, it’s looking like the recently introduced Santa Cruz Superlight 29er gets a full makeover to become a new Juliana model. The original (and still available on SC’s website) bike was based on the 26” Superlight. »read more»
All-New Niner RIP9 Alloy - Lighter, Stiffer, Sexier Not to be confused with the new RIP9 RDO in Licorice Black we saw earlier in the month, the new RIP9 alloy gets shapely airformed tubing that’s both stiffer and manages to drop half a pound from the frame! »read more»
New Avid X9, X7 Trail Brakes Following in the quad-piston footsteps of the X0 Trail Brakes introduced last year, the two new models share most all of the tech and features but come in at a much lower price. So far, we’ve been really pleased with the performance of thse, and lower cost models are a welcome addition. »read more»
FSA K-Force Hydraulic Disc Brakes Spotted While they bear a passing resemblance to SRAM’s brakes, we were told by FSA’s folks that they were, indeed, a completely original design. Oh, and that they’ll be pretty sweet when they do finally announce them...which didn’t happen at Sea Otter. »read more»
Niner Adds 780mm Wide Flat Top Carbon Handlebars The new Niner RDO Carbon Flat Top handlebars get their +/-5mm rise at the clamping section with an extra 70mm of width for larger riders that still want to keep a low front end. »read more»
Intense 951 Becomes First Production 650B Downhill Bike Minimal tweaks to the geometry to accommodate the larger wheels include slightly longer chainstays, roomier top tube and slacker head angle. But, they say it keeps the legendary feel that model’s known for. »read more»
Scott Scale 275 Gets Official Introduced as early 2014 models called limited editions, the new Scale 710 carbon and Scale 790 alloy bikes will only come in one build option each. Full tech specs, photos and first ride impressions are up. »read more»
New Gamut Single, Double Bash Guards & Prototype Trail Guide Gamut’s bash guards get a few new options, including new parts to convert existing single-ring setups to doubles and a new spider/bash ring for SRAM cranksets with a reduced BCD to give you more ring options. And the upcoming lightweight Trail Guide is a single ring guide for Enduro racing. »read more»
Banshee Prototype Phantom 29er Banshee has moved their KS link suspension design to big wheels, but keeps their North Shore style layout. »read more»
e13 Developing XX1-Style Chainrings They’re developing their own narrow/wide tooth profile chainrings in 28 through 36 tooth counts, but considering a monstrous 38. »read more»
ANVL Components Launches Out of Transition Bikes The people at Transition Bikes unveiled their ANVL component line to us, and while the new bits will trickle into existence over the next couple months, it’s a fairly complete offering. Bars, stems, saddles, wheels, pedals & grips for the trailto-gravity rider are all there. »read more»
Prototype GT Downhill Mountain Bike Spotted Alongside the trail bike we spotted earlier in the month, there was a new DH rig resting alongside another Atherton at Sea Otter. »read more»
Niner Shows New Bars, Stems & Posts, Plus 2013 IMBA Jet9 RDO & More! Their annual IMBA edition run of nine bikes saw their first ever full suspension model with a beaufiful Jet9 RDO bike. All of them will be auctioned off to raise money for the trail building advocacy. They also had some very interesting new cockpit bits, including a negative riser bar and setback RDO post. »read more»
DT Swiss Spline One Wheels Take Top Spot for Alloy Hoops With some impressive design and tech, DT Swiss’ new Spline One wheels bring light weights and much claimed stiffness to three sets of wheels for everything from XC through all-mountain riding. And, each is available in all three wheel sizes. »read more»
Bike Check: Eric Carter’s Prototype Hyper 650B Plush new trail bike from Hyper and one of two prototypes floating around Sea Otter. »read more»
Yeti Launches SB95c Carbon 29er, Arc Carbon Yeti’s big wheeled bikes get lighter with new carbon fiber frames. »read more»
BOS Intros 650B Enduro Fork, Shock We’re starting to see why this brand has such a following overseas. The new Kirk enduro shock features external adjustments for rebound and both low & high speed compression, plus a lockout. We put that and their new 650B forks on the scale. »read more»
Turner Czar 29er Carbon Race Bike Unveiled - Details & Weights Turner’s first-ever carbon fiber bike took aim at the market that could see the most benefit from the material’s lightweight and stiffness: XC racing. And it looks like he did it right with a DW-linked sub-23lb race rocket that we can’t wait to ride! Initial studio shots are here, hit the main link for the full story. »read more»
Formula ThirtyFive Forks Coming for 27.5”, 29er The design is finalized, now they’re on the way. While the 33mm stanchions are reserved for 26” bikes, Formula continues their odd-sized in between diameters for the larger wheels, all claimed well under 4lbs. »read more»
Burgtec Working on Penthouse Flat Pedal Burgtec’s latest will replace the MK3 pedal, hopefully with a lighter, thinner version. It’ll also have some limited custom ano color options. »read more»
X-Fusion Shows Prototype Sweep 27.5” Fork, Others Weighed & Photo’d The Sweep is a new 160mm fork for the tweener wheel size, getting optimized trail and rake and other adjustments to dial the performance. The new Metric 180mm fork and RV1 DH fork were on display, too, so we weighed them. »read more»
Crank Brothers Updates Kronolog Dropper Post, 650B Wheels Spied CB has made a running change to their Kronolog, making setup a bit easier and offering color coordinated parts. Hiding in plain sight on their team’s bikes were prototype 650B wheels, too. »read more»
Continental Rolls Out Complete 650B Tire Lineup The Race King, X King, Mountain King and Trail King all get mid-sized options, some with multiple widths and all with three casing options, including their new tubeless ready version. »read more»
Prototype Morpheus 27.5” DH Bike, Loki Trail Bike Better known for their alloy DJ/Slopestyle bikes, Morpheus had a developing carbon DH bike with 27.5” wheels in the pits alongside a new 27.5” version of their Loki Trail Bike. »read more»
Bike Check: Jill Kintner’s SOC-winning Norco Sight 650B Jill killed it on this bike, winning multiple events and earning plenty of podium time. »read more»
Geax Adds 650B Tires, New Enduro Racing Tread Pattern Capitalizing on both major trends, Geax unveiled a full range of 650B tires and an new enduro-oriented tread design. »read more»
Rockshox Brings Dual Hydraulic Lockout, Dig Valve & More 27.5” Forks Rockshox’s hydraulic remote lockouts are hands down the smoothest, easiest to use lockouts available, but the design meant each end of your bike needed it’s own button. No more. And inside, the new Dig Valve adds rapid recovery rebound damping to the Revelation and SID forks, both of which now have 27.5” sizes. »read more»
Prototype Giant 650B Trance, Anthem Giant’s working on two 650B bikes, the carbon/alloy XC racer Anthem and a full alloy trail bike with the Trance. »read more»
New Ultralight Xpedo Spry Flat Pedals Super thin and super light, Xpedo’s new Spry flat pedals will also come in a variety of colors. »read more»
2014 Diamondback 29er Carbon Hardtails, Full Suspension Mason We’ve seen Eric Porter’s various test bikes for the Mason FS 29er trail bike for about a year now, and every time he’s just as stoked on it. Now, it’s about ready, and it’ll be joining three new carbon hardtail 29ers for the 2014 model year. »read more»
VP Components Prototype Vision Flat Pedals Aaaaahhh, VP Components. Not a show goes by where they don’t have some interesting new flat pedal prototypes. The ones at NAHBS were insane, but these Visions look a little more down to earth. »read more»
Kenda Adds 650B Options, Updates Road & ‘Cross Tires, Too The Turnbull Canyon and Slant Six treads get reworked for 650B sizes, with availability starting now through early summer. Some of the changes to knob shapes are being ported to their 29er sizes, too. »read more»
Onza Tires Comes Back, Embraces 27.5” Onza is headed back to the states (and the rest of the world), and they’re bringing a plethora of 27.5” treads with them. »read more»
2014 Specialized Rumor Women’s 29er Full Suspension The sole glaring omission from Specialized’s women’s lineup has been a 29er full suspension mountain bike. Thankfully, that’s been remedied with the new Rumor, and they did right by the ladies. Featuring all the latest standards, including many not found on most men’s bikes at the same price point, it should be a real trail ripper. »read more» Bike Check: Kabush and Kofman’s Scott Scale, Spark Race Bikes Geoff Kabush has been on a roll lately, winning SOC’s short track and 2nd in XC, then winning the Whisky 50. The latter two trophies were accrued on the full suspension Spark, the former on the Scale hardtail. Check his bikes and teammate Mikaela Kofman’s ride at the link. »read more»
New Redline Carbon 29er Alongside the new Conquest Pro Disc ‘cross bike, Redline showed off the D680 carbon 29er. It’s been a work in progress with sister brand Ghost for more than a year, and now it’s finally out. Thankfully, it’s not just another carbon hardtail; it builds in some nice features that help it stand out. »read more»
Deity Handlebars Goe Carbon, Plus New I-Beam Post & More Deity’s new T-Mo Enduro handlebars were developed with champ Tracey Mosely. They also have new pedals and an I-beam seatpost. »read more»
Dirty Sixer Builds 36” Mountain Bikes for Giants If 29ers are good for taller riders, it stands to reason that 36ers would be better for really, really tall riders, right? That’s the theory behind Dirty Sixer, who had a bike raced at Sea Otter by a 6’10” human. And if you think the frame is rad, check out the parts required to make it work! »read more»
Open Cycles x Pro Bike Supply Dual Electronic 29er, More Pro Bike Supply put together a one-off Open Cycles bike in the newly available white color that hacked together two Di2 junction boxes to simultaneously power a Fox iCD fork and Ui2 drivetrain. Photos, details and weights are all posted. »read more»
Bike Check: Steven Bafus’ Diety Hacked Giant Trance X 29er Sometimes, you just gotta make your bike do what you want it to do, and that’s just what Bafus did to pull some on course tricks on his wagon wheeler. »read more»
Reynolds Adds Carbon 29er, 27.5 Mountain Bike Wheels Their carbon rims were introduced earlier and are already in use by Industry Nine and others, but now Reynolds is offering their own complete wheels with the lightweight composite hoops. »read more»
Vee Rubber x Intense ITS 650B Tire Collabo, Plus More Fat Bike Treads Vee Rubber and Intense have partnered to keep the bike brand’s ITS tread pattern alive. It’ll come out this fall with a 650B version to fit their new 951 DH bike. »read more»
Michelin Brings 650B Enduro Wild Gripp’r, Racer to Production Michelin showed off a range of mid-sized tire options, plus a still-in-prototypeform mud tire that uses twisting knobs to shed accumulation and maintain grip. »read more»
Lil’ Shredder Debuts 24” Full Suspension Kid’s Bike Built by Ventana in CA, Lil’ Shredder’s are designed from the ground up to be performance mountain bikes, using many of the same components as high end adult bikes. They’ve offered 16”/20” hardtail and full suspension models, and now there’s a new 24” wheel bike with adjustable rear travel based around a standard 26” fork. And it’s sweet! »read more» Titus Rockstar 29er Carbon Finally in Production, More Titus has been working on the carbon version of the Rockstar 29er for more than two years, first showing a prototype at the 2011 Sea Otter Classic. Now, finally, it’s in production, along with a long travel El Guapo 29er. But that’s not all they had to show! »read more»
SRAM Introduces First Product Hydraulic Road Bike Brake Sets We all knew this was coming. Heck, SRAM themselves confirmed it a year ago when they introduced the 2012 Red Group. It just took a bit longer than anticipated to get through testing, and for good cause. There’s a healthy amount of both interest and skepticism when it comes to hydraulic disc brakes for road, and these had to be right lest the entire segment be set back. Having ridden them down some of California’s long, twisty descents around Thousand Oaks, I’m happy to report they are good. I went into this launch both excited and worried. I wanted them to be good. I really, really did. But, I also wasn’t sure if it really mattered...after all, even if the braking performance and heat management were carefully considered, could a 160mm rotor really ever have the grab that a 700c “rotor” would? According to SRAM, it’s better, and that’s thanks to a much better coefficient of friction between pad and rotor materials than what you’ll ever get with rim/pad materials due to weight and abrasion constraints. According to my rides, I’d agree. I felt more confident during panic stops and on descents and turns with the discs than with the caliper brakes. That’s not to say the new Hydro R hydraulic rim brakes aren’t good. In fact, they’re amazing. It’s just that the discs are better. And I’m glad they are. Neither system is as light as a top end mechanical set, at least not for the calipers, but the lever feel is immaculate. And you’ll never have to worry about cable contamination. Check out all the tech specs, details and more riding impressions in the full article here.
SRAM 22 Brings 11-Speed Shifting and Updated Road Components In addition to the hydraulic brakes, SRAM showed off their new Red 22 and Force 22 groups, both moving to 11-speed cassettes and redesigned shifters, derailleurs, chainrings and chains. Yes, it’s only been a year since the “New Red” came out, but we can’t fault SRAM for keeping up with current standards. And, we’ll actually applaud them for dropping it into their Force group from the get go, making their 2nd-tier parts arguably better than the still-available 2012 Red group. Full story here.
TRP Introduces HYRD Hydraulic/Mechanical Hybrid Disc Brakes & More For many riders, a full hydraulic road or ‘cross bike brake setup sounds nice, but most of us already have pretty good rigs. For those, TRP’s new HYRD hydro/mech brakes are looking pretty good since they’ll work with any existing mechanical road bike drop bar lever. They also showed off the Spyre, a dual-pull mechanical disc brake that we’re equally excited about. Check all the tech details and first ride impressions right here.
Shimano Ultegra Adds a Cog, Now 11-Speed Not content to let SRAM Force steal too much limelight, Shimano has brought their 11-speed tech to Ultegra, too. The cranksets borrow Dura-Ace’s 4-arm design and more, plus a wide range of cassette and derailleur options. Much more detail, weights and pricing in the full article.
Fizik Adds Braided, Padded Saddle Options Dubbed Versus, Fizik has taken three of their more popular saddle shapes and added padding with a relieved center channel. It’s available on the top level Arione, Aliante and Antares, all with their ultralightweight braided carbon fiber rails. »read more»
Prototype Scott Race Bike Spotted at Flanders Since posting this, we’ve learned it’s almost certainly the new Addict, but that didn’t stop team managers suggesting it’s as much an endurance rig as a crit racer. Putting it under the pros on Tour of Flanders’ cobbled roads at least hints that it’s going to be multi-talented. »read more»
Zipp Unveils 303 Disc Brake Wheels in Clincher, Tubular Just in time for the SRAM 22 and Hydro brakes launch, Zipp had their beloved 303 wheels laced up in a new disc brake version. Spoke count goes up slightly, but the rims remain the same as on their standard wheels, something they say they’re not in a hurry to change. »read more»
Bianchi Borrows NASA Tech for New Infinito Countervail Road Bike Using a NASA-developed viscoelastic material called Countervail to crush vibrations before they read the rider, Bianchi’s new Infinito CV was introduced just in time for the Paris-Roubaix. And word is, there’s more to come... »read more»
Asylum Cycles Gets a Buzz w/ Rogue Brewery ‘Cross Bike After coming back to life under Chris Currie, Asylum Cycles wasted (heh, heh wasted) no time putting together a Rogue Brewery collaboration with the essential cyclocross accessory to highlight their new Meuse frame: Beer. »read more»
Outrider’s Electric Trikes Crush Pikes Peak Challenge After sending the other e-bikes home to recharge, Outriders’ wicked looking electric e-trike can hit up to 40mph with a range of 165 miles. Video of the winning run inside the post! »read more»
FSA Metron Adds 40mm, 55mm Carbon Wheels FSA’s Vision line added 40mm and 55mm Metron deep carbon road wheels, joining the original 81mm version. Each is available in clincher and tubular, with standard or stealth graphics. »read more»
Worx Introduces Road, Cyclocross & Kids Bikes Worx started life as a UK direct to consumer brand with a couple fixies. Now, they’re bringing new (and very good looking) road, cyclocross and kids bikes to market. »read more»
Look Keo Pedals Get Limited Edition Colors The Look Keo 2 Max road bike pedals have three special color options, all of which should match up nicely with today’s popular road bike color schemes. »read more»
Bar Bumps Let You Customize Your Handlebar Shape If you ride road, you’ve almost certainly found yourself shuffling your palms around trying to find that sweet spot. Or tried far too many handlebar shapes hoping to get comfortable. Now, you can help Kickstart Bar Bumps and put the support wherever you darn well please. »read more»
HED Ardennes Wheels Tubeless, FR Tubular Disc Brake Wheels Two new wheels from HED get official: The wider, tubeless ready Ardennes and the FR Tubular that’s disc brake specific with an extra wide rim for bigger tire gluing contact patch. Gravel racing here we come! »read more»
Sage Cycles Brings Semi-Custom Road, ‘Cross Bikes from Dave Levy We first saw Sage Cycles’ bikes at NAHBS (albeit outside the convention hall), and now we’ve had a little face time with co-founder Dave Rosen. The other guy, Dave Levy, is the man behind full custom brand Ti Cycles, who oversees the design, fit and finish of Sage’s rides. »read more»
Cervelo P3 Gets Trickle Down Aero, Integration The Cervelo P3 has been completely updated, getting some of the P5’s aerodynamics tech and integration. We’ll have a more complete profile of the bike coming in May, but this’ll get you started. »read more»
Prototype Specialized S-Works Roubaix Disc Road Bike Ridden While the official word remains that this is a prototype and final spec is subject to change, there were an awful lot of awfully polished S-Works level Roubaix bikes at the SRAM Hydro brake launch...and we rode them. There was also another interesting Tarmac/Roubaix hybrid race bike hanging around! »read more»
2014 Cannondale Synapse Endurance Race Bike Unveiled Cannondale unveiled their newest race bike, the completely revised Synapse, on the bumpy roads of Bianchi Strade in Italy. Built to tackle the cobbles without being a slouch on the pavement, it’s positioned between casual endurance bikes and crit racers. »read more» Prototype Calfee Endurance Road Bike...With Suspension! It’s easy to get into a groove doing what you know, especially when you do it well. What separates the leaders is when they can take everything they’ve learned from doing many things really well and create something really new and special. It’s looking like Calfee did just that with their amazing new road bike. It incorporates tapered tubes, internal EPS battery & Soft tail suspension! »read more»
Look Cycles Unveils Limited Edition 695 Alchemy Framepak Also available as a complete bike, the color matched framesets include their onepiece ZED2 carbon fiber crankset, stem and more. Only 250 will be made, and complete bikes get matched American Classic wheels, too. »read more»
2014 Raleigh Cyclocross Bikes Get Lighter, Brighter & Wider (Rims) Raleigh’s cyclocross bikes for the upcoming season look better than ever, both in colors and in spec. Frames get slight tweaks, but updated spec makes them lighter and some even drop a good bit in price, too! »read more»
Hutchinson Secteur 28c Road Tubeless Tire Gets Real, Weighed Those looking for a wider option for road tubeless can thank Hutchinson for the new Secteur 28c. We were the first to announce it, and now we’re the first to get it weighed and on a bike, too! »read more»
Praxis’ Turn Components Cranksets Coming, New BB’s & 35mm Spindle! Turn Components has been in the works for a while, but they’re close. And the line now includes road and mountain bike cranksets with a massive 35mm spindle to maximize stiffness. And, it’ll work in any PF/BB30 frame! They also showed off Campy-adaptable PFBB’s and other nifty parts. »read more»
IRC Adds New Tubeless Road, Cyclocross Tires We’ve been testing their road tubeless tires already and like them, and now they’re adding to the lineup with wider, more durable options. They’ve also added a cyclocross version, giving them one of few options on the market. »read more»
SRM Dura-Ace 9000 Powermeter Design Finalized, Other Big Changes Compared to the prototype we saw at Interbike, SRM’s final PM design for the offset four-arm cranksets is bigger, but should be more accurate. They also showed off their first-ever rechargeable battery models, which were conveniently shown on prototype externally mounted XX1 and SiSL crankset powermeters...all very interesting considering their history. »read more» Adam Craig’s Wispy Prototype Giant TCX Disc Brake ‘Cross Bike If there’s a bike that exemplifies what a sleek disc brake cyclocross bike can be, this is it. Even with a fully hydraulic SRAM Hydro disc brake setup and front thru axle it was insanely light. Here’s hoping this is pretty close to the final offering. »read more»
Sweet Diamondback Podium 7 Carbon Road Bike w/ Retro Campy Group DB and HED wheels teamed up to give away a HED-equipped Podium 7 road bike, their top model, complete with Campy’s 80th anniversary groupset. Just for fun, Steve Hed dug out a completely new, still in the box 50th anniversary groupset and built up the same frame, downtube shifters and all! »read more»
Lynskey Offers New Carbon Forks For fans of the brand, now you can get Lynskey carbon and carbon/alloy forks to go with your titanium road bike. »read more»
Marin Adds Disc Brake Carbon Cyclocross Bike Not lost among all their new 650B mountain bikes was a brand new carbon ‘cross bike, completely up to date with disc brakes, mechanical and electronic group compatibility and room for TRP’s new HYRD calipers. Thankfully, though, they kept it old school where it counts: A threaded BB. »read more» Redline Conquest Pro ‘Cross Bike Goes Disc Only Redline’s top end carbon fiber Conquest Pro cyclocross bike has seen quite a few changes over the past few years. It started out with 130mm rear end spacing, quickly changed tack and now offers switch hitter replaceable dropouts that’ll work with either 130mm or 135mm. Those carry over to the Team model, too, which will still be available with canti’s or discs. »read more» Reynolds Drops Decals, Grams on Wheels While wheel weight has recently taken a slight backseat to aerodynamics and width, it hasn’t really become any less important. Especially when that weight is at the rim. Reynolds has developed a new process for placing their graphics that’s lighter and doesn’t raise the surface. »read more»
Irish Cycles Adds Power Meter to Ciamillo’s Gravitas Crankset Using SRAM/Quarq’s Cinqo and Red spline patterns, Irish Cycles is working with Ted Ciamillo to install a power meter to his new Gravitas crankset. »read more»
White Brothers “Brototype” 170mm Travel 650B Fork That’s a lot of travel for a single crown fork, but White Brothers is testing it, and if trends hold, it should be a welcome option on bikes like Pivot’s new Firebird 275. »read more»
Oakley Releases Limited Edition Cavendish SIgnature Radarlock Oakley tapped the the Manx Missile for inspiration on the latest signature series Radarlock sunglasses. They get the Jade Iridium green lenses, with hopes that they’ll match a green jersey this summer. »read more»
Fritch & Durisotti Experimental Laminated Bamboo Trike F&D have been doing Bamboo for quite a while, from furniture to bikes, and now they’ve laminated its very curvy, sexy shapes and created an upright tricycle. But just how do you steer it? »read more»
Red Bull, Danny MacAskill Team Up for Imaginate Web Series What happens when Danny MacAskill has access to Red Bull’s jacked up financial resources? The Imaginate series, which gives him the freedom to build any trick he wants. Preview at the link. »read more»
Halo Hex Skewers Save Grams, Could Save Your Wheels Admittedly not a security product, Halo’s Hex Skewers are really about making your bike a hair lighter and a little sleeker looking, but no doubt they’d slow down an ill-equipped thief. »read more»
Factory Tour: Chrome Bags Take a tour of Chrome’s U.S. messenger and pack production center and see how their custom bags are designed & made in San Francisco, CA. »read more»
Cielo Rigid Steel Fork w/ Thru Axle Spied Chris King’s Cielo bike brand let this image loose on the webs, suggesting they’re making (or at least testing) a rigid steel fork with a thru axle. It’d be a nice addition to some of those beautiful bikes they showed at NAHBS. »read more»
Specialized to Offer Limited Edition Frames, Bikes Every month, Specialized will release three limited edition bikes or frames. They could be road or mountain or something else entirely, depending on the whims and fancies of their designers and athletes. »read more»
Paul Components Limited Edition Purple Tall & Handsome Post It’s 360mm and 27.2 diameter only, but it’s purple. And it’s made in the USA. »read more»
Barfly 2.0 Adds More Garmin Mount Options, Di2/EPS Compatibility How does a cycling computer mount add electronic drivetain compatibility? Simple - by hiding your junction box underneath. Of course, in this case it’s a Garmin, which now has two positions to choose from. »read more»
Make Your Own Energy Bar This month’s article from Peaks Coaching Group shows you how to concoct your own, homemade energy bars. »read more»
Token Valve Extender & Campy EPS Magnet Holder Yes, you could put it in your steerer’s top cap screw. Unless you’re rockin’ Niner’s YAWYD top cap (yes, on a Campy EPS equipped bike, we know), then you’ll want this. »read more»
Giro’s Limited Edition Electric Blue Empire Road Shoes These things had me in an Empire state of mind...until I found out they only made ONE size 47 for the limited run. Chances are they’re all gone by now, but hit the article for links and try your luck. »read more»
Int’l Bicycle Design Competition Highlights Some’ll make it to production in some form or another, and some won’t. But we always appreciate the incredible design, thought and inspiration that’s put into these competitions. This roundup is particularly impressive. »read more»
Honey Stinger Adds Caffeinated Cherry Cola Chews 160 calories and 32mg of naturally-sourced caffeine per pack helps keep you going, without the burps. »read more»
Soleus Unveils $99 Draft GPS Cycling Computer While it won’t have live maps, the Soleus GPS Draft cycling computer will provide all the basics plus GPS tracking, then let you upload it all to Strava. Oh, and it’s just $99? »read more»
Limited Edition Tune Carbon Fiber Coffee Cups For that cycling and coffee connoisseur that has it all. »read more»
Ghisallo Adds Beechwood Handlebars, Bamboo Tubular Rims One of our later posts from the halls of NAHBS was Ghisallo’s new beechwood handlebars, plus new bamboo tubular rims to go with the rest of their wood rimmed family. »read more»
All Mountain Style Introduces Honeycomb Frame Protection All Mountain Style has developed a honeycomb patterned adhesive frame protection, giving you easily shapeable pieces to affix around your frame to guard against scratches and impacts. »read more»
Balint Hamvas’ Cyclocross 2012/13 Coffee Table Book Want a chronicle the season that’s likely to be cantilever brakes’ last hurrah? Or, just need something to inspire you to get out in the cold and wet of winter and redline it? Hamvas’ photo books are not only gorgeous, they do a great job of capturing the pros’ stories in words, too. »read more»
Interview with Breadwinner Cycles’ Ira Ryan & Tony Pereira Breadwinner Cycles made their debut at NAHBS in Denver. Now we’ve got a little interview with co-founders Ryan and Pereira, all done over a few beers at their followup launch party. »read more»
How to Break Into the Cycling Industry: Yuba’s Ben Sarrazin The latest edition of our interview series showcasing interesting jobs and entrepreneurs from the world of bikes follows Sarrazin’s path to founding cargo bike brand Yuba. »read more»
Scosche BoomBottle Brings The Noise to Cages Party Rockin’ made easy with a wireless, Bluetooth, rugged, rechargeable, weatherproof speaker. »read more»
Statement Bike Rack Doubles as Wall Art When wall art doubles as a functional piece, there’s plenty that can go wrong. Fortunately, the Statement Bike Rack looks good and, from what we can tell, should work well, too. It’s a Kickstarter project, and as of this e-mag going live, there’s five days left to fund it. »read more»
Paul Components Factory Tour It’s an inside look at Paul Component’s factory...need we say more? »read more»
Tech Speak: Break Fluid Breakdown Ever wondered what the differences in brake fluids are? The pros and cons of each, with responses directly from the major brake brands, are all laid out in full, unedited technical glory in this comprehensive overview. »read more»
Supacaz Bar Tape Makes a Real First Impression We all know what sells: Brightly colored handlebar tape, of course. Especially when it doubles as casual apparel. »read more»
Cycles of Life: Developing Your Bike Shop’s Concept In part two of our series from Hub Cyclery’s founder Brendan Collier (who also started Siren Cycles), he explores how he came up with the concept for his SoCal shop. For anyone thinking they’d love to own a bike shop one day, this series is a real life guide, and it’s just getting started! »read more»
Eric Barone Attempts New Bicycle Land Speed Record Yes, the same Eric Barone that end up flung down the mountain when his previous speed record bike all but disintegrated at full speed. Now, with the help of some new Mavic carbon wheels, he’s at it again. »read more»
JVA Gets Real. Real Products. Real Funny. Haven’t heard of JVA? Their website is a must read purely for the humor. Come for the jokes, stay for the embro. »read more»
Artisan’s Custom Bicycle Expo Mixes In w/ Pro Cycling Challenge Headed to the Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado this summer? If so, check out first year event Artisan’s Custom Bicycle Expo August 22-23 for something to do before and after the racers pass you by. Heck, they’re even closing the show and running shuttles for the mountain top finish in Vail Valley! »read more»
Loop Wheels Reinvent the Wheel, Put Suspension Inside The product came about after watching baby strollers continually jostle the toddlers as they hit bumps, but quickly morphed into a commuter-oriented suspension wheel. »read more»
Swiss Army Bike Tool Featuring two tire levers and an assortment of bike-friendly tool bits, all it’s missing is the toothpick and tweezers! »read more»
Brooks Cambium is Their First Non-Leather Saddle Brooks is breaking with tradition and testing out a fabric saddle. Well, actually you could be the one testing it. »read more»
Stages Adds App to Diagnose, Update Power Meters And the first firmware update is already available, all of which is handled via iPhone thanks to the built in Bluetooth. »read more»
Giro Design Headquarters Tour Giro took us around for a look at how their helmets and other products go from concept and design to test samples to production ready versions. »read more»
Chris King PFBB’s Finally Shipping, Purple Returns (?) & Lefty Hubs Chris King’s Pressfit bottom brackets are finally heading out the door, as is the brown ano color introduced a couple years ago. The latter, though, is leaving for good, but it’ll be replaced with a rotating selection of limited-run colors, which will likely include purple and turquoise over time. They’re also developing Lefty front hub adapters which, thankfully, will work with some existing shells! »read more»
Kali’s Impressive New Road Helmet & DOT-Approved Full Face Helmet Kali always seems to impress. Not just for the products but for how excited they get when talking about their new helmets and technology. The latest is an upcoming $99 road bike helmet that shares virtually all of the top end model’s technology and features, plus a fully DOT-approved full face helmet that’s no bigger than a standard version! »read more» Kappius Components Kickstarts New Hub Design With a massive 240 points of engagement and a unique cutout carbon shell and reworked cassette integration, Kappius’ hubs are no stranger to attention and desire. They’re also expensive. Now, they’re developing a lower cost option based on standard cassettes without giving up their ratchet & pawl design. »read more»
ENVE Adds 650B DH Rims, New Smart 8.9 Aero Clinchers & More ENVE now has their complete wheel lineup available in all three sizes, from XC to AM to DH. For roadies, the SES (Smart ENVE System) aero wheels gain a clincher for the deepest model plus more depth options for the Classics series. »read more» Bar Fly Adds Optrix iPhone Mounts, Plus Universal Options Rather than just put any old iPhone mount on the handlebars, Bar Fly used the existing expertise of high end case maker Optrix to design mounts that let you run it horizontally below the bar or higher up with the option of rotating it. There are also new universal and model-specific cycling computer mounts and more. »read more» Industry Nine Adds More MTB Rim Options, New Torch Road Wheels Industry Nine’s mountain bike wheel lineup now includes four width and build options, most available for all three wheel sizes, letting you find just the right model for your style and conditions. For roadies and ‘cross racers, they’ve ported their Torch hubs over to the pavement and they’re gorgeous. »read more»
Doppleganger Turn Signal for Cycling Gloves A blinky light for your hand signals. »read more»
3T Launches New MTB Components, Adds Tornova Road Bar Featuring a new stem and additional handlebars, 3T’s mountain bike parts lineup has expanded. They also had a new Tornova road bike drop bar that keeps the flatter Ergonova top with a classic round drop. »read more»
PDW Wide Full Metal Fenders Their existing models will, somewhat reluctantly, handle up to a 26c tire. These prototypes are made to clear a 35c tire with ease, provided you have the frame clearance. »read more»
ESI Shows New Silicone Bar Tape, Chunky Grips They’ve been gaining fans for years with their silicone grips, and now ESI is testing the material on bar tape and extra thick “chunky” grips. »read more»
Teva Adds Pivot SPD Compatible Shoes Built with input from Jeff Lenosky, Teva’s Pivot is their first SPD-friendly shoe. »read more»
Spinergy Adds Carbon Clincher 29er Wheels, Bladed Aero Spokes Honestly, we weren’t quite sure what Spinergy had been up to lately. Their website’s a bit out of date, and we hadn’t really heard anything from them in quite some time. But, there they were at Sea Otter with new carbon 29er wheels and a new spoke shape for road wheels! »read more»
Enduro’s Secret High End Angular Contact BB, New Wheel Bearings Enduro’s been using some seriously high zoot, hard to get metals for their top end angular contact bearing bottom brackets...and they haven’t really told many folks about them. Except us. »read more»
Lake Cycling’s Killer New Cyclocross Shoes, More Consider this the first cyclocross specific shoe we’ve seen. And consider it awesome...we can’t wait to get our dogs in a pair! Using BOA dials and humongous (and removeable) soccer-style cleats, they got quite a bit of attention. They also showed off new early winter cycling boots and more. »read more»
The Considerate Bike Thief If someone stole your beater then returned it, would a coupon for a free Dominos cinnamon pie dessert make up for it? »read more»
Project 321 Makes Thomson Parts Purple And it’s not just Thomson’s components - how ‘bout some purple Stan’s rims? »read more»
New Easton Grips & Bar Tape Easton’s new mountain bike grips not only look nice, but they claim to have impressive long term durability. Their road bike handlebar tape also gets updated. »read more»
Lezyne Adds Digital Floor Pumps for Tires, Shocks - Plus Lights, Tools Don’t laugh, it’s not the first time someone’s done it. Lezyne’s digital floor pump for shocks is clearly aimed at team mechs that have to setup a lot of shocks and forks, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want one. The digital gauges also make their way to road pumps, and they’ve got new lights & tools, too. »read more»
DHD Wear’s Cycling Inspired Tees If your cycling T-shirt collection is comprised only of race tees, take a look at these. Done by the same guy that helps Pivot out with their graphics, we have a feeling you’ll like the “Strava Made Me Dope” graphic, among others. »read more»
ODI x Vans Waffle Grip Lockons, Plus Hudz Reborn ODI’s new Vans waffle grips mimic the shoes’ treads down to the last detail, including the partially filled in diamonds where they see more wear. »read more»
Fizik Adds M1, M5 Mountain Bike Shoes, 2013 Team Edition Saddles Fizik’s new mountain bike shoes look every bit as good as their road versions, borrowing the same materials. But, the construction is unique, including removable tread sections and dual layer sole reinforcements. And, the lower end model should even make an excellent ‘cross shoe! »read more»
Specialized Turbo e-Bike Spools Up Stateside It’s 28mph top speed couldn’t keep it out of the US forever. Originally an EU-only model, the Specialized Turbo e-bike is finally headed to North America. How street legal it is actually is in every state or city remains to be seen, but at least the Feds consider it a “bicycle.” »read more»
Hydrapak Bishop Prototype High End Hydration Packs Spotted Hiding in plain sight at Hydrapak’s booth were a couple of brightly colored prototypes. All they’d tell us is they’re likely to be called the Bishop, but our pictures help fill in a few of the holes. »read more»
Bern x KAWS Limited Edition Helmet The New Museum Store and Safe Streets Fund have teamed up with KAWS to create a 500-piece run of custom designed Bern helmets. »read more»
Troy Lee Adds More Colors, Styles TLD certainly keeps it fresh, and 2013’s no different with new graphics and colors on the full face and new A1 lids. Plus, their marketing guy put together a nice little gallery of pics from the SOC DH race. »read more»
Timbuk2 Especial Medio Messenger Backpack (Marc) While much of the brand’s products have strayed from the original bike-messenger-centric originals, Timbuk2 has still been putting out quality products. Now, their Especial line is an attempt to reconnect with the hardcore “professional” bicycle courier and commuter. These are our first impressions. »read more»
Hydrapak Tamarack Hydration Pack (Zach) Hydrapak’s Tamarack sits just below the Laguna (reviewed here) in terms of size, but still carries 3L of water and plenty of gear comfortably, even if there aren’t a ton of pockets to keep it all separated. »read more»
Rockshox Monarch XX Rear Shock (Tyler) Looking for an XC race shock with a true lockout (and effective blowoff) and a super easy remote switch? The Rockshox Monarch XX needs to be on your list. The compression tune is stiffer than “normal” shocks, giving your bike a firmer pedaling platform, but still handles the rough stuff well enough. »read more»
Wolf Tooth Components XX1-Style Chainrings (Zach) Wolf Tooth Components’ XX1-style narrow/wide chainrings claim to provide the same chain retention qualities while giving you the freedom to run your existing 104BCD crankset. Here’s the weigh-in and first impressions. »read more»
Formula’s Smooth, Stiff & Light ThirtyThree Suspension Fork (Marc) Sitting between most brand’s stanchion diameters is Formula’s ThirtyThree forks. As in 33mm diameter. But that’s not all that makes it different. There are special low-friction seals, a unique damping mechanism and respectable 3.33lb weight for the 120mm fork all added up to a solid performer from Italy! »read more»
SDG Saddles, Grips & Seatpost First Impressions (Marc) SDG Components, formerly known as Speed Defies Gravity, puts the party in, uh, parts, and we’re putting them to the test. »read more»
Teva Links Freeride Shoes (Zach) Teva’s Links Freeride shoes quickly became not just a favorite riding shoe, but a favorite shoe. Period. And they’ve held up exceptionally well through a long season of riding and kickin’ it. »read more»
Kettle Cycles’ SiCCC Carbon Fiber Brake Rotors (Tyler) Part of our review involved a good discussion with a Kettle Cycles’ cofounder about just how these composite rotors are supposed to perform. By design, they’re not going to feel like anything else you’ve ever ridden, and won’t actually slow you down any faster. In fact, overall deceleration is likely going to be less than expected. But, the more they’re ridden, the more that’s OK. »read more» Thomson Dropper Seatpost - Unboxed, Weighed & First Rides (Tyler) With the anticipation for LH Thomson’s dropper post perhaps second only to SRAM’s hydraulic road brakes for Spring launches, this thing had to be right. Considering we’re riding a final-stage prototype that’s seen plenty of abuse and it’s still flawless, we’d say they’re off to a good start. Weights, details and first impressions ready for you to drop in. »read more»
Abbey Bike Works’ Impressive BB, Wheel & Cassette Tools (Zach) Abbey’s Crombie cassette removal tool instantly became a favorite, and now they’ve got some new toys that make repairs and replacements easier. Like the Crombie, they don’t disappoint. »read more»
Endless Single Speed Cog & Fibonacci Spacer Kit (Trucker) Endless makes some of the most respected singlespeed cogs around, and the founder herself is a respectable racer, testing her own products in the grinding climbs and fast descents of North Carolina’s mountains We’re putting a cog and her Fibonacci Spacers to the test under our own grinder. »read more»
Exposure Diablo MK.4 Light (Marc) The latest version of the Diablo pumps out 1,100 lumens in a tiny light that doubles as a flashlight and has a massive number of output settings. We’ve been using it for night rides, commutes and more for five months. »read more»
Pearl Izumi Rev Baggy MTB Shorts Workable as both trail and commuter shorts, the Rev’s understated, slimmer look and fit were at home in a mix of conditions without losing trail cred. »read more»
Cateye Micro Wireless Cycling Computer (Marc) Don’t care about GPS, Strava and social cycling apps? The Cateye Micro Wireless keeps the bike and your ride logs clean and simple. »read more»
Fuji Track Elite - First Impressions (Cesar) Fuji made a pretty big deal when launching the new carbon fiber Track Elite, and we think it’s a pretty big deal we’re getting to test it out. So, we recruited Portland-area hammer Cesar to throw it around the planks for us at the Alpenrose Dairy Velodrome. First impressions? It’s a monster! »read more»
REEB True Temper Steel Belt Drive Trail Bike (Marc) Beer culture and bike culture produce more than just interesting conversations. In this case, they made a rather fun singlespeed mountain bike, too. »read more»
Endura Pakajak Packable Water Resistant Jacket (Marc) Lightweight, packable and reliable. That’s what a good shell piece should be, making it likely you’ll keep it on hand for when it’s needed. Fortunately, Endura’s Pakajak meets those standards. »read more»
Footbalance Quickfit Insoles Most of Footbalance’s insole line requires an instore molding and fit session. The new Quickfit insoles can be done at home, by you. And us. »read more»
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