Two Six Nation » Cross Country

Turner hearts DW-Link for its 2009 lineup

Mike Smith — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 13:54:35 +0000

Turner has unveiled its 2009 line-up of bikes, and the big news here is that Turner has jumped on the DW-Link bandwagon across the entire range. This marks a departure from the brand’s previous Torque Neutralizing Technology (TNT) faux-bar rear ends. Compared to the outgoing TNT, the new DW-link bikes are claimed to be better at climbing and ride “lighter” according to Dave Turner. Turner also offers his assurances that the 2009 bikes will maintain a high level of rear-end stiffness, which has been a challenge for some DW-Link bikes in the past.

Despite the big shift in suspension philosophy, Turner hallmarks will remain across the new line. Journal bearings (read: bushings) still handle the rotating duties, thanks to the ultra-high tolerances which they can be built with. Also, the combination of round, minimally manipulated tubes of front with square tubing for the seat- and chainstays mean that the ‘09 line is still instantly recognizable as Turner.

Check out renderings of the whole 2009 Turner Bikes line below.

2009 Turner DHR:

2009 Turner RFX:

2009 Turner 5-Spot:

2009 Turner Sultan 29er:

2009 Turner Flux:

Truvativ brings some style to the Stylo

Mike Smith — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:57:24 +0000

The Truvativ Stylo is the sort of workhorse product that turns up as OEM-spec on a huge number of bikes, but its middle-of-the-road price, performance, and style have kept the Stylooff of most people’s “must have” lists. No longer happy with this wallflower status, Truvativ has given the Stylo a thorough reworking, and the result is a crankset that you may actually want to buy.

The most significant upgrade to the Stylo is the introduction of Truvativ’s Open Core Technology (OCT). OCT, first introduced to the mountain bike world on the Holzfeller OCT cranks, describes Truvativ’s method of hollowing out the crank arms, which results in less weight and more stiffness. The Sylo OCT uses this technology to shed 80 grams from the outgoing Stylo.

The new Stylo still spins on the same GXP bottom brackets, and for those of you jumping on the ceramic bearing bandwagon, a ceramic GXP option is available. The new Stylo is to be offered in three flavours: the XC and trailbike Stylo OCT 3.3 has three rings and weighs 820 grams, the Stylo OCT 2.2AM loses the big ring and gains a bashguard, while tipping the scales at 805 grams, and the Stylo OCT 1.1G, which is the singlespeeder’s choice with a single 32t ring, and a scant 780 gram weight (including BB). All versions are available in 170 and 175 mm lengths, and the 1.1G gives singlespeeders some extra leverage with a 180 mm option.

The crank pictured above seems to have been done up as a Sea Otter special, and the look of the production Stylo is decidedly less ’80s (for better or for worse). Colour options include either mirror-finished black, or blingin’ “super aluminum.” For more details check out the PDF of the press release here.

Your bike is fat

Mike Smith — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:19:09 +0000

The weight of cross-country race bikes seems to be steadily creeping lower, with hardtails routinely checking in under 20 lbs, and full-squish race bikes in the very low 20 lb range. However, this piece of work from Sebastian Roth, found at light-bikes.de (I’d recommend you brush up on your German before following the link), takes the light weight mountain bike to a whole new level. Built around a Scott Scale frame, virtually every component has been tuned to some degree, and the end result is a bike (barely) tipping the scales at 13.52 lbs. Yes, this is a mountain bike, with disc brakes and a real suspension fork, which weighs less than the UCI minimum weight requirement for road bikes.

While the weight is pretty incredible, and there is no doubt that Roth’s craftsmanship is top-notch, the notion of really pushing this bike—even if only on terrain typically found on an XC course—is more than a little unsettling. Visions of carbon-fiber splinters are dancing through my head.

If you’re brave enough, you can check out the full spec list here.

Jack of all trades: Avid’s new Elixir brakes

Mike Smith — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:17:27 +0000

Avid has released a new set of brakes at Sea Otter, called the Elixir. Bucking the trend of products designed for a particular niche of the mountain bike world, the Elixir is meant to meet the needs of riders from weight-conscious XC riders to power-hungry DHers. This certainly seems like a challenging set of design criteria, but Avid seems to have pulled it off.

On the weight front, the Elixir boasts a super-slim master cylinder, neatly incorporated into the lever body. Hiding inside this master cylinder is the element of the Elixir that Avid is most proud of: the ‘taperbore’ cylinder. The taperbore cylinder replaces the near-universal system of using a timing port to close off the brakes when actuated, by using an o-ring which is pressed into a tapered bore. The details are boring (read: beyond my understanding), but the result is an improvement in modulation and lever feel, particularly under hard braking.

The Elixir also uses Avid’s new G3 rotor, which uses a new profile to save 10 grams of rotating weight over previous rotors, with the additional benefit of less chatter while braking.

Overall, the Elixir weighs 20 grams less than the already trim Juicy 7, and a carbon lever option will shave a further 10 grams (while also lightening your wallet).

Lest you should think that all of this weight savings will relegate the Elixir to XC race-only duty, Avid has also managed to wrangle more power out of the Elixir, and total braking power is said to fall in between the Juicy line and the four piston Code. Part of this power increase is thanks to the fancy taperbore technology, and the rest is the result of bigger pistons and pads compared to the Juicy.

Avid has also paid particular attention to heat management in order to maintain power even under heavy braking. A new grooved piston helps to dissipate heat, and the top-loading pad design also helps to cool things down while making pad changes easier. The end result is a brake which should be powerful enough for downhill race duty, and both Steve Peat and Sam Hill are going to be riding Elixirs on their race rigs.

Overall then, it seems that Avid has done an impressive job of meeting the demands of a pretty broad range of riders, but what has us excited is the potential of these brakes on an all-mountain bike. Having the braking power of a nice DH brake, while saving weight and improving modulation should be a win-win-win for trail riders.

If you’re interested, check out the video of the intial release at Sea Otter.

crankbrothers taking reservations for Cobalt wheelset

Mike Smith — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 04:01:32 +0000

cranksbrothers’ first entry into the wheelset market with the new Cobalt looks to be this year’s hotness… or at least that’s what crankbrothers is hoping. In anticipation of an onslaught of orders, crankbrothers has opened an online reservation system, so you can rest assured that you’ll be the first kid on the block with a shiny new set of Cobalts.

While we’re not convinced that the Cobalt is going to be the Furby of this year’s bike season, we do have to give crankbrothers credit for putting together a great looking wheel. The Cobalt isn’t short on innovation, either, with unique features like super-elongated nipples (tee-hee) and a split quick release handle. The weight of the $1000 USD wheelset is a respectable, but not earth-shattering 688g front/ 852g rear, but honestly, when they look this good, a few extra grams is a small price to pay.

Check out the full scoop on the Cobalt here.

Ride the rockies: Rocky Mountain goes on tour

Mike Smith — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 04:01:04 +0000

Rocky Mountain is pretty proud of its bike line these days, and for good reason. The Slayer is one of the best built all-mountain bikes going, and the Flatline is positively badass. However, Rocky seems to feel that not enough people have actually thrown a leg over its bikes lately, and is launching the Rocky Demo Tour to remedy this crisis. The tour consists of a full fleet of 2008 Rocky bikes jammed in the back of a Dodge Sprinter. Driven by Thane Hall, the fleet will make appearances at over 75 events this summer including Sea Otter, the Downieville Classic, and both Crankworx festivals. Sounds like a pretty sweet summer gig if you ask us; who wouldn’t love road tripping around to some of the best events on dirt all summer long?

To find out when the short-bus of fun is going to be close to you this summer, check out the website that Rocky has set up for the event.

Shimano shows some all-mountain love with new SLX

Mike Smith — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 04:05:12 +0000

A few years ago, in the heat of the bike industry’s shift from XC weight obsession to mid travel, go anywhere all-mountain bikes, Shimano unveiled a new line of components called Hone. The Hone parts were generally viewed as “Saint Lite”, and tended to be cheaper, a little lighter, and weaker than their full-bore Saint counterparts. The Hone parts were good, but their association with the Saint line meant that manufacturers didn’t spec many Hone components on lighter weight all-mountain bikes, and the fact that there were stronger options out there (although at a weight penalty) kept Hone off of burlier freeride bikes as well. The result of all this is that Hone products, despite being an excellent choice for all-mountain riders, didn’t find a home on very many all-mountain bikes.

Fast forward to 2008, and Shimano is firing another salvo into the now massive all-mountain segment, this time in the form of the 2009 SLX line. By introducing SLX, Shimano has split the previous LX line into two separate component groups: Deore LX, which will shift its emphasis to light trail and trekking duties, and SLX, which is aimed at the mid-price all-mountain market. With SLX, Shimano plans to keep the light weight and nice price points of the outgoing LX range, but add the features, stiffness, and strength needed to compete in the all-mountain arena.

Rear derailleur

The rear derailleur takes the chiselled look from the XT and XTR lines, and mates it to a derailleur which is tougher and lighter (by 45g) than LX. The rear derailleur gains the Shadow profile first seen on XT, which tucks the derailleur tightly inboard, making you less likely to tear it off on rocks and roots.

Front derailleur

The best news about the SLX front derailleur is that it will be available in double or triple ring options. The double ring version features tighter dimensions, as it doesn’t need to swing all the way up to a big ring, and Shimano claims that this reduces the chance of dropping the chain on a shift. The two-ring version also gives more clearance for mud, tires, or pivot locations.

Shifters

The SLX shifters use the same 2-way release mechanism seen on some of Shimano’s other recent trigger shifters, which allows you to upshift with either your thumb or your finger. The shifters also have a top-mounted display, which can be removed for a cleaner look, or to let you run the shifter outboard of the brake levers.

Cranks

The SLX cranks borrow heavily from the new XTR’s aesthetics, and look awesome for it. Shimano is offering two versions of the crankset: a conventional 22/32/44T triple ring, or a double ring with 22/36T rings giving a wider range of gears than conventional two-ring setups. The double ring crank comes with a honeycomb-style bash guard not unlike what came with the Hone cranks. These bash rings look weak, but in our experience hold up surprisingly well over time. Shimano claims that the SLX cranks offer twice the strength of XT.

Brakes

The SLX brakes draw their key features from the XT line, which is no bad thing as current XT brakes are real standouts. The SLX levers boast a tool-free reach adjustment, as well as the trick Servo-Wave variable leverage which increases power and modulation. The calipers are straightforward two-piston units, and grip Shimano’s spline mounted rotors of undisclosed diameters.

Look for SLX parts to hit your local shops in July, and expect to see SLX spec’d on plenty of bikes next year.

Alphabet soup: the new MRP XCG, FTW!

Mike Smith — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 04:01:36 +0000

MRP has announced the release of a new chainguide, the XCG. The XCG is aimed at all-mountain riders who want a bash guard to protect the big ring, but don’t want the extra weight of a big aluminum or polycarbonate dinner plate stuck to the cranks. The XCG mounts directly to the bottom bracket or ISCG tabs if your frame has them. Replaceable polycarbonate ’skids’ take the hits instead of your chainrings, and MRP is offering the XCG for single or triple ring setups.

This is one of those products that begs the question: why didn’t anybody think of this sooner? By mounting the bash guard directly to the frame, the guide is lighter than a full bash ring covering the entire big ring. Also, the XCG doesn’t add any rotational weight to the drivetrain. It’s simple, looks to be pretty effective, and is not too expensive (it’s certainly cheaper than replacing a high-end big ring). Well done, MRP. Check out the quick rundown of the specs after the jump, along with some shots of the XCG mounted up.

XCG Triple
• Protects triple crank outer rings up to 44T
• Raised upper profile catches chain from inboard drops
• Bottom-bracket mount or ISCG
• Weight: 100g
• MSRP $49.95 USD

XCG Single
• Protects chain rings up to 36T
• Great for single-speed setups
• Bottom-bracket mount or ISCG
• Weight: 90g
• MSRP $44.95 USD

Welcome to the lodge, part 1: the Cannondale Rize

Mike Smith — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:13:12 +0000

If you’ve picked up a bike magazine in the last month, you’ve probably seen one of Cannondale’s teaser ads telling you to check out “the lodge.” But, if you’re anything like me and pointed your browser there right away, you would have been disappointed to find out that all there was at the lodge was a deer telling you that something was coming soon. Not very exciting at all.

Well, this week Cannondale has taken the wraps off of the lodge, and it turns out that it’s a site with some juicy details on the recently announced Rize and Moto all-mountain bikes. Details on the Moto will follow soon, but for now we’ll focus on what we know about the Rize.

The Rize is being touted as the replacement for the versatile Prophet line, although with 130mm of travel, it would seem to be more comparable to the Rush. Probably the biggest news stemming from the release of the Rize is that it introduces linkage to Cannondale’s full suspension bikes in the form of a pivot in the carbon fiber seatstays. Previously, Cannondale has teased us with linkage concepts in the past, but when it came down to production bikes, single pivot always won out (take the Gemini, Prophet, Rush, and further back the Raven and Super V as examples). Hopefully, the Rize’s linkage will let the suspension be more active under braking, and less prone to bobbing under power.

Also noteworthy about the Rize is that the bike is the first platform for the new Lefty PBR fork. The fork uses SoloAir technology pinched from SRAM, which should help the damping feel of the fork, long a weak point of the Lefty line. The Lefty PBR is claimed to be the lightest 130mm fork on the market, and at a weight of only 2.9 lbs, which is light for even an 80mm XC race fork, we have little reason to doubt that claim. All mountain riding is really a great application for the Lefty, as despite its appearance it is easily one of the stiffest forks available.

Cannondale is offering the Rize in both carbon and aluminum frames. The top-rung Rize Carbon 1 weighs in at a claimed 24.1 lbs, which is outstanding for its class, but will put a pretty sizeable hole in your wallet at $5499 USD. Check out the aluminum versions if you want to save your money for other luxuries… like rent.

24 Hours of Dubai cut short due to rider death

Mike Smith — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:58:47 +0000

The inaugural 24 Hours of Dubai race was ended after less than two hours after a rider died on the course. 45 year-old Thomas Graessler reportedly crashed while riding a set of steps into the course’s amphitheatre section, and suffered severe neck injuries. Graessler was found unconscious, and medical personnel were unable to help. According to race organizer Stephan Salscheider, ”We are shocked and stunned by the death. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to his family and friends. In consultation with the other participants, we have decided to end the race immediately out of respect for him and his family.”

This was the first mountain bike race held in the United Arab Emirates, and we hope that this tragedy doesn’t mean that it will also be the last.