Inside Line

You can read part 1 of Maurice’s review of the new XTR components here.

We talked about Shimano Dyna-Sys in our last installment. Next news from the XTR camp is that the component group is now “Rider Tuned” for your pleasure.

[portfolio_slideshow id=14924957] By Karl Rosengarth To celebrate his 10th year in business, Steve Garro of Coconino Cycles popped the Champagne cork and sent Dirt Rag his Signature Model frame to test. OK, so that’s not exactly how this 650b hardtail ended up at DRHQ, but the part about Garro fabricating mountain bikes for 10 years ...

By Shannon Mominee Trek’s Fuel is one of the most popular full-suspension bicycles on the market, and for 2014 the company hopes to expand on that success by offering the option of 29-inch wheels. We recently got one in for a long-term review.

[portfolio_slideshow id=14925146] Photos by Adam Newman. Video by Justin Steiner. About a month a go we got wind of a new opening up at one of the premiere bike parks on the East Coast, Snowshoe Mountain, West Virginia. A couple of the Dirt Rag crew put in a tough day at the office rolling laps ...

Crank Brothers’ iconic pedal design quickly became a hit, but its wheelset lineup has taken a little longer to spin up to speed. For 2014 the unique twin-paired spoke design remains but the rims have changed dramatically for the new, third-generation design. Still available in Cobalt (XC) and Iodine (all-mountain) versions, they will be hitting ...

The titanium maestros in Colorado, Moots Cycles, have updated the FrosTi fat bike accommodate the largest 4.8-inch tires now on the market. Available in four stock sizes, the FrosTi is welded in Steamboat Springs, like all Moots bikes, and uses a 44mm headtube and a 100mm bottom bracket. The 4-inch version (built around the 3.8-inch ...

On September 1, 2013, Greg Minnaar won his third World Championship title, on a stock Santa Cruz V10 downhill frame in front of his home crowd in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. To celebrate his back-to-back gold medals, Santa Cruz has created a limited edition Minnaar V10 replica of which only 25 will be made, with two ...

For more than a decade Jeff Jones has been producing his 45-degree sweep bars. In that time, they have always been a multi-piece affair with the grip area welded to the crossbar. After many iterations, including some sold under the Titec brand, Jones has a new one-piece bar, the Bend H-bar. You do lose out ...

If the name Asylum sounds familiar, that’s because it is. In its first go round, Asylum Cycles was building one of the first full-suspension 29er mountain bikes, peddled by Chris Currie and his shop Speedgoat Cycles. In the past decade, both Asylum and Speedgoat have faded from the scene, but when Currie moved to Portland, ...

Photos by Maurice Tierney and Shimano In response to its rapid growth, Shimano American Corporation has expanded its Irvine, Calif., office building by some 48,000 square feet turning it into a massive 51,000 square foot distribution center. An entirely new, modern business center also opened directly across the street for Shimano’s marketing, R&D and inside ...

Shimano has never been known for its electronics – apart from the excellent Di2 shifting systems, today it announced it is joining the fray of action sports cameras with the CM-1000. The new camera is the latest from Shimano’s new Lifestyle Gear Division, targeting fishing AND cycling customers. I guess fishermen love HD video as ...

Spotted on the Origin 8 Facebook page.

The majority of trail and XC riders have embraced tubeless tires for the increased traction and reduced weight and punctures. But hard charging riders in rough terrain have always had issue with burping tires on hard landings or even under high cornering loads. I’ve talked to more than a few enduro racers that have gone ...

British brand Empire Cycles has partnered with a Belgian firm to create what they are calling the world’s first 3D printed mountain bike frame. Renishaw, a first that specializes in advanced 3D printing techniques, builds the frame layer by tiny layer from titanium. The finished product is said to be one third lighter than a ...

Last year we got a preview of the first full-suspension bike from Redline. Now the D880 29er with its new Binary Link suspension design is closer than ever to the trail.

Some spy shots floating across the web today: Kiwi Brook MacDonald posted this pic on Instagram of his 27.5 Trek Session that he’ll be racing at the New Zealand National Championships tomorrow: Meanwhile, Kevin Aiello was spotted in Bootleg Canyon, Nevada, with this 29er KHS prototype at the Mob ‘N’ Mojave race. Aiello raced a ...

  Steve Domahidy left Niner a few years ago and has been working with a few other industry brand to launch bikes, but always in the back of his mind was a titanium hardtail that was prototyped in 2007 but never produced at Niner. That is about to change with the launch of Domahidy Designs. ...

There was no fanfare and no press release, but a handful of 27.5 versions of Specialized’s tires have become available on the brand’s website. There are versions of the S-Works Fast Track (2.0), Ground Control (2.1) and Butcher (2.3) listed. The new tires are notable in that Specialized doesn’t make a 27.5 bike to fit these ...

News today from Frostbike and our friends over at Fat-bike.com: Surly is introducing a new fat bike dubbed the Ice Cream Truck. The steel frame (‘natch) is built around a symmetric 190mm rear hub spacing to clear the largest of tires. The rear dropout is the same convertible unit seen on the Instigator 2.0 that ...

WTB released a new, gravel-specific tire named the Nano 40c today at Quality Bicycle Products’ Frostbike product expo. The tire employs a high volume 40mm casing, rounded profile, and centerline tread pattern designed for speed, consistency, and ample cushioning aimed at the rapidly emerging gravel market. WTB says they were inundated with requests for a ...

45NRTH’s Dillinger tires have been a big hit with anyone looking for more traction than what the big rubber can give on its own. Now available in a 5-inch size, the new Dillinger 5 has a 120dpi bead and 45NRTH‘s new two-piece concave stud design that actually sharpens as it wears. The tread pattern is ...

With the drive forward to stuff ever more gears onto rear hubs, it is nice to see SRAM take a step back and create a group with less gears simply because that is what makes the most sense for the application. The real key to this system is the new 7-speed X-Dome mini-block cassette in ...

If 10 or 11 gears are just too much for you, don’t fear, Shimano’s eight and nine speed drivetrains keep getting better and better, receiving many of the trickle-down technologies from higher priced units. For 2015 Shimano has updated the Tourney and Alivio groups, plus made tweaks to Alfine and Nexus. 

We’re big fans of Knolly Bikes, and had nothing but good things to say about the 140mm Endorphin we reviewed last year. Now the British Columbia-based brand is taking things up a notch with the new 150mm travel, 27.5 wheel Warden. Check it out:  

It’s been a rough winter near Dirt Rag HQ, and after our last trip to Virginia was such a success, when another offer of lodging and guide service came out way, I didn’t hesitate long to make plans to head south to Wilderness Adventure at Eagle Landing. Willderness Adventure is about 45 minutes outside Roanoke, ...

You know, if Transition decides to ever get out of the bike business it would probably do pretty well in the film biz. This video for the new TR500 downhill bike is a good example. The new aluminum frame is stronger, lighter and is now available in an XL size. Plus you can build it out ...

Cannondale has announced that its North American OverMountain team will, for the first time, be racing and adventuring on the all-new Lefty SuperMax suspension fork this season. A 26-inch, 160mm travel fork has been seen under team riders and the 29er version is currently 130mm. This is a particularly interesting announcement on the eve of ...

While much of the internet speculation as of late centered on SRAM‘s upcoming RS-1 inverted fork (more on that later), the brand unveiled it’s new line of completely redesigned brakes today, dubbed Guide. There are three new models, a new four-piston caliper and new rotors, as well as a host of new design elements. Most ...

Earlier in the week we brought you news that the Cannondale OverMountain team would be riding a new Lefty SuperMax fork for 2014, and here is what it will be bolted to: an all-new 27.5 wheeled Jekyll. The 26-inch wheeled Jekyll was enough to get Clementz to the top of the podium in 2013, so ...

Cannondale unveiled its new 2015 OverMountain line this week, and while we couldn’t be there (for reasons explained below), we still got the scoop on the new 27.5 Jekyll and Trigger bikes. Both models make use of Cannondale‘s new Lefty SuperMax fork and travel-adjust Fox DYAD pull shocks.

Guerrilla Gravity is a small, consumer-direct brand that launched last year with its made-in-Colorado GG/DH downhill bike. Now it’s taking pre-orders for its next machine, the Megatrail. While the Megatrail looks to be a fully capable bike in standard mode, a 30-second shock mount swap turns it into a much more dynamic descender. The standard ...

This morning we brought you news that Specialized was readying the release of the new 27.5 version of the Stumpjumper FSR and now the brand has posted photos and details of the two models on its website. There are two models, both of the EVO persuasion, which get extra travel and a more enduro focused ...

Breezer Bikes surprised us all last year with the introduction of the Repack, a 160mm, 27.5 trail/enduro bike aimed right at the heart of the full suspension market. Now it’s following up with a 29er version, with 120mm of travel and the same unique M-Link suspension system. Back in February I was lucky enough to ...

Those of you who have been paying attention know Santa Cruz treats April Fool’s Day very seriously, with new or updated bikes released every year on this date. And the best part of a Santa Cruz new bike launch? They are for bikes that are actually in the warehouse and ready to ship! This year ...

Hot on the heels of the still somewhat mysterious new RS1 fork, RockShox drops a solid batch of other new suspension goodies for its gravity riders. The biggest news is the new 27.5 BoXXer fork, the new defacto wheel size standard, and a new air shock dubbed DebonAir.

File this in the “we didn’t see that coming” folder. We received word today that Ibis Cycles would launch a new line of carbon fiber wheels to compliment its line of carbon mountain and cyclocross bikes.

It’s two big announcements in one: First up, Borealis, the Colorado-based company that blew everyone away with a 21-pound fat bike last year, is set to release its new model, the Echo this weekend at Sea Otter. And as Steve Jobs would say, “there’s one more thing”—it will be available with the brand new RockShox ...

Fox is celebrating its 40th year of suspension technology, and for 2015 it has made changes large and small to each model in its lineup, highlighted by new 36 enduro forks.

A spinoff of Santa Cruz bikes, Juliana‘s line of women’s-specific models is growing by one with the introduction of the 150mm travel, 27.5 Roubion. The brand is celebrating by offering one lucky lady a free bike and a trip to its namesake—Roubion, France.

After weeks of teasing, RockShox today announced details of its inverted RS-1 cross-country race fork and a line of Rise XX carbon tubular wheels to accompany it to the podium.

We don’t know much beyond what we can see in this promo video, but we’ll get the full scoop this weekend at Sea Otter. Expect more travel than the 150mm Force and an appearance by the new Fox 36 fork. Wheels? Expect nothing else than 27.5, and we’re likely to see a 27.5 Fury model ...

The new line consists of four models, each targeted at a specific type of rider’s needs.

It was time for a new XTR, and with the introduction of single chainring groups from SRAM knocking at the door of the premier mountain bike component group, Shimano was facing a serious challenger. When the press gathered a few weeks ago at Shimano’s U.S. headquarters in Irvine, Calif., we were aware of the basics, now ...

Rocky Mountain joins the ranks of the fat bike crowd with its own trademark style.

Since the first Mag brake design brought hydraulic braking to the masses in 1997, Hayes has been continuously improving its products to perform better and be more user friendly. The new Radar brakes build on more than 25 years of experience with better performance, easier maintenance and improved reliability.

Replacing both the Mission 26 and the Scapegoat, the new Mission 27.5 is aimed right at the heart of the enduro/all-mountain market with 160mm of travel front and rear and a next-generation Knucklebox suspension.

The One is the next evolution of handcrafted carbon frames from Open, incorporating new shapes, layups and in-house production (in Germany) to create a remarkably light mountain bike frame weighing in a less than 850 grams. If you’re metric adverse, that’s well under two pounds.

The Durango Bike Company might be a fairly new venture, but the brains behind the brand are long-time industry veterans who know a thing or two about building bikes. We stopped by the booth at Sea Otter to see what has been cooking down in Southwest Colorado.

Shifters, suspension, handlebars and bikes.

We got to see the new 11-speed XTR group in the flesh metal at Sea Otter.

Plenty of brands bring their new production items to show off at Sea Otter, but Brent Foes of Foes Racing decided he wanted his latest experiment to see the light of day. This prototype downhill frame has yet to be ridden, let alone proven, but its interesting suspension design is worth checking out.

The race to improve technical clothing for dirt munchers is in full force and Specialized has poured its mighty resources into its Spring 2014 apparel line, specifically targeted at trail, all-mountain and gravity categories.

Zumbi is a Polish company, in business for about a decade, building stock and fully custom bicycles. At Sea Otter we were able to check out this F-11 model, a 160mm travel 27.5 all mountain bike.

It was something we all somehow knew was coming, but no one quite believed: a full-suspension fat bike. Now it’s a reality.

As one might guess from the name, Cavalerie Bikes is a French company developing gearbox mountain bikes. This is the Falcon downhill bike with 200mm of travel. There is also a Squirrel freeride bike at 185mm, and a soon to be released trail bike in the 150mm travel range.

Last year Magura released the E-Select fork, with electronics controlling the damping and a wireless handlebar remote. Now that some technology controls the rear shock as well.

Marin continues to impress, releasing info about three 2015 models that continue the refined look of brand, including new Rift Zone and Indian Fire Trail 29ers and the all-purpose disc-brake Lombard.

The White Brothers name has been retired, with forks being rolled into the very successful MRP brand. The Stage fork, which has been floating around for over a year in various prototype forms is finally ready for sale.

Felt In the Felt booth we got a look at the 2015 Compulsion, the first 27.5 bike from Felt. While it shares many traits with previous 26-inch bike, the new one is completely new and built around 160mm of travel through Felt’s Equilink suspension.

Rocky Mountain The big news in the Rocky Mountain booth was the new Blizzard fat bike, but they were also attracting a lot of attention for this one-off prototype Sherpa. When Rocky Mountain got wind of a prototype 27.5×2.8 tire that WTB had produced, they built this bike based on a customized 29er.

Photos by Justin Steiner and Gary Perkin/Santa Cruz Bicycles The April 1 announcement of Santa Cruz’s new Nomad brought with it much anticipation. Many of us were wondering; how will this retooled icon would translate to the real world? Fortunately, Santa Cruz invited us to Santiago, Chile, to sample what this aqua and magenta bomber has ...

I’m not much of a mountain bike historian but I have run into Don Koski many times over the years at bicycle trade shows and such. Nice guy. I knew he was around back in the day and was currently making ski bikes. He had called me a few times recently, asking to show me ...

Niner continues to expand its lineup with a new line of carbon mountain and cyclocross wheels—available, naturally, in 29-inch only. They will be available on Niner’s Star builds soon and will hit the aftermarket later this summer.

There is little argument that SRAM’s 1×11 drivetrains work and work well, at least no argument among those who have ridden them And therein lies the problem, as both the XX1 and X01 groups are very expensive. But now the new X1 group trickles the 1×11 tech down to a lower price point, allowing it to be ...

A year or so ago I got my hands on one of Bionicon’s smart and simple chainguides, which works something like a chain tensioner to keep rattling at bay and create a larger chain wrap around a chainring. Now the German brand has simplified the design making it lighter, cheaper and easier to install. What’s ...

Single chainring drivetrains have taken the mountain bike world by storm over the past few years. For many riders in many types of terrain, it just works. There are fewer gizmos on the handlebar, fewer moving pieces to maintain, and thanks to new products like Wolf Tooth Components‘, nearly all of the range of gearing—nearly ...

Amongst the European paparazzi we arrived in the French Riviera. The Nice-Côte-d’Azur airport was aflutter with the excited activity leading to the annual Cannes Film Festival. As I exited baggage claim there was one sign within a crowd of limousine drivers and chauffeurs that I was looking for: the yellow Mavic logo. We didn’t come ...

A press camp like Magura’s annual retreat in Sedona, Arizona, is always a treat for us werd-slingers. But being a bit older and a bit more jaded about the latest new products, I go to hang out with old industry friends and ride bikes, while watching the young crop of new bike journalists work their ...

We got our first ride on Magura’s new four-piston brakes in Sedona, Arizona. The design is based on motorcycle technology, with four independent pistons and brake pads. Read more about them here.

The good old Fox 36 was getting a bit outdated, and with new wheelsizes taking hold, it was high time for a new fork. We recently brought you the news that it has been completely redeveloped for 2015, and now we have one in the office for testing and we’ve got more details to share.

Electronics are all around us. When was the last time you rolled up a window in a car? Turned a dial to tune in a radio station? Wound up an alarm clock? Been awhile, right? Well, we’ve been pulling cables to change gears on mountain bikes for decades. Our road and cyclocross brethren have been ...

Juliana pro rider, Anka Martin, has already proven the worthiness of the new 150mm travel Roubion with a victory at Trans-Provence, perhaps the world’s most challenging enduro race, a six-day stage race in France. The Roubion is named aster Anka’s favorite Trans-Provence stage.

To the casual spectator, it may seem that World Cup level XC racing is more about lung capacity than technical innovation. After all, aside from being light weight, the bikes don’t need to do anything complex, right? Not exactly. And that’s where the new Cannondale F-Si comes in. Yes, it’s one of the lightest, stiffest ...

A few months back we brought you details of the Megatrail, the second bike from the upstart Guerrilla Gravity based out of Colorado. The American-made frame is adjustable from “trail mode” to “gravity mode” with a swap of the shock mount, and the geometry drops and slackens out for near-downhill bike levels of performance. Framesets start ...

Fat bikes and internally-geared hubs go together like peanut butter and chocolate, but as of now, options are limited. Currently the only option is to build an offset (or even non-offset) wheel with a standard 135mm hub and use a corresponding frame like Surly’s Pugsley. But as tires get every wider and hub spacing follows ...

As fat bikes get more and more popular, riders are looking for ever more performance from big wheels and tires. Fatback is one of the original fat bike brands, hailing from the Fat Bike Capital of the World: Anchorage, Alaska. Its latest project is the full-carbon Corvus frame and fork, which has been built into ...

Technically it’s the JYD, but the name is a nod to the brand’s fondness for pro wresting. The JYD is a new monstercross/cruiser/mountainous/urban assault vehicle that is designed to be low-tech and big fun. Like most of All City’s bikes, it’s made from steel with some nice touches that set it apart, including the track-end ...

Trek hasn’t shied away from developing proprietary suspension products in its search for better performance. About five years ago, the Dual Rate Control Valve (DRVC) air spring system appeared on Trek’s full suspension bikes, and has remained part of its suspension designs ever since. About the same time, Trek started talks with Penske Racing Shocks through a fortunate ...

Photos by the author and Dane Cronin, courtesy of GT Bicycles. Let’s face it, the vast majority of us are never going to need the kind of elite-level performance that modern race bikes are designed for. We want other things, like bigger tires, maybe some fender mounts, and a slightly more comfortable ride for our real-world ...

Photos by the author and Dane Cronin, courtesy of GT Bicycles. There are dozens of cross country bikes on the market, and many of the were developed with racing in mind, then adapted back or watered down for the average trail rider. GT took the opposite approach with the new 110mm Helion. Starting with a more ...

Last year we saw a prototype fat bike rim from Stan’s NoTubes, and while we figured a 26-inch wheel was in the works, today we saw the finished product: the Hugo is a 50mm-wide, tubeless rim with a unique cross section and options in all three wheel sizes. We also got the details and a ...

Niner continues to expand beyond its original mountain bike lineup with an all-new, full-carbon cyclocross bike dubbed the Blood, Sweat and Beers, or BSB9 for short. With a sub-1,000 gram frame, full carbon fork and a suite of top notch components, it’s a no-compromise race bike that can be used year round. We also got ...

The Mach 4 has always been an important bike for Pivot Cycles. It was the brand’s first big hit, and long a mainstay of the lineup. But let’s face it, a 26-inch bike with 100mm of travel is a hard sell these days, and the new, fourth-generation Mach 4 Carbon has not only embraced all ...

If you just dropped a months’ salary on a new mountain bike, and then thrashed it down a mountain, you’re probably going to want to take care of it and keep it running smoothly. You might know the Finish Line brand for its huge selection of chain lube, but I got a look at some of ...

If you don’t think e-bikes are a real mover in the bicycle marketplace? Look no further than the entry of Bosch in the marketplace to prove that some big brands are willing to invest serious resources in the growing market. For 2015 it has paired up with a few key brands to bring e-bikes with ...

When GT unveiled its Force and Sensor bikes last year they were a big hit with their sponsored athletes, but for the rigors of the DH-level Enduro World Series tracks, they knew they had to offer something to bridge the gap between the 150mm Force and 220mm Fury downhill bike. Enter the rebirth of the ...

For almost as long as fat bikes have been a thing, trying to set them up tubeless has also been a thing. We even wrote a blog about it. 45North is the first company to release a tubeless ready tire, the Vanhelga, a four inch wide tire with what looks to be a trail bike ...

In this day and age, a new 29-inch hardtail often isn’t big news. But with a company like Ibis (which has a very small bike line up) and a bike like the Tranny, this is more than another “me-too” bicycle. The 26-inch version of the Tranny was recently retired, and this 29er replacement has been ...

Business at Spot Brand is growing, and so is its lineup of bikes, mostly catering to the singlespeed crowd and all featuring Gates Carbon Belt Drive compatibility. The latest is the Cream SS, a titanium hardtail mountain bike with some highly manipulated tube shapes.

For a long time there were two kinds of shoes to ride in: super-stiff race-type clipless shoes and skate-type flat pedal shoes. Luckily, the big brands have caught on that most of our riding falls somewhere in between. Shimano is the latest to offer a line of trail and enduro shoes that offer enhanced protection, ...

Gotta say, we didn’t see that coming. Kona has been a strong supporter of 27.5 wheels for a few years now, and we thought we had seen the last of the new 26-inch bikes from major brands. But today we got a sneak peek at the 2015 lineup and there are two new bikes with ...

Mavic is nearly synonymous with high end wheels—as it should be as the seminal French brand is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year—and its upped the ante with its latest iteration of light weight race wheels, the Crossmax SL. Built for cross-country riders, racers and fast trail riding, the new Crossmax SL wheel system combines all ...

Across the board, the staff at Dirt Rag was more than a little surprised by this new suspension design. We knew there was a new 27.5 bike in the works, but we had no clue it would be so new and unique. Yeti calls this new design Switch Infinity, or a “translating pivot”. As the ...

Photos by Mike Schirf. Last week Scott kicked off its 2015 product season at the lavish Stein Eriksen Lodge in Deer Valley near Park City, Utah. It was a great venue for some first impressions on the newly tweaked trail bikes and a look at their broad lineup of offerings. From the bike under you ...

Salsa got its foot in the door last year with the introduction of the carbon fiber Beargrease, and now it’s applying that experience to the Horsethief and Spearfish models. We got a sneak peek and a first ride on the 120mm-travel Horsethief at the Scott Enduro Cup in Park City, Utah. Built to tackle big ...

We had seen it coming. There were spy shots and rumors tossed around about a full-suspension fat bike. In fact, the Bucksaw isn’t even the first one—several smaller brands have built bikes that qualified as “full-suspension”, but this one is different. This is a major brand making a big commitment to a new product segment, ...

Specialized will update its women’s specific line to include a redesigned Era 29 to go along with the Fate hardtail. The Era is essentially an Epic with women’s specific geometry. Previously, the Era was only available as a 26-inch bike. At the top S-Works level, it, as well as an updated men’s Epic will feature ...

Despite the continued success of athletes Troy Bronson and Aaron Gwin on the UCI World Cup circuit, Specialized’s top-tier Demo downhill bike has been around for quite some time. Advancements in carbon fiber and shock technology—not to mention those bigger wheels—meant it was time for a new bike. Specialized took advantage of the long layover between races on ...

Yesterday we brought you news of a new Specialized downhill bike with bigger wheels, and today it’s Santa Cruz’s turn. Seems the gap in the World Cup schedule was the perfect time to finish off the new products and we’ll be seeing a lot of new stuff at Monte St. Anne this weekend. The new ...

Raleigh isn’t a name you normally associate with mountain bikes. Though we have ridden and reviewed a few models, the brand is introducing a series of new full-suspension bikes for 2015, from entry-level to high-end. It is also expanding the Tamland line of gravel/adventure bikes with an aluminum sister model, the Willard.

Take a peek at the new Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt MSL. We have an aluminum version of the 120mm chassis in for testing now, but before we could finish our review the team from British Columbia have upped the ante with a carbon fiber frame.

I think it’s safe to say that Specialized has created an instant icon. Simply put, the new Demo 8 is unlike any downhill bike we’ve ever seen. While it retains the classic FSR suspension layout, the pivot points were all moved as far down as possible, with the main pivot finding itself concentric with the ...

For the fifth year, Niner has created a special IMBA themed bike in support of the non-profit’s mountain bike advocacy efforts. This year’s version is a custom painted ROS 9 Plus complete bike with special detailing and components throughout. The ROS 9 Plus is a brand new addition to the Niner line up – an ...

Trek has been busy this year, with the Re:Aktiv shock technology we covered a few months ago. Now on the gravity end of things, we are seeing the anticipated release of carbon version of the well regarded 160mm Slash, and the Session splits into two models in both carbon and aluminum, the 26-inch Session Park ...

Hot on the heels of the the SB5c trail bike, Yeti releases a new cross country platform dubbed the AS-Rc. As much as longer trail trail bikes are everyone’s favorite topic these days, not everyone wants or needs all that travel and slackness. This new AS-Rc should fill in the gap nicely between the trail ...

Late last summer there were signs that big(ger) things were coming from Devinci Cycles. Suspension designer Dave Weagle was working closely with World Cup downhill racer Steve Smith to develop a special bike for the (relatively) tame World Championship track in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. It featured not just a move toward lower, slacker geometry, but also ...

While the recent influx of extended coverage helmet designs has brought better protection—and looks—to market for trail riders, there still exists a huge gap between their open-face coverage and a big downhill full-face helmet. Especially now that enduro racing and all-mountain riders are pushing harder than ever before, riders are looking for a little extra ...

Now in its fourth generation, the Meta AM seeks to find that perfect balance between descending ability and climbing composure. The new generation is a radical departure from the suspension layout of the previous designs, with the shock tucked in extra-low under the seat tube. Now it occupies a much more traditional spot under the ...

Coming as a surprise, the entire fleet of media demo bikes for the recent Orbea Oiz launch was outfitted with 11-speed 2015 XTR, including four sets of the scarce electronic shifting M9050. We managed to put in a good ride on both groups. Shimano originally announced the new XTR back in April, and we got a ...

With a few exceptions, most bike companies seem to shy away from making true cross country race bikes, instead designing trail bikes that can be raced. The new Oiz from Basque bike-maker Orbea is decidedly not a trail bike. This is pro-level race machine, ready to decimate the competition when the ability to ride both ...

Carver Bikes has always been at the forefront of the fat bike movement, never hesitating to introduce new products as the market changes. It had even built one of the first full-suspension fat bikes. Now the brand is doubling down on big tires, with a host of new goods to keep you floating year ’round.

Having been building for just three years, REEB has already built as many bikes in 2014 as they did in all of last year. As an natural progression of its American-made steel and titanium bikes, REEB Cycles has announced a new partnership with True Temper and Henry James to create a new, exclusive steel tubeset ...

Back in July, Yeti announced this newest iteration of the SB lineup, and our SB5c just arrived for long-term test. In a previous post, we delved into the new Switch Infinity’s design details. Now we’re stoked to get the SB5c out into the wild and slash some turns like Joey Schusler in this video.

In the information age, it is rare to be surprised by a new product release. But this is one of those rare cases. Transition redesigned all of its trail bikes for 2015, with new model names as well: Smuggler, Scout and Patrol. For right now, all bikes are aluminum, with carbon frames in the works, ...

While it’s certainly true that most of this year’s Interbike hype will be focused on buzzing categories like 130mm to 150mm travel all-mountain and trail bikes as well as the fat bike phenomenon, you can rest assured that manufactures haven’t forgotten hardtails. Walking through the outdoor Dirt Demo most makers had the classic frame style ...

There are big changes afoot for the storied SoCal brand, with a new owner and some new models on the way. Having been acquired by BST Nano Carbon, a San Diego-based composites manufacturer, Ellsworth is debuting the last of its Asian-made carbon fiber frames, as it will soon shift its carbon fiber production to the ...

For those who have been around the downhill and freeride scene for a while, the name Chumba should be pretty familiar. While it’s been laying low for a few years, it has been resurrected with new owners and a new focus on building fun, aggressive, American-made bike hard tails, with hints of more to come ...

Speedplay is one of the best-known players in the road bike pedal scene, but it hasn’t had nearly as much success with riders in the dirt. The Frog series has some loyal fans, but they are few and far between. Speedplay hopes to change the game with the long-awaited Syzr pedal system. Just like its ...

Jeff Jones has been toying with the 29+ concept for years, long before it became a reality thanks to widely available tires. After a lot of experimentation, he has unveiled his second model, aptly named Jones Plus. Built around a 29×3.0 tire, it bucks many industry trends in achieving what Jones said is a spirited ...

FSA K-Force FSA’s top tier carbon K-Force comes in 29er and 27.5 and as such FSA says these are more than just two mountain bike options, they are actually perfect for four different disciplines crossing over into road use. The 29 is perfect for cross-country as well as doubling as a 700c wheel for gravel ...

Modern all-mountain bikes are really redefining what is possible with a single bike: controlled singletrack climbing and all-out downhill performance. With the machines pushing boundaries, riders are looking for versatile protection that remains comfortable up and down the mountain. Many enduro races also require a full face helmet for the timed stages, and carrying two ...

We recently got our first look at Transition’s new lineup and its move to a four-bar rear suspension they’ve dubbed the Giddy-Up link. In the 2015 lineup it’s found on four new models in all three wheel sizes. Here’s the gang explaining its, um… “inspiration.” https://vimeo.com/106423928

Can’t say we didn’t see this coming. With the stratospheric boom in popularity of fat bikes and the positive reaction to the aluminum version of the Bucksaw, Salsa has just let loose that a carbon fiber version will be joining it on the trails in the near future. Still built around 100mm of travel through the ...

We saw it make its debut under the Syndicate riders back in July, and now it can be yours — the sixth generation of what is likely the winningest downhill bike ever is now on sale. Now you can ride what Ratboy rode to a World Cup overall championship and bone-crunching second place at the World ...

Earlier this year the release of the Mach 4 Carbon was big news for Pivot Cycles, as its first step into the 27.5 market. Now it has followed it up with something even bigger—a 429SL with the same carbon design, dw-link suspension and full XTR Di2 compatibility. According to Pivot the carbon 429SL drops more ...

Since the boom of single chainring drivetrains and the narrow/wide chainrings that followed, one item has been notably absent from bike shop shelves. SRAM’s high-end cranksets have long been equipped with a removable spider, but even with the introduction of the latest XX1 and XO1 groups, they retained traditional bolt-on chainrings. The aftermarket has filled ...

We first brought you news of the resurrection of the Fat Chance brand back in September, and now it’s one step closer to a reality. The new Yo Eddy Team will be an American-made, steel, trail hardtail with all the modern touches, including a tapered head tube, dropper post compatibility and 142×12 thru-axle. It will ...

While Pivot is perhaps best known for its high-performance suspension bikes like the new Mach 429SL, it is expanding its lineup into the fat tire realm with the launch of the new LES Fat model. Because the full-carbon frame uses an arching dropout system like to the one found on the LES hardtail, the LES Fat ...

In a few weeks Surly will join its parent company, Quality Bicycle Products, at its annual product show dubbed Frostbike. Well, they couldn’t keep the cat in the bag, so today it announced a few new goodies we’ll be “officially” seeing for the first time at the show: First up is the Moonlander Special Ops, ...

Not all foam is created equal. While all bicycle helmets sold in the United States have to pass the same safety regulations, there is a lot of room above and beyond those tests where impact absorption can be improved. Kali Protectives‘ Composite Fusion Plus technology uses a dual-layer foam construction better absorb impacts and help ...

There are few products in mountain bike history as transformative as the Shimano SPD pedal system. In 1990 the very concept of clipless pedals was still new to cycling and most mountain bikers were still using hiking boots and flat pedals. While mountain bikes, shoes and pedals have transformed radically around it in the past quarter-century, the ...

Sony has been pushing hard for a larger segment of the POV camera market in recent years and it’s confident that it can become a major player. The electronics company certainly has the brand recognition as well as a growing list of athletes and ambassadors. It hasn’t shied away from the comparisons to the GoPro juggernaut that’s been ...

The latest generation of the Fox 36 fork is plenty versatile and capable, in all ways but one: fast wheel removable. The creative dropout design that can accommodate both 15mm and 20mm axles requires a tool to install and remove—not so fun when you get a flat out on the trail. The Flow Zone has a solution: ...

Photos by Sven Martin. After much speculation, Santa Cruz dropped a somewhat unexpected pair of bikes on the public, with a return of the Stigmata cyclocross bike and a refreshed Highball carbon hardtail with new geometry and a second wheelsize. The bikes were introduced on the South Island of New Zealand, perhaps the most picturesque place I’ve ...

If you buy an American-made steel or aluminum frame and it isn’t from a small, boutique brand, there’s a good chance it was made in Portland, Oregon, by Zen Fabrication. Born from the ashes of Ellsworth’s U.S. manufacturing business and the withdrawal of the Sapa framebuilding enterprise, Zen has been building frames for other bike ...

This is Part 2 of my first real shakedown rides with the new Shimano XTR Di2 group. Read Part 1 here. In the span of just a few days since receiving the goods I was able to put almost 150 off-road miles on Shimano’s exciting new XTR Di2 electronic components. Here’s a rundown of how it ...

45NRTH is committed to pushing cold-weather cycling technology, and its latest two tires continue that trend, following closely behind the launch of the brand’s Ride Groomed website. The Flowbeist and Dunderbeist are front and rear specific, respectively, and measure out at 4.6 inches, a good middle ground that should fit a wide variety of fat ...

Each year, Quality Bicycle Products, the parent company of Salsa (as well as Surly, All-City and others) hosts a dealer show at is Minnesota headquarters. Salsa took the opportunity to announce it would be officially offering a production version of the Powderkeg tandem that has been floating around in prototype form for years. Powderkeg Not ...

Quality Bicycle Components is the largest bicycle products distributor in the U.S. and is the brand that supports nearly every bike shop in America. It owns several of its own brands and distributes dozens of others. We traveled to QBP’s home office and distribution warehouse in Bloomington, Minnesota, for FrostBike, its annual dealer show, to ...

Over the weekend we traveled to Quality Bicycle Products’ headquarters in Bloomington, Minnesota, to see what was new from their own brands and the brands they distribute to most of the local bike shops in America. e-Thirteen The LG1+ chainguide is one of e-Thirteen’s best selling products, and the new generation makes the popular gravity ...

In its unending march of product development, Shimano has announced its latest Acera line of mountain bike and trekking components will feature many of its technologies that once debuted at a higher price point. The new M3000 series features a new compact triple crank, the introduction of the Shadow rear derailleur design, and shifters that stand ...

If the past decade is any indication, there may soon be as many tire sizes as there are gears in a cassette (though that is also growing year after year). 26 is too small. 29 is too big. 3.7 isn’t fat enough. 4.8 is too fat. Where will it end? Perhaps it never will, but Dirt ...

Fox kicks off the 2016 product news with an announcement that may signal widespread industry acceptance of the plus size tire as something more than an oddity: A Fox Factory 34 fork for 27.5+ tires. Fox claims plenty of clearance for tires up to 27.5 x 3.25, travel from 110 mm to 150 mm, 51 ...

WTB was one of the first out of the gate with products in the new 27.5+ category, specifically rims and tires for a 27.5×3.0 (or so) wheel and tire combo. The new Bridger 3.0 27.5+ is aimed squarely at the aggressive trail and enduro market, and should pair up nicely with the Fox 34 released ...

The new product news continues to roll in, with SRAM and RockShox releasing a pile of new parts related to the new Boost axle standards. Boost 110 Both the 27.5 and 29-inch versions of the Pike, Reba and SID are being made available with a new 110×15 axle standard. The wider forks will allow for the ever-growing tires ...

A few years ago Velocity moved all its rim production from Australia to the United States and became Velocity USA, building rims in its Jacksonville, Florida, factory and lacing them by hand in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Now it’s paired with North Carolina’s Industry Nine components to offer an American-made wheelset from its in-house Wheel Department. ...

We’ve ridden a lot Fox 34 forks and Float CTD rear shocks and they’ve been reliable performers that just needed a few changes to really bring them to the next level. While you could send your suspension bits away for tweaking, it seems that Fox has been paying attention to what riders are after, and updated the ...

SRAM went back to the drawing board when it designed the Guide brake series introduced last year. We tested and reviewed the RSC model and found they are vastly improved over previous SRAM/Avid designs. The new Guide Ultimate model takes the design a step further with a slightly revised caliper and carbon fiber lever arms. ...

SRAM’s latest drivetrain component set not only offers an even lower price barrier to 1×11 shifting, it’s available in a new 2×11 shifting option for the first time, as well as a 2×10 version. The GX components are largely designed with trickle-down technologies pioneered in the XX1, XO1 and X1 groupsets and it slots in between X1 and ...

If the name Chris Curries sounds familiar, it’s for good reason. The bike industry veteran owned Speedgoat Cycles, a Pennsylvania bike shop that grew into a major player. When he sold the company he moved to Portland to shepherd his Asylum brand. Now he is the creative director at Stan’s NoTubes. While he’s been a ...

A downhill bike helmet must face strict safety standards, but for many riders the additional DOT safety rating is a strong selling point. The drawback? The additional size and weight of a DOT helmet is not only annoying, it can compound injuries due to the pendulum effect. Kali Protectives already makes some of the most advanced ...

SRAM has made some big news in recent weeks with the launch of its new GX drivetrain group and the Boost series of components, but there are some smaller changes in the lineup that are worth noting. First up is the 27.5 version of the RS-1 fork. The unique inverted design brings all the performance of ...

Sultan 27plus There’s no doubt this is the year of the 27plus bonanza, and Turner is one of the first brands out of the gate with a revised Sultan built around the new wheel size. With an overall diameter roughly equal to that of a 29er, modifying the design was simply a matter of making ...

Shimano’s flagship XTR mountain bike line made the jump to 11 speeds last year, and while we have certainly been impressed with its performance, it will always remain a bit of a halo product, out of reach of most mountain bikers. The new Deore XT group features many of the technologies first debuted in XTR ...

We first got a look at the Sherpa concept last spring at the Sea Otter Classic, and now one year later Rocky Mountain is ready to introduce the bike to the world. Built around the 27plus tires—in this case WTB’s 2.8 Trailblazers—the Sherpa is loosely based on the Element 29er and contains much of the ...

Here at Dirt Rag we’re huge fans of classic steel hardtails, and today we got an introduction to a new brand with a unique business model that is giving back to the associations that support cycling. Advocate Cycles is a new venture from industry veteran Tim Krueger and its first product is the Hayduke, a ...

With all the tire size and hub width standards getting pushed around lately, it might have been easy to overlook something as simple as a dent in a handlebar. But with the industry ready and willing to throw convention out the window these days, why not rethink bike sizing as well? The PDent is Kirk ...

Polygon A new entry to the U.S. market, Polygon expands its line up with a few more bikes. The Syncline 9 is a 27.5 hardtail race bike. The full carbon frame, XTR wheels and Di2 drivetrain and Fox Factory 32 fork make this a top-level racer right out of the box. $4,200 direct to consumer price. ...

Raleigh Raleigh had a two new prototypes at the show, both still in unfinished matte carbon. The Roker is a carbon fiber version of Raleigh’s well received Tamland and Willard gravel bikes. Expect the same geometry as the previous bikes, room for 40 mm tires, thru axles and three bottle mounts for those long dirt ...

Photos by Nick Kova After we learned of the return of Fat Chance Cycles last fall, things got rolling with a crowdfunding campaign to raise seed money to get the revived business off the ground and build the first batch of new bikes. Now that the campaign has been successfully funded, Fat Chance is taking orders ...

Subaru Subaru is one of the key sponsors of Sea Otter and it had a collection of vintage cars and bikes in its booth. It’s amazing how dated the mountain bikes look but the car from the same era seems commonplace.     Ergon The new GA1 grip from Ergon has been hugely popular, both ...

Ryde Rims Ryde Rims showed up to our booth one morning with a new rim. Ryde was until recently known as Rigida, and is now going after a higher end part of the market. This is the Trace rim ($135), which will come in 22, 25 and 29 mm internal widths in both standard and asymmetric. ...

Based on the success of its Fatboy, Specialized debuted the new Fuse (men’s) and Ruze (women’s) 27plus at the Sea Otter Classic, a platform the company has dubbed “6Fattie.” Built from Specialized’s M4 level aluminum, the 67 degree head angle is slacker and more trail bike worthy than the Fatboy and the bottom bracket is also ...

Easton’s Haven and Havoc wheels have been solid performers for years but with customers asking for ever-wider options the brand went back to the drawing board to create an all-new platform for aggressive trail and all-mountain riding. The new Heist wheels will be available in both 27.5 and 29-inch, and in three widths: 24 mm, ...

It took Shimano a surprisingly long time to bet on black. The venerable XT group has finally gotten a cosmetic makeover that is on point with it’s long-standing reputation of performance. For over 30 years XT has proven to be the measuring stick for quality. This latest iteration of the working-man’s-XTR  has the obvious upgrade in ...

Carbon fiber is capable of some amazing things, and the shapes that it can create have allowed bike designers to really get creative with suspension design. One of the most unusual ideas we’ve seen in years is the new Linkin Trail from the Swiss brand Bold Cycles. Essentially a basic four-bar design, it is unusual in ...

Mountain biking has become a family sport, and so far this has been a breakout year for high-quality kids bikes that are just as capable as many full-size bikes. Everyone knows kids learn quickly and if they want to progress their skills they need quality gear. The new Transition Ripcord has 100mm of travel through ...

In elite cross-country racing, cutting every gram possible is key to getting to the top of the mountain first—or the top of the podium. Some World Cup racers have adopted full-suspension bikes, but many prefer the simplicity and pedaling performance of a hardtail. BMC has revived an old idea with its latest bike design: a ...

Dropper posts have dropped a bomb on the bike industry, with many riders (this one included) believing they are the most significant mountain bike innovation since the suspension fork. But while they can transform your bike and your ride, they have their weaknesses. Reliability has been an issue with many models, and the thumb remotes ...

If any one single model epitomizes “mountain bikes” it’s the Specialized Stumpjumper. One of the first mass-produced off road bicycles, it been a mainstay of the lineup since 1981. Its evolution has traced the course of mountain bike design, through various frame materials, suspension setups and user categories. There are no fewer than 19 different Stumpjumper ...

It’s not a good idea to cut corners when it comes to safety, but it can be tough to decide how nice a helmet you really “need.” Bell hopes to make choosing a bit easier with the introduction of the $90 Event XC, the most affordable helmet in its lineup with the MIPS safety system. ...

The women’s bike market just got a another serious player in the form of Yeti Cycles. Taking an approach that mirrors Santa Cruz’s Juliana women’s bikes, Yeti’s new Beti line utilizes existing frame designs, adapted for women with distinct finishes and component selection. Yeti selected two of its most popular carbon fiber models for the ...

Photos courtesy of Scott Sports The tidal wave is coming, and it’s rolling on big tires. Scott is one of the first major brands out of the gate with 27plus, in this case built on the Genius full-suspension platform and Scale hardtail. The brand touts the added traction offered from the 27.5×2.8 tires while sacrificing ...

Carbon fiber has come to dominate the high end mountain bike market when it comes to frames and components, and more and more brands are using it in wheels as well. Stan’s NoTubes first molded its Bead Socket Technology design in carbon last year with the cross-country and race oriented Valor wheels, which we were impressed with in ...

When Focus first came to the U.S. in 2009, the brand made a name for itself in the road and cyclocross markets, but it wasn’t able to bring its full mountain bike line across from Germany because of patent conflicts. Since that time, it has been able to expand its suspension offerings in the U.S., ...

The latest Pivot trail and all-mountain bikes—the Mach 4 and Mach 6—have been a big success, but most recently the 29ers have been restricted to the cross-country end of its lineup. Now the new Mach 429 Trail lets 29er fans—ourselves included—enjoy the excellent dw-link suspension on more rowdy trails. Pivot started the design with a ...

We had our first introduction with Advocate Cycles earlier this year when the new brand brought its Hayduke model to the Sea Otter Classic. This week the company announced its second model, the steel Watchman fat bike frame. Just like the Hayduke, the new Watchman is built from Reynolds 725 steel with an original Portage ...

The Ripley 29er is one of the youngest models in the Ibis line of full-carbon trail bikes, yet it has already earned a refresh to better match the desires of Ibis customers. The geometry of the standard model remains the same, but a second longer and slacker version, the Ripley LS, has been added with ...

Trek discontinued its 26-inch wheeled Top Fuel cross-country line a few years back in favor of re-branding Gary Fisher’s successful 29er Superfly. Now, as the Superfly grows long in the tooth the Top Fuel is reborn in 2016 and it’s as modern and high-tech as a cross-country bike can be. Like the longer travel Fuel ...

The Trek Fuel EX has been one of the most popular trail bikes in history but Trek wasn’t about to rest with “good enough.” After the folks from Waterloo added a 27.5 version last summer with the introduction of the amazing Penske Re:aktiv shock technology, the 29er model gets a full refresh with new features, new technology ...

Action photos by Carson Blume Destination: Trail. That was the buzzword surrounding the much anticipated launch of the all-new Specialized Camber. To showcase just how capable and versatile this bike is Specialized choose the Downieville and Lakes Basin area in Northern California as launch headquarters, based out of the Graeagle Lodge which proved to be ...

Today, RockShox announced significant updates to the Lyrik as well as as a completely new model based on the Lyrik chassis called Yari. Lyrik The Lyrik was well liked among the hard-charging set, but was stuck in 26-inch wheel purgatory, a sad place to be for such a well made fork. No longer. The new ...

The new Shimano gravity series has been designed with input from Men’s Downhill World Champion Gee Atherton, 2013 Downhill World Champion Rachel Atherton and multiple British 4X National Champion Dan Atherton. The Atherton’s influence is clear to see in the AM9, which the whole GT Atherton team has been testing since the beginning of the ...

Ponyrustler Spotted as a prototype at Sea Otter, the new 27plus full suspension bike from Salsa made its official debut today with two carbon fiber models and an aluminum model built around the excellent Split Pivot suspension. If you’re ridden the Horsethief 29er and enjoyed it, you’re likely to feel right at home on the ...

The hardtail isn’t dead. At all. In fact, we might be living in the golden age of hardtails, with everything from fancy carbon race bikes to steel expedition bikes easily available. Most exciting to me is the trail hardtail market and the versatility that is becoming common with the addition of new technology. Orbea’s new hardtail ...

Cannondale’s new Habit is a 120 mm travel, 27.5-wheel trail bike. I was lucky enough to spend an afternoon riding one. Here is what I thought. Unlike Cannondale’s longer travel offerings, the Trigger and the Jekyll, the Habit has no fancy handlebar actuated travel adjust, just a simple single pivot design with a swing-link actuated shock. ...

Devinci launched a redesigned Troy here at Crankworx and we’ve just had our first look. The trail market has evolved quite a bit since 2013 when the Troy was originally launched. Over the years, Devinci has been seeing folks riding that bike harder and harder with wide bars and burly rolling stock. With this in mind, and ...

Specialized went all-in on 27plus bikes for the 2016 model year with 6Fattie versions of the Stumpjumper and Rhyme, as well as dedicated 6Fattie hardtail models for men and women, called the Ruse and Fuse. Here at Crankworx Whistler we took our first ride aboard the top-of-the-line S-Works Stumpjumper FSR 6Fattie with 150 mm of travel ...

One of the original trendsetters in the fat bike market was Fatback out of Anchorage. Pioneers of the wider hub spacing that made 4-inch tires possible in the first place, the company’s latest products continue to push the envelope of fat bike mountain biking. Both are suspension corrected for the RockShox Bluto fork and presumably ...

Two new players are set to enter the dropper seatpost market later this year. In a parallel move, Race Face and Easton announced the release of new dropper seatposts. Though the posts are mechanically identical, they will be branded independently as the Race Face Turbine and Easton Haven. The infinitely adjustable post mechanism utilizes a licensed ...

Photos by Justin Steiner Giro has had a huge hit on its hands with the Feature, a great all-purpose trail helmet that doesn’t break the bank. The new Montaro builds on that success with several new technologies that make it more of a premium product. The first key design priority on the Montaro was making it ...

Morpheus is proudly displaying an all-new downhill bike here at Crankworx and we caught up with company founder Michael Schwartz to get the lowdown. This full carbon fiber rig is the first project where Morpheus sought expertise from outside the company to assist in frame design and suspension kinematics, “to make [the Conspiracy] a bike that goes against ...

Last year Leatt announced new helmets that were slated to begin shipping in 2015. As is often the case, even the best-laid plans don’t always pan out as expected. A fire at Leatt’s foam supplier delayed production significantly. Fortunately, these new lids will begin shipping in January of 2016. 6.0 Carbon and 5.0 Composite – $499/$399 ...

In the rapidly moving world of all-mountain bikes, the Mach 6 was far from old or outdated, but Pivot isn’t a company to sit on its laurels (whatever the hell that means). Mach 6 Carbon Instead, it updated the carbon bike, and released an aluminum version of the well received frame. Both bikes use a new ...

The 29er trail bike market continues to heat up, and Yeti turns up the flames even more with the SB4.5c. This is Yeti’s first 29er to use its Switch Infinity suspension system. We covered the tech behind Switch Infinity here if you want to read more about it, but to sum it up: “As the suspension ...

I might be speaking prematurely here, but in a few years this new bike from Devinci might just be what most trail bikes look like. Boost spacing, 120 mm front travel, 110 mm rear travel, 27plus tires, single-ring drivetrain, aggressive geometry, and an affordable price put the new Hendrix in a good position for 2016. Like ...

With the capabilities of modern trail bikes increasing every year, it makes sense to up the level of protection for the rider. This new helmet from Lazer allows the rider to choose just how much coverage is wanted or needed. This isn’t an entirely new concept (see Bell’s excellent Super 2R), but the Revolution adds ...

While we’ve seen a few prototypes from other companies, Magura is first to market with a dropper post with a wireless remote. While the dropper itself uses a conventional hydraulic mechanism, it is controlled via a small servo motor at the head of the post. We haven’t seen it first hand so we’ll let Magura ...

My how things have changed. When the Surly Pugsley rolled onto the scene nearly 10 years ago no one could have predicted (well, some probably did) that fat bikes would be as common as they are today. Riders are using them not just for Arctic exploration, but also for straight up mountain biking, which has ...

Continental showed this tire last year at Eurobike, but it seems it is finally ready for production. We’ve been a fan of Conti’s Black Chili rubber compound, but have been noticing the casing and tread widths of its tire line aren’t matching up as well as we’d like with modern wider internal rim widths. The ...

Say what you will about the enduro craze, but one thing we can’t deny is that many of the products being developed for racing have led to goods that are perfect for good ol’ fashioned mountain biking. One example is these new FiveTen Kestrel Lace shoes we found at Crankworx. The Kestrel model was first ...

SR Suntour recently announced two new rear shocks called the DUAir and UNAir. The company’s motivation is to deliver an affordable option that’s able to keep up with its forks. Not only will the DUAir and UNAir offer consumers reasonably-priced aftermarket options, but they’ll also offer SR Suntour the ability to provide bike manufacturers solid front and rear suspension ...

It’s taken most of the summer but we’ve finished gathering parts for our 27plus project bike. We started this process earlier this year when rumors of a fat 27.5 production bike were just a whisper and no one was really sure what to make of Trek and SRAM’s “Boost” hub spacing. Then came Sea Otter and ...

Roughly two and a half years after the initial release of the Bronson and 5010, both bikes have been updated with more progressive geometry and the third iteration of Santa Cruz’s VPP suspension design. The 5010 and Bronson have been hugely successful for Santa Cruz, so updating these popular models was a serious undertaking. Last ...

Since the initial release of the Roubion and Furtado, a host of changes have taken place in the trail bike market. For 2016, Juliana is updating both the Roubion and the Furtado to reflect these evolutions in design, including slacker head tube angles and steeper seat tube angles coupled with a longer, lower top tube and ...

The RFX has been out of the Turner lineup since 2007 but returns with a vengeance as a fully modern carbon fiber all-mountain bike. The Turner website is already loaded up with prices and build kits, with complete bikes starting at $4,573 for SRAM GX, up to $8,718 with XTR and Enve wheels. Frames are ...

Editor’s note: This story first appeared in Dirt Rag Issue #63, published in February 1998. Words and photos by Jeff Lockwood. This story was inspired by our conversation with Frank “The Welder” Wadelton, head welder at Spooky Cycles, at the Interbike show back in August. And, let’s just say that he is an interesting fellow. ...

PRESS RELEASE: Introducing the Lindarets x Wolf Tooth GoatLink 11: Optimizing Shimano 11-speed derailleurs for use with SRAM XD and aftermarket extended-range cassettes. From the moment we realized that Shimano and SRAM’s 11-speed mountain cassettes shared the spacing, we knew that we wanted to it all.  We wanted Shimano’s ergonomics, pricing, and reliability combined with ...

PRESS RELEASE: Ten years ago, Niner Bikes was founded on the belief that larger wheels offered true and undeniable performance gains in the world of mountain biking. Though the landscape of 29ers has changed, Niner still believes bigger is better and is launching its RKT 9 RDO: “Victory Favors the Equipped.” From the race track to everyday singletrack, ...

Here’s another small sampling of new and interesting things we saw during the whirlwind week that is Interbike, America’s largest bicycle industry trade show. Alchemy Arktos Alchemy Bicycle Company isn’t the first name in mountain biking; it’s a young brand known for making custom carbon road bikes but its first ever full-suspension mountain bike, the ...

Felt Bicycles today announced the launch of its new trail mountain bike, the Decree, which features Felt Active Stay Technology (FAST), custom shock tuning and an innovative frame design. The new full suspension bike adds to Felt’s growing family of performance mountain bikes. Designed for the rider looking for an enormous range of capabilities … the 24.06lb/11.17kg Decree ...

Last year, I reviewed the Ibis Ripley. I liked it well enough, but my tastes in mid-travel 29er leans towards low and slack, while the Ripley is more long-travel cross-country. I also got yelled at (via email) by for being too soft on the bike. Which was a valid complaint, as I had inadvertently cut ...

Asheville, NC – Industry Nine, a cycling components manufacturer in the heart of Western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, has announced new rim options for mountain and fat bikes, and a new plus-size rim option. Fat Bike Two new tubeless fat bike rim options join the well-received BigRig 825 Carbon. The new BigRig 975 Carbon and ...

Bellingham, Washington-based Canfield Brothers has launched its redesigned 2016 Balance, a 165-millimeter all-mountain bike drawing heavily from the company’s downhill heritage. Now in its third generation, the Balance combines gravity oriented geometry with the patented Canfield Balance Formula™ suspension. “Long before the enduro craze, we had our own idea of what an all-mountain bike should be—just as capable of ...

One of the more interesting features of Ibis’ Tranny 29 hardtail is its two-piece frame. Not only can it be taken apart to fit in a airline-legal bag, it can also be used to tension a chain for singlespeeding. Now you can take your Tranny fat-biking by replacing one piece of that two-piece frame with a ...

Motorsport suspension giant Öhlins has been secretly working on its first trail bike fork, the RXF 34. It will be the first trail fork to feature a twin-tube design, duplicating what’s found on the Swedish brand’s TTX rear shock. Öhlins has also partnered again with Specialized in the development (a common thread for all of ...

Bell Helmets is introducing an integrated camera and mountain bike helmet that allows 360-degree 4K video capture, mobile editing and sharing, and intuitive digital capabilities. The setup utilizes the Bell Super 2R and a 360fly camera. The design will offer an enhanced footage field view and action perspectives and eliminate camera mounts and hardware. This new integrated ...

For a while there, the patient was touch-and-go. Assets were on the operating table. Little passion was moving through its blood. After its sale to BST Nano Carbon in late 2014, Ellsworth looked like it might not pull through. The 2015 lineup wasn’t released at all. “We weren’t dead,” joked company founder Tony Ellsworth. “We ...

SRAM has been slowly trickling down 1×11 tech to lower and lower price points over the last few years, but with the release of this newest 1x group, even those with a less-than-sizeable bike budget can get in on the 1x evolution that is taking over mountain biking. Read on for full details and our ...

Pivot Cycles has unveiled the all new Phoenix DH Carbon with 27.5 wheels. Driven directly by the company’s work with the Pivot Factory racing team, the new chassis is two-thirds of a pound lighter (for a possible total bike weight under 31 pounds) and features additional rear tire clearance. The frame comes with 204mm dw‐link® rear suspension, a 157mm X ...

SRAM just announced Guide brake technology in a more compact, lighter package for cross-country and trail applications. Five different models of Level brakes will replace the SRAM XX, X0 and DB5, and Avid DB3 and DB1 models. All models of Level brakes feature SRAM’s DirectLink lever design with 2-piston calipers and reach adjusters hidden from ...

Over the last three years Diamondback has been quietly working on a new trail bike platform called Release. The design is based on dual, counter-rotating short links in the same vein as the famous VPP suspension. Diamondback calls its version Level Link because the lower link stays parallel to the chain (or level to the ...

It’s that time of year, SRAM is dropping the new product news on the regular. The latest out of Chicago is a Reverb with all new internals and more travel options. The changes aim to improve reliability, and offer longer travel options for modern trail bikes. Bushing overlap is increased, which should increase longevity. SKF, ...

OneUp was one of the first, if not the first, to market wide range adapters for 10 speed drivetrains. It is not surprising to see the same thing for 11 speed. The Shark is a 10-50 “system,” as it requires a range of components to make it work: OneUp 50 tooth cog OneUp 18 tooth ...

Fox is set to release its new 32 SC (Step Cast), a dedicated cross-country fork that shaves a half-pound off the current model 32. Engineers achieved this with an all-new chassis design. Looking for any way possible to shave weight they shrunk and narrowed the crown and arch so the upper tubes have a 120 ...

For 2016, the Pivot Cycles LES carbon cross-country hardtail received a few notable updates that were announced today at Sea Otter. The frame dropped more than 50 grams, with complete geared bikes available under 20 pounds. The frame features Boost 110 mm front and 148 mm rear spacing, full Di2 integration via the Pivot Cable Port system and ...

Vittoria had some first look surprises on the first day of the 2016 Sea Otter Classic. Besides new tires, the brand is jumping into rims with both feet. The Reaxcion SL 29 is an impressively light 1,430 gram aluminum wheelset directed at the cross-country market. It’s tubeless ready and features Speedlock sidewalls, which is an ...

Bets around the Dirt Rag virtual water cooler (which is located in the virtual Dirt Rag HQ) put money on Trek releasing a 27plus full-suspension trail bike or a Stache 29plus full-suspension ripper. Neither guess was accurate, obviously. Instead, Trek dropped a 27.5 x 3.8 Farley EX trail bike with full suspension at the Sea Otter Classic. Actually Trek ...

Fuji’s Bighorn 27plus trail hardtail will recieve an update for 2017 that was showcased at Sea Otter. The bike is ready for whatever with 27.5 x 3.0 Schwalbe Nobby Nics, SRAM GX components, a KS Lev dropper post, internal cable routing, three sets of bottle cage mounts, rack and fender mounts and 120 mm of ...

The rumors that 26plus tires were on the way  have been out there for for months and Sea Otter brings first public sightings of the new/old wheel size (those old enough to remember may be having Gazzaloddi flashbacks.) It might seem like ONEMOREWHEELSIZE, but 26plus makes sense. While we are fans of the 27plus wheel size, it ...

The original Santa Cruz Tallboy is arguably the bike that signalled 29ers acceptance into the mainstream/cool kids’ cycling club. That’s not to say there wasn’t good 29er before the Tallboy or that it had the most revolutionary geometry. What is had was a certain something that was well loved and well used. Fast forward a few ...

Cannondale’s current Scalpel has often been dubbed a “cross-country trail bike” by many owners. Certainly a racer at heart but it also has good trail-ish mannerisms as well. For 2017 designers undertook the gigantic task of leaning the bike out and with the recent introduction of the Habit trail bike, making the Scalpel XC race ...

Continental tires announced at the Sea Otter Classic that its Baron tire, commonly seen on Dan Atherton’s race bike, is in production and available. The tread pattern is an adaption of mud tire lugging meaning it has much wider knob spacing than what’s traditionally found on all-arounder gravity and enduro tires. The knobs are ramped ...

Lezyne, now in its 10th year of existence, has branched out well beyond making just pumps and minitools. Its product portfolio now also includes LED lights, GPS units and heart rate monitor straps mixed in among multitools, minipumps, floor pumps and digital floor pumps. On the tool side the company now makes high quality shop ...

photos by the author and 45NRTH It is December. In some parts of the U.S. that means a relief from the heat. In other parts, such as Crosby, Minnesota, it can be dangerously cold. That doesn’t stop a lot of us from riding, and 45NRTH is working to make everyone more comfortable when out in ...

Cyclocross racing, with its drop bars, skinny tires and lycra-clad racers, might seem like a distant cousin to mountain biking, but the two disciplines have more in common than you might think. For example, have a look at some of this video of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup stop in Namur, Belgium this past weekend. ...

Wolf Tooth Components is always coming out with interesting products designed to make the experience of riding a bike better and more fun, and that focus on reliability, functionality, and performance. Here are some of their latest product releases: GCX46 This is a 46-tooth cog that replaces the 42-tooth on SRAM’s XX1 and X01 cassettes with ...

Look! A new bike release without mention of plus tires! Or even 29ers. Just good-old 27.5 Minion tires in the ever popular 2.35 width on all models. While the Lefty is gone, along with the weird pull-shock from previous Trigger and Jekyll models, don’t let the conservative take on wheels and tires and missing propriety ...

A few of the interesting things we saw at the 2017 Sea Otter Classic: WTB Byway The Byway is a 27.5×47 tire, part of WTB’s “Road Plus” line. With the same casing as the Horizon, this new tire has some cornering knobs and file tread for better dirt action. We’ve got a set in for ...

Arriving at Paul Camp in Chico, California (Back in May), I was immediately drawn to one particular bike-to-rule-them-all, Travis T’s “Krusty Diamond,” built by Cameron Falconer over in Quincy, California, painted by Russ Picket of Mountain Goat fame, and built with as many California and U.S. made parts as humanly possible. I thought I should find out ...

Did Santa Cruz ever expect the Hightower, with its 135 mm of rear travel to become the darling of  hard-charging EWS riders? Did it expect consumers to start experimenting with longer-stroke shocks to bump up travel? Did anyone really expect 2017 to be the summer of 29 inch wheels in gravity events? I can’t really ...

Pivot invited us out to ride the new Trail 429 in Moab last month in Moab. The assembled media had a blast, but when Pivot’s head honcho, Chris Cocalis unexpectedly wheeled out a this new Firebird 29 no one asked to stay on the Trail 429 for the next day’s ride. The Firebird 29 is Pivot’s answer ...

Perhaps you have heard rumblings around your local shops about what new Santa Cruz bikes were on their way. There had been rumors and guesses by many as to just what exactly was coming. Well, the day has come and both the Bronson and 5010 have gotten makeovers, as well have the Roubion and the Furtado from ...

Sometimes after a long ride, beer just isn’t the right thing, nor is more warm water from a hydration pack, gross drink mix in the bottom of your bottle, or a can of sickeningly sweet soda. Thankfully, we’ve learned to enjoy LaCroix. A blend of sparkling water and light flavoring, the LaCroix disappears from the ...

This story first appeared in December 2016. We are gearing up for Dirt Fest PA 2019 as we speak and it always nice to look back and remember how this all got started, Planning on attending Dirt Fest? Be sure to register here and we will see you at the Lake! The first edition of ...

Wahoo Fitness has a new product called the Kickr Headwind, which gives you a headwind (duh) while riding your bike. You can either use this to keep you cool while riding indoors on those rainy, wintry days, or charge through 30mph winds in penance for whatever terrible thing you’ve done (like choose to ride indoors). ...

Dakine has a sick new gravity line called Thrillium, with their partnership with Graham Agissiz and Team Aggy, bringing a very specific “wolf” vibe, which I am not opposed to, into both their men’s and women’s cuts. They have new knee pads and gloves, and their baggies have been redesigned to offer a ton of ...

Hear ye, hear ye! It is now the first Monday of December, and time for another Mixtape Monday. Sound the bells! This month, Trina Haynes has come along to give us some sweet tuneage to get us through these shortest days of the year while we approach the winter solstice. Trina’s been at Rotating Mass ...

Editor’s note: As Dirt Rag turns 30, we take a look back other stuff that was happening in 1989 and how well it holds up, as well as the ways it has evolved. Punk in the Beerlight shines a light on modern albums with a retro sound and compares it to records that came out ...

I don’t want to be a square, but I am. I was the kid all my childhood friends’ parents thought was on drugs, but I was really just a sensitive weirdo who cut her own hair. Sure, I’ve dabbled, but I don’t like the feeling of being high just like I don’t like the feeling ...

By Evan Robinson Editor’s note: Mountain bikes weren’t the only thing ahead of their time and right on schedule in 1989. While Dirt Rag was being cut-and-pasted in Maurice Tierney’s living room, other wing nuts and artists were also toiling away at their own masterpieces. Many of those albums have stood the test of time ...

Editor’s Note: This story first appeared in issue 209 of Dirt Rag Magazine. Like what you see? Subscribe now to catch issue 212, currently in the works. The original run of this story neglected to mention some very helpful heroes who made this trip happen. They were mentioned in essence — the ferry was mentioned, ...

by James Murren Southwestern Utah, with St. George and Hurricane, is a true mountain bike destination. Add in Gooseberry Mesa, and you easily have an extra-long weekend of riding available to you. Throw in Little Creek Mesa, and you now have a week of riding red dirt and slick rock in your purse of riches. ...

Last month, we headed over to Buena Vista to check out a new Maverick just released by Juliana. While we had plenty to say about the bike and how dreamy it was to ride out there, the town of Buena Vista was newsworthy unto itself. It’s a bit of a haul from the Denver airport ...

By Brett Rothmeyer The sun is just cracking over the Uintas in Park City, Utah. Main Street is starting to chatter as the doors to cafés open; the wisp of a broom on the sidewalk is overtaken only by the occasional slow-moving vehicle headed up the hill. I had long daydreamed about riding Park City ...

by Melonee Hurt If you haven’t experienced East Tennessee’s newest mountain bike park, Tannery Knobs, you need to. But this fun new skills park isn’t the only biking hotspot in the area. We kicked around this fun mountain town for a weekend and can whole-heartedly recommend several good biking spots, great biker-friendly places to stay, ...

Editor’s Note: This feature first appeared in issue 210 of our print edition of Dirt Rag Magazine. Like what you see? Subscribe today to catch issue 212, in production now and soon to set sail. By Carolyne Whelan, illustrations by Stephen Haynes Anissa Lamare may be the only female downhill mountain biker in India. She ...

Paul Components is having a party! We’ll let them invite you themselves, just after this interview with Paul Price of Paul Components. That’s right, *the* Paul. Dirt Rag and Paul Components both turn 30 this year! Read our interview, attend their party, and subscribe to Dirt Rag so you don’t miss future rad content featuring ...

I bought my first mountain bike back in 2000. I was just starting college and wanted a bike I could get around town with, but also use to explore the dirt roads, arroyos, desert expanses and mountain trails of my new home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I didn’t really understand mountain biking as a ...

By Melonee Hurt Steve Kasacek’s handiwork stretches from the woods of Maine to the remote hills of Arkansas. Most days his workspace is five miles deep in the woods somewhere. His home address consists of a storage unit and a mailbox. He has been known to sleep in his car or next to it, regularly ...