This Just In

Just a month ago we previewed the build up of our Intense 951 EVO test bike. Now with some hours on this boundary-pushing machine, it’s time to weigh in with a First Impression. Aside from this being a very slick and purposeful looking, US-made bike, two characteristics really stand out; one, 27.5-inch wheels, and, two, ...

Jeremiah Bishop showing us the locals know how to have fun. The leaves have changed and are falling fast, the mornings are met with frost, and the sunscreen is packed away. The days are growing shorter and the riding season is becoming shorter still. But before winter begins to blow its icy breath upon the ...

Editor’s note: Here at Dirt Rag we don’t really do “comparison tests” or “shootouts” or declare “winners”. Every bike we review has a story to tell, and they’re all interesting. That said, we rounded up six full-suspension trail bikes in the $2,500-ish range to see what’s really out there in the heart of the mountain ...

Editor’s note: Here at Dirt Rag we don’t really do “comparison tests” or “shootouts” or declare “winners”. Every bike we review has a story to tell, and they’re all interesting. That said, we rounded up six full-suspension trail bikes in the $2,500-ish range to see what’s really out there in the heart of the mountian ...

Editor’s note: Here at Dirt Rag we don’t really do “comparison tests” or “shootouts” or declare “winners”. Every bike we review has a story to tell, and they’re all interesting. That said, we rounded up six full-suspension trail bikes in the $2,500-ish range to see what’s really out there in the heart of the mountain ...

I woke to the sound of rhythmic scratching, my mouth a hollow, dry cavity that tasted like stale IPA. Subtle chanting in an unrecognizable dialect reverberated as if in confined quarters, putting an exclamation mark on the headache forming behind my eyes. As the world around me came into focus, my attention fell to a ...

Tuner bikes have a cult-like following among some riders, often referred to as “Homers”. I’ve never been a follower of any particular brand myself, more of a gigolo when it comes to bikes. But after a few rides on the new 27.5-inch Burner, I can see why some people swear undying devotion to the Turner ...

You’ve never heard of Liteville? That’s OK, it’s not like you local bike shop has racks full of these bikes. Liteville is a sister company of Syntace, the German component brand. Besides being a niche brand, the 601 is a niche bike, with a downhill-worthy 190mm of rear travel, packaged into a frame that is ...

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, ...

Just as the 29er movement was exploding, Giant stood firm in its belief that bigger wheels were not a replacement for the good ol’ 26-inch standard. As large wheels became de rigueur for most other brands, Giant began to dangle off the back of the pack, both in progression and image. Sure, its full suspension ...

Marin designed the 27.5-inch wheeled Rocky Ridge series for aggressive trail riders that prefer hardtails. There are certainly are lots of folks out there who prefer hardtails over full suspension for a multitude of reasons: lower initial purchase price, better parts spec at a similar price point, mechanical simplicity, or just riding style. This is ...

Call it fate. I recently purchased a Santa Cruz Highball frame and needed a fork to complete my build, and while I searched an email was forwarded to me from Fox looking for a tester for this fork. The fork happens to be a Fox 32 Float 29, 100mm FIT Terralogic model, and yes, I’d ...

I have gotten fat this winter, and I couldn’t be happier. Just before Christmas this neon dream of American-made aluminum showed up from the Khaki Santa (aka the delivery guy) and made my riding bright. Fatback was built exclusively around fat bikes, and it has kept this decidedly American sport homegrown by partnering with Zen ...

Let me answer this question first: no, this is not a Krampus with holes drilled in it. While ECR closely resembles its 29+ brethren, it is a completely different beast. The frame is different, the geometry is different, the build kit is different and the fork is different. Built for loaded touring, exploring and “Escaping ...

After years of fits and starts the final wall holding back the flood of 27.5 trail bikes broke, as more than a dozen manufacturers brought new or redesigned models to market. One was something of an unlikely source: Breezer. Yes, Joe Breeze was a key player in the birth of mountain biking but in the ...

From our neighbors to the north comes the Mutant, a hardtail 29+ monster hell bent on global domination! Hailing from Toronto, RSD Bikes (Rubber Side Down) is showing promise with its new line-up of hardtail trail bikes and the Mutant shows the company is willing to be among the first to put a 29+ bike ...

This year marks drastic changes for Intense Cycles. With a new CEO, CFO and COO in place, company founder and owner Jeff Steber along with his original business partner Marv Strand both agreed, “This is a very exciting time, a reinvention of our brand.” Steber added, “I designed a guitar before I could play one ...

Two big-tire heavyweights go head to head.

Let’s get this out of the way first: SLM stands for Super Light Mountain. They ain’t lyin’. The $5,799 SLM 1.1 is the flagship of the Fuji SLM fleet and its frame is made from C15, Fuji’s highest grade of carbon fiber. The end result is a 29er frame weighing less than 1,000 grams (nearly ...

Two modern, full suspension trail bikes that can handle a little of everything.

“Most compelling bikes of 2014.” Those are big shoes to fill. How, then, did we arrive with these two bikes?

The mad mountain men and women at Pivot Cycles know dirt, and to show they’re not just chubby tire and suspension snobs, they now offer the Vault, a carbon fiber cyclocross and gravel bike designed for exploration on any surface.

I’ve been a drop-bar, off-roading rider for a couple decades, so the whole ‘gravel’ category is a little late-coming and a bit cliché for me. Who wouldn’t want to ride a properly-specced and comfortable performance bike anywhere and everywhere? Isn’t that the point of adventure seeking? What’s new for me and others is the marriage ...

I’ve always been drawn to unusual products and technologies. When the strangest gear shows up at Dirt Rag HQ I’m always first to raise my hand to try it. After all, that’s how cycling journalists like myself earn the big bucks. When I saw the Lauf forks at the Sea Otter expo I knew we ...

The Thunderbolt is an all-new model in Rocky Mountain’s 2014 lineup. With its 120mm of travel, this 27.5 dual-boinger is Rocky’s general-purpose “XC” platform. The Thunderbolt slots in between the company’s Element “XC race” and Instinct “trail” bikes. Mind you, the folks from BC have high expectations of what an XC bike should do. Product ...

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, ...

Quite a few bike manufactures are making women’s specific bikes these days and many of them are employing the tweener, 27.5 wheel size. Raleigh has joined the party with its 2014 Eva hardtail line which has switched to 27.5 wheels throughout. Last year’s Eva models were all 29ers and I had the opportunity to review ...

We’ve tested lots of bikes at Dirt Rag, but none have garnered even a fraction of the attention of the Miami Vice bike. This blue and magenta heartthrob instigates all sorts of comments from riding buddies and other trail users. Rightfully so, thus far in the test period it’s backed up those good looks with a ...

Ibis recently introduced a 29-inch version of the Tranny and we’ve have been happily pedaling it around local trails over the past few weeks. What makes it different from other hardtail 29ers on the market? Check out my first impressions of this unique carbon hardtail after the jump.

We first spied this all-new creation from Diamondback back at Sea Otter—hell it was hard not to, considering its electric orange paint can be seen from space. Now it’s in our hands and ready for a long-term test ride.

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 ...

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.

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 ...

Bottle cap for perspective. This thing is small. A few weeks ago Sony invited us out to New Jersey to check out its new Action Cam Mini, a slimmed down version of the successful AS100 series Action Cam, which isn’t exactly a big camera either. The new smaller camera still packs the same sensor and Zeiss ...

Giant is reintroducing its 160mm travel Reign in 2015 after a one-year absence. First appearing in 2005 as a 26er, its return (and overhaul) makes Giant’s dedicated-to-27.5 line-up complete. Besides wheel size, there are a few other significant changes as well. First, the mainframe on the Advanced 1 is carbon fiber with an aluminum rear ...

It seems like a long while since I’ve been on a Trek. In the couple years that have passed since I last rode one, we now see some of its once proprietary geometry principles implemented by other manufacturers, such as the increased offset fork on 29ers. ‘So what’s new,’ I had to ask as I began ...

Borealis claims that its Echo is the first ever high-performance fat bike to be designed around RockShox’s 100mm travel Bluto fork. Considering that the company’s headquarters is a mere three miles from SRAM’s Colorado Springs R&D office that’s no surprise. Borealis was the first company to get its hands on the fat bike specific fork ...

The new Carver Gnarvester is designed specifically for  29+ (29×3.0 tires) and we got one in-house for a long-term review. We are building up this titanium frame with a selection of new and used components. This is a pretty sweet chainstay yoke. What kind of word is yoke anyway? Sliding dropouts with Paragon Machine Works ...

The Mojo HD has been a successful bike for Ibis, with multiple wins under current team rider Anne-Caroline Chausson and former team rider Brain Lopes. But with 27.5 wheels now the norm for long travel bikes—and even though the previous 26-inch model was approved for use with bigger wheels—creating a chassis designed around 27.5 is obviously a ...

After a first ride on the new XTR at the Orbea Oiz launch this summer, we’ve been impatiently awaiting for the XTR groups to become available.  A few days ago, the wait was over. Peel off that shiny outer layer and things look even more classy. Just before the XTR stuff showed up, we also took ...

We often hear the usual complaint about always testing bikes that are well out of the price range of riders who don’t have a substantial disposable income. But Dirt Rag has always covered (or at least attempted to cover) a wide variety of price points in the bike world. We gathered six bikes to review that represent the ...

Joe Cocker passed way December 22. Say what you will about his singing, but there is no denying that man put his heart and soul and body into his performances. It was against that backdrop that I unpacked boxes this Christmas Eve, the help from our friends to get the XTR and Deore groups we have ...

Hailing from southwest Wisconsin, 1Up USA’s products represent some of the same qualities that its Midwestern roots are known for: understated, hard work. There’s nothing flashy or glamorous about the 1Up rack, it is broad-shouldered and square-jawed in a reassuring way. Aside from oozig quality, its standout feature is the unique corner expander ball system that ...

Rebecca Rusch has announced she will be riding for Niner Bikes in 2015. This marks the end of a lengthy relationship with her former bike and equipment sponsor. Rusch says this partnership is a perfect fit for where she is in her career and passions. “My mission has always been to push my own limits. I’ll ...

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 ...

Lezyne has made a bold move. The company is well known for creating beautiful, machined aluminum pumps and tire levers. It’s since grown exponentially to include bottle cages, tools and lights. Now, in its ninth year of existence the brand is unabashedly going head to head with GPS leader Garmin. Lezyne has three upcoming models, ...

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 ...

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 ...

When you have a lot of stuff to carry and doing so on your bike isn’t an option—or your bike is already loaded up—a trailer is a great way to expand your capacity. BOB trailers in particular can carry a ton of weight and don’t have an adverse affect on your bike’s handling. They even ...

Standards. The word has little meaning in the bicycle world anymore as companies continue to reinvent the proverbial wheel in search of better performance. The new line of PadLoc grips from WTB mount to a special handlebar (or modified handlebar) and eliminate rotating or slipping thanks to the integrated subframe. Basically the system works by ...

Here’s just a small sampling of the new and interesting things we saw during the whirlwind week that is Interbike, America’s largest bicycle industry trade show. Spank A handful of things stood out in Spank’s small, tucked-away booth. The company tries out new ideas in single product types before expanding them to the full line, ...

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 ...

Years ago, in search of more stiffness, cranks with 30 mm aluminum spindles were introduced. Unlike the steel 24 mm spindles already on the market, those new oversized spindles didn’t work with the established threaded BSA bottom bracket. This led to a new standard: BB30. The BB30 standard involved bearings installed directly into frames and snap rings ...

Fat bike car racks were a bit slow to come to market even as frames shod with four- and five-inch tires took off out of the gate. Now, RockyMounts is offering a fat bike roof rack for $160. The TomaHawk can fit almost all wheel sizes: 20 inches to 29 inches, and up to 5-inch fat bike ...

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 ...

Want to upgrade your frame to Boost spacing but don’t want to buy all new kit? The Lindarets Boostinator allows the use of existing 12x142mm and 15x100mm hubs and wheels with 12x148mm and 15x110mm Boost frames and forks. Boostinator Overview: Allows for frame or fork upgrades without the need for new wheels Kits become part ...

I had lots of plans to ride fat bikes this winter. But January seemed to have more days in the 50s than the 30s, and I missed the only real snow storm due to a trip to Chile to ride the new Santa Cruz Hightower. Winter is paying us back with some cold weather, and ...

Industry Nine has announced the Torch Classic Mountain Center Lock hubs. Front hubs range from 130-135 grams while rear hubs weigh between 260-265 grams, depending on specifications such as hub spacing, endcap selection and freehub spec. Riders can choose from Industry Nine’s palette of eleven anodized color options to make any mood or match any ...

An all-mountain hardtail with 120 mm – 140 mm of suspension, Boost spacing, 27plus tires and a titanium frame is not unique in and of itself. But Steve Domahidy, one of the co-founders of Niner Bikes, struck out on his own a few years ago and has never been content to just make normal bikes. ...

REEB Cycles is the American-made bicycle brand offspring of Oskar Blues Brewing. The company’s first foray into suspension bikes, aluminum frames and curved tubes has resulted in the SqWEEB, a full-suspension trail bike built on the Boost platform with 135 mm of travel. Using a mix of 6000 series aluminum tubing, the first prototype will be the ...

Updated March 1 with information from the bike’s official launch at Frostbike 2016.   Heller Bikes, the carbon-only mountain bike brand from Quality Bicycle Products (also the parent of Surly and Salsa, among others), announced its presence at Interbike in 2015 when it dropped a fat bike on us. Heller has now added to its ...

Frostbike is an annual dealer gathering hosted by Quality Bicycle Products (QBP), the parent company behind several brands such as All City, Foundry, Salsa, Surly and others. The event takes place at QBP headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in late February and allows shop owners and media types to gather, drink beer and talk shop. With the Taipei International Cycle ...

RockShox updated its entry-level suspension forks with offerings from 80 mm to 140 mm. Variations on the theme are found primarily in travel, hub compatibility and weight. BOOST and 27plus compatibility arrive on the scene while forks for 9 mm quick releases and 26-inch wheels are still available. Recon Silver RL – $235-$295 Crown and ...

Lezyne launched two new pumps of interest to mountain bikers at the Taipei International Cycle Show last week. The Micro Floor Drive XL (above, silver) is friendly to fat bike tires. It is simply an “XL” version of Lezyne’s popular Micro Floor Drive portable floor pump. They gave it a huge barrel to be efficient ...

SRAM has debuted a new line of Truvativ components for all-mountain and downhill applications under the Descendant name. The goods were designed in conjunction with pro enduro and DH riders to “thrive on the world’s rowdiest trails.” Descendant Cranksets Features direct-mount rings and SRAM’s X-SYNC 1x chainring teeth. Compatible with all 1x drivetrains in 10 and ...

Urge is a company that has long focused on the enduro market, and the Archi Enduro RR (Race Ready) helmet was specifically designed for the world’s toughest enduro events and the riders who race them. The design is intended to provide the lightest weight and best ventilation possible for long enduro stages with plenty of ...

Domahidy Designs, the Colorado-based bicycle company launched two years ago by Niner Bikes co-founder Steve Domahidy, has been re-branded as Viral Bikes. “The realization came hard and fast that Domahidy Designs was not working as a brand name. Of course, I believed in Domahidy Designs, but I was also obviously too close to really get that the ...

RockyMounts announced the introduction of four new products that expand bike transport and storage options for both mountain bikers and road cyclists. The SwitchHitter and HotRod feature thru-axle mounts. The StreetRod is a thru-axle adapter for existing racks. The SwitchHitter arrives ready for standard 9 mm quick release forks and includes three interchangeable axle mounts ...

Since this is a “first impression” write up, I will give you my unvarnished first impression of Kona’s new carbon Hei Hei Race DL: “Woo hoo!” The Hei Hei Race DL marks Kona’s return to using carbon fiber frames on its (non-DH) mountain bikes, after a few years spent refining the process and finding the right ...

Not to be outdone by big brother, Juliana announced an updated Joplin to coincide with the new Santa Cruz Tallboy (since they’re basically the same bike). The new Joplin shares a frame with the Tallboy, but comes with a lighter suspension tune designed to offer a plusher ride to lighter-weight riders. The suspension promises to be ...

Niner Bikes has refreshed its ultimate carbon hardtail, the AIR 9 RDO (Race Day Optimized). The frame is now 10 percent ligher and the geometry was updated specifically for racers and riders who want a “snappy whip.” Changes include a 435 mm chainstay (4 mm shorter than the previous version) that allows the wheel to tuck ...

For 2017, Kona has updated its full-suspension, cross-country Hei Hei with two 29er models in carbon: the DL and Race DL.   Kona increased bike stiffness and dropped the weight by giving the two-bike line full carbon frames weighing 1800 grams (just under 4 pounds). Kona’s own Fuse Independent Suspension—a design that eliminates a pivot at ...

Marin Mountain Bikes just announced a new 2017 full-suspension model, the Hawk Hill. Set to retail for $1,500, the bike is built around 27.5 wheels, 120 mm of travel front and rear and thru-axles. The bike uses’s Marin’s new MultiTrac suspension system, similar to the company’s existing IsoTrac system. Up front is a RockShox Recon Silver ...

The all-new Transfer seatpost features an infinitely adjustable design with the choice of internal or external cable routing, three drop options, and two lever designs. Low lever force and great modulation make it easy to regulate return speed and small height adjustments. Specs: Low lever force provides consistent actuation pressure even with saddle weighted or ...

Floyd’s of Leadville, a new Colorado based recreational marijuana infused product brand, announces its launch this week. Founded by former professional cyclist Floyd Landis, his new company enters the recreational cannabis industry specializing in pesticide free cannabis oil sourced from high altitude growers using an industry leading, pharmacy grade CO 2 extraction process. Uniquely formulated ...

Liv, the women’s bike brand produced by Giant, is offering three new full-suspension models designed and tested by women: the 160 mm Hail enduro bike, 120 mm Pique race bike and 120 mm Embolden trail/XC bike. Liv’s design process includes analyzing global body dimension studies and testing by female professional mountain bikers. Liv is now ...

At this year’s bike Press Camp in Park City, Utah, GT released several new models and significant updates for 2017, including a plus bike, more women’s models, a sub-$2,000 full-suspension bike and a throwback bike you’re probably going to want. Read on for details. Pantera 27plus The Pantera is a GT model not seen since ...

At this year’s Press Camp in Park City, Utah, Smith introduced a new helmet, Camelback launched a new protection hydration pack, Ryders Eyewear showcased its fog-free lenses and Thule showed us its GoPro-specific backpack. Keep reading for details on all of those new and nifty goods. Smith Rover Helmet Smith’s first mountain bike helmet, the Forefront, ...

At this year’s bike Press Camp in Park City, Utah, Cannondale released several new models, as well as existing model updates and an expanded women’s line for 2017. Keep reading for details on the new plus bike and refreshed carbon rigs. Cujo 1 27plus The Cujo is a new 27plus bike based on Cannondale’s other ...

Blue Bicycles was once based in Georgia but is now in California. It was once struggling to survive but now has new life breathed into it. It was once only (or best) known for triathlon and cyclocross bikes but now has three different mountain bikes in its line. We took a peak at what’s coming ...

It has happened and we’re not particularly surprised: Niner Bikes is now offering 27plus models in addition to its steadfast dedication to 29ers. The new JET 9 RDO and RIP 9 RDO were also treated to suspension bump-ups. The JET frame is now 120 mm and will be paired with a 130 mm fork if set up ...

A preview of Shimano’s 2017 soft goods has arrived … in our inboxes. Here’s a peek at the shoes, sunglasses and hydration packs coming soon to your local bike shop (shop local!). The new Mountain Enduro (ME) shoe series uses Shimano’s “torsional balance” technology which allows some lateral movement in the heel while focusing on pedaling power at the ...

With a handful of high-end bike companies going full-carbon-only in their popular lineups, its refreshing to see Santa Cruz embracing aluminum for 2017. Highlights include aluminum versions of the Bronson, Tallboy and 5010 (pictured above), with complete builds starting at $2,600; SRAM Eagle 1×12 build kits; and various new colors across the line, including a black ...

Ed note: This is part of our initial bike test of three new hardtails introduced at QBP Saddle Drive 2016, each shod with 27plus tires: the aluminum Salsa Timberjack, carbon Salsa Woodsmoke and steel Surly Karate Monkey. Despite their obvious differences, we will draw some comparisons and distinctions among the three, so make sure to ...

For the Canfield Brothers cultists, there’s a new steel hardtail on the block. Canfield updated one of its staples: the steel, get-rowdy 29er Nimble 9 to be Boost compatible, slacker and more sparkly. The Nimble 9 combines the revered ride quality of a steel frame with a slack 66.5-degree head angle and stubby chainstays adjustable ...

Intense added a new all-mountain bike to its fold, the Recluse. It has everything you would expect of a modern trail ripper: 150 mm front / 140 mm rear travel; 27.5 wheels with Boost dropouts; internal cable routing on a high-modulus carbon frame; fancy titanium hardware. It has the ability to run a front derailleur and ...

The market expansion of plus-size trail hardtails with don’t-need-to-mortgage-the-house prices continues with the new Rocky Mountain Growler, a 120 mm, 27 plus hardtail. All models feature an aluminum frame, 1×11 gearing and 3-inch WTB Ranger tires. None of the models get a dropper post, womp womp, even though the top-end price point of this bike is comparable ...

Canfield Brothers released a new pedal in their thinner-than-thin Crampon line, the Mountain. The Mountain pedals are a melding of the Classic, which appeared in 2011, and the newer Ultimate pedals. The Mountains have the same 6 mm leading edge as seen on the Ultimates, but feature a full-length axle that is 4 mm wider than the ...

The new Pivot Firebird features some of the longest reach measurements on a bike in this category, combined with super-short 16.95-inch chainstays, 65-degree head angle, 170 mm of suspension, Boost spacing, and clearance for 27.5 wheels with tires up to 2.5 inches wide. The carbon frame can reportedly be built up with a weight of less than 28 pounds. ...

Commencal has released an updated Meta, a downhill-oriented all-mountain/enduro bike designed around 160/170 mm forks and Boost spacing. The top tube length, seat tube angle and reach are the same as version 4, but the head angle is half a degree slacker (65.5 degrees) and the wheelbase a tad longer. A new, two-piece top tube is compatible ...

Rocky Mountain has brought back the Slayer, this time as an all-carbon machine with 170 mm front / 165 mm rear suspension and 27.5 wheels designed for enduro racing, bike parks and big mountains. It’s another entry in the almost-a-downhill-bike-but-can-still-climb category. Rocky Mountain’s four-bar Smoothlink suspension has been tuned to eat up rough terrain and ...

Jamis has expanded its lineup of hardtail plus bikes in both unisex and women’s-specific models. The new Dragon, Komodo and Eden Series bikes are designed for trail riding with 120 mm forks, slackened geometry, short rear ends and 3-inch tires. The Dragon Series is made of Reynolds 520 steel and has been expanded to six models (four unisex ...

Words: Karen Brooks Photos: Sterling Lorence Women’s brand Liv doubles down on the women’s market with two fresh new models. A group of 20 female journalists from around the world got to sample the all-mountain/enduro Hail and the XC/trail Pique on beautifully rugged trails around Sedona, Arizona, led by Liv celebrity coaches Lindsey Voreis and ...

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 ...

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 ...