Bikes , Feature Articles , Race Coverage

Tour of California – Specialized, Cannondale, Trek

By Gregg   May 15, 2012

The 2012 Tour of California is going on this week and I had the chance to watch the finish of Stage 2 (SF-to-Santa Cruz) in Aptos yesterday. Even if you aren’t into road bikes or racing, the event is a pretty spectacular cycling scene. There were even a few mountain bikes to be found in the expo area. Here are some highlights. Be sure to check out the FULL coverage of the Amgen Tour of California on RoadBikeReview.com!

Specialized Turbo E-bike

Specialized’s Turbo electric bicycle was on display. It is being touted as the “fastest e-bike ever made” (for Europe, that is.) It has a top speed of 45 km/h (28 mph). The frame features internally routed cables, rear hub motor (ala Bionx), disc brakes and a battery incorporated into the down tube.

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Feature Articles , Pro Reviews

Rotor 3D+ Mtb Cranks and Q-Rings Review

By Francis   May 15, 2012

Rotor is a company from Spain that manufacturers very high end components. They’ve been making waves with with their 3D+ crank system and Q-Rings and they sent us a set of of their 2×10 crank to try out.

I’ve been using the 2×10 crank for about a month and it has been a revelation.  First off, the cranks are incredibly stiff. They are able to fit a 30mm crank spindle on to my old Santa Cruz with standard bb shell.  This spindle with these crank arms is stiff and it is noticeable. The system is light too at 690 grams complete with BB so it’s a few grams lighter than the Shimano XTR 2×10 crank and BB.

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Feature Articles , Race Coverage , Sea Otter Classic

2012 Sea Otter Classic Speed & Flow Pumptrack Competition

By Photo-John   May 10, 2012

Sea Otter Speed & Style - Martin Sodertstrom and Mitch Chubby

It seems like Sea Otter gets better and better every year. This year I shot two new dirt jump events, the FMB dirt jump competition (Sea Otter FMB photo gallery) and the Speed & Style pump track competition. The Speed & Style event isn’t actually new to Sea Otter but it was the first time I got to check it out. And I have to say, it’s right up there with Sea Otter’s pro dual slalom (2012 Pro Dual Slalom Photo Gallery) for pure spectating pleasure. It’s a head-to-head elimination race with two tracks, just like dual slalom. The guys start on a roll-in ramp followed by a big jump, into a berm, then a rhythm section and another berm – basically, it’s a two pump tracks that mirror each other. Racers were given a time bonus for tricks on the jump, and the winner of each heat was the one with the best time. So riders had to make a judgment call about whether doing a trick was worth the time bonus it earned them. The crazy synchronized (or not so synchronized) trick ballet happening on the big jumps made for some excellent and wacky photos, as you’ll see in the gallery below.
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Bikes , Feature Articles , Sea Otter Classic

Scott 3 Rox Racing – Team Scale 29 and Spark

By Gregg   May 10, 2012

Adrian Montgomery from Scott Sports shows us the 2012 Scott 3 Rox Racing Team Bikes – the Scott Scale 29(hardtail) and Spark (full suspension). The Scale 29 features Fox Fork, Shimano drivetrain, Syncros components. The Scale 29 is the high-end carbon fiber race bike. The Spark also features Fox, Shimano and Syncros and like all Scott full suspension bikes the Spark features the Scott TwinLok Technology (one lever for both front and rear suspension adjustments).

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For more info: www.scott-sports.com
and
For more info: www.3roxracing.com



Bikes , Feature Articles , Sea Otter Classic

A Visit With Ellsworth At Sea Otter

By Photo-John   May 09, 2012

Tony Ellsworth With The Enlightenment Carbon Fiber 29er Hardtail

I stopped by the Ellsworth booth at Sea Otter a couple of weeks ago to say hi and see what was new. Specifically, I wanted to take a look at the new Dare downhill bike. I’ve owned a few Ellsworths over the years, including a Dare, and I wanted to see what they’d done to update it. Below you’ll find a few photos I took of the new Dare. It’s got up to 9 inches of travel, a slacker 64-degree headtube angle that’s adjustable via angleset with the new tapered headtube, and a 30.9mm seattube means it’s compatible with dropper posts. And of course, it’s got Ellsworth’s ICT four-bar suspension, one of my favorites linkage designs because it’s super active and still pedals well. I loved my old Dare!

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Feature Articles , Product Launch , Video

New MTB Videos from Mavic

By Gregg   May 08, 2012

Mavic has released a couple of cool videos featuring their team riders and their new wheels. Be sure to check out Fabien Barel’s video diary as he travels the world with new friends and new locations each month. Also, watch the new Mavic Crossmax29 wheels being tested, developed and raced on the World Cup Circuit and the Summer Olympics this year with the Cannondale Factory team!

Introducing the 2012 season of the ‘Fabien Barel presents’ series
Fabien Barel and Mavic have embarked on a unique journey: Fab is traveling the world to experience the all-mountain life with his friends, some of the best riders on the planet. Here’s a preview of what the upcoming season (5 videos, 1 per month) will bring.

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Test of the Crossmax29 wheels done with the Cannondale factory team
Mavic engineers found sweet singletrack to test the latest Crossmax 29er wheels with Marco Aurélio Fontana and Manuel Fumic of the Cannondale Factory racing team. By taking feedback early in the season from these elite riders, Mavic can optimize products for the upcoming model year. And, this testing also allows investigation of special concepts for the 2012 racing season, including World Cups, the Olympics, and World Championships.



Feature Articles , Gear/Apparel

Alpinestars Manual Shorts and Drop Jersey

By aquadog   May 06, 2012

Alpinestars is a brand that is very familiar to motorcycle enthusiasts for their clothing and protection gear. It also brings me back when I started riding in the nineties and Alpinestars was active in cycling as they produced bikes, shoes and clothing.

Nic Sims called and said he had some cool Alpinestars clothing to show us. Nic is very familiar to many in the bike world as he has spent over twenty years at Specialized, most recently in Marketing. Many still can’t believe Nic left so we think the Italians at Alpinestars must be up to something exciting to get Nic to jump ship. Continue reading →



Feature Articles , Sea Otter Classic

Shimano’s New Direct-Mount Rear Derailleur Option

By Brian Mullin   May 06, 2012

Quite a few bikes at Sea Otter had Shimano’s new optional D.R.D. (Direct Mount Rear Derailer), and although the system makes a lot of sense, it is confusing to understand (myself included). Basically, the derailer pivot mounts directly to the hanger, without any B-Link present, and the hanger, which is supplied by the frame manufacturer, sits 20mm aft of a standard one. In the usual setup, the derailer connects to a B-Link, and the B-Link connects standard hanger.

Shimano states that this arrangement provides crisper shifts, greater durability and easier wheel removal and installation? Like many components on a mountain bike, the derailer hanger comes from the road bike arena, and many items, like 9mm quick releases don’t work as well in the more abuse environment. One of the concepts behind a standard replaceable derailer hanger, was that it would break off during a crash or when hit hard, and save the derailer from being damaged. Unfortunately, in real-life use, the derailer gets dragged into the spokes, and get disintegrated. Shimano will release the Shadow derailer ready for Direct Mount, although they will include a B-Link for attachment to a standard hanger. I am not sure whether SRAM will release a derailer that will mount on the Direct Mount?

This useful video has Shimano’s Matt Robertson explaining the new optional standard, along with some of the bike manufacturers who have chosen to adopt this, and incorporate it into their designs. Find out what D.R.D is and see why brands like IBIS, Rocky Mountain, Yeti Cycles, GT Bicycles and Santa Cruz Bicycles are adding the new Direct Mount Rear Derailleur option to their line of bikes.

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29er , Feature Articles , Parts , Pro Reviews

Bontrager XR4 and 29-4 All Mountain Tire

By Francis   May 03, 2012

Trek mountain bikes have improved dramatically over the past few years.  Bikes like the Remedy, Fuel and Slash have been introduced to compete well in their categories. The Bontrager tires have lagged in this revamp a bit and some might say that they have held back the bikes from their full abilities.

Trek knew of this and they have installed members of their A-Team to work on the Bontrager tires and components.  The goal was not only to bring the bikes to their full potential but also to make some of the best tires available for the aftermarket.  Michael Browne, formerly on the mountain bike group, called to say that he was genuinely excited about this year’s tire line. He said the XR1 and the XR4 tires have been revamped and invited us to push them on some dirt corners.

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Feature Articles , Forks , Product Launch , Sea Otter Classic

SRAM MTB 2013

By Brian Mullin   May 03, 2012

SRAM has been busy lately, and at Sea Otter they were showing off new and improved components. The new products included the 650B Rise wheel, Avid X0 Trail brake, Grip Shift, Type 2 Rear Derailer and Reverb Stealth, while the RockShox forks and Monarch RT3 shock got some hefty tweaks.

Grip Shift
One of SRAM’s oldest products is the Grip Shift, and it’s perfect to coincide with its re-introduction with their 25th anniversary. The totally redesigned Grip Shift, comes in a XX 2×10, and X0 version in 2×10 or 3×10 models, and weighs in at 207 grams (cables and clamp), and another 80 grams for the optional Lock-On grip. The system uses their Speed Metal indexing for crisp and precise shifting, the Rolling Thunder ball bearing technology for low twist force and friction-free movement, and the Jaws Lock-On integrated grips for easy installation and a secure and stable interface. I have used a set of the X.0 for several rides, and I am suitably impressed, as they have a fast shift pattern, which has a precise feel through the drivetrain. I really liked the front shifting, as it only took a small amount of twist to get a quick shift, and it was nice to have the ability to roll multiple gears on the rear. In addition, the width of the shifting paddles, allow you to place your hand in more positions on the grip, and still have access to the shifters.
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