You are currently browsing the archives for the 'July 2005' category.
Pinkbike.com has a sneak peek at the 2006 RockShox World Cup fork lineup.
All three World Cup forks — SID, REBA, BoXXer — feature RockShox’s Motion Control damping, which allows riders to fine tune the fork without losing small bump compliance. In addition, each of the forks uses Dual or Solo air for precise adjustments on the products’ air springs.
Personally, I love the looks of the REBA World Cup. It features a carbon steerer, Dual Air, Poploc suspension adjustments, aluminum knobs and dials, and some wicked Battlestar Galactica-style lettering.
Related entries
1 Comment »
Ahhh, the Specialized SX Trail. Were I not content with my current setup (a Giant AC) this bike is one that I’d seriously consider. Everything about the bike is solid, although I’m used to a bike with a shorter wheelbase and a seatpost that can go most of the way down.
BikeMagic just brought a review of the 2005 Specialized Trail SX online. The reviewers received the frame only and built it up with a solid spec before taking it out on the trail.
I was relieved to read that the seat angle on the SX Trail is actually in the 72 degree range as opposed to the 68 degree mark quoted on the Specialized website. Anyways, the description of the frame itself is reason enough to check out the writeup.
Update (6 August 2005): Eastside Freeride has their own review of the SX Trail. The ESFR writeup is just as detailed as the BikeMagic review and is well worth the read. The accompanying photos will give you a closeup look at different sections of the frame and the complete bike in action.
No Comments »
Jonathan Maus just posted online an editorial he wrote for a recent issue of Bicycle Retailer and Industry News (BRaIN) magazine about weblogs and bike companies. The key point that Maus makes in his piece is that bike-based businesses should be taking advantage of the positive traits associated with weblogs and not ignoring them or turning their backs on existing industry weblogs.
I’ve recently encountered some flak for the way that I run this site and can confirm that not all industry insiders are well informed about ‘weblogs’ and the way that they work in the larger scheme of things. More specifically, I’m convinced that most companies are unaware of the value the ‘blogosphere’ can bring to their business - value that far exceeds the inconvenience that sometimes arises when dealing with a medium as ‘messy’ as the internet.
No Comments »
As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Trek and Fisher both held media camps up at Whistler to promote their 2006 product lineups.
I had a close look at all of the bikes on offer and the Trek Session 10 downhill bike was, by far, the most eye-catching of the bunch. Bike Magazine has posted a recap of their time at Whistler on the Trek Session 10. From the tone of the writeup author Dain Zaffke is pretty excited about the way the bike moves around on the trail — the Session 10 seems like a high-speed pedalling machine.
I’ll be interested to see how many of these things turn up on the local race circuit and if Trek’s Session 10 can supplant some of the other popular downhill race bikes.
No Comments »
It looks like the folks over in the United Kingdom have some more info about the upcoming Scott Ransom. BikeMagic’s article discusses some of the frame’s new features including a carbon fibre and aluminum front end, carbon stays, a custom Scott rear shock (the Equalizer), and an interrupted seat tube that lets the rider slam their seat all the way down without interfering with the suspension path.
Check out the article for some great images and more details.
Update (20 September 2005): Scott put in an appearance at Expocycle 2005 in Montreal and had a 2006 Scott Ransom on display. This bike is certainly one of the nicest looking (and surely pricey) bikes I’ve seen in a long time.
No Comments »
Derek Frankowski is a Canadian sports photographer who composes fantastic mountain bike images. His work has been featured in numerous industry publications and world-wide ad campaigns.
Frankowski’s images capture accurately the mood and “feel” of being alone in the woods, whether it’s ripping through single track or styling it up on a big hit. A big thumbs up — check out his site for some amazing stuff.
No Comments »
Vernon Felton has posted a long-term review of the Mavic CrossMax XL wheelset on the Bike Magazine website. I enjoy Felton’s writeups because they bring humor that isn’t always injected into the geek speak of the industry insiders. In the CrossMax XL review, Felton makes some great points on the confusion surrounding the fragmentation of the mountain bike market into categories like cross country, all mountain, light freeride, freeride, extreme freeride, downhill.
From what I’ve seen the wheels are decent and will meet the needs of most trail riders. Personally, I balked at the CrossMax XLs when I was considering a new wheelset because they seemed a little less substantial than what I needed for my day to day riding needs. My ‘all mountain’ riding falls more under the ‘freeride’ banner and, as such, it made more sense for me to go with a burlier rim (I chose the Mavic 823).
Technorati Tags: Mavic CrossMax XL, review
No Comments »
The 2005 Specialized Enduro series really intrigued me. On one hand, the bikes look dialled for serious all mountain / light freeride use; on the other they seem better suited to flowy, technical singletrack. I’ve seen the bike in places that seem to place the Enduro as a bike with no real niche and the reviewers at Singletrack seem to concur.
Singletrack World’s review of the Specialized Enduro Expert brings together the thoughts of four test riders and has some great points. A couple of the testers felt the Enduro Expert felt a lot like the Turner 6 Pack, with decent climbing and descending capabilities but nothing special to distinguish it from its competition. I’m glad that one of the reviewers pointed out the lack of a full seat tube on the Enduro series — which is a serious faux pas in my books when it comes to a bike that’s meant for climbing and steep, technical descents.
The most interesting comments in the review were directed towards the Fox 36, which seemed to pack up on the way down. I’ll be curious to see how other reviewers dissect their time on Fox’s ballyhooed single crown.
No Comments »
When the Santa Cruz Nomad started making appearances at shows and competitions earlier this year people were decidely on the fence or off the fence with the design. Some people loved the frame’s retro styling while others thought it looked ‘goofy’. I’m in the first group of critics and have been waiting for the first legitimate reviews on the bike to start making their way onto the internet.
The folks over at Mtbr.com recently posted a review of the Santa Cruz Nomad that confirms what many of the optimists out there were hoping for. Personally, I’m trying to trim the number of bikes in my garage from three to two and I’m looking for a trail bike that can handle the rigors of a bike park while being light enough to take on all day epics. It seems as though Santa Cruz is on the right track with this bike — I’ll be curious to see how it matches up to bikes like the Trail SX, the Turner Six Pack, and others.
No Comments »
25 July »
Reviews »
Cory
In the world of F1 auto racing, the names ‘Michelin’ is synonymous with success. In fact, when Michelin-equipped F1 teams sat out a recent race in the United States, the remaining field numbered fewer than ten vehicles. I’d love to see a similar percentage of mountain bikes equipped with Michelin mountain bike tires. Simply put, Michelin offers some of the best tires available and it shows in the product’s performance, durability, and (unfortunately), its price. Read the rest of this entry »
3 Comments »