Grams Light Bikes

Kuat Racks - released new NV rack

2009-11-06T16:53:00.006-07:00

KÜAT RELEASES THE NV RACK

November 2009- Kuat Racks is now shipping the much anticipated NV rack. The new platform rack offers an abundance of style and function.

The Kuat NV
The NV is constructed of heat treated aluminum. It includes features like a built in bike repair stand, cinch tight cam and lever action tilt for vehicle access. The NV’s platform style offers a simple solution or transporting any mountain or road bicycles. Front and rear tire ratchets hold the bikes in place and an integrated bike cable lock makes securing bicycles almost effortless. The rack holds two bikes up to 55 pounds each and an add-on for additional bikes will be available in the spring of 2010. The NV accommodates 20” to 29” wheels and up to 3” tires. If you are looking to upgrade your rig, the NV definitely beats tinting the windows or putting in a noisy sub woofer. The NV is available for either 1.25” or 2” receiver hitches. The MSRP is $495.

Established in June 2007 by Luke Kuschmeader and Brian Atkinson, Kuat Racks is a high end bike rack brand based in Springfield, MO. Kuat manufactures lightweight aluminum hitch racks that combine functionality and style by using some of the same methods used to make bike frames. Kuat launched the Alpha and Beta hitch racks in February 2008. Kuat was founded on a passion for cycling and is actively promoting the sport by sponsoring races and events on a grassroots level. The founders of Kuat are both amateur mountain bike and multi-sport racers.

Refer to www.kuatracks.com/ for further details.

GORE-TEX ALP-X Jacket and Short - First Look

2009-11-05T01:32:00.008-07:00

I recently received the Gore Bike Wear ALP-X jacket and shorts for some testing. We just passed the rainy season in Colorado, so for now it will most likely get more snowstorm activity than anything? I wish I had this set, especially the shorts, during a rainstorm that I got caught in this last summer, refer to "Be prepared better safe than sorry" for that horror story.

The ALP-X set is made from GORE-TEX Paclite Shell material, which is very lightweight, extremely breathable and obviously is waterproof per the always excellent GORE-TEX standards. The Paclite shell is comprised of a nylon face fabric, followed by the hydrophobic GORE-TEX membrane, and then a protective layer of an oleophobic substance and carbon.

It is amazing how easy it is the pack away the jacket and shorts into my pack, plus it hardly weighs anything, which is very convenient since it is one less reason not to bring it with me on any outing.

The jacket has a couple of nice features. The foremost for me as a biker is the drop down tail on the rear of the jacket. Just simply unsnap the tail, and it keeps water rolling right off your back and but. The addition of a small bit of elastic so that the tail snugs up against your butt is a very nice, although it sort of looks like a baby diaper!

I also liked how snug the jacket zipped up on my neck, which is nice when you aren't wearing a hood, it keeps the rain from sneaking into, and dripping down your neck. Other features for the jacket are reflective piping, a rear and front pocket and some nice wrist and hem closures.

The jacket didn't come with a hood, but it does have a simple attachment point for one. It seems to me that if someone spends this much on a top of the line jacket, it should come with a hood, whether it's attached or not?

I really liked the shorts. I can't count how many times I have had a decent rain jacket with me, but I always would get soaked to the bones in my shorts. They are comfortable, lightweight, and packable, so why leave home without them? Features include reflective piping, a small rear pocket, innovative leg closures to keep them snug and an elastic portion on the rear for some stretching room.

As a set I really liked how comfortable the Gore Bike Wear ALP-X jacket and shorts were. They are lightweight, extremely packable, breathable and waterproof, so who could ask for anything more? I am looking forward to some more extensive testing this winter with this fine set of gear from Gore Bike Wear.

ALP-X Jacket Specs:

GORE-TEX® Paclite® Shell
GORE-TEX® stretch inserts on arms for maximum comfort
Slim fit
Ergonomic 3D fit
Raglan cut
"High collar, ergonomically shaped"
Adjustable collar with easy-to-operate cord stopper for one-handed use
Velcro fastening for separate hood
Zip tags for easy handling
Double flap to cover zip
Napoleon pocket with zip
Reflective logo on collar
Reflective inserts on front pockets
"Reflective piping on front, back and sleeves"
Pre-shaped elbows
Adjustable cuff
Hem-width adjustable by easy-to-use covered cord stoppers and elastic draw-cord
Press-stud fastening for cord on inside
"Fold-away shirt tail, extra-long"
MSRP $269.99
Gore ALP-X Jacket url

ALP-X Shorts Specs:

GORE-TEX® Paclite® Shell
Slim fit
Inseam length 13.78 inches
Special fit for cyclist posture
Adjustable elastic waistband with cord
Wear-resistant seat reinforcement
Hem-width adjustable by easy-to-use covered cord stoppers and elastic draw-cord
Reflective piping on side seams
Reflective logo on hem
MSRP $149.99
Gore ALP-X Short url

Let it Snow!

2009-10-30T12:54:00.008-06:00

I am catching up on my new bike stuff that has arrived at the house the last couple of weeks (post Interbike), but testing is on the back burner for a bit due to the heavy snow conditions on the local trails. I will have some pictures, and 'First Look' asap.

So the latest round of snow in Colorado was very spotty, and the further down towards Colorado Springs you got, the smaller the snowfall amounts were, Denco got hammered! We got around 10-12" at my house, but the blizzard conditions made lots of big drifts in spots, and left my driveway, mostly dry!

Castle Rock: 19.3"
Conifer: 42.0"
Denver (Official): 14.2"
Evergreen: 40.0"
Fort Collins 18.5"
Highlands Ranch: 24.5"
Pinecliff: 46.0" WOW!
Colorado Springs 7"
Colorado Springs (central) 4"
Woodland Park 20"
Monument 16-20"
Pueblo West 4"

My Son was very stoked this morning when he found out that he didn't have to go to school for a third day in a row. He is only in the morning half day kindergarten, so if the school district calls a 2 hour delay for snow, then he has no school, how lucky is that! So what's the news of the world?

I watched another wild video from the uber trial/stunt man Danny MacAskill, this time it's a VW commercial

Here is his infamous video that most everyone has already seen:

Maybe it's time to get some trials practice in this Winter?

Then I saw that he is out for 5 weeks with an injury, can we say oops! "Danny MacAskill Bike stunts hero Danny MacAskill takes a tumble.. tripping on kerbstone"

So in Britspeak kerbstone is curbstone, tyre is tire, fanny is ##### (This is the word for a woman's front bits, so don't use it in the UK). Smacking someones fanny takes on a whole new meaning!

Fi'zi:k Cyrano - First Look

2009-10-13T00:11:00.009-06:00

The fi'zi:k Cyrano is fi'zi:k's first foray into the seatpost business, and it is definitely full of innovations. The Cyrano is a nice looking seatpost, with some neat etching and graphics, which subtlety play into its smooth lines. The Cyrano tube is made from 3D forged 7075 aluminum, and uses thicker walls fore and aft for strength, and thinner walls on the sides for weight savings.

For additional weight savings, the bottom portion that inserts into the seat tube has thinner walls, and the bottom end is cut at an angle with more material towards the front where the force is leveraged while seated. Another interesting innovation is a small silicone ring, that marks the seatpost insertion height, and will also keep the gunk from getting into the seat tube.

The steel two bolt clamp system is a nicely engineered and is full of mini innovations. The thumbwheel performs angle adjustment, while the rear bolts snugs it down. It works somewhat like the yoke clamp system found on weight weenie posts, so you have to loosen one bolt and tighten on the other, back and forth until the angle and saddle are snug. Saddle insertion is quite easy, and the saddle rails just easily pop into the clamp slots.

The bottom clamp is long, which helps cradle the saddle rails, which is advantageous for fragile hollowed tube and carbon rails, or those with odd shapes, such as fi'zi:k own ovaloid carbon rails. The top clamp is shorter, which allows the saddle to be positioned farther fore or aft. The bottom clamp needs to be longer, since that is where most of the load gets exerted.

Fi'zi:k Cyrano specs
Sizes 27.2, 30.9, 31.6, 34.9
Lengths 270, 350, 400
MSRP approx. $100

Fi'zi:k also has some new mountain bike grips coming out, they are dubbed the X-Country Grip for now. The grips come with an additional cover, so you can swap in either black or white/gray. The lock-on grips have a nice look and feel to them.

Ashima PCB - First Look

2009-10-11T00:02:00.013-06:00

While I was at the Interbike 2009 show, I dropped by the Ashima booth, and had a nice conversation with the main man of Ashima, Wayne Moore. Wayne had on display a set of their new PCB brakes, and some colored rotors. The lightweight AiRotors brake rotor now comes in red, black, blue, yellow, and white! I got a trick set of the red ones to test out, and I must say that the colors really add to their uniqueness.

Initially, Ashima had recommended running the AiRotors in a reverse direction in comparison to other rotors, so instead of the struts rolling against the direction of rotation they go with it. The reasons were that the AiRotors lightweight struts perform significantly better under tension, since under compression, they are subject to bending forces. After some more research and analysis, Wayne decided that the normal rotor direction performed better, so "reverse was worse".

Their new brakes are very radical and innovative. The PCB or PanCake Brake has no pistons, and instead operates using a diaphragm seal.

The design is very simple, lightweight, and has very thin calipers (25mm). The piston less design, gives an excellent response, simpler manufacturing, and has an equivalent area of a 20mm piston. The PCB just became a Design Award Winner at the Eurobike Show, so congratulations to Ashima for that achievement. A split pin with a center spring keeps the pads held against the diaphragm covers.

The red piping aids fluid transfer between the sides of the caliper, and should help with cooling. Wayne gave me a beta sample to test out and review, so it will be interesting to see how they perform? My short trip up and down the street after installation showed some promise, so I can't wait to thrash them on some steep local terrain.

Ashima PCB measured sample spec
Front:
weight -185.9 grams
hose length - 29 inches
Rear:
weight - 209.9 grams
hose length - 57.5 inches

I really liked the PCB color combination with the red piping and accents, since it really worked well with all the red highlighting and my red/black DT Swiss EXC 150 fork on my Ibis Mojo.

Wayne has another brake in the works, the 4 pot APVS (Ashima Power Valve System). It has four pistons comprised of two pairs of axially mounted pistons. When the brake lever is lightly pulled (initial braking ), two 14mm pistons are engaged, and as a more progressive and firmer force (higher loads) is applied two 22mm pistons engage. It means it has the equivalent of 26mm pistons. This design results in better modulation with less pulling force. The red piping (same as the PCB) aids fluid transfer and cooling. The design sounds very trick, and I can't wait to see how it performs on the trails.

Interbike 2009 - continued

2009-09-29T15:18:00.017-06:00

Pedro's

Pedro's had a couple of very interesting tools, the trickest being the Tülio. The Tülio is 'all in one' QR and tool. The Tülio replaces your standard quick release, except the usual QR lever is now a detachable tool. The multi-use tool includes 8 components: 4,5,6, and 8mm hex wrenches, No. 2 flat head screwdriver, a chain tool and a pair of spoke wrenches. I played around with the Tülio, and it was quite easy to remove the tool for usage, and the best part was the QR axle stays tightened while the tool was removed. Loosening and tightening the tool lever like a normal QR was a breeze. An excellent and innovative device!

The device was a play on words, and was named for Tullio Campagnolo, the inventor of the quick release skewer, and one of the true cycling innovators.

Weight: 99g
Number of tools: 8
Compatibility: 130 and 135mm rear quick release hubs with 10mm QR axles

The Pedro’s Evolver are a rugged and tough chain tool, meant for the shop, and traveling mechanic. It uses something they call Speed Dial (can you hear me now?), which makes it easy to handle 8-11 speed chains. It also has RPG (retracting pin guide) which supports and guides the tool pin up to prevent misalignment and breakage. And I thought RPG (Role Playing Games) was what I did while playing Zelda on my Nintendo?

Weight: 375g
Number of tools: 4
Compatibility: all 1/8” and 3/32” single and multi-gear chains

Hayes Bicycle Group - Manitou, Sun-Ringle, Answer and Hayes

Manitou has released an aluminum legged version of the uber pricey carbon fiber Dorado MRD. The new affordable Dorado shares the same internals as the MRD version, so it will retain the same downhill fork characteristics. It will be available in either a 180 or 203mm travel version, with Manitou's proprietary HexLock thru axle, 36mm stanchions and weighs 6.5 lbs.

Manitou is finally releasing their new Absolute+ damper, which will be available as a retrofit to some existing models, and will be on their 2010 models. It is sort of a combination of their TPC and old Absolute damper designs, and it has an independent slow and high speed compression circuits. The low speed damping is adjustable via the Speed Needle on top of the fork leg.

Sun Ringle has some new trick carbon rims. The SRD (Sun Ringle Racing Development) Carbon Wheels only come in a 26 inch size, and are 26mm wide, and have a very nice looking carbon matte finish, which goes well with the bright gold direct pull hubs. Weight is 1550 grams.

The new and very sweet looking Sun Ringle Chargers are available in either the Pro or Expert versions, in 26 and 29 inch sizes, and come in either black or white. The All Mountain Chargers use 28mm rims, and get the Stan’s NoTubes rim treatment (licensed from Stan's). The hubs are Direct Pull on the Charger Pro (red only) or normal on the Expert (black only). The hubs have an option for interchangeable end caps (ala Hope), 9mm or 15mm or 20mm on the front. Weight for the Pro is 1725 grams.

The new updated Sun Ringle Black Flag are available in either the Pro or Expert versions, in 26 and 29 inch sizes, and come in either black or gold. The XCountry Black Flags were upgraded to 24mm rims, and also get the Stan’s NoTubes rim treatment. The hubs are Direct Pull on the Pro (black or gold only) or normal on the Expert (black only). Weight for the Pro is 1620 grams.

Velocity

Velocity had a couple of new rims that they are releasing, foremost is the new P35 or Pacenti 35 . The ultra wide 35mm rim should work really well for fat tires, and should fit in nicely for All Mountain riding. The width will give uber stiffness, and the wide footprint will float and grab terrain like crazy. The rim came with some trick spoke hole plugs, in lieu of a rim strip. They are working on a tubeless kit for the P35, which should be available in early 2010. The rim was co-designed by Kirk Pacenti, who is also well known for his development of the 650b wheel size for mountain bike use. The colors run the full gamut of black, silver, white, red and antifreeze green.

The P35 will be available in 26 inch, 650b, and 29 inch sizes, with either 32 or 36 hole, and a 28 hole in 26 inch (black only). The colors runs the full gamut of black, silver, white, red and antifreeze green.

P35 Specs:

Outside Width: 35mm
Inside Width: 29.5mm
Depth: 22mm

Weight:
29”: 595g
650b: 570g
26”: 535g

They also had some faux wooden rims, that looked pretty trick.

Garmin

Garmin was showing there soon to be released Edge 500. The Edge 500 has a lot of interesting features, it has a flatter body and the graphics look improved? It is more like the Edge 305, since it doesn't have on screen mapping capability, but it doesn't have the 305's Virtual Partner nor a couple of other course features, which I never used on my 305 anyway. It does have some additional features for heart rate, a power meter, and a temperature gauge!

Hope

Hope had the new eternity seatpost on display. The naming was due to the extremely long time it took to get it to market. The clamp system looks to be very nice to adjustment, and it should have the good engineering that always comes from the Hope factory.

Maxxis

Maxxis only had the Ardent 29x2.4 as a new tire, which yours truly was involved with as a prototype tester. The new 29x2.4 has reinforced sidewall protection, good traction, and rolls and accelerates quite nicely. The extra girth of the tires are a welcome addition, especially in the big 29er tires.

Lance's Leadville 100 bike, totally tricked out with XX grouppo. He invested quite a bit of money with Sram last year, so looks like it was well spent? I noticed they didn't have his Shimano pedals on the bike!

Continental

Nothing really new at Continental tires, except they changed the name of the Rubber Queen to the Trail King. Why? Who knows, the bike industry is not exactly the most politically correct group of people? I really like the tires, and much preferred the old name, Rubber Queens forever!

Rotor

At the Demo Days Rotor had a small booth displaying their very trick product suite. Rotor is a Spanish company that specializes in cranksets and lightweight components for mountain and road bikes. They are best known for their elliptical chainrings.

I was very intrigued by their new 3D cranks, which are very lightweight and use some very innovative methods to tweak out as much material as possible. There is a lot of CNC work done to the cranks to take out all that material. The crank arm core is even drilled out for weight savings!

The S2 stem was very lightweight, and again had a lot of trick CNC work. All in all, the Rotor products show a lot of precise work, and are highly engineered and very innovative products.

VHoldR ContourHD 1080P

2009-09-29T10:15:00.002-06:00

VholdR Launches ContourHD1080p: The World’s First HD Helmet Camera to Shoot and Share 1080p Video.

Shoot and Share video in Full HD with the Only Camcorder Small Enough to Fit on Your Goggles

Seattle, WA–September 29, 2009– VholdR, the market leader for HD Helmet Cameras, is introducing the ContourHD1080p. Built for outdoor enthusiasts looking for the ultimate video quality, ContourHD1080p is the World’s First Helmet Camera to shoot 1080p video and enable you to share it online. It features four HD settings (1080p, 960p, and two at 720p) with two frame rates (30fps and 60fps) and four configurable settings (metering, contrast, exposure, and microphone sensitivity). But, most important the ContourHD software will share your adventures in “Lifelike” 1080p video to VholdR.com. With its single button operation and dual lasers for alignment, ContourHD1080p brings the biggest HD video online with the popular, and easy to use ContourHD camcorder line. Priced at $329.99 and shipping mid October, ContourHD1080p will be a fast moving product this holiday season.

“ContourHD1080p was inspired by the professional user,” says Marc Barros, VholdR’s CEO. “It’s still an easy to use Helmet Cam, but with Full HD video and adjustable settings, you can capture world-class video with a camcorder you can wear. It’s like taking a professional film crew with you where ever you go!”

The ContourHD family drives a shoot to share experience of wearable video, software, and an online community. With the introduction of ContourHD1080p, VholdR.com will be the only adventure sports community where you can share and watch Full HD video from with in the action, captured around the world! Today 70% of VholdR and ContourHD customers share their adventures on VholdR.com – a vibrant community of adventure sports enthusiasts who are mapping the world through video.

Features New to ContourHD1080p

· 5 Video Settings (User Selectable)

Remember your adventures in lifelike 1080p or replay the action in butter-smooth slow motion. With a high and low switch, customers can use the Easy Edit software to pick which two video resolutions best meet their needs.

Full HD - 1080p (1920x1080) at 30fps

Tall HD - 960p (1280x960) at 30fps

Action HD - 720p (1280x720) at 60fps

Contour HD - 720p (1280x720) at 30fps

Fast SD - WVGA (848x480) at 60fps

· Configurable Settings

We’ve taken configurable to a whole new level. Use the Easy Edit software to set the contrast (high, medium, or low), metering (center, average, or spot), and exposure (-4 to +4). Did we mention you could adjust the microphone sensitivity? Now you really can control how much of the action you hear.

· Record 3.5 Hours of 1080p Video

ContourHD1080p records over 3.5 hours of 1080p video or up to 8 hours of Contour HD to its own removable MicroSD memory card. Compatible with up to a 16GB memory card, ContourHD1080p will capture hours of your video adventure.

· Share 1080p Video

Easy Edit software (Mac and Windows compatible) makes it simple to import your videos from the camera, clip out the best parts, and share them to VholdR.com. VholdR.com now accepts 1080p video so you can be the first to shoot Full HD and share it to the world.

Features Standard to ContourHD Cameras

· Wearable Anywhere

Patent-pending TRail^TM Mounts “slide and lock” ContourHD onto a series of different mounts for your goggles, helmet, handlebars, vehicle, or anywhere else you want to mount it. Wear HD video on more than just your head.

· One Button Simplicity

ContourHD’s operation couldn’t be simpler with a single record switch (to be operated even with a pair of gloves on) and click to share software.

· Laser Alignment

Two lasers and the 180^o rotating lens ensure you line up the shot every time.

· Armored Body

A light (4.3 ounces), water-resistant, all-season camcorder with an anodized aluminum body withstands dust, dirt, mud, and snow.

· Wide Angle Lens:

At 135^o, the ContourHD lens strikes the perfect balance in capturing the entire scene with minimal distortion.

· Rechargeable Battery

ContourHD uses a removable, rechargeable battery to records 2-3 hours of video before recharging with the included USB cable or charger (sold separately).

A rugged camcorder for the estimated 75 million outdoor enthusiasts around the world, ContourHD makes it easy to capture video from within the action and share it online in seconds. And it’s available in two models this holiday season: ContourHD ($279.99) and ContourHD1080p ($329.99). Visit www.vholdr.com to learn more about the ContourHD cameras and find a complete list of retailers.

To learn more about ContourHD visit www.vholdr.com

Interbike 2009 - Indoor day 2

2009-09-26T11:18:00.018-06:00

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American Classic
=============
American Classic has updated their mountain bike wheelset with a few new tweaks. Foremost is that the rim is now tubeless. I have a set of their All Mountain wheels, and I have used a rim strip to run them tubeless, and it was hit and miss getting tires to work. So the new tubeless rims are a welcome change. The rims come in either white or black, while the hubs are a very cool red! The new rims are wider, deeper and lighter, and the new geometry has increased stiffness. They come in both 26 and 29 inch sizes.

I had a very nice technical walk through of the new wheels by the President, founder, engineer and techno geek Bill Shook. Bill led me through some interesting engineering features of their products that relate to the wheels. The IS disc brake interface posts on the hub are slightly raised, which aids keeping the rotors from getting warped.

Instead of using brass nipples Bill uses aluminum nipples, which are extremely lightweight and hence reduce rotational weight. He extended the body of the nipple so that the threads go slightly past where the nipple is cradled in the rim, so that the nipple is held in compression instead of tension, which reduces fatigue and breakage.

While I was at their booth Jenny Fletcher, their sponsored triathlete was signing autographs, so I got one for my daughter, and of course I got one for my basement bike shop! Jenny was really nice, and down to earth, and we yakked on about training and such.

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GoPro
=====

The long awaited GoPro HD HERO was on display at Interbike, and the multiple TV monitors around their booth had some very luscious video running. I got to speak with a whole slew of GoPro people, and I even had a long conversation with the man himself, founder and CEO Nicholas Woodman. Nick is a really great guy, and he is very psyched about their new product. GoPro spent a lot of R&D time on the HD HERO, and they not only worked on the video, but also on the audio, to help keep down wind noise when riding at Mach 10.

It was very sweet to hold the new camera in my hands and play around with it. The camera is just slightly larger than its predecessor, and uses the same old mounting hardware, except the new housing is obviously larger to accommodate the new camera. The camera looks almost exactly the same, with the small screen, LED light and the 2 buttons. The small screen still has its information upside down as you progress through its settings using the buttons.

What is hugely different is that you can now shoot HD with the HERO. You can shoot in 1080p (widescreen) at 30fps, 960p (full frame) at 30fps, and 720p at either 30 fps or 60 fps. The 60 fps allows slow motion, how cool is that! The camera angle is different in each format, so 1080p is 127 degrees, while 920p and 720p are at 170 degrees. And hold on to your horses, memory is now up to a 32GB capacity!

One of the other great things that have done, is that the camera has an internal rechargeable Lithium Ion 1100mah battery. The back of the camera has an expansion port, that will allow optional expansion packs (called Bakpacs) to be connected. The current Bakpacs list is a LCD screen, and a battery extender.

The sensor is .4 inch HD CMOS with 2.2 micrometer pixels, and the video format is H.264 compression, which is saved as a MP4 file.

Recording times are:
12min/GB for 1080p
14min/GB for 960p
16min/GB for 720p/30fps
11min/GB for 720p/60fps.

HD settings:
1080p - 1920x1080 pixels, 127 degree viewing
960p - 1280x960 pixels, 170 degree viewing
720p - 1280x720 pixels, 170 degree viewing

For more technical mumbo jumbo refer to:
http://vid.goprocamera.com/HD_HERO_Catalog_v01.pdf

Interbike 2009 - Indoor day 1

2009-09-23T22:39:00.027-06:00

Today was the first day indoors of the mighty Interbike, and it was as overwhelming and crowded as ever. I had a few appointments today (sort of a new thing for me), and then spent the rest of the time visiting my network of vendors that I review for. It is nice to get a face to face talk with someone. Phones, emails and instant messenger are useful, but it is amazing how much of an interpersonal creation happens with actual close proximity to a person! Trust, comfort, respect and friendship happens at an almost instantaneous pace, acceleratious maximus!

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Ashima
======

Wayne from Ashima had on display a set of their new brakes, and some colored rotors. The lightweight AiRotors brake rotor now comes in red, black, blue, yellow, and white! I got a trick set of the red ones to test out, and I must say that the colors really added to their uniqueness.

Their new brakes are very radical and innovative. The PCB or Pancake Brake has no pistons, and instead operates using a diaphragm seal. The design is very simple, lightweight, and has very thin calipers (25mm). The piston less design, gives an excellent response, simpler manufacturing, and has an equivalent area of a 20mm piston. Wayne has another brake in the works,the 4 pot APV (Ashima Power Valve System). The PCB just became a Design Award Winner at the Eurobike Show, congratulations to Ashima.

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UFO Plast
========
UFO Plast was hidden over in their usual spot in the European Village section of Interbike. They had a couple of very interesting new releases for this year, the paramount one was their fork protector. They zip tie onto your fork, and protect the sides from rocks and crashes that always seem to zero in on your forks. They come in white and black, and are relatively light, so they would be a nice accessory to protect your fork from damage. They are made from hard plastic, and should work much better than the usual protection tape that I usually use.

They also had some nifty new body guard protection to add to their body armor collection.

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Ibis
===
There wasn't a whole lot of new stuff being released for Ibis this year. Some new colors for the bikes and the Mojo HD was on display.

Mojo HD
The much anticipated Mojo HD is still in a prototype phase, so its still vaporware for now, but at least we can see it and touch it. "See me, feel me, touch me, heal me."

I spoke with Scott and he said that they had kept the bike under wraps for a long time before it was allowed to be seen. Sort of a Ibis secret Skunk Works project if you will. The had just painted Brian's bike, so it looked a bit different than some of the earlier photos I had seen.

I commented on the gearing on the bike; which was obviously meant for going downhill; and Scott said Brian was able to keep up (and kill) with everyone on a group ride on XC terrain! He also said that Brian sets his derailleur to not go to the upper cog, since getting a chain sucked up over the top of the cassette isn't to useful for racing.

Scott showed me a couple of new pieces that are going on the Mojo HD. There was a beefier lower link, with some sweet looking CNC work to hollow out the sides, and than a steerer tube adapter to allow you to keep running a no tapered fork (HD uses a tapered headset).

New Colors
The Mojo now comes in a nice looking blue, and in white (which is the new black).

I am going to try and get a Ibis group picture this morning with the gang, and I will add a few pictures tonight, so stay tuned.

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Moots
=====
After last years cavalcade of new bikes and parts, it was a bit calmer in Titaniumville this year. Moots released a new version of the Vamoots, a new road stem and a 10 year anniversary edition of the Mooto X YBB29er.

Mooto X YBB
The limited edition Mooto X YBB 29er was created to celebrate the 10th birthday of Moots first foray into the 29er world. It has a cool looking decal package, and is decked out with a slew of white and red parts. Of course using Sram XX made it look pretty bling! Very rad looking for the usually understated Moots. Only 75 are being created, so run out to your dealer and order one!

Color Options
Moots added some colors to their stem faceplates, seat collars and cinch post saddle clamp. You can now get them in black, red, blue and gray. I am already destined to add some blue pieces to my Moots Mooto-XZ!

Vamoots RSL
Ok, this is actually a road bike, but it is a pretty sweet one anyway, and at a mere 14lbs or so. The RSL (Race Super Light) uses double butted 3/2.5 titanium tubing, 6/4 titanium seat stays and a Moots/Alpha fork (very cool looking). I saw them working on it this summer, and a lot of R&D went into this baby.

RSL Road Stem
This stem is extremely light for a titanium stem coming in at 121 grams. It was designed to compliment the Vamoots RSL. The faceplate is a double band and the steerer clamp is slightly hollowed out. Trick! They also use 6/4 titanium bolts. I wonder if 6/4 bolts are better to use then 3/2.5 bolts?

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DT Swiss
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DT Swiss has a bunch of new products being released this year, the most prominent is the new tubeless ready Tricon wheelset. They are also releasing some new carbon wheels, new forks with a better price point and some minor tweaks to their existing top of the line carbon fork.

Tricon Wheelset
The new Tricon wheel system has some very innovative features that were engineered into them. Foremost is that they use a multiple piece hub, which is comprised of 2 spoke flanges and a hub body. The separate spoke flanges are tightened down onto the hub body, so they are not part of the hub itself. This arrangement leaves the hub body and the bearings free of tension from spoke pull, so the bearings can spin as smoothly as possible. Usually a hub has to have a built in amount of bearing bind, since once spoke tension is applied the body is pulled outwards, thus freeing up the bearings. Otherwise the bearings would be sloppy and more apt to wear if that factor was not designed into the hub.

The spoke pattern is a combination of radial and crossed spokes, for maximum stiffness and torque transferal. The spokes use Torx nipples, and are threaded on each end, and are straight pulled. Lastly the rim, uses small spoke inserts, which are supported on two sides of the rim, think of them as a sort of rectangular spoke nuts. This arrangement allows the rim to be built lighter, and in addition it is airtight for tubeless compatibility.

The mountain version of the wheel system is the XM 1550 Tricon, and is 26mm wide. The front is available as either 100mm/15mm or 110mm/9mm, while the rear can be 135mm/10mm or 142mm/12mm. Weights are 700 grams for the front and 850 grams for the rear. It is also available in a road version RR 1450 Tricon.

Forks
DT Swiss has a couple of new and updated forks coming out. The brand new forks are made with a torsion box arch and magnesium lowers, and were made to have a more market compliant pricing structure (i.e., not so bloody expensive). The models are the XMM 100, 120 and 140, and the EXM 130 and 150. They will be available in either white or black, in either 9mm or 15mm axles.

The EXC 130 and 150 carbon forks have had the launch control and rebound lever changed, and some minor adjustments to the damping.

Carbon wheels
DT Swiss released some very sweet looking carbon wheels for mountain biking, they are the EXC 1550 and the XRC 1350, and follow in the footsteps of their older brother the XRC 1250. They are supposed to be very durable, but I would mostly be afraid of marring up such a pretty rim? They are obviously Uber expensive. I covet the EXC 1550!

Interbike 2009 - Outdoor Demo Day 2

2009-09-23T09:11:00.016-06:00

The weather at day 2 of the Outdoor Demo was a touch milder, but it was still windy, dusty and hot. I had a couple of bikes on my To Do list, but it became very crowded, and it was extremely difficult to get many rides in. At least there was some free food around!

Blur LTc

Blur LTc

The Blur LT comes in a carbon and aluminum version. I tested out the carbon version, the LTc, which is comprised of a carbon front and rear triangle. The 140mm travel bike uses their always nice VPP suspension system. The bike really accelerated and railed nicely, and it climbed well, but on occasion on very steep climbs; there was a slight loss of traction. The Blur LTc was a good all around bike, and it did everything well, with no glaring faults. The carbon fiber not only lightened up the bike, but gave it some nice stiffness with just a slight hint of resiliency and damping. The Blur LTc didn't have any outstanding attributes, but on the other hand, it did not do anything poorly. It was well rounded, with a tad of carbon goodness, and was just a decent mild mannered bike.

i950-R

Kind Shock

Kind Shock had a small booth hidden over by the electric bikes. They had some of the rear shocks and adjustable seatposts on display. I played around with their i Series (i950 & i900) of adjustable seatposts, and I was very intrigued with their engineering, workmanship and functionality of the units . They come in either a remote or on top of the seatpost (under the saddle) lever actuated versions. Rick of Kind Shock gave me a really in depth walkthrough of the units, and I was very impressed. They also had a seatpost and saddle on a platform, so you could try the units out. I really liked that it was infinitely adjustable, so you could stop it wherever you liked in its travel length.

Sizes: 30.9mm & 31.6mm
Lengths: 300mm & 400mm
Travel: 75mm for 300mm & 125mm for 400mm

Banshee Spitfire

Banshee Spitfire
Banshee is fairly new to the bike scene, and their Spitfire model is still in its prototyping stages. The 5 inch suspension Spitfire has one very interesting feature, it has 2 shock mount positions, that allow you to vary the geometry of the bike. One position gives you a higher BB height, and a steeper head angle for technical XC riding. The other position drops the BB height, and slackens out the head angle for higher speed riding.

Spitfire Adjustable shock mount

The Spitfire was wicked fast when it was pointed downhill, it just accelerated down like crazy. The Spitfire was very neutral, steered and handled nicely, and didn't display any outstanding squat issues. During hard pedaling, it did just you asked of it, and on steeps climbs the rear end tended to stay connected to the tarmac. I think there is some room for further tinkering on the suspension system, to get it to the same level of its competitions (DW Link and Yeti AS come to mind). On some G-outs, the front end collapsed a bit much, and really tossed you forward. The Spitfire is designed as a 1x9, something that I haven't ridden very much, so I found the gearing tough for me, since I like to granny gear it a bit more.

I enjoyed my brief time on the Spitfire, it was a nice bike, and the adjustable geometry is an innovative feature. Release date is 2010. I think Banshee has a winner on their hands, and further tweaking of the bike will only help improve it.

Scott Genius 20

Scott Genius

The Scott Genius bike comes in 6 versions, the 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and the Limited. I tried their middle of the road 20 version. The SG 20 has 150mm of travel, and uses their very innovative Equalizer2 rear shock (the TC version). The three chamber Equalizer2 is a remote travel adjustment shock, going from lockout, to 95mm and the fully open 150mm. The rear linkage system is a "faux-bar", and the frame is made from carbon fiber. On the trail, the SG20 had some pedal bob, and although it was tolerable, it was a bit to much for my taste. The adjustable travel on the rear was really nice, especially when climbing something steep, just do a simple push on the lever, and you drop to 95mm, which really aided traction. On the flats, it was nice to flip it to lockout to keep the pedal bob down. This bike liked to haul around on rocky terrain, the faster and the rougher it was the more comfortable the frame felt. When it got slow and technical, the bike was a bit much to wrestle, and felt heavy and ponderous. Although I really liked the adjustable suspension, the Scott Genius 20 seemed unwieldy on anything but super tough terrain taken at a good clip.

Equalizer2 Rear Shock

Remote lever

Interbike 2009 - Outdoor Demo Day 1

2009-09-22T01:18:00.007-06:00

I arrived in Las Vegas on Sunday to some unfriendly 100 degree stifling heat. The next day I ventured up to the first day of the Outdoor Demo for Interbike 2009 in Bootleg Canyon. The temperature died down to a moderate 90 with wind gusts up to 30 mph, so it was a dusty, hot and bone rattling dry.

Yeti ASR 5 C

Yeti ASR 5 C
The ASR 5 (5 inch suspension) is a brand new bike for Yeti, and this was the first time I had seen this model. The ASR 5 comes in an aluminum version, and a full carbon version, which is what I tested. The moment I started pedaling this bike, I felt its instant acceleration and laser like steering and handling. Its suspension was very compliant, and the resiliency of the carbon material was paramount in the feel of the bike.

Carbon!

I found myself sitting in almost all the terrain, and was amazed at how well the suspension just sort of floated along the undulations and rocky sections of the trail. This did not feel like a 5 inch travel bike. On one of the very steep and very loose climbs the bike went up it effortlessly, and needed very little pedaling to get to the top. This was an excellent bike, that has a carefully thought out suspension system, with an incredible amount of compliancy. It is very neutral, climbs like a demon and makes the most of what the carbon fiber feel and material can do for a bike.

Very nicely done cable layout

ASR 5C Specs:

Travel - 5 inch
Weight - 4.75lbs
Sizes - small. medium, large
Colors - black/turquoise or white/black
Rear shock - RP23 (7.875 x 2)
Bottom Bracket - 73mm
Rear wheel - 135mm with QR or 142mm with 12mm
Front Derailleur - 34.9mm with traditional mount
Seapost - 30.9mm
Kits Enduro, Race, Pro

Features:
- High Modulus, hand laid-up carbon front and rear triangles
- Tapered headtube 1 1/8 to 1 1/5
- Gravity dropper cable guide
- Interchange droputs
- Titanium hardware
- Internal cable routing on swingarm

Gary Fisher Rumblefish

Gary Fisher Rumblefish 29er
I was thinking of trying the new Gary Fisher Superfly 100 29er after hearing some really good things about it, but while I was looking at the display model, I saw the Gary Fisher Rumblefish sitting right next to it. It has 110 mm of travel in the rear and 120 mm in the front, and it is made to Rumble. Are You Ready To Rumble? So I got in the queue and took it out for a spin.

I demoed the top of the line Rumblefish II version, and it had a Fox F120 FIT RLC 29 fork with a 15mm axle, a Shimano drivetrain, Avid brakes and a custom Fox RP23 shock. Some of the special features of the Rumblefish are the 6011 hydroformed butted aluminum mainframe, a E2 tapered headtube, the BB95 bottom bracket, a direct mount front derailleur, the ABP (Active Braking Pivot) rear suspension and a DRCV (Direct Rate Control Valve) Fox RP23 rear shock.

DRCV Fox RP23

I was really impressed how well this bike handled. It still has the big 29er wheels that still take a bit of cranking to get their inertia going, but it sure felt more like a 26er when I was climbing. The bike has a very short wheelbase, cockpit and trail for a 29er. Those geometry characteristics really showed itself in its quick and nimble handling, and its neutral weighting while climbing. While railing and flying down the trail those big wheels were a treat, and the suspension did really well in g-outs. On spirited sprints while standing the rear suspension squatted just a tad, and I felt some flex in the Fox fork.

Overall I have to give the Rumblefish high marks for a successfully engineered long travel 29er. It climbs and handles well, and is a really nice rough terrain full suspension 29er. Let it eat some rocks!

Titus FTM Carbon

Titus FTM Carbon
I had read a lot about the new Titus FTM (Full Tilt Moto) product line, but I was surprised to see this full carbon version. The current aluminum, Ti and Exogrid versions are now joined by this carbon compatriot. The Titus FTM series has 135mm of travel in the rear and 140mm in the front. This carbon frame is decidedly on the stiff side of things, which means that any sort of pedaling has a prominent side effect of getting the power to the trail. Unfortunately, it also made the ride stiff and somewhat deadened. This frameset might appeal to a racer, but I wish it had a more lively carbon feel to it. The FTM Carbon was a nicely done and light bike, that just misses the mark by not having the attributes that I like from carbon fiber. The internal cable routing really was a nice touch, and added to the nice swooping lines of the frame.

Titus Carbon

Internal cable routing

Ibis Mojo HD

Ibis Mojo HD
Although I didn't get to ride the new prototype Mojo HD, it was pretty impressive just sitting there. The Mojo HD will be the Ibis foray into the 6 inch All Mountain world, and promises to be quite a bike. Brian Lopes has already been racing it, and only time will tell how it all well the end product will be? Since it is a prototype the linkages are a bit crude, but they are pretty beefy and will hopefully tighten up the somewhat current sloppy feeling in the Mojo rearend. I spoke briefly to Brian about the bike and his recent trip to the worlds down in Australia, he is a real decent and nice guy.

The cables have been re-routed to the down tube, to facilitate the inherent issues with the newer geometry of the bike. For a lot of Mojo riders that are a welcome change from the current somewhat disliked top tube arrangement.

Pivot Firebird

Pivot Firebird
The Firebird was new to 2009, but I missed getting to try it out last year. The Firebird has 167mm of travel in the rear and 160mm in the front. This long travel bike eats up terrain, and allows you to fly down anything, soaking up terrain, rocks and undulations like crazy. It rails around the berms, and flies through the air with ease.

On steep loose climbs the suspension would drop out on me, which meant an immediate unloading of the rear end and all lose of traction. It happened a couple of times on the circuit I did, and it was a bit unnerving. All in all, the Firebird was a nice bike, and it ate any terrain I could throw at it for lunch, albeit with the occasional unloading rear end.

Innovative linkage

UFO Plast Body Armor Review

2009-09-16T01:45:00.005-06:00

UFO Plast Body Armor - Lightweight Elbow and Knee-Shin guard

As I was wandering around 2008 Interbike Dirt Demo seeking some shade and cold refreshments from the beastly desert sun, I bumped into this small booth that was carrying biking body armor. UFO Plast is an Italian company that started out making body armor protection for off road motorcycles, and they have more recently broadened into body armor for biking and snowboarding. As I was talking with the exhibitors, I saw these intriguing looking elbow pads hanging on their tent wall. They are part of their Enduro series, which includes their Elbow guard and a Knee-Shin guard.

I had recently taken a nasty digger and left a good chunk of flesh from my forearm on an abrasive rock on a local technical trail (Palmer Park in Colorado Springs if you must know), and I was looking at some body armor to help alleviate that type of issue from happening again. The pads were very lightweight and had just enough padding to protect the elbow and the forearm. A lot of the typical body armor is made with beefy plastic pads, and it's a bit much for slower speed All Trail singletrack terrain that most of us regularly rides our mountain bikes on. The pads have a bit of waffle foam padding that is placed right in the proper spots to protect the elbow and the forearm. The padding is actually comprised of a special layer of polystyrene with a Lycra band.

To put the elbow pads on, you insert your arm into one end of the elastic band and wiggle your arm until the pre-bent elbow slot pops into the proper spot, and then you cinch it down with a Velcro closure located by your biceps. The inside periphery of the elbow pads has an open elastic mesh for ventilation, and provides enough tightness to prevent them from flopping around.

Impressions

Elbow Guard
Over the past year of testing them, I have pretty much had never taken them off while out riding, and after years use, the mesh is starting to wear a bit (getting thread bare), but the rest of the padding and the super structure are fine. Pretty amazing considering I have been wearing them 3 days a week for 2 to 4-hour rides, and they have gotten beaten up and sweated on. I have taken a few decent crashes, and they have provided adequate protection for rock gardens and technical terrain, albeit taken at moderate speeds. In addition they are great brush, bush and tree guard as you go through tight singletrack, in which it takes mini blows, and keeps the scratch level on your forearms to a minimum. They are lightweight, comfortable and only moderately warm while wearing. Most of the time I hardly notice that I am wearing them until I hit a bush while riding along.

This was a nicely made product that would suit a lot of singletrack riders to protect the elbows and forearms in technical terrain. I wish I had them when I took my digger in which I left a good deal of my flesh on that rock. I went back to the same section of rocks and bested the technical portion, and felt more confident since my elbows and forearms were protected.

Knee-Shin Guard
I also tested their brethren Knee-Shin guard a couple of months later. They are constructed of the same material, with the waffle padding in front and the mesh in the back. The knee portion has an articulated cup of the waffle padding for coverage and has a small Velcro closure on the very top to hold it on.

The shin portion has a long waffle padded section that covers most all the shins, and then uses a mesh back with a Velcro closure. I tended to reserve the Knee-Shin guard for downhills or very technical terrain, and otherwise they were attached or in my hydration pack. The Knee-Shin guard were lightweight and moderately comfortable, but if used them for long periods of time they rubbed the back of the leg just above the knee, especially if you were pedaling a lot. The knee cup seems to kind of hold them in place, which is good, since they liked to slowly wander down your leg, and you sometimes have to give them a bit of a yank to bring them back up. Wearing Lycra tights exasperated the issue.

I took a couple of decent crashes with them, and they helped, but somehow I always seemed to get hit right square in the spot between the top of my shoe and the bottom of the shin section?

Bottom Line
The UFO Plast Enduro Elbow guard are pretty much the cat's meow, I never go for rides without them. They are lightweight, comfortable, ergonomic, provide great tree and brush protection while riding and of course provide great protection when crashing. I rarely notice that I am wearing them.

The UFO Plast Enduro Knee-Shin guard are also lightweight, comfortable, and provide great protection when crashing. I only used them for downhilling and technical riding. They did tend to wander down on your legs while riding, which was a bit annoying, and if you ended up pedaling a lot they could rub the back of your knee a bit.

The UFO Plast Enduro body armor series is a great product, that will suit All Trail riders or anyone whom rides technical terrain and wants some armor protection. I feel naked if I am not wearing the Elbow pads on any ride!

Strengths
-Lightweight
-Comfortable
-Excellent brush and tree protection
-Adequate crash protection

Weaknesses
-Knee Shin Guard rubs back of knee on occasion
-Knee Shin Guard can drift downwards while riding

Value Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers
Knee-Shin Guard Overall Rating: 4 Flamin’ Chili Peppers
Elbow Guard Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

NOTE: UFO Plast is currently looking for a US distributor, refer to their website for more information
UFO Plast url: http://www.ufoplast.com/

MSRP:
Knee-Shin Guard $37
Elbow Guard $26
Sizes: S/M and L/XL

UFO Plast Elbow Guard: http://www.ufoplast.com/en/product-details/mtb-bmx/knee-shin-guards-and-elbow-guards-mtb-bmx/MTP6176
UFO Plast Knee-Shin Guard: http://www.ufoplast.com/en/product-details/mtb-bmx/knee-shin-guards-and-elbow-guards-mtb-bmx/MTP6190

Schwalbe Fat Albert Review

2009-09-11T01:25:00.020-06:00

I have been using the Schwalbe Albert series of tires for many years, and have always had a special fondest for them. I had predominantly used the Albert snakeskin version (26x2.25), which rolled well, had bombproof sidewalls, good traction, decent weight and was easy to set up tubeless. The original Albert series came in the Fat Albert (26x2.4), the Albert (26x2.25) and the Little Albert (26x2.1) versions.

At the Interbike 2008 show Schwalbe had a couple of new tires on the market. One of the most interesting was the revamped Fat Albert. They come in a 26x2.25 and 26x2.4 size, and in a front and rear specific version. The newly revamped tire has their new U-Block technology and their new Triple Nano compound. The filler particles for the Triple Nano have been changed in size from 200 nanometers to 10 nanometers. This means reduced internal friction, which lowers rolling resistance and smaller particles mean more surface area so grip is improved.

Rear on left and front on right, rotation to top of page

The front is tweaked for handling and braking while the rear has been optimized for traction and curve control. It still retains the classic Albert series tread pattern and come in a Snakeskin, Performance, Double Defense (only in the 2.25 size) and Tubeless versions.

Hey hey hey! It's Fat Albert!

Testing Specs
I tested the 2.4 and 2.25 sizes of the new Fat Albert in both front and rear versions, and I much preferred the 2.4 size for both, so that was my main testing combination. The Fat Alberts were used on my primary testing steed the Ibis Mojo, in any sort of terrain that Colorado can throw at you. The testing terrain is predominantly loose rocky conditions, with many long steep climbs and descents, rock gardens, an occasional smooth singletrack and lots of ugly loose gravel. The tires were shod on either a set of NoTubes 355 rims or American Classic All Mountain wheelset, and were predominantly set up in a tubeless mode. The tires were cross referenced in comparison to varying sizes of the Continental Rubber Queen and Mountain King, the Maxxis Advantage and Ardent, and the old Schwalbe Albert. Tire pressure was always run at 25 psi. In the Colorado Springs area where I ride, we have Pikes Peak gravel (pea gravel) on most of our trails, it is one of the most nightmarish traction eaters that I have ever dealt with. Cornering, braking and climbing can be a lesson in humility.

Measured Specs:
Fat Albert 2.4 Front 761.0 grams
Fat Albert 2.4 Rear 752.2 grams
Fat Albert 2.25 Rear 652.8 grams

Impresssions
First ride impressions were good, but after some more thorough bashing, I found a lack of the old Albert infamous series' traits, especially in regard to the rear tire version. Both versions rolled quite well for a high volume tire, but they tended to wash out on loose conditions, especially in deep sand and gravel. They just didn't inspire as much confidence as I would have hoped for when tossing them into adverse terrain.

Front Tire
The Fat Albert front did stay on line wherever it was steered towards, had decent traction and would rail if you used some balance and finesse. I mated the Fat Albert front with a bunch of other rear tires, and found it to be very synergistic. I especially liked the Fat Albert front tire with the Rubber Queen 2.4, and I actually tested that combination for a long period of time. I liked the Fat Albert front tire, it performed admirably without any glaring issues.

I tried a combination using the front version in front and rear positions (reversed rotation for the rear one), and it worked quite well with a certain synergy, and I had no glaring issues. Traction wise, I could occasionally tell that it wasn't quite as optimal for a rear tire as some others I have tried, but it sufficed. It certainly rolled really well in this combination, and it accelerated and railed around corners, and squiggled through tight technical moves.

Rear Tire
The Fat Albert rear was a totally different beast, and no matter how many chances a gave it to try and shine, it never quite appeased me.The Fat Albert rear wouldn't hook up when it was loose and tended to bounce around on baby heads and rocky sections. I have a 12 mile loop I do regularly, which has many short climbs of semi-loose to loose conditions, and when I used the Fat Albert rear I could barely make (sometimes not) those always doable climbs. It took an inordinate amount of additional energy due to the traction issues.

I reversed the rotation direction of the rear tire, and that did help quite a bit, but it still had the same odd attributes. It would just decide not to hook up at odd times, which increased my discomfort of what the tire was going to do at any moment, such as in a technical section. It also still got deflected and bounced off to many rocks, which made keeping the rear end balanced for optimal traction difficult. It was this unpredictability that I found bothersome.

Fat Albert as a Set
When the conditions were smoother, on fire roads or hardpack the tire's did quite nicely.

Pueblo South Shore - Lower Dog trail

I took the Fat Alberts down to Pueblo South Shore Colorado, and they did not have much adhesion on the slab rock sections, and in the loose shale they skidded around too much for my taste. Braking from the rear was difficult to keep in control. The sidewalls really showed the stoutness of the snakeskin protection, and they never betrayed a hint of any sort of abuse that I could toss at them. Other manufacturers should take some notes on how to make protection sidewalls that can handle the abusive American west rocky terrain. The front end did stay put though, and I could steer decently, albeit with a rear that was stubbornly hard to control.

I personally preferred to use the front with another brand in the rear, although I was surprised how well the front worked in both positions.

Bottom Line
The new Fat Albert is a mixed bag of tea for me. The tires roll well, have a decent weight for their volume, have the best sidewall protection in the business and are some of the easiest to set up tubeless.

The Fat Albert front version steers well, has good traction, rails decently, and it mates up nicely as a front tire with many other brands. It is a good all around tire. It actually worked well in as a combination in both the front and rear positions, much better than the intended Fat Albert set.

The Fat Albert rear version, on the other hand, just does not cut it, in my opinion. It has mediocre traction, washes out to easily, and bounces off rocks too frequently. It does not inspire any sort of confidence when trying to motor up loose climbs nor when braking coming back down, and a lot of it was due to an unpredictable nature.. It wasn't a bad tire, just not up to the old standards set by the previous Albert series nor in the same league as its competition. It did work better when the tire was mounted in a reversed rotation direction, but unfortunately it did not solve all of its issues.

I miss the old Albert, especially as a rear tire!

Strengths
-Decent weight for volume
-Front tire
-Front tire in front and rear positions
-Good rolling resistance
-Easy tubeless setup
-Bomber sidewall protection
-Good volume

Weaknesses
-Washout issues on loose terrain
-Rear tire traction in loose conditions (improved by reversing rotation)
-Rear tire bounces off rocks

Value Rating: 4 Flamin’ Chili Peppers
Rear Overall Rating: 3 Flamin’ Chili Peppers
Front Overall Rating: 4 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

MSRP: 2.25 $60.00
2.4 $65.00

Schwalbe url: http://www.schwalbetires.com

Be Prepared, better safe than sorry

2009-09-09T23:23:00.007-06:00

I have been noticing that when I go out for a mountain bike ride, that if I decide not to take something, I will surely need it. I think that by saving a few ounces and some mild back discomfort that I can gain the upper hand by having a lighter pack. NOT!

I am always second guessing the weather to see if it might rain or storm, and instead of bringing my bulky rain jacket, I will bring my water resistant wind breaker. Not only that, I will go out when a storm is obviously brewing to tempt fate with the lightning. I have had more than enough close encounters of the lightning kind already in my biking and ski mountaineering adventures. I had lightning hit a tree not 50 feet away from me in Monument on a bike ride, and in fact, I had to go get the fire crew to come down from the Hot Shots center to put out the smoldering tree! I digress.

So the day I decide to leave my rain jacket in the truck I get stuck in a monstrous downpour, I mean it was coming down in torrents. Besides it raining cats and dogs, the wind kicked up, and it was raining sideways! I was huddled down in heavy trees with my wind breaker on, my pack on my head for coverage and hugging a tree for a rain and wind break. With the lightning blasting all around me, I was slowly getting wet, and I started to get mildly hypothermic, meaning I was cold and miserable. The rainstorm let up (not the lightning of course) and I slowly made my way back to the truck. The trails were totally drenched, with huge long puddles on the singletrack, and needless to say I had to walk the rock sections since it was very sketchy for riding and it all made for very slow going. I was very glad to get back to the truck! I met the family at a local restaurant and my wife had gotten me a nice cold ice tea to drink, I switched to a warm cup of coffee instead.

I almost always wear my elbow guards, since they are good brush guards and are hardly noticeable to wear. I left them in the truck, since I was going to be doing some milder trails that day. At the end of my ride I hit a hidden tree root and did an OTB (over the bars) swan dive, and I landed smack on my forearms. It pops into my head, gee those elbow guards would have been nice!

Today I leave my knee/shin guards in the truck, which is usual, since I think I only need them for really technical terrain. I ended up on some of that technical terrain, and I fall over really hard into a rock field. Ouch, I put a big knot right on the bone of my shin. I think to myself, wow those knee guards would have been nice.

Moral of the story, bring everything you will need, better to be over prepared and safe, than sorry.

Moots Open Trail Review

2009-09-05T00:10:00.056-06:00

I have been testing the new Moots Open Trail titanium mountain bike stem since late winter, and it is the best stem I have ever used, period. That is a very bold statement, but I have been through my share of stems, and they all have a certain feel and a set of characteristics, and the Open Trail stands at the forefront of stemdomhood (ok, I made the word up).

That titanium stem is unobtainium, man!

The Open Trail was Moots first foray into creating a full fledged stem for mountain biking with a 31.8 clamp for oversized handlebars, and it is the burly mountain relative of the Moots Open Road stem. The mountain bike precursor to the Open Trail was their Ti Beam stem, which has only a 25.4 clamp and a 2 bolt faceplate.

The Open Trail is made with bi-ovalized titanium tubing, a newly designed 4 bolt aluminum faceplate, a titanium dual binder and comes stock in 90,100,110,120x6, 130x10 sizes. Moots use 3/2.5 Pi-Tech CWSR (Cold Worked and Stress Relieved ) seamless titanium tubing, which is comprised of 3% aluminum and 2.5% vanadium.

Titanium 101

Symbol: Ti
Atomic Number: 22
Group: Transition Metal
Atomic weight: 47.867
Density @ 293 K: 4.506 g/cm³
State (s, l, g): solid
Melting point: 1941 K
Boiling point: 3560 K
Shells: 2,8,10,2
Electron configuration: [Ar] 3d² 4s²
Crystal structure: Hexagonal

Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver white color. Titanium can be alloyed with many metals to produce strong lightweight alloys for use in multiple industries, in situations where lightweight strength, corrosion resistance and ability to withstand temperature extremes are required. It was discovered by the English amateur geologist William Gregor in 1791, then independently rediscovered and named by the German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth in 1795, whom named it for Titans (Latin - Titanos), the first sons of the earth in Mythology. It is the only element that burns in nitrogen.

Installation
Sliding the stem onto the fork steerer tube was pretty tough, so I did a light sanding/buffing to make it easier, but it still had some tight tolerances. After I had done multiple installations the stem slid on a tad easier, but was always snug. I do wish that the edges and corners of the stem clamp tube were a tad softer, they are just a bit sharp, but I am just nitpicking! The stem can be installed reversible with either a 6-degree rise or drop, depending on your requirements. Since the stem is created with specific tube sizes, they are constrained into how short they can make the stem's stack height, so it is a bit taller than a normal stem. The beefy and wide four bolt faceplate was very nice, and it gave a nice wide surface area to hold down the handlebars.

Moots recommended to not use titanium bolts, since galling or seizing can be an issue (titanium on titanium), so Moots specs all of their stems with 12.9 alloy steel bolts. If you do use titanium bolts, always inspect them regularly, and liberally use anti seize lube on the threads, and for the faceplate a brass washer is suggested to prevent creaking. I of course have used titanium bolts without issue, but caveat emptor. I tightened everything down with my handy new Pedros Demi Torque wrench, which allowed me to set the torque properly.

Impressions
Holding the Open Trail in your hand, and examining the absolutely exquisite welding, you realize this is another Moots work of art. This was not something that was thrown through a CNC machine or quickly welded, it was meticulously machined, mitered and welded by hand. Drool!

The Open Trail has that unique titanium property, it is stiff and strong, but has the silky titanium wonderfulness to it that takes away the harshness, edge and bite out of rough trails, without a hint of flex. It has a sort of microscopic suspension built into the material. Unless you have ridden a titanium bike, seatpost, handlebar or stem, it is difficult to explain the superlative exquisiteness of titanium. Think up riding fast through a set of stutter bumps, then think of that same set of stutter bumps after a good rain has softened them, that is how titanium absorbs things.

I used the Open Trail on my Ibis Mojo for a long period of time, and most recently switched it to my Moots Mooto-XZ 29er. It didn't take me long to miss the Open Trail on my Mojo. The first couple of forays out onto the local rocky terrain using any normal stem beat me up immediately. The lack of the vibration damping properties of titanium were readily apparent, as my hands, arms and legs had to absorb more micro terrain fluctuations and roughness. The Open Trail was bashed and crashed through as many rock gardens and difficult terrain, I could toss it into, and it never belayed any hint of flex, it just stayed the line, a silky one at that.

Measured Specs
Moots stem 156.7 grams

While titanium is a light metal, and has good stiffness vs weight, due to construction processes and dealing with specific standard tube sizes it is a crap shoot in getting what a weight weenie would consider a light part. The Open Trail is not the lightest stem on the market, but for stiffness vs weight it is a real gunslinger.

I think we need a gunslinger
Somebody tough to tame this town
I think we need a gunslinger
There'll be justice all around

Welding Titanium
Titanium is a hard material to work with, and is expensive to purchase. It must be welded under an environment free of atmospheric gases, which means the area behind the welds are purged of containment's (oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen), then filled with an inert gas (usually Argon) to keep the welds from becoming brittle. Moots start out with precisely mitered pieces, and those joints are then welded together at low temperatures using no weld wire, and then 6/4 ELI (extra low interstitial) titanium weld wire is used for the second pass. This double pass welding method, has proven to be the strongest weld process for titanium, but is obviously more time consuming and intricate. The welding itself needs to be done with care and expertise, so there is a long apprenticeship before becoming a master titanium welder.

Moots have a meticulous quality control, and use the finest grade American made titanium, and those exacting standards show in the end product. I have toured the factory and was amazed on how much time and effort it takes to create any of their products.

Bottom Line
The Moots Open Trail titanium stem is plain and simple a beautiful work of art, and it offers unsurpassed stiffness and strength, excellent vibration damping, and lifetime of durability due to the long fatigue life of the material. Moots have engineered the Open Trail with specific tubing, alignments and geometry that not only creates a functional juggernaut, but one that are aligned with the titanium's properties to create a superlative masterpiece.

The issues and complaints I had with the stem were nitpicking, and were very minor.

Why Ti? It is silky yet stiff!

Strengths
-Stiff
-Silky titanium feel
-Strong 4 bolt handlebar clamp
-Moots welds

Weaknesses
-Clamp tube is a bit sharp/rough
-Difficult getting onto steerer tube
-Steerer clamp height is tall
-Expensive

Value Rating: 3.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers
Overall Rating: 5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Moots Open Trail Specs:
Five Stock sizes with custom options.
Available in 31.8 diameter handlebar clamp only.
Aluminum and carbon handlebar compatible.
Removable 4 bolt AL faceplate
Double ovalized for strength and stiffness.
Exclusive Moots designed and manufactured dual binder for superior clamping strength.
Steerer tube clamp 45mm
170 grams for 110mm length
Five year limited warranty on craftsmanship and materials.
90x6 OT stem $395.00
100x6 OT stem $395.00
110x6 OT stem $395.00
120x6 OT stem $395.00
130x10 OT stem $395.00

Moots url: http://www.moots.com/

Magura Marta SL Magnesium Review

2009-09-04T11:38:00.026-06:00

I have been using Magura Marta SL brakes for many years, and had always been satisfied with the brakes, but I always wanted a tad more power and modulation. Magura revamped the Marta line in 2009, and then sweetened the pot with a lighter version using forged magnesium. The new brakes have met my expectations and then some!

Magura Marta SL Magnesium
Magura updated the Marta lineup with some new innovations for 2009. The upgrades include a redesigned caliper and reservoir body, a better lever pivot, and the use of the larger Louise pads. The new reservoir body contains a new bleeding system, that is drastically easier to use.

Which brings us to the Mags, their latest tweak on the Marta SL. The Mags come with a titanium hardware, a special paint job (white/red), a magnesium reservoir body and an aluminum caliper. The rotors are sold separately in 160, 180 and 203 sizes in either the default SL Wavy, Drilled SL or Venti rotors.

Magura were originally going to have a full magnesium set, but due to some tooling issues they have stuck with an aluminum caliper, so the weight wasn’t quite at their projected project weight. The weight weenie crowd not surprisingly, was up in arms over the lack of a full magnesium brake for Magura's lightweight flagship and benchmark model. Hopefully, they can overcome the issues and release a magnesium caliper sometime soon.

I love the smell of napalm in the morning...Smelled like...victory.

Magnesium 101

Symbol: Mg
Atomic Number: 12
Group: Akalai Earth Metal
Atomic weight: 24.305
Density @ 293 K: 1.738 g/cm³
State (s, l, g): solid
Melting point: 923 K
Boiling point: 1363 K
Shells: 2,8,2
Electron configuration: [Ne] 3s²
Crystal structure: Hexagonal
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, and atomic number 12. It is a fairly strong, silvery-white, light-weight metal, and was first produced in England by Sir Humphry Davy in 1808. The name originates from the Greek word for a district in Thessaly called Magnesia.

With a density of only two thirds of aluminum, it has countless applications in cases where weight reducing is important. It tarnishes slightly when exposed to air, and is protected from air and water by a thin layer of oxide, which is fairly impermeable and hard to remove. Magnesium is a highly flammable metal, but while it is easy to ignite when powdered or shaved into thin strips, it is difficult to ignite en masse or bulk. Burning or molten magnesium metal reacts violently with water, since it creates hydrogen gas, so if your brakes spontaneous combust throw sand on them!

Installation
Installing the Mags on the handlebars was sort of a pain, since they don't use a split clamp, so it necessitates taking off the grips and the shifters. Trigger finger shifters can be installed on either side of the brakes (dual dock), but I use twist grips, so they were attached in the usual inboard manner.

The new bleeding system called "Easy Bleed Technology" or EBT has drastically changed for the better, which is really nice since Magura Marta's are notorious for needing regular bleeding, although after my initial installation, I haven’t required one. The new port on top of the lever reservoir makes bleeding a much easier task.

Basic bleed instructions: tilt the upper reservoir slightly down from level, unscrew the top port bolt, insert a syringe, unscrew the caliper bolt, screw on a second brake fluid filled syringe into caliper port, and push the brake fluid using that bottom syringe into the top syringe, then pull and push the fluid between the syringe's until bubbles are gone.

The new bleed port made doing a bleed almost pleasant, notice I said almost because any system is a bit of a chore, but this new system is a highly engineered marvel in comparison to the old method. Bleeding brakes is like a poke in the eye!

When I shortened the units to fit my bike, I followed the directions perfectly for the rear brake, and I cut the rear line and was I able to connect it back up without doing anything else. Just make sure that you keep the cut line elevated, and don't try and make any drastic changes to things as you progress. Somehow I got some air into the brakes (I made changes as I went) when I did the front line, and I had to bleed it, so I got a first hand experience with the newer method, and it was enjoyable and easier for brake bleeding. Again simple is as simple does!

Technical Features
The redesigned reservoir body has many features, including the EBT bleeding system, a new pivot system for the carbon lever, and of course it is made from forged magnesium, except for the composite reservoir cap. It uses an open hydraulic disc brake system with completely integrated reservoir, and is filled with Magura's Royal Blood mineral oil brake fluid. The carbon lever now uses stitched carbon fiber, for greater stiffness.

The redesigned caliper is one piece monoblock aluminum for maximum stiffness, and uses injected molded composite pistons for less heat transfer to the brake fluid. The dual pistons are also magnetized so that no clips are required to hold the pads in place. They come with their 6.1 Performance Series pad (maximum power), but you can also get their 6.2 Endurance version (longevity). The rotors which are sold separately, come in the ubiquitous 6 bolt IS in 160, 180, and 203mm sizes, in their default SL Wavy (lightweight), the Drilled SL (mud and cooling holes) or the Ventidisk (All Mountain). The calipers are post mount, but Magura has an entire slew of adapters to fit most any bike or fork.

Instead of the usual powder coating, the caliper and reservoir bodies are painted with a nice white and red color.

Measured Specs:
front brake uncut (64 inch hose) - 219.3 grams
160 rotors - 111.2 grams
total w/ 160's - 330.5 grams

rear brake uncut (64 inch hose) - 218.4 grams
160 rotor - 111.0 grams
total w/ 160's - 329.4 grams

Impressions
The Mags were used on my primary steed the Ibis Mojo, in any sort of terrain that Colorado can throw at you. The testing terrain is predominantly loose rocky conditions, with many sections of long steep downhills, rock gardens, and ugly loose gravel. I could cross compare the brakes against a 2008 set of Marta SL's and some new Hayes Stroker Grams. The Mags were equipped primarily with the SL Wavy rotors, but the Ashima AiRotors were also used regularly, and I used 160/160, 180/160 and 203/160 combination's.

The power difference between the 2008 to 2009 is significant, although it still doesn’t approach the power of some of its competitors. Using a 160 in front on the newer brakes, feels like a 180 of its predecessor, and modulation has also greatly increased. The redesigned calipers, lever, and reservoir body, along with the slightly larger Louise pads (more surface area) have made a wholesale difference in the functionality and characteristics of the Marta’s. The Louise pads will not fit the older version of the Marta's.

The Mags just have a more robust feel to them, and the levers felt snappier and more solid, albeit a bit firm in the hand. The reach adjustment is done with a small allen wrench (2.5mm) in a small recess in the front of the lever. The redesigned lever itself has a much better pivot with less stichion, giving a more powerful feel throughout the lever stroke. I like the shape and feel to the lever, it makes for nice one or two finger usage.

The Mags perform quite well in almost any terrain, and they have excellent modulation, allowing beautiful feathering of the brakes. I loved how the brakes could be used in technical sections and in rock gardens, it was really easy to do a dab of brakes or grab a big handful of them, and they would do so without any compromises or complaints. On long downhill’s they performed decently, but once the brakes got pretty warm they got a tad of fade to them, but it was much better than its predecessor. A larger rotor size combination such as 180/160 or 203/160 helped a lot with the fade issue, and I also found that the Ashima AiRotors really assisted since they have an extremely high tolerance to fading (caveat: after market rotors can void a warranty).

Although they were mostly a quiet brake, the pads needed to be taken out on an occasional basis and sanded, else they tended to squeak on long downhills. They performed admirably in the wet, and mud, and dried out quickly when they got soaked.

One of my favorite things I like about the Mags is the sweet red and white paint job, which not only looks good, but the white helps show off the already gorgeous carbon levers. It also blends well with a whole slew of white forks and wheel sets.

As usual, thanks to Justin for helping me out when I needed anything for the test! You dah man!

Bottom Line
The Mags are a highly engineered German marvel, they have excellent modulation, good power, are lightweight and are gorgeous looking. If bleeding is required the new EBT system is much easier to use.

They can be slightly susceptible to some fade on extremely long, and steep downhills, but larger rotors help alleviate much of that issue. I liked the feel of the brake, but some may find it to firm, and the reach adjustment is difficult. I do wish they had released a full magnesium set!

The newly upgraded Marta is a huge step forward, and the Mag version tweak is another sweet brake from Magura!

Strengths
-Lightweight
-Excellent modulation
-Good power
-Gorgeous

Weaknesses
-Slightly susceptible to fade
-Firm feel
-Reach adjustment difficult
-Not fully magnesium
-No split clamp system

MSRP: $368

Value Rating: 3.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Marta SL Magnesium url: http://www.magura.com/en/products/disc-brakes-2009/prod/marta-sl-magnesium-1.html

KMC X9SL X10SL REVIEW

2009-08-31T00:42:00.015-06:00

I have been the using KMC SL series of chains for many years now, they are very lightweight, have a plethora of technical features, with good shifting capabilities, and even look good (especially in gold).

I tend to ride with a slow cadence on technical terrain in very small gears, so I cause an enormous amount of torque on the drivetrain system, and especially on the main conduit, the chain. This can wreak havoc fairly quickly on a chain, so I tend to go through them pretty quickly, no matter what brand they are.

I found that with the KMC SL chains, I tended to get premature wear in comparison to other chains. When they finally lengthen beyond their specified limits, they tended to mis-shift, and on occasion I would catastrophically snap a link.

Chains do not stretch, they lengthen (elongate), and they do so because their hinge pins and sleeve hole wear, literally making the chain sloppy and loose.

You can check chain elongation with a chain checker tool (Park CC-2) or measure with a ruler, but both methods can be slightly error prone.

At the 2008 Interbike, I spoke with the KMC staff about the wear issues I was encountering, and they told me they had an upgraded version of the SL series coming out soon that should alleviate that issue.

In November, I started to test out the latest X9SL and X10SL chains on my 9 speed drivetrains, which included an XTR and Sram X.0 system. Although, some people report issues (front shifting?) with using a 10 speed chain on a 9 speed drivetrain, I had never had any shifting issues with that combination, nor have many others on the MTBR.com weight weenie forum. The main reason to go with a 10 speed is to save weight. The KMC SL chains are available in either silver or gold colors, in both a 9 and 10 speed, and are compatible with Shimano, Sram and Campagnolo.

KMC History
KMC Chains was established in Tainan County , Taiwan in 1977 by Charles Wu. The company makes bicycle chains as their core business, and they also make motorcycle, automotive, garage door opener and industrial chains. In the mid 80's they partnered with Shimano to supply them with a whole series of their chains. They make over 500 million feet of a chain a year, which is a heck of a lot of chains!

Installation
I shortened the X9SL (or X10SL) chain to the proper length for my Ibis Mojo drivetrain, with my handy Park CT-3 chain tool. I always suggest you get a good shop strength chain tool, they make chain work extremely easy, and they don't break. The pin removal was very smooth and easy, and the attachment of the chain on the bike was a breeze using their 'MissingLink'.

Test bikes: Ibis Mojo and Moots Mooto-XZ 29er
Drivetrain:
Mojo -> XTR 11/34 & Sram 11/32 cassette, XTR & Race Face Next 22/32/44 cranks
Mooto-XZ -> 11/34 cassette, XTR cranks 22/32/44

The MissingLink is KMC's proprietary connection system, much like SRAMS's Powerlink system, which are both vastly easier to use than the Shimano replacement pins. Not sure who actually makes the system (suspect KMC), since they both look suspiciously close to each other? No tools are required to attach the chain together.

I have found the missing link between the higher ape and civilized man: It is we.

MissingLink Installation
Simply insert one half of the link in opposite holes, keep the chain un-tensioned.

1) Insert both halves of the MissingLink into the chain ends.
2) Press both halves of the MissingLink connector together.
3) Lock in place by pulling the chain apart.
4) Opening: press both plates together while sliding the chain ends towards each other.

KMC suggests that you always use a new MissingLink during installation, but I usually reuse them, unless the chain has gotten an inordinate amount of abuse or spent a long time on the drivetrain.

Impressions
I started out testing the chain in the wintertime, so between the snow, the wet trails, the mud and the wet sandy dirt, the drivetrain usually got trashed pretty quickly. The chain just kept shifting with few issues, except for an occasional small ghost shift, which wasn't bad considering the treatment and conditions it was dealing with.

Danger, Will Robinson

I was very impressed with the chain, and the initial riding impressions were very nice. The chain shifted smoothly and no matter how difficult and tortuous I was during hard technical pedaling, it shifted like a trooper. After a few rides, I pretty much forgot what I was riding, they just blended into my shifting patterns, rolling up and down the cogs and chainrings as they should. Although the chain has a small amount of lateral flex, it did just fine on the severe cross chain gearing angles (between the cogset and chainrings).

The gold chain looks very sweet with the hollow pins and small slots on the links, and you can really see the engineering that went into the SL chains. The gold is a titanium nitride coating. Its surface is supposed to be harder and smoother and less susceptible to dirt for a longer and more functional life than the regular chains. I will take their word on it, since it would be an extremely difficult test to correlate, for me, I liked the bling factor. However, it did seem to shift better than the normal silver (non titanium nitride coating), maybe I had too many Red Bulls?

Trivia: The precursor to Red Bull was the Thai drink called Krating Daeng (translation: "red water buffalo").

Measured Specs (116 links):
X10Sl 247.7 grams
X9SL 264.6 grams

The package states it weighs 240 grams for the X10SL and 255 grams for the X10SL, so they seem to be a bit off in their specs. There have been lots of complaints on the weight weenie forum for misrepresenting their weight. Fanaticism!

Technical Features
Careful examination of the chain itself shows some of the technical highlights that the SL chain is engineered with. To save weight, they cut small slots into the plates, and use hollow pins. For shifting performance, they use X-Bridge, in which the outer plate has been configured with specific angles for faster, quieter and smoother gear shifting.They also have StretchProof Treatment (misnomer) for the pins and plates to decrease the invasion of contaminants into the bearings, and therefore increasing durability in harsh environments. High alloy steel is used for the pins and plates, which aids in the reduction of chain elongation for increased chain life. And my favorite is the gold colored Ti-N (titanium nitride) coating, which gives rise to less friction, and lower maintenance, and more bling.

KMC SL Series Technical Specs
-Lightweight
-Hollow Pin
-Plate slots
-StretchProof Treatment: exceptional durability
-Outer Plate Chamfering: accurate steering
-Inner Plate Chamfering: expeditious articulating (say what!)
-Mushroomed Riveting: high pin power, inserted with 350 ksi
-Double X Bridge Shape Outer Plate: excellent gear shifting
-Noiseless Function: noise reduction
-Bushingless Construction: smooth transmission
-Ti-N Gold versions: less friction, low maintenance

Bottom Line
After many months of use, and many miles of abuse, the X10SL has been worn faster than the X9SL, but both have lasted significantly longer than their predecessors. KMC has improved the SL series' technology to increase the life of the chain, which is an excellent accomplishment when dealing with a lightweight chain in such a demanding and inhospitable environment.

The KMC SL chains are lightweight, shift well and have a usefulness duration that is better or comparable to other lightweight chains on the market. I still would get an occasional ghost shift, but it was nothing that created undue functionality. The technology and innovation that KMC has used for the SL series chain will keep them at the forefront of the chain world.

KMC continues to tweak and massage their chains using their expertise, so they are always upgrading the XSL series so that they can bring the best and highest performing chain to the marketplace.

And of course the gold version is bling, and really seems to shift better!

Strengths
-Lightweight
-Shifting
-MissingLink connector

Weaknesses
-Durability
-Ghost shifts

Value Rating: 3.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers
Overall Rating: 4 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

KMC SL Series Specs
Colors - gold or silver
Speeds - 9 or 10 speed
MSRP:
9 speed silver - $70
9 speed gold - $75
10 speed silver - $80
10 speed gold - $85

KMC US url: http://www.kmcchain.us/
KMC url: http://www.kmcchain.com/index.php?ln=en

Hayes Stroker Gram Review - Impessions

2009-08-25T00:39:00.002-06:00

I have been out cranking on a pair of Hayes Stroker Gram disc brakes for a couple of months now on my Ibis Mojo. Although they are not the lightest pair of brakes I have used in the ever expanding weight weenie disc brake worlds, they are quite powerful, and they don't seem to fade like some of their competitions.

I was lazy and decided to not bother cutting the lines for now, so I have a sort of silly bunch of brake line sticking out on the bike. It really hasn't been too bad except for the rear line, which likes to pop out of the top tube inserts at the most inopportune moments. I will get around to do a cutting and bleed of the system in the future.

My long term brakes have been the Magura Marta SL's. I have a set of the 2007 Marta SL's and recently got a brand new set of the Marta SL Mags, which use the larger Louise brake pads and much improved caliper system. The Marta SL's will be my main brain comparison and cross referencing brake.

The Stroker Grams is the lightest of the Hayes Stroker series, and comes with carbon levers, alloy backed pads and a full titanium bolt kit. Hayes removed as much of the already minimal lever body as possible, and on the master cylinder, they used finite element analysis, removing as much non-structural material as possible.

Measured Specs
Rear (line, caliper and lever) - 57 inch line: 247.4 grams
Front(line, caliper and lever) - 34 inch line: 231.1 grams
180 Hayes rotor - 151.7 grams
160 Hayes rotor - 114.7 grams

180 Hayes adapter - 10.1 grams
180 Hayes adapter bolts - 15.8 grams
Rotor bolts (titanium) - 7.2 grams

Impressions
The Stroker Grams are very easy to install since they use a split clamping system, and have a symmetrical flip flop design. The flip flop design means you can put the brake levers on either side of the handlebars, which is great if you like to have your front brake in the motorcycle mode (on the right). One pain with the Marta SL's is they lack the split clamp system, so to swap out brakes I have to remove the grips and shifters, which is a royal pain in the wazoo.

The levers have a small adjuster knob that allows you to easily alter the reach, although it was a bit difficult to adjust them on the fly. The brakes performed admirably, and they were very fade resistant, even on extremely long downhills.

I did find that the levers were just a bit flexy, and it took a long stroke before the lever actually engaged, which made them feel a bit spongy until you really pried hard on the lever. Their modulation was moderate, and the brakes were not grabby, but as I said you sometimes really needed to grab a good handful of brakes to get the power coming from the system. And they are powerful when you need them. One thing that they seem to lack is an ability to lightly feather the brakes, something that is nice to have in some technical terrain.

The brake pads are easy to take out, even with the wheels still on the bike. However, during re-installation I sometimes had some issues getting the little spring to pop back in properly on the piston. If it doesn't pop back in just right, then things won't line up, and you'll get rubbing on the rotors. So the re-installation is currently a hit and miss for me, which is a bummer, since I regularly like to clean the pads. I might just need some more practice or the proper technique?

I have taken a few good diggers, and twisted handlebars in some strange contortions, and the levers have survived without a scratch. I think the flexy levers might help protect themselves, since they can subtly move, which prevent them from breaking or getting damaged.

Final Thoughts
The Stroker Grams are a moderately light brake in comparison to their weight weenie competition, and they are powerful, and seem to not fade on long downhills. The levers are a touch flexy, and along with a long throw, they have a spongy feel, but a robust handful makes the brakes work just fine.

Updates to follow!

Hayes spec
Titanium hardware
Carbon Lever Blade with tool free adjust
Radial, Symmetrical; Aluminum Master Cylinder
Two-piece aluminum caliper, Caliper positioning window, titanium bridge bolts
Semi-metallic pads with aluminum backing
Kevlar wrap hose
Hayes high temp DOT4 hydraulic fluid
535 sq mm pad size
6-bolt T-25 rotor bolt pattern
Rotor sizes 140 (rear), 160, 180, 203
Published Weight: 355 g(160mm rotor), 339 g(140mm rotor)

Hayes url: www.hayesdiscbrake.com

Rocky Mountain Bike Show

2009-08-24T16:14:00.009-06:00

I had my kids (5 and7) in tow with me to the Rocky Mountain Bike Show, and I wasn't really sure what to expect since I regularly attend the overwhelming Interbike show. I was pleasantly surprised, as it was a low key affair with some really good vendors. The RMBS team did an excellent job on the small show, and I especially appreciate that they could make it entertaining for kids! My only gripe was that people had to pay to park, I think with this small of a show that it needs to be free, and it was a major complaint from the web forums.

This is the second year of the RMBS, and this year it was moved to the Denver National Western Complex. There were around 35 bike makers, 23 related accessories and services, and a good number of local microbrewed beers.

It was nice to not only see some great local builders and quite a few from Portland, but to see the non profit bike related groups there. They had a great area in the back for kids, they could do art stuff, or ride bikes around in a small obstacle course. Very cool indeed!

Award winners:

Best Brew: Raspberry Wheat by Twisted Pine
Honorable Mention: Avery IPA
Sponsored by Zinn & Feedback Sports: Prize included: Custom Zinn cranks & a Feedback Sports bike stand

Best Paint or Finish: Renovo Hardwood Bicycles
Honorable Mention: Moots
Sponsored by Rudy Project: Prize included: Sunglasses, extra lenses, back pack, helmet

Best Accessory or Component: Hüdz
Honorable Mention: Sampson
Sponsored by Civilian Bicycle Company with paint by Class Act Powder: included: A custom Civilian frame with single paint

Builder’s Choice: Courage
Honorable Mention: Rebelledo
Sponsored by D2 Shoe and Sampson: Prize included: A pair of custom shoes & orthodics, and a Sampson TT bar

Best in Show: Renovo Hardwood Bicycles
Honorable Mention: Yipsan
Sponsored by Alpha Q: Prize included: Fork, bar, stem, seatpost, and tube set

Builder of the Year: Sponsored by Edge Composites: Kent Eriksen Bicylces
Honorable Mention: Black Sheep Bikes
Prize included: Edge rims, stem, handlebar and their brand new seatpost

I will add some in depth information shortly, here are some photos with captions.

Eriksen Sweetpost Review

2009-08-20T20:56:00.015-06:00

I have been testing the Eriksen Sweetpost on and off for almost a year now, and it has one of the most innovative clamp adjustment systems I have ever used. It is not only simple, but it makes adjusts and saddles swapping a 10-30 second ordeal. In addition, it is made of the most wonderful material for bicycles, titanium. Ahh, the exquisite silky smooth titanium, drool!

I visited Kent Eriksen's funky shop last summer, and had a nice long conversation with him about everything under the sun, mostly a titanium sun of course. When Kent gets going, he likes to talk, and his enthusiasm is contagious. Kent's knowledge and expertise with titanium are unfathomable, and I learned a lot in our brief time together. His wife and hard core mountain bike racer Katie Lindquist wandered in during my shop tour, and she helped set up the review of the Sweetpost, thanks Katie.

He walked me through his small but well appointed shop, and showed me a much tricked out tandem bike with couplers that he was working on. The bottom tube was huge, and the tube was squished at the bottom brackets ends, very trick indeed. Everything that his shop works on is impeccability welded, bar none.

Here is where the Sweetposts are assembled. They had a wide array of colors for the clamps, and some stock sizes, and quite a few custom sizes ready to go out to customers.

Here are the basic parts of the Sweetpost: a titanium tube with a welded on top tube with notches, aluminum inside plate set with notches and a slot for saddle rails, aluminum outside plate set with a slot for rail, and a bolt. The plates (aka caps) notches mesh into the top tube notches', giving rise to a micro adjustment system. If you play with the system a lot the soft aluminum parts can wear a bit against the harder titanium, so you may need to replace the caps at some point in time?

Installation
Installing the Sweetpost is incredibly easy, and can be done in a very short period of time. Start to perfect finish in perhaps 30 seconds, give or take. Rotating and sliding the saddle is done with a simple 5mm hex key on one side of the seatpost clamp, and small angle adjustments can be done due to the ingenious micro notch system.

Just attach the inside plates' with the notches inward, meshing with the seatpost notches, and align the plate's slots, with the slots on the top. Slide the saddle rails into the slots starting from the rear of the saddle, and push the saddle backward to a rough desired location.

Roughly center the saddle in the slots, both in rail and angle positions. Attach the outside plates with the slots inwards onto the rails, aligning them together.

Insert the bolt into the proper outside plate hole, and slightly tighten with a 5mm hex key. Slide the rail into position (fore or aft), and rotate the saddle to the desired angle, and then tighten the bolt to 12-15 NM of torque. Done! If any minor adjustments are required, just loosen the bolt and move the saddle as needed, the micro notches keep things stable so that the saddle won't flop around while adjusting or tightening.

Impressions
As I have already stated this is an amazingly easy seatpost to adjust or swap a saddle with, and you can pop out a 5mm hex key, and adjust the saddle on the trail. I tested the layback version of the Sweetpost, since I like that position on my bike, and it also gives a tad more give or flex than a straight version. I hate to call the micro suspension and silky feel that titanium gives as flex, since that always has a bad connotation. Titanium has this unique property that is simply a silky feeling to itself, so even though you can hammer on it, when needed it gives you this silky feedback that is a wonder to behold or is that beheld? It is strong and resilient!

The Sweetpost is abundant in silkiness, and was really nice on bumpy trails and when climbing rough terrain; it just took the edge off the jarring feedback from the trail. When pushed hard for a pedal to the metal session, the Sweetpost was more than stiff enough.

If you have odd size rails on your saddle, such as carbon ones, you may not be able to fit them into the tight tolerances of the slots on the clamp. It expects the standard 7mm thickness for rails. Eriksen can accommodate larger rails as a custom option. The clamp plates/cap also has a large surface area in which they hold onto the rails, giving rise to better clamp force and less wear and tear on the rails.

Measured Specs
------------------
Size - 27.2 x 350mm
Version - 20mm layback
Weight - 217.5 grams

Bottom Line
The Eriksen Sweetpost is a very innovative yet simple seatpost, that allows adjustments and swap outs to be easily be made for saddles. It is made with the usual beautiful Eriksen welds, which are works of art. The titanium gives the seatpost a wonderful silky feel, that removes the edge from rough terrain, but it still retains stiffness when required. The clamp's slots will not fit every saddle rail out there, but Eriksen can accommodate as a custom option. The softer aluminum cap system notches may wear prematurely if adjustments are made frequently.

Thanks to Kent and Katie!

Strengths
-Ease of saddle adjustments
-Eriksen welds and reputation
-Titanium

Weaknesses
-Premature wearing of notches on aluminum caps
-Slot of clamp will not except all sized rails
-Pricey

Value Rating: 3.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers
Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Eriksen Sweetpost Specs
Widths: 27.2 , 30.9
Lengths: 225, 250, 275, 300, 360 and 400 mm.
Versions: straight or 20mm layback
Clamp colors: Red, blue, green, pewter/ti, black, orange, gold, brown, yellow and pink.
MSRP:
Length Straight 20mm Layback
225-250 mm $195.00 $200.00
275-300 mm $200.00 $210.00
360 mm $210.00 $218.00
400 mm $218.00 $225.00

Eriksen Sweetpost url: http://www.kenteriksen.com/comp_seatpost.html

Ashima AiRotor Review

2009-08-18T20:39:00.039-06:00

I have been extremely lucky to have had an exceptionally long term test period with the Ashima AiRotor. They are one of my favorite products I have used, not only because they work excellently, but they are a credible weight weenie disc brake rotor.

During my first foray to Interbike in 2007, as I wandered around in a daze, I came upon the KCNC booth, which Wayne of Ashima was sharing with Jacky of KCNC. I was having a great conversation with Wayne, and then I became extremely intrigued when he pulled out the beta version of the AiRotor. They looked wickedly cool, and then he did what any self respecting weight weenie would do, he put them on a scale for me. I immediately knew I had to have some for testing!

Ashima AiRotors
The AiRotors come in 140mm, 160mm, 180mm and 203mm sizes (soon a 185) in the ubiquitous 6 hole IS interface. They are made from 410 stainless steel that have a special high grade improvement, and they are heat treated to HRC 42. HRC is the Rockwall Hardness Scale, which is a hardness scale based on the indentation hardness of a material. An indentation hardness correlates linearly with tensile strength of metals. HRC 42 correlates to a tensile strength of approximately 194 ksi. The rotors are also double ground for superior flatness.

The AiRotors are now available in the colors, Red, Black, Blue, Yellow, and White!

Ashima History
Ashima was a West Semitic goddess of fate related to the Akkadian goddess Shimti ("fate"). The name Ashima could be translated as "the name, portion, or lot" depending on context. Wayne likes to call it "without limits". In the Hebrew Bible, Ashima is one of the several deities protecting the individual cities of Samaria.

The expatriate Brit Wayne Moore is the main man at Ashima. Wayne himself was a designer/project manager with the US based parts supplier Teleflex Automotive, and 4 years ago he was on his way over to China to start a new job with Ford. He stopped in Taiwan to visit his wife's family and ended up staying to help out with Ashima, which was the family business. Ashima itself was set up by his wife's siblings who already had over twenty years experience making rubber braking products. Wayne had some disc brake technology experience while working for Teleflex, and he brought that expertise into the Ashima business.

The company has had exceptional growth over the last couple of years. They have the capacity to manufacture 1 million brake pads/month (rim or disk), and since 2008, they have sold over 70,000 AiRotor discs, wow! They have a couple of very innovative and exciting hydraulic disc brakes coming to market shortly, the PCB (PanCake Brake) which is piston-less and the 4 pot APV (Ashima Power Valve System). The PCB just became a Design Award Winner at the upcoming EuroBike Show, congrats to Ashima.

Now he just needs to practice up on his Mandarin!

Impressions
Installation is straight forward, but the rotors get installed backwards of what you normally consider the proper direction for disc brake rotor rotation. Instead of the struts rolling against the direction of rotation they go with it. UPDATE: Ashima now states that their rotors should be run the normal direction! I will leave the original information in the article since it is at least interesting fodder.

The reason is that the AiRotors lightweight struts perform significantly better under tension, since under compression, they are subject to bending forces.

Before I start giving my impressions of the AiRotors, there are some caveats that I need to state up front.

Caveat #1, these babies require sintered pads, don't even think about using organic pads, the shape of the cutouts and their sharpness will eat organics for lunch.
Caveat #2, expect fast wearing of pads, per caveat #1.
Caveat #3, use of any after market rotor may invalidate your brake warranty.

Measured Specs
----------------------
Ashima AiRotor $40:
140mm 67.5 grams
160mm 80.9 grams
180mm 109.5 grams
203mm 142.4 grams

Hayes Stroker's $45:
160mm 114.7 grams
180mm 151.7 grams

Scrub's $145:
160mm 57.5 grams
180mm 65.2 grams

Marta SL's $24:
160mm 102.8 grams
180mm 126.4 grams

Alligator Serrated $50:
160mm 92 grams
180mm 113 grams

I tested the AiRotors on an Ibis Mojo and an Moots Mooto-XZ 29er, and I used 2007 Magura Marta SL's, Magura Marta SL Mag's and Hayes Stroker Gram's for my braking stable. I cross compared the rotors to the Scrub Component, Alligator Serrated, Hayes Stroker and Marta SL rotors. The pads varied from organic, semi-metallic and sintered, mostly sintered. The terrain consisted of smooth and rocky singletrack (more rocky), and lots of rock gardens and extremely technical trails. The terrain is mostly local, and ridden frequently, so it was easily repeatable for good quantitative comparison. They got the brunt of any weather conditions that can be expected in Colorado, including snow, rain, hail, dry, etc.

Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!

On normal terrain, they really work like any stock rotor, and you really hardly notice any difference, except for a slight ticking whirl noise they make, which I believe is due to the cutouts and their interactions with pads. It is fairly subdued noise, so it never becomes bothersome or annoying.

When the terrain becomes technical or steep, and you grab a big chunk of the brake at slower speeds, they can be a bit grabby. However, if you feather them a bit less than they work really well. In fact, the feathering touch that you can get with these rotors is exceptional, and it is really nice in rock gardens and other technical spots where it is nice to check your speed.

Where these rotors come into their own though is on long steep downhills, or anywhere you start to build up some heat on the rotors and calipers. These babies just don't seem to fade, they just keep ticking along (that noise again) without the slightest inkling of heat buildup. It is a bit freaky sometimes switching back to stock rotors, and doing the same exact long steep section and feel brake loss due to fading issues. The AiRotors just have an unflappable resiliency to fading, call them the heat dissipation Mack Daddy.

Dawg! Did you see that pimpalicious Mack Daddy ova therr?

The rotors are tested to extremes by Ashima to insure that they will withstand the rigors of mountain biking with ease. Check out this video showing what an AiRotor can withstand, talk about red hot!

When in comparison to stock rotors, they are slightly less powerful. However, as soon as you get into fading situations (which is easy to do) they will more than make up for that by still working at the same power level, while the stock rotors have cascaded down in strength.

The cutouts, their shape and how they are positioned all work in synchronicity to aid in air circulation and heat dissipation. Except for the subtle ticking noise, they are a fairly quiet rotor, and when they get wet they dry quickly. In general they have good wet performance, although mud isn't a player much in Colorado, they seemed to do fine with grit and grime from a good rainstorm.

There were some reported distortion issues with the 203mm size AiRotors, and sales were temporally suspended while they resolve the issue. I am testing a newer more beefy version of the 203mm, so they should be out soon. UPDATE: It turns out that the reason for the warping was running the rotors wrong direction, so they have returned to the original style and specify to run them in the normal rotor direction.

Tuning
They can make a squeaking noise if the pads aren't taken out on occasion and cleaned (scratch them on light sand paper), but I do that for all my brakes. I think the quick pad wearing has something to do with the need for a more often cleaning. I suggest cleaning the rotors with alcohol at the same time for good measure.

Bottom Line
The Ashima AiRotors are an exceptional brake rotor, they are lightweight, look cool, have a wonderful feathering ability, and they have just incredible resistance to fading. The innovative engineering that went into the AiRotor, really shows itself in the unique design and shape of the cutouts and struts, engineering that truly relates into functionality. They can have a grabby feel, and tend to wear pads quickly, and can only be used with sintered pads. They are distributed in the US by J&B Importers, so ask you LBS to hook you up with a pair!

My weight weenie heart and soul had been pleased by a useful, excellent and functional product. Without Limits!

Strengths
-Exceptional feathering abilities
-Lightweight
-Excellent heat dissipation

Weaknesses
-Quick pad wear
-Slightly grabby
-Sintered pads only

MSRP: $39.99

Value Rating: 5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers
Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

AiRotors url: http://www.ashima.com.tw/products_01_01.html
Ashmia url: http://www.ashima.com.tw/

American Classic All Mountain Wheelset Review

2009-08-17T11:37:00.005-06:00

I have been using the American Classic All Mountain wheelset for over 6 months now, and it is not only sweet looking, but it has proven to be bombproof, and has some innovative and interesting features.

American Classic All Mountain
The AC All Mountain are available in both a 26 inch and 29 inch size on a 28mm wide 32 hole rim, and only come in White with some simple but nice looking graphics. The wheels come outfitted with black 14/15 gauge aluminum spokes with silver aluminum nipples in a 3 cross pattern. The hubs come in a wide variety of options.

Front hub options:
Disc 130 100mm
15mm Thru Axle Disc 100mm
20mm Thru Axle Disc 110mm

Rear hub options:
Disc 225 135mm
All Mountain Disc 135 135mm (12mm axle)
Downhill Disc 150 150mm (12mm axle).

All the hubs use the ubiquitous 6 bolt IS interface. I tested the 15mm Thru Axle Disc 100mm front and Disc 225 135mm rear on my usual Ibis Mojo Steed.

American Classic History
American Class was founded over 27 years by Bill Shook, and they have become an industry leader in the wheel and component design arena since their inception. While road racing back in the 70's, Bill found that the American market was lacking in durable, lightweight and well made bicycle equipment (namely rims, wheels and tires). After a successful road racing career, Bill received a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Ohio State University. With his new found engineering know how, and a head full of dreams and ideas he founded American Classic. Since then the company has created many products, including seatposts, rims, hubs and wheelsets for road and mountain biking, and everything in between. They continue to be at the forefront of innovation and engineering in the bicycle wheel world, and have many patents and new products as a barometer of that expertise.

Features

Rims
The 32 hole rims have a tall wedge shape to themselves, which greatly increases their strength. The rims are 28mm wide, and are 26mm tall and 12mm wide at their base. I really liked the white color of the rims, as they tended to blend with most forks, and showed dirt a lot less than the typical black rims.

Valve Identification
They have one white spoke (the rest is black) which points to the valve hole, so no more wondering where the valve is at when you need to check your tire pressure or fill your tires. I can't count how many times I have to do the old twirl the tire until I see the valve stem.

15mm Thru Axle Disc 100mm
The front is a 15mm specific hub, which is new to their product line. Like many other wheel and fork companies, they have joined onto the 15mm bandwagon. Although I wasn't able to weigh the hub by itself, when I examined the 15mm hub at Interbike last year it was very light and was supposed to weigh around 116 grams.

The hub uses 17mm axle and 17mm bearings with double seals, and is forged out of one piece of aluminum. I found the hub to be a very stout and durable, and they were always ready for rolling along the trail.

Rollin', rollin', rollin'
Though the streams are swollen
Keep them dogies rollin'
Rawhide!
Rain and wind and weather
Hell-bent for leather
Wishin' my gal was by my side.
All the things I'm missin',
Good vittles, love, and kissin',
Are waiting at the end of my ride

Disc 225 135mm
The rear hub uses a patented six pawl cam, and 24 ratchet teeth for engagement with the pawls. To be exact, the six pawl cam actuated engagement system consists of six double-tipped pawls, which engage in unison with 12 of the 24 ratchet teeth on the cassette. Whoa!

The Disc 225 has been in their product line for many years, and weighs in at 225 grams (not verified). The hub has a 17mm axle, and a one piece forged 7075 aluminum cassette body. One new feature on the rear hub is steel inserts/attachments on the aluminum cassette body to prevent galling and tearing of the cassette body. Aluminum cassette bodies are lightweight, but are soft, so they are prone to damage from a cassette's interaction during drivetrain use. Bill Shook came up with a brilliant idea to add a couple of steel inserts on the splines, so that the tougher steel can take the abuse, and you still get the lightweight of the mostly aluminum cassette body.

On the left is an aluminum cassette body and the gouging damage that occurs through normal usage, while on the right is the newer steel faced American Classic aluminum cassette body, notice the significantly less damage that has occurred:

The steel face design is very innovative, and will not only increase the longevity of the cassette body, but it will keep the tolerances tight with better drivetrain performance. The Disc 225 has been reliable (one minor tightening required), and stiff, although it would have been nice to have a bolt on 10mm instead of the wimpy QR's. The hub was extremely quiet, and I hardly ever noticed that they were buzzing along while riding.

Impressions
The wheelset spent a lot of time in very rocky areas, and they had some good up close and personal time with some rock gardens. I never really noticed any flex issues, they just seemed to plow through most anything without much of a whimper. Fast or slow, stop or go, they acted exactly the same. Dropping off ledges and small jumps was no problem, but I can't comment on anything that I would consider 'hucking' since I don't do that. During normal trail use, they had admirable rolling resistance, and I only noticed the extra weight on butt smooth trails, and that was really only in comparison to my weight weenie set.

They were light enough that they accelerated nicely, and without much effort. They still had a bit of resiliency to themselves and had a nice feel, and didn't have that dead feeling that some downhill wheelsets can have. They steered responsively and with good precision, with greatly aided with handling. When needed, they could be cranked over at any angle and railed to your heart's content.

Measured Specs
AC AM front 881.8 grams
AC AM rear 997.7 grams
Total 1879.5 grams

I tried quite a few tires with the wheelset, and during that time I converted the rims to tubeless mode using one of NoTubes rim strips. Most tires fit just fine, but on occasion some tires didn't seem to want to fully inflate and would stay under sized, especially in their width. UST tires seemed to be the most problematic.

Over the 6 months of heavy use, I have had to do some minor tightening twice on both hubs. The rims have stayed reasonably true, enough so, that I haven't bothered to adjust them as yet.

Bottomline
The American Classic All Mountain wheelset is a fine product that nicely cusps between the cross country and all mountain worlds. It is durable, moderately light, accelerates nicely, and still has enough resiliency to give it a lively feel. The steel facing on the aluminum cassette body is an innovative feature that will increase that life of the body and keep the drivetrain snug. Their new foray into the 15mm front hubs have been successful and lightweight, while their old workhorse rear hub is quiet as a mouse.

Strengths
-Steel face on cassette body
-White spoke pointing to valve
-Lightweight (for all mountain)
-Quiet rear hub

Weaknesses
-No option for 10mm bolt on
-Some tires have fitment issues

Value Rating: 4 Flamin’ Chili Peppers
Overall Rating: 4 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

AC Specifications
Discipline - MTB Cross Country, All Mountain
Rim sizes - 26 and 29 inch
Weight - Front 900/956 gr Rear 1010/1064 gr Pair 1910/2020 gr
Front Hub - 32 hole: Front Disc 130 100mm, 15mm/20mm Thru Axle Disc 100mm/110mm
Rear Hub - 32 hole: Disc 225 135mm, All Mountain Disc 135 135mm, Downhill Disc 150 150mm
Bearings - 6803C3 Stainless Steel
Spokes - AC 14/15 Gauge Spokes Black
Pattern - 3 Cross Front and Rear
Nipples - AC Aluminum Nipples Silver
Brake Interface - 6 Bolt International Standard
Look/Color - AC Crest White
MSRP - $789.95

AC All Mountain url: http://www.amclassic.com/products/mtbwheels/allmountaindisc.php

Syntace Vector 31.8 Carbon Handlebars - Initial Impressions

2009-08-14T14:24:00.009-06:00

I have been testing the Syntace Vector 31.8 Carbon handlebars on my Moots Mooto-XZ 29er for around a month now, and I am highly impressed. Dare I say that they actually have a Titanium feel to them! I have never used a set of carbon handlebars that had such a wonderful feel to them. They are not only bombproof, but they look good, have a nice sweep to them and are decently wide.

Specs
Weight 189 g (verified at 190.7 grams)
Width 680 mm
Rise 10 mm
Clamp Ø 31.8 mm
Sweep 9° or 12°
Color Carbon

I needed some different handlebars when I converted my Mooto-XZ from a 100mm travel 29er to 120mm. The extra raise and slackness of the front end made it too difficult to use the old school layout (flat bars and 100mm stem) that was the default on the bike. To help alleviate the slackness and the stretched out feeling, I went with a 90mm stem and the Vector 318 low rise bars.

The Vector 318's have a couple of interesting features. One feature is that the clamp area has some extra protection that has been added to it. It has what they call an 'in-molded titanium lattice', which helps protect the handlebar from the crushing loads of a stem clamp. You can see it in the picture as sort of a glued on tape zone under the stem clamp. It also provides a nice anti-slip section, since it has a tackiness to it that helps prevents movement.

Although the handlebars look a bit shiny and slipperier, I had the darnedest time getting the grips to slide onto the handlebar ends. I used more than a few choice words during the escapade of getting the grips installed.

The Syntace Vector 31.8 Carbon handlebars are one sweet new toy that I am really enjoying, although I am still getting used to how wide they are. They have an incredible feel to them and have several unique features, including the clamp area protection, and they meet DH 2002.4 accreditation, the world‘s toughest test standard for handlebars and stems.

Syntace Vector 31.8 Carbon url: http://www.syntace.com/index.cfm?pid=3&pk=1529

DT Swiss EXC 150 Review

2009-08-05T19:41:00.038-06:00

I have been using the DT Swiss EXC 150 fork for 6 months now, and the fork has stayed on my bike longer than any other test fork, which really says a lot. It is not only gorgeous looking, it's an incredible all around, and enjoyable fork that just does most everything right.

DT Swiss History
DT Swiss AG was formed in 1994 by Marco Zingg, Maurizio d’Alberto and Frank Böckmann, and they are headquartered in the outskirts of Biel Switzerland. They manufactured spokes, which is still their bread and butter business, and is their main claim to fame. They have added hubs, rims, wheels, and shocks to their product line in the years since then, and they really got the suspension business rolling when they acquired Pace Cycles Ltd in 2006. They continue to make incredibly great products that meet that typical Swiss build quality, and they have evolved into being one of the premier carbon suspension and rim builders in the world. Mini quiz: what is the country code for Switzerland?

The ISO country code for Switzerland is CH, which comes from the Latin Confoederatio Helvetica (Swiss Confederation). The word Helvetica refers to the Helvetians, one of the Celtic tribes that lived in what is now Switzerland around the 1st Century BC.

DT Swiss EXC 150
The DT Swiss EXC 150 (i.e. 150mm of travel), is DT Swiss's premier long travel All Mountain fork. The EXC 150 has some interesting features such as hollow carbon fiber reverse arch, carbon fiber legs, a proprietary 15mm thru axle, and an intriguing locked lowering system. EXC stands for Enduro X-Cross Carbon. The forks actual full name is the EXC 150 Air RTLC 15 (Rebound Threshold Launch Control)!

It is available with either a standard axle or their 15mm thru axle, which is what I tested. It has 32mm aluminum stanchions, an aluminum crown, 1 1/8" aluminum steerer tube, post mount brake tabs, and is tuned using rebound, air, compression and platform adjustments.

The only change from previous year’s model is that the thru axle is now their proprietary 15mm axle instead of a 20mm pinch clamp axle. They have jumped full force into the 15mm axle bandwagon, and you can get many of their wheels and hubs with that axle variant.

Features

Launch Control
The Launch Control functions as a fixed lowering utility, meaning it lowers the height of fork to a set position, and places it into a locked platform mode. To engage it, you just press down on the small red wishbone lever on top of the right fork leg, and give a good push down on the fork, and it becomes a 110-120mm locked fork.

To disengage the lockout, either pull up on the lever or push down hard on the fork, and it will return to its normal full travel. It has a threshold adjustment, which senses the amount of force required for the Launch Controls disengagement, and it works either when you are manually causing the disengagement or when you hit a large bump while it is locked. There is a small black wheel underneath the red wishbone lever that you use to adjust the threshold. I used it on several smoother trails, and it works like a charm. In fact, I had to change my body English slightly, as I was putting too much weight on the front end of the bike, which is usually needed to keep the front end down on steep climbs. I can see this being a very useful function on long steep climbs.

Rebound
The rebound is on the same lever as the Launch Control. It is extremely easy to set, you just swing the un-notched red wishbone through around 90 degrees of adjustment. It can also can get accidentally adjusted since the lever just sits up on top of the fork, and bushes or yourself can hit the wishbone, and move it out of place. Not the most carefully thought out system, but fortunately it only gets out of whack by a small amount. Perhaps if the lever was notched it might prevent this?

Reverse Arch
The DT Swiss uses a carbon hollowed out reverse arch, which is stiff, light and very pretty. Much like Manitou forks, the reverse arch provides the greatest torsional stiffness possible for a given weight, and allows for an arch that is shorter and stiffer than traditional designs.

15mm Thru Axle
The thru axle is based on the DT Swiss proprietary RWS (Ratchet Wheel-mounting System). The RWS thru axle is comprised of an axle with threads at one end, and a ratcheting handle on the other, which can be engaged or disengaged with a button to rotate freely on the axle. I really like the RWS as the thru axle on this fork, it is the simplest, quickest and the fullest proof system I have ever used. Simply insert the RWS and it slides easily through the hub, then twirl the ratcheting handle clockwise to engage its threads until it's finger tight. Reverse it to take it off. With most thru axle systems, getting the axle engaged is a task, you need to align the axle, fork and hub just right for it to all mesh together. The DT Swiss RWS thru axle is smooth as silk to engage. If the ratcheting handle gets in the way of the fork, or it isn't in the proper orientation you want, just push the button on the levers' end, and the ratcheting handle pulls out slightly and is free to move anywhere by holding it out. To re-engage just let it pop back in.

Carbon Fiber
The carbon fiber legs along with the carbon hollow arch is a sight to behold, and certainly make them one of the most bling forks on the market. The carbon fiber gives the fork impressive stiffness, svelte legs and delicate lightness. Since my main test steed (Ibis Mojo) is all carbon, the fork really blends well with the bike.

Low Speed Compression
The adjuster for the low speed compression is located at the bottom end of the
right fork leg. By adjusting the low speed compression the deflection speed changes.
Low speed compression damping regulates low damper shaft speeds.

Measured Specifications
Uncut steerer: 1808 grams with RWS or 1740.1 grams without
Thru bolt (15mm RWS): 67.9 grams
Cut steerer: 1768.9 grams with RWS or 1701 grams without
Crown to Axle: 525 mm

The Test Bike
Frame: Ibis Mojo
Rear Shocks: Fox RPL (main), DT Swiss XR carbon
Wheelset: American Classic All Mountain
Tires: Conti Rubber Queens 2.4, Schwalbe Fat Alberts 2.4
Brakes: Magura Marta SL, Hayes Stroker Gram

Ride Impressions
The main competition during my long term test with the EXC 150, was the Manitou Elite and the Magura Thor (both 140mm), so I had some nice ways to evaluate how the fork functions and compares as I swapped back and forth between each of them.

The EXC 150 reminds me a lot of the Magura Thor, it has great mid range feel, and really firms up towards the end of the travel. The major differences are the EXC 150 is a bit plusher, and has better small bump compliance, but it can't compete with the rigidity of the Thor's double brace. The EXC 150 is plush, but cannot stand a candle to the Manitou Elite, which is the plush Meister. The additional 10mm of travel is really nice to have, and it only takes a minimal adjustment period to get used to the extra height of the fork. I always seem to forget to measure the average maximum travel that I get on each of my rides, but it seems to revolve around 125-135mm. On some rare occasions (especially when I was running lower pressure) I did get the full 150mm of travel.

I took the fork up onto my favorite terrain, the Burn Zone in Monument Colorado. It has a very long section that has rock gardens, sharp turns, small drops offs, gravel, loose rocks, and some interspersed smooth sections. The fork climbs incredibly well up the rocky sections, and the rock gardens did not faze it at all. The fork just stuck like glue throughout the rough stuff. The plushness and the sweet mid travel of the fork were pretty impressive. Small side glances and trail changes did not affect the stability of the fork, it seemed to float along the trail. This is a very good climbing fork. When going downhill through the rock gardens the fork just squished along, fast or slow it seemed to be very comfortable and content. On an occasion, drop offs or hard sudden tweaks, the fork flexed just a bit, but it was usually very stout and stiff. On some drop offs and spots where the wheel got choked between rocks, the fork had a tendency to have some fork dive, adding more air to alleviate this issue caused the fork to lose too much of its characteristics (it got way to firm).

When I did get the fork dialed in, I was pleasantly surprised on how well the fork rode. The fork just seemed to float along the terrain, and I almost forgot I was using a long travel fork until I hit some big obstacles. I can’t recall a fork that just made the easier terrain sort of disappear beneath me. The fork gelled over small undulations, with incredible small to medium bump compliance. On larger bumps, it firmed up comparatively, and there was a tad of fork dive, that tuning did not totally solve. The additional travel, the nice linear travel (small to medium bumps), and the sweet plushness of the fork were very nice.

Here is a split video of a helmet and frame mount, using the EXC 150 fork:

The Burn Zone, Mt Herman, Monument, CO from Brian Mullin on Vimeo.

Tuning
I weigh 155 lbs., and tend to ride a lot of rocky terrain that can really slam suspension pretty hard, and 70-80 psi seemed to work at the best for me. If you use lower pressure, you get more plushness, but the fork dive increases greatly. Increasing the pressure, the fork gets stiffer, with fewer fork dives, but it loses too much of its characteristics. Sag was usually around 25%. I used the rebound and low speed compression slightly positive from the middle setting.

Bottom Line
The DT Swiss EXC150 is a great fork that has exceptional mid travel, firm deep travel, nice plushness, decent small bump compliance, and a lockout feature for steep climbing. It's an excellent climber and a great downhiller, although it had a tad of fork dive on occasion, and it showed a hint of flex when pushed to its extreme limits on some terrain. This fork does like to fly down terrain, and the extra 10mm travel over its competition really adds a nice touch. I do wish it had an adjustable platform, even though the launch control is a nice feature, I just never really used it very much. The RWS thru axle is a very ingenious system, and is one the best that I have ever used.

Did I forget to say this fork is damn beautiful?

Strengths:
-Stiff
-Lightweight
-Drop dead gorgeous
-Plush
-RWS thru axle

Weaknesses:
-Pricey
-Occasional fork dive

DT Swiss Fodder
Travel: 150mm
Weight: 1750 grams
Steerer tube: 1 1/8" anodized aluminum
Crown: aluminum forged, CNC machined, painted
Stanchion tube: 32 mm aluminum, black anodized
Outerleg unit: Hollow carbon arch. Carbon tubes, Dropouts aluminum forged
Spring: Linear air spring with negative spring
Damping system: Open bath with Launch Control
Adjustments: Air-Pressure, Compression, Rebound, Threshold, Launch Control System
Disc brakes: Post Mount 6 inch, max. 210 mm
Color: red, anthrazit, gloss carbon
Axle to crown length: 530mm
Fork offset: 40mm
Dropouts: 15mm
Maximum tyre width: 26" x 2.55"
MSRP $1563

Value Rating: 3.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers
Overall Rating: 4 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

DT Swiss EXC 150: http://www.dtswiss.com/Products/Suspension/DT-Swiss-Forks-%281%29/EXC-Forks.aspx
DT Swiss EXC Fork manual: http://www.dtswiss.com/getdoc/f8bf1e32-2dac-488a-9b3d-9aed6d2c63cc/Datasheet.aspx
DT Swiss Fork Technical Specifications: http://www.dtswiss.com/getdoc/00588306-1aa9-46e2-a187-b70d9e25bea2/TechnicalDatasheet.aspx

Race Face Next XC Cranks Review

2009-07-30T23:04:00.033-06:00

I have been testing the Race Face NEXT XC crankset for 3 months now, and it is very lightweight, highly engineered, very trick looking, and best of all it is extremely stiff.

Happiness is a nice Stiff one

The Race Face NEXT XC crankset system is comprised of the EXI bottom bracket, the drive side arm with bonded CrMo spindle, the non drive side arm, and arm protection end caps. It comes in a very pretty box with everything very nicely laid out.

Race Face has been making carbon cranks for 10 years, and they spent 2 years of extensive R&D to create these 100% carbon cranks. The workmanship, innovation, design, materials analysis and artistry of that allocated time really shows in the quality of this product. The cranks are manufactured in their British Columbia Canada manufacturing facility.

Carbon Fiber 101
The history of carbon fiber starts out in 1958 in the hands of a freshly minted Ph.D. in physics, Roger Bacon. While working at Union Carbide Parma Technical Center located outside of Cleveland, he was doing carbon arc testing using stands of rayon, and he created some deposits, which contained carbon fiber whiskers. Unbeknownst he may have also created the first carbon nanotubes?

Carbon fiber is composed of carbon atoms bonded together to form a long chain of extremely thin fibers about 0.005–0.010 mm in diameter. Thousands of carbon fibers are twisted together to form a yarn, the yarns are used in several processing techniques: the direct uses are for prepregging, filament winding, pultrusion, weaving, braiding etc. It is usually then combined with an epoxy resin to form a composite material. Carbon fiber needs precursors for its creation, and either rayon, PAN or pitch is used. The mostly widely used precursor is polyacrylonitrile (PAN), which was researched by the Japanese in 1961, and then developed by Japanese and the British. Using PAN as a precursor creates much higher strength and higher modulus fibers.

In a nutshell: carbon fiber is a high strength, high stiffness material that when combined with a resin matrix creates a composite with exceptional mechanical properties.

Construction
The Race Face NEXT XC all carbon crankset has big flat, and broad, and hollow cranks arms that have a very subtle carbon patterning to them. The patterning is really only noticeable to close inspection, and looks a bit more like someone took a cross section of a rock crystalline structure, showing off large phenocryst (crystals).

During the construction process, the crank arms have all unnecessary material removed from the center core, so they have none of the typical internal aluminum spines that most carbon cranks use. They use a pre-impregnated proprietary carbon material that is sourced from the North American aerospace industry, and supposedly is the same material used on the much delayed Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The composite material is cut it into the required shapes, and it is then laid up around a core, cooked at temperature, and compressed under 8 tons of force! How the core is removed is a trade secret.

The pedal and spindle inserts, and the CNC CrMo spindle is molded and bonded in place for strength, lighter weight and durability.

Installation
The new EXI interface external bottom bracket system is easy to install or remove with standard tools and has a fully adjustable chainline. The bearing cups are triple wiper sealed, and the bearings are filled with Phil Wood grease, which should provide good long term durability.

Installation steps:
1) Lube the threads of each bottom bracket cup, insert the drive side BB cup and tighten it to 47 N-m, insert the non drive BB cup and tighten it to 47 N-m.
2) Lube the race on the crank arm spindle, insert the spindle with its nifty guide cap into the BB, give it a few taps so that it lays flush against the bottom bracket, remove the spindles guide cap.
3) Lube the spindles spline and the non drive side crank arms threads, put on the non drive side crank arm 180 degrees to the drive side crank arm, tighten it down with a torque wrench with a 8mm socket to a monstrous 61 N-m (it takes a lot of turning to get it there).
4) Done!

Impressions
The set came with a very trick set of 'Pedal End Boots', which go over the end of the crank arms to protect them. I am always bashing my pedals and crank arms into rocks, so I really like these, not only for the protection they offered the crank arms, but the subtle cushion, they provided to me on impact with rocks. I am willing to put up with the small weight increase (16g) for these on any bike.

The CNC 7075 aluminum chainrings (22/32/44) shifted quite nicely using their patented S.H.I.F.T. technology, and when I did miss a shift once, the hollow arms made a unique ping noise. Do they shift as well as XTR? Close, but no, they are not yet at that magic XTR shifting level. The cranks did not come with the newer turbine shifting, so I can't comment on its shifting abilities.

While out riding I really noticed how stiff these cranks are, they give me instant power access and there was no noticeable slop in the system from them. I like to do a lot of slow speed and hard torque moves on technical terrain, which really puts a lot of stress into the drivetrain system, and these cranks were incredible in that realm. I found myself moving down one gear on some of my rides due to the increased ability to apply power to the ground. They offered fast acceleration and provided a snappier feel while cranking and mashing on the pedals. I could make some ugly technical climbs that I haven't been able to do before or at least could now do with better style.

Weight Specs(175mm size):
Pedal end boots 16.3 g
Right arm, spindle, chainrings and bolts 448.6 g
Left arm 171.6 g
Bottom bracket 112.8 g
Pedals washers 3.4 g
Total 733 g
Total w/ extra's 752.7 g

Bottom Line
This is an amazing lightweight crankset, that is all carbon (outside of the CrMo spindle and pedal inserts), has incredible power transition to the wheels, looks great and has very cool bash guards for the crank arm ends. They are the stiffest, and snappiest cranks I have ever used with shifting that is close to XTR (but not quite). Crackalicious!

Strengths:
-Stiff
-Lightweight
-Arm end caps
-Carbon

Weaknesses:
-Pricey
-Not quite XTR shifting

Specifications
Sizes: 170mm and 175mm
Material: Carbon fiber composite arms with CrMo spindle
Chainrings: 22/32/44 - 100% CNC 7075 aluminum with S.H.I.F.T. technology
Bottom bracket: external EXI system with triple seals and Phil Wood waterproof grease
Weight: 730 grams (with included BB)
MSRP: $774

Value Rating: 3.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers
Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Purchase Race Face Next Cranks

Race Face Next XC Crank url: http://www.raceface.com/components/cranks/1/