All posts filed under: News

New Bike Roundup First Half Of February 2020

Published by Matt Stenson

So many new bikes have been announced that we thought we’d wrap up some of the highlights into once place. Carbon V2 Ibis Ripmo Follows the Alloy Version Ibis has released an updated version of it’s Ripmo. Following the lead of the Ripmo AF the new V2 Ripmo carbon features the same geometry as it’s alloy brother. However the carbon frame ends up being nearly two pounds lighter. Ibis also says that the carbon layup is stiffer than the alloy version. You will also see a jump in prices with the frameset alone costing $2,999 and complete bikes starting at $4,399. For comparison the Ripmo AF starts complete builds $2,999. Which begs the question, for the $1,400 difference could you drop those 2 pounds where it really counts with a baller wheelset and maybe a couple other upgrades? Check out the new bike here Commencal Revises Its Meta TR with the Meta TR SX The Commencal trail bike got a revision that saw the 29er getting a shock length increase to 55mm instead of 50mm. …

New Jamis Faultline Full Suspension Bike

Published by Matt Stenson

Jamis has released a new full suspension bike 29er trail bike. The Faultline features 115mm of rear suspension and a 130mm up front. The rear suspension is driven by a rocker driven single pivot system. This suspension setup is simpler than Jamis’ more complex 3VO system. While simpler, single pivot designs can still be very effective when engineered well, as Kona, Marin and others have proven. With this simpler suspension, the Jamis Faultline is targeted a cost conscience buyer. The base Faultline A2 has a $1,749 MSRP and the upgraded A1 comes in at $2,199. This puts it in direct competition with bikes like the Marin Rift Zone and Norco Fluid FS. Builds As with any full suspension bike in this price range, the build kit of the Faultline A2 is a set of compromises. Front suspension is handled by a budget SR Suntour XCR 34 fork. The rear suspension, however, is a Rock Shox Deluxe Select R which is a pretty good mid-range shock. Drivetrain is 10 speed Shimano Deore and the brakes are …

Salsa Introduces New Rangefinder Hardtail

Published by Matt Stenson

Salsa has introduced a new entry level trail hardtail, The Rangefinder. This new hard slots in ever so slightly beneath their long running Timberjack lineup. Available in both 29 and 27.5+ configurations the Rangefinder starts at an entry level price of $1,099. That entry level price will get you a 10-speed Deore drivetrain, Shimano MT201 2-piston brakes and a SR Suntour XCR 32 120mm air fork. You also do get a Trans-X dropper post, which is a welcome sight to see coming standard on a entry level bike. On the flip side there are still a few old vestiges that we’d rather see disappear. Both the base build and the upgraded SX Eagle build come with a 10 x 141 mm QR rear hub. At this point it feels like 12 x 148 mm rear through axles should be ubiquitous. 29″ versions of the bike come with WTB Trail Boss G2 Comp 29 x 2.6″ tires, while the 27.5+ versions are fitted with the WTB Range Comp 27.5 x 2.8″ tire. Geometry The geometry of …

New Aluminum Jeffsey With Updated Geometry for 2020

Published by Matt Stenson

YT recently refreshed their 2020 bikes, but noticeably absent was a refreshed Jeffsey aluminium version. Year after year the Jeffsey aluminium has presented a compelling value for the budget conscience trail / enduro bike buyer. Well the Jeffsey aluminum is now back and it has undated geometry, bringing it back in sync with it’s carbon counterpart. Both 29″ and 27.5″ versions of the bike are available in a single base build. Unlike some other manufacturers that offer higher component specs to those that still want a metal frame, YT has opted to make this a decidedly budget build. That being said, the Jeffsey spec is no slouch and will punch above its price tag in many respects. Suspension In regards to suspension, a RockShox Yari RC is up front in either 160mm (27.5″) or 150mm (29″). The balance of the suspension is handled by a RockShox Deluxe Select rear shock with 160mm (27.5″) or 150mm (29″) of travel. The rear suspension also includes a flip chip that makes the head angle 0.5 degrees steeper and …

New Marzocchi Coil Fork and Conversion

Published by Matt Stenson

Marzocchi has a long history with coil forks and they are bringing back the magic with a new BOMBER Z1 Coil suspension fork. The new fork shares the 36mm chassis and the GRIP damper from the air sprung Z1. But, it swaps out the air spring for a new coil system. The new coil is an ultra-lightweight tempered silicon-chromium steel spring. Even with this “ultra-lightweight” coil the starting weight is 2,525g which is fair bit heavier than the air sprung equivalent. It is availible in both 29 and 27.5 configurations with travel that can be adjusted in 10mm increments from 150-180mm (depending on wheel size) via included internal spacers. Beyond your damper settings and your selected spring rate when you purchase the fork, you do get an external preload adjuster to adjust sag and firmness off the top. The spring side also includes an integrated air assist for progressivity and bottom out control. This is pre-configured and not adjustable. The fork is available in 4 spring rates. Marzocchi provides a guide for choosing the right …

New Norco Torrent “S” Steel Hardtail

Published by Matt Stenson

Norco has dropped a new “All Mountain” hardtail in one of the oldest bike manufacture materials, steel. This is not going to be your XC race bike. The builds are equipped with 4-piston disc brakes, long-stroke dropper posts and aggressive Maxxis Assegai 29er tires. Even though it shares the Torrent name with Norco’s already aggressive 27.5 alloy trail bike, this bike is a different beast. As a 29er with 2.5in tires the Norco Torrent S is not your standard entry level 27.5 plus trail hardtail. Featuring a massive 150mm of travel up front on a slack 64 degree head tube angle, a reach of 450mm on a medium and an effective seat tube angle of 76 degrees, this bike has enduro like numbers without the rear suspension. Build Options The Norco Torrent S comes in two build options and a frame only option. The base build comes in at $2,199. For this, you’ll get a SRAM SX Eagle drivetrain (the lowest Eagle option available from SRAM) combined with TRP G-Spec Trail S 4 piston brakes. …

New Ibis Ripmo AF

Published by Matt Stenson

Ibis has released a new Ripmo 29er enduro bike, this time in Aluminum. This is the only Aluminum bike in the Ibis lineup and the material change isn’t the only trick it has up its sleeve. The new Ibis Ripmo AF has slackened the headtube angle when compared with the carbon Ripmo from 65.9° to 64.9°. The wheelbase has also in turn increased and the reach has as well. What results is an even more aggressive bike on paper. The travel has been kept the same at 160mm up front and 147mm in the rear. To go along with these geo tweaks, the Rip­mo AF is com­pat­i­ble with both coil and air shocks due to a more pro­gres­sive lever­age rate on the DW-Link™ suspension. All of the builds come stock with a DVO Topaz T3 Air, 210 x 55 and are up-gradable for $100 DVO JadeX coil shock. As someone who writes about writes about and rides more “budget” oriented bikes having the same shock spec across all builds is really exciting. Often finding a build …

Giant Drops A New Affordable Stance 29

Published by Matt Stenson

Giant has long been a powerhouse in producing bikes that are a good bang for you buck. Recently though their lower end offerings seemed to be falling behind in component spec and geometry. The new Stance 29 looks to change that with an update geometry, two formidable build under $2000 and the look of a modern trail bike. The Stance 29, as the name suggests is a 29er platform with 120mm of travel in the rear and 130mm of travel up front. The rear linkage is not the usual Maestro link that Giant’s more expensive bikes do. Instead, the Stance 29 follows in the footsteps of the old 27.5″ Stance and uses Giant’s FlexPoint suspension. This suspension is a single pivot design that uses a flexing chainstay/seatstay junction. There are two builds to choose from a that come in at $1500 and $1750. They both share SRAM’s lowest end SX Eagle drivetrain. The drivetrain uses a traditional Shimano driver instead of the SRAM XD driver. Unfortunately, the rear end of the bike uses a weaker …

New 2020 Trek Top Fuel Gets a Downcountry Treatment

Published by Matt Stenson

Trek’s full suspension XC race bike, the Top Fuel, has been revised for 2020. Going from a 100mm by 100mm bike, the new Top Fuel has 120mm of travel in the front and 115mm in the rear. The Top Fuel has undergone geometry revisions with this new design. All of the changes follow the same trends that other manufactures have made to their XC race bikes. The frame design itself now borrows the Knock Block system from the trail bike Fuel line. This system utilizes a straight downtube which is stiff and lighter combined with a steering limiter and prevents the fork crown from contacting the frame. The suspension linkage has been revised and includes a “Mino link” flip chip. The flip chip and be rotated to provide a 0.5° change to the head tube angle and seat tube angle, while changing the BB height by about 6mm. On the components end, the Top Fuel builds include TwistLoc suspension lock outs. This system simultaneously locks out front and rear shocks with a Grip Shift-like motion. …

New Fox Dropframe Helmet

Published by Matt Stenson

First seen a few weeks ago, the new Fox Dropframe helmet delivers some additional protection over most traditional half-shells. It also delivers some interesting looks. Fox’s M.O.RE. (Mandibular Occipital Reinforcement) Guard design provides coverage somewhere in between a full face helmet and a traditional half shell. M.O.RE. provides more coverage for the ears, jaw, and back of the head. The M.O.RE design gives a distinctive look by leaving most of the ear uncovered and opes to build a frame around that portion of the head. Interestingly there is no mention of MIPS or other concussion reducing technologies. The helmet does come with a Fidlock® SNAP magnetic helmet buckle to provide quick entry and exit while wearing gloves. The look of the Dropframe will definitely be polarizing. Time will tell if the additional coverage and new look will catch on with riders. You can pick up the new dropframe today for $169.99.