What’s really in a name? Well, get up close to a Morewood and you’ll know understand. I think most of you will agree, these bikes look pretty damn hot. Morewood bikes are no-nonsense machines from South Africa that were well thought out before being thrashed around, and then thought over again before going into production. In their 12th year of producing high quality mountain bikes, Morewood has some new surprises for 2011 that should be of interest.

One of the first things that caught my eye at Interbike was the prototype trail bike (still yet unnamed) which, upon closer inspection, really is hot. The split pivot at the back (seatstay / chainstay) really grabbed my attention. This allows the bike to decouple acceleration forces from braking forces. At the other end of the bike you get a nice tapered head tube mated to a carefully crafted down tube and top tube. By selecting the profile of the tube as well as controlling the wall thicknesses you get a structure that is both strong and resistant to flex.

Taking a look at the Makulu below in metallic red (photos just don’t do this color justice), this a single pivot machine that is stiff, strong, and meant for the steep slopes. The pivot areas in particular got extra consideration for spreading the forces generated by the accelerating / decelerating forces that the suspension goes through when hitting a bump.

Instead of plates welded directly on to the frame, the Makulu features a single sculpted component welded completely to the tube. This reduces stress risers which over time may cause cracking. The top tube has also been altered to increase stiffness. Instead of using a sculpted tube like last year’s model, the Makulu now sports a straight tube oriented to be wider across the headtube and then coming into the seat tube with an added gusset. The 150mm through-axle is really the only way to go for DH right now so of course Morewood is on top of it. And the integrated rear post mounts address a few issues while giving things an overall cleaner look. Now I only hope an integrated 203mm post mount is in the works which will do away with the need for an adapter altogether.

Now don’t get me wrong here – Morewood makes bikes for almost every application but since I’m gravity-minded I couldn’t resist checking out the long-travel eye candy. Morewood produces a variety of bikes including 29ers, XC FS, bikes as well as hardtails and you’re really going to have to see these bikes for yourself to fully appreciate them. If you have a chance, check out the Morewood website for further info.

The Morewood line represented visually. From morewoodbikes.com.

Over the past few years Schwalbe has been gaining momentum, producing some great mountain bike tires like the Nobby Nic. I recently had a chance to test the 2010 Fat Albert 26 x 2.40 Evo Snakeskin Triple Nano (one of 7 Fat Albert flavors) and at $83.55 MSRP it’s not necessarily what I would consider a cheap tire. Do I think it’s worth the money? You gotta read on to find out…

The Fat Albert is available in front and rear specific tires, each with 7 configurations depending on width and tire compound. I tested the Evo Snakeskins on my FR bike because this tire claims to combine great traction with relatively decent weight. Out of the box the Fat Alberts came very close to their advertised weight (750 grams) and installing them was a snap. I inflated the tires to 38psi (after a bit of debating) and I was off to Blue Mountain with my OPUS Nelson and gear in tow for some serious slope time.

After abusing the Fat Alberts thoroughly on the slopes I can honestly say these perform very well in most of the terrain I have around my area. Some of the trails I rode during my tests were heavily rooted and rocky while others were nearly flat and hardpacked with a fine layer of dust on top. I even pointed the Fat Alberts down a few steep and loamy slopes (think North Shore).

At 26 x 2.4 this tire is well suited for heavier riders (it’s rated for loads up to 330lb. per tire at max pressure). The large volume and low TPI casing allows for more squish before a rim strike. I’m 190lbs with equipment on and I didn’t suffer a single rim ding while racing down the rock gardens at Blue Mountain.

One thing I learned to love about running the Fat Albert front and rear is the level of traction I got on the trail. In certain off-camber turns the Fat Alberts kept the bike on track, holding lines that other tires I’ve tested simply couldn’t hold. I found I got even more traction out of these tires in moist terrain, usually under tree cover where the soil doesn’t dry out as much. It’s a good thing too – those parts of the trail are usually the most technical with switchbacks, roots, and zig zag turns.

Perhaps the best thing about the Fat Albert tire is its predictability and evenness. When you pitch some tires into corners they tend to change their traction characteristics which can make the rider feel a bit uneasy – but not the Fat Albert. These tires ride very much like another favorite tire of mine, the Maxxis Ardent. Pitching the bike kept the same traction level as I went from the center tread to the transition knobs and finally the U-shaped cornering knobs. Perfect, especially when you’re going fast and threading the bike through steep, technical corridors.

Braking was excellent with the Fat Albert tires thanks to the tremendous amount of grip they offer. Of course that grip comes with a bit of a trade-off  in terms of increased rolling resistance. That’s not to say this is a bad rolling tire but it’s certainly not the best I’ve seen. On flats you tend to feel the tire below you which to me means there’s a bit of energy loss.

If you’re looking for a tough, predictable tire that will corner great, brake great, and survive nearly anything you can toss at it then these are for you. Looking for a tubeless or more economical version of this tire? Check out the Schwalbe website for more Fat Albert configurations.

I would like to thanks the folks at Schwable for sending the tires for review.

Here is some extreme eye candy for mountain bikers who look at canyons and think ‘meh, I can gap that!” The fabled Dorado Pro from Manitou has been totally re-engineered by some of the top folks in suspension development. After ordering my Dorado Pro ($1,750 MSRP, gulp) I was sleepless for nights until it arrived. The best mountain bike technology doesn’t usually come cheap and these hand assembled beauties are no exemption.

The Dorado Pro is handcrafted at Manitou’s HQ in Wisconsin by Chris Volbrecht, a dedicated and degreed engineer (not some assembly line worker who just follows an instruction sheet). Chris rides, commutes, and races his mountain bike as much as anyone at Hayes Bicycle Group. “He’s an asset and part of our test group as well so he’s contributing all over the place here,” said Richard Travis.

It’s guys like Chris at Manitou who ensure consistency in performance from fork to fork (much like at Ferrari). Think about it, you get a top level engineer who really knows his stuff assembling forks by hand one at a time and not in Taiwan or China for that matter. When my fork arrived I felt like I had my own personal race engineer working for me. To top it off the fork arrived in a reusable case that looks like a padded rifle case (I had fun explaining that one to the customs officer). When you purchase the Dorado you also get one year of free service so you can use the plastic case to send the fork back and forth. Just tie wrap the locking points closed, contact Manitou, and send it off.

The Dorado Pro along with the Answer DH direct mount stem and Answer ProTAPER 780 DH bars.

A bit on the technical side

Unlike the top shelf carbon fiber Dorado MRD, the Dorado Pro is made of 7050 aluminum. Other than that, internally both forks are the same. The inverted configuration on this year’s Dorado is totally different from the previous Dorado forks and the chart below quantifies some of the other changes the fork has seen over time (thanks to the folks at Manitou for providing this).

The key improvement for 2010 is the sealing of the new Dorado which is especially important since the fork is essentially flipped upside down. The damping technology, Manitou’s TPC+ (Twin Piston Chamber), uses dedicated pistons for compression and rebound. A third trick piston adjusts the damping curve even further depending on travel.

The Dorado features Manitou’s proven 20mm hex through axle bolt to ensure that down at the axle everything stays stiff and pointing straight ahead. The axle is held in place with four M5 bolts which secure the aluminum axle after you install the wheel. Although it may seem like overkill, side wheel impacts (think boulders in a rock garden) can create momentary forces as high as 55,000 psi (yes I did the math) on a single M5 bolt. While most hardware can handle those forces, Manitou designed the Dorado for maximum redundancy and reliability on the World Cup circuit. To make sure the lowers are further protected, the M5 bolts are threaded into a proprietary steel clamp nut rather than an aluminum clamp.

The Dorado Pro feels bottomless thanks to the hydraulic bottom-out circuit that basically covers your butt whether you come up short, miss a landing, or overshoot. This is a something you won’t see in other forks and the great thing is you don’t have to think about it when you’re jumping.

Up top you have your choice of either a flat or dropped clamp stem using the Dorado’s upper triple clamp. Based on my riding style I decided to go with the direct bolt-on DH stem from Answer. The DH stem allows you to choose from three offset positions which are indexed at 45, 50, and 55mm. The great thing about the Answer DH stem (other than the super clean machining) is the 61mm wide face plate that really holds the bar in place. If you’re going triple clamp, spend a few extra bucks to get a direct bolt-on stem. With a direct bolt-on stem, the steering input forces are directly transmitted to the fork rather than via the steering tube to the fork. Plus getting the bars aligned with the fork will be one less thing to worry about.

Installation

NOTE: Unless you have all the correct tools and completely understand the installation instructions, do not attempt to do this job yourself.

Given the amount of money this fork costs, I don’t recommend attempting to install this yourself unless you know what you’re doing. Otherwise it’s a very expensive experiment. For the experienced bike mechanic, installing the Dorado is about as easy as any other fork on the market. My trick for installing a triple clamp fork is to have both the upper and lower clamps as close to the bearing cups as I can get them to keep everything as stiff and compact as possible. My OPUS Nelson frame is designed around a onepointfive head tube while the Dorado’s steering tube, like most others on the market, is a 1 1/8″ steerer. To make everything fit together I used the Cane Creek XXc adapter headset.

Once the headset cups were in place I installed the lower crown race to the fork. I measured the stack height and decided to go with the flat upper crown since it falls between the recommended cup-to-cup measurement. Once the clamps were in place (torque them to 95-110 in-lb) I measured the steering tube extensions and cut enough off to leave room for two 5mm spacers and the top cap. People  make a critical error here and cut the tube to the height of the top of the upper clamp and that is a BIG mistake. Don’t forget to leave additional steering tube length for that top cap.

Once that’s all set, the stem and the rest of the installation is easy. Use a torque wrench for all remaining bolts and note that disc size is limited to 8″ (even for a guy my weight this works fine). Your only real choice here is the adapter that you use (international standard or post mount).

Configuring the Dorado Pro

Configuring the Dorado suspension settings takes both time and patience, sorta like an F1 car. You’ll need to adjust the main air spring pressure, low speed compression, high speed compression and rebound; knowing the sequence is half the battle here. Go for a few good rides first, bouncing the suspension to get everything well lubed before changing any settings. Now you’re ready to set the air spring pressure.

To set the fork’s air pressure, remove the black cover on the left side of the fork and set the sag to 30% of the full extension length (about 35 – 45mm). After following Manitou’s extensive setup guide and inflating the shock I was able to get the proper sag in no time.

Next up is the high speed compression setting (black bezel ring) on the lower right of the fork. Test this on a familiar section of trail that you know well, preferably one with lots of jumps and square edged rocks. I like to set up my fork so it doesn’t blow through the travel too quickly while taking the “sting” out of my wrists when landing. In a nut shell, look for a smooth, controlled event.

After the high speed circuit is set you can adjust the TPC + circuit (low speed). This comes into play when you’re riding berms, rolling hills, or off the saddle pedaling. Just remember to hold the high speed adjust before setting the TPC+. Look for a fork that doesn’t feel too rigid over the berms or chatter over small bumps (too much compression). Also make sure the fork isn’t so soft that it feels slow to respond or wallowy.

Rebound (the knob on the right) is the last setting and this one controls how quickly the fork returns from compression. Having too much rebound tends to keep the fork compressed longer and packs down over multiple hits (losing travel in the process). With too little rebound you get a fork that pushes you up off the bike and the front tire doesn’t follow the terrain well. That in turn may cause you lose your line, grip, and time.

The good thing about the controls is they’re all easy to adjust without removing your gloves. That’s a big plus since you may find yourself tweaking things many times down a single run. And the detentes have the most positive feel to date.

Riding the Dorado

Hitting the slopes on a Dorado is like nothing else. Have you ever had one of those moments on the trail where what you see and what you feel isn’t in sync? Riding a Dorado is a lot like that. During testing I watched as my bike flew over boulders and nasty terrain but that wasn’t what I felt. Instead I got a nice controlled ride while the suspension worked like mad beneath the bars. Even after big drops I got super controlled cycles.

One of my most memorable rides with the Dorado was on a freshly redone O-Cup course at Kelso with two large jumps. There’s a rock garden followed by some high frequency ripples and a G-out before the first jump followed by another G-out up to the second large jump with a smooth transition to a 4-foot step down. What an awesome rush! You would expect to be all over the place with that one yet the bike literally follows exactly where you point it. A testament for sure to the performance of the Dorado and the Opus that it attaches too.

If I could collect frequent flyer points with this fork I would be rich. The Dorado loves the rough stuff and will certainly put a smile on your face. Even daunting rock gardens that would blow through the travel on most forks is a cake walk for the Dorado Pro.

Here is my performance chart for the Manitou Dorado Pro:

As you can see from the chart, this fork is about as perfect as you can get. Manitou really did their homework and the result is an awesome fork that works oh so well on the slopes.

Details from Manitou:

I would like to thanks the Folks at Manitou for setting me up with the Dorado for review as well as the good folks at OPUS for a perfect platform to mate the Dorado with.

Here’s a collection of outerwear from THE that’s geared towards the heavier-duty rider who is looking for tough, durable, good-looking trailwear for serious hucking. The F-1 jersey and pant along with the Golf Skinz glove are designed for DH/FR and will even work for trail riding – though depending on conditions you might be a bit on the warm side for longer rides. Take a close look at these items at your LBS if you get the chance – both the pants and jersey are something to admire, with tonnes of subtle detaisl in the fabric that just don’t come through in photos (no matter how I try).

THE F-1 Jersey

True to the F-1 name (Formula One comes to mind), this jersey ($99.99 MSRP) is truly high tech. Starting at the arms, you get a sleeve that neither bunches up, runs up, or snags no matter what moves you put on the bike. The sleeve is naturally bent and padded at the elbows and forearms (cleverly hidden in the stitching pattern). The arms also feature enough room for armor without requiring you to order one size up.  Clearly Toby Henderson and the crew at THE really did their design homework.

The F-1 jersey sports a whopping 34 vents (six per arm, six in each arm pit, 4 front, 4 rear, and 2 side wrap arounds). The jersey material and stitching are heavy-duty and each seam from one panel to the next is double, if not triple, stitched. The back panel is cut so that even when you’re bent over it covers your behind without creeping up and exposing your plumbers crack.

THE F-1 Technical Pant

The F-1 Technical Pant ($109.99 MSRP) is surprisingly versatile and I found myself wearing this one a whole bunch. Most of my riding includes rock gardens, log rides, and general stunts with the ever present chance of losing footing on the pedals so rather than wearing bulky armor and shin guards all the time, I found these pants were a suitable stand-in.

These pants feature padding covering the tibialis anterior (that is, your shins) with a highly abrasion proof material on the outside that stands up well to pedal slips. Strategically placed soft, yet durable, stretch fabric is placed where it is needed the most at the knee, back side of the calf, in the crotch, and along the back side of the pant. Besides being functional, these stretch zones really lend themselves to the overall comfort of the pant. An elastic waist and velcro, adjustable side straps keep the pants in position without a hint of drooping. Inside the pant you also get a thin padded area that adds a slight measure of comfort, but if you’re going a longer ride you may want to add a chamois-lined inner short.

Golf Skinz Gloves

Last but not least is the Golf Skinz Glove ($39.99 MSRP). This full-featured and full-fingered glove can best be described as a do-all glove. Heavy duty enough to take the rigors of FR/DH riding yet light enough for those who prefer a full fingered XC glove. The Palm is one piece made from fine suede leather and once broken in it offers good grip and a comfortable feel. The top of the glove features a combination of perforated leather on the outer two fingers for durability and strength with EVA foam padding and Aeroprene. The terrycloth thumb works great for wiping away sweat and stretch nylon at the knuckles gives fingers a full range of motion. The micro-adjust strap secures your hands nicely for a form-fitted glove without any unwanted movement.

On the trail

Wearing the new F-1 Jersey, Pant and Golf Skinz gloves was great, with or without body armor. When I first received these articles I thought they might be a bit impractical but I can happily report I was wrong (don’t judge a book by its cover!). The long-sleeve jersey isn’t as hot as you might think and I found the pants felt so good that I couldn’t help but wear them as often as I could. There were a few instances where I found them a bit too hot, especially when the temps were up there. Other than that, the fit and pre-shaped cuts made riding enjoyable.

The other upside to the pants and jersey is the protection they add without the need for armor. The tough material and light padding makes them perfect for aggressive trail riding or AM riding.  The gloves were, as you would say, the cherry on top. They felt great and I really liked the split on the knuckles with the stretch nylon which kept the fabric from pulling on my finger tips.

This trio of equipment from THE showcases Toby Henderson’s commitment to quality equipment at great price points. Heck, at this price I say get two sets! Compared to other brands (some at more than twice the cost) these are a great deal. All items are available in either black or white so check out THE for your sizing.

A quick thanks to the folks at Toby Henderson Enterprise for sending up the products for review.

Back in May I wrote about the high performance Race Face Respond crankset which really exceeded my expectations for the price range. Now I’ve had a chance to test other components in the Respond group and I’m ready to share my reviews. For me nothing beats setting up a bike all with a single component group because it gives the bike a nice clean look with matching graphics. In addition to the crankset, Race Face offers a riser bar, stem and seat post to complete the Respond group.

Race Face Respond Handlebar and Stem

First up are the Respond bar ($54.99 MSRP in white) and stem ($56.66 MSRP also in white). With a full 28″ bar width (710mm) and a choice of either 1.5″ or a flatter 0.5″ rise, you have two decent positions to set yourself on the bike. Unfortunately the bar is only offered with a 31.8mm diameter so if you’re considering a new bar but only have a 25.4mm stem clamp you’re outta luck. The upshot is most bars are now migrating to the 31.8mm size, with the exemption of some XC race bars.

These bars are clearly meant for the AM / DH crowd where riders need the strength of a fatter bar at the stem. As far as weight is concerned, the bar comes in at 370g  for the 1.5″ rise version and 335g  for the 0.5″ rise version – not too shabby for the price. If you’re looking for weight savings and still want mega strength, you can always grab the 700mm wide Atlas AM bar at 270g or the strongest bar from Race Face, the Atlas FR (340g /780mm wide.)

Coming around the bends with this bar is awesome and speaking of bends the Respond has a very comfortable 9 degree rearward bend with a 4 degree rise. The bars naturally keep your wrists pretty straight with a slight tuck inward, but not too much. Although the Respond bar is made from aluminum it doesn’t ride harshly; instead it has a comfortable amount of flex. While this 28-inch wide bar isn’t the widest around, it works equally well for the AM rider and the FR or DH junkie. I personally love the Whitemare finish, but for folks who just like a simple black Race Face has you covered there as well.

The Respond Stem shown above is the larger 1.5-inch diameter steering clamp version (there’s also a 1 1/8 inch option). Both sizes are set up with a 10 degree rise and you can choose from 45mm or 60mm lengths. Looking at the stem up close you can see even at this price point Race Face puts a lot into quality of workmanship and aesthetics. Most of us may not think about it but keeping a stem looking good while remaining rigid and strong is not an easy task; yet Race Face manages to pull it off well.

Without divulging too many trade secrets, the Respond stem is forged out of 6061 aluminum and is then machined to its near final shape. The stem is then media blasted to relieve stress and harden further before it’s sent out for beautification. To minimize the chance of cracking a bar at the junction where the bar meets the stem, Race Face completed engineering analysis and reduced the stress riser. They also designed an interlocking face plate resulting in a U-shaped clamp. This design transfers more loads through the stem rather than the bolts where they may break. At 195g for the 45mm and 215g for the 60mm, these stems aren’t breaking records but they will ensure your bar stays in place without breaking off on that large huck that you’ve been sessioning all day long!

Respond Seatpost

Rounding out the Respond group is the twin bolt seat post ($47.99 MSRP). The great thing about this seat post is that it can take a massive amount of abuse and hard landings without creaking, complaining, or slipping. This is thanks to the super strong 6061 aluminum head that has been forged and CNC-machined to exacting standards. I particularly like this design due to the fact that both bolts are easily accessible and the grooves which hold the post allow for small incremental adjustments between seat positions. The upshot: it’s easy to dial in that seat angle and keep your lower bits happy.

The hinge on the head of the seat post allows for easy saddle removal and allows for either 7mm or 8mm seat rails. If you ever manage to trash your seat or need to change things up, the hinge makes for quick and painless changes.

The Respond seat post is 350mm long which is more than enough for the AM rider and those who ride DH/FR may even want to trim it down a touch. Just in case you’re wondering, the set back (offset) of this seatpost is 19mm which does give the rider a little extra room (many of the posts on AM/DH bikes are 12mm set back or none at all). The Respond seat post is offered in 4 diameters (27.2, 30.0, 30.9, and 31.6mm) which may limit those whose bike doesn’t fit one of those sizes.

Overall I have to say reviewing the Respond components was great. Good looks, not too expensive, and everything performs well with no issues. I personally like a slightly wider bar for DH but who knows, maybe a wider Respond bar will be available in the new year. If you have a chance, try out a bike that has the Respond components on it – I am sure you will like them!

A big thanks to the folks at Race Face for sending up the Respond components for review.

While the big three shock manufacturers seem to have the lion’s share of the market these days, there are a few companies out there that are working really hard to make a name for themselves. One of those companies, Diverse, is making waves on the FR / DH scene with their new Dueler shock.  Diverse started off in 2002 making springs for motocross bikes and suspension tools and as MTB enthusiasts themselves, they moved into the MTB market in 2007 with a coil over shock and titanium springs (cha ching). After speaking with Fadi Ahad about Diverse, I really got the sense that he knows his stuff as well as his customers, giving them what they want at a price they can afford. This is accomplished via a direct sales approach which bypasses the distributor.

I received the 8.75″ x 2.75″  ( 220mm x 70mm) Dueler Shock ($339.99 MSRP)  in a neat box almost ready to go. Complete with a titanium spring (450 lb/in), all I needed to do was install a set of bushings for my frame set (standard RS or Fox hardware) and I was off. The Dueler comes preset at the factory with 120 psi in the bottom out control which can be adjusted simply by adding more pressure into the chamber with a high pressure pump. Pretty sexy I gotta say.

A good thing about this rear shock compared to others out there is the Dueler can be rebuilt by nearly any decent tech. Heavier riders may opt to change out the fluid but for the most part this shock comes ready to rock. The DH needle set installed on the Dueler I tested needs faster shaft speeds to work properly (more on that later) while the more user-friendly DH / AM needle set is now in production and comes standard on the new units.

Set-up and configuration

Now the difficult part. Setting up the Dueler can tricky depending on which setup you get. The Dueler version I tested features DH valving which requires hitting the slopes to get things set it up properly. The set-up sequence is critical: rebound first, followed by high speed compression (HSC), then low speed compression (LSC). After the shock speeds are set, you’re probably going to have to set sag by pre-loading the spring (if you got your spring rate right that would be about 4 turns pre-load). Check the old spring on your bike to get an idea of the spring rate you’re currently using; otherwise a rate change may be in order. If the stock spring rate on the Dueler isn’t right for you, you can choose one with a different spring rate for an additional $50.

Starting with rebound, the shock should extend as quickly as possible without “bucking” the rider off the bike, yet not so slow that the shock “packs down” and doesn’t return in time to absorb the next bump (lost travel). If therebound rate is too fast, turn the knob clockwise to increase damping (slow rebound). Conversely, if the rebound rate is too slow, turn the knob counter-clockwise to decrease the damping (faster rebound). Rock gardens offer the best test to see whether rebound is dialed in correctly.

Next up: high / low speed compression settings. Start off with both adjusters in the middle of the travel. Now find a few good drops where you will be riding that involve some serious damping. I chose a nice flowy section of trail with a gnarly rock garden followed by a G-out and then two good jumps and a drop down. While sessioning the section, I simply adjusted the HSC to prevent bone jarring landings. Here you’re looking for the shock to compress in a controlled state without being too stiff.

Once the HSC  was set, I started on another section of the slope with some serious bermed corners – perfect for setting up the LSC. Here I was looking for the bike to enter corners, pitch, and come out without feeling wallowy in between. In other words, a crisp and fast reaction out of turns but not so fast that the bike would start to shimmy. It took a bit of work but a few clicks from the middle to the “+ve” side and I was there.

Trail performance

Hitting the trails with my Opus Nelson1, I found the Dueler worked equally well with both single crown and dual crown set-ups. With just a bit of tuning the Dueler was clearly most effective when traveling fast over terrain rather than slow. Considering that the Dueler valving was tested by a bunch of DH racers, I can tell the speeds those guys run at compared to my speed is a good bit higher.

I got a chance to test the Dueler on nearly every trail surface you can think of – rock gardens, loamy flat corners, berms, drop downs, table tops and double jumps – and I can say that they Dueler matched up great with the Melson and worked very well on all those surfaces. I especially found that the control of the compression circuits felt spot on when hitting kicker-style jumps to a drop down. I also noticed very quick compression ramp-up which decelerated the bike almost instantly without the harshness of the impact traveling through my wrists like some shocks I’ve tested. Now on the really slow technical stuff you may find on some FR runs, the Dueler felt a bit soft. Most of the softness can be tuned out but it takes a bit of time fiddling with the HSC and LSC once again.

The Diverse Dueler is a competition-ready shock that’s more than capable of taking on anything you can toss at it. With its high quality build, light weight, and durable toughness, this is a shock that just works great. At well under $400 you get all this plus a Ti spring to boot (to keep the weight down, just 410 grams compared to 600 grams plus for other steel sprung rear shocks). Contact your LBS or Diverse to get the shock configured just the way you want it.

ADJUSTMENTS:
- High Speed Compression
- Low Speed Compression
- Rebound
- Spring Preload
- Bottom-Out (Air Pressure)

FEATURES:
- TITANIUM SPRING
- PRC, Progressive Ramp Control (Reservoir Volume)
Standard on 9.5×3.0 and 10.5×3.5 Dueler PRC Models

Thanks to the folks at Diverse for providing the Dueler for testing and OPUS for a great test bike for review.

Here is some bling for those who like to stand out from the crowd. Troy Lee Designs (TLD) has been working with Selle Italia for the past few years, bringing us some fresh new looks to the otherwise boring black mountain bike saddle. This year, Selle Italia and TLD bring us the 25th anniversary”Pistone Bone” ($132 MSRP) to set the brave apart from the humdrum.

The SL TLD Pistone Bone is light enough for any type of riding at 230 grams but is still strong enough for extreme freeriding. The saddle’s backbone features 7mm diameter rails made from manganese and cromoly. To make sure the saddle isn’t too unforgiving, the shell features a mix of approximately 30% carbon composite / 70% ‘fiber glass’ matrix that “gives” in the bumps rather than staying bone-shatteringly rigid.

Underneath the super cool Lorica covered saddle, the padding molds itself to your behind over time, making for a perfect custom fit. I can easily see myself taking this seat off my FR bike and switching it over to my trail bike just because of that feature. Speaking of cool coverings, check out the graphics on this saddle. Totally awesome, totally Troy Lee. Selle Italia’s website has more great looking saddles in the TLD series of saddles including some like the SLR T1 that are almost too nice to ride.

On the trails (and on my trail bike), the SL Pistone Bone took just a short while to get used to because it’s a little different from my current saddle. In the end, the saddle did end up molding to my butt and with the 131mm wide base and 275mm length I found it just right. I set the saddle up parallel to the ground, making sure there was no pressure on the front end. The width was just perfect for me and felt fine without the hot spots that some saddles can create, especially in situations where pelvis spacing is way off. I could easily do 2 to 4hour rides on the Pistone Bone with little reservation.

On the FR bike there is not a lot of sitting but a saddle really can take a beating. Going off jumps and landing, the saddle gets banged around when your body weight bears down on it all at once. Some saddles can’t take that kind of abuse and tend to have their rails bend like a wet noodle. The SL thankfully did not. The covering even seemed to hold up pretty well to some of that abuse with minor scuffing along the sides (which only slightly detracts from the cool looks).

Overall, the Selle Italia / TLD Pistone Bone is a cool saddle with great looks and a comfortable feel. Light weight and strength blend together on this saddle for a smooth and comfortable yet bad-ass ride.

I would like to thank the folks from Selle Italia for providing this saddle for review.

The Syncros Crux pedals are intended for downhill, freeride, 4x, trials, BMX racing, and dirt jump applications. If you’re into any of that stuff and are looking for a pedal with unparalleled grip, look no further.

Syncros uses a high quality, 6061 aluminum alloy for the pedal body. The result is a pedal that’s lightweight and stronger than it needs to be. Because this pedal is competition oriented, it is lighter than Syncros steel pedals but does not come with the same lifetime warranty. The concave shape produces maximum foot/pedal contact and the specially designed replaceable pins provide more grip than any other pedal I’ve tested.

The Crux pedals feature an axle made of SNCM CroMoly, the hardest axle material available. Four bearings per pedal will keep it spinning smooth and free of play for a long time. And if the bearings ever do wear out, you can easily rebuild the pedal with parts available at your local shop. At $183.95 MSRP, these pedals costs $40+ more than the competition but at just 428 grams they’re 90-110 grams lighter than similarly priced pedals. Oh yeah and the graphics look great, especially when paired with the matching FR 31 bars. The Crux pedal is available in black & grey grunge, white & grey grunge, and white & purple grunge.

The Ride

Initially I was a bit skeptical about the size of these pedals since I’m used to riding a bigger platform. But after just a few minutes my concerns disappeared. The slightly smaller platform means all the pins dig into your shoes, minimizing slippage.

Whether you ride with a skate shoe or 5.10’s, these pedals offer plenty of grip. The unique pin design bites into your shoes so once your foot is on the pedal it won’t slip off. These pins will take a chunk out of your shin if you do slip a pedal so Syncros highly recommends wearing leg armor while using the Crux. When paired with 5.10’s, the Crux provides so much grip it feels like you’re clipped in. This makes the Crux pedal ideal for terrain where your foot would normally slip around such as technical DH, Freeride, dirt jumps, and skatepark riding.

All this extra grip gives you instant confidence. Within minutes I was jumping higher, riding faster and pulling better moto whips than usual. This confidence extends into all riding situations be it rock gardens, corners, jumps, steeps or skinnies. The Crux pedals don’t spin during foot tricks like no footers thanks to the tight bearing tolerances – a nice touch for sure. I even got some props from other riders at Joyride 150, my local bike park, on the look of these pedals and how well they matched the FR 31 bars.

The Verdict

After over a month of pounding these pedals hard they are still good as new. The Syncros Crux pedals should continue to perform flawlessly for months to come, given the impressive materials Syncros builds these pedals with. These are the best pedals I have used to date and I highly recommend them for their intended use.

Similar Products Tested

- 1664 Beaver Traps
- Axiom Roadgap
- Easton Flatboy DH
- GT Flats
- Mosh Flats
- Truvative Holtzfeller
- Truvative Hussefelt
- Wellego Flats

Thanks to Syncros for supplying the Crux pedals for testing.

About Syncros

Syncros started operating out of a Vancouver bike shop in the 1980’s, producing parts that could withstand the pounding dished out by riders on the nearby North Shore Mountains. Syncros was bought by Ritchey in 2003 and today produces high-end components built tough enough to withstand the most difficult trails while maintaining competitive weights and prices.

Today’s fastest MTB racers are choosing increasingly wider handlebars in an effort to improve leverage and control. Gravity racers are also demanding low rise or flat bars which allow the rider to get into a low, powerful position. Syncros understands this and offers the FR 31 bar for extreme riders looking for maximum width and minimum rise.

If you look around the pits at a DH race, you’ll find that most racers run bars 710-785mm wide with 0-1” of rise. These days most DH race bikes are equipped with either the Chromag Fubar OSX, Raceface Atlas, Sunline V1 or Truvative BooBar handlebars bolted to the front end. Syncros aims take some market share from these 4 companies with the FR 31 handlebar. At 315 grams these bars are around 10% heavier than the competition but at just $66.95 MSRP, the FR 31 is $20-50 less expensive than the others.

Looking at the bars, the first thing that strikes you is the width. At 790mm (31 inches), this is the widest bar on the market which translates into unparalleled leverage and control. Every rider I talk to who has switched to wide bars likes the extra control and refuses to go back to narrower bars. Of course if you just can’t get used to that much leverage or if you regularly ride trails with really closely spaced trees, you can always cut the bars to size.

The Ride

There’s a reason why all the top racers are running wide bars like these. It took me about an hour of ride time to get used to the FR 31 bars but after that I was launching jumps higher, pinning corners faster, pumping rollers better, pedaling harder, and rolling through rough terrain more easily.

No matter the terrain, your bike will feel more stable with these ultra wide bars. The width, rise, and sweep combine to put your hands in an ideal riding position which allows you to exert more power on the bars. In particular, the low rise puts you into a streamlined, race-ready position. I tested in black/grunge black bar, which drew some compliments, especially when paired with the matching Crux pedals.

The Verdict

The Syncros FR 31 bars are a perfect choice if you are a new school rider looking for more control overall and I wholeheartedly recommend them.

Similar Products Tested:

- Sunline V1
- Truvative Team DH/XC
- Truvative Holzfeller
- Truvative Hussefelt
- 2007 Raceface DH

Thanks to Syncros for supplying the FR 31 bar for testing

About Syncros

Syncros started operating out of a Vancouver bike shop in the 1980’s, producing parts that could withstand the pounding dished out by riders on the nearby North Shore Mountains. Syncros was bought by Ritchey in 2003 and today produces high end components built tough enough to withstand the most difficult trails while maintaining competitive weights and prices.

Here is yet another great MTB product from the Great White North Shore for ya, eh. Race Face was nice enough to send down the Respond component group for my dream project bike, the Opus Nelson Freeride. Today I’m going to give you the skinny on just the crankset – you’ll have to wait to hear about the rest later.

Whoever said you can’t have performance, light weight, and low cost in one package obviously hasn’t see the Respond crankset from Race Face. At just $160 MSRP, this crank is a big time value. Not only are you getting a high performance crank at a budget price but you’re also getting DH strength at all-mountain weights.

The Respond crankset is all about the features. Made from 7050 aluminum, the crank arms are not only relatively light but super strong. The newly designed DH Race bottom bracket, which starts out its life as a forging and is then machined in a CNC, keeps the crank arms all lined up and spinning smoothly. The over-sized bearing cups hold 35% more bearings and are packed with Phil Woods lube to prevent water wash out; and Race Face keeps it all contained using completely revamped triple seals.

The “Whitemare” model pictured above (love that name), comes with a ton of fitting options. Choose from crank arm lengths of 165 / 170 / 175mm and BB cup sizes including 68/ 73mm / 83mm. On top of that you also get choices on ring sizes. I opted to get a single chain ring with 36T and a matching light weight bash guard.

Installing the Respond took a bit of work but nothing a semi-skilled home mechanic couldn’t handle. Just make sure you have all the necessary tools on hand: an external BB tool such as the Park BBT-9 and an 8mm allen wrench or 8mm allen socket and wrench. Seeing that everyone out there has their own favorite chain retention device and various chainlines, it is also wise to have a ISIS crank arm puller.

Once you have all the tools gathered, it’s time to remove the old BB cups and give the BB shell a good cleaning.  After that, read over the instructions and pay close attention to the width of your BB shell so you can match the correct number of spacers and get their respective positioning (keeping in mind the chain retention device if you’re using one). Once the spacers are configured, tighten up the cups to get the shell all squared away. Install the cranks and check alignment.

For my installation I found I had to shuffle the provided spacers to get a no noise condition with the chainrings and top guide on my e-thirteen SRS+. After all is said and done, expect to spend about 30 minutes getting the cranks set up. Be sure to check the final torque (61 N-m) and don’t forget the pedals before you head out.

Hitting the trails with the Race Face Respond crankset was awesome. Off jumps and rockgardens there was zero perceivable flex from the cranks on landing. Hammering the bike in rock gardens and bashing the crank on the occasional rock didn’t seem to affect the crank at all and I really enjoyed the smooth pedal feel from the new bottom bracket. Even after a few good rides with all kinds of crud and repeated washings, I didn’t notice any loss in bearing smoothness or performance. Clearly the bearing cup and seal re-design made a big difference in how well this unit seals out contamination.

The beefy DH specific chain ring and the relatively light bash ring also make a good combo on the trail. The strong chain ring kept my chain moving along nicely and the bash ring saved the teeth of my chainring more than once. The bash ring also kept the chain from getting pulverized, giving me a confident feeling when wailing over the sharp and unforgiving Canadian Shield granite. I found myself looking a bit further down the trail than usual instead of worrying about my cranks getting bashed.

Stay tuned for more on the Race Face Respond group as well as some other great goodies from RF as well. If you’re on the fence on getting a new AM/DH/FR crank, then check these out for sure.

Specs from Race Face

BUILT FOR:AM/DH/FR
SIZE: 165,170,175 68/73, 83mm BB SHELL
WEIGHT: 1092g (22,32 & BASH)
RING CONFIGURATION: 22,32 & BASH
24,36 & BASH
DH & BASH
DH RING
COLOR: Whitemare

I would like to thanks the great folks from Race Face for providing the Respond cranks for a review. Ehh..

Ten days ago I reviewed the RockShox Totem fork and I mentioned testing the matching Vivid 5.1 rear shock as well. Now it’s time to let you know a little more about this shock.

The RockShox Vivid 5.1 is chock full of features but first I want to talk about its construction. Using race proven, hard anodized forged aluminum construction and a 12.7mm hard anodized 7075  aluminum piston shaft, this shock can take a serious drubbing. The Vivid also sports an intelligently laid out control system which allows you to get to the knobs without too much worry.

Speaking of controls, the Vivid 5.1 lets you tweak beginning and end stroke, rebound, and low speed compression. You can also adjust the spring pre-load (common on sprung shocks) and the drop stop bump stop.

Setting up the Vivid 5.1 just right took a bit of work. Using the trailside tuning guide that comes with the Vivid is a great start – it even includes a section for you to note your set-ups for specific courses. I recommend writing everything down, including temperatures and soil conditions as well (just in case).

My Opus Nelson was set up with a spring rate of 400lbs which was a touch too soft so I decided to get the 450lb spring from Rockshox. I set up the preload to about 20% sag and continued with the shock adjustment. RockShox mentions an initial set-up of 3-4-10: 3 clicks low speed compression, 4 clicks ending stroke rebound, and 10 clicks beginning stroke rebound.

I hit the trails with the preliminary settings and quickly realized I need to make adjustments. My local trails are mainly on the harder side of things with small patches of loamy and soft pads. Based on the conditions I went with a softer compression setting (2 clicks) which gave me a bit more grip when the tire was looking for traction. The end stroke rebound setting was the toughest one to nail down but I managed to get it right after carefully adding a drop of synthetic lube to moisten the seal and working the adjustment a bit. I ultimately ended up with 5 clicks on the end stroke control and it felt great. On the beginning stroke rebound, I dialed back to 8 clicks which was a bit too quick of a return so I ended up with 9 clicks, which felt just about right. Note: these adjustments may seem minor (just one click in either direction from the initial settings) but trust me, it makes a huge difference in performance!

The Vivid 5.1 felt comfortable hitting everything from rock gardens to step downs to major jumps. Fully dialed in for the terrain and your riding style, this versatile shock works very well. The internal hydraulic circuits are sensitive enough to control both slow and fast shaft speeds with equal efficiency thanks to the Dual Flow adjust technology. The control dials need to be worked loose a bit so I added synthetic lube to the seals which made it easier to turn the knobs. Other than that, I found the Vivid 5.1 to be a good rear shock with no need for using air to control the bottom out resistance like some other shocks I’ve tried. Rockshox wisely opted to used a nitrogen charge that you won’t need to fiddle with.

This shock is for anyone who has a bike with 6 inches of travel or more and intends to hit the trails and slopes hard. And with the Vivid 5.1, the harder you hit the trails, the better it performs. You’ll also find the Vivid 5.1 adapts well to the varying terrain beneath your wheels. My test bike, with 7.2 inches of travel, felt like it magically gained an extra inch of with the Vivid 5.1. The progression of dampening worked great in compression, with a smooth increase in resistance near the end of its stroke. I don’t think I ever bottomed out the suspension but if I did, it was so smooth when hit the drop stop bump stop that I didn’t feel a thing.

Give the Rockshox Vivid 5.1 ($343 MSRP + $30 spring) a test for yourself and I’m sure you’ll agree it’s a solid choice. Before you order you may want to contact your bike manufacturer and ask them what spring rate would work best for your weight and riding style. Sometimes it may take a few days for a reply but it will be worth it in the end.

I would like to thank the folks at RockShox for sending over the Vivid 5.1 for product review.

Specs from RockShox

Words like tail whip, case proof, table tops, doubles, rock garden waterfalls, shuttle runs, and sessioning will get your heart pumping and adrenaline soaring but before you saddle up you need to make sure you and your machine can survive it all. I recently had the privilege of putting some time in with the RockShox Totem Solo Air fork and Vivid 5.1 rear shock on my Opus Nelson and not only did we survive – we owned it.

This year’s RockShox Totem Solo Air DH ($1096 MSRP) includes a high pressure pump as well as the SpeedLube kit. You have a choice of aluminum steering tube options (1 1/8″ straight, 1 1/8″ – 1.5″ tapered and 1.5″ straight) so if you’re in the need of a 180mm fork the Totem is sure to have you covered. My fork comes in at 5.8lbs which is more than half a pound lighter than the previous Totem coil I was running.

Installation and Setup

Since this fork costs over a thousand dollars and sports a 1.5″ steering tube, it may be wise to have someone with the proper steering tube cutting guide tackle installation for you. I recommend the SG-7 from Park Tool or a pipe cutter capable of cutting pipes over 1.5″ in diameter. Either way you go, it’s imperative that you get the steering tube cut straight and to the correct length the first time, especially if you’re not planning on using spacers. The proper tube length can be determined by measuring the steering tube, adding the stem measurement (the length of steering tube that the stem covers), and finally the stack height. Don’t forget to subtract 3mm from that total to allot space for the top cap. Check this article on how to install a fork for further information.

Once the Totem is installed it’s important to break in the fork. Pump in the recommended amount of air into the left fork leg and then jounce things around for a good 20 minutes or so to get all the fluids where they should be while relaxing the internals a touch.  After that, it’s time to set up the Totem and head for the trails.

The Totem Solo Air DH has settings for beginning rebound, high speed compression, low speed compression and air spring pressure. When personalizing my settings I usually start with air spring pressure. I put on all the equipment I normally wear on the bike – helmet, armor, hydration and snacks. I weigh myself with full gear and use that number to get the recommended air pressure setting. Looking at the sag meter on the right fork leg I set my fork at 25% sag.

Low Speed Compression

Setting the low speed compression is the next step and it’s a good idea to start at full soft (about 4 clicks in) before adding clicks until you’re satisfied that the front of the bike doesn’t dive excessively when pedaling or hitting the brakes hard.

High Speed Compression

Finding the right high speed compression setting will take a bit of time riding as you need to get the speed of the fork up. The best way to check your settings is to take a drop or a square edged corner to get the shock reacting quickly. Again, I like start at about 4 clicks in and I keep adding damping until I have a controlled fork compression without the fork eating up all its travel and bottoming out (stopping abruptly in its internal bump stop). You will know you have too much high speed compression when you feel your wrists compress and an uncomfortable amount of force travels through your body on impact.

Rebound

Rebound is the final setting to manipulate and you can also do this one on the trail. Here you’re looking for a controlled return to ride height after the fork compresses. You don’t want the fork to feel like it’s tossing you off the bike on return (too little rebound) nor do you want the fork to come up so fast that it feels like the fork is losing travel over multiple bumps (too much rebound). I set rebound so that when my palms are open and I press down hard, the returning force doesn’t push my hands away from the bars.

On the slopes with the Totem

Hitting my favorite testing ground with a new fork this early in the season was a real treat and I almost immediately noticed a difference in how the fork performed compared to the older coil unit that I had. Right off the bat the reduction in weight on the front end made it much easier for me to change direction through tricky obstacles. Consequently, going over flowy sections on the slope didn’t leave me as tired from pulling on the bars and left me with an ever bigger grin than usual.

The trails where I ride offer a great mix of rock gardens with progressively larger rocks (one of BTB’s favorite features to challenge riders) plus sections of super fast and smooth lines. These trails also go from raggedy, off-camber rooted sections along steep slopes to multiple step downs, step ups, and progressive table top jumps – basically your everyday freerider paradise.

The transitions from fast stretches dropping into the tighter, technical rooty sections was great for testing the Totem’s low speed compression. This fork maintained its composure, controlling the attitude of my bike while braking and keeping the front end at ride height without feeling harsh in my hands. With the drop downs and table top jumps I felt like I was landing on a soft pillow before rapidly recovering with a controlled return to ride height. Whenever the bike hit the ground, the fork did its thing on initial impact, slowing me down without that harsh feeling on the wrists. Rebound also felt good coming back without bucking me off like a wild bronco.

From my tests I could also tell that this fork is tough – really tough. At one point I cased a jump so bad I had a few of my buddies on speed dial to 911 as I skidded across the dirt in a 720 degree body flip. There wasn’t a scratch or dent on the fork despite that tumble and everything still works great.

For those of you who are looking for a heavy-duty, single crown FR fork, the Totem Solo Air DH should be on a real short list of must haves. If pressed for a complaint about this fork I’d have to say I’d like to see a cable clip for the brake cable instead of having to use a cable tie (nitpicky, I know). I really love the simple layout and how easy it is to tune this fork; the high flow compression piston is my new best friend. And for those of you who love being an individual, the Totem comes with a massive sticker pack that allows you to make this fork uniquely your own. Check out the RockShox website for further details.

My overall ratings (out of 10)

Specs from RockShox:

I would like to thank the folks at RockShox for providing the Totem Solo Air DH for review, and of course the good folks at OPUS for the Nelson as my test bike. Stay tuned for the Vivid 5.1 review.