Sorry for the late announcement but here it is: The dirtiest mountain bike drivetrains on the planet. Ok, so maybe there are nastier chains, cassettes, and cranks out there somewhere (probably in a third world country) but these riders happened to post the nastiest pics on singletracks.com.

Grand Prize

Goo uploaded this one and the judges noted the serious wear on the crank teeth along with the dirt and grime that’s been built up over many, many rides. We know this didn’t happen all at once - shame on you Goo At least now you’ll have the proper Tri-Flow products to keep your equipment in tip-top shape plus a new Titec Hellbent Nemesis saddle!

First runner up

ckdake clearly knows where to find mud on the trail and the amount of gunk lodged between his wheel and seat tube is impressive. Aside from the copious amount of mud (which should easily wash off), the judges noted the dryness of the chain on the left side of the image. In honor of this epic mud slog, ckdake wins Tri-Flow Citrus Degreaser PLUS a Titec Honcho Prolite seatpost.

Second runner up

We had a tough time choosing the third prize winner but in the end, BFD squeaked by with this sad entry. Sometimes a MTB drivetrain can get so clogged the rear derailleur just gives up which is what we assume happened here. I wish we had some mud flaps to give away as a prize but BFD will just have to settle for some sweet Tri Flow Citrus Degreaser.

Calling these bike lights “Ultra” is an understatement. There really should be a warning label on the box saying “DANGER! Do not look directly into the light as permanent eye damage may result.” After fully charging these monsters I plugged them in, lightly tapped the switch, and POOF! I can’t see. OK, so maybe the label would just be for people like me

Light & Motion introduced the Seca 900 Ultra bike lights (MSRP $699.99) this year for the serious rider and XC marathon / 24-hour racing crowd. These lights come with six Cree R2 LEDs which are the highest rated LEDs available anywhere. And as if it wasn’t enough to have six R2s in this lamp, Light & Motion also designed a very high quality reflector to efficiently direct and sculpt the beam pattern to maximize light output (this is key and where other lights fail). The Seca 900 includes a nine cell 11.1V  Li-Ion battery capable of tossing out 900 true lumens* for 3.5 hours of run time on the high setting. Other settings include medium (450 lumens for 7 hours), low (250 lumens  for 14 hours), and a flash setting that will run for 100+ hours.

The included Multi-Chem smart charger uses the ultra-efficient Delta temperature method of charging. This method basically monitors the temperature of the battery over the charging cycle to ensure that the battery gets both a full charge while not overheating. And it does the job in just 3 and a half hours.

The graphic on the right shows the test data for the Seca 900 and you can see that it produces more than the advertised 900 lumens. Actual light output during testing was more like 953 lumens but for sake of honesty and accounting for possible production variances Light & Motion keeps the rating at 900 (besides, Seca 953 just doesn’t have the same ring to it). You can also see most of the light is in the light-blue to white area of the spectrum which keeps everything as bright as possible.

Light & Motion uses a custom array to optimize and maximize the light pattern for night riding. The Seca 900 features a gem shaped beam that’s flat on top and converges toward your tire in a V-shape. Extra light converges toward the center of the beam for maximum distance.

Installing the Seca 900 Ultra literally took less than 5 minutes on my bike. The handle bar mount is a one-handed breeze: simply loop the light through the mount, stretch the strap to secure it on the hook, and adjust the angle. In setting the angle you’ll want the outer pattern to just touch your tire with the lower edge of the spot about 20 feet in front of the bike. Installing the battery was a matter of simply feeding the strap through the adapter slots, slipping the battery into the adapter, and strapping everything down securely.

On the trails I have to say these are by far the most powerful set I have tried. These lamps toss so much light it’s literally like riding in a perfect bubble of daylight. Even when the terrain got bumpy or required a lot of steering, I felt very comfortable thanks to the light intensity and pattern. I found I could go as fast as I wanted without fear of missing a root or obstacle in the shadows. The video below shows me on a pitch black trail with no external lighting. The only light in the video is coming from the Seca 900 which basically has about as much power as a nuclear reactor. Notice how the light illuminates the trail even when cresting bumps!

The Seca 900 system also includes something called “Race mode” that allows you to quickly toggle between low and high intensity light settings for climbing and descending (respectively). This means fewer clicks to get to the two light modes you really need during the race!

Overall I can honestly say if you can afford to spend the extra bucks on this bike light, you will not be disappointed in any way. With the Seca 900 Ultra you’re getting a superior product with incredible battery life and leading on-trail performance in a svelte, easy to use package.

If you don’t think your riding isn’t quite up to the level of the Seca 900, consider giving the Stella 300 Dual a try. At half the cost of the Seca 900, this system is a bit more affordable and provides enough light to navigate dark trails with a good degree of comfort.

* One lumen is defined as the amount of light produced by a light source that emits one candela of luminous intensity over a specified angle. This is a more consistent way of measuring output rather than using Watts.

Technical specification from Light & Motion:

Battery Type: 9-Cell Li-Ion
Battery Weight: 486g
Mounts: Helmet, Handlebar
Modes: Race, Cruise, Flash
Charge time: 3:30min
Charger: Multi-Chem Smart
System Weight: 686g

Run Time (HR:MM)

• High - 3:30
• Med - 7:00
• Low - 14:00
• Flash - 100+

Output (lumens):

• High - 900
• Med - 450
• Low - 225
• Flash –
  

Maxxis is a name in MTB tires that needs no introduction. The company has been around for over 40 years producing high quality tires for almost everything that rolls, especially mountain bikes. This time around I tested the Maxxis Ardent 2.4 (MSRP about $50) which is one of the newer, large volume tires for the freerider / trail rider.

The Ardent is categorized for aggressive trails and medium to wet conditions with an emphasis on cornering control. If you look carefully at the photo below you can see two rows of very sharp and aggressive side knobs which will really grab and hold your line through the corners. Featuring a 60 TPI casing and 60a rubber compound, these tires will take rocky abuse and should last a long time.

Installing the Ardents along with a set of the Maxxis Freeride tubes (26x 2.20- 2.50, 1.2mm thick) on my Mavic Crossmax SX rims (removing the tubeless valve stems), took very little time at all. In fact I spent more time gathering the talcum powder and necessary tools to remove the valve stem than actually installing the tires and I didn’t even need a tire iron. The job took about 5 minutes per tire to dust up the tubes with powder and slip the Ardents on the rim (minding direction). Inflated the tires to 40psi and I was off.

I decided to take the tires to the 3-stages trail which is right next door to two great spots - Blue Mountain and Kolapore. 3-stages features a run that’s about 1km of just winding downhill with tight and twisty turns, lots of rooted sections and rock gardens plus tight singletrack which provides a great cardio workout. Basically 3-stages is the perfect place to put these tires through their paces!

Climbing with the Ardent tires was pretty awesome, especially considering this is meant to be an all-purpose tire. The aggressive multifaceted center tread really keeps this tire going in almost any type of terrain, grappling at everything and propelling the rider forward. Even getting caught up on rooted sections going up or down didn’t sway this tire’s progress. Likewise, the stable casing and tread really kept this tire pointing in the desired direction without any hints of wandering. The tough casing also helped absorb the abuse of step descents without a hint of trouble even when barreling through rock gardens and rooted terrain. This tire is like a laser with exacting tire placement on demand.

The Ardents really made me feel comfortable in the corners and I quickly learned to trust them when hitting the turns hard. With tons of grip and absolutely no squirm, I never even felt the tire roll when I was threading my way through tough rock gardens.

While the Ardent tires will run comfortably on nearly any trail surface, they really shine on terrain that is slightly on the softer side of things. I found that the great traction the Ardents offer drops off a bit when hitting dry hardpack or dust over hardpack. The tire basically seems to push more when it encounters hardpack and in these conditions it gets just good traction - not great. Hitting rivers and muddy spots was a no-brainer as these tires shed the gunk and kept moving along, ready for more.

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Overall I gotta say the Ardent is one of my favorite tires in this size category. They are not uber-expensive, they wear well, they’re super stable, and most of all they offer tons of traction. These tires are like the stability control system on a Porsche Turbo: they make anyone look like they are as good as an F1 driver.  I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending these to anyone who loves to ride.

My overall impressions:

9 out of 10 for climbing
9 out of 10 for rolling and efficiency
9 out of 10 for loose conditions
9 out of 10 for cornering
9 out of 10 for stopping in a straight line

Specs from Maxxis:

Durometer 60a rubber compound
Usage: All Mountain / Freeride
Conditions: medium to wet
Size: 26 x 2.4
Weight: 855 grams

When I started riding back in the early 1990s, there was basically just one flavor of mountain biking but today MTB categories can get a little confusing. I found this helpful chart over on the Turner website and I think it does a good job illustrating some of the divisions you’ll find in mountain biking find today. The arrows and text below the chart were added for the purposes of this post.

Right off the bat you can see the spectrum of riding from XC to Downhill and everything in between. Notice how the plot gets higher and more jagged as you move to the right, representing technical difficulty (not necessarily climbing or aerobic difficulty). It’s also cool to think of this as a progression chart - beginners can move from XC to AM and beyond as skills improve.

I really like how this chart can be used to show ranges rather than discreet points along the spectrum. In this particular chart, the shaded green area represents recommend usage for the Turner 5.Spot. Notice how it isn’t just a Trail or All Mountain bike. Based on the geometry and travel (5.5″ rear) this bike works well for XC, Trail, and AM riding.

The spectrum approach is also helpful for classifying riders. Most of us enjoy a variety of terrain and saying someone is strictly a Freerider or Downhiller usually doesn’t tell the whole story.

But wait, this chart has one more trick up its sleeve! Most mountain bike trails themselves can’t be readily classified into one type or another. A mellow XC trail may have 5 foot drops in places or even a freeride area that’s 5 miles into the trail. Other trails may have short bursts of All-Mountain style terrain with XC-type fireroads connecting sections. In fact I imagine some trails could cover the entire spectrum from XC to Downhill while others fit more neatly into a single category.

Some generalities about mountain bikes can be made from this chart and I’ve added arrows describing just a few trends you can expect to see when purchasing a new mountain bike. As you move from left to right, travel (front and rear) should increase while weight will follow roughly the same trend. Price, on the other hand, isn’t so easy to classify. For example, remember this $7,000 XC hardtail from Interbike? Finding a DH bike that costs half that amount wouldn’t be too hard (nor would finding a DH bike costing 50% more).

Now, if it were possible to create a mountain bike that could cover the entire chart from XC to DH that would be the holy grail. Maybe the Cannondale Simon will deliver on that dream one day

XC riders looking for a versatile tire for the fall riding season, listen up! I recently tested two of the five sets of XC tires from Intense Tire Systems (ITS) in a variety of conditions and I’m finally ready to share the results. I chose the System 4 and System 5 tires for my tests but you’ll want to choose the System series that’s best for your local terrain and trail conditions.

System 4 and System 5 tires are great for those will experience a wide range of weather and also for those of us who pack a few extra pounds. Both tires are 26 x 2.25″ and have the same single-ply casing with long lasting and grippy C3 rubber compound. These tires are true 2.25-inch wide tires which means they are higher volume compared to other brands (meaning fewer pinch flats for heavier riders). Both the System 4 and 5 tires can be had for about $45 a piece.

The System 4 (left) is an all-conditions tire designed to do equally as well on soft surface as well as hard pack. The ramped and chevron tread patterns work together to keep your wheel where you want it to be. The System 5 (right) is designed for softer terrain with its mud-shedding, wide-spaced tread pattern.

I found that both sets of Intense tires mounted easily and seated nicely in the rim with a satisfying pop. As always I recommend adding a bit of talcum powder to the inside of the tire before placing the tube to reduce friction within the tire and to increase performance. After inflating both sets to 40psi, I was pumped and ready to go! (get it? )

First up: the System 4 tires. I decided to try these guys just after a good rainfall at a local trail that has a great mix of terrain, small climbs, and a few low spots. That day the trail had it all: freshly dried hardpack, wet spots, and even a little mud. On hardpack the System 4 did well and I couldn’t help but compare the performance to the Kenda Small Block 8s. System 4 offers great control on hardpack and rolls smoothly with little energy needed to get them moving. Leaning into corners there was very little squirm and they tracked well, allowing me to change lines at will without fear of loosing traction.

The large volume of this tire really opens up terrain possibilities beyond smooth hardpack. Riding over rough obstacles like rocks and logs felt quite comfortable, especially compared to other 2.00-range XC tires I’ve used in the past. With a smaller-width XC tire I would normally run the risk of pinching a flat, but with these I am glad to say did not have a problem. For that reason, this is a good tire to consider if you find yourself pushing the clydesdale line.

In very loose, wet terrain the System 4s did manage to clog a bit but luckily I had another set of tires in my quiver: the System 5s!

Changing over to the System 5 tires and hitting the same trails on the same day really gave me a good perspective on the differences between these two sets. The System 5 tire ran with a bit more vibration, but didn’t show it when the terrain turned soft. Just like the System 4, the System 5 ran with decent efficiency and didn’t suck up too much energy to get things rolling. The System 5 tread felt stable - not overly soft - and did great job at preventing wheel spin during climbs. However, when the terrain got extra muddy, the System 5s still clogged a little and slipped at times. On the descents these tires offered a ton of control and showed great stopping power.

With the aggressive tread pattern you might think these tires would squirm in corners but I always felt comfortable leaning into the soft stuff. Now on dry, hard surfaces you might not want to lean into these as much; instead, keep the bike more perpendicular to the ground for better traction. Like the System 4 tires, the added air volume was great for trudging through gnarlier trails that might normally serve up pinched tubes.

The System 5 is another great tire, especially for this time of year when the trails are a bit on the softer side and logs and rocks can be slippery and wet. Of course if the trails are really wet it’s usually best to stay off them - lets conserve the trails for everyone!

My overall impressions: System 4

8 out of 10 for climbing
8 out of 10 for rolling and efficiency
7 out of 10 for loose conditions
8 out of 10 for hardpack
8 out of 10 cornering

System 4 Specs from ITS:

Usage: Cross Country
Conditions: Soft - Intermediate - Hardpack
Size: 2.25
Compound LSG C3compound
Weight: 650 grams

My overall impressions: System 5

7 out of 10 for climbing
7  out of 10 for rolling and efficiency
9 out of 10 for loose conditions
7 out of 10 for hardpack
8 out of 10 for cornering

System 5 Specs from ITS:

Usage: Cross Country
Conditions: Soft - Intermediate
Size: 2.25
Compound LSG C3compound
Weight: 550 grams

These are certainly two good tires from ITS - choose the best ones for your terrain and riding conditions!

Cheers.

The Xen helmet, Xen gloves, and Filter sunglasses from Giro go together almost as well as the #1 combo at McDonalds (stickers to the first commenter who can id the sandwich in that combo). Now I am 100% sure you’ve heard of Giro and the great helmets they make; heck, I’m sure many of you already have one. But did you know that Giro also makes sweet gloves and glasses? Giro may not be as well known for accessories beyond the lid but will change very soon!

To make things easier Giro uses the same names from the helmet line for gloves. The Xen glove (MSRP $38.00) and Xen Helmet (MSRP $130.00) sport similar graphics and color schemes and are both optimized for all-mountain riding. All mountain riders will ride near or through overgrown brush, tree strewn singletrack, and the not so occasional rocky path so it’s important to have a helmet and glove that can take the abuse.

The Xen Helmet is offered in several color choices for 2010 including matte gold, matte white digi camo, and matte olive fade. It took me just a few minutes to get my Xen comfortable using the straps and buckles. When adjusting your helmet you typically want to set the under chin strap just with enough space so you can open your mouth without interference. I also recommend adjusting the buckle on the sides so that they are about an inch below your ears.

The Xen cuts a lower profile that most helmets and sports an extended back side to cover the back of your head. The 17 massive air vents keep things cool even on hot summer rides and the cushioned brow pad does a good job managing dripping sweat. The included POV visor allows you to change the angle of the visor without rattling it out of position.

The Xen Gloves are super comfortable and allow great hand movement without any pinching. Unlike some gloves out there, the Xen features a clarino palm (a durable synthetic leather) and strategically placed technogel support padding. The padding allows you to ride longer with less pain from impact and vibrations associated with bombing rough trails.

Overall I would have to say that these gloves performed really well. The three silicon-patterned finger tip grips came in handy and allowed me to use just one finger to grip the brakes. I also didn’t have to worry that my finger would slip on the shifters, even when my hands got wet.

Having a great helmet and gloves is just part of the equation so I also decided to give the Filter suglasses from Giro a whirl at the same time. The Filter is designed to fit comfortably with Giro helmets, utilizing what they call Super Fit. Basically Super Fit glasses are designed to hold securely to your face without interfering with helmet straps, minimizing distractions during the ride.

Not only do the Filters fit well but the optics are pretty amazing as well. These sunglasses use Zeiss lenses which are very clear without any noticeable distortion. Filter lenses are also 100% UVA, UVB, and UVC filtering. My Filter sunglasses came with two sets of lenses - grey tint 18Z and the rose silver 18Z. For the trails I would have preferred an amber or brown lens as well - perhaps this is something Giro will add in the future.

The Filter sunglasses also feature Pop Top which allows you to flip an integrated lever to release the lens from the frame without having you grip the lens with your hand. This helps keeps lenses clean and scratch free even with frequent lens changes.

All and all I have to say that Giro has a great thing going with these three products and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend other Giro helmets, gloves, or sunglasses to anyone. You want fries with that?

Swinging by the very impressive Easton / Bell / Giro both I met up with a good friend of mine, Sean Coffey, marketing brand manager for Easton, for a tour of the 2010 goodies. For starters all the bars, stems, and seatposts received face lifts with fresh graphics and hot colors. The new Havoc stems sport wrap around graphics and are offered in white and the EA70 bar and stem now come in white as well. Speaking of bars, here are a few of the Monkey lite carbon series below, now in 750 and 711 mm widths.

Now while walking around the booth I also came across a truly awesome gem of a product which is the Haven all-mountain wheel set. You really have to see these wheels up close in person to truly appreciate the beauty. First off, the over-sized graphics on the side of the rim along with the bronzed gold color really make these stand out. The Havens also mark the first UST wheel set for mountain biking from Easton. The Haven, like the XC One and the Havoc, also use straight pull spokes to keep uniform tension and increase wheel performance.

When you have a chance, take a visit to the Easton website and check out the products for yourself. If all goes well I should have full reviews of these fine products very soon.

Cheers!

ckdake may be tough to beat with this pic.

Just a couple more days left in the Tri-Flow “Dirtiest Drivetrain” contest. Post your pics to the dirty drivetrain photo album for consideration by the end of the day, October 1, 2009 and we’ll pick the winners. Right now we’re seeing plenty of mud but not much rust, grease, corrosion, or nasty black gunk. Worst looking drivetrain will get a prize pack from Tri-Flow plus a Titec saddle with additional prizes for second and third place.

No need to be embarrassed  - just tell everyone you submitted a pic of your buddy’s bike

Sometimes it can be tough to cut through the noise at Interbike to find new and interesting products from smaller companies. I found one such product, call Bike Armor, in the new exhibitors area at Interbike and it’s one of those things that I can’t believe no one thought of before.

Bike Armor is basically a self adhesive, clear, thick plastic-like material you can wrap around your bike frame to protect it from nicks and scratches. No more ugly chain stay guards (or in my case discarded inner tube wraps) - just slap a Bike Armor chainstay cover on your bike and the cover practically disappears. In fact I had a hard time photographing the stuff - only the watermark logo gives away that it’s even there.

Bike Armor also offers to custom cut a full set of decals to fit any mountain bike for $79.95 - down tube, shocks, top tube, crank arms, and chain stay. You know - all the spots where rocks and dirt tend to fly! I’m told the decals come off only when you want them to and are easy to install yourself. With more and more carbon fiber and custom paint jobs on the trail these days, Bike Armor seems like a good investment. Plus it won’t cover up your sick graphics!

For those who are looking for an affordable hydration pack that doesn’t suck, take a peek at what Hydrapak has to offer. I spoke with Dax Kelm at Interbike and he showed me some of the new and improved hydration packs. The pic above shows the redesigned Laguna which is now even more comfortable. The Laguna features a 100 oz bladder, a new 45 degree angled surge valve, and a cool new clip called the Quantum which prevents your hose from flopping around after you have taken in water. The Laguna is also expandable when you need it, growing from 500 to 850 cubic inches of storage.

Hydrapak also revamped the Big Sur with a new back panel for improved ventilation and an intelligent layout of the gear compartments including a tool pouch accessible from the bottom of the pack.

The Morro is an interesting new pack (unfortunately I forgot to take a photo) with 800 cubic inches of storage designed for those long day rides. This pack has a 100 oz bladder and rip stop materials to tie the whole thing together.

Hydrapak has also expanded a little product that I personally use and love called the Softflask. The Softflask is basically a refillable reservoir to hold your favorite energy gel and it’s made from the same material as the larger bladders in the Hydrapaks. With the Softflask you can save money on bulk gel purchases and help the environment by not generating any more trash from your wrappers.

More cool stuff at hydrapak.com.

I know, I know - by now some of you are sick and tired of hearing about 29ers. I promise this is my last 29er post from Interbike and I plan on taking a self-imposed vow of silence on big wheel bikes until October. Hopefully by this time next year we’ll just be calling 29ers “mountain bikes.”

Judging by the showing at Interbike, Niner continues to push the 29er envelope with bigger travel, interesting frame materials, and killer design. The Niner guys weren’t at Outdoor Demo this year - probably because they were absolutely mobbed last year - so I didn’t get to ride any of these rigs. Instead, here are some pics and comments to whet your appetite.

See that little paper label where the head badge should be? That says “Prototype” and it’s why I love going to Interbike. This frame looks very similar to the AIR 9 Carbon and sports the new Niner carbon fork. Big wheels came from the road cycling scene so why not borrow carbon forks as well? A fully rigid, single speed mountain bike isn’t for me but I’m sure someone is drooling over the possibility of this bike right now.

Internal cable routing on the AIR 9 Carbon frame. Beautiful.

The Niner S.I.R. 9 is actually an acronym meaning “Steel Is Real” and after riding a couple steel 29ers at Outdoor Demo I have to say I’m sold. Niner uses Reynolds 853 steel which is the same stuff in the Raleigh XXIX and it’s smooth as butter. This bike is a hardtail but apparently no one told MTBR (pic below) - they gave the S.I.R.the nod for “Best FS 29er Mountain Bike.” Steel is definitely more springy than aluminum but I wouldn’t quite call it full suspension

The mega popular AIR 9 also comes in scandium tubing which seems to be catching on more and more these days. Scandium is lightweight and not super stiff like aluminum or (sometimes) carbon. Niner continues to experiment with different materials and frame configurations and remains on the cutting edge of 29er technology.

Close-up of the Niner Bio-Centric bottom bracket. You can get all the details about the technology here but one of the advantages of an eccentric bottom bracket system is it makes perfect chain tensioning dead simple.

I didn’t get pics but also check out the Niner W.F.O. 9 - a 5.5″ rear travel 29er mountain bike. Sick.

Sorry about the title - I had to do it. If you have some time to browse, check out Straitline components - hopefully you’ll be as impressed as I was. I spoke with Greg Parish from Straitline about their products and, being a tech weeny, I have to say I was really interested to learn how the company got involved in producing MTB products.

Before the guys at Straitline started making components they were like you and me and purchased stuff from others. Eventually they got tired of that and weren’t really happy with the same run of the mill stuff. So seeing that they had a state-of-the-art factory and were already making components for NASA, they decided to make their own high quality MTB parts. If you manage to take a close look at Straitline components you’ll be able to see the quality and precision firsthand. Can you say moving art? Every part Straitline makes has been painstakingly maximized for strength, beauty, and weight.

Straitline has direct mount stems available in 28 and 50mm reach and a pinch stem called the SSC in both 1.125″ and 1.5″. They also make superlight headset spacers, seat collars, flat pedals,  and a bash ring and chain guide. The even make bar ends and brake levers for that custom look on your ride.

All  the stems, seat collars, brake levers, spacers and bar ends are made from 6061 T6 aluminum and the chain guide is made from 7075 T6 so you can expect that these products to take a pounding.

Here are some more pics:

Check out more at straitlinecomponents.com.