For those who may not be familiar with Kore, the mountain bike component company has been around since 1988. I still remember my first serious, full-suspension Cannondale Super V 2000 that I tricked out with a Kore stem and bar. Of course times change and so do product lines – these days Kore offers an extensive component line including wheelsets, cranks, bars, stems, pedals and a super cool I-Beam saddle and seatpost.
KORE’s products are very extensive and I urge you to take a peek at the website since I didn’t have time to take photos of all their products at Interbike last week. The photo above shows some of the bars that will be available in 2011. The 800mm Torsion bar is definitely a wide bar but it can be cut down to 680mm which should cover nearly everyone’s preference for bar width. The Torsion is offered in two models: the Race (made from 2014 series aluminum) and a 6061 series aluminum bar. The weight difference between the two is about 40 grams.
All the Kore wheel sets are handbuilt and the photo above shows just two examples. The Torsion wheel on the right is 32mm wide, made from 6066 AL and tough as nails. Featuring Sandvik spokes and 14-gauge spokes, these wheels are built for the big hits.
Kore’s T-Rail (TRT) saddle is very unique in the way it attaches to the Kore seatpost shown above. What I personally love about this post and saddle is the strength and range of adjustment it offers. There is a full 55mm of fore and aft movement and it takes literally seconds to adjust and hold firm.
Check out KORE’s website when you can for the rest of the product line and to see all the other cool colors that are available. Look for a few reviews of these products in the coming year…
http://www.kore-usa.com/
