In mountain biking there are very few “classic” designs that haven’t been torn to shreds over the years as tech advances to produce bigger and better MTB components. Sometimes, though, designers and engineers hit upon a design so effective that it withstands the test of time with very few tweaks over the years. The Maxxis CrossMark mountain bike tire is proving itself to be one of those product designs.

On a recent group ride at Yellow River, 3 out of 7 of us were riding CrossMark tires which isn’t too surprising given the versatility of these skins. The CrossMark features a directional tire tread with ramped intermediate knobs that can be ridden front or rear (or both), depending on conditions. As a front tire the CrossMark is tough to beat but if you’re riding in loose to muddy conditions you may want a rear tire with a little more bite (the Maxxis Ardent is a good choice). On hardpack trails the CrossMark rolls fast and efficient thanks to tightly-spaced center knobs while the raised and slightly wider spaced side knobs bite well in corners.

At 605g each, the CrossMark 29 is a fairly light tire, thanks in part to the lightweight 60 TPI casing. For those who aren’t familiar, TPI stands for “threads per inch” where the threads are part of the cloth reinforcement embedded into the tire rubber. A higher TPI allows for thinner tire walls which makes the tire more supple and lighter but also weakens the sidewalls, making them more likely to be damaged by rocks and sticks on the trail. At 60 TPI the CrossMark 29 is a durable tire that will stand up to a lot of abuse. For weight weenies with 26″-wheel bikes, the CrossMark also comes in a 120 TPI version for a roughly 10% weight savings.

Many tires claim to be low rolling resistance and sadly there isn’t a widely used measurement of rolling resistance out there (though in theory a test should be easy enough to develop). For me the best test is taking a mountain bike tire out on the road and listening to it hum. A loud tire on the road signals a tire that’s sucking energy while a relatively quiet one signals good efficiency. The CrossMark 29 passed the road test with flying colors and felt smooth with very little noticeable vibration on smooth surfaces.

Mud clearing ability is important for any XC tire and even though the CrossMark 29 isn’t designed for muddy conditions, the tire does a decent job at shedding the big stuff thanks to the moderate-to-shallow tread depth. The tiny cross pattern in the center does make it tough to get the tire completely clean and in my tests even miles of pavement couldn’t loose some of the stickiest bits.

The CrossMark 29 is faithful big wheel extension of the venerated CrossMark design and is a versatile tire any XC rider can appreciate. Blending high rolling efficiency with decent cornering control, the CrossMark is a big-wheel-friendly tire that is a solid choice for a wide variety of conditions. Get the CrossMark and you’ll always be in good company when you’re out on the trail.

Thanks to the folks at Maxxis for providing these tires for review.

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.

I’m starting to think that bike manufacturers are onto something with steel 29er hardtail mountain bikes. The Raleigh XXIX Pro shows why this is such a winning combination: it’s lightweight, supple, and rolls fast and smooth. Not content with just that, Raleigh ups the ante on the XXIX Pro by including the SRAM XX component group – that’s a lot of X’s!

For this test ride I hit the trail with element22 and just tried to hold onto his rear wheel.  While the Raleigh XXIX Pro is a strictly cross-country bike, I was able to cruise the rocky, rutted trails at Bootleg Canyon without feeling like I had taken a beating.

The XXIX Pro sports a sexy, slender profile and shows why steel frames aren’t going away anytime soon. Add to that an edgy yet sophisticated graphic scheme and you’ve got a head-turning bike that melds the old (steel) with the new (29” wheels and SRAM XX components).

Clearly this is a great bike but here’s the bad news: this hardtail retails for north of $4,000. Most of the expense comes from the SRAM XX components and from what I gathered there isn’t a cheaper component configuration available at the moment (for that you’ll have to downgrade to the XXIX+G). Start saving your pennies!

These days mountain bikers like to talk about the 29er revolution but the fact is that even just a few years ago 29ers were generally poorly designed and awkward to ride. Today the Ellsworth Evolve proves that Charles Darwin was right: only the strongest survive – and this is one strong mountain bike!

Climbing with the Evolve was a real treat thanks to the slightly compressed cockpit that puts the rider almost directly above the pedals.  This means better pedaling efficiency plus it places the rider’s center of gravity in a comfortable position for both climbing and descending.  Looking at the Evolve I assumed it would be a bit of a clunker on the climbs compared to my hardtail but it actually climbs like a much lighter bike.

Of course mountain bikers may disagree about the best way to get to the top of a hill but at the end of the day everyone enjoys a good descent. I give the Evolve high marks for handling rocks and washboard trails and it’s super fun on the swoops. This bike just feels solid even on shifting, sketchy terrain and holds its line like a heavy weight when it counts.

With 4″ of rear travel the Evolve is a dependable, versatile mountain bike that should transition well no matter what type of terrain you throw at it. Join the Evolution.

29er mountain bikes are more popular than ever these days but there still aren’t a lot of choices when it comes to components, especially wheels. Fortunately Easton offers 29-inch versions of two of its most popular wheel sets - the XC One and XC Tw0 - and I recently got a chance to try out the former on my Redline d660. The Easton XC One wheels are “designed to inspire the most demanding XC rider,” a claim I definitely needed to verify for myself

If you’ve been following the 29er debate over the past year or two you know one of the big disadvantages of 29er wheels is their weight, specifically when it comes to the rotational energy required to get things rolling. The XC One wheel set weighs in at just 1720 grams for the pair which is 170 grams lighter than the 26″ XC Twos (and only 135 grams heavier than the 26″ XC Ones!). I knocked off nearly a pound (425 grams) replacing the wheels that came with my bike and noticed quicker acceleration and faster climbing right away. I still haven’t found a major MTB wheel company offering a lighter stock wheel set than the Easton XC One 29ers.

By default 29er wheels face another disadvantage in the strength and stiffness department. Because the wheel radius is larger (14.5″ vs. 13″ for standard MTB wheels) spokes are 11.5% longer and are more prone to bending and flexing along their length (believe me, I already destroyed one set of 29er wheels in pretty a minor crash). Wheel manufacturers usually compensate by making the spokes stronger (read: heavier) or adding more spokes (also adding weight) but somehow Easton has avoided both. The 29er XC One wheels use just 24 double butted, cold forged Sapim spokes which are lightweight and high strength. The upshot? Easton XC One 29er wheels are up to 36% stiffer than the competition while remaining 10% lighter.

The Easton XC One 29er wheels use the same high tech hubs found in the original XC One wheels. This means you get the same large diameter axle to reduce wheel flex and the wide diameter rear wheel pawl carrier to improve torque transmission. And just like the original XC Ones, these babies are hand built and as true as George Washington right out of the box.

On the trails these wheels transformed my ride into a brand new bike (no exaggeration). On fast, twisty singletrack the stiff XC Ones helped compensate for the wide 29er turning radius with laser accurate cornering and control. During test rides I noticed responsive acceleration coming out of sharp turns and even dead stops, leaving my legs fresh and begging for more! Climbing on the lightweight 29″ XC Ones was a breeze and made swoopy descents feel a bit undeserved.

The XC One freehubs produce just enough buzzing to let you know they’re working smoothly but not enough to annoy the crap out of everyone around you. While these wheels are meant for epic XC riding and not FR or DH, mine have remained true even after some serious bumps and bruises at high speed. Small jumps (less than a couple feet or so) felt great on these wheels and produced no noticeable flex.

Thanks to Easton, 29er riders don’t have to settle for heavy, poorly designed wheels any longer. The XC One 29er wheels allow you to reap all the benefits of bigger wheels without many of the hassles you’ve come to expect. Looking for a set of lightweight, dependable, and stiff 29er wheels for racing and epic rides? Look no further than the Easton XC Ones.

Regular readers know I bought a new mountain bike earlier this year and while I’ve been sharing bits and pieces about my new ride it’s time I wrote a summary review. The Redline d660 is a sleek, race-ready mountain bike that proves 29ers (and Redline!) are here to stay.

You may be familiar with BMX bikes from Redline but the company has recently made a big commitment to 29ers and now offers them exclusively in their MTB line. I first rode the d660 at the Interbike Outdoor Demo last year and it was easily my favorite 29er hardtail. While 29ers from other brands have issues with toe rub and high bottom brackets (which raise the rider’s center of gravity and reduce stability), the d660 felt completely comfortable and natural. Having trained and raced on this bike I’d say the geometry strikes a nice balance between comfort and aggressiveness - it won’t leave you sore after 50 miles of riding but it’s also nicely responsive when you mash the pedals.

The Redline d660 comes with an attractive component mix from SRAM. The standard build is geared 1×9 with a Stylo 32T crankset which means there’s no front derailleur (mounts are included if you want to add one later). Ditching the front derailleur saves on weight and maintenance costs and so far I’ve only missed the extra gears on the steepest climbs. The d660 comes with a Rock Shox Reba SL that sports 100mm of travel which is more than enough bounce for aggressive XC riders, especially on 29-inch wheels. Brakes are dependable Avid BB-7s and the shifter/rear derailleur is SRAM X.9.

The stock wheels on the Redline d660 are built up using Redline sealed bearing hubs and WTB Laser disc trail rims with 32 stainless steel spokes. Now admittedly I’m a bit of a weight weenie and I was initially disappointed with how heavy the bigger wheels felt, especially coming from a 26er. But after a spoke-bending crash at mile 40 of a 62-mile race I found how just how durable these wheels really are. A few whacks to the pavement and my rear wheel was almost as true as new! I recently upgraded to Easton XC One wheels and while they’re much lighter than the stock wheels I have yet to test the limits of their durability…

While components are interesting to talk about, the thing that makes a bike a bike is its frame. The d660 is constructed from R6 double butted aluminum alloy tubing which makes this a super lightweight bike, regardless of the component mix. I recently took the bike in for some work at the local bike shop and the mechanic remarked that it was the lightest 29er he’d ever worked on - not a bad endorsement for sure. The paint and graphics are sharply understated and all the welds are crisp and professional. Components went on smoothly (I did some of the installation myself) and the frame includes a replaceable derailleur hanger to save your derailleur and your frame (I’ve already replaced mine once).

At this point you’re probably wondering how the d660 handles on the trail. XC riders like to talk about flow on the trail and honestly I’ve never ridden a bike that flows as well as the d660. On swoopy trails the bike hugs the contours almost like a full-suspension ride while remaining stable and responsive through moderate twists and turns. The big wheels roll over roots and rocks with ease and can soak up mid-size whoops and drops thanks to their bulk. The light weight of this bike adds to its responsiveness and makes it a joy to climb (seriously). Because of the over-sized wheels the d660 can be a bit awkward in really sharp turns; fortunately, Redline compensates with extra wide handlebars (I eventually ended up narrowing mine a bit).

Not surprisingly the d660 gets noticed wherever I go. At the barber shop it was “where’d you get that bike? how much did it cost?” At a stoplight in town a homeless-looking man on the street asked me if those were 29-inch wheels. Some of our old riding buddies in North Carolina had never seen a 29er (or a 1×9 set-up for that matter) and were quickly sold after I smoked them on the trails If you want a high performance bike that gets you noticed in town and on the trail, the d660 is the bike for you.

The Redline d660 is a solid choice for anyone making the switch to 29ers since it addresses many common problems associated with larger wheels (toe rub, weight, stability, etc.) while maximizing 29er advantages (low rolling resistance, smooth handling, etc.). Take a test ride at your local Redline dealer and you’ll see the difference!

Photo from blacksheepbikes.com

As a recent convert to the 29er mountain bike movement, I’m a big fan of wheeled mountain bikes but this thing is honestly a little scary. The ZAMer from Black Sheep Bikes (Fort Collins, CO) sports 36-inch wheels (!) on a custom built titanium fork and frame combo. Notice how the front fork is angled just to keep the handlebar height at a reasonable level - and I thought my 29er cockpit felt a little high off the trail! The photo shows the bike set up as a single speed which means getting those big wheels rolling from a stop could be tough.

From what I can tell this is mostly a “concept bike” but for $3,700 you can actually purchase the frameset which includes a fork, handlebars, and the frame itself. No word on where you can buy 36-inch mountain bike tires or tubes or if anyone is making 36-inch wheels outside of the circus. Just slap some disc brakes and a regular drive train on this baby and you should be good to go, though I’m guessing this thing has a tough time on tight singletrack :).

Some of you may have heard by now that I finally got a new mountain bike after riding the same Trek 7000 hardtail for the past 10 years. The Trek is still operational and it’s a little bittersweet looking back on all the trails I’ve ridden on that bike (more than 150 from Utah to Vermont) but I’m super stoked about my new wheels: the 2009 Redline d660.

I got a chance to demo the Redline d660 at Interbike back in September and it was by far the best 29er I had ever ridden. I had been looking for a new bike for several months and I went back and forth on the idea of getting a dual suspension XC bike or another hard tail. I also had this crazy idea that I might want to go single speed to keep things super simple and low maintenance but in the end I realized a single speed is a bit too limited for my primary rig.

Anyway, it turns out the d660 is sorta the best of both worlds since it’s a 29er and rides like a cross between a hardtail 26er and a FS 26er (though obviously closer to the hardtail than the FS). Also the gearing on the d660 is 1×9 which is basically a single speed crank with a full 9-speed cassette. The front derailleur on my old bike actually stopped working about a year ago so I was already used to staying in a 9-gear range

I’ve only been riding the Redline for about a month now but I can already tell this is just the start of a long and beautiful relationship. Since the bike came only partially assembled I got the chance to install the derailleur and brakes myself and now I baby it every time I get back from a ride (I’ll let you know how long that lasts). Yesterday I had one of my best rides yet at Yellow River where the flow on the bike felt amazing and super responsive.

Yep, 2009er is the year of the nines - 9-speeds, 29-inch wheels, and 9-lives on the trail. I can’t wait for more!

As the 29er movement starts to take hold bike manufacturers are starting to realize that every part of the bike needs to be re-engineered to meet the challenges posed by larger wheels. The obvious kinks have been worked out (like needing taller wheel clearances on forks and rear triangles) but there’s still a long way to go. Easton recognized the need for wider handlebars to maneuver 29-inch wheels and recently introduced the EA 70 Wide based on the popular original EA 70 design.

Based on folks we’ve spoken with at the show this year it sounds like the 29er is really gaining traction in the MTB market. At WTB the rep estimated as much as 25-30% of their tire sales were 29ers; Mavic says they’re having a hard time keeping up with demand for 29er wheel sets.  In the coming year I predict we’ll see even more MTB components tweaked to work with the beefier 29er geometry - stay tuned here for the latest!

At the Interbike Outdoor demo in Bootleg Canyon I got the chance to ride a couple 29er hardtail bikes on the trails and I wanted to share my impressions. The Outdoor demo was a great chance to get the feel for the bikes as they handle on the trail and riding them back-to-back is really the best way to compare and contrast.

If you’re considering a hardtail mountain bike, chances are that weight is a factor in your decision and along this dimension the Redline d660 has a slight edge. The Redline comes built up as a 1×9 meaning you’ll save a little extra weight by losing the front derailleur and shifter. If you’re not into the whole 1×9 torture scene you can always retrofit the bike with a front derailleur (mounting points are built in to the frame).

In terms of geometry the Redline seems to have an advantage here as well. The Rocky Mountain bike felt a little compressed front to back and I rubbed my toes on the front wheel a couple times before clipping in. This is an issue 29er designers have had to consider from the beginning as the larger wheels have a wider sweep across the down tube. The Hammer is Rocky Mountain’s first (and only) 29er mountain bike as far as I can tell and I imagine they’re still working out some of the kinks. Redline, by contrast, has almost completely devoted their efforts to making 29ers and today they only have a single 26er in the lineup.

In terms of components, the two bikes are matched pretty evenly and both performed very well on the dusty, twisty trails. The 1×9 configuration on the Redline made me a little nervous and I found myself maxing out the gear ratios on moderately steep sections. Although I kept the Hammer 29 in the middle ring the whole ride I felt assured that if I needed more gears they were at least available. For those who have ridden 29ers you know they can take a little more leg power than 26ers from a stop and having extra gears could certainly come in handy.

Finally, in terms of price these two bikes are about even. Both retail in the $1,300 range which seems like a great value to me, especially given the quality of the builds. If I had to choose one bike for myself I’d get the Redline d660 and would be comfortable riding it on all but the most technical trails (after a minor adjustment to the gearing).
One more note: At the outdoor demo it seemed like at least half the bikes being ridden were 29ers, so much so that regular mountain bikes started looking weird to me. Could this be a trend or was it simply a matter of people being curious about trying the bigger bikes? We’ll try to get more info once the floor show opens up later today.
Up next: dual-suspension XC bike comparison…