A little bird answered my prayers. Just the other day I was thinking to myself: “Self, you’ve got this great Gary Fisher Collection Rig single speed. Why don’t you buy the drive side sliding dropout with a derailleur hanger and make yourself a whoopass 1×9 trail destroyer?” Well, for that I would need a rear derailleur, shifter, cassette and wheelset up to the task. I took a peek in the parts bin; lo and behold I found a SRAM XO rear “mech” (as poncy British folk call it), an XO shifter, and a fancy-schmancy 9-speed cassette. Check, check, check. Now where do I find suitable wheels? Shazam! Novatec comes through in the clutch with a set of their TX 29ers, a set of straight-up XC wagon wheels perfectly suited to my project specifications.

Weigh in:

 

Front / rear. Weights include standard QRs.

For reference, Shimano has an XT 29er wheelset that weighs 1867g. You could make up the weight difference by having a nut surgically removed, or taking a pre-ride restroom constitutional. Either way, the TX wheels are in the “ball” park. Teehee.

The look: these wheels are very pretty. With red anodized hubs and over-sized non-drive side flanges they look high end for sure. Style points are lost with the decal graphics though; they scream “I’m not a graphic designer, but how hard could it be?” Another odd feature is the machined rim bed with wear indicator. Apparently Novatec used a non disc-specific rim but the decals wrap onto the braking surface, so you’d need to do some modifications if you desire v-brakes (remember those?).

Some assembly notes: when I was installing the cassette I noticed the steel insert on the aluminum freehub body. Novatec calls their version of this technology ABG for Anti Bite Guard. It is an elegant way to save some grams while preventing all your pedaling torque from doing this to your delicate parts:

 

Also worth noting is the hand-built goodness that comes with every wheelset of this quality level. There’s a set of beautifully machined inserts for running a standard QR, or 9 or 15mm through axles up front. They spin on Japanese EXO cartidge bearings (2 front, 4 rear). Sapim Laser double butted spokes join hub to rim, and in addition to being hand laced and hand stress-relieved, they come with some very official documentation of the post-build testing that is carried out.

Numbers! Charts! Graphs!

The ride: These wheels were a vast improvement over my stock 2011 Rig wheels in terms of weight and stiffness. It is a great feeling to be able to spin up with less effort and then rail through the corners knowing that you’ll be able to hold that line. The freehub engagement is precise, and the pawls provide a really pleasing, medium-volume “angry bees” kind of soundtrack to accompany your shred session. After at least 25 rides on my local trails with some sloppy lines and cased landings they are still as true as the day they came out of the box. Even if I were over the 90kg recommended rider weight limit, I have a feeling these wheels would provide lots of happy, snappy, drama-free spinning. If your upgrade budget has room for these ($549, plus $100 shipping), I would say it’s a great way to drop some weight, add some flash, and get a versatile set of hoops under your bike.

What can I say? Wisconsin has a lot of corn.

Thanks to the folks at Novatec for providing these 29er wheels for review.

Interbike is a fascinating place, and if you ever get the chance to stroll through the booths you will find tons of fascinating products. Jeff and I were both really impressed with some of the things we saw, and at other times we were thoroughly unimpressed by some of the downright-ridiculous designs. We made sure to swing by most of our usual stops to chat with folks such as e*thirteen, Fox, iXS, Spank, SRAM, Shimano, Intense, Santa Cruz, Osprey, THE, and Easton. Interbike is seriously the greatest when it comes to getting a sneak peak at the latest gear and talking with your favorite riders.

e*thirteen

One of my first stops was at the e*thirteen booth. It’s hard to believe you can improve on such a great crank, but e*thirteen managed to squeeze 60 grams out of last year’s design by using an alloy axle and machining a little bit off the spider here and there. Not only did the crank just go through a weight reduction, but they also managed to change up the bottom bracket, making it more durable and easier to install.

Along with the cranks, there are two clever new pedals from e*thirteen: the LG1+ and LG1R. The pedals feature an alloy body, plates that attach to the pedal, and user-selectable 4mm or 7mm pins. The LG1R has titanium spindles and pins while the LG1+ features chromoly. The difference in weight between the two pedals is 88 grams (380g and 468g, respectively).

Race Face

Hard Goods

Race Face was at the show, but you had to look really hard to find their booth. Essentially the hard goods line-up has changed ever so slightly with the introduction of the Chester cranks. The Chester is basically Race Face’s entry-level DH crank, the Respond is their mid-level, and the Atlas is their top-tier DH crank.

Race Face is also getting ready to launch the SIXC, which is a new DH crank modified with a longer-than-average axle. The SIXC cranks will be lighter than the new XO DH coming out from SRAM and the rubber boots are a nice addition meant to save the crank ends from damage.

Soft Goods

I spent some time talking with Wendy from Race Face and she was proud to show off some of the clothing and protection that will be offered for next year. It looks like the trend is toward simple colors with large contrasting logos and neat argyle prints (kind of like the Singletracks jersey). Needless to say, Wendy (who also does the design work) has done a great job at making gear that will look cool for both men and women.

The new trend in MTB armor is softer, more flexible pieces and Race Face is on the ball with their Flank line-up. This soft wrap-around leg armor features a ton of excellent elements such as D3O on the impact points of the knee and shin and a Terry Cloth liner.

Stay tuned for more from RaceFace in the near future.

Niterider

A brilliant example of lighting at Interbike was Niterider. With all their lights out on display, this booth really was a beacon in a sea of bike gear. Niterider’s best and brightest, the Pro 3000 LED, uses 6 large Cree LEDs and a massive Li-Ion battery; the whole package retails for less than $700. Along with the top model, Niterider has a light for just about every budget, including both rechargeable and non-rechargeable units. I had a chance to talk with Tom, the founder of Niterider, and it seemed that we both shared the same passion for good lighting systems and the conviction that there really weren’t any good bike lights available when Niterider started out.

FSA

FSA was displaying all of their 2012 gear nearby and the smell of high quality, nicely-finished carbon saturated the booth. The K-Force and SL-K gear for the XC-Trail rider may be a good idea for those looking to save some weight. I really appreciated the extensive use of uni-directional carbon in the products that were on display. The cranks feature a spine of aluminum to keep things stiff along with the monocoque structure that you see. With other carbon goodies in the form of bars, seat posts and stems, FSA was out to impress.

Ritchey 29er

Despite not being a big 29er fan, I just had to stop and stare a while at this beautiful 29er by Ritchey. For one thing, I owned one way back in the day that was made by Tom Ritchey himself, and my bike had the same “America F*$@ ya” paint job. I kinda miss that bike, and this beautiful ride, although very modern, still has that classic look to it. I found myself wishing I had the cash to pick one up.

From the integrated seat post clamp, to the adjustable rear dropouts that allow you to go either singlespeed or geared, to the highly-polished look, this bike really is a stunner. It’s a steel frame and has a projected cost of $999 (frame only). Depending how you build it up, you can get weights down to 21lbs for a single or 23lbs if you’re going with gears.

THE

THE was showing off their new colors for this year’s T2, along with some cool armor and gear. There’s a decent mix of mild to wild color schemes for you.

Loaded Precision

Loaded Precision was showing off a few new components for this year with their signature series wheels and pedals. For those of you who are interested, they will have a 150mm rear axle available soon in addition to all the present wheel configurations… and in a variety of colors to really pimp your bike out. Anthony from Loaded also mentioned the growing number of products in their XC line-up, including some fire-red 29er wheels!

Topeak

Topeak was there showing off their vast array of pumps and gear. Some interesting additions included a new chain tool called the Link Meister which is geared toward serious users and shops. The head on the Link Meister adjusts so that you can get the pins out perfectly straight without messing things up, thanks to an adjustable shoulder which cradles the chain in the link separator. A really robust set of mud guards for suspension bikes caught Jeff’s eye as well as mine. It may have been sheer fascination about the whole idea, but I have to say they looked pretty sweet. I was thinking about tossing a pair on my DH bike…

For the Apple fanboys and fangirls out there, Topeak showed an iPhone 4 (and now iPhone 4S) compatible stem mount. Unlike the other iPhone handlebar mounts we’ve seen and used, this one put the phone front and center and leaves a cut-out for the phone’s camera. Not only can you use your iPhone as a GPS/cycling computer, now you can use it as a POV camera. Brilliant!

Randomness

When you go to Interbike, you will inevitably come across some oddities along with all the cool ideas. Below is one such product in the making (which type is it? that’s up to you). Still a prototype, this 4-wheeled pedal bike features full independent suspension using Rock Shox Monarchs. As Jeff and I chatted with the owners, we did see many places were weight could be removed. Presently this bike is pushing over 50lbs.

Azonic

Azonic proudly displayed the Outlaw wheels, which have been their staple product for many years and are now available in a 29er version and in an expanded color line. Along with that were bars and stems in the same color patterns for that perfect match.

Azonic has partnered up with O’neal to produce some cool looking threads and skid lids. Their focus seems to be all about color and a mix of retro patterns with modern graphics.

Twenty6

Before the show started, I got an invitation to visit Twenty6. Twenty6 is a small, high tech company that machines kick ass gear. Not only is the gear super slick, but they also have some rich color choices.

Below is just a sample of different color options. I’ll have a review written up soon on the Predator pedals, so stay tuned!

Pro Riders

Remember when I mentioned that Interbike offers access to celebrity riders? Well, great riders like Matt Hunter and Darren Berrecloth were at the iXS booth for a while signing posters and chatting it up.

I even got to spend a little while chatting with Matt. Having limited time, I just had to ask him how he did a particular jump in Seasons where he boosted off a kicker into a loose wall of dirt… it looked absolutely crazy! I got him to talk about how he felt going into it for the first time. It turns out a mix of confidence and fear with a bunch of adrenaline thrown in motivated him. I was really impressed to hear that he is human like the rest of us. Just in case you’re wondering, you can meet Matt in Whistler yourself during the summer months at the Summer Gravity Camp.

iXS

Speaking of iXS, they had a great line up of new 2012 gear on display. With a huge range of colors and improvements, I can’t wait to see when they will all be available. The new METIS shown below looks even better up close. The additional pad in back provides a perfect mating to a Leatt brace, and it provides excellent ventilation.

Not only does iXS make cool helmets, but they also produce a bunch of hemispherical goggles that really rock. They offer a dozen graphic styles to match or clash your helmets. iXS’s gloves and clothing are definitely something to behold. This is one website you must visit.

Spank

Spank had a bunch of shiny, new parts on display as well. They had a prototype stem that I thought looked absolutely amazing! The stem was beautifully CNC-machined, but I was told by Gavin Vos, the co-owner of Spank, that it is just a sample and that the final forged unit will be even stronger. The introduction of complete wheels from Spank also really peaked my interest. Even though I have no issues lacing up my own wheels, a complete solution with both hubs and rims is something I personally like.

The new Spike bar with another Spike stem prototype on display.

Speaking of Spike, stay tuned for a review of the new Spike pedals which, based on my initial rides, are excellent. These beasts have forged bodies with 20 pins on a true flat / thin body. How thin? 12mm to be exact. Not the thinnest, but in practical terms you can’t get much thinner without sacrificing strength.

In a previous post we talked a bit about wheels. Well, Spank has a few wheel sets bound to suit your riding style. The Spike and Spoon wheels look excellent with a bunch of innovative features like the BeadNip profile, the OhhBah inner wall, and zero eyelet construction. Again, Gavin explained why they decided to go without eyelets. They thought, “Why drill an extra large hole and add an eyelet, when precision drilling the holes with the correct angle will make a better interface and stronger wheel?”

Kore

Kore had a bunch of glossy parts out on display as well as a neat prototype of a new 35mm-diameter bar. They aren’t trying to set another standard just for the heck of it, but they reason that with bigger hit bikes, there is a real need for stronger gear that is more resistant to fatigue.

SRAM

One of my last Interbike stops was with SRAM. I talked with Tyler Morland for a while, and he showed off all the goodies to me. SRAM knows how to deliver! For one thing they had celebrities there with their bikes. Can you name the rider pictured below?

You know you done good when you have a tire named after you, like Danny Hart. Danny was around with his Giant showing off all the SRAM gear.

SRAM had all their components on display with new colors like the XO Silver, and there were other new additions to the line up like the XO DH chainring and bashguard.

Jeff and I both agree that the new X5 Group could be a game-changer next year. It looks like X9 but at a much lower price point. Tyler pointed out that essentially these two groups are the same and that the reduced pricing is a result of changes in materials. You will probably start seeing these on bikes in the $800 range – nice gear at a cheaper price point.

Shifting looks very X9ish as well.

The biggest story with SRAM is that you will have two more choices on gear for a total of 4 gear ranges for the chainrings: the original 42-28, 39-26, and now a lower 38-24 and an even lower 36-22. Another important set of products that SRAM will be releasing are easy-to-get repair kits for all your forks, shocks, and other gear.

Santa Cruz

The final stop that I had to make was Santa Cruz bikes. Like SRAM, you couldn’t miss this gorgeous booth with wall-to-wall wood and bike porn. Not to mention that Greg Minnar, Steve Peat, and Josh Bryceland were on hand as well.

Below are three of my favorite Santa Cruz bikes from the show:

The new carbon Nomad. This bike already was made even stronger than the aluminum version of the V10.

The new Carbon V10.

I got all goose-bumpy when I saw this rig! And to think that you can literally jump an entire highway with this bike and it’s still lighter than some XC bikes. What a testament to the strength found in newer carbon structures.

Santa Cruz Tallboy.

I have a lot of respect for this bike; the Tallboy is the bike that really turned me onto 29ers. A few people I know have this bike and they work magic on it–it climbs like a billy goat!

Well folks stay tuned for more – I hope to get a few more Interbike pics posted of even more sweet mountain bikes!

Last week at Outdoor demo I rode a Marin Rift Zone XC7 29er and found it to be a worthy competitor in the FS 29er space. Marin places the Rift Zone XC7 roughly in between an XC and Trail bike and based on the ride and geometry I’d say the bike leans much more heavily toward the XC end of the spectrum.

Like the other FS 29ers I tested, the Rift Zone is a capable climber (70.5-degree head tube angle) and fairly lightweight for a hydroformed aluminum-framed bike. As tested the bike offers a solid mix of Fox suspension components, a Shimano drivetrain, and Sun Ringle Black Flag wheels (perhaps the most non-XC thing about this bike). Descending on the Rift Zone was a blast – in my notes I wrote “juicy suspension.” Some of that juiciness could be attributed to the on-site tuning – after the Marin mechanic set me up I stopped off at the Fox tent where they ended up adding pressure back to the rear shock.

Looking at the raw numbers on the Rift Zone XC7 you can see this bike is really built for XC riding. The 100mm of front and rear travel places this bike solidly in XC territory while the 70.5-degree head tube angle is one of the steepest of the bikes I tested (only the Santa Cruz Tallboy and Giant Anthem X have steeper head tubes). The bike’s chainstay length of 450mm is right in between the Trek Rumblefish and Specialized Camber Pro.

At around $2,600 complete, this is one of the most affordable FS 29ers available and it does a good job on the trail. If you’re looking to upgrade to a FS and a 29er at the same time, this could be a good choice for you.

At the Interbike Outdoor Demo there was no shortage of full suspension 29ers to test, though the Yeti SB95 definitely stood out. With 5 inches of front and rear travel and the legendary Yeti brand, this was one 29er I had to ride. After waiting more than an hour for a size XL bike I saddled up to see what the SB95 had to offer.

The SB95 follows quickly on the heels of the SB66, a 6-inch travel 26er Yeti introduced recently. Like the SB66, the SB95 features Switch suspension technology:

Switch technology is an optimized dual-link design that utilizes an eccentric mechanism that switches direction as the bike moves through its travel. Built into a compact assembly, the eccentric creates a microlink that continuously repositions the lower pivot of the swing arm, allowing us to create a suspension system with no compromises.

Basically the idea is that Switch allows the bike to climb well, offers good small bump sensitivity, and reduces chain growth in the last third of the bike’s travel. Based on my short test run I can say the suspension delivers: climbing felt about as efficient as the 4-inch 29er bikes I tested while offering better small bump compliance than some of the more race-oriented FS 29ers.

And on full throttle descents the SB95 was super plush. Halfway through one run I stopped and noticed the O-ring on my shock was hanging precariously at the end of its barrel. Figuring the ring had somehow worked its way loose (I couldn’t have possibly used that much travel!) I reset it, only to find the ring showed full rear shock compression after the second half of the run. I never got to the point of bottoming the shock out, nor did I notice anything other than smooth damping through the full range.

The Yeti SB95 is offered in an aluminum frame at the moment but word is that a carbon version is in the works. With a short stem and wide bars, this is clearly meant to ride like a big-wheel trail bike – one of the few available at the moment. With that in mind, I found the SB95 didn’t handle quite as well as the other FS 29ers I tested, including the 120mm Specialized Camber Pro (4.7 ~4.5 inches of travel). Although specs aren’t available online yet, I suspect the effective top tube length on the SB 95 is longer than the Camber Pro while the wheel bases are roughly the same.

As 29ers move into Trail and even (shock!) AM territory, it will be interesting to see how companies like Yeti handle the geometry challenges posed by bigger wheels. The SB95 is a solid effort and proves that FS 29ers are more than just a fad.

Animated comparison of the geometry of the Yeti SB95 and the Specialized Camber Pro. The Yeti SB95 offers the most travel of any 29er I tested at Outdoor Demo.

Branding is a powerful thing. Most of us don’t want to admit it or perhaps we’re not even aware of it but when it comes to mountain bikes, something as simple as a name can influence our opinion about a bike. Admittedly my perception of Giant mountain bikes has been that they’re heavy and clunky (don’t ask me where I got this idea – I own a carbon Giant road bike that I really like). So coming into my test ride of the Giant Anthem X 29er I assumed the bike would be a beast on the trail (and not in a good way). And once again I was wrong.

The Anthem X is a full suspension 29er with 100mm of travel front and rear and a full aluminum frame. The SRAM X0 build that I rode was lightweight and seemed to be almost on par with the carbon 29ers I rode during the day.  The stealthy paint job and muted components scream “surgical strike.”

Climbing up the road to the start of the demo course was a breeze but otherwise unremarkable. In fact I could have done the same climb on my hardtail 29er and wouldn’t have felt much difference. The suspension was responsive through dips and transitions but where it really shined compared to other FS 29ers I tested was on the short, steep stingers along the course at Bootleg Canyon. Even slightly out of the saddle on those short climbs the Anthem X delivered without feeling overly twitchy on the descents.

Just one year ago I couldn’t name a single FS 29er that I enjoyed riding but for 2012 companies like Giant seem to have found the sweet spot with XC-style bikes like the Anthem X.  Models are priced at around $3,800 MSRP from your local Giant dealer. This is a fun bike to ride and one that won’t leave you completely worn out at the end of an epic day on the trail.

The Trek Rumblefish is a beautiful mountain bike with clean lines, modern hydroformed tubing, asymmetrical chainstays, and hot graphics that I had to ride during my time at Interbike. Like the other Gary Fisher 29er descendents, the Rumblefish has a reputation for being a solid big wheel bike with excellent handling characteristics.

The 2012 Rumblefish is currently spec’d with 110mm of rear travel and a 120mm travel fork which is a bit unconventional – most manufacturers prefer to match front and rear travel numbers. The rep I spoke with admitted the set-up wasn’t ideal and that the frame designers were still trying to make the geometry work (early adopters beware!).

Even with just 110mm of rear travel, Trek classifies the Rumblefish as a Trail bike which is traditionally 5-inch (120-140mm) travel territory. Of course some will argue that a 29er effectively rides like a longer travel bike than one with 26-inch wheels, making it difficult to pinpoint equivalent ranges of travel for big wheel bikes (XC vs. Trail vs. AM, etc.). Anyway, enough with semantics and classifications – I wanted to see how the Rumblefish handled itself on the trail.

On the climbs the Rumblefish definitely felt dialed in and efficient. While other companies are turning to carbon frames to moderate the 29er weight penalty, the Rumblefish is actually quite light despite its fully-suspended aluminum frame. On the descents the Rumblefish was agile and responsive and I had a hard time finding fault with the mismatched front and rear travel. This bike, like most of the other FS 29ers I rode, was a lot of fun on the trail and the geometry felt just right to me.

Still, I never got the feeling that this bike was more of a “Trail” bike than any of the other 29ers I rode at Outdoor Demo. Just about the only thing that screamed Trail to me about the Rumblefish was the wide, 2.4″ Bontrager tires on the demo model. If you ask me the Rumblefish (starting around $2,400 MSRP) rides like a fast, fun big-wheel XC bike in the same way as the Giant Anthem X does. It will  definitely be interesting to see how the frame and geometry on the Rumblefish evolves over time!

Update: The Trek website is now showing the 2012 Rumblefish comes with 120mm of travel front and rear (thanks Neil!). The rep we spoke with at Interbike apparently didn’t have the latest information – either way, the bike rode well!

The Specialized Camber Pro 29er is more mountain bike than most riders deserve – and yet it’s not even top of the Specialized line. With decades of experience designing and building mountain bikes, Specialized has applied that knowledge to the Camber Pro, resulting in a high performance FS 29er that’s built for going fast and winning races.

Like the Tallboy from Santa Cruz, I went into my demo ride assuming the Camber Pro would feel a bit sluggish and unnecessarily heavy. Of course once again I was completely wrong. The Camber Pro is probably the most responsive FS 29er I tested and it was ultra-snappy on the climbs. At medium speed over rocks the bike felt a little twitchy and stiff but once I opened things up the suspension felt plush. Of course it’s always hard to pinpoint exactly what’s affecting the feel of a bike – everything from tire pressure to shock settings to frame materials plays a role.  Still, I can say the Camber Pro has a racy feel that seems to be part of its DNA.

Unlike the top of the line S-works Stumpjumper 29er, the Camber Pro is not a full carbon bike – the rear triangle is alloy. Still, the bike is very light and felt just as stiff (or even more stiff) than other full carbon bikes I tested. With 120mm of travel this bike dips its toe into Trail bike waters but to me it’s a pretty solidly XC bike. Still, some of the features – like wider handlebars and a Specialized dropper seatpost – lean toward Trail bike territory.

Specialized has a reputation for producing dialed-in racing machines and the Camber Pro is no exception. It’s a sexy looking bike that’s efficient at getting its job done, all in a neat, FS 29er package. Want to win full-on singletrack century bike races? The Camber Pro might just be your ticket.

As many of you know, I’ve been riding a Redline d660 29er for about three years now and I love it. The frame is lightweight, the geometry fits me well, and the 1×9 drivetrain scratches me right where I itch. Redline recently updated both the d660 and the d680 and at Outdoor Demo I got a chance to give the d680 a shakedown.

At first glance the d680 doesn’t look anything like my d660. The updated frame features hydroformed aluminum tubing with a tapered head tube, which I’m told saves a bit of weight over the older models. The geometry is still exactly the same, though after my test ride I wasn’t so sure. Then again I’m running more of an all-mountain fork on my bike at the moment so perhaps that’s the difference.

Speaking of forks, the d680 is spec’d with a 100mm Fox FIT RLC fork with 15mm thru-axle which is a great upgrade in my opinion. The new bikes are also shipping with SRAM 2×10 X9/X0 components though sadly the 1×9 option isn’t offered anymore (I’m told because of the inability to find an OEM supplier offering a suitable chain retention device).

The d680 will be offered at around $2,900 MSRP while the d660, with the same frame but lower end components, will come in around $1,000 less. I can still recommend my d660 after riding it for 3 years now and the new frames look to be even lighter and sexier!

I came into my demo of the Santa Cruz Tallboy assuming I wouldn’t enjoy it. Don’t get me wrong, Santa Cruz makes amazing XC bikes and I’m a died-in-the-wool 29er rider, but before saddling up on the Tallboy, I had never ridden a full suspension (FS) 29er I really loved. Even just a year ago the FS 29ers on the market were mostly heavy, awkward, and usually suffered from serious pedal bob on the climbs. Luckily the Tallboy, with 100mm (about 4 inches) of front and rear travel, has none of those problems.

Santa Cruz makes two versions of the Tallboy – a full carbon beauty (the one I demoed) and an aluminum one for those looking to save a little coin. The full carbon frame weighs in at just about 5 pounds with shock and the fairly standard build I rode at Bootleg Canyon was even lighter than it looked. This bike felt fast – both on the climbs and the descents.

On the trail the Tallboy didn’t ride like a 29er to me (which is really a compliment). Maybe it’s because I’ve been riding my own 29er hardtail for a few years now but to me the Tallboy just felt like a really fun XC mountain bike. I honestly forgot it was a 29er or that it was even a FS bike – it was me and the trail and that was it. In fact I think this was my favorite of all the great FS 29ers I rode all day. The suspension let me sail over rocks, rail bermed turns, and descend faster than on my hardtail 29er at home.

One of the reasons I’ve stuck with my hardtail all these years is that I have zero patience for pedal bob. If I’m climbing, I want every bit of my energy going toward getting me to the top so I can bomb down the other side. In my experience, 29ers in particular suffer from even worse pedal bob than their 26-inch cousins, perhaps due to the increased leverage ratios. Needless to say, Santa Cruz has the Tallboy dialed in and once again, I found myself forgetting to think about the bike – pure bliss.

Clearly the Valencia orange paint job isn’t for everyone, especially given the current black and white obsession sweeping the MTB industry. The component mix is solid, and there are several options to choose from. My demo was set up with Fox suspension, a Rock Shox dropper seatpost, Mavic wheels, and Maxxis Crossmark tires (one of my favorites). The full carbon frame retails for around $2,600 and the Tallboy is currently Santa Cruz’s best selling mountain bike (even better than the Blur!). Check one of these out if you get the chance – it’ll change the way you think about FS 29ers.

I recently wrote that I’m in the middle of testing out Ibex’s full suspension trail bike, the Asta Pro. When I was talking with Ibex about the possibility of doing a bike review, they asked which bike I was interested in trying out, and the one I requested, the bike I was most eager to ride, was the Maroc 29er. The Asta Pro was sort of an “opening act,” if you will. The Maroc 29er is the headliner!

Ibex Maroc above the Horsetooth Reservoir in Fort Collins, CO

What had me so excited about this rig? Here are the highlights:

• 29er
• Carbon fiber frame
• SRAM X9 build
• 2×10 drivetrain
• 100mm fork
• $2,479.99

I knew this bike was light, but I was uncertain of its actual weight until after I put it on the scale myself.

Real weight (with pedals) = 24.82 pounds. Nice!

Unboxing

The Maroc came well protected in its shipping box:

Like the Asta Pro, the Maroc came with a number of thoughtful “extras” that many companies wouldn’t normally include:

Since this frame is naked carbon fiber, there wasn’t any frame paint, but Ibex still included a nice multi tool, pedal wrench, and pedals. However, I did find it interesting that the $2,500 Maroc came with a pair of plastic flat pedals while the $1,900 Asta Pro came with Wellgo clipless pedals.

Just finished with the build.

I totally dig all of the red X9 accents!

A Couple of Issues

Chain Stays

Right away I noticed the rear tire clearance between the chain stays is very tight. The Maroc is currently spec’ed with WTB Wolverine 2.2″ tires front and back, but the trouble is this tire rubs in the chain stays, right out of the box. Ibex is aware of this, however, and threw in a WTB Nano 2.1″ tire for the rear. These photos will show you how tight the clearance is even with this lower-profile tire:

    

While the clearance is very low, I haven’t had any issues since I installed the Nano. I left the 2.2″ Wolverine on up front for maximum grip, and this tire combination has worked superbly everywhere I’ve ridden.

Fork

Secondly, right after I finished assembling the bike I gave the fork the standard push test, just to feel the delicious slide of the Reba. However, this standard “test” that we all “perform” just because suspension feels cool actually revealed an issue this time, as the seal on the left side of the fork slid all the way up the stanchion. I pressed it firmly back into place, and just crossed my fingers, hoping everything would be OK… but it wasn’t.

Just a couple minutes after I got it out on the trail I discovered that the fork was not performing properly when the stanchions compressed all the way into the main fork body and refused to rebound, and I was riding metal-on-metal.  Yes, it really did take someone with my exceedingly gifted mechanical expertise to realize that there was a problem here.

The beauty of buying a bicycle from a company the size of Ibex is that they are very easy to contact and work with, despite the fact that distribution is internet-only. Ibex is only a phone call or email away, so I got on the horn with them right away to straighten out the issue. Since they are based out of nearby Atlanta, I was able to meet up with them the next day and get a new fork–excellent!

The new fork has performed perfectly–I haven’t had a single issue with it.

I think the most important takeaway from this experience is to realize that while you may be buying your bike off of the internet, Ibex is serious about providing a quality product as well as quality customer service.

Upper Loop, Crested Butte, CO

On the Trail

I have put almost 150 miles on the Maroc already, most of them in the mountains around Crested Butte, CO. While I want to put about 300-400 miles on this bike before I write my final review, I do have a couple of quick thoughts from my experience on the Maroc so far:

• This bike is fast! I definitely appreciate the weight savings from the carbon fiber frame and all of the other lightweight components such as the carbon bars and seat post. If you have money to upgrade, a tubeless conversion (such as dgaddis’s Ghetto Tubeless setup) could drop a pound or so, and a high-end wheelset could drop 1 – 1.5 pounds. All of that weight loss would be rotational weight, which we all know is the best place to shed weight on a bicycle. Pretty quickly you could be looking at a 22 pound mountain bike. And if you continued to upgrade… who knows!
• It feels pretty nimble for a big-wheeled bike. I love to just jam this rig in and out of corners as I mach through the singletrack. For my build, the cockpit is a very comfortable balance between a relaxed posture and an aggressive XC racing stance.
• I can truly feel the damping effect of the carbon frame, especially when pounding through a bunch of small obstacles such as breaking bumps.
• I really appreciate the forgiveness of a 100mm fork versus an 80mm fork. It seems like many manufacturers of 29er hardtails are divided on whether they should spec an 80 or a 100. My vote is definitely the 100. I got into many hairy situations during my trip to the Rockies where a shorter-travel fork may have meant a nasty trip over the handlebars.
• I’m a big 2×10 fan, but the combination of the lack of oxygen in Crested Butte and the lack of a few gears on the lower end of my drivetrain forced me to get off and walk at times. But on my home turf at least, 2×10 is the way to go!

Dyke Trail, Crested Butte, CO

In summary, the Maroc has many of the factors that I think make for an amazing hardtail 29er. The carbon fiber frame, 2×10 drivetrain, 100 mm fork, and other components all combine to create a mountain bike that I am having a hard time putting down! I don’t want to think about the sad day when I’m supposed to give this bike back… I may have to pack the truck, grab the Maroc, and head for the border!

Many thanks to Ibex Bicycles for providing the Maroc 29er for review.

After three seasons on my Giant Trance full suspension 26er, I was feeling the itch to try something new. Specifically, I was jonesing for a hardtail 29er with a 2×10 gearing setup.

Enter the Focus Black Forest 29er 1.0.

With its 72° headset angle and 11×32 cassette, this bike falls squarely into the XC and racing categories. But will it also be a good all around trail bike…?

Arrival and Unpacking

My wife IM’ed me at work to let me know that a Fedex semi had just dropped off a box roughly the length of her SUV. I knew 29ers were big, but jeez…what had I done? Not to worry though, the Focus had shipped fully assembled! All I had to do was remove the huge MADE IN GERMANY banner, straighten and flip the bars, make a few sizing adjustments, and it was ready to ride.

Sorry about the camera shake, I was just so excited!

Fit

I am 5′ 8″ with a 29″ inseam on a good day, with shoes on, and maybe some dirt stuck under my cleats. The Focus is a 16.5″ frame and the manufacturer’s website does not list a stand-over height. Suffice it to say I can stand over it, but there’s no room to spare. It also has a 603mm effective top tube length combined with a 90mm stem. With my torso length it places me in an aggressive, but comfortable position. A rider with a shorter torso would want to switch out the stem. A really short rider will probably need to look elsewhere for a better overall fit.

Components and Frame

The bike comes with a mix of SRAM X9 and X0 in the drivetrain and a 100mm Rockshox Recon Silver fork. The wheelset is from DT Swiss and comes wrapped in Continental Race King tires. The brakes are Avid Elixir 3s with a 185mm rotor in the front and 160mm in the rear. The same Fi’zi:k Tundra saddle that has cropped up on every other bike in this price range is present here, the cockpit aluminum bits are all supplied by Focus, and the included ergonomic grips were a pleasant surprise. The frame features beautiful welding and the red and black powder coat looks sharp. Overall it has a clean look, and it does not look like every other bike on the trail.

First Impression

After a few minutes dedicated to bedding in the brake pads, I set off on a quick ride through the neighborhood, including some dirt, but mostly pavement. The bike is easy to adjust for size and provides a very comfortable ride. I immediately found myself throwing it around and having fun with it. On a performance note, this bike is FAST! Between the efficient hardtail design, the 29er wheels and the aggressively geared 2×10 set up, this thing will haul. Out of the box, the shifters were properly indexed and the brake calipers were aligned perfectly. The only real issue I had was getting the seatpost to stay put. I cranked the quick release clamp down as tight as I could, and after a few rides it got enough dust in there to finally settle down and stop slipping.

Break-in and Adjustment

The brakes have given me zero issues so far, and the rear derailleur has required only one click on the barrel adjuster. The front derailleur, however, was going crazy. I thought I had encountered the worst case of cable stretch ever, but it turned out that the cable clamp was not quite tight enough and the cable had pulled through a bit. A moment with the multi-tool and it was sorted. The Rockshox Recon fork has the recommended air pressure listed right on the side, and the turnkey rebound adjuster is pretty cool

Long Term

I’ll be pedaling this bike all over Colorado, and hopefully racing it at 24 Hours of Moab. I like the overall setup, and it is performing well thus far, but time will tell if it holds up to genuine Rocky Mountain abuse and high desert racing. Stay tuned for the final word when I’ve finished putting it through its paces.

Thanks to the folks at Focus for sending over the Black Forest 29er for testing.

Back in March I post an On Test article where I covered the technology packed inside the 100mm Fox F29 Terralogic suspension fork.  Now that I’ve put a bunch of miles in I’m ready to post my final review.  Did it live up to the performance claims and marketing hype?  Is Terralogic the next best thing since sliced bread?  Read on to find out.

Install and Set Up

Installing the fork was easy – no issues.  The crown race pressed on nicely, the brake mount was faced, and the threads were clean and smooth.  This was my first time using a thru-axle, and Fox’s 15mm QR was very easy to set up and use.  The axle slides in on the left side through the fork leg and hub and into the right fork leg.  In the right fork leg there’s a nut the axle threads into.  You thread it in until it starts to snug up, then flip the lever closed.  How that nut is positioned will determine the orientation of the lever.  You should set the nut up so that when you close the lever it is pointed up parallel to the fork leg, easy to use but tucked up out of the way.  Once you get this dialed, it will always close in the same position, and it’s very easy and fast to install or remove the axle.  No tools are needed to remove or install the wheel in the fork.

How this nut is positioned in the drop out determines the QR lever’s position when it’s closed.  That black clip holds it in place, making the Fox QR15 a tool-free thru-axle.

To get the fork’s suspension settings the way I wanted I first turned the Terralogic function off (more on Terralogic later) and used the air pressure guide in the owner’s manual as a starting point for setting the sag and spring rate.  The guide was pretty accurate – I ended up using only about 5psi more than it suggested for my weight.  Next I set up the rebound.  I wanted the fork to rebound quickly, but not so quick that it seemed like it was fighting back.  My initial rebound setting turned out to be a little too slow (too much rebound dampening) and the fork packed down on repeated high speed hits. With a few turns of the red knob on top of the right leg, everything was gravy.  I settled on 5 clicks from full fast (there are 15 settings).

The red knob on top of the right fork leg adjusts rebound.  The air valve is hidden beneath the blue knob on top of the left fork leg.  An o-ring on the left fork leg lets you see how much travel you are using.

Lastly I set up the Terralogic threshold. I found a steep hill in my neighborhood and hammered up it out of the saddle. With the Terralogic knob in position 1 the feature is basically turned off so the fork bobbed a lot.  I started dialing up the Terralogic until I got no more bob, which for me was position 9 of 15.  Then it was time to load up and head to the trails!

Terralogic is adjusted using the knob on the bottom of the right fork leg.  It’s not easy to get to while riding, but doesn’t need to be.  It is a set-it and forget-it setting.

Terralogic on the Trail

I have a hard time explaining how the Terralogic feels when riding.  The problem is this: it doesn’t feel like anything.  You never notice it working, locking or unlocking the fork – it just does it.  When you’re out of the saddle climbing there is no bob.  When you push down on the pedal all of your effort goes to turning the cranks, not compressing the fork.  When you hit a bump the fork soaks it up.  It climbs with the efficiency of a rigid fork, but glides over rough terrain like a suspension fork.  It’s pretty awesome really.  And when the fork locks or unlocks you can’t feel it.  There is no clicking noise, or vibration, or anything.  It just happens.

When you first get on the bike the fork will sit down into its sag like any fork will.  But then the Terralogic keeps it locked there until you hit a bump hard enough to overcome the threshold you have set.  At speed, that means any bump bigger than what your tires can’t smooth out on their own. At low speed however, sometimes the fork won’t soak up stuff that a normal fork would.  If you hit something hard when climbing it will soak it up, then lock out again.  It does all of this without you ever needing to flip a switch or turn a dial.  Just ride.

The Terralogic setting is something you’ll rarely need to adjust – I left mine on the same setting 95% of the time.  I did soften it up by 1 click when I did the Snake Creek Gap Time Trials though, because the course is super technical with an 8-mile long rock garden.  I went 1 click stiffer for a 10-mile XC race and a few local 3-mile time trials because I knew I’d be out of the saddle really hammering hard a lot.  Other than those few rides I left it alone.

No bob, even when hammering out of the saddle.

On my other suspension fork (a Manitou Tower Pro) I have to use a lot of compression dampening and a really high spring rate to keep it from bobbing when I’m out of the saddle.  That doesn’t work all that well as far as soaking up trail irregularities – the fork is a lot stiffer than it needs to be.  But Terralogic allows you to use a softer spring rate for more plushness without losing any pedaling efficiency.

Bump Compliance

The faster you go the better this fork feels.  The compression dampening feels a little slow at low speed, but once you pick up some steam the fork feels great.  It’s super smooth on medium to big hits, and never bottomed out hard enough for me to notice. In years past Fox forks were known for not using all of their travel, well not anymore – I used all 100mm every ride.  The F29 doesn’t do a great job at smoothing out small bumps, or ‘chatter’, however.  To improve small bump compliance Fox has started using a different seal/wiper on their 2012 forks – and the new parts will fit many older forks as well.

Stiffness

This fork is plenty stiff for XC and trail riding.  I never felt any flex under braking or cornering.  The thru-axle does an incredible job of stiffening things up for cornering – it’s noticeably better than a standard 9mm quick release.  It’s a night and day difference, way more so than I expected.  There is a much more “connected” feeling between the handlebars and the tire’s contact patch on the ground.  The front wheel doesn’t get knocked off line as easily either, and this is especially noticeable on mid-corner bumps.  I really noticed the difference when I went back to another fork with a standard quick release axle after riding this Fox fork for several months.  The standard axle felt like the front wheel was trying to fold over when pushing hard into corners. It actually scared me and I stopped several times to check and make sure everything was tight!

I don’t ever want another suspension fork without a thru-axle – the added stiffness and control is amazing.

Other Good Stuff

The gold Kashima coated stanchions are really good looking, and they are slick!  They’re very easy to wipe off.  The coating is durable too:  I’ve got no scratches at all, the stanchions still look brand new.  I also really like the brake hose routing, and the bolt-on guide that keeps the hose in place.  The fork holds air extremely well:  I never needed to top mine off.  I checked the pressure after about three months of use just to see if it had lost any air, and it was still good.  All adjustment knobs are decked out in anodized aluminum, no cheap plastic here.

The QR lever is strong and beefy, and actually takes less force to close than a regular 9mm quick release.

The Bad

For starters, this isn’t the lightest fork out there so weight weenies beware. Also the seals on top of the fork chassis aren’t the greatest – I started getting oily grease on my stanchions after about 400 or so miles.  I didn’t notice any change in performance, but if left alone for too long there could be issues.  Fox’s seals have been one of the few areas of complaints about their forks – hopefully the new seals will be better.

Speaking of seals, the Terralogic knob could use an o-ring seal or something.  Since it’s located at the bottom of the fork and is shaped like a thimble it can fill up with mud (which dries to rock hard dirt) and makes it difficult to turn the knob.  It happened to me after one of the Snake Creek Gap races – I had to remove the knob and knock the dirt out.

To some this fork may seem expensive. Although it’s not out of line when compared to the top end offerings from other suspension companies, still, $900 is a lot of money.  Of course, the best is never cheap – you gotta pay to play!  That being said, this is a great fork, and whether it’s a good value or not is something everyone will have to answer for themselves.

For 2012 Fox is using new seals which will hopefully keep this from happening.  I have some Enduro seals coming in the mail, so look for a How-To article and a review later this summer.

Who is it for?

This is a fantastic fork for the right type of rider who doesn’t mind paying for performance.  I don’t think the Terralogic would work well on a full suspension bike; it might feel unbalanced unless the rear suspension had a similar auto-lockout feature like Specialized Brain equipped bikes.  Those of you who like to sit and spin your way up the climb, you don’t need the Terralogic function either, so check out the less expensive Fox RLT version of the F29 instead.  But for hardtail XC racers, single speed riders, and anyone who likes to get out of the saddle and hammer – you’ll love this fork.

See it in action!

Want to see for yourself how well the Terralogic works?  Check out this short video clip I took riding at the Long Cane Horse Trails.  The first part of the clip is mostly climbing – notice how there is little to no pedal-induced movement when I’m out of the saddle, yet it still soaks up bumps.  The last part of the clip is going downhill, with a bit of full-on panic braking at the very end to keep from missing a turn.

I would like to thank Fox Racing Shox for providing this fork to review.