Interbike is basically like a strip-club where you aren’t allowed to touch any of the dancers. This year I got all worked up seeing the latest from Easton but left the show feeling pretty unsatisfied. After flipping through the catalog hundreds of times and burning up the Easton website I finally got a chance to test the goods for myself.

Easton hooked me up with a component trifecta that’s geared toward all-mountain / freeride / DH rigs. Most of us don’t realize it but handlebars, stems, and seat posts need updating and/or replacing every few years, particularly if they’re abused day in and day out (guilty). Fortunately Easton has just the ticket: the Monkeylite DH bar (now in 750mm width), the 65mm Havoc stem, and the Havoc two bolt seat post. These products alone or together offer the perfect complement to your long travel mountain bike.

First on the block is the MonkeyLite DH bar (MSRP $150). The first thing you’ll notice about the 2010 MonkeyLite DH is the new graphics and flat white center.  More importantly you also now have a choice of either 750mm or a slightly narrower 711mm version. The DH bar weighs around 230 grams which means it’s still lighter than most bars and incredibly strong. You get a very comfortable 9° back sweep which keeps your wrists fairly straight rather than twisted.

You also get a 5° upsweep which I noticed reduces fatigue when turning (that little amount of rise rotated my wrists slightly towards the center of the bike and made me use more triceps). The 40mm rise placed my body in just about the right spot for hitting the slopes, reducing that unsettling “over the wheel” feeling. Since this is a carbon bar you’ll notice reduced sting from taking hits. Carbon allows the bar to flex without transmitting the full force of rocks, logs and drops through the bar.

The Havoc DH stem (MSRP $85) comes in white or black this year and has new graphics as well. There are three lengths to choose from (50mm, 65mm, or 80mm) and each sports a 10°rise. The Havoc stem is made from 6061 aluminum making it durable enough for the demanding rider without worrying about it breaking. I chose the 65mm stem (203 grams) which is not the lightest I’ve seen but I’m definitely willing to trade off a little extra weight for improved durability. The four bolt front cap was made as wide as possible to evenly distribute clamping forces, making it safe for carbon bars as well. The double pinch bolt at the steering tube is really a must for the all-mountain / freerider crowd. This is a very stiff unit that’s a great addition to any front end overhaul.

NOTE: whenever installing stems or bars, always refer to manufacturer info for torque specifications and sequences. Failure to do so may permanently damage the stem and bar.

The double bolt Havoc seat post (MSRP $80) is the third piece of the all-mountain pie. At about 285 grams for the 350mm unit you’re getting an Easton EA70 aluminum tapered wall unit that can take a ton of abuse. Available in four sizes (27.2, 30.0, 30.9, or 31.6mm), the post will fit almost any MTB seat tube out there.  The killer feature here is that you can switch between either 7mm or 8mm rails by orienting the clamp plates. Perfect for those saddles with beefier rails!

The double bolt design allows you to easily set up your seat angle and provides a strong clamping area to prevent saddle movement. I did find the angle of the bolts a little annoying because I couldn’t use a tee-handle Allen key and ended up using a slower L-shaped tool.  On the bike and hitting trails the seat post held up great with no creaking and no slipping of the saddle position - a definite plus.

Overall the fresh new graphics, solid construction, and trouble-free installation of all these components make them a great choice for updating your all-mountain rig. Bring all three into the champagne room with you the next time you’re out!

Thanks to the folks at Easton for providing the components for review.

The next tire in the WTB series that I’ll be testing is the ground-ripping Stout 2.3. This tire is meant for nasty, gnarly terrain! With its wide offset spacing center tread pattern and aggressive corner knobs, this tire performs best on loose trail surfaces. The Stout ($50 MSRP, on sale for $41.97 @ HuckNRoll) makes use of the same Super Track rubber compound and lightweight casing as the Prowler but with a different tread pattern. The Stout sports a very open, staggered center tread design which allow the tire to efficiently roll through adverse trail conditions. The side transition knobs allow for good cornering grip and leaning characteristics.

I decided to mount these tires onto a set of Sun-Ringlé STR8 Track wheels that I tested previously to give me a good indication of how the tires themselves would perform. I only needed a single tire iron to place the bead of the tire over the rim. As usual I added a bit of talcum powder before inserting a heavy duty tube to reduce friction inside the tire. I chose to inflate the Stouts to 40psi in front and back and I was off.

Hitting the trails for the first few times was a bit of a dull ride. The trails were very dry and hard and I found that on hardpack and dry clay the tires slipped a bit in the turns, slowing me down on an otherwise fast ride. I found that the Stouts just didn’t bite enough on those very hard surfaces. Fortunately with the varying weather that we have up here in Ontario (rain, sun, wind, overcast, rain again, sun), the next few days the very same trails were soft enough to walk and leave prints, but not soft enough to be considered muddy. In the softer terrain, the Stout performed amazingly well. I found that on loamy, softer trails these tires really hugged the ground.

Cornering with the Stouts was fun - I could lean with the tires without that gut feeling of tanking the bike. The tires did not squirm at all; rather they were very responsive and predictable when entering and exiting corners. With the lower center knobs and increasingly deeper side knobs, the tire did transition well from one knob to the next, especially compared to other tires I’ve tried.

Climbing and braking with the Stouts I did slip from time to time when the trail got very dry. However, when the trails were a bit softer these tires did very well without any slip when the power was put down. Braking with the Stouts was great - very little slippage and tons of control. The tread pattern allowed the wheel to stay pointed in whatever direction I wanted and didn’t slip side to side.

Overall I would say if the terrain you’re running in is mostly on the softer side of things or very rocky, the WTB Stout is the tire for you. The Stout tread pattern can get you to the trail head and promises to be a stable and comfortable tire even on a skinny!

My overall impressions:

7 out of 10 for climbing
8 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 stopping in a straight line

Specs from WTB:

Usage: All Mountain
Conditions: Wet to dry / Loose to Rough
Size: 2.3″
GMS: 55/60
Durometer: 53a DNA rubber
Weight: 863 grams

If you’re in the hunt for a great All Mountain bike tire at a decent price, look no further than the Prowler MX from WTB ($50 MSRP). Aggressive, talon-like knobs will help you navigate the trail like a jungle cat so you can catch even the fastest prey!

Installing these tires on my Easton Havoc wheels was a snap and required just a few minutes. I did myself a favor and used heavy duty tubes along with some talcum powder to improve performance and reduce friction in the tire. I inflated the tires to 40 psi and was off to the trails!

I wanted to hit as much varied terrain as I could since WTB says this tire can handle wet to dry terrain as well as loose to rough. Fortunately Kelso and Blue Mountain have plenty of both.

On hard packed surfaces the Prowler MX tires did fairly well and didn’t vibrate too much. Both tires had decent traction and didn’t feel squirmy like other aggressively patterned tires I’ve ridden. Rolling efficiency seemed decent and I didn’t feel like I had to labor too much to maintain my speed.

Under climbing and braking the Prowlers were great and did not lock up or slip unexpectedly. Even when braking on very hard surfaces such as rock and hard roots the tires did a good job stopping without sliding. At times when the tires did lock up, they tended to remain in line - no wandering - thanks to the pronounced transition knobs. On climbs the ramped knobs kept the tread firm on the ground without slipping. Extra siping (small grooves) on the knobs adds even more edges for an overall higher level of grip.

I guess the shining point on the Prowler MX tire is its ability to take corners in a variety of conditions. I loved the way these tires gripped in softer, dusty trails. When the terrain got technical, tight, and twisty - these tires just kept hanging on and worked exceedingly well. I also loved this tire’s ability to bite down on the fallen log runs without slipping (that is a big plus for me at least). The corner knobs on Prowler MX tires have almost double the number of blocks and are also siped to increase gripping.

Overall, the Prowler MX is a great tire that will really boost your riding performance and enjoyment. If you haven’t tried a set now may be the time!

My overall impressions:

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

Specs from WTB:

Durometer 53a  DNA rubber
GMA 54/60
Usage: All Mountain / Freeride
Conditions: Wet to dry / Loose to Rough
Size: 2.3″
Weight: 869grams