After testing six different full suspension 29ers at Interbike last year, I decided it was finally time to get one for myself. I’ve owned several hardtail mountain bikes since 1992, including a 29er, but this would be my first big move into full suspension mountain biking. Turns out it would also be my first carbon mountain bike.

The Santa Cruz Tallboy was the first bike I demoed at Interbike in September and it was love at first ride. I’m told this is Santa Cruz’s best selling mountain bike which says a lot since the company makes a bunch of great bikes (including the sexy V-10 Syd recently built up). And just in case you’re wondering, Santa Cruz didn’t give us these bikes – we both paid for ‘em with our hard-earned money.

Anyway, back to my Tallboy build. I decided to go with the carbon frame and Fox RP23 shock with Kashima coat (you can get the RP2 instead to save a little $$). Santa Cruz included a Fox shock pump and grease gun for the pivots but other than that, what I got was basically a blank canvas.

Initially, the biggest challenge was finding a headset that would work with the frame. Santa Cruz says this on their website: “As all of us frame manufacturers seem to be using slightly different configurations with tapered headtubes, these headsets are custom items.” Of course I read this after the purchased frame was sitting in my office, wondering what I had gotten myself into. The note from Santa Cruz made cryptic references to Cane Creek and Chris King headsets but didn’t give any specifics so I spent the next several days emailing Santa Cruz support and searching online for the right part.

Eventually Syd set me straight and before I knew it, I had the right Cane Creek upper and lower cups and a sweet Fox 32 Factory series fork with matching Kashima coat. I had the guys at Bicycle South install the headset and fork, then set out to build up the rest of the bike myself.

Ok so first, a bit about me: I am not Syd. I generally don’t enjoy working on bikes or researching parts and just when I *think* I know what I’m doing, I usually screw something up. Still, I figured building up a new bike would be a great opportunity to improve my wrench skills. And if I did make a mistake or get stuck, I could always bring the bike to the shop to have it put together the right way.

I started with the seat and seatpost, mainly so I’d have a way to hold the frame in my work stand. I found an old Easton EA70 30.9mm seatpost that came with mudhunny’s Blur and slapped a Titec Hellbent saddle on (the lightest one I could find in my collection). I was really anxious to get the thing looking like a bike so I grabbed my SunRingle Black Flag 29er wheels, strapped on a SRAM 2×10 cassette, and bolted on the rotors. The wheels were already shod with tubed tires even though the rims are tubeless but swapping those out is another project for another time.

After restoring my Redline to its original 1×9 configuration, I cleaned all my SRAM 2×10 X0 drivetrain stuff with a fine-tooth comb (and a ton of de-greaser). The bottom bracket and crank went on teflon-smooth and I finally figured out what that weird plastic piece on my bottom bracket tool is for (it tightens the retention nut on the crank arm). I attached the derailleurs, and was pretty happy with myself for actually buying the right front derailleur for my frame (it’s a high mount, dual pull, 34.9mm clamp, 2×10, in case you’re wondering).

Next I turned my attention to the cockpit. Not wanting to marginalize my Redline any further, I decided to use the alloy Syncros bars on my shelf instead of stealing the carbon Answer bars from that bike. I picked up a cheap 110mm FSA stem and Sette lock-on grips, then got busy attaching a new set of Avid Elixir 9 hydraulic disc brakes. I had planned on using a spare set of Hayes brakes but after looking at the brakes, they needed more work than I was willing to put into them at the time.

Finally, it was time to hook everything up and give the bike a spin! I wasn’t entirely sure how to route the derailleur and brake cables so I studied the Tallboy pics on the Santa Cruz website, making generous use of the zoom button to see the details. I used a fresh Jagwire cable kit, cut all the housing to size, and routed the cables. I ended up cutting one section of housing too short and fraying the rear derailleur cable but luckily I had spares.

Confession: derailleur and chain adjustments frighten me. This was the part of the build I was dreading and I assumed I would need professional help at this point. I read the SRAM instructions carefully and checked the existing chain length from my Redline. Turns out it was spot on! After routing the chain and linking it together, I attached the derailleur cables, made a few adjustments, then breathed a sigh of relief. It was alive! Final weight: about 27 lbs. which I could easily see dropping close to 25 lbs. with a few part swaps.

Of course I wasn’t completely done – there were still lots of little items like clipping zip ties, adjusting lever angles, and dialing in the shocks. All told I probably put 3-4 hours into the build and ended up doing it all myself (save the fork and headset installation).

I took a short test ride around the block to make sure everything was set, then drove out to the Pinhoti trail for my first real ride. It was a great ride and the only issue I ran into was with my rear derailleur cable slipping loose (easy trail-side fix).

In the end I’m really glad I built this bike up myself from scratch. I definitely learned a lot and gained confidence in my wrench skills, not to mention I got a bike that fits me better than one with stock components might. I can’t wait to put a ton of miles on this bike in 2012 – look for a full review sometime in late spring!

Can you think of anything more exotic than Carbon? Neither can I. Introducing the gorgeous 2012 Santa Cruz V-10 Carbon!

I seem to recall that Gordon Murry, a well-known engineer in motorsports, once said, “If it looks fast, it probably is.” Well, it turns out he’s right.

It all started back at Interbike while chatting a bit with the boys from the Syndicate and asking their feelings about the bike. Seeing that they were all smiles, I had to put one together. Besides, at the show this bike just looked so hot! After talking with a few other manufacturers I put together my own wish list of parts that I, and I am sure others, would like to see tested on the slopes. The actual build that comes with the V-10 Carbon is already a great build… I just wanted to see how far I could go. A few emails to Easton, Fulcrum, SRAM, Schwable, and Spank, and I was on my way.

But I still had a few hours of sweat equity to put in. Unfortunately, when it comes to custom bikes, you have to do one of two things: either build it yourself or pay someone else to do it. Of course I chose to do the former and over the next couple weeks I’ll be sharing some how-to articles about my build.

First Impressions of the Santa Cruz V-10 Carbon

So far I’ve already managed to get in a few rides aboard the V-10. The first thing I noticed was how incredibly light the bike felt. Every pedal stroke going into the trailhead at the slopes was pure acceleration! I managed to get the last DH bike I built down to 36.4lbs; the V-10 Carbon first came in at 32.42lbs. That’s a massive difference in weight! I also found that even after I removed half a degree of head angle to slacken up the steering (more on that in a later article), the bike was still very nimble at speed. And speed is the big key here.

The V-10 feels like it was meant to be in the air. When the bike leaves the ground, the light weight makes for a very flickable ride. On the ground the bike is lightning fast and can change direction with minimal steering input. You would think that the light weight would mean that the bike is fragile. So far, I have had no issues: tossing the bike into rock gardens was not an issue. The 14.5″ high bottom bracket helped at keeping the cranks and pedals away from stray rocks and boulders. I kept the bike in 10.5″ mode seeing that I preferred the slightly plusher ride, and the added travel didn’t hurt anything either.

I didn’t have a chance to tune the bike much after going a bit too fast over a road gap early in my test, which cut the day short. But up until then the bike was getting more and more comfortable with every tweak of the compression and rebound settings. I will not divulge the settings a this time, but will wait until I give a full review of the bike itself.

In short, if you have a chance to give this beast a ride: do it! This is an amazing bit of technology from the folks at Santa Cruz.

Price

So what kind of price are you looking at when assembling a dream bike like this one?

Here’s a quick cost break-down:

Frame:	$3250
Headset:	Included
Fork:	$1700
Wheels:	$960
Tires:	$89 x2
Cassette:	$350
Cranks:	$395
Chainguide:	$200
Pedals:	$125
Handlebar:	$110
Brakes:	$245 x2
Shifter:	$100
Rear Derailleur:	$235
Seatpost:	$135
Saddle:	$174
Ti bolts:	$175
Chain:	$75
Grips:	$20
Total:	$8672 (give or take a few dollars)

I would like to thank the folks at SRAM, Santa Cruz, Fulcrum, Schwalbe, Spank, WTB, and Easton for sending down the gear for this build.

The Ibex Maroc 29er has multiple personality disorder – but it’s the most wonderful disorder a mountain bike can have!

The Test

Any bike that shows up on my doorstep is bound to get the snot kicked out of it. The only question is whether or not it’ll get up and beg for more.

I have put well over 400 miles on the Maroc over the last 3 months, and have ridden it on trails all across the nation. I thrashed epic alpine rides in Crested Butte, Colorado (check out one of those ride reports here), punished it on my local trails in the mountains of North Georgia, and raced it in an endurance race in Sumter National Forest, South Carolina.

Over the course of my testing I’ve destroyed 1 WTB Laserdisc 29er wheel, 2 SRAM X-9 derailleurs, 2 derailleur hangers, and 1 jockey wheel. Despite all of this abuse, the Ibex Maroc got up off the ground, dusted itself off, and asked for more!

Personality #1: Lightweight Race Whip

As I recently demonstrated, the Maroc 29er is light enough and fast enough right out of the box to be competitive on the race course! The carbon fiber frame, carbon bars, carbon seat post, WTB Wolverine and WTB Nano tires, and X-9 2×10 build all contribute to the low stock weight.

As I mentioned in my initial review, my 16.9″ Maroc weighs in at just 24.82 pounds with a cheap pair of Wellgo SPD pedals installed. A number of crucial upgrades could drop this number by 2-3 pounds quickly:

• Lightweight Eggbeater pedals
• Tubeless conversion
• Lighter wheelset

The first two upgrades are fairly inexpensive, and while the third may cost more money, it would really help shed weight where it counts. If you really want to make this bike go anorexic, there are any number of parts that you can continue to upgrade. With a frame that only weighs 1,050 grams (2.31 pounds), the sky really is the limit!

While there are components that could be upgraded, whenever I am out riding the Maroc, either in an endurance race or just in a fast-paced group ride, I never feel like there is one single component that I can point at and say that it is holding me back. This bike was well-planned and features an excellent build. I’ve even had several friends remark that I climb way faster on this bike than on any other rig in my shed. No, the only thing that ever holds me back when riding the Maroc is my personal fitness–the amount of time I do (or do not) spend out on the bike.

Personality #2: Aggressive Trail Bike

While I do go on a lot of fast-paced rides, the majority of my time on the bike isn’t competing in races… it’s just riding around on trails. To that end, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Maroc 29er is a very capable trail bike!

A number of factors contribute to the Maroc’s general trail-worthiness. As maddslacker astutely pointed out, the Maroc sports a 70 degree headtube angle, which is rather slack for a hardtail. Even so, the Maroc still climbs superbly, while the 70 degree headtube allows it to descend like a demon!

To guard against rocks and random trail debris, the bottom of the downtube and chainstays are Kevlar-reinforced. Any worry that you might have about destroying this carbon frame from a random rock hit should be easily assuaged!

Kevlar-reinforced downtube.

You can see the Kevlar weave (the tan color on the underside) through the outer clear coat.

Cockpit

A few critical components help the Maroc perform admirably as a trail-attack bike. First up, the carbon fiber Race Face Next handlebar measures a glorious 685 mm wide with a nice, low rise. This provides precision handling at high speeds and a comfortable posture when descending steep slopes. I have to be honest, I’m a big-bar-lover, and I think the wide Race Face Next is perfect for this trail application!

Fork

The Rock Shox Reba RLT tapered 100 mm fork handles suspension duties and performs perfectly in all sorts of chunky conditions. I’ve ridden a couple of 29ers with 80 mm forks, and 3 inches of travel never seems like enough squish to my trail sensibilities. Bump it up to a 4 inch fork like the Reba RLT, though, and in my book, that’s just about perfect for a hardtail 29er! It’s enough travel to absorb all sorts of chunder-inducing ‘nast without harshing the climbs. Also, the Reba RLT features a mechanical pop-lock on the handlebar for easy-access remote lock out.

Braking

Many hardtails just run 160 mm rotors front and back. The Maroc, however, features a nice big 185 mm rotor up front to provide maximum stopping power while bombing at speeds. Yes, it’s obviously a bit heavier than a 160, but I really appreciated the additional stopping power during epic descents in the mountains of Colorado and north Georgia.

I’ve ridden a number of 29er hardtails with rotors that felt severely undergunned… not so with the Maroc!

Tires

The Maroc 29er comes stock with a WTB Wolverine 2.2″ tire up front and a WTB Nano 2.1″ tire in the rear. As I mentioned in my initial review, the choice of the Nano 2.1 is due to the tight rear tire clearance between the rear chain stays. While the Nano doesn’t rub, it still runs very close to the stays.

Out on the trail, though, this tire combination is definitely aggressive enough to tackle some serious terrain. The 2.2″ Wolverine is surprisingly aggressive for being so lightweight, and while the Nano is the most aggressive tire that will fit on the rear of the bike, it tracks true through a surprising amount of varied terrain.

SRAM X-9 2×10

While this is my first time on SRAM’s X-9 2×10 group, I’ve spent a significant amount of time on their X-7 2×10 and X-9 3×9.

In short, I am a huge fan of the 2×10 system, especially on a hardtail 29er! If you want more information, be sure to read my general 2×10 review and trek7k’s X-O 2×10 review.

Color, Tube Shape, and Other Details

The tube shape and general attention to detail is truly the icing on the cake. Riding a mountain bike that performs superbly is one thing… riding a mountain bike that performs superbly and looks good doing it is just that much better!

The naked carbon look is definitely “in” right now, and I love the stealthy black with the red highlights from the X-9 group.

The large curved tubes definitely add to the aesthetic appeal. Where the color and graphics end, the curves and cleanliness of the internal cable routing take over.

Finally, Ibex spared no expense and included a custom stem cap and custom head badge (not a decal).

Negatives

Negatives, what negatives? This is such an excellent bike that it is hard to complain about anything!

Nevertheless, it is worth noting (as I mentioned in my “on-test” blog post) that the clearance in the rear chainstays is very tight.

And while I think the Nano provides excellent traction for such a low-profile tire, after 400+ miles it is already showing significant wear:

Before / After

After.

I suppose that’s the trade-off, though: tackier rubber = shorter life span. It’s a tough choice, but with the performance that the Nano has been giving me, I think Ibex made the right choice.

Final Thoughts

In my opinion, the Ibex Maroc 29er is everything that a 29er hardtail should be: lightweight and fast, but at the same time aggressive, and more than capable of holding its own against some rowdy singletrack and equally rowdy riders! In spite of the issue with the rear tire clearance between the chainstays, this is one mountain bike that I could see myself riding for a very long time!

MSRP: $2479.99

Many thanks to Ibex for loaning me the Maroc 29er for review!

Photo Gallery

To view the large images, click on the thumbnail, then click on the thumbnail again on the next page and you’ll be there.

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!

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.

International travel is a highly unique experience, and the act reveals much about ourselves and the things we carry. Those who travel far and often are a ritualistic and superstitious bunch (or maybe it’s just me). With so many variables that are completely out of your control such as weather, delays, malfunctions, language challenges and the whims of airline and transit employees that run the gamut from indifferent to pure naked evil, you want to be ready for anything.

These factors affect each traveler differently, but for many it creates a laser-like focus on the reliability of the things we choose to bring with us. Missed a connection? Those better be damn comfortable pants because now you need to get another 18 hours out of them. Terminal change at Heathrow? I sure hope your carry on wheels roll true and that handle deploys smoothly every time because you’ve got at least three hours of walking, buses, elevators, escalators, tunnels and guards with automatic weapons to navigate to get to that connection.

Travel mantra: today is not the day I get shot or mauled

But what in seven continents is more important to the traveler than his or her wallet? Whether you’re going to the coffee shop in your flip flops and yesterday’s t shirt or to Shanghai for a week of factory tours, heavy drinking and insane taxi rides (as in pray-to-your-deity-for-safe-passage-insane), there are things you carry everywhere and every day.  For me that consists of a driver’s license, insurance card, credit cards, local currency and a religious mojo I got at a temple in Taiwan for safe travels. At least that’s what they told me; a little pantheistic insurance can’t hurt, right?

Ragged  Edge Gear produces truly unique products for your pocket. Made in the USA of carbon fiber sailcloth and Kevlar fabrics, these are ready to stand up to serious duty and the occasional monkey knife fight. I got the Carbon Fiber Border Bifold ID Wallet ($50) that features a separator to keep my Americanese money away from my funny money covered with Chairman Meow. Don’t want them mixing, you know? And while I’m on the subject, why in the Sam Hill can’t all foreign currency notes be the same damn size? Pretty please?

So where was I? Oh yes, the billfold. This wallet took a while to take the supple curve of my ass, but rest assured that a little dedication and patience during the breaking in process will produce for you a piece of rump luggage that you’ll forget is there. Of course this could be a liability in some instances, so be careful. Customs officials and bartenders the world over have little patience for the “I lost my wallet” song and dance.

Every time I pulled out this wallet among my bicycle industry cronies I got the “Sweet dude” look: they knew and so will you. A carbon fiber wallet is 100% unnecessary, 10 tons of cash-carrying overkill, and pure kickass in your pocket.

Note to bike shop people: Ragged Edge is looking for shops interested in carrying their products. If you’ve got a desire to get just a little more carbon in your store, drop them a line.

Thanks to the folks at Ragged Edge for providing the wallet for review.

There have been some pretty great products coming out of Easton lately and after getting hands on with the Haven wheels (26 and 29er) we were interested to see how the other Haven components stack up. I got a chance to check out the Haven bars, stem, and seatpost recently and this is my review.

This year Easton introduced Haven bars, stems, and seat posts to go along with the high power wheels intro’d last year. Not only does this allow riders to put together a cohesive look for custom builds but the company is also building on the high quality finishes and materials (uni-directional carbon and Easton aluminum) found on the wheelsets. The upshot: matched graphics and anodizing plus even more ultra-precise machine work .

Haven Carbon bars

The Haven Carbon bars weigh in at a svelte 170 grams which is pretty good considering they’re lighter than some XC alloy bars yet stronger than many DH bars. With a 711mm width and a low rise of 20mm, these are ready for some serious steering. The Haven bars are offered with a clamp diameter of 31.8mm and feature a near perfect 9°degree back bend with a 5° degree up-sweep which leaves my wrists pretty straight on the bar with just a slight inward twist.

Compared to other carbon bars on the market, Easton didn’t waste resin to flash a fancy weave on the outside; instead, the uni-directional fiber construction yields a smooth matte finish.  What makes this bar so light and strong is the taper wall construction which varies the wall thickness along the bar. Also found in Havoc and EA series bars, tapered walls are thicker where stresses are greater and thinner where there’s not as much stress. As an added benefit, the bar doesn’t feel overly stiff. At $160 MSRP, this is definitely a premium cost for a lightweight bar.

Haven stem

The all new, all-mountain Haven stem takes everything Easton knows and tosses it into this lightweight yet strong stem. Using their proprietary CNC aluminum, Easton pulled out all the stops to make this jewel for your ride. The highly machined (both in a out) stem uses Easton’s tried and true 4-bolt top lock technology (where the top edge of the stem and face plate meet), ensuring very little stress on the bar at that point. Easton claims this design has the best stiffness to weight ratio to date.

The stem comes in four lengths to best suit your needs and body style (55mm, 70mm, 85mm, 100mm) with a 0° degree rise (sorry no choice there). Like the bars, this stem is only offered with a 31.8mm clamp diameter. Depending on the length, the stem weight varies from 143 grams and up. With two color choices (either black with mag cap or mag with black cap) you can match up your ride and look pretty smart. $105 MSRP.

Haven carbon seat post

The final item on the list is the Easton Haven carbon seat post. I’m pretty sure many of you are thinking a carbon post on a AM bike is a little crazy – but believe it or not this post is stronger than the aluminum counterpart. Once again Easton went to great lengths manipulating the tubing thickness to get the maximum strength into this taper-walled constructed unit.

Unlike the EC90 post which is totally carbon (minus the bolts), the Haven has an ingenius featherweight alloy top cap that resembles the landing gear support braces on a jet. Using the same two-bolt design allows for an index-free, infinitely adjustable saddle. Weighing in at 240 grams (31.6mm x 400mm), this post is about 50 grams heavier than the EC90 but to put that into perspective, only 10 grams heavier than the lightest post RaceFace has to offer. So I would have to say that the Haven is very light for AM or even for a trail bike for that matter. With three diameters (27.2mm, 30.9mm, 31.6mm)  and a 0° degree set back, this should fit a large selection of bikes out there today. Of course all this high technology has a cost: $140 MSRP.

Installation

Well once the gear arrived from Easton it took very little time to get everything installed. Because the gear is carbon or is being attached to carbon, it’s essential to apply the correct amount of torque. I always use my Topeak D-torq DX wrench to apply the correct amount of force to every bolt. The very last thing I want to do is crush the carbon… that would be bad.

With the stem and bar it’s a matter of following the clear instructions supplied by Easton. Do yourself a favor and pick up a good quality carbon grease while you’re at it, preferably one that does not use “grit” in it to provide friction. A Carbon grease like Motorex is a great idea to prevent slip and it reduces the amount of torque needed to get things tight. The key thing to remember with carbon gear, especially with seat posts, is to make sure there are no metal burs on your seat tube that may scratch or damage the carbon. Double check before installing anything.

On the trail

On the trails I really enjoy the feel of carbon. As stiff as it can be, a properly designed fiber-oriented bar really takes the sting out of the hits and these Haven components are no exception. The 711mm bar with the 55mm zero-rise stem is a perfect width / reach for my 5.5″ Opus Clutch. The shorter stem and wider bar helps me breathe better and keeps me a bit more upright and back on the bike. When conditions get rough I have ample control over the front wheel without going over.

I really love the fact that even on those long rides my hands don’t get fatigued thanks to the combination of the natural vibration dampening of the bar and optimal bend. Over the duration of the test the bars, stem, and seat post never came out of adjustment or slipped in any way. Even with rocks and debis flying about, the finish never got damaged despite an over the bar experience (or two).  I did a bar tap or two on some saplings on a tight trail but nothing that caused too much alarm. The wider bars are definitely a good choice for an amazing amount of steering control.

I would like to thank the folks at Easton for sending down the gear for review.

Hey gram counters: how’d you like to shave a couple pounds off your 29er mountain bike with a single upgrade? After putting the Syncros FL Carbon 29er fork through its paces on the trail I’m ready to fill you in on the details, talk about performance, and award style points.

The Deets

The Syncros FL Carbon mountain bike fork weighs just 1.25 pounds (580 grams) compared to 3.5+ pounds for the lightest 29er suspension forks available. Heck, this fork still weighs about half what you’d expect from a rigid steel version! It’s not the lightest carbon 29er fork available but it’s pretty dang close (we’re talking grams).

Unlike other rigid carbon forks, the Syncros FL Carbon is full-on carbon fiber from the steerer to the crown to the drop outs and brake tabs. The crown and steerer assembly is a full monocoque which means it’s essentially built up as a single piece for exceptional strength and durability. In fact Syncros says there’s no rider weight limit for this fork – how’s that for strength confidence?

To some a rigid mountain bike fork might seem like a throwback but this fork features a completely modern design. Aside from the carbon construction, the Syncros Carbon FL fork plays nicely with fat tires (2.4+) and only works with disc brakes (truly old-school V-brake aficionados will need to look elsewhere). The brake mounts are International Standard (IS) so if you’re upgrading you may need to pick up the appropriate adapter. We’ve also heard there’s no maximum rotor size on the FL Carbon which would make it unique among rigid carbon 29er forks.

Another thing that makes the FL Carbon design unique is the offset (or rake): just 38mm. The offset is basically the distance between the center of the dropouts and the steering axis and is one of three factors that determine a bike’s “trail.” So, holding a bike’s head angle and tire diameter constant, a shorter offset increases trail which improves stability on the bike (but decreases handling precision). By comparison, Niner’s carbon fork has a 45mm offset while the XRR470 from DT Swiss has a 41mm offset.

On the Trail

It’s been a long time since I’ve put in serious saddle time on a rigid mountain bike – like 12 years. It’s hard to imagine a time when even the most entry level bike didn’t come with a squishy fork but believe it or not, it’s still possible to get rad on a rigid mountain bike! Though to be honest I was a little worried at first…

Ok, so here’s where the specs meet the trail and it all starts to make sense. The cool thing about carbon fiber is that designers can influence characteristics like stiffness and compliance based on the way the fibers are laid out. The upshot: I found the FL Carbon is tuned so it’s not overly harsh on the trail yet it’s still strong enough to stand up to serious abuse. Still, make no mistake – this is a stiff, rigid fork. After just a few rides I needed to re-tighten most of the bolts on my stem and bar attachments to eliminate all the chatter.

To the uninitiated, the thought of riding rigid sounds like torture but this is where this fork’s light weight saves the day. See, instead of plowing right over rocks and roots using a heavy suspension fork, I found the FL Carbon allowed me to finesse the trail more easily – speed hops and wheelies were nearly effortless. Granted, this takes more concentration and I was definitely slower than usual on the really techy stuff but I didn’t run into anything (stairs, rocks, etc.) I couldn’t handle.

Speaking of lower weight, as you can imagine this fork climbs like a dream. Not to state the obvious here but the FL Carbon is lightweight and doesn’t dive even a millimeter when I mash the pedals – seated or standing. This is where the rigid rider makes up time after picking slowly through the tech stuff!

My biggest gripe about the FL Carbon is the 9mm QR wheel mount option. Maybe I’m just spoiled after switching over to through-axle forks and wheels but the slight lateral flex on this fork feels a little strange. During the first few rides I was constantly stopping to make sure my QR skewer wasn’t loose because the front end felt like it had a minor quiver (for those who are still riding a traditional fork with standard QR mounts you won’t notice a thing.) Of course I can’t fault Syncros for this design decision – try to find a rigid 29er fork with a through-axle today and you’ll come up empty handed.

Still, the FL Carbon handles well, especially since there aren’t any springs getting in between the force you put into the handlebars and the reaction you get from the wheel. My MTB trackstands were never more crisp!

Style Points

The photos should really speak for themselves but what I like about the FL Carbon is that it looks like a mountain bike fork. Sure, there are rigid MTB forks out there that are more aerodynamic and shiny but to me those look more road than trail. By contrast the black matte finish on the FL Carbon looks like it belongs on a stealth fighter and on the trail this fork is my secret weapon.

The Verdict

If you’re looking for a way to save a lot of weight on your 29er without sacrificing nearly as much performance (or style!) as you might think, the Syncros FL Carbon is the way to go. At $499 MSRP the cost is comparable to a decent suspension fork and a good value for such a highly engineered component. Are you ready to get rigid?

Thanks to the folks at Syncros for providing the FL Carbon fork for review.

We don’t post a lot of product review teasers here on singletracks but the Syncros FL Carbon Fork is particularly drool-worthy and we just couldn’t resist. The FL Carbon is an all-carbon 29er mountain bike fork that weighs 1 lb, 5 oz. according to our postage scale. And that’s before cutting the steerer to size!

I had the fork mounted on my Redline d660 just a few days ago and haven’t had a chance to ride it yet but I can tell you this: my 29er mountain bike now weighs just 2 lbs. more than my carbon fiber road bike. Ridic.

This is one of those forks you take into the bike shop and a crowd of customers and employees starts to gather around to gawk. The FL Carbon is a fork that looks like it belongs on a mountain bike unlike some of the other rigid carbon forks out there. Let’s just hope it doesn’t completely harsh the ride on the trail.

Stay tuned for the full review within a few weeks!

I have a feeling this article is going to be a lot more interesting (or perhaps comical) when you read it five years from now. When I sat down to make a list of mountain bike trends from the past year none of it seemed revolutionary: carbon frames & components, endurance racing, 29ers, wide bars, and purpose-built trails are all pretty mainstream at this point. But if you had asked someone about any of these topics just 5 years ago you might have gotten a blank stare. Only time will tell if you’ll get the same reaction 5 years from now…

Carbon Components

Mountain bike frames made from carbon fiber were unthinkable several years ago and even now some riders scoff at the notion but the fact is carbon fiber is a material that’s here to stay. These days carbon is also showing up in mountain bike components like handlebars, crank arms, seatposts, and even water bottle cages. Thanks to advances in manufacturing and design, carbon mountain bikes are not only getting lighter, they’re also getting stronger and more affordable.

Endurance Racing

Ultra endurance mountain bike races like the Leadville 100 have gained national attention in recent years while older endurance racing formats like the 24-hour race are starting to fade. Stage races and multi-day epics like the Arizona Trail 300/750 and Trans North Georgia will only get bigger as individuals seek new ways to challenge themselves and their gear.

29ers

To say 2010 is the year of the 29er isn’t really fair but big-wheel bikes have never been more popular. We predict the platform will only grow in popularity over the next 2-3 years and over the long term 29er bikes should definitely stick around.

Wide Handlebars

This one sorta took us by surprise and as a trend it seems a little faddish (though we could be wrong). This year virtually everyone – from pro-riders to schmo-riders – was gushing about how great wide bars are for mountain biking. Yes, you can get more leverage and control out of wider bars but if you ride narrow, tree-lined singletrack there will be a trade-off. It does seem a little odd that no one thought of riding wider bars before…

Purpose-Built Mountain Bike Trails

In the early days of mountain biking, riders only had access to trails that were built for hiking. Today, groups like IMBA have established best practices for trailbuilding which results in more sustainable trails but also trails that are even more fun to ride. The private sector is also stepping up its game with new sculpted summer DH runs opening at most major ski-resorts and indoor ramps designed for MTB. In some ways mountain bike technology is adding to the push for more progressive trail features and today’s trailbuilders are happy to oblige.

We’re stoked to see how these trends play out in 2011 and to see what new mountain bike trends pop up in the coming year!

Swinging by THE’s booth (Toby Henderson Enterprises) at Interbike is always a treat. For one thing, it’s one of the very few booths where you get a chance to meet and greet with the owner. Talking with Toby was great because I really got to better understand what goes through his mind when he’s coming up with new and improved products.

The star of THE’s 2011 booth was the all new T2 Carbon skid lid. The T2 features 17 vents to allow efficient flow into the 4 internal channels that vent out the 6 large rear vents. Fortunately THE kept what worked from previous models, namely the removable washable (swede looking) liner and the double “D” ring padded chin strap. The T2 also sports some cool metallic hardware that makes this helmet really pop. Even the included helmet bag rocks! At at reasonable 1000 grams, this helmet won’t have you staring at the ground all day or coming off the trail with a sore neck.

If you want the same great looks in a helmet but at a slightly lower price point, you can get the T2 composite. The composite version features everything the T2 Carbon has minus the fitted bag and slightly more heft (1100 grams).

The POINT5 helmet (not shown) is essentially the shape of last year’s ONE helmet but injected molded and at a really competitive price.  This should be a great choice for those on a budget or for kids who are just starting out (and whose head is still growing!).

Not only did THE revamp their helmet line but they also added some hot jerseys in three colors (red,blue, black). Featuring full-length front, rear, and sleeve venting, forearm and elbow padding, fitted ribbed cuffs, and sublimated THE graphics, this jersey doesn’t just look good, it performs well too. Check out THE’s website when you have the chance to see all this plus more!