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.

Our bags our packed and our schedule is full for Interbike next week! We’re stoked to check out the new 2011 mountain bike stuff but before we do, it’s time to look back at the top gear from 2010. Based on thousands of singletracks member reviews, we’ve ranked the top MTB products in more than 30 categories using our unique algorithm that considers average rating, the number of ratings, and the number of members who own or want an item.

Within each category we’ve posted the winner and a runner-up along with a link to the product review page so you can see what others are saying. Check out the Best MTB Products of 2010 to see the best 29er of the year, best mountain bike shoes, and much more. Add your two cents to influence next year’s results and don’t forget, now is a great time to get an end-of-season deal on sweet gear!

Official press release with list of winners.

Syd and I are getting stoked for Interbike next week and our appointment schedule is pretty much jammed. A list of appointments is below, let us know if you have specific products or questions for any of these companies.

Rumor has it that Interbike will be heading to Anaheim, CA next year due to a schedule change. Word is the show is moving from September to August and Anaheim is where the show was held until 1998. That was well before my time so I’m not sure what to expect in terms of Outdoor Demo facilities…

Mountain Bikes
Ellsworth
Niner
Banshee

Components
SRAM
e-thirteen
Candy
Topeak
Ritchey/Syncros
RaceFace
Easton
THE/VSI
Kore

Suspension & Brakes
Fox
Formula

Apparel & Hydration
Gore
Osprey
Keen
Hydrapack
Camelbak

Tires, Lights, Etc.
Light & Motion
WTB
Saris
Nalini
FRS
Clif

Beyond the appointments listed I’ll be at the Outdoor Demo Tuesday to check out bikes from Trek, Moots, Jamis, and Cannondale. We’re also finalizing more appointments so look for updates to this post over the next few days. What do you want to see from the world’s largest bicycle trade show?

If you’re bummed about being shut out from Interbike every year, the folks at Western Spirit in Moab have just the thing for you: Outerbike. From September 30 through October 3 this year, regular Joes can saddle up and demo the latest mountain bikes from big manufacturers like Kona, Trek, Santa Cruz, and Yeti (just to name a few). Perhaps best of all, the event takes place in a true mountain bike mecca, Moab, UT.

Putting on a large scale consumer event like this is an ambitious project but it’s one we’d like to see succeed. Interbike has experimented with opening Outdoor Demo East to consumers and the Sea Otter Classic in California has become the de facto consumer mountain bike show over the years but Outerbike just may have some legs of its own. Who’s in for 2010?

At Interbike I got a chance to chat with Greg Parish about how Straitline Components got started. Unlike many bike companies, Straitline’s story includes a scrappy and unusual start. But being ultra passionate about Mountain biking you can see the commitment that the folks at Straitline have made to make what Straitline is today.

Mike Paulson and his two sons Dennis and DJ took Mike’s $50,000 retirement bonus and bought some modest lathes and mills for a garage work shop 12 years ago.  They were doing odd jobs for anyone who needed help and grew a small client base off of quality work and service until one day Dennis had a brilliant idea while picking his brother up from work.

DJ worked at a local diamond cutting firm hidden away in an unassuming warehouse on the Sidney Airport property and spent his day cutting raw diamonds. DJ and Dennis both had machining degrees and engineering know-how so they decided to design a lighter, more accurate diamond cutting table that basically ended up setting the standard for the industry. Sales were brisk as thousands of units sold worldwide but soon the orders basically stopped. It turns out the tables never screwed up or needed replacement and they basically put themselves out of business by designing such a reliable product!  The brothers learned a lesson about diversification which led to the creation of several new divisions, including the bike division.

Fortunately the diamond table got their company’s name out into the market place and word of mouth contracts started to pour in from the scientific and medical communities. They took every cent made from Straightline Precision Industries and invested in better, newer CNC machines and lathes eventually bought a two bay warehouse in Sidney.

At Interbike Straitline displayed a blinking GPS relocation tube used on NASA’s rocket boosters that helps the navy relocate the boosters when they fall into the ocean. “(The firm we did machine work for) has been acquired and sold 8 times internationally and never once have they questioned our price or attempted to find new closer suppliers because we never make mistakes and mistakes cost millions on their end,” Greg told me. Straitline even did some work on the mars Lander project too, played with some high-tech alloys, and machined ultra-precise shutter systems for certain cameras. “We do a lot of secret hush hush stuff for most intelligence agencies, mainly counter intelligence GPS boxes so agents can be safely recorded and or bad people get tracked,” said Greg.

Straitline also dabbled in mini moto and marine products before deciding to make bike parts after modifying a motorbike lever for mountain bikes.

So after doing more and more fancy contracts, Straitline took all the money and never stopped re-investing in technology. No fancy cars or toys, just re-investment in the company to stay ahead.  Now Straitline has moved in to the ultra-modern world of CNC machining and have fully automated machines with roughly 19 hours per day of unmanned machining. Straitline is now using cream of the crop Mori Seiki automated CNC machines worth more than $1.7 million for the bike division alone!

“Now we just need more design time!” said Greg proudly.

Look for a few reviews in the coming months from Straitline.

So this may be a bit on the late side but seeing that most of this stuff still hasn’t hit the stores yet I thought I’d share these pics. What I have here is a compilation of my favorite photos from the show with some brief commentary so sit back and enjoy!

By far the coolest frame set I saw (next to the Banshee Legend) is the Intense 951 pictured above. I found myself just staring at this bike for far to long and almost missed my next appointment. Up close to this frame set you can see the quality work that went in to making this one of the most desirable DH frames around. With 150mm G3 rear axle spacing, one point five head tube, and over 8 inches of travel provided by an ohhh so nice Cane Creek double barrel rear shock this bike looked delicious.

Above, the same Intense 951 in red. Still nice, and this one was built up with Shimano Saint components and an Industry 9 wheel set with a Fox 40 RC2 up front and a DHX RC4 in rear. Can you say Sweet?!

Here is something that I personally want and not just for the red and orange anodized finish. The Ellsworth Rogue is a freeride bike with attitude. Not only does it look great but I had a chance to test ride one like this at Bootleg and it was super fun (the only down side – the run was too short). With 8 inches of rear travel and the Fox 40 RC2, this bike is a kick-butt machine.

It was hard to stop looking at Intense with all their models so close yet oh so far away. Here we have a pair of Uzzi frames. The Uzzi in blue has a Fox DHX Air 5 and the Red has the standard DHX 4 coil. You can also get this bike with the Cane Creek double barrel, at a cost of course.  For those who plan on taking big hits and hitting the park all day long you may not need look any further than the Uzzi.

This Ibis above boasts builds in the 25 pound range with 5.5 inches of DW link rear travel for those who want a quicker, snappier ride on a bike that won’t punish you too much after riding all day long. The Ibis can be ordered in various trim levels from Sram XX or X-9 group parts to Shimano XTR, XT or SLX.

I love cut-aways of bike stuff and there were plenty at Interbike to ogle. Here you can see a cut-away of the Fox RP23 with boost valve technology on your left, the new improved DHX AIR RC4 in the middle, and a 32mm F series front fork with Fit technology (borrowed from the 36 and 40mm forks) on the right. The Fit damper now allows the engineers to further save weight on the 32mm line-up by reducing the amount of fluid needed in that damper housing. Get close to a new 32mm fork and you will also notice that the engineers changed up the way the fork works as well by placing the rebound adjuster on the bottom (previous models placed the lock-out on the bottom). Check out FoxRacingShox.com for further information.

Walking around Interbike you couldn’t help but notice the Mavic display. Looking at the line up for next year they have really improved the wheels, especially for the trail and enduro riders out there. The new Crossmax ST wheels are even lighter than before, now at just 1615 grams. Mavic also changed up the graphics on the rims.

The new Deemax Ultimate at 1915 grams a set is absolutely crazy light for a full-on DH wheel set. These wheels come with all the bells as whistles to make them both strong enough and light enough for the demands of the DH circuit. The Deemax wheels also sport my favorite ITS4 cassette body and ISM (inter spoke milling with central spine) which reduces mass on the rim without loosing strength.  Check out Mavic.com for more info on these and the rest of the line up.

Here is just a random photo of the new carbon Ellsworth Enlightenment. What caught my eye here is the fine machine work on a part that just holds the brake and rear wheel. This attention to detail is second to none.

This bike was another one of those that you had to stop and drool over for a while. The Banshee Rune pictured here was shown in flat black and bright orange components. The Crankbrothers Iodine AM wheels along with Race Face AM cranks and bars (not shown) really made this bike and the components just added to the already awesome construction of this frame. You have to check out the Banshee website for more information on this bike as well as the rest of their line-up.

Hubba hubba… umm sorry. But just in case you have no clue what this is, this is the new aluminum version of the Dorado DH fork from Manitou. I am dying to do a review on this unit. This fork has everything a racer would want: high and low speed compression, rebound, and top-out and bottom-out control. To top it all off, these forks are assembled right here in the States. With 36mm stanchions and an inverted design this fork will take a kicking and keep on bouncing.

Answer is back with all new products this year. New thin and stout pedals, super wide 780mm DH bars, and 720mm AM bars are also available. The bars will come in two versions: a one-inch and two-inch rise for the AM Bar and half-inch and one-inch rise for the DH bar. A direct mount stem for the Dorado allows you to change the reach from 45, 50, 55mm while providing a strong grip to the bar with its wide face plate.

Sun-Ringle has totally revamped the line-up with new hubs, rims and colors that promise to impress everyone. The hub shot above gives just a taste of what you can expect to see in 2010. Straight pull spokes, anodized hubs and aluminum cassette bodies.

What’s not to like about the new Hayes Stroker Ace look for this year? Now in jet black with bronze-ish piston covers, this is one great looking, high performance brake set. Along with the Stroker Ace the entire line up now boasts new graphics and now the Stroker Grams come in all white.

Well that does it for my list of favorites from Interbike – hope you enjoyed the pics!

Swinging by the very impressive Easton / Bell / Giro both I met up with a good friend of mine, Sean Coffey, marketing brand manager for Easton, for a tour of the 2010 goodies. For starters all the bars, stems, and seatposts received face lifts with fresh graphics and hot colors. The new Havoc stems sport wrap around graphics and are offered in white and the EA70 bar and stem now come in white as well. Speaking of bars, here are a few of the Monkey lite carbon series below, now in 750 and 711 mm widths.

Now while walking around the booth I also came across a truly awesome gem of a product which is the Haven all-mountain wheel set. You really have to see these wheels up close in person to truly appreciate the beauty. First off, the over-sized graphics on the side of the rim along with the bronzed gold color really make these stand out. The Havens also mark the first UST wheel set for mountain biking from Easton. The Haven, like the XC One and the Havoc, also use straight pull spokes to keep uniform tension and increase wheel performance.

When you have a chance, take a visit to the Easton website and check out the products for yourself. If all goes well I should have full reviews of these fine products very soon.

Cheers!

Sometimes it can be tough to cut through the noise at Interbike to find new and interesting products from smaller companies. I found one such product, call Bike Armor, in the new exhibitors area at Interbike and it’s one of those things that I can’t believe no one thought of before.

Bike Armor is basically a self adhesive, clear, thick plastic-like material you can wrap around your bike frame to protect it from nicks and scratches. No more ugly chain stay guards (or in my case discarded inner tube wraps) – just slap a Bike Armor chainstay cover on your bike and the cover practically disappears. In fact I had a hard time photographing the stuff – only the watermark logo gives away that it’s even there.

Bike Armor also offers to custom cut a full set of decals to fit any mountain bike for $79.95 – down tube, shocks, top tube, crank arms, and chain stay. You know – all the spots where rocks and dirt tend to fly! I’m told the decals come off only when you want them to and are easy to install yourself. With more and more carbon fiber and custom paint jobs on the trail these days, Bike Armor seems like a good investment. Plus it won’t cover up your sick graphics!

For those who are looking for an affordable hydration pack that doesn’t suck, take a peek at what Hydrapak has to offer. I spoke with Dax Kelm at Interbike and he showed me some of the new and improved hydration packs. The pic above shows the redesigned Laguna which is now even more comfortable. The Laguna features a 100 oz bladder, a new 45 degree angled surge valve, and a cool new clip called the Quantum which prevents your hose from flopping around after you have taken in water. The Laguna is also expandable when you need it, growing from 500 to 850 cubic inches of storage.

Hydrapak also revamped the Big Sur with a new back panel for improved ventilation and an intelligent layout of the gear compartments including a tool pouch accessible from the bottom of the pack.

The Morro is an interesting new pack (unfortunately I forgot to take a photo) with 800 cubic inches of storage designed for those long day rides. This pack has a 100 oz bladder and rip stop materials to tie the whole thing together.

Hydrapak has also expanded a little product that I personally use and love called the Softflask. The Softflask is basically a refillable reservoir to hold your favorite energy gel and it’s made from the same material as the larger bladders in the Hydrapaks. With the Softflask you can save money on bulk gel purchases and help the environment by not generating any more trash from your wrappers.

More cool stuff at hydrapak.com.

I know, I know – by now some of you are sick and tired of hearing about 29ers. I promise this is my last 29er post from Interbike and I plan on taking a self-imposed vow of silence on big wheel bikes until October. Hopefully by this time next year we’ll just be calling 29ers “mountain bikes.”

Judging by the showing at Interbike, Niner continues to push the 29er envelope with bigger travel, interesting frame materials, and killer design. The Niner guys weren’t at Outdoor Demo this year – probably because they were absolutely mobbed last year – so I didn’t get to ride any of these rigs. Instead, here are some pics and comments to whet your appetite.

See that little paper label where the head badge should be? That says “Prototype” and it’s why I love going to Interbike. This frame looks very similar to the AIR 9 Carbon and sports the new Niner carbon fork. Big wheels came from the road cycling scene so why not borrow carbon forks as well? A fully rigid, single speed mountain bike isn’t for me but I’m sure someone is drooling over the possibility of this bike right now.

Internal cable routing on the AIR 9 Carbon frame. Beautiful.

The Niner S.I.R. 9 is actually an acronym meaning “Steel Is Real” and after riding a couple steel 29ers at Outdoor Demo I have to say I’m sold. Niner uses Reynolds 853 steel which is the same stuff in the Raleigh XXIX and it’s smooth as butter. This bike is a hardtail but apparently no one told MTBR (pic below) – they gave the S.I.R.the nod for “Best FS 29er Mountain Bike.” Steel is definitely more springy than aluminum but I wouldn’t quite call it full suspension

The mega popular AIR 9 also comes in scandium tubing which seems to be catching on more and more these days. Scandium is lightweight and not super stiff like aluminum or (sometimes) carbon. Niner continues to experiment with different materials and frame configurations and remains on the cutting edge of 29er technology.

Close-up of the Niner Bio-Centric bottom bracket. You can get all the details about the technology here but one of the advantages of an eccentric bottom bracket system is it makes perfect chain tensioning dead simple.

I didn’t get pics but also check out the Niner W.F.O. 9 – a 5.5″ rear travel 29er mountain bike. Sick.

Sorry about the title – I had to do it. If you have some time to browse, check out Straitline components – hopefully you’ll be as impressed as I was. I spoke with Greg Parish from Straitline about their products and, being a tech weeny, I have to say I was really interested to learn how the company got involved in producing MTB products.

Before the guys at Straitline started making components they were like you and me and purchased stuff from others. Eventually they got tired of that and weren’t really happy with the same run of the mill stuff. So seeing that they had a state-of-the-art factory and were already making components for NASA, they decided to make their own high quality MTB parts. If you manage to take a close look at Straitline components you’ll be able to see the quality and precision firsthand. Can you say moving art? Every part Straitline makes has been painstakingly maximized for strength, beauty, and weight.

Straitline has direct mount stems available in 28 and 50mm reach and a pinch stem called the SSC in both 1.125″ and 1.5″. They also make superlight headset spacers, seat collars, flat pedals,  and a bash ring and chain guide. The even make bar ends and brake levers for that custom look on your ride.

All  the stems, seat collars, brake levers, spacers and bar ends are made from 6061 T6 aluminum and the chain guide is made from 7075 T6 so you can expect that these products to take a pounding.

Here are some more pics:

Check out more at straitlinecomponents.com.