At Interbike on Wednesday I just had to check out THE and ITS. If you remember a while back I wrote a few articles on the ITS tires as well as THE’s INK helmet. At the show I talked to Pete Dylewski and Toby Henderson, both super nice guys, and they walked me through the entire line up of whats new and exciting. I have to say there is going to be some super cool looking stuff coming from THE this year. With 10 new helmet graphics and revamped gear and armor offerings, the 2010 line up is going to be something to watch for.

Introducing the INK2, now in carbon and the CELTIC in composite.

Here are the TIKI and the BIOTIC, both in carbon.

These are only 4 of the 10 helmets and the other six are just as nice.  The armor also is worth taking a peek at – check out the full knee and arm protectors below. They even have pads for the little ones in the family.

For those of you who need even more protection, THE offers full upper armor; here is the new Storm upper body armor.

THE even offers MTB saddles.

ITS has revamped the entire line with new graphics and tweaked tire compounds. In 2010 ITS tires will be all black instead of the familiar grey and black. ITS also simplified things a bit by color coding the hot patch on the side of the tire: red for XC, blue for AM, green for FR and gold for DH. This new color system will help riders choose the right series of tires at a glance.

For XC, ITS still offers System 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. For AM, FR, and DH you have the Edge, Invader (formally DH), 909, Intruder, Zero and Spike.

Check out more cool stuff from THE and ITS at vsiproducts.com.

Suvacrew mentioned that he wanted to hear about the Pivot Mach 429 and on Thursday I got a chance to talk to a Pivot rep about the newest addition to the Mach lineup. The Pivot 429 has been on the scene for about a year now and there haven’t been any major changes outside of new colors and paint options – which means Pivot got this FS 29er right the first time.

The Pivot naming system is pretty easy to wrap your head around: the Mach 4 gets 4-inches of travel while the Mach 5 rocks 5″. The Mach 429 is a 29er with 4-inches of rear travel and is currently the only 29er Pivot sells. I asked if we can expect a Mach 529 anytime soon and the rep I spoke with didn’t think so. Of course there’s some argument about how well the geometry will work for 5″+ rear travel 29ers and the fact is there still aren’t many on the market today.

For 2010 the Mach 429 will be offered in 3 annodized colors (red, black, and white) and a painted version in blue and white. The cool thing is that all the Mach 429 parts are compatible with the other Mach bikes so you can purchase the Pivot “lunchbox” to trick out your linkages, headset, etc. in one of several color combinations. The Mach 429 comes configured your choice of with several component groups including the new SRAM XX (but expect to pay big $$ for this one).

The Mach 429 also sports the signature Pivot curved seat tube and although I didn’t get a chance to test ride one it looks like a pretty agile bike. Like the other Mach bikes, the 429 makes use of a patented DW-link which many riders prefer (minimal pedal bob, great climbing traction, and a smooth vertical path).

Things were a little hectic at Interbike last week but somehow we still managed to push out more than 20 posts – and there’s more where that came from! Look for posts covering Pivot, Scott, Niner, Hydrapak, THE, Straitline, ITS, Bike Armor, and an interview with Leadville 100 women’s winner Rebecca Rusch later this week.

New cycling GPS from Garmin. The Edge 500 seems like it’s mostly a roadie GPS but it does have some cool features and sports a smaller enclosure than the Edge X05 units. Aside from the regular speed/distance/elevation stuff, the Edge 500 also tracks temperature and has a built in alert that warns you if you’re moving but the timer is off (I could certainly use this). The Edge 500 features ANT+ which means it’s heart rate monitor and power meter compatible.

Stella 300 light system. This two light system from Light & Motion is lightweight and gives you both a spot and flood light in one package. The Stella 300 is all about the threes: 3 hours of battery life, retails for $300, weighs 300 grams, and packs 300 (total) lumens of light. Now, guess how long it takes to charge? Trick question, it takes 5 hours (but that’s still pretty darn fast!).

Introducing Morpheus carbon mountain bikes. This is a brand that just launched this year with some beautiful carbon mountain bikes. Like most companies, Morpheus sources its frame construction from Asia BUT parts like linkages are machined right here in the USA. This means super tight tolerances and beautiful machine work. The carbon fiber and paint are impeccable as well – these bikes are almost too pretty to ride This year Morpheus is offering a FS rig called the Oracle and a hardtail called the Cyclops.

Cove mountain bikes. At Interbike you see a lot of cool stuff but you don’t expect to see it in the hallway outside your hotel room. The guys from Cove were doing some last minute assembly on Wednesday morning when we snapped this pic. I’m thinking someone was sleeping with bikes in his bed the night before

Monkey light – how’d they do that? Ok, so this isn’t something you’ll ever see on the mountain bike trail (I hope) but it sorta blew my mind. Keep in mind that the words you’re seeing are illuminated on the spokes of a wheel that is spinning. I didn’t get the lowdown on how this works but it certainly seems high tech for bike bling.

On Wednesday I stopped by to chat with Jay MacNeil, operations manager / Bike Guru for Banshee mountain bikes. Jay was a wealth of information, giving me the low down on the Legend and the up and coming Legend MKii DH frame set, a frame set that I personally can’t wait to ride. The Legend is a Virtual Floating 4 Bar (VF4B) linkage which basically promises a stiff rear triangle with great pedaling performance.

The photo to the right show a running Legend Mki which gives you a quick look at the massively strong frameset as well as the attention to detail. All aspects of the build are there to keep the weight as light as possible – plus it also looks super cool up close. Another sweet feature on this bike is the ultra low center of gravity with the rear shock cradled within the lowest possible spot, just above the 83mm wide bottom bracket.

Banshee has some other great bikes like the Scythe, a freeride bike using a Turner 4 bar linkage with 7-8″ of travel in the rear and a OnePointFive head tube that is compatible with any long travel single crown fork out there.  There’s also the Wildcard which is kicking it at 5-6.5″ of travel, also with a OnePointFive head tube. The flat black, tough looking RUNE sports 6″ of travel in the rear and the same VF4B as the Legend. The RUNE also features a OnePointFive head tube meaning this all-mountain bike can take just about anything you can throw at it.

The Scythe

The Wild Card

The Rune

These are just a few of the great bikes that Banshee is offering up for the up and coming season (read trek7k’s test ride report of the Spitfire as well). For even more info, check out the Banshee website.

While walking around Interbike I had to swing by Formula Brake and chat with Christoph Vogl about this year’s line up. It looks like they did so well on improving the line last year that there are no major changes this year other the introduction of the new RX series brake which is great for all types of riding (except DH). At about 351 grams the RX brakes are nothing to sneeze at and with 22mm pistons these will generate some serious force.

I was especially interested in learning more about THE ONE, a brake set designed for everything from enduro to DH. As far as the Formula line is concerned these are just awesome brakes – super powerful with 24mm pistons and a low weight to performance ratio. (just 308 grams, lighter than many XC brakes you may be familiar with). What makes these brakes special is that both the master cylinder body and the caliper are forged, allowing the engineers to remove unwanted material while creating a stronger brake.

If all goes well I’ll be performing a full review on one or two of these brake sets in the near future. In the meantime, check out formula-brake.com for more info and details on other great brake sets.

Cheers.

Walking around at Interbike you get to see a ton a great stuff up close. Yesterday I chatted with John Valera from X-Fusion about a few of their newest products. X-Fusion has already been around for a few years and has a pretty full line-up for 2010. The Velvet RC is an XC fork with 32mm stanchions and your choice of models with 80, 100, or 130mm of travel. X-Fusion’s all-Mountain fork, the Vengeance, has 36mm stanchions and 160mm of travel for the more adventurous rider.

X-Fusion also offers a wide and extensive range of rear shocks that will take care of just about anyone from XC to hardcore DH riders. All the shocks in the product line are of high quality and construction without any proprietary mounting hardware needed.

John introduced me to the Vengeance front shock and some of the technical features are perfect for those who want to do a bit more. This fork basically includes everything a Fox does at a lower cost of about $799.99 MSRP. The Vengeance sports independent high and low speed compression controls on the lower right stanchion of the fork and a rebound toggle on the top of the right leg. The air spring pressure is also adjusted at the top of the right leg and the best part is that this fork weighs just 4.9 lbs.

The Velvet weighs in at 3.25 lbs and boasts different travel options, an external lock out, and rebound control.

The Vector HLR rear shock really caught my eye. This piece kicks it with an optional Ti spring (element 22 on the periodic table ), independant hi and low speed compression circuits, rebound adjustment, bottom out air pressure adjustments, and a bottom out volume control. Can you say NICE?

Check out the full product line and all the options at x-fusion-shox.com.

Cannondale introduced a (previously) secret suspension project called “Simon” at Interbike that is generating some serious buzz. The idea is that the rider can tune and control suspension characteristics using an electronic, computer-like interface mounted into the bike. The cool joystick-looking toggle switch is used to navigate menus that allow you to adjust travel height and even choose pre-programmed ride modes like XC, AM, and DH.

The Simon is BRAND NEW and so there’s no word on how it performs or even when (or if) it will be on the market. There’s a cool animation on the Cannondale website showing how the shock works but that’s about it; details are very sparse right now. Gimmick or serious MTB tech? We’ll have to wait and see…

Even the Simon logo is geeky

Some cool notes that don’t warrant a full post:

The most expensive hardtail I’ve ever seen. The Lapierre Prorace 900 retails for a cool $6,999 (at least it’s under 7 grand) and I imagine almost half that cost goes toward the SRAM XX components. See that guy standing behind the bike? I’m pretty sure he just threw up in his mouth a little when he saw the price tag

IMBA is stronger than ever. The annual IMBA breakfast this morning was standing room only and not just because of the free food and coffee. IMBA Ride Centers are in various stages of development all over the country and we got to see a preview of a documentary about mountain bike trail advocacy in Oregon (the name of which escapes me at the moment). Very exciting times for trail building.

Ok, so maybe I’m the only one who is interested in this but the Redline d660 got a pretty sweet new paint job for 2010. Don’t worry, the d660 still rocks the 1×9 drivetrain and 29er wheels.

Cool pics below, from first to last: element22 burning up the trail at Bootleg Canyon on a Yeti ASR 5, the Outdoor Demo DH shuttle, and the sweet snakeskin-like paint job on the carbon Ellsworth Enlightenment 29er.

When you think of Camelbak, you might not necessarily think of innovation. Sure, every year Camelbak gives us new pack colors and more pockets but many of the best selling packs have been around for years. In 2010 however, Camelbak is stepping on the gas and cranking the innovation to 10!

Digital flow meters. One of the biggest complaints Camelbak users have lodged over the years is that it’s tough to know how much water is left inside the hidden reservoir. The Camelbak Flow Meter, which can be attached to any existing Camelbak hose system, solves the problem and gives you an avalanche of data and display options to maximize your hydration awareness. Just enter the amount of water in your reservoir and your weight and the Flow Meter will tell you how much water you’ve consumed, how much you have left, and if you’re over- or under-hydrating yourself. It even flashes a warning when you have less than 10 ounces left – time to turn around or refill!

Quick connect hoses. Cleaning out a Camelbak bladder is just about as fun as a root canal and fortunately the oversized fill cap has gone a long way toward making this less painful. This year, new quick connect hoses allow you to drain your Camelbak bladder more easily and make gunk removal a cinch.

New freeride packs. Camelbak has put a ton of thought into designing a new line of freeride/downhill packs that have some pretty cool features. Aside from straps for cinching body armor and an oversized pouch for carrying a full face helmet, the top of the line pack (the Don) features a see-through pouch for a lift pass and a spot on the shoulder straps for ipod ear buds. The reservoir holds 100 oz. which is perfect for all day sessions at the mountain.

Other cool stuff. Though not necessarily MTB-specific, Camelbak is introducing cycling jerseys with integrated hydration and a water bottle that claims to keep liquids cold 4-times longer than a standard water bottle – without adding weight or reducing capacity! We’ll keep you posted to see how this new tech finds its way into mountain-specific products.

POC is just in their second year on the mountain biking scene and are already expanding their line-up with some fresh colors and graphics. But what really got me interested in the POC line up is their very unique internal design on the POC Cortex DH helmet (MSRP $599). Unlike most other helmets in the market today, the Cortex DH is designed to take multiple hard hits without failing and features EPP (Expanded Polypropylene) padding instead of EPS (Expanded Polystyrene).

The POC Cortex DH helmet also sports a unique shell-within-a-shell design called MIPS technology. Basically the system allows the helmet to rotate and dissipate energy before you start to compress the EPP internals which ultimately reduces the amount of strain on your brain. Now that’s a smart helmet!

Beyond helmets, POC offers VPD (Visco-Elastic Polymer Dough) arm and leg protection that’s super protective without looking or feeling bulky.  The Bone VPD leg / arm is a polypropylene covered shield lined with VPD molded segments to absorb impact. The Joint VPD knee / shin / elbow and ankle protectors cut a slimmer profile and fit nicely under clothing.

To round out the armor line, POC also has a full-on DH spine and upper body protection shirt called the Spine VPD Tee. There’s also a spine-only protector integrated into a tee called the Spine VPD vest which gives the rider a bit more mobility.

Finally, POC has some pretty cool looking jerseys and apparel that can be used both on and off the trails and slopes. (polyester and combed cotton tops, cordura and denim bottoms). Check out the POC website for more details www.pocsports.com.

David Blaine himself would be impressed: a mountain bike with 4 inches of rear travel that can scale to 6 inches when needed and responsive, shifting frame geometry. The Kona Abra Cadabra packs Magic Link technology onto an ultra-lightweight scandium frame for a truly fantastic ride (according to Kona, the scandium frame is as light as titanium, more durable than carbon, half the weight of steel, and five times stronger than aluminum). I got a chance to speak with the creator of Magic Link on Tuesday and not only that – I got to experience the ride myself (and it was sweet!).

First, a bit about Magic Link. Brian Berthold started with a clean slate when he designed Magic Link and asked himself this question: Why can’t I have a plush bike that is just as good at climbing as it is at descending? After many design iterations, Berthold came up with a design that allows the suspension to tune itself depending on conditions. That means the rider doesn’t have to harsh the ride while fiddle with levers and valves every time he crests a hill or starts a climb (perfect for those who ride lots of “rolling” terrain).

The course at Bootleg Canyon was the perfect place to test the Abra Cadabra thanks to the quick dips mixed with moderate length climbs and descents. Now I’m a pretty dedicated XC rider and I typically shy away from mid-to-long travel bikes but this is a plush bike that any XC rider will appreciate. Climbing felt ultra-efficient thanks to steep head and seat angles that kept me more upright than I expected. Pedal bob was virtually non-existent.

On the descents the Magic Link automatically adjusted the bike geometry for a steeper, slacker head angle with longer suspension travel. Bombing down the steeps I felt like a much better rider as the suspension soaked up progressively larger ruts and rocks. The amazing thing is how I could feel the suspension and geometry changes taking place as I bottomed out on gullies and transitioned into short, steep climbs.

The Kona Abra Cadabra is one of those bikes you have to try for yourself to fully appreciate (the demo lines for the Abra Cadabra at Interbike were some of the longest we saw). It’s unlike any other suspension set-up you’ve ridden – it’s like magic!

Note: the Kona Cadabra also features the Magic Link suspension system minus the pricey scandium frame.

We spoke with Denny Yunk at the Hayes group this morning about everything from wheels to bars to brakes. Here’s a short video clip with Denny talking about the new Black Flag and Charger wheelsets. We’ll try to upload more video throughout the day – stay tuned!