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!

Back in May I wrote about the high performance Race Face Respond crankset which really exceeded my expectations for the price range. Now I’ve had a chance to test other components in the Respond group and I’m ready to share my reviews. For me nothing beats setting up a bike all with a single component group because it gives the bike a nice clean look with matching graphics. In addition to the crankset, Race Face offers a riser bar, stem and seat post to complete the Respond group.

Race Face Respond Handlebar and Stem

First up are the Respond bar ($54.99 MSRP in white) and stem ($56.66 MSRP also in white). With a full 28″ bar width (710mm) and a choice of either 1.5″ or a flatter 0.5″ rise, you have two decent positions to set yourself on the bike. Unfortunately the bar is only offered with a 31.8mm diameter so if you’re considering a new bar but only have a 25.4mm stem clamp you’re outta luck. The upshot is most bars are now migrating to the 31.8mm size, with the exemption of some XC race bars.

These bars are clearly meant for the AM / DH crowd where riders need the strength of a fatter bar at the stem. As far as weight is concerned, the bar comes in at 370g  for the 1.5″ rise version and 335g  for the 0.5″ rise version – not too shabby for the price. If you’re looking for weight savings and still want mega strength, you can always grab the 700mm wide Atlas AM bar at 270g or the strongest bar from Race Face, the Atlas FR (340g /780mm wide.)

Coming around the bends with this bar is awesome and speaking of bends the Respond has a very comfortable 9 degree rearward bend with a 4 degree rise. The bars naturally keep your wrists pretty straight with a slight tuck inward, but not too much. Although the Respond bar is made from aluminum it doesn’t ride harshly; instead it has a comfortable amount of flex. While this 28-inch wide bar isn’t the widest around, it works equally well for the AM rider and the FR or DH junkie. I personally love the Whitemare finish, but for folks who just like a simple black Race Face has you covered there as well.

The Respond Stem shown above is the larger 1.5-inch diameter steering clamp version (there’s also a 1 1/8 inch option). Both sizes are set up with a 10 degree rise and you can choose from 45mm or 60mm lengths. Looking at the stem up close you can see even at this price point Race Face puts a lot into quality of workmanship and aesthetics. Most of us may not think about it but keeping a stem looking good while remaining rigid and strong is not an easy task; yet Race Face manages to pull it off well.

Without divulging too many trade secrets, the Respond stem is forged out of 6061 aluminum and is then machined to its near final shape. The stem is then media blasted to relieve stress and harden further before it’s sent out for beautification. To minimize the chance of cracking a bar at the junction where the bar meets the stem, Race Face completed engineering analysis and reduced the stress riser. They also designed an interlocking face plate resulting in a U-shaped clamp. This design transfers more loads through the stem rather than the bolts where they may break. At 195g for the 45mm and 215g for the 60mm, these stems aren’t breaking records but they will ensure your bar stays in place without breaking off on that large huck that you’ve been sessioning all day long!

Respond Seatpost

Rounding out the Respond group is the twin bolt seat post ($47.99 MSRP). The great thing about this seat post is that it can take a massive amount of abuse and hard landings without creaking, complaining, or slipping. This is thanks to the super strong 6061 aluminum head that has been forged and CNC-machined to exacting standards. I particularly like this design due to the fact that both bolts are easily accessible and the grooves which hold the post allow for small incremental adjustments between seat positions. The upshot: it’s easy to dial in that seat angle and keep your lower bits happy.

The hinge on the head of the seat post allows for easy saddle removal and allows for either 7mm or 8mm seat rails. If you ever manage to trash your seat or need to change things up, the hinge makes for quick and painless changes.

The Respond seat post is 350mm long which is more than enough for the AM rider and those who ride DH/FR may even want to trim it down a touch. Just in case you’re wondering, the set back (offset) of this seatpost is 19mm which does give the rider a little extra room (many of the posts on AM/DH bikes are 12mm set back or none at all). The Respond seat post is offered in 4 diameters (27.2, 30.0, 30.9, and 31.6mm) which may limit those whose bike doesn’t fit one of those sizes.

Overall I have to say reviewing the Respond components was great. Good looks, not too expensive, and everything performs well with no issues. I personally like a slightly wider bar for DH but who knows, maybe a wider Respond bar will be available in the new year. If you have a chance, try out a bike that has the Respond components on it – I am sure you will like them!

A big thanks to the folks at Race Face for sending up the Respond components for review.

Here is yet another great MTB product from the Great White North Shore for ya, eh. Race Face was nice enough to send down the Respond component group for my dream project bike, the Opus Nelson Freeride. Today I’m going to give you the skinny on just the crankset – you’ll have to wait to hear about the rest later.

Whoever said you can’t have performance, light weight, and low cost in one package obviously hasn’t see the Respond crankset from Race Face. At just $160 MSRP, this crank is a big time value. Not only are you getting a high performance crank at a budget price but you’re also getting DH strength at all-mountain weights.

The Respond crankset is all about the features. Made from 7050 aluminum, the crank arms are not only relatively light but super strong. The newly designed DH Race bottom bracket, which starts out its life as a forging and is then machined in a CNC, keeps the crank arms all lined up and spinning smoothly. The over-sized bearing cups hold 35% more bearings and are packed with Phil Woods lube to prevent water wash out; and Race Face keeps it all contained using completely revamped triple seals.

The “Whitemare” model pictured above (love that name), comes with a ton of fitting options. Choose from crank arm lengths of 165 / 170 / 175mm and BB cup sizes including 68/ 73mm / 83mm. On top of that you also get choices on ring sizes. I opted to get a single chain ring with 36T and a matching light weight bash guard.

Installing the Respond took a bit of work but nothing a semi-skilled home mechanic couldn’t handle. Just make sure you have all the necessary tools on hand: an external BB tool such as the Park BBT-9 and an 8mm allen wrench or 8mm allen socket and wrench. Seeing that everyone out there has their own favorite chain retention device and various chainlines, it is also wise to have a ISIS crank arm puller.

Once you have all the tools gathered, it’s time to remove the old BB cups and give the BB shell a good cleaning.  After that, read over the instructions and pay close attention to the width of your BB shell so you can match the correct number of spacers and get their respective positioning (keeping in mind the chain retention device if you’re using one). Once the spacers are configured, tighten up the cups to get the shell all squared away. Install the cranks and check alignment.

For my installation I found I had to shuffle the provided spacers to get a no noise condition with the chainrings and top guide on my e-thirteen SRS+. After all is said and done, expect to spend about 30 minutes getting the cranks set up. Be sure to check the final torque (61 N-m) and don’t forget the pedals before you head out.

Hitting the trails with the Race Face Respond crankset was awesome. Off jumps and rockgardens there was zero perceivable flex from the cranks on landing. Hammering the bike in rock gardens and bashing the crank on the occasional rock didn’t seem to affect the crank at all and I really enjoyed the smooth pedal feel from the new bottom bracket. Even after a few good rides with all kinds of crud and repeated washings, I didn’t notice any loss in bearing smoothness or performance. Clearly the bearing cup and seal re-design made a big difference in how well this unit seals out contamination.

The beefy DH specific chain ring and the relatively light bash ring also make a good combo on the trail. The strong chain ring kept my chain moving along nicely and the bash ring saved the teeth of my chainring more than once. The bash ring also kept the chain from getting pulverized, giving me a confident feeling when wailing over the sharp and unforgiving Canadian Shield granite. I found myself looking a bit further down the trail than usual instead of worrying about my cranks getting bashed.

Stay tuned for more on the Race Face Respond group as well as some other great goodies from RF as well. If you’re on the fence on getting a new AM/DH/FR crank, then check these out for sure.

Specs from Race Face

BUILT FOR:AM/DH/FR
SIZE: 165,170,175 68/73, 83mm BB SHELL
WEIGHT: 1092g (22,32 & BASH)
RING CONFIGURATION: 22,32 & BASH
24,36 & BASH
DH & BASH
DH RING
COLOR: Whitemare

I would like to thanks the great folks from Race Face for providing the Respond cranks for a review. Ehh..

In between test rides on Tuesday I got a chance to scope out some really cool Race Face products that will grace your LBS some time very soon. Chris Heynen, Senior Design Engineer at Race Face, walked me through all the new, up and coming products.

First off, Race Face is introducing several new products aimed the longer travel bikes, 5- 7”. I’m sure most of you who like to check out the MTB magazines are aware of the Next carbon crank. But are you aware that Race Face also just introduced a new line called the SIXC? Essentially Race Face has created a carbon crank that is lightweight yet very strong – perfect for the longer travel bikes. The SIXC crank has has 3mm of adjustment which facilitates installing a bash guard on bikes with less-than-perfect chain lines. The crank is sold in two configurations: a triple or a double with bash guard.

Along with the crank the SIXC line includes a full-width carbon bar with matching graphics. A SIXC stem and seatpost may be in the works to round out the line – we’ll keep you posted!

Race Face has another new product line that will be introduced this year called the Respond. The Respond will feature fresh graphics and new designs on the crank and stem. A full width bar and a burly seat post will also be included in the Respond group. Handlebars and cranks will be offered in both black and white color schemes.

Also from Race Face: new Turbine rings that have been developed for the Deus and Next SL cranks. These rings boast more ramps that will aid in shifting. Enjoy all the pics!

The Atlas and Atlas FR goes bling in a big way with great colors.

Here is the new entry level Respond that looks great up close both in black and white.

The entire Race Face Evolve gets a face lift with fresh graphics.

The Deus is treated the new Turbine rings and improved Bottom bracket.

The anticipated Next SL crank that is Uber light.

Well folks thats it for now from Race Face but hopefully soon I will have a few full on reviews on these for you.

Cheers..

Having been around mountain biking for sometime I have been blessed and I guess cursed with many products, some good and some… well, let’s just leave it at that. Anyhow, in this review I want to talk about a great mountain bike crank that will not break the bank or just break period. The Race Face Atlas crank is designed for all-mountain and light freeriding plus it’s a solid crank for clydesdale riders.

The Atlas shares the same X-type bottom bracket as both the Deus and Evolve cranks. Installation is a breeze and I recommend adding some loctite to the threads and torque the bolt to the correct value of about 30-50 ft/lbs.

In terms of performance, the first thing you’ll notice about this crank is that it feels very smooth underfoot with a solid feel and no noticeable twisting. You can really put the power down with these cranks and even if you’re a clydesdale you won’t notice any flex while climbing. Shifting is crisp and positive with very little chance of a mis-shift thanks to the Shimano-like stainless steel ramps and pins on the rings.

Despite the great crank arm strength I don’t recommend power shifting with this crank – you could bend a tooth or two. I did a fast power shift with my Race Face Atlas and noticed afterwards when I was cleaning that I did in fact bend a tooth. That being said, I’m sure most riders won’t encounter this through the course of normal use.

There are a few Race Face Atlas options this year with a beefier version called the Atlas Freeride. You can order the Atlas with 22,36, bash or 22, 32, bash or a triple – your choice. The Freeride is available with 4 different options depending on your needs.

After a whole season of crossing rivers, logs, dirt, mud, and the occasional squirrel (just kidding), my Atlas shown very little signs of wear on the rings and the bottom bracket bearings are still top notch. Bottom line: The Atlas is a great all-mountain crank that shifts flawlessly and keeps performing. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy the Race Face Atlas again – though I probably won’t need to since the thing is so darn durable!