MTB News Mix is a weekly update of all things mountain biking where we cover new products, pro race results, trail news, and more.
The Dynaplug Meerkat Hooptie is the bike of your weirdest dreams
For anyone that has had a frazzling day, just type ‘mountain bike dream builds’ into the search bar on YouTube, and a thousand or so videos will pop up, showing someone putting the most expensive parts on a carbon super bike frame with elevator music in the background. They are a little meditative, but maybe they’re called dream builds because they put viewers into a REM cycle.
This Meerkat Hooptie, built by Peter of Dear Susan Bicycles and sponsored by Dynaplug is what would happen if someone spiked your bedtime tea with a plant from somewhere in Central America and you fell asleep watching one of those dream build videos. It is proudly weird and there is nothing quite like it.
“The Dynaplug Meerkat Hooptie is the party animal to the more reserved Dear Susan Hooptie,” they say, and it pays homage to the original mountain bike klunkers of yesteryear.
The Meerkat is covered in anodized pieces from Paul Components, White Industries, and Industry Nine, and the build has magnetic frame bags to hold on to those precious tire plugs. The Dynaplug Meerkat Hooptie will be around the Sea Otter Classic, so for anyone attending, keep an eye out.
Dirt Rag Dirt Fest is now the Raystown Bike Fest
Dirt Rag magazine may not be coming back anytime soon, but the popular Dirt Fest event will continue in another form. The advocacy group Friends of Raystown Lake is picking up where Dirt Fest Pennsylvania left off with an event on the same weekend, May 15-17, 2020. The festival will be a fundraiser for the Allegrippis Trail network and all proceeds from ticket sales will go toward the trails. What’s not clear is if those who were already registered for Dirt Fest will have their tickets transferred over to the new event. Right now, ticket options range from $25 – $75.
Antidote Carbonjack enduro is a boutique gravity weapon
Antidote Bikes have a new, unique carbon enduro bike out with what they call the “Golden Ratio Geometry.” They say that this geometry is the best they have designed yet because of the proportions between the front and rear triangles. Geometry is optimized around a 160mm fork with a 44mm offset. As for the geometry, the numbers appear a bit behind the trends, at least on paper. With a 65° head angle and a 74.4° seat angle (size M), these are about what most trail bikes are coming in at these days. The Carbonjack is long though, with a 1223mm wheelbase in a size M, and it looks like the frame favors stability with 450mm chainstays across all sizes. Either way, the numbers are very interesting. The Carbonjack sells for €3,500.
Boyd Cycling CCC are a new gravel specific wheelset
Boyd Cycling, based out of Greenville, SC have a new gravel specific wheelset called the CCC. The CCC is named after the Civilian Conservation Corps, a voluntary public unemployment program which provided jobs to unemployed young men during the Great Depression, and built service roads and recreational facilities through the mountains of South Carolina.
The 6069 alloy wheelset has a 25mm internal width and a 2.8mm offset. It has a claimed weight of 415g for a 700c rim and 395g for a 650b rim. The built-up wheels weigh a claimed 1515g for a 700c set and 1475g for a 650b wheelset. The wheels are available in either a 24/28h front/rear or 28/32h front/rear.
The CCCs can come with Shimano Hyperglide hubs, SRAM XDR, or Shimano Microspline. They retail for $700.
Ride Concepts puts more athletes in their shoes
Gravity-minded shoe brand Ride Concepts continues to strengthen their roster with a new slew of athletes. Joining the already strong list of athletes including Kyle Strait, the Athertons, and Caronline Buchanan are Isabeau Courdurier, Cincent Tupin, Keegan Wright, Kyle Warner, Ali Clarkson, and Lew Buchanan.
Rudy Project Cutline sunglasses are made for everything from running to mountain biking
Rudy Project is well known for their high-performance sunglasses, and now there is a new option, the Cutline. The Cutline offers wide, wraparound style eye protection, with a swappable lens, adjustable temples and nose pads, and ventilation in the frame and lens. They are also available with prescription lenses. Prices will range from $185 – $235.
Trickstuff black out special edition brakes
Trickstuff are kind of the Ferraris of the mountain bike brake world, but in this case they might be the Lincolns. The pricey, 850€, ultra premium brakes are now available in matte black, and with good reason. Trickstuff ran into an issue when the master cylinders were scratched during production. Rather than selling them at a massive discount, or tossing them, they found they could anodize the cylinders a second time and it would give the brakes a matte surface and a brand new vibe and look. Get a closer look at the brakes on the Trickstuff website.
New Specialized Recon shoes are optimized for off-bike performance
The new Specialized Recon shoes are made for XC and trail, and the occasional hike-a-bike. The Recons are “backed by science to boost power,” and Specialized also says that they reduce the chance of injury through the knee and hip by optimizing foot placement. The Recon shoe comes in four variations, retailing from $110 – $425.
