Canfield Brothers now making Canfield Bikes
After an awkward two-year silence from Canfield Brothers, the brand is back in the bike biz and the company is now dubbing itself Canfield Bikes, with models available in early 2020.
Canfield Bikes decided to make the announcement to celebrate 20 years in business, although the last two have been somewhat absent. Rumors have floated around the internet about the brand’s silence, and now we have a little bit more information about what’s been going on.
Lance and Chris Canfield restructured the business, which resulted in Lance acquiring Chris’ share of the bike brand. Lance Canfield is now owner and designer, and Chris will retain rights to the Canfield Balance Formula (CBF) suspension platform, which he will license and implement for other brands. Earlier this year, Revel Bikes licensed CBF to use with their new carbon bikes. Canfield has always used aluminum for its builds, and will continue to use CBF suspension.
Leatt 2020 lineup diversifies and makes good helmets more affordable
Leatt, the South African brand known for their science-backed neck braces, has been growing their protection and apparel line for a number of years, and 2020 will be an even bigger spread for the company.
Popular jersey, pants, and shorts line, DBX 4.0, is getting updates, like better venting and breathability. The 4.0 pants are made for downhill, trail, and BMX and feature a four-way stretch with dirt- and water-resistant material. For more pedally rides, Leatt makes a lightweight short with chamois, the 1.0.
All new for this year is the addition of the DBX 1.0 Mountain, a $70 mountain bike helmet with ventilation, and the 360-degree turbine technology, Leatt’s proprietary rotational force reduction system.
Leatt also now has their first apparel line for women available. The lineup includes shorts, jerseys, jackets, and gloves.
Atomik Carbon and Berd Spokes partner for better wheelsets
Carbon wheel manufacturer Atomik Carbon and Berd Spokes have teamed up to put both of their unique characteristics into one package. Atomik is based in Brandon, Florida and makes “ultra lightweight” carbon mountain and gravel wheelsets that start at 1,200g per pair.
Berd Spokes are high-end spokes known for their light weight and damping characteristics. They are usually only available in white, but exclusive colors for Atomik wheels will be available. The spokes are made from ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, which can damp vibrations, and impact, and also has a much higher strength-to-weight ratio than steel, with a better fatigue life. Atomik wheelset buyers will certainly pay for the spoke upgrade though. They are a $400 upgrade option on both the gravel and mountain wheelsets.
The claimed weights are nice, with the heaviest mountain wheelset weighing just 1,610g, while the heaviest gravel wheelset is 1,290g.
2020 SBT GRVL registration opens Dec. 3
Steamboat Springs, Colorado’s premiere gravel race, SBT GRVL is going down again on Aug. 16, 2020. Last year was the event’s inaugural race, and 1,500 dirt road riders signed up to explore and challenge themselves on Routt County’s mountainous terrain. This year, SBT GRVL is adding a new route option.
The 64-mile Red course will fit in between the Green course, which is 37-miles, and the Blue course, which is 103 miles with about 6,300 feet of climbing. The Black course is the most advanced course, at 144-miles, with close to 10,000 feet of elevation gain. The Blue and Black courses will have new double and singletrack sections.
The $22,000 prize purse will be evenly split between men and women, and SBT GRVL seeks to achieve a 50-50 ratio for the field. See more info on the SBT GRVL website.
