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 world’s newest champs
The UCI mountain bike World Championships went down last weekend at Mont-Sainte-Anne. There are new champs that will rock the UCI rainbow for 2020 and there are returning champs.
In some sort of magic, Loic Bruni was crowned DH World Champ for the third year in a row. This is also Bruni’s fourth win this season and certainly his best season yet.
Myriam Nicole took the jersey in the women’s elite category. Tahnee Seagrave took second in MSA, just over a second behind Nicole. This was Seagrave’s first race back after a shoulder injury and surgery.
For XCO, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot dethroned a determined Kate Courtney as the World Champ. This is Ferrand-Prevot’s second Worlds win. She won the Worlds round in 2015 after also winning the Cyclocross World Championship, and became the first athlete to hold two Worlds titles in two different disciplines. This year she put a whopping 43-seconds on a powerful Jolanda Neff.
As for the men’s elite category, it comes as no surprise that Nino Schurter held on to the title for another year. Schurter’s consistency has escaped his perfect 2017 season, but he’s proved he still belongs on top.
The final round of the UCI World Cup XCO and downhill competition takes place this weekend in Snowshoe, West Virginia.
Scott makes big moves for juniors
Scott Sports released a major lineup for young riders, including apparel, helmets, and two bikes.
Trickling down from the World Cup winning Scale line are the Scale RC 24″ and the Scale RC 20″. The Scale 20″ and 24″ bikes have premium components like Shimano hydraulic brakes, and Schwalbe tires. The aluminum frame and geometry are independent of each other and specific to each wheel size.
Scott has also introduced the Spunto Junior Plus helmet (available online), and a junior soft goods line, with jerseys, shorts, and gloves.
WTB updates saddle line and introduces Fit Right System
Saddles might only be visible to riders’ undercarriages on a ride, but it doesn’t mean that they should be ugly. WTB updated the graphics across all saddles and are now covering the saddles with a microfiber material.
On top of that, WTB’s new Fit Right System makes it easier to find the right saddle without a stranger wrapping tape around your hips. With the Fit Right System, WTB analyzes the correlation between wrist size and sit bones for a non-intrusive and accurate way to determine saddle size. Find out more on WTB.com.
Pivot Phoenix 29, DW-Link DH bike now on the market
Pivot Cycles has leaked teasers and images of the new Phoenix 29 for a few months and the team’s athletes have been running it on World Cup tracks.
The re-designed Phoenix introduces 29-inch wheels to the downhill bike, with 190mm of rear travel, managed with a shorter upper link, making it ready for air or coil shocks. The standover height is now lower than the previous 27.5-inch version, it’s available in sizes S-XL, and is priced between $3,799-$8,899. See the Pivot website for more info.
Trail Boss brings Packable Rock Bar to reality
Trail tool brand Trail Boss, out of Bellingham, WA, made some of the first packable trail digging tools and now has a comparable piece made for rock plying, moving, and more.
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The Trail Boss Rock Bar is made from three high-strength chromoly steel handle sections and two different hardened and hand-forged tips. The full 58-inch-long Rock Bar fixes together with socketed screw joints, which make it feel seamless. All together, the Rock Bar is said to weigh under 12 pounds, 20-50% lighter than single-piece Rock Bars.
Ingenuity doesn’t come without a cost. The Rock Bar sells for $375, but is guaranteed for five years. See the Trail Boss website for more info.
Muc-Off adds rim tape, tire plugs, Co2, and more
Muc-Off is mostly known for its bright pink cleaning solution for the dirtiest of bikes, but the brand has a pretty huge lineup. Now, they have even more, and can offer a complete support system for tubeless tires. New to the line is rim tape, a CO2 inflator, tubeless plugs, as well as Silicone Shine, now available in the US.
The Silicone Shine protects plastic, rubber, metal, and carbon surfaces by reducing dirt adhesion.
The Tubeless Rim tape costs $11.99 and is available in six widths, covering rim widths from CX to plus-sized. CO2 Inflator kits cost $21 for the mountain bike version and include two cartridges, a CNC-machined head with dual head nozzle, and a neoprene sleeve. Tubeless plug kits cost $15 and include a handle and five thick plugs. See more at the Muc-Off website.
New Lazer helmet provides inexpensive protection
New for 2020, the Lazer Chiru is a slick MTB helmet selling for $70 for the non-MIPS version and $90 for the MIPS version. The Chiru has an integrated visor and 15 vents total, plus a retention system and adjustable fit. It will be available in November.
Next year’s 100% line-up is more bike-specific
For 2020, 100% has pushed even further into the mountain bike category with the addition of a helmet, and the brand’s first dive into a bike-specific glove.
The Armega, Racecraft Plus+, Racecraft, and Accuri goggles are revised with new designs and colors, and the Ridefit, Celium, and iTrack apparel is back with a new look. See it all on the 100% website.
