Race Face's Atlas line has been a long-standing mainstay for the Canadian component manufacturer, and they have made some well thought out changes throughout the line. Gone are the AM and FR designations - Atlas is now one line of products designed to bridge the needs of AM and FR/DH riders: light enough for AM, tough enough for FR and DH. Some products are being discontinued, such as the D2 stem, which is replaced by the Atlas stem (featured below), while others are simply revised or given incremental improvements. A solid component line has become that much more…solid.
ATLAS STEMLeading off the list is the new for 2013 stem, designed to replace the old Atlas AM and D2 stems. Like past offerings, it is 100% CNC machined from 6061 T-6 aluminum, and available in several colours: Black, Rum Red, and Blue, with laser etched branding. There is only a zero rise version, and two lengths available: 50 and 65mm, which weigh 150g and 170g, respectively. If you need a stem with rise or a longer length, the
Turbine line has you covered - Turbine is XC light but definitely AM tough (look for a review in the coming months on those bits). With all that out of the way, we have to say this new stem looks mighty fine and will complement the rest of the Atlas line nicely, not to mention grace the front of any bike you choose.
ATLAS CRANKFirst, the BB and interface has changed from X-Type to EXI (external ISIS), which has been used and proven on other RF crank designs, and comes with several advantages: one, EXI uses a crank stopper, meaning it butts up against the spindle shoulder when fully installed (the old X-type mushed up into the end of the splines without a positive stop, putting it at risk of becoming over-compressed, which leads to bearing over torque). Second, the Atlas cranks come with the new Team DH BB, which features retainer bearings, a 20g weight savings, and shorter threads than X-type. It also means that installing or removing your Atlas cranks will no longer require massive amounts of torque.
Gone are the agonizing curse-filled crank installations. Mechanics will be pleased enough with that, but there's more! The familiar red and black spacers will now come pre-installed on the crank stopper for standard chainline spacing. No more lost spacers or wondering whether you used the right combination of them. You'll still get additional spacers in the box for fine tuning your chain line, but for most of you, life is a bit easier now.
Next, Race Face have significantly reduced the Atlas crank's weight. Besides the 20g savings in the new BB, another 30g have been shaved off of the arms - mostly due to a redesigned RH arm interface and a lighter alloy bolt and puller cap (vs. the larger steel X-type puller cap on older Atlas cranks) as well as a composite granny spider, replacing the old alloy one. All told, and depending on which configuration you use, the new Atlas cranks will weigh as much as 100 grams less.
Heel clearance at the spindle has been increased by 3.5mm, and the chain ring tabs are thicker than in the past, requiring a bash guard with lower profile tabs. Atlas is 1 chainring and bash or 2 ring and bash compatible but due to the revised chainring tabs, Atlas cranks are now no longer 3 ring compatible (which makes sense given intended use as well as modern day gearing configurations). Of course, we would be remiss if we failed to mention the new 'raw' finish to the Atlas colour palette, which also features red, blue, orange, black and stealth.
Atlas CranksBUILT FOR: FR/DH Racing
SIZE: 165, 170, 175mm & 68/73, 83mm or 100mm
WEIGHT: 685g (165mm, 83mm armset without BB);
822g (165mm with 36T ring & 68/73mm BB)
910g (170mm with 36T Single Ring, Bash Guard & 68/73mm BB);
958g (170mm with 24/36/Bash Guard & 68/73mm BB)
RING CONFIGURATIONS: 24, 36 & Bash; Single Ring & Bash; Single Ring
*Compatible with various BB standards (PF30/BB92/BB30 and 68/73/83mm threaded BB).
ATLAS BARThe Atlas bar remains unchanged, except for a graphics update - the Whistler topo map replaces the original North Shore map, and the details match the Atlas stem and crank nicely. There is however a new offering as well, Atlas is now available in a high rise version, to go along with the existing Flat bar and 1 1/4" rise bar.
Atlas Flat BarBUILT FOR: DH/FR
DIMENSIONS: 31" or 785 mm width, 9° rearward
RISE: 0
WEIGHT: 315g
BAR DIAMETER: 31.8mm
COLOUR: Black
Atlas 1 1/4 riserBUILT FOR: DH/FR
DIMENSIONS: 31" or 785 mm width, 8° rearward, 4° upward
RISE: 1¼"
WEIGHT: 340g
BAR DIAMETER: 31.8mm
COLOURS: Black, Red, Blue, Stealth, Orange, Gold
Atlas RiserBUILT FOR: DH/FR
DIMENSIONS: 31” or 785 mm width, 8° rearward, 4° upward
RISE: ½”
WEIGHT: 340g
BAR DIAMETER: 31.8mm
COLOURS: Black, Red, Blue, Orange, Gold
not much though all they need to do is add a few sus links and its modernised like a lapierre 920
