Sea Otter 2008 SRAM Product Launch

This year SRAM is celebrating their 20th anniversary. Twenty years ago SRAM started as a few guys in an old warehouse making products like twist shifters and now SRAM has 12 world wide facilities. Pretty impressive!

The only update on the SRAM front for 2008 is on their (and mine) favorite product, the X.0 rear derailleur. The X.0 derailleur is a product that really helped SRAM established themselves as a performance brand. When SRAM first released their X.0 grouppo back in 2006, the X.0 rear derailleur was the best derailleur in terms of weight, performance and durability – this for all applications (e.g. DH, FR, XC). At first the derailleur was only offered as a long cage, and then came the Med and Short cage offerings.


For 2008 the X.0 has evolved into an even better piece. The main change is in the derailleur cage. They are using a new carbon and aluminum cage design, which results in a stronger and more durable cage – toughness goes up about 5 times. The inner cage is made of 7000 series Aluminum.


The new cage design adds about 1 or 2 grams to the overall product – so about 194 grams for the short cage and 198 grams for the mid cage derailleur. Good news, for 2008 SRAM is now offering a carbon cage for the long cage offering at about 207 grams.


Additionally you will notice some graphic changes to the product. To commemorate their 20th anniversary SRAM gave the X.0 derailleur a gold B-Bolt and gold graphics. The actually production version will also have some 20th anniversary laser etching on the B-Bolt. Nice touches..

Also new for 2008 is a DH specific cassette. What SRAM did is take out the lightening holes out of the top three sprockets and added some reinforcement in the spider. The new cassette will be available as an 11-26 and is dubbed PG-970DH

Holzfeller OCT, Truvativ’s premiere hucking and Freeride crankset, gets some BNG (BOLD new Graphics) to be more in-line with the rest of their Freeride line. For 08 the Holzfeller cranks also gets a new blast out finishes, compared to mirror finish on 07 cranks, that is a bit more robust and won’t get scuffed up as easily when your shoes rub on the crankarm. Also a nice addition for 2008 is 165mm crank length offering.


NOIR cranks can now be had in a SS configuration, which comes with a carbon fiber guard. Weigh is 730 grams including the Bottom Bracket.


Stylo gets some new graphics as well..


VIVIDWell the wait is over! After a long hiatus from the long travel rear coil over market, RockShock finally announced their Downhill and Freeride rear coil shock – the Vivid. The focus on this product was durability!! This was RockShox's number one priority. Everything was build around making a highly durable damper that is going to last a long time under aggressive usage.

Jeremiah Boobar showing off the new Vivid
The Vivid was build around a streamlined feature set so the rider only has the adjustments that he/she really need to make their bike feel better. The goal is to avoid confusion when setting up your shock thus making it simple to dial-in your suspension.


So what are the adjustments?
• Low Speed compression adjustment located on the back of the reservoir.
• The bottom the red knob controls the ending stroke rebound. This controls approx the first 20% of rebound.
• Using a 2.5mm Hex wrench, you can adjust the ending stroke rebound that controls approx the last 75% to 100% of the rebound control (e.g. deep stroke and large hits).

The Vivid uses a new 3 piece mounting hardware system with lightweight hard anodized aluminum thru-pins (as opposed to a steel one) that is self contained via O-Rings. So when you take the shock off the bike, spacers don’t go falling off.


The Vivid also feature a new bottom out system that they call DropStop. DropStop is a series of interchangeable bottom out bumpers that you can change by merely popping them off by hand. They use a 2-piece system (e.g. bumper and retaining middle spring). The Vivid will ship with 3 different rates of DropStop. It will come stock with the Med, but supplied with the shock you’ll also get softer and firmer ones. This really allows you to customize the bottom out feel of the shock without having any inverse affect on the damper.

The shock uses huge cross section o-rings to the point were they grew the overall envelope of the shock to get the fattest o-rings in there in each individual spot. During testing it proved out to have a significant effect on the overall life of the shock – again adding to RochShox’s number one goal.


The Vivid uses a one piece body which allows RockShox to reduce the amount of o-rings by eliminating a major seal that other manufacturers have up in the upper body. They also went with a large steal head bushing that maintains stiffness and allows for larger side loads.

RockShox uses their own special "shock specific" damping fluid. A damping fluid that is specifically designed for working under the high temperatures and pressures of rear shocks. You will also be happy to hear that the Vivid will be totally shop serviceable - yay!!

Shaft diameter is 12.7mm and is made of 7075 Aluminum. The shock is claimed to weigh 418 grams for the 8.5” x 2.5”

Sam Hill's Sunday
Look for the Vivid on many top pro bikes like Sam Hill, Duncan Riffle and Steve Peat.

MONARCHAnother new rear shock for 08 is the RichShox Monarch. The Monarch is specifically designed for cross country and All-Mountain riding and can accommodate any bikes from 80mm to 160mm bike. The Monarch features a smaller and slender air can to improve frame clearance and also have a nifty swivel air valve that facilitates access. You only need to access one air valve since the Monarch uses a solo air spring. The shock is claimed to weigh around 205 gram for a 165mm x 38mm shock.


Just like the Vivid, is also uses new 3 piece mounting hardware. The Monarch will also have permanent gradient markings anodized on the shaft to help you set your sag. The Monarch will have 2 different can volumes to choose from – a Standard Air volume can and an oversize one. The oversize one is more appropriate for longer travel bikes. Changing the air can requires no tool and can be done by hand.

There will be 4 flavors of the Monarch – a 2.1, 3.1, 3.3 and 4.2. The Pearl and MC shock will be phased as soon as the Monarch is released. The Monarch will be available sometime this summer.

CODEMy favorite brake of 07 - after the successful release, the consistent feedback Avid received from riders is that the brake was a little bit heavy. So for 2008 Avid went with a forged Magnesium lever body and 3 sealed internal bearings which shaved a good amount of weight on the lever itself.


On the caliper side, Avid removed the center mount banjo bolt that ran through the caliper. This also reduced the weight a little but also makes for easier bleeding of the caliper.


Codes will still come stock with organic pads, but the pads themselves now get an aluminum backplate (compared to a steel plate they used last year). Also new for 2008 is 160mm Post mount option and it was also confirmed that Avid will be selling a BoXXer adaptor for 185mm rotor. In all the Code lost about 60g of weight per wheel.


CODE 5All new for 2008 is the Avid Code 5 – a budget oriented Freeride brake. It comes with a Juicy style lever but with the Code 4 piston caliper. Unlike the Codes, you don’t get pads with aluminum backplate, but Steel backplate.


JUICY CARBONOn the caliper portion there are no changes, it’s as you know it today. The big change is the master cylinder design, new contact adjustment knob and new carbon lever (Ultimate Lever). In all Avid knocked out about 30g off the Juicy Carbon.


JUICY 7Same lever body as the Juicy carbon minus the carbon lever - otherwise unchanged.

DOT FLUIDJuicy 5, 7, Carbon and Ultimate all moved to DOT 5.1 brake fluid for 2008. In their testing Avid noticed that DOT 5.1 boils three times later than DOT 4.

Pros like Steve Peat get a Magnesium Lever and Caliper body
It wasn’t really publicized, but SRAM aren't the only one celebrating. Back in February SRAM’s MTB PR Manager Eric Schutt and his wife had healthy twins – a girl and a boy! Pinkbike would like to extend double congratulations to Eric and his wonderful wife. Cheers!