Under the Radar at Sea Otter
Magura Celebrates 40 Years
Dual Hall-of-Famer and XC racing heroine Ruthie Matthes poses with Magura's tricked out 40-year anniversary Cadillac. Ruthie is an ambassador for Magura.
We caught Ruthie Matthes, one of the sport's most decorated female XC racers and Magura ambassador, posing next to Magura's 40-year anniversary Cadillac. Magura has been with the mountain bike since its inception, first with its Moto brake levers, followed by brakes and then, suspension products. Through it all, the German parts maker has been one of the sport's brighter torches. Magura's people are consistently upbeat, their products are high quality and always innovative, and in the thirty odd years that I have been working alongside them, I have never heard one member of their staff utter a bad word about a competitor. Cheers for forty years, Magura!
Magura was a pioneer disc brake maker and lately, it has been enjoying renaissance among elite DH and Enduro racers with its powerful four-piston MT-7 system. Magura will co-sponsor the Palmer-Intense Downhill development team, which makes us wonder if we will be seeing Mister Palmer behind the wheel of the ultra-customized monster.
Magura MT-7 disc brakes are becoming popular among pro downhilll and enduro racers.
SRAM Dives Into the Details
SRAM is best known for blaze-of-glory product intros intended to take the world by storm, but often, its smaller innovations and improvements get lost in the fireworks show. Hidden in plain sight inside the big red and white tent were three items well worth a second or third look. SRAM
Direct-Mount X-Sync Chainrings
launched earlier this year, SRAM's direct mount X-Sync chainrings were late in coming, but still welcome accessories that ft any of its three-bolt GXP-style cranksets. Available in even tooth numbers from as small as 26, to as large as 40 teeth, the chairings are CNC-machined with SRAM's X-Sync narrow-wide tooth profiles and finished in anodized black with laser-etched graphics. Unlike many aftermarket direct-mount rings, which are basically flat plates SRAM's sprockets are intricately machined with reinforcements that add both lateral stiffness and vertical impact strength. Prices hover around $98 USD.
SRAM's X-Sync direct mount chainrings offer customers with GXP-style three-bolt chainring spiders a lighter weight option and perhaps more important, two smaller chainring selections - the 26 and 28-tooth sprockets should make 29er and fat-bike riders quite happy.
RockShox OneLoc Triggers
RockShox OneLoc trigger remotes can switch any of its cable-operated suspension controls on or off from the handlebar and it is designed to miss the hydraulic button used for the brand's Reverb dropper post when the two are used in combination on the same side of the handlebar. Like a trigger shift lever, the larger lever pulls cable, while the smaller one releases cable. OneLoc is very compact and in action, it feels robust and positive. The pod can be switched to fit over or under the handlebar and we expect that OneLoc will begin appearing on a number of trailbikes as bike makers begin to roll out their 2016 models later this year. Price is not yet known.
RockShox's OneLoc trigger is small, robust and has a very positive action. It can remotely control any of the brand's cable-actuated fork dampers. We also assume that it can be used in conjunction with other brands' cable-actuated suspension products, like the Cannondale Jekyll's dual-travel Dyad shock.Aluminum 42t Cog for Full Pin Cassettes
SRAM recently released its affordable GX one-by-eleven ensemble and the centerpiece of the group was its Full Pin cassette. Originally, Full Pin cassettes were composed of eleven stamped steel cogs, riveted together with over one hundred pins and spacers. SRAM showed a new Full Pin cassette at Sea Otter which used a CNC machined aluminum cog in the 42-tooth driver position, explaining that the all-steel version is directed at OEM customers and that the aluminum 42 will be appearing on the aftermarket cassettes which will be arriving in bike shops some time later this year. Possible advantages of the aluminum cassette cog are better shifting, because it will have all of the ramps and shifting aids featured on the more expensive XX1 and X1 X-Dome cassettes - and perhaps a slightly lower weight. Price is yet to be determined.
SRAM announced that its recently released Full Pin 11-speed cassette will be upgraded with an aluminum 42-tooth cog for aftermarket customers. The OEM version will feature a stamped steel cog in the largest position.Walking the Walk
Ryan Cleek, friend and former journalist, recently left his position at Specialized to pursue his passion for riding and cinematography. Cleek won the 30-plus Cat 1- DH at Sea Otter riding his daily driver, a three-year-old Stumpjumper S-Works 29er with a cracked frame and three broken spokes. Ryan has been working on a documentary with Cam Zink for over a year that should debut sometime around September. It will be his second feature-length film. Keep an eye out for a preview on PB in late May.
Film-maker Ryan Cleek smoked the very competitive, 30-plus Cat-1 amateur downhill field on this three-year-old 29er cockroach .
Skratch Labs
Most attendees at Sea Otter remember Skratch as the awesome food truck with the sumptuous organic meals, but next door was where I found the real magic. Skratch Labs was founded by Allen Lim, Ph.D. - a Pro Tour nutritionist, who developed his own drinks and replenishment foods using natural ingredients for the road racing team he was working with. The impetus was to solve the indigestion and bloating that was a common byproduct of their over-the-counter bars and hydration fluids. Yeah, I know you've heard that line before and so have I, but Lim takes the concept further, right into your own home.
Skratch Labs' hydration potions are almost tasteless and blended to make them easy to drink when your body is stressed. Their cookie mix forms the base for home cooked energy bars. You add the fruit, nuts or chocolate bits that make you happiest on the trail or the race track. Two books show you how to make their products in your own kitchen - and how to make every day meals from real foods.
Buy It From Us, or Do It Yourself
Lim hooked up with a chef named Biju Thomas and together, they developed a number of food bars using rice, fruit, and other tasty items, and then assembled a basic "biscuit mix" that contains a number of recipes which will faithfully reproduce them. The idea is simple: you add the perishable stuff and make enough food bars to satisfy your weekly riding and in exchange, your food is always fresh and just how you like it. Skratch's cookie mix is a primer of sorts. It is easy to make and thus, as least in the imagination of Lim and Thomas, it will encourage us to further explore the concept of making our own mid-ride nutrition at home.
To that end, Skratch offers two cook books: "The Feed Zone" offers up simple recipes for an athlete's daily nutrition, and "Feed Zone Portables" outlines a number of tasty small sized meals that are wrapped in palm-sized packets that are both tasty, and easy to consume and digest. Also inside are Lim's original recipes for natural electrolyte and hydration. Of course, you can purchase Skratch's hydration formulas in one-serving packets and in bulk, but the fact that Lim is transparent with his formulas and knowledge lends credibility to his claim that ultimately he wants to teach individuals and families to eat and live in a more balanced and natural way
Skratch Labs.
Lim hooked up with a chef named Biju Thomas and together, they developed a number of food bars using rice, fruit, and other tasty items, and then assembled a basic "biscuit mix" that contains a number of recipes which will faithfully reproduce them. The idea is simple: you add the perishable stuff and make enough food bars to satisfy your weekly riding and in exchange, your food is always fresh and just how you like it. Skratch's cookie mix is a primer of sorts. It is easy to make and thus, as least in the imagination of Lim and Thomas, it will encourage us to further explore the concept of making our own mid-ride nutrition at home.
To that end, Skratch offers two cook books: "The Feed Zone" offers up simple recipes for an athlete's daily nutrition, and "Feed Zone Portables" outlines a number of tasty small sized meals that are wrapped in palm-sized packets that are both tasty, and easy to consume and digest. Also inside are Lim's original recipes for natural electrolyte and hydration. Of course, you can purchase Skratch's hydration formulas in one-serving packets and in bulk, but the fact that Lim is transparent with his formulas and knowledge lends credibility to his claim that ultimately he wants to teach individuals and families to eat and live in a more balanced and natural way
Skratch Labs.
 | We know we have a lot of work to do to fulfill this mission and we are the first to acknowledge that we are a work in progress - that things won't always be perfect. But there's no better time to start than now. - Allen Lim, Ph.D |
Point-of-Purchase Product Placement
It's no secret that mountain bike riders are predominantly male and that the female form remains the most compelling method of advertising to this body of beer-drinking athletes. Fortunately there was more to this picture than met the eye. Petal Power is directed to the substantial number of female riders within the sport. Jill Hamilton, a former pro DH racer and present enduro shredder, founded Petal Power to develop and market tush-friendly products for women who put in serious saddle time. Hamilton's "Joy Ride System" pre and post-ride balms and cleaning products have been embraced by the Luna Chix team, and are enjoying a large and growing following of women on and off the track. Hamilton laughed, saying that the product placement pasties were a quick modesty fix while she was waiting for her T-shirts to arrive.
Petal Power
![petal power 2015]()
It's no secret that mountain bike riders are predominantly male and that the female form remains the most compelling method of advertising to this body of beer-drinking athletes. Fortunately there was more to this picture than met the eye. Petal Power is directed to the substantial number of female riders within the sport. Jill Hamilton, a former pro DH racer and present enduro shredder, founded Petal Power to develop and market tush-friendly products for women who put in serious saddle time. Hamilton's "Joy Ride System" pre and post-ride balms and cleaning products have been embraced by the Luna Chix team, and are enjoying a large and growing following of women on and off the track. Hamilton laughed, saying that the product placement pasties were a quick modesty fix while she was waiting for her T-shirts to arrive.
Petal Power
Pivot's DH Team is Moving Up the Results Ladder
Pivot Cycles may have put together the right combination of technology and talent for its downhill racing team. Team riders returned from the Rotorua, New Zealand Crankworx with a handful of podium finishes, including second place in the DH for Elliot Jackson, a third place podium for Emilie Seigenthaler and two bronze medals for team leader Bernard Kerr - one for the Speed and Style and another in the Whip Off. Pivot's success seems to be echoing a trend in gravity racing where well-funded factory teams like Santa Cruz, Lapierre, Specialized and Trek World Racing find themselves duking it out with against smaller privateer-level efforts from the likes of Pivot and Commencal. The situation could make for some storybook finishes for the smaller teams this year.
(From left) Team Pivot: Bernard Kerr, Elliot Jackson and Emilie Seigenthaler.
I met with Pivot's Emilie Seigenthaler Bernard Kerr and Elliot Jackson for a Q and A session at the Sea Otter pits. The first question was how they got along with their latest carbon fiber Phoenix DH bikes. All three jumped in with the same story - that almost from the first ride, the Phoenix felt as if they had been on it for a season. Emilie was previously on a Scott: "The Scott was perfect for steep courses, going straight over everything," she gestured with her hand like she was descending moguls on skis. "I can do that with this bike, or I can ride anywhere on the track. It is very easy to control." Jackson remarked that the Phoenix was versatile enough, so that the team can trust it to perform on any type of course.
| Everyone here is way more open than on the larger factory teams. If we have an issue, I can call Chris and most of the time it's, 'OK. Let's make that work.' - Elliot Jackson |
When asked about the potential downsides of riding for a smaller team, I expected to hear stories about hotels far away from the venues, lost race bikes, and shoe-string budgets that forced racers to ride World Cups on beater bikes, wiggly wheels, and "scuffed in" tires. According to the team, however, life behind the Pivot jersey has been pretty good so far. Elliot Jackson, who has been on Pivot the longest says, "Everyone here is way more open than on the larger factory teams. If we have an issue, I can call Chris [Cocalis] and most of the time it's, 'OK. Let's make that work.' Sometimes the factory can make the changes by the next race.
The subject came up about the larger teams having the luxury of staying in posh hotels and in the pits, being able to eat, rest, and escape from the crowds in their semi-trucks "Having a semi-truck makes it easier at the races," Kerr laughs. "But, we don't need one to do our jobs. We all get along well, so we can operate in a smaller space." Jackson puts it: "It's matching the personality. If someone needs a semi-truck, then they'll have to be on that big team to win. We don't need all those things to race well." Emilie's take was a little different. "As a girl, you don't get the respect from the factory teams. You usually have to wait for all the guys to be taken care of, and then it is your turn. This is much better."
Team Leader Bernard Kerr seems to be getting along with his Pivot Phoenix quite well. - Dave Trumpore photo
Pivot founder Chris Cocalis was quick to point out that much of the development of the Phoenix was attributable to Dave Weagle, who has a keen understanding of gravity racing. And, when I chided him about being a tight-wad privateer team owner, he got serious, saying: "It costs a lot of money to get these guys to the World Cups. If they need something - anything - to show up and perform well, then I will make that happen. It would be a total waste to get them there and then not follow through." Cocalis has strong ties with engineers at Shimano and Fox Racing Shox, so we assume that, in spite of their diminutive size on the map of World Cup teams, Team Pivot gets access to the top shelf of the their secret cupboards.
Pivot Cycles
Speedfil F2 Off-Road Hydration System
Speedfil is new to the mountain bike scene, but its remote-access hydration systems have become a staple among the triathlon crowd. Speedfil F2 is a special cap that screws onto a standard water bottle. The F2 cap increases the storage capacity by about eight ounces and contains a drink hose tipped with a bite valve which allow the rider to access the water source and drink hands-free, without removing the bottle. What's more, the F2 bottle-head has a self-sealing port, with which the rider can refill the system, without removing the bottle from the frame. The rider simply unscrews the cap of an over-the-counter bottle, or pops the valve of a spare cycling bottle, and then pushes the head through the rubber iris, releasing the semi-hemispherical seal of the F2 filler cap - and refills the system. Toss the empty to a needy roadside recycler and BOOM, your hydration system is filled without missing a pedal stroke.
Speedfil's F2 hydration system offers hands-free drinking for riders who need to keep both hands on the bars at critical hydration moments.
The feature was conceived in competition as racers passed through aid stations and received hand-up bottles. Normally, they would drink as much of the contents as possible, and then toss the container with its remaining fluid off to the side of the course where, hopefully, highly paid race officials would later collect the rubbish and put it in proper receptacles. Speedfill allows the racer/rider to quickly transfer the entire contents of the hand-up and then to consume it at a more opportune time. Up-to-the-moment mountain bikers, the ones who wear special spandex girdles with integrated water bottle storage, can use the Speedfil F2 to quickly transfer the entire contents of a spare bottle into the F2 system - rather than looking like baboons scratching at their butts while attempting to access their girdle-packed bottles for intermittent sipping sessions.
(Clockwise) Speedfil's F2 bottle requires a sturdy cage. Use any water bottle to refill the F2 system through the self-sealing port. The F2 head screws onto most cycling bottles and an O-ring seal prevents leaking. Speedfil F2's bite-valve is attached to a recoil return-string to secure it to the bar.Speedfil F2 is a total system, which includes three segments: the F2 bottle head; the drinking hose and bite valve; and a retracting nylon string device, similar to what shoplifters use, which automatically returns the hose to the handlebar when the rider is finished drinking. Theoretically, Speedfil is safer and faster, because you only need to remove your hand from the grip for a brief moment to put the bite-valve in your mouth. And, the return-spring tension is gentle, so you won't feel as if you are mouth-wrestling a garden snake to get a drink. Speedfil's F2 off-road bundle, including the F2 screw-on head and hose and the hose retraction device costs around $89 USD.
Speedfil
Redefining "Laterally Stiff and Vertically Compliant"
Some designers, Germany comes to mind here, obsess about frame stiffness to the point where the search for the ultimate stiffness-to-weight ratio dominates almost every technical discussion they enter into. Well, just for the record, I think Chris Cocalis has dropped a hydrogen bomb on that subject with the recent development of his carbon-framed "Les Fat." End of discussion, fine' kaput!
The high-modulus carbon fiber bottom bracket of the Pivot Les Fat stretches from horizon to horizon. If there was ever a bike that could forever silence the German bike magazines' super dweeb contest for the world's stiffest pedaling frame, this baby is it.
There is probably more carbon in the bottom bracket junction than one might find in an entire Cervelo road racing frame. The hollow bottom bracket shell could be used as a storm drain, and Canadians could smuggle enough weed in its cavernous downtube to make the trip to Bellingham seem like winning the lottery every week. Sasquach may be able to flex this frame, but no mortal man is going to move that needle.
With full size tires, it has the displacement in the neighborhood of a one-person canoe, so there can be no doubt that Pivot is working on a folding outrigger to extend the Les Fat's capabilities into the aquatic realms. Following the lines of the hardtail chassis as it tapers dramatically from its voluminous midsection to the tiny through-axle dropouts on either end, gives the impression of an oil tanker balanced on the Eiffel Tower, or a Sumo wrestler doing one-finger pushups. Somehow, however, it all works. I give you, the Pivot Les Fat.
Pivot Cycles
A less revealing view of the Pivot Les Fat depicts how well its profile hides its chubby midsection. An adjustable rear dropout enables the use of any fat bike wheel-diameter or tire-width available.
Italian Style: Lake Shoes for 2016
Anyone who has spent time in Italy knows that, regardless of your fitness, car or clothes, your first impressions will be determined by the quality and style of your shoes. Now, there are thousands of cycling shoes to choose from, and every one of their makers are bound to make some performance claim that I am sure is at least partially true. But, in the end, you will wear the one that impresses your friends and fits you best. The domination of the Five Ten flat soled gravity shoe is proof enough that style is at least as important as performance. Unless you ride the road, I'll bet you've never ridden, or even heard of Lake shoes, so let's say that the Italian maker knows how to make a good fitting shoe that gets the pedals around the circle in a hurry.
Lake's Donkey 100 low-top and Donkey 150 high-top gravity shoes are new for 2016.
DK Gravity Shoes
Being Italian, they get the fashion thing, so their new gravity-oriented models, the DK 150 mid-top and DK 100 low-top, do not stray from established lines and textures. Instead, they introduce high-quality leather uppers, glued soles and sewn panels that are actually designed to stay together, and styling sharp enough to get you into a club after you are done shredding the bike park.
"DK refers to "Donkey" - which is endearing to the gravity craft in an ironic sort of way. The soles are made from a super-tacky rubber compound which is not so grabby that it will prevent riders from resetting an off-angle foot placement, internally, a nylon reinforced panel keeps the shoe pedaling efficiently and it is slotted for cleats. The rubber sole has a pull-off panel to gain access to the mounting holes should you opt to clip in. Prices are $159 USD for the mid-top DK 150 and $139 for the low-top DK 100.
Being Italian, they get the fashion thing, so their new gravity-oriented models, the DK 150 mid-top and DK 100 low-top, do not stray from established lines and textures. Instead, they introduce high-quality leather uppers, glued soles and sewn panels that are actually designed to stay together, and styling sharp enough to get you into a club after you are done shredding the bike park.
"DK refers to "Donkey" - which is endearing to the gravity craft in an ironic sort of way. The soles are made from a super-tacky rubber compound which is not so grabby that it will prevent riders from resetting an off-angle foot placement, internally, a nylon reinforced panel keeps the shoe pedaling efficiently and it is slotted for cleats. The rubber sole has a pull-off panel to gain access to the mounting holes should you opt to clip in. Prices are $159 USD for the mid-top DK 150 and $139 for the low-top DK 100.
Both the DK 100 and 150 feature the same sticky rubber sole and optional cleat-mounting system
MX 180 Enduro Shoe
Enduro racing has been a melting pot between established gravity riders and top bike-handlers who have come up from more cross-country backgrounds. Regardless of background, however, the recent push to make uphill transfer stages difficult enough to challenge a pro XC athlete has encouraged racers to abandon their traditional flat-soled dogs for more efficient pedaling shoes which retain some of the flexibility of a gravity shoe, but incorporate the more effective curved, reinforced sole that we are used to seeing in a cross-country application. Lake's 2016 MX180 is exactly that - a hybrid shoe that retains many of the design attributes of an XC racing shoe, without the leg-wrecking inflexible carbon sole and wimpy ballerina-golfer, low-top uppers.
Built to take a beating, and to blend the efficiency of a dedicated pedaling shoe with the flex and walkability of a flat shoe, Lake's MX 180 represents the new-school enduro racing design.
The MX 180 sole is molded from tacky rubber, with aggressive enough lugs to push up a muddy slope without losing too much time, and glass-impregnated inserts in the largest lugs that are intended to grip slippery rocks. The outer is water proof to the upper seam and made from a synthetic leather that stretches to conform to the foot over time - and a lace-up closure further ensures that the uppers conform comfortably. A reversible Boa system controls lacing tension - which means that the user can incrementally reduce tension instead of having to pull the button and start over like the older versions. Lake's MX 180 looks very promising for its intended role as an enduro racing shoe and its $189 USD MSRP is competitive in that marketplace.
Lake Cycling
(Clockwise) Lake used a two-way Boa system for the MX 180. Turning the dial counter clock-wise loosens the lacing. Pulling the dial releases tension completely. A flap protects the laces from mud and crud. The synthetic leather uppers are waterproof to the upper seams, so a quick dash through standing water will not soak your feet. MENTIONS: @MaguraPassionPeople, @SramMedia, @EeehhZink, @pivotcycles
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
*cough fest series cruzFEST day 1 vid here: www.vitalmtb.com/videos/features/Vital-RAW-CruzFest-Day-1,28711/sspomer,2 cough*
You'll thank me- Check out Lacondeguy- guy's in beast mode!! Pinkbike keep up with the latest from FEST series please- thank you.
Zink Zink Zink Zink Zink Zink Zink Zink!!
Huh? 5.10 dominates because they flat-out perform.
If you wonder about the difference, think about pumping your bike around the pump track. Your bike moves up and down a lot more than your body. You are pushing the bike way and pulling it toward you over and over. Why would you add weight to that?
I **do** notice the giant sweaty patch on my back when I wear a hydro pack.
Don't get me wrong, the hose seems like a dumb idea. It would probably end up flailing around behind the bike, and it would take some serious suction to suck water up the 3 feet from the bottle to your mouth. Bottles are dope though. If I'm just going out for 2 hours it's a no brainer.
Besides, how often are you sipping from your camelbak as you're shredding though some high speed gnar? Most people I ride with only drink when the trail is flat and easy (or when you stop), even with hydro packs. Bottles are just as easy in that case.
If you are not a weight weenie then there is no reason to care, I am not a weenie, but I don't use a water bottle because I lose them all the time. I am talking about the people buying carbon frames to shave a pound then adding the weight back with a bottle who seem to have not thought this through. People buying carbon cranks (the least important place for weight) who have a water bottle. Hate to break it to them, but they wasted their money.
In my opinion, this whole argument is similar to whether or not pedals should be included in the weight of the bike.
its also similar to how UCI road race bikes have to weigh under 15lbs, so they build them at like 12 then add two bottles, a power meter and a garmin. your bike weighs whatever it does when youre riding it.
....Except alot of companies will explain that "Race Use" voids their frame and parts warranties.
So, while top factory riders might get free or very reduced prices on frames and parts the average racer may not.
@jclnv I don't think that's the case in the US. I just read their warranty policy and didn't see any stipulations for f/r triangle. Plus I can't imagine it would be very expensive to get 1 of the 4 bars replaced if you did have to pay for it. The front triangle however...Let me know if you see anything different? Maybe someone who sells Specialized can weigh in on this?
That post by Emilie is so such a sad indictment of this sport. The women train just as hard as the guys (and ride just as gnarly) and they get treated like second class citizens. Didn't Ragot lose her ride this past off season, after several years of being one of the top 2 women riders?
Pivot characterizing all us Canadians as pot smugglers is poor attempt and attempt at humour. I guess Pivot would know since all small US bike companies are dope smoking pot growers looking for ways to get their real product across the boarder right?
Made me laugh!
youtu.be/KK4LuYV8qcE