Rocky Mountain, Ryders Eyewear, X-Fusion, and KORE - Interbike 2013

Rocky Mountain's new Thunderbolt might be just the ticket for a rider who puts in the cross-country miles but has an eye out for fun hits on the side of the trail as well. The 650B-wheeled platform features 120mm of travel via Rocky's SMOOTHLINK suspension design that places the rear chain stay pivot above the rear axle, a layout they claim remains neutral to chain forces while also allowing them to build-in enough progression to keep the bike from bottoming harshly, always a good thing on a short travel bike that is likely to be rallied hard. The Thunderbolt 750, pictured above, features a FOX FLOAT 32 CTD fork with 120mm of travel, a custom tuned FOX FLOAT CTD shock, and cranks, bar, stem and seatpost from fellow Canadian brand Race Face. The $3,299.99 USD bike looks nearly ready to shred right off the showroom floor, with a dropper post the only thing that we'd add before hitting the trails.


The Thunderbolt lineup includes three other models, with the top-end 770 going for $3,999.99 USD and coming in a sweet looking matte black finish with green Race Face cranks and handlebar. Sitting one step below the 750 pictured above, the 730 goes for $2,599.99 USD, and the entry level 710 can be had for a reasonable $2,099.99 USD.

www.bikes.com

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Half goggle, half sunglasses, the new Face GX (the GX stands for "goggle crossover") from Ryders Eyewear is a hybrid concoction that could be ideal those enduro race setting where a full fledged goggle is too hot and cumbersome - If you've ever kept your goggles on during even a short mid-stage climb you'll know what we're talking about, and these clever cross-breed glasses are also likely a hell of a lot cooler in hot weather. They are based on Ryders' Face glasses, but feature a foam-backed gasket that attaches to their frame and acts to keep air flow out at high speeds, as well as preventing water or grit from getting behind the lenses and into the rider's eyes. The whole setup is fairly stealth, with them looking very much like a standard set of sunglasses, and the gasket can be removed in seconds if you want to run them without the added protection during a ride or for post-ride lounging. There are two versions available: one with either light yellow or orange photochromic lenses for $89.95 USD, and the other with either either grey or brown standard lenses for $59.95 USD.


Ryders also had this amazing DeLorean DMC-12 on display in their booth that was attracting quite a bit of attention, with its open gull-wing doors and stainless steel body panels taking onlookers back to the early 80s. We asked about using it to travel back to a time before electric mountain bikes became accepted in Europe but, sadly, its flux capacitor isn't in working order. We likely would have had a hard time getting up to 88mph in the halls of Interbike, anyway.

www.ryderseyewear.com

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X-Fusion plans to manufacture just two hundred examples of their Revel HLR inverted fork, with a retail price of $1,776 USD. If you think those two facts will make the gold fork a rare sight on the trail, how about the even more limited run of a fat bike version? The large tire-compatible model, which is pictured above next to the regular version for comparison, features a much wider crown that spaces the fork's legs apart for more clearance, and a downsized 15mm axle that uses machined shims pushed into the fork's 20mm axle clamps. The rest of the fork is the exact same as the 650B and 29er models, with X-Fusion's patented Gold-E-Locks keyway system, HLR damper, and Dual-Spring Air system. With the recent availability of carbon fat bike frames and rims, and now a fat bike-compatible Revel HLR, one could build up quite the trick snow rig... if you're into that sort of thing, that is.

There is seatpost news from X-Fusion as well, with some important updates to their Hilo telescoping post that bring it more in line with other options on the market when talking about performance and setup. This includes updated internals that see X-Fusion add an internal floating piston to separate the air and oil within the post, a change that they told us will eliminate both the sometimes inconsistent travel and slightly soft feel of the original design. An internally routed actuation cable will be an option as well, with X-Fusion referring to this new design as the Hilo Straight due to how the cable now enters the post straight into its bottom.

www.xfusionshox.com

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KORE is adding some new pedals to their 2014 catalog, with the Jive being offered in both a 330 gram (pair) aluminum model and the magnesium bodied Jive Mags that weigh in at just 266 grams for a pair. Both versions use the same mid-sized body shape that features a good amount of concave and 6mm setscrew style pins, as well as the same chromoly steel spindles. Colour options include either black or silver bodies for the standard aluminum model, while the magnesium Jives will come in black or raw.

The Mega range from KORE strikes a middle ground between lightweight XC components and heavier DH gear. KORE says that the line is aimed at the ever growing enduro segment, which we'll translate to mean mid-weight bars, seatposts, and wheels that make a lot of sense for the everyday rider who rides hard and doesn't want their stuff to fall apart. The group includes two handlebars, the carbon fiber Mega K1 and the aluminum Mega, with the aluminum bar being available in five colour options. The 230 gram K1 bar is made from unidirectional carbon, measures in at 760mm wide with a 5° upsweep and 8.5° backsweep, and can be had with either 20mm or 35mm of rise. The aluminum version shares the same geometry, but weighs in 21 grams heavier.


www.kore-usa.com