Leeche, X-Fusion, SDG - Taipei Show 2016
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Leeche 26+ Stainless Steel Hardtail
It isn't for sale, but this one-off Leeche was just too good looking to walk by without snapping a photo. The stainless steel frame is made to work with both the 26+ wheels and tires (yes, that is a thing) shown here or a 27.5" setup, and the medium-sized bike's 615mm effective top tube length is designed to be paired with Pacenti's 25mm P-dent handlebar and stem combination. A steep 75.2-degree seat angle keeps everything in check when you're in the saddle, and the Leeche's 65-degree head angle, along with 36mm of bottom bracket drop and a 415mm rear end, all mean that the simple looking bike is probably more fun than a lot of full-suspension machines when the climbing is over with.
Interested in your own Leeche? Sorry, this custom beauty was built up for a local Taiwanese rider and isn't for sale.
X-Fusion McQueen 27.5+ Fork
Fork companies pretty much have to have a 27.5+ fork in their lineup these days, but these are based on existing models and employ existing internals dropped into new lowers and a crown with a wider stance. This is the case with X-Fusion's new McQueen plus-sized fork, with the company employing their RL2 and Roughcut dampers, depending on the model. The new fork's lowers aren't just a wider version of what's already out there, though, as they see added material that compensates for their wider stance, and the same goes for the McQueen's crown.
X-Fusion also has a new, three-position RL2 compression damper, called the Quick Flip RL2, that will allow riders to make changes when on the move. This will be an option on X-Fusion forks with 34mm stanchion tubes.
Fork companies pretty much have to have a 27.5+ fork in their lineup these days, but these are based on existing models and employ existing internals dropped into new lowers and a crown with a wider stance. This is the case with X-Fusion's new McQueen plus-sized fork, with the company employing their RL2 and Roughcut dampers, depending on the model. The new fork's lowers aren't just a wider version of what's already out there, though, as they see added material that compensates for their wider stance, and the same goes for the McQueen's crown.
X-Fusion also has a new, three-position RL2 compression damper, called the Quick Flip RL2, that will allow riders to make changes when on the move. This will be an option on X-Fusion forks with 34mm stanchion tubes.
McQueen 27.5+ Details:
• Travel: 100, 120, 140mm
• Wheel size: 27.5+
• Stanchions: 34mm
• Spring: air
• Damper: RL2, Quick Flip RL2, or Roughcut
• Weight: 5lb
• MSRP: TBA
• Travel: 100, 120, 140mm
• Wheel size: 27.5+
• Stanchions: 34mm
• Spring: air
• Damper: RL2, Quick Flip RL2, or Roughcut
• Weight: 5lb
• MSRP: TBA
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SDG I-Fly 2.0
SDG had a rapid prototype model of their I-Fly 2.0 at last year's Taipei show, and now they've finalized the latest I-Fly for production. The 2.0 is much lower than the previous version (see the comparison between the 1.0 and 2.0 I-Flys in the above photo), which gives both the post and seat a far nicer appearance while reportedly also making for a lower weight and stronger final product. There's a deep cutout at the back of the seat to eliminate tire buzz on small frames, long-travel 29ers, and downhill bikes that run a low seat height, and it also features a revised shell shape compared to its predecessor.
SDG had a rapid prototype model of their I-Fly 2.0 at last year's Taipei show, and now they've finalized the latest I-Fly for production. The 2.0 is much lower than the previous version (see the comparison between the 1.0 and 2.0 I-Flys in the above photo), which gives both the post and seat a far nicer appearance while reportedly also making for a lower weight and stronger final product. There's a deep cutout at the back of the seat to eliminate tire buzz on small frames, long-travel 29ers, and downhill bikes that run a low seat height, and it also features a revised shell shape compared to its predecessor.
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I-Beam Dropper Post Adapter
I-Beam seats make a lot of sense: they can be quite light, reliable, and creak free, but their lack of compatibility with dropper seat posts has kept some people from using them. There was an I-Beam adapter many years ago, but it was a tall and inelegant piece that not many people ever used. SDG is revisiting the concept, though, and their idea of simply replacing the dropper post's lower cradle with a slim adapter looks like a smart way to do it. Only 3D printed prototypes exist at this point, but it's something that could be available for a handful of seat posts in a year or so.
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"26"+ tires, oh you mean downhill tires"
For f*cks sake...
Didn't we already decide those were a ridiculous combination 10 years ago?
Let's see what are we comparing here:
i3.photobucket.com/albums/y62/MorphineAddict/P3010104.jpg
s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/f0/4a/44/f04a44f79fe353ef70c4dc6b7eccbeb3.jpg
lp1.pinkbike.org/p4pb1494471/p4pb1494471.jpg
Granted, in 10-15 years bikes have benefited from tech that allows them to reduce their weight in EVERY respect (large tires included) which makes them MUCH more versatile performers. Nonetheless, I disagree with the hype of oversized tires (yeah...that old rant). They still add weight (in a very undesirable location, no less) and make your bike slower and less energy efficient overall.
If you want plow over trail features and grind climbs with unparalleled traction, sure...get a fattie. If you want speed, flow, and the ability to handle trails with technical skill opposed to a steamroller approach, you'll probably max out around 2.4"
This is the same hype that surrounded fat bikes 2 years ago, and we can all see where the high-water mark from that trend peaked a while ago. Give it some time and oversized tires will be relegated to the back pages of bike history. Nojzilla had it right....what they REALLY have in common is they're a fad....and fads end.
What bothers me most is that these bikes are marketed as if EVERYONE is going to love them and have SOOOO much fun with them. Speaking as a victim of the marketing BS, trust me when I say they won't.
Now answer this: the weight difference between a 650b Nibby nic in 2.35 (which, being Schwalbe, is about a 2.4 Maxxis), and a 2.8 Nobby Nic, happens to be almost exactly the weight of a procore insert (200g). If I run both of them at 15psi/1bar, they both have the same contact patch, and essentially the same traction (although the standard version does have taller nobs). The difference is one of them won't roll over like a dog seeking a treat in the corners, and that same tire doesn't cause hideous spikey mismatches in spring rate with the fork/shock that are a nightmare to damp out.
Advantages of plus size? Other than "it helps sell new bikes to schmucks", none.
Pedal a 26+ or 27+? It's what it's meant for, so yeah, it works damn well. The new crop of plus tires are very different to anything that's been out there before, and they still have a ways to go. 26+ has a lot of potential. Plus is not going to replace regular tires. It's going to supplement them. It's another tire option that makes more of an immediately noticeable impact on traction and compliance than any change in wheel size diameter ever will.
Not even mentioning that 2.8 is not where people are going to end up, at least as a front(regardless of what Ibis says to sell their carbon 35mm internal rims.) Been playing with plus for over a year now, & you want something near 3.0 in the front.
Are you suggesting that two tires at the same psi supporting the same weight don't have the same size contact patch? Really? You've found a way to break physics? Lets do the math real quick: bike plus rider at, say 200lbs, 50-50 weight distribution gives us 100 lbs per wheel. If the tire is at 15 psi, the only way the forces are balanced in the vertical dierection is with a 100 lbs/15psi=6.66 sq in contact patch. There is no other way the forces balance. But that's high school level physics.
Full retard? No buddy, there's one retard here and it ain't me, because I can do basic math. But if you want to continue to gratefully accept the bs narrative being shoved down your throat by bike companies regarding "traction", go ahead and spend your money.
Oh, BTW, your test is contrived: you may have decided that all + tire riders use 15 PSI, & while convenient for your argument, it has no basis in reality. I've gone as low as 12 PSI in the past, & with a 3" tire, 15 PSI leaves me with almost no deflection.
Mountain bikers!!!??? The worst offenders of all!! Get on the 2.3 @15psi wagon already dammit for the physics does not lie!!
Deflection, profile, and shape are all different from the size of the contact patch. Will a 2.35 at 15 psi have a different profile and contact patch shape from a 2.8 at 15 psi? Probably (to what extent, and what impact it has is a subject of debate). But both of them will have the same total contact area. That is, and remains, basic physics. If you can provide an example of when this is not the case, then by all means please do so.
And 15 psi is, as you note, completely contrived. It could also be 12 psi (the lower limit of procore per schwalbe). It could be 13, or 16. It doesn't matter- if I can run the same pressures in standard tires as I would with plus size, and yet not suffer the drawbacks, why should I bother with plus size at all? What is it other than a gimmick?
@Metacomet
With procore. Which was the whole point of the discussion. Which you seem to have missed completely in favor of sperging out.
I have a beautiful, wide carbon 26" wheel set begging for this style of ride and some new 26+ rubber.
or you can go to their site, www.leecheinternational.com, and contact em....
Once a decent tire comes out, I have a feeling I will be using the 26+ set up a lot.
@JoeYang Your bike looks like a blast! Awesome they decided to share it here for everyone to see!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZrS5VOsc50
www.leecheinternational.com/#aboutus
On a BMX, but what about balls, never mind your arse?
I know on normal rails there is much cushioning.
Remember the whole "plus" tire thing is fun to ride because you get larger footprints and air volumes in supple single-play lightweight casing tires run on wide rims, as oppossed to with DH tires which are stiff heavy duty multi-ply heavy weight casings on narrow to mid-width rims. The widest old-school DH rims from the 3.0 Gazzi tires era, the Sun double-wides were only 30mm internal width. Today that's at the small end of the rim widths that plus tires are designed for and most are being used on 40-45mm internal widths.