Fresh Meat from the Pinkbike.com Deli - Deity, Formula, Easton, 661, and Shimano
Dirty30 bars:
Colors:
Black (Shown)
White
Gray
Price:
$65 USD
Size:
Size Big - 30" wide.
Eric over at Deity has been doing a lot of work to his line up of products this past couple of years. Not only is he trying to ditch the "heavy, over built" name Deity has been dubbed with, but he is trying to convert that into a "light, and reliable" name. To achieve that Eric has gone back to the drawing board to re-create all his products.
Upon seeing all his products at The Vegas Resistance, Eric has definitely got his stuff dialed in this year, but the one thing that really caught my eye was the new, massive, Dirty30 Bar. In case you didn't guess it, the Dirty30 bar is 30 inches wide, or 760 mm. It's made out of custom drawn 7075 T6 aluminum, making it one of the lightest DH race bars on the market. With 25mm of rise, 9 degree's of ergonomic bend, and 5 degree's of up sweep, the Dirty30 bar is definitely a go fast bar. A lot of people wonder what the benefit of a big bar is? Increased stability. With such a wide controlling surface, your motions are transfered at a lesser amount, compared to a smaller bar where you may feel it to be "touchy". The Dirty30 comes in a 31.8 clamping surface, and is compatible with all the 31.8 stem's on the market.
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Colors:
Black (Shown)
White
Gray
Price:
$65 USD
Size:
50mm Reach - 0 Degree bend
The next thing I noticed was the Fantom 31.8 stem, that the Dirty30 bar was clamped into. With 50mm of reach and 0 degree's of rise, the Fantom stem is designed to be light, realistic, and comfortable. Weighing in at 282 grams with hardware, the Fantom stem is quite light, and has some great features to go along with it. Featuring a super low stack height of 1.5 inches the Fantom stem is designed to keep the profile low, and allow you to have as much adjustment to your stem height as possible. The Fantom stem has been re-designed countless times, to create the lightest model. Featuring machined side windows, internal cross machining, and machined pockets in the face plate, no material was left behind on this stem. The clamping system is even reversed for increased clamping strength, and resistance to backing out. As well, it has rounded edges for those knee and stem greetings. Rumor has it that there will be a late 2008 release of the Fantom Stem-REV2 and it will be even lighter at approx. 200 grams for the 31.8 and approx 174 grams for the 25.4 version.
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Colors:
Black (Shown)
Price:
$22 USD
Size:
It fits on the ends of your bars.
The final product that caught my eye was the Lifesaver bar ends. How unique could a bar end be? Well, Deity has found a way to make it their own. The Lifesaver is shaped like, you guessed it, a life saver. With smooth rounded edges, and being machined so much they are one of the lightest bar end sets on the market, the Lifesavers are a super cool design. They use 2 set screws for increased durability, and no slippage. Even the bolt holes are counter sunk and recessed to lighten the caps up. They come in a high gloss black finish to match the rest of the Deity parts.
Easton Monkey Lite DH bar:
Color:
Carbon/Gold
Price:
$140 USD(MSRP)
Size:
711mm - High Rise
Easton was formerly known for their "world's strongest carbon riser bar" claim to fame. Once again, nothing changed this year. The Monkey Lite DH bar is now even stronger. Still utilizing Easton's CNT, or Carbon Nanotubes, and their Enhanced Resin System, the Monkey Lite bar is now 15% stronger and tougher than last year. Featuring a 31.8 clamping surface, reinforced stem and brake lever clamping zones, and Easton patented TaperWall design, these bars were made to go big, and accept the abuse. At 710mm wide they utilize a 9 degree bend, and 5 degree up sweep, and are nice and light at 230 grams. Not only is there a lot of technology in this bar, but they are sick looking with a gold/carbon color scheme going on.
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Color:
Black - Polished Logo on front.
Price:
$80 USD(MSRP)
Size:
25.4 and 31.8 mm clamping area
50 and 65 mm reaches
Easton's Havoc DH stem was designed to be rugged, and abused, and still stand strong and straight. The unique forged CNC design is exceptionally strong, and with a weight of 178 grams, it's quite light as well. With the option of 25.4 or 31.8 clamping surface, and a 10 degree rise, the Havoc stem was designed to get your bars just slightly higher. As well, it has the option of 50mm of reach, or 65mm. The Havoc stem only comes in black anodized, and comes with a limited 5 year warranty.
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Color:
Black
Price:
$100 (MSRP)
Specs:
-9/16 inch spindle
-16 pins per pedal
Easton has been making pedals for a while now and their Cully's were staples on a lot of pro's rides back in the day. Now they produce just the one model and it's called the Flatboy. The Flatboy pedals weigh in at 612 grams, and feature a 9/16 inch spindle for increased strength, and an O-ring preload system that controls the pedals ability to spin freely. The body of the pedal is CNC-machine from a chunk of billet, heat-treated 6061 T6 aluminum, created with a stable low-profile design and adjustable, replaceable pins. The Flatboy pedals have a limited 2 year warranty.
Color:
Silver
Price:
$114 (MSRP)
Specs:
-11-32T 9 speed
-11-34T 9 speed
-256 grams
Shimano Components has been a massive name in the cycling community since day one, and with the introduction of the new 2008 Deore XT groupo, things can only continue to get better for them. Deore XT is Shimano's answer to the "average Joe wanting high performance parts". The parts are designed to provide the most performance, for a reasonable cost.
The Deore XT cassette, or CS-M770, as no different than the rest of there group. Designed to provide precise shifting, long lasting performance, and a bill that won't blow the door of the hinges. With gear clusters available for 11-32 teeth, and 11-34 teeth, the Deore XT cassette was designed to be open for the XC group, and the Freeride and Downhill group as well. The sprocket has a chrome finish for abrasion resistance, and is also equip'd with an alloy sprocket cluster. The sprockets are made out of steel, and are designed to work with the Super Narrow HG chain.
Color:
Black
Price:
$288 Per End (w/o rotors or adaptors)
Spec Options:
6" IS - 55$
6" post mount - 45$
7" rotor IS - 60$
7" post - $60
8" IS - 65$
8" post - 65$
(IS = International Standard)
(Formula offers rotors in 160mm,180mm,200mm, and 220mm*)
*220mm Rotor features a Alloy Carrier
Formula Disc Brakes, known for their high end brake setup's, just released their new set of Downhill brakes. Named "The One", these brakes are done to the tits. Based on a patented solid forged caliper, which is coupled with the new patented master cylinder, provides an astonishing braking power and incredible modulation. With tool free reach, and stroke adjustments, The One brakes are designed to be the most user friendly, and reliable brakes yet. With a flip flop master cylinder, the lever is able to be mounted on either side of the bar, and with a glossy finish for a high profile look and improved wear resistance, no matter what side it's on, it will look fresh. Formula also designed the master cylinder to be more compatible with shifters. The One brakes come with high-resistance polyester tubing, and Nickel plated hardware, these brakes are ready to go from the factory.
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The caliper is a work of art in itself. With a one piece patented forged caliper, and two opposed pistons in composite material, the amount of power and modulation is unreal. Equip'd with a easy pad removal system system that allows you to change the pads without removing the rotor, or caliper. The open caliper design also allows for better heat dissipation, and with available mounting brackets for 160mm, 180mm, 200mm, and 220mm rotors, you're not limited at all. They even have center lock adapters available for Shimano XC setups. Simply put, these brakes are good to go out of the box.
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Color:
White/Green (Shown)
Red/White
Black/Gray
Blue/Brown
Price:
$35 CND
Size:
XS, SM, MD, LG, XL, XXL
SixSixOne has been featured in many a Fresh Meat article, and simply put, they make nice stuff. Recently Tyler bought a set of 2008 Comp Gloves, in a fancy white and green combination that is super flashy. They feature protective TPR rubber, embossed Airprene and a vented Spandura mesh back for maximum protection and breathability. They also feature a full cuff, with Velcro closure so no dirt gets in there. The fingers have Spandura sections to keep the air flowing, and the lightly padded palm area keeps your hands from getting sore. Even the knuckles have flexible Airprene, and TR ruber to keep them protected. As stated, SixSixOne knows what they are doing, and will continue making nice stuff for years to come.
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SixSixOne dot com
Color:
n/a
Price:
$6
Size:
354 ml
When you stand out in the blazing hot sun, licking condensation off the outside of your empty water bottle, looking at endless rows of sand covered bikes, your hands get dried and dirty. When we met the guys from Biker Soap at Interbike 2007, we were super stoked to see what they had. However, no bedside Vaseline could have cured how cracked and dry my hands were after the desert adventure, so I was a little reluctant to try this stuff out. However, it works incredibly well. Not only will it not damage or dry out your skin, it will actually moisturize your hands, leaving them soft, smooth, and dirt free. Biker Soap is an all natural cleanser which contains no drying agents, or harsh chemicals, and no pumice or abrasive materials. Not only that, but it does not contain any animal ingredients, and is not tested on animals. Simply put, Biker Soap is strong enough for those extra hard jobs.
Stay tuned for more Fresh Meat article's, and complete product test in the future.
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24 Comments
oh and by the way i don't know if you reme,ber the thread i'm on about but i was doing a physics project at the time on 6061, i used some of your figures where mine seemed to be wrong and i ended up getting an A, so cheers for the psi breaking point measurements!
Scandium is a super expensive aluminum which is quite amazing. It is a bit flexy, but it allows for a super lightweight end product that is strong.
I would play around with it, but the raw material is soooo expensive!
I remember the thread for sure about 6061 T6 and I am glad to hear you got an A on the project! Property differences within aluminums can be confusing at times, so hopefully I make sense when I try to break it down for people.
I know I write too damn much though, so people probably pass out mid way through. :-)
'We use 2014 T6 over 7075 because 7075 is such a "hard" aluminum that if it will go, it tends to snap instead of bend (6061 T6 will also bend before it snaps). In the end, 2014 T6 is superior in every possible way to 6061 T6 with the exception of raw material costs as 6061 T6 is substantially cheaper.'
Many were saying there were way overkill, too heavy and just a fancy paintjob. fast forward to now and they've just bought out a new bar made out of aluminium would you buy bars from a company who have basically said they are now using a worse material than they used to.
The Twenty14 Handlebars are covered under our Lifetime Warranty and are one of the strongest bars out there that will bend before they fail (they are aluminum). In my previous posts, I have tried to educate people of the differences between 6061 T6 aluminum (which was the focus of my previous discussion), 2014 T6 aluminum, and 7075 T6 aluminum.
7075 T6 is a harder aluminum than 2014 T6 which allows you to use less of it to create a lighter handlebar (that is why Protaper and many more use it for their lightweight offerings). Our goal for the Dirty30 Handlebars was to make a race worthy super light handlebar that would be ideal for countless racers.
We were not aiming to make a tough as nails street worthy handlebar that we cover under our lifetime warranty (like our Twenty14's), so to get a bar that is stiff enough, strong enough, and light enough for World Cup caliber use...we had to use 7075 T6.
We have never stated that 7075 T6 is worse than 2014 T6. In fact, we have stated that 6061 T6 is not as optimal as 2014 T6...but that 7075 T6 is a much harder aluminum than 2014 T6 and does not have the same bending properties as 2014 T6. The discussions I have brought to the table were about differences in aluminum properties...
It comes down to application and the goal for the Dirty30 handlebar is much different than our Twenty14 bars...it is a lightweight low and wide option for DH racers, plain and simple.
To the Deity guy: Do you guys have a Canadian Distributor?? I dont see much of it up here. Maybe I just have not been looking hard enough.
You bet...1664 Distribution is who carries our gear in Canada.
You can check a full listing of dealers at:
http://www.deitycomponents.com/dealers_Canada.htm
Feel free to drop us an e-mail if you ever have any questions!
Regards,
Eric
deity
Props to both for sharing really useful info. I didn't know much about Deity until now--this exchange on Pinkbike has me curious.
Cheers!
-Pete
no offence taken, don't worry, and I'm sorry about my first post, as having read it back now, it doesn't come across as I intended, I was a little rushed as I was just about to head home from work, when someone called me to let me know these bars were posted up here. I wasn't really trying to claim anything, or take anything away from the work you guys do. All I was trying to point out was that the design wasn't as revolutionary as perhaps the review makes out, seen as this bar has been on the market for pretty much 12 months now with different logos on it.
owever having read the text again I notice that the Deity version is slightly different as it actually has 25mm rise, so 5mm higher than the one we designed. I appreciate there are tonnes of products out on the market at the moment that are from different brands offering very little difference between the components, and as I'm sure you'll appreciate I'm obviously going to defend any designs we've worked on over here, just as I know you do when its the other way round. I was probably a little hasty jumping in to defend the bar we designed here, because we worked so hard with our world cup team sorting out the design and width we wanted, and we wondered how long it would take before another company produced something similar.
I don't think Reverse have a US / Canadian distributor, and I know your UK ones aren't up to much
Cheers.
Col
FLi Distribution.
Distributors of Reverse Components in the UK
Thanks for the message.
As a person who has spent time designing a handlebar....I am sure you realize all of the factors that go into a handlebar that far surpass choice in width, bends, or sweeps...such as butting dimensions (one of the most critical aspects of a wide bar) and much more.
Do not feel threatened to defend your bar as ours is NOT like it. So you can rest comfortably as there is far more than just 5mm of rise difference separating the two.
Keep up the hard work!
Regards,
Eric
www.pinkbike.com/news/reverse-Fli-Bars-2007.html
I only know this cos it was us in the UK that designed the bar for Reverse, and set the width and angles. The FLi bar is now no longer a limited edition bar. They sold well, so Reverse now make them as a standard product. Its nice to see some of the more main stream brands jumping on the wide bar bandwagon that we over here in the UK started when it was only Reverse and Burtec making them. Now everyones at it
www.solidbikes.de/eng/parts_lenker.html
Wide bars have been in the works (design process) for a long time from people like Funn, ourselves, FSA, and more. These companies log months upon months of time to make sure a product is 100% dialed. I do not doubt that you guys must do the same rigorous design/testing processes...but...please do not think that it is a new concept. In 2004, we even offered a 29 inch wide bar with our same angles we always do (like our Dirty30)...
In regards to finish...us doing white or black parts is not a new thing and I do not think a single person in the globe would doubt that.
Eric
deity
thats some sick stuff though