Interbike Tech-Fest: Special Nerd Worshippers Edition

Sep 14, 2014
by Richard Cunningham  
industry nine interbike 2014

Industry Nine will offer wheelsets featuring HED's new tubeless ready carbon fatbike rim. The HED rims use a double well design to keep the tire from migrating between the rim flanges while airing it up. The HED/Industry Nine wheelset uses I-9 hubs and aluminum spokes and it is assembled there as well. Weight is pegged at 1730 grams for both wheels, which is feather light among fatbikes, and the price is $2650 a pair.



thomson prototype crankset interbike 2014


thomson prototype crankset interbike 2014

Thomson flashed this prototype one-by crankset with a sturdy bash ring. The construction and quality are tops, as usual. Reportedly, the crank arms are forged in Taiwan, and afterwards, sent to Thomson, where they are finish machined and assembled to Thomson's aluminum axle, hardware and chainrings. There is no firm price or release date.



Scott s RC ProTech jersey has ITD ceramic coated carbon fabric panels 2014

Scott co-developed its new RC ProTec jersey and short for road racing, but we expect that the nearly indestructible, ceramic coated, carbon fiber-reinforced, Super-Spandex will appear in some form on mountain bike kits next year. The ITD ProTec material is from Schoeller Textiles and it is produced by surrounding carbon filaments with ceramic and then knitting them together with elastic yarns in a specific pattern that resists tearing and abrasion, yet allows for a breathable, two-way-stretch fabric. Watch the video.


Don't Try This at Home

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WTB 27.5-inch Scraper rim and Trail Blazer 2.8-inch tire Interbike 2014

WTB launched a 27.5-inch rim and tire combination that may revolutionize short-travel 29er trailbikes. The system is built around its new tubeless 2.8-inch Trail Blazer tire which, when fully inflated, measures about a half-inch shy of a typical 29er. The greater width of the 2.8-inch carcass fits most 29er frames and all 29er forks. The 27.5 format offers additional mud clearance and because it is slightly smaller in diameter when compared to a true 29er tire, the Trail Blazer will fit between the chainstays of almost every frame. WTB's Scraper rim measures 45 millimeters inside and 50 millimeters outside the flanges and it comes with a dedicated WTB tubeless system. WTB will soon offer a dedicated 29er version of the rim to fit 29-plus tires as well. Trail Blazer tires weigh 900 grams and cost $67.95. Scraper rims weigh 698 grams and prices are not finalized yet.



WTB 27.5-inch Scraper rim and Trail Blazer 2.8-inch tire Interbike 2014

Kristofer Henry's 44 Bikes 29er hardtail easily fits WTB's 27.5-inch Scraper rims and Trail Blazer 2.8 inch tires. The only hint that the wheels are actually 27.5 is a little extra clearance under the fork arch. The WTB system provides the same rollover attributes off a 29er, with the added comfort and traction of a larger-volume and more aggressively treaded tire than would be possible or practical with a true 29er wheel.



Saris prototype power meter technology. Interbike 2014

Saris went to great lengths to explore alternatives to its wireless, hub-mounted PowerTap system. Pressure pads in the foot bed of a cycling shoe proved to be quite accurate, but as the rider tired, the foot position would migrate and the data would not read consistently. Crank-mounted power meters created problems with customers who were brand loyal and wary of alternative cranks or sprockets. Saris also experimented with strain gauges and telemetry inside pedals and cassettes before settling on the rear hub as their best option. Strain gauges can be seen wired to the perimeter of the pedal's stub-axle. Current flows through a zig-zag pattern etched from gold foil, a few thousandths of a millimeter apart. As the part stretches microscopically under load, the foil labyrinth is pulled apart or compressed, which changes the strain gauge's resistance.



Saris Powertap MTB hubs interbike 2014

A look at the sealed electronic business end of the PowerTap mountain bike rear hub. The dome conceals a wireless transmitter, a battery and a torque-tube-type power meter.



oneup chain rings interbike 2014

OneUp's latest edition to its modest one-by product line is a narrow-wide chainring that fits 104mm bolt circles. Options are even-numbers between 30 and 36 teeth. Spacers are included with rings from 32t though 36t that allow customers to use their stock hardware, The 30t is threaded and has an integrated spacer. OneUp says that they profiled the back of each tooth with a chamfered relief (lower left) that sheds mud caught in the chain. By flip flopping the rings and switching the position of the spacers, riders can find a perfect chainline using one-by, two-by and three-chainring cranksets. MSRP is expected to slot between $45 and $50 USD.



RNT brazed titanium hardtail Interbike 2014


RNT brazed titanium hardtail with amorphous titanium brazing ribbon Interbike 2014
Road Not Taken is a South Korea based start-up company that manufactures simple products that are beautifully crafted and engineered. Their titanium hardtail fame is pieced together using printed lugs, brazed to ultra-strong 6-4 alloy tubes, using a material that has only been available to the public for three years. Amorphous titanium has no grain structure, as most people understand it, and thus becomes almost as viscous as water when it liquefies. RNT wraps a thin ribbon of amorphous titanium around the tubes at each junction and then heats the frame in a vacuum oven until the ribbon melts and bonds the tubes to the lugs. The result is a one-piece titanium structure. I read about amorphous metal a few years ago when The Wall Street Journal announced that Apple had purchased the rights to use the patented process from Liquid Metal - but until Interbike, I had never touched the stuff.


RNT pedall Interbike 2014

RNT's Flex Fit pedal allows the foot to rotate around the gold circle at the end of the pedal axle in a controlled arc, up to 16 degrees - eight in either direction - to enable the rider's foot to remain plated while maneuvering.

Read more about it here.


Kali cutaway helmets Interbike 2014

Kali Protectives had two expanded cut-away helmets on display to illustrate the different technologies used in their construction.



Jones titanium fatbike Interbike 2014

The wild looking construction of the Jones titanium fatbike is configured to allow the frame to flex over bumps without robbing power from its rider. There is a fast-growing Jones cult and all of them are quite happy with their machines.



American Calssic Carbonator 27.5 AM wheelset Interbike 2014

American Classic's founder and designer Bill Shook debuted his first carbon rim. The Carbonator rim measures 26 millimeters inside and 33 millimeters outside the flanges and is intended for XC/trail and enduro use. The tubeless inner profile features a unique down-sloping ramp that forces the tire beads against the inside of the rim flanges once they pop over the high point during the mounting process. Shook used this feature successfully for his road tubeless wheels and says that it ensures that the tire will not burp air, and that it prevents the tire from unseating after a puncture. American Classic supports Shimano and SRAM and offers the SRAM XD driver as well. Wheelsets reportedly weigh 1595 grams in 27.5-inch and 1679 grams in 29-inch. MSRP is TBD.



American Calssic Carbonator 27.5 wheelset Interbike 2014

American Classic laces Carbonator wheels three-cross, with 32 butted spokes and aluminum nipples. Thick rim flanges protect against pinch flats and add a measure of impact resistance. The rim profile is the widest AC has offered to date and its negative-sloping tubeless profile can be seen near the rim flanges.



American Classic RS-1 Hub Interbike 2014

They said it couldn't be done. American Classic heard through the grapevine that SRAM was not going to license its large-flange Predictive Steering hub which is specific to the new RockShox RS-1 inverted fork. Well, here it is. American Classic one-ups Big Red with adjustable bearing preload and will offer the hub separately. Pre-built wheels will only be shipping to OEM customers until the hard-to-get RS-1 fork hits bike shops in significant numbers.



9point8 dropper seatpost Interbike 2014

9point8's latest dropper post introduces a new take on mechanical actuation. The 125-millimeter stroke Fall Line dropper is infinitely adjustable, like its hydraulic counterparts, but the mechanism is a cable actuated "brake" that expands to lock the post in place. "There is a little more to it than that," was the only information I could pry from the engineers on hand. The mechanical action reportedly saves 150 grams over the hydraulically actuated Pulse, and it has remarkably few parts. Actuation is via a handlebar-mounted lever that ca be easily configured to the right or left side of the handlebar, and either above or below the grip. The Fall Line uses "stealth" internal cable routing and the cable controls simply thread out from the inside of the post for replacement or inspection. The housing threads into a special ferrule, so the user cannot yank the housing out of place and prevent the post from locking as happens to a certain competitor who's three-letter name I will not mention. Diameters are 30.9 and 31.6 millimeters and the price is $325 USD. Weight is TBD, but 150 grams less than the Pulse is around 450 grams, plus the mounting hardware.


9point8 Fall Line dropper post Interbike 2014

Tapered cylindrical "keys" near the base of the gold-anodized shaft automatically take up side play. The cylinder at the lower left of the spring-loaded shaft is the brake mechanism which, reportedly, expands against the inside of the shaft. The smaller bits to the right of the brake shaft are the thread-in cable housing and barb attachment points. The Fall Line dropper is a beautifully simple mechanism.



Biomaxa natural lubricant Interbike 2014

Biomaxa hails from New Zealand, where it developed an effective chain lubricant using the natural oils from sheep wool. Thank heaven that they didn't choose goats, because the stuff is virtually odorless, it repels water and, unlike goats, it runs silently. The bottle has a inventive applicator that fits around the chain. Biomaxa also showed naturally compounded grease products, as well as a highly praised chamois butter, concocted with lanolin and natural preservatives from honey. Those searching for sustainable, effective, naturally based products will be happy to discover this startup from the Southern Hemisphere.



FSA XD hub driver and six pawl ratchet Interbike 2014

Full Speed Ahead launched a modest range of wheels at Whistler Crankworx this year and we got to see the XD driver and its six-pawl ratchet at Interbike. The ratchet ring has 27 engagement points, which are doubled because FSA offsets the pawls in sets of three. If you inspect the photos, you can see that three pawls are engaged, while three are poised half-way up the ramps. That works out to 54 clicks per revolution and 6.6 degrees between clicks. FSA notes that they designed double-width pawls for durability and designed the leaf springs to be nearly straight to reduce metal fatigue.



DT Swiss Professional wheel-truing stand Interbike 2014
Now this, is a bad-ass wheel truing stand. The DT Swiss professional truing stand has quick-reference rubbing blocks to get the wheel close to perfection – after which, the dial indicator can be rotated into place to finish the job to within a tenth of a millimeter. Quick-change axle attachments adapt QR or through axles. If you have to ask, you probably can't afford one.


DT Swiss Spline One hub Interbike 2014

DT Swiss developed the Tricon three-piece hub to prevent high spoke tension from expanding the bearing sockets in the hub body. As it turns out, spoke tension can cause the bearings to get loose in a one-piece machined hub, so DT Swiss engineers designed thread-on flanges that uses a special bond which uncouples radial spoke tension from affecting the hub's bearing tolerances. Double-threaded spokes reportedly can be tensioned higher than J-bend types. Because Tricon rims are true, undrilled tubeless designs, the nipples poke through aluminum plates which fit into oval holes in the hollow rim. Magnets are used to pull the nipples, or thread spokes through most undrilled tubeless rims.



Ceramicspeed bearings and acessories Interbike 2014

Ceramicspeed of Denmark, makes a full range of ceramic hybrid bearings for road and mountain bikes, which include headsets, bottom brackets and hubs. Ceramic bearings represent an opportunity to reduce weight and save energy at the same time. There were a lot of demonstrator items on hand to play with.



FSA Carbon gradient crankset Interbike 2014

FSA Carbon gradient crankset Interbike 2014

Reportedly, Gravity's Gradient carbon crankset is first constructed with a laid-up I-beam, which connects the pedal axle to the bottom bracket shaft. The arms are then finished-molded with an omni-directional carbon layup, visible throughout the structure, that provides torsional and impact strength.




View our entire Interbike 2014 product gallery Here

Author Info:
RichardCunningham avatar

Member since Mar 23, 2011
974 articles

132 Comments
  • 96 1
 I need one of those Scott jerseys, I got bastards taking power sanders to me all the time!
  • 51 3
 That's such a bullshit test with an orbital sander. Slap a belt sander on that guys arm with the same results and ill be impressed.
  • 59 1
 I hear orbital sanders are all the rage with the roadies.
  • 4 2
 If that works, I want a long sleeve jersey of that stuff. But the orbital sander test seems a little suspect.
  • 9 1
 yeah, i'd like to know what grit sand paper was on that palm sander, and why you'd be riding somewhere thats got lots of running palm sanders on the side of the trail.
  • 9 0
 I want to see the orbital sander test done scientifically, with a placebo jersey of standard lycra or polyester. I will not be volunteering as a test subject.
  • 20 0
 I hope Scott starts making toilet paper and condoms soon
  • 1 1
 It needs a side by side test. After the sander over the fabric they should have jumped back on once it was removed. The 'No frikken way', might have been more appropriate then:-)
  • 4 5
 You can put an orbital on your hand and hold it there for 5 seconds or so, and it doesn't hurt. The test is a fail.
  • 1 0
 Awesome vid like the looks of that!!!
  • 3 0
 As a carpenter Ive been using a DeWalt Orbital sander for about 5 hours today, a cotton t-shirt would offer the same protection from a that sander even if it had 80 grit paper on it, not a great test.
  • 2 0
 Hey Scott Guy take a chainsaw instead of an orbital sander Will talk after
  • 1 0
 I was referring to the link contact shared. Also coming from a heavy welding background I'm not the type to spend a small fortune on a jersey I'd never by. I typically ride in my carhart shorts or pants and a t-shirt.
  • 1 0
 Not you the other one
  • 53 4
 Those fatbike rims are very reasonably priced
  • 38 5
 ..... said no one ever.
  • 4 0
 You can buy two fatbikes for that price... and not be afraid to ride them to their capabilities. I'm not complaining though. Tycoons need their show bikes.
  • 6 1
 Who the hell would every buy those? FML...
  • 11 8
 I know lots who would... I've got only about 3k into my Mukluk but I know folks with 5-6k into theirs. You can't take money into the afterlife kids...
  • 2 1
 Reasonably priced for Donald Trump, too bad he don't ride.
  • 17 2
 ...no, but you can pass it on to your kids, dad
  • 3 2
 If the price complainers spent as much time working as commenting on Pinkbike maybe things wouldn't seem so expensive.
  • 2 0
 Yeah that'll never happen, the complainers are usually the ones without any work ethic.
  • 1 0
 Hahaha, and the people who stick up for a $2,650 fatbike wheelset are the ones selling them...
  • 2 0
 Nope, they're the ones with jobs and the ability to save money to buy the toys they want, and they simply do that. The complainers however do not, so they complain instead.
  • 5 0
 Yeah maybe if you spend all your time working you'd be able to afford more expensive gear that, lets be honest, is never gonna make up for the for the fact you only get out it once a week because you spend all your time working. Conundrum.
  • 39 1
 And we now have an official 28.5" wheel...
  • 21 1
 Come on rampage, I'm going crazy. Yaaaaawn
  • 15 3
 Kali continues to make the most hideous looking full face helmets on the market. Get a new graphics designer, please.
  • 11 0
 Why employ a graphic designer when you can just throw fluro paint at it.
  • 2 0
 'Bro' graphics
  • 1 0
 Yup. They look a lot better on the inside than outside.
  • 11 0
 I was expecting the guy to pull out a knife not a power sander.
  • 8 0
 or an angle grinder
  • 17 0
 Won't lend me a tube, eh???
  • 5 0
 Not real impressive, its an orbital sander that isn't spinning. You could have done that with any long sleeve shirt.
  • 3 0
 ^^^%Or bare skin.
  • 3 0
 meathooker is right. I'd be more impressed if it was a file or something proerly abrasive
  • 14 6
 watch, they'll be back to 26 inch rims and taller profile tires for DH. I remember when 3 inch tires existed, on a 26 they'd be about the size of 650b and on a 24 they'd be nearly the diameter of a normal 26.
  • 10 1
 No, they won't... because the tires would weigh TOO much. The days of 46 pound DH bikes are long since gone.
  • 3 5
 2.5 26 tyres are the same size as 2.3 650b.
  • 8 3
 Afraid not, because I've been unable to fit 650B 2.3s into frames and forks which clear 26 x 2.5s.
  • 1 0
 27.h weighs more with extra rim, tire, and tube
  • 6 0
 @flyr... For an equivalent diameter of inflated tire, going up a wheelsize is lighter in all cases than trying to do so by using a bigger casing tire of the existing size. To equal a 650b * 2.3 in diameter, you would need a 26 * 2.7 casing tire. Even if a brand made a lightweight single ply version of that size, it would still weigh a lot more than adding a few inches of circumfrence over a 2.3 width * 26.
  • 4 2
 @deeeight , wrong my buddy has a 50lbs session 10. It's the only thing that won't break underneath him.
  • 3 0
 Can you please read back what you are writing, and then realize you are all talking poo. Wink
  • 3 1
 Ok, you win
  • 1 1
 Those numbers came out of decline, I'm simply repeating their measurements.
  • 1 0
 Best get hold of decline then and tell them 'they are talking poo'. Tire height and width are different things, 2.5 and 2.3 are width measurements, i understand that using a skinny rim or wide rim will effect over all height of a given tire, but only by mm. Not enough to go up a wheel size. Someone at decline has been on the crack pipe for breakfast again. lol
  • 7 0
 "wheel builders reportedly move the spokes through the hollow rim with magnets and then pull them out of the spoke holes" o.O oh man... must take days to build one wheel
  • 9 0
 Mine would tell me to get f--ked if I turned up and asked him to build wheels like them...
  • 2 0
 They attach a threaded metal insert to the nipples and then take a magnet to move the nipple to its hole. They showed it on "how it's made" last night. The lady doing it had all the nipples installed in minutes.
  • 2 0
 And this lady works in the DT Swiss factory, yes? There's a big difference between someone who is specifically trained and spends all day every day doing exactly that type of work, and someone who gets asked to do it once every 6 weeks or 6 months or more.
  • 2 1
 If your bike mechanic cannot do this in a timely manner then look for a new one. A good tradesperson will figure this out in no time. It is no different the running internal cables or rebuilding a new model fork. Our sport is evolving. I work in the automotive industry and we are always learning. That is what makes trades interesting. But remember it is not the spokes, it's just the nipples. The spokes are threaded on both ends. The article has a typo. Park tools has a similar magnetic tool for running internal cables also.
  • 7 0
 Full on Ust style rims are bollocks. Current Ust conversion tapes are working great, there is no point in overcomplicating the wheel building process so much.
  • 1 0
 Jap! Classic wheelbuilding ftw. Just look at am-classic or syntace
  • 2 0
 "If your bike mechanic cannot do this in a timely manner then look for a new one". It's not a complicated system to figure out, but it does take more time and takes proprietary spokes and parts and is a pain in the ass, especially due to the special nipples that are like a torx wrench but round out super easily. Also the hubs have a tendency to have a really bad creak under braking forces (may have been a recall thing but know i've had to send several customers wheels back). So while a good mechanic can figure them out and get you back on the trail they're probably going to utter some bad words in the process... Also failed to mention just the spoke wrenches for the nipples and hub inserts is about $125...
  • 1 0
 Hey bike companies, you want to change a standard & actually be celebrated for it, instead being ridiculed? how about a standard for straight pull spokes, so us citizen wheel builders can use 'em, & while you're at it, make the spokes at least as cheap as j bends, or better yet cheaper, since they're easier to make.

But no, instead everybody has to have their own proprietary straight pull design, & use it as an excuse to only offer complete wheels instead of parts so I can build 'em myself. bastards.
  • 6 1
 New DT swiss hub looks really good.
Still want to meet someone who spends $2600 on a wheel set...and just give them the most perplexed look
  • 3 0
 spending $2600 on a wheel set for dh/fr or am/xc ... but for a fatbike ???
  • 3 0
 Have the BioMaxa lub in our shop, they say it's an "all conditions" lube but it's definitely better in the dry and is downright amazing on a road bike.
The lube is just a lil bit thin in wellington winter conditions to handle that much water.
But yeah in the dry and on road bikes it's really really impressive stuff, and the chain runs so quiet it's amazing.
  • 2 0
 Honestly, of all the stuff above, the lube and dropper post are probably the only products I might actually buy.
  • 6 1
 That titanium frame construction from "Language Not Spoken" reminds me of the old Boralyn frames from the early 90s.
  • 3 0
 I've been wondering when they would realize you could simplify the dropper design by just setting up a suspension post with a locking mech. I would expect the weights to start falling drastically soon.
  • 2 0
 The reason that hydraulics are so popular with dropper manufacturers is that fluids are incompressible, and a valve is a much simpler mechanism to build and operate as compared to a mechanical brake, a collet system, or an indexing mechanism.
  • 3 1
 Am I retarded because I don't get the point of infinite actuation? I always ride mine all in or all out, I don't see why I could need to have it somewhere in the middle assuming that you have the proper dropper length. And even then, you can just use the enduro collar if you want to limit how deep it goes in.

Since I'm happy with it all in or all out, I would gladly use a spring/air actuated dropper that locks down when you slam it and flies back up when you unlock it from the slammed position at the push of a lever, like those we currently use now. And while we're at it, I'm always leaving my reverb's damper on full open and I still find it too slow for my liking. Just get rid of all that and use a progressive bumper instead. Low weight, low maintenance and low cost.
  • 1 0
 PLC07: Sounds like you need a specialized command post. I've got one and it's pretty sweet!
  • 4 0
 9point8, your new dropper looks fantastic! I'd like to buy one, but I'll be waiting for a 150mm drop version...
  • 2 0
 I wish i had that Scott jersey (in long sleeve) before i crashed at Bootleg this morning.
wait how do they fare in rocky as shit like bootleg?
oh well gotta live with the scars.
  • 1 0
 I think the fabric is designed for road crashes like sliding along the pavement (would make great road gloves, especially if they removed the palm padding). I'm sure you'd be in the same amount of pain with the Scott fabric on, in the Scott video the fabric was easily cut with scissors.
  • 1 0
 so I repels heat from friction too?
  • 9 4
 I'm not seeing the truing stand. Is it just me?
  • 6 0
 someone has to say it: YES
  • 1 0
 So what about the kali shiva dot mtb helmet that was suposed to be released this summer. Haven't heard amything else about it. I really need a new helmet so the better hurry it up
  • 1 0
 Just want to say- you could have skipped all the other interbike articles for all I care. This is the new stuff I wanted to hear about! Amorphous ti, carbon fatbike wheels as light as my current wheelset, etc...
  • 7 4
 Thompson are really cranking it up!
  • 4 1
 and this Thom'p'son word cranks me up every time i see it
  • 2 1
 My bad
  • 2 0
 hopefully they don't cost an arm and a leg
  • 3 1
 It's Thompson, a simple seat post costs over $100, those cranks are gonna cost a kidney
  • 3 0
 forged in taiwan and finished in the USA, lame!
  • 9 0
 Thomson is really COPYING IT UP! Those cranks are almost an exact copy of 2005-2006 Truvativ Stylos.
  • 2 0
 not impressed
  • 2 0
 Yep, but those cranks look like low end Shimano's. Expected better of Thomson.
  • 1 0
 At least with Thomson, you usually get what you paid for. These might perform really well even if the aren't that spectacular in theory.
  • 2 0
 The more I ride, the more I notice how different parts perform. Cranks, they all seem to work about the same. It's the BB that matters to me.
  • 1 0
 I hope the finish is a little more flashy on the production models. If they didn't have Thompson written on them I'd mistake them for Deore or Stylo's
  • 2 0
 Been a huge Thomson fan forever, but with those new Hope cranks coming out, they really need to step up the finish of their cranks if they expect anyone to buy them aftermarket. They need to fully surface it and add edging and shaping, so it matches the finish of their stems and posts.
  • 4 1
 Sorry but I personally like the peach t shirt , nice rack on her !!
  • 1 0
 Fat bike rocks they are 26 but really they are 29 and now 27.5 is going to be 29ers I told you guys back in the day that bigger is faster _____o^o______O^O_____and smoother.
  • 2 0
 'bout time someone made a mechanical dropper. i might buy one now. it will go good with my mechanical brakes.
  • 4 0
 Holy truing stand...
  • 3 0
 I want that babe sooooo bad... But I have to ask, so, I can't afford it.
  • 1 0
 Omnidirectional carbon fibre - AKA chop-strand mat the cheapest and worst way to make something from composites, good job at marketing cost saving there gravity.
  • 2 0
 Gravity cranks please don't turn out like XO's
  • 1 0
 But at least they included like 430 mud catching crevices in the bash guard. That's got to be worth something.
  • 1 0
 So much innovation. Soon they will become standards. Then my bike will be obsolete.
  • 2 1
 That WTB wheelset / tire set is exciting. I'm stoked to see pricing on the wheels.
  • 3 2
 I'm so sick of the f**k 26" bandwagon. Congratulations manufacturers, you successfully pissed off 75% of most MTB'ers.
  • 2 1
 Get a fucking grip.
  • 2 1
 @Zziplex: Oh, I'm sorry, right. Baaaaaah. Baaaaah

Seriously? So how many 26" frames will eventually find their way to landfills? All of those bikes useless because tires and wheels won't be made for them.

I think it's you who needs to get a grip.
  • 2 1
 No mate it's not. I've just spent £4.5k on a 26" fs bike, probably about 9k in your funny money. Riding it makes me smile, worrying about a wheel diameter of less than 1" increase has no bearing on this. Progess happens, steerer tubes, suspension, disc brakes, through axles etc etc Whinging f*ckers with your attitude would still be fully rigid with cantilever brakes, get a f*cking grip sunshine, get on your bike and ride it before you suffer your own obsolescence.
  • 1 1
 I ride my bike every day. My issue is that I like it, it's perfectly fine, and will be for some time. The INDUSTRY has dictated that I need to buy a new variation with literally ZERO marked benefit so that they can make money. I don't give a f*ck about the money to buy a new one, but be honest have the other areas improved vastly in 5 years? I'm not a skinsuit wearing cantilever brake having rider. At all, I'm all for progress, but this isn't progress.
  • 3 0
 You don't need to do anything, be happy with what you've got and f*ck the industry. They're there to make money, do what they don't want you to do, ride and enjoy your 26" bike. I've lost count of the number of MTBs I've owned, and I've still got a 1993 Kona Cindercone. Get a 650b or 29er when the time is right for you. You loved the Green 650b Intense bike btw
  • 1 1
 I really did, had a super cool look to it. But I still want the ability to buy 26" wheels! Fair play sir, now go ride your damn bike!
  • 1 0
 Will do, happy trails
  • 1 0
 well that escalated quickly
  • 2 2
 I like the WTB idea for a niche bike. A wheel size that can make my bike a do-it-all. You know… except for gnarly stuff.
  • 2 0
 It also offers pseudo-fat bike performance to those not wanting to add a fat bike to the stable... 650B x 2.8 width tires aren't of course as good as 26 x 3.8s (or more) but they're better than running 29 x 2.3s. I'm about 200 pounds on bike weight, and run 5-7 psi on snow with 3.8 and 4.1 width fat tires on my mukluk. My gf is 90 Ibs lighter and only has a 29er, but the frame she has is limited to a 2.3 in back. In the snow she's typically around 15psi, but these new WTB rims/tires would let her drop the air pressure to about 10psi with a lot more traction.
  • 2 1
 I don't see why these aren't ideal for gnarly terrain? I'd like to see a more aggressive tread pattern, but otherwise I think they are really onto something.
  • 1 1
 Re: the WTB wheels - why will they just affect short-travel 29ers? If the tires fit through the frame height- and width-wise, why wouldn't they work on a 140- or 150mm travel 29er?
  • 1 0
 Frames designed for long travel also tend to be designed for more tire clearance already as well.
  • 1 0
 forgive my ignorance but how do these wheels 'revolutionize' 29ers, from reading the previous comments they will likely weigh more than a typical 29 wheel and have more rolling resistance due to lower air pressure ... please educate me.
  • 3 0
 "more rolling resistance due to lower air pressure" is actually a myth in mountain biking. There was never actually any actual scientific testing done to prove that, it was just assumed and repeated ad nauseum because it was the accepted belief in road cycling. Unlike road bikes which are ridden on relatively smooth pavement, mountain bikes are ridden off road and over roots, rocks and thru holes that force the wheels to deflect and climb over objects that rob momentum, and a tire which deforms more easily (due to lower air pressure) will cause the whole wheel/bike to bounce less and lose less momentum. Its been pretty standard practice in professional racing for about a decade now as a result to run lower pressures in the tires and that it makes you faster. Tubeless setups (as well as tubulars) have made that even more practical because you no longer risk pinch flatting the tubes. Also at any given pressure, a wider tire is more efficient than a narrower one because for whatever load is on the wheels, the tire contact patch is the same, but with a skinnier tire, the patch is longer in profile and less round while the wider tire its shorter in profile, and is closer to being round so it rolls better. This is why for professional road racing for the past five years, there's a big trend to go to wider tires, with the days of running 20-23mm width tires for maximum speed being pretty much done and now most pro roadies run 25-28mm widths. Also rim profiles are going to a U shape over the V profiles that were popular before because there's less air turbulence along the sides of the spinning wheels with a U, and for cross winds the air curls over the rim instead of just pressing into the sides like a sail. As to the weights...900 grams for that width of tire is pretty damn good, especially when a typical 29 x 2.3 is around 700-800g (if not more with some brands). A WTB Trail Boss TCS Light 29 x 2.25 for example is 795 grams.
  • 1 4
 "and a tire which deforms more easily (due to lower air pressure) will cause the whole wheel/bike to bounce less and lose less momentum." Sorry but that is not true.
  • 3 0
 @mtbrider71 Your homework today is to head out to your local trails with your tires aired up to 65 psi. Find your favorite rock garden. Let us know why you haven't been running higher tire pressures before now. You'll probably want to get in contact with all off the pro teams you can to let them know how to set up their bikes for next season. You could change the world, kid. 65psi is the new enduro tire pressure.
  • 2 2
 Nice extreme example, how about this: Your homework today is to head out to your local trails with your tires aired up to 2 psi. Find your favorite rock garden. Let us know why you haven't been running lower tire pressures before now. You'll probably want to get in contact with all off the pro teams you can to let them know how to set up their bikes for next season. You could change the world, old man. 2psi is the new enduro tire pressure.
  • 2 0
 @mtbrider71... difference there is sngltrkmnd used a factual example while you just pulled shit outta yer arse. 20 years ago the pro XC ranks DID indeed run 65psi in their tires, because they believed the road derived fantasy that more pressure = less rolling resistence and more speed off-road as well. Of course they also preferred suspension forks with minimal travel and that were virtually locked out all the time and didn't really provide any real benefit over rigid forks... case in point the Ritchey Team riders won many world cups and for Henrik Djernis in particular, 3 consecutive World XC Championships (92,93,94) with rigid chromoly fork/frame Ritcheys running suspension stems. And the 1992 World XC Course at Bromont was every bit as technical as is the normal on the world cup today.
  • 1 3
 Who cares if it happened or not? Could you go out and ride your tires with 2psi and try and ride, yes. Tire pressure entirely depends on the trail that you are riding. A blanket statement that a tire with less pressure will go faster when mountain biking is straight up incorrect. A big reason for less pressure is the traction that it lends. High tire pressure throws you off your line and is harder to hold. Why would something that deforms allow for more momentum? The same amount of force is being displaced, just more "slowly."
  • 2 0
 I could my fat bike tires yes. Seriously if you're going to bring asshat logic to a debate, I haven't time for you.
  • 1 4
 nice way to back out of a discussion. Next time at least try being correct.
  • 3 0
 Except I was correct, and you were incorrect. And delusional. And a waste of time. And a complete moron to boot.
  • 1 3
 You have the biggest internet muscles. The insults hurt man. I am sorry that you were incorrect.
  • 5 0
 There was a great paper published a few years back discussing these exact trends. The findings were that rolling resistance decreased with tire pressure. The lower the tire pressure, the less rolling resistance. The takeaway from the article was that for ideal performance to run the lowest pressures you can. Obviously there are other factors which require a higher tire pressure (rolling off the rim, flat spotting the rim, pinching tubes, etc).

I'm looking for the article, I'll post if when I find it.
  • 2 0
 Check the Schwalbe website. They did the best study.
here's one of two on their site:
www.schwalbetires.com/wider_faster_page
  • 1 0
 Those gorgeus Titanium bike. Wish they had the AM HT displayed.
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