Randoms 2 - Bike Festival Riva, 2017

May 4, 2017
by Paul Aston  
Acros BlockLock headset
This BlockLock headset from Acros prevents the handlebars from turning too far and causing the handlebars and shifters to smack into the top tube. In that respect, it's similar to Trek's KnockBlock system, but this version can be installed on any bike with a pressed headset.

Acros BlockLock headset
There are 120 degrees of movement still available, and there are small rubber bumpers to dampen impact at lockout. It should take an impact of more than 150nm to start to twist the cup inside the frame.

by astonmtb
Views: 9,391    Faves: 11    Comments: 0
Custom head caps that appear in front of your eyes. €20 from their web store, or €10 while you wait a few seconds at any show Acros attend.

Acros budget headset press 20 euros
Need a cheap and light headset press? This fits all common sizes and only costs €20.


Chaoyang tires
"Never 'eard of 'em!" Nor had I until today, but Chaoyang is part one of the largest tire manufacturers in the world, the parent company turns over $5billion per year. Their latest focus is on mountain bike tires. This "looks like a Shorty," Mud Shredder looks like another great, mid-spike alternative to the usual. The company offers the tire in a variety of compounds, including this 'DH-Slug' 40a compound, dual-ply 2.35" casing. The tire is available for 27.5" and, you guessed it, 26! #26aintdead...


Chaoyang tires
The Gladiator pattern is available in a wide range of sizes, diameters, compounds and casings.
Chaoyang tires
The Rock Wolf looks and feels good too. We should have Chaoyang tires in for testing soon.

Commencal mini shredders
Teal is real #1. The Ramones 12" push bike from Commencal.

Commencal mini shredders
Commencal feel there is a missing link between children's bikes and small sizes of adult bikes. This 27.5" bike with 150mm travel has a short 360mm reach.

Commencal Furious Origin 2499 euros
This is what I like to see; more 'cheap' bikes that look like they can take a hammering and will give a solid ride. This army-green Commencal Furious Origin costs €2499.

Commencal Furious Origin 2499 euros
RockShox Kage coil delivers 200mm of travel.
Commencal Furious Origin 2499 euros
Details like this downtube guard haven't been ignored on this price-point bike.

Propain Rage CF
Teal is real #2. The Propain Rage CF is available in the color of the moment.

Propain mini-shredders
Propain are also catering for the growing numbers of mini-shredders.

Vittoria s latest Mota downhill tire comes in a dual-ply casing with an extra anti-pinch layer is andwiched between the ply s. It s a 4C compound which is divided between the inner and outer knobs. The outer knobs have a 30 40a compound and the inner are 40 45a.
Vittoria's latest Mota downhill tire comes in a dual-ply casing with an extra anti-pinch layer that's sandwiched between the ply's. It's a 4C compound, which is divided between the inner and outer knobs. The outer knobs have a 30/40a compound and the inner are 40/45a.

The Mortello and the Mota share the same DH casing and rubber compounds. All of the compounds use graphene flakes which are said to massively increase the durability. Both tires come in a 2.5 size and cost around 60 euros.
This Mortello and the above Mota share the same DH casing and rubber compounds. All of the compounds use graphene flakes, which are said to massively increase the durability. Both tires come in a 2.5" size and cost around €60.

Vaude s Moab shoe shoe now comes in a navy blue green color way. Green company green shoes.
Randoms 2 - Bike Festival Riva 2017
Vaude's Moab shoe now comes in a navy blue/green colorway. A green company, green shoes.

Measuring your sit bones to help choose the correct size saddle for you is nothing new. But Ergon have up the ante with this digital measuring device. I thought I had a 10cm wide sit bones actually I m a 9.8.
Measuring your sit bones to help you choose the correct size saddle is nothing new. Ergon, however, have upped the ante with this digital measuring device. I thought I had 10cm wide sit bones, actually, I'm a 9.8.

Looks weird but the car park test felt good. These are desinged for longer rides not for downhill or bike park riding. Working with the University of Frankfurt they have found plenty of advantages of more sweep.
Looks weird, but the car park test felt good. These are designed for longer rides, not for downhill or bike park riding. Working with the University of Frankfurt, they have found plenty of advantages of more sweep.

The shape looks extra strange because the bar is designed to project forwards of the stem before sweeping back. This is to keep the grip a similar distance behind the clamp centre as a bar with less sweep.
The shape looks extra strange because the bar is designed to project forwards of the stem before sweeping back. This is to keep the grip a similar distance behind the clamp centre as on a bar with less sweep.
There is a new handlbar testing standard in the States. These super sweepers gained a Cat 5 rating which is will cover them for the most extreme uses
There is a new ASTM handlebar testing standard in the States. These super sweepers gained a Cat 5 rating, which will cover them for the most extreme uses

They may have been inspired by this anchor street furniture behind their booth..
They may have been inspired by this anchor street furniture behind their booth...

SQlab s saddles are fantastic of the six bikes in our house five bikes have them fitted. The other bike is a downhill bike.
I'm a huge fan of SQlab's saddles, of the six bikes in our house, five bikes have them fitted. The other bike is a downhill bike. These fluro yellow pieces belong to the Tibor Simai signature series.

SRAM built themselves some power meters for testing brakes. It s basically a Quarg meter from their cranks with a rotor added a few tweaks to the software on the computer and they can gather a whole bunch of data about braking.
SRAM built themselves some power meters for testing brakes. It's basically a Quarq meter from their cranks (with a rotor added). A few tweaks to the software on the computer and SRAM can gather a whole bunch of data about braking.

Randoms 2 - Bike Festival Riva 2017

If their is one thing that outnumbers EMTB s at this event it s beer.
If there is one thing that outnumbers EMTB's at this event, it's tons of beer.

Randoms 2 - Bike Festival Riva 2017
Bike stands aren't really exciting, but the Alligator-Rack caught my attention. It grips any size wheel and tire, has a retention cord closure and can be mounted to hang bikes vertically. There's a magnetized version with a fabric pad that you can stick on your car in the car park to ease prepping and avoid scratching your paintwork. 100% made in Italy and costs €39.90.

This damper is from a WRC rally car. EXT s mountain bike shocks are basically scaled down versions of this monster.
This EXT damper is from a WRC rally car. EXT's mountain bike shocks are basically scaled-down versions of this monster.

EXT Storia Lok
The EXT Storia has an added 'Lok' lever, which is an additional valve separate to the high and low-speed compression.

EXT Arma shock
The EXT Arma shock has also gained a feature. The top adjuster is a hydraulic bottom out, which controls the last 15% of the shock's travel, in addition to the compression.

EXT also make a motocross damper
EXT mostly makes shock for other racing sports, here we have track motorbike shock and a unit from a Williams F1 car.

Ben Winder s moto
Pinkbike and Dirt Magazine photographer, Ben Winder, had an exploding-van issue recently in France. He couldn't afford to splash out on a new one, so he flew back to the UK, took his moped license and bought this 125cc bad boy. BTR Fabrications knocked up a steel bike rack for him. Ben then rode it for days and days, all the way to Garda, and he plans to use it all summer to attend events. Ben's major issue was the four-liter fuel tank and the need to refuel every 80kilometres.


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98 Comments
  • 70 1
 the bearing press is one tool we've all needed, saves us all from cobbling together a DIY version from homeless despot.
  • 71 3
 Meh, chunk of 2x4 and a hammer has installed plenty of headsets just fine.
  • 8 0
 As soon as I saw it I thought of my mate with a 3d printer and the lightbulb came on.
  • 35 2
 I heard AvE in my head... Keep your dick in a vice!
  • 4 0
 @Ziph: I wish I had a mate with a 3D printer
  • 9 1
 €20 is still too expense. Can build one for €2 from homeless despot and then spend the other €18 on homeless despot riding gloves.
  • 3 0
 @lankylard: evrybody does....its called 3dhubs. i use it all the time, great way to get prints done without a printer.
  • 2 0
 @lankylard: You can be that mate. They've gotten pretty cheap now-a-days!
  • 11 0
 who thought it was a dumbbell?
  • 3 1
 I feel that using a bit of threaded rod instead of a precision made large diameter bar kind of defeats the object of a headset press, that being absolutely parallel installation. Might as well just use a plastic hammer or a bit if wood. It does the same job for $20 less.
  • 1 0
 @a-m-c: That was my first thought too.
  • 7 0
 @PaFelcio: looks like a skookum choocher!
  • 5 0
 @PaFelcio: Keep yer bike lookin nice!
  • 1 0
 @lankylard: xometry etc are all super easy to use and they print with SLS nylon machines which is way way way better than anyone's buddy's garage 3d printer
  • 1 0
 Yet no link or even a manufacturer
  • 1 0
 @shirk-007: "My headset is crooked and creaks" - Shirk-007. Ah.just kidding. I've done that a time or to myself. Always makes me nervous when it starts going on crooked.
  • 2 0
 Installing a headset is typically the kind of reason for me to pay my lbs a visit. You also need to have your headtube faced and reamed before you can properly install a headset, don't you?
  • 2 0
 @vinay: it's not essential but it might be desirable. I have installed a good few headsets with wood or a rubber mallet, and never had one fail or wear out.
  • 2 0
 @PaFelcio: hahaha... love him!
  • 30 0
 dedication. Ben Winder for PB employee of the month!
  • 2 0
 Yes, and along with a shiny new plaque someone could hook him up with a gas can too.
  • 22 0
 I got Chaoyang tires on my winter beater old school rigid hardtail, an ordinary looking model named Cougar in 2,1 size got them for 10 euros with the bike Smile At first I laughed at them cause of dumb ''technology'' names that were written all over them, things like Hippo Skin or Red Spider or LRR compound. But now after beating them thru winters and over 3000 km I really start to respect those strange Chinese tires. They just started to wear and are straight, they had descent traction and roll well , but the best magic is that i hadn't any puncture on the not a single one, walls on them are quite thin for cheap tire but they hold well !
  • 1 0
 huynge si por
  • 1 0
 Get me a pair of Chao's! Their treads look better than half the ones out there.
  • 22 3
 Wonder how many kids are going to cut their leg on the rear disc on that Commencal push bike
  • 33 1
 Or stick their fingers in more likely. I don't think i'd trust a little kid with shiny rotors...
  • 26 3
 @bikekrieg: any kid that is going to stick their fingers into a rotor, was probably going to stick his fingers in the spokes anyway...
  • 102 3
 Don't be silly, you have to be an elite roadie to cut your leg on a brake rotor
  • 30 2
 @VwHarman: Spokes will hurt fingers... rotors will remove them
  • 34 1
 My daughter has got a disc brake for about half a year now on her Ramones. Her legs are far from the rotor during ride and luckily hasn't got any temptation to touch either rotor or spokes so far. Taught her to touch the wheels only by the tire. Having the same presumption initially, now I can tell there's no problem on having a disc brake on pushbike.
Another plus points:
1) Ramones with disc brake looks badass!
2) You should see her grin when she learned recently how to do super long skids.
  • 26 0
 @mireksuchomel: I miss the days when my bike tires cost less than my car tires and I could skid all day long.
  • 2 1
 @bikekrieg: hahahaha Big Grin
  • 15 1
 @bikekrieg: Yup. I just generally am opposed to bubble-wrapping the world to eliminate the chance that something might happen. Lose a finger, learn a lesson!
  • 4 1
 Just consider it a steep learning curve. I stuck my finger in my rotor thinking it would stop it. A nice loud crunch and blood on my ceiling was enough to never do that again.
  • 4 0
 My 6, now 7 year old runs Deore discs and floating rotors on his Spesh Riprock and no issues. Not even from his fettling little brother.
As pointed out by Waki, they are therefore better than pro roadies.

Actually there was an issue. Never put a 20" wheel with a rotor in a floor mounted bike rack! New rotor time Frown
  • 1 0
 @mireksuchomel: tried it with discbrake but the tolerances of that horribly manufactured ramones bike made it impossible to make the disc clear, worst kidsbike ever (heavy too)
  • 1 0
 @optimumnotmaximum: Haven't got an issue with that even with the cheapest break and rotor. I set up the break to bite when almost touching the handlebar grip, because of my daughter's short fingers. This setting gives lot of clearance between rotors and pads.
  • 2 0
 @bikekrieg: I've seen a spoke decapitate a squirrel. I'm not so sure they couldn't mangle a finger also, given the right conditions.
  • 1 0
 Rotors are not for little ones - my son would be the one to cut his finger off for sure- that is just temping fate
  • 1 0
 The funny thing is there is no brake mech on that bike other than the rotor. I suppose it was added to look cool on the display.
  • 1 0
 @mireksuchomel: tried the same -does not work. i think the tolerances of those frames are huge -so there is the chance that it works on some frames. as renius stated -not even a brakecaliper on the displaybike...
  • 1 0
 To be honest I don't even dare to mount a disc brake on a unicycle. And then the rotor only moves quite safely in the same direction and speed as your foot.
  • 1 0
 @bikekrieg: My sister has a short thumb that disagrees with you.
  • 13 1
 Ben winder you legend
#whatalad
  • 9 0
 The hydraulic bottom out on that coil shock seems like a great Idea. If it actually makes a significant changes in the end stroke of the shock.
  • 10 0
 What brand are those sweepy bendy bars?
  • 5 0
 This! No mention of the brand or model. At first glance I thought Ergon, but the TLD grips lead myself to believe otherwise.
  • 14 0
 SQ Lab 30X bars...
themtblab.com/2017/04/sea-otter-2017-sqlab-30x-handlebars-and-411-innerbarends.html
  • 3 0
 @Drbillin: Thanks. Interesting bar for sure. I could see swapping those out for long rides on the hardtail.
  • 3 0
 They are very similar to my beloved Answer 20/20 bars. They have saved my aching wrists and have kept me from giving up riding.
  • 3 0
 @gonecoastal: I use both the Answer 20/20's and Salsa's alu 17* version, and love the sweep for trail riding. Solved my wrist pain too
  • 2 1
 I don't understand these bars. Take a longer stem and a bar with high sweep angle and you get the same result, no?
  • 5 0
 @Minikeum: Kinda, but changing only the bars is cheaper than the bars and the stem :p. Also according to their website the backsweep seems to be 16°, I don't think there's many mtb bars with that much backsweep.
  • 1 0
 Niner has some carbon RDO bars that have the same increased sweep and goofy look.
  • 1 0
 @eswebster: Ragley was doing bars like that with a 25 degree back sweep years ago as well - the Carnegie bar. I've seen a few riders around with very flared, shallow drop road-style bars which are popular on the gravel-grinding side too, which aren't too different.
  • 1 0
 Went for my first ride of 2017 this past weekend. Noticed that on access roads I'm seldomly holding onto the bars rather resting my palms in a position that appears to be similar to hand position of these bars.
May have to strongly consider ordering a pair. Could save my hands/arms on hardtail rides.
  • 8 0
 Back in the 80s I rode a 250 Yamaha from Winnipeg to Saskatoon, and back, getting 87mpg. Didn't have to stop much for gas, just my ass. No bike rack though.
  • 3 2
 Back when women would show you their tits for free.......even in the snow. Hair bands and wet T-shirts. She's my cherry pie....
  • 8 0
 that Ext shocks looks great
  • 7 0
 I like to tell myself I have a 10" sit bone but objects do look bigger in the mirror
  • 7 0
 That custom headset machine sounds like my dad's old HP printer
  • 4 0
 So many great videos of riders on this site, but I must say, watching the laser etching of the headset cap was very satisfying and awesome!
  • 2 0
 A lot of interesting products.
I could imagine that cheap Asian brands produce all this old stuff the main stream doesn't want to produce any more. Like Chaongyang with 26"tyres.

Like 26"-Stuff, older standards...
The technology is already there, they produced most of this for the big companies.
  • 3 0
 "Chaoyang"
  • 2 0
 The swept back bars just seem like common sense to me, as knuckles are not on a straight line. MTB really has to think on its own rather than being the awkward offspring of DH innovations merged with road bike ancestry. I really wouldn't mind trying one of SQLab's saddle, but it's quite an expensive try if I don't like it.
  • 4 0
 Been running the Answer 720 20/20 bars for a few years, love them. Wrist pain went away.
20 degrees rise & backsweep
  • 6 1
 EXT stuff gives me goose bumps
  • 3 0
 Oh man, that alligator rack looks really sweet! I have been looking for the ideal way to stand my bike up in the bed of my truck and this looks awesome.
  • 3 0
 Please show us a photo of the probes coming out of the Ergon square toilet seat. Asking for a friend.
  • 3 0
 Acros could sell their services to Aphex Twin I reckon.
  • 2 0
 That sound eh! Big Grin
  • 5 1
 Is teal real?
  • 19 0
 If teal is real, does that make turquoise porpoise?
  • 3 0
 @piersgritten: Let it go, Indigo!
  • 3 1
 Here in south Texas, "Mota" is slang for marijuana and that tire looks nothing like it ...not that I would know.
  • 2 0
 All my Mexican hermanos call it Mota here in SF.
  • 2 0
 A better version of that stand and no need for cord to mount bike vertically mtbstand.co.nz
  • 2 0
 I've emailed these guys. Need something for my office which included roadies, 26 up to 29+. Might be too big a range? Looks good though.
  • 2 0
 @dontlament: My understanding is they are working on a stand for + tyres
  • 1 0
 wow that ext arma looks great, should be working superb on a linear bike .the propain kidsbike is also sweet -hav eto get it for my little shredder
  • 2 0
 Besides the Furious....the Aligator rack was the most exciting Smile
  • 2 0
 Acros headset that makes you wet? sounds cool...
  • 2 0
 Kids bikes... 26's killer blow.
  • 2 0
 For kids, it looks more 29r than Minnaar's V10 Smile
  • 1 0
 my only worry with the Scoot Bike would be the little un' slicing their leg open on the disc?
  • 1 0
 Yay Commencal Furious! Nice to know I can afford a nice DH after paying off the enduro.
  • 2 0
 I want it all
  • 1 0
 Tailwhip on a blocklock headset.
  • 1 0
 I've never seen so many knockoff tires in one place.
  • 1 0
 that propane is beautiful!!!!
  • 1 0
 Where can I buy the chaoyang tires?
  • 1 0
 Wow, im 32 and that children Commencal looks fine for me!!!
  • 1 0
 SQlab seat FTW!!!
  • 1 0
 26" boost?
  • 3 4
 YAAAA daddy
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