2011 Spank Lineup: Previewed

Is 2011 going to be the year of the pedal? We've seen a number of new options for the coming season, but the new Spank Spike pedal stands out from the crowd with their rather striking body profile and chamfered leading edges that are designed to glance off of whatever trail obstacle that you catch them on, as opposed to simply stopping you dead. I think we've all hit the deck hard from pedal strikes, you're on the ground before you knew what hit you, so I'm all for anything that lessens the chance of that happening. Further helping the cause is the slim body height, measured out at a thin 12 mm. The Spike's spin on a combination of oversized, sealed bearings and IGUS bushings that allow the pedal body to have a thinner footbed, but it flares out to house the bearing close to the crankarm. There are 18 pins per side, with all but the single central pin threading in from the opposite side to make removal of damaged pins easier, and they weigh in at a competitive 400 grams. MSRP starts at $119 USD.

You're looking at Spank's Tweet Tweet dirt jump and slopestyle hardtail frame. It is designed to be set up as a single speed with its slotted dropouts and lack of a derailleur hanger. The only housing guides you'll find on the frame are for the rear brake, making for some smooth lines and lessening the chance of anything gouging you on tricks gone wrong. The tubes are 4130 butted cromoly which are better suited to the bike's purpose than aluminum, a fact that any dirt jumper worth his salt will appreciate. Two sizes are available, 549 mm and 582 mm top tubes, and you have five color options to choose from.

Completely new from Spank for 2011 is the Spoon line, including this unique looking Spoon stem. This new line is designed to be as robust and reliable as the rest of their lineup, but retail at a more cost conscious price. To that end, the Spoon stem shown here goes for a very reasonable price of $45 USD. The 160 gram stem is available in a single length, 40 mm, but there are five color options so you still have some hard choices to make. There is also a matching 29" wide Spoon bar that will retail for $45.90 USD and come in both 20 mm and 40 mm rises.

Besides the new anodized color options, the Spank Tweet also grows in length to 720 mm for 2011. At 430 grams these bad boys are not your mega light bars, but are instead designed to be a component that you won't be questioning while trying new moves or going large. There are three rises options available, 30, 50, and 70 mm, and six different color choices to choose from. MSRP is $54 USD.

The new Oozy Ltd handlebar tips the scales at a svelte 208 grams, yet still meets and exceeds all of the CE tests that it is put through. The bar is built using some interesting technology, including Spank's 3D CNC Bending process that is said to do a much better job of limiting material damage during the bar's shaping. The Oozy Ltd also features some interesting shaping and a closer look reveals a taper from the clamping zone that carries on gradually through the bend zones and to the control clamping areas. What you can't see from the outside is the internal bar thickness increasing as it reaches the end of the bar, a spot that sees a lot of abuse from bikes falling out of the air or being dropped. The 700 mm wide Oozy Ltd is available in three different rises, 5, 15, and 30mm, and your choice of either black or white.

The Spank lineup also includes a number of different rims, grips, and the Subrosa saddle pictured above. It features tear and abrasion resistant Kevlar corners and burly 8 mm, cromoly rails. This 257 mm long, fully padded saddle weighs in at 350 grams.