Randoms: The Malverns Classic

Words: Nick Bentley

The Malverns Classic has one of the biggest expos of bike brands in the UK and always has an eclectic mix of brands, big and small, so we took a wonder round to check out what we could find.

DMR


DMR have 3 brand new totally new designed Sidekick kids bikes fresh out. These are not just catalogue bikes, they are something that the team at DMR have been working on for a while and they have been creating from scratch.


Starting with the Sidekick Balance, a new balance bike that's not just any balance bike. It's a carefully designed option for young riders to enjoy cycling just like anyone else. The Sidekick Balance is a mullet bike featuring a 12-inch rear wheel and a 14-inch front wheel, fully compatible with disc brakes. Constructed from lightweight aluminium, the bike features handlebars and grips designed for little hands. The fork is also a new design, aimed at increasing stability at speed and working well with the standing position of a child on a balance bike.


Stepping up to the Sidekick Pedal, this bike, as the name suggests, comes with pedals but retains the mullet build with an 18-inch front wheel and a 16-inch rear wheel. The frame was entirely designed around a child sitting on the saddle and riding. The rear end is slightly longer than typical, and the bike boasts short cranks and a supportive seat. Similar to its smaller sibling, this bike also features a fork tailored for kids' riding, along with a stem, handlebar, and grips designed for young riders.


Lastly, there's the largest of the three bikes, the Sidekick Ride, whose drivetrain is visible in the first picture of this DMR section. Unlike the others, it isn't a mullet configuration, instead sporting 20" wheels front and back. It's important to note that all three bikes come with proper bike tires from Vee Rubber, enabling riders to take these bikes out on the trails. Just like the other two models, the Ride bike includes custom-designed forks and child-friendly stem, handlebar, and grips. Both the Pedal and the Ride bikes feature a Hebie chain guard, ensuring kids' fingers are safe from the drivetrain.

These three bikes are truly remarkable, hand-built with the same bulletproof reliability as any DMR product you've ever used. They're sure to withstand whatever challenges young riders throw their way.

Kinesis


In 2012 Kinesis launched the FF29 and fast forward 11 years and the FF29 is re-born. It had all the treatment you would expect from a modern bike: longer, lower but still keeping it a fun fast hardtail design to take on the trail centers and single track of the UK. Kinesis have also designed the FF29 with adjustable dropouts so that riders can optimise the rear stay length for their style of riding. This also gives the opportunity to set the frame up as a single speed.

Schwalbe


Schwalbe's support of UK events is second to none. Alongside showcasing all of their new tires at The Malverns Classic, they were also providing riders with support in fixing flats and replacing tires for participants racing in the various events held over the weekend at The Malverns Classic!


Identiti


Front and centre on the Identiti stand was a current release Identiti AKA Hardtail trail bike. This hardtail is pretty adaptable enabling you to run either 27.5 or 29 inch wheels, and comes in the normal 3 sizes you would expect, in navy teal colour (dark blue) and black flash. What is new, however, is that Identiti are beginning to sell direct to consumer so you can now head to the Identiti website and order your bike direct from them.


That includes the classic Identiti Dr Jekyll too which has two new colours this year, the Woburn Sand colour as seen below and black flash. This jump bike can also take gears so it is perfect for a 4X bike if that's what you fancy.


Nukeproof


Nothing amazingly new here at Nukeproof just some new colour ways of their ever popular Giga and Mega bikes.

They also had a full display of all their finishing kit and clothes for everyone to get a good look at before they buy online.

Viris


The UK eyewear brand Viris had their Onyx Flu Yellow Goggle in pride of place on their display. If you race UK downhill you will have seen plenty of riders wearing these goggles and winning races, but now they're also taking on the World Cup scene with Phil Atwill's Propain Positive team wearing them alongside Intense Factory Racing's Joe Breeden. A quick overview of the standout features of the Onyx. First off is the Patent Pending TAC anti fog anti scratch coating on all lenses as standard, also it has large air vents to aid in cooling and promote good air flow while riding. You can even change up your straps to customise your goggle and for ease of cleaning. All with triple layer foam with a super soft breathable final layer that is soft against the face and wicks away moisture.


The biggest plus for me with these goggles is the 4KLIK™ lens interchangeable system allowing you to just slide out these clips, take the lens off, place a new one on - no more trying to force lenses into little grooves, just a really simple yet effective locking system.


For 2023 Viris are now also producing sunglasses for more casual wear and are perfect for chilling out at the Pumptrack or at the bar after a ride. Head over to their website to find out more.

Ion


Ion had their full range of shoes on display and available to purchase. Ion's range has something for everybody whether you want a chilled out shoe you can take to the pumptrack or wear to the pub, or a lot more race/ride focussed clipless shoe with a boa lacing system.


Troy Lee Designs


Troy Lee Designs had their D4 Full face on their stand for everyone to try out. This is probably now the benchmark in full face helmets.


Alongside the D4 they also had something radically different and infact a first for Troy Lee, they're first ever peakless helmet. The Grail is not going to be for everyone, but if you really hate peaks this might just be the helmet for you.


Pivot


Pivot has introduced their brand new Shuttle AM, which is their all-mountain version of the new Shuttle. This bike uses a different motor. The motor housed in this version of the Shuttle is the Bosch CX motor, and it even has the option to have the Bosch CX Race motor too. The AM is the more conventional e-bike of the Shuttle range — a mid-travel bike with a full-fat motor and a 750Wh Bosch battery.


Archer Components


The D1X Trail electronic shifter, manufactured by Archer Components, allows you to convert any mechanical derailleur into a wireless electronically shifted mechanism. This conversion is achieved by installing the D1X unit on the chainstay of your bicycle. This unit permits you to control your derailleur by essentially replacing your shifter with an electronic solenoid that operates the cable in place of your traditional shifter. The system can be programmed for single or multiple shifts per actuation, offering flexibility in shifting preferences. The system is managed through an app that enables customization to suit both your bike and riding style.

In addition to the D1X unit, a shifter is included. This shifter connects to the shifting unit via Bluetooth and is available in various color options. It can be charged using a USB connection and provides up to 30,000 shifts on a single charge.

Before you all start saying what's the point, I'd like to mention something important. While some might question the necessity of this technology, it's worth noting that the D1X system can offer fast and reliable electronic shifting, similar to other branded electronic shifting systems. However, its significance extends beyond that. One crucial application is for riders who might have physical limitations preventing them from manually shifting gears using a traditional lever. This product plays a significant role in making our sport more accessible to riders with disabilities, allowing them to partake in the sport we all love. Archer Components deserves recognition for their efforts in this in doing that.


Shred Like a Girl


Shred Like a Girl is, as you might have guessed from the name, a female-specific brand producing riding clothing specifically designed for women by women, available in sizes XS to 3XL. Shawnee, the woman behind the brand, is constantly trying to improve the fit of all her ranges, and her passion for both women who ride and her products is clear to see.


Alongside the more technical riding clothing, Shred Like a Girl also offers crop tops and casual clothing. Why not head over to their website and check them out for yourself?


Radical


You'll be forgiven for not being familiar with Radical, but they are a small UK-based frame builder located in Shropshire, England. These artisans create some of the most exquisite steel hardtail frames you'll come across. Their flagship model is the Chilli Dog, a handcrafted UK-built trail hardtail known for its robust performance. Radical also offers a more budget-friendly, lower-travel alternative known as The Grim Ripper. This marks the brand's first frame manufactured outside the UK to reduce costs, while still delivering an exceptional hardtail capable of handling a variety of terrains. Both bikes are available in 27.5" or 29" wheel configurations, as well as the mullet setup.

However, it's hard to overlook the third bike that Radical had on display: the Supercat. Although still in prototype stage, this full-suspension lightweight e-bike boasts 160mm of travel and a carbon construction. This marks a significant departure from Radical's previous offerings and reflects their daring approach as a small company. An in-depth chat about this bike will be out very soon. It's safe to say that the Supercat will be an welcome addition to the market, capable of competing with larger manufacturers in the field.


Atherton

Atherton bikes had Charlie Hatton's World Champs winning bike on show. It was great to see all the little special details the team put into the frame that Charlie rode to victory in Fort William just 2 weeks before.



The oil slick and polished details are amazing.


Uncrafted


Uncrafted is a UK brand producing high-quality race kits that are gaining popularity in the UK and are being used by 555 Gravity Racing at the World Cup. All the design work is done in Middlesbrough, UK. They even create custom kits for race teams. So head over to their website and check them out!


YT


YT had their unchanged range of Capras on display. The red version is the Unchained 10 AL, priced at 2999 euros. The top-of-the-range yellow Unchained 11 features top-tier equipment, including an Ohlins suspension and SRAM transmission, making it an enduro weapon. It is priced at 5499 euros, which, considering it offers a 170mm travel carbon enduro bike with an Ohlins RXF 38 fork, Crankbrothers carbon wheels, and essentially wireless every component that SRAM do, it seems like a total bargain.


TruTune


TruTune components are a new suspension technology developed by Carbon Air. They increase effective air volume in a mountain bike air suspension without making any changes to external dimensions. Increased volume provides many benefits to riders in the form of a plusher feel, better small bump sensitivity, and end-of-stroke absorption. The charge pressure of the suspension with our inserts can be increased substantially to achieve good support without the harshness associated with high pressure.


Bridgedale


Now, Bridgedale is not a new company; in fact, they have been around for a while, well, 100 years or more, in fact, so they know a thing or two about socks. The team at Bridgedale has been developing their product range outside of their normal hiking and outdoors areas. They have developed these mountain bike socks based on feedback from mountain bikers about what they felt they wanted from their socks, and using that 100 years' experience in sock manufacture. The Bridgedale MTB socks are all made in the UK and made from Merino wool. They come in summer, mid-season, and winter thicknesses and are really top quality. Head over to their website and check them out.


Dawley Bikes


Dawley Bikes is a rider-run family business from Nottingham in the UK, crafting stunning bespoke hand-made steel bicycles. At the Malverns Classic event, they showcased the front end of their newly revised Activist model. This updated version maintains the same kinematics as its previous iterations but with a reduced weight. The braking performance has been slightly enhanced by shifting the pivot slightly forward. Overall, the bike has undergone refinement across all aspects and was on display within its jig.

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