Tech Randoms From the Maydena Enduro World Cup

Mar 27, 2023 at 10:37
by Mike Kazimer  
Richie Rude was testing out Fox's RAD (Racing Applications and Development) electronically controlled shock. Wireless sensors are located on the fork and rear brake caliper so that the shock can adapt to terrain changes.

SRAM's unreleased brake caliper first showed up last year on the World Cup circuit, and now it's made its way onto Jesse Melamed's bike.


The pads look larger than the current Code pads, and the caliper itself is reminiscent of the original Code brakes, although this one looks to be held together by four bolts.

The elusive 2.5" Maxxis DHR II tires, only available to the lucky test pilots out there.

Ibis' new long travel rig made another appearance.

The DW-link layout on the unnammed bike has the upper link in front of the seat tube, a departure from the design used on the Ripmo and HD5.

Charlie Murray was running a custom carbon link on his Specialized Enduro.

Flat pedals still win medals - Dan Booker (2nd), Connor Fearon (3rd) and Morganne Charre (2nd) were all running flats this weekend.

Fobidden has been using a flipped four-bar suspension layout for their DH bike, and now it's made its way to the enduro world. The Druid hasn't seen an update in a while, or maybe this model will sit in between the Druid and Dreadnought?

Dan Booker was running a steering damper on his Nukeproof.

The classic zip tie beadlock system.


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128 Comments

  • 198 12
 That Ibis actually looks nice, unlike... uhm... all the other Ibises.
  • 217 1
 As a Ripley owner I take great offense to this and also agree.
  • 38 0
 @grnmachine02: Same, as a Ripmo AF owner. It "does the job", however.
  • 8 0
 @mammal: Yep. There are a ton of other bikes I considered, but the Ripley AF ticked just about every box. I will eventually replace it with a new gen smuggler, but until then it's ugly ass pond scum green for me.
  • 10 0
 previously known as the Pivot Phoenix
  • 9 1
 looks like the last Pivot firebird
  • 18 1
 I´d say SB160 without switch infinity
  • 3 0
 Finally the new ibis enduro which was meant to be released in the 2021
  • 1 0
 @bok-CZ: Nailed it!
  • 1 0
 I think it's Ibii.
  • 1 0
 @way2manyhobbies2keep: thats what i meant. but theyre very si.ilar
  • 12 0
 Proto-camo is the best paint job they've ever done! Can't wait for the baby poo brown production version!
  • 6 0
 I cannot overstate how much I love riding my ripmo, but cannot deny how much I hate those curvy top and down tubes.
  • 4 0
 @andelinc: I don't really mind the top/down tubes. I owned a 2013 Rocky Slayer that looked similar, so can't be arsed about the tubes.
  • 4 0
 Straight top tubes get me going!
  • 3 0
 Looks like a yeti...
  • 1 0
 Do we have confirmation on the rear wheel size?
  • 3 2
 @way2manyhobbies2keep: agreed first gen firebird 29. Great bike. Ibis needs to go superboost and just finish the deal. Their tire clearance is horrible.
  • 1 0
 @mininhi: Bin Chickens are always stealing things
  • 1 0
 @mammal: i also own a ripmo af, it does the job very well, but doesn’t look good doing it.
  • 1 0
 @gbones: one of them was setup asa mullet and I overheard a rider saying they'd likely run a 29e for racing.... So guessing os could handle both swtups somehow but thats pure speculation. Details are not being shared just yet
  • 64 1
 Only a Fox 36 on that Ibis, how can they even ride that bike? Big Grin
  • 44 1
 Raphaela Richter is 5"4 and 120lbs - that's how Smile
  • 18 0
 @Lasse2000: Flag checks out
  • 42 3
 I'll be frank: I think the current crop of 38mm forks are entirely too much fork for 98% of riders (comment not applicable to EWS professionals Smile ) You're adding over 3/4 of a pound in exchange for the added torsional stiffness - which may actually offer less performance for many riders.
  • 15 1
 @KJP1230: Your use of numbers is very convincing. All of the sudden I'm reconsidering many of my life choices.
  • 10 1
 @KJP1230: I dont ride especially hard but can honestly say I have never felt the need for a torsionally stiffer fork even back on my old Marz Bombers and flexy wheels never bother me much either.

The lies we tell ourselves are the ones that keep us up at night, probably explaining to our wives why we spent all the money on bike parts.
  • 3 0
 @KJP1230: Same thing happens elsewhere. People have flash cars with more performance than they need and will likely ever use. Same with motorcycles.
Mtb has gone the same way.
  • 7 0
 @KJP1230: Wasn’t there a PB article a while ago asking pros if they prefer 35/6 or 38mm stanchions? I feel like a bunch of them still said they like the smaller size.
  • 6 0
 @GravityCandy: Pretty sure someone ran the numbers and the average was 37mm. So both big suspensions are wrong.
  • 9 0
 @KJP1230: I got by on a 170mm 36 cuz it made my bike light but the 38 is soo much stiffer fore/aft, does't creak, and binds much less. Under braking front traction & confidence are much improved. I can now enter turns the way I do on a DH bike. On my 170 bike that matters more than weight, even to me.
  • 7 0
 I want to qualify that I, personally, spec'd a 38 on my 170mm "do it all" enduro bike. I am reasonably quick, and I weigh close to 200 lbs. geared up. But I'd be lying to say that it made a dramatic difference off the 36 I had on my previous build.

Given that I have several friends who have sold off their carbon rims because they simply felt too stiff, I have to imagine that something similar holds true for the 38 vs. 36. Then again, it is nice to have a single fork that can easily handle both aggressive trails rides and park days. Regardless, they are heavy.
  • 4 0
 @GravityCandy: think this is the article:
What Geometry Numbers Do the Top Enduro Racers Actually Prefer?
m.pinkbike.com/news/what-geometry-numbers-pro-enduro-racers-prefer.html
- Interesting to see two guys over 180 cm prefer 36 to 38 fork.
  • 1 0
 @DrPepperUltimate: its not their height, it's their weight that matters in this case, the forces that a 220lbs rider puts into components when cornering hard compared to a 130lbs rider is quite significantly different...

Pro riders, even the tall ones tend to be quite lean and strong (often being lighter) compared to most of us weekend warriors.

I do however realize that the speeds they ride at also increase the forces significantly...
  • 1 0
 @GravityCandy: I believe you refer to a feature on GMBN couple weeks ago
  • 3 0
 @lelandjt: The 38 and Zeb do start to creak at the CSU as well as every Pike, Lyrik, 36, 34 does sooner or later under hard enough/dusty enough conditions.

At our repair shop a 38 was among the easiest to press out so it had one of the worst fits of all the steerers which we encountered.

The only long term cure is pressing it in with loctite instead of dry as the manufacturers do.
Best to press it out right when you get it and press it back in with loctite. Because it only gets worse when you use it.

*This is not an official solution, it might void your warranty if they would find out*
  • 2 0
 @FaahkEet: Mezzer FTW.
  • 1 0
 @KJP1230: My 250Lbs appreciates the stiffer forks. I love how much stiffer the zeb is than the lyric and could never go back now on my big hit bike.

I agree though %99 of riders don't need it and for %60 it may be a disadvantage
  • 60 1
 I'd be Melemad too if my local mtb news website couldn't spell my name correctly.
  • 40 0
 Jersey Marmalade?
  • 11 0
 Jerry Marmoset
  • 16 0
 Messe Jellyhead
  • 6 0
 Yeezy Mademoiselle
  • 1 0
 Jelly Melly
  • 1 0
 Jethro Mellonhead?
  • 19 5
 I am thinking steering dampers will become a thing. My dirtbike has one and I can't imagine riding without it. It is one area mountain bikes can really improve on. It has saved me so many times from losing control after big hits.
  • 17 0
 They were fairly common in the 90s downhill bikes. We'll see if they make a comeback.
  • 9 0
 Aren't they used for quelling front wheel shake (aka death wobble)? That's a very high speed phenomenon in motorcycles. The only time I can recall reading about a death wobble taking out a biker is during world-record high speed attempts down volcanoes and such-like.
  • 16 0
 But a motorbike front wheel has enough inertia to rip the bars out of your hands (or break your wrists) if it gets a good speed wobble going. Not a problem I've every really had on a mountain bike.
  • 6 1
 @WaterBear: On a motorcycle the steering damper doesn't stop wobble it stops tank slappers, they are bloody violent and can tear the bars clean out of your hands, I personally see zero need on a bicycle but I guess some people do.
  • 4 0
 @WaterBear: I've encountered it on a road bike, but it was at 50mph. It could have been from a cross wind too. Idk if it would ever happen on a mountain bike in the mountains
  • 3 0
 Reminds me of this video, 272km/h on a mtb: youtu.be/jNtpEDnOn48
  • 8 0
 I would think for mtb enduro the largest benefit would be lessening the effect of glancing a tree. This can happen quickly on a moto when you clip a tree. This parabolic stabilizer has saved me taking a soil sample several times. It happens even faster on an mtb.

This video demonstrates it well.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFd-RcyO_3Y&t=21s
  • 2 3
 @WaterBear: another way you can use them is steepen up the head tube and keep the stability. So better slow speed maneuverability and keep the high speed stability
  • 4 0
 @Struggleteam: I can't count the amount of times I've saved my knuckles by purposefully pulling the bar with the impact of the tree instead of trying to ride through it. Would this device not make that harder?

Yes my bars are too wide.
  • 2 0
 *Hopey has entered the chat
  • 1 0
 @Struggleteam: taking a soil? or taking a spill? either way it works.
  • 2 0
 @Spencermon: yeah taking a soil sample= crashing.
  • 2 0
 @bikes-arent-real: I can’t really say how a device like this would work on a bicycle. On a dirt bike this unit basically causes the bars to not turn as quickly (rip out of your hands) when an abrupt impact happens. This makes your front wheel less likely to knife and you less likely to take a soil sample.
  • 2 0
 @Struggleteam: I was thinking of soiling your pants.
I prefer unscheduled trail maintenance.
  • 1 0
 @Struggleteam: Yes, on any moto, you have the weight of the bike (which is usually more than the weight of the rider) that can push the bars around. Mountain bikes don't have this issue.
  • 1 0
 @hamncheez: Yes the moto is heavier but that weight adds stability whereas an mtb takes a knock to the bars and you are on the ground before you can blink. It's the same with taking a trip OTB. Much harder to do on a moto because of the weight and planted mass. The mtb will spit you out in a blink. Just look at nekos crash from yesterday.
  • 1 0
 @Struggleteam: I'm not talking about OTB. That is because the weight of the moto lowers your enitre CoG. I'm talking about what people are mentioning above- hitting a tree with your bars, sideways deflection of your tire from hitting a large rock, etc. Things that can quickly twist your handlebars.
  • 1 2
 @hamncheez: you don’t read very well do ya? I said it’s similar in that weight on the moto helps with both bar swap and going over the bars. The added weight makes the bike less twitchy when you glance a tree than on a 40 lb bicycle. You also have more time to react before the bars knife and you go down. However, on the moto you also the whisky throttle factor which can come into play and make you go places you don’t want to quickly. Regardless, stabilizer work well motos , I do think the stabilizer concept sense for dh and Enduro and that unit on the Nukeproof looks pretty streamlined. Fwiw I raced motos for 20 years and now I ride both Mtb’s and motos.
  • 1 0
 How about this?
www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/mountain-bike/a41755090/canyon-liteville-kis-bicycle-steering-stabilizer
Apples to oranges? You can't add this to a bike you already have, but it's the same idea?
  • 15 1
 i dont understand why maxxis hasnt released the 2.5 yet. new compounds? not like theres much new manufacturing that needs doing
  • 2 0
 I keep wondering the same... I mean, for mortals I feel like between 2.4 and 2.6 and all the compounds/casings we're spoiled for choice... adding a 2.5 seems like a hassle and probably means a heap of SKUs, because it'll have at least a few casings/compounds and two diameters.

I suspect they'd use a 2.5 to pilot something new, case/compound/construction, or axe an existing size, if not both... why 2.4 and 2.5 when you can just run 2.5. If I where a Maxxis value chain guy, I'd be looking to streamline the product offering...
  • 12 0
 Maybe steering dampers will make a comeback. "Hopey" used to make one back in the early 2000s I think.
  • 5 0
 CaneCreek viscoset.
  • 2 0
 Cane Creek Viscoset is a different thing. Viscoset damps movement in both directions. A Hopey damper damps movement away from centre, but allows free movement back to centre. It also has some adjustment for the amount of damping.
  • 9 1
 @asapyohanes "A damper helps keep the bike tracking straight over difficult terrain such as ruts, rocks, and sand, and also smooths out jolts through the handlebars at the end of jumps. They also reduce arm fatigue by reducing the effort to control the handlebars." Found this on Wikipedia. They use them a lot in motorsports (motorcycles and dirtbikes notably). It's a device to take the harshness out of a lot of things in the steering.
  • 9 0
 That ibis thick AF son!!!
  • 10 2
 The new Ibis SBNukeproofMega160
  • 6 0
 Core 3
  • 7 0
 100% a old Hopey Steering Damper. Way ahead of their time!

Loved mine.
  • 8 1
 dang sram finally realized caliper flex is bad. good for them.
  • 1 1
 They did a while ago actually, when they had one-piece calipers for some of their brakes. Then they went back to two-piece calipers. Seems like a step backwards.
  • 2 0
 @seraph: must have been too hard on the profit margins to crank out those monoblocs. i remember the ad (PB) copy on the two piece levels when they reintroduced them...total fake news
  • 4 0
 Who from the Forbidden Team were on this bike? Connor wasn't, but maybe Emmy was? If so, a win on a proto bike in it's first race isn't bad!
  • 6 0
 Rhys Verner
  • 6 0
 The new ibis looks sick.
  • 1 0
 All the comments I’ve seen mentioning steering dampers on motorcycles have failed to mention that many of them had adjustment for high speed and low speed damping - similar to HS and LS on mtb suspension nothing to do with ground speed - and most would allow free return to straight head and only damp when turning

Ran various makes for a few years on different off-road bikes.
Honda even had a steering damper as stock on some of their mx bikes for a few years.

Now as mx / off-road bike geometry has changed they’re not commonly seen anymore.

I predict the same happening with them in the mtb world
  • 1 0
 Interesting to see the updated rocker link on the Specialized Enduro.

I would suspect that Specialized will release a "new" version of the same basic layout for that bike this year. Similar to how they iterated the X-wing design for 6-7 years before a truly new bike. The current Enduro is still fully modern - but there is no reason they cannot further tweak the geo/kinematics. Plus, the current rear triangle doesn't accept the new Sram XO groupset - no chance Specialized is gonna let that roll for another season.
  • 5 1
 those new sram brakes look rather ugly, don't they?
  • 2 0
 You mean functional...?
  • 4 1
 I wonder if someone can make out the name of the new Sram brakes?
I see "Maven" but could be something else?
  • 3 1
 “Wave”?
  • 1 0
 @DonLemont: I think there is definitely another letter after the "e"
  • 1 0
 Probably gravel.
  • 6 0
 Mulva
  • 1 1
 When are these brakes hitting the market you think?
  • 2 1
 @DoctorWatson: Thanks man! I'm in the market for some new brakes, (replacing some Sram G2s), and I'm holding my breath for these to see if they're a worthy replacement.
  • 2 1
 @DoctorWatson: oh, they are mineral oil? Interesting. I thought they are simply stronger codes with bigger pistons
  • 1 1
 @DoctorWatson: Hear anything about the ETA of the new codes?
  • 1 0
 @diamondbackisnotdead: yea they came out in 2011
  • 1 0
 I find it quite counter-intuitive that while I would never develop ML for cars because that's the main thing that kills cyclists ... I would even more never work on bike electronics.
  • 3 0
 Ibis please take my money. I want this bike
  • 4 0
 Still have my Hopey!
  • 3 0
 What are the zip ties supposed to be doing?
  • 2 0
 i wonder whats maxxis reason on holding the release of the 2.5 DHR2? its been on testing since forever lol
  • 2 0
 10,000,000 2.4 DHR IIs stuck on container ships still maybe
  • 2 0
 Can someone enlighten me what a steering damper is ?
  • 1 0
 wondering the same
  • 4 0
 look up 'magic' in your dictionary
  • 1 0
 Big in the motorbike world both for street and dirt. Saves you from speed wobbles or big tire deflections on big hits.
  • 3 0
 Imagine compression damping on your steering. Makes it less twitchy
  • 4 8
flag nskerb (Mar 27, 2023 at 10:52) (Below Threshold)
 its a compensation for a poorly balanced setup.
  • 7 6
 a solution to a problem that does not exist.
  • 3 1
 Hopey steering damper - www.hopey.org
  • 7 0
 @talanking: sudden twist resistor.
  • 5 0
 @asapyohanes, they add resistance when you turn the handlebars - the goal is to add stability. With the Hopey dampers that used to be fairly common in the DH world, the hydraulic cartridge sat inside the steerer tube, and damped the steering when turning away from head tube.
  • 14 0
 A steering damper is a low-pass filter for your steering. It allows slower movements (normal steering) to pass, but attenuates (slows) the higher frequency movements. Typically these use a viscoelastic material for the attenuation / energy dissipation. They can be used to solve speed wobble issues (road bikes and motorsports), or to slow any rapid jolt to the steering system (any sort of impulse function input).
  • 17 0
 @mikekazimer: How will it effect my cable routing is the more important question!
  • 1 0
 Exactly what it says on the tin. It's a damper attached to your bars. When they rotate in either direction it resists the motion, just like a damper on your fork or shock does.
  • 1 0
 @Tormy: you'd barely notice having one unless you needed it. in that case, it would provide some resistance to sudden movements in your steering. speed wobbles aren't (to my knowledge) a thing in mtb, but I could see some benefit given how much even recreational mtb speeds have picked up in recent years.
  • 3 0
 I'm selling all my old rusty headset bearings for anyone who wants added resistance to turn your handle bars. Special deal if you want to take two sets. But this new fan dangled headset cable routing is gonna cut into my market... bastards...
  • 1 0
 @shredddr: I had an epic case of speed wobbles on a steel hardtail back in the 90's riding down the Blue Ridge Parkway, but going 45 on a noodly bike with already twitchy handling wasn't my brightest move ever. I did briefly consider buying a Hopey damper after that, bought a new chamois instead.
  • 1 0
 @VedranBaric: I remember wanting a Hopey. Now my clapped-out 8 year old Acros headset does the same thing for me.
  • 1 0
 @mikekazimer:
How does it compare to Canyon's KIS system, other than being integrated?

I wonder if either might have saved me from going down hard and fast from clipping a tiny tree that I didn't even see (at night) ?
  • 2 0
 That's a Hopey damper pictured.
  • 1 0
 The brake pads install from the axel side of the caliper?
  • 1 0
 Where can i get that steering damper?
  • 1 1
 flat pedal riders PODIUM not win. You gotta clip in to win.
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