Cannondale’s Jekyll debuted in 2011. It was a gutsy bike, or really, two bikes. Click the handlebar-mounted travel adjuster and the Jekyll morphed from downhill slayer to climbing stud. The stout frame was uniquely tied together with 15-millimeter thru axles, and at the heart of it, the Fox-built DYAD pull shock. Until then, pull shocks weren’t famous for their reliability, but the Jekyll’s fancy dual-chamber shock worked surprisingly and consistently well. For 2015, the Jekyll line gets updated with 27.5-inch wheels and 6.3 inches of rear suspension. Cannondale tweaked the geometry as well, slackening the headtube a degree, steepening the seat tube angle and growing the toptube by .15 inches. Finally, the Jekyll’s rear shock got a new plusher compression-damping tune and a wider rebound...
The new V10 is here, and it’s dripping with carbon 650b goodness. Instead of adapting the existing design to fit bigger wheels, Santa Cruz took their time and gave the V10 a full makeover. You’re going to want to watch this video before getting into the nitty-gritty. Features: - Full carbon frame and swingarm - Carbon C and Carbon CC frame options - 216mm (8.5″) VPP suspension - 27.5″ wheels - Adjustable geometry with HIGH & LOW settings - Double sealed pivots for long bearing life - Dual grease ports on lower link for easy maintenance - Integrated fork bumpers with cable guide - Molded clip-on chainstay and upright protector - Full carbon dropouts and disk mounts - Angular contact bearings maximize stiffness - Collet...
Pivot's inaugural model was the Mach 4, a cross-country oriented 100-millimeter-travel dual suspension bike. Its aluminum chassis incorporated a number of innovations, like rockers and bottom bracket assemblies that were welded together from two halves to form lightweight hollow structures, and Pivot also was one of the first bike brands to commit to Dave Weagle's anti-squat suspension technology. Much has changed since then, most notably the public's perception of the basic cross-country trail bike. Unless one happens to be an XC racer, most trail riders are choosing suspension travel in the neighborhood of 120 to 140 millimeters, largely because there is little if any weight penalty for moving up to a more capable chassis, and also because suspension no longer is a pedaling efficiency issue....
For the past six months ENDURO’s long-term tester Klaus has been wielding the Rotwild E1 FS 27.5 as he thrashes through the woods. Aggressive, fast, generous: three words that nail this trail weapon. But let’s find out how the bike has really fared over its first 20,000 altitude metres. “I’m going to ride so wild this season,” exclaimed Klaus, and that’s exactly why he needed a loaded gun in his hands – but would a long-travel enduro bike suffice? It didn’t take him long to settle on the Rotwild E1 FS 27.5, whose 165mm rear travel and plush 170mm at the front waited expectantly for the wild times ahead. Rather like a Mercedes G63 AMG 6×6 puttering through the city, the Rotwild only really...
KTM Bike Industries developed a special bike to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the brand! The Ultra Bike 1964 27.5 'was a limited edition of 25 units sold in Portugal in early September 2013! This limited edition KTM Ultra has been customized themed painting, equipped with exclusive and personalized by KTM components, and various accessories and details that give it a very special sparkle! Source: KTM PT
he X-Fusion Revel HLR sets a new benchmark! It’s not just the attention-grabbing gold finish, but also the technical details of the exclusive 160mm inverted fork that seduced us. It responds to impacts with almost no perceptible resistance and demonstrates a phenomenal plushness. The downhill World Cup-proven damping system offers an exceptionally well-defined ride and creates maximum front-end traction. Thanks to the Gold-E-Locks System with three internal guide blocks in each stanchion, the fork stiffness is convincing and you can navigate precisely. The strictly limited production run and US production guarantee the highest manufacturing quality, and an optionally available lifetime service package will ensure long-term trail fun! Source: enduro-mtb.com
On some level, I think there are a good number of riders on bikes with more travel than they need. That’s partly because all-mountain bikes have become so capable and efficient in the past few years, but it’s also because many of us have an over-inflated sense of how much bike we need. That’s a bummer because shorter travel bikes are a riot to ride, and in a sense it takes a better rider to really get the most out of them. Plus, you don’t need super burly terrain to have fun, and usually the bikes are much more sprightly on climbs and rolling terrain. I’m always psyched to get on a short-travel ripper, and see Focus’ new offering in this category. Frame Details The...
Specialized announced its 2016 Stumpjumper today, and it has a huge hole in it–in the downtube, that is. It’s the latest addition to Specialized’s S.W.A.T. (Storage, Water, Air, Tool), which offers unique solutions of carrying everything you need on your ride without a bulky pack. It’s a feature shared across all of Specialized’s 2016 Stumpjumper line, which, in addition to the 29er reviewed here, will also include 27.5 and 27.5+ models. The large 6×2-inch hatch is located under the bottle cage mount, and accesses pretty much the whole downtube. Even if, like me, you prefer hydration packs to water bottles, being able to stick a bunch of stuff inside the downtube allows for a pared-down, lighter pack. But if you want to ditch the pack...
