Mountain Bike Review » Kurt Gensheimer

This Holiday season, make more memories and buy less stuff; unless it’s bike stuff.

Editor’s Note: The Angry Singlespeeder is a collection of mercurial musings from contributing editor Kurt Gensheimer. In no way do his maniacal diatribes about all things bike oriented represent the opinions of Mtbr, RoadBikeReview, or any of their employees, contractors, janitorial staff, family members, household pets, or any other creature, living or dead. You can submit questions or comments to Kurt at singlespeeder@consumerreview.com. And make sure to check out Kurt’s previous columns.

I love the Holidays. Really, I do. I love standing in long lines with sick people coughing all over me, driving endless laps in a parking lot on the verge of road rage, falling headfirst on black ice with a gripload of shopping bags, feeling obliged to go to some lame-ass white elephant holiday party and hear the same five stupid Christmas song on infinite repeat. Oh, and don’t even get me started about airplane travel during the Holidays; a dreadful ordeal I have to endure all day tomorrow.

I don’t want to be a Scrooge. Really, I don’t. But to me, the “Holidays” have simply become just another excuse to waste hard-earned money on a bunch of useless crap that nobody really cares about, but if they don’t receive this useless crap, they somehow feel shorted or unloved.

In it’s pure, boiled-down, non-consumer driven essence, I truly do love this time of year. It’s a time to spend with friends and family who you might not get to see very often. It’s a time for reflection on the past 12 months. It’s a time to look ahead to the coming year and plan some awesome mountain bike adventures. It’s also a time to reset a year that perhaps wasn’t great or was just downright lousy. Whatever it is, this time of year is like life, it is the death of one year and the birth of a new one.

My favorite memory of Christmas when I was a kid wasn’t the toys I received – it was the tradition of waiting until my parents would go out for the evening and surprise them upon their return with the entire outside of the house decorated in lights. I’d have only a few hours, so I would run out in the bone-chilling cold darkness and string thousands of lights on all the snow-covered shrubs and trees. Then I’d run back into the house, make a fire and peek out the window, waiting to see the smiles on their faces when they pulled into the driveway. Giving the simple gift of joy to someone else feels amazing.

But when I see people standing in line outside a department store desperately pushing and yelling at each other like famished souls in a Russian bread line, I can’t help but lose interest in anything Holiday oriented. It seems that for many people, the Holidays are just another opportunity to sink deeper into debt and accumulate more stuff that does nothing to improve quality of life but does everything to clutter up your house with useless junk. So this year, make more memories and buy less stuff.

However, if you do decide to spend money on someone else this Holiday season, spend it on bikes and bike gear. Why? Because the bicycle is one of mankind’s all-time greatest inventions, and its money that’s always well spent. In 120 years since its birth, the bicycle has essentially not changed at all. It’s still a pneumatic tire, cog and chain driven machine with a dual triangle structure. It just happens to be lighter, faster and more durable.

The bicycle has so many functions including recreation, transportation, relieving stress, promoting healthy lifestyles, reducing urban traffic congestion, cutting down on fuel consumption and pollution and better preserving natural resources. And mountain bikes specifically help take humans further into the backcountry than any other non-motorized means in an extremely low-impact manner. The mountain bike helps us discover new horizons, both literally and figuratively. What other human invention that essentially hasn’t changed in more than a century can solve this many problems?

Some people I know – myself included – refer to riding their mountain bike as “going to church.” As soon as that leg swings over the top tube and the pedals begin to turn, so does the soul. My body and mind enter a meditative state. Whatever bad is going on in my life instantly melts away. At least for the duration of that ride, I am at peace – unless of course I get three flat tires and break a chain. Then all that Zen is out the window and I become a stark raving lunatic. I am as unreligious as they come, but on the topic of bikes, I’m more pious than a Tibetan monk.

Giving the gift of cycling to another person is almost as great as receiving the gift. I’ll never forget the look on my 18-month-old nephew’s face when he laid eyes on the Early Rider pushbike I got for him one Christmas. With pure instinct, he swung his leg over that wooden contraption and scooted off down the hallway in a flash. The smile on his face was priceless. It’s the same smile I have on my face every time I ride my mountain bike. Five years after he got that Early Rider, my nephew rides his bike everywhere. It’s his favorite thing to do.

So whether you choose to visit your local bike shop or decide to avoid the mass of humanity and shop online from the comfort of your home, give the gift of cycling to someone this Holiday season. Because what you’re giving is far more than just a consumable good. By giving the gift of cycling, you’re fostering a lifestyle and open people up to a way of living that benefits the body, mind and soul and expands their connection with the outside world. I can’t think of a greater gift than that.

The magic of the ASS column isn’t in the writing, it’s in the resulting commentary. The ASS recaps his favorite hater comments of 2013.

Photo courtesy of klaus-gensheimer.com

I love retrospectives; looking back on the year gone by and reminiscing on the highlights – and lowlights – of a year that was. 2013 was the very first year of the ASS, a column that was started in February with no big expectations, aspirations or even inspirations for that matter. But for whatever inexplicable reason, people seemed to like it – and hate it – enough to read and share their colorful comments.

What I love most about writing the ASS is not the writing itself; it’s the comments, the reactions of you the reader that is truly the magic of the ASS. Although it sometimes makes my blood boil, I take a deep breath, smile and laugh it off. My skin has gotten pretty thick this year, and I have you the reader to thank. So in honor of the haters out there, let’s take a look back on 2013 with a selection of ASS columns and my favorite associated hater comments. Ready? Here we go!

One of the first ASS columns is still one of the most popular – 26er or 29er, which was more popular at the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo? The was a lot of constructive criticism, but Tim Daraitis put it best:

“I like how all the pictures of this guy are in front of:
a. Women
b. An old dude.
c. Some guy wearing a denim vest that has a mullet.”

The article that cemented the fate of the ASS was Singlespeeds are for Angry People.
Jimbo chimed in with his thoughts.

I heard this one the other day:
“You know how to tell someone rides a singlespeed?”
“Don’t worry, they’ll tell you.”

Why Strava Sucks was extremely popular, with nearly 40,000 views. Many people agreed with my sentiments about how sucky Strava is, but Mark wouldn’t be fooled by my elitist drivel.

“This sounds like it was written by just another egotistical elitist ignorant liberal. “Strava sucks because humans cant be trusted to be responsible”. I suppose the editor feels the same way about guns. Strava never caused any single person to be irresponsible, it was those irresponsible people that chose it. Did Obama freaking write this garbage? Who ever you are stop posting your elitist drivel.”

In the Swiss Army Knife of Bikes, I praise the versatility of cyclocross bikes. However, because I was caught riding a bike with gears, like a senior official in the NSA, the illustrious Rich Dillen did some extensive research and dug up some dirt on me, accusing me of being a “gay football coach”. The friendship blossomed from there. Read his article about me. Good stuff.

One of the most colorful comments of 2013 came in response to Electric Mountain Bikes – Friend or Foe? Ken Graham rides an eBike, but that’s not all he does.

“I’m a kung fu fitness instructor; I destroy myself and my students every class so I would bet I would beat most riders. I also ride off road with 1kw ebike on trails that I usually never see any one else on. And I use my bike to get to work and training so I have energy for punching and kicking. I am quite sure the universe is a better place because of my ebike. Peace ”

In A Year Without USA Cycling, virtually everyone agreed with my sentiments – an exceedingly rare occurrence. Mike Bassi captured the feelings of most readers in succinct and pointed fashion.

“I would tell the USAC to go f**k themselves.”

Don’t “Showroom” Your Local Bike Shop was perhaps one of the most heated discussions of 2013. A lot of free-market economists shared their viewpoints, but a majority defended the LBS. Tom was clearly non-plussed by what I had to say.

“Dude, while i admire your knack for generating a large amount of click revenue, your rants are becoming painfully formulaic… Invent a situation with a character we all can hate… Come down righteously on the populist side of a topic garnered from countless biker forums across the web, Watch the hits as people tangle for the umpteenth time about strava, support your local bike shops, dont ride wet trails, spandex or baggies, pussy paths and trail braiding, etc. etc. please try to come up with something more original that hasnt been tossed around the bike forums for years.”

Continue reading for more on page 2.

Does the added expense and time investment of buying and maintaining a fat bike justify its overall fun and usefulness?

The first time I rode a fat bike was at Interbike’s Dirt Demo out at Bootleg Canyon in 2012. The first five minutes on that orange Salsa Mukluk was admittedly pretty fun. I rolled through the expo area on a completely obnoxious mutation of a bike, getting a lot of attention at the expense of whiz-bang carbon fiber road bikes worth more than my car.

The sound of 4.5-inch wide tires humming harmoniously on the asphalt was also admittedly pretty fun, but as soon as I reached singletrack and started riding the rocky, rutty and loose Nevada desert terrain, all the fun pretty much stopped. It was nothing more than an oversized, awkward, heavy and slow steel bike with no suspension that clumsily banged and clanged its way downhill with more racket than a drawer full of kitchen utensils falling down a stairwell.

After that maiden voyage, I had written off the fat bike as a mere novelty. The cuteness of gargantuan tires would quickly expire as soon as people started rattling molars out of their skulls while getting passed by senior citizens on full suspension rigs. As an aside, I do realize that recently I penned an article about the merits of riding a rigid mountain bike, but the advantage of a traditional rigid mountain bike is that it’s lightweight, nimble and extremely efficient – none of which apply to the fat bike. And yes, I know about the $5,500 Salsa Beargrease XX1 Carbon. It’s got an equivalent novelty quotient as a Ferrari with mud terrain tires.

While my friends and I scoffed at fat bikes, last winter I was seeing numerous photos of people riding in the snow on fat bikes. What’s more, they seemed to be having fun. I began to reconsider. Maybe they did serve a useful purpose for those living in parts of the world where winter would otherwise render riding impossible. But living in San Diego at the time, I had forgotten the entire concept of winter and continued riding my traditional mountain bike. Occasionally I’d see a fat bike on the trail. I’d look at the bike, then look at the rider, smile and say, “cute bike”.

This past summer I rode a fat bike for the second time at a Salsa event in Duluth, Minnesota. A group of us did a fat bike night ride along the shores of Lake Superior through deep, soft sand that would paralyze a regular mountain bike. Admittedly, it was a super fun ride, with nearly 20 of us piloting these monster truck-like bicycles through downtown Duluth in reckless abandon. My eyes were opened to the merits of the fat bike. If you live on the beach or in hardcore desert terrain like Arizona, a fat bike might make sense.

My third and most recent ride on a fat bike was just the other day. My buddy Mike who co-owns JetLites let me borrow his Surly Moonlander sporting 4.7-inch wide Big Fat Larry tires. I had already ridden a fat bike on rocky trails and a sandy beach, now it was time to ride the fat bike in some snow and ice up on Mount Rose Meadows above Lake Tahoe.

After nearly giving myself a hernia wrangling the fat bike from the back of my truck, I rode a section of Tahoe Rim Trail that was firmly packed but laden with footprints, turning the trail in a ribbon of mini-potholes. Those memories of riding Bootleg Canyon came rushing back, as my eyes rattled in my skull and my teeth chattered in perfect time with the clanging of chain slap. Dropping the air pressure just below 10 psi didn’t really help matters.

After a rough start, I came to a relatively steep climb that was easily doable on a regular mountain bike, even in the snow. I shifted the Moonlander into granny and found myself struggling to maintain any semblance of forward movement, let alone speed. Suddenly I felt like the fat kid in gym class, especially when two guys on regular mountain bikes with studded tires effortlessly rode past me. One of them smiled and said “cute bike.”

Cresting the hill I was resolved to catch them on the downhill, after all, I’m on a fat bike in the snow. The Moonlander is in its element now. Or so I thought. The banging and clanging ensued, shooting me all over the trail, and the fact that my 4.7-inch tires were floating on the surface of the snow and not digging in meant awkward and unpredictable cornering. I really wasn’t having that much fun on the fat bike, so I aborted mission and headed back to the truck dismayed.

I want to like the fat bike. I really do. After all, it’s a bike. And even if it isn’t my preference, any bike is better than no bike. For specific conditions and parts of the world it makes sense, but for the vast majority of mountain bikers, a fat bike isn’t the wisest investment. Its usefulness is far too limited. You can do almost as much with a regular mountain bike and 2.5” tires.

I’ve ridden my normal mountain bike in snow plenty of times, and virtually every time I had a blast, so why would I need a fat bike? I’ve ridden my 30-year-old Bianchi touring bike on the beach for miles – making sure I rode near peak low tide for the firmest conditions – and it was equally as awesome, so what’s the point in having another bike that fills such a narrow spectrum of riding?

Contrary to what many people who’ve never ridden a fat bike think, you can’t ride these contraptions everywhere. They’re not motorized. You still have to provide the power, and because they’re so godawful slow, you have to provide a lot more power than what’s normally required. Conditions that render a regular mountain bike useless more often times than not also render a fat bike useless, or at least barely useful, which at that point maybe not riding a bike at all would be a wiser choice.

For $1,500 I could by an extremely versatile cyclocross bike that can ride efficiently across a wide range of conditions. Alternatively, I could get a full backcountry ski setup so that when the snow starts flying, the bike gets a break and I do something every bit as fun yet better suited to the conditions. As much as I love riding, I love it even more after I’ve taken a break from it for a little while.

Fat bikes are like boats – it’s less expensive and more fun to make friends with somebody who owns one than to actually own one yourself. For most people, a fat bike will spend more time collecting dust in the garage than doing anything else. And nothing is worse than a bike that rarely, if ever, gets ridden.

So if you’ve been considering a fat bike and you don’t either A) live in the middle of a desert B) live in tundra that’s frozen over half the year or C) live on a beach in the middle of nowhere, a fat bike probably isn’t the best investment. Just find a friend who owns one. That way when you get that once a year urge to ride a fat bike, you can just borrow it, get your fill of fatty and give it back.

With so many different brands and models of mountain bikes to choose from these days, how crucial is it really that you find the ‘perfect’ bike?

This past week I spent three days in the Santa Cruz Mountains getting radical on nearly a dozen different mountain bikes that I’ll probably never be able to afford. With an average retail cost of approximately $6,500, the bikes in this year’s Mtbr Enduro Compare-O featured some of the most advanced mountain bike technology in existence.

Over the next several weeks, you’ll be reading all about these bikes and what we thought of them. First looks, in-depth reviews, detailed photographs; they’ll all come together in order to inform you the reader of which bikes stood out from the rest. As much work as it is to compile this information and present it to the Mtbr community, by far the hardest job will be burdened by you, the consumer.

As a potential new bike buyer, you will have to sort through pages of reviews, hundreds of photographs and endless feature sheets, trying to figure out which bike will be perfect between your legs. I don’t envy you. With so much choice, so much advanced technology and so many different features, draining your bank account has never before been such a daunting task.

Gone are the days of black or white, Ford or Chevy and regular or decaf. Modern consumer culture is riddled with choice. Never before has the consumer been more empowered and discouraged all at the same time. What used to be a simple chore of buying toothpaste has now become a mind-bending mission to find exactly the right toothpaste for your needs. Not only are there a dozen different brands of toothpaste, but also within those dozen brands there are at least six different types. It’s no longer about finding the perfect toothpaste; it’s about finding the perfect toothpastes.

When there are only a couple choices, the thought of making the wrong decision doesn’t enter the mind because there aren’t 10 other brands to make you think you might be missing out on an essential feature. The more choice a consumer has, the more of a chance they think a bad decision could be made, forcing them into what’s called “analysis paralysis”. All that choice ends up making the consumer more unsure than when they started knowing absolutely nothing. The term “ignorance is bliss” is true. What you don’t know is sometimes good for you.

It’s the same way with mountain bikes. There’s so much choice these days that making a decision on which is the ‘perfect’ bike can cause undue stress, loss of sleep and even strained relations with your spouse. Hours and hours of research on which suspension system is more efficient, which drivetrain is more durable, which component spec is the best value and which wheel size is optimal leads many to frustration and indecision – the exact opposite effect choice is supposed to create.

But here’s the reality of the situation. Unlike 20 years ago when the mountain bike industry was in it’s infancy, R&D budgets were tiny and the end consumer was the guinea pig for product development, these days there really aren’t any bad mountain bikes. The industry has matured so much and has become so competitive that if you make a bad bike you won’t stay in business very long – especially with the undeniable power and speed of social media. If your bike sucks, everyone will know it.

The more choices we have as consumers, the more subtle differences that exist between each product. As these subtle differences multiply, their perceived importance increases, when in reality the products are virtually identical. Because there are distinctions between the bikes we rode, it’s natural to assume that the differences matter, but the assumption is wrong.

Virtually every bike we tested in the Enduro Compare-O was a good bike compared to the others in a given price range. So divide all the bikes into three price categories: low, mid-range and high, and it really comes down to three things: your specific budget, your riding style and what color do you like?

Splitting hairs between millimeters of travel, the type of rear suspension system, component spec and wheel size really doesn’t matter much in the grand scheme. All these bikes work well. Yes, some work better than others, but given the price range they’re in, they’ll all deliver years of incredible fun and exhilaration. You can’t go wrong with any of them. Besides, the majority of people who buy these bikes will never push them to the limits they were designed to operate.

I fully admit that I am not the best bike tester, because I can’t – and don’t want to – analyze ten ways to Sunday why a bike works or doesn’t work. That’s primarily why I ride a hardtail singlespeed. It’s stripped down, simple and inexpensive. It either works or it doesn’t. I’m not going to be pulling out phrases like “slow through the mid-stroke”, because honestly, I don’t know what that feels like. All I know is whether a bike rides well or if it sucks canal water, and all the minutiae around why it rides well can be left to other reviewers.

If it were up to the ASS, my bike reviews would be summed up in one of three sentences: “Rides great”, “Rides okay” or “Rides like shit”. But that kind of review isn’t good for page views and advertisers. Of the dozen bikes I rode last week, all of them were in the great or okay category. There wasn’t a single bike that rode like shit. All of them were good for the right type of rider.

So if you’re not the analytical type and would rather spend your time riding instead of endlessly scouring the internet, make friends with a total geek who knows everything about mountain bikes. Tell him or her your price range and your style of riding. Chances are they already know the perfect couple of bikes for you, so all you need to do is go ride them and make a decision.

Pick one you like that’s in your price range, suits your riding style and is the color you like. It will work killer and you will be happy. And don’t lust after what your buddy has, because in all reality, given the same price range, it probably doesn’t work that much better than what you have.

And if you’re really concerned about performance, then invest your money in a skills class, learning from somebody who knows how to shred some serious gnar. That and a killer set of tires at the right pressure will make more of a difference in performance than any suspension system, wheel size or component spec.

What were my favorite bikes in the Enduro Compare-O? Well, I’ll save the details for the reviews, but I will say this; my three favorites were all 29ers. That’s right. It was a surprise to me. I went into the test convinced 27.5-inch wheels would rule all. I was proven wrong. It just goes to show a well-designed bike is good no matter what the wheel size.

Photos by Mtbr and Tyler Frasca.

BMC is known more for its exploits on the tarmac of the Tour de France than the rough trails of Downieville, but the Swiss bike manufacturer has put some real effort into the world of knobby tires the past couple years, boosting both its off-road team presence and product offerings.

Last year the company signed US enduro ace Aaron Bradford and German teammate Tobias Woggon to their newly-formed enduro squad, the BMC Trailcrew. The company then set both riders up on their latest trail slayer–the TrailFox TF01—which Bradford promptly piloted to a fourth place finish at the Winter Park, Colo. stop of the 2013 Enduro World Series.

Launched as a 26-inch aluminum bike with 120mm of travel in 2007, the TrailFox TF01’s evolution is emblematic of BMC’s transformation as a mountain bike maker. The 2014 version features all-carbon construction, 29-inch wheels and 150mm of travel—all the makings of a bona-fide all-mountain enduro race rig. At an as-tested price of $8,999, the TrailFox TF01 XX-1 Trailcrew was one of the spendiest bikes in the Enduro Compare-O.

Make no mistake, this is a no-compromise, battle-born race rig, and at a svelte 27.2 pounds without pedals, it’s also one of the lightest bikes in our test. One of the lightest bikes with one of the longest travel suspension designs; sounds like a very interesting combination.

Also very interesting is the short 435mm chainstay length with relaxed 67-degree head tube angle. Just sitting on the bike, the TrailFox TF01 has a comfortable cockpit feel like you are sitting inside the bike as opposed to on top of it – a common problem with most 29er designs. It feels and fits more like a 26-inch bike than a 29er. Needless to say, the TrailFox TF01 was one of the most anticipated rides in the Enduro Compare-O.

The internally routed cable guides are very clean, easy to access and efficient looking – quality you come to expect from the Swiss – with removable faceplates to minimize hassle and frustration when running full-length cables. A slick and handy sag indicator on the rear linkage helps make dialing in the BMC super easy.

Spec Highlights

The TrailFox TF01 uses BMC’s Advanced Pivot System (APS), employing two short links that connect the front triangle to the rear swing arm, and extract 150mm of rear wheel travel. A vertically mounted Fox Float X CTD rear shock takes up the damping duties, with settings for Climb, Trail and Descend in easy reach from the cockpit. A 150mm Fox 34 Float CTD up front has been a very solid fork in previous tests, and pairs well with the rear CTD shock. Both are shod in Fox’s smooth Kashima coating.

Considering this bike retails for almost as much as a new car, it goes without saying that our test ride is loaded with high-end componentry—SRAM XX1 drivetrain, SRAM XO Trail brakes, RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper post, BMC carbon bars, Easton Haven stem, Fizik Tundra 2 saddle and DT Swiss’ XM 1501 Spline ONE wheelset to name a few. Continental Mountain King and X-King 2.4-inch knobbies keep the rubber side down.

2014 BMC TrailFox TF01 XX-1 Trailcrew Key Specs

Weight: 27.2 (size medium)
Wheel Size: 29 inches
Frame Material: Carbon fiber front and rear triangles
Travel/Suspension: 150mm front/rear; Fox Float 34 CTD front; Fox Float X rear
Drivetrain: SRAM XX-1 1×11; 28t chainring, 10-42 cassette
Brakes: SRAM XO Trail; 200mm front, 180mm rear
Seatpost: RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper post
Wheelset/Tires: DT Swiss XM 1501 Spline ONE; Continental Mountain King and X-King 2.4 tubeless folding
Bar/Stem: BMC 750mm carbon bar; Easton Haven stem
Bottom Bracket Type: BB90 Shimano press fit
Head Tube Angle: 67 degrees
Seat Tube Angle: 74 degrees
Chainstay Length: 435mm (17.1 inches)
Bottom Bracket Height: n/a
Bike MSRP: $8999
Frame MSRP: $4,999

For more information visit http://www.bmc-racing.com/.

This story is part of Mtbr’s 2014 Enduro Compare-O. Check out our intro story here for all the ground rules and goings ons.

Some call it a “tweener,” others say “hack,” but whatever you call the Ibis Mojo HDR 650b, it’s a bike that comes with a revolutionary and proven rear suspension design, courtesy of boy wonder David Weagle and his dw-link. And if it also looks really familiar, there’s a reason for that.

As consumer preferences shifted over the last couple years, the crew at Ibis took notice of customers squeezing 27.5-inch wheels into their traditional 26-inch Mojo HDs which physically could accommodate the slightly larger hoops without adaptation.

The problem with this customer-sourced hack is it raises the bottom bracket by about three-quarters of an inch, adversely effecting cornering, while at the same time it reducing rear wheel clearance to an unacceptable margin. The rear wheel would indeed spin, but mud clearance was nil and tire/chainstay buzz common.

Not ones to stick their heads in the sand, Ibis set out to give the people what they wanted, tweaking the much-loved bike’s geometry, and building in more mud clearance. While they were at it, Ibis incorporated much asked-for ISCG-05 chain guide tabs, cable routing for a dropper post, a 12x142mm rear end, and a tapered head tube.

Uniquely, the Mojo HDR 650b can run as-intended with 27.5 hoops and 130mm of rear travel, but comes with mounting hardware that, along with a swap in shocks, allows the bike to run as a 160mm-travel 26er (and is sold that way as the straight-up Mojo HDR).

Despite some luddite tendencies amongst our test crew, we’ve elected to go new school and run it as a 27.5 bike.

Mojo ID—A Timeless Beauty

As one of the most iconic frame designs in history, the Ibis Mojo continually wows not only its customers but also the bike industry press. In today’s ever-changing world of technology and innovation, it’s rare to find a bike with essentially the same design since its launch 10 years ago still slaying it ion the sales floor as well as the trail. This enduring success is a testament to how great the Mojo and its dw-link suspension really is.

Though similar looking, the HDR does differs structurally from the original HD, boasting a completely different carbon construction method that maintains rigidity and strength while cutting a half-pound of weight. With the standard Fox Float CTD shock, the Mojo HDR 650b frame weighs in at 6 pounds—as-tested, our complete bike tipped the scales at 29.43 pounds.

Despite its iconic looks and enduring rear suspension design, depending on how you like to hydrate, there’s one potentially serious issue with the Mojo HDR—no provision for an easily-reachable water bottle. Yes, there’s a bottle mount on the bottom side of the downtube, but unless you’re some kind of freakish contortionist, you ain’t gonna reach it while riding.

The externally routed cabling might cause some to ask “why?” when other brands are going internal, but there’s no denying the clean cable guide execution and ease of access the Mojo HDR offers.

Spec Highlights

Our test bike was equipped with Stan’s ZTR EX 27.5-inch wheels, a Fox Float CTD Factory Kashima shock, and a Fox Float 34 CTD Kashima fork with 160mm of travel.

By going to the Ibis website, buyers can spec their Mojo HDR 650b with a variety of different build kits. Our test rig was equipped with the Shimano Deore XT build kit, featuring mostly XT shifting—it had an SLX front derailleur—XT brakes with 180mm/160mm rotors, E*13 TRS+ cranks with 34/24 rings, an XT 11-36 cassette, Maxxis Minion DHF 2.35 folding tires, Ibis 740mm carbon bars, and an Ibis aluminum stem. We upgraded the stock Ibis-branded alu seat post to the adjustable KS LEV with 125mm of drop.

With many Ibis fans among both our test crew and readership, we’re anxious to get this bad boy on the trail and see how it stacks up not only against other brands, but the 29-inch-wheeled Ibis Ripley that’s also in our test.

2014 Ibis Mojo HDR 650b Key Specs

Weight: 29.43 pounds (size large)
Wheel size: 27.5-inches (26-inch compatible)
Frame Material: Carbon fiber front and rear triangles
Travel/Suspension: 140mm front/130mm rear; Fox Float 34 CTD front, Fox Float rear
Drivetrain: Shimano XT 2×10; 24t/34t chainring, 10-36 cassette
Brakes: Shimano XT; 180mm front, 160mm rear
Seatpost: KS LEV dropper, 125mm
Wheelset/Tires: Stan’s ZTR EX wheels with Speed Tuned XM hubs and Maxxis Minion DHF 2.35 tubeless folding
Bar/Stem: Ibis 740mm carbon bar; Ibis aluminum stem
Bottom Bracket Type: 68mm BSA English thread
Head Tube Angle: 67.1 degrees
Seat Tube Angle: 71.1 degrees
Chainstay Length: 435mm (17.1 inches)
Bottom Bracket Height: 13.5 inches
Bike MSRP: $5965
Frame MSRP: $2699

For more information visit http://www.ibiscycles.com/bikes/mojo_hdr650b.

This story is part of Mtbr’s 2014 Enduro Compare-O. Check out our intro story here for all the ground rules and goings ons.

If you could have one – and only one – bike, the CruX Elite EVO might just be the choice.

2014 Specialized CruX Elite EVO Rival Disc, MSRP $3,200.

Back in the late 1990s, Specialized was a true value leader. It was tough to find more bike for the money than a Specialized, particularly the Stumpjumper and S-Works line of mountain bikes.

Over the past few years, though, Specialized has gotten a little overzealous with going up-market, becoming one of the first bike manufacturers to sell a mountain bike with a $10,000 price tag. However, with the recent release of the 2014 Specialized CruX Elite EVO Rival Disc, Specialized has refocused its efforts on offering standout value. For $3,200, the CruX Elite EVO is like having four bikes in one.

The CruX Elite EVO is certainly a looker.

At first glance all I could think of was the famous line in Spinal Tap when Nigel Tufnel evaluated their Smell the Glove album cover. “How much more black could this be? And the answer is…none. None more black.” If being murdered out is your style, then the black components, matte black frameset and black wheels on the CruX EVO don’t disappoint. Even the cranks are black.

Highlights of this build include a full carbon fiber frameset and seatpost, (recalled) SRAM hydraulic disc brakes with Double Tap Rival 10-speed shifting, room for 40c knobby tires, and a svelte 18-pound weight when you swap on better wheels and tires. More impressively, the CruX Elite EVO is a bike that can do everything including going off the front in a weeknight training crit, blasting through mud bogs in a local cyclocross race, racing gravel laden double centuries, and even ripping a little mellow singletrack.

How much more black could it be? None. None more black.

Developed specifically for the burgeoning “gravel grinder” subset of racing – combining long road races with dirt and gravel country roads – the Specialized CruX Elite EVO is engineered to provide fast, aerodynamic and comfortable performance for dirt-based endurance races like the Dirty Kanza 200. Two-time winner Dan Hughes piloted a standard Specialized CruX cyclocross bike for back-to-back victories in 2012 and 2013, making small tweaks to the bike including more compact gearing. Specialized essentially took Hughes’ setup and adapted it into what is now the CruX Elite EVO – the bike pro rider Rebecca Rusch piloted to a Dirty Kanza 200 victory in 2013.

Sporting a funky looking FACT CG-R carbon seatpost, 50-34 compact front chainrings, an 11-28 cogset, SRAM hydraulic disc brakes and more relaxed “American style” cyclocross geometry with a lower bottom bracket, the CruX Elite EVO is tailor made for long days in the saddle. And with generous amounts of clearance around both the fork and the bridgeless chainstay/bottom bracket junction, the CruX Elite EVO can handle up to 40c tires. The fork can accommodate an even bigger tire.

The CG-R carbon post sucked up bumpy roads, making for an incredibly smooth ride.

The FACT CG-R seatpost incorporates Zertz vibration damping, and when paired to the FACT carbon frame, the CruX Elite EVO is incredibly comfortable even on the most miserably bumpy and chunked-out roads. For enhanced stiffness and lightning fast acceleration, the CruX Elite EVO sports a burly tapered head tube with tapered FACT carbon disc fork and an oversized BB30 bottom bracket.

A perfectly flat top tube makes for painless shouldering.

A particularly nice feature on all Specialized CruX frames is the flat and wide top tube underside which makes shouldering the CruX an absolute pleasure, eliminating the shoulder soreness that can be caused by thinner, rounder top tubes.

The SRAM hydro disc brakes transformed the performance of the CruX Elite EVO. Now we just need to get the recall replacements.

For me, the highlight of the CruX Elite EVO’s performance came with the SRAM S full hydraulic disc brake system. Yes, this is the system that was recalled by SRAM in early December due to seals that could potentially fail in sub-zero conditions. Although I experienced a little bit of braking sponginess during a two-mile dirt and snow descent in 15 degree temperatures, the SRAM hydraulic disc brakes have otherwise been flawless over more than 1,000 miles of riding during the test period. Once you ride hydraulic discs on the road and dirt, going back to cantilevers or calipers is like going back to drum brakes on your car after having four-wheel discs.

The CruX Elite EVO is a fully capable trail rig.

The hydraulic discs combined with a set of 40c knobby tires set up tubeless opens up a whole new world of off-road discovery for the CruX Elite EVO. Depending on your mountain bike chops, the CruX Elite EVO can be piloted to hang with most hardtail cross-country mountain bikes. Braking control and modulation is remarkable, and the ability to run as low as 35 psi on the trail means stable traction and comfort even over rocky terrain. Although they look a bit oversized at first, the giant SRAM brake hoods that house the hydraulic master cylinder are very ergonomic, making for multiple comfortable hand positions.

Of course we don’t recommend that anyone ignores a recall warnings. If you happen to have a set of SRAM road hydros, better to go through the recall process (get your free replacement mechanical disc brakes), and get excited about SRAM’s version 2.0 hydraulic disc brakes that are slated for release in the spring. Here is all the information you need.

There are also a couple other notes to make with the CruX Elite EVO. First, although the internal cable routing is very clean and aesthetically pleasing, internal cable routing for a hydraulic disc brake can make for headaches and potential system re-bleeding anytime the rear brake needs to be removed from the frame. I’m a big fan of form follows function, so I’d prefer having an externally mounted rear disc cable.

Internally routed rear disc cable looks clean but complicates removal matters.

The Axis 2.0 wheelset that comes standard on the CruX Elite EVO is durable and fully murdered out in black, but they’re rather portly with non-tubeless, 38c Specialized Trigger tires, pushing the CruX EVO to 21 pounds. This is no problem a little extra money can’t fix, because if you’re going to use the CruX Elite EVO for multiple purposes, you’re going to need an extra set of wheels anyway.

I threw a set of Stan’s NoTubes Alpha 340s on with 25c tires for road duty, bringing the weight down to a very reasonable 18 pounds. Figure another pound extra for a relatively lightweight yet durable off-road tubeless setup, and you have a 19-pound bike that can hang across an incredibly wide range of terrain.

At first the tiny 25c road tires look odd given how much clearance the CruX Elite EVO offers, but the upside is the range of tires size options on the CruX Elite EVO is amazing. Riding a road bike with 28c or 30c slicks inspires so much more cornering confidence at high speeds – something you can’t do on a traditional road bike with brake calipers.

Versatility is paramount with the CruX Elite EVO.

So who is this bike for? It’s probably better to ask who isn’t this bike for. This bike isn’t made for the hardcore road or crit racer. They’d be better served with a traditional, race-specific road bike.

But for anyone who wants the speed of a road bike, the masochistic fun of a cyclocross bike, the mild trail riding capability of a mountain bike and the more relaxed “American style” ’cross geometry for all-day gravel grinder comfort and high speed stability, the Specialized CruX Elite Evo Rival Disc is a great choice.

All seasons and all conditions versatility are what the CruX Elite EVO is about.

For $3,200 and the price of an extra wheelset, you are essentially getting four bikes in one: road, cyclocross, fully rigid mountain and gravel grinder. The CruX Elite EVO is the ultimate quiver killer, and the worst part about getting one is seeing all the dust that will collect on your other bikes when they’re demoted to garage rafter duty.

For more information visit www.specialized.com.

Of all the cool bikes in the Enduro Compare-O, one of the most visually striking is the Yeti SB95 C. Sporting the iconic Yeti turquoise paint, and gorgeous, sweeping tube shapes, the SB looks fast even at a standstill. Based on the aluminum SB95—a 127mm rear travel 29er—the C version steps up the with full-carbon fiber construction that saves more than a pound over its alloy breth-ren.

While carbon fiber brings the weight down, price goes the other direction as the C’s $5,800 MSRP is $1,000 more than its alloy counterpart in Yeti’s Shimano XT-based Race build, and right about mid-priced compared to the other bikes in the Enduro Compare-O. Despite that weight sav-ings, the SB95 C is still on the portly side at 29.23 pounds without pedals. It should be noted our tester came equipped with Thompson’s Elite dropper post, a 300 penalty over the non-dropper version that ships with the Race kit—a penalty we’re willing to take 100 percent of the time.

The frame features a tapered head tube up front and a 12x142mm rear thru axle out back for im-proved cornering sharpness. A threaded and splined bottom bracket shell accepts removable ISCG tabs, and clean, custom chain-slap guards highlight a very well thought out design.

Based on its geometry, the Yeti SB95 C looks to be engineered for stability at extremely high speeds. A slack, low-slung 67.5 degree head tube angle and longer 17.5-inch chainstays indicate to us that the Yeti will absolutely shred at terminal velocities, but combined with its heavier weight, might be a little less nimble in tight and twisty sections as compared to the BMC TrailFox, Ibis Ripley and S-Works Enduro 29.

Yeti Switches Things Up

Yeti’s SB bikes rely on their unique Switch Technology suspension system which uses an eccen-tric, direction-switching pivot that initially rotates counterclockwise for improved anti-squat, and more efficient pedaling, especially over rocky, technical uphill terrain. Once the rear Fox Float CTD Kashima shock compresses to mid-stroke, the rotation switches to clockwise, relieving chain force and absorbing trail bumps. Not only is it an innovative design, but it also helps keep the SB95 C rear triangle simple, efficient, and free of extra links and bars.

Control cables run externally on the front triangle, with tidy internal routing on the rear end. Not-so-tidy is the Thompson dropper post’s cable which attaches near the clamp head and moves when you drop the saddle. With 125mm of travel we have concerns of cable rub on the tire under suspension compression. Another annoyance—heel strikes. Just pedaling around the parking lot we noticed that the seatstays were exceptionally wide, causing heel rub when pedaling.

Rounding-out our well-equipped ride—a 140mm Fox Float 34 CTD Kashima fork, full Shimano XT brakes and 2×10 drivetrain, DT Swiss 350/XM wheels with Maxxis Ardent 2.4-inch tires, a Thompson X4 stem, and Easton Haven Carbon handlebars with Yeti lock-on grips. For $5,800, the Yeti SB95 C Race is well equipped. But the real question is, will the SB95 C and its equipment hold up to the demanding trails of Demo Forest?

Editors note: You may notice a Renthal Fatbar handlebar on our test bike—an Easton Haven Carbon is the standard spec, as is a Thompson Elite non-dropper seatpost.

2014 Yeti SB95C Key Specs

Weight: 29.23 lbs
Wheel Size: 29 inches
Frame Material: Carbon fiber front and rear triangles
Travel/Suspension: 127mm rear/140mm front; Fox Float 34 CTD front; Fox CTD Adjust K+
Drivetrain: Shimano XT 2×10; 24t/38t chainrings, Shimano XT Cassette
Brakes: Shimano XT
Seatpost: Thomson Elite dropper post
Wheelset/Tires: DT Swiss 350/XM LTD with Maxxis Ardent 2.4”
Bar/Stem: Easton Haven Carbon/Thomson X4
Bottom Bracket Type: Threaded 73mm
Head Tube Angle: 67.5 degrees
Chainstay length: 444.5mm (17.5 inches)
Bottom Bracket Height: 13.5 inches
Bike MSRP: $5,800 (Thompson Elite Dropper post +$360)
Frame MSRP: $3,000

For more information visit www.yeticycles.com.

This story is part of Mtbr’s 2014 Enduro Compare-O. Check out our intro story here for all the ground rules and goings ons.

This article is part of the Mtbr’s Enduro Compare-O. See all the stories in this special section here–http://reviews.mtbr.com/category/enduro-compare-o-2014

To most American cyclists, Orbea might be a new name in their bike brand vocabulary, but this iconic Spanish brand has been making bikes since 1930. So when Orbea set out to build a bike to rule the Enduro World Series circuit, they focused their efforts on a design that compromised nothing on the downhills yet was efficient pedaling uphill.

As one of the few full aluminum bikes in the Enduro Compare-O, the Orbea Rallon immediately stood out from the pack visually with its hydroformed tubes and big burly aluminum welds. The bright yellow Mavic Crossmax Enduro 27.5-inch wheels and BOS suspension added to the unique Euro styling and flair of the Orbea. A 30-pound curb weight is reasonable; especially considering several carbon fiber competitors that weighed more. The Rallon just looks straight-up Euro trash punk rock—loud, brash and not giving a damn. In other words, it was one of the most anticipated bikes in the Compare-O.

Featuring an extremely laid back and adjustable 66 or 66.5-degree head tube angle and incredibly short 16.6-inch chainstays with its ‘tweener’ wheel size, all the numbers say riding the Rallon should be a blast. Then we looked at the intentionally mismatched front and rear Mavic rims and tires—with a wider front rim and big blocky front tread paired to a narrower rear rim and lower profile rear tread—and we knew immediately that the Rallon was designed for getting loose out back.

Developed in part with French suspension designer BOS, Orbea designed the 160mm travel Rallon to be perfectly balanced front to rear, using a concentric rear dropout pivot system with longer rocker arm that pivots from the downtube for smooth, linear suspension performance. The rear BOS Kirk shock is incredibly adjustable, featuring separate high- and low-speed compression adjustments for those who are particular about suspension setup. The BOS Deville 160mm fork has received great praise for its performance, but doesn’t feature a lockout mode for climbing.

The Advanced Dynamics suspension and geometry is also adjustable to custom tune the ride of the Rallon. With a slight rotation of the eccentric shock mount hardware, bottom bracket height can be adjusted up to 7mm and angles by a half-degree, depending on whether you need to tackle tight, technical trails or ultra high-speed ripping descents.

The Rallon C9-12 is a concentric pivot at the rear 12x142mm axle that’s simpler, lighter and stiffer and is compatible with a traditional quick release. This pivot also enhances stronger and quieter disc brake performance through a direct post mount for 180mm or larger rotors.

Orbea touts their “Downtube Cable Highway”, routing cables down the top of the downtube for less cable rub, unwanted bulge under compression and less maintenance. There’s room for three cables, one of which can be used for a dropper post. It looks great, but only one issue—no room for a downtube bottle cage mount.

Removable ISCG 05 chainguide tabs and a dual-compound chainstay protector complete this extremely well thought-out design. In conclusion, we couldn’t wait to swing our leg over this totally unique Euro enduro racer.

2014 Orbea Rallon Key Specs

Weight: 30 pounds
Wheel Size: 27.5-inches
Frame materal: Aluminum
Travel/Suspension: 160mm front/rear; BOS Kirk rear, BOS Deville front
Drivetrain: 10 speed Shimano XTR 2×10; Race Face Sixc 24Tx36T w/bashguard; 11-36 cassette
Brakes: Formula T1
Seatpost: Rock Shox Reverb dropper post
Wheelset/Tires: Mavic Crossmax Enduro LTD; Mavic Charge 2.4 front, Mavic Roam XL 2.2
Bar/Stem: Race Face Sixc/Atlas
Bottom Bracket Type: Race Face threaded with ISCG tabs
Head Tube Angle: 66/66.5 degrees
Seat Tube Angle: 74.5/75 degrees
Chainstay Length: 420mm
Bottom Bracket Height: 345mm/338mm
Bike MSRP: $6,999
Frame MSRP: N/A

For more information visit www.orbea.com.

This story is part of Mtbr’s 2014 Enduro Compare-O. Check out our intro story here for all the ground rules and goings ons.

This article is part of the Mtbr’s Enduro Compare-O. See all the stories in this special section here–http://reviews.mtbr.com/category/enduro-compare-o-2014

The Specialized S-Works Enduro 29 was one of the most popular bikes on the enduro race circuit in 2013 thanks in part to a killer combination of fast-rolling 29-inch wheels and short,16.9-inch chainstays that made for incredibly nimble cornering performance. What’s more, the S-Works Enduro 29 sports a whopping 155mm of rear suspension travel, clearance for tires up to 2.5-inches wide and a slacked out 67.5-degree head tube angle.

To get those numbers, Specialized engineers used an unprecedented, more -forward seat tube position that, in conjunction with a revised FSR suspension design, creates a 29er capable of massive rear travel while remaining an efficient pedaler.

The Enduro 29 comes equipped with the popular SRAM XX1 drivetrain and SRAM Trail XO four-piston caliper brakes. Perhaps the only downside of the Enduro 29 is that in order to run a two chainring system, you have to use a special mount Specialized calls the “Taco Blade”—a formed aluminum plate that mounts to the main pivot and chainstay. The other downside for many people is the price. At $9,250, the S-Works Enduro 29 was one of the spendiest bikes in the Enduro Compare-O.

With an eye-catching FACT 11M carbon fiber front triangle featuring Specialized’s X-Wing frame design—a trademark configuration that ties top and downtube elements together—the Enduro is a looker. More than just an exercise in cosmetics, the X-Wing is functional, making the frame tighter, stiffer and stronger.

Out back, a welded M5 aluminum rear triangle links to a Cane Creek Double Barrel Air CS shock with its Climb Switch lockout for efficient uphilling. Its foreword counterpart—the much raved-about RockShox Pike RCT3 fork—provides a relatively balanced, 160mm, front end response.

The Enduro 29’s cable routing is very clean and all internal, including routing for an included Specialized Command Post IR dropper post. Also integrated is Specialized’s clever SWAT—Storage, Water, Air, Tools—system that utilizes the bike’s nooks and crannies to carry repair essentials. Tucked underneath the water bottle cage is an integrated multi-tool, while a handy chain tool and extra master link hide underneath the stem cap.

Finally, with an asking price of nearly $10k you knew the wheels would be top shelf too. In the case of the Enduro, that’s a pair of Roval Traverse SL 29 carbons that employ Specialized’s hookless technology, and ride on a DT-Swiss hub internals. Wrapped in Specialized Butcher and Purgatory tires, the kit should make for a sweet, light and grippy combo.

To build a long-travel 29-inch all-mountain bike with chainstays as short as a160mm 26er is no small feat. To have it weigh in at a scant 27.31 pounds is an even more remarkable achievement. Needless to say, we couldn’t wait to point this bike down Braille Trail and get radical.

Specialized S-Works Enduro 29 Key Specs

Weight: 27.31 pounds
Wheel Size: 29-inches
Frame materal: FACT 11M carbon fiber
Travel/Suspension: 160mm front, 155mm rear; Rock Shox Pike RCT3, Cane Creek Double Barrel Air
Drivetrain: SRAM XX1 1×11 with 30T or 32T chainring and 10-42 cassette
Brakes: SRAM XO Trail 4-piston, 200mm front, 180mm rear
Seatpost: Specialized Command Post IR dropper post
Wheelset/Tires: Roval Traverse SL 29 carbon, DT Swiss internals; Specialized Butcher Control 2.3” front and Purgatory Control 29 rear
Bar/Stem: 750mm Specialized alloy bars; Syntace F109
Bottom Bracket Type: PF30
Head Tube Angle: 67.5 degrees
Seat Tube Angle: 69 degrees
Chainstay Length: 430mm (16.9 inches)
Bottom Bracket Height: 350 mm (13.5 inches)
Bike MSRP: $9,250
Frame MSRP: N/A

For more information visit www.specialized.com.

This story is part of Mtbr’s 2014 Enduro Compare-O. Check out our intro story here for all the ground rules and goings ons.

This article is part of the Mtbr’s Enduro Compare-O. See all the stories in this special section here–http://reviews.mtbr.com/category/enduro-compare-o-2014

To say the first impressions of the BMC TrailFox TF01 were polarizing is an understatement. First off, the $8,999 sticker price generated a lot of guffaws and grumbles in the parking lot—a spendy sum for a bicycle, no doubt. And if the price didn’t elicit debate, then the characteristically Swiss design certainly did.

“As with all BMCs, the aesthetics are off-putting–weird tube shapes, clunky visual identity, random adjectives printed on the frame, and a fugly shade of yellow accent,” one rider commented.

To the contrary, another rider’s eye beheld beauty in the TrailFox.

“One of the best looking bikes in the test,” he commented. “Even without the BMC badge, it’s clear this bike is Swiss made—sharp, precise lines, with a clean and a simple rear suspension design.”

Setting aside looks and price, the BMC garnered near universal praise for ride performance.

“This bike made me feel at home after a few moments and seriously made me consider trading in my current bike,” one reviewer gushed with envy. “It rolled very well and was the most stable bike in the air I’ve ever been on.”

Other riders concurred, with one saying, “This bike made me feel like a better rider, which I suppose is about the highest compliment one can pay.”

Primo Parts No Surprise

If you didn’t catch our First Look at the BMC, here’s its key particulars—29-inch wheels with 150mm of rear travel utilizing BMC’s Advanced Pivot System (APS) suspension. It’s managed by a Fox Float X CTD Kashima rear shock paired with a matching 150mm Fox 34 Float CTD Kashima fork up front. As a system, these parts performed superbly no matter what the terrain.

The TF01 also came with a 150mm RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper post, a SRAM XX1 drivetrain, and a stout set of DT Swiss wheels. Riders praised the Swiss attention to detail here as well.

“Clearly someone was paying attention when they put a 28 front chainring on this XX1 setup. For a bike with 29-inch wheels that weighs 27.2 pounds, a 28 or 30 tooth chainring makes a lot of sense,” one commented. “The DT Swiss XM1501 were probably my favorite 29er wheels in the test—stiff, smooth rolling, and great hub engagement.”

The BMC also features internal cable routing that’s made to ease maintenance and repairs. We witnessed it first hand when BMC team rider Aaron Bradford—who stopped by to ride with us and help with bike setup—snapped his rear derailleur cable on Sawpit Trail. The fix—for which Bradford was prepared with a spare cable—was easy, and we were back riding in minutes.

Ascends Like a Swiss Aerial Tram

When the terrain turned uphill, the TrailFox’s APS suspension design bit down hard on the dirt, delivering outstanding grip, shining in the more technical terrain.

“The BMC seemed unflappable on the steep, technical climbs. Keeping the front end planted was effortless. Even out of the saddle, I felt neither excessive bobbing or unwanted feedback through the cranks,” commented one rider. “Whether trying to thread-the-needle between rocks and ruts, or simply powering through them, the bike did precisely what was asked of it.”

Another rider was able to motor straight up a very steep and technical section of Ridge Trail that frustrated other riders throughout our Compare-O.

“I cleaned that section on the BMC without even blinking an eye,” he said. “It was a combination of the incredible anti-squat grip of the rear suspension, and the fact that the BMC was equipped with a 28-tooth front chainring.”

That said, for fast tracks, having a 32- or 34-tooth ring in the toolbox might be a good idea. On wide-open descents it’s conceivable you can spin-out the 28.

Continue to Page 2 for more on the BMC TrailFox TF01 XX-1 Trailcrew and full photo gallery »

This article is part of the Mtbr’s Enduro Compare-O. See all the stories in this special section here–http://reviews.mtbr.com/category/enduro-compare-o-2014

Some might call it a “hack” bike due to fact that the Ibis Mojo HDR was originally designed for 26-inch wheels, but based on rider feedback, the slightly modified geometry and slightly larger 27.5-inch wheels didn’t hurt its performance. In fact, the Mojo HDR 27.5 takes all the positive attributes of the original and adds better cornering grip, rollability and versatility thanks to its ability to run both 26-inch and 27.5-inch wheels with a couple minor linkage tweaks and two different length shocks (You can check out our First Look at the HDR for a more in-depth explanation of the bike’s changeable nature).

At first glance, the test riders’ opinions of the HDR’s looks varied.

“The HDR looks stout and heavy duty as the name suggests. Tires looked substantial and it had a ready for anything vibe. I like seeing ISCG tabs and a threaded bottom bracket. Cable routing looked good, though some might complain the dropper post cable wasn’t internal,” said one test rider. “Tire clearance seemed quite good. Even though I’ve never loved the Mojo’s form factor (industrial design) I really liked the tasteful graphics—in the case of our bike, mostly raw carbon with neon accent.”

Another rider found there to be a significant issue with the Mojo HDR.

“Timeless and iconic design. Love the looks—razor sharp, precise, clean. Neon yellow on the nude carbon pops. I like the external cable routing, easy to access and service. Done cleanly with bolt on cable guides,” mused another rider. “My main gripe about the Mojo is that there’s no provision for an easily reachable water bottle.”

Genius dw-link Gets it Done

David Weagle is truly a boy genius. It seems every bike we ride that sports his suspension design performs with the utmost efficiency both up and downhill. The dw-link on the Mojo HDR is no exception. Boasting either 160mm of rear wheel travel with 26-inch wheels or 130mm of rear travel with 27.5-inch wheels (as tested), the Mojo HDR can go both ways without changing geometry spec of the original Mojo HDR. Our test bike featured a standard Fox Float CTD shock out back and a 140mm Fox Float 34 CTD up front.

Pedaling up the 1,500-foot vertical Sulphur Springs Road climb, riders were impressed overall with the HDR’s climbing prowess, especially considering its somewhat portly 30-pound weight.

“The bike climbs with almost zero pedal induced bob thanks to the dw-link system, even with the CTD system in ‘descend’ mode,” one rider said. “I was astonished to find this bike weighs almost 30 pounds.”

Another rider praised the HDR’s climbing ability as well.

“The HDR holds a line pretty well and the suspension helped the rear tire dig in on loose, steep climbs, even when pedaling erratically. I was actually amazed the rear didn’t break loose a couple times when I picked deliberately poor lines,” he said. “All around I found both Ibis’—I rode the Ripley too—climbed nimbly and efficiently.”

In technical uphill sections, the dw-link showed off its superior anti-squat reputation.

“Very little traction loss even when out of the saddle. The dw-link is so efficient you can climb in ‘trail’ or even ‘descend’ mode through tech sections and maintain traction without bobbing all over the place. This is a true ‘set and forget’ bike,” said yet another rider.

Continue to Page 2 for more on the Ibis Mojo HDR 27.5 and full photo gallery »

The 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo captures everything that is amazing about mountain bike culture.

For the past 15 years in the high desert outside Tucson, Arizona, President’s Day weekend has played host to the largest 24 hour mountain bike race in America; 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo. Dubbed as the “Burning Man of Bike Races”, the event draws nearly 4,000 fat tire fiends, and like a desert rose, a small city pops up out of the ground for only a couple of days and brightens lives before disappearing again for another 364 days.

In my mind, the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo truly captures everything that is so incredible about mountain biking and our beloved mountain bike culture. Amazing trails, breathtaking scenery, a laid-back, fun-loving atmosphere and a small city of likeminded people from all walks of life who just want to get dirty, have fun and ride bikes.

Epic Rides – the same organization known for the popular Whiskey Off-Road – understands all the essential ingredients that make an unforgettable mountain bike event. The golden rule in the desert is “Be Nice” and don’t harsh the mellow; beyond that, the entire community of 4,000 mountain bike nomads are self-policing, and everyone co-exists happily from families with little kids to flask-toting crazies who party it up all hours of day and night. Everyone has a good time, respects one another’s space and peacefully coexists. Events like the 24HOP make me proud to be a mountain biker and remind me why I love this sport so much – it’s as much about riding as it is about the people who ride.

At the 24HOP, there’s no shortage of things to see and do even if you’re not out riding the glorious 16-mile singletrack loop that winds through the Sonoran Desert. Blowing bagpipes during postcard sunsets, costumed crazies roaming aimlessly, fireside banter with new friends and interesting folks from around the world, tales of broken bikes and bones on the trail, impromptu underground dirt crits with beer handups, a drunken gorilla on a fat bike, a displaced yeti running through camp, an angel roaming 24 Hour Town passing out swag and a naked dude riding down the infamous rock slab – no matter what time of day or night, there’s always something going on.

Whether you’re in the desert to ride solo on a singlespeed for 24 hours, ride a fat bike for fun with six other friends, mentor a high school kid new to the sport, support a friend or loved one by cooking meals and cleaning bikes or are simply in attendance to party with purpose and heckle with huevos, so long as you respect your fellow fat tire friend, everyone is welcome in 24 Hour Town.

24HOP is more than just a celebration of the mountain bike; it’s also an event that raises thousands of dollars for charity, non-profits and needy families struggling through tough times. Every Epic Rides event has a number of beneficiaries, and a portion of every registration fee goes to fundraising. This year’s 24HOP raised more than $20,000 for charity, more than $10,000 of it going BAG IT – a non-profit that helps newly diagnosed cancer patients. Every person who enters 24 Hour Town is also asked to donate two canned goods for needy families in hard-hit mining regions of Arizona. This year’s event collected more than four tons of canned goods. Four tons. That’s more than 8,000 pounds of food, equivalent to the weight of two Chevy pickup trucks. The generosity of mountain bikers is simply staggering.

Epic Rides also fully stands behind the development of high school mountain biking and the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA). This year, Epic Rides invited nine high school student athletes to compete in the 24HOP alongside mountain bike legends Rebecca Rusch, Todd Wells and Chloe Woodruff. An opportunity like this is what helps turn a high school kid new to the sport of mountain biking into a life-long enthusiast – and perhaps even a national or world champion athlete.

And to really hook kids on mountain bikes from a young age, this year marked the first Old Pueblo Gymnastics Academy Kids Fun Ride, encouraging children of all ages to ride on their own or with their parents through the desert.

Over the past year there’s been a lot of banter around USA Cycling, sanctioning bodies, non-sanctioned mountain bike events and what the protocol should be. Epic Rides has always been an independent organization not affiliated with any larger sanctioning body, and really, there’s no need for them to partner up with an organization like USA Cycling. Their repeated sell-out event status is proof that people identify with and support what Epic Rides is trying to achieve in the mountain bike community.

Epic Rides gets it; their events are so much more than just a mountain bike race. They are a celebration of mountain bike culture that brings together thousands of like-minded people who value outdoor recreation, healthy living, volunteerism, developing the future of the sport, helping others in need and having a damn good time while doing all of it. There’s something special about people who thrive on riding knobby tires, and it makes me proud to call myself a mountain biker.

I’m not sure where you’ll be on April 25-27, but I know where I’ll be – in Prescott, Arizona at the Whiskey Off-Road riding bikes, drinking beers and meeting new friends. Hope to see you there.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Photos courtesy of Epic Rides, Devon Balet and Vernie Aikins.

This article is part of the Mtbr’s Enduro Compare-O. See all the stories in this special section here–http://reviews.mtbr.com/category/enduro-compare-o-2014

The all-aluminum Orbea Rallon stood out from our 20-plus bike test fleet for a number of reasons. First, it was one of the few all-aluminum bikes in the test. Second, it had a unique BOS front and rear suspension system specially designed for the Rallon. And third, its curb appeal was undeniable.

“Punk rock, rowdy, in your face Euro trash style going on with this whip,” said one rider. “Absolutely love the loud yellow Mavic Crossmax Enduro wheelset. Everyone who came back from riding this bike had an ear-to-ear grin on their face, so I figured it must be worth a try.”

Once we swung our legs over the Rallon, we noticed that the frame has quite a long top tube. Orbea confirmed that sizing runs on the large size, with a couple 6-foot-tall riders fitting perfectly on the medium size frame.

Rallon on the rise

Climbing up Sulphur Springs fire road, riders seemed satisfied with the way the Rallon ascended. The steep 74.5-degree seat tube angle puts the rider in a forward pedal-friendly position good for technical climbing.

Photo by Tyler Frasca.

“The BOS suspension didn’t have any lockouts like the FOX CTD system, but even with the suspension set fully open, the bike climbed quite well with minimal pedal-induced bob,” commented on test rider. “Not quite as quick feeling uphill as the Mojo HDR or even the Bronson for that matter, but still felt eager despite its 30 lb. weight with XTR pedals.”

Another rider had a few issues with pedal strikes through more technical climbing sections due to its rather low 13.3-inch bottom bracket height. Pedal strikes were also a slight issue on downhill sections as well, forcing riders to be mindful of crank angle and pedaling through corners, especially with the rear suspension compressed. It should also be noted that the test bike only had 170mm long cranks, which would make pedal strikes with 175mm cranks even more common.

Railin’ the Rallon

The Orbea Rallon was created specifically to rule the Enduro World Series circuit, and unlike most bikes that design suspension around suspension leverage rate, the Rallon Advanced Dynamics suspension was designed alongside BOS to control 160mm of rear travel through shock tuning. This gives the BOS Kirk rear shock much more influence on the feel of how the Rallon descends.

With separate rebound, high- and low-speed compression settings, the BOS Kirk shock is incredibly tunable, which might be intimidating for some who just prefer a set-and-forget mentality. For those, the Rallon can be equipped with the FOX Float CTD shock. With the BOS Kirk shock matched to the 160mm BOS Deville front fork, it gave the Rallon one of the most balanced feels of any bike in the test.

With a minor turn of the eccentric shock mount hardware, the Rallon can adjust bottom bracket height up to 7mm and angles by a half-degree depending on terrain. A concentric pivot at the rear 12×142 axle makes for a super stiff overall chassis as well as stronger and quieter braking. All of these innovations help the Rallon absolutely shred when gravity calls. Once pointed downhill, the Rallon displayed as much attitude in action as it does at rest, with one rider singing its rowdy praises.

Photo by Tyler Frasca.

“I couldn’t stop hooting and hollering on this bike,” one rider effused. “It’s capable and willing to be hucked off anything and feels burly as brass balls.”

With its unique suspension design and 160mm of travel, the Rallon soaked up brake bumps and rough sections of trail with the smoothness of a 29er. In sections where other 27.5-inch bikes like the Ibis Mojo HDR had difficulty staying composed, the Rallon charged through without hesitation.

Another unique aspect of the Rallon is its purposefully mismatched front and rear wheel/tire combo. The Mavic Crossmax Enduro wheelset features a wider front rim and blocky Mavic Charge 2.4-inch tire paired to a narrower rear rim and a lower-profile Mavic Roam XL 2.2-inch tire. This intentionally unorthodox combination made the Rallon oversteer into corners, encouraging riders to slide it through turns. Its exceptionally short 16.5-inch chainstays—the shortest of any bike in our test—helped the Rallon turn with superior eagerness and agility.

Continue to Page 2 for more on the Orbea Rallon and full photo gallery »

We test four different winter MTB shoes to find the ideal kicks for wet, muddy and sub-freezing conditions.

It might be March, but don’t tell that to all those half-frozen humans living in the Midwest and East Coast, where it’s been one of the worst winters on record. For many, riding outside in subzero conditions is absolutely out of the question. But for those few lunatics who have to get their fix outdoors on the bike no matter how wet, cold and oppressive the winter has been, some good insulated footwear is required to keep the feet from becoming ice blocks.

My feet have always been the weak link when it comes to cold winter rides on the bike. No matter how many pairs of thick wool socks I put on, my toes go numb within the first hour of a ride. Actually, my winter rides don’t really begin until I can’t feel my toes anymore.

Since wearing booties on a mountain bike ride absolutely sucks and wearing a plastic bag between two layers of socks keeps my feet warm in a pinch, yet sweaty as all hell, I decided that a legitimate pair of winter mountain bike shoes was needed. Thankfully there’s no shortage of options out there, and I was able to rustle up four different shoes courtesy of Shimano, Specialized, Mavic and Lake.

Specialized Defroster

Weight (pair of size 47): 1150 grams
Price: $200
More Info: www.specialized.com

I got to use the Specialized Defroster in a number of different scenarios including full on mountain bike rides in 15 degree temperatures and a 90-mile road ride in the mid-30 degree temperatures, which is what makes the Defroster so great – it’s extremely versatile. While a few other shoes have gnarly, aggressive tread, the Defroster has a more subdued outsole that could almost pass for a winter road shoe but still has enough tread to handle most muddy and snowy conditions.

The injection-molded midsole offers a reasonable amount of stiffness for good power delivery, yet still flexes nicely when off the bike and hiking up hills. But for real nasty mud and snow, you’ll need to use toe spikes because the Defroster tread alone isn’t quite aggressive enough.

Thinsulate 400 gram insulation lining keeps heat in while letting moisture escape, and even on the coldest rides, with one Merino wool sock layer, my feet stayed surprisingly warm. My hands were a different story though. I think I did permanent nerve damage to them on a 15-degree ride with a three-mile downhill.

This was the first pair of shoes I ever had with the BOA closure system, and it kicked ass. Lightweight, simple, and effective, the BOA system is flawless, however, it can be subject to user error. There is a tendency to want to over-tighten the BOA closure, which not only cuts off blood flow to an ever expanding foot and making it cold, but also causing pain on the top of the foot. It was happening to me until a friend said to loosen the BOA closure. After I backed off, the shoe was much more comfortable and warmer too.

The neoprene upper collar with a seam-sealed internal bootie does an exceptional job of comfortably locking in heat and keeping water out, and the wider toe box for thicker socks was a welcome feature for my gargantuan feet.

A sheet rubber heel and toe make the Defroster look durable, while a flap over the midsection of the shoe gives it a distinct bootie-type look. A few of my roadie buddies mistook the Defroster for a road shoe with a winter bootie over it.

Who is this shoe for?

The Defroster is perfect for someone who wants one shoe to do both winter road and mountain bike rides. It’s capable enough to handle wet, muddy and extremely cold conditions off-road, but also sleek and low profile enough to look good as a winter road-riding shoe (provided you put mountain bike pedals on your road bike).

Continue to Page 2 for the Shimano MW81 shoe review »

Mountain biking may have been born in the hills above Fairfax, but due to a vocal and powerful group that restricts mountain bike access, that’s all it can claim.

Photo by Mtbr user kingshredd.

There could be no greater case of irony in mountain biking than the recent announcement that the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame will open inside the Marin Museum of Bicycling near the sport’s birthplace in Fairfax, Calif. this spring. For those who’ve lived in Marin County, or ever tried riding mountain bikes there, you fully understand the irony. But for those who don’t, let me explain.

Marin County has among the worst access for mountain biking in the entire United States. That’s right, the hallowed birthplace of our sport has virtually zero narrow trail access in places like Point Reyes National Seashore, Mt. Tamalpais State Park, Olompali State Historic Park and on the vast Marin Municipal Water District watershed lands. No singletrack access at all.

Of course there is the very popular China Camp, but it requires a paid pass to ride. Though Camp Tamarancho on the flanks of Mt. Tam has some really fun singletrack–as well as an awesome flow trail built with hundreds of hours of volunteer labor–it’s on private land owned by the Boy Scouts of America and requires either a $45 annual pass or a $5 day pass each time you want to ride it.

Photo by Mtbr user tburger.

The Marin County Open Space District (MCOSD) is the area’s only land manager that doesn’t outright ban mountain bikes, however they only begrudgingly allow it on a few token narrow trails. How nice of them. I mean, it’s not like mountain bikers pay the same taxes that equestrians and hikers do to fund the salaries of MCOSD employees and their draconian anti-mountain bike policies.

As this column is being written, there is the biggest revision in the district’s history happening called the Road and Trail Management Plan (RTMP). This RTMP revision will update trail access standards for decades to come, and it has already determined that mountain bikers are the second largest user group behind hikers.

Photo by Mtbr user Turd Ferguson.

So then if mountain bikers are the second largest user group according to the MCOSD, then why is it that out of 346 miles of “narrow trail” in Marin County, only 23 miles—or a pathetic 6 percent—is open to mountain bikes? Equestrians account for 0.4 percent of users, yet they have access to 91 percent of open space trails.

If that isn’t frustrating enough, the most recent development is the hotly contested case of the Scott Valley Jumps. Built on an old homeless encampment with dirt and tailings from a train tunnel dug long ago, these jumps in Mill Valley have been in existence for more than 15 years. The jumps are a secret to nobody, and actually a staple of the local bike community.

MCOSD has known about the jumps for a long time, and conveniently, just as the RTMP process is in full swing they suddenly “discover” these illegally made jumps, making patently false public claims in this totally biased Marin Independent Journal article about how mountain bikers just recently built them, creating noise, hazards and environmental damage.

It’s a perfectly planned public slap in the face to the mountain bike community right at a time when crucial decisions are being made about trail access in Marin County for the next couple of decades. But since the MCOSD is in the back pocket of a select group of hikers, equestrians and biased local media, future matters look rather bleak for mountain bikers in Marin unless a sea change of activism and involvement starts happening right now.

Adding insult to injury, an open space maintenance tax called Measure A was passed in 2012 by Marin voters. It was sold to the mountain bike community as a way to generate revenue for trail building, but is turning out to be a revenue source for the MCOSD to hire more rangers to patrol trails and issue citations for those caught riding illegal trails.

Mountain bike advocacy group Access4Bikes claims they are at an “unprecedented crossroads” for improving trail access in Marin County, and are doing everything they can to influence future plans. They’ve raised nearly $10,000 for the cause, much of which came from raffling-off a bike—a Rocky Ridge 7.6 generously donated by Marin Bikes.

Photo by Mtbr user mechagouki.

But given the pathetic condition of trail access, is this really the place where we want to put the epicenter of celebrating mountain bike culture, its history and paying homage to the sport’s pioneers? With all due respect and great appreciation to all the pioneers of our beloved sport who live in Marin County—at least in the current political state and paltry access to trails—the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame simply does not deserve to be in Fairfax.

Mountain biking may have been born on the hallowed slopes of Mount Tam, but there’s a whole lot more history that’s happened elsewhere. Due to vocal and ignorant eco-zealots, biased local media and manipulative open space district employees, it is one of the most anti-mountain bike locales in the country. It’s a shame too, because if even half the singletrack in Marin County was open to bikes, it could be one of the greatest places to ride in the country.

Until MCOSD employees, the local media and residents wake up and realize mountain bikers are a huge asset and not a liability, and unless more mountain bikers in Marin take up the fight for the access they rightfully deserve, the situation will only get worse.

Photo by Mtbr user repack_rider.

As for those who say having the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in Marin will help in organizing a bigger voice for pro-bike advocacy, I call bullshit of the highest order. Most mountain bikers in Marin County don’t get involved in local advocacy, let alone even knowing a Mountain Bike Hall of Fame exists. So you’re telling me that once they discover it’s in Fairfax, they’re suddenly going to get jingoistic, rise up and fight for trail access? Please.

The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame should be in a town where the mountain bike is embraced, loved and an integral part of the town’s culture. Before its move to Fairfax, the HOF was in Crested Butte, but the town’s isolation attracted barely enough visitors to keep the lights on. It’s too bad the HOF had to leave Crested Butte, because that town captured the essence of the mountain bike and our culture perfectly. In any case, a better home would be a place like Durango, where the entire town eats, breathes and sleeps mountain bikes.

Pedal in any direction, and within a mile you’re on ribbon singletrack for as long as the heart desires. Entire families in Durango head out on mountain bike rides daily. Kindergartners, high schoolers and even students at Fort Lewis College participate in mountain bike development programs. Numerous mountain bike luminaries like Tomac, Overend and Roll call the area their home.

Durango is where the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame belongs, not in a place where people spit on mountain bikers as vandals, law-breakers and second-class citizens.

So if you live in Marin County, ride a mountain bike, or have kids who like to ride and you’ve never gotten involved in local advocacy, start today by contacting Access4Bikes and fighting to save the Scott Valley Jumps. It’s not too late to do your part in helping make Marin live up to its iconic mountain biking roots.

This article is part of the Mtbr’s Enduro Compare-O. See all the stories in this special section here–http://reviews.mtbr.com/category/enduro-compare-o-2014

Sporting the classic turquoise Yeti livery and beautifully sculpted carbon fiber tube shapes, the Yeti SB95C was arguably one of the most visually captivating bikes in the Enduro Compare-O. While some other bikes sport complex linkages, bars and multi-valve shocks, the eccentric pivot design execution of the Yeti is refreshingly clean and simple with minimal pivots or linkages. But did the Yeti’s riding characteristics match the knockout looks?

On the Ascent

The Yeti SB95C was a curious climber. On the first section of wide-open fire road up the 1,500 vertical foot Sulphur Springs trail, test riders noted that the Yeti felt a bit sluggish due to its 30-pound weight and 29-inch wheels.

Photo by Tyler Frasca.

However, once into the steeper, more technical and rocky sections, the eccentric pivot suspension design of the Yeti known as Switch Technology did a superb job of biting down for catlike grip. Initial suspension travel on the eccentric pivot moves in a counterclockwise direction when climbing, improving anti-squat for more efficient pedaling performance.

With the Fox CTD Adjust Kashima rear shock in Climb mode, very little pedal-induced bob was felt, and with the added traction, one test rider cleaned the steepest and most technical section of Ridge Trail, something he wasn’t able to do on the lighter Santa Cruz Bronson.

“Suspension works very well through rocky tech sections and the bike feels very well balanced,” he noted. “So long as you keep the speed up, the Yeti can clean a lot of techy spots that other lighter bikes with smaller wheels get hung up on.”

Photo by Tyler Frasca.

Although the Yeti climbed well for its weight class, there was one issue that several riders noted. The SB95C features extremely wide seatstays, causing frequent heel strikes when pedaling. The strikes were so frequent, in fact, that black scuff marks could be seen on the area in question. As with the Lapierre Spicy 527 we tested—and any bike, really—we recommend a test ride to see if you have interference issues like this.

Big Wheels Bring High-Speed Stability

Thanks to its simple and efficient 127mm Switch Technology rear suspension design, the Yeti SB95C delivered confidence-inspiring performance on rolling terrain and high-speed corners, especially when paired to the capable Fox Float 34 CTD fork with 140mm of travel. One rider commented the Yeti felt solid, with no perceived slop in any of the systems. He also called its responsiveness instant, thanks in part to a solid, stout rear end featuring a 12x142mm rear thru-axle.

Photo by Tyler Frasca.

The slacked out head tube angle of 67.6-degrees and longer 17.5-inch chainstays equated to a bike with superior high-speed stability and cornering. A large 2.4-inch Maxxis Ardent front tire helped dig into the hard-packed Demo Forest dirt. One of the test riders took the Yeti down the fire road decent of Corral Trail, a trail where speeds can easily approach 40 mph.

“I got the Yeti loose in a few high-speed turns, but it pulled through with impressive composure giving me added confidence,” said one rider. “Other bikes with 27.5-inch tires would have been sent skittering off into the weeds.”

The only downside of the longer chainstays on the Yeti is its less nimble handling characteristics in really tight, technical spots with numerous switchbacks. The Yeti is definitely better suited for more open, high-speed descending.

Continue to Page 2 for more on the Yeti SB95C and full photo gallery »

This article is part of the Mtbr’s Enduro Compare-O. See all the stories in this special section here–http://reviews.mtbr.com/category/enduro-compare-o-2014

Before the Specialized S-Works Enduro 29 even rolled out of the parking lot, we knew this bike was something very special. Since launching in early 2013, the Enduro 29 has been an award-winning, podium-dominating machine thanks to a groundbreaking short-chainstay design that mixes the nimble handling of a 26-inch bike with the benefits of bigger 29-inch wheels and 155mm of rear suspension travel.

As we stated in our First Look at this bike, the Enduro 29 is an understated yet eye-catching looker. Its matte black and white paint scheme compliments the bike’s signature X-Wing front triangle which not only adds to the aesthetics but strengthens and stiffens the front end.

Photo by Tyler Frasca.

Onward and upward

Given its reputation, there was no doubt the Enduro 29 was going to slay downhill, but what about uphill? When we threw it on the scale we were stunned to find this long-travel 29er weighed in at only 27.3 pounds. Of course, our test bike was outfitted with all the fixins including SRAM XX1, Roval Traverse SL 29 carbon wheels and a heart-stopping $9,250 price tag. Yeah, a lot bit pricey for most people, but then again, a bike like this is not made for most people.

On fire road climbs, riders said the Enduro 29 ascended like a really efficient 140mm bike, with solid traction out of the saddle and an overall eagerness often lacking in other long-travel 29ers. A new lockout feature on the Cane Creek Double Barrel Air CS shock helped pedaling efficiency on longer, steeper climbs. On the technical uphills, the Enduro 29 continued to impress.

“The short chainstay positions the rear wheel directly under the rider for great rear wheel traction while in the saddle and on steeper climbs,” said one rider. “The flip side is that if you applied too much power, it would lift the front wheel a bit. Once you get used to the short rear end, you’ll find you can climb technical stuff very well.”

Photo by Tyler Frasca.

Quick and nimble

The extremely short 16.9 inch chainstays on the Enduro 29 are part of what makes this bike such a standout. Not only does it help the bike climb better, but cornering, lifting and rolling terrain performance are also enhanced. One of the test riders compared the Enduro 29 to his personal bike—a Specialized Stumpjumper EVO—which has both longer chainstays and less rear travel.

“On rolling terrain, the Enduro 29 feels like a shorter-travel bike—if I didn’t look down at the bike I couldn’t tell the difference between my Stumpy EVO and the Enduro,” he explained. “The one thing that stands out, again, is the short chainstays.

“You can lift the front to manual obstacles with ease—substantially easier than with any other 29er I’ve ridden,” he continued. “This doesn’t equate to a faster bike, but it certainly makes it a more fun one.”

Other test riders were equally smitten with the Enduro 29’s short stays—along with the primo wheelset—and resultant handling.

“The exceptionally short chainstays, and stiff Roval carbon wheels made the Enduro 29 handle with the sharpness and agility of a 26-inch wheel bike,” concurred another rider. “I couldn’t believe this bike was a 29er—it has uncanny handling prowess.”

Photo by Tyler Frasca.

The undisputed king of descent

Despite the cheers for its handling and climbing abilities, the real pleasure and praise for the Enduro 29 came once the bike was pointed downhill.

“Hands down the best descender in the test,” said one rider. “Simply amazing and effortless. So smooth at warp speed. This bike doesn’t come alive until most riders are at their absolute limits.

“The Rock Shox Pike up front and 155mm out back made Braille Trail like a kiddie pump track,” he continued. “Even the most stutter-bumped sections of trail were smoothed out like a sheet of glass. Such a treat to ride downhill.”

The M5 welded aluminum FSR rear triangle with a 12×142 rear thru-axle delivered burly performance while the Cane Creek Double Barrel Air CS shock delivered rear end plushness that seemed to have no limits. The RockShox Pike up front—despite a couple issues detailed below—was an absolute standout performer, upping the bike’s overall plushness.

Continue to Page 2 for more on the Specialized S-Works Enduro 29 and full photo gallery »

Don’t lauf, this funky fork serves a useful, yet very narrow purpose

Answering the question that was never asked. It happens a lot in the modern world of prosperity and globalization. The mere fact that a consumer has a thousand dollars to spend on a complete bicycle—let alone some whiz-bang carbon mountain bike fork—is exactly the reason why a thousand-dollar whiz-bang carbon fork like the Lauf Trail Racer (TR) 29 exists in the first place.

So assuming a question was asked before the first Lauf TR 29 came to being, what question could it possibly have been? “Can someone make a 60mm travel non-suspension suspension fork that weighs more than a rigid carbon fork, but less than a proper suspension fork, costs more than both and doesn’t perform better than either?” Or perhaps “Can I spend $990 on a 60mm travel fork that has zero damping rebound, flexes like crazy in corners and bobs like mad when spinning at a high cadence?”

Perhaps I’m being a bit harsh on the Lauf TR 29. On the positive side, at least for me, the Lauf TR 29 does look pretty cool. Not everyone would agree, as I’ve heard less flattering descriptions including “death trap,” “that thing’s a lauf-ing stock” and “looks like an uglier version of an AMP Research fork.”

No doubt it has a polarizing appearance, but one thing’s for certain, get the Lauf TR 29 and you’ll be the only person on your block—and perhaps in the western hemisphere—to own one. That’s got to be worth something, right?

Leaf spring concept

Before going into how the Lauf TR 29 rides, let’s discuss a few details around its design concept. Hailing from Nordic island of Iceland, the Lauf TR 29 is a 29-inch-wheel-specific fork with a 1.5- to 1-1/8-inch tapered steerer that weighs a relatively light 990 grams. It runs a 180mm or larger brake rotor and can fit up to a 2.35-inch tire.

All 60mm of travel on the Lauf TR 29 comes through the Lauf Spring System (LSS), essentially a series of small composite leaf springs bonded between a carbon fiber fork and 15mm thru-axle dropout mechanism called a Springer. Each stack of leaf springs—called a Springstack—is bonded into the fork and Springer through an Integrated Spring Pocket.

A major positive of this design is that the Lauf is absolutely zero-maintenance. No leaky seals, no fork rebuilds, nothing. Just ride. Another upside is that there’s zero friction which makes the fork energy efficient. And with an impressively low 200 grams of unsprung weight, the TR 29 does a good job of absorbing small bumps.

The 60mm of travel is progressive, so initial small hits are easily absorbed. When bigger hits are experienced, the suspension stiffens to prevent bottom out, and during the test period I never once managed to bottom out the TR 29, mainly because I didn’t trust the fork enough to send it off any significant drops. But the folks at Lauf said I shouldn’t worry, as they’ve put prototypes through more than 170,000 shock cycles without any indication of wear. Additionally, the engineers behind the fork have a lot of experience with composites, with a background in designing high-performance prosthetic feet. If Oscar Pistorius can compete in the Olympics with prosthetic feet, then I’m pretty confident the Lauf is gonna hold up.

Weight-specific options

For optimal performance based on rider weight, the Lauf TR 29 is offered in two versions—Regular and Light. Regular is optimized for riders above 143 pounds while the Light is ideal for riders below 154 pounds. Both versions carry five-year warranties for riders up to 240 pounds. What about outside five years? The Lauf website says “please contact us anyways because we still care about you.” That’s reassuring…I think.

A rocky ride in the rocks

Although it looks cool, garners odd stares and questions wherever I go, and sort-of works depending on the terrain, I still really struggle to understand the purpose of this fork. Because it has no rebound damping, the TR 29 is a complete pogo stick in rocky, technical terrain. Jam down a technical section of trail, and once the fork gets into a rhythm, it starts bouncing almost uncontrollably to the point that it sends you into the weeds.

Trying to turn when the fork is pogoing is a nerve-wracking proposition, constantly sending you off line and losing traction right when you need it most. Quite honestly, this fork felt dangerous in the rocks, forcing me to significantly back off my typical descending speed. At least with a rigid fork you know exactly how it’s going to perform. It might not soak up many bumps, but you know it isn’t going to pogo and shoot you off a cliff.

A little better on the smooth stuff

So then let’s talk about smoother terrain. On buffed out trails with occasional bumps and small rocks, the Lauf works great, but so does a rigid carbon fork that weighs a pound less and costs several hundred dollars less. A rigid fork also sucks up just as many bumps when paired to a big, fat cushy 2.4-inch front tubeless tire. Plus the rigid fork is far more stiff and predictable in corners. Simply lean sideways on the front wheel with the TR 29 at a standstill and you can see how much the front wheel flexes side-to-side—not great for aggressive, high-speed cornering.

On a singlespeed the Lauf is also no good because as soon as you start spinning anywhere above 130 rpms, you can feel the front end start to bounce—an especially unsettling and irritating sensation when you’re on the bike for hours at a time.

So if it’s not capable enough in rocky terrain, not as stiff and predicable enough in smoother terrain and costs more than a proper high-end 100mm-tavel suspension fork, who would want to buy a Lauf TR 29?

I emailed the company and asked them that exact question. They promptly got back to me and said that the fork is specifically designed for fast-rolling marathon courses and typical cross-country courses to take the edge off many small hits that fatigue the body after hours on the bike. Lauf believes that when conditions slightly worsen—especially when an event can run as long as 100 miles—a rigid fork begins to take a toll on the body. The Lauf also delivers better traction in loose, gravely corners than a rigid fork.

Lauf also states that a traditional suspension fork can work well for marathon events, but riders usually end up locking it out for a fair amount of the race, resulting in an overweight fork that needs constant attention based on changing conditions. Lack of rebound damping is a significant downside of the Lauf, but damping on a proper suspension fork equates to energy loss, whereas the Lauf returns that energy to forward momentum through the LSS system.

But perhaps the biggest advantage of running a Lauf TR 29 is it’s rolling efficiency over a rigid fork with a fatter front tire. Running a knobby 2.4-inch front tire with low tire pressure drops rolling efficiency significantly—definitely an undesirable characteristic on high-speed trails and dirt roads. Because the Lauf offers 60mm of travel, one can run a thinner, lighter tire at a higher pressure for more rolling efficiency and less energy loss without losing any suspension advantage.

Who is this fork for?

Okay, so we’ve figured out the target market for the Lauf TR 29—an XC/marathon racer who has $990 to spend on a suspension fork that works really well on smooth and semi-bumpy surfaces. Seems like the nichiest of niches to me, but hey, I’m not here to judge whether or not the folks at Lauf are entrepreneurial geniuses. For its intended purpose, the Lauf TR 29 works perfectly. It makes sense, sort of, but are there enough mountain bikers in the world clamoring for this type of suspension solution? As the Zen master always says, “we’ll see”.

Availability

Lauf expects the fork to ship in May, but are accepting pre-orders on their website now. Order before April 15 and they’ll knock another 10-percent off and enter you to win an all-expense paid trip to Iceland for an epic mountain bike adventure.

Lauf Trail Racer 29 Fork (TR 29)

Intended use: Cross country
Size: 29-inch wheel only, 1.5- to 1-1/8-inch tapered steerer
Materials: Carbon with aluminum hardware
Travel: 60mm
Spring type: Carbon leaf springs
Brake type: 180mm or larger post mount
Tire width capacity: 2.35-inches
Weight: 990 grams/2.2-pounds
MSRP: $990
Available: May 2014

For more information visit www.laufforks.com.

Jeans comfortable enough to ride in yet stylish enough to wear off the bike

Yes, we all ride mountain bikes here at Mtbr, but from time-to-time we also ride bikes with skinny tires—especially commuting to-and-from work. Some of us don’t mind getting all dressed up in colorful lycra, but others wouldn’t be caught dead in it. For those who prefer wearing more casual bike attire, San Francisco-based Betabrand has something for you.

In addition to their ever-popular DiscoLab line that yours truly has been rocking with the disco ball helmet, Betabrand also offers a complete line of pants, jackets and shirts designed specifically for two-wheel commuters. Their Bike to Work line is designed to be both comfortable on the bike as well as stylish, so that when you show up at the office you can get right down to business without looking like some lycra-clad commuter dweeb.

Since November I’ve been wearing what Betabrand calls their Bike to Work Britches, but really, they’re jeans. They look exactly like your basic pair of jeans with classic five-pocket styling, metal rivets on the hand pockets, a coin pocket and tasteful white contrast stitching. But take a closer look and you’ll quickly discover these ain’t yo daddy’s britches.

The Betabrand Britches feature denim that’s slightly stretchable, made of 88 percent cotton, 10 percent polyester and 2 percent Lycra for much easier movement than traditional jeans. They also have a gusseted crotch, which might sound painful, but trust me, it makes for a much more enjoyable riding experience.

The Britches are also loaded with cool little features including a U-lock loop in the back left waistband, an internal phone pocket, carabiner loops at the bottom of each belt loop and slightly higher back rise to prevent you from looking like some douchey fixie hipster poet with your asscrack hanging out.

Perhaps the handiest features of the Bike to Work Britches are the hidden reflective accents. The rear left pocket features a flip out triangle flag with reflective tape on it for riding at night. And if you’re into pegging your pantlegs, the inseam and outseam on the inside leg features reflective 3M Scotchlite reflector fabric. The inside back right leg also features a reflective Betabrand logo.

So how do they work? Well in the four months I’ve had them, I have to say, all my other jeans have collected dust on hangers. As comfortable as the Betabrand jeans are to ride in, they’re even more comfortable to wear casually. As a matter of fact, these jeans are actually the most comfortable jeans I’ve ever worn and they look every bit as stylish as a pair of designer jeans.

But a word of warning for those of you who are deathly afraid of any jeans that have a tighter fit: you might be too big for these britches. Although these aren’t what you would consider hipster skinny jeans, the Betabrand Britches definitely hug your thighs, especially if you have devastatingly massive thighs like me. But because they have some stretch, they’re extremely comfortable.

Another word of warning—wash these jeans by themselves for the first four or five times. They have a fair amount of blue dye that leaks in the wash, and if you put these in with your whites, your whites won’t be white for long.

At $108, the Betabrand Britches are not cheap, but they are Made in USA and a much better value than equivalent designer jeans because of their versatility for both on and off-the-bike usefulness. Trying to ride in traditional jeans is like wiping your backside with sandpaper. Riding in the Betabrand Britches is like wiping with aloe-infused triple-ply.

The Britches are available in both men’s and women’s sizes, and if jeans aren’t your bag, Betabrand also offers the Britches in black, khaki, gray and olive. Now if Betabrand were to come out with some Enduro™ approved Jorts, they’d really be onto something.

For more information visit www.betabrand.com.