This week we have some wild new mountain bikes, particularly from Spot and Lapierre that introduce entirely new suspension designs! For road, Mavic is finally showing what they’ve been working on, Canyon gives us mix-and-match aero cockpits, and POC puts a carbon wing on their helmet. Plus a very affordable dropper, very expensive barrel adjusters, and lots more! Here’s the best new stuff this week:
- Spot Mayhem 140
- Ibis Ripley & Ripmo
- Lapierre Spicy CF
- Specialized Status 2
- Esker Smokey & Lorax
- PNW Range dropper
- 2025 Mavic wheels
- Canyon Aeroad v4
- POC Cytal
- ShockStop Pro Endurance seatpost
- Fizik Beat
- Paul Baby Groovy
Spot Mayhem 140 is lighter, tougher & shreddier
With typical “VPP” suspensions, the rear triangle moves on an upper and lower linkage. Spot’s signature flex plate leaf spring, the Living Link, replaces the lower link with a flexible leaf spring called Living Link. For the new Mayhem 140, it gets flipped upside-down for a 3rd generation “Inversion” design.
The result is a more sensitive suspension with a dome-shaped Anti-Squat curve that keeps things active on the front and end of travel, but supports in the middle where you’re most likely pedaling. Which means it’s efficient without needing a lockout, and the leverage curve flattens out in the middle to bolster rider support there, too.
The frame is 10% lighter than the prior model yet has 10mm more travel (140mm) with a new single-sided truss called Slaybar next to the shock to prevent unwanted flex. There are only six bearings, so there’s less to wear out, too.
Two really cool features include a removable bottle cage mount that’s slotted to accommodate a tool strap and held by the lower link mount, eliminating “rivnuts”, and front cable ports that bolt to each other through the frame, so there’s no threaded inserts on the frame there. Comes with 150mm forks, four frame sizes, three builds from $5,999 to $9,499. Frameset is $3,799. 29er only.
New Ibis Ripley & Ripmo add internal storage & MX capability
The new Ibis Ripley V5 gets further than ever from its XC roots with longer 130mm travel & 140mm forks, slacker geometry, and the option to run it mullet style thanks to a flip-chip on the upper linkage mount that keeps the geo the same either way.
New downtube storage hides your snacks and tools in custom dual Cotopaxi bags made from dead stock, so each bag is unique. The bike now comes in five frame sizes thanks to a new “Extra-Medium” for those in-between people. Size-specific geometry and kinematics keep the DW-Link suspension feeling great across all sizes. Bikes from $4,999 to $8,199, framesets $3,499.
The new Ibis Ripmo V3 gets most of the same frame updates, including downtube storage and Extra-Medium option, but adds coil shock compatibility thanks to a shorter clevis and more progressive shock rate. Travel is 150mm with 160mm forks. It also has the flip chip, but XM/L/XL come as a 29er and SM/MD come MX. Bikes from $4,999 to $8,499, framesets $3,699.
Lapierre Spicy CF switches between high & low pivot suspensions
Been curious about running a high-pivot bike with idler but don’t want to commit? Or you want one bike for both enduro racing (with climbing) and park laps (with shuttles)? The new Lapierre Spicy CF lets you switch between high pivot and a standard layout to get the best of both worlds.
Kinematics are similar, but the wheel path changes. High Pivot mode has a more rearward motion plus more anti-rise during braking for faster all-out descending. Low Pivot mode has less pedal kickback for more efficient pedaling, and lower anti-squat for more a more dynamic ride.
All parts are included to swap between the two, and flip chips let you adjust geometry and switch between 29er and MX, with travel changing from 170mm to 174mm. Forks are 180mm, there’s a new XS frame size, and it has internal downtube storage in the lightweight (~3.2kg) full carbon frame.
Specialized Status 2 park/freeride “party bike”
The new Specialized STATUS 2 has a 100% redesigned chassis with updated (and adjustable) geo, size-specific chainstays, stiffer frame, and snappier suspension kinematics that make it a long-travel mountain bike you might actually want to pedal the trailhead, too.
It’s available in 140mm and 170mm travel trail bikes with matched-travel single-crown forks, plus a 170 DH/Park Model with a 180mm Boxxer fork and a DH part spec. The alloy frame uses MX wheel spec (29/27.5), and there’s also a new smaller size for riders under 5’, with 27.5″/26″ wheels.
Esker Smokey & Lorax steel mountain bikes
First there were titanium versions, but the new Esker Smokey & Lorax Steel give you more affordable adventure hardtail options with the same personality. Both have tons of mounts, 44mm head tubes, and external routing.
The Lorax is a dropbar MTB based on their Hayduke, fits up to 29×2.6″ tires, and has adjustable dropouts and paint-matched Lithic carbon fork. Framesets $1,600, bikes from $3,000.
The Smokey’s their slack, long-travel mountain bike designed around 160mm forks and 29 x 2.4″ to 2.6″ tires. It also gets their Portage adjustable dropouts, so you can run it singlespeed if you want. Frames are $1,000, framesets $1,600, and bikes from $3,000.
PNW Range Dropper & Lever are just $199
By combining a base-level 6061 alloy body with higher-end Ranier’s user-friendly sealed air cartridge internals, the new PNW Range Dropper post comes in at just $159 with 125/150/175/200mm travel options. Bundle it with the new Range Lever for just $199, making it one of the most affordable options on the market.
Post weights from 570-666g, lever is 45g plus cable and housing, which is included if you bundle. The lever is forged, not CNC’d like their more-adjustable Ranier lever, but it’s $20 cheaper and still gets their silicone thumb pad.
Mavic’s 2025 road, gravel & MTB wheels get wide…and hookless!
Mavic has long stuck to ETRTO standards, even when we all wanted wider rims and devil-may-care tubeless compatibility. Now that standards have caught up and hookless rims have proven themselves, Mavic’s mostly on board and has some impressive new wheels. Full details and availability are TBA, but here are the highlights of what’s coming:
For road, they’re sticking with a hooked clincher profile but stretch to 23mm internal and 32mm external. The top-level Cosmic SLR 45 has a solid rim bed that needs no rim tape (1,482g / €2,249), and the Cosmic SL 45 (shown, 1,555g / €1,499) has the same profile but standard drilled rim. Both have a new UD carbon layup and fresh look.
They’ll also have two sub-€1000 base Cosmic S and Cosmic S 40, both w/ 19mm internal widths and tubeless compatible, and the latter is a ITgMax rim brake option.
For gravel, the Allroad Carbon SL has a hookless tubeless rim with an aero 42mm height and 25mm internal width. Weight is 1,550g, and price is just €1,499.
The new Crosstrail SL 29 comes in Carbon (hookless, 1,690g / €1,549) and Alloy (clincher, 1,980g / €749) models, all with 30mm internal widths. The alloy rims use their Fore drilling for a seamless, tape-free rim bed, with broader pinch-flat protection bead walls.
They also have e-Crosstrail SL wheels for lightweight e-bikes. They also come in carbon and alloy with a new, stronger HD Infinity hub, and offer 29″ and 27.5″ options.
Canyon Aeroad lets you choose your own cockpit aerodynamics
Want narrow hoods that curve inward? Traditional bars? Clip-on aero extensions? Now you can have them all on the new Canyon Aeroad v4 thanks to their PACE bar. It has swappable drops without requiring you to disconnect the levers (your bar tape, however…), which also lets you adjust bar width, too.
The frame has slimmer head- and down tubes to improve aerodynamics, but reinforced top- and head tubes and seatstay/tube junction to make it more robust. The seat post is slightly shallower for more compliance, but the fork legs are deeper to be more aero. Tire clearance is 32mm, all bolts are Ti or stainless steel, and the headset bearings are hermetically sealed. US pricing from $5,600 to $10,500.
POC Cytal helmet has a carbon aero wing
The POC Cytal Carbon helmet uses a blunt frontal profile with larger, angled intakes to direct air through the helmet rather than over it. This not only reduces the high-pressure zone at the front (which creates turbulence and drag), it also keeps you cool.
That air flows under a broad carbon fiber wing that varies in shape and thickness to create pressure zones that actually help move that air all the way through and out the back. It has two layers of carbon sandwiching a lightweight foam that adds structural integrity, which spreads impacts across a broader area and allows for those massive front vents. MSRP $400, black only.
Shockstop Pro Endurance suspension seatpost
The new Shockstop PRO Endurance suspension seatpost has 35mm travel and is a bit more damped than the original Endurance model, but plusher than the PRO Race, which only has 20mm travel.
It uses a coil+elastomer spring combo, comes in 280-350mm lengths, the longer being Di2 battery compatible, and comes in 27.2 diameter only (use shims for larger seat tubes). Weight is between the others at 445-502g, MSRP $280. (video here)
Fizik Beat are colorfully casual road & gravel shoes
The new Fizik Beat has a sleek, fun appearance that blends street style with road & gravel performance. The nylon sole is stiff enough, but very walkable, and is covered in grippy TPU with full-length tread channels for smoother, quieter off-bike ambling.
The upper is a soft fabric with a new, wider toe box, and lace-up design with stretchy lace garage. Average weight 355g, sizes 36-48 (37-47 in half sizes), and also comes in black. MSRP $179.
Paul Component Baby Groovy Barrel Adjusters
The new Paul Component Baby Groovy barrel adjuster is what happens when you’re a bike nerd machinist with access to raw materials and machines. It’s a smaller version of the original, perfect for tighter spaces, and fits any of their other parts that use a barrel adjuster.
Alloy ones are $20, weight 3g, and come in black, purple, silver, pewter, gold, blue, orange, red, green, and pink. Brass ones $30, weigh 9g, and come in raw brass.
Small Bites
- ENVE’s affordable Foundation wheels upgrade to Innerdrive hubs
- Here’s a Bridge Surveyor with bare gloss carbon finish
- Flow Formulas has new Chews
- Here’s a cool way to remove old tire sealant with a drill
- Support Bikepacking Roots & maybe win a Salsa Timberjack
- Zwift Academy applications are open for their Fall program
- Wahoo X added new classic French climbs & TdF stages
- IMBA is raffling off a Pivot Trail 429 to support trailbuilding
- Lebron James wants more people on bikes
- Here’s a roundup of custom bikes from ENVE’s Grodeo
- And here are two killer bike galleries from MADE Australia
- These HandUp More Tacos gloves look delicious
- The Strider Cup balance bike race is coming in September
Parting Thoughts
I’m rushing out the door to go ride in the mountains and camp this weekend, so no big thoughts this time around. If you haven’t already, please subscribe to our new YouTube channel to get these weekly updates in video form!
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Thanks, and have a great weekend!
The Lunch Ride is a weekly TL;DR recap of the best new cycling products and tech, written for Riders, not Algorithms. SUBSCRIBE HERE to get it in your inbox every Friday.
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