Maybe it’s cuz Crankworx Whistler is happening right now, but this week’s full of new mountain bikes and trail goodies! There’s an all-new Rockshox SID, carbon wheels from Industry Nine, four killer trail bikes, two very unique dropper seatposts, the world’s lightest eMTB from Dangerholm, and more.
I also found a pretty cool e-trekking bike (it’s a thing), a new gravel bike, and more! Here’s the best new stuff this week:
- Dangerholm’s lightest eMTB
- New Rockshox SID
- SR Suntour Durolux38
- i9 Carbon Wheels
- Norco Fluid Carbon
- Mondraker NEAT
- Starling Mega Murmur
- Greyp Zaney
- Merida Big.Nine
- Norco DH prototype
- BikeYoke Revive E
- TurnOn Bunker
- Mason Bokeh 3.0
- Hope Lotus track bike
- Cadex Amp saddle
- Tout Terrain Tamir
- Trek does CrossFit
Dangerholm DangerLumen is the world’s lightest e-mountain bike
Dangerholm’s latest project takes custom to a level you can’t easily recreate at home. The Scott Lumen was turned into the world’s lightest eMTB. He made XC (above) and Trail (below) builds, but they share many of the same parts.
A 12sp SRAM Red AXS XPLR derailleur was modded with a Dremel and an 11sp model’s P-Knuckle & electronics, plus a CeramicSpeed OSPW, to convert it to an 11-speed unit, because 11-speed cassettes are lighter.
The Fox shock was swapped for Rockshox (-40g), mated w/ an Intend Samurai 1,537g 130mm fork. Shifters are Zirbel Twister w/ SRAM BlipBox, brakes are Trickstuff Picola w/ CarbonTi rotors.
The main differences between the two builds are the wheels, tires, pedals & dropper post. Full details & parts list here.
You could probably pull all that off, I believe in you. But you still can’t recreate this because TQ made him a custom carbon fiber battery housing that saved another 206g off their already very light TQ HPR50 system.
Then they replaced the motor’s bearings with custom CeramicSpeed ones, saving another 40g. And then METI made custom hollow titanium mounting bolts that dropped 31g. That’s 277g (0.625lb) of savings you can’t buy.
Finished weights are 12.9kg (28.44lb) for XC, 14.04kg (30.95lb) for Trail…with pedals, versus 15.5kg (34.2lb) in the lightest stock build w/o pedals.
Rockshox SID forks get a complete overhaul
The 2024 Rockshox SID lineup keeps the distinct 110/120mm SID & 100mm SID SL models and gives them both new, lighter crowns.
Ultimate models get a new 3-position Charger Race Day 2 damper that adds Pedal mode between Firm and Open (and it’s backward compatible with 2021 SIDs!). The SID (not SL) gets a new DebonAir+ spring with more air volume (+16% pos, +50% neg) for more tunability, and a new coil-sprung top-out bumper makes it more supple off the top. This new air spring is not backward compatible.
The 35mm stanchion SID gets longer uppers for increased bushing overlap, which stiffens the entire chassis, reduces friction & improves durability. The lighter 32mm stanchion SID SL adds a 110mm travel option, and both have the glossy new “Blue Crush” color option.
The Ultimate models are the lightest at 1,352g (110mm SID SL, vs 1326g 100mm 2021 weight) and 1,476g (SID, vs 1537g 2021 weight, both 120mm). MSRP $899-999. Select+/Select/Base models also available, some OEM only.
A new SID Luxe rear shock matches the 3-position settings, adding a Pedal mode. Increased oil flow helps it blow off big hits, w/ a taller tapered bottom-out bumper to prevent harshness. Average weight 246g, and they offer custom-tuned models for nine popular XC bikes.
SR Suntour Durolux38 enduro forks get bigger, tougher
Jumping to 38mm stanchions (up from 36), the new SR Suntour Durolux38 offers a stiffer chassis for freeride and enduro. It keeps their excellent R2C2 and RC2 PCS dampers, which have a simple coil-backed IFP that moves more freely than the standard nitrogen-backed IFP, making the fork more supple.
It comes in 27.5 & 29er and fits 2.6″ tires with the included fender installed. Specs include 160/170/180mm travel, 20mm thru axle, 44mm offset & weights from 2510g. Starting at $849.95, they also offer a killer value. The excellent 150-170mm Durolux36 models remain available, too.
Industry Nine reinvents their carbon MTB rims
Industry Nine’s carbon fiber mountain bike wheel lineup are redesigned w/ generally wider internal channels, shallower profiles & lower weights, all made by We Are One Composites in Kamloops, BC. Offered in XC, Trail, Enduro & Gravity/DJ, as well as their first eMTB-specific model, they all get dramatically thicker, rounder bead walls to minimize pinch flats & tire damage.
Trail & Enduro models get front- and rear-specific DUO designs. Front rims grow 1.5-2mm wider, with a more compliant layup to improve traction & comfort. The rear rims grow 0.5-1mm wider with tougher, stiffer layups.
The Ultralite XC wheels gets 2mm wider on both ends to hit 30mm internal and get 1mm deeper for better strength and torsional stiffness. (video here)
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Norco Fluid Carbon drops 600g
Building on last year’s Fluid Alloy model, the new Norco Fluid Carbon shaves 600g (1.3lb) off the frame weight with a new carbon fiber front triangle. The geometry, 130mm of Horst Link rear travel, and 140mm forks carry over, it’s just a lot lighter now. Bikes from $4,099 to $5,999.
Mondraker NEAT enduro eMTB
Coming in under 18kg (39.7lb), the new Mondraker NEAT are reasonably light for a 150mm enduro eMTB w/ 160mm forks. Its 2,300g full carbon frame is built on the TQ HPR50 drive system, which required a complete rethink of their Zero suspension platform.
The rear shock floats between the upper linkage’s forward pivot and the lower linkage’s rear pivot, which keeps it moving easily for very supple travel. And it’s all positioned just above the motor, keeping weight low on the bike and allowing for longer dropper posts. It uses their signature long reach/extremely short stem combo, fits two bottles (or 1 + range extender battery). (video here)
Starling MegaMurmur steel enduro mountain bike
Keeping it real, the new Starling MegaMurmur 29er sticks with its steel frame roots and stretches their single-pivot design to get 165mm rear wheel travel w/ 170mm forks.
The standard Murmer gets 140mm, but the MegaMurmur uses a longer swingarm but the same front triangle, letting you swap out the back end (and shock) to go from Trail to Enduro. It’s made in the UK and comes in L/XL/XXL sizes, with a wide variety of suspension options for custom builds.
Greyp Zaney gets a little less…zany
Greyp’s original e-bikes were ambitious, and a little weird. The new Greyp Zaney modernizes the geometry, simplifies the design, and creates a proper trail eMTB that’s also fairly light.
Now under Porsche’s expanding e-mobility umbrella along with Fazua, it uses their 60Nm drive system to deliver a powerful 450W 29er e-mountain bike that’s just 18-19kg (~40-41lbs). Pricing TBA, it launches later this year.
Prototype Norco DH bike
Worth the click to enlarge, the upcoming Norco DH bike (presumable an Aurum, shown here as a prototype) will have a high pivot, six-bar design with the chainstays driving a linkage that drives the shock, very different from the current single-pivot design.
They posted two videos about it on Insta (here & here), look for it on the DH circuit this season and likely in stores for 2024.
Merida Big.Nine hardtails get more capable
One of their core models (and last updated in 2017!), the Merida Big.Nine hardtails span the range from entry-level alloy to World Cup-level carbon, built around a 100mm XC fork.
The latest updated gives it more modern geo w/ 2º slacker head angle, 1.8º steeper seat angle, 31mm longer reach, 34mm lower standover, and bigger tire clearance. A new TR (trail) model swaps in a longer 120mm travel fork, dropper post, and meatier tires.
BikeYoke Revive-E wireless dropper post
BikeYoke’s Revive dropper posts use a unique twintube design that intentionally doesn’t separate the air from the damping oil because, well, they’re going to mix anyway no matter how well a system is sealed. And once they do, it gives most droppers that spongy feeling and require servicing to fix.
BikeYoke’s open system has a little lever at the top that lets you quickly bleed it to reset it while it’s still on your bike (video here). Now they’re working on a wireless version with a hidden battery & USB-C charging port. It’s still in development, price & details TBA, but I like that it could easily fit a seat pack w/ no battery pack sticking out there.
TurnOn Bunker is a radically unique dual-air dropper post
TurnOn’s Bunker dropper post is a truly unique design that deserves a few more words than normal. The post separates upper and lower air chambers with a huge oil reservoir. The upper chamber is pressurized at ~3.6x rider weight, which supports the rider at top out.
Push the remote to drop it and a port opens so the piston can move downward through the damping oil. As it does so, the lower air chamber, which starts at atmospheric pressure, is compressed and pressurized, and the upper chamber’s pressure also increases.
Push the remove to extend it and the two chambers’ combined pressures push it back up and move fluid back through the piston. Because the piston is always located within the damping oil, any small bubbles that may form won’t affect its performance, and they eventually surface into the upper chamber anyway.
Lastly, it’s a fully sealed, completely waterproof design that won’t leak oil or ingest the crud that can ruin other posts, no matter what you’re riding through. They offer each part of it separately for easy repairs and rebuilds, too.
MSRP from $252, 30.9/31.6 sizes, 125/160/190mm travel options w/15mm reduction kits available. Weights from 475g to 550g.
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Mason Bokeh 3.0 gravel bike adds more mounts, bigger tires
Still made in Italy of custom-formed Dedacciai aluminum, the latest Mason Bokeh boosts tire clearance to 700×45 (or 650×55), adds more frame, top tube, and fender mounts, and all mounts are now brazed on for increased strength.
It upgrades to their RangeFinder AS carbon fork, which adds “anything cage” mounts, too. Available in five builds with Shimano, SRAM & Campy options from £3,280 to £4,100, frameset for £1,450.
Hope x Lotus track bike revamped for London 2024 Olympics
The British Cycling team will have a new version of the Hope x Lotus track bike for the London 2024 Olympics. They took the top spot in 2020 with it, but it’s been further optimized by Lotus and uses additive-manufacturing bits from Renishaw, then it’s manufactured in the UK by Hope Tech. It’ll get its first competitive test run at the UCI Worlds even in Glasgow.
Cadex AMP is a 129g fully padded full carbon saddle
The new Cadex Amp saddle introduces a new, more universal performance shape on top of their carbon composite shell and full carbon fiber rails. Those help it hit a feathery 129g, but with a well-padded, curvy upper designed to support sit bones.
The short nose and sloped sides allow easy leg motion, and a massive full-length cutout relieves pressure. It measures 245x145mm with 44mm stack height. MSRP $350.
Tout Terrain Pamir touring e-bike
Offroad trekking is popular in Europe, often in big mountain areas (aka The Alps), and all-terrain adventure e-bikes like the Tout Terrain Pamir have become quite popular. The Pamir’s low standover sloping design and carbon fork pair with the new Pinion motorized gearbox transmission to make it an easy-to-ride bike for almost any rider.
It fits 29×2.35″ tires with fenders, has an integrated rear rack plus fork mounts (and pannier racks on top model), with high-end Supernova front & rear lights.
2023 CrossFit Games will have mountain biking
The 2023 CrossFit Games are headed to Madison, Wisconson, next week (Aug 1-6), pretty close to Trek’s HQ. Fitting, then, that competitors will be using Trek Marlin 8 Gen2 mountain bikes for one of the challenges, after which the bikes will head to Trek’s sponsor booth and be sold for ~40% off MSRP.
Since no one knows the exact workouts and events in advance, it’ll be interesting to see what the course is…and how they all fair. Please, please let it be technical.
On Stage
The economics of the Tour de France explained…very cool!
Small Bites
- Red Bull has all the Crankworx Whistler video highlights
- Check out Part 1 of ENVE’s Grodeo custom bike gallery
- And Check out Part 2’s gallery for more
- Ride the Worlds Zwift events will earn you a virtual jersey
- I had the wrong link last week, here’s that 6-minute ab workout
- Miir has a slick new French Press that captures the grounds
- Sweet new Blackheart Cycles & MAAP capsule collection
- Those Zero Breeze portable AC units are looking pretty good rn
- Moots Route45 has a cheap (for Moots) $7,499 Prologue build
- Join OneUp @ RMU in Crankworx for a beer to support trails
- Ride & Seek has a new Samurai cycling tour thru Japan
- Illiterate Light’s NJ Folk Fest set powered by riding Jamis bikes
- Crank Bros new Klic Mini Floor Pump fits in a hydration pack
Hot Deals
- GoPro HERO 11 is $100 OFF at Amazon
- JensonUSA has a huge sale on all kinds of mountain bikes
- TrekFest’s bike & gear sale ends on Monday
- Pearl Izumi has 30% off bibshorts & footwear thru 8/8
- Get an extra 20% off Backcountry’s sale items
Parting Thoughts
Sorry, roadies, but all this mid/late summer mountain bike stuff is normal.
Most brands try to launch their road bikes during the major Spring Classics, like Paris Roubaix in April, and leading up to the Tour de France’s Grand Depart in late June.
Mountain bikes and gear flood in right after as bike parks open up and the Enduro and XC seasons are in full swing. Believe it or not, we’re only 1/3 of the way through the UCI XCO & DH World Cup series…they run through October!
I’ve always found it fascinating to see how the technology moves from one discipline to another.
Mountain bikes gave us thru axles, disc brakes, 1x, and suspension. Road bikes have given us… integrated stealth cable routing (sorry?).
Gravel bikes seem to benefit from both more and more.
Regardless of where your interest lies, I hope you find these mixed-discipline recaps interesting. If nothing else, it keeps you up on the latest so you’re not blindsided when something “new” pops up on whatever type of bike you favor.
It’s all bikes, and it’s all good.
PS – Keep an eye out next week, we’re kicking off a mega giveaway with some awesome brands ($2,500+ worth of prizes, 14 winners!). If you’re not following us on Twitter, Instagram or TikTok, now’d be a good time.
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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