Ten Promising New Mountain Bike Products for 2010

1. SRAM XX

Following months of rumor and speculation, SRAM has finally unveiled its all-new XX crosscountry component group. The “XX” moniker refers not to an indecency rating—although the new parts promise to be filthy fast—but rather to the new 2-by-10 gearing arrangement. XX includes a flyweight version of the already-light Avid Elixir CR Mag brake, plus a hydraulically actuated suspension lockout that works with a special XX series of RockShox forks. But the heart of the new kit lies in the drivetrain.

While road bikes have utilized 10-speed (and now 11-speed) cassettes and two-ring cranks for years, XX is the first system designed for mountain bikes. The crown jewel of the new group is the gratuitously hogged-out X-Glide 10-speed cassette. The middle eight gears of the 10-speed cogsets are milled out of a single piece of billet steel, while the smallest and largest cogs are replaceable and made from aluminum.

The second half of this symphonic endeavor is the new crank, which comes in 39/26, 42/28 and 45/30 chainring combinations. It also comes in a standard 754-gram setup, or a 694-gram BB30 configuration. The crank arms are modeled on NOIR carbon cranks, but SRAM takes the weight savings a step further by threading big shoulderbolts through the spider and directly into the big ring.

The greatest benefit of the XX crank, however, doesn’t show up on a scale. The dynamic engineering behind these three precisely “clocked” chainring combinations ensures that front shifts always have enough links engaged on both rings to seamlessly deliver power, even while shifting under load.

Even though it offers seven fewer gear combinations than a traditional 3-by-9 setup, XX’s gear-ratio range is about the same, thanks largely to a first-ever, high-end 36-tooth cassette ring. The new XX rear derailleur has a long (carbon, of course) cage to accommodate that massive cassette ring, and it’s paired with a special 10-speed XX shifter, which, along with the two-speed front shifter, connects to the bars via a new optional Matchmaker X clamp. This space-saving device secures shifter, brake lever and even the XLoc lockout switch onto a single perch.

With a lightest-case-scenario build (i.e.: picking the 185-gram, 11-32-tooth cassette instead of the 11-36-model in order to save 18 grams), it’s possible to get a complete XX kit (gears, chain, shifters and derailleurs) to hit the scales at just a smidge over 2,200 grams (4.85 pounds). That’s 400 grams lighter than SRAM X.0 or Shimano XTR.

Bottom line Faster front shifting and a tighter chainline deliver more efficient transmission under power. But now that we’ve fogged up the display case, let’s walk these sexy new parts up to the cash register.

It takes nine hours to machine the main X-Glide cassette body alone, which contributes to the cassette’s $328 price tag, and if that raises an eyebrow, consider the crank ($430-$470), ceramic bottom bracket ($195), shifters ($276), front derailleur ($106-$119), rear derailleur ($265) and 10-speed chain ($76-$84) needed to complete the system.

Even in this economy, for some, price is no obstacle to performance. Expect to see hordes of hard-charging XC racers powering their way to podiums all over the world on XX transmissions in 2010. More at sram.com/xx.

2. Evil Revolt

Evil’s 8-inch-travel Revolt has one of the best acronyms in the business (the frame’s DELTA system suspension stands for “Dave’s Extra Legitimate Travel Apparatus”). But even though the “Dave” in DELTA refers to Dave Weagle, who handles the heavy lifting for Ibis, Pivot and Turner’s complex DW-Link suspension systems, the Revolt is essentially a linkage-driven single-pivot with a two-stage progressive leverage rate.

The highlight of the Revolt is its supreme adjustability via two eccentric shock mounts that Evil calls “flip chips,” and an adjustable headtube sleeve. The 10.1-pound frame (without shock) can be set up steep with a 14.25-inch-high bottom bracket and 64- to 65-degree headtube angle, or low and slack, with a 13.78-inch-high bottom bracket and 63- to 64-degree headtube angle. Regardless of frame setup—and each member of Evil’s already successful DH squad chooses different settings—shock performance isn’t affected.

Available with Fox’s new DHX RC4 shock, the $3,050 frame is the most versatile big-hit chassis we’ve ever seen. More at evil-bikes.com

3. Formula The ONE

The auspiciously named The One downhill brake hit the market in 2008, and its feathery weight and considerable power quickly attracted gravity riders. While the brake’s one-piece forged caliper and massive 24-millimeter piston remain unchanged, its lever sees a significant update. Like Formula’s impressively lightweight R1, The One’s new lever uses a radial master cylinder for added leverage, and a whopping eight fluid transfer ports for thermal stability. Unlike the R1—or any other brake on the market—the extravolume master cylinder is forged for added strength.

Starting at $315 per wheel, the Italian-made brake is not cheap. But it weighs a hair over 300 grams—25 percent lighter than the nearest DHspecific brake. This very powerful and lightweight brake just got better. More at formulabrakeusa.com

4. Marzocchi 888 EVO TI

Marzocchi completely redesigned its triple-clamp DH fork for 2010, effectively taking a flamethrower to the glacial pace of traditional product design, which focuses on small tweaks each year instead of radical overhauls.

The new fork drops an astounding 1.4 pounds from the previous model and now weighs a respectable 6.6 pounds. How’d Marzocchi do it? Engineers started by using internally tapered and externally milled 38-millimeter nickelplated stanchions, which cut the tubes’ weight in half. Then they threw in a titanium spring and hardware, and packaged it all in a fork that is competitively priced at $1,599.

The “EVO” in the fork’s name refers to the next evolution of Marzocchi’s RC3 open-bath damper, which has a removable compression-damping circuit. In addition to simple and effective compression- and rebounddamping adjustment dials, riders can now fine-tune compression damping by either altering the circuit’s shim stack or by swapping out the whole thing for a pre-tuned circuit. More at marzocchiusa.com

5. Industry Nine

Industry Nine wheels have been hotly sought after since their brightly anodized rim-hub combinations first dazzled bike dorks in 2005. Now, the Asheville, North Carolina, company is using its own proprietary rims with four of its eight wheelsets.

The new all-mountain wheels shown here weigh 1,740 grams (the blazingwhite powder coat adds 40 grams). The 26-millimeter-wide rims have welded joints and use strong, stainless-steel eyelets and proprietary milled-aluminum straight-pull spokes. By machining wrench flats into every spoke and threading each spoke directly into the hub, Industry Nine eliminates the need for—and the weight of—spoke nipples.

Despite the all-mountain name, these wheels are intended for trail bikes with 4 to 5.5 inches of travel, and they are designed around a 2.3-inch-wide tire. They are lightweight, do-it-all wheels and accommodate just about any axle standard under the sun.

Industry Nine wheels have gained a loyal following of riders who are attracted to their stiffness, fast-engaging freehub body and exceptionally high bling factor—and these $985 wheels are no exception. More at industrynine.net

6. FSA K-Force Lite 386

Not to be outshined by rival SRAM, FSA has developed its own new line of compact two-ring XC/trail cranks, which offer fast-shifting performance with very useable gearing.

Because the bolt spacing on standard cranksets with three chainrings (fourbolt, 104-millimeter bolt circle diameter) isn’t compatible with a big ring with fewer than 42 teeth, FSA designed a new three-arm crank standard (three-bolt, 86-millimeter BCD) called “386.” The new cranks are available in either 40/27 or 42/27 chainring combinations, and offer seamless, on-the-gas shifting with an effective gear ratio that is damn close to a 3-by-9 setup.

The BB30 K-Force Lite setup shown here weighs 680 grams with a ceramic-bearing bottom bracket (a standard bottom bracket adds 60 grams). Riders who don’t want to shell out $769 can try the double setup on FSA’s aluminum Afterburner version, which starts at just $300 and weighs 820 grams with a standard bottom bracket. More at fullspeedahead.com

7. Fox 32 F-120 FIT RLC 15QR

Fox’s F series forks have always been designed for XC racing. But with the growing popularity of lightweight trail bikes, many riders are looking for more travel out of their traditional XC setups. Witness the 120 millimeters of travel on this “race” fork.

The $775 F-120 FIT RLC comes slathered in cross-platform technology. The biggest improvement is the incorporation of Fox’s new FIT cartridge system, which uses a flexible bladder to prevent air bubbles from building in the fork’s damper fluid under extreme use. The new damper delivers improved performance and, with less fluid, the fork weighs 70 grams less. Also, the variable lockout adjuster now sits conveniently atop the damper leg, and the rebound control has been moved underneath.

The new fork offers World Cup XC heritage wrapped into a 3.5-pound trail fork with a super-stiff 15-millimeter through-axle. It might feel like you’re breaking the rules, but it’s not cheating if you don’t get caught.
More at foxracingshox.com

8. Avid Elixir CR Mag

Avid introduced its Elixir brakes in 2008, and even though the new brakes were slightly heavier than their Juicy predecessors, most riders accepted the trade-off. The significant performance advantage—better lever feel, superior modulation and easy-to-operate adjustments—easily outweighed the addition of a few extra grams.

Now, even the staunchest gram-counters can enjoy the Elixirs. The new Elixir CR Mag uses a redesigned clamp, a forged magnesium lever body and a shapely carbon fiber lever with a hollow pivot to reduce weight to Juicy levels.

The $285 brake (per wheel) has a tools-free contact-point adjust and a 2-millimeter-Allen-bolt reach adjust. Avid wisely sticks with the same toploading, two-piece, forged-aluminum caliper found on other Elixir models. The changes bring weight down to 330 grams per wheel (including 160-millimeter rotor, fluid and hose). That’s 3 grams lighter than the Juicy Ultimate, and miles ahead in terms of performance. More at sram.com

9. Garmin Oregon 550t

Taking GPS technology to the trail—a movement led by companies like Garmin—has revolutionized the way we find and share new trails. Now, Garmin is further stoking every rider’s inner nerd by integrating a 3.2-megapixel camera into its new Oregon 550 series.

With 850 megabytes of storage, the Oregon makes taking and geo-synching trail photos easier than ever. Use it to remember tricky turns, or simply to get riding shots without having to lug a separate point-and-shoot camera.

The lightweight (6.8-ounce) Oregon works with Garmin’s existing heart-rate monitors and speed/cadence sensors, uses the same barometric altimeter as Garmin’s Edge 705 unit, and an optional handlebar mount is available separately. At $600, the Oregon 550t, shown here, comes with preloaded topo maps covering the entire U.S., and a $500 550 model comes with a less-detailed map package. Other upgrade options include a car-mount, charger and street-map package, which make this a true Swiss Army knife among GPS devices. More at garmin.com

10. NiteRider Pro 1200

The Pro 1200 is the best and brightest light NiteRider has ever produced. But the 1,200 lumens of power it spits out from two four-die LEDs—a maximum output it can maintain for up to 2.5 hours, depending on the battery size—is just the beginning.

The new battery-dock system works with the company’s six- and eight-cell batteries and lets users easily swap power sources mid-race without the need to re-route wires. What’s more, the charging cradle, which plugs into either a wall socket or 12-volt car jack, also has a USB cable for connecting to a PC for programming purposes. The unit comes programmed with standard presets (high, mid, low and flashing patterns), but NiteRider’s web-based software lets users custom tune both the narrow and wide lenses with up to six different power-level presets (from 1 to 100 percent of full power, or with various flash patterns).

While the Pro 1200 represents a leap in technology, NiteRider elected to stick with its proven helmet- and handlebar-mounting hardware, which come included with the light.

Such retina-scorching performance doesn't come cheap: 1,200 lumens will set you back $650, but every NiteRider purchase is backed by the company's 20-plus years of customer service-available from team trucks at scores of 24-hour races throughout the country, or from the company's San Diego headquarters, where it's not uncommon to see 10-year-old products being serviced. More at niterider.com

This content was originally published in Bike's November 2009 issue.

See More from the November 2009 Issue

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