News Briefs: Fox, George W, DT Swiss, Shimano, Clif Bar and IMBA

by Dain Zaffke
posted June 18, 2004

New Fox DH fork

Fox Unveils DH Fork
New Fox boasts lightweight long travel
Fox Racing Shox used the Big Bear Nationals to unveil a project that's been three years in the making--the Factory DH fork. Until now, one of the industry leaders in suspension maxed-out at only five inches of travel, completely avoiding the downhill-specific market. But the new Factory DH is proof that Fox did their homework.

"Once we defined the goals of the project [to create the best stiffness to weight ratio], every part was evaluated to meet that goal. There was a lot of background research going into the project before we even started," said Fox's Mechanical Engineer, Brian Lampman.

The result is an adjustable eight- to six-inch travel fork that boasts a sub seven-pound weight, super-wide 49mm lower legs and 40mm stanchions (the widest in the industry), providing long travel, maximum stiffness and low weight. Compression, preload and rebound damping are all externally adjustable and it runs on coil springs and oil. No word on price yet, but the Factory DH fork will be available by late fall. We'll get ahold of one as soon as possible and let you know if it rides as good as it looks.

George W Goes Down
Thank God for the mouth guard
President Bush suffered minor abrasions after a crash while mountain biking. The Republican ruler of the free world recently turned to cycling to avoid putting an aching knee through the stresses of running, but tumbled on a descent at his Texas ranch. He received abrasions on his chin, nose, upper lip, hand and both knees. Bush was in the final mile of a 17-mile ride when he hit what the White House described as soil loosened by rainfall. Luckily the President was wearing a mouth guard; otherwise he could've lost teeth. Secret Service agents were on hand and offered Bush a ride home, but he toughed out the last mile on his own. Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry also made recent headlines after he crashed his road bike outside of Boston; he survived the fall and was not wearing a mouth guard.

DT Swiss tubeless conversion kit

Fresh Products from DT Swiss
New freeride rims and tubeless conversion kits out of Switzerland
DT Swiss unveiled their tubeless conversion kit at the Big Bear Nationals. The rim strip, tape and sealant kit enables the DT XR 4.1 rim to work with standard UST tires. The kit costs $75 for two wheels, works with only the XR 4.1 rim and doesn't offer any significant drop in weight from tubes. But riders can benefit from tubeless technology without changing rims. The kit should be available by early fall.

DT Swiss will also offer a freeride/downhill-specific rim by late summer. Dubbed the FR 6.1 Disc, the new hoop combats the abusive elements with 32mm width, a tall 24mm cross-section and double eyelets. To keep strength up and keep weight down to 620 grams, DT made the $89 FR 6.1 without a braking surface for use with disc brakes only.

Shimano's LX Group gets a Boost in Performance
New LX looks more like XTR
For 2005, Shimano's top-end technology is available on the LX components group. The revamped line features Dual Control shift levers, Hollowtech II cranks and Center Lock mounting disc hubs. These changes boost performance to the XTR/XT level, but LX will remain just as affordable.

Clif Bar and IMBA Hand Out Big Cash Grants
Six mountain bike clubs awarded Trail Conservation Grants
The first round of 2004's IMBA/Clif Bar Trail Conservation Grants were distributed on May 20, making a grand total of $20,000 since the program started in 2001. $500 cash grants were given to the following: Guelph Off Road Bicycling Association of Ontario, Canada; Michigan Mountain Bike Association Holly/Flint Chapter of Holly, Michigan; CoMotion of High Point, North Carolina; Mountain Trails Foundation of Park City, Utah; Iowa Coalition of Off Road Riders of Iowa City, Iowa; and Redding Mountain Bike Club of Redding, California.

The funds will be used to repair eroded trails, to install signs, build bridges and water crossings and pay for trail maintenance education.

Reader Comments

Posted Tue Aug25, 2009, 4:37 PM — By Ted Mielo

I remember hearing about John Kerry's Boston bike accident some time ago. I do recall it was quite the talking/laughing point at the local pubs that night.