In this week’s broadcast of Singletrack Newsdesk, we take a glimpse at Trek’s bold claims, get a first look at the TRP DH7 rear mech, check out oddball bikes and catch up with Cécil Ravanel.
As always you can watch the Singletrack Newsdesk video or you can skip it and read the highlights below.
Trek teases wonder material
Trek is teasing the announcement of something so important that they reckon it will be “Cycling’s most important change in 30 years”. The official reveal is scheduled for March 20th and we believe that whatever this wonder material might be will first see road application then perhaps make it’s way to the MTB world. Commenters around the web are suggesting the teaser image is hinting at a more eco-friendly material than carbon fibre or perhaps an additive that can be used with carbon.
TRP DH7 rear mech
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Massive thanks to the TRP crew for their support during testings! – @trpcycling
It’s no secret that TRP has been working on a downhill specific rear mech. We’ve seen numerous prototypes on Arron Gwin’s bikes over the past year, but this is (as far as we can remember) the first time a final sample of the mech has been seen. This TRP DH7 derailleur appeared on the Commencal 100% Instagram page along with images of the team’s TRP brakes. The DH7 rear mech is most likely a 7-speed model and is a simple cable actuated model rather than an electronic or hydraulic design. Scroll to the last image in the IG post to see the DH7.
Carbon Wasp Full Suspension Prototype
Yorkshire based Carbon Wasp have been teasing their very own full suspension bike for a few months not, but the latest post on social media suggests that a launch could be imminent. In the past Carbon Wasp has first 3D printed structures then wrapped them in carbon to make a lightweight yet strong final product. It will be interesting to see if this is how this bike is put together.
Prototype Starling Murmur stolen
A few weeks back we wrote a story about a prototype Starling Murmur bike. The design of this Murmur followed on from what we reviewed last year, but was made of a different material. Some fans of the brand suggest the bike was Titanium while we suggested it would be stainless steel. Well, the good news is that we were correct and the single pivot proto is stainless steel, but the bad news is that It has been stolen. Where this news gets a little confusing is that we believe that we spotted another post saying the bike had been recovered, but now that post has been removed. Did we dream it or is this bike still missing?
BH Atom X Carbon
Spanish bike maker BH announced a new eMTB this week, a carbon version of their already released Atom X bike. This new carbon model has the same unique design as the alloy original and while it may look a little odd, it does mean that the integrated battery can slide in from the top tube right into the downtube. The bike also uses a new Browse drive system and even has an optional smart security bracelet too. Weird but cool.
Specialized Stumpjumper Evo 27.5 Carbon
Specialized released the carbon version of the aggressive Stumpjumper Evo this week. The new model shares it’s geometry and sizing with the alloy bike but has a very class FACT 11m carbon frame. It’s a coil shock, carbon beauty, which I may well keep.
Marin Mount Vision
Marin’s Mount Vision has taken on a whole new form for 2019 and looks a lot like the larger wheeled Wolf Ridge with the new Nalid R3ACT – 2 Play suspension system. The design of the bike has really taken a few riders but surprise, but I personally quite like the oddball design. The new Marin Mount Vision features an all carbon frame, 150mm of travel front and rear and still rolls on 27.5in wheels. We will hopefully have one on test very soon.
Pole Bushmaster
Moving away from carbon and electric bikes we have the all-new Pole Bushmaster. Think of this as the baby brother of the Pole Stamina with less travel and a more playful and agile geometry. The front end of the Bushmaster uses Pole’s unique CNC process while the rear looks a lot like the Evolink suspension platform. We have full details of the Pole Bushmaster here.
Follow Jon Gregory for IG laughs
If you’re looking for some laughs on Instagram then we wholeheartedly recommend that you give Jon Gregory a follow. Jon was the designer of Dirt Magazine and now spends some of his spare time poking fun at the bike industry. Check him out here.
Cécile Ravanel on her feet after surgery
And the final news this week comes from Cécile Ravenel. If you recall, last week we reported that she had suffered a massive crash and had surgery in Nice. The good news is that she is already back on her feet and on the mend. As you can see from her social media, she does need to wear a neck brace but it’s great to see she’s already on the mend.
More from Singletrack Newsdesk next week.
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The Starling had been found now…
andy,
flax is flax, also lin as in linseed, hemp is hemp
pendants’ corner : )