… Cube Stereo ONE family, Liv Lurra hardtail, new even-more-Boschy Trek Rail.
Here’s this week’s roundup of the most interesting new bikes and bike stuff. This way you can keep track of all the significant new stuff that’s been announced and we can prevent our homepage turning into just A.N.Other Bike Site. Win win.
RAAW press release:
Adjustability – A Toolbox for the Rider
The RAAW Yalla! is designed around our toolbox concept. While a DH bike is a very focussed tool for a specific job, sometimes that job can change. Different riders and racers jump on board, the tracks vary from race to race and conditions can change at the flick of a switch. So, having a toolbox to delve into to meet all those demands is useful to have when you’re up at the ragged edge and still pushing for fractions of a second or for the maximum thrill.
That said, if you’re not into tinkering, then no worries at all. The middle settings of each adjustment option, which the frame comes delivered in, are something that we thought long and hard about. You can leave it there and never worry about it, instead just focussing on the riding. And the simplicity and solidness of the adjustment parts mean that they will just go about their job silently.
But, we have endeavoured to make sure that the Yalla’s adjustability is simple to use, so that anyone can do it. After all, if an adjustment is easy to change then it encourages more people to use it and play around.
We encourage you to experiment with the adjustments and learn what works best for you in your terrain. None of the extremes of the adjustments will make the bike unrideable, and if you learn along the way how different adjustments change the bike feel then you’ll be better equipped in the future to turn a bike into your bike.
Geometry & Specification
The Yalla! comes in three different sizes from M to XL, all with 29” wheels front and rear. The three sizes cover riders from 167 to 199 cm and are equipped with a great number of adjustments to find perfect setups for different tracks, conditions and riding styles.
The riding position on the Yalla! is roomy and very similar to that of the Madonna, with an identical reach for the same sizes. This firstly results in a very familiar position between the same sized Yalla! and Madonna and makes you feel at home on the bike as soon as you jump aboard.
We’re big fans of low bottom brackets and our bikes attribute a bunch of their characters to this. This love is carried through to the Yalla, with the BB dropping 26.5mm, giving a BB height of around 345mm. This came from extensive real world tyre measuring as well as tying it into our supportive suspension design, meaning that you have a dynamic position in the bike, rather than perched atop it, and bringing stability and confidence when cornering hard.
We didn’t just choose the same suspension design as the Madonna and Jibb to look the same, but it did come from all the same reasons as why we chose it for them too.
The four bar layout gives us the freedom to manipulate the suspension characteristics, the long link lengths give naturally favourable curves, production tolerances have less of an effect when going from 3D models to the real world, and the layout is efficient on material while being naturally stiff. This layout does exactly the job in hand in the simplest and most efficient way possible.
The Yalla! has 198 mm of predictable travel, avoiding really high leverage ratios and progression amounts to strike a wonderful balance between suppleness and support. It also avoids pushing anyone into a corner with their setup, instead creating a usable range of shock adjustments and plays well with both air and coil shocks.
A nice dollop of anti-squat means a direct and driven feel when you push on the pedals and accelerate, and it’s delivered in the travel zone that you’re most likely to be pedalling a DH bike in. The suspension offers the same direct feel in all gears and is designed around today’s common 34T chainring.
The influence of braking is designed to be very constant giving a predictable balance between combating the effects of load transfer when braking and remaining active in the suspension feel. This characteristic remains the same no matter the lower shock mount you choose, keeping the number of things to think about to a minimum when adapting your bike to the track and conditions.
Frame Details
Durability is at the core of RAAW. We want bikes that can be ridden hard and put away dirty and that will last year after year or owner after owner. We choose aluminium not just for its recyclability, but that it’s a wonderful material that can be formed, forged and machined into shapes that fit the purpose of a DH bike so well.
While the Yalla! is as durable as we can make it, it’s inevitable that at some point you’ll need to give it some TLC. For that reason, we wanted the Yalla! to be as easy to work on as possible for the home mechanics out there as well as the World Cup mechanics. Cable routing is external, you only need a few common tools to completely strip the bike and you don’t need four pairs of hands and a degree to put it back together.
The areas of the frame that will see an onslaught of mud have been designed in a way to leave few anchors. The back of the seat tube and chainstay bridge is as close to one vertical surface as possible. Forgings are hollowed out from the inside, leaving no hidden pockets. And the seatstay bridge is knife-like to cut through the spray from the rear wheel.
To protect the frame, we’ve got stick-on soft rubber protection pieces on the underside of the downtube, covering the edges of the tube, chainstay protector, which is also ribbed to silence chain slap, and on the inside of the seatstay. We also offer a stick on guard for the upper end of the down tube, protecting when shuttling with the Yalla! or if your local lift hooks under the frame.
With the addition of nine tenths of naff all weight, why not have some added storage for some spares or a banana on your DH bike? If you don’t want it, no worries, it’s nicely hidden away out of sight. All gear straps fit and maybe even the odd data acquisition system too with a nice 3D printed bracket.
All external routing makes working on the bike a doddle, especially in a rush at a race, while keeping the cables secure, tidy and not looking like a bird’s nest. The upper cable guides on the main frame double up as the fork bumpers and are designed to provide protection for all the range of different fork offsets available today.
And as much as possible, hardware is shared with the Madonna and Jibb. This makes it easier for you to keep spares between bikes and get hold of replaceable parts when the time comes for some maintenance.
Kinesis teaser pics:
Kinesis Fernweh
Ibis press release:
The DV9 is back!
A do-it-all carbon fiber hardtail designed to take you from the trailhead to the starting line, with a session at the pump track in between. Lighter weight, with up to date geometry, and engineered to the same exacting standards as the rest of our line, it packs a ton of performance in a more accessible price.
The idea to develop high quality bikes accessible to more riders came from a high school MTB team practice. Ibis co-owner Hans Heim was helping his daughter’s team and noticed many kids were at a disadvantage because of their equipment.
The result was the original DV9 (and our range of award-winning Aluminum Frame models). For the new DV9, our design goal remained the same – build a light and fast bike that a high school student could pay off with a summer job. We also launched a program with local Ibis dealers to offer a discount to NICA athletes and coaches.
The geometry of the completely redesigned DV9 is similar to the World Cup winning Ibis Exie USA. The DV9 comes with a 120mm fork and is compatible with forks from 100 to 140mm travel. The head angle is now one degree slacker at 66.5°. We’ve also steepened the seat tube angle by 2-4 degrees, depending on size. Size-specific seat tube angles improve your fore-aft balance on the bike while reducing knee and wrist strain.
The reach grew by 30mm on the medium and by 48mm on the large, bringing them to 435mm and 470mm, respectively. We’ve sloped the downtube to lower the standover by 53mm, dramatically improving the fit for smaller riders. Despite how compact the frame is, every size can run a long dropper and two water bottles, including the small. We’ve also shortened the chainstays by 14mm, bringing them to an ultra-playful 425mm.
There’s clearance for 2.6” tires, 203mm rotors and 4-piston brakes. Other improvements to make life better: easy to use internal tube-in-tube cable routing, a drop in headset, full coverage rubber chainstay protection, and a slick upper chain guide.
The Maxxis Factory Race Team has extensively raced discretely painted prototypes. Hayley Smith took it to a podium at Leadville in its first outing, she also clinched the inaugural Lifetime Grand Prix aboard this prototype (in conjunction with the Hakka MX and Exie USA).
Members Only – Deep Dive Into The Data
Cube press release:
CUBE LAUNCHES NEW STEREO ONE FAMILY
CUBE launches a revised and comprehensive full suspension mountain bike range, bringing Stereo performance to every rider: ONE bike for everyone.
Eagle Mountain bikers know that the best bike for off-road is a full suspension bike. But not all mountain bikes are the same, and every trail is different. CUBE’s Stereo range has always encapsulated the full gamut of mountain biking, from the nature-loving weekend explorer to the alp-bagging enduro rider, and everyone in between.
Now, with a completely revised Stereo One range, there really is a bike to suit any rider. Kinematics, geometry and spec are all carefully tailored to intended use. The result? No compromise.
CUBE is calling it Stereo ONEderland – a smorgasbord of suspension delights with something to suit every mountain biker’s taste.
A fitting bike available for every need
For riders with curiosity running through their veins, the evergreen Stereo ONE22 is a great choice: 120 mm of travel, straightforward handling and the ideal weekend adventurer.
The brand-new Stereo ONE44 promises all-mountain performance, with a choice of advanced C:68X or C:62 carbon frames, 140 mm of progressive travel, adjustable geometry and a built-in storage compartment.
There’s also a new Stereo ONE55 for riders who prefer their trails on the spicy side; combining up to 160 mm of travel and C:62 carbon frame technology with an angle adjustable headset, down tube storage and enduro focussed geometry and kinematics.
Not enough travel? Then you’ll be wanting the 29er wheel-equipped, 170 mm travel Stereo ONE77 with its coil or air shock-ready setup, adjustable geometry, flip chip and the option of premium C:68X carbon construction for the ultimate in low weight, high strength and big hit ability.
Go Hybrid
And finally, there’s the 150 mm travel Stereo Hybrid ONE55 – a new full-power, enduro-capable e-bike with a full C:68X carbon frame, Bosch CX Smart System and up to 750Wh battery capacity for rugged, agile and versatile trail-taming.
Lightweight, speed and integration are the defining qualities of the new Stereo Hybrid ONE55 C:68X, which makes use of up to six different fibre types to meet the specific demands of each part of the frame. The result is a chassis that’s the lightest e-mtb in tube frame we’ve ever built – up to 20% lighter compared to our Stereo Hybrid 140 frame.
The idea is simple: whichever Stereo ONE you choose, it’ll be ONE bike to change your ride forever.
Giant press release:
The All-New Liv Lurra–lightweight hardtail built for hard-charging performance
The Lurra, Liv’s new ALUXX SL-Grade aluminum hardtail mountain bike, launches next week. Built for performance-minded trail riders who want to hammer singletrack climbs and make quick work of fast, flowy descents, the Lurra series offers dedicated frame geometry for 27.5-inch wheels in frame sizes XS and S, and 29-inch wheels for frame sizes S, M and L.
The Lurra’s lightweight aluminum frame features a steep seat tube angle designed to optimize rider input for greater efficiency and speed on climbs and in the flats. A 66-degree head tube angle and 438mm chainstays contribute to a stable but playful ride experience, while 130mm of plush front suspension and a dropper seatpost make it easy to navigate obstacles and technical singletrack terrain. Mounts on the underside of the top tube allow riders to add a small gear bag for stowing tools.
Trek press release:
Trek gives Rail a brilliant upgrade with Bosch smart system across all models
Trek released new Rail models today, bringing Bosch smart system to every bike in the platform, so riders get more connectivity and customization than ever before.
Rail with Bosch smart system provides 85Nm of torque for serious assistance up steep climbs, and the intelligent Tour+ and eMTB modes that adjust assist power based on each rider’s terrain and own input for the most natural-feeling assistance.
It’s simple to pair with Bosch’s eBike Flow app, which allows riders to customize assist, track ride metrics, map out and navigate routes, update wirelessly over Bluetooth, and even provide service recommendations.
Simplifying travel and speeding up charging, Trek equips all Rail models with a Removable Integrated Battery (RIB) system. RIB allows riders to easily remove the battery from the down tube for faster charges and safe storage during travel, all without the need for tools.
New Rail 9.8 and 9.9 will feature Bosch’s System Controller that sits flush on the top tube for a clean look at ride stats and pairs with the new compact Mini Remote to easily change modes while riding. All other Rails will use an LED remote that displays battery life, currently-selected assist mode, and allows riders to update their system via Bluetooth with the Bosch eBike Flow app.
Rail will continue forward with same terrain-crushing 29˝ wheels and 150mm/160mm of travel as its predecessor. Carbon Rail models get longer, lower, slacker geometry, offering a ride that rips like Trek’s fan-favorite enduro bike, Slash.
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