Last Coal V4 vital stats: full 29, 180mm fork, 165mm rear, 63° head angle, 77.1° effective…
… Hope Dropper Lever, Cannondale Habit HT, Sixpack Headset Cable Routing System, Rocky Mountain Slayer, Saracen LSL Hardtails, Specialized Levo SL Kids.
Here’s all the most interesting releases of the past sevens days…
Hope Technology press release…
Hope Dropper Post Lever
After teased at Sea Otter and the London Bike Show It’s finally here…The Hope Dropper Lever.
A High quality CNC machined dropper lever for any cable actuated dropper post that matches the aesthetics of our Brakes.
The lever rotates on ball bearing for super smooth and precise action with minimal unwanted movement, and features adjustable leverage with a 20% range of adjustment: Increasing leverage provides a lighter lever action and more lever travel, decreasing leverage provides a quicker action with less lever travel. Combined with adjustable reach and fore/aft and lateral position adjustment it makes it easy to get the ergonomics set-up for your preference.
Dropper Lever Features
// CNC machined
// Smooth ball bearing actuation
// Adjustable leverage
// Adjustable reach
// Works with the majority of dropper posts
// Mounts directly to Hope master cylinders via a direct shifter mount for super clean look
// Available in Black or Silver with colour accent options of; Black, silver, purple, red, blue, or orange
Available now from any Hope Dealer.
RRP £60.00 // €75.00 // $75.00
Lapierre press release:
Light The Way
Simply best
The new E-ZESTY will bring much more pleasure, generate the desire to return, to simply feel better and to do more than expected.
YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW?
- A Light assist E-MTB with 140 mm travel
- 72% extra battery capacity (430 Wh vs 250)
- A new drive unit Fazua Ride 60 lighter, more compact, with lot of torque and customisable
A new kinematic
Now with 140mm of rear travel, the aim was to retain the spirit of a true All Mountain bike, with progressive shock absorption but also an effective anti-pumping system for fast climbs thanks to the engine.
The design work and the switch to 29-inch wheels meant that we had to rethink the kinematics and the suspension work to make it more progressive at the end of the stroke and more supportive in the middle, with a SAG of 30% for the shock and 20% for the fork.
Although designed for 29-inch wheels, we’ve added the ‘flipchip’, a small part that allows you to change the shock anchorage so that you can mount your E-Zesty in a Mullet version (27’5-inch rear wheel) for those looking for a bike that’s even livelier from the rear.
The visual signature of the E-Zesty, with the shock absorber located between the seat tube, remains unchanged. We’ve improved its protection with a longer mudguard.
Above all, the new locations of the 4 Bar Linkage suspension pivot points further improve the anti-kickback and anti-squat system for optimum pedalling efficiency and improved shock sensitivity.
The short, asymmetrical chainstays give the rider a lively, dynamic feel, with the impression that they simply have more travel.
A sensation of maximum lightness
Taken in isolation, weight is just a figure that gives an indication, but it’s not the whole story.
We know more than anyone, thanks to our GLP concept, that it’s the way the weight is distributed that also gives the feeling of lightness. But that didn’t stop us from wanting to make our model lighter!
That’s why we opted for the Fazua Ride 60 motor. At just 1.96 kg, the compact drive unit is ultra-light and has a low impact on inertia thanks to its location closer to the ground. As for the new 430 Wh battery, it weighs no more than 2.3 kg.
That’s why we opted for a fixed battery, but the additional 210 Wh battery, placed on the downtube, provides an immediate solution for prolonging the pleasure of riding.
The Fazua Ride 60 package weighs just 4.26 kg, compared with 4.61 kg for the old system, a saving of almost 400 grams and a 72% increase in range.
As a result, the E-Zesty LTD is one of the lightest in its class, weighing just 18 kg in M size, almost 1.3 kg less than the E-Zesty 9.2 X.
SRAM press relase:
One group, multiple choices – SRAM Apex AXS
Apex has always stood for innovation, value and reliability, and SRAM Apex AXS is the latest leap forward. 12 speeds, exceptional ergonomics and intuitive wireless electronic shifting elevate any ride, and the sheer simplicity of this wide-range 1x group lets you focus on what’s around you.
AXS enabled for easy wireless setup, personalization and reliability
New ergonomics with optimized hood shape (same as new Force and Rival AXS)
SRAM Apex Mechanical
Our latest 12-speed technology from our premier electronic groups has come to mechanical shifting and your ride has never been better. It’s a 1x drivetrain with a wide-range cassette, chain retention technology, and our latest ergonomic breakthroughs that maximizes ease of use and minimizes distractions.
Intuitive Double Tap shifting – all your gears in one hand – a single lever does it all
Same hydraulic braking platform as AXS groupsets, with the ergonomics of our AXS controls
Two configurations
The elegance of 1x but with choices to suit all riders
XPLR with a 44T large cog for tarmac and gravel
Eagle with a 50T or 52T large cog for maximum range and off-road adventure
Both have the option for an 11T start for broader compatibility
Chain management through spring clutch mechanisms in rear derailleur and X-Sync chainrings
Accessible power:
Power meter upgrade option available in aftermarket
Spindle-based power measurement with proven reliability and accuracy
Flat bar option:
For gravel, fitness, urban, eBike – mechanical or electronic S-300 disc brakes
Eagle shifter for all builds: trigger, Gripshift or AXS controller
Retail availability
Apex AXS: June 2023
Apex Mechanical: September 2023
Orange Bikes press release:
Switch 6 – Daily Driver?
The NEW Switch 6, a 160/160mm MX wheeled mountain bike for… well, just about anything. If you’ve followed Orange Factory Racing you’ll know the guys used the original Switch 6 for their first year of the EWS, or if you’ve heard of Jack Carthy (10x trials world champion) you’ll know its equally at home hopping, skipping and jumping over some of Yorkshire’s most precarious rock structures. It’s also the chosen daily driver for many a rider, used on their local trails or summer trips abroad.
So by changing it we had a lot to live up to. Luckily when it comes to a performance trail bike we’re confident that we are safe hands.
Like all Orange Full suspension bikes (and maybe some hardtails – coming soon) the New Switch 6 is a UK made frame, manufactured by the hands of craftsmen with decades of experience, from flat sheets of aerospace grade aluminium to individually custom-fabricated tubes, seam-welded for each specific application, working in harmony with CNCed components from aluminium billet meticulously modelled and analysed. All produced manufactured and tested in the U.K at our own facility.
This all produces an aluminium frame with a weight less than that of many ‘carbon’ frames in its category. It also means we have a product that’s strong, durable and fully recyclable at the end-of-life cycle.
Sweating the Details
The Switch 6 is an MX wheeled Mountain bike, 160mm travel front and rear. It uses a 205×65 trunnion shock alongside revised upper & lower shock mounts, which now allows for a bearing eyelet to be used. This has been done to achieve a lower break away force, providing incredible sensitivity to the initial part of the shock’s stroke, while maintaining our signature feel.
The layout of the New Switch 6 frame has also seen major revisions, the inclusion of Orange’s S.A.F.E (Stores Accessories Food & Equipment) should mean you don’t have to strap so much to the outside of your bike, you can keep it hidden and readily available. More room has been created to fit a larger water bottle inside the front triangle to keep you hydrated on those longer days in the saddle. We’ve added our new tapered head tube to improve stiffness and increase strength and we’ve also revised our sizing with shorter seat tube lengths to allow for longer dropper posts.
Technology developed on our most recent bikes also appears on the Switch 6, it has an asymmetrical swingarm, this allowed us to increase the bike’s vertical stiffness whilst tuning its lateral compliance, producing a bike with a direct feel under power but still maintaining buckets of grip.
With the New Switch 6 we have also updated the bike’s kinematics. Sporting 160mm of travel and a more progressive feel. The original Switch 6 was almost completely linear while the newest version has a real working progression of 6.2% considerably higher than the original bike (0.7%). The amount of anti- squat has also been reduced to lessen the impact the drivetrain has on the suspension whilst maintaining a direct feel. In 32/50 gearing Anti-squat starts at 119.9% dropping through out the bikes range of travel to 92.9%, around dynamic sag anti-squat is at 113.5%.
The icing on the cake is our new chainstay protector to dampen chain slap.
The Switch 6 LE is available as of today and comes in two colour options, Gloss charcoal grey and Angel Delight. The LE Spec comes kitted out with a full host of excellent components, from renowned brands; Fox performance suspension, Hope hubs, Stans rims, Maxxis tyres, SRAM GX groupset, Burgtec bar and stem and a SDG saddle and post.
Bikes come with a 5 year warranty and a lifetime crash replacement policy to the original owner.
Cannondale press release:
Never Not Fun
Full-tilt-boogie trail capability meets hardtail purity and simplicity. That’s the Habit HT. Minimum fuss. Maximum fun.
Rugged
When it’s time to mess around, Habit HT doesn’t mess around. The beautifully burly aluminum frame takes whatever the trail is dishing out, and comes back for seconds.
Rowdy
Habit HT lives to let loose. Its dialed trail geometry has just what you need for full-fun sessions on the wild side. Playful? Yup. Stable? Oh yeah. Confident? You be the judge. Pitch it in to turns. Pop it off the hips. Float it though the rough. Then spin up and do it all over again.
Ready
Stout 130mm forks. Wide rims and big tires. Wide range 1X drivetrains, powerful brakes, and dropper posts. Straightforward, reliable, ready-to-rock components mean Habit HT won’t let you down when its time to get out and get down.
SixPack press release:
Headset Cabling Done Right!
Sixpack Racing launches a new system for headset cable routing which minimizes the typical risks. The Millenium ICR system is now available on the market to make riders’ lives easier.
We won’t try to talk you into loving headset cable routing. Mainly because we know it won’t work, but also because we don’t want to put in the effort. Some riders hate it, some like it, and some couldn’t care less. If you have a bike with headset cable routing, this article might be of interest to you… If you have already made up your mind that you don’t like internal routing, skip the article. You can jump straight to the comment section and tell us that you hate headset cable routing, if it makes you feel any better.
The big WHY
Another company that’s going on board with HS Cable routing? WHY? We see a trend of bike manufacturers switching to this new cable routing method. For us as a component brand, it’s important to stay within the trends and standards of modern bikes, so we checked what’s available on the HS cable routing side of components. The quick answer is: Not much! The few options of HS cable routing components available on the aftermarket are either complete, proprietary fully integrated systems or systems with known issues on the market.
Internal HS routing is a divisive subject, and we understand the concerns of riders. If you decide to go for HS cable routing, you might as well do it right. So that’s what we did.
HS Cable Routing done right
The Sixpack Internal Cable Routing system is the perfect solution if you are aiming for a clean cockpit, a quiet bike and want to minimize the typical risks involved with HS cable routing. It can be mounted on any bike with Acros ZS56 ICR Headsets or Acros Angle-Headsets with an additional aftermarket compression ring.
This ICR system differs from currently available headset cable routing solutions in a few points. The major difference is in where the cables enter the headset. Cables are routed underneath (not through!) the stem. This area is sealed off with rubber cable ports to protect the headset from dust and, most importantly, water. With regular HS routing top covers, water can enter the headset, which is a major known problem of the concept. Cables are routed close to the cockpit, and can be even shorter than with regular HS cable routing solutions, which further reduces the danger of them tearing off and creates little to no rattling noises.
Just a stem?
The Millenium ICR Stem is a classic stem, like any other combined with HS cable routing, nothing proprietary or fully integrated here. It is available in 35 mm and 50 mm length, both having a 35 mm clamp diameter. Sixpack designed split-spacers for easy height adjustment of your cockpit, even after the ICR system is mounted. Just loosen the stem, pull it up, and add or remove the split spacers easily. No need to worry about that. Changing or adjusting your handlebar is as easy as ever, too. Want to ride your favorite handlebar? No problem. Want to rotate your bar a little? Easy.
You like the looks of our ICR Stem and want to run it on your regular bike? No problem either. The stem can also be combined with regular headsets with the included adapter.
The Sixpack ICR System consists of:
- 1x CNC-milled stem, designed specifically to optimize the HS cable routing experience
- 1x top cover
- 1x horizontal rubber cable router seal with 4 cable ports
- 2x split spacers for easy height adjustment of the stem (each 5 mm height)
- 1x head tube cover with seal, compatible with Acros ZS56 ICR Headsets or Acros Angle-Headsets with additional aftermarket compression ring (11.52.106R2-AM)
- 1x stem adapter for use with regular headsets
CNC-milled in Germany
The stem is CNC-milled from AL 7075 in Germany. It comes in 2 colors: Midnight Black and Raw. All other parts of the cable routing system are made of glass-fiber reinforced PA (Polyamide) in cooperation with Acros. We know what you are thinking: Plastic?! This will break. That’s a common misconception. Polyamide is an extremely functional material with many benefits. It is lightweight, and – when reinforced with glass fiber – extremely robust and durable. Of course, the entire system was tested to the bone & it easily passed all industry-required tests. The Sixpack ICR system is approved for ASTM category 5, the highest category of riding.
Rocky Mountain press release:
Slayer – It’s time to go big
The classic spirit of the west lives in all of us. Renegades. Champions of freedom and exploration. Living by our own set of rules. Introducing the new Slayer, an outlaw built to stand out from the herd and stand up to any trail.
The Slayer was right there at the start of the freeride movement, and that “heritage-of-send” lives on. Longer and slacker than ever, and now available in a mixed-wheel setup, expect villainous levels of confidence when ripping big mountain trails or devouring the park.
Slayer
“The new Slayer is here! Giving me the confidence I need to slay big mountain terrain and smash laps till dark. The versatility of this bike is second to none, all while retaining that trademark Rocky feel. Let er’ rip and SLAY it all. ” — Alex Volokhov, Rocky Mountain Athlete
DESIGNED FOR
Freeride
FRONT TRAVEL
180 / 200 mm
REAR TRAVEL
180 mm
WHEEL SIZE
SM – MD: 29 / 27.5″
LG – XL: 29″
Specialized press release:
LEVO SL KIDS
The new Levo SL Kids unlocks trail riding’s next level for our future riders, and allows them to ride with you no matter the terrain. Modern, progressive geometry. Light weight and trail tough. Trail-proven componentry. Advanced Turbo OS technology. This is designed from the ground up to give them the power, the range, and the confidence to realize their biggest dreams. With quickly developing skills, and body mechanics that are still a work in progress, Levo SL Kids is the keeper of powering new, enriching experiences on the trail for younger riders.
The Levo SL Kids opens up so much joy for family rides. Teaching our kids about nature, the trails, and the benefits of riding—without the stress of ability level—is connecting us on such an exciting new level. The Levo SL Kids unlocks the next level of shared trail riding experiences and helps introduce a lifelong passion in the most powerful way.
DISCLAIMER:
Children must be aged 14 or over in the UK to legally ride an e-bike on public road or space. Laws and regulations regarding the use of electric bicycles vary significantly by geographic area, even within a particular country or state. Prior to your purchase, in addition to making sure your child is ready to handle the added acceleration and weight an electric bike can provide, be sure to inform yourself of all applicable requirements and restrictions, including age-restrictions. Always wear a helmet and practice riding with your child in a controlled environment before going on their first ride.
UK PRICING:
£3,500
Saracen press release:
New Mantra LSL models in stock now
If you thought the hardtail was dead, you need to think again. The LSL series from Saracen has been not only keeping hardtail riding alive but pushing the boundaries by making bikes that are more trail capable than ever before. In an increasingly full suspension world, there will always be room for a rowdy hardtail designed to maximise fun and minimise fuss. An XC bike this is not.
All three models are built around a custom butted and hydroformed 6061 aluminium frameset with geometry designed to make progressive look old school – they’re not called long, slack and low for nothing.
As you’ve probably guessed, the differences in the models are spec-based. The Mantra Trail combines Deore and SLX 12-speed components with Deore M6100 brakes, a Rock Shox RK35 140mm Silver fork and KS Race I 150mm dropper, while the Elite takes things up a notch with a mix of SLX and XT but using Magura’s MT5 to handle braking, and Marzocchi Bomber Z2 fork. At the top of the range the flag ship Mantra Race goes full Shimano Deore XT 12-speed with 4-pot XT brakes, a KS Lev Integra dropper and a Fox F36 Performance Elite fork to make up a very tasty package indeed.
The three bikes in the range starts with the Trail LSL at £1499.99, then the Elite at £1899.99 and finally the Race which is £2799.99. All are available from both Freewheel and the Saracen Bikes website now.
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