Is that creak me or the bike? Real-world product reviews from real-world riders.
… Cane Creek Tigon air-coil rear shock, Sagly suspension set-up app, dates & venues for 2024 British National Enduro Series PLUS BONUS Transition TransAM!
Here’s a compendium of the most interesting press releases to arrive in our inboxes lately…
Giant press release:
New Giant Stance
STANCE 29
ROLL WITH CONFIDENCE
This all-new 29er dials up the fun with smooth suspension front and rear. From flow trails to chunky technical challenges, its balanced geometry and confident handling can help any rider step up their game.
KEY PERFORMANCE FACTORS
ATTAINABLE TRAIL PERFORMANCE
Handcrafted with lightweight, stiff and durable ALUXX aluminum, the new Stance 29 is an ideal entry to full-suspension MTB performance.
SMOOTH SUSPENSION
FlexPoint Suspension helps riders tackle challenging terrain and improve their trail riding capabilities. With 125mm of rear wheel travel and 140mm up front, it’s a versatile all-rounder for a variety of terrain.
29ER CONFIDENCE AND CONTROL
Larger diameter wheels roll over rugged terrain with improved balance and stability. With frame geometry that’s optimized for 29-inch wheels, Stance 29 helps riders maintain momentum, carry speed, and tackle technical trails with greater ease.
STANCE 27.5
TAME THE TRAIL
Everything you need to have fun on the trail. Smooth suspension lets you float over rocks, roots and ruts. Confident geometry keeps you in control. And quick-handling 27.5 wheels with high-volume tires deliver a responsive, agile feel on singletrack terrain.
KEY PERFORMANCE FACTORS
MODERN TRAIL GEOMETRY
A slacker head tube angle (65.5 degrees) and steeper seat tube angle (76.5 degrees) place the rider in a confident, balanced position to take on technical climbs and descents.
PROVEN SUSPENSION SETUP
FlexPoint rear suspension offers 125mm of smooth, active travel. The frame is paired with a 140mm Giant STL fork, delivering maximum confidence on climbs and descents.
LIGHTWEIGHT ALUMINUM FRAME
The ALUXX aluminum frameset is hand-built and engineered in-house by the world leader in alloy bicycle technology. An external storage space makes it easy to carry tools, snacks and other ride essentials.
CONTACT SWITCH AT DROPPER SEATPOST
RIDE WITHOUT LIMITS
The redesigned Contact Switch AT dropper seatpost features more insertion, more drop and better fit for more seat tube designs. With travel length and cable routing adjustability as well as a wide choice of remote lever options, the all-new Contact Switch AT gives you rock-solid, play free action and broad versatility for tackling the toughest terrain.
MAXIMUM TRAVEL, MINIMUM LENGTH
With 30mm of tool-free adjustable travel and a shortened chassis for each post length, the all-new Contact Switch AT Seatpost fits a wide range of rider heights and riding styles as well as frame sizes and suspension designs. Insert an individual or combination of 5, 10 or 15mm spacers in the seatpost collar to easily reduce travel and store unused spacers as backups at the bottom of the post.
GET LOW
To get the most out of a dropper post, maximum insertion is critical, but the curved or interrupted seat tubes found on many full-suspension frames can impact cable routing and limit lowest possible saddle height. The all- new Contact Switch AT dropper features a unique rotatable actuator that allows for easier cable routing on a variety of seat tube designs, maximizing seatpost insertion for lowest drop and improved cable action.
- Diameter 30.9mm
- Travel 100mm, 140mm, 170mm, 200mm
- Length 315mm, 395mm, 470mm, 530mm
STL SUSPENSION FORK
TRAIL TRUSTED
Drawing inspiration from our innovative Crest SL suspension fork, the Giant STL features a redesigned hollow arch bridge for optimal stiffness and control. A custom negative coil spring and adjustable positive air spring keep things plush and smooth as the exclusive Giant pro tuning damper offers a wide range of adjustments.
FEATURES
Exclusive hollow arch bridge design features less material on the back and a more dedicated connection to the fork legs for an optimal combination of low weight and stiffness with just the right amount of dynamic flex.
- Customized negative coil spring for dedicated small-bump support.
- Optimized air spring curve for more control on technical terrain.
- Giant tuned damper for controlled rebound behavior and a wide-range of adjustments.
- Dedicated mud guard mount.
Orange press release:
More for Less – The Phase Evo Paradox
If you’ve been giving ebikes the side-eye for a while, we totally understand. But here’s an ebike that we think will change your mind.
Welcome to the ebike that does it all – Imagine the feeling of being at your best on every climb AND every descent. The lightweight Phase Evo E.P.O. is here to give you just that – super legs on the way up, perfect pop and handling on the way down.
Using Bosch’s revolutionary Performance Line SX drive system, built into a sleek Orange suspension chassis, brings the perfect combination of power, efficiency and finesse into a lightweight high-performance mountain bike. With specs from 19.5kg (L frame), the Phase Evo is still built for that robust performance you expect to find in an Orange hardcore 160mm travel mountain bike.
Riding more like an ‘analogue’ mountain bike than any other E.P.O. model in our range, the Phase Evo feels agile, quick to turn and floats & launches like the bikes you know and love. You’ll forget it’s even got a motor until you point the front wheel back uphill and smash the climb like a superhero.
Chassis Evolution of the Phase: It’s more than just a Phase
The Phase Evo is an MX wheeled E.P.O. mountain bike, 160mm travel front and rear. ‘Evo’ means that the geometry is tuned to be aggressive and deliver the feeling of a big travel bike in a compact chassis, making the bike fast and stable with a bottomless suspension feel (Full geometry below).
To help keep that ride super-plush the Phase Evo uses a 205×65 trunnion shock with a revised lower shock mount, which 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 the performance and feel of our renowned single-pivot chassis.
All the features you would expect on the latest Orange frames are there; iconic monocoque frame construction, optimised pivot position; and asymmetric swingarm to increase the bike’s vertical stiffness while tuning its lateral compliance, producing a bike with a direct feel under power but still maintaining buckets of grip.
Always looking for gains in reliability, we’ve used 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.
There’s even room on the Phase Evo to include a small S.A.F.E. compartment (Stores Accessories Food & Equipment) meaning you don’t have to strap so much to the outside of your bike, letting you keep it hidden but readily available. It also gives you handy access to the additional power button on the integrated downtube battery should it be required.
Handbuilt in Britain
The frame fabrication of the Phase Evo is founded on our iconic aircraft grade aluminium folded monocoque construction technique that we pride ourselves on. With state-of-the-art aluminium craftsmen who boast many years of experience, we think that the frames we produce today are the very best we’ve ever made and indeed probably the finest in the world. Manufactured from flat sheets of aerospace grade aluminium into individually custom-fabricated tubes, then seam-welded for each specific application, working in harmony with CNC machined components from aluminium billet, all meticulously modelled and analysed. All produced, manufactured and tested in the UK at our own facility. It means we have a product that’s strong, durable and fully recyclable at the end-of-life cycle.
Bosch Performance Line SX – Light and Powerful
The lightweight Bosch Performance Line SX drive unit differs significantly from the power assistance on our other E.P.O. models.
This drive unit responds more dynamically to rider input. Pedal fast and you’ll go faster. Effectively, the 55Nm Performance Line SX unit will match your input and then deliver more watts to your drive-train. This is extremely effective and in use feels more powerful than its number suggest, the higher your cadence, the more support it will give you – up to a peak of 600 watts. It is the perfect ebike for riders that feel like they still want to ‘ride’ and feel the benefit of a work-out while getting the most out of the trail.
The Bosch Performance Line SX motor weighs in at a svelte 2kg, yet packs a proper punch with it’s power delivery. It is quieter, has minimal pedal resistance and coupled with the CompactTube 400 integrated battery makes for a lightweight bike that rides and feels like your analogue trail bike, but giving you an added superpower.
While the battery may be lighter and smaller than a full-fat ebike, the Performance Line SX’s energy-saving power use and the overall light bike weight means that the range is on a par with the heavy hitters.
When it comes to technical climbs the dynamic eMTB system detects input power and cadence to modulate the assistance to perfectly match the trail. The eMTB intelligent mode is impressive to say the least, standing starts on steep climbs are easy and you don’t get overpowering slip-ups on loose terrain while its extended boost gives that extra kick of power when you need it most to get you up-and-over roots and stepped rocky sections.
From the hardware through to the software the Bosch system shows its class leading maturity. Their experience and know how really shines through.
The system is accessed through the compact yet extensive Purion 200 bar mounted computer. It is surprisingly powerful and will give just about anything you need to know to control your bike’s power right at your fingertips. It couldn’t be easier.
The new Flow eMTB app is an essential part of the system which offers a staggering number of features along with constant updates and improvements
The Performance Line SX, like its big CX brother, features four ride modes – Eco, Tour, eMTB and Turbo. These are all customisable through the Flow app. The app also brings features like ebike Lock, a navigation system, a Ride Screen (if you’re a Quad-lock kind of rider) and a pocket full of other features.
The Orange Phase Evo also has the capability to take on board the Bosch PowerMore 250 range extender. An extra 250Wh battery to give you more options on big days out.
In the rare event that you have an issue with the Performance Line SX system, the customer service at Bosch is second to none, they will soon get you back on the trail. Very much matching our own philosophy.
The first model available will be the Phase Evo LE
- Front: 160mm
- Rear: 160mm
- Wheelset: MX F:29/R:27.5
- Priced at £7900.0
Cane Creek press release:
The Air-Charged Coil Shock
Tigon is an entirely new DB Twin Tube shock that combines the sensitivity of a coil shock with the tunable support of an air spring.
Patent-pending RAMP Tube Technology enables your most creative riding yet – in an entirely new layout that better withstands side-loading and buckling forces that can harm traditional coil shocks.
RAMP Tube is a secondary air spring that works in conjunction with Tigon’s main coil spring to control the shock’s progression. With this added feature, a rider will still rely on the main coil to support their body weight while setting sag – but can easily add up to 35% progression relative to a traditional coil shock using a basic shock pump.
Tigon expands the usable market for coil by providing a more resilient solution for clevis and trunnion mount frames, with highly tunable bottom out support.
- Weight: +/- 438g* *210 – without spring, varies by size
- Damping: DB Twin Tube Technology
- Adjustments: RAMP Tube, Independent high & low- speed compression, low-speed rebound, 2 position Climb Switch
- Shaft diameter: 12.7mm (1/2”)
- Manufacturing: Designed, Tested, and Hand Assembled in Fletcher, NC
- Warranty: 2 years
Lotus press release:
LOTUS LAUNCHES TYPE 136 – A TRACK-INSPIRED
PERFORMANCE ROAD BIKE. ELECTRIFIED.
- Featuring the lightest e-bike motor from High Performance System (HPS)*, delivering true dual-use functionality to ride further, faster and higher
- Harnessing design and engineering excellence from more than 30 years’ experience of road and track cycling.
- Quintessential Lotus lightness, with a motor at just 300 grams and full e-bike at only 9.8kg
- Exclusive limited first edition launch production run of 136 individually numbered bikes with unique Lotus motorsport-inspired livery.
Lotus unveils Type 136, a new performance model featuring the lightest e-bike motor from HPS* to deliver dual-use functionality that will allow riders to go further, faster and higher.
The all-new bike harnesses design and engineering excellence from more than 30 years of road and track cycling success, while incorporating cutting-edge technology from the present day. The striking aero design has been inspired by Lotus’ gold medal-winning success in Olympic velodromes around the world, from the iconic Type 108 bike at the 1992 Barcelona Games to the most recent competition at Tokyo 2020. There the Hope/Lotus track bike helped the Great Britain track cycling team top the event medal table.
Handmade in Italy, the lightweight carbon fibre frame and state-of-the-art components mean Type 136 weighs just 9.8 kilograms. It features V-shaped handlebars, wing-shaped forks, and vaulted chain stays, helping it carve through the air with speed and efficiency.
The innovation continues with the battery, disguised as a water bottle and detached from the frame at the push of a button.
The bike’s Watt Assist Pro Motor system is derived from the Mars Lander Project – where limited weight and zero maintenance were critical factors to the mission’s success. It is the lightest e-bike motor system on the market from HPS* and weighs just 1.2kg in total. An elegant and compact bottom bracket shell that seamlessly integrates into the bike’s frame, the motor itself weighs just 300 grams.
In tribute to Lotus’ tradition of Type numbers for its new models, Type 136 is available as an exclusive limited first edition launch production run of just 136 bikes. These will be individually numbered and available in an iconic motorsport livery. The standard model will go on sale in Spring 2024.
Founded in 1948 and 75 years old this year, Lotus is best known as a global luxury performance brand, world-renowned for the design, engineering and manufacture of thrilling two-seater sports cars such as Esprit, Elise and Elite. Its latest range of all-electric models includes Emeya hyper-GT and Eletre hyper-SUV. The brand’s halo product is Evija, the world’s most powerful series production road car.
Lotus is unique in the automotive industry for its success in the world of track cycling, where its pioneering spirit and passion for pushing the boundaries is legendary. Type 108 rewrote the rule book on bike design and is recognised as one of the most iconic machines of all time, inspiring a generation of professional cyclists such as Sir Chris Hoy.
The six-time Olympic Champion is now a Lotus brand ambassador. Speaking at the world premiere of Type 136, he said: “This is an incredible bike, which says so much about the pioneering endeavours of Lotus and the iconic status of its bikes over the years. As a teenager I vividly remember watching Chris Boardman powering Type 108 to a gold medal in Barcelona in 1992 and smashing records on Type 110 to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France two years later.”
Feng Qingfeng, CEO, Lotus Group, commented: “I am proud to launch the Lotus Type 136 as the next chapter in our high-performance journey. For the past 75 years, Lotus has been relentlessly pushing the boundaries of innovation on the road and track. Type 136 shows that we continue to do so. Launching alongside Eletre, Emeya and Evija, it will further expand global perceptions of what to expect from Lotus.”
The Lotus Type 136 was unveiled at an exclusive VIP event at the Lotus London brand store and will be showcased at Rouleur LIVE in London from 2-4 November 2023.
First Edition RRP £20,000
Go to lotuscars.com to register your interest.
Sagly press release:
Passion for mountain biking and innovation became SAGLY – a mobile app for suspension adjustment and bike maintenance
Beside a clear interface where you all of your settings are saved, there is also an AI algorithm, SAG Guide, tire air pressure calculator that makes it easy to create a good basic setup. Based on physique, these guides suggest bike settings. All matching parts that the rider has on the bike can also be created. Finally, there is a balance test, with which the user can determine whether his suspension is balanced between the suspension fork and damper. Thus, the user has a good basic setup, which is half the battle when it comes to the settings on the bike.
From the basic setup, every mountain bike can then improve the setup at will. The WHAT SHOULD I DO, WHEN… guide gives the user assistance to further improve the setup with the help of SAGLY and their own assessment. SAGLY should by no means be a tool that strictly tells mountain bikers how to adjust their bike. It should help him much more to develop a feeling for his chassis and to find an individual setup based on his own assessment. The FEEDBACK LOOP also helps with this. With this function you can give SAGLY feedback on how you feel about the suspension after the last changes. Recommendations for further adjustments are then given on request. This feature is perhaps a little reminiscent of the bracketing method. This method is used by mountain bike World Cup riders. It basically guides the rider to a great setting by leading him in a certain direction (i.e. clockwise or counterclockwise) by changing a specific setting on the suspension until a point is found for the respective setting at which the rider feels good about the bike.
Many terms related to mountain bike suspension are explained in a comprehensible way and with the EXPLORE SETUPS function you can also find other riders’ bikes and thus get inspiration of other riders suspension setups and their weight or riding style for good comparison. The suspension settings of other riders can also be tried out and copied into their own setups.
App details and prices
SAGLY is available in German and English and PRO features can be activated for an annual (€20) or monthly fee (€2.50). One week test version and basic features such as offline capability, the storage of one bike setup, the EXPLORE SETUPS feature or basic know-how as well as solutions to problems with your setup are available free of charge.
SAGLY is available on Apple iOS and Android devices.
British National Enduro Series press release:
Dates and Venues Announced for British National Enduro Series 2024
Dates and locations for the 2024 British National Enduro Series have been confirmed, with new venues and some fantastic riding from the Scottish Highlands to England’s Somerset. This is the seventh year for BNES, and we have a fantastic year lined up.
2024 Calendar
R1. 27/28th April: Laggan, Highland, Scotland – TweedLove/Laggan Forest Trust R2. 11/12th May: White Rocks/Machynlleth, Wales – Welsh Champs/WES
R3. 29/30th June: Isle of Man – Manx MTB Enduro
R4. 3/4th August: Minehead, Somerset, England – Southern Enduro
R5. 17/18th August: Ae Forest, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland – BEMBA National Champs – PMBA Enduro
R6. 14/15th September: Innerleithen – TweedLove
Categories
BEMBA, the British Enduro Mountain Bike Association introduced five new categories last year and all of these will continue into 2024 for all the events.
- The National Enduro Series points have a minimum age of 13, with categories for: Men: U15, U18, U21, Senior, Master/30+, Vet/40+, Grand Vet/50+
- Women : U16, U21, Senior , Master/35+
- E-Bike categories: Women, Men U40, Men 40+ (minimum age 14 in line with ebike law)
With six rounds, and five organisers there may be some local differences to categories, e.g. PMBA and Southern Enduro allow those younger than 13 to race and TweedLove events have additional podiums/categories for women. However, the results will be processed to only allow 13-year-olds and older to score points in the U16 women and U15 men and these will be reflected in the BNES Series standings. Any of the rounds that will split categories differently on the day will be recalculated for the BNES series results.
Race Venues
ROUND 1. The season starts at the end of April in the Scottish Highlands, and the first time the British series has visited Laggan. With a fantastic combination of steeps, tech, rock and flow, this will be a round of the series unlike any other. Laggan has also just had a big boost of investment with some superb new trails providing the perfect addition to the famous test pieces and sculpted enduro trails. A big weekend is guaranteed – just a few days before the Fort William World Cup DH kicks off. It’s a first for race organisers TweedLove too – leaving their Tweed Valley enduro homeland for the first time and working in partnership with Laggan Forest Trust.
For ROUND 2 it’s down to Wales, where Dyfi Forest has been a cornerstone of enduro for years, and in 2024 the Welsh Enduro Series team have gone all out to extend the course into a new venue at Machynlleth/White Rocks in search of a bigger lap and longer stages. A mix of technical forest and open sections look set to make this a classic.
ROUND 3, You will probably need a ferry! Manx MTB Enduro join the series for the third consecutive year – they’ve consistently had excellent racer feedback, labeled the toughest two day race. A slightly different format gives even more riding at this absolute gem of an event also has the absolute cheapest ticket price of the series – which helps to offset the increased travel costs and gives you two days of racing, event t-shirt and food both days.
ROUND 4 heads way down south to Minehead in Somerset. Both Southern Enduro and this venue have a fantastic reputation. This combination has seen many great BNES rounds in the past and even the British champs – literally a track record that speaks for itself.
ROUND 5 and we are back North into Scotland, to a venue that returned with a bang last year – Ae Forest. A stunning venue with a huge selection of wild trails, rooty singletrack and good elevation – a suitable venue for the BEMBA National Championships. If you’ve not ridden at Ae recently there’s a pleasant surprise in store – the enduro trails are mint.
ROUND 6 is the big finale. TweedLove has the honour of hosting the final round and the venue is, you guessed it, Innerleithen. A classic enduro test-piece can be expected on trails which have provided a suitable challenge of length and tech for the world’s best riders. Overall series winners will be crowned here, after the kind of enjoyable battle only the Tweed Valley can provide. Expect some of the country’s best enduro tracks.
In 2023 BEMBA achieved faster updating of the BNES series standings, with results online the Monday or Tuesday after each round; thanks to SI Entries for achieving this for us, the exception for 2024 will be the final round where the overall results will be available on the day – and series podiums will take place. As always for the series, the best four results from the first five rounds, plus the final count towards the overall series points standings.
For entries and on-sale dates check the individual race organisers event web pages. Follow the BNES social media for updates throughout the year.
Organiser websites & dates entries open
TweedLove: https://tweedlove.com
Welsh Enduro Series: https://welshenduroseries.co.uk
Manx Enduro: https://www.manxmtbenduro.com
Southern Enduro: https://southernenduro.co.uk
PMBA http://www.pmbaenduro.co.uk
Transition Bikes press release:
IT WILL STEEL YOUR HEART
The classic TransAm returns! After a seven-year hiatus, the reliable trail-shredding hardtail is back in the lineup for a limited time.
Now with modern geometry, dual 29-inch wheels, a capable build spec or frameset option, and two classic color schemes, this will be one to hang on to and pass down for many generations. The updated geo encourages hard-charging but rewards thoughtful line choice. It orchestrates a fast-paced ballet through the landscape of your choosing. The new TransAM is ready for the rider looking to get back to their roots.
Simple is Fun
For the rider who loves refined simplicity with the feeling of the wind in their face as they rip beautiful ribbons of single track in both directions, we give you the TransAM. The TransAM brings a feeling of nostalgia and reminds its rider of that first taste of freedom when they were young.
For those that watch The Wizard of Oz while listening to the dark side of the moon. For the Off-Road Cyclist. For the person who doesn’t always have a plan but knows that whatever lies ahead will be a most excellent adventure. The TransAM pays homage to the free spirits of yesteryear who found rolling through the mountains on two wheels to be the best way to experience life.
Less is More
Tech keeps getting more complicated, the list of features gets longer, and the number of batteries keeps increasing. While we too are a bunch of bike nerds, excited about the latest and greatest, at our core we are mountain bikers who simply care about good dirt and good company. The new TransAM has no batteries, no motor, no apps, just a Chromoly frame that’ll last a lifetime. In contrast to the times, we wanted to resurrect a bike that was clean and simple. With just enough updates and features like adjustable sliding dropouts, a UDH, and options for different wheel sizes, you can customize your bike to fit your style. Get the complete or the frame, either way, get out there and leave the fuss behind.
Q: Can I run a different size fork on the TransAm?
A: Yes you can run +/- 10mm from the stock 150mm fork.
Q: Can I run this bike as a single speed?
A: Yes the TransAm has sliding dropouts to accommodate for a single-speed setup.
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.