We’ve come to the middle of the season and it’s about time to give you an update on our long-term E-MOUNTAINBIKE test bikes. The feelings and experiences of our test riders are mixed and not just because many of them are still waiting for their bikes. Read on to find out about our honest impressions over the last few months, from the best of times to the bitter disappointment that we’re still waiting – as everyone else – for some of our bikes to arrive. Let’s get to the bad news first: both Christoph and Robin are still waiting to receive the YT DECOY and the Haibike FLYON. Even though we’re generally the first to receive new test bikes for reviews, we’ve been struggling with availability just as much as everyone else. We hope that Christoph and Robin will be able to hit the trails soon, especially as there’s not too much left of the season! Delayed, but rather late than never, Valentin has finally received his Riese & Müller Supercharger and he’s been commuting on it every day since. Felix, Sarah and Toni have been diligently racking up the miles and the patina of wear and tear showing on their bikes couldn’t be more different. Below, you’ll find out how they have tuned their bikes, which parts have needed replacement and the first impressions of their respective rides. For more information about our test team, you can read the first instalment of our long-term E-MOUNTAINBIKE test here. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1408638783102-0'); }); Specialized Turbo Levo Expert – Felix As our hardcore tester, Felix doesn’t do anything by half measures, staying on the gas through the worst rock gardens and roughest terrain. As you might expect, his Specialized Turbo Levo has started looking a little the worse for wear. However, Felix has been riding the bike for a good six months and the strains on a mid-motor driven eMTB are immeasurably higher than on a regular mountain bike. So, after having covered 1736 km, Felix has gone through one SRAM GX cassette, two sets of rear brake pads and a chain – who could have guessed? That’s just what the 410% maximum support from the Brose Drive S Mag can do to a chain and cassette. Apart from that, the wheels have also taken quite a beating and are now so dented that they’ve started to resemble the crater-ridden moon as it wobbles around the earth. As we said, Felix loves pushing the limit And it was pretty much inevitable that he would quickly have to say goodbye to the Specialized Butcher tires: both casings were shot through on the first day. Felix replaced them with a WTB Trail Boss Tough on the rear and a WTB Vigilante High Grip up front. After an unfortunate crash on asphalt (shit happens!) he had to say goodbye to the original saddle and handlebar. He replaced the former with a Selle Italia X-LR Carbonio Superflow and the latter with a Beast Components Carbon model. In retrospect, saving weight on the saddle might not have been the best decision. It only lasted two months before one of the saddle rails broke. Since then, Felix has opted for the sturdier X-LR TM Air Superflow model without any carbon. After six months of hard use, the Specialized Command Post dropper needed some love as it had become somewhat sticky and uncooperative. However, the problem was solved within 30 min with a little grease and basic servicing skills. Felix didn’t only replace parts that wore out or broke and also added a few upgrades, such as the Supernova M99 MINI on the handlebars allowing him to ride long into the night. He also installed the Sahmurai S.W.O.R.D. tubeless repair kit in his bar ends and he put on a set of Renthal Push-On soft grips. To achieve optimal performance on the fork, Felix upgraded the RockShox Pike with a Deaneasy ABS fork tuning kit. We’ll go into the details of the kit, what it does and who it’s for in the next instalment. Total cost of broken parts approx. € 742 Specialized Alloy Low Rise Handlebar (€ 52), Specialized Phenom Comp (€ 93), 2x Specialized Butcher GRID (approx. 90 €), GX Eagle Cassette (€ 220), GX Eagle Chain (€ 32), 2 x CODE brake pads (€ 15), Selle Italia Carbonio Superflow (€ 240) Replacements Handlebar, saddle (crash), Selle Italia Carbonio Superflow (€ 240), chain, cassette, tires, 2 x rear brake pads, Roval Traverse Fattie 29 rear Service/Upgrades Renthal Push-On Soft grips, WTB Trail Boss Tough on the rear, WTB Vigilante High Grip up front, Supernova M99 MINI headlight, DeanEasy ABS fork tuning kit in the PIKE, Sahmurai S.W.O.R.D. Kilometres 1736 km Duration 6 months Review Specialized Turbo Levo Expert review Canyon Spectral:ON 7.0 WMN – Sarah Compared to Felix’s Specialized, Sarah’s Canyon Spectral:ON is doing a lot better. While Sarah rides her eMTB much more gently, she certainly hasn’t been riding less! Thanks to her regular commute and after-work rides, Sarah is scratching at the 1,000 km mark after only 3 months. Considering that, the bike is in surprisingly good nick. To be honest, it’s still in perfect condition! Take it out of the box, put it together and ride off: it doesn’t take much more than that when you buy a bike from Canyon. The bike arrives in its box almost completely pre-assembled – all you have to do is attach the bars, install the battery and wheels, set up the bike and go. We’re keen to see how Sarah carries on and we hope that her Spectral:ON remains as trouble-free as it has been so far. Replacements – Service/Upgrades – Kilometres 920 km Duration 3 months Review Canyon Spectral:ON 7.0 review googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1408638783102-1'); }); Riese & Müller Supercharger Rohloff HS – Valentin Valentin has been able to ride his bike for about two and a half weeks now, but he’s really been going at it. The Riese & Müller – with its panniers on the side – has literally taken a big load off his shoulders, and thanks to the motor supporting him up to 45 km/h, it also makes his daily commute that much quicker, saving him valuable time. But, here’s the problem: before you consider buying yourself an S-Pedelec, first check the route that you would take to work. Legally speaking, S-Pedelecs are regarded as two-wheeled motor vehicles, which means you’re not allowed to ride them on bike paths, forest service roads or the like. This can become a problem if you haven’t got the right infrastructure. Valentin faced quite a challenge figuring out a route to commute from Stuttgart – Germany’s car city – to our offices in Leonberg. Just as important as it is not to race an S-Pedelec through your local woods, you also have to have insurance. If you’re riding an S-Pedelec without insurance or a registration plate, you’re not only risking lifelong indebtedness due to a lack of coverage in case of an accident, you’re also riding illegally. Once you’ve dealt with all of that, commuting is an absolute breeze. Thanks to the generous 1,000 Wh battery feeding the Bosch Performance motor, you can cover long distances without having to worry about charging points. However, the range is heavily dependent on the support level, your route and your riding style. Unlike regular pedelecs which only support you up to 25 km/h, the motor of an S-Pedelec is always working, which inevitably comes at the expense of battery life. The electronic Rohloff drivetrain takes some getting used to, but it’s worth its weight in gold for daily commuting, seeing as it’s pretty much maintenance-free. The Rohloff also allows you to change gears while standing still, which is a great feature when you’re in the city and have to start up a slope. The fact that it automatically shifts down at traffic lights or for short stops is just as helpful. However, you will have to get used to the rather sluggish shifting and that you can’t change gears under load. You shouldn’t really be doing this anyway, but here planning your shifting ahead of time is vital. The only point of criticism for Valentin is the MAGURA MT4 brakes. Besides not being powerful enough to reliably bring the 30 kg bike to a standstill, the rotors have discoloured after only two weeks of use. He’ll probably have to upgrade these soon. Replacements – Service/Upgrades – Kilometres 500 km Duration 2 ½ weeks LIV Intrigue E+ 1 Pro – Toni So far, Toni’s LIV Intrigue E+ 1 Pro has been working like a dream. Defects or problems? Zero! The bike just keeps soldiering on, regardless of whether it’s her commute to teach at school or her after-work rides. The only thing Toni has had to do was bleed the brakes after they started feeling a little spongy. Over the last few weeks, the LIV has not only managed to convince our test rider, but also a bunch of her friends who have repeatedly hijacked the bike for a test ride. Toni’s highlight: a week of island hopping in Greece, riding the LIV Intrigue across the islands in the day and crossing between them by boat in the evenings. The only annoying thing here was having to carry the special adapter needed to charge the battery off the bike. Her holiday would have been ruined if she hadn’t thought of it at the last minute and searched the house in a panic. Over the next few weeks, she’ll have to replace the chain, the brake pads and the rear tire – ordinary wear and tear that you should check regularly on an eMTB. The total costs will come to around € 120, not counting labour, since Toni will be doing it herself. Replacements – Service/Upgrades Bleeding the brakes after two months Kilometres 1200 km Duration 7 months In-depth review LIV Intrigue E+ 1 Pro review This article is from E-MOUNTAINBIKE issue #018E-MOUNTAINBIKE Magazine is published in a digital app format in both English and German. Download the app for iOS or Android to read all articles on your tablet or smartphone. 100% free! Der Beitrag The First Long-term eMTB Test Update erschien zuerst auf E-MOUNTAINBIKE Magazine.

It’s Friday, and at BikeRadar that means fresh product for your work-weary eyes. This week we’ve got DT Swiss’s newest premium 180 hubs, the what’s-old-is-new Bivi Bunker mountain-gravel thing, Unior’s delightful new hanger tool, and Pulseroll’s big red vibrating roller. If talk of big red vibrating things isn’t enough to tickle your pickle, this week we also got the lowdown on Giant’s newest, beefiest e-MTB, we’ve scintillated directly into your ears in the latest BikeRadar podcast, and we’ve marvelled at Altor’s comically steroidal bike lock. Focus showed off its 2020 bike highlights, we updated our advice on the best GPS bike computers, and our Seb gave us his first ride impressions of Canyon’s bargainous Spectral Al 5.0 trail bike. Onto this week’s swag… DT Swiss 180 Straightpull hubs DT’s new flagship hubs are stealthy, light and beautifully engineered. Matthew Allen / Immediate Media DT Swiss is a benchmark for quality when it comes to wheel components, and its hubs, in particular, have long been a go-to for wheelbuilders. The 180 Straightpull is DT’s new flagship hub and it’s available in mountain bike, road rim brake and road disc brake configurations. All major axle types and freehubs (including Shimano Micro Spline) are supported and the hubs are available in hole counts from 20 to 28 depending on version. As the name suggests, they’re straight-pull only, an interesting move from a brand that has hitherto always offered J-bend versions of its hubs. According to DT’s UK rep, there are no plans for a classic flange version at the moment because straight-pull is inherently better from a strength-to-weight perspective. Basic maintenance on the 180s is tool-free, they simply pull apart. Matthew Allen / Immediate Media This is hard to argue with, although it’s worth noting that aero-section spokes will be all but mandatory with these as a result, because round spokes plus straight-pull is a recipe for headaches down the line if nipples start to seize. The new 180s feature DT’s latest Ratchet EXP freehub design (we first saw it on the very fancy clinchers that nine-grand Canyon was wearing), the newest iteration of the highly dependable ‘star ratchet’, wherein two ratchet rings are pushed against one another by a spring. Ratchet EXP claims to increase hub stiffness by 15 percent by pushing the driveside axle bearing further to the right so that it sits inside the inner ratchet ring, rather than next to it. The total parts count is lower, and just one spring is used rather than two as in the old design. The Ratchet EXP system is beguilingly simple, with fewer moving parts than previous designs. Matthew Allen / Immediate Media The 180s’ bearings are ceramic for low rolling resistance, and this pair of 24-hole road disc hubs (with an XDR driver) weighs in at 92g for the front and 178g for the rear on our scales. Front hub: from £229.99 / $379.80 / €261.90 Rear hub: from £419.99 / $706 / €486.90 Find out more at DTSwiss.com BiVi Bunker Malvern bike The BiVi Bunker is an appealingly simple bike. Matthew Allen / Immediate Media At BikeRadar we never seem to tire of debating what actually defines different categories of bikes. Are gravel bikes just gussied up ‘crossers? Or mediocre mountain bikes? Does it matter? The steel BiVi Bunker only throws further confusion into the mix. With flat bars and decidedly old-school geometry, it’s either an achingly trendy gravel bike or a rigid MTB throwback. Or both. The raw finish is delightful. Matthew Allen / Immediate Media The Bunker frame is a striking thing in this raw finish with delightfully blued welds. Slender tubes, external cables and a threaded bottom bracket make for an appealingly simple package. Currently available in just one medium-ish size, the BiVi’s reach would be on the long side for a bike with drop bars at 395mm, but it’s properly short compared to current trail bikes, necessitating a stem length that’s more road than mountain bike these days. Clearance on the BiVi isn’t exactly generous even with a 2.1in rear tyre. Matthew Allen / Immediate Media Retro is kind of the point here though — this build is called the Malvern and it’s BiVi founder Fraser Barsby’s way of revisiting the bikes of his youth. The Bunker weighs 11.8kg with SRAM GX 1×11, Mavic Crossmax wheels and Clarke brakes. £399 frame £139 fork £1,399 complete bike Buy now at BiViBikes Unior Hanger Genie alignment tool The Unior Hanger Genie is a delightful device for the workshop. Matthew Allen / Immediate Media Good tools make working on your bike a pleasure rather than a chore, and as a result, we think they’re never a bad investment. The Hanger Genie from Unior is a premium derailleur hanger alignment tool that appears to be delightfully well made. Compatible with wheels sized from 20in to 29in+, the Hanger Genie is a reassuringly hefty object without the slightest bit of slop or play in any of its moving parts. The hardened steel section that threads into the hanger has a good-sized handle with a rubbery covering for grip, and it sits in what appears to be a chunky brass bushing. Everything about this tool feels robust and accurate. Matthew Allen / Immediate Media At the other end, the indicator shaft is prevented from sliding too freely by a sprung ball-bearing, while a beefy knurled knob secures it fully when taking a ‘reading’. The inner shaft extends outwards to suit different rim diameters and the really useful part is how the whole thing rotates, meaning that you can move it to clear the frame as you check alignment at different angles, without losing your measurement. The rotating action is heavy and smooth, exactly what you want to ensure consistent results. Oh, and there’s an additional offset indicator shaft for the smallest rims. $129.99 / €119.99 / AU$199.99 Find out more at uniortools.com Pulseroll Vibrating Foam Roller Pro The Pulseroll Pro is a foam roller with a saucy USP. Matthew Allen / Immediate Media A foam roller is an invaluable tool for beating the living daylights out of tense muscles post-ride. If you suffer from assorted muscular aches and pains, it’s the next best thing to having your own soigneur on call with a bucket of sensual massage oil. Imagine though, if you can, that a regular old cylinder of foam just isn’t… exciting enough. Enter the Pulseroll, a foam roller that vibrates with such intensity that it will, given the chance, skitter across the floor and startle passing BikeRadar staff. View this post on Instagram What do we think has @jacquelucque so shook? Coming soon to BikeRadar.com. A post shared by BikeRadar (@bikeradar) on Aug 12, 2019 at 6:22am PDT Comedy value aside, the Pulseroll claims to work better than traditional foam rollers, offering “high penetration muscle relief” thanks to its adjustable vibrating action. The roller is heavily textured for maximum effect. Matthew Allen / Immediate Media The roller houses a vibrating unit and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, and is controlled by a small remote. Once switched on, clicking the remote cycles between three vibration levels (2,000rpm, 2,700rpm, and 4,000rpm) and a fourth mode which switches continuously between the three speeds. The Pulseroll is controlled by this dinky little remote. Matthew Allen / Immediate Media Claimed battery life is up to four hours, which you’d hope would be enough to satisfy even the most tantric of self-massagers. £119.99 Buy now at Pulseroll.com (Get 10 percent off with code PULSE10)

How Maxxis starts out making a new mountain bike tyre, we have absolutely no idea. After all, it isn’t exactly a brand that’s short of popular tread patterns. Few mountain bikers haven’t ridden or at least heard of tyres such as the Minion DHF, the Minion DHR, High Roller and Shorty. And in more recent years, those iconic tread patterns have been joined by the likes of the Minion SS, Aggressor, Assegai and Rekon – all thoroughly popular, high-performance tyres in their own right. But despite all of that choice, it seemed that Troy Brosnan just wasn’t quite happy. Folks like him tend to be a bit obsessive about marginal improvements though, and given he’s one of the top-five fastest mountain bikers in the world, we’ll excuse him for being picky. With an itch he needed to scratch, Brosnan began working with Maxxis’ engineering team during the 2018 World Cup Downhill race season to develop a brand new tyre. A tyre called the Maxxis Dissector. Maxxis has just rolled out a brand new mountain bike tyre called the Dissector. Splitting Hairs & Trails The Dissector might be an all-new tyre, but strictly speaking, it isn’t entirely a brand new tread pattern. Take a closer look and we’re told you can find elements of some of Maxxis’ other tyres, including the High Roller II, the Rekon and the Minion DHF. The goal for Brosnan and the engineering team was to create a fast-rolling tyre that he could use primarily as a rear tyre on really dry and fast race courses. He wanted low rolling resistance, but still needed solid braking traction and reliable cornering grip for slicing and dicing turns at high-speed. Using those three aforementioned tread patterns as a starting point, Brosnan and the Maxxis engineers came up with the Dissector. Heavily ramped centre blocks aim to lower rolling resistance, while still delivering sharp braking bite. Knob Science Repeating rows of ramped tread blocks run through the centre of the tyre, which are there to increase rolling speed over something like a Minion DHF. But to maintain braking traction – something that’s especially important for a rear tyre – those centre tread blocks feature sharp and flat backsides that should offer good bite when the anchors are applied. The transition blocks are then siped to improve flexibility when under pressure during hard braking. The edging blocks take inspiration from the Rekon and Aggressor tyres, and feature a slightly staggered arrangement to help reduce vagueness when leaning the tyre over. While they’re not as big as what you’ll find on the Minion DHF, the edging blocks are siped through the middle to improve flexibility, and every second block uses a C-shape cutout to give it more grab in the turns. Spot the difference… What Options We Got? The Dissector splits into two versions; DH and Trail. The DH version gets a much thicker 2-ply casing and features a softer 3C MaxxGrip rubber compound. The Trail version is substantially lighter 60tpi EXO casing and gets a firmer 3C MaxxTerra rubber compound. The tread pattern is exactly the same between the DH and Trail versions, and both come in (as of right now) a solitary 2.4in Wide Trail size that’s optimised for 30-35mm wide rims. You can get either option in both 27.5in and 29in diameters. Both tyres are tubeless ready with a butyl insert to assist with air retention, and fat beads designed to lock into tubeless rims. The Dissector DH uses a heavy duty 2-ply casing for downhill and enduro use. Maxxis Dissector DH Tyre The heavier of the two options, the Dissector DH gets a much tougher casing that combines two 60tpi layers into the one casing for more puncture resistance and more stability. Maxxis recommends using this one as a rear tyre that’s paired up with a knobblier tyre on the front, like the Minion DHF or Assegai. Intended use: Dry & fast conditions as a rear tyre Available in 27.5in & 29in diameters Width: 2.4in Wide Trail Optimised for 30-35mm inner rim widths 3C MaxxGrip Compound DH casing with dual 60tpi layers Actual weight: 1107g (27.5×2.4in size) RRP: $99.95 The Dissector Trail sees a lighter 60tpi casing with EXO sidewall reinforcement. Maxxis Dissector Trail Tyre Coming in 300g lighter than the DH version, the Dissector Trail is more of an all-rounder tyre that’s better suited to trail and All Mountain use. To that end you’re getting a lighter 60tpi casing and EXO reinforced sidewalls. In this guise, Maxxis says this is a more versatile tread pattern that you can run front or rear for hardpack through to loose and loose-over-hard conditions. Intended use: Dry & fast conditions as a front or rear tyre Available in 27.5in & 29in diameters Width: 2.4in Wide Trail Optimised for 30-35mm inner rim widths 3C MaxxTerra compound 60tpi casing w/EXO sidewalls Actual weight: 815g (27.5×2.4in size) RRP: $89.95 We’ve got a couple of Maxxis Dissector tyres on test to see just how much this tyre can slice and dice. Right now it’s only available in a 2.40 Wide Trail size. You can get 29in or 27.5in diameters though. The Dissector measures just over 2.4in from the widest points of the cornering tread. And 2.34in at the casing. This tyre is fitted to a DT Swiss M 1900 wheel with a 30mm inner width. How’s It Perform Then? We’ve just received a pair of 27.5in Maxxis Dissector tyres for testing – one DH and one Trail. I’ve just fitted up the Dissector Trail onto the back of our Canyon Spectral AL 6.0 test bike, where it’s replaced the stock Maxxis Minion DHR II 2.40WT EXO 3C MaxxTerra. Weight-wise it’s a decent amount lighter (815g vs 929g), but fitted to a 30mm wide DT Swiss M 1900 rim, it carries a pretty similar shape measuring pretty much as claimed. I’ve only had a single ride on the Dissector, so I won’t be making any broad conclusions here. However, I will say that it is a helluva lot quicker than the Minion DHR II it replaced, with considerably faster acceleration and rolling speed. That’s to be expected given the less aggressive tread pattern and those nicely ramped centre blocks. I’ll be getting plenty more riding on the Dissector over the coming months, and I’m also keen to try it out on the front of the Spectral to see how just how dependable its performance is on my local dry and rocky singletrack. In the meantime, you can get yourself more info on the new Maxxis Dissector via Lusty Industries. Will the Dissector become one of the classics in the Maxxis lineup? Time to find out! The post On Test | The Maxxis Dissector Tyre Comes In Both Trail & DH Versions appeared first on Flow Mountain Bike.

Canyon is introducing the Roadlite:ON, an electric flat-bar hybrid to its 2020 model range. All three of the new Roadlite:ON models use an aluminium frame and are equipped with Fazua’s Evation drive motor system. Best electric bike 2019: 10 e-bikes you should be considering Best commuter bike 2019: what’s the best bike for commuting? At a claimed 4.6kg including its 250Wh battery pack, the removable Evation system is currently the lightest mid-drive motor of its kind. This makes for a relatively low overall claimed weight of 15.5kg for the cheapest bike. The top-spec Roadlite:ON comes in at a claimed 14.9kg. The Fazua Evation system integrates neatly into the frame. Canyon Bikes Each bike also gets a carbon fork, flat-mount hydraulic disc brakes and wide-range 1x drivetrains sourced from mountain bikes. Plump 35mm Schwalbe G-One Allround tyres are standard across all models and Canyon’s vibration-damping VCLS seatpost and one-piece CP04 carbon fibre cockpit are fitted to all but the cheapest model. The Roadlite:ON is available in five sizes ranging from XS to XL. As per Canyon’s sizing philosophy, the smallest bikes arrive with its 650b wheels rather than the 700c fitted to the other sizes. Canyon’s integrated carbon cockpit features on all but the cheapest of Roadlite:ON models. Canyon Bikes Interestingly, Canyon manages not to mention the word hybrid once in its press release for this new model, instead branding it a “fitness bike”. Perhaps Canyon is trying to steer away from the dull connotations that the H-word can bring. We can’t blame them, because on paper and in its pictures, this bike looks like it could be a real hoot. Canyon Roadlite:ON Range overview Canyon Roadlite:ON 7.0 €2,699 Canyon Roadlite:ON R094 frame Canyon One One Eight CF SL Disc fork Fazua Evation Minimal Assist drive system Shimano Deore groupset Schwalbe G-One Allround tyres, 35mm Iridium handlebar and stem Iridium seatpost 15.5kg Canyon Roadlite:ON 8.0 €3,299 Canyon Roadlite:ON R094 frame Canyon One One Eight CF SL Disc fork Fazua Evation Minimal Assist drive system Shimano XT groupset Schwalbe G-One Allround tyres, 35mm Canyon CP04 Fitness-Cockpit CF Canyon VS41 VCLS seatpost 15.4kg Canyon Roadlite:ON 9.0 €3,699 Canyon Roadlite:ON R094 frame Canyon One One Eight CF SL Disc fork Fazua Evation Minimal Assist drive system Shimano XTR groupset Schwalbe G-One Allround tyres, 35mm Canyon CP04 Fitness-Cockpit CF Canyon VS41 VCLS 14.9kg The Canyon Roadlite:ON is available to buy now via the Canyon website.

CUBE is a less well-known brand in the UK compared to some of its main competitors, but it is a huge German company with a fleet of bikes covering over 360+ models across nearly every bike market. It has a comprehensive range of full-suspension bikes, ranging from its AMS 100 cross-country speed machines to the Stereo 120, Stereo 140, Stereo 150 and Two15 downhill bikes. What was missing, perhaps, from a complete line up, was a super enduro/bike park/call-it-what-you-will bike to match the likes of the YT Capra, Radon Swoop 170, Propain Spindrift and Canyon Torque. So, for 2020, along with a refresh of all its current models, CUBE launched the Stereo 170 29, a big-wheeled, big-hitting bike to tame the downs and winch you back to the top. In fact, the CUBE Action Team, its enduro race team, used these new bikes at the latest round of the Enduro World Series in Whistler, Canada. The CUBE Stereo 170 TM 29 is built to tackle the roughest descents and to get you back to the top of the hill again. The Stereo 170 29 is available in three models: the Race, TM and SL. The Race and SL models run an air shock, while the TM (shown here) comes with a coil shock. One neat feature of the CUBE is that it has two mounting points: one for a coil shock and one for an air shock. So it hasn’t had to compromise the suspension kinematics to make the frame compatible with both types of shock. Another smart feature is the changeable headset cups, which let you run a steeper or slacker head angle without having to fiddle about pressing in angle sets or using eccentric bearings. CUBE Stereo 170 29 frame Internal cable routing keeps the Stereo 170 TM 29 looking neat and tidy, so do the hydroformed aluminium tubes. This new Stereo 170 rolls on 29in wheels. CUBE committed to this wheel size after seeing its racers, both on the enduro team and downhill team, choosing the bigger wheels, even with the option of running 27.5in. This convinced CUBE that 29-inch was the best wheel size choice. The three models are constructed from a full aluminium frame using hydroformed tubes to get the best balance of weight, strength and stiffness. CUBE says it might produce a carbon frame if the team ask for one, but right now it’s happy to stick with a metal foundation. The bikes feature internal cable routing to keep them looking clean, and a chunky chainstay protector and down tube cover to help keep the bike quiet. The bearings are covered for extra protection from mud and water, and the pivots are hidden for a clean look. CUBE Stereo 170 29 suspension The Stereo 170 uses a four-bar linkage, which is used across all of CUBE’s full-suspension platforms, which, as you’ve guessed it, provides 170mm of travel. As mentioned before, the new Stereo 170 is compatible with both an air or coil shock. A flip-chip on the rocker link and two different bottom mounting points create different frame progressions suited to each shock type, rather than trying to sacrifice optimal frame kinematics by using the same mounts for each shock. The flip chip allows you to run either a coil shock or air shock without comprised progressivity. Sebastian Förth, CUBE product manager for full suspension bikes told us: “A lot of racers were testing with coil shocks in bikes that were designed around air shocks, but it just did not work properly. They were running crazy shim stacks to get the progressivity, but the sensitivity was lost”. So CUBE decided to produce a frame that gave the riders a choice of what they felt was best, depending on what style of riding or feeling they were after. CUBE doesn’t recommend running a coil shock in the air mounting position and vice versa, and as such, has used two different stroke shocks to stop customers doing this. The air shock is 230 x 62.5mm, and the coil is 230 x 65mm, both giving the full 170mm. Altering the shock position slightly changes the frame progression to optimise it for either a coil or air shock. CUBE Stereo 170 29 geometry CUBE may have been somewhat conservative in the past with it geometries, and while it has certainly updated its range to modern standards, its sizes may still limit tall and short riders. Due to the 29in wheels, there is no XS size. Reach figures jump up in 20mm increments from 444mm in size small up to 484mm in the large size. These are contemporary figures, but people wanting an extra-large bike will be disappointed too because this size is also missing . The three sizes come with 18in / 420mm, 20in / 470mm and 22in / 520mm seat tubes, which are sensible, but perhaps a little tall for people wanting to run extreme seatpost drops, but that’s not always necessary. The chainstays are a compact 434.5mm across all sizes, which helps keep the bike nimble, and there is a 25mm bottom bracket drop, which isn’t the lowest out there but should provide a sure-footed ride. The effective seat tube angle is 76.5 degrees, which is relatively steep and will help make climbing more comfortable. Another main feature with this bike is the adjustable headset cups developed by ACROS. By changing the directions of the cups you can slacken the head angle from the factory 65 degrees to 64.4 degrees for a slightly more aggressive front end. It also drops the bottom bracket by 1.6mm and changes the seat tube angle by 0.2 degrees. It also shortens the reach by 2mm. These are all very subtle changes but should help to give the bike extra stability for those riders wanting the most gravity focused ride. CUBE Stereo 170 29 specifications RockShox Lyrik Ultimate forks are a great addition to a well-specced bike. These are hard to beat in performance terms. The Stereo 170 TM comes with a spec list that should remain upgrade free for a while. It has 180mm RockShox Lyrik Ultimate RC2 forks matched with a RockShox Super Deluxe Coil Ultimate Remote shock and a TwistLoc Remote Lever. That allows you to firm up the suspension from the bars to provide a better pedalling platform. Shimano’s new 12spd drivetrain takes care of the gears, with an XT crankset and a mix of an XT mech and STX shifter. It uses e.thirteen’s TRS+ 9-50=tooth cassette, which offers a 556 percent gear range. Shimano also takes care of the brakes with its new four-pot XT brakes, which slow down ethirteen’s LG1 EN Plus wheels. Keeping you in control are ethirteen’s LG1 EN tyres in 2.35in width. Also from ethirteen are the Plus 35 bars and stem. ethirteen provides plenty of components for the Stereo 170 TM 29. Its bar and stem combo have a good shape and comfortable ride. A CUBE branded 150mm dropper post and SDG Radar saddle finish off an impressive build. CUBE Stereo 170 TM 29 initial ride impressions The CUBE Stereo 170 TM 29 is perfectly happy when the trail gets rough and rocky. While I only had a very limited time on the Stereo 170 TM out at CUBE headquarters in Germany, it was clear this bike can handle its fair share of abuse. The capabilities of the RockShox suspension meant this bike could tackle rough rocky terrain with ease, and it was easy to become confident on. While the trails I rode had limited steep terrain and twisting turns, this bike was great a keeping its composure on repeated hits. It climbed surprising well for a bike with this much travel and a coil shock too — and I can admit I was very impressed with RockShox’s TwistLoc remote, which was very intuitive to use and kept the bike from sagging into its travel too far. The Stereo 170 is definitely a bike I would like to spend more time on in more familiar terrain to see how it can corner and handle a mix of trail features, not just how well it deals with the bumps. CUBE Stereo 170 TM 29 early verdict It’s too early to tell after only one ride, but it sure can keep its composure over rocky ground at speed. CUBE Stereo 170 range and pricing Stereo 170 SL: £4,099 Stereo 170 TM: ££3,699 Stereo 170 Race: £2,999

German direct-sales mountain bike brand YT Industries has partnered with popular UK Cycle to Work scheme providers, Green Commute Incentive (GCI). GCI’s involvement means employees will be able to benefit from reduced prices (up to 47 percent) on any bike from the YT range — the same applies to any brand or retailer partnered with GCI — with no upper limit on retail value. The Jeffsy could be yours on Cycle to Work. Matt Wragg / Immediate Media GCI is the only Cycle to Work scheme provider authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to issue bikes that retail at over £1,000. Cycle to Work scheme: everything you need to know How to save 47% on your next bike from Canyon The government’s Cycle to Work incentive, now in place for 20 years, aims to encourage new cyclists and greater use of bicycles for commuting to work by aiding employees to obtain new bikes via tax and National Insurance reductions on the employee’s salary. Employers can hire bikes to employees at an arranged rate of salary sacrifice (meaning an amount deducted from the employee’s pre-tax salary), usually with a separately-agreed deal to purchase the bike at the end of the hire period. While employers can set up their own schemes in this way and are able to provide bikes at a value above £1,000 if they have FCA approval, most use providers such as GCI to implement the scheme. The GCI system works roughly like this: You choose your next dream commuter bike (and weekend fun machine – there’s no reason you couldn’t pick YT’s Decoy e-MTB) and get a quote from GCI, with your employer purchasing from them a voucher equal to the cost of the bike. You then agree a salary sacrifice with your employer to repay the cost of the voucher (well, the bike really). Bike’s over £1,000 from YT are available via GCI. Matt Wragg / Immediate Media After the first 12 months, GCI offers you a five-year free-of-charge loan for the bike, at the end of which you can purchase the bike from them (not the employer) for £1. As the bike has “no market value” after this period, there are no tax complications. Of course, it does mean you won’t officially own the bike until it’s had five years’ worth of commuting up and down the hill at BikePark Wales. Perhaps it sounds too good to be true, but GCI receives excellent reviews on Trustpilot and literally hundreds of retailers are already registered with them. Canyon Bikes also recently began offering GCI’s services on any bike it sells through its online-sales platform.

HAIBIKE XDURO ALLMTN 6.0 Sending it over the desert. Don’t worry, the suspension can easily handle this level of abuse!Photo courtesy: Haibike   Back in 2010 the German Haibike brand was one of the first to enter the market with a complete line of electric mountain bikes, and they continue to innovate. Although they have an expansive line in Europe, their American division only brings over the bikes that they think will work best for the domestic market. Originally, their Sduro line was based on all the bikes with a Yamaha PW-series motor, while the Xduro bikes all had Bosch CX motors. However, recently Haibike moved away from that motor-dedicated nomenclature, as the Sduro line includes either motor, but rather defines bikes with a tighter, steeper, more responsive geometry that’s ideal for tighter turns and less technical terrain. Conversely, the Xduro line also has either Bosch or Yamaha motors, but features more slack geometry to be more forgiving on steeper downhill and technical terrain. THE BIKE The aluminum Xduro AllMtn 6.0 is part of Haibike’s Advanced Off-Road line, which also includes downhill and enduro models. Where the previous iteration of this bike had a Yamaha motor, the new version comes with a Bosch Performance Line CX powerplant. THE PARTS Fox Float suspension is used throughout the bike, including a DPX2 Performance Elite air shock in the back that offers 150mm of travel. Setting sag and rebound is easy with this setup. The front suspension travel was increased from 150mm to 160mm, via a Fox 36 Float Performance Elite fork. “This bike made it so much fun to get wet and muddy!” There are a number of Haibike-branded parts, like the very soft and grippy grips and equally grippy Haibike Freeride flat pedals that offer a really solid platform. The 780mm-wide bars are part of the “wider is better” trend these days, and they help provide excellent control and stability. Though some brake levers can be adjusted for reach, most require tools to do so. The TRP Spec S levers have adjuster knobs that you can adjust with your fingers. The bike is outfitted with quad-piston brakes, front and rear. Cables are routed mostly internally. DT Swiss wheels, with 35mm rims and Boost-width thru-axle hubs would prove to be sturdy and stay true through a beating and offered a nice, wide contact patch when fitted with the Maxxis Minion 27.5-plus-inch tires. A remote-controlled Kind Shock LEV-DX dropper seatpost kept the saddle out of our way when we wanted it and brought it up quickly for climbs. THE MOTOR Power assist is provided by a Bosch Performance Line CX 250W mid-drive motor. This is one of the most reliable motors on the market. There are four levels of assist; Eco, Tour, e-MTB and Turbo. Eco offers 50 percent of power, Tour gives you 120 percent, and Turbo gives you 300 percent of your leg input. E-MTB mode measures your own torque input (measured 1000 times per second) and gives you from 120 to 300 percent, steplessly, depending on how hard you’re pedaling. It’s very intuitive. Meaty Maxxis Minion DH tires provided plenty of grip in the muddy SoCal trails. They’re 27.5×2.8, and that extra volume was forgiving with all the new rocks on the trail.   Interestingly, since we received the very first production model of this bike, it had Sport mode, which was locked at 190 percent. This could be fixed at a Bosch bike dealer, but if you read below, we didn’t really need it. The Purion display is a display and controller in one, with the buttons to control power-assist level right by your left thumb. There’s an easy-to-use Walk mode for when you have to hike with the bike. It’s good on flat ground or a slight incline, but it isn’t much use on a steeper incline, it just doesn’t offer the power to move the bike well. A slack front end and a Fox Float 36 Elite fork kept us out of trouble on the ruts and rocks on the trail.   The battery is a Bosch PowerTube. Their 500-watt battery fits into the downtube of a bike. It makes for a fat downtube, but certainly looks better than the battery mounted on top of a frame-tube look of old. The bike ships with a 4A fast charger that can fully charge the battery from 0 to 100 percent in under 4 hours. WHO IT’S MADE FOR The AllMtn 6.0 is the highest-spec Xduro eMTB that Haibike sells in North America. It’s an extremely capable bike for experienced all-mountain riders who like challenging, technical rides. With 160mm of travel in the front and 150mm in the rear, it’s ready for anything you can throw at it. THE RIDE We loved the gear range of the SRAM Eagle drivetrain. With a 16-tooth front sprocket and a 50-tooth large rear cog, we were astonished at how steep an incline this bike could handle. On one occasion we had to climb out of a steep canyon on a trail that was rutted in places from the rain, but the suspension made light work of that. It was very steep and lots of loose rock, so we were spinning the back tire slightly. Surprisingly, even when the bike hooked up, the front end didn’t come off the ground. There was no inkling of ever looping out, something that’s always confidence-inspiring on a bike. We got back up to the trail, and took all but one of the steepest climbs, just because we could. The SRAM Eagle cassette provided such a great gearing range that we did most of the ride in Tour mode and sometimes Eco, rarely touching the higher modes. That’s something we don’t often do, because why not use the power when you have it? Shifting was perfect. The Eagle setup only does one shift per lever throw, and the CX constantly monitors torque, so it cuts for an almost indiscernible split second to reduce strain on the drivetrain during a shift. The SRAM GX Eagle group gave us all the range we needed for even the steepest hill. That 50T cog came in really handy!   Dropping into the trail, it was more technical than usual and downright scary, since there had been a lot of rock slides. Some of those rocks really tested the suspension, but it got us through unscathed. We stopped to move some of the bigger stuff off the trail as we went. Further down the trail, where a series of singletrack trails weave through a larger fire road, there were massive ruts and deep water. Some of the ruts were 3 feet wide and 3 feet deep. We were able to fully test the suspension, the grip of the tires, the brakes, and even the IP54 rating of the motor and battery. This bike made it so much fun to get wet and muddy! The condition of the trails were bad, but we didn’t have to worry as the bike never flinched. Big gaps? No worries. This bike is as capable as the person at the controls. Photo courtesy: Haibike THE VERDICT Our normal trails would have tested this bike. The conditions we rode in were far beyond what we normally do to test bikes, and we can honestly say that the AllMtn 6.0 passed it all with flying colors. It’s very sturdily built, plenty of suspension and grip, and though it’s not cheap, with the higher-end components, it is a lot of bike for the money. SPECS Haibike AllMtn 6.0 Price: $6700 Motor: Bosch Performance Line CX 250W Battery: Bosch Power Tube 500 Wh Charge time: 3.5 hours Top speed: 20 mph (with assist) Range: 30–50 miles (tested) Drive: SRAM GX Eagle, 12-speed, 11-50T Brakes: TRP Spec S, 203mm f/180mm r Controls: Bosch Purion Fork: Fox 36 Float Performance Elite Lockout, air, Travel: 160mm, aluminum steerer tube 1 1/8”–1 1/2” tapered, thru-axle Boost Frame: Aluminum 6061, thru-axle M12 (1.75) x 148mm, disc brake post-mount Travel: 150mm Rear shock: Fox Float DPX2 Performance Elite, air Tires: Maxxis Minion DHF, 27.5” x 2.80”/Maxxis Minion DHR II, 27.5” x 2.80” Weight: 56.4 lb. Color choice: Black/Titan Sizes: 41S/44M/47L/50XL www.haibikeusa.com   THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS TO GET ELECTRIC BIKE ACTION In print, from the Apple newsstand, or on your Android device, from Google. Available from the Apple Newsstand for reading on your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. Subscribe Here For more subscription information contact (800) 767-0345 Got something on your mind? Let us know at hi-torque.com The post Bike Review: Haibike Xduro AllMtn 6.0 appeared first on Electric Bike Action.

(Costa Mesa, CA, 8 August 2019) Dainese is proud to announce next season’s Bike collection, introducing protective pieces with brand-new technologies, innovative technical garments designed and constructed with high-performance materials, and also extends the range to female riders. The Trail Skins Pro knee guard is the latest evolution in Dainese’s family of lightweight protectors. Developed on Enduro World Series tracks in collaboration with Canyon Racing athletes, Trail Skins Pro combines maximum protection, total freedom of movement and constant ventilation. The core of the knee guard is the Pro Shape 2.0 protector, an evolved version of Pro Shape which is able to transform impact energy into heat and distribute it across the entire surface of the knee guard. The protector is able to absorb 83% of energy, reducing the force transmitted to just 17% and spreading it over a wide area. The protector is lightweight and soft, with construction specifically designed to support the joint through the full range of movement, contracting and expanding and guaranteeing maximum adaptability to the shape of the knee. Even the sock has been redesigned– designed through full knee mapping, it is now longer and (together with the new Velcro and elastic elements) makes for a stable and comfortable protector, even after many hours in the saddle. The geometry of Pro Shape 2.0 also sets a new record in terms of ventilation, with 55% of its surface open. For the upper body, there is the Rival Pro Vest, a protective and breathable garment with an exclusive, patented hydration system, inspired by technologies developed by Dainese for MotoGP. HumpBackTM, a 700 ml hydration bag integrated into the back protector, allows a rider to carry the right quantity of water with minimal bulk, ensuring the perfect balance of the back protector and supplying additional protection in case of a crash. Due to its modular structure, Rival Pro Vest can be significantly customized, allowing for various configurations. Depending on their preference, riders can remove the shoulder pads, HumpBackTM, or back protector, enabling use with a backpack. The Rival Pro Vest is lightweight, comfortable, and ventilated, becomes invisible when worn under a jersey, and is compatible with hip packs. The HG – High Gravity softgoods collection is fully updated and now includes a women’s line for the first time. The women’s line shares the same key pieces and technologies as the men’s line. The HG 2020 range is enriched with a new three-layer shell, a new mid-layer, shirts, shorts, and gloves with new technologies, new colors, and modern graphics. Dainese also extends its AWA Black line dedicated to urban commuting, with specific pieces for women and outfits for free time, inspired by the world of sportswear. AWA Black 2020 focuses on sustainable materials, one example being the EN Jacket, a waterproof garment in fully recyclable polyester and polyethylene. Dainese