Hype This! 9 hot parts to fall in love with
Below you’ll find 7 of the finest MTB related products and bling to feast your eyes over! Continue on reading or head over to issue #023 to check out the original article.
Lezyne Digital Pressure Over Drive
It’s a fact – seating tubeless tyres is the worst job in the world! We’ve all been there, knuckles bleeding as we sweat over a tyre that refuses to bead. While inventing some brand-new profanity, we think, “Surely there’s a better way….” There is! The new Lezyne Digital Pressure Over Drive has a second high-volume chamber than can be charged up to 220 PSI before delivering a powerful stream of air that will seat even the most stubborn of tyres. It works, and better yet, with its wooden handle looks like something you would find in a hipster coffee shop.
Price: € 165
More info: lezyne.com
Race Face Next SL G4-Kurbel
The Race Face Next SL4 crank will make you lighter in two ways: weighing only 430 g with a 32 T direct-mount chainring, it’s light enough to shave a considerable amount of bulk from your bike. Light, stiff, and powerful, the angular crank arms are certainly distinctive, as is the composite chainring spider and ingenious 30 mm Cinch spindle. The new Race Face Next SL G4 is the best way to add serious bling to your bike, and will also make you lighter by removing vast amounts of money from your wallet.
Price: € 549
More info: raceface.com
Birzman M-Torque 10
Do you have arms like a silverback gorilla? Is your idea of correct torque to tighten until you hear a cracking noise? Looking more like something that would be found in an Ikea kitchen display, the ‘oh so minimalist’ Birzman M-Torque 10 tool packs a powerful punch. With ten functions and a chain splitter, this multi-tool will get you out of most trailside jams, and with a 5 nM torque clicker, it gives you an audible warning if you are getting a little too enthusiastic with your carbon bars – great news for habitual bolt-breakers.
Price: € 42.90
More info: birzman.com
iXS XACT Full Face Helmet
If you’re the sort of person who crashes frequently, constantly paying out for new helmets, we now have two pieces of advice for you. The first is to check out this new crossover iXS Xact Full Face helmet, offering all the security and safety of the higher priced Xult model, but in a more affordable package. Not only does it look cool, but the VORTEX vents also aid cooling, while the tough ABS shell is built to take the knocks. As to the second piece of advice, perhaps you might want to consider slowing down a little!
Price: € 159
Weight: 995 g
More info: ixs-sportsdivision.com
Trickstuff Presswurst
Gone are the days when removing a shock bushing meant going crazy with a hammer and a vice. German CNC powerhouses Trickstuf have developed a neat and effective bearing press, comically named the Presswurst – which loosely translates to ‘sausage.’ The Presswurst makes bushing swaps effortless, and full of funny innuendo to boot. Simply take the sausage in your hand, fit the appropriate screw, then simply wind out the bushing. Affordable, functional, and well-designed, the Trickstuf is the best German sausage we’ve seen. It’s even suitable for vegans!
Price: € 29.90
More info: trickstuff.de
Mountain Equipment Ultralite Bivi
At the ENDURO office, we love bivi bags: the concept of a soulful night under the stars, with only the thin material cocooning us from the cold of the night. However, practice has shown us that in reality, a night in a bivi bag will certainly be the most uncomfortable night’s sleep you have ever had. So if they’re not comfortable, they may as well be light. The Mountain Equipment Ultralite is as light as they come and does not cost the earth. This 108 g bag is perfect for ultralight missions, or when get your map reading really, really wrong.
Price: € 19.90
More info: mountain-equipment.de/ultralite-bivi
Pivot Switchblade
For many years, the switchblade was the weapon of choice for the Italian mafioso, and its namesake – the new Pivot Switchblade – is quite the weapon too. Rocking the ability to run 29” or 27.5+ wheels and with ultra-short 428 mm chainstays, this 135 mm travel rocket looks set to carve its way into any fight. The huge tyre clearance is a refreshing addition, but comes at a cost: Boost was not Boosty enough, so Pivot turned it up to 11 with a 157 mm rear axle and custom hub. Clever – but sure to get the ‘enough with the new standards’ brigade up in arms. For the first time ever, it may be an advantage to bring a knife to a gunfight!
Price: from € 7,099 (Frameset: € 3,449)
Travel: 135 mm
More info: pivotcycles.com
Surly Dirt Wizard
Lets face it, when it comes to aggressive plus-sized tyres, most of the current offerings are about as much use as an inflatable dartboard. Feeble sidewalls blended with half-hearted side knobs are not the best in loose conditions. The new Surly Dirt Wizard aims to change all that; with sturdy sidewalls and side knobs monstrous enough to make a tractor blush, they look to be just the job for serious trail smashing. Yes, at over 1.2 kg per tyre you’re going to need stout legs to get them up to speed, but once stoked up they will be unstoppable. We say “chapeau” to Surly for finally releasing an aggressive tyre into the weedy Plus sector tyre market.
Price: € 109 (for one)
Weight: 1.200 g
More info: surlybikes.com
Specialized Bandit
The Specialized Bandit is so simple, but still one of the coolest products we have seen this year. We all want to ride free and unencumbered without an uncomfortable rucksack, but we still need to carry a pump and tube! Nothing’s worse than a flat when you have no tools to fix it. The new Bandit is an ultra-minimalist way of carrying a spare tube, CO2 inflator, and tyre lever. Combined with a multitool in your pocket, you have just enough to get you home should things take a turn for the worse. Anything that makes it easier to get on the trail is good with us, so this is great gear from Specialized.
Price: € 19.90
More info: specialized.com