Top secret 2013 product news from Shimano, Sram, Fox and more…
CAPTAIN, WE’VE SPOTTED A 2013 PRODUCT LEAK…
Words: Ed@Dirt
It’s that time of year when industry insiders should be keeping tight lipped about what’s in the pipeline, but as usual there’s always one with loose lips. This time it’s these guys www.mountainbike.com, if you want the full details then pop over there, but here’s a brief synopsis…
Shimano: New Saint groupset which will be 1×10 specific, have a Shadow+ rear mech like the XTR one that’s currently available, and the refined brakes will use Ice-Tec technology. No surprises there then. The SLX groupset will also get a makeover and will again feature a Shadow+ rear mech along with some more details trickled down from XTR. Again no surprises. What is interesting though is that Shimano have apparently developed a new mech mounting standard, and there will be a new ‘Zee’ groupset which will be Saint’s cheaper brother. Will that be any more successful than the Hone groupset? And do we really need yet another ‘standard’? Only time will tell.
SRAM: Biggest bit of news so far is that X0 and X9 rear mechs will get a friction damper like Shimano’s Shadow+ design. Great move if you ask me. X0 brakes also get a complete reworking with the added option of a four piston model. Apparently there will be a new Monarch shock too.
Fox Racing Shox: If you were worried about 29’ers complicating things then it’s time to bury your head now cos the rumours are that Fox will be making 650b (27.5”) forks for 2015 thanks to the demand from a major bike manufacturer. Back in the 26” world though it looks like we might be getting 34mm legs as part of a new 150/160mm travel fork, and the 32 will be getting new lower legs. Despite various rumours in the past it looks like the 40 will be staying pretty much unchanged, i.e. no air or upside down version. Oh, and finally their rear shocks will feature high quality Igus bushings that should be much smoother and last longer.
Easton: Cheaper tubeless compatible carbon wheels anyone?
Crank Brothers: A completely new version of the Joplin dropper seatpost which features a remote cable which is fixed to the lower part of the post rather than the head (by far the neatest solution…apart from the internal Reverb option), and flat sides on the inner post to put an end to twisting. Thankfully the post will also no longer lift up when you pick up your bike by the seat.
So there you have it, and there was no point in us trying to pretend this info isn’t out there because it is. What we would say though is that none of this stuff can be guaranteed as companies often shelve ideas right up until the last minute. Oh, and if you’re wondering why companies try and keep all this info under wraps it’s simply because they worry that if you know about some ‘improved’ product that’s going to come out you won’t bother buying the ones that are already in the shops. They’ve kind of got a point too, but considering that the new Saint stuff for example isn’t likely to hit the shops until next summer at the earliest that’s one hell of a long time to wait around in order to replace your mech that has bust.
