Roo Fowler goes on the prowl in Whistler to get some 2014 prime cuts.
DIRT ISSUE 141 – NOVEMBER 2013
Words by Roo Fowler. Photos by Roo Fowler
Late summer in British Columbia… Crankworx. Everyone is eager to bring their ‘A game’, a convergence of athletes, brands and fans. No surprise then that the mountainbike industry use it as one of the first ports of call to expose the New Year’s gold. This year saw upgrades, wheel size changes, an embarrassment of enduro bikes, some undercover, many for all to see amongst the weird mixture of tourists and Joyride competitors. It’s the perfect place to get a sneak peek of the new season hardware before the show moves over to the major tradeshows.
GIANT GLORY 0Giant’s 2014 Glory changes little from the 2013 model other than updated components and a new paint job, but it’s a capable bike with a SRAM/RockShox/Avid build that continues to prove its worth with the factory team.
SCOTT GENIUS LTIn the flesh, this has to be one of the best looking bikes of 2014; the long and low stance, matt carbon and punchy orange design looks fast. The custom Fox Nude shock is new for this year and as yet is an unknown quantity. With a weight not much over 27lbs, travel of 170mm, 27.5” wheels and a sub 67º head angle, this could be the ideal enduro bike for anyone after a little more travel than most other bikes out there, but it’s not going to come cheap.
SCOTT GAMBLER 10Another DH bike for 2014 that has seen tweaks rather than major changes is the Gambler 10. If you like your bikes slack then this is one to look at, with an already slack head angle and an adjustable Syncros headset as standard. The tweaks focus on the suspension after feedback from team rider Brendan Fairclough, and the new paint job, which seemed to attract a lot of attention around the Whistler village.
GIANT TRANCE ADVANCED SX 27.5The stand out bike from Giant’s 2014 line–up has to be this stealthy composite 140mm trail bike featuring their new internally routed Contact Switch–R height adjustable seatpost and a finishing kit including SRAM’s new X01. Whether it’s for trail, enduro or whatever, this is looking like a fast bike.
NORCO SIGHT CARBON LE FSAnother matt carbon looker is this 150mm Sight, and with Norco’s early adoption of the 27.5” wheel size with last years Killer B’s they’ve had the chance to change and tweak the set up for 2014. The gravity tune geometry, a high end build including XX1 drivetrain and Reverb Stealth dropper post completes a bike that’s going to be hard to beat.>>
