There’s a lot to talk about with e*thirteen this year. First up are the new pedals (which seem to have been in development for years) that use an aluminium core along with plastic outer layers. This means they can be almost totally rebuilt should any damage happen, and they reckon the plastic slides better than aluminium on impact. You also get two different length pins to tune grip and the bearing friction can be adjusted too. You’re looking at £119 for a pair, and a shed load more for the Ti version. Next up is the new range of wheels that utilize the huge Chub hubs (part of the same company) alongside some new scandium rims. There are versions to suit every application, but with a designed–for–the–job rim and large flange hub it’s the 29’er pair that stands out most from the competition. Don’t expect much change from a grand though. Finally there’s the new TRS chain device which is designed to work with the current trend of dual ring setups. The upper guide stops any chain loss on the inside and the taco removes the need for a bash ring.
It’s been a while in the making to say the least, and you’ll still have to wait until around June to get one, but the Fox adjustable seatpost is now a reality. It works using an air spring and a mechanical mechanism which gives either 5 or 4” in the fully dropped position (depending on what model you buy). It uses a cable release and the bit we really liked was the dual lever. Hit the silver one and you get the full drop, hit the black one and you get 40mm. You’ll always know where you are with this post. It’ll be available in 30.9 and 31.6mm sizes, but at £349 it’s not exactly competitively priced, so it better prove to be pretty special.
They’ve been in the pipeline for a while, but Hope’s new pedals should be hitting the shops anytime now. As you’d expect from Hope there’s a whole load of fancy machining and they’ve decided to go down the ‘thin but with a big inboard bearing’ route. There’s a neat little adjustable friction feature and the platform is a good size. Another new product from the northerners is the chainring with built in bash guard. Again it’s super neat and to go alongside this Hope will also be offering a dinky chainguide for single ring trail use.
IDENTITI MOGUL
Twelve months ago we saw a prototype of this frame at the same show and it came complete with an insanely steep head angle, but this production version now comes with a far more sensible 64°. The 7.5” of travel is taken care of via a top of the range RockShox Vivid R2C shock and it’ll be available in three different sizes. The killer bit of news…it’ll sell for just £1099.99. That’s got to be a good deal in anyone’s book.
INTENSE
Our beloved SS2 might be dead, but the new Uzzi is essentially a SS2 in Uzzi clothing. By that I mean Intense have taken the geometry of the SS2 but added front mech compatibility and G3 dropouts which allow the chainstay length to be altered and the use of various hub widths. It’s designed around a 180mm fork and there’s 6.5” of travel at the rear. We just hope that the magic hasn’t gone. Also new in the Intense stable is the Carbine SL which is a lighter 130mm travel version of the 160mm Carbine. Fast is the word that sprung to mind, and with carbon rocker links and Ti bolts it’s worthy of the SL moniker. Oh, and if fully rigid carbon 29’ers are your thing then Intense can also now help you out. What has the world come to?
