Mountain Bike Online

Originally designed as a running bumbag, the design is great for riding, including two water bottles (total 1.5 litre capacity), two gel flasks, a pocket with key clip and more than large enough for your phone and a small tool and a bungee cord to attach a shell jacket.

The wide band and large padded rear support do a great job of supporting the weight without having to overtighten the belt and the bottles were easy to remove and re-holster, but stayed snug in the pockets.

The adjustable waist strap rolls up to avoid annoying whiplash from the loose straps.

Worth its price for the bottles and flasks alone, it’s a great alternative to a hydration pack, especially when its really warm as you stay much cooler than wearing a hydration pack.

Kore have introduced their new version of the B52 stem, which is designed to take on the big boys when it comes to performance.

Forged stem in seven lengths from 50 to 80mm, all with 31.8mm bar clamp and zero degree rise keeps the front end low.   Weight from 176g to 224g depending on length option, and the weight is kept down by polycarbonate insert featuring the Kore logo.  Even with hard wrenching on wide bars the B52 will remain stiff.

Available in black or white.

Great looks and performance for the price.

Includes most of the tools an aspiring mechanic needs to start off with, tinkering at home or to keep in the car for car park adjustments.

Compact storage case is easily portable and contains:

• Ball ended Allen keys in various sizes 2mm to 6mm – great for hard to reach spots
• Long handled 8mm Allen key with plastic grip for better leverage on tight bolts
• Chaintool
• Cone Spanners
• Puncture repair kit
• T25 Torx wrench
• Spoke key
• Chain whip
• Cassette tool
•  Bottom bracket tool  and Shimano compatible external bottom bracket tool
• Chainring bolt tool
• Crank extractor
• Screwdrivers
• Pedal Spanner
• Tyre levers
• Shimano compatible Hollowtech II tensioning tool.

The kit is sturdy and good quality for the price.

Swedish design led firm POC have won a number of awards for their new helmet, the Trabec which brings 21st century design to safety gear.

Designed specifically with single track and enduro in mind, POC have analysed the locations where crash damage is most likely to occur on the polycarbonate helmet shell, which is part of an in-mould construction to increase durability, and its ability to transmit and dissipate impact forces over a wide area of the helmet’s surface.

By figuring out where impacts happen most often, POC are able to position the seams of the shell (the weakest points) away from those impact zones. Similarly, POC keep the outer shell well rounded and free from pointy fins, wings or vents, apart from the pop-off adjustable visor.

There are 16 aerodynamically designed vents, but if a hot head is a sticking point, you’re probably not going to find it particularly cool on a blazing climb, but then that’s the nature of chunkier trail helmets. The Trabec will suit riders who are normally full-face users but are looking for an open-face helmet with as much protection as they can find.

Light and lethally quick, at just 9.7kg (with pedals), this super-light 29er hardtail is fast, fun and friendly.

The low weight frame comes from integrated moulding process using composite fibre(HMX-NET) and a wealth of carbon build experience.

Internal cabling keeps it looking neat, but difficult to re-thread.

Shock Damping System (SDS) rear stays help take the sting out of rough trails, with Schwalbe Rocket Ron Tyres being fat and grippy (if a bit weighty).

The lumps and bumps that can trip up a 26inch hardtail vanish under the Scott without loss of speed.  The bigger wheels and SDS rear triangle give breathtaking traction on steep climbs, with balanced and precise steering.

While the larger heavier wheels mean it’s not as fast in its first pedal revolutions as a smaller wheeled bike, give it a clear trail to get going and it’s blisteringly fast.

Scott Scale 29RC Specification:

Frame:

Scale 29 Carbon IMP3 technology/ HMX NET, Tapered HeaDTube. PM 160 Disc Carbon dropout / PFBB92, Replaceable hanger, SDS shock damping system

Fork:

Fox 32 F29 FIT Remote / Air spring, Tapered Steerer / Rebound adjustable 15mm thru axle / Remote Lockout 100mm travel

Front Derailleur:

SRAM XX / High Mount / 34.9mm clamp

Rear Derailleur:

SRAM XX / Carbon long cage

Number of Gears:

20

Shifters:

SRAM XX Trigger multi adjustable with carbon cap / with matchmaker clamp

Chainset:

SRAM XX GXP / Carbon crankarm / QF 156

Chainrings:

42A x 28A T

Cassette:

SRAM XX / 11-36 T

Chain:

SRAM PC 1091

Pedals:

None supplied

Front Brake:

SRAM Avid XX Carbon with 185mm rotor

Rear Brake:

SRAM Avid XX Carbon with 160mm rotor

Brake Levers:

Avid XX Carbon

Handlebars:

Ritchey Carbon WCS Flat 9 degree bend/ 660mm

Stem:

Ritchey MTB WCS 4-Axis 44 / 4 bolt Oversize 31.8mm 1 1/8″ / -6 degree angle

Headset:

Ritchey WCS Carbon Tapered 1.5″ – 1 1/8″ semi integrated 50/61mm

Grips:

Scott Lock-on grips

Rims:

DT Swiss XR-29 32H / Tubeless ready

Front Hub:

DT Swiss XR-29 Disc IT / 15mm

Rear Hub:

DT Swiss XR-29 Disc IT / 10 mm-RWS QR

Spokes:

DT Swiss Super Comp black

Front Tyre:

Schwalbe Rocket Ron EVO 29 x 2.25 127EPI Kevlar Bead / Tubeless ready, Pace star compound

Rear Tyre:

Schwalbe Rocket Ron EVO 29 x 2.25 127EPI Kevlar Bead / Tubeless ready, Pace star compound

Saddle:

Selle Italy SLR Team Edition / Vanox rails

Seatpost:

Ritchey WCS Carbon / 34.9mm Scott custom SDS carbon layup

Weight:

9.60 kg / 21.15 lbs approx

£1,050 (frame only)

The Zion 29in closely resembles the Ragley TD-1 coming from another titanium specialist manufacturer this time in the Netherlands.

Frame only comes in at 1,199 euros (approx £1,050) or you can go for complete build – a Shimano SLX set up would cost 2,807 euros (approx £2,450).

Unlike the TD-1 the Van Nicholas accepts suspension forks (the above build includes Rockshox Reba RLTs) . Van Nicholas offer a lifetime warranty for the Zion 29in and will replace any defective frame.

£1,199 ( Frame only)

Despite it’s hefty price tag – the lightness and durability of titanium means it ‘s becoming a popular choice for mountain bike frame material.

The Ragley  TD -1 certainly strays from the norm, as well as the titanium rather than the usual alloy or carbon it’s a 29er rather than a regular MTB .

Being from Yorkshire though means it’s a common sense concept. The bigger wheels provide more comfort to the rider as they speedily fly over bumps. The manufacturers suggest they improve rolling momentum though it could be argued their manoeuvrability  is slightly disadvantaged.

Titanium is stronger than steel, lighter than aluminium and doesn’t rust and  it’s more reliable than carbon under extreme pressure. It is more tricky to manufacture into a bike frame , which explains the higher price bracket.

Ragley are based in Calderdale , part of the Chain Reaction Cycles group. The titanium bikes are actually manufactured for them by one of the top titanium bike producers in the world, US company Lynskey Cycles .

The Ragley 29 ers perform best across fairly simple terrain at speed so it’s unsurprising that the Ragley race team did well with the pre- production samples of the TD-1.

For less accomplished legs though the Ragley still does the business.

It certainly looks the part, well constructed with attractive detailing like the three-fingered bridge between the bottom bracket and chainstay. It also moves well.  Speed on the road is slightly hampered by the wide rubber big wheels but the frame helps here. Once you hit the rough stuff though it’s apparent how speedy this machine can be. It flies over trail surfaces and makes bumpy paths a joy to navigate. It’s worth fitting high spec brakes to compensate for the speedy performance.

The TD-1 has an extra long top tube to enable a racy position and a recommended short stem makes it a responsive ride , despite the fact 29ers can often seem less easy to handle on tricky technical terrain. It boasts good stability but those used to suspension forks will notice the bumps when riding on the rigid ones  Ragley recommend for this speedy MTB. The TD-1 has been designed to take 440mm forks which are often used on 26in wheel MTBs so choice shouldn’t be an issue. One tester complained the quick release seatpost clamp kept slipping but other than that all reports have been enthusiastic.

There are many bike build options as there are a range of different dropouts available. The TD1 can be a standard geared bike with a rear derailleur or even become a singlespeed or it’s possible to have a dropout that incorporates a Rohloff hub gear. You can customize the decoration of your TD-1 as Ragley supplies a sticker set with each frame. The TD-1 will also be available as a complete build later this year.

For those wanting speed off- road the TD-1 is just the ticket. It performs superbly across fast terrain and responds well when tested across tracks and big bumpy descents. The high price tag is justified when you consider the bike is high class, high speed & has a high level of controllability.

EXAMPLE BUILD:

• Frame: 3al 2.5v titanium
• Fork: Pro- Lite rigid Carbon
• Colour: Brushed Titanium
• Gears: Shimano SLX
• Wheels: Sun Ringle rims on Nuke Proof Hubs
• Handlebar: Ragley Aluminium
• Brakes: Shimano SLX
• Saddle: Ragley
• Tyres: WTB ExiWolf
• Price: £1,199.99 ( Frame only)
• Weight: 11.2kg (24.7lb)
• Frame sizes: 16, 18, 20in

GT bikes have always been aimed at the younger rider, and the GT Zaskar Sport is an example of GT’s sporty and youthful range.

The frame sports a chunky look with large strong looking welds, and the trademark triple-triangle frame. Specification is very good indeed, and makes many of the other big brand manufacturers look like they are poor value.

Trek is the largest bike manufacturer in the World and as it’s other bikes, the TREK 6000 2011 represents superb value for money, with deals available around the £800 mark.

The TREK 6000 2011 uses modern frame building techniques such as using hydro forming to create the aluminium frame. The components are good for the money, and although you might see other 6000′s around the trails, there is a reason for it’s popularity. Many other bike manufacturers use Trek as a yardstick when specifying their range.

The SPECIALIZED Hardrock was one of the first ever mountain bikes built – so there is some heritage in the Hardrock that Specialized wants to keep alive.

Specialized is one of the largest bike makers in the world, and has a massive range of bikes for all budgets. The SPECIALIZED Hardrock Disc is a reliable and well built bike for the money – and buying a bike from one of the well known brands makes sure that you are buying into a well made bike which many local bike shops will recognise. The Hardrock is comfortable with the advantage of being nimble and responsive, with easy to use gears and a good suspension fork.

SPECIALIZED Hardrock Disc 2011 Specification:

Frame:

Specialized A1 Premium aluminium, fully butted, formed TT, Double ORE DT, externally relieved HT, reinforced disc mount, forged dropouts with replaceable hanger, disc only

Fork:

SR Suntour SF11-XCT-V3-DS-26, 80mm, 1 piece alloy lower, 28mm Hi-Ten stanchions, coil/mcu spring with preload adjust

Front Derailleur:

Shimano Altus, 34.9mm clamp

Rear Derailleur:

Shimano Altus, 7-speed direct mount long cage

Number of Gears:

21

Shifters:

Shimano Acera SL rapid fire trigger

Chainset:

SR SunTour, square taper spline

Chainrings:

42 x 32 x 22T, steel, replaceable outer

Bottom Bracket:

Sealed cartridge, square taper, 118mm

Cassette:

SRAM PG-730, 7-speed, 12-32

Chain:

KMC Z7 with reusable Missing Link

Pedals:

Composite platform, toe clip compatible, 9/16″ with reflectors

Front Brake:

Mechanical disc brake, dual pad angle adjust, 160mm rotor

Rear Brake:

Mechanical disc brake, dual pad angle adjust, 160mm rotor

Brake Levers:

Alloy, linear pull

Handlebars:

Hi-Ten riserbar, 35mm rise, 8 degree back sweep, 4 degree up

Stem:

Alloy A-head, 4 bolt, 20 degree rise, 25.4mm clamp

Headset:

1 1/8″ threadless, loose ball bearings

Grips:

Specialized Enduro, dual compound Kraton, no flange, 131mm

Rims:

Alex HR 26 inch, alloy double wall, pinned, 32 hole

Front Hub:

Forged alloy, double sealed, ground race, Quick Release, Disc, 32 hole

Rear Hub:

Forged alloy, double sealed, ground race, cassette, Quick Release, Disc, 32 hole

Spokes:

2mm (14g) stainless

Front Tyre:

Specialized Fast Trak LK Sport, 26×2.0″, 60TPI, wire bead

Rear Tyre:

Specialized Fast Trak LK Sport, 26×2.0″, 60TPI, wire bead

Tubes:

Schrader valve

Saddle:

Specialized XC, Body Geometry, 143mm width, front and rear bumpers

Seatpost:

Alloy two bolt, 12.5mm offset, micro adjust, 30.9mm

Accessories:

Chain stay protector, reflectors, clear coat

Seat Binder:

Alloy Quick Release, nylon washer

Extra Features:

Chain stay protector, reflectors, clear coat