Trail bikes are now on a spectrum. That spectrum bleeds into XC and reaches a tiny bit into enduro-style riding, and these two bikes are perfect examples of how broad it is. In my eyes, both fall into the same category, just at opposite ends.

The Ranger is Revel’s take on an XC bike, but I see it more as a short-travel trail bike these days. Sure, the first two versions were XC, but the Ranger V3 is more than that. It has 130mm of travel up front and 120mm out back, but the suspension has also been tweaked to give it a more supple, active rear end. This adds to the bike’s mind-boggling versatility, and it’s part of what makes the decision between this and the Rascal so difficult for some people.

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The Rascal is kind of the bike that started it all for Revel, and it has stood the test of time as one of the best all-around trail bikes on the market. Although it has undergone slight changes since its 2019 release, the bike remains absurdly versatile at its core. It now sports a 150mm fork, with the same 130mm CBF rear end, well-considered geometry, and ride quality you have to ride to believe.

I have my Rascal set up with a 140mm fork to make it a little closer to the Ranger V3. They might be pretty similar, but they ride differently and check different boxes, and the overlap is hard to ignore. To put it plainly, the Ranger is a trail bike that leans more toward XC, and the Rascal is a trail bike that leans more toward aggressive trail riding and kinda of flirts with the enduro category, especially with the 150mm fork.

Rascal SL

The Rascal isn’t as supple off the top in terms of suspension; it’s marginal, but noticeable if you ride these two bikes back to back. The riding position is also less upright, as the Rascal has a slightly slacker seat tube angle and a slightly shorter rear center than the Ranger. That makes sense. But in my review of the Rascal, the slack STA is one of my biggest complaints.

Other than that, the Rascal climbs amazingly well, and it’s one of my favorite bikes for the balance of efficient yet comfortable climbing and confident descending. It’s a really impressive chassis, and for someone who wants a little bit of everything, I can’t imagine a better bike for the job if you can look past a couple of quirks. The cable routing isn’t as wonderful as the Ranger V3, and the chainstays aren’t proportional, so all sizes have the same 436mm chainstays.

With the ability to run both a 140 and a 150mm fork, the Rascal is absurdly versatile, with no flip-chips or geometry adjustments, and depending on what tires you’ve got mounted, it can do just about anything without letting you down. 

Ranger V3

The Ranger V3 is an enigmatic bike on paper, but in the real world, it’s a short-travel trail bike. It doesn’t feel like an XC bike going downhill and doesn’t feel like a trail bike going uphill. It pedals exceptionally well and descends way better than any other 120mm bike has any right to. I’ve built it up with burly wheels, tires, and oversized brakes, but I’ve also swapped in lightweight wheels and XC tires to shave a few pounds and let it lean into the Ranger’s XC lineage, and in both configurations, it feels top-notch.

On most 120mm bikes, I find myself being somewhat tender with line choice and descending scenarios. Not on the Ranger. It doesn’t feel like a 120mm bike when pointed downhill, and in the best way possible. The suspension feels plush at the initial stroke and provides more support as you get closer to full travel. It feels like a trail bike.

But that all changes when you head back uphill for another lap. The pedaling position is centered, the BB is lower, and the head tube angle is slacker, which lets you sink into the bike, but the CBF suspension keeps everything stupidly tidy and responsive. You lose no traction or slop when powering uphill, and those same qualities keep it composed and accurate on the way back down.

It might all sound perfect. A bike that climbs well and descends well is what we’re all after, and both of these bikes check that box, but one is definitely more descending-oriented than the other.

Verdict

The bottom line is that the Rascal is the right choice for anyone who wants more trail variety without worrying about the occasional shit line choice. It has more travel, so you have a little more room for error. The Ranger is a lightweight, short-travel trail bike, and although it can handle more than other bikes in this category, I still find myself questioning some choices, and the angel and devil on my shoulder are always quarreling over where my tires are pointed.

Get the Ranger if: You want an XC-ish bike that can confidently handle 80% of trail rides without issue.

Get the Rascal if: You want a trail bike that can do pretty much everything, but you aren’t as worried about weight and like a little more diversity in line choice.

Based on the brand’s popular titanium 29er El Jefe, the El Jefe Grande is a titanium hardtail built around the hottest trend in MTB going: 32” wheels. But rather than push the trend on everyone who doesn’t need it, Revel has made the El Jefe Grande in full 32” and 32”/29” options for shorter riders.

The biggest hurdle with 32-inch wheels is making the bike feel like the bikes we’re used to. A 32-inch wheel paired with a matching 100mm fork creates a massive lever arm, and that leverage puts immense stress right at the head tube junction. According to Revel, standard titanium welding techniques weren’t strong enough to handle those forces over the long haul.

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Their solution is arguably the coolest piece of tech on the bike: a super clean 3D-printed titanium head tube. Smooth-welded to the top and down tubes, this 3D-printed junction is significantly stronger and stiffer than a traditional setup. It’s the first time Revel has used this tech on a production bike, and it easily passed ISO testing beyond standard mountain bike requirements. As a bonus, the 3D printing process let them integrate incredibly clean internal cable routing.

Geometry-wise, Revel’s Founder and CEO Adam Miller admitted many early 32-inch bikes felt awkward and stretched out. The brand went through multiple prototypes specifically to dial in the handling so the Grande feels like a proper trail hardtail instead of a novelty cruiser.

“A lot of 32″ bikes have pretty strange geometry. To me, most of them feel awkward like they’ve just been stretched out to fit the wheels. Figuring out how to get the handling right with these big wheels took a lot of trial and error,” Says Miller. “When we showed the Concept Labs bikes at Sea Otter, we knew it wasn’t quite ready to bring to market, but it was a good way to share some of our development process. We wanted to make a proper hardtail mountain bike and we only want to sell bikes we’re truly excited about. So, after more prototypes and a lot of tweaking to the geometry, we’ve made something that we are really proud of, and we’re psyched to get it out there.”

The frame reflects Why Cycles’ practical roots (the company merged with Revel in 2023). UDH-compatible sliding dropouts offer 17mm of adjustment for singlespeed riders. Tire clearance accommodates a 32 x 2.4″ tire—or 29 x 2.6″ on size small—with room for mud. All sizes have five sets of bottle and accessory mounts, ideal for frame bags.

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Pricing, Availability, Details

A size Large frame weighs 4.76 lbs (2.16 kg)—not featherweight, but just right for a bombproof titanium hardtail built to roll over anything. The El Jefe Grande is available frame-only for $3,499 USD (£2,999 UK). Reserve your place in line with a $500 deposit on Revel’s site. Frames are slated to ship this December.

Key Features​

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• Frame: Titanium with 3D-printed head tube, smooth-welded
• Fork travel: 100mm (550mm axle-to-crown)
• Wheel size: SM 32″/29″, MD–XL 32″/32″
• Sizes: SM, MD, LG, XL
• Rear spacing: Boost 12×148, UDH-compatible sliding dropouts (17mm adjustment)
• Rear tire clearance: MD–XL 32″ x 2.4″, SM 29″ x 2.6″, with plenty of mud room
• Head tube: Tapered, IS42 upper / IS52 lower
• Bottom bracket: 73mm BSA threaded
• Max chainring: 34T
• Rear brake: 160mm post mount, 180mm max rotor
• Seatpost: 31.6mm, 34.9mm seat clamp
• Max seatpost insertion: SM 275mm, MD 280mm, LG 285mm, XL 295mm
• Bottle/accessory mounts: 5 sets on all sizes
• Finish: Two-tone bead-blasted and polished graphics
• Frame weight: 4.76 lb / 2.16 kg (size Large)
• Complete bike as shown: 24.9 lb

Adjusting the cockpit can be expensive, especially if you aren’t sure which setup will feel best on the bike, and no one wants to spend a lot of money buying a bunch of different stems in the process. That’s where Evidince Engineering comes in with a 12-in-1 stem. It’s more than just the length and stack; it also has an adjustable width clamp that lets riders swap between a 58 and 70mm clamp area for more tunable compliance at the bars.

While it might look like a direct mount stem that you’d see on a dual-crown fork, it isn’t, although it does borrow some of the tech in a really neat way, and it certainly has my attention. The initial launch will include a very limited number of stems, which are expected later this month (10/23) at 199 € (incl. 23% VAT).

Get on the list for the pre-order here

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Michał Piórkowski, the founder of Evidence Engineering, has 20 years of mountain biking experience and has spent 10 years designing motorsport suspension and chassis. Now, after two years of development, he’s bringing his adjustable mountain bike stem to market. You can follow along with the process on Evidence’s Instagram.

Since high school, Michał has dreamed of launching a bicycle components company. He didn’t want to just make another brand whose products differ only in appearance – he wanted there to be a reason. With his background in MTB and engineering, combining them felt inevitable (it’s also a formula that typically results in a great product). He took his time with this stem, developing, testing, and bringing it to market, and I think he nailed it.

Evidence Stem Details

• Length Configurations: 20 / 30 / 35 / 45 mm
• Stack Configurations: 33 / 45 mm
• Tunable Clamp Width: 58 / 70 mm
• Low Steerer Clamp: 24 mm
• Tested for Category 5 gravity use
• Price: 199 € (incl. 23% VAT)

I’m a fan of the traditional tire, and I’m lucky to test a shit-load of tires, but the one I keep coming back to is the Continental Kryptotal – and it’s for a reason. I’m not trying to sell anything here; I have no affiliate links or personal incentives. I like the tires, and I think they are an option worth considering for anyone who wants a tire that lasts a long time and stays consistent across a wide range of riding conditions.

Context

I’ve been on and off the Kryptotal for a year now, and I have ridden every compound and casing the tire is offered in, on almost every type of trail and condition you’d encounter. What I’ve found is that it is one of the most consistent tires on the market. Although it’s not the softest (even in the Super Soft compound), it is one of the longest-lasting and most reliable across a range of conditions, while still balancing grip, longevity, and durability.

I just got back from a trip to Whistler for the UCI DH World Cup with Continental, but this review isn’t influenced by the brand. I just really like this tire and figured now would be a great time to wax poetic.

The Consistency Perspective

Radial tires are great in certain scenarios, but not every scenario; it also depends a lot on the manufacturer and tire construction. I’ve found that I get along well with the Vee Tire Co. RadCore tires and the Specialized Radials, but that is because they behave more like a traditional tire on the trail, with some fringe benefits from the radial carcass. They also use a stiffer casing, which adds to the support. 

Support is the main factor here. I’ve found that trail and enduro radial tires lack cornering stability, which can feel unreliable when you’re really pushing the tires. Because the tires deform more on the ground, they can feel a bit squirmish, and that isn’t something you want all the time. Sure, it can feel great when you’re trying to squeeze every bit of traction out of a contact patch in a straight line or over tech, but when you’re leaning into a corner or riding hardpacked trails, a radial tire can become a little scary and unpredictable.

We all want a consistent tire. A tire that can handle a huge variety of conditions without feeling like a compromise, and from my experience, a radial tire isn’t always the best choice. A lot of marketing has pushed radial tires on consumers, but just because it’s the latest trend doesn’t mean it’s better.

Existing Preferences

Maxxis, WTB, Specialized, Schwalbe, Continental, Etc. The list of mountain bike tire brands is long, and almost every rider on the trail has a tire they swear by. We’re all a little biased, just like the ply of our favorite tires. Over the last year, I have been riding tires from all the aforementioned brands, and I certainly have my preferences when it comes to tread patterns and casing construction.

For most of the season, I have been on Continental tires, and I have gotten along with them really well. I have been a big fan of the Xynotal and Kryptotal tires for most of my riding, and I find they last a long time and have a very consistent feel on the types of trails I ride most often. I use the Xynotal for most of my riding around here in Boise, and when I head back home or up north, I mount up the Kryptotal.

What I haven’t experienced yet is the Kryptotal DH casing with the Super Soft Compound, and after a week of testing them in every possible condition, I have to say they have left a really positive impression.

Variables Matter

Whistler Mountain Bike Park in September can be a mixed bag, that’s for sure, and the week spent in Whistler Village leading up to the UCI DH World Cup there was a perfect example. We rode everything from dry, bombed-out bike park to super-saturated roots and rocks off-piste, and the Kryptotals stayed mounted through it all.

Even as the tire pressure changed, I never added any pressure. I didn’t get a single flat or noticeable burp of air, but I kept dropping pressure until it got questionably low; they just kept feeling better. I never had them pack with mud or dirt too badly, and they shed what did pack into the tread really easily.

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I figured it was better to be safe than sorry and landed on 19psi in the front and 22psi in the rear tire. That seemed like the perfect window for the riding I was doing, and I didn’t dare go any lower. Typically, I run the Enduro casing and Soft compound for these tires, and I wouldn’t dare ride those at these pressures, but the DH casing and Super Soft compound selection was happy to indulge my curiosity.

After so much time on radials over the last couple of months, being back on a familiar, traditional casing tire felt like a warm hug. Everything felt consistent and familiar, and that is one of the best ways I can describe the Kryptotal tire.

Takeaway

Tires are one of the easiest things to change and can have the biggest influence on how a bike feels. Picking the right one is key to getting a bike to feel consistent. Finding the one that works for you and the conditions that you ride most will be a game changer. 

There will never be total agreement on which tire is the best, but I’ve found a sweet spot with the Continental Kryptotal tires. I can’t remember ever having a flat or any major issues with seating them, a wonky casing, or anything that would cast them in a negative light.

They aren’t the cheapest, nor are they the softest on the market, even in the Super Soft compound, and yes, deciphering the hieroglyphics on the sidewalls can be confusing at first, but they hold up for a long time and are absurdly consistent in all manner of riding conditions.

The Kryptotal is Continental’s all-around tire, and it comes in a mind-numbing array of compounds, sizes, casings, and front- and rear-specific tread patterns. It’s the only Conti MTB tire that spans the entire periodic table. It comes in 20″ through 29″ in endurance, trail, enduro, and downhill casings, with varying levels of softness, so whatever you ride, you can find a Kryptotal that fits your needs.

With so many variations comes a wide range of prices. The Kryptotal ranges anywhere from $88 USD to $122 USD, depending on casing and compound. Considering how long these tires tend to last, I would say it is well worth it. I have spent my own coin on a few sets, and I’m lucky enough to have been given plenty of tires to review, but I wouldn’t suggest a tire that I don’t stand behind.

Loam Pass Destinations

The formula remains the same: you get two days of riding at each partner destination. Right now, with the early-bird launch window (October 1–14) for the 2027 pass, you get the rest of the 2026 season for free. That means you get a 2026 pass to use through December 31 at currently operating destinations, so you can squeeze in some late-fall laps before winter shuts things down.

Get the Loam Pass Here

New Destinations for 2027

Loam Pass already had a solid roster, but the 2027 expansion adds even more value, especially for those heading to the Pacific Northwest and BC, but it doesn’t forget about the Mountain West or East Coast riders.

• Revelstoke Mountain Resort, BC: Revy is finally on the pass. Known for massive vertical and long descents, including the legendary Fifty Six Twenty trail, this alone justifies the pass cost for anyone planning a British Columbia pilgrimage.
• Grouse Bike Park, BC: Vancouver’s North Shore just got chairlift access via the new Grouse Mountain bike park. Expect everything from approachable flow to the steep, technical lines the Shore is famous for.
• Blue Mountain Resort, PA: Holding the title for Pennsylvania’s biggest vertical drop, Blue Mountain brings proper East Coast rock tech, jumps, and flow in the Poconos to the network.
• Brian Head Shuttle, UT: Southern Utah backcountry just got easier to access. The pass now covers shuttle runs to high-altitude favorites like Blow Hard, Dark Hollow, and Bunker Creek.
• Flow State Biking, WA: PNW riders get shuttle access to the trail networks of North Central Washington, opening up another crucial stop for road-trippers.

Passholder Perks

Beyond the lift tickets and shuttle bumps, the Loam Perks program is expanding to help offset the inevitable cost of keeping your bike running. Passholders now get 20% off VEE Tires, Tannus, and Cache Pads.

If you’re in the market for a whole new rig, this month offers a serious incentive to pull the trigger. During the October 1–14 launch sale, passholders who buy an ARI bike get an extra $200 off, which stacks with the standard 10% passholder discount. That discount effectively covers the $229 pass cost before you’ve even finished planning your next trip.

The $229 early bird pricing is live now at LoamPass.com and runs through October 14, 2026. If you want to ride out the rest of this fall on the house, lock it in before the window closes.

My dream just came true!! No more words needed.

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The iconic Troy Lee Designs and Red Bull combo helmet represents more than just a sick look; it signals access to elite athlete support, recovery centers, and performance resources. As Ostgaard prepares to make her eventual jump to the Elite Women’s field, where she will face off against established heavyweights like Vali Höll, she now rides with the backing of one of downhill racing’s most influential brands.

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The 18-year-old Ostgaard secured the Junior Women’s season championship with a dominant win at last week’s penultimate event in Whistler, Canada. Less than a week later, Gwin surprised the young phenom with her Red Bull gear before the final race of the year.

As of October 3, 2026, Ostgaard has secured P1 in Lake Placid’s qualifying round, with finals set for later this weekend, and with Ostgaard not missing a podium (1st in all but two races) at any race this season, she’ll likely be ending the season with another medal. 

Her victory at Whistler on the notoriously challenging 1199 course stands out as her defining run of the year. Ending her finals run over nine seconds clear of the competition, she sealed her Junior World Cup overall title in dominant fashion before heading into the Elite ranks in 2027 sporting a new lid.

The Pace 5 Rec is Aventon’s cruising e-bike built for casual riding and simple commuting.  It has a classic, European-inspired step-through frame.  Plus, it’s equipped with swept-back handlebars, an adjustable stem, and a wide saddle to position you in an upright riding posture. 

Aventon combined that bike’s classic construction with modern e-bike features. They upgraded the motor, which now pumps out 1440 watts in Boost mode, added electronic brakes with regenerative braking, and loaded the bike’s computer with smart features designed to attract tech-minded riders. Honestly, between the bike’s geometry, components, and feature set,  it’s like a souped-up Citi Bike from New York City’s bike-sharing program. 

Where to get the Aventon Pace 5 REC

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Build Details for the Pace 5 Rec

Aventon has two Pace models. Compared to the Pace 4, the Pace 5 Rec is their bigger and more powerful option with longer range. It also has some features designed for more comfort.

For the Pace 5 Rec, you can choose between two frame sizes.

1. Regular, for riders 5’0”-5’9”.
2. Large, for taller riders in the 5’9”-6’3” range. 

Color-wise, the Pace 5 Rec comes in a fun variety of colors like Glacier Mint, Sakura, Koi, Anvil, and Lagoon. I’ve been rocking the Pace 5 Rec in the Koi colorway, and I must say, I’m really loving the burnt orange and rust-colored aesthetic. 

• Motor: 750-watt motor with a 1440-watt peak in Boost mode
• Battery: removable internal lithium-ion, 36V, 20Ah, 733Wh battery with up to 75 miles of range.
• Controls: Aventon A280 display and Aventon LH handlebar-mounted throttle
• Frame and Fork: 6061 Aluminum, Gravity Cast Front Triangle and 
• Aventon Rigid Alloy front fork.
• Drivetrain: Shimano 8 Speed trigger shifter,  Shimano Altus rear derailleur, and Shimano 8 Speed cassette.
• Wheels and Tires: 27.5 x 2.1 tires laced to double-wall aluminum rims.
• Brakes: Tektro HD-E3120 hydraulic disc with regenerative braking
• Weight: 60.48lbs with an 8.7 lbs lithium-ion battery. 
• MSRP: $1,799.00

From the moment I started unboxing the bike and pulling off the frame-protecting packaging, I could tell the quality of the machine I was about to assemble. I already spoke about the color,  but what also stuck out right away was the Pace’s geometry. It boasted the classic clean lines, shape, and aesthetic that have become a motif across Aventon e-bikes. 

Components-wise, Aventon opted for more name-brand parts compared to some other e-bike manufacturers. For example, the Pace 5 Rec came stock with a full, front-to-back Shimano drivetrain. And up in the cockpit, I found Tektro electronic and hydraulic disc brakes. 

The Tektro brakes were a highlight. They functioned great – very snappy and powerful. Because they are electronic, you can enable regenerative braking mode. Regenerative brakes recover small amounts of energy every time the brake levers are squeezed. Aventon claims you can earn up to 5% more range when you use the brakes with the regenerative mode enabled.  

There were still some no-name parts. The aluminum handlebars and stem were mystery parts. Plus, the rims and tires were no-name. As a tire snob, I’m skeptical of the long-term viability of the stock rubber on the Pace 5 Rec.  And I was annoyed by the cheap plastic pedals.  

Ironically, I found Aventon’s 250mm-wide saddle, designed specifically for “more comfort,” uncomfy. I’m of the opinion that bigger is not always better when it comes to saddles. I don’t need wide coverage. Instead, I want precise support for my sit bones. Plus, I feel like the giant saddle negatively affects the otherwise sleek aesthetic of the Pace 5 Rec. 

Beyond the componentry, Aventon loaded the Pace 5 Rec with a ton of “smart features.” With all these features, it seems they’re really trying to reach tech-minded people who want to ride bikes, not cyclists looking to add an e-bike to their stable. 

I’m not a particularly techy guy, so certain features, like the Apple Watch connectivity, made my eyes roll. And cruise control? I mean, we’re here to pedal bikes, right? Anyway, here’s how it works:

You can activate Aventon’s cruise control feature by pressing and holding the “>” button when cruising at your preferred speed. When activated, the speedometer icon appears above the Assist Level on your display. To disengage cruise control, pull your brake levers or press and hold the same button a second time. 

I don’t have an Apple Watch, but with the Aventon Apple Watch app, you can power your bike on or off, lock and unlock your e-bike, and track your ride in real time. While you ride, your watch can display ride duration, distance, current speed, and your heart rate.

Of all the smart features, the e-lock is my favorite. It was particularly helpful for quick stops or when I forgot my lock. And I could see how the activity detection and built-in alarm could deter thieves. 

Real-World Motor and Battery Performance

Aventon claims the Pace 5 Rec has a 75-mile range. This is based on their testing with a 165-lb rider on a paved, flat road, in Eco mode. Sounds pretty impractical to me. 

I feel this way because I felt the need to ride the bike exclusively in Turbo or Boost pedal-assist modes. The less powerful modes, Eco and Sport, didn’t offer me the ride experience I was after. This may be because of my need-for-speed riding style, but I suspect other riders like me will feel similarly. To be fair, however, the Pace 5 Rec isn’t really marketed toward aggressive riders in the first place. 

As I mentioned above, a unique feature of the Pace 5 Rec is the bike’s regenerative braking. Aventon says you can gain back 5% of range when you use the regenerative brakes. The precise amount of energy gained would depend on terrain, riding style, and rider weight. I suspect the regenerative gains are minimal, but even marginal gains will compound over time, especially in hilly cities with lots of stop-and-go commuting. 

It’s worth noting you can switch the regenerative feature between only-braking and coasting. In the coasting mode, the bike can regain energy during deceleration while coasting down big hills. 

Ride Impressions: comfortable, stable, easy to ride

Aventon nailed the Pace’s size and shape. With the adjustable seatpost and stem, and the swept-back handlebars, I was able to position myself super comfortably while riding. The Aventon lock-on grips fit nicely in my hands also and had a spacious flange to support my palms. This comfortable riding position made wanting to ride the Pace 5 Rec a no-brainer. 

The Pace 5 Rec felt stable and easy to navigate. It reminded me of riding my mountain bike. Sure enough, when I looked into the geometry data, I found out it has a very long wheelbase and slack head tube angle, similar to my Salsa Timberjack. 

Unfortunately, when I got the Pace 5 Rec up to speed, I found the aluminum frame to be rattly. Vibrations from the uneven pavement and the normal bumps on my routine commuting routes seemed to diffuse straight through the bike and into my body. Perhaps a fork with front-end suspension or at least a suspension seatpost could smooth out the ride experience. 

The worst part was the clunky shifting. The Pace 5 Rec comes with a Shimano Altus rear derailleur and an 8-speed Trigger shifter. While not top of the line, one would think this Shimano drivetrain could do the trick. And most of the time it did, but unfortunately, it seems the bike arrived out of spec or poorly tuned. 

When I ride the bike in its biggest gear, the drivetrain skips, clicks, and performs poorly. I’ve had to avoid that gear altogether. On hill climbs where I need that gear, I now just change the pedal-assist mode and throttle through it. 

I assume a rear derailleur adjustment will fix the problem, but for an e-bike just shy of $2,000 dollars, I expect it to be fully functioning out of the box. 

Who is the Pace 5 Rec For?

Aventon’s Pace 5 Rec is for urban commuters who want to casually get around town. The Pace 5 Rec is also perfect for recreational cyclists going for long, easy rides on bike paths. It’s even a viable option for riders who cannot ride out from their homes and need to transport their e-bike to access the local beach path or rail trail. Despite the long wheelbase, it fit just fine on my Kuat hitch rack.  

Where to get the Aventon Pace 5 REC

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In addition, with all the smart features, Aventon really seems to be aiming the Pace at a tech-friendly market. Interestingly, I noticed the media on Aventon’s webpage for the Pace 5 Rec is almost entirely composed of cyclists from an older age group. If not advertising the tech built into the Pace 5, all their photos and videos feature folks who seem to be in their 50s or older. Therefore, Aventon seems to have positioned the Pace 5 Rec perfectly in the intersection of older, tech-savvy individuals, like, in all honesty, my mom.  The Pace 5 Rec would be perfect for her. 

Final Thoughts: tech-forward e-bike for very casual riders

Aventon’s Pace 5 Rec exudes the classic design style and aesthetic that has helped make Aventon a higher-end e-bike manufacturer. It comes stock with solid components and is packed with smart features built to enhance your ride experience. 

But to get this thing really road-ready for running errands or commuting, you’ll need to add some accessories like a rear rack or front basket. In comparison, competing (and cheaper) e-bike manufacturers already equip their commuter-style bikes with a front fender and rear rack. For example, the Lectric XPress.

You can expect to be comfy when you ride the Pace 5 Rec, but don’t expect it to be fast or sporty. If you’ve got a need for speed, or are looking for a more shreddable e-bike, look elsewhere.

A recent video by Kona Bikes, titled Sophie Allen’s Field Notes, offers an honest look at Allen’s dual life. While Allen is a huge fan of riding bikes of all kinds, from cross-country and gravel to enduro, riding is only part of her story. She is a full-time lover of the outdoors and a full-time environmental consultant. In the video, Allen explains how her day job conducting surveys perfectly intertwines with her time outside.

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Whether exploring the hidden oases scattered around Los Angeles or the ribbons of singletrack, Allen is always down to stop mid-ride to examine or ID flora and fauna. “When you notice the small things, you tend to slow down in life, and you just get to appreciate things one by one,” Allen notes in the film.

This profound curiosity about the ecosystems she rides through sparked her recent partnership with POW. As an Athlete Ambassador, Allen is using her platform to advocate for protecting the natural playgrounds she treasures.

Her message to the outdoor community is clear and actionable: “One of the best things people can do to protect these open spaces would be just to get out there and vote and advocate for the places that they love most”. Allen continues to lead by example, both on and off the bike.

“As a freerider, I’m no stranger to huge jumps, but this was one of my biggest challenges yet. Ahead of this year’s Red Bull Rampage, I put together a team to build the world’s longest manmade dirt-to-dirt feature and attempt to land the more than 100-foot jump.

This one has been years in the making, and it wasn’t easy. Excited to share this journey to progress the sport I love and push what’s possible on natural terrain.

Don’t forget to tune in Sunday, October 10th on the Red Bull Bike YouTube and Red Bull TV to watch me compete in the 25th anniversary of Red Bull Rampage.”

The concept might seem “normal” in the modern age of freeride, but jumps of this size are always machine-built, as are the massive run-ins they require. The magic is the work and time that go into manipulating and using the natural terrain to build a jump this size. Not to mention the mental clarity required to be the first person to hit it. 

“I always have the most respect for the person who hits the jump for the first time and unlocks it for everybody,” says freeride legend and friend, Tyler McCaul. Every tiny detail matters when hitting a jump this size for the first time. Jaxon is sending himself into the unknown, and oftentimes that results in trial and error. From speed checks in excess of 45 mph to the first attempt that put Riddle out for a few weeks with a broken ankle, the project progressed and eventually earned a full top-to-bottom rework that extended the run by 400 feet and reshaped the takeoff.

In the end, the mission is inspiring, and seeing it all come together reinforced the roots of freeride: Build something no one has ever ridden before, then ride it. As crazy as that sounds, that’s what has, and always will, push the sport of freeride mountain biking, not packing the most amount of rotations into a gap, or seeing how many tricks can be done before touching the landing. It’s about going huge into the unknown and coming out the other side. 

The 140mm of travel out back, 160mm up front, 29” wheels, and single flip chip for shock progression make for a bike that knows what it is, but isn’t terribly uncomfortable getting a little outside of its comfort zone.

The first rides on the Yeti MT were also my first “real” rides back after a shoulder injury, and my hesitations to take a bike with 140mm of rear travel straight into a bike park were valid. But in the end, it really wasn’t too bad.

TLDR Good & Bad

Good: Light and responsive, versatile amount of travel, balanced geometry, excellent climber, competent descender.

Bad: Costs a pretty penny, not the most forgiving in terms of compliance, lots of tight spaces and bearings in the linkage, seatpost insertion can be limiting on smaller sizes.

The Details You Should Know

Frame Storage: Yes, and it’s well done, but I didn’t use it.
Flip-Chips: One, and it changes shock progression between 10, 15, and 20%.
Travel: 140mm rear, 160mm front.
Wheel size: 29” front and rear
Size Tested: Large
(Stack: 635mm, Reach: 480mm, STA: 71.5, CS: 446mm, BB height: 342mm)
Build Kit Tested: X0/90 ($8,000 USD)
Complete build MSRP: $8,000 – $11,500 USD | Frame: $4,600 USD
Yeticycles.com

Ride Impressions

The Yeti MT wants to be pushed. It wants to be ridden hard, and if you can manage that, the bike gives back with a supportive ride. It’s not a bike you can just sit on and meander down the hill, and compared to the trend of super-supple suspension, the Yeti MT is a little different. The more you push into the bike, the more it gives you what you want.

The Yeti MT has a responsive chassis, to say the least, and for the most part it lands above its category on paper for both descending and ascending. It is really well-rounded, and could easily be a bike that the right person could ride almost everything on. It pedals great without the climb switch, and it goes downhill with enthusiasm that the rider needs to match.

It’s a prime example of a modern trail bike and a bit like a multi-tool: great for most everything, but not amazing for every job you might face day to day. But that also is entirely dependent on what you ride every day.

Maybe it was taking it right into laps of Whistler tech and bombed-out corners, but I definitely found the limits of the travel and comfort. On smoother flow trails, it was happy to provide a responsive platform, but a responsive platform isn’t always comfortable, especially in the bike park; that isn’t really what this bike has been built for. 

The bike really fell behind in fast tech, where I felt the suspension was easily overwhelmed and packed down quickly, creating a few huck-and-pray situations and forcing me to stop to make sure I didn’t blow anything up (nothing blew up).

At first, cornering felt a little strange, but the more I rode it, the more it made sense. You need to ride the bike all the time. Some bikes you can point, shoot, and wait for the bang. With the MT, you need to point, shoot, and guide it all the way through. This was most noticeable in corners and tech that other bikes might plow through; the MT wanted to ping and glide, and it could be easily influenced by the trail, regardless of what I wanted.

Over time, it started to feel a little better after adjusting the cockpit and pressures. I settled into the right PSI in the tires, which I kept dropping on the DH Casing Super Soft Continental Kryptotals before settling at 19 psi in the front and 22 psi in the rear. As for suspension, I went back and forth between 180-185 in the shock (Fox Float X) and 78-83 psi in the fork (Fox 36 SL). For reference, I am 175 lbs, and probably close to 182lbs with all my gear on.

The lower suspension pressures felt ideal, as the frame is pretty far from compliant. I felt this bike should be “over-tired”. I feel this way about most bikes, and I was happy not to be on radial-casing trail tires for the riding we were doing, given how reliant I was on my tires to pick up the slack of the 140mm rear end.

The chassis is certainly on the stiffer side, and the rear end doesn’t lack lateral rigidity, which seems to invite pushing it even harder than you might think is doable. For the first day, I was riding the Yeit MT with its single flip chip in the middle progression setting, and I’ll be the first to admit that I should probably have put a few more PSI in the shock, but it wasn’t terrible, and I really only found the absolute bottom of the travel once or twice throughout the day of riding in the park. But the 180 psi mark on the shock was a savior outside the park, and a softer fork saved my poor AC joint from extra pain on some of the steeper trails we rode outside the lift-accessible zone.

Day two included some out-of-the-park excursions to ride the world-class singletrack Whistler offers those who don’t mind a bit of a pedal up. But the juice is always worth the squeeze, and the squeeze yielded a lot of juice on the Yeti MT. Overall, it pedals great, maybe not as precise as other bikes in the travel category, but I wasn’t complaining at all. The pedaling platform feels responsive, and the power drives you forward. There is still some suspension movement, but just enough to keep the wheel tracking the ground and grip in the right spot. For whatever reason, the stack on the size large MT felt a tad short for my liking, but it also had the stock bars, which aren’t the tallest; the trade-off is slightly less confidence descending on steep trails, but a nice, aggressive position while going up and a playful way about it while on flow trails and jumps.

Comparison Is the Thief of Joy

I’ve been riding the Specialized Stumpjumper 15 Evo quite a bit lately, and at 145mm of rear travel and a 160mm fork, the bikes are similar in travel, but that’s about it, and I think that spotlights the spectrum of what a trail bike is. The SJ15 is almost sluggish compared to the MT’s spirit.

The MT rides with no wallow or super-squishy feel, and that could be a selling point or a negative, depending on what you’re looking for. I’ve also been riding the Revel Rascal SL a lot, and with 10mm less travel than the MT, both at the fork and rear end, the MT feels more like the super supportive Rascal than it does the Stumpjumper 15 Evo, but it finds a balance that I would say blends the spectrum of what a trail bike can be in a really great way.

The MT chassis is stiff and accurate on the way down the hill. The MT has an obvious return on inertia, and cornering feels incredibly rewarding. It locks into the arch of where you’re pointing and follows through with energy. On jumps and flow, the MT wants to play around, and although the rear center is fairly long, it likes being balanced on one wheel and guided on the trail. Because of the longer rear end, cornering can sometimes feel vague, but only if you point it and then hope the bike will do the rest. If you tell it what you want it to do, it will. There are no passengers on the MT.

Towards the end of my time with the MT, it all started to click. It’s not a bikepark bike, and riding it like it is won’t give you the ROI you’re looking for. So I dialed it back a bit and embraced the blue flow and off-piste riding with open arms. 

The bike goes where it is pointed, and as I said before, it does require some encouragement from the rider in those more technical situations. But the MT really shines on faster, flowier trails that let you set up and execute turns and undulations. The MT went from vague and easily overwhelmed in the bike park and double-black tech outside of the park to a precision instrument on the less aggressive trails. I’m sure that with a bit more time on it, the bike would become more comfortable, but my time was short, and the legends at Arbutus Routes in Whistler, BC, where I borrowed this bike, didn’t have flip-chips on hand for me to tinker with.

Overall, the combination of 140mm out back and 160mm up front makes the bike more capable than one might assume, but throughout testing, I felt like I needed to keep dropping pressure from the shock and fork to make the bike feel more composed on more technical sections of trail.

I appreciate the MT’s straightforward nature compared to the LT, which has a ton of adjustments, and I felt the MT was dialed right out of the box in terms of geometry, riding position, and behavior. Both up and down, the MT is consistent and pretty familiar, with no glaring issues. I think if I had been at 100% in terms of shoulder recovery and had more time to fully dial the bike in, the MT would have handled everything accurately and left me with no complaints.

Parting Impressions

It’s clear a lot of work went into developing this new suspension platform, and it shows on the trail. From an efficiency standpoint, the MT doesn’t demand a climb switch; in fact, I never touched it, and I think locking out the rear would detract from the feeling Yeti was going for. It feels reactive to the terrain and just keeps going if you keep going. It’s not a missile up the hill, but that’s not really the point because it’s not an XC bike – it’s a trail bike.

Given the bike’s character, I was glad I wasn’t running the stock Schwalbe Radial tires, and instead opted for some DH-casing, Super Soft compound Continental Kryptotal tires with about as little pressure as I could comfortably get away with. Other than that change, I also put on narrower bars (760mm), which made the bike feel a little more familiar.

The MT feels really well-rounded, and for a bike with 140mm out back, it handled pretty much everything in the Whistler Bike Park that I pointed it towards, with the only place it really felt unsettled being the braking bumps and consecutive impacts on more technical black trails. Neither of which are that surprising.

The takeaway is pretty simple: modern trail bikes are really damn good, and if you can afford it, the Yeti MT is one of the most capable options on the market right now, but don’t expect the plush, forgiving chassis of something like the Stumpjumper 15.

With a recent partnership formed between adidas and the Norco Race Division, it’s not totally out of the blue that the iconic footwear brand is making another push into the mountain bike space with more impactful branding, and it’s also nice to see the 5.10 image not completely fading into the backdrop.

adidas unveiled its next-generation Freerider mountain bike shoes, a reimagined lineup launching in March 2027. It includes flat and clipless options, led by the Freerider Pro BOA and Freerider Pro BOA Clipless. Althought he 5.10 branding isn’t as prominent, the ingredients that make them one of the most popular mountian bike shoes remain a core of the new footwear line.

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Since debuting in 2009, the Freerider has been a flat-pedal staple, known for its grippy Stealth rubber. The new lineup combines the original’s off-bike style and traction with the Hellcat’s proven clip-in performance. It’s also the first to feature both adidas’ 3-Stripes and the Five Ten logo, reflecting deeper integration of the label into adidas’ cycling category.

The flat-pedal Freerider Pro BOA was created with Rampage favorites Brendan Fairclough and Vero Sandler, and Mountain Bike Hall of Famer Danny MacAskill. The Freerider Pro BOA Clipless, recently debuted at the Whistler World Cup, was developed with Norco adidas Race Division, drawing on input from World Champions Greg Minnaar and Vali Höll, and USA Cycling Elite Downhill National Champion Dakotah Norton.

Details

“For more than 15 years, Freerider and Stealth rubber have set the standard for flat pedal performance,” said Luke Hontz, Senior Product Manager for Bike at adidas. “But rather than making incremental updates, we took a step back and reimagined what Freerider could be. The result is a new range of products, including the first-ever clipless Freerider, giving riders at every skill level a shoe tailored to how and where they ride.”

A five-layer toe box featuring Poron impact resistance and an asymmetric construction provides a little bit of armour for side impacts, and a secure, micro-adjustable fit comes from an asymmetric PERFORMFIT™ WRAP and Li2 BOA® dials, a single dial on the flat model and a double dial on the clipless version. An integrated debris shield provides additional trail protection.

The flat pedal shoes still utilize the beloved Stealth rubber compound while the clipless model employs the harder-wearing Stealth Marathon compound and features a redesigned cleat slot with 5mm of extra adjustability, allowing riders to position cleats further back.

The full Freerider range will start at $120, with the PRO BOA® and PRO BOA® Clipless priced at $180 and $250, respectively. The collection will be available in March 2027 through the adidas website and app, offering sizes ranging from US 5.5 to 10.5 for women and US 5.5 to 14.5 for men.

The Team DH’s core is Norco’s patented High Virtual Pivot Six-Link (HVP6) suspension, which isolates braking forces and manages axle path for maximum traction and predictable handling.

Construction

What sets the Team DH apart is its extensive structural and mechanical tuning. Norco’s patented Progression Adjust system lets riders switch shock-eyelet chips between two leverage curves. The P+ setting adds 2.5% progression for greater bottom-out support without sacrificing initial-stroke sensitivity. An adjustable idler with licensed i-Track technology also lets racers tune anti-squat: switching from AS+ to AS- reduces it by 20%, balancing pedal feedback and suspension tracking for track conditions.

Norco gave the Team DH a durable aluminum front triangle and a carbon rear end, balancing responsive cornering with impact strength. The Team DH comes in five sizes (S1–S5) to fit riders from 5’0″ to 6’6″. Size-specific rear centers keep riders balanced between the wheels, while reach-adjust headset cups offer a centered 0mm setting or a ±5mm offset.

Availability and Support

The Team DH platform integrates seamlessly with Norco’s Ride Aligned Setup Guide, which provides riders with personalized baseline settings for suspension, cockpit, and tire pressures based on their physical metrics and terrain preferences.

Backed by Norco’s “No Other Way” limited lifetime warranty, the Team DH brings World Cup engineering to privateers and downhill enthusiasts alike, proving that top-tier speed and precision tuning are no longer confined to factory racing tents.

Geometry & Fit

• Sizing: Five sizes (S1 through S5) accommodating riders from 5’0″ to 6’6″.
• Chainstays: Size-specific rear centers across the size run.
• Reach: Adjustable headset cups provide a centered 0mm position or a +/- 5mm offset.
• Setup: Supported by the Norco Ride Aligned Setup Guide for baseline suspension and cockpit metrics.

Build Kits and Pricing

The course got its name after Stevie Smith, who racked up 1,199 points in 2013 and won the overall title that season. The course is legendary, as is the man it was named after. A fitting venue for the penultimate stage of the 2026 UCI Downhill World Cup season before it heads to Lake Placid for the final race.

Anticipation is high for this race, and the track is a seriously impressive ribbon of dirt, rock, and roots that stretches from the top of Whistlers Creekside Gondola all the way down to the finish corral, which recently hosted the Canadian Open DH race at Crankworx earlier this year.

We’ve already seen a list of top names tackle this course, but we have yet to see this many high-level riders gun for the top step on the same day, and depending on the weather, it could be anyone’s race to win or lose.

We took the morning to walk the track with Frameworks Racing as the All-American team scoped it from top to bottom the day before practice kicked off, just hours before the skies opened up for what looks like a few days of heavy rain.

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The Abound LR is Aventon’s long-tail cargo e-bike supporting up to a 440-pound payload and propelled by a 750-watt motor. Thanks to Aventon’s robust accessory ecosystem, the rear rack can carry passengers or a week’s worth of groceries. Maybe even both! 

The Abound LR fits right in the middle of the cargo e-bike market– it’s not the cheapest, and it’s far from the most expensive. For the price, you get what you pay for. When you unbox the Abound LR, you’ll find a good-looking machine with solid components. But be wary of your body size and how it compares to Aventon’s recommended sizing. If you can, test-ride the Abound LR before buying. 

Where to get the Aventon Abound LR

Check Price

Build Details For the Abound LR

Aventon’s Abound LR comes in a single size. They claim it fits riders from 4’11” to 6’3”. One of my biggest problems with the bike is that I don’t think that’s true. But more on that later. 

Two colorways are optional: Sage and Matte Stealth. When I deboxed my Abound LR, I found out I got sent the Matte Stealth option. The black color is classic, and I think the matte finish is unique and looks fantastic. 

• Motor: Shengyi 36V 750W hub drive with 6-speed sensors and a 1188W peak.
• Battery: Removable Internal Lithium-ion. 36V, 20Ah, 733Wh, LG 21700 cells.
• Controls: Aventon BC147 display, 46V controller, and Aventon LH handlebar-mounted throttle. 
• Frame and Fork: Gravity Cast 6061 single-butted aluminum alloy frame with adjustable lockout, black stanchions, and 51 mm of travel
• Drivetrain: Shimano 8-speed cassette, Shimano Altus 8-speed rear derailleur, and Shimano trigger shifter 
• Wheels and Tires: Double-walled aluminum 20” wheel laced to 20×3.0 Innova urban tires with reflective sidewalls
• Brakes: Tektro HD-E3520 hydraulic disc brakes with  EJ1 quick-disconnect wire
• Weight: 88 pounds (not including the 8.7-pound battery) 
• MSRP: $1,999.00

The build quality is top-shelf, and the techy features make the Abound LR feel modern, capable, and fun to ride. 

One of my favorite cargo-related features that really improved my hauling was the front-end suspension and suspension seat post. The front fork offers 51mm of travel while the seat post gives 50mm of travel, perfect for bumpy roads.

Aventon’s saddle also came equipped with an integrated saddle handle made by Selle Royal. This thoughtful feature makes walking, parking, and handling the bike much easier. 

I also liked the fat 3” wide Innova tires for cargo riding. They made the riding feel cushy. Plus, the double-walled aluminum wheelset looks and feels beefy, which inspires confidence for heavily loaded riding. In addition, the tires have reflective sidewalls, which is a nice safety-conscious design. 

The components that come stock on the Aventon Abound LR are higher quality than some competing cargo bikes. You get a full Shimano drivetrain, including a Shimano cassette, Altus derailleur, and 8-speed trigger shifter. The hydraulic brakes are Tektro, and the tires are manufactured by Innova. 

The included front fender was made from aluminum, which I liked, compared to the XPedition 2. But like with other Avneton e-bikes, you get stuck with cheap plastic pedals. At least the bike comes with some bike grease for pedal installation. 

Function-wise, the handlebars were okay. But aesthetically, I really disliked the BMX-style riser handlebars. I would have been much happier with an adjustable stem and flat bars with some sweep like Aventon runs on the Pace 5. 

Like all Aventon e-bikes, the Abound LR comes with a series of thoughtful smart features. The most practical, in my opinion, is the kickstand lock. The kickstand lock prevents the wheels from rolling. This is helpful when loading passengers. And it prevents thieves from rolling the bike away. A programmable start-up password can also prevent unauthorized use of your bike. 

The least practical feature is the cruise control. Maybe it’s because I don’t ride in an area with enough uninterrupted terrain. Or maybe it’s because I enjoy actually pedaling bikes. 

If you like getting into the weeds, the Ride Tune feature can be nice too. The Ride Tune feature connects to your smartphone and lets you customize torque, assistance, and pedal response for each pedaling mode. I found this helpful for starting from a dead stop with heavy loads and for riding more efficiently. 

Real-World Motor and Battery Performance

Aventon claims the Abound LR gets up to 60 miles of range. But if you read the fine print, you learn that the “max range is estimated based on a rider weighing 165 lbs (75 kg) on a paved, flat road, in Eco Mode, with Ride Tune set to the default settings.” 

They make it clear that your “actual range will vary depending on rider weight, terrain, weather conditions, tire pressure, and cadence.” 

I think the 60 miles is an unrealistic overstatement. Considering this beast weighs almost 100 pounds by itself, not including the rider’s weight or any of the cargo weight, it was never realistic for me to ride in Eco Mode. Not to mention the hills I have in my hometown. 

I almost always rode in Tour Mode. And I frequently used Boost Mode, which I thought was cool. Boost Mode let me unlock up to 120% of stock torque and peak power for up to 30 seconds. It was ideal for blasting up hills when I was loaded down. 

Another nice motor feature of the Abound LR is the sensor switch. The switch allows you to toggle between a torque-sensor system and a cadence-sensor-based system. A torque-sensing system provides pedal assist based on how hard you pedal. On the other hand, a cadence sensor provides power with every pedal revolution. 

Where to get the Aventon Abound LR

Check Price

A surprising characteristic of the Abound LR is how loud the 750W motor can be. It’s like a constant electronic humming sound. This was enlightening because I realized how much I appreciated a quiet machine. For example, Lectric calls their motor on the XPress 2 “Stealth”, and for good reason – you have no idea it’s running.

But the Abound LR was noisy. And there’s something to be said about a noisy machine.   

Ride Impressions: somewhat capable but disappointing 

When looking at the Abound LR after assembly, I couldn’t help but get excited to ride it. It looked good and came stocked with name-brand components. Unfortunately, when I saddled up for my first ride, I was disappointed. 

My biggest qualm with the Aventon Abound LR is that the bike fit is all wrong. I’m 6’2”, so I should fit Aventon’s advertised sizing. And sure, I can sit on it and pedal it, but I couldn’t get my 6’2” frame to feel comfortable on the bike. 

My reach felt okay. But for a one-size-fits-all e-bike, I would have liked to see an adjustable handlebar stem to fine-tune my reach. My biggest problem was that I couldn’t get a complete pedal stroke, even with the 380mm (15″) seat tube maxed out. 

I looked at the geometry specs that affect pedal stroke, like crank arm length and bottom bracket height. They are comparable to other cargo bikes I’ve ridden, but the seat tube is just too short.  

When loaded, the Abound LR rode okay, so long as I had my hands on the handlebars. That sounds obvious, but when I test cargo bikes, I always ride no-hands to gauge the machine’s stability and to see how the bike tracks. When I go hands-free on the Abound LR, it immediately generates speed wobbles.

Of the bikes I tested, Aventon’s kickstand is by far the easiest to use. It’s much easier than Lectric’s XPedition 2. But when I came home after my first grocery run and parked the Abound in my driveway, it completely tipped over and launched my groceries. Even if the XPedition 2’s kickstand is a pain in the butt to deploy, at least it supported a fully-loaded bike. 

Who Is the Aboud LR For?

The Abound LR is for urban cyclists who want cargo capacity on their daily driving e-bike. After you equip the Abound LR with supplemental accessories, like rear panniers and a front rack,  it’s a far more capable machine. You can commute to the beach with a day’s worth of supplies, or carry food and drink to the park to set up a picnic. 

The Abound LR is also an option for families that want to handle more of their commuting via e-bike. It can carry up to three children with Aventon’s child carrier kit or a single adult with the passenger’s chair. And for the real youngsters, the Abound LR is compatible with the Thule Yepp Nexxt 2 Maxi seat. 

Final Thoughts: A high-quality cargo bike NOT for tall riders

Aventon made a good-looking, high-quality cargo e-bike with the Abound LR. It has good components, smooth performance, and top-shelf smart features that beat competing cargo bikes. 

But in my opinion, they missed the mark with the Abound LR’s geometry. Yes, smaller-bodied riders will feel right at home on the bike. But tall riders like me, who strive for an ergonomic riding position, including comfortable reach and a complete pedal stroke, won’t feel comfortable on the Abound LR.   

The bottom line is, if you’re going for one-size-fits-all, you need more adjustability in your componentry, including seat post length and handlebar stem. 

DF Technology’s core function is to reduce pedal kickback. By allowing the freehub a specific range of rotation before engagement, it isolates chain forces from the rear suspension, enabling the bike to absorb trail impacts more freely. The system is easy to adjust, entirely tool-free, and adds no extra weight to your wheel setup.

With the new Ratchet DF Upgrade Kit, this technology is no longer exclusive to high-engagement DEG hubs. It retrofits onto classic DT Swiss Ratchet and Ratchet LN hubs, meaning riders can upgrade wheelsets built up to nearly 30 years ago with modern suspension-enhancing tech. Featuring a fully e-bike-approved 54-tooth ratchet, it lets riders toggle between a 0° and a 14° setup by swapping the inner and outer ratchet positions. (Note: This upgrade does not apply to weight-optimized Ratchet EXP systems).

For the competitive crowd already utilizing DEG DF hubs, the new Ratchet DEG DF Race Kits provide hyper-specific tuning. The 0/40 option suits downhill and gravity racers who need maximum suspension freedom on punishing descents, while the 10/30 kit is designed for enduro racers looking to fine-tune engagement and pedal response between high-speed stages.

By bringing advanced deadband tuning to both legacy and modern hubs, DT Swiss continues to solidify its reputation for backward compatibility and rider-focused innovation.

As the last man down, Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) unleashed a descent for the ages – charging full gas, executing splendidly, and clocking faster-and-faster intervals as he blazed down the revered course, securing a decisive seven-tenths-of-a-second world championship victory. He left his opponents in cold blood on a steamy day in the Italian Dolomites.

Two consecutive UCI World Championship titles for the undisputed 22-year-old Canadian downhill king from Squamish, British Columbia. Seventy-seven downhill mountain bike racers were essentially competing for second place in Val di Sole, on August 29th. Goldstone’s winning time was 3:28.78. His top speed was nearly 60 kilometers per hour, second fastest in the field.

Bike Mag asked Goldstone a simple question after his high-octane victory celebration that everyone wants to know, expecting a complex answer – what makes him tick?

“There are a few things that make me tick, and I think it’s mostly just enjoying myself on the mountain bike; to get that feeling and motivation to go fast, and it’s a different vibe when you’re at that limit and pushing as hard as you can,” Goldstone told Bike Mag in an exclusive interview in Val di Sole. 

“That’s why we do this sport, and it’s a really insane one because sometimes you just know when you’re on that winning run or when you’re not,” he said.

The 5-foot-7-inch, 140-pound fiery competitor, who rides like a giant when the stakes are high, described his world championship feelings after slaying the 1.5-mile Black Snake beast.

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“That was a crazy day for me, but I felt like I was on it all week here, just enjoying myself while practicing – I was kind of calm and not as nervous as I was expecting,” Goldstone revealed. “To pull that run off and get that feeling back, that moment of realization at the finish line, that is what we all dream of.

“It’s a pretty special moment and a pretty special place here,” he said about the Italian Dolomites course and venue. “Everything was just meant to be.”

Onward to the ‘Great White North’

Goldstone will seek to bring that adrenaline into his next World Cup race, on very familiar home terrain at Whistler Mountain in British Columbia, Sept. 25-27. Fan support and the excitement infused from the Canadian crowd are expected to be Stanley Cup level.

“The energy in Whistler is insane, and there’s so much history there in mountain biking, but not as much from the downhill side of things, so I’m really excited to bring that energy in downhill into Whistler in a really big way,” Goldstone proclaims. 

“Especially coming off this win (Val di Sole), I think it’s gonna be just as motivating for me to get there, and 1199 is one of my favorite tracks,” he says about the legendary 1.5-mile Canadian course, with its 1,600 feet of vertical drop that runs just over three minutes.

“This one (World Championships) was for Stevie, and Whistler will be too,” Goldstone says, honoring the late, legendary Canadian downhiller Steve Smith. The 1199 name represents the number of points Smith accumulated en route to becoming the first Canadian rider to win a World Cup downhill title in 2013.

The 2026 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup season concludes the following weekend with the ninth of nine races, in the 1980 Olympic town of Lake Placid, New York, Oct. 2-4. Despite Goldstone riding like a well-oiled machine, his American opponents will be shooting to pull off a ‘Miracle on Dirt.’

From Young Gun to Fastest in the World

Goldstone is undoubtedly flying high entering the season-ending North American swing of the circuit. Overcoming a sluggish start to his 2026 season, he has rallied into top form, speeding to third-place finishes in two of his last three races (La Thuile & Les Gets) preceding the world championships. Jackson currently stands sixth in the UCI World Cup downhill standings, trailing leader Jordan Williams by 302 points.

Over Goldstone’s young career, which kicked off racing as a junior on tour in 2021, he has amassed 16 World Cup wins. In his debut junior season, he immediately delivered, winning his second-ever World Cup race in Les Gets and proceeded to add two more victories to clinch the overall Junior World Cup title, along with a Junior World Championship gold medal.

He sustained a nasty crash at the first Red Bull Hardline Australia event in early 2024, which abruptly ended his entire elite-level season with a torn ACL. However, Goldstone rebounded successfully the following season and now boasts the two world championship downhill victories and an overall World Cup title in 2025. One need not be a visionary to predict that the Canadian top gun will only become faster and tougher to take down over the years ahead.

Goldstone addressed his early career success and how he has carried that momentum and trajectory to the elite world championship level.

“It all comes with experience and I feel like I’ve gotten a lot of it at a young age, which I’m really lucky for,” he says. “I started riding bikes when I was two-years-old, so I’ve got 20 years of experience on the bike already now, so it’s not like this is new stuff to me, but to become a two-time world champ, in Val di Sole, after winning Champéry (World Champs) last year, this is just an insane stat. 

“Little me would be pretty mind-blown to hear what those stats are.”

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The core of the Aria V2 remains EXT’s patented AS3 technology, which ditches the traditional single air chamber for a dual positive chamber design paired with a massive, self-equalizing negative chamber. Instead of tearing into the shock to reduce the volume with plastic volume tokens, you tune the progressivity entirely with a shock pump.

The primary positive chamber (+) handles the dynamic sag position and dictates the feel for the first 60 percent of your travel. The secondary positive chamber (++) controls the ramp-up. Add pressure for mid- and end-stroke support, or bleed it off for a more linear, coil-like response. According to EXT, separating these chambers with just two seals minimizes friction while letting riders dictate exactly where in the stroke the support kicks in.

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The Updates

To make the V2 a genuine upgrade over the original Aria, EXT focused heavily on refining the air transfer system and chassis footprint. EXT redesigned the bypass between the positive and negative chambers to eliminate mid-stroke feedback, creating a smoother transition deep into travel. They’ve also optimized airflow along the inner tube to keep the shock’s behavior predictable and linear during high-speed, rapid-fire impacts.

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Friction is the enemy of any air shock, and EXT addressed this by altering their seal profiles and moving the upper bushing internally, putting it in direct contact with the damping oil for constant lubrication. Fitment issues on modern frames should also be less of a headache thanks to a new vertical piggyback orientation and a reduced valve block footprint designed to increase frame clearance.

On the damping side, the Aria V2 utilizes EXT’s Hydraulic Bottom-Out Control (HBC), which uses a secondary piston to manage the final 15 percent of the stroke without messing with your carefully tuned air spring curve. The enduro and trail model also features LOK 2.0, an independent, shimmed lockout circuit designed to provide a firm pedaling platform that will still blow open over rough terrain. Everything slides on a 14mm chromoly steel shaft and runs on EXT’s EV2S fluid, formulated to handle massive temperature spikes without suffering from stick-slip or expansion.

For the downhill and freeride crowd, EXT is launching the Aria V2 DH. This version ditches the LOK 2.0 climb switch to maximize frame compatibility and utilizes a dedicated tune optimized for longer shock strokes. The DH model also gets a beefed-up HBC system, generating 20 percent more end-stroke force to handle heavy impacts and flat landings.

To take the guesswork out of the complex dual-chamber setup, the Aria V2 integrates with RideMaster, EXT’s web-based platform. Enter your bike, rider weight, and terrain, and it spits out a baseline for pressures, damping, and sag in minutes.

Both the Aria V2 and Aria V2 DH retail for $1200.00 (€1100.00) and come with EXT’s five-year warranty program. The trail/enduro model weighs 622g in a 210 x 55mm size, while the DH version weighs 667g in a 250 x 75mm size. Both shocks are available in a massive range of Metric Standard and Metric Trunnion lengths to fit nearly any modern full-suspension frame.

ARIA V2
Trail, Enduro, and eMTB

PRICE: €1100,00 | $1200,00

•  AS3 dual positive chamber technology
•  Monotube design
•  High-Speed and Low-Speed compression adjustment
•  Rebound adjustment
•  LOK 2.0 independent and customizable lockout circuit
•  Adjustable Hydraulic Bottom-Out Control
•  V4-series compression valve
•  Ø14 mm chromoly steel shaft
•  EV2S fluid
•  High-volume bladder reservoir pressurized to 55 psi
• Actual weight: 622 g in 210 x 55 mm

AVAILABLE LENGTH / STROKE

Metric Standard: 210 / 47.5 mm, 210 / 50 mm, 210 / 52.5 mm, 210 / 55 mm, 230 / 57.5 mm, 230 / 60 mm, 230 / 62.5 mm, 230 / 65 mm, 250 / 67.5 mm, 250 / 70 mm, 250 / 72.5 mm, 250 / 75 mm

Metric Trunnion: 185 / 47.5 mm, 185 / 50 mm, 185 / 52.5 mm, 185 / 55 mm, 205 / 57.5 mm, 205 / 60 mm, 205 / 62.5 mm, 205 / 65 mm, 225 / 67.5 mm, 225 / 70 mm, 225 / 72.5 mm, 225 / 75 mm

ARIA V2 DH
Downhill and Freeride

PRICE: €1100,00 | $1200,0

• AS3 dual positive air chamber technology
• Monotube design
• High-Speed and Low-Speed compression adjustment
• Rebound adjustment
• V4-series compression valve
• Ø14 mm chromoly steel shaft
• EV2S fluid
• Large-volume bladder reservoir pressurized to 55 psi
• DH-specific Hydraulic Bottom-Out Control with 20% more end-stroke force
• DH-dedicated tuning
• No LOK 2.0
• Actual weight: 667 g in 250 x 75 mm

AVAILABLE LENGTH / STROKE

Metric Standard: 230 / 57.5 mm, 230 / 60 mm, 230 / 62.5 mm, 230 / 65 mm, 250 / 67.5 mm, 250 / 70 mm, 250 / 72.5 mm, 250 / 75 mm

Metric Trunnion: 205 / 57.5 mm, 205 / 60 mm, 205 / 62.5 mm, 205 / 65 mm, 225 / 67.5 mm, 225 / 70 mm, 225 / 72.5 mm, 225 / 75 mm

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This week at Sea Otter Europe in Girona, Spain, Honda lifted the veil on a brand-new eMTB prototype. This example, dubbed the RN0, is slated for a 2027 launch. While details are not plentiful, from what we can see, they aren’t just putting their logo on an open-mold catalog frame. Could they also be working on their own motor and battery for eMTB, or is the future of e-bikes a 50:1 ratio?

Honda tapped ADP Engineering, the German firm behind Rotwild, to co-develop the frame. It’s a full carbon monocoque design built around a mullet wheel setup. Out back, Honda is using a Gullarm at the rear end of the RN0, essentially a single-pivot design most commonly found on motorcycles, most notably the Honda CBR, but this time on an eMTB. 

Honda appears to have gone with a full Shimano ecosystem: from the initial images, the RN0 seems to have a Shimano mid-drive motor paired with a Di2 electronic drivetrain. What is concealed beneath the fairing is still a mystery to the public, and since this is still in prototype form, there are likely to be a couple of changes before it hits production. 

We don’t yet have a price tag, geometry charts, or confirmation of the North American dealer network. Given the Rotwild partnership, expect this to be positioned as a premium-tier e-MTB. We’ll be watching closely to see how the thing shakes out, but an e-bike with Honda engineering is coming as a bit of a surprise.

The US relaunch brings YT’s full mountain bike lineup – including the Capra, Jeffsy, Izzo, Tues, and Decoy platforms – back to American riders, complete with localized component sales and dedicated technical support. Addressing the company’s recent structural hurdles, leadership emphasized a renewed commitment to its customer base.

“The United States has helped shape YT’s identity, and I’m excited to reconnect with our strong fan base,” said YT founder Markus Flossmann. “As we return, our priority isn’t just to sell bikes; it’s to deliver dependable service, responsive support, and to build a stronger connection with our US rider base.”

Coinciding with the US revival is the launch of the Decoy X, representing a major leap in the brand’s e-MTB offering. The new model steps away from traditional drive systems in favor of the Avinox M2S motor. Like previous YT Decoys, this 170/160mm bike is built for aggressive riding; the Decoy X features a hydroformed aluminum frame, MX wheels, and YT’s signature Virtual Four Link suspension design.

The flagship Decoy X Launch Edition is available immediately for US consumers, equipped with a FOX Podium Factory fork, FOX X2 Factory shock, and SRAM X0 Eagle Transmission. The standard, more affordable Core model lineup (Core 1 through Core 4) is officially slated to follow in November.

Decoy Core 4: $7,999

Decoy Core 3: $6,999

Decoy Core 2: $5,999

Decoy Core 1: $4,999

It ain’t perfect, but it’s pretty darn close, and I’ll tell you why I went back to a hip pack after years of staunchly advocating for vest packs.

I separated my Acromioclavicular joint in August, and after 6 weeks of no bike activity, I was finally cleared to get back on the bike, but wearing one of my newest vest packs didn’t seem like the best option. Luckily, I had received the High Above Cascadia in the mail just a few days after my accident, and what better time to check out how far hip pack design has come than right now?

For the longest time, I was a hip pack enjoyer, so I’m not an outsider when it comes to using one, and from the jump, the High Above Cascadia impressed me – as does everything that the Seattle outfit makes – the construction, attention to detail, and selection of materials, but most of all the fit. 

Cascadia Details & Features

MSRP: $169.99
Capacity: 4L
Weight: 400g
– Cinch designs magnetic hip buckle
– YKK waterproof exterior zipper, integrated bungee carry system, key clip inside.
– Lifetime Guarantee: Repaired or replaced. No questions asked.
– Made in the USA
– Available at Highabove.net

Construction & Fit

I’ll start with the buckles, because this can be the hardest thing to get right on a hip pack, but the Cascadia seems to have done it right. This is my first encounter with Cinch Designs’ magnetic hip buckle, and it’s intuitive and easy to pop open with one hand, even with gloves on. It’s unobtrusive and doesn’t conflict with the waist of whatever apparel I have on my legs, even with an Arcade Belt. This gets points in my book.

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Dialing in the fit is also super easy, with both adjustment buckles sitting where the straps meet the bag, instead of at the buckle, which makes it really easy to tighten and loosen with one hand to pivot the pack to the front to grab a snack, a camera, or whatever.

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The Cascadia’s form is also impressive. Most hip packs can feel a little floppy and unsupported when not fully loaded, and bulbous and saggy when packed to the brim; the Cascadia does neither, but it also doesn’t feel overly rigid or overbuilt. This is achieved with High Above’s proprietary M200 Molecular fabric used as the outer shell, paired with the 210D liner and open-weave mesh liner on the back portion of the pack. It stays secure without restricting movement.

The M200 Fabric blends ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and nylon, and HA says it’s stronger, lighter, and more abrasion-resistant than anything they have used before in their bags. Stronger and lighter than EPX400? Sounds good to me.

Size & Function

The pack sits perfectly below the threshold of being too big and is a great size for medium and short rides, but with the added bungee and hydration bladder integration, I wouldn’t shy away from a longer voyage with the Cascadia. There’s enough storage for everything to stay organized and easily accessible, but it doesn’t bounce around or feel like there’s too much gear hanging on your rear – an impressive achievement for a 4L hip pack, if you ask me.

Internally, there is space (and routing) for a 1.5L hydration bladder and 2.5L of gear, all meticulously planned. A large zipper pocket for valuables with a key leash, two stretch pockets for items that shouldn’t jostle around in the pack, and a large main compartment that holds all the essentials and then some. It also has an outside gear strap for kneepads, a jacket, etc. This easy addition has a profound effect on what you can carry.

My main ride kit these days includes an Insta360 Ace Pro 2, camera mounts, a shock pump, hand pump, multi-tool, electric pump, tubes, tire plugs, spare links, spare UDH, a small first aid kit, and maybe some snacks depending on the ride length. This is kind of a lot, and it can be borderline too much in some vest packs, but it all disappears into the Cascadia – something I did not expect. Even with all the weight on an unfamiliar place on my body, I found myself really happy with the form and the function.

It does take some time to get used to a hip pack again after so long with vests, but I do really like being able to keep the bag on while accessing everything. One of the main draws of a well-designed hip pack.

“Complaint”

My only complaint about the Cascadia is its tiny side pockets. This might stem from my love of vest packs and shoulder-strap pockets, but I wish the Cascadia had more (or better?) external pockets I could access quickly.

The side ones are pretty minimal, and other than holding a lens cap, a small pack of gummies, or a cool-ass rock found on the trail, I can’t see myself using them much. Granted, adding more robustness to these pockets would add weight and likely make for a less comfortable pack, so I’m slightly conflicted about this complaint.

I know Spencer at High Above does an exhausting amount of R&D for each pack he brings to market, so there is 100% a reason these side pockets aren’t bigger or equipped with a zipper.

This is one of the best hip-packs on the market, and it does a great job of solving the bounce and discomfort I’ve encountered over the years with other fanny packs, and it’s been a VERY welcome addition as I make my way back to 100% health – I might even keep using it even after I’m all better, and that’s saying something.

It seems Magura has seen the comments and criticism, and they’re addressing it with the Race Pro, calling it “the aluminum masterpiece our fans and haters have been waiting for.” That might address one critique, but it’s not the whole story. The Race Pro might have alloy levers and stopping power close to the Gustav, plus tech that makes swapping and bleeding pretty easy; still, it lacks bite-point adjustment, which is a huge miss on a brake at this price point ($699.00 | 699.90€).

Race Pro Details

• Weight: 310 g (1m hose length)
• Caliper: Aluminum, forged & CNC machined, 4 pistons
• Brake master material: Aluminum, forged & CNC machined
• Clamp: Aluminum, Integrated Shiftmix IG option
• Lever: PRO lever, Aluminum CNC, ball bearing
• Reach Adjust: toolless
• Brake pad: MDP 13 SILVER
• Rotor thickness: 2.0 mm

The master piston in the lever is still radial and uses a replaceable ball bearing, but it uses an axial reservoir design, which reduces size and makes the cockpit slightly less cluttered. For better cockpit organization, the Race Pro uses the same ShiftMix mount found on the Gustav, which lets you mount a shifter or dropper lever to the brake-lever clamp.

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Magura claims that the Race Pro brakes offer more stopping power than the Gustav, but on their own website lists them as “heavy duty” rather than “extreme duty”, like the Gustav. I assume this is because the Race Pro targets mountain bikes rather than eMTBs, and is built for a 2mm thick rotor instead of the 2.5mm rotor that the Gustav is compatible with.

Installation and maintenance are pretty simple on the Race Pro, highlighted by the EASY LINK hose coupling that lets you disconnect the brake hose from the master cylinder without special tools, a major plus for routing cables through frames. The EASY BLEED system simplifies routine maintenance with a continuous, dead-end-free oil channel for quick lever bleeds.

Inside the whole deal is a 12mm master piston, and four 19mm caliper pistons operate at a reduced hydraulic pressure to prevent hose expansion under heavy braking. That means a firm, consistent bite point that Magura shows as VERY linear. So no, there’s not much modulation with these, and there’s no way to adjust that bite point. If you’re a fan of the adjustability offered by Shimano, SRAM, TRP, or Hayes, the Magura Race Pros are likely not the brake for you. There is, however, a workaround for bite-point adjustment, thanks to aftermarket levers. 

The Selling Points

Downhill Power at XC Weight: The complete system weighs just 310 grams per brake, yet outputs 16% more braking power than Magura’s heavy-duty GUSTAV PRO model.

CNC Skeletonized Construction: To achieve a best-in-class weight without sacrificing large pistons and high oil volume, both the master cylinder and caliper are one-piece forged and then extensively CNC post-machined. This removes excess material and gives the brakes a highly sculptural look.

Increased System Stiffness: The uniquely stiff one-piece caliper and reduced hydraulic pressure deliver 20% less unwanted lever flex than the Magura MT7.

Explore more at Magura.com

The WTC hubs will retail for $729.90 USD per hubset ($239.95 front / $489.95 rear), with inventory available now, directly from Wolf Tooth and authorized dealers worldwide. 

Alongside standalone hubs, Wolf Tooth is offering factory-built complete carbon wheelsets paired with North American-made rims from ENVE (SES 4.5, G SES 4.5, M6, M8) and We Are One (Whisp, Triad).

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Core Drive & Engineering Features

ENVE INNERDRIVE System: An oversized 42mm ratchet ring with interchangeable options (40T PRO, 60T, 80T, and 100T), achieving engagement as fast as 3.6°. The drag-reducing 40T PRO comes stock on all Road/Gravel models.

Perfect Preload System: A tuned wave washer that automatically sets and maintains proper bearing preload upon torquing, eliminating manual preload adjustments and special tools.

Service-Friendly Design: Standardized bearing sizes, uniform spoke lengths per wheelset, anti-twist straight-pull drillings, and a retaining circlip that keeps internal components secured during maintenance.

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Hub Specifications

A little history of SPD-SL

Originally, Shimano entered the three-bolt pedal scene with a Look-style cleat and binding interface on the Dura Ace PD-7401 pedals. This was the standard at the time, but Shimano wanted to change that.

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After recognizing some limitations with the LOOK design, Shimano began developing its own formula, which gave the world the Dura Ace PD-7750 pedal and the SPD-SL cleat. The overall design and interface have stayed pretty much the same since 2003, and only now have new molds been cast for a new era of the pedal and accompanying cleat.

The evolution of SPD-SL

After years of the SPD-SL pedal dominating road riding, Shimano has officially revised the system and released the SPD-SLR. This new cleat, shoe, and pedal system uses the same three-bolt interface, but now offers a lower stack height, faster engagement, and easier fit adjustment. Note that the new SPD-SLR cleats are not compatible with the current SPD-SL cleats and pedals, as we saw at Paris-Roubaix earlier this year.

Shoes, Pedals, and Cleats: A Complete System Overhaul

Shimano has overhauled its flagship road line with the debut of SPD-SLR, a re-engineered pedal, shoe, and cleat system designed around the best buzzwords in the drivetrain game: direct power transfer and stability. By redesigning the contact points as a single platform (shoe, cleat, and pedal), Shimano reduced stack height by 2.3 mm, bringing the rider’s foot closer to the pedal axle than previous designs.

Clipping in is noticeably quicker with a wider catch zone and a narrower 10.5° engagement angle (compared to 15.5° on standard SPD-SL). Additionally, the redesigned cleats cut weight by up to 25% and add high-contrast alignment markings for easier, more precise fit adjustments.

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SPD-SLR Pedals & Cleats

The new architecture debuts across two pedal models and footwear options. The top-tier Dura-Ace PD-R9300 pedal uses an injection-molded carbon-composite body, an integrated stainless steel plate, and wider bearings that deliver 11% more stiffness than the PD-R8200, along with a 53% reduction in rotational resistance. The Ultegra PD-R8200 pedal delivers the same low-stack geometry in a resin body aimed at race and training applications. Dura-Ace = Race, Ultegra = Training. An equation we’re all used to by now.

While there is no 105 option at launch, Shimano does like the trickle-down method; it’s unclear whether we’ll see a 105-level model hit the market at some point, and these marginal upgrades might be reserved for the more performance-focused riders.

View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article

View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article

To fit biomechanical and anatomical differences, the new SPD-SLR lineup provides four cleat options: the fixed CL-SL100 (Red, 0° float), the widely adaptable CL-SL110 (Yellow, ±3° float), the stability-focused CL-SL120 (Blue, ±1° float), and the CL-SL130 (Gray), which allows transition use with non-Shimano three-bolt outsoles. As noted, while SPD-SLR cleats mount to standard three-bolt cycling shoes, they work exclusively with SPD-SLR pedals.

S-Phyre RC-910 & RC-810 Shoes

To complement the hardware, the new flagship S-PHYRE SH-RC910 and race-caliber SH-RC810 shoes feature Shimano Dynalast 2.0, rigid carbon midsoles, and heel stabilization systems designed to reduce fatigue and increase stability throughout the pedal stroke.

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View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article

From an aesthetic standpoint, the S-Phyre shoes look to follow the approach of the XC-9 and RC903 with a dual Li2 BOA Fit System, instead of the single BOA RC903 PWR. The new RC910 does not have a replaceable heel pad, whereas the RC810 does. Other than that small detail, the shoes are quite similar, and the main difference is likely price.

Pricing

It’s nice to see the prices aren’t really going up; in fact, they aren’t changing at all right now. Speaking of pricing, here’s how all the chips fall:

• S-PHYRE RC910 Shoes: $525
• RC810 Shoes: $400
• DURA-ACE PD-R9300 Pedals: $300
• ULTEGRA PD-R8200 Pedals: $200

Trek posted a short video on YouTube, but it has since been taken down, showing the build process of the 32″ prototype bike with the following caption: “Trek Factory Racing XC will be racing our 32″ prototype for the first time at this weekend’s penultimate UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Soldier Hollow, Utah. This bike has been years in the making. Tune in this Saturday and Sunday to see it in action.“

The YouTube video might be private now, but it still remains on the Trek Unbroken Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

Prior to this bike build video dropping, Trek also teased a video on Instagram of Evie Richards on a 32” bike. Although the post only mentions that the Trek Unbroken Team will be on 32” wheels, it does not mention whether everyone is adopting the bigger wheels for the penultimate UCI World Cup XC race weekend.

View this post on Instagram

So far, only Evie has been spotted on the larger-diameter wheels, so we can only speculate. I guess we just need to wait until race day to see who’s saddling up with the wagon wheels. I sure doubt the UCI would let Riley Amos ride a horse, even if it is just for course recon.

To celebrate the launch of the new Addict Gravel bike, Scott Sports teamed up with Swiss outdoor coffee brand NoNormal. The two brands have dropped a highly limited Scott x NoNormal Coffee Kit that combines the two loves into a clever take on caffeine intake.

I don’t hate instant coffee, especially on a bikepacking or long camping trip. Something about resource scarcity makes stuff you wouldn’t normally consume at home 100 times better. But NoNormal isn’t your normal instant coffee; well, because it isn’t actually instant coffee.

“Instant Coffee is brewed and then dried, and drying is where the taste goes. NoNormal is brewed and reduced, never dried, so it stays coffee.”

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Banish all thoughts of chalky, bitter instant coffee. Instead of brewing and drying their coffee, NoNormal brews 100% Colombian Arabica and gently reduces it to a thick, 20x concentrate. It’s packaged in a 100% recycled aluminum tube. You just squeeze a teaspoon of the paste into hot water, stir, and you’re good to sip.

Inside the Kit

Limited to just 100 units and priced at $110, the kit comes packed in a custom-branded box containing everything you need:

• An engraved titanium cup with a lid and a custom storage pouch.
• A co-branded tube key to help you squeeze out every last drop.
• Two tubes of NoNormal paste (one Classic Black, one Sweet Black naturally sweetened with Swiss beet sugar). Each tube packs enough goop for about 20 cups of coffee.
• A sticker pack, a booklet detailing the collaboration, and discount codes for the Scott Addict collection and NoNormal coffee.

How to Snag One

If you’re a big Scott fan and want this limited edition kit, you’ll have to act fast. The run is strictly limited to just 100 kits available exclusively to buyers in the US and Switzerland through NoNormal’s website. The brand has already confirmed that once these 100 boxes are gone, they will not be restocked or refilled. When it’s gone, it’s gone.

Scott Sports X NoNormal Gravel Kit

The kit is expected to ship in November of this year, but if you don’t want the limited edition package, you can still get your hands on NoNormal products via Nonormal.com.

NoNormal Coffee

With so many action camera options that all seem similar, choosing which one checks all the boxes feels like a roll of the dice. To be fair, most will be fine for 99% of people, but if you want the best footage right out of the camera and a user interface that makes sense, the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 has been a faultless companion while shooting videos for the BIKEmag YouTube channel.

GoPro has been a dominant force in action cameras, but with more options on the market from DJI and Insta360, there’s not much reason to stick with GoPro despite its heritage in the space. I’ve had tons of GoPros over the years, and my most recent pick was the Hero Max 360 camera, which was a ton of fun. Before that, I used a few different ones, but they often overheated or had storage issues. Although 360 footage is fun and easy to edit, it wasn’t always necessary, and it didn’t meet 4K standards. These drawbacks, which included the size, prompted me to explore other options.

Overview

I landed on the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 for a few reasons. First, it offers excellent image quality and in-camera stabilization for its size. Second, you can swap out lenses, which was a huge bonus later on. After actually using it for extended periods, more benefits soon became apparent.

• Price: $369.99 USD
• Video: Up to 8K (16:9): 7680×4320@30/25/24fps
• Slow Motion: 4K (16:9): 3840×2160@120/100fps
• Photo: Up to 50MP (8192×6144)
• 16-bit audio
• USB-C Fast Charge: 47 mins (30W fast charging adapter)

Selling Points: Great battery life, great image quality, excellent low-light performance, an easy-to-use user interface, swappable lenses, a mounting system, and great audio quality.

Pain Points: Other lenses can add weight, it’s not as small as other cameras on the market, and the USB and battery doors are fragile (but replaceable).

Details and Features

The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 is pretty damn impressive, and I have almost no complaints after a year of use and abuse from both mountain biking and skiing. The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 weighs just 148 grams (more with the Ultra Wide Angle lens kit) and has an easily swappable 1800mAh battery. For storage, you can slap a 1 TB microSD card into the camera and capture hours of footage. I have found that for my use cases of shooting 4K at 24FPS, a 256GB SD card is more than adequate, but it does need fast read/write speeds (SanDisk Extreme works great IMO).

One of the selling points Insta360 is proud of in this camera is its AI chip, which auto-detects “highlights” in the footage, among other less flashy things. Although the highlight detection is a neat feature, I have only used it a couple of times, and the results were less than ideal, so I don’t really rely on it to know what’s best. For me, the UI, audio quality, and actual footage take precedence, and the Ace Pro 2 delivers on that front, partly thanks to the aforementioned chip.

I’ve been really impressed with the image stabilization and audio quality, with most footage being perfectly usable out of the camera. For mountain biking, it is really impressive and handles wind noise and low-light conditions exceptionally well. Thanks to Leica optics with a 2.8 aperture and the dual processing chips integrated into the sensor, the Ace Pro 2 handles low light better than any other action camera I’ve seen. So it has that going for it, but I have noticed that it can struggle when transitioning quickly from bright light to shade, especially when mountain biking. A quick toggle of the HDR video setting helps combat this, though.

The camera offers a lot of adjustability when you enable manual exposure control, but I’ve found auto mode works excellently in almost every situation. The Ace Pro 2 also shoots in I-log, enabling you to retain more detail in the highlights and shadows and do more precise color grading in post-production if you really want to get deep with it. 

Most modern action cameras can shoot the same quality and frame rate, with only the new GoPro Mission series cranking things up to the extremes in frame rate. So it’s hard to compare those specs against he competition, but the images and video right out of the camera on the Ace Pro 2 are fantastic, no matter what shooting mode you’re using.

Lenses & Image Quality

Part of what was really attractive was the ability to swap lenses, particularly the Ultra Wide lens that makes the Ace Pro 2 really shine in my opinion. The base Wide-Angle is great, but depending on where you mount the camera, it won’t fit everything in the frame. With the Ultra-Wide lens, that wide angle is now 36% taller and 32% wider, for a total field of view of 189°. This wider FOV makes the angles look and feel as fast as they do in real life, and it’s well worth the extra $60.

The real difference between most digital cameras is the image processing and color profiles applied to the footage, and Insta360 has multiple Leica profiles baked into the camera for easy color matching depending on the subject matter. They aren’t always the best from scene to scene, so it’s smart to check what profile you have before you start shooting, and if you happen to nerd out on color grading, I-log is the best bet – if not, then the standard color profile is great.

The Settings I Use For Great MTB Footage

For mountain bike footage, I keep the Ace Pro 2 on a slower shutter speed to get the motion blur that makes everything look the way it feels. I shoot mostly in 4K at 24 fps, with image stabilization set to the highest setting, and I rarely find the footage too shaky or unusable. You can also shoot up to 120fps in 4K if you want to get those slo-mo shots, but if you’re mostly capturing ride footage, the slower frame rates are the best bet.

• Color Profile: Standard / I-Log
• Frame rate: 24p
• Quality: 4K
• ISO: Auto
• Stabilization: High
• Sharpening: 0
• EV: 0

Longevity and User Interface

Build quality was another thing that drew me to the Ace Pro 2, and despite being very robust, it’s also the only thing I can ding the camera for. In the first few months of using it, I dropped it off my desk with the memory card door open, and the plastic hinge broke. At first, I was pretty bummed that a 3-foot fall would cause this, but I quickly looked up a replacement, and it wasn’t that big of a deal. The USB/memory card door was $15 USD and didn’t require any tools to fix, so I couldn’t be that bummed.

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The Ace Pro 2 is pretty damn intuitive to use, too, with a familiar UI and an app that provides all the assistance the device’s UI lacks. This makes transferring footage to a phone for social media a breeze, and the Insta360 software makes it pretty easy to edit the footage before saving. The flip-out screen at the back also makes it great for filming yourself if you want to talk directly to the camera or take a selfie.

I really like the mount system that Insta360 uses for its action cameras. They might seem fragile or less secure than the two-prong mounts on other cameras, but even with the added weight of the wide-angle lens, I’ve never worried about losing the camera in a bump.

Overall, I’ve been really pleased with the Ace Pro 2, and this might be the longest that I’ve ever owned an action camera without it begging for early retirement; and that’s saying something. In the past, a GoPro lasted about a year before it stopped being a reliable way to capture ride footage, and I still use the Ace Pro 2 for every video I shoot for the BIKEmag YouTube channel, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Race Results and Timing

The 2026 season of the Monster Energy Pro Downhill Series presented by Continental comes down to one final showdown as we head to Deer Valley, UT for Round 5 at the Fox US OPEN of Mountain Biking.

Four rounds of electric racing across the country lead us to this moment – a stacked roster of the fastest downhillers arriving at Deer Valley with championship battles hanging in the balance. Series overall and the coveted US OPEN title are on the line, with no room to hold back.

For the first time since the early NORBA days, elite downhill racing is back on Deer Valley’s slopes. After nearly two decades, the return of downhill to this iconic venue adds another chapter to the mountain’s storied history and marks a milestone for the Pro Downhill Series.

For the 2026 Fox US OPEN, riders will take on a newly built version of the historic NCS downhill course, the same corridor that hosted NORBA-era national racing and helped establish Deer Valley as one of America’s iconic downhill venues. Blending the history of Deer Valley downhill with modern racing, the track has new features and is opened for more speed and line choice, while preserving legendary sections of the original NCS course, including Niagara and Whiskey Rock.

The Fox US OPEN brings together the best of mountain biking for a massive finale, with world-class downhill racing, a stacked field of athletes, and an electric atmosphere to close out the season. From the start gate to the finish line, we saw high-speed racing, Utah’s passionate race fans and storybook results – everything that makes downhill the sport we love. One final round – let’s finish the 2026 season at full speed.

Although this is a pretty large number, it’s likely lower than what we’d see in some European countries with less car-centric infrastructure. It signals a shift in the industry, and a recent PeopleForBikes report shows it’s not just about recreation and eMTBs.

• The eBike market is moving from recreation toward everyday transportation, and from enthusiasts toward everyday riders: families, commuters, and errand-runners who never thought of themselves as cyclists. 
• Categories built for hauling, including electric cargo bikes, are now some of the fastest-growing in the country. 

With a population of almost 350 million, the United States has the third-largest population of any country on the planet, and although 62 million miles is a lot, it’s not much over a 3-year period and amounts to less than half a mile per person… It’s a start, though, and it’s pretty clear why we aren’t seeing a higher figure here. A lot of it comes down to infrastructure, public perception, and general lifestyle trends. But we are seeing an upward trend of people opting for a bike over a car these days.

A PeopleForBikes analysis indicates nearly one million e-bikes were bought or sold in the U.S. in 2024 across retail, direct-to-consumer, and peer-to-peer channels. This figure is only for e-bikes and doesn’t represent regular bicycles as a mode of transportation.

The distance, equivalent to nearly 2,500 laps around the equator or 22,000 trips along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, reflects a broader national shift toward utility riding. According to Bosch, the miles were logged not by professional fleets, but by mountain bikers, commuters, parents hauling cargo, and everyday errand-runners.

“These are real miles, ridden by real people, on ordinary days,” said Jocelyn Vande Velde, North American Marketing Director at Bosch eBike Systems. “What the data tells us is that the bike has become both a way deeper into the mountains and a practical answer to trips that used to belong to something else.”

To support the growing user base, Bosch released its over-the-air “Performance upgrade 2.0” software update in May 2026, unlocking additional torque and support for nine drive units. Connected through the eBike Flow app, the system pairs drive hardware with features like digital theft protection, customized power modes, and activity tracking via Strava, Komoot, Apple Watch, and Garmin.

Scott mountain bikes have long been the poster child for deep integration, largely defined by their hidden rear shock and TwinLoc. And with the 2026 Spark DC, Scott isn’t totally shifting focus, but they are making the integration a little bit easier to live with. This is a 138mm-travel platform that takes the pedaling efficiency of an XC bike and stretches it squarely into the ever-popular short-travel trail bike category, or “Downcountry,” if you like that nomenclature.

Overview

The Spark DC offers fully integrated, through-the-headset cable routing, which looks great on a showroom floor but often creates headaches in the workstand. Scott is addressing this with their new Syncros OCT (Octopus Cable Technology). The system gives riders a choice: stick with the fully integrated routing or run a traditional cockpit setup that isn’t wrapped around the steertube and tangled up in bearings. Combined with internal tube-in-tube guides, swapping brakes or dropping the fork shouldn’t require a second set of hands.

View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article

As is the aesthetic of Scott’s full-suspension bikes, the shock is still tucked away, which I personally like for its look and function. Hidden shocks look incredibly clean (and stay that way), but they have historically made setup and maintenance a little different. Scott seems to have listened to the complaints, and the Spark DC has a magnetic frame cover to hide the shock. No tools, just a quick pull to access the shock, swap it out, or reach into the downtube storage.

View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article

Behind that magnetic door sits the “Save-The-Day Kit”—integrated in-frame storage packing a tube, pump, tire levers, and a multi-tool. It keeps weight off your back and ensures you aren’t stranded. To solve the hidden-shock setup issue, Scott also integrated an external Sag & Travel Indicator right at the BB.

View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article

Geometry & Frame Details

Modern trail geometry is found with the Spark DC. It leans toward the longer, slacker side for stability at speed, while an adjustable headset (+/- 0.5°) lets riders tweak the steering feel to match their preferences. Scott also baked in some smart, utilitarian details. Pop-on frame fenders keep grit out of the linkage, a removable steering stopper prevents your brake levers from punching a hole in the top tube, and extra accessory mounts offer room for strapped-on gear.

Geometry Charts

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Models and Pricing

The launch includes five builds, all featuring carbon frames, integrated Syncros tools, and a low center of mass to improve handling. Pricing ranges from $4,399.99 to $12,999.99 for the flagship model.

Scott Spark DC Factory

• Price: $12,999.99
• Frame: Premium Spark DC HMX Carbon
• Suspension: RockShox Flight Attendant
• Drivetrain: SRAM XX SL AXS 12-speed with Power Meter
• Brakes: SRAM Motive
• Wheelset: DT Swiss XRC 1200 Spline
• Key Extras: RockShox Reverb AXS, Syncros “Save the Day” repair and tubeless kit
• Color: Carbon Black

Scott Spark DC 10

• Price: $9,999.99
• Frame: Spark DC HMF Carbon
• Suspension: RockShox Flight Attendant
• Drivetrain: SRAM X0 AXS 12-speed with Power Meter
• Brakes: SRAM Motive
• Wheelset: Syncros Silverton CF2
• Key Extras: Syncros “Save the Day” repair and tubeless kit
• Color: Mist Blue

Scott Spark DC 20

• Price: $7,299.99
• Frame: Spark DC HMF Carbon
• Suspension: Fox Factory
• Drivetrain: Shimano XT / Deore Di2 12-speed
• Brakes: Shimano Deore
• Wheelset: Syncros Silverton AL2
• Color: Lemon Yellow

Scott Spark DC 30

• Price: $5,399.99
• Frame: Spark DC HMF Carbon
• Suspension: RockShox Pike
• Drivetrain: SRAM S1000 AXS 12-speed
• Brakes: SRAM DB6
• Wheelset: Syncros Silverton AL2
• Color: Carbon Black

Scott Spark DC 40

• Price: $4,399.99
• Frame: Spark DC HMF Carbon
• Suspension: RockShox Pike
• Drivetrain: Shimano Deore 12-speed
• Brakes: Shimano Disc
• Color: Tender Green

This move comes right after GoPro launched one of the most intriguing action cameras I’ve seen in a long time: the Mission 1 lineup, which boasts mind-boggling image quality, framerate, and compatibility with mirrorless camera lenses.

What was once used to capture adventures and the outdoors could now be used to further the impending doom of the human race (I jest). But this is a rather shocking pivot for the brand, though it isn’t all that surprising if you look at other brands that have been in hot water over the years and have gambled on AI to save shareholders’ wallets. Just look at Allbirds, BuzzFeed, or other names in the media Arena.

Starman, which specializes in high-speed optical transceivers for data centers, has acquired a 90% stake in GoPro and wiped out $92 million of the brand’s debt. The move follows years of declining sales, culminating in a massive revenue drop in mid-2026.

Rather than shuttering the brand, Starman is buying GoPro largely for its tech backbone. GoPro has about 2,500 patents in optics, lens design, and hardware miniaturization that Starman hopes could help improve the precision, compactness, and light-handling performance of optical transceivers used in AI data centers, while also supporting rugged, high-performance imaging and sensing components for defense optics.

_{The merger terms, financial figures, and company statements should be verified against the companies’ official press releases, SEC filings, and any accompanying investor materials.}

What This Means for GoPro Users

If you are currently using a GoPro camera, you do not need to replace your camera just yet – although there are plenty of great options out there – GoPro has confirmed that it will continue to support its lineup of cameras, software, and the Quik cloud subscription service, so cloud-backed footage, automatic highlight edits, and camera support remain functional.

That said, the company’s future roadmap with action cameras is less certain. With funds and engineering talent focused on bolstering optical infrastructure, GoPro’s consumer camera division may shift toward maintaining its current products rather than pursuing annual updates to the product line. Existing devices should continue recording, but riders hoping for major new advances in bike-mounted video, stabilization, and 360-degree footage may want to keep an eye on brands like Insta360 and DJI.

View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article

Squeezed by the ever-improving smartphone cameras, competition from rivals like Insta360 and DJI, and the skyrocketing cost of components and memory, GoPro’s consumer hardware reached a breaking point. That collapse created the opening for a strategic reset, setting the stage for Starman to reposition the business around AI and defense optics rather than consumer hardware alone.

Who is Starman, and What is the AI Pivot?

Starman Optical was incorporated just a day before the merger announcement as a vehicle under Starman Holding. Through its subsidiary Starman New Photonics, the group is looking to invest $150 million in New Jersey to manufacture high-speed 800G and 1.6T optical transceivers – the hardware that moves massive amounts of data between GPUs in AI data centers.

The merger pairs Starman’s data-center hardware with GoPro’s extensive catalog of U.S. patents to build optical supply chains for U.S. defense, government, aerospace, and robotics contracts. Hooray!

Times, they are a changing…

I was a little disappointed to see the Built for Legends Specialized Demo 11 not fitted with the ultra-elusive Brembo Brakes. Oh well. At least it still gets the Öhlins suspension and DT Swiss alloy wheels.

Each frame in the Built for Legends lineup is dripping in a distinctive finish that pays homage to Specialized’s racing lineage. A deep red tint is layered over metallic silver dust, and a hand-applied black ink wash and dark edge fades. Like any good collector’s item, this ensures that no two frames in the series are identical. Every bike is finished with a glassy-smooth, hand-buffed clear coat.

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Limited Numbers and Huge Price Tags

Reflecting the elite status of these bikes, Specialized is producing only a small, individually numbered allocation of each model worldwide. Specialized confirmed that once these individually numbered bikes are sold out, the colorway will be retired permanently.

• Tarmac SL9 – $14,999.99 | 199 individually numbered bikes
• Crux 5 – $14,999.99 | 55 individually numbered bikes
• Demo 11 – $11,499.99 | 50 individually numbered bikes
• Epic 9 – $15,499.99 | 119 individually numbered bikes

Oh yeah, there are also some shoes and a helmet in the collection. Got some money burning a hole in your pocket? Head over to Specialized.com and browse the collection.

Hosted at Coast Gravity Park in British Columbia, the event will bring together a select group of female riders, including newly crowned Junior Downhill World Champion Tilly Boadle and World Cup racer and Red Bull Hardline competitors Mille Johnset & Jess Blewitt, alongside an international field of emerging and established female downhill athletes.

Confirmed Athletes

• Gracey Hemstreet
• Andreane Lanthier Nadeau
• Arleigh Kemp
• Cami Bragg
• Indy Deavoll
• Jess Blewitt
• Lina Frener
• Mille Johnset
• Tayte Proulx Royds
• Teagan Heap
• Tilly Boadle
• Zoe Witwicki

At the center of Project 17 is a purpose-built progression line designed to introduce riders to the scale, speed, and technical demands of the world’s biggest downhill courses, while offering a supportive and controlled environment to learn, develop, and push their limits.

As events such as Red Bull Hardline continue to set the benchmark for progression and technical challenge in downhill mountain biking, Project 17 matters because it addresses a clear disparity in the current pathway for women’s downhill progression, helping to bridge the gap between the opportunities available to female riders and the demands of competing on the world’s biggest courses.

View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article

The course build is being supported by Red Bull, helping create a purpose-built environment designed specifically around rider progression. Norco, as Hemstreet’s DH team partner, is also supporting Project 17, which brings together athletes and industry partners committed to creating greater opportunities for women in downhill. That support underscores Hemstreet’s point that progression is only possible when the right opportunities and environment are in place. 

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“The goal isn’t to make it easy. It’s to make it possible.” — Gracey Hemstreet 

Project 17 is built on a simple idea: riders progress when they’re given access to the right terrain, experienced people around them, and the confidence to take the next step. Success for Project 17 won’t simply be measured by what riders achieve on the course. The goal is for riders to leave the event stronger, more connected, and more capable of taking the next step toward the highest level of the sport. By investing in riders now, Project 17 is helping shape the future of women’s downhill racing.

Follow along with the Project: @ride.project17

For a bit of history, the Madrone Trail was Marin’s first mountain bike in 1986, designed with help from Joe Murray (MTB Hall of Famer), and it sold for just $199 USD… Now it’s back, albeit just in name and aesthetics. Reimagined with retro soul and modern capability, this serialized, limited-edition bike (440 units) celebrates Marin’s launch and the brand’s 40-year mountain biking journey.

Check out the Madrone Trail at Marinbikes.com

The Retro Appeal

The aesthetics are hard to argue with on this one, and with a fairly digestible price, this could be a better alternative than continuing to restomod that steel MTB collecting cobwebs in the shed. Or maybe not, because the build is a huge part of the fun with bikes like this. Take my Cannondale SM600, for example. I don’t even know how much I’ve spent “modernizing” it, but It’ll never have disc brakes or 27.5 wheels…

Details

Priced at $1,249.00, the Madrone Trail features a 4130 steel frame and a steel fork with eyelets for fenders and a rack. Visually, the bike is clearly tapping into nostalgia with its geometry and livery.

Dripping in a heritage-inspired paint job featuring dark blue and yellow graphics with bright pink and blue splatter. The Madrone Trail might look old-school-cool with the raked-out seat tube, one-piece bars (100mm Rise, 25˚ Backsweep, 750mm Width), but it’s adorned with hydraulic disc brakes, a modern drivetrain, and 27.5” wheels.

It rolls on modern wheels and features a custom, high-polished Shimano CUES 10-speed drivetrain with plenty of gear range. Stopping power comes from polished silver Shimano Alfine hydraulic disc brakes (160mm rotors). The matching silver accents from the drivetrain, brakes, and wheels really tie it all together.

View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article

Available in sizes Medium and Large, the 2026 Marin Madrone Trail offers a unique blend of heritage and contemporary reliability. Whether you’re a mountain bike history buff or just looking for a cool, capable commuter, the Madrone Trail proves that old-school will always be cool.

If possible, watch this one on the big screen.

“We actually didn’t even mean to make this. Life happened, and we rolled with it. No one gave us a budget or money, so we just let it happen how it needed to happen.” Steve shared with me, and I think that is just a testament to how important this film is not just to the MTB community, but to anyone carrying the weight of life’s heaviest lessons.

Life is all about balance, and Ride to Resilience drives that point home; it’s rare to see such a broad range of emotions captured through the lens of an action sports film. What Geoff Livingston, Kelsey Toevs, Steve Vanderhoek, Joe Osborne, and Ken Wald have created here is truly something special.

Check in on your homies, show vulnerability, and ask for help when you need it.

Words from Ride to Resilience

When Geoff Livingston approached Steve Vanderhoek with the concept of a film about what pushes him to ride at the edge while balancing a real-world career as a City of North Vancouver firefighter, and what it’s like for his wife Kelsey to capture it from behind the camera, neither of them could have known how much deeper the story would become.

As Steve began therapy, he started turning the camera on parts of his life that none of us had seen before. Years of frontline trauma as a firefighter. The weight he’d been carrying quietly. What actually happens when you finally put it down? And once Steve opened up, it didn’t stop with him. One by one, people started telling the truth about what they’d been through. His close friends and colleagues Matt Saely, Jeff Mccutcheon, Alan Easton, Mike Danks, Sam Van Born, fellow professional mountain biker and teammate Yoann Barelli, Dr. Duncan Shields, as well as Steve’s father, who decided it was time to share with the world all of the trauma he had kept buried for the last 60 years.

We didn’t set out to make a film about mental health. We ended up making one anyway, because we realized that we had something that would mean so much more and impact many people dealing with similar challenges around the world, rather than just another mountain bike film.

To everyone who trusted us with their story, who showed up to ride, who sat in front of a camera and said the hard thing out loud: thank you. This film exists because you were brave enough to be honest, and we are so proud of what we built together.

This isn’t the end of it. It’s the start of the Ride to Resilience Association, community rides, events, and ongoing stories built to help people find their way through the hardest moments, the way Steve found his. 

We made this hoping it helps someone see they’re not alone. If it saves even one life, or helps one person get through their worst day, it is worth everything that went into it.

To help support future community and mental health-focused projects and get involved, visit: Ridetoresilience.com

No matter which build option you choose, you get the M2S, Avinox’s highest-power motor. Complete bikes start at just $4,999 USD (or $4,199 for the frameset), with top-spec options coming in at $7,999 USD. Regardless of the build spec, all the Wire Peak models are built around the same alloy frame, Avinox M2S motor, and 800wh battery.

The Wire Peak is Ari’s first adoption of the Avinox system, and it looks to me like the suspension and layout are taking cues from the Timp Peak, which launched last year with the Bosch CX system. The Wire Peak, unlike the Timp Peak, sits on 150mm of rear wheel travel and 160mm up front.

Overview

The Wire Peak frame features a couple of geometry adjustments with a low/high flipchip alongside a long/short flipchip and the ability to change between MX and full 29” wheels. Overall, the geometry is what we see quite a lot these days in this travel category: a 64-degree head tube angle, a 78-degree seat tube angle, and reach numbers that fit a wide range of riders (435 – 505 mm). 

View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article

Build Kits / Pricing

Sport $4,999
Suntour ZERON 36X fork & Edge X shock, Shimano CUES U6000 10-speed, WTB Sportterra i30 wheels

Comp $5,999
Marzocchi Bomber Z1 fork & Bomber Air shock, Shimano Deore M6200 11-speed, Crankbrothers Synthesis DH wheels

Elite $6,999
RockShox ZEB Ultimate fork & Super Deluxe Ultimate shock, SRAM Eagle 90 12-speed, Crankbrothers Synthesis DH wheels

Pro $7,999
RockShox ZEB Ultimate fork & Super Deluxe Ultimate shock, SRAM GX Eagle Transmission 12-speed, DT Swiss HX 1700 Spline 29 wheels

Frameset w/ Shock: $4,199
With RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate shock

The 4-bar suspension layout and balanced geometry look like a recipe for a decent platform, but with a full aluminum frame, the bike is likely to be relatively heavy, and we don’t currently see weights listed on the Ari website. I’d wager it’s in the ballpark of 50lbs, but who really cares? Twist it and rip it, you know?

The bike is pretty vanilla, but that might be intentional, since it will appeal to many more riders, especially given that it has the motor everyone wants right now, at a fairly reasonable price. I won’t get into my opinions on Avinox and the current trends in eMTB – those opinions can be found here – but I will say that this probably isn’t the last new bike we’ll see with an Avinox M2S this year.

Shop the Ari Wire Peak at Aribikes.com

• MSRP: $11,299.99 USD
• Weight: 34 lbs / 15.4 kg (stock) | 36.5 lbs / 16.5 kg (as seen)
• Size: S5
• Rider height: 6’2″ (188cm)

The geometry hasn’t changed much from the last version, but what has changed seems pretty divisive in the community: the lack of accommodation for mechanical drivetrains. While strange, it does make some sense if you look at it from Specialized’s perspective. Other than the omission of a way to route a shift cable and housing, the SJ 15 also saw another major change, one that was better received: the Genie shock.

One thing remains unchanged: the Stumpjumper is still one of the best examples of an all-around mountain bike. It’s a seriously well-imagined example of how one bike might be able to do it all, and the Stumpjumper 15 Evo takes that to another level. I’m here to look at what that next level means and whether this platform could still be considered one of the best mountain bikes of all time.

The Evo-lution of the Stumpjumper 15

In short, the Stumpy Evo 15 gets a bigger fork and a Fox Float X Genie or Super Deluxe Genie shock. This longer fork makes it a little slacker, and the reservoir-equipped shock gives it a little more efficiency on long descents. Other than that, not a lot has changed. That’s kind of what happens with the Evo models of Specialized bikes.

I’ve been on the Specialized Stumpjumper 15 Evo as a long-term test bike, and in the months spent with the SJ 15 Evo, it continues to surprise me. On paper, there is nothing really boundary-pushing with this bike, and the introduction of an Evo version of the Stumpjumper 15 answered the demands of many riders, but with a 160mm fork, 145mm of rear wheel travel, and some really smart suspension kinematics and components, it’s an impressively capable bike in the trail bike genre.

It’s not a bike that I’ve been shouting praise for from the rooftops or gushing over, but it’s also not a bike that I (nor anyone else) would ever take out of consideration when looking for a bike in this category. The Stumpjumper has long been a bike that is synonymous with the world of mountain biking, and now, in its 15th form, the Stumpjumper is still a bike that does just about everything that you would want without putting up a fuss. 

The geometry is sorted, with flip chips available for fine-tuning; it uses a threaded BSA bottom bracket, tube-in-tube cable routing, 29” or mixed wheels, and has downtube storage, with the only major flaw being the absence of accommodations for mechanical drivetrains (a common occurrence in the modern age).

The Build Kit: NICE

This is the S-Works build, and that means it’s got a lot of bling. Full Shimano XTR Di2, Fox 36 Factory Grip X2, Float X Genie, Fox Transfer NEO wireless dropper, Roval Traverse SL II wheels/i9 Hydra 2 hubs, RaceFace ERA Carbon bars, and a Specialized S-Works Power Mirror saddle with Ti rails. It’s a Gucci-looking bike, that’s for certain.

It’s looking a little different now, as I’ve got the Rockshox Lyrik Ultimate and Genie Super Deluxe Ultimate equipped, and a set of OneUp Components Alloy Wheels installed.

I stand at 6’2” and am on an S5 frame, which feels pretty spot on. The only issue is the stack; with a slightly taller front end, thanks to the fork and 55mm-rise bars, I ended up swapping to 50mm-rise OneUp bars to lower the front end just a bit. Specialized claims a weight of just over 30 lbs (13.95 kg) for an S4, which is pretty decent for a bike of this caliber. My S5 tips the scales at just over 34 lbs in the stock setup, and after the changes, it’s at 36.5 lbs with pedals, bottle cage, and sealant in the tires (how I actually ride the bike).

As stock, there’s really nothing to complain about other than the 200mm Fox Transfer NEO, which is a nice dropper, no doubt about that, but I find it has less reliable battery life than the wireless AXS droppers from RockShox.

The Genie in the Bottle Grants Another Wish

To really understand what sets the Stumpjumper 15 apart from other bikes in the 140mm travel category, we need to look at the shock, because what the Specialized Ride Dynamics team has done is impressive. They’ve managed to make a 140mm bike ride like a much more capable machine. The Genie shock packs some splendid buzzwords, and as the marketing literature says, it does feel like a coil and an air shock all bundled together. It’s linear when it makes sense, ramps up progressivity when called upon, and feels smooth and predictable at all points between the two extremes.

For a bit of history, Fox and Specialized paired up to develop the Float Genie shock back when the Stumpjumper 15 was announced, and later introduced the Float X Genie with the Levo 4, which was one of the standouts for the newest Levo platform, in my opinion. Now, Specialized’s Ride Dynamics team has been working with RockShox to make a Super Deluxe Genie shock to pair with the new Linear XL Lyrik, and it’s a pairing that really makes a lot of sense.

It’s a higher-volume air shock paired with a higher-volume air fork, and when implemented on the Stumpjumper 15 Evo chassis, it’s a match made in heaven. The Stumpjumper 15 Evo is an enigma; it feels like an enduro bike where it needs to be supple and forgiving, yet still climbs with the gusto of a shorter-travel bike, and the Genie shock adds another layer of traction to the ride without feeling overly plush. There’s a balance to the SJ 15 Evo platform that is rarely seen on bikes in this category. The only other bike I’ve ridden with a similar identity crisis is the Revel Rascal. And I mean “identity crisis” as a compliment, not an insult here.

The Stumpy 15 Evo has enough flip chips to make sense, allowing for head tube angle adjustment and chainstay/bb height adjustment. It’s not overkill, and each chip makes a noticeable difference in how the bike rides. For the most part, I have had the Stumpjumper 15 Evo in the high chainstay setting, with some back and forth between the stock and the -1 degree headset cup. The SJ 15 Evo now comes with a 160mm fork instead of the 150mm on the non-evo variant, which gives the bike a 64-degree head tube angle, .5 degrees slacker than it would be with the 150mm fork. This is paired with the Float X Genie shock, giving the bike a slightly more descender-focused attitude. However, this doesn’t detract from the bike’s versatility, as it still offers the same 145mm of rear wheel travel.

Riding Impressions

Initially, I was a little taken aback by the way the SJ15 Evo felt on the trail. It just felt too soft, and I wanted more support from the shock. The feeling was similar to having insufficient PSI in the rear tire or a shock setup at 35-40% sag. I was constantly checking to make sure I didn’t flat or lose air from the shock. It was a little strange at first, but the more I rode it, the more I got used to the feeling of the Genie shock. I no longer worry that I’m totally bottoming out the rear, but the Genie shock performs differently from other shocks, resulting in a bit of an imbalance in the fork. I felt like I needed a softer fork, and with a few PSI out of it and more volume spacers packed in, it all started to level out.

The Stumpjumper 15 Evo wants to be pushed downhill – that much is obvious. The Genie shock handles all the trail noise with confidence and composure, muting chatter and smaller bumps in a unique way, and definitely feels a lot like a coil in its suppleness. On the other hand, the Genie supports deeper hits and g-outs with aggression, making for a really interesting platform that is a little challenging to compare to other bikes.

Climbing felt a little strange at first, largely in part due to the Genie shock, but the SJ 15 Evo also has a relatively slack seat tube angle and a pretty low bottom bracket. These factors, combined with the active suspension, can make it feel a little muzzled on climbs when the climb switch is not engaged. It’s not the most sluggish bike uphill, and in the high chainstay flip chip setting it’s totally acceptable, but I don’t like climbing it in the low setting at all. There are aspects of the low setting that I really love, though. In the low chainstay flip-chip position, it drops the BB by 7mm, slackens the headtube angle by 0.5 degrees, and lengthens the chainstay by 6mm. Swapping to the longer chainstays is nice, as it does let the bike eat more on the way down, but it certainly dings the efficiency that it pedals back up the hill.

Downhill, the SJ15 Evo in the low position gets an A+ in my book. The lower BB, longer rear end, and slacker head tube make it super stable in corners and responsive on steeper, chunkier trails. Although the low setting isn’t ideal for pedaling back up, it’s not a horrible experience, and, thankfully, swapping the flip chips takes about 3 minutes with minimal tools.

The performance of a bike goes beyond how it rides; longevity and maintenance also matter. Specialized has a pretty spotless track record in this department, and I cannot complain about the bike’s day-to-day livability. There aren’t many weird noises or rough bearings, and I rarely hear about Specialized bike frames failing, so there’s a lot of confidence in the frame’s strength, which is great considering how hard the bike wants to be ridden. 

I have noticed a tendency for a bit of creaking from the headset cups when swapping away from the stock headset position to the -1 degree cup. Deep cleaning, liberal re-greasing, and ensuring that it is seated in the head tube seem to remedy the sound, and it hasn’t been much of an issue. 

In summary, all the bolts are easy to access for inspection, and I did not spot any QC issues. From the day of unboxing to now, I haven’t had to worry about anything other than the usual maintenance, and I haven’t been babying the bike by any means.

I do want to talk about the shock and the slight adjustments I needed to make while experimenting with the setup. It doesn’t ride like a normal air shock, and I found myself going back and forth on volume spacers and pressure to make it feel like one. That was my first mistake with the bike. Adding a bunch of reducers to the Genie made it feel like other shocks on the market, and that wasn’t what I wanted. So after gradually adding more and more volume spacers, I ended up going back to the stock configuration and being really happy with it.

I had gotten used to the way the Genie behaves with the adaptive air can, and making it feel more supportive throughout the stroke dulled the sparkle that Specialized and the Ride Dynamics folks had worked so hard to develop. However, knowing that it could be tuned to behave more like a “normal” shock is just another reason to give points to the bike’s versatility. The Genie shock is also not proprietary, and you can run other shocks in its place if you want to change things up, but once you get familiar with the Genie, it’s hard to want to deviate from it.

Parting Thoughts / Pros and Cons

While the Stumpy 15 Evo might not have the same cult following as the last version of the SJ Evo, it’s still proving to be an exceptional bike. Specialized did their homework, aced the test, and graduated with honors, time and time again with the Stumpjumper, and the SJ 15 Evo follows the trend. Everything about it is sorted, tidy, and pragmatic (even if people got pissed off at the lack of mechanical drivetrain compatibility).

All the geometry adjustments feel well thought out, the base geometry is a fantastic starting point, and the bike definitely feels modern. The only thing I would like to see changed is the ability to route the mechanical drivetrain internally, because I would love to run the Madrone Jab on this bike to combat the slap-happy rear end.

The slappy rear end would be my biggest gripe overall, if I’m honest. It’s not as noticeable with a SRAM drivetrain, but in successive hits or chatter, the Shimano Dual-Spring mechanism really loses its composure, and I wish I wasn’t worrying about the cage slapping the chainstays, but I do.

Other than that, I can’t really fault the SJ 15 Evo. It’s wicked capable and versatile, and it feels like a bike that comfortably dips its toes into the enduro end of the trail bike spectrum, all without compromising on climbing or flowier trails. I think the Stumpy 15 and the 15 Evo both stand as great examples of modern mountain bikes that will be right at home with a seasoned rider or someone just getting started on the trail. There’s a reason the Stumpjumper name has been around for as long as it has. 

“The third chapter of the Parallel series. Parallel (2019) put two riders in one frame and won Pinkbike Video of the Year. Parallel II (2022) paired Semenuk with Kade Edwards. Now the concept scales to three with zero margin for error.”

“For sure I had a chance and was so close to the podium today, and, yeah, that’s a bummer, but for my first (elite) world championships to be fourth, I’m still stoked with everything,” Vermette told Bike Mag in the bustling Val di Sole finish.

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Building on this in all ways possible and feeling good on the bike – I think I'm only gonna get better, so I'm stoked.

The 19-year-old Durango downhiller’s fourth-place result came among a deep and talented field of 80 riders on a hot and sun-drenched late afternoon in the Italian Dolomites. The 2024 World Junior Champion nailed the bottom of the iconic Black Snake course, ultimately finishing just eight-tenths of a second out of the medals and 1.5 seconds behind Jackson Goldstone, who stormed to his second straight world title. 

Vermette confidently sent it down the 1.5-mile course with seven top competitors to follow behind him. He was precise, aggressive, and dynamic, and especially quick through the lower sections, approaching the bottom and off the final two jumps. The Colorado kid punched it into second place, only trailing New Zealand’s Lachlan Stevens-Mcnab at that point. 

“That’s how I usually am making up time, for some reason, but I need to work on my first split,” Vermette told Bike Mag in the Val di Sole finish. 

He was never more than a few hundredths of a second off the pace, but it seemed like a larger chainring could have made a significant difference in the lower splits.

“Overall, my run was pretty good. It was basically perfect. I just had a couple little stalls that cost me just that little bit of time,” he said.

Vermette would have to sit and wait nervously to see if his time of 3:30.293 would hold up for a medal. 

Great Britain’s Jordan Williams dropped Asa to third place, but he remained in bronze medal contention as the final competitor, Goldstone, left the start. Not surprisingly, the 22-year-old Canadian speed demon electrified the roaring crowd, many cheering from the side of the mountain, blazing into the lead at the fourth and final split, and soaring off the two final jumps en route to victory. 

“He ripped it today, and I’m stoked for him,” Vermette said about his fellow North American competitor.

Despite the disappointment, a valiant effort from Vermette, no doubt. He demonstrated power, form, and line choice on the sport’s biggest stage, while noting that he also enjoyed the ride.

“Conditions on the course were phenomenal today,” Vermette noted, despite periods of overnight rain in the Trentino mountainous region. “That was one of the most fun rides I’ve done on my mountain bike. I was just flowing and smiling all the way down, so it was a sick one.”

Vermette’s American teammate Luca Shaw (Canyon Collective Factory Team) finished sixth, a respectable 3.14 seconds behind Goldstone’s smoking time, on an overall strong and satisfying day for Team USA, despite missing out on the medals.

Shaw, 29, was mostly satisfied with his run down the steep and sinuous Black Snake track.

“I’m pretty happy with how I rode the top half, and then I made one mistake, and then tightened up a little bit at the bottom, so I know I left a little bit of time up there,” Shaw tells Bike Mag. “Regardless, pretty happy with sixth; it’s tied with my best result at Worlds, and on this track, that’s really good for me.”

The North Carolina resident said he likes his chances moving forward.

“I feel like I’ve got the speed to mix it up for the win and even on a track where I didn’t feel super comfortable all week,” Shaw said. “I feel like I built my speed for the race run, and I can be proud of that. Just excited to try and finish the season strong.”

“Good performance from Luca – I was cheering him on while sitting on the podium,” Vermette said. “We gotta keep that American rivalry going – we had a sick day.”

For the world’s premier downhillers, with the Italian world championships now in the books, it’s onward to North America for the final two tour stops in Soldier Hollow, Utah, and Whistler, British Columbia.

Vermette – currently second in the UCI World Cup standings, while only trailing Goldstone – appears to be gaining confidence and quickly developing into one of the fastest downhillers in the world. He is capitalizing on a stellar season in which he sped to an unexpected first elite downhill victory in South Korea in May. The North American races beckon with two final opportunities to be fast in 2026.

Follow Brian on Instagram – @brian.pinelli

The course is still one of the most demanding on the calendar, even in the dry, and incoming rain could throw a wrench into the works. Rain has hit the course and is not expected to let up before 10am, which means we could be in for a wet and very wild finals race, with the snake striking those who felt confident in the dry conditions.

Ski racing has its treacherous Hahnenkamm Downhill in Kitzbühel, Austria; Formula One’s Monaco Grand Prix circuit challenges and astounds every skilled driver who navigates it; and mountain biking boasts its iconic and infamously gnarly “Black Snake” downhill track.

Val di Sole’s Famed Track Lives Up to the Hype: Fast, Feared, and Furious. However, Riders Say it Could Run Slightly Tamer at World Championships

The steep, sinuous, rock-filled, and body-jarring 1.5-mile course, with 1,770 feet of vertical drop, will once again test the world’s bravest downhill bike racers, this time with world championship medals at stake, on Saturday, in Val di Sole, Italy. 

After a few days of diligent course inspection, critical training runs, athletes scouring video, and other covert reconnaissance, the guys and girls agree that Black Snake lives up to the hype.

“Of course, it’s a bit scary – some bits are still slippery this morning and there’s a lot of big rocks and some drops and yeah, you can get out of control quickly, it’s so tough,” said Enduro racing legend Richie Rude (Yeti/Fox Factory), who continues to hone his downhill racing skills, after a training run on Thursday.

“There have been some pretty special runs here, and especially being world championships, whoever wins here, it will be pretty wild,” adds the 31-year-old veteran rider.

British World Cup leader Jordan Williams says that racing here is no cup of tea: “Black Snake is a proper downhill track which really tests the bike and body, so it’s a perfect track for world championships.”

And naturally, the fear factor is always looming. Elite and junior riders who can put those demons out of their mind are most likely to thrive. Easier said than done. The unforgiving course also beats up riders physically, and training runs for the big show are certainly no Italian aperitivo.

U.S. junior Luke Mallen, 18, fifth in junior downhill qualifications on Friday, can attest.

“I jammed my thumb last run before qualifiers, so, in the middle, I was saving it a bit, and had a bunch of mistakes, but, honestly, I can’t be mad – it was a great run,” said the Utah mountain biker.

“I was here last year and felt so lost, so it’s nice coming back and riding a course you’ve ridden before. I’m just glad to have made it down and excited for finals.”

Norwegian Mille Johnset, 25, (Nukeproff Axess Racing) offers perspective from the ladies’ side. “It’s funny because we were talking with our team manager about being here a couple years ago and it was super gnarly – everyone was struggling to get down the track and I think we still have that in mind. But this year is definitely a little bit nicer, still very hard, but you’re not fearing for your life every run.

A Physically and Mentally Exhausting Challenge

Asa Vermette, the 2024 world junior champion, believes he can punch one in among the favorites. It will require overcoming the immense physical challenges of the course.

“It’s full on from top to bottom, and for sure it beats up the body, but if you can stay on your bike, you’re not too bad, but it’s a pretty brutal track and hard to do that,” says the 19-year-old rising star. “And physical endurance is essential. It’s long, gnarly, and physically exhausting.”

The daunting track in the Val di Sole Bike Park includes steep dirt slopes, massive tree roots, sharp rocks, and numerous natural precipices. Launching at an altitude of roughly 4,430 feet near the Daolasa gondola mid-station, the course snakes (hence the name) and plunges dramatically down to the finish area in town at 2,660 feet.

Besides overcoming the fear factor, what do top riders believe are the ingredients for efficient course navigation and, ultimately, fast times on race day?

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Rude says: “Just staying smooth and carrying my corner speed. If you ride smooth up top, kind of follow your lines, and then can attack at the bottom, I think I’ll be pretty good.”

Williams opines: “You’ve got to be pinned – I think keeping it smooth and having a good flow, because it will certainly get a lot rougher on race day.”

Germany’s Julian Steiner remains somewhat unsure: “That’s a good question – I’ve been looking for that answer for many years, and maybe that’s why I’m not up there with the top guys,” he says, with a laugh. “You have to ride your pace top to bottom, attacking it, making sure you’re not tired and finding the right lines at the right moments, which is not easy.”

Kiwi and Swiss Lead Downhill Qualifying

Eighty-five men took to the start for elite downhill qualifying on Friday afternoon, with New Zealand’s Lachlan Stevens-Mcnab clocking the fastest time of 3 minutes and 34 seconds. Australian Oliver Davis followed, 0.33 behind, and defending world champion Jackson Goldstone 0.63 back. 

Ryan Pinkerton led the U.S. squad in fourth, 0.86 seconds behind the leading Kiwi.

It began to drizzle towards the back end of qualifying, but conditions were not significantly affected, and there were no on-course incidents. Light rain is expected to continue into the night.

In women’s qualifying, Swiss Lisa Baumann crossed the Black Snake finish first, in four minutes, two seconds, and 59 tenths, nearly three seconds faster than Britain’s Harriet Harnden. Four-time defending champion Valentina “Vali” Höll was third, 3.2 seconds back.

Anna Newkirk was the fastest among the U.S. ladies in ninth, but a substantial 6.8 seconds behind the leading Swiss. But qualifying is only qualifying.

 A Tad Easier This Time Around? 

While the Italian Dolomites course annually presents arguably the toughest test on tour, some riders have noted, thanks to excellent course preparation by hard-working crews and occasional rain earlier in the week, Black Snake is running slightly tamer this time around.

However, with unpredictable weather in the days ahead, conditions could change quickly, altering the course for men’s and women’s elite and junior world championship races on Saturday.

“This year they’ve done an amazing job, kind of smoothing the course out and making it really nice and looking pretty. But the holes are definitely starting to come out – you get one-third down the track and you’re holding on for your life with your arms, so yes, it’s an iconic venue and iconic track.”

“This year they’ve done an amazing job, kind of smoothing the course out and making it really nice and looking pretty. But the holes are definitely starting to come out – you get one-third down the track and you’re holding on for your life with your arms, so yes, it’s an iconic venue and iconic track.”

Steiner adds: “This is definitely the most packed down Black Snake that I’ve seen and it’s riding a little bit easier with the rain, not exploding. We just have to wait until it ruts in and how much it dries up and we’ll go from there.” 

The Harsh Realities and Inherent Dangers

Crashes, some nasty, have been an unfortunate characteristic of the Black Snake course over the years. Commit one glaring mistake, and it will surely bite you in the ass.

Defending world champion Goldstone crashed out in 2022 on the closing Maledetta Ultima Curva (the cursed final turn). The blind, high-speed entry to the turn is notorious for screwing up fast runs immediately before the finish.

The Black Snake was unfriendlier to former World Cup winner Matt Walker at the 2024 World Cup. Heavy storms led to an even fiercer battle as the British rider and numerous others suffered violent over-the-bars crashes. 

Rescue helicopters and medical teams on standby are a necessary and regular presence in Val di Sole, a critical component of the overall safety infrastructure at major races on Black Snake.

Who Will Seize the Moment and Adorn Rainbows?

Despite all obstacles present: natural, internal, and intangible, the world’s fastest and most talented downhill bike racers will be gunning full gas, as much as Black Snake allows on Saturday. For those who can somehow manage to tame the Italian beast, world championship glory awaits.

Rude succinctly forecasts the upcoming men’s race: “There’s a lot of talented guys out there; Jackson (Goldstone) won here last year, and Max (Alran) just won the last race, so we’ll see. It will be crazy.”

Great Britain’s Williams, playfully asking if he will be looking over his shoulder at the young Vermette, currently runner-up to him in the World Cup standings, is boldly assertive.

Everyone is fast, whether it’s Asa or someone else – anyone can win on race day. It doesn’t matter who it is; I’ll beat them.

Follow Brian on Instagram – @brian.pinelli

One needs to be reminded that he is still 19. The Durango, Colorado, mountain biking rising star sat down with Bike Mag for an exclusive interview inside the Frameworks Racing mobile unit in Val di Sole. He was polite, charismatic, and confident.

“I just have to execute my perfect run.” Says Vermette, on his chances of striking world championship gold.

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Vermette says that if he can execute his game plan, as he did to win the season-opening World Cup race in South Korea in early May, he likes his chances on the revered Black Snake course.

“I always come to a race to try and win; that’s the goal every weekend, and I’m feeling good on this track,” Vermette tells BIKE Mag. “It’s super fun, but it looks like there might be a little bit of weather in the forecast, so that might mix things up a little bit, but going to qualifying, taking each day as it comes, and I’m stoked for it.”

While he candidly admits that Black Snake is certainly intimidating and can quickly rattle the nerves, he also advises that his confidence has grown significantly since he first laid eyes upon and descended the Italian Dolomites course.

“My first time running here was two years ago as a junior, and I remember being so nervous to ride it just because of how iconic and gnarly it is,” Vermette says. “But now, I’ve got the lines figured out, and they did good work on the track this year. It’s running really well, so I’m loving it.”

The Red Bull rider explains that endurance on the body-jarring, highly technical, and exhausting 1.5-mile course is critical and could make the difference between going home with a medal or finishing well out of contention.

“I think the gnarliest part about it is just the physical aspect and how long, gnarly, and physically exhausting it is. I think that’s the hardest part about it, but yeah, I love that type of stuff. I like long physical tracks,” he says, with a smile.

“Physical endurance is very key in downhill. It might not seem so, but if you ever try to make a full lap down the back of Black Snake, you’ll be breathing heavily at the bottom, so endurance is definitely necessary.”

The Men to Beat and Joining Elite U.S. Company

Vermette highlights who he expects to be his toughest competition this weekend. He concedes that there are too many names to choose from – just like perusing a wine list at a top Italian restaurant.

“In elite, there’s so many top dudes every weekend – there’s always a different dude that can win. Last week Max (Alran) won, Jordan (Williams) has been ripping, there’s Amaury (Pierron), so many guys. It’s insane. I didn’t even list off a quarter of them. I just hope to be up top with them.”

Jackson Goldstone, 22, (Santa Cruz Syndicate) seeks to make it two consecutive world titles for Canada, having sped to victory in Valais, Switzerland, in 2025. Vermette is gunning to become the first American man to win a downhill world title since Myles Rockwell in 2000.

Other elite U.S. racers who have accomplished the feat include Mike King (1993), Dave Cullinan (1992), and fellow Durango racer Greg Herbold (1990). What would it mean for Asa to join this prestigious company from eras past?

“It would be insane – the U.S. and North America have been doing really well this year on the World Cup, so to keep taking it away from them (the Europeans) would feel really good. And to join that list (past U.S. champions) would be super cool,” he adds.

What specifically does Asa believe he needs to do in order to call himself an elite world champion and add to his 2024 world junior title achieved in Andorra?

“I think if I have my perfect run every weekend, I can win,” he says. “That’s my mindset going into it. I just have to execute my perfect run.”

European Travels Alongside Mom’s Home Cooking

When time away from the bike track permits, the 19-year-old Vermette admits that he has been extremely fortunate to travel the world at his age, immensely enjoying various cultures, vast breathtaking scenery, and occasionally, top-notch international cuisine. 

Has Asa been savoring Italy’s world-renowned pasta and pizza in the lead-up to the big race this week? Not necessarily – he informs that his mother regularly travels with and cooks for the Frameworks Factory team.

“To have Mom’s cooking in Europe makes it feel more like home,” he says. “We just ask for as many carbs as possible on weekends – just filling ourselves up to get ready for races.”

Down the homestretch in Italy, Canada, and the USA

Despite two World Cup downhill races on North American soil remaining – in Solder Hollow, Utah, and Whistler, British Columbia – Vermette’s focus is clearly 100-percent on the defining Italian race this Saturday. 

Coveted medals and a prestigious rainbow jersey are on the line. The elite men’s downhill race kicks off at 3pm local time in Val di Sole.

Win a world championship title, earn a medal, or come up short, one thing is guaranteed. Asa will be sitting at a table in Italy for Mom’s home-cooked dinner a few hours afterward. 

Maybe that has been Asa’s secret ingredient for success in Europe? A victory in Val di Sole on Saturday would certainly taste amazing.

Follow Brian on Instagram – @Brian_Pinelli

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How It Reads the Trail

Electronic body armor lives or dies by its algorithm. A system that triggers off a hard G-out, a flat landing, or a violent rock garden drop is useless. To solve that, Alpinestars built its downhill profile using telemetry collected from professional athletes since 2022. The goal was simple: teach the system to differentiate between aggressive riding like drops and a genuine loss of control/impact.

The brain of the system relies on a six-sensor architecture, combining a tri-axial accelerometer and a tri-axial gyroscope, feeding movement data to an ECU housed inside the back protector. If the system detects a crash event, the gas inflator deploys the airbag in 32 to 45 milliseconds. Once inflated, coverage extends across the chest, back, shoulders, and upper arms, yielding up to an 82% reduction in the transmission of impact energy compared to traditional protective gear.

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“At first, I was a little resistant to using it – I’m pretty picky with the body armor I was using from Alpinestars, and I didn’t use it [Tech-Air MX]. I saw Specialized using it in the off-season, and Laurent (Laurent Delorme, Specialized Gravity Downhill Team Manager) told me that I should really try it,” Said Ryan Pinkerton, of Mondraker Factory Racing. “Right away, I was super comfortable. Way more comfortable than I thought it would be. I thought the weight would be a problem, but it fits perfectly, and I don’t even notice it. After riding in it for a couple of weeks, I feel 100% safer and more protected.”

Built for Dirt, Sweating, and Washing

Motorcycle tech rarely translates directly to mountain biking without feeling like a hot, bulky straitjacket. Alpinestars aims to solve the heat-and-movement equation by mounting the system on a low-profile, breathable stretch-mesh “shirt” that sits over or under your jersey.

Back protection duties are anchored in place by a ventilated Nucleon PLASMA CE Level 1 honeycomb structure. This means that if you take a spill and the airbag deflates, that passive Level 1 back protector remains fully intact for the rest of your lap.

Living with high-tech gear in the bike park can easily become a chore, but the operational features are designed to keep the TechAir system as subtle as possible until it’s called upon.

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• Automatic Powering: Connecting the main left chest buckle engages an integrated magnetic switch to turn the unit on; unbuckling powers it down.
• Real Battery Life: A full charge provides up to 30 hours of ride time, while a quick 1-hour USB-C charge yields around 8 hours of battery life.
• No Tethered Hardware: The system runs completely autonomously with no external sensors, wires, or GPS requirements.
• Multi-Sport Profiles: Using the Bluetooth Tech-Air App, you can switch from the downloadable Downhill Mode to MX, MX Race, Enduro, or Rally profiles.
• Modular Cleanliness: Because riding in the mud is inevitable, the ECU and airbag bladder are fully removable, allowing you to actually wash the mesh chassis. The system is rated for up to six deployments before requiring factory servicing, provided the airbag itself suffers no structural damage.

Initial Take

As bike park speeds climb and downhill tracks get rowdier, borrowing high-speed crash tech from the moto world makes a ton of sense. If the stretch mesh breathes well enough for mid-summer laps and the algorithm stays quiet through heavy compressions, Alpinestars might just set a new bar for high-gravity protection.

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The TechAir MX system costs a pretty penny ($699.95 USD), but it might all be worth it for the peace of mind that it provides. If you already have a Tech-Air MX vest, you unfortunately won’t be able to download and apply the Downhill Algorithm via the app, as this feature is only available on Tech-Air MX vests sold after September 1st. This also applies to all the other algorithms that Alpinestars is rolling out (MX, MX Race, Enduro, or Rally profiles). This is a bummer for those who already own the system, and could cause some confusion when purchasing these from a 3rd party.

Targeted directly at high-pressure drop-bar builds and lightweight cross-country tire setups running between 35 and 100 psi, Rolled Gold addresses three main pain points: rotational weight, setup hassle, and clogged tubeless valves.

Less Fluid, Less Rotational Mass

The core hook here is fluid efficiency. Because higher tire pressures drive fluid toward an opening faster, Stan re-engineered the chemistry to use a high density of smaller particles suspended in 100% natural latex.

Lab testing shows a 700c x 28mm tire requires just 35ml of Rolled Gold to seal, compared to 50ml of Stan’s Original and a competitive average of 55ml. That is over 35% less liquid sloshing around inside your rim. For XC racers counting grams or gravel riders looking to trim rotating weight at the outer edge of the wheel, those saved milliliters add up fast.

Less Clogged Valves

Unlike Stan’s Race Day sealant- which requires unseating the tire bead because its large latex crystals instantly clog valve cores – Rolled Gold flows freely through standard valve stems via a syringe or squeeze bottle. You get rapid-sealing protection without having to re-seat a stubborn tire bead on the shop floor.

Stan’s swapped out petrochemical-derived synthetic latex for sustainably sourced natural latex that meets EUDR deforestation-free standards. The natural formula features longer polymer chains with higher tensile strength, delivering stronger adhesion to rubber and casing fibers. Once cured, it stays flexible rather than turning into brittle, flaky debris over the life of the tire.

When a puncture occurs, the sudden drop in pressure causes the latex spheres to burst almost instantly. The fine suspended particles accelerate mechanical abrasion to build a physical plug, sealing round punctures up to 7.8mm at 100 psi while holding a post-seal pressure of 97 psi.

The Lineup Breakdown

Stan’s isn’t replacing its existing line; they are tailoring formulas to specific disciplines:

• Stan’s Original: The versatile workhorse for low-pressure, high-volume trail and enduro tires where higher fluid volume is a benefit.
• Stan’s Race Day: Maximum clotting power for extreme conditions, but requires direct-to-casing installation due to larger particle size.
• Stan’s Rolled Gold: Purpose-built for 35–100 psi applications (XC MTB, Gravel, Road), saving fluid weight while maintaining easy valve injection.

Pricing and Availability

Formulated, mixed, and bottled at Stan’s headquarters in Big Flats, New York, Rolled Gold operates across a temperature range of -20°F to 120°F. It is available in 60ml ($5.50), 125ml ($11.00), and 500ml ($29.50) options.

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If you run high-volume trail rubber at low pressures, stick with Original. But if you’re running tight XC treads or fast gravel rubber and want to drop rotating mass without sacrificing fast seals or valve convenience, Rolled Gold warrants a look.

Explore Rolled Gold at Stans.com

The event marks the fourth time that the classic Italian Dolomites mountain venue in northern Italy’s Trentino region is hosting the showcase event. Over the course of five jam-packed days, August 26-30, 17 rainbow jerseys will be awarded to victorious racers across five disciplines.

Who will shine in Val di Sole, which simply translates to sunny valley, over the days ahead?

The buzz in the Italian village of Daolasa di Commezzadura may be swirling around Pidcock and Van der Poel, but the championships’ talent runs deeper than ever with host nation Italy, Switzerland, the United States, Austria, and a powerful French squad of 53 athletes expected to battle for coveted medals. And you can bet your morning cappuccino that the proud Italians will do everything imaginable to cook up something special in their own backyard. The loyal Italian “Tifosi” will be cheering on their every pedal stroke.

“The Flying Dutchman” Van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech), who won World Cup cross-country and short track races in Val di Sole in 2019, and the two-time Olympic cross-country and world champion Pidcock are coming off inspiring Tour de France campaigns on their road bikes. Van der Poel blazed to two stage wins, including outdueling yellow jersey winner Tadej Pogacar on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, while Great Britain’s Pidcock finished a career-best ninth overall.

This past Sunday in Les Gets, France, Van der Poel returned to the fat tires and rode near the front of a five-man lead group for much of the latter part of the eight-lap cross-country race. He temporarily grabbed the lead before ultimately being passed and defeated by 23-year-old Frenchman Adrien Boichis (Specialized Factory Racing). The incredibly versatile Van der Poel appeared satisfied with his second-place result, his quick transition from pavement to dirt appearing seamless, despite his comments.

“It’s never really easy, of course it’s a completely different effort, but I enjoy trying to make the switch and it’s always a challenge for me,” Van der Poel told TNT Sports. “Hopefully, I’ll have my best legs in Val di Sole.”

Witnessing a Van der Poel versus Pidcock duel in Sunday’s XCO cross-country race would undoubtedly thrill legions of bike racing fans. The 27-year-old Pidcock arrives in Val di Sole having already flourished on trails this season, most notably a victory in Novo Mesto, Czechia, in late May. 

Defending XCO world champion Alan Hatherley of South Africa and Les Gets winner Boichis should also fight for medals, while 2024 Olympian and 2021 short track world champion Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) leads a talented U.S. squad, including fellow Coloradans Bjorn Riley (Scott-Sram MTB Racing), a six-time national champion and currently third in the World Cup standings, and 2024 Olympian Riley Amos.

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Blunck On Track for First Individual World Champs Gold 

It will be ladies first in the XCO races on Sunday. Blevin’s fellow U.S. Olympian Savilia Blunck (Decathlon Ford Racing) has shown top form, riding with poise and confidence, fresh off two podium finishes in Les Gets (third in cross-country and short track).

“I’m learning how to trust myself more and more, and just how to repeat my routine – I think to be consistent at the top, year after year, as the races get bigger and the pressure builds, you have go back to the process of what works for you and stay super rooted in that,” Blunck said, ahead of her ninth attendance of the World Championship races.

The 27-year-old Californian has amassed 10 podiums this season and nabbed her first UCI World Cup cross-country short track victory in a thrilling photo finish in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, in June. A first individual world championship medal in Italy would certainly be the cherry on top of a breakthrough season for Blunck.

Team USA XCO will be rounded out by 2024 Olympic silver medalist Haley Batten, Gwendolyn Gibson, and Madigan Munro. They’ll need to execute at their best as the women’s field is stacked, highlighted by the Netherlands Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Olympic gold medalists Jenny Rissveds of Sweden (Rio 2016) and Jolanda Neff of Switzerland (Tokyo 2020). Neff’s Swiss teammate Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) rides the momentum of two impressive triumphs in Les Gets.

North America Versus Europe in Men’s Elite Downhill

Shifting into high gear for Saturday’s elite downhill race on the vaunted Black Snake course, U.S. riders expected to contend for world championship hardware include rising star Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing TRP) and Ryan Pinkerton (Mondraker Factory Racing DH). Last weekend in France, Vermette bolted into the lead before settling for sixth, while Pinkerton ended a respectable tenth. 

Vermette, propelled by a season-opening downhill triumph in South Korea, stands second in the UCI World Cup standings, only trailing Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity) by 146 points. Pinkerton stands fifth overall. Two final races in North America will decide the title.

The extroverted and sometimes enigmatic defending world champion Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate), 22, will be gunning full gas to achieve a second consecutive title for Canada. Nineteen-year-old rising star Max Alran seeks to duplicate his magical victory in Les Gets, swarmed by fanatical French fans in the finish area in what quickly became a viral wild scene seconds after he crossed the line.

Can Newkirk Shine for the U.S. in Women’s Downhill

On the ladies’ side, Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing/TRP) is Team USA’s brightest hope to prosper in downhill, currently fourth in the World Cup standings. The 25-year-old is a three-time national champion and has attained 18 career World Cup podiums. She performed well in Les Gets, finishing fifth, two seconds behind the winning pace of Great Britain’s Harriet Harnden (AON Racing).

While Harnden may have stolen her thunder in France, 25-year-old Austrian rock star Valentina Höll (Commercial Schwab) always arrives at major races as the one to beat, and Val di Sole will be no different. The dominant Red Bull athlete from Salzburg is a downhill virtuoso and will be charging fearlessly for an insane fifth consecutive elite world championship downhill crown.

First Medals Awarded on Wednesday

World Championship competition in Italy kicked off on Wednesday morning with men’s and women’s E-Mountain Bike cross-country races. Medals will also be awarded later in the day in the mixed team cross-country relay, a race involving six riders per nation across various age categories. Blunck and U.S. teammates strive to duplicate or improve upon their silver-medal showing from the 2021 Worlds in Val di Sole. Their toughest competition will come from host Italy, France, and Switzerland.

Live streaming coverage of the Val di Sole-Trentino World Championships is available in the U.S. and Canada via FloBikes

Follow Brian Pinelli on Instagram – @brian_pinelli

While Bafang might not be a super recognizable name in mountain biking specifically, they are common on commuter and utility e-bikes, with their hub-drive motors being the ones that most are familiar with. They make some ridiculously powerful e-bike motors – you know, the ones on those e-motos that all the kids are riding where they shouldn’t be – the ones all over the news. I digress, as those are hub-drive motors and they don’t really have an application in the eMTB space.

It is the mid-drive motors that we’re all used to seeing on eMTBs these days, and the Bafang M560RS looks to be the most powerful mid-drive eMTB motor on the market. It is, however, more than just the power output that matters; weight is a factor that the Bafang cannot match compared to the Avinox M2S. The Bafang weighs 3.3kg (~7.25 lb), whereas the Avinox M2S is just 2.59 kg (~5.7 lb), but the Avinox also has an edge in the batteries it uses to power the motor.

Although the Bafang M560 is more powerful than anything else on the market, it gets even gnarlier with HPC, which offers a complete bike built around a modified version of this motor capable of 2000 watts and 185 Nm of torque.

Bafang has also announced the M510RS, with 110 Nm of peak torque (120–130 Nm in boost) and a max power output of 1100W (36V) / 1300W (48V). This seems to be a more “refined” offering from the brand, but it still delivers a crazy amount of power for what is still technically a pedal bike.

I won’t get into my thoughts on this here, but I certainly have some thoughts on the matter…

The result is Sixfinity, which recently graced the Yeti LT, a long-travel enduro machine, and now breaks ground with a 140mm-travel trail bike that has everyone talking. Here is the what, why, and how of the all-new Yeti MT.

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The new Yeti MT is a trail bike designed to replace the wildly popular SB130 and SB140 models, as we just went over. It is built to climb efficiently while handling aggressive, loose descents without compromise, thanks to the new Sixfinity suspension design.

As we saw with the LT, Yeti is moving away from the Switch Infinity design and adopting the new Sixfinity system, a 6-bar design that allows for finer tuning of the suspension kinematics, making a bike that not only climbs better but descends better, too. It’s just better. This change also makes for a more maintenance-friendly bike by sunsetting the sliding links found in the Switch Infinity system.

• Travel: 140mm rear / 160mm front
• Wheel Size: 29-inch
• Frame Material: TURQ Series Carbon (with new Vectran reinforcement)
• Bottom Bracket: Threaded BSA
• Price: $11,500 USD – $8,000 USD ($4,600 USD Frame/shock)

Unlike the Yeti LT, the MT is a little less complex, with only one flip-chip, no MX wheel compatibility, and a more versatile travel range. However, the MT borrows more design features than just the Sixfinity from the MT, including proportional chainstays and a taller stack height across sizes.

The Yeti MT Build Kits and Geometry

The geometry is as you’d expect from a bike in this arena, with a 64.5-degree headtube angle and a 77-degree seat tube angle. The stack is also a tad higher, and the ZS44/56 headset means you could run a reach-adjust headset if needed.

The price is also predictably “Yeti”, with the top-tier build coming in at $11,500 USD for full SRAM XX AXS and the “cheapest” option being $8,000 USD for a mix of SRAM Eagle 90 and XO. What I find interesting is that for only $500 USD more, you could upgrade to the Shimano XT Di2 build. There is also a frame/shock (Fox Float X) option available for $4,600 USD if you want to build a custom bike.

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Yeti MT Overview

The Yeti MT and LT signal a massive shift in Yeti’s trail bike lineup. By stepping away from the long-standing SB naming convention and Switch Infinity platform, the MT brings the top-tier, downhill-bred Sixfinity suspension into a versatile, all-day 140mm trail machine that looks really appealing.

The Move to Sixfinity Suspension

The most significant change to the MT is the retirement of Yeti’s iconic Switch Infinity suspension platform (which had been standard since 2014). The MT adopts the Sixfinity six-bar suspension layout.

This design drives anti-squat up hard through the pedaling zone for highly efficient climbing, and drops it off sharply deeper in the stroke so the rear wheel tracks perfectly and feels loose and forgiving on rowdy descents.

Three-Position Flip Chip

Unlike the recently released LT, the MT is much less adjustable, with just one flip chip at the lower shock mount. The MT has a tunable leverage rate via this flip chip, allowing riders to switch among three leverage curves. Crucially, adjusting this chip changes the suspension feel (from supportive/efficient to extra bottom-out resistance) without altering the bike’s geometry, head angle, reach, or anti-rise.

“The Cavity” In-Frame Storage

To meet modern trail bike demands, Yeti has introduced The Cavity, a nice nod to the running joke that only dentists can afford Yeti bikes. This is a fully integrated downtube storage compartment that lets you stash tools, a spare tube, or an extra layer directly in the frame, helping you ditch the riding pack.

Vectran-Reinforced Carbon Layup

Yeti is utilizing a new layup for the MT’s TURQ series carbon frame that integrates Vectran. This specialized reinforcement adds significant impact strength and durability to the frame, particularly against rock strikes, without adding noticeable weight to the overall build.

Transition athletes Johny Salido and Trevor McCutcheon grabbed their Regulators and set out to explore as much of Crested Butte as possible. In recent years, the Regulator has been the tool of choice for them and their athletes to get the most out of a place when time is of the essence. The result would be three epic days in the Crested Butte valley, covering 128 miles of trails with 17,000 ft of elevation gained and 21,000 ft of elevation descended.

While I haven’t ridden the Regulator CX, I was lucky enough to spend time on the Regulator SX, a bike that left a lasting and positive impact on my perception of eMTBs, and I’ll bet that the CX is just as fun, if not more so, with the larger battery and increased power. Regardless of the bike, the 72 hours spent in Crested Butte looked like one hell of a ride.

Crested Butte sits in the heart of Colorado’s Elk Mountain Range, making it the perfect backdrop for endless mountain views and trail networks that connect hidden valleys and high peaks. The crew set out to ride some of the valley’s most celebrated trails, including Teo Ridge, the Mount Crested Butte Bike Park trails, 409.5, as well as several Hartman Rocks favorites in the nearby town of Gunnison, Colorado.

Crested Butte is made for mountain biking, and its trails show it. While some of the most scenic riding can feel a little janky on 90-degree switchbacks, the valley’s trails encourage speed with perfectly arched corners and plenty of flowy ribbons. The town of Crested Butte sits in the center of the trails, making it an easy place to refuel and recharge the bikes and body mid- and post-ride.

Head over to reride.oneupcomponents.com to check it out

We’ve all spent enough time on Facebook Marketplace hunting for parts or lowballing randoms for a last-minute piece of gear. On the flip side, we’ve all gotten really good at accumulating parts that we swear we’ll use someday.

Marketplace Details

• Seller Terms & Payouts: Sellers create listings using photos, brief item histories, and set prices. Once an order is sold, an automated prepaid shipping label is generated, and sellers have 7 days to ship the order. Sellers can opt to receive payout as either 80% cash sent directly to their bank account or up to 120% in OneUp store credit.

• Buyer Protections: Buyers complete purchases at reride.oneupcomponents.com. Upon delivery, buyers have a 72-hour inspection window to verify that the item matches its listing description before payment is released to the seller; if misrepresentations are found, buyers receive a full refund.

• Platform Tools: The marketplace offers automated price drop options, automated listing reminders, nationwide promotion to OneUp shoppers, and “In Search Of” notifications with custom product filtering.

This is a pretty unique program we haven’t really seen in the bike industry before, and it will be interesting to see what comes of it. I can see the use case pretty clearly, as there are plenty of Marketplace listings in which people are looking to trade seatposts for a different size or swap bars for a different height or width. But from my experience, once I’ve got a OneUp component, it stays in rotation until it’s completely FUBAR.

This new peer-to-peer online marketplace for mountain bikers to buy and sell certified pre-owned OneUp products is currently live for riders across the United States and Canada. It aims to keep bike parts on the trail and out of storage bins by giving used gear a second life, and from browsing the site, it looks to be a great way to save a ton of money on OneUp gear.

“For years, the industry approached gravel tires by just slapping thick, heavy rubber onto traditional road tire carcasses. We approached the Protocol lineup by first looking at lower-pressure dynamics. By optimizing casing ply angles, tread profiles, and material science together, we’ve created a tire platform that is faster, lighter, and more supple without sacrificing durability.“
– Joshua Poertner, CEO of SILCA

Silca has, for years, been sweating the small stuff when it comes to maintenance and drivetrain efficiency. It’s not some vague statement or snake oil; they really spend the time testing and unfolding the layers of performance that cyclists love to obsess over. The new tires are no different. Rather than picking off-the-shelf treads, casings, and beads, Silca cooked up something fresh and tested it against the biggest tire manufacturers in the game.

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The new Protocol tires from Silca come in four different tread patterns, each suited to different conditions and requirements. One is for road riding, and three are for gravel, all with the same design approach that makes them unique. Every Protocol tire uses a 120 TPI casing for a more supple ride, SealSkin puncture protection, and Silca’s own Pulsar rubber compound. All these components are bound around a carbon-fiber tire bead rather than the more common Kevlar bead. This means the tires maintain a more consistent size throughout their entire life. In short, Silca claims these will be faster, easier to mount, and the best option for anyone looking to gain an advantage on race day.

Each tire comes in three size options, except for the 32” tire, which at this time will just be available in 32” x 2.4”. Every gravel tire, which Silca calls RCG, comes in 700 x 45, 50, and 55mm options that meet most riders’ demands for modern gravel tires. The RCG tire family includes the RCG-1, RCG-3, and RCG-4, with the RCG-1 as the hard-pack, fast-rolling pick and the RCG-4 as the most aggressive mud tire. The RCG-3 is, as expected, the mid-option for those who want a balance of fast rolling and larger lugs.

The focus of the Silca Protocol tires appears balanced, and Silca took a somewhat new approach to gravel tire design. They noticed that most tire manufacturers start with a road or touring tire and beef it up or tweak it to create a gravel tire. Silca decided to start with an XC MTB tire and adjust it as needed to create a gravel tire. The balance of lightweight structure, with a greater focus on tread design and attention to side knobs, results in tires designed and tested in the most demanding gravel race conditions on the calendar.

Every Protocol tire is priced at $99 USD and is available for pre-order via the Silca website, with tires expected to ship in September of 2026. 

Silca RCG-1 Details

• 45, 50, 55mm options
• 460g in 45mm, 510g in 50mm, 535g in 55mm
• 120 TPI
• GhostShield Protection
• Fastest Pulsar compound
• Width as measured on a 25mm rim after 24 hours
• Designed for the fastest of gravel courses such as Gravel Worlds, SBT, etc
• Ramped center tread for increased grip and decreased rolling resistance
• Side knobs for increased grip in loose over hard conditions
• Race Casing for flat-out speed

Silca RCG-3 Details

• 45, 50, 55mm options
• 495g in 45mm, 540g in 50mm, 590g in 55mm
• 120 TPI
• SealSkin Protection Layer
• Fastest Pulsar compound
• Width as measured on a 25mm rim after 24 hours
• Designed for courses like Unbound and Big Sugar
• Moderate tread pattern for increased grip while keeping rolling resistance low
• Ideal when used on Category 3 gravel
• Race Casing for flat-out speed

Silca RCG-4 Details

• 45, 50, 55mm options
• 545g in 45mm, 620g in 50mm, 650g in 55mm
• 120 TPI
• SealSkin Bead-to-Bead Protection
• Fastest Pulsar compound
• Width as measured on a 25mm rim after 24 hours
• Designed for mud and extreme conditions
• Aggressive knob spacing for mud shedding and increased grip

Silca RCR Tire Details

• 29, 34, 38mm options
• 290g in 29mm, 320g in 34mm, 350g in 38mm
• 120 TPI
• SealSkin Tread Protection
• Fastest Pulsar compound
• Width as measured on a 25mm rim after 24 hours
• Designed for race conditions

The Lectric XPress2 is a powerful and smooth-riding commuter-style e-bike. It’s easy to use, so you’ll be excited to saddle up before heading to work. And its size and bike geometry feel agile and controllable, making the XPress2 approachable for all cyclists. Honestly, it felt a lot like a regular bicycle, except with some great features that make it super fun to ride and a series of upgrades that set it apart from older generations. 

A best-in-class SR SunTour XCM 32 suspension fork provides shock absorption on bumpy roads. And the Stealth M24 Motor packs plenty of power for daily commutes. But the best part is Lectric’s in-house-designed torque sensor programming (more on that later). Now, let’s unbox this bike and get into some of the details. 

Lectric XPress2 eBike

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Build Details for the XPress2 Commuter

The XPress2 comes in two different frame styles: the step-thru cruiser and the high-step commuter. The step-thru cruiser comes in two colorways, Stratus White and Raindrop Blue. Meanwhile, the high-step commuter comes in Tempest Grey and Pine Green. I tested the high-step commuter version of the XPress in Pine Green, and I really like this color!

Regardless of the frame type, you will benefit from a couple of important upgrades compared to the original XPress. The upgrades include an SR Suntour suspension fork, Star Union 602 hydraulic disc brakes, a Shimano Altus 8-speed drivetrain, and an updated Thin-Film Transistor Liquid-Crystal Display (TFT LCD) color display. 

• Motor: Stealth M24 Motor with 85Nm of torque.
• Battery: A removable 48V, 14Ah (672Wh) lithium-ion battery integrated on the down tube.
• Controls: TFT LCD display with a USB-C port provides trip, battery, & power intelligence on the go.
• Frame and Fork: Aluminum diamond high-step frame with best-in-class SR SunTour XCM 32 suspension fork with up to 80mm of travel.
• Drivetrain: 11-32 tooth, 8-speed freewheel paired with a Shimano Altus derailleur and a below-the-bar trigger shifter, forged aluminum, 46-tooth custom chainring with a KMC Z8 steel chain.
• Wheels and Tires: Puncture-resistant 27.5” x 2.1” slick tires with a specially designed, ultra-fast thru-axle attachment system for the front wheel.
• Brakes: Star Union 602 hydraulic brakes paired with 180mm rotors (2.3mm thick).
• Weight: Total bike weight is 60lbs with the 8lb battery removed.
• MSRP: $1,744

I was psyched to learn about the upgrades on the XPress2! The SunTour front fork offers 80mm of forgiving squish. I needed it when navigating the less-than-ideal road conditions in my hometown. Nowadays, suspension just feels like a no-brainer. Maybe I’m getting old. I think I want to add Lectric’s suspension seatpost to the XPress2 for an even softer ride. 

As an aggressive rider, I was also pleased to see that Lectric upped the ante with the Star Union 602 hydraulic disc brakes. Those things brought me to a screeching halt whenever I needed them. But beware, the tires are slicks and can skid and slide out during heavy braking. 

And the updated 3.5”  TFT LCD was a big step forward. It was cleaner, crisper, and much more aesthetic. A very nice touch compared to the display on the Lectric XPedition2 that I tested and reviewed. 

The other stock components seemed to walk the line between high-quality enough and not top-shelf, which is the sweet spot Lectric dominates. For example, I am slightly skeptical of the no-name tires. Lectric calls them “puncture resistant” and says they have “slime” to prevent flats, but I am almost certain they’ll bite the dust after some serious riding.  The worst part is that I found the front wheel to be out of true. It wobbles slightly and needs to be tuned up. And the front wheel fender is plastic and flimsy, but so far it works. 

Besides the out-of-true front wheel, the rest of the install was pretty smooth. I really like the quick-release aluminum pedals. And the ultra-fast thru-axle was super easy to install also.  I only needed Allen keys to install and fine-tune the handlebar setup.  Installing the saddle was easy too. And adjustments are simple with the quick-release seatpost collar. But once again, I felt like I was maxing out the stem in order to get my  6’2” frame sitting comfortably. And unfortunately, the saddle is begging to be replaced with something higher quality and more comfortable. 

Real-World Motor and Battery Performance

Lectric’s XPress2 is classified as a class 2 e-bike, meaning it has a throttle and pedal assist, with motor assistance up to 20 mph. However, Lectric also says the XPress2 can be unlocked to Class 3 settings, which raises pedal-assist speed to up to 28 mph. I’ve yet to unlock my XPress2, but the speed demon in me is class 3 curious. 

The XPress2 Commuter has five riding modes with new, simplified labels: Eco, Tour, Sport, Sport+, and Turbo. Lectric advertises that the XPress2 has up to 60 miles of range on its 48V, 14Ah battery. But I didn’t find any specific estimates for the five modes. 

Obviously, your exact range will vary depending on the riding mode you’ve selected. Generally speaking, advertised battery ranges seem to be slightly inflated compared to real-world performance. There’s normally a 20-40% difference.

During my testing, I exclusively rode in Tour or Sport modes. I found the Eco mode to be too slow, especially considering the XPress2 weighs almost 70  pounds, including the battery. I guess Eco would suffice if I had to limp home with a low battery. But to avoid that, I recharged overnight. 

Xpress2 Ride Impressions: Nimble, Sporty, and Versatile

I found the XPress2 Commuter shreddable right from the get-go. It was nimble and sporty-feeling. Lectric’s Hybrid Sprint™ handlebars played a big part in creating this ride experience.  The fixed stem design of the Hybrid Sprint™ bars is simple, sleek, and effective. And the lock-on grips felt comfortable in my hands.  Overall, I was able to ride the XPress2 in an athletic, active riding position where I felt confident and in control.

Worth noting: on the step-thru version of the XPress2, you get Lectric’s  Comfort Curve™ Handlebars. With these handlebars, you get more adjustability, and you’re positioned much more upright. This is an important distinction and has a massive impact on the ride experience you’re chasing. 

Regarding the bike’s geometry, the diamond-shaped, high-step frame also contributed to the sporty, smooth ride experience. The reinforced top tube made the bike feel stable at higher speeds. I also really liked the integrated battery in the bicycle’s down tube. The seamless design improves aerodynamics and lets me charge the bike without removing the battery. I can pull into the garage, plug it in, and forget about it. No additional faffing with keys to unlock the battery. 

The XPress2’s shape and handlebar design are not the only factors that contribute to its fun-to-ride feel. The other big component is Lectric’s XPerience Switch™ technology. XPerience Switch™ lets you choose between responsive pedaling and standard pedaling by switching between a torque and cadence sensor. 

• Torque mode: Assistance responds to how hard you pedal, so it feels more like a traditional bike with electric support layered on top.
• Cadence mode: Assistance engages more smoothly as you pedal, making the bike feel easier and more relaxed to ride.

In other words, the torque sensor offered me a more natural, smooth feel with intuitive power that responds to my pedal pressure. This was my jam! On the other hand, the cadence sensor provides power with each pedal revolution. The cadence sensor option is better for beginners or riders seeking a more relaxed ride.

Lectric XPress2 eBike

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Who is the Lectric XPress2 For?

The XPress2 Commuter (with the diamond high-step frame) is best for urban commuters who like to travel fast and seek a sportier riding experience. On the other hand, the step-thru XPress is better for more casual riders. 

I really enjoyed the bike for after-work rides when sunlight was already waning. I could blast around town, get some miles, and get home before dark.  On nights when I was out after dark, the integrated 90-lumen headlamp lit the way, and the brake-activated rear light (with turn signals) signaled my location to automobile traffic.

And it was super helpful for simple errands, like riding to the coffee shop where I am writing this review!  For commuting, a nice touch was the factory-installed rear rack. You can add Lectric’s pannier bags to upgrade your carrying capacity. But what I appreciated was that the rear rack’s design played nice with the Ortlieb panniers I already owned. 

Final Thoughts: An affordable and approachable e-bike for simple commuting

After testing, it became clear that the XPress2 Commuter is a sporty yet approachable e-bike for simple commuting, light-duty hauling, and recreational bike rides. It’s ideal for everyday commuters who want to spend more time outside and less time in the car. With the included rear rack, you can add panniers to easily carry your laptop and lunch and stop for a few groceries on the way home. 

It’s also ideal for folks who just like fun bike rides and exploring town. The 750W rear hub motor peaks at 1310 Watts and delivers plenty of juice to satisfy the need for speed and to climb hills. However, for riders looking for a different aesthetic, higher-end components, and higher-quality tuning straight out of the box, the XPress2 may not hit the mark. 

Not all dogs come in small, medium, or large sizes. There’s a bit of variability when it comes to the legs, body, and how far apart these things are in relation to each other. That being the case, a backpack that fits a dog needs to be adjustable and somewhat adaptable to the different shapes that dogs come in.

K9 Sport Sack Air Details

• MSRP: $99.95 USD
• Ventilated side panels for cooling 
• Side pocket to carry your hydration or snacks
• Wide and secure base
• Side Mesh for venting
• Three support Straps
• Adjustable Collar Enclosure

A Dog In A Backpack: The Basics

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Not having a dog-specific backpack never really stopped me from riding with my dude, though. Since he was just a pup, I had been carrying him in random backpacks, basket racks, and tote bags, so he wasn’t a stranger to the feeling of being on the move with me. I think this is the most important thing to consider when traveling with your dog strapped to your back. It can be a jarring experience for most dogs and will likely feel pretty strange at first. When we first started riding with him on our backs, the most important thing to reinforce was how much fun it was. We brought plenty of treats and kept it light by talking to him in excited voices. This, paired with short rides to the park or river, just drove the point. Now, Grover is always stoked to see any backpack come out, not just the one he gets to ride in.

Picking The Right Bag

I started my hunt with the Little Chonk backpack. It made the most sense, seeing as our dog was a Corgi-mix. Looking past the slightly cringey millennial brand name, the bag seemed to check all the boxes, so we ordered the small and medium to test them side by side, since our little dude was right in between sizes. Unfortunately, both bags from Little Chonk didn’t quite fit our small dog, so we returned them and started the search again.

We then landed on the K9 Sport Sacks Air bag. This is the brand’s bag designed for dogs up to 25lbs. It features vented side panels, a side pocket, and adjustable straps to keep dogs secure while cruising. The large zipper opening on the back allows for easy entry and exit while still feeling super secure on the bike or when we’re just hiking around. The position is upright and super comfortable for the dog and me, and they also offer a booster panel that can take up any space at the bottom of the pack if your dog doesn’t quite fit.

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We’ve done tons of rides with this bag, and in the years we’ve had it, there are no signs of anything falling apart. The seams are sturdy, the zipper still zips, and all the straps remain fray-free. The bag is also washable, which has come in handy since it’s not rare for us to take a dip in the river, resulting in the loading and hauling of a soggy doggy, and getting the stink out of the bag is essential.

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The shoulder straps on the bag are pretty comfortable, and I get why the larger K9 Sport Sacks bags come with hip straps. Our guy is just under the limit for the Air at 22 lbs, and on rides longer than 20 miles, I do start to feel the weight a little on my shoulders, but it’s really not that bad at all.

Is It Worth It?

Yes.

Overall, I’ve been really impressed with the K9 Sport Sacks Air, and we certainly get a ton of compliments on it when cruising around town. The best part is being able to take our littlest homie on bike rides and hikes without worrying about his little legs getting too tired. I would (and do) highly recommend the K9 Sport Sacks gear to anyone looking to bring their furry friends on more bike rides.

Shop my favorite dog carriers at K9sportsack.com

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