2013 Magura Suspension Forks – Technical Overview & Actual Weights

2012-2013 Magura suspension fork technology overview

As we learned at Sea Otter, Magura has revised their naming scheme for the suspension to match up with the brakes. Forks are no longer Thor, Durin, etc. They’re now TS (Team Suspension) with TS6 and TS8 levels. They also introduced their first 29er fork, which is an entirely new casting, and a 650B compatible series. Both use their dual arch design and are only available with the thru axle and post mounts for a minimum 180mm rotor. You can use a larger 203mm rotor, too, with an adapter.

Bounce past the break for more info…

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Bikerumor Bike Shop Video Challenge: BikeBike – Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Bikerumor Bike Shop Video Challenge entry from BikeBike out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This video was a part of their Back To School series of videos from last year and is NOT going on now. Check out part 2 and part 3 of their crazy videos.

We will be closing the Bike Shop Video Challenge on May 31st – so get your videos in ASAP! The Bikerumor staff will select our top 5 and let you vote on the winner during the first week of June. Winning shop will get a feature interview on Bikerumor.com and the Bikerumor Cup trophy!

How to Break Into the Cycling Industry – Foundry, Whisky Parts Co Brand Manager Jason Grantz

Jason Grantz Trail Shot

We’ve known Jason ever since he gave us a tour of Cane Creek’s North Carolina factory. Since then, he’s moved on and for a long time, he wouldn’t actually tell us what he was working on other than to say it was cool. We know now he was busy starting up two new brands in QBP’s incubator environment. Here’s how he got there…

BIKERUMOR: Who are you and what are you doing here?

JASON: I’m Jason Grantz and I am proud to be employed by Quality Bicycle Products. Currently, I am Brand Manager for a pair of upstart brands: Whisky Parts Co., and Foundry Cycles. Being a Brand Manager is akin to being a business unit manager, or even an entrepreneur. I am responsible for managing the development of the brands from the ground-up. I manage our investment capital (from QBP) and work with my staff on everything from product development to sales and marketing.

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Contest: The Sun Valley Single Track Remedy

Know someone suffering from Single Track Deficit Disorder (STDD)? Nominate your friend and both of you could win a trip to Sun Valley, Idaho, July 1st-8th – coinciding with the 2012 USA Cycling National Mountain Bike Championships! Read all the info and enter here.

Bikerumor Monday Mystery Pic

bikerumor mystery pic

Photo from the collection of Jeff Archer of First Flight Bicycles. If you think you know what this is, post your answer in the ‘comments’ section– the correct answer will be posted there on Tuesday!

To send in your own Mystery Pic to be considered for the Monday feature, click here and attach your photo with all pertinent information.

Pinarello Getting Dirty? Dogma XC 29er Mountain Bike Teaser!

2013 Pinarello Dogma XC 29er hardtail mountain bike teaser

Details are pretty much nonexistent for this one, but Pinarello’s South African distributor, ASG Sports, has teased a foray into modern mountain bikes for the Italian brand.

Apparently dubbed the Pinarello Dogma XC 29er, we’re guessing it takes their asymmetric frame design and applies it to a carbon fiber hardtail race bike. The image above is found on ASG Sports’ Facebook page. Click the image to enlarge and you’ll see it’s coming September 2012. More as we get it.

Fox Unveils 2013 iCD Electronic Suspension Remote System, More! (UPDATED)

2013 Fox iRD and iCD electronic suspension remote system

If you recall from their recent 2013 product updates, Fox is taking a more integrated approach to front and rear suspension and has revised their damping characteristics to provide tunes optimized for climbing, “trail” and descending. The old 1-2-3 Pro Pedal settings are replaced across the range with CTD settings instead, with some models getting some additional adjustment within the Trail setting.

Look a little further back in time and you may recall their iRD (intelligent Ride Dynamics) intro at Interbike last fall with the electronic shock/fork set up app and pump. iRD is Fox’s categorization for electronic products “employing non-traditional solutions to help customers improve their ride experience.”

The first big product under iRD to hit production will be the Float iCD (intelligent Climb Descend) electronic remote switch. This is pretty much exactly what we speculated it would be after seeing it on Kabush’s Sea Otter winning Scott Spark 29er: it’s an electronic switch to toggle between Climb and Descend modes on the fork and, on full sussers, the shock.

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Keen Intros Harvest III Line – Upcycled Messenger Bag, Backpack, More, Made of Used Car Airbags

Keen Harvest III Messenger Bag

This fall, Keen is releasing the Harvest III line, a gear series created from upcycled car airbags.

The Harvest III line includes a backpack, a messenger bag, a tote bag and two wallets. A company that strives itself on the idea of hybrid innovation, Keen collected airbags that would go to waste. After undergoing a dying process, the scrap materials are re-purposed into complete and finished made-in-the-USA products.

Each bag is hand numbered and hand signed by the manufacturer. Pictured above is the Harvest III Messenger, priced at $120. Click ‘more’ for the rest of the line…

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Paul Components Minimoto V-Brakes Now Available

Paul Components Mini Moto V-Brakes Now Available

Alongside a bunch more new items in Paul Components NAHBS booth were these Minimoto linear pull brakes, and they’re now shipping.

The Minimoto is a compact V-brake designed to work with short pull levers, which includes standard drop bar road bike levers. This lets you run your standard brake/shift lever road group and get the right amount of leverage at the brakes without any force amplifying gizmos in between. It’s also way easier to install and set up than traditional ‘cross cantilevers.

Claimed weight is 108g per wheel and retail is $129 (update: per wheel). They’re available in silver or black ano, come with Kool Stop pads and use Paul’s easy quick release design and sealed stainless steel pivot bushings.

Hammacher Schlemmer’s Rearview Camera – Minivan Tech Now Available For Bikes

Hammacher Rearview Camera Main

Hammacher Schlemmer is out with a rearview camera to compete with Cerevellum’s Hindsight. Though it may be the epitome of visual bulk, Hammacher’s Bicycle Rearview Camera can be picked up for a tad cheaper than the tech-loaded Cerevellum. It retails at $180 compared to Cerevellum’s $299.

Hammacher’s Bicycle Rearview Camera doesn’t provide any fancy tech, instead fulfilling only the basic promise – a screen that shows what’s behind you. A quick-release 3.5 inch LCD monitor mounts to the handlebar (up to 1 1/4″ diameter) with a cable that runs to the camera. Surrounding the camera, a light-sensitive circular pattern of red LED lights flash when the sun goes down.

It’s said to be fully weather and vibration-resistant. Run time is 10 hours and it’ll charge to full in two hours. Click ‘more’ to see up-close pictures…

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New Five Ten Spring ’12 Shoes

Five Ten is shipping two new shoes for flat pedal fan boys. If you’re not familiar with the brand, the shoes have long set the gold standard for durability, comfort, and stickiness on and off the trail.

You may have seen their shoes on Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible, Ghost Protocol, or in the award-winning wingsuit stunts in Transformers 3. This summer, Twilight Breaking Dawn will be the next Hollywood vehicle for Five Ten. Teaser alert: If you’re planning on attending any concerts this summer, keep an eye out for Five Ten to hit the stage in a big way.     (more…)

Bikerumor Pic Of The Day: Single Track Kids

Ava and Ryan getting to grips with the local singletrack at 3 rock forest, above Dublin City, Irelan

Photo submitted by Joe McCall, “Ava and Ryan getting to grips with the local singletrack at 3 rock forest, above Dublin City, Ireland.”

To see more Pics of the Day, click here, and to submit your own photo to be shown to the world, go here.