As one of the rapidly growing segments of mountain biking, all mountain or enduro bikes are still a bit of an enigma. Some companies think they should be burly bikes capable of full on down hill runs with less regard for climbing, while other companies look at them as long legged XC bikes built for epic rides, but still capable of descending faster than an XC bike. More and more it seems that the market is meeting somewhere in the middle with bikes that excel at both, but to which side do you skew the design?

Commencal puts their all mountain mantra right out in the open, stating that, “a great Enduro bike is not an XC bike that can descend, but a downhill bike that can climb.” Considering that most riders I know on all mountain rigs live for the descent, Commencal’s belief is probably shared by many.

Judging by the new Meta AM, it’s also safe to say that they’re prepared to put their money where their mouth is. The new Meta is lower, longer, and offers a lower center of gravity for increased agility. Add in the 142x12mm rear end, a tapered head tube, and completely internal cable routing, even for the dropper seat post, and you have one mean enduro machine.

Jump past the break for a sweet video introduction, and bike specs!

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In the world of competitive night riding, it seems that theses days if you’re running less than 1200 lumens, you’re already behind. Companies are squeezing out insane amounts of light from the smallest packages, and the new Podda Mk3 from Radical Lights is no exception.

Weighing in at only 110g for the light and mount, with another 210 grams for the battery, you’re talking about a 1375+ lumen light that is under 350g! I think there are batteries that weigh more than that. Even more ridiculous is the fact that at Worlds, Radical Light’s riders were reportedly getting up to 6 hours battery run time meaning they only needed one stop to change batteries.

So, it’s light, powerful, and keeps a charge for quite a while, what more is there to want? What’s that? How much does it cost? If you really want to know, find out the cost along with all the specs after the break!

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I originally saw these last year at Interbike, but I didn’t have a chance to stop by and check them out. What caught my eye was, not surprisingly, their unique construction and look. Based on a similar material to D30, G-Form pads rely on PORON® XRD™ which remains flexible and comfortable, until it is hit. Once impacted the material reacts almost instantly, able to absorb up to 90% of the impact.

It seems that the G-Form product line is growing rapidly, but it’s not just for bikes. By Googling G-Form you will most likely come across their laptop or Ipad cases, which are shown fighting off the impacts from bowling balls, or drops off of a deck. Now most likely you won’t be encountering any bowling balls out on your ride, but you get the idea.

Check out the full line of flexible body armor after the break!

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On my way home from PressCamp last week, I mistakenly offered to gate check my roll-on suitcase to ease overcrowding of the overhead storage bins. I was already on the plane, so I figured I was safe…silly me. Nevermind the hellish delays and flight swaps in Atlanta (suffice to say I had to literally bum rush the overcrowded secondary flight just to get home…at 3am!), the real trouble is in the woefully inadequate reimbursement limit set by Delta (and others). Here’s what was in my suitcase, none of which I’m ever likely to see again:

My advice: Don’t ever check your cycling gear, it’s just too expensive.

Extra Live has released their Tour de France 2011 game in the iTunes App Store for both the iPhone/iPod Touch and the iPad. It lets you pick your riders and cobble together a team to compete in cycling’s biggest race, virtually. The app lets you control individual riders and the team as a whole, and you can even link in to your Facebook account to earn extra points. Pick the right strategy and collection of sprinters, climbers, roleurs and baroudeurs for the win. All 21 stages of this year’s tour are there with accurate course profiles.

Available in iPhone/iPod Touch for $2.99 and an HD iPad version for $3.99.

Photo submitted by Maciej, “Third Stage of the Beskidy MTB Trophy Race – Ochodzita.”

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

It’s become somewhat of a tradition for Trek to show off some fancy paint jobs made especially for a big event, and the 2011 Tour de France will be no different. This time however, none of the bikes will belong to Lance, though rather than relying on one guy, this year Trek has two powerhouse teams ready to take on the Alps.

Leading the charge will be the big 3 from Leopard Trek, the Schleck brothers and Cancellara, who all get their own custom paint. For the Schleck brothers it’s a classy, modern paint job with the Lions of Luxembourg and two hammers representing the Schleck’s tenacious work ethic. Frank and Andy are undoubtedly proud to represent their country, which is apparent throughout the design of the bike. Cancellara gets a bit wilder paint scheme, as Trek teamed up with Hydro74 to create an eye catching tribute to Spartacus on both the Madone 6.9 SSL and the Speed Concept 9.9.

Team RadioShack doesn’t get any one off customs, but they do get a new livery for the entire team. The design has quite a bit more white than previous versions, and will likely compliment the team kit.

Check out all of the beautiful bikes after the break!

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The 2012 Eddy Merckx UMX Mexico is designed to celebrate Eddy’s 1972 hour record, which he set in Mexico City. It has the original Eddy Merckx colour scheme with World Championships, ‘Giro’ Pink and ‘Tour’ yellow banding on the seatstays and a 525 number plate to commemorate Eddy’s 525 professional victories.

The frame is not a replica, but a fully modern hand-built lugged frame and fork with Columbus Cromor tubes and fully customized spec, including a flip-flop rear fixed/freewheel hub. Only 20 will be available in the UK with an anticipated retail price around £1100. Available Spring 2012.

More pics after the break…

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Well, this one’s certainly not lining up for the Tour de France, but chances are it’ll be hiding in plain sight (we’re hoping anyway) at Crankworx.

Kona’s new Satori 29er is a 130mm long travel mountain bike that came from their U.S. riders’ wishlist. Built using the latest standards (tapered HT, 12×142 rear axle) and a new version of their 4-bar linkage. Rather than use the very Ellsworth-looking Walking Beam like many of their other full sussers, the Satori uses a new Swing Link design that gives it a lower standover height while retaining a large degree of rider tunability.

Swing past the “more” link for the scoop…

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Joining the pre-Tour de France new bike launch frenzy, Cervelo has just released their new S5 aero road bike.

Building on the S3 and the insights gained from their P4 TT/Triathlon bikes, the 2012 Cervelo S5 brings it together for an aerodynamic road bike to compete with rigs like the Specialized Venge and Scott F01l, among others.

“If there’s one thing that’s at the core of Cervélo’s DNA, it’s pushing the envelope in an effort to make the most aerodynamically efficient bikes possible,” says Cervélo co-­?founder and CEO Phil White. “With the S5, we’ve created the fastest road bike available, but we’ve also worked incredibly hard to engineer incredible stiffness and ride quality into the frame.”

With that in mind, jump past the break for more pics and details…

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Through the end of Winter, and all Spring long, I was fortunate enough to have rain gear from O2 on hand to weather the Portland showers.  My garments of choice were the O2 Nokomis Jacket and Pant.

O2 rain gear is devolved by Rain Shield, Inc., and is a nationally distributed brand based out of Minneapolis, MN.  Their product lineup consists of affordable rain wear for the competitive cycles, as well as items geard towards the average Joe.  The Nokomis Jacket and Pant I have been testing are their top tier products, and meant for the “hard-core” cyclist.

Past the break get my full take on the gear, plus product specs and pricing.

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Specialized is on a roll with single-bike launches this year. First there was the Venge + McLaren aero road bike, now the Tarmac gets a complete overhaul with the new SL4 model and (sshhhhh) there’s a new gravity rig coming in a couple weeks.

Taking over the top of the heap, the new 2012 Specialized Tarmac SL4 is what you’ll see Contador, Porte, Vino, Kreuziger, Van Garderen and Martin will be riding in the 2011 Tour de France. The frame has been reworked to drop weight and improve both torsional and lateral rigidity by going with a one-piece bottom bracket section, widening the seatstay’s stance and modifying their King Cobra headtube, among other tweaks.

Make the jump for all the goods…

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