Bikerumor Pic Of The Day: Darcy In The Aspens

mountain biking in crested butte, colorado

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

Video: How Specialized’s New Auto-Sag Fox Shock Works

By now, you’ve probably seen Specialized’s 2012 mountain bikes, some of which include a new Auto-Sag shock built by Fox Racing Shox and exclusive to Specialized. Pretty slick.

Formula RO Brakes – Pics of the New Oval Piston Stoppers

2012 Formula RO Radial Oval hydraulic disc brake

We finally got some photos of Formula’s 2012 RO (Radial master cylinder / Oval piston) brakes. After posting the initial specs, images were put on hold, but now they’re in the open.

Using a new high volume master cylinder and ovalized pistons, the RO replaces The One and is said to offer 15% more power than the outgoing XC model, on par with 4-piston models. Bullet points and photos after the break…

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Pivot Cycles Set to Introduce Carbon Mach 5.7

Apparently, today’s the day for new carbon trail/AM bikes. While no official details have emerged so far, Pivot’s Facebook and Twitter accounts have had a steady stream of photos from the launch of their new Mach 5.7 carbon frame. Above, Chris Cocalis and Dave Weagle pose with the new frame.

Check back for all the details when they’re available!

Intense Unveils Their First Carbon Bike, the Carbine!

Carbon Fiber. Whether you agree with it or not, it is definitely gaining traction in the market, especially within the mountain bike segment. To be competitive in the Trail or All mountain category these days as far as weight is concerned, you pretty much have to have at least one carbon bike in the line up it seems.

As one of the last hold outs, Intense has resisted the carbon push and continued to put out some of the highest quality aluminum frames that were still made in the US. Apparently, Intense has actually been working on the Carbine for nearly 3 years and now has quite the bike to show for it. The result? The all new 140-152 travel Carbine All Mountain bike!

UPDATE: Actual complete bike weights and real-world photos posted here.

Jump past the break to get the details!

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Review: Avid Shorty Ultimate Cross Brake

It’s July, it’s hot, and yet I have already heard murmurs of the upcoming cross season which must mean Fall is just around the corner. It’s been just shy of a year since I first bolted on the set of shiny black and red stoppers, and since then they have been through a lot. Mud, rain, snow, lots of pavement, crashes, you name it – they’ve probably been through it.

Short of a few hiccups during installation, more often then not, the Ultimates have been stellar, but are they worth the price?

Find out after the break!

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Review: Gore Bike Wear Xenon socks

As far as I’m concerned, GORE’s Xenon socks are the socks for summer. Though they’re barely even mentioned on the company’s website, the $18 socks go a long way toward keeping my feet happy- and if my feet aren’t happy, I’m not happy.

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Bikerumor Pic Of The Day: Summer Cycling In Crested Butte

cycling in crested butte colorado

Photo submitted by Joseph.

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

Factory Tour: Ruckus Components – Carbon Fiber Repair and so much more

Ruckus Componens Shawn and Graham

What do you get when you mix a wacky engineer who specialized in composites with a guy who used to work in hospitalities but just happens to lay down killer paint work?  You get Ruckus Components! I recently had the opportunity to spend the afternoon with Shawn (left) and Graham (right) in their Ruckus Components lab.  They have created a shop environment that  is a somewhat of a mixed bag.  You will find a bit of mad science, wacky engineering, and custom fabrication / paint, along with carbon fiber repair work.

Ruckus Components Calfee Broken Headtube

The boys at Ruckus primarily focus on carbon fiber repair.  Most will find that the cost of repair is a lot less than a crash replacement frame.  So, if you happen to leave the bike on the roof of your car while entering your garage you can take it over to Ruckus and see what they can do for you.  They will inspect any carbon parts (frames, forks, wheels) and let you know if the repair is possible and the general cost ahead of time.  Typical turn around time is about two weeks.

For the rest of the images, including a customized Enve Road 1.0 fork, click through.

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Video: Crankworx Winning Run By Brandon Semenuk

Initial Reactions: Ritchey Design WCS Cockpit + Fork

Word of warning: When acquiring a retired club team racing bicycle, expect that it is going to require a lot of work.

A lot.

Of course, if you look past how used up they likely are, you can still get a great deal. That is precisely why I jumped on the chance to buy a La Grange Velo Club 2010 Cannondale CAAD9, the last of the USA-made frames. Looking at the condition of most of the parts, and the dire condition of the carbon steerer tube (which had been cut about 2cm too short) prompted an immediate call to my friends at Ritchey Design to start this project off right.

Couple emails to sort the details and within a week, a wonderful little package arrived containing the following:

  • WCS EvoCurve Alloy handlebars – these are the newest offering from Ritchey in the bar market, blending the Evolution top section which offers a 4 degree sweep and the the Curve drops which offer a compact, decreasing radius bend.
  • WCS Carbon Matrix 4-Zxis stem – this is Ritchey’s answer to the carbon stem, using a carbon/alloy construction which offers the best the both materials have to offer.
  • SuperLogic Carbon One-bolt seatpost – the lightest carbon post in their line, offering their patent pending one-bolt clamp design that makes for one of the easiest saddle adjustments you’ve ever experienced.
  • WCS UD Carbon fork – an extremely lightweight (almost half that of the carbon fork it replaced), hi-mod full carbon fork, offered with a 45mm crown to match seamlessly with most integrated headset frames.

Check out my initial reaction on the goods, plus more pictures, after the jump…

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Bikerumor Pic Of The Day: Remember Your Roots…

Photo submitted by Michael Wilkinson

Big congrats to Cadel Evans, it’s about time! XOXO Bikerumor

For a more modern take, jump past the break.

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