Photo taken on Whistler Mountain during Crankworx.

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For the most part, Giant’s 2012 mountain bike line gets the BNG treatment – Bold New Graphics.

They are carrying over the Overdrive 2 tapered headtube design recently introduced on their 2012 road bikes. The 1.25″ to 1.5″ tapered HT will be on the:

• Faith 0
• Reign X0, X1
• Reign 0, 1
• Trance X Advanced SL 0, 1
• Trance X Advanced 0, 1

…and basically all the rest of their top end 0 and 1 level bikes, including the 29ers. One interesting tidbit from my conversation with their Canadian PM was this: The OD2 design is actually only a change in the headset’s upper cup, not the frame. So, you could buy a lower level bike and upgrade later by purchasing the right stem, fork and headset. Alternately, if you have a fork and stem you really like, or you get an OD2 frames but don’t want to commit to a new standard, you’d only have to put in a smaller headset cup in the top. This also means you could potentially set up any other brand bike that has a reasonably modern tapered headtube with this new OD2 style front end.

The bike above is the new-for-2012 Trance X Advanced, a mixed media middle ground between the full carbon Trance and the all alloy model. Details and pics, including some rebadging on the women’s side, behind the break…

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Giant has joined Specialized among bicycle manufacturers spec’ing their own brand adjustable height seatposts.

Unlike Specialized’s new three-position Blacklite Command Post, Giant’s Contact Switch will drop or rise to any position within its four inches of altitude adjustment.

It’ll come in 30.9 only, with total post lengths of either 375mm or 400mm lengths. As mentioned, total adjustment is 4″.

Target weight is 535g. Inside, it’s a totally sealed cartridge system. The outer wall touching the seat tube is not the same piece that the insides slide on, providing a double wall construction so it slides smoother and shouldn’t be affected as easily by the clamping forces of the seatpost binder. A quick sit test gave a pretty smooth feel, but this was just a couple of up and downs in the parking lot.

The return speed is fixed and is about medium compared to others we’ve tried – not too fast, not too slow. The lever is easy to depress and the cable remains sealed all the way through to the top of the post, which should keep contamination at bay. Make the jump for a detail photo…

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Easton’s using Crankworx to launch a few major new DH parts in their Havoc line.

First up is the new Havoc DH 35 handlebar and stem that, yes, introduces a new standard. The handlebar comes in at a whopping 35mm outside diameter in the center, and a wide center that is. To accommodate that girth, they developed a new direct mount stem that clamps fairly far out from center a good 1/2″ wider on either side than normal.

Of course, the official launch of all this is Friday, so we’ll post some actual specs as soon as we get them. In the meantime, we’ll float the rumors of the new 150mm wide Havoc DH hub (true) and carbon Havoc DH rims (pretty likely but apparently delayed) with some teaser images after the break…

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Orbea has just added new cycling travel adventure trips that focus on experiencing an area’s culture rather than following an event or course, and great riding of course.

This will offer three trips, The Wine & Fish Route (Sept. 3-11, Road), Ocean MTB Sahara Experience (Dec. 3-11, Mountain Bike) and VII Trans Atacama Bike (Nov. 12-23, Mountain Bike). Orbea says what differentiates these trips from others is the intimate local knowledge provided by the guides and the complete support, including all meals, post-ride massages, tech support and more. Additionally, non-riding friends or family can join you on the trip and ride along in the support vehicles to get from point to point.

USA Pro Cycling Challenge and  Tommy Hilfiger are teaming up for a good cause at the upcoming Pro Cycling Challenge. Four different T-Shirt designs, two each for men and women, will be sold during the race with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the Millennium Promise which is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to ending extreme poverty.

Hilfiger donated his time and resources for the design of the shirts, and last year was named a Millennium Promise MDG Global Leader. Shirts will be sold online at http://shop.usaprocyclingchallenge.com and also will be for sale at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge August 22- 28.

Jump past the break to see the other design, along with the full press release!

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Photo submitted by Renee Saxman, “Beautiful morning ride outside Rochester, MN.”

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

The folks at Chrome have bee working hard this year.  They have launched several new bags, new SPD compatible shoes, new clothing, and even opened up a new storefront in Chicago.  To continue those efforts, they have just announced their Fall ’11 lineup.  Included is the new Midway Pro, their All City shoes (not that All-City), women’s sizing for their Kursk shoe, and a line of tech bags.

The Midway Pro follows in the foot steps of the Kursk Pro.  The Midway Pro has me excited too.  After spending a few months testing out the Kursk Pro, I realized I needed a shoe that came up a bit higher on my ankle.  The Midway Pro is the answer to that problem.  Look for a full review of the Midway Pro soon.  In the meantime here are the specs.

Made from 1000 denier Cordura and sudden upper

Mid-ankle height for increased support

Full-Length nylon/glass shank to keep things stiff

Recessed cleat (two bolt system)

Forefoot rocker for easy walking when off the bike

Steel aglets and lace garage to keep your laces out of your chainring

Reflective hit at heel for night visibility

Cost $110

Head past the jump for the rest of the Fall ’11 lineup.

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Thinking of giving 650b a try? Or maybe you’re already a convert, but are looking for a new rig in a never ending sea of 26 and 29 inch bikes? For you, Jamis would like to offer their newest batch of 650b hardtails, the Dragon and the Nemesis.

The Dragon pictured above is a Reynolds 853 steel frame with a slacker 68° head tube angle, most likely geared towards all day rides, not really racing. Initial spec reads includes a White Brothers Loop TCR 120mm fork, American Classic 650b wheels, a Shimano SLX 3×10 drivetrain, Avid Elixir 3 disc brakes, and a Syncros AM cockpit. The aluminum Nemesis on the other hand, has a much steeper 71° head tube angle and should be perfect for building up as a light weight racer.

Check out the Nemesis after the break!

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The new 2012 Meta AM brings modern standards to their all-mountain Meta line. The frame is completely new and gets the 142×12 rear thru axle, a pressfit BB92 and internal cable routing.

The biggest change is that it moves to their floating shock design from the Supreme DH V3. The benefit is that it removes the direct stress from the downtube, so they can reduce the thickness of the tubes and reduce weight. It also let them get the shock curves they wanted. The new bike is a little more progressive than the Meta 5.5, and it builds in some pedaling efficiency.

The main pivot position is optimized for 2×10, done intentionally because the difference between the two chainrings is much smaller than the range on a 3×10, which made it easier to tune the suspension to perform well across all gears.

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New Truvativ X Guide shift guide mounts to ISCG 05 or ISCG03. The difference between this and similar pieces from others is the dual pulley setup behind the chainrings. The pulley wheels are a bit smaller than derailleur pulleys, and somehow the chain just jumps between them.

I asked SRAM’s PR manager Morgan Meredith why two pulleys instead of just one that slides side to side and he said “This way has less noise and less wear and tear and eliminates the possibility of derailment when back pedaling because the pulleys are basically pointed directly at the chainring.”

I tooled around the expo on it and it is indeed pretty quiet. MSRP is $TBD and it should be available from August.

The shift guide was mounted up behind their new “all mountain” 2×10 chainrings with 22/36 gearing. They also offer 24/38, which is aimed at the 29er crowd, and they’re available for X0 and X9 as a complete crankset or an upgrade by swapping out the spider and rings on your current crankset. They get a special front derailleur with shorter cage, too, in X0 or X7 trim available in all the popular mounting options.

UPDATE: It’ll also available in a BB mount.

Detail pics after the break…

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It’s a good thing most hydration packs have waterproof pockets for electronics, because it’s looking like a smart phone is quickly becoming standard riding gear. More and more companies are introducing useful apps on both the Apple and Android platform for you to use for your bike.

Contour HD helmet cam owners who don’t have an iPhone can now rejoice, as long as you have an Android phone that is v. 2.2.1 or higher. With the Apple version of the mobile viewfinder has been available for some time, Contour has just now released the Android version. The app not only allows you to see exactly what you are filming while setting up the camera, but it also allows for you to change your settings wirelessly in real-time. You can change video mode, adjust microphone volume, change lighting conditions, or configure the GPS, all from the palm of your hand without removing the camera from its mount. Head on over to Contour’s site for links to both the App Store and the Android Market to download your copy today.

In other App news, Trek has launched an online suspension calculator that is mobile compatible. Check out the Trek app after the break!

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