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SOC13: Prototype Stuff & Random Bikes – Truvativ, Devinci, Ellsworth, Felt & Mongoose Fatbikes!

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Ellsworth General Lee DH mountain bike

We saw the new goods from Ellsworth at Eurobike last year (and it looked great!), but this one caught our eye at Sea Otter. It’s an employee’s Dare DH bike with a custom orange and blue anodization built up with color-matched rims, bar, stem and other small bits to resemble the General Lee. Thankfully, there’s no rebel flag on it.

Jump the bridge and land hard on some more new stuff from all sorts of booths and brands…

Steve Smiths Devinci Dixon mountain bike with Blackbox Truvativ signature handlebars

Like Ellsworth, Devinci showed all their new bikes at the tradeshows last fall, but their team bikes had a few things to see.

Devinci-Steve-Smith-Dixon-mountain-bike02

Their production carbon Dixon trail bikes all use standard Rockshox Monarch shocks across the entire range. Their team guys, including Steve Smith, were all running an inverted Monarch Plus. No particular reason, but it’s one way to get a lower center of gravity.

Steve Smiths Devinci Dixon mountain bike with Blackbox Truvativ signature handlebars

Smith’s bike was also outfitted with a Signature Series Blackbox Truvativ handlebar.

Steve Smiths Devinci Dixon mountain bike with Blackbox Truvativ signature handlebars

Unfortunately, no one knew anything about it and Smith wasn’t around to talk. It’s alloy, and the 31.8 oversized center section continues pretty far out, through the first bend in the riser, and it looked pretty wide. We spotted another Blackbox carbon bar aboard Jerome Clementz’s enduro bike earlier this year.

Felt Bikes Sea Otter041813_0499 weight

Over in the Felt booth, there was a prototype 29er build with a claimed 900 gram frame. The frame is around 200g lighter than any of their other mountain bikes thanks to their work with TeXtreme which is the name of Oxeon’s “spread tow” carbon fiber composite. Apparently TeXtreme uses individual carbon fibers that are like small ribbons rather than round strands of carbon. This results in a wider, flatter orientation of fibers that next closer together which results in a denser, stiffer frame with less material to create the necessary performance.

Felt had this bike built up with a reasonable build with a SID fork which tipped the scaled at 19.18 lbs (8.7kg) without pedals. Obviously, a 900g frame could be built up pretty light, so this is just a just an example of what’s possible. We weighed this at Interbike last year with all hardware removed the frame, too.

Felt Bikes Sea Otter041813_0497

TeXtreme frames are pretty easy to spot in the wild, thanks to the unique checkerboard pattern that is created by the interwoven ribbons of carbon fiber. TeXtreme F-Series FRD road frames are currently being ridden by the Argos-Shimano team and will be used throughout the season including the TDF and World Championships, with consumer road frames slated for a 2014 release. No word on any mountain bike availability yet.

Felt Bikes Sea Otter041813_0492

In addition to some new carbon fiber cross builds, Felt is also introducing the F24X which is a 24 inch wheeled cross bike for your little one. Taking their F24 junior road bike, Felt added a hydroformed top tube for better shouldering and slackened the angles a bit to allow for bigger tires without toe overlap. The bike features other kid friendly items including a super short reach bar, and short reach brake levers. Tires are 24″ Kenda Happy Mediums which were a special issue for the bike but will be available aftermarket through Kenda. Pricing will be around $800 and available in mid-Summer.

Felt Bikes Sea Otter041813_0493

And yes, the cowbell comes standard.

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Manuel Beastley came to Sea Otter and conquered all aboard his dialed fatbike. Essentially, this fatbike could be considered Bike Magazine’s new Sh*t bike. What started life as one of the new Mongoose Beast Fatbikes got a few upgrades and was then raced in every discipline at Sea Otter. Manuel put on a good show, and while the bike barely survived the weekend (see Bike’s coverage here), it was rallied to the max in anything from DH runs to log pulls.

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Clearly the Easton grips, and Avid/Paul brake combo were added after the fact.

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In case something went wrong, Manuel had his trusty vice grips at the ready on the seat tube.

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wonko
wonko
10 years ago

That Ellsworth Dare looks awesome – bring back the colors! I never cared too much for Ellsworth until I had the opportunity to ride an Epiphany for a couple of days. It truly was an epiphany. Those are great bikes!

Nakre Nakresson
10 years ago

I dont understand, maybe my english is bad?

This dude, (whoever he is?), bought a fat bike from Moongose. He upgraded it but it. But the bike can still be considered a sh*t bike by bike magazines.

So then he decided to race his sh*t bike in all disciplines and became a hero?

Did I understand it right?

Zach Overholt
Admin
10 years ago

@Nakre, the whole thing was a bit of a joke. Manuel was actually 4 different pros. Google bike magazine Sh*tbike for reference and good times. Long live the Sh*tbike.

junkshow
junkshow
10 years ago

Nakre,
I think you understand english very well.

Gunnstein
Gunnstein
10 years ago

Inverting the shock to lower the center of gravity – sure, but weight weenies beware: This makes your bike heavier. The closer you get to the center of the planet, the stronger the force of gravity becomes, so to ride light make sure you put all weight as high on the bike as you can (and ride in the Himalayas).

Nathan
Nathan
10 years ago

The fat bike was from Walmart and cost $200 originally. This specimen is something of an interest since it is the first department store fat bike.

Being a pro and riding a bike like this at a competition is ironic (and resultantly funny). The front brake was probably required for entry, and the wide bars were probably pulled from a bucket of tens of bars and installed. Since the scope of changes was small, it is still seen as a $200 Walmart fatgoose.

I know that spelling this out ruins the joke. I don’t know any of you anyway.

dale
dale
10 years ago

Oh my goodness Ellsworth it’s 2013 not 2003.

NCMTB
NCMTB
10 years ago

@ Dale

More like 1985, and if you haven’t noticed with all the leggings and neon all over the 80s are hot again.

I personally can’t wait for the 80s to make is way back into the MTB world so I can possibly be cool once more with my collection hypercolor shirts. 🙂

cutamerc
cutamerc
10 years ago
junkshow
junkshow
10 years ago

@Zach is a Dream crushing hero hater

Oscar
Oscar
10 years ago

Is Manuel also rocking a shirt from the new Rapha-Paul Smith Walmart line?

dale
dale
10 years ago

@ NCMTB

Haha I don’t mind the colors but it’s that giant horst link and seat stay that kill it for me. Both this and the Orange UK bikes are painful. I guess if they work well…

What was that other brand that reminds me of 2002 – Iron Horse… gonna gallop on outta here now y’all.

a
a
10 years ago

I normally consider felt bikes to be really ugly, but that 29er looks great.

DeeEight
DeeEight
10 years ago

Sh*tbike is basically bike magazines official loaner bike, built from spare parts belong to the staffers. Its gone thru several incarnations. As to Manuel… that’s basically their version of the Stig. Many people using the same name.

Dizzle
Dizzle
10 years ago

Ug. Ellsworth. Gross. Rode an epiphany, it was alright, lots of bikes ride better IMO. Come with the rest of us into the 21st century. Can I say FUGLY.

Brian
Brian
10 years ago

“Thankfully, there’s no rebel flag on it.” Good call

Ricky Bob
Ricky Bob
10 years ago

There is nothing inherently racist about the rebel flag. You guys sound like a bunch of PC sissies.

P.S. That bike is one of the ugliest things I have ever seen. With or without the rebel flag.

Matt Holland
Matt Holland
10 years ago

People always slag ellsworth when they come up in the news, but having actually owned and ridden a dare, it was incredible! One of the original ones with the tatoo paint work, it pedaled amazingly. I’d love to replace my enduro with an ellsworth

WannaBeSTi
WannaBeSTi
10 years ago

Orange paint with an 0-1 makes not a General Lee…
Plus, the 0-1 is supposed to be black
Weak

Like the bike otherwise

filibuster cash
filibuster cash
10 years ago

the sh*tbike was funny until three issues in a row were the editors begging to add it to the MBHoF. the new one is just more stupidity. keep it to yourselves. some of us can only afford $200 bikes, and when that price point is “ironic”, it makes us want to take up underwater basketweaving.

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