BikeRumor.com

Brodie has updated its extensive line of XC, DH/FR/AM, dirt jump, cyclocross, commuter, city and cruiser bikes for 2009, including the following changes:

• Marathon line (Knack, Mettle and new Ethos) get increased travel and a lighter, reworked suspension design.
• New Heritage line of Chromoly steel bikes made of triple butted Tange Infinity and Tange Prestige tubesets.
• Lightning line of hardtails with 4″ travel forks gets spec updates.
• Speed line of city/commuter bikes gets refined frame updates, including new dropouts and disc brake mounts and some models now come with racks and fenders.
• The Journey line of cruiser-style bikes get some of the same dropout/brake tab updates and minor commuter-friendly updates.
• The Rat line of dirt jump (DJ) bikes gets a little BMX flavor with new spec.
• Descension line of downhill/freeride bikes gets a complete frame makeover, making it stronger, lighter, stiffer and with better standover and geometry.
• The Hardass line of freeride hardtails get improved spec, including Avid Juicy’s and a 120mm Marzocchi DJ fork on the Hellion.

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The 2009 Kona Minxy is an all-mountain freeride bike for the ladies.  A lot of brands had women’s specific frames for road and cross-country, but this was one of if not the only women’s freeride bike I saw at the show.  (Unrelated, but now that I’m thinking about it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a women’s cyclocross bike…anybody make one?)

The Minxy has a 7005 Aluminum 5″ travel frame with a Marzocchi 150mm fork, Hayes hydraulic disc brakes, Fox DHX 3.0 rear shock, FSA cranks and BB, and a mostly Shimano Deore build.

Up above it, and pictured when you read “more” is the Lisa hardtail, hit the link for more info and pics…

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Kona had a wide variety of bikes inside the show, from road to urban to commuter to full on nasty downhill bikes.  Shown above is the 2009 Kona Haole, their Italian steel road bike built with Dedaccia Zero Replica shaped steel tubing.  It sports a Dedaccia Black Fin carbon fork and a Shimano Ultegra/105 blended drivetrain with FSA compact cranks and BB.

We’ve got HD video from inside their booth on this post, and more pics of their urban bmx bike, Stinky downhill bikes and a range of XC, trail, singlespeed and 29er bikes when you read “more“…

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I checked out a couple of the Kona bikes at Dirt Demo…the CoilAir (above) and the One20 (after the break).  The CoilAir is their Enduro / Freeride bike with a unique rear suspension set up.  It uses two separate shocks to give it a solid platform when pedaling, but a softer, longer travel movement when bombing.

The CoilAir comes in three varieties…the regular, the Deluxe (shown) and the Supreme, and they’re available in five sizes from 15″ to 20″.  Both the Deluxe and Supreme use 165mm Fox forks, and the non-adjective version gets a 160mm Marzocchi fork.  All use 20mm dropouts.

We’ve got HD VIDEO of these bikes on a previous post that show the rear suspension in action.  Check out more specs and pics of the CoilAir plus the Scandium One20 trail bike when you read “more“…

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NOTE: This video is available in HD! Mouseover the video, click the “HD is Off” button, then click in the middle and a new Vimeo window will open with the HD version.

Here’s the video from Kona’s booth.  Pics and more info will follow on a subsequent post…I’m going riding!

I’m a long-time fan of CarbBOOM…from their early days in the “applesauce” cups to their awesome new flavors, Watermelon and Raspberry.  Here’s why:  They use real fruit!

If you’ve never tried a CarbBOOM gel, you owe it to yourself to break from routine next time you order or buy your normal gels and at least try a couple of flavors.  My very favorite is the Apple because it’s literally like squeezing applesauce into your mouth.  Delicious, and it has complex carbs, electrolytes, etc., to keep you going.  It tastes so good because they use Apple puree and concentrate.  Likewise for their other flavors.

I had a pre-production Watermelon gel they gave me at Interbike and used it this past weekend.  Actually, I couldn’t remember what the new flavor was because the packet was unprinted and only had an expiry date on it.  It only took about a second to figure it out…it tastes like a real Watermelon, albeit leaning toward Jolly Rancher watermelon, but that’s hardly a complaint.

They have some other new products coming out this year and early next, click the “more” link to see the energy chews, women’s sports drink and more…

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NOTE: This video is available in HD! Mouseover the video, click the “HD is Off” button, then click in the middle and a new Vimeo window will open with the HD version.

Brent Foes was in the booth to give us a run down of his new 2009 Foes Racing bikes.  Watch the vid to see the new ProLite XC hardtail, the 2:1 ProLite XC FS race bike and the 7″ travel RS7 DH Race Bike, then click “more” to see pics and get more info…

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Rounding out Giant’s portfolio of bikes were a few city and commuter bikes.  The two coolest ones are what we’re featuring here.

Above is the Seek. Note the ultra clean look…where are the logos?  They’re invisible!  Actually, they’re reflective, which makes it safer at night and hipper looking during the day.  The model shown is the top of the Seek pile with an 8-speed Shimano Alfine internal geared hub, hydraulic disc brakes and other little niceties.  MSRP is $950, but they drop as low as $550 for lower spec (hub brakes, etc.).

Read “more” to see their electric commuter bike called the Twist Freedom…

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Giant’s mountain bikes had a number of upgrades from 2008, mainly longer travel and lower weights.  The Anthem X, above, went from 3.5″ to 4″ of travel all around while losing 185g from the frame.  Giant also relaxed the head angle a bit, presumably for better handling on the way down the mountain.  All together, the bike is a respectable 23lbs built with SRAM XO (w/o pedals) and MSRP’s for $5,600, which puts it very near the new Trek Top Fuel and Specialized Epic S-Works in weight, but about $1,500 less.

Click “more” for additional pics and models, from hard tail up to 6″ travel All Mountain bikes…

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Giant’s new road bikes were pretty sweet looking, especially the TCR Advanced SL above.  It’s a partial monocoque 1K weave carbon frame with about a 900g frame weight.  Add the sub-300g team fork, and you get an extremely lightweight frame.  Also known as the Columbia Team Model ridden by Mark Cavendish, it’s a full Dura-Ace build that will MSRP for $8,000.

See more pics of this and other new Giant road bikes, including a new women’s specific bike, the Avail, when you read “more”…

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Kenda had a few new tires, sizes and colors on display at Interbike, like the new all-black C2C “Tinker Juarez” signature edition road tire (center), to complement the original yellow sidewall version.  They both feature Kenda’s dual tread compound, putting harder rubber in the center for durability and softer, grippier rubber on the sides for better cornering traction.  In this model, the sides also get a “basket weave” pattern to aid traction.  The tires use their Iron Cloak construction from bead to bead to prevent punctures.  They have a 125psi rating and retail for $40 to $45.

I’ve been a fan of Kenda for years and have ridden their tires almost exclusively for the past five or six years.  Not because I’m sponsored by them (I’m not), but because they a) work impressively well in virtually all conditions, b) they last a really, really long time (my current set of MTB tires probably have about 200 miles on them, which is a LOT for MTB, and all the knobs are still intact…albeit, a little worn down in the center), and c) they’re some of the best bargains going.  Most of their tires MSRP for $35 to $45, compared to $50 to $90 for other brands.  Oh, and, they’re lightweight.

Hit the “more” link to see their new road, bmx, ‘cross and MTB tires for 2009…

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Spinergy had a few new wheels on display for 2009, like this rear track wheel using a full carbon rim with PBO spokes to keep it super light…in the neighborhood of 780g (tubular, 840g clincher).  They use their road front wheel for track, but tighten up the spoke tension depending on the rider.

They also had a new 29′er mountain bike wheel and DH/AM wheels with double-thick PBO spokes.  If nothing else, this should bring some serious weight loss to wheelsets that are usually a little heavier.  Read “more” for pics and specs…

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NOTE: This video is available in HD! Mouseover the video, click the “HD is Off” button, then click in the middle and a new Vimeo window will open with the HD version.

Ibis had one sweet new mountain bike called the Tranny.  It’s a single-speed with a pretty sweet innovation intended to keep the chain tight while ensuring perfect rear wheel alignment.  Not only does this keep the chain tensioned and the wheel straight, it makes it a breeze to keep the rear disc brake aligned.  A side benefit is it makes the bike very easy to break down into a travel-size container, which may let you sneak it on the airplanes without getting bent over, or just fit it in the back of your econobox now that you’ve sold that SUV.

Watch the video, the click the “more” link to see some closeups of the Tranny and pics of the new Mojo “Lopes Link”…

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FSA, aka Full Speed Ahead, had a lot of new lightweight goodies for both road and mountain bikes, plus some new components for the All Mountain / Freeride / Downhill set.

Shown above is their K-Force Light BB30 carbon crankset for mountain bikes.  They use hollow carbon crank arms and ceramic bearings to get the weight down to just 720g for the whole package (including bottom bracket). MSRP is $824.99.  They’ll only work with BB30 designed bikes, but it seems like more and more manufacturers are headed in this direction.  This crankset is also available in 2×9 format, which is what you’ll find on the new Trek Top Fuel.

Read “more” to see the rest of the new goodies, like a 50g carbon-ceramic headset, fighter-jet time TT/Tri bars and full carbon road wheels…

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Bar Mitts, out of Carson City, NV, had something new for cold weather riders.  These neoprene hood covers block the wind while keeping the brake levers/shifters accessible.  Simple concept, hit the “more” tab to see a photo from the rider’s perspective…

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