This leads to an added element of upkeep as more parts generally mean more maintenance. Bearing the same name as the sport, XC bikes are for long-distance riding and racing. Hardtails make up a large proportion of the bikes designed for cross country, although full-suspension bikes with a lockable front suspension are now more common. As mountain biking has developed over the years, so too have the types of bikes. Besides the ones listed below, there are several subcategories and combinations thereof. They have two functions – to reduce the weight of the helmet, and also to add ventilation.
At 280 grams, the S-Works Prevail 3 is light but certainly not the lightest in class, but for those who ride often in hot climates the supreme ventilation is likely to make it worthy of consideration. We found the Evade 3 comfortable even on hot, dry summer rides and comfortable, if a little narrow on the sides. The only downside is that Met helmets aren’t currently available in or allowed to ship to the US. They are also planning to port the Maydena portfolio of events to Mystic, and French says to expect Enduro Jam and Phat Fridays, but it won’t be limited to just those events. French says they’re also prioritising a group of easier trails from the top of the hill.
Top tube length is the difference between the head tube and the seat tube, functionally the distance the rider is from the bars when seated. Reach is the distance between the center of the bottom bracket and the head tube, how far the rider is from the bars when standing on the bike. 26 inches used to be the standard size for mountain bike wheels, but now 27.5- genesis bicycles and 29-inch sizes have taken over the market. It has a substantial amount of resistance to corrosion and the highest strength-to-weight ratio of all metals. And like chromoly steel frames, titanium frames are primarily available from custom frame builders. As mentioned in the previous section, different suspensions accompany different types of mountain biking.
And with the landscape pulverised by the logging, it’s almost a blank slate as far as what they can build. “A lot of that Mystic Bowl area is being harvested at the moment, and further harvesting will happen over the next one or two years — which will actually knock out a lot of the classic Mystic trails, ” he says. “We’re going to use our Maydena management team to help upskill and train a local team over this winter period — because we’re obviously shut over this period anyway (so it’s great timing),” says French. The new electronic health record system finished deployment within the continental U.S. and successfully went live in Europe and the Indo-Pacific regions.
Generally made from steel and titanium, these are typically equipped with 26- or 29-inch wheels. Each kind of bike excels in different conditions and riding styles, so getting a few basics out of the way will help you determine what bike best suits your needs. Genesis are building a reputation for thoughtful and well designed bikes so it is fair to say that there had been a sense of expectation once we knew the Alpitude was winging its way to us. There has been much talk about the Alpitude genesis bike and the clear design ethos behind it, which was to make a bike that you could… At around 27lbs the Core weighs in somewhere in the middle of the scale that you would expect for a 120mm trail blaster but it feels nippy and easy to spin up to speed thanks to the lightweight rims and fast rolling tyres. The wheelset is lightweight with an internal rim width of 19mm that will take good sized rubber which means you could add some float to the ride with some high volume tyres.
The Ventral is one of the lightest helmets available, making it ideal for those who measure rides in vertical metres rather than horizontal kilometres. Excellent ventilation helps in the heat but the adjustment mechanism is a bit basic and there is no MIPS to save weight. Specialized Soil Searching is a movement to recognise, celebrate, and support the trail builders who help shape our sport and our stoke. That tender closed in mid-February, and Elevation Parks, Dirt Art’s bike park management and development arm, had won.
“It will be similar to what we do in Maydena, where the whole area will be under our lease and under our responsibility. So we’ll manage the trail development, the trail maintenance, and the general operation of the park, including safety management and putting on bike patrol,” he says. The key change going forward is that rather than splitting management between two entities to run the park day to day and then having more outside contractors come in to build new trails, Elevation Parks will be in charge of everything.
Kask uses its Ergo Fit retention system, which allows wide vertical and circumference adjustment of the rear of the cradle, allowing two sizes to suit most head sizes, and there is a comfortable synthetic leather chin strap. Rather than an additional layer like MIPS, Kask uses the WG11 protocol to test its helmets for rotational impact protection. genesis bike For those going on gravel and long tours on their bike, a chromoly steel frame mountain bike might be something to look into. Being resistant to fatigue and easy to repair, these can handle long-term rides with a fair amount of weight. These bike frames are mainly available from custom frame builders and therefore have a large price tag.
For those looking to get into it, there are several different types of bikes to choose from. With a range of specifications and technical aspects, there’s a lot that you’ll need to keep in mind to get the right bike for you. The Core range is based around a 6061 aluminium tube set that is butted where needed with some gentle manipulation to ovalise the down tube as it meets the seat tube at the bottom bracket shell.
While seemingly superficial, anyone who has ridden with an aero lid will know the challenge of trying to stow sunglasses when they’re not on your face. They’re meant to be best compatible with POC’s own brand sunnies, but we teamed the helmet with a whole host of brands and found them to hold tight to every single pair. The semi-aero lid did suffer a little with breathability however, and while the ventilation was very good, on the hottest of riding days it could have done with the ability to suck even more cool air in. That said, on the sweatiest of days in the saddle, we found that the Protone’s water irrigation design is top-notch, managing to avoid channelling sweat down onto sunglasses or into eyes. Our test model in a small weighed in at just 170g (the claimed weight for the medium is 200g). We certainly found that this translated to a featherweight feel on the head, with the ventilation adding to the general comfort.