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I assumed production had been moved elsewhere some time ago because the website doesn't make any noise about them being made in the USA
Right, I think Shimano's focus on innovation is probably in the manufacturing side of the business.
Isn't Trump trying to make America great again ?
I’m 90% sure the front triangles are still welded by frank the welder, it was on ig last year. The rocker is also machined in the US, but the rear triangle is molded in Taiwan.
what was not newsworthy (because nobody buys ads or sends free product for "review"): how a small company from freiburg, germany with a few employees beats the big companies in fork and brake performance and quality craftmanship
In the words of Ruben, from Raaw:
...(and yes, there’s a lot to plan and coordinate for 2026 😉)...
There were some hints for a new dropout sistem for the trailbikes. what more they will have under their sleeves? I'm kinda looking forward for that company to release an E-Madonna...
I had one of the my ‘26 enduro frames in my hands a couple weeks ago.
If literally hundreds of FTW built frames hadn’t passed through my hands over the last 25 years, I would be hard pressed to tell the difference, the start-stop marks on the welds were even in the same place Frank does them.
Neko and Logan need margin and scalability to build a sustainable brand. That takes working with a more vertically integrated supplier- and there really isn’t anyone domestically that has the manufacturing firepower to match the amazing product and marketing firepower the Mullaly boys have created.
That last thing I want to see is an e-bike from Raaw. With so much turbulence in the industry they're better off just sticking to their core lineup and continuing to refine it.
Plenty of other brands to choose from if you're so set on an e-bike.
I don’t have data on this but it feels every smaller company when they release an ebike goes under shortly after, especially if it was carbon. Revel and Deviate that was the case. Maybe it’s the cost of the R&D is so much it strains the company, I don’t know.
Not particularly set on an ebike myself, never owned one,the way I look at it, most of them go from shitty to "good" but poor value with nothing in the middle. Thats why I think that the realibility, serviceability, life expectancy, and quality of life features that Raaw puts at the forefront of the bikes they design will make for a compelling proposition if they decide to enter in the ebike market. Who knows, we will see.
Another quote from that same email:
...Julian shapes the RAAW universe – whether it’s owner’s manuals or logos for a new bike...
But then again, judging by that criterium, literally nothing that happened in cycling in the last 12 months could be nominated for any sort of innovation award. It’s all just been very small incremental refinement - which I’m honestly totally fine with, because don’t fix what’s not broken (and also for that same reason: 32“ wheels can go do one).
Outlier Pendulums are definitely different and innovative. They may not be for everyone, but I love mine.
Innovation award to sram for app updates and the quicker derailleur shifting speeds
Unovation? I vote for the SRAM 70/90 mechanical derailleurs. The average rider has no idea that their bent derailleur hanger is ruining their shifting. In terms of performance improvement for the masses, this is one of the best advances ever.
Unfortunately about half of those are from 2024.
Note that even though they use the same bearings, the 20mm is apparently a different shell than the 15mm. This means you can convert the 20mm >> 15mm with just different axle/endcaps (same bearings), but not the other way around afaik.
Here is the response I got from Thomas @ i9 when I inquired about converting my 20mm:
"Those 20mm 1/1 fronts are based on an entirely different hubshell than the standard 15mm boost ones. To convert that down to a 15x110, you would actually use Hydra parts: HAX2600 axle and HKMA03 endcaps. The bearing spec would remain the same between the two."
the 20mm 1-1 hubs are OEM only.
Yep, same.
I9 1/1 with Reserve 30 AL
Alas, not from 2025.
Mondraker proto DH bike will be in production for 2026,
Also comes with a 2026 Boxxer, which has Charger 3.2 and "air preload" (I assume this is that bump in the left lower)
And DH transmission will be under the XX label, with new cranks
,
took this from forbidden group
Interesting
How’s everyone feel about DH transmission?
I should go singlespeed on my dh bike at this point. That point aside, if I was racing at the pointy end and if it actually shifted more reliably, then sure I would give it a go if my frame sponsor happened to also have a UDH and I wasn’t on a Shimano or Box equipped package.
I really doubt it can shift at 1,000+ watts though.
If you're Amaury Pierron and you have a mountain of spare derailleurs waiting for you at the team truck, I'm sure DH Transmission is lovely to use. It's probably pretty durable, and shifts great under power.
But as a customer, I can't imagine ever justifying a $500 derailleur on a DH bike, not to mention having one more thing to forget to charge before riding. Maybe ten years from now the price of electronic shifting will come back down to earth, but for now it's crazy to me to use a $500 tool in a vulnerable spot on a DH race bike that's going to go through hell when a $100 tool will work just fine.
For those customers who have lots of money, who like buying shiny things, and who aren't hard on bikes, I'm sure that employees of SRAM- and, really, bike companies everywhere- thank you for your service.
Eagle 90 DH would go hard. Maybe the cages will be compatible?
For what reason?
The GX setup on my V10 shifts as smoothly as I need it to, and can be replaced at minimal cost. I’d think that money would be better spent on a custom fork and shock tune.
Pros.. A T-type DH drivetrain should be more durable. The most vulnerable part is now smaller and replaceable.
Cons.. Cost.
I agree, a GX DH setup would be my choice. Maybe throw on a XO shifter if I wanted to splurge a bit. Spending the extra money on things that are more important for DH.
Crazy/ stupid idea.. With 148 showing up on more DH bikes, how about singlespeed with a Classified rear hub?
you‘d need another shifter, can’t block gears without limiter screws on the derailleur
Lidl-Trek made their own limit screw to meet UCI gearing limits, should be adaptable to other T-Type mechs:
Source: https://escapecollective.com/12-cogs-13-speed-derailleur-lidl-treks-rou…
I can appreciate your angle -- Raaw is focused on great riding bikes that are easy for the owner ride hard, put away wet and maintain and why wouldn't we want that with an e-bike? Make something more complex less complex for the average person.
I think the issue arises with motors, batteries, etc -- I don't think they'll ever be as durable as a standard Raaw bike so you introduce complexities into a company that's built itself off of offering a less complex product. Then you increase operating coast because you have folks spending more time on R&D and customer service, while possibly increasing warranty tickets because complexity introduces more room for problems.
I don't have a degree in anything to do with business so I might be talking out my a** but I love my Raaw and I'd hate to see the brand compromised because of the e-bike trend.
Okay - thanks for listening to my rant. Back to rumor stuff. I hear the new 38 is closer to production ready that we might have anticipated.