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Specialized Production Demo Hiding in plain sight was presumably the production version of the new Demo. It was placed directly next to a prototype frame, and while no specific details were provided, it can be assumed that the bike will be going to market very soon. Some things that stood out from staring at the bike for 5 minutes: Head tube fits different cups, likely to change head angle and/or reach There is a flip chip in the lower shock mount, and the forward-most pivot The bottom of the bike is going to be left completely open like the bike...

Intense prototype gear box DH bike On display at HUNT with some one-off custom wheels.

Zoceli Naosm steel enduro bike Beautiful hand-made bike sitting out front of HUNT that I’ve never seen in person. You can get all the details on the Naosm here

Blindfold tire challenge at Polygon still going strong.

I prefer to see this years' oldschool DS to be honest.. Start with a grass track and let the tires cut in the lines. I'd rather see pros get loose and highlight cornering skills on some grass jank than deathgrip a groomed bike park berm for the hundredth time. More in the spirit of the discipline.

Can confirm they were on low. I had them on and off throughout the 4.5-hour ride and got home with more than 75% battery life remaining.

Can confirm they actually work really well, and heat up enough to feel in about a minute. I was on a couple cold and wet Bellingham, WA group rides this weekend and there were two people running later-generation Hotbar prototypes and standard lock-on grips. Had no idea what they were until I asked about the plastic housing bolted to the bars - figured it was a mount for a storage bag or something - turns out it was a battery so I got curious. With my riding gloves on, the bars were in fact quite comfortably warm. I have no...

Only a couple of weeks until UCI Downhill World Cup kicks off. I'm stoked for it, especially considering the ultra-talented riders who are graduating to Elite from Juniors. Let's go.

Damn. I don't know what it is about those Hope bikes but they always look so sick. Even the previous gen short travel bike (HB 130) with the swoopy top tube...I just think their stuff seems awesome. Plus, I'm always down to support a brand that supports Joe Barnes!

Lil shout out to Blake Carney making it into pro finals after a decade away, moving from WA back to CA, having a kid, and taking over a PT clinic. GET SOME.

Hope HB.912 Hope’s new HB.912 trail bike looks awfully sleek. 120mm rear wheel travel, 130mm fork, four-bar linkage, and in-house-made frame. Definitely one of those bikes that can fly under the radar, but the longer you look at it, the more you appreciate it. The bike should be available closer to summer, with the frameset starting at ~$5,400 USD.

e*thirteen Radial Tires e*thirteen has new radial casing tires in their Grappler (29”, 27.5”) and Grappler RS (27.5”) models. The tires will be available within the next month and will retail for $79.95 USD. The casing has 6 layers under the tread, 4 under the sidewall, a woven protection layer in the sidewall, and an apex at the bead. Their goal was to give the tire more support with the thicker apex and more layers, while still angling the plies so you get the supple, damp feel of a radial. The layers are placed at a 65° angle, which they...

That's mind boggling. I was excited to read about it this morning and when I arrived at Sea Otter today I was genuinely confused when I tried the brake and it went all the way to the grip. I then tried every bike they had on display sharing booth with Ohlins, and every bike had the same issue. I mean, what?!

New Dual Slalom Course - Yay or Nay? Dual Slalom has been kind of controversial with its new location and minimal effort put into the course. Instead of the traditional combo of groomed, deep bowl corners and rhythm lanes mixed with some natural turns, this year is 100% natural, grass turns without a jump or berm in sight. The location, off the DH shuttle road, prohibited any digging due to utility and infrastructure elements underground apparently. Does it feel like a "pro" race? Not really. Is the racing going to be good? Definitely. Today's pro qualifying was exciting and fast...

Yoshimura Fun Yoshimura wins the comedy award with their Honda generator powering the rotating stem cap display. They also had a pedal pin counting contest and a Gamux on display.

All they had to do was this ...

Brembo GR-PRO I got to see the new Brembo GR-PRO brakes in real life, and while the master cylinder is larger, and the red doesn't help hide their size, the brakes do look incredibly clean. Quick hit notes from chatting with them: There are three lever adjustments: reach adjust is tool-free, and then you have tooled lever ratio (3 positions) and dead stroke adjustments. The leverage ratio affects how quickly the power engages during the initial lever stroke, but power builds consistently throughout the stroke in each position. They found that Specialized Gravity riders all run slightly different lever ratios...