Santa Cruz Launches The Bronson 2
Friday, September 11, 2015 at 6:06AM ;)
When we introduced Bronson, it took the market by storm, redefining what people expected from a 150mm trail bike. Equally at home in the Trans-Provence as it was on The Ridge, updating and improving it was going to be no small feat.
The most visible upgrade is the completely new VPP® link arrangement. The lower link tucks neatly above the bottom bracket, fully-recessed and protected from impacts. Meanwhile the box-section upper link now mounts cleanly to the top-tube and enhances lateral stiffness as a result. Shock rate’s been in refined in the process too, delivering greater small bump sensitivity and a more progressive mid-stroke.
Geometry has also evolved subtly to meet demand from riders for a bike of this ilk. The seat tube angle’s been steepened, placing the rider right above the cranks and perfectly in position to lay down the power. Meanwhile a one-degree slacker 66 degree head tube angle combines with a 20-25mm longer top tube and shorter chainstay length to create an evermore rally-ready geometry than its predecessor.
This CC-level carbon frame is every bit as stiff and strong as our C-level frame, but weighs about 280 grams less, due to the use of some lighter, stronger, and more expensive carbon fiber. Using this material in key places allowed us to use less material overall, which is what shaves off more than half a pound from the frame.
Features
- 148mm Rear Axle Spacing
- Full carbon frame and swingarm
- 150mm (6") VPP™ suspension
- 27.5" wheels
- Double sealed pivots for long bearing life
- Full carbon dropouts and disk mounts
- Angular contact bearings maximize stiffness
- Collet axle pivots lock in place without pinch bolts
- Bottle cage mount within front triangle fits piggyback shocks
- Molded rubber swingarm and downtube protection
- Stealth and external seatpost cable routing
- Threaded Bottom Bracket
- ISCG-05 tabs for chainguide compatibility
- Direct mount rear derailleur option
- Sizes: S, M, L, XL
2016 Bronson 2 Geometry
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2016 Bronson 2 Pricing
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Loic Bruni's 2015 World Champ's Lapierre
Sunday, September 6, 2015 at 8:28AM ;)
Nico takes us through the new DH Team bike.
2015 Lapierre DH Team Geometry
One of the major new products for 2015:
The Lapierre DH has been completely reworked to provide a platform with superior performance!
Developed around our new SLT suspension (Supra Link Technology), the new DH was created with 2 objectives in mind: performance and reliability.
All the experience of our engineers, plus the riders and the mechanics of Team Lapierre Gravity Republic, was put to use in order to evolve this new model. Directly inspired from moto-cross, the SLT kinematics provide 210mm of travel and offer a more sensitive and progressive suspension. This new bike is the response to the ever more exacting World Cup courses and the continuously more aggressive riding style of our team athletes.
100% made from Supreme 6 aluminium, the geometry for the new DH was developed following recommendations from Team Lapierre Gravity Republic riders. It was specially conceived for 27.5" wheels. This new standard was the unanimous choice of our riders at the end of the 2013 season, following Sam Blenkinsop’s 4th place in the Worlds at Pietermaritzburg and a 2nd place at the Leogang World Cup for Loic Bruni.
Number 1 in the UCI Gravity Team rankings at the beginning of the 2014 season, Team Lapierre Gravity Republic were put to work harder than ever to perfect their new weapon! Numerous tests were carried out on various prototypes, and proved that our new DH pushes the limits further than ever before. Loic Bruni, Loris Vergier and Finn Iles more than ever, they’ll be taking their place on the podium!
The right diameter for your riding
A few years ago, there was a real boom in 29" wheels, offering a proper alternative to the traditional 26". Nowadays, 27.5" is winning over most of the MTB world, as the ideal compromise. We at Lapierre have believed in this new wheel format from very early on, and we have been offering our OST+ platform in 27.5" for our Spicy and Zesty AM models since 2014. It is also making a name for itself on our brand-new X-Control. For 2015, our 27.5" range is expanding even more: for the first time, we are offering this diameter wheel on our DH models! This new standard has proved itself, with podium finishes at the Downhill World Cup for Loic Bruni and his fellow Team Lapierre Gravity Republic members.
Our choices in terms of wheel size and the emergence of new standards like 27.5" are in response to a need to optimise performances. Our goal is to provide you with the best bike for the way you ride, for your favourite terrain and for your build.
How does it work?
Everybody knows that the smaller the wheels, the more responsive the bike and its handling. The bigger they are, on the other hand, the better suited the bike is to speed and rolling over obstacles.
What's more, larger-diameter wheels have significant inertia (because their rotational mass is greater). You need enough inertia to keep the bike stable, but too much inertia will negatively affect its handling, its acceleration and its braking.
Therefore, we can distinguish 4 criteria that vary significantly with wheel diameter: weight, rollover, grip and acceleration.
For different assemblies with the same component types (wheel + tire):
- A 27.5" wheel is 5 % heavier than a 26" wheel
- A 29" wheel is 11 % heavier than a 26" wheel
A bike's rollover capacity is determined by the wheel's angle of attack to the obstacle. The bigger the wheel, the smaller the angle of attack, making it easier to roll over.
The bigger the wheel, the more contact surface between tire and ground (at the same inflation pressure), which therefore improves grip. Better grip means a bike that is easier to ride and has better braking.
It is wheel inertia that influences a bike’s acceleration performance: the bigger the wheels, the greater the rotational mass, the higher the inertia and, therefore, the slower the acceleration. As we can see in the graph below, a bike fitted with 29” wheels will have a higher top speed, but more time and energy will be needed to reach that speed.
Zelvy Introduces The Preston And Highlife Bikes
Tuesday, September 1, 2015 at 11:51AM ;)
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Zelvy Preston Frame Geometry
Travel: 200mmZelvy Preston Downhill Base model
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Carbon IronHorse Sunday, DW Link, Zelvy |
Continental Launches New Enduro Tire
Wednesday, August 26, 2015 at 7:07AM ;)
After two years of development, the time has come: Continental is presenting the final production model of the new enduro racing tire "Der Baron 2.4 Projekt" at Eurobike. They have been designed in collaboration with top enduro athletes and trail riders. The fruits of their knowledge and experience have already been successfully tested during races. Further product highlights, athlete signing sessions and the infamous Conti Party on Thursday evening will take place at the Continental booth in hall B1 / booth 100.
The "Baron 2.4 Projekt" is an extremely grippy, agile and universal enduro race tire with high durability and puncture resistance. During the development period, Continental’s tire engineers optimized the tire tread as well as the size and the structure of the carcass. Its deep-tread, relatively exposed profile is the modification of the BlackChili compound, which has been adjusted to match the needs of enduro and freeride tracks, ensures reliable grip while not comprising the low rolling resistance, even on mud or lose ground. The 2.4" carcass combines good rolling characteristics with inherent damping without gaining weight. An additional protection layer is incorporated around the entire carcass to reduce risks of punctures. The stable Apex inlay at the lower part of the carcass prevents it from collapsing in fast corners and helps protect the sides from slicing on sharp features in rocky or rooty sections.
In the Enduro World Series, Dan Atherton and Martin Maes from the GT Atherton Racing Team use the Baron 2.4 Projekt“ as well as the whole BMC Factory Trailcrew and the Radon Flow Team. The Focus Trail Team landed an entire podium with the “Baron 2.4 Projekt“ tires at the 2015 German Enduro Championships. Freeride legend Richie Schley, trials artist Danny MacAskill as well as the whole Continental dirt jump elite including Martin Soderstrom, Andreu Lacondeguy and Sam Pilgrim have tested the tires under extreme conditions and were even included in the development.
In more exciting news, Conti has some hot releases for road cyclists, cyclocross enthusiasts, singlespeed racers, marathon participants and tour biking fans. The keyword is „Gravel“. These special tires for road and randonneur bikes are the new all-rounder and a must-have for anyone riding thinner, slicker tires. Road bikes can be adapted for rougher terrain and heavy commuter bikes can easily loose some fat by rolling on the Conti tires.
Come find your perfect tire at the Conti booth in hall B1 / booth 100 and while you are there, why not meet Conti’s world class athlete roster and enjoy some beer during the Conti Party on Thursday from 5pm. This year, street trials icon Danny MacAskill and his protégé Fabio Wibmer will be wielding next to slopestyle colleagues Sam Pilgrim, Martin Soderstrom, Peter Henke, Anton Thelander, Nicholi Rogatkin and Tomas Lemoine. Straight after, the beer will start to flow and visitors can catch up with the athletes.
For further information regarding events, Continental’s athletes and mountain bike teams supported by the German tire manufacturer, please visit the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/ContinentalMTB/235588236540292
For additional information concerning Continental’s involvement within the bicycle industry, please go to: www.conti-online.com/www/bicycle_de_en/
Lapierre Announces The 2016 Spicy Line
Tuesday, August 25, 2015 at 9:48AM ;)
Earlier this year Lapierre released the new versions of the well-loved Zesty : a completely reworked platform for 2016. Sharing the same OST+ suspension system, a new Spicy was also on the cards, and it will be shown to the public for the first time at Eurobike.
A brand new beefed up Spicy, with progressive race geometry developed by Nicolas Vouilloz, this latest version of the Spicy is an Enduro race machine ready to tackle the toughest of descents.
Key features :
- OST+ patented suspension system: a new pivot point position for an improved suspension curve.
- Longer travel: 165mm rear travel and 160mm front.
- Adapted geometry: slack, long and low. A longer reach and shorter seat tube. Shorter and wider cockpit, and slackened head angle.
- Longer Reach: S+18mm, M+16mm, L+20mm, XL +18mm
- Shorter ST: S&M -10mm, L&XL -20mm
- Cockpit: 45mm stem & 780mm bars
- Oversized axles: increased stiffness, better reliability and easy maintenance.
- Tyre clearance : improved by 10mm.
- e:i Shock Auto compatible.
- Hydration: more space has been added for a bottle cage and bottle.
MTB legend and Lapierre R&D team member, Nico Vouilloz was integral to the Spicy’s development. He said:
“We knew from the start that we wanted to increase the travel, but keep it efficient when pedaling. To do this we kept the OST+ suspension system, but played around with different settings. We adjusted the pivot point position for a better suspension curve. We also adjusted the geometry and the longer reach and shorter seat tube really improve the handling. This new version is a real Enduro machine, perfected to win races!”
Available at your local Lapierre dealer from October.
Prices range from 3199€ to 6999€.
2016 Lapierre, The 2016 Spicy |
