Kali Protectives Maya Helmet

Would you rather be hit by a 2x4 or a pillow? It’s a stupid question, but one that our current helmet standards don’t do enough to address. So we’ve built our Maya using a combination of cone shaped multi-density EPS, paired with a softer density foam around the head.

This combination of materials allows us to use our lowest foam density ever. While helmets typically utilize a foam density between 100-120 g per cubit liter, the density in our Maya is around 70 g. The benefit to using this softer foam is that it dissipates impacts faster and more efficiently.

In our pursuit of safety, we haven’t forgotten the other features that make helmets “Enduro” worthy. Which is why the Maya incorporates things like an integrated camera and light mount and a break resistant moto style visor. Other features include an antimicrobial liner with bug netting, our floating dual closure system for easy adjustments, and twelve vents with internal channeling for great ventilation.

Highlights:

• Weighs 350 g
• USA pricing is $100
• Available in size S/M and M/L
• Colors are Matte Black, EnduroBro Blue, and White/Black Duo
• Shipping today-ish (or whenever the California longshoremen strike is resolved)

Details:

• COMPOSITE FUSION PLUSTM Technology: incorporates cone shaped multi-density EPS foam for improved impact dissipation
• Uses softest density foam in the mountain bike segment, because softer is better
• Break resistant FlexyBillTM visor
• Integrated Camera/Light Mount. Works with GoProTM, ContourTM, and Light & MotionTM
• Antimicrobial liner with integrated bug netting5 Forward and 7 rearward facing vents, with deep internal channeling for ventilation
• Dual Closure Fit System which auto height adjusts

New Niner RIP9 Carbon and revised Jet 9 Carbon and EMD 9

The new RIP 9 Carbon handles the most challenging trails with beauty and grace, becoming the center of attention for the embellished stories of riding feats shared over post-ride beers. Discerning trail riders are won over by the ease at which the RIP 9 Carbon pedals and the confidence it inspires when pointed downhill.
 
Riders piloting the RIP 9 Carbon will be continually searching for alternate lines to challenge their skills. With the ascent comes the excitement of another lap and another chance to show up the group at the weekly dirt church ride. Trails become smoother, faster, and more fun, both up and down.
 
The new RIP 9 Carbon features the same striking design as the RIP 9 RDO. It matches a full carbon front triangle to an aluminum rear, which packages the all-around trail capability of the highly touted RIP 9 family into a frame that performs as well as it looks. The RIP 9 Carbon utilizes the same carbon linkage and oversized Angular Contact Bearing pivots and trail specific geometry as the RIP 9 RDO.
 
Get complete RIP 9 Carbon details and pricing here.

The Jet 9 Carbon is the choice for cross country riders looking to topple their riding buddies on the local loop, aim for the podium on any given Sunday, or head out on an endless high country singletrack epic. It begs you to push harder and challenge your physical limits as you ride further and explore deeper on unridden trails.
 
As you find yourself lost exploring new trails or in the darkness of an oxygen-deprived state as you race yourself to the next trail intersection, the Jet 9 Carbon will deliver you with ease.  
 
The new Jet 9 Carbon features the same full carbon front triangle, geometry, and beautiful lines that Niner riders have grown to love. It is now paired with an alloy rear triangle to bring the coveted ride quality of carbon to a greater base of riders. The newly revised frame offers an updated alloy rear triangle that takes advantage of 142x12mm rear wheel spacing and adds confidence to all riding conditions with the ability to run an externally routed dropper post.
 
Get complete Jet 9 Carbon details and pricing here.

The new EMD 9 opens the door to Niner for all riders and will fit nicely in the outdoor enthusiast's garage of envy. Nestled amongst the quiver of skis, whitewater kayak or climbing racks and harness, the EMD 9 will be comfortably at home awaiting all riding adventures. So when the running shoes are hung up for the offseason or the day demands a break from the pavement and the single track beckons, the EMD 9 is ready to deliver.
 
The EMD 9 shares the same lust-worthy design roots as its siblings, at a value anyone can appreciate. The frame features hydroformed alloy tubes and all of the modern technology found across the Niner line and incorporates the ability to install a stealth routed dropper post for when the trail demands the extra confidence of dropping the saddle on the go.
 
It's a carefully procured, trail-ready bike build that balances performance, weight, and is easy on the budget. All designed to balance new outdoor passions with the ability to pursue it to the highest level. The EMD 9 will satisfy the need for off-road exploration by riders of all levels.
 
Get complete EMD 9 details and pricing here.

Modern Mountain Bike Geometry By Transition Bikes

Bike geometry can be complicated. It's nearly impossible to know everything about how a bike will ride based on looking at these numbers alone (not to mention these numbers tell you nothing about how the suspension itself will function). But we hear it being done all too often - and to be fair, we do it too. Problems arise when riders focus on just a few of these numbers instead of how they all relate to one another.

There are no right answers here. We're opinionated about this stuff and we'll let you know it. In the end, there are preferences and our hope is that this article provides the grounds for a more informed discussion of bike geometry. We're going to keep it pretty basic, and some of you might find a lot of the topic a little too 101. But we frequently come across pretty educated riders who haven't fully considered some of this stuff. Even in the basics you might come across a few new ideas. We hope it makes you think more about all of the details in your bikes geometry - we think about it a lot.

We'll begin with a topic that we see people confused about all the time....

Effective Top Tube (ETT) is a traditional way to measure a bikes length. It measures a horizontal line, parallel to the ground, from the center of the head tube to the intersection with the seat tube or seat post. This number is useful for identifying how long a bike will feel while in a seated position.

Reach is newer way to measure a bikes length. It uses the same horizontal line as the Effective Top Tube, but instead of measuring from the head tube to the seat post, it measures from the head tube to a vertical line that runs perpendicular through the center of the bottom bracket shell to the ground. This measurement identifies how long a bike will feel while standing.

So Reach measures your cockpit anytime you're standing and Effective Top Tube measures your cockpit only while seated with your saddle at a specific height. They're both telling numbers and it's worth considering them together, but we put a lot of emphasis on Reach these days. Any time we're riding aggressively, we're out of the saddle, so it follows that this number is going to have a greater overall impact on the "handling" characteristics that define the modern trail or all mountain rider.

One of the most common problems we see is over-emphasis on Effective Top Tube length. As a whole, bikes tend to be getting longer front ends these days. But that can be done with a longer ETT, a longer reach, or a combination of both. Riders who look only at Effective Top Tube without considering reach may be selling themselves short, literally. That's because seat angle has a huge effect on ETT, but zero effect on Reach. Watch what happens when we make the seat angle slacker:

The Effective Top Tube is now longer, but the Reach has remained the same. Or to look at that in another way, it's not hard to imagine a scenario where the Effective Top Tube of 'Bike A' is the same as 'Bike B', but the Reach of 'Bike A' is actually shorter than 'Bike B' because 'Bike A' has a slacker seat angle. This happens; a lot. In these cases, Bike A may fit great while seated, but while standing, the cockpit length is too short and the rider doesn't have enough room to move around or find the bikes sweet spot.

The slack seat angle that afforded the rider adequate seated top tube length does nothing to help the rider move around on the bike while in a standing position. It has other effects as well. The riders seated weight will be further over the bikes rear axle, making the rider work harder to keep the front wheel on the ground while climbing and harder to effectively transfer power to the cranks. The taller the rider/seat post, the more dramatic this effect will be because the seat itself keeps moving rearward as the saddle height is raised. So rather than slacken the seat angle to increase a bikes Effective Top Tube, why not increase the Reach? Proper position while seated and standing.

Another problem with ETT as a whole is that, because it's influenced by seat angle, the actual feel that a listed ETT provides will vary from one rider to the next depending on how high they run their saddle, even on the same frame. Reach is more constant. Consider a rider who is 6' with two bikes; both bikes have a listed ETT of 610mm, but they have different seat angles. ETT is always measured in a parallel line to the ground starting at the top of the head tube. Now let's assume this riders actual seat height is 5" above where the ETT is measured. The bike with a slacker seat angle will actually feel longer while seated than the bike with the steeper seat angle, even though
they have the same effective top tube on paper. So saying that you prefer a bike to have a particular ETT isn't really considering all the necessary information.

Longer Reach also means that the measurement from the BB to the front axle will be longer.

Let's assume that you take a frame and increase the Reach by 25mm. The distance from the BB to the front axle will grow as a result and you now have a bike with a longer wheelbase. You can now shorten the bikes chainstay length to get the wheelbase back to where we started. Same overall footprint, just with more bike out in front and less in the back. Same stability at speed, but a lot easier to push the rear end around in corners and get the front wheel off the ground when you want to. Decreasing the chainstay without increasing the reach would shorten the wheelbase, potentially sacrificing stability at speed. And a slack seat angle combined with the shorter chainstay is going to shift rider weight even further over the rear axle.

With a longer reach dimension, riders can run a shorter stem while still having enough room in the cockpit, whether seated or standing. Short stems provide stability, which is a good thing when you're hanging on for dear life down a high-speed singletrack descent or pointing it through a technical section of trail. When climbing, your tire is less likely to get knocked off line by a root or ledge in the trail. We're going to make a blanket statement here that's intended to offend plenty of people...anyone who doesn't consider themselves a purely XC rider shouldn't be running a stem over 60mm on a mountain bike. That's being generous too. Really we think that max stem length
should be closer to 55mm, maybe even 50mm, but we'll leave some wiggle room in there.

We see people defying this rule regularly - probably because their bike's reach is too short so they put on a longer stem to provide enough room to move around. Or because their bike came spec'ed with a 90mm out of the box and they never changed it.

Pivot Cycles LES Fat - the world's most versatile big tire bike

Pivot Cycles own Chris Cocalis walks you through the design goals and inspirations behind the development of the Pivot LES Fat - the worlds most versatile big tire bike. Check out the frame details and extra Aaron Chase riding footage. Get even more pics info, specs and details at http://www.pivotcycles.com/les-fat

Aaron Chase hits Highland Mountain Bike Park for an off season session on the Pivot Cycles LES Fat.

The LES Fat is the most versatile big-tire bike in the world, capable of running anything from 26 X 3.8, 26 X 4.8, 27.5+ and 29+, via the patented Swinger II dropout. Get all the details and more pics at www.pivotcycles.com/les-fat.

Introducing the LES Fat

Ear-to-ear grins come standard with the new Pivot LES Fat – the world’s most versatile big-tire machine. The full carbon frame of the Pivot LES Fat features leading-edge materials and our proprietary hollow-core, internal-molding process. This coveted technology enables us to create an ultra-lightweight frame featuring the largest downtube in the category and a 132mm Press Fit BB for best-in-class power transfer.

Our patented Swinger II dropout system works with all plus / fat bike wheelsizes. Choose the shortest possible chainstay length for a flickable, playful ride or choose a longer wheelbase and more tire clearance for stability with heavy loads and in messy conditions. The LES Fat maintains ideal geometry via the indexed adjustment arc of the dropouts – the bigger the wheel and the more clearance, the lower the bottom bracket. Included are two headset cup options (Zero Stack and 18mm), for perfect front end geometry at any wheelsize.

The LES Fat is RockShox Bluto compatible and includes a Pivot designed carbon fork with 150mm dropout spacing – one wheelset will work with both options. 2x and 1x gearing compatibility makes the LES Fat an ideal choice in any terrain, and the LES Fat rear spacing is 197mm with an ergo-friendly low Q-factor design when built with the Pivot/E-Thirteen co-designed fat bike crankset. The Pivot Cable Port System makes internal routing simple to install and maintain via large, easy to access ports and interchangeable covers. Easily switch between a variety of cable routing options for the cleanest installation. Additional details include integrated rear rack mounts, internal dropper post routing and 3 water bottle mounts – making the LES Fat the perfect choice for any big tire adventure.

Swinger II Dropout System

The LES Fat features our newly patented Swinger II dropout system, enabling you to run almost any available plus or fat bike wheelsize, easily switch between singlespeed and geared drivetrains and choose your chainstay length based on conditions and desired handling characteristics. With the option to run every tire size from 26 X 3.8, 26 X 4.8, 27.5+, 29+ and anything in between, your bike is really a quiver of options that take you into any season and any condition.

Riders also have the option to set chainstay length within the Swinger II system. The shortest possible setting gives you a flickable, playful ride previously unknown in the big tire category – we feature the shortest chainstays for every wheelsize category. Adjusting for maximum wheelbase and tire clearance (the LES Fat accommodates rubber up to 5” in diameter) gives you an incredibly stable ride for heavy loads and messy conditions.

Features

• Fits most fat/plus wheelsizes (26 X 3.8, 26 X 4.8, 27.5+ and 29+) via Swinger II dropout system, without geometry compromises
• Full carbon frame featuring proprietary hollow core internal molding technology and largest downtube in the category
• Optimized layup structure and toptube and stay shaping for long ride and epic adventure comfort
• Full length internal cable routing via Pivot’s exclusive, easy-to-maintain Cable Port System
• Optimized low Q-factor design when built with co-designed Pivot/E-Thirteen fat bike specific crankset included in our complete builds
• 197mm rear spacing with clearance for tires up to 5" for unpacked snow, mud and sand
• 132mm wide press fit bottom bracket for light weight, durability and ease of maintenance
• 2x and 1x and singlespeed compatible
• Pivot designed carbon fork with 150mm spacing
• RockShox Bluto compatible
• Ships with both 18mm and Zero Stack headset cups for correct geometry at any wheelsize
• Shimano sideswing front derailleur compatible via a low profile e-type mount
• Geared and singlespeed compatible
• Rear rack mounts
• Internal dropper post compatible
• 3 bottle cage mounts
• Highly durable rubberized leather chainstay protection
• Sizes S, M, L for riders between 5'6" and 6'4"
• Available as a complete bike or as a frame/fork/headset
• Begins shipping end of January

PIVOT LES FAT

Introducing the LES Fat

Ear-to-ear grins come standard with the new Pivot LES Fat – the world’s most versatile big-tire machine. The full carbon frame of the Pivot LES Fat features leading-edge materials and our proprietary hollow-core, internal-molding process. This coveted technology enables us to create an ultra-lightweight frame featuring the largest downtube in the category and a 132mm Press Fit BB for best-in-class power transfer.

Our patented Swinger II dropout system works with all plus / fat bike wheelsizes. Choose the shortest possible chainstay length for a flickable, playful ride or choose a longer wheelbase and more tire clearance for stability with heavy loads and in messy conditions. The LES Fat maintains ideal geometry via the indexed adjustment arc of the dropouts – the bigger the wheel and the more clearance, the lower the bottom bracket. Included are two headset cup options (Zero Stack and 18mm), for perfect front end geometry at any wheelsize.

The LES Fat is RockShox Bluto compatible and includes a Pivot designed carbon fork with 150mm dropout spacing – one wheelset will work with both options. 2x and 1x gearing compatibility makes the LES Fat an ideal choice in any terrain, and the LES Fat rear spacing is 197mm with an ergo-friendly low Q-factor design when built with the Pivot/E-Thirteen co-designed fat bike crankset. The Pivot Cable Port System makes internal routing simple to install and maintain via large, easy to access ports and interchangeable covers. Easily switch between a variety of cable routing options for the cleanest installation. Additional details include integrated rear rack mounts, internal dropper post routing and 3 water bottle mounts – making the LES Fat the perfect choice for any big tire adventure.

Swinger II Dropout System

The LES Fat features our newly patented Swinger II dropout system, enabling you to run almost any available plus or fat bike wheelsize, easily switch between singlespeed and geared drivetrains and choose your chainstay length based on conditions and desired handling characteristics. With the option to run every tire size from 26 X 3.8, 26 X 4.8, 27.5+, 29+ and anything in between, your bike is really a quiver of options that take you into any season and any condition.

Riders also have the option to set chainstay length within the Swinger II system. The shortest possible setting gives you a flickable, playful ride previously unknown in the big tire category – we feature the shortest chainstays for every wheelsize category. Adjusting for maximum wheelbase and tire clearance (the LES Fat accommodates rubber up to 5” in diameter) gives you an incredibly stable ride for heavy loads and messy conditions.

- See more at: http://www.pivotcycles.com/bike/les-fat/?utm_source=Pivot%20Cycles%20Newsletter&utm_campaign=c31495df8a-January_Newsletter%20Les%20Fat&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0fb7fb4e92-c31495df8a-184379277#sthash.lm0Dw94W.dpuf

2015 Intense Spyder 275 Announced

Introducing the Spider 275, the newest addition to the Intense line.

This is a do-it all trail bike. Engineered with modern trail geometry, it features a slack head angle, a long front-center, super- short chainstays and adjustable rear travel (115mm – 130mm). If there is just one bike in your quiver this is it. Available in Flat Flo Red (pictured here) and Silver Flake. With three different build options, the new Spider can fit any budget.

Features

• Aluminum Frame with Double butted hydroformed tubes.
• Adjustable VPP / ibox rear suspension 110-130 mm.
• Longer front center, designed to utilize shorter stem lengths.
• Water bottle cage mounts.
• Super short chainstays for a quick snappy feel.
• Internal routing for dropper post.
• 42 X12 rear hub spacing.
• Serviceable pivot points featuring collet bolts and grease ports.

Intense Spyder 275