I’ve been a fan of SDG saddles since way back when. I had a red kevlar covered saddle they made back in the day on my dirt jump/ slalom bike for years, and I’ve owned almost one of every i-beam model they’ve made. Since I’ve changed from my i-beam Gravity Dropper post to a Rockshox Reverb, I’ve been a bit bummed that I can’t run my saddle of choice, the i-Beam Formula MT.

While hanging out shooting pics at AT’s Showdown last weekend at the SF Bike Expo, we ran into Tyler from SDG at the Decline booth where he showed off some of the latest 2012 offerings. On the mountain side of things, SDG has pared back their line a bit to focus on their core products: saddles (railed and i-Beam) and seat posts. In addition to their solid staples, they are also releasing a set of bolt on grips in conjunction with ODI.

SDG Duster Ti-Railed Saddle and co-branded ODI bolt-on Grips

I’m a huge fan of ODI’s bolt-on grips. They pretty much set the standard these days, and the SDG lock-ons might be my favorite of their offerings to date. The grip pattern is essentially made up of the SDG logo, which covers about 3/4 of the grip surface. The circular pattern isn’t all set at one level though. The inside of the logo, which looks like a saddle has a slightly lower profile. According to their marketing copy, it effectively damps shock and spreads pressure across your palm, while providing traction. That sounds good, and when grabbing a handful of grip, I’m inclined to agree. It feels really good. What I really like about it though, is that the diameter has a nice mix between the feel of one of ODI’s bigger diameter grips, and their smaller grips. On the other side of the grip, the pattern ditches the circle altogether, and just has the saddle forms.

The grips also feature new snap-in end plugs, and these are my faves to date from ODI.

SDG/ ODI Lock-on grips. New grips instantly make your bike feel more awesome than before, and these grips: +1

I haven’t had a chance to do a ride with the new Duster saddle, but it looks pretty sweet and ticks off the boxes. Ti-rails, a light bit of padding, and a complete lack of heft. The logo is embossed on the surface to provide a bit of traction where you need it. The best part about the Duster is that it keeps much of the shape that made me so fond of the Formula models, in a very slopestyle friendly XC-trail package.

SDG Duster Ti Saddle

UPDATE

Just finished up a weekend of riding on the grips, and these suckers have a great feel, and grip really well. Just like that, I’ve got a new favorite set of grips.

SDG/ ODI Lock-on grips installed

Related posts:

1. Fresh Gear: SDG Formula MT and Carbon iBeam Seatpost
2. Fresh Gear: Teva Links MTB Freeride Shoes
3. Fresh Gear: Rockshox Reverb Seatpost

The Cane Creek Angleset has arrived, and is now in place on the Carbon Nomad. How does it ride? In a word, it’s glorious. Yep- that’s what I said.

Installing the Angleset was fairly straight forward, although special care was taken in lining up the top cup with the center of the bike. I started by pressing the lower cup in first, followed by the top one. I was a bit concerned about how easily the top cup went it as it took a minimal amount of force. (I probably could have pushed it in by hand) As top cups don’t take anywhere near the beating of the lower cups, and taking into consideration I have a slick plastic bike (read: carbon) I’ve taken a wait and see attitude as opposed to being massively concerned. I’m a few rides in and I’ve had no issues to date.

Top cup of the Angleset on a Carbon Nomad

Why slack out the head angle?

My reasoning for installing the Angleset was two fold, but obviously came down to wanting to customize the handling of my Carbon Santa Cruz Nomad. I wanted to lower the bottom bracket on the bike, and I wanted to slack out the headtube angle to give my ride more of a park bike feel, or to create the ideal XC/AM bike for downhillers.

There are a number of bikes available that I had previously looked at and tried out; most notably, the Intense Slopestyle. Highlights include slack angles and coil suspension, with a mini-DH bike feel. While everyone I know who has thrown a leg over one loves them, that bike also features a very slack seat angle, making it horrible for actually pedaling up hills. (it’s no trail bike)

Lower gimbal and bearing

The Nomad in its stock carbon form is a sweet all around and extremely capable all mountain machine that can do it all. I wanted mine to lean towards the downhill side of the spectrum and spec’d coil suspension.

Profile of the lower cups

Anyone that loves to rip corners enjoys a lower bottom bracket height, and while the height of the Carbon Nomad is listed on the Santa Cruz website at 14″, mine in its static state measured in significantly lower with 2.35″ trail tires. This number is pretty abstract though- because Nomads are mostly sold as frames, every build comes out slightly differently, and this figure isn’t a constant. It’s almost as if it was just a random number picked from a hat. This is apparently a common topic of conversation even amongst the engineers at Santa Cruz, and not limited to the forums. The type of headset, axle to crown length of the fork spec’d, tire volume and additional factors all have an effect on the final static bottom bracket height.

With my initial build, my Nomad’s BB height was more like 13.7″ or 13.8″ , and this matches comparable bikes- the current Enduro from Specialized is listed at 350mm, or 13.79″ . Being the bike geek that I am, I’ve been researching options for getting it a bit lower.

Bottom Bracket height measurement

Option 1. Install an after market link, like the PushLink. The PushLink isn’t designed to actually lower the static bb height, but instead changes up the shock rate, and gives the bike more of a rising rate. (like the original Nomad, which was known for its DH performance) It also sits lower into its travel, and because of this has the feel of a lower bottom bracket. (and therefore corners better.) Since I don’t run a small ring, I likely wouldn’t lose much in the climbing way of things, which is one of the reasons Santa Cruz listed for updating the rate of the V2 Nomads. However, I like the way my bike climbs, as well as how it pedals. I haven’t spent much time on the original Nomads, so I wasn’t sure this was a fix I actually wanted.

Option #2 for getting the feel of a lower bottom bracket: changing to a extremely slim platform pedal. Slim pedals are less likely to strike the ground, but even more importantly, your center of gravity gets lower. This would also effectively emulate the feel of a lower bottom bracket height.

Close up of the tape measure

Option #3. A zero stack lower cup on the headset. By running an Angleset with the 1 1/8″ steerer and a zero stack (ok, not quite zero) lower cup, I was able to lower the headtube, as well as the bottom bracket. By choosing the 1.5º option, I’ve slacked out the fork, slightly lengthened my wheelbase, and I believe my bb height came down a bit more. (I’m also still looking into pedals to implement option #2, but that won’t effect my riding on days I’m running spds)

How does it ride?

I’m still getting used to my set up, but so far I’m super stoked on it. The bike still climbs awesome, and but now it descends even better. Having ridden DH bikes for years, climbing on a slack front end doesn’t really present a challenge to me, and I regularly out-climb riders on more XC-oriented bikes in the rough stuff, even with my 1×9 drivetrain. (running clip-in pedals makes all the difference on tough grinds) On long sustained climbs on steep grades I’ll usually just walk, but if I can walk just as fast as my buddy next to me grinding away in his lowest gear, I’m not missing out.

One of the benefits of lowering the front end is that my effective seat tube angle is a bit steeper as well,  helping the effort during the up sections. While I run a 50mm stem for DH handling, my 29.5″ handlebar also creates a wider grip, and it makes it easier to keep the front end down on climbs. I’m currently running 30mm in spacers, which is slightly lower than my initial setup, and almost 5mm less than my previous bar height on my Trek Remedy. (the Nomad has a shorter head tube the the Trek) I could go lower, (which is apparently in vogue right now looking at everyone else’s builds,) but I can climb just fine with my current bar height, and I wouldn’t be able to charge down steep technical trails the same way, and that functionality is at the root of this entire build.

The lower bb height is awesome. Yes, I clip my pedals on rocks occasionally on rocky technical ascents— even with 170mm cranks. It doesn’t bother me though, it’s just part of the game.

A swap to DH tires and wheels: Park Bike/ Mini-DH mode

The downside

Although my headset doesn’t have play, there is some occaisional noise coming from the headtube area, so I’ll be disassembling the headset and reinstalling it with even more grease to be on the safe side. Apparently this is fairly common with the Angleset, and there’s even a term for it that has been going around- it is becoming known as “gimbal knock.” After discussing it with a few other riders running a similar setup, it appears the best tip for eliminating this is to pre-align the gimbals on installation, then tighten the crap out of it. I haven’t totally wrenched mine down, as I was concerned about killing the bearings prematurely-do this with a King headset and it will develop a notchy feeling early in its life. (there is also a good amount of documentation on the forums, and there is a huge thread on RideMonkey) Since we’re about to embark on our last (hopefully next to last) roadtrip of the summer this week, I have a bit of wrenching to go to make sure my ride is free of issues during our mission to Moab/ Grand Junction.

Related posts:

1. Bike Check: Evan’s Carbon Nomad
2. Fresh gear: Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon
3. Cane Creek Announces the AngleSet Headset

Disc brake rotors are one of those parts in the tool box you can never have to many of. Especially when if you like riding extremely technical trails littered with rocks, roots and stumps that all there trying to take a bite out of your derailleur or rotors. Sometimes it only takes one bad line to put them out of wack, resulting with the dreaded and annoying rubbing noise we’re all too familiar with. So when a fresh set of rotors from Dirty Dog MTB showed at our door I was rather pleased. Even more so when I opened them up and took a much closer look at them.

Skull (185mm) and Spider (160mm) disc brake rotors from Dirty Dog MTB

These designer rotors from Bay Area Company Dirty Dog look fantastic and get a lot of attention with their unique lines. Of the two, the spider pattern is by far my favorite. The subtle lines of a web not only remind me of components a Spider-Man would run on a mountain bike, but are the most subdued. The other rotor features a skull and cross bones, and had a strong pirate theme.

The differences between the two didn’t end there. The construction of the 6″ rotors offered differ from the rest of their offerings. The smaller spider web design is stamped as opposed to laser cut. The larger rotors feature more intricate designs that take significantly longer to produce, and this additional labor is included in the price. We happy to report that not only do these unique pieces look good, but they perform as well.

While they are a few grams heavier than a stock rotor, they add a nice touch to any ride. They bolt on just like any other six bolt rotor, and didn’t have any issues lining up the caliper. Break in time was minimal.

Spider Rotor from Dirty Dog MTB

When I was offered the option of rotor sizes, I elected to choose a 7″ and 6″ rotor. My plan was to pair them with Saint calipers for my all mountain set up. How did they work? Unfortunately I ran into a hiccup with my plan off the bat. Dirty Dog offers their 7″ rotor in a 185mm configuration. Having been away from the bike shop trenches  for some time now, I forgot about the disparity between rotor sizes available on the market today. Avid brakes utilize a 185″ rotor while Shimano’s 7″ rotor comes in a 180mm. It’s a serious pain in the ass, so if you don’t already run Avid brakes, consider going with the larger 8″ rotor. Ordering up an Avid adapter (and adding to my huge stack of rotor adapters in my tool box) resolved my issue. In the meantime, I stuck the Spider 6″ rotor on my rear wheel and I was off riding.

The 6″ rotor combined with 2.35 tires on all mountain wheels and the Saint brake was awesome. The grabby, on-off feel of the Saints wasn’t there, or an issue with the smaller rotor, and it was a dialed setup. Stopping performance of the Dirty Dog Rotor was excellent, and as with any component that just works, enabled me to focus on the ride. During pit stops and rest stops along the way, it invites compliments.

When the 185mm rotor adapter finally arrived though, I ran into an issue. Because I’m currently running a carbon Nomad in a quiver killer setup, I use a set of DH wheels on this bike as well. Turns out the 6″ rotor paired with DH wheels doesn’t have the stopping power I’m accustomed to, so I swapped out the Spider rotor with the skulls.

Skull Rotor by Dirty Dog MTB

I’m still mucking around with the set up of my all mountain ride though, and this in no way reflects on the performance of these rotors. Swapping to the 185mm rotor in the back added plenty of power, even when I’m swapped out to my heavier DH wheels and tires. With my all mountain wheels I’m feeling dialed in. (I’m running a 180mm rotor in the front as well for a 7″ & 7″ set up)

If you currently run 185mm rotors with Avid Calipers, the 7″ rotor will bolt right on. If you are tied into the 180s, with a non-Avid setup you’ll need to add an adapter to the mix as well to fit it correctly.

Which one is the Dirty Dog Rotor? Here's a hint. It's the one that stands out from the rest.

Thanks to Echos Communications for setting us up with Dirty Dog MTB and sending out a pair for me to sample. For more info on Dirty Dog MTB, click away.

No related posts.

Like many others that have posted critiques of their adjustable height seat posts, I too have a love/hate relationship with the models I’ve run. However, although mechanical issues have ruined a few rides and seriously pissed me off from time to time, I can’t give up on them. Even with their occasional snafus, they’ve enhanced my trail riding experiences enough that I take the bad with the good — because when its good, it’s really, really good. During the last several years running the classic descender and Turbo models from Gravity Dropper, I’ve plenty of ups and downs (pun intended) but now the market is filled with a number of options, and I’m ready to move on. After researching and trying a number of options, (including owning a Joplin for several days) I’ve upgraded to the polished and sleek Rockshox Reverb post. The new adjustable post from Rockshox isn’t cheap, but it’s badass. 5″ of infinite seat adjustability, clean looks and sharp lines make the newest height adjustable post on the market quite a desirable upgrade.

The Reverb offers 125mm of infinite seat height adjustment with the push of the remote

I haven’t ditched my old post yet though — the industry hasn’t quite nailed the adjustable height post. Reliability is still an major issue; additional moving parts equals more maintenance on your ride, and more stuff that can break. I’m hoping mine holds up with a minimal amount of issues, but since this is my fourth adjustable height post, I’m keeping a backup plan in place. On my bike, if something can break easily, it likely will. Take traditional seat rails – one of the final upgrades I did to my Gravity Dropper Turbo was the change to an iBeam format for the post and saddle. Now that I’m back on a traditional railed post, I also have the possibility that the rails on my saddle will fail, so all of my road trips and major rides include a spare saddle and post in the car. (in addition to the spare chain and derailleur hanger.) As one could probably guess, I’m a bit of a skeptic. This is something I’ve learned from experience with these posts. And yet, I’m extremely pleased with this purchase. My biggest reason for making the switch was to gain the extra inch of height adjustability. In addition to that, the post itself will also drop lower in the frame, making it possible to ride larger scale dirt jumps without having to remove the post for a traditional post I can slam all the way down.

 Reverb mounted on the carbon Nomad, mid-ride on the North Umpqua Trail near Roseburg, Oregon.

My current steed for the 2011 season is a Carbon Nomad frame from Santa Cruz bikes, and at the moment it is my only suspension bike. On any given day it is pressed into use as a single track slayer or a mini-DH/ slopestyle steed with the change of a wheel set. Since it’s my only ride, all my components will likely wear at an accelerated rate, since my riding time is no longer split between other bikes in my quiver. All the components on my ride have been carefully chosen based on durability, reliability, and performance. Bottom line, the choice to go with the Reverb was well pondered.

I won’t go into technical details of the post as this ground has already been covered pretty extensively by other sites, instead focusing on my own personal experience with the post. (see this initial PinkBike post if you want to get tech) Like many other seat post owners, I’ve looked long and hard at the 5″ options on the market. Just about every model has its evangelists, as well as reports of failures. In the end, for me it came down to the aesthetics of the Reverb, as well as the greater availability of replacement parts, and that it can be serviced by the end user. When service requirements are a looming need, I’ll always go with the product that has the best support, then hope I don’t need it. In fact, Sram has a YouTube channel with instructional videos, which is good, since you’ll probably need to use them at some point. (see Link: How to Bleed the Reverb Remote)

For those just starting their research and shopping for an adjustable post, here are a few highlights of the Reverb:

Specs: (via SRAM)

Ups

• 125mm/ 5″ of adjustment; the post can be set at any point between fully extended and fully slammed
• The action of the post is actuated via a handlebar mounted remote lever via a hydraulic line that comes in a long length so you can fit it to any bike.
• The remote switch looks pretty sweet, and is adjustable; you can tailor the speed of the post’s extension to suit your tastes
• Minimal amount of side to side play
• Adding the correct size post to my carbon frame resolved all my slippage issues
• Light for an adjustable height post
• Nicest post we’ve tried to date
• The Avid Matchmaker mounting makes the cockpit area look super clean
• Bleed kit included, as well as torx wrench and fittings
• You can lift the bike by the seat; post does not extend when lifting the bike by its saddle
• dual-bolt micro-adjust saddle clamp is quality stuff
• Hose guide does a decent job routing the cable, which comes down with the seat
• Smooth action

Downs

• Lever placement: positioning means you can’t flip the bike upside down to service it in the field
• The remote on top is exposed and can break if crashed. If placed on the bottom you can smack it with your knee; I’ve crashed once so far, and the remote took a hit. Fortunately, it is just scratched, and still functions fine.
• You’ll need that bleed kit. My post was coming up when lifting the bike by the seat needing after two rides. This wasn’t an issue, but the seat was also slowly lowering on climbs.
• Cable is super long — you will likely want to shorten it
• Stories of the cable and remote breaking seem common

The Reverb remote lever mounted using the Avid Matchmaker Clamp makes for a clean looking cockpit; especially on a 9-speed setup.

Tech tips gathered from the web

• Check the air spring pressure. Mine was at 170psi and it should be 250psi. Once I added air the return rate improved, as it felt slow after a few rides.
• Be extremely careful clamping the post in a shop stand. It is very easy to damage the hose and/or barb. Do not clamp on the upper section of the post and do not clamp the hose.
• Some good tips from the NSMB Forums

We’ll be reporting back on the good and the bad in follow up posts. Got any tips? Please share them below.

Related posts:

1. Fresh Gear: SDG Formula MT and Carbon iBeam Seatpost
2. Fresh Gear: SDG Duster Saddle and Grips
3. Fresh gear: Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon

WTB is known for making some of the most comfortable saddles around.  In fact, I’ve been a big fan of the Laser V Team for years. The only drawback for me has been durability. Traditional seat rails and me don’t seem to be a good combination. Lightweight ti rails don’t hold up well to 165lbs of rider coming down on them when feet miss the pedals. These days, I tend to run iBeam saddles on my DH and all mountain set ups, since they hold up to the aggressive abuse I often unintentionally dish out.

Because of these factors, the Silverado is not the usual type of saddle you would expect to find on one of my bikes. As a self-defined all mountain rider, I live for flowy downhill sections of trail, and tend to prioritize comfort over light weight performance. The Silverado with its sleek lines, minimal padding, and carbon rails is all business and clearly aimed at the elite road crowd or cross country racers. With a light amount of padding, you aren’t going to want to stick this on your urban bike and roll around in your man-capris either. However, if you’re in the market for a performance saddle made to go-fast, definitely read on.

First impressions upon lifting this saddle out of the box is that it’s just wicked light. WTB pulled out the stops in putting this baby together. We were playing catch with this thing, throwing it back and forth, and simply amazed at how little heft there was to it.

Profile of the WTB Silverado saddle.

It retains the traditional profile WTB saddles are known for, with the slightly dropped nose, and scrotum-saving Love Channel. Since it is clearly an XC saddle, I did the right thing, and installed it on my rigid retro 29er. She comes in on the portly side, and could stand to shed some weight. On my first foray out and about, we put on our knickers and rolled around town, sans chamois. That was a bad idea- my ass did not enjoy that one bit. However, after suiting up for a real ride and putting some saddle time in, my attitude changed drastically. While the Silverado doesn’t compare to Laser V in comfort, under hard rides while wearing a comfortable chamois, I didn’t have any issues with it. In fact, I actually felt faster. There’s a sweet spot on the saddle you end up in, and I feel like I’m able to put more power to the pedals.

The Silverado mounted up on the Retrosled.

That said, I’m still not sure I’d want to run it on an all day trail ride, especially the way I break stuff. I’ve finished rides in the past with duct tape holding seat posts and saddles together before, and my current setup prevents that situation. Instead, I’ll be saving it for use on the XC bike in short track racing and the like. If I can get my fitness back to a competitive level this season, I’ll definitely run it on the Super D bike. This thing wants to be used in competition, and the least I can do is take it there. Did I mention it’s like bling for your seat post? I could also see it mounted up to a dual slalom or MTX set up for the rider that wants to lighten up and pimp his ride. ‘Cause this saddle definitely looks the part.

Obligatory marketing spiel from WTB:

• Listed weight: 158g
• carbon composite shell
• comfort zone
• kevlar corners
• microfiber cover
• Narrow x long (133mm x 274mm)
• USAGE:Elite Road / Cross Country Racing

With a sticker price of $250.00, seat post bling and race performance doesn’t come in cheap, but hey, Brian Lopes uses it and has his own signature model. Although his utilizes ti rails, and weighs a bit more. I’ll report back in a few months with how this bad boy holds up.

Related posts:

1. Fresh Gear: SDG Duster Saddle and Grips
2. Fresh Gear: SDG Formula MT and Carbon iBeam Seatpost
3. Gravity Dropper Classic Adjustable Seat Post- Long Term Review

After more than four years of abuse (mounted on numerous frames, both full suspension and rigid) my Gravity Dropper  Classic Adjustable height seat post has given up the ghost. And while I’m a bit bummed, and a bit disappointed, I honestly can’t say there are a lot of products I’ve owned this long. It’s been a long run, and while it is currently out of order, it’s been a great product, and I would buy one all over again.

I currently own two adjustable height seat posts from Gravity Dropper. (I actually own a total of three adjustable height posts- including a Crank Bros Joplin) The first one Gravity Dropper was a 3 inch adjustable model- one of the first.  I was an early adopter to the adjustable height seat posts- I’ve always wanted one, to the point where I had sketched and doodled my own designs for a telescoping seat post. I never had aspirations to build and market them, I just wanted to be able to rip a trail and drop the seat without pausing.

My Gravity Dropper seat post, installed on a Wolfhound single speed.

When the 4 inch model was released, I picked one up right away. Three inches was good. Four was even better. In my ideal world, I’d be able to slam my seat all the way down with the flick of a switch.

The benefits of having an adjustable height seat post should be obvious to anyone that stops and lowers their seat at any point during a ride. After riding with one, I can’t imagine riding without an adjustable height post. Have you ever had a stupid crash late in a ride, because you were too lazy to lower your seat? Those don’t happen anymore. (At least not because your seat was too high) Push the lever, slam the seat down, and get as tech on the trail as you want. (on burly descents you can still lower the seat post at the QR for maximum clearance.) The product is extremely simple to use as well. Just stand up, push the lever until you hear the click in your post, (that is the sound of the pin dis-engaging) then sit on the post, lowering it. Then release the lever. Once you do it on a ride a few times, the motion is mastered and you can lower your post easily at any point, even in technical sections.

Installed on an Intense Tracer.

In the time that I’ve owned the posts, they’ve stopped working a few times due to mechanical failure. For the most part, it has been an easy fix. (As long as you have the .050 allen wrench still- these are not easy to find, so don’t lose it.) Because the remote actuates the post via a derailleur cable, it is prone to contamination like any cable and housing. Muddy rides and frozen temperatures have both taken my post out of commission, but each time it was relatively easy to repair. Admittedly, I do have a number of years as a professional bike mechanic that most people don’t, but if your post goes wack, you can always take it to your local bike shop and they can get you sorted out.

Replacing a snapped cable on the Gravity Dropper is fairly simple if you have the correct allen key. (don't lose it, it is SMALL)

Unlike other posts on the market, the Gravity Dropper is a mechanical system. It is pretty basic: a tube with a seat mount slides up and down inside another tube, much like a fork. To control the side to side play, two plastic shims sit inside a groove in the inner tube. The outer tube has a matching groove. It is a simple system, and it works well. I have never noticed play in my saddle.

The height of the post is set via holes drilled in the inside tube. When you pull on the lever on the handlebar, a magnet pulls a pin out of the inside tube, allowing the saddle height to be changed. When the lever is released, the pin is pushed back in by magnet with the reverse polarity.

Installing a new cable.

The only drawbacks to the seat post is that with all the moving parts, things wear out, and eventually break. Besides having to replace worn out derailleur cables, I’ve also had the Gravity Dropper unit (part #80 in this diagram) separate from the lower seat post tube. I sent it back, and Gravity Dropper covered the repair under warranty.

Last time I inspected the post, I found cracks in the top seat clamp in both of my posts. They have yet to fully fail, but recently the inside tube on my 4″ post did, cracking halfway through. Because of the resulting bend, the post no longer will slide up and down, and it will cost me about $50 to get the post running again. I will also probably replace the boots on both posts at this time.

Oops, I did it again.

Detail of the broken inner tube (part #22) on a Gravity Dropper Classic.

I have been holding off on replacing the cracks in the top seat clamp, as Gravity Dropper has been experimenting with an I-beam compatible head. (update: it is now out, and it is awesome.) Seeing as how this seat post has already out-lived several sets of Ti-railed WTB Laser team saddles, I’m looking forward to the upgrade. (note: a call to Gravity Dropper has confirmed that the replacement I-beam compatible head is now available and shipping out)

The Gravity Dropper Classic Adjustable post is a 27.2mm post. It is easily shimmed to fit most full suspension frames. I have a number of shims in my tool box, as I’ve used the post on a number of frames including the Intense Tracer VP, Trek Remedy, Fisher Roscoe, Specialized Enduro SL 2007, Enduro 2006, Enduro 2005, custom Wolfhound hard tail, On-One Inbred, and custom Jericho hardtail frame.

The post in its lowered position on my Trek Remedy.

Even though I’ve had more than my share of frustration with this post, the majority of the time it has worked as intended, and is my favorite upgrade to any bike. It allows me to focus on the ride, and less on stopping to change the height of my saddle. Before I had this product, I’d often get lazy and ride with my saddle lowered a few inches, which ended up causing knee pain on long rides. Obviously, it isn’t an issue now.

I do wish I had the ability to drop the seat all the way down. With the Gravity Dropper Classic, it gets fairly low, but the mechanism restricts how low it can get. The newer Gravity Dropper Turbo appears to have addressed this somewhat, and I’m looking forward to trying one at some point in the future. I also wish the post had at least another inch of drop- 5″ would be ideal (if not more). I’ve been trying to milk this product until the next generation is released, but with the recent failure, I may be forced to simply repair the post I currently have.

I also have a Crank Brothers Joplin R post that I am testing. Stay tuned for a follow up comparing the two seat posts. Since I’ve been using this post, a number of other products have been released that I’m also hoping to get my hands on, including models from Rock Shox, KS Suspension, and Rase.

My seat post is down, but not out. I’ll be ordering the replacement parts tomorrow.

(updated 6/21/2010) I just got off the phone with Gravity Dropper and I’ve found that the cracked inner tube will be covered under warranty. I’m having them upgrade it to the i-beam head, which they are doing for a small charge. Kudos for the customer service.

Related posts:

1. WTB Silverado Saddle Review
2. Fresh Gear: Rockshox Reverb Seatpost
3. A day at the Sea Otter Classic

Cane Creek took a great idea, and made it even better with their announcement of the AngleSet headset today. The all-new AngleSet threadless headset can be used to transform the head angle of your mountain bike easily, with up to six offset angle adjustments. Check out the press release:

As riders have stretched the limits of what is possible on a mountain bike, they realize a need to fine-tune frame geometry to optimize performance. Cane Creek is proud to introduce the AngleSet, a threadless headset that gives users the ability to change the head angle of their frame – meeting their demands.

With the all-new AngleSet threadless headset you can now transform the head angle of your mountain bike with ease, as AngleSet offers up to six offset angle adjustments. Steeper or slacker adjustments from 0.5 to 1.5 degrees makes dialing in the perfect geometry to attack the trail a breeze.

The patent-pending design of AngleSet is head-tube length independent and fits most popular head tube standards. A self-aligning feature between the bearings and the steerer tube ensures a perfect fit and makes fork installation a snap.

The Cane Creek AngleSet could be a game changer. Photo: Cane Creek

Three different AngleSet models will be available: one for 1.5″ head tubes that will work with 1 1/8″ steer tubes, and two for tapered headtubes that will fit 1 1/8″ steer tubes. The Angleset will be available as a stock or upgrade option on a number of 2011 bicycle models from Intense, Pivot, and Santa Cruz among others.

Mounted on a Limited edition Intense 951. Photo: Cane Creek

Angle changing headsets aren’t new, as companies like K-9 have been producing them previous to this announcement. However, they are hard to find. My brother recently put on on his Giant Glory Freeride bike in conjuction with a Boxxer fork to change the geometry of the bike to be more like the Giant DH Race bike. While he is pleased with the performance of the product, sourcing it took almost a month.

But what does it really mean to the average rider? For a rider like me, it is huge. Bikes I would never consider riding based on the geometry will now be given a second look. Personally, I love the handling that comes from a 67 degree head angle, typically found on All Mountain bikes. I won’t consider most 5″ travel trail bikes because I’m simply not interested in the quick handling of a 68 or 69 degree head angle. With the 1.5°+/- adjustments, a bike like the Santa Cruz Blur LT carbon becomes something I would consider riding.

For example, the stock headtube angle of the Blur LT is 69.0°. With this headset, I could make it more like 67.5°. All of a sudden I have a XC racable bike that can shred groomers with the best of them. To be honest, I’m not even sure what my next bike purchase will be at this point- there are just too many options now. Taking the Blur LT example further, I could add a coil sprung Cane Creek Double Barrel Rear shock to it and add a ti spring, and I would have a bike that would simply destroy the local trails and straight kill it at the local Super D races. And you could still race the thing in the local short track.

Get more info on the Cane Creek site.

Anyone else have a blown mind here? Drop a line below.

Related posts:

1. Cane Creek offers tapered headset solution
2. Angleset + Carbon Nomad = Sweetness
3. All Mountain or Long Travel Trail, Part II: the lines are blurring

A fresh new SDG Forumula MT iBeam saddle, accompanied by a carbon iBeam seatpost showed up at the door today for review. Sweet. I’ll be frank: I wish more saddle manufacturers adopted the iBeam design. With a single fixing bolt, it is easy to adjust, and the long rail on the saddle is crazy tough. Even if you somehow managed to break one, (several years ago, I did just that, on a 30foot step down I was just a bit short on) the long saddle rail means that you can actually continue to use the saddle, even with part of the rail is damaged.  Just bolt it to a section of the rail that is still intact, and you are on your way home. It gets better. After I contacted SDG and sent back the broken saddle, they sent me a replacement model at no charge. That is some serious customer service.

the SDG Formula MT saddle and carbon iBeam Post. photo: JVH

Having destroyed my share of traditional saddles, and having to cobble some sort of make shift attachment  (zip ties, twine, grass, or whatever I could find on the side of the trail) in order to hobble back home, this benefit alone is a big win for the unique interface. It isn’t just me either- take a look at the seats under DH riders at the local races, and you’ll see many of them subscribe to the system as well.

The only issue I have with the iBeam system is the lack of comfortable saddles available. Short of the dirt jump specific i-Sky, most of the ibeam saddles I have tried fall short in this department. The Formula FX saddle appeared to change this proposition.  With a 2 density base that offered flex, and a great shape, it was a big improvement. I tried one a year or two back on my Demo 7 at Northstar. I was impressed by the light weight and comfort.  It was a sad moment when I had to return it.

The Formula MT mounted on our Trek Remedy long term test sled

When I saw the Formula MT model, which is basically the FX model modified with additional padding and a relieved area for the bits and parts, I had to check it out. The timing was immaculate as well, the day before the package arrived, I had my worst crash of the year to date, resulting in this:

Another one bites the dust. Wrecking ti-railed saddles gets expensive fast.

A rather nasty crash while testing the flow of the soon-to-be-adopted FR trails at Road 14 was the end of my favorite AM/XC saddle, a WTB  Laser V team. Hopefully Wayne at Gravity Dropper will have the new 5″ posts with the iBeam heads available soon. I’m crossing my fingers that he’ll have upgrade kits for existing posts. Both Gravity Dropper and KS Suspension have licensed the iBeam design and are currently testing prototypes. It appears my crumpled WTB saddle, pictured here, will be my last- a Twitter post directed @W_T_B confirmed that they will not be doing anything iBeam.

I’ll be using the Forumla MT seat and post on a Trek Remedy and Session 88, for all mountain use, downhill, and free riding. Stay tuned to MBAction.com to hear how the lightweight combo holds up in an upcoming full review.

Related posts:

1. Fresh Gear: Rockshox Reverb Seatpost
2. Fresh Gear: SDG Duster Saddle and Grips
3. Fresh gear: Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon

It’s a familiar situation. You love ripping it up on trails, and enjoy hammering on your trail bike for hours on end. However, after watching some bike videos, a seed is planted, and the desire to step up your technical game and ride more challenging terrain has formed. Maybe it is time to start hitting that jump or log drop you have gone around the last dozen times you rode your local loop, so you ‘ve begun reading up on the freeriding revolution and how to begin learning new bike skills.

Cole on board a Cove Freeride bike on Circus-mouse in Sandy, Oregon.

If you’re ready to take the next step, make it a lot easier on yourself and do it right. A riding position optimized for climbing doesn’t lend itself for jumping or technical handling. By utilizing the correct equipment and and an optimized set up, you can minimize injury and maximize your learning curve. We originally posted this article over a year ago. In it, we took a Specialized Enduro SL, a bike solidly planted in the all mountain category, and maximized its potential for use in a bike park. Here it is again, with a few additional examples of trail and all mountain bikes, converted ready for some freeride action.

It’s all about the set up

The first and most important step in beginning your freeriding education starts here, with the proper set up of your ride. In an ideal situation, you could go out and purchase a brand new 7 inch travel freeride bike that is designed for this application. Bikes like the Specialized SX trail like your new hero Darren the Claw Berrecloth, or the new Trek Scratch, the bike ridden in videos by super-shredder Cam McCaul. If you have the budget to build up an Intense Slopestyle, or an Uzzi, even better. However, this isn’t an option for you, you can still get in the game by converting your bike into a ride that is ready to handle the learning curve of downhill or freeride mountain biking.

Let’s assume your bike is equipped with a minimum of 5 inches of travel and falls under the all mountain or trail bike category. If it doesn’t, or is a bike you regularly boast about regarding its extremely light weight, turn back now. Cross country specific bikes simply aren’t built for constant abuse, and while these spec changes on your bike will make it much more suitable for ski area/ black diamond trail riding, this style of riding will dramatically reduce the useful life of a XC specific bike. The geometry and construction of this style of frame will limit its potential. If it is what you are stuck with, just know that you’ll want to inspect it even more regularly.  Our goal is to get you up to speed with a minimal amount of downtime, IE, hospital visits.

For this example, we’re going to assume you have a bike comparable to our test sled, a Specialized Enduro Sl. These bikes come stock with 6″ of travel front and rear and is quickly becoming the standard in long travel trail bikes. This is the bike we’ll be setting up today:

Specialized Enduro SL- set up for some serious trail riding

Most all mountain bikes are already set up somewhat downhill friendly. This model has an 8″ rotor in the front for additional stopping power, and a 7″ rotor in the rear. The stem however, is a compromise between downhill and xc with its 80mm length- perfect for all mountain riding, but for DH/FR standards, it is a bit long, and isn’t optimized for technical handling. This bike is equipped with one of the best trail bike upgrades available, a gravity dropper adjustable height seat post. However, for bigger stunts, you will want the capability of slamming the seat down all the way. Looking at the wheels, they are relatively light, and while they have decent air volume, the tires are light weight for its class: Kenda Nevegal 2.35, front and rear. These treads are great for trails and all around, but they are known to pinch flat under aggressive moves.

This bike is already part way there, and would be suitable for most conditions- a great compromise between lightweight and downhill performance. We’re going to take it a step further though, and set it up for black diamond ski-area riding or serious freeride trails; the type of riding you’ll find at resorts like Whistler, Northstar, or Mammoth Mountain. Gravity assisted all the way, where adding weight to a bike like this will actually help build your confidence.

Cockpit/ riding position

Let’s look at the riding position first. If you were to generalize the bar to saddle relationship, you would find that your average XC bike has a bar height that is lower than the saddle. On a typical all mountain/ long travel trail bike, the relative height of the handlebar to the seat tends to be a lot closer on average. However, when you look at a downhill, freeride, or dirt jump bike, you’ll find the bar is considerably higher than the seat height. On most dirt jump bikes the seat is slammed down as low as it can possibly go- this ensures that contact with the saddle will not be a factor, and frees up space for the rider to maneuver.

All mountain and long travel trail bikes are typically sent out with a 70-90mm length stem, (*at 5’10, I ride a medium everything, and will be using a medium frame in our example- smaller or longer bikes will scale accordingly) Again, this is a suitable length for a typical trail setup, but a less than ideal riding position when you are 6 feet above the ground on an elevated ladder. We want to be more upright, in a “ready” position at all times in this situation.

The first thing we’re doing with this bike is putting a 50mm stem on it. If you’re riding jumps and pure technical riding, the focus is on handling. Shortening the stem to a DH/DJ length puts your weight back, and while the top tube of the bike is still longer than a true DH or slope style ride, it will more closely emulate the riding position. We’ve also removed the Specialized suspension and gone with a Fox Talus 36, which is much more dirt jump/ x-up friendly. We’ve removed the all mountain enduro bar which at 26″ wide was a bit narrow, and installed a wider, 28″ uncut Specialized Demo DH handlebar. The additional width of the downhill handlebars will make the bike considerably easier to handle in the loose rocky sections you may encounter on the mountain, and offers additional  leverage needed to control the bike in the gnar.

The next step is to pull off the clip-in pedals and add flat pedals. A lot of trail riders learned to ride with clip-in pedals, but in order to learn proper riding technique and minimize the risk of crashing and injury, flat pedals are necessary. Yes, you will see pro BMX racers and downhill racers racing clipped in, but I guaranty that when they are off the track and riding for fun, the majority of them ride with flats. You will not see any high level riders riding skinnies, or dirt jumping clipped in regularly either. If you don’t take the time to learn the basic skills correctly, you run the risk of hurting yourself and hampering your own personal progression. It can have a steep learning curve, so invest in some sticky rubber soled shoes like the models from 5.10, and you’ll be amazed. The bonus here is that after you’ve gotten dialed on platform pedals, running your clip-ins will feel like you’re cheating.

Halfway there; DH bars, short stem, and platform pedals. Time to add some more durable wheels.

Tire/ Wheel selection

After the pedals, we pulled the wheels and added true downhill wheels and tires. The wider rims and dual ply tires add weight to the bike, causing it to deflect less on rock gardens adding a lot more control and stability. If the concept of hitting jumps is new for you, the additional rotating weight from heavy tires can be amazing- if you are feeling sketching initially, going with heavy weight rubber is worth the time and effort it takes to install the meaty tires. As we were setting this bike up for Northstar at Tahoe, a ski area bikepark known for big rocks and loose dirt, we went with a 2.7 in the front, as because it was the biggest the fork could handle. The bonus here is that big tires, with their additional air volume, almost feel like an inch of travel has been added to the bike. The main thing though, is the feeling of control and the hook up you’ll have in the loose rocky stuff. When you’re learning your way through a jump line like Live wire, or A-Line, having heavier, slower rotating tires and the stability in the air- sometimes it even feels like I’m riding in slow motion. (Brrrrrraaaaaaap)

Our last step was to remove the Gravity Dropper seat post and lightweight saddle. In its place we installed a SDG iBeam post and dirt jump saddle. The iBeam system is killer because it takes the broken seat rail out of the equation; it’s light, durable, and easy to set up. The main thing though is that we can now slam the seat down all the way- you’re riding downhill, and the time spent in the saddle, if you are riding with proper technique, will be considerably less. The lower your seat height is while jumping or approaching drops, the better.

We would also recommend some form of chain guide as well. If you have a limited budget, swapping the big ring with a bash guard is a good start. Running a dual ring or single ring guide is even better.

Our Enduro SL- now ready for slope style/ DH action. All it needs is a chain guide.

Another example: Fisher Roscoe

Here is another example of a bike we optimized for DH or more aggressive riding. With this case, we wanted to retain the all mountain and trail riding capability, (and relatively light weight) while making it handle more like a freeride bike.

The Fisher Roscoe One in it's stock configuration, out of the box.

Here is our trail bike- a Fisher Roscoe One, fresh off the show room floor. In stock form, it comes configured with clip in pedals, and a longer stem. In this case, we did the bare minimum in modifications to get it ready for freeride use. The bars, stem, and pedals were changed out. Keeping the stock tires and wheels ended up leaving us with a bike that felt suitable for gated gravity racing. With a chain guide, it would have worked well for racing dual slalom, or even some mountain cross courses.

Fisher Roscoe with short stem and platform pedals

The stock wheels and tires made for a light weight set up; (light is always a relative term of course) however, on rocky aggressive terrain, like the National Trail at South Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona, we ended up flatting quite a bit.

A few mods later, and we're putting it through its paces. (Boulder, Co)

Trek Remedy conversion

Trek Remedy in stock form

Here’s one more. Here is our stock Trek Remedy. Off the floor, an extremely light for its class machine, and a chassis with a lot of versatility. Not a lot of bikes can shred an all mountain epic, and then do the same for shuttle runs the next day. In this case we pulled the stock wheels, bar, stem, cranks, and pedals off, and exchanged them for more durable models, better suited for our applications.

Trek Remedy ready for more aggressive riding

Adding dual ply tires, heavy duty Saint cranks, E.13 dual ring chain guide, 50mm stem, 28″ DH handlebars and platform pedals, has transformed this bike into a freeride capable ride.

Putting the Trek Remedy in Freeride use at the Marmot Trails in Sandy, OR

Related posts:

1. Not as bike friendly? Portland declared 2nd most bike friendly city
2. All Mountain or Long Travel Trail, Part II: the lines are blurring
3. All Mountain or Long Travel Trail?

After spending a good amount of time riding our local DH trails, and considerably less at the bike park, I decided it was time to change my DH ride, a Trek Session 88FR into a full-blown downhill steed.  The first release of the Session 88 was offered in two configurations: Freeride and Downhill. With the same chassis at the heart of the bike, the only differences were the components and fork. The DH race specific model, was spec’d with weight conscious components: SRAM’s XO group, and a Fox 40 fork.  The freeride model was set up with Shimano Saint, and a Rockshox Totem. I ended up going with the FR model as it looked to be a more versatile set-up for the traveling we were doing at the time. When I first decided on this bike, I had always planned at some point on setting it up as a dedicated downhill ride- all it needed was a dual crown fork.

Truth be told, I loved the graphics of the FR designated model, and was psyched on the more durable Saint group that was spec’d on it and the uber-powerful brakes.

contents of the box: 2010 Rockshox Boxxer Team. Includes tuning springs and both fork crowns. Nice.

The new Boxxer fork has been redesigned for 2010- the upgrades put it on par with the Fox 40, but from my experience with SRAM forks, and after seeing all the maintenance issues my fellow riders have been having with the 40, the Boxxer has my name all over it.  While it may not have been the best financial choice at the moment, the opportunity was there, so I pulled the trigger. Initially I had been looking at the entry level Boxxer Race model, as it’s considerably more affordable, but the 2010 Boxxer Team model with its upgraded internals really offered the tunability I was looking for. It also comes in white, which quite simply, would really look sharp on the bike. (see ladies, color matters to us too)

The weight on the Totem was listed at 2874g; (6.33lbs) the Boxxer was listed at 2989g.(6.59lbs) It looked like I would be getting a slight increase in weight for the additional inch of travel I was gaining. I’m not obsessed with weight, but anyone that tells you they don’t care how much their bike weighs either never pedals it, or just can’t afford to spend more. In this case, the weight gain should be easily offset by the savings I would get by changing out the brick-like Deity stem I was running, (which, while it was heavy, was reassuringly stiff) to a direct mount stem.

fork plus bar & stem

The cockpit

The cool thing about changing up the components in the cockpit, is that these are the components on your bike you look at the most. Adding new parts here was really going to complete the transformation from FR to DH and give that fresh new bike feeling. After some looking, I decided to go with a combination Sunline Bar and Stem. I have been running the V-One OS Bar in the 38mm rise with the Totem and really have liked it. To keep my bar height constant with the increase in travel, I chose the 19mm rise version of the same bar. It’s a strong but lightweight (listed at 260g for the 3/4 rise) DH bar, with a really nice sweep. The 29″ width is long enough without feeling too wide, and provides both leverage and stability at speed. I’m a fan of the bead blasted finish as well, since it will still look good even after it gets marred up from getting jostled around in the shuttle truck. (hopefully not too soon- I hate that)

Last time I ran a direct mount stem on a Boxxer I went with the E.13 model. This time I decided to try the Sunline model, as the finish not only matches the handlebar, but the graphics of the bike as well. At 147g for the 50mm length, it is respectably light, and the machining on the stem is really something to look at.

Sunline Boxxer Direct Mount Stem

Sunline Boxxer Direct Mount Stem

One thing I really like about the stem is the the 3 piece design. The one piece face plate adds a nice level of stiffness and holds the entire unit together. It has a reassuringly solid look considering how little material is there, holding the bars on.

Sunline grips

To cap it off, I elected to complete the set by adding bolt-on grips from Sunline. In a dramatic change for me, I decided to go with the thicker grips. With an integrated bar-end cover, they look really good; the low profile flanges are nice as well, while staying out of the way of shifter operation.

The Trek Session 88FR in near stock form shortly after acquiring it.

The Session now; with the new front end installed on the bike; taken with my iPhone

Installation

The installation went smoothly. A few additional parts were needed to make it all come together. The stock Totem fork had a 1.5″ to 1 1/8″ tapered steerer necessitating the purchase of a lower crown race to adapt the 1.5″ lower cup to accept the 1 1/8″ Boxxer steerer. Fortunately, as reported on previously, Cane Creek offers parts for their headsets as needed off their site directly. A few clicks and I had the correct crown race in hand. I also needed a disc brake adapter in order to continue running the 8″ rotor on the Saint brake. The Totem had post mounts, which the caliper directly mounted to. The Boxxer also now comes with post mounts, but it is set up for 6″ rotors, as many pro racers, like Steve Peat run the smaller rotors to save weight. I’ve been considering trying the smaller size as well, as the new Saint brakes offer gobs of stopping power. In fact, my brakes work so well that I’ve been experiencing constant spoke breakages with the stock Bontrager Big Earl Wheels. They keep warrantying the wheels though, and I keep replacing the spokes in the mean time. At some point I’m going to want to get off the crazy train, and decreasing the stopping power slightly could put an end to my spoke issue.

How does it ride?

After getting everything installed, I recently had an opportunity to get out and get some shuttle runs in on the new setup.

Tuning

The fork’s action was sticky out of the box- rubbing some fork oil on the stanchions and cycling the fork a few times has helped loosen it up a bit, but it still feels slow. To counter that, I began the initial settings with everything wide open. It feels pretty good so far, but will take a bit of tweaking and dialing in before I have her set the way I want. Even with the rebound set on fast, it still feels a bit sluggish on the rebound. I tend to run my rebound fairly quick, for pop of jumps, and so I can pull up into manuals easily. I’m going to have to investigate this further, as I tried doing a manual off the last 10 feet to a drop off of a elevated ladder- and ended up dropping the front end. I had to really lean back to avoid disaster on that one. Fortunately the transition of the landing was ample.

The extremely low temperatures aren’t helping with the tuning either. In fact, our trails have pretty much frozen; making for an interesting cornering experience. I’m unsure if the cold has been effecting the settings, so I will have to put some more time in before doing anything further, like opening up the fork.

Geometry and handling

I’m still adjusting to the changed ride height and geometry. I found myself over steering quite a bit, but once I get used to it, it shouldn’t be an issue. Our trails go from steep and fast to some tight and techy turns, with roots sticking out everywhere, and I was constantly over correcting. It’s no biggie, just the matter of getting used to the feel of riding a full on DH bike, vs. a Freeride bike. The bike feels solid, and the front end is super stiff- not that the previous set up wasn’t reassuringly solid as well. At the moment, the biggest issue I’m having trouble getting used to is the increased width of the grips. I may be doing some dremelling to customize the grips a bit, or going back to thinner grips. The headset adjustment loosened up on me- an issue I had with my last Boxxer. I ended up running an Azonic Headlock to avoid any issues. I’m keeping an eye on that one, as riding a loose headset is the fastest way to destroying a frame and voiding a warranty.

The bike now has a very different personality. With the Totem, the bike felt as if it got up to speed more quickly- with the Boxxer, it feels better once you’re up to speed. The single crown felt really good for burly trail riding where the quicker handling was nice. The dual crown fork just begs to go faster.

So far though, I’m stoked.

Checkout the Sunline bars and stems at JensonUSA. They have a great selection of RockShox forks and parts too.
A small kick back from stuff purchased through this link helps support this site.

Related posts:

1. Trek Session 88 FR – First Ride
2. Trek World 2010: Trek Scratch Details emerge online
3. Fresh Gear: Sunline V1 handlebars