Product Reviews

Specialized Sequoia Elite – Commuter/Bikepacker/Adventurer

January 7, 2017/in Blog, Product Reviews, Products /by Kim

The New Specialized Sequoia Elite has arrived at the store and is certainly raising eyebrows with a lot of customers. They ask what is is? A Touring Bike, a dropbar off-road machine, an adventure seeker, a commuter? Well the answer is all of them. This is the bike for the rider that wants a “bike’. Something that can do everything in a world of so many categories and so many niche to fit into. Stop by the store and check it out. Plus we have all the accessories to kit it out from Frame bags to Pizza Racks. Read what Bikeradar have to say about it.

The Specialized Sequoia Elite is a refreshingly affordable adventurer

Wildcard steel adventure bike at a welcome price

Specialized s Sequoia Elite is one of a few adventure bikes that uses a steel frame at this pricepoint — Specialized’s Sequoia Elite is one of a few adventure bikes that uses a steel frame at this pricepoint

(Oliver Woodman / Immediate Media)

Earlier this year, Specialized released a surprisingly affordable line of adventure road bikes under the Sequoia name. Our American colleagues have already given the top-level Sequoia Expert a good going over (and you can read about that here), but it’s this cheaper Specialized Sequoia Elite model that caught our attention here in the UK.

The Specialized Sequoia Elite retails for $2659.99 CDN, meaning it has to compete with well-equipped alloy bikes from the likes of GT and Norco. The thing is, the Sequoia is a bit of a wildcard as — if you hadn’t already noticed — it features a steel frame.

You’d be forgiven for not noticing too, as Specialized’s smart ways of working with metal haven’t skipped this frame. Look closer and you’ll notice a whole host of shapes and bends that aren’t typically found in mass produced chromoly. The rear end rotates on a 142x12mm rear axle and leaves ample room for the Sequoia’s 42mm tyres, enough room to make use of its fender mounts without changing rubber.

The Sequoia Elite is one of a relatively small number of steel frame adventure bikes on sale this year

Should you want to switch out to smaller 650B wheels then this wouldn’t be a problem, and by doing so you’ll free up clearances for a tyre of up to 47mm too.

Geometry-wise, this is a model that “skews the line between a traditional road bike and a dedicated touring rig”. A long wheelbase (1053mm / 41.46in for a size 56) matches up to a low bottom bracket (292.5mm / 11.52in for size 56) while 71.5 / 73.5 degree head tube and seat angles have been chosen to keep the handling from being too lazy.

Beneath the frame’s tapered headtube is an own-brand carbon fork. It’s a disc fork with a 12x100mm thru-axle. As you’d expect there’s the appropriate hardware for racks and mudguards, but a nice touch that’s worth mentioning is the fork’s water bottle mounts which serve in addition to the three you can already find on the Sequoia frame.

Gaping clearances are good for 45mm rubber or the standard fit tyres plus mudguards

Unlike the costly top-spec Sequoia, the Elite spec bike uses a double transmission. Up front there’s an FSA Gossamer Pro chainset with a 48/32T ring combination, this also turns on a regular, threaded bottom bracket. At the rear there’s a black 11-36t Sunrace cassette and a Shimano 105 rear derailleur. The front derailleur also comes from Shimano’s 105 line, and the same can be said for the ugly yet capable 505 level shifters.

Squeeze the levers and hydraulic fluid act on the ever-popular Shimano RS505 brakes — the calipers of which use Shimano’s neat flat-mount standard. The discs are mounted to Specialized’s own-brand Hayfield wheels, which pair a broad box-section rim with custom hubs. The 42mm Sawtooth tyres are also in-house items, they’re tubeless ready and were quick to impress BikeRadar’s Josh Patterson when he tried them out on the range-topping bike.

The Sequoia is a road bike with riser bars

Also worthy of a mention is Specialized’s handlebar — essentially a riser bar for the road with flared drops, it does away with the need for unsightly spacers beneath the stem. The standard bar tape has an unusual denim-like finish that’s shared with the Phenom Comp saddle. At 11.8kg / 26lbs for this 58cm example the Sequoia has definitely eaten some of the pies, but whether or not this will spoil the ride is yet to be confirmed.

Talking of which, we’re about to hand the Sequoia over to our colleagues at Cycling Plus, so stay tuned for a full review.

Trainer Season is here

December 9, 2014/in Blog, Product Reviews /by Kim

The weather has finally taken a turn here in Vancouver. Don’t worry…you still want to get the miles in? Well at Steed Cycles we can help you out. Our inventory will cater for your power and budget needs. Here is what we have in store.

Tacx I-Vortex: $899.99

Tacx Satori Smart: $499.99

Tacx Booster T-2500: $399.99

Tacx Blue Matic: $249.99

Cycle Ops Jet Fluid Pro: $459.99

Stop by the store and demo the new I-Vortex and chat with our staff about the best options for you.

Devinci Carbon Spartan now in Stock at Steed

September 16, 2014/in Blog, Mountain Bikes, Product Reviews /by Kim

The guys at Bike Rumor give us the lowdown on the new Devinci Spartan Carbon.

Built long, slack and low, the Spartan is an everyday trail weapon bringing 160mm of split pivot powered travel to the battle. The 27.5? version of Halo’s Master Chief has proven itself, being raced with great success at everything from the elite levels of Enduro racing, to Crankworx, and the occasional World Cup round.

After having been finally released last year as an aluminum model, the podium charting formula has now been transferred to carbon.

Last year was the first time Devinci implemented internal routing on their full suspension mountain bikes. For ease of maintenance, the frames had internal guides for cables, but no port covers. They found that this produced unwanted noise from the housing vibrating while riding, so the Spartan has covers to eliminate the noise and make routing new cable housing even easier.

Across each top top you’ll find the word “center” emblazoned in small block letters. It’s not official yet so we won’t spoil the whole surprise, but FSA and Dave Weagle have been partnering together to create an angle adjust style headset.

The new component (which wasn’t installed on this frame), will allow riders to customize their bikes off the show room floor.

To further increase the bike’s versatility, a flip chip on the shock mount can further slacken/steepen the head tube angle and drop/raise the BB.

Aluminum and carbon models will ship with either 1x or 2x drivetrains, but in the future, Devinci has plans to drop 2x compatibility on its longer travel models. Particularly for the aggressive riding this specific model was designed for, they’ve found riders prefer a 1x drivetrain, and ditching that standard will give them more flexibility in design.

While I have your attention, take a second look at that down tube junction. It’s enormous. That (as any roadie would know) is great for power transfer and front end stiffness, which helps give the Spartan the same kind of rock garden gobbling confidence you’d normally expect from a downhill bike.

The entire frame is carbon and is built in an overseas facility (like almost everything else), but all of the aluminum bits where made in Canada. The rocker, pivots, and all of their aluminum frames are built in the Devinci factory near Quebec.

All of those bits are also painted in the same facility. Due to Canadian restrictions on pollution, the company uses a electrostatic paint that is more environmentally friendly than a traditional powder coat. This process requires the frame to be hung from a small hole (visible on the chain stay, just behind the lower pivot) and employs a small charge to attract that paint. The paint sort of then wraps itself around the part, which helps reduce the amount needed.

Having spent all that time building and painting each of their bikes, they then back them with a lifetime warranty, which they’ve also extended to include all of their carbon frames.

While the Spartan doesn’t have the distinct layout we’ve come to associate with Split Pivot bikes, all the same elements are still present.

One interesting thing to note is that the rear triangle was designed to accommodate a 2.5? 650B tire, although that size tire was not readily available when the frame was in its development stages. With fairly wide 2.3? Schwalbe Hans Dampf tires mounted front and rear, there was still plenty of breathing room.

The plate has a central channel and sits out from the frame slightly in order to make it easier to route a front derailleur cable. It’s there to protect your investment in the frame, but if you aren’t running a front derailleur and are interested in shedding some grams – you can remove it by undoing three allen bolts.

Designed originally as a one-off to help Steve Smith clinch the rainbow stripes on a somewhat pedally World Champs Downhill course, the Spartan has since evolved into a machine capable of clinching Enduro World Series wins. Head to Devinci to learn more.

Stop by the store and test ride one today.

The Smith Forefront Helmet has landed at Steed.

March 21, 2014/in Blog, Product Reviews, Reviews /by Kim

PinkBike give us the lowdown on the new helmet……

Smith Forefront Helmet

When Smith’s Forefront helmet was first announced, it wasn’t the company’s use of a new material for better impact protection, or the remarkably light claimed weight that lit up the comments section – it was how it looked. The design and overall shape of the helmet turned out to be incredibly polarizing, a love-it or hate-it style with no apparent middle ground. However, out in the real world the helmet doesn’t look nearly as outlandish as the original press release images made it seem, and fits right in with the current crop of extended coverage helmets intended for all-mountain usage. Plus, there’s a good chance that it comes in your favorite color, since there are 10 different options to choose from.

Details:

• Polycarbonate shell, EPS and Koroyd liner
• CPSC certified
• Weight: 332 grams (actual, M)
• Integrated camera / light mount area
• Ten colors, sizes S, M, L
• Available March 2014
• MSRP: $220

Construction and Features

The Forefront uses what Smith calls Aerocore construction to provide its impact protection. A plastic shell and inner

EPS layer forms the helmet’s exoskeleton, and three sections of Koroyd (the bright green material in the photos) are situated underneath this shell, directly above the rider’s head. Koroyd is made using thousands of co-polymer tubes that are thermally welded together, forming a honeycomb like structure claimed to offer up to 30% more impact absorption than EPS. The material’s straw-like hollow tubes are also claimed to allow for much greater breathability than EPS or foam.

Smith’s Vaporfit retention system uses a ratcheting dial at the back of the helmet to adjust the helmet’s fit around the head, and the positioning of the strap can be further customized by choosing from three different height options at the back of the helmet and four options on each side. A low profile, removable liner uses X-static fabric to help ward off bacteria and the general helmet-funk that can be caused by hours of sweat buildup. There are three positions for the Forefront’s compact, removable visor, and it can be adjusted without fiddling around with tiny screws that inevitably get dropped onto the forest floor. Hidden under a plastic cap at the top of the helmet is a small threaded insert that can accept a helmet camera or a light mount, which Smith will be selling as an aftermarket accessory for $14.99.

Fit / On Trail Performance

The multiple adjustments on the Forefront make it easy to dial in the perfect fit after a few minutes of tinkering, and the rear retention strap dial has a nice solid, positive click at each position. Despite the minimal amount of padding, the Forefront was quite comfortable, and although it doesn’t reach the pillow-like level of cushioning found in Troy Lee’s A1 helmet, it faded into the background nicely, becoming barely noticeable over the course of a ride. As would be expected from a helmet made by a company that has the word ‘Optics’ in their name, the Forefront worked well with both sunglasses and goggles, providing enough room over the brow and around the ears to prevent any interference. Regarding ventilation, we never felt overheated on any of our rides, although the bulk of our testing did take place during the more mild fall and winter months. Still, we did take the helmet on numerous warm rides in the Arizona desert, and Forefront proved to be up to the task. The helmet doesn’t feel quite as airy as the large external vents would suggest, since the inner Koroyd layer dissipates the wind a bit, but the ventilation and breathability are still excellent – the open structure of the Koroyd gives the heat rising from a rider’s head plenty of channels for escape.

Jordan Carr testing the Morpheus Loki in Sedona AZ

Issues

One minor issue we ran into was related to the rear retention system. If the retention strap is set into the highest position, the dial becomes a little more challenging to use with one hand because the upper portion sits within a few millimeters of the helmet shell. This is only an issue in this one setting, and we’d imagine most riders will end up using the middle or lower strap position.

Pinkbike’s take:

Smith has made quite the entrance into the world of cycling helmets, taking a route that’s a little riskier than just slapping a visor and coat of baby blue paint onto a traditional EPS helmet and calling it ‘enduro-specific.’ The unique styling and the use of Koroyd sets the Forefront apart from the competition, but the new technology comes at a price, and the $220 price tag makes this one of the more expensive half-shell mountain bike helmets around. At 332 grams the actual weight of our helmet wasn’t as ultra-light as we’d expected either, making it a little harder to justify the cost. That being said, the Forefront does bring new technology and the full gamut of today’s must-have features (extra coverage, goggle compatibility, a light and camera mount) to the table, which certainly makes it worth considering in you’re in the market for a new lid. – Mike Kazimer

www.smithoptics.com

POC Octal has landed at Steed Cycles

March 11, 2014/in Blog, History, Miscellaneous, Product Reviews, Products, Reviews /by Kim

We have been waiting for the new POC Octal to arrive in Steed for a long time. After seeing it in person at Interbike last year and having a pre production one in store to oodle at we know its going to be a huge hit. The looks are not the norm expected from a road helmet, but when have POC ever stuck to the rules. Its all about Airflow and safety with the Swedish Manufacturer.

The helmet weighs 193 grams in Large and the fit is second to none. It comes in 3 colours (White, Garminium Blue, Safety Orange). Expect to see the Steed Team racing in the Orange this season.

One key feature to look out for is the Eye Garage which will hold any style of cycling glass firmly on your helmet. You will not lose your valuable shades on any ride.

Check out www.pocsports.com for more information. Stop by the shop and try it on. You will not regret it.

Race Face Ambush Pads Review on Vital Mtb

March 9, 2014/in All Mountain, Blog, Product Reviews, Reviews /by Kim

“Tested: Race Face Ambush Knee and Elbow Guards – As Solid As They Come”

Review by Johan Hjord // Photos by Tal Rozow and Johan Hjord

Kneepads are an essential piece of protective equipment, worn by almost every rider who likes to get a bit rowdy from time to time. Elbow pads are perhaps a slightly less common sight on the trail, but many riders will still reach for them when things get a bit hectic, or just for a little extra peace of mind. Race Face has been producing a line of pads (or guards) for a number of years already, offering a full range of protection for different applications. The Ambush line sits on the heavy duty side of the catalog, ready for pretty much anything you can throw at it – we put the 2013 edition to the test to see how it measures up in this highly competitive equipment category.

Ambush Knee and Elbow Highlights

D30 high performance shock absorbing foam
Perforated Neoprene enhances venting and moisture control
Terry lined for wicking and comfort
Open-back construction on the kneepads; no shoe removal necessary
Foam padded side walls on the kneepads offer additional coverage
Heavy-duty 600 denier nylon front panel casing
Soft mesh panel at inner elbow to keep cool
Woven upper elastic strap and lower Neoprene comfort strap on elbow pads
Branded rubber grab tabs
MSRP: $119.99 (Knee), $79.99 (Elbow)

Race Face makes quality gear, so we were not surprised to find a pair of pads that seem to have been very well put together right out of the bag. The attention to detail is obvious, and the materials chosen inspire confidence. All the seams appear well executed, and we found no loose threads nor any other apparent quality problems. That meant we were instantly ready to hit the trails to find out how these pads perform where it really matters.

On The Trail

The stand-out feature on the Ambush kneepad is the open back construction. The kneepad opens up completely thanks to three hook-and-loop straps, allowing you to put it on and take it off without removing your shoes. This is a boon, as having to remove your shoes is perhaps the single most annoying aspect of this type of pad from many other manufacturers. How many times have you arrived a big climb wanting to remove your kneepads, but not feeling up to taking your shoes off? Removing the Ambush pad takes all of five seconds – then you’re free to strap it to your pack or even the bike before the climb. This is a brilliant idea and Race Face has executed it perfectly.

The most important function of a knee or elbow pad is of course to protect you during the rougher episodes of your dirt love affair. On the Ambush range, Race Face has chosen to use D3O as the main protective material both for the knee and elbow pads. For those not familiar with D3O, it is a soft and malleable material featuring molecules that lock together to dissipate impact energy during hard hits (go ahead and put a hammer to it to test this – you know you want to).

Race Face has included a generous helping of this magical material in both the knee and elbow pads, complemented by smaller sections of more traditional foam on both sides of each kneepad. The pads are preformed to provide a comfortable fit, but without feeling the least bit flimsy as D3O pads sometimes do. The heavy-duty nylon used on the front panels appears extremely strong, and looks better than the previous generation of these pads – we’ve certainly not been able to put more than superficial scuffs on it.

The inside of the pads is made out of soft Terry liner, which is very comfortable and stays that way after washing. The pads get a little warm, but definitely nothing more than we would expect, given the amount of protection on offer. We found the sizing to be spot on, although the straps are strong so you might want to make sure you try on a pair before buying – they can feel a bit tight when done up. The pads are easy to put on and remove, and easy to adjust. Of course, the pads would be useless if they moved around during riding, and we’re happy to report that these stay put no matter what you get up to. Pedaling, rock gardens, jumps, drops… these pads stay where they’re meant to, ready for your next failure to keep the rubber side down.

On the topic of crashing, we’ve ridden these pads for more than three months and inevitably, there have been some dirt sampling exercises during that time. These pads do a great job of protecting you, at least as good as comparable offerings from other manufacturers, and we were only able to twist one of the kneepads to the side of the knee once (during a particularly acrobatic and not very graceful tumble). As a side note, if you are worried about your shins, Race Face makes a version of these with included shin protector, called the Flank.

Long Term Durability

In terms of wear and tear, besides now looking a bit older, the pads have held up really well. All the seams are still tight, and there are no holes or tears in the fabric to report. Specifically, the lined neoprene used is clearly of the stronger variety here. We’ve used pads from other brands where the neoprene literally fell apart after a few months.

We should also point out that as with most D3O-equipped pads, these are not cheap, at least not at list price (although they can be found online at significant discount at this time). We feel that D3O offers enough advantages to justify the price tag, especially in a well-executed design like this one.

What’s The Bottom Line?

Race Face has brought an innovative approach to a well-established design, and this has worked out really well. These are among the most solid pads we’ve ever tried in this category, and they’ve stood up to abuse quite nicely. They are all-day comfortable to wear and provide effective protection, and the open back design on the kneepads is a game changer for those who like to remove their pads for climbing (*cough* Enduro *cough*). Apart from the minor issue of exposed Velcro potentially snagging your shorts, the design is a homerun.

For more details, visit www.raceface.com.

POC Trabec MIPS Helmet reviewed

March 2, 2014/in All Mountain, Blog, Product Reviews, Reviews /by Kim

Vital Review “Tested: POC Trabec Race MIPS Helmet – Unique Style Meets Safety Innovation”

by Mihai Moga POC, a fairly young and very successful Swedish company known primarily for high quality ski helmets, has made waves in the world of mountain biking over the past few years. Their unique designs and innovation are quickly gaining recognition. The new Trabec Race MIPS is their top of the line trail helmet for 2013. This helmet stands out for several reasons, including the use of the radically different MIPS technology.

POC Trabec Race MIPS Highlights

Inner Aramid filament reinforced EPS core
Outer PC shell with seams in the areas of least exposure
Equipped with the patented MIPS system
Aerodynamic channel system and 16 vent slots
Fit is designed to be around the head versus on top
Polygiene anti-odor treatment
Sizes: XS/S, M/L, and XL/XXl
Colors: Black/White, White/Black, or Radon Blue
$229.99 MSRP

Initial Impressions

The reason I wear a helmet is to protect my head in case of a crash. With that in mind, safety should be the number one reason when determining which helmet to purchase. Comfort and style would follow, and then of course the price. Having said that, let’s have a closer look at this new lid.

At first glance, the helmet looks and feels well made – it feels like it could take a hit and protect the head that occupies it. The outer shell is made with an Aramid (similar to Kevlar) bridge. POC claims, “By using the extreme strength provided by the Aramid fiber in bridges in the helmets shell, the structure is reinforced and at the same time, the impact energy deforming the helmet is spread over a larger surface.” The Aramid bridge also helps to increase the helmet’s resistance to penetration. While many POC helmets use an EPP (Expanded Polypropylene) type of foam, which does not deform permanently on impact and is therefore suitable for multiple impacts, the Trabec Race MIPS is made with EPS (Expanded Polystyrene). EPS is used in many traditional bike helmets and permanently deforms after just one impact. Unfortunately that means for the Trabec Race MIPS helmet, it’s a one and done affair. Everything is wrapped in a very smooth, shiny, shell with a contrasting patch of color on the back of the helmet. It’s definitely unique looking, for better or worse. POC’s distinctive style is very smooth and free flowing. There are no sharp edges or corners anywhere on the helmet. This might make it less likely to snag on anything on impact. Fourteen large vents plus two smaller vents located under the somewhat flexible visor provide good ventilation.

The chin straps are very neatly molded into the helmet, eliminating the chance of fraying at one end.

As you flip the helmet over and look inside, you will notice there is a thin yellow layer between the pads and the inside shell. That’s the MIPS Technology, short for Multi Directional Impact Protection System. According to the creators of MIPS, the system is designed to reduce the rotational forces to the brain in the event of an oblique impact. MIPS utilizes a low friction layer on the inside of the helmet liner to absorb much of the energy created by both unilateral or oblique blows to the head. This is achieved by allowing a controlled rotation of the shell relative to the liner. To see the MIPS system in action, take a look at this brief video: The helmet is very comfortable, feels secure once it’s on, and the retention system and straps are intuitive and easy to adjust. My head is round shaped head and a little on the larger size, and this XL/XXL sized Trabec Race MIPS fit very well.

On The Trail

On the trail, the Trabec Race MIPS feels comfortable while climbing. There are no noticeable pressure points anywhere, and I never felt that I needed more ventilation. On the descents, the helmet moved around more than I’m accustomed to. Some of the movement is can be attributed to the shell floating on top of the MIPS system, which I was able to get used to very quickly. However, on slightly longer and more aggressive descents, the helmet migrated slightly forward on my head. I cinched down the retention system at the back of the head as tightly as I could while still being comfortable, and that seemed to help, but it did not fully resolve the issue. This was a very slight movement and not a significant issue – more of a nuisance than anything.

For more details about the Trabec Race MIPS, or to find out what the heck POC stands for, head over to pocsports.com.

What’s The Bottom Line?

It’s great to see companies like POC going beyond the minimum safety requirements, developing high quality helmets with increased protection for riders. The Trabec Race MIPS offers some of the most researched and innovative protection available in a trail helmet, and all the comfort that you would expect from a high end helmet is there. The style on the Trabec is unlike any other helmet on the market, and definitely unique to POC.

All that innovation and comfort comes at a price, though, and in this case it’s $229.99. That’s roughly half the cost of a full face downhill helmet and twice as much as many traditional mountain bike helmets. We can see how some people would be reluctant to spend the extra money on the Trabec Race MIPS, especially when there are many other options available that offer good protection and great style for a lot less money. But if you are looking for the latest in safety and innovations, then the higher price tag might not surprise or deter you. Considering all the above, this is an excellent helmet that offers some of the best protection, and is definately worth considering before you purchase your next mountain bike helmet. For more details about the Trabec Race MIPS, or to find out what the heck POC stands for, head over to pocsports.com. Review taken from Vitalmtb.com. Check it out in full here.

Vital Mtb Review the Santa Cruz 5010

February 25, 2014/in All Mountain, Blog, Mountain Bikes, Product Reviews, Reviews /by Kim

“2014 Test Sessions: Santa Cruz 5010 Carbon”
Reviewed by Brandon Turman and Steve Wentz // Photos by Shawn Spomer and Lear Miller

The 125mm travel Santa Cruz Solo – excuse us, Santa Cruz “5010” – enters the 2014 lineup as a replacement for the well-regarded Blur TRc and smaller brother to the Bronson. At first glance you’re sure to notice the new wheel size, but there’s much more to the story. The bike sees updates to the geometry, suspension tweaks, feature updates and more. As one of the most memorable videos of 2013 showed, the bike was designed to take to cover some serious ground on your adventures, but also to be a capable rig that’s at home even under downhill crushers like Steve Peat. Having only gotten a taste of what the bike had to offer during the official launch, we invited the boys from Santa Cruz to send one over for the 2014 Vital MTB Test Sessions in Sedona, Arizona.

5010 Carbon Highlights

Carbon frame
27.5-inch wheels
125mm of rear wheel travel
Tapered headtube
68-degree head angle
73-degree seat tube angle
13.1-inch bottom bracket height
17.1-inch chainstay length
ISCG05 tabs
73mm BB shell
142mm x 12mm thru-axle
Measured weight (size large, no pedals): 26-pounds

There’s no denying that this bike is a good looker, but what’s inside is equally impressive. From the cutouts we’ve seen, the one piece carbon lay-up is as smooth and wrinkle free inside as it is on the outside. Weighing it at just 5.06-pounds for the frame and shock, the 5010 immediately takes a step ahead of much of the competition. Find and watch Santa Cruz’s frame testing videos and you’ll see there isn’t much to concern yourself with in regard to their carbon frame strength. Carbon done right can be incredibly strong, even when the frame is light. Our complete build weighed just 26-pounds sans pedals, and was the lightest of the 25 bikes in our 2014 Test Sessions lineup. It was also the second most expensive.Close inspection reveals that Santa Cruz took their time as even the minor details have been executed well. One favorite element is the ability to access the lower pivot bolt from the non-driveside, a small touch that can save a lot of time when it comes to maintenance. As with all Santa Cruz bikes, the 5010 features remarkably well-engineered pivots. The collet axle system uses steel-shielded angular contact bearings that boost frame stiffness. Everything is very well sealed with grease ports for quick and easy pivot maintenance. Mud clearance near the lower link with a 2.3-inch Maxxis tire is decent with about 1cm of room for the muck.Internal seatpost cable routing cleans things up nicely, but external cable mounts are still there if needed. External brake and derailleur routing make for easy maintenance. Santa Cruz also kept the 73mm threaded BB, sighting the press-fit alternative as sometimes creaky and troublesome. IS brake mounts ensure that you don’t accidentally goof up your frame by stripping a threaded insert and, according to Santa Cruz, are also positioned more reliably during the carbon molding process.New molded rubber frame protection finds its way onto the frame on the chainstay and downtube. It’s plenty durable and easy to remove. There’s also a rubber guard on the inside rear area of the seatstay to eliminate any chance of chain slap. The 5010 sees the addition of ISCG05 mounts for those looking to bolt on a chainguide. First introduced on 2013 Blur TRc frames, the 5010 also sports a 142mm thru axle rear end. There are two water bottle mounts on the downtube for those looking to ditch the pack.Compared to the 26-inch Blur TRc, the seat tube has been steepened a half degree to offer a better pedaling position. The shock rate has been altered slightly as well, allowing it to sit further up in its travel and again pedal a bit better. Another thing that we’re pleased to see is a shorter seat tube length for each size, allowing riders that opt for a larger frame to still run a dropper post with 5+ inches of adjustment.Out back, the bike relies on the VPP2 suspension system to soak up the hits and provide traction. It uses a pair of super short, counter-rotating links with large diameter axles and angular contact bearings to keep things stiff. The upper link is carbon fiber and the forged aluminum lower link has been offset to allow for a chainguide. You might notice that the lower link is quite low, which may present a clearance issue in extremely rocky, jagged situations.The linkage has been tuned to be regressive up until the sag point before getting increasingly progressive through the end of the stroke. This creates a bike that is responsive to small and medium-sized bumps with (in theory) plenty of support for bigger hits. The FOX CTD Float shock is in a very good position for adjusting the knobs on the fly.The bike is designed to work best with a fork in the 120-140mm range. The stock 130mm Fox 32 Float CTD fork can be adjusted internally +/- 10mm.

On The Trail

When the 5010 was introduced to the public last year we had the opportunity to throw a leg over it in the boggy hills of Scotland. Wanting more ride time before writing down our ride impressions, we spent a few extra weeks rallying it in the hills of Sedona. Trail highlights included HiLine, Chuckwagon, Aerie, Huckaby, Teacup, Slim Shady, Ridge, Brewer, High on the Hogs, Pig Tail… just about anything you can think of. All told it saw a proper mix of terrain and trail styles from fast cruisers to big hits and rowdy steeps.We tested a size Large frame. Before we even left the garage for the first time a stem swap was in order. The stock 80mm Thomson stem is certainly a beautifully made component, but to really unleash the potential in the 5010 we opted for a shorter replacement. Combined with the comfortably sized 750mm Easton Havoc Carbon bars, Brandon (5’10” tall) chose a 50mm stem and Steve (5’8”) a 35mm. After the swap both riders felt perfectly centered on the bike with a spacious reach and lots of room to move around. Note that Santa Cruz’s sizing tends to run on the smaller side, so be sure to consult their suggested size charts before purchasing.While there are no geometry adjustments built into the frame, the chosen numbers create a ride that’s perfectly suited for the full range of trail riding. The moderately low 13.1-inch bottom bracket height, agile 68-degree head angle, and 17.1-inch chainstays worked well on the vast majority of the terrain we rode. It was surprisingly rare that we found ourselves wanting a slacker front end, even on the steeps. If anything we’d just bump the fork up to 140mm of travel and call it good. It very rarely pitched our weight forward, and combined with how the frame works the head angle is more capable than the number typically indicates.Pointed downhill, the 5010 feels immediately comfortable, encouraging you to let off the brakes and pick up speed. It’s playful and rewarding once you reach a minimum speed. Before that speed it’s a very stable but almost muted feeling ride. It lacks the always playful feel of some bikes in that it’s not overly bouncy or “poppy” off stuff, but it’s playful in the sense that it encourages you to try harder things by staying composed through the rough. It felt really planted and stable in corners, was easy to compress and jump off of trail features, and getting the front end off the ground wasn’t hard to do. The traction offered by the VPP suspension certainly adds to the bike’s descending ability, and it’s surprising what you can get away with considering you’re on a 125mm travel bike.When things get really steep and rowdy, though, the bike begins to feel a little overwhelmed. We found ourselves at the end of the travel on several occasions on drops, g-outs, and big impacts. It’s a not a harsh bottom-out, but you can feel it. The bike does a great job of maintaining a line even at the end of its rope, though, so it never feels sketchy. Because it seems to use lots of travel lots of the time, it gobbles up bumps, tracks well through chatter and stays planted, but there isn’t much left for big hits. Previously we had a hard time using all available travel on the Blur TRc, but it feels a bit too easy on the 5010. The bike does, however, stay up in the travel nicely when you’re not smashing down rough hills.Part of that “muted” feel we described earlier can be attributed to a lack of much mid-stroke support. Ridden with the suggested amount of sag, the bike tends to wallow a bit, leaving us wishing for more mid-stoke damping. Sure, one could simply flip from “Descend” to “Trail” or “Climb” on the FOX CTD Shock, but doing so increases the damping in the beginning of the stroke a bit more than we’d like for all-around performance. The initial damping is great for pedaling but comes at a compromise to the great small bump performance that’s available in the softer modes.What we appreciate most about the suspension design and performance is that there wasn’t any funny business. The bike tracks very well with no hang ups, and when ridden hard it doesn’t ever get out of shape.While the 32mm FOX Float CTD fork may look concerning to the aggressive rider, we found that it doesn’t really translate on the trail and the fork isn’t holding the bike back. A lowered 34mm FOX fork (they don’t make a stock 130mm 34) could offer some additional stiffness, but it’s not really warranted, at least for these 175-pound riders. That said, we did have to run about 20psi more than what FOX recommends for our weight to keep it from diving excessively. Heavier riders or those wanting to extend the fork to 140mm of travel may find torsional stiffness to be an issue.Except for rolling speed, everything about the way the bike handles goes hand-in-hand with the 26-pound weight we observed on the scale. While the Maxxis Highroller II tires perform quite well all-around, a faster rolling rear tire could take the 5010 to the next level. This is only a marginal part of the perceived weight argument, though. All else was exceptional.Out of the saddle the 5010 wants to take off. It accelerates quickly and reaches top speed in a hurry. There isn’t much bob and just a little loss of power, but it’s perfectly acceptable given the tracking and small bump compliance offered by the suspension design. You can feel the bike settle into its travel, but once there it offers good support while stomping on the pedals.When climbing seated there is little suspension movement. FOX’s higher initial damping rates do a great job of numbing any movement that could happen with pedaling when using any of the three Trail modes. The bike feels efficient and there is plenty of room to move over the front. Technical climbs are a treat thanks to the suspension design which offers ample rear wheel traction when you need it. Pushing in turns wasn’t an issue, nor was crank spiking due to the bottom bracket height.

Build Kit

For $9,775, the components spec’d on the top-of-the-line 5010 Carbon had better be remarkable. Luckily they are, and this build includes the best of the best in many areas. Those that can afford it will be pleased to know that there’s very little we’d change. Those that can’t will be pleased to know that the other build kits offered by Santa Cruz come at a competitive price and quality.Save the stem, as previously mentioned the only other thing we’d swap out is the rear tire. The 2.3-inch Maxxis Highroller II tires were solid performers in the loose trails of Sedona and occasionally wet trails in Scotland. Loose over hardpack wasn’t the best (when is it?), but once the tires were in soft soil the grip was incredible. Braking traction is phenomenal and there’s great bite when really leaning into turns. If you do replace the rear with something fast rolling, we’d suggest saving the extra High Roller 2 for when the front gets worn.ENVE’s wheels are super light, remarkably stiff, accelerate very quickly, help the bike change direction at a moment’s notice and add to its downhill abilities. Are they worth the additional dollars? For those racing, possibly so. For those out to enjoy everyday trail rides they’re hard to justify. With such little travel and an already stiff, precise, and light frame, the stiffness of the wheels might be overkill on the 5010. Some will appreciate this precise feeling, others may miss the more forgiving ride of aluminum rims. Plus, a little bit of rotating weight could actually help the 5010 in the stability department. It’s already stable as is, but the ease of movement can take a little getting used to.On two occasions the DT Swiss rear hub slipped, but this could likely be remedied by cleaning and carefully re-lubing the ratchet mechanism. This is easy to do.The Shimano XTR disc brakes performed very well all around with zero complaints. There was some disconcerting pad movement in the garage when rocking the bike back and forth, but this didn’t impact the ride on the trail.The RockShox Reverb Stealth seatpost worked without issue and was as smooth as they come. We appreciate that Santa Cruz got the lever position correct and mounted it under the bar.SRAM’s XX1 drivetrain was exceptional, as usual, with no drag and quiet, drop free, dialed performance. It comes with a 34-tooth chainring which may mean some grunts on long, extended, steep climbs even with the added range of the 10 to 42-tooth XX1 cassette.The carbon frame, carbon wheels, clean cable routing, and clutched Type II rear derailleur all helped keep things quiet, and the 5010 was among the quietest bikes we’ve ever tested.

Long Term Durability

We have no concerns regarding durability. The big pivot hardware, oversized shock bolts, and grease ports are smart things for any frame, and especially so for one that’s capable of getting rowdy. Santa Cruz includes a grease gun for easy pivot maintenance.Detailed maintenance tips and videos are available online. The frame is backed with a five year warranty and lifetime pivot/bearing replacement.

What’s The Bottom Line?

The Santa Cruz 5010 Carbon is an everyday rider’s kind of bike good for rough trails, smooth trails, and everything in between. It’s light, strong, stiff, stable, predictable, consistent, and corners like it’s on rails. The carbon construction is amazing and without a doubt improves the quality of the ride. Those seeking a short travel bike with a confidence inspiring feel capable of handling high speeds will be pleased with the 5010. It isn’t vague in the least, and if you’re willing to push it a little the ride is very rewarding. The only improvement we’d like to see is more mid-stroke support and a touch more bottom-out resistance for when things get wild, which they inevitably will do given how encouraging the bike is.Oh, and for the record, we still call it a Solo.For more details visit www.santacruzbicycles.com.

Race Face Next SL Crankset

February 24, 2014/in All Mountain, Blog, Product Reviews, Reviews /by Kim

Race Face have been in the Chainring and Crank business for a long time now. In recent years they have really pushed the envelope with Carbon production in Canada. The latest installation is the new Next SL Crank that is manufactured here in BC. The options on this set up are unrivaled.

Details

• Intended use: XC / AM / Enduro
• Hollow carbon arms, aluminum 30mm spindle
• Removable spider
• Sizes: 170, 175mm
• BB options: BB92, 68/73 BSA, PF30, compatible with 190mm and 165/170mm fatbike standards
• Weight: 425g (175mm cranks with 34t direct mount ring)

The weight of these makes them an awesome upgrade to the latest XO1 equipped Santa Cruz Bronson’s as it also allows you to run a ring size lower than 30 if you feel you need it. Coupled with their new direct mount wide-narrow rings and the weight savings is even more. Oh and they come with rubber booties to protect them from strikes off rocks for bikes with lower BB’s.

Part of the crank’s light weight is achieved through the use of hollow carbon fiber arms. These hollow arms attach to an aluminum spindle that is 30mm in diameter, a change from the 24mm titanium spindle found on previous versions. According to Race Face, this change allowed them to achieve the same stiffness and strength of a steel spindle while still being lighter than the titanium version. Race Face also used a new aluminum alloy for the spindle that is claimed to be 20% stronger than the more common 7050 alloy. Compared to other cranksets that have the spindle permanently fixed to one of the crankarms, the Next SL’s spindle can be completely removed, allowing users to swap it out for one with a different width (Race Face has spindles available to fit fat bike BB spacing). Since the Next SL cranks have a 30mm spindle, in order to make them compatible with bikes that use Press Fit 92 bottom brackets a bearing with an outer lip is pressed directly into the frame. Eliminating the retaining cups allowed Race Face to use the same size bearings as are found in a 24mm spindled set up.

Pinkbike’s Take:

These babies are expensive, comparable in price to Shimano’s aluminum XTR crankset, but bear in mind that the Next SL cranks are likely the lightest production crankset on the market. Plus, the large number of possible chainring and spindle options should help prevent them from becoming obsolete whenever the next chainring / bottom bracket “standard” arrives. We’d say the Next SL makes the grade, coming in at an incredibly light weight while still being able to handle the full gamut of riding styles, and the fact that they’re made in Canada earns them bonus points as well. – Mike Kazimer

Stop by the store to get a closer look and different options available. For more information on the Next SL check out RaceFace’s website.

2013 GIANT TRANCE X 29: DOES BIGGER MEAN BETTER?

September 4, 2012/in All Mountain, Blog, Mountain Bikes, Product Reviews /by Kim

August has been a very busy month here in British Colombia. Its the funny season in the Bicycle Industry. We start getting sneak peek’s of 2013 bikes and who could forget Crank Worx. Recently I have been riding a 29er Specialized Stumpjumper Carbon to see what all the hype has been about with the ‘Big Wheel’. As a rider who has only known the world of the 26 inch wheel I was always against the trend of the 29 inch wheel. It just seemed that the bigger wheel would feel clumsy. But against my better judgement I decided to try out a 29er.

The first thing I noticed was how good it climbed on fire roads and how easily it dealt with rough terrain at high speed. As a former XC racer I just felt at home on the bigger wheels but it does have its draw backs. The wheelbase tends to be that bit longer than a 26inch and you get that feeling that you are riding ontop of the wheels a bit more. It doesnt tend to like steep technical climbs as the front end doesnt like being lifted up over obstacles. On the downhill the longer bike isnt happy on tight steep stuff but overall on certain terrain it is better.

I used the basis above to make my comparison for the new Giant Trance X29. Thanks to the bossman at Steed Cycles, Kim and Colby at Giant Bicycles Canada I was given the opportunity to test the new bike. Giant have been playing with the idea of creating a 29inch trail bike for the last few seasons and finally in 2013 they have released this weapon.

First off lets look at the bike as a whole. The frame uses the same Aluxx Sl tubing that you find on most of the Anthem’s and Trance’s. No Carbon? Well Giant feel that they dont need a carbon frame just yet as this bike weighs in at 28lbs for a medium. It gives the same strength and keeps the costs down. Its using the reliable Maestro linkage system that all its other bikes have. It gives a nice neutral feel and climbs very well. In fact so much so that there may not be a need for all the adjustment on the new Fox CTD rear shock. The 120mm of rear travel feels like it has a bit more. I put this down to the bigger wheel.

The next cool feature is the internal routing of the cables. From the factory the brake cables are not run through the frame but can be done at a later stage. This will be an issue for stores building the bikes as it would take a while during the build process. The look is very clean thou. The new livery is very bold and make the bikes look more expensive than they actually are. One of the burning questions online about this bike has been…Why is the rear end not 142mm? Well after riding it I can now answer that one…..It doesnt need it. Why you ask? It is stiff enough already. The rear end is all one piece so doesn’t flex. The cost of producing a frame with a 142mm drop out and a hub would only add to the final retail price of the bike. Which is not good for the end use.

The build kit on this model is great for the price (~~$4250~~)(edit will retail for $3899). It has a full XT Shadow Plus groupset with a 2×10 set up. The gearing suited the bike perfectly. You tend to stay in the larger ring most of the time but when you shift to the smaller ring the pedal feedback is not too bad. The XT trail brakes are probably the nicest levers Ive used and suit the kind of riding you will be doing on this bike.

The rear shock has the new CTD adjustment and I found that I left it in the ‘T’ mode most of the time. This allowed it to grip on the climbs and make it feel ‘poppy’ on the rolling stuff.

The Giant Contact Dropper Seatpost offered 100mm drop with a cable operation. The lever feel was a bit tricky but with a bit longer on the bike I could get it into a better position. The action felt good thou.

The wheels are Giant branded and build by DT Swiss. They are strong and light and wrapped in Schwalbe Nobby Nic’s. Some people don’t like the tire’s but for me personally I don’t mind them. They ride well and are predictable in dryish conditions. If you wanted to use this bike for general Trail/All Mountain I would fit a wider tire to give a better feel.

So what is the verdict? Well lets touch on something first that I had read on other reviews. The sizing. Since I had ridden other Giant’s before I knew straight away that I wanted to test the medium. I am on the border of being too big for the medium but feel the large is too long for me. This turned out to be the perfect choice. On the medium it fit just right. When I jumped up on the bike I didnt feel like I was riding ontop of the wheels like other 29er’s. When I looked down it felt like I was riding on a 26inch wheel. The bike felt like it could be chucked around a bit more. The dropped crossbar gave me more room to move around on climbs and in the tignt turns.

On the first day testing in Pemberton we rode the switchbacks that are apart of the Nimby 50 race and it loved the steep climbs and tight turns. It excelled on the fast rolling singletrack on the hard packed sand. The short chainstays(17.8?) make the rear end feel like it is right under the seat which means it is easy to move around tight bends or down steeper drops. The 69 degree head angle loves the fast stuff and drops.

Dropper Seatpost lever.

Internal routing and Overdrive 2 Headtube.

If there was one thing I would change on the bike out of the box it would be the Fox Float 32 forks and fit a new 34 with CTD. This would transform the bike into a total trail slayer.

So overall I will say that I felt very at home on the Trance X 29 and can see it being a successful bike for 2013. It can be used as a racer or an all day rider. Change up a few bits and it could be a bike that does everything. I would love to try it out on the North Shore and see how it handles the tough stuff. It would be the perfect bike for Squamish. With 3 models coming out starting at $1900 up to $4250. Will it put an end to the regular Trance? I don’t think so. I think it will forge a new segment that has been started by bikes like the Santa Cruz Tallboy LT.

The future is bright for Giant….The future is 29er……Oh wait maybe its 650b? Who cares….They all have wheels and go offroad. Just get out and ride.