Mohsen Saleh, a design engineer living in Milan, Italy, has been working on a rear wheel steering recumbent bike design (in his spare time) for about a year. In a recent post on his blog, Mohsen explained his three main objectives for the project:

• To eliminate the long chains used on current recumbent bikes
• To eliminate interference of legs with the steering front wheel
• To design a recumbent bike with more potential for use in urban environments (a bike that is easier to stop and start, considering constant traffic interruption in cities)

Just recently, he built his first prototype of his design, which in addition to rear wheel steering, features a planetary hub gear  in the front wheel. Check out his post for more information about the bike and its transmission, and see this video showing the prototype construction and the steering and gearing systems at work. You can also find additional photos of his prototype here. Prior to his RWS bike design, Mohsen worked on a lean steer trike with a similar planetary gear system, so take a look at his post about that project as well.

As you probably know, designing a stable rear wheel steering bike is a difficult task, and Mohsen covers a few of his design challenges in the post. He points out that his prototype, while rideable, is a bit wobbly, and he lists a few known issues that he wants to fix with his next design. He is also looking for feedback from anyone with experience designing a RWS bike. If you wish to offer any input that might help him with his second prototype, leave a comment here, at his post, or contact him through his blog.

Original post by James Thomas

I recently worked with my buddy Chris to pimp out his 2010 Fox 40 to 2012 specs and it was a big success. Well, Fox decided to send down a brand new 2012 Fox 40 FIT RC2 for us to compare and review as well.

I was pretty stoked to give the 2012 Fox 40 a thrashing after fixing up the 2010. The new 40 incorporates all of the prior knowledge that Fox has gleaned from their other forks into a beautiful 6.81 pound package.

Intended for serious downhill service, the 40 is not for the budget-minded rider. Rather, the 40 is intended for the person who puts a premium on performance. With riders like Aaron Gwin running the 40 and winning world championships on it, I am sure we can all agree that it is definitely race-proven.

Specs

The 2012 Fox 40 comes in either white or black diamond (a slightly metallic black), with a 1 1/8 steering tube and a full 8″ (203mm) of travel. The fork travel can be reduced by changing up the shim height on the coil side in 1/2 inch (12mm) increments, potentially dropping it all the way down to 6.5″ (165mm) of travel.

As I previously mentioned on the Pimp My 40 article, this 40 comes with all the goodies: Kashima coated stanchions and low friction SKF seals are standard. On the spring side of things, a standard titanium coil (blue for 150-180lb) comes installed, and two extra steel coils (purple and green) are provided if you’re on the lighter or heavier end of the scale.

Dampening is handled by the new inverted FIT damper, which I have already had experience with. The damper takes care of high and low speed compression (up top) and rebound (down at the axle), which makes it easier for a rider to tune the bike. The FIT damper has been in existence since 2005, but this time around Fox re-engineered it by inverting it and changing up the controls, which effectively kills two birds with one stone.

For starters, the inverted damper removes un-sprung mass from around the axle, so that it is now supported by the spring. The second advantage is the improved placement of the compression dials. Previous versions had the compression dials at the axle, which made changing settings on the fly impossible. One would have to stop completely, dismount, and remove the protective cover in order to access the controls.

With the new damper there is also a reduction in internal friction, which further improves damper sensitivity. This is accomplished by low friction seals and a new bladder design.

Installation

Installing the Fox 40 requires a few tools:

• Saw guide
• Hacksaw
• Measuring tape
• Headset press (if this is a new installation)
• Star nut tool
• 4, 5, and 6mm hex keys
• Torque wrench

Installation of a dual-crown fork requires good measuring skills, correct tools, and a strong mechanical background. If you do not have all of these skills then just leave this job to a bike shop… there’s no shame in that. If you do have all of the aforementioned skills and want to do it on your own, here’s how:

Start off by installing the bearing cups in the frame with the headset press.

Follow that by installing the lower race on the fork (be careful not to damage the steering tube in any way).

Once the race and cups are installed, remove the upper crown from the fork using the 5mm hex tool.

Measure the head tube, and add the stack height of the headset. On the Fox 40 you must have a minimum stack height of 105mm and no greater than 166.8mm. If you fall on the short side, you’re adding spacers between the upper crown and headset. If you’re on the tall side, you need a shorter headset.

Install the fork, complete with bearings and spacers. Some people who run a direct-mount stem have the steering tube cut flush, as is the case in my situation. If you’re of like mind, place a mark on the steering tube where the top of the crown meets the steering tube. Remove the fork and then cut the steering tube 3mm shorter. It is critical that you get this right: anything greater than that gap, and you’re replacing the steering tube (measure twice, cut once).

Use a saw guide to cut the steering tube, making sure that you remove all the burs on the inside and outside of the tube. Install the star nut using the correct tool at a depth of 4-10mm.

Install the fork with all the spacers as you had it when you set it up the first time. Adjust the star nut tension to about 1.6Nm.

Once the fork is attached to the bike, installation is pretty much the same as all other forks. Installation of the stem, bars, and brakes is covered in this article. For more information, check out the Fox owner’s manual.

Setting up the fork does take a bit of time, but it is well-worth the trouble. You can check out our previous Pimp My 40 article for more information, but the procedure is essentially the same.

Start by setting up the sag, dialing it a turn or two on the left hand dial until you have 25-30% sag. After that, set your high speed compression, low speed compression, and rebound. We used the settings from our previous tests as a starting point (11 HSC, 12LSC, 10R clicks) and found them to be bang-on. In my case, I added +4 HSC and +2 Rebound and it worked great.

Review

The performance of the Fox 40 is tough to beat: the small bump sensitivity is right on par with other excellent forks such as the Dorado Pro. Like the Dorado, I found that the new 40 tracks wonderfully, even if the ground is full of ruts and roots.

The overall reduction in stiction is noticeable when doing back-to-back runs, compared to 2011 or older models with Kashima and SKF seals. I felt that the wheel spent more time tracking the terrain than clipping objects.

On the rougher end of things like the bigger hits and gnarly square-edged rocks, the 40 exceeded my expectations. The 40mm stanchions really made sure that everything stayed straight. There was no hint of flex in the system, even glancing off rocks and roots.

The mastery over the front wheel that the 40 provides will be very hard to beat. Once the fork was tuned correctly, I didn’t notice any negative effects from either the compression or rebound controls. I loved the control layout with the compression dial up top and the rebound below. I also like how the dials on the Fox 40 have a very positive “click” to them, which didn’t leave me wondering if I had actually made a change or not.

Throughout the entire testing period the 40 worked flawlessly without a single issue.

To make this the ultimate fork, I would like to see independent rebound controls for both high and low-speed rebound.  At this level, it would be nice to have the ability to further tune the fork rather than compromise. I felt that shredding stuff like rock gardens with intermittent roller sections taxed the single rebound setting.

Being a bit of a weight weenie, I would also love to see a bit of weight removed, bringing the fork closer to 6.0 lbs. I’m not sure if that would mean a compromise in stiffness (which I love), or the removal of a coil spring replaced with air (which might change the feel of the spring).

Bottom Line

This fork, complete with the new FIT RC2 damper, works flawlessly and will be hard to beat.

MSRP: $1,600.

I would like to thank the folks at Fox for sending down the 40 for a review.

Related posts:

1. 2012 Fox 32 Talas 150 FIT RLC Review
2. 2012 DH Bike Build: Installing the Headset and Fork
3. Review: 2012 Fox RP23 with Adaptive Boostvalve

Original post by element22

Original post by dgaylinn@usacycling.org

The Giro Hex is a beefy lid intended for all-mountain, trail, and marathon applications. It features an in-mold EPS liner, polycarbonate shell, P.O.V.™ visor with 15 degrees of vertical adjustment, Roc Loc® 5 fit system, and 21 vents.

According to Giro, the in-mold EPS liner allows them to create a lighter helmet with better ventilation and more durability. The special moldability allows them to create their Wind Tunnel ventilation system, which scoops air in on top and around the front of the head and pushes it out the back of the helmet along with excess heat.

The Roc Loc® 5 fit system provides easy one-handed tension adjustment as well as vertical adjustment, allowing the rider to easily adjust the fit on the go.

The Hex is available in numerous color combinations and designs (click here to check them out).

Photo credit, upper right: Sydnah Swails.

The Test

The first thing that struck me about the Hex was how rugged and no-nonsense this helmet looks. It may have something to do with the “matte brown lines” design, but the Hex just looks like it is durable and ready to protect your head, and it’s not going to be too finicky as it does it. I threw it on, adjusted the chin strap, tightened down the Roc Loc system, and I instantly felt as if I had been wearing this helmet for months. It has a natural, intuitive feel to it that takes no adjustment time.

Photo Credit: Sydnah Swails.

The 21 massive vents and Wind Tunnel ventilation system function as advertised: they will cool you down in a heart beat. In fact, during the late fall and early winter months that I have been using this helmet, the vents functioned almost too well: I had little excess heat, and I didn’t want to give it away! However, once things start really heating up in the spring, the massive scoops on top of the helmet will provide welcome relief while bombing down the mountain after sizzling climbs on the way to the summit.

The Roc Loc system worked great and it is almost as completely intuitive as the rest of the helmet. I still haven’t quite figured out what my favorite setting is in regards to vertical adjustment–probably because I’m not used to having a helmet that allows you to adjust that setting on the fly. However, the ease of adjustment allows you to play around with it even while rolling down the trail, allowing you to fine-tune to your heart’s desire!

Photo Credit: Sydnah Swails.

If I had to have a quibble with this helmet, it would be that the design and position of the vents makes it difficult to mount a head lamp or a helmet camera in the sweet spot. It’s difficult, but not impossible: with a little practice I was able to find the best vents to thread the straps through, and while I had to route them far down the sides of helmet, I had just enough strap on my mounts to successfully latch on to the helmet.

Bottom Line: The Giro Hex is an attractive looking lid that offers excellent protection, cooling, and adjustment in a no-nonsense package. MSRP is $90.

Many thanks to Giro for sending the Hex down for review!

Related posts:

1. Giro Athlon Helmet Review
2. Giro Xar MTB Helmet Review
3. 2011 Giro Roc-Loc 5 Helmet Retention System

Original post by mtbgreg1

Diaries Down Under is a new lifestyle mountain biking video series based in Queenstown, New Zealand that features the absolutely epic singletrack and scenery of the region. Their second episode this season showcases some incredible heli-biking opportunities on remote, high-alpine singletrack. Check it out:

If you dig what you’ve seen, be sure to check out Episode 1, and if you’re really yearning for dirt under your tires, start planning your New Zealand trip now! (And be sure to bring me with you! )

Related posts:

1. League of Gentlemen Mountain Bikers Summer Race Series (New Zealand)
2. Jeep 48STRAIGHT MTB Event Series
3. National Mountain Bike Series Ignores East Coast

Original post by mtbgreg1

Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chairman John J. Duncan of Tennessee went on to say, “These jobs will also greatly improve highway safety. Highway fatalities have steadily declined in recent years, and the funding provided in this bill will work to continue improving safety.” Again, that may sound good as a soundbite, but he failed to mention the fact that, while car deaths have dropped, pedestrian and cycling fatalities have INCREASED in recent years. The press release states that this new bill does not contain any of the numerous “earmarks” that were found in SAFETEA-LU. I assume that Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School, two programs that would both be eliminated under this bill, are two of the earmarks to which they are referring.  If they really want to address the issue of wasteful spending, the House Highways and Transit Subcommittee should look at the indirect and hidden costs associated with our automobile centric system (the most heavily subsidized transportation system in the world). Ken Kifer, who was tragically killed by a drunk driver while cycling in 2003, wrote a great piece on his website discussing the true cost of automobile use.  More recently, an article in the New York Times yesterday provided an economist’s perspective on the issue of traffic congestion. We are facing a transportation problem that cannot be solved by building more and more roads just for cars, but that is exactly what this new bill aims to do.

The League of American Bicyclists states that this bill would “reverse all the progress we have made in the past twenty years.” That is a bold statement, but not one that is off the mark. The Highways and Transit Subcommittee will vote on this bill tomorrow morning before a full House vote soon after, so it is very important that you voice your opinion today. The LAB, America Bikes, and Transportation for America all have links that you can use to contact your contact your Representative.  Congressman Tom Petri of Wisconsin will offer an amendment that restores funding for Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School programs, but it won’t pass without strong support from cyclists all across the country. Take a minute right now to let Congress know that you care about bicycle transportation.  As the LAB mentioned in their call to action, this is as urgent as it gets!

Original post by James Thomas

Stay Hydrated

This is the most important thing you can do, and it turns out those electrolyte drinks we enjoy on the trail are just the thing when you’re under the weather. Depending on how much of a standoff you’re at with your stomach, you can sip them at room temperature, pour one into a tall glass over ice or, if you’re up to the task, drag out the blender and incorporate it into a slushy or smoothie. Whatever the delivery method, keep it coming and hydrate!

Reading

I’ll bet you a pint of Fat Tire* that there are sections of Singletracks.com that you haven’t fully explored. If you only ever read the blog, head over to the forums for some entertaining and informative conversations. The gear review section has a wealth of information, and of course you can add some reviews for the stuff you own. New videos and photos are added every day, and you could finally take the time to edit and upload all the pics and helmet cam footage accumulating on your hard drive. Take a look at your trail wishlist. There are bound to be new videos and pics since you tagged them, and you can tick off any you have ridden. Finally, open up your calendar and the trail locator page and start planning that next bike trip. Maybe instead of going to an obvious destination like Moab, pick a semi-random locale and look for trails within a set mileage radius from there. Get creative and see what you can put together.

As another option, Barnes and Noble offers their Nook app for PC and most smartphones and tablets. The app is free and most books have a generous preview sample, so you only have to buy it if you’re really into it and want to finish. (I’m currently reading 11/23/63 by Stephen King and it is AWESOME)

They also have a huge selection of eMagazine subscriptions. (eMagazines + tablet or iPad = bathroom reading for the 21st century!)

Movies

Here are some great MTB movies for some vicarious mountain biking:

• 24 Solo
• Life Cycles
• Anything by ‘The Collective‘
• Klunkerz

Most of these should be available electronically, otherwise you’ll need to guilt your significant other into running out to Blockbuster for you. (Hey, you need more Powerade anyway, right?)

Video Games

If you have the energy, and a Wii, Wii Sports Resort has a bike racing game that’s a hoot. You ‘pedal’ with your hands via a Wiimote and Nunchuk. Some clever manipulation of the remotes will let you pull wheelies and jump stuff, and you can even huck a 10′ drop on one course. You can also draft off other riders and throw some elbows to gain track position. It supports 1-4 players so you can get the family into your virtual mountain bike stage racing career.

Writing

If you are good at story telling or technical presentation, and you have an idea bouncing around in your head, try writing a blog post for Singletracks.com. Seriously, send trek7k a PM and pitch your idea, submit a sample paragraph or even a complete post. You may become a published guest author!

The bottom line is, if you’re sick, I mean really sick, get some rest, let your body recover, and you’ll get back on the trails that much sooner.

*For your free pint of Fat Tire, you’ll need to prove you’ve browsed the entire site, and come out to Colorado and complete a ride with me!

Related posts:

1. Sick riders, closed trails, stolen bikes, and more
2. The “Ride to the Ride” Movement
3. World’s Most Expensive Single Day MTB Event? Ride 4 Yellow Divide Ride

Original post by maddslacker

I remember seeing these trails signs this summer and thinking “What’s with that guy’s feet?”

Those of you in the northern parts of the US and in Canada know, right about now the opportunities for good, quality mountain-style bike riding are few. The days are short, the temperatures are forbidding, the ground is frozen and unless you’ve got a Pugsley (or other flavor of fat bike) you’re not getting very far in the snow. I for one like to take advantage of this season to drink more beer, eat whatever the hell I want and put on some ‘insulation’. But moderation in all things, right? So I’ve got to find some active things to do when there’s no riding to be done: trail, road, cyclocross or otherwise. I could get my exercise fix indoors at the fitness center my workplace so generously provides, but I’ve always had an aversion to working out. The term itself is not for me. When I’m out riding, working up a sweat, burning serious calories I consider it ‘play’. The ‘work’ in ‘working out’ is what doesn’t make sense to me. Wouldn’t you rather do something fun? Speaking of fun…

Step 1: Put these weird things on your feet. Think of it as clipping in to SPDs

I had mountain biked the trails at Blue Mounds State Park in the summer. I only went once this year due to many factors, #1 being I had mega-rad trails I could ride to in 5 minutes during my lunch break. But during my Blue Mounds visit two things stood out in my mind: the first being “Holy shit, there are climbs and descents!!” (Wisconsin is a very flat place) and the second being “Who’s that little fella on all the mountain bike trail markers?” I would have to wait 5 months to find out that he is a snow shoe-er. Once the white stuff started to fall I got desperate for things to do outdoors. For the first time in my life I tried downhill (emphasis on hill) skiing a few weeks ago, and when I heard that Blue Mounds was a good place for snowshoeing I made arrangements to try it out. A quick call to my local member-owned outdoor supply cooperative and I secured a pair of rental foot paddles.

A little of this, a little of that to keep warm

So with proper gear acquired, I set out to inspect the trails I knew during the summer in a completely different context. One good thing to this whole endeavor was that much of the warm stuff I needed was simply bike stuff re-purposed. The goal was the same: layer appropriately so that once under way I didn’t get too warm, while retaining the freedom of movement required for the activity. I had a great merino wool base layer that would go on under my riding clothes on the coldest days. No ski pants, but my trekking pants and over that my packable rain pants made a good substitute. A Fox rain jacket over all of my torso layers kept the wind out just like it does on chilly trail rides. Add to all that a little liquid warmth in coffee and whiskey form (see above) and I was good to go.

It’s a pretty amazing thing to explore the same trails you first knew as speeding blurs of green and brown at a completely different speed, in a completely different season. You recognize features, spot alternate lines, understand the terrain on a whole new level. This side gets wind from the south, easy to see from the drifts. This big bowl fills with snow – it would fill with water in the spring/summer – better to divert the trail around the area. Plus, with no leaves there are sight lines for miles and it’s a great way to envision the entire picture and think out the flow of things. If you’re active in building and maintaining your local trails I highly recommend you check out the trails in the off-season – you’ll gain a great insight when they’re covered snow. Plus, they look cool…

I was able to take my time in the tranquility of the afternoon to stop, look around, take pictures whenever I saw something I felt should be captured. How many times have you finished a ride and felt exhilarated at going full bore the entire time, but still wishing you stopped to snap a few pics to show your buddies the ride as you saw it? By intentionally shifting gears, taking my time and absorbing every sensory input the park had to offer I felt that I got to experience the trails in a richer way. It was a good foil to the full throttle, go-fast, shred-it-and-forget-it attitude I usually take when I roll wheels through the singletrack.

So if you, like me, are not going to be turning a crank in anger for a while, try out your trails with new eyes. Strap on some shoes, fill up you flask, bring your camera and see the track in a new light. Your riding will be better for it come spring, and it’s 100 times better than the Stairmaster.

Related posts:

1. V-brakes and snow don’t mix
2. Alaska snow bike racing
3. Lack of Snow Around the US Means Extended Mountain Biking Season

Original post by Luke_E

“In America, women comprise only 25% of bicycle riders. The main factor that leads to this gender gap is that the industry trend of bicycles continues to focus on the existing bicyclists and ignoring the needs of the non-riders.”

That theme of bikes designed for the large “blue ocean” of current non-cyclists has been discussed on this blog many times, starting with a guest post by Mark Sanders several years ago. The topic always generates an interesting debate about what (if anything) can be changed on a standard traditional bicycle in order to better appeal to those who do not currently ride at all. In this case, Raymon chose to target the subset of urban women within that blue ocean, and I am curious to hear your thoughts about his solution. Check out the additional renderings, sketches, and prototype photos on his website, and let me know what you think.

Another interesting folding bike concept comes from Philip Crewe. He designed the bike a while ago, but just recently built a ridable prototype. The concept is based on a full size frame, with an S and S style coupling on the downtube and two hinge joints on the top tube.  I am not sure if a similar concept has been tried before, but it seems like a simple solution that works pretty well. Check out his video on Vimeo to see the bike in action.

Velo Chic spotted via Design Buzz

Original post by James Thomas

The Ripper 29 is a very unique looking bike.

Components

The Ripper is Slingshot’s aluminum XC bike.  Obviously, the Ripper 29 is the 29er version, and that’s what I have to review.  The frame retails for $1,099 and can be purchased directly from Slingshot.  They also offer complete bikes and you can get them with whatever components you want.  If you don’t care to pick and choose every single part they also offer several stock build options.  I’ll be reviewing the frame, not this particular build, since you can get the bike however you want.  Mine is a 20″ frame, has a White Brothers Rock Solid rigid carbon fork, Velocity Blunt wheels, Schwalbe Racing Ralph tires on both ends, a 3×9 mostly SRAM drivetrain, and a very slick looking (mainly carbon) FSA SL-K cockpit.  It weighs in at 25.96lbs ready to ride, including the water bottle cage and the Crank Brothers Candy pedals.

The Boom Tube is big, beefy, and super stiff.

Now, About That Cable

The cable is the heart of the bike, and what makes it so different from everything else on the trail.  Instead of a downtube there is a stainless steel cable with a spring.  The top tube (or BoomTube as they call it) is connected to the rear triangle via a flexible fiberglass board called the Dogbone Flexboard.  The cable, spring, and flexboard are part of the Sling Power system – you can read all the details about how it’s supposed to work here.  The short version is it’s supposed to do two things:

1 - Store some pedal input and release it during the dead portion of the pedal stroke, providing smoother power delivery
2 – Get small boosts of speed riding over bumps

Close up of the spring.  The bracket surrounding it allows the cable to pass through the spring and cause it to work in compression.

Skeptical

To be honest, looking at the bike and the claims of Sling Power, it’s hard not to be skeptical.  For one thing it looks like the bike would simply fold in half when you get on the brakes hard – cables don’t provide much resistance to compressive forces after all.  The bike looks so radically different from anything else on the market it just makes you wonder.  That said, Slingshot Bikes have been around since 1982, so if it’s all just smoke and mirrors you’d think they’d be long gone by now, so maybe there’s something to it.

The Dogbone Flexboard holds the Ripper’s front and rear halves together.

I’ve had one real trail ride on the bike so far, and I’ve got to say, the Ripper doesn’t ride like it looks.  I thought it would buck up and down, but it’s surprisingly stiff and rides, well, like a bike, not really any funny business going on.  In fact, one of the first things I did after unpacking the bike was to do a stoppie and see if it would fold up on me.  As you can see below, that Dogbone Flexboard is pretty dang stiff!  The carbon fork flexed a whole lot more than the frame did.  I’ll be riding this bike hard for the next month or so and will report back with a final review then.  I may even let a few other local riders try it out and get their thoughts on it.

The fork flexes a lot, but the frame is way stiffer than I imagined it to be.  Not sure why I look like Quasimoto…

Special thanks to Slingshot for lending me the bike for the review.

Photo Gallery

The lower cable connection.  The seat tube is a big beefy T-shaped tube.

I like the clean, simple, understated graphics.

The headtube badge is pretty sweet too.

Tire clearance isn’t spectacular, but should be plenty for the bike’s XC intentions.

One drawback of losing the downtube: only one water bottle cage mount.

Related posts:

1. Blue Ryno Carbon Mountain Bike Test Ride
2. On Test: Ibex Maroc 29er Carbon Fiber Mountain Bike
3. On Test: Ibex Asta Pro Mountain Bike

Original post by dgaddis