Blog

Aug 03, 2023

Crossing Tasmania, new Trek, strange shock, tools, and more: Pinkbike Digest

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}">Download the app. Video: Payson McElveen Suffers

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}">Download the app.

Video: Payson McElveen Suffers for 32 Glorious Hours in ‘Crossing Tasmania’By: Alicia Leggett

Professional mountain bike athlete Payson McElveen detaches from time and immerses himself in the sheer joy of adventure in Crossing Tasmania, now available on Red Bull TV. The short film, produced by Stachehouse Productions, captures Payson during his 32-hour solo journey across Australia’s least populated state. Join Payson as he pushes his limits physically, while opening new levels of emotional and mental fortitude, on a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Watch the video here.

First Ride: 2024 Trek Supercaliber G2By: Troy Templin

It’s hard to believe that we are heading into 2024, and the Trek Supercaliber was released in 2019. Launched as a pure cross-country race bike, the Gen 2 version builds on that and adds 20mm more of rear travel. The new Supercaliber now offers 80mm of rear travel, but beyond that, Trek has designed the geometry around a 110mm travel fork.

Cross-country race courses at the highest levels are getting more and more demanding, and while Trek will tell us about all the pro athletes that wanted and even needed more travel, in reality, the real winners are the consumers.

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XCC Photo Epic: Andorra XC World Cup 2023By: Ed Spratt

The flat-out bar-to-bar fight of short track racing kicks off another busy weekend of racing in Andorra. The U23 riders were the first on course as we saw more wins from Ronja Blöchlinger and a big result for Adrien Boichis.

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Specialized Patents Strange Air Shock – Shock Week 2023By: Seb Stott

Specialized are no strangers to innovative in-house suspension. Who could forget the 2007 Enduro with its 150 mm dual-crown fork, complete with a 25 mm thru-axle, mounted to a bike that weighed less than 28 pounds? Then there’s Specialized’s Brain system, which automatically locks and unlocks the shock and fork depending on the terrain; it’s been around since 2002 – decades before Fox Live Valve or RockShox Flight Attendant got in on the act – and is still going strong.

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Crankbrothers Releases F11 & F16 ToolsBy: Seb Stott

Crankbrothers have two new tool offerings: the F11 and F16. These are very much based on the existing F10+ and F15, but with the addition of a removable kit on the outside which houses a tire plug tool, three plugs and space for a chain link. Like the F10+ and F15, the main multi-tool part is housed in a sliding aluminium sleeve with a magnet to hold it in place. The sleeve can be used to add leverage to the chosen tool, or in the case of the F15 & F16, it can act as a handle for the chain breaker.

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Spotted: RockShox Flight Attendant XC ShockBy: Ed Spratt

The Glentress World Champs brought plenty of thrilling racing but it also had some fresh tech on full display as more riders are now racing with an XC-oriented version of RockShox’s Flight Attendant system.

After first spotting a RockShox Flight Attendant equipped SID fork at the Lenzerheide World Cup on Nino Schurter’s bike we now have a full look at the shock that until now was hidden inside the frame of Nino’s Scott Spark. It comes as no surprise that the shock looks very similar to the already available SIDLuxe, just with the added electronic controller and battery.

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Review: Formula Cura 4 BrakesBy: Matt Beer

Deviating from the two big “S” brands of brakes can be a tricky purchasing decision, especially when they’re so commonly found on complete bikes at all price levels, but there are several other companies out there making stellar brakes, such as Formula.

The Italian company has been making bicycle brakes since 1993 and hasn’t been afraid to experiment with performance theories, like their retired R0 brake that featured oval pistons. Most recently, Formula has developed a 4-piston version of their popular Cura series for enduro and downhill riding that stand out from the crowd due to their sculpted looks.

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F1 Team Principal Toto Wolff Breaks Arm Mountain BikingBy: Jake

Managing Director of F1 Academy Susie Wolff broadcast to the world that her husband and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff broke his arm while downhill mountain biking on summer vacation in Austria.

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Velocio Launches New MTB Apparel LineBy: Mike Kazimer

Velocio has launched their 2023 mountain bike apparel line, a collection that includes lightweight shorts, long- and short-sleeved jerseys, pants, and two rain shells.

One interesting (and possibly polarizing) feature of the shorts and pants is that they’re designed to be used with a belt rather than having any sort of built-in adjustments. I have mixed feelings about the concept, but the good news is that an Arcade belt is included with the pants and shorts, and its stretchy fabric and low profile design makes it one of the better options for this application.

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