Interbike 2008: Report 2

By Mike Davis

Calfee Designs has been producing bamboo road and CX bikes for a while, and is now doing MTBs too. This 29er includes a singlespeed friendly eccentric BB, with internal cable routing should you choose to run gears. Early Calfee bamboo bikes had a faintly rough-hewn appearance, but the current generation are smooth and polished.

Left Sam Hill will be racing for Specialized next season. An all-new DH bike is in the works, but in the meantime he'll be racing this Demo 8. Right In the "sounds crazy but might just work" category is the Hub Pump - pull out the plunger and a pump inside the hub shell inflates your tyre as you ride (or just spin the wheel if it's really flat). Once the preset pressure is reached it shuts itself off.

Left Knog is well-known for its rubbery lights, and now it's branched out into rubbery computers. Right eVent fabric is a favourite for jackets, and Lake has put it into shoes. Mix in a carbon fibre sole and you end up with an ultralight waterproof boot - these could be the perfect UK footwear.

Left to right Manitou's new Dorado DH fork looks similar to the old one but is all-new; MRP's XCG Triple bashguard/chain guide; SwissStop's Disc Brake Silencer spray claims to do just what it says on the tin.

We were impressed by Niner's redesigned RIP9 at Outdoor Demo. But if a 4.5in travel 29er doesn't sound adventurous enough for you, behold the new WFO9. Niner's really pushing the big-wheel boundaries here - the WFO packs an impressive 5.5in of travel at both ends. It's managed to enlist the services of a couple of key component suppliers to make it possible. Shimano came up with a bolt-on, high-mount front mech to reduce the congestion around the BB area and help keep the chainstay length down, while Marzocchi's tapered-steerer, QR15, 110-140mm, 29er 44 fork is a Niner exclusive. The other interesting detail is under the BB, where the asymmetric lower linkage is designed to accommodate Truvativ's HammerSchmidt front transmission. The WFO (and 44 fork) is expected to be available in early 2009.

Left Prologo has a vast range of saddles, with the Vertigo being among the more off-road friendly. Right Syncros kit has a fresh new look for 2009

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tekk

Posted: 26/09/08 09:30:15 15

Goddamn! I've been sketching out something like the Hub Pump for the last 2 weeks....and there it bloody is in the flesh.

reckon you could add a remote to that plunger for on the fly pressure changes. Mike how do you set the desired pressure?

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