And the news keep on coming – this time we are to present the 2013 product news by DT- SWISS and SCHWALBE. Now it is DT-SWISS´s turn. For all those who have already asked where the name DT-SWISS comes from, here is the answer:

• D stands for “Drahtarbeiten“ (German for „wire works”)
• T stands for “Tréfilileries” (French for „wire works“)
• SWISS is … well you know they are SWISS through and through .

The 2-fold “wire work” refers to the complete bilingual (German and French) life in the city of Biel in which DT-SWISS´s origin and headquarters (management, R&D, design and testing) are located. DT-SWISS, whose origins lay in a company called a “United Wire Works (dating back into the 17th century), has become an independent company in 1995 with the production of spokes and over the years has added more and more components (nipples, hubs, rims) until they were able to produce complete wheels all by their own. To our knowledge DT-SWISS currently still is the only company worldwide that develops, manufactures and builds every component of their own wheels. For the 29er market the entry has been somewhat slow with a few rims, then the middle-class wheelset M1800 29 (tested here in 2011) and in 2012 with the currently high-end XM1550 TRICON 29 wheelset (currently under test) and the “race only” XRC 950 T 29 (tubular wheels).

Another pillar of DT-SWISS since 2001 has been suspension technology, initially with their own shock and later on with their own forks (after purchasing the suspension technology and production from British PACE CYCLES). Faithful readers know that we are currently reviewing such a 29″er fork, the XMM 100 29 with the cool Twin-Shot damping technology.

So much for the past, but now to the interesting news for 29″er fans:

************************
SPLINE wheels:

For 2013 DT-SWISS introduces a brand new family of wheels, which will replace some of the conventionally built wheels in their current line-up – the all new SPLINE series (Staight Pull Line). DT has produced such straight pull hubs and wheels for other companies for some years, but now is offering them for the first time directly under the DT-SWISS label. The wheels are based on specific hubs for straight spokes and tubeless ready rims. All hubs are convertible between RWS quick release (with aluminum levers) and through axles by exchanging the end caps.

For 29″er, there will be 3 categories differing in the quality of the individual components and thus by weight & price.

The top-end XR 1450 SPLINE 29 with a really good 1555 g for the set, will come with the finest balded spokes, welded rim (18 mm inner width and 28 h) and the proven star ratchet engagement. This wheel set is kept in all white and directed at racers reaching for a podium finish. They were also mounted on my bike, during the demo ride … but more on that later.

Next in line is the X 1600 SPLINE 29 wheel set with a respectable weight of 1770 g, but with sleeved rims (28h), butted round spokes and a little simpler hubs (but still with a star ratchet freewheel system). With these specs it should appeal more to performance-oriented all-round / touring bikers.

Last of the bunch is the X 1900 SPLINE 29, with straight (non butted) spokes, a 2-pawl engagement system on the 6-hole hub and simpler pinned rims, which, although slightly increasing in weight (as indicated: 2027 g), is said to excel in durability and is designed to combine high responsiveness with a “very competitive” price.

As with all the other 2013 products no prices were set at the time.

Contrary to my expectations (especially after the victory by Nino Schurter on his 650b SCOTT Scale), there will be only one 650b wheel set for 2013 by DT-SWISS, the M 1700 SPLINE 650b. It will come with a 6-bolt hub, star ratchet engagement and a 19.5 mm wide (inner width), sleeved- rim. The set is said to weigh around 1785 g. The photo shows Florian Vogel’s race bike with a 650b fork and tubular wheels.

**********************

Interesting to custom wheel fans are the 240s & 350 Straight pull hubs, both in quick release and through axle versions (easily convertible). Special straight pull spokes from the Competition-family (butted 2.0 to 1.8 mm) will be available in 2013 as well. Driven by the increasing demand for through axle type hubs in the XC-segment DT-SWISS introduces the top- of-the-line hub 180s Carbon Ceramic for ’13 as through axle version.

The rim range remains unchanged. Top of the line are the XR 400 29 rims (450 g), followed by the X 470 (470 g, formerly called X 430 29) – both directed at Cross-Country racing and lighter riders with their inner width of „only“ 18 mm. Tougher and wider are the XM 490 (500 g, 29 formerly known as X450) and the M 520 (520 g, M480 formerly 29), each with 19.6 mm inner width for tour to all-mountain and more aggressive riders.

***********************

As a (somewhat belated) response to the shocks (with platform damping) by ROCK SHOX and FOX, DT-SWISS presented the X-313 Cross shock. Just like the current M 212 shock, it will have adjustable (low speed) rebound damping but additionally to OPEN and LOCK-OUT option it will come with a third mode called „DRIVE MODE“ (which is a platform damping). Unfortunately we only had a quick spin on a bike equipped with this shock (with a promising first impression), but hope to receive a test-shock in the coming time.

As a world premier, we also got to see the all-new X 313 Carbon Cross Shock, with the same interior, but with carbon Air-Chamber and weight-optimized small parts that will hit the scale at only 145 g (or 165 g with a handlebar remote).

**********************

When it comes to 29″er suspension forks DT-SWISS again read the signs of the time and now will complete the range of the XMM 29″er forks (100 or 120 mm travel) with a top version, by combining the lighter carbon fiber steerer / crown with a 15 mm through axle lower. The weight is specified at 1632 g (100 mm) or 1647 g (120 mm).

Shown as a prototype only (and already ridden by team SWISSPOWER this season) the 650b fork will not go into production for 2013.

Smaller modifications (but by no means less important) are the modified remote lockout lever with which DT responds to criticism on durability and mounting. With a slightly different design it is now less fragile and easier on your bars (by adding small rubber inserts on the inside), but remains to bet he world´s lightest at 11 g (!) and most minimalistic with its width of 6 mm.

During our winter riding of the XMM fork we encountered a poor suspension performance at extremely low temperatures with the XMM fork, so they have worked to resolve this by new upper wiper seals and introducing a special oil (called PANOLIN) for lubrication and damping duties. Since the oil is said to improve the overall feel of the fork – we have asked DT-SWISS to do those modifications on our test fork (along with swapping from the remote lock-out lever to the fork mounted one) – but we will report on that in the next update of our fork review.

Soon, we will report on new products by SCHWALBE and the the demo ride we took with the XR 1450 SPLINE 29″ wheels on a STÖCKLI BERYLL Carbon RC 29″er hardtail.

RIDE ON
c_g

Twenty Nine Inches - 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News

Rubena Scylla:

Since the weather has dried up the trails, I have been liking the Scylla more and more. The hard pack conditions are well suited to this tire and that has confirmed my suspicions that the Scylla is indeed a specialists tire. The conditions made for fast speeds with great grip in corners, no doubt due to the dual compound tire construction here.
My feelings about the casing shape are mixed; however, since it does provide for decent speed. It also makes for a tire that can get “pinged” off-line due to trail obstacles. Something that was readily apparent from my trip to Texas which I reported on last time. This didn’t occur with such regularity up here in the Mid-West, but when it did, it was a bit disconcerting, with the bikes change in direction and the accompanying loud “pop”.

The very rounded profile does allow for great turn in though. Got a sluggish feeling 29″er? This tire might help your turn in feel a bit. The rounded profile also helps with speed, especially if you get into higher pressures. I found 35psi rear/ 30 psi front, (2.41Bar Rear/ 2.07Bar front), was optimal for a good balance of speed and grip on our hard packed dirt here. The casing on the Scylla seems to be stout, and the feel is average. Not too stiff or too supple.

Rubena Kratos:

The Kratos is becoming one of my favorite “all around” tires. In the last report I told you how I found the Kratos to grip in wettish, softer trail conditions well. Now that it has become dry, the grip is still there, but now the speeds have picked up as well. This is because the knobs on the Kratos are not piercing and pulling out of the trail surface, like they do when the trail is soft, but the knobs also do not appear to flex on hard pack either. I believe the Kratos casing is to be credited here.
The casing has a smooth ride feel with a nice bump absorbing quality. It truly feels much bigger than it is, (and that size is one of my gripes about the tire), but it rolls nicely and grips well due to that casing, I think. It just feels like this tire is working over the terrain more than the Scylla’s casing does.

While the casing profile is just as rounded as the Scylla casing, it doesn’t cut in and wash out in deeper grounds and sand like the Scylla. Here I would give a nod to the more open tread with bigger blocks. In sand, I found the Kratos would drift well, but never really wash out, which made sandy pits in the trail rideable and even almost fun.

Pressures were similar to what I have been trying with the Scylla, so again, a bit higher than I typically use for many tires I test. However; this seems to suit the Rubena tires better than lower pressures, so it is what it is.

Mid-Term Conclusions: The Rubena tires are both really good tubeless tires which will seal up and retain air quite nicely. Both get high marks for tubeless performance. In terms of wear, I only found the Scylla to wear more quickly in severe rocky terrain. The Scylla and Kratos seem otherwise “normal” for wear on my local trails.

I do find the overall sizing on each tire to be a little wanting though. Both in width and volume, the Rubena tires fall a tad short. However; in terms of how the tires actually ride and perform, they are definitely amongst the high end tires we have tested here on the site. Compounds are spot on, casing feel is very nice, and tread patterns are well thought out. My personal favorite so far is the Kratos, mostly due to its ride feel and outstanding grip. The Scylla is a great choice for those who ride on mostly hard packed dirt and like to go fast. A bit of a specialist tire, but very good in that narrow window of use.

Stay tuned for a Final Review where I will try these tires on a couple different wheels and bikes to get a feel for fitments and performances on different types of bikes.

Note: Rubena sent these tires for test/review at no charge to Twenty Nine Inches. We are not being paid, nor bribed for this review. We will strive to give our honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

Twenty Nine Inches - 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News

As I mentioned in my last report the Revox Team is a very well thought out bike sporting top-end equipment which checks off nearly every box you could ask for in a “near pro level race bike. With the X0/X9 (2×10) drive train, SID RL (including bar-mounted lock-out & tapered steerer, but 9 mm quick release), Easton bar, stem & EA70 wheelset and the excellent carbon frame (claimed at 950g – we don´t know for certain, we haven´t stripped the bike yet), the MSRP of 2999 Euros doesn’t seem bad at all. No, it’s not inexpensive by any means but you’d be hard pressed to put a similarly spec’d. bike together piece-by-piece and get a better cost/ performance ratio.

I do have to apologize that I have neglected to post the weight of the bike. The bike in stock trim with the Schwalbe Racing Ralph tires came out at exactly 10,32 Kilos (22.7 lbs.) for the size Large. With the heavier ONZA Canis “all around” tires, which is how I have been riding the bike, it came in a bit heavier at 10.89 (24 lbs.).

The BERGAMONT Revox has been ridden in dry, wet, and snowy conditions and in each I felt a sense of agility I’ve not felt on a bike with suspension in a while. The SID RL sure absorbs a lot of the shocks that wear you out over time. OK it is not 100 % as precise as my rigid fork that I am used to but other than that I liked the 9 mm quick release fork.

Yes, I had a couple of small issues with minor parts on the bike but those pieces (grips, bar and saddle) are ones that many people would consider changing to fit their personal tastes or riding styles anyway. Overall, I’d give Bergamont an “A” for effort in basically every area I can think of (i.e. design, performance, comfort, FUN! and component spec.) and say that if you get a chance to try the Revox Team 29″er, I’d go for it!

THE CONCLUSION:
If I could, I would hold on to this bike for much, much longer. From my previous posts and comments it’s probably become obvious that I’ve been very pleasantly surprised how much I like the BERGAMONT Revox Team. Over the past months I have continued to push this bike in every way that I can and it took it with no issues anywhere. This bike simply continues to impress me. It’s light (and feels lighter still), quick (in a very pleasing and fun way), precise (no surprise for a well constructed carbon frame) and comfortable (yes, the proprietary vibration and shock damping characteristics of the frame can be felt, further assisted by the small diameter 27.2mm seat post). In terms of value I know of no other frame of such pedigree that can be had as a race worthy complete bike at that price.

My only possible gripe would be the slightly too heavy wheels which in my opinion are very good training and all-around wheels but may need a lighter upgrade for actual racing action should you be out for that. (Editor’s Note: In the last images here, you will note that c_g has swapped out the stock wheels for lighter hoops. Stay tuned for his impressions on this change, seen in his comments below….)

Overall I find the BERGAMONT Revox Team to be an excellent bike – something I haven´t said too often about a bike in the recent past.

M1

p.s.: Lastly, I’m very interested to see if and how my feelings about this bike carry over to c_g during his testing period.

(Comment by c_g: By now I have had the BERGAMONT Revox Team with me for a few rides. First I took it out for two rides in standard trim but soon did some minor changes to optimize the fit and bring out the racing genes with lighter wheels. While this is merely a first impressions comment – I can say that I am equally pleased with the agile, yet universally fun handling of the the bike. I will be logging plenty of miles on the bike in the coming summer as it will serve me as a hard tail testing platform, so wait for more on the BERGAMONT Revox this season.)

Twenty Nine Inches - 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News

Only 35 Percent of Americans Know How Much Protein They Need
According to New Nationwide Survey
CLIF Builder’s® Finds Protein Knowledge Lagging Behind Other Health and Fitness Topics

EMERYVILLE, Calif., March 14, 2012 – CLIF Builder’s®, the great tasting high-protein bar, revealed the results of a new survey today showing that most Americans are unsure of how much protein they need on a daily basis, even though they know other essential health and fitness facts like how much water to drink and how often they should exercise.

Just 35 percent of Americans understand their protein needs, according to a nationwide phone survey of 1,000 people ages 18 and over conducted recently by CLIF Builder’s and Kelton Research. Key nutrition knowledge about protein lags far behind Americans’ awareness of other basic health and fitness concepts. For example, the survey discovered that more than twice as many Americans understand how often they should work out (76 percent) or their ideal weight range (69 percent). To help people learn about their individual protein needs, CLIF Builder’s has created a guide to protein and nutrition, including an interactive protein calculator, available at CLIFBuilders.com.

The survey also uncovered widespread misconceptions about the benefits of a post-workout snack containing a mix of protein and carbohydrates. After a workout, eating protein and carbohydrates together is the ultimate one-two punch for total body recovery, explained Ron Mathews, a leading personal trainer and CLIF Builder’s ambassador. Post-workout protein repairs muscles, while carbohydrates replenish a body’s storehouse of energy. However, 43 percent of Americans believe that eating carbohydrates after a workout will cancel the work they have just done, and 89 percent reach for a protein-rich snack first, without considering also replenishing carbohydrates.

“As a professional trainer, I educate my clients to look for a protein bar like CLIF Builder’s that not only includes protein to build muscle, but also high-quality carbohydrates,” Mathews said. “Carbs translate to energy, and whether you’re lifting weights or running hills, carb-based energy is what makes it happen.”

Nearly half of those surveyed said nutritious ingredients are an important factor in their selection of protein snacks. Those respondents said they don’t want their protein snacks to contain trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols.

“Sometimes what’s not in your food is just as important as what is,” says Tara DelloIacono Thies, R.D. and nutrition strategist for Clif Bar & Company. “You won’t find in CLIF Builder’s ingredients like artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors and sugar alcohols that provide zero energy, as they don’t contribute to muscle performance and total body fitness.”

CLIF Builder’s (SRP: $1.99) is crafted for performance by athletes and foodies in the CLIF kitchen. Each bar contains 20 grams of great-tasting protein, carbohydrates for sustained energy and an optimal blend of specifically-selected ingredients that work as hard as you do so you can get the most out of your workout. Three delicious new flavors have just been introduced—Chocolate Chip and S’mores for those who crave chocolate, and Crunchy Peanut Butter for those who want to revel in the rich, creamy taste of peanut butter.

In addition to the three new flavors, CLIF Builder’s is also available in Chocolate, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Chocolate Mint, Cookies ‘n Cream and Vanilla Almond.
I received a few Builder’s Bars to taste test.  I split them between my son, a martial arts instructor, and myself to see how they fared.  One day my son was in the middle of a hard day and lunch was wearing thin.  He ate a Builder’s Bar and found he had had the energy to make it through the day.  Not scientific, but he noticed the difference after a stressful day on his feet.  I ate them post ride to see how they treated me and even took one to eat on a ride just for fun.  Now I know that they are not a substitute for a regular Clif Bar or even a meal replacement bar, so I took it outside its boundaries a bit.  But after all that, I do have some impressions.

• Taste – Not especially yummy. But most protein bars I have had seem to have a grainy, slightly bitter aftertaste and that seems true of these.  My fav was the crunchy peanut butter.  My son had the same impressions…taste was so so.
• Effectiveness – My son sure found them to get him to the end of a couple of hard days.  I am not sure I noticed a difference to my recovery, but perhaps I just needed a longer trial period than two bars to chart the results.
• They melt in the pack.  Not a ride time bar.
• Got milk?  A cold glass of milk was nice to have handy during taste tests.

Panforte comes to a wrapper near you!  Now the other new product, for a limited time, is a special Clif Bar flavor inspired by the owner of Clif Bar as he rode over Italy’s Passo di Gavia.  (This pic is not Gary…pretty sure, anyway…but on the internet, who knows?).  Panforte, a traditional Italian recipe made with honey, fruits, nuts and spices, goes back to the 1300s, apparently, and now is nicely wrapped up for you in a Clif Bar wrapper.  No trip to Italy required.  The taste is completely unlike any energy bar I have ever tried.  In fact, the aroma is unique and it lets you know something is up as soon as you unwrap it.  It smells really nice.  The taste?  Think fruitcake, pretty much.  But that is not so bad unless you hate fruitcake.  I enjoyed the samples I had and actually liked it very much with a nice cup of hot tea.  In fact, on a ride it was a bit over the top, taste wise, especially if I was way into a hard ride.  But I find all kinds of reasons to eat a Clif bar and if I was steeping a nice cup of tea for the morning, the Gary’s Panforte would be welcome to join me.

But you better act fast to get this taste of Italy as this is a limited edition flavor and will not be around forever.  Better that or be ready to ride behind the guy in the pic to get another chance at it.

Note: Clif Bar sent over the samples for review at no charge to Twenty Nine Inches. We are not being bribed or paid for this review. We will strive to give our honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

Twenty Nine Inches - 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News

Thinking of my beginning in the sport of mountain biking in the late 80′s, the bikes by Tom Ritchey were objects to lust for. In the ’90′s, the increasingly popular aluminum frame seemed to finish off the era of high-quality steel frames and so Tom focused his energy on the improvement and production of bicycle components – the end of the legendary Ritchey steel bikes, as it seemed. Now, after many years, they are here again … and in 2012 the first time as an iconic 29″er!

The all new RITCHEY P29″er keeps a lot of the looks of the legendary P-series from the late 80s and early 90s. No doubt, this bike is a feast for the eyes – wonderfully delicate are those Ritchey Logic II steel tubes and the blue / white / red tricolor finish – just like the former team models – adds even further to the rich heritage.

The German distributor of RITCHEY, Cosmic Sports GmbH (www.cosmicsports.de) has offered us this one and only complete and rideable P29″er available in Europe for a quick test (of 2 weeks) and we gladly accepted. At the sight of this bike, I was instantly transported back to the pioneer days of mountain bike sports, to the times when such bikes were unattainable dreams for me – beautiful, outrageously expensive and very rare. But how would it be riding it? Would those delicate looking, minimal diameter tubes provide the stiffness, which is now expected from a high end mountain bike? How well will Tom’s interpretation of the 29″ers in handling work out for me? What would we find out?.

First a look at the frame details: Sure, there are the wonderful triple butted and heat treated RITCHEY Logic II tubes, but the frame is much more than meets the eye detects at first glance.

• There is an elaborately machined head tube with integrated head set (the first time I’ve seen this in a production steel frame). Optically and technically they are a treat. It holds only 1 1/8-inch steerer tubes, but does this with such style and in addition, at a low weight, that it is hard to be counted against the frame.
• The multi-clamped and countered slider dropouts allow for a geared, or a single speed design (as tested).
• The integrated seat post clamp – previously the most common type of post fixation, a rarity today – did provide such a nice transition to the slim seat post that it really made me wonder why today we only use separate seat post clamps. (I know why, but but still )

With the original RITCHEY models of the P-series, they were adorned with the number indicating the total weight of the bike – but do not worry, the P29 does not weigh in at 29 pounds (the equivalent of 13.15 kilograms). As ridden with a Marzocchi Micro Ti 44 fork, Crank Brothers wheels, and all kinds of Ritchey components, the bike weighed just 22.5 lbs( or 10.2 kg). With a given weight of about 2 kg for the frame alone, the P29 is certainly not a weight-weenie racer as we understand it today, but a 100% style-conscious bike in any case. Interestingly, the design intent with the Ritchey P29″er is to be a stylish racer and performance-oriented 29″er. We shall see.

RIDING IMPRESSIONS: The very first impressions of the bike were very mixed – the reasons for this was a very narrow handlebar (580 mm ), a very long stem (110mm) and an incredibly heavy single speed gearing (38/15) which simply don´t work out for where I ride. But since the P29″er comes as a frame only option anyway, I saw no issue with doing a few minor modifications were necessary to adapt the bike. It took a bit for me to tune and understand the MARZOCCHI fork (which is not too intuitive initially) and off I went.

After the first few pedal strokes it is clear that the P29″er is a bike worthy of carrying on the P series heritage: Remarkably stiff, very propulsive, and incredibly precise. How veteran Tom Ritchey has breathed these properties into the delicate tube set remains a mystery to me, but it shows that it is possible. No trace of flex, even under single- speed use. The Crank Brothers wheels, however, showed a bit more flexibility than desired. (Editor’s Note: This was also my feeling on the Crank Brothers wheel set on the Rockstar recently tested.) I found the seating position on the more stretched side, despite the rather short new stem stem (70 mm). In technical sections the P29″er was a true XC-racer and required some handling skills, but due to the great stiffness, control has always been very good. The handling leans towards the stable side, not only by the very long rear (447 mm chain stay in the shortest position) but also from the 70 ° steering angle. I found the bike to do well even in single speed use, but those riders, that prefer short rear ends should look elsewhere (maybe the BREEZER Lightning that Guitar Ted had in review recently).

The Marzocchi fork worked quite well and by the reasonable external tuning options allows for a wide range of riding characteristics, but somehow we would still prefer this bike with a rigid fork (a classic Ritchey Uni-crown 29″er fork unfortunately does not exist …. yet). Other components that left a positive impression were the very stiff and beautifully crafted THE HIVE Ethirteen XCX cranks and the very fast and good-natured RITCHEY Shield tires (first impressions only).

The P29″er is available as a frame only for € 899 – (as tested the bike costs a rather high end of € 3200. -).

QUICK TEST SUMMARY: The RITCHEY P29″er is a modern classic. The ride qualities are top notch and the sporty steel 29″er had me seriously impressed. By our quick impressions, the P29″er is best recommended for a classic bike lover and long-distance racer – where the very nice self-damping characteristics of the steel frame are positively felt and helps prevent premature fatigue effectively. For a XC bike it probably lacks some maneuverability … additionally, the XC guys likely are too concerned with weight to even consider a steel frame anymore.

The RITCHEY P29″er combines the ride and the handling of a modern 29″er steel frame with the flair and the look of the mountain bike pioneering days in such a well rounded manner, that I couldn’t help but fall in love with the bike. Thanks Tom for this modern retro racer.

Ride On
c_g

Twenty Nine Inches - 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News