It’s been awhile now since we have run a rumor post, so here we go with some jiucy tidbits for ya’all to chew on.
Fork Action: While the Reba’s re-do has caught all the attention, Fox hasn’t been sleeping. It was quite obvious at Sea Otter that a 120mm version of the F-32 in 29″er guise was being ridden by a few companies on prototype rigs. The black fork is coming soon and will be on trail any day now. What isn’t widely known is that a tapered E2 type steerer tube model is also coming. Of course, this can only mean one thing. A new Fisher FS platform! Look for news on a Fisher long travel rig to be leaked in the coming weeks. I have no idea what it might be, but Fox isn’t making this fork for anybody else yet, so I am quite sure it will be seen gracing the front of something new from Gary Fisher Bikes.
Remember Marzocchi? Yeah, one of the first 29″er suspension choices is coming back with a new design for 29″ers in 2009. I would suspect that they will focus on longer travel, through axle type product, since this is their strength in 26’er forks, but we shall see.
Wheels and Tires: The tires just keep on coming! Look for Geax’s Saguaro to show up in a tubeless ready version any day now. Michelin? I have heard that they also will be offering a tubeless ready version of something soon. Bontrager should be rolling out something fat and corpulent to grace the front of that rumored Fisher rig, and several other tires are in the pipeline there. Tubeless ready, of course. With the Olympics coming up, it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see a carbon rimmed Race XXX Lite TLR wheel set either. WTB is rumored to be readying some new shoes and probably will show something at Interbike this fall. Of course, the huge, fat all mountain /free ride tire accidentally shown at Interbike last fall is still in developement with proto-types still being tested in several secret locations.
New Rigs: When will Niner’s titanium bike hit? It can’t be long now. And how about that W.F.O.9 long travel rig shown at Interbike last fall? Well, it should be due to be seen again now sometime soon since the J.E.T. 9 project is now complete and out the door. Fisher redesigned their entire line up last year, but again, I have heard rumors of something new in a longer travel rig. Look for at least a sneak peek next month. Other companies are also hard at work on longer travel rigs. Interbike 2008 will be the Year of the Long Travel 29″er. You heard it here first. At the other end of the spectrum, carbon fiber frames will proliferate. I suspect at least three new plastic fantastic rigs will debut at Interbike with at least one of them being a convertable frame that will be single speedable.
The Newest 29″er Trend?: It isn’t long travel 29″ers, carbon fiber frames, or some fancy new fork. Nope! I will take a stab and say that off road touring/long distance rigs with 29″er wheels will be the next big trend in big wheels. Not just for aspiring Great Divide racers, these bikes will be the “utility 29″er” with capabilities for touring off road, commuting, and real mountain biking all wrapped up in one frame. Not “monster cross”, but similar. Maybe I’m crazy, but I really see a ground swell for this sort of bike.
Okay, that’s my take. We’ll see what actually shakes out in the coming weeks and months. It should be a great ride! Stay tuned!
The Karate Monkey already fills the “off road touring/long distance rigs with 29?er wheels” role for me. It’s my daily driver, my trail bike, and I’m gearing up for some off-road touring to Mt. Tam with it.
Touring with a 29er, ever since I picked up my XXIX last I have pictured touring ona 29er, over the winter I used it as my grocery gettin’ rig, and the 22/36 double on my Stout , seems perfect for touring, the only thing I had touble with, touring wise, was finding a front rack that actually fit.
Does anybody want to speculate, if the Superfly will have a BB30 and the 11/5- 11/8 headtube?
I’m interested in getting one and would be willing to wait if that’s the case.
N8rhino, the spec I saw of the 09 Superfly does not have those changes. The biggest was cosmetic. That could very easily change though. I agree that with you GT that we will see more 29ers used for longer backwoods rides as well as commuting. I use my 29er for commuting 30 miles a day right now and I much prefer it over a road bike. It’s comfy, fast and reliable. It can handle bumps and pot holes way better that any road bike ever could.
I think your missing the clue with the Fox 1-1/8 to 1-1/5 fork. the deal with fisher was for the 2008 run only. so there is no reason to assume that fox would stay exclusive a second year(maybe the offset will stay with GF)
I first saw the Fox plans months ago, and my first impression was Specialized was going to bring forth a carbon 29er with this set up as the are running 1/8 to 1/5 on several of there 26″ bikes (most with Fox Forks)
Here is my prediction a 29″ Carbon Hard tail that is lighter than the Superfly and a Carbon 29er Epic, you heard it from me first……
Angus: While I don’t doubt that Specialized will come out with something special in 29″ers, the tapered “E2” steer tube on the Fox fork was not licensed by Fisher, but by Trek, if I recall correctly. I don’t believe Fisher had a E2 bike in their line up for 2008. For sure not in a 29″er.
The information I’m hearing is that Fisher will indeed have an exclusive on the 29″er E2 fork. Specialized has been doing it’s own forks, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see them go that route on the 29″er forks in the future. It doesn’t speak well to the 26″er forks if Specialized continues to spec other brands forks on it’s 29″ers. I look for a Specialized 29″er fork to make an appearance soon.
Fingers crossed that the new, longer travel Fisher is on the Fuel EX rear suspension platform. It is one sweet riding system, and needs to be available in the 29er world!
And the really good news from Fox (heavily sarcastic tone) is that apparently several F-series forks will be available in TA mode. 20mm? Oh no, of course not. A new 15mm standard. It would be awful if the TA front wheel from a Reba-forked bike could also serve as a spare on a Fox-forked bike!
Just got the first ride on the 2009 Fox 100mm Black fork. Very nice, I have just come off a Fox X cart fork and have to tune the RLC a bit more to get it set up, but the first ride was very nice. I will keep you posted.
Utility 29er! I agree. In fact I am on a builder’s waitlist for exactly such a bike.
How do you believe the geometry will be different from Mountain XC hardtail 29ers?
Longer wheelbase, longer chainstays, slacker HT angle?
Wisemen, what are your thoughts?
N8rhino:
Probably no-go on both of those. C-dale and Trek don’t mix very well at all. Plus, Fox hasn’t been doing E2 Steerers as yet, nor have I seen any yet.
Not to say that it won’t happen, but I don’t think so.
Dirt: Check out the Fox E2 on the Remedy 9; http://www.trekbikes.com/int/en/bikes/2008/mountain_full_suspension/remedy/remedy9/
Also, a pdf file appeared on a thread on mtbr.com for a spell, (since pulled down at the behest of Fox) that was detailing all of Fox’s ’09 product. It was clearly showing schematics and specs on an E2 steerer Fox F-29. Pretty obvious that something is up with a Fisher bike, since Trek doesn’t do 29″ers, although it is possible that this would be a 69er fork as well.
Anyway, all that to say that it’s a sure bet that we’ll see an E2 steer tube 29″er fork on something. I’m guessing it to be a FS 29″er.
GT- Been there, done that, haven’t gotten my t shirt from our outside rep yet.
I’ve been assembling E2 equipped fuel ex’s and remedies for months now. But, in reality, I really just don’t want to see that on Fishers yet. Just like I don’t want to see Future Shock 29er stuff from Specialized yet either. My view on the whole E2 thing is that it didn’t really work for Gary Klein in the 90’s, why bring it back (2″ to 1 1/4″!! YES!!!) Not to mention that a carbon frame is GOING TO HAVE an integrated HS. Yay! Fun times!
I mean, we’ve already had someone wanting to switchout the E2 lyric on his Remedy 8 last week. Sorry, homeboy, good luck selling that thing cuz we don’t want it either!!!!
I guess buying 2 sets of headset bearings just doesn’t appeal to some, namely me.
My prediction is that we will see the E2 setup on 69ers from Trek. But please please please don’t touch my Fishers, damn it!
Nooch.