We visited Wide Open’s Rotorua warehouse last week for a sneek peak at the new 2015 POC gear that we told you about yesterday, and while in the warehouse we spied a few new items on the shelves. Stupidly I asked what was new for them this upcoming summer, which opened up an avalanche of goodies for them to truck out. To save you a trip to Rotorua (although you should really be there riding Eagle vs Shark right now) we photographed each item as Matt rolled them out. Hopefully you have five minutes up your sleeves. Right, you ready? We’re off!
ENVE’s wheels aren’t super new but this is the first time I’ve seen a pair not attached to a damn Santa Cruz bike, and wow they look amazing in the flesh. ENVE’s M60 wheels start at $3900 and this one is the trail/AM wheel. It’s all about Ride Tuned Design for ENVE that equates to impact resistance, optimised rim width, application specific vertical and lateral stiffness. They also feature hookless rim beads for precision tubeless fitment and pinch flat resistance. They are also lighter than previous AM ENVE’s for faster accelerations and more precise handling. Weight 1563 with Chris King hubs, 5 year warranty plus ENVE’s crash replacement programme.
26″ isn’t dead, neither is downhill after last weekend! Enter the ENVE M90 wheels. $3999 will get you this new DH wheelset from ENVE, tubeless compatible with hookless rim bead and they are raced by the Santa Cruz Syndicate. The stiffest, strongest wheel that ENVE has made. 5 year warranty + crash replacement programme. 1835gram weight (Chris King hubs)
So all the Marzocchi forks have now arrived. First up there is this price-point DH fork the 380 C2R2. At $1520 it’s packing 200mm travel, a steel spring, 1 1/8” steerer and it will take 26” or 27.5” wheels, C2R2 damper, weight = 2950 grams
For you mack daddys (and daddy macks) there is the Marzocchi 380 C2R2 Titanium. It’s a little more spendy at $2380 but you are getting a whole bunch of fork. They feature 200mm travel, a titanium spring, taper 1.5”-1 1/8” or 1 1/8” steerer, will take 26” or 27.5” wheels, C2R2 damper, Espresso coating on stanchions for even less stanchion friction and SKF low friction seals as standard, weight = 2750grams.
On the trail side of things there is the Pike-killing Marzocchi 350 NCR Titanium. $1599 gets you 160mm travel fork that only takes enduro specific sized wheels. There’s a titanium spring, tapered 1.5”-1 1/8” steerer, 15mm through axle, NCR damper with Rebound, Compression and eNduro pedal assist (firms fork up for great climbing but not a full lock out), espresso coating on stanchions for even less stanchion friction, SKF low friction seals as standard, weight = 2150grams.
And if you want to get training for the slopestyle in Rotorua next year they are even bringing the 55 CR Slope. It’s a 120mm travel (adjustable down to 100) fork perfect for slope or DJ. There’s a tapered steerer and would you believe it only takes 26” wheels with classic 20mm thru-axles, CR damper with compression and rebound adjustment, air sprung for easy tuning of spring rate. RRP on these sweet puppies is $799.
Now we have been waiting for these to show up; we tested the standard one last year and loved it and now the covert (stealth) version is here. But like anything Thomson it ain’t cheap, $680 to be exact. Designed to work with stealth or covert routed frames, it features 125mm of infinitely adjustable travel in a 400mm length. Theres’s a super tidy minimalist remote and it’s available in 30.9 or 31.6 diameter, and the post has 5mm of set-back. The upper assembly of the post is machined from one piece for durability, 592gram weight, passes EN fatigue and strength tests, final 15mm of return travel slows down to give a gentle return to the top of the post height.
And for you Luddites out there there is this new Thomson 27.2mm dropper (RRP $680). It’s one of the only hydraulic 27.2mm dropper posts in the market with 125mm of infinitely adjustable travel in a 430mm length and weighs 572grams.
To be honest I didn’t even know Wide Open were still doing Atomlab but there’s a big resurgence. They make bulletproof, affordable and reliable stuff and the DHR SL rim is a top seller. And why wouldn’t it at $175? It’s Available in 26” or 27.5” – 32 Hole, black only, Atomlab’s torque nipples are included in the rim which build up a light and strong wheel (compatible with most brands of spokes). The rim is a welded construction, with a tubeless bead-hook and rim bath design to make tubeless set up easy and reliable. 25mm Internal width, 427gram weight (26”).
If you don’t fully trust your 1x setup or just think you’re so rad that you’re likely to drop your chain while riding a mega-train with Jared Graves, then you need MRP’s new Carbon AMG guide. $210 will get you a simple top guide with skid plate to protect your expensive chainring and adds an extra level of security to narrow/wide type set ups, without extra noise or friction in the drivetrain, 105 gram weight, available in ISCG 05 mount only.
MRP 1.X Guide is the latest addition to MRP’s 1X family of chainguides which offer lightweight reliable retention of chains in an XC or clutched type bike setup, 67 gram weight guide. $115.
Buggered if I’m gonna tell you about each one of these (Google is just up there to the right). If you don’t know English company Juice Lubes make… lubes… as well as Juice Lubes Carbon Juice – Carbon Paste, Dirt Juice Hero – Aerosol Degreaser, Frame Juice – Frame and Component Polish, Hand Juice cleaner and Chain Juice Wax – Wax Chain Lube.
Gravity also had a few cool things tucked away on Matt’s shelves like these light Flat Bars. At $120 they are 777mm wide and have 10×4 sweep and a 310gram weight.
The Gravity Gap stem has been updated for 2015 and comes in 45, 55 and 65mm length options (65mm photographed), 8 degree rise, 40mm stack height, for 31.8 clamp bars, 192 gram weight (55mm).
And these were so new that he only had two sets in the country, but if you like your grips then then the ODI AG1 (Gwin) lock-on grips are for you. These $47 grips are a collaboration between ODI and Aaron Gwin and feature a single locking collar, ODI’s proprietary rubber compounds, and a nice mushroomed end to keep your hands on the bars.
Keeping the collabs coming, Wide Open have made a custom limited edition SDG Duster. Show your support for one of New Zealand’s most progressive independent distributors for just $99.
Atomlab are kind of renowned for their Dirt Jump and DH components but their new 102 point engagement hub is perfect for trail applications and now even comes with an XD driver. so for $340 you get 102 points of engagement for super-fast acceleration, 12×142 or 12×135 options, XD driver or 9/10 speed freehub body options, super reliable smooth running, 280 grams and the DH heads are still looked after with the 102 Point 12x 150mm Rear hub – RRP $369 – 12×150 or 12×157 options, super reliable smooth running, 295 grams.
MIPS is good for your brain and now the POC Octal road/XC helmet is now rocking MIPS and some cool magnets. RRP $440 – The low weight, visibility, ventilation of the Octal AVIP helmet, with the added safety of the MIPS system.
Fricken fat bikes, I just can’t escape this shit! Now FSA are in on the act with the Comet Double Crank. Yup, it’s FAT BIKE specific. New for 2015, 100mm shell fitting, 175mm arm length, 24/38 rings – uses 4x 104BCD rings so easily converted to triple or single ring use, weight 770grams.
And of course we can’t forget that Wide Open are the New Zealand distributor for Turner bikes. Brett loves his Burner, and we saw this new Flux frameset waiting to be built up for a lucky customer. The new frame runs 120mm of travel for 650b wheels, and a slacker head angle, taking it away from its former XC focus and re-positioning it as more of a trail bike still with the ability to be raced either XC/Marathon or dabble in a buzzword event.
