It's been another busy week in the bike world with tons of the best MTB and off-road products dropping. Many of the best mountain bike brands have announced their latest bikes and tech to coincide with this weekend's Sea Otter Classic Bike Festival at the Laguna Seca Raceway in California.
With so much landing at the same time a lot of the new goodies can easily be missed, so we've rounded up all the newest bikes and products into one handy single article, with the Bike Perfect team's top picks from this week's mountain bike and off-road news...
Channel your inner Tom Pidcock as Pinarello releases its uber-expensive World Championship-winning full-suspension bike – the Dogma XC
The Pinarello Dogma XC made its first appearance at the 2023 MTB World Cup in Nové Město and was built to win World Championships and World Cups. Tom Pidcock and his INEOS teammate, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, have done just that with PIdcock riding the Dogma XC to victory in the UCI XCO World Championships last summer in Scotland (Ferrand-Prevot rode the hardtail version).
Although Tom Pidcock rides with SunTour suspension, the retail version of the Dogma XC comes equipped with Fox kit and 90mm of rear suspension paired with 100mm at the front. The Dogma can also accommodate a larger 210x50mm shock that boosts the travel up to 100mm at the rear which can then be paired with a 120mm fork thanks to the moveable mounts on the frame
The Dogma XC features a Toray M40J carbon fiber frame and was designed to deliver maximum stiffness in the rear triangle and bottom bracket, have simple but progressive suspension kinematics, and at a claimed weight of just 10.47kg.
Unsurprisingly, it comes with a massive price tag of $13,000 / £12,000 / €13,500. Our Tech Editor Guy Kesteven has had some time riding the bike over in Italy and his Pinarello Dogma XC review is well worth a read for the full lowdown.
Cane Creek claims to have invented the "world's first gravel fork" years after everyone else but its new Invert gravel bike fork is one of the lightest 'proper' suspension models you can buy
The strangest claim of the week goes to Cane Creek who launched its new Invert gravel suspension fork, saying it's the "world’s first gravel fork." Considering there are a whole host of gravel-specific forks already out there it seems a pretty odd statement for them to be making, but we assume the brand is saying everything else that came before is rubbish.
For now, Cane Creek seem to win the weight battle as far as gravel suspension goes, coming in two versions with either 30mm or 40mm of travel. A combination of carbon fiber and premium aluminum construction means the forks weigh in at just 1,113g for the 40mm Invert CS and 990g for the 30mm Invert SL.
Cane Creek estimates availability for both versions of the Invert gravel fork to be mid-summer 2024. Pricing for the 40mm travel Invert CS is hefty $1,199.99 / £1,199.99, and the 30mm Invert SL is $1,099.99 / £1,099.99.
Hope Tech launches its new RX24 gravel wheelset along with some trick-looking tubeless valves
Hope Tech's revealed its latest gravel wheelset – the RX24 which specs the latest Hope Pro 5 hubs. The new wheels claim to have a combination of a lightweight alloy build and durability and a budget-friendly cost. Weighing in at a claimed 1,780g per pair, it puts them in amongst some of the best gravel wheelsets around. Designed with a 24mm internal rim width and a 23mm depth, it means they can roll a wider selection of the best gravel tires with higher volumes and up to 60mm ready for aimed at bikepacking adventures.
Hope also launched its new tubeless valves in seven anodized color choices – Red, Blue, Orange, Purple, Silver, Black and Bronze. The Hope valves come in just two lengths, and they weigh in at a claimed 12.8g per pair.
Both the RX20 gravel wheelset and the new tubeless valves will be available from the 1st of May.
Marzocchi improves its Bomber Z1 and Bomber Z2 forks, giving them new RAIL dampers and a decent price drop
Marzocchi's Bomber Z1 and Bomber Z2 are already some of the best budget MTB forks around. New versions of the Z1 and Z2 now come specced with an improved version of its Rail damper. However, the big deal is the price cut and it comes on both models. The Marzocchi Bomber Z1 now costs $599.99 / £659 and the Bomber Z2 costs $499 / £549. This equates to a saving of $120 / £150 for the Bomber Z1 and $20 / £30 for the Bomber Z2.
The Bomber Z1 and Z2 come in a host of travel choices and Marzocchi claims its forks come in at one of the best weights for a wallet-friendly MTB fork at around 2,109g for the Z1 and 2,043g for Z2. There are coil models available too and the Z1 Coil comes in at 2,525g.
All the new forks are available now from Marzocchi.
RockShox's new Psylo fork is essentially a less fancy version of the brilliant Lyrik for half the price
The budget mountain bike fork battle continued to heat up with RockShox launching the new Psylo and also an updated version of the Domain enduro fork.
The Psylo is RockShox's new budget version of the RockShox Lyrik and comes with the all-new Isolator RC damper. The Psylo has an updated Debonair air spring with tech from RockShox's more costly forks. Psylo is available with 130mm, 140mm, 150mm, and 160mm options and comes in three models – Gold RC, Silver RC and Silver R, priced $539 / £580 / €645 for the Gold RC.
The Domain fork, which is the budget version of its RockShox Zeb, received an update too and now uses the same new Isolator RC found in the Psylo along with the new Debonair air spring. Travel options on the Domain are either 150mm, 160mm, 170mm or 180mm and are priced competitively at $579 / £620 / €695.
Both forks should be available from SRAM dealers now.
Kona announces its new Ouroboros gravel bike but speculation remains on the brand‘s future after its disappearing act at Sea Otter
Kona launched its new carbon-framed Ouroboros gravel bike. The Ouroboros was due to make its official launch and be displayed on the Kona booth at Sea Otter Classic this weekend. However, it was reported on Pink Bike that having built its stand, Kona promptly then broke it down again with Kona staff reported as "remaining tight-lipped on the ongoing situation."
But back to the new bike. Although Kona is mostly known for its mountain bikes, it has a fairly extensive range of gravel bikes too with its Libre, Rove and Sutra range. The Ouroboros comes in three builds and has more than a passing resemblance to some of the brand's original '90s MTBs. The spec continues the MTB theme and features include 180mm brake rotors, huge tire clearance, SRAM UDH and 40mm of front suspension from RockShox or Fox.
The Ouroboros Supreme is priced at $6,999 / £5,999 / €10,999. The CR-DL is $4,799 / £3,999 / €5.399 and the CR is $3,799 / £2,999 / €3,999.
Restrap launch an addition to its Race Range bikepacking bags with the Top Tube Bag Short
Restrap has added the Race Top Tube Bag Short to its Race Range of bikepacking bags. It features the same design as its current Race Top Tube Bags (both regular and large sizes), but now the brand says the new bag adds the functionality of being able to be bolted to the bosses.
The capacity is a decent 1.2 liters which sounds ideal for gravel riders who tackle long-distance rides, or single-day bikepacking adventures. It weighs in at 115g without strap (the Bolt On version) and 120g with a strap. Both are made with an X21 technical waterproof outer, waterproof 6oz nylon inner lining and YKK aquaguard zip. Available now, the bag is priced at $83.99 / £59.99 / €71.99.
The new Muc-Off portable pressure washer now runs on a long-lasting battery and promises the cleaning performance of a mains powered unit
Muc-Off has launched a portable version of its bike-friendly Pressure Washer which aims to deliver the same performance levels as a mains-powered washer.
Its new model has two power modes – high power and eco mode with a claimed run time of 24 minutes. It has some pretty impressive numbers to back up what is a pretty good-looking bit of kit – Maximum power is 71 percent higher, and water pressure is 201 percent higher at 942.5psi than the market standard which means it should be able to cut through the filthiest mountain bikes with ease.
It comes in a protective EPX5 casing with a claimed weight of 7.66kg, which is without the 20 litres of water it can carry too. Pricing starts at £250 with a load of optional extras that bump up the cost. More info can be found at Muc-Off.com.
Sungod launches Pauline Ferrand-Prévot Signature Series sunglasses with plenty of the XCO World Champ's own 'je ne sais quoi'
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is one of the most decorated bike riders in history, she has won 12 world titles across all genres of riding including XCO Mountain Bike, Marathon MTB, Cyclocross, Gravel and Road.
To celebrate her career, British eyewear brand, Sungod and the INEOS Grenadiers rider have created the Pauline Ferrand-Prévot Signature Series Vulcans. Sungod is already the sunglasses sponsor for the INEOS Grenadier's team and also launched a Tom Pidcock Signature Series last year.
Pauline's Signature Series are based on the brand's best mountain bike sunglasses – the Vulcans and feature a pearlescent, rainbow-coloured frame, paired with Sungod’s 8KO Iris HV Blue photochromic lens. Limited to just 300 pairs, they are priced at $220 / £180 / €220 and are available to pre-order now at Sungod.co.
Industry Nine enhances its SOLix lineup with four new carbon and alloy XC and Trail wheelsets
Industry Nine expanded its range of wheelsets built around its SOLix hubs. The new additions are available in either carbon or alloy versions and are designed for cross-country and trail riding.
The SOLiX M UL300 is aimed at high-performance XC racing and is a super light carbon model with a claimed weight of just 1,385g. Its alloy sibling – the SOLiX M UL250 has the same hubs and spokes, with a claimed weight of 1,425g. SOLiX M UL300 is priced at $2,395 / €2,160 and the SOLiX M UL250 is priced at $1,405 / €1,265
The SOLiX M TR300/290 DUO has front and rear specific rims, the TR300 front is designed for compliance with a 30mm inner rim and TR290 rear rim has a 29mm inner rim and thicker side walls for durability. They have a claimed weight of 1,425g.
The SOLiX M TR285 uses a TR285 alloy front and rear rim, which measures 28.5mm. This wheelset comes in at a claimed weight of 1,535g. The SOLiX M TR300/290 DUO is priced at $2,395 / €2,160 and the SOLiX M TR285 is $1,405 / €1,265 with more information on all of Industry Nine's products at Industrynine.com.
Hutchison takes its Python Race and Python 3 tires into the modern XC realm
New wheels need the best mountain bike tires and Hutchinson revealed the latest evolutions of its Python tire range – the Python Race and Python 3 XC mountain bike tires, with the French tire brand saying its new tires will take its XC range into the modern era.
The Python Race weighs in at a claimed 600g, and has the brand's RRXC compound. Other additions include a 3x127 TPI construction, a 1.5mm central tread, and more prominent side knobs for increased grip in corners and a degree of puncture protection. The Python Race comes in the Racing Lab Black version only and exclusively in a 29" x 2.4" sizing, priced at $59.99 / £59.99 / €69.99.
Python 3 is a direct successor to Python 2 and the original Python and has an updated tread and also features the RRXC compound with a 3x66 TPI build. It comes in either Black and Tan Wall editions, and both 2.3" and 2.4" sizes weighing 780g and 810g respectively, and priced at £59.99 / €65.99.
Not to be outdone, Vittoria also releases its new Peyote and Mezcal XC Race tires
Cross-country tire week continued with Vittoria dropping two new and updated additions to its XC tire lineup. The Peyote is the new model featuring a low profile that is designed for multiple surfaces from hard-packed to loose conditions. Vittoria has also updated the construction of the race-proven Mezcal which is said to improve on the grip, durability, and level of suppleness.
The Peyote and Mezcal both have what Vittoria calls an 'XC Race construction' and is a mix of graphene and silica added to a single rubber compound, resulting in a "better grip, durability, and suppleness". Both tires are available in Black or Tan walls initially in 29" x 2.4" sizing, with a narrower 2.25" size to follow later in the year. The tires will be available from the 25th April, with an RRP of $99.99 / £64.99. More information can be found at Vittoria.com.
DT Swiss announce its Ratchet Drive freehub with a smaller engagement angle and improved durability performance thanks to its modified four-degree engagement ratchet design
DT Swiss unveiled its latest Ratchet Deg freehub which uses a ratchet design rather than the usual pawl system. DT Swiss claims its new RD system boosts durability and offers a four-degree engagement angle with 90 teeth, which makes it the smallest engagement angle the brand currently offers.
The hubs will be available in two versions – Classic Edition, as well as a Limited Red Edition and are claimed to weigh just 270g. The Classic Edition is available in 12x148mm and 12x157mm Boost, with a choice of Shimano MicroSpline or SRAM XD freehub, priced at $499.90 / £354.99 / €376.90.
The Limited Red Edition is only available in 15x110 front and 12x148mm axles and SRAM XD freehub only. The pricing for the rear hub is identical to the Classic Edition. DT Swiss will be including these hubs on two of its complete wheelsets – the EXC 1501 Spline One and XMC 1501 Spline One.
The new Fox Transfer dropper has an all-new design with new sealings, loads of adjustability and a massive 240mm drop
Fresh from the massive overhaul of its best suspension forks including some super bling limited edition 'Podium Gold' colorways. Fox has now given one of the best dropper posts around – the Transfer – a complete redesign with new internals, more tunability, and now a massive 240mm drop option.
The main news is the Fox internal workings aimed to increase durability, reduce air loss and give the new Transfer a smoother action. Riders also now have more options to adjust the dropper to their preferred choice with a new two-bolt low-stack head allowing riders to tune the return speed of the post. For fine-tuning saddle height there is now 5mm increments of tool-free travel adjustment. Travel choice is 95-120mm, 125-150 mm, 155-180mm, and 215-240mm.
Check out Ridefox.com for all the details on all the new Fox products.
All new alloy all-mountain and enduro e-MTBs from Salsa Cycles feature Fazua and Bosch drive systems
Salsa Cycles is showing off its two newly released e-bikes at Sea Otter Classic. Its new models are named the Moraine and Notch are aimed at all-mountain and enduro riding.
The Moraine features 140mm of rear wheel travel and 160mm up front. Salsa goes with a Fazua Ride 60 drive system and 430Wh battery. The Notch is a big travel enduro e-MTB that gets 170mm travel up front and 160mm at the rear and goes with Bosch’s Performance Line CX 85Nm motor powered by a Bosch PowerTube 500Wh battery.
Both bikes come in two build options and the Notch Deore 12 and Notch Cues 10 are available now, with the Moraine Deore 12 and Moraine Cues 10 coming soon. Pricing starts at $4,999 on both models.
