standard

Component makers?Ritchey have released details of a saddle and versatile mid-range mountain bike wheelset aimed at the enduro crowd.

The upper mid-range aluminium Trail WCS wheels – available in 26in, 27.5in and 29in sizes – were unveiled at the Riva del Garda bike festival earlier this month, along with the Trail WCS saddle.

The rims accept universal tubeless tyres and have a slightly broader internal width than those in the WCS Vantage II range, which the Trail series will complement.?The wheels are laced with DT Swiss Competition spokes and nipples, and the standard 26in set weighs a claimed 1,574g.?

The hubs are sold with standard quick-release skewers but are easily modified to a 142×12 thru-axle at the rear. Adapters are sold separately to support 15mm and 20mm front axles.?SRAM XD and Shimano?freehub versions are available, and the guide price is €599, with UK and US prices to be fixed closer to the 2014 release date.

The Trail WCS saddle looks like a well-padded number suitable for longer rides. According to Ritchey it employs the same low profile shell and CrN/Ti alloy rails as the slightly more expensive Streem. Guide price is €109.

Ritchey Trail WCS saddle, new for 2014

For more information on Ritchey products see www.ritchey.ch.

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Specifically developed for SRAM’s 120mm bolt-circle twin-ring cranks, this has specially offset teeth. They push the chainline over to centre of the standard twin ring setup, which can help with shifting and chainguide setup.?Pre-threaded holes allow you to reuse your?stock bolts.?

We tested the smallest 36-tooth ring and, when matched with an 11-36T cassette, the gearing spread was enough for flatter rides but our legs did suffer on bigger days in the hills. Wear rate is good so far, and the shaping is good.?

This article was originally published in What Mountain Bike magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.

HAYWARD, CA (BRAIN) — Minoura’s iH-400 will hold a smart phone, regular cell phone or a GPS unit on bike handlebars.    The device is supported at three points and is softly padded.

The mountain bike side of the clipless pedal market has been rather stagnant the past few years. Most of the changes have been evolutionary, such as CrankBrothers new DH-specific version of their Mallet pedal. But Look and Speedplay were showing off designs at Interbike that should?make some riders rethink their pedal loyalties.

CrankBrothers Mallet DH

It’s no exaggeration that CrankBrothers owns a sizable chunk of the downhill race pedal market. The ‘click in to win’?crowd has been riding the company’s Mallet?for a number of years, despite the fact it was designed with trail and all-mountain riding in mind rather than downhill racing.?

CrankBrothers got feedback from a number of World Cup gravity racers when designing its new DH-specific clipless pedal. This season, 12 of the top 20 racers spent time on it, including Aaron Gwin, Gee Atherton and Greg Minnaar.

Evidence that Greg Minnaar has been using his Mallet DHs

The new Mallet DH pedals weigh 479g per pair, 44g more than the standard 3 model. Other notable changes include the use of a two-piece alloy body (where the inner portion of the standard Mallet’s body is constructed from a composite plastic).?

The Mallet DH has a longer and wider platform intended to provide more real estate for bulky, clipless-compatible DH shoes. To this end, the spindle has also been lengthened to improve shoe/crank arm clearance.?

The version shown above right, with a stainless steel axle, will retail for US$140 and will be available in December 2012.

Look S-Track

Look is replacing its Quartz pedal line with a new family. It features a similar two-bar design for engagement but offers the ability to replace deflectors – the portion of the pedal protruding from the front and back of the body that protects the spring and axle from impacts – in the event of a failure. You can also add a platform for increased surface area and support.

The new S-Tracks will be offered in three formats:

S-Track – 142g, polycarbonate body and deflectors, chromoloy axle, US$109.

S-Track Race – 145g, carbon body, alloy deflectors, chromoly axle, US$209.

S-Track Carbon Ti – 122g, carbon body and deflectors, titanium axle, US$369.

An S-Track with pedal body attached as an upgrade

Polycarbonate and alloy platforms can be added to any of the S-Track pedals. The polycarbonate cages will retail for US$49; an alloy version will cost for US$99.?Expect to see the S-Tracks in a bike shop near you in late 2013.

Speedplay Syzr

Speedplay’s mountain pedal, the Syzr, can hardly be described as new at this point – it’s been in development since 2008. The display pedal we saw at this year’s show?looked identical to the one we spotted in 2011.?

While no firm availability date has been set, the company was willing to offer us some details. The pedals will spin on inboard needle bearings and an outboard cartridge bearing. Five different spindle lengths will be available, offering riders the ability to find a Q-factor that suits them.?

There will also be a grease port for routine maintenance. A pair of Syzrs with stainless steel axles is expected to weigh 300g and will retail for US$215.

The latest, and possibly production, version of the Speedplay Syzr

So, what do you think? What pedals do you use now, and what would it take for you to switch brands? Let us know in the comments area below.

Michelin, Kenda, Maxxis and Schwalbe were all showing off new 2013 tires at this year’s Eurobike show. From 26in models to 29ers, here’s what we saw.

Michelin: new tread, clinchers and urban tires?

Michelin showed off a new mud tire, aptly called the Wild Mud. Not surprisingly, it sports a very soft rubber compound and a relatively narrow, 2.0in-wide casing (in both 26in and 29in diameters) for better grip on wet surfaces and to pierce sloppy top layers into the hopefully firmer dirt down below.

The open tread design is built with a novel twisted pattern on the stepped blocks, though. Product manager Rudy Megevand told us thisis designed to be self cleaning – the idea being that the knobs straighten out under braking or driving load when they come in contact with the ground but then spring back to their native shape, actively shedding debris.

Michelin will cater to the growing 27.5in (650b) market with three tires for 2013: an enduro-focused 27.5×2.35in Wild Grip’R with bigger and firmer knobs than the standard version in both reinforced (1,080g) or non-reinforced casings (780g), a faster rolling 27.5×2.25in Wild Race’R, and a 27.5×2.25in Wild Grip’R for all-around trail use in mixed conditions.

Cross-country racers get a new 29×2.1in Wild Race’R with a shaved-down tread design, fast 64a single-compound rubber formulation, and an ultralight claimed weight of just 415g.

On the road, Michelin adds a new Pro4 Grip with a new tread design and compound. Megevand claims this offers 15 percent better wet weather traction than the standard Pro4, plus 20 percent more puncture resistance owing to a new Twaron aramid-based breaker belt material. US consumers also finally get access to the company’s road tubulars, built with cotton and aramid casings in 23mm or 25mm widths.

US roadies will finally be able to get Michelin’s road tubulars

Michelin has been busy with its urban tires, too, with a trio of durable Protek models for commuting, plus new, high-efficiency Energy tires aimed at e-bike riders who want to maximize their battery range.

Finally, there’s the intriguing StarGrip tire, designed for all-season use but specifically targeted for use in poor winter weather such as rain, snow, slush and ice. The unique tread design is molded from relatively soft rubber into a highly segmented and conformable pattern that Michelin claims offers more biting edges than normal.

Megevand admits the StarGrip isn’t particularly fast rolling, but for those commuters looking to get to their destinations safely, the Stargrip might just be the ticket.

Kenda shows new fast rolling Turnbull Canyon but Honey Badger don’t care

Kenda’s Eurobike booth included one of the more unusual looking mountain bike treads of the show: the Turnbull Canyon. Despite the sparse array of low-profile, thin, dash-shaped knobs, Kenda nevertheless insists it’s grippier than it appears – at least for cross-country applications and in terrain similar to the southern California grounds that sponsored rider Tinker Juarez calls home.

Kenda will offer the Turnbull Canyon in both 26in and 29in diameters but only in a narrow 2.0in width.

Kenda also debuted a new do-it-all mountain bike tread for 2013, called the Honey Badger. The versatile-looking tread sports medium-sized, triangular-shaped knobs that are relatively widely spaced and ramped on their leading edges to decrease rolling resistance.?

The Honey Badger is meant to be a do-it-all option for nearly all conditions

Kenda will offer a single 2.0in-wide version for 29ers but a more usable 2.2in-wide version in 26in, 27.5in and 29in diameters.

In yet another sign of the coming tidal wave, Kenda will have three other 27.5in sizes of several popular treads in its arsenal for 2013, too: the 2.1in-wide Slant 6, a 2.0in-wide Karma, and the Nevagal in both 2.1in and 2.35in sizes.

Maxxis updates High Roller and Minion DHR, adding 27.5in sizes

Maxxis delved into treacherous territory at Eurobike, updating the company’s long-standing Minion DHR and High Roller treads for 2013.

The new High Roller II mostly sticks to the original formula of wide spacing, an open shoulder and heavily ramped center knobs, but exaggerates the recipe somewhat with even burlier cornering knobs, a slightly more open arrangement and a trimmed-down center section.?

We haven’t had a chance to ride the revamped pattern yet but it looks like it will offer a faster roll plus surer traction when attacking tight turns – especially if the ground is loose or soft.

Maxxis was no stranger to the fact that many riders used its Minion DHF – originally intended for front wheels – at both ends owing to its more confident cornering characteristics relative to the DHR.?

The new Minion DHR II clearly addresses that shortcoming, however, with a more open and reinforced shoulder pattern that’s expected to bite more effectively when leaned over. The ramped center tread is still primarily shaped for drive and braking traction, so we still don’t expect to see many of these mounted up front.

Other new items from Maxxis include the Torch BMX tire, which was supposedly designed specifically for sponsored riders competing at the London Olympics, and the new high-efficiency Roamer and Gypsy urban tires, both of which are specifically targeted at e-bike riders.

The Maxxis Torch BMX tire

Schwalbe bets big on the 650b format

German tire maker Schwalbe is investing heavily in the 650b/27.5in wheel size movement for 2013, with five distinct tread options and nine variants in total. The new tires address nearly every off-road application – the Rapid Rob, the Racing Ralph, the Hans Dampf, the Nobby Nic and the Rocket Ron.

Schwalbe looks to be ahead of the curve with its new Super Gravity-edition Hans Dampf tires, too, which are aimed specifically at the growing crop of enduro racers looking for downhill grip and durability but a little less weight and a bit more speed. Distinguishing features include tough snakebite protection borrowed from the company’s DH range, plus bead-to-bead puncture protection, tubeless-ready construction and folding aramid beads.

Schwalbe will offer the Hans Dampf Super Gravity tires exclusively in 2.35in widths but in both 26in and 27.5in diameters. Claimed weights range from 995-1,040g.

Meanwhile, the more cross-country oriented Rocket Ron gets a redesign, retaining the general open-pattern theme of its predecessor but with siped instead of hollow blocks to provide more biting edges, plus smoother beads for easier tubeless conversions, and a claimed 15 percent reduction in rolling resistance. The revamped tread will also be offered for the first time in a 33mm-wide tubular version for cyclocross.

Finally, Schwalbe has added several new road models to its enormous range. These include a tubeless Ultremo ZX clincher (23mm width only, 295g), a high mileage-focused Durano HT tubular with extra-thick tread rubber and a butyl inner tube (22mm width only, 280g), an inexpensive Lugano T tubular (22mm, 300g), and narrower sizes in the ultra-durable Durano Plus and Marathon clinchers for road training.

Schwalbe has finally jumped on the tubeless road tire bandwagon

Bianchi had rather a lot of line-up tweaks to announce at this year’s Eurobike, with changes to road and mountain bike staples both on the cards.

Oltre XR

The company have introduced the newly tweaked Oltre, now called the Oltre XR, for 2013. Layup alterations have further reduced the overall frame weight (859g for a 55cm size) and the addition of more Nano Tube carbon and UHM fibres has improved stiffness too.

The Oltre range has been bolstered by new additions in the form of Super Record EPS, Di2 11-speed and Athena EPS 11-speed models, with the range already supporting Ultegra Di2, Super Record and Dura-Ace (now 11-speed) plus frame only options.

Pricing is yet to be confirmed, but the new bikes look impressive.

The Oltre XR’s clever hidden seatclamp

Sempre

The race-ready Sempre has had significant upgrades to its frame for 2013, in the form of a new tapered head tube from 1 1/8in down to 1 1/2in. The bottom bracket is BB30 and cable routing is now fully internal. The bike is dual compatible between mechanical and electronic groupsets.

Topping out the Sempre range is an Ultegra Di2 model, which also features Fulcrum’s deep-section Red Wind XLR two-way-fit wheels, with an option for Racing Quattros also available.

Say hello to the new Sempre

Infinito

Bianchi’s more sportive focused Infinito also has fully internal routing and dual compatibility for next year. Up front, the head tube rises above the line of the top tube. Bianchi claim this is to reduce the need for too many headset spacers, which can have an adverse effect on front-end stiffness.

The sculpted Infinito top tube meeting the high head tube

Vertigo

The latest addition to Bianchi’s road line – the Vertigo – is a first for the classic Italian brand, pitching them at a whole new carbon price point.

It was the only 2013 bike Bianchi could confirm pricing on at Eurobike. At ?1,500 the full carbon Vertigo features a Campagnolo Veloce group, and Bianchi’s in-house Reparto Corse finishing kit and wheels (courtesy of Maddux). US pricing is still to be confirmed.

With a frame weight of about 1.2kg (2.5lb) it’s looking impressive for the price, and we will be getting a first test on the new platform as soon as possible.

The Bianchi Vertigo – complete carbon at a wallet-friendly price

29er gets travel

Bianchi’s race ready Methanol 29er has an all-new cousin in the form of the new Methanol 29FS. Out back on the new full-sus bike is a 100m travel four-bar system with Horst link.

For strength, the frame is designed with Bianchi’s triple wall technology (where the tubes are further strengthened with a central spine throughout). It uses the press-fit 30 standard for its bottom bracket shell.

To keep the weight down and the strength of the construction up, Bianchi have also developed a new full carbon dropout, incorporating 160mm post mounting and using the X-12 rear axle standard.

The Methanol is all carbon, including the suspension link

Bianchi’s ERC system is also used, meaning carbon ‘ribs’ are embedded and moulded into the structure to increase frame stiffness at the head tube and bottom bracket. The company claim this reduces the power lost during more conventional frame construction.

The down tube’s front facing surface is also protected by Bianchi’s patent-pending Ti-Net technology – a titanium mesh is moulded together with the carbon, creating a barrier to protect the frame from stone impacts from the front wheel. It’s claimed this increased impact resistance will extend the lifetime of the frame.

Some of the first products BikeRadar saw at the Eurobike 2012 Demo Day were the new road, mountain and cyclocross tires from Continental. Here’s what we found.

Lighter and tougher road models

Continental’s successful Attack and Force clincher tires will be joined in 2013 by a set of tubulars with similar front- and rear-specific designs, called Attack Comp and Force Comp.

Just as with the tube-type version, the new tubulars feature a 22mm width up front and a more generous 24mm out back. Continental says this provides better handling, more efficient power transfer, decreased rolling resistance and better wear.

Both tires are built with the company’s outstanding Black Chili rubber compounds and are reinforced with Vectran breaker belts. Claimed weight is 500g for the matched tubular set.

On the clincher side there’s a new Grand Prix GT, which offers a smoother ride with its sole 700×25mm size option. It also boasts enhanced puncture protection with three layers of bead-to-bead belting.

The Continental Grand Prix GT road tire, new for 2013

The original Attack and Force clinchers remain largely the same for 2013 but lose about 20g for the pair through revised tread shaping.

New MTB treads for racing

Continental also debuted a radical Speed King tire that’s solely aimed for racing on hardpacked (or paved) conditions. The new semi-slick is said to produce 18 percent less rolling resistance than the already-fast Race King, while the modest shoulder knobs and (very) subtle center tread still supposedly provide reasonable grip at appropriately low air pressures.

Despite the barely-there tread, Continental product manager Christian Wurmb?ck claims the Speed King will still last most riders about 1,500km. Claimed weight is just 430g in the lone 26×2.2in size.

Downhillers, on the other hand, will get the new Der Kaiser Rammstein Projekt (US$84.95) with pared-down center knobs for reduced rolling resistance but the same trapezoidal-shaped shoulder knobs as the standard Der Kaiser for tenacious and progressive cornering grip.

The new Der Kaiser Rammstein Projekt

Additionally, two-ply construction and a new Apex sidewall reinforcement ward off flats while also lending extra casing support under high load. Claimed weight is 1,150g.

Elsewhere in the MTB sector?it’s mostly a story of expanded size ranges. For example, the Mountain King and X-King will now both come in a giant 29×2.4in to address the growing 29er trail bike market.

Meanwhile, the Race King will be offered in new 29×2.2in Sport, 29×2.0in RaceSport and 26×2.0in RaceSport variants.

And yes, Continental will offer 27.5in mountain bike tires, but for now only in the X-King tread and 2.2in and 2.4in widths. Both are?built on the ProTection Revolution tubeless ready casing and with Black Chili rubber.

Conti debuts production of cyclocross tubulars

We’ve been playing with prototype Continental cyclocross tubulars for more than three seasons now but the German company is finally ready to launch production versions. They will be using their own casings (previous ones were made by Challenge) and new tread designs adapted from the Continental mountain bike range.

At least for now, the new CycloXKing (US$124.95, UK pricing TBC) will be the sole tubular offering with a 700×32mm, 180tpi casing and a fast rolling, versatile tread derived from the mountain bike X-King.

The CycloXKing tubular tyre

Most importantly, Continental will build the tread using its Black Chili compound. We expect it to provide similarly impressive levels of grip, speed, and durability as on other so-equipped tires. In fact, Continental specifically claims 30 percent more grip, 26 percent less rolling resistance, and five percent better wear than standard activated silica treads. Claimed weight is 390g and tires should be in stores by the end of September.

A corresponding clincher version – simply called CycloXKing – will be available in both 32mm and 35mm-wide sizes with claimed weights ranging from 320-450g. Suggested retail price is US$54.95 (UK pricing TBC).

Muddy courses will instead call for the new Mountain King CX, built with a tube-type clincher casing but a more aggressive and open tread designed to cut through the slop into the firmer ground underneath.

As with the CycloXKing, the Mountain King CX will be available only in a 32mm width. Claimed weight is 320g.

Some of the first products BikeRadar saw at the Eurobike 2012 Demo Day were the new road, mountain and cyclocross tires from Continental. Here’s what we found.

Lighter and tougher road models

Continental’s successful Attack and Force clincher tires will be joined in 2013 by a set of tubulars with similar front- and rear-specific designs, called Attack Comp and Force Comp.

Just as with the tube-type version, the new tubulars feature a 22mm width up front and a more generous 24mm out back. Continental says this provides better handling, more efficient power transfer, decreased rolling resistance and better wear.

Both tires are built with the company’s outstanding Black Chili rubber compounds and are reinforced with Vectran breaker belts. Claimed weight is 500g for the matched tubular set.

On the clincher side there’s a new Grand Prix GT, which offers a smoother ride with its sole 700×25mm size option. It also boasts enhanced puncture protection with three layers of bead-to-bead belting.

The Continental Grand Prix GT road tire, new for 2013

The original Attack and Force clinchers remain largely the same for 2013 but lose about 20g for the pair through revised tread shaping.

New MTB treads for racing

Continental also debuted a radical Speed King tire that’s solely aimed for racing on hardpacked (or paved) conditions. The new semi-slick is said to produce 18 percent less rolling resistance than the already-fast Race King, while the modest shoulder knobs and (very) subtle center tread still supposedly provide reasonable grip at appropriately low air pressures.

Despite the barely-there tread, Continental product manager Christian Wurmb?ck claims the Speed King will still last most riders about 1,500km. Claimed weight is just 430g in the lone 26×2.2in size.

Downhillers, on the other hand, will get the new Der Kaiser Rammstein Projekt (US$84.95) with pared-down center knobs for reduced rolling resistance but the same trapezoidal-shaped shoulder knobs as the standard Der Kaiser for tenacious and progressive cornering grip.

The new Der Kaiser Rammstein Projekt

Additionally, two-ply construction and a new Apex sidewall reinforcement ward off flats while also lending extra casing support under high load. Claimed weight is 1,150g.

Elsewhere in the MTB sector?it’s mostly a story of expanded size ranges. For example, the Mountain King and X-King will now both come in a giant 29×2.4in to address the growing 29er trail bike market.

Meanwhile, the Race King will be offered in new 29×2.2in Sport, 29×2.0in RaceSport and 26×2.0in RaceSport variants.

And yes, Continental will offer 27.5in mountain bike tires, but for now only in the X-King tread and 2.2in and 2.4in widths. Both are?built on the ProTection Revolution tubeless ready casing and with Black Chili rubber.

Conti debuts production of cyclocross tubulars

We’ve been playing with prototype Continental cyclocross tubulars for more than three seasons now but the German company is finally ready to launch production versions. They will be using their own casings (previous ones were made by Challenge) and new tread designs adapted from the Continental mountain bike range.

At least for now, the new CycloXKing (US$124.95, UK pricing TBC) will be the sole tubular offering with a 700×32mm, 180tpi casing and a fast rolling, versatile tread derived from the mountain bike X-King.

The CycloXKing tubular tyre

Most importantly, Continental will build the tread using its Black Chili compound. We expect it to provide similarly impressive levels of grip, speed, and durability as on other so-equipped tires. In fact, Continental specifically claims 30 percent more grip, 26 percent less rolling resistance, and five percent better wear than standard activated silica treads. Claimed weight is 390g and tires should be in stores by the end of September.

A corresponding clincher version – simply called CycloXKing – will be available in both 32mm and 35mm-wide sizes with claimed weights ranging from 320-450g. Suggested retail price is US$54.95 (UK pricing TBC).

Muddy courses will instead call for the new Mountain King CX, built with a tube-type clincher casing but a more aggressive and open tread designed to cut through the slop into the firmer ground underneath.

As with the CycloXKing, the Mountain King CX will be available only in a 32mm width. Claimed weight is 320g.

PRO is Shimano’s non-transmission component?brand, and the kit is usually well dialled. The?Koryak doesn’t disappoint with a ‘just right’?feel – it’s a fraction over the standard 130mm?width and a millimetre thicker than the?skinnies.?

We’ve run it on everything from?super-light cross-country race hardtails to big trail bikes,?and it’s comfy on them all. It does start?twisting once you really start hauling, though.?

That?single ring is potentially good for crushable?carbon bars too, but with their shiny nature security?is poor. Excellent?for lighter?applications,?though.

This article was originally published in What Mountain Bike magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.

The Holy Grail, the Golden Fleece, the Ark of the Covenant, a basic understanding of the workings of the female mind â€“ man’s search for each of these things is as fruitless as it is eternal. But one item, which until recently was on that very same list, has been found, at least according to What Mountain Bike’s Justin Loretz. He reckons his custom Seven Sola 29er is the most comfortable lightweight hardtail in the world. Here’s why…

The frame

My Sola 29 SLX was born in Watertown, Massachusetts, USA, in a small but perfectly formed workshop in Walnut Street. It’s the place where Seven Cycles reside and perform some pretty clever frame building magic. 

When you order a custom frame, you need to know what you want. I love riding hardtails and I knew I wanted a lightweight frame designed for 29in wheels. However, I didn’t want a steep angled, â€˜built to ride like a 26er’ bike or one that would jack-hammer my fragile spine to pulp (I’m 40 years old and have two blown/fused vertebrae in my lower back). 

Why a 29er? I’ve raced and ridden 29ers side-by-side with scores of 26in wheeled bikes and hands down, a 29er goes uphill faster. I believe it’s down to the way torque is delivered to the rear contact patch, with the larger wheels smoothing out spikes in your power delivery and providing enhanced traction. As a result, you can get away with using a lighter and faster rolling ’summer spec’ rear tyre all year round. For a cross-country speed demon, this is a win-win situation. Of course, if you’re conviced you want 26in wheels, Seven can do that too.

With help from the guys at Seven I quickly settled on the Sola 29 SLX as being the right base model for me. Light and lithe are the page tabs it’s filed under – perfect for my spinning, accurate and mildly aggressive riding style, but not so good for stiffness obsessed heavyweights. To nail the geometry I measured up a few bikes that I’d ridden and liked for different reasons, namely a Scott Scale 29er and Niner Air 9 Carbon, to boil down my measurements. The geometry had to deliver a ride that was both fast and stable. It had to be able to confidently chase full- suspension bikes down hills and through testing singletrack, and happily drift on loose fireroads. 

In the end, I went for a 71.5 °  seat angle and 68.5 ° head angle â€“ slack compared to the current trend for 29er front ends that are as steep as those on road bikes, but I prefer to give steering input from the saddle rather than having ‘shopping trolley’ steering at the handlebar. With the guys from Seven I double, triple and quadruple checked everything â€“ never a bad thing to do before the ‘go’ button is pressed, especially on a frame as expensive as this. Undoing welds is nigh-on impossible, so it’s worth getting it right. 

With the design nailed all I had to do was wait. And hope. And dream. And then wait a little longer. One thing is for sure – buying custom isn’t for the impatient. Bespoke ‘one bike at a time’ builders like Seven will take the time it requires to do their jobs and that could be a month or it could be three. However long it takes, they’ll keep you informed along the way. Eventually the Seven Cycles box will arrive on the back of the UPS truck and I defy anyone not to have an elevated heart rate and sweaty palms as they pop it open. 

As soon as I laid eyes on the raw, unbuilt frame I knew I’d been sent exactly what I’d asked for. The only question that remained was whether its geometry was going to ride the way I predicted it would. I built it up with a 100mm-travel RockShox SID XX fork and SRAM X0/XX bits. Wheels are either Fulcrum XL29s, Bontrager RXL29s or ENVE Carbons depending on the ride/mood I’m in, and finishing kit is a work in progress, with Control Tech Ti Mania and Easton parts popping up, as well as an AX Lightness Daedalus seatpost. 

Suffice to say the bike as built is sexy, surgical and sleek. The natural silver-grey sheen of titanium is extremely attractive. When it’s washed it’s like a surgeon’s blade, when it’s dirty it looks like it was made for mud. Dirt just makes it look more handsome – a bit like the rider!

The ride

The ride, the ride… Oh if only I could plug you into my central nervous system. You’d see why I get home late, leave for work early and have an idiotic grin on my chops the entire day. Seven use their lightest Cirrus MTB titanium tubing on the SLX and the way it transmits vibration from the ground to your brain is like nothing else I’ve ever ridden, and I’ve ridden a lot of bikes in 20 years of testing. I was stunned to silence in 20 yards â€“ that’s a new record for me. 

The Seven has continued to leave me stunned in the three months and 800 miles we’ve been together. I’ve a mental Rolodex of how hundred of bikes have performed over my standard singletrack test loop. On the Seven, it takes a physical effort to wipe the smile off my face. I’m able to glide over terrain that normally makes hardtails feel hard and harsh, and in the big ring, spinning up what are normally horrible drag climbs I’m able to remain seated instead of resorting to the saddle-hover needed on most other hardtails. 

As you turn the pedals you get the standard titanium frame feeling of having half-flat tyres, which takes a bit of getting used to. But there’s more. Seven have created a hardtail frame that feels more like a full-suspension one. When you hit bumps, the frame only transmits what feels like half the impact. It’s not just the rear end that soaks up the hits, either â€“ the front end feels like it stretches a fraction and the whole chassis feels moulded to the ground.

Asked by other riders what the Seven feels like to ride I’ve found myself using terms like alive, dynamic, forgiving, even smooth and plush â€“ two words normally reserved for full-suspension bikes. It doesn’t hurt that it weighs 21lb â€“ a great weight for a 29er, which enables big ring, full gas riding whenever you feel like laying it down. On group rides my buddies now know that if I show up on the Seven they’re in for hurt.

In fact, the only one who’s not getting hurt is me. The comfort of the thin titanium tubes means I can indulge in rides where the time spent riding is the time I have available, not the time I can physically endure. I think comfort as a target for bike manufacturers has long been overlooked. Sure it isn’t as sexy a sell as ‘the stiffest’ but if you can’t bear to sit on the thing after a few hours, what’s the point? Over the course of a long ride it can add up to leave you fresher and more able to belt out the watts when other riders are beaten. 

The trade-off is in chassis stiffness. To make a titanium frame that’ll build into a 20lb bike with a focus on comfort, you have to be prepared to give away something. Some would undoubtedly find this specific Sola SLX too soft, but for me it’s as stiff as it needs to be. Hammering it, it doesn’t ghost shift, there’s no brake rub and the frame doesn’t feel mushy. I’d say it’s 95 percent accurate at cross-country speeds. 

That percentage would be higher if it had a tapered-steerer-compatible head tube and oversize bottom bracket (since delivery, Seven have begun offering BB30 as an option). But if it had those things, other details like the size and thickness of the main tubes would have to be adjusted and it would be heavier and maybe not as comfortable, getting away from the core reason for doing it this way. Besides, would I really notice the five percent increase in accuracy? Look at it this way: the Sola isn’t anyway near as stiff as my 2011 Niner Air 9 Carbon but it’s three, maybe four times as comfortable. Perfect for me.

I simply haven’t ridden a better bike for my kind of wide ranging cross-country/trail riding than the Seven Sola 29 SLX. A custom frame like this doesn’t come cheap and the top-end build pictured here would cost in excess of £6,000 â€“ enough to buy two or three full-suspension trail bikes. But you can’t judge a bike like the Seven like that. It’s what one of my riding buddies described as the “wife bike” â€“ the one you want to settle down with.