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Interbike show
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, September 22-26, 2008
Main Page Previous Part Next Part
Part 10 - September 30, 2008: Hitting pay dirt in Las Vegas
By James Huang
Rocky Mountain revisits hardtail roots
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Rocky Mountain arguably made its name with racing hardtails and now brings a carbon platform to the range with the Vertex RSL.
Not surprisingly, Rocky Mountain's goals for its premium race bike were stiffness and weight. While we don't have official weight figures just yet (though it's apparently the company's lightest frame to date), the stiffness claims seem well founded with the pronounced lateral ribbing throughout, heavily reinforced seat cluster and enormous down tube.
Details include a stainless steel chainsuck guard, continuous seat stay/chain stay assemblies that are hollow throughout (even at the dropout), and a new direct-mount front derailleur that allows for more material around the bottom bracket shell. In typical Rocky Mountain fashion, the dropped top tube offers plenty of standover clearance.
Rocky Mountain will offer the Vertex RSL as a complete bike in two men's and one women's model plus a frame-only Vertex Team that uses higher modulus carbon fibers. All of the Vertex models are slated to be available this January.
New on the road side is a carbon fiber time trial bike called the Solo 90 SST. Though it's Rocky Mountain's first foray into the aerodynamic arena, the usual array of currently hot technologies are still included such as the shielded rear wheel, dropped down tube, two-position seatpost and internal cable routing.
Ellsworth reaches for lower price point
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Ellsworth hopes to tap into new markets with a new, lower-priced full-suspension rig called the Glimpse. Unlike the rest of the Ellsworth line which will continue to be US-made, the Glimpse will be built overseas but the upside is that complete bikes with Shimano SLX will go for as little as US$3,299.
Rear travel is set at 130mm (5") and Ellsworth's excellent ICT (Instant Center Tracking) design will be faithfully maintained to retain the company's trademark pedaling performance. Slightly less fancy rockers will be used, though, and all Glimpse frames will be powdercoated, not anodized. As a result, quoted frame weights are said to be just a bit higher than the current Epiphany.
Remember that ultra-stylish Ride cruiser? Well, Ellsworth not only keeps it in the lineup but builds on it with two new Rides: a seemingly over-the-top Ride 2 tandem and a commuter-oriented Ride 3. The Ride 3 will be available with either a NuVinci CVP or traditional three-speed internal hub and will offer the now-familiar Ride look but in a more utilitarian format. Geometry is based on the Evolve 29" mountain bike.
Commuter-friendly details include a chain guard, front and rear fenders, cable-actuated disc brakes, 700c wheels and yes, even a custom kickstand. Anyone up for some errands?
Ellsworth will also expand its charity efforts after successfully launching its Project Pink initiative in 2006 to help raise funds and awareness for breast cancer. The new Project Rainforest will offer the same terms as Project Pink: for no upcharge, customers can opt for a special green anodized finish complete with a laser-etched tree frog on the top tube on any Ellsworth frame (the new Glimpse excepted with its powdercoated finish). In return, Ellsworth will donate US$50 to a rainforest charity that is still to be determined.
Intense introduces dirt jump model
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Intense has long fielded requests for a dirt jumper but never pulled the trigger on the project given the prohibitive cost of producing it domestically. For 2009, Intense will finally yield to demand with an overseas-made frame that will retail for just US$700.
Though it won't be built by the usual Intense hands, the new model bears familiar design cues such as the burly reinforced 1.5" head tube and monocoque top tube. The rear triangle is expectedly tucked-in and both the chain stays and seat stays are appropriately oversized.
Intense's Uzzi will get a second-generation VPP suspension system similar to what was launched at Sea Otter this year on the new Tracer. Among the claimed improvements are reduced chain stay growth (thus reducing pedal feedback), better pedaling performance and more usable travel. Rear wheel travel is adjustable between 170-190mm (6.75-7.5").
The Uzzi is decidedly more heavy-duty than the Tracer, however, with its more aggressive reinforcing throughout and though it offers more travel than the current SS Slopestyle, it's clearly more pedaling-friendly with its more traditional geometry.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by James Huang/Cyclingnews.com
- Rocky Mountain jumps into the carbon hardtail fray with its new Vertex RSL.
- Beefy chain stays contribute to the expectedly rigid ride.
- Virtually the entire frame sports a prominent lateral ridge.
- The stays are fully hollow even as they wrap around the dropouts.
- The integrated seat clamp offers a clean look.
- New for '09 is the Solo 90 SST time trial/triathlon bike.
- Familiar aero cues include the deep-profile stays and shielded rear wheel.
- Rear-entry horizontal dropouts include adjustment screws for precise wheelbase tweaks.
- Rocky Mountain's new Altitude platform looks to be one of the most exciting trail bikes of 2009.
- According to Rocky Mountain, the Altitude's raised dropout pivot means it doesn't infringe on the Specialized Horst Link patent, too, meaning you'll actually be able to buy one.
- Ellsworth brings the price down with the new Glimpse.
- The overseas-made Glimpse uses less expensive CNC-machined rockers and is a bit heavier than the US-made Epiphany.
- The Glimpse also uses its own distinctive dropout.
- Sorry, you can't get the one-off finish on this Moment…
- …but you can get this cool green anodized finish that will also carry with it a US$50 donation to a rainforest charity and a laser-etched tree frog.
- Ellsworth aims its Dare at the full-on DH crowd.
- Wow, there's a lot of welding going on here!
- No, we're not kidding. Ellsworth expands the Ride range with this striking tandem.
- Also new to the Ride lineup is the Ride 3 commuter.
- Ride 3 purchasers will be able to choose between a NuVinci CVP hub or a more traditional three-speed internal.
- The Ride 3 is about getting people from Point A to Point B but also about style.
- And yes, the Ride 3 comes with its own kickstand.
- Intense brings a dirt jumper to market after years of requests.
- The heavily reinforced front end includes a 1.5"-compatible head tube.
- If you can bend or break this rear end, we can only wonder what your body looks like afterwards.
- Horizontal dropouts allow for singlespeed use if desired.
- The Uzzi is the next bike to use second-generation VPP technology from Intense.
- Intense says the revised VPP geometry yields more usable travel and less pedal feedback.
- The 1.5" head tube allows for 1.5", 1 1/8", or tapered steerer tubes.
