Life Time is investing in the future for 2025 by launching the Life Time Grand Prix U23 Development Program. Its a new initiative aimed at cultivating the next generation of elite off-road cyclists, while hoping to add dimension to the dwindled 2025 roaster. The program will provide young riders aged 18-22 a shot at competing alongside the sport’s biggest names, with a clear path to earning a coveted spot in the 2026 LifeTime Grand Prix.

The Program Breakdown

The U23 Development Program challenges athletes to compete in four of six marquee events within the 2025 Life Time Grand Prix series. The top male and female finishers will be awarded entry into the 2026 Grand Prix. Riders will race on a separate U23 leaderboard, with their best four results counting toward their overall standing. Two events can be dropped, but a minimum of four starts are required to qualify.

What if there’s a tie?! In case of a tie, Big Sugar Gravel will serve as the tiebreaker—though participation in that race is optional.

Here’s the full 2025 race calendar:

• Life Time Sea Otter Classic Gravel – April 11, 2025
• Life Time UNBOUND Gravel 200 – May 31, 2025
• Life Time Leadville Trail 100 MTB – August 9, 2025
• Life Time Chequamegon MTB Festival – September 13, 2025
• Life Time Little Sugar MTB – October 12, 2025
• Life Time Big Sugar Gravel – October 18, 2025

Mentorship and Development

A standout feature of the program is mentorship. Current Life Time Grand Prix athletes will be encouraged to connect with U23 participants, offering guidance and insights gained from racing at the highest level.

“As the owner and producer of 15 off-road cycling events, Life Time is dedicated to growing the sport of cycling. We look forward to playing a direct role in this development with the launch of the 2025 Life Time Grand Prix U23 Program and providing young athletes with a platform to compete and grow at a high level.”

Kimo Seymour, President of Media and Events at Life Time.

Want to Apply? Here’s How

Interested U23 athletes must complete these steps by January 15, 2025:

1. Submit the U23 Development Program application by the deadline.
2. Meet the age requirements:
   • Minimum age: 19 by December 31, 2025
   • Maximum age: Must not turn 23 before January 1, 2026
3. Register for at least four events from the Grand Prix calendar.

For more information and application details, head to lifetimegrandprix.com.

The post Life Time Launches U23 Development Program for 2025 Grand Prix appeared first on Bikerumor.

Just last spring Bike Ahead launched their surprisingly affordable, EU-made carbon mountain bike frame, and now they’re back building up The Frame HT into superlight 8kg production hardtails. While wildly light premium bike builds are most often left to the dedicated weight weenie with time on their hands and money to burn, Bike Ahead is making it easier to get a killer lightweight mountain bike.

The new The Frame HT builds aren’t exactly affordable, but in a world where you can easily spend $5000-15,000€ on a stock carbon XC bike from the likes of Specialized or Trek, maybe a 5000-8500€ hardtail made in Germany isn’t so far-fetched!

Bike Ahead The Frame HT complete hardtail mountain bikes

Bike Ahead says their new 8kg Bike Ahead The Frame HT complete hardtails are basically the lightest production mountain bikes that you can buy. The only thing they say trumps the new bike is the 7.84kg Stoll R1, which not coincidentally Bike Ahead actually manufactures the frames for Stoll and outfits them with plenty of Bike Ahead Composites components.

8 kilograms for an off-the-shelf production mountain bike is crazy light. This is the type of bike that will change how you ride off-road, glancing off rocks & rocketing up climbs like you never have. In fact, 8 kilograms is still just one of Bike Ahead’s lighter complete bikes, still with a 120mm fork for Trail riding.

But with plenty of options & upgrades available, you can easily shed more weight if your wallet allows. They claim the lightest complete build weighs 7.85kg with the options outlined below.

Where did it come from?

The Frame itself was several years in development, as Bike Ahead collaborated with Carbon Team to bring premium carbon bike manufacturing back to Europe, since just before the pandemic. Bike Ahead debuted The Frame last March – weighing under 800g and selling for less than 2000€, a pretty impressive combo for a bike made entirely between Portugal & Germany.

Now, building that EU-made frame up into customizable complete bike builds dripping with more German-made carbon components, this is a simple way to get what Bike Ahead describe as “the ultimate hardtail for racers and purists.”

“We at Bike Ahead are big fans of hardtails. They are light, uncomplicated and offer a huge range of uses, from everyday rides and Alpine crossings to marathon races. With THE FRAME HT, we offer the ultimate complete package.”

– Christian Gemperlein, Bike Ahead Composites founder & CEO

Tech details

• One of the lightest production race bikes in the world, 8.00kg in size M with 120mm fork (claim)
• as low as 7.85kg in the lightest configuration with 100mm fork & BiTurbo wheels
• one-piece monocoque carbon The Frame made entirely in the European Union
• frame manufactured in Portugal by Carbon Team, finished by Bike Ahead Composites in Germany
• no-paint, matte UD carbon finish with simple decal graphics
• 795g carbon frame weight (size M, claim)
• rated ASTM Category 3 for Cross-country & Downcountry riding
• max 29 x 2.4” tire clearance
• unguided internal cable routing in the side of the headtube
• 34.9mm seatpost and Intend Corona external seatpost clamp
• 12x148mm Boost spacing & 180mm post mount brake
• BB92 bottom bracket
• UDH universal derailleur hanger
• 105kg max rider weight
• 120mm max fork travel
• 4 sizes available (S-XL)
• customizable complete Race or Trail bike builds

2025 Bike Ahead The Frame HT – Pricing & Options

Bike Ahead offers the new The Frame HT complete bike in two semi-customizable builds – Trail or Race – depending on your budget and extremity of your weight weenie tendencies. And of course, you can still buy the 1979€ frame-only if you have other ideas for your own weight-weenie build.

The Frame HT GX AXS is the trail allrounder, starting at 5000€ with a 120mm Fox 34 SC Performance fork, SRAM GX AXS transmission, Shimano XT brakes, Bike Ahead carbon The Flatbar & The Straight seatpost, and an alloy DT Swiss XM1700 wheelset with 2.4″ Schwalbe Racing Ralph tires, at 9.2kg complete. For a bit higher budget, you can upgrade to a BikeYoke Divine SL (+80€) dropper, an ultralight Bike Ahead saddle (+300€), conventional lightweight carbon Three Zero XC (+1500€) wheels, or ultralight 6-spoke monocoque carbon BiTurbo RSX (+3000€) wheels.

But the absolute lightest stock build is the Bike Ahead The Frame HT- XX SL AXS Race setup. Starting at 8500€ you get a superlight reverse arch 100mm Fox 32 SC Factory fork, the top-tier SRAM XX SL wireless transmission build, XTR brakes, 1-piece carbon Bike Ahead The Unit ICR handlebar/stem combo & The Straight seatpost, and light carbon Three Zero XC wheels wrapped in 2.25″ Racing Ralphs at <8.00kg complete. There are plenty of optional upgrades here too. You can bump travel up to 120mm with a 34 SC Factory (+150€) fork, get a BikeYoke Divine SL (+80€) dropper post, or shave more grams with a Bike Ahead The Hypersaddle (+300€) or their wild ultralight 6-spoke monocoque carbon BiTurbo RSX (+1500€) wheels.

Availability?

The new The Frame HT complete bike builds are available to customize your order now through a local Bike Ahead dealer bike shop, with deliveries starting in February 2025, now just a couple months away.

Bike-Ahead-Composites.de

The post Bike Ahead Builds The Frame HT as sub-8kg Complete Mountain Bike Hardtails appeared first on Bikerumor.

The French suspension engineers and tuners at Fast have a new version of their top-tier enduro coil shock – the new Fast Fenix 2.0. It keeps everything that made the hi-, mid- & low-speed tunable original loved by dial turners and EWS racers. But now it picks up the hydraulic bottom-out circuit that lower cost & less adjustable Ride shocks, plus the new Fenix 2.0 is more compact so you can fit it onto more bikes.

Oh, and did we mention that it debuts with a limited edition purple version, too!

Fast Suspension updated Fenix 2.0 enduro MTB coil shock

From the start about 6 years ago, what made the Fast Fenix coil shock unique was its 3 independent compression circuits. Essentially you got pro-level DH suspension, but with a Climb switch-activated platform so you could then efficiently pedal it back to the top of the mountain.

That gives you independent adjustability to really fine-tune the feel of your bike’s suspension, perfectly tailoring it to offer the best balance of support and suppleness to expertly match the individual kinematic design of your bike. That stays the same, just now you get a new hydraulic bottom-out feature to ramp up support in the last 1/4 of your bikes travel and prevent a harsh bottom when you finally smash through all the travel.

Fast also slimmed down the new shock by 6mm in width, then shifted the piggyback 3mm further from the mount. First by narrowing down the damper head, and then rotating the main body of the Fenix 2.0’s piggyback reservoir, to tuck it in closer to the coil to reduce overall size a bit, to fit more of today’s enduro and all-mountain bikes.

Tech details

• monotube damper coil shock with piggyback reservoir
• fully CNC’s 7075-T6 aluminum construction
• anodized with PTFE impregnation for reduced friction
• alloy shaft standard, or optional chromed steel shaft for bikes with a shock yoke
• bladder inside the piggyback for reduced friction and temperature build-up
• Viton seals for improved temperature resistance
• “Velocity-Dependent Piston (VDP) = improved bike control and traction”
• 3 independent VDP compression damping circuits – Low-speed, Mid-speed & High-speed for finer tuning control
• tool-free external Low- & Mid-speed compression damping adjustment + High-speed factory set internally by the custom tune
• tool-free external Low-speed rebound damping adjustment
• external Climb Mode switch for the independent Climb circuit with its own dedicated shim stack to provide more efficient pedaling without being fully locked out
• hydraulic bottom out (HBO) active for the final 25% of shock stroke

• standard or trunnion mount in pretty much all common sizes possible, and 50-62.5mm stoke options
• 2-year original warranty
• plus, the original owner extends the warranty an extra 12 months every time you send it back to Fast or their authorized service center for annual service… so it’s essentially a lifetime original owner warranty if you service it properly!

Fast Fenix 2.0 coil shock – Pricing, options & availability

The new Fast Fenix 2.0 enduro coil shock retails for 995€ in standard all-black or black with purple dials & pink piggyback decal. Or, you can splurge for one of the 30 rare limited edition purple anodized Fenix 2.0 shocks, where for 1200€ you get a more magenta-hued purple ano finish to the head and eyelet, a rainbow Chroma+ ano shaft, and otherwise black & white dials and graphics.

Either option includes the lightweight ICHU XLS coil spring for your weight and mountain hardware to fit your bike. Plus, every Fenix is custom-tuned for the individual bike and rider, based on the buyer’s own preferences.

Pick one up directly from Fast, or also from one of their authorized resellers and service centers.

The Fenix 2.0 shock is also rebuildable and upgradeable. So even if you change bikes, Fast can rebuild your shock – changing shock length, stroke, and even swapping between standard & trunnion mounts – so you can move the Fenix 2.0 to your next bike.

On a note to that, Fast is additionally offering a 149€ upgrade kit to owners of the original Fenix, which they suggest is best upgraded as the do their next annual service.

So, take care of it with authorized annual service and you have a highly adjustable coil shock that could last you a lifetime and can surely outlast your current mountain bike!

Fast-Suspension.com/en

The post Fast Suspension Goes, Well, Faster With Fenix 2.0 Enduro Coil Shock Upgrades appeared first on Bikerumor.

Mason Cycles’ all-new Macro is a lightweight modern aluminum hardtail mountain bike, built for adventure riding. It gets all the latest modern tech you could ask for, unique flexibility to build it however you want to ride, and of course enough mounting points to haul as much gear as you could want – whether for a weekend trip with friends or tackling one of the toughest ultra-distance bikepacking races in the world.

Mason Macro affordable alloy adventure MTB hardtail

Calling it a bit of a celebration of their 10th anniversary of building bikes under the Mason brand, the Macro is Mason’s 10th model. And it manages to adopt much of the latest tech trending in the bike industry – like progressive geometry, wide XC tires, integrated routing & UDH standards – but still retains full flexibility to let riders build it up how they really want. You can even pick from a rigid carbon fork or XC suspension fork depending on how you ride – or get both to adapt from race to race.

Plus, like their other adventure-ready alloy bikes, it is handmade in Italy from custom Dedacciai tubing and gets tons of mounts to hang your gear on it, all while still managing to hit a quite affordable pricepoint.

Developed for ultra racers looking for a lightweight but tough hardtail, the Macro is built to run either Mason’s burly HotShoe2 carbon fork for smoother bikepacking or a 100-120mm cross-country suspension for more gnarly off-road tours.

“I’m really excited about the Macro. It totally embodies all aspects of our ‘Ride Driven Design’ ethos and progressive philosophy. From the full custom tubeset and HotShoe2 carbon fork through to details like UDH compatibility and innovative routing, the MASON Macro provides a cutting edge tool for those who want to adventure with purpose. This is all about configurability. I wanted the rider to have as much control as possible over the way they set this bike up. That’s why I’ve spent lots of time working on the cable routing, the accessory mounts and the readiness for suspension forks. The Macro can be easily switched around for different adventures.”

– Dom Mason, founder & bike designer

Tech details & unique adaptability

• alloy frame welded in Italy from custom-drawn, heat-treated 7000-series Dedacciai aluminum tubing
• Cataforesi anti-corrosion-treated frame inside & out, before acrylic primer, topcoat & 2 tough clearcoats
• standard suspension-corrected tapered steerer full carbon Mason HotShoe2 fork with Anything cage, rack & fender mounts, dynamo routing, direct-mount for optional Shutter fender or Condenser mini rack, and flat mount 160 brake mount
• optional 100-120mm XC suspension forks available

• straight 56mm headtube for 1.5″ headset
• versatile, futureproof internal cable routing: pick from integrated fully internal routing through the upper Deda DCR headset bearing to get cables out of the way of external bags, or conventional internal routing through modular cable ports on the side of the downtube
• all the mounting points you would need: 3-pack anything cage mounts on top & bottom of the downtube, seattube bottle cage, top tube bag, and rear rack mounts

• 73mm BSA threaded bottom bracket
• 31.6mm seatpost with internal dropper routing
• 12x148mm & 15x110mm Boost spacing
• 160mm post mount rear brake, and
• UDH dropouts for maximum drivetrain compatibility
• max 29 x 2.4″ mountain bike tire clearance

• flat bar or dropbar ready
• available in 4 stock sizes (S-XL)
• frame weight from 1875g, carbon fork from 700g (claimed)

Mason Macro MTB – Pricing, options & availability

The new custom Dedacciai tubesets for the Macro are currently being shaped now, and will get welded into the new frames in the coming weeks. Mason has now officially offered their new Macro adventure hardtail up for pre-orders, with the first bikes slated for delivery starting next month, from January 2025.

The new Mason Macro is available as a frameset for £1500 including Mason’s own carbon Hotshoe2 fork. And you get to pick from 2 ‘launch edition’ paint jobs – blue-grey Grigio Tecno and a limited-release TiltShift Metallic deep, dark brown.

If you are looking for a complete bike, Mason offers 4 stock builds, all of which are also customizable. And you can configure extra add-ons like Mason’s “load-bearing” Shutter fender for the riding fork that incorporates a small but effective mini rack shelf, or their still tidy but stringer direct-mount Condenser fork rack.

Pricing starts a £3000 with a mechanical Shimano SLX groupset and the rigid carbon fork, or £3400 with a 100mm travel DT Swiss F232 ONE suspension fork. If you prefer a wireless electronic drivetrain, get a SRAM GX AXS build for £3800 with the carbon Hotshoe2 fork or £4200 with the DT F232 One suspension.

MasonCycles.cc

The post Mason Macro Hardtail Builds Affordable Light Alloy Adventure Mountain Bike In Italy appeared first on Bikerumor.

While pro rider team transfer news isn’t often big on our tech-focused priority list, Tom Pidcock’s move to Q36.5 Pro Cycling for the next three years brought up an interesting question.

Would he now race on all of the Scott bikes of Q36.5? Or would he somehow still race on those all-new off-road bikes that Pinarello developed especially for the multidisciplinary talent over the last few years while he raced with the INEOS Grenadiers team?

The simple answer is… why not both?

Tom Pidcock to join Q36.5 Pro Cycling and race Scott road bikes

We found out on Friday that Tom Pidcock signed with Q36.5 Pro Cycling to race for the next few years on the two-year-old Swiss UCI Pro Team. A team that is pretty much road-only as far as I know (quite similar to Ineos a few years ago, in fact). And then promptly, Scott Sports sent out a press release saying they were excited to see the 25-year-old Englishman racing on their bikes next year.

But that Friday PR burst had some curiously vague statements…

Q36.5 referred to Pidcock as “Double Olympic Champion” as their highlight, but they only mentioned a couple of road Classics. And they failed to utter any of the words: cyclocross, cross-country, or mountain bike… even though that is where Pidcock won his 2 World Championships and 2 Olympic Gold medals over the past few years.

Also, Scott’s co-CEO Pascal Ducrot was only a bit clearer, stating that they were “delighted that Tom Pidcock will be joining the team, and will be riding SCOTT road bikes and Syncros components from 2025.” Elaborating just a bit more detail, Scott reiterated that the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team will ride their Foil RC, Plasma RC TT & all-new ultralight Addict RC road bikes in competition in 2025. No mention of anything off-road since that’s out of the team’s racing scope up to now.

So far, Q36.5 hasn’t shown any off-road ambitions, so Scott have not really had any reason to expand on that list. But Pidcock is clearly a different story, right?

Pidcock will actually race Scott AND Pinarello bikes in 2025

Well, today Pinarello has cleared up the matter a bit more, announcing that the “multiple world and Olympic champion [will] continue riding Pinarello’s flagship off-road bikes for the next three years.” The keywords there being ‘off-road‘ bikes.

Although team and sponsor negotiations must have been a bit more complicated than usual, it makes sense that Q36.5 & Scott were willing to make some concessions to lock in their new star rider, as they look to boost their young team and move up in the ranks of the peloton. Pidcock has shown promise on the road after all, with a 2022 Tour stage win up Alpe d’Huez, Amstel Gold & Strade Bianche.

Back off-road though, Pidcock did after all work closely with Pinarello to develop 2 completely new off-road bikes for the Italian bike maker while racing for Ineos. In fact, when he started with Ineos, he was racing on BMC bikes with blacked-out logos to keep those sponsors happy. But it looks like things might be a bit more transparent next year.

First, Pinarello created an all-new Crossista F cyclocross bike just for Pidcock. And then he proceeded to win the World Championship on it, right away.

Next, Pinarello developed an all-new Dogma XC full-suspension mountain bike just for Pidcock (and a companion XC hardtail for Ineos teammate Pauline Ferrand-Prévot). And again, Pidcock immediately rode his new cross-country bike to another World Championship title, then followed it up with an Olympic Gold medal the next summer.

He wasn’t specifically involved in their Grevil F, as far as I remember. But Pinarello notes that if Pidcock races gravel in the new 3 years, that will be his weapon of choice.

Fausto Pinarello told me in person last spring when I was test riding the new Dogma XC, that his team put a lot of time and work into developing new off-road bikes together with Tom Pidcock. So, it’s interesting to hear that this off-road bike development partnership will apparently continue, even after Pidcock joins a team sponsored by another road bike maker.

And so I’ll be paying special attention to how the new team and these two competing bike makers work it all out over the next few race seasons across road, gravel, cyclocross, and mountain bike racing. It’s certainly uncommon to see a professional athlete racing 2 different bike brands in different disciplines, when their team bike sponsor already makes absolutely top-tier race bikes across all categories.

But, I guess Tom Pidcock is an unconventional cyclist, so maybe I should be so surprised.

Q36-5ProCycling.com, Scott-Sports.com, AND Pinarello.com

Full PR texts below…

Double Olympic Champion Tom Pidcock Joins Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team

Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team is proud to welcome Tom Pidcock, as he embarks on an exciting new chapter in his career. Known for his versatility and relentless drive, the 25-year-old Brit is set to bring his passion, ambition, and world-class talent to the team as they take on new challenges together.   

 Pidcock’s decision to join Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team reflects the shared vision for growth and the freedom to pursue big objectives.  Having already claimed five professional road victories, including the illustrious Strade Bianche and Amstel Gold Race, Pidcock is driven to reach even greater heights as he approaches the peak of his career.

“This isn’t just a change of jersey; it’s the start of something special,” said Pidcock. “The chance to work with a team that’s growing, with incredible partners and brands, is something that motivates me. I can’t wait to see what we’ll achieve together.”  

For Pidcock, this new start is not just about personal ambition; it is also about being part of a mission to elevate the team and its partners to new heights. “I know the challenge that we face getting to where we want to be but it’s an adventure and I’m excited for it,” he added.   

 Pidcock’s decision reflects the alignment of his personal goals with the team’s innovative and forward-thinking approach.    

 “We are honoured to welcome Tom Pidcock to the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team,” said Team Manager Doug Ryder. “Tom is a true embodiment of passion and competitive spirit, qualities that resonate deeply with our team’s values. His extraordinary talent, both on and off the bike, and his proven ability to win at the WorldTour level make him a game-changing addition to our roster. We look forward to writing this next chapter together.”

 Pidcock’s arrival signals an exciting new era for Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team and our partners, with plans to compete more consistently at the highest level and make its mark on the world of cycling.   

 “With his revolutionary, multi-disciplinary approach that has versatility at its heart, Tom is the perfect embodiment of our own approach to product development,” added Luigi Bergamo, Chairperson of Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, Founder, and R&D Director of Q36.5. “Having Tom as part of the team offers us the opportunity not just to compete for victory at the world’s most prestigious races but also to continue to push the very boundaries of Q36.5’s vision of what the future of performance cycling clothing can be. I can’t wait to send him his first pair of Dottore bib shorts and hear what he thinks!” 

 Looking to take on new challenges, Pidcock is ready to embrace the opportunities ahead. “I love racing my bike, and I’m looking forward to making that a priority. Joining a team that believes in me and shares my vision of success makes this an incredibly important step in my career. Let’s make it happen.” 

Tom Pidcock has signed a 3-year contract and will join the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team squad in the upcoming pre-season training camp, which is set to take place in Calpe, Spain in January.

Tom Pidcock Joins Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team

SCOTT-sponsored Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team is proud to welcome Tom Pidcock, as he embarks on an exciting new chapter in his career. Known for his versatility and relentless drive, the 25-year-old Brit is set to bring his passion, ambition, and world-class talent to the team as they take on new challenges together.

Pidcock’s decision to join Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team reflects the shared vision for growth and the freedom to pursue big objectives. Having already claimed five professional road victories, including the illustrious Strade Bianche and Amstel Gold Race, Pidcock is driven to reach even greater heights as he approaches the peak of his career.

“This isn’t just a change of jersey; it’s the start of something special,” said Pidcock. “The chance to work with a team that’s growing, with incredible partners and brands, is something that motivates me. I can’t wait to see what we’ll achieve together.”

For Pidcock, this new start is not just about personal ambition; it is also about being part of a mission to elevate the team and its partners to new heights. “I know the challenge that we face getting to where we want to be but it’s an adventure and I’m excited for it,” he added.

Pidcock’s decision reflects the alignment of his personal goals with the team’s innovative and forward-thinking approach.

“We are honoured to welcome Tom Pidcock to the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team. Tom is a true embodiment of passion and competitive spirit, qualities that resonate deeply with our team’s values. His extraordinary talent, both on and off the bike, and his proven ability to win at the WorldTour level make him a game-changing addition to our roster. We look forward to writing this next chapter together.” – Doug Ryder, Team Manager, Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team

Pidcock’s arrival signals an exciting new era for Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team and its partners, with plans to compete more consistently at the highest level and make its mark on the world of cycling.

“We have been partnered with Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team since the beginning, and together we have built an incredible platform for racing and performance at the highest level. We trust in the leadership of this team and their fantastic commitment to achieving great results together. We are delighted that Tom Pidcock will be joining the team, and will be riding SCOTT road bikes and Syncros components from 2025.” – Pascal Ducrot, co-CEO, SCOTT Sports

Tom Pidcock has signed a 3-year contract and will join the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team squad in the upcoming pre-season training camp, which is set to take place in Calpe, Spain in January.

SCOTT Sports continues as a committed sponsor of Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team. For the 2025 season, the team will ride SCOTT road bikes and Syncros components, including with the Foil RC, Plasma RC TT and all-new Addict RC bikes.

Tom Pidcock to Remain Part of the Pinarello Family

Multiple world and Olympic champion to continue riding Pinarello’s flagship off-road bikes for the next three years

Pinarello is pleased to confirm Tom Pidcock will continue riding and helping to develop its flagship off-road bikes for the next three years following his move from INEOS Grenadiers to the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team.

Pidcock has enjoyed huge success on Pinarello’s off-road range over the last four years, winning world and Olympic cross country mountain bike titles on the Dogma XC. That bike was developed in both hard and softail models in the space of six months, specifically for him and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, who also went on to achieve world and Olympic success.

The 25-year-old British athlete also triumphed on the Crossista F at the 2022 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, and will have that bike at his disposal again moving forwards, along with the Grevil F if he chooses to compete in any gravel competitions. The only occasions he will not compete on a Pinarello will be during road events.

Pinarello President Fausto Pinarello said: “We’re thrilled to confirm Tom will continue racing on our cyclo-cross, cross country mountain bike and gravel bikes. He is an amazing rider with phenomenal technical skills and it’s been a pleasure working with him on the Crossista and Dogma XC, both models in segments where we hadn’t had bikes for a long time.

“Tom is a rider who knows what he wants. His unwavering pursuit of excellence has challenged us a lot and enabled us to produce three incredible frames which he’s ridden to success on the grandest stages in the sport. We are delighted to keep this successful collaboration alive.”

Tom Pidcock said: “Working with Fausto and the team at Pinarello over the past four years has been a privilege, and a really enjoyable experience. I am so happy I get to stay working with them on everything off-road moving forwards.“

“So far, we have developed three cyclo-cross and XC MTB frames together and all of them exceeded expectations from the moment I sat on them, I could not have asked for more. I felt so confident on them that I was able to race and win after the first couple of rides.“

“To me, our relationship feels more like a partnership than a sponsorship. I’m looking forward to the next three years of racing and developing more great bikes with Pinarello.“

The post Tom Pidcock to Race Both Scott & Pinarello Bikes in 2025 with Q36.5? appeared first on Bikerumor.

How about some limited edition news from the crëw at Haro Bikes? Ok, then. These new limited finishes started when they were in the R&D phase of development for the new Haro Greer enduro and Daley all mountain bikes. The Greer Raw LTD and Daley Raw LTD versions came about after an overwhelmingly positive response to the raw finish of the prototypes, suggesting the finish should go into production. And here we are.

The finish consists of an anodized raw finish over a burnished alloy surface. It also includes a clean and sharp etched logo. The. finish is available on the Greer Raw LTD 1 and 2, and the Daley Raw LTD 1 and 2.

The Same but Different

While these new LTD versions of the Greer and Daley use the same geometry as the earlier versions, they do bring with them a premium build with FOX suspension. Let’s take a gander.

Haro Daley Raw LTD 1 Features

Retail: $5399

• Haro Daley alloy full-suspension frame with raw anodized finish, 1-1/8″ – 1-1/5″ Tapered Head Tube, 148mm Boost OLD, UDH Derailleur Hanger
• Fox Float X Performance Elite shock, 140mm travel
• Fox Float 36 Performance Elite fork with Grip X, 150mm travel
• SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain
• DT Swiss M 1900 wheel set
• Vittoria Mazza 2.4″, enduro G2.0 front & Vittoria Martello 2.4″ enduro G2.0 rear tires
• TRP DH-R EVO 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes with 203mm rotors, front & rear
• Race Face Turbine bars & stem
• Kind Shock LEV Integra dropper post, size-specific
• Includes tubeless valves and sealant

Haro Daley Raw LTD 2 Features

Retail: $4199

• Haro Daley alloy full-suspension frame with raw anodized finish, 1-1/8″ – 1-1/5″ Tapered Head Tube, 148mm Boost OLD, UDH Derailleur Hanger
• Fox Float X2 Performance Elite shock, 140mm travel
• Fox Float 36 Performance Elite fork with Grip X, 150mm travel
• Shimano XT drivetrain
• DT Swiss M 1900 Spline wheel set
• Vittoria Mazza 2.4″, enduro G2.0 front & Vittoria Martello 2.4″ enduro G2.0 rear tires
• TRP Trail EVO 4-piston hydraulic disc with 203mm rotors, front & rear
• Race Face Chester bars & stem
• Kind Shock Rage-I dropper post, size-specific

Haro Greer Raw LTD 1 Features

Retail: $5699

• Haro Greer alloy full-suspension frame with raw anodized finish, 1-1/8″ – 1-1/5″ Tapered Head Tube, 148mm Boost OLD, UDH Derailleur Hanger
• Fox Float X2 Performance Elite shock, 160mm travel
• Fox Float 38 Performance Elite with Grip X, 170mm travel
• SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain
• DT Swiss M 1900 wheel set
• Vittoria Mazza 2.4″, enduro G2.0 front & Vittoria Martello 2.4″ enduro G2.0 rear tires
• TRP DH-R EVO 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes with 203mm rotors, front & rear
• Race Face Turbine bars & stem
• Kind Shock LEV Integra dropper post, size-specific
• Includes tubeless valves and sealant

Haro Greer Raw LTD 2 Features

Retail: $4599

• Haro Greer alloy full-suspension frame with raw anodized finish, 1-1/8″ – 1-1/5″ Tapered Head Tube, 148mm Boost OLD, UDH Derailleur Hanger
• Fox Float X2 Performance Elite shock, 160mm travel
• Fox Float 38 Performance Elite with Grip X, 170mm travel
• Shimano XT drivetrain
• DT Swiss M 1900 wheel set
• Vittoria Mazza 2.4″, enduro G2.0 front & Vittoria Martello 2.4″ enduro G2.0 rear tires
• TRP Trail EVO 4-piston hydraulic disc with 203mm rotors, front & rear
• Race Face Turbine bars & Aeffect R stem
• Kind Shock Rage-I dropper post, size-specific

Check out the details on these sexy beasts at the link below.

HaroBikes.com

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Colorado’s House of Looptail is a small company that not only celebrates old bicycles but is dedicated to keeping you riding them. Their first products were licensed reproductions of classic tires, like the Panaracer-made Snake Belly and Ritchey Megabite Z-Max (coming Summer of ’25). Well, they just released a cool lil’ doodad that they are calling These Things. They look like a very well-thought-out, simple in-line-cable adjuster.

These Things are created to solve problems, and are the perfect addition to some old-timey builds, or a drop bar conversion with cantis. House of Looptail says that they remove the slop and improve shift feel when placed behind vintage thumbies or bar end shifters. I don’t know about you, but I like where their head is at.

Back in the 80’s, and 90’s, there were a few bike component brands, like WTB, that made these. But nowadays availability of those older parts is not so great. There are modern solutions, but House of Looptail thinks they look “dumb on a Prewar Klunk, an ’85 Commando, or a ’91 Jellybean”. I would tend to agree.

All that being said, House of Looptail has gone ahead and produced the simple and functional These Things. They are stealthy, and might even look like they belong on the vintage bike build you’ve got going on.

A cool lil’ feature of These Things is the included solid double-male connection. This allows the user the option of butting the adjuster directly against a shifter, brake lever, or cable stop.

These Things offer a “full 1/2 of cable adjustment”, are sold in pairs, and are suitable for either shift or brake. They retail for $35 and come in black or silver. These Things are in stock now and ready to ship.

HouseofLooptail.com

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Two words that get almost any bike fanatic excited are ‘custom’ and ‘titanium’. If you’re lucky enough to have the budget to get one built, nothing feels as special and personal as a frame crafted just for you. Having one built from titanium adds durability, desirable ride qualities, and an undeniable lust factor!

France’s Curve Engineering is now offering the B142, a full-suspension titanium MTB frame that will be built-to-order and customized to the buyer’s preferences. The company has previously focused on hardtails, but owner and engineer Olivier Ollagnier decided to build something that can handle rougher terrain more comfortably.

Curve Engineering B142 – Suspension:

Ollagnier’s home trails aren’t super rough, so the B142 was designed as a mid-travel all-mountain bike. It aims to be a capable pedaller but with enough versatility to enjoy rocky, rooty descents. Once the design is finished, Curve Engineering’s frames are welded by an Asian frame builder who has been working with the company for over 10 years (among other bicycle brands).

Ollagnier describes the B142’s suspension platform as a single-pivot design, and as the photos show there is no actual pivot at the rear dropout. Relying on titanium’s ability to flex, the rear triangle acts as a flex pivot. The suspension linkage was designed to work well for anything from downcountry to all-mountain style riding. The main priorities in the B142’s design were reliability, ease of maintenance, and customizable geometry.

The B142’s suggested rear travel is 135mm, but that can be increased to 143mm with a 210x55mm shock replacing the stock 210x50mm. Recommended fork travel is 140mm or 150mm.

Frame Details:

Curve Engineering can produce frame sizes from XS to XL, and customers can choose their preferred angles and measurements. Even the rear end can be customized: The original B142 rolls on 29” wheels, but a 27.5” rear wheel could be an option. Ollagnier says the frame’s chainstay length could be adjusted too. Curve Engineering’s website does list a recommended 66° head angle, 75° seat mast, and 437mm chainstay length for the B142.

The one limit to customization is anything significant enough to require a redesign of the suspension linkage. Ollagnier has decided on the B142’s kinematics and changing that would essentially mean creating an entirely new bike.

The B142’s chainstay yoke is machined from a solid chunk of titanium. It allows tire clearance for 2.35” treads and chainring clearance up to 32t. The frame’s linkage pivots use double-row bearings, and a 24mm main pivot rotates on tough and inexpensive bottom bracket bearings.

A straight 56mm head tube allows for angle adjust headsets or headset cable routing. The frame accepts 31.6mm seat posts, uses a BSA bottom bracket, and features a SRAM UDH derailleur hanger. The downtube offers internal routing ports for cables/hoses so headset routing is an option, and not mandatory. The B142 pictured has one bottle cage mount on the down tube.

The B142’s etched headbadge is inspired by the Metabief ski resort in France, a popular and well-established area for mountain biking. The badge features Mont d’Or with the French Alps in the background.

Olivier says a complete B142 build weighed in at 14.24 kg/31.4 lbs. The frame alone weighs 3.85 kg/8.48 lbs, but that’s the first one ever built. Curve Engineering says with some refinement they can likely shave about 100g from that number.

Pricing and Availability:

Pricing for a custom B142 frame starts at $3990 USD, and a deposit of 1/3^rd the total is required between the design and building stages to proceed. Customers should expect about a four-month lead time from finalizing the design to having a finished frame ready for shipping. The B142 will be sold as a frame only, but for an extra $250 you can add a Tri Air SR Suntour rear shock.

Curve Engineering mostly sells frames within France and Europe, but frames can be sent overseas too. If a customer is willing to cover the costs, a frame could be shipped worldwide. Check out Curve Engineering’s website for further details.

curve-bike-engineering.com

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So, instead of Black Friday savings, ultra-premium, and already limited production, Intend Trinity mountain bike brakes get an even more exclusive and more expensive Trini[Ti] upgrade with an extra dose of titanium! Just 50 sets of Intend TrinTi brakes will ever be made, going on sale at 3pm & 4pm in Europe (9am & 10am EST). DH first, then Enduro/Trail.

They will sell out fast, so if you’ve got more than a thousand euros to burn on some ultra-premium mountain bike brakes, you better set an alarm!

Today Only! Intend Trini[Ti] ultra-limited Trinity MTB brakes

It’s been a couple years since we covered Intend’s ultralight, ultra-powerful 4-piston Trinity brakes when they were still officially just a prototype. They’ve since gone on to be a 800-900€ brakeset that is so sought after, you have to subscribe to Intend’s newsletter to snack a set up when a new batch is made available a couple times a year.

Now… “Instead of discounts and mass production, Intend is introducing something rare and extraordinary.“

Originals vs. Blackline

This past spring, Intend announced a bit of a split in their product line-up – Originals vs. Blackline. Originals were those components that would still online be available consumer-direct from Intend. They feature the classic look and premium performance originally imagined by founder Cornelius Kapfinger – that is natural hard-anodized gold moving parts mixed with black ano fixed elements.

The newer Blackline was developed as an all-black ano alternative that was more suitable to a bikeshop dealer distribution solution, while still offering Intend’s signature precision, attention to detail, and performance. Just “(usually) very black” because that was what customers kept asking for.

So what’s new in the TriniTi brakes and how do they fit in?

First off, even though they are all black, technically these limited edition TriniTi brakes still fall under the ‘Originals’ designation. They are the absolute highest level of performance, and will only be sold direct. Intend says they simply couldn’t resist making them all-black for the Black Friday release.

Compared to the standard Trinity, the new Trini[Ti] brakes get:

• 4x 17mm brake pistons, now machined from titanium
• hard anodized black 7075 aluminum levers
• hard anodized black 7075 brake pad Refrigerator cooling fins for the DH version
• hard anodized black 7075 piston washers
• blackened titanium bolts for almost all parts on the caliper and master cylinder
• this limited edition brakeset, also includes an extra spare brake lever in ltd black ano

Besides the new titanium pistons, black ti hardware, and hard anodized black aluminum finishes, everything else is functionally identical to the standard Trinity ‘Original’s brakes.

You get the same “low mass” radial piston brake lever pushing mineral oil to the “huge mass” 4-piston caliper for tremendous stopping power from a brakeset that weighs just 244g for Enduro or 257g for DH.

Intend TriniTi brakes – Today only pricing & availability

Intend says this is a “one time event only!”

Act now, and act fast if you need a set of the most exclusive mountain bike brakes in existence. Only 50 sets exist – 25 DH and 25 Enduro/Trail versions.

You can only get them today Black Friday directly from the Intend webshop.

The first DH batch goes on sale at: 15:00 CET (UTC+1 / Berlin) 9:00am EST (UTC-5 / New York) – Intend Trini[Ti] DH brakeset with black refrigerators for 1250€ per pair.

The first Enduro & Trail batch goes on sale at: 16:00 CET (UTC+1 / Berlin) 10:00am EST (UTC-5 / New York) – Intend Trini[Ti] Enduro and Trail brakeset for 1160€ per pair.

Intend-BC.com

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UK handmade carbon frame maker Carbon Wasp launched a new mountain bike designed to shine in wet & muddy winter conditions with a self-explanatory name – the Carbon Gearbox Hardtail. A project in development “for several years”, Carbon Wasp describes their new Gearbox Hardtail as the “ultimate” bike for winter mountain biking, combining modern trail geometry, hardtail simplicity, and gearbox durability. A bike “designed to stand up to the worst conditions you can throw at it and still come back for more“.

Carbon Wasp Gearbox Hardtail: UK-made mountain bike frame

Carbon Wasp is all about their handmade carbon mountain bikes. Now, their new Carbon Gearbox Hardtail looks like a cool option for riders looking for a low-maintenance trail bike to get them through mud & snow season! And while it’s not exactly cheap, the Carbon Wasp Gearbox Hardtail has a totally palatable pricetag, especially when you consider that it is made in the UK, with lots of customization possibilities.

We mostly know the frame builder for their UK-made carbon trail bike – the 120mm Truffle. But last fall they also showed us some nice-looking 3D-printed titanium crankarms for Pinion gearbox bikes, that could save you an easy 170g.

That got us thinking a bit… what was the carbon gearbox hardtail they were showing us those light cranks on? It turns out, that seems to have been a development prototype of this new Carbon Wasp Gearbox Hardtail.

“This is our take on the trusty winter hardtail; a gearbox bike for any conditions. We’ve been making gearbox bikes for years and we poured everything we know into this frame. It can be customised and tweaked in the construction and the set up to suit any kind of riding on any terrain.”

– Adrian Smith, Carbon Wasp owner & bike designer

What is custom?

Carbon Wasp built the Carbon Gearbox Hardtail for mountain bikes to tailor it to their individual needs. One benefit of only selling frames is that every bike is a custom build. They also wanted riders to pick which gearbox they prefer.

Pinion seems like the industry default these days, and the new electronic shift SmartShift versions also make for a clean setup. But there’s another interesting French gearbox maker that we haven’t really talked about much in years, although we have seen them pop up from time-to-time… Effigear. Their latest Effigear Mimic gearbox bolts up to the same mount as Pinion, but actually has faster engagement and can be run with a fixed rear hub, unique variable steps between its gears more like a traditional derailleur system, and it is operated with standard mechanical SRAM dropbar or flat bar shifters. More options is always better, right?

Carbon Wasp also builds their bikes with pretty standard tapered steerer headsets, too. But if you want they’ll make you a straight 56mm headset to run an angle adjust headset to further tweak your geometry.

The new Carbon Gearbox Hardtail does feature pretty modern trail geometry – a slack 65° headtube angle, steep 76° seat angle, chainstays as short as 430mm, and medium-long 480mm Reach on the size Large that I would ride. But they also customize geometry a bit if have some other needs in mind.

Tech details

• full carbon hardtail frame made in Leeds using UK-sourced pre-preg
• compatible with Effigear and Pinion P-Line or C-Line gearboxes, including SmartShift
• detachable flat carbon plate sliding dropouts with integral tensioners for chain or belt drives
• designed around a 140mm suspension fork
• 4 stock sizes (S-XL) or customizable geometry

• internal cable routing with full guide tubes, conventionally routed into the side of the downtube
• internal frame storage under the bottle cage, with battery access if you choose a Pinion SmartShift setup
• ZS44/56 Zero Stack tapered headset standard, or optionally ZS 56/56 to fit an angle-adjust headset
• Boost 12x148mm spacing
• IS disc brake mount
• 30.9mm dropper seatpost
• max 29 x 3.0″ tire clearance

Carbon Wasp Gearbox Hardtail (& Fat Bike) – Pricing, options & availability

Now, Carbon Wasp runs a small UK workshop, and builds each bike one at a time for the buyer. So, they mostly sell just frames-only, or here including the gearbox. But if you need, they can also put together a complete custom bike build, too.

The new Gearbox Hardtail frames sells for £1650 for the carbon frame only in a color of your choice. Or get it with a Pinion gearbox already installed for £2550 (~$3230/3065€).

Especially interesting this time of year, Carbon Wasp also makes a Gearbox Fat Bike hardtail for the same price designed for up to 26×5″ tires (or likely ~27.5×4.5″ if that’s your preference.) All of the other tech details look to be the same.

So, it looks like you just have to decide how deep snow & mud you expect on your rides.

Introduced this summer on their Truffle, Carbon Wasp no longer paints their frames, but rather wraps them in a durable single-color vinyl. They say it better protects wear areas of the frame, while also highlighting the frame’s straight-out-of-the-mold carbon fiber weave in between. They do like their classic Wasp yellow, but any single-color wrap is included in the standard frame prices. More complex patterns & colors are also possible, for an additional fee.

Even with its fully handmade construction in Yorkshire, Carbon Wasp says they can get a new Gearbox Hardtail to you in just 4 weeks, if you order yours today.

CarbonWasp.com

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