Trek have released the long-awaited 2021 version of their Slash model.
Prices for the 2021 Trek Slash start from a very reasonable £2650 for the Trek Slash 7, and for the real pros out there, go all the way up to £7500 for the Trek Slash 9.9. With most people reviewing the higher-end versions, we decided to look at the more affordable Trek Slash 7.
The Trek Slash 7 29er Mountain Bike is a high-value all-mountain ripper that’s built for shredding singletrack at full speed. It’s got a stout aluminium frame and capable suspension package that can smash through gnarly, choppy descents like nobody’s business.
It’s right for you if…
You’re an all-mountain rider who loves pinning steep descents and sketchy rock gardens. You want a bike that’s born to plough through the roughest stuff at full tilt, is fully capable of racing enduro, and doesn’t break the bank.
The tech you get
An aluminium frame built for harsh riding with a threaded bottom bracket, dual downtube guards, Knock Block 2.0 and 160 mm of travel with a RockShox Select+ shock and 170 mm Yari RC fork. Plus, a SRAM NX Eagle drive train and Line Comp 30 wheels that are already completely tubeless ready, including sealant.
The final word
It may be the most affordable Slash in the line-up, but don’t underestimate how fast it’ll carry you down the mountain. You get a frame built for day after day of hard riding with a no-nonsense parts package that leaves enough cash in your pocket for enduro entry fees or a lift ticket to party laps.
Why you’ll love it
It’s equally at home between the tape and in the rugged wild – Slash excels at racing enduro, but it’s ridiculously fun on gnarly trail rides, too
A sleek internal storage compartment gives you a versatile spot to stow tools and gear
We added a second down tube guard to better protect your frame from shuttle-related damage
New, removable Knock Block has a bigger steering angle to keep cables and hoses safe without sacrificing turning radius
Wider seat tube, wider dropper – the 34.9 mm diameter post is stronger, more durable, and moves up and down faster
After the success of the Shred Lite kneepads (and after taking a bad fall and cutting open my elbow), I decided to try out Shred’s Flexi Elbow Pads Lite. These are very similar to the knee pads, nice and light so you forget that you’re wearing them. Up until recently I never wore elbow pads, but these are the perfect balance between protection and comfort… Plus they look cool too!
Like all sleeve pads they are hard work getting on and off… but once they are on they stay in place with no issues of them sliding down. They also allow plenty of arm movement with no restriction.
FEATURES: SLYTECH™ SHOCK ABSORPTION | Proprietary foam intelligently and progressively adapts to different forces and impact speeds for thorough protection—even in low energy crashes. Simply put, it stays flexible when you ride but hardens to protect you when you crash. SLYTECH™ Flexi | Slytech™ Foam molded with a hexagon structure is especially thin and light while also offering unrivaled flexibility and certified impact energy absorption. ARMORTEX® | This tough, elastic fabric on the front panels of the pads enhances durability, offering protection from abrasion and punctures while also stretching to provide comfort and a refined fit.
Elbow pads are one of those things that you don’t realise you need, until you fall, land on your elbow and have to finish your ride early! The Shred Lite Elbow Pads offer the perfect balance between being lightweight, yet having very good coverage and offering a great level of protection. From now on I will be wearing these elbow pads on every ride!!
They are currently on offer, so grab the whilst they are cheap.
Shred sent us a load of goodies to try out, so the past few weeks we have been wearing the SHORT STACK MCGAZZA FOREVER trail/enduro helmet. Shred boast unrivaled technology that provides rotational and linear energy absorption. Its ROTATIONAL ENERGY SYSTEM™ (RES), the lightest and thinnest solution for addressing rotational forces, is paired with the helmet’s integrated honeycomb-cone-structured SLYTECH™ Foam to create an unparalleled synergy for combating linear and multi-directional forces.
We were lucky enough to avoid any crashes whilst wearing this helmet, but our general thoughts were that it had plenty of vents so it stays cool on hot summer days. It also offers extra protection at the back of the head as many modern high-end enduro helmets do. It was comfortable and we had no complaints. As well as two sets of padding the helmet also comes with a drawstring bag for carrying and storage which is a nice little touch. But the good stuff is in the advanced technology and innovation used to create such a safe helmet:
FEATURES:
SHRED. ROTATIONAL ENERGY SYSTEM™ | Patent-pending technology that manages the effects of rotational accelerations to the head on impact by allowing a relative movement between the helmet and the head through the use of ultra-thin, multi-directional absorption units made with an elastic layer.
ENHANCED WITH SLYTECH™ | A patented honeycomb cone structure made of SLYTECH™ Foam is integrated into the EPS impact absorption element to allow impact energy to dissipate in multiple directions for optimal safety.
XT2® | Anti-microbial technology that uses silver to provide permanent odor protection.
VENTILATION | Strategic system of 20 vents channels air from the front of the helmet to its back, preventing the head from sweating and sunglasses from fogging.
CUSTOM FIT KIT | An additional set of thicker pads to fine tune the helmet’s fit.
MATERIAL | PC | Super Light EPS | SLYTECH™ proprietary foam
WEIGHT | 370 g [XS/M size]
SIZING:
For sizing the helmet we tried was labelled XS/M and Shred provide both thicker and a thinner padding inserts so you can get a snug fit. Even with the thicker inserts we found the helmet size to be more on the medium side, so if you have a smaller head or are between sizes then bare that in mind.
The UK’s newest bike park opens today in the North West and it looks great!!
Based just off the M58 and one junction from the M6, we are central to Liverpool, Manchester and Preston, before the big drive to wales for proper mountains. They are open to all types of pedal bikes, even electric assist. The Park trails are available for novice riders to expert level using.
Here is a nice little video from Harry Mane’s day at Pimbo Bike Park:
Location:
Whiteledge Rd, Skelmersdale WN8
Check out Pimbo Bike Park on Facebook for details.
Shred sent us some protective-wear to try out and we have been very impressed! Shred seem very confident in their gear and rightly so! I tried out the Shred Flexi Knee Pads Lite and they are now my new favourites!
I have been wearing these kneepads for the past few weeks and I am very impressed. They are very comfortable and from the second you pick them up you realise how light they are. The protection however is plenty for trail riding. I have a number of kneepads from different brands and these are turning out to be the ones that I will be wearing most regularly. They are a lot less restricting than my others and also stay a lot cooler. The low-profile padding means they can fit nicely under stretchy skinny jeans whilst still offering significant protection. They are also easy to maintain, simply throw them in the wash at 30 degrees Celsius with the rest of your muddy riding gear.
Technology and features:
SLYTECH™ FOAM | Our proprietary foam intelligently and progressively adapts to different forces and impact speeds for thorough protection—even in low energy crashes. Simply put, it stays flexible when you ride but hardens to protect you when you crash.
SLYTECH™ Flexi | Slytech™ Foam molded with a hexagon structure is especially thin and light while also offering unrivaled flexibility and certified impact energy absorption.
ARMORTEX® | This tough, elastic fabric on the front panels of the pads enhances durability, offering protection from abrasion and punctures while also stretching to provide comfort and a refined fit.
SAFETY STANDARDS | EN 1621-1 Level 1 (motorbike limb joint protectors), K Type A
If you are going more hardcore downhill then I would recommend trying their more heavy-duty kneepads (click here) which offer extra protection around the sides, but for everyday trail riding these are the best I have tried.
As I’m sure you are aware Peaty’s is the brand of British downhill racer Steve Peat. His brand Peaty’s sells a variety of bike cleaning and maintenance products, including Peaty’s LinkLube (chain lube), Peaty’s LoamFoam (foam cleaner), Peaty’s RimJob (tubeless rim tape), Peaty’s Tubeless Sealant and even Peaty’s Roost ‘N’ Grind coffee beans to keep the body maintained after a long ride! But today we are looking at Peaty’s Tubeless Valves.
I have been riding with these valves for some time now and I couldn’t ask for more. One of the main features of these valves is that cap doubles up as a valve core remover, which is very handy, especially if you get a flat in the middle of a ride and don’t have your core removal tool with you!
The tubeless valves are made from lightweight anodised 7075 aluminium and the large soft rubber base easily creates an airtight seal on valve holes up to 8mm diameter. These valves come with a lifetime guarantee against damage which covers almost every scenario, even those which are entirely your own fault! With all of that plus a massive range of colour options, what more could you ask for in a tubeless valve?!! Peaty’s gear is all made and based in the UK, so on top of all those great features you will also be supporting the local economy and British bike scene.
The much talked about, new Rockshox Zeb is now available to buy! There are a few variations to choose from, so today lets talk about the Zeb Ultimate.
The Rockshox Zeb Ultimate Charger 2.1 RC2 27.5in 15×110 Boost Forks are here for the new generation of long-travel mountain machines. The all-new Rockshox ZEB Ultimate is packed with performance in a stout 38mm chassis and features the updated highly tunable DebonAir™ air spring for increased confidence in steeper terrain. Perfectly matched with the Charger™ 2.1 damper, ultra-low friction SKF wiper seals and Maxima Plush Fluid, Zeb Ultimate not only looks the part but performs no matter the ride or conditions.
New 38mm chassis for increased stiffness and rider confidence
Updated highly tunable DebonAir™ air spring offers a buttery smooth feel off the top and maintains a higher ride height for increased confidence in steep terrain
Charger 2.1 RC2 damper featuring independent high and low speed compression adjust
Dual Position Air adjustment option to change the geometry of the bike for climbs and descents
Ultra-low friction SKF wiper seals provide long lasting fork performance and improve overall suspension feel
Maxima Plush damping fluid reduces friction and silences damper noise
“Slab Grey” Signature colorway and Ultimate High Gloss Black
Ultimate foil graphics package
Short fender compatible (RockShox fender sold separately)
Effortlessly explore, seek, and pursue the mountain in ways you never imagined.
The Spur provides a sense of connection to the bike as if it were an extension to your body. Fast and efficient with an anti-gravity feel and laser-pointer precision that begs you to climb more, go farther, and descend anything you may encounter along the way. You’ll instantly appreciate the free speed you’re awarded while accelerating where you’re usually accustomed to pedaling. Don’t judge a book by its cover though, with all these lightweight and uphill oriented character traits the Spur requires no adjustment to descend like you’re used to, you might actually go faster.
GiddyUp Suspension
We want to make it as easy as possible to experience great rear suspension performance. The GiddyUp suspension system is designed to behave intuitively across a broad range of setup. Because, we get it, sometimes you just want to grab your bike and GiddyUp, without checking your setup. When you do, it will always feel good.
With nearly 30% of progression and a consistent linear rate of change, the Spur has an excellent balance of support and small bump sensitivity. Anti-squat is tuned to enhance pedaling performance and acceleration but doesn’t get in the way of the suspension working when it’s needed.
The GiddyUp suspension, featuring a one-piece flex stay rear triangle, is tuned to work correctly with inline style rear shocks and designed to provide a balanced feel with 120mm travel forks. Riders are able to add or remove volume spacers in the rear shock to suit their individual riding style and there is plenty of bottom out control for when things get rowdy. The Spur has 120mm of rear wheel travel when used with the supplied 190mm x 45mm stroke shock. It is also possible to install a shorter, 190mm x 40mm stroke shock, to reduce the rear wheel travel to 100mm if you are after a shorter travel experience.
A wide usable sag range of 25 – 35% allows the rider to tune the feel of the bike; from firm and snappy, to more supple and active. Wherever you end up, you can focus on the trail without remotes, levers or knobs. Just grab your bike and GiddyUp.
Transition Spur X01 Carbon Mountain Bike 2021 Features:
Frame: Toray 24T, 30T and 40T Uni Directional (UD) Japanese Carbon Fiber FT, RT and Rocker Shock: RockShox SIDLuxe Ultimate Fork: RockShox SID Ultimate 120mm, 44mm Offset Derailleur: SRAM SRAM XO1 Eagle
IT’S TIME TO RECALIBRATE YOUR GRAY MATTER WITH WHAT’S HAPPENING IN RACING TODAY. THE YETI SB115 T-SERIES T1 29ER MOUNTAIN BIKE IS EVOLVED. DEFT ON THE DOWNS. DESIGNED TO RACE. BUILT TO RALLY.
A LIGHTER SWITCH
Short-travel specific design of Switch Infinity, turned 90 degrees and optimized for lighter weight and efficiency.
MORE THAN ADDED TRAVEL
Crushing souls on the descent is more than half the fun. And a hell of a lot more than half the point. The SB115 has 115 genre killing millimeters of travel, that work harder than ever before.
ANTI-SQUAT
Across our line, we have chosen a relatively flat and high anti-squat curve in beginning and mid-section of travel where pedaling commonly occurs a.k.a the pedaling zone. This creates an efficient pedaling platform through your entire pedaling zone, there is an inflection point where the Switch Infinity link moves down, dropping the anti-squat drastically. Riders are typically not pedaling in this zone, so chain forces have less of an effect on the suspension performance. Decoupling of the chain forces allows the suspension to work more efficiently to absorb impacts making the feel of a Yeti distinct.
LONGER-TRAVEL SETUP. NO DOWNSIDE.
We custom tune the shock on every Yeti to compliment Switch Infinity’s unique characteristics. Unlike other “short-travel” trail bikes the SB115’s suspension performs best even when set up with sag numbers (30%) akin to much longer travel bikes. We don’t leave it to someone else to make every millimeter of the SB115’s suspension travel count.
Yeti SB115 T-Series T1 29er Mountain Bike 2021 Features:
Frame TURQ Series carbon fiber frame, Switch Infinity suspension technology,
FORK: FOX FACTORY 34/130MM
SHOCK: FOX FACTORY DPS 190 X 45MM 115mm Travel
REAR DERAILLEUR: Shimano XT
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