Mountain Bike Rider Podcast – Between the Ferns

This time on the MBR Show we've been riding the latest new bikes from Merida and Norco, as well as revealing what caught our eyes at the UK's Core Bike Show. 00:00 - Intro00:18 - Norco Optic and Sight08:24 - Core Bike Show highlights – Michelin and RRP11:25 - Merida eOne-Sixty @MERIDABIKES-INT has just launched the new eOne-Sixty e-bike range, with a split down the middle that aims to appeal to two different customers. Somewhere along the line the message has got lost in translation however, with the heavier, long-range platform being given the name 'Lite', and the slimmed-down, agile carbon bike being called the CF. And that's not the only head scratcher. Despite being called eOne-Sixty, the bikes have 174mm of travel. Danny and Alan unravel the confusion and give their early ride impressions, which, once you get passed the muddled names, are really positive. https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/electric-bikes/merida-eone-sixty-875-2024-e-bike-reviewIn the other big launch news, @NorcoBicyclesOfficial has released new high-pivot versions of the Sight and Optic trail bikes. With the Optic being the shortest travel high-pivot idler bike so far. Or is it? Jamie has been riding the Optic and trying to work out whether there's sufficient pay-off in suspension performance and ride quality to offset the extra weight, drag, and complication. All big potential drawbacks for a bike in a category that's all about minimalism and efficiency. https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/120mm-140mm-full-sus/norcos-new-optic-gets-a-high-pivot-idler-125mm-travel-and-some-of-the-biggest-sizing-weve-seenWe've also been to the UK's Core Bike Show, where most of the major brands and distributors show up to talk to media and dealers and display their latest tech kit. Some new bits that stood out to us were the new, reduced-drag @MichelinGlobal tyres, and RRP's new bolt-on mudguard. https://www.mbr.co.uk/news/the-16-most-important-new-products-ive-seen-this-week-from-next-gen-michelin-wild-enduro-tyres-to-mtbs-longest-mudguard-436285

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we take a closer look at the new Scott Ransom and the new Pivot Switchblade. The Pivot is a mild tweak of the old Switchblade trail bike, with a subtly slacker head angle, steeper seat angle, and smidge longer reach. And Pivot has shunned internal storage to keep the weight down and the proportions in tact. So has it done enough or played it too safe?By contrast, Scott has pushed the boat out with the new Ransom enduro bike. There's an internal shock hidden in the frame, internal tool storage, and a six-bar linkage. Concealed cables, geometry adjust headset cups and a remote progression and travel switch makes this one complex enduro bike. Find out if all these features make it a winner on the trails. We also take a quick look at some of the other stories that have got our attention recently, including Focus's lightweight Vam2 e-bike and Formula's 10-year spares pledge on forks, brakes, and shocks. 00:00 - Intro00:23 - Focus Vam201:49 - Trail centre under threat03:10 - Formula 10-year parts pledge04:18 - New Pivot Switchblade10:08 - New Scott Ransom

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the MBR show, where we scrutinise the latest bikes, critique the newest hardware and discuss the hottest topics in mountain biking. This month we’re going to look at the influx of motorcycle brands into the e-bike market. We’ll discuss the news that Orange Bikes has gone into administration.And Jamie is going to give us a run down of the latest Production Privee Shan. We've also got an important update on the SRAM T-Type review video we published a couple of weeks ago. And further news on the cutting out issue we experienced on our Canyon Strive:ON test bike with the Bosch Performance CX motor. SRAM got in touch with us to say that, after watching our video, it is going to make available a T-Type replacement cage assembly, without clutch, to fit XX1, XX, X0, and GX, for just £28 (€31/$29USD), instead of the current cost of over £120 for GX and over £180 for XX. 00:00 - Intro00:26 - SRAM T-Type cage repair update03:06 - Motorcycle brands making e-mtbs11:16 - Production Privee Shan16:17 - Orange Bikes in administration18:33 - Bosch battery/Canyon Strive:ON update21:54 - Outro

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the MBR Show we cover Canyon’s updated Spectral, SRAM’s latest Maven brakes, and Scott’s resurrected Voltage. Canyon has thrown everything bar the kitchen sink at the new Spectral trail bike. It now comes with internal storage, the controversial KIS steering stabiliser as standard, and comprehensive geometry adjustment similar to what Specialized introduced on the new Turbo Levo SL. There's also some cool tool holders you can 3D print yourself at home. Scott's Voltage used to be a freeride bike, then a dirt jump hardtail, and now it's found its true calling – a mid-power e-bike with a TQ motor and 155mm of travel. Of course it gets Scott's hidden shock frame design, and TracLoc remote travel and geometry adjust. Lots of bells and whistles then, but does it perform on the trails? Best-known for using DOT fluid in its brakes, SRAM's latest Maven follows the entry-level DB8 by making the switch to mineral oil in search of better long-term consistency and longer service intervals. It's also the most powerful brake SRAM has built, with a claimed 50% more power than Code, and 30% less effort needed to access that power. So do those impressive numbers stack up in the real world?Danny and Alan also reveal their thoughts on these new bikes and products, as well looking at the news in brief, including an innovative new hub from KOM Bikes, and a hybrid tubeless valve from E*Thirteen. 00:00 - Intro00:24 - News in brief00:30 - KOM hub02:36 - E*Thirteen tubeless valves03:44 - New Scott Voltage14:08 - New Canyon Spectral22:41 - New SRAM Maven brakes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.