In this Tech Talk episode, Vital MTB's Brandon Turman calls up RockShox Product Manager, Jon Cancellier, to discuss one of the biggest, burliest forks in years – the just introduced RockShox ZEB. Featuring 38mm stanchions and travel lengths up to 190mm, you know this one is ready for business. The two cover everything from stiffness considerations to Pro rider feedback, where it shines on the trail, and who it was designed for. 

Visit Vital MTB to learn more about the new RockShox Zeb fork

New RockShox ZEB Fork - MTB Tech Talk with Jon Cancellier

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After years of success, RockShox has updated its trail and gravity suspension lineup with some new internals for model year '25. The latest Charger 3.1 damper is now found across all fork models, while rear shocks gain an XL air can option and a high-flow main piston for Super Deluxe models. They have also re-introduced the Vivid Coil shock with some technology derived from the Vivid Air released last year. 

We sat down with Chris Mandell from SRAM and RockShox to help make sense of all  the technical. We discussed the motivation behind the changes made, how they were achieved, and how they make an impact out on the trail.

Learn more about everything discussed in this video - https://www.vitalmtb.com/news/press-release/rockshox-announces-charger-3-1-damper-vivid-coil-and-updates-super-deluxe
Play Vital Downhill Fantasy - https://www.vitalmtb.com/fantasy

Deep Dive - 2025 RockShox Fork and Shock Updates With Chris Mandell

A track on the circuit that always provides dramatic, legendary race runs, this year at Leogang was fairly uneventful. A business as usual World Cup, you could say. Rain throughout the week provided some of the most changing and challenging conditions hit the #notabikepark track, with the lower woods being the deciding factor on race day. There was exciting racing across each category, highlighted by a dominating victory in both women’s fields, an upset in the Junior men’s race, and another elite men’s podium filled with new and returning names.

With a tight turnaround heading into Val di Sole this weekend, reigning in our co-host extraordinaire Dakotah Norton took longer than usual. Apparently, getting to the next race, interviews, physio appointments, and dinner all come before our podcast. Up against a tighter time crunch than usual, Tanner and I recorded the post-race show Tuesday, while Dakotah and I chatted after track walk on Wednesday to hear about his mediocre weekend in Austria and gain insight into what could be the gnarliest Val di Sole track we’ve seen in years. 

0:00 - Intro
2:08 - Dak Update and Leogang recap
33:15 - Val di Sole track walk notes and thoughts
51:04 - Debate over braking more with your rear or front brake
58:09  - Discussing the live coverage from the weekend
1:00:56 - Commentators this season 
1:03:18 - 15 World Cups next year?
1:05:15 - Privateers at World Cups in 2025
1:09:23 - Is interest in World Cup downhill less than it was during the Red Bull days?
1:11:12 - Another chat about electronic suspension
1:20:07 - Will we see electronic suspension systems in VDS?
1:22:09 - Loic’s cockpit buttons
1:23:17 - Why pressing a lockout mid-run isn’t that difficult
1:26:42 - Podium payout complaints 
1:32:34 - Maxxis Make or Brake Track Analysis
1:38:50 - Junior Women - race recap
1:43:05 - Val di Sole predictions
1:46:21 - Junior Men - race recap
1:59:36 - Val di Sole predictions
2:04:36 - Elite Women - race recap
2:14:37 - Val di Sole predictions
2:18:18 - Elite Men - race recap
2:32:50 - Val di Sole predictions
2:35:41 - Burgtec Labour of Love Play Vital Downhill Fantasy - https://www.vitalmtb.com/fantasy 
More mountain bike news and reviews - https://www.vitalmtb.com 
 


Leogang Post-Race & Val di Sole Pre-Race Show - Vital's B Practice Podcast

See what the top riders of the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup DH in Leogang, Austria, have to say about their race weekends. A familiar track was made tricky with varying conditions thanks to overnight rains. Interviews by Jack Rice.
Interviews
0:00 - Loic Bruni
4:52 - Anna Newkirk
7:49 - Neko Mulally
10:52 - Vali Holl
11:54 - Max Alran
13:28 - Erice van Leuven
14:41 - Ellie Hulsebosch
16:18 - Finn Iles
18:37 - Myriam Nicole
21:50 - Lachie Stevens-Mcnab
23:14 - Oisin O'Callaghan
24:25 - Lisa Baumann
25:33 - Benoit Coulanges
29:11 - Marine Cabirou
30:32 - Lucas Dedora
32:49 - Andreas Kolb

RACE DAY - Leogang World Cup Downhill

Loic Bruni has five different electronic buttons on his prototype Specialized Demo downhill bike, and we're not even talking about shift levers. He, his mechanic Jack and Ohlins are all pretty tight-lipped about the functions they serve, but today we got a bit of information from the current World Cup DH leader himself. SuperBruni confirms the buttons are not Skittles, he seemingly teases that they're for playing music, and then says their function should be pretty easy to figure out. When asked if using them is confusing, he admits that keeping track of them is not easy and there are risks associated with hitting the wrong button at the wrong time. Regardless of their function or trickiness in pressing, Loic's in the lead right now, and that's really all that matters.

How Does Loic Bruni Keep Track of Those Buttons?

GoFundme to support Seton Tuning DH Team

Phil Seton, manager of Pole Factory Racing, shares the story of keeping his team alive after Pole Bikes went into administration a week before Fort William. All team budget was pulled and they were left with a decision to race or pack it up. Phil decided to use his personal money to get Onni Rainio and Dan Slack to Fort William and Poland. Onni had a personal best at Fort William and Dan Slack had his best-ever finish making finals and breaking the beam with a 28th in Poland. With the help of a GoFundMe, they're successfully attending Leogang this week and are halfway to earning enough money to race Les Gets. Jack Rice gets the scoop from Phil as race life rolls on!

New RockShox ZEB Fork - MTB Tech Talk with Jon Cancellier

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