First off, we’ll start off with Syncros, who have been owned by Ritchey for a while and are the firm’s vehicle for more rugged components.
CNC stems are what downhillers reckon they want, so Syncros has made their forged stem look more machined to please them.Syncros bars, including a now mandatory mega-wide 790mm versionSyncros Carbon Wheels, 670g front and 810g rear (15mm/QR) they'll be out late in the year.New Ritchey pedals - and finally, they have full 'real' bearings, rather than bushings.
Ritchey's 'SuperLogic' platform is their ultra-high end. They too have carbon rimmed wheels (601g/727g QR) with 28spokes (2cross front and 3cross rear)
What's this chunky looking thing?The Ritchey carbon fork is a cheaper (and more 'normal' looking) fork compared to their full-carbon unicrown one. This one had a good chunky look to it.Ritchey's 10degree sweep bars. Just like the On One Mary bars, they head forward, before sweeping back so that you don't need a different, longer, stem to get your position right.
Now, moving on to DT Swiss, they too have been very busy with new developments, new rims, a new shock and so on, but one of their most interesting developments isn’t immediately visible…
The new improved Star Ratchet. The heart of DT's hubs, the star ratchet will soon have twice the ramps and offers a 10° engagement (or 36 clicks per revolution) - they will probably be a running change by the end of the summer, but will be available aftermarket for existing hub owners to upgrade to.DT's XRC1350 wheel. It uses 240s hubs and 28spokes, but the most important bit is the 24mm carbon rim, which will lose the 'vanity' layer of woven carbon to lose 10% weight over last year and bring it down to 300g.Lightweight freeriders rejoice... There's the new EXC1550 wheel. It uses a 28mm carbon rim and is basically a carbon version of the EX1750 wheel (the white one) only 200g lighter. DT's testing reckons it's stronger than their 4.2D rim. It'll have a 240S oversize hub (20mm front and QR/RWS or bolt through rear), new WHITE DT spokes (which are $7 each...) and 32spokes. No, it won't be cheap, but it's a lot of weight to loose from a freeride bike.DT guy Sylvan had to hold the wheels to the ground they were that light.Designed mainly for OE customers and the only DT shock to be made in the far east, the new M210 shock weighs 210g and still features DT's ball joint mounting system. It'll cost around half the price of their other shocks while offering the same performance and options.Pace goes Postmount. Here's the newest DT Swiss fork, now with Postmount brake fittings.The DT Swiss XRC Race Limited fork. Carbon crown, carbon steerer, new sleeker carbon lowers, 28.8mm stanchions and 1250g including bar mounted lockout.
Mmm... carbon!That is a pretty rim. The two new carbon rimmed wheels side by side - the 28mm EXC1550 bottom and the XRC on the top. This is an older sample XRC as it still has the carbon weave 'money layer' that's just there for show. It'll be gone on the production ones.The white spokes aren't powdercoated, they're butted and bladed, then threaded and bent and then coated. Hence the $7 each price.DT's US marketing guy is called Kenny Roberts, though he claims not to be the famous motorcycle racer.That they are...How long until someone runs one of these in a downhill race?Yep, it's the Sea Otter all right...
With 22 years as Editor of Singletrack World Magazine, Chipps is the longest-running mountain bike magazine editor in the world. He started in the bike trade in 1990 and became a full time mountain bike journalist at the start of 1994. Over the last 30 years as a bike writer and photographer, he has seen mountain bike culture flourish, strengthen and diversify and bike technology go from rigid steel frames to fully suspended carbon fibre (and sometimes back to rigid steel as well.)
Yep I would say looking at those pics that you could, as long as the outside ring dimensions are the same.
XRC 1350? Same as 1250 but without ceramic hubs so cheaper?
Those XRC race forks impressed the pants off me. Stupidly low rider weight limit (I’m not jealous, much) but SO stiff. Stiffer even than my Pikes. Oh, and purdy 😀
Interesting reports, though i haven’t seen anything from the Sea Otter that i can actually afford yet!
but that isn’t the point, is it?!
it’s all about the dribble.
So the EXC1550 is essentially a 5.1d wheelset, in carbon? I think I just…
wonder if the star ratchet is retro fitable…. hmmmm
> wonder if the star ratchet is retro fitable…. hmmmm
My thoughts too!
Yep I would say looking at those pics that you could, as long as the outside ring dimensions are the same.
XRC 1350? Same as 1250 but without ceramic hubs so cheaper?
What are Ritchey doing about WCS then? Is this no longer their ‘highest end’?
Those XRC race forks impressed the pants off me. Stupidly low rider weight limit (I’m not jealous, much) but SO stiff. Stiffer even than my Pikes. Oh, and purdy 😀
Good news… The DT Star ratchet IS retrofittable… 🙂
Ziggy, the XRC 1350 is just that, yes.
Ritchey’s WCS is still high end, but Superlogic is even higher end…
though i haven’t seen anything from the Sea Otter that i can actually afford yet!
here here
is carbon the future??, im still not convinced having seem some carbon dh bars snap at the megavalanche
those carbon could be super strong and rigid and light, obviously rediculously expensive, but will they be able to take a few rock strikes?
those carbon RIMS could be
ive just binned a pair of those rithchey pedals with bushings at one end.
pfft, whats the point in serviceble carts if you cant source the bushes!
hellish light though, those full bearing ones could be nice.
like the look of the fork too, or at leasr i would if i ever swung that way…