Literally a decade after they created the aero gravel race bike with the original Exploro, 3T continues to evolve the most versatile gravel bike in their range with the new Ultra2 Italia. True to its x2 naming, this new bike is a 2nd evolution of the Ultra family with more comfort, refined geometry, expanded capabilities with bigger tire clearance, suspension fork options & more bikepacking-ready mounting options, plus tidy cable integration and a new glovebox inside. And of course, the Italia label means this bike frame is now 100% made in Italy.But theres something much deeper to that last point.Thanks to a new Fusion Carbon manufacturing process at their HQ in Bergamo, the new Ultra2 Italia frame costs 1/3 less than 3Ts other Italia bikes. Thats a pretty big dal deal, significantly cutting the price premium of a European-made frame over one made in Asia.3T Ultra2 Italia affordable adventure-ready gravel bike(All photos/Cory Benson)The 3T Ultra2 Italia is designed for long-distance gravel rides and unlimited adventures. Ostensibly, that means this is 3Ts more comfortable bikepacking gravel bike. But it is still designed to be a light, aerodynamic & fast all-rounder just equally capable to go further when you get the itch to explore. The original Ultra was probably my favorite 3T gravel bike at that point. And this one looks set to continue that trend.Much like their flagship gravel race bike that got a RaceMax2 Italia update with a shift to made-in-Italy manufacturing, bigger tire clearance, fully internal routing & internal frame storage last year now the more comfortable, long-distance Ultra gets a similar Italian-made x2 update. But this time, something is a lot different. While the RaceMax2 was 40% more expensive than its previous Asian-made iteration, the new Italian Ultra2 is just 25% more expensive than the original Ultra.How did they make that happen?3Ts made-in-Italy carbonWhen 3T first set out to create made-in-Italy frames, they established a separate (but wholly-owned) engineering and manufacturing startup called Composite Jazz. That subsidiary is still officially who makes their carbon frames, in the upper floor of 3Ts HQ in Bergamo, Italy northeast from Milano. We toured that factory in 2019, just as they were starting up frame manufacturing. Jazz Carbon became the name given to the original 3T Italia bike building process, able to create complex carbon tube shapes with long dry fibers, assembled without resin (no pre-preg, pre-impregnated carbon) to produce carbon frames manufactured as one-piece with resin transfer molding RTM). Its bases were dry, continuous fibers, filament-wound over a series of complex shapes to create individual tubes. Those pre-shaped tubes, then needed to be laboriously overlapped by hand onto a series of mandrels to create the final dry fiber frame shape, before putting it into the mold to add resin & cure.How does new Fusion Carbon manufacturing differ from Jazz Carbon?(Photo/3T)Fusion Carbon is a reimagining of how to simplify and automate that process.3T can now make those same complex individual tube shapes, automatically cut with straight ends by the winding machine. They then separately pre-mold all of the connecting joints like lugs the dropouts, bottom bracket, seat cluster & headtube. Still all dry without added resin. 3Ts secret sauce seems to be some very light & flexible adhesive that holds the fibers together in place temporarily, yet does not limit adhesion of the final resin in the RTM process. But they keep exactly how they do that hush, hush.The Fusion Carbon connecting lugs are all made now using a simplified layup of pre-woven raw, dry multi-axial fibers. This means that the head lug in the new made-in Italy Ultra2 uses just 6 pieces of this multi-layer material vs. the 70 individual pieces of pre-preg carbon used in the Asian-made original Ultra.For now 3T is limited to the closest orientation combinations available for what they need from an engineering perspective (e.g. 0, 45 & 90 fibers). So ultimately, they slightly overbuild the lugs based on whats available, adding a bit of extra weight but also extra strength/stiffness where it isnt specifically required. 3Ts next step then is their own in-house automated custom fiber alignment mats, a process already in development to further optimize these preformed dry Fusion Carbon lugs for the design forces of each particular frame. While 3T dont see Fusion Carbon able to create ultralight frames just yet, this next optimization will lower weight and dial in load performance characteristics even further while keeping costs down.Faster, more affordable made-in-Italy 3T Italia frames(Photo/3T)The entire Jazz Carbon manufacturing process is quite hands-on and limits how many frames 3T can produce in a day. The much more automated, but still entirely in-house RTM process means they can produce 3-4x as many, using the exact same machinery and workers.Even with the slight additional weight penalty they have now, its that increase in manufacturing efficiency that allows 3T to sell the Fusion Carbon Ultra2 Italia frameset for a whopping 33% lower price than the Jazz Carbon RaceMax2 Italia frameset.In fact, the new made-in-Italy Ultra2 frameset is just 25% more expensive (~850 more) than the original made-in-China Ultra, factoring its inclusion of 3Ts top-tier carbon integrated aero gravel handlebar & carbon stem, too.That points towards 3Ts ultimate goal of further refining their Italian manufacturing to bring frame production back home to Europe. They cant quite match the Asian manufacturing costs yet. But they are getting closer. (Not even mentioning the recent global shipping issues or massively rising fuel cost volatility). 3T talks about looking forward to a benchmark day when they can bring production of their original Exploro gravel bike now called the Primo2 back to Italy!Whats new with the Ultra2, besides Fusion Carbon?3T continues to push the more comfort, control & capability sides of the refined Ultra2 Italia. It now has the same 57mm clearance of the Extrema. And it gets the same higher stack, shorter reach, and slackened stable handling 3Touring geometry that also debuted on that bike, too. But now the stack of the Ultra2 is another 10mm more upright than the Extrema to create an even more comfortable fit for ultra-distance riding, especially when loaded down with bags. The fact that the new frame is suspension corrected for short travel gravel forks (43mm longer axle-to-crown measurement than the Extrema) really opens up the possibilities with this new bike, whether you want gravel suspension now or not.Plus, the original Ultra already fit big tires, but only in 650b/27.5. Now stepping up to 700c/29 tires with even bigger 57mm/2.25 widths, the new Ultra2 Italia will be noticeably faster over rougher terrain. Add in more mounting options to the forks & rear rack, plus internal frame storage, make this bike more suited than ever for the bikepacking long-haul. The fact that there are no external cables to hang up on handlebar packs is just icing on the cake.Ultra2 Italia Tech details1199g Fusion Carbon RTM frame, 100% made in Italy (unpainted, size M)450g Fango Ultra2 full carbon tapered steerer fork, made in Taiwanfully integrated internal cable routing through the tapered 52/40 headsetcompatible with 1x & 2x, mechanical & electronic drivetrains (max 3 cables through the stem)Fango fork compatible with internal dynamo wiringgeometry corrected for 40mm travel suspension forkUDH dropout & removable front derailleur mountFM160 flat mount disc brakes and 12mm thru-axles27.2mm round seatpost with top-mounted wedge-type clampwired or wireless dropper or suspension post readyBB386EVO press fit bottom bracket (includes thread-together Token BB)internal glovebox frame storage with secure Fidlock latch (when you follow the instructions)full suite of bikepacking-ready bottle & cargo cage mountsplus rear rack and full fender mountsmax 700c x 57mm tire clearance (WAM at a 369.5mm RAM) (minimum 47mm tire recommended)max 700c x 50mm front tire with DT Swiss F132 One fork4 sizes available (S-XL)2026 3T Ultra2 Italia Pricing, options & availabilityThe new 2026 3T Ultra2 Italia is available now in several customizable mechanical & electronic complete gravel bike builds, as well as a comprehensive frame kit. The frameset itself is available in four sizes (S-XL) and four paint colors: Avorio off-white, Glicine purple Bamboo green & this Lavico grey. A pre-primed ready-to-paint option may be offered in the future, but the raw carbon X.X.X finish is reserved for the Jazz Carbon frames.Frame kits start at $4599 / 3999 including the Ultra2 Italia frame, Fango Ultra2 carbon fork, headset, 3T More2 stem, 3T Superghiaia Integrale LTD bar with bar tape, 0 offset 3T carbon seatpost & a 3T carbon bottle cage (all prices with IT 22% VAT). Opting for the 40mm travel DT Swiss F132 One suspension fork will add another $1100 / 1000 to the frameset price.Complete bike builds start at $5899 / 4999 with mechanical Shimano GRX 112 & alloy wheels. Go up to $6999 / 5899 for either a SRAM Rival/GX AXS wireless mullet or GRX Di2, with the carbon Discus wheels a $1400 / 1100 add-on option.Since the bikes are made-to-order customizable, its about an 8-10 week lead time to get one.First ImpressionsThe $9500 / 8000 Ultra2 Italia GRX Di2 + DT F132 + Discus 45|40 bike that Im riding is an undeniably cool adventure build. This rig comes fitted with deep & 29mm wide internal 3T carbon wheels, massive Continental tires 50mm out back & 55mm up front, and that supple DT Swiss F132 One gravel fork. (I think the tires are supposed to be switched since there is more tire clearance in the rear than in the fork.)Hop on it and you feel like you can ride anywhere, over any terrain. And I genuinely love how smooth the DT fork rides and how easily its unique lockout works.How much does weight really matter?But directly comparing the real weight of this exact build to any other gravel bike is a rabbit hole to fall down. Anytime you put a suspension fork on a gravel bike I feel like things get murky. 3T explains that adding the fork adds 1kg to the total weight, and this size M setup tips the scale at a not-light 10.68kg with pedals (and GPS mount & bottle cage). So the same build with a carbon fork will be 9.68kg. The original Ultra with 27.5 wheels was just 9.14kg, and the racier new RaceMax2 was just 9.11kg. It feels easy for me to justify that extra 500g for added comfort, bigger tires, and an affordably made-in-Italy frame. On paper, the extra 1.5 kg though, feels like a bit much for just comfort and suspension. As much as I do love the DT fork, I guess I still find it hard to justify that weight when Ive had lighter full-suspension XC bikes.Real bike weight is a tricky one, and truly just a small part of how a bike rides. But its hard not to think about. The Extrema Italia also tipped just over my mental 10kg gravel threshold with its dropper post after I put 292.25 cross-country tires on it. But it never felt remotely heavy. I also tested the light Canyon Grail CFR with this DT fork, gaining a kilo to weigh 9.65kg. There I was thrilled to have the fork to soften blows to its otherwise overly stiff front end and cockpit, turning a race-stiff bike into a more useful all-rounder for me.Riding the new UltraSo far, on the first few rides on the new 3T Ultra2 Italia, Im mostly psyched about it. I only have to strike that real weight from my memory, and just ride.(Actually, I couldnt do that. Call it a mental block. So, I swapped in some DT Swiss GRC 1400 wheels with new 45mm Panaracer GravelKing ZX tires and pulled off the DT fork bikepacking mounts that I wasnt using, and the bike is down to 9.98kg thats enough to forget about weight and move on.)For riding on mixed dirt and gravel surfaces, the new Ultra is as plush and comfortable as you could wish for. Beyond the fork, clearly, 3T have done well with comfort levels, without compromising a snappy ride. Im a big fan of this bikes choice of a simplified rear end and the simple comfort from a classic 27.2 post. The Ultra2s cable integration is clean, while retaining cockpit adjustability, and 3T finally nailed the correct toptube bag bolt placement. As for versatility, I appreciate the rear rack mounts, although Im unlikely to run a rack personally. But I would love to stick on a set of full coverage fenders for wet weather riding, and thankfully, the DT fork can mount its own fender, too. Im a little surprised that there arent 3-pack anything cage mounts either above or below the downtube, but the rigid fork has you covered with those, as does the included add-on brackets on the DT suspension fork.The only real downside Ive come up with so far is that the front tire is too big for the fork (likely a build mix-up only on my test bike), and it created a little toe overlap with the 55mm Conti tire. No issues with either on the GravelKings.Final thoughtsI get the sense that the Ultra2 Italia will prove to be a great bike over the long haul, both with a rigid carbon fork or with this DT suspension fork. You can certainly push it with big 55mm or 2.25 tires with the rigid fork if you want. And so, it has the potential to take over from the Extrema Italia as my personal fav gravel all-rounder from 3T.But its also plenty quick on the road for mixed-surface versatility, especially with the great DT fork lockout. For now Im just going to appreciate the extra cush paired with that DT fork. And Ill smash some of my rougher local gravel roads that I normally tackle gingerly with a rigid for and mostly narrower tires.3T.bikeThe post 3T Ultra Italia Gravel Bike, Made of Fusion Carbon in Italy at Little Extra Cost: Review appeared first on Bikerumor.

The results of 2026 Brabantse Pijl hardly make justice to how close we've come to having the race blow completely open with 30 kilometers to go. It was there, during a penultimate Moskestraat passage that Romain Grgoire provoked a key move which included most of the pre-race favourites. Including A...

The BikeRumor team has been wandering around the Sea Otter Expo for the past couple of days. While the latest and greatest bikes, components, and accessories are the primary focus of the event, theres no shortage of beautifully painted custom bikes to check out. Ive been trying to capture as many of these masterpieces as I can, so without further ado, heres a gallery of the bikes that really caught my eye. Just, wow.The custom-painted ENVE road bike above has among the most impressive paint jobs Ive ever seen on anything. This bike was apparently dipped with the computer mount and bottle cages attached to keep the pattern and fade consistent on the entire frame. The gold accents on the frame and the wheels are gold leaf, taking the bling factor up another notch entirely. I cant imagine how much this paint job costs. Id be terrified to ride it, but its really something to look at.ENVE also has a couple of custom-painted road bikes on display to showcase their custom paint program. Buyers who are willing to spend a bit extra when purchasing can work with ENVEs custom paint team to bring their dream bike to reality. I didnt realize the level of detail and customization ENVE put into the custom jobs, but here you go. The white frame with the gold stripes matches the Ferrari that its mounted on top of, but the car wasnt all that interesting to look at, comparatively. I was checking out some new shoes in the Giro booth when Kate Courtney just happened to wander in. The multi-time World Champion most recently won the XC Marathon title and is wearing the stripes again this season. And, big surprise, shes got a custom-painted Allied BC40 XC race bike to match. Its a great-looking bike with the frame, fork, and even the wheels painted to match the rainbow jersey. Its good to be the champ.In the FSA and Vision wheels booth, this custom-painted Rodeo Labs gravel bike was hard to walk past. The color scheme and design were apparently inspired by the rally car that was raced by Lancia Stratos to win the 1974, 1975, and 1976 World Rally Car Championships. They yellow wheels sure do pop. Also, looks like heck of a lot of fun to ride.And who doesnt love a stars and stripes paint job? Giant actually had a couple of the latest Anthem SL XC bikes done up special, but I got distracted by the flashiness of the US flag paint job in the front. Pretty sure the frame in the back is done up in South African colors to celebrate Alan Hatherlys 2025 Elite XCO World Championship. Gorgeous bikes that look fast while theyre sitting still. Kogel Bearings knew they could drum up some attention when they placed this custom-painted Scarab outside their booth. The frame is beautiful and incredibly intricate from tip to tail, with the stem, seatpost, and bottle cages playing into the color scheme. But Kogel was also showing off its custom cage painting capabilities with a matching Collosus cage and gold pulleys, really tying the whole thing together.Kuat racks was demonstrating that its Piston rack can, in fact, handle bikes with 32 wheels. This Salsa Fargo 32 above had a super-slick color-changing paint job that changed between purple and green depending on the light and angle youre viewing it from. I also appreciated the other elements of this custom build with chrome and silver components and accents, tan walls, and matching tan bar tape and hoods. Youll likely see this bike again in other Sea Otter coverage, but I just wanted to appreciate the paint job here.Crankbrothers drew me in with this tricked-out Propain done up to match the mini-Porsche in the plexiglass box. They absolutely nailed the paint job, and dialed in the accents to tie it all together. It showcases the brand-new Stamp Evo pedals with blue composite bash guards, as well as the brands silver Synthesis wheels. Silver wheels are making a comeback thanks to Crankbrothers and a few other brands.Cadex was showing off a number of pretty bikes in its booth while showcasing its wheels and components. Mosaics bikes dont need a custom paint job to look amazing, but it doesnt hurt when theyre done up in a super classy-looking fade like this. The head badge really pops, and the stem, seatpost, bolts, and headset help to finish the look. Plus just a bit of raw titanium still showing on the chainstays Chefs kiss.In my opinion, BTCHN bikes have earned their name by having some of the most bitchin frame finishes in the industry. In the photos above, the brands 32 gravel rig was on display in the Thule booth, demonstrating that its Vero hitch rack can carry 32 wheeled bikes. From a distance, it doesnt look like much, but then when you get close, you realize that its a fine-textured surface finish. Im not entirely sure how its done, but it seems like perhaps some kind of acid etching process. However they do it, it sure looks BTCHN. Also, this whole build is just outstanding. More on this in another post, Im sure.Above is a closer view of the textured finish on the BTCHN 32 mountain bike that was on display in the Wolf Tooth booth. Its similar to the gravel bike I just discussed, but the silver shows through a bit more here. It really looks great up close, and it has a great hand feel, too. I also noticed this anodized titanium BTCHN 32 drop bar bike at the Shimano booth, which was very attractive in a totally different way, the handlebars, too. Hunt Wheels was showing off this custom-painted Intense gearbox prototype downhill bike. Gearboxes are neat, and all, but the Raw aluminum frame with glittery gold, green, and red paint was drawing more of the attention. Those silver Hunt rims arent something you see every day, either. Last but certainly not least, this Sour Cycles 32 mountain bike was on display at the White Industries booth. Im a sucker for a fade, and this purple to blue fade is quite different than the standard paint job that weve already seen on other Sour 32 frames. It happened to have the brand-new White Industries x Moots titanium cranks and a handful of anodized accents that White Industries is known for. Well be rounding up all of the 32 bikes we saw at the show soon, too, so if youre interested, stay tunedThe post Pretty, Unique, and Eye-Catching Custom Painted Bikes of Sea Otter 2026 appeared first on Bikerumor.

German lightweight specialists Tune have an all-new Nano Gravel 45 carbon gravel bike wheelset that checks a lot of boxes. They are really light at just 1335g for the pair. They have a wide 30mm inner width and a hooked profile that makes them a solid match for tube and tubeless setups from 38mm all the way up to 2.5 tires. Add in, a versatile 45mm depth that offers just enough gains in both aerodynamics and high-performance stiffness. And top it all off with lust-worthy, high-engagement Tune hubs!Tune Nano Gravel 45 lightweight all-rounder carbon gravel bike wheels(Photos/Tune)At only 1355g for the set, the new Tune Nano Gravel 45 wheels are some of the lightest youll find in their mid-depth 45mm deep aero gravel all-rounder category. Plus, with a 30mm internal hooked, tubeless-ready carbon rim profile, they offer reliable low-pressure support for the widest modern gravel tires, but can still be safely run with narrower tires and even with tubes. ETRTO officially classifies the wheels for 47-57mm tires. But Tunes own testing shows secure fit and performance from 38mm all the way up to 66mm/2.5 tires.In fact, with a 36mm outer carbon rim width, Tune says they even though they are optimized for wider 50 & 55mm tires, they are fastest with 40 & 45mm gravel race tires.Plus, they builds the Nano Gravel wheels built tough with classic, beautifully CNC-machined Tune Nano CL hubs, even letting you pick from staid black, shiny silver, or flashy red.Tech details1355g (+/- 3%) claimed wheelset weight30mm internal hooked tubeless-ready carbon rim45mm deep x 36mm wide blunt aero profileETRTO optimized for 47-57mm tiresTune recommends 38-66mm tiresNano CL CNC-machined hubs with fast POEtry 69 5.2 engagement (69 POEs)Enduro bearings in steel or ceramicShimano HG, MicroSpline, SRAM XDR, or Campagnolo N3W freehubs availableyour choice of black, silver, or red hubs24 aero bladed Sapim CX-Ray spokes & alloy nipples, front & rearpre-taped for tubeless & include 60mm alloy Tune tubeless valvesfull 10-year warrantyTune Nano Gravel 45 Pricing, options & availabilityTune calls their light & wide Nano Gravel 45 the Swiss Army Knife of gravel wheels. They are equally suited for fast-paced racing or everyday adventure riding. The carbon wheels are available with your choice of black, silver, or red Nano centerlock hubs laced with Sapim CX-Ray spokes, and your choice of HG, MicroSpline, XDR, or N3W freehubs. Tune sells the Nano Gravel 45 wheels, starting at 2290 for the set. 2920 with ceramic bearings. They build them to order based on your spec in less than two weeks. Pick up a set from your local Tune dealer bike shop, or direct from the Tune webshop, now.Tune.deThe post Tune Nano Gravel 45 Carbon Wheels Go Light & Wide appeared first on Bikerumor.

The start of Attila Valters 2026 season with Bahrain - Victorious has been defined by a personal search that goes beyond results, after several years immersed in top-level demands. At 27, the former Visma | Lease a Bike rider - where he became a key cog in the collective - has chosen to change cour...

Progress building cycle routes has slowed in Q1 of this year and now at least temporarily ground to a halt, a city councillor has highlighted. Cllr Feljin Jose (Green Party) raised the issue towards the end of Dublin City Councils monthly council meeting on Monday night. The Quarterly Report of the Active Travel Programme Office for Q1 2026 left Cllr Jose wondering about the councils level of progress.He said: Just to understand, is it true to say that theres not a single active travel scheme under construction in Dublin City at the moment? Theres not a single one under construction, not counting snagging issues on projects that were finished a few years ago?I dont in the Trinity to Ballsbridge project has actually started in April, correct me if Im wrong. And the Dodder Greenway, Ringsend Bridge to Londonbridge Road, is finished. So theres nothing under construction, Cllr Jose said.We have a program of works thats 214 kilometres thats supposed to be built by 2030. There was a program. There was an update published today, which said we did half a kilometre in the last quarter. [At that rate], were talking 2 to 3km, I think it was 10km last year or something like that, he said.He said: Im looking at the last active travel report in January, [covering] Q4 2025, and almost every single project has been delayed since.I keep going out to residents, and they ask me when this project is going to start construction. I tell them a date for six months later, [then] its not happening, its embarrassing. Its embarrassing telling residents that something is going to happen here year after year, said Cllr Jose.He added: In my own area, the Ratoath Road project was supposed to be a consultation in Q4 last year. Now, its gonna be sometime this year. There was one [a consultation] done three years ago, and we havent seen the report. Its embarrassing passing on updates for management, especially on active travel, and just nothing happens.The discussion was cut short, incomplete and deferred to the next meeting, so there was no response from officials as there usually would be during the meeting. IrishCycle.com contacted Dublin City Council for comment on Tuesday. On Friday, a spokesperson for Dublin City Council said: Dublin City Council has a plan to commence construction on 11 Schemes throughout the course of 2026. Dublin City Council is working to deliver on that programme, and the commencement of the schemes on this programme is phased through the year to align with available budgets.The spokesperson added: Where any of these scheduled starts experience delays, Dublin City Council will look to commence construction on other schemes on the Active Travel Network.The Quarterly Report of the Active Travel Programme Office includes an update on the project titled Ratoath Road and Cappagh Road (Cabra to Blanchardstown), a route from Cabra to Finglas, which will eventually run to the north east area of Dublin 15 via Finglas.The report said: During this quarter, the preliminary design of the section from Westwood to the Fingal County boundary was undertaken, and this is scheduled for completion this April. The preliminary design of the section from Cabra Cross to Westwood is complete. The overall scheme design will be submitted to the NTA for approval this April.Once the review is complete and approval received from the NTA, the updated designs and Public Consultation Report will be published. In addition, consideration will be given to phasing the implementation of the scheme. A Public Information Event will take place at this time and preparation for this event has commenced, it said.The report added: The project will deliver 4.3km of walking and cycling measures from the junction of Navan Road/ Cabra Road to New Cross College, Cappagh Road at the border with Fingal County Council.

So what do you think makes a bicycle saddle gravity-ready, for the most extreme trails?Prologo says its a mix of durable impact-resistant construction, supportive padding, and grippy Slide Control. And realistically, it has to be pretty affordable too, because youd hate to see a really expensive saddle get shredded when you eat it big time off some killer sender.Prologo Proxim W460 gravity mountain bike saddle(Photos/Prologo)All inflated marketing hyperbole aside, this new Prologo Proxim W460 saddle does appear to have been smartly designed to offer the support & durability you need, while handling the inevitable abuse of gravity mountain bikes and heavy full-power eMTBs. The Proxim family was already a range of e-bike-tailored saddles. And a W450 model already offered this same V-shaped fit with an angular central pressure-relief zone down the middle. Whats new?This new W460 version further refines the Multi Sector System (MSS) zoned padding. It starts with higher density foam under your sit bones to offer solid support, then softer through the middle, but a bit stiffer in the nose to offer support on the steepest climbs. The new MSS design seems to have increased padding support all along the outer edges of the new Proxim W460 saddle, while softening up the central padding zones for even better comfort.Underneath, a new reinforced nylon basemade with recycled materials improves impact resistance. While up top, the updated geometric decoration of the saddle top includes new 3-dimensional printed-on Slide Control grippers that help mountain bike riders stay planted on steep, technical climbs.W460 Tech detailssemi-round saddle curve with a V-shaped overall profile durable synthetic microfiber PU cover, with Slide Control grippersmulti-sector zoned padding density for support & comfortfiber-reinforced nylon shell for added impact-resistance245mm long x 145mm wideclassic 7mm round rails in lightweight ti or recycled steel241g claimed weight with Tirox titanium rails294g claimed weight with Re-Steel recycled chromoly railsrated for downhill, freeride, enduro & eMTBPrologo Proxim W460 options & availabilityThe revamped Proxim W460 gravity saddle comes in one size, and in two different tough round rail versions. Pick up the W460 now with titanium rails for 109 or the recycled steel rails for just 79. Prologo sells the new Proxim W460 saddle now directly from their website, or via dealer bikeshops.Prologo.itThe post Prologo Proxim W460 is a Gravity-specific MTB Saddle For Extra Control on Extreme Trails appeared first on Bikerumor.

Just yesterday, we reported on the unveiling of Foxs 32 fork prototype. Well, it appears that SR Suntour is past the prototype stage with its 32 Raidon 34 fork. I dropped into the SR Suntour booth earlier today, and they were happy to show me the new fork, which, they say, is slated to retail for just $350.SR Suntour had the new Raidon 34 installed on a Quarry 32 hardtail frame. The biggest story here, however, is that this fork is in production and will soon be ready for anyone who is interested in building up a 32 wheeled bike. It has 34mm stanchions, 120mm of travel, and it uses the brands 2CR damper with an adjustable compression dial.The Raidon line is SR Suntours budget-friendly line of suspension forks, and thats definitely reflected in the $350 pricepoint. The folks in the booth said they started lower in their fork range to get the molds finished and get the forks performance figured out. Now, they say itll be easy to move up or down the range to bring it to higher and lower price and performance tiers.Regardless, it should be a low-cost way to experiment with 32 wheels if youre interested in the new wheel size.The post SR Suntour Joins the 32 Chat with the Affordable 32 Raidon 34 Fork appeared first on Bikerumor.

We figured it was only a matter of time before we started seeing mixed wheel bikes with 32 front wheels and 29 in the rear. Well, that time has apparently already come, and weve spotted a couple of examples of what will likely become a trend in the coming months. The first 32 mullet we spotted was in the Fox suspension service booth. Neko Mullaly is here racing in the Sea Otter downhill race, and he brought a super custom Frameworks bike. Frameworks bikes are pretty eye-catching on their own, but this one was obviously running a 29 rear wheel with a 32 wheel in the front. The Fox Podium fork reportedly had its travel reduced to 140mm to compensate for the larger wheel size, but beyond that, everything else looks pretty standard. Its not every day you see someone racing a DH with a Maxxis Aspen front tire, but welcome to the future.Sea Otters DH course is notoriously mellow, quite pedal-y, and generally smooth, so the 140mm fork and Maxxis Aspen 32 front tire should probably serve him well. The Pro DH race isnt until tomorrow, so it remains to be seen how the 32 mullet setup performs on course, but were excited to find out. Revel Experimental Labs Ti HardtailRevels new 32 Ti hardtail is here, and it can also be run as a mixed wheel setup. This seems like an obvious application for the 32 wheel size, and Revel is already figuring out how it works.Just a few days ago, we reported on Revels new Experimental Labs and the new 32 Ti hardtail. They have the full 32 bike here on display, but they also brought along a mullet version. It was on a rack in the Revel booth, so I didnt get the best picture of it, but it looks like its seen a few miles already. The full 32 version was getting the most attention, of course, but it appears to be a flexible platform that Revel is having fun with while figuring out the new wheel size.Revels sliding dropout system offers significant chainstay length adjustability while remaining UDH compatible. One thing working in Revels favor is the well-executed sliding dropout system that allows for significant changes to chainstay length. This should make it easy to switch between wheel sizes or dial the bike in to your preferred setup, while remaining UDH-compatible and convertible to a singlespeed if you want. Pretty slick.The post Spotted at Sea Otter: 32 Mullets are Already a Thing appeared first on Bikerumor.

Arnaud De Lie is a main star for a WorldTour team Lotto-Intermarch. He's a rider with strong finish, in particular after a hard day of racing... He can get over short hills, and knows how to ride on unpaved surfaces. And yet, for some reason, for a third season in a row De Lie has completely fallen...