Interbike 2008 Expo - Day 1 - Pedro’s Trixie Cassette Tool

September 25, 2008 by Matt Carter
Filed under Tools

Pedro’s Trixie

Specifically designed for the fixed gear rider, the Pedro’s Trixie is the urban survival tool with all the right pieces to keep that fixie rolling. Hardened tool steal give this tool a great feel and long lasting life.

15mm box end wrench
Lock ring hook
8.9.10mm box end wrenches
5mm hex
Of course, a bottle opener

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Tags: expo, Interbike, tools

2008 Interbike OutDoor Demo: Truvativ HammerSchmidt

September 23, 2008 by Matt Carter
Filed under Shifting

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The Cool Component: Truvativ Hammer Schmidt

The cool:

Crankset integrated shifting
No Front Derailleur
Integrated Chain Guide
No Cross-chaining the rear cassette – all gears accessible all the time
Increased ground clearance

The Details:
Two Versions — All Mountain and Free Ride

All Mountain is a 24/38 or 22/36 double chain ring equivalent weighs 1623 grams (incl BB)
Free Ride is a 22/36 or 22/36 double chain ring equivalent weighs 1785 grams (incl BB)

Both use dedicated shifters in the X0 or X9 product lines.

Price:
Around $750

The Review:
I rode the TruVative All Mountain Hammer Schmidt integrated front shift system. It worked as advertised – even when I plowed through the SRAM obstacle course knocking out some of the obstacles – but I never miss-shifted or dropped a chain. It shifted when pedaling backwards, forwards or when not pedaling at all. Ground clearance was great and even when you do hit something, you’re not going to damage a chain-ring or drop the chain. I’m looking forward to getting a longer test ride, the Hammer Schmidt equipped test bikes were in high demand at the Interbike Dirt Demo this year. This system is well sealed and looks to be up for serious abuse – and is still serviceable when needed.

Notes: It does require International Standard Chainguide tabs on the bike frame.
Info: http://www.magicmechanics.com

Tags: expos

2008 Interbike OutDoor Demo: 2009 Ventana El Chucho

September 23, 2008 by Matt Carter
Filed under 29er

1 Comment

The bike: 2009 Ventana El Chucho

The cool:
29” front wheel and 5” of front travel rolls over some pretty big obstacles
26” rear wheel accelerates faster, is stiffer and maintains standard gearing ratios
5.5” rear travel soaks up the bumps that the front rolls over
Rock solid rear suspension – no slop whatsoever

The luke warm:
Slightly slower 29’er steering
Need to carry two tubes on rides

The Options:
Shock options
Custom geometry, paint and sizes

The review:
If you’ve ever ridden a Ventana mountain bike you’re probably familiar with the solid trail feel that few other bikes can muster. The El Chucho is no exception. What makes this bike different is the 29” front wheel and the 26” rear wheel combines the benefits of both schools of current mountain bike design.
Now how does it ride? To me it feels a just like my two year old El Saltamontes. But the big front wheel on the El Chucho simply rolls over things where my Salty needs a little encouragement. The El Chucho also maintains the wheel stiffness and quick acceleration that most 29’ers lack since it sticks with a standard 26” rear wheel. It’s shorter (than a 29/29) wheelbase and standard 26’er gear ratio also make the El Chucho a quicker handling than any 29’er I’ve ridden. Great for attacking the steep and rocky trails we have in the Las Vegas area or any place where rocky technical conditions prevail.

Many of my riding buddies think it’s funny that Ventana hasn’t adopted a new fangled suspension design like all the other boutique mountain bike brands in the USA. But after riding the other brands, I still find the plushness and stiffness of a Ventana second to none. Sherwood Gibson has finely adjusted his faux bar suspension so that it performs at a higher level than most frames on the market.

Tags: Bike Reviews, expos, Interbike