BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
FOX
Fox’s ‘designed and tested by riders, for riders’ 2010 mountain bike range will star at the Whittlebury Hall show.
The 2010 collection was designed with one goal in mind – to create the ultimate collection of riding gear that serious mountain bike enthusiasts will embrace.
Fox says: “We’ve taken great care to dial in our products down to the smallest details. From our selection of performance fabrics, strategically placed mesh venting, and stretch panelling in critical movement areas, to our detachable sunglass/goggle wipe on our shorts and our audio interface design (featuring smart routing for headphone cables) – every detail speaks to functional performance when you’re on your bike.”
The range includes innovative new ideas, twists on some old favourites and top performing legacy products. The V3R helmet is among the range highlights. Fox has taken its bestselling V3 helmet and re-engineered it specifically for the bike market, trimming weight by using carbon fibre in the shell lay up.
Other range highlights include the Launch Pro kneepad. The soft shell pad comes with a hard plastic knee insert and features ergonomic design for comfort and stability when charging hard through the roots and rocks. The Titan sport jacket, meanwhile, is a new upper body suit for the gravity set with hard shell plastic protection covering the back, shoulders, chest, and arms, with a mesh ventilated chassis for maximum comfort when railing the berms.
Other highlights includes the Ventilator Short. New for 2010, the Ventilator features a super lightweight shell with a shorter out seam, specifically designed for hot weather rides when the humidity is high. Ventilation ports and a detachable inner mesh short optimise the air flow, and the new high performance Evo chamois gives riders comfort in the saddle all day long.
The new Titan Sport Jacket – an upper body suit for the gravity set –promises not to break the bank with its retail price and offers hard shell plastic protection on the back, shoulders, chest, and arms, with a mesh ventilated chassis for maximum comfort when railing those berms.
Fox has taken its bestselling V3 helmet and created the V3R – a re-engineered version boasting less weight via its use of carbon fibre in the shell.
Fox will also be showing off its 2010 Dirt Shirt collection, which uses a unique bamboo fabric that is wicking and anti-microbial. The firm has adorned these shirts with t-shirt graphics from its sportswear range, combining high performance with street appeal.
HOPE
Hope is still knocking top-notch products out from its Barnoldswick base and there will be plenty of exciting new bits to be seen come January.
The new Race X2 brake is perhaps the biggest development and product in the 2010 line-up. The Mono Mini X2 Pro has been in the range for some time now and promises to take the lightweight brake market to the next level.
Enter the Race X2 caliper. This is an all-new master cylinder assembly, with refined CNC machining and top-of-the-line, race-ready specification with a weight of 280g including bolts.
Since introducing its pre-built wheels some two years ago, the range has steadily increased. Now, for 2010, Hope has taken that a step further with the introduction of four road wheelsets including 50mm carbon wheels. The manufacturer now has in-house capabilities with a state-of-the-art custom wheel-building machine and a dedicated department taking care of every aspect of wheel production has been set up too. Hubs are hand-built, then hand-laced into the extensive rim range. The CNC lacing, tensioning and truing machine then builds the wheel to within .30mm before each unit is hand-finished. All carbon wheels are hand-built throughout.
Hope’s diversification into new product just keeps going and going. Retailers at Core will be able to see the revamped stem range, which has been completely redesigned for 2010. XC stems have a new body, which means less weight, though dimensions all stay the same. The DH/FR stem (50 and 70mm) now has a three-bolt steerer fixing and, again, redesigned bodies. The two new introductions, though, are the four-bolt direct mount and the Boxxer and Fox 40 top crown combinations.
The direct mount uses the IS recognised four-bolt fixing, making it suitable for Boxxers, Fox 40s and many other forks. The super-low design allows discerning gravity riders the chance to get their bars in the lowest position possible, while the neat styling and knee-friendly design offer style, strength and precision handling.
Dealers specialising in road should take note of Hope’s pre-built range, which consists of four wheelsets, including 50mm carbon wheels. Hubs are handbuilt in Barnoldswick, then hand-laced into the extensive rim range. The CNC lacing, tensioning and truing machine then builds the wheel to within .30 of a mm before Hope staff hand-finish them.
For more on the products and services on show at Core Bike 2010 click on the links below:
2pure and Buffera
Chicken Cycle-Kit and Citrus-Lime
Cordee and Extra
