MTB News Mix is a weekly update of all things mountain biking where we cover new products, pro race results, trail news, and more.
Are you really a mountain bike brand if you don’t have a gravel bike? At this point, it looks like that’s a solid no. Evil Bikes seemed like the least likely brand to come out with a gravel bike — they actually don’t even have a hardtail in their lineup, but they went all in on the Chamois Hagar, (Yes, that’s what their new bike is called).
The Chamois Hagar is a 700c-wheeled machine in all-black. While it may be made for drop bars, Evil put their wicked touches on it and went with a 50mm tire clearance, 430mm chainstays, a reach made for a 50mm stem, and a slack, slack, slack 66.67° head tube angle.
There are seven water bottle cage mounts, the ability to run either a 1x or 2x drivetrain, and it’s made to accept internally routed dropper posts.
The Chamios Hagar definitely blurs the lines between mountain and gravel bike, which seems like exactly what they were after. Check out the Evil Bikes website for more info.
Rebecca Rusch leaves Niner Bikes
After five years, Rebecca Rusch is moving on to new wheels, or at least a new frame. Rusch has been a Niner athlete since 2015, and has had some major projects with the brand, like her Ho Chi Minh trail journey in Vietnam and the growth of her title event, Rebecca’s Private Idaho. Niner says that they are “naturally saddened to see her go, yet supportive of her opportunity, ecstatic for her success, and thrilled by everything she achieved at Niner.”
Muc-Off launches technical equipment brand, Lab.94
Muc-Off has made a solid business by formulating one of the most renowned bike wash fluids for decades, and has been expanding into all bicycle maintenance items, like chain lubes, tire sealant, and even waterless bike wash over the past couple of years. Their products are an homage to their wet environment in the UK.
Now, Muc-Off is taking the same philosophy to a new technical equipment brand, Lab. 94. Lab. 94 debuts with a handful of items including a hydration pack, a hygiene bag, and an “essentials” bag for packing a small tool kit on big rides, or keeping cords and small electronics organized off-the-bike.
The Ride Pack looks the most appetizing, with a roll top, a MOLLE system for attaching other items, a laptop sleeve inside, 20L of storage capacity, and a 3L hydration bladder.
Formula adds coil fork option to the mix
Coil suspension has gained popularity over the past few years, especially for gravity riders. The new Formula Selva C adds a coil spring which differentiates itself from the brand’s air fork.
The Selva C has the same damping as other models in the Formula Selva family, and gives riders four different coils to choose from: soft, medium, firm, and super firm.
Formula also makes their Compression Tuning System (CTS) highly customizable and offers seven different, interchangeable CTS valves with different damping tunes. The Selva C starts at $1,048. Find out more information on the Formula website.
Niner employee project bike is a tribute to the outdoors
Niner graphic designer and Colorado native Nate Adams wanted something special to commemorate his love for the outdoors. What better way than to make his mountain bike a tribute to his other love, fishing, and the Colorado state fish, the Greenback Cutthroat Trout.
Adams worked with custom painter Made Rad by Tony, after he saw that Tony Baumann had done a custom pain job for pro rider Bryn Atkinson. Adams decided to skip color-matched components in lieu of normal black to not take away from the one-of-a-kind paint job.
YT Mob athletes are finalized for 2020 World Cup
YT announced their athlete list for the World Cup ready YT Mob downhill team. Leading the pack is Angel Suarez, who YT announced would lead the team solo in 2019. Unfortunately, Suarez was injured in the opening round of the World Cup this year, and sat out the rest of the season.
Joining Suarez is David Trummer, who had three top ten finishes in 2019, as well as Oisin O’Callaghan, and Guy Johnston, up-and-coming racers from Ireland and New Zealand, respectively.
Effetto Mariposa tire plug tools fit inside hollow cranks or bar ends
Italian brand Effetto Mariposa has a few interesting items to add to their 2020 catalog. The Tappabuco (Italian for hole plugger), will work as a bar plug on flat or drop bars, and can fit inside most hollow cranks. The plug tools are made in two different sizes, geared towards mountain or road size punctures.
Effetto Mariposa also released a frame strap for equipping the essentials on a ride, and a gravel sized version of their Tyreinvader tire insert.
Sea Otter coming to Australia in 2020
Sea Otter continues to expand its events across the globe, adding a festival in Stromlo Forest Park, Canberra, Australia October 2-5, 2020. Early sponsors include Bikecorp, Pushy’s, Trek, Bosch, Dawson Sports Group, Bike Box and FE Sports. Expect to see a similar format to other Sea Otter events with racing, an expo, and festive atmosphere set in a location with a strong cycling culture.
Liv Ladies AllRide mountain bike skills camp registration opens
Registration is now open for 2020 Liv Ladies AllRide mountain bike clinics taking place in six US states from Arizona to Vermont. This year SRAM is co-sponsoring, and most camps tend to sell out quickly.
Deschutes debuts WOWZA! low-cal hazy IPA in cans
We just received Deschutes latest canned offering dubbed WOWZA! in the mail this week and it promises to be a favorite among mountain bikers. This low-cal, 4% ABV hazy IPA is said to feature reduced gluten content carbs and Chicory Root to balance the beer’s sweetness.
