Interbike 2010 - The Last Of The Best

Sep 28, 2010 at 15:38
by Mike Levy  
Is this the final Interbike update? I certainly hope so! I've put together all that remains into one tidy package for you to look through and dream. Inside you'll find photos and info on:

A new carbon bar and stem from Shimano's PRO Tharsis lineup
A young centaur, which is not to be confused with a minotaur
Speaking of half man, half animal, we also have Mark Weir's carbon Nomad
New wheels and carbon railed saddles from WTB
Fresh tools from Park
Formula's new hybrid rotor
Chub Rub for your meat
Shiny parts from e*thirteen, Chub, and The Hive

Read on...
photo
Yup, there is no doubt denying that the new PRO Tharsis stem looks unique, but with so many different stem options out there why not make it stand out a bit? This guy is part of the Shimano PRO Tharsis Trail carbon component lineup that is intended to be used on those all-mountain or everyday steeds. The majority of the Tharsis stem is made from carbon, with only the faceplate, bolts, proprietary top cap, and the thin internal skeleton being made of metal. The steerer clamp bolts have been placed off center and the back of the stem is smooth to limit pain if and when your knee hits it, and the body is built with a 6 degree rise/drop and designed to be flipped if you so desire. The Tharsis stem is pictured here with titanium bolts, something that may put off some, but they are able to go this route due to the shape of the faceplate that takes much of the load off of the bolts. I've read some criticism of the new Tharsis stem using titanium bolts and the reason why wasn't clearly explained. Now you know! All this adds up to a 130 gram final product.

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There is a Tharsis bar as well, done in carbon, naturally. It uses the same matte finish as the stem and post and is made using unidirectional carbon with a titanium reinforced center section. If you don't have enough titanium or carbon on your bike yet, these bits would be an easy way to remedy that! The 710 mm wide bar has 20 mm of rise, 8 backsweep, and 4 upsweep. Total weight of 195 grams.

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Who knew that there is so much going on in a shoe?! Besides doing complete drivetrains and brakes, as well as too many other components, tools, and accessories to list under the PRO name, Shimano also has a complete shoe lineup. Included in their catalog is everything from triathlon and road shoes, to kicks made for flat pedals and full-on carbon soled SPD numbers. This display is of their top tier MTB shoe that includes a custom forming foot bed. I can count 30 different pieces that need to be put together to make a single shoe, how many do you see?

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I'm not sure what relevance this teen aged centaur had to the rest of the Surly booth, but I'm sure he played an important role in one way or another. I did take a photo after all, right?

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WTB had pro badass Mark Weir's carbon Nomad up on display in their booth. Equipped with Fox Kashima goodness and a mix of WTB and Shimano XTR parts, this was one impressive ride. Word is that he is training exclusively on a single 76 tooth chain ring throughout the winter.

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Also on the WTB grounds was their new Stryker All-Mountain wheels. These hoops look very promising and feature a 23 mm internal width for use with all of the high volume AM tires out there now. The rim bead meets the strict UST standard, meaning that you can run stupid low tire pressures without having to worry about tearing the tire off in the middle of a high G corner. They'll come already taped and equipped with a tubeless valve stem from the factory which will make setup that much quicker and easier, and should make for a reliable setup when paired with WTB's TCS tires that use a UST bead with a standard casing. Pour in some sealant, which you'd do even if it was a full tubeless tire just to be safe, and you have a system that is not only lighter than a complete UST setup, but more reliable than a standard tubed system as well.

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Are you a Syndicate fan? WTB has got you covered with their latest Silverado team replica seat. You may be half the age of Peat and not even close to half as fast, but at least you can look the part.

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Mmmmmmm, carbon. This is the new WTB Valcon saddle and it's really cool. Oh, you want real info? First off, don't think this is some leg shaving, skinny guy road-only saddle. Weir has been running one on his steed (see photo above) and has had zero issues. It is light as hell though at only 165 grams. The important numbers are 133 mm wide and 274 mm long.

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You'll feel silly for not thinking of this one earlier. There you are in the shop, wrenching on a customer's bike that doesn't have pedals on it (something that is common when working in a shop) when you need to run the bike through its gears. You either have to turn the crank arm with your fingers or thread in a pedal - I always had some old ratty platform nearby to do the job - but this inexpensive tool makes things quicker and easier. The tip is tapered and sized just right as to fit into the pedal hole and it spins on the rubber handle, just push it in and you have a make believe pedal. I'm sure some of you are questioning the need for the Park DP-1 Dummy Pedal, but with a MSRP of only $10 USD and in a shop setting where speed counts, it makes complete sense. Am I a nerd if I want one for home use?

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Torx head hardware is slowly catching on, which is a good thing in my books. As high end parts are getting lighter and lighter, the limits of the bolts are being pushed as well, with smaller and shallower heads or softer metals like titanium being used. Making the move to Torx will frustrate some for sure due to needing yet another tool, but this is one change that I can get behind. New for '11 from Park is the TWS-3 Torx wrench. You'll find T10, T25, and T30 bits on it, which are the sizes you'll need adjust most Torx equipped parts.

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Park again, this time with a mini sized chain tool that is sturdy enough to double for use in the shop. There are a ton of pint sized chain tools out there, but most of them are not anything one would brag about owning (who brags about their tools anyway? Oh wait, I do...), but the new Park CT-6.2 uses a cast steel body with a folding stainless steel case that doubles as a handle. The business end of the 6.2 features a shelf to make loosening tight links easier and it will come with a spare pin as well. Is it weird that I like tools more than bikes?

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There are important tools, and then there are tools that are mandatory. This Park pizza cutter falls into that category, but just below the all important blue handled wobbly pop bottle opener and BBQ utensils.

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One of only a few in existence, this brand new hybrid rotor from Formula was kept under glass. The floating rotor design uses steel rivets to attach the braking surface to the aluminum carrier, which is said to do a better job of dissipating heat, as well as being much more robust than a thin steel spider. Also, it looks really freaking cool!

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e*thirteen with colorful rings in pretty much any size that you'd like.

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The e*thirteen crank isn't exactly new, but it's spindle is impressive enough to show off again and again. The polygon spindle is said to be 200%+ stiffer than 24mm steel spindles commonly used in external bearing cranksets and the interface provides 100% surface contact between spindle and crankarm. I was told that the same sort of system was employed on the drive shafts of massive tanks - pretty cool stuff! The new DH version is shipping now as well.

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Not like I need an excuse to eat steak more often than I already try to, but this meat rub certainly needs to be tested asap. Steak for breakfast tomorrow?


This is where I'd usually tell you to stay tuned for more Interbike coverage... but not this time. I hope you enjoyed our Interbike updates this year because we're done! Let us know how you think we did below!

Author Info:
mikelevy avatar

Member since Oct 18, 2005
2,032 articles

57 Comments
  • 41 0
 That pizza cutter is probably illegal in some states.
  • 3 15
flag vineet (Oct 6, 2010 at 1:03) (Below Threshold)
 why?
  • 2 14
flag bloodypalace (Oct 6, 2010 at 1:03) (Below Threshold)
 And why is that?
  • 15 1
 Because it looks like a weapon, haha.
  • 6 1
 i love my pizza cutter from Park tools. Its the best quality pizza cutter ever.
  • 4 13
flag sortafast (Oct 6, 2010 at 11:01) (Below Threshold)
 probably illegal in the UK or you have to be over 18 and get a background check to buy one over there.
  • 4 1
 ha ha most things are illegal over here so i wouldnt be supprised lol
  • 9 1
 I think the Uk can speak for themselfs Smile
  • 7 1
 Illegal in the UK? Background checks? Its a f*cking pizza cutter mate.
  • 6 0
 haha you yanks need to be 21 one to buy booze legally and just getting past your customs is a joke in itself, i'm pretty sure you wouldn't need a background check to buy one of those bad boys in the UK
  • 1 3
 ha, at least I can buy machineguns and machineguns>getting through customs or legally buying booze. Meh, who cares everyone starts drinking when they are 12 so thats a moot point. Besides, last I heard you had to be 18 to buy a kitchen knife and your scissors can't have tips on them. I also thought I heard something about everyone over there having to pee sitting down to save the earth from global warming or something. Come to think of it, I think my wife owns more guns than the entire civilian population of england.
  • 5 1
 yeah i concede, the fact that your wife owns guns totally makes it cool...
  • 2 0
 HOW DOES IT LOOK LIKE A WEAPON?! are you on crack?
  • 1 1
 Yeah, what the hell are you guys yapping about? It looks like a f*ckin normal pizza cutter.
  • 10 0
 My fave is Mark weir's carbon Nomad...
  • 1 5
flag flikende (Oct 6, 2010 at 1:15) (Below Threshold)
 i'm wondering if that is the new xt stuff, cause that doesn't look like xtr
  • 5 0
 You talking about the cranks the say XTR on them? Wink
  • 1 1
 the left crank arm looks like xt. and its all black.
  • 4 0
 Except that it clearly says XTR, if you look close.
  • 1 0
 The e*thirteen polygon interface is just the sexiest innovation I have seen in years, and my Dad drove tanks for a living,4RTR. love it , you can show it for me again and again again and again again and again, sexy metal, what has become of me.
  • 1 1
 As good as the crankset sounds, I've read the installation instructions, and it sounds like it's a real pain in the ass to install. So much so that it might be enough to steer me away from this product.
  • 2 0
 For most installations, all you need is the typical BB spacers (68mm = 3, 73mm = 1...same as Shimano) and the wavy washer to keep the preload. Other than that, I've been on the DH cranks since May...havn't touched them since install. Simple and they work. Also, those are the new 4mm DH rings. -phil @ theHive
  • 1 0
 I guess my confusion was over steps 3-6 for installing the left crankarm, and the need to install the crank 2-3 times in order to ensure the correct number of spacers. Also, knowing when the end of the spindle is in contact with polygon pocket seems a bit confusing (ie. if you had one too many spacers, you could torque down the crank, think it's good, but how would you crank was all the way onto the spindle?).

The instructions might make a bit more sense with good diagrams, but I find the black & white diagrams in the instructions difficult to interpret (particularly diagram # 6 for the left crank installation).

Of course, this process is probably self-explanatory when the crankset is in your hands. But, when researching a new product on-line, and not having the product in your hands to figure it out, it seemed more complicated than my current raceface x-type setup.

Edit:
Also, the need for a pin spanner for the SE assembly kind of sucks. My toolbox is getting kind of full.
  • 1 0
 The FifteenG instructions are a bit outdated. Both XC and DH cranks come with updated (e*thirteen style) instructions, as well as Torx wrenches (bolts) and the BB tool (works with Shimano External Tool and M10 allen). I'll see if I can kick Graphics into a web-version of those instructions.
  • 1 0
 That sounds great, because they certainly do like like a very high quality crank, and I'm definitely interested in getting a set.
  • 2 0
 Who brags about their tools??? anyone who works in a workshop thats for sure!! my old shop was snap-on boxes all lined up for the old "whos is bigger"
Mine was average. no need for excess Wink
  • 1 0
 the pizza cutters are amazing, I've got one and it cuts through anything...although it's started to corrode a bit...wonder if its still covered under their lifetime warranty?? Razz
  • 1 0
 No way, I saw that bike up close and personal. Its legit, the Shimano booth had XTR allover it. The sweetest parts were the xtr brake pads w/ cooling fins! crazy that bike is 28lbs.
  • 1 0
 yea, Carbon Nomad is just amazing. I calculated once how much can you bring the weight down with that thing, still having durable components. It was under 25lbs incl XTR pedals!

Highlights: Fox 36 float fork, Float RP23 shock, Easton Haven carbon wheels, conti Mking tyres (SS/UST), RF Next SL cranks, single e13 ring on MRP lopes ChG, sram XX casette with XTR mech/shifter, Edge bars on Point One stem, Formula R1 brakes on Ashima rotors, Ti/alu hardware - and more of this kind of ridiculously light yet strong stuff.
  • 3 0
 Chub Rub.... "Rub some on your meat today!" Needed a good laugh today and that was it!! :-)
  • 1 0
 +1
  • 1 1
 The last words I ever heard from WTB customer service when I lived in the USA - "Someone will call you back today." and that was finally getting contact after multiple unanswered emails and phone calls to them over many months.

Some other words from WTB - "We've never heard of that problem before." even though I saw on forums that others had called and emailed WTB about the same problem.

When something is wrong out of the box, then you'll need good customer service. That's why I don't buy or recommend WTB, especially when there are similar products out there.
  • 1 1
 Pink Bike.... The so called biggest online mtb source out there, and only a few articles with pictures of new products for 2011. Most of the pictures were filled with goofy stuff at the show, which is cool dont get me wrong. But you guys have a big enough crew and staff at the show that I would have figured you would have had me overloaded with new bling 2011 bits by now. Im just saying Im disappointed.
( just so you dont think Im just picking on you, I feel the same way about NSMB and Bike Radar, however Bike Radar did do a pretty good job at covering the EuroBike Im just not a full on roadie yet so I was hoping for a little more from the local scene )

Next year, more pics at least ?? Thanks.
  • 1 0
 There were over 20 Interbike stories (24 I think?), and even more from Eurobike. That is more than just "a few articles with pictures of new products for 2011". I guess doing 18 hour days isn't enough. Next year I'll let the crew know that sleeping isn't an option. They'll be disappointed...
  • 1 0
 Links ?? Or can you please post a directory with all the Interbike stories you did. Thanks I must have missed most of them.
( 18 hours a day, welcome to the world of journalism. Imagine how the journalists at say the olympics must have felt after 2 weeks of games and deadlines to meet, Keep up the good work Mike. )
  • 3 1
 that pedal dummy tool. is so obvious, why hasn't it been invented before?!?!
  • 2 8
flag bryantaber (Oct 6, 2010 at 6:21) (Below Threshold)
 because a screwdriver worx just as well.
  • 8 0
 i think we all know that it doesnt though, does it.
  • 3 0
 Sexy cranks with tank technology... awesome!
  • 2 0
 i want the hiveeeeeeeeeeeeeee cranks already! tup
  • 2 1
 Hell yeah, I just forked out dough for the m-815 saints. I shouldve deliberated a little longer. Them Hive shits are sweeeeet!!! Plus ... Any new technology with the word Polygon in it immediately gives me chub. Might as well buy some chub rub while I'm at it. Polygon..... Polygon......... Love it.. Poly...... Gon.... Oh Yeah .... polygon....... pooooolllllllyyyy Goooonnn!!!!!!
  • 1 0
 Agreed! when are the hive coming out? i may be a lil nooby......
  • 1 0
 They've been out for about 6 mos now, less money than the new saints. 275.00 - 300.00 USD. I dont know one person who owns a set yet. I'm sure if DW had anything to do with the design, I'm sure they are bullet proof. They are defntly lighter than the Rf Atlas and Shimno Saint group. I got to see them in person at the Hive tent at the US open. The BB and crankset together weigh less than just the crankset alone from said competitors.
  • 2 1
 "which is said to do a better job of dissipating head"...i think we all know its meant to say heat right...???
  • 1 0
 That Pizza Cutter was around 20 years ago when I worked in a bike shop, never bought one then, think I will now !
  • 1 0
 The 76 tooth chainring was a joke. It would be a third wheel if it existed.
  • 1 0
 e-thirtenn just keep getting better and better, im gonna have to get myself a blue chainring soon
  • 1 0
 I have that ring. its a good ring for singlespeed. get it.
  • 1 0
 dudes i want those formula rotors and i dont care what you say im determined to get them
  • 1 0
 76 tooth chainring huh? Mark Weir is a monster.
  • 3 0
 Pretty sure it was a joke. Kind of like the Syncros 1000mm handlebars at interbike.
  • 1 0
 NO!!! Not done, Must have more! Frown
  • 1 0
 sic!!!!!
  • 1 2
 I knew Weir was an animal but "he is training exclusively on a single 76 tooth chain ring" WOW!?
  • 1 0
 It was a joke...
  • 1 0
 I don't think lightness is the only concern with the new Tharsis line.







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