Gear Watch Wednesday is a weekly update on the latest mountain bike gear releases and products that Singletracks has received for test. Have gear news to share, or products you’d like us to check out? Email [email protected].
We’ve been saying this for a long time and it bears repeating: It’s a great time to be a mountain biker. This week’s gear watch is full of bikes and gear items that are sized for more riders than ever before, from extra-small bike to extra-large grips and eyewear.
Canyon Neuron:ON
Canyon has new color updates, freshly fit with a refined component spec for their latest Neuron:ON e-bike. The bike squishes around on a 130mm rear axle path, and 120 or 130mm at the helm, depending on the build spec. The smallest two frame sizes get a pair of 27.5″ wheels, while riders with longer inseams will have paired 29″ tires gripping the earth.
- Prices: €3,799 to €5,499
- Available at Canyon.com.
Cotic BFeMAX
The UK brand’s popular hardtail is back in stock with a few new colors to choose from. A steel BFeMAX frame can be built up with a 120 to 160mm fork to accompany its 29″ wheels and shred-ready geometry. With the new magenta and “Cotic Blue” colors, there are no boring options for this bike.
- Price: Frame only £575, and complete bikes start at £2125.
- Available: Pre-order now for June arrival via Cotic.co.uk.
Etnies Camber CL MTB
Legendary skateboard brand Etnies has been designing BMX and MTB flat pedal shoes for a bit, and now they have a sweet Camber CL clipless option for riders who like that complete connection. These new shoes include a nylon shank to stiffen the pedal platform, a velcro strap in addition to the laces for proper cinching, and an ankle cuff that adds protection and keeps the loam out.
- Price: $180
- Available at Amazon.
Fizik Terra Atlas Shoes
These new Terra Atlas kicks from Fizik are XYZ-Country-approved. The brand says these shoes are up for any sort of riding, from gravel roads to singletracks. The BOA-laced upper is connected to a grippy sole and well-perforated upper. They come in four great looking colors, including Grey/Black, Pink/Grape, Black/Black, and Army.
- Price: $159, £159, €159
- Available at Chain Reaction Cycles.
Giro Merit Helmet
New ways to protect your brain abound! Giro’s new Merit helmet has 15 vents to cool your dome, a MIPS layer to help manage rotational impacts, dual-density foam for those direct impacts, and some anti-stank padding. Oh, and the visor is goggle-approved, with a little gripper across the back to keep the strap in place. Watch for a full review of the merit in the coming months.
- Price: $220, €199.99, £189
- Available at your local Giro dealer.
LEM Spyne Helmet
LEM has a new, fully featured helmet called the Spyne, and it incorporates the brand’s own form of rotational impact protection called GelMotion. The “enduro-style” helmet features a Fid-lock buckle and a visor that’s said to work well for goggle and eyewear storage. Priced at $150, buyers seem to get a lot of bang for their buck.
- Price: $150
- Available at LEM Helmets.
Liv Embolden
With 120mm of suspension travel out back and a 130mm fork, this new aluminum Embolden from Liv could be a sweet trail introduction. The Embolden uses a single-pivot design with flex in the chain and seat stays in place of a rearward pivot to simplify things. This is the first aluminum model we’ve seen with this suspension configuration. The three smaller sizes roll on 27.5″ wheels, while the size large gets 29er hoops.
- The two Embolden builds will retail for $1,800 and $2,250.
- Available: Head over to the Liv site for further details.
Muc-off e-bike drivetrain tool
There’re been an explosion of eMTB-specific gear over the past few years, and some of the stuff borders on the ridiculous. At first glance the Muc-off e-bike drivetrain tool seems a little silly, but it does solve a real-world problem, so maybe it’s not so bad? Of course you don’t need a special tool to cycle the chain backward on your eMTB, but having the right tool for the right job can make things more enjoyable.
- Price: $34.99
- Available at Muc-off.
PNW Loam XL grips
A number of our reviewers have tried the PNW Loam grips over the past couple of years, and now the brand has an XL, larger-diameter version available for purchase. Our test pair weighs 121.6g and the single-clamp grip appears to taper slightly toward the inside edge. The Loam XL grips are said to sport a 34mm diameter, compared to the originals which are 30mm around. Available at PNW for $24 in multiple colors.
- Price: $24
- Available at PNW Components.
Tifosi Swank XL
‘Large’ is so last season; bring on the XL for 2022! Not only are PNW’s grips going XL, Tifosi also just released an XL version of their popular Swank lifestyle sunglasses. The larger lens promises to add additional protection and like the originals, these are offered in multiple lens and color combinations. With prices starting at $29.95, losing these glasses on the trail probably won’t result in a stream of four-letter expletives back at the car.
Wolftooth centerlock rotor rings
Wolftooth has new center lock rotor lockrings available in eight colors, including the regal purple pictured above. The rings can be installed using a standard lockring tool and are manufactured in the USA using 7075-T6 aluminum.
- Price: $15.95
- Available at Wolf Tooth Components.
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