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].
Starling Cycles Beady Little Eye
The Starling Cycles Beady Little Eye is a single-speed, chromoly steel mountain bike with 90mm of rear suspension travel that the brand says is “one of a kind.” Buyers can choose to run a 110-140mm fork, and the bike is designed to fit matched 27.5″ or 29″ wheels, or mixed wheels.
- Price: £2,456 (frame only)
- Order from starlingcycles.com thru October 31
Muc-off electric inflator
Mini electric tire inflators are going mainstream. Muc-off just introduced the AirMach, a battery-powered portable pump capable of inflating a couple of tires up to 100psi. It weighs 114g with the case and the battery is said to charge in about 25 minutes.
- Price: $115
- Buy from Muc-off
Lauf Elja
The Lauf Elja trail and XC bikes launched last week and the design is turning some heads. The carbon bikes feature a single-pivot suspension design that Lauf says is designed to be laterally stiff thanks to oversized bearings and the rear triangle’s braced design. Though the brand is known for their leaf-spring suspension fork, the Elja uses good-old air shocks front and rear.
- Price: From $4,590 (all builds include a SRAM Eagle Transmission wireless drivetrain)
- Buy from laufcycles.com
Santa Cruz Vala comes after the Heckler
The new Santa Cruz Vala electric mountain bike features the same 160/150mm of front/rear suspension travel as the Heckler eMTB, but uses a four-bar suspension design instead of VPP. It’s also got a 600Wh battery paired with the new 85Nm Bosch CX motor. All builds feature mixed wheels and carbon frames, with a range extender battery available for purchase separately.
- Price: $7,299 – $12,799
- Buy from Jenson USA
Fair Bicycle Drop Best delivers angle and offset adjustment for RockShox Reverb AXS posts
Fair Bicycle offers offset adjustment hardware for various seat posts, and they just added a version that works with RockShox Reverb AXS dropper posts. With the hardware, riders can offset the saddle 27mm forward or backward in addition to angle adjustments.
- Price: About $158
- Buy from fairbicycle.com
Co-Op Cycles DRT E1.1 hardtail eMTB
REI house brand Co-Op Cycles recently introduced their first hardtail electric mountain bike, the DRT E1.1. It’s a pretty basic aluminum bike with a coil suspension fork and nine-speed drivetrain, powered by a 500Wh battery and 75Nm Bosch Performance Line motor.
- Price: $3,199
- Buy from REI
Handup Trail Rambler shorts
The all-new Handup Trail Rambler shorts are essentially the first from the brand to prioritize technical features like laser-cut holes and a nylon/spandex material. With five pockets, these aren’t short-shorts either, offering extended coverage with no knee pad gap.
- Price: $74
- Buy from Handup
Stan’s Biobased Bicycle Care Collection
Known for their tubeless tire sealant and wheelsets, Stan’s just introduced a new Biobased Bicycle Care Collection which includes bike wash, suspension oil, grease, and chain lube. The items are free of environmentally harmful PTFE and toxic substances like Toluene and Organophosphate.
- Price: Varies
- Buy from stans.com
Norco Sight VLT CX
The updated Norco Sight VLT CX electric mountain bike is almost 20% lighter than the previous version, and it’s said to be quieter too. Much of the weight savings comes from the new Bosch Performance Line CX motor that’s paired with 160/150mm of suspension travel for a highly capable trail/all-mountain ride.
- Price: TBD
- Buy starting Spring 2025
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Oct 2, 2024