Spotted at the EWS : Prototypes, Secret Bikes and a new E-MTB
It’s amazing what you can turn up if you prowl the pits of an EWS. We had a little dig round in the pit tents, and occasionally in the back of vans to see what’s coming soon to the scene.
Officially this bike does not exist. There is NO bike in this photo and Sam Hill was NOT riding a carbon Nukeproof Mega to second place in the EWS. We would love to tell you more about this bike, about the angles and specifications, but it does not exist – so we cannot. There is nothing to see here – move along.
For those of us riding in the early noughties, we will probably remember the original Hope 6-pots, the Hope 6 Mono Ti. At the time, they were revolutionary with enough power to slow down the heavyweight DH bikes of the era. With the growing proliferation of portly E-MTB’s and in the hunt for more power, it looks like the Hope race team were riding a 6 piston version of their popular M4. Stay tuned for more information.
Interestingly, we were surprised to see how many Shockwiz devices were fitted to race bikes this weekend. Damien Oton and Jerome Clementz were both pulling data from the devices. It seems that not only is the device popular with beginner and intermediate riders, that they can be useful for the world’s fastest riders too.
Hidden in the back of a van was this new creation about to hit the market from Fatlab Components. Working directly from Taiwan, owner Marvin Besselink has developed this awesome looking 150mm 29er, which will be labeled the Squish 150. Numbers are still a little secret but we heard talk of somewhere around 450 mm for the reach in Large, a 66.5-degree head angle and 74-degree seat angle. The Squish 150 will run on 29-inch wheels and be compatible with up to 3-inch 27.5 plus too.
The Marmite of bikes – some love the function over form design – others cannot get their head around those quirky lines. What is certain though, is that it’s fast. Marin team racer Leigh Johnson piloted the Wolf Ridge to 31st overall. We will bring you a full bike check on the 160 mm Naild R3ACT Suspension machine very soon.
For those of you who are feeling the lure of electro-trickery, you will be excited to see the new Chain Reaction Cycles house brand, Vitus, has a new E-MTB about to hit the market. Details are still not finalised but the new E-Sommet will use the same proven geometry of the Sommet (albeit with longer chainstays) and Shimano’s potent M-8000 drive unit. Best of all is that the base model should start under €3500 euros.
While not a new bike, it was great to see the new Pivot Mach 5.5 in the flesh. The Pivot Mach 5.5 is a bike we can get behind. Not only does it have a geometry so aggressive that it would make a Pitbull cower in the corner, but it is also sexy as hell. Mixing 160/140 mm of travel with the new Maxxis WT 2.6 tyres this is a bike that will go fast anywhere. You can read our first impressions here.
The star of the show. The new Ibis HD4 was hiding in plain sight under their race team. While black and grey HD4’s have already been ridden in the last EWS, the dark colour scheme managed to slip under the radar. The cat is now out of the bag as there’s no hiding this distinctive bright red fade! Longer, lower and slacker than the current HD3, we grabbed team racer Robin Walner to find out more. For the full specification and details, check here.
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