Happy New Year one and all, if your new year’s resolution is to hang some nice shiny parts off your MTB (and if it isn’t, it should be) then you have come to the right place for some suggestions on where you might wish to start.
Williams Racing Products
Calm down F1 fans, the grand prix team is not getting into the MTB scene. This Williams is the brainchild of Mic Williams, an Australian engineer and bike racer based in Victoria, where all his creations are designed and made. This includes frame linkages to allow for a mullet setup, custom made stems to accommodate all sorts of needs, and a particularly trick freewheel system, the CentreHub.
The CentreHub works by, essentially, moving the freehub mechanism in your rear hub to the BB. The advantages of this, with this design, are that you can change gear as long as the bike is moving, the suspension is isolated from pedalling forces (similar to the O-Chain System) and instant pedal engagement, thanks to the sprag clutch. The only potential issue I can see with this is that the chain is constantly moving if the rear wheel is, even if you crash, so if your leg is up against the chain at any point during a crash, you might not have a lot of fun with it (I know from experience with a similar setup). WRP does recommend using a chain guide with the system, so that me provide some protection. ‘But what about the engagement of the hub?’ I hear you cry, well, WRP also supply a spacer that fits all DT Swiss ratchet systems, which loads of other hub makers use, and failing that you can simply zip tie your cassette to your spokes if using another system. The system will fit pretty well any direct mount crank, with a spider to fit MTB, gravel and road 1x chainrings, as demonstrated below.
WRP is currently taking pre orders for the next batch of 40, its $1199 AUD or £650ish, so head over to https://www.williamsracingproducts.com/shop/p/centrehub-pre-order if this floats your boat.
Its also been used in collaboration with @trinity_mtb to create this, a prototype DH bike with a centrally mounted (AXS!) derailleur and cassette, not dissimilar from the Honda RN-01 of yesteryear, brought up to date.
Next up is my favourite type of name for bike parts. No, not macho type stuff or letters and numbers. This WRP stem is called ‘Stuart’. Why can’t more parts have regular names? Cool name aside, Stuart packs a couple of interesting features.
Yep, that’s a fully integrated Wahoo/Garmin mount, right in the middle of the stem, plus an integrated preload cap, or you can spec a hole with which to put your own top cap in it’s place. Its 44mm long, takes a 31.8 bar and is $229AUD (£125ish), but if those numbers don’t fit you can take advantage of the custom stem builder, where EVERY measurement can be fiddled with to you heart’s desire. Prices start from $179AUD (£95ish). For more info head to https://www.williamsracingproducts.com or @williamsracingproducts on Instagram.
Three Rock Components
A little closer to home now, on the emerald isle, Is Three Rock Components, so named after the mountain where founder Eoghan Mullholland was first bitten by the MTB bug. Three Rock are currently gearing up to launch their small (to start with) range of stems, chainrings and seatpost clamps around February to March of 2022, and here is what you have to look forward to.
Shiny shiny!
The stems are a one piece design (owners of high rise bars beware, but a 2 piece is in the works) and will be available for 35mm bars & in 35 and 42.5mm lengths. Pricing hasn’t been finalised yet, but should be around 90 Euro.
The chainrings will come in all the above colours for folk who like to co-ordinate, initially for both SRAM and Shimano DM cranks, with more planned later, and expect all common tooth counts to be catered for in all common offsets.
The stems, rings and clamps are all designed and tested in Ireland currently, with the actual manufacture happening in Germany, But once the whole thing takes off, Eoghan is hoping to bring everything back to Ireland, where he has plans to add bashguards, chain guides and pedals to the lineup.
For more info, and to register for updates, head over to www.threerockcomponents.com or keep an eye on @threerockcomponents on Instagram.
Oak Components
Not happy with your existing Magura levers? Sick of kinking the hose as it exits the cylinder? Not enough acronyms in your life? Then boy howdy do I have a treat for you!
These levers are CNC’d and hard anodized in German, cost 148 Euro a pair (individually for a very German half price) and come with EPA, CPA, SBP and ALK which I’m sure you all know what they are, but for the uninitiated they are explained below via the Oak Website:
EPA (Empty Path Adjustment)
- Possibility to adjust the lever free stroke
- Brake locking option prevents the bike from rolling away during maintenance work without an assembly stand [Tom: This is actually my favourite feature, a handbrake for a bike! Would also be handy on trains when all the retaining straps are missing or knackered too.]
CPA (Contact Point Adjustment)
- Simple adjustment of the bite point by means of CNC-milled adjusting screw
- Fine adjustment trough defined detent points (clicks) in quarter-millimetre increments
SBP (Superior Bending Protection)
- Reliable protection of the brake hose by completely new bend protection
ALK (Advanced Lever Kinematics)
- Optimized lever ratios for maximum braking power with first-class dosage [Tom: Huh ??]
They also come in silver, and fit all Magura brakes with the MT classification so MT8, MT7, MT5, MT4 and MT Trail. Head to oakcomponents.de or @oakcomponents for more of what they are up to.
And Finally
This time for the truly weird and wo nderful we have this from Intent bikes in India.
What is it? Lighting rigging perhaps? No dear reader it is, of course, a bike frame. An ebike frame to be exact.
I don’t know anything about it save for it’s fully CNC’d and maybe it isn’t for the weight weenies. But it. Looks. Fabulous. True early noughties freeride, but with the possibility to actually ride it places? Fetch the Super Monster T forks… @intent_bikes, they also make some pretty handy looking hardtails, which I may revisit another time.
Until next time, enjoy breaking those resolutions!