Bikeradar gallery

Interbike outdoor demo 1: Chris King, WTB and Rotor

…then pump fresh grease into the bottom bracket while simultaneously purging out old (and possibly contaminated) junk. Anyone else remember Grease Guard? Chris King apparently didn’t.

  • Chris King officially unveiled its long awaited bottom bracket during the Outdoor Demo.
  • In addition to the expected build quality and longevity of the King-designed bearings, there's even a grease injection function for quick overhauls.
  • Simply remove the black reducer sleeve in the bottom bracket and insert the grease injector…
  • …then pump fresh grease into the bottom bracket while simultaneously purging out old (and possibly contaminated) junk. Anyone else remember Grease Guard? Chris King apparently didn’t.
  • The white seal inboard of the bearing is what allows the grease injection function to work.
  • Chris King will also offer a corresponding machined aluminum installation tool for the new bottom bracket whose fit is remarkably precise.
  • Chris King now offers front hubs to fit virtually any configuration.
  • The company is jumping into the 15mm thru-axle game with not one, but two versions: one using the existing 9mm shell…
  • …and the other using the existing 20mm thru-axle one. Both axles will be offered as retrofit kits.
  • The rainbow of anodised colours is now joined by brown.
  • New 21, 22 and 23T stainless steel cogs cater to the 29
  • Chris King also showed off a complete set of head tube reaming and facing tools though it offered no estimate for when, or if, they'd actually be available.
  • WTB reintroduces the venerable SST saddle in virtually the same shape as before.
  • There's the same flat and broad rear, rounded corners, and dropped nose as the original.
  • New to WTB's saddle lineup is the Vigo which is aimed as high-end users that are looking for a bit more comfort and support than what most cross-country racing saddles offer.
  • WTB is also working with Topeak to offer a range of integrated saddle packs.
  • WTB's new Vigo (and others) will come with the saddle pack mount built-in and it's also removable if you don't want it.
  • New sizes of the Prowler MX and Dissent expand their versatility to new users.
  • The Wolverine can now also be had in a narrow 1.95
  • Rotor's new SP1 seatpost is claimed to weigh as little as 178g in a 27.2 x 350mm size.
  • The mast is externally butted but also differentially internally butted for more fore-aft strength.
  • The Rotor 0.8 stem caters to riders who prefer standard-diameter bars.
  • Rotor adds a 110BCD 38/53T combo for its elliptical Q-Rings. Gee, and whose yellow jersey is that in the background?
  • A new Quarq-compatible spider for the Rotor Ágilis crank makes it easy to add a power meter.
  • The Ágilis hardware has been improved for easier installation.
  • Camelbak's intriguing RaceBak base layer uses 'QuickWick' fabric and a compressive cut around the chest…
  • …but also directly integrates a baffled low-profile 72oz bladder for the ultimate in minimal hydration systems.
  • Camelbak says the closed-cell double-walled construction of its new Podium Chill bottle will keep liquids cold for hours, even in high heat. And guess what: it does! Our Elixir sample stayed chilly even after two hours of wandering around in the blazing Nevada sunlight.
  • 661 and d3o pair up again, this time for new shin guards and Bomber shorts that offer lightweight and flexible protection that stiffens up under impact.
  • As always, Oakley prefers the subtle approach.

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…then pump fresh grease into the bottom bracket while simultaneously purging out old (and possibly contaminated) junk. Anyone else remember Grease Guard? Chris King apparently didn’t.

© James Huang