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Sea Otter: SRAM's new off road bits

Revised air spring internals should deliver lower breakaway thresholds and a more linear feel.

  • RockShox is going heavier into thru-axles for its mid-travel forks.
  • RockShox has wholly revamped the popular Reba for 2009.
  • An optional 20mm Maxle Lite thru-axle is among the new features.
  • The new Maxle Lite is claimed to be over 50g lighter than the original Maxle
  • Quick-release versions will still be the mainstay…
  • …but we can only wonder just how far the march of thru-axles will continue.
  • The updated Reba chassis includes a new hollow crown.
  • The new cast magnesium lower legs feature the same Power Bulge reinforcements as the new SID
  • The beefier arch adds a significant amount of material in a critical area.
  • Post-style brake mounts make for lighter system weights.
  • Revised air spring internals should deliver lower breakaway thresholds and a more linear feel.
  • The top-end Reba World Cup is fitted with the BlackBox Motion Control damper.
  • Adjuster knobs are gone and the World Cup model gets a carbon fibre dial on non-remote versions
  • The Revelation has also been updated with more travel and a hollow crown on quick-release versions.
  • Avid debuted its new Elixir line of hydraulic disc brakes.
  • Elixir incorporates a new tapered bore internal architecture.
  • The Elixir R features easier reach adjustment…
  • …accomplished by a handy dial on the front of the lever.
  • The new two-piece calliper uses bigger pistons for more power and top-loaded pads.
  • A bigger window allows for more cooling air but the non-rotating banjo limited hose routing options
  • The new G3 rotor is a bit lighter and also supposedly runs quieter.
  • Truvativ has finally redesigned its workhorse Stylo crank with the lighter and stiffer Stylo OCT.
  • Chainrings are more heavily machined for lighter weight and supposedly improved shift performance.
  • New bash guards are lighter, stronger and arguably look better than before.
  • The well-received heavy-duty cranks from Truvativ get mostly cosmetic changes.
  • 2009 will see 18 new bars from Truvativ including the carbon fibre Noir cross-country range.
  • Stem clamp areas are reinforced with mesh and a grippy surface.
  • The Stylo range of aluminium cross-country bars is fresher-looking than previous Truvativ models.
  • The massively wide BooBar should appeal to riders looking for more of a motorcycle feel.
  • Truvativ's Holzfeller bar drops about 10% in weight relative to last year.
  • More detailed bar markings should ease installation a bit.
  • Looking to add a bit more colour to your ride?
  • Say it isn't so! SRAMbassador Greg Herbold is hoping to revive 3D-violet?

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Revised air spring internals should deliver lower breakaway thresholds and a more linear feel.

© James Huang