Eurobike dirt 3: Santa Cruz, Endorfin, Cube and Corsair

Earlier this year Santa Cruz revealed an updated design to their popular Nomad frame, with revised links, shorter chainstays and a redesigned front triangle. This followed in the footsteps of the makeover given to the Blur LT cross country trail bike.

Santa Cruz have continued their overhaul programme with a new Jackal too, which boasts a Chub Hub rear hub and cleaner, less rounded look. Santa Cruz Syndicate riders Kirt Voreis and Jamie Goldman have been riding the new Jackals this season.

Santa Cruz’s V10 downhill machine – as used by Steve Peat and Team BikeRadar riders Neil Donoghue and Marc Beaumont – was on show with a fresh green colour.

Santa Cruz’s V10 downhill beast was on display, accompanied by Steve Peat in poster form

Endorfin

This caged animal is the new prototype AllMountain machine from Endorfin.

The bike uses a unique asymmetric, interrupted seat tube. This allows them to position the shock in such a way that shorter, lighter-weight link plates can be used.

This prototype from Endorfin hasn’t got a name yet. Ideas on a postcard to Endorfin.

This combines with the fully floating shock to achieve a full 160mm of rear wheel travel. The compact system is not only lightweight, but also gives a low centre of gravity.

Build quality is superb, as Endorfin bikes are all handmade in their German production plant. Although the bike seen is a prototype, Endorfin assure us that the only change for the production model is a re-profiled down tube.

Cube

The new ’09 range from Cube looked quite simply awesome. The superb Fritzz is a refined and polished version of the ’08 bike, which we loved.

Cube Fritzz

The standover height is now 50mm lower with the use of a double hydroformed top tube, where the tube is formed, cut and reformed and welded to produce a flush, triangulated seat tube support.

The back end is now tied together with a DT QR through axle and the stays are braced with a hollow wing-like arc. Fritzz’s little brother, the Stereo gets exactly the same makeover too.

New for ’09 is a carbon framed Sting Super HPC, which uses twin-mold technology to create the same low standover top tube height as the aluminium bikes.

The crowning glory of the range is the Elite Super HPT. This is pure 6Al/4V artwork. Beautifully crafted and shaped tubes, and faultless construction come with a price tag to match, marked up at 7,800 euros!

Corsair

In the little outdoor village we found Mr Pablo Tafoya, designer of Corsair bikes. With a totally fresh outlook on bike design, approaching the bicycle frame from a totally different perspective.

Corsair Crown downhill race bike

The Crown downhill race bike frame features a second shock which allows rearward movement of the wheel when it encounters a square edge hit, helping the bike to carry speed through seriously rough sections. This shock is removable to convert the bike into a simpler single pivot.

The bike also features an idler pulley on the main pivot to eliminate pedal input into the suspension, an adjustable head tube angle by up to 3 degrees and jaw-dropping build quality.