Redline is a company best known for its cyclocross models, but 2013 will see attention paid to two all-new 29er mountain bikes – an aluminum dual-suspension chassis with a novel rear end designed in-house, and a full carbon frame upgrade for the D680 aluminum backbone.
The new D880 full-susser features 110mm of rear wheel travel achieved through Redline's own Binary Link design. According to Redline, the twin short links – both of which are located very close together, just above the bottom bracket shell – mimic the proven performance of a good single-pivot design but with the increased stiffness of a fully enclosed rear triangle that doesn't require pivoting dropouts.
Additional features include 142x12mm through-axle rear dropouts, a tapered head tube, a direct-mount front derailleur, Kashima-coated Fox suspension components and a competent Shimano XT/SLX component mix for US$3,500. Target weight for the complete production bike is about 12-12.2kg (26.5-26.9lb) and the retail price will be US$3,500 when the bike becomes available next spring.
Meanwhile, the current D680 29er hardtail gets a major upgrade for 2013. The new all-carbon frame drops a big chunk of weight from the old alloy chassis and supposedly improves the stiffness and ride quality. Key features include an extra-wide bottom bracket shell with press-fit bearing cups, a tapered front end, 142x12mm through-axle rear dropouts, a dropped driveside chain stay to reduce chain slap, and internal derailleur cable routing.
The new Redline D680, with its all-carbon frame
Suggested retail price for the new D680 is US$5,000, complete with a SRAM X9/X0 2x10 transmission, Ritchey Vantage II alloy wheels, a Fox 32 Float 29 FIT CTD Adjust 100mm-travel fork, and Ritchey cockpit components.
Redline has even added a proper road bike to its range with the new RA1 – supposedly the first Redline road bike completely designed in-house.
For cyclocross fans, the new disc-compatible Conquest Team flagship is ready for purchase in stores, and for up-and-coming CXers there's the Conquest 24 with 24in wheels to cater to the junior crowd.
Linear-pull brakes and S-bend stays on the junior cyclocross bike