MTB picks from Core Bike and The Bike Place

This year’s Core Bike and The Bike Place trade shows were stacked with fresh mountain bike goodies.

We sought out the most exciting product picks from both events and here they are, below.

Orange Five

Just as evolution has turned monkey into man, so the Orange Five has evolved over the years. Orange showed off the latest incarnation of the species at The Bike Place; it is 10mm longer and half a degree slacker than the previous model, bringing it to 66 degrees with a 150mm travel fork. A new top tube and redesigned dropout promise to bolster stiffness too.

With this spec and bright orange paint, it turned more than a few heads at the show: the basic design may be prehistoric, but this beast is no dinosaur!

Pro title winning bikes

Gee Atherton’s world champs winning GT Fury starts of our trio of title-winning pro rides.

This bike didn’t sport the red, white and blue that Team GB normally display at the Worlds, as Gee decided at the last minute to ride a smaller frame and longer stem than he had been using for the rest of the year. Form following function: a philosophy that won out for Gee.

This is Tracy Moseley’s Trek Remedy 29, which she rode to the Enduro World Series overall title last year.

This bike sports the Fox RAD (Racing Applications Development) suspension, including a float X rear shock, rather than Trek’s proprietary DRCV unit.

And here’s Manon Carpenter’s World Championships winning Saracen Myst; team GB colours and all. Check out our video of Manon’s bike here.

Race Face Stash storage vest

Hate wearing a pack? This vest from Race Face incorporates a pouch for a water reservoir (up to one litre) and deep pockets in the back to carry the essentials for a short ride.

New guides from e*thirteen

E*thirteen showed us an updated range of chain guides for 2015. They all feature a new polycarbonate material designed to reduce noise while being resistant to becoming brittle when exposed to solvents.

All three feature a new tool-free locking mechanism to allow easy access to the chain or removal of the crank. They all accommodate 28- to 38-tooth chainrings and the LG1+ and TRS+ come supplied with a range of bash guards to suit your chosen ring (30,34 and 36 tooth).

The LG1+ (£140) features a removable lower idler and is designed for DH duties, while the TRS+ (£80) is aimed at enduro or aggressive trail riders.

Dainese Trail Skins kneepads

These lightweight pads from Dainese are claimed to have the best impact absorption/weight ratio on the market.

The honeycomb / memory foam construction is only 7mm thick, yet it is certified to EN16221-1 standards.

Hope goodies

There was plenty of eye-candy in the Hope Booth. Craig Evans’ Santa Cruz v10 was laced with Hope products, including a prototype carbon post.