Specialized’s most capable bikes, Dangerholm’s futuristic concept and more

Don’t miss any of the cool shiny tech from this week.

Adwitiya Pal

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Mar 16 2024

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After a slow start to March, this week we were hit with a whirlwind of new and updated bikes courtesy of some of the biggest names in the mountain bike industry, including Spesh, Liv and Mason and also a pretty radical bike thanks to bike-tinkerer supremo Gustav Gullholm, aka Dangerholm. But if you thought bikes were the only new things on the block, think again, because we’ve got a lot more for you. So find a nice place to sit down, grab your drink of choice, and get ready for all the crazy tech you might’ve missed this week.

Liv redesigned Pique XC with a new rear-suspension system

Liv’s engineers have aimed to make the Pique XC an ever-better racing frame by bringing additional suspension to both the front and the rear, in recognition of the ever-evolving technical challenges of XCO and XCM terrain. The most noticeable change is the switch from Giant’s Maestro rear-suspension system to a new single-point Flex Point Pro configuration.

This makes the new Pique XC not only stiffer but also 297g lighter. Pedalling efficiency should also be improved by around 10 per cent now, and a new geometry should bike handling on steep and technical descents much better.

Follow the link for the full story on the Liv Pique XC.

RockShox Flight Attendant promised to be a true fit-and-forget experience

Offering thousands of real-time suspension adjustments per ride, the updates made to RockShox’s Flight Attendant have made it capable of being a truly smart suspension system that can make rides feel more intuitive. It also enables riders to set it, and then forget worrying about it, other than charging the batteries which can last up to 20-30 hours of riding on a charge.

But you trade having to charge batteries for the really cool Adaptive Ride Dynamics software, which calculates pedalling dynamics, and adjusts the fork and rear shock, accordingly. Essentially, the Flight Attendant is all about keeping fingers on the handlebars, brake levers, and shifters, instead of having to thumb or press a suspension lock-out, to keep those disastrous incorrect suspension selections away.

Check out this cool piece of tech by clicking here: RockShox’s Flight Attendant makes 1000s of suspension adjustments per ride.

Specialized launched its “most capable mountain bike”

Here at off.road.cc, we have tried and tested and come to love the Specialized Epic Pro, an allrounder that can confidently jostle with the best cross-country mountain bikes. But thanks to the ever-evolving challenges of contemporary cross-country Olympic tracks and marathon stage races, Spesh has felt the need to go one step above and beyond, and the Epic 8 and Epic Evo are the direct outcomes.

With burlier tyres and updated geometries, both bikes should be impressively suited for all your adventures, whether they’re XC or downcountry.

There are a lot more updates to these two new bikes, so for a deeper look at the new Specialized Epic 8 and Evo XC, check out the news. If it's ride impressions you're after, we got some time on the bike ahead of launch, so head over to the Specialized Epic Comp first ride review.

Michelin’s Wild Enduro Racing Line tyres became lighter and faster

We all know and love Michelin for their solid and durable tyres. But if we had to nitpick, we would have said they’re often on the heavier side and have a little more than desirable rolling resistance.

And that’s exactly what the French company has sought to rectify by introducing new tread patterns and casings for these race-ready tyres. The new carcass improves cornering and offers extra protection, and the newest Magi-X rubber compound provides better grip in cold and wet conditions, from 3°C to 10°C. And much to our, and many other pros’ excitement, they are also 10 per cent lighter and save 20-30W than the previous version.

Read the full details about these tyres here: Michelin revamps its Wild Enduro Racing Line tyres.

Fizik launched race-specific Vento Proxy shoes

While Fizik’s latest Vento Proxy shoes are surely a looker (that colourway is certainly going to turn heads), they’re also ready for any off-road race if you are, be it gravel, cross-country or cyclo-cross. They come with a translucent PU-laminated mesh upper making them light and efficient, while also providing comfort and a tuneable fit, with the help of a single Li2 Boa Fit System.

For more on Fizik’s Vento Proxy race-specific shoes, read our news story.

Dangerholm worked his magic on the Scott Genius ST

Bike-tinkering maestro Dangerholm has given us what might be the tidiest-looking bike ever with his Scott Genius ST concept. But not just that, it’s also a window into the future of what MTBs could look like.

Dangerholm’s attempted to push the envelope of integrations, becoming more prevalent in mountain bikes with every passing day even more, by employing Syncros' Hixon iC Rise one-piece handlebar and modifying it to accommodate internally routed brake hoses. He’s also ditched the Scott-standard TwinLoc remote, which can often look quite messy, and has moved the three-position remote lockout to the bottom of the downtube with a custom lever.

There’s more ingenuity along with the usual Dangerholm touches, so don’t forget to read all about it here: Dangerholm shows us what he thinks the future of MTB will look like.

Mason showed us a sneak peek of its new lightweight bikepacking machine

Mason, the brand behind the Bokeh and RAW offered a glimpse of its new Macro at the CyclingWorld 2024, and it looks primed for monster long-distance riding. Built around an aluminium frame, the Macro pays homage to the company’s founder Dom Mason.

Mason also stressed it's a purpose-built from fully custom Dedacciai tube set as well as a HotShoe2 fork that gets all of the mounts. The Macro is expected to be made available for purchase, however the date remains undisclosed as of now.

Have a look at it here: Mason teases its new Macro mountain bike at CyclingWorld 2024.