We here at Spoke.ie are champions of all things Niner bikes so we were thrilled to learn that they now have an XS size available for their excellent entry level EMD9 frame.

The 14″ seat tube opens this bike to not only a whole host of small adults but also most importantly kids.

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It seems Sram’s R&D guys have been busy with an answer to Shimano’s XTR Shadow Plus system.  This pic was posted on Facebook yesterday and shows a rear mech with an added knuckle just above the cage which is presumably an extra tension spring.  A sign of things to come!

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25 years after producing the first hydraulic brake for a mountain bike, German manufacturer Magura has produced a fully hydraulic rim brake for the road, specifically Time trial or triathlon.

As this is a triathlon or TT application there was no need to integrate the lever into a brake and gear setup

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OC Tuning, the Irish Fox forks and shocks servicing centre, have launched an unlimited annual servicing product.  For €150 they will service your forks or shocks throughout the year with a 3 day professional turnaround including postage within Ireland.  There is even a package for both shocks and forks at €250.

Regular servicing can make a [...]

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Atherton Racing have released pictures of the initial build of former World Champion Gee Atherton’s new GT Fury.

All the teams sponsors carry over from 2011 with the exception of Animal and obviously Commencal.  Fox and Shimano are the core of the bike with Pro components and Continental tyres.  Looks fast already!

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Magura have been undergoing something of a renaissance of late.  Their products have always been really dependable and very well made along the lines of DT Swiss and Hope in our estimation. The new MT series of MTB disc brakes being a case in point of how to redesign your brake line.  They have just [...]

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Okay so it’s Winter outside and therfore wet and muddy.  Eliminate all the crud from your face with this handy mudguard from Neoguard.  The neoprene is quick and easy to fit and it deflects everything from your face.

RRP is €16.50 and there are models to fit everything from short travel XC forks to full on [...]

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SRAM have just announced that from January 2012 all X9 10-speed and 9-speed trigger shifters (front and rear shifters, all current colors and speeds-2×10, 3×10 and 3×9) will be upgraded, using the same pull lever ball bearing technology used in XX and X0 shifters.

The ball bearing replaces a bushing, resulting in a more solid feel, [...]

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Tom Ritchey is a legend in the road and mountain bike world as a purveyor of fine products designed for and by a cyclist.  Newly added to the product lineup are these WCS Apex carbon clinchers and very nice they are too.

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Ever wanted to turn your iPhone into a Garmin?  Sure it does most things but now you can turn it into a Garmin head unit with this handy adapter that allow Android ot Apple iPhones to communicate with heart rate monitors and foot pods reducing the amount of kit you need to carry.  As an [...]

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You only have to take a quick look at this site to see the dramatic rise in the number and quality of videos both made for and by the mountain bike market.  At the forefront of this for some time has been camera manufacturer GoPro whose versatile camera system has been used for sports as [...]

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We have been asking SRAM when they were going to produce a wheelset for MTB for over three years and each year they gave us a knowing smile and said soon.  Well soon is here with two new wheelsets announced - the RISE 60 and 40.  The former features a carbon fibre rim, no surprise [...]

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Garmins unashamadly triathlon orientated Forerunner 310XT has been updated with a new sleaker design, extended battery life and a host of new training and racing features.  The new model, named the Forerunner 910XT, is released just in time for the Tiathlon World Championships in Kona this weekend and named as the companies multisport trainer.

Full press [...]

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Red Bull Road Rage rider Janos Köhler headed to Poland this weekend to race with a new steed courtesy of Black Sheep Bikes.  The Colorado based specialist boutique titanium frame builders are multiple award winners over the past years at the North American Handbuilt Bikes Show (NAHBS) and were able to turn out a frame [...]

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At last weekends World Championships, Jaroslav Kulhavy took gold.  Bike geeks watching closely will have noticed something special on the winning bike. The 26-year-old Czech, who took the XC world by storm this year and also won the World Cup, had a secret weapon: SRAM’s new 10-speed BlackBox Grip Shift® twist shifters.

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29er frame manufacturer Niner bikes have just announced the redesign of two of their most popular designs the Air9 and EMD9.

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Shock manufacturer Rockshox has just annonuced a new even lighter version of their XC orientated Monarch shock that incorporates a carbon fibre air can and the excellent XLoc hydraulic lockout.

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Icebreaker, the merino wool specialists have a new range of bike wear designed specifically for the bike.  We have been testing some of this gear for the past few months and are ready to give some opinions.
Icebreaker Cadence SS jersey

First up it feels totally different to wearing lycra.

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Garmin have just announced details of their newest bike GPS unit, the Edge 200.  Basically a stripped down version of their phenomenally successful Edge 500 unit, it has all the functions you would expect from a bike computer but with the addition of class leading GPS built in which comes to life once connected to [...]

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Garmin have just announced the addition of an ANT+TM compatible power meter to complement its Edge 800 and 500 bike computers.  Named the Vector, it is the lightest weight direct measurement power meter on the market, and designed for quick installation, portability, and ease-of-use. Garmin claim it takes only minutes to install, providing accurate and [...]

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One of our favourite manufacturers, Ritchey have announced some new products to their lineup in 2012.
WCS stem C-260

At 100 grams (100mm) this is lightest, most advanced alloy stem in the Ritchey line

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The standout racer of 2011, Aaron gwin talks about his new carbon Trek Session downhill bike.

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With product becoming available earlier and earlier every year we can bring you a first test of the Fox F-29 2012 fork. While this is a 29er specific fork there is very little difference between the F-29 and the standard 26 inch fork.

Having spent the previous six months on the 2011 F-29 we were [...]

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A couple of weeks ago we brought you a teaser image for a new Downhill version of SRAM XO.  Today it has been officially announced that it is not only a reality but that it is here.

Meet the latest addition to the versatile X0 family, featuring SRAM’s first carbon downhill race crank and [...]

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Shimano has just announced that their Di2 electronic shifting technology will be available at Ultegra level from September.

Di2 has been used by pro-riders in the peloton for a few years now and even by sprinters.  Benefits include an auto-tuned front derailleur, pre-programmed gear ratios and precise and quick shifting.  However up until now the price [...]

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When people think of upgrades for their bikes it is often wheels, tyres, groupsets etc. but key contact points should also be considered - namely the saddle!

Racy lightweight saddles tend to trade comfort for weight but not here

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SRAM have released this photo of what seems like a XO downhill specific rear mech, a sign of a new range for 2012?

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Fox kashima coated rear shocks are now available in Ireland through Fox dealers.

Kashima coating has been a feature on Fox front suspension forks for a while now and it certainly makes a difference.  The super slippery coating reduces stiction in the fork legs.  In English this means the fork can be run at lower pressures [...]

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Garmin have just introduced the Montana series, a new GPS handheld unit aimed at a multi-sport market should you want to use it on foot, in the water or dare we say it in the car.  Lets get this out of the way at the start - it is not aimed at cyclists (check out [...]

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SRAM have added to their arsenal of companies by acquiring power meter company Quarq.  SRAM are now expected to release SRAM branded power meters in the very near future as Quarq were developing a new display head unit which they were about to launch.

Full press release below -

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