Then, Marzocchi came on the freeride scene with all the grace of a 500-lb. gorilla just squashing both RockShox and Manitou out of the market. RockShox’s lone ray of hope was the Boxxer World Cup, which shined on World Cup courses and was and still is ridden by the DH man-to-beat, Steve Peat. Somewhere in between the decline, the ray of hope, the amazing success on the DH circuit and my garage, RockShox has once again emerged as (in my mind) the premiere manufacturer of mountain bike suspension forks.

About the RockShox Lyrik 2-Step

Billed as an all-mountain fork, the Lyrik boasts 160 mm travel (that’s just over 6 inches for the Metric-deprived) that’s adjustable down to 115 mm with the flick of a switch on top of the left stanchion. Unlike the U-Turn, you only get the two aforementioned settings, which should suffice for most riders and conditions.

The magnesium (they still use the stuff) lowers are burly with a noticeable bulge about 1/3 down from the top of each leg. That bulge houses oversized bushings to keep out fine dust particles and provide extra stiffness. The 20mm RockShox Maxle keeps the wheel on and tracking straight–making for uber-simple wheel removal. Post-mount disc tabs keep adjustments simple without the need for adapters.

More features of the RockShox Lyrik 2-Step

• Travel: 160 / 115 mm
• Weight 5.52 lbs
• Spring: Solo Air
• Damping: Mission Control (External rebound, high speed compression, low speed compression, Floodgate switch and internal Floodgate)
• Upper Tubes: 35mm diameter (nice and beefy)
• Learn More: SRAM.com

RockShox Lyrik 2-Step Review

As I said, I’m a believer in the latest round of RockShox forks. Having ridden a Pike 454 for several seasons, I can truly attest to the smoothness, plushness and durability of their fork designs. The even-smoother Lyrik is going into its sophomore season and looks to continue gracing many all-mountain bikes and flying off aftermarket shelves.

I’ve ridden several bikes equipped with the RockShox Lyrik since its introduction at Interbike 2006 and the latest long-term test has been on an Iron Horse 6Point that I’ve been flogging this spring. On the 6Point, the Lyrik has been the perfect balance of plushness and efficiency and let me tell you why.

On long climbs, the quick flip of the 2-Step reduces the fork down to 115 mm travel. At that setting, the front end sits down and the head angle steepened to keep your weight forward and the front tire on the ground. I found that the fork maintained its suspension capabilities while in the reduced mode. This is something that not all forks can do. Sometimes reducing the travel also means a significant reduction in the effective travel. The Lyrik feels just as squishy at the reduced travel as it does at the maximum travel.

I love how supple this fork feels. It behaves as a top-tier fork should… it’s supple on the small stuff, but moderated throughout its travel so it truly feels bottomless. Regardless of your riding style, I think you’d be hard-pressed to bottom this thing out. It ramps up nicely, but still allows you to take advantage of the entire stroke.

When pushing the fork hard, it tracks as straight as an arrow. Thanks to the beefy stanchions and Maxle thru-axle, you won’t feel the front end wander one bit. Compression and rebound adjustments are easy to do and make a marked difference in the fork’s handling characteristics.

The only downside of the RockShox Lyrik that I can see is the price. At $1049, this fork alone costs as much as many entry-level complete bikes. If you want one, find a bike that’s equipped with one, or save your pennies and get stoked for one of the best-performing all-mountain forks on the market today.

The Bottom Line on the RockShox Lyrik 2-Step

Thoroughly impressed is an understatement when talking about the Lyrik. This fork is the cream of the all-mountain crop with beefy stanchions and uber-smooth travel under all conditions. It soaks up everything in sight, ramps up nicely to give you a bottomless feel all while still providing excellent small bump absorption. If you’ve got your eyes on a new 6-inch travel all-mountain fork, the RockShox Lyrik should be the one to choose.

Buy One: Buy a RockShox Lyrik at PricePoint.com

I didn’t really notice Commencal until freeride and DH phenom Cedric Gracia jumped from Cannondale to Commencal a couple of years ago. I haven’t seen much of Gracia lately, so I’m not sure if he’s settled into the European spotlight and dropped of the US radar or not. However, at the Interbike Outdoor Demo, I was determined to at least swing a leg over one of their rides to get a first-hand feel for how they perform.

About the Commencal Meta 666

Billed as a lightweight freeride machine, the Commencal Meta 666 has great specs with 6.2 inches of travel front and rear while still only tipping the scales at around 30.5 lbs. Rear shock is the venerable Fox RP2 and the squish upfront is delivered by the RockShox Lyrik 2-step Air (115-160mm), which is one of the best long-travel single-crown forks on the market. The remainder of the parts mix is a smart selection of SRAM X.9, X.0, Shimano Deore XT and the like with a solid set of wheels and tires to handle all-day abuse.

Commencal has yet to gain much traction in the USA, but this year, BTI USA has signed up as the distributor and is aggressively seeking new retail outlets. I know that PricePoint had some amazing deals on last years closeout models, but other than that I haven’t seen them in many stores. While at Go-Ride.com’s retail store, I did see a single Commencal frame, so they are available, but still hard to find. Look for their DH rigs in shops that carry plenty of those types of sleds.

Commencal Meta 666 Review

I’ve seen Commencal bikes for several years now and have been interested to see how they ride. They look great and have great parts specs, so when I saw the Meta 666 sitting there all alone, I had to take it for a spin. After getting the shock dialed for my weight, I took it for a long lap on the lower trails.

The initial geometry and fit seemed great, with a comfortable riding position and good angles. The continuous seat tube is always a plus for those times when you need to drop the saddle during the downhill portion of the show.

Heading out on the trails, I immediately noticed that it wasn’t going to win any climbing competitions. At 6.2-inches of travel, it’s definitely not an XC machine, but I expected a little more uphill efficiency. I couldn’t tell if it was just blowing right through the pedaling platform or not, but it just felt sluggish.

When the trails turned downhill and were filled with twisting singletrack and rock gardens, the Meta666 began to show it’s DH pedigree because this is where it shined. I felt very smooth and very fast and had a blast while it lasted. The unfortunate thing about the loop we chose to take was that once the downhill ended, it was a long slog back to the demo area. This return trail has a slight uphill to it, but is mostly flat with some ups and downs.

That type of terrain amplified the inefficient pedaling of the Meta666 as I honestly couldn’t wait to drop it back to the BTI tent. Sometimes, bikes don’t get set up properly for the rider’s weight at these kinds of demos, but the technician took extra care to get the right pressure in the shock. All I can say is to expect this bike to be somewhat of a slug going uphill, but once you start going down, you will likely forget the pain of the climb.

The Bottom Line on the Commencal Meta666

This bike has a smart parts spec and comes from some uber-successful DH lineage, but there are better all-mountain bikes out there–specifically the Yeti 575 and even the sleeper Transition Covert. If you value the downhill more than the up, then the Meta666 could be your steed. But, as an all-around performer, I can’t completely recommend it. I’m sure their DH rigs are stellar, but the Meta666 doesn’t hit the all-mountain mark I’d look for in a do-it-all rig.

Buy Now: Visit Go-Ride.com to Buy Commencal Bikes

Luckily, there are plenty of low-lying singletrack trails along the foothills around Salt Lake City. As it turns out, I’ve been exploring the myriad of trails near Draper on the north side of the Point of the Mountain. With all the development in the area, Draper has been fairly good about maintaining some singletrack in and out of the neighborhoods. Some of these trails are marked and others are not, but they are all worth exploring.

Heading out at lunchtime, I’ve started to explore these trails on foot… trail running. I’ve got some great gear that I’m flogging including the new Vasque Aethertech Softshell trail running shoes, Outdoor Research Sequence Tee, Outdoor Research Avido Jacket, Arc’Teryx Accelero Pullover and the Arc’Teryx Velox Comp Crew shirt. I’m digging the Vasque’s and the jackets and tee shirts are great for cool morning runs or bike rides.

Back to the reason why I like trail running in the spring. As the trails are thawing, sometimes the snowpack reveals deadfall or overgrown branches. There may have been some excessive erosion due to the runoff as well. So, while I run for a great workout, I also run to slow things down a tad–giving me time to do some trail cleanup like removing large rocks or dead branches on the trail.I also find that trail running allows me to see the terrain better and get a feel for how it will flow on two wheels.

Check with your local trailbuilding association, or start by heading over to IMBA.com to see what you can do to support your local trail organizations. Here along the Wasatch, there are two great organizations that I now of that are building and maintaining some great trails.

• Mountain Trails Foundation
• Wasatch Area Freeride Trails Association

So, get out there and hike or trail run on your favorite singletrack. while you’re at it help maintain them by removing deadfall and rocks to improve the trails for us all.

To that end, IMBA (the International Mountain Bicycling Association) just announced their first-ever “Celebrate Singletrack” short-format film contest. Mountain bikers from around the world are invited to submit 3-5 five minute film or video shorts that celebrate the spirit of mountain biking. As the platform for upload they’ve enlisted YouTube by making a Celebrate Singletrack group which once you’ve joined you’re then able to upload your videos.

Right now there is one entry, a short and sweet piece. Check it.

What are you waiting for? Pick up that camera of yours, grab your crew and get after it!

The best 10 entries will be included in IMBA’s upcoming “Celebrate Singletrack” DVD. Then on June 19, 2008 at the Park City premier of the film SEASONS from The Collective, the 5 finalist will be shown. The crowd, which will include attendees from the IMBA World Summit, will holler and shout for their favorite finalist.

Fine Print Details of the Celebrate Singletrack Film Contest

Successful entries will combine great riding footage with storytelling that highlights the people, places and trails that inspire knobby-tire enthusiasts. Bonus points will be awarded for featuring IMBA-affiliated clubs and volunteers who create inspirational mountain biking success stories.

After joining the YouTube group submit your masterpiece for review. Initial online submissions will be web quality. Films must be uploaded to the YouTube group no later than May 31, 2008 for initial judging.

Once you’ve uploaded your vid the YouTube group, send an e-mail to markeller AT imba DoT com with the title of your piece and full contact information.

Entries must be recorded on full-quality digital video, minimum dimensions of 720 width/480 height, at 30 frames per second. Finalists must submit their entry on a full-quality DVD by June 10, 2008.

Complementing the Pivot Mach 4 and Mach 5 is the all-new Pivot Mach 429. Why 429? Well, because it’s a Mach 4 that’s been re-engineered around beautiful, trail-smoothing 29-inch wheels. I’m a believer in the 29-er revolution and apparently Chris Cocalis and the crew at Pivot are also. It is currently in prototype stage, but I’m sure it will be production ready come this fall when the Interbike Outdoor Demo rolls around again.

One cool thing that Chris mentions in the following video is the way the headtube is designed to accommodate a 50mm zero-stack headset, which then lowers the front end of the bike much more than many other 29-ers and allows you to run a small riser bar. Nice work!

Specs on the Pivot Mach 429

• Travel: 100mm
• Sizes: Small (23-inch TT), Medium (24-inch TT), Large (25-inch TT)
• Price: $2195 (Frame-only)
• Weight: Built up (as is) 26 lbs.!!!

It will be on the top of my list to ride and report back to you. For now, enjoy the following video courtesy of MTBR.com.

More Info: Visit PivotCycles.com

With high-end sunglass prices typically in the $100-$150 range, it’s hard to afford multiple pair or even that one do-it-all pair of sunglasses. Markup on a typical pair of sunglasses must be huge–either that or they are having to carry a huge amount of overhead with their behemoth marketing budgets. Either way, it’s hard to imagine that a pair of sunglasses can be worth that much. So, in my mind, even though the big boys have plenty of style, there is definitely room for other sunglass companies to start mowing some of their lawn.

Ryders Eyewear: Affordable, Stylish and Functional

Based in British Columbia, Canada, Ryders Eyewear has been dedicated to building top-notch eyewear at reasonable pricepoints. Looking at their styles, they’ve got there stuff together. Some very nice options with interchangeable lenses all the way to hip, stylish glasses for a day at the beach.

All the sunglasses in their line feature optically-correct lenses that block all the harmful UVA/UVB/UVC light. Most also feature grippy rubber nose pieces and inner arms to stick to your noggin even under Africa-hot epic rides in the middle of July. Great glasses at great prices with most coming in at $39 retail. For a little more, they offer polarized and photochromatic lens options as well.

Ryders Slipstream Sunglasses Review

The new-for-Spring-2008 Slipstreams are built for small to mid-size faces with enough lens coverage to work well in both bright snow conditions and block the wind under speed while descending your favorite singletrack. I tested the caramel color frames with the brown lenses (16.9% light transmission), which have proven to be versatile enough for everything but early morning and late evening activities.

While backcountry skiing, the curvature and coverage of the lenses blocked out the reflective light and gave me clear vision while skinning and sweating up a storm. They stayed in place and remained fog-free in all instances except when I did a switchback tumble and had to work my way back to the skintrack–ugghhh. Once up and running again, they were fog-free.

Mountain biking, they have performed equally well with great wind coverage and excellent vision clarity in and out of pockets of trees. The only time I didn’t feel great about using them was on an early-morning ride before the sun came up from behind the Wasatch Mountain range. But, with the money you’ll save, you can easily buy two different pair for variable light conditions.

I did notice that the adjustable nose pads are indeed very adjustable. You can narrow them, widen them or flatten them. Only after a couple of uses did I realize that I could actually twist them so they fit flat against my nose. Ahhh… much better. They stuck to my noggin and felt comfortable all day long.

Here are a few specs and options of the Ryders Slipstream sunglasses:

• Lens: Optically correct polycarbonate
• Protection: 100% UVA/UVB/UVC
• Features: Hydrophilic nose pads and temple tips
• RX Compatible: Yes
• Fit: Small to medium faces
• Frame/Lens Options: Black Frames/Grey Lenses, Caramel Frames/Brown Lenses (TESTED), Silver Frames/Grey w/Silver Flash Lenses, White Frames/Grey Lenses or Hot Blue Frames/Orange Lenses
• MSRP: $39.99

The Bottom Line on the Ryders Slipstream Sunglasses

If you’re looking for a functional pair of cycling glasses (road or mountain), but don’t want to break the bank, check out the Ryders Slipstream or any other of their myriad styles for cycling or skiing. The Slipstreams in Caramel/Brown are no-nonsense sunglasses that can be trusted under bright light conditions. They will stay put and are lightweight and comfortable enough to wear for long periods of time. Did I mention the price? What a steal at only $39.99.

More Info: Visit RydersEyewear.com to Find a Local Dealer

Full specs are forthcoming as these are purely prototype bikes. But, they look pretty darn refined for prototypes. I’m guessing they are tweaking angles here and there to get things just right.

Looking at the function of the Zero Loss Technology and imagining the wheelpath, it all makes perfect sense. Since the seatstays and shock maintain their straight back-and-forth stroke, both pedal feedback and brake jack are eliminated. This rail design forces the travel to maintain that same back-and-forth path. Looking at some of the FAQ’s for the current Yeti 303 DH, the engineering behind this design are completely apparent. I’m interested to see if there could be other applications of this technology further down the stack on more long-travel trail bikes. The only downside of this system is the maintenance. You’ve got to lube the rails after every ride, but the built-in grease ports make that easy.

The folks at Yeti Cycles are some of the most down-to-earth and their bikes are definitely some of the finest on the market today. I’m looking forward to seeing these at Interbike 2008 this fall. For now, we’ll all have to be satisfied with the following images.

Yeti 303R SS Prototype

The Yeti 303R SS will be aimed at the 4x and slopestyle crowds or those who ride aggressive all-mountain terrain or terrain parks. Here are a few specs:

• Travel: 5.4 inches
• Weight: 7.5 lbs w/Fox DHX Air (Approximate)
• Head Angle: 68 deg. (140mm Fox 32) / 66 deg. (160mm Fox 36)
• Projected Price: TBD

Yeti 303R DH Prototype

The Yeti 303R DH will be the “budget” DH rig for Yeti with a lower pricepoint than the current Yeti 303 DH and still all of the benefits of the Zero Loss suspension design. Here are a few specs:

• Travel: 8.5 inches
• Weight: 10 lbs. (approximate)
• Head Angle: 64.5 - 65.5 deg.
• Projected Price: $2499

More Info: Visit YetiCycles.com to See For Yourself

Adding to the mix is the desire to build stunts, ramps, and bridges within the flow of these trails, which just won’t fly with many other trail users. So, how do the freeride boys get their fix while maintaining the right balance with all trail users? Where can they legally build fun, challenging trails? The answer isn’t simple, but with one voice and many volunteers, good stuff is beginning to happen.

Introducing the Wasatch Area Freeride Trails Association

To that end, the Wasatch Area Freeride Trails Association or WAFTA was born and is now undertaking a couple of ambitious projects in conjunction with both Draper City and the City of Eagle Mountain.

If you’re interested in helping to build and maintain DH/Freeride bike trails along the Wasatch Front, or if you are just interested in helping out the cause, you can join WAFTA and participate in their monthly meetings and trail building projects.

More Info: Visit www.WAFTAUtah.com

It’s great to have early-season trails in my backyard in Lambert Park (Alpine, UT). Spinning a quick 2-hour session is easy and the trails dry out early in the season, revealing the only singletrack trails in the area until at least mid-May.

I’ve got three test bikes in the garage that I’m stoked to spin laps on:

• Norco Fluid LT 3 - more info
  
• Iron Horse 6Point6 - more info
  
• Iron Horse MKIII Elite - more info

Look for full, in-depth reviews of these bikes in the next month or so. I just want to get enough trail time to understand the good and bad and bring you the straight scoop on these bikes.

Until then, get out there and ride.

One option is to add extra on-demand storage with a rooftop cargo box. Yakima has many great solutions that will work on just about every vehicle. Not only can you carry just as much gear in a smaller vehicle, you can pop them on or off in a matter of minutes (if you have factory crossbars, or if you keep your roof rack installed). I’ve got a Yakima Platinum Pro 16s that’s served me well now for several years. It does a great job of carrying skis in the winter and camping gear in the summer.

Yakima’s full lineup of cargo boxes will fit just about any vehicle on the market today. Options vary in size from 12 cu. ft. all the way up to 21 cu. ft.

In a recent release from Yakima:

With a weak dollar overseas and higher gas prices, many Americans will look at options that involve shorter trips closer to home in a CUV (small SUV on a car platform). In fact, CUV sales are up 16% since 2007. Yakima, manufacturer of vehicle racks, has heard the rallying cry and is offering an eco-friendly solution with its line of 80% recycled cargo boxes. With Yakima’s SkyBox Pro Series, consumers can pack gear on top of the car, to put more bodies inside the car, reducing this summer’s road trip carbon footprint.

Yakima’s SkyBox Pro Series also boast a 50% stiffer lid than previous models, offer Super Latch Security for enhanced protection, and a new aerodynamic shape reducing drag and wind noise. In addition, all boxes have universal attachments that can automatically be loaded onto factory, round or square crossbars.

If you’re in the market for a larger car, or simply need to carry more gear, think twice about upsizing your vehicle and look at these great cargo box options from Yakima. With stiffer lids for easier closing (these are a HUGE improvement over the previous models) and 80% recycled plastic materials, you’ll save money at the pump and feel better about doing it. All Yakima SkyBox cargo boxes open on both sides, include SKS locks, offer improved aerodynamics and mount in minutes on any rack: square, round or factory.

Here’s an overview of the smallest and largest box in the 2008 Yakima SkyBox Pro lineup.

Yakima SkyBox Pro 12

The narrowest box in the line is skinny on width but not on features or versatility. This box is ideal for someone who needs to carry skis (it’s 92-inches long, so even your nordic jumping skis will fit) in the winter, while still keeping a couple of bike racks on the crossbars too. MSRP is $459.

Buy Now: Available at RackAttack.com

Yakima SkyBox Pro 21

This is the big daddy of cargo boxes with a mammoth 21 cu. ft. of storage capacity. You could fit enough gear in this box to last an entire summer. It’s wide, so you may not be able to carry anything else on top, but it will swallow all your gear in style. It is 92 x 36 x 18 inches, so be sure to use the compatibility tool on Yakima.com, but if you’re looking to haul everything, this is THE box to own. MSRP is $639.

Buy Now: Available at RackAttack.com