11/22/2008

Words and photos by Stuart Kernaghan

Race Face Diabolous Seatpost
Ah, the venerable seatpost. Sitting there, doing its thing, attracting very little attention. That is, until it starts squeaking. Or until you snap it off after a bad landing. And then it’s the centre of attention. Don't worry, though. Race Face has come up with an elegant solution to all your problems.

Race Face has been turning out seatposts for some time now, but only recently rolled out the Diabolous post to complement its other freeride / DH components – the Diabolous line of bars, stems, headsets, and cranks.

This post is hella beefy and is unique in that it’s virtually the only post out there specifically designed for this type of application. It uses a hinged clamping mechanism with a twin-bolt system that distributes the loads evenly on the seat rails and post head. The head itself is CNC’d out of 6061 aluminum, and the post shaft is constructed of ultra-durable, straight-wall 7050 aluminum.

Two bolts, a hinged head, and ridges on the bottom to hold your saddle in place

A wide range of fore and aft seat adjustments, along with seat angle adjustments, are possible thanks to the clamping mechanism. The combination of the hinge and rail clamps that are splined will keep things from slipping around once the two bolts are tightened down. Big-hit riders looking to move their saddles away from the front end of their bikes will also appreciate the ¾” of offset.

Stylish bead-blasted flames on the post improve fatigue lines, laser-etched height lines make it easier to get the post back to the right height for climbs, and weight savings cut-off lines let you know just how many grams you’ll be lopping of your sled if you trim the post. MSRP for the Diabolous seatpost is CDN$109.99 and US$89, and it comes in black. We'll have the long-term test results on this post in the next little while.

Hutchinson Bulldog tubeless tires
French tire manufacturer Hutchinson has a solid rep in the road and XC tire worlds, but is less well-known on the freeride scene. Hutchinson's freeride / DH-specific Bulldog tires are available in two different compounds, ‘medium’ and ‘low’, as well as 26” x 2.3” and 26” x 2.5” widths. Weights for the wire-beaded tires come in at 1150g and 1360g, respectively.

Hutchinson says the medium tires offer 25% rebound and that the 27 TPI casing uses two strands of textile woven together (as in, a two-ply casing) for increased strength.

The thread count seems pretty low compared to some other freeride tires, but who am I to argue with a company that’s been in business since 1898? Medium tires are also available in a tubeless model, which is what we're testing at the moment. Tubeless hasn't exactly been setting the world on fire in these parts, but it's a viable option now that there are ghetto tubless systems out there. The tread pattern on the Bulldogs is quite aggressive, and the softer compound should work well in a variety of conditions. MSRP on the tubeless rubber is CDN$100 per pop, and your colour options are limited to black. One thing to note here - Hutchinson has been making tubeless tires since 1999, so they've got a let up on a lot of other manufacturers who have entered the tubeless market more recently. Stay tuned to see whether that experience translates into a good freeride tire.

Nice meaty lugs on the Bulldog for gobs of traction

Syntace VRO stem and Vector handlebar

Words and photos by Corey Anderson

Syntace is a German component manufacturer that has been involved in road and mountain bikes for years, and has more recently been knocking on the freeride market's door. The Syntace VRO bar and stem combo is their debut into what is a relatively new market for them, aimed at the rider who appreciates simple adjustment to give them flexibility in bike set-up for different types of rides.

The goods
Syntace touts the VRO OnePointFive as a lightweight, adjustment-packed stem that provides unmatched ergonomics in a strong reliable package. The VRO OnePointFive stem is adjustable in every way you can think of. It features height adjustment up to 35mm, length adjustment from 50mm to 100mm as a bi-product of the height adjustment, and the 5º rise can be flip-flopped to get the bar higher or lower. Its 56mm height seems tall, but Syntace claims it only requires a minimum of 30mm of steer tube insertion.

All of these adjustments are made via two one-piece "X-Ray" bar clamps that use a single bolt to clamp both the handlebar and stem pivots. These clamps allow infinite adjustment in regards to bar height and stem length with a 5mm Allen key. The VRO OnePointFive stem also accommodates the more common 1 1/8" crowd with a one-piece shim that fits inside the stem. The Vector Lowrider 13mm, 12º sweep low-rise bar uses a constant 24.5mm diameter for the full 680mm width to keep the strength up and the weight at a low 248g.

More adjustments than all your old gear put together

Who wants it?
The VRO combination is aimed at the rider who needs and uses adjustments, and wants something strong that will do the job. The design is clean, the welds are clean and consistent, and the machining on the stem is precise. Set-up is as easy as it gets. Syntace has marked everything from a variety of bar widths (for those that want to cut them down), indicators to help you centre the bars in the clamps, and the torque specs for the clamp bolts, which are helpful in the shop but not much use on the trail unless you pack a torque wrench with you. Your multi-tool will be all you need to get set up and ready to hit the dirt, and will allow you to make any adjustments you like once you are out there.

Some like it high

The VRO stem and Vector bar are backed with a three-year warranty. This demonstrates that Syntace stands behind their manufacturing process and materials, and also recognizes that there is a lifespan associated with the product. The only downside to this is that when you put it beside some of the competition that boasts a lifetime warranty, your confidence might not be where it could be when you line up that drop in year two of running the VRO.

The downs
If you like the Vector bar, you had better like the VRO stem as well, because the bar is not designed for use with any other MTB stem. Should you decide to change your cockpit around down the road, you'll need to hit the shop to buy more gear, as these products are not going to let you mix and match.

Although Syntace designates this as a DH product, adjustable stems and bars are not something that riders hitting big jumps, drops and pinning the local downhill track are going to want to put on their bikes. The types and range of adjustment that the VRO combo offers isn't something that is practical for downhill bikes and heavy-hitter freeride bikes. Most riders will prefer to find a set up that feels right and put their faith in fixed interface you get with a separate stem and bar combo.

Some like it low

That being said, Syntace is targeting a niche market that seems to be growing, where riders are getting into epic trail rides and the idea of a stem that can be long and low for a climb and short and higher for a fast decent makes sense. This is a more practical application of the product.

Everything you need to keep you busy for hours

The last point that could use some improvement is pricing. The VRO Stem and Vector bar come at a heavy price - it isn't cheap to pack all that adjustment into your front end. Riders will have to be comfortable that this unique product is a fit for their bike prior to opening their wallet to acquire one, especially when mix-and-match parts are available for the same or less money. Syntace is distributed in Canada by Orange Sport Supply, and in the United States by Syntace USA. MSRP for the VRO Stem is CDN$140 and US$114, and the Vector bar is CDN$106 and US$86.