08/29/2008

RockShox Totem SoloAir Fork Words and photos by Stuart Kernaghan Until very recently , there was a noticeable hole in the RockShox fork line: there was nothing between the mid-travel single-crown Pike and the double-crown BoXXer. 140mm to 200mm is one hell of a gap when it comes to fork travel. But the folks at the SRAM mothership had a plan in mind, and teased us with a mysterious new fork at Interbike 2005. It had massive stanchions, and lots of travel. And it was a single-crown fork. That product was finally unveiled to a slobbering horde of bike journos under scorching Moab skies this past June, when SRAM rolled all the new product for the upcoming year.

The Galvanized Totem, just waiting for a break in the downpour

Dropouts to hold the hub in place while you thread the Maxle. The red rebound knob is also a 2.5mm Allen key that can be used to adjust floodgate or your brakes.

The Totem, as the new fork was called, boasts 180mm of travel, 40mm stanchions with taper wall 7000 series aluminum, a forged AL 66-TV crown, 203mm post mounts, 1 1/8" or OnePointFive aluminum steerers, a Maxle 360 thru-axle, and Mission Control damping. It also uses the Speed Lube system for changing the casting lube oil. There are three versions of the Totem, differentiated by the spring. The Totem 2-Step adjustable travel fork has 135-180mm of squish; the Solo Air, with an air chamber in the left leg of the fork, has 180mm of travel and a claimed weight of 5.9lbs.; and the standard RockShox U-Turn version that can crank from 135-180mm of travel. I'm on the Solo Air model, which topped out the official nsmb scale at 2760g - 6.08 lbs. That was with the crown race and star-fangled nut, but minus about 30mm of steerer. Regardless, I'm not going to bitch too much. 6lbs., give or take, for a 7" fork is pretty good.

Each of the Totems use the new Mission Control damping system. Without going into excessive detail, the blue outer knob at the top of the right leg is for high-speed compression, and the silver knob is for low-speed compression. Both high- and low-speed damping are always active, and both are located on the top cap of the fork, which is relatively uncommon among long-travel forks. The inset dial on the top of the low-speed knob, and the low-speed knob itself, make up the Floodgate switch. The Floodgate controls pedalling efficiency in the fork, and is activated by pushing down on the knob and turning. The amount of damping in the Floodgate is increased or decreased by turning the 2.5mm Allen bolt in the centre of the dial. Compression settings don't change, regardless of the Floodgate position.

High and low speed compression at your fingertips...

A few remaining details - you can fit up to a 2.7" tire in the Totem (I've got a Bontrager Big Earl 2.6 on the front end now, and there's plenty of room), axle-to-crown height is 565mm +/- 5mm at 180mm, and the forks come in Galvanized and Diffusion Black colour schemes. As an added bonus, they're shipped with a sticker kit if you feel like customizing your fork from week to week.

Pricing for the Totem Solo Air is US$1,060 / CDN$1,585, while the Totem Coil is US$995 / CDN$1,480 and the Totem 2-Step Air is US$1,150 / CDN$1,705. One important thing to note - you're going to drop the same cash for either the gloss black or galvanized finish AND for either the 1 1/8" or OnePointFive steerer.

If you want to get the full low-down on the technolgy being used in the Totems, check out my article that accompanied the fork launch.

Fox Flux Helmet
Words and photos by Cam McRae

You don't have to be as sharp as Mike Ferrentino to realize that the Fox Flux helmet was inspired by Giro's popular Xen model.  Like the Xen, it has the venting of an XC lid with the wrap of a dirt jump bucket.  You can stay cool and stay protected at the same time.  This is the sort of helmet I use most of the time now.  Unless I'm shuttling or riding in a bike park, I'd rather not have to deal with a full-face but I still look for as much protection as I can get.

The Flux has more wrap than your average XC lid and a little more girth but it has great venting and the retention system is second to none. Photo ~ Cam McRae

The Flux spoiler is a moto-inspired add-on that I could do without.  To me, it looks like an afterthought.  Luckily it can easily be removed or replaced - but do it carefully to avoid damaging the shell.  With 20 vents, airflow is excellent and the retention system works flawlessly.  Everything adjusts without drama, and the 'Detox' secondary retention system tightens and releases intuitively.  The Flux visor is unfortunately fixed in one position, while the Xen visor moves up and down approximately 15 degrees.

Finish on the Flux is excellent and the fit is superb. Well, it is for me at least.  Bell helmets don't fit me at all, while Giro's seem to be made for my lumpy, misshapen melon.  If Giros fit you, the Flux should do the trick as well.  This lid really shines in the value department, coming in at substantially less than its rival.  This is a great helmet for those days when you want to get a wee bit aggressive without the bulk and heat of a full-face. MSRP for the Flux is US$100 / CDN$120.

The Flux comes in four colour schemes: the three you see here, as well as the Brown Camo shown above.

Avid MatchMaker
Words and photos by Stuart Kernaghan

Ever think that your handlebar is a bit cluttered, once you've got bar-end clamps, grips, inner clamp for the grip, shifters, brakes, and stem on there?

Well, Avid has come up with an interesting way to tidy up things a bit: the MatchMaker. The 'Maker is a mounting bracket that allows you to dispose of the SRAM shifter clamp and standard back piece of a split-clamp brake lever, in exhange for one tidy piece of hardware that serves as an attachment point for both brake lever and shifter. Remove the shifter clamp and back of your brake lever clamp, use the old mounting hardware and MatchMaker to re-attach the brake to the bar, screw the shifter onto the new assembly, and you're good to go.

The Matchmaker assembly (left) and the 'maker in action (right), set up inboard of the brake levers
and on the outboard clamping position.

For those who are wondering about losing adjustment options for their shifters, don't worry. Thanks to a clever pivoting attachment point, shifters can be set up anywhere in a wide arc. Point it at the ground or tuck it up under the brake - it's all good. You can also set the shifter up either inboard or outboard of the brake lever by switching the 'Makers from one side of the stem to the other. The option to use either of the two clamping positions on the lever body is still there, as well.

The MatchMaker will work with all Avid split-clamp brake levers and either X.0 shifters or the new X-9s. Price is US$25 for a pair.

Wanna talk about the gear? Here's the place to do it.