08/21/2008

The Khyber Pass is a mountainous route that links Pakistan and Afghanistan (as well as a trail at a certain resort north of Vancouver) and it is notorious for horrendous winter weather. So it was appropriate that a day after a new Mongoose bike sharing the same name as this famous mountain gap arrived at my doorstep, the local weather decided to pay tribute and go straight from bad to downright ugly. Undeterred by Mother Nature’s attempts to dampen my new-bike enthusiasm, I grabbed the box knife and got my first look at the new offering from Mongoose.

The Mongoose Khyber uses the Freedrive suspension technology that the company has been developing since 2005 on bikes like its Teocali line of XC and AM steeds, and which actually shares the same patent as the GT iDrive and Maverick suspension designs. The major goals of this floating bottom bracket system include making leverage ratios consistent over the full range of gears, limiting chain growth throughout the rear wheel travel, and efficient pedaling.

The Khyber Super getting its only dose of sunshine for the first month in my possesion.

For 2008, Mongoose wanted something that shared the same performance characteristics as it AM bikes but was aimed at a different rider: the self-shuttler. This meant applying a new longer travel suspension design (the bikes sports 165mm of travel on both ends) and a burly component package to the existing shorter-travel applications.

While many riders who have just taken up mountain biking in the last few years are not familiar with the Mongoose moniker (some of us older guys will remember Mongoose as a BMX company waaay back in the day - Ed.), the company has been slowing building up their off-road offerings over the past few years with help from more familiar names like Eric Carter and Steve Romaniuk. The input from these riders has been critical to the evolution of the frame and Freedrive suspension platform.

The KhyberSuper sports a beefier version of the Freedrive suspension that delivers a smooth 165mm of travel and integrates a floating bottom bracket arrangement.

The Khyber (in its “Super” trim) I’ll be testing over the next few months includes parts any Shore rider will be familiar with: Marzocchi, SRAM, FSA Gravity, and Formula. No corners were cut in putting together a machine capable of going straight from the sales floor to the North Shore.

Some other basic info on the Khyber Super:

• The whole package tipped the official nsmb scales at just under 35 pounds
• OnePointFive head tube
• SRAM X-9 shifters and rear derailleur get the 'Goose’s chain from place to place
• WTB Laser Disc Super Duty wheels wrapped with Kenda Nevegal 2.35s handle the ground interface
• A Marzocchi Roco Air TST R handles the bumps on the back end with a 2.5" stroke and tons of adjustability
• The frame is available in S (16.5") M (18") or L (20")
• MSRP is US$2,899

Initial impressions of the Khyber from my opening rides have been good. The front-end combination of the Marzocchi 55 ATA fork, 1.5" head tube and ample headtube and downtube welds mated with the Funn bar and stem is very stiff, allowing precision line choice and tremendous control. The bike pedals quite well and is able to clean some very technical climbs when the suspension is adjusted correctly (the ATA winds down from 165mm to 125mm of travel) and the pilot is willing, while the Formula K24 brakes with 180mm rotors have terrific modulation and promote confidence in delicate situations.

Mongoose specs wide handlebars on the Khyber and expects that if you need to, you’ll cut them down. At 710mm wide from the factory, a bit of slice and dice was required to wiggle through some of the less forgiving tree slots our trails have to offer. After smashing my middle knuckle more than once, I dropped the width to a much more manageable 680mm and swapped out the grips for a larger diameter Oury lock-ons. Now that most of the break-in adjustments have been made and I'm getting familiar with the bike, I’m looking forward to pushing it harder and seeing how it responds. When the results are in, you’ll see them here first.

2008 Camelbak H.O.S.S.
Words and photos by Ed Snyder

Camelbak had a great display at Interbike 2007 and one of the products that really caught our collective eyes was their new D.V.I.S. pack suspension design. D.V.I.S. stands for “Dynamic Ventilated Integrated System” and is Camelbak’s proposed solution to “sweaty back syndrome”. It consists of a back panel that is articulated to mirror the way your spine and ribcage move as you ride. The design suspends the pack away from the rider’s back by using a flexible mesh panel stretched over eight flexible padded pods that are anchored to the articulated back panel. The design lets the pack twist with you while not sacrificing load stability.

The H.O.S.S. next to my medium Xen, trailside.

The D.V.I.S. technology comes to Camelbak’s 2008 line of biking products in the form of the H.O.S.S. Think of the H.O.S.S. as an up-sized H.A.W.G. It is big pack. The new back panel is fairly square and measures in at a sizeable 24 x 46cm. Despite its overall size, the pack is fairly light and can hold a ton of gear. The bladder slips in to its compartment right behind the new back panel via a slick top-mounted zipper. This easy in-and-out arrangement is well designed and a welcome upgrade from some systems I’ve used in the past.

A closer look at the fabric-covered pods, mesh and articulated back plate that make up
the D.V.I.S. design on the new H.O.S.S. pack.

The generous tool pocket at the back of the pack is well thought-out and has an array of inner mesh pockets, partitions and zippers to keep all of your goodies organized and accessible.

The last storage space is a small media pocket at the top of the pack that features a waterproof zipper and a chamois lining to keep your music player, digi-cam or phone dry and happy. I’ve had the pack since early November and it has seen some pretty gnarly weather. I’m getting used to the overall size and have dialed the fit in fairly well. It is comfortable when loaded down and the extra space has proved valuable on more than one inclement weather ride. As the days grow longer and weather shifts towards the pleasant side of the scale, I’m hoping to find out if D.V.I.S really is a stake in the heart of “sweaty back syndrome” or just one of the pavers in the road to progress. This handsome combination of design of technology will set you back US$140 when it hits showroom floors this spring.

2008 Straitline pedals
Words and photos by Stuart Kernaghan

I first wrote about Straitline components nearly a year ago. I've been beating on them for some time now, and after a few minor pre-production bugs were worked out, everything was good. The parts look great, they're stiff, and they can take a beating.

Straitline has made a few updates to the pedals for 2008 to improve performance for riders, and while the pedal body itself hasn't changed, there have been some tweaks to the pins and the bearing / seal system. First, the pins.

Version 1 of the pins was cone-shaped with a flat top, and required a 3/16 socket or box wrench to install. Version 2 is six-sided for added grip, and they are now 5mm in size. I've got a couple of rides on the pedals so far (but not as many as I'd like thanks to all the damn snow on the Shore), and traction is noticeably better than with the smooth pins. I've always found that pedals with long set-screws offered great traction in wet conditions and these pedals are at least that good - if not better.

The new Straitline pedal with revamped pins and bushing system to improve performance and durability

The biggest changes to the pedals are on the inside. Straitline removed the rubber seals in the axle assembly that put preload on the axle, and replaced them with new flanged thrust bearings (bushings).

The old version of the pedals, with an o-ring at the end and smooth-sided pins...

Straitline used a laser to cut a custom washer out of Teflon to smooth out the pedal's feel, and went with a single rubber o-ring pinched between the Teflon and axle base. The outer side has the flanged thrust bearing with Teflon washer separating it from the aluminum washers that conceal the double redundant clips. Bushings can be replaced for less than $20.

...and the new version with the white Teflon bushings. || Cutaway photos © Straitline

The axle has also been beefed up to ensure that it's stronger and stiffer than ever. Bent axles weren't a major concern, but there were reports of some riders having issues with V.1 of the pedals.

The change to bushings has only added a few grams to the weight, which is now 540g per pair. Colour selection for 2008 is ano red, ano brown, black, and white. MSRP for the pedals stays the same at $159, but retailers may sell for less.