BIKE CHECK

Chloe Woodruff's Pivot Mach 4 SL

Photos: Andy Vathis Chloe's water bottle just fits in between the Fox Live valve module and shock - but it does fit.

Chloe is not very tall, so her negative-rise Tharsis stem and near-zero-ride bars put her stack height closer to that of a trailbike's. Pivot has trimmed every possible millimeter from the small-sized Mach 4 SL frame's head tube area, including the use of internal headset cups, to keep the front of the 29er as low as it can get.

Five green lights: Chloe's Fox Live Valve battery/processor unit is set to firm up as quickly as possible after an impact.

Fork input cable. Swingarm acceleration sensor. Fork acceleration sensor. Shock Live Valve servo.

Analog Shimano XTR drivetrain...

...With last year's XTR crankset, this year's chain guide, and a Wolf Tooth Dropstop chainring.

Fox Transfer dropper post - looks like 125mm... ...With a Shimano remote lever.

The new XTR brakes are beautiful to look at.

BIKE CHECK

Team Primaflor Mondraker Rotor

F-Podium RR SL

Photos: Andy Vathis Mondraker's recently released F-Podium RR dual-suspension XC bike in its Team livery.

Fox Factory Stem Cast fork, Progress Rims, Progress Hubs. Remote lockout

Mondraker's standard stem is nearer to 50 millimeters to compensate for its massive reach. The addition of a 100mm stem should make it a record breaker.

Elaborate brake mount, yet elegant. Tucked in rear brakes are an XC trend, probably influenced by the road disc standard.

Rotor's crankset has its power meter inside the bottom bracket axle.

The F-Podium is a dual-link type rear suspension. The lower link also forms the lower shock mount. Carbon upper link and Fox remote-controlled shock.

SRAM XX1 Eagle changer with a sweet looking KCNC pulleys and pulley cage upgrade.

Crankbrothers Egg Beater pedals have never been matched for simplicity vs function.. Maxxis Rekon Race tires - hard to believe racers can corner fast with so little tread.

BMC's stealthy-looking integrated dropper is actuated by a simple, spring-loaded pin that indexes into holes in the post.

Carbon crown on the SR Suntour fork. The shock and fork are both controlled by a handlebar remote lever.

Integrated mud guard to keep the lower linkage nice and clean. Carbon upper link. BMC was an early adopter of the short-link four-bar rear suspension.

SRAM XX1 Eagle drivetrain powered by a Rotor carbon Kapic crankset.

Sram Level Ultimate brakes. Absalon-signature Time ATAC pedals.

FRM aluminum stem with titanium hardware, and carbon handlebar

The unpainted carbon reveals many of the complicated layers required to join the seat stays to the main frame.

Extra layers reinforce the highly stressed headset-cup areas. Minimal chain protection...

Wireless remote SRAM AXS Eagle transmission.

SRAM Level Ultimate brakes... ...160mm rotors

Prototype brand carbon wheels. Tires? Chaoyang Phantom Speed TLR semi-slicks weigh in at a claimed 540 grams.

Prologo saddle. Rotor Kapic crankset sans chain guide.



Conway is a German brand and a new face on the World Cup cross country circuit. Their elite level race bike is the carbon RLC hardtail. This one belongs to Nina Benz, Team Conway X-Sight's U23 rider. Let's have a look.



Fulcrum Passion wheels. Schwalbe Racing Ralph in back, Racing Ray up front. SRAM XX1 Eagle sans Bluetooth.

Negative rise, 70mm stem and 10mm negative rise handlebar.

Left side for the SID's remote fork control, Right side for the dropper lever. CST dropper.

Chloe Woodruff surprised and delighted her US fans with a runaway victory in the Short Track race at Nove Mesto. Her feat also marked the debut of Pivot's new dual-suspension race bike, the Mach 4 SL, and was the first-ever victory for the Fox Live Valve electronic suspension system. That's a lot to celebrate, especially considering that the Short Track podium has traditionally been the exclusive domain of hardtail riders - most of whom have their forks pressurized to the moon, or simply locked out.PB photographer Andy Vathis detailed Team Primaflor Mondraker Rotor's dual-suspension race bike. It's the new F-Podium RR chassis, tricked out with a busload of gram-reducing components from the group's sponsors. Rebecca McConnell earned second place and Spaniard Pablo Rodriegues placed a respectable 14th in the XCO this weekend.Frenchman Jordan Sarrou captured tenth place at Nove Mesto riding for the Absolute Absalon team aboard a dual-suspension BMC Fourstroke. Sarrou is considered by many as one to watch this season, joining a cadre of French racers who are rising to prominence in enduro and downhill. The Fourstroke settles the decision whether or not to race with a dropper post, because its lightweight dropper mechanism is integrated into the frame.BH revealed their latest hardtail under Carlos Coloma at Nove Mesto. The Spanish bike maker did not paint, nor clear coat the carbon, so it gives us some insight into the number of layers and the methods with which a high-strength, ultra lightweight frame is constructed.