The Specialized Crux, RockShox's new suspension, Giant's kid's bikes and Ritchey's updated P-29er

It's been a huge week for tech news so don't worry if you've not caught up, we've got you covered.

Liam Mercer

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Jun 15 2024

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As the weeks roll by, 2024 is shaping up to be a huge year for cycling tech and this week reaffirms that sentiment. RockShox introduced heaps of updates to its cross-country, trail and enduro suspension components and Specialized unveiled what looks to be the lightest alloy gravel bike yet. On top of that, there are two new kid's bikes from Giant and fresh grips from Peaty's.

RockShox adapted its SIDLuxe Ultimate Flight Attendant shock for the Scott Spark RC

It's already winning races under none other than Nino Schurter. The latest Scott Spark is perhaps one of the most famous bikes on the cross-country circuit. Not just because it's responsible for many of Nino's wins but for its recognisable internal shock. However, as cool as it looks, it posed one area of difficulty against traditionally mounted shocks – there wasn't enough space to fit a bog-standard Flight Attendant shock which came as quite a disadvantage.

To counter this issue RockShox has rearranged the Flight Attendant architecture to fit inside the bike and, during the Lenzerheide UCI XC Olympic World Cup where Nino took his 34th win, Flight Attendant made 1,325 adjustments.

For more, check out the full story as RockShox brings its Flight Attendant tech to the Scott Spark RC cross-country mountain bike.

RockShox fork and shock range got even more adjustable

It wasn't just about cross-country for RockShox though as the brand overhauled its Charger damper to introduce the Charger 3.1. As you might have gathered from its name, a few features remain, such as the ButterCups and cross-talk free compression circuits. However, those compression circuits have seen some attention and now allow for a greater oil flow. There's also a new high-speed compression pyramid that aids the cause.

Adding to the updates is a new bushing package but it's not just the forks that have seen some changes as the Super Deluxe gets a similar treatment and there's now a Vivid Coil.

For a deeper dive into RockShox's fork and shock range b oost in adjustability here's the story but better still, we've got a review of the new RockShox Lyrik Ultimate.

Ritchey's new P-29er looks set to please XC and gravel riders

As well as pioneering the mountain bike, Ritchey is best known for developing frighteningly lightweight steel frames and the new P-29er is exactly that. The bike gets a modern XC geometry featuring a 69.5-degree head tube, a 74-degree seat tube and a 481mm reach formed within its triple-butted Ritchey Logic steel tubes.

The bike is built to accommodate a 100mm suspension fork (or a rigid fork) with a 500mm axle-to-crown measurement. With that in mind, the P-29er could take on cross-country and gravel duties, especially when paired with Ritchey's Super Compact Drop Bar.

Tom Ritchey's redesigned P-29er will please cross-country and gravel riders alike.

Peaty's new Monarch grips come in two textures and sizes

Since its humble beginnings providing minty-smelling bike care goods, Steve Peat's brand, Peaty's, has stepped into the contact point game with the Monarch grips. Ad the brand hasn't just chosen any grips off the shelf and stamped its name on them. Nope – these are all-new grips that benefit from diligent design cues.

Available in two textures, Mushroom and Knurl, the former is designed for comfort whereas the latter is for racing. Both grips get specifically designed finger and thumb zones.

A lot is going on here so we'll leave it for the news story to explain

Giant added two new kid's bikes to the range

Loads of brands are offering bikes designed to perform like adult bikes but for smaller bodies. Giant's Faith bikes, available with 24-inch or a mix of 650b and 26-inch wheels, are considerably specced with Maxxis Minion tyres and MicroShift drivetrains. The bikes are tailored towards lighter people with dropper posts that are easier to actuate and lighter suspension tunes.

Here's the story for more.

Specialized's Crux DSW is the lightest alloy gravel bike ever made

Specialized has pushed its efforts in alloy manufacturing to create the Crux DSW. At a claimed 9.3 kilos, it's set to be the lightest alloy gravel bike to date.

Its incredible weight is reached through the brand's hydroforming process and the bike uses a one-piece downtube and bottom bracket which also boosts the strength. Specialized employs a special Smartweld process to further balance weight savings and weight maintenance. The brand isn't messing around with the frame either as it can fit up to 2.1in tyres on 650b hoops and gets a relatable gravel geometry with a 71.4-degree head tube and a 425mm chainstay.

However, what's best is that the Crux DSW's price is more than accessible at £2,300 for the Comp build and £1,500 for the frame only.

The Crux DSW is the lightest alloy gravel bike ever made.

Cartridge vs. cup-and-cone bearings

Bearings are important. There are two main wheel bearing types – cartridge, used all around the bike, and cup-and-cone, found on more budget-friendly wheels. The simplicity and easy serviceability of cup-and-cone bearings are hard to dispute but, on the other hand, the durability and weather protection of a cartridge bearing's sealed construction often reign supreme for off-road cycling.

Lance pits the two main wheel bearings against each other, presenting the pros and cons while suggesting which may be best for you.

Cartridge vs. cup-and-cone bearings: Everything you need to know.