We love watching our suppliers hustle to develop product to meet new standards.
Image: Shimano XTR M9100 Groupset.
Ever since Shimano launched their new 12sp XTR M9100 groupset earlier in the year the question on all of our minds has been when Chris King, White Industries and others will have a compatible driveshell (or freehub as some might say).
While Shimano's top of the range MTB groupset is an engineering masterpiece, lets face it, if you want the best wheels to go with it you build a set with a top quality pair of hubs like Chris King, White Ind, Phil Wood or Paul. It's one of the advantages of designing and manufacturing high quality parts right here in the USA that allows these companies to rapidly adapt to new standards (in many cases by simply developing a part that fits to their existing product).. AND at the same time provide backward's compatibility for old standards.
This week we were excited to see some spy shots on the White Industries Instagram of what looks to be a finished prototype XTR Microspline freehub. Official word from White is that they are indeed working on this and hope to have it ready to launch when new XTR goes on sale (rumored to be delayed beyond this October).
Stay tuned to AVT's Newsletter and social channels to be first to hear about this when it does go on general sale.
Our friends at White Industries recently put out the following statement (below) regarding a pricing surcharge due to increased raw materials costs as a result of recently imposed tariffs. At AVT our entire business is built around brands that manufacture in the USA and we're proud to support this.
As a result we at AVT will not be passing on any price increases to you the end consumer... White Industries prices will stay the same for the foreseeable future. We love what White Industries are doing, and consider their products to be not only incredibly well designed and engineered, but also great value for money.
As an added bonus you can also get further discounts on certain White Industries products including CLD & XMR hub pairs, and G30 cranks as part of our CROSSISCOMING August Sale. Shop the entire sale here.
White Industries Statement: "We wanted to give you guys an update on some changes you will be seeing for hopefully a short period.
TARIFF surcharge
In your recent orders you may have noticed there is a now a line item that says, "TARIFF SURCHARGE: USA COMMODITY INCREASE DUE TO RECENTLY IMPOSED TARIFFS."
The surcharge is due to severe increases in material and bearing costs. Despite using US made aluminum, steel, and titanium, we have still seen an increase of well over 28% in raw material cost alone. For this reason we have had to start attaching a 4% surcharge on all orders. Rather than increasing our prices, the tariff surcharge is listed making it easy for us to adjust or hopefully eliminate this surcharge when/if the tariff situation stabilizes. Thank you for understanding."
AVT staff member Kellan was lucky enough to get his hands on one of the first batch of new Fat Chance Chris Cross frames so he wasted no time in putting together this stunning build and PAINT! We're loving the local Oregon flavor on this one complete with Chris King headset and Rolf wheels.
Here's what he had to say about it...
“I wanted something unique so for paint I reached out to Sara Slawta (Land Shark) and told her I really like the Stickman from Fat City Cycles back in the day, but to surprise me, with the caveat that I'm not the biggest fan of the color pink.
After I saw how great the frame looked I reached out to ESI who have made custom grips for me before and told them to come up with something wild to keep with the theme.
Rounding out the build I went with parts I know always work:
Donnelly PDX tires, great for racing cx in the PNW;
Rolf wheels were great to deal with being a semi-local company;
Lastly I have always wanted a bike with Shimano Di2 so this was the perfect time. With a bit of a delay on the hydraulic calipers from Shimano the bike is photographed with TRP brakes for now.”
Since we launched the new website a month or so back we've been working to fix a few bugs. One of which was emptying the shopping cart when going through the checkout process using Safari on an IOS device (ie iPhone / iPad).
After some extensive testing we've uncovered the cause...
When we launched the new website we also switched to a fully secure site (with all URL's using HTTPS). For some users that had stored a cookie on Safari from the old site, we suspect this then causes the shopping cart to empty on the new site.
The fix for this is simply to clear your browser cache in the Safari settings in your IOS device as follows.
1. Go to Settings and then Safari:
2. Click on Advanced.
3. Click on Website Data.
4. Select "avt.bike" by clicking the red circle to the left of it.
5. Select "Delete" to clear the cache just for our website.
After making the very best pressed-in headsets for over 40 years, Chris King is releasing the DropSet™ 1, the first Chris King integrated headset. This project started from the ground up, beginning with testing to analyze the forces at play in an integrated vs a pressed-in headset design, and discovering the unique problems that needed to be addressed.
The most significant challenge to overcome is that integrated bearings are not pressed into a cup and sit loosely in the frame. When bearings are not pressed securely into a cup they shift and move, rapidly losing preload. As preload drops, the bearings are more susceptible to creaking, damage, and failure.
Enter, Chris King's patented GripLock™ bearing cap. The tried and tested GripLock™, is a patented design that preloads the headset independently of clamping onto the steerer. The GripLock™ design ensures that the Chris King DropSet™ 1 retains preload far better than the competition and is impervious to the ill effects of load spikes from large hits and heavy braking. This means smoother steering, no more creaking, and a longer lasting headset.
When tested under normal riding conditions, the DropSet™ 1 with GripLock™ retains significantly more preload than the competition! The benefit is even more dramatic when heavy braking and big hits are encountered. The griplock design also takes the guessing out of preloading a headset. Because the bearing preload force is independent of the clamping force, our headsets can be preloaded to a torque spec. No more guessing and under preloading the bearings.
Additionally the DropSet™ 1 is available in steel or ceramic bearings. This is the first time that Chris King have offered a ceramic bearing headset. With the increased abuse that an integrated headset must endure the aim is to provide every possible advantage. Ceramic is a self lubricating and non-galling material that will be even more durable in wet and corrosive conditions than stainless steel bearings. These durable properties will decrease service intervals and increase longevity in even the most abrasive riding conditions.
Chris King made this first DropSet™ 1 an IS41/28.6 Upper, IS52/40 Lower. With a plenitude of shifting and abandoned integrated bearing sizes in the market, it was not an easy decision. To decide which bearings we should make we turned to brands that have held to reliable specifications and used them across their lines making it easier for bike shops to support and consumers to find what they need. Santa Cruz, Yeti, and Alchemy are all brands that have held to component standards making it easy for consumers and shops. All three use the IS41/28.6 Upper, IS52/40 Lower with 45 degree bearing seat headsets on their bikes with integrated headsets making them a perfect match for the DropSet 1.
To top off the performance a durability benefits, the DropSet™ 1 is available in all of Chris King's beautifully anodized colors and finishes. With the launch of this headset we are excited to bring CK's renowned quality and reliability to integrated headsets.
CROSSISCOMING so it's time to start thinking about our thriving local Southern Oregon CX Race scene.
This year for something a little bit different (AKA making life harder for myself!) I thought it would be fun to race single speed... of all the different forms of bike racing i've done over the years i've never raced single speed so here goes.. i'm thinking, i'm good at running, I can push a big gear when I need to.. what could possibly go wrong?!
First up I need a bike and don't want to splash out on a single speed specific rig (just yet), so in true cyclo-cross fashion i'm looking to re-use what i've already got in my garage with a few new parts where needed.
The chassis for this conversion is my trusty Canyon Inflite AL frame, an alloy disc CX / winter road frame with carbon fork that i've had since 2013. This is a solid, super reliable frame & fork that over the years has been pressed into service in numerous guises, and despite a few bumps and scratches is still going strong...
Winter Disc Road.
Route 66 Touring Rig.
Geared CX Race Bike.
Commuter / Urban.
So here we are with it's 5th new lease of life and first up solving the issue of single speed compatibility on a non single speed frame.
There are a few options to consider for the conversion:
1- Easiest is to run a chain tensioner like the Paul Melvin with a single speed conversion kit for the existing rear wheel (Mavic Crossmax 29er with a Shimano Freehub). This is the cheapest in terms of new parts needed, and the most straightforward to achieve when it comes to chain line and ease of switching cassette sprockets to find the right gearing.
2 - Build a new rear wheel around the White Industries Eccentric ENO disc hub. This is my preferred option as it avoids any potential issues with dropping chains etc when using a tensioner.. and lets face it, it just looks a little more PRO as a single speed set up.
But the big question here is whether the chainline on the bike with the existing ROTOR 3D crankset i'm running is close enough to the 45mm that our friends at White Industries recommend for use with this hub. Assuming the chain line checks out my plan is to re-build the rear wheel from an old pair of carbon 29er XC (non-Boost) wheels that have been gathering dust since everything moved to Boost.
The other option would be to build a completely new set of wheels around the Knight Composites TLA 35 rims, but given a single speed wheel is no good for anything else the rest of the year I decided this was a little excessive and i'll stick to re-using my old gear!
There are of course other options for a single speed conversion that use some form of eccentric bottom bracket. Either a PF30 eccentric BB or a Phil Centric English threaded BB. But with the BB92 pressfit on the Canyon neither of those are an option as there is nothing available to fit it. Using a 30mm crank like the ROTOR 3D also rules out any Chris King bottom bracket so i'm sticking with Enduro BB86/92 4130 / 41mm bearings which are pressed directly into the frame.
Step 1.
Checking the chainline.
I marked the center of the seat tube with a sharpie after measuring it with a pair of calipers, looks a little funky given the tapered / asymmetric seat tube, but the line is pretty much in the center.
Fit existing ROTOR cranks with new 38T CX round chainring.
Measure distance from the chainring to the mark on center line of the seat tube.
Although its not very clear from the pictures the chainline is very close to the 45mm recommended by White, sure there's a pretty decent margin of error on the measurement (maybe 2 or 3mm) but it's close enough to give me confidence that this will work.
If I need it there is some adjustment on the chainring either by mounting it to the inside of the crank (like an inner ring) plus using spacers between the BB and chainring to space it out more, or alternatively by using a 0.5mm cassette spacer to move the freewheel out slightly.
Step 2.
Parts ordered!
Stay tuned for the next installment where I check everything fits together on the frame and the chainline works before having my old rear wheel re-built around the White Industries hub.
If you're thinking of your own conversion for CX season or have any other product related questions contact us and we'd love to help you out!
Technical Service Bulletin from ENVE on tubeless road tire compatibility with ENVE Road / Gravel and XC Rims:
"To guarantee a safe and enjoyable rider experience with the SES 4.5AR,M50, M525, G23, and G27 it is important that customers select and ride tires that we have tested and identified as reliable and safe to ride.
In both lab and field testing, some tires have failed to remain securely mounted on the SES 4.5AR, M50, M525, G23, and G27 hookless bead designed rims. At standard operating pressures of <80psi/5.5bar, some tires are susceptible to “blow-off” which is defined by the tire bead stretching off the rim. Approved/Recommended Tires Mavic Tubeless Tires >28mm Schwalbe Pro One Tubeless Easy 28mm Schwalbe G One Speed Tubeless Easy 30mm Maxxis Padrone Tubeless Ready 28mm Hutchinson Sector Tubeless 28 or 32mm Hutchinson Intensive 2 Tubeless 28mm
We acknowledge that this list of tires is not comprehensive and that many new tubeless compatible tires are being introduced to the market on a regular basis. We will continue to add tires to this list as we test and qualify them."
For any questions on this or any other rim / tire / wheel build item please contact us!
For this week's Bling Build we head down I5 a little way to Sacramento, home of SQUID Bikes...
The name apparently came from Paul (of Paul Components fame) who got the name of their other model "Shred To Ed's" wrong and F$ck Off Jonny stuck.
Joking aside this is another stunning Made-In-USA build from SQUID Bikes, welded by Ventana Bikes in Sac-Town and featuring the usual heavy dose of color matched components from White Industries and Paul Components.
BIG NEWS! From Eurobike... Chris King teasing new colors for next year!
Now we have to say this is not official just yet, but if previous years are anything to go by expect Matte Mango and Matte Blue to be part of the CK line up next year. With pre-orders opening up around November.
No official launch dates just yet, so make sure you stay tuned to our website / social / newsletter to be first to hear.
If you're lucky enough to have a gift certificate to use on AVT.Bike here's how to redeem it.
1. Select the product (s) you wish to purchase and add them to the Cart.
2. Checkout as normal.
3. When you get to the Checkout page you'll need to either login to an existing account or create a new one.
4. When you get to the Shipping section of the Checkout process, enter your Gift Certificate in the field shown and hit Apply.
5. This will then apply the Gift Certificate to your Account Balance (please note it does not apply it to the Basket total directly). You'll know the Gift Certificate has been applied as it will display this success message at the top of the page:
And then it will also show "Apply Credit Balance" alongside the other payment methods:
6. Select "Apply Credit Balance" as your payment method even if you still need to pay the balance of the order using Credit Card or PayPal. Click "Continue To Payment" which will show this "Payment" section of the checkout.
7. Select your preferred payment method to pay the balance and hit "Complete Order", this will display a secure credit card payment screen hosted by Braintree (or direct you to PayPal if you selected that method). You will also see on the right hand side that the Gift Card has been applied and the balance to be charged is shown:
8. That's it! Sit back, wait for your email confirmation and your goods in a few days...
Any questions at all on redeeming gift certificates just Contact Us.
