Gear Watch Wednesday is a weekly update on the latest mountain bike gear releases and products that Singletracks has received for test. Have gear news to share, or products you’d like us to check out? Email [email protected].
Tout Terrain brings MTB trailers for hauling gear and kids to the US and Canada
The Tout Terrain Mule (now available for pre-order in the US and Canada) is a single-wheel trailer with a shock built in for riding rough terrain. The open cargo area could be used to haul trail building tools deep into the backcountry or enough camping gear for a multi-week trek.
The Singletrailer II Sport is a kid carrier, also with built-in suspension, rolling on a single, 24″ mountain bike wheel. This is the same trailer seen in the Danny MacAskill video, Danny Daycare.
- Price: $825 (Mule) and $1,700 (Singletrailer II Sport)
- Buy from tout-terrain.bike
Race Face Era carbon wheels go for lateral compliance
Race Face claims to have cracked the code for improved ride feel: more laterally compliant carbon rims. The new Race Face Era wheels are designed for enduro-level abuse and offer more lateral (side-to-side) compliance than most competing wheelsets while keeping the weight to 1750g for the set. Era wheels feature a Vault hub with 3° of engagement and come with a lifetime warranty that’s said to cover crashes too. 27.5″ and 29″ sizes available.
- Price: $1,599
- Buy from Race Face dealers.
Shimano expands, improves low-end offerings
Shimano announced a slew of new and updated products targeting the lower end of the bicycle market this week. The new Shimano ESSA 8-speed group brings features like a wider gear range and improved chain retention to the casual MTB/fitness/city bike segment. Eight-speed cassettes utilize the Hyperglide design with a 11-45T gearing range while single chainring cranks are available in 32T or 40T.
Along with the ESSA release Shimano has updated the CUES 9/10/11-speed shifters and brake levers to better fit riders with smaller hands. The brand has also improved their 11/10/9/8-speed hubs and freehubs.
- Pricing: ~$160 for a complete Shimano ESSA drivetrain
- Buy from Shimano retailers
NEMBA x Atomic Singletrack coffee
NEMBA and Atomic Coffee Roasters have teamed up to deliver a limited-edition Singletrack coffee blend. Atomic, founded by professional cyclists, says the blend “is a classic medium roast profile that is sweet and toasty with a round body. Our team tasted notes of brown butter, caramelized sugar, and walnut.” Two dollars from each purchase will go directly to NEMBA, supporting mountain biking in New England.
- Price: $18 for a 12oz bag
- Buy from atomicroastery.com
Bluegrass Jetro 3/4 shell helmet
The new Bluegrass Jetro is a 3/4 shell helmet; basically a full face helmet without a mouth guard. The helmet features MIPS-C2 tech plus a full EPS shell and breakaway visor, earning it a five-star Virginia Tech helmet rating. Twenty one vents promise good ventilation and the Jetro uses a Fidlock chin strap buckle for ease of use.
- Price: $270
- Buy from met-helmets.com
