With all the hype on the bike scene being about Slopestyle this year, most bike company’s have been showing off their 4″, 5″ and 6″ go any where do anything steeds with pride.

24seven bikes have been expecting this for a while and have been working away to bring us a hardcore medium weight (39.9lbs stock) hard hitting Slopestyle rig that wont tear a huge hole in your pocket. We bring you the 24seven Messiah.

24seven started building this frame a few years back when the Slopestyle legend Lance McDermott was riding for them, although Lance now rides for another team the guys at 24/7 continued developing the bike and turned it into the British beast that it is today. The frame is made from 6061 aluminium and comes in a battleship grey gloss finish with the rear end in good old black (this is the only colour combo offered). The rear end is defiantly not going to let you down even in the harshest of conditions, its burly as hell with horizontal drop outs that are designed to take a good beating.

One thing that might catch your eye when looking at the frame on its own is the fact that the bottom bracket shell is also the housing for the rear pivot resulting in being able to run the bike as a single speed without having to use a tensioner (when going through the travel the chain length stays the same ). With a quite steep head angle of 68 degrees it has the feeling of stability when launching drops and hitting dirt jumps. The 14″ bottom bracket height gives you plenty of clearance when rolling into steep slopes and hitting the single track.

Rockshox and Fox have got the suspension systems covered with the awesome Fox RP23 at the rear and the big hitting Rockshox 302 Domains up front. Running Hayes nine brakes you know your not going to have any problems in the stopping area as these brakes have been tried and tested for years. Along with Sram X7 rear mech and shifter 24/7 have fitted their own Super Fat SE 3 piece cranks to provide a smooth and reliable running performance. The Super Fats are not the only 24/7 branded components on the bike as most of the finish kit is their own. Slim bars, 50mm block stem, freeride inspired saddle and seat post and also 24/7 hubs (20mm front) laced on to Alex D24 rims are all contributors in making the Messiah such a hardcore Slopestyle rig.

I took this opportunity to take the bike for a blast down some local short-track DH runs as well as single track around the woods. The bike felt good at speed and the front end was easy to lift when needed. The short back end reminds you that this is not a DH bike and the weight is never going to persuade you that this is a UK trail bike. But then the Messiah is not a bike to be picked-up and jiggled about with in a car-park, whilst discussing “optimum weight versus travel” or “pedal friendly geometry design” as its more like a Battle-Axe. You may question your choice of weapon on the way to the battle field, but when it all kicks-off, you will be glad you brought it!

Available fromwww.24sevenbikes.co.uk at a retail price of £1699.99.

Written by Tom Blease TT Bike Park

Iron Horse bounced back on to the mountain bike scene a few years ago with the launch of the DW (Dave Weagle) link equipped Iron Horse steeds.

The 2009 Iron Horse line up has a nice mix of rides from top of the range full suspension downhill beasts, to your everyday commuter ride. All of the full suspension bikes can be slotted in to the one of the following categories; downhill, freeride, all-mountain, trail and the XC Marathon are all covered.

The Iron Horse 6point6 blurs the line between freeride and all-mountain. We have spent the last few months hitting various terrain on the rig, hitting downhill and ladder trails, singletrack and full on cross country jaunts.

The 6point range has been pushed in between Iron Horse’s MK111 trail bikes and the Sunday range, making it a bike that’s capable of hitting everything and still scrapping its hoof on the floor for more.
The name could be easily misinterpreted and it would be easy to assume that the 6point6 would have of 6.6 inches of travel. The first 6 stands for 6inchs of travel, but the second is the model number, as Iron Horse offer a lower specced 6point4.

The frame is crafted from 6069-T6 light weight tubing and weighs in at 7.3lbs, with F7 links providing a real stiff and responsive ride. This shows when railing single tracks, or banging your way back up the hills. The 6point6 comes kitted out with some nice mid to top end kit that is perfectly in tune with the frame.

Your cockpit is kitted out with Funn Combat lock-on grips on a FSA Maximus OS 25mm rise bar, shifting is controlled by SRAM X7 shifters with the super smooth SRAM X9 mid cage rear mech, and a Shimano Saint front mech. Braking is taken care of by the highly popular Avid Juicy 7’s with 7″ rotors, which provide excellent stopping power in most conditions.

The Cockpit is joined to the Rockshox Lyric 160mm Solo air forks by the FSA OS Gap stem. The Lyric forks give the bike a plush front end whilst keeping the weight down.

Providing your rear bounce is the much loved Fox DHX Air 5 with rebound, pro-pedal, bottom out resistance and a position sensitive boost valve. All those settings make for a highly tunable bike, which can be tailored to the trails and your style of riding.
Putting power to the DT Swiss wheel set is FSA’s Gravity MegaExo crankset with 32/22 tooth rings, with the E-13 DRS Dual guide keeping the chain in place.

A WTB Pure V race saddle with cromo rail (which I personally found a bit uncomfortable on longer rides) is held to the frame by the FR-270 seat post.

Traction is down to Kenda’s Nevegal Sticke compound 2.35 tires, which prevent you from spinning out in the stodgiest of conditions, and clear real easy once the wheels are rolling again with a bit of speed.

THE RIDE
During our tests, the 6point6 it was thrown around at Esher Shore, Chicksands, Frome DH and shore trails, the Mendip Hills and the Forest of Dean.

The first stop for testing was Esher Shore in Surrey. The 6point6 really did feel at home on the ladder trails, with a responsive front end. The twisting ladder trails were no match for the bike (shame the same can’t be said about me). With the shock pumped with 150 PSI the 6.6 sucked up the bumps and small drops from trail to trail.
Hitting the kickers at the bottom of the park, the 6point6 felt just at home in the air as it did on the trail. It was the same riding the 4x track at Chicksands, the bike was so responsive over the track that, at times I thought I was back on my old Norco 4X.

A real test for the bike (as well as myself) was the Mendip Hills. I was surprised about how easily the bike climbed up the hills once the pro-pedal was fulled clicked on by the large blue lever on the top of the DHX. Managing 15 miles with some real steep climbs and leg burn like I’ve rarely felt before (I’m so unfit), the only thing that I can really complain about is the saddle being so uncomfortable (although that’s down to riders choice and normally everyone uses a saddle they know and find comfortable).

Again the bike really felt at home slopping its way down muddy bridal paths and the occasional deer track. In fact this is where the real fun starts. I pointed the bike down some of the gnarliest, natural, steep trails I could find, and rode out the bottom with a massive smile every time. The bike handles really well on enclosed trails  twisting and turning in and out of the trees, and down the icy single track that we hit at the Forest of Dean.

The all-mountain label doesn’t really do the 6point6 justice. Although it climbs like a demon in and out of the saddle, I would personally label it as the perfect UK freeride bike for ripping up shore parks and Freeride areas.

For £2,800 you get a bike fully kitted out bike that will leave you begging to unleash her from the stable again after each ride.
For more info on IronHorse Bikes and the DW Link checkout www.ironhorsebikes.com.

I’ve tested this jacket to the max in some of Britain’s harshest downpours as well as putting it through the wear and tear test.

I wore this jacket whilst building the track for the Urban DH in Scarborough not only did the sea get sucked up and dumped on us but the winds were mega strong as well and at the end of each day I was going back to the hotel with a totally dry top half.  With the rain hitting you at 60mph most waterproof jackets would start to leak at the seals or on the zip but not the Fox Teknik jacket with its sealed zip system and magnetic storm flap on the front and even with the side vent zips slightly open for air flow the rain still seemed to stay out.

Tech info:

8000mm waterproof rating with 8000gm breathability rating.

Stretch outershell allows freedom of movement whilst pedaling

Front flap uses magnet-snap system to stay shut, allowing for ease of closing and protection of the elements

Front hand pockets conceal waistband cinch pulls and hood pulls

Form fitted hood allows rider to cinch and wear fox flux helmet underneath

Reinforced shoulder and elbow panels and front feature nexus print sublimination

Slight drop tail for rear coverage in muddy conditions.

Not only is the Teknik an awesome riding jacket but it also makes a great stylish all round waterproof.

Retailing at £125.00 available from Fox Europe

Fox Ultimate shorts

Not made as a water proof short but the material seems to have a slight water resistancy to it making it a great short for drizzly days and with the detachable inner short they certainly keep the top half of your legs warm.

Tech info

Mesh venting on the legs for airflow and breathability

Detachable inner liner makes it two shorts in one

Inner liner features high performance dual density chamois

Rear stretch yoke for pedaling mobility

Inner leg zip vents for critical ventilation and airflow

Adjustable waist allows you to dial in the perfect fit

Cobrax front button snap- doesn’t pop open under strain

Stretch paneling under knees for mobility when wearing protection pads

Low profile cargo for stowing essentials

Whether your ripping it up at your local trails or racing Downhill these shorts cater for us all.

Retail price £95.00 available from foxeurope

Other items worn

Fox Transition pisspot helmet £35.00 from www.foxeurope.com

Fox SLE Zebra Overload Delux Hi-tops £65.00 from www.foxeurope.com

Fox Socks available from www.foxeurope.com

Fox Attack Gloves £25.00 from www.foxeurope.com

TSG Desert Storm Knee pads £59.99 from www.isondistribution.com

pictures by Marshall Blunderbuss

“Green Oil UK Limited is a family run company based in Bromley in Kent. From product ingredients, to the bottle deposit scheme, to the reclaimed packaging used for wholesale orders, being green is central to all we do.”

I had never heard of Green Oil before the London Cycle Show 2008, but i was so impressed after seeing their stand that I had to get some to test out. The guys at Green Oil agreed to send us out some of their products.

I have been testing these for a few months now, and have been impressed since the moment I received the wine box full of oil and degreaser.

Everything about the company is green, the bottles can be returned to the shop you bought them from and you will be given around 10p for the bottle, as well as recycling the bottles they use recycled paper for the labels, and of course the products themselves are created from naturally occurring oils and plant extracts to provide you with the same qualities you would expect from a quality chain lubricant without compromise. When green oil does finally come off the bike, or the bike cleaner washes away, it will fully biodegrade over time .

What surprised me most was just how green the whole company is.  The box used to send the products to me was a recycled wine box, with shredded paper as padding, and all their paper is 100% recycled.

Putting all this green stuff to the side, its down to the products themselves.

First is the chain cleaner.

With Clean Chain, you can degrease your chain without taking it off the bike. The highly concentrated formula can also be used as a refill for a 1 litre bottle of Green Clean (see further down). Simply poor a 100ml bottle of Clean Chain into an empty 1 litre bottle, then top it up with water. This will make one litre of Green Clean, our 100% natural bike cleaner.
The chain cleaner works really well not only on your chain but on all the other parts that may have collected dirt and oil over the years. I was impressed by this as i originally thought that it wouldn’t be as good as other degreasers as it doesn’t have any of the chemicals typically used to degrease a chain. This is available for £3.60 with free UK postage from their website www.green-oil.net/shop.

Next comes “Green Clean” .

Green Clean is a 100% natural bike cleaner. Its 1 litre bottle has a trigger spray, giving you a choice of a wide spray, or ‘water pistol’ squirt. It is very simple to use, all you do is spray it on your bike and leave it for a few minutes, then wash it off (they recommend using rain water) and hey presto, your bike is clean! My dad was a big fan of this as it worked wonders on his alloys on his new BMW!

A 1 litre Green Clean bottle can be re-filled with a 100ml bottle of Clean Chain, and water. The original full bottle costs £8.10, but can be replaced with a £3.60 bottle of chain clean diluted with water that costs next to nothing. This means you save the environment and it is much more cost effective compared to other competitors that do not offer this refill possibility.

“Eco grease” costs only £4.10 for a 100ml bottle and is the only one I can not comment on much. This is because i have only used it on my pedal threads to keep them from locking up, but it works fine for that!

Ecogrease contains no petroleum, and no Teflon.  Ecogrease does contain a small quantity of African bee’s wax, but the rest is a blend of 100% plant extracts provided by nature.

Eco grease is designed for bearings, and bike parts you don’t want to seize up, like quick release pins or seat posts. Greases are not usually used on bike chains as they are thicker and can attract dirt and grime when on a chain.

Last but definitely not least comes Green Oil the wet chain lube. The non-irritant, non-hazardous formula is suitable for on and off-road riding and all riding conditions, but is definitely not one for you and your partner off the bike… Green Oil contains no solids like wax, Teflon, graphite or plastic, or any environmental nasties. The oil is definitely one of the better chain oils I have used and is super long lasting. The only thing i would say about it is its definitely a winter lube as it is a wet lube, so attracts..or attracted dusts in the single dry ride i have been on… This meant that i HAD to degrease, wash and then relube the chain to keep my drive train running smoothly. Green oil definitely doesn’t compromise quality for environmental goodness. At £5.20 for a 100ml bottle it is fairly cheap for a cycle specific lubricant.

Overall i would give the products a 9/10 but as a whole i would give the company a 10/10 for being the first 100% eco friendly company, and it does this without compromising performance.

Green oil have officially made cycling even more environmentally friendly!

The Overload Delux Hi-Top are available in Black or White retailing at £60 and The SLE Zebras Retail at £65.

As they say Zebra is the new um errr Zebra.

Available from www.foxeurope.com

Corsair currently have five frames out, covering all styles of mountain biking with downhill, freeride, slopestlye all mountain and dirt jump bikes. The Corsair’s use a 2:1 stroke ratio to improve performance and handling. Corsair also make it a point that they design their bikes to look great as well as perform great.

Corsair made an appearance with a stand at Earls Court for the London Cycle show, and were displaying their range of products. I must say they were looking really nice!

They currently distribute to over 20 different countries and we will hopefully be getting our hands on one to test in the near future. Keep an eye out for them in the next few years!

You can see their full range here on their website corsairbikes.com

If you want some shorts that look as good off the trail as on, then check out the Fox Sergeant shorts. I’ve been testing these shorts and for a while now and I really like them. The inner liner features Fox’s ‘Ride’ chamois which make them perfect for long trail days, but is also detachable for when you don’t need the padding.

Although the shorts are casual in appearance, they also have a rear stretch yoke for pedalling mobility. The digital camo design is subtle and available in black or desert. Fox have packed a lot of features into the Sergeant short, but they still cost only £65.00.

The Fox Commando jersey’s design matches the Sergeant short, with the same subtle camo and some contrasting designs and embroidered sleeve and neck badges thrown in. The sides have mesh panels for extra ventilation, and the sunglasses wipe inside the bottom hem is a nice touch.

The sizing seems to come up a bit smaller than some of Foxes other jerseys (notably the Blitz jerseywhich we looked at back along, so you may want to buy a size bigger if you want to wear it with body armor. The Commando jersey costs £35.00 and is available from www.foxeurope.com.

Any set of goggles will protect you from these things, so I guess its down to the little things that make a great product.

Firstly the fit and feel of the goggles is great. The foam has a nice non abrasive material which sits on your face and wicks away moisture. They’re shaped to give you optimum vision and the lense is fog resistant. This is another product I had the pleasure of using last year in France, and I can tell you that they really don’t fog up easily. The strap stays firmly in place on your lid thanks to lines of silicone. I tested these with may Fox Rampage lid, but also tried them with a Troy Lee D2 and they fit just fine.

On top of all the essential details, they also look good with Fox branding on nose bridge and the strap. To check out the full range of colour options head to www.foxeurope.com. At only £29.99, these aren’t going to break the bank, and they get the job done in style.

If you want to look cool out on the trails as well as stay cool, Dakine are on hand with their new 2008 Box Short Sleeved riding top.

Made from 100% moisture wicking bird eye polyester, and coated with AEGIS microbe shield anti-bacterial fabric treatment, the sweat just disperses through the fiber to keep you dry on those hot sweaty days. With mesh venting panels in all the right places this will keep you nice and cool on those dusty, back-country trails.

When you’ve finished your days riding and just want to chill out, then check out the Dakine box print zipped hoodie.

For details of Dakine stockists, check out the dealer list on www.surf-sales.com.

The 2008 Rampage is made from the same mould as the 2007 version. Its fiberglass shell houses 11 vents for keeping your head cool. New for 2008 is the new ’suede micro fiber’ lining, designed to wick away moisture. This is genuinely an improvement on last years model, as the padding doesn’t seem to end up as sodden as with the 07 model.

The lid exhibits Foxes MX background in design, and feels solid and confidence inspiring. However, it weighs in at only 1.2kg (or 2lbs 10oz). Also the gloss finish of my 2008 lid is much less prone to scratches than my 07, so take that into consideration if choosing one of the three designs.

I bought a 2007 Rampage lid shortly before going to France last year. During the course of a very wet week of riding I had several crashes which I would deem as ’severe’. One on Chevannes in Les Get resulted in me getting sparked out for several seconds, and another on Mont Cherie which resulted in the jersey I was wearing actually disintegrating as I tumbled down the shale mountainside. These were just two highlights in my catalogue of crashes whilst riding in the Alps. In each case my Rampage lid did exactly what its supposed to; it kept my head safe.

Costing only £95, it falls into the cheaper end of the full-face scale, but its quality and features suggest a lid which should cost more. For more information hit www.foxeurope.com.

Originally designed as a long travel XC/AM frame, the guys at RAM UK decided to give it to Oggy to see how long it would take him to trash it, and to date the bike is still riding as good today as it was on day one. The nDuro is capable of hosting a 4″ to 5″ fork, and can be built up as a light All Mountain rig, weighing in at around the 28lbs mark. The production bike will probably come with Rockshox revelation forks, SRAM gearing as well as Mavic rims on DT hubs, Avid Juicy 5’s and a Truvativ finishing kit. All this for around the £1500 mark.

The Guys at RAM UK are expecting delivery of the first batch 09 nDuro’s at the end of July, so if you want to be one of the first in the country to own one of these beauties, then drop Rob @ Bad Ass Bikes a call on 01179 410434.

There are a massive 13 vents carved into the Giro Flak’s high-impact ABS shell allowing the air to gush in keeping your head cool on the hottest of rides. At 410g it’s not the lightest helmet on the market, but is light enough for you to forget about it and enjoy the ride.

The Extended coverage around the back provides greater protection to the back of the head that a lot of other ‘piss-pot’ style helmets don’t offer. The Paul Basagoitia Special Edition version of the Flak sports some of the sweetest looking graphics. On my first ride out with it, I had two kids ask if they could buy the helmet off me.

There’s not a lot not to like about this lid; its comfortable, well vented and it looks good. The Flak retails at a competitive price of £22.99, and you can find full details on the Giro website.

The Covert has an awesome palm padding that is thick enough to protect your palms when hitting the rockiest terrain or hitting the jumps, but still has the feel of a slim line glove for all you padding haters.

The breathable nylon mesh keeps your hands cool and dry, even on the hottest of trail days, and the neoprene flex knuckle pannels will help protect your hands when you have that ever unstoppable OTB (over the bars).

Your braking fingers have security in knowing that they are going to stay in place due to the tree shaped silicone grippers on finger tips, and the terry towel thumb material makes an awesome nose or goggle wipe.

The Coverts are available in XS/S/M/L/XL at the amazing price of £20.00

Check out the dealers list on www.surf-sales.com to find your nearest stockist.

For all you Downhillers it’s time to start Blitzing. Check out the new 2008 Fox Blitz downhill kit.

The Blitz Jersey is a half sleeve version of Fox’s best selling MX jersey. It has a real loose fit for accommodating the bulkiest of body protection and giving ease of movement whether you’re out on the trails or pushing back up.

Air is well vented throughout the jersey, but it has mesh panelling around the neck thus saving you from getting a sweaty back.

The jersey also has a sunglasses wipe on the right hip of the top, which is a great additional feature.

One essential piece of kit for racing and shuttle runs is a good heavy duty short. The Blitz short has a stretched yoke for pedalling mobility, and a curved profile on the rear of the legs for enhanced pedalling performance. The fly closure has a ratchet style MX inspired clasp, which ensures the shorts stay firmly in place.

As with most hardcore shorts, there’s no chamois. Further mesh vents run through the short, keeping you cool.

They’re an ideal hardcore short for downhill or freeride, and would make an excellent partner for protective undershorts such as the Fox Launch shorts which add a chamois and padding.

All in all a really good Jersey and shorts for all you weekend warriors.

Blitz Half Sleeve Jersey £35.00 RRP / Blitz Ride Shorts £75 RRP

For all Fox products check out www.foxeurope.com

The frame, as the name suggests is constructed from light weight 4130 Cromo and has a integrated headtube for a low front end. With ISCG mounts, horizontal dropouts and a choice of disc or V-brake, it’s a proper strong hardcore DJ frame.

Price wise you are going to be looking at under £300 for the production frame, and there will be complete bikes finished with top kit including RockShox Argyle Forks, Alex Rims on Formula Hubs, Avid Juicy Brakes, Maxxis Tyres, Truvativ Cranks, Bars and Stem and SDG I-Beam Post & Saddle.