Stashed SpaceRail Bike Storage System
Words: Liam Friary
RRP: $716 (single rail with one hook)
Distributor: Stashed Products
I think it’s safe to assume we’re all passionately into bikes – and most probably own more than one. Often, it’s a fleet of bikes for different occasions that you need to keep in order. The garage isn’t for the car; it’s for all the bikes. But the thing is, said bikes need good storage, so everything else in the garage is still accessible. I’ve always wrestled with bike stands, walls, and hooks, forever trying to find the best storage solution. The Stashed SpaceRail system aims to provide simple bike storage and, hopefully, solve my problem.
The SpaceRail is built around a 1,196mm extruded 6063-T6 aluminium rail – the same aerospace-grade material used in aircraft construction. Each rail can support up to 120kg total weight, with individual hooks rated for 30kg. That’s substantial capacity for eBikes and fully loaded mountain bikes. The hooks are made of 304 stainless steel with a protective polymer coating, sitting on a wheeled trolley system that operates on a simple but clever principle: when weighted with a bike, the hook locks into position. Unweighted, it slides freely along the rail. The rotating capability is what sets it apart. The hooks rotate a full 360 degrees, allowing you to orient bikes in four distinct positions: front wheel up or down, handlebars facing forward or back. This rotating mechanism is what enables the dramatic space savings. Depending on your bike number and rail length, there are big savings when compared to traditional wall hooks that require much more space.
So, let’s go over the installation process; it’s not too hard, but it does require you to actually read the instructions. The mounting hardware is well-designed with captured nuts that eliminate fussy alignment. The rails themselves are light enough for solo installation on ceiling joists. It was more about where to mount the system on the ceiling, as you need quite a bit of room available for the bikes to swing freely when rotating. Stash recommends 600-700mm. Also, it might pay to have your spouse or mate available for the installation. Stash does a great job of YouTube installation videos, which I found super helpful. Once it was fitted, it freed up a lot of other storage space and made for just one clean location for my bikes. I particularly appreciated it when I needed to grab a bike from the middle of my collection; rather than performing the juggle of removing three bikes to reach the fourth, you simply slide the bikes apart, grab your chosen steed, and you’re off. The spring-loaded system makes it super simple because the hooks won’t move unless it’s weighted. However, as I am a bit of a neat freak, it did take some arrangement to get the bikes hanging nicely together compactly.
The SpaceRail Bike Storage System is certainly costly. However, consider this a premium storage system designed for performance. A realistic four-bike setup runs approximately $700+, depending on configuration. Scale up to a 12-bike system and you’re looking at $2,000+. So yeah, the storage system isn’t cheap. The alternative, of course, is that you can head along to your local hardware store and DIY something up, depending on your level of desire and skill set.
SpaceRail’s rotating hooks and automatic locking mechanisms are features that prove surprisingly valuable in daily use. Even after a few months of use, the anodised aluminium finish remains pristine.
As mentioned, I maintain a large fleet, including test bikes and personal bikes, and my household regularly uses a variety of bikes. Given these circumstances, the SpaceRail makes a lot of sense. It’s particularly useful if you have four or more bikes competing for limited space and need to access different bikes regularly throughout the week. Although I’m not personally in this space, I believe the SpaceRail would be highly effective in urban garages, narrow storage areas, and situations where floor space is at a premium. For families with multiple bike riders who need easy access without the hassle of playing “musical bicycles
“It’s a transformative solution.
Despite being exposed to constant use over several months in a humid garage, the system has held up well. The roller mechanisms glide smoothly without wear. The full-length aluminium rail provides maximum structural integrity, making it feel more akin to high-end commercial installations than typical garage solutions. The high level of attention to quality and detail is obvious with this product.
The SpaceRail addresses real issues that riders with multiple bikes face daily. The rotating hook system and sliding mechanism aren’t gimmicks – they work very well. That said, as with most things, there’s a trade-off: the high price tag comes with the expectation of premium materials, UK manufacturing, and lasting quality. For me, the SpaceRail is a game-changer for my larger fleet and will be equally valuable for serious bike collections where space is limited and access is crucial. It’s not just storage; it’s infrastructure that enables your cycling lifestyle and, sometimes, that’s worth paying for.
Revel Rascal
Words Justin Henehan
Images Mikhail Huggins
RRP $12,288
Distributor Revel Bikes
A spring in its step, the Revel Rascal is a rewarding ride for trail dissectors.
Revel Bikes has not been a strong presence in New Zealand… until now.
Since its 2019 inception, the company has been through a redemption arc plotted by owner Adam Miller’s sale of the brand to a private equity firm in 2021, its April 2025 shutdown, and then Miller buying back the business a month later.
Since then, Miller sought to take the brand back to its roots, making Revel leaner, more sustainable and more rider focused. He moved the company from the fittingly named Carbondale, in Colorado, to the aspirational-sounding Golden, also in Colorado, so it could be nearer main centres and the brand’s network of suppliers and customers.
Despite its short and turbulent history, Revel has built a strong following in America with a core range of bikes built around the Canfield Balanced Formula suspension system. Now, Miller is pushing the brand beyond the States, into Aotearoa, offering direct shipping to New Zealand. While you may not have seen many Revels on the trails here yet, you should expect to soon.
Details
With 130mm travel out back, and 150mm up front, the Rascal is Revel’s out-and-out trail-bike. Like all Revels, the Rascal uses the Canfield Balanced Formula suspension platform, which drives the damper via two co-rotating links. Revel also adds a clevis link to the mix, presumably to help isolate the rear shock from torsional loads and tune the leverage ratio.
There’s nothing fussy or unnecessary about the Rascal, it’s a clean, lean riding machine. The frame is carbon through-and-through, from its front and rear triangles to its shapely linkages. Sporting two water bottle mounts, the Rascal has a threaded bottom bracket, internally guided cables, SRAM UDH, a dropset-style headset, but no internal storage compartment, no headset routing, and no geometry adjustments. The cable routing is tidy and simple, although the rear-brake line is a little exposed to damage where it exits the front triangle below the bottom bracket and disappears into the chainstays.
Revel’s commitment to the CBF suspension platform is admirable in an era when all bikes seem to be converging on the Horst-link layout. But, like all designs, CBF has its strengths and weaknesses, depending on your preferences.
Anti-squat and anti-rise levels on the Rascal are at the higher end of the spectrum. Anti-squat at sag sits at 120 per cent, falling to around 90 per cent at full travel. This should create a slight extension of the suspension under power and a very firm feel at the pedals. Anti-rise is about 100 per cent at sag falling to 90 per cent at full travel, which will make the suspension squat slightly under braking, preserving the geometry well, particularly on steeper sections of trail. At 21 per cent, the Rascal is moderately progressive and will work well with air shocks and coil shocks with hydraulic-bottom-out control.
The Rascal’s geometry is fairly standard for a trail bike, with a 65-degree head-tube angle (150mm fork), 76-degree seat tube, and reach numbers ranging from 431mm for size small through to 528mm on the XXL. The only outlier is chainstay length, which is 436mm across all sizes – taller riders take note.
The parts Revel chose for the Rascal are what you’d expect for a bike in this class, with a RockShox Lyrik Ultimate fork and Super Deluxe shock across all builds. The main price point differentiator is groupsets, with the most expensive build getting SRAM XX Transmission and the cheapest receiving the cable-actuated Eagle 90 Transmission. The only unusual part of the build is the tyres – the classic enduro/ all-mountain combo of a Maxxis DHF and DHR in EXO+ and Double Down is a heavy-hitting and slow rolling choice for a trail bike. I’d rather have a slightly faster option like the new Maxxis Dissector for a bike like the Rascal.
Climbing
I decided not to look at any information at all before my first ride on the Rascal: no reviews, no marketing, no graphs. I wanted a purely vibes-based first impression.
The first thing I noticed? This bike pedals well … really, really well. The Rascal is exceptionally good at transmitting power into the contact patch. Even with the draggy enduro-bike tyres, it surges along with minimal effort.
Looking down at the shock, there’s very little energy lost to the suspension system when pedalling. Not only is the climb switch redundant on this bike, I’d go as far as to say it detracts from the climbing experience by robbing the bike of grip. On the Rascal, the juice of a locked-out shock just isn’t worth the squeeze.
The track I used for testing had a number of tricky root sections – some stepped, some angled, some arrayed in Jackson Pollock-like scatters. On sections like these, the Rascal climbs best when attacking – pick your line, put the power down, and the Rascal will caper up with a spring in its step.
Squinting at the numbers shows why the Rascal climbs with so much energy — anti-squat starts at a whopping 140 per cent, dropping to about 120 per cent at sag, only falling below 100 per cent past the 100mm-travel mark.
As a result, you can feel the tyre pushing into the dirt with each pedal stroke on the Rascal. With that comes a more than ordinary amount of pedal kickback, but not so much that I couldn’t manage balance and traction. In certain situations, the anti-squat felt like it was generating grip as the linkage extended slightly to drive the contact patch into the ground.
Climbing technical trails on this bike requires a slightly different technique, one that favours a more attacking style. It’s a very different feel to the Forbidden Druid V2, which combines a rearward axle path and very low pedal kickback. Where the Druid likes to crawl up and over obstacles, the Rascal prefers you to use power, momentum and precision. It’s a bike that clearly tells you what the wheel is doing, allowing you to coax the rear wheel through technical terrain.
Conclusion
Where bikes such as the Forbidden Druid V2 and Norco Fluid feel like little bikes with big- bike energy, the Revel Rascal knows exactly what it does well: it’ll get you to the trailhead fast, tell you what’s happening at the wheels, and reward you for riding well. It’ll go fast when the trail is smooth and is incredibly engaging on technical trails where speeds are lower. It’s a bike that demands full focus, an analytical approach, and an active riding style.
The Rascal feels like it could suit two different ends of the trail-bike spectrum. At one end, the rider who wants a light bike that pedals extremely well could swap out the tyres for something faster rolling and add some svelte suspension. At the other, a burlier fork and a higher volume shock would push it more into the light-enduro category. As it stands, the Rascal is a great all rounder that sits more at the light and efficient end of the trail bike curve.
It’s a bike for big days on the pedals, attacking technical climbs, and puzzle-solving at speed on the descents. The Rascal is a high-energy, high-engagement, high-functioning machine that gives back what you put in to deliver an incredibly rewarding experience.
Pros
Incredible pedaler
Engaging to ride
Rewards an active and analytical riding style
Cons
Chainstays may feel short to taller riders
Tight tyre clearance
Brake cable routing exposed to damage
Giro Chamber Trail Shoes
Words Liam Friary
Images Callum Wood
RRP $399
Distributor Worralls
The Chamber has a pedigree on the World Cup circuit, with Giro’s full DH Chamber taking some wins at the top level. Giro’s intention is to take the DH Chamber lineage of maximum power transfer and durability and applying it to the Chamber Trail. The aim is not to have a lesser version of the DH Chamber but one that still makes it a suitable sibling.
The foundation is a tri-molded sole built to the same specification as the Chamber DH. Trimolded construction uses three distinct layers, in this case a rubber outsole, an IMEVA midsole and a TPU plate, each contributing a specific property to the overall package. The rubber outsole is Giro’s proprietary Sensor compound, developed to balance grip on wet roots, rocks and mud. They’re durable enough for a full day of walking sections you weren’t quite ready for. The TPU plate adds torsional stiffness through the midsole, which is where power transfer happens, or doesn’t. A shoe that flexes through the sole when you’re hammering out of a corner is giving away watts and precision you didn’t mean nor want to give. The +10mm cleat setback moves the cleat toward the heel relative to the ball of the foot, which reduces hot spots on long rides and improves walking characteristics off the bike.
Where the Chamber Trail departs from its DH sibling is in the upper. A microfibre construction with integrated mesh ventilation replaces the heavier material of the full Chamber, dropping weight and improving breathability without compromising the structural integrity of the fit. The closed-knit ankle cuff is a specific and useful detail, it keeps trail debris out of the shoe on the kind of terrain where small rocks and loose material have a way of finding every gap. The BOA Li2 dial is the premium end of BOA’s closure system. Machined aluminium construction, a wider turning range than standard dials, and lace guides injection-moulded directly into the shoe rather than bonded on top. This means a more precise and even distribution of closure pressure across the foot.
Pulling on the shoes for the first time felt kind of awkward. The closed-knit ankle cuff is a little strange for the first few times when you get them. Sometimes rolling back on itself but after more uses, the material getting looser putting them on becomes more natural. Once locked in with a few clicks of the BOA they felt secure. On the trails they took a bit to loosen up as it would me with most new shoes. After that they held me securely, avoided trail debris from getting in my shoe and on-the-fly adjustments were dead simple on the side of the trail or on the uplift. They felt firm and planted which delivered better power transfer. As for fitting whilst they did distribute firmness around the foot via the BOA dial I think another BOA dial would make them more secure and allow for greater adjustment throughout the entire foot. Whilst most conditions weren’t roasting hot they did breath well via the mesh ventilation which I was thankful for with several all-day rides back to back.
DH-platform trail shoes often have a stiffness that makes them exceptional for descending but a potential liability on the climbs. Where Giro has gone with the Chamber Trail is that the platform is trail-tuned rather than DH-tuned, which implies a degree of calibration in the midsole flex rather than a straight transplant. I did find even on longer pedalling sections they were stiff enough to deliver instant power to the cranks but still had a degree of flex about them. I do sometimes suffer from hot spots on my feet and did have them a few times with these shoes however it was after 20min plus descents. I also had the cleat a little forward similar to my older pair of shoes so after some adjustment it relived the hot spots. The cleat setback at +10mm kicks in here, moving the pedal contact point further toward the heel reduces stiff soles feel punishing on long rides and improve stability over rough terrain.
Giro’s Sensor rubber compound is a proprietary formulation designed to work across various trail shoe surfaces, rather than optimising for a single condition. Wet roots are the real test, as most trail shoe rubber either grips in wet conditions or wears well in dry ones. Finding a compound that does both without compromising either is challenging, which is why most shoes make a choice and accept the trade-off. The combination of the closed ankle cuff, the BOA fit system and the IMEVA midsole hold the fit and comfort of the shoe through a long day, rather than loosening up as the upper breaks in and the closure system settles. The mesh ventilation is another variable on all-day comfort, as trail riding generates enough heat through the foot that a shoe with poor airflow becomes uncomfortable by afternoon, particularly in warmer conditions. The integrated mesh approach keeps the upper clean and structural while allowing airflow at the specific points where heat tends to build.
A shoe that performs brilliantly for the first two hours and quietly destroys your feet by hour five isn’t a solid trail shoe. It’s a marketing shoe that looks good in pictures on the internet. The Chamber Trail sits at the serious end of the trail shoe market without quite reaching the top. For that money you’re getting a DH platform that Giro has proven at World Cup level, a BOA Li2 and a Sensor rubber compound developed specifically for the trail shoe context. The case against is that a DH-derived platform is making a specific promise about stiffness and power transfer that may not suit every rider’s pedalling preference. Those who prioritise comfort on long climbs over descending precision may find the trade-off skews the wrong way. But for riders who spend more time pointing the bike downhill than up, or who ride technical terrain where the DH credentials of the platform actually matter, the Chamber Trail makes a strong and rather compelling argument for itself. After the last two months in the shoe they’ve done the job bloody well across varied terrain in both islands. The solid platform drives more confidence descending. BOA’s are super simple at the trail head and on-the-fly. Of course time will tell about how they wear but after quite a hard life to date they’re stacking up well.
Shimano MT001 Cleats
Words & Images Lester Perry
1998, what a year that was! The swell of mountain biking in NZ and around the world was in full effect. Bike tech was leaping forward each season, pro racers were still on hefty contracts, and I’d taken delivery of a Specialized Rockhopper A1 FS Comp. This gloss black beauty with orange accents arrived just in time for our afternoon MTB outing with the school squad.
Shimano SPD pedals were all the rage at the time, and luckily for me the new rig had a pair bolted on. Fresh Specialized kicks on my feet and a significant amount of time stabbing at the pedals trying to get the little metal cleats to engage with my pedals and, finally, I was clipped in and riding. A dozen metres later and I was on the ground after trying to put a foot down the way I would have on flat pedals. Everyone remembers their first time, but not everyone’s first time was in front of half the school at lunch time. Scarred for life.
The Shimano SH-SM51 “Single-Release” cleats on those Specialized shoes have remained the same since those early days, and until recently that design was one of two SPD cleats available. I’m reasonably sure the second style of cleats, the SH-SM56 “Multi-Release”, has only been used by people who didn’t realise there was a difference between them and the SM51. Their ability to release while moving the foot in any direction, usually at the most inopportune time, left riders (myself included) scratching their heads, wondering what was going on! By and large, if a rider has been doing actual mountain biking and is using SPD-style pedals, they’re using SM51-style cleats. When Shimano announced the release of the MT001 cleat, some 30 years after the SM51, I was keen to see what experience-enhancing technology they would be adding, or what positive changes could actually be made to the humble SM51 design. After unboxing the new cleats, it was obvious the changes, while visible, were pretty minimal. But, the proof is in the pudding, so I bolted them onto my pair of Shimano GE700 trail shoes. The entirety of my time riding these MT001 cleats has been on Shimano’s XT M8120 trail pedals.
The obvious change to these cleats is that the front edge now has a bevelled section rather than the squarer, blunter shape on the SM51’s. The previous shape relied on the user hooking the front of the cleat into the clasp mechanism, then pushing down to force the bevelled back edge into the pedal. With the redesign, so long as it’s lined up correctly with the pedal, a user should be able to stomp on the pedal and have it engage – no need to manoeuvre the front edge into the clip mechanism. There’s a new line marked on the cleat, which appears to reference the centre of the cleat and serve no other function. The underside of the cleat, closest to the shoe, remains the same, with some knurling to help keep it in place once fitted and cut-away areas which allow for some degrees of float (free movement before release).
“This is great,” I thought as I headed off for my first ride with these. “I can be dropping feet all over the place and just slam my shoe back into the pedal!” Foot out, flat out and all that; ideal for sketchy moments, and especially great when riding slippery trails in the mud. Muscle memory is a real thing, though, and as hard as I’ve tried it’s really damn hard not to instinctively hook that front of the cleat into the pedal. Granted, I’ve had success by purposely stepping down, but I’m fighting every autopilot instinct not to engage my cleat, as I have for almost 30 years!
There’s no point in trying to rewire my synapses and reverse decades of repetition. Clearly, I don’t “need” these cleats, so the question arises: who is the target market for them? Imagine, if you will, that back in ‘98 I had these MT001 cleats – I could likely have engaged my cleat far quicker than I did back then on the old ‘standard’ cleats and, in doing so (hopefully) was then of clear enough mind to remember I needed to kick and twist my heels to release my shoes from the pedals, thus saving me from a bruised ego and a lifetime of therapy.
Long story short: if you’re a beginner or still not confident at clipping into SPD pedals, then these cleats are for you. Helping remove some of the initial headache of learning to clip in, and the cognitive load it can cause on the trail, means a user should be more confident and secure on the bike, comfortable that – hopefully – they won’t be entering a section of trail still trying to get clipped in.
For the more experienced riders, I think there’s a case for these cleats making it easier to clip in when things get sketchy, particularly in winter slop on technical trails. While I haven’t really tested this theory in the real world (surprising, considering the summer we’ve had), I’d guess these cleats will clip in more easily when pedals and shoes are clogged with mud. Ideal perhaps for cyclocross or just grimy mid-winter days.
A winner? Yes. Essential kit? Perhaps wait until your current cleats need replacing (they do wear out) and then get these, there’s no reason not to.
Revel Ritual
Words Max Hides
Images Cameron Mackenzie
RRP $13,099
Distributor Revel Bikes
It’s not too often you get the chance to ride something genuinely unfamiliar; a bike you’ve never seen in the carpark, let alone thrown a leg over. When the call came in to review Revel’s Ritual, a quick Google image search was swiftly replaced with baited clock-watching as the hours until I could finally hit the trails wound down.
Whilst Revel may not be a name you’ve heard thrown around much in the local scene, that’s all about to change. After a turbulent few years, the Colorado-based brand has reset with purpose, is back under original ownership and is ready to push forward. With a strong line-up of nononsense bikes spanning everything from shorttravel pedallers through to long-travel electricallyassisted options, it won’t be long before we see more of them floating around our local trails.
The Ritual is Revel’s long-travel, enduro-ready brawler. It’s their biggest and most capable machine in the range. Boasting 170mm of travel up front and 165mm in the rear, it immediately screams confidence, and that feeling continues once you’re on trail, especially as the gradient tips down and the track comes to life.
Whilst I try not to judge a book by its cover, it’s hard not to take notice of the Ritual the moment you lay hands on it. The test bike arrived in Revel’s ‘Space X’ colourway, and while it could be dismissed as just another black bike, it’s actually a split-tone metallic black and raw carbon combo that catches the light beautifully, highlighting the quality of the build throughout.
At 183cm, I regularly find myself caught between sizes. I tend to go slightly smaller when in doubt, but I can move an XL around without too much issue. This Ritual was an XL, and whilst it looked imposing standing still, once aboard it fitted my long, lanky build surprisingly well. Worth noting: Revel only offer the Ritual in a full 29” configuration for Large frames and above. Small and Medium frames come as a mullet setup (29” front, 27” rear), and there’s no cross-compatibility between the two – Revel are clear on their website that converting larger frames to mullet will void your warranty.
Geometry & Suspension
Revel haven’t gone crazy with the geometry here, which I think is entirely the right call given the intended use. The numbers on the XL are sensible and well-considered: a 64-degree head angle, 77-degree seat tube angle, 508mm reach, 1298mm wheelbase and 441mm chainstays. On paper it sounds like a big bike, and it is, but it’s a balanced one.
The suspension design centres on a horizontally mounted shock housed in the middle of the frame, part of what Revel call their CBF (Conforming Body Frame) pivot system. Unlocked, it pedals with minimal bob; locked into climb mode, it’s rock solid. It’s no XC bike, but it sure as hell climbs like one. Open the shock back up and blast down something steep, and the bike becomes planted, controlled, and almost eerily stable in the rough. The suspension design is executed so well that even with zero setup dialled in, the first lap down Spudz’s at Victoria Park had nothing coming out of my mouth but laughter.
Frame & Build Quality
The bikes are built with durability firmly in mind, designed to go the distance whether you’re a weekend warrior, a park rat, or an enduro racer. The fully carbon frame is lightweight yet strong, and Revel haven’t cut corners on the pivots. It’s all alloy down there, built burly and stiff with longevity in mind. Given how grim a Christchurch winter can get, the quality bearing protection is a strong play.
Size-specific chainstays across the range means each frame size gets a suspension tune matched to its geometry, so everyone – regardless of size – gets a balanced ride. And, in a nice practical touch, every bike in the range comes with inframe storage, so you can stash a jacket, tools, or a bag of lollies for those longer days out.
The Ritual is also dual-crown compatible for those who are park inclined, with the only caveat being that the axle-to-crown measurement can’t exceed 596mm. Setting this up singlespeed with a dual crown and smashing laps with your mates sounds like an absolutely brilliant time.
Build Kit
The test bike was the second-tier build, not the flagship, but still very well specced. It came kitted out with a RockShox Zeb Ultimate fork and Vivid Ultimate rear shock, SRAM XO Transmission, Maven Silver brakes, DT Swiss carbon wheels, Maxxis tyres, and OneUp/Revel finishing kit. One standout feature across all three complete builds is that every single one comes with the top-of-the-line RockShox Zeb fork and Vivid Air rear shock. So regardless of which build you go for, the suspension is sorted. At $13,175 NZD for the second-tier build, it’s well priced relative to the competition.
For those not sold on the complete builds, Revel also offer the Ritual as a frameset only, including the RockShox Vivid Ultimate rear shock, FSA Orbit headset and seat clamp, so you can build it up exactly how you want. Helpfully, Revel have also left cable ports in the frame for those not ready to commit to electronic shifting. Your old 11-speed XT gathering dust in the garage? It’ll slot right in.
Components
This was my first time back on the full SRAM/ RockShox package since 2020 and whilst we all want to forget that year, I was excited to run the new stuff. The Maven Silver brakes are, without question, the most powerful brakes I’ve ridden; one squeeze and you’re stopped, before you’ve even fully committed to the idea. The trade-off is modulation, which is noticeably lacking. For context, the Code RSC’s I ran back in 2017 had some of the best brake feel I’ve experienced; the Mavens are a step back in that regard. SRAM have since released a lever upgrade kit to address this, which is worth looking into if you’re after more nuance.
The XO Transmission groupset is, as the name suggests, like having AI in your drivetrain: exceptional when it’s working, frustrating when it isn’t. I had a few teething issues early on but once resolved, the shifting was seamless. Personally, I’d spec the Eagle 90 option – Revel offer this as an alternative build configuration on their website, and if I were buying, that’s the route I’d take.
I’ll always have a soft spot for DT Swiss wheels, and the XMC 1501 carbon wheelset doesn’t disappoint. Stiff but compliant, laced to a pair of 240EXP hubs, smooth, reliable, and they sound great. Paired with a Maxxis Minion DHF and DHR II in EXO+ casing, it’s a confidence-inspiring combo when things get loose and loamy. Revel’s in-house grips and stem, paired with a OneUp alloy bar, give a solid feel at the contact points. For a tall rider, the specced 240mm OneUp dropper post is a welcome touch – getting the seat well out of the way on descents makes a real difference.
The Ride
The Ritual rides at one speed, and that speed is flat out. It wants you to pin it, hit everything with conviction, and trust the bike to sort itself out underneath you. Fast and loose, but never out of control or, rather, being just on the edge of control while everything still feels weirdly perfect.
Living in Christchurch, we’re spoilt for good terrain. Christchurch Adventure Park, Victoria Park, Craigieburn, we’ve got a heap of options. On the trails I know best, the Ritual felt right at home from the first ride. The steep, tight, fast lines around town that can punish a bike with too long a wheelbase just felt smooth and composed. The weight, too, was a surprise, for an XL enduro rig, it’s substantially lighter than my own bike, and that matters over a full day in the hills.
On a few of my regular loops in Christchurch and Craigieburn, I found myself riding up more than I normally would, the geometry places you in a great climbing position, and the CBF suspension design keeps pedalling efficient without feeling dead. Lock out the shock on longer fire road climbs and it pedals away. The inner grom in me got well and truly awakened on the descents, jumping everything, taking high lines, riding faster than I have in years without once feeling like the bike was going to spit me off.
My only real gripes with the package are minor. The stock grips are a bit rough and on the thin side. Only being able to fit a small drink bottle is a real consideration – if I’m spending a full day out pedalling, I’m going to be a thirsty human. The bars are a touch wide stock, but that’s a two-minute fix. If I were buying this for myself, I’d size down to the Large, opt for the Eagle 90 build, and spec up to DT Swiss carbon wheels.
Final Thoughts
My main takeaway from time on the Ritual is that it has opened my mind to what a modern enduro bike is capable of. For a long time, I’ve held the view that 140/120mm is all you need around Canterbury, and that a lot of it is in the bike’s geometry. Boy, was I wrong. The Ritual has proven that big travel can equal big fun, when it’s packaged in something this efficient, this light, and this capable across varied terrain.
Whilst the drivetrain gave me a few headaches along the way, I could absolutely see the Ritual earning a permanent spot in my fleet. A bike that can comfortably handle all-day epics, satisfy long-suppressed enduro ambitions, and still climb as well as many short-travel bikes I’ve loved? That’s a compelling offer. It’s the perfect N+1 for the confused bike-a-holic. When you’re next in the market for an enduro rig, put the Ritual on your radar. I’ll be saving my pennies for a frameset and maybe, just maybe, I’ll come out of enduro retirement to do it justice.
Specialized Turbo Levo R Comp
Words Georgia Petrie
Images Cameron Mackenzie
RRP $13,900
Distributor Specialized NZ
The past few years have been an interesting time in the eBike market. There’s been somewhat of an assumption that those who want full power and big batteries want as much as travel as they can get their hands on.
But what if you don’t fancy the idea of riding bum-clenching terrain every time you get on your bike, however, still want the power and battery capacity to rip ten different intermediate trails after work, or a backcountry weekend mission? A beast like Specialized’s Levo 4 offers all that, but it’s more travel than most people likely need.
Until now, short travel eMTBs have largely fallen into two camps: the SL (Superlight) category; boasting light builds, but often limited by their battery capacity – or the value category; which offers up more range by way of bigger batteries, but often comes with heavier, less refined components.
This gap in the market makes a strong case for a shorter travel eMTB that keeps the benefits of a powerful motor and large battery, while being lighter, nimbler, and more responsive. Why opt for a sporty seven-seater when a hot hatch would meet your needs just as well?
Cue the Specialized Levo R, pairing 130mm of rear travel and a 140mm fork with the same full-power motor and battery system as it’s big brother, the Levo 4. The R stands for ‘Rally’, alluding to the bike’s nimble, playful and agile nature, and its release caught me surprise. This is the type of bike people tend to overlook in favour of more travel because, “why not?”. When in reality, this is exactly the type of bike most people need, and I think it’ll be a huge hit with the majority of riders.
It’s “just right”, hitting the sweet spot of having “just enough” travel to point you down even the most demanding singletrack, and “more than enough” battery and power to tackle anything, from after-work hot laps to backcountry overnighters.
eBike & Frame Features
The Levo R Comp is powered by Specialized’s fresh-to-market 3.1 motor. The release of this motor was highly anticipated, and for good reason: this thing is no joke, thanks to a recent over-the-air firmware update, offering a hefty 105Nm of torque and 850W of peak power. Paired with a whopping 840Wh removable battery, this is a seriously grunty package. There’s a range of different battery configurations on offer too – a smaller, lighter 600Wh battery and a 280Wh range extender, which can be used either alongside a battery or on its own for those days where you still want to get your riding fix, without the weight penalty.
When paired with the 840Wh battery, that’s a massive 1,120Wh total battery capacity. This is a huge amount of grunt that rivals the likes of Bosch’s Perfomance Line CX, sporting 100Nm torque + 750W peak power, and runs very close to Avinox’s M1 system, which sports 120Nm of torque and a peak power output of 1000W. When it comes to weight, the 3.1 motor comes in at 2.9kg, which is a touch heavier than the Performance Line CX at side at 2.9kg and the Avinox at 2.5kg.
After spending some time on a range of different drive units, my initial reaction to the 3.1 drive unit was, well, nothing…! The motor is so quiet, I had to do a double take to make sure it was even working when I set off on an after-work lap. Power delivery is exceptionally smooth, and the ‘jerk’ you often feel when you put the power down on high-torque drive units has been replaced with a much more gradual propulsion which feels far more natural, and commensurate with the feeling of pedalling an acoustic bike, which was a pleasant surprise. It’s quite a different feel to Bosch’s Performance Line CX, which I’ve found to require a little more modulation on behalf of the rider to achieve the same level of gradual power delivery.
Once on the gas, the bike has absolutely no shortage of power, and it’s important to note that in New Zealand this bike has a top speed of 45kph, unlike other full power eMTBs which top out at 32kph. I felt this was a massive benefit to the Levo R, particularly as between its travel and weight combination, it’d make an excellent touring or adventure bike.
Commuting back home, or along the tops of the Port Hills to access more trail was a dream due to the combination of motor power, seemingly endless battery range and fast-rolling chassis. Range anxiety was out of the question with the 840Wh battery, particularly if you’re able to use Eco mode for the majority of the ride.
Similar to its predecessor, the motor has three power modes – Eco, Trail and Turbo. Each mode offers its own limitless scope of customisation, meaning the rider can tune each mode to their preferred ratio of support to peak power. Your preferred mode will depend on the terrain you ride, and the nature of your climbs. For us here in Christchurch, much of our climbing is on either sealed or dirt fire roads, with less emphasis on technical singletrack, so I found that 70% of my ride was spent climbing in Eco, and tended to toggle between Trail and Turbo depending upon how steep of an incline I’d encounter.
Specialized lead the charge when it came to top-tube displays with their previous generation Mastermind TCU, and the new iteration seen on the Levo R builds on that foundation. As expected, the updated MasterMind TCU provides an excellent user experience and is a welcome progression from the previous generation, with the extensive 2.2” high resolution screen offering an extensive range of data display options for riders. These can be fully customised via the Specialized App and toggled between via the handlebar remote, depending upon the key data points you’re wanting to highlight.
If you’re an Apple Watch user like me, the integration is superb – the App is available across both devices and connects with Apple FindMy, Strava and Apple Health seamlessly, which is a cleverly thought-out design feature. The remote itself took a moment to get used to, especially toggling between modes by flicking a switchlike mechanism as opposed to buttons. It took a couple of times accidentally dropping into Eco mode instead of Turbo on a few pinchy climbs to learn which way was up. My only gripe is that the remote is wired, which is a little out-of-theordinary in 2026 relative to competitors, bringing clutter to an otherwise clean wireless cockpit.
Like it’s big brother, the Levo R comes equipped with SWAT downtube storage, which is a feature that only Specialized have managed to incorporate into eMTB frames so far. Having had frame storage on my acoustic bike for the past few years, this is a welcome feature, especially given the bike’s potential to take your rides further afield.
Another special mention goes to the SWAT tool that’s integrated into the frame’s steerer tube. I’m a huge fan of steerer tube mounted tools for quick fix access on the trails and would always install one on my new bikes, so this is a welcome addition and a nice value-add feature. The bike also comes with Specialized’s stock 4amp charging unit which takes around three hours to charge the 840Wh battery to 80%, with the option to purchase a smart charger, charging the battery from zero to 80% in less than 60 minutes.
Climbing
Straight away, you can tell that the Levo R’s geometry favors pedalling efficiency; it’s a comfortable climber that took very little in the way of setup to align with my ideal bike fit. The steep seat angle and 29” wheels paired with fast-rolling Purgatory tyres made for excellent forward propulsion, meaning the bike maintained rolling speed well on flatter terrain and kept its speed superbly over punchy, technical ascents. Despite sharing the same drive unit, this is what really sets the Levo R apart from the Levo 4 and positions it quite uniquely in the eMTB market. It’s noticeably snappier on the climbs and feels quicker across the board.
That lively, responsive feel is further enhanced by the Fox Float Genie shock. The Genie’s performance was immediately noticeable, particularly on technical singletrack climbs. The shock remains active over small trail chatter, reacting to bumps like loose rocks, roots and holes, while still firming up enough to preserve efficiency and momentum. The Levo R delivers a level of nimbleness on climbs that longer travel, full-power eMTBs often struggle to match. I couldn’t help but smile as I rolled past riding mates on 170mm, gravity-focused bikes.
I didn’t find myself fighting to keep the front wheel grounded, even navigating the steepest of Christchurch’s pinchiest fire road climbs. The Levo R was my first experience using Fox’s new 36 SL Performance fork, and it remained stout on steep pitches without needing to reach for the lockout functionality. I did hit the limits of the Purgatory tyres on a couple of switchbacks due to the reduced sidewall grip relative to Specialized’s burlier tyre offerings, such as the Butcher or Eliminator. However, given the type of terrain the Levo R will favour, I do feel that I’d ultimately value the superior rolling capability of the Purgatory over increased grip, so this wasn’t a major.
The medley of SRAM’s price-focused GX/ S1000 components performed reliably under load albeit a little “clunky” at times, though that’s to be expected when trying to keep up with such a powerful drive unit. The derailleur is wired into the bike’s battery, alleviating the hassle of remembering to ensure your batteries are charged, although it does mean that should your battery run out of juice, so too will your derailleur, and you’ll inadvertently have yourself a singlespeed for the commute home.
Contact points are of course subjective, but I think I won’t be alone in saying I’d have appreciated a more compliant or in simple terms, soft, saddle. Particularly given the emphasis this may have on climbing, this was up there with one of the harshest out-of-the-box saddles I’ve ever used. I also felt that 800mm width bars was overkill and makes more sense on bikes with a more gravity-oriented focus, like the Levo 4.
On Christchurch Adventure Park’s technical uphill trail, I opted for Trail/Turbo the majority of the climb, with Turbo providing more than ample horsepower for tight, technical switchbacks, delivered in a way that was gradual enough to still retain control and weight over the front wheel.
Range testing is always an interesting one, because this largely depends on a range of factors, namely; rider weight, terrain and preferred ratio of support relative to effort. For me, even after climbing almost 1000m, including a 30-minute climb almost exclusively using Turbo, I still had 70% battery left at the top of the hill.
I often find that the more efficient and intuitive a motor is at delivering power, the less likely you are to require mode toggling and therefore preserve battery draw. Walk mode, which was fiddly to activate on the remote’s prior iteration, has been made significantly easier to access and provides a subtle push when needed, which is a pleasant change to the walk modes you see on other drive units which have a tendency to overdo the power delivery and pull your arms out of their sockets. The motor is also whisper quiet, giving off only the slightest hum even under load.
All-in-all, the Levo R is a superb climber, striking a near perfect balance between comfort and efficiency.
Descending
Before you say “but 140mm of travel isn’t enough for me”, I can assure you the Levo R punches well above its weight. Make no mistake, this is a capable descender that blurs the line between short-travel efficiency and big-bike confidence. Thanks to the fast-rolling tyres, 29” configuration and active suspension platform, the Levo R is quick to pick up speed and maintains it well, particularly on blue flow trails. The bike didn’t get hung up on small bumps or undulations, tracking reliably through chattery terrain and holding its line impressively well, in a way that requires less rider effort relative to longer travel eMTB’s. Make no mistake, this isn’t a burly 170mm travel beast that’s eager to tackle steep, double black trails, but it holds its own on technical blue trails, and I was pleasantly suprised at just how composed, stable and planted it was when my curiosity got the better of me and I gave it a crack descending steeper terrain, above its paygrade.
Thanks to the low bottom bracket coupled with a relatively long wheelbase, your weight is nicely centred at all times, offering a level of stability that far exceeds what you’d expect from a 130mm bike. The head angle is what I’d call “just right” – slack enough to remain pointed at high speed and when the gradient steepens on descents, but without compromised climbing capability – which, in my opinion, is the beauty of the 130mm travel range.
So far, my experience with 140mm travel bikes is limited to those specc’d with a Rockshox Pike or a Fox 34. The 36 SL was a highlight of the Levo R, greatly elevating the descending experience for bikes in this class; and, in particular, for eMTB’s, due to its stiff chassis. The fork made the bike a delight to descend on, remaining composed on rough terrain, under heavy breaking, and stout through braking bumps and those classic Christchurch rocks that really show their teeth in the depths of summer. It does a great job handling the weight of an eMTB and the damper is lively, working hard to offer great sensitivity on small bumps that you wouldn’t usually have on bikes of this travel and weight.
The rear end was equally impressive too. My experience with Genie shocks so far has been on longer travel Specialized bikes, and whilst I’ve been left feeling so-so about its performance in that segment, I think the Genie really shines on the Levo R due to its active nature and high-volume mid stroke. Thanks to its unique two-stage air chamber design, the rear end sits high in the travel and continues to provide support even once you near the end of the stroke, providing ample stability and reactivity.
Whilst I was suitably impressed with the bike’s suspension performance, I did feel these gains were negated at times by certain contact points, especially coupled with the bike’s weight. In theory, I can understand the rationale behind specc’ing SRAM’s Motive Bronze brakes. The Levo R identifies as light weight and nimble, and the Motive is positioned as well suited for a bike of this nature and travel.
In practice, there were multiple occasions where I felt like I was maxing out the brakes and, as a result, I’d start to lose the supple suspension feel as myself and the bike began stiffening up in an attempt to slow the bike down. This is compounded by the fact that the more the gradient points you downhill, the more the bike’s weight makes itself known, tending to propel you forward at a rate of knots, requiring you to drag the brakes in an effort to keep things under some level of control. I can’t help but feel that a bigger brake, such as SRAM’s Maven may have been a more suitable choice for a 22+ kg bike. Again though, given the target market, the Motive will likely be adequate.
Although the Levo R excels on wide-open, flowing trails, when the trail narrows and corners tighten up, the high front end combined with the full 29” wheeled setup can leave you feeling a little detached from the bike. My personal preference would be for an optional mullet configuration to cater for riders who are keen to retain a sense of nimbleness and reactivity when cornering; however, the decision for full 29” is understandable when considering the bike’s emphasis on efficiency, particularly when climbing.
Whilst efficient on the ascents, the long wheelbase can make for cumbersome cornering, and I found myself working hard to steer the bike round tighter switchbacks, particularly when coupled with the effort required to slow the bike down.
The chainstays can be altered using a twoposition flip chip, allowing you to switch the length between 441 mm (short) and 447 mm (long) which helps retain some sense of agility on tighter trails, though these are still almost 10mm longer than the likes of the Stumpjumper 15, which seems a little contradictory considering the Levo R’s “rally” concept.
While touchpoints are certainly subjective, I couldn’t fault Specialized’s bread-and-butter offerings, with 40mm rise bars and 50mm stem providing ample comfort and confidence on the descents. The X-Fusion Manic dropper post performed without issue, and I was pleasantly surprised at how trusting the Purgatory tyres were, particularly in Christchurch’s marbley dust. Lastly, the carbon chassis on our test bike was among the stiffest I’d ridden, which is on-par with many Specialized frames I’ve ridden in the past; however, as expected, it was balanced with comfort, affording compliance on the descents without adding harshness.
Final Thoughts
The Levo R creates a very strong case that there’s a gap in the market for shorter travel, full power eBikes – those that retain all the benefits of a big battery and powerful drive unit without the weight, and offer a more lively, nimble ride experience. I think this bike will appeal to a vast range of riders, and indeed it is the bike that many should realistically be on. Just because you can get more travel with the likes of the Levo 4, doesn’t necessarily mean you should.
After all, it’s easy to forget that whilst you and your mates might want an eBike that can do anything from sending jump lines to threading needles on the steeps of double black trails, this doesn’t exactly echo the wish list of your everyday rider, and that’s where the Levo R fills the current void of short travel and full power options. It’s hard to think of another brand catering for this market, and Specialized have certainly created a one-of-a-kind bike that creates a compelling case for full power eMTBs in this travel range.
With its confidence-inspiring downhill capability coupled with buttery-smooth power delivery on the climbs, the Levo R is a particularly strong option for those newer to mountain biking, and even more so, those seeking to branch into the world of eMTBs. Having said that, I do feel that perhaps Specialized have come up with a concept that’s for everybody and nobody all at once – it’s too little bike for the quintessential enduro rider, but lacks the weight savings and therefore nimbleness to meet the needs of an “all-rounder” trail rider.
The geometry and weight creates a smaller gap than one would expect between the Levo R and its Levo 4 big brother, so for me personally it’d be hard to justify the Levo R when I could have more travel and a mullet configuration for very little weight penalty, whilst retaining the same amount of power. That said, I think for many riders the Levo R will be the logical choice with its user-friendly power system and the advantages that quicker handling and nimble geometry offers.
Giro Montaro III Mips
Words Lester Perry
Images Thomas Falconer
RRP $299
Distributor Worralls
I was excited to get my head into this new Giro Montaro III Mips helmet. Before receiving it, I’d seen some pics online and thought it looked pretty decent and ticked the necessary boxes for me to select a helmet.
The trail-focused Montaro III is almost a complete revision of the hugely popular, but ageing, previous edition, uniquely named the Montaro II. This new version certainly draws inspiration from other helmets in the Giro range and, dare I say it, from other brands. Although I poke fun, the result is a unique overall silhouette. I’m sure it won’t be for everyone, but when it comes to helmets, one seldom suits all.
There’s plenty of coverage on offer, and the helmet feels like your head goes some ways into it, meaning it comes relatively low towards the ears and back of the head. Internally, there’s a Mips Evolve Core, which is a refreshed version of the Mips slip plane liner. During an angled impact, the sliding action between the Mips layer and the impact-absorbing outer shell helps dampen rotational forces and, therefore, reduce neck and brain injuries (at least according to Mips). In the case of the Montaro III, the Mips shell doesn’t significantly affect breathability or airflow through the vents, unlike the earlier Mips liner system.
Giro’s Roc Loc tensioning system gives users a micro-adjustable fit via its dial tensioner and vertically adjustable tensioning cradle. The visor is vertically adjustable through two fixed positions. When in the highest position, there’s plenty of room for a pair of glasses to be holstered in the front vents. Most glasses will slide comfortably into the rear vents, too, so whichever place you prefer to stow them, you’ll find a solution on the Montaro. The helmet plays nicely with goggles, too. A rubberised section on the rear helps keep a goggle strap in place, and there’s ample room below the front of the helmet so goggles don’t get squeezed downwards on most faces. However, I do wonder if this may happen on smaller faces with large goggles – something to consider if you’re an open-face helmet goggle wearer.
Keeping the lid in place is a FIDLOCK V-BUCKLE, something I miss on helmets without it now. This magnetic wonder is a single-hand quick release and even securing it can be done with one hand with the proper technique and some practice.
On the trail
I find the fit of the Montaro is pretty good on my head – not the best I’ve worn, but one of the better. It seems the low-profile, sparse padding means it doesn’t feel as snug on the head as some, though the upside is it has minimal contact points on my head, which helps with cooling.
All the features of this helmet mean it tips the scales towards being one of the weightier trail helmets I’ve used. No doubt it offers plenty of protection thanks to its features, but theoretically, other lighter-weight helmets offer equivalent protection. There’s roughly a 75-gram difference between the Montaro and another recent review helmet with very similar features, including a rotational impact damper and FIDLOCK closure, so it’s not insignificant.
Weight aside, everything else with the Montaro is excellent; there’s a ton of airflow thanks to ample venting and substantial internal channelling. Even at slow speeds, the helmet didn’t feel stifling.
The outer hard shell wraps right around the bottom edge of the helmet, keeping that all-important inner foam safe from harm. Even while the helmet rolls around in a car boot between rides, it should still look pretty fresh, though results may vary!
It took me some fiddling to get the Roc Loc tensioner adjusted to the optimal position, but I got there in the end. At times, I still find the curvature of the tensioner on either side of the dial doesn’t quite suit my head perfectly, and occasionally, it’s caused me some annoyance. However, this could be a ‘me’ problem exacerbated by having no hair to give a little more padding.
With a $299 RRP, the Montaro III sits at the lower end of the price spectrum for a helmet with these features and coverage. All in all, it’s a solid helmet that offers a lot of protection for the dollars. Sure, there’s a bit of a weight penalty, but I’d wager that this extra weight comes in the form of more protection over some lighter-weight options in the market, so that’s got to be a positive.
RockShox Zeb Ultimate
Words: Liam Friary
Images: Sven Martin & Callum Wood
Distributor: Worralls
RRP: $2495
Components, suspension and bikes are always going through a process of constant refinement. Often it can seem a bit like a ploy to get us all to consume more, and that’s a valid perspective.
But the thing is, often the refinement stems from the sport’s progression and riders getting faster and hitting harder.
This drive is mainly through the competitive elements of the sport, such as downhill and enduro, but there’s still a strong case for the everyday trail rider. There’s also continued progression with trails, bike parks, and terrain, and this often means riders demand more of their bikes, suspension and products.
The newly updated, burly RockShox Zeb falls into the progression category and draws direct inspiration from the RockShox Boxxer. This development stems from the latest advancements in world cup downhill racing, which have driven the suspension updates across the RockShox Zeb Lyrik Vivid and Super Deluxe models. Across this issue, I’ve shared some insights from a press camp I attended in February. Queenstown hosted editors from global mountain bike media outlets who spent a week riding RockShox’s new downhill and trail suspension. I rode a Santa Cruz Hightower equipped with a RockShox Lyrik fork and a FOX Float X Factory shock. We tested our current setups for a few days before switching between them using an a-b-a testing method. This involved cycling back and forth between our old suspension, specifically the previous generation RockShox Lyrik, and the new RockShox Zeb. The launch event included six days of riding followed by another month of ride testing on more familiar local trails.
The centrepiece of the new Zeb update is the new Linear XL air spring, and it’s worth understanding what it does rather than letting it blur into the spec sheet. It’s not a marketing name. It describes a specific engineering approach that changes how the fork feels through its travel, and it’s the main reason the new Zeb rides differently to the old one.
Most air springs are progressive by nature. That’s not a flaw, it’s physics. As you compress an air chamber the pressure rises, which means the further you push into the travel the harder the spring pushes back. The result is a spring curve that ramps up toward the end of the stroke. This gives you bottom-out resistance without needing a separate mechanical bumper, but it also means the fork feels different at twenty percent of travel than it does at eighty percent. Predictable it is not. You get a supple initial response that stiffens noticeably mid-stroke and firms up hard near the end. Riders learn to work with this but they’re always adjusting for it, consciously or not. A linear spring does roughly the same thing throughout its travel. The fork feels the same at twenty percent as it does at sixty. What you set up is what you get.
RockShox’s Linear XL system is an attempt to flatten that curve. The approach involves increasing the volume of both the positive and negative air chambers while simultaneously reducing the piston diameter and increasing the inner diameter of the shaft. Taken together these changes mean the fork runs at higher pressure but the rate the pressure increases as you compress through the travel is slower and more consistent. The Air Annex, an additional air chamber mounted on the side of the fork leg, adds further volume to the lower leg, reinforcing the flatter spring curve. The result is a spring that behaves more like a coil: predictable throughout the stroke rather than stiffening in stages.
RockShox also refined the fork’s lubrication and small-bump behaviour through two supporting technologies. ButterWagonTech introduces small indentations machined across the lower section of the stanchions, below the dust wipers, which draw oil upward during rebound. On every stroke out, oil is actively redistributed across the bushing contact area rather than relying on gravity alone. Less friction throughout the stroke, more consistent movement, less arm pump on long rough runs. Complementing this are the ButterCups – elastomers mounted on both the spring and damping sides that filter small impacts and high-frequency vibrations, taking the edge off chatter before it reaches your hands. Then there are the breather holes, two small drill holes in each stanchion just below the oil seal. In a big hit the air trapped in the casting has somewhere to go, distributing quickly and evenly rather than creating a pressure spike. Oil circulation improves too, keeping damping consistent under repeated hard impacts. Together these three details are about keeping the fork moving cleanly and, honestly, not letting friction and trapped air compromise the spring curve the Linear XL system is working to deliver.
The Linear XL spring doesn’t work in isolation. Because the spring is more linear, less progressive, the Charger 3.2 damper that pairs with it in the new Zeb is tuned more progressively to compensate. The damper picks up where the spring backs off. This is important to understand because putting a Charger 3.2 into an older fork would feel unusually firm — the damper is calibrated specifically for the flatter spring curve, not for the progressive curve of the previous generation. The system is designed to work as a matched pair. RockShox describe the goal as coil-spring feel without giving up air’s key advantage — tune it with a pump rather than swap a spring.
On trail the difference is in the consistency. With a progressive spring curve, you develop a sense of where the fork is in its travel and you ride accordingly, backing off slightly before the middle of the stroke stiffens, or driving harder knowing the end of travel will support you. With a more linear spring that calibration becomes simpler. The fork is doing roughly the same thing throughout. Put simply, you can stop thinking about where you are in the travel and start thinking about the trail in front of you, which is exactly where your attention should be. During the camp in Queenstown this was most noticeable on repeated laps of the same trails, the fork felt consistent in a way that let you push harder without having to relearn its behaviour each time. Compared to the previous generation Lyrik, the Zeb felt firmer and stiffer but still nimble. It could hit harder when asked to, which is partly a function of the increased travel (150mm Lyrik to 170mm Zeb), but across the stroke it felt plusher , which is the Linear XL story in a single ride impression. The weight increase is noticeable if you’re looking for it, but the performance gain makes it an easy trade. What stood out most was the grip in technical terrain at lower speeds, the kind of riding where a fork that sits high and active in its travel makes the difference between traction and washing out. The steep, chunky terrain of Queenstown tested the support end of that equation. Rotorua tested the suppleness end, root-littered trails where the fork needed to stay planted and small-bump sensitive at the same time. It held up well in both.
From the outset, the even and therefore more predictable spring curve immediately draws attention. The fork responds sensitively to small bumps and irregularities offering plenty of feedback. This is complemented by a progressive damping tune providing adequate support during hard compressions and fast berms. Even under heavy braking the front remains responsive without diving too deep, and the fork consistently rides pleasantly high in its travel.
The a-b-a testing format at the camp – old fork, new fork, old fork again on the same trails – is exactly the kind of structured comparison that makes this difference legible rather than just ‘felt’. The Zeb with the updated spring felt less variable through its travel. Less time spent managing the fork, more time spent riding the trail. And it performed well during the multiple runs in Queenstown. The solid chassis helped with confidence on steep tech terrain and behaved well in those relentless braking ruts. As for more pedalling on trails, the fork felt predictable and planted when transitioning to flatter or technical climbs. It was slacker than what I was used to but after a few rides it wasn’t a thing, and I liked having more travel on the descents so the payoff was well worth it. That said, I’d like to try the new RockShox Lyrik with similar internals of the Zeb for more all-mountain or pedalling days that I’m more used to.
RockShox has refined the setup with clearer, numbered adjuster dials and additional height indicators on the stanchions. One thing worth knowing: Linear XL runs higher setup pressures than the previous generation, so if the numbers on the pump look wrong, that’s why. The smaller piston needs more air to reach the same SAG — get it right and the spring rewards you. As usual, there are SAG markings and a sticker on the fork for quick base setup. It’s remarkable how much the adjuster dials affect the fork’s behaviour. The high-speed compression circuit, in particular, significantly influences the fork’s travel height. With just a few clicks, the setup can be easily adapted to various trails – from rough high-speed tracks to steep downhill sections, flowy bike park runs to loamy fern littered trails of Rotorua.
The new Zeb is a brawler’s dream, perfect for park laps, technical trails, steep shuts, swift descents and anything else thrown its way. It’s a solid companion for an enduro brawler or long-travel eMTB and I think it’d be a great fit. I’m eager to get an eMTB to fit the Zeb onto to see how it responds. It’s a classic evolution with a clear focus on a more linear and predictable spring curve. After my initial testing period, it responds sensitively, behaves predictably and maintains a pleasant travel height. The overhauled Zeb fork levels it up for today’s riders.
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CamelBak Chase Adventure 8 Vest
Words Liam Friary
Images Caleb Smith
RRP $250
Distributor Southern Approach
There’s a particular style of riding where you need to carry more than your water bottle and whatever you have strapped to your bike or keep in frame storage (if you have one). But sometimes a full-blown backpack feels like overkill. On these days, you’re committed to being out for hours, tackling technical terrain, and need quick access to everything without fumbling around trying to get access to your gear.
When I first strapped on the Chase Adventure 8 Vest, I’ll admit I was sceptical – in the past, I’ve found vests either too snug or restrictive to wear. The Chase Adventure 8 Vest is designed for those big mountain all-day rides where preparation is everything. Eight litres total capacity, supplied with a two-litre Crux bladder, and enough clever organisation to make my tidy, slightly OCD self happy. The vest format means it sits above your jersey and/or bib pockets. This helps a lot as you’re not fighting for space but rather adding, and you can easily access any snacks or gear that’s not stashed in the vest.
The standout feature here is what CamelBak calls the “Command Center Harness”. It’s essentially a chest-mounted organisation system that puts your essentials right where you can see and grab them without contorting like a gymnast or stopping to dig through pockets. There’s integrated tool organisation built into the harness itself, which means your multi-tool, tyre plugs, and other critical bits are right there on your chest, easily within reach if something goes awry.
The main storage sits in the back panel with six litres of dedicated gear space. I managed to pack bike tools, some trail snacks, and a small first aid kit, and still had room for extras. The stretch overflow pocket on the outside is perfect for items you need quick access to – I stuffed my jacket in there. You can just grab the jacket on the descents or when the weather gets inclement without having to faff with zips and the like.
CamelBak has fitted this vest with their 3D Grid Mesh Harness, which does an admirable job of keeping airflow happening between you and the pack. But don’t get it confused – you’ll still be wearing something on your torso, so things will heat up. However, the airflow is pretty good when compared with other packs. The lightweight 420D recycled nylon construction helps here – it’s tough enough to handle branches and rocks but doesn’t add unnecessary bulk or weight.
The fit is secured with dual adjustable sternum straps. Being able to fine-tune the upper and lower chest fit means you can get it properly snug without feeling like you’re in a straitjacket. It did take some adjusting throughout the ride to get the sweet spot. The vest stays put remarkably well, even when you’re getting rowdy on technical descents or grinding up steep climbs. There’s minimal bounce or side-to-side movement, which is crucial when you’re trying to move around the bike.
I did find the fit good overall, though it could have been a bit better around the shoulders for me. However, this could be due to the winter months spent in the gym. Getting the right fit is crucial with a vest-style pack, more so than a traditional backpack, so definitely try before you buy if possible.
The two-litre Crux bladder is the same quality you’ll find across CamelBak’s range. The bite valve remains easy to drink from, positive shut-off when you’re done, and the magnetic tube trap keeps the hose secure against the shoulder strap when you’re not using it. It stays put on rough descents and didn’t bother me at all. The vest also features reflective elements for visibility, which is handy if your all-day ride stretches into dusk. There’s even provision for adding impact protection if you want back protection on gnarlier rides.
The capacity sits in an interesting, sweet spot. It’s not trying to be an overnighter like the H.A.W.G – this is for big single-day missions or rides where you need more than minimal kit but don’t want to feel like a pack mule.
I found myself reaching for this pack on more occasions with the warmer months, longer rides and changeable weather. I have been riding hip packs but lately, I’ve swayed back to the vest option due to its fit-and-forget nature and it sitting higher on the back. And, at 400 grams, it’s quite light for the capacity and build quality. When you cinch everything down for a shorter ride with minimal gear, it compresses nicely and doesn’t feel like you’re hauling around a half-empty sack. Equally, when you load it up properly, the harness system distributes the weight well enough that it doesn’t feel like it’s all pulling backwards off your shoulders.
The vest format really shines in situations where you’re frequently on and off the bike – technical trails with hike-a-bike sections, or rides where you’re stopping regularly to snack, session features or take photos. There’s no wrestling with shoulder straps or waist belts. And when riding, the vest just stays put and moves with you naturally.
The Chase Adventure 8 Vest is a well-executed piece of kit and it does what it says on the tin. It’s probably not for all riders, but it’s handy for those longer, more committing days in the mountains where preparation matters and quick access to your gear is invaluable.
KS LEV Circuit Wireless Dropper Post
Words Liam Friary
Images Ralph Cabansag
RRP $799
Distributor Everoutdoor
Wireless droppers are in vogue lately. KS has thrown its hat firmly into the ring with the LEV Circuit. Let’s start with what makes this thing tick. The LEV Circuit is KS’s answer to the wireless dropper question, building on the proven internals from their well- regarded LEV series, but cutting the cord entirely.
No cables, no housing, no internal routing headaches. Just a Bluetooth connection between the remote and the post. Simple as.
Installation is a breath of fresh air. Drop the post in, clamp it down, pair the remote via Bluetooth, and you’re sorted. It literally took less than five minutes. It was a real pleasure when compared to wrestling internal cables through modern frames. The whole setup took me maybe twenty minutes, and most of that was just getting the saddle height dialled in. The remote runs on a standard CR2032 battery, while the post itself has a rechargeable battery that slots in neatly. Everything you need comes in the box: remote, battery, charger. Job done.
The post itself is available in 31.6 and 30.9mm versions of the Circuit, with travel set at 125, 150, 175, maxing out at a very respectable 200mm. KS has clearly thought about modern geometry here, with total post lengths that should fit most frames without too much drama. The adjustable air pressure at the base of the post lets you dial in the return speed to your preference, which is a nice touch. Mechanically, it’s nearly identical to the standard LEV, just flipped around. The air valve for adjusting return speed sits at the bottom of the post, while a small motor up top opens the hydraulic valve when you hit the remote.
The rechargeable 450 mAh battery slides in behind the seat clamp, keeping things tidy. KS reckons it’ll run for up to eight weeks on a charge under normal use, and it takes about 4.5 hours to top up with the included charger. The remote uses a CR2032 coin cell that should last around eight months, with an LED that flips from green to red when it’s time for a swap. You can grab one from any petrol station or supermarket if needed. I’ve had that happen on a few occasions, so it’s worth having a spare and double-checking battery life before rolling out.
Now, let’s talk about how this post performs on the trail. The actuation is noticeably smooth and light. There’s something almost effortless about how it drops when you press that remote button while weighted on the saddle. It doesn’t fight you at all. I have been running wireless dropper posts for more than a few years and rate them highly. I did revert back to a cable-actuated dropper with a recent test bike and actually forgot about how much more I use the electronic version when compared to the mechanical. Put simply – you press the button, the post drops. It’s that straightforward, and after a few rides, you stop thinking about it entirely. The remote lever itself is large and easy to reach, with a response time that’s very quick. The amount of force required is fairly light, and the post slides smoothly out of the way without much effort. It’s on par with the RockShox Reverb AXS for how little effort it takes to get the seat out of the way.
The post is built tough, too. An IP67 rating means it’s dust-tight and properly water- resistant. Precision keyways keep everything stable with virtually no play. This is something I’ve been checking for religiously, and so far, there’s been nothing to report. No slop, no wiggle, just solid performance.
But, there are some downsides. The return speed sits somewhere in the middle of the pack. It’s not sluggish by any means, but it’s not lightning-quick either. You can tune it a bit with air pressure, and I found adding a few extra psi helped. When it’s time to raise the seat for a climb, you hold down the remote and it returns to full extension, but this is where the Reverb AXS has the edge. That post extends much more quickly than the Circuit. I inflated the Circuit to 180 psi, the max recommended, and even then, I’d call the return speed adequate, but not amazing.
On rides with more rolling terrain, where the seat is constantly being adjusted, the difference between the Circuit and the Reverb AXS is noticeable. The Circuit is a little less eager to fully extend. Of course, not everyone wants a super speedy post, and I wouldn’t call the Circuit slow, at all – it’s just not the fastest out there.If you’re coming from a post that rockets back to full extension, you might notice the difference. It gets the job done, just not with any particular flair.
The remote lets the package down a bit. For a post at this price point, the remote feels cheaper than it should. Don’t get me wrong, it’s functional and does what it’s meant to do, but the construction feels a touch flimsy. It’s not that it’s going to fall apart on you, but for the price, you’d expect the remote to feel a bit more premium. The button action is fine, and the ergonomics are decent, but the overall build quality just doesn’t quite match the post itself.
The price of the post is up there but not nearly as expensive as the new RockShox Reverb AXS. Wireless convenience does come at a cost, however. If you’re building up a new bike or already running wireless shifting, the LEV Circuit makes more sense. But if you’re thinking about replacing a perfectly good mechanical dropper, you’ll need to really value that cable-free experience.
One thing worth mentioning is the serviceability. KS has a decent reputation for support, and the post uses their proven hydraulic valve design that sits at the top of the unit. Time will tell how this holds up long term, but the company has a solid track record with their LEV series, so I would back them.
After several months of riding, the LEV Circuit has been rock solid. The Bluetooth connection has been flawless, never dropping signal or acting up. The actuation remains smooth and consistent, and the post hasn’t developed any play or quirks. It just works, which is exactly what you want from a dropper.
KS has delivered an impressive wireless dropper here. The smooth action alone is worth noting, and the battery life means you’re not constantly worrying about charging. Believe me, this can suck and ruin your riding experience. Installation is straightforward, and the performance has been reliable. For riders who value smooth, light actuation and don’t want to deal with cables, this post could be a good option.
If you’re in the market for a wireless dropper and want something that feels effortless to use, the LEV Circuit deserves serious consideration. When you’re out on the trail, pressing that button and getting the saddle to drop away without any resistance, you’ll improve the riding experience.