This week’s fresh batch of cool things comes in the form of Auckland Cycle Works’ wild Marra mountain bike and Revel’s rather gorgeous Rover gravel bike. On top of that, we’ve got Troy Lee Designs’ latest three-quarter helmet, new shades from Smith Optics, and a very loud hip pack from Victory Chimp. Let’s dive in.
This week started strong! After our review of the Teravail Drawpoint tyre, which went down very well with Jimmer, Avinox published a statement in a bid to defend itself against naysayers of its motors’ high power output, and Canyon revealed new alloy versions of its Grizl gravel bike, bringing prices as low as £1,249.
Of course, the biggest thing to happen over the past week was the Gralloch. The UK’s premier gravel event, and UCI Gravel Worlds qualifier, attracts all kinds of riders while bringing along a pretty exciting event expo. Firstly, Mick headed out to Gatehouse of Fleet to scope out any new and interesting gravel kit, of which there was plenty, including mountain-bikey gravel bikes, and fresh tyres from Panaracer, as well as bikes from Ventum and Argon 18. But that’s not all of our gravel content, as our very own Matt Page headed to the event and despite having a proper nasty crash just weeks before, he qualified for the UCI Gravel World Championships.
As for the rest of our reviews, I checked out Amflow’s PX Carbon Pro as well as Troy Lee Design’s newest Stage Stunt helmet, but more on that in a bit.
Auckland Cycle Works Marra frameset
£5,600
The Auckland Cycle Works Marra may look complicated, but it’s designed almost solely to solve a complicated problem – suspension performance while braking. Almost every bike suffers from brake jack (the suspension extending while braking), or the suspension stiffening under heavy braking loads, although some bikes handle the issue better than others. But either way, that means that a bike just isn’t able to use its suspension properly while braking, which means less traction, the likelihood of the rear wheel locking up, and an uncomfortable, less predictable ride.
Equipped with the very unique KOLARP suspension linkage, the Marra poses a few other benefits too, one being the ability to maintain its angles dynamically as the suspension compresses and again, under braking loads. As you can see, this is a high pivot bike, so it brings a rearward axle path into the mix as the millimetres are being used, so it should be super smooth over rough terrain, but halfway through the suspension’s 180mm of travel, that axle path straightens, so the chainstay and wheelbase is maintained throughout the latter stages of the travel.
Honestly, I could write an essay on what’s going on with the Marra, so I’ll save the rest of the good stuff for the review coming soon but the bike is available as a frame only in two sizes, medium and large with the large frame on test rocking a 64-degree head angle, a 486.3mm reach, a 78-degree seat tube angle, and a 429.9 chainstay length. Some of that is adjustable, too. Additionally, Auckland offers custom stack and reach measurements. The bike runs a mixed wheel size only, and can accommodate a fork with 170mm to 200mm of bounce at the front.
While available as a frame only with a choice of a Cane Creek Kitsuma G2 or RockShox Vivid Air Ultimate shock for the same money, the Marra can also be bought as a full build, so get in touch with the brand if that’s something that tickles your fancy.
Troy Lee Designs Stage Stunt
£240
Troy Lee Designs is no stranger to three-quarter helmets, having developed loads of motorcycle use, and the D2 Open Face back in the noughties. But the brand has returned to the somewhat quirky design with the Stage Stunt. As its name suggests, it takes heavy inspiration from the Stage, one of the earliest enduro-focused full face helmets, but it does away with the chin guard.
Claiming that it’s the lightest of its type, weighing in at 550g, the Stage Stunt is rammed full of features, as you would expect from TLD. It uses a dual-density EPS foam that’s wrapped in a polycarbonate shell and complemented with Mips Integra Fuse, which is a version of the rotational impact reduction system that’s moulded into the EPS itself. There’s then a three-way adjustable visor, which promises space for goggles and glasses storage, there’s a Fidlock magnetic buckle and a total of 22 vents. As for padding, the cheek pads and neck roll can be swapped out for thicker alternatives, which are included in the box, and the height of the neck roll can be adjusted in three positions.
We’ve already got a review of the Troy Lee Designs Stage Stunt ready for reading, so click on over to that to see what we think.
Smith Optics Syncline glasses
£189
Big lens means big coverage, and that’s exactly what Smith’s Syncline glasses aim to achieve. With a lens that measures 65mm in height and 148mm in width, Smith says that the Syncline is built to offer goggle-like coverage, but with sunglasses. Speaking of the lens, it’s constructed with a 5-base cylindrical shield lens curvature and a slight wraparound fit. The glasses are also compatible with Smith’s ODS5 prescription insert. Oh, and it uses Smith’s ChromaPop technology, and there’s a spare clear lens included.
As for the frame, it’s built using Evolve, a bio-based material, and it uses AutoLock hinges to keep the frame open when sliding the glasses on and off your face. Along with Megol temple and nose pads, the Syncline boasts an integrated bumper at the top of the frame to reduce any harsh knocking that may occur on the brow of a helmet.
Revel Rover SRAM Force XPLR
£5,599
Last week, we checked out Revel’s Rascal, its 130mm trail mountain bike, but the brand also has a gravel bike in the range. Meet the Rover, Revel’s take on a modern gravel bike that dons a ‘progressive’ gravel geometry, which, along with its carbon layup, is supposed to make this bike comfortable, yet fast. And where gravel is beginning to take a heavy lean towards the racy and aero end of the spectrum, the Rover is merely for gravel adventuring, as it’s loaded with mounting points, although it certainly wouldn’t be shy of the odd race or two.
Modern is the name of the game with the Rover, as it has room for up to 50mm wide tyres and it’s designed to run 1x drivetrains. Of course, there’s fully integrated routing, but it’s guided inside the frame, so working on the bike should be simple.
As for that geometry, the XL size we have on test gets a 420mm chainstay length, a 71.5-degree head angle, a 75-degree seat tube angle and a 433mm reach.
Victory Chimp Out There Hip Pack/Sling Bag
£59
Victory Chimp’s Out There Hip Pack looks like one bag for many purposes. Built to carry all sorts of things on and off the bike, it’s a hip pack when you need it to be, and an over-the-shoulder sling bag for more casual jaunts. It boasts six litres of storage across its four pockets, but there are additional mounts all over the bag to attach accessories.
It’s constructed of 1000D Cordura and complete with a waterproof liner, finished with YKK AquaGuard zips. The bag’s adjustable belt can then fit waists up to 56″ or 142mm in diameter. For those who like to personalise their kit, there’s a neat slab of velcro primed to hold any fancy patches.
