RockShox Dart 1

- Travel: 100mm

- Available Springs: Coil

- Adjustments: Preload

- Crown: Forged 6061 T-6 Aluminum

- Lowers: Boss Or Disc Specific

- Price: $ 105.00

RockShox Dart 2

- Travel: 80/100

- Damping: Turn Key Option

- Adjustments: Lockout Optional, Preload

- Steerer Options: Stkm Steel 1 1/8"

- Crown: Forged 6061 T-6 Aluminum

- Price: $ 136.00

RockShox Recon Silver

- Travel 80/100/120mm

- Available Springs Solo Air / Coil
- Adjustments External Rebound
- Steerer Options Aluminum 1 1/8"
- Lowers Magnesium, Post Disc Mount
- Price: $ 225.00

RockShox Tora TK

- 4-piece bushing system
- Pocketed aluminum crown
- Travel 80/100/120mm
- Damping TurnKey
- Steerer Options Aluminum 1 1/8"
- Price: $ 190.00

Bont Cycling: A-one shoes

Australian shoemaker Bont only recently entered the U.S. market, but it has already significantly upped the ante when it comes to at-home moldable shoes with its sole, insole and upper. The monocoque sole is the stiffest we've tried and, at 3.6mm, it has the lowest stack height we've found. To mold it, heat the a-one in a 160-degree oven for 20 minutes then put it on, allowing the shoe to form to your foot. You can remold the shoe multiple times until you eliminate hot spots and achieve absolute power transfer. Buy It: If you want the stiffest sole available with a near-handmade fit Forget It: If you like to take cafe breaks; these are ProTour-level race shoes made for fast rides (www.bicycling.com)

Pearl Izumi: P.R.O. Road

A big step forward for Pearl Izumi shoe offerings, the P.R.O. Road is comfortable and formfitting from the first pedal stroke thanks to a longitudinal, arch-supporting insole; a gripping heel cup; and three offset straps, including a buckle closure on top. A padded tongue relieves potential pressure points across the instep and the roomy forefoot area accommodates wider feet well. Pearl's unidirectional P.R.O. Grade carbon proved ultrastiff for great power delivery. We felt a few hot spots on the balls of our feet during initial test runs, but these abated as the shoes broke in.--David L'Heureux Buy It: If you are ready to pay the price for a high-performance, race-ready shoe Forget It: If you prefer conservative graphics, color and design (www.bicycling.com)

Shimano: SH-R190

Shimano's midrange shoe lacks the already broken-in feel of the $360 custom-fit SH-R310, but it's just five grams heavier per pair. And the R190's snug heel cup and comfortable upper make the most of your output. The forefoot offers wiggle room, and those with narrow feet will appreciate the micro-adjustable buckle's optional mounting point, which places the strap in the middle of its range. The R190's carbon and glass-fiber sole feels just slightly softer than the unidirectional all-carbon sole of Shimano's pricier offerings.--Ron Koch Buy It: If you want a medium fit and Shimano's legendary durability Forget It: If your feet require special tweaks for a comfortable fit
(www.bicycling.com)

TRP: Dash Carbon Disc

A one-piece forged alloy caliper and 20.9mm composite pistons (which offer better heat resistance) give the Dash a smart look, and titanium hardware and carbon levers minimize weight. Along with a tool-free reach adjuster, an on-the-fly "power adjuster" alters leverage ratio to go from strong to ultrapucker (TRP claims a 20 percent variation). Our testers ran the brakes near full power and felt they retained a great deal of modulation with grand stopping ability. One consideration: Lever reach changes slightly as you adjust power. (www.bicycling.com)

Avid: Elixir 3

The newest addition to Avid's Elixir family is also the most affordable. The popular TaperBore design found on previous Elixir models is used on the 3, but a new pivot assembly makes accessing the 3mm lever-reach-adjustment bolt easier. Internally, the TaperBore master cylinder is structurally the same as on the Elixir 5, as is lever-pivot placement and geometry, but an allnew two-piece caliper has more-direct porting for easier bleeds. It also has more mass, so it's a better heat sink for less fade. However, this added mass means the Elixir 3 is heavier than other Elixir models. Feel at the lever is similar to higher-priced Elixir models, but initial power comes more softly. In fact, the stock organic pads give the Elixir 3 a lessaggressive feel overall than the Elixirs that come with sintered metal pads. Those looking for more raw power (large or aggressive riders, in particular) should swap to metal pads, go up a rotor size, or both. Bonus: The Elixir's toploading design makes swapping pads a simple task.--Ron Koch (www.bicycling.com)

Magura: Louise Carbon Bat

The Louise is Magura's do-everything brake: It's about 100 grams heavier per wheel than the company's Marta but has more features and can absorb more heat before performance is affected. One key feature is the adjustable hose fitting on the caliper: Some suspension bikes have challenging rear hose routing, and we found the 45 degrees of tool-free angular adjustment tremendously helpful for cleaning things up. Though we have a quibble with the shape of the lever--it's a bit narrow and the hook could be more pronounced--the Louise feels fabulous. The lever feel bares a strong resemblance to the Marta. It responds with a very light touch and glides through its stroke until it reaches a cushioned stop. Our only other gripe: Feedback could be better. Sometimes, the lever feels disconnected from what's happening at the ground. The power doesn't hit hard initially, making these brakes feel less powerful than they actually are. But they modulate wonderfully through the meat of the stroke.--Matt Phillips (www.bicycling.com)

Formula RX: Brake review

Formula only recently rolled out the RX, a more-affordable version of its lightweight R1. Weight, however, is still a respectable 351 grams (compared with the 272 grams of the R1). Even more impressive is the power at hand. Whether the trail dips gradually or loses elevation in short, steep bursts, these stoppers deliver smooth, consistent control that is above average for trail brakes with 160mm rotors. The lever is comfortable with very little slop, and provides a good feel for the brake's excellent modulation. Setup was a snap, aided by a two-bolt handlebar clamp. The RX comes with organic pads that give reliable performance on dry trails but suffer in the rain or on steeper descents. Anyone living in wet areas or places with bundles of vertical terrain should opt for the sintered/metallic pads. Also, the RX has few additional features--there's no contact-point adjustment, for example. But then again, this is a simple, effective, relatively lightweight brake at a good price.--Lou Mazzante (www.bicycling.com)

Specialized 2011 Lineup Preview

Specialized has updated its line with major overhauls. One introduction is the S-Works Epic 29, the 29er version of the S-Works Epic. The mid-priced full-suspension Camber is offered in 26-inch and 29-inch wheel sizes. One major change to look out for is the Evo models, which reflect the modifications that Specialized employees, riders and dealers were making to their personal bikes. These models include the Epic Evo R, Epic Evo Trail, Stumpjumper Evo Trail 29, Enduro Evo and the Stumpjumper FSR Evo (the most altered of all).(www.bicycling.com)

Trek + Gary Fisher 2011 Lineup Preview

Continuing across the 2011 line is a series of tweaks and upgrades to existing successful and strong-performing bikes. The Fuel EX 9.9 and the Remedy 9.9 get the full SRAM XX package. Scratch Air gets a custom-tuned Fox RP23, which is lighter than last year’s DHX Air Shock, and a rubber pad to protect the carbon in the downtube from rock strikes. Gary Fisher's entire lineup is now part of Trek's "Gary Fisher Collection." Gary Fisher models include a number of carbon and aluminum 29ers, such as the Superfly, Rumblefish and Paragon.(www.bicycling.com)

SRAM XO

Designed for World Cup performance and everyday durability, the XO group switches to a 2x10 or 3x10 drivetrain. Technology from the XX group has trickled down into the XO group, with shifting becoming almost instantaneous thanks to smart engineering by SRAM. An XO-branded carbon crankset weighs 788 grams and is claimed to be 10 to 15 percent stiffer than XX, but weighing only 60 grams more. Over three days of testing, the components worked flawlessly, shifting crisply and consistently, regardless of conditions or gearing.(www.bicycling.com)

Giant 2011 Lineup Preview

Giant introduced its new Anthem X 29er and three redesigned bikes: the Anthem X, Trance X and Reign. Trance X gets a tapered headtube that has been relaxed by half a degree to 69 degrees. The Anthem X 29er is Giant's first full-suspension 29er, which features a stiff front end and 4 inches of rear travel. Reign features a lighter 3D forged rocker link, a tapered head tube and a press-fit bottom bracket.(www.bicycling.com)

Santa Cruz V-10 Carbon, $2,999 (carbon frame)

Santa Cruz managed to get its 10-inch travel DH bike down to 9.1 pounds (with shock) by replacing bulky aluminum with carbon in the front triangle. The lower weight has a huge difference when riding, making the bike reactive and stable on drops, corners and anywhere else on the trail. The bike is race-proven: Steve Peat, Greg Minnaar and the rest of the Syndicate team have ridden the bike since the start of the 2010 season with multiple wins to show for it.(www.bicycling.com)

Orbea Rallon, $3,000 to $5,500 (frame)

Orbea, a brand known for their high-end road bikes and carbon hardtails, spent three years designing and prototyping the Rallon. The result is a 150mm rear-wheel travel enduro/all-mountain bike with a stiff ride and a consistent feel throughout the full length of travel. The frame, with Fox RP23 shock, comes in at a claimed 7.1 pounds. Short 17.2-inch chainstays keep the bike nimble. The Rallon comes in three models.(www.bicycling.com)

Norco Range, $6,950 (Range 1, full build)

With six inches of travel, the all-mountain Norco Range employs the company's new Advanced Ride Technology, ART, which lets the rear wheel move backward, allowing it to better absorb square-edge hits. Norco claims ART also reduces pedal bob and improves suspension performance during braking. A one-piece link arm creates a stiffer, more stable rear end.(www.bicycling.com)

Felt 2011 Lineup Preview

For the Felt Edict LTD, the company switched to a single-pivot design that relies on flexing carbon stays, which offer strong lateral stiffness. Cutting out the extra pivot and its associated pivot hardware brought the bike down to 5.5 pounds. In Felt's Virtue line, they’re offering cost-friendly aluminum models and a new all-carbon model with a frameset weight of 5.5 pounds. The 29er line also gets updated with a 4.1-pound aluminum frame and a three-pound carbon model.(www.bicycling.com)