Manitou, SunRinglé & ProTaper's New XC Lineup

Hayes Bicycle Group, which in addition to the brake brand of the same name brings together brands such as Manitou, SunRinglé and ProTaper, presents a series of components dedicated to cross country – some totally new and others with facelifts. From the forks to the cockpit, shock absorbers and wheels, the US group returns to focus on XC with with a new line of modern products. Let’s find out what they’re all about!

Manitou R7

The return of the Manitou XC fork, available in two versions, the Expert, for a nice happy medium between performance and price, and the Pro, top of the line with the best features the brand offers.

R7 Pro

The Pro version has a chiseled out arch to save weight without sacrificing stiffness, made from a lightweight alloy casing, with the bow positioned in the back as per Manitou tradition. The air cartridge is the best of the Manitou range, the Dorado Air, optimized for the reduced space of the 32mm stanchions. Dorado Air has an auto-compensation system between the positive and negative chambers and is also equipped with the VAT system which allows for adjusting the volume of the chamber itself. The hydraulic cartridge is the Pro version of the VTT offering 3 positions (Open, Mid and Lock Out) with a circuit dedicated to the first two and one exclusive for the Lock Out so that the latter does not affect the former in terms of performance while riding.

Details

Weight: 1.648g (29 “/ 120mm)
Travel: from 80 to 120mm
Air cartridge: Dorado Air with VAT
Hydraulic cartridge: VTT Pro
Compression adjustment: 3 positions with Open Mode Adjust
Wheel size: 27.5″ or 29″
Offset: 37 / 44mm (27.5″) – 44 / 51mm (29″)
Stanchion diameter: 32mm
7000 aluminum stanchions
Hollow forged aluminum crown
Brake mount: PM160mm
Axle: Hexlock2 15x110mm
Integrated fender
Price: €903

R7 Expert

The Expert version uses a less elaborate hollow crown and a 6000 alloy lower leg assembly instead of the 7000 series like the Pro. The air cartridge is a simpler Expert Air and the hydraulic cartridge is the normal version of the VTT, with compression able to be toggled between three positions but, unlike the Pro, not adjustable in the open position.

Details

Weight: 1.812g (29 “/ 120mm)
Travel: from 80 to 120mm
Air cartridge: Expert Air
Hydraulic cartridge: VTT
Compression adjustment: 3 positions
Wheel size: 27.5″ or 29″
Offset: 37 / 44mm (27.5 “) – 44 / 51mm (29”)
Stanchion diameter: 32mm
6000 aluminum sheaths
Hollow crown in forged aluminum
Brake mount: PM160mm
Axle: Hexlock2 15x110mm
Integrated mudguard
Price: € 744

Manitou Mara

Derived from the Mara Pro, the new XC dedicated Manitou rear shock utilizes a special IFP piston developed in collaboration with SKF which is equipped with a head made of elastic rather than rigid material therefore it combines the characteristics of an IFP piston with the advantages of a membrane in terms of speed of reaction to small impacts and reduced friction. The hydraulic cartridge works on two different circuits to manage high and low speeds and thus allows the Incremental Platform Adjust system to adjust the Mara to four distinct positions for compression. The rebound also uses two circuits, the first is a tapered needle and the second with reed valve, to obtain a more accurate adjustment of the rebound speed.

Details

Weight: 275g
Adjustments: four position compression and rebound
Numerous eye to eye x stroke, standard or Trunnion
Price: € 452

SunRinglé Düroc 30 Pro

The SunRinglé wheels dedicated to cross country derive directly from the Düroc, with the same 30mm aluminum rim with an external width, however equipped with water transferred graphics. The substantial difference is in the hubs, the new Super Bubba X equipped with a faster engagement, with 6 double-tooth ratchets that grip on a 90-tooth ring nut for a total of a 4° engagement angle and a weight saving of 55 grams.

Details

Weight: 1,690g per pair
Size: 29 inches
Inner rim width: 26mm
Spokes: 28 Wheelsmith DB14 Straight Pull
Hubs: Boost 110×15 and 148×12
Disc mount: 6 hole
Freewheel: HG, XD or Micro Spline
Price: € 957

ProTaper Hyperlite Bar

As the name suggests, this flat carbon fiber handlebar is not light but hyper-light. It is equipped with grippy surface areas in the stem mount area and in the grip area.

Details

Weight: 125g
Width: 760mm
Diameter: 31.8mm
Sweep: 9°
Color: black with yellow graphics or stealth black
Price: € 186

ProTaper ATAC Stem

Marking the return of a historical name for ProTaper, the ATAC stem is made of aluminum alloy with titanium screws, available in six different lengths, from 50 to 100mm with 10mm increments.