Enduro racing continues to evolve, with riders pushing their bikes to the ragged edge on both the ups and downs, and Hayes Performance has released an 'enduro collection' complete with brakes, bars and stems, wheels and suspension to help those riders work less and party harder.
Manitou Mezzer fork
Starting at the front of the bike, under its Manitou suspension brand, comes the Mezzer fork.
Claimed to be the lightest and smoothest long-travel fork on the market, the Mezzer gets 37mm stanchions, a reverse arch, removable fender, low-speed compression and rebound damping, and is available in 27.5 and 29in versions ranging from 140 to 180mm of squish.
While the stanchions are only a hair bigger than something like a Fox 36 or RockShox Pike or Lyrik, Manitou says its fork is 28 percent stiffer than the competition.
It's claimed to weigh 2,000g in the 27.5in, 180mm travel version with an uncut steerer, and should the Mezzer tip your fancy it will cost $1,000 / €1,050.
To match the Mezzer fork, Manitou has also served up the Mara Pro rear shock.
In addition to low- and high-speed compression and low-speed rebound adjustment, the Mara Pro was developed with a ‘Work’ mode to restrict oil flow for climbing and a ‘Party’ mode allowing you to get pitted on the descent.
Claimed to weigh 425g, the Mara Pro comes in both standard and Trunnion mount varieties and costs $580 / €610
SUNRingle Düroc Pro wheel
HPG has also launched a new enduro wheel, the SUNringle D¨roc Pro, which mates with the D¨roc rim and measures 31mm between the bead with the brand's new Super Bubba hub.
The Super Bubba features what SUNringle calls Clocked Technology, meaning the hub gets two separate ratchet rings that allow for different levels of engagement: 3-pawls engaging every 4 degrees for all-mountain or 6 pawls engaging every 8 degrees for downhill.
While the two engagement rings may introduce a bit of drag, they do allow for faster engagement and better durability for riders who have a knack for killing hubs.
The rims are supported by 28 Wheelsmith straight-pull DB14 spokes and are claimed to weigh 1,826g in 27.5in and 1,866g in 29in.
The new hoops start at $360 / €380 for the front and $540 / €570 for the rear
Dominion brakes
To keep your speed in check, the new Dominion A2 Hayes Disc Brakes are a two piston version of the award-winning Dominion A4.
Aimed at the trail crowd (keeping in mind they are part of the Enduro Collection) or riders looking to shave a few grams, the master cylinder is designed to work with two or four piston calipers and said to offer a consistent lever feel in either setup.
The brake levers will also be available with a short reach, narrow width lever that Hayes designed to suit riders with small mitts. The lever and caliper will cost $230 / €235.
ProTaper MTB bar and stem
Rounding out the Enduro Collection is the new ProTaper MTB bar and stem.
For quite some time, Answer has been Hayes's components brand, but it appears it's been absorbed into the ProTaper moniker.
The range features a range of carbon and alloy bars, and for the Enduro range, the brand has launched a 35mm aluminium bar as well as some new grips which feature the PT logo pattern. All are available in Stealth, and Race Yellow Graphics.