Inspiration Issue #024

Hype this! 6 ingenious products for you and your eMTB that will make any trip better

18.05.2021
by Rudolf Fischer

Finally! The new season is just around the corner! High time to try out new styles, checking your equipment and filling out potential gaps in your gear. We’ve rounded up 6 exciting products which will get you ready for the coming season.

Stance Embrun

The Embrun socks from Stance’s Infiknit bike collection are the perfect option to get you through the bike season. With the Feel360 technology, which combines synthetic fibres and combed cotton wool in a material that goes through a patented treatment, they are claimed to be very pliable and ensure a perfectly regulated micro-climate. The mid-weight socks cost € 19.99 and have additional padding for comfort and better impact protection. The reinforced toe has no seams to unravel after a short time like they do on other socks – that means the Embrun should last for years. Don’t quite trust the whole thing? No problem, as Stance offer their lifetime Infiknit guarantee. If your socks rip or a hole develops, Stance will send you a new pair for free.

Price: € 19.99
More information: stance.com

CRUD Fender XL

Are you fed up with getting covered in muck during wet and muddy rides? Your washing machine and glasses definitely are. The € 34.95 CRUD Fender XL is the solution to make sure that mud stays where it’s supposed to – on the trail and not your face. The mudguard provides extended coverage that reliably stops mud flying all around you during hardcore off-road riding. It is mounted without tools using 6 sturdy O-rings, fits all current forks and is compatible with both 29 and 27.5″ tires. Only 27.5+ riders should choose a mudguard with more clearance. Thanks to neoprene pads, the mudguard sits securely and won’t scratch up your custom decals. A soft rubber lip ensures that as mud builds up, it is ejected and doesn’t clog up the tire.

Price: € 34.95
Weight: 195 g
More information: crudproducts.de

MERIDA TEAM TK Dropper

You want more comfort from your long-distance hardtail without any sacrifices for your occasional trail detours? The engineers at MERIDA have thought up just the thing. The MERIDA TEAM TK dropper post combines 120 mm adjustability with 50 mm suspension travel. On bumpy terrain, the air spring in the seatpost stops impacts from being transmitted directly to your body. Simultaneously, it can be dropped or extended just like a conventional dropper post. A suspension dropper post is a genius solution for hardtails! The air pressure and stiffness of the suspension can be adjusted to suit riders weighing under 50 up to 125 kg. The seatpost has a diameter of 30.9 mm and costs € 164.95. The included remote is a downward-facing lever. That might not be the perfect solution for everyone but it can be inexpensively upgraded and all other functionality is exceptional.

Weight: 600 g with 100 mm drop, 550 g with 120 mm drop
Price: € 164.95
More information: merida-bikes.com

Effetto Mariposa Végétalex

Are you still rolling around with inner tubes because you’re worried about the environmental impact of tubeless sealant? Then you should take a look at Effetto Mariposa’s Végétalex offering. The inventive brand has developed tubeless sealant that consciously avoids environmentally damaging chemicals or plastics. Instead, the sealant is based on biodegradable cellulose fibres and ground olive pits, which swim in a polysaccharide carrier fluid. What sounds like the recipe for a vegan fruit tart is actually an environmentally friendly alternative to sealants that use latex or contain microplastics. In the event of a puncture, no environmentally damaging chemicals can leach out into nature. And the price? At € 24 per litre, this vegan sealant isn’t even more expensive than standard options. It is compatible with CO2 cartridges, seals punctures up to 5 mm in length and is claimed to stay fluid without clumping up for extended periods.

Price: € 24
More information: effettomariposa.eu

AMPLIFI Havok Knee Zip

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t: we’re speaking about knee pads. While you shouldn’t forgo their protection on the trail, many options offer limited comfort for longer rides. This either-or conflict between safety and comfort was a thorn in the side of AMPLIFI’s development team. With the Havok Knee Zip, it has created a knee pad that brings comfort to a whole new level thanks to its particularly low weight, freedom of movement and effective ventilation. Certified to EN 1621-1 Level 2, the pads provide a high level of protection and safety. The flatlock seams prevent any rubbing and, with a zip along the side, they can be taken off and put on within seconds, should you not need them after all. The AMPLIFI Havok Knee Zip pads cost € 119.99, are available in two sizes and thanks to their slim design, fit under most trousers.

Price: € 119.99
Weight: M: 430 g, L: 460 g
More information: amplifisports.com

POC Kortal Race MIPS-Helm und Devour Clarity-Brille

For 2021, the POC team has embellished their collection with several new ornaments to accompany you not just safely but stylishly through the season. The new € 250 Kortal Race MIPS helmet offers generous coverage and MIPS technology that protects against rotational forces. In addition, it integrates an NFC chip that stores crucial medical information for first responders, as well as a RECCO reflector, allowing you to be found more easily in poor visibility. The helmet is certified under the current Dutch NTA8776 ebike standard, which is conducted with higher average impact energies. It’s also compatible with goggles that can easily be stowed under the raised visor. Alternatively, you can use this stylish helmet together with the smart-looking POC Devour Clarity glasses, which boast a particularly wide field of view. The featherlight, € 250 glasses have a contrast-enhancing lens, an adjustable fit that delivers lots of comfort and are so well ventilated that they would likely continue to provide clear vision even in a steam room.

Weight: Helmet 379 g, glasses 40 g
Price: Helmet € 250, glasses € 250
More information: pocsports.com

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Words: Rudolf Fischer Photos: Manufacturers

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About the author

Rudolf Fischer

In his previous life Rudolf was a dab hand at promoting innovation, putting his brain behind big-ticket patent assessments that easily ran into six-or-seven-plus figures. These days, the self-confessed data nerd’s role as editor at DOWNTOWN and E-MOUNTAINBIKE is no less exciting. Given his specialism in connectivity, Rudolf’s often placed on the front line of future mobility conversations, but he’s also big into testing new bikes–both on the daily as a committed commuter and intensively for our group tests. The business economist graduate is as versatile as a Swiss penknife, and that’s no hyperbole. Away from two wheels, his background in parkour means he’s a master of front, side and backflips, plus he speaks German, English, French, Russian and a touch of Esperanto. Japanese remains woefully unmastered, despite his best home-learning attempts. Good to know: Rudolf’s sharp tongue has made him a figure of fear in the office, where he’s got a reputation for flexing a dry wittiness à la Ricky Gervais... interestingly, he's usually the one laughing hardest.