Manitou is releasing the brand new Machete and the upgraded Mattoc Pro 2 forks this year while SUNringlé added the Duroc 40 and Duroc 50 Plus sized ready wheels and rims and upgraded the Charger and Black Flag AL wheels.
Manitou
The Machete is a purpose built fork for Boost spacing and Plus sized tires and comes in a 27.5+/29er and 29+ versions and weighs between 2030-2079 grams. Along with the 110mm Boost spacing, it comes in 120mm and 140mm travel lengths with 51mm offsets, has 32mm stanchions and retails for a respectable $399.99.
The Machete features the TPC rebound damper cartridge, the new two-position Kwik Toggle Compression damper (shown above), TS Air spring, and includes adjustments for air pressure, on/off lockout and rebound. It comes with their new Hexlock SL thru axle, and the 120mm version can be internally adjusted between 80-120mm while the 140mm can be lowered to 130mm.
The Mattoc Pro 2 is an upgrade over the previous iteration and now gets the Internal Volume Adjustment (IVA) and an Infinite Rate Tune (IRT). It comes only in 27.5″ size and 160mm of travel, and three color schemes (White, Black and Red) and retails for $799.99. The All Mountain fork utilizes 34mm stanchions, has a 44mm offset, weighs 1887 grams and features the new Hexlock SL thru axle.
The Mattoc Pro 2 features the Dorado Air spring, the TPC rebound damper cartridge, and the compression damping includes the MC2 (Multi Control Compression) and IVA (Internal Volume Adjustment) and HBO (Hydraulic Bottom Out) technologies. The IVA allows customized ramp-up for specific conditions, and you can move spacers up or down to change piston volume.
They also have a new lightweight aluminum thru axle system called the Hexlock SL which saves 32 grams over the QR15 HEXLOCK quick-release. It will come on the new forks but is available for aftermarket for $39.99 and comes in 110mm and 110mm width spacings. You can also purchase the end cap tool for $39.99 to facilitate easier installation. I never had any issues myself with the QR15 HEXLOCK and found it to be an intuitive and secure system, but some found it frustrating to use, so they came up the new axle. The Hexlock SL is a tooled system and the hexagonal design locks things securely and decreases twisting for improved front end rigidity and more precise steering.
SUNringlé
SUNringlé added some Plus sized ready wheels and rims for this season including the Duroc 40 and Duroc 50 which have are double wall welded alloy rims that use their new Sun Tubeless Ready (STR) technology. The wheels are Boost compatible and come in several iterations, including Duroc 40 and 50 in 27.5″ with 110×15/142×12 and 110×15/148×12 options and Duroc 40 and 50 in 29″ with 110×15/148×12, all of which retails for a reasonable $599.99. If desired, separate Duroc 40 and 50 rims in 27.5″ and 29″ sizes can be purchased for $129.99.
The Duroc 40 has a 40mm outer width and 36mm inner while the Duroc 50 has a 50mm outer and 46mm inner. The wheels come with tubeless rim tape, use Wheelsmith straight pull DB14 spokes and Wheelsmith brass nipples, SRX hubs with either a Shimano and SRAM XD hub body. The Duroc 40 wheel weighs 1950g (27.5″) and 2000g (29″) while the Duroc 50 comes in at 2150g (27.5″) and 2200g (29″) . The Duroc 40 rims weighs 515g (27.5″) and 550g (29″) while the Duroc 50 comes in at 610g (27.5″) and 655g (29″).
They updated their Expert AL series including the All Mountain Charger and cross-country Black Flag all of which feature their new Sun Tubeless Ready (STR) technology. The Charger and Black Flag wheels come in a slew of iterations in 27.5″ and 29″ sizes, including 100/142, 110/142, 100/148 and 110/148 axle spacing and retail for $549.99. The Black Flag has a 25mm outer width while the Charger has a 27mm outer. The wheels come with tubeless rim tape and sealant, use Wheelsmith straight pull DB14 spokes and Wheelsmith alloy nipples, SRX hubs and include both the SRAM XD and Shimano hub body. The Black Flag wheel weighs 1675g (27.5″) and 1730g (29″) while the Charger comes in at 1775g (27.5″) and 1845g (29″).
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
According to Hayes, the Mattoc 2 comes in both 26″ and 27.5″. It would nice to see an update that reflects this and also if the 26″ is adjustable to 170mm…
Matt,
I checked with Manitou. They make them for both wheel sizes, but currently only sell 27.5 for aftermarket, though if demand is there they’ll sell 26″. Both are available to OEM’s.
Brian