Our pick of the new MTBs at the California show
Roll up, roll up, it’s time for our round-up of new (and one prototype) mountain bikes from the 2024 Sea Otter Classic.
North America’s biggest bike show brought us a first look at box-fresh bikes from Salsa, Pinarello, Specialized, Digit, Trek and Liv.
Head to our Sea Otter hub for more coverage from the event – and go check out our round-up of new MTB tech from Fox, Atherton, Box, Michelin and more.
Now on with the show!
Salsa’s first eMTBs on show
Salsa released its Notch and Moraine electric mountain bikes just before the show. These are the brand’s third and fourth electric bikes, following the release of its Confluence and Tributary electric gravel bikes in February.
The Notch is a full-fat Bosch Performance Line CX-powered electric enduro bike with 170mm of travel. Prices start at $4,999 for a Shimano Deore build.
The Moraine is a super-light eMTB powered by a Fazua Ride 60 motor.
A neat cutout in the strut connecting the top and down tubes is used to securely strap down spares. Prices start at $4,999 for a Deore-equipped bike.
You can finally buy the Pinarello Dogma XC (if you have deep pockets)
The Pinarello Dogma XC was on show at Sea Otter and is now available to buy following a soft launch in May 2023.
Raced extensively by – and developed specifically for – Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Tom Pidcock, Pinarello was at pains to stress the Dogma XC isn’t intended to be a truly commercial offering.
It is, instead, designed to be an uncompromisingly stiff and lightweight cross-country whip.
Ferrand-Prévot and Pidcock have been running wireless SR Suntour suspension and Shimano XTR drivetrains since the bike debuted.
Stock builds will, as pictured, feature Fox suspension and SRAM drivetrains.
Prototype Specialized downhill bike revealed to public
Nearly two years since it was first raced on the World Cup circuit, Specialized’s mystery downhill prototype was on its stand for all to see at Sea Otter.
The prototype bike uses an aluminium lug and carbon-tubed construction similar to Atherton Bikes’ production models and Pivot’s similarly wild prototype downhill frames.
The massive chainstays are also machined from aluminium.
The unusual construction is just one part of the bike’s intriguing appearance.
The suspension design is a dramatic departure from the current Demo downhill bike and, indeed, the brand’s other full-suspension models.
Dubbed the UBB, or Under Bottom Bracket, system, it had been hidden away under a cover when at races over the last few years.
Now though, we can see it uses a pull rod and rocker link to actuate the shock. The chainstays pull on the rod under the bottom bracket, which then rotates the rocker that compresses the shock.
There’s still no news on if or when the bike will see full production, but we expect to see Loic Bruni, Finn Iles and Jordan Williams on the bike at upcoming World Cup races.
Digit’s unashamedly integrated Ring trail bike
California-based Digit had its new Ring trail bike on display.
The bike incorporates the brand’s striking Analog suspension system.
This 128mm design uses the brand’s proprietary Integer Strut shock, which extends far into the top tube.
The increased volume of the shock means more oil can be used than traditional rear shocks, helping with cooling on longer descents and improving performance.
Digit says integrating the shock provides descending and pedalling attributes, increasing lateral stiffness and reducing weight by minimising the number of components in the linkage.
Independent shim stacks are employed to control high-speed and low-speed compression damping.
A 140mm Manitou Mattoc Expert fork is custom-painted to match the frame.
Only 30 Rings will be manufactured.
Limited-edition Trek Slash SE is the most ‘tech-packed Slash’ ever
On the eve of Sea Otter, Trek announced the Slash SE, described as a new “tech-packed” spec option for the brand’s enduro bike.
The Slash SE is based around Trek’s Gen 5 Slash frame. That’s the previous version of the Slash – winner of our Enduro Bike of the Year award in 2021, so no slouch (watch the video below to find out why) – rather than the latest iteration, which moved to a high-pivot design.
The 160mm enduro rig combines a RockShox Zeb Ultimate fork and Super Deluxe Ultimate shock, both with RockShox’s Flight Attendant automatic suspension system.
There’s also a SRAM GX AXS T-Type direct-mount drivetrain, RockShox Reverb AXS dropper post and Bontrager Line Comp 30 wheels wrapped in Bontrager SE6 (front) and SE5 (rear) Team Issue tyres.
The carbon frame gets a limited-edition Project One Earth and Air paint scheme, inspired, according to Trek, “by loamy laps and boosting big”.
This one’s priced at $8,999.99.
Trek’s new alloy XC bike lands in the US
Also new from Trek – in the US at least, having launched early in Europe – is this Procaliber Alloy.
This XC bike replaces the X-Caliber, and brings thru-axles, a modern geometry, increased fork travel, a dropper post and clearance for 2.4in tyres to Trek’s hardtail whippet.
The fork’s suspension travel increases to 120mm, while Trek says the frame sports a more progressive shape to handle the ever-technical terrain now found on the latest cross-country race courses.
The Trek Procaliber 6 pictured here, with a Shimano Deore drivetrain (XT rear derailleur) and 2.2in Bontrager Sainte-Anne Pro XR tyres, costs $1,699 / £1,200.
Liv Pique evolves as a modern XC bike ahead of Paris 2024
Sticking with cross-country racing, Liv’s new Pique XC dropped in March and Sea Otter gave us the opportunity to take a closer look.
With the Paris Olympic Games on the horizon, XC bikes are hot right now and the 2024 Liv Pique follows the latest trends for full-gas cross-country bikes.
That means the suspension has been bolstered to 120mm and 115mm front and rear, compared to 100mm at both ends for the third-generation Pique. You can also now fit 2.4in rubber and there’s a dropper post as standard.
The frame is 297g lighter than the previous generation, according to Liv, and the Pique now features shorter chainstays for improved agility through tight switchbacks, paired with a slacker head tube angle (by 1.5 degrees), steeper seat tube angle (by two degrees) and longer reach.
Expect to see this one being raced by the Liv Factory Racing team through 2024.
There are three bikes in the UK range, from £4,999 to £11,999, and two in the US, from $4,500 to $7,500.
New Liv Intrigue X hits the sweet spot with enhanced adjustability
Here’s another new bike from Liv, this time with a trail focus.
The Intrigue X was launched at the end of March, and, as a do-it-all trail bike, is designed to sit in the sweet spot between short-travel and long-travel bikes, according to Liv.
Like the Liv Pique, the Intrigue X is designed 100 per cent for women, down to the geometry, frame sizes and suspension tune.
The Intrigue X pairs 140mm of rear suspension with 150mm up front.
Liv has also honed in on adjustability, with a three-position flip chip and a 10mm range for headset adjustment.
There’s frame storage, too, an additional set of mounts on the underside of the top tube and – bucking the latest trends – Liv has kept the cables external.
The Intrigue X sits between the Intrigue LT (160mm front / 150mm rear) and Intrigue 29 (140mm front / 125mm rear) in the range.
Liv is offering the Intrigue X in carbon and alloy frame options. Prices range from £3,299 / $3,200 to £6,999 / $7,000.