Well this weekend was Crankworkx in Whistler and I was there in full force helping out Shimano and Marin showcasing their latest and greatest product. CrankWorkx is probably the biggest freeride mountain bike event on the planet and it attracts people from all over the globe!
Thursday despite the rain we were very busy and I spent the whole day talking to people about bikes, components and the awesome trails we have in Whistler. Friday the sun came out and a lot more people and by Saturday it was a full on Gong Show. The racing and parties that followed we wicked!
I was pumped to see the new Marin Attack Trail 6 & 6 inch suspension bike and I can’t wait to get my hands on it for some testing. Look for that soon!
One of the coolest things at the show was in our Shimano booth when Larry Zimich showed up with the new Dura-Ace Electronic Shifting. This is an amazing product which is going to revolutionize how we all shift bikes in the future.
The system is only $1000.00 more than the regular Dura-Ace and you no longer have to think about moving levers or if you moved them too much or not enough. The electronic system does everything for you and it does it precisely every time. You can also run all gears, even your big ring and big cog which is normally a big no no on regular shifting. I was also surprised at how long the battery lasts, as it will go 2000 km or 800 hours before it needs a charge, which takes only 45 minutes!
But the coolest part of the system is that in the event of a big crash the system recognizes that it is in a crash and the internals separate from the mechanism to eliminate damage and the rear derailleur moves all the way in to protect itself. Incredible!
We capped the weekend off with a big Shimano Party at the GLC as we watched the Slope Style Comp where Greg Watts won! Awesome!
