Sram's component brand Truvativ is getting new blood. An existing Descendant crank is being turned into a new line of parts that includes cranks, handlebars, stems and seat posts for downhill and enduro use. Once again, a lot of aluminum is involved.

According to the accessories specialist Truvativ, "wider equals better" when it comes to mountain bike handlebars, and in line with this motto, the "Noir T40" carbon riser handlebars are now available in a width of 720 millimetres and several color variants.

In addition to new sizes, Truvativ has also graphically revised its components. Seatposts, stems and handlebars are now even better coordinated and the latter have also become wider in line with the latest trends.

Last fall, SRAM bought the Truvativ crank brand, which is now being fully integrated into its own sales network. From July 1, the SRAM importer Amsler & Co will be the official contact partner for Truvativ customers in Switzerland. From September this year, Amsler wants to be able to deliver the entire Truvativ range.

For the first mountain bikes, frame builders adopted the mass known from racing bikes. In the meantime, increasing loads in practice have shown that the terrain takes its toll ? and led to new designs. Fork steerer tubes were the first to be redimensioned, and the now established 1 1/8 inch size is being rivaled in the freeride sector this year by the new one-point-five standard. The rear axles of some downhill bikes now also have an extra width of 160 to 170 millimetres instead of the familiar 135 millimetres, and bottom bracket housings with a width of 100 millimetres (instead of the usual 68 to 73 millimetres) are being used to match. But even the weight-conscious have noticed that more is more ? especially when it comes to the bottom bracket. So the dimensions of the bearings and axles are now being radically rethought.