Hope Technology: Core Bike 2011

Hope were at Core Bike Show this weekend displaying some pretty impressive new products they are bringing out this year. Ranging from lights to chain rings and even a new set of cranks! Check out the following below and watch this space for more info on these products as they develop. Firstly they have created a new 8 LED front light, which they reckon on full beam it will chuck out an incredible 2500 lumens. The light will also feature an LCD screen display on top of the light, that will you allow you to view your battery life and change your settings which will be colour coded. This light is so new that Hope has not had time to test the run time which we asked them but they will release details soon as they need to still develop the battery further. One of our favourite aspects of the light is that a 3 minute boost is available during your ride, for example before hitting a descent hit your boost on then you have a brighter light for 3 minutes and will automatically go back to your previous setting after that time. What a simple but great idea! Another product that caught our eye is their new single ring guide. There is not much to say about this but that it looks s**t hot and we are impressed by the fact that the device itself is made of metal which seems more study than its competitors which use a hard plastic compound. You will also notice in this photo the unbranded cranks, these are Hope's new set which are going to be brought out some time later this year. Like all Hope equipment they are beautifully machined, we are looking forward to seeing the finished product. Above are the chain rings and bash rings which we also be seeing a lot more by the end of this year and we are keen to see how these compare to a very competitive market of light weight chain rings. They are designed for to suit DH/FR set ups but can also be used on a trail bike set up, with either a 1X9 or 1X10 gear ratio. They will come in 6 colours and 4 bolt standard. The accompanying bash guard is not designed as a heavy duty 'trials' or DH bash guard but enough to protect chain ring if you do clout it. These both look like a great combination for any keen trail rider who runs a single speed front and we can't wait to give them a try! They are bringing out lots of new wheels and hubs this year also. Tube-less rims are going to be available in white for anyone who fancies something different to your standard black. As well they are bringing out a 29er Crest wheel for all you XC racers and a Trials/Single speed wheel too. They are also bringing out new hubs called the Evo, which will use stainless steel bearings like a Pro 3 and eventually all Hope Hoops will be changing over to the Evo hubs. We have seen this Top Crown before but in the flesh it is an incredible piece of machinery. Made from one solid piece of 2014 T6 aluminum, this top crown is about as low and stiff as you can get in the market. It is available for Rockshox Boxxer (272g) and Fox 40’s (300g) forks, as well it comes in a huge range of colours. Overall we are glad to see a great UK company expanding their range and are very looking forward to seeing the finished products from this show later in the year. www.hopetech.com