Crankworx Whistler is back and, for 2024, is once again the final stop in the Cranworx World Tour. But, beyond the racing (and partying) there are rows and rows of booths showing off the newest and best gear from some of mountain biking’s biggest brands.
There were a few big releases this year, including the third generation of Maxxis’ venerable High Roller tire. But there’s always more interesting gear hiding in the booths. Here’s the best of what we found in Whistler Village, and beyond.
Maxxis High Roller III
Steep, dry trails showed how well the HR3 can dig in in low-traction environments. Photo: AJ Barlas / Maxxis
Dusty roads showing the deep footprints of a whole bunch of High Roller IIIs
Before venturing into the booth jungle of Whistler Village, we joined Maxxis to check out the new High Roller III. Instead of hitting the park, shuttles on the steep and loose dirt of some semi-local trails showed off the third generation of Maxxis’ iconic tread has the ability to bite in a wide range of conditions. More on that as we bring the HR3 back to home trails and see what it can do.
Trek Slash+
Back in the Whistler Village, Trek was showing off its Slash+, the TQ-powered light (or mid-power?) electric version of its high-pivot Slash that made waves in Whistler last year. Aside from pairing the TQ HPR50 motor with a large enough battery, and burly enough bike, to do some big rides, there are a few interesting things about the Slash+. Trek’s changed the occasionally problematic lower pulley wheel to a more conventional design. That AXS T-type rear mech is also powered by the TQ battery, not one of SRAM’s tiny batteries. Neat to see Trek getting a bit creative.
Giant and Liv Faith Youth bikes
Liv and Giant are showing off the Faith full suspension youth bike in their shared booth. The Faith is the same, no matter how it’s branded, except for colour. Both versions have thoughtful details like suspension designed for smaller riders (the fork can run as low as 15 p.s.i.) and a suspension post that is easier to lower for lighter riders. A youth bike actually designed for youth!
Thule Revert
Thule’s booth was busy, packed full of various gear, bags, tents and a new rack. Or two versions of the new Revert rack. The Revert comes in a four or six bike version, with both seeing release around September. That big lever in the middle? It auto lifts and lowers the rack so you can…
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