Karim and his Kona Abra Cadbra. Although he has a few mods on his bike, the geometry is the same as the stock bike (he helped develop it after all). Kona wants this bike to be an off-the-peg enduro race bike and going by Karim's results on it, they've done a pretty good job of it.
The difference is in the details. On first glance this looks the same as the stock bike, but look closer and you realise that the linkage here runs on bearings, not bushings, to help it move more smoothly. We saw a few months ago Matt Slaven running an air shock for the Magic Link, Karim has been running the same prototype, but didn't have it with him this weekend.
Small details like cable routing don't get past Karim, this way they stay clean and out of the way. For the rest of us, you'd have to be pretty brave to put a drill to your headtube. Note that Kona does not condone or suggest drilling holes in your head tube!
1 x 10 is a pretty stock setup for the fast guys on the Superenduro circuit. That's a 34t chainring in there, coupled to an 11-36t block at the back. The carbon ring helps protect the cranks, so they won't deform in an impact.
This is a very cool little detail - sandpaper on the shifter blades so you don't slip when you're trying to make that important gear change.
Those are Easton's ultra-light (and ultra-expensive) carbon Haven rims to keep the weight down. No weight saving in the tyres though, 2.35 dual plys all the way, having something as stupid as a puncture ruin your race is just painful.
Although Reverb posts can be positioned in their travel, that little metal clip on the shaft means he can find his precise place in the travel every time. How's that for attention to detail?
We did film this bike check with him, but the audio didn't come out. Things go that way sometimes...
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Kona really stepped up their game with the Magic Link!
We heard you like shocks so we put a shock on your shock so your shock could shock while shocking.
BTW One of the very few Kona's I do like.
"The carbon ring helps protect the cranks, so they won't deform in an impact"
The carbon ring isn't covering anything...
Very cool looking bike by the way
look at the epic FAIL Banshee have had with their 'bushing' virtual pivot bikes - they are moving back to ball bearings as soon as possible
That is the mentioned bad example, exactly as mine
www.pushbike.se/addon.php?3,module=embed_images,file_id=3638
Here it is in the highest gear:
www.pinkbike.com/photo/6779981
And here it is in the lowest:
www.pinkbike.com/photo/6779982
As you can see the chain is in perfect tension for both gears.
forums.mtbr.com/drivetrain-shifters-derailleurs-cranks/when-use-long-cage-vs-short-cage-derailleur-205890.html. (clickable hyperlinking??)
I found this very helpful when I was contemplating going to a medium cage with my 2x9 setup. Much happier with the medium. Shifting is crisp now.
Of course cage length also depends on the chain stay length, style of pivot (or lack thereof), and gear ratio. For example: a drivetrain on a bike with a suspension design that causes the rear axle to move away from the bottom bracket upon compression should probably utilize a medium cage derailleur in order to compensate for the lengthening of the wheel base and subsequent shortening/tightening of the chain. But 9 times out of 10, one can follow the general rule of thumb that defines short cage for a 1x, medium cage for a 2x, and long cage for a 3x.
Hope this helps!!!
Someone said something to this effect above but I thought I might clarify.
Medium cage has slightly wider range therefore it provides better chain tension on 11T and it will accomodate more chain growth on 36T. So it is fkng better, but not as gravity-cool I know.
2011.konaworld.com/page.cfm?content=magic