Product news: XC racing knows many faces, from the tactical pro racer who leaves nothing to chance to the hobby racer who prefers the sprint to the tree stump for some air time to the condition for the next climb. Just like any other sport, cross-country racing has many faces, and just as many preferences when it comes to components. The Hayes Bicycle Group has accepted this and revised its product range for XC sports so that there is something for every sporting level and every requirement.
Getting there was not easy for the engineers. In order to keep all driver groups in mind, the perfect balance between weight, stiffness and reliability had to be found.
After last year's launch of the Manitou Mara Pro, it's time to announce the launch of its stripped down and XC-focused sibling, the Mara. Utilizing key technologies first shown in the Pro version, the Mara features the same smooth air spring construction as well as Manitou's proprietary SKF Internal Floating Piston (IFP) to minimize initial breakaway torque.
What makes this IFP so special is the use of a flexible diaphragm and lip seals instead of a rigid disc. This allows the center of the IFP to begin its push and pull movement before the actual sealing lips detach, increasing initial sensitivity.
Manitou Mara: Dampener
The four-stage IPA (Incremental Platform Adjust) damper offers a wide range of compression adjustments, from an open mode ready to blast through rock gardens to a fixed platform setting that provides the support you need when fighting enormous gradients required. This is achieved by using two separate shim stacks to maintain an ideal balance between low and high speed compression damping throughout the adjustment range.
The rebound of this shock absorber is controlled in a similar way via two separate circuits. The first of these is a tapered needle that offers the ability to tune rebound damping to accommodate rider weight, leverage ratio and air spring settings.
Adjusting this needle through the knob affects the entire damping range, but primarily controls rebound at low speeds. The second circuit is a fixed shim pack that has been carefully optimized to get the correct high-speed rebound when the needle is adjusted up or down. This gives the driver more control, better traction and steering precision, while minimizing the need to adapt to changing track conditions.
Manitou Mara: details
RRP: €452
Weight 275g
External adjustments: Compression platform, recoil, air pressure
Mount Styles: trunnion and eyelet
In combination with some current products, the Manitou R7 completes the range of XC products. To see the full range and learn more about the products visit the Hayes XC Collection here: www.hayesbicycles.com.