Brodie has updated its extensive line of XC, DH/FR/AM, dirt jump, cyclocross, commuter, city and cruiser bikes for 2009, including the following changes:
ÂÂ
- Marathon line (Knack, Mettle and new Ethos) get increased travel and a lighter, reworked suspension design.
- New Heritage line of Chromoly steel bikes made of triple butted Tange Infinity and Tange Prestige tubesets.
- Lightning line of hardtails with 4″ travel forks gets spec updates.
- Speed line of city/commuter bikes gets refined frame updates, including new dropouts and disc brake mounts and some models now come with racks and fenders.
- The Journey line of cruiser-style bikes get some of the same dropout/brake tab updates and minor commuter-friendly updates.
- The Rat line of dirt jump (DJ) bikes gets a little BMX flavor with new spec.
- Descension line of downhill/freeride bikes gets a complete frame makeover, making it stronger, lighter, stiffer and with better standover and geometry.
- The Hardass line of freeride hardtails get improved spec, including Avid Juicy’s and a 120mm Marzocchi DJ fork on the Hellion.
MARATHON LINE
HERITAGE LINE
New for 2009 is the Heritage line of Tange-tubed Chromoly frames.  All frames are triple butted with wall thicknesses ranging from 0.6mm (Tange Infinity) to 0.5mm (Tange Prestige).
The Ronin (above), a road-style commuter, and the Romax (below), a steel cyclocross bike.
The Catalyst (above), a classic steel hardtail, and the Elan (below), a dedicated touring bike with a Tiagra/XT drivetrain and Dura-Ace shifters.  It features a full set of braze-ons, includind three sets of water bottle mounts, pump peg, spoke holder and chain keeper.
LIGHTNING SERIES
The Lightning series, the pure XC hardtail line whose frames were redesigned in 2008, gets minor spec changes only. The Force (below) gets new Rapid Fire Plus triggers.
The Tempest gets lighter Alex DH-19 rims.
The Bandit gets some beginner-friendly flat pedals and SLX Shadow rear der.
The Fury gets Marzocchi’s air sprung Corsa fork with lockout.
The Cruzado is a Ti frame with high-end spec that’s a pure race machine.
SPEED SERIES
Utilitarian bikes that can go fast sums up this line.  For 2009, the Speed series gets redesigned dropouts that tuck the disc caliper inside the rear triangle, keeping installation of racks and other accessories simple.  They claim it also increases braking power.
The Infinity comes fully equipped with fenders and a rear rack.  It’s got disc brakes and a triple chainring, so it should be able to handle pretty much any commuting challenge.
The b-Team Romax is their high end cyclocross bike, ready to rip the competition straight outta the box.  For 2009, this is offered as a full built option rather than (in addition to?) frame-only.
JOURNEY SERIES
Like the Speed series, the two of the Journey (Sterling and Quantum) bikes get redesigned rear drop out sections with revised brake mount positions. Also like the Speed series, these bikes use a lot of Freedom components.  Freedom is the pavement-oriented brand from WTB, and they donate 1% of sales to advocacy programs.
The Sterling (above) and Quantum (below).
The Section.8 (above) gets an updated chainguard and rack.  It uses a Shimano 8-speed internal geared hub for smooth shifting and clean operation.  Other than that, the Section.8 and Section.7 (below) are largely unchanged for ’09.
The Pax carries over from ’08 with only a few changes:  New chainguard, new toptube and a detachable wicker basket.
RAT SERIES
The Heathen and Cretin are carried over from 2008.  The Cretin gets some BMX flavor with the addition of an Alienation Pivotal saddle and 440 rims.
Cretin (above) and Heathen (below).  These look small, but they’re 26″ wheel dirt jump bikes.
DESCENSION SERIES
The Descension series gets entirely new frames to be both lighter and stronger with more lateral stiffness.  They’ve also slackened the head angle to improve stability.
The Recluse is their entry-level freeride bike.  This, and the other Descension bikes, have a lower top tube design for 2009 to keep that metal bar further from your sensitive areas.
The Pariah is fully spec’d with SLX.
The Zealot is the top of the line freeride bike with a SLX / XT mix.  Brodie claims the bikes are light enough for all mountain riding, but burly enough for slopestyle, jumping, hucking madness.
HARDASS SERIES
Lastly, for those of you who like to jump things without the cush of rear suspension, there’s the appropriately named Hardass series. The frames were redesigned in ’08, so only the spec has changed for next year.
The Brat gets Suntour’s Duro fork, which sports Magnesium lowers, a reinforced crown and an adjustable hydraulic rebound.
The Hellion gets Avid Juicy brakes and a Marzocchi DJ 120mm fork option.
The Holeshot is the budget spec bike in the line.  So, you can decide if this type of riding will break your back without braking the bank.  Seriously, though, this is the type of bike I’ve been wanting so I can go try out our local DJ park.
Brodie’s website still has the ’08 stuff up, but you can get a preview of these bikes (but no info, yet) here.
