When it came to new product at Interbike, Van Dessel was on fire. When asked what was new, their response was, “everything! Almost…” With a few exceptions, everything Van Dessel has been updated (or is completely new), which bodes well for the relatively small bicycle company.
Maybe the biggest news is the all new WTF Limited. Starting with the same geometry and spec as their popular WTF, the move to Reynolds 853 tubing with more traditional shapes ended up taking a whopping 5 lbs off the weight of the frameset. It still offers 700c x 40mm/650b x 2.1″ tire clearance, and will sell for $1,499 for the frame, fork, and headset.
If you’re a fan of the original WTF and don’t mind the weight, the frame now features a 44mm head tube so you can run any fork you desire. Sold without a fork, the frame runs $699.
If full on road is more your thing, the Motivus Maximus gets a few key upgrades with the move to SpeedRelease axles front and rear, plus the addition of flat mount disc brakes. Speed Release is the new axle standard being pushed by Mavic and Enve that supposedly allows for faster wheel changes with a thru axle since the axle stays in the hub, and the wheel drops out after a few turns and a quick pull on the axle. In order for it to work on a new bike you’ll need a specific dropout like the fork on the Motivus Maximus, or a replaceable dropout system like the frame. The rear of these bikes didn’t actually have SpeedRelease axles installed because the dropout plates didn’t arrive in time, so they were running standard thru axles in the rear.
But that does give you the option of running standard, or SpeedRelease at least at the rear if you’d like. Both the Motivus Maximus and the Full Tilt Boogie move to SpeedRelease with the replaceable dropouts on the frame.
In addition to the specific dropout, Van Dessel said that they had to sculpt the fork leg on the drive side so that the SpeedRelease lever would clear the leg while spinning. Like the road bike, the CX focused Full Tilt Boogie moves to flat mount brakes and will be available in two colors for $1799 for the carbon frameset.
Fans of the original Country Bob may be happy to see the bike back in action, but this time as a 650b all purpose crusher. Selling as an impressive $1500 complete bike, the Country Bob comes as a single speed that can be run fixed or free (with an eccentric BB), yet the 6061 aluminum frame is derailleur compatible. The production version will have eyelets on the fork for more gear carrying capabilities and it will be available in March.
The Gnarzan is a new offering in the plus MTB category with an aluminum frame that includes clearance for 27.5 x 3.0 or 29 x 2.3″ tires, Boost spacing, a threaded BB, and suspension corrected for a 120 or 130mm fork. Available as a complete for $2,500, or a frame for just $699.
On the carbon side the Jersey Devil is still their 29″ fast hardtail but with Boost spacing it can now run 27.5+ as well. Frames start at $1,199.
While there is certainly a lot new, the ADD, the Hellafaster, and others remain the same – though we hear that even more exciting new stuff might be in the works.
