FSA’s mountain bike side has several component upgrades for 2021, including this colorful Gradient LTD stem their pro MTB riders have been rocking last season, now ready for the masses. Then, their top-tier lightweight KFX cross-country line continues to expand with new carbon wheels rated from XC-Trail & a new carbon seatpost. Plus, two new eMTB wheelsets in two sizes allow you to mix & match to upgrade your mullet e-enduro ride in either carbon or aluminum…
FSA Gradient Team LTD all-mountain/enduro trail bike stem
A premium update to the standard Gradient all-mountain stem, this oil slick rainbow FSA Gradient Team LTD design is all-new. Developed specifically for FSA Enduro team riders, the LTD stem is 100% CNC machined with a minimalist design, FEA optimized to shed weight without sacrificing stiffness.
The $168 / 209€ Gradient Team LTD stem is built around a 35mm bar clamp, with 35mm steerer stack height, and is available in 32, 40 & 50mm lengths with 0° rise. Anodized in a purple-to-gold oil slick finish, the 157g (50mm) stem gets laser etched team stripe graphics and nickel-plated steel bolts for maximum strength.
FSA KFX i25 carbon cross-country MTB wheels
The KFX i25 is a new high-end, lightweight carbon MTB wheelset designed to cover XC, marathon, and trail mountain biking. Using an asymmetric tubeless carbon profile with a 25mm internal (30mm wide & deep outside), the new KFX wheels are designed to support wider modern XC & light trail tires.
UPDATE: See the correct hookless asymmetric tubeless carbon profile below!
The wheels are hand laced 2x with 24 butted aero spokes and brass nipples front & rear, to FSA’s top-spec Boost+centerlock hubs with reduced bearing preload tech and Shimano HG, Shimano MicroSpline & SRAM XD freehub bodies.
Overall weight is just 1566g for the 29er wheelset, with a 27.5″ set also available – a retail price of $1418 / 1417€ for either size, including tape & valves.
FSA KFX lightweight XC mountain bike component updates
Adding to the previous zero offset SB0 cross-country seatpost, a new carbon KFX SB25 post gives more fit options to XC riders. The new 25mm setback post has the same $209 /230€ pricetag and one-piece continuous fiber carbon construction. Designed to work with round or oval rails, the 27.2x350mm post has a claimed weight of 193g. Curiously it only comes in 400mm lengths, in 27.2 or 31.6mm diameters.
Pair that with the $152 / 188€ KFX stem that starts with 3D forged 2014 alloy, that is then machined, and overwrapped with carbon for a balance of light weight & stiffness. With ti hardware, the -12°, 31.8mm clamp stem weighs 143g (100mm), and comes in 60-140mm lengths.
No real updates on the 520g modular aluminum KFX cranks that we first teased back in 2019. But we can add their retail pricing of $420 / 420€ for the 1x BB392Evo XC mountain bike crankset with 28-38T direct mount Megatooth chainrings available for work with any 11 or 12-speed drivetrain.
All new Gradient & KFX components are available in stock through international FSA distributors.
FSA e-MTB Carbon i29 & Alloy i30 e-bike wheels
On the eMTB side, FSA has a pair of new e-bike trail wheels. Again with asymmetric tubeless rims in both carbon & aluminum, FSA promises better spoke tension balance, increased strength and durability to withstand the heavier abuse of eMTBs off-road.
The $1680 / 1574€ e-MTB Carbon i29 wheels weigh 1837g/1897g (27.5 & 29″, respectively we assume), with a 29mm internal, 35mm external, 30mm deep carbon rim.
The $675 / 682€ e-MTB Alloy i30 wheels weigh 2010g/2115g (27.5/29″), with a 30mm internal, 34mm external, 22mm deep aluminum rim.
Either E-MTB wheelset is rated for 150kg bike+rider, and for trail, all-mountain & enduro riding. And both can be bought as a set or front/rear wheel individually to enable mullet setups.
And now for some unrelated, but fun to watch FSA supported freeriding distraction on bigger travel bikes than any of of this new cross-country to enduro kit is suited for …
