Hey All,

I'm happy to say that the the 2009 KH product lineup will is out! 

There are some major upgrades and changes and new products. Here's a summary:

1) Redesigned Saddles. This was a major, expensive, 2-year project involving new injection molds for the saddle frame and rear bumper. Big thanks to Scott Wallis for completing the model drawings and frame stress model analysis. The frame is re-shaped to be stronger, stiffer, more comfortable, and easier to grab. It's slightly wider through the back to better fit sit bones without interfering with pulling the seat out front. The rear bumper is rounded and reshaped to eliminate thigh irritation at the side corners of the bumper during seat-in-front riding. Front handle is unchanged. All 10 mm dome nuts are gone, replaced with 4 mm allen (hex) bolts that screw into inserts in the frame. The Freeride saddle has a deeper 30 mm cutaway that increases comfort; the top fabric is replaced with stretch-nylon that better conforms to the cutaway. The Street version has a similar foam & fabric to the existing saddle but with the new frame and bumper. The frame & bumper were also licensed to Nimbus for their Nimbus Gel saddle; otherwise no other saddles will have this frame. Both the frame and bumper are recyclable polypropylene and have the correct recycling symbol.

2) Redesigned Moment hubs (both Ti and CrMo). Hub flanges are now machined 7075 aluminum, to increase strength and provide a better angle for spokes. Flanges are 36-splined and pressed onto corresponding axle splines, eliminating all welds (cranks are still ISIS). The hub body is hollow (except for the spindle); the CrMo version has a black aluminum body and the Ti MomenTi hub has a very beautiful glossy carbonfibre body. The CrMo version is very slightly lighter (32 g), and the Ti version is very slightly heavier (18g). In practical terms the weights are the same.

3) New K26 frame. This was announced earlier; it's the same crown configuration as the KH29 but in a 26 size for All-Mountain riding. As mentioned in the other thread, this is a great All-Mountain size and works really well for a geared Muni.

4) New 47 mm wide 26" and 29" rims. Same offset spokes and drillouts as the existing 24" rim. Combined with a Stout tire these provide a very stable platform for All-Mountain riding without the extra weight of a larger tire. On the KH29, the 47 mm wide rim is really good if you primarily ride offroad and is actually similar weight to the 38 mm rim due to the drillouts. The existing 38 mm rim still comes standard on the assembled KH29 and is the best option if you do a mix of road and trail riding.

5) New 22x40 mm ISIS bearings. This "bearing", consisting of two 22x34mm OD ISIS bearings pressed into a 40 mm insert, allows older frames with 40 mm housings to fit Moment hubs as long as they have 100 mm bearing spacing.

6) New T-bar touring handle. The objective was to make an adjustable handle that allows a moderate extended-forward riding stance, stays out of the way of your knees, and uses bar-ends that can be replaced if damaged in a crash. The T-bar fits to the underside of the front handle and is stiff thanks to a low profile 5 mm stiffner plate that bolts under the forward part of the saddle. The bar is 300 mm long with 35 degree angle adjustment, from low out front to immediately in front of the saddle handle (photo shows it in the low, extended position). The brake is installed between the bar-ends, allowing (with a Spooner) the rider to brake with both hands if desired. This is easy to get used to and substantially reduces fatigue on long descents. The touring handle only fits the 2009 saddle because it needs longer bolts to attach it. For any of you who have not yet tried a handle on your 36'er, you should! It is incredible how much comfort it adds, and how much more stable a geared 36'er feels, with a touring handle. Weight is 602 g including the reinforcement plate, bar-ends, T-bar and mounting bracket.

7) New saddle reinforcement plate. The new saddle is designed to be stiff and strong enough for most riders; however if you can't tolerate any flex at all or are really abusive on your saddle, this 74 g plate adds significant stiffness and strength. It also comes standard with the T-bar handle as noted above.

5) Improvements to the KH/Schlumpf hub. Hubs shipped will have stronger bearings and a slightly longer axle, as mentioned on another thread.

I hope you like the lineup! I'm really happy to see all these projects finally come into production, after all the work to put them together.

Kris