Being There: Garda Festival in Riva Del Garda

The Riva Del Garda festival is in full swing here in Northern Italy, and while we’ve only begun to scratch the surface, these are just a couple of the things that caught our eye while walking the expo area. Stay tuned to the pages of Mountain Bike Action for the full report.

There's been a lot of talk about the stability of Marzocchi lately, but they're here in full force showing their newest wares. Their new dropper post caught our eye. — There’s been a lot of talk about the stability of Marzocchi lately, but they’re here in full force showing their newest wares. Their new dropper post really caught our eye.

The lever looks very similar to the Thomson designed one, which we've had excellent luck with in our testing. — The lever looks very similar to the one Thomson designed, which we’ve had excellent luck with in our testing.

The brand new Shimano XT brakes have a much more streamlined look than their predecessors. They also use ceramic pistons that are said to deliver a much more consistent feel on the trail than even XTR brakes. We can’t wait to get these on the trail.

The XT Trail pedal was first introduced 4 years ago and has always been a Mountain Bike Action favorite. The updated version sees a slightly slimmer profile with the same SPD engagement we’ve come to know and trust.

The new Shimano XT drivetrain is available in single, double, or triple chairing combinations, although we see ourselves gravitating toward the double setup for most bikes. With the addition of the new side-swing front derailleur design, we’re willing to bet this is one clean shifting system.

Shimano's new XT groupo takes center stage as one of the most important new products for the season. The new group borrows much of its technology from the XTR group at a lower price. One of the coolest new features is the addition of a 42-tooth option for the new 11-speed cassette — Shimano’s new XT groupo takes center stage as one of the most important new products for the season. The new group borrows much of its technology from the XTR group at a lower price. One of the coolest new features is the addition of a 42-tooth option for the new 11-speed cassette.