“Where did you get that?” Uh… my garage.

“Is that safe?” Nope, but neither is loud music, mountain biking, casual sex, heavy drinking or eating fried chicken, but they’re so much fun. If you want safe you should stay at home and play with your Wii.

My objective: to fabricate a device that would allow me to carry a bike on my motorcycle (perhaps to a gravel CX race?). Since my wife is a frequent passenger, the device would have to stay out of the way of her comfort, or be reasonably easy to take off when riding two-up. I went through a few iterations of the design in my typical scattershot, crackpot, hurry-up-who-cares-about-safety-or-quality prototyping process. For the first design I ignored Occam’s Razor and instead went with Occam’s Rube Goldberg machine.

Since my bike (a Suzuki VStrom) is intended for adventure touring there are mounts for side cases and a top box already installed. By removing the top box and measuring the mount points I drew up a design for a plate that could clip into the base. On this plate I would mount the tray and fork clamp from a donated Yakima roof rack. My good friend and master fabricator Dan (Rack n Roll) helped with the machining of the aluminum base plate.

And to achieve my quick release design goals it comes off nice and clean like this:

But man is that thing heavy. Plus it’s far away from the “moment of gyration” i.e. the point where the rear wheel contacts the road. My friend and accomplished mechanical engineer Dave told me the farther away from that point, the more the motorcycle’s movement will be translated into the mounted bike. I got a good deal of side-to-side swaying while riding rough roads, so I went back to my team of science chimps for a newer, simpler design. After digging into my parts supply I decided to use the crossbar from the discarded roof rack like so:

It won’t work on every moto, but the beefy passenger grab rails serve as a perfect mounting point for the crossbar. It’s lashed on with 550 pound test US military paracord, easy to put on and remove when required. As an added benefit I can still use my top box and the left side luggage case for my riding gear (or beer, handguns or raw ether). The last piece to the puzzle is the fork mount.

I pulled off the passenger footpeg and replaced it with a fork clamp bolted onto some cromoly tube stock. Version 3.0 will get a smaller, lighter fork clamp from Delta and I’ll hose clamp it directly to the passenger peg. Simplify, simplify, simplify. And there’s no patent protection for this gizmo so if any of you out there have as little regard for personal safety and weather-protected transportation as I do, have at it. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you… be ready for lots of dumb questions by people who don’t get it. I’m not sure I get it either, but it sure is fun.

This year I’ve been sporting THE Industries’ Storm protective gear on the trail and I’m happy to say I’ve avoided injury so far. In fact my wife is probably the most appreciative – she gets pissed every time I come home with a broken bone. I was lucky enough to get the upper suit guard and lower two-piece F-1 guards hot off the production line which has given me plenty of time to put this gear through its paces.

Earlier this year I had a nasty crash after casing a large step down (about 10 ft) and I did a perfect 720° degree rotation according to my buddy. I got up from the crash without a scratch anywhere that was covered with protection. Other than nailing some soft tissue on the seat of the bike, everything was OK and I was up and going the next few days. Some spectators thought for sure I had broken a bone or two but sure enough, the Storm gear did its job perfectly.

Upper Suit Guard

So let’s talk details. Starting off with the Upper Suit Guard, you get a form fitting mesh fabric as a base with one zipper which allows you to get in and out without much difficulty. There are basically four main elements to the protection on the upper armor: front chest pad, armored back, shoulder cups, and two-piece elbow/forearm protectors.

The front chest pad attaches directly to aeroprene and is not removable. It’s flexible enough that it doesn’t distract you when you ride unlike other systems that can feel like you have a plastic plate hanging off your jersey. The pad is split enough to allow it to move with you and conforms to your body as you bend and move.

The armored back panel reminds me of an armadillo’s shell. Like many others on the market, the back protection is articulated to allow for body movement. This section is a generous 9-inches wide, traveling from the base of the neck to the small of the back, all over a backing of vented aeroprene. To hold everything in place the guard is zipped up top to the fabric and velcro-ed to the waist belt at the bottom.

The shoulder cups and two-piece elbow and forearm protectors are permanently attached to the shirt. Underneath each of these hard points you have also have aeroprene to take the edge off impacts while giving the suit an overall comfortable fit.

Two Piece Knee and Shin Guards

This year THE added two piece knee and shin guards to the Storm line-up. I actually got a chance to play with both the pre-production and final versions so it was neat to track the changes that were made to improve the comfort and utility. For example, the pre-production units straps that were a bit too short (read: tight), especially for riders on the north side of say 160 lbs. The final version also addressed a small issue with the buckle that was causing a slight bunching at the strap.

There are two major points on each knee/shin guard plus one smaller one, all of which are fixed to padding that’s both comfortable and breathable. The hard points are riddled with micro-vent holes to allow airflow which results in a cooler feeling pad.

Performance

Using and abusing the Storm Protective Gear on the slopes and trails all around Ontario I can say these units got a good season of usage. The funny thing about reviewing items like armor is that if you’re lucky you can go an entire season without actually experiencing an accident which can make it tough to put things to the test. And no, I haven’t considered purposely crashing as part of my testing process.

Fortunately I did have a few organic over-the-bar excursions plus plenty of arm and shoulder checks against trees and brush. I also experienced the occasional run-in with rocks and some bar wrenching tree hits – you know, the usual stuff. From all that I can happily say this year I didn’t break a bone and where the armor covered me I didn’t get a single bruise or scrape. Now spots where the armor left off (like my thighs and butt) did sustain some damage but that’s another story.

THE claims the Storm Protective Gear is cool running and for the most part it is, though there were definitely times when I broke a sweat in my full get-up. On the longer runs I was generally able to cool down to a more comfortable level – remember, it’s all about air flow. For more mellow runs I typically go with just the shin and elbow guards for maximum comfort. Surprisingly my legs always felt fresh without a hint of being hot with the guards on. I did notice when using the knee and shin guards together the second strap from the top bunched up a bit and felt uncomfortable at times. To remedy that I simply didn’t use it which didn’t affect the performance of the guard.

The Storm Protective Gear – both the upper and lower gear, as well as the elbow guards – are well thought out and are definitely worth the coin. At $149.99 MSRP for the F-1 Upper Suit and $79.99 MSRP for the F-1 Storm two-peice knee and shin guard, you get good protection at a reasonable price. And if you don’t see yourself sailing between the trees and rocks at high speeds, you can cover just your arms with forearm and elbow guards for $59.99.

I love the protection and performance I got this summer from THE’s Storm Protective Gear and I’m looking forward to what’s next from THE in the coming years! For solid body armor on the trail it’s hard to find a better value than THE Storm.

Thanks to the folks at THE for providing the Storm Protective gear and guards for review. For more information check out THE’s website.

The Drift Innovation X170 cam is a recent addition to the world of portable cameras for action sports. I found this camera to be flexible, easy to use, and a really fun way capture my moments on the mountain bike trail.

For starters I really appreciated the mounting options included with the camera: a small velcro strap mount, a handlebar mount, a multi-purpose elastic band mount, and two or three adhesive patch mounts. Between all the options, I was able to mount the camera about a hundred different ways, in any way I wanted on my bike or on my person. See the humongous display of included attachments below.

The X170 succeeds not only in the numerous mounting options, but in overall simplicity. It takes normal AA batteries, a standard SD card (up to 16GB), and features the usual mini USB connector to retrieve all your pics and videos. You can even playback straight to a TV with the composite video output. This is one of those pieces of electronics that you don’t need to read the manual – just pick it up and start recording. It’s that awesome. Most of the features on this camera are available in competing products but the X170 stands out in two distinct ways.

The first is the 1.5” color LCD preview screen which is surprisingly useful when you’re shooting on the go. Having the preview did a lot to help fine tune the angle and position when I was mounting the camera so I could get the shot I wanted, and it was also useful for immediately reviewing a clip after a run down a trail. This could be an especially useful feature for downhillers and freeriders who might like to session a run until it looks perfect. The LCD screen can also be turned off to preserve battery life.

The second cool feature is the wireless RF control button. I didn’t get too creative using this feature myself but I imagine people could make it useful in various ways. Basically the little remote can be attached anywhere on your person or bike, and it serves as an alternate record/stop button for the camera as long as the camera is within 5m of the remote. If you’re bombing down a trail and suddenly realize that you want to be recording, having to stop and fiddle with your device would be a nuisance – so having a handlebar mounted record button at your fingertips is convenient. Since the controller uses radio frequencies to activate the camera, it doesn’t need line of sight, like your TV remote control would. Here I’ve turned the RF control button into a watch.

Physical attributes and attachment options aside, the camera’s video recording quality is quite acceptable for the size and price. The automatic white balance seemed to work quickly though not instantaneously; it was fast enough to adjust for dramatic changes in light when going from tree cover to the bright sun. Still, the camera thrived in medium light conditions, especially where conditions were maintained consistently. But like any video camera, if the light was too dark the video got grainy and when the light was too bright (or aimed at the sun) the video got washed out. As long as you’re mindful of your shot, this should not be a problem.

Here’s a test video with the X170 mounted on my handlebars. It should be noted that the raw .avi video taken straight from the camera was of slightly higher quality than the compressed video you see here.

What you may notice is that the camera lens is adjusted sideways, and I have rotated the video to be “tallscreen” rather than the native widescreen. I did that on purpose. The lens itself rotates so that you can mount the camera in any position on the bike and still have the video oriented properly. There is a little notch on the top of the lens that tells you which side is “up,” but you can also use the LCD preview to see that too. I like the “tallscreen” format because it shows more of the trail and really gives you an impression of how tight some of the singletrack can be. Also, it exaggerates the lens’s fisheye effect.

Here’s another video with the camera mounted on my helmet. This clip also features raw footage with no post-production adjustments other than the rotation of the video.

Altogether, the X170 met my expectations for technical performance given the price and far surpassed them in terms of convenient simplicity and the surprising amount of options that were built in. The issues I had with the camera were with the white balance in varied terrain and the internal mic sensitivity but both of these were fixable with some trial and error by finagling with the settings menu.

You don’t have to be a digital film guru to get video of your mountain biking adventures and you don’t have to take out a second mortgage to finance it either. The X170 cam is a simple and affordable way to get into filming your epic XC rides, your insane FR stunts, or your death defying DH runs. If you’re shopping in the sub-$200 price range, this cam should be at the top of your short list.

Read more about the X170 at Drift Innovation.

Raw camera specs

• Video resolution: 720 x 480 pixels (this is normal standard definition 3:2 widescreen format, but you can also choose 16:9 widescreen or 4:3 non-widescreen)
• Lens angle: 170° (huge and awesome)
• Built-in microphone & speaker
• Video format: MP4 or MJPEG AVI (user selectable)
• Frames per second: 30 fps
• Batteries: 2x 1.5V AA batteries (Lithium recommended)
• Built-in memory: 32 MB
• SD memory capacity: Supports memory cards up to 16 GB
• Photo resolution: 5 Megapixel
• LCD screen: 1.5” colour TFT
• Lens focal range: 0.5m to infinity
• Dimensions: Camera – 133 (L) x 50 (D) x 33 (W) mm / Remote Control – 52 (L) x 40 (W) x 13 (D) mm
• Power: Camera – DC 3V, 2x AA batteries (included) / Remote control: DC 3C, 1x CR2032 battery (included)
• RF: Receiver (Camera): 433.92MHz ISM band / Transmitter (Remote): 433.92MHz ISM band
• Weight: Camera – 128g / Remote control – 19g
• Built in mic and speaker
• Waterproof to 0.5m
• Cost: ~$180.00

Trying out new things is always fun, especially since sometimes you find stuff that’s way better than you even thought was possible. For me, I’ve always had a hard time finding MTB clothing that is comfortable right out of the box – until now. Gore Bike Wear’s new Freeride shorts and ALP-X Jersey are easily two of the most comfortably fitted pieces of MTB apparel I have worn.

The Gore Freeride shorts are understated in design and graphics. They are not the flashiest shorts out there but perform exceedingly well, going beyond my expectations of how a short in this class should feel. One great thing about these shorts is that when you’re done with your ride and want to go for drinks or a bite, you can just keep them on – these shorts are a big step up the fashion ladder from spandex.

Beyond good looks, the Gore Freeride shorts breathe so well you won’t overheat or feel uncomfortable even with the hammer down. I especially appreciate the adjustable zippered vents in the front of the shorts; unlike other shorts I’ve worn, these slots are actually large enough to let a comfortable amount of cool air inside.

With an MSRP of $149, you may be wondering if these shorts are worth the investment but a quick check of the spec sheet shows you’re getting a lot for your money. Like all Gore products, these shorts are constructed with cutting-edge materials and the company has spent hundreds of hours on research and development to get the perfect fit and performance.

Although these are called “Freeride” shorts, don’t let the name fool you – these are not full-on Freeride shorts by any means. Instead I recommend these as a Enduro / Trail / XC shorts, a great all around choice for anyone who like to ride fast and long!

A perfect compliment to the Gore Freeride shorts is the ALP-X jersey shown here in grey/green with black trim. This Jersey is a slim fit style so try one on before you purchase to get just the right fit. Based on the fit of my ALP-X I’d say this jersey is really a cross between a race jersey and a slightly baggier, casual jersey. One thing I really like about the ALP-X is the subdued logo just above the top left breast – nothing flashy here, just simple, understated, purpose-built stuff here. Like other pieces of outerwear Gore makes, the ALP-X jersey sports reflective piping instead of ugly, fat strips of reflective material.

The multi-paneling on this jesery enables a ton of freedom in the arms as well and there is little to no pinching when moving around. For a MSRP of $119 I think it’s a decent purchase, a bit more than you would normally pay but since it’s a Gore product you know you’re getting a superior product with leading edge moisture control materials.

Going for a few rides around the local trails and hitting some of my favorite stunts and hills I have fallen in love with the Freeride shorts and ALP-X jersey, and I may have to say goodbye to an old favorite of mine (made by another well known brand). Buy the Gore Bike Wear Freeride shorts and ALP-X jersey – you just might find that you end up riding a whole lot more because of them!

Cheers…

Psssst… For those of you who like to be prepared with extra clothing for the ride but don’t want the added bulk and weight have I got a sweet product for you: The Gore Countdown Jacket ($249.00 MSRP). Made from GORE-TEX Paclite, this jacket folds up to near nothingness – perfect to fit in the main compartment of your hydration pack – and is extremely lightweight. When the weather is not cooperating this jacket is perfect for keeping out the cold wind and even light rain.

On the trails or on the street this jacket works well at stopping the wind while at the same time feeling breathable and light. I don’t know about you but I’ve noticed many other waterproof  jackets don’t breath or stretch well but the Gore Countdown excels at both. Even when riding along at a slow pace and generating lots of body heat this jacket controls the humidity without trapping in body moisture.

What I really like about the jacket is its comfortable fit, both in the riding position and walking around. In the riding position the long back folds out and covers your back side so there’s no gap to where your shorts begin.  I’ve also been using my GORE Countdown while jogging (yuck, I know) where it works well even off the bike. GORE incorporates reflective piping instead of tape strips so you get 360 degrees of reflection without the geeky stripes that other jackets sport. Great for being seen at night, and at the same time a great looking jacket that can be worn around town.

From the Gore website here are the details:

• GORE-TEX® Paclite® Shell
• “GORE-TEX® stretch inserts on front, back and arms for maximum comfort”
• Slim fit
• Adjustable collar with easy-to-operate cord stopper for one-handed use
• Velcro fastening for separate hood
• Long back
• Hem-width adjustable by easy-to-use covered cord stoppers and elastic draw-cord
• Adjustable cuff
• Zip tags for easy handling
• Zip-underflap and zip-port
• “Reflective piping on front, back and sleeves”
• Reflective logo on front
• Reflective logo on collar
• Zip stow-away pocket in back

One thing that really makes the Countdown stand out is the quality of workmanship. Not one stitch was out of place on my jacket and not one stitch was not covered with the protective under tape that seals the jacket and adds to the weatherproofing. There are no front pockets on the Countdown which at first seemed odd but then I got it! In the riding position if you had a front pocket whatever is in there would dangle around plus there would be another zipper and a possible place for wind / water to enter.  The rear pocket is dead center in the middle which also seemed a bit weird at first but I realized this is so there is less chance your pocket items will shift to the side and distract you from your riding. Pretty smart.

Overall I think the Gore Countdown is a great purchase for anyone who rides in shifting weather conditions. The jacket is avaliable in 4 color choices – red/black, yellow/black, blue/black, and all black – with many sizes to fit most of us. The jacket shown above is an XL and I am 190lb, 5’9″ and it fits perfect. If you have the need for a jacket during those nasty days and want something compact that you can fit in your Camelbak, look no further than the Gore Countdown!