Syd has been riding and wrenching on mountain bikes since 1987 when he picked up his very first Rocky Mountain bike. He's an educator and mechanical expert who has written hundreds of MTB how-tos and product reviews.
This is the first in a series of how-to articles based on my 2012 DH bike build, the Santa Cruz V-10. Headset Installation When it came time to select a headset, I…
A few weeks back I reviewed the 2012 Fox TALAS RLC FIT. While I was reviewing that fork I also had the new RP23 installed to control the rear of the bike.…
Can you think of anything more exotic than Carbon? Neither can I. Introducing the gorgeous 2012 Santa Cruz V-10 Carbon! I seem to recall that Gordon Murry, a well-known engineer in motorsports,…
When I think about Italian-made cycling products, I almost always think about road racing gear. Swinging by the Fulcrum booth at Interbike this year changed my perspective. After looking over the lineup…
Dakine is one of the big mountain bike apparel companies that really keeps an eye on performance as well as style. Add in durability and a good fit and you have the…
Fox has revamped their entire lineup for the 2012 production year. As a part of this revamp Fox has delineated the lines between their products so that you and I can understand…
Who is Twenty6? I met with owner Tyler Jarosz at Interbikeand, judging by our conversation, he is highly passionate about riding and his products definitely reflect that. The company is based in…
I did a bit of an introduction to Spank's Spike pedal a while back and since then I've been rocking the Spike pedal on my Banshee DH bike. Today I'm finally ready…
You're probably thinking - a pack and a jacket, in one review? Well, why not? Dakine, in case you haven't checked them out yet, is a big manufacturer of quality gear for…
Interbike is a fascinating place, and if you ever get the chance to stroll through the booths you will find tons of fascinating products. Jeff and I were both really impressed with…
I've gotta be honest: Answer has been my go-to downhill bar for a long time. Now Answer has a new option for you: semi-custom bars. Answer released a limited run of 250…
I've had the pleasure of testing quite a few mountain bike shocks back-to-back this season, including the new Revox Pro from Manitou. The Revox has gone through a few cosmetic changes and…
There has never really been a mountain bike movie like this before. And it may be a long time before anyone else can capture a wisp of the feeling Life Cycles has…
A review of Schwalbe Big Betty and Muddy Mary gravity mountain bike tires.
At Interbike this year we saw a number of mountain bike brake refinements along with a few interesting new developments from companies like Avid and Formula. Here's what we found. SRAM /…
Mountain bike suspension manufacturers seem to have raised the bar yet again this year. Everyone from Fox and Rockshox to DT Swiss and Marzocchi to newcomer Formula was proud to show off…
Not everyone can afford the latest and greatest all the time. But if you find that you're in need of a rebuild on your older 2005-2008 or 2009-2011 Fox 40 and want…
At Interbike this year many companies had brand new hoops to show boasting lighter weights, tubeless compatibility, increased stiffness/durability, and additional 29er offerings. Fulcrum Red Power 29 SL Easton and Mavic are…
A few weeks back I had a chance to go on a road trip down to Seven Springs in Pennsylvania with my buddies. I was so stoked to pack up the gear…
Oakley is a name that nearly all people know, and when you think about Oakley you automatically think high-end eyewear. Well Oakley also has a bunch of soft goods available, from pants…
Time has come out with a new set of mountain bike pedals for 2011, the X-Roc S, with a stable platform for aggressive riders. The X-Roc is slightly smaller that the Z-Control…
Not too long ago I reviewed the Mavic Razor MTB shoe which is perfect for those who are into XC riding and want a durable, race-ready shoe without spending a lot of…
If you were to ask 100 mountain bikers which brand of eyewear they desire most, I'm pretty sure there's one brand that would stand out - Oakley.
A review of the Hayes Prime hydraulic mountain bike disc brakes.
Installing and adjusting a front derailleur can be tricky. These tips should help.
Some of you may not be familiar with the name Nukeproof but the company has actually been around since 1992. Nukeproof started off in Grand Rapids, MI producing high quality carbon bar…
Did you ever have one of those times where you just couldn't bear to wait for something? For me, I had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the WTB Silverado Syndicate saddle…
At Interbike last year I wrote about some new products from e*thirteen and finally, after a few good months of testing, I'm ready to share my review of the Downhill crank and…
I love having the opportunity to check out cool and exciting new MTB products, especially those from smaller niche manufacturers. Elka suspension opened its doors in Quebec, Canada back in 2000, starting…
There have been some pretty great products coming out of Easton lately and after getting hands on with the Haven wheels (26 and 29er) we were interested to see how the other…
During the summer months I have a lot of free time which allows me the pleasure of kicking it a bit more often and taking leisurely rides here and there. Sometimes I…
Here is something new for 2011 from Osprey: the Viper 13 which is the men's version of the Verve pack mudhunny reviewed not too long ago. Is the Viper every bit as…
For gravity-oriented mountain bikers, the Fox DHX RC4 should already be familiar. But if you're just starting to get serious about DH mountain biking, read on to learn about this essential upgrade.…
Every so often, someone in the bike industry comes up with something really unique... something truly revolutionary... something that's just FRIC'n cool! Tom Ritchey and the folks at Syncros / Ritchey have…
Since February I have been playing around with a few items from Answer. Not the usual bars and stems that I have raved about in the past but more on the soft-goods…
I've been running ITS (Intense) tires for a while now and this season I'm rockin' the ITS Invaders on my DH rig. The Invader was originally simply called the DH tire, and…
A short time ago I did a write up on the Rockshox Revelation suspension fork. Well, Rockshox has the back of your bike covered just as well with the Monarch RT3 which…
The 2011 36 TALAS FIT RC2 180 mountain bike fork sees a host of improvements and brand new features.
Behold the Xar! I bet right now you're imagining some big burly guy with tons of power and wealth overseeing his Slavic minions. Actually that would be a Czar. Even so, when…
Part two of the Easton Havoc line-up is the all new wheelset. Talk about an upgrade! Wow. Yup, they really went and listened to the demands from aggressive all mountain and freeride…
Here's a new pair of eyewear from Julbo that was designed with the mountain biker in mind. The Pipeline is offered with four lens choices but for trails I say stick with…
The Mavic DeeMax Ultimate is one of the lightest DH specific wheelsets on the planet! Already an icon in the DH world, many of the top DH mountain bikers run these wheels…
I've been wearing THE gear - helmets, armor, and soft goods - for a while and I'm a big fan. So I was stoked recently to get my hands on the F-1…
It may come as a Revelation to some that RockShox has a solid line of trail forks for mountain bikes this year. While the company has always been well known for sleek…
The best mountain bike trails in Ontario, Canada according to a local rider.
Bike tune up: check. New hydration pack: check. A better way to capture those Kodak moments: CHECK! More and more people are using small video cameras to capture the action on the…
Those who have been riding mountain bikes for a while have undoubtedly heard of KORE. And more than likely there is a story or two starting with "Oh yeah, I wanted that!"…
While talking with Tony Elsworth at Interbike back in September, Jeff and I were introduced to Paul and Michael from component company Loaded Precision. It turns out Tony loves including Loaded products…
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