Tested: Feedback Sports Pro-Elite Repair Stand
Boulder, Colo. based Feedback Sports keeps bikes running smoothly with well designed repair stands.
As the top tier repair stand offering from Feedback Sports, the Pro Elite Stand offers some great features that will make DIY bike repair more enjoyable even if you have no idea what your doing.
Sea Otter 2012: Photo Randoms
Cool New Products from the Bike Industrys Early Season Release event. Magura hydraulic road brakes, wood helmets, 35mm handlebars, Yeti Carbon DH Bike and More!
Sea Otter 2012: 650b Popular among manufacturers at Sea Otter
"In between" Mountain Bike Wheel Size popular at Sea Otter
As the industry continues to evolve, the 29er market is thriving, but on the horizon for many manufacturers is rather unchartered territory. The “in-between” 650b wheel size was the popular topic at this years Sea Otter Classic with a good number of manufacturers introducing 650 products. As an industry driven trend, it will be interesting to see if consumers embrace the wheel size and its off road advantages.
Sea Otter 2012: Shimano's New Gravity Groups
Shimano updates Gravity specific groupset and introduces a more budget friendly version.
As the first component manufacturer to develop a gravity specific component group, Shimano has continued to improve on the DH components. For 2013, Saint sees some significant updates along with a new, more budget friendly gravity group, Zee.
Sea Otter 2012 - First Look: Mavics new 29er Wheel lineup
Mavic introduces a Line of 29er Wheels, finally.
With the exponential growth of 29" wheels in the mountain bike industry, most wheel manufacturers were quick to adopt and develop high-end 29" wheels. Mavic was a little bit slower to react though and has been a bit behind in the big wheel market, but for good reason.
Sea Otter 2012: X-Fusion Introduces 2013 Suspension and New Height Adjustable Post
X-Fusion Shox introduces new 34mm stanchion Forks, Height adjustable seatpost and ultralight rear shock.
For 2013, X-Fusion plans to create more buzz around their products by creating some new, possibly market-changing improvements introducing a new stanchion size, new gold slick ano stanchion coating, and a one piece forged crown and steertube combo along with a brand new height adjustable seatpost proves X-Fusion has been hard at work.
Tested: Walz Caps
Barista Approved
I walked into Cafe Dawn, the choice coffee shop in Salida, Colorado, and the woman behind the counter, said "Nice hat!" I was sporting my new brown tweed wool cycling cap from Walz Caps. Now, Salida is a cycling town, so not everyone everywhere is going to consider a cycling hat a fashion statement, but I'll take it where I can get it.
Tested: Raleigh Talus Carbon Pro 29er
As one of the oldest names in cycling, Raleigh has been a staple among two-wheeled enthusiasts since the late 1800s, but despite a short foray into the off-road world in the early ’90s (hinged upon a branding-style sponsorship of John Tomac), Raleigh primarily has been glued to the pavement side of the sport.Raleigh Talus Carbon Pro 29er
Tested: REEB Cycles Gates Carbon Drive 29er
After 10 years of supplying crafted, frosty malt beverages to the gritty, knobby tire culture of the Rockies, Dale’s Pale Ale has made a foray into the bicycle business with an Oskar Blues-branded 29er. Inspired by several months of beer-infused conversation, REEB Cycles debuted late last year with a handbuilt, trail-oriented, belt-driven singlespeed 29er.REEB Cycles
Gates Carbon Drive 29er
Tested: Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Expert Carbon EVO
Sometime between the death of the aluminum hardtail and the popularization of full suspension, we strayed down the platitudinous path of categorization: XC race, trail, all-mountain, gravity, or DH.... While these names may help guide an uninitiated buyer to the right machine, it's the new wave of bikes designed to transcend categorization that arouses wide-eyed enthusiasm from the true aficionado of singletrack.
Industry News: Sram Releases 10-speed Gripshift
Gripshift returns, But More Refined than Those Disposable Pieces of Plastic on your First Mountain Bike.
For those who pine for the days when they could grab a fistful of gears in one, throttling twist of the wrist, Sram as answered your many prayers and forum posts with the introduction of a new 10-speed Gripshift system. Built from the ground up, Sram has made substantial strides to create a twist shift system that will rival the performance of top notch shifting systems currently on the market.
New Products: SRAM Type 2 - Clutch Equipped Derailleur
Improving the Riding Experience is Exactly Why Drivetrain Technology continues to Move Forward. Creating a Quieter, Smoother Drivetrain that Will Remain Consistent even over the Most Demanding Terrain is the Goal.
SRAMs new Type 2 clutch equipped rear derailleur provides one way tension that keeps chain slap to a minimum while improving on the fly shift quality. But does this technology improve the riding experience or is it just marketing hype?
Tested: Smartwool Midweight Zip T Baselayer
Smartwools Midweight Zip T Base Layer adds Comfort to Your Recreational Pursuits with the Simple Elegance of Merino Wool.
Smartwools base layers are a great addition to any arsenal of cycling gear, or any active sport for that matter. With Merinos natural wicking and anti-stink properties, along with a soft comfortable feel, they offer a great return on your investment.
Tested: Specialized Fate 29er
My, What Big Wheels You Have
by Jen See
The Fate is new for 2012 from Specialized Women. It’s the first carbon 29er designed specifically for women riders from Specialized.
I’ve been riding the Fate since November on the trails around Santa Barbara, California. The bike handles best on smooth, fast trails, and I had the most fun with the Fate on the rolling terrain of our local coastal bluffs.
