They came a bit tight, resisting spinning, which I thought would detract from pedaling performance. To see if they would loosen up with a ride, I tried them out in front of the house, and without too much effort, I managed to get the pedal body to come off the pedal spindle, due to the threads of the nut that holds the pedal body on the axle being stripped off.

I sent them in to Twenty6, where they replaced the stripped nut, rebuilt it, and got it spinning smoother, and got them back about 10 days after they left my hands. I just weighed them out curiosity and found that they came in at 314g, which is what HnR lists, but some other sites list this as weighing 265g. My scale is properly calibrated and zero'd with the tray. This seems to be the latest version, which has a beefed up pedal body, which I hear was necessary due to the tapped holes for the pins not holding up to pedal strikes.

For the price, I expected the best, but compared to the competition, their price seems too high for what you get. It's no longer super light, but more around the weight of a Point1 Podium, which was my other option. The need to replace pins frequently seems to make them even more expensive; I've already lost 3 pins after only 2 rides. Despite all that, it's one of the only quality options if you want it in a certain color. I kind of took the looks part for granted, but the more I look at them, the more I appreciate them. The beauty of them is what you are really buy into. Kind of seems a shame that I'm putting them on my primary trail ripper, in place of some stout Sunline V-1s, which sees a lot of pedal bashing due to the 12.5" BB height and how trails seem to be built to take you through the chunky rocks on purpose (which I happen to like).

I used to dread getting goathead thorns in my tires and needing to patch either 5+ holes, since I'd get 5+ goatheads embedded in my tire at a time, or replacing my tube. Thorn resistant tubes didn't work and even DH tubes didn't work. I was ready to convert to tubeless with Stan's, until I found this.

I pumped some of this with the Caffelatex injector into my tubes, which don't have removable valve cores. That's all it took. I've discovered some nice side effects too, such as tire pressures remaining constant despite not riding for days. I also am no longer afraid of going through certain parts of the trail, feeling more inclined to adventure through neglected overgrown trails. When riding to the trail, I ride in the dirt instead of trying to share the pavement with the cars that only give you an extra few inches of extra space when passing.

Now when I see goatheads embedded in my tires, I just smile.

It's not whether this is any better than Stan's or Slime, it's how good it is for certain needs and it seems to handle my needs perfectly. I also mix this stuff with Stan's for my tubeless tires, to help initial sidewall sealing, as I hate spending 10 minutes on the Stan's shake and lay flat on side procedure to create a seal. I rather just put sealant in, pump it up, and ride. I'd go full Caffelatex, but I still had some Stan's and I know Stan's works great at sealing relatively large punctures, while I'm not quite so certain how this stuff will work on any relatively big punctures and don't really want to find out in an inopportune time.

I got the small size to go along with my Osprey pack, thinking it would encourage me to take my camera along and take more pics, since it'll be mounted to the front of my pack. Figured it would be a safer spot than in my short pockets and far more convenient than having to pull it out from the back of my pack.

I found that with the camera in it, the camera fits loose and makes it floppy. The exterior dimensions are bigger than expected, and for the same price, I could get a LowePro bag that does a better job (since they come in so many sizes to custom fit your camera) and looks better.

Seems to be made for those looking for a big step up in functionality from swim trunks over lycra shorts, but not the toughness from other AM/DH shorts.

Single snap with velcro with adjustable velcro waist tabs keep the shorts on adequately, better than simple single snaps which pop open the moment you lean forward or tuck too far.

The liner is decent, comparable to Jett's liner, but not as good as Swobo's. Better than Nema's, but is also removable.

The shell's inseam and leg circumference is not to my liking. It might be a size thing, as I have size sm (28" waist), but am 5' 7" and ~145 (+/- 5) lbs and it fits kind of tight. The legs fit close around my hams/quads and that little bit of skin between the bottom of my shorts and my knee pads is something I only like seeing on girls wearing knee socks and short skirts.

The fabric's probably the same stuff they use to make baggy swim trunks out of. Not a fan of that fabric.

Probably worth it at the current sale price with the liner considered. Not a bad look if you don't wear knee or shin protection. If I didn't already own a set of shorts from most other manufacturers, i would've rated this rather high. I'll stick to Jett, even though they cost a lot more and don't ever become this cheap on sale.

Edit: now that I see others reviews about how this short runs small, I kind of understand why this short feels so small on me. Hmm, I think these will be stuck on the bottom of my stack of riding shorts, so I think I should return 'em.

I got this since it was cheap and looked well designed and I trusted the Feedback brand. It worked well to true a few wheels. The biggest complaint I had was needing to flip the wheel around to check for dish and the little bit of extra time it took to lock the wheel into the stand. It does the job, but just lacks the convenience of the higher end stands like the Park TS 2.2. I feel there's no truing stands between this and the TS 2.2 worth getting though. Go cheap and functional or all out, IMO. This stand already paid for itself in the amount of time and money it would've cost to have a bike shop to tune up my wheels and I gained skills doing it, actually itching to build a new wheel. Though I kind of want the TS 2.2 for the actual wheel build I'm aiming to get.

This is nice if you have a few wheels to true, or want to check out after replacing a few spokes, that you're not really too attached to and just like to thrash and are on a budget. If you have a larger budget and are serious about your wheel's condition, looking to get more frequent use out of it or trying to true or build up some higher end wheels, then get the Park TS 2.2.

If you have axles bigger than 10mm, look for truing stand adapters from brands like Problem Solvers.

This measures a minumum of 60-70g and rounds up or down to the nearest 10g. That's an amazing accuracy rate for this type of scale. I'd dare to say even a weight weenie could make do with one of these without a gram scale.

I never thought I'd need 745mm bars and anything smaller than a DH/FR/park bike, but after trying it on a big bike, I went wide on all my bikes. Definitely improves your handling!

I love Sunline. They seem to be perpetually on sale, but I don't know why. I can't find anything wrong about them. They're proven in races, so I'm not worried about their rep. They even come in colors! The sale price is just another plus.

These grip like no other platform pedal I've tried and they feel very solid. Doesn't feel like they're about to break or are bending under my weight and they shrug off the hits like it doesn't give a shit. I'd be more worried about the impact of pedal strikes going to the cranks, BB, or frame than their effect on the pedals. They're heavy. I'd upgrade them for something lighter, since I installed them on a lightweight carbon XC/trail bike, but I have a feeling I'd be going back to the Sunlines and then 10 years from now, I'll be telling the new school rides how they don't make pedals as bombproof as the Sunline V-1s anymore.

Haven't found any knee pads that fit better and more comfortably than these yet. I guess I should stock up on them when they are on sale. I go through them pretty fast, since I wear them full time on every trail, even when pedaling up long climbs to the top of the mtn.

There's just something missing about them. I keep wanting to try other pads. The last set of pads I tried were the Race Face Flank, which are already tearing after 6 months and occassionally have issues with slipping down. They also leave the calf exposed to pedals (accidentally hit them when walking the bike or turning it around on a narrow trail).

These are 5 stars until I find something that truly beats it. Combine these with a decent shin pad, especially if you ride flat pedals. The 661 veggie shin pads are an awesome combo with it.

Tried this elbow guard in medium and find it slides down my arm too easily, due to trail chatter. It seemed loose, so I tried to size down to small, but same deal. It's still kind of loose and still slides down. Tried to wear it over some arm warmers and also over a long sleeve jersey, but same issue. Even when slid down, it still offers decent protection coverage, though the sliding nature makes it seem like it won't stay in place in a crash. It's not uncomfortable, unless you count the urge to want to slide it back up.

Have the same issue with with my Race Face Rally FRs in medium, though the small Race Face Rally FRs fit me great. Gonna go back to using those. I simply wanted one I could use with a wrist brace which my Rally FRs don't allow, since the forearm guard protects right up to the wrist.

I've hit my shoulder a few times on trees and walls of dirt and landed on my chest a few times, so I wanted to get some protection. The Evo suit was way too hot for XC rides in SoCal summers, but I took think on a ride up Santiago Oaks and it felt alright. It was hot/tight enough to make me feel pain on the climbs and affect my performance (you can feel your chest being constricted), but the bamboo microfiber they use feels amazingly cool when you let the air hit it.

Only thing I don't really like about it is, it's not really long enough in the torso in size small. It only comes to about my hip bones and if it just had a little bit more length, I could maybe use that length to take the damn thing off. It's hard enough that I actually felt like practicing taking it off by myself.

I recommend the POC Hip short instead if you're looking for quality protection beyond abrasion protection on the side of your leg. This leaves your hip wide open and doesn't do much for the tailbone area and it's relatively rough, heavy, and bulky.

In the pic, it helps prevent only injuries like the one on the left, but not the one on the right. POC Hip Shorts will protect against both and offers real protection for the tailbone area. Those tiny squares of very soft foam in these shorts, 2 seen above the side of leg pad and a few on the back, offer virtually no protection.

These don't slip/twist on my carbon bars, don't really notice the ergo effect all that much, and have allow a good grip on the handlebar. This is along the lines of an ODI Ruffian, in terms of padding (this is a bit thicker). My hands got callouses trying to get used to em, considering I'm a type that tends to pull back on the bars on steep climbs. I imagine the Leicthbau version is even worse.

I personally prefer a more padded grip, since I was on Oury grips for 5 years before I went to these new fangled lock on grips and then ergo grips. I might just go for Oury lock-ons or maybe go for the GE1s instead (for an ergo grip without the big wing platform).

I found this useful, but since the magnetic base and the plate are not permanently attached, there were times I tried picking it up by the plate and the plate broke free of the base and all the parts sitting in it went flying. Looks like it's held by glue + the magnet. If you put the tray on any magnetic surface that is at least as wide as the base where you can't pick it up at the base, without sliding it off, then this is a hassle. On top of all that, the magnetic effect has strong spots and weak spots in the tray. There's like a narrow ring of where it's strong (from the edge of the center plateau to the park tool logo's sprocket), leaving the center very weak and anything outside of the center plateau with no magnetic effect (which is would be handy if the magnet effect was strong at all, for rolling off the parts). Also, it's not recommended for placing on top of repair stands at a slope... the magnet is just too weak.

Not surprising, considering the cost of this product, but I at least hoped Park wouldn't put their name on junk. Park has a very wide range of tools, for sure, but for certain smaller individual tools, I'm finding that the design and quality Pedro's and Wheelsmith tools and the affordability of other more affordable brands are preferable over Park more and more lately. Their non-everyday tools seem to be spot on though, from their BB extractor tools, to their truing stand.

I used to think tubes were tubes. How could they mess up such a simple product? Why pay $5-10 for premium ones? Well, apparently, the process of making tubes is a delicate process and hasn't been perfected over the centuries by all. Cutter must've picked up a clueless start-up as a source, that or their rejects are being supplied.

I major design flaw is likely the unthreaded valves that don't screw down to be secure against the rim. 2 out of the 4 tubes developed slits right around the base of the valve, which cannot be patched. You can't even use the valves for ghetto tubeless, for when you get sick of flats with tubes, since they can't be tightened down to seal the valve hole. Also, if you inflate it outside of a tire, you will find some sections bulge out in a shape that looks like an muscular arm with big forearms and massive biceps--if that's any way to judge for poor quality, these would be a showcase winner. I think their best use is to simply act as big rubber bands.

To top it all off, these are more expensive than other generics. Don't waste your money. Try Q-tubes for some quality but inexpensive tubes.

This is one of the best storage solutions for bikes that I've run into. It holds the bike up by the tires, which means it won't work if your bike has a flat or is too wide. Saves my bike's paint and/or wheel from pressure on the rim/spoke from leaning it, using hooks on the frame, or hanging it by the wheel.

As far as tire limits go, the 2.4" estimate seems spot on. My 2.35 Rampage, 2.35 High Rollers, 2.35 Nevegal, and 2.3 Bronson have no problems fitting in (26" tires). Oddly enough, my 29er's Panaracer CG XC 29x2.25 tires won't fit smoothly. They can be wedged in, but the rack needs to be anchored down to pull the bike out. Freaky wide tire maybe (tubeless on Flow rims)?

I love the fit and style of these shorts! I got them in black and they have a little blue theme to them to give them great style. I personally like the blue mesh (open the vent zips and it gives the front some style), which makes my other shorts' white mesh look "tighty whitey" colored. It has a dual snap waist band (doesn't come undone when I crouch/tuck like others) with a velcro/strap to tighten the elastic around the side of the waist. There's plenty of pockets, 2 back, 2 front slash, 1 thigh, and they work well. The rear pockets are super secure, with weather flaps and zips and the slash pockets are secure enough for keys, electronics, and tools. The cut is great--it's sufficiently roomy and the legs just touches the top of my knee, which is the length I love. Material is a bit stiff, but it holds up to wear and washing really well. It's double stitched with really thin blue thread which is almost stealth, which is a nice quality touch. The fit is great, but the waist is a bit loose for me, with the Sm and a 27" waist, but the elastic/velcro tabs on the side fixes that. The big belt loops are the perfect size for my Sansa Clip+ to clip onto... I sometimes hit the buttons when crouching, but at least it doesn't get steamed in my pocket.

These quickly becoming my go to shorts when I want to look good, but Jett and Royal shorts still win in terms of technical performance and overall build quality. Royal could learn a thing or two about inseam length and styling from Dakine. Jett seems to have learned a lot, but could try and get their new stuff to be as cheap (Jett comes with removable padded liners, while these don't).

I bought Sm and Med, intending to try both and send the worse fitting pair back. Sm is a bit too tight and won't work over long sleeve jerseys too well, but Med has forearm straps that are excessively long. I can live with that though and not the tight Sm pads.

They stay in place and don't look too bad. The forearm protect extends all the way to my wrist and sort of impedes the use of a wrist brace, though I can get them to work together.

These are a bit tight, at least up front. I gave the end cap a few turns and it's hard to fit the wheel into the fork's dropouts with the skewer on (yes, the end springs were pointy end facing in). Took them off, put the wheel in, then popped the skewer on and it clamped down after just barely tightening the end cap. I tried to take it off and the drop out tabs kept me from being able to take the wheel out. I spin the end cap loose until it falls off and pop it on with half a turn and the wheel manages to come out with a bit of coercion. Definitely a bit tight.

I basically wanted something, anything, a bit easier than my current Shimano XT skewer, since that requires like 20 half-turns to tighten/loosen to remove the front wheel. It was becoming to be a major annoyance, considering that I have to remove my front wheel to transport my bikes.

(Reba 2011 fork and King ISO hubset.)

I've used this (size small) for a few months now and find it gets really hot wearing it, but don it anyways up to 90F in SoCal dry desert heat. I have moderately muscular arms, but they fit well in the sleeves, though it is a pain to get it off.

The chest protector is a bit too high for my taste. I had one crash where I wish it protected a part of my just a little lower, when I went over the bars due to my front washing out in a steep turn and bruised my ribs, landing on something (elbow, bike, biker behind me running me over, I'm not sure). The bruise is right where the elastic band velcros on the front. I felt the soreness from that for at least 2 weeks and going, especially noticeable when I get up from bed, sneeze, cough, do pull-ups, sit-ups, etc.

The shoulder protection is a little lacking. It only protects the side and not the front or top. My Vapor armor protected the top and a bit of the front, but it was way too bulky. Don't go leaning around corners too close on the inside when there are trees on the inside... that happened to me before and my shoulder ached for months. It wasn't even an impact strong enough to that knock me off my bike or even off course; it just shocked me back upright and slowed me down some.

The best thing about this is that it's low profile. Some can't even tell I'm wearing armor under my jersey, which is what I was kind of after, since my vapor armor made me look like a linebacker or stormtrooper, if I wore it under my jersey, as some of my friends would say. The spine protector is a good thing too--I did a roll onto some rocks and hardly felt a thing. I just laid there on my back looking up after coming to a stop after my roll, kind of comfortable, on top of rocks.

As for venting, my 661 Vapor armor had tons of it. I kind of miss that feeling of cool air just being rammed in. The only way to get air with this is to relax my upper, and try to let my shirt and armor hang down a little, so air comes in from the neckline. Solid foam doesn't do much in terms of venting, but at least it soaks up the resulting sweat very well. I go through my water a lot faster and feel the heat strain on climbs with this on. I'd complain about the heat when it's over 90F either way, so depending on the ride, I might wear it, but wish for the lower profile arms of this with something better in front on the chest. A vapor chest guard with the rest being the same maybe?

I got these in 28" black indigo and they fit me very comfortably and look good. They're easy to get on and button up. They hug your hip instead of resting above it, which is actually more comfortable for me. Fits almost as slim as slim fit jeans, the slimmest jeans I'd probably keep, but doesn't taper from the knee down. I have huge quads from biking and don't have many fancy shoes or tight shirts, so I couldn't really pull off the slim look--my knee caps protruding out the front contrast my quads a bit too much in slim jeans for my liking. I don't feel and stretch, but none's needed. I get plenty of freedom of movement, being able to do full lunges as a test. Inseam feels like it's about 30 or 31". It doesn't seem like they'd work well with boxers, but I'm sure they can be made to work with them.

I'm impressed by what Fourstar clothing I have. I'd definitely shop their stuff again.

I was looking to get my first full face, seeing how aggressive I've been riding lately and seeing others suffer nasty injuries like Aaron Gwin and this seems to get fairly great reviews which say it's awesome for the price. Awesome for the price, plus on sale, I thought it'd be the perfect opportunity to finally upgrade from roadie-dome lids with visors.

I got it in a short while ago and I haven't tested it out on the trail, since I can just barely squeeze my head into it, if I really force it. I ordered a M, for my 22.5" 57cm head and it feels a bit narrow and short, tighter than snug. I wish it came with different sized pads to customize fit, since it's a bit loose fore to aft. My ears are still halfway under the space made for them, it's so short. I guess I have a tall and round head and this size was made for shorter narrow heads, but I'll give it the benefit of a doubt that it's meant to be this tight. It's better than being too loose, jiggling on my head. The chin strap D ring buckles seem to be all the rage, but seems like a hassle that can be done much better. They're hard to get at with my gloves on--I miss quick release buckles with loop pinch clips. I have to really pull it down to get the mouth guard to give me some chin coverage and along with a buckle that is a hassle, I find that its jaw protection is questionable with how far it can be flipped up with a snug chin strap. I'm 5' 7" under 135 lbs and don't have a fat or long face, so I dunno why the fit's so off. I'm usually a fan of plain looks, but this doesn't even look good--I suppose it might be its shape.

Maybe I should spend the extra money and get a higher end helmet. I figure my head's worth it. Try before you buy. It at least is compatible with my goggles, Zeal Detonator, which the Urge Down-O-Matic isn't compatible with. Overall, it looks and feels well made. It just doesn't have the fit nor style for me.

It fits well, has a good palm with good grip, decent protection, good venting, has a terry thumb, doesn't look bad and easy to put on and take off... it does everything I want a glove to do, protect my hands and provide more comfort and grip than bare hands yet not be in the way or uncomfortable.

The bad thing is, 2 rides in and the mesh fabric between the fingers on my left glove's index and middle finger started to tear. I think it's because there's not enough stretch to maintain a 1-finger braking hand position. My gloves usually last at least 4 months, but 2 rides is ridiculous.

I did a lot of research on bike stands and didn't want a cheap one that left me wanting more, I wanted the best functioning one that didn't have an outlandish price. After comparing, this stand stood out as being one of the best, but it was kind of expensive. When Huck n Roll offered $50 off $250, I found this to be the perfect opportunity to pick it up. I now use it basically everyday I touch the bike and I'm so shocked by how convenient and useful it is that I feel compelled to recommend someone working on a bike to get a bike stand and save their back.

This tool is one of my go too tools for quick adjustments on the bike. This gives you the best of both ends of the traditional L-shaped allen/hex wrench. It has extension, to reach those bolts tucked behind other components, and has torque power to tighten without having to pull the tool out due to having limited rotation room.

With some bolts, it performs worse, such as disc brake calipers, due to the spokes getting in the way, but for a vast majority of other bolts, I find it does a faster job.

I've been using these grips for about 8 months on my hardtail and just bought another set of Ergon grips for my FS bike. I love 'em. I can't go back to normal grips now, since they are so comfortable and offer so much support. The wings on these grips flex and if you try to death grip, they'll probably fling your hands right off the bar when you hit a bump--a good reminder to have a light grip, which is a good thing in my opinion.

I'm not so sure they're worth the price, but I'm not about to take them off to try anything else. I'm completely satisfied with them.

I upgraded my hardtail's grips to the GX-1 since I wanted a bit more comfort. I then got a FS bike and thought the bars didn't have enough sweep. Turns out the bars had the same amount of backsweep as my hardtail, 9 degrees with a 660-685mm width. I then realized, it's the grips. I was so used to having that platform support my hands there, that it makes it seem my bars swept back more. I got these, since they were a bit cheaper than the GX-1 and found these fit my hands a lot better. The GX-1s feel real good and the platforms flex a but, but these feel like they're contoured to custom fit my hand.

The only downside is that they can rotate on my bars with enough force (practicing bunny hops or whatever), despite torqueing it to spec. I have these on Easton XC MonkeyLite CNT low risers. The GX-1s don't slip on my FSA SL-K/K-Force bars. I might have to try some carbon friction paste. This is a huge downside though, not recommended at all. Go for another model. I notice this is the only one that has a plastic ("carbon composite clamp") and my GX-1 and most others have an aluminum clamp. Seems like that might be the problem.

This probably isn't the best adjustable post out there, but at this price, it's probably the most affordable. It's super easy to install and once you take it out on a ride, you become enlightened.

You can do so much with the seat out of the way with your legs free to pump, absorb shock, get low over the saddle, twist and lean into corners, get more height on bunny hops, etc. Being able to tuck like a mofo is something a great number of riders have no idea could help them on their ride. It's like going into a tuck makes you go faster through everything--it's actually touted by some as the attack position. You really can't do it with the saddle up, since to be able to use your legs to unweight and pump and to get low, the saddle needs to be low else you'll be like a clown getting behind the saddle when the trail isn't even steep. I'm not shy about hitting jumps on the side of the trail either anymore--before I got it, with the saddle up, when I went for one, it was scary with the front of the biking pitching down, but with the saddle out of the way, I can sail through the air more comfortably due to the position I can get into when I take off.

There's no compromise on pedaling efficiency either by raising the saddle back to the optimum height. I used to run my seatpost about an inch lower than optimal, but now I get the best of both worlds and then some, as i still find myself going back to that 1" lower position, all for a 300g weight penalty. I'm no weight weenie, but I'm sure that extra 300g over your typical seat post is worth the performance you get out of this.

3" of adjustability is plenty for me. With the saddle 3" lower, it's never interfered in anyway and I don't desire for any extra lowering ability. It's at the perfect height for my bike stand to grab the a safe amount of post, between the collar and seatpost clamp. Thanks to the infinite adjustability, I also discovered that I prefer my saddle a little lower for general trail riding, maybe 20mm lower than "max height with slight bend in my knee at full pedal stroke extension".

Downsides: it rises if you try to lift the bike by the saddle while it's in the down position.

These shorts, in Blk Sm, have a nice look off the bike and work well in that regard, hanging out casually, but on the bike they totally fail. The slash pockets are not large enough to easily fit a gloved hand into and are far too deep which causes chafing issues, has a single snap fly which comes done all the time (doing a tight crouch, getting low), the crotch is far too low and catches on the saddle sometimes, but fortunately doesn't tear since the snap fly comes loose, the mesh net lining feels cheap (doesn't include a liner with chamois), it doesn't breath well at all, and the waist doesn't feel contoured, maybe because it lacks the stretch panel in the back. It sucks having to stop just to pick up your shorts, which are barely hanging on your waist. Feels a bit too loose, but I use the waist cinches on my Jett shorts to dial in the fit and a XS Royal Race/Stealth short fits perfectly.

This short just makes me appreciate my Jett shorts so much more. This is the most expensive short on the market from what I've seen and it's probably the worst short I've worn for biking. Thank goodness for great return policies.

The reservoir is great. It holds 100oz (3L), enough for 3 hour rides in heat. Filling is easy, just slide the clip off and the entire top opens and you can fill it while it's still in the pack. It's easy to wash too, no need to squeeze your hand and sponge through a little opening, since the whole top is open. Very simple and effective. The hose is removable too. The bite valve has a twist lock and a mud cap, which I slid out of the way since I don't need it. Squeezing the bite valve lets out good stream of water, good enough if you need to clean something with running water like a wound.

The pack holds a lot. The main compartment holds extra clothes, a tube, mini pump, shock pump, a cable lock, headlight and battery and has room for more! The mini compartment is great for smaller items you don't want buried in the main compartment. The side mesh pockets are great for cell phones, camera, energy bars, and anything else you might need to grab without needing to take the pack off your back. The helmet holder can hold more than helmets, I used it to carry my pads, until I started wearing them full time. The mesh shoulders and back are a huge plus, no more soaked back/shoulders, which is one thing that really bothered me with Camelbaks. I like how it's profiled up top too, to help clear branches and such. I've had the pack brush up against branches I ducked under and I imagine that would've been bad with other packs which didn't have a such a tapered profile. It feels pretty light when loaded up--must be the suspension system they got going. I once left it by the wheel of my car and went riding and didn't notice I forgot it until I was thirsty.

The only downside is that I wish the bite valve was like one of the magnetic ones as seen on some of the new packs (Osprey). The ones that are routed along one shoulder strap, then cross over the other strap in front and stick there, rather than dangle down straight. I plan on modding my pack to have something like that. Other minor downsides are the color/style and the straps being too long--I'm skinny and there's so much excess, which I managed by folding them up and zip-tying them down flush.

Update: I noticed each style is a bit different, noticeably in the toe box. The Black/Grey(Khaki) has a really weak toe cover area that can blow out fairly easily. I've only had mine for about a couple months and it's got a big hole that lets more dirt get in. Now that it's spring, I find how it collects sticky "thorns" like crazy and how it fills with dirt is also getting kind of annoying.

These shoes may seem expensive, but compared to quality SPD specific shoes, they're very inexpensive. These are like the creme de la creme of shoes for platform pedals. Skate shoes are just too thinly soled and flimsy, all the bumps go straight through. They're meant to be used with skates, not mountain bikes. Boots work well, but don't look so great with shorts and are heavy and clunky. This is the first time I've seen a true mountain bike specific shoe, and I was skeptical, until I started seeing the big 5 on the side of other people's feet. I finally decided to try and I'm not disappointed at all.

I haven't had a chance to get more then a handful of long rides on them, but so far I love them! I almost gave up riding on platform pedals with my hardtail, since my feet would slowly vibrate/"micro bounce" to the edge of the pedal on fast bumpy descents, using skate style shoes. It's really hard to reposition, since my pedals (Sunline V1) have pins and require me to lift my feet to move it--it's a real buzz kill to have to slow down to reposition. Also, whenever I tried to climb a steep rock face and hit my pedal or lose rear wheel traction, these give very positive grip, enough to get balance and kick forward in a smooth action. The only time I noticed a lack of connection between my feet and my pedals is when I get air and land, but that's more because I'm not used to doing that sort of stuff yet and relied on clipless pedals to keep me connected rather than control the bike in the air with my arms and body.

I'd never try anything risky while on clipless pedals, but with flats and these shoes, I'm having so much fun daring to hit anything. I just did my biggest huck attempt yet a couple of days ago and "cratered" on the landing, which I thought was good until I touched down, but the landing area was super mushy due to the massive amount of rainfall in SoCal in the past week which caused my wheels to plant/dig themselves more than 3" deep into the ground and sap away all my exit speed. If I were using clipless pedals, I would've had a head/shoulder/wrist injury possibly.

These have a thick and stiff sole, good for pedaling, and a relatively good shape and upper that supports the ankle enough so it doesn't roll sideways if you put a foot down. The sticky rubber sole is probably the best part. I love how much grip there is. They don't look bad at all for just walking around in and don't clack annoyingly like SPD shoes and make people think you just came off the stage with Riverdance. Thanks to Huck n Roll, I got a free Cutter Y hex key too, which I have already put to good use--much easier to use than standard L allen/hex keys and multitools. Also, thanks Leigh for your help in live chat! You guys rock! I'm riding through winter happily and in style thanks to you guys.

The bulkiness and breathability of these pads are its main drawbacks. They don't fit under jerseys too well, due to the massive shoulders and the ventilation only really works if you're moving fast. You'd likely wouldn't wear them unless you're going down, but it's a pain carrying them if you're not wearing them. If you don't wear them, they don't do you any good. Under a jersey, you look like a linebacker with the shoulders popping out. With the armor on top, you look like you have boobs on your shoulders when you see your shadow and that's embarrassing if you're trying to record a video with a GoPro. Breathability isn't an issue in the winter, but it's definitely going to be something I'd want to ditch during the summer. I've hit more things with my shoulder from it sticking out and have yet to be saved by it--don't be deceived by the picture, they stick out much more than that once they're on you, at least for size small.

I tried these since they were fairly inexpensive. I'm not happy at all about the fit in size Sm.
- Long crotch. Not so great to have a bunch of loose fabric there between you and the saddle.
- Pads restrict pedaling. The thigh pad is too far in front.
- Pads in wrong places. All my bony end points, the points that hit the ground hardest, are all unprotected and often fall right between all the pads. Intentional?

Don't bother with this if you wear small. The POCs fit far better and only cost a little more on HnR.

This model was discontinued on the 661 site. Their newer "Elite Bomber" is much more similar to the Fox Launch. More like a lycra short with foam rather than mesh with plastic impact shell and thick foam pads sewn on top.

I had a few scrapes and bruises from falls on my hips and wanted some low profile armor to help protect me from future falls. Now that I found these, I wish I had them much earlier!

I first tried out SixSixOne's Pro Bomber Short in the small size. It had padding all in the wrong places, "saggy" crotch (too long)--two things that made it impossible to wear and pedal. This is a lot better. It fits closer, has padding in the right spots, and fits well under baggy shorts like Royal Stealth and Jett Raptor.

My only complaint is that the stitching and tags irritate the skin when you first get them. The stitching pokes through the armor part on the inside and is "tied" like stitches you receive for open wounds. It doesn't fit 100% perfectly and hampers pedaling slightly, but very acceptable and seems like it will protect me well enough. I wear typical bike shorts under them and after a few rides, they become fairly comfy and I forget they're there once I start riding.

I think it's a keeper, but it's only the 2nd set I tried. I'm not about to go buy more. I see 661 discontinued the model I had issues with and their new ones look much improved and the Fox Launch looks good too. If any are on sale, I'll jump on them and try them out.

Time will tell whether I crash and damage these enough to warrant another purchase. With them on, I'm much more likely to be daring, especially if I'm chasing or trying to beat a time. Good for training to find limits of new gear or new skills.

Update: I did notice some tears in the mesh fabric after a few rides (no crashes or falls--just dmg from pedaling), such as just above the thigh pad. It doesn't seem mendable with just thread and maybe difficult with a patch due to the mesh construction... they're not seen and the pads stay in the right spots, so I might just wear them even after they get ragged. They should've put some stretch panels around this area.

Update2: Had a few falls, but I think either I'm getting better at falls or this thing helps. At first, purposely falling and rolling around in the living room indicates it'd still hurt just as much to fall on my ass and hips, but in actual accidents on the trails, I've come out scrape and bruise free and they feel like they are barely there once rolling, so I there's really no downsides besides the cost to buy them.

This glove has the type of material on the palm that breaks off in fibers, rolls up, and deposits on your grips. I have non-black colored grips and I see more and more of the fibers on it after every ride. It reminds me of a pair of Mechanix gloves I had which I blew through the middle finger in weeks.

They're somewhat stiff and bulky, but keep my hands warm, at least in 30F conditions. The velcro cuff is somewhat of a hassle to close and there's a lot of excess velcro exposed that eats the cuffs of my long sleeved shirts/jackets (careful throwing them in the wash). The grip side isn't padded or insulated, only the back of the inside, so beware if you are looking for gloves that also do well off the bike working in snow or whatever.

I put one on my 29er XC "race" hardtail and at the 3 hour mark, my ass hurts. After a few months, I figured my ass would get used to it, but I still get the numbing sensation in my sit bones. With my bike sagged, I have it basically level, not too much weight on my wrists and not too much on my ass and since I'm on a hardtail, I'm typically standing in the rough sections, so I get plenty of time to "rest my ass" (by not being on the saddle). Kind of odd saying that, haha.

I suppose I'm used to larger saddles. I have a Brooks B-17 Standard on my commuter that has never given me an issue. I only worry about it's durable after I scraped its side when I "washed out" on slick pavement.

It's well made, I'll admit. Just the comfort isn't right for me. I wish I could find a saddle that would let me do 40 miles on the trails without a hitch, steadily working up to do even more. I've done even more on the road, so the saddle is one part holding me back (I suppose full suspension and higher volume tires would help too). This was designed for a DH world champ racer, eh? I must've missed that part.

After 1 ride, the toe box looked like it was ready to burst. I hoped that the fabric was just stretched a bit and would return to normal after a wash, but it seemed like these were doomed to fail. I swapped feet to hopefully get more life out of them, but they eventually got so many holes that they're unwearable after maybe 3 rides. I had super thin Pearl Izumi socks last far longer. These are a complete waste of money--they're even useless a rag.

Save your money. Do not buy the 2010 version that's brown with tan toe/heel/cuff. Be skeptical of the new version. I'd recommend NLZwear for value and Smartwool for quality socks instead.

This light is relatively bright, very simple, and compact. It's not as bright nor have as nice of a beam pattern as my brother's $30 LED flashlight on his high setting, but has a both a longer run time and is brighter than it on its low setting so it's more suited for a two-way commute for those working the graveyard shift. The battery pack is attached directly to the back of the light head which means no wires going to an external battery pack. It has a rubber cover on the side to accept an AC plug (included) to charge it up. The rubber cover on the other side is the on/off switch. It has a trickle charger built-in, so don't forget to plug it in to charge over night after every use.

It's fairly simple to mount, just position the light head on the bar, wrap the watch strap-like rubber band around the bar and loop it through and stretch it tight and get one of the holes in the band to mate with the hook that's on the loop part. With it fairly tight, I notice that it still rotates on the bar on bumps, such as a landing a hop off of a curb, but you can easily take one hand to rotate it back for proper aim.

This light is not worth anything close to the $130 MRSP, but on sale it's okay if you regularly travel by bike on the road at night. If you're looking for a trail-worthy light, look elsewhere. I recommend MagicShine from Geoman--best bang for the buck light I've found (900 lumen rated LED light, about 600 actual, for under $100).

Awesome liner with a stiff but light baggy shell that's feels tough enough to not rip on falls and more than stiff enough not parachute while riding fast. The liner is probably where most of your money is going into when you buy these shorts. There's no back or side slash pockets, only the one cargo pocket. The waist cinch is kind of unnecessary, since the waist is elastic--if you cinch it, you end up with a lot of nylon strap just sticking out with no where to tuck it except over and inside the top. The liner isn't as good as a true pair of traditional quality spandex shorts, but better than other liners I've seen included with MTB shorts.

These are essentially a Swobo Minkman short with the Santa Cruz name on it, but with different (better) styling and colors. These are relatively well made, but I kind of wish the stiff tough nylon shell were a bit more supple and breathable. If they were breathable, they wouldn't parachute anyways due to being so close fitting. I'd rather have the extra bomb proof nature of the Royal Stealth and the features on the Jett Raptor and Hornet over this.

I initially gave this a higher rating, but now that I've worn a few more different shorts, I feel that they're not worth the money at all.

I think I have an older version--I have the Sm in Olive color.

I initially avoided Dakine having seen their seemingly generic hydration packs. I normally hate obnoxiously large and gaudy logos, but I don't mind these too much since it's not in a such a contrasting color in this particular color.

At first, I was surprised by how long they are. They go far below the knee, like a knickerbocker/capris, but fit much looser and are very comfortable. The crotch is so low that I worried that it would snag on my saddle, but thankfully it doesn't. The Sm is a tiny bit big for my 28" waist--they rest loosely on my hips and don't have waist cinches.

The fabric is a relatively supple and lightweight, but seemingly tough nylon. It's a bit thicker than Nema's, but not was tough as Royal or Sombrio. The construction seems solid, with quality thick threaded double-stitching. I'm a fan of the double snap-button fly. The pockets are deep and roomy, made from mesh with a solid tricot like bottom, and the back and cargo pockets have flaps with a patch of velcro to keep contents inside. It's partially lined inside at top at touch spots with a quality tighter than usual woven mesh, a lot better than what I've experienced from Sombrio, and feels closer to microfiber than the usual old school swim trunk mesh. I think the zipper is rather high quality as well and is also a good length in contrast to Jett and Royal zippers which are too short. It has no vents, so it heats up relatively fast which is one of it's major faults.

They're not 5 star worthy to me, since I greatly prefer Royal's offerings more and also like the features on Jett's shorts better. They're better than what I've worn/seen from Nema, Sombrio, Oakley, Fox, and TLD though. Santa Cruz and Swobo, IMO, are also better, but these Dakines are still above average for overall quality. With zip vents and it would be one of my favorites.

These are the best Jett shorts I've tried, edging out the Hornet and clearly beating the Lightning. Jett makes quality stuff with a lot of features. One feature I like that lower end shorts don't have is the dual button fly. The fabric used on these is a very soft polyester microfiber while the Hornet is 100% cotton with more pockets and the Lightning is 50% polyester/50% nylon (worst one of the bunch and ugly, in my opinion). The inside is very slick, not using any additional lining fabric. There are 4 mesh lined pockets--2 front open slash and 2 zipped pockets that double as vents, with one having a fleece wipe attached to the pocket with a bungee string. They are comfortable and have a contoured cut. They fit a bit loose, but have a built in belt.

There's a removable inner spandex short with a chamois that's really cheap feeling. The chamois fits oddly with half of it in front of your crotch and the other half just barely covering your sit bones. The liner is held in by 2 loops which can make it a pain to get on while installed and a hassle to remove to wash. If you leave it in, it gets twisted up, which probably wouldn't happen if they used 3 or 4 loops. I just permanently removed mine, since I have enough miles and endurance to not get saddle sore any more--you'd get saddle sore even with a chamois and good saddle when starting out and doing long miles.

My favorite remains the Royal Stealth, but they are more expensive even without a removable liner+chamois. That and I have a slick matching jersey.

First off, these are cotton. Unlike many polyesters, these will absorb water, absorb stains, absorb smelly funk, wrinkle, etc. Unlike other cottons, care instructions tell you to only wash cold and do not tumble dry, though not a problem for me since I do that anyways for all my sports wear, but if you leave it in the hamper with other sweaty clothes to accumulate for a bigger wash load, it'll still smell funky after coming out of the wash.

Second, the liner is essentially a cheap version of a spandex biking short with a chamois that fits differently--you get a huge pad for the front of your crotch and has just enough coverage for your sit bones. The liner is attached by a 2 loops on the side that have a button closure. It's cheap and it's a pain in the ass to put on the shorts pre-installed, so I took them out. Thankfully, the inside of the shorts are very lightweight and there's a slick red panel without the extra cuff stitching in front of your quads that cuts down on chafing damage to your skin.

Other than that, the quality is superb. They used a lot more fabric on these shorts than the other Jett shorts. If you need a lot of pockets (6 altogether, 2 being special fleece lined ones) and like a roomier fit these are the best Jett shorts. The camo graphics don't look too gaudy. These are my 3rd favorite shorts, with the Royal Stealth taking top honors and Jett Raptor taking second--the Raptor is more for XC/casual riding and has the slick lining throughout, has a softer brushed polyester microfiber outer, and 2/4 zippered cooling vents (2 can act as pockets), has a more conservative styling that I like, a slimmer fit, and is better engineered overall (such as a built in belt). The Jett Lightning is polyester/nylon, made to be tougher for DH, with a mesh liner along and a similar inner removable short with styling that doesn't fit my tastes.

These shorts are made of bomb proof nylon and the insides are lined with a soft tricot-like mesh material. There's 2 adequately deep side slash pockets which can zip up that are made of some durable feeling coated mesh. There aren't any zip vents for cooling, but instead there are lighter panels with a bit of give that allow airflow; I don't feel that they are too hot as I'm riding them through the summer now, but if you're used to bare spandex or lighter short, then yes, they are relatively warm, but they feel the coolest among all my rugged shorts. I love the double button fly--I wish all shorts had that feature; I have a pair of Oakley and Sombrio with the single button fly that sometimes can come undone, which is annoying when it happens. They don't come with ass padding (chamois), so supply your own if you want/need it.

These are truly awesome shorts and are my favorite riding shorts overall. I originally wore casual-wear shorts over spandex biking shorts, but I love high quality riding shorts and have totally upgraded all my shorts with a variety of them. I found that I don't need the spandex riding shorts or chamois; ride enough and your legs are strong enough to reduce the pressure on your ass; if you're lacking on bike mileage, you're gonna have a sore ass with or without a chamois or good saddle. I now also wear them casually and they make me want to ride. My favorites in order of most favored to least: Royal Stealth, Jett Raptor, Jett Hornet, a tie between Jett Lightning/Dakine Chorus, Oakley MTB 2.4, Sombrio Wildcard 3-season FR, and Nema Boost. The Royal Rivet would be up there with the Stealth, but I returned them since I don't wear armor there to fill them out. The Royal shorts are the toughest and I like their look the best, not to mention I have the sleek looking matching jersey. Jett has a lot of features, but they're just lacking the tough of nails fabrics and I dislike the liner, or rather the lack of a liner since I took it them out. Dakine's quality is up there, but I'm not a fan of the styling. Sombrio comes in second with toughness, but their mesh liner is really low quality, busted a hole in the excessively large pockets, and they're really long (knickerbockers/capri), and they're really hot. I like how Oakley and Fox look, but they're not much better than surfer board shorts. Most of Nema's stuff is junk in comparison except maybe Podium/Gambler, but you'll have to live with the gaudy graphics. I've checked out TLD's padded shorts and they seem great, but you have to like the graphics.

I prefer subtle/conservative graphics... I appreciate the engineering and feel more. I'd only rock the trendy colorful apparel (see DC shoes) if their performance can't be matched, like FiveTen and their super sticky Stealth sole.

These shorts are extremely rugged. These are not casual or XC shorts. These things were meant to scream DH, save your skin in a crash, and come out looking good--it's even colored to better hide the dirt and possible blood. It has a simple mesh inner lining without a chamois and has really sturdy nylon material (feels like a weatherproofer-coated cordura). I'm a fan of the dual snap fly, waist cinches, and pockets I can easily get my hands into, but the front pocket openings are a bit tall (I'd prefer wider) to the point I'd worry about contents spilling out (back pockets are narrow). It doesn't have much venting, so it'll be very hot.

Size SM and XS run very large, but have straps along the waist to cinch it down to size. I have a 27" waist and SM fit poorly, exchanged it for XS and found it to be just as loose. Feels almost as if they just tagged a medium short with XS and S and didn't really cut it any differently.

This is a solidly built pair of shorts. It's not designed for comfort or convenience--it's just straight up tough. If you tear through shorts and want something that you can drag on gravel and endure all sorts of other abuse, this may be the short you're looking for, unless you have a waist skinnier than 30". If you're looking for an everyday riding short, look elsewhere. I recommend the Jett Raptor for XC/AM weekend warrior types.

Sunline put some great technology into this headset, but the execution is a bit off and it seems that they noticed since it now seems to be discontinued.

If you manage to install it and your fork, you're pretty much set, consider yourself lucky to have one of the best working headsets on the market. In terms of engineering, it's much more impressive than King headsets which are considered to be among the best. All the Cane Creek clones (pretty much every other headset) don't even come close in quality.

But for some others, it's a costly gamble due to its tendency to fit tight around the fork steerer--it can take a bit of force to install a fork and you may have to bang it in. If you manage to get it through, your fork will then be a pain to get out. Invest in a rubber mallet. The trouble is almost enough to destructively uninstall the headset and replace it, but you then think of the options (super expensive King or junky Cane Creek clone: FSA, WTB, ugh..).

The installation is a tiny bit different, mainly with the crown race part. It has a large diameter crown race that you rest the lower bearings on before fitting it. After installation, the headset's top race has a small gap between it and the top cap, which I assume to be normal for this headset. Also, the steerer cap seems to be sensitive to torque; it seems to only need the slightest amount of torque.

I wish Sunline addresses the issues and re-releases it, but I'm afraid the reputation damage from this release will limit their sales. The tight tolerances and the subsequent headset and fork installation/removal difficulties are the only things keeping it back from being a contender for best headset. I suppose their aim was zero-slop, security, and strength by making the tolerances so tight. It's a shame, since I have 5 star experiences their handlebars and platform pedals and a very good impression with their stem (slight issue with handlebar slippage using proper torque).

This applies to the "heavier" (139g) model. I'm not sure if the lighter 110g model (which is called the AM model here) has the same issues or not.

The Santa Cruz Blur LT2 is a legendary frame. If you're 5'5" to 5'10" and you're looking for an all around performer that climbs steeps and technical ascents with confidence inspiring traction and levels out rough trails at high speeds and you ride trails mainly for fun, this Medium frame in Skidmark (much better looking than the Black version) is one of the best choices out there. If you're into XC or DH racing, this is either a bit too heavy or lacking in travel. For Enduro racing, this would perform decently, but would only be podium worthy in a rough technical course with tricky climbs. However, for the new all mountain format of racing, such as Downieville, this bike is almost perfectly suited for the podium (depending on the conditions, the Nomad might be better). The rest of the Santa Cruz line descends somewhat better, even the Superlight, but this bike has little to no pedal bob and has significantly superior climbing ability. This fits best in the trail/AM category, not quite XC nor FR/DH and not really optimized for Enduro; the Superlight or Tallboy would be better in XC/Enduro and the Nomad better for AM/FR and the Driver10 for pure DH.

There's another model of this frame that comes with the Fox FP23 instead of this Monarch 3.3 for the same price. The Monarch 3.3 is very similar to the RP23; this has a lever that allows you to control the platform to no platform ("gate"), to medium platform, to solid platform; RP23 has 3 settings: light, medium, solid. RP23 named their technology "ProPedal" and Monarch 3.3 has "Motion Control" and "Floodgate" which are essentially the same thing. They both also have an issue with being too plush to handle riders over 230 lbs or so. One significant difference is that the Monarch has indicators/gradients printed on it to help set up sag while the RP23 doesn't. The higher end Monarch 4.2 has a dial with 12 levels of adjustability, but most prefer simplicity and they're the same other than that. IMO, the RS Monarch 3.3 is *slightly* better than the Fox, but it's hard to go wrong with either since their performance is the same. RS is known for user serviceability and Fox has its reputation for being high end in the fork market, but their rear shocks aren't that great. RS forks aren't lousy performers at all and are less expensive, but I guess since you only see Fox on higher end models and you see many RS on lower end models, people get the idea that Fox is better.

This frame has a VPP linkage system that isn't very prone to pedal bob anyways, so the pedaling platform isn't really needed. RS actually has a bit of a platform built in (though newer 2011 Monarchs have done away with this for improved small bump performance), so for max plushness, the RP23 is probably the better route. The RP23 is also MTBR's Reader's Choice. Like I said before, you probably can't go wrong with either. It's just my personal preference to opt for the RS Monarch, since I know both have a history of blowing out. I'd hate to have to pay $100+ to have it serviced by PUSH industries or whoever, but some actually get the RP23 to have the option of sending it to PUSH or whoever when it needs work. I prefer to save money and do my own maintenance and RS provides detailed manuals to show how to service it, in my case I'd only have to pay $30 for a kit to replace the seals, wipers, etc. I'm no expert like the guys as PUSH, but if I can restore it to like new, that's good enough for me. If it were the Tallboy or Superlight, I'd clearly opt for the RS Monarch due to those linkages being prone to pedal bob, but for this Blur LT2, I'd give the RP23 a long consideration and check out how user serviceable it is, since it seems to be the better mate to the frame.

These are actually cheaper once you add them to the cart. I'm not quite sure why these are being cleared out--maybe because there's a more expensive carbon framed model now that's lighter, stiffer, and stronger? Hmph, I'm not much of a weight weenie and I appreciate a bit of stiffness, and I'm sure this is more than strong enough. I'll take $1k-1.5k of savings over the carbon model and use it to outfit this bike; it would practically be a built up bike for the cost of a new carbon frame with almost the same performance. You're not going to feel that weight except on a climb really and are you really going to race this? You should be looking into this is you want something to turn the mountain into your personal roller coaster ride, making rough descents exhilarating rather than scary (like on a XC bike).

Trying these in Small on a 28 1/2" waist, I find that the crotch is way too long, which gets in the way of pedaling and sitting down when on a saddle. All the pads are in the wrong place--thigh pads are on front and interfere with my pedaling range of motion; the sit bones are right in the gap between the ass pad and "spine" protector; my pelvis's "crest" is between the thigh, waist, and ass pads. The ass pads don't seem like they'll protect much at all. I did a test roll on the ground and it hurt just as much as I'd imagine it would, but I suppose they barely worked since I didn't strike or feel sore at the bony points.

I mainly wanted hip armor, since that's the main area that takes damage in a crash. I suppose some solid protection for the tailbone is good too. All the rest is unneeded fluff.

Check out the Fox Launch or Titan if you want armor in this area. Avoid this like the plague, if you wear small. I'm not sure about the other sizes.

If you want one bike that you can take on any trail and mainly ride for fun, this fits the bill almost perfectly. While your hardtail buddies will squirrel their way up smooth fireroad climbs and roll through fast flowy flatland singletrack with relatively swift ease, you'll be smoothly cruising up the rough technical climbs, daring to clear all the obstacles, hucking off drops, hungering for air, carrying ridiculous amounts of speed through rough turns, and bombing downhill on actual mountains, while they'll be hiking up rutted and rooted steeps, riding their brakes down, and possibly riding off the edge of the trail, in their continuous effort to find the smoothest line, avoiding the exposed rocks and roots that this bike's 5+" of travel levels out. You'll find yourself challenging any rider to steep climbs, including those sub 20 lb HT riders, due to how well the suspension helps to hook up the tires on climbs.

The frame feels lightweight and you can even build one up to be under 25 lbs, if you wanted; the shock and linkages add about 3 lbs to the entire bike weight compared to a typical aluminum hardtail's frame. The carbon version of this bike is over half a lb lighter (6 lbs) and almost 2x as stiff (I read 80% somewhere), but sells for $2500. As for sizing, Sm should fit 5' to 5'5", Med 5'5" to 5'10", Lg 5'10 to 6'2", XL 6'2" to 6'6". These are estimates, true fit depends on inseam and reach and component choices such as crank length, stem length, handlebar rise/sweep/width, and seatpost (amount of setback). As for colors, I'd say the Anodized Skidmark is much more beautiful than Black and it matches with more colors, which is especially nice if you don't want to go all black. Though, I saw a really blinged out Black SC Blur LT Carbon with gold anodized parts, chain, and decal accents which totally blew me away by how awesome it looked, but there's a clear difference between that black and an Anodized Black.

VPP, horst link, single pivot, 4-bar linkage, DW link, Turner, Yeti, Ellsworth, Giant Maestro, Trek ABP... they'll all say their suspension design is the most technically advanced/efficient/stiff/active, but if all you want is to turn the mountain into your personal roller coaster ride, then that technical jargon is as useful to you as that advanced physics class in college you possibly took for your non-engineering degree. The story of each bike is best told on a ride. Each design rides a bit differently and the story of the Santa Cruz Blur LT2 winning the MTBR Reader's Choice Bike of the Year award for 2009 says a lot. It may be a bit daunting to order a bike through the mail, sight unseen and without a test ride, but if you know you want a 5+" big travel trail/AM bike to tame your local mountains, then this is a deal you may regret passing up.

This is an awesome price for a bike that has made history with its race proven design. New upcoming 2011 models might look tempting, such as the Giant Anthem X 29er with tapered head tube, press fit Shimano BB, disc brake posts, etc., but this design has dominated the Downieville Classic for a good part of the past decade. Downieville is an all-mountain challenge with a 29-mile XC course with 4,413 feet of climbing and 5,692 feet of descending paired with a 17 mile super D style DH course with 5,333 feet of descending and 1,010 of climbing with times combined to determine the overall winner. This year, while winning the DH portion (1st, 4th, 5th), this design only managed to earn 3rd (and 5th) overall while the new 2011 Giant models took the first 2 overall spots due to the lead they gained from the XC portion (this design took 3rd in XC, if you count the Nomad as sharing a similar design). You can't buy those bikes yet and price isn't certain, but you can buy this and be confident that you're getting an awesome frame at an awesome price. At this price, you can possibly have a rig for around $3000, totally customized to your liking rather than settling with stock factory spec'd parts and upgrading.

The one significant issue that this frame notably has is a low BB that can dive relatively low when deep in its travel (common issue with many long travel bikes), making the chainring and pedals susceptible to hitting rocks and such, so make sure to get durable pedals and bashguard, such as one from e-thirteen. The low BB actually helps the frame perform better with a lower center of gravity and there are other frames that suffer even more from this problem. You will quickly adjust after a few pedal strikes, so it's not exactly a con, but just a note.

If you're worried about building a bike up from scratch, you may already be halfway through a build without knowing it. You can shop for almost everything here. Buy this frame, a Magura Thor 140, 1 1/8" steerer headset of your choice, Sunline V-One AM wheels* and maybe the Sunline V-One AM stem+OS handlebars+platform pedals, your choice of tires and pull the rest off your existing bike, maybe upgrading the brakes and adding an adjustable seatpost (the CB Joplin R can be had relatively cheap here, though the Gravity Dropper and Kind Shock variety are said to be more reliable). You can have your local bike shop help you put it altogether for a reasonable price if you're not mechanically inclined.

*Edit: seems the hot deal on these wheels finally ended. You can build up a sweet set of tubeless ready wheels though. You can make a set of fast tubeless wheels with ZTR Flow or Arch Rims, DT Champion Spokes (I don't recommend Revo), a decent hub with thru-axle option and use Stan's tubeless kit to make a virtually flat proof tire that can run 20-25 psi. With some quality tires that are not known to burp in a tubeless configuration, like a Nobby Nic (2.4 Evo Skin) up front, you can get even better performance from running low pressures and not worry about flats.

Note: I actually rode the Stainless Steel version, a slightly lower end version, but they more closely resemble this model than the MXR version.

Pros:

Egg Beaters the best pedals for weight weenies looking to outfit their bike with the absolutely lightest pedals available. This model is extremely light, only the higher end Egg Beaters (4 ti) and pedals modded with lighter axles are lighter.

The four sided entry makes locking in a bit simpler. There's a much higher chance of encountering the pedal on an entry side, but being four sided doesn't magically make entry much easier. You still have to spend many many hours getting the feel for it before you will lock in on the first pedal stroke. Despite riding clipless for over 10 years, I still spent weeks rolling the pedal with my feet before finding the ideal entry angle.

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Cons:

Egg Beaters aren't made to last, sadly. The "wings" can break, though I'm not sure if newer or higher end models address this issue or not. I notice that a lot of pedaling pressure goes into the inside of pedal (crank side) and that's where they break in my experience (I only weigh 135 lbs). Also, the bottom of your shoes will be damaged by the wings, unlike the flat SPD types (option shoe guards available for about $10). You will also feel the need to repack the bearings every so often (usually every few months), due to side-to-side play developing, which is a fairly simple process if you look it up and have some grease laying around. There are also rebuild kits available for $10-20 if you want to replace the bearings.

I like to ride bumpy root and rock filled North-eastern trails and like to not have my feet bounce and jar around into an unideal position or slip off unexpectedly. I've had a few accidental releases, one when I "cheated" on a hop to get my rear over a log, which was really scary and almost caused me to crash. Another on a pedal strike on a rock in a technical climb (not what broken the wing, but instead seemingly unsprung the wing that kept me clipped in). My riding style, trails, and my bike (hardtail) simply doesn't allow me to use platforms. My feet simply get jarred off out of position on platforms, even with high quality $100+ pedals and typical skate shoes (Nike 6.0 style... I doubt FiveTen soles would really help with an alum hardtail).

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My experience vs SPD:

I went with Egg Beaters instead of SPDs, since they were the latest and greatest with lots of great initial reviews. Now that time has passed, I see a lot have the same misfortunes I've had. I happily went back to Shimano SPDs and don't miss the four sided entry nor mind them being over 50% heavier (XTR PD-M970@325g $143; XT M770@340 $83; M540@346g or 352g for bronze $54; M520@380g $33 Amazon prices; compared to 218g for these). I went over 10 years without putting a tool to my Shimano 747s except to transfer them to a new bike. Most I did was drop in some chain lube on the springs after lubing my chain. I only needed to replace them since they were worn so much that they were releasing accidentally a bit too frequently for my tastes (10,000+ off road and road miles), but never during a pedal strike. I admit that they released during a jump after worn out though, but their platform was large enough to provide a stable landing. I actually kept the 747s as a back-up, which came in handy after the Egg Beaters died. That's the kind of long term reliability I want.

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Conclusion:

If you do buy these, save everything in case you need to file a warranty claim. Don't mention rock strikes or anything that would make them think it was abuse. Crank Bros. is aware of the issues and will likely honor their warranty. I used mine as I would my SPDs until one day I felt way too much wiggle and float and unclipped to discover the wing broken. Google "Broken Egg Beater" and you'll find many pictures, some similar to mine, some with wings broken on the outboard side, even some with broken axles. I tried the same with "Broken SPD Pedal" and "Broken Shimano Pedal" and saw no results, though I hear the low end pedals (520) have rather poor bearings and don't spin as smoothly.

I did a lot of research on which hydration pack to get since there's such a large selection. I settled with this Deuter pack due to the tech features, size, and price.

Deuter's design is leagues ahead of Camelbak's, Hydropak's, Dakine's, and all the other major brands. The effort they put in to prevent a soggy back is commendable, which is one reason I stopped using a Camelbak. Another reason I stopped using Camelbak is funk building in the reservoir. I prefer Source's simple open top which folds down around a bar/ridge and has a clip slide over it to lock it down--a much larger opening and I can refill it without taking it fully out of the pack. The slick anti-bacterial coating is a big plus. It's fairly minimalist and can hold my cable lock and reservoir in the main compartment; minipump, tube repair kit, minitool, wallet, and keys in the secondary compartment; camera and extra clothes in the tertiary compartment. I use the cargo straps to hold my shoes.

The only downside is that it doesn't come in better color schemes.

I checked out a Vaude review recently and that only reassured me that I picked the best pack. It was bigger, didn't have the twist on/off valve that this does nor a mud cap for the vavle. The Deuter is better shaped--sort of aero/thin at the top which helps it slip under low branches that you have to duck under. Most other larger packs have a squared box top.

I can't say enough about how much I like this pack. If it comes in a better color scheme that matches my other gear, I would be tempted to buy it again.