very nice, tough, utilitarian looking stem.

there have been a number of reviews with bolt issues, or the bar not on tight enough (mtbr). it is true that the bolts are small, at least relative to the bolts on my easton havoc stem.

to resolve the bolt issue put some (teflon) grease on bolt threads to prevent binding. it's easy enough to then tighten sufficiently.

it's a very good stem- light and strong. bomb-proof thus far.

although i've not had any issues with this stem, minus 1 star for those who've had bolts break or afraid to tighten sufficiently and had their bars move.

looks very cool too.

i've owned a dakine nomad for several years. only negative was the leaky nalgene bladder (which rei let me swap for a camelbak bladder). anyway, glad to see dakine resolved this issue with a new and improved bladder system. venting system has improved somewhat as well.

the difference between the nomad and this pack are essentially a large, full pack length storage pocket and external side pockets (handy) of the larger nomad. but the nomad is bigger and sits lower. 90% of my rides i can use the smaller drafter pack. this line of dakine packs are made of heavy duty material which allows them to stay firm and keep their shape- and will last forever. the inside organization pockets are well thought out.

for mtn biking this pack can save you. i crashed in a rock garden not wearing my body armor, flipped onto a large rock on my back, and the nomad saved my spine. felt like i landed on a water bed. well, almost. packs with lightweight materials may not be as firm or in-place when you eat it, and likely won't come away as unscathed as the nomad does time and again. if you're a weight weenie, look elsewhere, like maybe the AMP line, but if you ride aggressively you're in the right place.

for cool weather if carrying extra clothes or gear, go nomad, otherwise the drafter is the ticket if you want 3l (100oz) hydration.

btw- beware of biking with packs with metal frames. they may vent well, but can be dangerous on a spill.

nice skate shoes with 5.10 grip. holds pedals well, but not a stiff sole so the 5.10 impacts are better for mtn biking. these shoes are best for skatepark, urban and trial riding, dj, or skateboarding.

I have a medium face, fit is very good. I bought these and some other glasses for mountain biking. I now have a pair of green lenses (Anarchy Scathe- Olive), and these, brown. Actually, these are a lighter brown to slightly yellowish tint lens which is perfect for me. They are not only polarized, but the slight yellow tinge really pops the contours on the trail. These would be used for slightly overcast days, or covered trails where you can use all the help you can get for seeing trail contours. Although they're not really dark lenses, the polarization will cut out excess glare from reflections so they don't need to be too dark. Lenses are large enough to give nice coverage from the wind too. I used to wear grey lenses almost exclusively. Probably won't wear the grey lenses except for very sunny days on open trails now, the brown or green lenses are just so much better. Should be excellent for driving too, or for the polarization to cut glare reflected from the pool or ocean. But on really bright sunny, middle of summer days, it's back to the grey polarized Spys.
Very happy with both purchases, especially at these prices.
Oh yeah, they look good too. Ditch the roadie shades and try these.

I picked these up quick at the WM/DoG site. Realized after I hit the button these are Camo, not tortoise. Not caring for Camo stuff I was a bit bummed. When they arrived they actually looked like a pretty dark tortoise with some olive green accent. Perfect! Way better than tortoise!
Let me explain, I was looking for shades with a green or brown lens (these are green, purchased a different pair with brown) for mountain biking. Usually go with black frames and grey lenses, but green is better for popping contrast and seeing terrain changes. Not a fan of tortoise, but that is typically where the brown or green lenses seem to be.
These were great- darker than tortoise, didn't look like I was about to go on a combat mission, and the green lens did let in more light than my grey lenses, and did, as advertised, pop the contrast on the terrain better than the grey lenses. Will probably use them for driving too. I think the pictures on the site, and Anarchy's too, were taken on a light box and the semi-transparent greens look a lot lighter than in real life. And BTW- good wind coverage too.
If you mountain bike and don't care for the geeky multi-lens roadie choices, the current price makes these a no brainer.
Had a couple of communications with WM too. Fast responses, cool people, were kind enough to correct my mistake on the order. All good.

These are DH or rock garden shorts, not enduro XC/trail shorts (those are their Raptor shorts). Made with ripstock in front areas (tan colored areas), and a much tougher set of materials for the sides and back (most of the black color- except for the front). A bit too burly for a long ride, but very tough if you ride hard or just tend to hit things. Also good in the cooler seasons. Great attention to detail, excellent liner, and even smooth cloth under the knee area so pads to get hung up, vents front and rear, two zippered front pockets, over the knee length, but not too long. You won't rip these.Jett Gear supplies the Yeti Team. High price, but pro gear- not posers with just a fancy logo to buy into.
These tend to run big, so if you're not sure, size down.

..well, these aren't short shorts! Unlike some of the youth shorts these are nice and long with good pockets and padded liner. Much better than tidy whities under shorts.

First real bike shorts my son has owned and he loves 'em. Most of the guys I take him riding with are 20+ years older than him, so now he feels more like one of the boys with his cool Fox shorts. Seems pretty true to size, except that my son is pretty thin and surprisingly the liner fits prefect. If your son is more along the average weight category or higher for his age, you may want to try a size up.

Got myself this for Xmas (from my kids), so haven't tried it yet on a ride.
I'm 5'9", 165lbs, 39-40" chest and the Med fit perfect. It's a nice loose cut, which I like, and tons of venting- great for SoCal. The short-sleeves are longer than others and the shirt looks well made.
I got the white and the green is not as subdued as in the pics. My son saw it when I tried it on and loved the 'toothpaste-green' color. The collar is wide and good for getting air, with the whole thing kinda giving a poncho sort of look. My wife laughed, but that's not a bad thing. :)

Just got this jersey, so haven't tried it in the field yet. Also got the Dakine Chop Shop jersey as well. The Chop Shop is roomier than this one by a bit, probably allowing for armor. This one is more like a T-shirt, but poly material for wicking. Vents under the pits a good plus.
I'm 5'9", 165lbs, chest 39-40" (40" in suit jacket) and the medium fits well, but I prefer the slightly roomier Chop Shop, or this in a large. If you're thin (I'm not) and like a T-shirt look, go with the sizing. If you like roomier, or wear armor, go up a size.
I'm impressed with these 2 jerseys. Very well made, like my Nomad hydropak, and a steal at H&R pricing.

Just got this jersey, but haven't ridden with it yet. Like my Dakine Nomad hydro-pack this looks very well made with good attention to detail. I'm 5'9" and 165lbs chest 39-40" (40"suit jacket) and the med fits well. Could have also gone with the large no-problem, especially if with armor.
I particularly like the mesh vents down the side, which are hard to see in the pics, but great for riding here in SoCal.
Great Value!! Trying it out right after I get it for Xmas. :)

I've had these sunglasses for a few weeks now. I purchased them for several reasons- Spy optic is a California company that has a very good reputation and makes some of the coolest shades today (made Italy, not China). The polarization membrane is in the lens, not a film on the outside of the lens as often found in sunglasses. My experience with an outside polarized film is that it eventually rubs off if you clean your glasses a lot. These glasses also feature a venting system to eliminate fogging of the lenses. Could be important if you are riding a motorcycle, or live in an area where morning fogging occurs. Riding my mountain bike in southern CA, this was not a major concern for me. The lenses are also removable- and Backcountry offers Spy optic color lenses (for example- orange) that could be put in on overcast days. I don't know how easy replacement is as I already have orange lenses for my older glasses (mentioned above). The only downside to the wide wrap/venting system is that the arms (?) of the glasses are relatively short. If pressed hard enough when the glasses are off and folded, the end of the ear piece can rub against the inside of the lens. Spy optic protects all its lenses with a scratch resistant surface, but I wouldn't jam these glasses it an overly stuffed backpack without a hardcase for protection. Probably not a bad idea for any sunglasses you may purchase. Overall, extremely happy with the look and function of these shades, and with the fast and courteous service provided by Backcountry.com. Hope this is of some help for your purchase.