2010-03-17 | Camelbak Octane 8 by indiefab
Good: Best pack I've ever had (among many other Camelbaks and Dakines). Made for running/hiking, but I use it for MTB. Voluminous, but shrinks down as small as you want. Big reservoir, wide and comfortable waist belt with waist pockets. I stole it for $33 on steepandcheap.com
Bad: Uhhh......Its not lighter than air? I guess its not a freeride pack with room for a full-face helmet and pads, but it isn't meant for that.
Alternatives: Camelbak Lobo and Mule. |
2010-03-01 | E13 Guiderings by indiefab
Good: THE BEST chainring for 1x8, 1x9 or 1x10 MTB setups. Deep teeth and no ramps helps keep the chain in place. Machined recesses keep it light but still strong. I've had mine for 3 years and it's just barely showing wear. No chain suck ever.
Bad: None.
Alternatives: None. They are making anodized colors now. What else do you want? |
2010-02-07 | Marzocchi 44 Micro TI 29" Fork by MichauxGuy
Good: Good looking, Nice finish, light weight, adaptable travel*, Micro adjustable threshold, adjustable rebound, fine tune air volume on the trail. I bought the tapered steerer tube option.
Bad: *this shock shows up set at 120mm with no instructions on how to adjust the travel. The owners manual requires you to send it to California to have the travel adjusted or risk voiding the warranty. (no lie, their only service center in the USA is in CA.) An additional travel spacer is included with the shock which misleads the customer into believing they can adjust the travel at home or LBS. This shock is also intended for XC only according to the manual. 140mm and a tapered steerer for XC? C'mon!!
Alternatives: I Think there are better options than this one if you want 120mm of travel. I'm going to buy the socket to remove the upper caps (yup, special tool) and turn this into a $700 science project. |
2010-02-03 | Ritchey Pro Stem by facebookuser
Good: Easy to adjust,Holds Bar really well, High Quality Machining
Lighter than spec!
This stem just plain works. It weighed just 140g in a 110 length! One of the best stems I have ever had (and I have had lots over the years). |
2010-01-31 | Easton XC One by mike464646
Good: Good looking light.
Bad: I was so disappointed with these wheels, after reading all the GREAT reviews about them - I haven't even used them on the trail yet and already after less than 70 miles of road cycling have popped a spoke I am 160Lbs. so being overweight can't be problem.
Alternatives: Don't know - I thought these wheels were the best alternative. |
2010-01-15 | Outdoor Research Water Bottle Parka by jonnymtman
Good: Extra bulk is worth the hot drink while belaying. Light and well designed. I put boiling tea in when we leave an it is still toasty at lunch. It isn't a thermos though, so don't expect it to be. Fairly light
Alternatives: I don Think there are any other options out there |
2010-01-10 | ODI Lock-On Clamps by dogonfr
Good: Supper sticky squishy grip with good diameter, not to large. The rubber is not over sized making a comfortable all day grip without arm pump.
Bad: When they wear in your gloves turn black, not a real bad problem.
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2009-12-20 | Fox Digit Glove by dogonfr
Good: Very plush and comfortable without bunching in the palms. Good protection for normal bush whacking and hold up well when bailing. Velcro wrist closure is always a great welcome making putting the gloves on or taking off secure yet easy. |
2009-12-12 | SixSixOne Comp Glove by facebookuser
Good: These gloves are great for beginners or advanced riders and have many great features.
-Fingertip Mesh Lining for added grip.
-Thumb Side sweat wiper.
-A very grippy palm material.
-A nice fitting glove without the strap hassle
Bad: I dont think these gloves have any bad features, it just comes down to what could be improved.
I thought they could have made them a bit more breathable because they do make your hands very hot.
Alternatives: I Think it depends on your price range what gloves are better but otherwise these are some fantastic gloves! |
2009-11-25 | Giro Atmos by rankinesoccer
Good: This helmet is super strong. I got in a bad crash with it, and it took all of the impact. giro was great, too. They sent me a new one for FREE! The helmet is well ventelated, and cool looking. |
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2009-11-25 | SRAM X.4 Rear Derailleur Long Cage by seb elsdon
Good: for its price, its well worth it, around 19.99 rrp, some places cheaper, 17.99 some other website. It lasted me about 1year 1 months of riding everyday basically.
Bad: The bad features to this sram model, is that the aluminium knuckles are its weaknesses and always seem to snap here... quite annoying, but you pay for what you get really.
Alternatives: well if you was going to get another SRAM derailleur, go for the higher grade ones, SRAM x-7 etc, however you have to have nine speed to run this, it has to be compatible with your amount of cogs on the rear. I would suggest either an x-3 or an x-4, as these are both compatible with 8-speed bikes. For a long Time usage, and for around 19.99, you cant complain really! |
2009-11-24 | Cygolite Rover II LED Light by jkretsch
Good: Bought this light last year after doing ALOT of research. This light delivers the most lumens per dollar of any light out there. The frame-mount battery is relatively small and lightweight and I can get 2-3 hours of burn time on the brightest setting.
Bad: I've had the light for over a year and I have no complaints.
Alternatives: I did a side-by-side comparison of this light and the Niterider Minewt.X2 Dual (my second choice). The light output is very similar but I prefer the Cygolite beam pattern and the Cygolite is significantly less expensive. |
2009-10-03 | Club Roost Cross Terra by periwinklekog
Good: (Size tested: 26 x 1.5)
Good entry-level cross tire for ATB's; Reasonable overall durability for the price; good grip in cornering, relatively stable in mud. Good training tire.
Bad: Center ridge is smooth and wears down faster on courses with lots of gravel and paved sections; a little heavier than other similar tires of its size.
Alternatives: When the budget allows, consider upgrading to the Schwalbe CX Pro Sport (26 x 1.35) for racing and save the Club Roost for training. |
2009-09-30 | Park Tool PFP-3 Floor Pump by barubin
Good: It feels like a really sturdy piece of equipment. The barrel is long enough to make filling a tire a quick effort. The schrader and presta valves are like two separate barrels on a gun so you don't have to change any small pieces when going from one to the other.
Bad: It has happened to me 3 times, hear it, 3 TIMES: When I am finished pumping my tires, the end of the pump is so hard to get off the valve that if pulled too hard, you'll get a nice tear in your tube. The solution to this is a nice easy coaxing by twisting and gradual pulls. This doesn't make for very time-efficient repairs. The internal connector mechanism could've had a much better, easier-to-remove design.
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2009-09-18 | KMC Z510hx Rainbow 1/8 Chain by roscoegordo
Good: It's pretty great on price, (I payed $10 on ebay), and it's also nice that it has so many colors.
Bad: For the price, I'm sure it won't perform well for too long...but hey, it's my first time so I guess I'll just have to try it out!
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2009-09-05 | Sidi Dominator 5 - Women's by lauratroll
Good: Sidi makes excellent quality shoes and these are no different. The ratcheting buckle was well worth the extra money. These shoes are perfect for narrow feet. |
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