Review: Lazer Oasiz All Mountain Helmet with Built-In GoPro Mount
By Gregg Kato February 15, 2013
Feature Articles Gear/Apparel Pro Reviews
I have been riding with the Lazer Oasiz All Mountain helmet for several months now and it is a solid choice if you are looking for an all mountain style helmet that offers a bit more protection than a standard XC type lid. Like the Giro Xar or Hex or the Fox Flux, the Oasiz
Read More »Review: Abus Bordo 6000 Folding Lock
By Don Palermini February 13, 2013
Gear/Apparel Pro Reviews
The Bordo 6000 looks nothing like the traditional U-locks, cable locks and chains we’re used to. It actually resembles a folding carpenter’s ruler, and functions in a similar manner.
Read More »Review: Brake Force One
By Francis Cebedo February 13, 2013
Feature Articles Parts Pro Reviews
We’ve had about a dozen rides on this brake system and we are ready to utter a few words about them. Powerful, modulates well, exotic and expensive. End of story. If you want to know more, then read on. Setup The brake lever is one-finger optimized so it is short and needs to be brought
Read More »Review: Magura TS8R 150 26er and 27.5/650b Fork
By Brian Mullin February 06, 2013
26er 650b Feature Articles Pro Reviews
Introduction by Francis Cebedo: Brian Mullin and I have been using Magura forks the past few months and we’ve been pleased. The forks are laterally stiff, light, plush and reliable. My review on the TS8 29er fork can be found HERE. We believe Magura has improved quite a bit in the areas of plushness and
Read More »Kate’s Real Food – Energy Bars
By Gregg Kato February 04, 2013
Featured Photo Gear/Apparel Pro Reviews
I’ve been hearing more and more about an all natural and organic energy bar from a brand called Kate’s Real Food. They were at the Outerbike demo/festival last October and the buzz has been growing since. In addition, they were a bronze level sponsor of the Mountain States Cup series and they are also a
Read More »Sneak Peek: X-Fusion Hilo SL Dropper Post
By Francis Cebedo February 03, 2013
Feature Articles Pro Reviews
Mtbr went on a field trip this week and we broke in to the X-Fusion headquarters to see some new product. We stealthily snuck in through the back door to get the scoop before the Sea Otter wave of product introductions begin. Here’s the new Mtbr contributing editor Don Palermini taking the lead. Unfortunately, our
Read More »Review: SRAM X0 2×10 with Grip Shift
By Brian Mullin February 02, 2013
Feature Articles Gear/Apparel Pro Reviews
Introduction by Francis Cebedo: SRAM revolutionized drivetrains with their introduction of the modern 2×10 system a couple years ago. They wanted to give you more functionality with less complexity. They then went back to the archives to resurrect Grip Shift by perfecting its accuracy and shifting action. Have they succeeded in both endeavors? Read on
Read More »Schwalbe Hans Dampf Super Gravity Tire
By Francis Cebedo January 27, 2013
26er 650b Feature Articles Parts Pro Reviews Tires
Now this is an interesting tire, the Hans Dampf Super Gravity 650b/27.5 tire. We have it in this new wheel size but it is also available in 26er. It is kind of an enigma but it makes sense as it has a kevlar bead, a downhill sidewall casing with dual carcass but single carcass under
Read More »Review: Look S-Track Mountain Bike Pedals
By Francis Cebedo January 22, 2013
Feature Articles Pro Reviews
The S-Track replaces the Look Quartz pedal as Look has switched to a whole new design direction with this new off-road pedal. Look wanted something with more reliability, consistency, bigger contact patch and versatility for All Mountain use. A first look at this pedal shows there is much more refinement compared to the Quartz. The
Read More »Review: Upright Designs Totem Pole Bike Rack
By Francis Cebedo January 21, 2013
Feature Articles Pro Reviews
Six bikes in less space that it takes to transport four? Yes, the key is the bikes are resting on each other with the front tires. The tires by nature offer natural cushion from any damage. The handlebars are at opposite sides and away from each other in an alternating pattern.
Read More »Dropper Seatpost Round-Up
By Francis Cebedo January 17, 2013
Feature Articles Pro Reviews
We have a few dropper posts in the garage so we did a little comparison on them. Dropper posts have been around for about 20 years with the original Hite Rite product sold many decades ago. The concept is make a seatpost that fully extends during climbs for proper leg extension and allow it to
Read More »Pacenti DL31 Rim And Hadley Hub Wheelset
By Brian Mullin January 16, 2013
650b Feature Articles Pro Reviews
Introduction by Francis Cebedo We did a review on Pacenti TL28 wheel built up with a Chris King hubset HERE. Here is follow-on review to a rim that is wider since these days, wider IS better. It allows the tire to have a wider, more secure and stable contact patch. Pacenti knows a little bit
Read More »Norco Sight Killer B – 650b Round Up
By Gregg Kato January 15, 2013
650b Feature Articles Pro Reviews Video
For 2013 Norco actually has two All Mountain 650b bikes. The Sight Killer B has 140mm of travel and the Range has 160mm of travel. Being on the more “trail” oriented end of all mountain, it is no surprise that the Sight is a snappy handler that does well in all aspects of riding. It
Read More »Intense Carbine 275 – 650b Round Up
By Gregg Kato January 15, 2013
650b Feature Articles Pro Reviews Video
For 2013 Intense Cycles actually has two All Mountain 650b bikes. The Carbine 275 and Tracer 275 both have 5.5 or 6″ of travel (adjustable shock mount). The main difference between the two are that the Carbine 275 is made from carbon and the Tracer is aluminum. How was Intense Cycles able to create a
Read More »Foes F275 – 650b Round Up
By Gregg Kato January 15, 2013
650b Feature Articles Pro Reviews Video
We first learned of the new Foes Racing F275 at Interbike last year and we were happy to see Brent Foes throwing his hat in the 650b ring. Like other American based companies, Foes prefers the 27.5 moniker over the metric 650b term. But whatever you call it, the Foes F275 is definitely true to
Read More »Scott Genius 720 – 650b Round Up
By Gregg Kato January 15, 2013
650b Feature Articles Pro Reviews Video
The all new Scott Genius 720 is a high-tech carbon bike and is definitely the most advanced bike in our comparison. When it comes to 650b, Scott has been doing plenty of R&D with their World Cup winning racers (on 650b) and their engineers. The technology of this bike is shown via various acronyms like:
Read More »Intense Tracer 275 – 650b Round Up
By Gregg Kato January 15, 2013
650b Feature Articles Pro Reviews Video
The Intense Cycles Tracer 275 is the natural progression of their popular Tracer VPP All Mountain bike. The Tracer 275 features 5.5 or 6″ of travel (adjustable shock mount) and is made right here in the USA at the Intense factory in Temecula, CA. In fact, that is a key factor that allows the ‘small’
Read More »Jamis Dakar Sixfifty B Comp and Pro Bike Test
By mountainbiketales January 12, 2013
650b Feature Articles Pro Reviews
Introduction: This review is a collaboration between Mountain Bike Tales and Francis Cebedo. Mountain Bike Tales tested the Comp Version while Francis of mtbr rode the Pro version of the Jamis Dakar Sixfifty B. Intermediate Sized Wheels & Big Boy Style Fun A Bit About Wheels Collectively, the mountain bike industry isn’t huge on the
Read More »1up USA Bike Rack Review
By Francis Cebedo January 01, 2013
Gear/Apparel Pro Reviews
1Up USA is famous for their bike trainers so we were excited at the opportunity to try their bike racks. At first glance, it looks like a science project as the whole unit looks CNC’d and the bike retention mechanism looks unlike any we’ve seen before. But as we used it extensively, we learned about
Read More »650b/27.5″ Mountain Bike Round Up
By Francis Cebedo December 18, 2012
650b Feature Articles Pro Reviews
Update: Dec. 18 The last two bikes have arrived. Let the games begin!! Intense Carbine 275 Foes 275 Update: Nov. 12 Bikes are rolling in every week for the Mtbr 650b All Mountain Bike Round Up. We’ve been riding the snot out of them are really stoked on this platform. We are
Read More »Grab The Gold – Snack Bar
By Gregg Kato December 14, 2012
Feature Articles Gear/Apparel Pro Reviews
I’ve been eating Grab The Gold snack bars for over two years now and they continue to be one of my favorite energy snacks. I first learned about them at my local gym after spin class. Since that time, I’ve seen them offered in more and more locations including select bike shops. The gold packaging
Read More »Chrome Lieutenant Rolltop Messenger Bag Review
By Gregg Kato December 12, 2012
Feature Articles Gear/Apparel Pro Reviews
The Lieutenant rolltop messenger bag from Chrome is versatile, stylish and is waterproof inside and out. The fact that it is a rolltop means it can handle a variety of different sized cargo that is easy to get to. It has dual waterproof compartments that keep the wet and dry cargo separate. It will keep
Read More »FOX High Pressure Digital Shock Pump
By Brian Mullin December 12, 2012
Feature Articles Gear/Apparel Pro Reviews
Introduction by Francis Cebedo Brian and I both have this pump and have been spending quality time with it. In this day and age, suspension setup is everything. Bikes are supposed to be ridden with the right amount of sag for a given rider. And this can be the difference between an all-mountain bike riding
Read More »Answer Carbon 720 Enduro 20/20 Handlebar Review
By Brian Mullin December 09, 2012
Feature Articles Gear/Apparel Pro Reviews
In the world of 29ers and single speed, the alternative or alt bars are more common place, and these type of bars tend to have large back sweeps and rise/drop for hand comfort. The Answer Enduro 20/20 handlebars are an excellent set of alt carbon bars, that are light, strong, with a wonderful resiliency and
Read More »K-EDGE Computer Mount for Garmin Edge
By Brian Mullin December 01, 2012
Feature Articles Gear/Apparel Pro Reviews
K-EDGE started their endeavors with Kristin Armstrong’s Chain Catcher at the 2008 Olympics (Gold individual time trial in 2008 and 2012), and they have since added more catchers and camera mounts. Their latest product is an aluminum bike computer mount for Garmin’s Edge series, and the anodized jewelry is an impressive piece of CNC weaponry.
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