Race Face Ambush Short (2013)
Overall Review
by Lee Trumpore Seemingly left for dead a few years ago, Race Face has bounced back in force with a full complement of components and riding gear. The new Ambush shorts and jersey are part of their latest offering for everyone from casual trail riders to racers looking for something a little more subtle than traditional moto-inspired gear. Ambush Jersey Highlights Repreve moisture wicking technology 3/4 length sleeve Flatlock stitching throughout Slight drop back patterning Hidden zip stash
Race Face Ambush Short (2013)
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Race Face Ambush 3/4 Jersey (2013)
Overall Review
by Lee Trumpore Seemingly left for dead a few years ago, Race Face has bounced back in force with a full complement of components and riding gear. The new Ambush shorts and jersey are part of their latest offering for everyone from casual trail riders to racers looking for something a little more subtle than traditional moto-inspired gear. Ambush Jersey Highlights Repreve moisture wicking technology 3/4 length sleeve Flatlock stitching throughout Slight drop back patterning Hidden zip stash
Race Face Ambush 3/4 Jersey (2013)
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2012 Trek Superfly 100 Pro Bike
The Good
Lighter than most 4" travel 26er FS frames/Awesome geometry/51mm offset fork enhances trail/ABP rear pivot is beefy and super stiff/Plush, 4.33" (110mm) of rear travel/Asymmetrical chainstays/Thick downtube and BB equals 100% forward thrust/Carbon frame armor/Equally great climber descender/Stock Bontrager saddle is actually nice/Rock Shox fork with dual air simply rocks
The Bad
Dated, 2010 tech on front derailleur mount(direct mount/type 2) adds grams/Full-length cable housing for front shifter does not optimize correct cable pull ratio/"Big Sweep" bars feels like a Beach Cruiser/Bontrager RXL 29er wheelset weighs a whopping 2000grams/SRAM XX brakes is unsafe and unreliable - ditch them
Overall Review
After the first-generation(2010) Gary Fisher Superfly 100 frames were deemed a complete reliability nightmare - Trek took over and corrected everything for 2012, by reinforcing unidirectional carbon layups in all affected areas, without compromising weight. Trek also mandated 142x12 rear axles, further beefing up rear stiffness and stability. The ABP rear pivot works as claimed, greatly minimizing tire skidding and keeps the suspension fully active under hard braking. Overall - the 2012 SF100
2012 Trek Superfly 100 Pro Bike
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Sombrio Shazam Mid-Top Shoes
Vital Review
Tested: Sombrio Shazam Shoes
Overall Review
by AJ Barlas Roughly 10 years ago, a couple of Australian rippers showed up to races with a unique looking, bicycle-specific shoe on their feet - something that hadn't been seen before. Back then the shoe of choice for flat pedal riders was often the Vans Caballero, at least Down Under anyway, but this new shoe intrigued everyone. Maybe it was simply because riders like Chris Kovarik and Nathan Rennie were winning races on them, or maybe it was the fact the shoes were unattainable for the
Sombrio Shazam Mid-Top Shoes
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Continental Mountain King II
The Good
Awesome Grip in hard, loose, loose over hard, loamy and sand (2.4 size). Good over dry roots and rocks. Aesthetically a good looking tire. Not tried tire in mud or wet conditions. Compares to the Nevegal in terms of all purpose traction. Tire rolls very good. Medium lugs spaced apart. Good float. Large carcass and plenty of meat.
The Bad
The sport tire is very touchy to air pressure. With to much air pressure tire is unforgivably hard and stiff. Not enough air pressure and the tire flexes a lot. Does not have transition knobs. Cannot be setup as tubeless easily.
Overall Review
The MKII sport tire has thin sidewalls and will be difficult to setup tubeless personally I would not even try just buy the UST tire. Using a tube helps support the sport tire although does add to the already heavy weight of 740-780 grams. I have found that for my weight and riding style and area 45-46 lbs in the rear and 40-42 lbs in the front is the sweet spot for me. I weigh 220 lbs. The MFG recommended pressure is50 - 65 which when inflated to that size I found the tires to be nearly un
Continental Mountain King II
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Öhlins TTX22M Rear Shock
Overall Review
Review by Brandon Turman // Photos by Cameron Baird, Specialized, & Brandon Turman If you want to cause a stir in the bike industry, one surefire way to do it is a bright yellow shock in a sea of black. What does yellow mean in the suspension world? It means Öhlins is here, and they mean business. After more than one year of testing, tweaking, and tuning, a collaboration between Specialized and Öhlins has yielded the TTX (Model # TTX22M), a shock specifically tuned for Specialized's big-hitting
Öhlins TTX22M Rear Shock
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Maxxis Larsen TT Tire
The Good
Fast, inexpensive, fun, matches up well with other narrower than measured Maxxis tires
The Bad
Not tubeless ready enough, puncture protection can be poor depending on version used
Overall Review
I used this tire years ago, I found it was very fast on dry trails, the only complaint I had was that it was punctured too easily (with middle weight tubes) and unsurprisingly not super confidence inspiring on the front, compared with more aggressive tires. Inspired by seeing what the pros run in the enduro championships I'd love to get this tire again in about a 2.35 to match up with a Minion in dry conditions, but I'm too concerned that it's not tubeless ready enough and might be a PITA to run
Maxxis Larsen TT Tire
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fi'zi:k Aliante Saddle 2011
The Good
Fairly comfortable, rails don't bend.
The Bad
This saddle might not suit you if you are moderately or very flexible. Regular retail prices are expensive.
Overall Review
Fizik have a guide, this saddle is for 'Bulls'. That doesn't mean you should only buy if you are overweight, it's an indication of your flexibility. If you can't touch your toes than this is the saddle is for you, one of my friends isn't very flexible and he loves this saddle. I bought it and for me it's solid and alright, but I also have a Tundra 2 and I find that more comfortable, as I'm somewhere between snake and chameleon, which means somewhere between very and quite flexible. As the
fi'zi:k Aliante Saddle 2011
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Gamut P20s Chainguide
Vital Review
Tested: Gamut P20s Chainguide
Overall Review
by Kevin Shiramizu Any product that can stick another nail in the coffin of the obsolete front derailleur is worth a look - it's the single worst part of any bike that has one. But now with XX1 and its slow trickle down the price range, are chainguides soon to be obsolete? No. Don’t be crazy. What Gamut has done for years now is make simple, light weight, and great working chainguides, and they will continue to do so well into the future despite whatever hot new jillion dollar integrated chain
Gamut P20s Chainguide
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