Schwalbe Hans Dampf Addix Tires
The Good
Jack of all trades...
The Bad
...master of none
Overall Review
Good compromise of fast rolling and braking/climbing traction. Supertrail casing is strong enough without a big weight penalty. Round profile easy to initiate turns. Non directional design so it can be reversed after braking edges are worn. Not good at holding a line in steep off camber, can easily pack with mud, tall but narrow knobs show wear earlier than designs with sturdier blocks. A very good rear all rounder for anything but the steepest trails. I would not choose it for the front for
Schwalbe Hans Dampf Addix Tires
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Maxxis Forekaster Tire
Overall Review
T he original Forekaster was a fast-rolling XC tire designed for slightly looser or wetter conditions, but that’s all it was. In 2022, Maxxis launched an updated version which gained more aggressive knobs and a heavier build, in an effort to make it more of an all-rounder. Always on the lookout for lighter tires that may cut the mustard on our short travel trail bikes, we threw on a pair and set about testing – keep reading to find out how we got along. Strengths Weaknesses Good mix of speed and
Maxxis Forekaster Tire
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25
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2022 Specialized Epic EVO Comp Bike
Downcountry ripper
The Good
Light, nimble, playfull, precise, effective, good combination for all around mtb and grear for puttinf in the long miles amd hard climbs. On dh side bike rips great.
The Bad
I am 6'1" and i ride a L size bike as XL was bit more on the longer side of things so o wish there would be a size between to make the bike perfect fit for my size as the ride feels so luch better on L then on XL.
Overall Review
Great downcountry ripper, just a perfect match between trail and xc and this bike goes to prove it with no effort. Point it up and put in the power there is no tech climb you cant climb with ir with ease, point it down and then the agility and playfulness come up and as you ride it down, bike comes alive and let you rip the trail with any features on trail, jumps, gaps, drops, rolls, steeps... of course its not a enduro bike but comes really close with trail category and in fact most pf my PBs
2022 Specialized Epic EVO Comp Bike
1
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Abus AirDrop Full Face Helmet
Overall Review
B est known for their security solutions, Abus is a relatively new name in mountain biking helmets - but they’ve been steadily growing their catalog since they first decided to take on this market a few years ago. Their helmet line falls under their “mobile security” division which anybody who has ever needed or wanted a bike lock has probably come across before. The jump from locks to helmets isn’t necessarily the most obvious path to take for a manufacturer, but from a distribution standpoint
Abus AirDrop Full Face Helmet
2
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EXT e-Storia Rear Shock
Ext e-storia
The Good
Fine tuning, amazing grip, light, great contact with seller, wide range of diameters - can fit all bikes, nice sound while compression.
The Bad
Price
Overall Review
Best upgrade for my bike. Amazing ammount of grip, so much better than rock shox super deluxe ultimate coil. NOTE: If it feels very slow on fastest rebound, change bottom out control for higher oil flow. Highly recommended.
EXT e-Storia Rear Shock
2
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2022 SCOR 4060 ST GX Lyrik Bike
Overall Review
S wiss brand BMC is best known for its road and XC bikes, and that left some of the mountain bikers working in the company a bit frustrated - to the point where they started experimenting with longer-travel prototypes in their spare time, leveraging the access they had to world-class manufacturing facilities and skills. As this work progressed, BMC eventually came to the conclusion that it was too interesting not to take to market, but because it would not easily fit into the BMC catalog and its
2022 SCOR 4060 ST GX Lyrik Bike
9
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2021 Giant Fathom 29 1 Bike
The Good
Great aggressive & modern geometry. 1x12 drivetrain and dropper post. The bike frame is probably the most important factor for me as the wearable items can be upgraded as needed.
The Bad
Crest fork was replaced 2 years after initial bike purchase. The fork started giving me issues and I just decided to upgrade it.(Look up “Giant Crest fork issues”) Replaced with a Fox 34 Performance Elite shock I got at a killer deal in January 2023.

The 2021 29 “2” had/has better components IMO than the 29 “1” but at the time/height of the supply chain issues, it was the only Fathom 29 model I could find within a 8hr drive.
Overall Review
I plan to keep this hardtail for a long time. Until I master my MTB skills, that’s when I plan to go full suspension. Once I earn my full suspension bike, I’ll keep the hardtail as a backup or a loaner for when I want to introduce a friend to the MTB sport.
2021 Giant Fathom 29 1 Bike
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2022 Giant Trance Advanced Pro 29 0 Bike
The Good
Almost everything is top shelf fast, stiff, traction, predictable. The embodiment of what “trail” bikes should be- climb with your racers buddies, descend with your gnar crew. Absolute beauty in mullet form too thanks to the legit 10mm flip chip.
The Bad
The water bottle mount is too high for large bottle, but for no reason (it could but clearly the engineer was so so tired after perfecting this bike otherwise he overlooked it)
Overall Review
One of the best, if not the best bike, I’ve ever ridden. Ask me a question, I’ll answer it.
2022 Giant Trance Advanced Pro 29 0 Bike
1
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Öhlins TTX22m.2 Rear Shock
Overall Review
T he TTX22m has now been around for 10 years, and during that time no major changes have been made to the core, twin-tube architecture of this iconic coil shock that made its MTB debut on Specialized bikes at the end of 2012. Metric and Trunnion versions were added a few years ago as the shocks became more widely available both for OEM and aftermarket fitting, and Öhlins also played around with the physical orientation of the piggyback cylinders to allow the shock to fit more frames, but
Öhlins TTX22m.2 Rear Shock
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7
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OneUp Components Carbon E-Handlebar
Overall Review
I f you go way back in time, like hundreds of years, you’ll find pictures of John Tomac and Myles Rockwell smashin out smooth downhill runs on rigid bikes with skinny tyres and round, flat bars. It took a long time for the handlebar to evolve from a broomstick to something that incorporated geometry - in the form of different widths, bends and rise. But even as this evolution was taking place with the handlebar going through four developments in the clamping area diameter and multiple jumps in
OneUp Components Carbon E-Handlebar
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