Vital MTB Product Reviews

SR Suntour Epicon-X1 LO-RC 26 Fork

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:39:41 -0700

Vital review for SR Suntour Epicon-X1 LO-RC 26 Fork

SR Suntour Epicon-X1 LO-RC 26 Fork

Overall:

Intro

SR Suntour has been making a steady and consistent push into the high-performance suspension market. More recently they’ve introduced many products with a plethora of advanced adjustments and features similar to what can be found on the other leading suspension manufacturers.

Our test fork (the Epicon-X1 LO-RC) came with external low-speed compression, rebound, lockout, and air pressure adjustments, as well as internal travel adjustments. These are all features that are nice to see, but also expected on a Trail/XC fork that retails $599.

The 32mm chassis looks clean, refined, and fit for the task although not as flashy as the others it’s targeted at. The adjustment knobs are simple and easy to turn with defined clicks and smooth operation. With all signs pointing towards a successful product, we installed the fork on our test bike and gave it a go. Read on to see if the fork held its own in this extremely competitive market.

Spec Highlights

- Available in 26” or 29” wheel options

- 32mm stanchions

- 26” 150/ 140/ 130/ 120/ 100mm travel

- 29” 120/ 100mm travel

- External rebound, low-speed compression, lockout, and air pressure adjustments

- Internal travel adjustments

- QSP (Quick Service Product) sealed hydraulic cartridge damper

- Progressive air spring system

- Magnesium lowers

- Forged hollow alloy crown

- Alloy steerer (tapered 1.5”-1-1/8” or straight 1-1/8”)

- Integrated brake cable guide

- 15mm Q-LOC axle or 9mm Q.R.

- Disc post mount for 160mm rotors

- 1,785g / 3.93lbs (26” 150/ 140 option, full-length tapered steerer with 15mm axle)

- Available in black or white

-MSRP $599

Setup

Installing our EPICON fork was a mostly simple affair. We measured and cut the steerer tube, installed the star-nut and crown race, bolted up the fork, mounted the brake and routed the hose through the guide. The 15mm Q-LOC axle threw us a curve ball though in our otherwise simple setup. It can be a little bit tricky at first to install and remove (at least until you get the hang of it). The axle has a strange wedge design that has to be seen to be explained. It also requires a smooth continuous bore on your hub axle. Hubs with lips or ridges inside where the 15mm axle slides through cannot be used. The quick-release style lever must be in the flipped open position and most of the tension adjustment backed off to install. Once the axle is slid through the fork and hub, the expansion wedge pops into place and you simply adjust tension in a similar manner to a 9mm quick release. Proper adjustment of the tension can be achieved in a fraction of the time of a Q.R. which is nice. Once everything was successfully installed, we simply set the air pressure, rebound, and low-speed compression to our tastes and were pleasantly surprised by the ease of adjustments.

On The Trail

The EPICON fork has a smooth feeling right out of the box without any real break-in period to achieve this. The air spring has a fairly sensitive feeling off the top of the stroke, better support in the mid stroke than most of its competitors, but potentially a little bit much ramp for most people towards the end of the stroke. When you achieve the proper feel with air pressure for the mid to top of the fork’s travel, it becomes hard to use full travel due to the air spring’s progressive nature. Stiffness of the chassis is actually quite good for a 32mm fork with no complaints here. The fork also functioned for the entirety of our test with no creaks developing in the crowns (a problem that plagues most 32mm forks).

The adjustment range of the QSP hydraulic cartridge is very noticeable and effective. The lockout is very firm and the lever moves very smoothly from open to locked. The rebound range is good as well. We were able to easily find a setting that we were comfortable with. Sometimes we find ourselves being between adjustment “clicks” on other brands forks, but not with the Suntour. The low speed compression also worked very well with an excellent adjustment range that made it easy to find our setting. The EPICON absorbs hits with the best of the best 32mm forks. We never experienced any harshness or “spiking” even when set to a firmer compression setting. We did however notice a bit of noise coming from the rebound circuit, especially when getting airborne and the fork extended from deep in the travel to full extension. Despite the noise, the rebound characteristics were very desirable with the fork recovering from successive hits well, yet remaining stable on the bigger hits, g-outs, and landings.

Things That Could Be Improved

- Axle: Our 15mm Q-LOC axle became nearly impossible to remove at one point. I feel that Suntour needs to go back to the drawing board with their design in order to compete with the big guns. It needs to be mistake-proof and not require special smooth bore hubs.

- Seals: Throughout our test our seals continually wept grease/oil in small amounts. The seal design seemed strange in that the seals lip angled down and in where it contacted the stanchion tube. Although smooth, these seals seemed to allow too much to escape and potentially didn’t do as good a job as they could keeping dust out.

- Air spring: A little less progressivity while maintaining the same mid stroke support would be nice to see. It would allow for more usable travel and an even more consistent feel.

- Travel Adjust: The internal travel adjustment requires a drift punch and a careful hand to reset the travel through repositioning the negative spring assembly. Snap on spacers to reduce or extend the travel would allow for a faster change and stick with the “Quick Service Product” theme.

Long Term Durability

Although we would need a lot more time on the fork to really have a definitive answer, the fork seals seem like they could lead to issues down the road. The service intervals of the lower leg’s lubrication would need to be more often than normal to prevent premature wear on the fork bushings and stanchions. Luckily the fork is quick and easy to pull apart to service making periodic maintenance less of a hassle.

Bottom Line

The EPICON fork is so close to being great, but still needs some changes. With an improved axle and seals it would be an excellent choice for the money. The damper and chassis work well and we have no real complaints here. It may not be flashy looking, but Suntour is definitely making a push in the right direction. This one just needs a little more refinement on the development side before we can give it the higher star rating it deserves.

Reviewed by E.T. on 5/20/2013

Shimano Zee RD-M640 Rear Derailleur

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:51:03 -0700

Member review for Shimano Zee RD-M640 Rear Derailleur

Zee right derailleur?

The good:

Low cost, clutch, black, strong. Great warranty service.

The bad:

Clutch is finicky and fragile. Replacement parts? Good luck.

Overall:

I traded a warrantied XTR shadow+ derailleur, new in box, for the ZEE, because it was cheap. I chose the ZEE specifically because it has a steel backplate in place of the aluminum one which lives on the XTR. This aluminum backplate turned out have a significant weak spot, which I broke. I figured that due to this key difference, the ZEE would have a fighting chance.

I mounted up the ZEE on my G-Spot, with a 11-36 cassette and an MRP Mini Guide. Things were great, the clutch was effective, the chain was silent. After four months, the clutch started weakening in strength, and effectiveness. I popped off the clutch case expecting to find a similar tiny little wrench to what the XTR has, instead finding no tool at all. I grabbed a pair of narrow pliers and adjusted the set screw tighter by about a quarter of a turn. I returned the case cover and applied the clutch, and it wasn't much tighter. I rode for a few more weeks, then popped the cover off again and the clutch strap fell off in my hand. What was one piece, became two.

I called Shimano tech support, and learned that those fancy little clutches have literally no replacement parts available. They were very kind, and sent me a shiny new ZEE derailleur, which I will do my best to keep in one piece.

The lessons I learned were:

- Never apply the clutch with the cover off, the mechanism relies on the inner moldings of the case providing support from the outside.

- If you don't know the torque spec for the set screw on the clutch strap, and have a crow footed torque wrench with MINIMAL Newton- Meter values, then don't go trying to adjust it. What is that torque spec? Nobody seems to know.

- If you run a short cage derailleur without a clutch, an 11-36 cassette, and a chain long enough to reach the 36, the chain will catch in the rear wheel very often. I discovered this undesired side effect on a set of 30ft. tables, when my rear wheel locked up. I came skidding to a stop and looked down to see that my chain was being eaten by my frame. This occurred during my two week wait for the warranty replacement unit. I figured that because I had a chain guide on the front, I could just ride without the clutch and it would be noisy at worst, I was wrong. It happened at least four times during the day of shuttling.

Reviewed by Danimal5-0 on 5/20/2013

DMR Brendog Vault Pedals

Sat, 18 May 2013 23:04:03 -0700

Vital review for DMR Brendog Vault Pedals

Tested: DMR Brendog Vault Pedals

Overall:

by Steve Wentz

You must know someone like this... a twenty or thirty something woman who just loooooves her shoe collection? She’s got the red ones, the black, platforms, the animal print whatevers that look like they belong in the red light district, and 20 others. I really don’t see the need for all those shoes. Logic would say you can only ever wear one pair at a time, and in my mind more than the basics would just be clutter and overindulgence. In the end, we’ve all got our vices. I happen to love flat pedals.

My addiction to nice flat pedals got to be so bad that at one point a couple friends and I became the importers of a pedal that did not ave US distribution. Looking back, it would have been much easier to just buy some pedals online and pay $20 shipping from the UK than to spend thousands of dollars on a minimum distribution order. I don’t even like selling stuff. But hey, at least my closet isn’t full of shoes.

So yes, some of us are crazy about our flats. I can also honestly say it is a bad thing at times. Clips can be more efficient, and they have no doubt helped me ride faster through sections of a race track. I’ve also bounced off of flats right when it was a bad time to do so. To a lot of people, that is the end of the discussion, they just can’t stay on the bike. On the racing front, aside from Rennie and Hill’s wins years ago, I don’t remember a flat pedal rider winning the World Cup Overall. I’m certain it hasn’t happened in a while, and I think it will be a LONG time until it happens again.

So why ride a product that pretty much guarantees that you’ll use more energy than the competition, just to stay on your bike? For me, the main reason is pretty simple. I’ve always been a fan of fun on my bike. When racing or riding, I like manuals, jumps, turns, getting sideways and goofing off. Flats remind me that I’m playing, and to not take this riding thing too seriously. As for the smaller reasons, there are a couple. I like the bike reacting to the movements of my feet. It may sound crazy to hear me say I feel disconnected when I’m clipped in, but that is exactly how I feel. If I twist my feet or body and that movement is just taken up in the ‘float’ of a pedal system, then I feel like my inputs are not making a difference. I also like being able to walk around when I get off my bike and not sound like a tap dancer. Not having to worry if I remembered my clip in shoes for a ride is nice too. In the end I’ll give up a second or two in order to never have a mindset of ‘work’ when I’m on my bike. I may be doomed forever with flats, but that’s alright, I accept it.

So now what flats to use? Light? Thin? Strong? Grippy? Lots of companies have good products out there, and all of them have their strengths and weaknesses. I’ve never been able to get over the bulges in the center of lots of super thin pedals. I’ll usually put lots of weight on the ball of my foot, which happens to be exactly where the tallest, smoothest part is on most of those thin pedals. I also fear what will happen when I inevitably do smash something that is marketed as ‘light’ first and foremost on a rock. In the end I want something grippy and strong.

Curiosity got the better of me with DMR’s newest offering, the Brendan Fairclough Signature Edition Vault pedals. DMR says Brendan has helped with the design of their Vault pedal, and they gave him this signature black Brendog edition as a thank you. I took interest initially because they are described first and foremost as strong. For any pedal that costs $152, they better be. Upon further inspection, they look very grippy, and are even 17mm thin for those number crunchers out there. 400 grams is a very respectable weight as well. That said, how'd would they perform?

Brendog Vault Pedal Highlights

Extruded 6061 Aluminium body and 4140 Cro-mo Steel axles (9/16")
17mm concave foot bed measuring approximately 105mm*115mm
High load DU bushing and cartridge bearing
11 pins per pedal - flip the pins to fine-tune grip
Aggressive ‘moto’ pins also included
400 grams per pair
Matte black color
MSRP $152

Initial Impressions

Out of the box the pedals are impressive. Murdered out in flat black, the Brendogs look ready for business. I was so happy to discover that my initial difficulty in removing them from their box was due to the long pins that come stock on the pedals. Bravo to DMR for putting the right pins in for the job. If shorter pins are your cup of tea for dirt jumping, there are enough smaller pins to redo both pedals. There are also a couple spare long pins should you smash the existing ones. Surprisingly, the long pins need an allen wrench for install, and the smaller pins need a proprietary star type wrench. Both wrenches are provided, but it would have been nice to just have one tool for the job.

On The Trail

Lots of bikes, lots of trails, jumping, DH and XC later, I have not killed the Brendogs. I’ve tried, much to the risk of my own health, but the pedals are still ticking minus few chunks missing due to rock strikes. I haven't hit them on rocks many times, though, because they are relatively thin, and the hits that do take place deflect off very well. I would hear the awful sound, that might have put me over the bars on a fatter pedal, but the Brendogs skimmed over everything so far. I’m suspecting so much of that deflection (in a good way) comes from the shape of the pedal.

After doing everything I could to beat them up, the Brendogs are still ready to party.

As you look at the pedal, the wider part is at the front. The Brendogs taper down much thinner at the rear, which translates into less surface area to hit/catch/catapult you when that part of the pedal is facing down and closer to rocks. This is where my only real gripe with the pedals lies. Yeah they skirt rock hits pretty well, and when they do hit, like I said, it has always been a non-issue. However, those positives come at the unfortunate expense of stability. There isn’t a lot of room for your foot to move on DMR’s top of the line offering. Fairly consistently, when riding through a few really rough sections my feet would move, like on any other design. The difference though is that moving off of center on the Brendogs makes me feel way too nervous. When I would weight the outside of my foot after it had moved some, I was putting lots of weight off of the pedal because of where the pedal disappears. Given the crazed, last second nature of DH riding, this simple characteristic made them less confidence inspiring than I would have hoped. If you look at lots of other successful pedals that are actual pedals, they almost all have a wide area for your foot. Easton Flatboys got it right a long time ago. Twentysix, Burgtec and Point1 are in a similarly high price range and provide lots of room for your foot to move around. There are a few at a relatively lower price point that have a stable, large platform like a Truvativ Holzfeller.

I’ve left out some, forgotten others, but the point is that there is a lot of competition with flats these days. With that competition comes a need to make a really good pedal to even compete. DMR has undoubtedly made a really good pedal. Unfortunately this isn’t the best all around pedal I’ve ever used. My only gripe comes when riding DH atop the Brendogs. In the end I just can’t get along with them through the roughest terrain. The grip is good, borderline great when the long pins are installed, the shape deflects impacts, and they are light and have definitely lived up to their claims of strength. But on the gravity side it just comes down to needing more stability and needing more area to move around. Watching the top guys ride, like Hill, Brook, Brendan and others, their feet can be all over the place, and they go for it regardless. I need a little more help compared to them, so I’ve just got to be a little more specific with my pedal choices. To get that confidence I love when riding DH, I’ve got to go wider.

What's The Bottom Line?

In the end, the DMR Brendogs are great. They look good, they are strong, and there are lots of pin options that come standard. The attention to detail looks way better than most and they show no signs of giving up. I’d be proud to have them on my trail bike or dirt jumper. The Brendogs should fit (and exceed) any flat pedal rider’s needs in those applications. But, I’d keep looking if you are searching for the ultimate DH pedal. Like I said before, it isn’t the best at everything, and truthfully nothing is. One tool for the job just doesn’t cut it for me in this instance. I’m sure those girls with closets full of shoes would understand.

For more info, hit up www.dmrbikes.com.

About The Reviewer

Steve Wentz has always done things and ridden his own way, and he's really happy about that. He grew up in the middle of Southern California and had to build his own trails to ride when he was too young to drive. To make a long story short, that's what he's still doing today, minus the California part. Now he tries to do that everywhere. He has been to every continent except for Antarctica, and has either raced, built trail or been able to ride all over. He loves seeing the world, for better or worse. He has been through ghettos where children beg for pennies, and that really gives perspective to our world where a pair of soft rubber tires costs $150. That being said, he's skidded on those soft rubber tires on so many race courses and trails he can't even count anymore, and he loves it. He'll always ride if he can, and race if he wants, but now he tries to do it with an eye on the course and also an eye to what is practical, what is worth supporting, and what he thinks can benefit the sport as a whole.

Reviewed by TRex on 5/18/2013

Deity Decoy 2.5 Flat Pedal

Thu, 16 May 2013 16:09:47 -0700

Member review for Deity Decoy 2.5 Flat Pedal

Hulk SMASH!

The good:

Super strong! Long lasting. Grippier than all hell!

The bad:

They could be a tad wider for catching the bike on tricks, but that's if I'm gonna nit-pick.

Overall:

Very durable, I've ridden these pedals for a few years now on my dirt jumper and some on my DH. They've lasted through some tough bails at the skate park, many days at the dirt jumps and out on the trail. Hell, they even survived being hit by a car (rear ended, smashed my e13 LG1r cranks up)! I rode a pair of these briefly on my DH bike and they took the constant beating of rocks and roots, only loosing two pins the whole season. The reason I took them off my DH rig was being a weight wienie I wanted the new HT flats. The red ano has lasted the test of time (2 years) and the spindles are strait and they still spin like new. In my opinion, a pedal shouldn't last that long on hard ridden bikes. I love these pedals for all types of riding, never needed to clip in with these coupled with a good pair of 5.10 shoes even on the nastiest tracks.

Reviewed by AdamZiegler52 on 5/16/2013

Shimano M640 Zee Hydraulic Disc Brakes

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:53:40 -0700

Member review for Shimano M640 Zee Hydraulic Disc Brakes

Affordable and really, really good

The good:

After using Avid´s for serveral years and switched to shimano zee and was a fan right after the first ride. Predictable, lot´s of power, good levers, easy to find the right dose of braking, good pricing on rotors and pads' ...bleeding is a piece of cake :-) Updated: so far - no fading

The bad:

the mount for the handlebar is very "solid", but it works well and holds everyhting in place

Overall:

get one, put in on your bike and never worry about braking again

considering the price and what you get, I would definitly say it´s worth five stars

Update:
I gave the brakes a solid 4h hours in Leogang and went down the freeride, downhill and bingo bongo trail´s. The brakes worked very well. Braking-power is predictable and it is easy to find the right dose. In "scary" moments the brakes really help to get out of the situations without a crash.
After some runs on the downhill there was no fading and on some parts the brakes had to do a lot of work as it was my first day on the donwhill in 2013.

I haven´t changed my mind and would recommend the brakes.

Reviewed by lister_yu on 5/16/2013

Canfield Brothers Crampon Ultimate Pedal

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:54:34 -0700

Member review for Canfield Brothers Crampon Ultimate Pedal

Great pedals for the price

The good:

Lightweight / Thin Price Great grips

The bad:

Pins need Loctite Will rip your shins up Bearings / Bushings don't seem that great

Overall:

These pedals are incredibly thin, reasonably light, and come in at a great price point. They hold on to your feet really well, but allow you to adjust easily when needed. I've found that I climb just as fast with these pedals as with clips because you can pull up so far into the pedal stroke.

The badness: the bearings or bushings don't seem like they're sealed that well and have developed a small amount of play in a relatively short amount of time. They also don't spin as freely as I would have hoped. Be warned tho, you need to Loctite the pins in place. I probably lost half of the pins in the first two rides and didn't have any pedal strikes. Luckily Canfield supplies you with extra pins so it wasn't that big of a deal.

Great pedals, love the color, still using them on several different bikes.

Reviewed by PARMAGEDDON! on 5/16/2013

Straitline SC Platform Pedal

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:44:18 -0700

Member review for Straitline SC Platform Pedal

Benchmark for durability

The good:

Durable, super easy to service, bombproof

The bad:

Price, not super thin, weight

Overall:

Some say they drag because they run on bushings rather then bearings, this is almost not noticeable. I have run them dh and enduro for three years and never been bothered with this. Maybe serviced them once a year or even less, no play and very little friction. Also I do not grease them as other reviewers have mentioned as the bushings are self lubricant. They are basically fit and forget.

Reviewed by bengt.leon on 5/16/2013

Santa Cruz Jackal Frame

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:10:36 -0700

Member review for Santa Cruz Jackal Frame

Best DJ Frame on Market....

The good:

Everything... Super short stays, light, bomb proof, sick user friendly dropouts for SS use, geometry is spot on for DJ and park. Tall? No not at all. Look around, its not super cool to run low bars/80mm fork because some pro does. Does not work for everybody. Check out Martin S. or Sam Pilgrim. 120mm forks and Sam even runs high rise bars. To above reviewer.... Who designed this bike? Kirt Vories, and Jamie Goldman back when they were on Syndicate that's who... Bike has an amazing feel, if you build one up you will not be bummed.

The bad:

The fact that I want the new 2013 one with tapered headtube...

Overall:

After riding Many DJ frames over the years( P series, Chase, Bank, Blk Market), this bad boy is hands down the favorite. Geometry is spot on and rips DJ trails and parks with ease. Love the adjustable dropouts for SS use and easy to runs gears as well. Running 100mm RCT Argyle, King headset, and SS 16 x 34 with Saint Cranks, XT Ice Tech Brakes, and Full Chromag components, and I will never let this one go...

Reviewed by 26only on 5/16/2013

Deity Decoy LT Flat Pedal

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:47:22 -0700

Member review for Deity Decoy LT Flat Pedal

Solid Pedal

The good:

Very light, spins smooth with little noticeable friction after break in period. Good size platform.

The bad:

Traction is good but could be better with another pin style or material. They just seem thick and don't quite bite shoes as much as some others. Still very solid traction though.

Overall:

Killer pedal for the money. In my opinion, works best on DJ/ Slopestyle bike. Would look for more pins for DH or trail riding. Would buy again for my Santa Cruz Jackal in a second...

Reviewed by 26only on 5/16/2013

Crank Brothers Mallet 3 Clipless/Platform Pedals

Wed, 15 May 2013 09:30:39 -0700

Member review for Crank Brothers Mallet 3 Clipless/Platform Pedals

Decent Pedal

The good:

Weight, spin freely and overall quality

The bad:

Traction pins and engagement

Overall:

This is my first attempt at riding clipless and I traded in my brother's old pedals for a set of these thru the deal Crank Bros was doing at the time - trade in any clipless pedal and get any set of their high end pedals for half price.

I enjoy being clipped in for some aspects of riding and I can feel that they make pedaling a bit easier on the rougher sections where a foot would be hard to keep on platform pedals. I love the size of these with a full platform as they make clipping in easy. I found that sometimes I don't feel all the way clipped in and I have to unclip and re-clip to make sure I'm all the way in there. That is pretty annoying when you're riding and have to up-clip/re-clip when you're really fully engaged and just don't feel it. The traction pins, for me are pointless; even when backed out all the way they still don't engage my shoe and help out with traction. Another reason why I shun pedals with set screws as traction pins-they fill with dirt and have to be backed out almost until there is no thread engagement with the pedal and they fall out or tear the pedal threads out when struck. I also discovered that when you corner aggressively or whip your bike sideways off jumps, you're feet pop out and that is a nightmare and not very cool at all. It could be me and my lack of clipless pedal ninja skills, but it happens more than I care to enjoy. Unclipping to dab a foot down is fairly easy and not an issue and the color matches my bike to keep my whip lookin as fresh as possible, as the kids say. I'm not saying these pedals are crap, but for me and my lack of clipless skills, they are not a high scorer. The quality is outstanding and I have had no issues or problems with these pedals structurally. I just really enjoying platform pedals and would rather ride unclipped.

Reviewed by brimmergj on 5/15/2013