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Earlier this year, Race Face came out with a new component lineup to meet the demands of one of the fastest growing disciplines in the industry, Enduro. The called it Next R and it fits, snuggly in between the XC Next and DH SixC product lines. I get my hands on a new Next R 35mm rise bar and with just a short few weeks on it, here are my impressions: Out of The Box: Pulling the Race Face Next R carbon bars out if their packaging, the first thing I ask myself was if I accidentally ordered a SixC...

If I could travel back in time, ten years from now and told you that dropper seatposts were going to become a standard component in biking you would probably be pretty stocked. If I told you that you’d be spending $350+ for that very dropper post, you’d most likely be a lot less excited. Well, It’s the year 2017 and that’s where we find ourselves. There is good news however because, since so many companies are making droppers now, you can find them for around $200 and even less if you buy used. Ever since the dropper posts started taking...

When the going gets rough and you’re in need of a tough, stiff, stem for your single crown destroyer of dirt, you are faced with a handful of options. For a burley, high end stem like this it’s not too difficult to get into the $100 price range. With this being the case, I hope to narrow the list down and help you find the best stem for your needs. I was able to get my hands on the Race Face Atlas 35 stem, which is the burliest and stoutest stem they have in their entire lineup. With several months...

If you feel like your swimming in a seat of saddles in the industry, you wouldn't be the only one. Head down to your local bike shop and tell them you want to buy every model available and you're have a sales receipt of over 600 of them. With so many options, when do you settle and when do you upgrade? This is a great question and should be determined based upon a few key concepts: Fit, Style, Weight, and Price. I ordered an Ibis HD4 a few months back and decided to give their custom saddle a go. Here...

There are countless ways to increase performance and improve the feel of your mountain bike, from spending thousands of dollars on new suspension to lowering PSI levels in your tires. One of the less expensive ways to feel better connected to your bike is simply replacing your grips. Theres hundreds of options out there and picking the perfect ones can be hard to do. I've picked up the Lizard Skins Logo Lock-On grips with a recent bike build and with a few months of them, here are my impressions: Specs Multiple color ways Dual Lock-on clamps Length: 130 mm Weight...

By definition, the Rocky Mountain Slayer sounds nothing short of gruesome and many owners of the previous model can vouch of that. In 2017 Rocky reintroduced this horror creature with a few modern updates. I’ve been fortunate enough to have 6+ months on it. Below are my impressions on the new Rocky Mountain Slayer: Key Specs: 148mm “Boost” Rear Axle Spacing 165mm Rear Travel 27.5" wheels (26”+ compatible) Full carbon frame, rear triangle, and rocker link. Integrated upper chain retention guide 2/3 lower ISCG-05 tabs for bashguard compatibility Molded rubber swingarm and downtube protection SmoothWall linkage Pressfit Bottom Bracket RIDE-4™...

In the world of mechanical seat post droppers, there tends to be an endless list of options which grows with each manufacturing year. Many of these options come with everything you need to have it fully functional while others only include the post itself, like the Fox Transfer post. If you’re in need a mechanical lever, there are quite a few options out there. One of the most popular aftermarket levers is the Race Face Turbine X1. I got my hands on one and with several months of riding on it, here are my impressions. Key Specs Constructed from 6061-T6...

There is seemingly an endless sea of wheels now days. Every major manufacture offer their own sets as well as multiple aftermarket brands to choose from. With the growth of the industry, there have emerged components to fit every niche, and this couldn’t be more true about wheels either. With the introduction of 27.5”+ tires and sub + options (2.6” wide), Ibis came out with their very own alloy wheelset: 738 Aluminum Wheelset. I got my hands on a set and with a few rides on them, here are my impressions: Key Specs: Asymmetric profile 6066 aluminum rims with a...

As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, we live in a sea of carbon. Carbon frames, carbon wheels, carbon cranks, even carbon headset spacers and top caps! Good thing is, the majority of these components serve a performance-based advantage. One of the quickest ways to add performance to your bike is to install a carbon handlebar. The increase damping removes vibrations from the trail that quickly cause arm pump and fatigue. But just like most components out there, there are so many carbon bars to choose from. Although it may not be the most sought after aftermarket component, I got my...

When getting into mountain biking, there are components that are mandatory for riding like wheels, frames, and forks and then there are other components that improve the quality of riding, improve your performance, and keep your bike running the way it should. I would classify chain retention systems as part of the later. Although through the improvement of other components we don’t see them as common, there is certainly a time and place for chain guides. MRP, one of the chain guide kings, came out with the SXg model not too long ago and it’s said to be one of...

When you start building an “at-home” work station for your man-cave, there’s an infinite amount of tool you want. Nevertheless, the tools you need are not created equally. Some you use ever 5 minutes and others you won’t touch for a month. Some of them are needed while others are for pure luxury (like truing stands, part washers, and the Park Tool pizza cutter.) The Stan's NoTubes Valve Core Remover certainly isn’t a completely necessary tool to have but it sure does make life so much easier. At less than $10 this is something you can actually justify and convince...

It’s a sickening world we live in when mountain bike tires cost more than car tires. We can thank companies like Maxxis for making some of the best and most expensive cycling tires. But what happens when times get rough and you can’t afford a $80 tire? Although it’s not exactly an inexpensive tire, Specialized introduced the Butcher series that are 25% less expensive. The question is, do they offer just as much performance? I got my hands on a set of Specialized Butcher GRID 2Bliss Ready tires and with several months on them, here are my impressions: Out of...

When Sram first came out with their 12 speed Eagle drivetrain it was the cream of the crop with a hefty price tag to go with it. But, just like their 11 speed drivetrain, before long they introduced a cheaper, more cost effective Eagle option and as a result is much more appealing for the average rider. With this being the case, Eagle GX is found on a wide range of intermediately price bikes. With it being so affordable, is it truly something worth investing in? I was able to get a few rides on the Eagle GX drivetrain in...