Latest Reviews of Mountain Bikes & Parts

2019 Yeti SB100 TURQ X01 Race Eagle Bike

“Rocket ship ”

The Good:

Fast. Light. Shockingly capable with only 100mm

The Bad:

Steep dimensions

Overall Review: The harder you push the better it performs. Aside from a few extra trips over the bars, it’s a down country rocket that allows you to cover a ton of miles and can handle plenty of chunky stuff when it needs to.

PNW Components Pine Seatpost

Vital Review

“Short Travel Dropper for 27.2 Seat Tubes: PNW Components Pine Review”

Looking back over the past 20 years or so, the dropper post has to be our favorite bike industry invention during that time…or maybe even ever. No other single component advancement has had such a profound impact on how you ride your bike on a trail, aside from maybe the whole concept of suspension. Being able to drop and raise your post at a moment’s notice adds a whole new dimension of “flow” to your riding. But what do you do if you don’t have access to the latest and greatest in terms of frame design and features? If you are a shorter rider, many modern posts will be too long to fit you and your bike, not to Read More »

Hustle Avery REMtech Pedal

“Perfect niche between flats and clipless”

The Good:

Can easily dismount and "clip-in". Shoe plates can't get clogged with dirt.

The Bad:

A little expensive and heavy, but worth it.

Overall Review: I've been using these very weekend for about two months now and these are a game-changer for me. You don't have to worry about floating off of these pedals when catching air, like you do with flats. I tried SPD clipless and had some painful and spectacularly embarrassing crashes. With these, I've never had a problem getting my feet free when I needed to and "clipping in" is instantaneous and always successful on the first attempt. Even the most experienced clipless riders still miss clipping occasionally but that could never be a problem with these -- just hover your foot near the pedals and let the magnets Read More »

Hustle Avery REMtech Pedal

Vital Review

“Review - Hustle Avery REMtech Magnetic Pedals”

For decades, riders have been forced to choose between flat pedals and “clipless” pedals. While pedal selection doesn’t elicit the same strength of emotions as the great wheel size debate or the e-bike discussion, many riders feel strongly about which style of pedal is superior. Other folks may be interested in clipping in but are intimidated by the inevitably painful learning curve. Perhaps another rider who has traditionally clipped in wants to try flats but is concerned with sacrificing climbing efficiency. If only there was a halfway house between flat and clipless pedals. Enter the REMtech Avery pedals from Read More »

FOX 38 E-Bike Factory GRIP2 2021 Fork

Vital Review

“FOX 38 Factory E-Tuned: Big, Smooth, and Ready To Charge Hard”

Ever since a black and burly fork was spotted on Richie Rude’s Yeti back in 2019, the FOX 38 has become a common sight on lots of long travel, hard hitting bikes. Or should we say - rigs. The 38’s round lines, burly profile, gold sliders and impressive collection of knobs make it feel like a jewel out of the box - but don’t let the looks fool you, the 38 is down to work and it'll put in some after hours effort too if you'd like it to. To cater to the demands of electrified riders, the 38 now also exists in an E-Tuned version - which means that the damping has been specifically tuned for heavier e-bikes. We took Read More »

2022 Fezzari La Sal Peak Pro Bike

Vital Review

“Long-Term Review - Fezzari La Sal Peak”

It’s a difficult time to be a mountain bike brand. Yes, demand for bikes has outpaced supply for years now, and yes, in many areas you can scarcely lift your head without seeing a high-end rig hanging off a tailgate or strapped to a hitch rack. But it’s also never been harder to build a bike that truly stands out. Suspension designs have become increasingly similar among brands since some well-known patents expired a few years ago. Designers are inching toward consensus on many aspects of geometry. Throw in a relatively narrow range of component providers and you have a recipe for homogeneity on the showroom floor. Read More »

Marzocchi Bomber Air Rear Shock

Vital Review

“Vital First Look - Marzocchi Bomber Air Shock”

Suspension manufacturers are competing to develop the most advanced and tuneable rear shocks and deliver the highest performance to their factory riders. But, do most riders need race-driven highly customizable tuning options to experience transcendence on their mountain bikes? Nah. The all-new Marzocchi Bomber Air rear shock is everything you actually need in a high-performance shock and nothing that you can’t live without. We are certainly not knocking the performance of other high-end flagship models out there. But, we are saying that for many riders out there, the simple approach wins the day. The Bomber Air is Read More »

2022 YT Capra 29 Core 4 Bike

Vital Review

“Long-Term Review - YT Capra Core 4”

The latest edition of the YT Capra comes just in time to challenge the newest crop of all-day capable long-travel 29ers. While YT has a strong downhill racing pedigree, its offerings have been loved by the “fun first” crowd for a long time. Though this new update is certainly EWS capable, it really shines at the bike park. But don’t let the downhill-focused playfulness worry you, when the switch is flipped on the rear shock, this bike will climb more than well enough for a bike of its big-hit capabilities. Let's dig into how our Capra held up in the long run. Highlights Carbon fiber frame 29-inch wheels (MX models available) Read More »

Giro Merit Spherical Open Face Helmet

Vital Review

“Giro’s New Half Shell: Vital Reviews the Merit”

Protection against the effects of rotational forces on the brain has become pretty much the norm in high-end helmets, but there are several ways to go about designing this feature. Bell and Giro have pushed the concept further than many others with their Spherical Technology powered by MIPS, and the release of their latest open face helmet for mountain biking was a good opportunity for us to take a closer look at it. Keep reading to find out how we’ve been getting on! Strengths Weaknesses Loaded with safety features Comfortable Great ventilation Deep, extended coverage High quality finish, resistant to Read More »

Sensus Crue Flat Pedal

Vital Review

“Flat Pedal Jewelry: Sensus Crüe Review”

Sensus was founded in 2009 by Cam Zink, kicking things off with the Swayze single ply grip. Today the catalog has grown considerably to include a wide variety of grips, with a couple of signature models from Andreu Lacondeguy and Emil Johansson for extra “street cred”. The grips are all made in the USA by ODI, while most other accessories sold by the brand are made in Taiwan. Incidentally, the list of pro riders associated with/supported by Sensus is so long that it’s probably easier to find a freerider who ISN’T part of the Sensus squad already – backing up the typical “by riders for riders” claim with real action. Adding a Read More »