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RockShox BoXXer Ultimate D1 Fork

The Good

More supple than 35mm Boxxer so not fatiguing and has amazing mid stroke support.

The Bad

None.

Overall Review

More supple than 35mm Boxxer so not fatiguing and has amazing mid stroke support.

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RockShox BoXXer Ultimate D1 Fork

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RoJo1

4/4/2024 10:20pm

Yoshimura Chilao SS Flat Pedal

Chilao SS Large Black Gold.jpg?VersionId=rYbaoD1Vh8g63xNUZXPqHvE

Overall Review

Legendary moto aftermarket tuning company Yoshimura entered the MTB market four years ago now, with their Chilao flat pedal. There was a lot to like about that pedal, although our review noted a couple of small points of potential improvement at the time. Fast forward to present day, and Yoshimura is releasing a new version of the Chilao, dubbed the Chilao SS. The “SS” stands for Static Spring, which refers to a clever preload system designed to keep sideloads away from the bearings and help the

Yoshimura Chilao SS Flat Pedal

6

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iceman2058

4/1/2024 6:15am

2022 Transition Spur X01 Eagle Bike

The Good

A rewarding pedal on the way up and an absolute blast on the way down. Way more efficient and capable than you'd think.
Solid value.
Great customer support from the Transition team

The Bad

Bolts have a tendency to come loose so keep to keep an eye on them
No UDH (but there is that on the new one)

Overall Review

Over the last few years, I feel I've drifted away from my prior love or pedaling and trail riding and ended up just craving shuttle days and ebiking fire roads. This bike reminded me how enjoyable it is to get way out in the woods and be rewarded for putting some effort in. Plus, when things did get gnarly, this bike was able to handle just about everything I would do on my 160mm+ travel bikes. So pumped I pulled the trigger and so grateful to have my love of pedaling back!

2022 Transition Spur X01 Eagle Bike

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mtbthe603

3/19/2024 9:12pm

2022 Devinci Spartan Deore Bike

The Good

Has decent climbing capability and doesn't feel boggy with every pedal rotation. It definitely isnt the easiest to do technical climbs that I have done in Moab but its not the worst.

Jumps and descending is great on this bike. The zeb fork with the coil shock is unmatched in my opinion.

The Bad

There is no climb switch on the coil shock (not surprising) but I would honestly think that it would not make much of a difference.

I do wish that the head angle would be steeper to be closer to 63 degrees than the 64.5 degrees.

I had too many complications with the shimano deore derailleur that I even had to switch the entire setup over to a Sram GX which did cost me a pretty penny. I had it adjusted so many times and looked over for many hours from a professional mechanic which still didn't result in any success.

It definitely weighs more than my dad's aluminum Trek Slash. Slight notice with this aspect however when riding.

Overall Review

It is a good enduro bike and is quite comfortable to ride. I got used to riding this bike within the first 5 rides that I did. It honestly isn't anything crazy or out of the ordinary when it comes to a bike. It is just solid and good with just about anything.

2022 Devinci Spartan Deore Bike

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jd991998

3/18/2024 1:38pm

2024 Specialized Epic 8 EVO Pro Bike

Overall Review

Historically, Vital doesn't do cross country. We dabble here or there, but our passion is gravity-fueled mountain biking. When Specialized reached out at the end of last year about a new mountain bike on the horizon, I assumed it was for the new Stumpjumper (we all know it's coming soon). But lo and behold, it was for the Epic. Having always kept my knowledge of the XC world at arm's length, I knew the Epic had helped steer the evolution of XC racing, that it had a rear shock with a mind of its

2024 Specialized Epic 8 EVO Pro Bike

2

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Jason_Schroeder

3/12/2024 6:48am

Aenomaly Constructs Switchgrade Seat Angle Device

Overall Review

Did you ever find yourself wishing there was a way to change your seat angle on the fly, to make things more comfortable and more efficient in different riding situations? That’s exactly what drove Aenomaly founder, BC-based Noel Dolotallas, to take to the drawing board a few years ago now. He came up with a clever little construct that replaces the top half of the head of your existing seat post, where it provides the ability to easily set your seat angle to one of three, preset positions

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Aenomaly Constructs Switchgrade Seat Angle Device

19

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iceman2058

3/11/2024 7:25am

Schwalbe Magic Mary Addix Tires

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The Good

Predictable grip.
Good wear resistance.
Good breaking grip.
Good edge grip
Good impact resistance.
Rolling resistance surprisingly good.

The Bad

Really good up until it gets really muddy and clogs, not quite a mud tyre.

Overall Review

Arguably the best all rounder there is. I will definitely buy again. Ultra soft front soft rear

Schwalbe Magic Mary Addix Tires

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RhysO

3/11/2024 2:58am

Schwalbe Hans Dampf Addix Tires

c120 Schwalbe Hans Dampf Addix Speedgrip

The Good

Low rolling resistance.
Good climbing traction.

The Bad

No real edge grip.
Edges wear fast and tyre becomes even more round.

Overall Review

Suitable for hard back. Not very good in dry conditions

original Schwalbe Hans Dampf Addix Speedgrip

Schwalbe Hans Dampf Addix Tires

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RhysO

3/11/2024 2:53am

Specialized Cannibal GRID GRAVITY T9 Tire

The Good

Grips in nearly any condition and to most surfaces
Outlasts MaxxGrip by a long shot

The Bad

The company's culture I suppose? No fault of the actual product I know of!

Overall Review

I've gone from Assegais to Butchers and haven't really looked back, but the Cannibal took it a notch further. I'm a big fan of the T9 compound and believe it's a solid challenger to MaxxGrip. Maybe lagging a little around 0°C and below but still providing excellent grip on wet slab and snow covered wood. Wears a lot slower and rolls bit faster than Maxxgrip and is equally predictable. Hard to judge the tread itself. Comparison with the Butcher leaves little to be desired from either option

Specialized Cannibal GRID GRAVITY T9 Tire

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MrDuck

3/8/2024 4:10pm

2023 Transition Relay Carbon X0 AXS PNW E-Bike

Overall Review

During the past few years as a Vital editor, I've gotten pretty good at refraining from drinking the marketing Kool-Aid spilled throughout press releases. I rarely bite at claims of more-better-optimized-everything, but when Transition launched the Relay, they got my attention. Joining the ever-evolving lightweight e-bike category, its promise of two-bikes-in-one thanks to a small drive unit and easily removable battery was anything but status quo. You're telling me I only have to sell one organ

2023 Transition Relay Carbon X0 AXS PNW E-Bike

15

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Jason_Schroeder

3/5/2024 8:44pm