Latest Product Reviews

The last two years were marked by an abundance of new XC tech, driven by the evolution of cross country race tracks around the globe. Geometry is becoming more relaxed and suspension travel is increasing, while dropper posts are more and more commonplace too - last but not least, tires are evolving too. Specialized has been addressing their whole tire selection recently with updates to compounds and casings across the board, and based on the excellent results we’ve seen with the new enduro and

Previously, the Heckler was the top pick in our 2020 eMTB shootout as it was hands down the most confidence-inspiring, rowdy, and fun to ride when pointed downhill. Had you asked us what would we want in the next generation, the 2022 Heckler satisfies that checklist. It has increased brapability with its mixed wheels paired with a slightly more relaxed head angle, SRAM wireless AXS drivetrain, and increased range with a 720Wh battery powering the Shimano EP8 motor. We gave it our best effort to

PUSH Industries have been churning out quality suspension tunes for customers for well over a decade. Five years ago, PUSH decided to take the matter into their own hands by engineering and manufacturing custom shocks domestically. That shock is the PUSH Elevensix. The Elevensix is a no holds barred shock, with a price to match. We’ve put the latest version of the Elevensix to a long-term test. Keep reading for our impressions as well as comparisons to other current offerings. Highlights One

The original Kids Ride Shotgun seat has been a smash hit among mountain bikers for several years now. Recently, the brand launched an all-new seat, expanding its product line with the Shotgun Pro seat. Mountain biking is an activity best shared and who better to rope into this two-wheeled lifestyle than your own child? Vital had a fresh test subject in the form of a two-year-old and jumped at the opportunity to test out the latest from Kids Ride Shotgun. Highlights Attaches at the headtube and

Mountain bikes today are darn good. Certainly, there are some exceptions out there but by and large, when people ask what bike they should get, the reply is, "Whatever fits your budget, body, and is in stock." This has been a matter of internal discussion at Vital for the past year or so. Everything is getting four stars or better now because the bikes all meet or exceed expectations and abilities. If everything is so good now, how do we target the standouts? Now and again, we get one of these

When it comes to carbon wheels, manufacturers are all faced with the same conundrum. Carbon fiber rims can be lighter and stronger than their aluminum counterparts, but that strength comes at a cost; ultra stiffness. Spinergy offers a unique design solution to help take the harshness out of carbon hoops. Their patented spoke technology, PBO for short, is not new. Their intended purpose is two-fold: to reduce weight and damp vibration. Spinergy has long applied this Zylon fiber technology to

At first glance the YT Decoy MX Core 4 looks like a dream machine. A downhill bike that can be pedaled uphill? Could it be that our dreams have finally come true? As we dug further into YT's mixed-wheel e-bike, we found there was more nuance to be explored. We've spent months exploring the west with this consumer-direct eMTB and are ready to share the full rundown on how the YT held up. Highlights Carbon frame 29-inch front wheel // 27.5-inch rear 165mm (6.50-inches) rear-wheel travel // 170mm