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Overall Review

Madrone Cycles was named after the Madrone trees that grow in the Oregon region that the company calls home. It was founded in 2023 by Aaron Bland, who had become disenchanted with the lack of good rebuild and repair options for rear derailleurs. After initially launching a series of replacement parts for SRAM derailleurs, Aaron realized that Madrone could easily make a whole derailleur by themselves. The Jab was launched in 2025, and it sports a number of unique features that made us want to

Madrone Cycles Jab Rear Derailleur

17

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iceman2058

1/27/2026 7:46am

EXT Vecta Rear Shock

Vecta-Product-Image-min 0.png?VersionId=09zSNwh

Overall Review

We’ve been testing EXT products for quite a few years by now, and we’ve always been impressed by their performance and “trail feel”. There were of course teething problems with some of the early versions, like the overly harsh tunes and air spring setups of the first ERA forks or noisy, clunky rebounds on the first generations of the Storia shocks. EXT has learned a lot since those days, and the current crop of products is nothing short of excellent. When the company launched the Vecta, they

EXT Vecta Rear Shock

11

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iceman2058

1/23/2026 9:32am

Troy Lee Designs Stage Pro Knee Guards

Stage Pro Knee Guards Solid Black %282%29

The Good

Best fitting TLD pad yet, really do stay put, light and ventilate well, and good protection in all the right places.

The Bad

none

Overall Review

Been riding in pads going back to the 661 Kyle Straights well over a decade ago. Previously was riding Leatt AirFlex pads which I really liked, then TLD Stage before those, the 7IDP Sam Hills before that, and TLD's (forgot the model) before that. Basically I get 1-2 years, except for the 7IDP's which were less than a year, out of a set of pads. My rides are typically 1.5-4 hours with a good bit of uphill pedalling to the downhill shredding, and I'm in them for 6-10 hours a day when working as a

Troy Lee Designs Stage Pro Knee Guards

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Eddie_Clark

1/22/2026 9:08am

Troy Lee Designs Stage Pro Knee Guards

Overall Review

Troy Lee has always produced good protective equipment, but some of the slimmest knee guard options have historically been a bit on the flimsy side (the original “Speed Sleeve” wasn’t exactly a great design, let’s say…). Earlier this year, TLD dropped two new knee guards adorned with the “Pro” moniker, made for trail and enduro riding. We were curious about the improvements TLD had brought to these pedal-friendly options, so we’ve been testing them for a couple of months to see what gives. Read

Troy Lee Designs Stage Pro Knee Guards

3

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iceman2058

12/31/2025 7:43am

2025 Trek Rail+ 9.9 X0 AXS Gen 5 E-Bike

Overall Review

Trek's Gen5 Rail+ is their do-everything, long-range eMTB for riders who want to climb farther, descend harder, and explore deeper, free of any battery range anxiety. With updated geometry, a mullet wheel setup, an adjustable suspension leverage curve, and Bosch's latest 100Nm motor feeding off an 800Wh battery, the Rail+ seems destined for success on paper. But do these evolutions keep pace in the quickly advancing eMTB world? Has performance been compromised in any way to tick all these

2025 Trek Rail+ 9.9 X0 AXS Gen 5 E-Bike

6

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Mountain Jerk

12/28/2025 5:09pm

Akta Trail Knee Pad

Overall Review

Canadian apparel upstart Akta has come to market with a small but focused range of products that has garnered positive attention with the form, fit, and function boxes seemingly ticked in everything they make. We recently reviewed their all-new Trail Vest alongside other existing apparel pieces and we came away impressed , so we were curious to give Akta’s knee guard a spin as well. Incidentally, "akta" means "beware" or "be careful" in Swedish, which seems like a particularly well-chosen

Akta Trail Knee Pad

4

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iceman2058

12/20/2025 6:15am

Hope Technology XCR Pro E4 Hydraulic Disc Brake

Overall Review

Hope’s braking lineage is one of the longest-running and most recognizable in mountain biking. Their machined aluminum calipers and levers are unmistakably Hope, and for many riders, that’s the entire appeal: durability, serviceability, and a lever feel that’s hard to replicate elsewhere. But the XCR Pro E4 brake sits in an especially interesting corner of the lineup. It’s the brand’s lightest four-piston offering — a brake designed specifically to blend XC weight with real, trail power — and

Hope Technology XCR Pro E4 Hydraulic Disc Brake

5

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wnc_rider

12/16/2025 9:38am

ION ARCON HD Pro Chest Protector

Overall Review

When I was 14, I had a friendly argument with an older colleague at the bike shop. The argument was around riding with protection, especially gloves. I said it is lame and not very comfy and that I prefer the real feel of the grip in my hands. He on the other hand had the winning argument: “when you’ll get older, you’ll also prefer riding without protection, but it can end up in a maternity room”. So he won, I heeded his words, and since then I've very sensibly been using all kinds of

Arcon 1 copy.jpg?VersionId=URtfLB68ac21qlZr

ION ARCON HD Pro Chest Protector

5

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yonatan.yatom

12/15/2025 10:57am

HEL Performance Advocate Hydraulic Disc Brake

Overall Review

UK-based HEL Performance started out making brake and clutch lines for motorcycles in 1999, and they have expanded their product offering many times over since then. Today they serve superbikes and performance cars with anything from entire brake systems to oil coolers - and all the hoses and hose fittings you can imagine. Earlier this year, after a focused development period led by a small in-house team of pedal bike enthusiasts, they launched their first MTB product, a complete brake system

HEL Performance Advocate Hydraulic Disc Brake

3

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iceman2058

12/9/2025 3:21am

Tenet Coven AL Wheelset

Coven Wheelset Silver Backdrop 29er2 f9c5c834-abdd-4ba5-9418-daad5b282932.jpg?VersionId=jBMh1oVmXs3xKKwaDKw

Overall Review

Aluminum wheels with lifetime warranties are so hot right now. A trend kicked off by Reserve that others have followed, it's a beautiful reality being able to hammer your wheels, and when they don't hold air, you can get a replacement. Tenet joined this conversation in May when they successfully ran a Kickstarter campaign for their new Coven alloy wheels. Before, they only made a stem, handlebar, flat pedals and grips. A truly rider-owned brand that doesn't waste time making components just for

Coven Wheelset Silver Backdrop 29er2 f9c5c834-abdd-4ba5-9418-daad5b282932

Tenet Coven AL Wheelset

10

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Jason_Schroeder

11/24/2025 2:38pm