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2018 Intense Carbine Factory
Vital Review
Overall Review
Intense Cycles haven’t been shy about their participation in the wheel size wars. Back in 2009 when many were still #26forlife, their wagon-wheeled DH bike – the 2951 – stirred things up. At that time, Jeff Steber filled us in about why he felt big wheels had potential and what factors were limiting for the viability of aggressive 29ers at that time. More recently, another Intense prototype earned a spot on the Fort William podium under factory pilot Jack Moir. While the downhill prototype seemed to garner much of the limelight, the bike he was aboard at the Rotorua Enduro World Series had us...
Posted by hurricanejoel on 6/26/2017 4:50pm
Leatt DBX 3.0 All-Mountain (2017) Open Face Helmet
Vital Review
Overall Review
Unfortunately, crashing is part of the game when it comes to progressing as mountain bikers. When it comes to your noggin, safety is paramount. Based in South Africa, Leatt got their start way back in 2001 designing neck braces and launched the first bicycle-specific neck brace, the DBX, in 2010. With a continually expanding line, Leatt now offers body protection, apparel, hydration systems, and helmets. After debuting their new DBX 3.0 all-mountain helmet back at Crankworx Whistler last year, the new helmet is finally available as of Sea Otter 2017. With some interesting tech designed to...
Posted by FredLikesTrikes on 6/22/2017 9:31am
2016 Yeti SB5.5 Carbon X01
The Good

Geometry, Linkage, Fit

The Bad

Bolts, Cleaning

Overall Review
If you want a capable, fast flying 29 inch enduro machine... this is your next bike. The yeti SB5.5c has not ceased to amaze me in what it is capable of, and I never find myself wanting, or being envious of other bike. The SB5.5c tracks everything extremely well, and the linkage system finds a find line between performance and function. It doesn't blow through the travel although it has good small bump sensitivity when set up properly. I tried the bike with the float x as well as with the x2 and preferred the x2 for adjustment purposes. The infinity system allows for limited pedal bob and...
Posted by MTBcanuck on 6/20/2017 4:10pm
7iDP Flex Suit Body Protector
Vital Review
Overall Review
It’s no secret that 7iDP produces some of the best-executed protection in mountain biking, and we’ve been thoroughly impressed any time we've had the opportunity to test their products. Featuring customizable spine and shoulder protection, five pockets, and breathable four-way stretch material, it looks as though 7iDP put every ounce of that same thoughtful design and high-quality construction we’re used to seeing from the brand into their short-sleeve Flex Suit. 7iDP Flex Suit Highlights Removable impact-hardening foam shoulder pads Removable CE-approved, impact-hardening foam spine protector...
Posted by FredLikesTrikes on 6/14/2017 3:30pm
Öhlins RXF36 Fork
Overall Review
If you follow the racing scene, you've no doubt seen the Öhlins RXF 36 under some of the world's fastest EWS racers. It will soon be available in a new wheel size and is the company's first publicly released 27.5 model. Just like the well-regarded RXF 34, this bad boy sports a three chamber air spring and multiple external adjustments that allow you to really dial in your ride. What else is new? Let's dig in. Highlights 140-170mm (5.5-6.7 inches) travel options 27.5-inch specific design 36mm diameter stanchion tubes Tunable three chamber air spring system: two positive, one negative TTX twin...
Posted by bturman on 6/10/2017 6:16pm
SRAM GX Eagle Rear Derailleur
Vital Review
Overall Review
When you look back at the history of SRAM's 1X drivetrains, it took quite a while for all that wonderful technology to trickle down to a price point that many considered to be affordable. Three years and multiple intermediary drivetrains separated the 2012 introduction of XX1, the company's flagship 11-speed system, and GX, the affordable workhorse. That's not the case this time around. SRAM is making moves by releasing an everyman's GX version of their new 12-speed Eagle drivetrain just one year after it launched. Let's dig in... GX Eagle Highlights Fits existing bikes with XD drivers 12...
Posted by bturman on 6/8/2017 1:25am
Santa Cruz Reserve Carbon Wheels
Vital Review
Overall Review
Santa Cruz is set to ruffle some feathers in the wheel world with the launch of their new Reserve lineup of wheelsets. The high performance, top dollar wheelset is aimed at leaving no compromises, complete with a lifetime warranty. Is it indeed a game changing product or mere marketing riffraff? Read on for our first look... Highlights Available in 27.5 and 29-inch diameters 29-inch wheels in three widths: 25, 27 and 30mm internal 27.5-inch wheels in two widths: 27 and 30mm internal 1.5:1 width to height ratio 28 spokes pre wheel with three-cross lacing pattern Asymmetrical profile and offset...
Posted by jeff.brines on 5/31/2017 5:42pm
2018 Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon CC XX1 Reserve
Vital Review
Overall Review
Defining the new Nomad left me scratching my head for words. Most everything I wrote sounded like a cliché directly from the 2009 Handbook for Mountain Bike Journalists. "A trail bike that descends like a downhill bike." "A mini-DH bike that can pedal." Yeah, they've both been used ad-nauseam... The ultimate irony to my cliché-laden articulation strugglefest is that the new Nomad is anything but cliché. At a time when most companies seem to be chasing the perfect mid-travel trail bike or eeking every millisecond out of an enduro race bike, Santa Cruz’s latest Nomad iteration seems to be built...
Posted by jeff.brines on 5/31/2017 4:12pm
2018 Pivot Mach 5.5 Carbon Team XTR 1x
Overall Review
For those looking to go fast and take chances, increasingly capable components and frames mean mountain biking of all varieties is quickly becoming a more aggressive endeavor. For those simply looking to have a good time, those same improvements ensure added safety and fun on the trail. Today Pivot Cycles introduced an all-new bike that will carry them well into the future – the Mach 5.5 Carbon. Part enduro, part all-mountain, and part trail bike, the new Mach 5.5 brings an interesting mixture of travel, geometry, and technical features to the party. With 140mm of dw-link rear travel and 160mm...
Posted by bturman on 5/17/2017 5:42pm
RockShox Reverb 1X Remote
The Good

Perfect shape, excellent placement, super smooth.

The Bad

A pretty pricy upgrade.

Overall Review
After riding the Reverb by RockShox for five years, I was always pretty impressed with it’s overall performance. When working right, the Reverb is a hard post to beat in smoothness and adjustability. On the other hand, there’s no secret that the Reverb had it’s fair share of technical problems. Luckily, most if not all of these problems have been solved with their latest version (the B1). Just when I felt the Reverb couldn’t get any better RockShox introduced a new shifter-style lever named the X1. Being satisfied with my B1 Reverb already, I doubted even opting for the $95 retail upgrade but...
Posted by dirtworks911 on 5/12/2017 4:34pm
2018 Marin Wolf Ridge Pro XX1
Overall Review
"Prove it." We nearly sent an email to suspension designer Darrell Voss following the recent introduction of the Polygon Square One EX bike, which was accompanied by several seemingly outlandish 'BEST BIKE EVARRR' type of statements and bold claims. Even their intro video started off with the line, "What if everything you were ever told was wrong?" "When you make such sweeping statements you're bound to meet some criticism," we told Voss during a recent conversation. And then we rode a bike that uses a very similar suspension design – the new Marin Wolf Ridge 29er. Did we eat our words? Have...
Posted by bturman on 4/20/2017 7:54am
RockShox Pike - 2018 Fork with Charger 2 Damper
Overall Review
"How easy is it to take the RockShox Pike for granted now? We would’ve killed for this fork eight years ago and now it goes by with a simple sentence or two of gratitude. Thanks Pike, you changed the game and we’re better for it." - Mint Henk, Vital MTB Test Sessions Rider Originally launched in 2013, the RockShox Pike instantly set the benchmark for single-crown fork suspension performance and elevated the capability of every bike it was mounted to. At the time, 26-inch wheeled bikes were still king. Since then we've witnessed a massive shift in trail bikes with even budget builds and short...
Posted by bturman on 4/13/2017 9:25am
RockShox Reverb 1X Remote
Vital Review
Overall Review
We ask a lot from our dropper seatposts - we want them to go up and down on command, lock out entirely, stay smooth, offer infinite adjustability, hold up to the constant abuse of dust and mud, and to do it over and over for months on end without ever servicing the things. From a designer's standpoint that is a very tall order, and it turns out manufacturing a good dropper is very difficult thing to do. RockShox has been at it for years, however, and while they've no doubt had their fair share of hiccups there are several reasons why the Reverb is the world's most popular dropper. Having...
Posted by bturman on 4/3/2017 5:57pm