Shimano

Shimano Goes BIG - New 12-Speed 1X XTR Drivetrains, Brakes and More (feature story)

Posted by bturman on 5/25/2018 8:02 AM

The Good:

Power - Enough to use on DH, Enduro or long descending trail rides.
Reliability - Through several crashes and hits, these brakes continue to perform like they did on day one of purchase.
Availability - Replacement parts and pads are available at most if not all bike shops even in the most remote locations.
Ease of Maintenance - These are by far the easiest brakes to bleed, repair, and replace by using simple hand tools.

The Bad:

The only bad thing is that there always seems to be a need to pump the brakes a few times before they grab at the correct location, like there is an air bubble in the line no matter how good you bleed the brakes.

Overall Review: These are the standard, no matter what company you prefer, they will always need to compete with Shimano for power andreliability.  There is nothing more consistent than the Shimano XT and the price point is good enough to cover most if not all aspects of Mountain Biking.  With the introduction ...

Posted by fueledbyAlex on 5/23/2018 4:11 PM

WINNING BIKE - Laurie Greenland's Mondraker Summum (photo album)

Posted by sspomer on 4/15/2018 11:50 AM

The Patent Thread - New and Wild Mountain Bike Inventions (forum topic)

Posted by bturman on 4/3/2018 7:04 PM

Shimano xtr with eagle cassette and shifter. (forum topic)

Posted by Matt Puchniak on 3/16/2018 7:35 PM

Giant Factory Off-Road Team Bikes (photo album)

Posted by sspomer on 3/15/2018 10:22 AM

Flat pedal shoes are tricky business. Not only do they need to deliver good grip on the pedals, but we also want them to look like shoes we’d wear on the town, not take on water, be stiff enough for pedaling but comfortable enough for walking around in all day. Needless to say, us flat pedal rid...

Posted by iceman2058 on 2/15/2018 11:24 AM

What Do Riders Think? 10 Flat Pedals Reviewed by Vital MTB Members (feature story)

Posted by bturman on 2/14/2018 2:21 PM

Pro Bike Check: Bas van Steenbergen's Hyper (feature story)

Posted by sideshow on 2/13/2018 8:16 AM

Pro Enduro Bikes from New Zealand (photo album)

Posted by sspomer on 2/7/2018 1:55 PM

Back On Trail - Support Wildfire Trail Reconstruction Through Raffle for Custom Santa Cruz Bikes (press release)

Posted by bturman on 2/1/2018 3:01 PM

17 Questions - Eddie Masters (video)

Eddie Masters can crush it all. World Cup DH, Enduro World Series, Red Bull Hardline, it doesn't matter, he just wants to ride, all while he travel blogs about it. Enjoy the dreaded 17 with the King of the Kiwis. The Questions 1. How did the 29er experiment go for you in 2017? 2. Do you thin...

Posted by sspomer on 1/29/2018 9:50 AM

Bike vs. Bike - Santa Cruz Hightower LT or Transition Sentinel (feature story)

Posted by sspomer on 1/11/2018 8:21 AM

Vital MTB Face Off: The Best Heavy-Duty Disc Brakes (feature story)

Posted by iceman2058 on 12/21/2017 4:02 AM

Casey Brown - This is Home (video)

If you're into epic mountains, amazing trails and fresh pow, then Casey Brown home town of Revelstoke is a pretty awesome place to live. To say we're stoked on Revelstoke would be an understatement. 

Posted by Dylan on 12/8/2017 12:22 AM

The Good:

Burly design with trouble-free SPD pedal body

The Bad:

Very heavy and extra pivot point is prone to fail

Overall Review: As a regularuser of minimalist SPD pedals for many years, I purchased the M545 pedals because I wanted the extra protection and security of the larger platform and didn't mind the trade-off for heavier weight. A pair of these will add about 567 grams (1 1/4 pounds) to the weigh-in total for yo...

Posted by thinkbike on 11/30/2017 3:06 PM

The Good:

Long-lasting and durable design

The Bad:

Collar nut can loosen, Allen bolt is only option to tighten

Overall Review: This is one in a long line of Shimano's classic minimalist SPD pedals and a similar design as the M520, M540, and M980. Although it is a discontinued XT model (replaced by the M8000 series), you can still find this pedal among old stock or it can be picked up for a song in used condition onlin...

Posted by thinkbike on 11/30/2017 1:42 PM

How-To: Fix Common Rear Derailleur Shifting Problems (video)

The rear derailleur is the heart of most mountain bike drivetrains. As the 1x drivetrain becomes standard issue on capable cross-country, trail and enduro bikes, we're left with one shifter, cable and derailleur to adjust for top-to-bottom gear range performance. GMBN has put together a handy gu...

Posted by sspomer on 11/6/2017 9:26 AM

Vital RAW - Bruce Klein, Flying and Fun (video)

Bruce Klein of KHS Factory Racing knows how to pin it and knows how to have a good time. This up-and-coming #USDH shredder lights it up in SoCal after a busy World Cup and Pro GRT downhill race season. #USDH

Posted by sspomer on 10/30/2017 7:40 AM

Matt Walker's Saracen Ariel LT All-Mountain Bike (feature story)

Posted by sspomer on 10/3/2017 1:57 PM

Eight Head-to-Toe Looks for Mountain Biking Ladies (feature story)

Posted by csteen on 9/30/2017 1:09 PM

SPDs or Flats, Pick Your Poison with These New Shoes and Pedals from Shimano (feature story)

Posted by iceman2058 on 9/21/2017 2:10 AM

The Good:

- The XTR Race levers do away with Shimano's "Servo Wave" lever movement, which is found on most of their products. This keeps the Race levers super smooth and much more predictable than Shimano's other brakes.
- Surprisingly durable; I've wrecked a few times and thought "there goes my expensive levers..." but the carbon levers have been just fine!
- XTR Race mate up with XT calipers for a budget-friendly, predictable combo.

The Bad:

- Less adjustability than XT levers
- I wish Shimano would offer non-servo-wave in more of their products, for easier brake feathering and better overall feel.

Overall Review: Shimano is known for their precise movement and super reliability. The newest XTR Race levers are just that. I've ridden numerous races (Kamikaze, Sea Otter, Northstar, etc...) with these and they never let me down. I got these XTR levers mainly because of the linear lever feel, allowing me to...

Posted by SCgShoeCo on 9/16/2017 10:18 AM

DH and XC Masterpieces for the Pivot Riders at World Champs (feature story)

Posted by sspomer on 9/6/2017 1:40 PM

Trek Factory Racing's World Champs Trek Session Bikes (feature story)

Posted by sspomer on 9/6/2017 1:03 PM

Santa Cruz World Champs Bikes for Minnaar, Vergier and Shaw (feature story)

Posted by sspomer on 9/6/2017 11:20 AM

The New Shimano XT Four-Piston Brake (feature story)

Posted by sspomer on 9/3/2017 3:56 PM

Pivot Offers Limited Edition 10th Anniversary Mach 5.5 Complete Bike (press release)

Posted by sspomer on 8/30/2017 1:00 AM

Pivot Enters the E-Bike Market with the Shuttle (press release)

Posted by sspomer on 8/30/2017 1:00 AM

WINNING BIKE: Tahnee Seagrave's Transition TR11 (photo album)

Posted by sspomer on 8/28/2017 1:58 PM