Tested

Breaking tradition and revolutionizing the short-travel trail bike, Santa Cruz has packed a full case of radness into a tight little package with the fourth-generation Tallboy 4. Straying from the usual shorter travel equals steeper head angle and shorter reach equation, Santa Cruz trickl...

Posted by dstucki on 8/19/2019 9:34 PM

2020 Santa Cruz Tallboy CC X01 Reserve Bike (product)

2020 Yeti SB140 T2 (product)

Leatt DBX 5.0 (2018) Riding Shorts (product)

Leatt 3DF 6.0 Knee Guards (product)

Spank Spike 350 Vibrocore Wheelset (product)

A27.5 bike update when 29ers are on such a big rise? Absolutely. First and foremost, Yeti's newest bike is made to rip. They're not shying away from the fact that their bigger-wheeled bikes are best for those looking to race. The SB140, on the other hand, is a trail bike that's made to ...

Posted by bturman on 7/28/2019 9:18 PM

Going from strength to strength, the last few years has seen rider-run, independent component manufacturer Deity cement its place in the market as a producer of high-quality goods that both talk the talk and walk the walk. Deity prides itself in making stuff that not only looks good (and it gene...

Posted by iceman2058 on 7/27/2019 5:33 AM

The Good:

Looks Good.
Fast Rolling.
Super “fun” cornering.
Great dry traction.

The Bad:

Heavy.
Maybe Durability?

Overall Review: Vigilante light/high grip review. This is a short term review, as I have not had a chance to test the durability, or the wet traction on this tire.   The Vigilante comes in a few options but I went for the 2.5 light/high grip witch is there softer grippy tire. Generally grip is goo...

Posted by yetimike2019 on 7/19/2019 3:41 PM

The Yeti SB6 has been around since bikes with 27.5-inch wheels were first raced by top enduro pros. In practical terms, a long time. Its life officially began in 2014, when Jared Graves rolled up to the Winter Park EWS on a brand new bike and took the win. One year later he built "The Int...

Posted by bturman on 7/15/2019 3:35 PM

2020 Yeti SB165 T2 (product)

DEITY Speedway Handlebar (product)

Tioga is what one may refer to as a legacy brand – a company with roots deeply intertwined in the heart of mountain biking – and the old school racer’s choice for giant saddles is making a resurgence in the tire game. We reviewed the Glide G3 and G3TT previously and were fans of the cornering ab...

Posted by B.Radly on 7/9/2019 4:26 PM

With warmer temperature hitting the northern hemisphere and the snowpacks beginning to sluff off, here at Vital we started dusting off our big hitting bikes for a great season of shredding. Before all that and while the snow was still falling, Vee Tires filled us in with their latest project, th...

Posted by dirtworks911 on 7/9/2019 9:04 AM

Over the past few years, wheel size, frame material, suspension design, geometry, and just about every other aspect of frame design has changed or been tweaked within any given brand. A quick glance at the pile of hub spacers in the toolbox only reinforces the reality that the only constant in t...

Posted by hurricanejoel on 7/9/2019 6:16 AM

Tioga Edge 22 Tire (product)

Loose Riders C/S Riding Short (product)

Loose Riders Global Alliance apparel departs from the race-inspired aesthetic while retaining the kind of features you want while going fast downhill. The prints and graphics say party. The build and fit say shred. -by Alan Sangma Strengths Rugged build Snug fit Flex where it coun...

Posted by mtbalan on 6/24/2019 9:12 AM

Shimano SH-GR7 Flat Pedal Shoe (product)

Tested: Maxxis EXO+ Casing Tires - Minion DHF and DHRII (feature story)

Posted by hurricanejoel on 6/18/2019 9:17 AM

The Good:

It’s easier to clean the jockey wheels than on Shimano rear derailleurs, due to the more open design, the jockey wheels are more exposed & the lower is bigger. The cage swings very smoothly
You can fully take it apart, as the swing arms have E clips, so removing them is easy with a screwdriver, So far Box does not offer every single part as a replacement.

The Bad:

The spring tension is too high.
The Clutch is not adjustable, so when it wears you can't regain hte same performance, But the new version has adjustable clutch.

Overall Review: Going from Xt m8000 with uncut 116 link Kmc x11 Sl silver chain, I had to add 5 links, due to the bigger tension pulley, but with 34T Oval I could use stock chain length. But if I were to use 32T or smaller I don’t Think it would be an issue, but I haven’t tested this. Unlike the othe...

Posted by mtbboy1993 on 6/10/2019 12:59 PM

Five Ten Impact Pro Flat Pedal Shoe (product)

Five Ten Hellcat Pro Clipless Shoe (product)

Roval Traverse SL Wheelset (product)

After a few years of real-world testing, Roval went back to the drawing board with their entire series of mountain wheels beforelaunching things last summer in Whistler. The latest Roval series features a number of refinements and has the potential to put the Roval wheelset near the top of every...

Posted by hurricanejoel on 5/30/2019 1:46 PM

Hope Technology 3 E4 Disc Brakes (product)

Because the sports are similar in many ways, off-road dirt biking is a popular crossover for mountain bikers. It's my favorite hobby, by far. Still high on adrenaline and a sense of accomplishment, I equated my first off-road moto racing experience to riding two hours non-stop on a downhill bike...

Posted by bturman on 4/26/2019 11:05 AM

Fasst Flexx Enduro Handlebar (product)

Scott Soldier 2 Knee Guards (product)

OneUp Components Aluminum Flat Pedal (product)