Tested

by Nick Zuzelski All it takes is a quick look around today's World Cup races and you'll see Five Ten Hellcats strapped to some of your favorite rider's feet. Coming in hot with a new colorway, Lime Punch, we got the chance to run these tried and true clipless shoes ourselves and we wasted little time putting them through about as much abuse as we could muster up to see what they are made of. Answers below! Five Ten Hellcat Highlights Sole material: Stealth S1 rubber Upper Material: Synthetic / Leather Closure:Laces / Velcro Pedal type: Clipless Weight: (Size 9) 20.1 Oz/ 570g each Available...

Review by Joel Harwood // Photos by AJ Barlas At the end of March, I was offered the opportunity to race the BC Bike Race. This 7 day XC stage race is advertised as the ‘ultimate single track experience’. Being that my little bike falls on the burly end of the spectrum I wanted to get my hands on a capable, durable XC whippet to train and race on. The ideal marathon XC bike has to be light and efficient enough to allow a rider to conserve energy as much as possible, but it also needs to be confidence inspiring for whatever one might come across while on the trail. Enter the Niner Jet 9 RDO...

Reviewed by John Hauer and Jess Pedersen // Photos by Shawn Spomer and Lear Miller Lapierre’s Zesty AM ticks many of the boxes for an aggressive all-mountain bike: it has great geometry, a good looking list of components, a carbon frameset, and 150mm of travel at a reasonable price. It also has an interesting “Electronic Intelligence” rear shock, known as the E:i system. “There’s no place for electronics in mountain biking,” some of you will say, while others may be open to new ideas and technology. With an open mind and nothing but miles of rough Sedona, Arizona trails in front of us during...

by Dave Trumpore Michelin has been quiet for the last few years on the DH and Enduro front, and the Wild Rock'R2 marks their return to the serious gravity and trail bike market. Aimed at today's modern trail bikes, and more specifically Enduro racing this tire is aggressive and especially rugged. Michelin makes three versions of this tire and we tested the top of the line model that retails for $100. Wild Rock'R2 Tire Highlights 2.35" x 26" (Tested), 27.5" (650b), and 29” Tubeless Ready Folding Aramid Bead 50A Magi’X Softer Compound Front // 64A Center, 59A Lateral Gum’X Harder Dual Compound...

Winter... The sun seems to set before I leave work and the trails have reached maximum saturation, with consistent rain to boot. Regardless, I have been night riding fairly consistently and making the most of winter here in the Northwest. But nothing ruins a wet weather ride like a face full of mud, or the realization that all the slop surrounding your fork bushings will require diligent removal. The tube and zip-tie fender is a nearly free and simple solution to unwanted muck on one's face, but it doesn't reduce the slop around fork stanchions nor does it last for more than a few weeks (at...

by AJ Barlas A few years ago, partially from boredom and partially thanks to new developments from manufacturers in the industry, I decided the time had come to try some of the different tires that were hitting the market. Today the waters are still being tested. There have been some great tires in that time and some new faves, so when the chance to skid about on the updated Kenda Nevegal came up I figured, why not? Maybe they've improved. After all, quite a bit has changed since the original version was introduced. The original Nevegal was a popular tire, though not so much with those that...