Tested

Developed and manufactured in the CSS Composites aerospace facility in southern Utah, Revel's new RW30 wheels ditch the brittle epoxy that is commonly used in carbon fiber in the mountain bike space. The raw thermoplastic material blends unidirectional long fiber German and Japanese carbon impregnated with an advanced polymer. This is claimed to make for a more durable, lighter, and better riding wheel. Combined with Industry 9 1/1 or Hydra hubs and Sapim D-light spokes, they're an interesting package that piqued our interest. Perhaps best of all, should you crack one the rims can be recycled...

'Race on Sunday, sell on Monday.' While this adage about race technology trickling down to the consumer level certainly applies to most components seen on World Cup and EWS race bikes, the same can't be said for the increasingly ubiquitous data acquisition systems (DAQ) that just about every major team has been using for several seasons. Despite their popularity within the race paddock, aftermarket availability has been almost nonexistent. Aside from the complexity and expense, the other significant challenge is that a lot of the systems seen on the race circuit are bespoke items designed by...

You can set an air shock to any pressure you'd like, making them quite popular in mountain biking compared to coil shocks. You'll need a pump to make that adjustment though. With this new coil spring system from Sprindex, no tools are needed to adjust a coil's spring rate to a finer degree than ever before. Join Vital MTB tester and Trail Peek ripper, Zach Petersen, in the video above for a closer look at Sprindex and his ride impressions. Fewer active coils make for a stiffer spring. Twisting the Sprindex dial varies the number of active coils. Strengths Weaknesses No tools required for...

The iXS Trigger FF builds on the company's Trigger AM half-shell helmet, providing full-face protection on more rides. It's fully certified up to the DH-specific ASTM 1952 standard and achieves its low weight by relying on an in-mold, single-layer EPS construction with an internal X-Frame "skeleton" molded into the chin bar to increase frontal impact strength and security. The Trigger FF is made in two shell sizes with an adjustable internal retention system and a set of different thickness pads to fine-tune the fit. The visor is adjustable and there is a clever "gripper pad" around the back...

Orbea’s Occam has been in the Spanish company’s lineup for several years as their designated trail bike. Revamped for 2020, the latest rendition is an impressive upgrade to the Occam model in its own right, and Orbea also offers a couple of appreciative upgrades from the factory to fine-tune the bike to its intended use. Specifically, our review bike was equipped with a 150mm travel FOX Factory 36 and Maxxis Minion DHF/DHR tires, compared to a stock 140mm FOX 34 and lighter-duty Maxxis rubber. Strengths Weaknesses Good all-around trail bike Clean, rattle-free internal cable routing Nice...

Since their arrival, we have been fans of the flat pedal shoes from the Truckee, California, brand, Ride Concepts. Now with a chance to test their Transition clipless shoe, we were anxious to see how it would stack up to its highly performing flat-pedal sibling. The Transition is the only clipless shoe in the Ride Concepts product line, and as the old saying goes, "Do one thing, and do it well." Ride Concepts could be cited as putting all their stock in this one shoe, but how would it fair? We spent the past few months dragging the Transitions through muck and rocks to find out. Strengths...

Another tire company?! Yes. Versus Tires is a direct-to-consumer brand hitting the ground running with great pricing on fresh rubber. While Versus is entering a well established market with some dominant brands, they're coming at it from a unique angle with an excellent product. Versus reached out over eight months ago with the chance to ride some prototypes and then the final version. Our extensive testing proved that these are not simply catalog tires with fancy branding, these are well-thought-out, premier level tires. We have no doubt that Versus is coming into the mountain bike tire world...

Just last year, Guerrilla Gravity launched a fresh line of bikes featuring an easy-to-convert frame platform and a new material technology called Revved Carbon. Today they're pleased to show the full range of what their system is capable of by introducing the fifth bike built around a shared front triangle, chainstays, and linkage. Hop onboard with Vital MTB in the video above for a closer look and ride impressions. It has a point-and-shoot attitude and could not care less about what's between points A and B. Strengths Weaknesses Potential for five bikes in one High-speed stability Robust...

Alchemy Bicycles isn't the biggest name, but the Colorado-based company has been building its reputation for high-quality carbon frames since 2008. Alchemy's founders Ryan Cannizzaro and engineer Matt Maczuzak set their sights on producing world-leading bikes and in 2018, they took their design to the Enduro World Series by signing veteran racer Anneke Beerten and style wizard Cody Kelly. In August 2019, Kelly piloted his Artkos Nine7Five to a 7th place result at the notoriously rocky Northstar EWS, confirming the quality and performance capabilities of Alchemy's bikes. For 2020, Alchemy is...

At the end of 2018, Öhlins released a pair of updated products that we discovered during a launch event in Sweden. The RXF m.2 fork and the TTX Air were both wholesale redesigns of previous offerings in this category, and we came away from the launch feeling like Öhlins had really hit the mark. More long-term testing was needed to know for sure, and we spent quite a lot of time on the updated fork which confirmed all the good things we thought about it at the launch. The TTX Air shock took a little longer to actually become available for testing, but we’ve now got about 5 months on it as well...

When the all-new Norco Sight was originally launched at the end of October, we already had the bike on our home trails for a week to get a feel for it. Our first impressions had us a bit smitten but a long term test is what the Sight deserved. After four months and hundreds of miles on the trails, we are ready to share where we stand with the 27.5-inch wheeled version of this trail smasher. Hang on as we share our final stance with the Norco Sight and how the all-mountain bike held up in the video above and review below. Strengths Weaknesses Class-leading descending performance Aggressive...

The new H3C has been slimmed down everywhere possible. It also uses a lighter spring material which brings it closer to the weight of high-volume air shocks. With the weight in check, it comes down to cost and performance. Listen for a straight-shooter's perspective after three months of ride time. Could this shock make sense for your ride? H3C Coil Shock Highlights Built for all-mountain and enduro Metric and trunnion mount Sizes: 185×55/50mm, 205×65/60mm, 210×55/50mm and 230×65/60mm overall length x stroke Platform adjustment (3 clicks) Low-speed compression adjustment (16 clicks) Rebound...

Downcountry, underbike, upduro... whatever you want to call it, it’s a different breed of mountain bike. For 2020, the Juliana Joplin and its twin brother, the Santa Cruz Tallboy, are among a handful of exciting new-school, super slacked-out, short-travel (125mm max) 29ers. The fourth-generation Joplin joins the party with slacker n’ longer geometry, flip-chip adjustability, increased travel, and a lower-link VPP suspension design. Like getting in a swimming pool, some riders are jumping right into this new variety of mountain bike while others are waiting to hear the reports. We’ve taken the...

Vital MTB's 2016 Bike of the Year went to the previous Pivot Switchblade. How do you improve on that? Give it a few years and some fresh ideas. With 142mm of rear travel and 160mm up front, this all-new 2020 version one-ups its predecessor pretty much across the board. Join Vital MTB's Product Editor, Brandon Turman, in the video above for a look at everything that's been updated and his in-depth ride impressions. Strengths Weaknesses Direct, snappy attitude at the cranks Excellent traction Custom shock tune improves support without hindering high-speed bump absorption Great manners on...

With the promise of both turning heads and delivering a better ride experience, the latest trailing multi-link front suspension platform from Trust Performance is designed for aggressive trail and enduro mountain bikes. Join Zach Petersen, a rider known for his speed on a bike and the Trail Peek Youtube channel, for a straight-shooter's perspective on the unique design. Listen in as he discusses and demonstrates the fork's major strengths, weaknesses, and gives you a bottom line. Trust Shout Highlights Design: Trailing multi-link front suspension Construction: Full carbon chassis, steerer tube...

Afew years ago, Marzocchi resurrected the Z1 to much anticipation. While damper technology has moved on from the open-bath systems of old, there was disappointment in some circles that the coils of the original fork were passed up in favor of a standard FOX air spring – Marzocchi's parent company. While air-sprung forks have come a long way in terms of sensitivity and a reduction in running friction, there's no shortage of riders who swear by (or at least reminisce about) the uber-sensitive plushness of a coil. Early Marzocchi coil forks from the original Z1 Bomber to the Shiver and the 888...

There's ZERO noise, too. When you all you can hear is tires ripping into turns it's truly an awesome sensation. You start to pick up on things you wouldn't otherwise notice, like the sounds of your surroundings or that floppy cable you should probably address. Just be mindful when coming up on others and give a holler because you basically come a high-speed MTB trail ninja. The sprag clutch mechanism inside provides instant engagement with a gently damped feel instead of the slop or clunk you may be accustomed to with a pawl-style hub. In our view, this makes for an altogether better ride...

Introduced alongside the Lyrik Ultimate fork and Charger 2.1 damper update, the MegNeg air can kit more than doubles today's already large negative volumes. This results in a noticeable and tunable boost of mid- and end-stroke support (and a lot more pumping). Join Vital MTB's Product Editor, Brandon Turman, in the video above, to learn how it came to be, what the tuning process is like, the upsides, downsides, and an overview of what types of mountain bikes will benefit the most from a MegNeg upgrade. MegNeg Air Can Highlights Allows you to tune negative volume with Bottomless Rings Provides...

There is no shortage of carbon wheel options today. Regardless of price point, you are sure to find a range of choices, from generic catalog rims to super-specialty items that cost as much as a good full suspension bike. Four Four Three is taking the middle road with the Dissident, supplying a wheel built on its own rims and hubs at a competitive price made possible by a direct sales and distribution model. We’ve been testing a pair for over a year to find out how it measures up – read on to learn more. Strengths Weaknesses Very strong rim Reliable hubs Fast engagement Good value Rims are...

The Rocky Mountain Slayer has been a mainstay for the Canadian brand for nearly 20 years. Throughout that time it has played the role of Rocky Mountain’s heavy-hitting trail bike, however in recent years it has fallen out of favor with many and the Altitude BC Edition became the brand's flagship enduro bike. In an effort to rekindle the magic of old, Rocky started from the ground aiming to modernize the Slayer for enduro, freeride, and park duties without sacrificing all-day endurance. To see what the new ride is capable of, we have been punishing our test rig for a few months in Squamish, BC...

Airborne Bicycles, the direct-to-consumer bike brand out of Ohio, has been in the game for over twenty years and for 2020, they have a new, 27.5-inch-wheeled enduro bike dubbed the Plague. Airborne has always focused on affordable two-wheelers and considering the $2,699 price tag of the Plague, they've kept their eye on the budget-minded prize. We wanted to see what a bike that looked fun on paper, with minimal impact to our stack of paper, could do. Airborne Plague Highlights 160mm rear travel with RockShox Monarch RT Debonair 170mm front travel with RockShox Lyrik Select Charger RC Ultimate...

Earlier this year we had the opportunity to spend some time aboard Zipp’s 3ZERO MOTO wheelset. While our initial impressions were mostly positive, we knew that a more thorough test was required to offer an educated opinion on whether or not Zipp’s claims of compliance and traction were marketing jargon or legitimate improvements over traditional wheelsets. Since our initial piece, our 3ZERO MOTO wheels have been used and abused throughout the Sea to Sky corridor of British Columbia and made the trip to World Championships at Monte Sainte Anne. They have put in miles on a short-travel Norco...

It seems like just yesterday when the first batch of dropper posts hit the market. These cutting-edge components had 100mm of travel and were an absolute gamechanger in terms of how hard you could shred a trail bike. Since the advent of mainstream dropper posts, manufacturers have continually pushed the limits in terms of available travel on these pieces of telescoping witchcraft. Fast forward a few decades and OneUp Components has introduced their popular V2 Dropper Post with a mind-boggling 240mm of travel making it the longest option on the market. We received a post for testing back in...