I’ve used hydraulic disc brakes on all of my bikes for years. As a matter of fact, the last set of mechanical disc brakes that I used for an extended period of time was a set of 2001 Hayes HMX mechanical disc brakes. And for what it’s worth, those brakes were consistently underwhelming – I remember finishing any number of rides cursing my sore hands and the brakes’ inability to stop in adverse conditions. Read the rest of this entry »
Rocky Mountain Bicycles is one of the few companies that still maintains complete creative control over the development of their bikes. The results show, with powerful team riders like Marie Helene Premont, Alison Sydor, Andreas Hestler, Gretchen Reeves and others getting super results at high level events the world over. Similarly, popular riders like Wade Simmons and Thomas Vanderham are wowing people on the RMX at freeride competitions and in videos.
With the success of these riders comes a focus on the bikes they ride — the Element, the ETSX, and the RMX — and a little less emphasis on the other bikes in the company’s lineup. Case in point is the Slayer, Rocky Mountain’s all mountain bike. The Slayer has been around for years, picking up numerous awards in 2002 and remaining relatively unchanged after between 2003 and 2005. However, Rocky Mountain is set to introduce an all-new frame design with the release of the 2006 Rocky Mountain Slayer.
The 2006 Slayer is based on a single pivot design that Rocky has dubbed Low Centre Counter Rotating suspension. Rocky claims the design eliminates both pedal bob and and brake jack while giving a plush 6″ worth of rear wheel travel. For more details, I recommend that you mosey on over to NSMB.com to read their take on the 2006 Rocky Mountain Slayer.
Compared with some of the other photographers featured on this site, Harookz is a relative newcomer. Despite the fact that he hasn’t been around the block x number of time, Harookz’ bike-related work is stunning and well worth the visit. Much of the work displayed on the site, the photographs are heavily saturated and very “gritty” and, while I’m not usually a fan of this type of shooting, Harookz pulls it off with aplomb.
Source: Harookz
On a recent ride, my aging cross country lid started bouncing around on my head as I made my way down a technical trail. This new ‘feature’; certainly made for an interesting descent, with me pushing the helmet back onto my brow while struggling to keep my speed. Needless to say, the ride was the last for my old shell and I retired it in favour of the Giro Indicator.
When I went into my local shop, I was set on picking up the pricey but slick Giro E2 helmet but after trying the Giro Indicator, I had a change of tune. The Indicator is an affordably priced (MSRP: $35usd | $50 cad) helmet that comes in a one-size-fits-all format. The helmet uses Giro’s ACU-LOC fit system, which is decent and keeps the shell from moving around on my head once it’s snapped in place. I have a normal-sized head and the helmet sits comfortably and in the proper position. Future adjustments can be made easily and without hassle.
On the trail, the Indicator stays where it should and doesn’t rattle around or create any distractions on descents. At slower speeds the helmet’s 20 vents work, but not to the same degree as Giro’s higher end models. However, once you get up to speed, the helmet’s venting system keeps your head cool and comfortable.
However, my experience with the Giro Indicator hasn’t been trouble free. First, there was quite a bit of ‘stretch’ in the helmet’s straps over its first month of use; after the initial break-in period, I needed to readjust the helmet so that it fit appropriately. Second, the latch mechanisms used to adjust the straps on the side of the wearer’s head have a tendency to open. I don’t know how they open, but I’m assuming they get caught on my gloves, sleeves, or some other part of my apparel.
The verdict: I like the Giro Indicator and think that it’s worth the purchase price. It fits well, has a decent range of adjustments, and provides good coverage in the case of a crash. Although it’s not perfect and it won’t be confused with the higher-end (and higher-priced) helmets on the market, the Indicator is a worthy purchase for budget-minded riders with high-performance demands.
Bike magazine has been stepping it up in the past few months with some great product reviews, in addition to coverage of events like Crankworx and the Transrockies Challenge.
That being said, the current Crankworx summary on the Bike website is a little, well, uninspired. While the included photos are of good quality, the article is stiched together from numerous press releases and gets the details on the Air DH mixed up with those of another race. I understand that Crankworx isn’t the be-all-and-end-all for the industry and that a number of factors influence coverage of a specific event (ie. budget, time, location, etc.), but I was hoping for a little more insight from the magazine.
If you’re looking for an in-depth review of the events that took place at Crankworx 2005 I’d recommend moving on over to NSMB.com. NSMB has a great recap of the Slopestyle event that’s worth looking at if you’re into this type of thing.
Whenever I spend a long day on the bike, I can feel where I’ll be sore in the coming days. Typically, my shoulders feel tight and, occasionally, my legs feel as though they’re going to fail me. I used to experience tightness in my lower back after hard rides but I spent a good deal of time building ‘core’ strength to reduce the strain on my body.
SheCycles, Magicalia’s new project, has a good introduction to the benefits that yoga can bring to a cyclist. The piece discusses the benefits that a regular yoga routine can bring to a cyclist and illustrates how these benefits will help later in life. The entry seems to be the first in a series so it looks worthy of a return visit.
Source: SheCycles
Marzocchi suspension technology has long been at the forefront of the ‘freeride’ scene — partly because the other majors dropped the ball early in the game, but more because Marzocchi forks in the field were very reliable and low maintenance. I’ve owned my fair share of Marzocchi forks, starting with the old Z2 Bomber and moving on up to the superb 2002 Monster T and have been more than happy with the products’ performance.
Marzocchi recognized that Canada, and specifically British Columbia, plays an important role in maintaining the ‘mythos’ of the company and recently opened a Marzocchi Canada service centre. Marzocchi-equipped cyclists can visit the centre to purchase Marz-related gear and, more importantly, have their fork serviced. NSMB.com has an interview with Marzocchi Canada General Manager James Durand that gives some insight into the company's motivation for moving into this market.
So the question is this: Is this the beginning of a trend towards ‘personalized’ factory service centres for mountain bike products? Can I expect to see a similar Manitou / Answer service centre set up shop some time soon?
Aside: The Marzocchi guys gave me some great service up at Whistler a few weeks back. Somehow, a bolt worked its way out of my fork’s upper crown and I asked which bolt I could reposition to keep the fork safe. The guys spent a few minutes digging around and came back with the proper part for my four year old fork. At no charge, I might add.
The past couple of years has seen the introduction of a bunch of female-specific mountain biking gear into the marketplace. As cycling becomes more popular among women as a fun and easy way to keep fit, movers and shakers have started to notice the potential for the biking industry. Companies like WTB produce popular female-specific saddles while larger firms like Cannondale have entire bike lines for women. Other majors in the industry are taking similar approaches to the market, and are designing and creating apparel intended specifically for women.
In this vein, UK-based publisher Magicalia has launched SheCycles, a website devoted to women’s cycling. Magicalia is responsible for the popular mountain bike website BikeMagic.
Sterling Lorence’s name is bound to come up whenever someone’s talking about photography and mountain biking. Lorence has work published in most major industry magazines, and most of the big name advertisers have at least one piece shot by Lorence.
You can view a bunch of Lorence’s work at his website. While I’m not a huge fan of menus that disappear when you move off of them, Lorence’s site works as a display piece for his past work. Check it out, and be sure to watch the introductory animation a few times. Good stuff.
Source: Sterling Lorence
BikeMagic has a little writeup about some of the new 2006 RockShox forks. The article focuses on the lower end of the RockShox lineup, detailing the specs of the Tora and the Recon, which replace the Pilot and the Duke respectively.
Each of the new forks will be available in a number of different configurations, hitting the lower-end price points that the Reba, Pike, and Boxxer don’t meet. The highest-priced versions of these new forks feature many of the same characteristics found in their higher-priced siblings.