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When it comes to grips for mountain bikes, I’m a strong advocate of the various lock on systems that are available at pretty much every serious bike store in North America. However, a couple of months back, I decided to replace my worn Intense Lock-ons with a pair of low price Ritchey TGV grips. I paid under $8 (cad) for the grips, which feature a dual compound rubber and a contoured profile, installed them on my bike and set out on the trail.
The first thing that I noticed about the grips was the fact that the grip’s contoured ‘bump’ weren’t located in the same spot where I position my hand (near the outside of the bar). Over time, I found myself moving my hand around on the bar to get a better hold / hand position for aggressive breaking. This constant movement didn’t have an adverse effect on my riding but it was another thing that I was forced to think about — and it was something I didn’t need to do with the grips the TGVs replaced. Additionally, while one of the grips stayed in place, the other tended to drift inwards towards the stem.
The wear life on the grips I tested was below average. Typically, I can get between three-quarters and a full season out of a set of softer lock-on grips — the TGVs lasted three days at Whistler before wearing through to the secondary rubber compound. When I purchased the grips I didn’t expect a full season out of them, but I did expect a little more than three days worth of riding.
The verdict: The Ritchey TGV grips perform well when they’re fresh out of the package — the rubber compound is soft and easy to grab and they are easy to install — and they’re cheap enough to be considered ’short term’ accessories.
However, as soon as they get some serious trail time, the grips’ shortcomings come to the surface. The dual rubber compound — while soft and easy to grab — wears quickly and limits the long-term effectiveness of the product. Similarly, the contoured design of the grip won’t necessarily fit your hand, limiting the utility of the extra padding.
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I’ve been relatively quiet in the past couple of weeks, primarily because there’s been a bit of a lull on the announcement front as manufacturers get ready for the Season of the Bike Show (Eurobike, which is followed by Interbike). Another reason that I’ve been more quiet than normal is that it’s prime cycling season in my neck of the woods and I’ve been riding more than I’ve been sitting at my computer doing writeups like this one.
Anyways, this entry is to announce the creation of a new category on this site — the Gear shot. Gear shots will look at items that either don’t warrant a full review or haven’t been tested enough to merit a longer writeup. For example, while I could do a product review on a set of grips or a bike pump, chances are most people aren’t especially interested in a full length dissertation on something that either works or it doesn’t. Items featured on gear shots won’t receive the same sort of rating as full review items, but it’ll be clear whether or not the item under discussion is worth a serious look.
Stay tuned…
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The three models that make up the Giant Reign lineup have been lauded by reviewers the world over for their ride characteristics, component spec, and overall build quality. The Reign 1 is Giant’s top end model and is likely out of the price range for most people. The Reign 2, however, has a much more competitive MSRP than it’s pricier sibling and is well positioned to make some noise in the marketplace.
BikeMagic has posted a review of the Giant Reign 2 that lauds the bike’s overall ride characteristics while doing a great job of pointing out some of the bike’s deficiencies. Like me, the folks at BikeMagic aren’t completely sold on the merits to the consumer of the internal headset spec’d on the Reign — I’ve got one on my AC and my headset choices are decidedly limited. Similarly, the reviewers weren’t exactly thrilled by the standard quick release found on the stock fork (a Manitou Nixon) and were hoping for a 20mm thru-axle option.
Personally, I’d love to see the the Reign feature a slightly slacker headangle (or at least an adjustable head angle, similar to the Cannondale Prophet or the Specialized SX Trail. That way, riders looking for a 6″ cross country bike could have their cake and those looking for more of a ‘light freeride’ or ‘all mountain’ bike could eat their cake too.
Anyways, check out the review of the Reign, it’s a worthy read.
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It gets really nice outside and I’m spending more of my spare time riding than in front of a computer. And when formal work commitments (no, this site doesn’t support my swanky lifestyle) take precedence over writing entries for this site. And I’ve been getting ready to take off for a couple of days to relax and get away from computer geeks and the Internet.
It’s the lull before the storm though — Interbike is coming and new products are ready to be unleashed upon the cycling world.
See you in a couple…
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14 August »
How tos »
Cory
I’m in the process of selling one of my bikes and the whole thing is a chore that I never enjoy. Since mountain bikes are a lot like cars and trucks — they lose fifty percent of their value when they leave the show room — you rarely get what you think the bike is worth when you are looking to unload. Combine your dashed expectations with the glut of e-mails from people who write in hacker-speak, ridiculous low ball offers, and less interest than what you were expecting and you’re all set for a harrowing experience.
You can do a number of things that will make selling your well-loved, used mountain bike less of a painful experience and more of a ‘challenge’:
- Be honest. There’s nothing that kills a potential sale more quickly than dishonesty. If you let people know exactly what they’re getting, chances are good they’ll appreciate your candour and be more comfortable dealing with you.
- Lower your expectations. All of those people out there don’t realize how much enjoyment your bike gave you and they’re not usually going to pay a premium price for your gear — regardless of how much you love the bike.
- Post ads with classified services. There are a tonne of classified systems available for selling used gear. Check them out and choose the ones that meet your needs.
- Be flexible. If you want to move your used gear, expect to receive less than your asking price. While it’s easy to bump said items up by twenty percent, chances are good that there will be less interest in it.
- Be patient. There’s lots of used gear out there. In my neck of the woods, it’s not uncommon to see classified ads that have a hundred or more bikes available for purchase.
- Keep your bike in great shape. If you are going to be riding your bike while you’re trying to sell it, be sure to keep it in prime shape. Clean it. Maintain it. Replace broken or damaged parts right away.
- Don’t sell your bike in the off season. If you want to generate real interest try to sell your bike in mid-season when more people are actually riding, especially the ‘fair weather’ riders who enjoy the sport but don’t enjoy riding in rain, mud, or snow. Also, these people are more likely to be in the used bike market.
- Look at consignment stores. Consignment stores usually take a fixed percentage of the final sale value for your bike. The benefit of this system is that you don’t need to do anything more than bring your bike in — the consignment shop will do the rest and let you know once your bike has sold.
While this is by no means an exhaustive list, it should help you out when you do decide to unload that cherished oldie that (hopefully) has given you many hours of enjoyment.
Update (8 December 2005): My bike has finally sold. I ended up parting it out and came up with about what I expected I’d get back when I started this ordeal. Luckily, I was able to be patient, hold on for the right price, and ride it out until I found a buyer.
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13 August »
Events »
Cory
“My guy” spent much of his time up at Crankworx collecting great video footage of the event and did a great job doing so. While he was able to grab a sneak peek of the 2006 Brodie Nemesis, an event as hectic (and packed) as Crankworx is best covered by a bunch of people.
In this vein of thought, NSMB.com posted a couple of articles about the goods they saw on display this past week at Crankworx. First up from the NSMB crew is a write up on the new components that were on display at the festival. Of special note in this writeup are the chrome-plated El Caminos that were sported by Slopestyle runner-up Darren Berrecloth, the 2006 Rock Shox World Cup, and a prototype DH brake from Hayes Disc Brakes.
Also, NSMB has some great shots of a bunch of 2006 bikes. Featured in their article are new Konas, Rocky Mountains, Brodies, Norcos, and more! Check each of the articles out for some great photos and good product writeups.
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12 August »
Events »
Cory
I promise this is the last entry devoted to Crankworx 2005 until next year. The events ended this past Sunday and I was just given some footage covering many of the events (please right click and save) up there. For all of you who have never been up to the Whistler Bike Park, this video gives you an idea about what you’re missing. And don’t worry, the rider featured in the last section (Kyle Strait) is ok — he walked away from the crash.
To view the video, you’ll need to have Quicktime 7 installed on your computer. If I knew how to convert the file back to an older version of Quicktime I would but, unfortunately, video manipulation is not my forte. If you’re interested in downloading a version of the video clip with a much higher resolution, drop me a line and I’ll hook you up.
Note : Most of the content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons License. However, the contents of the Crankworx 2005 video do not fall under CCL licensing. All footage is property of Brent Tahk and can not be resold, reused, or redistributed without the written permission of Brent Tahk. The music is from Juno Reactor’s Labyrinth.
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For many mountain bikers, the name ‘Whistler‘ is synonymous with the Whistler Bike Park, a lift-accessed playground with over 200km of biking trails and over 1200 meters of vertical gain / loss (depending on your point of view).
Every August, Intrawest hosts the Crankworx Mountain Bike Festival, an event that draws the attention of plenty of industry folks, racers, and spectators. What’s often forgotten in the mix is the fact that Whistler and its surrounding area is studded with other world-class trails like Comfortably Numb and A River Runs Through It.
Anyways, Marla Streb — who took first place in her category at the Garbonzo Enduro DH held during Crankworx — just posted an entry on her site about riding some of Whistler’s ‘other trails’. Check it out because it’s well worth the read and it gives those of you who aren’t locals a better idea about what riding in this place called British Columbia is like.
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Brodie is a small bike company based in Vancouver, BC. The company builds mountain bikes like the Demon, Diablo, Devo, and the Holeshot. This year at Crankworx, Brodie had a display tent in Whistler Village with a new mountain bike frame on display. For 2006, the Brodie Nemesis is set to make an entry into the ‘new school’ of trail riding.
Basically, the Nemesis is an overbuilt 4x bike that can handle the big hits and plenty of style. The bike’s 4.6″ (117mm) worth of travel is taken care of by an air shock with a 2″ stroke (200mm eye-to-eye). With a relatively low leverage ratio (2.34:1), the bike allows users to run lower air pressure to achieve a relatively plush ride and have more adjustability on the rebound front. The Nemesis is built around a 130mm thru-axle fork and features a 69 degree head angle — which is perfect for the trails in southwestern British Columbia.
Expect to see it at your local dealer in October with an MSRP of about $2400 (cad), depending on the final build. Also, the Nemesis will be available as a frame-only option for those of you looking to put together your own build.
Update (4 September 2005): Pinkbike.com has some sneak peeks at a couple of bikes from the 2006 Brodie lineup.
The Brodie Miscreant is tailor made for riders who spend more time at their local bike parks and riding urban than on the trails. The Brodie Awl is a trail bike that is burly enough to deal with speedy, technical descents but remains light enough to pedal for much of the day. Check out the catalogue shots on Pinkbike to get a better feel for the bikes — they look very sharp.
Update (20 September 2005): At Expocycle 2005, Brodie had more members of their 2006 lineup on display.
The street and jump focused Brodie Cretin is spec’d with a decent range of parts and has an MSRP of $1399 (cad). The single speed Heathen looks set to take the urban scene and bowls by storm. Spec’d with solid componentry (and ready to take a derailleur if need be), the Heathen has an MSRP of $1099 (cad).
The Brodie Holeshot has always been a favourite of mine and, if I didn’t love riding a full-suspension trail bike so much, the Holeshot frame is one that I’d place at or near the top of my list. While I’m not a huge fan of the crazy colour scheme that Brodie chose for this year’s Holeshot, it still looks like a solid, multipurpose frame.
For the full suspension crowd, the Brodie Diablo makes another appearance in 2006. Along with the Devo, the Diablo has been a popular bike in my area for some time. With an MSRP of $2799 (cad) and a parts kit featuring SRAM, Truvativ, Marzocchi, and Sun components, the Diablo looks set to be a solid performer for another year.
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Bike Magazine posted yet another stellar review on their website, this time for the Jamis Dakar XLT 2.0. The XLT 2.0 is second from the top in the Jamis ‘all mountain’ lineup and, for a $2300 (USD) bike, it has an amazing parts spec. The XLT is one of those bikes that seems to be marketed to the all day enthusiast who pedals up the mountain but doesn’t want to be slowed down too much by steep angles on the way down.
One observation I have for the XLT 2.0 is the fact that it comes spec’d with an internal-cup type headset. While the internal-style headsets make frames look sharper and allow them to achieve a lower stack height, I’m not a fan of these things because they prevent you from using many of the exceptional aftermarket headsets without a pair of headset adapters. What makes things worse is that their use typically voids your warranty for head tube related failure. I only mention this because I ran into the same issue with my Giant AC. Now I have a Chris King headset collecting dust and a cheapo FSA set wearing out every six months…
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