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14 May »
Reviews »
Cory
Dan just posted an update to his early review of the 2006 Cannondale Rush; it concerns a seal problem on the Fox RP3 rear shock that affects certain production dates. Be sure to look into it with your local Cannondale dealer and make sure you don’t have any air pressure issues during your next endurance event or epic ride.
And just so you know that the Rush is a capable performer on the endurance scene despite the problem mentioned above, check out Jeff Kerkove’s recap of the 12 Hours of Sugar Creek. Carl Buchanan raced the same event, and has another good writeup about the event.
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1 May »
Reviews »
Cory
The Fox 36 is one of the most heavily hyped suspension products to come out for mountain bikes in years. Since it was first released last year reviewers from major publications and smaller web-based outlets alike heaped praise on the fork for its stiffness, adjustability, and overall performance. Despite its high price tag, the 36 was hailed as a high water mark for mountain bikers.
Back in February, I posted up some thoughts on the 2006 Fox 36 TALAS RC2, and I was quite taken by the way the fork looked and worked. I thought highly of the 36’s broad range of adjustments, the stiffness of the fork, the general ‘feel’ it provided on the trail.
So, did a couple of months of change my opinion of the 36? The answer is a straight-forward, ‘Sort of’… Read the rest of this entry »
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24 April »
Reviews »
Denise
Back in early March, I posted up my first impressions of North Shore Racks’ four-bike receiver-hitch mount rack. I really liked how easy it was to load and unload bikes, and that any bikes loaded onto the rack were held firmly in place while my vehicle was moving down the road. Since that first writeup, I’ve had a bunch of time to use the rack in all conditions and to get a feel for its strengths and its limitations. Read the rest of this entry »
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18 April »
Reviews »
Ashwin
I’ve been messing around with several different forks on my full suspension mountain bike for the past while and this writeup summarizes my take on the different forks. The three forks tested for this article were all Manitou products: a Black Super, a Black 80 SPV, a 100 Minute 2:00.
Keep in mind that this comparison was made with me doing the riding that I do, which is primarily cross country and cross country racing. Read the rest of this entry »
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9 April »
Reviews »
Cory
Note: The Maestro bikes that are available in 2006 to consumers living in Europe and Australia are the same as the 2005 North American models.
When Giant first introduced their Maestro-equipped bikes to the media and general public, riders loved the way the general level of performance of the entire line. After cutting through all of the marketing hype, many folks decided that Giant had indeed delivered a suspension that performed as advertised.
The first three Maestro models — Faith, Reign, Trance — were joined this year by the Anthem, a dedicated 3.5″ cross country racer that replaces the venerable NRS race bike, and the Glory, a full on downhill rig with plenty of travel.
Also for 2006, Giant made a couple of changes to the general frame design, the most significant of which was the replacement of the earlier, rather complicated shock mount area with a simpler, cleaner option that pierces the downtube. Giant also relaxed the head angle on the Trance by a little bit, responding to criticisms from riders and helping consumers differentiate between the xc-focused Anthem and the trail-leaning Trance.
The Trance, identified by Giant as a trail bike, is a versatile ride that offers 110mm (4.2″) of rear wheel travel. It was designed around a 110mm travel fork, but many riders (including myself) are running forks that have a little more travel to make things more comfortable on the way down. Most people should easily be able to build up a complete bike to between 27 and 30 pounds, depending on personal preference and budget. 2005 was the first production year for the Trance and the bike was made available in four different versions, starting with the high end Trance 1 and ending with the lower spec Trance 4.
Earlier in the year, I tracked down an ‘05 Trance 4 at a year end clearance and picked it up with then intention of stripping down the bike and replacing the stock components with a select group of parts that I’d put together for this very purpose. Over the next couple of months, I rode the Trance as an aggressive trail / all-mountain bike, riding it over a range of terrain in mostly wet conditions. Read the rest of this entry »
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20 March »
Reviews »
Cory
Update (22 May 2006): I’ve finished up my review of the Minute: 04 and posted it online for your reading pleasure.
Answer Products is the company responsible for the Manitou suspension lineup. After a strong start in the early nineties, Manitou forks sort of ‘floated’ on the periphery of mainstream consciousness and stayed there until a few years ago. At that time, the company moved back strongly into the mountain bike market and started pumping out some excellent rear shocks, making noticeable inroads into all segments of the market.
The success of the company’s recently-discontinued Sherman models, thanks in part to Answer’s pioneering use of the 1.5″ steer tube, has contributed directly to the demand for extremely stiff single crown forks with travel equal to that found on double crown forks. In fact, the Manitou Travis Single Intrinsic boasts a whopping 203mm (8″) of travel — all in a single crown package. At the other end of the spectrum lays the newly minted Manitou R7, a lightweight cross country designed to fly over race courses worldwide. Weighing in at just over 3lbs and featuring either 80mm or 100mm of travel, the R7 features Manitou’s Snap Valve SPV, the standard Reverse Arch, and a lightweight crown.
Smack in the middle of the lineup, between the freeride-focused Travis line and the xc-oriented R7, are three versions of the Manitou Minute models. Featuring travel that tops out at 130mm and weights that range from 4 to 4.4lbs, the Minute forks are meant to slide into the enduro / trail market, with the Nixon taking care of the all mountain / light freeride crowd.
Recently, I picked up a 2006 Manitou Minute: 04 for my Giant Trance. In addition to having a number of features I was keen on using, I wanted to see how the Minute: 04 measured up to trail riding, BC style. I’ve been running the Minute for a few weeks and thought that it was time to let you in on a few of my early notes about the fork. Read the rest of this entry »
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8 March »
Reviews »
Denise
North Shore Racks is a family-owned business that was born and bred on the forested slopes of North Vancouver, BC. The company’s owners are avid riders who spend plenty of time moving their bikes around the Shore and to places like Whistler and Squamish.
When I arrived at North Shore Racks’ headquarters, located at the base of Mount Fromme, I was greeted by Malcolm, the company’s owner / designer, who had just finished a ride. Read the rest of this entry »
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27 February »
Reviews »
Cory
Fox Racing Shox has been pumping out high quality suspension bike components for years, but few of the company’s products generated as much hype as the Fox 36 TALAS RC2.
In October, I installed a 2006 Fox 36 TALAS RC2 on my trusty Giant AC and set out for some trail time. An unfortunate accident kept me from riding, and I wasn’t able to get a decent take on the 36 until now. Keep in mind that this writeup provides only my initial impressions of the 36 TALAS and I’ll add a full review after I’ve spent some real time with the fork. Read the rest of this entry »
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22 February »
Reviews »
Cory
Last year I posted up a review of the Avid Juicy 5 disc brake. Overall, I was impressed with the way the brake felt and behaved during the initial testing period but, over time, there was a noticeable decline in the performance of the product.
For those of you who don’t go back and regularly read old reviews, I wanted to give you all an update about the current status of my Juicy 5s. Basically, after about 6 months of semi-regular use — my xc bike isn’t my primary ride — the front brake felt ‘mushy’ and cheap and the back brake engaged far too quickly for my liking. No amount of cleaning helped and brake bleeds were ineffective in getting rid of the problem, so I ended up taking it to a local bike shop where it was noted that there was something wrong with the piston in the lever body.
Fortunately for me, parts weren’t available from the local distributor (read on!) and after a well-timed call to SRAM it was discovered that, on my particular version of the brake, the ‘hole’ that the piston is supposed to move into was bored at an incorrect size. Specifically, the hole was too small for the piston and, over time, this manufacturer defect caused the lever to seize up. The matter was resolved after I was given a new lever body under warranty.
As I mentioned above, everything was taken care of to my satisfaction and, while it was a bit of a hassle, it doesn’t change my original evaluation of the brake. I hope this helps some of you out there, especially if you’re experiencing the same sort of problem that I encountered.
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6 February »
Reviews »
Dan
So it’s a week into February and if you live in certain parts of the world there’s a layer of snow and ice covering your favorite singletrack. What’s a rider to do?
If you’re not adventurous and aren’t looking for a new thrill, chances are your two-wheeled friend becomes a ceiling ornament in your garage. Your wedge-shaped seat is replaced by a big comfy couch and your handlebars make way for the vibrating plastic xbox 360 controller.
But if you can handle sub-zero temperatures and want to keep riding your bike while others are riding the sofa, the good news is there are some great options for studded winter mountain bike tires that will make riding on snow and ice like a day in the park.
The only problem is which tires to go with.
Although the options for studded tires aren’t nearly as endless as with ‘regular’ tires, there are still many choices ranging in price, size and quality.
We decided it was time to do a comprehensive test of as many winter bike tires as we could get our hands on. The word went out to every manufacturer of studded 26” mountain bike tires and the result was impressive, with nine different tires entered — nearly every winter tire on the North American market, ranging from the $40 usd Continental Spike Claw 120 up to the $125 usd Nokian Hakka 300. Read the rest of this entry »
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