The StormCruiser is a all-encompassing iPhone mounting system for bicycles (or anything with bars), and the kit includes a heavy-duty handlebar mount and a protective case for the iPhone 4/4S for a reasonable $50. The rugged case is water and dust proof, and provides protection for your precious and expensive commodity, and the mount fits a wide range of bike and motorsport bars with diameters less than 1 1/8 inches. When the system is mounted on your handlebars, you can use your iPhone for cycling GPS apps and normal mobile and music usage, greatly extending your smartphones functionality, right at your fingertips.

Mount
The mount and case are made from a tough high-impact resistant plastic, for excellent protection and robustness. The mounting system consists of the handlebar clamp, and a swivel ball mount and lock nut. The clamp comes with two pieces of padding, which protects the bars, offers diameter fine-tuning and keeps things from moving around. The clamp’s clamshell design is pretty simple, and it squeezes down onto the bars using two large screws, and the two halves are kept in place with an alignment groove. Once the clamp is on the bars and tightened down sufficiently, insert the ball mount with its lock nut into the clamp’s socket, and tighten everything down. The clamp is fairly wide, so you might have trouble squeezing it between the stem and where you handlebars rise or bend starts, and in addition, where the oversized diameter section changes sizing. Fiddling with the padding, getting the screws engaged and the groove aligned is painful, and it was not my favorite clamp system to use, and it certainly isn’t easily removable for swapping on and off. Once the clamp is in position, and the screws are cranked down, it never budged out of place, and it provided a rock-solid platform.

Case
Installing the iPhone in the case is an extremely easy task, and only requires opening the case, plopping the iPhone in (oriented properly), shutting the case and snapping the two clasps closed. Simple is as simple does! The bottom of the base and the top of the swivel mount, have a three-pronged interface, which wasn’t overly tough to engage, and only required a simple tap to get it on and off. On rare occasions while doing hike-a-biking and just moving the bike around, I would accidentally hit the case, and it would partially come out of the mount. Fortunately, it never gave me any issues while riding. To adjust the case’s orientation on the mount, just loosen the lock nut, and move the case around to its desired location, and then tighten it down. Once it was cranked down, I didn’t have any movement issues, and it was sufficiency stable.

I found the case’s touchscreen a bit thick and floppy, and it takes some additional effort to get the icons to work, as they can be less responsive and sometimes not work, and overall I didn’t like the tactile feel of the screen. I didn’t find the screen too glossy or shiny, and it worked fine in any light, and didn’t give me any glare issues. Although the side and top buttons felt squishy and soft, they functioned properly, although there was no button to turn the vibrate mode on/off?  One great features of the case besides being able to quickly snap it off the mount, is that you can easily pop the phone out of it to use it in a normal manner, since the two side claps were simple to open. Some issues that I had with the case besides the screens dull tactile feel, was the earphone port was deeply recessed and not all plugs would connect properly, and the case was bulbous and fat, so it wasn’t a very pocketable case for carrying around.

Measured Specs:

• Mount weight – 69 grams
• Case weight – 96 grams
• Total weight – 165 grams

Bottom Line
The Joy Factory StormCrusier iPhone system, includes a protective case and a handlebar mounting system, and offers a rugged and stable environment for your smartphone.  The mount was somewhat difficult to install and isn’t easily removable, but the ball swivel system allowed multiple orientations of the case, and once tightened down it offered a very stable platform. It was simple to pop the iPhone in and out of the case, as was snapping the case onto and off the mount. The case’s buttons worked fine, but the screen had poor tactile feel, and the deeply recessed earphone port didn’t work with all jacks, and I found the case was slightly bulky for everyday use.

The StormCrusier is a good rugged system that provides a iPhone 4/4S case and mount for a reasonable $50 price point, and has enough functionality and features for bicycling, offering GPS, music or mobile usage on your handlebars.

Strengths

• Durable and rugged
• Case was easy to snap on and off of mount
• Easy to remove phone from case
• Mount was secure and stable

Weaknesses

• Case screen has poor tactile feel
• Handlebar clamp is difficult to install and not easily swappable
• Earphone port is deeply recessed and not all plugs connect
• Case is fat and bulbous and not very pocketable
• Case doesn’t have a vibrate/silence button

Overall Rating: 3.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

StormCrusier Specs:

• MSRP: $49.95
• Visit the Joy Factory StormCrusier website
• 6.1″ x 3″ x 3″
• .41 lbs
• Attaches to bars  up to 1 1/8″

OGIO is an innovative designer of bags with unique styling that is infused with intelligent designs. Their bags cover the gamut of activities, including sports, work, school, travel and leisure, making for products that can carry items specific to those life styles. Their recently introduced Endurance Collection includes the top of the line and full featured 9.0 and 8.0 models, and the 7.0, 5.0, 4.0, 3.0, 2.0, 1.0, covering the entire pricing gamut from $160 to $40. Refer to their website at http://ogio.com/endurance-1 for exact specifics.

9.0 Endurance Bag
The 9.0 is constructed with high-tensile strength rip-stop nylon, for durability and light weight, and has a tough abrasion resistance base for additional longevity. The bag has a large main compartment, two long shallow front and rear pockets, two side shoe/helmet compartments, and a bottom wet/dry compartment with a 360° airflow ventilation gusset. One of the helmet/shoe compartment covers has an armored crush resistant molded EVA pocket for goggles or sunglasses. The outer top flap of the main compartment converts to a backpack system, which includes adjustable shoulder and sternum straps with a ventilated and padded back panel. The 9.0 comes in two colors, Acid and Black (tested), and retails for $160.

Impressions
The OGIO Endurance 9.0 is an excellent gear bag, with an incredible plethora of compartments, pocket and sleeves for the utmost in organizational purposes. Besides catering to my compulsive neat freak nature, this bag makes sure you never leave home without all your equipment. When you pack the bag, if you place everything in their allotted locations, you’ll hopefully won’t get out in the field and realize you forget a key piece of gear, which can always put a damper your riding adventure, and especially in regard to comfort and safety.

I used the back pocket for smaller armor, the front for nutrition and electronics and sundry items, the left side for shoes, the right side for a helmet, and the hard case for sunglasses. In the main compartment I placed my hydration pack and apparel, and anything else that seemed appropriate. Although the main compartment had a lot of volume, very large or tall hydration packs might not fit (not many match that criteria), and would need to be carried separately. The benefit of the 9.0 size is that fits on your vehicle seat without much encumbrance.

Once I was ready to carry it to the truck, the handy integrated backpack setup was quite comfortable, carried the weight well, and it was easy to maneuver through household doors. Out in the field it was simple to extract all the gear and get ready for a ride, and the cavernous main compartment gave you some staging area during preparation.

If I needed to bring water bottles, the carriers on the back pocket worked well, and I was amazed how much they stretched to accommodate a bottle.

After completing the day’s adventures, I opened up the bottom pocket for my dirty apparel, and returned everything else to their proper and allotted locations, which again made sure I didn’t leave something astray and lost. The sealed bottom compartment is meant for wet or damp gear, and is handy to prevent the main pocket’s items from getting nasty and cross contaminated. For ventilation and drying purposes of the bottom compartment’s contents, a second zipper drops a mesh bellow approximately 2 inches downward. The shoe/helmet compartments have two small drain holes on their bottom, for ventilation and moisture removal.

I have been using the 9.0 for many months, and it has been durable and has worked extremely well, and the organizational features are just outstanding. What I really like about the Endurance 9.0 is how carefully thought out everything is, and it’s all very purposeful, and is meant to carry almost every conceivable item for a bike ride, helmet, water bottle, hydration pack, shoes, apparel, electronics and nutrition. I have worn out and destroyed many gear bags of lesser quality, and this one exudes extreme quality, excellent materials and robust stitching.

I really liked the well-padded backpack system, and whether I just hooked on one shoulder strap or both, it worked exceptionally well, and made carrying the bulky and bulbous bag an effortless endeavor. It has a nice loop with a quick clip on the top of the pack for grabbing the unit, which can also be used to hang the bag, more purposeful for staging at a triathlon event.

The pocket I used for the helmet, was actually meant for an additional pair of shoes, and the designated helmet spot was a stretchy slot on the inside top of the main compartment. The crush proof goggle/sunglasses compartment was really nice to have, and I didn’t have to worry about accidentally harming a set of eyewear, especially when bags get tossed around or stacked with other items in a vehicle.

There are so many nooks and crannies, pockets and slots, that just about anything of small to average size can be carried in the front and rear compartments. The front pocket has a nice crush proof slot for a phone, GPS or any electronic gear, to protect it from getting banged around.

The zippers on the main, bottom, helmet and shoe compartments are large and robust, and worked smoothly, and could be cranked down hard without any adverse issues. The front and rear pockets, and the bottom bellow used smaller and finer zippers, and were tougher to pull tight if the bag was stuffed, and in addition, they had more propensities to catch, though it was rare.

Bottom Line
The OGIO 9.0 Endurance is an exceptional gear bag, which has a plethora of compartments, pockets and sleeves for the utmost in organizational purposes. I could carry my shoes, helmet and armor in separate pockets, my hydration pack and apparel in the main compartment, and various other items in multiple and very advantageous locations. Besides being the ultimate gear bag for a neat freak and one whom likes things to be organized, it creates an environment that makes sure you never leave home without your required ride specific items when they are placed in their allocated sites. The 9.0 has excellent craftsmanship, materials, and stitching, making for a long-lived and durable product. The carefully thought out and designed bag, has many superb features, and one of the most exceptional is the integrated backpack system, which is comfortable and useful.It is expensive, and I do wish the main compartment was slightly longer to carry larger hydration packs, but those are little nitpicks of this otherwise superb gear bag.

The OGIO Endurance Collection’s premier bag, the 9.0 Endurance, is well made, durable and feature filled, and has pockets and organization galore, and has a highly functional integrated backpack, and just about every buzz and whistles possible crammed into its exceptional skin. Highly recommend!

Strengths

• An incredible plethora of compartments, pockets and sleeves for the utmost in organizational purposes
• Excellent features
• Integrated backpack system
• Excellent craftsmanship, materials and stitching
• Carefully thought out and designed gear bag

Weaknesses

• Expensive
• Main compartment could be longer to accommodate larger hydration packs

Overall Rating: 5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

OGIO 9.0 Endurance Specs:

• MSRP: $160
• Visit the Endurance 9.0 website
• High-Tensile strength, durable, lightweight construction
• Crush resistant molded EVA lockable armored pocket
• Molded EVA “Tech Vault” protective electronics interior pocket
• H20 resistant wet/dry clothes storage compartment
• 360° air flow ventilation gusset in wet/dry compartment
• Fully adjustable ventilated pack style shoulder straps with ventilated back panel padding
• Ventilated shoe compartment (holds two pairs)
• Expandable Lyrca helmet storage interior pocket
• Changing mat storage compartment
• Nutrition specific organization panel
• Large main compartment with additional end storage pocket
• Two insulated hydration bottle pockets
• Transparent race day/work out check list sleeve
• Staging area hanger clip
• Hide away interior zippered pocket for valuables
• Durable abrasion resistant base
• High visibility liner
• Materials – 600D Poly, 420D diamond rip-stop, 300D Poly diamond rip-stop
• Dimensions: 12″ H x 12.5″ W x 27″ D
• Weight: 3.4 Lbs.

Overall Rating: 5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Club Ride just sent me their Nut Head jersey and Car-Go Away shorts for a test and review. The Nut Head is a short-sleeved jersey, with a generous cut, which is full featured, comfortable and offers excellent sun protection, while the Car-Go Away short is a superb set of shorts, which are exceptionally comfortable and durable and have an effective waist adjustment system. All of their products use technical performance materials that have great wicking and odor properties and use stretchy material for the utmost in comfort, and movability. It’s interesting bike apparel, that encompass men’s and women’s jerseys and shorts, that are functional, and have enough fashion to allow you to wear it in a normal environment, with a sort of bowling shirt meets western flair, combined together in a nifty package.

Nut Head
Ride-ready retro style.
Designed with a traditional mechanic shirt in mind, the Nut Head is built with our RideDryWear™ stretch fabric, features functional and stylish vented racing stripes, underarm vents and breathable panels on the backside. The Nut Head features Club Ride’s Air2Flow™ hidden front zip for on the bike air flow control and front and rear zippered pockets.

Specs:

• MSRP: $89.99
• Visit the Club Ride Nut Head website
• Lightweight RideDryWear fabric
• Stretch fabric for movement
• Quick-dry for moisture control
• Air2Flow hidden front zip system
• Front and rear zippered storage pockets
• Vents in racing stripes, under arm and on back
• Media port
• Colors: Ale, Charcoal, Raven

Impressions
The Nut Head jersey is comfortable, and feature laden, with nice fashion sense, and the two vertical front stripes give it a bowling shirt flair. The full-length zipper, front flap and buttons make a functional system, for either ventilation or warmth, and the collar adds great protection for the neck from the wind and sun. The long cut is nice and loose, and with the stretchy material, and properly placed front and back mesh panels, makes a highly maneuverable and well ventilated jersey. The material is durable, and thick enough for some warmth, yet highly breathable for cooling, and has excellent moisture management properties.

The Nut Head is made from lightweight 4-way stretch polyester, that has excellent wicking properties, and the material is thick enough that it’s durable, and provides a nice balance of warmth and cooling. It has a straight cut, giving it a loose hanging feel, making it comfortable, with lots of freedom and movement accommodation. There is a mesh section under the arm pits, two vertical ones on the front (one is cosmetic) and two on the back, which all provide superb ventilation and moisture control, and excellent stretch, especially the ones across the back. It has a full length front zipper which has a flap that closes over it with a set of snaps, adding a nice fashion touch and providing additional functionality, since venting, warmth and cooling can be subtly controlled and tuned by a manipulation of the snaps and zipper. Since the collar sits up high and surrounds the neck, it serves as a sun and wind shield, adding protection for the back and sides of the neck. The Nut Head has a zippered front left breast pocket, and two large zippered lower back pockets with a media port on the right one. It’s available in Raven, Charcoal (as tested) and Ale colors, in Small, Medium, Large, or X-Large, and retails for $89.99.

The Nut Head’s vertical mesh panel (2 inches wide) in the front really power jams air into the jersey, and provide excellent ventilation and circulation, and the armpit panel function as required, and they all work in synergy to remove excess perspiration. The jersey wicks the perspiration well and it dries quickly, so you never feel like you are overly damp. The full front zipper with the snap flap was extremely useful, and it was easy to tune the amount of air entry, which assisted in both cold and hot weather. You could open the flap and lower the zipper while climbing, and shut the flap and raise the zipper when descending, which help level out extreme swings of heating and cooling. The slight tight weave of the material provides excellent sun protection, and along with the high collar, help keep the body cooler and the skin safer, since it decreases the brunt of the solar rays. The dual mesh back panels provide exceptional stretch, so the jersey doesn’t feel tight across the back, even when contorted and hunched over on the bike. The panels also aid with ventilation, and work in concert with the front one, to pass air through the jersey. When wearing a pack the rear panels are very comfortable, and provide exceptional breathability and wickability, helping to decrease the typical wet back syndrome, although the cross through ventilation from the front isn’t as pronounced. On a couple of rare occasions, when doing some really steep drops and rollers, the length of the front would catch on the saddle’s nose, making for an awkward moment.

Pros

• Comfortable and stretchy
• Durable
• Sun Protection – good tight fabric weave and high collar
• Nice long and baggy cut
• Ventilation tuning with front buttons and full-length zipper
• Under arm, front and dual back mesh panels
• Massive rear zipper pockets
• Wickability

Cons

• Long front cut can occasionally catch on the saddle nose during uber steep maneuvers
• Can feel warm
• Collar points can flop around

Car-go Away Shorts
Epic performance, design, and durability.
The CarGo Away is built with abrasion-resistant, breathable stretch nylon fabric for epic days in the saddle. Featuring side cams for precise waist adjustment and a pedal-friendly, knee-length cut, these stylish shorts come equipped with a removable, high-quality Coolmax chamois liner to pad your rear.

Specs:

• MSRP: $109.99
• Visit the Club Ride Car-Go Away website
• RideDryWear fabric for moisture control
• Abrasion-resistant stretch nylon fabric
• Seamless crotch gusset
• Zippered side panel storage
• Side adjustment system
• 13-inch inseam
• Removable Coolmax liner
• Colors: Olive/Raven and Raven/Ale

Impressions
Wow, this short is pure comfort! The loose cut, which isn’t overly baggy, combined with the perfect knee-length 13-inch inseam and stretchy material, all work in synergy for a comfortable and highly maneuverable pair of shorts. You can never have too many pocket on a set of shorts, and it has a bunch of them, including three zippered ones, which I found especially useful. I wasn’t a big fan of the hanging chamois, since it didn’t fit very tightly, and felt sloppy, so I ended up swapping in my usual favorite liner.

The two-piece Car-Go Away is comprised of an outer short made from 2-way stretch nylon, and a removable inner Coolmax chamois liner made from a polyester and spandex blend. They have two-hand pockets with a front drop in cell phone slot in the right hand one, and two zippered thigh and one back pocket.  It’s available in Raven and Olive (as tested) colors, in Small, Medium, Large, or X-Large, and retails for $109.99.

The shorts have a 13″ inseam (mine measured at 12.5″), which is absolutely perfect for mountain biking, as it came to my knee level. The front closure uses a simple single snap, and a nice long zipper for nature’s calls. The shorts have a superb waist size alerting system, which uses adjustable cams, located at the hip, which allow several inches of play, making for easy changes that don’t slip, as the cams lock down tight. The outer short which uses a polyester, and spandex blend, and have been very durable and the fabric stretches and undulates in the proper directions for maximum comfort. The use of two way stretch fabric, which is laid out in different directions depending on its stretching requirements makes for a very resilient setup. The main material is more durable, and it stretches horizontally, as does an upper back panel, which uses a lighter and stretchier fabric. The crotch is gusseted, meaning it has a rhomboid section of fabric sewn in, so that it remains seamless under the naughty bits, for more comfort and roominess.  The gusset stretches in a vertical direction, and uses the same lighter and stretchier material as the back panel, and that material has the added benefit of better breathability.

The Coolmax chamois liner has a very open and light mesh, which breathed and ventilated well, and the leg’s cuffs were snug enough to keep them from creeping anywhere. I found the liner slightly flimsy, and didn’t fit tightly around the midriff, as a small amount of compression is athletically beneficial. Although the padding was thick, it was too soft, and needs to be firmer to provide more comfort and protection. The main issue I had with the padding, it doesn’t have a 3D anatomical geometry, so it hangs loose and droopy under the crotch, making for an odd and disconcerting feeling, instead of a snug and conforming fit.

Pros

• Comfortable, and comfortable
• Excellent waist adjustment system
• 2-way stretch material
• Perfect knee length
• Plethora of pockets

Cons

• Chamois liner – loose, needs firmer padding and 3D geometry

This top insulated glove is an excellent cross seasonal product, and is in their prime in cooler, windier, and more inclement weather conditions, and as a backup for high country adventures. They’re extremely durable, and are breathable, water resistant, and featured loaded, which all combine for a great all-season and all-weather glove. Prepare for Combat!

They are constructed with a Clarino synthetic leather palm, with a double layering between the palm and finger, and another one at the outer bottom. The overall palm thickness is moderately light, and it’s sufficiently thin to provide a good tactile feel, while thick enough for durability, and the doubling at key spot’s aids toughness. The backside uses a windproof and water resistant material that utilizes a Hipora liner, and its inner section has a fleeced-lined backing for warmth and comfort. The outside of the thumb has a soft microfiber section, which was extremely functional for wiping up sweat, and other bodily fluids. The glove has a slight pre-curve for an ergonomic fit, and to prevent bunching during usage. The long wrist cuff uses stretchy neoprene, and closes with a stretchable Velcro strap. The gloves come in S, M, L, XL, 2XL, and retail for $40.00.

Impressions
The wrist cuff uses stretchy neoprene, and the extended or elongated design provides good coverage and ensures no gaps at the interface to your jacket or long sleeved jersey. The wrist closure uses a flexible rubber Velcro strap to tighten them down, which is easy to use with gloved fingers, and I didn’t have any issues with taking them on or off. On rare occasions, the closure would get hit, and would accidentally open, though the glove seemed to stay planted on the hands.

I am a destroyer of gloves, especially on the finger tips, but so far the gloves have been pretty tough, and I have yet to tear them. I haven’t been nice to the gloves, and have used them to stack and move rocks, chop scrub oak, saw logs, and other activities more appropriate for construction and yard gloves, and their elementary toughness and longevity have shown through. I have taken a few good tumbles and ample sliders, and landed directly on the gloves, and it did nothing to them, so I can vouch for their crash worthiness. The thickness of the glove on the fingers and palm helps immensely with the increased durability and robustness, at a slight loss of tactile feel. The pre-curve of the glove was nice, as there was no bunching of material, and it gave an ergonomic feel when holding onto the grips. The curve design reminded me of some kayaking gloves I have used, and it made the gloves fit properly when holding onto the handlebar grips.

I wore them in light snow and light to moderate rain storms, and their water resistance worked adequately. When brushing up against damp bushes and trees while riding, which always seems to get you the wettest during rainy and dewy conditions, my hands stayed warm and comfortable. In a monstrous downpour, the gloves got soaked, and eventually my hands got chilled, and although it wasn’t pleasant, it was tolerable. The cuff extension helped keep moisture from creeping into the gloves and my jacket, and was another small design feature that I liked when conditions were at their worst. The insulation and layering on the back of the glove, greatly aided in keeping your hands warmer, especially when riding at speed. Another added benefit of the thick insulated back, was that it added an armor layer, which was an excellent property to protect your hands from bushes and trees. My local terrain has lots of scrub oak, and flying along through singletrack can be a battle royal, and the backing decreased the painful encounters with branches.

The gloves provided ample warmth on moderate to chilly days, and I used them from freezing to around 70 degrees, albeit my hands got slightly sweaty at the higher temperatures. For a glove of this design, they are very breathable, which helps extend their functionality, comfort and temperature range. I think they are a great glove for cross seasons, early morning and late evening rides, and as a backup glove for the high country, or whenever inclement weather might be encountered. They are out of their realm on bitter cold days, but they were never designed for the extremes at either end of the temperature spectrum. On colder days just below freezing, I would insert some hand warmers into the gloves above my knuckles, for some added warmth.

They run small, so you need to get one size up over your default size for correct fitting. They are a pretty substantial glove, so it took a couple of weeks to break in and feel comfortable, else they felt tight. I noticed that after several months of abusive use (I am extra tough on gloves), the gloves got baggy around the fingers and the palm, so they felt sloppy sometimes.

Bottom Line
The Jett Combat Ice Glove is warm and water resistant, and shines in conditions of cold to moderate temperatures and weather, and it’s extremely durable, comfortable, and has a good tactile feel for its toughness. The back insulation provided warmth and comfort, and adds additional armor protection for trees and bushes. Small features like the pre-curve shape, soft inside, elongated wrist and Velcro closure add great functions to the glove.  After a long period of use, the backside of the fingers and palm can get baggy, and although the glove is breathable, it can get sweaty.

The ultra durable Jett Combat Ice Glove is a great cross season glove, which can be used for cold or inclement weather conditions any time of year, and is ideal as a backup for high country forays. Ice Ice Baby!

Pros

• Durable
• Warm
• Water resistant
• Easy to use Velcro closure
• Insulated back – warmth and added hand armor

Cons

• Gets baggy around the fingers after breaking in
• Can get slightly sweaty
• Velcro closure can accidentally pop open

MSRP: $40

Overall Rating: 4 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Jett Combat Ice Glove Specs:

• Wind- and waterproof protection, with a breathable Hipora liner.
• Fleeced-lined back hand for warmth
• Clarino palm for a solid grip
• Pre-curved, anatomic shape to prevent bunching

SKS is a German company that is best known for their bike fenders and mudguards in the US, but their product suite also includes pumps, saddle bags, multitools, and chainguards and water bottle cages. They have been manufacturing bike pumps for 80 years, and originated the mini pump, and last year sold 7.8 million pumps and 4 millions fenders/mudguards worldwide. The US general manager for SKS, Mark Burgener went through part of their products one evening at the Magura 2011 Sedona press camp, and I was amazed at the breadth of their line relative to mountain biking, and to a lesser extent, the commuter and urban bikes.

Floor Pumps
Their floor pumps include their 40 year old prestigious Rennkompressor, the top of the line Airbase Pro, the entry level Airwork and the mountain bike specific Aircon. I used the Aircon quite a few times at the Sedona camp, and the large stable base, and the ability to add monstrous amounts of air volume with each stroke was perfect for inflating fat mountain bike tires. All the pumps include their EVA (Easy Valve Access) head, which auto detects the valve type, whether it’s a Schrader or Presta. All their pumps are engineered and made in Germany.

Aircon 6.0
The high-volume Aircon 6.0 floor pump uses an oversized corrosion-resistant steel barrel, with a 730mm stroke, and can inflate to 87 psi/6 bar. It features a large 80mm diameter pressure gauge, an ergonomic dual compound handle, a wide stable base, their valve sensing E.V.A. (Easy Valve Access) head, and retails for $45.

The Aircon is an interesting beast, and it proves that size does matter! Most floor pumps are designed for high pressure and low volume road tires, and can be somewhat ill-suited for pumping up their monstrous high-volume mountain bike brethren. Hook up a normal floor pump to inflate a large mountain bike tire, and you’ll be stroking forever to get it to its anemic pressure setting. While a road or cross tire might require 90-120 psi, the fatter and higher-volume mountain bike tires need pressures around 25-35 psi (ballpark numbers). Enter the high-volume Aircon floor pump as the ideal tool, which has a 730mm stroke and an oversized barrel, and is perfect for mountain bike tires. It creates over twice as much air per stroke than their other floor models, so that the high-volume and low pressure mountain bike tires can be quickly inflated. Its large-diameter barrel gives more volume per stroke!

During my usage over the last season, it has been immensely functional, and topping off my extremely fat 2.4 and 2.5 tires only required a few quick strokes, and I am done, in contrast to the usual endless number with a normal pump. The very large gauge was easy to see and read, even for my old eyes; although I am not sure why it goes to 140 psi (it goes to 11)? I wish that the gauge’s range was smaller, and would therefore have larger gradations between the numbers, especially considering the most mountain bike tires only need a 20-35 psi reading. The large-volume stroke can cause some issues once you get upwards of 45 psi, as it becomes more difficult to push that large amount of air at the higher pressures, which is why the road based designs are more throttled down in their barrel diameters. The Aircon is supposed to have a maximum output of 87 psi, but I never got close to that, since it was too tough to pump very high, and none of my mountain bike tires need anything above 35 psi. I could get several of my tubeless ready tires to seat on the rims, but it didn’t usurp my handy compressor, which is still the best for getting finicky tubeless tires to pop on. The fancy E.V.A head worked nicely, and did its job detecting if the valve was Schrader or Presta, although if the Schrader threading wasn’t long enough it wouldn’t clamp down to pop open the valve itself for proper inflation. The locking lever for the head was somewhat difficult to clamp down, and tended to snap back on your fingers when releasing it, so it took some practice for usage.

The pump handle had a nice feel in the hands, and was easy to hold onto when pushing the vast amounts of air into the tires. The wide base offered extra support and stability, which greatly helped with pumping the long stroked monster. It didn’t take to many strokes to inflate a tire from scratch, making the task much easier and less time consuming. For storing the pump, the hose can either be clamped on either side of the barrel just below the handle, or the integrated hook on the head can hang from its latch point on the handle. I used the former, since I was tossing the pump into the back of my truck, and the hose clamping over the top of the handle kept it in place.

Bottom Line
The Aircon 6.0 is an excellent floor pump that is extremely well suited for inflating high-volume and low pressure mountain bike tires. The oversized barrel creates double the amount of air for each stroke of the handle, so that mountain bike tires can be quickly inflated or topped off. The large gauge is easy to read, although it needs half the pressure range and better gradation. The ergonomic handle and stable base work in a synergistic fashion for easy stroking during inflation. The E.V.A. worked nicely and easily sensed the valve type, although the clamp snapped back during release. The Aircon 6.0 is well-built and durable, and is perhaps one of the most ideal mountain bike floor pumps I have used, with an excellent $45 price point.

Pros

• Large easy to read gauge
• Wide and stable base
• Large ergonomic handle
• Well built and durable
• Large-diameter barrel gives more volume per stroke

Cons

• Hard to pump at higher pressures
• E.V.A. head – hard to clamp and snaps back on release
• Gauge number range is too large

Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Aircon 6.0 Specs:

• Visit the SKS Aircon 6.0 website
• high volume pump
• wide stable base
• oversized steel barrel
• high pressure flexible connection with EVA-Head
• Easy to read 80mm pressure gauge (bar/PSI)
• valve: all kinds of valves
• length: 730mm
• ouput max: 87psi/6 bar
• weight: 1730g

Airbase Pro
The Airbase Pro is a professional track floor pump which uses an aluminum barrel with an elliptic profile, with a 728mm stroke, and can inflate to 232 psi/16 bar. It features a top-mounted precision pressure gauge, an ergonomic handle, a heavy cast iron base with non-skid rubber inserts, their valve sensing E.V.A. (Easy Valve Access) head, and retails for $80.

The Airbase Pro is one tough hombre, and is truly built like a tank. The first thing you notice when using the pump is the prodigious weight (2850 grams), which is a combination of its overbuild and the heavy cast iron base. This sucker is rated at 232 psi, although I don’t remotely have anything that needs those sorts of pressures, but it can certainly pump tires up to immense levels if required. It is well suited for any sort of tire, from mountain to road bikes, but it is certainly more orientated towards the road side of things.

The Airbase Pro was predominately my shop pump, and I used to fill everything from my fat high-volume mountain bike tires to my higher pressure commuter tires, and an occasional road tire. The aluminum barrel has an elliptical profile, which made it easier to grab the pump and move it around. The stroke was very smooth and precise, something that is unusual in most floor pumps, as most have a sort of clunky movement through their travel. The top-mounted gauge was easy to read due to its proximity, and it was well protected, although the large range and small gradations made it more difficult to use with mountain bike tires.  The fancy E.V.A head worked nicely, and did its job detecting if the valve was Schrader or Presta, although if the Schrader threading wasn’t long enough it wouldn’t clamp down to pop open the valve itself for proper inflation. The locking lever for the head was somewhat difficult to clamp down, and tended to snap back on your fingers when releasing it, so it took some practice for usage.

The pump handle had a nice feel in the hands, and the indented finger grooves gave better grip, which helped when cranking out the higher pressures. The heavy base and sticky feet kept the pump stable and secure, and prevented it from any unwanted fall over’s. It was extremely easy to use the pump due to the precise and smooth stroke, and excellent support and stability provided by the cast iron base.  The integrated hook on the head could hang from its latch point on either side of the gauge, but seemed to work better on the left.

Bottom Line
The Airbase Pro is a great floor pump, with exceptional build quality, and the sweet smooth stroke and heavy sticky base work in synergy to provide a maximum usage factor. The top-mounted gauge is easy to read, although the pressure range and the pump’s rating seemed like overkill? The E.V.A. worked nicely and easily sensed the valve type, although the clamp snapped back during release. It is somewhat pricey at $80, but you’ll get a long-lived pump, that will be used for many years.

The Airbase Pro is extremely well-built and durable, and the precise and smooth stroke, heavy sticky base and large pressure range make for a superb multi usage floor pump, that is built like a tank and will last for a very long time.

Pros

• Easy to read top mounted pressure gauge
• Heavy, sticky and stable base
• Precise and smooth stroke
• Well built and durable
• Long lived pump

Cons

• Expensive
• E.V.A. head – hard to clamp and snaps back on release
• Gauge number range and rating is a bit extreme

Overall Rating: 4 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Air Base Pro Specs: 

• Visit the SKS Airbase Pro website
• extra long aluminum barrel with elliptic profile allows comfortable handling
• heavy ironcast foot-rest with non-skidrubber inserts
• high pressure flexible connection with EVA-Head
• precision pressure gauge (bar/PSI)
• optional floor mounting for workshop use
• valve: all kinds of valves
• length: 728mm
• ouput max: 16 bar / 232 PSI
• weight: 2850g

The kuat (koo-at) company is best known for their excellent bicycle hitch racks, and I have thoroughly enjoyed my long term time with their superb NV rack. They have slowly been expanding into some other products, and one of the most interesting items is their new Bottle Lock, which is a water bottle that has an integrated 5 foot long x 8mm cable that locks back onto itself. The cable wraps around the inside circumference of the bottle in a sort of helix pattern, and it easily snakes in and out for usage, and is very convenient since it goes into a water bottle cage. This is a great item for commuting, going to the grocery store, school, etc. The bottom of the Bottle Lock has a compartment for the keys or other paraphernalia (college memories), and it comes in White, Black, Pink and Rasta, and retails for $34.00.

Impressions
The unique and innovative design is sort of simple in the way the cable wraps around the bottles internal cylinder, and it reminds me of the roller contraption for your backyard garden hose. You just deposit the Bottle Lock in your water bottle cage, head out for a ride, and when you arrive at your destination, remove it and get ready to lock your bike. Give a tug on the cable end, and it smoothly extracts from the cylinder in a simple and easy manner, and I never had any issues with pulling it out. Once the cable is untethered, grab the keys, wrap the 5-foot cable around any necessary objects, and insert the cable end into the lock port (no key is needed). When you’re ready to depart, insert the key, disconnect the cable end, and unravel everything. To retract the cable, you turn the top of the unit counter-clockwise, and the cable slowly rolls onto the cylinder, like a helix coil. It can sometimes be a bit stiff, and you might need to push the cable down onto the roller (just like my garden hose onto its roller), but it’s not that big of an issue.

The unit is 1-2 mm skinnier than a normal bottle, so it might rattle around if you don’t bend the bottle cage inward ever so slightly. If you leave the keys in the bottom compartment on a ride, it can be noisy, as they bounce around, but it certainly makes things handier, since you know exactly where they located.

It’s perhaps not the most robust unit, and it might break if tossed or dropped a great distance onto concrete, but it worked fine on a few spills and drops that I performed (ok; I didn’t throw it a huge distance).

The 7.5mm plastic covered cable is on the skinny side, and the braided core itself might be around 4-5mm (not measured), so it certainly isn’t a high crime and theft resistant device, but for its purpose, it was adequate. I think I would combine it with a tougher U-Lock to tie up the frame, and use the Bottle Lock to snake up everything together? The length works great for twisting around a post, through the frame and both wheels, so it ties the entire bike nicely to an object.

Measured Specs:

• Weight (w/ keys) – 426 grams
• Weight (keys) – 18 grams
• Weight – 408 grams
• Cable Length – 61 inches
• Cable diameter (w/ plastic coating) – 7.5mm
• Bottle Diameter – 71.5 (bottom)- 72.5 (middle) – 73.5 (top)

Bottom LineThe kuat Bottle Lock is a super convenient system, and the 5-foot cable, and ease of usage, made for a very handy bike lock. The simple and innovative design works well, and I didn’t have any issues with durability, although the hard plastic might crack if dropped a great distance? Pulling the cable out was easy, and the 5-foot length nicely snaked around things, and snapped conventionality back into its integrated lock. Retracting worked decently, and it all rolled back into the internal cylinder in a nice helix coil, making for a compact unit that pops back into the water bottle cage. The braided cable is on the thin side of things, so you might want to back it up with a U-Lock in higher crime areas. I left it on my commuter bike, so it was always there for a ride, whether it was for commuting, heading out to the store, a trip to school, etc.

Overall Rating: 3.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Pros

• Convenient
• Easy usage
• Stows in water bottle cage
• Bottom compartment
• Integrated lock
• 5 foot cable

Cons

• Thin braided cable
• Unsure of long term durability of plastic housing
• Unit is 1-2mm thinner than normal water bottle standard
• Not the highest in theft resistance

The all condition’s mountain-bike tire, are tubeless ready with a non-directional tread pattern, and uses their tough SnakeSkin sidewalls, and was designed for dry and loose or wet and rooty and rocky terrain. The tires use their Triple Star rubber compound design, specifically the TrailStar version (High Performance Trail Ride Compound).  I have been thrashing a set of Hans Dampf’s, which roughly translates to “jack-of-all-trades”, on and off for six months, and they’re a good all around tire with excellent durability. One of the great aspects of this tire is there do it all character, and the outer knobs don’t need to be rolled over quite as far to hook up while cornering and steering. The 2.35-inch tires come in both a 26 and 29er versions.

Schwalbe Hans Dampf
Schwalbe released the sticky TrailStar variant of the Hans Dampf at Sea Otter last year, and then at Interbike, they rolled out two new versions,  a cross country oriented PaceStar Compound (harder variant of the Triple Star Compound series) and a single compound Performance series, and the tires retail for $90, $90, $49 respectively.

The tire utilizes a nylon fabric casing, and is constructed with three plies of 67 tpi under the tread, and two plies on the sidewalls. The sidewall has an additional cross-hatched Snakeskin protection layer, to guard against cuts and abrasions, which greatly increase their abuse quotient. The TrailStar is comprised of a base layer, which provides knob stability and good rolling properties, and then a medium soft rubber running down the center knobs for traction, braking and acceleration performance, and finally, a soft rubber on the side knobs for grip in corners and riding over adverse and rocky terrain. In addition, the knobs have sipes (small micro cuts) for better flexibility, braking and grip. They dropped their usual U-Block tread design on these tires, and instead went to a more “enthusiast” oriented functioning tire, that is non-directional, and easier to corner. It was specifically designed for the drier and more technical trails of North America.

Hans Dampf Specs:

• MSRP: TrailStar $90, PaceStar $90, Performance $49
• Size: 26×2.35, 29×2.35 (only 26er in Performance)
• Weight: 26er – 760 grams, 29er 850 grams
• Casing: 67 EPI, Snakeskin Sidewall on Star versions
• Compound: TrailStar, PaceStar, Performance
• Tire Bead: Folding
• Tubeless Ready on the Star versions

Testing Rig and Terrain
Although I shrive to be objective as possible in all my reviews, tires are somewhat personal, and how they react and work for me, and my local terrain, makes it all the more difficult. So I try to be overly picky, and dig deep into their characteristics, and look for strengths and weaknesses in any terrain and conditions. I tested the tires on my Ibis Mojo HD, which has 6 inches of suspension, in any sort of terrain that Colorado can throw at you. The testing terrain is predominantly loose rocky conditions, with many long steep climbs and descents, rock gardens, slick rock, an occasional smooth singletrack and lots of ugly loose gravel. In the Colorado Springs area where I ride, we have Pikes Peak gravel (pea gravel) on most of our trails, and it’s one of the most nightmarish traction eaters that I have ever dealt with. Cornering, braking and climbing can be a lesson in humility.

Impressions
After using this tire on and off over a long period of time, the main theme that comes to mind, is what a great all around tire the Hans Dampf is. It rolls well for a fat tire, is semi-sticky, has decent acceleration and weight, and great durability, especially for a Schwalbe tire, which tend to have premature wear issues. They aren’t the fattest tire on the market, but their round profile and good size, offer a wide and stable footprint to the terra firma. The tread pattern is staggered, and is very much like the rear Fat Alberts, and provides a forgiving and grippy ride, and functions the best when using a low tire pressure (22-25 psi). Depending on the molding of the tire, there may be some slight siping directionality, but I would just disregard it, and install the tire anyway you want. I ran them tubeless and with tubes, and always preferred them tubeless, as the tires had a better tactile feel and allowed a lower tire pressure to be run. The tubeless ready tire was extremely easy to seat on my Easton Havoc and Sun Ringle Charger Pro wheels, and a quick swipe of Schwalbe’s Easy Fit got them to snap on the rim (love that sound). I never had any leakage, loss of air and burping problems while running them tubeless.

Their design is break from their normal tire models, as they don’t utilize the U-block technology, which means they don’t need to be rolled over so far to get them to connect or bite. “Get up, stand up: stand up for your tires!” They only require a smidgen of torque to be applied to get them to snap into their cornering mode, and when that is performed, they have excellent cornering capabilities. It takes a few times to get used to standing them taller while cornering, especially if you usually slam a tire over deeply to get the outer knobs to grab, albeit they can still function in that manner when desired.

I have always been a big fan of Schwalbe’s Snakeskin sidewall protection, which adds around 40 grams in weight, and it has provided me with a reassuring sense of security, no matter what type of terrain I encounter. The Snakeskin fabric provides a tough armored sidewall, and I never had any flats or sidewall damage, and I tend to ride in pretty ferocious and heinous terrain, and can quickly destroy less adequate tires. The tires themselves have been robust and durable, and I didn’t experience any cracked or torn knobs, which is a definitely highlight for a Schwalbe tire!

I really liked how the tire worked in the front, and it always seemed well planted and solid, even in loose and gravelly conditions. It had good steering response, and tended to go wherever you pointed it, with a decent tactile feeling. Rolling it into corners and doing hard braking gave predictable results, without any unforeseen washouts, offering an inspiring and confident front end for the bike.

The rear hooked up in less the ideal conditions, but it wasn’t at its best, and certainly wasn’t a monster truck for traction. If you kept the bike well-balanced and weighted, the tire would pull in most loose conditions, although in my local pea gravel conditions it was less than ideal (it’s a rare tire that can). They did grind up through loamy soil and chunky rocks with aplomb. One of the issues I had with the rear was its lack of pliability, which was evident when cranking up rock gardens and rocky stair steps, in which it would slip or pop out of position. I tend to like a tire with good adhesion properties while climbing, especially in my local rocky dry terrain, and although these tires perform admirably, it wasn’t one of their strong suits. The cornering matches up perfectly with the front, for a stable and consistent feel, and the pair acted in a nice synergistic fashion.  The braking was good in multiple conditions, except for long sections of slick rock, in which their lack of stickiness made them minutely slip.

Again, being a jack-of-all-trades, it did most everything well, with no outstanding or poor characteristics, outside of the pliable issue that I mentioned. It was at home in loose and rocky terrain, although it did decently on packed trails considering the tall knobbies. The tires really shined when they were wound up to speed, and they would fly along the terrain, with great stability and cohesion. You could toss them pretty much anywhere at speed, rail into corners, fling into berms and slice and dice them. They really liked to fly, and they got me riding faster than usual on plenty of downhill sections. I got a few forays into the mud, and they didn’t slip and seemed to clean nicely.

Hans Dampf – Tire Comparison
I have recently used the following tires, and will use them as a cross reference against the Hans Dampf: Continental Trail King 2.4 with Black Chili and APEX sidewalls, Schwalbe Big Betty 2.4 TrailStar, Maxxis Minion DHR 2.4 and DHF 2.5. The Trail King are my favorite tire of the bunch, since they have the sort of properties that I like in a tire. Their sticky, pliable, fat, adhere to anything, are excellent on rock ramps and rock gardens, have tractor pulling traction (especially in loose gravel), but they can be tough to set up tubeless, and their sidewalls aren’t as rugged, and the rear can wear quickly. The Big Betty’s are pretty sweet, and are super sticky and pliable, love to haul at speed, but have poor durability. The Minion series are pliable, durable and tough, and love to haul, but are in the middle of the pack for traction and cornering. The Hans Dampf is a cornering demon, extremely easy to set up tubeless, are tough as nails and durable (for me at least), but aren’t the stickiest or very pliable, but you get the best all around tire within this competition.

Hans Dampf measured Specs:

• Weight: 806 and 784 grams
• Caracas width: 2.33-2.34″ (59.3-59.4mm)
• Knobby width: 2.38-2.4″ (60.4-60.8mm)
• Knobby height: 2.09-2.1″ (53.1-53.3mm)

Bottom Line
The Schwalbe Hans Dampf is a high-volume tire, with a rounded profile and aggressive tread, which offer a wide platform and solid foot print on the ground. The semi-sticky rubber and staggered tread have good grip and flexibility, and need to be run with a low pressure to bring them to life. The tires have excellent cornering characteristics, and only require a slight roll over to connect them up, for an inspiring and confident rail machine. The tire has great steering attributes, and offered increased control and braking, with a secure and centered feeling. As a rear tire, it hooked up in most terrain, except in gravelly and extremely loose conditions, and their poor pliability made climbing in rock steps and gardens frustrating.

The TrailStar Hans Dampf has great durability, and tough SnakeSkin sidewalls and easy tubeless installation, and preferred to fly along the trail at speed. Their excellent cornering and all around character made for a winning combination.

Pros

• Steering attributes
• Cornering
• Braking (except steep slick rock)
• Durability
• SnakeSkin sidewall protection
• Easy tubeless installation
• Great at speed

Cons

• Not very pliable
• Not sticky enough
• Expensive
• Rear not a traction monster

Overall Rating: 4 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Hans Dampf Specs:

• MSRP: TrailStar $90, PaceStar $90, Performance $49
• Visit the Hans Dampf website at http://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/off-road_tires/hans_dampf
• Size: 26×2.35, 29×2.35 (only 26er in Performance)
• Tire Bead: Folding
• Tubeless Ready

This seems to be my week to write about tools, and this minuscule ratchet is one mighty dragon slayer. It accepts the ubiquitous 1/4 inch bits, and makes inserting and extracting fasteners on a bike a quick and effortless process. It has become an indispensable tool in my armada, and I feel lost without it when I am on a ride.

The Prestaratchet is a reversible 1/4-inch drive mini ratchet wrench, and is made from steel with a plastic covered handle, weighs in at 28 grams, is approximately 11omm or 4 1/4″ long and retails for $12.95. The ratchet doesn’t come with any bits (bitless?), but they sell a chromed steel or professional hardened S2 steel bit set, which retail for $12.95 and $19.95, respectively. It is also available in kit versions, either as the Prestaratchet and normal bits for $19.95, and Prestaratchet and the PRO Bits for $29.95.

Measured Specs:

• Weight – 30.6 grams
• Length – 107mm

Impressions
The handle has a nice shape and fit, and the plastic has a slight give and good tactile feel, and don’t slip during usage, even with wet and sweaty hands. There is a knurled wheel on the head, that can be used to apply precise and quick tightening, which is handy when the fastener is loose. There is a small lever to change the ratchets direction, and it worked well, although when swinging and rotating the tool around in your hands, it would occasionally revert to the other direction. The tool worked nicely, since its small size meant you can use it one handed, twisting things on with the knurled wheel and switching direction, both easily within your fingers reach, and use your other hand for holding components, etc.

This was my main go-to tool while out on rides, and although I still brought my multi-tool for backups, I rarely pulled it out unless I was breaking a chain. For the vast majority of the bolts on my bike, I found that only needed  the 3, 4 and 5mm hex (maybe 6mm) and T25 Torx bits, so those are the ones I brought with me. I usually carry one bit in the ratchet itself, and the other three I place into a cutoff portion of the red rubber carrier that the bits came in. When I am using it in the field in this manner, I make sure the bits get swapped in and out properly from the carrier, and by following that scenario, I have yet to lose a bit. The tool comes in the handiest when you are making minor adjustments to the stem, handlebars and seatpost, especially the latter while on a ride. It has also been very beneficial when tightening up rotor bolts, as the shallow height makes it easy to fit between chainstays and forks. It’s not a torque wrench, so care must be taken when using it to tighten delicate parts, and it’s out of place for high-torque jobs, since the lever arm is too minuscule . I was amazed though at how much torque I could apply to big bolts on saddle clamps, and a lot of force could be applied for such a small tool.

I primarily use the Prestaratchet in the field, and in my home shop I tend to use my small battery powered screwdriver for extraction and insertion of bolts, and do the final tightening with my CDI Preset Torque Limiting T-Handle for precise torque settings. On occasion I will use the ratchet in-house, as it does make doing everything quick and simple. The extensions are quite useful when doing some convoluted tightening, such as back through the spokes or when something is deeply recessed. The chrome-plated hardened steel bits are well cut (much like me), and never tore or sheared any bolt heads, and have been durable and have stayed sharp without any round over. The bits were short, so it sometimes made extraction from the ratchet head difficult, especially when wearing gloves. The bit sets come with a great assortment of types and sizes, including 7 common metric hex, 7 Torx, 5 screwdriver, a 1/4 inch adapter, and 4 extensions. I really only used the hex, Torx T25 and the magnetic bit extension, so the screwdrivers and the rest of the Torx seemed superfluous?

Bit set – sizes and types:

• Hex: 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 8mm
• Torx: T6, T8, T10, T15, T20,T25, T30
• 100mm extension arms: 4mm and 5mm hex ball head, T25 TORX, magnetic bit
• Screwdrivers: PH0, PH1, PH2, 1/8 flat, 3/16 flat
• Additional: 1/4 Socket adapter

Bottom Line
The Prestacycle Prestaratchet mini ratchet is an excellent little tool, that is easy to use, and makes a fast job of fastener extraction and insertion. The small size makes one-handed use a no brainer, and the quick turning knurled wheel and reversing lever are within easy reach, though on occasion, I hit the lever, and it would revert to the other direction.

It has become an indispensable tool on my riding forays, and is also very handy in the home shop.

Pros

• Small – one handed operation
• Easy to use
• Quick fastener extraction and insertion
• Can apply an amazing amount of torque
• Indispensable

Cons

• Reversing lever occasionally moves
• Bit set seems overkill
• Bits are too short and can be tough to extract

Prestaratchet Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Bit Set Rating: 4 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

MSRP:

•  Prestaratchet $12.95
• Bit set $12.95
• PRO bit set $19.95
• Prestaratchet and bits $19.95
• Prestaratchet and PRO bits $29.95

During some winter downtime between snowstorms, I started to do some bike builds and upgrades, and I was doing lot’s of part swapping, re-installs and tweaks.  A great deal of this work involved using my shop tools, and I was really enjoying using the CDI Preset Torque Limiting T-Handle.  This clever little tool uses a built in cam-over torque limiting clutch, to prevent you from applying too much torque to fasteners, which reduces damage to components and frames, and allows tightening to exact manufacturer specifications. The T-Handle’s are factory calibrated, and come in three color coded torque ranges, 4Nm (yellow), 5Nm (orange), and 6Nm (white), and retail for $30 each. They are made by CDI Torque Products, which is a sub-company of the Snap-on tool conglomerate.

When tightening a fastener to a component using the CDI T-Handle, it will click when it reaches the specific torque (4, 5 or 6Nm), and any further application of force does nothing other than cause more clicking noises, as the torque limiter prevents any additional torque application. When using a normal torque wrench the user needs to be careful with the acceleration and force being applied to the lever arm, as well not continuing once the specified torque is reached, all of which can cause over tightening issues. The CDI Preset Torque Limiting T-Handle takes the guess work out of applying too much or too little torque, and in low-torque applications, such as the assembly and adjustment of stems, handlebars, brakes, seatposts, etc., it allows precise and accurate tightening.

Torque 101
A torque wrench is a tool used for precise application of a specific torque to a fastener (bolt, nut, screw, etc.), to achieve the proper clamping force. It was invented by Conrad Bahr in 1918 while working for the New York City Water Department, to prevent over-tightening of bolts on water mains and steam pipes.

An interesting factoid is that only 10% of the torque applied to a fastener is for the clamping force, while the remaining portion is to overcome friction; 50% for friction underneath the fastener head and 40% for friction from the thread’s engagement. Other factors that are involved, are lubricants on the threads, fastener material, thread finish, etc.

Torque is the twisting or wrenching effect, or moment, exerted by a force acting at a distance on a body, equal to the force multiplied by the perpendicular distance between the line of action of the force, and the center of rotation at which it is exerted. The symbol for torque is the Greek letter τ.

τ = r x F

• r is the length of the moment or lever arm to the pivot point (aka the fastener)
• F is the force vector applied to the lever arm
• for example – 6Nm equates to a 6 Newton force applied to a 1 meter lever arm
• units are expressed in
  • in. ozs. = inch ounces
  • ft. lbs. = foot pounds
  • Nm = Newton meter
  • cNm = Centi Newton meter

Impressions
I think that having some sort of torque wrench is a necessary tool for the home and shop mechanic, especially when dealing with lightweight and fragile frames and components, and materials such as carbon fiber and titanium. Tightening fasteners to components without a torque wrench relies on an innate ‘feel’ and wizardry that the correct torque has been applied, and it’s more of a guesstimate than anything else. When using a normal torque wrench, whether it’s beam or click type, it requires proper technique and usage, otherwise over-tightening can occur. If the user slowly applies the torque, and doesn’t force things and stops immediately when the wrench clicks or reaches the needle mark, then the settings should be close to specs. Some of the ultra-expensive electronic wrenches, like CDI’s Computorq3 (retail $720), use a solid-state electronic force transducer, which allows very precise torque application, since they remove acceleration and other factors out of the picture.

The CDI Preset Torque Limiting T-Handle effortlessly gives you the calibrated torque to the fastener you are tightening, and once it reaches that setting, you can’t apply additional force. Call it making a tool idiot proof or dumbing down? You can click, click, click to your heart’s content, and the torque limiting clutch prevents any more tightening. The tool has a life expectancy of around 5,000 clicks, and then it would need to be factory re-calibrated. For a home mechanic, it would last an extremely long time, while a shop would either send it back or replace it in perhaps a year’s time? The tool is only meant for normal right hand or clockwise tightening, and isn’t to be used to break loose fasteners. Neither of those constraints were an issue when I used the T-handles, as I always used them for final application and assembly scenarios.

The tool has a nice ergonomic feel in the hand, with a big and bulbous shape, and works the best by fitting it between your middle fingers, and cupped in your palm. The shank is magnetized, and the tip has a socket to hold generic hex bits, and each version comes with a 4mm as standard. I do wish it came with a set of hex bits, like 3, 4, 5 and 6mm, instead of the meager 4mm? I got used to the color coding, and usually knew which ones I needed for a particular task, although I wish, they had big bright numbers on them for my brain-dead days, or when I had tools strewn around everywhere. Since they only come in 4, 5 and 6Nm settings, you can’t use them to tighten something to 4.5Nm, although I didn’t find that issues since most parts generally have a small +/- range around their torque specifications. On the back of the packaging that the tool comes in, there’s a calibration certificate for validation of their torque settings.

At $30 a pop for the CDI T-handles, they are more expensive than the other small wrenches, like Ritchey’s Torque Key, but you get a better, more robust and ergonomic tool.

Bottom Line
The CDI Preset Torque Limiting T-Handle is an incredibly useful tool, allowing one to apply exact torque settings to fasteners during assembly and adjustment of frames and components. The tool is idiot-proof, and the clever torque limiter only allows the calibrated application of force, and no more. It clicks when that setting is reached, and will keep clicking without letting any further torque to be applied. The CDI T-handle is a well-made and robust tool that has a great ergonomic handle, and a useful magnetic shank for easy bit swap-outs, and is color coding for identification purposes.

It’s not meant for breaking or removing fasteners and only works for normal clockwise tightening. I do wish it came with an assortment of hex bits, like a 3, 4, 5 and 6mm, and that it had big bright torque numbers on the handles for easier identification.

The CDI Preset Torque Limiting T-Handle is a convenient, tough, and accurate tool meant for low-torque applications and assembly of bike components and frames, especially with regards to precision carbon fiber and titanium parts.

Pros

• Color coded
• Ergonomic T-handle
• Precise torque settings
• Well-made and tough tool
• Easy to use magnetic shank to change bits

Cons

• Needs additional hex bits – 3,  4, 5 and 6mm (4mm standard)
• Only works with clockwise or right handed tightening
• Not meant for breaking fasteners
• Needs bright large torque numbers on handles for easier identification

MSRP: $30

Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

CDI Preset Torque Limiting T-Handle Specs:

• Torque limiting technology to prevent over-tightening
• Magnetic shank to interchange bits as needed
• Rounded T-handle grip for added comfort
• Color coded
• Certificate of Calibration
• Not meant for breakaway or left handed threading
• Include 4mm hex bit

The new GoPro HD HERO2 has quite a few excellent features on top of its already outstanding functionality, the most prominent being the 11 megapixel sensor, which is accompanied by a sharper glass lens, both of which result in photos and videos with increased clarity and sharpness, and more vibrant and realistic colors. The UI or menu system, has been revamped, and now has a simpler and more intuitive language-based interface, greatly easing usage. The camera is encased in their waterproof and durable housing, and has a plethora of mounting accessories, so that it can be attached to just about anything. It records in a vast array of high-definition video resolutions, frame rates, and viewing angles, making for an incredibly versatile camera.

HD HERO2
GoPro’s HD HERO2 is a POV (point of view) high-definition sports camera, and uses an 11MP HD CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) sensor, which is 1/2.3″ in size. It uses a fixed-focus lens, which is made with professional-grade glass, and has an f/2.8 aperture. It can record video footage in 1080p, 960p, 720p and SD formats, and photos in several modes. It records data onto SDHC cards (not included) up to 32GB in size, and is powered with an internal rechargeable Li-Ion battery that gives around 2.5 hours of recording time. It has ports for a mini USB for computer connection and recharging, a mini HDMI and composite video for live streaming to a TV or other source, and an external microphone for higher-quality audio recording. The small and light camera is mostly made of plastic, and is encased within a tough and robust polycarbonate waterproof housing, which protects the fragile camera from impacts, shocks, and the environment. The housing attaches to an assortment of mounts, including a seatpost, curved and flat surface, wrist, tripod, vented helmet, and handlebar, and others, and usually snaps into the mounts using their proprietary quick-release buckle. It’s compatible with all of their expansion accessories and BacPac’s, and comes in three versions or kits, the Outdoor Edition (as tested), the Motorsports Edition and the Surf Edition, which all retail for $299.99.

The HD HERO2 Outdoor Edition kit comes with the HERO2 camera and waterproof housing, a slotted backdoor,  a rechargeable 3.7V 1100mAh Li-Ion Battery, a USB cable, a vented helmet and head strap (aka the jock strap), two curved and flat surface mounts, a three-way pivot arm, an assorted mounting hardware and a user manual. It’s convenient that the HERO2 has the same size and form factor as the current HD model, so the housing, mount systems, and BacPac’s are all interchangeable.

Weight:

• 71 grams – camera
• 99 grams – camera with battery and SD card
•  26 grams – battery
•  2 grams – SD card
•  91 grams – waterproof housing with quick-release buckle
•  19 grams – quick-release buckle
•  190 grams – total

Size:

• 60mm x 42mm x 30mm – camera size
• 72mm x 65mm x 46mm – housing size
• 13mm x 16mm – LCD screen size

Palmer Park TGap Trail – GoPro HERO2 720p Full Light Test:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video
The HD HERO2 can shoot in High Definition, in four video resolutions, which are all recorded at 11MP. It can shoot in widescreen 1080p at 30fps (frames per second), full frame 960p at 48 fps or 30 fps, widescreen 720p at either 30 fps or 60 fps, and SD at 120 fps or 60 fps. The 960p 48fps, 720p 60 fps and SD 120 fps allow for slow motion playback, which is pretty interesting to watch, and in addition; it gives normal viewing a smoother and more fluid stream. Each of the video resolutions is captured at different bit rates, which entails varying recording times and storage requirements, meaning greater resources are needed for in the higher usage formats. The resolution settings are done within the camera’s menu system, which is managed by its two buttons. In fact, any of the programmable features and settings can be done through the menus, allowing for the field changes as required. The camera records in different viewing angles or FOV (field of view), including an ultra wide 170º, a wide 127º, and a narrow 90º FOV, and each of them is unique to specific video resolutions. The 1080p has three FOVs, 170º, 127º and 90º, while the 960p , 720p and SD only use 170º. Supposedly, GoPro will be releasing a firmware update to allow a FOV of 127º for 960p and 720p? It uses the H.264 video codec, AAC audio compression, and a .mp4 file type. Everything defaults to the NTSC standard, but it can optionally record PAL video in 25fps and 50fps increments.

Photos
The HD HERO2 can shoot still photos in manual, self-timer and time lapse modes. In the manual mode, it can be set to shoot a single photo or do a burst of ten photos in 1 second. The self-timer mode just takes a single photo after doing a 10-second countdown. The automatic time lapse mode allows photos to be taken every X number of seconds, where X is 1/2, 2, 10, 30 or 60-second intervals. The megapixels for photos can be set to 11MP with a 170º FOV, 8MP with 127º, and 5MP with 170º or 127º.  The 11MB sensor gives some really nice pictures with a lot of clarity and sharpness, and makes the photo feature a lot more useful. The ability to do some sports specific action shots with the 1/2 second time-lapse, and ultra fast 10 shot burst, should provide for some interesting shots and more versatility.

Camera Features
On the front of the HERo2 is the power/mode button, which turns the camera on and off, and makes changes for its recording modes and setting’s menu. It works in junction with the top located shutter/select button, and together they perform all the cameras modal and setting changes. The shutter/select button starts and stops the video recording, initiates picture taking and does selections in the menu system. There are four LED recording lights, located on the front, back, top and bottom, which quickly flash when turning the camera or recording on and off, and they’ll slowly pulse during actual recording. On the back is the connection port for their optional BacPac’s, and a pop off door for accessing the battery.

The front LCD status screen displays a variety of icons, numbers and language-based data, which gives mode information, menu items and camera configuration settings.

There is a small speaker located on the bottom, which beeps during shutter and power initiation, and a microphone on the top that picks up audio. On the left-hand side, there’s the SD card slot and mini HDMI video port, while the right side has the USB and composite video and external microphone connections.

Memory/Storage
It takes SDHC (Secure Digital High-Capacity) cards up to 32GB in size, and class 4 or higher are recommended, and if you are taking burst of ten photos or 1/2 second time-lapse, then a class 10 cards are required. The SD Cards are formatted with a FAT 32 partition, which has a 4GB file size limitation. While recording, a new video file will be created once the currently recording one reaches appropriately 3. 84GB, due to the FAT  (File Allocation Table) limitation, so you will need to piece the files together in an editor to have a full timeline.

Battery
The camera uses an internal rechargeable Lithium Ion 3.7V 1100mAh battery, which is charged using a computer USB port for its replenishment, and there is an optional car charger. The battery fits very snugly into the rear slot, so that it won’t give any issues with high vibration activities, like mountain biking, but it does make it tougher to extract for swapping purposes. The battery is supposed to last 2.5 hours per charge, but it varies depending on the temperature and chosen video resolution, and with 1080p I got 2.2 hours, while 720p gave me 2.4 hours. The battery also operates a warmer, which helps the battery life in colder temperatures, and the extended service was quite noticeable on rides below freezing. There is an optional battery BacPac, which gives twice the battery life, but I haven’t tested it for verification of any statistics. I always carry a spare battery on any rides, just in case of any unforeseen issues. I have forgotten more than once to recharge the battery after use, and it’s a bummer to get out in the field without an extra.

Housing
The clear plastic housing is a nice unit, that is rugged, durable, resists contamination and is waterproof to 60 meters/197 feet. The housing is made of polycarbonate and has a replaceable front lens, and a door that swings on stainless steel hinge pins. The back door has a tough waterproof gasket and is removable, so that the optional slotted skeleton door can be installed for better sound quality, with an obvious loss of waterproofness. Once the camera is placed in the housing, close the door and hook the latch on it, and clamp it down tight. I have used the camera kayaking, and biking in the rain and mud, and can attest to its tight seals and the protection it affords. On the bottom of the housing is a two toothed or slotted connector, which attaches up to their mounting system or quick-release buckle via a thumb screw. The housing has two springs loaded buttons, which interface to the camera’s shutter/select and  power/mode buttons, so all camera functions can be accomplished from the outside. Although it’s tough, the bubbled out lens can get scratched, albeit it’s at least replaceable. The closure latch can be temperamental sometimes, and either not work or pop out of place.

User Interface/LCD Status Screen
The new UI menu system is worlds ahead of its predecessor, and the old cryptic mode and status icons have given way to an intuitive and easier to understand the setup. When I first got the test unit it had no manual, yet I could poke my way through the menu hierarchy, and choose the proper video resolution, and get the date setup. The LCD screen is where you see the current status, such as the battery level, video or photo resolution settings, shooting mode (video, photo, burst, time lapse, timer), picture or video count, etc. As you navigate through the menu system, using the power/mode and shutter/select buttons, various icons, numbers and language are highlighted on the LCD screen, allowing multiple camera options and parameters to be set.

The power/mode button moves you linearly through the camera mode screens, which include the video, photo, burst, time lapse, timer and finally settings, which allows entrance to the menu system to change the camera’s configurations. Within the setting’s menu, you use the power/mode to move through the main screens, and use the shutter/select to go into a subscreen, and use the power/mode to move through the parameters in the subscreen, and shutter/select to accept the change.  Using the combination of the two buttons in that manner, any allowable configuration permutation can be obtained.

The new UI is really nice, and makes it easy to make changes without having to resort to the user manual. It’s still a bit cumbersome and too linear in its usage, and isn’t quite up to the UIs of normal cameras, but it’s a grand sweeping change from the previous cryptic interface. I think what you see on the main mode screens when not in the configuration system is the handiest, and provides very pertinent information, such as an actual numeric video mode value and its fps, recording mode icons, along with a remaining battery count and SD card resources.

Camera Operation
Before using the camera, charge the battery if required, and insert an SD card in the camera’s slot.  To turn the camera on, just push the front power button, and it announces itself with three beeps and LED flashes. After choosing the desired resolution and recording mode from the menu system, you push the top shutter button to start the recording. The camera beeps once, and the indicator lights begin to pulse or blink. To stop the recording, push the shutter button again, and it beeps three times, and the lights stop blinking. I did appreciate the increased volume level of the beeps compared to its predecessor, as they are now loud enough to hear over environmental background noise. To turn the camera off, press and hold the power button for 2 seconds, and it will shut down, ending with seven quick LED flashes and beeps.

When you’re using the helmet mount, it was difficult to know if it was actually recording, and the only method to verify its operation was to remove your helmet and see the recording lights or status screen. When mounted anywhere else, the new additional indicator lights assist with ascertaining  its operational mode. Cameras with a more mechanical on/off lever, such as the Contour, alleviate that issue. Another point of contention, is that it’s sort of hard to know what you are capturing on the unit, so you have to use the camera body alignment, or use the optional LCD BacPak  and eventually the smartphone to Wi-Fi BacPac interface. Depending on where the camera is mounted, you can use the LCD to align the viewpoint or record a short video, and play it back to check what you were capturing, and then make any tuning alterations. Like many of the mini monitors, the LCD was difficult to use in bright light, and you sometimes had to look at in the shade or cover it from direct light for viewing. I found the additions of  the new louder modal beeps and four led indicator lights to be highly beneficial to the form factor of the unit, and greatly assisted knowing its current operational status.

Interface to Computer
To download or view the videos or pictures you recorded, take the HERO2 out of the housing, and using the supplied USB cable, connect the mini USB to the camera and the other end of the connector to a computer USB port. The unit will appear as a Removable Disk, and just navigate down to the appropriate directory (example: F:\Removable Disk\DCIM\100GOPRO) and either download or view the video straight from the camera. For faster downloads, use a standalone SD card reader, and bypass the camera as the downloading interface. The recorded footage can also be viewed on a TV by using the HDMI or composite video ports of the camera, using the buttons to tab through, and start each of the video’s stored on the SD card. The controls are very rudimentary, but the results are quite impressive on a larger screen.

Mounts
In the grand scheme of things, GoPro has the best mounting system and the largest assortment of mounts of the sport POV camera manufacturers. They are extremely functional, and allow placement in just about any location desired. The mounts, adapters and swivel arms can be set up to shoot a lot of variations, attachment points and viewpoints, making for some interesting footage. Everything fits together like a small tinker toy set, with clamping and connection done by a plastic ended screw with a nut, which are tightened by hand or screwdriver. The housing can be attached directly to the quick-release buckle or the arms, and the assortment of mounts for biking includes a seatpost/handlebar, curved and flat surface, tripod, vented helmet, and others. I predominately tested with helmet placements, which included the vented strap and stick-on surface mounts. It does give the footage a sort of floating in space viewpoint, but it was my preference. I occasionally used the optional seatpost/handlebar mount and chest mounted harness (aka The Chesty), the latter giving a unique vantage point. The “Chesty” was pretty cool, and was excellent for skiing and kayaking, where it ruled. I didn’t like it as much as most people, since I tend to move around too much, and the saddle and other things got in the way. The handlebar mounts gave an interesting perspective, and it kept the camera out of my way. The seatpost setup was less than ideal for me, as I tended to snag the camera when I hung out over the rear of the bike. The quick-release buckle system just plain rocks, and it’s so easy to take the camera on and off, as all it requires is a quick backwards push of the buckle into any of the mounts.

Overall, the quick-release buckle is a well-thought-out unit, and it snaps into any of their mounts, making it universal throughout their product suite. Sometimes this system can be sloppy, allowing the unit to flop vertically on its axis, but it be remedied by using the vibration or locking plug (aka the nose plug) or adding some strips of electrical tape on the mount’s slider surface.

The mounts can also be tough to tighten down properly without resorting to a screwdriver, although roughing up the shiny arm joints with sandpaper help somewhat. Even after doing the workarounds, the camera can creep around during a ride, or get hit accidentally and move out of position, ruining subsequent recorded footage. The toaster shape of the housing means it’s tubby, and not streamlined nor svelte in any manner, so it can get easily caught on things, and it seems to suck tree branches into its vortex! You quickly learn to check the camera on occasion to make sure it didn’t go out of position, especially after going through the trees or if your head got whacked by a branch.

Expansion Port/BacPak’s
The back of the camera has an expansion port, that will allow optional expansion packs, or BacPac’s to be connected, which extend the functionality of the camera. The current BacPac list is an LCD screen to view videos/pictures, and a battery extender. The BacPac kits come with the BacPac and an expanded back door, so that the fatter camera (camera with attached BakPac) will fit inside the housing. To install it, just hook one end of the BacPac onto the camera, and insert it into the expansion port. Pop off the housing’s door and replace it with the BacPac’s expanded waterproof or skeleton door, depending on your requirements, and you’re ready to go. The soon to be released Wi-Fi BacPac will allow live video streaming and remote control, through smart-devices, computers, etc., opening up a plethora of features and functions.

Test image courtesy of Ralph Altmann @www.RalphAltmann.de

Impressions
After using the camera, you become spoiled by the 11MP sensor and sharper lens, and in comparison to all other manufacturers, the footage has better clarity, colors and sharpness. Suddenly, the competitors seem antiquated, and the word that comes to mind is vividness. It’s like cleaning the dirty windshield of your car, and everything  just pops out in a razor like contrast. Sometimes when bumping up the pixel count into an extremely small sensor, the increased pixels per inch (PPI) or pixel density can cause noise and loss of detail issues, and the sharpness drops off, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with the HERO2. The sensor is also much better at lower light conditions than its predecessor and the competition, although the camera still has no features to change the internal lightning settings, for more extreme low-light conditions. It did well in bright light conditions, and never seemed to wash out, keeping a nice uniform contrast level. Like many of the CMOS sensors, straight-on sun will cause some vertical colored bands and flares. Pixelation was great, with a mild amount of aliasing, and some slight edge artifacts. The framing was smooth, but heavy shocks, and vibrations caused distortion. Although the colors were pleasant, they were sometimes overly warm, and the reds and yellows were especially more vibrant than real.

The improved 11MP sensor and lens also gives some really nice photos, and I started to use the photo features more often. You can switch the photo mode to the lower 8MP and 5MP settings, which do have different FOV’s (8 is 127º, 5 is 170º or 127º) , but you miss out on the stunning pictures at the highest setting.

The 1080p video footage had less jellovision and shakiness than earlier models, but I still don’t like its results when recording in average mountain biking conditions and terrain, even when wearing a sturdier helmet. The new 127º and 90º FOV options for the 1080p offers decreased fisheye and side distortions(default is 170º), but it seems to drop some clarity. When it was static or mounted as solid as possible it offered excellent FOV and clarity, but that just wasn’t feasible for average riding.

Rattlesnake Trail – GoPro HERO2 1080p

Click here to view the embedded video.

My favorite setting was the full frame 960p 48 fps resolution, as the tall viewpoint captures more of the trail, and the addition of the 48 fps really gives it a smoother look, with fewer transitions and choppiness. My secondary pick is the widescreen 720p at 60fps, which depending on the terrain and trail, offers more peripheral visibility and a panoramic field of view. I did most of my testing with 720p 60fps since it was the easiest resolution to use to test against the competition, such as the Drift HD, Replay XD, Contour+. The camera didn’t seem to do quite as well as it’s predecessor in mixed light, where the unit was going in and out of bright light to shade, although it was more than adequate, but had too much wash outs.

Blackjack Trail – GoPro HERO2 960p 48fps: Mixed Light Test

Click here to view the embedded video.

When I used the camera in the low light of late afternoon and evening, it really captured the nuances of the terrain, without any dark dropouts. This characteristic was a real highlight for me, as I ride lots of heavily wooded trails and during near dusk conditions, and dislikes coming home and finding that I captured poor footage. Once it starts to get much darker out, the lack of adjustability for lighting conditions can cause issues, since there aren’t any capabilities to change the contrast or exposure settings, but I rarely shoot in those conditions, so it was a minor issue.

Hooters Canyon – GoPro HERO2 960p 48fps: Low Light Test

Click here to view the embedded video.

Broken Hip Trail – HERO2 960p 48fps: Different vantage points

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I liked the handlebars or the helmet mounts myself, which worked the best for my riding style, and also gathered footage that I preferred. With the vast assortment of mounts, you can come up with some unique footage and viewing angles, and perspectives, which make for more pleasurable and interesting videos (meaning less boring). The Chesty harness certainly adds flavor to footage, and I did use it on occasion for variety. I have become quite lazy after countless hours of recording video footage, and I’m not as industrious and inquisitive as I once was in taking and getting unique and varying perspectives. Consider my default helmet approach as plain Jane, lacking ingenuity, but at least conveying the camera’s capabilities and the trails that I am riding technicality and beauty.

I loved the loud new beeps, as it really makes it easy in typical outdoor conditions (noisy) to hear what the camera is doing. Along with the louder beeps, the additional recording LEDs greatly benefits the form factor of the camera, making it much easier to know its status. I am looking forward to having the Wi-Fi BacPak, since the current system to check what you’re capturing is a pain (using the LCD or aiming the housing), and problematic, especially when using a helmet mount. In addition, it will allow camera configurations changes to be accomplished using a smart phone, instead of the camera menu. The menu system is much improved, but it is still convoluted and much too linear for quick changes, especially to switch resolutions, but at least the main mode screens offer excellent information, so you know the exact resolution, FOV, battery and SD card resources. The battery warmer on the unit was an extremely useful feature, as it kept the battery from prematurely fading on cold days, and I greatly appreciated it this winter when it didn’t die on me during the middle of a long ride.

I still found myself accidentally taking photos instead of videos sometimes, as the camera would roll over to that mode. It would happen when I either left the menu system after making changes, or when I turned the camera on and the buttons caused things to get out of sequence, and was quite annoying.

Using the HDMI connection, you can stream live or record video to a display (TV) or external capture device. It was nice to be able to watch previously recorded footage on a big-screen TV, seeing things with exceptional clarity, spaciousness and sharpness.

Biking GoPro HD Hero 2; HD Hero; Contour Plus comparison - courtesy of Lee Lau

Click here to view the embedded video.

POV Camera Shootout
I am going to do a full-blown and detailed POV camera comparison sometime in the next month or so, but I thought I would give a mini shootout of three cameras, the GoPro HERO2, Contour+ and Drift HD (joined later by the Reply XD). I picked some features and functions I think are important, and gave a general viewpoint on their respective qualities. High marks go to the GoPro HERO2 11MP sensor and mounts, but the competition still has other things they do better. When it comes down to it, it’s a matter of personal choice, as they all take great footage, and have different features and functions that set them apart.

Bottom Line
The GoPro HERO2 is an outstanding camera, and the addition of the 11MB sensor and sharper lens, greatly increases the clarity, vividness, and the colors that are captured. The colors were warm and vibrant, although the reds and yellows were overtly so. The new low light sensitivity extends the metering range, and when combined with its excellent bright light characteristics, it makes for a synergistic package, although it still doesn’t have the capabilities for exposure or contrast adjustments. The upgraded UI is intuitive, and it’s much easier to perform configuration settings and modal changes, with the highlight being the main mode screen, which offers a plethora of information, including resolution, FOV, and battery and SD resource constraints. The menu is still cumbersome and too linear, albeit it’s at least effective. Other additions, such as the battery warmer and HDMI output supplements its functionality. The form factor of the camera is somewhat lackluster, as the buttons are stiff, and as it’s tough to know what the camera is capturing, and the operational status, such as power and recording, can be difficult to ascertain, albeit the new louder mode beeps and additional LEDs help greatly with the latter.

It has a nice suite of video resolution settings, including 1080p 30fps, 960p 48 fps or 30 fps, 720p 30 fps or 60 fps, and SD at 120 fps or 60 fps. The 1080p mode now has three FOV’s, 170º, 127º and 90º, while the 960p, 720p and SD all stay with 170º. The highlight for me was the new 960p 48fps, and it was my favorite resolution mode, offering great coverage of the trail and smooth transitions and flow with the slow mode setting.

The photo section got a slight revamp, and can do single, 10 photo burst, time-lapse (pictures every 1/2 to 60 seconds),  and self-timer pictures, in resolutions of 11MP, 8MP and 5 MP, and FOVs of  170º and 127º.  The action specific modes of a time-lapse picture every 1/2 second, and 10 photo burst in 1 second should provide some interesting footage.

The mounting system is excellent, and the vast assortment of mounts and connectors, allows attachment and placement in almost in desired location. The quick-release buckle is easy to use and works universally within their system, although the interface between it and the slider mount can be sloppy without some minor modifications. The smooth arm pivots can slip on each other unless some force is applied to the thumb screws, usually using a screw driver, otherwise things move around too easily. The camera and housing are tubby, and sit up perched high on your head and bike, and tend to get knocked out of position, especially if riding in the woods.

Final Thoughts
GoPro has a superb new camera on their hands with the HERO2, and their excellent mounting system, is joined by an upgraded UI, and better form factor additions with louder beeps and recording LEDs, and a battery warmer and HDMI output, and a 960p 48fps, and finally two quick action photo modes. The highlight of the camera is the 11MP sensor, sharper lens and faster processor who work in synergy to create stunning footage.

Pros

• 11MB sensor
• Image and color quality
• Upgraded User-Interface
• Low light sensitivity
• Sharper lens
• Louder beeps
• Additional recording lights
• HDMI output
• 960p 48fps
• Battery warmer
• Mounts

Cons

• Housing is tubby, aka the Toaster
• No exposure and contrast adjustments
• UI is greatly improved, but still a bit slow, cumbersome and too linear
• Stiff buttons
• Red and yellows are too vibrant
• Without optional Wi-Fi or LCD BacPac’s its difficult to position viewpoint
• Quick-release buckle can be sloppy
• Mounts can be difficult to tighten
• Housing can creep or get knocked out of position

MSRP: $299.99

Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

GoPro HD HERO2 Specs:

What’s Included

• 1 11MP HD HERO2 Camera
• 1 Waterproof Housing (197′ / 60m)
• 1 HD Skeleton Backdoor
• 1 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
• 1 USB Cable
• 1 Vented Helmet Strap
• 1 Head Strap
• 2 Curved Surface Adhesive Mounts
• 2 Flat Surface Adhesive Mounts
• 1 Three-Way Pivot Arm
• Assorted Mounting Hardware