MTB REVIEWS » Gear Reviews

Tilley Airflo Review

Brian Mullin — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:02:08 +0000

I spend a lot of time outdoors, mountain biking, working in the yard, outdoor concerts, backyard parties, etc. To keep the sun damage to a minimum, and just plain keep the hot sun from frying my noggin, I like to wear hats. I especially like having a hat, while sitting around after a bike ride, when it is really nice to get a break from the sun. Baseball caps are cheap, have decent fashion sense and are usually handy, but they don’t quite give enough coverage. I have a cap that has a drop down neck protector, but it still makes you bake a bit more than a full brim hat. Enter the Tilley Endurables Airflo hat.

Tilley Airflo
I have an old cotton duck Tilley’s hat, that is around 20 years old, and it is still going strong. I prefer a bit lighter, and more comfortable material myself, and the Tilley Airflo really fits the bill. The Airflo is made from Nylamtium^®, a strong water-and-mildew resistant form of nylon, which has been impregnated with Insect Shield^® Repellent. It has a small band of mesh material up by the crown, and a soft and comfortable sweatband. It incorporates a tuck away neck protector, fore and aft neck cords, and a secret pocket in the crown. Some other benefits are, that the hat floats, it repels rain (not a full on rain hat), is UPF 50+ plus certified, and is insured for loss and comes with a life time guarantee.

Impressions
Recently, I had a very small Actinic Keratoses skin lesion removed on my neck, and the biopsy results diagnosed it as Squamous Cell Carcinoma skin cancer. While squamous cell carcinomas and other skin cancers are almost always curable when detected and treated early, it is best to prevent them in the first place. Good sun safety habits are paramount, and include not getting a burn, using sunscreen, wearing a wide brimmed hat and sunglasses, covering up with clothing and having regular professional skin exams.

I found the Tilley Airflo incredibly comfortable. The sweatband is quite soft, and the entire hat is very conformable. That flexibility allows the hat to fit your head, without any pinching spots, and feels like it sort of floats wrapped around your forehead. The hat sits a bit lower on your temple than most hats, which aids in comfort, keeps it on, and adds additional sun protection. The outside of the brim has a flexible wire to keep the brim’s shape. The sweatband can get wet after heavy perspiration, but it did not seem to squeeze out and drip into your eyes or sunglasses, so it does wick away to your temple area to evaporate. During hot weather the mesh air vents, which follow the entire circumference below the crown of the hat, allow a decent amount of air flow, and dissipate built up heat. Whenever the hat gets dirty or the sweatband gets a bit nasty, just toss it in the washer and then hang dry, and it’s as good as new.

The Airflo Nylamtium^® material offers UPF 50+ protection. The Ultraviolet Protection Factor (or “UPF”) rating system measures the UV protection provided by fabric. UPF of 50 means only 1/50th of the UV radiation (UVA/UVB) falling on the surface of the material passes through it. The Airflo comes with a very nice neck protector that tucks up inside rear of the brim. You can use the neck protector loosely draped for comfort, or Velcro it closed under your chin for maximum protection. The neck protector works wonders to keep the sun from beating down on your neck and shoulders, and really helps drop the heat quotient. Where the neck protector tucks away, the inner brim ring material is fraying slightly, but fortunately it hasn’t gotten any worse.

The hat has two neck cords (aka the wind cord), for use as fore and aft, to hold the hat on during inclement weather or windy conditions. I tended to stick the two straps up under my chin, and it has kept the hat on my head in 60+ mph gusts. It also has a secret stash spot in the crown, where you can stick some money, your name and address, etc. There is closed-cell foam in the crown to help the hat float, which I never did get to test!

The hat has Insect Shield^® repellent guard, which uses Permethrin, a man-made version of a natural insect repellent found in certain chrysanthemum plants. It certainly helps keep the bugs away from your face, neck and shoulders. It is supposed to last up to 70 washings?

Bottom Line
The Tilley Airflo (tested the LTM6IS Tilley Airflo Hat with tuckaway neck protector and Insect Shield) is an excellent hat. It’s supremely comfortable, repels mild rain, stays put in the wind, and most importantly it offers great sun protection due to the wide brim, neck protector and UPF 50+ material. The Airflo is light, washable, and easy to convert from a normal brim hat to one with a neck protector with two optional modes. I have abused the hat over the past year, doing yard work, trail maintenance, camping trips, and it has been incredibly durable, with only a slight fraying by the neck protector tuck away. Tilley’s hats come with a lifetime guarantee against wear, and my old Tilley hat is going on 20 years strong.

I sure sign of a good sun hat is that the Melanoma International Foundation has endorsed the Tilley Endurables Hats And Clothing.

Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

MSRP: $89

Tilley Airflo url: http://www.tilley.com/detail.asp?gender=m&extractBy=CategoryId&id=1&productNo=LTM6IS

The LTM6IS Tilley Airflo^® Hat with tuckaway neck protector and Insect Shield^®
Features & Benefits:
* Tuckaway neck protector shields from sun or rain and tucks discreetly away in the back brim pocket
* Repels insects
* Guarantee for life
* Insured against accidental loss (initial 2 years)
* Excellent sun protection
* Repels rain
* Ties on in the wind
* Machine washable (won’t shrink)

Camelbak Elixir Review

Brian Mullin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 08:22:04 +0000

I started using Camelbak Elixir when they accidentally sent me a batch instead of an anticipated test hydration pack. I am sure glad the mix up happened, else I would never have tried the product. I had always prided myself on only using water during rides, and I found most sport and hydration drinks either too sweet, sugary or just plain bad tasting. The Camelbak Elixir was a welcome surprise, and is pleasant tasting, with a mild sweetness, is easy to use, and actually offers athletic benefits due to its electrolyte additives.

Camelbak Elixir
Elixir contains a special blend of electrolytes, vitamins and minerals to help maintain body fluid balance, for optimal athletic performance and normal metabolic functioning. Your body requires water, and during vigorous exercise you lose water through perspiration, along with vital minerals and electrolytes. You can re-hydrate faster and more efficiently drinking an electrolyte rich water. Elixir is sugar free, so you don’t get the usual sugar boost from most sport drinks followed by the inevitable bonk. The lack of sugar also means no sticky residue in your water bottle or reservoir, so cleanup is easy. The self-dissolving effervescent tablets are suited for the mountain bike set, since one tablet per 24 oz of water works nicely for a hydration reservoir, but the tablets can easily be broken apart for water bottle usage. Elixir comes in a plastic tube that contains 12 tablets, costs $10, and comes in three flavors, orange (caffeinated), lemon-lime, and berry (my favorite).

Impressions
The product is very easy to use, just add a tablet to 24 ounces of water, and it fizzes up. I never found the small addition of gas from the effervescence an issue in either a hydration reservoir or water bottle, since a slight burp or drink took care of the issue. For a water bottle, it’s easy to break them in half, and add to the typical 16 ounce bottle. They worked with either room temperature or ice water, the latter was nice in the hot summer weather. Berry and lemon lime left the water clear with a slight haze, while orange left an orange tint.

My Wife got a kick out of my statement, “water was boring tasting”, and that Elixir’s flavor and mild background sweetness (and slight tartness) made me drink more water on a ride. I tend not to drink enough water, and it sort of forced me to drink more often since it tasted good. On rides, I noticed the electrolyte performance kicked in towards the end of my rides, and I cramped less and could push harder on long climbs. It sort of gave me an extra boast of strength.

I liked the berry flavor the best of all, and thought the orange was a bit chemical tasting, while lemon lime was fine (more lime), although it had a slight bitterness to it. They all had some astringency, which made them more palatable without the sticky residue in your mouth. The orange does have caffeine and other ingredients that energy drinks usually contain, and I found it useful during some rides, but I preferred the additional electrolytes in the other flavors. The very mild sweetness, was in the background, and left no sugary feeling in the mouth nor stickiness in the water containers.

Elixir uses three sweeteners, Sorbitol, Acesulfame potassium and Sucralose, the latter two are considered artificial. A sugar substitute is a food additive that duplicates the effect of sugar in taste, usually with less food energy. You can find reams of information on the internet on the health controversy on these substances, but in moderation they can have their place. Better fitness through science!

Sucralose is 600 times as sweet as sucrose, and was discovered in 1976 by scientists from Tate & Lyle, in collaboration with Leslie Hough and Shashikant Phadnis. It is manufactured by the selective chlorination of sucrose, which converts three of the hydroxyl groups to chlorides.
C₁₂H₁₉Cl₃O₈

Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol which is 60% as sweet as sucrose, and is slowly absorbed by the body, was first discovered by a French chemist in the berries of the mountain ash in 1872. It is obtained by reduction of glucose, changisweetness, was in the background, and left no sugary feeling in the mouth nor stickiness in the water containers.

Sucralose is 600 times as sweet as sucrose, and was discovered in 1976 by scientists from Tate & Lyle, in collaboration with Leslie Hough and Shashikant Phadnis. It is manufactured by the selective chlorination of sucrose, which converts three of the hydroxyl groups to chlorides.
C₁₂H₁₉Cl₃O₈
Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol which is 60% as sweet as sucrose, and is slowly absorbed by the body, was first discovered by a French chemist in the berries of the mountain ash in 1872. It is obtained by reduction of glucose, changing the aldehyde group to an additional hydroxyl group.
C₆H₁₄O₆
Acesulfame potassium is 200 times sweeter than sucrose, and was discovered accidentally in 1967 by German chemist Karl Clauss at Hoechst AG. It is manufactured by the transformation of an organic intermediate, acetoacetic acid, and its combination with the naturally occurring mineral, potassium.
C₄H₄KNO₄S

Bottom Line
All in all, I really liked Elixir, it was great tasting, was refreshing, easy to use, left no residue, had no overwhelming sugariness, and extended my athletic performance and recovery. The major benefit, outside of the electrolyte replacement, was that is made me drink the required amount of water on a ride (easy to drink).

Overall Rating: 4 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

MSRP: $10 (for a 12 tablet tube)

CamelBak Elixir – Supplement Facts

Specification	Orange	Berry	Lemon-Lime
Serving size 1 tablet	6 g	6.1 g	6.1 g
Servings per container	12	12	12
Calories per serving	10	10	10
Carbohydrates	2 g	1 .3 g	1.3 g
Sodium	340 mg	420 mg	410 mg
Potassium	125 g	70 g	70 g
Calcium	0	33 mg	33 mg
Magnesium	0	18 mg	18 mg
Manganese	0	1.4 mg	1.4 mg
Chloride	0	68 mg	68 mg
Vitamin C	120 mg	86 mg	86 mg
Riboflavin	.9 mg	0	0
Niacin	5 mg	0	0
Vitamin B6	2.5 mg	0	0
Vitamin B12	3 mcg	0	0
Biotin	150 mcg	0	0
Pantothenic Acid	5 mg	0	0
Taurine	100 mg	0	0
Caffeine	70 mg	0	0
Inositol	30 mg	0	0
Glucoronolactone	25 mg	0	0
Guarana seed	25 mg	0	0

Berry and Lemon Lime Ingredients: Citric acid, sorbitol, sodium bicarbonate, artificial (berry) and natural (lemon lime) flavors, sodium carbonate, sodium citrate, potassium bicarbonate, sodium benzoate, ascorbic acid, calcium carbonate, magnesium sulfate, sodium benzoate, polyethylene glycol, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, manganese gluconate

Orange Ingredients: Citric acid, sorbitol, sodium bicarbonate, natural flavors, sodium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate, sodium benzoate, ascorbic acid, sodium benzoate, polyethylene glycol, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, taurine, caffeine, acesulfame potassium, inositol, d-glucoronolactone, guarana, biotin, calcium-d-pantothenate, niacinamide, pyridoxine hydrochloride, ridoflavin-5-phosphate, cyanocobalamin

Rudy Project Sterling Helmet Review

Brian Mullin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 08:53:43 +0000

I have been wearing the Rudy Project Sterling helmet on and off since late winter, and it’s a pretty sweet helmet. The Sterling is the new to 2010, and is their top of the line road helmet from the Italian manufacturer. The helmet is a great-fitting, well-ventilated helmet that offers plenty of protection, and is extremely comfortable.

Rudy Project Sterling
The Sterling helmet has a ton of ventilation holes, 18 to be exact, so it ventilates well and really helps cool your noggin. The helmet comes with an inner bug stopper net with incorporated padding, a second full padding set, a storage bag, and a visor. I really liked the plush helmet bag, something that always seems to lack from most manufacturers, it was a nice accompaniment. The Sterling comes in 2 sizes, a small/medium and a large, and is available in an array of 6 color choices with matte finishes. I tested a size large, and it weighed in at 369.5 grams, which included the inner mesh and visor.

Rudy Project uses a composite skeleton (skeletal system and in-molded shell) to strengthen the helmet, while retaining some wildly open set of sculptured ventilation holes. The opened skeleton removes some surrounding material for increased airflow, allowing for efficient cooling. There is also a “Eyewear Dock” built into the exposed skeleton to hold the arms of sunglasses, which is handy on long climbs or when low light conditions are encountered.

Padding
The removable inner mesh net covers about the frontal 2/3rd’s of the helmet, and I found it to be quite comfortable, and I used it instead of the optional pads. Being removable also makes it easy to wash, to remove accumulated gunk. Either padding system attaches using small Velcro patches that are glued inside the helmet’s shell. The plush suede like padding was soft, and has a comfy tactile feel on the skin, and since it was attached o the netting, the pads didn’t drift. The net does a good job of keeping errant bugs from getting into through the front vents, and it can be adjusted to floating within the helmet depending on how you attach it to the Velcro pads. The padded chin strap was a nice feature, which added greatly to the comfort level of the helmet. On extremely hot days, the net can trap heat somewhat, but the ventilation holes do an excellent job of cooling things off.

I found the visor a bit small, and along with the somewhat blunt front end of the helmet, it didn’t offer as much sun protection as comparable helmets.

Retention System
The Sterling has an excellent adjustment system that uses a comfort ring along with their retention dial system called the RSR7. I really liked the RSR7, it pulled very evenly, and was easy to adjust, even with gloves on. The RSR7 allows a finely tuned fit, and auto adjusts for both height and circumference with the turn of the dial, giving a secure fit without any excess flopping around on your head. I found the adjustable side straps difficult to use and adjust, but most troublesome was their propensity to breaking apart.

I broke 4 of the adjustable strap buckles in a short period of time, so I contacted Rudy Project about the breakage issue (they were aware of it), and they sent me an updated version that was slightly beefier. The new version lasted a good deal of time, but unfortunately they also broke. I gave up, and used some athletic tape from my first aid kit as a stop gap measure. Mountain biking can be a bit tough on helmets, with a lot of tossing it on and off, getting it caught on hydration packs, etc., but a buckle should stand up to the abuse.

Bottom Line
The Rudy Project Sterling was a comfortable helmet, with a great retention system, and a unique composite skeleton, that offers strength, durability and good ventilation. The inner net (aka the bug shield) is a highlight feature, being soft and well padded, and is easily removed for a washing. The excellent adjustment system that uses a comfort ring along with their RSR7 retention dial system, is easy to use (even with gloves), and makes fitting a breeze. The Sterling features an open, ventilated design with 18 huge vents and an exposed skeletal frame, which is very trick looking (form and function).

The adjustment strap buckles are a design flaw, and Rudy Projects needs to go back to the drawing board, since it takes away from an otherwise excellent helmet.

Strengths
- Inner mesh net
- Padded chin strap
- Retention system: RSR7
- Venting system

Weaknesses
- Visor is too small
- Adjustment strap buckles break to easily
- Adjustment strap buckles are difficult to use

Overall Rating: 3.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

MSRP: $224.99

Sterling Specs
Weight:

Size:

Retention: R.S.R. 7 Disc

Certifications:

url: http://www.e-rudy.com/index_inner_detail.php?group_id=3&item_id=HL515901US

Race Face SIXC Crankset Review

Brian Mullin — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 04:19:48 +0000

I have been testing a set of the Race Face SIXC (silent C) cranks for almost 2 months now, and they have proven to be stiff, durable, have been good shifting, and are made of uber bling carbon fiber. The SIXC cranks are made with their Optimized Carbon Technology program, and have been created for All Mountain biking, so they are slightly overbuilt in comparison to the usual carbon cranks. They are strong enough for mellow freeride, but light enough to appease a weight weenie (like me) or a cross country rider.

In a nutshell: carbon fiber is a high strength, high stiffness material that when combined with a resin matrix creates a composite with exceptional mechanical properties!

Race Face SIXC Cranks
The crankset has an external bottom bracket, aluminum chainrings, carbon arms, and a CNC CrMo spindle, which is molded onto the drive side arm, and includes their spline “EXI” interface for the non drive arm. The SIXC all carbon composite arms are engineered and manufactured in their British Columbia factory, and are hollowed out, with the unneeded material removed from the core, and offer exceptional strength to weight ratio. I tested a 175 mm set in the 22/32/bashguard version (they come in double and triple configurations), and it weighed in at 752.1 grams, including the arm end covers (pedal boots).

Measured Specs (175mm):
Bottom bracket – 94.9 grams
Spacers – 1.3 grams (each)
Drive arm, spindle, chainrings – 457.7 grams
Non drive arm – 179.6 grams
Pedal washers – 2.5 grams
Pedal boot covers – 16.1 grams
Total – 752.1 grams

The EXI interface external bottom bracket system is easy to install or remove with standard tools, and has a fully adjustable chainline. There are multiple spacers to adjust for different bottom bracket widths and front derailer types, with micro spacers for exact fine tuning of the chainline if required. The bearing cups are triple wiper sealed, and the bearings are filled with Phil Wood grease. Installation was very straight forward, put on the bottom bracket, slide the drive side arm with its spindle into the BB, mesh the other arm on and tighten down with the 8mm bolt.

Installation steps:
1) Lube the threads of each bottom bracket cup, insert the drive side BB cup and tighten it to 47 N-m, insert the non drive BB cup and tighten it to 47 N-m.
2) Lube the race on the crank arm spindle, insert the spindle with its nifty guide cap into the BB, give it a few taps so that it lays flush against the bottom bracket, remove the spindles guide cap.
3) Lube the spindles spline and the non drive side crank arm threads, put on the non drive side crank arm 180 degrees to the drive side crank arm, tighten it down with a torque wrench with a 8mm socket to a monstrous and manly 61 N-m (it takes a lot of turning to get it there).
4) Done!

Impressions
The shifting was fine, perhaps not quite XTR, but pretty darn close. The gear changing between 22 to 32 to 22 was fairly sho other arm on and tighten down with the 8mm bolt.

Impressions
The shifting was fine, perhaps not quite XTR, but pretty darn close. The gear changing between 22 to 32 to 22 was fairly short, and it made the jumps quickly, even under extreme loads. I felt no flex in the system, so it was as stiff as I could discern. The simple subdued graphics were a welcome change from the usual advertisement patterns of some bike products, and the cranks had an understated and functional look to themselves. They came with their innovative ‘Pedal End Boots’ (two colors), which go over the end of the carbon crank arms to protect them, like bashing hard into rocks, which is common, especially in All Mountain terrain. They are such useful units, that I have used them on other cranks, even non carbon ones, and at only 16 grams a pair, they are light, and offer extra cushioning when banging into things. I have slammed the cranks down hard on the bashguard, and it shows minimal damage, and certainly helped protect the more fragile teeth of the chainring.

The SIXC cranks are stiff, offered instant power access, were highly efficient, with no noticeable slop. I do a lot of slow speed hard torque moves on technical terrain, which puts incredible amounts of stress into the drivetrain system, and these cranks were superb in that realm. They offered fast acceleration, and provided a snappier feel while cranking and mashing on the pedals. These cranks are currently in a category by themselves, since no one offers an All Mountain carbon crankset.

Bottom Line
The Race Face SIXC carbon cranks are pretty darn sweet, they are light, stiff and offer good shifting. I liked the integrated bashguard, the choice of double or triple chainrings, and the Pedal End Boots. The SIXC cranks are nicely engineered and manufactured, and the overbuild and chainring combination’s really fit in with the All Mountain paradigm. This is an amazing lightweight crankset, that is all carbon (outside of the CrMo spindle and pedal inserts), has incredible power transition to the wheels, looks great and has very cool bash guards for the crank arm ends. They are one of the stiffest, and snappiest cranks I have ever used. Crackalicious!

Happiness is a nice Stiff one.

Strengths
- Stiff
- Lightweight
- Arm end caps
- Carbon

Weaknesses
- Pricey
- Not quite XTR shifting

Overall Rating: 4 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

MSRP $669

SIX Cranks Features

3mm of chainline adjustability and fine tuning.
Pedal and spindle inserts are co-molded in place for a secure bond.
CNC 7075 aluminum chainrings.
“EXI” spline interface for the non drive arm to BB spindle.
Light CNC machined CrMo BB spindle is molded onto drive side crank arm.
Offered in either a triple ring set-up or Double ring with lightweight 7075 alloy bashguard.
All alloy Torx 30 hardware.
Crank bolt puller cap makes crank removal a snap with just an 8mm hex wrench.
Bearings feature our new custom triple wiper seal to better retain grease (Phil Wood waterproof grease) and keep contaminants out.
2 sets of Pedal End Boots (gray and black).

SIX Cranks Specs

Intended use: All Mountain
Size: 170, 175mm and 68/73mm BB shell
Weight: 760g (175mm 22,32,44)
Color: Matte Carbon with orange decals or white decals
Chainline: 49 to 52mm
Chainring Configuration:

22,32,44
22,32,44 & Bash
22,32 & Bash
24,36 & Bash

SIXC Cranks url: http://www.raceface.com/components/cranks/sixc/sixc/

Sun Ringlé Charger Pro Review

Brian Mullin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 08:32:55 +0000

I got a spanking pristine set of the new Sun Ringlé Charger Pro wheels in the late winter, and I have put them through a beastly thrashing, and they are light, fast and amazingly tough. The Charger Pro is an All Mountain wheelset which is available in 26″ or 29″ sizes, featuring tubeless ready aluminum rims that come with swanky labeling that screams, “Go Fast”.

Sun Ringlé partnered with Stan’s No Tubes to license their patented BST (Bead Socket Technology), to give the Charger Pro rims proven tubeless compatibility. The BST system allows rims to have a wider inside dimension than other designs, offering a wide base for the tire. The design has shorter sidewalls, that help reduce pinch flats and rim denting from running low pressures.

The wheelset comes with Stan’s yellow tape installed, and valve stems and mini bottles of sealant in the box, so everything is ready to go. The rims are 28mm wide, and use Wheelsmith double butted spokes connected to direct pull hubs, using 24 holes on the 26″ version (alloy nipples) and 28 holes on the 29er (brass nipples). The kit also comes with 9mm, 15mm and 20mm adapters for the front hub, which is really unique, since most companies offer additional adapters only as an option. The rear hub comes with standard QR 135x9mm (as tested), but can be optionally ordered in 135x12mm or 142x12mm versions.

Measured Specs

Weight:

Valve stem – 6.4 grams
Adapters – 9mm: 39 grams, 15mm: 35.2 grams, 20mm: 30.4 grams
Front- 9mm: 792.7 grams, 15mm: 788.9 grams, 20mm: 784.1 grams
Rear – 900.4 grams
Total- 9mm: 1693.1 grams, 15mm: 1689.3 grams, 20mm: 1684.5 grams

Widths:

Outside – 28mm
Inside – 22.6mm

Setup
I installed a set of normal tires on the rims, and initially tried 40-50 psi to get them to pop, but it took 80 psi for the beads to seat. (Note: this was the line in pressure, tires were only filled to 40 psi). I let the tires sit as long as possible to stretch out the carcass, and then pulled the valve core and filled them with the supplied 2 ounce bottle of sealant. I re-inflated, and shook the tire while rotating it to get the sealant up into the sidewalls. After a couple of minutes laying on each side (after doing the shake step) the tires were topped off to 40 psi to sit overnight. I tried a couple of UST tires, and they popped on without any problems, though some of the sealant from the previously installs made the job easier, and kept them sealed better (and longer).

I was easily able to install/remove the 9mm and 15mm adapters on the front hub, since they simply slide into the slot, but I was a bit confused on the 20mm set? It turns out to be a very simple, albeit primitive, process. Just place the 20mm adapter into the slot followed by the ring, then using either a 1 inch PVC coupler (my fave) or a socket, give it a good couple of hits with a mallet, and the ring seats nice and tight! To take it off, insert a 20mm axle into the adapter about a 1/2 inch, and ever so slightly lever it sideways and the ring pops off. Thanks to Scott at Sun Ringlé for the pointers on what he calls the Caveman approach, which I happen to find effective, “Simple is, is simple does.” I think it’s really nice that the front wheel comes with all the adapters you could need (9, 15 and 20mm), while most manufacturers charge you extra for additional versions.

The rear hub came as a 9mm x 135mm, but you can purchase an adapter kit for 12mm x 135mm or 12mm x 142mm, for $20 each. The non drive adapter slide off and on, while the drive side is threaded on. To install/remove the drive side adapter, mesh the adapter kit tool into the notch on the non drive side axle. Then use a 17mm cone wrench on the slot of the drive side adapter to tighten/loosen, while holding the opposing non drive side tool. It is a simple and innovative idea that allows their hub to be used in the vast majority of the rear axle system on the market today.

Impressions
They are a light wheelset (1690 grams) for their intended usage, offer excellent acceleration, quick steering, and the 28mm rim width provides good stability and negligible flex. I like the graphics and red hubs, but they might be a bit much for some tastes? I have been amazed how stout these wheels have been, and I have thrashed them through some pretty rough terrain, and they have only belayed a micro hint of flex, at the very extreme end of their usage zone. The wide rims, strong spokes, and the direct pull hubs synergistically create an amazingly low flex wheel, especially considering their weight. They have stayed true, which is again amazing for a 1700 gram wheelset, and being tossed into heavy duty AM terrain. If you are going to do huge hucking sessions, or spend all your time in freeride terrain or park, I would look elsewhere, but for anything for anything else they are pretty stout beasts! The pawl system is somewhat primitive, being the generic 24 points, but I never found it a hindrance in any of my riding, and I love ugly long climbs and technical terrain.

Bottomline
Having the ability to change (with ease) the front to 9, 15, 20 mm or the rear to 9 or 12 mm makes them an ideal candidate for swapping between the multiple bikes that many of us have gathered over time. This wheelset is an incredible generalist, and one of the best wheelsets I have ever used. Their new licensing of the Stan’s No Tubes BST tubeless system was a gold mine for them, and I must say it works pretty darn good. Saving rotational weight, really makes the wheel accelerate and turn on a dime, and can make even a sluggish handling bike comes to life. The rear hub pawl system might be a bit primitive, but it has been reliable, and easy to maintain when required. The direct pull hubs have really helped the rigidity, as I didn’t feel much of any sort of flex.

The Sun Ringlé Charger Pro is light, robust, tubeless ready, strong as an Ox, an excellent generalist for Cross Country to All Mountain riding, with an abundance of adaptability for most any frameset and fork made (outside of pure downhill). The best darn wheelset I have ever used.

Strength
- Light
- Strong
- Tubeless
- Front hub adapters (9,15,20mm) come standard
- Plethora of hub adapters
- Good price

Weaknesses
- Primitive pawl system

Overall Rating: 5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Specs

MSRP of $650.00.
Stan’s No Tubes BST™ Tubeless Technology.
Premium Direct Pull Hubs with Japanese Precision Bearings
Wheelsmith Double Butted Spokes
Wheelsmith allow nipples
Lightweight AM Wheel – 1699g / Pair
Colors – Black rims w/ White stickers or White rims w/ Black stickers
26 inch and 29 inch sizes
Front hubs are easily convertible to today’s axle standards – 20mm, 15mm and QR end caps included*
Rear hubs – standard QR or optional 135×12 and 142×12.
Wheels include Stan’s No Tubes Yellow Sealing Tape, Sealant, and Valves*

Garmin Edge 500 Review

Brian Mullin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 08:41:06 +0000

I had read about the new Garmin Edge 500 just before the Interbike 2009 show, and was very fascinated by the features of the unit. It is more comparable to my Edge 305 then the Edge 705, since it doesn’t have the 705′s maps and routing capabilities. What it does have is a lot of the newer technology that has evolved from the Edge series engineering and knowledge base, and it has been rolled into a lightweight and small package. I was intrigued by the unit, since I have found that I rarely use a GPS’s visual mapping capabilities on a ride, and much prefer the raw number data, such as mileage, heart rate, speed, time of day, elevation, etc., which, in a nutshell, is the Edge 500.

For comparison, the Edge 500 is about 2/3 the weight and size of the Edge 305. Mean and lean!

Edge 500
The Edge 500 is a light and compact GPS, that was made specifically for cycling. The performance oriented receiver, can track distance, speed, location and elevation using a highly sensitive GPS chipset and a barometric altimeter. The displayed data is highly configurable, and has multiple customizable alerts and a course feature for training. Recorded data is easily downloaded to a PC using a USB cable, and the data can be analyzed with Garmin’s training software. The receiver comes equipped with a new mounting system for stem or handlebar attachment, and uses HotFix™ technology for faster satellite acquisition. The Edge 500 can synchronize wirelessly using the ANT+™ network protocol with compatible third-party power meters, and it pairs with Garmin’s speed/cadence sensor and heart rate monitor. The unit can store up to 180 hours of history, and has a 18 hour battery. The receiver comes in two basic versions, the Edge 500, and the Edge 500 with heart rate monitor and cadence sensor.

The kit comes with the Edge 500 (obviously), a USB connector, a CD, quick start manual (in a slew of languages), USB to wall power connector (with multi country plugs), and the new mount system (which includes 2 mounts and extra attachment bands).

Features
- HRM (heart rate monitor): optional, new calorie calculations
- Speed/Cadence sensor: optional
- Power Meter: optional, compatible with 3rd party ANT+
- Training Software: Garmin Connect and Garmin Training Center
- Course: train against a previously recorded activity (needs to be uploaded to the receiver)
- Barometric altimeter: accurately calculate elevation
- 4 multiple function buttons: 1) Power/Light and Back, 2) Page/Menu and Enter, 3) Start/Stop and Up, 4) Lap/Reset and Down
- Alerts: customizable alerts for specific Time, Distance and Calorie amounts, and optional Heart Rate, Power and Cadence.
- Auto Lap: customizable auto mark and alert, triggered by either Distance or Position, repeatable, starts a new lap
- Auto Pause: pause data recording when motion stops or customizable speed threshold
- Auto scroll: cycles through the 3 pages of data, at 3 different speed (slow, medium, fast)
- Start Notice: Motion Detector, customizable Off, Once Repeat
- Backlight: timeout and contrast customizable
- History: recorded in .fit files, storage capacity of 180 hours of data , can be viewed or deleted in the field
- Storage: 50MB or 180 hours ride data
- Customizable display: eight fields per page, 41 data fields, three pages of data, 1st page critical info, 2nd and 3rd for additional/secondary data
- Battery: 18 hours, 700mAh rechargeable lithium-ion
- Water resistant: IPX7, accidental immersion in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes
- GPS: SiRFstarIV chipset

Measured Specs
- Weight: 57.3 grams (2 oz), mount 7.9 grams, total 65.2 grams
- Size: 70mm x 48 mm x 22 mm (2 3/4″ x 1 7/8″ x 7/8″)
- Screen size: 29mm x 35mm (1 1/8″ x 1 3/8″)
- Screen resolution: 128 x 160 pixels

Set Up
I turned the unit on, and it walked me through some basic configuration, such as language desired (English and Bad English), age (old), sex (Often), etc. The screens are very intuitive, and the 4 multi-function buttons which were easy to use and comprehend. After the initial configuration, you can set up the data fields that appear on the screen in any layout you desire. There are 41 data fields that can be chosen, and they run the whole gamut of information from speed, distance, time, heart rate, etc. Some of the data fields are only pertinent to the optional input devices, such as power meter, heart rate monitor and speed/cadence sensor. Another great new feature is having 3 pages of data screens with up to 8 data fields each, so you put lower priority data on the secondary screens, and access them if needed. The multiple page feature prevents cluttering up the screens with too much information, since I personally find more than 5 pieces of data hard to read and focus on. The screens can easily be paged through using the buttons, or the Auto Scroll feature can be enabled for automatically rolling through the pages.

In regard to ANT+ sensors or devices, I predominately used the heart rate monitor, and on rare occasions used the cadence sensor (power meters are more roadie specific). The devices need to be paired (synced) up with the unit, which entails enabling the device within the menu system, and then scanning for the device. After the initial pairing, the device will automatically be recognized.

The included CD is just a user manual (60 pages) and doesn’t contain any software, so you need to go to the Garmin web site and download any of the required software. I downloaded and installed their WebUpdater software, and plugged the Edge 500 in when prompted, and it loaded the latest firmware. I next installed their training and data gathering software, which consists of Training Center (locally based) and Garmin Connect (web based). The USB connector port is on the back of the unit, behind a small rubber cover (it can be a pain to slip back into its slot). One thing I really liked is that there is a charging counter, that shows the current percentage of battery storage.

Installing the new mount system was a breeze. You simply place the mount on your stem or bar (notches pointing forward), clip the rubber band on the mount’s hook, wrap it around to the other side and hook it up. The industrial strength rubber band, come in 2 sizes, and there are quite a few extras in case they get old, broken or lost. This past week I lost a band while I was on a road trip, while the bike was on the rear bike rack. I rode the unit with one band on a bone jarring trail, and it did not fall off! I didn’t have an extra with me, but a normal rubber band seemed to work just fine as a temporary stop gap.

To install the Edge 500, push the back tab into the mount’s slot to engage it, and then rotate it 90 degrees.

GPS 101
The US NAVSTAR Global Positioning System (GPS) is operated by the U.S. Air Force, and is a space based global navigation satellite system. It consists of three parts, a space segment which is 24 to 32 satellites in medium Earth orbit (20000 kilometers), a control segment which comprised of five monitoring stations (Hawaii, Kwajalein, Ascension Island, Diego Garcia, Colorado Springs), three ground antennas (Ascension Island, Diego Garcia, Kwajalein), and a Master Control station (Schriever AFB in Colorado), and lastly a user segment which is the receiver such as the Edge 500.

The satellites send out a microwave signal at the frequencies of 1.57542 GHz (public) and 1.2276 GHz (military), which includes the time the message was transmitted (via onboard atomic clock), precise orbital information (the Ephemeris), and the general system health and rough orbits of all GPS satellites (the Almanac). The signal (30 seconds long with 1500 bits of encrypted data) is encoded with high-rate pseudo-random (PRN) sequence, which is unique among each satellite. Each receiver knows the PRN codes, so it can decode the signal and distinguish between different satellites. Each of the satellites is in an orbit that allows a receiver to detect at least four of the operational satellites from any spot on Earth. The receiver utilizes the data to determine the transit time of each message, and computes the distances to each satellite using the time lag, and along with the satellites’ locations it uses trilateration (intersection of 3 spheres) to compute the position of the receiver.

Usage
To start the unit up, press and hold the Power button. The unit loads its software, locates the satellites and then displays the timer page. Acquiring the satellites is wickedly fast in comparison to the Edge 305, and it usually pulled them in around 15-30 seconds, even indoors in my house. The new HotFix™ technology uses predictive calculations of satellite positions for faster acquisition. The unit senses the heart rate monitor (if wearing one), and a simple pressing of the Start button initiates the data recording of a ride. If you forget to press Start, it then beeps and the screen states ‘Movement Detected’ after riding about 50 feet. I really like this feature, since I have had rides where I look down after some distance and realize my mistake. Press the Stop button when the ride is completed. You can save the ride data by pressing and holding the Reset button, or wait until the unit is hooked up to a computer.

The new mount system has proven to be strong, easy to use and install, although sometimes when fat fingering the buttons or accidentally hitting the unit, it rotates slightly out of position. The buttons can be a tad tough to push when wearing thick gloves, so it takes a decent push to engage them. The menu system is very simple, and intuitive, and most anything can be done after some practice. The user manual is effective, and goes into just enough detail to not be overwhelming nor too technical. It’s easy to change the data fields on the screen to any customized setup that is desired. The display shows the numeric value and title for the enabled data field, and the values size is dependent on the number of fields and positions on the screen.

I really enjoyed having the 3 pages of data, which keep the main page less cluttered (only important data), while allowing secondary data on the other pages (example: Total Descent, Temperature, etc.). The accuracy of the temperature is in the ballpark, but the readings can sometimes wildly vary. I found that most of the time the elevation reading was right within its accuracy (+/- 15-20 ft), but since it uses a barometric altimeter for its calculations, weather and pressure differences can give occasional erroneous values. You can set up to 10 known elevation points within the menu system, to provide more consistent and accurate readings. The GPS SiRFstarIV chipset has location-aware architecture and has enhanced sensitivity, reduced time-to-fix and improved positional accuracy.

I added a protective cover over the screen (like for a phone), just to save it from scratches and normal abuse. It also helps out with an overly shiny screen, which can be tough to read in bright light conditions. I haven’t had any battery issues, and I have done 6+ rides, and it seemed fine. I always seem to recharge and download my activities after each ride, so I haven’t bumped into the 18 hour battery limit. The backlight was a nice feature, especially at dusk (I am never up that early in the morning), and the timeout and contrast level is customizable.

Alert Features
You can set up Alerts for the unit, such as distance, time or calorie, and when the limit is hit, the unit beeps and the Alert is displayed. I liked using the distance one myself, and usually did it for 5 or 10 miles, and found it a handy way to remind you how far you have been. There are also some advanced alerts for heart rate, power and cadence.

Auto Features
Auto Lap automatically marks a lap (alerts with a beep and display) at a customized distance or position, and it will repeat whenever the criteria are met (like every 5 miles). I use this regularly as a marker for my mileage.
Auto Pause pauses for data recording when motion stops or reaches a customizable speed threshold. I tried this once, but it isn’t very applicable to a mountain biking situation. Frequently, you go slow on some terrain, almost to a standstill, and the Auto Pause goes on and off (it goes berserk), which I found really annoying. I think the addition of a time threshold (like 1 minute), would make this a nice feature to exclude long stops or breaks.
Auto Scroll will automatically cycle through the 3 pages of data, at 3 different speed (slow, medium, fast).
Auto Power Down is a 15 minute timer, which will automatically power down the unit, if it has not been started or has been stopped after a ride. It gives you an Alert with a beep and display, and allows 10 seconds for manual intervention before shutting down. This is a nice utility for those times you toss it into your bag and forget to turn it off.

ANT+ Sensors
HRM’s (Heart Rate Monitor) are great for training, are useful for keeping oneself in the proper heart rate zone, and when taking a breather it allows you to start when your HR reaches a plateau. The Garmin HRM comes with the full kit, or can be bought separately, and consists of an elastic strap that attaches to the flexible HRM, and is worn across the chest. Once the HRM is paired with the unit, you can keep track of your HR with a quick glance at the screen (if displayed). You can customize zones (1-5) or take the default (age related), and you can set a max and min Alert. I always set the max Alert (185 bpm for my age), and the unit beeps if you hit that mark, and when that happens you’re definitely in a hurting zone!
Speed/Cadence Meter (SCM) is really useful for indoor riding, since the GPS would be turned off, it will record speed and distance data, even though you aren’t going anywhere! Garmin’s SCM is the GSC 10, and it comes with the full kit, or can be bought separately. It consists of a pedal and spoke magnet, and the GSC 10 sensor/transmitter. The sensor can be problematic to attach to full suspension chain stays, and tends to work better on hardtails, and I only use the GSC 10 on my commuter bike.
Power Meters (Garmin doesn’t make one) are really more applicable to the roadie world, so I never tested one with the unit, though it’s compatibility with any third party ANT+ power meter on the market.

History
They changed their file format from .tcx to .fit, which is more flexible and has a smaller footprint. The file format may cause issues since it cannot be read by 3rd party software without first doing a file conversion from within Garmin’s training software. Unloading data is an easy task, just hook up the USB connector to the back of the unit, and the other end to a PC. Data can be uploaded and viewed from Garmin’s Training Center (GTC) or Garmin Connect (GC). The GTC is installed locally on a PC, and is their old school software. It has been around as long as I can recall, and really hasn’t changed much over the years, it’s primitive, albeit effective. I use it to backup my history to my PC. The most important feature of the GTC is setting up and uploading a course to the receiver. GC is Garmin’s web based activity and training management site. You connect to the site, and upload your activities, which can then be viewed and analyzed. Data can be drilled down for finer details, maps can be changed from topos, Google 3-D, satellite or city, and a much broader swatch of information is displayed. I liked the calendar, and activity tabs, so I could get a macro overview of my data. I do wish you could save the map to a graphic file?

History can also be viewed, and deleted from the unit’s menu system, although it is a bit slow accessing the data. The unit can save up to 180 hours of data, before a memory full message is received, so backing up the data to GTC, GC or a local computer is always a good idea. The unit appears as a mass storage device when hooked up to a computer, and you can manually upload .tcx, .fit and .crs files.

Courses
This feature allows you to train against a previously recorded ride, in which you battle against a Virtual Partner, following the course on a rudimentary map or elevation profile. You can load an existing ride that is already on the unit, or create a course within GTC or GC, although only GTC allows the addition of course points, or breadcrumbs. When you are following a course, it pings you with a ‘Off Course’ if you stray off the path. Being somewhat primitive, prior knowledge of the course helps, since it doesn’t inform you in real time of upcoming directional changes. Through some trickery, you can also load rides as courses from friends, the internet and other 3rd party software. I really never used the Course feature, so I can’t comment in depth on its usefulness, after all you get there when you get there?

Bottomline
The Edge 500 has been used 3 days a week since the winter, and it has proven to be a pretty hardy GPS. It has been through snow and rain storms, bashed down rock gardens, and enough gnarly terrain to tucker me out, and it has run just fine. It has some great features and functions, such as Alerts and Auto settings, and 3 pages of customizable data. My favorite is the Start Notice, which beeps if you absently mindfully forget to start it. The combination of the SiRFstarIV GPS chip and the barometric altimeter, gave accurate readings, and data was well within tolerances. It’s nice to have the abilities to use the different ANT+ devices, but I personally only used the HRM. The new mount system is easy to install and swap between bikes, and it’s very strong (ran it with only one band). The long term issues I had were a slight crackly area on the bottom of the unit, and the small rubber USB port on the back was a pain to get seated properly.

I have really enjoyed the Edge 500, it has been durable, accurate, with excellent usability and intuitiveness, and has given me all the needed data I required for my bike rides. I never found the lack of mapping capabilities to be an issue.

Strengths
- Compact
- Light
- Customizable data: 3 data pages, up to 8 per page, 41 data fields
- Superb mounting system
- Backlight
- Compatible with heart rate monitor, cadence/speed sensor, and third-party power meters.
- Barometric altimeter
- Temperature monitor
- Start Notice and Auto Power Down

Weaknesses
- Shiny screen (hard to view in the bright sun)
- No max altitude
- No true mapping capabilities
- Auto Pause needs a customized timer
- Back USB port cover tough to seat

Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

MSRP
Edge 500 $249.99
Edge 500 $349.99 (w/ heart rate monitor and speed/cadence sensor)
HRM $60
GSC 10 $60

Garmin Edge 500 url

POC Cortex DH Review

Brian Mullin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 05:03:39 +0000

I have been using the POC Cortex DH full faced helmet for several months now, and it has been comfortable, durable and safe. The helmet offers a plethora of protection and features, which are all engineered with safety in mind, and my crashing and tumbles have shown it to be an ideal candidate for the wicked world of rocky gnarliness and speed.

The Swedish based POC company was predominantly a snow sport protection company, and they have always had safety at the forefront of their research and technology. They have recently morphed over into the biking protection world, and their full faced Cortex DH helmet is their epitome of safety standards. The POC Cortex DH uses an innovative 2 layer shell, a lightweight carbon fiber wrapped around their aramid (aromatic polyamide) reinforced in-mold liner. The liner has a thin shell of polycarbonate covering the multi-impact Super EPP (expanded polypropylene) core. The double overlapping shell design, uses their VDSAP (Ventilated Double Shell Anti Penetration), allowing a fully ventilated construction with maximum comfort without sacrificing penetration resistance or impact energy management. The helmet will eventually be equipped with the patented MIPS system to reduce the rotational forces to the brain in case of an oblique impact.

Wow, that is a head full of techno babble, but when it comes to safety, and especially with my noggin, I am all for it!

The chin bar size and distance have been optimized for protection, without sacrificing breathability. The Cortex DH has a plethora of vents, over the top, the sides, under the visor, and next to the ears. They have something they call “Ear Chambers”, which are designed for increased equilibrium, balance, and ability to hear better on the trails.

Impressions
It was a nice warm day to take the POC Cortex DH full face helmet out for its maiden voyage. The helmet comes in 2 sizes (M-L and L-XL), and my 59.5 cm head fit just perfect in the L/XL size. I am used to wearing a street motorcycle helmet, so it felt pretty normal shoving my head into the helmet. At first the upper edge of the helmet padding seemed slightly hard, and it poked me in the brow, but after wearing it for a few minutes it softened. It was surprisingly comfortable, and I had no pinch spots. It comes with two sets of cheek pads (thick and thin) for fitment, and has a removable liner, which is a nice touch for cleaning purposes.

The only trouble is, how the heck do you spit with it on?

Once you start moving the subtle ventilation ports actually start working just fine, and the helmet stays fairly cool (for a full faced helmet). The adjustable visor offered lots of shade relief for the face, and acted as a great air scoop. I wore sunglasses with the helmet, since I completely forgot about getting a set of goggles for it, and like any full faced helmet some sunglasses might not fit properly. I immediately felt a greater sense of security wearing the helmet, and it even made me creep up the speeds in many sections of my usual rock gardens. I always worry about what could happen if you took a chin dive onto the rocks with a normal helmet? Sure it will do fine for a head first shot (done plenty of those), but what about chin first or anything oblique? I have taken a couple of minor tumbles with it on, and I worked just fine, and I felt a lessened impact in direct comparison to a normal helmet. It is nice to know that it’s a multi-impact helmet, and will not need to be tossed away after most crashes.

Measured Weight: 2.26 lbs / 36.2 oz / 1025 grams

I had to get used to the subtle roar that the wind would create when you got going, which was due to a combination of the vents and the visor, and it sounded like after burners kicking in. I got to speak with someone when I had the helmet on, and I had no issues with a conversation, so the little ear opening/ports do just fine. Sometimes while moving along, the air movement makes some strange noises, and you swear someone is walking and talking on the trail near you, like ghostly voices! I had worn my normal helmet when I rode up the trail, figuring (rightfully so) that I was going to get quite hot with a full faced helmet. If any sort of long uphill slogs are going to occur, then it is highly suggested to strap the big boy on your pack, and stick with a usual helmet until the danger zone begins.

Revvin’ up your engine
Listen to her howlin’ roar
Metal under tension
Beggin’ you to touch and go
Highway to the Danger Zone
Ride into the Danger Zone

Yes, I know it’s Kenny Loggins, but the darn song started to poke around in my head.

With the Cortex on, I did a long rolling traverse out in the sun, and it was fine until I started to pull up some steep terrain and my head built up some heat. Since I wasn’t moving fat enough, the venting system wasn’t coming into play, and I soon had to take the helmet off. Breathing inside the helmet was fine, albeit somewhat slightly constrained due to the tight cheek pads. One nice aspect is the front chin bar vent, which power jams air to straight you.

Helmets 101
The major components of a helmet, are the outer shell, the foam liner (SEPP for the POC Cortex DH), the retention system and the padding. The hard shell helps spread the impact over a larger surface (specifically to the liner), accentuates sliding and prevents object penetration. The foam helps prevent or reduce brain injury by managing the energy of an impact through its own compression or destruction, and it does that by converting a small part of the crash energy to heat. Its main duty is to slow the stopping process so that the head slows down during its inertial of the impact (deceleration). Our heads are soft and malleable, and the brain itself moves around inside a gelatinous ooze (cerebrospinal fluid). A major issue in crashes, is the coup-contrecoup (brain rebound) injuries, which can cause concussions, contusions, DIA’s (diffuse axonal injury) and even epidural hematoma.

Bottomline
All things considered, the POC Cortex DH is an excellent helmet! POC is at the forefront of safety in regard to multiple sports (snow, bike, skateboard) protection, and the Cortex DH helmet is the epitome of their substantial engineering and research prowess. I not only felt safer while riding the steep and gnarly, but I found myself riding with more speed and freedom down the trails. The multi-impact, anti-penetration and impact softening abilities are really nice features in this safety juggernaut. The ventilation works fairly well, but even for a full faced helmet it was slightly warm. The helmet was comfortable, lightweight and the simple buckle closure system was easy to adjust and put on.

I am looking forward to more continued adventures in the Danger Zone using the fine POC Cortex DH!

Strengths
-Light
-Comfortable
-Removable Liner
-Multi-Impact
-Safety engineered!

Weaknesses
-Slightly warm
-Expensive
-Only 2 sizes

Specs
Color: White
Size: M-L (55-57cm), and L-XL (58-60cm)
Weight: 1050 grams
Outer Shell: carbon
Inner shell: PC
Membrane: Aramid
Core: SEPP
Fit: LD Foam
Comfort: SynVal
MSRP: $599

POC Cortext DH url: http://www2.pocsports.com/products/showproduct.asp?category=10-Bike&id=10310

Vincero Design Magnetic Water Bottle System – First Look

Brian Mullin — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 07:54:05 +0000

Occasionally, something a bit different, unique and intriguing comes along in the bike world, and one of that is the Vincero Design magnetic water bottle system. The system is comprised of a water bottle with a slot (female) on one side that has an embedded magnet, and it mates to a magnetized rail mount (male) which is attached via the water bottle bosses to the bike. The slot and the rail align with each other, and the strong magnetic pair keeps the bottle securely attached.

I finally got around to test out the system today, and I was truly amazed how nice it worked. The installation of the system was simple, just attach the rail mount to the water bottle bosses with the wedge pointing down. Fill up the water bottle, and mate the bottle slot and rail mount, and it’s ready to go.
The water bottle pulled off with a slight tug (they are strong magnets), and only required about an inch of movement for it to release. The bottle has a nice valve, and a gentle squeeze started a fast flow without any drips. When I put the bottle back towards the mount, it seemed to get sucked right onto the wedge without me doing many positioning. It was literally 3 quick steps to get a drink of water, pull the bottle off, squeeze a drink and position over the mount. Even when I got it positioned slightly off the mount, with the bottle nose high, it didn’t seem to make much difference. My ride consisted of some stutter bumps, tree roots and other jarring terrain, and the bottle securely stayed on.

edge16
The wedge shaped rail mount is known as the edge16, weighs 16 grams, and is made from a carbon fiber composite and uses a rare earth magnet. The edge16 is small, light and looks trick (love the carbon weave).

edge 16 Specifications:
* Weight: 16g
* Height: 11.76mm
* Length: 78.13mm
* Width: 23.24mm
* Finishes: Carbon Fiber Weave or Gloss Black

S24
The s24 water bottle mates with the edge16 mount, utilizing an embedded rare earth magnet, and is one half of a strong magnetic pair. The S24 weighs 85 grams, has a 63mm wide mouth, uses a trick silicone valve, and is 100% BPA, DEHA, and DEHP free.

S24 Specifications:
* Volume: 710ml (24oz.)
* Weight: 85g
* Height: 218.44mm (without cap)
* Diameter: 73.02mm
* Cap Diameter: Standard 63mm
* Colors: Bottle – Opaque, Cap – Black, Opaque

Final Thoughts

The system is amazingly easy to use, and requires 3 simple steps to get a drink. No longer was I required to yank the bottle out of a cage, twisting and pulling through a large amount of travel, and then jamming the bottle back into the cage when I was done. The rough terrain that I rode did not eject the bottle, so it sat securely on the mount. The S24 bottle itself had an excellent draw, without any leaks, and mated perfectly to the mount, connected through the strong pair of magnets. The edge16 mount was small and unobtrusive, and looked sweet with the carbon weave. The Vincero Design Magnetic Water Bottle System is pretty darn cool!

Vincero Design url: http://www.vincero-design.com/products/detail/Overview

Continental Rubber Queen UST Review

Brian Mullin — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 06:47:12 +0000

I tested and reviewed the Continental Rubber Queen’s (now known as the Trail King in the US) about a year ago, and thought they were a great tire. Brett Hahn the US Brand Manager for Continental, asked me to try out the UST version of the RQ’s. Since then, I have bashed and smashed the tires through just about any terrain imaginable, and they have turned out to be stout, durable, with excellent traction and best of all are big and meaty!

For more details refer to my original and in depth article, Continental Rubber Queen Review.

The RQ/TK (Rubber Queen/Trail King) UST comes in 2.4 and 2.2 sizes. The 2.4 is a monstrous tire, both in weight (1130 grams) and girth (2.45″), and feels more like a downhill tire than its non UST version. The 2.4 is made in Germany with the Black Chili compound, the Apex sidewall and three plies of 110 tpi (3/330). The 2.2 seems tiny in comparison, but still comes in at respectable (and accurate) 2.2″, and is decently light (802 grams). The 2.2 is made in Taiwan out of a normal rubber compound (no Black Chili), and also uses three plies of 110 tpi (3/330). The tires use a modified paddle shape tread pattern (thanks Shiggy), and have a round profile in which the knobs don’t stick out as far as casing.

The Black Chili (BC) compound does help a tad on wet roots and rocks, and gives a slightly more pliable sidewall (defter touch), but the burlier and thicker UST sidewalls make it not as noticeable of a difference, so the non BC 2.2 isn’t missing that much. Meaning that BC doesn’t make a wholesale difference in how the UST tire performs, at least in direct comparison to their non UST tires (BC vs non BC), due to the stout UST sidewalls.

Installing the 2.2 was sort of a wrestling match the first couple of times, since the bead and sidewalls are not as pliable as the 2.4. I swore more than a few times prying them on! Once either version is installed, they pop up on the tubeless rims pretty easily. I used a compressor, since a good shot of 70 psi throughput helps seat them at 30-35 psi.

The 2.4 are huge and heavy, big and meaty, and let you roll over anything, especially at high speeds. I liked the slightly smaller 2.2, since they rolled better, were lighter (better acceleration), and still had an exceptional tractor pulling power, even in loose conditions. The 2.4 had a very slight edge due to the Black Chili, but 2.2 wasn’t far behind. I preferred the 2.2 as a pair, or I sometimes used a normal 2.4 in front with the 2.2 UST in the rear. I have also had issues getting the 2.4 to sit evenly on the rim, since they have tended to wobble a minutely, much like fat downhill tires tend to do. The 2.4 are nice to have if you know you are going to be living in rock gardens or doing some extreme riding, else they are a bit ponderous and have poor rolling resistance.

The benefits of a true UST are the ability of running low pressure (25 psi and less) without burping, no sealant (or at least less) is required and a tougher tear resistant sidewall.

Either size is extremely durable and near bombproof. There was a reason that a lot of bike vendors were using the 2.2 UST at the 2009 Interbike Outdoor Demo, they are tough, and they work. The Demo riders were not coming back with flats nor tears, which regularly happen at the notoriously abusive volcanic rock terrain at Bootleg Canyon.

Measured Specs:
2.4 UST – 1132.8 grams and 1129.1 grams, Carcass 2.45″
2.2 UST – 801.4 grams and 802.4 grams, Carcass 2.2″

Bottomline
I liked the 2.2, it rolled well, was stout and had some good tractor like traction. The 2.4 was the girth monster, that could take any anything tossed at it, although it was a sluggish roller. Both tires are grippy, big and meaty, puncture resistance, and have the tough UST casing and bead. The 2.4 is huge, so make sure your rear triangle has clearance for them.
The Rubber Queen/Trail King UST is an excellent choice for an “All Around” tire, especially where abusive terrain can slash sidewalls and cause pinch flats.

Rubber Queen/Trail King Specs:
MSRP: $64.95
2.4 UST – 3/330 tpi casing, with Black Chili compound and Apex sidewalls, foldable, 26×2.4″
2.2 UST – 3/330 tpi casing, with Apex, foldable, 26×2.2″

Rubber Queen url: http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/de/en/continental/bicycle/themes/mtb/downhill_freeride/rubberqueeneng/rubber_queen_en.html

kuat NV Review

Brian Mullin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 16:13:47 +0000

While I was wandering around in the desiccating heat of the Outdoor Demo portion of InterBike 2009, I came upon the kuat Innovation’s booth, in which they were showing off their very trick NV bike rack. Of course, what also caught my eye was the female mannequin, which was overtly well endowed, Brick House! The kuat marketing scheme was something more along the lines of ‘Nice Rack’. Justin of kuat (koo-at) gave me a nice walk through of the rack, and I was very intrigued to test one out. The new NV rack had a plethora (I like that word) of features, first, and foremost, is an integrated bike repair stand, just a simple yet unique idea to add to a bike rack!

Kuat Racks is based in Springfield Missouri, and was founded in 2007 by Luke KUschmeader and Brian ATkinson. In 2008 kuat launched their first line of aluminum ‘hanging style’ hitch mounted racks, the ALPHA and the BETA. Luke pressed on with a new partner, Guy Mace, and with this partnership, they recently released the NV and SHERPA racks.

The kuat NV comes as a put together kit, and was fairly easy to assemble, sort of a giant tinker toy. The massive bolts that hold the arms to the main body took a long time to get clamped tight, but it certainly made for a stout beast once assembled. The massive welds, large bolts, material, and assembled parts of everything assure for a strong and robust bike rack.

kuat NV – walkthrough from Brian Mullin on Vimeo.

After assembling the rack, it was time to attach the unit to the back of my truck. The unit comes with a nice locking hitch pin, and a cinch tight cam system that wedges the rack’s arm tightly into the receiver. Inserting the rack into the trailer hitch was easy, although I did find that a quick spritz of greaseless lube (I used LPS 1) inside the hitch receiver, and on the rack’s main arm aided greatly in working with the two entities. The hitch receiver tends to get pretty dried out and dirty with time, and just a tad of the lube really helps.

Aligning the holes so that the receiver pin could be inserted, took some finesse, but that’s the same with any trailer hitch work. The pin’s lock easily snapped on, and the lock’s key hole cover fit snugly, and has stayed on over 4 months of hard use. Once the pin and lock are set, then turn the black cinch tight cam system knob to get the rack from slopping around in the receiver. I forgot to do that once, and I had to pull over, and tighten it down, since I could see the bike jostling around in my rear view mirror. During a 2 foot snowstorm, I drove off a curb into a very deep ditch and broke off the cinch tight knob. The knob is not user replaceable, and the lower hitch section must be returned to the factory for replacement (under warranty).

The NV is a 2 bike rack (future option for 4), that holds a bike with a front tire cradle with an adjustable clamp arm, and a rear tire ratchet strap system, so nothing is contacting the frame. This beefy, yet light rack (48lbs) is made of heat treated 6061 T6 aluminum, and can carry up to 55 lbs bikes. The rack accommodates a variety of bike styles, and holds wheel sizes from 20 to 29 inches, with up to a 3 inch wide tire.

The holding system does a great job of securing bikes during transport, as my multiple test trips over 4 months have acknowledged. I have made a few 6+ hour road trips with the rack, with speeds up to 75mph, in extremely winding conditions, and all were done with my typical aggressive styled driving. The bikes stayed stable, and did not show any adverse issues. The rack has gotten the joy of being in some severe snowstorms, so the rack got its first treat of road grime, salt and gravel. It has also done fine on the typically rutted and bumpy fire roads.

Attaching a bike was very straight forward. Just undo the strap by loosening the ratchet, and pull the clamp arm out as far as possible. Pick up the bike, swing the bikes rear wheel under the strap, center the front wheel in the cradle, rotate the clamp arm up and towards the fork, and give a slight snug down. Ratchet the strap tightly, and then give a good push on the clamp arm and your done. I drive like a crazy man (my Wife would concur), and the bike stayed nice and secure with all my nutty aggressive driving habits.

Removing the bikes is straight forward, just reverse the process. Push the arms in when done, and ratchet in the straps, and then pull the lower gold lever and push the rack up vertical for space saving.

The bike locking system for the rack uses a very innovative integrated bike cable lock, in which the cable lock retracts into the arms when not in use.

To lock the bike, just pull out the cables from their arm receptacle (rear tire cap), stick them up through the bikes rear triangles, and snap the lock and pin together. I worry about my bikes, so if I am going to be leaving the bikes for any period of time, I attach my own long cable lock through the triangles, and the front wheel. I know that’s a paranoid, but better extra secure then gone! I do wish it had some lock mechanism for the front wheels?

If you need to access the rear of your vehicle, just pull the gold lever underneath the main rack (by the hitch/receiver), and the rack rotates down enough to egress into the back hatch or door. Originally, I was unable to lower my trucks (Toyota Tundra)tailgate without it touching the NV when it was in its flat or tilted positions, but when I got an upgraded hitch (when I broke the cinch tight knob) it had a shortened stack height (hitch to cradle), so it now clears it by 2+ inches.

The bike stand attachment is called the Trail Doc, and it uses a rudimentary, albeit functional clamp system. To use the bike stand, you put the bike rack in the upward position, and then loosen the quick release lever and move the clamp arm up or down per requirements. Towards the back of the clamp arm, is a small lever that allows rotation of the clamp head between either a vertical or horizontal orientation. I played around with the Trail Doc, and clamped it on the top tube and seatpost, and did some minor maintenance without any problems. It is an effective bike stand, and is a nice addition to a bike rack for doing repair or tune up work while at the trailhead.

I do wish the Trail Doc had some sort of lock for security purposes, else you need to remove it, and store it inside your vehicle to prevent theft. Another small point of contention is the L shaped screw that you use to open and close the clamp head. When you open the clamp towards its maximum size (for oversized frame tubing) the end of the screw sort of falls back behind the slot, and gets kind of caught, so I think just a tad longer screw would solve that issue?

To accommodate bikes with smaller wheels, the rack comes with an adapter for 20-24 inch wheels that fits on the end of the clamp arm. A simple yet effective way to be able to carry kids, and small bikes, which makes it a full fledged family bike rack.

Bottomline
The kuat NV rack is a sweet bike rack that is well built, sturdy, moderately lightweight, easy to use and full of innovative and functional features. Putting a bike in the rack was a simple task using the clamp arm and strap system, and it made for a very secure attachment. The lever actuated rack, has a great fold up and tilt down function, which made it easy to gain access to the rear of a vehicle even when fully loaded. I liked the innovative integrated cable locks, the cam wedge system for the receiver, and of course the integrated bike stand (Trail Doc). The ability to carry 20 to 29 inch wheels was an excellent feature, and really opened it up to an entire spectrum of bikes. The Trail Doc is a nice feature (albeit rudimentary), although I wish it had an integrated locking mechanism of some sort. If doing any sort of driving in extremely rough terrain where the rear end of the rack might scrape (ledge drops), caution must be exercised, else the cinch tight knob can be damaged. The kuat NV is an excellent rack, that is backed up with a lifetime warranty.

Strengths
-Robust
-Trail Doc bike stand
-Ease of use
-Tilt feature for vehicle access
-Cinch tight system stabilizes rack
-20″ to 29″ carrying options
-Integrated cables locks

Weaknesses
-Cinch tight knob can get broke off in severe 4×4
-Lack of lock for Trail Doc
-Needs an additional lock for front tire

Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

MSRP: $495

Purchase from etrailer.com

kuat NV Specs
- Heat treated aluminum
- 20 – 29 inch wheels, 3 inch wide tires
- 55 lb bike capacity
- Trail Doc repair stand
- Front tire clamp and rear tire ratchet strap system
- Hitch lock
- Integrated bike cable lock
- kuat’s cinch tight cam system
- 1.25 or 2 inch hitch receiver options
- 13 inch bike separation
- Folds up (storage), flat and down (for vehicle access)
- Lifetime warranty

kuat url: http://www.kuatinnovations.com/