2022 Devinci Spartan Deore Bike
Solid Enduro Bike
The Good
Has decent climbing capability and doesn't feel boggy with every pedal rotation. It definitely isnt the easiest to do technical climbs that I have done in Moab but its not the worst.

Jumps and descending is great on this bike. The zeb fork with the coil shock is unmatched in my opinion.
The Bad
There is no climb switch on the coil shock (not surprising) but I would honestly think that it would not make much of a difference.

I do wish that the head angle would be steeper to be closer to 63 degrees than the 64.5 degrees.

I had too many complications with the shimano deore derailleur that I even had to switch the entire setup over to a Sram GX which did cost me a pretty penny. I had it adjusted so many times and looked over for many hours from a professional mechanic which still didn't result in any success.

It definitely weighs more than my dad's aluminum Trek Slash. Slight notice with this aspect however when riding.
Overall Review
It is a good enduro bike and is quite comfortable to ride. I got used to riding this bike within the first 5 rides that I did. It honestly isn't anything crazy or out of the ordinary when it comes to a bike. It is just solid and good with just about anything.
2022 Devinci Spartan Deore Bike
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2024 Specialized Epic EVO 8 Pro Bike
Overall Review
H istorically, Vital doesn't do cross country. We dabble here or there, but our passion is gravity-fueled mountain biking. When Specialized reached out at the end of last year about a new mountain bike on the horizon, I assumed it was for the new Stumpjumper (we all know it's coming soon). But lo and behold, it was for the Epic. Having always kept my knowledge of the XC world at arm's length, I knew the Epic had helped steer the evolution of XC racing, that it had a rear shock with a mind of its
Aenomaly Constructs Switchgrade Seat Angle Device
Overall Review
D id you ever find yourself wishing there was a way to change your seat angle on the fly, to make things more comfortable and more efficient in different riding situations? That’s exactly what drove Aenomaly founder, BC-based Noel Dolotallas, to take to the drawing board a few years ago now. He came up with a clever little construct that replaces the top half of the head of your existing seat post, where it provides the ability to easily set your seat angle to one of three, preset positions
Aenomaly Constructs Switchgrade Seat Angle Device
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Schwalbe Magic Mary Addix Tires
The Good
Predictable grip.
Good wear resistance.
Good breaking grip.
Good edge grip
Good impact resistance.
Rolling resistance surprisingly good.
The Bad
Really good up until it gets really muddy and clogs, not quite a mud tyre.
Overall Review
Arguably the best all rounder there is. I will definitely buy again. Ultra soft front soft rear
Schwalbe Magic Mary Addix Tires
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Specialized Cannibal GRID GRAVITY T9 Tire
The Good
Grips in nearly any condition and to most surfaces
Outlasts MaxxGrip by a long shot
The Bad
The company's culture I suppose? No fault of the actual product I know of!
Overall Review
I've gone from Assegais to Butchers and haven't really looked back, but the Cannibal took it a notch further. I'm a big fan of the T9 compound and believe it's a solid challenger to MaxxGrip. Maybe lagging a little around 0°C and below but still providing excellent grip on wet slab and snow covered wood. Wears a lot slower and rolls bit faster than Maxxgrip and is equally predictable. Hard to judge the tread itself. Comparison with the Butcher leaves little to be desired from either option
Specialized Cannibal GRID GRAVITY T9 Tire
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2023 Transition Relay Carbon X0 AXS PNW E-Bike
Overall Review
D uring the past few years as a Vital editor, I've gotten pretty good at refraining from drinking the marketing Kool-Aid spilled throughout press releases. I rarely bite at claims of more-better-optimized-everything, but when Transition launched the Relay, they got my attention. Joining the ever-evolving lightweight e-bike category, its promise of two-bikes-in-one thanks to a small drive unit and easily removable battery was anything but status quo. You're telling me I only have to sell one
2023 Transition Relay Carbon X0 AXS PNW E-Bike
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2024 Norco Sight C1 MX Bike
Overall Review
N orco's Optic created a lot of buzz for being a short-travel ripper with aggressive geometry when it last underwent a redesign in 2019. Meanwhile, the Norco Sight remained the silent workhorse in the mid-travel category focused on excellent all-mountain performance. For 2024, Norco has elevated the downhill performance of both bikes thanks to a new high-pivot suspension design. They maintain their respective on-trail handling while blurring the gap that separates the two bikes. The Optic now
Shimano Saint M820 Disc Brake
The Good
- Reliable
- Powerful
- Easy to work on, find parts
The Bad
- Bit old and still pricy
Overall Review
I run a few pairs of saints, some of them 10 years old and simply can't fault them. I've replaced some with M8120, but ultimately the Saint is still ahead thanks to more robust lever blade and possibly slightly more consistent feel, though I find almost no issues with either. They simply work. I've tried magura, hope, sram, trp and hayes to some extent, and neither made me consider switching off the Saint. The power is easily available but I find it easy to modulate. It may be a difficulty for
Shimano Saint M820 Disc Brake
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Magura MT7 HC Disc Brake
Expected more power
The Good
Uses mineral oil
The Bad
Bleed process, plastic lever body, reliability
Overall Review
I can't say I went into testing them without bias. At the time I got to test these brakes more extensively, I worked at a shop and about the same time we had ~50% of maguras go back with a warranty issue. However, people raved about their power so I took them out for some rides to see what's it all about, but perhaps expected too much. They'd slow the bike down nicely until things got steep, but in steep and faster terrain I'd need to shut it down quick and these just wouldn't seem to deliver
Magura MT7 HC Disc Brake
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