Earn $100 at Jenson USA for Your Vital MTB Member Reviews

Every 30 days we award the Top User Reviewer with a little prize. This month Jenson USA pitched in a $100 gift card! Vital MTB member dirtworks911 wrote several reviews, earning the Top Reviewer spot. Here's a recap of some of his best:

Wellgo MG-1 Pedals - "In terms of platform pedals, the Wellgo MG-1 doesn't compromise on size. Although they aren't huge like the Spank Oozy Trail Pedal (110mm x 110mm), they certainly aren't small either.Measuring in at 96mm x 93mm, I felt like my size US 12 shoe didn't have any attachment issues while even on the roughest of terrain. Owning a pair of Canfield Crampon Ultimates, I have become accustomed to ultra thin (6mm) pedals. The Wellgo MG-1 have a average thickness to them at about 22mm. Given the fact that I prefer a thinner pedal, I probably wouldn't purchase these for myself, but if you are impartial to pedal thickness, these pedals are definitely something to consider...

If money is short and you want to pick up a decent pair of new pedals, the Wellgo MG-1 pedals aren't a bad option. If you want a light weight, low maintenance, and less than a complete thrasher on all your components, you wouldn't be let done by placing the order button on them. If you've had bad experiences with breaking pedals or am particular about platform thickness, there are better pedal options out there..." - Read more»

Park Tool TW-6 Ratcheting Torque Wrench - "Carbon frames, carbon seatposts, carbon saddles, carbon cranks, carbon bars, carbon stems, seems like everything is being made out of carbon these days. That being said, carbon has a very specific tolerance for torque which can’t be exceeded. This is why I have decided to purchase my very own torque wrench set. After getting a Park Tool TW-5 wrench, I chose to go with the Park Tool TW-6 for the higher-end torque speced parts. After several months of use, I’m glad I did.

Just like most torque wrenches in this category, the TW-6 has a torque range of 12-60 newton meters (115-530” lbs) and can be adjusted within 0.2 Nm (1.8 “ lbs) increments. To adjust the torque settings, simply pull down on the bottom tab and twist. The bottom tab stays pulled out which is a nice feature to have if adjusting towards the higher range of the wrenches’ capabilities...

I purchased the Park Tool TW-6 torque wrench because of the quality and functions it has. Backed behind one of the most reputable companies in bicycle tools, I felt I couldn’t have gone wrong. I have been very pleased with my experience with this wrench and would recommend it to anybody..." - Read more»

Park Tool Professional Wheel Truing Stand - "The reason why I purchased the Park Tool TS-2.2 specifically was because every single bike shop in the valley I live in uses it. That means it’s built to last and after owning it for over three years, I can testify it is! It’s made from nickel chrome plated heavy gauge steel. This means if it were to fall off your work bench, would should be more worried about what it lands on rather then the truing stand itself. The only thing make of plastic are the oversized adjustment knobs which I have yet to see break...

Another reason why I chose the TS-2.2 over all the other truing stands is because of it’s impressive adjustability. From a 12” kids’ bike to a 29” fat bike, the sturdy uprights and tall calipers will accommodate most any wheel-size. This is a huge improvement from the older, previous model where you needed to add extension arms for fit anything larger than a 27.5 mountain tire. With the larger uprights, compared to the previous version, you can true any wheel with a hub width range from 80mm all the way to 175mm. Last of all, this stand comes with removable composite caliper tips which protect the finishes of alloy and composite rims (although I have never used them because it dampens the sound while truing.)...

$250 is a lot to spend on a tool that is only used a handful during the riding season. But if you are sick and tired of spending $12 here and $20 there, there is not better solution than to buy the Park Tool TS-2.2. (It just so happens to currently be on sale at JensonUSA too!) A lot of times people aren’t comfortable truing a wheel or just don’t know how but just like everything else, practice makes perfect. I would recommend hoping onto Youtube and watch several videos on how to do it. Truing wheels is easier than what it seams. I would recommend this truing stand to anybody!" - Read more»

Park Tool Team Issue Stand - PRS25 - "Upon initial use, I was surprised how easy the stand was to erect and put away. The clamps are very easy to use and the tubing seams to glide almost effortlessly. Now, after over a year of use, I can gladly say the tubing glide just as smooth as the first day I bought it. I was also very impressed with how small this stand can fold down to (47” x 9” x 9”) which was huge for my previous living situation where space was limited. Folding down to something so small made me question how stable the stand would be when using it. With it’s 36” x 36” x 45” triangular platform, this stand is the next best thing to having one permanently bolted to the floor. In short, this is the lightest weight, most stable bike stand I have ever owned...

The Micro Adjust Clamp is an absolute game changer. It’s super easy to use and offers great control on how tight it will clamp. I know this isn’t a huge deal for most mountain bikers but if you own a carbon seat post or even a dropper post, this style of clamp can save you from a horrible accident. The Micro Adjust Clamp can also clamp almost any surface between 7/8th” to a full 3” in size. This means it will work for the kids’ bikes as well as your aero TT bike. The clamp also rotates a full 360 degrees so you can get the bike at any angle for maintenance. This has come in very handy for installing internally routed cables as well as brake adjustments. The stand also is claimed to adjust clamping height from 40” all the way to 60” which makes positioning the bike even easier.

As for stiffness and stability, this stand is at the best of it’s class. Only weighing in at 13 lbs, Park Tool clamed it can hold up to 100 lbs of weight if it is centered. I don’t doubt the truthfulness of this statement whatsoever, but lets be honest, how often is a bike completely centered while in a work stand? Hardly ever. I would rate the stability of this stand a 9 out of 10 in typical situations. The only times I have felt the stand has been unstable is when I remove the rear wheel from my DH bike which is over 33 lbs. Having that much unbalance and I needed to hold the frame still as I re-installed the wheel. To my understanding, any portable stand would have this problem if not even worse than what the PRS-25 had. Flex has been an issue with previous stands and I feel this stand is the most stiff portable stand out there thanks to it’s Hex shaped tubing. Lastly, the blue aluminum leg straps aid quite a bit in stiffening up the legs so when tightening crank arms or bottom brackets, you hardly notice the stand flexing at all...

I have been beyond impressed with the quality and functionality of this stand. If you can justify spending a large chunk of change on one, I promise you will not be let down. I bet I will own mine for 20+ years." - Read more»


Big congrats to dirtworks911! Thanks for helping out the riding scene with your thoughts on these products.

Want to be in the running for next month's award? Start reviewing the parts you use in the Vital MTB Product Guide and keep an eye on the Top Reviewer leaderboard. We'll announce the next winner in early April.

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