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2018 Canyon Torque CF 9.0 Pro
Vital Review
Overall Review
Many young whipper snappers won’t remember the days where you either had a bike that could climb or a bike that could descend. Those of us who can remember truly appreciate how much technology and design have improved, in addition to the blurred line between the either/or of yesteryear. Canyon is blurring the line even further with the introduction of their updated Torque. This long-travel machine is said to be capable of a weekend of shuttles, all-day epics, and the odd enduro race thrown in for good measure. Canyon’s latest ground-up redesign features a front end similar to their Sender and...
Posted by hurricanejoel on 12/18/2017 9:05pm
2018 Canyon Spectral CF 9.0 SL
Vital Review
Overall Review
The 140mm trail bike market is a crowded one. Depending on where one looks it could be XC, trail, all-mountain, enduro… you name it. Canyon’s new Spectral doesn’t really seek to check any box in particular – instead, Canyon designed their new trail machine to fulfill the needs of the go anywhere, ride everything mountain biker. No labels, no niche, just get out and have a laugh with your friends and ride whatever comes around. Part long-legged XC bike and part enduro weapon, the new Spectral has an interesting combination of frame design and component choices that will likely appeal to a wide...
Posted by hurricanejoel on 12/11/2017 12:51am
100% Hydromatic Jacket
Vital Review
Overall Review
How much effort do you give? That is the question that 100%’s founder would often ask, and the answer became the brand’s name of course. Giving 100% implies riding not only when it’s sunny, so naturally the company decided it needed to offer something to cover up with for those rainy days as well. Enter the Hydromatic line, a jacket and short made out of lightweight, waterproof and breathable fabrics that will keep you dry even if the heavens should open up on you mid-ride. We’ve had them out for a spin, read on to find out how we got along. 100% Hydromatic Jacket Highlights 100% Hydromatic...
Posted by iceman2058 on 11/20/2017 11:50pm
2018 Santa Cruz Hightower LT Carbon CC XX1 Reserve
Vital Review
Overall Review
Big wheels keep on turning, or at least that’s how the saying goes. Wagon-wheeled bikes have come into the limelight this year, and for good reason. When paired with capable suspension and well-thought-out geometry, they offer rock crushing roll-over and traction smaller-wheeled bikes simply can’t provide. We’ve spent the better part of three months on the new Santa Cruz Hightower LT sussing out the finer details of the bike. Who is it for? How did it hold up? Where did it perform best? We set out to answer all of these questions and more. From downhill bike worthy gravity laps to high alpine...
Posted by jeff.brines on 10/26/2017 7:28am
Leatt DBX 3.0 Enduro 2016 Helmet
Vital Review
Overall Review
With the rise of enduro, and more specifically the actual racing discipline, the good old helmet has found itself the subject of much attention recently. Combining near World Cup-level tech and speed on the downs with long, grueling climbs means that your helmet now has to offer full-face levels of protection yet still remain breathable enough to cope with long, hot climbs. One solution that has seen a bit of a renaissance lately is the convertible helmet, where the chin bar can be removed for better ventilation on the way up the mountain. Leatt joined that party at the end of 2016 with the...
Posted by iceman2058 on 9/26/2017 10:14am
2018 Nukeproof Mega 275 Carbon Factory Bike
Overall Review
Fun fact: The original Nukeproof Mega was developed in 2009 to tackle the truly demanding Megavalanche race, and every new version since has been proven on the same world-famous glacier starts while bashing bars alongside hundreds of riders for miles on end. Nukeproof kicked things up a notch with their new fourth generation design, the company's first carbon bike, when Sam Hill decided he was going to race the Enduro World Series. Considering Sam recently rode his new Mega Carbon to a 6th place finish at the UCI Downhill World Championship, crushed the entire EWS field by 17 seconds on the...
Posted by bturman on 9/20/2017 5:53am
Formula NERO R Fork
Overall Review
Heritage is a strong base to build on when it comes to releasing new technology. Formula was founded in 1971 as AEM, manufacturing aftermarket parts for motorcycles, and success quickly followed as they became known for their attention to detail and a fastidious approach to winning. Fast forward to 1993 when Formula came out with the first mountain bike-specific hydraulic disc brake, and, as they say, the rest is history. Greg Minnaar used Formula Oro brakes during his years on Honda, Brook MacDonald won Junior World’s in Canberra with Oros too, and both Loic Bruni and Finn Iles have been...
Posted by sideshow on 9/16/2017 6:54am
e*thirteen TRS+ 11-Speed (Gen 1) Cassette
Overall Review
For the last year some friends and I have been toying with the idea of riding the Colorado Trail from Molas Pass to Durango – a ride actually deserving of the word "epic." Three weeks ago we made the high-country adventure happen. We planned to tackle the beast over two days with a sag-wagon full of friends and post-ride libations to meet us in the middle. The day before we began everyone was busy ensuring their rides were ready for the challenge. "Did you swap out that 34-tooth ring?" "Damn straight, I'll take every advantage I can get!" replied my buddy, Nate Work, who, just days earlier...
Posted by bturman on 8/29/2017 1:47am
Bell Super DH Helmet
Vital Review
Overall Review
Just a few years ago we were all wrapped up in full body amor and burly helmets while racing our downhill bikes. Today's enduro-craze has us racing and riding the same trails at the same speeds on smaller bikes with less protection. Seems odd, doesn't it? Enter the convertible helmet – one where you can go from something suitable for trail riding and climbing to full-on downhill gnar with the flip of a few clasps – as a solution to keep us all protected. Riders who can only afford one helmet or those who want to climb without the airflow restrictions of a dedicated full face will be pleased...
Posted by bturman on 8/14/2017 10:54am
Specialized 2FO Flat 2.0 Shoes
Vital Review
Overall Review
Cracking into the flat pedal footwear game is no small task, as Five Ten, the longstanding champ, presents a very formidable opponent with proprietary rubber compounds derived from the rock climbing world. Specialized isn't one to shy away from a competition, however, and their new shoes will give the original ruler a run for their money. If you enjoy the foot out, flat out riding style, these casually-styled kicks are made from a variety of technical materials that add up to an impressive pair of mountain bike shoes. Highlights Two entirely new flat pedal shoes 2FO 1.0 is lighter and more...
Posted by bturman on 8/1/2017 2:42am
2018 Giant Reign Advanced 0 Bike
Vital Review
Overall Review
The Giant Reign is one of the world’s best selling enduro bikes, and it’s been around in one version or the other for almost 13 years by now. Whilst the basic design concepts behind the bike have not really changed over the years, of course everything else has. Materials, geo, suspension, standards, components…mountain biking never stands still! So in the name of keeping up, we headed over to Italy last week to discover the 6th generation of the Reign. Lower, longer, and slacker seems almost like a foregone conclusion here, but if you want to know everything else there is to know about what...
Posted by iceman2058 on 7/24/2017 12:00am
2017 Guerrilla Gravity The Smash Ride 1
Overall Review
What began as a friendship within Colorado's once thriving downhill racing scene has since turned into a full-time bike building endeavor, and the partners heading up the Denver-based Guerrilla Gravity bike brand continue to push ahead with interesting new designs. Month after month they keep exceeding projections, and we're certain a good portion of their continued organic growth is a result of listening to the people. Their latest creation, The Smash, is about as true to their roots as a trail bike can be. "Guerrilla" is a community driven effort to spark change, and "Gravity" is the funnest...
Posted by bturman on 7/17/2017 5:37pm
2018 Santa Cruz Hightower LT Carbon CC XX1 Reserve
Vital Review
Overall Review
Longer travel 29-inch wheeled bikes seem all the rage these days. Santa Cruz has thrown their proverbial hat in the ring with their updated Hightower model dubbed the "Hightower LT." A bike developed specifically by Santa Cruz's Enduro World Series team, the new big-wheeled bike features a bump in travel, a small tweak to the frame geometry, and more capable suspension. Santa Cruz Hightower LT Highlights Made for enduro racing and aggressive trail riding 150mm (5.9-inches) of front and rear wheel travel VPP suspension design 29-inch wheels only (no 27.5+) Available in CC and C carbon Double...
Posted by jeff.brines on 7/5/2017 9:27pm
e*thirteen TRS Race SL Carbon (2018) Wheelset
Overall Review
The arrangements were simple: "We've got some new prototypes to show you. Where do you want to meet?" "I'll be free March 30-31. Moab? Let's do this thing!" "Deal. Bring a trail bike." Just minutes before they were due for departure from their San Luis Obispo, California office, e*thirteen's Connor Bondlow and Scott Ender waited anxiously for samples to arrive from overseas. The carbon goodies we'd be riding were about as fresh from the oven as you can get. With the Albatross loaded, the two flew through an all day drive to get to Moab. Spring conditions meant hero dirt, loads of spring...
Posted by bturman on 7/5/2017 3:58pm
2018 Intense Carbine Factory
Vital Review
Overall Review
Intense Cycles haven’t been shy about their participation in the wheel size wars. Back in 2009 when many were still #26forlife, their wagon-wheeled DH bike – the 2951 – stirred things up. At that time, Jeff Steber filled us in about why he felt big wheels had potential and what factors were limiting for the viability of aggressive 29ers at that time. More recently, another Intense prototype earned a spot on the Fort William podium under factory pilot Jack Moir. While the downhill prototype seemed to garner much of the limelight, the bike he was aboard at the Rotorua Enduro World Series had us...
Posted by hurricanejoel on 6/26/2017 4:50pm