Category: Gear and Tech
Giro Women’s Verce MIPS Helmet
Giro’s Women’s Verce MIPS helmet fits and looks way better than I expect a universal fit, entry-level helmet to fit or look. It’s well-vented, the dial adjustment has good micro-adjustments, and, at 290g, it’s lighter weight than many more expensive mountain bike helmets. Price: $70 Rating: ★★★★ ☆ Specs: Size: Universal Women’s Fit (50 – […]
Trek Top Fuel 9.9 XX1 AXS Review
Trek’s Top Fuel 9.9 XX1 AXS is a rare bird. At first glance, you’d expect it to be a cross-country specialist. It’s wearing a RockShox Sid fork, after all. But after riding this bike on local trails here in Colorado as well as chunky trails in Moab that should have eaten the Top Fuel alive, […]
Marin Rift Zone 29 Carbon 2 Review
Marin ‘s Rift Zone Carbon 2 is a fun, capable bike built and priced for those of us who don’t have five figures to drop on a bike, no matter how much we love to ride. Sometimes, it’s clear a brand was trying to hit a specific price point and sunk all of their budget […]
E11EVEN M1x10 MTB Review
The E11EVEN M1x10 mountain bike costs just $639 and is clearly intended as a tool for new mountain bikers. The price is right for sure. And it comes with more than just the basics, including some powerful hydraulic disc brakes and a suspension fork. The question is, can the M1x10 grow with you as a […]
Gorewear Fernflow Men’s MTB Shorts Review
No matter the location, the Fernflow shorts from Gorewear are one of those impressive pieces of gear that disappear while riding and require zero extra thought. I loved the stretchy Cordura fabric. The shorts let me move about the bike in planned and unplanned ways. Impressively, I never experienced any dreaded saddle snag. Price: $130 […]
Alchemy Arktos 135 Review
I was excited to throw a leg over the Arktos 135 – it was my first trip to Moab of the spring season and I’ve wanted to check out the smaller Colorado brand for a long time. As the middle sibling in the Arktos family — the others being a shorter travel downcountry configuration and […]
Fox Baseframe Pro SL Guard Review
I spent a few seasons riding the lift at Winter Park’s Trestle Bike Park without any torso protection at all. The Baseframe Pro SL Guard was my first foray back into chest protection, which I largely have avoided because it’s hot and bulky. Not so with the Baseframe Pro SL; I was shocked at how […]
Hammerhead Karoo 2 GPS Computer review
Hammerhead’s introduction into the GPS head unit game was not an easy one. The original Karoo was up against the Garmin behemoth, and the up-and-coming Wahoo lineup. But Hammerhead’s pitch was a big, beautiful screen and advanced mapping. Fast forward to the Karoo 2’s introduction and Hammerhead faces a different landscape altogether. It now has […]
Chrome Women’s Merino Wool Cobra 3.0 Review
This lush top is the third generation of Chrome Industries’ Cobra hoodie. While it retains features from both of its predecessors, it also brings some changes—most notably a move away from 100% Merino to a Merino/poly blend. Diehard wool fans may be disappointed by this change, but I’ve lost some wool pieces I really loved […]
Fox Launch Pro D30 Knee Guards review
Great for lift service but probably wouldn’t want them for trail riding. Too bulky. But they stay in place, which is awesome. The velcro straps don’t velcro in the right place though. Wanted to pull the straps tighter but raan out of hoook and loop connection. The hardshell outer looks intimidating, as though the guards […]