Syd has been riding and wrenching on mountain bikes since 1987 when he picked up his very first Rocky Mountain bike. He's an educator and mechanical expert who has written hundreds of MTB how-tos and product reviews.
Did you ever wonder how some of the mountain bike photos you see here on Singletracks and in magazines were taken? Well today is your lucky day, as I'm going to spend…
Having developed a solid relationship with the great folks at Answer over the last several years, whenever new products are sent to market they give us a call and let us put…
This is my last post for Interbike 2012! Interbike is so vast, that at some point it eventually becomes a veritable sea of shiny gear and gadgets. While we could literally go…
By the time you read this, the new 2012 Avid X0 Trail brakes should be hitting your local bike shop. I've had the chance to test these shiny new brakes for a…
There were plenty of cool helmets and other gear to see on the Interbike showroom floor. Swinging by t.h.e., Bell, Five Ten, Dakine, Osprey, and a few others, I had a chance…
One thing I can never stress enough is personal protection on the trail, and Leatt has it going on this year. The really big news with Leatt is the price drop on…
This year, Giro has decided to up their game yet again. In fact, they had so much going on in their massive Interbike booth that it made my head spin! So, to…
For 2013 POC is adding a few more items to their growing line of protective gear. Hailing from Sweden, POC spends a considerable amount of time developing and improving safety gear for…
Easton is a brand name that everyone knows, even if they're not into cycling. This year, Easton is releasing some really interesting products, as well as cleaning up the rest of their…
Zee has arrived: finally, a drivetrain for the gravity rider that won't drain your bank account! Shimano's 2012 offerings don't stop there. With the new Saint group also on display and the…
2013 marks a big push for NukeProof into the North American market. This year, NukeProof has a bunch of exciting (and good looking) new gear. At the show, four complete bikes were…
After a whole season of riding the 2012 RockShox BoXXer WC fork, I am ready to give you the skinny on this improved unit. Those of you who are regular readers might…
Being no stranger to THE products, I was stoked to give the T2 Carbon helmet and the new Cosmo short a go. Both products are intended for people who are into gravity…
Soon after my review of the Cane Creek Double Barrel was published, a small package arrived. Low and behold, it was the shiny, freshly-minted DBAir! Boy was I stoked to try this…
Back in 2010 I reviewed the Kuat NVbike rack, and I still love it and use it to this day. The rack came with a choice of a 2" or 1.25" receiver…
Final review of the Santa Cruz V10 Carbon downhill bike.
For those of you who are familiar with extreme sports such as rock climbing, skateboarding, X-games stuff, and of course, mountain biking, you may have heard about 5.10. Come on... of course…
Since I've had great experiences with Selle Italia saddles before, I was stoked to receive the new SLR Super Flow (145) for testing. Looking at the picture above, I am pretty sure…
The Maxxis Highroller II is a decent all-around tire, and the softer, loamy turf is where these DH tires truly shine.
After another restful night, it took us a while to get ready. With two days of riding and the repeated physical battery from all the gnar that Mountain Creek has to offer,…
At Interbike last year we wrote a bit about some exciting new gear from Spank. Well not too long ago Spank sent over a couple items for review! The new Spank Spike…
So after a lot of planning and waiting, I managed to finally take a trip out to Mountain Creek bike park in Vernon, NJ. Living in Toronto (that's Canada) it would be…
Back in April Greg reviewed the basic Remedy full-face helmet and now that I've put the Remedy CF through its paces, I'm ready to share my review. I'll also share my thoughts…
If you're really into riding (and the fact that you're reading this tells me you are), you're already familiar with the Topeak brand. As a techy kinda guy who does all his…
Here is a MAJOR release from SRAM: the all new XX1! The XX1 is a new single ring, 11spd drivetrain. Noting that many riders were striving for a simpler, lighter solution for…
I switch back and forth between flat pedals and clipless pedals on my bike so I have a need for decent shoes for each discipline. When Shimano contacted me recently to arrange…
Keeping with the trend of wide bars and short stems for gravity-oriented bikes, Truvativ has two good offerings that are starting to show up on many builds. Wanting to complete my Santa…
Mavic has stepped it up, yet again. Many wheel manufacturers have been coming out with some kickass wheels lately, and Mavic is definitely out front. Always seeking to improve their products, Mavic…
This is the third and final installment in our series on spring mountain bike maintenance. You can read Part 2: Drive Train, Frame, and Brake Maintenancehere. Headset Maintenance After a year of…
Osprey has taken everything they learned from the Raptor, Manta, and other packs they have produced and used those lessons to release two new ultra-refined pack series: the Syncro and Zealot. Having…
There is nothing scarier than hearing about all the injuries that have been happening lately when people really send it. Having progressed through different styles of mountain biking and finding I love…
This is a continuation of our series on spring bike maintenance. Click here to read Part 1: Washing, Fork Maintenance, and More. Drivetrain Maintenance After cleaning your bike and maintaining your fork,…
So you did the unthinkable and forgot to clean up your bike for the coming riding season. Now youre stuck, and the shops are all backed up for weeks. Well you could…
Easton recently released the Havoc 150 UST wheels and I had a chance to throw a pair on my new Santa Cruz V10C and give them a whirl. Just to be clear:…
The Cane Creek Double Barrel shock features 4-way adjustment for long travel bikes.
A review of the Loaded Precision AmXc grips and flat pedals.
Photo credit: Jay Parrington. One piece of equipment that many of us fail to use but that we really should consider is joint protection. Having stepped up to mostly gravity and aggressive…
I always enjoy seeing manufacturers improve their products when they see a need.SRAM recently saw a need in the gravity scene and took the opportunity to improve shifting performance and durability while…
The all-new Giro Feature is a helmet that is sure to get quite a few riders excited about buying a new lid! The Feature is designed specifically for the long-travel rider. If…
When I think about buying a quality headset for one of my bikes there are only three or four companies that come to mind, and nearly all of my rides use a…
I recently wrote a post about my Banshee AMP build, and in it I mentioned that I decided to go with the Manitou Circus Expert fork. After spending some quality time shredding…
I recently worked with my buddy Chris to pimp out his 2010 Fox 40 to 2012 specs and it was a big success. Well, Fox decided to send down a brand new…
Over the Christmas break I had a chance to put together a new DJ bike after retiring my older Opus. This year I decided to go with the Banshee AMP after a…
This is the final post in a series of how-to articles describing my 2012 DH bike build, the Santa Cruz V-10. Stem and Bar Installation Before shifters and brakes could be installed,…
SunRingle has been on a roll lately, as they have revamped their entire line of wheels. Beginning last year with a revamp of their XC, Trail, and AM lines of wheels, they've…
This is the third in a series of how-to articles detailing my 2012 DH bike build, the Santa Cruz V-10. Trimming Brake Hoses I tend to save the brake hoses until last,…
After installing the fork and headset on my new Santa Cruz V-10 build, it was time to install the drivetrain. I started off by adding a bit of grease to the bottom…
I've been playing around with a cool new chain retention device from cSixx for a while now. cSixx (pronounced simply as "six") hails from South Africa, and they presently offer two chain…
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