The sequel to the Switchblade story heralds a new era of all mountain riding, with more travel, unrivaled versatility and progressive geometry. It unleashes dominance over enduro inspired descents, generates speed, and delivers the finesse needed for power moves on technical climbs. With a masterfully designed new dw-link shock layout, riders can optimize suspension performance like never before. …
After my torrid love affair with the Hightower this past summer, I decided to see what else Santa Cruz had in store, and pass along my beloved Sriracha rocketship to a new home. The initial plan was to pick up the new Hightower LT – but apparently, everyone else had the same idea, and bikes …
Another year, another pile of gorgeous carbon bikes to drool over. The choices are endless, which leaves the buyer in a bit of a pickle – which steed is worthy of your hard-earned dollars? I’m of the opinion you’d be hard-pressed to make a poor decision, but some bikes clearly outshine the competition. This is …
Read more “2018 Kona Process 153 CR/DL – Bike Magazine Bible of Bike Tests”
If getting into Bikepacking has taught me anything, it’s this – be prepared. Riding long distances has taught me to have the stuff I need, so if, or should I say when things go sideways, I can deal. I wanted to share a little about what I never leave home without. First I want to talk luggage. …
I had the distinct pleasure of riding the Santa Cruz Hightower CC for the majority of the summer, and it left quite the impression. It was a bike of many firsts for me: First time riding a 29er, first time riding a bike running a VPP platform, and most importantly – first time riding a …
What better way to start your hump day than to watch a world cup ripper put some serious hurt on some beautiful alpine singletrack? Exactly. Sit down, relax and enjoy. The Kona Hei Hei Trail is a curious beast – a quick look at the numbers would make you think that it is a bit …
Pivot, like a couple other brands out there, doesn’t hold on to the notion of “model years” or seasons. They release a new bike when it’s ready. It might be in the middle of the season, or it might be in the middle of winter, but you can be sure that when you throw a …
Remember when having a 3.0″ tire on your bike meant you wheelie dropped everything, rarely showered and had an affinity for breaking your bike on a daily basis? Well, dust off your roach pads, it’s time to get rad again! Wide rims and even wider tires are making a comeback, and its not quite where …
Read more “Norco Torrent 7.1 – What a Modern Hardtail Should Be”
I’ve been spending the past couple days unwrapping and building Norco’s new Optic trail bikes, and am quickly beginning to see what all the fuss is about. For those of us who live in the land of fast, rolling singletrack with punchy climbs and quick descents (sound like anywhere familiar?), we often find that 160+mm …
If you read our earlier post about Kona’s Hei Hei Trail, you’d know that everyone seems to think that it’s an awesome bike. And I agree, it is. But what if you took that bike, melted the frame down to make an aluminum potato masher, and replaced it with nothing but sweet, sweet carbon fiber? …