Comparison tests, Reviews & thoughts about bikes
carbon wheels
Tires
Maxxis has taken the DH-F and DH-R tread patterns and applied them to Fat bike tire sizing to create the new Minion FBF and FBR tires
1. Continental Mountain King II 27.5” x 2.2 ProTection, Black Chili compound, Front & Rear
2. Continental Trail King 27.5” x 2.2 ProTection Apex, Black Chili compound, Front & Rear
3. WTB Vigilante 2.3 27.5” TCS Light, Fast Rolling Compound: Front
WTB Trail Boss 2.25 27.5” TCS Light, Fast Rolling Compound: Rear
4. Schwalbe Magic Mary: 2.35 Trailstar compound, Snakeskin casing: Front
Schwalbe Hans Dampf: 2.25 Rear, Pacestar compound, Snakeskin casing: Rear
5. Schwalbe Hans Dampf: 2.25 Pacestar compound, Snakeskin casing: Front
Schwalbe Nobby Nic: 2.25 Rear, Pacestar compound, Snakeskin casing: Rear
Four tire combinations were tested in Seattle winter conditions by product testers riding either a Turner Flux (120mm rear travel) or a Turner Burner (140mm rear travel). The tires tested were:
- Maxxis High Roller 27.5" x 2.3 Front & Rear, 3C compound/EXO - Front & Rear
- Panaracer Neo-Moto 27.5" x 2.3 - Front & Rear
- Schwalbe Hans Dampf: 27.5" x 2.25 Front & Rear, Pacestar/Snakeskin - Front & Rear
- Schwalbe Nobby Nic: 27.5" x 2.35 Front, 2.25 Rear, Pacestar/Snakeskin
Bikes
Comparison test of modern 29er trail bikes: Pivot Trail 429, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Yeti SB 4.5, Yeti SB100
Wow, my son is really fast on this bike. If you had asked me before he got this bike whether a bike could make a difference in how fast kids can ride, I would have absolutely have said no way. Well, I’m now a believer and the difference is frame geometry, not weight.
Dave Turner provides the background on the development of the new Turner RFX v4.0 carbon enduro bike and describe the details that help the bike ride well.
Kids
Wow, my son is really fast on this bike. If you had asked me before he got this bike whether a bike could make a difference in how fast kids can ride, I would have absolutely have said no way. Well, I’m now a believer and the difference is frame geometry, not weight.
Other Reviews
Giro has introduced a new version of their Empire ACC and Republic LX shoes for road and casual use that are 100% reflective! These look to be a great option for road riding or commuting in night time or low light conditions.
Kool-Stop showed new aluminum cooling fins with a replaceable brake pad design that allows standard Kool-Stop pads to be used as replacement.
The SplitRail is a new hitch rack from RockyMounts that is a legitimate competitor to the Thule T2 Pro and Kuat NV hitch racks.
Carbon Wheels compared in an A/B test format