Noah Bodman
Idler pulleys on high-pivot bikes lead rough lives. They’ve generally got fairly low tooth counts, are heavily loaded, often with not much chain wrap, and bear the brunt of whatever cross-chaining is happening at any given moment. North Shore Billet has a range of aftermarket options to replace worn-out stock idlers, and we’ve spent a full year on their Norco Range version to see how it holds up.
Kona Process 134
The Kona Process 134 stays true to its roots and proves — yet again — that a bike doesn’t need to be complicated to be good. Check out our Full Review to see what it’s all about.
Flash Review — Kona Process 134
Kona recently revised their longstanding Trail bike, and it's shaping up to be an impressive offering. Here are our initial thoughts.
Time Speciale 10 and Speciale 12 Pedals
It’s always worrisome when a longtime favorite product gets revised, and Time’s new Speciale pedals were the latest to give us “did they screw it up?!” anxiety. So, have these pedals been meddled with under Time’s new SRAM ownership, or is it business as usual with the Speciale 10 and 12? We have thoughts.
2024 Pivot Switchblade
The Pivot Switchblade got overhauled for 2024, so is the new one still a super-versatile do-it-all Trail bike or something else entirely? Check out our Full Review for our take.
Flash Review — 2024 Pivot Switchblade
The Pivot Switchblade has long been a super-popular do-it-all Trail bike, but how does the new one perform? We’ve got some early impressions.
Vitus Escarpe
Vitus is making a return to the US mountain bike market, and their Escarpe looks like an especially good value for an all-rounder Trail bike. But is there a catch?
Flash Review — Vitus Escarpe
The Vitus Escarpe is a great value and looks well sorted on paper, but does it all come together on the trail? We've started spending time on one to find out — check out our early impressions.
Ion Rascal Amp
The Ion Rascal Amp doesn’t try to be the techiest, most gadget-laden shoe on the market. Instead, it tries to take a tried-and-true design and execute it well. So did Ion succeed?
2022 Fox DHX
Fox’s new DHX is a simpler, less-expensive coil shock than their flagship DHX2, and for some riders, that will sound appealing. But does it deliver? That really depends on what you’re looking for.
Fox Rampage Pro Carbon MIPS
Fox’s Rampage Pro Carbon MIPS is a nicely made, well designed DH helmet. Just check the sizing before you buy one.
Shimano ME5 Clipless Shoes
Shimano’s ME5 isn’t just a less expensive version of the ME7, it’s a different shoe altogether. And depending on what you’re looking for, that’s actually a really good thing.
Leatt 5.0 Clipless Shoes
Leatt’s 5.0 Clipless shoe offers downhill-worthy protection in a package that still pedals impressively well — and it’s competitively priced. That sounds great, but is there a catch?
2022 Fox 34 Fork
We've now tested Fox's new 34 fork on both a hardtail and a modern short-travel Trail bike. Check out our full review of the fork for our thoughts on it, including how it compares to the alternatives from both Fox & RockShox.
Shimano ME7 Clipless Shoes
Shimano’s ME7 is a clipless trail shoe that’s meant to be up for a bit of anything, so how well does it live up to Shimano's claims about its versatility? Check out our review to find out.
Flash Review: 2022 Fox 34
Fox gave their 34 a substantial update for 2022, and we've been spending time on the new one. Check out our Flash Review for our initial impressions, including how it compares to the new and old Fox 36.
Sweet Protection Arbitrator MIPS Helmet
Is it possible to have "one helmet for everything" — from long days of pedaling to shuttle or lift laps? The convertible Sweet Protection Arbitrator helmet might be the best option for this that we've used. Check out our full review to see why.
Hunt All-Mountain Carbon H_Impact Wheelset
Can a product that costs half as much as the competition perform just as well? That's basically what Hunt is claiming about their Carbon H-Impact wheelset, and after 5 months of testing, we actually don't think they're far off. Check out our review of this impressive wheelset.
2021 Fox 38 Fork
We've spent the last 3 months riding Fox's burliest single-crown fork, the 38, and comparing it to other mainstays in the category to see just how much of a difference the bigger chassis (and new internals) make on the trail. Spoiler alert: it's a significant difference, but there's more to it. Check out our full review.
2021 Fox Float X2 Shock
The Float X2 is Fox's most downhill-oriented air shock, and they made a lot of changes to it for 2021. Do those changes actually make a difference? We'd say yes, and also think they make it one of the standout air-shocks on the market today — whether you're racing DH or just want better downhill performance out of your Trail bike.