WTB has been crushing it in the last few seasons, creating some impressive treads that blur the lines between DH and trail tires. The new Verdict is an aggressive, front specific tire that brings moto tires to mind more than a bicycle. Tall, meaty knobs are optimized for soft, slippery terrain with ample room for […]
Pirelli Scorpion MTB Tires: First Rides
Pirelli is a well-known brand in tires — for high-performance tires for race cars and motorcycles. That, and their classic series of calendars. They’ve been expanding into the bike world, joining brands like Goodyear, Continental, and Maxxis in the cycling category with the Pirelli Velo range. After testing the waters with a road cycling tire, […]
A $38 Tube? The Tubolito Tubo MTB Tube Might be Worth it.
A $38 inner tube? When you first hear it, the retail price of the Tubolito Tubo MTB Tube sounds outrageous. However, it might just be worth it. A 29″ Tubo MTB Tubolito tube weighs in at a listed 85 grams, is tougher than a standard tube, and has half the packed size. Consider this: a […]
WTB 2.5″ Vigilante, 2.4″ Trail Boss and Judge: Beast Mode, Engaged
The WTB Vigilante 2.5 and Judge 2.4 tires are some angry masses of rubber. My thought holding the ball of rolled up rubber for the first time was that this mass of meaty tire would easily kill or maim small forest creatures if propelled with force. Just holding these things, it is clear they’re about […]
Terrene Honali Any Road Tires
There was a time that a tire like the Honali was referred to as a hybrid tire. It used to be a challenge to find something that was tough and reliable, but fortunately the road bike world has evolved. Adventure bikes and gravel bikes are the big thing but more importantly, it means there a […]
Reviewed and Tested: WTB Vigilante & Breakout 2.3 Tires
WTB tires have come a long way in the last few years in terms of reliability and reputation, and I was looking forward to logging some trail time with the latest and greatest from the Mill Valley based brand. Upon the recommendations, the Vigilante and Breakout in 29 x 2.3 sizes were dispatched for my […]
GUP Quick Fix Tire Sealant & Inflator
Flats are the worst. Even tubeless tires — which thanks to tubeless sealants, have reduced the likelihood of flatting considerably — can be punctured and fail, leaving you forced to add additional sealant or install a tube in order to get home. Sealant dries up over time, which make sealant part of many riders carry […]
Reynolds Cycling TR 309 S Carbon Wheels
Carbon wheels have been slowly coming down in price the last few years, making them more accessible for riders on a budget seeking top level trail performance. At $1549, the TR 309 S carbon wheels from Reynolds Cycling are $1000 less than what a set of flagship carbon wheels cost just a few years ago, […]
Robert Axle Project Lightning Bolt-on Axle
Designed and made in the US and based in Bend, Oregon, the Robert Axle Project makes — and I quote, “a shit-ton of axles.” Specializing in thru axles for 12mm and 15mm, they have axle available for trailers, trainers or for riders looking to drop a bit of weight with a cleaner interface. When I […]
Reynolds TR S Carbon Wheels
Positioned as a lower cost alternative to their flagship Black Label Series, the new Reynolds TR S carbon wheels feature a 30mm internal rim width and boast a listed weight of 1635 grams for the 29″ wheelset. (listed weight for the 650 b option is 1560g) Available in 27.5 and 29″ versions in both boost […]
Rear Thru Axle ‘Standards’ Are Confusing As Hell For No Reason
The bike industry is known for not creating or adhering to standards, but it wasn’t until I needed a rear axle I realized how bad it had gotten. Digging through my bins of collected bike parts, I pulled a not-small selection of rear through axles in what was the correct length and spacing for a […]
Fresh Gear: FSA Afterburner WideR Wheelset
The FSA Afterburner wheels caught our attention when we first encountered them at the Sea Otter Classic this spring. With an internal rim width of 27mm, they’re wider than the widths that we previously were seeing as the “standard” but a bit narrower than the 30mm IDs we’re seeing from many other manufacturers. We’ve enjoyed […]