Component Reviews

The Why Cycles Big Iron V2 changed my mind about 27.5″ fat bikes

In 2018, Why Cycles finally released the news I had been waiting for – Adam Miller was once again designing fat bikes. After launching Borealis…

Written by Zach Overholt August 23, 2022

Crankworx Whistler – First Ride on LOOK’s new and incoming Trail Roc MTB pedals

LOOK has had a big presence in the cycling world for many years, but they’re best known for their road, track and triathlon pedals rather…

Written by Steve Fisher August 16, 2022

Review: Carbon Seido MGV fork by Bombtrack can upgrade your adventure!

Crossing over Bombtrack bikes’ frame & fork offerings into their new separate Seido aftermarket component line, the new MGV fork offers all the adventure-capability you…

Written by Cory Benson August 11, 2022

First Rides: Zipp 808 Firecrest wheelset is more versatile than ever, much lighter & cheaper too!

The new Zipp 808s are much lighter, much cheaper, much wider, even faster, and more versatile than ever. If you’re looking for the full details…

Written by Jordan Villella August 08, 2022

Review: 76 Projects Hi Flow No Clog Tubeless Valves are Legit

76 Projects were first to market with a new Hi Flow No Clog Tubeless Valve, though we only caught wind of it after release of…

Written by Jessie-May Morgan August 04, 2022

Review: Hunt Enduro Wide V2 MTB Wheelset

Last season, Hunt Wheels released an updated version of their aluminum Enduro Wide wheelset, re-engineering the rim profiles to have demonstrably more impact resistance without…

Written by Jessie-May Morgan August 03, 2022

Orucase Design Labs Mini Frame Pack combines zippers & magnets for accessibility on the go

Want to carry extra gear without giving up room for water bottles? In that case, mini frame bags are a good way to go. Depending…

Written by Zach Overholt August 01, 2022

Review: The new Growtac Equal Brakes combine little size and big power!

Polarizing opinions aside, cable-actuated disc brakes aren’t going anywhere. And frankly, in many circles, these types of disc brakes actually seem to be more popular…

Written by Ron Frazelle July 27, 2022

First Look: OneUp V3 Dropper Remote is Customizable, Cheaper & Easier to Push

OneUp Components has introduced the V3 Dropper Remote, a lighter, more affordable iteration that is said to require 27% less actuation force than the V2.…

Written by Jessie-May Morgan July 25, 2022

Review: Archer’s D1x electronic shifting system offers moderately improved shifting & app-based tuning

Electronic drivetrains aren’t new anymore, but not long ago Archer Components introduced an interesting new concept – an electronic shifting system that uses a short…

Written by Steve Fisher July 22, 2022

Spurcycle Compact Bell comes back to the road with more affordable 31.8 option

Having used many of the bike bells on the market, it’s hard to argue with the pure & loud sound that rings out of a…

Written by Cory Benson June 27, 2022

Review: Mason X Hunt 650b Adventure Dynamo Wheels are Tough and Light!

Back in 2018, Cory gave the Editor’s Choice Award for the best wheel to Hunt Wheels for making performance wheelsets with a dynamo hub. And…

Written by Ron Frazelle May 27, 2022

Review: RedShift Arclight Pedals Automatically Light Up to Be Safe and Get Seen!

Redshift Sports, creators of performance cycling components for gravel and road, are expanding into the commuter safety market. Their focus? Increased cyclist visibility. Introducing the…

Written by Ron Frazelle May 24, 2022

Review: Teravail Honcho…the Head Tire in Charge!

The Oxford dictionary defines the word Honcho as: “a leader; the person in charge”. This tire fits that description to a “T”. The Teravail Honcho…

Written by Ron Frazelle May 09, 2022

Review: Goodyear Newton MTF & MTR – Front & Rear Specific MTB Tires

We were lucky enough to be invited over to Mountain Bike Connection Winter in Massa Marittima, Tuscany to check out the latest products and technology…

Written by Jessie-May Morgan May 02, 2022

Campagnolo Levante debuts first true gravel wheelset, with wide carbon rim – First Rides

Campagnolo rolls out their first true gravel wheelset with the new lightweight carbon Levante gravel wheels. Expanding out to a 25mm internal width with a…

Written by Cory Benson April 29, 2022

Review: MegaNorris Sandwich Tire Insert for MTB Rim Protection

Huck Norris has expanded their offering of mountain bike tire inserts, introducing the Toast, Sandwich and Hamburger. Tailored for XC, Enduro and Downhill, respectively, these…

Written by Jessie-May Morgan April 15, 2022

First Ride Review: Continental Kryptotal Downhill Tires at Dan Atherton’s Dyfi Bike Park

Continental Tires seemed to be resting on their laurels in the gravity department, having relied on various iterations of the King, der Kaiser and der…

Written by Jessie-May Morgan April 07, 2022

Review: All-new Hutchinson Tundra gravel tire scales down mountain bike tread for adventure

The new Hutchinson Tundra gravel tire expands their made-in-France gravel bike lineup with aggressively lugged tread scaled down from XC mountain bike tires. We’ve been…

Written by Cory Benson March 22, 2022

First Rides: Pirelli’s first road bike tires made in Italy are the versatile P Zero Race 4S

Pirelli has overhauled their premium year-round road bike tire with the new tube-type P Zero Race 4S clincher, the first of many tires to come…

Written by Cory Benson March 18, 2022

First Rides: Öhlins RXF34 MTB fork sheds 400g, limits trail-ready travel to 120 or 130mm

Öhlins completely overhauled their approach to short-travel lightweight trail bike suspension with their all-new RXF34 m.2 fork. Instead of a light 34mm stanchion fork with…

Written by Cory Benson March 09, 2022

Review: PNW Components Loam Dropper Post and Lever

Dropper posts are pretty much ubiquitous on trail MTBs and are even showing up on XC bikes straight from the manufacturer. Because of that, there…

Written by Chris Chou March 07, 2022

New CADEX AR 35x gravel wheels are 1,270g! Plus new CADEX gravel tires

The carbon creators at CADEX officially entered the gravel/all-road wheel market with one of the lightest wheelsets we’ve seen — CADEX AR 35 DISC. That’s…

Written by Jordan Villella March 01, 2022

Long Term Review: SR Suntour Durolux EQ R2C2 Enduro Fork

After some very good first ride impressions of SR Suntour’s short-travel Axon Werx 34 XC fork, we were keen to test the capabilities of their…

Written by Jessie-May Morgan February 17, 2022

Hands on: Reserve 30 HD carbon wheels are more burly with better ride, 27.5 or 29″

Better ride? More bomb-proof? Why not both? That seems to be the thought behind Reserve’s latest carbon hoops, the 30 HD. You may recall that…

Written by Zach Overholt February 15, 2022

Review: WTB Verdict 29″ x 2.5″ Light High Grip SG2 Mountain Bike Tire

This winter, I made the WTB Verdict the companion for my Crankbrothers Synthesis front wheel putting it to the test in some slick Scottish conditions.…

Written by Jessie-May Morgan February 08, 2022

Review: Vittoria Airliner Mountain Bike Tire Insert

Vittoria’s mountain bike rim protection offering comes in the form of the bright green Airliner tire insert, retailing at $54.99 USD. We put it to…

Written by Jessie-May Morgan January 25, 2022

Review: Ergon SMC Core Men’s saddle flexes for comfort, provides cush without mush

When it comes to riding comfort, there’s nothing more important than having a seat your butt agrees with. As their name suggests, Ergon is a…

Written by Steve Fisher December 29, 2021

Review: Nex-Gen Aero V7 gravel wheels

Nex-Gen Sports takes the factory-direct-to-consumer concept to a bit of an extreme, focusing on the tech and product attributes rather than marketing, and in all…

Written by Mike Albert December 22, 2021