Airwave DH Tubes

RRP: 4.99 (per tube)
At a weight of 330g each, these are by no means light. However, increased thickness is intended to prevent pinch punctures, particularly in rock- or root-strewn courses. After riding these for over a month I can confirm there were no punctures. For the money-conscious among us, I found this was a great combination with cheaper tyres, as it seemed to compensate for thinner sidewalls.This may be complete luck, but courses where punctures have been pretty prevalent didn't have an effect on these tubes, even when I was fitting cheaper tyres. Therefore, it's easier to have a selection of tyres for various courses/conditions and use these tubes with them.

However, my one niggle is the apparent weakness near the valve. Out of five used tubes three of them ripped in this area. One was whilst running extremely low pressures, so is understandable. However, the other two I can't find a definitive reason for. My only guess is that the tubes do not cope well with lateral pressure (as I was hitting jumps and berms hard, sometimes sideways on). However, this is unacceptable for a tube which retails at nearly £5.

Therefore, the tubes are unreliable, yet seamless when working perfectly. They do the job of preventing punctures exceptionally well, it is only the valve which is a concern. Were I to have had a dodgy batch (entirely possible since the other tubes appear to be working perfectly on the same bike, with the same rider on the same courses) I could wholeheartedly recommend these.

El Gallo Enduro Saddle

RRP: £34.99
In a market as saturated as this, it can be pretty difficult to stand out. As a relatively new brand to the UK, El Gallo have introduced an 'enduro' specific range of products which should put them on a level with some of the giants out there.
At an rrp of £34.99 it's a relatively cheap saddle, but certainly doesn't look like one. The padding (which I assume gave rise to the 'enduro' tag) is great, providing comfort without being cumbersome as it is on some products. It comes at a small weight penalty; it weighs 290g, although for both the price and the amount of padding this is a relatively small price to pay. Also, it's obvious that when riding an enduro I'd happily trade a few grams for all-day comfort.

On a durability front, it's been fantastic. The rails haven't bent (a big surprise for me, considering this seems to happen to every saddle I buy). The material hasn't ripped or faded, which is brilliant considering I bought the white saddle, and these are often prone to unsightly brown/grey stains.

The saddle, sold by Fix Distribution (the only UK supplier) came packaged well and immaculate condition. The black rails are a bonus which a few brands seem to overlook, and just keep it looking that bit tidier as a whole. There are three colour options, including predominantly white and a black/black option which makes it suitable for any build.

Truvativ Hammerschmidt

 

The Truvativ Hammerschmidt crank is by no means cheap, with a £649.99 rrp for the AM crank. However, used cranks in refurbished/unused condition are going for under £200, making it a serious contender in comparison to other double chainsets.
Personally, I have the 'AM' crank, although the only difference between the AM and FR cranksets is the gear ratio, with AM typically on 22t and the FR crank on 24. The system, on paper, is a stroke of genius; allowing you two potential gears up front without the possibility of dropping the chain. Instead of a front derailleur shifting over two cogs, the cranks are internally geared, making it a completely unique product. Admittedly, a weight penalty is paid. However, the crank does eliminate the need for expensive and weighty chainguides, the risk of dropping the chain, and problems with fettling a front derailleur in one (relatively simple) product.
Setting up the Hammerschmidt is a doddle, simply fix it up to the ISCG mounts and bottom bracket like you would with any crank/chainguide combination. Unbelievable though it seems, setting up the gears took virtually no adjustment; with two very obvious settings it's easy to see whether it is functioning correctly or not.
On the trails the cranks are perfect. The choice of only 175mm or 170mm arms may pose a problem for those of us who like a lot of clearance, but I never had an issue with striking rocks or other obstacles. The shifting is absolutely seamless, and I have yet to find another product which shifts this quickly and effectively with just a soft touch on the lever. It's worth noting that shifting could be left until the last moment when climbing, and it still shifted just as effectively under strain. This, in my experience, is not possible with traditional double chainsets. There is a minor amount of noise and resistance, although I found this negligible, particularly when the trail got rough and fast.
So, a verdict. On the one hand, I had two gears on a downhill/freeride bike, turning it into an all round product which couldn't have been achived without purchasing a whole new bike. The chain doesn't ever drop, and the crank is simple to fit and maintain. On the other hand, it's weighty, resistant and (on the four bolts) prone to breaking - a problem emphasised by the fact that (should only one of these bolts break) you are expected to spend £120 on a whole replacement section. And no, this is not the sort of bolt you can make up yourself, or that the local bike shop will have on the off-chance. Therefore, I'm torn. On my enduro/freeride build it's totally indispensable, and there isn't another product out there which could do the job. However, for the expense and weight conscious, a classic double with a tight chain (or single ring with chainguide) may well be the obvious alternative.

El Gallo Mk2 Dropper Post First Impressions

So far I've only taken it out of the box and installed it, but I've been impressed. First and foremost, its price is lower than any other (respectable) brand new dropper post on the market. At 450g it's equal to a Thompson Elite post, before the Thompson has the additional weight of the remote and cables added. It's a good looking piece of kit, with the subtle El Gallo graphics keeping it tasteful; allowing it to look at home on any build. The pre-set heights were an attractive proposition, allowing me to use it on a freeride/enduro build with minimum faffing around whilst riding. It arrived well padded and packaged from Fix Distribution, the only UK El Gallo distributor, and it was a simple case of taking it out of the box and setting it up. The big attraction of this though? PRICE. At under £130 it's silly cheap; compare it to any post you're thinking of running, and it'll be half the price. The post comes with a seat shim to make it easy to fit, and the lack of complexity, far from being a disappointment, merely makes it appear to be easy maintain. So far I'm impressed, but more on performance soon!