Rockguardz Protection

RRP £35 (Depending on model)

Pictured is the 2016 guard, but I fitted  2015 guard to my own bike. It's a simple addition which could save an awful lot of heartache (and money) later. A quick google search shows you what this lightweight product can do, and I'd sooner strap £35 to the underside of my bike than throw away a frame.

The rock guard has a good looking carbon finish and wraps around the downtube of your bike (mine even had a small flange to cover part of the BB). It's designed to save you from rock strikes and other troublesome trail features known for killing frames. It's not inconspicuous, but it doesn't detract from how the bike looks either, with a sleek design and attractive carbon finish (which no doubt you could paint, if colour coding is your thing).

It's a doddle to fit - simply place the guard in hot water to make it slightly more malleable, fit it to your bike and let it cool. No glue or tools involved, and you can fit it in the time it takes you make a coffee with that leftover boiling water! Although I didn't find the fit particularly tight, there's not enough room for significant movement. Occasionally I do fiddle with the placement, but that's more of an OCD aesthetic thing - it's always doing its job.

The service from Rockguardz is great - it arrived within two days in lots of padding and with two complimentary stickers.

I'll be checking for a Rockguardz protector for every bike I buy from now on. There're only a limited amount of models (as each guard is bike-specific) but most brands and models are covered!

SDG I-Beam Seat Post (and Saddle)

Seatpost RRP: £64.99
Saddle RRP: (Various) circa £50-£90

What are the benefits to a single bolt seat post with an all carbon saddle? The product reviewer in me wants to discuss how easy the single bolt system is to adjust (no faffing with multiple pieces like traditional seat posts). But I'll move straight on to how cool it looks! There's something pretty space age about the way this saddle's appearance, while the amazing range of colours, styles and padding give it brilliant versatility. 220g for a 27.2 seatpost is crazy light, and would make most people think twice about buying carbon. Especially when this is for a 400mm length (which the majority of us would cut down). If carbon is your thing, SDG have you covered here too with an identical post in carbon for £90.

Downsides? It's pretty pricey, but the ibeam design has been around for over 7 years now, so finding reduced old stock / second hand items is pretty easy. SDG aren't the only brand to cotton onto this design, with Raceface and Deity a mere sample of other brands offering similar options. Theres a certain amount of flex in the saddle, but I wouldn't label it comfy - more of a crumple zone for when things go wrong. For the short stints spent sat on a dh bike it's ideal, but if you're thinking of putting it on an xc whippet, I'd go for the white/black colour scheme because you're going to be walking away from that bike like Pingu.

Durability is good - SDG keep the seat post pretty plain with a small logo at the top, so there're no external decals or paintwork to wear through repeated raising / lowering of the post. The black finish stays looking good for a long time. The saddles are brilliant; I didn't have any rips or tears and they held the colour well. I did ride in the snow and snap a saddle though. Carbon rail digging into thighs isn't a great feeling, but I think taking the bike from a warm house to sub-zero temperatures made it brittle, and my own foolishness was to blame for this injury. Day-to-day the saddles have been brilliant, with no issues whatsoever except this one catastrophic failure (most likely due to my catastrophic stupidity).

The saddle/post combo looks great and is crazy light. Replica 'carbon style' saddles might tempt you, but pay big-brand prices and enjoy the reliability. Whether it's great build quality or the fact there's very little material, but these saddles seem to last forever and are a solid investment.

Shimano Saint MX80 Flat Pedal

RRP: £59.99

I've been using saint mx80 flat pedals on two of my bikes now; my downhill rig and my Nukeproof Mega enduro bike.

Positives:
-Reasonable price
-Understated looks. If you're already running saint (particularly cranks) the understated grey/black/gold looks great, and there're no tacky bright colours to fade over time.
-The 9 pins are easy to remove. The pedals come with washers for you to choose your amount of grip, although removing these (if you always want them in the long setting) is a bit of a faff.
-Aesthetic finish is durable. The upside to grey is that it can't really fade with use, and the black elements in the pedal hold their colour well.

Negatives:
-Weight - 494g is pretty chunky for a pedal. Particularly as there's no Ti axel upgrade to make them lighter, the standard ball bearings are all you can get.
-Looks (I know, I listed it as a positive too!) If you're looking for a stunning set of pedals, these aren't for you. There's no DMR-style 'pimp my pedals' kit, or shiny anodising in an assortment of colours. What you see is what you get.
-Relatively small platform surface for those of us with big feet. If you're size 12 like me, they do feel like standing on a lego after a long day's ride. Certainly better footwear on my part would help, but the narrow platform is also to blame.
-Incredibly 'flat' feeling platform - it feels very much like your foot is resting on top of the pedal instead of moulding to it.

I run them on two bikes, so can't really give these pedals a terrible rep - they perform admirably each week. However, I get the impression that there're better sets out there - I'm not upset enough about the weight to spend double what these cost on Ti-Axelled dream pedals, but extra weight on a bike is never a bonus either. The bearings on one (of four) pedals have failed, but it's hard to get too upset considering they've stood up to over a year of abuse (I'm not shy of clipping the odd tree root or entire rock garden!).

Overall, they're not pedals to be sniffed at - they look at home on pretty much any build and do the job. However, if you've got some money spare and really want to treat yourself (or add a pop of colour to your ride) there're more cost effective options out there. I've got 2 new sets of pedals in to test over the next month, so will put a comparison out there then!

2015 Nukeproof Mega Am Pro Review

Considering I was moving down from a 2014 Pulse, the most noticeable thing about the Mega was the effortless speed it carries over obstacles and open sections; the weight that many reviewers have mentioned seems unnoticeable. Personally, I love the look of the Mega and the reassuring feel of its bulk on the trails - it's certainly no xc whippet, but the confidence it inspires on the downhill sections more than makes up for this.

Positives:

-Value for money - With Sram's top-of-the-line x01 11 speed transmission there seems to be a gear for every eventuality with seamless shifting.

- Reverb - Although a dropper post seems to have become a must-have for all enduro bikes, the reverb has still transformed the bike, allowing you to go from a climb into attacking a downhill section without even pausing.

- Suspension - The amazing reviews for the Pike's speak for themselves and are wholly deserved, while the monarch is a relatively simple shock to set up that provides a brilliant platform.

- Easily available replacement parts - Chainreaction and other sites stock a huge amount of Nukeproof spares which makes any bearing / hanger issues easy (and cheap) to rectify.

-Nukeproof AM wheelset - An absolutely brilliant wheelset which has stood up to much abuse. Bearing replacements are dirt cheap, and their slightly higher weight is a small price to pay for reliable performance. My clumsy riding and heavy weight have taken a toll on them a year in, which is admirable (particularly when I purchased a whole replacement rear wheel for £40 on eBay).

- Confidence inspiring - This really does feel like a lightweight dh bike and has been more than a match for the many UK tracks I have ridden it on. If you're looking to snatch seconds and make podium's, a dh bike is still your best bet, but the agility of the nukeproof is astounding and the only time I wanted more travel was in the most vicious rock gardens.

Negatives:

- Weight - At 31.8lb's, it's a figure that makes some riders anxious. You can easily fettle with the build weight with a few simple changes (like making the tubeless-ready wheels tubeless and getting some carbon bars). 

- Avid Guide Brakes - They didn't seem up to the challenge of stopping my 100 kilos very efficiently. A 203mm ice tech rotor helped this problem up front (180mm standard) but they're still not as effective as I would like. However, the modulation and overall feel of the brakes is good, and they may well be a brilliant choice for lighter riders.

- Nukeproof finishing kit - I don't know whether it's brand snobbery, or performance-based, but I find that I have replaced much of the finishing kit over the past year. Odi grips provide additional comfort,  and the carbon bars provided a better feel up front that stopped pesky trail-vibrations.

-Nukeproof Saddle - This may be me being a 100 kilo ape, but I bent the saddle irreparably within a couple of rides. Fortunately, an SDG replacement has provided me with no further issues.

Overall it's a brilliant bike that I would happily recommend to anyone - I have no intention of parting with mine in the foreseeable future. Although Nukeproof radically changed their frame design for 2016 (meaning these older shapes lose some value) it is undeniably superior to my riding capabilities. It's fast when the course gets rough, admirably agile, and not too bad on the uphill sections either. 

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.