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!

Nema Podium Jersey

The Nema Podium Jersey is a fantastic piece of kit. It's comfortable and light, as any race jersey should be. The resistant material comes in black/white, red/black, yellow/ black, white/blue, yellow/cyan and white/black colouration. The UK stockist Hotlines has them for £45 for a standard Jersey, and the matching shorts at a very reasonable £55. If you want a name or logo on the Jersey, this is no hassle for Nema - they provide a printing service for a small additional charge. I found the fit was very good, with room for pads without being too baggy. The lycra collar was a very useful and comfortable addition. After using rival products, I won't look back. Nema have made a fantastic jersey, and for a tiny additional amount it can be customised to make it personal to you. The Hotlines site makes it easy for UK buyers, and Nema themselves include tax, shipping and additional cost within the final price to make purchasing the jersey incredibly simple. Don't just take my word for it, the jersey is worn by a variety of top athletes and teams - including Deathgrip Racing.

Spank Tweet Tweet Single Speed Chain

As yet another successful component in Spank's renowned Tweet Tweet range, this chain provides some low cost bike bling. A £27.99, you're paying a little bit extra for a chain that really finishes your drive train off nicely. Having ridden one for a few weeks, my initial findings are impressive. It's brightened up what's usually a dirty, gritty part of my bike, and has performed faultlessly. There's none of the stretching that's all too common in cheaper chains, and no corrosion either. Regular oiling is an obvious necessity, but it hasn't affected the colour significantly on my (red) chain. The available colours are: red, black, orange, blue, purple or chrome.  It doesn't cost much more than a standard single speed chain, and that bit of extra cash really brightens up the bike. It also coordinates the colour scheme on my bike really well, and gives the impression that a lot of attention to detail has gone into the build. A coloured chain may not be the first item on a custom build list, but once you've got one, the difference it illustrates is very eye-catching.

Answer Pro Taper 780 DH Riser Bar

I've ridden this bar for two months. At £54.99 (on Hotlines) and 335g, it has a light weight that's reasonably light on your pocket. The wide choice of colours make it easy to suit one to your bike, and at £54.99 you won't be disappointed. It's cheaper than similar DH bars out there, and lighter too. The colour retention is fantastic, and the finish is very scratch resistant. Despite the light weight and considerable width, there is absolutely no flex in them. The bars lead to some seriously responsive handling that really increases confidence. The choice in rise is really useful, as now you needn't buy a new stem to facilitate these (must-have) bars. Answer provide good marks if you wish to cut the bars down to size, and because of the durability of the finish, you don't have to decide straight away: fit the grips for now, and the marks will still be there in a few months time. I can't see how these can be beat, unless you try the carbon version?

Wellgo CNC Platform B47 Flat Pedals

593g weight competes with much more expensive pedals. Such a low weight at £29.99 is exceptional value, particularly when each pedal contains eight replaceable pins for added durability. I've reviewed a lot of pedals on here, covering a huge price range. I still maintain that if you don't like the feel or looks of DMR v8's, these are THE budget pedal to have. I bought them as a cheap replacement for my DH bike pedals, and found them so good I didn't change them. A year later, the black anodised finish has worn from the edges, but they're still spinning on freely on their 'high quality' bearing axels. For a dh pedal, the pins were pretty short. Due to all of them being replaceable, however, buying some longer ones and fitting them is cheap and easy. The platform, which I find to be the most important part of any pedal, is fantastic. The slight curve on such a wide surface area gives a comfortable and stable area for the foot. Slipping off the pedal, even with standard pins, is extremely rare. For those of you not used to big platforms, settling your feet on the pedal may feel weird initially. After a couple of rides though, it was easy to find that comfortable position and I was able to take advantage of the stable platform that Wellgo provides for a mere £30. The styling is very safe, but at least it's not going to fade or chip and look rubbish. Black suits me fine, and I can't think of many bikes I've seen where there hasn't been a black part. It's a universally appealing pedal at a universally appealing price.