Muddymoles

Hope vs. Salsa flip-off seat clamp review

Entering the world bike geekery is almost a right of passage for any self-respecting mountain biker. Self respect is important here, largely because if you take an unhealthy interest in the minutiae of bike parts you can't exactly go around expecting respect from anyone else!

If you thought the Great Tyre Debate^™ was the nadir of mountain biking nerdiness though, think again. Some people get worked up about seat clamps...

Continue reading 'Hope vs. Salsa flip-off seat clamp review'.

Four4th Lights MTB LED night light review

Back in November we were contacted by Del from Four4th lights who joined us for a night ride across the North Downs. Having survived that, it turned out Del was the owner and one of the engineers involved with the development of Four4th Lights, at which point I quickly arranged to borrow a couple of sets for review.

Continue reading 'Four4th Lights MTB LED night light review'.

Exotic carbon rigid MTB fork review

So, the credit crunch is cutting deeper than Lorena Bobitt's sharpest kitchen knife and Christmas lingers long in the pocket. You've had previously ring-fenced budget for a new singlespeed project diverted into a 'domestic black hole' but are still itching to get some sort of steed trail-ready for the winter gloop.

Continue reading 'Exotic carbon rigid MTB fork review'.

Astounding Adventures mountain bike training course review

I guess the first question is... what kind of rider are you?

Are you new to this whole mountain biking lark and just want to get on with riding? Have you, perhaps, not really been on a bike since your school days but are full of enthusiasm for your new interest? Maybe you're one of those whippet-thin roadie types who's been pounding the tarmac for years and just fancied giving the off-road thing a go? Or are you in fact quite the veteran rider with years of off-road riding behind you and a nice expensive bike to show for it?

Based on our experience this weekend with Astounding Adventures, it's likely you could benefit from some decent skills coaching, regardless of how you found your way into mountain biking.

Continue reading 'Astounding Adventures mountain bike training course review'.

Review: Goodridge Braided Hoses

Upgrading brake hoses might not seem like the most interesting topic for an article, but I've been running braided hoses from Goodridge now for a while and thought it was about time I let you know how I've been getting on.

Continue reading 'Review: Goodridge Braided Hoses'.

Middleburn cable oiler review

Sometimes it's the smallest things that makes things better.

Certain things like badly indexing gears are a particular MTBing hate of mine and when the winter grit and mud started playing havoc with the gears on my Trek Fuel EX 8 I looked around for remedies.

Continue reading 'Middleburn cable oiler review'.

My first time - 661 Mini DH race in the Forest of Dean

The line in front of me is getting smaller, the bib numbers are counting down. My heart’s pounding and the adrenaline is flowing. The last 20 seconds of grace pass rapidly and I’m in the gate. Suddenly the anxiety clears and all I can see is the clock counting down. The worries about line choice, gear problems and the sea of mud disappear and as the clock reaches 4 seconds, I stand on the pedals and cross the start line…

Photo© Ian Cross: www.pics4all.co.uk/

Continue reading 'My first time - 661 Mini DH race in the Forest of Dean'.

Ride Report: Sunday 29 November - Brass Monkeys Enduro, Aldershot

Moles live in muddy holes, I was living up to our name for two and a half hours last Sunday morning. Now, it might sound perverted to get up early on a sodden Sunday morn and roll about in mud. Well, you're probably right…

Continue reading 'Ride Report: Sunday 29 November - Brass Monkeys Enduro, Aldershot'.

Mucky Nutz Bender Fender review

The mountain bike world is one of niches upon niches. But who'd have thought that the mudguard arena could be as competitve and as vibrant as it is now. It's a polarising place with many riders having strong opinions about the mudguards they favour.

Did I really just write that? Indeed I did.

Continue reading 'Mucky Nutz Bender Fender review'.

Ride report: Sunday 8 November - Veteran Moles at Gorrick race in Crowthorne Wood

Well, a taste of racing and riding with the big boys. Tony and myself took ourselves over to Crowthorne Woods for the final Gorrick classic Autumm XC race, before the winter series begins.

Continue reading 'Ride report: Sunday 8 November - Veteran Moles at Gorrick race in Crowthorne Wood'.

Ride report: Sunday 1 November - Bordon Enduro

Well, as anyone looking out the window Sunday morning will confirm, the weather broke this morning, in biblical fashion. For those of us making the trip to Bordon for the Pronghorn Enduro it was a case of a stiff upper lip as the wind and rain battered the car as we drove down.

Testing times were ahead.

Continue reading 'Ride report: Sunday 1 November - Bordon Enduro'.

Specialised Air Tool Pro track pump review

So a track pump is a track pump. You push down the handle and air goes quickly into a tyre. It's not often when you pull the track pump out of the car and everyone oohs and aahs. The Specialised Air Tool Pro must be something a bit different - even if it's just to live up to a name like that.

Continue reading 'Specialised Air Tool Pro track pump review'.

Avid Elixir 5 disc brake review

Yesterday I mentioned I was planning a ride to work on my rejuvenated Inbred singlespeed. Part of that process of bringing the Inbred up to date has been replacing the old skool Hope Mini brakes with new Avid Elixir 5 disc brakes.

Continue reading 'Avid Elixir 5 disc brake review'.

Moose Cycles Demo Day - Pace RC405, Bionicon Edison, Giant Reign X1 and Santa Cruz Blur LT Carbon review

Four interesting bikes, one clear winner!

As most of the Moles were honing their racing technique at D2D, I was ploughing a lone Mole furrow (or should that be creating a lone Mole tunnel) on the North Downs. Peaslake to be precise, where Moose Cycles had based their demo day to showcase the range of interesting bike brands that they sell from their South London shop.

Continue reading 'Moose Cycles Demo Day - Pace RC405, Bionicon Edison, Giant Reign X1 and Santa Cruz Blur LT Carbon review'.

Dusk til Dawn 2009: the interviews - Jez solo

So here's the third and final part of our interview series from the D2D at the beginning of the month (you can also read the views from Muddymoles Team 1 and Muddymoles Team 2).

Jez rode it solo and managed an impressive 8 laps as well as setting some very fast times. Had he been in a team he'd have been right up there on our Muddymoles fastest lap table giving Barrie, Tony and Jem an even harder time.

Here's his unique, solo rider perspective on things.

Continue reading 'Dusk til Dawn 2009: the interviews - Jez solo'.

Crud Fast Fender review

Mr Crud sent Matt a box of goodies a few months back now and we've been a bit slow in bringing you any info on them. This is mainly because part of one of the sets, a Fast Fender and a rear guard, have been sitting on my garage floor waiting for me to finish faffing around with bike builds.

Continue reading 'Crud Fast Fender review'.

It's a ScandAL - review

I squatted the Bumble bee and a black whippet has emerged.

What am I rambling on about? The Marin Nail Trail frame has been packed away and an On-One Scandal has come into the stable.

Continue reading 'It's a ScandAL - review'.

Dusk til Dawn 2009: the interviews - Muddymoles 2

It's now the turn of our Muddy Moles 2 team to let us know how they got on in deepest, darkest Thetford. Just what were they thinking as they experienced MTB racing for the first time at the Marin Dusk til Dawn?

Continue reading 'Dusk til Dawn 2009: the interviews - Muddymoles 2'.

Dusk til Dawn 2009: the interviews - Muddymoles 1

With such a favourable reaction from all who took part in the 2009 Dusk til Dawn it seemed a great idea to capture the thoughts of our riders who took part. Here's their responses to some simple questions regarding the event. First up, Team Muddy Moles 1...

Continue reading 'Dusk til Dawn 2009: the interviews - Muddymoles 1'.

NukeProof Reactor Extreme MTB light review and beam shots

I, or maybe we, have been lucky enough to receive our first high value item to review and it's take the form of the Nukeproof Reactor Extreme light.

Up to this point we've reviewed bikes and accessories that we've all paid our hard earned cash for so this is quite a difference.

Continue reading 'NukeProof Reactor Extreme MTB light review and beam shots'.

MTB LED Night Light Test and Beam Shots

Some time ago we had this wild idea of doing a comparative test of our various MTB lights to let other people judge for themselves which was best. Having missed last year (yes, it takes us a while to organise ourselves!), last week we tramped out to the North Downs Way on Ranmore to do some back to back testing. A strange experience it has to be said…

Continue reading 'MTB LED Night Light Test and Beam Shots'.

Lumicycle LED System 4 review

My Lumicycle lights are a bit like Triggers Broom (for those of you who don't know, see this YouTube clip from Only Fools and Horses). It's completely original. Three different types of lamps and two different types of batteries. Well actually I think one lead is original!

Continue reading 'Lumicycle LED System 4 review'.

2010 Trek Fuel EX 8 review

As a owner of a 2009 Trek Fuel EX 8 I was very interested to see the details of the new 2010 Fuel EX 8 and to see if there had been any great leaps in technology or if it was a case of gradual evolution over the 2009 model. Well checking out the 2010 model there have been some changes but not all for good for us mountain bikers.

Continue reading '2010 Trek Fuel EX 8 review'.

Superstar sintered brake pad review

I've sort of weened myself away from bike forums. Singletrackworld is an example of this. There seems to me to always be a clique that forms and it's so easy for opinion to become "fact" or "truth". From a philosophical point of view truth is a very interesting subject but probably a bit off topic for here.

Continue reading 'Superstar sintered brake pad review'.

Orange Five 14" review - One for the ladies

The search for something with full bounce has been continuing for Debbie—my better half—for a while (see 'Orange Five Diva review - one (not?) for the ladies'). Many bikes have been tested (Orange, Specialized, Trek, Kona) and although she knew she wanted a full susser she didn't want to spend a huge amount on a new machine, so the trawl through eBay began.

Continue reading 'Orange Five 14" review - One for the ladies'.

DealExtreme HA-III P7 LED Bike Light

Now I hope the other Moles don’t think I’m stealing anybody’s thunder here, but in advance of the long awaited night light test, planned for one dark evening in September, I just wanted to scribe a few words about this wee beauty - the DealExtreme HA-III P7 LED Bike Light

And here's some further reading from the light fetishists on the candlepower forum, umm what an interesting bunch of people they sound!

Continue reading 'DealExtreme HA-III P7 LED Bike Light'.

2010 Rock Shox Revelation 120-150mm U-turn fork review

Just now I'm feeling one lucky fellow. Not only have I managed to get hold of one of the first UK imported 2010 Revelation Team forks but having taken them out for a first ride on my Orange Five I'm pretty confident in stating: these are the best forks I've ever ridden.

Continue reading '2010 Rock Shox Revelation 120-150mm U-turn fork review'.

Intense Spider 29er - 3 rides in

With three rides on the Spider now complete I thought I add a few more reflections on this frame.

Continue reading 'Intense Spider 29er - 3 rides in'.

Dogcam HQR2 and HQ2 review

My Oregon Scientific ATC2K camera seems a long time ago now and the quest to find a replacement has been long, at times disappointing, and much more expensive that I had hoped.

Continue reading 'Dogcam HQR2 and HQ2 review'.

Voodoo Wanga Review

Voodoo Wanga is a powerful malediction spell. If you carry a Wanga it will invoke what you desire and bring you good luck.

Continue reading 'Voodoo Wanga Review'.

Orange Five Diva review - one (not?) for the ladies

Mrs Tony (Debs) has been looking for a new bike and top of the list was an Orange Five Diva. Finding one of these is like like finding hens teeth but Cycleworks in Leatherhead pulled some strings and were eventually able to get one from Orange. Even then it was not quite what we expected.

Continue reading 'Orange Five Diva review - one (not?) for the ladies'.

Michelin AirComp latex inner tubes - Something for the weekend, sir?

The Fourth Way - The Fight Against Punctures Continues

It really sucks doesn't it when a perfectly flowing and enjoyable ride gets blighted by the dreaded curse of the flat. Although we've been reasonably lucky over time, several Moles rides this year have been littered with the things. It also seems odd that once a rider is inflicted on a given ride, the poor sod gets 'flatted' at least once more.

Lee and Tony have both been there recently. Matt also nearly died of hypothermia back in March when he flatted in a freezing hurricane only to find he was alone and out of usable patches.

Continue reading 'Michelin AirComp latex inner tubes - Something for the weekend, sir?'.

Dogcam Mini DVR1 review

Hang on, I hear you cry, you only bought a ATC5K a few months ago?

Guilty as charged but I'm always on the quest for better and better, hence a bit of a swap has taken place.

Continue reading 'Dogcam Mini DVR1 review'.

Trek Fuel EX 8 2009 review

Buying a new bike is often a slightly nervous time. It’s a big financial decision for most of us and you want to get it right. Have I picked the right model? The right size? the right spec? Even the right colour?

Well I’ve now had my Trek Fuel EX 8 for two months and after numerous of rides around Surrey and two trips to South Wales finest trails I have no doubts that the Trek Fuel EX 8 was a very good buy.

Continue reading 'Trek Fuel EX 8 2009 review'.

Sombrio Rogue shorts review

For some time now I've been a big convert to the baggy shorts brigade. Although in my less enlightened times I've been known to wear lycra—there's something so sleek about snug fitting sports clothing after all—as time passes you realise that frightening people as you walk into a pub after a ride isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Continue reading 'Sombrio Rogue shorts review'.

Embers Merino Evolution long sleeve baselayer review

Well, I promised you a review of the Embers Merino baselayer I got for Christmas, so after a couple of months riding, here it it.

I went for the Evolution version which has an amusing antipodean themed image to illustrate Darwin's theory (strange to think you can come up with an idea that's so cool people are making nods to it 140-odd years after the event).

Continue reading 'Embers Merino Evolution long sleeve baselayer review'.

Selle Italia Max Flite Gel Flow saddle review

I know that saddles are highly personal. One person's sofa is another person's razor blade…blah…blah…blah. Most of us might have a 'Saddle Imelda' friend out there—yes that's you Greg—who swaps saddles regularly and never seems to be comfortable. Not me.

Continue reading 'Selle Italia Max Flite Gel Flow saddle review'.

Blackburn Mars 4.0 1W LED rear light review

At the beginning of winter I had a think about what I really needed for my bike. I came to conclusion that what was really needed (as opposed to wanted) was decent bike lights so that I'd be able to get out whenever I fancied during the months of darkness.

Continue reading 'Blackburn Mars 4.0 1W LED rear light review'.

Exposure Lights MaXx-D (for Daddy) 4 LED light review

Back in August we first learned of the development of the MaXx-D 4 LED light. At the time I had little expectation that it would have anything to do with me and in fact September saw me musing on whether to keep my Hope HID or upgrade to the Hope Vision 4 LED instead.

Continue reading 'Exposure Lights MaXx-D (for Daddy) 4 LED light review'.

Shimano Alfine rear hub review

After riding singlespeeds for a few years, my knees started complaining about the stresses about 18 months ago. Not particularly wanting to go back to riding gears over the winter I looked at the limited alternatives. The obvious choice was a Rohloff 14 speed hub but despite having a great reputation for reliability they are super expensive for a winter mud machine. Or does that just make me tight?

EDIT. Feb 2010. The only question that remained in my mind at the time of this review was what was the long term reliability of the Afline hub. Well it's almost two winters worth of riding later and the cones feel a bit notchy so it's getting a service. £25's worth of service (Thanks CycleWorks!). Otherwise shifting is still beautifully smooth and it's all on the same chain/chainring/sprocket. So not invincible but not too bad.

Continue reading 'Shimano Alfine rear hub review'.

Adjustable seatpost review - Crank Brothers Joplin & Gravity Dropper

Having now owned two different types of adjustable seatpost, the Crank Brothers Joplin (formerly the Maverick Speedball) and the Gravity Dropper seatpost, I thought people might be interested in my thoughts on the two designs.

Continue reading 'Adjustable seatpost review - Crank Brothers Joplin & Gravity Dropper'.

Ay Up! LED lights review

Since the early part of the Summer (did we actually have a Summer this year?) I’ve been using the MTB set up from Ay Up. After considering a raft of options and the mind-boggling reviews that can go with this particular area of biking paraphernalia, I settled for the Ay Ups because in my mind they ultimately provided an excellent balance of value for money and illumination on the trails.

Continue reading 'Ay Up! LED lights review'.

TrustFire TR-801 Cree Q5 LED torch review

Over the past couple of weeks I've been trying out a new LED torch for use as a helmet light. Courtesy of Dave, who's managed to unearth the TrustFire TR-801 LED torch from DealExtreme I've been running a Cree Q5 LED equipped light for a genuine 'twenny dollah!'

Continue reading 'TrustFire TR-801 Cree Q5 LED torch review'.

Specialized Storm Control mud tyres review

Some of you may be waiting with baited breath to hear how I got on with my Storm Control tyres on last Wednesday's night ride. I feel for you, especially since I've always been confused over the phrase 'baited breath'. What does it mean?!

Yes I know what it's generally understood to mean but I always thought baiting was the act of priming a trap? In which case, making a trap of your mouth seems, well, odd. Semantics aside though I can now put you out of your misery/curiosity over the performance of my tyres.

Continue reading 'Specialized Storm Control mud tyres review'.

Specialized Storm Control 2.0 2Bliss mud tyres

A few days back I asked readers for their opinions on what tyre I should get for wet chalk and clay with the coming winter in mind. So I feel a bit embarrassed to admit that despite people's kind responses, I went in to my local bike shop on Saturday and bought some Specialized Storm Control mud tyres, which weren't even on my purchase radar at all.

Let me explain…

Continue reading 'Specialized Storm Control 2.0 2Bliss mud tyres'.

RST M-29 (29er) suspension fork review

On-One are offering 80mm RST M-29 forks for their 29er frames and I've taken the plunge. It was a tough decision as for me it breaks the Zen simplicity of the rigid single speed bike that I've been riding for a year or so.

However, I have been riding it more and more and I could 'feel' the effects of certain rides more than others once I got home, so I decided that I'd add a bit of weight and a bit of travel to the front to see how I got on.

Continue reading 'RST M-29 (29er) suspension fork review'.

Going Tubeless: A sealed deal?

Us mountain bikers can be a geeky bunch. Whether we naturally shine on the ‘geek spectrum’ or not, our sport has its way of luring us into a world filled with unimaginable jargon and an unhealthy thirst for knowledge of what must appear to others to be the most uninteresting of things.

A world that has my wife and friends at times wishing I came with a mute button, or at the very least an anti-geek mode. At perhaps the mild end of our infatuation with gadgets, componentry and all things that can be fettled with is the conversion to tubeless tyres.

Continue reading 'Going Tubeless: A sealed deal?'.

Cotic Soul 853 steel hardtail review

The classic steel hardtail has seen somewhat of a revival in recent years. Whilst some manufacturers — Orange with their P7 spring to mind — have had a steel thoroughbred in the stable for years, it seems the emergence of 'smaller' brands into the mainstream like On-One, Cotic, Sanderson, Dialled Bikes and Pipedream (to name but a few) have put steel steeds firmly back on the map.

Continue reading 'Cotic Soul 853 steel hardtail review'.

Specialized Fatboy slick MTB tyres review

Ok, I promised I'd cut down on the slick tyre ramblings but having just fitted a pair of Specialized Fatboy slick MTB tyres at the recommendation of Felix and Rob I thought I can't pass up the opportunity for a review.

Continue reading 'Specialized Fatboy slick MTB tyres review'.

Satmap Active 10 GPS review

When I started riding a couple of years back, there were a few things I scoffed at, perceiving them to be pointless fads.

Time moves on and, whilst trying to be more open-minded in my old age, I have since changed my mind regarding some of them.

Continue reading 'Satmap Active 10 GPS review'.

Giro Xen helmet review

When it was introduced the Giro Xen was one of the first MTB helmets that combined two seemingly disparate styles, the skate park pot style lids with the more traditional, maximum ventilation mountain bike helmet. It's a difficult trick to pull off as better protection means more weight, but the Giro was an immediate hit and has spawned many immitators.

Continue reading 'Giro Xen helmet review'.

Kyle Strait 661 knee pads review

Just before our trip to Afan I started thinking that perhaps the time had come to consider some protective clothing. Picking up the odd scrape here and there made me realise how glad I had been at not injuring myself more painfully and the thought of spending any extended time off the bike spurred me to action.

Continue reading 'Kyle Strait 661 knee pads review'.

KCNC Jockey wheels

Anyone following my sorry drivetrain replacement saga of the past week knows that it was all really with one aim in mind. To find an excuse to fit some blingle blingle anodised red KCNC jockey wheels to my SRAM X0 derailleur.

Continue reading 'KCNC Jockey wheels'.

4 trails, 2 falls and tired, tired legs

When the idea of going to Afan this year was first mentioned, I thought “OK, that sounds like a laugh”. It was when Dave C emailed us a copy of the trail map that I realised I had probably just agreed to some of the most strenuous cycling I was ever likely to do.

Continue reading '4 trails, 2 falls and tired, tired legs'.

Afan - 4 Trails, 9 Riders

After months of planning with military precision (well actually a few emails in which I forgot to consider the need to take our own toilet rolls), the MM’s Wales weekender was finally upon us (Matt, Dave C, Mark, Jem, Jez, Dave P, Simon, Rob and me).

See our MTB photos of Afan on Flickr.

Continue reading 'Afan - 4 Trails, 9 Riders'.

Rapid Racer Products NeoGuard Review

I love simple things, me. That's not because they mirror my own level of intelligence. Such things that get the job done in an uncomplicated and unobtrusive manner generate a lot of pleasure, especially if you haven't had to shell out loads of cash or invest loads of time in getting them to work. If they look good too then you're onto a winner.

Continue reading 'Rapid Racer Products NeoGuard Review'.

2008 Orange Prestige Review

Introduction

If you think of Orange, chances are you'll find yourself thinking of their headline grabbing bikes - the Patriot and Five for anyone with some aggressive comfort in mind, and the P7 or Sub-Zero for those who just want to be aggressive. But if you look at their range of bikes there's a whole spread of machines to cater for most tastes, including entry level aluminium hardtails, fast riding race bikes and a brace of new-for-2008 hardtail models, the Vit-T and the Prestige.

Continue reading '2008 Orange Prestige Review'.

Specialized Enduro and Intense 6.6 review

I ended up riding 5 bikes on the Cycleworks demo day, spread over most of the day. Energy was maintained by a selection of goodies but see the cake review for more details about that.

This report simply gives a few impressions of the two bikes that stuck out in my mind. Other bikes I rode were the Marin Wolf Ridge, Specialized Stumpjumper and Marin Rocky Ridge. All of these were competent bikes and handled the test track with ease.

Continue reading 'Specialized Enduro and Intense 6.6 review'.

Cycleworks Demo Day - Colin's review

This was my first Cycleworks demo day and what a blast. The day started by signing-in and enjoying the buzz of riders arriving, pedals in hand and getting the first ride of the day set up.

Continue reading 'Cycleworks Demo Day - Colin's review'.

Light & Motion (L&M) Stella 180-L review

Due to the time of year there have been a few reviews of lights from mole HQ. You may recall that Dave in a mad scientist kind of way went to his shed armed with various bits of electronic gubbins and probably a helper named Igor.

After the national grid flickered somewhat he emerged with his own custom set of HID's that kicks out a colossal 1850 lumens.

Continue reading 'Light & Motion (L&M) Stella 180-L review'.

DIY LED Exposure Joystick Maxx killer

I've been tinkering in my shed and come up with an Exposure Joystick Maxx killer for a third of the price. It's a great compliment to my Nightlightning iBlaast LED lights. Here's a summary (with more photos on Flickr)...

If like me you enjoy a bit of tinkering then have a stab at this and save yourself a small fortune. This light uses the most powerful small LED currently in production (240 lumens) and is quite easy and cheap to make at approx £45 plus batteries (less if you nick them out of you child's favourite toy!).

Continue reading 'DIY LED Exposure Joystick Maxx killer'.

NightLightning iBlaast LED lights review

I recently bagged myself a bargain with the NightLightning iBlaast LED light from New Zealand. Here's what I found...

Despite not getting out for night rides for some time (until a baptism of fire with the Moles just recently), night lighting seems to have become a bit of an obsession for me and for some time I have toyed with various ideas and built several prototypes.

Continue reading 'NightLightning iBlaast LED lights review'.

Cycle Show 2007

Every year for the past oooh, two years now the Moles make a pilgrimage to the London Cycle Show.

Continue reading 'Cycle Show 2007'.

SRAM X-0 review

For the past six hundred miles I've been lucky enough to run a full SRAM X-0 groupset on my Orange Five (notwithstanding the lack of a suitable front derailleur). Having given it plenty of time to disgrace itself I thought it was time to comment on the experience.

Continue reading 'SRAM X-0 review'.

Trailtech SCMR16 HID review

There are so many ways I could start this review but it's probably best to keep it short, sweet and to the point. I purchased a Trailtech HID lamp based around an MR16 sized lamp via their UK distributor, picking it up for £140 inc. P&P (see Trailtech's Single HID SCMR16 page for more details).

Now, I concede that is a lot of money for a 'budget' HID lamp, but boy does it output some light!

Continue reading 'Trailtech SCMR16 HID review'.

Garmin Edge 205 review

Now I'm a bit of gadget animal and I've had a Garmin GPS for some years but recently spurred on by improvements in the sensitivity of the units I updated my Garmin from a Etrex Venture to an Edge 205.

Continue reading 'Garmin Edge 205 review'.

Mavic 819 UST Tubeless (and proud of it)

For the last three hundred miles I've been running a tubeless set up on my Orange Five. Not some cobbled together adaptation either but the Real McCoy, a Mavic 819 UST Tubeless wheelset with Panaracer Fire XC tubeless tyres.

Continue reading 'Mavic 819 UST Tubeless (and proud of it)'.

Gore Bike Wear Phantom Plus II jacket review

We're always on the lookout for decent cycling jackets.

Continue reading 'Gore Bike Wear Phantom Plus II jacket review'.

Raceface Crossfade Jersey review

Reviews of cycle clothing are few and far between, not counting some bike retailers and 'magazine' sites that have reader submitted summaries, usually of the 'UR Bik is SARACIN' variety.

In short, not particularly informative. Bike clothing is subject to at least as many fashion whims as any other clothing type. OK, so we don't worry about whether this season's baggy look is long or short or if glitter metallic is in or not. But by the time someone has got round to writing a review of a product the fashion has moved on or stock has sold out.

Continue reading 'Raceface Crossfade Jersey review'.

Shimano SD-60 (now SD-65) sandals review

Or; Jesus he knows me, and he knows my name

Jesus creepers, vandals sandals or any of the other countless names that open toes sandals have there is only one rule for my generation. No Socks!

Continue reading 'Shimano SD-60 (now SD-65) sandals review'.

I go faster on a 29er

It's the curry from the night before and a strategic lighter. The effect is illuminating if somewhat dangerous and short lived. Well, I thought I better get the gag in before Matt got there.

What I'm really talking about is the bike with one gear...

Continue reading 'I go faster on a 29er'.

Bedgebury Forest singletrack review

Last Saturday we managed an extra special effort that saw us leave our local Surrey Hills behind and venture over to Bedgebury Forest in Kent.

It's only around 14 months since the Bedgebury singletrack was officially open to the public and fewer than six months since it came on our radar but on the basis of our first visit it looks like somewhere we're likely to return to fairly regularly.

Despite suffering from a reasonably nasty cold that in retrospect saved me from a miserable time in Wales as originally planned, I managed to have a blast on what turned out to be a pretty hot day for Mountain Biking.

Continue reading 'Bedgebury Forest singletrack review'.

9. Consider (briefly) the benefits of singlespeeding

So the best way for me to consider singlespeeding is to buy a brand new On-One Inbred Slot Dropout complete bike and while I'm about it, lets have some funny 29er sized wheels!

Oh hang on, he said "(briefly)"...bugger.

Continue reading '9. Consider (briefly) the benefits of singlespeeding'.

Specialized Hardrock Sport D4W (Designs for Women) 2007 review

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a grown man, owning too many Mountain Bikes himself, eventually attempts to interest his wife in the sport.

Okay, so that's a grotesque mangling of the opening of Jane Austen's most famous story but no doubt she would have some pretty sharp observations to make on the phenomenon which is 'trying to persuade your wife or partner to try Mountain Biking'.

In my case I can make the case that actually my wife and I were trying to find a means of getting both our children onto child seats so we could take them out locally without the car. In order to do so, my wife needed a bike and it seemed counter productive to saddle her with something second hand and not up to the job.

Continue reading 'Specialized Hardrock Sport D4W (Designs for Women) 2007 review'.

Camelbak Bottle review

For 2007, Camelbak have finally done what most people doubted they ever would. Produced a traditional water bottle.

Of course, Camelbak being Camelbak they couldn't just produce a simple water bottle. So, from the pioneers of hydration comes their take on the humble bottle.

Continue reading 'Camelbak Bottle review'.

Guest review - Orange Five SE, Whyte E5 XT, Intense 5.5 EVP and Marin Mount Vision

Our latest review features a guest appearance from Nigel at Bowerwood.com who's recently bought himself a new bike and has been good enough to write up his experiences and thought process in choosing his new steed.

Many thanks to Nigel for doing this. If anyone else would like to contribute a product review, please contact us.

Over to Nigel.

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First off, a bit of background. I'm riding a 7 year old Marin Mount Vision at the moment, so that's my baseline. All the bikes in this review were ridden on the same trails and in dry conditions.

Continue reading 'Guest review - Orange Five SE, Whyte E5 XT, Intense 5.5 EVP and Marin Mount Vision'.

On-one Inbred review - a humpin' an a bumpin' an a rollin' an a rattlin'

I've had my On-one Inbred frame sitting around my garage for about a year now. It's the old style, pre - 456 geared frame in classic white and I've built it up into a nice utilitarian bike that I intended to use over the winter months in preference to my Marin Rift Zone.

However, for a number of reasons, chief among them cost, it hasn't really seen too much use so far. This is because I like to have a bike computer to see how far I've been and at what speed and I just haven't been able to find funds to buy one so far. Added to which the brakes I'm running need bleeding, the forks need a good service and I'd like to get a new saddle too.

I've also been concentrating on hitting the 3500 mile mark on the Rift Zone. Now that has been achieved, and prior to my 2007 Orange Five arriving I've pressed the Inbred into service regardless.

Continue reading 'On-one Inbred review - a humpin' an a bumpin' an a rollin' an a rattlin''.

Intense 5.5 EVP 2007 review

Continuing my series of write ups on the demo bikes I am trying out, today was the turn of the Intense 5.5 EVP. Previous rides have included the 2007 Whyte E5 XT and three test bikes at the Cycleworks demo day (Orange Five, Intense 5.5 EVP and the Marin Attack Trail, all 2007 bikes).

After my less than positive experience of the Intense 5.5 at the Cycleworks demo day I thought it would be worth giving it a second chance to see if it could win a place on my shopping list.

Continue reading 'Intense 5.5 EVP 2007 review'.

2007 Cycleworks Demo Day: Matt's review

Well, as has been documented, on March 11 the Muddymoles made their way over to Holmbury St. Mary for the annual Cycleworks Demo Day which, through careful planning did not fall on Mothering Sunday for a change. As a result, Mark and myself were able to attend almost guilt free.

This particular mole has a particular interest this year as I’m looking for a new bike and really don’t have any fixed ideas of what to go for. Three years ago I bought the Marin Rift Zone, the first of the Quad linkage designs and while it has seen me through many miles I’ve now reached a point where it’s apparent that it lacks in comparison to the latest breed of trail bikes. And to think when I bought it I said it was me and not the bike that needed to improve!

Finding the simplest way round a problem is to throw money at it, I’m now looking for a comfortable but fun loving 5 inch travel trail bike that will happily cover the miles as well as turn all impish when I want it to. With that in mind, on the day I rode the Orange Five, the Intense 5.5 and the Marin Attack Trail. All these bikes come with strong reviews from the cycling press and I was interested to see how they stood up to scrutiny.

Continue reading '2007 Cycleworks Demo Day: Matt's review'.

2007 Cycleworks Demo Day: Mark's review

My plan for the Cycleworks Demo Day was simple. Try 3 full suss bikes and just enjoy riding them. The contrast between them and my trusty Nail Trail was what I was looking to test.

Continue reading '2007 Cycleworks Demo Day: Mark's review'.

2007 Cycleworks Demo Day: Dave's review

Poor start to the year health wise and hence fitness almost totally absent but with an eye on a new full susser I headed for the hills.

Continue reading '2007 Cycleworks Demo Day: Dave's review'.

Magura Menja review

It's not often that people take the trouble to review Magura products, being seen as a general 'workhorse' brand rather than part of the bling brigade.

Bikemagic though have just posted a review of the 2007 Magura Menja forks and very good they seem too.

Considering they're available in a wide range of colours and travel options, maybe it's time to re-assess what's on offer?

Whyte E5 XT review

Well, as you know I'm in the market for a new bike. So, as promised, here's the first in the series of write ups about my experiences. First up, a review of the 2007 Whyte E5 XT.

Continue reading 'Whyte E5 XT review'.

SDG Bel Air Ti review

Republished from March 2004, here's Dave's review of the SDG Bel Air Ti saddle.

If you've ever wondered what it's like to ride a Friesian cow, this is closest you can get without gaining some notoriety in the mass media. This one also comes with the added bonus of Ti rods, a fate which would never has occurred to the original owner of this bespoke item!

Continue reading 'SDG Bel Air Ti review'.

Endura Humvee review

In accordance with the First Law of Cycling, which states that if you even think of getting on a mountain bike be prepared to hand over random and unplanned sums of money to the nice man at your local bike shop (LBS), I recently managed to rip the gusset of my favourite (and only) pair of Altura Altitude baggy shorts.

In deference to the First Law, I therefore went out at the weekend and bought myself a new pair of Endura Humvee shorts as replacement from Cycleworks in Leatherhead.

Continue reading 'Endura Humvee review'.

Missed Opportunity

Most of you will think I am nuts but I bought some Rock Shox Recon 351 to go on the Mount Vision instead of the Floats.

Continue reading 'Missed Opportunity'.

2006 Cycleworks Demo Day review - Whyte E5, Marin AL7

Better late than never, here is my impressions of the bikes I rode at the Cycleworks Demo Day, 26/3/06. I took 3 bikes out, the Whyte E5, Marin Quake AL7 and finally the Whyte 19.

Continue reading '2006 Cycleworks Demo Day review - Whyte E5, Marin AL7'.

Kellogg's Elevenses review

Hunger pangs and sugar dips are the inevitable result of extended periods of hard exercise, something we've found out the hard way on numerous occassions. It has to be said that there are some muddymoles who also manage to experience these effects without the need for any kind of exercise but that's just called gluttony.

Continue reading 'Kellogg's Elevenses review'.

Whyte 46 review

Originally published in November 2003, here's Matt's review of the first Whyte 46. Thomas subsequently went on to own one for a couple of years until he broke the forks and decided his riding style needed something a bit more robust.

Continue reading 'Whyte 46 review'.

On-one Mary bars review

I reported some time ago that I'd equipped my SO's bike with On-One Mary bars in an attempt to make the bike more comfortable for her. As far as she is concerned the bars work but I wanted to get my own view of them so I took to the trails last Sunday on the Shoreline Trail.

Continue reading 'On-one Mary bars review'.

There's something about Mary

Mary has a funny sort fo sweep about her.

Continue reading 'There's something about Mary'.

Downs Link Ride

I've done the London to Brighton a couple of times and I will do it again but the Downs Link ride looked interesting as it was mainly off road and a less plum numbing 33 miles (the blurb says 31 but my speedo said 33 and the GPS was nearer 33 than 31!!).

Continue reading 'Downs Link Ride'.