Hey, let’s talk about dynamo power. I’m sold on it. It’s not free power, but pretty close to it (after the initial investment). There’s something neat about generating your own light. I’ve been riding with the Sinewave Cycles Beacon 2 front dynamo light for over a year, and so far I have not one complaint about the light’s performance.

It offers a bright, and steady beam of light that is flicker-free down to 3 mph. And it’s made here, in the USA. According to Sinewave the Beacon 2 is the “only commercially available dynamo light made in the USA”.

After you read this, you’ll see that it’s high time you get on the dynamo train.

The Sinewave Cycles Beacon 2 is one of the best dynamo lights on the market, in my opinion. And, I believe I can make that statement because, over the last 5 years or so, I’ve owned and operated some of the top-brand dynamo lights out there (the Beacon 2 included).

In this review, I’ll tell you why I think this lil’ dynamo light is almost perfect.

If you are dynamo curious, and want some stellar, in-depth info all about dynamo power, check out Bikepacking.com’s piece on it here.

But first…

Two Main Dynamo System Components

I feel like I need to go over the two main components of the dynamo game, the hubs and the lights.

Dynamo Hubs

The Sinewave Beacon 2 is best used by wiring it up to a dynamo hub. For this review, the Beacon 2 was used in conjunction with my SON 28-12 Disc dynamo hub on my Masi Incanto Ti gravel bike.

In the simplest terms, when the dynamo hub spins, it generates output power. The speed at which the dynamo hub turns dictates the amount of power it generates to the light (faster = more power). That, in turn, will dictate how bright the light is (faster = more power = brighter light). Cool?

The cost of a dynamo hub can run from pretty reasonable like the Shutter Precision PV-8 at $125, to pretty expensive, like the Schmidt SON28 12 at $378. And once you pick out and buy the hub, you have to factor in the cost of including the hub in the building of a new front wheel.

Most dynamo lights will not work independently, but the dynamo hub could (in theory) be used without the lights. I’m telling you this in case you spend all the money you saved on the hub purchase and wheel build and have nothing left for a light. I don’t want you to fret. Your bike is still ridable, dynamo hubs are still just hubs. Just install the dynamo wheel and continue to ride your bike.

Dynamo Lights

Most dynamo lights come with a switch on the back to turn it on or off. They usually include mounting hardware, and most certainly come with the wire already attached to the light. Usually, that wire includes a pigtail for powering an optional rear light using the front light as a powerslave.

With that in mind, the Beacon 2 comes with some neat extras, that the others don’t. We’ll touch on this a bit later in the review.

There are many dynamo lights to choose from on the market right now. Over the years, I’ve used three different brands of lights with my dynamo hubs. For my first dynamo light, I ran the Busch & Muller IQ-X on my old Masi randonneuring bike. Now, I’m currently using the Supernova E3 Pro 2 on both my mountain bike and my all-rounder. The Beacon 2 is being used on my gravel bike.

Okay, on to the review.

The Sinewave Beacon 2

This lil’ light packs an insane amount of dynamo tech in a really small package. The light itself measures only 58mm long, and 42mm wide/tall, it only weighs 115gr (including 36″ of dynamo wire). That’s impressive.

The Sinewave Beacon 2 is made to order with a $50 deposit. The total cost is $350 for black or silver and $390 for other colors. Check here for the colors available for custom orders.

I mixed and matched mine with different colored body and trim rings… black body and blue front and back trim rings. Looks sweet.

It’s designed for use in any kind of condition. It carries multiple seals and electronics that are potted in epoxy for additional protection against water. All of the connectors are gold-plated, to resist corrosion and the elements. It also comes with a 3-year warranty.

At 750 lumens (13+ MPH) I find it enough light for any of the styles of riding that I do. As mentioned earlier, I have this light on my Masi Incanto, and find it works perfectly for road/multi-surface day or night riding. And because it uses a symmetrical beam pattern, it’s awesome for night rides on my local MTB trails, including some fast nighttime singletrack.

Some Unique Features

One of the most unique features of the Beacon 2 is the input and outputs on the back. One is for the use of an external off-the-shelf USB battery pack and the other is an integrated USB charger. That means that you can charge your phone, GPS, or any other USB device directly from the Beacon while riding, without the need to buy or bring a charger.

You do receive a USB-to-DC cable for powering the Beacon with a USB battery pack. As an option, there is an available 20cm long, right-angle USB extension for the times when it is tight behind the Beacon and you need clean cable management.

There is also a three-way toggle switch on the back to either turn the light completely off, run at full brightness, or switch to a lower brightness setting. The lower brightness setting will also make it easy for power sharing when charging an accessory.

Flicker-Free

The Beacon 2 optimizes its dynamo power for slower speeds. Where other lights might flicker or pulsate at slower speeds, like a steep climb, the Beacon 2 remains very stable, with consistent, although dimmer light. I climb at slow speeds, so this was a plus for me.

The Beacon’s power output works like this: the light reaches 100 lumens at 5mph, 375 lumens at 8mph, 600 lumens at 10mph, and the full 750 lumens at 13mph.

It also offers a standlight. A standlight is just what it sounds like. While riding, the Beacon 2’s supercapacitor gets charged up, so when you stop moving, the light will “stand” on for about 5 minutes. This is great for being seen while waiting at stoplights or waiting for a friend on a dark trail. The standlight can be turned off with the toggle switch.

Beacon 2 Installation

There is no mounting hardware when you receive the Beacon 2, but the 10mm mounting tab is compatible with mounting hardware from Busch & Muller, Supernova, Schmidt, etc. I used the Supernova mount to mount mine.

What does come with the Beacon 2 is the light, the 36″ of attached wire that goes to the hub, and the USB-to-DC cable. The Beacon 2 does not come with connectors for the hub.

The reason is, that the light can be used with any 3w/6v dynamo hub. When you purchase your dynamo hub, the connectors and fittings that attach the wires from the light to the hubs, will come with that particular hub.

I soldered and used shrink wrap on the connectors for the SON 28 hub. If you don’t know how to solder or don’t feel comfortable doing it, your local bike shop should be able to get it done for you.

How’d it Perform

As I’ve mentioned before, dynamo lighting is now an essential bit of gear that I prefer to use on every one of my bicycles. I will probably continue to use dynamo tech for most if not all of my future builds.

Since installing the Beacon 2, I’ve paired it with a Supernova E3 TL2 tail light for added visibility while riding on the roads. There’s a hidden and silent benefit to using a dynamo light. It’s the luxury of never having to worry about a light’s battery or a battery’s run time.

The fact that I can plan a last-minute night ride on my MTB, or run to the store at night and not worry about making sure I always have a light charged and ready to go… is awesome.

Bright Light

With the Beacon 2, it’s just automatic. I start rolling and have bright and powerful light ready when I am. During daytime riding, it’s nice to know that I am being seen by motorists… having it makes me feel safer. And, the night-riding benefits are obvious. I found the Beacon 2’s beam to be a “cool” white, roundish, wide pattern that makes it more than sufficient for fast off-road riding.

While night riding on some of my favorite trails, the light output, as expected, got a little dim on the steeper climbs. But, I was climbing/rolling really slow, and that’s how dynamo lights work. But with the Beacon 2 the light output never flickered, and that’s one of the Beacon 2’s highlights. The light provided by my Beacon 2 always remained steady.

The three different LED lights that are in the Beacon 2 illuminate separately. One light at a time as your speed (and the power from the dynamo hub) increases. This is done without any indication that it’s happening from the cockpit.

Charging

I didn’t really find myself needing to charge a lot of accessories while I’ve had the Beacon 2. I did charge my Wahoo Roam a little and it seemed to do a good job. The ability to charge is something nice to have around, even though you may not use it all the time.

I use my phone to snap a lot of pictures while riding. On longer rides, I found it a real piece of mind that I could charge my phone if I needed to, And, it’s a stat-saver if you’ve grabbed an almost depleted bike computer for a ride, and need to keep it going.

Unless you are on a self-supported, multiple-day bikepacking excursion or a long endurance race, the everyday user probably won’t need the ability to charge.

In Conclusion

The Beacon 2 is a fantastic dynamo light. It packs a bunch of power and extras in a tiny package. If you are commuting by bike, or on the road with motorists at any time, for any duration at all, I believe riding with a light greatly minimizes your chances of not being seen. And having a light system that you can literally forget about is blissful.

You don’t have to be backpacking through Baja, Mexico, traversing the Continental Divide, or doing the Race Across America, to take advantage of what the Sinewave Beacon 2 dynamo light has to offer.

It’s made here in the USA, its construction is of the highest quality, and it gives you the peace of mind of having a light and charging source with you at all times while riding your bicycle.

SinewaveCycles.com

The post Review: Why You Need the Sinewave Beacon 2 Dynamo Light appeared first on Bikerumor.

Let’s talk about handlebars, shall we? More specifically, Tumbleweed Bicycle Co’s new Big Dipper Drop Bar. Let me start by saying that I love the Tumbleweed Persuader Bars that I’ve been using. They are wide (810mm) and wonderful. So when I saw that Daniel over at Tumbleweed released their new Big Dipper drop bar handlebar, I wanted to try them out.

I’m a firm believer in the benefits of riding with wider handlebars. In my experience, they offer the rider more comfort and control. When it comes to trying wide drop bars in general, I didn’t think I’d initially like them. I’m from the old-timey days, when it was believed that your road bars should never be wider than your shoulders.

A few years ago I had the opportunity to swap my 44cm bars on my Masi Rando bike and try a “wider” pair of 48cm bars. Jeez, that changed how I felt about the wider bars. I really liked the way those 48cm bars felt, along with the added control and hand placement they offered me. I wanted more… I wanted to go wider.

When it came time to build my first gravel bike, I chose the Curve Cycling Walmer Bar in a 50cm. That bar felt like the perfect width for me. I don’t think it’s the most comfortable bar, and I don’t care for the amount of flair. But, I’ve put hundreds of miles on it in the last year, and I am ready for something different.

Along came the Tumbleweed Big Dipper drop bar.

The Big Dipper Drop Bar

Daniel designed the Big Dipper to pair perfectly with Tumbleweed’s drop bar adventure bike, the Stargazer. Ready for a good time, the Big Dipper drop bar is rated for off-road use (ISO 4210 mountain bike strength/fatigue testing). The bar has got clamping diameter of 31.8mm and is made of triple-butted 7000 series aluminum, which is stronger than 6000 series.

It’s wide right from the get-go with the smallest size being 51cm. The sizes of the Big Dipper go up from there with the next sizes being 54cm and 57cm. According to Tumbleweed, the width is measured from center to center at the hoods. It has a shallow drop (109mm), a short reach (50mm), as well as a nice 5° back sweep.

First Impressions

When I received the handlebars, I was pretty excited to get them installed on my Masi Incanto. I had just received fresh rolls of Camp and Go Slow’s Western Rattler bar tape and couldn’t wait to install the bars. I’m sorry to say that I forgot to weigh the bars in my haste.

Tumbleweed gives an average weight of 385g across the available sizes of the Big Dipper. Mine is the smallest of the three, so I’m guessing mine (51cm) is under the average weight. I don’t think weight is crucial when using a bar like this. I will say that it feels substantially lighter than my 50cm Curve Walmer Bar (425g)

Easy Installation

Getting the bars mounted was easy enough. It had “to and fro” markings that helped center the bar in the stem. Once I got them mounted and taped up, I took them out for a lil’ 20 miler.

So far, the 5° back sweep on the Big Dipper feels ergonomic and comfy. The Big Dipper also feels more compliant than the Walmer Bar on the little bit of rough stuff that I’ve done so far.

Another thing I like a little better about the Big Dipper is the 20° flare when compared to the Walmer Bar’s 29° flare. On paper, the difference between the two doesn’t seem like much, but when riding with the Big Dipper, I instantly noticed that it was more comfortable while braking in the drops.

The Big Dipper has a nice short reach of 50mm. When compared to the Walmer Bar’s 65mm, my initial thought is that I may need to up the size of my stem from 90mm to 100mm. But, the jury is still out, as the Dipper has me riding a smidge more upright in the bike’s current configuration, and I don’t hate it.

The 109mm drop on the Big Dipper feels the same as my Walmer Bar whose drop is 110mm, so nothing to report there initially.

Not the End

So far the bar feels like a great match for the Masi Incanto and for my riding style. It has plenty of room for a lot of hand positions, and the real estate for a good-sized front handlebar bag.

I’ll be running the Big Dipper through its paces in the months to come. If it’s anything like the Tumbleweed Persuader Bars that I have come to love so much, I anticipate a solid relationship being built between myself and the Big Dipper.

Tumbleweed.cc

The post A Wide-Eyed First Look at Tumbleweed Bicycle Co’s Big Dipper Drop Bar Handlebars appeared first on Bikerumor.

Shimano’s entry into the 12-speed road drivetrain category came a bit later than their competition, but they made up for it with stellar performance and long-term durability.

I’ve been riding the group for nearly two years and it continues to provide flawless shifting, smooth operation, and quiet rolling. Even the wheels, which never seem to get as much attention, are great. Here’s my long-term review…

Setup & Install Notes

I installed the Ultegra group on a Pursuit Allroad, an excellent bike that made my 2022 Editor’s Choice list. Everything went as it should with one catch that’s important to note if you’re installing it yourself, and this includes shop folks… make sure to use the correct spacers on the BB spindle.

Before you read the next five paragraphs, know that I’m not knocking anyone. This is a simple mistake that anyone can make, and it caused a lot of head-scratching grief. Shimano installed the group in their SoCal HQ and commented about how front shifting seemed off. The front derailleur couldn’t move the chain far enough down to reliably shift onto the small chainring.

So they sent it back to Pursuit thinking that it was a frame tolerance issue. Carl Strong, co-founder of Pursuit and amazing frame builder, checked, re-checked, and confirmed the frame was exactly to spec.

Even so, he heated and molded a small divot into the downtube to add clearance for the front derailleur’s cage pivot, and that helped, but didn’t entirely fix it.

I received the bike and had the local Shimano rep visit to replace the front derailleur, thinking maybe that was the issue, and then re-check everything. The new part was identical to the original, and that wasn’t the problem.

Turns out, we needed a 1-2mm (I forget which, exactly) spacer on the crank spindle on the driveside to push the chainrings out. That tiny amount of additional offset solved the problem. It’s something so simple, with no other warning signs to suggest it, that it eluded Shimano, Pursuit, and myself until we just tried it on a whim.

The point? Try the simple stuff first, and try to think of other solutions. Once the spacer was installed, shifting was perfect and has been for the 18+ months I’ve been riding the bike.

The front derailleur comes with a small wire guide that gives it a 90º angle while also protecting it from bending too sharply. This also keeps it from looping so wide it rubs your rear tire. It’s tiny and best installed with your rear wheel off the bike, trust me.

Shimano has easy guides for setting chain length…

…and rear derailleur B-tension settings. The guide is plastic-free, which is nice, too.

A small light is color-coded during setup so it’s easy to know if you’re in setup mode. It changes to blue while charging, then turns off when the battery is full.

One of the biggest upgrades to the new Di2 12-speed is the ability to customize the shifting patterns, turn on Synchro Shift, and other features directly from their e-Tube app. Here’s a good video showing how to set it so you can put the rear derailleur into adjustment mode remotely from the shifters, allowing micro-adjusts while riding (not that you should need them, but it’s still cool).

Ultegra R8100 Ride Review

The nutshell version is this: I’ve ridden the new Dura-Ace 12-speed Di2 also, and Shimano’s Ultegra group performs every bit as well, but for a lot less money and only a few extra grams. If you’re building a bike or upgrading, it’s a great choice not only amongst Shimano’s drivetrains but a great choice in general.

Shifting is as quick as ever, to me feeling slightly faster than SRAM. It’s also very quiet, and feels smooth and effortless, even for an electronic group.

If you haven’t watched this video yet, please do, there’s a lot more to it than just speed…it also slightly overshifts every cog to ensure the chain gets where it needs to go, then trims back. It’s really cool!

The front shifting is powerful and direct, as I expected. I’ve also owned Dura-Ace Di2 and GRX Di2 11-speed groups, and the new 12-speed front shifting seems slightly smoother.

SIDEBAR: I can’t review this group without talking about Shimano’s 11-speed crankarm recall. The 12-speed cranks are made using the same hollow forged and bonded construction, so I asked Shimano what changed with these new ones to prevent them from having the same problem. Their response was:

“Shimano has made numerous changes, improvements, and enhancements in response to the market information we received. This is standard practice at Shimano.“

…which is about what I expected. I’d love a more technical explanation, but they’re very secretive about their processes. I got a look at that process during my factory tour for the XTR launch if you’d like to see it. FWIW, they’re not the only brand using this construction method, and I haven’t had any problems with these (or my prior DA) cranks.

The rear derailleur is interesting. There’s no clutch or spring damping for the pulley cage, and the spring tension is very light. I applaud having derailleurs that can cover everything from road to rough gravel, but I also appreciate a part that’s purpose built to excel at one thing. I believe this is what allows Shimano’s shifting to feel so light and fast, which is especially noticeable on their mechanical groups.

This is allows the chain to bounce, but not how you might think. As the two action shots (and dust) suggest, a lot of my road rides end up on stretches of gravel, sometimes with lots of stutter bumps and potholes. Despite these mini adventures, I never noticed that lack of chain management and never dropped a chain.

Where I notice it is when I backpedal quickly, particularly in the small chainring. I do this to adjust crankarm position for a corner, or shuffle around on my saddle. A quick, exaggerated backpedal often yanks the pulley cage forward, creating a big swoop of chain slack, followed by a rapid retraction. It feels weird, a little disconcerting, and is diminished by increasing B-screw tension.

I considered shortening the chain slightly, but the setup is dialed according to spec and a shorter chain would likely cause issues getting into the largest cogs from the big chainring (I know, you don’t have to say it, but we all do it). Ultimately, it hasn’t affected performance, but I wanted to mention it.

Hood shapes are great, with nice ridges on top for grip. The pronounced bump at the front is reassuring on spirited climbs, and finger clearance is adequate when braking from the hoods.

The larger shift paddles are easy to use, and the differing textures make them easy to identify even with full finger gloves. The wireless design is nice, decluttering the cockpit, and shifting is as fast as ever…I couldn’t tell any difference between reaction speed from prior wired versions.

The charging port is on the rear derailleur, which is a big upgrade from the tiny junction port and having to wire it somewhere. It’s still a single wire to charge the group, which is convenient, though you’ll need to put your bike near an outlet.

SIDEBAR: Shimano often sends review groups with a full PRO cockpit, and their PRO PLT Ergo Carbon Handlebar deserves a shout-out. It has an exceptionally good shape. The flattened tops get deeper at the corners where my hands often rest, creating a huge platform for my palms. It’s stiffer than most carbon bars I’ve ridden, so it transmits a bit more vibration, but I plan on swapping to a gel-backed bar tape to mitigate that because its ergonomics are worth keeping.

The PLT stem is also great, with surprisingly good torsional stiffness for its girth and faceplate width. Both are reasonably light and a perfect example of Shimano’s understated excellence.

When Shimano first introduced their road disc brakes, they made it clear they were powerful and cool enough to run 140mm rotors, while others were suggesting 160mm as a minimum.

For me, I went with 160m in the front, 140mm in the rear. It’s a good mix, and I like the extra modulation the larger rotor provides. Shimano’s brakes are smooth, with the right amount of bite from their Servo Wave lever leading into well-controlled progression.

Perhaps the least talked about part of the group are the Ultegra WH-R8170-C50-TL wheels, and I blame Shimano. They simply don’t hype them enough, but they’re really good. They’re aero without making a bunch of aero claims, and Ultegra shares the same rim profile as the Dura-Ace wheels.

They roll very smoothly thanks to cup-and-cone bearings. The 21mm internal width rims held everything from 28mm to 36mm-ish tires with easy tubeless setup. And they’re reasonably light (628g front, 872g rear, 1500g total) for the C50 model (50mm deep rims, also available in 36mm and 60mm depths).

The hubs have a gray anodizing to match the rest of the group and come with a standard HG freehub body.

For high performance road riding, Ultegra Di2 12-speed leaves nothing to be desired. Shifting is precise and fast. Hood and lever ergonomics are great. It’s light, and the understated dark gray ano looks great on any bike, perhaps even better than the glossy black of Dura-Ace.

It even works well on “alt roads”, and the rims held up to low tire pressures on gravel roads, too. If you’re in the market for top-tier performance without the top-tier price, Ultegra R8100 delivers.

Read our launch coverage here for all of the tech details on this and Dura-Ace.

Bike.Shimano.com

The post Review: Shimano Ultegra R8100 12-Speed Road Group appeared first on Bikerumor.

I’ll just jump right in. So, I’ve been riding Shimano’s new group, the XT LinkGlide, for almost a year. After logging a few hundred dirt miles on the group, I’ve been mostly impressed. I’ve purposely done some hard shifting while under load on techy climbs. I’ve run it relentlessly, and unnecessarily I might add, up and down the cassette for long periods while riding.

So far it’s taken the abuse with aplomb. Not to mention that you can get the cassette, chain, derailleur, and shifter for the price of some of the cassettes that are on the market right now. So super big kudos to Shimano for that.

I’ve been a Shimano user for quite some time. And it’s kind of the camp that I’ve hunkered down in since buying my first real mountain bike back in late 1988, early 1990. What sold me on that bike way back then, was the fact that it utilized the brand new XT ST-M091 Rapid Fire “push-push” 7-speed shifters.

Up to that point in my riding, I had not experienced such precise and mindless shifting. That’s a pretty bold statement, I know. But it was friction thumb shifters for me up until then. And, after the rapid-fire shifters, I never looked back.

Hold On…

I just wanted to say, before we do actually jump into it, that I’m not getting super in the weeds for this review. I know it’s easy to do with drivetrain components, but I’m going to resist this and keep this review top-level. That way your eyes won’t glaze over. You can get all techy-tech from our original tech post if you want.

But for this review, I’ll cover how good it looks, what new tech it has, what it weighs, how easy it was to install and adjust on my mountain bike, and what I thought of its performance. And maybe a few anecdotes and opinions along the way. Who knows, we’ll see what kind o’ time we have.

No big whoop… let’s get on with it.

Shimano XT LinkGlide

Back in March 2023, when I was looking to build up my Rivendell Gus Boots Willsen, Shimano had reached out and asked if I wanted to review their new XT LinkGlide group. If you read my stuff, you know I’m not always pumped to try something, just because it’s the “latest-greatest”. So, originally I thought, “Naw, I’m good, thanks! I’ll just use my existing m8000 XT shifter, cassette, and rear derailleur”.

But I reconsidered when they told me who the LinkGlide was intended for, how it was supposed to perform, how much it cost, and how it was different. So, I said yes…I even told them what bike I intended to use it on, and they were on board.

The Cassette is Where the Tech is

Built to fit a standard HG cassette body, the LinkGlide cassettes are designed to be extremely robust and durable. They boast teeth that are shaped differently than the HyperGlide teeth, are way thicker, and have “2-way shifting guides”. Shimano says that the cassettes are 3 times more durable than their HyperGlide equivalent. As you can see in the above pictures, the XT M8000 cassette’s teeth (photo on the right) are much thinner.

They are marketing LinkGlide as optimal for both high-torque shifting applications (e-bike users) and “less than perfect” shifting (newer cyclists). As mentioned before, the different shaped and taller shift ramps differ from the HG cassette. These ramps allow a completely different shift point. In theory, these ramps will offer a smoother shift while shifting under load.

The LinkGlide system is not supposed to suffer from, what Shimano calls, “shift shock” while shifting. You know the feeling…where the chain “drops” onto the cassette during a shift like you get sometimes with the HyperGlide system. I found this to be true… most of the time… more on that later.

XT LinkGlide Installation

The XT LinkGlide was installed on my Gus easily enough. I was just using the shifter, cassette, and rear derailleur. There’s not a LinkGlide crankset. Not sure if there ever will be. One of the cool things about the XT LinkGlide is that you don’t need a specific chain to run the group like you do with HyperGlide. LinkGlide will work with any Shimano or aftermarket chain.

They sent the group to me with the Dura-Ace/XTR chain, so that’s what I used. I actually had to reach out to get another chain because my Gus’s chainstays are so beautifully long.

The understated matte and gloss black color that adorns the XT LinkGlide was a pleasant surprise. Usually, or at least historically, Shimano’s more entry-level components have always looked well… entry-level. But, not so with with this group. It’s very handsome and looks high-end.

When I picked up the LinkGlide cassette box, it had some notable heft. If you’re used to smaller cassettes with the larger cogs made from aluminum, this could feel fairly heavy. So, I weighed it against a Shimano Deore CS-M6100 10-51t 12-speed cassette. The two cassettes aren’t compatible, but both cassettes have full steel cogs with an aluminum spider to reduce weight. The lower tier 12-speed Deore cassette has another gear, more range, and is still lighter, but only by 31g. I found the new 11-50t LinkGlide cassette to be 626g compared to the Deore cassette’s 595g.

Two Different Cassettes

That being said, the LinkGlide cassette that Shimano sent me is the LG700-11. This cassette is the best match for the XT LinkGlide series, but according to Shimano, “is a non-series cassette that lives outside of the branded families, it is the best pairing for the XT LinkGlide”.

The LinkGlide shifter comes with a traditional clamp, like mine, or the I-Spec with its ergo adjustability. After installing the components, I ran the housing and cables. The rear derailleur was easy to set up. I just set the high and low stops and then set the cable and it shifted perfectly.

The derailleur doesn’t have a barrel adjuster, but the shifter does. This made it easy to adjust the “stretch” out of the cable after the first few rides. Other than my unique situation of combining two chains on my bike, the installation was easy.

How Did it Perform?

Overall I didn’t mind the way the XT LinkGlide shifted. It was a slower shift than that of the XT HyperGlide. And, that may have led to the occasional feeling that the shifting felt cumbersome. And speaking frankly, it took some getting used to.

Another small learning curve was the LinkGlide shifter. The shifter allows you to throw a two-gear jump up the cassette with one push. But, limits you to a single push/pull to come back down the cassette.

I’ve been riding the 11-speed XT M8000 stuff exclusively on every mountain bike I’ve owned since 2017. As most of you probably know, the M8000 shifter can throw three gears up the cassette in one long push. And can throw two gears back down the cassette in a quick “double-click” push.

So using the new LinkGlide shifter took a little getting used to as well. I had to adjust how I approached a few specific sections on two of my favorite rides because of it. And I’ll tell you, even after I got used to it, and have ridden hundreds of miles on it, I still prefer the way standard XT shifts over this.

In Conclusion

Overall, the XT 11-speed LinkGlide system seems to be very tough. And after hundreds of miles of use and purposeful abuse, it never missed a gear shift. I did, however, “suffer” from the occasional “shift shock” or “pedal shock” that Shimano says the LinkGlide eliminates.

It really wasn’t a big deal if you’ve been riding the HyperGlide stuff, cause it happens all of the time with that system. And maybe it would be eliminated if I was using this system on an eBike.

I never did quite get used to it, nor did I love how slow the LinkGlide shifted. Look, I know I’m not racing or anything, but I do like my bike stuff to work exceptionally well. And I’ve really gotten spoiled by the shifting of my current XT HyperGlide stuff. I am a non-transitional human, and I love my M8000. Sue me.

However, if you don’t have that high-end reference point, new riders will find the shifting more than adequate. Excellent even, if the comparison is other inexpensive groups that come on entry-level bikes.

If you have an eBike, don’t need 12 speeds, and you’re shifting under large amounts of torque, then the XT LinkGlide is your group. If you are ok trading weight savings for durability? Then the XT LinkGlide is your group. The sheer durability of the LinkGlide cassette will save you money on chains and cassettes in the long run. If I owned an eBike, I would run the XT 11-speed LinkGlide system, and it would be fine with me.

It’s easy on the wallet as well. At Jenson USA, as of the writing of this article, the prices are as follows:

• XT LinkGlide Rear Derailleur: $122
• XT LinkGlide Shifter: $67
• LinkGlide LG500 Chain: $23
• LinkGlide LG700 11-speed Cassette (as tested): $130

That’s only $342 before applicable tax and shipping for the group. That includes the cassette that was tested, a LinkGlide chain, the XT LinkGlide derailleur, and the XT LinkGlide shifter. That is a great deal.

A Different Take on XT LinkGlide (From Zach’s POV)

Along with Ron, I also got an XT LinkGlide kit to check out. Originally, I had planned to use it on a fat bike. My thought was that winter road salt, sea salt, and all the mud and grit are notoriously difficult on fat bike drivetrains, and something that was more durable and less expensive would be a great option.

But… I also had some lighter Shimano 12-speed Deore/XT parts available for the build, and my inner weight weenie got the best of me. That left me with an XT LinkGlide group to put on something else.

Then it hit me. My Raleigh Redux commuter came with a 9-speed drivetrain that was in need of an update. Given that LinkGlide is designed to work well with ebikes, it seemed like a perfect match… only the hybrid gearing up front made it a little interesting.

Like Ron, I also needed a longer chain to make the big cassette work with the large chainring. However, I found out that Shimano offers an E-MTB chain, the CN-E8000-11. This chain is 138 links instead of 116, and was long enough for me without having to use two chains. I also had to remove one side of the chain guide plate around the chainring and shift the chainring over using chainring spacers to create a chainline that would work with the rear cassette. These changes weren’t due to anything related to LinkGlide, but rather me trying to run a wide range MTB drivetrain on a hybrid e-bike with a big chainring.

In the end, it all worked surprisingly well and I was left with a drivetrain that had much more range. Like Ron, I found the shifting to be different, but I didn’t have any problem getting used to it. It’s a very positive feel to the shifter and lacks some of the finesse that you’ll find at the higher end. With that said, it works great, especially when hammering through the gears on an ebike.

Prior to the LinkGlide install, I’ve actually broken more chains on this Raleigh than my other bikes combined. So the fact that the LinkGlide drivetrain is still operating flawlessly, is impressive. Because of that, I’d have no reservations about recommending this group to anyone looking for a durable drivetrain on a budget.

Bike.Shimano.com

The post Shimano’s Affordable XT LinkGlide 11-Speed Drivetrain is Solid & Dependable appeared first on Bikerumor.

We already got a sneak peek at Old Man Mountain’s new carry-anything Axle Pack back at the MADE show last fall – giving any fork more accessory mounts. But now they are available to buy. And we’ve strapped a couple onto a Mastodon fat bike fork to carry more and take our winter adventures further…

Old Man Mountain Axle Pack bolt-on fork accessory mounts

Two-position 3-pack mounts that fit any fork, no eyelets needed.

The Old Man Mountain (OMM) Axle Pack easily bolts directly to the end of your axle (requiring OMM’s own thru-axle Fit Kit ). That means they are strong and have nowhere to slide down or spin around your fork legs as you ride. The direct mount also means they get rated for a full 10kg in total 5kg/11lb per side. More than the 3-4.5kg per side that eyelet mounting is able to deliver.

The super-secure off-road-rated setup is relatively light, and gives you 4 mounting bolts to get that weight low. Two position options for a 3-pack Anything cage OR the ability to install two separate 2-bolt mounts. For ex. a regular water bottle cage up top, and a tool cage down below.

What you carry is really up to your imagination. I’ve bolted a couple up to a Manitou Mastodon fork with a couple of cages. And strapped on a tent & sleeping bag. Or a couple of 1l Nalgene bottles. The most I’ve attached so far has been about 1.6kg per side. So, I’ll have to get more creative with packing to push up close to that 10kg weight limit.

Anyone have any ideas what I should carry in the snow?

Tech details & Actual weights

The core of the Old Man Mountain Axle Pack are the two brackets that extend up the side of each fork leg. CNC-machined from 6061 aluminum in Taiwan. They then mount directly to a custom thru-axle made in the US by The Robert Axle Project with threads to bolt onto from either end. Up top, a pair of plastic fork Pucks get strapped around your fork leg with “ultra-strong” UV-stable Panduit zip-ties, providing a set of upper eyelets to attach the brackets.

All that, and an Old Man Mountain Axle Pack setup adds 265g to my fork, including all steel mounting hardware and the 3-pack bolts. OMM claims a weight of just 73g per side, which is just a single bracket without all the necessary hardware and special axle. Still, 265g is likely as light as other clamp-on mounting solutions. And the axle mounting is rock solid, with huge carrying capacity.

Figuring in a complete weigh-in… A couple of titanium King Manything Cages would be 68g a piece. Or a pair of the adjustable length aluminum Apidura Cargo Cages at 85g a piece. My Old Man Mountain 25″ Voile straps weigh 28g a piece.

All in my setup with 4 straps & one of each cage totals 531g, less than the weight of the water in my smallest bottles.

Easy mounting & setup

Installing the Old Man Mountain Axle Pack was pretty much as easy as replacing any bolt-on thru-axle. Then bolting on a 3-pack mount Anything Cage. With that said, between the Axle Pack & Fit Kit – it came with 12 bolts of 3 different sizes, 6 washer/spacers of 3 different sizes, a couple of Axle Pack brackets, 8 heavy-duty Panduit zip-ties, and a replacement axle.

What it didn’t include were installation instructions, just a couple of QR codes that link to the OMM support page. Part of the adventure of testing things before they officially launch… Of course, I ignored those QR thingamabobbers, and plowed ahead.

Of note, the Axle Pack instructions are now online (here) – even though persinally, I still prefer the trial-and-error method.

Sure, I switched up a couple of the longer bolts/spacers from top to bottom, at first. But it all fit and worked pretty well.

Then, I realized that installing the longer bolts and the spacer up top between the bracket & plastic fork Puck better aligns everything. So, I sorted that out before my next ride. It’s all steel bolts and sturdy aluminum brackets, and I’m hauling much less than the max weight. So, it wasn’t a big deal.

But, correcting my install mistake meant I could drop the King Manything Cage to the lower position and get the 1kg weight of my 1L Nalgene bottle a bit lower.

So, I would recommend looking at the install photos on the Old Man Mountain Axle Pack product page. Or this double Nalgene photo – here only – to get it right on the first try.

Unlike me.

Old Man Mountain Axle Pack – Pricing, options & availability

The new Old Man Mountain Axle Pack is available starting today and ready to ship for $60 for the 2-leg mount kit. They also come with a lifetime warranty for use on- or off-road.

To install it on your bike you will need an OMM front Fit Kit with its custom The Robert Axle Project thru-axle. Our Fit Kit for a Manitou Mastodon fatbike fork sells for $82 or $80 for our Fox 36 kit. Old Man Mountain also makes classic quick-release kits, but the new Axle Pack was only designed to use with thru-axles and their special Robert axles.

Old Man Mountain says the new Axle Pack makes any bike a bikepacking bike. Whether it has a carbon, aluminum, steel, or suspension fork. It’s already helping us load up some fat bikes for bigger winter adventures!

Axle Packs and Fit Kits to fit virtually any fork in existence are available now, direct from Old Man Mountain.

OldManMountain.com

The post First Look: Old Man Mountain Axle Pack puts Bikepacking Anything Cages on Any Fork appeared first on Bikerumor.

Over the past few years, we’ve seen fat bike tire options melting away faster than the snowpack. But now, some good news – WTB has just introduced their first-ever fat bike tire. Packed with WTB DNA, the all-new Bailiff looks like it could be a great option for those looking for an aggressive fat bike tire.

This may be WTB’s first fat bike tire, but they’re quick to point to their four decades of tire design and hundreds of hours of testing in places like Vermont that went into the creation of the Bailiff. Offered only in 27.5 x 4.5″, we’re told that there are currently no plans to offer the tire in a 26″ size.

Built around a TCS Light High Grip 120 tpi casing, the Bailiff focuses on providing a supple feel when aired down to fat bike pressures. The tire also gets a snow-specific tire compound that is intended to stay pliable in extreme cold to maintain traction. That TCS casing also means the tire is fully tubeless compatible with tire sealant. In case you’re wondering, the WTB tire sealant is optimized for temperatures down to 15F° / -9.4°C.

Tread Pattern

The tread pattern itself features closely spaced center knobs to minimize rolling resistance, but there are still plenty of working edges to bite when you need traction to slow down. The knobs are fairly tall compared to some lighter fat bike tires and are widely spaced to dig in both soft and hard snow, mud, sand, etc.

When fitted to a 77mm internal width rim, the tire has a nicely rounded profile.

Offered in studded or studless versions, each tire has 312 stud pockets which are compatible with Terrene, 45NRTH, and other popular tire studs. WTB also has a stud placement guide to help you plan out your stud placement if you don’t want to utilize all 312 pockets. The WTB studded version uses carbide studs with a 2mm-wide tip.

WTB Fat Bike Tire Actual Weight

These are big, meaty tires. As such, they’re hefty at 1617g for the studless version. The studded version comes in at 1693g. That’s in-line with other tires of this size that have aggressive tread and aren’t terribly undersized, though.

First Impressions

I’ve had these tires for a few weeks now, and here we are in January. Still no snow. It looks like we’re in for a brief Arctic blast next week, so hopefully I can finally get out on these tires and the Otso Voytek 2 in the snow (or at least frozen trails).

I can tell you that while the tires were tight to get onto my Whisky No. 9 80w wheels, the tires seated up tubeless without issue. The rubber on the bead felt particularly grippy, so I applied some Schwalbe Easy Fit to the bead which made it much easier to fit the tire to the rim.

Once seated and inflated to 12psi, the tires measured an actual 4.3″ wide on the rims with a 77mm internal width. Upon measuring them the next day, they had already expanded to 4.4″, measured at the widest point of the tread blocks. So while a little undersized out of the package, it seems like these might expand to the full 4.5″ width with some time.

About that Packaging

Fat bike tires are big, obviously. Some brands package them in large cardboard boxes. Others zip tie them to cardboard or plastic sleeves. At one point, Maxxis was even putting them in reusable drawstring bags. But of all the fat bike tire packages I’ve opened, the WTB Bailiff is the best yet.

When you go to unwrap a Bailiff, you’ll find a reusable 25″ cargo strap and a small label made from recycled cardboard that is further recyclable. I’ve been meaning to buy some longer cargo straps for a while now – but now I have some thanks to the packaging of these tires. I can’t tell you the difference in quality between these straps and something like a genuine Voile Strap, but these will definitely come in handy. Use them to cinch down a spare fat bike tube for your ride. Or maybe strap an extra layer to your bike.

Kudos to WTB for coming up with a design that reduces the amount of packaging headed to a landfill while being actually useful.

WTB Fat Bike Tire Pricing & Availability

Starting today, the Bailiff is available in North America for $134.95 per tire. The studded Bailiff will sell for $279.95 and is also available in North America. European availability won’t come until March.

The post WTB’s First Fat Bike Tire, the Bailiff has the Best Packaging You Could Ask For appeared first on Bikerumor.

You read that headline right. The Western Rattler Bar Tape by Camp and Go Slow… Is. The. Best. Bar. Tape. Ever.* And if I had my way, that would be the end of the review. But I should probably tell you more about this wonder tape, and make my case for it being the best tape out there. I just recently gave the tape an Editor’s Choice award for 2023 and we even added it to our list of the best handlebar tapes.

Let’s go over a little history about Camp and Go Slow to begin our journey to the pot o’ gold that is the Western Rattler Bar tape.

Camp and Go Slow

Camp and Go Slow was started by two people on different ends of the US, Jarrod Bunk on the East Coast, and Casey Clark on the West Coast. It is now solely owned and operated by Casey. Originally they started with just stickers that were a wonderful bite on the Campagnolo logo.

The Camp and Go Slow take on the Campy logo sends an alternative message that is a juxtaposition of what the legendary Italian brand has historically meant in the cycling world. The message could be that the components that you use on your bicycle, shouldn’t define you as a cyclist. Or, at the very least, we should all try to “camp and go slow” occasionally.

When you look through the products that are offered on their site, you’ll see stuff that embodies the Camp and Go Slow ethos, like camp mugs, handlebar bags, a very handsome wool Henley, as well as patches, stickers, pins, and soft goods.

Western Rattler Bar Tape

Why do I think this tape is amazing? Is it because it’s the cheapest tape out there? No. Does it come with extra goodies? Well, yes and no. Is it super handsome? You betcha. But, let’s go ahead and dive in, and I’ll tell ya why.

Not the Cheapest, But Worth Every Penny

The Western Rattler bar tape is made in Taiwan and retails for $44. That price gets you two super long, 3300mm rolls. Those rolls come packaged in a handmade ripstop bag that’s made in Pennsylvania. Plus, you’re supporting a small business, so you can concentrate on making your bike look good and not wrestling with your conscience.

No Extra Stuff, But Do We Need Extras?

When you buy the tape, there is no finishing tape or bar end plugs included. But the USA-made bag that the tape comes in is of nice quality and can be used for many different things. Plus, who needs cheap finishing tape or cheap plastic bar end plugs? No one, that’s who. I would recommend using electrical tape and getting some of the Cardiff Silicone Rubber Handlebar Plugs to finish the job.

Handsome, Put a Value on That

The way I see it, most people like aesthetically pleasing things. I know I do. But, let’s touch on bicycles specifically. When my bike looks good, I feel good riding it. I think we all do. So, when I first saw this tape back in 2020, I wanted it for my Masi Randonneur as I thought it would look amazing. And it did. The Western Rattler Tape has “upped” the aesthetic game on every bike it’s been on… that’s worth something.

Specs:

• Includes 2x 3300mm rolls
• 28mm width
• 61g per roll
• Made from durable nylon blend
• 1.5mm foam backing
• Available in Western (brown) or Eastern (green) Rattler colors
• Bartape made in Taiwan
• Bag made in Pennsylvania

This Tape Could, Quite Possibly Last Forever

All of the above reasons to buy this tape are valid. But the real highlight of owning this bar tape is that it is comfortable, washable, and reusable. This means that it will, more than likely, last longer than any other tape you’ve had.

When I saw the tape on the internet, I honestly just bought it because I thought the colors on the bar would “pop” on the bike, accentuating the bike’s honey-colored leather saddle. After I received the tape and installed it, I had no idea that it would wear as long as it did.

Extra Tape and Keepin’ it Clean

When I first wrapped my bars, I rode the tape glove-free for the initial several hundred miles. I noticed that it was getting dark at the curve of the bars behind the hoods… most likely from my hand sweat and grime. I was pleased to find that it washed right off with simple soap and water when washing my bike.

I’ve unwrapped that first roll of Western Rattler tape many times. For example, to swap brake/shift levers a few times as well as a few bar swaps. It unwraps clean because it uses minimal adhesive, so it releases from the bar without tearing chunks of the tape’s backing.

The 3300mm length of the tape is a lot, I’ve wrapped a lit of different width bars up to 51cm, even some with really wide flats, and have always had extra tape. Just recently I used some of the extra to wrap the drive side chainstay on my Gus Boots Willsen, and it looks fantastic.

I find it holds its form because it’s not super stretchy, resulting in bar tape that can easily be reinstalled and reused. The “woven” texture feels great in the hands and extra grippy with gloves on. I find myself riding the Western Rattler mostly gloved nowadays.

In Closing

The Camp and Go Slow Western Rattler Bar tape is unique, as I haven’t seen anything out there that’s comparable. This tape, by far, is one of my favorite pieces of bike gear, ever. It needs zero attention once it’s installed, and looks amazing (on just about any bicycle). It supports a small business. It’s a high-quality product that seems to have a very, very long life span.

Would I recommend this bar tape to someone? You bet, without hesitation.

Do yourself a favor and go the the Camp and Go Slow website, and pick some up. Plus, check out all of the cool gear they offer… most of it would make for great stocking stuffers.

CampAndGoSlow.com

*According to Ron’s Opinion

The post Review: Camp and Go Slow’s Western Rattler Bar Tape is a Gift to Mankind appeared first on Bikerumor.

This is always one of my favorite posts to write because I get to gush over the things that really impressed me each year. No need to sound impartial here, these are the things I love.

A quick primer on me to put my choices into perspective. I’ve been riding most of my life, as a “cyclist” for 30 years, and enjoy all the things, from road biking to gravel to enduro, with most of my time leaning more toward the XC/trail side of MTB. Not because of a preference, that’s just what we’ve got locally.

I also really enjoy e-bikes, particularly for city commuting, cargo bikes, and long-travel mountain bikes. I’ve noticed that the only people who don’t like them are the people who haven’t tried them. I know at least one guy who doesn’t want to try them for exactly that reason. I love to travel, and did quite a bit of it this year, which is almost always an opportunity to ride new bikes in new places with new people, and it’s awesome. Highly recommend it.

On that note, here are my picks for the best products of 2023…

Experience

An overland, MTB & gravel road trip with my son

This trip’s itinerary kept changing almost until the day we left, and I don’t think it could have been better. Out of 16 days on the road, more than half had some sort of adventure. We mountain biked Mt. Nebo (AR), Bentonville (AR), Palo Duro (TX), and South Mountain (AZ). We rode gravel in Organ Pipe National Monument (AZ), after offroading for two days from Yuma to Ajo on El Camino del Diablo (check out that story here). And we hiked the North Rim and Guadalupe Mtn.

We saw friends and family in numerous states, ate amazing Mexican food (perhaps the best we’ve ever had), and boondocked among lava rocks and alpine forests. I got to upgrade the van with a GMRS radio, water tank, and fuel can and play with new apps for route planning. We even got to (finally!) use my recovery gear to get out of soft sand. If you know me, you know I love gadgets and tech, but none of these were the highlight.

The best part of the trip was spending time adventuring with my son. He constantly surprised me on the trail with an uncanny (and typical 18yo fearless) ability to stay on my wheel no matter what the terrain, even pushing ahead and leading through some seriously rocky, techy sections with a lot of exposure. I taught him to drive through soft sand and negotiate rough terrain in the Vandoit, and we both learned how to tow it out (thanks Ron!).

I have a lot of friends, but there are only a handful I could hang with 24/7 for more than a few days. So the absolute best part of this trip is knowing that my son is one of them.

Pisgah Monstercross gravel race

The Pisgah Monstercross barely registers as Type 2 fun. It’s that hard. The 73-mile course has almost 9,000 feet of climbing, but not just any climbing. It’s chunky, rough Pisgah Forest “road” climbing. Some of it’s quite steep. Or loose. Or both. And there’s a lot of it, with most of the mileage found far off the paved roads.

I thought I was prepared. My bike was, and the new Shimano GRX 12-speed group and wheels performed flawlessly (bike shown further below). But it was a stark reminder that I am not a climber and that such courses are meant to make me suffer. The reason I include it here is because I think we all need a reminder that we can do hard things and appreciate them for what they reveal about us. Eric and his crew put on an excellent event. It’s not as highly polished as some, but it’s well-run with great feed stations and burritos and beer at the finish. The campground across the street is fantastic (and convenient!), making this a low-key sufferfest that’s perfect to do with friends.

Bikes

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Lauf Úthald Road Bike

One of the (many) things I love about Lauf is that they aren’t afraid to do weird things if they believe in them. Their leaf spring gravel suspension forks are highly visible proof of that. Less obvious is the new Úthald road bike, which certainly has a unique look thanks to the curved and bent seat tube and deep-drop seatstays. But those are only a tiny part of what makes it special.

The geometry is more akin to XC mountain bikes than road, with a slack head angle and long fork trail, that makes it unbelievably stable at speed. Lauf’s goal was to actually make riders faster rather than just make a bike that “felt” fast, and they succeeded beyond measure. Normally I get sketched out over 42mph. On my first test ride, we hit easily 50mph and I was wishing I had more gear so I could go faster. I’ve never in my life felt so stable, confident, and safe on a road bike at speed, and I don’t think I’ve found my limit on this one.

It’s easy to adhere to tradition and simply meet expectations. Lauf gets my Editor’s Choice not only for making an amazing bike, but also for showing that there are still ways to surprise and delight riders. If you’re in the market for a new road bike, you owe it to yourself to try this one.

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Ride1Up Prodigy V2 Commuter e-Bike

I’m as surprised as you are. I’ll have a full review up soon, but suffice it to say this budget e-bike delivers way more quality than should be possible for its price. The Ride1UP Prodigy V2 comes with Gates Belt Drive, Brose mid-mount motor, Enviolo CVT (continuously variable stepless gearing) rear hub, Maxxis Rekon Race tubeless-ready tires, and Tektro 4-piston hydraulic brakes. That’s a lot of high quality, brand name parts for a $2,400 e-bike.

It even comes with a decent-if-unbranded air suspension fork, broad-coverage aluminum fenders, front and rear lights, and a metal rear rack. It’s a Class 3 bike that gets up to 28mph (feels like more, actually), with smooth power delivery and a great torque curve that matches output with effort in a way that feels on par with bikes costing much more. It’s not just me, either, my whole family loves this bike, and all we have to do is adjust the seat height to fit everyone in our house. At 6’2″, I could use another inch of seatpost, but that’s literally my only complaint, and it’s an easy fix.

HONORABLE MENTION: Santa Cruz Heckler SL eMTB

I rode one of Santa Cruz’s earlier e-mountain bikes and was nonplussed, I think mainly because the coil shock never felt right for me, but who knows. I just didn’t feel dialed riding it. So I wanted to give them another shot with the new Heckler SL, and I’m glad I did. It gets an Honorable Mention because I’m still figuring a few things out and need to get more miles on it, but first impressions are very good.

The Heckler SL is reasonably light, weighing 43.1lbs for an XL with Reserve carbon wheels and SRAM Transmission. And it’s reasonably powerful, with the Fazua Ride 60 system getting me up the hills much faster, but still requiring some work on my end, so it feels like I’m really mountain biking. What impressed me is how nimble it is. Climbing a rapid succession of very tight, steep, technical switchbacks at Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Texas, I fought the urge to dab and the Heckler SL rewarded my trust with perfect traction and just the right amount of assist. If you’re a fan of the brand, this one feels very much like a Santa Cruz, just faster.

Drivetrains

EDITOR’S CHOICE: SRAM Transmission

SRAM’s Transmission drivetrain shifts exactly as well as they promised, which is perfectly. It’s pretty easy to set up, seems bombproof, and perfectly leverages their long march toward a universal mounting interface, which benefits every rider whether or not you ever ride this group. Even the shifter pods are growing on me, with a design that’s clearly made for a future full of electronically controlled devices.

That they could bring it to market in the height of everyone else’s supply chain woes is impressive, too. And then they trickled it all the way down to GX group ($1,099 at Backcountry) just a few months after launching the top levels. Additional Kudos for seeing the move to internal stealth brake routing and being first to market with levers that send the hoses parallel to the bar. Even if your frame uses standard cable ports, they make for a very clean cockpit! Well done, SRAM.

EDITOR’S CHOICE: TRP EVO 12 mechanical group

If you’re squarely in the mechanical camp, the new TRP EVO 12 group is worth a look, too. It’s hard enough dancing around Shimano and SRAM patents, but they did that and introduced clever new features (Hall Lock) that keep the derailleur rock solid and completely quiet, even on the roughest trails. Shifter feel is good, with a satisfying mechanical clink and the ability to customize paddle position and the number of gears per push. There’s a lot to like about this group, and it’s refreshing to see competition coming back to the high-end mechanical drivetrain category. Read my full review here for all the details.

EDITOR’S CHOICE: MicroSHIFT Sword 1×10 gravel group

Another mechanical group that really impressed me is MicroSHIFT’s Sword drivetrain. It’s fully mechanical, has 10 speeds, and works like a champ. The best part? The complete 1×10 group, including cranks, chainring, cassette, derailleur and shifter/brake levers is as little as $400 with options to add a higher-end cassette, left-hand dropper remote brake lever, or make it a 2×10 group with a double chainring and front derailleur.

Not only does it work great, I never really found myself missing the extra two cogs. The 11-48 cassette has plenty of range, the clutch keeps the chain onboard and quiet, and the hood and lever ergonomics are fantastic. I paired it with TRP’s HyRD disc brakes and a KMC chain and it’s been flawless. The bike aficionado shop folks that have tried all love it, too. If you wanna gravel without grinding away your savings, this is a great option.

HONORABLE MENTION: Shimano GRX 12-speed

Shimano’s latest GRX 12-speed group wasn’t a groundbreaking change from the 11-speed version, but it is an important update worth recognizing. It brings all of their top-level drop bar groups to 12 speeds. The hood ergonomics are even better than they already were. They get dedicated gravel derailleurs for all cassette sizes, with the ability to swap pulley cages to go between 1x and 2x rather than replace the entire part.

And they stuck with a mechanical option to keep it affordable (don’t worry, Di2 is coming in 2024). I appreciate that you don’t always need to be dramatic with your improvements (or your marketing) to offer something new and better, and this is proof.

Their updated RX880 carbon gravel wheels are also worth a shoutout. They’re as light as most other top-end gravel wheels (1394g), have Shimano’s smooth-as-butter cup and cone bearings with their first-ever swappable freehub body, and are wide enough to handle 50mm tires. And they’re a very reasonable $1,549. I raced the complete group in the Pisgah Monster Cross and it finished stronger than I did.

Components

EDITOR’S CHOICE: OneUp Alloy Handlebar

I avoid alloy handlebars as much as possible. Compared to carbon, they’re harsher and stiffer, transmitting more bumps and vibrations to my hands. OneUp’s carbon handlebar is one of my favorites thanks to an ovalized profile on either side of the stem, creating a flex point that allows just enough compliance to soften any blow. So I was intrigued when they launched an alloy version of it…how could it possibly compare?

Turns out, pretty darn good. It’s immediately my favorite aluminum mountain bike handlebar ever. I swapped it for another handlebar on my Fezzari La Sal Peak with a Rockshox Zeb. Even with 170mm of travel, vibrations and bumps still get through, but it was a noticeable improvement as soon as I installed the OneUp bar. It shares the ovalized tube shaping, and it works almost as well as their carbon bar, but for $70 less. If you have carbon dreams on an alloy budget, the Oneup Alloy Handlebar is the way to go.

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Prologo Scratch NDR XC saddle

I’ve generally liked Prologo’s NDR saddle line, but the new Scratch NDR XC race saddle is the best thing they’ve ever made. The various foam densities are perfectly placed, with a softer center over a cutout to relieve pressure points and a flat, wide nose that’s easy to perch upon on the steepest climbs.

The padding on the back is supportive, with a good shape for powerful pedaling but flat enough to easily get behind it. Not sure what the extended carbon tail is for, but it makes a nice little mud flap. It comes with Tirox (hollow steel) or Nack (carbon) rails, and the latter creates a wonderfully light 166g saddle. MSRP is $200 as tested, and the Tirox version is $127.

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Granite Designs Aux Bottle Cage

Granite’s carbon-and-thermoplastic Aux Bottle Cage is a side loader that’s compact to easily fit in tight spaces, particularly on smaller and full suspension frames. I love the stealthy matte finish, but the best part is that it’s incredibly easy to get the bottle in and out, yet it holds it super secure. I have it on my trail bike and have never lost a bottle, even a larger 24oz bottle, over any terrain. And it’s only $21.

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Industry Nine iRiX headset

Headsets seem like the hardest spot to bring innovation to, but Industry Nine did it with two cool features on the iRiX. Dual lip seals top and bottom keep crud from reaching the bearings, and tiny spacer rings let you adjust the gap between the upper cap and the frame.

That’s a small thing that makes a big difference. Where a standard top cap would need to maintain a larger gap to accommodate different frame tolerances, now you can get an extremely flush appearance without having it rub your frame. Combine that with the brand’s signature good looks, style, and color options and it’s a winner. (Read my review and launch coverage for more)

Wheels

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Hunt Proven Race XC UD Carbon

Hunt’s top-of-the-line Proven Race XC UD Carbon wheels get a very wide 30mm (internal) but shallow (22mm deep) ultralight rims with front- and rear-specific layups, laced with UD carbon spokes, to come in at just 1,271g on my scale (Micro Spline, rim tape, but no valve stems). That’s exceptionally light for a 29er mountain bike wheelset, and they accelerate exactly as good as you’d expect. They’re also very laterally stiff but also comfortably compliant.

I rip corners so fast with these wheels, and climbing feels effortless (as much as it ever will for me). I’ve ridden other ultralight MTB wheels, but these are something special because they give nothing up to achieve their low weight. And they’re only $1,699.

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Scribe Elan Carbon 32D

Weighing just 1,345g on my scale (with rim tape but no valve stems), and retailing for just $1,499, the Scribe Élan Carbon wheels are a helluva good deal for a lightweight set. But it’s their performance that makes them a top pick. Wide carbon rims (21mm internal) are paired with ultralight carbon spokes (2.6g each), ceramic bearings, and a 54-tooth single-sided ratchet (6.6º engagement).

That combination of lightweight, stiff-but-not-too-stiff construction, quick engagement, and smooth rolling makes them a potent partner in chasing speed. I tested the 32mm deep model, they also come in 42, 50, and 60-millimeter depths. They also offer options for race bearings with lighter seals and grease, and even 15mm front and QR axle options on top of the standard 12mm thru axle. I want to get more miles on them before writing a long-term review, but I’ve got enough good rides on them to know I like them. A lot.

HONORABLE MENTION: Astral Luna Carbon Approach

The Astral Luna Carbon Approach wheelset is handbuilt in the USA with their Approach hubs, which are made by sister brand White Industries. So you’re basically getting White Industry hub internals, but with a steel freehub body rather than titanium. And they have the same frictionless, effortless spin as White’s hubs, too, with Enduro bearings inside.

Their carbon rim design uses mini bead hooks to make tubeless setup easy and secure, but with a modernly wide 25mm (internal) rim that gives 28-30mm tires a great shape. Or throw gravel tires on them and head off road. They’re reasonably light at 1,538g (on my scale, well under the 1,600g claimed weight, and the included valve stems only add 16g). They’re also reasonably priced at $1,899. If you’re looking for an all-road, all-purpose wheelset that’ll do it job all year round, year after year, this is it.

Tires & Inserts

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Vittoria Air-Liner Light

If I had to name a “Product of the Year”, this would be it. I’ve always understood the benefits of tire inserts, but never wanted to pay the weight penalty. But, the Vittoria Air-Liner Light inserts ($70 at Backcountry) are only 50g each, and they elevate the tire’s performance to a new level. Here’s why: Their semi-permeable closed-cell design will slowly absorb air, meaning that it’ll initially compress when you inflate your tire, but then expand back to normal size over ~8 hours. Then if you puncture, it’ll expand to fill your tire so you can keep riding. Freakin’ magic.

It’s enough to finish a race, or at least get back to the trailhead, without destroying your rim or tire. Not only that, but it supports the tire so well that I can run 3-5psi less than normal, which gives me monstrous amounts of traction and comfort. These are amazing and I want them on all of my mountain bikes. Now they just need to make a gravel version.

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Maxxis MaxxSpeed XC tires

Years ago, I got to ride a set of team tires from Maxxis with a ridiculously high TPI casing. They were amazingly supple and felt like they literally melted around every bump and imperfection in the trail. But they weren’t for consumers, sadly, and they would’ve been prohibitively expensive.

Fast forward to 2023 and the new MaxxSpeed lineup gets us pretty close. They’re “only” 120tpi, not the 180-200tpi I recall riding, but the new MaxxSpeed rubber compound makes the most of it, especially since it’s only available on the widest 2.35-2.4″ sizes. That extra volume allows for lower pressures and a supple ride, even with the EXO sidewall layer, and the ultra-grippy MaxxSpeed rubber keeps them planted. I feel faster than ever on these tires. I paired a Rekon Race (front) with an Aspen (rear), but the compound is also available on Ikon and Severe XC tires. If you’re looking for an edge, this is it.

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Vittoria Corsa Pro cotton casing road tires

The Vittoria Corsa Pro is their top racing tire, with a ridiculously soft 320tpi cotton casing, grippy Silica & Graphene infused rubber, and tubeless-ready design. They come in 24/26/28/30/32 millimeter widths. I’ve been riding the 700×32 and they’re glorious. They weighed 306g & 309g on my scale, less than the 320g claimed weight.

Many of my road rides include stints on gravel connectors or dirt country roads, and I’ve been able to bring them down to 52psi, at which point they make small gravel and chip seal disappear. Like, totally disappear. It’s uncanny. And that’s with a double ply of Aramid for puncture protection, so they’re tough on the inside. I was worried that the lightly coated sidewall exteriors wouldn’t hold up to those gravel sections, but so far there’s no signs of wear. The only downside? They’re $105 each.

Clothing & Gear

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Velocio MTB clothing

Velocio got into mountain bike clothing this year, and they nailed it. I’ve been wearing their Mesh Bib Liner, Trail Ultralight Short & Micromodal Trail Jersey (pictured above) along with their Merino Tee, and they’re all fantastic. The shorts come with an Arcade belt, which is super low-profile and works way better than velcro straps for keeping the waist comfortably snug. They also dry quickly, making a fine swimsuit in a pinch.

On cooler days, I really like their Ultralight Trail Hooded Jacket and Anorak, the former easily stuffing into a pocket. The Trail Access Hardshell is a heartier jacket, good for the really wet days, and it’s quickly become one of my favorite raincoats for daily use, too. It fits great on the bike, but also off of it, helping to justify the $389 price. Some road brands struggle to do MTB well, but Velocio’s collection is dialed for everything from downcountry to enduro.

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Rab Cinder bike clothing

Outdoor clothing and gear brand Rab’s debut Cinder cycling collection is an impressive freshman effort, showing that they paid attention to what cyclists (and particularly gravel cyclists) need rather than just slapping their label on something. The short-sleeve jersey (center image, on my buddy Greg from Pedal Vision) has hidden reinforcements down the back to prevent it from sagging with loaded pockets, and a large center zip pocket makes it easy to stash cash and cards.

The Cinder Cargo Bibs have mesh pockets that’ll just fit a (non “plus”) iPhone with case, but the top edge is flipped inward to create a lip that prevents contents from slipping out. The windbreaker rolls up and its integrated stretch loop and hook lets you wrap it around a top tube, saddle rails (both shown on right), or handlebar. It’s hood has a bendable plastic strip that magically holds its shape even after you smash it into a ball for storage.

The rest of the collection, from a long sleeve tee to insulated jacket and baggie shell shorts are all great, too. I owe them a full review, and there are a couple of things I’d like to tweak, but overall it’s a great bit of kit that I’ve been wearing quite a bit. Also available in women’s versions.

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Trek Velocis helmet

The Trek Velocis MIPS road bike helmet is possibly the most comfortable helmet I’ve ever worn. It’s also really light, has huge vents, and is feature rich. Rubber docking ports hold your shades, and a BOA dial wraps its retention system evenly around your head. The cradle folds forward into the helmet when you’re not wearing it, making it easier to pack or rest on a table at the cafe.

MIPS Air adds a bit of rotational safety without adding weight, and OCLV carbon overlays add a bit of strength while actually saving 6g over the prior version. A beveled front edge not only keeps it out of view when you’re biting the stem on a tough climb, and it sits high enough on the forehead to work with the most ridiculously oversized cycling sunglasses. It even has a 5-Star rating from Virginia Tech.

Tools & Such

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Park Tool Flat Snip

The Park Tool Flush Cut Pliers are my new favorite tool. They have a flat side that cuts zip ties perfectly flat, no more pointy remnants to scrape my calves or snag my shorts. They’re the perfect finishing tool, giving your bike a clean, professional look. They’re $25 and worth every penny.

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Chap-Snap lip balm holster

I thought the Chap-Snap was silly when I first saw it, and then I went riding in the desert and had to keep fishing my lip balm out of my pocket every 10 minutes. Now I get it. The silicone housing straps to your stem (or wherever), then you remove the cap from your favorite Chap Stick flavor and stick it in there. It keeps it at the ready, and you don’t have to fiddle with a cap while you’re riding, either. That also makes it perfect for riding in winter, making it easy to use even with thick winter gloves, too, and it’s only $10.

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Bluetti AC60 Portable Power Station

It took me using the Bluetti AC60 side by side with several other brands of portable battery power stations to appreciate what makes it unique. There’s no charging brick or special adapter, you just plug it into the wall to recharge it. That’s a small thing, but it’s a big deal if you ever lose those proprietary charging cables. The built-in light (on the back) is bigger than others, too, and it can recharge in as little as 60 minutes.

The AC60 is compact and light, but stores 403Wh of power and outputs up to 600W, enough for most little outings and portable devices. All outlets are covered against moisture, dust and dirt, too, and it works with their (or any) 200W solar panels for off-grid recharging using standard MC4 connector cables. It’ll power a smart trainer for pre-race warmups, and I use it in my car to charge my laptop more efficiently (and more quietly!) than a plug-in DC/AC converter. If your goal is simply to work remote or have an affordable backup for the fridge at home, this is a great little unit.

Many more great products have passed through our hands this year, but this collection highlights the best I’ve seen or ridden. Full disclosure: Each of these products has been chosen purely on their performance and/or technological merits for the reasons described above. Under no circumstances were any of our selections paid for by their producers. Nor was any preference or favor given to advertisers or brands who invite us on trips. Our selections are limited to products that we’ve actually spent time riding/testing in person. So, a brand’s willingness to invite Bikerumor to join a launch event, or to provide product samples, does make it more likely that we will have considered their products simply because we’ve had a chance to try them firsthand.

The post BikeRumor Editor’s Choice 2023 – Tyler’s Top Picks appeared first on Bikerumor.

It’s that time of year again. As the year winds down, I end up thinking back and looking over my pieces for 2023 and awarding my picks for Editor’s Choice. I noticed while doing so, that I didn’t review a whole lot this year… at least not as much as I would’ve liked. And I didn’t do a lot of travel this year.

What travel I did do for the two shows I attended, I could drive to… I didn’t have to get on a plane, which was nice.

I am in a temporary workspace, so I didn’t have a lot of space to store stuff to review… like bicycles. As a result, I only reviewed one full bicycle this year.

I’m not complaining at all. I had a great year, and I know I have a dream job. And, I feel lucky every day to have the opportunity to share bike stuff with you guys. I appreciate you guys. You are a huge part of the success of Bikerumor. I love sharing my thoughts and opinions with you, and I enjoy reading yours.

So, let’s start this year-end Editor’s Choice Awards ritual with a big one for the readers….all of you, even the snarky ones. I do appreciate the crap outta you guys. And, I appreciate the time you take to geek out with us every day, it’s pretty awesome!

You guys butter my biscuits!

Let’s get to the other awards for the year.

Best Bike Experience

Editor’s Choice: MADE Bike Show

As I mentioned earlier, I did attend two shows this year. One was the always fun and crazy Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, CA. The other was the MADE Show which was held in Portland, Oregon. 2023 was the inaugural run of this particular show. MADE is the brainchild of Billy “Souphorse” Sinkford of ECHOS Communication. Billy has an unmatched and contagious passion for the bicycle and all of the culture that surrounds it.

The show was put together to showcase the wonders of the handmade bicycle frame fabricators and the small cottage industry of artisans, parts makers, inventors, and tinkerers that support the handmade bike world. The show wasn’t held in a sterile, boring convention hall, it was held at a cool venue called Zidell Yards. A huge open-air, 100-year-old barge manufacturing building, Zidell Yards matched the feel and aesthetics of the show perfectly. When all was said and done, it was the perfect venue for this show.

Billy’s scope of the show – to turn the world’s attention to the small independent bicycle frame makers, came to fruition with attendance hitting an impressive 5000+ mark for the three days. And to help all of the brands, even international brands take part in the magic, the exhibitor’s booths were very reasonably priced. This was great, as so many of these small brands are true cottage industries with only a single owner/operator.

It was a fun and magical few days in the PNW.

The best bike show of 2023 goes hands down, to MADE 2023. And I’m looking forward to attending in 2024!

Best Drop Bar ATB

Editor’s Choice: Sklar Super Something

The Sklar Super Something was the only bicycle I had the opportunity to review in 2023. And let me tell you, I’ve ridden a lot of bicycles in my day, and the Super Something is pretty amazing. It’s a wonderfully designed bicycle.

It’s also one of the easiest and best-handling bikes I have ever ridden. The geometry isn’t anything trendy, or groundbreaking it’s just a rock-solid blend of perfect angles that lead to a superb handling bicycle. The tire clearance on the Super Something is fantastic, lending to the bike being able to be set up in so many different ways, like a true ATB.

The Super Something I reviewed was the top-tier model of the five Radavist versions made available last year. The new Super Something framesets are designed by Adam Sklar in Boseman, Montana, and manufactured in Taiwan. They retail for $1500 and for a bike that rides like the Super Something, that price is a steal.

My choice for the best bicycle for 2023 is the Sklar Super Something… I will own one very soon.

Best Place for Your Tush

Editor’s Choice: Brooks B17 Special Ti Saddle

Those who know, know. And those that don’t know, don’t care to know. But, that’s OK… here are the facts, Brooks England makes a great bicycle saddle. The most comfortable one. And their B17 model is the only saddle I’ve used for the last 10 years. Sure, I know it’s not for everyone, but it’s the cat’s meow for me.

The Brooks B17 Ti saddle is in no way, light… even with all titanium rails and frame. It is, though, a lot lighter than a traditional B17 Special. A traditional B17 Special (retail: $200) weighs in at 540g, while the B17 Special Ti (retail: $300) version comes in at 444g. It’s not a saddle that you would use while racing a road bike, or racing any bike for that matter. But, if comfort is what you want while getting in those “smiles per hour”, or you hate riding with a pillow between your legs (a chamois), then the Brooks B17, B17 Special, or B17 Special Ti saddle could be your jam.

I have been riding blissfully lycra-free for approx 10 years, and the Brooks B17 has been a big part of the equation when it comes to my comfort while doing so. It does take approx. a hundred miles or so, in my experience, to truly break the B17 in. But man, when it’s broken in and molds to your sit bone anatomy like a butt-glove, it’s magic.

The B17 Ti ramps saddle comfort up a few notches by the added compliance in the titanium rails and saddle frame. This Ti version of this saddle rides like no other B17 I own. It’s the epitome of gluteus maximus comfort.

For my behind, the best saddle for comfort in 2023 is the Brooks B17 Special Ti… butts down.

Best Bar Tape… Ever

Editor’s Choice: Camp and Go Slow Western Rattler Bar Tape

No hyperbole, the Camp and Go Slow Eastern and Western Rattler bar tape is the greatest bar tape available to mankind. I’ve been using the Western Rattler bar tape exclusively for a little over 3 years now. I am in the process of finally getting a formal review of this tape.

But all kidding aside, it’s no joke… this tape is pretty remarkable. Not only is it super-duper handsome, adding a wonderful aesthetic to just about any bike, but it’s also washable and reusable. The colors of either “coast” match leather saddles perfectly…so, you got that going for ya. I’ve used the same tape on three different bar swaps, it still wrapped beautifully and feels great. The tape also comes in a nice little reusable nylon rip-stop bag, that’s made in Pennsylvania.

Coming in two rolls of 3300mm in length, the woven tape can wrap the widest of bars. It’s made of a long-wearing, durable nylon blend. It’s only slightly padded (1.5mm), and the weave of the tape lends to riding gloveless quite nicely as it is very comfortable. It retails for $44 and comes packaged in a USA-made rip-stop bag. No plugs or finishing tape is included.

So, yeah… my pick of the best bar tape in 2023 (and forever….shhhh).

‘Nuff said.

Best Roof Rack

Editor’s Choice: Yakima Rib Cage for Jeep JL

When we got our “new” 2021 Jeep JL back in July of 2023 I immediately started researching racks that could accommodate a rooftop tent. I was shocked by the sheer amount that was available. They were all very expensive and other than one of the methods, all of them required drilling the top of the Jeep.

The top of Jeep Wranglers are fiberglass and removable. So, the rack systems that can hold the occupants of a rooftop tent need to incorporate the inside structure of the Jeep. Drilling through the top, like in this case, is done to use the roll bar for its weight bearing.

While scrolling YouTube, I found an installation video, by Yakima, on their Rib Cage rack system for a Jeep JL 4-door. It looked like a simple-ish install. So, I looked on the Yakima site and was shocked that their rack system was, literally half the cost ($600) of the others I was considering and had almost double the dynamic weight capacity (330lbs). Dynamic weight capacity is, in my opinion, the most important of the weight ratings for a vehicle like a Jeep.

One of the most attractive things about the Rib Cage is that, without load bars on it, it virtually disappears while on the vehicle. Also, the Rib Cage, after being installed, still allows you to take the roof off your Jeep if you so desire.

I installed it almost immediately after receiving it. I watched the video 3-4 times, and other than the daunting task of drilling the roof, the installation went fairly easily. I’ve driven close to 6000 miles, and have done a dozen off-road trips with the SkyRise Rooftop Tent on it, and the rack remains silent with not a single creak to be heard. Impressive.

Best roof rack system for Jeep JLs with 4-doors, the Yakima Rib Cage gets the award!

Best Top Tube Bag

Editor’s Choice: Orucase Top Tube Bag

Magnetic zippers…who’d a thunk? That’s the feature that drove me to review the Orucase Top Tube Bag in the first place. I mean, I think top tube bags are useful and, in some cases, essential gear, but there usually isn’t a lot to “review” about them

Not the case with the Orucase. What makes the Orucase unique is the magnetic zippers. They were a shocking game changer for me when accessing my snacks or phone for photos while riding. In a true one-step/one-handed operation I just dipped my hand into the bag and pulled out my phone… boom, the bag closed right back up, and Bob’s yer Uncle, all in less than a second.

The Orucase Top Tube bag fits my large phone (Google Pixel 6 Pro) too, with no problem. It has a cool cable port which is great for earphones or charging your light or phone. But for me, it’s great for running a charging cord from my phone in the bag down to my dynamo light to charge my phone while riding. It holds my phone, a bandana, a fig bar, sunglasses, and even a banana if you Tetris it in there. It retails for only $50.

It’s a great lil’ bag and my pick for the best Top Tube Bag of 2023.

Best Cycling Shoe

Editor’s Choice: Stomp Lox Slack

I’ve reviewed three different cycling shoes in 2023, One was great, one was close to if not as great, and one was very far from great (for me).

The great pair of shoes is the Stomp Lox Slack – a unique, handsome, sturdy, well-made, comfy cycling shoe that has a nostalgic aesthetic. I’ve got a few hundred miles on them and they are holding up very well. Being that they are closed, suede leather shoes, you pair them with a pair of Pinebury wool socks, and your feet will be toasty warm on cold night rides to drink beer or an early morning #coffeeoutside session.

They’re head-turners and conversation starters as well, as they are reminiscent of 1960s hiking boots. You could even say that they look like the shoes that the MTB pioneers were wearing while flying down Repack.

They are effortless when it comes to clipping in and out of my XT Trail pedals. They are also nice for regular walking during those “off-the-bike” moments. They are great while hike-a-biking too.

Look, they’re a great cycling shoe. The supple soft interior leather, especially in the heel cup, comfortably keeps you from suffering “heel slip”.

Coming from riding, mostly exclusively in Bedrock Sandals, the wide-toe box of the Slacks looked appealing to me. The toe box is wide, but not gratuitously so. It’s perfect for my feet.

The best bike shoe for 2023 goes to Stomp Lox for the unique and versatile Slack cycling shoe.

Parting Thoughts

That’s it! I hope you enjoyed the list. I had a great time testing the gear out and loved sharing my thoughts about them with you guys.

Until next year!

Each of these products was entirely chosen purely on their technical merits, by me personally, and for the reasons described above. More great products passed through my hands in 2023. Under no circumstances were any of my picks, paid for by their producers. Nor was any preference or favor given to brand or advertiser. My selections are exclusively limited to products I’ve actually spent time riding/testing in person. So a brand’s willingness to invite Bikerumor to join a launch event, or to provide product samples can make it more likely that we will have considered their products, if only because we can share our real, firsthand experiences.

The post BikeRumor Editor’s Choice 2023 – Frazelle’s Fun Faves for the Year appeared first on Bikerumor.

Are you looking for a cost-effective way to run a Shimano 1×11 speed mountain bike drivetrain on your drop bar gravel bike that uses cable-actuated disc brakes? If this is your wish, then this review is me granting your wish. Meet the Sensah SRX Pro shift/brake levers, the solution you were looking for.

Let’s say you’re building up a gravel bike and have a wheel that you want to use that sports a rear hub with a Shimano HG cassette body. Let’s say you also have an 11-46t XT cassette, and a Shimano MTB rear derailleur, like an XT or XTR, you’d like to use. You want your new gravel bike to have a wide range, like your MTB. You also want to use your cable-actuated disc brakes with the new build.

These 11-speed Sensah SRX Pro shift/brake levers will let you use your MTB drivetrain with your cable-actuated disc brakes without a single modification. That’s right, no rear derailleur cage swap, longer “b” screw, Goat Link, or need to rebuild the shifter with a mod kit to get the right amount of cable pull.

You can stop typing… I know there are quite a few options out there to pull off a functional 1x mullet drivetrain for your gravel bike. But, a lot of the brake/shifter combo levers are paired with hydraulic brake calipers, are expensive, electronic, and/or 12-speed.

If you have the Shimano MTB components I mentioned above, you can build a great mullet drive train for your gravel bike for well under $100. Not many other options (if any) will let you do that.

I’ve got close to 800 miles on these shifters and they’ve worked flawlessly. There have been some mis-shifts, every once in a while, but we’ll touch on why that happened a little later in the review.

The Sensah SRX Pro

The Sensah shifters shift using sort of a hybrid Shimano/SRAM style with a “double tap” actuation but with a single lever.

The levers themselves have reach adjustments to get them to the desired distance from the bars for the rider. That’s a nice touch for a shift/brake lever at this price point.

The shifters offer a nice high-quality, hearty, and positive “click” when shifting up or down the cassette. They give you the ability to push the lever all the way to the left and shift three gears up the cassette in one swoop. And then the normal single click at a time to come back down the cassette.

Sensah SRX Pro Installation

I received the Sensah SRX Pro levers from Velo Orange, who contributed them to my Masi Incanto Dream Build project. When I built my Incanto, I wanted to run an XTR rear derailleur and my Paul Klampers with drop bar shift/brake levers. And I wanted it to be a clean install, sans little doohickies to make it work right.

The installation went pretty smoothly. I Didn’t particularly love the shifter’s routing for either the brake or shift cable housing. Because of the cable-actuated brakes, I was running stiff, compressionless cable housing.

Getting the shift housing to make that first drop coming out of the shifter to the bar and dropping to the front, left side to go underneath the bar, was difficult. It required some stiff tape to hold it in place before wrapping the bar.

You can see in the picture above (top, left) that the shift housing is still not seated in the provided notch all the way. The other option would have probably routed easier, but put the housing to the outside right of the bar, and that seemed, at the time, a less desirable route.

600+ Miles with the Sensah SRX Pro

This was my first set of brake/shift levers that I’ve used that shift with one lever, so, I suffered a bit of a learning curve with that.

Overall the shifters shifted flawlessly. When I say flawlessly, I mean without one issue for over 600 miles of “not-so-kind shifting”. It was a positive shift to the correct gear every time. The “mis-shifts” I had weren’t about missing gears, but were more like accidental shifts, “user error” in most cases.

There is an automatic “brake lockout” built in to the right lever that helps prevent the accidental shift while the lever is actually pulled back into a braking position. But the action is so light, that sometimes I would accidentally make it downshift when merely reaching for the brake.

What About Egonomics?

The ergonomics of the SRX Pro shifters weren’t quite on par with the other big brands. It wasn’t a deal breaker for me but wasn’t quite the same either. Plus, with the light action and long-ish type throw of the lever when shifting up the cassette, it took a bit to get used to. It felt cumbersome at times. And the light action didn’t do well for me when braking on a technical descent. I would be blissfully bopping down a trail, in the drops, and boom, mis-shift. This happened more often than I’d like to admit.

Even after I felt I had learned the idiosyncrasies of the shifters, nearly every time while in the drops and the trail got rough, or I had to quickly grab a handful of brake, the mis-shift would happen. It was nothing catastrophic, or something that I couldn’t tolerate, just a bit annoying.

Something else bugged me a little more than the accidental shifts. Again, because of the mix of light action and the longer throw of the lever, I found when braking while in the drops, with one gloved finger on the lever, the right lever would want to slip out of my grip, to the left, leaving me reaching further for the brakes. That was uncomfortable on more than one occasion, not to mention a bit panicky feeling on a few other occasions.

Sensah SRX Pro Specs and Retail

Retail: $95 (as of this writing, on sale for $79)

• In the box: Left brake lever, right shift/brake lever, road brake cables
• Drivetrain speeds: 1×11 speed
• Up/down shift: 3 with full sweep, 1 down
• Reach adjustable: Yes
• Pull Compatibility: SRX and CRX 11sp
• Weight: 428g for the pair

*Note: When Velo Orange sent these to me, in October 2022, the description specifically mentioned pulling cable for 11-speed Shimano MTB derailleurs.

In Conclusion

I think the Sensah SRX Pro shift/brake levers are an amazing bargain and a really good solution to a Shimano 11-speed MTB, mullet drivetrain for your gravel bike. They are easy to set up, and have some nice features, like reach adjustment, and a simple single lever “double-tap” style shift.

They don’t look “out of place” on a high-end bicycle, like the Masi Incanto. The hoods are on the “skinny” side, if just slightly, but still very comfortable on long rides. The graphics on the actual lever are a little bit loud for me, but I like subtle branding on stuff. It may be fine for you.

Overall, these shift/brake levers are almost perfect. I would, and actually have recommended them to a friend, who’s been running them for awhile now.

If you want a great low-cost option to get the gear spread of your mountain bike for your gravel bike, while still being able to keep using your favorite cable-actuated disc brakes, then the Sensah SRX Pro shift/brake lever set is for you.

Get ’em by hitting the link below.

VeloOrange.com

The post Sensah SRX Pro Review: Affordable Dropbar Shifters for MTB Derailleurs appeared first on Bikerumor.