Pinkbike Product Picks

Mar 12, 2013 at 15:23
by Mike Kazimer  
Fly Racing Action jersey

Fly Racing's Action Jersey is a simple short sleeve jersey, without any superfluous bells and whistles. There are no pockets, no zippers; it's a basic, synthetic shirt that is designed to be fast drying and odor-resistant. The v-neck jersey is made from 61% polyester, 36% S.Café polyester, and 3% spandex. S.Café is a fabric made partially from recycled coffee grounds, which is supposed to provide odor control, quick moisture wicking, and protection from UV rays. Available in red, black, and grey, and in sizes small to XXL. MSRP $39.95 USD. www.flyracing.com

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Made from a fabric that contains recycled coffee beans, the Action jersey is a no-frills layer designed to keep you dry and odor-free.


Pinkbike's take:
bigquotesThe number of cycling jerseys on the market these days is staggering - with so many similar options available, it's difficult for any one jersey to stand out from the crowd. At first glance, the Action jersey looks like all the rest - a polyester t-shirt with the company's logo splashed on the front. And that's exactly what it is, except for one thing - the fabric used for this jersey has an incredibly soft, almost silky feel to it. We're not sure if it's the recycled coffee grounds used in the S.Cafe polyester that create this softness, but whatever the case, it makes for a very comfortable jersey. The jersey fit well, with a relaxed cut and a slightly longer overall length than a body-hugging XC jersey would have. In the name of science (or laziness), we wore the jersey on a number of rides without washing it, in order to test the claimed odor reducing properties of the fabric. The jersey didn't remain odor free, but it was less pungent than we would have expected, and once we did wash it there was no residual stink. Since winter is still making its presence known here in the Pacific Northwest, the UV protection capabilities of this jersey went untested, but it should be a useful feature for those who reside in places where the sun comes out more than a few times a month. Overall, the Fly Racing's Action jersey is a simple, comfortable, quick drying layer that works as advertised. - Mike Kazimer



Chromag Fubar OSX

Chromag's Fubar OSX is the Whistler-based company's 780mm wide aluminum DH handlebar, with 5 degrees of upsweep, an 8 degree bend, and 25mm of rise. Weighing in at 310 grams, the Fubars are svelte enough for use on an all-mountain or trail bike, but are designed to handle the abuses of downhill biking. There are a rainbow of available color options and finishes, with everything from gold flake to ocean blue, or even purple, for all your color coordinating needs. Pricing varies depending on color choice, but our black anodized bars have an MSRP of $100 USD. www.chromagbikes.com

Chromag Fubar OSX
Wide, light, and strong, the Chromag Fubar OSX can be used for everything from downhill to trail riding.


Pinkbike's take:
bigquotesThe Fubar OSX's length felt perfect right from the start - we didn't feel the need to trim it down at all, although there are marks printed on the bar should you decide to do so. There are also marks on the center of the handlebar that make it easy to get it properly aligned in the stem. The back and upsweep are fairly standard for this style of bar, but for good reason - it makes for a comfortable, neutral hand position. The 25mm of rise worked well for us, but now that riser bars seem to be making a comeback, it'd be nice to see a version with a little more rise. This handlebar saw action on a downhill bike and on an all-mountain bike, and worked well for both applications. As far as stiffness goes, we've ridden other handlebars that are so stiff they cause wrist pain, translating every bump on the trail right into your bones, but this never happened with the Fubar. It's a stiff bar, but it also has enough give so you can survive a day in the bike park without developing carpal tunnel syndrome. There's a reason this is arguably the most common handlebar used at the Whistler Bike Park - it's strong, wide, and comfortable. Plus, Chromag's iconic twin bear logo is printed on it for those extra style points. - Mike Kazimer



Specialized Bennies platform pedal

Designed with input from Specialized rider Brad Benedict, the Bennies platform pedals are 100mm wide and have a center thickness of 17.3mm, increasing to 19mm at the ends. 12 replaceable pins on each side thread into the pedal's aluminum body, which rotates on a chromoly spindle via two sealed cartridge bearings and a bushing. No special tools are needed for disassembly – a 6mm hex wrench will remove the dust cap, and an 8mm socket will take off the locking nut that hold the pedal to the spindle. Installation can be accomplished with either a 6mm hex wrench or a 15mm open end wrench. The Bennies weigh in at 430 grams, and are available in red, black, and white. MSRP: $80 USD. www.specialized.com

Specialized Bennies pedal
The Bennies proved to be resilient, even when dragged over rocks and through deep mud puddles


Pinkbike's take:
bigquotesWe installed the Bennies over four months ago; since then they've been ridden through pretty much every abusive trail condition possible - deep puddles, mud, snow, ice - they've seen it all. Impressively, they're still spinning freely, without any grittiness or play in the bearings. When we removed the body to take a look at the internals, the original grease was still intact, without any signs of contamination. Underfoot, the Bennies feel solid, with the 100mm width and 105mm length providing enough room for a comfortable foot position, even when wearing Five Ten's notoriously wide Impact shoes. The Bennies are not as concave as some other pedals on the market, but we didn't have any trouble keeping our feet securely planted. The grip was excellent, so much so that we removed a few of the pins to make it easier to reposition our feet. All of the remaining pins survived the testing, despite repeated encounters with roots and rocks. The pins do thread into the pedal body from the outside, which means it could be be more difficult to remove or change them if the head gets deformed from an impact, but that isn't anything a pair of vice grips wouldn't be able to fix. The pedal body has a few scratches and impact marks, but nothing out of the ordinary for what the pedal went through. The Bennies may not have the paper thin width, or the rainbow colored traction pins of other platform pedals on the market, but for less than $100, the Bennies are a solid choice, a light and durable flat pedal that can handle abusive riding conditions. - Mike Kazimer





Author Info:
mikekazimer avatar

Member since Feb 1, 2009
1,719 articles

105 Comments
  • 21 2
 I got those pedals and they amazingly light And with stand rock hits really well
  • 4 2
 I happened to buy a set yesterday due to seeing some good reviews and needing a new set as my 3 year old sunlines have finally given in, looks like I made a good choice!
  • 18 8
 I wouldn't exactly call 430 grams "amazingly light". Twenty6 PreRunner titanium pedals are 270g for the set.
  • 5 1
 For a set with standard axles they're not bad! The ti axles generally cut 50-60 grams out, also theyre still quite thick compared to other pedals like spank spikes, but compared to my 670g pedals i currently have, these are light haha
  • 2 0
 haha, I remember when the only good flat pedals you could find, with MTB thread, was bulletproof BMX, those things were super heavy.
  • 2 4
 For that Price the Bennies are light. How much do the Twenty6 PreRunner Ti cost? Better a solid Pedal with amazing grip for $80USD than for .. i don't know how much the PreRunner cost but i think twice as much than the Bennis.
  • 4 2
 I am not talking about price. I am pointing out that the OP said "amazingly light", when in fact they are not light in any sense of the word when compared to other pedal offerings on the market.
  • 3 0
 Ok, i missunderstood that. But the Bennies are extremely nice for that price. :-)
  • 3 0
 Ok i agree not amazingly light but light For what they are and price with out Ti axles ect we sell bucket loads Of them
  • 4 7
 There are a lot of pedal options out there that are around that weight for equal to or less than that price. Personally Specialized would not be my first choice. I would be much more likely to go with a company like Wellgo or Deity.
  • 1 0
 I just got mine with my SXT. Rode them a few times and i love them. Have to try Wellgo or Deity like you said one time.. let's see ;-)
  • 2 2
 so don't buy them
  • 1 2
 I got Wellgo B143s they weigh in at 380g and I paid $50 for them NiB....nice and grippy with replaceable pins. Standard axle in them as well. Wellgo is really the only metal Pedal I'll ever buy.....they'd be better then these Specialized Bennies....similar slim platform as well.
  • 1 0
 I just got them for my first bike(an Enduro). I haven't got them yet, but the shop gave them to me for free and I've read good things about them. Can't wait to pick them and the bike up on monday.
  • 1 0
 @debonis: Wellgo is a large OEM manufacturer. The Bennies could very well be Wellgo factory. Deity does not make anything - label company only. They source what they like, markup and market script-ware.
  • 1 0
 that's true, they probably are some other brand....you're just paying for the fact that it's got "Specialized" on it.
  • 1 0
 Taiwan has foundries, millingplants, pressplants, anodizers, they make 95% of all the script-ware in the bike-market. They usually vary their trade sample design a bit. That is why most stuff looks alike and why for example Thompson, who makes it in the US - looks different. Same goes with Foes, Intense, Orange etc. They do not usually draw from Astro-tube set catalog. The "Session" look is purely taiwanese. Boring and not really great engineering - apart from beeing easy to slap together.
  • 18 8
 Chromag osx, beautiful looking bar, but only bar I've ever bent. Wouldn't get them again after ruining a set in a crash. Generally used Deity dirty 30s and they have survived many a hard crash.
  • 7 3
 Deity stuff is pretty hardcore, I run their Villain bars on my DJ bike.. thinking about getting the Dirty's for my 4x bike too
  • 4 2
 Mine is 31 inches, uncut. Im too lazy to convert it to mm on my ipod. But its an awesome bar, light, stiff and just generally cool looking. I highly recommend it.
  • 4 2
 Same situation. On my dj I used to run chromag but the slowly kept getting warped and with my dirty 30s never had a problem.
  • 2 1
 funny, ive snapped a pair of dirty 30s on a tiny jump, which became a big head clap. but ill continue to ride them
  • 3 0
 31 inches = 787.4 mm
  • 4 1
 Chromag bars never felt quite right to me (5 deg. up, 8 deg. rear), and the same can be said about Raceface (4 deg. up, 8 deg. rear). I really feel at home on Deity's handlebars (5 deg up, 9 deg rear). Ask anyone who's been on Deity bars. They all seem to say the same thing. It just feels right. I'm only taking away Chromag's spotlight because it was already mentioned above. Deity stuff is light, strong, and just feels right. I have no intentions at all to ever switch to another brand. I do not miss any other bars I've tried.
  • 5 0
 I love my Fubars. Angles feel perfect and I haven't bent them even in some super hard crashes.
  • 3 0
 i just run boobars and they havent been a problem
  • 1 14
flag booostin FL (Mar 29, 2013 at 8:13) (Below Threshold)
 I'm selling my sexy unscratched golden fubar osx 2012! Anyone interested?
  • 11 0
 No, theyre only $15 off msrp fir a used product
  • 1 0
 You can usually find them for around $85 new at your LBS on the Shore.
  • 2 6
flag booostin FL (Mar 29, 2013 at 9:50) (Below Threshold)
 If your not on the shore their 105, that's what I paid
  • 8 0
 Well you got ripped off.
  • 4 0
 Yea I jus replaced my chromag bars with renthal fat bars. The Chromags are way too flexy for big dudes like myself.
  • 1 3
 I was considering renthals how are those?
  • 3 0
 Stiffer. Not the lightest, similar angles to the OSX. Renthal stuff is always top quality.
  • 4 1
 lol he paid $105 for fubars hahaha
  • 3 0
 Happy with my protapers... $47USD.
  • 1 3
 Renthal DM stems are pitiful though.
  • 1 9
flag booostin FL (Mar 29, 2013 at 15:41) (Below Threshold)
 wait just kidding lol i didnt pay anywhere near 105 haha
  • 4 1
 yeah right nice try
  • 1 7
flag booostin FL (Mar 29, 2013 at 16:12) (Below Threshold)
 wanna see the receipt? haha
  • 2 0
 answer protaper $50 330g
Crankbrothers Opium 3 $90 290g
  • 1 0
 I ride the Fubar OS flat version on my AM rig and I love them. The day I'll have to change my bars on my DH bike I will probably give the OSX a try.
  • 13 2
 I got those pedals there the sh*t
  • 1 0
 they're
  • 10 2
 So impressed with my bennies pedals I have had them on my demo since October and I'm pretty heavy with the pressure washer, the bearings still feel like new.
  • 4 0
 you hoser
  • 7 1
 OSX ftw on my AM DH bike awesome, weight not an issue, comfort and strength far more important, sub 200g might be fine for lighter riders but I can trust these every ride.
  • 8 0
 chromag has the best stuff i pimp all my bikes out with it its good stuff
  • 5 1
 i like those pedals. For a pair of stock pedals on my demo they're pretty good. It's not like plastic pedals that came on my enduro. You could run them and not feel the need to buy new ones. I like them.
  • 3 0
 I have the exact same 2 bikes and could agree more, couldn't even leave the bike shop with those pedals on the Enduro.
  • 7 1
 That Chromag Fubar OSX kicks a......!
  • 2 0
 I love all my cromag fubars, But their colored anodizing seems to sun fade really quick. I bought a set of orange Atlas bars and a set of orange Fubars, put em on my 2 kids jump bikes and the Fubars top side thats exposed to the sun looks almost salmon pink now. The Atlas still nice and bright orange, Still prefer the Cromags though.
  • 6 1
 I guess anyone ob pinkbike with an opinion gets neg propped these days
  • 1 0
 I paid 75$ each for the last 2 pairs of osx's I bought just gotta suck up to ur lbs owner a little more haha but most of the time u can find stuff cheaper online then u can get even with a deal at lbs
  • 4 0
 If I buy that jersey, will I have to buy as much coffee as normal?
  • 6 0
 I just wanna know if there's a decaf version... don't wanna get the jitters.
  • 1 0
 I was hoping for a double shot version.
  • 1 2
 40$ for a breathable t shirt.
  • 1 0
 40$ is for that kind of shirt is a fair price. The UA ones are priced around that. The bike brand ones are usually much more expensive.
  • 2 1
 I've been running the Chromag OSX Fubar for roughly two months on my '11 GT Distortion and love them, fantastic design and quality, as well with a lynx saddle ad soon a 50mm ranger stem!
  • 3 0
 the bennies are sweet, loads of grip... gnarly pedal bite though
  • 3 0
 5.10+bennies, deadly combination
  • 7 5
 shimano saint pedal > specialized bennie
  • 1 0
 I'm thinking of replacing my current set of NS Aerials (light and grippy, but narrow) with either the Saints or Bennies. Advice would be appreciated...care to elaborate?
  • 2 1
 They are both too thick to be serious contenders in todays market, but would have been great 5 years ago. Look elsewhere...
  • 1 0
 Meh. Personally, as long as it's not much bigger than the width of the threaded part of the axle, everything else is gravy. Hell, I still run some Funn pedals that are a good 1/2" bigger than the axle (total size, not each side.) and there's alot to be said for a sub $100 price.
  • 3 1
 quit bitching thick pedals aren't that big of a deal I'm fine with my straitlines and when I run clipless I don't bitch about how thick my spd's are, nobody clipped in does.
  • 3 0
 My old-timey (2012!) thick Saint pedals have seen a ton of rock strikes (pedaling a super low BB slalom bike through every stupid rock in norcal) and they are holding up like champs. Body, pins, and internals, all working out. I like screw-through (Saint) better than grub-screw (Bennie, MG-1). But this is splitting hairs. They're in the same league.
  • 1 0
 I had some pd-m505's that came on a bike and for S+G i tried them. I had 520's previously and the difference felt HUGE! That said, we all get comfy using whatever we use. For me deck height matters and my wah-wah's (also 17mm) feel great. I'm afraid if I go thinner I'll love it and will just have to cozy up to much more expensive options..... Ignorance can be bliss. And yes, I did just bitch about the deck height on some SPD's.
  • 1 0
 HT pedals > every other pedal ever made.
  • 3 1
 Lovin the torn off pin on the bennies
  • 1 0
 Best pedals I've ever owned, I broke them in a gnarly crash though, but I definelty would buy them again
  • 1 0
 Been running the Fly Action Jersey for some time now. Great design and good fit. Fly hit it out of the park.
  • 2 0
 I really like the Fly Racing products. I use a lot of their stuff.
  • 2 0
 Spesh makes good pedals, might have to try a set of Bennies
  • 1 0
 Just ordered two Chromag OSX bars today for my Banshee Rune V2 and Paradox V2!
  • 1 0
 Got Bennies on both my bikes, they spin forever and I haven't had to do an ounce of maintenance on them yet...
  • 1 0
 Digging the fly jersey, will be picking on up soon!
  • 1 0
 40$ tee shirts a for people faster then me Wink
  • 1 0
 Before even reading I knew chromag osx would be on this, such a sweet bar!
  • 1 0
 Chromag have a new hi rise bar called the FU40.
  • 5 7
 Aren't your product picks just your best advertising clients, This site is getting pretty lame, you have let the public down.
  • 8 1
 Product Picks are items we are actually using on our bikes. We provide the basic details about the item, and then a brief review on our findings. I don't see how this is letting the public down - if anything, it lets them see what we like and don't like.
  • 2 0
 The product picks section is one of my favorites on the site. The bike tests and the old school video's are also equally rad.
  • 5 6
 oh great, a plain shirt for $40... no thanks...
  • 2 0
 Here in canada, you buy two box of vector cereal an got a great breakfast and a tshirt
  • 1 4
 Diety and Chromag are the same bar. If you look at the part number, they are the same. At least they were a year ago or so.
  • 6 8
 dont delete comments bro
  • 9 1
 don't worry bro, it's still there. It's below the threshold at the bottom where no one has to look at it.
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