Pinkbike Product Picks
Geigerrig Rig 710 Pack
Basted in Ogden, Utah, Geigerrig offers a full line of hydration packs that feature a bladder that can be pressurized, eliminating the need to suck from a bite valve. This bladder (or 'engine' as Geigerrig call it), has a secondary air chamber that can be inflated with a bulb that sits on the pack's shoulder strap. 15-20 squeezes on the bulb, which resembles what is used on a blood pressure cuff, and the bladder will be pressurized, and slightly biting or squeezing on the valve will deliver water wherever it is needed. Our review pack was the Rig 710, which is constructed from 840 ballistic nylon and can carry up to 700 cubic inches of gear along with 70oz of water. The Rig 710 is chock full of pockets and compartments, with two main gear storage areas, one of which has a pump sleeve and a zippered mesh pocket along with a key clip. There's also a small zippered pocket at the top of the pack that would easily hold a phone and a wallet. An external sleeve with cinch straps could be used to carry an extra layer or knee pads, and there's even a raincover that's stored in a zippered pocket at the bottom of the pack. Colors: black, blue, gunmetal, citrus. MSRP: $185 USD. www.geigerrig.com
![Geigerrig Rig 710 Review]()
Pinkbike's Take:
e*thirteen TRSr Cranks
With all-mountain riding and enduro racing continuing to increase in popularity, e*thirteen chose to create a line of components designed specifically for this usage. The TRSr series (TRS stands for Trail Security, the 'r' is for Race) includes cranks, pedals, wheels, and chainguides intended to be enduro race worthy. The TRSr crankset is constructed from forged and machined aluminum, and utilizes a spiderless chain ring design, with double and single configurations available. We ran our review set with a 34 tooth version of e*thirteen's Guidering, their take on the increasingly popular narrow-wide chainring design. What sets the TRS cranks apart from others on the market is e*thirteen's P3 Connect Polygon interface. Instead of a spline system at the end of the spindle, there is a rounded triangle shape that allows the spindle to be in complete contact with the surface of the crankarm. This does mean that the cranks do need a specially designed bottom bracket to accommodate the 30mm diameter of the spindle, but e*thirteen offers bottom brackets for all of the current options on the market – threaded, BB92, PF30, and BB30. Weight: 175mm cranks with 34t Guidering: 596g. PF30 BB: 129g. MSRP: $369 USD (crank with single ring, no BB). bythehive.com/e-thirteen
![e thirteen TRSr crank review]()
Pinkbike's Take:
Specialized LoDown Gloves
Specialized's LoDown is about as bare bones as you can get, a simple, pull on glove with no velcro closures or extra padding to be found. The palm of the glove uses what Specialized calls 'Lifeline Construction.' One piece of Clarino fabric is used for the four fingers, and another is sewn in for the thumb, with the seam mimicking the path of the lifeline, the spot where the base of the thumb meets the palm. This is meant to prevent the fabric from bunching when the hand is curled around a handlebar. There are silicone stripes on the fingers and thumb of the glove for improved grip on brakes and shifters, and a soft swatch of fabric is located on the top of the thumb for mucus management. Sizes: S-XXL. Colors: Hyper Green, Black/Carbon, Black/Neon Blue, Green/Carbon. MSRP: $25 USD. www.specialized.com
![Specialized Lodown glove review]()
Pinkbike's Take:
Basted in Ogden, Utah, Geigerrig offers a full line of hydration packs that feature a bladder that can be pressurized, eliminating the need to suck from a bite valve. This bladder (or 'engine' as Geigerrig call it), has a secondary air chamber that can be inflated with a bulb that sits on the pack's shoulder strap. 15-20 squeezes on the bulb, which resembles what is used on a blood pressure cuff, and the bladder will be pressurized, and slightly biting or squeezing on the valve will deliver water wherever it is needed. Our review pack was the Rig 710, which is constructed from 840 ballistic nylon and can carry up to 700 cubic inches of gear along with 70oz of water. The Rig 710 is chock full of pockets and compartments, with two main gear storage areas, one of which has a pump sleeve and a zippered mesh pocket along with a key clip. There's also a small zippered pocket at the top of the pack that would easily hold a phone and a wallet. An external sleeve with cinch straps could be used to carry an extra layer or knee pads, and there's even a raincover that's stored in a zippered pocket at the bottom of the pack. Colors: black, blue, gunmetal, citrus. MSRP: $185 USD. www.geigerrig.com
The Rig 710's construction is top notch, but the bladder itself and the concept of pressurized water didn't win us over.
Pinkbike's Take:
 | When we first heard about the concept of a pressurized hydration bladder we were a little skeptical. Traditional hydration bladders are about as simple as it gets, and if you can drink out of a straw you can probably figure them out. Still, it's good to keep an open mind, so we filled up the Rig 710's bladder, squeezed the bulb 20 times and hit the trails. The bladder does work as advertised, quickly delivering a steady stream of water when just a slight amount of pressure is applied on the bite valve. However, we had trouble appreciating the pressurized water due to the horrid chemical taste that it delivered. The bladder is touted as being BPA, PVC, and phthalate free, but apparently that's not enough to get rid of the extremely bitter taste that flavored any water we put into it. Even after a thorough cleaning the plasticy flavor still lingered, and we weren't ever able to get the bladder to be completely taste-free. Plus, inflating the bladder took up a good portion of the storage space in the main compartment, storage space that we would have liked to use for all the layers necessary for winter riding. After struggling to come to terms with the bladder and its inflation bulb for a few rides, we ended up swapping it out with a competitor's 100oz bladder so we could continue testing the pack itself without dealing with the 'engine.' Stripped of its pressurized bladder, the Rig 710 ended up being extremely comfortable, and the well designed back panel and hip strap kept the pack stable on the roughest trails. The construction quality is excellent, and there were no blown zippers, rips or tears despite numerous long rides with the pack stuffed to capacity. The rain cover saw usage too, and served its purpose by keeping the pack dry during rainy winter days. It would have been nice if the outer cinch straps used two piece buckles, a design change that would allow the pack to carry a full face helmet. In the end, the Rig 710 didn't sell us on the benefits of pressurized water. It's a novel idea, and it is convenient for cyclists that ride with a dog, or need to spray an annoying riding buddy in the face, but the extra complication it adds to a simple concept doesn't seem necessary. The pack itself is a keeper, and it's certainly going to see more usage in the months to come, but without the pressurized bladder. - Mike Kazimer |
e*thirteen TRSr Cranks
With all-mountain riding and enduro racing continuing to increase in popularity, e*thirteen chose to create a line of components designed specifically for this usage. The TRSr series (TRS stands for Trail Security, the 'r' is for Race) includes cranks, pedals, wheels, and chainguides intended to be enduro race worthy. The TRSr crankset is constructed from forged and machined aluminum, and utilizes a spiderless chain ring design, with double and single configurations available. We ran our review set with a 34 tooth version of e*thirteen's Guidering, their take on the increasingly popular narrow-wide chainring design. What sets the TRS cranks apart from others on the market is e*thirteen's P3 Connect Polygon interface. Instead of a spline system at the end of the spindle, there is a rounded triangle shape that allows the spindle to be in complete contact with the surface of the crankarm. This does mean that the cranks do need a specially designed bottom bracket to accommodate the 30mm diameter of the spindle, but e*thirteen offers bottom brackets for all of the current options on the market – threaded, BB92, PF30, and BB30. Weight: 175mm cranks with 34t Guidering: 596g. PF30 BB: 129g. MSRP: $369 USD (crank with single ring, no BB). bythehive.com/e-thirteen
The TRSr cranks use a 30mm spindle with a polygon shape at the end, a design intended to increase strength and reliability at the crank arm and spindle junction.
Pinkbike's Take:
| Previous versions of e*thirteen's cranksets had a reputation for being finicky to set up, but this has been addressed, and installation of the TRSr is now as simple as pushing the drive side crankarm spindle through the bottom bracket, tightening the non-drive side arm until it bottoms out, and then adjusting the preload ring by hand to remove any remaining play. The PF30 bottom bracket is unique in that it has an aluminum threaded sleeve that joins the assembly together, rather than the more common plastic tube that sits between the bearings and around the spindle. Proprietary tools are required to install the bottom bracket and chainrings, but these are included with the crankset. We ran the TRSr cranks for a good portion of the season, and they shrugged off everything that was thrown at them. Drops, jumps, mashing on the pedals during steep climbs - the cranks were plenty stiff to handle it all, and they survived a few solid encounters with stumps and rocks as well. The bearings are still running smoothly, even after miles of every type of trail condition from dust to mud. As an added bonus, before installing e*thirteen's threaded PF30 bottom bracket we'd been struggling to eliminate the creaking from a stock bottom bracket we'd been running, but when the new bottom bracket was installed the creaking vanished. This is likely because the threaded design decreases the potential for the bottom bracket to move or shift under load. We also had good luck with the redesigned preload ring (previous versions had a tendency to loosen up), and it stayed in place for the duration of our testing. The one chink in the TRSr's armor is the price - $369 without a bottom bracket is on the higher end of the spectrum, especially when there are lighter carbon cranks that retail for less. Still, carbon cranks aren't for everyone, and the TRSr cranks are a good option for the rider who's looking for a light and stiff aluminum crankset that differs slightly from the norm. - Mike Kazimer |
Specialized LoDown Gloves
Specialized's LoDown is about as bare bones as you can get, a simple, pull on glove with no velcro closures or extra padding to be found. The palm of the glove uses what Specialized calls 'Lifeline Construction.' One piece of Clarino fabric is used for the four fingers, and another is sewn in for the thumb, with the seam mimicking the path of the lifeline, the spot where the base of the thumb meets the palm. This is meant to prevent the fabric from bunching when the hand is curled around a handlebar. There are silicone stripes on the fingers and thumb of the glove for improved grip on brakes and shifters, and a soft swatch of fabric is located on the top of the thumb for mucus management. Sizes: S-XXL. Colors: Hyper Green, Black/Carbon, Black/Neon Blue, Green/Carbon. MSRP: $25 USD. www.specialized.com
Specialized's LoDown gloves turned out to be comfortable and durable, a winning combination.
Pinkbike's Take:
| We prefer gloves that are as thin as possible, with least amount of material between our hands and the grips. The problems is, this style of glove can often seem like a disposable item, disintegrating well before we're ready to part ways with them. Luckily, the LoDown doesn't fall into the disposable category, and it's outlasted a number of other pairs of gloves. We've ridden hundreds of miles with them, including a few crashes and some time spent dragging deadfall off of trails, but they're no worse for wear, with all the seams holding strong and no rips to be seen. The silicone stripes on the finger are disappearing, but we've yet to find a glove where this doesn't occur. The Lifeline Construction works as intended, and there was no bunching or gathering of fabric against our palm. The best part? With a retail price of $25, if for some reason they do decide to leave this world for glove heaven, buying another pair won't break the bank. - Mike Kazimer |
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Member since Feb 1, 2009
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The water pipe freezes most of the time. I'm usually pretty thirsty when I get back.
I like how my Osprey pack uses the weight of the water itself and clever shoulder straps to put a small amount of squish on the bladder, creating the same effect as this air pump. No extra parts to fail and minimal additional cost.
As for the water. Safe plastic for water should never Ever taste of chemicals. You should only taste the crap in the water.
THEY are listening and know everything about you, me and everyone.
Hope has been making those for a little while too.
www.bikerumor.com/2013/02/26/frostbike-2013-hopes-new-threaded-press-fit-bottom-bracket
Same with rear end spacing, FBM used to be 114mm to accommodate Profile hubs that were deliberately oversized whereas S&M made frames were around 108mm - I had to mill down the cones of my Mini in order to get it even close to fitting my Fit S2i. The Taiwan made frames used to be perfect in that regard.
The "contaminants" in air are the same things you'll be breathing in all ride so your nose and mouth will be full of them any ways. No need to try and protect the bladder from them.
I want to like e-13. I will never buy another of thier products.
Hello Spell Check