Pinkbike Product Picks
Drift Fork Armour
Drift Fork Armour is designed to protect your fork's lower legs from lift and crash damage. Drift's protectors are not your basic thick plastic stickers, Fork Armour is shaped from .05-millimeter titanium sheet and then covered with a graphic treatment. A thin 3-M adhesive-backed foam secures the protectors to the fork sliders. Shown here, is a custom Pinkbike version kindly sent to us by George Taylor, the driving force behind Drift-MTB.com. Drift makes Fork Armour to fit RockShox Boxxers 2010 to 2012 and Domain Double Crowns, as well as Fox 40 and 36 forks, and the Boss Idylle. Choose from Drift's standard graphics, or Drift will do custom graphics for orders over five sets. Overall dimensions are 280mm tall x 57mm wide x 1.6mm thickness. The Boxxer versions weigh 104 grams a pair. Expect to pay about $70 USD (£45.00) for the set. Drift-MTB.com
![Drift MTB Fork Armour]()
Pinkbike's Take:
Camelbak Elixir Electrolyte Tablets
Camelbak Elixir electrolyte tablets dissolve quickly in 24 fluid ounces of water to replenish salt and trace minerals that your body burns through when you are cycling. The tasty flavors are subtle and encourage the user to drink more and often. Elixir tablets are available in three flavors: lemon lime, orange, and berry. The orange flavor is boosted with caffeine (75mg), and all three flavors are sugar free to prevent munge and algae from growing inside your expensive hydration bladder. The plain white tablets are effervescent and the bubble action helps them blend quickly in a water bottle or a hydra-pack. Active ingredients include vitamin C, B-6, B-12, Niacin, and Riboflavin as well as boosters like Taurine, Guarana and a bunch of other stuff, all mixed in with basic essentials like sodium and potassium. Check out the Camelbak web page for all the ingredients. A tube of 12 tablets costs about $10 USD. Camelbak
![Elixir]()
Camelbak photo
Pinkbike's Take:
Hincapie R3 Compression Tights
Compression clothing is the rage in all forms of cycling. Hincapie R3 compression tights are designed to help the circulation of blood from the extremities to the heart and lungs while warming up and more importantly, after an event. Those who swear by compression gear also wear tights or a knee-high versions for long drives or airplane flights to and from downhill or XC competitions to prevent fatigue and loss of strength due to inactivity. Hincapie R3 tights use super-elastic Lycra fabric, ankle zippers and a multi-panel form-fitting pattern to achieve a tight fit. Four sizes are available from extra small to extra large and Hincape features a female-specific cut in all women's sizes. The color is black and the price is $99 USD. Hincapie
![HIncapie Compression better]()
Hincapie photo
Pinkbike's Take:
Drift Fork Armour is designed to protect your fork's lower legs from lift and crash damage. Drift's protectors are not your basic thick plastic stickers, Fork Armour is shaped from .05-millimeter titanium sheet and then covered with a graphic treatment. A thin 3-M adhesive-backed foam secures the protectors to the fork sliders. Shown here, is a custom Pinkbike version kindly sent to us by George Taylor, the driving force behind Drift-MTB.com. Drift makes Fork Armour to fit RockShox Boxxers 2010 to 2012 and Domain Double Crowns, as well as Fox 40 and 36 forks, and the Boss Idylle. Choose from Drift's standard graphics, or Drift will do custom graphics for orders over five sets. Overall dimensions are 280mm tall x 57mm wide x 1.6mm thickness. The Boxxer versions weigh 104 grams a pair. Expect to pay about $70 USD (£45.00) for the set. Drift-MTB.com
Pinkbike's Take:
 | Installing Drift Fork Armour is easy. The boys at Drift supply you with a nice alcohol cloth (think the hand wipe you get from KFC) to ensure that the sliders are free from grease and grime before you begin. Peel the backing off the 3M foam and then stick the protector onto your slider. The whole process should take no more than two minutes of your precious time. If you have concerns about the reliability of adhesive foam, be assured that there is no need for ugly zip ties. The 3M stickyness has lasted one whole UK race season, which is as good as any test in the World. That includes umpteen jet washes and they are still steadfast and look like new. Drift Fork Armour is British made, designed and owned which is always a good start, and the finish is super clean and pro looking once fitted to the bike. The weight gain is negligable and the re-sell value of my scratch-free Boxxers has soared. I've not taken them off and don't think I ever will. - Si Patton |
Camelbak Elixir Electrolyte Tablets
Camelbak Elixir electrolyte tablets dissolve quickly in 24 fluid ounces of water to replenish salt and trace minerals that your body burns through when you are cycling. The tasty flavors are subtle and encourage the user to drink more and often. Elixir tablets are available in three flavors: lemon lime, orange, and berry. The orange flavor is boosted with caffeine (75mg), and all three flavors are sugar free to prevent munge and algae from growing inside your expensive hydration bladder. The plain white tablets are effervescent and the bubble action helps them blend quickly in a water bottle or a hydra-pack. Active ingredients include vitamin C, B-6, B-12, Niacin, and Riboflavin as well as boosters like Taurine, Guarana and a bunch of other stuff, all mixed in with basic essentials like sodium and potassium. Check out the Camelbak web page for all the ingredients. A tube of 12 tablets costs about $10 USD. Camelbak
Pinkbike's Take:
| While many electrolyte replenishers share the same or similar ingredients, Camelbak's Elixir tablets get the job done. I first tried the lemon lime flavor after cramping on an all-day desert trail ride, where one tablet in the equivalent of a large water bottle got my legs turning again in about 15 minutes of pedaling. Used as a mid-ride energizer, the caffeine-boosted orange flavor seems to get the body moving with noticeably more gusto. Be warned though, that not everyone responds as positively to caffeinated drinks as I do. After sharing my store of Elixir tablets with other riders who were near or already cramping up, I can report swift and positive results in every case. Elixir tablets are either in my water or in my pack on every trail ride. - RC |
Hincapie R3 Compression Tights
Compression clothing is the rage in all forms of cycling. Hincapie R3 compression tights are designed to help the circulation of blood from the extremities to the heart and lungs while warming up and more importantly, after an event. Those who swear by compression gear also wear tights or a knee-high versions for long drives or airplane flights to and from downhill or XC competitions to prevent fatigue and loss of strength due to inactivity. Hincapie R3 tights use super-elastic Lycra fabric, ankle zippers and a multi-panel form-fitting pattern to achieve a tight fit. Four sizes are available from extra small to extra large and Hincape features a female-specific cut in all women's sizes. The color is black and the price is $99 USD. Hincapie
Pinkbike's Take:
| The jury is still out for me on whether or not compression gear speeds up post ride recovery. Hincapie's design fits well for walking or running, although the belt-line feels a bit high when using the tights on the bike for a warm up or for post-ride recovery purposes. Truth be told, after the first month of testing, the tights migrated to the bottom of my cycling gear drawer until I pulled them out to see if the compression pants would ease the suffering of a coach flight to Europe on United Airlines. In this role, I can vouch for the claims of Hincape's R3 tights. I often travel overseas and this was the first time I arrived on European soil with relatively fresh legs. Compression pants seem to boost circulation on long car trips as well. The downside? Well, there is no such thing as a quick call to nature when you are sportin' power-ranger pantyhose. If you are in the market for well made and good fitting compression tights, Hincapie R3 should be your first stop. I opted for knee-high compression socks for long trips instead. - RC |
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After a particularly nasty crash at Moelfre North Wales this year I would not have liked to see the depth of gouge that ended up in the armour being in my lowers. The 3mm foam also helps to dissipate any sharp edge impact energy, essentialy stopping them being dented or punctured.
Lets face it, unless you are in top 10 world cup your not going to notice the weight, have a crap before your race run to save a few g's! and like it says, the cost of a spotless set of boxxers second hand is worth the £45 investment, and looks better than many of the other attempts ive seen at uplift days!
Considering the guy's swollen right foot, I think some may actually think that's not a joke.