Pinkbike Product Picks
Fox Ventilator Diva short
The Ventilator Diva short is Fox's high-end women's all mountain short that's made of their lightweight Ultra Q4 Fabric and 4-way stretch with four front mesh vents. The one zippered hip pocket contains a detachable goggle cloth and media port, while the interior waistband hides Velcro adjustable straps. The Ventilator Diva comes with a detachable Evo Women's chamois and is available in black in size S, M, and L. MSRP $119.00 USD. www.foxmtb.com
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Pinkbike's take:
Easton Lock-On grips
Tired of seeing carbon bars getting scratched and scored by the metal clamps on some lock-on grips, Easton decided to take matters into their own hands, and has released a line of carbon-friendly grips. What makes a grip carbon-friendly? Well, in this case, when the metal outer ring on each side of the grip is tightened down, the inner plastic sleeve is pushed against the bar, holding the grip securely in place without any metal actually touching the handlebar. Easton went with an elastomeric polyurethane for the outer portion of the grip, citing the material's increased durability and comfort over the Kraton that most grips are made from. The rubber portion of the grip extends over both metal lock-on clamps, forming a slight flange on each side. The top of the grip is slightly thicker and is designed to offer a bit of cushioning, while the lower portion where the fingers rest is textured to prevent hand slippage. The grip's effective width is 132mm, and they are available in two thicknesses, 30 and 33mm. Colors: black, blue, red, orange, green, white. MSRP: $25 USD. www.eastoncycling.com
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Pinkbike's take:
Fox Women's Reflex Gel glove
Fox Women's Reflex Gel glove is a flexible, soft polyester urethane acetate upper attached to their double layer Ax Suede Fit® palm with padded gel palm inserts and laser-cut air vents. The glove has Silicone printed lever grip fingertips and an absorbent thumb, as well as a low-profile stretch cuff and an angled Velcro wrist closure. Fox Womens Reflex Gel Glove: available in Black, Pink or Blue and sizes S, M and L. MSRP $32.95 USD. www.foxmtb.com
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Pinkbike's take:
The Ventilator Diva short is Fox's high-end women's all mountain short that's made of their lightweight Ultra Q4 Fabric and 4-way stretch with four front mesh vents. The one zippered hip pocket contains a detachable goggle cloth and media port, while the interior waistband hides Velcro adjustable straps. The Ventilator Diva comes with a detachable Evo Women's chamois and is available in black in size S, M, and L. MSRP $119.00 USD. www.foxmtb.com
Well ventilated and quick drying, the Diva short is a full-featured short for long days of pedaling.
Pinkbike's take:
 | These are my new favorite pedaling short thanks to the quick-dry fabric and true-to-their name vents, as well as the length; they hit right above the knee, although I did find myself yanking on the hemline while climbing steeper stuff to keep them from sliding up. Another plus is the stretchable fabric: it means the shorts pull instead of tearing when dipping through tight trees and for those over-the-bars moments, and stretch seams don't pop and split when the fabric is under duress. I chose to remove the chamois after finding it too large and wishy-washy, but then regretted the decision as soon as the fabric took on a bit of dampness from a spring rainstorm and the seams began to chafe... For shorts at this price I expected more wear options without the pain. The one pocket includes a media port as well as an attached, removable goggle rag, but doesn't allow for much storage aside from an energy gel or small phone. An adjustable inner Velcro waist and generous fit accommodate all sizes of hips and bodies; the soft waistband doesn't scratch or pull on skin during the ride, even when sweat or rain soaked. Four front vents pull hot air up and away from skin mid-pedal stroke while the rear of the shorts stays movement and wrinkle-free for maximum comfort, although the zip front fly seam is a tad too long for pedaling and could possibly create a problem while for those whose torso is a bit shorter than my own. Don't be fooled by the short's light feel or the comfort - these mid-length babies will handle every climb and every drop in steamy jungle temperatures or dry desert heat. However, there's not much storage - bring a pack for any extras you may need. A great all-mountain short is hard to find; finding a great all-mountain short that also doubles as a swimming suit is even harder. - Amanda Batty |
Easton Lock-On grips
Tired of seeing carbon bars getting scratched and scored by the metal clamps on some lock-on grips, Easton decided to take matters into their own hands, and has released a line of carbon-friendly grips. What makes a grip carbon-friendly? Well, in this case, when the metal outer ring on each side of the grip is tightened down, the inner plastic sleeve is pushed against the bar, holding the grip securely in place without any metal actually touching the handlebar. Easton went with an elastomeric polyurethane for the outer portion of the grip, citing the material's increased durability and comfort over the Kraton that most grips are made from. The rubber portion of the grip extends over both metal lock-on clamps, forming a slight flange on each side. The top of the grip is slightly thicker and is designed to offer a bit of cushioning, while the lower portion where the fingers rest is textured to prevent hand slippage. The grip's effective width is 132mm, and they are available in two thicknesses, 30 and 33mm. Colors: black, blue, red, orange, green, white. MSRP: $25 USD. www.eastoncycling.com
The clamp design prevents any metal from touching the handlebars, while the patterning provides cushioning up top and traction below.
Pinkbike's take:
| As with most lock-on grips, installation is as easy as sliding them on and tightening the hex socket head bolt on each side. We ended up moving our brake levers and shifters slightly more inboard, as the outer flange portion of the grip moved our hand position to the inside of the handlebar. On the trail, the grips felt similar to a perfectly broken in pair of ODI Ruffians, a perennial favorite of ours. The 30mm thickness felt just right, and the outer flange was comfortable under the outside of the palm, providing a feeling of security, something to push against during hard cornering and in rough terrain. The grip pattern worked as intended - the upper part was comfortable, and there was plenty of traction provided by the raised lettering on the underside of the grip. It's still too early to definitively rule on the lifespan of the elastomeric polyurethane, but so far it has held up remarkably well, showing no signs of premature wear. Easton's entry into the lock-on world left us impressed, earning a spot on our list of favorite grips. - Mike Kazimer |
Fox Women's Reflex Gel glove
Fox Women's Reflex Gel glove is a flexible, soft polyester urethane acetate upper attached to their double layer Ax Suede Fit® palm with padded gel palm inserts and laser-cut air vents. The glove has Silicone printed lever grip fingertips and an absorbent thumb, as well as a low-profile stretch cuff and an angled Velcro wrist closure. Fox Womens Reflex Gel Glove: available in Black, Pink or Blue and sizes S, M and L. MSRP $32.95 USD. www.foxmtb.com
The Reflex Gel glove's padded suede palm helps with those teeth-rattling sections of trail, and the angled closure and stretchable fabric of the cuff prevents any distracting pinches
Pinkbike's take:
| For the soft-handed, hard-hitting ladies (or dudes with small hands) that need a bit of extra cushioning on the palms, this glove just may be the best thing since sliced bread. With gel contacts on both the upper and lower palms, Fox has your hands handled for all sorts of ascents and descents. As a skeptical optimist of glove tech, I was a bit excited about the vibration dampening properties these might have on a technical climb or a chundery downhill and, to my great surprise, it was everything I had hoped for without any loss of sensation or control. The strategically shaped gel pads rest easily on a grip and provide great contact and sense of control. Worries about overheating and sweaty palms were addressed via well-placed finger and palm vents, as well as a lightweight woven back and fingers. A soft microfiber thumb sleeve connected to a tough leather palm cleans up a runny nose while printed index and middle lever grips keep your fingers where they should be and your eyes on the trail. There's no knuckle padding for the protection of precious pinkies, but the Velcro-closure cuff, stretch fit and fall-resistant suede almost make up for it. Overall, this is a lightweight glove for anyone who loves comfort, flex and durability; it's great for hot summer rides and hike-a-bike. I loved everything about this glove, to be honest. Even the lack of knuckle protection does not bother me as these are a confidence inspiring, feel-everything-but-the-bad-stuff sort of glove. - Amanda Batty |
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Biggups should be applauded for not succumbing to a company's marketing, and the whole idea of an industry fueled by consumption. If he has found a cheap pair of gloves that has lasted a long time, good for him! If there are any noticeable performance drawbacks to using said gloves, well then that's his problem. Why are we getting so mad about one guy who is pleased with a product that just might actually work, even though it doesn't have a TLD or Fox or Dakine logo on it.
Let him continue to ride happily in his cheap moto gloves long into the sunset, while we continue to justify dropping 50$ on a new pair of gloves every season.
Also, just for future reference -- power comes from a well-developed ass. #battybooty