"In the woods this bike is like a Swiss Army knife with only one tool, and it just so happens that that tool fits nearly everything."

What has dual 26" wheels and requires no more than a bit of chain lube for a full tune up? If you're thinking a singlespeed hardtail, you're right on the money. For years I've knocked singlespeeds for mountain biking anywhere that has fast trails with steep climbs and descents. I've watched good riders painfully struggle on climbs only to spin out and slow down when the trail points downhill, so I always questioned the point of it. To my surprise this bike has it's place, which just so happens to be the tight, technical trails in my backyard, which are so wet 6 months out of the year that I find myself picking rocks out of the corners of my eyes at dinner two nights later.

-all photos and text by Brad Walton

Downhill tires nowadays talk about the channel. The channel is designed to abort dirt, and packed up muck from your tires, creating a more open path to cruise on. The Intense MicroKnobby tire is the exact opposite. With 7,500 micro knobs per tire, these babies were designed for maximum traction in hard pack terrain. Where are these conditions found? At the dirt jumps and around town!

Read on for more information on the MicroKnobby Tire.

Hope Technology are one of those companies who have always been at the top of their game with there being very few seasons where they haven’t had their products gracing the World Cup podiums in one way or another. Always innovators, a steady evolution of their products has helped them become the company that they are today. With refined design and finishing, their products are neater, lighter, more reliable and more effective than ever. Below is a little taster of some of what is on offer for 2009 from a team bike which we recently had on test.

Point One Racing is not an unknown name in the industry. Started by 2 racers' need for race worthy parts that are not only strong, but extremely light. Recently we got our hands on the Split Second stem from Point One, which has a very unique design, and some interesting characteristics.

Read on for more information on the Split Second...

Source: PaintHouse Customs

Greg from Straitline Components first contacting me after seeing my last Pinkbike article and asked if I could do a custom paint job on his new THE helmet. This was a great project for me because he gave me complete freedom over the design of this helmet.

Recently I started the construction of my street bike for the year, and it has some unique features about it. One of which is a mid bottom bracket, meaning I was forced to use press in bottom bracket cups. This application limited me to BMX style cranks, however, doing a test on BMX cranks would not help you all mountain, freeride, and downhill riders out at all.

Deity has been slaving for 2.5 years on the Vendetta crankset, and after a few quick chats with Eric at Deity, I had my cranks picked out.

Click here for information on the Vendetta Crankset...

Dylan Dean is trying to make a big splash in a small pond with the recent introduction of Dean Optics. Dylan Dean has recently expanded his industry ties by starting Dean Optics, and creating the Trooper Goggle.

Read on for more information...

Graffiti is something most people turn a stale eye to. The days of seeing epic murals on the side of a buildings are gone. All you see now is scribbles done by teenagers while they were just passing by. Graffiti and the streets go hand in hand, so when I saw the Graffiti UK tire by WTB I had to try them out. After receiving them and examining the Graffiti, I am stoked to see how these tires function. Designed for pavement to hardpack, and everything in between, the Graffiti UK tires are designed to be functional on all mediums.

Read on for more information on the Graffiti UK tire...

Straitline is known for having functional, and strong components, and the new SSC Stem is no different. CNC'd 100% in Canada, Straitline is keeping it local with this stem, and they are keeping it ridiculously light. Reach options, a low stack height, and an extremely light design makes the SSC stem a top contender this year.

Check it out!

As some of you know, I'm on a never-ending quest for the perfect headset. I've worn out, cracked, or had bike damage done by headsets in the past, and this is my latest effort in that search - The Crank Brothers Opium DH "Directset"

Read on to see how it's held up:

There are a lot of people who know a lot about bikes, how to set them up, which components are better, and especially how to ride them. I also know that there are many often overlooked parts on a bike, one of them being brake pads. Now I know what you are thinking, "A brake pad is a brake pad right?" Well as I recently found out you are wrong. Until recently I knew nothing about brake pads, and it really didn't bother me. "If I stop, that's all I need", was my thinking. But as I have recently discovered, different brake pads make a huge difference in braking performance, and that can lead to a more enjoyable ride, more maneuverability and better race times.

I am here to share with you the information I have gathered on brake pads, hopefully you will come away knowing more about what slows you down. No one can decide for you what pads to run, but this should be a good guide, which will help you make an educated decision on what pads to you should be running.