The relentless spring rain wasn't enough to stop Pinkbike from putting in the miles on the latest and greatest parts. For the last few months I've been trudging through the mud on DT's stunning E2200 wheelset.

It's Swiss and it's red, but are they worth your hard earned coin?

Read on to find out.....

RaceFace is a British Columbia based component company that has been a constant supplier of durable, strong, and well thought out quality products. Whether it's developing a new rock solid stem for the North Shore, or kicking back working on some casual wear, they are always developing something, and are constantly pushing the envelope.

The all new RaceFace Atlas FR cranks are no different, they are peeling the envelop wide open-check them out!

Norco's 2009 line up isn't just about the big bikes for boys, they have also introduced the all new Vixa Women's Freeride bike! Developed around feed back from Norco factory rider Darcy Turenne and other lady shredders, the Vixa is here to help women push the sport on a bike that fits them right.

We can't forget about all you DJ and street riders either. Lots of refinements have been made to the hardtail line up too, so have a look at what 2009 has in store:

I'm currently at the 2009 Norco Bikes launch in Whistler BC and they have a ton of changes in their line up for everyone to see for next year. I got a chance to take an Empire 5 for a few rips and wanted to share some pics of it with everyone.

Here you go:

Robbie Bourdon has been riding for Kona the last few years, but recently it was announced Robbie will be riding a Intense Cycle bike. Congrats Robbie!

Source: Ryan Kuhn

Saddled up and whippin’ it!

Back in the day – 2001 to be precise – Kicking Horse was a raw, untamed beast. There was a brand new gondola spanning a sparse base area to an upstart and elegant Eagle’s Eye Restaurant at 7,700 feet – Canada’s “most elevated dining experience.” It was the infrastructure of dreams, linking 3,700’ of raw alpine, sub-alpine and densely treed vertical. It was, by all accounts, a wild stallion.

Need a new lid? How about something a bit different, a helmet with some unique features that you may not have seen before?

I've been rocking UVEX's xp 100 for some hot Summer miles in order to see if this German helmet can compare to more more common brands. What do I think?

Read on to find out......

I would have never thought 599$ in the biking world would get a complete bike that was worthy of being ridden hard. Commencal has proven my theory wrong with their marketing of the Max Max. The Max Max has been one of the most exciting bikes I've rode in a while, and it's definitely unique. Start with an Aluminum frame, stir in some rigid forks, a pair of v-brakes, and a set of wheels and you've got yourself the Max Max, or better known as "my best investment all year".

I’ve been using various Juicy’s on all my bikes for a few years now and have developed a very close bond with them. They are simple, low maintenance, reliable and super easy to bleed and in my opinion were perfect – but I guess not perfect enough for the tireless designers and engineers at Avid. I was pleasantly surprised to see Avid launch a totally new brake at the Sea Otter Classic this year – the Elixir R.

So you've got yourself some fancy new suspension for your two wheeler, but have no idea what the dials on it do? Well that is a common situation for a lot of riders out there, so last weekend I had the opportunity to do some testing to see how different set ups can effect the ride of my bike. Feel is one thing, but I also wanted to know how the set ups would effect my time on a set course so I met up with Tyler Morland, Kenny Smith and Adam Billinghurst for some freelap testing.

Here are the results and my impressions from the various set ups we tried that day-enjoy the video too!

Avid's mission in designing these new brakes was to enhance ride quality, increase power, and improve modulation. They were also able to reduce weight, improve temperature performance and reduce some noise issues with the Juicy line. The Elixir has a new, very sleek look, which is almost a throwback to the days before large reservoirs. But large reservoirs do not improve stopping power or modulation. The real trick is inside the Elixir R lever, which features Avid's all new Taperbore technology.