Check Out - June

Jun 15, 2016
by Paul Aston  
Check-Out is an article that gives you a glimpse at items under $300 that have crossed the desks here at Pinkbike that we've not had a chance to review yet, but we feel that you may want to take a look at.



DMR Deathgrips

• Tapered Core | No need for outer lock ring
• Waffle and Knurl for grip
• Mushroom for comfort
• Available in Thin (ø29.8 ) or Thick (ø31.3)
• Available in Soft (20A Kraton) or Hard (25A Vexk) for your preference in feel and durability
• Price: $25.49 USD / £16.99
• www.dmrbikes.com
DMR Deathgrips
From the Manufacturer:
bigquotesThe DMR Death Grip is the second collaboration between DMR bikes and Brendog. We started with an internally tapered single-lock core grip and wrapped Brendan's design around it in super-soft Kraton compound.



pedals from nukeproof

Nukeproof Horizon Comp Flat Pedals

• Nylon-Reinforced composite
• 2 x high quality DU bushings & 4 x sealed cartridge bearings (Per Pair)
• CroMo axle
• 7 Colors
• Weight: 318g
• Price: $54.99 USD / £39.99
• nukeproof.com

From the Manufacturer:
bigquotesWe wanted to offer the benefits of our new Horizon platform in a more affordable pedal. Made from a nylon reinforced composite material, the Horizon Comp offers the same 'Sam Hill' inspired platform, in a lightweight and durable package with 6 replaceable pins (per side) and Cro Mo axle




Absolute Black Oval Guide

• Backplate: 7075 aluminum
• Cage: GF + PA66 polymer composite
• ISCG05 mount
• Fits any 1x10, 1x11 or 1x12 drivetrain
• Chainline 48-53mm (Boost compatible)
• 26-34T Oval
• Includes 0.5, 1, 2, 3,5mm spacers
• 22.2g including all Ti hardware
• Price: $62.95 USD / £43.95
• absoluteblack.cc
guide

From the Manufacturer:
bigquotesAbsoluteblack's revolutionary Oval Guide chain guide is here. This is the only chain guide on the market that is designed specifically for Oval chainrings, keeping your chain secure at every single crank position. Oval Guide has unique adjustable chainline from 48-53mm making it compatible with every single bike setup. Weighs virtually nothing.



Zoic shoes

Zoic Prophet Shoes

• Developed in collaboration with Osiris
• Constructed in flexible yet durable easy-care synthetic leather
• Toe and heel reinforcements withstand sustained trail abuse
• Padded tongue & collar enhance comfort & support
• Price: $85.00 USD
• www.zoic.com

From the Manufacturer:
bigquotesThe Prophet combines the comfort of a lace-up design with the control of a gripping sole that sticks to your pedals. Thanks to our HookUp rubber your feet stay firmly in place during your pedal stroke but can easily release when tough trail conditions warrant caution. Never be locked in an endo or tip-over again! You'll gain confidence and improve your form with every ride.





Wolf Tooth Fat Paw Grips


• 100% silicone with dual density construction
• 9.5mm wall thickness (uninstalled)
• 36-37mm installed diameter
• Tacky texture for use with or without gloves
• Plastic bar end plugs with the Wolf Head logo
• Designed and manufactured in the USA
• Weight - 110g
• Price: Price: $23.95 USD (Free worldwide shipping)
• www.wolftoothcomponents.com
Wolf Tooth Fat Paw grips
From the Manufacturer:
bigquotesAs one of the three touch points on a bike, grips are like shoes and saddles in that everyone has a different idea of what perfection is. We saw an opportunity and a need for a softer and fatter grip... the "perfect" grip for some riders! Our Fat Paw grips are the fattest silicon grip on the market and are a great option for riders with big hands or those that just prefer a larger grip for warmth or comfort.



5 10 Kestrel Lace shoes

Five Ten Kestrel Lace

• Stitched Stealth® C4™ rubber outsole
• Compatible with all clipless pedals
• Perforated toe vamp & mesh tongue for extra breathability
• Non-slip heel cup to reduce torsional flex
• Compression molded EVA midsole with nylon shank
• Polyurethane (PU) coated synthetic upper
• Sleek, low-profile design
• Velcro lace strap
• Price: €139,95 / $150 USD
• www.fiveten.com


From the Manufacturer:
bigquotesBuilt off of the success of the original Kestrel, the Kestrel Lace is designed to transfer power to the pedals as efficiently as possible with a classic lace closure. The Kestrel Lace features a Stealth C4 outsole and wider cleat interface that is compatible with every type of clipless pedal. The shank of the Kestrel Lace is nylon, making it about 15% less stiff than the original Kestrel, while an EVA midsole provides excellent shock absorption.




Continental Der Baron Projekt

• Black Chili compound
• Protection Apex sidewall construction
• 26, 27.5 and 29er
• Developed with top teams and international test riders
• Ideal for intermediate to wet conditions
• Great tire for aggressive trail riding and enduro racing
• Weight: 26” 960g / 27.5” 998g / 29er 1025g
• Price: $69.95 USD / £59.95
• www.conti-tyres.co.uk
Continental Der Baron

From the Manufacturer:
bigquotesThese tires were developed with our top EWS riders as well as domestic teams and individual test riders. For wetter/looser European conditions these tires really shine. With the big spacing, but ramped center tread this tire works well on the ups and downs! It is the go-to tire for our UK sponsored Enduro racers!



TSG Riot socks

TSG Riot Socks

• Cotton with PU impact material
• Rib Cuff
• 3-Part Shin protection.
• Padded ankles
• Lightweight and low profile protection, even can be worn under jeans
• Colour: Black with white collar
• Size: S, M, L
• Price: $39.95 USD / £29.95
• www.ridetsg.com

From the Manufacturer:
bigquotesPutting safety at the forefront, the TSG Riot Socks offer protection built within the comfort of a sock. The 3-part soft shin foam fits snug around shins, keeping them safe from slipped pedals. Additional foam padding helps to protect the ankles


MENTIONS: @dmrbikes / @ContinentalMTB




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89 Comments
  • 68 1
 Am I the only one at a loss how Five ten's have basically doubled in price in the past few years? Zoic's look promising if they offer comparable grip.( edit: did 5ten get bought out? )
  • 54 0
 5ten got bought out by Adidas not long ago which is when the prices started going up
  • 16 0
 @radatabs: Oh wow. Thats not good news. I have been wearing 5ten freeriders forever. Heres hoping the rubber at least stays the same.
  • 27 0
 @radatabs: Ahh! That would be the rub. Fecking greedy coonts!
  • 8 2
 At any rate we're lucky to have bike specific gear, everyone used to wear skateboard shoes to bike.
  • 20 0
 @Kramz: I've seen a handfull of pros still rolling on "skate" shoes. Also, doesn't negate the fact that 5ten was undoubtedly making a profit before a massive multinational bought them out an jacked the price despite a presumable lower overhead. Greed is greed end of.
  • 33 0
 Mine started wearing out a heck of a lot faster since adidas have owned them.......
  • 9 12
 Still using same pair of DC shoes for past 5 years even though price wise same as 5tens never liked the way they felt.
  • 6 0
 @ReverseKanga: they got bought out almost 5 years ago.
  • 26 0
 I've been talking about this with mates recently. We've been lamenting the price rises too, especially since we are in Australia and our Dolarydoos aren't stacking up too well. We also feel like the newer shoes haven't got the same quality about them as previous versions. The grip is still ace though!
  • 2 0
 interesting i thought it was just my exchange rate, since my currency just completely crashed in the last year
  • 4 0
 @sino428: well sheeet, so they did... guess it's just the industry>/=dentistry trend as of late. Root canal or shoes, take your pick. Buy a set of braces get a free xx17 barracuda groupo!
  • 11 0
 Price doubled and durability fell down... Could do easily 3-4 years of racing with 2008 shoes. Nowadays, 1 week and the sole come apart. after resticking it, it will last 6-9 months and the rubber is basically gone... It happened to me last year and this year.
  • 2 0
 the freeriders last me about 6 months a pair before the pins are coming through and jabbing the bottom of my feet. i feel if i switch to clipless and get the hellcats though they should last alotttt longer.
  • 31 0
 @Ghouls: Props just for usage of Dollarydoos
  • 3 0
 @FlorentVN: yeah i got a pair of hellcats about 5 or 6 years ago, and I'm still using them, that said the sole is pretty soft now
  • 2 0
 @whitebullit:
The freeriders have a lot thinner soles than Impacts. After wearing my Impacts I put on my old set of FR's and I could feel the fricken pins coming through.
If you like Five-Ten, just get the Impacts/ones with thicker soles and you'll be good to go.
  • 2 0
 I just got a new pair of 5/10's and now my questions burning in my mind and wallet are answered. The soles are different and lighter weight.
  • 5 1
 @radatabs: Bought out by Adidas eh? Price went up too ha? And no doubt they are still being made by what is essentially slave labor in some 3rd world vassal state.
  • 9 4
 Adidas (All day I dream about shredding)
  • 6 1
 @gooutsidetoday: Please tell me you're a Korn fan!
  • 3 2
 The prices haven't doubled, in fact they have stayed about the same; but the shoes only last 3 months. Your currency dove. Still after using five tens for years, climbing and riding; they are now just trash!
  • 6 1
 @SteveDekker: The Contact was $120 6 months ago and now its $150
  • 2 0
 @Ghouls: I don't understand why companies like five ten don't have a direct distributor in Australia, where containers of shoes can come directly from China to Australia, instead of China-USA-Australia.
  • 1 0
 @gooutsidetoday: addidas making some quality riding apparel these days...seen on hans rey but not too much marketing hype otherwise, oddly.
  • 3 0
 @SteveDekker: I agree with statement, they have def gone up more than my salary has in recent years. Problem is they are more popular now so you can't find them on sale as freq at the major retailers. BUT there is a hearty selection of closeouts on fiveten.com so even if you have to buy an ugly color on sale you will only have to live with it for 3 months
  • 6 0
 Since everyone is giving feedback on 5ten's..

I bought a pair just before last summer, the "Impact VXI CL". After a month of riding the sole started to come unglued in certain areas, Then the toe stitching on the sole started to come apart, not long after that the plastic insert for my cleats broke.. So I popped the cleats off and rode them for flats. Very shortly after almost the whole sole was falling off them but the rest of the shoe still looks to be in great shape. I hope they get it sorted out why that keeps happening because I'm a huge fan of 5ten's but I can't see myself repeatedly buying pairs if they don't hold up to what they are specifically made for.

The glue seems to hate cold/warm weather as I have found they deteriorate faster in those conditions.
  • 4 0
 @shredsONyou: I just warrantied a pair of Impacts and had a great experience. Contact them and they will take care of you. They may be part of Adidas but their customer service is fantastic. That said I was really disappointed that my $160 shoes came apart within a year of light usage.
  • 2 1
 I love my Teva's and the amazon sales at $35 per pair for ugly colors
  • 2 0
 @jewpowered: I have a pair of Tevas and they are nice shoes. I wear them mostly for light trail riding. But in terms of performance and grip they aren't even in the same league as 5tens.
  • 1 0
 @Kramz: I still do! We're lucky to have such a massive industry now, but that industry still gouges the hell out of the consumers. Mountain biking is not cheap.
  • 2 0
 @radatabs: Which also corresponded with a disappointing drop in quality. I'm still riding in them, but the Impacts are not what they used to be.
  • 2 0
 @whitebullit: my Hellcats are about three years old and I've ride them very hard. They are just now starting to come to an end. I've definitely got my money out of them and wouldn't hesitate getting another pair. The one major thing with Adidas buying them was making their stealth rubber proprietary. Five 10 used to sell their rubber to other companies and that has been put to an end.
  • 2 0
 @lifeofloon: Yea far as I can tell they dont even sell the resole kits anymore. I used to climb with one of the founders, I had one of the first pair of five tennies like a year before the company released any shoes. Climbed with five ten for many years. Then rode them. Five. ten is dead to me.
  • 1 0
 @Kramz: still do lol, got my trusty old school black vans and the more stylish look with some white janoskis. all depending on the kit of course
  • 1 0
 @Kramz: I still do and don't have any problems.
  • 1 0
 @lostlunchbox: A pair of Vans Sk8 Hi with shoe goo is where its at.
  • 1 0
 @SteveDekker: yeah I can understand your sentiments and I've definitely noticed a difference since the transition. However I came to Five 10 as a whitewater kayak and no-one has come close to their grip and traction on wet rocks.
  • 1 1
 @SteveDekker: I don't quite understand the hate for the bigger companies when they buy up a smaller brand. I do get that people like the idea of the smaller more focused brand. I do as well and given the choice of equally performing products I'll generally always go for the smaller companies product. But I don't dislike the bigger company simply because they bought out a brand that I liked. If they still make the best product for what I need I will still buy it. It's not liked they forced the owners of 5ten to sell. Those guys are the ones that sold out.

I see people mentions alternatives like Vans, teva, and DC shoes. But those companies are all owned by big conglomerates too. Vans is owned by the sane company that owns wrangler jeans, the North face, timberland, and nautical among many others. The company that owns teva owns ugg boots. And DC is owned by quicksilver.

I don't know anything about climbing shoes but I'm willing to bet that some of the other popular climbing shoes are owned by some monster company too.
  • 2 0
 @sino428: I dont care who owns the company as long as the product is good. Five Ten made great shoes. Now they dont! Vans, Teva, DC also mostly crap.
  • 1 0
 @lifeofloon: Yeah I have the Water Tennies too, practically lived in them couple summers ago. They are killer! But they mine are held together with shoe goo, soles come apart.
  • 29 0
 Those Wolf tooth grips look exactly like black water piping insulation
  • 6 0
 Glad I'm not the only one who though about going to the local hardware store for a pair of grips in the plumbing section. lol
  • 10 0
 Big hands= big pipe
  • 2 0
 I'm guessing they're made by ESI.
  • 24 1
 Wow - tires specific for European conditions! Are some pieces about to break away?
  • 41 2
 Maybe they don't work for 2 hours every weekday afternoon...
  • 2 2
 They know how to blitz
  • 16 3
 @eggsandb : Jealous? Wink
  • 6 0
 Do those tires get 12 weeks of holiday too?
  • 2 0
 @Aprilfisheye: I'm not @eggsandb, but I am jealous! Ha!
  • 1 0
 @Aprilfisheye: kind of...yes
  • 17 0
 Those socks...may as well wear my soccer shin guards while riding.
  • 4 1
 I've seen people wear lightweight soccer shin guards while riding. It's not a terrible idea to prevent pin-to-shin shredding.
  • 1 0
 I use adidas soccer shin guards with built in ankle protection that work awesome and cost a whopping $10 - there was no need for this product and the price is too high
  • 3 0
 I was just coming down here to complain about the first set of grips being not actually 'thick' as they say, but then saw those beeautiful Wolf thick ones! They are my next set of grips for sure!!
  • 2 0
 I've got a pair and highly recommend them.
  • 3 1
 I'm not sure that 5Tens have really gone up in price in the past couple of years. The first pair of 5Tens I bought was in 2010 and I paid $135.00CAD and I just bought a pair of Hellcats clipless at my local bike shop for $124 CAD.
  • 1 0
 I own a set of Nukeproof peddles similar to the ones shown above. They have very low miles and the end caps fell out. Things happen, I know but after contacting Nukeproof several times about this problem I have received zero responses. It should also be noted that I am not asking for replacement pedals, rather, I was just looking for contact information on where I could purchase replacement parts. Poor customer support!
  • 1 0
 That's interesting. I've run Proton flats on my AM and DH bike and they at least have been tough as nails for 3 years now.
  • 1 0
 Try CRC for replacements Spinman. I'm using the pedals above, and they're completely awesome.
  • 2 0
 *pedals
  • 1 0
 I have the Dr Kaiser tyres and they're very good, but not at 60 f*cking notes, do not buy them, please, have some respect for yourself unlike i did and pay no more than £60 for two tyres! £60 FFS!

P.s. Those Five Tens are f*cking mingin.
  • 3 0
 Fookin Magic Marys are $90 each (full retail - they can be found cheaper) here in the states. Most bike tire pricing is robbery.
  • 2 0
 What happened to the single ply der kaiser version? It was supposedly available for like a year (impossible to find though) then it disappeared.
  • 1 0
 The Barons are available one place online in the US, and just recently...the Kaiser is still MIA.

Their more trail/XC stuff was disappointing, esp.setting up tubeless, and side wall durability.
  • 1 0
 Yeah I read about a lot of people being disappointed with the trail/mountain king options for various reason. It is a shame because the Der Kaiser 2.5 is pretty much my favorite front tire ever so I was looking to get the single ply option. My LBS said they weren't available anywhere and they disappeared from the website after a few months of being announced so I had to go with something else.
  • 3 0
 I run the standard baron 2.3 on my xc bike and the grip is sweet especially in shite UK weather.
  • 2 0
 Haha the riot socks are labeled L and R in case you are too hungover between enduring and partying
  • 2 1
 Enduro socks..can't wait to see someone wearing those so I can have a good laugh
  • 2 0
 Why are wolftooth selling water pipe insulation as grips?
  • 2 1
 Apply water directly to the burn
  • 2 0
 DMR Deathgrip : excellent , very very good !!! Smile
  • 1 0
 More feedback!
  • 1 0
 I'm pretty sure the UCI will hunt you down for wearing those socks...
  • 1 0
 Can we just have the 5/10 Freeriders with clips!!!!
  • 1 0
 Great looking gear!
  • 4 7
 I can't be the only person who thinks Der Barons are terrible?
  • 11 1
 You are, Sorry.
  • 3 0
 Why do u think theyre terrible? (Not disagreeing, js asking...)
  • 3 0
 maybe you had the cheap verison like i did, non folding which were "wooden" worse i ever had!
  • 4 0
 At least they are doing them in three size options which is more than can be said of many others at the moment. (I've not tried them so can't comment on their performance)
  • 2 1
 Also, there are 2 types of Baron tyres. The older "Der Baron" in 2.5", only available as wired version and the newer "Der Baron Projekt" in 2.4", whose top version comes foldable. Pinkbike shows us the latter here, so a small mistake from them.
Personally only rode the Baron 2.5" so far. Great tyre imo, good damping, tons of grip, a real allrounder for the park. And a decent durability as well!
  • 3 0
 £60 tyre, 'kin hell.
  • 3 0
 Der Barons are not cheap. They're the expensive versions of regular Barons. I ran them on my DH bike for a year and found the grip poor in anything aside from tightly packed loam. Downvote me all you like but this is my experience in the matter
  • 2 0
 @codfather1234: dude i bought them 15 euros each! if thats not cheap i dont know to say, i am talking about wired version!







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