10 Products I Loved in 2021: Henry Quinney
2021, it’s been a long time. While for some the year has flown by, I would be lying if I said that was the case for myself. It’s been a wild ride but also one of my best yet, if I may say so myself. It started out in Europe before coming over to the United States of the Northern Canadias. In my mind, I have to keep reminding myself that I started the year in Portugal, it all seems so long ago.
But here are the products or things that stood out, for one reason or another.
![photo]()
Transition Spire
Yes, I’m going to bring up the Spire that I reviewed in the enduro bike field test, how could I not? This is a bike I seem to be on the campaign trail for and I renew my vows of dedication every time I ride the thing. I just love it. Honestly, think of this how Brian Park thinks of his 3D printer - yes, I know you don’t care and yes, I’m going to tell you about it anyway.
It just fits me well as much as anything. It just has all the dimensions I would like in a relatively lightweight and seemingly reliable package. I’ve ridden this bike most days for a long time now and it’s still going well. For me, with my seemingly always off-beat riding style that's more about hitting things than floating over them, the 170mm 29er seems to give my riding a much needed nip-and-tuck to make it appear so much better than it is. If I’m lugging around big wheels and all that travel that’s exactly what I would expect, but that’s not to say all bikes in this bracket deliver that.
Price: Transition Spire GX Carbon - $6000
More Infomation:transitionbikes.com
![photo]()
Rimpact Pro
Another product that I’m on the campaign trail for is inserts. Very specifically though, it’s the Rimpact Pro. My conclusion from the two part insert group test earlier this year was that you run an insert in the back for reliability and in the front for performance. Having lived in Squamish for the last six months, that hasn’t really changed. The only notable exception is the security afforded to me for riding rock features for the first time.
I still haven’t really accepted just how slow you need to ride these things and often default back to off the brakes and let the bike do the work. This has its time and place, but some of the front wheel compressions I’ve gone through while living here have been truly horrific - yet I haven’t sliced a tire yet or killed a rim. To be honest, I feel that I should have and would have without inserts.
I hate running downhill tires. I’ve now settled on 900 - 1000 gram weight bracket for my rubber with inserts front and back. With this spec, it's really helped me in my bid to just close my eyes and hold on when riding rock features and, I’ve got to say, it’s my favourite set up to date for all-round riding too.
Price: $100 per set
More Infomation: rimpactmtb.com
![photo]()
Shoes for Normal People Sucking Less
I've long been frustrated with flat pedal shoes. Why for so long have they looked like early 00s Osiris skate shoes? Why can't you have a flat pedal shoe that is also technical and not skate-inspired? Who are they making them for? Bart Simpson? It's the same with waterproof shoes - why can't they just be sensible instead of always looking like a ski boot? Do normal, non-XC racers not want dry feet too? Well, finally it seems both these problems are being tackled.
In recent years flat pedal shoes have definitely got more technical. New models from Five Ten, Specialized, and Crankbrothers amongst others are not about trying to get a shoe that just looks cool but one that also works well.
You'll also see companies like Fizik making waterproof clipless shoes for people that have no interest in chugging three litres of IPA in between laps at a cyclocross race, but rather to satisfy trail riders. You know, like a lot of people who just enjoy riding their bike in the wetter months.
There is also the new Trailcross model from Five Ten. I've just got some in for review and early impressions are very good. It's like the zenith of flat pedal shoes. It's technical, it's light, it's a mountain bike shoe first and puts function over form. It feels like what I've been waiting for. My only question is, what took so long?
Price: Not cheap
More Infomation: The internet
![photo]()
Integrated Mudguards
Every time somebody says that a product is inherently good or impressive because it's been in development for X number of years I always think to myself - It's been nearly 10 years since the Marsh Guard style of mudguard came out... and we've only just got fenders that don't require cable ties. I'm glad they're now here but, my word, we've waited long enough.
That's not to say things shouldn't take a long time, but rather the cycling industry is a warped place where some simple things take a long time and some game-changing things come out of the blue. I just don't think it's really that suitable of a reference or a denotation of something being really impressive. I remember a colleague who worked for a large suspension company telling me just how long it took from prototype to production. It certainly wasn't spritely and, put it this way, it wasn't measured in weeks or months.
But they're here now and they're awesome. They look clean enough to never even take them off and they work so well. I think the angular looks of the RockShox fender complement the arch of the fork and it actually looks better when it's on than off. The same with the rounded profile of the Fox options. Top work!
Price: 1000 bitcoin
More Infomation: sram.com, ridefox.com, rapidracerproducts.com, themudhugger.co.uk, all the people I forgot.
![photo]()
Vittoria Mazza Trail 2.4
Speaking of tires, the Mazza in a 2.4” trail casing was something that I tried running before but it never really gave me what I needed - the trail casing was just too thin for hard riding. This isn’t a Vittoria problem, but rather the limitations of a sub-1000 gram tire. I ventured up to 2.6” in the UK, but I found that although it was great, I was getting the extra weight of a thicker tire but not all that much more grip, or at least not a noticeable amount. That said, it did look mightily capable on the front of the bike.
The Enduro casing Mazza 2.4” is a great tire also. I think the sidewall is a great blend of everything you’d want a 1200g tire to be. Would I rather have a 1000g tire with an insert or a heavier tire without one? For me, it’s the former.
Running the Mazza in that setup has just been so rewarding. The way the insert supports the tire means that it improves a tire that already offered huge amounts of a grip and a gradual transition between edges that inspires huge amounts of confidence.
Price: $69.99
More Infomation: vittoria.com
![photo]()
Yeti 160E
Okay, okay, okay - I’m not an e-biker, truthfully. I can ride one and tell you if it’s any good, but I’m not somebody that wakes up in the morning, throws open the curtains and thinks, “I simply can’t wait to put out 72W and cruise up a climb in my lululemon activewear.” It’s fine. Do what you want, but it’s not how I choose to spend my free time.
But, and it’s a rhinoceros’ backside-sized butt, this Yeti eMTB was something pretty cool. The suspension was just fantastic. The small bump. The mid stroke… the end stroke ramp up! It had it all. Its geometry was a shade conservative for my liking, but I got informed recently that, and I know this may shock all of you as it shocked me, but I’m not actually center of the universe - who knew? Either way, I’m sure it will suit some people - even if I would love to see this platform with a slacker head angle, 200mm of travel, maybe a downhill fork… and no motor.
Price: Not exactly cheap considering I don't want the battery or motor
More Infomation: yeticycles.com
![photo]()
POC Eyewear
I’ve long known POC for their helmets and clothing - it wasn’t until relatively recently that I began to really use their eyewear. However, I think I’m now converted.
The Ora is about as good of a goggle as you could ever hope for. It’s comfortable, flexible enough to allow for easy lens changes and has nice, low key looks. Then, once you factor in the dual-lens optics it really begins to come into its own. They steam far less on cold days than other single-lens goggles. In fact, they work so well that on a recent cold uplift day at Prevost while trying a new model from a different brand I ended up reaching for these halfway through the day.
The main item that I use every single ride is their new POC Devour Clarity sunglass. These things look slightly outrageous and are wildly oversized. In fact, I would say it gives coverage comparable to a goggle. They’re well ventilated, have a flexible frame and are adjustable. My only qualm would be that the large lens and deep-fit of the POC Kortal helmet don’t work very well together, often pushing them down your nose. As a stand-alone piece though, the Devour’s are a genuinely well-executed piece of kit and I think they're just brilliant.
Price: $196.00
More Infomation: pocsports.com
![Fox 34 2022]()
Small Forks That Deliver Big Performance
When I started to really get into riding it wasn't uncommon for people to run a Fox 32 or Rockshox Revelation at up to 150mm of travel. I know the wheels were smaller then but it's still quite strange to consider. I think a lot of the initial forays into progressive trail bike geometry were hampered by forks that quite simply couldn't keep up. I remember riding a Whyte 146 that was unbelievably light with a 66ish-degree head angle and a lot of the things we take for granted on modern enduro bike - it had a one-by drivetrain, was designed around a short stem and wide bar and was a bike that actively tried to challenge the established ideas around what a bike should be. However, riding it was a strange affair because the fork was just so flexy.
Fast forward ten years and it feels like we're in a golden age of suspension. Everything is just so good. The 36 and the 38, much like the Lyrik and the Zeb are just magnificent, and that's not even mentioning the offerings outside of the big two where there are also products that really deliver. However, the thing that really blew me away this year was the SID and Fox 34 that featured on bikes in the downcountry field test. Gone are the days of inflating your forks to 73 billion PSI just to stop them diving - they were consistent, well-damped and would take so much abuse and come back smiling.
Price: 1.5 kidneys
More Infomation: sram.com, ridefox.com
![photo]()
GT Force Carbon
There were two bikes that really stood out during the enduro field test for me. The aforementioned Spire, which I won’t shut up about, and the Norco Range. Both bikes were just fantastic, even if I did prefer the Spire.
The GT Force was a little more low-key and I would argue more versatile than its brother in arms in the war against low pivots - the Range. It’s got slightly gangly looks and combined some tubes that are bulbous and some more slender. The mid-high pivot bike did have the geometry to make a statement though. It felt great to see GT doing this so well.
I didn’t entirely get on with that bike in every single regard, but it did set a new standard for me of how I want an enduro bike to track the ground while off the brakes. Honestly, it was just sublime. It followed the ground with such ease and the faster you went the more it came alive. As with all bikes, it wasn’t without its foibles but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a very good bike. I would love to try that platform on a downhill bike.
Price: GT Force Carbon Pro LE - $6000
More Infomation: gtbicycles.com
Morrissey
Self-satisfied, adamant, opinionated and an apparent chronic lack of self-awareness… no, not me - Morrissey!
This song was my most played during the year on Spotify, and by some margin. Every day in Lousã I would try and do two laps of the bike park. Thanks to the national lockdown in a foreign country, I got it done more often than not. At 750 meters of vert a pop, it left a lot of thinking time and I would be clamoring for the repeat button on this song. I like to have my own thoughts, but at that time this seemed far more interesting.
I’ll often think back to that lonely road, and how amazing it felt to just be there on my own, letting one pedal rotation follow the former. There was this motley crew of wild dogs that lived on that mountain. Apart from them occasionally scampering onto the road or me being overtaken by this unaccountably reliable early 90s Fiat Panda, I was all alone up there.
That massive listen count doesn’t even factor in how often I listened to this version on YouTube. It was almost a near-constant when at home. Leaving Morrissey’s personal sentiments to one side, he’s one hell of a performer. I think to love him for being anything other than pantomime and pompous misses the point entirely. He’s a caricature of the man that once headed the Smiths. I once heard Russell Brand describe him as something like “the poet laureate of the dispossessed”. A fittingly silly yet apt description for the man himself.
Price: An ethically sourced vegan burger that's never been within 100 miles of a battery farm.
More Infomation: themandoesntcare.com
But here are the products or things that stood out, for one reason or another.
Transition Spire
Yes, I’m going to bring up the Spire that I reviewed in the enduro bike field test, how could I not? This is a bike I seem to be on the campaign trail for and I renew my vows of dedication every time I ride the thing. I just love it. Honestly, think of this how Brian Park thinks of his 3D printer - yes, I know you don’t care and yes, I’m going to tell you about it anyway.
It just fits me well as much as anything. It just has all the dimensions I would like in a relatively lightweight and seemingly reliable package. I’ve ridden this bike most days for a long time now and it’s still going well. For me, with my seemingly always off-beat riding style that's more about hitting things than floating over them, the 170mm 29er seems to give my riding a much needed nip-and-tuck to make it appear so much better than it is. If I’m lugging around big wheels and all that travel that’s exactly what I would expect, but that’s not to say all bikes in this bracket deliver that.
Price: Transition Spire GX Carbon - $6000
More Infomation:transitionbikes.com
Rimpact Pro
Another product that I’m on the campaign trail for is inserts. Very specifically though, it’s the Rimpact Pro. My conclusion from the two part insert group test earlier this year was that you run an insert in the back for reliability and in the front for performance. Having lived in Squamish for the last six months, that hasn’t really changed. The only notable exception is the security afforded to me for riding rock features for the first time.
I still haven’t really accepted just how slow you need to ride these things and often default back to off the brakes and let the bike do the work. This has its time and place, but some of the front wheel compressions I’ve gone through while living here have been truly horrific - yet I haven’t sliced a tire yet or killed a rim. To be honest, I feel that I should have and would have without inserts.
I hate running downhill tires. I’ve now settled on 900 - 1000 gram weight bracket for my rubber with inserts front and back. With this spec, it's really helped me in my bid to just close my eyes and hold on when riding rock features and, I’ve got to say, it’s my favourite set up to date for all-round riding too.
Price: $100 per set
More Infomation: rimpactmtb.com
Shoes for Normal People Sucking Less
I've long been frustrated with flat pedal shoes. Why for so long have they looked like early 00s Osiris skate shoes? Why can't you have a flat pedal shoe that is also technical and not skate-inspired? Who are they making them for? Bart Simpson? It's the same with waterproof shoes - why can't they just be sensible instead of always looking like a ski boot? Do normal, non-XC racers not want dry feet too? Well, finally it seems both these problems are being tackled.
In recent years flat pedal shoes have definitely got more technical. New models from Five Ten, Specialized, and Crankbrothers amongst others are not about trying to get a shoe that just looks cool but one that also works well.
You'll also see companies like Fizik making waterproof clipless shoes for people that have no interest in chugging three litres of IPA in between laps at a cyclocross race, but rather to satisfy trail riders. You know, like a lot of people who just enjoy riding their bike in the wetter months.
There is also the new Trailcross model from Five Ten. I've just got some in for review and early impressions are very good. It's like the zenith of flat pedal shoes. It's technical, it's light, it's a mountain bike shoe first and puts function over form. It feels like what I've been waiting for. My only question is, what took so long?
Price: Not cheap
More Infomation: The internet
Integrated Mudguards
Every time somebody says that a product is inherently good or impressive because it's been in development for X number of years I always think to myself - It's been nearly 10 years since the Marsh Guard style of mudguard came out... and we've only just got fenders that don't require cable ties. I'm glad they're now here but, my word, we've waited long enough.
That's not to say things shouldn't take a long time, but rather the cycling industry is a warped place where some simple things take a long time and some game-changing things come out of the blue. I just don't think it's really that suitable of a reference or a denotation of something being really impressive. I remember a colleague who worked for a large suspension company telling me just how long it took from prototype to production. It certainly wasn't spritely and, put it this way, it wasn't measured in weeks or months.
But they're here now and they're awesome. They look clean enough to never even take them off and they work so well. I think the angular looks of the RockShox fender complement the arch of the fork and it actually looks better when it's on than off. The same with the rounded profile of the Fox options. Top work!
Price: 1000 bitcoin
More Infomation: sram.com, ridefox.com, rapidracerproducts.com, themudhugger.co.uk, all the people I forgot.
Vittoria Mazza Trail 2.4
Speaking of tires, the Mazza in a 2.4” trail casing was something that I tried running before but it never really gave me what I needed - the trail casing was just too thin for hard riding. This isn’t a Vittoria problem, but rather the limitations of a sub-1000 gram tire. I ventured up to 2.6” in the UK, but I found that although it was great, I was getting the extra weight of a thicker tire but not all that much more grip, or at least not a noticeable amount. That said, it did look mightily capable on the front of the bike.
The Enduro casing Mazza 2.4” is a great tire also. I think the sidewall is a great blend of everything you’d want a 1200g tire to be. Would I rather have a 1000g tire with an insert or a heavier tire without one? For me, it’s the former.
Running the Mazza in that setup has just been so rewarding. The way the insert supports the tire means that it improves a tire that already offered huge amounts of a grip and a gradual transition between edges that inspires huge amounts of confidence.
Price: $69.99
More Infomation: vittoria.com
Yeti 160E
Okay, okay, okay - I’m not an e-biker, truthfully. I can ride one and tell you if it’s any good, but I’m not somebody that wakes up in the morning, throws open the curtains and thinks, “I simply can’t wait to put out 72W and cruise up a climb in my lululemon activewear.” It’s fine. Do what you want, but it’s not how I choose to spend my free time.
But, and it’s a rhinoceros’ backside-sized butt, this Yeti eMTB was something pretty cool. The suspension was just fantastic. The small bump. The mid stroke… the end stroke ramp up! It had it all. Its geometry was a shade conservative for my liking, but I got informed recently that, and I know this may shock all of you as it shocked me, but I’m not actually center of the universe - who knew? Either way, I’m sure it will suit some people - even if I would love to see this platform with a slacker head angle, 200mm of travel, maybe a downhill fork… and no motor.
Price: Not exactly cheap considering I don't want the battery or motor
More Infomation: yeticycles.com
POC Eyewear
I’ve long known POC for their helmets and clothing - it wasn’t until relatively recently that I began to really use their eyewear. However, I think I’m now converted.
The Ora is about as good of a goggle as you could ever hope for. It’s comfortable, flexible enough to allow for easy lens changes and has nice, low key looks. Then, once you factor in the dual-lens optics it really begins to come into its own. They steam far less on cold days than other single-lens goggles. In fact, they work so well that on a recent cold uplift day at Prevost while trying a new model from a different brand I ended up reaching for these halfway through the day.
The main item that I use every single ride is their new POC Devour Clarity sunglass. These things look slightly outrageous and are wildly oversized. In fact, I would say it gives coverage comparable to a goggle. They’re well ventilated, have a flexible frame and are adjustable. My only qualm would be that the large lens and deep-fit of the POC Kortal helmet don’t work very well together, often pushing them down your nose. As a stand-alone piece though, the Devour’s are a genuinely well-executed piece of kit and I think they're just brilliant.
Price: $196.00
More Infomation: pocsports.com
Small Forks That Deliver Big Performance
When I started to really get into riding it wasn't uncommon for people to run a Fox 32 or Rockshox Revelation at up to 150mm of travel. I know the wheels were smaller then but it's still quite strange to consider. I think a lot of the initial forays into progressive trail bike geometry were hampered by forks that quite simply couldn't keep up. I remember riding a Whyte 146 that was unbelievably light with a 66ish-degree head angle and a lot of the things we take for granted on modern enduro bike - it had a one-by drivetrain, was designed around a short stem and wide bar and was a bike that actively tried to challenge the established ideas around what a bike should be. However, riding it was a strange affair because the fork was just so flexy.
Fast forward ten years and it feels like we're in a golden age of suspension. Everything is just so good. The 36 and the 38, much like the Lyrik and the Zeb are just magnificent, and that's not even mentioning the offerings outside of the big two where there are also products that really deliver. However, the thing that really blew me away this year was the SID and Fox 34 that featured on bikes in the downcountry field test. Gone are the days of inflating your forks to 73 billion PSI just to stop them diving - they were consistent, well-damped and would take so much abuse and come back smiling.
Price: 1.5 kidneys
More Infomation: sram.com, ridefox.com
GT Force Carbon
There were two bikes that really stood out during the enduro field test for me. The aforementioned Spire, which I won’t shut up about, and the Norco Range. Both bikes were just fantastic, even if I did prefer the Spire.
The GT Force was a little more low-key and I would argue more versatile than its brother in arms in the war against low pivots - the Range. It’s got slightly gangly looks and combined some tubes that are bulbous and some more slender. The mid-high pivot bike did have the geometry to make a statement though. It felt great to see GT doing this so well.
I didn’t entirely get on with that bike in every single regard, but it did set a new standard for me of how I want an enduro bike to track the ground while off the brakes. Honestly, it was just sublime. It followed the ground with such ease and the faster you went the more it came alive. As with all bikes, it wasn’t without its foibles but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a very good bike. I would love to try that platform on a downhill bike.
Price: GT Force Carbon Pro LE - $6000
More Infomation: gtbicycles.com
Morrissey
Self-satisfied, adamant, opinionated and an apparent chronic lack of self-awareness… no, not me - Morrissey!
This song was my most played during the year on Spotify, and by some margin. Every day in Lousã I would try and do two laps of the bike park. Thanks to the national lockdown in a foreign country, I got it done more often than not. At 750 meters of vert a pop, it left a lot of thinking time and I would be clamoring for the repeat button on this song. I like to have my own thoughts, but at that time this seemed far more interesting.
I’ll often think back to that lonely road, and how amazing it felt to just be there on my own, letting one pedal rotation follow the former. There was this motley crew of wild dogs that lived on that mountain. Apart from them occasionally scampering onto the road or me being overtaken by this unaccountably reliable early 90s Fiat Panda, I was all alone up there.
That massive listen count doesn’t even factor in how often I listened to this version on YouTube. It was almost a near-constant when at home. Leaving Morrissey’s personal sentiments to one side, he’s one hell of a performer. I think to love him for being anything other than pantomime and pompous misses the point entirely. He’s a caricature of the man that once headed the Smiths. I once heard Russell Brand describe him as something like “the poet laureate of the dispossessed”. A fittingly silly yet apt description for the man himself.
Price: An ethically sourced vegan burger that's never been within 100 miles of a battery farm.
More Infomation: themandoesntcare.com
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Member since Jun 3, 2014
Must Read This Week
They may not have the rounded profile of sport specific glasses but they provide great coverage and probably are the first true anti fog glasses I've owned.
ETA: also fairly hideous
Henry's listing a $13.000 e-bike and THIS is what you complain about?
If you don't like it, GFY and get off PB maybe?
Oh, healthcare.
Big ol' thumbs down there bud.
Have a heart attack. Get fixed for free. Fall off your bike and can't work for six months. Get paid 80% of your salary until you go back to work (accidents only, not illness). But our navy might be two ships and our airforce has a couple of old helicopters.
Edit. Google fu says average tax rate is 19.1% across all workers for us.
A few years ago I forgot my glasses and my buddy let me use his Ryders with the Fyre lens. I bought a pair when I got home. Long story short... for $200, they erase all the above issues. Once you use a good pair that work (some are shit), you can't go back.
I'm not normally keen on "cancel culture", but Mozza deserves to be ignored now.
Can you link to an interview or whatever where Morrisey says what you’re accusing him of? Thanks.
But seriously, I applaud the candid perspectives and entrusting readers to take a nuanced view.
And even more seriously, it's been established that social media is a magnet for people with narcissistic personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, depression, and, in some cases, Asperger's/autism, all of which frequently involve splitting. I wasn't entirely joking with my first paragraph.
As a side note, there is a huge subculture of being a Morrisey impersonator and singing his songs at caraoke in parts of Mexico if you ever happen to be there and need a good laugh.
I applaud Morrisey for not conforming to the wishes of the cultish drones.
But then I listen to metal. De gustibus non est disputandum , I suppose
Anyway I’m still waiting to read these horrendous opinions of Morrissey that the woke drones would no doubt love to cancel him over.
Public discussions make attention whores of all who join in.
@JakeEPooh: So what you're saying is that the use of the "virtue signalling" in conversation is itself the perfect example of "virtue signalling". Cheers!
All this talk of "virtue shaming" and "cancel clubbing"; no longer ok to hate a band/singer for no reason other than that they grate on my earholes? I really miss the 90s where you could just hate something without any political pretext.
If you think his music sucks that's fine. If I or the OP like it, that's fine too.
What Morissey thinks about some things should have no bearing on either of our musical tastes.
I'd rather spiral into a 27.5 vs 29 or SRAM vs Shimano argument than bring this PC BS into a bike forum.
The OP likes a Morissey song, big deal The man has a lot of fans worldwide and he says stuff that offends people. What talented artist isn't somewhat eccentric?. It is what it is.
Rereading my comment, yeah it does sound more aggressively anti-Morrissey than intended.
First on my 10 year old's Marin Hawk Hill. Everything about the geo was great, but a slacked head angle really helped with confidence and safety on our local steep and chunky terrain. He's loving that bike.
Second was on my wife's first proper mtb as she was getting into the sport. On a used bike, that again, had geo that worked for her, but slackening the HA helped with confidence and safety on our local steep and chunky terrain.
Third was on my wife's next bike. On a used bike again, but I found a fantastic deal on a 2017 Norco Sight that had been ridden 4 times. Again, geo worked great for her but the HA was a little outdated (67), slacked it out by 2 degrees (65), and it's perfect!
Then, I actually just bought a Wolftooth 1 degree for my new incoming bike. The bike has geo adjust (neutral and slack (0.75 change)), but I like a lot of the geo in the neutral setting except for the HA. Slacking it out a bit and then I'll reserve the actual "Slack" setting for bike park days. It's more of a burly "Trail bike" (140mm rear) that I'm overforking (150 to 160mm), installing a coil shock with burlier tires/inserts and bigger rotors to be my one and all trail/enduro/enduro race/sometime park bike.
So ya... anglesets don't work in every situation.. but there are lots of situations where they can be a very helpful and useful tool.
i use them from Driving, walking, running and of course MTBing including with my Fullface because i cant wear goggles. like 10 different shades of lenses make them so versatile
i've had no issues and i use them almost every day, riding/walking/driving.
They don't have interchangeable lenses, and sometimes they are too dark. But if it's ever a big deal, or I finally kill them, I can just walk into a local shop and have another pair for ~$50.
Every pair of waterproof footwear I have ever used for any sport all suffer the same design weakness - the bloody great hole that your foot goes into and no matter how effective the sealing claims to be, as soon as you hit the slop and the water is running down your leg, that lovely waterproof shoe turns into a very effective bucket
(You have sounded a bit restrained and hesitant on the podcast. Give yourself permission in that medium to not be a play-it-safe-puss—my encouragement…because your writing is anything but…).
PB is better for having secured your contributions.
I also don't know why you would want the winter version of you have sealskin socks.
They just don't look like they will last longer than a full hard season of riding, and based on recent perception of quality since Adidas acquisition. Outlook is pretty dismal unfortunately. When my current shoes do eventually wear out, I plan on getting some RC shoes. Most of my other friends have migrated to that company and have had very positive reviews on durability and longevity.
But that's for all 5.10 shoes I had.
I do 2 rides in winter and 5 in summer. Bigger rides always on weekends like I said I had 5k on that shoe before I send it back last week.
The flat shoes section is lacking on almost anything except a flat narrow skater shooe look a like.
No wider shoes , no high shoes , no other look's.
I don't know why I would want a flat shoe for this sport. I have trail desire instantly in my shoes no matter what weather it is. With the trail cross mid there is nothing that could enter it. I don't get it why not more make this kind of a shoe and it still feels like a light flexible top. The sole is stiff and flexible enough for comfy walking some sections.
I have only tried the Martello enduro, but it has been surprisingly good so far?
I have a 2.4 Mota with the Enduro casing but didn't use it for long, too narrow too heavy not a lot of grip
Magic Mushrooms
Nothing says good product like showing up half-naked frozen to death in a stranger's house.
Price: Your dignity
@henryquinney I certainly appreciate that you're willing to speak/write to us candidly, despite the vitriol in some of the other comments, thanks for taking the time to do so.
www.amazon.co.uk/Honeywell-1015370-Sporty-Eyewear-Anti-Scratch/dp/B002C6FG8G?th=1
Work a treat in the UK, i never find it bright enough to bother with sun glasses!
Admittedly they were mounted to the crown and not the arch so we’re not quite right but yes it has really now only happened, it’s taken too long for the fork manufacturers to get the idea, crazy really!
Cheers
Rimpact has 2 products in the test.
BTW: thanks for the Morrissey, @henryquinney ! never heard of it before, great!
Haha, I remember the times not so long ago, when it was very difficult to get clipless shoes that didn't look like sci-fi soccer shoes. The first flat shoes looked like some ridiculous moon boots. I'm very glad that now I can wear functional shoes that look somewhat casual and not out of place in the pub or even a restaurant.
As for the Trailcross GTX. I still don't get the hype. Specifically why almost every review praises them as something that was never done before when in reality they don't look to be far off the Guide Tennie GTX that Five Ten offered a few years ago. Those weren't bike specific but they work great for riding. The neoprene cuff seems like a nice addition on the trailcross as well as some bike specific details on the sole. Improvements? Sure. But it's not like they invented a new type of shoe.
Plus they don't have a hideous glaring yellow logo on the sidewalk, which is definitely a massive plus, lol.
@henryquinney do you have the same experience with it?
The Martello has even more siping, and the side-knobs are tightly packed. So that might explain some of it of course.
I though I was gonna change back for autumn rain, but for some reason the Martello never clogged, so it is still on. It was a strange autumn with not much sticky mud though.
But I wonder if the difference you feel on roots comes down to that you had MG-rubber on the front, which probably is a lot softer...
Stuff is great for working out, not for moped riding. They’re a Canadian company that’s making some excellent stuff, and they may have cured some medical issues that usually are accompanied by a prescription without drugs.
- are you identifying as LGTBQ+? Yes. Great! you're approved to wear Lulu
- are you female and not in the above? Yes. Awesome!! Lulu was made for you! You're approved to wear Lulu.
- Are you male and not in the above two groups? Yes. See below.
- did your wife/gf buy it for you? Yes. Sorry to hear that, return it and buy something cool. Take your lumps.
- did you buy it yourself? Yes. Call Justin Trudeau, he wants to take a selfie with you.
The rightwingers because he is gay, vegan and used to sing about teenage angst in a pop band,
And the leftwingers because he is expressing X-phobic views nowadays.
(X = enter any minority here).
And everybody admires him, for exactly the opposite reasons.
I do think the Spire is a cool bike, but damn those chainstays are looong!
BTW: Morrissey sucks.
Good come back in 2021
Icky.
@pinkbike: you’re gonna support stuff like Grow Cycling with this guy on the team? Turn down the Skrewdriver, we got Badgal Brooky coming through…
Seriously. Do better.
Morrisey and mtb'ing go together like...... well F.M, ......I have no damn idea but it's just wrong!! Really f'n WRONG!