Pinkbike Product Picks
Shimano XTR Trail pedal
Shimano's XTR Trail pedal uses their proven SPD mechanism that has been mounted in a fixed position on the pedal body (compared to some lower cost alternatives that see it sit up at a more prominent, spring loaded angle relative to the cage) and a large but pared down platform that is designed to provide support underfoot. The pedal body features chamfered edges all around to limit the chances and consequences of a pedal strike and to shave some grams, and there's plenty of open space that should allow mud to flow through rather than pack in. Much like the standard XTR and XT offerings, the bearings system can be adjusted and easily rebuilt with simple tools, and release tension is tuned via a small hex wrench on each side of the pedal, exactly in the same manner as on any other Shimano offering. Total weight for a pair is 398 grams - just 10 grams less than the XT Trail pedal - which can likely be traced to the hollow axle and slightly slimmer body. MSRP $249.95 USD www.shimano.com
![Shimano XTR Trail pedal review test]()
Pinkbike's Take:
Yakima HoldUp rack
Yakima's HoldUp rack combines ratcheting arms that clamp down on the front tire and small pivoting rear wheel trays that hold the bike's rear end in place. The U-shaped front wheel clamps can be slid up and down the arms, allowing the rack to easily deal with anything from 20" to 29" wheels, while flexible plastic straps at opposite end are long enough to be laid over even the tallest of rims and be ratcheted down tight. In an effort to keep the bikes from tangling with each other, Yakima has allowed both main spars to be adjusted in position from side to side relative to each other, and security comes via built-in cable locks that can be extended out of the end of the arms. The entire unit can be easily folded up when not in use by retracting a spring loaded pin, or tilted down to allow access to a hatchback. Want to carry more than two bikes? The red end cap/bottle opener can be removed from the central arm and an extension slid in that allows you to carry four bikes in total. The HoldUp is available to fit either 1 1/4'' or 2'' receivers, with both retailing for $499 USD, and the HoldUp +2 extension (only available for the 2'' model) goes for another $329 USD.www.yakima.com
![Yakima HoldUp rack review test]()
Pinkbike's Take:
Arctic Heat cooling vest
Arctic Heat says that ''a cooler body means less sweating. Less sweating means the onset of dehydration is delayed,'' a fact that anyone who rides in hot conditions on a regular basis is well aware of. Their cooling vest has been designed to fight that by keeping your body temp low, with them claiming that the vest has been scientifically tested to lower the skin temperature when worn directly on your body by up to 17 degrees celsius. The vest can also be worn over a singlet or thin shirt, with a claimed 12 degree drop in skin temperature. The key to the vest's cooling powers are the non-toxic, hydrophilic (that means they absorb water) crystals that are distributed throughout the grey horizontal panels that cover the core of the vest, both on the front and back. Note that the lower grey panel on the back of the vest does not contain any crystals so as not to cool the kidney area, though. ''The vest is made from materials specifically designed for body cooling,'' Arctic Heat explains ''with the inner made from Merino wool, and a micromesh outer with pockets of special non-toxic viscous gel sewn in.'' MSRP $198 USD www.arcticheat.com.au
![Arctic Vest review test]()
Pinkbike's Take:
Shimano's XTR Trail pedal uses their proven SPD mechanism that has been mounted in a fixed position on the pedal body (compared to some lower cost alternatives that see it sit up at a more prominent, spring loaded angle relative to the cage) and a large but pared down platform that is designed to provide support underfoot. The pedal body features chamfered edges all around to limit the chances and consequences of a pedal strike and to shave some grams, and there's plenty of open space that should allow mud to flow through rather than pack in. Much like the standard XTR and XT offerings, the bearings system can be adjusted and easily rebuilt with simple tools, and release tension is tuned via a small hex wrench on each side of the pedal, exactly in the same manner as on any other Shimano offering. Total weight for a pair is 398 grams - just 10 grams less than the XT Trail pedal - which can likely be traced to the hollow axle and slightly slimmer body. MSRP $249.95 USD www.shimano.com
Shimano's top tier pedals offer great durability and consistent action.
Pinkbike's Take:
 | We've had a single set of Shimano's XTR Trail pedal on rotation for over a year and half now, with them being used for everything from straight up cross-country racing, a few enduro events, and countless miles on many of the test bikes that we've reviewed during that time. And just in case that wasn't enough, they've even seen plenty of time threaded into the crankset on a downhill bike while putting in park laps, despite them not really being intended for such use. How are they looking today? Pretty much like they've been put through the spin cycle with a couple of cinder blocks for a few weeks - well worn might be an understatement. How are they performing? Flawlessly. Despite wearing out a number of pairs of cleats since the pedals were new, which is to be fully expected, the pedals themselves haven't shown much in the way of giving up any performance. The medium sized bodies are certainly scarred and even a dented in a few spots, but we'd wager that they'd continue on for many more years without complaint, and the actual SPD mechanisms themselves haven't faltered either. About the only thing worth mentioning when talking about durability is the small amount of bearing play that recently developed in each pedal, although it's not developed enough to warrant a rebuild yet - maybe we'll do it the next time it snows. Durability aside, we've appreciated the positive engagement and release, and have only had issues clipping in when riding in extremely muddy conditions that would likely trouble most other designs, something that can be remedied by stomping the ground a few times to knock the mud away from the cleat. There is one thing that we'd ask Shimano to change, though, and that is their release tension: we'd like to see the stiffest setting be even stronger than it currently is, even if that meant that the entire range of tension from the loosest on up would follow suit. We do admit that this likely isn't a complaint that many other Shimano pedal owners might make, however, and it stems from many years of using platform pedals that have us used to being able to shift our feet through corners as needed (picture ''pointing'' your feet through a corner, for example). That habit now has us clipping out every so often in the same scenario, despite the tension being maxed and tinkering with cleat angle numerous times. Regardless, the XTR Trail pedals have shown impressive reliability, and their comforting pedal body size makes standing on them in times of distress a non-issue, unlike many itsy bitsy racer-boy pedals out there. Would we buy another set? Probably, but we'd also recommend checking out the far less expensive and only slightly taller XT Trail pedal that weighs 408 grams for a set, use the same SPD mechanism, and can also be rebuilt. - Mike Levy |
Yakima HoldUp rack
Yakima's HoldUp rack combines ratcheting arms that clamp down on the front tire and small pivoting rear wheel trays that hold the bike's rear end in place. The U-shaped front wheel clamps can be slid up and down the arms, allowing the rack to easily deal with anything from 20" to 29" wheels, while flexible plastic straps at opposite end are long enough to be laid over even the tallest of rims and be ratcheted down tight. In an effort to keep the bikes from tangling with each other, Yakima has allowed both main spars to be adjusted in position from side to side relative to each other, and security comes via built-in cable locks that can be extended out of the end of the arms. The entire unit can be easily folded up when not in use by retracting a spring loaded pin, or tilted down to allow access to a hatchback. Want to carry more than two bikes? The red end cap/bottle opener can be removed from the central arm and an extension slid in that allows you to carry four bikes in total. The HoldUp is available to fit either 1 1/4'' or 2'' receivers, with both retailing for $499 USD, and the HoldUp +2 extension (only available for the 2'' model) goes for another $329 USD.www.yakima.com
It's not perfect, but the HoldUp is easy to use and shouldn't ever lose a bike.
Pinkbike's Take:
| The HoldUp rack proved to be super simple to use, with bikes being able to be loaded and unloaded in only a few seconds without any hassle, and the sliding bases making it easy to adjust out any bike on bike contact that might otherwise happen. The rack's ratcheting front wheel holder also doesn't touch the fork legs of any bikes we carried, meaning that it won't leave behind any unsightly scuff marks from repeated use. More importantly, the design does a good job of holding your pride and joy in place regardless of how rough the road is. At over 60lbs the HoldUp isn't overly light, but it's easy enough to fold up with a single hand after the spring loaded pin has been retracted. Adding the two-bike extension when you want to carry four rigs obviously makes this a more difficult job, although that's to be expected given the additional weight. We do have a few complaints with the HoldUp, though, including how the secondary, non-spring loaded pin constantly rattled its way out, even during easy use on paved roads. This isn't such a big deal when only using it as a standard two-bike carrier, and it took a few days of use to happen, but it's certainly more of a concern when the optional HoldUp +2 extension has been attached. We also managed to destroy one of the ratcheting arms on the HoldUp +2 extension when it swung down below the rack as we were driving (obviously without a bike on) and was nearly ripped clean off. We had the arm in the folded down position at the time, but the U-shaped tire clamp was moved all the way to the end of the arm and was able to completely clear both the rear wheel holder and the small hook that is intended to hold it in place when not in use. There's no doubt that this was partly user error on our part as we should have stowed it properly, but it's also not completely obvious that the arms are free to rotate down and make contact with the ground - maybe there should be a built-in stop of some sort?. Those few complaints aside, the rack refuses to lose a bike, and every piece of threaded hardware is as tight as it was when new. - Mike Levy |
Arctic Heat cooling vest
Arctic Heat says that ''a cooler body means less sweating. Less sweating means the onset of dehydration is delayed,'' a fact that anyone who rides in hot conditions on a regular basis is well aware of. Their cooling vest has been designed to fight that by keeping your body temp low, with them claiming that the vest has been scientifically tested to lower the skin temperature when worn directly on your body by up to 17 degrees celsius. The vest can also be worn over a singlet or thin shirt, with a claimed 12 degree drop in skin temperature. The key to the vest's cooling powers are the non-toxic, hydrophilic (that means they absorb water) crystals that are distributed throughout the grey horizontal panels that cover the core of the vest, both on the front and back. Note that the lower grey panel on the back of the vest does not contain any crystals so as not to cool the kidney area, though. ''The vest is made from materials specifically designed for body cooling,'' Arctic Heat explains ''with the inner made from Merino wool, and a micromesh outer with pockets of special non-toxic viscous gel sewn in.'' MSRP $198 USD www.arcticheat.com.au
The Arctic Heat cooling vest is a very specialized piece of gear for those that regularly ride and race in warm temps, and while it works as advertised, it probably isn't for the average rider out there.
Pinkbike's Take:
| To activate the cooling effects of the vest we first soaked it in water for fifteen minutes until the crystals turned into a gel like state before wringing it out and hanging it up to completely dry, which took just over thirty minutes. The next step is to drop it into the freezer for a good length of time - two hours in the freezer will give you approximately two hours of cooling time - something that means the Arctic Heat vest will take some planning rather than being a spur of the moment kind of thing. Putting on the frozen vest first requires unfolding it, with that is made easier by giving it a misting with a spray bottle. An easier method, although one that doesn't see it stay as cool for as long, is to put the vest into the large freezer-style bag that it comes with and then dropping it into a cooler filled with ice and water for a few minutes. This was our preferred solution due to it being much more convenient and something we could easily do before going out for a few practice laps. On the flip side, you can also use the vest like a hot water bottle by popping it into the microwave for a few minutes (you bring your microwave to the mountain, right?) if you want to keep warm. This could be ideal for those cold early mornings before your Megavalanche start time, or even just to have on as you sort out your bike before a chilly ride in the winter. The Arctic Heat vest does work as advertised, and it certainly added comfort on those hot days, but we were initially hoping for a far simpler setup process that is more convenient for the average mountain biker. As it is, you'll need a cooler full of ice and water at the minimum, and a freezer of some sort if you want the vest to stay cool for a few hours - hopefully you've arrived at the race in your motorhome, or at least made friends with the race's onsite caterer. Having said that, the Arctic Vest does exactly as it says, which is all a dedicated racer who is looking for an advantage needs to hear, isn't it? We can't see the average rider spending the money on it, though. - Si Paton |
Author Info:
Member since Oct 18, 2005
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
WORLD CUP 2014!!!!! Gonna be rad!!
forums.mtbr.com/drivetrain-shifters-derailleurs-cranks/xtr-trail-pedal-failure-751821.html
I now use the XT version and (so far) they have been flawless.
Do a Google search and you will find the same thing has happened a lot!
Shimano have indeed dropped the ball with these.
m.pinkbike.com/photo/9431735
I'm testing out some Time pedals, so far pretty good. Drawback, they're MASSIVE and rather heavy, but that's not too much of a problem
That bearing play you mention is probably caused by the fracture in the spindles that you likely now have. Take them apart and see if you can remove the retaining nut without the axle snapping... go on I dare you.
www.waki-leaks.blogspot.se/2014/01/waki-farts-gee-achmedton.html?m=1
www.pinkbike.com/photo/6896501
dirt.mpora.com/featured/thursday-top-ten-tunes-gee-atherton.html/3
The music doesn't exactly match the intensity of his expression
Yes the jerseys that I buy have wicking material to help transpire my sweat. I guess you have never been litteraly soaked in sweat.
Merino is a type of wool. It is a wonderful natural fiber that is great for cool climates.
www.1upusa.com/bicycleracks.html