Smith Forefront Helmet Review

I am trying to get a little more active with my reviews so please comment if you have any questions, I really want to help spread the word about mountain biking products, good and bad.

 I bought the Smith Forefront right around Christmas last year. My wife was more excited about it than me because my old helmet was a smelly mess...

So when researching helmets I came across TONS of review and TONS of information, I decided that MIPS was defiantly something that I wanted. Just to fill in the blanks a little here I coach youth tackle football, as you can imagine I have had a lot of training in regards to concussions and head/neck injuries.

Like everything I did a quick google search and found this on bhsi.org

"A Swedish company called Multi-directional Impact Protection System - MIPS - has revived and patented the slip plane concept, using two layers in the helmet to help the head rotate slightly on impact. The hope is to reduce the rotational component of an impact, thought to be a prime brain injury mechanism and related to concussion."

I highly recommend everyone do a little research when buying. 

Anyways, I am a little old school when it comes to all of this as well, whether it is football, mountain biking, snowboarding, baseball or soccer there is an inherent risk of injury when you participate. Technology can only do so much, someone knowing their limits and proper technique is just as important as their protection. For example you wouldn't see me put a full face helmet on and run a pro downhill track blind just because I am on a downhill bike with downhill protection, the likelihood of me getting hurt is much higher and the equipment can only do so much.

So onto the Smith Forefront. A helmet that is $200+ (with MIPS) will scare a lot people away, even the non-MIPS is around $130-$150, but considering that a helmet could be the difference between life and death I would consider not worrying about price as much as function and protective qualities.

I personally have not wrecked hard with my Smith Forefront so I can not give you first hand experience on its protection but there are a lot of reviews out there that can answer that exact questions.

Here is what I do know about it, as in my other reviews I will try to give you pro's and con's. First pro, it looks badass, lets be honest who wants to look like a top heaving egg head when out riding their bike? Not me...Smith has done it right when it comes to looks and different color options. Next thing I noticed is its weight, this is a light helmet! I honestly forget its even on my head after a while, I have had helmets that after about 3-4 hours in the saddle are very noticeable, not the Forefront. I think another pro is its easy adjustability, a quick turn of the knob will tighten or loosen the helmet to its perfect fit. I also like that the helmet came with extra interior replacement pads, a goggle strap retention device and has a built in light or Go Pro adapter, I think the actual adapter is sold separately.

Okay so the light talk brings me to my first con...Part of this helmets great protection technology is a honeycomb interior, what this means, even though it looks cool and is pretty breathable is that you can not use a standard "strap" mount for a light. I actually just use my old helmet when riding at night, but if I wanted to I could purchase the light mount from Smith, I personally think this should come with the helmet, I did just spend upwards of $200....Second con,  and this one is probably going to be different for everyone, I sweat A LOT when riding, this helmet is better than some, the interior pads are comfortable and well placed but they are very small and it doesn't take long for them to start dripping, and there is nothing I hate more than my glasses getting sweat and dirt mixing causing me to lose vision when I am on the trail. Again that is most likely a problem some people won't have.

So all in all I am happy with my helmet.  If you are looking for a high quality light wight helmet with great technology this is the helmet for you. Please ask questions in the comment section if you have any.

Pro's:
Weight
Technology
Looks
Goggle Retention

Con's:
Price
Small pads
Light mounting difficulty
Have to pay for light and camera mounts separately

Here is a link to the Smith Website. Lots of great information!

http://www.smithoptics.com/us/Root/Men%27s/Helmets/Cycle/Forefront/p/HB16-FOMDMDMIPS/sizeVariants

Xpedo Baldwin Pedal Review

I have been using my Xpedo Baldwin pedals for almost 3 years now. I feel that with this amount of time I can give an in-depth review. A little about this pedal first, from the quick google searches I have completed it appears Xpedo is owned by Wellgo, most likely lots of pedals can be tracked back to Wellgo but from what I can tell Xpedo is their "higher end" pedals. I can not actually find anything on the box or in the enclosed literature that says "Wellgo" but when google searched the dark corners of the internet do mention the two companies being one in the same.


Okay whatever, let me assure you these are not shitty pedals. Back to some basic specs, the Xpedo Baldwin was built for the Enduro craze, as their website states this pedal will
"bridge the gap between demands of XC racer to the enduro rider".


The pedal comes in a few different colors, and two different spindle materials; Titanium and Cromoly. Ti weighing in at a whopping 292 grams (180lb weight limit) and the CrMo tipping the scales at 332 grams. Baldwins body is made of 6061 CNC Aluminum, It has 3 cartridge type bearings and I will get into that later, they are very easy to rebuild and maintain.

These pedals have been on three different bikes and they have seen some abuse, rock strikes, mud, rain, snow, lack of cleaning/maintaining on a regular basis. They lasted about 2 years before needing an overhaul. I ordered the bearing kit from Xpedo for around $20 with shipping and watched a youtube video (link below). Very easy if you have some very basic tools and minimal mechanical knowledge.

These pedals are a lot tougher than they look, and they are pretty light for a platform style pedal. I use regular SPD cleats with them and have no issues. Like most SPD style pedals they perform great, gets a little harder to get into if your cleat is full of mud but I think that is normal, only pedal I have ever used that performs great in mud is the Crank Brothers Eggbeaters.

The pedals have an adjustable tension system, I have mine set at the lightest setting (easiest to get out of). They with the standard 6 degree float cleats.


All in all these are hands down the best pedals I have ever ridden, durability is very important to me and these have exceeded my expectations. Again very easy to rebuild as well.


Price: (Amazon, CrMo) $94.22. WOW! I honestly cant think of  a better clipless pedal and to cost less than $100...Crazy.


Rebuild Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGsyuHKT_yI


Product Weblink:
http://www.xpedo.com/products/pedals/mtb/140/baldwin
  
Here are a few pictures of mine, remember they are three years old.

STRAVA: Love or Hate?

Here in Marin County a lot of people think of STRAVA as the reincarnation of the devil. Not kidding. I even find myself hating on the social app for tracking rides and runs. Most recently I even stopped using if for a few weeks, I was really frustrated with all the extra patrols on perfectly good mountain bike trails and in my mind blamed STRAVA.

A little history about Marin County, most likely you already know but just incase. Here in the birthplace of mountain biking there are very few "legal" mountain bike trails anymore. Most singletrack is closed to bikes, there is some great spots; China Camp, Camp Tamarancho and few others but in large mountain bikes are supposed to only use and enjoy big, wide,  did I mention steep and boring fire roads. 

What this has done is forced many riders to become trail ninja's, dirt pirates, poachers or in the words of the many equestrians CRIMINALS. Since STRAVA hit the scene many people think that mountain bikers have become so focused on Personal Records (PR's), King of the Mountain (KOM's, male) and Queen of the Mountain (QOM's, female) they forgot to stop and enjoy the trails and other people using them. STRAVA segments are reportedly being used in public hearings and trail use meetings to show that mountain bikers are in fact using illegal trails and are going way to fast on the trails that are bike legal. 

But I ask, is this STRAVA's fault? Is it a horrible app that has caused more damage than good? It seems to defiantly be putting bullets in the oppositions gun. Lets look at some of the Pro's vs. Cons. On a personal level STRAVA has motivated my dad, who lives 4 states away to ride and gives us a social media to compare our rides over and keep in touch on a daily basis, not a huge deal with every other social media site, cell phones and emails but still it is an excellent way for distant friends and relatives to keep in touch and motivate each other. Another great aspect of STRAVA is the ability to track you own rides, milage, hours, bike maintenance, trails you name it, all in one convenient spot. So, onto some of the Con's. It makes every ride a race for some people, with that said a majority of the strava "racers" are going to ride like assholes most of the time anyways. But in some ways I am sure strava is like giving steroids to a bodybuilder. Another con is that fact that anyone with a log in and can see where people are riding, if you are "friends" you can see times and location. This is becoming a huge deal in the fight for trail access.

I am sure we could go on and on and debate till the wee hours of the morning about STRAVA but I personally think we need to place the "hate" where it belongs, and that isn't on STRAVA. Be upset with your local county administrators, your elected government officials, the "anti-bike" citizens, don't be upset with a social riding app.

I highly recommend anyone that reads this look into there local trail advocacy groups, donate money, go out to trail maintenance day, help give a good name to cyclists.

Push Elevensix Review: Updated

Okay, I have at least a dozen rides on my Elevensix now. I will do my best to give a quality review here. 

First off, I decided to look at the Elevensix because I was unhappy with the tune-ability of my Fox Float X, don't get me wrong, the Float X is an amazing shock but it's hard to get that super plush and small bump compliance feel when you are a 200+ pound rider. My last bike was a Knolly Chilcotin, I had a CC DB Air and it was better than the Float X for me so I always felt the Float X was a down grade. I looked at getting another DB Air but when all was said and done I was still going to have to run high air pressure adjust HS/LS compression endlessly, so it was a really hard justification, spend $700 for a slight upgrade?? This is where the Elevensix comes into the picture, a big price tag but to me it is a big enough upgrade to make it worth it.  

So a little about my experience buying the shock. I can't say enough for the guys at Push. When I called to order my shock we had a long discussion about every aspect of my riding; where I ride, how I ride, how much I weigh, what my current set up is and the pro's/con's of my set up. 

I guess my stats are important for the review as well. I ride a Medium Pivot Mach 6. With all my gear; helmet, full camelback, spare tube, multi-tool etc.. I tip the scale at 218. I live in Marin County and ride as much singletrack as possible. I also take trips to Colorado, Oregon, Wyoming and Utah yearly. I am not a bike park type of guy so there are no shuttles, I have to climb to get the reward. I am not a fast climber but I can grind it out when needed. Most of my days involve between 2000-3500 of climbing. I like technical downhills/trails. I am not hitting huge gaps or jumps very often, I do hit the occasional drop. I enjoy rock gardens, baby heads, that fast chundery type stuff. 

So after our conversation my shock was shipped with valve 1 set up similar to the "trail" mode on my Float X and valve 2 was set for more downhill, plush feel. I also had the 475lb spring installed.

Once installed on my bike (which was super easy), I went to familiar local trails that I know like the back of my hand. I really tried to ride them hard and pin-it in the fast rough section, the elevensix was amazing, I could immediately feel a difference when it came to that fast small bump compliance, it felt like my bike was stuck to the ground and yet when I would come out of a rough section my teeth weren't chipped from chattering. I then went on one of my favorite rides that involves about 2500 feet of tight technical singletrack climbing. I was extremely surprised by the elevensix. The extra weight wasn't noticed, I really do think my bike handled the technical climbs better. At first I chocked it up to "placebo effect", new shock and all, but after a few more climbs I was able to compare some of my previous times and I was improving. But back to the fun stuff, going down, the elevensix likes it fast and rough...lol, I have never felt more confident on my bike when pinning it through rough terrain. 

Since getting my shock I have actually seen two others while out riding and it's instant brakes and "HEY NICE SHOCK!", it's like owning a jeep, I think we need to come up with a special wave...okay maybe not, but seriously the two guys I ran into were just as stoked as me and had very similar experiences.

I am not a pro, but I am an avid rider and have a lot of experience on different bikes and suspension set ups. I highly recommend the elevensix for those who like to go downhill fast. I think its a perfect shock for that heavier guy that cant get his mass produced shock tuned perfect, at least that was my reasoning, I am sure the smaller guys will love it as well. If you are a cross country rider who enjoys that climb more than anything else the elevensix is obviously not the right shock for you. I think the fact that this is a coil over shock people assume its purely downhill, I just want to share that it really isn't, it is a great trail/all-mountain/enduro shock. 

Everything I have stated is pretty much already known so I guess this "review" just adds onto the others that have said the same thing. All in all it's a huge investment, it will be something that many will have a hard time justifying, it took me 4 months to make up my mind and save and scrape together the money, I defiantly had sticker shock and some buyers remorse when I saw my bank account the day after buying it but that went away after my first ride. If anyone has any question please feel free to PM me.

Xpedo Spry Pedal Review

This is my second set of Xpedo Spry pedals, the first set I let go with my with my Knolly Chilcotin. I am always back and forth on whether or not I want to run clipless or flats. I think they both have there strong and weak points. Anyways as of today I am running flats.

I decided to go with the Xpedo spry pedals for a few reasons. Reason number one, price, they are half if not more than half the price of similar pedals. Reason number two, platform size/profile, these pedals have a large platform and are very compact, my Pivot Mach 6 has a low bottom bracket and I need every millimeter of clearance possible. Third reason is the fact that like the Xpedo Baldwins I own, the Spry's are very easy to rebuild. I don't care how great a pedal is if you ride it hard they will eventually need to be rebuilt. Being able to do this with minimum frustration is important to me.

On to some of the things I don't like about the Spry, number one, the pins are not great for me, I think this is a personal preference but I like pins that have a pointed profile, not spikes but at least something other than round pegs. You can buy other pins from Xpedo directly, they ofter three different profiles, what would be nice is if they sent a second option in the box instead of just extra round pins.

All in all these pedals are great, magnesium light weight low profile pedals for less than $100. I highly recommend them if you are in the market for a quality flat that won't break the bank.

By the Numbers:
Price: 5/5
Durability: 3.5/5
Weight: 5/5
Traction (pins that come with pedals): 2/5  you can purchase other pins from xpedo
Platform Size/Profile: 5/5

WTB Breakout Review

I decided to try the WTB Breakout (27 x 2.3). I have been running Vigilante's on front and back but after talking to a friend ordered the Breakout to try on the rear. Out of the box this tire appears to have a faster rolling profile than the Vigilante, lower center knobs but still plenty of side gnar for those whole like to really lean it over in the corners.

Like most WTB's it was a tight fit onto the wheel. I used some soap and water on the bead and the bead popped right in when I hit 40 psi. I set these up tubeless of course.

My first ride on this tire was a technical out and back called Oat Hill Mine in Calistoga, CA. This is a rocky strenuous climb and decent. I did notice a little slippage on the climb here and there but I think it was due to bad body position on some technical spots. Rolling resistance was much better than the vigilante.

I was a little nervous when I started heading down but quickly gained confidence when this tire performed just as it appeared it would. It held in the corners and more importantly braked very well. I didn't feel like I had to get on my brakes any sooner. All in all the Breakout/Vigilante is a great combo for those dry trails, loam and loose over hardpack. I haven't tried them in "wet" conditions yet but I am assuming they are not a very good tire in mud, but that isn't what they are for so no love lost.

This combo reminds me a lot of my old favorite go to combo, Hans Dampf/Magic Mary.

I know this is a Breakout review but since I used it as a combo (Vigilante Front) here are my final numbers.

Breakout 2.3 by the numbers:
Durability 4/5
Cornering 4/5
Rolling Resistance 4/5
Braking 3/5

Vigilante 2.3 by the numbers:
Durability 3/5
Cornering 5/5
Rolling Resistance 3/5
Braking 4/5

Push Elevensix Shock

I pulled the trigger and ordered an Elevensix shock from Push Industries. Push has been around for years, they are known for their custom suspension tuning. The Elevensix is their first in house shock ever. It is a coil over design but don't let that scare you away.

First thing I recommend is you visit the Push website ( http://www.pushindustries.com ) and see for yourself the time and dedication put into this shock. It was the winner of innerbikes "Innovation of the Year" award for a reason. 

This shock isn't your standard coil over suspension product, it has a dual overhead valve that makes it feel like you have two shocks in one. For me I set one up in a "climbing/trail" mode and the other in a downhill mode. Unlike most suspension products all adjustments; high speed compression, low speed, and rebound are done by hand, no more tools or waiting to make changes after your ride. Sag adjustments are easy as well but do require and allen wrench to loosen a set screw, but sag is a set it and forget it setting most of the time anyways. 

So a little history on why I decided to go with the Elevensix. I like many other riders I have met do not fall within that "normal" mountain biker build, I am 5'10" and my weight is usually between 195 lbs and 210 lbs depending on what time of year I decide to get on the scale. This is something that I have discovered to be a little frustrating when dealing with the popular mountain bike suspension companies. I do believe Fox, Rockshox and other suspension companies make great products but they have to make them for the masses, meaning a perfectly tuned Fox shock is not meant for someone who weighs 200+ pounds, can you get it tuned and working yes but it can be frustrating and a lot of the time a rider of that size ends up just settling for mediocre suspension. 

So along comes the Elevensix, a coil over shock that can be set up for riders of all sizes. Push offers springs in 25 lb increments, my Elevensix came with a  475 lb spring, this was determined by a long conversation with the technician the built my shock. He asked my riding style, my weight with full kit, and of course what kind of bike and suspension system I have.

So far I am very pleased with this shock, I was a little nervous that my bike wouldn't climb as well but I was wrong, I think my bike climbs even better now, my rear tire seems to be glued to the ground, traction is not an issue at all. But obviously this shock shines when pointed down hill, the faster you go the better it feels. This shock isn't going to be for everyone. I recommend it for the all mountain riders, enduro rider or trail rider who wants to have a highly tunable shock. This shock is defiantly made for the guys and gals who like to go fast and ride hard. More updates as I get more rides on this shock soon.