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. 

Dominican/Backside of China Camp Trail Review

I have been riding the China Camp area for over 6 years now. Anyone who has ridden China Camp knows that it is a great beginners trail system and offers some great views as well and very tame singletrack that even your kids can enjoy.

The regular "front" loop is roughly 10 miles with just about 1000 feet of climbing. Friends of China Camp (FOCC) has groomed the trails a lot over the past few years. But what many people don't know is there are a plethora of trails, ranging from leg burning fire roads to technical singletrack on the "backside" or Dominican side. It gets the "Dominican" tag from most of the lower trail heads start near Dominican College in North San Rafeal.

The Dominican trail systems are neither legal or illegal, I would call them "gray". I have never personally been stopped or reprimanded for riding these trails and I haven't heard of anyone else having issue, and these are very heavily travelled.

If you find yourself looking for a more challenging ride and you are in the San Rafeal area you can access these trails from both the front "normal" side of China Camp or the Backside near Dominican. If you find Locus Drive near Dominican College and follow it until it ends you will be at the Gold Hill fire road trail head. From hear you can climb to the top or as the locals call it the "nike site". From the front side you can make your regular climb, once you get to the third bridge take a right and go up "echo trail". You will come to a paved road, make a left and enjoy a leg burning climb to the nike site.

Nike site is the highest point at china camp and is the most central point for all the trail systems. From here the exploring is endless, and I do mean endless, rumor has it there is an April fools ride that takes place in China Camp and Dominican that lasts all day and if you can complete it when all is said and done you will have climbed over 10k and not repeated many trails.

Here are a few of my favorite personal loops;
1.) Reverse China Camp w/ 7-11 Kicker:
When I want to get some extra climbing in and only have an hour or so I will ride the front side loop counter clockwise, climb echo and take a right on the paved road. You will see a small trail jet up a hill on your right, take this, you will pop out next to a bench and right in front of you is one of my favorite singletrack trails in Marin, the infamous 7-eleven trail. take a left and keep your bike pointed down hill, you will pop out next to ...you guessed it, 7-Eleven. Ride the road back to where you parked, you will get around 1100 feet of climbing and 10 miles of riding as well as some fun semi-technical, fast singletrack.
2.) Goldhill/Hitlers Revenge Loop:
When you only have an hour and you want some technical singletrack you can't go wrong with this loop. Starting at the Gold Hill Fire road trail head climb to the top. Once you reach the Nike site keep going about 100 yards, you will see Scettrini Fire rd. head up this for 20 yards and when you get to the top look to the right, you will see a little hill, ride up and this is the start of Hitlers Super D trail. This trail is by no means a trail for a beginner or someone who doesn't enjoy rocky, steep, rutted trails. Most people I talk to would give this a black diamond rating, with that said I am sure there are many people who would laugh at that, I personally think rating trails is tough because it really depends on the riders ability, but anyways, I think everyone would agree this trail isn't "easy", and if you choose to ride it in the summer when its dry and loose it can be down right scary. So once you get down Hitlers Super D, and you will know when you reach the bottom, you might actually get off your bike, kiss the dirt or have a friend pry your fingers from your grips and take a picture of your perma-grins, from here you cross the fire road and you will see a little singletrack, and I do mean little, there is a hairpin turn to the right or you can go straight. When I am short on time I go straight, this is Quercus Trail, it is an up and down narrow singletrack that will take you back to Goldhill Fire Road. If you take the hairpin to the right you will be on "super skinny/Canary", and yes it is SUPER SKINNY in some spots. You will follow this until you hit another trail, go left and you will be headed back to Gold Hill Fire rd.

Anyways, there are so many trails and possible loops it is impossible to go over them here. I highly recommend you do some google earth/Strava/Friend research or ride with someone who knows the area if it is your first time, a wrong turn could end up causing some miserable climbs but all in all the area is pretty compact and you will most likely find your way out.

I think these trails are some of my personal favorite, and this is mostly because of all the different types of rides I can go on in one area, short and easy, long and hard, technical singletrack, leg burning climbing, you name it.

If you have questions don't be afraid to leave me some comments. Who knows I am always down to meet up and ride!

Big Rock/ Skywalker Singletrack Status and Pictures

Big Rock/Skywalker Singletrack is a go to when it is wet. There are not a lack of trails in Marin but there are a lack of trails the are ridable after or during the rain. Big Rock is great after the rain, it drains well and doesn't get sloppy, but, it is a very exposed. During a clear day it can offer some of the most beautiful views in Marin, look to the North and see Novato and Mount Burdell, to the East you may see San Pablo bay and Mount Diablo and to the South you may even see the Cityscape of San Francisco and of course Mount Tam. 

Todays ride offered none of these views, once to the top visibility was about 75-100 feet, it was foggy and cold, so our turn around was quick, but the trail was in prime condition, nice and sticky, very few puddles for as much rain as we have gotten in the past two weeks. 

My friend's Santa Cruz Bronson and my Pivot Mach 6 loved their first 2016 ride! Here is a picture at the start of "big rock".

Industry Nine Enduro Wheelset Review

I purchased the I9 Enduro wheelset for my Pivot Mach 6 about 2 months ago. My Mach 6 came with DT Swiss Spline 2's (M1700). I decided after talking to a friend that this would be the wheelset for me, I liked what I have read about the hoops, and the hubs. My friend had nothing but great things to say about the torch hub.

Lucky me I was able to get the exact color I wanted directly from Jensonusa.com, I ordered red on red, red spokes and a red hub. Anyways Jenson literally got them to me in two days, but I live in Northern California so I guess that probably isn't shocking.

Out of the box these wheels looked exactly as described. I was a little shocked with how light then felt for being a "bulletproof" wheel. I had STAN FlowEX wheels on my Knolly and these are noticeably lighter. Anyways, they were set up for tubeless, tape and valves pre-installed. I switched over my cassette and put my tires on, used my floor pump and boom...I was ready to ride, of course after I took some pictures of my clean, spotless wheels.

Just a little bit about the different wheesets and hubs I have ridden....As stated above my bike came with the DT Swiss Spline 2 w/ DT swiss hubs. I had STANS Flow EX with Hope hubs on my Knolly and I also tried some WTB Frequency wheels with Shimano Hubs on my Kona. All had the pro's and cons but I didn't think I would find a wheelset that I liked more than my Flow EX with Hope's.....Fast forward to my I9's.

I went for a ride on a local trail that I ride a lot and has a good mix of climbing and technical downhill. I am not the worlds strongest climber so a few hundreds grams in wheel weight doesn't make a difference for me. But where I put wheels to the test is when pointed down, I am not a pro downhill racer but I am fast and I ride hard. I am also not a small guy, I weigh 210lbs so a strong wheel is important to me.

First think I noticed was how solid these wheels felt in the corners, I have demoed a few bikes with carbon wheels and I can honestly say these felt VERY SIMILAR. Next think I noticed was my front tire was a little low, I burped my STANS a few months before on this exact trail and ended up having to jam a tube in my tire. I thought this was going to be a repeat of the that but my tire held strong and didn't burp.

So after a lot of rides and hard hits over the past few months I have a new favorite wheel and hub combo, the Enduro's with Torch hubs are amazing. I have taken them through rock gardens, put them through hard hits, rough landings and hub burning downhills without a hiccup.

If you are annoyed by loud buzzing hubs then this is not the hub for you, I am used to Chris Kings and Hopes, and I would take the Torch any day over them. The hook-up is amazing, maintenance is easy, and I like the loud hub so its a win-win-win for me.

All in all I recommend these wheels and hubs for anyone wanting a carbon feel with out the carbon price. That said these wheel sets are not cheap, they are a premium hand built wheelset but I do think you get what you pay for when it comes to wheels and hubs.

Industry Nine link: http://www.industrynine.net/wheels/8/27.5%22+Enduro

Pro's:
Weight (1680 grams)
Durability
Looks
Comes tubeless ready
Very custom color choices

Cons: (personally I dont thing there are any cons to these wheels)
Price- but you get what you pay for
Hub noise- for some

WTB Vigilante Review

I decided to give the WTB Vigilante's a roll. I couldn't be happier! I ordered the 27.5 tough and fast compound. I put them on my new Industry Nine Enduro wheels (review on them coming soon). Out of the box everything was as described, I inspected the tire thoroughly inside and out, nothing to note. So on to mounting. First thing like many others have said these tires are a tight fit, but manageable if you have some levers and patients.

I set them up tubeless and was able to set the beads with a floor pump, no issues what-so-ever. My first ride on them was in Auburn, CA a few months ago. We were on some prime single track and the ground wasn't great but better then the bone dry earth I have been riding in Marin County. I could defiantly "feel" the tire rolling, the resistance is more than the High Roller II's I came off of but that was expected. Once I hit some faster portions of the trail I instantly felt the hook up and felt a lot more confident. This was the first time ever riding this trail for me so I took it a little slower than I normally ride.

After returning to Marin County I took my bike to some familiar trails and was able to put these tires to the test. I am very impressed with how confident I feel with these tires coming into corners and through out all angles of my lean into and out of the corners, they are also great in hard and soft braking situations, I felt confident braking a little later than normal for sure.

We have blessed with some rain here in Marin so I have been able to ride in some wet/muddy/slick conditions. The vigilante holds it's own, I think the only thing I noticed was on a slow accent (climb) they did build up with mud but once I put the pedal down it didn't take long for them to clear themselves.

These tires have been awesome, I have about 200 miles on them and they are still like new, I don't or try to avoid at all cost riding on pavement so my tires seem to last a little longer than the average.

PRO's:
Price
Durability
Traction
Breaking

CON's:
Weight
Mounting