The duel is on between Thule and Yakima, big time. Recently, Yakima has been coming on strong with refined and functional products promoted with edgy marketing messages. While at Interbike 2006, I was first introduced to the rowdy singing of Campfire Dusty. I thought it was pretty funny at the time… going for that whole viral thing.

Over the past few seasons, Yakima has gone through a lot of changes. The most important of those changes comes from their entirely new design language. As a departure from the dated all-black trays that look like everyone else, Yakima has introduced the first line of bike and ski racks that are worthy of riding on top of even the most pimped-out rides. And, the design isn’t just for looks, but on the High Roller bike rack, it also provides extra loading simplicity combined with a burly and stiff new tray and arms.

Here’s a few great features of the Yakima High Roller bike rack:

• Holds any bike design with 20-29 inch tires
• Holds narrow roadie tires or super wide 3.0 mountain bike tires without adapters
• Looks sexy on top of your rig
• Provides an updated tightening dial to lock the bike down
• Includes an integrated lock cable

The new Yakima High Roller bike rack offers the best in good looks and great functionality in an upright roof-mount bike rack.

Buy Now: Get the Yakima High Roller upright bike rack from Moosejaw.com

Posted in: mountain biking

At Interbike 2006, I was impressed with both the Santa Cruz Nomad and Blur LT I rode. One thing that caught my attention as I was being sized up on the LT was the grips. What the heck were those neon green paddle-looking things? I asked Garren, Sales Manager for Santa Cruz, what the heck they were. His response was sort of like “sorry man… you got the bike with the funky grips.”

So, there I went, pedaling off into Bootleg Canyon on a sweet Santa Cruz Blur LT and some funky, neon green grips.

Well, those funky neon green grips actually felt… comfortable. I found out later that they were a new grip from Ergon… the P1M. Being a computer nerd who bikes as much as I can, I value my wrists a lot. They are not only key to enjoying mountain biking, but they are my moneymakers. The thought of carpal-tunnel syndrome makes me cringe, and I focus on varying my typing and mousing just to make sure. But, I’ve noticed that with traditional grips, I’ll occasionally get what I call “dead hands”. Whenever this happens, it makes me nervous… nervous that I may not be able to keep riding and nervous for my way of life.

All those thoughts flowed through my brain as my hands and wrists enjoyed the comfort of those funky, neon green Ergon ergonomic mountain bike grips. At this point, they weren’t so funky, and the neon green color wasn’t such a big deal. They were beginning to grow on me.

For anyone who wants to take care of their wrists, or for anyone who has a history of wrist problems, they should definitely check out the Ergon P1M mountain bike grips. And, I hear that they come in several subdued colors, just in case you were wondering.

Buy Now: Get the Ergon P1M mountain bike grips from Pricepoint.com

Posted in: mountain biking

In the spirit of passing along great deals, I was digging through my goodie bag from Interbike 2006 and came across the Commencal catalog, then looked at the pics I took of their 2007 lineup. Honestly, that was the first time I had ever seen a Commencal bike up close and personal and I was impressed. They looked solid and had impressive builds for the price.

Then, I was poking around Pricepoint.com and found the 2006 Commencal closeouts on sale for ridiculous… let me repeat… RIDICULOUS PRICES.

Take the 2006 Commencal Supreme 6.20 for example for $2199:

The Commencal Supreme 6.20 features:

• Marzocchi 66VF2 fork with 160mm travel (20mm thru-axle)
• Fox Float RP3 rear shock with 150mm rear wheel travel
• Sun Singletrack rims
• Mixture of SRAM X.9 and X.7 drivetrain

MSRP: $3500
Buy One: Buy the Commencal Supreme 6.20 from PricePoint.com for $2199.

Or, get the the 2006 Commencal Supreme 6.30 for $1499.

Posted in: mountain biking

Socks you say? Socks?!? Well, what may be one of the most overlooked pieces of gear for most people happens to be one of the most important pieces of equipment you’ll put on before hitting the trail. A good pair of socks could mean the difference between misery and comfort. I admit that I’m a sock lover. I won’t wear just any socks and right now my favorite pair of socks are the Lorpen Coolmax Light Shorty Socks.

These socks are just the right thickness with just the right supportive cross-stitched fabric to keep a snug grip on my tootsies. I prefer a thinner sock in all my activities from skiing, trail running, mountain biking and jogging. It gives me a better feel and keeps my hot, sweaty feet as cool as possible. I’ve been impressed with the Lorpen X.B.T.F. Multisport Coolmax Light Shorty Socks. you can’t go wrong putting these on before your next adventure.

MSRP: $8.95 per pair
Buy Now: Buy Lorpen Coolmax Light Shorty Socks from Backcountry.com

Posted in: mountain biking , outdoors , road biking , running , trail running

RockShox is the original mountain bike suspension fork. I remember back in the early days of suspension when the RockShox Mag21’s gold-flecked legs were the envy of every mountain biker in town. Sometime after that, Marzocchi came on the scene offering what was then the plushest ride in town. Then, a few years later, Fox comes out with their fork line and immediately dazzles the industry–me included.

But, during this time, RockShox was hard at work solidifying their presence on the World Cup circuit. Anyone who has followed downhill racing in the past several years knows full well that the Boxxer World Cup is ridden by all the top downhill riders. Now that I’ve set the stage, the all-new 2007 RockShox Lyric 2-Step Air suspension fork takes RockShox from the DH course to the masses. If you haven’t ridden a RockShox fork in the past year, you’re missing out–big time.

I rode the RockShox Lyrik U-Turn at Interbike 2006 and found it to be amazingly-plush and smooth in all terrain. And, with the HUGE 35mm stanchions and a 20mm thru-axle, the Lyrik is one of the stiffest forks on the market. I’ve been very impressed with the entire RockShox line for 2007.

Here’s a handful of features of the 2007 RockShox Lyrik U-Turn:

• U-Turn adjustable 115-160mm travel
• Magnesium lowers
• Post-mount disc only
• 35mm stanchions
• 5.73 lbs

MSRP: $995.00
Buy One: Get the RockShox Lyrik U-Turn from Pricepoint.com

Posted in: mountain biking

With the introduction of the Crank Brothers Eggbeater pedals a few years ago, Crank Bros, in my mind, changed the face of clipless pedals. Prior to that point, you basically had Shimano SPD’s and Time pedals with a handful of people using Speedplay Frogs. The greatest feature of the Eggbeater pedals was the 4-sided entry. This, combined with natural float made for a lightweight and versatile pedal that won converts in droves.

After two seasons on the Crank Brothers Mallet C pedals, I’m sold on the Eggbeater technology and wouldn’t consider another pedal.

At Interbike 2006, I stopped by their booth to chat with Christina Orlandella, their PR Superstar, and see what was new. The first thing that caught my eye was the all-new Acid pedal. It sits right between the Smarty and Mallet in size and target audience. Frankly, it nails the average mountain biker crowd who prefers a little extra girth for those times when you’re just hanging on while attempting to get back clipped into the cleats. I can’t even begin to count the number of times my butt has been saved by having a clipless pedal with a wide platform.

What makes the Acid special is that it does have a solid, wide platform, but not too wide. It lacks the shin-eating metal edges of the Mallet, but trades them for lightweight composite construction to shed 150-200 grams from the Mallet pedals. If I had to select one pedal from the Crank Brothers line that fits my style of riding, the Acid pedal would be it. Just wide enough and yet light enough to keep the inner weight weenie in me at bay.

Just a few highlights of the Crank Brothers Acid Pedals:

• 354 grams (Mg) or 395 grams (Al)
• 15 or 20 degree release angles
• scm435 chromoly steel spindle
• Warranty: 2 years

Look for a full review of the Acid pedals soon on www.FeedTheHabit.com.

MSRP: $220 (Mg/Carbon) or $120 (Al/Composite)
Buy Now: Search our Pricepoint Catalog for Crank Brothers Pedals

Posted in: mountain biking

Norco has long been one of my favorite mountain bike manufacturers. Up in Canada, they rule the world, but south of the border, they don’t quite have the market share that other behemoth bike manufacturers enjoy (think Specialized, Trek, Cannondale, etc.). Thanks to NAFTA, Norco can easily begin the onslaught of the savvy American public.

The 2007 Norco Fluid 1.0 is billed as an all mountain cross country bike that’s built for all-day adventures full of long ascents and rock-strewn descents. True to their Canadian roots, the Fluid offers geometry that’s just a titch slacker than most bikes in the category (it’s hard to remove the North Shore from the designer’s minds). The Fluid 1.0 is currently in our grimy little hands and will be fully reviewed on FeedTheHabit.com shortly.

Here’s a few highlights of the Norco Fluid 1.0:

• Horst 4-bar suspension linkage with either 136mm or 108mm travel
• Fox Float RP23 rear shock - ProPedal and rebound adjust
• Fox 32 Float RL forks
• Shimano XT/LX drivetrain mix
• Mavic Crossride wheelset
• Hutchinson Python 2.0 tires (YIKES!!! A little narrow for my taste)

Quick Review of the Norco Fluid 1.0

After a quick ride on the Fluid, I’m impressed. As usual, the Fox Float RL fork and Fox Float RP23 rear shock provide a very comfortable and responsive suspension. This bike rides a lot like the Yeti 575, which is one of my all-time favorite all-mountain rigs. I’ve only got a few miles in the saddle, but I think I’m going to like the Fluid 1.0. The only things I know I’ll swap out are the grips and tires. The rubber on the Fluid is a mere 2.0 width, which is narrower than anything I’ve ridden in this century. I’ll swap ‘em out and I’m sure the handling in sand and loose stuff will greatly improve. As it is, the Fluid climbs like a goat and is stable at speed–thanks to its Canadian slacker roots. This is going to be a great bike… I can feel it.

MSRP: $2950 USD
Buy One: Visit Norco.com - Fluid 1.0 Page
Detailed Review: Visit GEAR.com for a detailed Fluid 1.0 review

Posted in: mountain biking