Strengths: Unique looks, vents, more protection than other potty-style helmets
Weaknesses: Looks? Not enough vents for XC?
Overall: If you're considering this for jumping and messing about, I think it's great. Better than the XC and potty helmets that it places itself between.
The fitting is with foam pads, rather than the Roc Loc system of Giro's XC helmets. I find the foam to be a good feature - I never got on with the Roc Loc on my 2001 Giro E2, and the foam makes for a more stable fit. It comes with padding in two different thicknesses, allowing you to tune the sizing.
Compared to an XC lid, the vents are few and far between. Compared to a dirt jump lid, the vents are pretty good. Whilst it wouldn't be my first choice for an all-day epic, that isn't really what it was designed for: It doesn't overheat when pushing up the hill, and gets a nice airflow on the way down. For jumping, I really don't notice that I'm wearing it which is the sign of a good helmet.
The best feature of this helmet is that it comes down much lower than an XC helmet around the back of your head. I had been hit below the helmet line twice in the 6 months prior to buying the Semi MX, and some extra protection is much appreciated. Unlike some other potty helmets, this one had the same sort of construction as XC ones, presumably giving comparable protection at the cost of killing the helmet in a crash.
If you're in the market for some extra protection over XC helmets, and a slightly different look for jumping, I'd say the Semi MX is just the ticket.
Strengths: Look nice, say Hope on them, cheap by pimpy QR standards
Weaknesses: Need to be done up really, really tight
Overall: These look great, but you really have to go for function over form. I have the steel version, and they feel much less secure than Shimano Deore skewers.
When I try to tighten them, part of the clamp tends to move and catch on the lips of my fork dropout, making putting the front wheel on a fiddly process. When I get past that, the cam action is poor meaning that you have to do them up really tight. So tight that I have to lie my bike on the ground to get enough leverage to get the things on/off.
Having paid £25, I'm planning to cut my losses, get some Shimano skewers, and consign these to the bin.
Strengths: Body geometry gel thing, look good, thin, rubbery bits on the palm
Weaknesses: Not waterproof or warm enough for freezing weather - but they're not supposed to be
Overall: I like wearing fingerless gloves, because I like to be able to feel the controls. Fortunately, these gloves allow almost as much feel as fingerless ones, with extra protection.
The Equinox gloves are great for when it's too cold for bare fingers, but not so freezing you need huge great insulated, weather-proofed paws. They look good, show no signs of wear, and I find the BG gel part makes a big difference in reducing finger numbness.
My only real complaint is the price. £30 and you can't wear them for *really* cold/wet rides.
Strengths: Positive engagement, easy to get in/out, nowhere for mud to hide, light weight
Weaknesses: Hard to ride with flat shoes, reported bearings issues
Overall: When the pictures of these pedals first came out, I couldn't help but wonder how no-one else had come up with such a minimalist design. These are clipless pedals reduced to their very essence. With no extra bits to pick up mud or add to weight, they are also winners on performance.
Coming from Time ATAC pedals, I found the action very similar and felt at home within minutes of trying them. They are easier to clip into than Times, and feel more positive when you do clip in. Clipping out is smooth and easy, too.
Riding with flat shoes is possible (I rode most of the road climb up to the Snowdon bridleway in Llanberis wearing trainers), but not really recommended. Some people have said that the bearing wear out in English weather, but I haven't had any problems myself after about 5 months use.
Strengths: Good puncture protection, smooth running
Weaknesses: Heavy, can be hard to fit
Overall: I've been using these tyres over 3 months for commuting and road-training, along with a 350km charity ride. So far, not a single puncture.
They feel smooth and quick without being so thin as to make riding scary. I've run down leaf-covered hills in the wet and never felt anything but confidence in the grip offered.
Unfortunately, the puncture protection comes at a cost - They are a bit heavy, especially compared to my knobblies; Because of the thick sidewall they can be hard to fit. I felt uneasy using metal tyre levers because the force required raised the chance of damaging my rims. Having said that, if you can only have one bike (and use plastic levers), its something you get used to.
For my purposes, durability and reliability are what count for slick tyres. The Nimbus Armadillos haven't let me down.
