Strengths: back of the hand is well protected, gloves are well ventilated (for a dh glove) and they look pretty smart. They're certainly tough.
Weaknesses: fit... most cycling gloves come in a curved fit meaning you're not gonna get a bunch of material when you grab the bars, these don't, they're flat and thusly cause discomfort when you're out riding. build quality is shockingly below par considering they're the best part of £30, stitching is all askew, wobbly lines everywhere not to mention that one of my gloves has a distinctly different stitch pattern to the other. the 'ring pulls' were a stupid addition also when other gloves get away with a tiny inoffensive tab of material.
Overall: They look the part, certainly fooled me when i bought them but now i hanker for another pair of specialized body geometry trx gloves as they were leagues above these gloves.
Strengths: Pretty cheap for a fully waterproof jacket. Good storage and enormous pit zips (which you'll need). It really is tough, gave it a proper pasting yesterday on the Yorkshire moors as i flew down a descent and took a flyer over the bars and landed on my right side, i got pain from landing on rocks, jacket got away with nothing more than a mud covering. Looks pretty stylish too, have taken to just wearing it out when it's raining.
Weaknesses: The jacket is 99.99% waterproof, eventually some water does soak in but then i was riding through fog for 4 hours... It's not THAT breathable, we stopped off for a break in the cold and i was literally steaming, it gets toasty and damp inside.
Overall: If you're after a tough waterproof jacket that'll take some serious knocks then look no further, i don't think anyone makes anything as strong as this. Pretty cheap too considering the aquanot is almost exactly the same (less the abrasion patches). £70, bargain. I'm really impressed with this jacket, comes highly recommended.
Strengths: it's a damn solid bike, confidence inspiring is what i'd say... everyone who had a ride on it agreed that it feels like you could do pretty much anything on it and in a bike that's meant to be ridden hard can only be a good thing. Stock the rear end is super plush, feels like there's more travel than the 6" on offer and it soaks up EVERYTHING you throw at it, i was out riding with a friend the other day over some seriously technical singletrack with rocks and roots galore and it just ate everything, the back wheel has a huge appetite and it's just steady over everything. The kit supplied isn't just cheap stuff either, shifting is handled by deore shifters by way of lx rear mechs for lovely smooth shifting all the way, cranks are truvativ hussefelts with a bash ring (which has been needed a few times). Brakes are Hayes HFX9s which once bedded in are hugely powerful thanks to the 8" rotors. Steering is handled by a kona dh stem and bar combo which are the perfect height and width for me, and the Marzocchi DJ3s which are performing pretty damn well despite still bedding in spin on a decent cane creek headset. Pedals are a Kona own set but they're smooth and grippy, saddle is an SDG which is comfy for anything other than serious mileage (which i found out not too long ago).
Weaknesses: jim yates is a goon, that buzzing noise is the chain rubbing on the tyre in the lowest 2/3 gears... not a problem as such but obviously a slight annoyance to him, the gears are spot on, they'll work in any combo you like, maybe slightly too low for the sort of riding intended (throwing it down hills and off jumps). Tyre clearance was a bit poor, with the 2.3" tyre in the back there was virtually no room, but i had a set of 24"s for transplanting and there's buckets now. Chain batters the chainstay quite badly on harsh drops and has more than left a mark, it's just paint so is only cosmetic but i know it bothers some people.
Overall: seeing as i got mine for just shy of £950 it was a superb bargain and i'm glad i picked it up. The bike just begs to be ridden hard off, over and through anything you can find, a proper hooligan machine. It's good looks have already been tainted with a pretty decent crash at a jump site but the bike was more willing to go at it again than i was. If you're not a weighty rider then you'll get along with this bike as it seems set up for a lighter rider off the peg. A damn strong bike for the budding extreme freerider.
Strengths: their strength is in their strength, i''ve never ridden such a strong wheelset, the wheels i had before (i thought) were pretty damn strong but these are something else. able to take a beating and yet still somehow laugh at you ''wuss'' they whisper as they challenge you to do bigger/scarier things. Strong rims, strong hubs, strong spokes. strong. less important bit: they''re also very pretty looking.
Weaknesses: a bit hefty. no skewers included in the price. slight sticker overkill on the rims, 6 stickers per wheel, either really nasty or really smart depending on how much you enjoy advertising things as you ride.
Overall: massively strong, i'd love to meet a rider who can bust these doing moderately sane things. like it says all over the rims/hubs "tough as hell" and now i believe them.
Strengths: it's a MX helmet so it's up to motorbike standards which means it'll protect your noggin against pretty much anything. it's very pretty, when i ordered it, the pic had a coloured peak and black mouthpiece, when it turned up i found it had shiny chrome peak and 'piece.... lovely stuff.
Weaknesses: heavy... again it's a MX helmet, it weighs about 1.3kg or something stupid, ideal for neck strengthening. it's hot..... imagine putting your head in an insulated bucket and running around full pelt for a while, yum, sweaty. you get a few odd "where's your motorbike?" comments from morons.
Overall: if you need to look all 'cool' and 'extreme' buy one... if you have a strong neck, buy one... but if you're looking for a nice lid to protect your precious head from knocks then DO buy one, you'll feel invincible.
Strengths: strength? hell yes! these things are stiiiiiiiiiiff! easy to put together, easier if you don't run a big ring/chain device combo *winks* guaranteed even though i doubt you'll need it. run smooth.
Weaknesses: haha these cranks laugh in the face of that word.
Overall: tough as a dog's head, if you want some superb quality 'ard cranks then look no further.
Strengths: strength? er, it works if you have several hours to fettle with it.
oh, the packaging is pretty cool.
red wheely thing.
Weaknesses: crap 'laser' machining meant i had to sand down a lump that was stopping me poking the BB cup through. looks crap, meccano stylee. small sized bolts. mind bendingly fiddly. you have to fiddle with it for an age to get it working. i had to cut an allen bolt and bend the cage/arm just so i could get a decent chain line.
Overall: seems to be a chain device for single speeds due to all the bending/cutting you have to do to get it to work properly.
it works though, and is quiet, so i guess it's ok, but i expected a LOT better than i got
Strengths: it works, what else do you want? um, it's black so it doesn't attract THAT much attention....
Weaknesses: ....except the noise kinda makes them look over at you. if you lift the top wheel clear of the chain to make it quiet, you risk losing the chain, but with a bit of fiddling you can get it so it only makes noise in the first 2 gears.
Overall: cheap functional piece of kit, nowt special, but it WORKS.
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