Strengths: Fitted as a direct replacement for a pair of 2001 SID 100s that failed twice on me, these forks are proving to be the ones that I should have gone for in the first place.. Having taken only a couple of rides to really settle in, they are now as plush as any other fork I have seen or used, and feel so damn solid.
I know that I should not compare them with the SIDs because they are an air sprng fork as opposed to the coil springs in these, but they perform in a much more controlled, and predictable manner. The tracking is above average, there is no stiction, and the small bump performance is excellent. The polished finish is superb, and the red bits look cool (not particularly important I know, but who cares..)
Weaknesses: Being around 3.7lbs they are no lightweight, but this should not be considered as too much of a problem when looking for a fork for general trail use and abuse..
The Magnesium arch wears very easily.. Just one ride with the disc hose zip-tied in the wrong place, and a surprising gouge was the result.. DO NOT ALLOW CABLES/HOSES TO RUB AGAINST IT!
The claimed travel is 80mm but as yet, I have only achieved between 70 and 75mm.. But using them on my 100mm travel (coil shock) SC Superlight, this is proving just about spot on.
Overall: I am 16 stone, and use the fork for general X-country riding.
I think that these forks are ideal as a compromise between the too light, X-country forks, and the long travel freeride/jump forks available.
Weaknesses: Way flexy... Not up to the job.. Not for a large-ish rider like me anyway.
Overall: Previously, I was running a 98 Bomber Z2 BAM, and although I had no problems with them, they were heavy and only had around 65mm of useable travel. I wanted a fork with longer travel, while at the same time, cutting some weight from my bike. The 2001 SID 100 seemed to be the answer.
When I first fitted the fork, I was immediately impressed with the weight, and although in need of some bedding in, they seemed very plush. I initially put in around 5psi less than the recommended max for my weight, and on my first ride with them, was amazed at the quick response on even the smallest of hits.
Although I am 16st, I do not consider myself to be a 'heavy' rider.. I do not jump, and avoid drop-offs where possible (Bit of a whimp see..), but it soon became obvious that I would require more pressure in the fork. This was increased by 5psi in each leg, and seemed to have made the fork much less prone to using up too much travel on relatively small stuff.
The other thing that became obvious was the lack of overall stiffness in the forks construction. Their was an unusually large amount of flex that could easily be seen when looking down at the fork when riding, but this was dismissed as being one of the drawbacks of a lightweight fork.
On the sixth ride using the fork, things started to go wrong. About an hour into the ride, when riding a flat trail at a fairly steady pace, I was shocked to hear a huge POP followed by a hiss.. It didn't take long to realise that the seal on the right hand leg of the fork had popped out.. Air was leaking from the fork, and substantial amounts of oil were pissing over the trail. End of ride.
The forks were sent back to the shop, and 3 weeks later were returned to me, having had the complete insides of the leg replaced under warranty.. The problem was described as a faulty air chamber.
Just 4 rides later and the same happened with the other leg. Again they were sent back, and forwarded onto the RockShox UK guys.. They proceeded to look at the problem, and then came back to me, via the shop, advising that the seals and cartridges in both legs had failed due to constant 'aggressive' bottoming out, but they had again made the relevant changes/replacements under warranty.. What a load of crap.
I told the shop that I bought them from that I was not prepared to have the forks back, and that I wanted either a refund, or a swap for a different fork. The shop decided that they didn't want the hastle of me possibly returning them again, so offered me the replacement fork that I wanted. A Marzocchi Z2 Atom Race. 80mm of coil sprung, bomb-proof plushness. And very nice they are too.
Overall, the forks are light, a full 100mm of plush travel, and when they are working, they work well. But.. If you are considered to be over the average weight, you too may have the problems that I had (and several others as I have since found out). Am am no longer going to spend my hard-earned cash on anything with RockShox badge on it.
Strengths: Massively comfortable (even for big 'eads), look pretty good, good value
Weaknesses: The detachable visor 'detaches' from velcro too easy..
Overall: I am really pleased with my new lid.. It didn't cost the earth, it looks as good as many more expensive helmets and it is more comfortable than anything other I've ever worn..
The visor is held securely at the sides by little press clip thingies, but the middle is 'held' on by a little piece of velcro, which although will detach nicely in an 'off' (thus not snapping in half!) does tend to work loose too easily in normal riding conditions.. Apart from that.. TOP LID!
Weaknesses: Bit too short, pad is a bit of an afterthought.
Overall: These shorts only cost me 24.99 and so I thought would be a fairly good option when trying baggies for the first time.
They look Ok, and the fabric is nice and soft (not too sure how they'll stand up to a lot of off road riding).
The liner is very comfortable, and the pad, although obviously never going to offer loads of protection, does help take the sting out of a shortish ride.
The XL does not come up particularly big, and they could probably do with being a little longer.
Strengths: Good value, easy to set-up, amazing advantages of V brakes... And they look way cool..
Weaknesses: They squeal too much...
Overall: Finally decided it was time to dip in to the disc-brake world, and chose the Mini.. I wasn't sure just what difference it would make to my riding, but I soon found out.. They are so well modulated, and offer really smooth power delivery..
I don't confess to be a singletrack wizard, but I thought I was fairly quick.. Having fitted this, I feel so much more confident, and am able to use the (front) brake a whole lot more efficiently.. I have improved. No doubt.
If you, like me, are unsure on the real advantages of discs... Don't p*ss about.. get one of these.
Overall: Bought this headset two years ago and have absolutely no problems with it..
I certainly didn't pay 56 quid for it, and am not sure I would pay that much for any headset, but for the 38 quid I payed... You will not get a better headset...
Overall: Like most, I have in the past, suffered from a little numbness in the bloke regions when I have been on a long ride (excuse the innuendo), and having always ridden the regular Flite, thought I'd give this a go....
First impressions were not good at all.. After a few fairly uncomfortable rides, the saddle began to 'give' a little, but without really offering any huge advantage over the original..
I would say that although I feel a little less numbness, to this day, the edges of the groove remain pretty hard, and really do cause too much discomfort on long rides.
Overall: I bought these little beauties, 'cause I've always had X-Lite bar ends, and I wanted them as small as possible.. Bolted them onto my XC risers and from the off they felt spot on. Despite their minimal size and pretty low weight, they really do feel solid and secure... And just the right size to offer enough leverage when out of the saddle.
They look cool in red, and do the job they're supposed to...
