Strengths: good build quality good price not overley heavy neat alloy lamp bodies modular system nickel metal hydride batteries generous allocation of straps/ties
Weaknesses: 8 hour charge time tangle of wiring (telephone wire?)
Overall: this is my 1st set of proper lights i always had commuting light (cateye, smart) but nothing like these
got fed up of never riding in winter evenings after work, got these for killer price from bro in shop
the alloy lamps are really neat and have quick release with additional swivels for aligning beams. 1 lamp is 10 watt which seemed a bit underpowered off road. the other is 20 watt which is blazing bright but you still get good 1.5 hr runtime so its okay
i have been using single battery pack with the 20 watt and it works fine leave a tiny charge in there, i take the 2nd pack as a spare, then when both are left with tiny charge run them both flat and charge them up together
the wiring is a mess but the bundle of velcro straps and ties made it easy to tie down.
i like the way it fits my XC bike with 10w+20w and 2 battery packs on the water bottle cage holder, or 20w on my FR bike with 1 battery pack under top tube using straps, and spare battery pack in backpack
the system seems modular from instructions so I can upgrade the system with new parts, or add 2 more batteries using splitter lead, or add 15 watt bulb instead of the 10W
Weaknesses: Too long = seatpost twists in a crash Heavy weak rails covers rip every crash Actually very uncomfortable = sore arse!
Overall: I first liked the idea of this saddle, a friend gave me his old XL saddle, which had a rip on one side. I installed it on my Big Hit, thought it would be good for doing drops, etc. as the large size would give me a safe perch to land on.
However, after several months, I was glad to unbolt it and buy a Titec Beserker DH saddle (much better). The Tioga XL is way too long (13 inches), this becomes a problem as every time you fall off, a part of the saddle makes contact with ground, and makes seatpost twist round in frame. If this happens in a race, it's game over. Also, every crash, you will rip this saddle somewhere, making it look sh*t!
The rails are weak, my 1st saddle bent quickly. My 2nd Tioga saddle started bending after only a few weeks. This saddle weighs a tonnne, feels really uncomfortable (chafing) and since it falls apart every crash, it's a waste of time.
Strengths: *cheap *light *works great on asphalt and skatepark *look pimpy and give you kudos with bmx boys!
Weaknesses: *not much grip off-road *crap for street, too little air volume *harsh ride at higher pressures *usual poor quality bmx construction
Overall: I saw these tires in my local store, I had heard about them from bmx riders, so I laid down £15 for each tire and took 'em home.
they seemed very light, the reason is that bmx tires are way behind mountain bike tires in terms of technology, these Primos looks like Chen Shing cheapo tires like you find on cheap Mountain bikes. You'll find no high TPI count, or anti-pinch foam, etc. just a simple, cheap tire.
they are pretty good for skatepark and for getting to work on the road, they roll very fast, grip the road like a leech and look pretty pimpy.
However, for dirt riding they are pretty sh*t, no where near as good as the Tioga Comp III tires I got more recently. The biggest problem is that they are simply too small, it says 24" x 1.95" on the sidewall, but it looks more like 1.8" when inflated, this simply isn't enough for hard riding off-road. Perhaps on a bmx cruiser it would be ok, but on my trailstar with 5" suspension fork and disc brakes you are travelling much faster and harder than on a BMX, this tires just isn't up to the job. Likewise, on street there isn't enough air volume to protect wheel rims from stairs, hard knocks: you soon end up with dented rims or flat tires (pinch punctures). To stop this happening, you need to pump them up to 60psi, which just makes things feel very harsh and not much fun, I went back to use 24" Kujo tires for street riding.
probably ok for bmx or for pure skateparks and indoor trails (.e.g APE Skatepark) but in the real world they are just too small and skinny, and feel cheap.
Weaknesses: *need a 22mm clamp BMX stem *build quality not the best
Overall: after surviving some dodgy landings (you know the ones where you land your bottom bracket on the lip on the next double) and hearing my Tioga Cube bars / stem making a horrible creaking noise, I decided it was time to switch to cromoly handlebar. Cromoly tends to bend, alloy tends to SNAP. Having snapped alloy bars in the past, I wanted the safety net of cromoly.
A friend swapped me this bar, he didn't like it but he had tried to fit it to his DH bike, and said it didn't feel right. Well, it fitted right onto my DMR Trailstar LT, after tracking down a Voxom BMX clamp-on stem. You cannot use a MTB stem, MTB bars use 25.4mm clamp, whereas this bar uses the BMX standard which is around 22mm.
The shape is good, you have about 2.5 inches of rise, not much rear sweep but I just tipped the bars back a bit more and it felt good. These bars have transformed my bike, they feel amazing due to the cromoly, which is softer than my previous alloy bar, but is reassuringly tough and jump proof!
The build quality isn't the best, the left grip section was longer than the right, and the brace was welded on slightly off centre, it doesn't matter but it could look a bit tidier.
Overall, very happy, nice price for nice, tough handlebar. Not for everyone, but ideal for some of us that like to go big!
Overall: Well, I raced BMX 1983-1985, so I used the 20" Tioga Comp 3 tire, it was the best you could get.
When I heard that Tioga was relaunching it in a larger 24" size, man I was stoked! But I couldn't find it anywhere, apart from some mail order firm in MBUK wanting £25 per tire (bad rip-off!!). Then whilst visiting Dirt & Dreams in Notting Hill (London) I found a pair for £30.
They fitted perfectly onto my Trailstar LT's Halo 24" rims, look very cool (subtle), just a white Tioga logo on an all-black tire. Made by Mitsubishi, quality is assured.
Ride quality is amazing, as long as you use them on the right surface. If you take them into deep mud, they have bugger all grip. Remember that the Comp 3 was originally a Bmx race tire, for gravel bmx tracks. They are perfect for trail riders (i.e. dirt jumpers) as long as it isn't the middle of winter.
The best thing is the size / weight. much lighter than my previous trail tires (24"x2.3" IRC Kujo) and a little bit bigger than my skatepark tires (Primo Dirt Monster 24"x1.95"). The Comp 3 is a 2.1" size, does feel bigger than the Primo's and has a larger air cushion which makes them a much better bet for trails.
nothing more to say, they work very well, as long as it's not too muddy. nice to buy a tire at BMX prices too £15 each is a bargain.
Strengths: long (is this an advantage?) cheap strong rails
Weaknesses: cover rips real easy too long (more on that later) way heavy slippery
Overall: I really liked the idea of this saddle at first, I had just bought a new frame (Big Hit) and was busy building it up. A friend gave me this saddle, with just a little rip on the corner. I had been watching all those insane "hucking" videos with Bender launching off cliffs, and liked the idea of an XL saddle, perfect for motorcross style seating to allow me to ride big drops without crushing my balls!
However, a few months later..all is not well.
1) it's too long
the Tioga is 13 inches long!! but most of this is "dead" space, the "sweet spot" is the same as a regular saddle, so all that extra space is a space. this just makes the saddle heavy, prone to crash damage, and it tends to turn your seatpost in your frame when you crash. if this happens in a race, it can be race over...
2) it's actually uncomfortable
the "sweet spot" isn't that sweet. by this I mean that you constantly slide around, trying to find a bit of the saddle that feels good. the padding is actually quite thin for such a big saddle, you can feel the nylon base when riding, so it isn't very nice to go freeriding on.
3) it give you a sore arse!
because it's uncomfortable, I got a sore botty real quick, even when wearing padded undershorts
there are much better, medium length DH saddles on the market, so don't bother with this one. If you get it on a complete bike, swap it for a Titec Beserker or Fiziks..
Strengths: Strong Light Simple clamp design that works
Weaknesses: printed logo easily scratches off
Overall: don't listen to the above reviewers:
"there is no real difference in quality between this and cheaper un-branded posts such as Kalloy."
and
"'JUST ANOTHER REBADGED POST'" ------------------- The Easton EA-50 is not a rebadged post! Nor is it the same quality as a Kalloy! I have become very familiar with buying seatposts, for my dirt jumping bike and DH bike, seatposts and saddles are a constant casualty of landing jumps wrong or DH crashes.
I have been through 4 Kalloy seatposts in the last year alone, 1 got bent, the other 3 suffered clamp failure. I guess I didn't want to pay more than £20 for a seatpost that was only going to be cut in half out of the box!
I was recommended the Easton EA-50 by a DH riding mate, I needed a new seatpost for my DH (Big Hit) as I bent the Specialized / Kalloy post after a heavy landing.
The EA-50 has been flawless, the clamp is well machined and maintains a tight grip on my DH saddle. The clamp's serrations are in the "right" place to offer several positions that work well with my DH bike's geometry.
Nothing more to say, it hasn't bent, cracked or slipped, and the longer saddles we tend to use on DH bikes place more stress on any seatpost, so I see this as a valid test of any seatpost's quality. Highly recommended. Great price too!
'TOUGH, AFFORDABLE CROMOLY JUMP FRAME THAT RIDES SO SWEET!'
Strengths: * legendary DMR geometry - but for 5" forks * butted cromoly 4130 tubing * disc mount and I.S.C.G. mount * adjustable brake mounts for 26" / 24" wheels * great price for a great ride!
Overall: After "suffering" with an Identiti Jekyll for the past year, I got sick of the overstiff ride and too-short top tube; time for change. After looking around at Revell, Curtis, On-One,etc. I thought the DMR's were the best value and have a great reputation.
My choice was narrowed down between a Trailstar LT and the new Rhythm. As I run 24" wheels and wanted to run it singlespeed, I initially looked more at the Rhythm. However, I could see myself going back to gears at some point, and already had a 5" bomber fork, so decided on the Trailstar LT.
The LT is the new version of the classic Trailstar, updated with new geometry for longer travel (5") forks, some new features like the I.C.S.G for a DH chain device, and a new gussett under the downtube.
I got mine for £230 with a 26.8mm DMR seatpost and double-bolt seatclamp, very BMX! The seatpost slot is forward facing, a nice tough touch to stop crud getting in the seatube.
DMR frames use their "APS" brake system, which allows you to run 24" or 26" wheels by simply swapping the mounts across. I took this off on the way home, 'cause I always have just a rear disc brake on my jump bike. The cable routing is crap for people riding disc brakes, you end up zip-tying your hydraulic line to the frame, and using bits of tape to stop the zip-ties rubbing the paint off. It looks naff, and I tried installing "Hope" hydro guides but these didn't fit into the cable stops. Hmmm.
The frame is poorly finished, perhaps a casualty of the low retail price, or a lack of care by the builder in China / Taiwan / wherever. The bottom bracket threads on my frame had only been cut halfway into the frame, I had to send my frame back to DMR for re-cutting, not good, but at least DMR sorted it out quick through my local dealer (Evans). The paint is poor quality too, the laquer had cracked around the head tube, and some of the welds were very visible where the paint was thin.
I have to mention the welding, 'cause riders always look at this as a measure of quality, and on this count, DMR fails miserably. The welding is messy, especially around the headtube and gussett. There is no excusre for this, even cheaper frames have better welding. The welds look strong, so I don't think they will snap, but they don't look good at all..
This lack of quality extends to areas like the I.S.C.G. mount, the 3 holes for the mount were full of paint overspray and I found it hard to screw the chain device on. Finally, the dropouts look really flimsy, they could be thicker which would give more confidence, also, there isn't much material between the axle slot and the back of the dropouts, especially on the driveside where the derailleur hanger screws on. Obviously cromoly dropouts are much thinner than those on alloy frames, but as I come from BMX, the skinny dropouts look like trouble!
Enough of the problems, how does it ride?
Well, DMR come through good here, the LT rides real sweet. I had forgotten how good cromoly felt, the butted 4130 tubes here feel comfortable without being mushy, springy without being bouncy. Hard to describe, easy to ride! The LT doesn't feel harsh like my Jekyll, but it also doesn't feel as "fast" when sprinting.
In the air, the LT rules supreme. The top tube is longer than the Jekyll (by an inch) which makes it easier to move around. The fact that the LT is designed for my 5" bomber fork is probably the deciding factor, the geometry feels incredible, snappy handling without being whippy or dumping you on your face in tight turns. My Jekyll always felt dominated by the fork, the LT in comparison works in harmony. I find myself riding in the middle of the bike all the time, instead of being over the handlebars like the Jekyll encouraged.
Overall, I am stoked with the ride. Doubles feel so much better, it's easy to flick around in the air, and with 24" Halo / Xt Disc hub wheels, DMR Chieftan MKII cranks, DMR tensator, Deore Hydraulic back brake, Tioga bar/stem/seat and 5" Bomber forks - it is still surprisingly light and nimble.
I have nothing to say about the ride quality, it's perfect. I would like to see DMR concentrate on improving the welding, the paint and making sure that future LT frames have a properly cut bottom bracket!
'BARGAIN OF THE MILLENIUM, AND IT WORKS REAL GOOD TOO!'
Strengths: *Strong yet light for what it is *Best suspension system on market *No brake jacking or pedalling lock-out *Seriously affordable (£600 for frame) *Very nimble ride for an 8 inch travel bike
Weaknesses: *don't like the paint colour (scab red) *where is the front derailleur mount plate? *24" rear wheel is limiting for some DH courses
Overall: Well, you can't buy this anymore (something like 500 frames for the UK sold out very quickly) so it's more of a review aimed at 2003 buyers - the new Big Hit frame is out very soon.
Specialized have totally killed the DH market in the UK this year (2002). They brought out an 8 inch travel 4-bar linkage frame with a Fox Vanilla RC shock for just £600. The reason for this was the demise of GT/ Schwinn; one of Giant's biggest customers. The Giant factory had some spare capacity and a deal was struck. When you consider that these types of DH frames always sell for £1400-£2500 you can see what a bargain this was.
This frame has allowed a load of riders to build up cheap yet very capable DH bikes, my own build:
2002 Junior T (7") fork Deore XT disc brakes and hubs Gripshift / 105 derailleur / 8 spd cassette Halo 26"/ 24" rims and Gazzzolodi tires Mr. Dirt Gizmo chain device 24 Seven cranks and chaindisc Tioga bar/stem/seat
came out at just £1800!
The ride quality is incredible, I have ridden plenty of serious DH machines and the Big Hit lays waste to most of them. When you consider that Intense (probably the #1 DH frame builder) license this suspension system from Specialized, you'll understand just how good the Big Hit's suspension actually is.
No matter what people say about Oranges, Santa Cruz, etc. - these single-pivot, swingarm bikes have simple non-active suspension that is affected by braking and pedalling. I've filmed a mate riding a Scott World Cup DH (single pivot) at Aston Hills, and he filmed my riding my Big Hit. We watched our runs on the same part of the course, and you can see his back wheel leaving the ground under braking, whilst the Big Hit's back wheel looks glued to the ground, no matter how many rocks and roots you ride over.
The build quality is very good, with a nice bunch of forged frame parts (linkages, yokes, etc.) All bearings are sealed, and of good quality' nice to see no corners have been cut here. The inclusion of an I.S.C.G. mount is very thoughtful, at last you can bolt a chain device to the frame and have no more chain device hassles.
The monocoque construction makes for a tough bike, yet one that is relatively light (my build came out at 46lbs). The rear shock is the bollocks, when your rear suspension is this good you don't need a 5th element shock (it's telling how the single-pivot bikes need the 5th element shock, and add-ons like floating disc mounts to work properly)
This is not a DH racing bike, you can race DH on it, but the 24" rear wheel makes the bike less suitable for long-fast courses, and more suitable for tight, technical courses like Aston Hills. You need to choose your gearing carefully, as though the 24" rear wheel accelerates quicker and turns better, you can spin you gears out quicker on a fast DH course. You can compensate by running a larger chainring, just bear this in mind. Tire choice is not an issue, you can get great 24" tires from IRC (Kujo), Nokian (Gazzolodi), Michelin, Tioga, Intense, Arrow, Identiti, etc. so don't worry about choice!
Where the Big Hit excells is for play riding and doing some big, big, drops. The smaller back wheel, nimble handling and low standover height make this feel more like a 6" travel bike instead of the 8" it actually has. The bike pedalls really well, I ride mine up some huge hills no problems, and once I get the heavy wheels / tires moving, it really accelerates quick and is easy to take up to full speed. There is some bounce if you have a choppy pedalling style, but this doens't affect the suspension's performance at all. This bike feels so easy to play on that I ride Bmx trails, double jumps, street, etc.
The Big Hit is supposed to have an optional front derailleur mounting plate that screws to the I.S.C.G. mounts, but I haven't been able to find one in the UK. I really like the idea of running it with a bashring and 2 chainrings and front mech, but maybe not until I can get the plate.
The colour is a bit sickly, "scab red" isn't my taste but then I've never bought a bike 'cause of the colour, just for the ride performance.
Bargain of the millenium, and judging by the 30 or so Big Hit's I saw at my last race, it seems a load of riders agree!
Weaknesses: Horrible geometry / angles No disc brake mount Cheap cranks, chain device Cheap finishing parts (bar,stem,etc.)
Overall: Specialized thought they would kill the dual / jump market with the P3. Despite the good looks and reasonble price, its actually a really horrible bike to ride, with a screwed up geometry that is too short in the front, too long in the back, with weird angles that makes the bike unstable. The frame's construction is pretty cool, similar to Orange, however there is no disc mount which is lame.
The biggest problem, apart from the f***ed up geometry, is the cheap parts. The cranks and chain device are cheap rubbish and will not last a few weeks. I have not seen one P3 that still has the original cranks and chain device, also the bars, stem, seatpost, seat are also nasty and cheap. The bars look like a piece of exhaust pipe that fell off a car on the road and was run over by a truck!! (28" wide is excessive)
You could get the frame with a Bomber fork for £399 at one point, that was a good deal, 'cause you'll need to spend at least £200-300 to sort out the complete bike with new cranks, chain device, bar, stem ,etc. = bad value. and considering the iffy ride quality, I wouldn't bother.
