Strengths: Have a cage round em that protects a little against knocks and Once or twice in muddy emergencys you can just pedal like normal pedals without bieng clipped in coz the cage is large enough ,that fact alone has Saved my ass once or twice.
Weaknesses: Not as brilliant as non SPD,s type platform pedals as I thought they might be, Also heavyish.
Overall: I tend to write my reviews after Ive finished with the product , that way its normally a more honest review coz your not totally exited about your new bit of kit. Well my 545,s are at the end of their life I,ve had em about three years and theyve been great , always clipped straight in when I wanted to & Always got straight out when I wanted to, The Reason I got them was because I THOUGHT thet,d be O/K for riding as both SPD,s and Platforms but theyre not really suited for flats as the central clip mechanicals dont squash down inside the alloy cage far enough , So I just rode them as SPD,s and theyve been great .Am staying with the brand and replacing them with XTR,s.
Overall: Bought mine 18 months ago & cant believe I got SPECIALIZED BODY GEOMETRY shoes for less than £50.00 quid by just googling for 15 minits , theyre the simplest least hastle , most relliable M.T.B.ing component I,ve bought since I started riding , talk about set em and forget em , once youve fitted the cleats , you just use em , leave em on a radiator and they dry dead quick, smack em together like you do footy boots to whack the mud off and theyre good for the next ride , once or twice I,ve lobbed em in the washing machine and they come out like new , nothing ever goes wrong . Thanks to the lightweight materials theyre quite cool & breezy so great for the summer. As for winter ,I team em up with some toasty sealskin socks , but obviously they,ll never be as warm & dry as proper baltic winter boots. Specialized sizing is a bit on the snug side so always order at least one size larger than normal if your buying on line , three FAT velcro straps keeps em tight for the entire ride they look cooler than all their main competitors , they also look more expensive than they are , they never come loose , the sole HASNT started to come away from the uppers no matter how hard I bunny hop the bike up , they hardly ever come uncoupled - but when I want to be out quickly you can , theyve got trendy little reflective logos on em , and moulded studs underneath , CANT FAULT EM god only knows how good speshs £140 . 00 top end carbon ones are if the entry level is this good ??????
'GREAT COOL LOOKING LID WITH BACK OF THE HEAD PROTECTION'
Strengths: For me the main strength of this lid is that it dosent make you look like a twat with a sausage on your head , like most MTB helmets do. It protects you right round to the back of your head so if you go over backwards while pulling a HUGE wheelie you probabaly wont smash your head open.
Weaknesses: Yes true it can get a bit hot and sweaty but this is the UK so its only a problem for a few months of the year, the rest of the time its a blessing
Overall: This helmet is a bit of an unsung hero and heres why.............
1/ It looks super cool with loads of skater boy stylee.
2/ Comes in one colour only "cool as f*ck satin black"
3/ Has "BAD BOY" pointy visor which is fully adjustable. Thanks to the very latest in "FIDLY KNOB " technology. So you can wear it higher or lower depending on the angle of the sun or how dark the forest is.
4/It comes with two sets of pads so you can always get a good fit.
5/The snap connector is big n chunky enough for you to be able to undo it with out having to take your gloves off.
6/ It only costs forty quid odd ? and if theres a better looking helmet out there for that money Ive yet to see it.
Yes it gets hot in the summer & Ive been on plenty of rides where sweat has been running down my face , but then again so was everyone else ! obviously its hotter coz its not full of vents & holes but in my oppinion vents & holes dont protect your noggin when your ducking through branches and trees at 35 MPH . Lighter more vented lids may be less sweaty ....but I know what I,d rather be wearing in a tumble. It has recently lost its cool mantle to the excellent FOX FLUX but if your on budget this is thirty quid cheeper .
Strengths: dead comfy ,good fit , feel great when riding on the bike , very well made , cool logo , well thought out , AND the "arse pad" is in the shape of the fox head logo.....really , that means someone,somewhere in the world had to pitch the idea of the beloved company logo up peoples sweaty backsides to the C.E.O. .
Weaknesses: the zips catch on the vents, and it really bugs you ,
Overall: These are great shorts , but with a few short comings ( if you,ll pardon the pun ) first they fit great and feel dead comfy , the attatched airtex lycra innershort with the padded backside keeps everything cool & where it should be, while the excellently made waist band has a zipped security pocket for your keys or money , and some velcro belt adjusters so you can get em fitted just right. They come with zipped vents to keep your knackers cool in the summer , the trouble is these zipps catch on the shorts own material every f*cking time you try to open or close them , and the zips are those tiny little ones like on well tailored trousers, so come on fox were MOUNTAIN BIKERS for gods sake , we want BIG chunky zips that dont jam half way down , that we can open and close with our gloves on , not fiddly little gay zips. Apart from that they are brill , and VERY well made - worth the money - well thought out , just a shame about the ZIPPERS I once got that thing where the pointy end of your seat , gets hooked up your arse on the shorts material , but that was because I had seat way too high.
'GREAT COOL LOOKING LID WITH BACK OF THE HEAD PROTECTION '
Strengths: for me the main strength of this lid is that it dosent make you look like a twat with a sausage on your head , like most MTB helmets do . It protects right round the back of your head . so iff you go over the back while pulling a HUGE wheelie , at least you probably wont crack your brains out
Weaknesses: Yes TRUE it can get a bit hot , but dont forget this is the UK , so its only a bad thing for three months a year , rest of the time its brill.
Overall: This helmet is a bit of an unsung hero and heres why
1/ It looks super cool with loads of skater boy stylee.
2/ Comes in one colour only "cool as f**k satin black"
3/Has "bad boy" pointy visor , which is adjustadle ( thanks to fidly knob technology ) you can wear it higher or lower depending the angle of the sun or how dark the forest is.
4/ It comes with two sets of inner pads of different thicknesses so you can always get a good fit.
5/ the snap connector is big and chunky enough for you to be able to put it on & off without removing your gloves.
6/ Only costs £40 quid .If theres a better lid out there for that price that looks this good Ive never seen it...
Yes it is hot in the summer (Ive been on a few long climbs were I,ve had sweat running down my face , but then again so did everyone else come to think of it ) this is mainly because its NOT full of air holes but in my oppinion holes dont protect you when your ducking through branches & trees at 35 MPH, lighter more vented lids may be less sweaty but.......... I KNOW WHAT I,D RATHER BE WEARING IN A TUMBLE. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA++++++++++++++++++ not for everyone , but then again niether is anal sex.
'the search for the all day - all mountain bike is over'
Strengths: Go anyware , do anything ,hooligan , wont be knocked off line , looks amazing , shags your missus when your on nights, light , strong , tough ,ASBO , well specked , fills the rider with confidence , has that sort of if I cant ride over it I,m just gonna smash straight through it attitude.
Overall: As I understand it, this bike is one down from the £3200 " S - Works Enduro SL " , basically the same frame / forks / wheels / shock - rolling chasis , but with all the other bits you need to make a bike go added for you. those main bits bieng CRANK = X.T. ( groan not again ) BRAKES - MAGURA MATRAS ( hurraaay ) GEARS - X.O. (double hurraaaaay ) and a few other choice bits n bobs . So whats it like ? well best first thing you notice is how strong and stiff the frame is , then how big n chunky it looks with the big tripple crown E150 forks and the box section down tube , but then you lift it up and it flies up into the air because you think its gonna weigh a ton but its less than 27 Lb,s. Then you ride it on the flat and its soooo stiff ,its not racer fast but the short rear stays make wheelies a joy , you just wanna go down the chippy and prat about with johno & bocca, but then you remeber your 43 ,The specialzed resolution tyres it comes with dont offer much rolling resistance and at one point along a 3 mile flat section of cinder / fire road I did feel like I could have done with an top extra gear. So you take it up the hills - and heres where the fun starts , this mountain goat will get up anything . wind the rear shocks rebound and comp down and it feels like a hardtail , do the same up front AND use the lockdown which lowers the E 150 fork by 40 mm , and youve got one very capable climber , its has that power surge forward feeling with every pump of the legs, that just keeps it going up & up.(must be a carbon thing ) But its decents most people buy a bike like this for , and that brings us to the susspension set up . The susspension on "THIS BIKE" was designed for "THIS BIKE" and having ridden it I strongly believe that this has got to be the way forward , Mine took a few months for the linkages to etc to bed in and was a bit hit n miss in the early days but now its all ran in & set up correctly its phenominal, Downhill it picks up speed quickly , dosent easily to get knocked off line . Over rocky stuff the six inches front and back gives you the option to go straight over or even straight through boulders and stuff if your feeling lazy or just in a mental mood. Preload pump it on a fast entry to a lip off a ramp and it just leaps into the air for what feels like yards ( but as we all know its never as big as it feels on board ) Big hit landings are taken easily in its stride ,in fact thats one of the best things about it you can chuck it at anything and it always comes off best. but whre this thing really excells is single track with jumps rocks streams boulders dead sheep etc, it just eats it up mile after mile, you soon leave your mates behind as they struggle to pick out a route around stuff ,whereas the schoolyard bully enduro just batters its way on through. The speck , X.T. cranks are good enough and well proven if a little lacklustre these days, the MAGURA MATRAS are a fantastic piece of kit but beware the huge front rotor coz when it stops you IT STOPS YOU GOOD!!(knackers mushed into the stem and all that !) and they look the dogs in annodised red . Best of all are the X.O. s and everyone should go out now and treat themselves to a set , they are an absolute joy , Ive found myself doing multi rapid changedowns by holding the button in , and have developed THUMB KNUCKLE gear changes into a hillclimbing art form . The press have had a right go at spesh for the in house suss thing but for me it works just fine , and Ive got one long term & not just sat on one in the shop and made my mind up , but its not all good there was a problem with my rear shock - the red rebound adjuster , just kept on turning but specialized waranty & massive infastructure just meant one in the bin and a new one for me , All O/K so far since . The specialized resolution own brand tyres look very enduro coz theyre HUGE but Ive heard theyre useless over wet rock and roots , but have been great so far in the dry & dust. Oh and the main gripe from EVERY BIKE PRESS TOSS POT has been the front fork clearence issue. Its like they were all stuck for something to write so they all put that down , but Ive never had any problems with it at all , It just dosent happen , (maybee they should really ride the bikes through some mud and shite to see what hppens then report that) But my main gripe is I paid three grand and got a SPECIALIZED , much cooler down the pub to say - santa cruz - or intense - or yeti or custom built................. But my money has bought me what I and most of us want .........the go anyware , do it all day , all singin all dancin mountain bike , sell your granny . Cheers Twed.
Strengths: Its the whole package I.E. the forgiving ride, the mighty mavericks , the huge hopes, the way they all work so well together .
Weaknesses: The paint chips off if you so much as look at it & the linkages get a bit creaky,but niether of these detract from outstanding performance.
Overall: Young ladies go off to finishing school, officers go to sandhurst , but if you want to better yourself in the world of mountain biking then get your arse on a WHYTE 46, IT MAKES YOU A BETTER RIDER . Ive just sold mine after 18 months and in that time its constantly blown me away. Ive been out on it 24 seven because, make no mistake this thing is addictive. When you first clamber aboard this huge, high ,gangly, creaking, springy bastard you feel totally over biked but within minutes your confidence starts to soar as it just gobbles up everything in its path , you find yourself going out of your way to re-visit imposible drop off,s and tough rock gardens that once had you sh*tting yourself ,just so you can attack them hell for leather and mock them as you float above on six inches of plush travel , and iff you over cook it ......relax and let the MAVS soak it up - and if youve gone too fast................ dont worry the huge HOPES will save your ass . This machine delivers in spades . Then when your mates and your breath catch up , lock it all down and ride it back up & do it all again. In a M.T.B. world full of diferent manufacturers offering false promises its nice to find somthing that both talks the talk AND walks the walk. True the paint chips if you so much as look at it ( shouldve been annodised ) & the linkages start to creak after a while , but niether of these things affect the fun and my dealer easily sorted the creak out at service time , Also a lot of people like to slag the mavs off , but how many of those who slag em have long term experience of em ? I have & I loved em , yes I had to replace the seals but that was only £25.00 all done "in house" at my L.B.S. Time marches on - Jon whyte has left the company - and in my humble opinion WHYTE have ruined the 46 for 2007 they,ve moved away from the 4-6 inch travel option ,theyve lost the HOPES and are offering it with an alternative fork to the MAVS! but dont despair, if your quick you can still pick up an original 06 model with all of the above for around £2500...(better bike less cash !!)...your last chance to own a legend .............SO WOT ARE YOU WAITING FOR ???????????????????????????????????Ive just bought one of them - all singing - all dancing CARBON SPECIALIZED ENDURO S.L.,s. and at the time of writing this review, rather than bieng stoked about the new spesh I,m hoping I havent been to hasty with the old whyte. watch this space.
Overall: Great for the first fortnight ,but as soon as I started to get serious the XTC ,didnt! The MPH brakes look "ALL THAT" with their fancy adjusters - pity they dont work too good as BRAKES. I struggled to pull a decent stoppie and when I wound the bite adjuster up they just went fully pumped = HYDRAULIC,D. ( although I loved the ZZINNNNG noise the disks make at speed) The AXEL fork travel adjuster worked for about 6 weeks, then the knob just turned without engaging anything - a strip down revealed a lot of cheepo plastic threads that had come un coupled " but to be fair " went back together O/K just didnt instill confidence. The B.B. hieght bugged me most I got sick of clouting everything on the floor of the trail and getting bucked off. For GIANT one of the worlds big VOLUME manufacturers to market this bike without an adjustable seat clamp is just cheepo , I got pig sick of reaching for my allen keys every five minutes, its not like they havent got a big parts bin full of em! the HANDLEBARS that it came with where far too narrow (scarilly narrow )but it was an easy upgrade. This bike had an amazing affect on me FIRST it introduced me to a fantastic hobby that I genuinely love . SECOND it put me off hardtails for life . Ive now gone FULL SUSS 6 ins & loads of ground clearence and dont fall of half as much , But the XTC is such an appealing package I sold it straight away to a guy who is also now a regular , Looks lovely in RED / BLACK THE RIDE = , climbed well enough and had a decent turn of speed ,But big shockwave as it clouts everything and was very unforgiving. Also back end , would break traction annoyingly when out of seat pushing up steep or loose terrain. Decent level of drivetrain kit everything worked well SUMMARY = A GREAT STARTING POINT.as good as anything the other big manufacturers have to offer in this hottly contended area of the market I.E. the £500.- £700 hardtails. XTC3= better than most ! The brake lever got wrenched out of mine in a tumble and it appears this is quite common , so common in fact theres now an after market kit available to repair it yourself.
