'GREAT VALUE, GOOD PERFORMANCE AND TOTALLY RELIABLE'
Strengths: Totally agree with Spammy...
Plush and stiff (enough) for an xc fork.
Nothing else has alloy stanchions at this price (Chain Reaction do them for £140 - even more fantastic value!).
Weaknesses: A bit heavy compared to top end forks (those that are double the price).
I had to remove some oil from the legs to achieve full travel - they were over filled in the factory.
Overall: Plush, no nonsense, reliable and consistent performing forks (my last pair have lasted nearly 3 years with no maintenance at all - compare that to the lovely Fox Forx that everyone I know has had to change the seals after a few months!!?)
Should be strong for an XC fork considering the weight.
Strengths: -As well vented and cool as other high end helmets such as Giro E2 etc. -Good adjustable fit with dial -Light -Smart looking in charcoal/black colour scheme
Weaknesses: -The material on the foam pads seems to separate after quite a short period of time, and I'm on my second one with the same problem. -Full RRP is a but pricey.
Overall: A good top end helmet to rival the best that Giro and Met can offer. Pads don't seem particularly hard wearin but I might just be more sweaty than most!? Price is getting better with offers on the web but full price is a bit steep.
'SUPERB AT THIS PRICE AND WORTH UPGRADING FURTHER'
Strengths: - The rear suspension is extremely plush (great over rocky trails) and feels infinitely better than the Trek Liquid I used to have with a similar amount of travel - one of the benefits of being coil sprung. -Still pedals reasonably well. -Full suss & hydraulic disc brakes for under £800?! -Good stable handling and isn't like a barge in the tight stuff unlike some bikes with slack 'all mountain' geometry. -Adjustable between 4.5" and 5.5"; I thought I was in the 5.5" setting it was that plush but it was actually 4.5"! -Tough, smart paint job
Weaknesses: -Its heavy when you have to lift it but you don't notice it so much when you're riding. It is easy to sort this out with a few choice component changes. -Not the kind of bike you can suddenly sprint forward on as the suspension is extremely plush.
Overall: There is nothing else at this kind of price that is comparable. The suspension is amazingly plush and the all round kit is workable if a bit heavy. Its worth upgrading too as its the same frame higher up the range.
Strengths: - Hard wearing outer - Sewn in liner with some good padding - Velcro straps to help tighten the fit - Comfortable when riding
Weaknesses: - Not sure whether I got the right size; they feel comfy on the bike but the padded liner feels a bit loose off the bike. With the smaller size the outers dragged on the tops of my legs. - When your legs get muddy you can feel the muck dragging underneath the outer on the tops of your legs but its probably no different to any other baggy. - The zip is useful but theres no protection/ restraint for your delicate bits.
Overall: A good pair of shorts which probably only suffer the same flaws of any casual short. Good price and comfortable with no problems with those press studs like some.
Strengths: -Synthetic moulded rubbery 'chamois' pad is thick and comfy (rather than a slightly thicker piece of material you get on cheap shorts). -Good fit and not too stretchy round the waist (probably due to the smallish fit). i.ie. you don't need to pull them up to your chest to get them to stay up! - Stylish black and grey colour scheme - Drawstring waist for a bit more security
Weaknesses: -Sized a bit small, but this has given a good fit. - Advises a hand wash but accepts machine washing. - Pad doesn't come very far up the front, so not for anyone who's already bothered by the skin tight fit of lycra. - A bit pricey but you are paying for quality.
Overall: Superb shorts with a good pad and good fit. Nice colour scheme.
Strengths: * Cheap * Neat, compact lamp housings * Uses a standard MR-11 bulb in the 10W (or 20W depending on which setup you buy) so you can easily upgrade between 10, 15, 20W. * Clamps tend to unclip in a crash and therefore save the light unit.
Weaknesses: * Connectors are difficult to arrange so they don't unplug and one is attached to the battery so you can't leash it down permanently. * 5W is barely enough for uphill/slow speed stuff and road. * Sealed lead acid battery doesn't last very long with both lamps on, but its no worse than any other SLA I've tried. * Overall power is a bit short, but they are BUDGET lights so its unfair to compare them to Lumi's, Lupine, Cateye etc.
Overall: * A workable budget light set with neat, compact lamps and enough power for most trails and the only downsides for the price are the fiddly leads really. * There are three contenders at this price - Sigma, Smart (10W/2.4W SLA) and the KnightLites (10W/5W). I think they'd probably rate third behind the other two, as the Smart has a huge lamp housing which gives out a massive spread of light and the Knightlites have a bluey tint to their bulbs which is bound to make them seem brighter. Plus the KnightLite's offer a set with NIMH battery for around £60, so overall these are slightly outclassed but they are usable if you're on a budget.
Strengths: * Good, bright (white) beam with a good width and large central pool of focused white light. * Programmable beam to conserve power (even on 60% the beam is probably bright enough for most stuff) * Don't think I've seen a smaller NIMH battery still with a decent capacity- and there's a very nice fabric pouch for it. * High quality lamp casing, lense, bulb.
Weaknesses: * Quite expensive spares and bulbs aren't the standard MR-11. * Will the glass lense last in a crash? Presumably its hardened (but as tough as a plastic MR-11 lense??) * Is the 16W over volted bulb really equivalent to a standard 25W? Or can you just never have enough light?
Overall: Lupine must produce the highest quality set of lights you can buy. Lumicycles, Niterider and Light and Motion are all superb units but this takes it to the next level. Feels like it should be a precision lab instrument rather than getting dirty on the trails!? Although you can get brighter lights with HID bulbs, this is more than bright enough and must be the most convincing performer around £200.
Strengths: * 10W bulb has a bluey tint which makes it seems whiter (therefore brighter) than most 15W bulbs. * Tough casing and other parts are durable. * Standard MR-11 bulbs should have a lifespan of 1000 hours at least and although you can buy Niterider branded spares, you can buy cheaper non-branded from a local elec shop or Cateye and Vistalite also use 6V MR-11 bulbs. * Compact battery * Makes an excellent head torch if bought with the mounting strap.
Weaknesses: * Probably not enough on its own - a budget dual headlamp system probably gives more options as the Niterider bulb is a spot rather than a flood and I like to see the area around my front wheel a bit more. * No 'smart' charger but what do you expect at this price? * Over-volting would be nice to give more light but would reduce bulb life.
Overall: * Superb durable good quality unit. Brighter than other 10W systems and some 15W systems. I don't know how you can break the charger or the other bits if you take care with it.
Strengths: *Good grip on gravel/rock and rooty surfaces. *Pretty good in mud for non-mud specific - much better than, say, Conti Explorers. Rolls ok on tarmac.
Weaknesses: * Heavier than other Conti 2.3's such as Verticals. * Only very fractionally wider than 2.1 Explorer, just a deeper side wall. * Soft grippy rubber will probably wear quickly.
Overall: Superb big-XC tyre. Grippy in most conditions and mud performance is more than passable (which tyres really don't slide and slip in mud??). Good width and ok weight but not really a 2.3" tyre.
