Strengths: Hope badge - no special tools required.
Weaknesses: Because it had no instructions, I sheared the bolt on my first one, being a newbie. The second one I have seems to work loose occasionally, and that can be a bit tricky when you're on the downhills @ Glentress for the weekend.
Overall: If you're not keen on the star-fangled nut, get one of those puppies that go straight thru the headset - it might weigh a few grammes more, but it'll leave you with a much more reliable and stronger headset join.
Strengths: It has lots of pictures & sensible text that doesn't assume too much.
Weaknesses: It's way out of date really, discussing at length some pieces of kit that have gone from mountain bikes years ago. Who's got a suspension stem for example? The cover pic speaks volumes about it's vintage.
The soft back & large pages don't lend themselved to being left in the garage. The paper is a bit of a sponge for the damp, so you'll soon end up with a very dog eared book!
Overall: There are still lots of tips & tricks, plus some valuable how-tos for the basics such as gears & setting up brakes etc. All the old staples that haven't changed are there, but it could do with updating to cover rear shocks, bushings, hydraulic discs and other newer inventions in greater detail (if it hasn't already in subsequent editions).
Weaknesses: They're built for large waisted midgets
Overall: They went back, and I got Altura Drylines. They are designed to fit people with legs, and they've got more useful features. I can also vouch for them being waterproof - worth the extra few quid.
Strengths: They're in my imagination, therefore perfect
Weaknesses: Talking about them exposes my sadness
Overall: I wouldn't leave the house without mine. Being 2 dimensional they have no mass, and can be leant up against any wall when not in use. They are also inertialess, and can be difficult to stop once in motion. The wormhole function seems to suffer from stiction, which could just be the newness, but we will see.
You'll never run out of crisps with one of these in your arsenal.
Strengths: Light weight, adjustable, full of vents & removable washable inserts.
Weaknesses: The visor isn't adjustable
Overall: Mine's a 2004 model, but essentially the same, in matt black. It has so many vents it keeps your head nice & cool, which is good for me cos I have a very hot head. The only downside of this is that the front cushion piece runs straight across the brim of the helmet, and rests on your forehead. This keeps your forehead a bit warm, and consequentially the pad fills up with sweat. A quick press of the helmet against your head & it all empties out like a sponge, much to the amusement of the people you're riding with.
Although it's lightweight, it still weighs more than a Semi MX, which I can confirm has too few vents for anything other than mid-winter riding. I just sold mine on eBay. I put the added weight down to the strength of the helmet.
The Roc-Loc lets you adjust the fit to suit your bonce & makes it as snug as you want it. The side tapes are adjustable, and clip closed to hold the tapes fast, which is better that the Specialized equivalent.
The Visor isn't adjustable, despite what the advert says, and sits a little to high for my liking, but doesn't spoil the overall "bling" effect. Lovely helmet, go & buy one.
Overall: Very cheap, evidenced by the fork boots that help keep the crap out of the cheapo seals. The have minimal adjustment, and what there is doesn't seem to perform any function. Mine also developed a lovely pram-like squeak every time they compressed, so they HAD to go. A pair of Duke U-Turns did wonders for the bike.
'THE TYRE FOR WINTER, AND PROBABLY THE REST OF THE YEAR TOO'
Strengths: They do the job VERY well, they look good, shed mud & keep straight when other tyres are squirming all over the shop. They wear well too.
Weaknesses: They're a bit tricky to put on near the valve.
Overall: I've already reviewed this tyre, but I love it so much I wanted another go. It handles mud effortlessly, and I leave fitter people behind me when the gloop is deep. It can do snow & ice faultlessly - I forgot I was riding in snow the other week, the tyres just gripped.
Today, I found that they're also great on cattle grids, which is nice!
You've gotta have a pair if you want to stay on your bike in the mud, just remember to stay off your front brake & you'll beat all your mates through the muddy stuff.
I almost forgot - they're quite fast & quiet on the road, and wear very well.
I've got a bit of a reputation for being a TrailRaker evangelist amongst the guys I ride with. Who cares though? ;o)
Strengths: Tough chain, stronger & more convenient than a Shimano chocolate chain, and the powerlink.... what would anyone do without one?
Weaknesses: None - unless you count wearing out.
Overall: It was the first thing I upgraded on my old bike, and I noticed the difference straight away. Shifting was smoother & the drivetrain was just quieter. I'd never go back to Shimano chains now, and would recommend this over the cheaper PC-59, and the more expensive PC-89, having tried them both. The performance & price is just perfect.
The powerlink is a miracle of chain design & makes bike maintenance a dream. No carrying round lots of irritating black pins like Shimano chains need, and you can make & break your chain as often as you want.
Strengths: It does all I want, cadence, speed, average, maximum all that, and doesn't get in the way.
The L-shaped bracket sits to the right of the stem, and the head unit is central on the stem, leaving lots of space free for lights & other gadgets on your bar. It would NOT survive a big fat head-on stack though.
Weaknesses: The cadence sensor's VERY close to the crank on my bike (2005 S-works Stumpy), and got caught & broken by my pedal when someone put it on cock-eyed(not me!). A bit of superglue & it was fine though.
The backlight's crap & difficult to turn on when riding, as it's underneath in a small recess. Not easy to find in gloves.
The manual - total toss.
Overall: This is a good computer, and have loads of features that I won't bore you with. The sensor seems to be plenty waterproof & mud proof, and apart from the problem I had with the cadence sensor getting broken (see weaknesses), it's given me good service.
Like all Cateye products I've even bought, the manual is a load of old cack, so you'll have to muddle through yourself really, with some garbled hints from the manual.
