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Bike Bytes By MBT Staff What We're Riding | |||||||||||||||
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 = We'd rather eat a soggy bike sock than buy this thing.
 = Pretty good. Could use improvement, but functional.
 = If someone gives it to you, maybe. It's a paperweight.
 = Sweeeeet. We'd buy it. It won't cure cancer though.
 = We'd use it if we were in a bind. Maybe.
 = Dude, it does everything including wash your car. It rules!
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Most people don't pay a lot of attention to the quality of their cockpit components, but when you think about it, your stem is really the only thing attaching you to your bike. What happens when you hit that drop to flat and your stem snaps off, throwing you over the bars and chewing you up like a pissed off wood chipper. That's why you never take chances, and you equip yourself with the best. Thomson machines their Elite stems from 7000 aluminum so there are no welds to snap off. They feature a 4 bolt faceplate to evenly distribute the load across your bars, be they carbon or aluminum. The steerer clamps are brutally strong and encircle your steerer by more than 180 degrees of clamping area. And unlinke Uncle Vinny, the screws won't gouge your kneecaps off. The only downside? You gotta pay to play, and this will lighten your wallet substantially. We still like it though.
Thomson Bikes
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Mountain bikes take a horrible beating while keeping us rolling. Think back to the number of times your ass has slammed down on the back of that saddle and you've heard an ominous *creak* from the seatpost bolts? You know, the bolts that keep you from having a premature proctological examination? Yeah, those. If you've ever snapped a seatpost, you've known the hell of walking miles back to the trailhead with your seat stuffed in your pack. Thomson's elite puts an end to that. Using a twin bolt micro-adjust head and machined 7000 aluminum, this post is tougher than a telephone pole. It's pretty, it's strong, it's functional, and you can forget about it once you install it. The only downside, just like the stem bearing the same moniker, is the price. Our testers would rather have an intact rear end than a few extra bucks in the bank though.
Thomson Bikes
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After tearing himself up a few times early in the season, Rob FINALLY decided he didn't want to spend 3 weeks at a time off the bike, or look like hamburger. He's been riding some nastier terrain with the confidence inspiring Fox Launch knee and shin pads. Built "Ford Tough", these pads are equipped with molded hard shell outer armor plates, jointed at the knee. They are anatomically designed (the little Fox dude goes on the outside) to fit the right and left legs specifically, and they are secured by the kick-ass cross up system of straps that lock quickly and securely in place. With all these selling points the question remains: do they work? Well, yeah. No more hamburger, no more spending 3 weeks on the couch. Rob's saying that there are downsides though. They're hot, even with the substantial ventilation built into the shells, and the top of the knee pad rubs on his massive, soul-slaying thighs. Both problems are common to most brands of pads out there though, so don't let that discourage you.
Fox Racing
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Jason had to take the razor blade to his stock grips in effort to upgrade to a riser bar during the off-season. He replaced them with Answer’s (Manitou) Aggressor series waffle grips. The rubber compound is top quality and the waffle grip pattern keeps gloved fingers exactly where they’re supposed to be. Half of the grip consists of closely spaced rubber ridges that not only relax the palm but offer an added degree of shock impact on flat landings. About our only complaint comes in the form of twisting. While most grips seat with the application of hair spray, the Answer Aggressors require a healthy dose of top strength grip glue and safety wiring if down hill is on the menu.
Answer Products
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