Earn $100 at Jenson USA for Your Vital MTB Member Reviews

Every 30 days we award the Top User Reviewer with a little prize. This month Jenson USA pitched in a $100 gift card! Vital MTB member NMK183 wrote several great reviews, earning the Top Reviewer spot. Here's a recap of his best:

OneUp Components Bash Guide - "I have around 115 days of riding on this little piece of aluminum and plastic, and have to say that the results have been beyond expectations...

After having my chain fall off twice during an enduro race in Fernie a couple of years ago without a chain guide, I have ridden with some sort of guide ever since. Then, just over a year ago, a new alpine trail opened up near my hometown. On my first time down I smacked my 32-tooth front ring on a rock, damaging the ring and convincing me that having a bash guard was an essential piece of equipment as well. I research which bash/guide unit to get and the OneUp Bash Guide just made the most sense. Light, cheap, and minimalist; exactly what I was looking for. I ordered it directly from OneUp and it arrived within a week. I was using an 11-speed Shimano XT m8000 11-42 tooth cassette with a 32 tooth Race Face narrow/wide ring. The first few rides I did notice a small amount of noise when I was in my largest rear cog as the chain rubbed slightly against the guide. After experimenting with the spacers, I found it either rubbed in my smallest or largest cog. This went away after a few rides (presumably, the plastic wore away just enough for some clearance). The guide itself is small, but provided secure chain retention throughout. The chain did come off once since I installed it, but I experienced similar if not worse results with the E-Thirteen guide. By lowering the guide slightly below the recommended line, I have now eliminated dropped chains.

The bash guide itself has saved me several times from damaging my front ring when smashing through rocks. After a few very hard hits, the guide has some minor dents, but is fully functional and continues to provide peace of mind as I travel through rocks. Most of the time however, I forget its even on my bike. Which I think for a bash guard and chain guide is the best complement I can give." - Read more»

Ryders Eyewear Seventh Glasses - "After trying several different pairs of glasses in order to figure out how to deal with changing light conditions on the same ride, I decided to try a pair of photochromatic glasses for the first time. I can't believe it took this long to try! Where I ride, it is often open climbs into dark forest and I usually had lenses which allowed to me to see in the low-light conditions. Fire roads are usually bright dusty affairs, and staring into the sun in low-light lenses is hard on the eyes. If I switched it up and rode with a darker lens to combat the glare, I would suffer in the shadows.

Enter the Ryder Photochromatic lenses. These things really work. I have tried the orange lenses and the light grey. The orange lenses don't get quite as bright as the grey ones, but they both go almost completely dark. It takes about 30 seconds for them to change so its not going to work for fast transitions from dark woods to open field and back, but it is a complete game changer for everything else. I no longer have to fumble with different lenses or glasses or struggle with light conditions. If it starts to cloud over or get really bright, no worries. I always have the perfect lens for the conditions.

These glasses also have top of the line nose and ear silicon pads that really do a great job of gripping when sweaty or raining. The value is excellent considering all of the features they have." - Read more»

Fox Racing Rampage Pro Carbon Helmet - "I had a pretty crazy crash in Whistler a few years ago where I broke my old Fox helmet and needed to replace it. The shop I went into hooked me up with a crash replacement and 30% off this new lid. As it usually goes, I was drawn to the great looking colors, cool looking carbon inlay and overall feel of quality that the Fox Rampage Pro Carbon has when you put it on. The vents do a good job of dumping heat as long as you are riding. I wouldn't climb with this thing on my head on purpose, but its better than any other dedicated full face helmet I've ever used when talking about vents.

It has a snug feel around your face, but isn't uncomfortable like I've experienced in other helmets. The padding is thick and comes out so you can throw them in the washing machine - A must when I consider which full-face helmet to buy. The chin bar feels good and doesn't interfere with vision too badly, it also breathes well. I don't feel my hot breathe bouncing back at me unless I'm wearing it for a climb, in which case I usually just slip it up on the top of my head. The D-ring holds the helmet secure and is 2nd nature to attach after a while.

I do feel like for a carbon helmet that it is quite heavy. It also has a larger shell volume than something like a TLD. With this comes a sense that it can take a hard hit and do its job without question. I wear a Leatt neck brace and Smith Fuel goggles and they are both compatible with this helmet.

When it comes time to buy a new helmet, would I buy the Fox again? It depends on the price. I feel like I could get a similar helmet for less money if I shopped around, but then again I do appreciate all the little features that the Fox has." - Read more»

Big congrats to NMK183! Thanks for helping out the riding scene with your thoughts on these products.

Want to be in the running for next month's award? Start reviewing the parts you use in the Vital MTB Product Guide and keep an eye on the Top Reviewer leaderboard. We'll announce the next winner in early June.