May's Top Vital MTB Member Reviewer Award

Every month we award the Top User Reviewer with a little prize, and this month Jenson USA pitched in another $100 gift card! Vital member thinkbike took home top honors in May after writing several great reviews. Here's a recap of his best:

Giro Phase Helmet - "The Giro Phase is a backup helmet for our house. I have a more enduro-esque helmet that is my primary lid - which cost nearly three times the sale price of this helmet. Keeping that in perspective... this Giro Phase is one fantastic helmet for the price! It is extremely well ventilated with 27 vents in all the right positions. My head can actually feel cold from the evaporative effect on downhill sections.

The Roc-loc 5 retention works great and the helmet seems to properly fit most head shapes. This is actually a low profile fitting design and it sits lower on your head than other designs. People like this look because it look more like a normal hat. If you have a huge forehead or freakishly large head, this is probably not the right lid to choose. All the other people in the audience at the circus will be fine with the fit. Seriously though, fit is very personal so always try on many helmets to find one that mates with your particular noggin. The style of any helmet could effect it's overall protection too so big and bulky isn't always bad either.

One detail that is lacking is the visor does not have any adjustability. It is in a fixed position. The good news is that is well positioned, but it would be nice if it had a few degrees of tilt. Several people have used this helmet with universally good results. People love the pretty blue color and those matching straps. It is a single color without any racing stripes or decals with acronyms which is a refreshingly clean look." - Read more»

Fox Racing Digit Gloves - "The last four pair of gloves I have purchased have been Fox Digit gloves. There are more elaborate designs out there. More padding, more colors, more style, more expensive, more everything. But I really like the basic design of this glove. They fit like a second skin without any thick padded sections or bulky armored graphics. I am a recreational mountain biker that rides up and down mountain trails (no bias, ride everywhere). I don't really need full-on downhill protection, but I also like to walk away unscathed from the occasional otb or high side event. These gloves offer good hand protection for that occasional unplanned trailside punching match with the ground that can occur. They are also well ventilated for hot days and the slim design doesn't absorb too much sweat..." - Read more»

Shimano XT Wheelset - "I could dive right in and start labelling all the things that are wrong with this wheel set by today's standards. "26 inch, 21mm wide, 20mm axle, aluminum" are all the wrong words. But you aren't using these wheels if you are worried about following the cutting edge trends. You are using this wheel set because you have an old bike that you love (you are also probably quite stubborn and rarely shave). I have been using this Shimano M776 as a front wheel for 6-7 years. It has been completely trouble-free and I have repacked the bearings twice in that time. The disassembly requires a larger cone wrench that isn't in most people's tool box, but you only have to buy it once. Folks gripe about the centerlock rotor attachment, but I haven't experienced loose rotors or other issues with it. I run regular 6-bolt rotors with a DT Swiss adapter without any problems. Love that it is 20mm and is relatively lightweight for the strength. There was a whole generation of lower travel 20mm forks that are largely forgotten because of the 15mm standard. If you have one of those older forks, this is a fantastic front wheel option!" - Read more»

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

Want to be in the running for June'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 winner in early July.