October's Top Vital MTB Member Reviewer Award 1

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 October after writing a handful of excellent reviews. Here's a recap of his best:

Park Tool Hooked Tire Levers - "I am a fan of hooked tire levers and the TL-1 have nice ones. Their overall shape has plenty of arc in the bend which makes it easy to hook on a spoke – even with today's fatter rims. Their stepped profile allows the levers to snap together with the same satisfaction you get from lego bricks. The blue nylon material has a particularly slick and hard feel to it. This makes the lever slippery to use and they have a sharp brittle feeling in your hands. I have an older set made by Park Tool that is darker blue and seems to be made of a softer material. I don't know if all of the newer ones feel this way or this set had too much mold release added, but it is annoying. I wanted to love these levers and spend more time with them out on the trails, but because of the above mentioned flaws they have been demoted to garage duty where other options are available when they fall short." - Read more»

Park Tool Park CT-5 Mini Chain Brute - "I quickly realized that this tool was better performing than the heavier chain tool I already had higher up in my tool box. An unofficial ceremony was held as space was made available in the top drawer (may the other chain tool rest in peace). A second life became reality for the CT-5! The open design without excessive boxed corners, makes it far easier to see what you are doing when aligning pins or loosening a tight link. The most common use for this tool today is to quickly shorten a new chain during install. And although we may not get out on the trail together like the old days, it is still working strong after decades of service. You only get that kind of loyalty from a quality tool." - 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 November'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 December.