Best and worst purchases

POC Index Air for the worst list, the company is great but the gloves were horrific.

Best
1-2013 covert
2-atlas bar
3-urge downomatic
4-fiveten impact
5-raceface NW chain ring

Worst
1-swhalbe hd 2.35 tire- accually measures 2.5
2-urge activist helmet
3-raceface turbine stem
4.fsa chain
4.raceface half Nelson grips

Best:
1-Deity Compound platform pedals
2-RaceFace NarrowWide Chainring
3-Giro DJ Gloves
4-DeFeet Aireator mid-calf socks
5-Shimano XT 786 RD shadow+ (would be higher, but it's eaten 2 cables so far)

Worst:
1-Stan's Rubber tubeless conversion strip (didn't work reliably at all)
2-Specialized Phenom Carbon Saddle (rail busted)
3-661 Evo Elbow pad (useless elastic straps that were too stretchy, allowing pads to move around)
4-TLD A1 helmet (sold on an impressively good fit, but too hot and bulky/wide)
5-K-Edge Stem Cap Garmin mount (insecure hold on Garmin, 1 hunt for dropped GPS lasted until night, finding it where I yielded and dismounted for someone)

Mainly rated by how pleasantly surprising or disappointing a product delivers on its value.

Best:

Pike 150mm 26"
Corssmax enduro 2014 26"
Shimano XTR 203/203 mm
mavic helmet, shoes, short,
Specialized Gloves enduro

Worst:

nothing, I think long time before buying something !!

Best

1). RS Pike
2). Santa Cruz Bronson C
3). KS Lev
4). Hans Dampfs
5). MRP Bling Ring DM

Worst

1). KS Lev Integra
2). Kenda Excavator (non RSR...the RSR's are great though)
3). Several non-lock-on grips

Best
Works components wide narrow spiderless chainring
Park Tools mlp-1.2 powerlink remover
Shimano xt brakes

Worst
Stans tubeless kit
I would also put my Stans crest rims on here, but I didnt buy them last year
Avid g3 rotor

Best:
Shimano SLX brakes
Dartmoor Hornet frame
Continental Trail King tires
Specialized Butcher SX tires

Worst:
No name lock-on grips
Avid Juicy 7 brakes (now replaced by Shimano SLX)
Schwalbe Nobby Nic

Best:
Manitou Dorado
Saint Brakes
Maxxis DHF II
Maxxis DHR II
Michelin PROTEK tubes

Worst;
Smith Goggles
SRAM Type 2 drivetrain
Shimano ZEE hubs
E13 Chainguide (so brittle!)

Worst:
X-fusion High Low SL dropper post
Gamut Chainguide (with lower roller)

Best:
Rock Shox reverb dropper post
Maxxis high roller 2.4 exo
Renthal Grips
Charge Scoop Saddle Ti rails

Best:
SB66C
KS Lev
Good bib shorts

Worst:
Park tool multi tool
Alpinestars shorts

Best
1. custom Cyclo Totxo LTHT frame
2. Shimano Saint/XT brakes
3. KS Lev
4. 1970's Motobecane randonneur (I never ride my proper Koga racingbike anymore)
5. Thomson carbon All Mountain bar

Worst:
1.E13 XC crankset. Keeps getting loose and the bearings wear out in a week... (replaced with Middleburn on square taper)
2. RS Revelation 29. Great fork but I should have waited for the Pike ;-)

Best:
1. 5.10s
2. Lyrik RC2DH
3. RaceFace Narrow Wide chainring
4. Zee rear der
5. Minion DHF

Worst:
1. Blur LT (Should have gotten the Nomad. Think I'm one of the few that didn't get along with it)

best:
1. '13 specialized demo frame
2.troy lee designs A1 helmet
3.troy lee designs xc gloves
4. park tools tri way allen wrench
5. shimano saint rear deralliur

I don't think I made any bad purchases this past year .

Best:
Cane Creek DBairCS. the rebound adjustment in CS is key, takes the bob out when standing.
Maxxis 2.4 Exo tires for tubeless AM riding.. DHF 3C up front Highroller2 in back.
Shimano kit on my bike, first one in a while. xt brakes are great, double click upshifts are nice and shadow plus derailer is super quiet.

worst:
Teva links.. too smooth.. slipped and blew up my ankle, on the way TO whistler. Should have wore five10s
Took 22 weeks before I could wear 2 shoes again. first ride was yesterday, 5.5 months after.
2013 fox 34 CTD fork.. Descend mode was a joke.. (nearly) full travel brake dive, woo!!
Troy Lee SE gloves with TPR (rubber details) on the thumb.. brutal if you forget and try to wipe sweat off your face.. feels like an ice scraper. all thumbs should have something soft on the back.

Best: Pike 150mm 26"

Worst: Talas 34 150mm 26"

The end......

Best:
Alpinestars gravity gloves - a year on and not fallen apart
Rockshox Reverb dropper
Hans Dampf tyres
Maxxis Beaver tyres
Fox titan liner shorts
XT drivetrain

Worst:
S-works ground control tyres
Hope IBR and chain device
SRAM drivetrain

1. ODI TLD grips
2. Race Face Narrow-Wide chain ring
3. Fizik Tundra addle
4. Stans fluid
5. Gorilla Tape

Worst:
1.SDG Patriot saddle
2. X-Fusion Velvet Fork
3. Rock Shox Monarch RC3
4.
5.

Best
1. Transition Covert 29- ratking bikes
2. Kona Unit -
3. ERGON saddle - amazon
4. Mavic Alpine XL shoes (white ENDURO shoes ) - JENSONUSA.com
5. Ghetto gorilla tape tubeless setup with WTB valves blue - ratking bikes
6. HDMX bluetooth speaker - bed bath and beyond

Worst
1. Maxxis Ardent 2.25's came stock on Unit
2. CO2's I end up helping stranded riders.
3. two ripped fanny packs! worn out...haters bring it
OK I'M REALLY GRASPING HERE...NOTHING BIKING IS BAD

Best:
1. Chromag Squarewave grips
2. Saint brakes
3. Saint short cage+ rear deraileur
4. Race Face N/W ring
5. Maxxis Tubeless ready tires (DHRII)

Worst:
1. Ergon Enduro grips
2. Shimano chain rings
3. Tubes
4. Shimano mid-cage rear derailleurs
5. Maxxis non-tubeless ready tires

Best:
1) Kenda Small Block 8's for the slopestyle rig.

2) ODI Vans grips for slopestyle and dh bike. Grippin'!!

3) Giro Jacket flat-pedal shoes. So nice, I bought 'em twice!

4) Hope Pro II Evo hubset and Stan's ZTR Flow EX rims. 2-for-1 deal on this one since they were paired together.

5) Giro Remedy CF helmet. After a couple of good spills on my standard Remedy helmet, I upgraded to it. Not as breathable as my last helmet, but noticeably lighter. I can live with that.

Honorable mention goes to my Vital MTB full-zip hoodie/green.

I can't think of any bad purchases I made this year, in all honesty. I guess that's the bonus of working in a shop for the last 8+ years...I get to see what is crap before I get a chance to find out on my own.

Best:
- Cannondale Jekyll MX complete bike (turnkey do-it-all package)
- Shimano M530 Trail pedals (cheap, durable and minimal weight penalty compared to XT or XTR Trail pedals)
- Raceface SIXC handlebar (light and blingy)
- Raceface Sniper grips (comfy, and shorter length helped with cockpit arrangement)
- Specialized Butcher Control tires (great performance and easy tubeless setup, though sidewalls are not that durable)

Worst:
- General Lee 42T Shimano cassette adapter (poor shifting)
- Shimano XTR M986 rear derailleur (broke the carbon cage within 3 rides, XT seems more bomber at marginally more weight)
- Straitline AMP pedals (bushings-only design doesn't spin well and makes noises, but at least they're light and thin)
- Syncros bottle cage (lasted one ride before the rubber tension band tore)
- Raceface Turbine chainring (teeth bend easily from shifting under load)

Best:
1. RS Pike 160 solo air
2. XO1 drivetrain
3. DT Swiss spline 1 xm1501 wheel set
4. Enve DH handlebar
5. Xt brakes and rotors

Worst:
1. Pivot Mach 6 frame. Because it's still on back order!

Best:
-santacruz v10 carbon frame
-Boxxer worldcup
-renthal fatbar
-Tld d3
-And the best of the best : devinci Wilson

Worst:
-Spank rims
-Stan's tubeless kit
-Tld white gloves
-selle italia sl
-Xlc flat pedals

best
specialized demo 8 frame
formula ro ( if works. I had a lot of trouble with one of these brakes. It leaks, and it was hard to find out where)

worst
truvativ descendant crankset (broken in one ride, no warranty).

BEST
-YETI SB66
-Chris King/ DS Swiss EX 500 Wheels
-Renthal Fatbar Lite
-KS Supernatural Dropper
-MRP Chainguide


WORST
-OSIRIS Skate shoe (no grip)
-RaceFace Flank knee/ shin guard (I actually like the guard but it slid down my leg when I ate it, allowing rear shock valve to impale my knee.)
-MAVIC Crossrides (spaghetti wheel)

Best:
Shimano SLX M666 Brakes
2009 GT Sanction 2.0
WTB Pure V Saddle
SDG Formula MT Saddle
Continental Trail King Protection
SRAM OEM carbon cranks (50 bucks from a rich old guy who swore carbon was the devil)

Worst:
"braided" Jagwire gear cables (destroyed themselves after 2 weeks! :D )
Shimano M424 (They work well, but holy crap do they clog easily!)
Alloy crank bolts (Look sweet, but the tops sheared off on all but one of them)
1998 Cannondale Tarantula Cranks & Raceface race chainrings (it worked alright and looked sweet, but goddam that thing dropped chains like a greased pig)

best purchases
-trek stache!
-chris king hubs
-shimano slx brakes
-shimano saint cranks
-odi crosstrainer grips
-tailgate pad
worst stuff
-fly kinetic gloves. started falling apart on the first day
-shimano xt chain. broke on the first week of riding
-kmc x-10 chain. broke 2 weeks of riding
one thing i didnt get this year nor last year but has treated me good is a Crank Brothers joplin that i have had for almost 4 years!

Best:
1. Niner Rip 9 RDO (XT 2x10 Drivetrain, XT Brakes, Niner RDO 780mm Carbon Bar, Trail Stem, Blackspire Flatpedals, MRP Chainguide, Stans Flow EX, Schwalbe Nobby Nicsm WTB Volt Seat) Odi Rogue Grips, love them. (Debating on the new kickstarter imprint grips)
2. 140mm Pike 29
3. KS Lev Seatpost
4. Pedals: Cranbrothers Downhill Mallets, loved them but due to a knee injury switched to awesome blackspire pedals w/ 510 vXi elements freerider shoes. I dont know if i'll go back to clipless.
5. Clothing: Endura kit for warm weather, Gore kit for cold

Worst:
1. Royal Racing clothing - wont waste my money on their gear again.
2. KS Lev Seatpost, its a love hate, I love it but i have to send it in for warranty repair already.
3. Dakine balaclava - its garbage, i tried a bontrager one and love it.
4. Softride Dura 4 bike rack - too much bike sway and racking @ 70 mph. Switched to a Kuat Enve and love it.
5. Pearl Izumi gloves - expensive garbage

Best:
1.Banshee Legend MKII
2.Manitou Dorado Expert
3.Fox Rampage Pro Carbon
4.Zee Derailleur
5.Renthal Integra stem

Worst:
1.Sixsixone body armour
2.TLD Ruckus jersey
3.RST Suspension
4.Ravx Saddle
5.Fox Rampage helmet

I bought a complete bike a year ago, not new one but second hand..
I was still beginner, so I don't really knows about the bike deeply..

then, the orange bike with the letter "SantaCruz" be mine..
I just know several months ago that the bike just repaint with fake sticker..so, i have fooled of that..hahahaha..that's my worst purchase..

now that bike is used by my little brother, and I use another bike..

NB: the pic was my fake "santacruz" hahaha...