Tested

T he wireless dropper post market has been heating up lately, with several new entrants throwing their hats in the ring. Fox is the latest to join the party, and they’ve definitely come out swinging. By thinking outside the box, they’ve developed a dropper post that offers the fastest actuation in the industry at present, coupled with lower stack height thanks to the unusual placement of the wireless controller unit on the seat post. They’re also making the post in the three main diameters with plenty of travel options. What does all this translate to on the trail? Keep reading to find out...

I n the world of costly bike parts, Trickstuff has always had a special aura around it. Unapologetically dedicated to building the finest brakes money can buy, this German company makes a premium product and charges a pretty penny for it. We wanted to look past the sticker shock to find out if they also deliver value for money – keep reading to find out how we’ve been getting along with the Direttissima. Strengths Weaknesses Incredibly well-made product Smooth action Great ergonomics Very powerful Great modulation Consistent, dependable performance Quality and durability No bite point...

OneUp has built up a well-deserved reputation as makers of a quality dropper post over the years, and we’ve had excellent results with every iteration of it so far. They released the all-new version three a couple of months ago, so of course we had to put it to the test. Keep reading to find out how we’ve been getting along with it. Strengths Weaknesses Compact dimensions, adjustable travel Light weight Lighter actuation now, easier to modulate Reliable, easy to service Fast return speed Price increase Still not quite as smooth as the class leader OneUp Components V3 Dropper Post Highlights 60...

Italian suspension specialist EXT has been on a roll recently, introducing new products and updating existing models regularly. The Storia (enduro) and Arma (DH) coil shocks have now been given a complete overhaul, with plenty of new features added and further construction improvements implemented. We’ve had the Storia V4 on a test bike for a few weeks now, keep reading to learn all about the changes and find out what we think of it on the trail. EXT Storia V4 Highlights PSR (Position Sensitive Rebound) - hydraulic top-out system that eliminates harsh top out and improves sensitivity High and...

Always looking for innovative ways to make better products, DT Swiss has developed new, patented techniques and tools for manufacturing carbon rims. Instead of building up the carbon layers from the inside and out, DT Swiss now uses a singular mold to directly construct each 1200 series rim from the outside in, which they say improves the consistency of the layup and minimizes any imperfections. The new 1200 range of wheels features different layups and builds to suit different riding scenarios – we’ve tested the enduro-oriented EXC 1200, keep reading to learn more and get our first...

Protection is serious business, and 7iDP has always been serious about it. We’ve had great results with many of their products over the years, from kneepads to helmets, so we are excited to see them release a new high-end half shell now. The Project.21 was designed with increasingly technical and demanding riding in mind, and it comes loaded with both comfort and safety features. Keep reading to learn more! 7iDP Project.21 Highlights (Holographic Ltd Ed Series 1) ERT™ System Conehead™ Technology 21 Cooling Vents Easy Position Visor angle CRV (Crash Release Visor) System 7iDP Rear Dial Adjuster...

D eity’s TMAC pedal has been around for quite a few years by now, and in that time it has become widely recognized as one of the leading options on the market. Case in point, it has been holding down a podium position in our long-standing flat pedal face off ever since it was first published in 2016. Building on the legacy of such a successful product is always a daunting task, but that didn’t deter Deity from looking for ways to make it even better. The result is called the Supervillain, and it hits the shelves today (along with the Flat Trak, the thinnest pedal that Deity has ever made). We...

Northwave is on an eco-journey, looking to minimize their impact on the planet as they continue to produce cutting edge apparel and equipment for life on boards and bikes. To help them do so, they’ve teamed up with “ACBC” – short for “Anything Can Be Changed” - a leading B Corporation consultancy in applied sustainability for fashion and textile industries. The project with ACBC had the main goal of producing a new bike shoe model that introduces Northwave on the universe of circular materials. The result is the Tailwhip ECO EVO, designed after Northwave’s classic Tailwhip model. Read on to...

Legendary moto aftermarket tuning company Yoshimura entered the MTB market four years ago now, with their Chilao flat pedal. There was a lot to like about that pedal, although our review noted a couple of small points of potential improvement at the time. Fast forward to present day, and Yoshimura is releasing a new version of the Chilao, dubbed the Chilao SS. The “SS” stands for Static Spring, which refers to a clever preload system designed to keep sideloads away from the bearings and help the pedal to feel fresh and free of any bearing slop (Yoshimura has been granted a patent pending...

Among the rolling hills surrounding the tiny town of Plestan in Brittany, France, you’ll find a small manufacturer of mountain bike suspension called Fast Suspension. Born out of one man’s passion for making things work better, Fast started out in motorsports but has been focusing on mountain bike suspension since 2015 when they released their very first rear shock, called the Holy Grail. Jumping ahead to 2023, Fast dropped their latest product, a simplified yet sophisticated coil shock called the Ride. It comes in either a DH or an enduro version – we’ve been testing the latter for six months...

Extreme Racing Shox or EXT is an Italian suspension supplier with roots in motorsports, where the brand found success working with legendary racers like Sebastien Loeb who dominated the World Rally Championship for years aboard his Citroens. In 2014, EXT decided to try their hand at making products for mountain bikes as well, and brought over many of the technologies and the expertise they have been developing over the years. When the company launched their first suspension fork in 2021, we were impressed with the performance although we noted at the time that it required quite a bit of effort...

Extreme Racing Shox or EXT is an Italian suspension supplier with roots in motorsports, where the brand found success working with legendary racers like Sebastien Loeb who dominated the World Rally Championship for years aboard his Citroens. In 2014, EXT decided to try their hand at making products for mountain bikes as well, and brought over many of the technologies and the expertise they have been developing over the years. We have previously tested their excellent coil shocks with good results (links: Storia review and e-Storia review), so when the company introduced their first air shock...

German brake specialist Trickstuff is most known for their very high-end and singularly expensive brakes, but it just so happens that they also make rotors and aftermarket brake pads that don’t come with any kind of sticker shock. Curious to see what they could offer, we’ve been testing the “Ultra Light” rotors and “Power” pads for about 6 months now – keep reading to find out how we’ve been getting on. Dächle Disc UL Highlights High quality, vacuum hardened stainless steel 25% higher tensile strength than conventional discs Sophisticated hole pattern for even pad cleaning Minimal disc...

A crank is a crank is a crank…these days that can be both true and not true. Yes, you can find a perfectly functional crank that is not too heavy and doesn’t cost too much. However, as bland as this particular component may seem, it’s an area where you can also find exotic options to spice up your ride and make it your own. Anything from carbon to titanium goes, with all kinds of designs and colors on offer. North Shore Billet, more commonly known as NSB, threw their hat in the ring earlier this year with a three-piece crank machined from a single billet of aluminum. We’ve been testing one for...

While wireless components are steadily growing in popularity (and performance), there is still a lack of relatively affordable options in the wireless dropper space. TranzX is looking to remedy that as the first company to offer a $500 wireless dropper post, eloquently named the EDP01. We’ve had one on test for five months now, and we’re here to report on how we’ve been getting along. Keep reading to find out! Strengths Weaknesses Cable-free installation cleans up the cockpit Satisfactory activation speed Solid performance Up to 200 mm of travel available Easily replaceable cartridge Battery...

How do you make something very light yet very strong? In the Star Wars universe, it’s simple: use Mandalorian beskar, a super-tough alloy that can even resist direct lightsaber hits for some time. In the real world, most of us don’t need our stuff to be lightsaber-resistant, so Newmen settled for a regular Earthly aluminum body with a titanium spindle for their first foray into the flat pedal galaxy. To check their work, we laid our hands on a sample pair and put it to the test under our resident, clumsy old Stormtrooper’s size 12 battle boots. Keep reading to find out how it went! Strengths...