gear and bike reviews

cyclocross gear and bike reviews

Shoe Week Is Here! Day 1: Specialized and Shimano Reviews

30 November 09 • 4 comments

Introducing… Shoe Week! We at Cyclocross Magazine will run a week-long roundup in our search for shoes well-suited for ‘cross, featuring everything from wicked cheap to ultra-bling. Some we love, others we don’t – and we’ll provide unbiased feedback on the lot. Several members of our staff will write about their experiences and preferences so [...]
New Product Spotlight and Review: Ritchey Pro Paradigm Clipless Pedals

27 November 09 • 2 comments

What better way to celebrate “Black Friday” than with a CXM New Product Spotlight and Review? Avoid the crowds and check out Ritchey Logic’s newest pedal right here. This review supplements the comprehensive pedal reviews in our “Pedal Envy” article in Issue 7. Update: Long-term test feedback with worn cleats added, September 2011. by Andrew [...]
New Product Spotlight and Review: Green Grips Eco-Friendly Bar Tape

18 November 09 • 0 comment

by Kenton Berg It’s not uncommon to hear about products being created these days due to someone’s creativity around a health issue, an injury, or just a hole in the market. Such is the case with Kelley McDonell at Green Grips. After experiencing irritation from standard rubber bike grips, Kelley began searching for a solution [...]
New Product Spotlight: Challenge Latex Cyclocross Tubes

31 October 09 • 0 comment

$Challenge Latex Cyclocross Innertubes. © Cyclocross Magazine$
Cyclocross racers using clinchers typically have to chose between heavy 700x30c innertubes and lightweight road tubes but with an increased pinch flat risk. Challenge now offers an alternative with their new red latex cyclocross innertubes. At 86 grams, the tubes are just five grams
New Product Spotlight: Grammo Tubolari CX Tubular Wheelset

28 October 09 • 0 comment

by Clifford Lee It is well-known that racing on tubulars in cyclocross has multiple benefits, including better pinch flat protection, lower rolling resistance and better traction due to lower pressures and more supple tires, and lighter overall weight due to lighter rims. You can spend a grand or two trying to achieve significant gains in [...]
New Product Spotlight and Review: Velo Orange Toe-In Adjustable Brake Shoes and Pads

22 October 09 • 0 comment

by Josh Patterson Riders who love Spookys, Empella Froglegs or alloy TRP Euro-X cantilevers, but don’t enjoy adjusting brake pad toe-in with a pair of vise-grips have other alternatives. One option is the TRP Inplace to-in adjustable brake shoes and pads, the same ones featured on the popular white Magnesium and Carbon Adjust TRP EuroX [...]
New Product Spotlight: Zipp 303 Cyclocross Tubular Wheels – The Pro’s Choice for 2009?

23 August 09 • 3 comments

We’ve got a quiver of tubular wheels under test right now, and we’ll be highlighting them on our website in the next few weeks with full reviews after more abuse in later issues of our print mag. Last month we showcased Williams’ new cyclocross tubular wheelset, designed to be an affordable option for most racers. [...]
New Product Spotlight: Friction Freedom Chamois Cream

14 June 09 • 0 comment

by Kenton Berg Chamois cream doesn’t exactly evoke visions creating speed or power, but it is one of those items that can make or break a ride, race, or lazy day on the bike. So when the good folks at Friction Freedom sent up a jar of their chamois cream I was very interested to [...]
New Product Spotlight: Extreme Endurance Dietary Supplements

8 June 09 • 0 comment

by Jacob Sisson Nutrition is key for anyone trying to perform at their peak. For many people, the rigors of racing every weekend, training during the week and trying to hold down a steady job can put a strain on complete nutrition. Enter Extreme Endurance dietary supplements. Extreme Endurance produces Extreme Vital 40 and Extreme [...]
New Product Spotlight and Review: Lazer O2 Helmet

5 June 09 • 2 comments

by Andrew Yee If you take a look at pictures of any UCI World Cup, say, this year’s World Cup in Roubaix, you’ll see plenty of Lazer helmets near the front of the race. It should be no surprise, as even though the helmets may be rare here in the U.S., the Belgium-based helmet company [...]
New Product Spotlight: Williams Cyclocross Tubular Wheels

4 June 09 • 5 comments

This is our second of two New Product Spotlights on new ‘cross wheels. Our first was the EU Imports SCX Clincher Wheels. While deep section carbon tubular wheels may grace the bikes of most pros, for many, the benefits of riding a low-pressure tubular makes even a normal alloy tubular wheel a big upgrade from [...]
Custom Cyclocross Clothing Guide: Nalini Custom Cycling Apparel (Parts I & II)

31 May 09 • 1 comment

With summer still a month away, it’s a strange time to think about cold-weather cycling gear. But ‘cross will be here before we know it, and if your team is considering new kits or warmer garments for the cyclocross season, now is the time to get organized, find the right vendor, and get your orders [...]
New Product Spotlight: Beer. Cupcake. Mustache. Cyclocross Book

2 May 09 • 0 comment

No, we’re not reviewing beer, cupcakes, or mustaches (although we’d be happy to receive and review the first two). But we are taking a quick look at a new cyclocross book. Natalia McKittrick of Pedal Power Photography has just published a book on cyclocross titled Beer. Cupcake. Mustache. Beer. Cupcake. Mustache. is not a how-to [...]
New Product Spotlight: Kore Palmster Road Handlebar Grips

24 April 09 • 0 comment

Okay, maybe the Kore Palmster road handlebar grip is not totally new – the innovative road bar grip has actually been out for over a year now. But even Kore admits they’re little-known, and we finally got our hands on a pair to try on a ‘cross bike. Kore created the grips for people who [...]
New Product Spotlight: Schwalbe Racing Ralph Cyclocross Tire, v2

22 March 09 • 2 comments

With Michelin’s old green mud cyclocross tires commanding crazy prices on eBay, many have turned to Schwalbe’s Racing Ralph tire as a fine alternative (in addition to the Mud2) for most ‘cross conditions with its similar tread. However, for 2009, the German tire company has redesigned the Racing Ralph (we highlighted an early version at [...]