Posts in category gear and bike reviews

FSA and VisionTech showed off new wheelsets at the 2018 Sea Otter Classic. FSA also displayed its new gravel cranksets and K-Force WE wireless groupset.

In addition to bikes, we saw a bunch of gear at Sea Otter. We look at the HipLok locks, Sealskinz socks, Wolftooth Pack Pliers and Fat Chance Chris Cross bike.

Zipp has re-designed its carbon 303 Firecrest tubular wheelset and released an ergo version of the Service Course handlebar. Learn more about both.

Knight Composites has re-designed its 35 TLA (tubeless aero) Disc wheelset for improved performance. We take a look at the Oregon company’s new wheel.

Boyd Cycling’s new Pinnacle line of carbon wheels aims for the top. Learn more about the 700c tubeless hookless gravel and tubular cyclocross wheelsets.

Clever Standards showed off new Carbon Tactic chain rings and a lighter Chain Breaker tool at the 2018 Sea Otter expo. Learn more about the company’s thoughtful products.

Vee Tires is brining BMX to cyclocross and gravel with the Speedster and going Road Plus with the Zilent Sports. Learn more about both all-road treads.

Vittoria is expanding its Terreno line with the new Terreno Zero gravel / all-road tire. We look at the new slick center, side-knobbed option.

Kenda’s newest tubeless gravel tire is the Alluvium, which has dense center knobs and three sizes of side knobs. We take a first look at the new-for-2018 tire.

Our brain can be our worst enemy as athletes. We review The Brave Athlete by Simon Marshal PhD and Lesley Paterson that seeks to provide tools for developing mental strength.

Goodyear Tires is returning to its roots with new tubeless-ready bicycle tires. We look at the 35mm County and 40mm Connector gravel treads.

Challenge Tires is going tubeless for the 2019 model year with its Strada Bianca and Gravel Grinder. It is also offering high-volume tubular versions of the Dune and other treads.

IRC’s new high-volume Boken tubeless gravel tire was inspired by the company’s Serac Sand. A 700c version will be out soon and a 650b model will follow.

The iconic Van Dessel Country Road Bob singlespeed is back with modern amenities on a classic design. We take a first look at the rebooted cyclocross / gravel bike.

Wide rims for cyclocross and gravel? Alto Cycling’s AMX29 alloy tubeless wheelset says yes. We put the wide rims to the test for both ‘cross and gravel in this review.

Kona re-designed the carbon 2018 Major Jake cyclocross bike with more trail and BB drop. We put the new design to the test in this bike review.

Packing your bag for a gravel grinder? Four experts weigh in on gear you do and don’t need to have a safe and successful adventure on your bike.

The Ortlieb Accessory Pack handlebar bag gives you 3.5L of carrying gravel carrying capacity. We packed the Pack up and put it to the test in this review.

Twelve speeds are here with Campagnolo’s re-designed Record and Super Record mechanical disc groupsets. We take a look at the new 12-speed design.

The FSE G40/30X carbon disc tubeless gravel wheelset is ready for roads far and wide. We take a first look at this 1,341g wheelset with 25mm wide rims.

The four-piece Fizik Bar Gel padding goes on your tops and drops to help with bumpy rides. We review this gravel grinder comfort option.

Shimano’s 105 R7000 groupset brings Ultegra design to the company’s workhorse. We take a first look at how changes will affect cyclocross and gravel riders.

Need a spare or replacement thru-axle? The Robert Axle Project matches the right bolt-on axle with your bike. We put the Lightning and Trainer axles to the test.

Looking to add some travel to your cyclocross saddle? The 27.2mm PNW Pine dropper post provides 105mm of drop using a spring-based system. We review the mountain bike crossover seatpost.

Looking to up the volume on your monster cross mash? Here’s eight favorite monster tires that do more than gravel for your dirt and trail adventures.

The PDXCX is Sage Titanium’s cyclocross racing bike hand-built and designed in Oregon. We see how it performs for technical ‘cross riding and mixed terrain adventures.

The Bar Fly Air Lever combines a CO2 inflator and tire levers. We look at this new product to see if it can cut down on bike bag clutter during gravel rides.

Mountain bike rims for cyclocross? We took the Irwin Kova 29er carbon tubeless disc wheelset inside the tape to see if they are ‘cross-worthy.

The ShockStop suspension stem is Redshift Sports’ answer for providing front-end absorption during gravel grinding. We report on the ride and look at this new product.

You may not need a gravel bike, but what if you want one on the cheap? The good news is three decades worth of bikes are ready for your next gravel ride.