Articles by "mtb review"

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Recently I decided to upgrade my stock pedals on my mountain bike to increase stability and grip. The pedals I went with the Spike Flat Pedals due to their look and adjustable pins.

Advantages
Right out of the box I noticed that my decision to upgrade my pedals was the correct decision. The Spike Flat Pedals offered the following advantages.
  • Larger Platform
  • Lighter (Less than 1LB Per Pair)
  • Better Grip (Adjustable Pins)
  • Less Spin (Stay In Place When Foot Slips Off)
Proof
Have you heard the term the "Proof Is In The Pudding" well the first ride with the Spike Flat Pedals not only made the ride more stable it also aloud me to set 20 personal speed records as shown in my Strava report.

Stability
The wider pedal gives you more of a surface area to stand on which is the position you find yourself in on most if not all down hill situations. The biggest advantage of the wide pedal was the distribution of my weight which helped with the pain in the arches of your feet.

Grip
You will find that on a mountain bike if your feet slip just a little you can't pinch the tank with your thighs and readjust your feet like you can on a dirt bike. With 20 adjustable pins you will find that your feet stay in place and your feet no longer slip off which causes the pedal to smack you in the shins.

Overall
If your riding a mountain bike to get in shape or just have fun on two wheels upgrading your pedals is one of the first things I would do to your bike. So far I have been very happy with the Spike Flat Pedals and they are priced right. [Purchase]

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After using the stock tires on my Giant Anthem Mountain bike for over a year and 600 miles it was time to upgrade and change the worn out stock tires. After a little research and talking to fellow riders on the trail I went with the Kenda John Tomac Nevegal folded tire.

First Impression
My first impression out of the box was "Man these tires don't look as aggressive as the picture indicates in the center of the tire." Then after comparing them to my current tires I quickly realized the middle knobby's were more aggressive then I originally thought and the sides knobs were twice the size as my stock tires

Riding Condition Results
In SoCal where I ride most of the conditions are dry, hard packed, sand spots, loose rock, and rock garden areas. 

Hard Packed- This is where this tire performs best. It gets great grip going up and down mountains and turning on berms. The biggest advantage I found was the down hill rolling speed this tire provided. 

Sand- In light sand and deep sand areas this tire maintained its grip and control. The larger side knobs provide excellent grip in those tricky area at the bottom of a hill where sand likes to collect. 

Loose Rock- When going down hill in loose gravel or rock situations this tire maintained its control and grip. The issue is going up hill on loose gravel at slow speeds this tire wanted to throw the rock and cause rear tire to burn out causing loss of momentum.  

Rock Garden- In rock garden situations this tire held its line and provided plenty of grip to maintain speed and momentum. The STICK-E compound pays off in rock gardens.

Muddy- After a good rain on my second day of testing these tires, I found they performed OK in muddy situations. I noticed when slow climbing the knobs didn't throw the mud causing a solid mud tire. When going down hill at faster speeds it allowed the mud to clear the knobs which resulted in good tire performance. 

Overall
In dry hard packed conditions this tire is perfectly designed for max performance when turning and down hill speed. If your riding conditions are loose gravel or muddy you might want to find a more aggressive knobby tire. [Purchase]
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Switching from flat pedals like Spikes to a clip-in style pedal is a hard decision if you're not comfortable being connect to the bike. With my dirt bike background I didn't like the idea of clipping the bike to my feet, but I wanted the advantages of  being clipped in provided therefore I picked up a set of Crank Brothers Mallet 3 pedals.  

First Impression
After removing the pedals out of the box I was impressed with how large the platform was and the quality of the product. Another item I was impressed with was the well wrote "with pictures" provided instructions.

Set-Up
Setting up these pedals was pretty straight forward and easy. The amount of clip in pressure is easily changed depending on which shoe the red dotted cleat is installed. The only issue I had during set up was getting the proper pin adjustment to allow cleat to clip in smoothly. 

Trail Performance
The Mallet 3 pedals were exactly what I was looking for in clip in pedals. They allow me to clip in for long slow climbing situation where utilizing the upward power of your pedal stroke is needed. When riding down hill the large platform allows you to stay un-clipped yet still feel in control of the bike and adjust your body position. 

Overall
Even though I'm still getting used to being clipped in these are my current pedals of choice. The ability to stay un-clipped due to the large platform allows me to feel safe on down hills and even wear street shoes when on a ride with the kids.  One thing I do recommend is when first switching to clip in style pedals practice clipping in and out on a flat grassy area. [Purchase]
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