Perfect Cycling Equipment Product & Review

Giro Design At It’s Best. The original Pneumo built a loyal following of Giro fans all over the world. So loyal, we know it was time to bring it back. This season marks the return of the popular helmet, with a timelessly sleek, organic look. A new and improved fit system combines with feather-light slim-line webbing and an increased number of strategically placed vents to create one of the most breathable, stylish and easy-to-wear helmets on the pavement, singletrack or velodrome.

Shimano’s SLX groupset has been celebrated as the everyday rider’s groupset since it was released, so when Shimano announced news of a full revamp, the company immediately piqued our interest. Introducing both functional and aesthetic upgrades, Shimano redefined what’s expected of a workhorse groupset. We’d be thrilled to spec a new do-it-all trail frame with a one-by SLX drivetrain, adding the Shimano SLX BL-M7000 Disc Brake to give us the reassurance that we’ll have long-lasting stopping power for every unknown situation we can’t help but dive into. Taking inspiration from its pricier XT and XTR drivetrains, Shimano aimed to shave weight and enhance responsiveness with the BL-M7000. Sure, older SLX brakes functioned well enough, but these have been cleaned up to function even closer to their pricier siblings. They’ll still weigh more than XT, but the gap has been narrowed without a matching increase in price. A more streamlined master cylinder saves weight on the main caliper body, while slimmer clamps reduce clutter on the bars. Shimano revisited its Servo Wave cam system when updating the levers, making subtle alterations to improve power and responsiveness when you squeeze them fast ahead of a steep, unexpected switchback. Though they are not included with this brakeset, the Centerlock rotors weren’t spared the wave of Shimano’s wand, returning with an alloy carrier and new shape that enables them to more efficiently dissipate heat.

Somewhere between plus-sized and XC-skinny, between puncture-prone garbage and prohibitively expensive race tires, there is a happy trail rubber medium. We call that place the 27. 5in Maxxis Minion DHF Wide Trail EXO/TR Tire. The Minion WT is 2. 5in wide, so it doesn’t have the prohibitive clearance issues that plague 3in plus-size tires, and it’s got a hit of sidewall protection to keep it rolling through all-mountain terrain. Despite not measuring in the 2. 8in range, the Minion WT still accommodates the current trend of wider rims with a tread pattern designed to sit fat without the risk of the shoulder knobs migrating onto the center rolling surface — a distinct possibility with narrower tires mounted on wide rims. This preserves the rolling speed and cornering grip that keeps us coming back to the dual-compound Minion party, and makes the DHF model’s reliability on soggy trails that much more appealing. Sitting fat also equates to more air volume, which in turn makes for a plusher, less flat-prone, and higher traction ride — all of which properties are further boosted by running the Minion tubeless. This particular Minion also features Maxxis’ EXO cut- and abrasion-resistant sidewalls, which are supple enough to maintain trail feel but tough enough to take a rocky beating so you don’t end up with sliced rubbers while shredding some pointy rocks and sharp-edged drops.

The innovative lock-on protective chinbar is the ultimate solution for progressive trail riding adaptability.

The Hotshot SL is the streamlined form of the Hotshot 2W, one of the hottest tail lights available. The Hotshot SL boasts the same powerful 2 watt red LED like the original Hotshot and an integrated Li-ion battery for convenient USB charging that eliminates battery costs and waste. Exclusive features such as OSP technology (patent pending) lets you quickly fine tune each of the 3 Flash speeds to your preference with the push of a button, while lasting up to 200 hours on a single charge. The Hotshot SL is Cygolite’s best safety tail light streamlined for the price conscious rider.

The Fast Forward Aluminum is a triathlon and time trial specific seatpost that, when used with a standard road geometry frame, allows the rider to obtain a position commonly found with steeper seat-tube angled triathlon and time trial bikes. AL seatpost effectively changes a 73 seat tube angle frame to 78 . Moves the riding position forward up to 38mm. 6061-T6 aluminum construction.

The GR2 features a composite 3-finger bar end with anti-slip rubber inserts. Its size and shape are ideal for small to medium sized hands (Size S: 6.5 – 8.5) as well as for medium to larger sized hands (Size L: 8.5 – 10.5). The bar end and the grip platform can be independently adjusted for the correct support angle and provides the perfect fit for your individual riding style.

Redesigned for 2014 with upgraded materials and incorporated new mechanism for smooth and reliable shifting. The most significant upgrade is the Zero-Loss Technology. Zero-Loss Tech. decreases the lever travel required to execute a shift, the rider experience a super fast and precise shift.