Check Out: Lights, Chain Coatings, Brush Guards & More

Nov 24, 2020
by Daniel Sapp  

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CHECK OUT
Lights, Chain Coatings, Fork Tuning and More


A lot of gear comes across our desks here at Pinkbike. Check Out is a monthly round-up of everything our tech editors have gotten their hands on. Sometimes it's products we're doing long-term tests on. Other times it's stuff we're stoked on but don't have time to fully review. And, sometimes it's crazy shit someone sent us unsolicited, and we're having a laugh.


Outbound Lighting Evo Trail

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Features

• 150+ min run
• 31.8 and 35mm clamps
• $245 USD
• Adaptive run mode
• Quick release mount
• outboundlighting.com

bigquotesOutbound's Trail Evo is the handlebar complement to their helmet-mounted Hangover light. It has a lot of useful features in an easy to operate package and is made to throw a good spread of light from a small package.

The beam pattern on the light is designed to more broadly cover the trail. Outbound claim this helps with vision at night, and the light has over a two hour run time on its adaptive mode. This mode slowly adjusts the output as a riders' eyes adjust to the dark to get the maximum power and run time out of the light. Additionally, the light comes with mounts for 31.6 and 35mm bars, and the quick-release function is easy to use and extremely secure.


Andreani ProImpact Fork Tuning Kit

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Features

• Works with 32-36mm forks
• Allows tuning of air spring
• andreanigroup.eu
• Lightweight
• Highly tunable
• $74.90 USD




bigquotesI feel that mountain bikers love few things more than fiddling with volume spacers to fine-tune their suspension. Andreani Group's ProImpact allows riders to easily tinker with reducing volume and controlling their fork's feel through the use of their polymer dampers. They claim that the polymers have a more constant functionality in the fork during high-intensity use. They also claim the polymers have a dampening effect that cancels vibrations riders may feel In the bars, which increases rider comfort and traction.

These polymers are inserted in the positive air chamber or inside (yes, I said inside) the spring on a coiled fork. This should theoretically allow riders to use lower air pressure in air forks or a softer spring on coil forks while maintaining the same static ride level. Interesting.


Acerbis X-Elite MTB Handguards

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Features

• Thermoplastic, crash-resistant construction
• Protects against debris, cold, brush, trees
• Works on eMTB, MTB, and Dirtbikes
• Multiple color options
• $49.95 USD
• acerbisusa.com




bigquotesThese handguards are made to give a little more confidence in certain terrain, especially if you're riding a brushy trail where sticks or brush is abundant. The guards are lightweight and simple to install, sliding over any standard handlebar and tightening with a Phillips screw.

While they aren't designed to protect against a hard impact on a large tree at full-speed like the bark-busters on an enduro moto, they seem sturdy enough to deflect a lot of the smaller stuff that could leave you with bleeding knuckles, and they'll fend off the biting cold wind in wintry weather.



CeramicSpeed UFO Drip Chain Coating

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Features

• Unique blend of oils and waxes
• Claimed decreased power loss in drivetrain
• 300km per use
• ~35 uses/bottle
• $45 USD
• ceramicspeed.com




bigquotesCeramicSpeed's new UFO Drip Chain Coating is said to offer extreme lubrication through a unique formula comprised of "waxes, trace oils, and friction modifiers" that aim to cut power loss in the drivetrain. With a claimed 35 coatings per bottle, each lasting 300km of whatever you throw at it, I fully plan on not needing any other chain lubrication for at least a season, plus CeramicSpeed claim it outperforms anything else available.

While the $45 USD price seems a bit steep, it's $30 less than the original formula and, at that many claimed uses, it's actually a pretty good deal.


Lizard Skins Cache Seat Bag

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Features

• Velcro attachments
• Three sizes, medium pictured
• Internal organizers
• Clears most tires, even with seat down
• $24.99 USD
• lizardskins.com




bigquotesI really don't like strapping things to my bike but, it's better than wearing a backpack, and having a spare tube and a CO2 is mandatory on most rides. Lizard Skins' Cache saddlebag will work with some dropper posts if you don't mind losing just a touch of drop, and is extremely compact.

The bag comes in three sizes (medium pictured), and its low-profile design keeps it out of the way of tires, even with the seat dropped, and the velcro straps do a fine job of keeping things secure when the trail gets rough.



Posted In:
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Member since Jan 18, 2007
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140 Comments
  • 95 9
 45$ US for chain lube ?? Are people gone crazy !!! Can't believe all the shit they're trying to sell us. Do they really believe people are gonna notice the power gain ? The only thing I'll notice is that you're idiot for wasting 45$ on that
  • 49 0
 Oh dude...you should see the Absolute Black Graphenlube for $146 a bottle. It's the Gautier Cognac of chain lubes.
  • 41 2
 That’s the polar opposite of a guy I know who would riffle through the garbage bins at a service station for car oil containers for a few drops of lube before a ride. Or use the dipstick from his car.
  • 14 4
 The power advantage isn't really meaningful for dirt riding... but it lasts considerably longer per application and you'll get twice as many applications per bottle as most other lubes so it really only works out to be slightly more expensive than something like Rock and Roll Gold lube. And if you already wax your chain, it's awesome for using between waxings. It's not cheap, but it's not nearly as expensive as it sounds if you break it down to costs per mile.
  • 36 2
 Automatic transmission fluid. $5 for a life-time supply of chain lube that works good to great in almost all conditions. Doesn't gum up like oil. Just decant a bit to an old triflow bottle every year or so, and save your luxury dollars for something truly gratifying. Craft beer > craft lube.
  • 9 6
 Just to add to the silliness of that lube....if you ride an actual mountain bike, chances are you have to wash it now and then. That means probably washing the drivetrain a bit, either intentionally or as you wash the rest of the bike off. Thus, it makes more sense to use lube that you re-apply somewhat frequently, including after normal bike-washes. Anyone that pays for this product is either a bona-fide sucker or purebred poseur that never rides dirt.
  • 2 0
 @cerealkilla: How thick is it? Does it collect dirt?
  • 8 5
 Easy. Just don't buy it and they'll stop selling it.
  • 2 1
 @cerealkilla: Do you think using mineral spirits to thin it out would work well? Like Prolink? I know people make their own Prolink style chain lube doing this. The mineral spirits thin the liquid down so it easily penetrates into the chain the the mineral spirits evaporate leaving heavier oil where you want it.
  • 7 0
 Shop at a motorcycle store and you’ll find similar/some of the same products from bicycle shops but in larger containers at lower prices. (Sorry, LBS)
  • 6 1
 @cerealkilla: I've been using ATF for about 25yrs works great.
Got myself plenty of craft beer,
  • 3 0
 But it has that UFO Drip
  • 1 0
 clearly you are not a roadie.
  • 5 0
 @pgomez: Yep, I am in a retail industry. The amount of stuff we get shown with extreme prices vs a cheaper option is ludicrous. I do majority of the buying for the store. So I refuse to buy overpriced items. Alot of customers appreciate what we sell. We also get customers looking for the pricey version and we give them the cheaper one. They come back the next day for more!!!!!
  • 2 0
 Agreed. For some reason any non powered 2 wheel hobby seems to be a magnet for extortion. Our moto brothers don't really suffer the same problem.
  • 4 0
 I'd be more upset about how the heck a set of foam pucks is moar expensive than a pair of plastic brush guards, or a saddle bag...
  • 2 0
 @Someoldfart: dipstick from the car: genius!
  • 2 1
 with bikes reaching 5 digits... what's the problem with $45?

L.O.L.
  • 3 1
 @cerealkilla: Oh man, back when I 1st started cycling we were so broke it wasn't funny. All we had for lube was motor oil & ATF. Usually a good soak over the winter and a few squirts with WD during the season kept us going. Good times!
  • 4 1
 @TDMAN: Isn't it crazy? I just bought snow tires for my car that cost less per tire than 27.5 Maxxis, Schwalbe, Vittoria, Michelin, Continental, etc... Last I year I bought a set of Tein coilovers for less than the cost of a new fork! The cycling hobby is going crazy.
  • 1 0
 @m1dg3t: mmmmm, nothin like a little WD on the chain O_O
  • 1 3
 Boesheild T-9. Still the best after all these years. The snake "oil" these companies keep pumping out is simply due to the general decrease in IQ. It's like an ecosystem, needs to regain equilibrium.
  • 1 0
 @huckschwinn: What's wrong with WD on the chain? I often still use it as a cleaner.
  • 1 0
 @cerealkilla:

"normal bike-washes"...am I supposed to do that?
  • 2 0
 dude its from space it says ufo right on there. It has to be good.
  • 3 0
 Silca super secret chain lube, halfs the cost of drive train by doubling its life span. You would be an idiot not to use it.
zerofrictioncycling.com.au
  • 3 0
 @sngltrkmnd: Top tip. Recently purchased 10 litres of muc off *bike* cleaner from motorcycle shop at a fraction of the price of muc off *cycle* cleaner. Exactly the same stuff as far as i can tell (or at least my bike is just as clean after a wash).
  • 3 0
 @Riyadh: I'm with you on that but there's still a surprising amount of people that want to pay more. I had a friend who worked at an outdoor sports/activity shop and had numerous similar variations of the following conversation:

Customer: Is this £300 North Face outdoor research coat any good?
Friend: Depends, what do you want to use it for?
Customer: Walking the dog.
Friend: Sure, but this £50 coat of a simar style will be more than adequate for your needs and at a much better price.
Customer: I want the £300 one.
  • 10 0
 @tacklingdummy: Certified automotive technology instructor here. ATF has about the same consistency as 10W-30 engine oil. ATF is different (and probably why it's great as a chain lube) because it contains detergents and cleaners for the wet clutches inside of automatic transmissions. It is specifically designed to work with sediment that eventually forms inside of the transmission as these clutches wear down. Hope this helps!
  • 2 0
 @defineindecline: Great explanation. Interested in trying a new chain lube.
  • 2 0
 @defineindecline: Great explanation. Interested in trying a new chain lube.
  • 2 0
 @gcrider: the new synergetic wet lube from Silca has me all sorts of excited.
  • 2 0
 If you use a wax product (not Wend) the gunk doesn’t get in so the chain stays cleaner and last longer and saves you $$$
I use Smoove ( which is amazing compared with normal lube) but I will change to Silca ( as even better)when I get a new chain
They have wax , liquid wax and liquid lube to choose from. Although expensive up front. Is actually the cheapest lube if you factor in wear and drive train life spain and cost of replacement
zerofrictioncycling.com.au/lubetesting

@tacklingdummy:
  • 2 0
 @gcrider: Like I said above, Boesheild T9. Was well known in the bike industry back in the 90's, but then wasn't so sexy as it is associated with aerospace. One can, or one container of drip, lasts me literally years. And my drivetrains last well past the expected range too.
  • 2 0
 Does sound great. But as I bought an ultrasonic cleaner(made a huge difference) I will go wax.

They only downside of buying Silca products is that every time I buy them I have a serious case of FOFO. Felling of f*#ked off because the previous product is so crap in comparison

@kokofosho:
  • 1 0
 @Someoldfart: Good idea! I may try that!
  • 2 1
 @tacklingdummy: It's thinner than oil, thicker than triflow. It doesn't collect dirt as much as most other lubes I have used, and the bits I scrape from the derailleur pulley wheels tend to be easier to remove than with conventional lube.
  • 4 0
 @Chuckolicious: I guess if I had never tried anything else I might think Boeshield was the best. I wanted it to be good because it's associated with aerospace. But it is a highly mediocre chain lube. Squirt or Smoove are both way better, Smoove is my current favorite but I don't doubt someone will come up with something superior, they may already have done so. Because that's how it works, things improve with time and development. Why would you think a product decades old that was never intended to be a chain lube would somehow be the holy grail of chain lube technology?
  • 1 0
 Best chain lube you can get is to make your own... Buy a cheap crock pot, few pounds of food grade paraffin wax, some 1 micron PTFE, and some 1 micron tungsten disulfide... melt, mix, and dip. Repeat every few hundred miles.
  • 3 1
 @gcrider: ultrasonic cleaner? Couldn't get any more dentist than that!
  • 1 0
 @southoftheborder: $50 or so and useful for far more than just your chain... not very dentist at all.
  • 1 0
 Guilty!! But im the only one I know that cares that much . I actually bought it as part of a record cleaning system.

@southoftheborder:
  • 2 1
 @m1dg3t: Completly agree! that is way, I've return to Enduro (Moto)! Last set of Brake pads lasted...for ever, and it costed only 18€! I can go to trails from home using public roads, and mpg is very low (around 45mpg).
Tires also cost less than major MTB brands, and after 5 sets, replacement is only due to worn thread and not even 1 tear, or flat, or nothing.
I do enjoy and love my favorit sport (MTB), but with new people coming on-board with too much money, and paying for all this, we just need to steer out of this mambo-jambo!

MTB (not talking E-Mopeds!) is all about the rider and the ride.

Having a 45USD chain oil, will give ZERO advantage over any weekend warrior. there is so good and fine products out there, that there no need for high end mambojambo BS.
  • 57 9
 Note to Acerbis: MTBs have grips, hydraulic brakes, shifters, dropper levers, lockout levers, etc. on the handlebars. It's just as hard or possibly harder to strip the handlebars on my MTB as it is on my CRF, so a slip-on clamp is a deal breaker for many. Make a 2 piece clamp if you actually want to sell any of these hand guards, which you probably could. I'm sure the e-bike crowd would eat them up, just one step closer to riding a full-out motorcycle on the local MTB trails.
  • 15 0
 I actually just installed a set of these Acerbis guards on my bike. The mount is plastic, so I was able to just stretch them on over the bar without having to remove my grips or brake levers. It was about a 3 minute install.
  • 3 0
 I ride on mostly natural trails with quickly changing overgrown and have also killed multiple brake levers, wouldn't mind to try some handguards someday. But, IMO, missed opportunity for Acerbis. A plastic, flimsy looking bracket and closed clamp.
  • 4 3
 Just move your grips in on the bar and mount the guards upside down on the outside
  • 10 6
 'I'm sure the e-bike crowd would eat them up, just one step closer to riding a full-out motorcycle on the local MTB trails.' Comment of the week. Alot of truth in that!
  • 1 0
 I have been considering similar items for a while. I ride in an area with extensive gorse. That is all the justification I need!
  • 1 0
 I just wear good old Fox Bomber gloves.
  • 3 0
 @robw515 The mounts are just flexible enough that you can spread the clamp enough to get them over the bar. You don't have to remove anything to install them.
  • 1 0
 I’m seriously considering a set for winter riding. My fingers were pretty chilly after my last night ride!
  • 2 0
 @Acerbis-USA: Thanks for the reply, myself and many others do really appreciate when manufacturers take the time to address people's questions/comments. Anyone interested in these should look at the Acerbis-USA profile page, many pics of the hand guards installed on bikes which is a lot more useful than seeing them installed on a picnic table.
  • 21 0
 I'd use the crap out of a saddle bag that doesn't attach to my dropper, just the seat rails
  • 14 0
 watch for wheel interference if on a FS
  • 8 0
 Lezyne make a few different versions like that.
  • 2 0
 Theyve made them for road bikes for years
  • 2 2
 Wolftooth makes a part called "valais 25" that solves that problem
  • 4 0
 Inside Line Equipment and never look back
  • 1 0
 I use the Ortlieb Micro Two and have no complaints.
  • 4 0
 I have two for you, I have both.

www.amazon.com/dp/B00NAR0U4Q

and

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WDCYNH1

Lezyne has a beefier strap and a smidge more room. Arundel is made from the same stuff as Zodiac boats with the same kind of marine zipper.
  • 2 0
 Backcountry Research has just what you’re looking for.
  • 1 0
 Get a top tube bag, the one that attaches to your stem as well as the top tube. If you need more storage, put it backwards, holding onto the top tube and seat tube. ungainly, but does the trick
  • 4 0
 @Chuckolicious: +1 on the lezyne. The one I have on the mtb has a 29 butyl tube, levers, multitool (w/ chain breaker), plug tool + bacon strips
  • 1 0
 This blows doors on all of the above: size is perfect for MTB flat kit, strap is bomber, and the full-access "hatchback" design means you can pack it full and still easily remove whatever you want w/o interference from an undersized zippered opening: www.speedsleev.com/product/speedsleev-ranger
  • 1 0
 Wouldn't there actually be more room under the front of the saddle than under the rear? Room under the rear of the saddle is indeed limited if you run a big rear wheel, rear suspension and/or a wireless dropperpost with a battery/antenna bulge in the same spot. Whereas unless you tend to hook your foot under the saddle for BMX-style tricks, few people actually use the room under the front of the saddle. It obviously needs to be narrower but in turn, it could be taller and especially for those who tend to slide their saddles forwards in the railclamps, there may be more potential there without any of the compromises you make with a traditional rear mounted bag.
  • 1 0
 @aharms I have a dakine hotlaps pouch and it straps under my saddle with no post interference.
  • 1 0
 Check out SpeedSleev. I got one for use on my road bike, but I started running it on my my fatbike (on a transfer dropper) and it works really well. Holds c02, multi tool, pliers, patch kit, etc. Dropper runs just fine with it and it’s rails only connection.
  • 1 0
 @vinay: Hmm... I can envision this Sack Sack you speak of! Aesthetics aside, you might be onto something.
  • 1 0
 I use a small road saddle bag. It carries a tube, my Wolftooth pliers, a tiny (keychain sized) gerber mulit-tool, a C02 cartridge and valve head. I strap it on backwards so that it clears the dropper at full compression. It's small enough and tight enough that it doesn't rattle or move around. It's made of coated nylon so it keeps its contents clean and mostly dry. It's not super handy to get the stuff out, but I'm not racing, and that's stuff I only need access to once or twice a season. This guy: road.cc/content/review/185495-gt-attack-saddle-bag
  • 1 0
 Wow, so many recommendations. I'm a big fan of the Lezyne ones, though my only concern would be how well that plastic clip would hold up. The strap type seems perfect for me so I'll probably get one of those. Thanks y'all!
  • 1 0
 @aharms: www.speedsleev.com/product-category/saddle-packs
  • 2 0
 @aharms: well my 161 has a crazy steep seat tube of 80° there can't be an interference here.
  • 13 1
 Jesus those fork spacers. In so many ways our sport has completely jumped the shark.
  • 5 0
 Marshmallows are much cheaper!!!
  • 9 0
 @unrooted: Burrito in my swatbox and marshmallows in my fork...so enduro!
  • 6 0
 Put that 80usd towards a Vorsprung product!!!
  • 1 0
 Considering how bonkers so much of the stuff being released in the 90s was, I think the scene is pretty sane actually
  • 1 0
 @Arierep: we've just gone full circle.
  • 2 0
 @Arierep: Was an amazing time, especially 90-95. The Rube Goldberg factor was off the scale.
  • 13 2
 300km of use for a lube... that's a bold statement in the pnw. I'm curious to see if it that good or just marketing bs.
  • 16 0
 Im sure it's road use, in good weather
  • 7 0
 Pretty bold here in the southeast too.
  • 8 1
 So about $1.35 per use , seems reasonable. I use synthetic motor oil that’s about $.05 per use.
  • 15 1
 I've been experimenting with these wax-emulsion lubes. I haven't tried the UFO—at $45 for the bottle I doubt I ever will—but there are cheaper ones out there from Silca, Smoove, Squirt, probably others. And the thing that people miss when they gripe about the price is just how much less grit and debris these lubes pick up compared to the chain lubes we're all used to using. Cleaner chains mean longer lasting better performing drivetrains, and that means that these somewhat spendier lubes more than pay for themselves in terms of money not spent on new chains and cassettes.

It's not just about efficiency and watts for roadies. This stuff has a pretty solid use case in MTB too.
  • 4 0
 @BrambleLee: Are they only for dry weather? Thx.
  • 5 1
 @kingbike2: that is more expensive per use than my xtr chain.
  • 3 0
 @mybaben: Smoove works ok in wet weather but doesn't last nearly as long as in dry. In the dry I can do 10-20 rides. In the wet maybe 3-4. Cleaning is more difficult than traditional lubes too. But I fine my chain lasts twice as long on Smoove in terms of stretch.
  • 1 0
 m.quickmeme.com/img/c1/c164063673c06376b71f1900529005eec817787066405f4de40788c1d2460058.jpg
  • 1 0
 @bigtuna00: Thanks mate!
  • 2 0
 @BrambleLee: I've been using a melted solid wax for my road bike and squirt emulsion wax on my MTB for the last season and it really seems to hold up well.
Especially the melt wax on the road bike, I used about an hour to prepare two chains before the season, rode them each for about 300 km then half an hour reapplication and that was enough to finish the season. Been running really clean the entire time.
I was a bit more lazy and skeptical with the mountain bike and didn't need a new chain, so I just cleaned it thoroughly and used squirt lube. Much cleaner than even dry oil and so far it is yet to wash off in the mud. Quite impressed. I've been applying it after every ride like a normal lube though.
  • 1 0
 I'd love to see more real world feedback from those of us that end up rolling around in the mud! Does waxing work? I know roadies love waxing (chains and legs), but where I ride can dissolve brake pads and drivetrains in a few hours of wet riding.
PS, for maximum chain geekery, check out zero friction cycling...
  • 4 0
 @BrambleLee: Agree! I use Squirt lube on my road and XC bike. Awesome stuff, keeps the chain super clean. If anything, I found wax-based lubes are even more useful on a MTB. I use the stuff year-round. I think it's better than wet lube in wet and grimy condition, as the chain does not become sticky and attract all the junk that destroys your drivetrain.
  • 1 0
 @mybaben: Not at all, they work great in the wet too.
  • 3 0
 @islandlife98: +1 for Squirt. Used it for years now, always keeps the chain dirt free and shifting good.
  • 22 15
 You thought we wouldn’t want the lumens for the light? Or is it just a head light for my e-motorcycle?
Hand-guards are a sweet edition to my e-motorcycle.
$50 chain lube for my e-motorcycle.
And a seat bag from the 90s.
There is a lot to love here.
  • 9 0
 It's a bad week for mtb products when a saddle bag is the most desirable thing going
  • 5 1
 Don't waste your hard earned chicken on this! For only $30 you can get a 3 ounce bottle of 100 percent organic grass fed goat sperm lube. Its good for 130 km and can be used for hair loss too. LEGIT.
  • 6 0
 I feel like the foamy fork spacers are just a ripoff of Formula's idea from last year
  • 3 0
 @aharms hopefully they don't disintegrate inside your fork like the Formula Neopos
  • 1 0
 It looks more like Deaneasy ABS. Neopos is closed cell foam and takes up part of the length of the air chamber, ABS is open cell foam and takes up the full length.
  • 1 0
 @vinay: I think Andreani acted first as a distro for Daneasy ABS and then just bought them
  • 2 0
 @Becciu: Ah, I see on their website indeed:
www.deaneasy.it/en

It is funny how Pinkbike was skeptical when they found out about Deaneasy ABS (yet didn't even try to understand how it actually works) yet under this different brand name they suddenly call this product "interesting".

www.pinkbike.com/news/check-out-fork-foam-new-shoes-tool-holders-a-luxury-cooler-and-more-april-2019.html

Yet have they even bothered to just give it a shot? I'm still considering them for my own simple airsprung forks (with no negative air chamber). Only slight worry I have is that I'm supposed to have a little bit of lubrication oil inside my air chamber. My lowers are lubed with grease but I understand mixing the two gives you a sticky mess. As you're supposed to coat these foam spacers with grease I'm not sure how that will work out in my forks. I could forego the oil in the air chamber but I'm worried that this will eventually lead to accelerated wear and increased static friction. Anyone has any experience with these in their forks? Rear shock air chambers are typically lubed with grease already so using it there should be less of an issue.
  • 1 0
 @vinay: Slick Honey is a suspension grease that's soluble in the oil, so it's meant to mix in over time. The foam would likely absorb most of the oil in the air chamber, and although that means the foam is then lubricated like a foam ring on a dust wiper, the oil that's supposed to be free to move around isn't. However, if you achieve full travel once in a while, it would wring out the foam like a sponge and release all that oil...

Honestly, for my use case, I'm more comfortable just adding extra oil to make it more progressive in the traditional way. My X Fusion Revel has a coil negative spring so more oil won't clog up an equalizing port.
  • 2 0
 @aharms: Yeah I'm using a Magura TS8 fork which uses their Forkmeister grease in the lowers, probably comparable to other fork greases (and the Deaneasy grease) though I'm not sure. I've used several Magura 2007 and 2008 forks and in the single chamber air forks I indeed used to add extra oil to increase progression. But over time they gradually reduced the air chamber size hence for this later generation fork I never felt the need for more progression, though they do actually offer traditional plastic volume spacers.

However, I think this open cell foam is not supposed to act just like a simple rigid volume reducer. I can imagine that during a fast compression the air pressure ramps up quickly (as it takes time for the air to enter the open cell foam) yet there will be less force driving the rebound stroke as it takes time for the air to leave the foam. So I can imagine you'd need less damping both ways, especially for the faster motion. Another function of it would be to work as an elastomer spring but I don't view that as the main task.

Again, that's how I imagined it would work when I first learned about the system back im April 2019. But I would love it if there would just be some magazine that'd actually test these instead of just skip from "skeptical" to "interested" with zero testing in between.
  • 1 0
 @vinay: If we talk about the neopos, it is drowned in oil, at least for my Selva, 35ml of fluid for the air chamber.
  • 1 0
 @Serpentras: Yeah, but that's Neopos. Deaneasy ABS needs to be covered in grease so I was wondering how that would jive with the oil that the airchamber also needs.
  • 11 4
 Hambini needs to review that lube.
  • 11 1
 that dude talks too much
  • 3 1
 He's not an "EM TEE BEE MAN" though Smile
  • 1 0
 Why? So he can shout and swear and then release his own version?

Have you seen how expensive his special bottom brackets are that solve all of the problems he rants about? He isn’t having them made from unicorn horn on a machine powered by Jesus.
  • 1 0
 Who?
  • 6 0
 $75 bucks for plastic spacers...
  • 8 0
 Might as well just drop a few Lucky Charms marshmallows down your tube...
  • 1 0
 @Pixelbanger: I see it, Lucky fleeing down the hill on a green DH rig, with the kids in hot pursuit: Catch Lucky!
  • 1 0
 That bag has the worst strap design ever for MTB use on a dropper post. Look closely at how the strap needs to be kinked to line up with the velcro. For that bag to be cinched tight to the seat, the strap on the post would need to go down a few inches. As shown in the photo, the bag would be rattling everywhere in 30 seconds on anything other than a smooth road. The bag is essentially a fail for use on a bike with a dropper post. Nice for a roadie though.
  • 3 0
 Those crash resistant handlebar covers activated when I was mid OTB, they automatically righted my bike and flung back into my clips.
  • 1 0
 thank goodness for a string of foam to shove inside my coil spring to help alleviate the poor performance of the damper and the binding bushes that i've neglected through trying to save money by not servicing them enough. pass
  • 2 0
 I could use those Acerbis handguards in the summer. It seems like I'm always catching berry-bush thorns in my knuckles on the outskirts of the trail. I also crash a lot, so not sure they'd be a solid investment...
  • 1 0
 Weird that the Outbound Lighting Evo Trail lights do not have any specs showing the light output in lumens. All the web page talks about is how well the light floods with it's beam pattern in comparison to another brand of light on a single model. They're touting it as American made with a ridiculous price of $245USD! For that price with no remote control for light output settings? C'mon! There are better options out there that are better priced and with specs that you can trust.
  • 4 1
 If we got rid of daylight savings we wouldn't need to consider a light for $245 usd.
  • 3 1
 The handlebar guards also serve to block the wind without the whole "trapped" feeling of bar mitts, for winter riding.
  • 2 0
 Super confused on how those polymers might work on a coil fork. Can anyone understand their website?
  • 1 1
 Those outbound lights look pretty sweet. It’s an awfully big price jump to equivalent self-contained systems like exposure, which admittedly do have more features but are insanely expensive.
  • 2 0
 That seat bag has inspired me to start marketing toe clips...longer and slacker to match modern MTB geometry.
  • 3 0
 Nothing there for me
  • 2 0
 Formula wants their NEOPOS back.
  • 1 2
 I was just checking out OL’s Evo downhill package an hour ago. 150+ min run time on adaptive seems aight. I’m just wondering how that’s gonna feel on top of a helmet being self contained like that
  • 6 0
 It's not a helmet light... it's the bar light complement to the "hangover" which is the helmet light. I have the previous trail light and the hangover helmet light, they're both really fantastic lights. The trail light is plenty bright with a broader beam than anything else I've used and the hangover is light, compact, easy to operate with gloves on and disappears on your helmet while providing plenty of light as a complementary head light.
  • 1 0
 I have the trail light as well, and it's terrific. One of the best purchases I've made.
  • 2 0
 Get the hangover. I have it and I don't bother to take it off my helmet for day rides because it is so unobtrusive. Charging by usb-c is great. Just ordered this evo, we'll see, but looks good too.
  • 1 0
 @badbadleroybrown: yeah the downhill package comes with both lights. Makybe I’ll pull the trigger if it’s that...light
  • 2 0
 Ran the hangover last night, fantastic light. Light enough that I didn’t notice it and low enough that the trees didn’t grab it. That combined with the amazing peripheral lighting made for a fantastic ride. Eagerly awaiting my EVO lights arrival! Can’t wait to chuck My cheap knock off $25 dollar eBay handlebar light and the 3 battery packs I have to carry with me to insure I make it home!
  • 1 0
 Not bashing the knock offs, ran them many rides. However, really like usb-c charging and knowing what's left.
  • 2 0
 so is formula licensing NEOPOS now or do I have it backwards or something
  • 2 0
 That shot of the lube dripping...NSFW
  • 2 1
 You have to have a SMART trainer to use Zwift.
  • 2 0
 Hey now, that's not the Slim Shady comment I've come to love from you. Now TELL us how Zwift rolls! :-D
  • 1 0
 @Chuckolicious: Glad I'm making a name for myself. Someone has to keep core vibes alive around here.
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