What is this? A new widget to hold a tube and flat tire kit under one’s saddle. A improvement on the old toe strap, pump strap, or whatever bodge as the Brits call it to hold the tube in place. No longer fighting to open the seat bag and then watch everything fall all over […]

Redbull Rampage is insanity.  It’s riders hucking themselves off some of nature’s most jagged and unforgiving terrain. They travel to Virgin, Utah to design and sculpt their lines a week before competition starts, where they’re judged on every aspect of their descent. It’s a poetic fusion of rider and topography. The visuals are stunning and […]

As most of us are removing our bikes from our December 21 apocalypse shelters, I think we can revel in the fact that considering the world didn’t end, we all will live to see another model year of machines from our favorite industry. In 2013, we can expect to see companies spend heaps of cash […]

Learning to mountain bike in an area like southern Vancouver Island, an area with hundreds of trail systems, a vital and active mountain bike community, and the most temperate climate in Canada to encourage year-round, is not without its challenges. For an absolute beginner, the many trails in this area are mostly far out of […]

When I first downloaded the Strava iPhone app I didn’t know that it would become such a vital part of my daily ride. I have now upgraded to a Garmin Edge 500 GPS and record every ride I go on. To start off I should probably explain what on earth “Strava” is. Well, Strava is […]

I have a confession to make.  I am a bike part shopaholic.  Something about getting a great deal on last years part at 70% off is one of life’s thrills for me.  Why pay full price for anything when you can get it cheaper right?  My angel and devil are constantly fighting about what I […]

This is actually my first pedal upgrade–and while this is a specific pedal review–it also serves as a strong word of advice to beginners: pedals are a cheap and extremely noticeable first upgrade to a bike.  I held off on any upgrade that wasn’t necessary until I had my bike for almost two years.  I […]

Racing is one of those things that you have to experience for yourself in order to understand why week after week the participants keep coming back for more. Depending on how you look at it, racing may not sound very appealing. Driving for hours to wind up at a mountain in the middle of nowhere, […]

Pedals are just pedals right? I used to just put any old pedals on my bike; I really was not that choosy. I guess I used to think this because I had never used a good set of pedals, just the clunky, cheap, thick pedals with crappy pins that I always bought. Well early this […]

I first saw Orontas many months ago when I was doing some research for bike lubricants and grease, their packaging is what first caught my eye but what really stood out for me was this line in their manifesto “We hold ourselves to an ethical standard that includes using sustainable and biodegradable materials that don’t […]