Single speeding is a completely different animal when it comes to mountain biking. The simplicity and riding style is unlike any other form of fat tire obsession. While many think they can just ‘not shift’ and get the same experience…they are wrong. The quiet tranquility and momentum keeping riding style of single speeding is unique to bikes with only...

Towards the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010, we started to see the 29 inch wheel size for mountain bikes get some big rubber. There were other companies on the market that were providing large widths with high volume, but that normally came with a lower, faster rolling tread pattern to appeal to the lighter end of the 29er spectrum. With the introduction of more...

The Hive bike components sent over a set of their triple ring Fifteen.G cranks for review on Bike198.com. I first became aware of The Hive components with their introduction of a unique hub coined the Chub, so I was floored to get in some of their components. Triple Ring Fifteen.G Cranks from The Hive From bythehive.com: Fifteen.G brings you cutting edge mountain bike...

Hayes Disc Brakes sent in a set of their lightweight, racer ready Stroker Gram hydraulic disc brakes for mountain bikes for review on Bike198. These carbon bladed disc brakes round out the lighter end of the lineup for Hayes and provide xc riders and racers with a lighter weight option for their rigs. So after months of abuse on the Turner 5.Spot, how did the Stroker...

With the introduction of 2×10 components from SRAM and Shimano, there has been increasing talk amongst mountain bikers about the benefits of converting their 3×9 drivetrain to a 2×9 drivetrain. This is something I have been doing for a long time now on all of my mountain bikes, so let’s get into the nuts and bolts of what you gain and lose by converting...

Specialized Bicycles sent over a couple of their helmets for review on Bike198. The Vice AM helmet and S-Works MT are both redesigned for the 2010 model year and ready to protect your brain from unwanted smacks to the head should the worst happen. These two helmets go after two kinds of riders, so let’s take a look at each as we start the review process on this end. Specialized...

When I was reviewing the Niner W.F.O. 9 and the Marzocchi 44 29er fork, I really got to thinking about what would be my ideal 140mm travel 29er suspension fork. This market is really gearing up to appeal to my riding style. I like to blast through rock gardens, hit bigger drops and still be able to pedal the bike to the top of the hill. I really want to be able to bury...

With the prime riding season coming for those of us on the top half of the world…we are looking for ways to get our legs ready for the abuse they are going to take on the first couple of excursions out on the bike. All of off-season conditioning, working out and spin bike brainless spinning is all going to come to a head with beautiful blue skies and tacky dirt...