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...

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...

I’m sure you have already seen the spy pictures and specs. Shimano and SRAM are both making a push on the new 10 speed platform for 2011. So…it begs the question…do we really need 10 speed mountain bike drivetrains? First off, I completely agree with a 2x setup on the front. I have been running this setup on my 9 speed stuff for a long time with the aid...

Marzocchi Suspension has the jump on RockShox and Fox. For 2009 (2010 model), Marzocchi released the 44 series suspension fork with the first, mainstream 140mm travel 29er fork on the market. Until this point in time, those with big hoops looking for longer travel only really had the White Brothers to look towards. Now…with Marzocchi entering the ring, big time fork...

The Shimano Deore XT lineup as been the staple for Shimano mountain biking since back in the early days. With it’s XTR couterpart, Deore XT has provided high quality components at a mid-level price that parts whores and budget minded riders can all get on board with. Over the years, Shimano has had incredible success with the Deore XT component group, so how does...