Big Mountain Riding

Check in here for product reviews from the mountain bike and outdoor press on bikes, gear and locations made for big mountain riding. All reviews are written from the perspective of how the reviewed bike / gear / location matches up with big mountain riding (long, technical and rough riding).

You can see all reviews under the “Reviews” category on the right hand side of the main page.

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Review #8 – Trek Remedy 8

Review & Photos: Randy King

Cruising Moab’s main drag for the first time, my brother and I dug all the signs of this vibrant culture we had joined: the Moab Cyclery safari truck with mounts for 20 bikes, the Gonzo Inn, the Poison Spider Bikes mural. One of our favorites was a campground that boasted: Fun Pigs stay at Slickrock. The Trek Remedy 8 is made for those self-same fun pigs. It is a bike that eggs on its rider and will feed your porcine speed-needs until you find yourself hours later, still pushing personal limits and stuttering gibberish like that laughable Looney Tunes porker.

It takes craft to make something that rides like such cheap fun, and this is a well-made all-mountain rig. Trek redesigned the Remedy with matched 150MM (6″) of quality Fox travel front and back, and it rips along the trail. Read the entire review.

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Review #7: Gary Fisher Superfly 100, from Big Mountain Riding

Review: Randy King

Photos: Scott Schekman & Randy King

Out of the corner of my eye I could see those skinny, semi-slick hoops spinning away over all the obstacles the trail had to offer – looking even skinnier because of their bigger diameter. This Gary Fisher Superfly 100 was my first real ride on a 29″ bike, and yet if it weren’t for that  glimpse, I wouldn’t even know I was aboard a “big wheel” bike. Frankly, I rode away a bit confused. Not with the bike, which rides like what it is marketed as – a full-suspension racing bike that is as light as a hard tail – but with the 29″ experience. More on that later; to the bike.

Riding the roots and log crossings of Bedford VA’s Falling Creek Park, the Superfly’s suspension performed as the definition of efficiency. If you asked me if I noticed the suspension while riding I’d say no. However, I also stayed seated through little bumps and bops that would have bucked me about aboard a hard tail. This bike is a competent climbing and efficient-pedaling ride. And the bigger wheels do eat up obstacles that might make a rider balk on a 26″ wheel race bike. (Of course it’s easy to forget that only a few years ago, 100MM (4-inches) of travel would have been considered All Mountain. In other words, that suspension that is so easy to forget about on the Superfly 100 is big enough to handle a lot of terrain change, especially when paired with bigger wheels.)

Read the entire review.

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Review #6: Trek Fuel EX 9.9, from Big Mountain Riding

Trek Fuel EX = A Rico Suave All-Around Bike

Review: Randy King

Photos: Scott Schekman & Randy King

The Trek Fuel EX 9.9 is an inspiring all-around bike, great for big mountain riding: it is fast, light weight and cheeky. The top of the Fuel line model is a sort of James Bond super agent of bikes. Yes, some other bikes can run, jump and fight as well, and yet others share its dark good looks. However, the Fuel EX 9.9 does both at the same time, making its rider look as good and as competent merely by association. Read the entire review.

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Review #4: Diamondback Mission 3 from Dirt Rag #142

Vitals:

Cost: $1300 frame and fork, $3750 as tested. Weight: 34 pounds www.diamondback.com

Eric McKeegan tests the top dog in Diamondback’s Mission line, the Mission 3, which is built to favor the descent-loving side of big mountain riding Modern all mountain bikes designed for big mountain riding can handle climbing chores almost as easily as they do descending. (Of course, it’s up to the rider to provide the power and/or mojo.) That said, some bikes are built more for the climbing side of all mountain, and some are set-up more for the steeps. The Mission 3 is one of those, with 2.3″ tires front and rear, and up to 150MM (5.9″) travel front and rear. Unfortunately, all this rough-and-tumble capability comes at a price in weight, the Diamondback Mission 3 tips the scales at 34-pounds (15.4 KG).

Like a good all mountain rig should, the Diamondback Mission 3 encourages chutzpah and aggressive riding. Eric found himself taking the rough way home, plowing through rocks and roots and looking for jumps. The bike also proved worthy in the park, and handled his trip to the indoor park with guts. The bike also features the Truativ Hammerschmidt system up front (an integrated system including the front sprockets, shifter and crank arms.

Components highlights: The Fox RP23 rear shock works well with the Knucklebox suspension system to keep the center of gravity low, eat up small and medium bumps and deal with the occasional big hit. Up front is a new Fox 32 TALAS RL, with 3 travel settings, 110, 130 and 150 MM (4.3″, 5.12″ and 5.9″) with a functional on-the-fly adjustable lever, giving the rider some good options depending on the trail. Shifting: SRAM X.9 rear derailleur and shifters, Truativ Hammerschmidt. Stoppies: Avid Elixir CR 185 f/160 r. A nice touch is the carbon Easton handlebar, the Easton Monkey Lite CNT.

Read the whole Dirt Rag Review of the Diamondback Mission 3.

© Big Mountain Riding

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Review #3 – Crank Brothers Acid 1 pedals – A long-term, Big Mountain Riding Review

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Review #2 – Fox Launch Knee and Shin Armor – from Big Mountain Riding

Cost: $50-60

Big Mountain Rider: Randy King

I bought my Fox Launch pads at Poison Spider bike shop in Moab, UT.  Moab is where I had also bought my first pair of knee/shin pads – another pair of Fox pads, back in 2001. Thankfully, that’s where all similarities end. I like the Launch pads, they pedal well, are relatively cool at speed, and do their duty when things go down hard. The X-Up strap design is a great idea. It is fast to attach and remove, lets air flow and keeps the pads in place through pretty much the entire range of leg movement. This last is an important feature for all mountain riders who pedal up and drop in. My previous Fox pads were the type held on primarily by elastic hosiery. That has several flaws: too hot, slips off of skinny legs like mine, feels like support hose. The X-Up straps snap on with plastic pressure clips, which means that once the rider has the straps dialed in, there is only one velcro connection to mess with – the lower strap.

Take-Away Box

Why it’s made for Big Mountain Riding:

X-Up straps keep pads in place even during vigorous pedaling, are quick to put on and take off.

Does its job well: good coverage, functioning cooling vents.

Why it may not be your next armor:

Heavy-duty, can chafe.

The pads also look mean, which is always a plus when you’re sitting at the top of a rock garden trying to convince yourself this won’t hurt too much. Black and red with a small silver Fox head just below the knee (how many people prefer the old motocross Fox head logo to the little blue and white Fox tail logo that makes it onto the bike parts? – ePoll coming soon, me thinks).The plastic of the pads is covered in small holes other than on the knee pad and the shin bone spine. These holes actually do their job, and I could feel air moving in, especially at speed.

I put the Launch to test on the Porcupine Rim Trail the same day that I bought them, and I liked them immediately. No more slippage. Pads were actually in place to protect my knees when I started down. Took a header off the rock stairs in Jackass Canyon near the bottom of Porcupine, inspired by great riding with my brother, Dig, and the confidence of pads. They did their duty.

Back in Virginia, I bust out the pads for features days, when I work on log rides, etc. I put the Launches to real use in Richmond’s Powhite Park, toppling off of a bridge and falling about four feet to the ground. My knee found a rock hidden under the leaves, and the Launches picked up their first real scar, while my knee only smarted slightly from the whack. Job well done. © Big Mountain Riding

Check out a wide selection of crash protection at Huck N Roll, via the link in the Right side bar.

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Commencal Meta in flight

Review #1 – Commencal Meta 6.2 from Dirt Rag Magazine issue #141

Adam Lipinski reviews the 160MM (6.3 inches) travel Commencal Meta 6.2 and it sounds like a rough and ready big mountain riding bike, with a preference for descents, but a very effective pro-pedal platform that makes climbing efficient for an almost 35-pound (15.77KG)  bike.

The Meta impressed Adam with its adaptability and bombproof design. He rode it at the local bike park and on rides ranging from downhill runs on moto trails to cross country. The Meta handled it all with aplomb, and climbed better than a 35-pounder seemingly would. Throughout the extended Dirt Rag review, the Meta’s strong parts mix held up to the rough riding that is the bike’s home turf. Adam includes a nice review the Commencal’s chops on a full-throttle enduro ride on slippery, eroded trails.

Take-Away Box

Why it’s made for Big Mountain Riding:

Adjustable features for varying riding conditions and styles: Head angle, front and rear suspension, seat post, brake mounts.

Bomb-proof design features: stainless steel and zinc inserts on suspension and brake bolts.

Why it may not be your next ride:

Weight: 34.76 pounds, Cost: $4400

Components highlights: The Fox Float RP2 mated to a single-pivot swingarm in the back features a longer stroke and high volume, and really shines on a bike that has to be ready for drop-offs and steep climbs in the same ride. The Rockshox Lyric IS Solo Air fork pairs up well with the Fox rear, and features user-friendly adjustability for climbing, downhill and everything in between. A Maxle through-axle adds to the Lyric’s hurly-burly cred. The handle-bar activated Crank Brothers Joplin R adjustable seat-post bolsters rider confidence with 3-inches (76MM) of on-the-fly adaptability the ever-changing scenarios of big mountain riding, and cleaned up to full functionality after grime baths. Stopping comes courtesy of Formula Oro K18 brakes, which impressed the Dirt Rag reviewer with their modulation and adaptability. Drive train is a mix of SRAM and Shimano, and worked well in all but impossible conditions. © Big Mountain Riding

Read the entire Dirt Rag review of the Commencal Meta 6.2

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