Stan’s NoTubes ZTR 355 32-hole Rims Review

Weight as built: 2556 grams (full set, with tires, sealant, no cassette, no skewers, no rotors)

MSRP as built: $720.00

Wheel weight only (as quoted):  1420 grams

NoTubes products aren’t new on the mountain biking scene, but they sell one of those product lines that generate a lot of controversy in the cycling universe. Much like all other subjective controversies, you’ll get a different story from every mountain biker you speak to. Some love them unconditionally, talking about their tubeless setup like they witnessed its birth. Others will tell you it’s all hype and you’re wasting your time on a potentially dangerous product. Well, after polling my local group of dedicated bike geeks and digging through other popular (and generally misinformed–no names, not yet) mountain bike product review websites, I’ve concluded that most riders criticizing Stan’s products typically have their wheels set up incorrectly–be it for their weight or for their style of riding. It seems to be a weight saving issue–it’s always the 250-pound rider that wants to sport the Olympic lightweight racing rim, and then bitch when they get a blowout or can’t keep the tire seated to the rim in a tight corner. Does anyone else find it strange that the Clydesdales are always the weight weenies? I’m no scientist, despite holding dual PhDs in Sweet Lovin’ and Good Times, but there seems to be a correlation worth investigating. Also, let the record show that I float slightly above or below the Clydesdale high-water mark of 200 lbs., so I take my weight-to-durability ratio very seriously.  Read more

Küat Alpha Bike Rack Review

It’s pronounced “KOO-ATT”

I used to think a rack is a rack is a rack. I only cared about mobility, not caring if my bike got scratched or how easy the rack was to install, I just wanted to get to the trail. For years I’ve been tossing bikes in the back of my trusty Toyota, but as my bike wealth grew with my income (marginally), I started looking for ways to transport bikes without damaging them or scratching my truck. When my bikes started costing more than $1000 as so, so many of them do these days, I felt a nagging sense of neglect tossing them willy-nilly into the bed. I’ve tried most or all the tricks: the two-by-four with fork mounts, putting fork mounts on the side of the bed, disassembling the whole bike and squeezing it into the hatchback, roof racks, trunk racks, you name it, I gave it a shot. Right now I’m kicking myself for not trying a trailer hitch rack with my pick-up, for some reason it just didn’t make sense. I have a camper shell on the truck now and I’ve been digging rides from friends with HUGE vehicles when we go for rides, so maybe that’s why. For about a year or so, my buds have been telling me to try one of the hitch-mounted bike racks that have gotten so popular lately. I never considered buying one when I could just mooch off them. Besides, I like being able to drop my tailgate any time I want and sit idly on the back of my truck like the dumb yokel I am.

I did my time as a bike mechanic at the LBS and installed countless racks on more yuppie SUVs than any of you could ever imagine. Not my proudest moments, and I never found a rack I was really impressed with. Most were heavy, ungainly, unsteady, too big or small, or worse, horribly unattractive. I did start noticing the hitch-rack trend gaining popularity, and I feared inevitable hernia operations from lifting the beasts onto our customers like-sized vehicles. Then I lifted the Küat Alpha Rack.  Read more

Julbo Dirt Sunglasses Review

The Precarious blend of Performance and Fashion- Julbo does it

I am a sunglasses freak, an addict, some would consider it a problem. I don’t. It’s my favorite accessory. I’m not into jewelry, watches, “mandals,” or high fashion. I just learned what couture means. I don’t like to be without at least a couple choices for shades. And I’m picky, very picky. Some shades look good but fall off your face while playing hopscotch, others grip your face with a ferocity that would satisfy Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Some look good, but fog up while you’re riding, or give you a headache after a half an hour. Finding one pair of shades that satisfy all the necessary criteria is a personal grail quest–some of us will never find them, even though we know they’re out there.

Yesterday I rode a rough thirty miles wearing the Julbo brand “Dirt” sunglasses, built specifically for mountain biking. The product label boasts mountain bike specific qualities such as “helmet friendly,” and “shock absorbent temples and nose pads.” My quest for the perfect pair of shades still continues, but I feel like I’ve taken one step closer. Let’s talk about what I didn’t like first, it’ll be quick, I liked a lot more than I didn’t: They’re white, which is an easy enough problem to solve, I’ll just order a dark-framed pair; huge white shades are for Paris Hilton and butterfaces. Okay, that’s about it on the negative side, let’s talk about what I liked, broken down into my four criteria to consider when buying shades:

Fit:

When you put on a pair of sunglasses, you shouldn’t know you’re wearing them other than your brain registering that you’re seeing in a different color. No pinching, no uncomfortable rubbing, no ugly red indentions on your nose when you take them off, no headache after a couple hours. For performance shades, here’s the kicker: if you forget you’re wearing them, the fit is good. They also have to stay on while doing whatever it is you do, without having to use one of those horrendously fratty head-straps. The Dirt from Julbo would hang on to an epileptic in an earthquake. One criterion down.

Anti-Fog:

Being able to see is paramount for adventure sports. A lot of optics companies claim their lenses are anti-fog, and I’ve tried most of them. I’ve found less than half actually deliver. I live in the sweltering humidity of Georgia, the perfect testing ground for lenses that claim to be “fogless.” I am a sweaty, dirty, fog-inducing individual. After thirty miles on a humid day in May, I could still see while wearing the Julbos, an unusual experience for me. I didn’t even get any stripes of sweat dripping down the lenses. I don’t understand optics technology very well, I just know that they work or don’t. We all have our personal taste for lenses: Polarized, rose-colored, amber, photochromatic, etc., but the most important aspect is whether you can still see after ripping down a trail or climbing up a rock face. Two criteria down.

Look:

Sunglasses are for protecting your eyes from the sun, right? Well, I guess so, but I will NOT look like a total tool to protect my eyes from harmful UV rays. I’d rather just close them. So my shades gots to look good. This is more difficult than it sounds, and I sympathize with the companies that attempt to make eyewear that functions in both the fashion and performance arenas. Sometimes making something perform well negates the ability to make it look good. But Julbo did it. My wife complimented them the second she saw them, and it’s rare that she wontonly strokes my ego. Julbo’s headquarters are in France, I think that has something to do with their ability to make their shades look good while functioning at the same time. Three criteria down, almost there!!!

Price:

These beauties aren’t cheap ($120-$160), but you get what you pay for. I generally don’t like to break three figures on shades, no matter how great they are I’ll eventually lose or break them. But in this case I feel the price is justified, I can think of other sunglasses companies that charge a lot more for a product inferior to this one. I would rather pay $100 for a piece of gold than pay $50 for a piece of crap. Sometimes, it’s just worth it. I can’t get excited about the price, but I’m willing to pay for this level of craftsmanship.

According to their website, the Julbo brand has been around for more than a century, but they’re considered an “emerging” brand in the performance optics market. I look forward to enjoying and testing more of their product if they’re all as good as their Dirt model of performance eyewear.

Harlot H4M Murray Short Review

Big on Style and Durability.

First off, I rarely wear women’s clothes anymore, it’s been ages (don’t ask). And that was my first thought when I received a pair of Murray Shorts by Harlot Clothing Co, “but I don’t even cross-dress these days, why would I want to wear a pair of women’s mountain bike shorts? I don’t even like wearing men’s mountain bike shorts.” Admittedly, they looked badass and masculine, that’s when I realized that “H4M” stands for “Harlot for Men.”

Harlot’s line of men’s clothing is very limited compared to their expansive line-up for the ladies, but with a name like Harlot, you can’t expect them to cater to the dudes too much. I made a point of calling their customer service line and letting them know that they need to beef up on their menswear. I’ve been known to rant about the substandard offerings of the bicycle industry’s clothing options, so I was excited when I saw that these shorts at least looked cool, and it only got better once I tried them on.

Very understated and sleek, you can wear the Murray Shorts out in public and no one will think you’re in bike gear. Before I tested this theory however, I decided to take them on a short ride to test their performance and durability. Despite their sleek appearance, the Murray Short is very roomy in the leg and has seatbelt-style straps on the waistline so you can optimize your fit. The gusseted crotch provided unlimited flexibility and comfort.

Van Damme could have worn these in Bloodsport and still won the Kumite. There’s no chamois in these babies, but the nylon/polyester blend is comfortable enough for freeriding or a short cross-country jaunt. As I said before, they’re a lot roomier than they look and are designed to have enough room for slim-fitting bike shorts underneath if you’re gonna be riding longer than a couple hours. My only complaint about this style of shorts is how hot they get with a pair of traditional chamois bike shorts underneath. In temperate weather it’s fine, but hot summer days will wear you out fast if you’re wearing bike shorts under the Murrays.

Now a word on durability: Remember those “Bike” brand shorts your PE coach used to wear? You know, the nut-hugging short-shorts with the double-snap waist tab? If one so chose, you could slide into third on a bed of glass and the shorts wouldn’t have a scratch. Well, the Murray Short is like that, but it looks good (Win-Win!!). It’s also water-resistant, so they won’t get heavy and chafe if you go for a wet ride. They also sport a moisture-wicking waistband to ensure your comfort through sweat, dirt, and grime.

Best of all, they’re made right here in the U.S.A. out of North American-sourced materials. Kudos to Harlot for making a clothing product even I approve of, now if they would just make some more stuff for guys!!

The Straight Dirt:

The Good
Sleek, comfortable, attractive, performance-oriented, doesn’t look like typical cycling gear, affordable.

The Bad
Hot as hell on a summer day with bike shorts underneath. By themselves = no problem.

Murray Short:  $89.00

Harlot Clothing Co.
68 Camino Torcido Loop
Santa Fe, NM 87507

www.harlotwear.com

CamelBak M.U.L.E. NV Review

Is it me or do hydration packs keep getting bigger? Not that I’m complaining, but I remember when everybody rolled with the half-liter CamelBak and we were all impressed by not having to reach for our water bottles. Well, as most things in the outdoor/performance sport industry, my beloved CamelBak M.U.L.E. has been given a serious makeover. I’ve always been impressed by CamelBak products, they’ve weathered many imitators and still hold the gold. Afterall, they were the first hydration systems on the scene so they’ve had a reputation to uphold. Over the years I’ve gone through four or five different hydration systems, and countless bladders (more on that later, no reason to buy new ones if you care for it properly).

So, I love CamelBak’s gear, but here’s the problem: Who the hell needs this much stuff on an average bike ride? I recently replaced my old M.U.L.E with the fancy new one, and the new one is great, I just won’t mountain bike with it. Personally, I’ve gone back to bottles as my rides aren’t quite as long as they used to be, and most of my races have a 10-mile loop or so before there’s a chance to refuel, so more time is spent cranking than hydrating. The new generation of M.U.L.E. weighs 2.41 lbs when EMPTY, and almost 9 lbs at full capacity (3 liters). 9 pounds! Some of us are weight weenies, some are not, but all of us will feel 9 lbs on our backs. I haven’t whipped out the scale, but I’m pretty sure that’s 9 lbs with a full reservoir before cargo. The specs on the M.U.L.E. NV rate it at having 600 cubic inches of cargo space. Another 600 cubic inches and I could use this thing for a thru-hike. In fact, with a little imagination, I bet I could do a cross-country cycling trip without panniers if I had this M.U.L.E. as my main-cargo and water carrier. In fact, I would gladly welcome the challenge of any takers and/or sponsors (Attn: CamelBak–I’ll gladly ride cross-country with nothing but a M.U.L.E. if you foot the bill. I travel cheap! please write to: bill@mtobikes.com).  Read more

SKS Airchecker – Duo Head

At first I thought there wouldn’t be much to say about the SKS Airchecker Duo Head Air pressure gauge, but I liked it more than I originally thought. Not a trail tool in my opinion–perhaps for the compulsives and anal-retentives among us that just have to know the exact pressure in their tires in both BAR and PSI (the Airchecker does both!) before a quick ride. You know the ones, the guy wearing a 3000 cubic-inch hydration pack on the local 5-mile loop, with 6,000 calories of carbs (just in case!), a pedal wrench, spare chain, torque wrench, flare gun, and one of those super-shiny NASA blankets to ward off hypothermia. Well he might carry it, but I think it’s a great shop tool or one to keep in the glove box. If you’re new to the sport it might be handy to have a pressure gauge nearby, but soon you should be able to approximate pressure by feel. But when in doubt, the Airchecker with its swiveling Duo Head design is built specifically for cycling. The head supports both Presta and Schrader valves (as it should), swivels ninety degrees for easy placement between spokes, has a digital readout for both PSI and BAR, and a deflation button for bringing down the pressure to exact specifications.

The good news is that SKS has satisfied both the most streamlined minimalist and the chunky-bagged draft horse. Even though I won’t be carrying it on the trail with me, the sleek little beauty has earned a very respectable placement on the top shelf of my shop toolbox. I don’t want to bag on the gearheads too much, afterall the importance of tire pressure has come to light in the last few years with the advent of tubeless tires. I like to know how low I can go, if you catch my drift. It will cost you about $20 more than a cheap tire gauge from Auto Zone, but the Airchecker has all the qualities of a great bike tool: small, light, tough, and simple.

“Black Sheep” is No Misnomer

36″ Wheels?  The ZAMer

The fifth annual National Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) in Indianapolis was overwhelming. Mind blowing, actually. Over one hundred exhibitors laid out their wares to be gawked at by industry professionals and tourists alike. Mountain bikes, road bikes, track bikes, urban fixie commuters, tandems, polo bikes, and just plain ol’ regular (but beautiful) bicycles. Seeing all those beauties in one place made me feel, strangely, a little jaded. “What comes next?” I wondered, “where can we go from here?” I was certain I was standing among some of the finest and most beautiful bikes on Earth. The level of craftsmanship was extraordinary, my mind reeled trying to calculate all the hours of intricate and painstaking work that went into creating such exquisite machines. Hand-polished lugs, seamless welds, expertly executed geometry, and a dizzying array of sparkling paint jobs and powdercoat lay all around me, most of them looking too beautiful to ride (almost). How do you improve on the modern bicycle, right? Humans have been messing around with the general design for about a century, you’d think we’d have figured out the ultimate bike by now. Alas, perfection is unattainable, but the pursuit of it is the sublime quest that defines us as a species. Before I fell into a philosophical gloom (typical), I came upon Black Sheep Bikes‘ exhibition booth.

Standing out in the crowd was the 36-inch-wheeled ZAMer, an eye-catching behemoth of a bike that drew onlookers from all corners of the exhibition hall. Hailing from Fort Collins, Colorado, Black Sheep is notorious for aesthetically-pleasing and mold-breaking designs, and I doubt you’ll find any in your local bike shop. This thing shatters molds. After ogling the impressive if somewhat befuddling 36-inch wheels sitting underneath a flawless titanium frame, the ZAMer solidified my vote for the People’s Choice Award. After about fifty laps around the convention hall, I confidently scribbled its entry number on the voting ballot provided at the door. Boldness deserves recognition.

Black Sheep Bikes didn’t invent the 36-inch wheel–there are a few floating around out there.  However, this was the first 36er I was privileged to examine.

Read more

Ventana Mountain Bikes USA: Still Rockin’ it Gringo Style

Sherwood Gibson, owner of Ventana Mountain Bikes USA, has been enjoying the mountain bike scene longer than most of us have been riding. Coming from a BMX background, Gibson built his first steel hardtail in 1985. The past twenty years or so has seen Ventana catapult from humble beginnings to one of the more recognized high-end mountain bike manufacturers in the United States. Unlike most companies that have been around for the past few decades, Ventana still produces bikes exclusively sourced and assembled in the U.S.A. The company’s philosophy places an extraordinary emphasis on quality control and drive for impeccable manufacturing. Mountain bikers lucky enough to own a Ventana are a critical source of marketing for the company. Like many builders, Sherwood admits he enjoys building bikes more than selling them. He was kind enough to talk with me from his shop outside of Sacramento, California. Feel free to drool at Ventana USA.

MTO: So,where were you guys at the National Handmade Bike Show this past weekend?

GIBSON: We didn’t go.  We were planning on it but my wife ended up having to travel for her work and that kept me home. The other thing about that venue is that there isn’t a category for best aluminum bike or best aluminum weld, so quite honestly it was for the old-school steel guys, it’s a better venue for them, we’re not really even thought of as a custom handmade bike company even though we are.

MTO: That’s what I wanted to touch on right away. Your company, and I hesitate to use the term “boutique,” but being a popular high-end brand that isn’t one of the big three, have truly maintained the “handbuilt in the USA” standard, do you face any challenges in keeping things American? Is any level of production or sourcing done overseas? Is it a point of pride for the company?

GIBSON: Not at all. [As for company pride], I guess you could say that, but really, I like making stuff. I got into making bikes because I like making stuff and I thought I could do a better job. And so with that in mind, since I’m the guy that’s out there making it happen, if we can bring it in house and it makes sense and we can have better control and have a better product, then we do. At some point in time, maybe our customer base shrinks and we’re priced out of the market, but for now people who appreciate that we can give them a product, and so I don’t have any interest in going offshore because quite honestly I’m way better at building bikes than I am selling them. So if I were to go offshore I would have to be better at selling them, and I’m not very good at that! A lot of times I can build a bike quicker than I can tell you about it. It’s crazy that way, but that’s the way it is.

MTO: Before we go any further, you are privately owned?

GIBSON: Yup.

MTO: Would you be willing to divulge your sales in terms of bike production?

GIBSON: In terms of bike production, right now we’re doing between 600 and 800 year, which sounds like a lot, but when you spread it over 15 models it’s not that many. What that has allowed us to do is get really good at doing one-off bikes. We do a lot of custom bikes for people. Of those 600 to 800 bikes, 200 to 300 are customs in one form or another. And we’re able to respond to that demand because we’re in-house. So that works out quite well. In general, a custom frame that gets ordered today likely gets started tomorrow or within the next couple of days. And we also do production of our main selling models, we keep those in stock in various sizes, we do powder coating in-house so I go next door and shoot whatever colors we’re gonna shoot, and that’s how I keep up.

MTO: You say you have 15 different stock models, I’m familiar with the product line, but is that the official number in production right now?

GIBSON: Well, there’s not really an official number, if you go to our website and you change the model name in the URL to a previous model name, all the geometry and information is still on the website, and if someone really wants it, we’ll still build it. As long as we have the capability to build it for someone we will. That 15 is not a hard number. We probably do 10 very regularly, and then we do road and cross bikes, so it’s a fluid number. We used to make bikes for Tomac, Specialized, Ellsworth, a bunch of different bikes for a bunch of different manufacturers. At that time, we were doing about 3500 frames a year. So we have more capacity than what we do, but what that does is allows us to focus on our customs in more detail. I would have to add some employees to get back to that number. We have six employees now, had 11 when we were at that number. Read more

North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) Descends on Indianapolis this Weekend (February 27 through March 1)

The fifth annual North American Handmade Bicycle Show is taking place at the Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, this weekend beginning Friday, February 27. For those who have dreamed of owning a custom ride, this is the place to come and drool. The inaugural exhibition was rather humble, with 23 exhibitors and only 200 attendees. This year the NAHBS is boasting 116 exhibitors (has anyone ever seen 116 custom bikes in the same room?) and record-setting attendance. The show moves its location each year for the convenience of the builders and attendees, and with the intent of spreading the good word about small builders and custom bicycle frame building.

Attendees can expect to see exhibited wares from such exalted builders as Ahearne, De Rosa, Moots, Serotta, Calfee, Crumpton, Vanilla, Naked, De Salvo, Independent Fabrication, Pereira, and a multitude of other bicycle and component manufacturers. One of the aims of the show is to be a meeting point for frame builders and consumers looking for custom-made bicycles. From retro to cutting-edge technologies, attendees are certain to find more than a few items that will send their mind reeling with dreams of owning and riding a handcrafted bike.

As most of the exhibitors are small businesses that lack large advertising budgets, the NAHBS is a great place for the consumer to compare builders and get a good idea of how they want to spend their hard-earned dollars. No where else in the world will an individual be able to view so many beautiful bicycles and have a chance to meet the men and women who have toiled to bring their creations into existence. Here’s the when and how:

Tickets: $15 ONLINE!! $20 at the door!! Take advantage!!
Children under 5 free
Children age 6-14 $8/day

Register online at: http://www.handmadebicycleshow.com

Show Hours

Friday, Feb. 27: 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Open to Public

Saturday, Feb 28: 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Open to Public

Sunday, March 1: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Open to Public

If you can’t attend the event be sure to watch MTObikes.com for updates and photos from our correspondents.

Hoss Technical Gear Stallion Mountain Bike Shorts Review

For too long mountain bikers have endured some of the worst fashion options from all the major cycling clothing companies. Ironically, the cycling world has frequently intermingled with the fashion world (Ciao!), but we grubby mountain bikers have suffered through poor design and ugly styles. It seems simple, right? All we want is a decent chamois coupled to a pair of baggy shorts that don’t make us look (too) dorky. Why has this been such an elusive product? We’ve had to endure uncomfortable polyester blends, ragged and irritable elastic that rubs your butt after one wash, no pockets, that horrendous full-diaper feeling, and worst of all the ubiquitous black/khaki/disgusting-print options we’ve been offered for style. Finally, after a few decades now, we’re starting to get a few options on the market we haven’t seen before, from multiple manufacturers. I hesitate to say I see cool shorts everywhere, but we’re definitely moving in the right direction.

Fortunately for us, the good people at Hoss Technical Gear seem to have listened to the wailing complaints of the market place. Look, I ride a road bike (occasionally), and yes, I wear your typical black spandex when I’m posing as a roadie. Through most of the winter I’m a poorly disguised mountain biker logging miles on my road bike while I wait for the warmer months (just for fitness, I swear!). So I don’t mind looking like a tool, and sorry Lance, you look like a tool on your road bike. We all do, no matter how hard we try. Nobody gets into cycling for the fashion, and I can only think of a few people I would like to see in a roadie kit, and I never see them out there pedaling.  Read more

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