CLIX is the Fix for the Common Quick Release Skewer Blues
September 9, 2008 by Kovas Lapsys
Filed under Wheelsets
Every once in a while, I find myself stumbling across a product or invention that just makes sense. It doesn’t have to be the latest trend-setting goody, or the most expensive high-tech gizmo, but a product that makes you say, “geez, why-didn’t-I-think-of-that!” The CLIX Wheel Release system is one of those simple yet super products.
For as long as we have all ridden bicycles, our wheels were attached either by bolt or by quick-release. Bolts hold our wheels on tight and secure, but when it comes down to fixing a flat, changing a tire, or mounting a bike to a rack, nothing beat the convenience of a quick-release lever. The QR has been around so long, that it’s almost surprising that someone would come around so late in the game and try to improve upon an already well-designed solution. Sure, we’ve all seen QR skewers with titanium shafts, anodized aluminum or carbon ends, silly twist and turn mechanisms… But until the CLIX, no significant improvements have been made to this simple yet functional part.
The one gripe of quick releases through the years (and a minor one at that) has been that although they work conveniently to release and mount your wheels, they still require full two-handed action: loosening the cam lever and subsequently loosening the opposite bolt. The same would go for replacing the wheel. The bolt and lever would have to be tightened and adjusted, maybe tightened some more, maybe loosened a bit, then tightened a tad more…… before fully locking the wheel in place. The CLIX system addresses that very issue, and fixes it. CLIX makes your front wheel have an even quicker quick-release! In fact, CLIX is so proud of their system, that they don’t call it a quick-release, but rather a wheel release system… I suppose “SuperFast Front Wheel Release” drew some issue in their legal department.
Through its simple and innovative design, the CLIX system does away with the spinning of the adjustment nut on the opposite end of the lever. No more spinning the cam, tightening or loosening the cam until it ‘feels’ tight in your dropouts. With CLIX, you just release the lever, grip the release cup with your middle and fore finger, and out comes your wheel! It’s even simpler than it sounds. Even with the little retention tabs found on most suspension fork dropouts, the CLIX system still released with ease, yet locked down solid when it was time to ride.
The construction of the CLIX is simple and strong. The cam lever is forged aluminum for light-weight and strength, the shaft is constructed of steel, as are the grip areas that secure the skewer to your fork’s dropouts. The wide-throw lever pivots smoothly and requires no lubrication. A deep black anodize coats the lever and the retention cup and a crisp laser-etched CLIX logo rounds off the whole package with a pro-look.
Installation of the CLIX system is simple and takes only a few minutes. A slight wrench- tightening to the lock-nut inside the adjustment nut (yes, there’s a nut inside a nut), and you’re ready to ride. Once in place, the CLIX never has to be re-adjusted to fit your dropouts. When removing the wheel, I found that I could easily do it one-handed, and in most cases, re-install it with one hand as well. If you can turn a screw, you can install a CLIX – it’s just that simple. Read more
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Riding Green - 10 Tips for Riding Responsibly
August 28, 2008 by Kovas Lapsys
Filed under Tips
As mountain bikers, we often pride ourselves as being ‘green’ outdoors-folks; individuals who would rather spend a day outside sweating and grunting up a mountain, than sitting inside and watching the PGA Tour. We tend to be more of the trash-recycling, organic Whole-Foods eating, micro-brew drinking, free-trade coffee sipping and earth-loving crowd. Yet do we practice our progressive “green” habits on the trail as well? As we mount our aluminum, carbon fiber and titanium beasts of speed, we often forget that the trails we ride on are actually fragile living beings. They’re comprised of roots that grow, layers of rock and mud that constantly shift, and living plants and organisms that anchor their sides. A trail left unridden will actually grow-over and disappear given enough time. But abusing a trail will actually destroy its somewhat fragile structure and ‘kill’ it even faster.
So with that being said, when you’re out ripping-it-up on your favorite trail, please keep these ‘green’ riding tips in mind.
1) Stay on the trail.
Sure, that tree stump or natural rock ramp a couple feet off the trail might be all too tempting for a quick jump or bunny-hop, but the fact is that it is not part of your trail. Where one goes, others are sure to follow… As your tread marks are much more visible on the softer off-trail, other riders are going to follow your fresh path to that ‘hidden’ jump… Before you know it, your ‘little secret’ is now everyone’s favorite hop-spot and the once narrow groomed trail is now a sprawling free-for-all playground.
2) Ride through puddles, not around them! 
Riding around a puddle only compacts the ground surrounding the puddle, leveling it lower and allowing the puddle to grow. I’m sure we’ve all seen it, trails that pinch and bloat where wet-sections are prominent. Seems like nobody wants to ride their $2000 mountain bike through a little mud… c’mon folks, it’s a knobby bike, not a road bike! Trust me – your bike’s bearings and seals can take much more grit than a few calm puddles can dish out.
Fact is, the center of the puddle has the most compacted base. That is why the puddle is not being absorbed by the trail. By riding around the circumference, you are actually compressing the softer, more fragile edge of the puddle, which will inevitably either compact, allowing the puddle to grow and the trail to bloat, or it will contribute to overall trail erosion. The best thing you can do for the trail is ride right smack-dab through the center. Eventually the puddle will dry up, but the damage to trails from poor puddle-riding is irreversible.
So when you see that puddle up ahead, get some speed, coast through the center and don’t forget to keep your mouth shut. Or if you simply don’t want to get a little dirty… God forbid… dismount your bike and walk across.
3) Stay in-line, No Shortcuts.
Shortcutting causes erosion. Trails are built and designed to take a beating - either by foot, hoof or tire. Everything else should be considered fragile ecosystem. 2 feet off the trail is still off-the-trail. If a log, tree, boulder or other obstacle blocks your trail, your only options should be to bunny-hop over or pause your ride, dismount your bike, and carry your bike over the obstacle before continuing. Just like puddles, a trail will grow and bloat when riders take short cuts.
“Gearing Up” For Our Wheelset Reviews
August 19, 2008 by Kovas Lapsys
Filed under Wheelsets
We thought it might be fun to build some excitement for our upcoming series of posts which will review these high-zoot wheelsets.
Subscribe to our site so you’ll be sure not to miss out on the reviews of the wheelsets!
Industry Nine (I9) has been all-the-talk the past year or so. The guys who ride them swear by them. 3 month wait for a custom set - what?! Super stiff alloy spokes, 120 points of engagement, proprietary spoke and hub design, any anodize color you can image, tubeless or tubed…they sound too good to be true. Promises to be lighter, stiffer, faster, stronger than anything out there…
Ok, so not necessarily a wheel, but more a hub/transmission system the Rohloff speedhub gives you 14 speeds, the equivalent gear ratio of a 3×9 drive-train, but without the mess of derailleurs, dual shifters, extra cables, triple rings, and cogsets. You use only 1 ring up-front, so clearance on your bike is improved while maintenance is reduced. This is not the funky Toy’s-R-Us transmission system of old - this is a hardcore part that takes all-mountain rides and gobbles them up and spits them out… There’s two guys who ride Ellsworth Truths on the same trails I do. I run into them now and then. They both have Rohloff hubs and they swear by them - almost cult-like. With a Rohloff hub you can shift at a standstill, and even better, shift under load. The whole system is sealed (from shifter through hub), so there’s next to no maintenance for your ride. You can run a disc or rim-brake setup (who does rim brakes?!) and you can chose the rim and spokes for your personal set up.
Mavic 29er TN 719 DISC Rim Review
August 16, 2008 by Kovas Lapsys
Filed under Wheelsets
MAVIC’s Answer
Up until recently, the 29er crowd had few options for quality rims. The choice was either go cheap, or go broke. It meant accepting a stock wheelset, which often used a modified hybrid or road rim simply labeled for 29er use, or taking out a second mortgage to purchase for a race-quality aftermarket wheelset. There seemed to be little or no middle-ground for the riders hoping to upgrade their heavier stock wheels, or the wheel builder looking to build a solid set.
With more bike manufacturers accepting the 29er platform, tire and rim makers have also stepped up their game. In 2008, Mavic released its TN 719 rim. Mavic touts it as the rim for “29er addicts” built from the ground-up for the rigors of true off-road duty. No longer a modified road rim, the TN 719 is being offered as the rim for those choosing to go the 29er route while still allowing for traditional hub and spoke options. Building a strong 29er rim is a fine balance between weight and strength. Build it too heavy and the rotational weight will be amplified by the larger diameter size of 29” wheels and tires. Build it too light, and the rims will flex more noticeable than on smaller diameter 26” cousins. The TN 719 is Mavic’s answer to this equation.
First Look
Sometimes a component just ‘looks the part’ before you even mount it on your ride. The TN 719’s give a sold first impression. Out of the box, the taller profile of the TN 719 is immediately noticeable. In your hands, the rims look and feel stout, though at the same time light. Mavic’s SUP machining leaves every surface and weld on the rim smooth and clean, a very uniform and balanced look. Mavic has perfected their clincher system, and the Maxis tire beads seated themselves perfectly the first time through, with little to no adjustment being necessary. In the truing stand, the rims were Mavic-true. The French company doesn’t let any rim leave the factory without testing its trueness, and the TN 719 rims are no exception. Naturally, I was going to hold out for the ‘true’ test after giving them some good off-road time.
On an aesthetic note, I should mention that the dark ebony rims contrasted nicely with the big bold white graphics. They gave my bike a beefier and tougher face. Looks don’t matter much, but they do when it’s your ride… right?
Tech Specs
A deeper V-profile than previous road-adapted rims, the TN 719 is built for the demands of today’s big-wheel crowd. Unlike the previous A317 rim from Mavic, which was essentially a road-rim built for commuting and later adapted for light 29er duty, the TN 719 has been designed to be mountain-bike specific. Available in either 32 or 36 hole drillings, the single-eylet rims are built comfortably light at 510g, but Mavic’s proprietary rim material, dubbed “Maxtal”, is not spared to make the rims stupid-light. Although it does not share the extensive machining and scalloping of its more expensive race-light brothers, the stout build of the MAVIC TN 719 will last you multiple seasons, without making your wheels feel like boat anchors. Compared the earlier A317 Disc rim from Mavic, the TN 719 saves you a generous 28 grams per wheel. Currently, Mavic only produces the TN 719 as a disc-specific rim. V-brakes or other rim-brakes are not an option as the TN 719 has a very short sidewall that does not accommodate brake pad wear. Lastly, Mavic does not sell the rim as a tubeless “UST” design. Although compatible with Mavic’s tubeless system as an aftermarket option, the rim does not ship tubeless-ready. Read more
