FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Trek's Roscoe 7 Is 1650 USD (1880 CAD), Complete!
Trek's Best Looking Bike is a solidly-priced, Deore M6100 equipped hardtail with an awesome appearance in any of its three livery choices.
MIN MAX
Min-Max: Arden's Aluminum RSD Middlechild
Steel may be real, but aluminum is actual, and so are the savings in suspension and drivetrain maintenance on Arden's #1FG RSD Bikes Middlechild.
THE GOOD STUFF
2022 Gift Guide - Week 1
A Titanium beauty, a book, a true flannel, and something every trail builder has on their wish list.
Steel Vs Titanium
Knolly Tyaughton Titanium Review
Diving into Knolly's Titanium Hardtail after some time spent on the steel version...
Long Term Review
Kona Honzo DL
8 Months of hardtail tough love with an unruly Smurf
Budget Bike Review
The $1100 (USD) Marin San Quentin 1 Hardtail
The complete Marin San Quentin 1 (SQ1) hardtail costs about the same amount of money as a top-end RockShox suspension fork...
Not A Bike Review
The Not So Hard Times Hardtail
A hand-crafted steel hardtail, in a world of carbon, built during the pandemic. Meet my Falconer Pro Cruiser tribute.
EDITORIAL
Budget Bicycle Buying: Before You Leave The Bike Shop
Andrew discusses expectations for first time mountain bike buyers who don't want break the bank to start riding...
MIN MAX
Min-Max: Rob's 2018 Trek Stache 29+
Rob's slackened Stache is a bittersweet reminder of how awesomely fun these bikes are and how deserving the platform is of a re-imaging...
EDITORIAL
'Real' Mountain Bikes Don't Come With Pedals
What's the point including shitty plastic pedals on budget mountain bikes when spec. dollars are so tight?
MIN MAX
Min-Max: Bean's 2017 Salsa Timberjack
Bean's Salsa Timberjack is loaded down with interesting tales while satisfying a selectively-sourced, budget-forward build...
Not a Review*
Knolly Tyaughton Titanium Hardtail
"A feature set and price point that any competent product manager would have rejected immediately."
EDITORIAL
Parked Projects: GeoShift -2° Vs. Budget Hardtails
Andrew's scheme to test a bunch of budget hardtails, in the 1-2K CAD range, both stock and with an angleset installed...
EDITORIAL
Three Tears For The Too-Fresh Retro Rigs
Some love for old mountain bicycles that have been well-cycled and a moment of sorrow for those that have stayed showroom sweet in stasis.
EDITORIAL | REVIEW PART III
MB-1 And The Santa Cruz Chameleon MX
Andrew's third and final look at the latest aluminum Chameleon frame from the perspective of owning one mountain bike to do it all.
EDITORIAL
What's Your Bare Minimum Mountain Bike?
Is it "XTR or bust" or could you happily pedal a complete that costs less than some of your friends' wheelsets?
First Impressions Review
2022 Kona Honzo DL
Kona’s venerable Swiss Army Knife hardtail weathers the test of time
SECOND IMPRESSIONS
The 2022 Santa Cruz Chameleon MX Part II (Finally a Great Ride)
After some struggle, Andrew and the Chameleon MX are speaking the same language - if not the same dialect...
EDITORIAL
Dual Squish vs Hardtail: Service Spending
Anyone who recommends a dual suspension bike over a hardtail – without first calculating the difference in the cost of ownership – may need some schooling...
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Santa Cruz Chameleon MX
Santa Cruz is back with an updated version of their aluminum do-anything-and-everything hardtail.
THE WEIGHT IS OVER - TWO
But Weight
On dropping pounds of weight off my bike with narrow rims, lighter tires and inserts, a Manitou R7 XC fork, and aluminum chainrings instead of stainless steel.
Review
Knolly Tyaughton Steel (Hardtail!)
Steeps and Lips aboard the Knolly's latest release
First Impressions
Knolly Tyaughton Steel & Titanium Hardtails
Knolly's entry into the Aggressive Hardtail Game is Strong Contender...
Hardtail Review
2021 Canyon Stoic 4
"The Stoic is built with geometry meant for aggressive riding, spec’d to take a beating, go back to do it all again tomorrow..."