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While at  last year’s Interbike one thing that I noticed was the plethora (I have always like that word.) of new riding lights coming out, but it was not just the lights, its the technology behind them. All the companies out there are always consistently finding better technology for lighting in all industries where lighting is concerned.

As someone that has dealt with lighting in the world of electrical for industrial, retail, and residential LED lights are now being use on city, house hold, and in movie making applications as well as bicycle commuter lights and off-road lights. Now in the last few years the cycling industry has pushed the envelope with high output  300 to 1000 lumen and I thought my little 5w-10w was bright.
OK time to throw those old lights away and move over cool new stuff.

GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE BADDEST BOUNTY HUNTER IN THE UNIVERSE

BOUNTY HUNTER APPROVED

OK at the time of Interbike last year the Baja Design’s both was toting Boba Fett’s helmet equipped with the STRYKR and you know if Fett uses it I’m sure as heck going to check this light out, and besides they were offering a cool Interbike deal at the time.

They were sporting three lighting systems, the STRYKR (700 lumen), StrykrPRO ( 700 lumen), and the smallest of the three the ATOM ( 350 lumen). This one may not be out seeing that it is not listed on there website.

ATOM & StrykrPRO

TIME TO OWN THE NIGHT

After seeing all these lighting systems out there ranging from 300 to 1000 lumen ( That’s right 1000, talk about lighting up your surroundings.) I was literately blown away on the range they have now.

OK before I get started on how the light works and discuss the tech on the light you may wonder exactly what is a lumen, and it’s not a Las Vegas act, or a bunch of guys running around with light bulbs on their heads doing funny dances at Burning Man. A lumen is a measure of the amount of light passing through a given area per second. Now this is the short of it that I want to give you without loosing you .

Now once I got home I took the box and opened up my new toy. The light comes equipped with charger, light, Li-Ion battery, three different bar mounts ( two size zip tie mounts,and one quick mount), and two diffusers (One flood and one spot), as well as a carrying bag. The only thing you have to purchase extra is the helmet mount.
A couple of things you notice off the bat is the  STRYKR’s light is a lot bigger than most out there and the second thing is that this thing looks very mil spec, which tells you this thing is very bullet proof.

The whole enchlada.

OK charging time which only took 2.5 hours ( Yes fast charge and ready to ride.) I mounted the quick release O-ring bar mount and left the spot diffuser on the light. Now on my first ride test I did notice that on some big to medium hits the light did move downward and I was forced to stop my ride and pull it up a little. This can be a pain when you are really moving along.

The spot was really awesome and I loved how it put the light out there and the flood lens does just as well putting the light out as well, but in a wider area. I later mounted the better solid zip tie bar mount and this was by far better of course ( this comes in two sizes for the correct handle bars.), I also pick up the helmet mount kit which in a discussion with my college it was said that it would be to heavy, bulky, and just to big on your head. Well I’m here to tell you once I started riding I didn’t notice any light on my head really, and if you have ever mounted your light on the helmet this is the way to go. Point the STRYKR and see the trail. It was great to see “EVERYTHING”, even the monsters that are out lurking at night. I could swear I spotted a Bigfoot and a Chupacabra.

Helmet mount

Now I did encounter one other small problem and that was after one of my rides was over as always I take my lights off and store them away till my next ride, like we all do right.

The next time I went out and I mounted  my light I noticed that it would not get tight on the mount and it took me a few minutes to figure out what it was, I noticed that the small toothed washer was missing. This helps to position the light the way you want it. After checking my other mount  and I saw that it comes out it must have fallen out when I took off my light, now this amazed me that this little washer almost killed my night ride. Keep an eye out for this little part.

SOLID & QUICK MOUNTS/ MOUNT WASHER

THE TECH OF IT

The STRYKR‘s switch has four light modes ( High, med, low and strobe.), battery level indicator witch shows green, yellow, then red. The batteries run time is up to 12 hours depending on the mode your in. The light and battery are waterproof up to 33 feet, weight of the unit is 520 grams.

The STRYKR is run off a high tech closed loop microprocessor.

BATTERY LEVEL INDICATOR

LIGHTING UP THE NIGHT RIDE

With the two minor little problems being the quick O-ring bar mount (Which to me isn’t a huge thing just irritating when riding.) and the little washer ( which could hinder your ride before it even got started.) I found that the BAJA DESIGNS STRYKR light rocked. I loved the performance it offered, both optic lenses lit up the trail so much it just killed my old light on lighting up the trail. The battery life was great and while using it the medium and low mode settings this was more then enough to light any trail and save on battery life.

700 HUNDRED LUMEN IN YOUR EYE BABY

This is a company that designs lights for baja racing and it shows in the construction of the STRYKR, also think about this BOBA FETT uses it.

OK so what is this baby going to set you back, well like any good lighting system out there they don’t come cheap and their are some that cost a lot more than this one.

The STRYKR goes for $ 298.95. You can contact Baja Designs by calling at (800)422-5292 or going to their website www.bajadesigns.com .

Is it worth it, well I would say yes it’s worth the investment to light up the night and find some Chupacabra’s and I give it the “ART SEAL of APPROVAL”.

Please click here to read our review disclaimer as required by the Federal Trade Commission.

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If you have heard of AGV helmets it would be in the motorcycle end of it for this is what they are known for. AGV first started out just after the Second World War making leather seats and bicycle saddles. But in 1947 Mr. Gino Amisano the founder entered into the motorcycle helmet world and the rest is history as they say. Along the way AGV has come up with many innovations and sponsored many of road racing’s greatest legends , one of them you may have heard of today if you follow Motogp, AGV’s Valentino Rossi.
INTRODUCING THE NEW AX-8 MX HELMET

Now this is a DOT approved motorcycle helmet with what AGV calls SSL shell (Super Super Light) which is comprised of Kevlar,Carbon, and fiberglass shell.
This makes for a very, very light shell. As a matter of fact the whole helmet weighs only 2lbs., that’s right ”2lbs”. This is the same weight as the DAINESE Raptor DH helmet that we tested.  Other features the AX-8 has is IVS (Integrated Ventilation System) which has channels formed directly in the outer shell to help in cooling the old melon, the fabric is breathable Dri-Lex with sanitizing treatment, also the top and cheek pads are removable for washing, and the retention system is the good old double d-ring strap. If you noticed the front chin bar it has in my opinion one of the biggest mouth vent ever, but in the end I like this it brings in a lot of air and it looks very Darth Vaderish. The top vents can be open or closed.

WHY USE A DOT HELMET
Now this is a good question and it may seem like overkill for DH or Freeriding and this would be more of a personal preference, but awhile back one top Australain World Cup DH racer had a severe head injury that put him in a coma for several weeks. This did raise the question of are DH helmets strong enough to handle what we do, after all Downhillers and Freeriders do hit moto speeds and the terrain we ride can be a lot worse.
Now if you ask me wearing a DOT helmet verues a CPCS helmet that is a DH helmet will protect you no matter what, a DOT just has a higher safety rating for motorcycle riding then a CPSC rated helmet.
Now how does she feel
The AX-8 feels great and has a great fit, but what would be the draw back to this helmet for DH racing and riding well it would be the venting and that’s the way it has always been when choosing a DOT helmet, and weight. Your typical Bicycle DH helmets have nice big vents to allow air to flow through your head and they are light in weight, this is the one thing I love about this helmet is the weight and with the big eye port and chin vent this brings the air in.
When racing with it on I have no issues with it that I can come up with, it just feels great and I do feel better wearing a DOT helmet ( Peace of mind.).
This is my new race helmet, my helmet before this was the DAINESE Raptor DH helmet, and before that it was my (and I loved this helmet) Troy Lee D2 helmet.
DRESSING IT UP
OK it was time to dress it up to make it mine and seeing that I do test and write for Mtnbikeriders.com I just had to see my friend Mike at Signit to make me some decals.

So I got my Mtnbikeriders.com decals done and had our bike sponsor AIRBORNE Bicycle’s decal made, and if you noticed my name “Oh yes!!” Now I’m Joe pro.

THE DOWN AND DIRTY
As we  come to the end of it do you use a DOT helmet? Well, why not? This thing is 2lbs, it feels great and looks cool, besides the biggest thing it’s good enough for Travis Pastrana!
AGV has some cool color to choose from besides black and white. They have a Rossi replica and a Pastrana Nitro Circus limited edition.
What is the cost on this bad boy, Solids go for $349.95,  Multi $379.95, the Rossi and the Pastrana $399.95.

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About 2 weeks ago I received an email from a public relations company that handles all the PR for a very well known resort near a lake in Northern California. They had asked me if I would be interested in joining them for “Media Week.” This was supposed to be an all expense paid trip to the resort so I can check out and review what they had to offer. At first I thought it was SPAM and figured this was too good to be true. But the more I dug into the situation, I found out it was pretty legit. They would have provided food, lodging, vouchers for bike rentals, lift tickets, kayak rentals and tickets to a jazz festival. With all that in mind, I agreed to go, who wouldn’t right?

After I sent in all the necessary liability forms back to the PR company, I made short-notice arrangements with my office to get time-off and worked on getting baby sitting for the 4 days that I would have been gone. I did all that in 24 hours! For the next two days, I didn’t hear anything from the PR company, then I get an email that following Monday (the trip would have been that Thursday) stating that they (PR company) couldn’t book me for Media Week because they said the resort ran out of space. At this point I was pretty upset because I went through all that trouble to make sure I could go, instead I was given the old bait and switch. When I was in contact with the PR company days prior, all they needed were my forms and my approval to make sure they book me for the trip. But I guess that wasn’t good enough. If you’re a fan of Seinfeld, here’s a great clip that best describes what happened…

I ended up speaking with the PR Rep to explain to her in great detail my disappointment in how this was all handled. She offered to have me up at the resort at another time during the summer, but couldn’t give me a solid date. She ends the conversation by saying sorry and “maybe next year…” All I could think was…whatever. I really doubt your PR company will be representing the resort next year.

So this brings me to my point about the title you read above, “Big Bear, California-Best Value in Mountain Biking.” Since I had 4 days off and babysitting already figured out. Priscilla and I decided to head up to Snow Summit in Big Bear, Ca. Out of all the years I’ve lived in SoCal and been mountain biking, this was my first time going to the resort.

One of the great things about Snow Summit is that its only 2 hours away from my home. We easily drove up that morning to meet a few friends to enjoy the day with. All day lift tickets only cost $25 per person. The staff were courteous and friendly. In fact one of the guys at the lift who loaded my bike was interested in ordering one of the Bling Jerseys. Anyhow, once we got started on some of the trail riding, I was in love! The trails were a combination of hard pack and lose rocks, none of that shale/cat litter stuff you’d find in Mammoth.

Taking a break and fixing a flat.

There were various trails that every level rider can pick and enjoy themselves with. Though they don’t technically allow downhill bikes, we saw a number of them being loaded onto the lifts. However, you’d be fine riding a 5-7″ travel bike. Priscilla rode the KHS XCT 556 while I was on the KHS XCT 555, both 5″ travel bikes. Some of the areas could have been more fun on a bigger travel bike, but a 5″ bike will keep you on your toes while riding.
RL, Tae, Bryan, Tony, Alex, Scott and Scott

Basically it comes down to this, Big Bear/Snow Summit has great facilities. If you’re in SoCal, its only a few hours of a drive, great people, good food, and a beautiful city. Riding there was awesome! Ya, it would have been nice to have been able to go to that resort up “North” and be treated like a “Star,” but why bother when I have everything I need for a mountain biking resort near my home!

Kim and Priscilla having a great time!

This is my buddy “Berto”, but no one but me is allowed to call him that. For everyone else, its Mr. P.

Here’s a little video of the trails we rode.

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Brown Santa (aka RL) stopped by my office last week to drop off a nice little package from Ibex Wear.

I have always appreciated simple jerseys. When I first started off mountain biking I liked simple synthetic mountain biking jerseys but now I have also come to appreciate wool and the roadie-jersey with back pockets. Ibex Wear has always been one of those companies I drool at from afar. Just looking at the pictures, I could see the craftsmanship and attention to detail.

Back to Brown Santa’s nice little pacakge: What did I receive?

Indie Full Zip Short Sleeve Jersey in Asphalt / Sea Grass

Giro Mountain Jersey in Soil / Limon

Giro Neo FZ Long Sleeve Jersey in Soil / Deep Lake

Duo Wool Bike Short

What I instantly noticed about all the clothing is the attention to detail. The little extra bits of color, the flat seams or the flap that covers the zippered pockets are all nice touches that really set apart Ibex Wear. Each zipper has a bit of rubber with the company logo! This is not even mentioning the fact that all these clothing pieces are made out of very soft merino.

Indie Full Zip S/S Jersey features contrasting color flatlock stitching. I dig ‘em.

I found that the Ibex Wear’s sizes run pretty true. If you look at their size chart at 6′`” and just over 200lbs, my measurements are on the high side of Large. Because I prefer slightly larger jerseys and all wool tends to shrink in the wash, I asked for XL sized clothing.

Nice burst of blue on the Giro Neo FZ L/S Jersey

My only thought after putting everything on (not all at once!) was that the shirts end a little lower than expected (inches below the waste) and the shorts are quite a bit longer than what I am used to. Again, with a little shrinkage in the wash I think they will be fine but I will definitely keep you posted on how these clothes fit after a few washes.

Mountain Jersey has a rear zippered pocket on the bottom right. Perfect for keys and a small cell.

Overall, my first impressions are that the the wool is quite comfortable, the clothing has excellent stitching and I really dig the small touches and functionality. We will see how the Ibex Wear clothing fits over time and how they do under normal usage I will put them through over the next few months. Keep checking back for a full review.

Ibex Wear can be found here.

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When I first took delivery of the KHS XCT 556 a few months ago, I was pretty excited about trying its 30 speed drive train. The bike was redesigned for 2011 with swooping, hydroformed tubes and a bold color scheme. It’s spec’d nicely with name brand/model parts such as Rock Shox, Mavic, SRAM, Shimano, WTB and many more. The KHS XCT 556 was a direct replacement of its predecessor, the XCT 555, which we awarded the Editor’s Choice Award in 2010 for “Best Do it All Mountain Bike.”

Who should buy this bike?
-The KHS XCT 556 is perfect for the guy or gal that wants a bike that can do pretty much any thing he/she would want when riding. It can be ridden on an all day XC epic or for the weekend warrior who likes to race Super D. Downhill? Sure, places like Fontana’s Southridge and Telonics can easily be handled by the 556.

Rider shown-Team Racer: Corey Pond

Weight
-The test bike we have weighed in at 29lb (medium frame with pedals)

Price
-KHS’s MSRP is $2799.

What makes this bike stand out?
-The XCT556 is equipped with the Rockshox Revelation RL. This fork is pretty plush and was super easy to tune to the rider’s weight thanks to its air pressure chart that is located right on the lowers. It also has the ability to lock out. This option made climbing on the bike easier.

The fork was matched with a Rockshox Monarch RT3. I’ve been a long fan of the Monarch line because of its no non-sense usability. All I would have to do is air it up and set my sag at 25%, adjust the rebound to my liking and I was off riding!

The pièce de résistance with this bike was its 30 speed drive train. Truth be told when I first got on this bike, I thought that a 30 speed drive train was interesting. Then I saw its 36t cassette and thought that it was a bit of an over-kill. But during one of my test rides through a trail called Cholla, I quickly learned the benefits of the 36t cassette and all of a sudden I was able to clear some of the most technical portions of the trail. I couldn’t believe how well the XCT’s drive train worked.

However, there was a kink in the 30 speed armor. For some odd reason, when I would shift between the big ring (44t) down to the middle ring (33t) I would occasionally experience chain suck. This would also happen when I’d shift from the granny gear to the middle ring. I found this to be unusual because the bike is brand new.

Favorite part of the bike
-Other than the 36t cassette, my favorite was the Avid Elixir 5 brake system because it provides great braking power, and adjustable reach. Front rotor is 7″ and rear is 6″. No brake fading experienced. It comes down to this, when I pulled the levers, it wasn’t just on, but I could gradually feel the brakes engaging depending on how much I pull the lever.

How does it climb?
-Like a slow goat. The 36t cassette will help you get to the top, but at a slower pace.

How does it descend?
-Like a Boss. Plush fork, squishy rear shock that is complimented with its highly acclaimed Horst Link rear triangle. The XCT 556 soaks up small to large bumps, drops and jumps with ease.

Love/Hate
-Ok, hate is such a strong word. But I’ve got a dilemma here. I love the WTB Wolverine 2.2 tires, I think they are awesome! These tires are fast, and offer great grip…as a rear tire. For a front tire, I would have preferred something more aggressive like a WTB Prowler or even a Kenda Nevegal, then again that’s more of a personal opinion than anything.

The KHS XCT 556 may not be someone’s dream XC race bike due to its weight, but don’t be shy to race with it. Priscilla used it during the Knobby Time Series Race #2. She did well enough to podium

In conclusion
-The KHS XCT 556 is a versatile machine. It performs well as an XC rig and if you’ve got the balls to do so, it can handle Super D courses as well as the occasional dirt jumps. During the extended testing period we had with the bike, nothing failed on us. No signs of fatigue or wear. The only issue we had was the intermittent chain suck in which we’re not sure what caused it. Perhaps I was simply cross chaining it. Other than that, its a superb bike.

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