Flying Coffin Decks

It is very, very rare that I post something skate related. Nothing against it at all, I simply have limited knowledge of the activity, but I must say it looks, amazing! Such as these do,Flying Coffin and Manik have joined forces to release a limited run of decks.

Troy Lee Designs 2009

Yeah thats right, they want us to wear this and not laugh.
Troy and I have gotten along in the past but now... well things have changed.

Mutiny Web Video HD

"So fresh and so clean!" At least that is our take on HD. We think Mutiny Bikes agrees. Here is the latest offering from them the 2008 Mutiny Bikes Web Video.

Best Line: "I got the police breathing down my fu@ki# neck"

Sombrio 2008

For the past ten years Dave Watson and crew have been trying to make sure we don't look like a bunch of fools in solid color jerseys with lightning bolts on the chest. They have approached the small world of mountain bike apparel with a keen eye and a passion to outfit us with the highly functional, stylish clothing. Lets be honest, skateboarders and snowboarders get it, bmxers and surfers get it but mountain biking can certainly use a helping hand. Blending state-of-the-art fabrics with progressive patterns and colorways gives them an edge. The design is pretty spot on, the website oozes so much visual media that they must be taken seriously.
They have an impressive approach to global impact, implementing The Natural Step Framework they strive to be a eco-conscious company. 2008 truly marks the tenth year for Sombrio and there is no doubt that the next ten will be just as tremendous. If you have not tried the product, give it a whirl. You won't be disappointed and if you are, your not pedalling fast enough. Sombrio 2008

Je'neve-ah

As a bike geek, I've got a love hate relationship with cars. I gotta say though, we owe at least some debt of gratitude to existing motorsport platforms of suspension technology that make our bikes work oh so well.
Interesting to remember who's making that big money. Maybe that allows advantages on several fronts of bicycling specific suspension applications?
And the bike that stole the auto show!

Twenty6 Products

Not too long ago, if you wanted to buy a decent, dependable, high quality downhill or freeride bike, your options were pretty limited.
If you wanted some burly part or indestructible component you were basically out of luck. Things broke all the time, square tapered bottom brackets, Manitou X-Vert forks (carbon and mango), RockShox disc brakes (3 bolt), Cook Brothers cranks (every color). These were products being produced by companies at the cutting edge of our sport. Those of you that have fond memories of these bits and pieces wore the red badge of courage on a weekly basis back then. Sure, our riding got better but the product quality has taken huge leaps giving us more bang for the buck and dropping Band-Aid’s stock almost overnight. Lets face it people, we have some diverse options these days. With some shiny coin in the pocket you can wander in to most local shops or the Worldwide Web and buy some earth shattering, mind blowing components filled to the brim with all kinds of science. Now, riders are trying to keep up with the advances and are able to push themselves even farther and even faster. That’s great, really it is.
With our sport growing at this speed it presents a problem to the small, rider-owned style company though. How do we set ourselves apart, create a unique voice and not get lost in all the hoop-la. The Internet is a valuable tool for companies like these. They can create some identity for themselves and with proper marketing, drive potential customers to the site.

Twenty6 is one of those small companies. Based in Bozeman, Montana this small outfit is churning out some clever options for riders. Brake lever upgrades, bar ends and Gucci flavored pedals are all on the menu at Twenty6. They are some highly intelligent fellas who definitely paid attention in science class. The high precision and attention to detail can be seen in the 6foe pedals. You have the option of a titanium or cromoly spindle, they have a plethora of pin positions are low profile and come in 10 different colors.
The Dualie Brake levers give you yet another option from the standard stock setup of your current brake levers. Replacements are offered for Hayes, Avid, Shimano and Formula. GasCap barends give your bars some protection when you drop, I mean, when you gently lay your bike on its side. They replace the outer ODI clamp that most of us run.

For this American made quality the price tag can seem a bit steep. Take in to consideration a US based company with overhead costs of basic operations, payroll, engineering, design, equipment leasing and materials cost and you find yourself getting quite a deal. Yeah, I know there are cheaper alternatives but founder Tyler Jarosz has committed himself to making high quality durable products so mooks like you and me can have what we always wanted, options. If that is not being part of the solution I don’t know what is.

GasCap Barend: 34.95
Dualie Levers: 69-74.99
6foe Pedal Cr: 175.50
6foe Pedal Ti: 264.99

Well try to have a formal product review soon. Stay tuned. Check em out if you got questions.
Twenty6Products Website
orders@twenty6products.com

Eye Candy

Avid knows brakes, Sram owns Avid, so now Sram knows brakes. They also know how to keep bike geeks foaming at the mouth with new parts. The 2008 Avid Ultimates will be offered in formal black a crisp white and a "Sid" blue. This will coincide with the new 2009 Sid that will be offered in, you guessed it, "Sid" blue. They are not available as of yet but we are guessing the big release to be around Sea Otter, or as it has become known "Interbike part Deux".
They are pretty clever in the use of color in the componentry. The new "Red" group, the gold accents on the anniversary edition XO der. Galvanized finishes on the new Code brakes as well as Lyrik and Totem forks. Pearl white on the World Cup Boxxer and Reba and mint legs of the Argyle and Domain forks. They have a good design sense and a pretty cohesive brand image. They absorb a brand and make it there own breathing a new life in to it and keep us reaching for our wallets.

Back to the Drawing Board.

Now my somewhat feeble understanding of the birthing process of a product includes a step where it is presented to the target demographic to seek approval. I believe the step is number 72 out of the 94 step process. This process made popular by the book "Salesman of the Century" by Ron Popeil. That great book and all its valuable secrets never made it to the hands of the employees at T.H.E. Many sites have been praising the latest offerings of goods to be released, not Jeru! Jeru takes personal offense at all products that are unworthy.

This helmet bag...First it looks like the blood pressure machine in the grocery store I used to play with when being yelled at by my mama. It fails not because of the "flava-ful" or "played" pattern that it sports, not even the jingle jangle of those bulky ass zippers. It fails for two reasons. (1) The relief under the visor, are we shaving weight fellas? Oh, I see we want passers by to whisper under breathe "he has go a legit THE full face helmet in that designer satchel." That ain't happening, more like "what is with the busted ass purse, sweetie?" (2)They didn't stop there a voice from some cubicle screamed out "don't forget the celly!" And they attached a CELL PHONE HOLSTER to the bag, because when you are sporting that sac around town, you must be connected to all the fellas...How in the world could they justify placing a cell phone holster on the strap. All it needs now is a little clear plastic holder for my bus pass.

Taken from there site:
THE VISION We are committed to developing the best and most innovative products in the industry. This dedication pushes us to the edge, and very often we are the only ones out there. "We Like It That Way". We are proud of the fact we listen to enthusiast everywhere, and work very hard with the world's top pros to develop and test new ideas. This effort allows us to deliver fresh new products like you've never seen before, products that fill the need and bridge the gap left by the rest of the industry.

GrandMaster said it best: "Don't push me, 'cause I'm close to the edge / I'm trying not to lose my head"


Now the hoodie...
I can get with the quilted look, really can. The full zip on the other hand is a stretch, all the new
kids at lunch way be rockin the full zip, not this guy. The full zip is one thing, the grommets for your eyes and mouth though are a completely different avenue. Maybe if you were waiting in line at the bus with symtex strapped to your jelly parts and the aspirations of eternity on your mind. Either way, poor execution my friend, poor execution. Send one to Mr. Lucas, I'm sure he'll love it.

Back to the drawing board.

Have you seen this?

No, I am not talking about that idiotic Oakley/Blair Witch Commercial hype project. I speak of "wideOpen", some boys out of the UK have been pumping these big PDF issues out for a little while now. A bi-monthly magazine, it covers all the UK has to offer from racing updates to new products. A bucket load of articles and hundreds of photos packed into each 80 plus page magazine. Remember LitterMag when you had to wait for each issue to drop from the heavens to feast your eyes on the alternative. Same idea, different execution. Not as cut and pasted together but at the same time thats what we all love about Litter. Wideopen! good guys doing some hard work. Check it out, they mean well and they did it for you, besides what else do you have to do at work.
CLICKHEREYOUFAIRY

Ze Germans...

Creative badass Laikabase in Germany is responsible for alot of cunning work in the print and video world they have stunning animated graphics. They have been working with Nicolai and the SRAM Mafia. The most recent project is SRAM's "Bike World 3" take a looksee..."laikabase"