What we're excited about this month
Here’s what we’re excited about this month: not-a-GoPro, something that STFU, flipping jackets, impressive choppers and more…
>>> New Year Dirty Deals: cheap big cassettes, VooDoo Bizangos, Burgtec flats and much more!
‘Buy Now’ links
You will notice that beneath each product summary is a ‘Buy Now’ link. If you click on one of these links then mbr may receive a small amount of money from the retailer should you go to purchase the product from them. Don’t worry, this does not affect the amount you pay.
Rockrider G-Eye 500 Full HD Wifi Sport Camera, £59.99
Last autumn GoPro launched the Hero8 Black, capable of shooting in 4K at 60fps, and with the best image stabilisation out there it’s unarguably the best POV camera you can buy. It also costs nearly £400, which is a chunk of dough.
So in steps the Rockrider G-Eye 500 Full HD WiFi Sport Camera, boasting some impressive numbers… like 60. Yes, for £60 you get a camera that shoots in 1080p at 30 frames per second, with a 2in screen on the back, and you can even control it from your phone. It comes with a mount for your helmet and a waterproof housing too, but you will have to supply the memory card.
OK, so the Rockrider G-Eye 500 is never going to outperform the GoPro, but if you’re strapped for cash or a first time movie maker it does look appealing.
Buy Now: Rockrider G-Eye 500 Full HD Wifi Sport Camera from Decathlon for £59.99
Digital design
Pearl Izumi Pro Softshell Lite glove, £39.99
Designed for sub-zero days, the Pearl Izumi Pro Softshell Lite glove uses Primaloft Gold on the back for insulation, and a DWR finish to repel water and keep out wind. There’s conductive synthetic leather on the index finger and thumb too, for screen wipes.
Buy Now: Pearl Izumi Pro Softshell Lite glove from Pro Bike kit for £31.99
Inside lined
Madison Isoler Reversible jacket, £99.99
Winter’s here so it’s time to don an insulated jacket to keep you warm on the bike, or in the pub. Madison gives you two for the price of one with its Isoler Reversible Jacket, it’s red on the inside, black outside, and has a cosy hood too.
Buy Now: Madison Isoler Reversible jacket from Cycle Sotre for £89.99
Silent running
STFU Bike Trail guide, $29.95
The Stfu Bike Trail guide has been developed with the help of dh legend Chris Kovarik, and uses two rubber loops on your chainstay to stop chain slap. It’ll fit 9-13 speed gears and a 50t cassette, it’s simple, lightweight and claims to be silent.
New Year, new read
Subscription to mbr, 6 issues for just £6
Stop searching for the ultimate NewYear treat, we have it right here for you, a subscription to mbr. Better yet, leave this page flopped open in front of your significant other, and perhaps they’ll take the hint. Right now you get up to 36% off too.
Buy Now: 6 issues for £6
Twinkle toes
Five Ten Troy Lee Designs Impact Pro, £139.95
Five Ten has joined forces with Troy Lee Designs to create this Impact Pro special edition in lairy “strong red” colour. Naturally you still get the Stealth S1 full-dotty rubber sole, stiff uppers, solid mid sole, toe box and bumpers that make it the downhiller’s favourite.
Head strong
Endura MT500 Full Face helmet, £189.99
Endura has launched its new MT500 Full Face helmet, made with energy absorbing Koroyd it promises high impact resistance twinned with a super-low 640g claimed weight. It’s DH certified, comes in two colours and three sizes, and a 90 no-quibble refund or replacement guarantee.
Buy Now: Endura MT500 Full Face helmet from Cycle Store for £151.99
Race rapport
Hurly Burly 4, £17
There’s something great about physically turning pages, especially when it contains stunning photography. OK, enough trumpet blowing, Hurly Burly 4 is also good — a 200 page yearbook stuffed with glossy images from the DH WC and Worlds.
Lite weight
7iDP Sam Hill Lite Knee Pads, £79.99
Made from Ripstop Spandex, the 7iDP Sam Hill Lite Knee Pads are made for all day rides and maximum comfort. The foam pads mould to your knee’s shape, and the whole ensemble stays put with a high thigh fit and silicone gripper strips.
Saddle up
Kids Ride Shotgun seat, £120
Get your child into riding early with the Kids Ride Shotgun seat, it fixes to the top tube providing a padded saddle and grippy foot pegs, then there’s an additional handlebar if the regular bar is too much of a stretch.
Do a cuttie
Gerber Gator Combo II Axe & Saw, £63.89
Show your trail some love this winter, and hack back some of the encroaching vegetation with the Gerber Gator Combo II Axe & Saw. The axe uses a lightweight nylon shaft and houses the coarse blade handsaw that’s held in place magnetically. Compact enough to fit in your pack.
Pulling strings
100% Speedcraft glasses, £199.99
Eyewear has a tough old job to do when you’re a mountain biker. It has to protect you from mud and dust, but still allow enough ventilation through to be comfortable. It has to remain fog free, even when it’s muggy and warm. And it has to deliver unobstructed field of view in changing light conditions.
That last part is toughest of all, add in a tint to protect your eyes from glare and UV protection and you’ll suffer when the trail dives into the woods or the sun disappears behind a cloud. You could use a clear tint, like pro downhillers or EWS racers, but who wants to squint into the sun on bluebird days?
The latst lens from 100% hopes to solve the problem with its photochromic lens, available in the Speedcraft glasses, which darken on exposure to UV light. The amount of light the lens lets through varies from just 16 per cent for bright mountain tops, right through to 77 per cent for dark woods and overcast days. The lenses are shatterproof, coated in something called Hydroilo to repel water and oil, and are interchangeable for night riding.
Does it work quickly enough to let you dive off a bright fireroad and into a dense evergreen forest? We’ll let you know in the full review to follow.
Inside job
Granite Stash Multi-Tool, £54.99
The Stash Multi-Tool from Granite slipes into your steerer tube, and boasts an 8-piece multitool including a Torx head, spoke key and valve core remover. Weighs 135g including assembly, and comes in two colours.
Catch of the day
Rideguard OceanX PF1 TB mudguard, £14
Keep mud under control and help cleanse the seas with the Rideguard OceanX PF1 MTB mudguard — it’s made entirely from recycled fishing nets (not old fishnets), and fits easily onto your fork with the supplied reusable zip ties.