Testing the GOPRO HD

Got my hands on the GO PRO HD. Ive just got it, so im still fumbling with functions. I took it for a spin today, just a test session, and tried different positions with the chest mount.

Its got some neat vid functions such as the ability to record 720p at 60 fps - for that silky smooth recording. Or up to a 1080p at 30 fps. I'm playing around with the 960p as im told its the best mode for a chest mount.

Sound isn't good, the cam is tucked into a "bulletproof" housing, and that hinders proper sound recording. No biggie for me tho'. Other than that my initial impressions are very positive, it seems to be a quality product. The outer lens has a bit of a fish eye effect, great for trail shooting when cam is mounted on a helmet or chest strap.

Chest mount - obviously without the cam attached. It fits me well, and im currently trying to make it co-work with my Camelbak - no real issues yet:

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The GOPRO HD is also capable of taking pics (5mp):

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Trail pic from the GOPRO (compressed). I just had to share this. Story behind pic: I love to attack corners, but I almost took it a bit too far this time - my rear end drifted more than planned, and I came so far down horisontically that I almost hit the ground with my left hand (see pic). Crazy thing about this is that I actually came out of this without crashing - and without foot tapping the ground(!) See last section of the vid below to see this move in action.

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Raw test-video.Compressed. 40 sek.

Review: Point One Racing Podium Pedals

9 months of testing complete. It was all good and dandy - untill the testing suddenly ended. So lets take it from the beginning; Lets go 9 months back:

First thing that came to mind when I got hold of these pedals is that they are big! Its 100mm x 100mm but thats the platform itself, actual size is bigger. Second thing that struck me was that these pedals are VERY thin, coming in at 11mm, these pedals are literally thinner than your little-finger.

Ive mostly been running these pedals at my local trails. Definitely not a place thats hard on pedals, ive also taken them to several bikeparks, and some evil rockgardens as well. But the pedals mostly (90%) saw pedal friendly trails.
So it came to me as a surprise when they recently died on me. These pedals are some of the most expensive platform pedals money can buy - I figured they would at least outlast their warranty. Somehow the pedal-body torn itself from the axle. Bummer. Warranty has me covered tho'.
So my excitement for the Podium Pedals went from sky high, to pure dissapointment.

The quality is very high - with beautiful CNC cutting at angles and places I didn't even know was possible, it just oozes quality. Work it Minion:

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Instead of spilling more words, let me just sum it up for you:

The Good:
-Very thin
-Pedal-BODY is tough
-Big and comfortable platform
-Weight
-Easy on the eyes, man are they sweet looking.

The Bad:
-Pins can be hard to swap if they get damaged
-They ultimately failed

I hate when stuff fail, and I refuse to recommend you guys stuff that doesnt cut it, score obviously reflects that:

Score: 0/6

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I got some longer pins, increasing grip.

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Ultimately it failed

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April AM 2

Been doing a ton of riding, im so stoked about the new lines that I can hardly keep my bike still. 2 tight swithback sections, and a huge whip-compatible(finally) jump with an oversized transition with enough room to land a friggin 747 should you mess up the whip. Handy. No pics yet tho'

Besides sessioning the lines, I managed to continue my gear destruction: First it was the Podium Pedals, then my Camera (third time, fuck you right back Casio), now its my X0 rear derailleur - this really has to stop. Im still riding, so cant really complain ; )

Enjoy the pics, got lucky there.

I really like this picture - it has a sort of anti-symmetric vibe to it. Btw, make no mistake, im working hard here : )

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There is a line between all those trees:

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Small offcamber drop:

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A bit bigger drop, and uber smooth landing IF you get the transition right. Spitfire landing here, takeoff in upper left corner:

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Ditching the front derailleur was a good decision, definitely improves on explosive acceleration when needed - the clean look is just a bonus : )

April AM

We had some awesome rides lately, some of the more recent lines are still getting dialed in, but they are getting faster everyday.

Sessioning a fun descend, the bike absolutely rips when pointed downwards:

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Drea on his Norco Range, sweet bike

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Some steep tech:
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Mr.Madsen on his Specialized SX:
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Man, why do these things keep happening to me:
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More to come

Shock trouble

Quick summary of recent events:

The bad: Turns out that my Rock Shox Monarch RT3 is faulty. Rebound and compressions settings didn't work properly. Huge disappointment! Ive sent it back to CanfieldBrothers.eu and they promised me a quick resolution.

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The good:

Just got the RockShox Vivid R2C 2011. The top of the line coil shock from RockShox. So Im technically still on two wheels.

HOWEVER, the Vivid R2C shock is setup for bikeparks and DH sessions only, its sagged at 30% for that reason - not ideal for techy AM.

So for the moment im riding the coil, and it does admittedly feel a bit weird, a bit unresponsive, and harder to pedal. But as soon as I point the bike downhill, it just blows my mind! Such a sick shock for the descends! Watch out for the preview of the Vivid R2C right here on All Mountain Next.

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Review: Michelin Wild Rock'R 2.25"

Michelin hasn't been on peoples mind for a long time regarding mtb tires. Michelin somewhat lost grip of the market, and other companies has been more than villing to fill the gap. So for 2010 Michelin decided to get back into the market with a fresh new line of tires, some revised classics, as well as a new approach to costumers via marketing. One of these tires is the Michelin Wild Rock'R, an All Mountrain compatible tire, that somewhat resembles a Maxxis Minion tire, one of the best tires out there - so does it mimic more than just the looks?

Ive been running this tire for some time now, in soft and loose conditions, both dry and wet, and this is actually a decent performing tire, I have a hard time putting my finger on a single bad thing for these conditions - well besides the slight-above-medium rolling resistance. The big side logs does its job in the corners, in off camber situations, and the tire hasn't let me down a single time yet, to my surprise, and Ive been trying to push this tire hard. Speaking of rolling resistance, the big and tall center logs provide great grip in loose/wet/muddy conditions, but Its not a fast tire on hardpack, so dont expect Maxxis Highroller/Specialized Chunder performance. Do, however, expect mistake swallowing performance.

UPDATE: Been also using this tire as a rear-tire for the last 3 months, and it shows a performance thats to my linking. Great control, predictable drifting, and a serious grip. The thread holds up just fine, well more than just fine, because I can hardly see its been used, michelin did a good job there. The Wild Rock'R  performs great in muddy and wet conditions as well. I really feel that this is a very good balanced tire. There is just one thing, and its the rolling resistance, its not BAD, but its definately there. Is it worth it? It is yes. The rolling resistance does wear off abit after some bedding in.

Great tire for the All Mountain biker who gets his bike into loose trail conditions,  its a tire that really sticks to the line and keeps it there. The generous size also adds to the score - this tire has a great volume. Wild Rock'R is preferable in the fall/winter/spring time due to its cut out. 

Size: 2.25" 
Tested on: Front and Rear
Claimed weight: 690 gram
Actual weight: 717 gram
Score: 6/6

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Put it into wet or moist conditions, and watch it work.

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Competent as a rear wheel tire as well.

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Recent All Mountain sessions

There has been a ton of riding recently, and I got to ride a bit more on my new frame, yay for that! : )

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..whilst still stumbling upon new lines:

Im a bit uncertain about how big this drop actually is, feels smooth tho' - IF you hit the transition that is.. 

The Banshee Spitfire rips into a corner. Go ahead and enlarge the pic, its a lucky shot with all the "debris" in the air:

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But the result was this, tire popped out of its rim:

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Its a bit hard to see, but this is actually a decent sized stepdown:

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More to come.

Preview: E-Thirteen LG1+ Chain Guide

I finally ditched my 2x9 gear setup, and went for a 1x9 setup instead. I have some quite demanding climbing sections on my primary trails, so I wonder how it goes. But im optimistic, as ive been forcing  myself to use only the 32 front ring the last 4 months, thereby simulating a 1x9 gear ratio. It went surprisingly well, and as a bonus It actually made my legs stronger.

I had a bashguard ring on my RaceFace SIXC crankset, but got sick and tired of chaindrops when things got shaky (bigger drops and jumps). So I decided to ditch the bashguard ring entirely and get the chainguide with a taco-bashguard.

I look forward to fully test this device, and to see how it fares with wear and tear. Check out the review soon here on All Mountain Next.

Propably the lightest chainguide/bashguard system out there.

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Honeycomb design, keeping it strong while reducing weight:

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Indicators for ring size:
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By installing it, I ditched the front derailleur, the front shifter itself, cables, bolts, a bashguard ring, and the 22t front ring, all in all it turned out to be alot of weight:
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Be sure that your frame-warranty supports a ISCG tabs powered taco bashguard. Not all frames does, and thats even tho' they have the ISCG tabs.

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On the trail it runs smoothly, best of all; no more chain dropping.

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