Best of the Month! MTB Parts & Accessories (Ep. 3.23)

Welcome back to Best of the Month MTB Parts & Accessories! It's been a little while since we've graced the internet with our Best of the Month series and we've missed you all. This month we've got a fantastic assortment of popular products from brands like Maxxis, Ergon, SRAM, Trail One, Reserve & others, plus a wonderful new product from KETL Mtn that we're excited to share. You won't want to miss this one!

Maxxis Forekaster Tire

This new Forekaster tire from Maxxis reuses the name from an older tire, but the two couldn't be more different. Previously, the Forekaster was a much faster rolling tire with more XC intentions. This new version of the Forekaster is totally redesigned with more, taller knobs plus siped corner knobs to drastically increase the amount of grip, primarily to accommodate the growing segment of light trail/downcountry bikes in the 115/120mm travel range. With the geometry and components of these bikes becoming more and more capable, it seemed fitting to develop a tire that would go well on a shorter travel bike instead of using a tire that came from longer travel bikes. It combines fast rolling speed with impressive braking and cornering grip that you'll be happy to have when you are flying down the trail and realize you need to slow down for that corner you didn't know was there. 

SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS Rainbow Chain

This XX1 Eagle Rainbow chain is one of the most popular chains that we sell, and for good reason. Not only does it have hollow pins for light weight, extra chamfering for improved shifting, and a special coating to increase durability, it also happens to look absolutely awesome on the bike. If rainbow isn't your style, SRAM makes the very same chain in black, gold, and copper as well, so one of those is sure to float your boat if you're looking for the best performing chain for your SRAM drivetrain. Speaking of SRAM, one time we even went out to SRAM's chain factory in Portugal to see how these pieces of bike jewelry were made. Talk about a mountain biker's dream. You know what they say, you can tell everything you need to know about a person by looking at their drivetrain on their mountain bike. 

Reserve Fillmore Tubeless Valves

Reserve changed the game when they released their Fillmore valves, with performance claims that were sure to raise some eyebrows and had to be seen to be believed. With over 3x the airflow of a normal tubeless valve, it makes seating the bead on a new tire much easier than a normal presta valve. When the tire is fully pressurized and you go to release some air, it also releases much, much more air than you are used to with a normal presta. So much so in fact, that you may find yourself taking too much air out at first. On the topic of inflation, I was able to seat a tire on a rim with just a standard floor pump using the Fillmore valves, which left me extremely impressed. Another cool feature of these valves is you can actually take some air out of your tires just by lightly unscrewing the valve cap and pressing it down. Another cool feature of the valves is that if you have a pump that threads onto the valve to inflate it like a Lezyne pump, you won't ever have an issue with accidentally unscrewing your valve core ever again. The main downside of the valves that we've found is they still clog like all others, and when they do, you'll need to pop the bead of your tire off so you can access the backside of the valve to disassemble it, clean it, and free it of the clog. Aside from that piece of somewhat normal maintenance, these valves are certainly legit.

Trail One Tubeless Valves V.2

Not only are these trail One tubeless valves stylish, they are also extremely functional. Each tubeless valve comes with a valve core removal tool so you can easily remove that pesky clogged core in a pinch. Extreme functionality aside, these valves also come in a plethora of colors, whose beauty is unmatched. You'll find blue, turquoise, oil slick, orange, & black, so no matter the look you're going for, you will have just the right valve to match your trusty steed. If that wasn't cool enough, if you own them you'll be able to say your something of a philanthropist yourself because each Trail One product gives back $1 to a trail building organization. We aren't ones to brag, but that kind of horn tooting is just fine by us.

Ergon SM Pro Saddle

The Ergon SM Pro has been at the top of the list of best selling MTB saddles for years now, and if you have seen how much research and development that goes into all of their products, it makes total sense. In case you haven't, check out this video that we made a few years back about how much work goes into each Ergon product, and how much their mission of making a pain free bike ride goes into every single product they put out. In the bike industry, there are companies that rest on their laurels and some that innovate and push the envelope, and Ergon definitely falls into the latter category.

TRP DH-R EVO

TRP has come hot onto the scene lately with their impressive line of hydraulic disc brakes. The DH-R EVO has seen a lot of acclaim and popularity lately, being piloted under a number of professional racers and having some relatively widespread positive feedback. We are fans ourselves and a number of riders here at the shop have these equipped on their bikes as well. These brakes have a ton of stopping power, and combining that being offered at a relatively reasonable price and in a few different colorways, makes for a very popular choice when people are looking for a quality gravity oriented brake that doesn't break the bank.

KETL Vent Shorts

9" Inseam

We are extremely thrilled to present to you our latest garment that we've spent countless hours and sleepless nights developing: the Vent Short. We love this short so much that we decided to offer it in two different inseam lengths: 7 inches and 9 inches. That alone would have been an incredible feat, but we didn't stop there - we wanted this short to be able to adapt to a myriad of environments so we decided to offer them in a few different colors as well - grey, brown & black. The Vent shorts are the perfect combination of performance, style and comfort that will make you never want to take them off.

7" Inseam