11/22/2008

For those of you who haven't heard, the Codes are a four-piston hydraulic disc brakes for freeride / DH use. They feature a centre-mount hose, which increases the amount of power transferred to the four 15mm pistons and is intended to be more durable in the event of a crash. The two-piece calipers are held together by four bolts.

The Avid Code caliper and Clean Sweep rotor - easy to set up thanks to the Caliper Positioning System

The split-clamp Code lever uses three sealed bearings for better modulation and lighter lever feel. That should make for less hand fatigue. There's also an internal cam for the split-clamp mounted lever, so it breaks away and comes back into position rather than snapping off. The reach adjustment screw is on the front of the lever for easy access, and the pad contact knob is seriously different than on the Juicys. It's inset into the front of the lever, moving it out of harm's way in the event of a crash.

The red pad contact knob is great for finding that sweet braking spot.

The Codes come with an updated Clean Sweep rotor and are available in 185 and 203mm sizes. The system uses two long brake pads, and ships with an organic pad compound to offer a more linear feel. The organic pads are better suited to dry climates, but sintered pads will be available for aftermarket purchase if you want to go that route. North Shore and other wet-weather riders should probably check out the sintered pads, which will last longer in sloppy conditions. You may have to wait a while for the sintered pads, though - they're very scarce at this point in time. Very.

Weight is 561g for a 185mm front brake set-up, and 597g for the 203mm front. MSRP for the Codes is US$230 per wheel for the 185mm size and $235 per wheel for the 203mm size. The brakes come as a complete set, pre-bled with rotors and the appropriate size adaptor (both International Standard and post for the front), and ship in a sweet case. If for some reason you need to go up or down in size, a new rotor will cost you either $45 or 50 and you'll spend $11-13 per new adaptor.

Talk to your Avid dealer on this side of the 49th - or wherever you are - for pricing in your local currency. Stay tuned for a full report on the Codes after a couple of months of use and abuse.

Fox 36 Talas RC2 Fork Words and photo by Cam McRae I'm a fan of the quiver. It's nice to be able to grab a bike that's perfect for the day ahead. Whistler Bike Park? Pull out the big DH weapon. A little climbing followed by a relatively nasty descent? How about a 34 lb. 6-and-6 bike. More and more, though, I'm asking more from my bikes. I want big bikes that can climb a little and smaller bikes that don't have me looking for ride-arounds. When you can make a bike more versatile without sacrificing its strengths, I'm all for it. With this in mind I signed up to test a Fox 36 Talas RC2. I have already spent serious time on the 36 Van RC2 and it's one of the best forks I have ridden. It's light at 5.45 lbs., nice and stiff, incredibly adjustable and smooth and plush through all 160mm as well. It loves to go fast or take a big hit. Fox ships the 36 Van with three springs as well, so you won't have a hard time getting your rate correct. About the only thing you can't do is lower the ride height for different trail conditions or to put your body in position to tackle a nasty climb.

The Talas can drop 60mm when you're climbing

This is where the Talas comes in. I want a 6" travel bike that allows me to wrestle tech singletrack climbs into submission and then back me up on the descent. The air-sprung Talas has three travel positions; 160mm, 130mm and 100mm. When I pedal up Fromme - either on the fire road or linking some singletrack - the 100mm position lets me really dig in while the fork stays fully active. I was pleasantly surprised by how well the fork works in the lower positions. So far so good but I need more miles on this baby, so stay tuned.  MSRP in Canada is $1222 and south of the border it's US$985.

Dakine Defender Gloves
Words and photo by Cam McRae

A few manufacturers have been making gloves with carbon protection. Dakine decided to shun the bling and use ballistic nylon for protection instead.  It's no heavier, and it seems nice and
tough as well. The back panel is breathable mesh and two types of leather - actual hide and synthetic - keep everything together. Besides the knuckle protection, Dakine has added another 'deflection panel' for the heel of your hand. I wondered if it would get in the way or feel uncomfortable on the bars, but thus far I haven't noticed it at all.

The Defenders, ready, willing and able to take a beating on the trail

 I have noticed some wear on each of these panels, though. One seems to show some evidence of shredding  (perhaps from a fall?) and the other has a small split in the leather that holds the deflection panel in place. Neither of these seem to be getting worse at the moment. That said, I prefer the fit of Dakine's Cross X model (my current favourites).  More neoprene means the Cross X hugs your hand and takes up any slack while the mesh back has very little stretch.

These gloves have already saved me a couple of times, so I think I'll test them a little longer. A bonus is that the Defenders are less than half the price of most of the carbon-adorned gloves, with the MSRP set at US$45 / CDN$50.

Wanna talk about the gear? Here's the place to do it.