|
11/22/2008
|
 |
|
Gear Shots #2
Roach Rally Shorts, NYC Freeride
Blox 1.125 Stem, Pryme AL Full-face Helmet
|
|
Words by Stuart Kernaghan
Roach Rally Shorts
I've managed to amass a modest collection of Roach clothing and armour, and it's served me well. The knee/shin pads have proved their worthiness on numerous occasions, and my Indy shorts have been with me on just about every ride since I bought them three years ago.
I've always been a big supporter of Roach, in part because it's a Canadian company but also because it turned out good products. The stitching may not always have been the straightest and the finished product didn't have that 'polished' look some gear has, but it did the job and held up to a lot of abuse.
About two years ago, Race Face bought Roach and since then the components maker has significantly expanded the Roach line of softwoods. The Rally shorts slap some style into the pure functionality of the Indys, using six different weights of cordura nylon, stretch cordura, new colour schemes, and cargo pockets to turn out a DH / DS-inspired product. |
The Rally Short - Two tones and two pockets
Photo: Stuart Kernaghan |
And while the Rallys hang on to the familiar crotch gusset, Velcro fly, and buckle closures that Roach fans know and love, they aren't made on the Downtown East Side like my Indys were: the Rallys were made in China. The difference in finishing is obvious, with the new shorts looking cleaner, but will offshore production affect the quality? Only time (and the full review) will tell.
NYC Freeride Blox - Crop circles, or what?
Photo: Stuart Kernaghan |
NYC Freeride Blox 1.125 Stem
From the folks at NYC Freeride who brought you those sweet bar-end caps I wrote about a couple of weeks ago comes the Blox stem. The first thing you'll notice when you pick up the Blox is that it's seriously heavy, even though it's been machined out in the centre. The next thought that will likely enter your mind is, oh my god, is it ever sexy.
The Blox 1.125 - as in your standard 1 1/8" steerer diameter - starts life as a block (see the connection there?) of 6061-T6 aluminum and is CNC'd into one of the most artful freeride / DH stems ever to grace the front end of a bike. |
Circular machining on all six surfaces make the 45mm x 0° rise stem look like a cross between a lunar landscape and some whacked-out crop circle pattern. The cut-outs and laser-etched lettering on each side of the Blox also go a long way towards defining the aesthetics of this stem, but the Blox isn't just a thing of beauty. You'd expect a machined and shaped chunk of aluminum would be pretty damn stiff, and guess what - it is.
For those of you worried about slippage, there are three bolts on the steerer clamp and six (!) on the bar clamp. The only drawback of all that machining is that the Blox has some sharp edges. Covering it up with a stem pad would be a crime, so just make sure nothing comes in contact with the Blox when you stack.
Combined with the NYC Freeride bar-end caps, the Blox would make for one amazingly unique cockpit set-up, and I can almost guarantee that you'll be the only kid on your block with one if you drop the US$99 to pick it up.
Unfortunately, it seems that a lot of other people have had that idea because the Blox is sold out right now. NYC Freeride also makes a Blox 1.5 for the new OnePointFive standard, and is planning to produce Blox stems in other lengths and rises, as well as other designs, in the near future. Give Andrew at NYCFreeride a shout to find out when they'll have more of the 1.125s in stock.
Pryme AL Full-face Helmet
There's no getting around it: I have a big melon. Thankfully, it's not disproportionately large, it isn't misshapen, and I don't have any forceps scars. Having a gargantuan cranium does make it difficult to find a full-face helmet, however, and after trying on full-faces from just about every major manufacturer with no luck whatsoever, I was pretty much resigned to the idea that I would end up in a Fox motorcycle helmet. That idea didn't thrill me, because I get hot enough as it is in an XC helmet.
Thankfully, I was saved from that fate when I had the good fortune to be in the bike section of Mountain Equipment Co-op on my semi-regular shopping excursion for things I don't really need. |
The Pryme AL Full-face - It's silver, baby
Photo: Scott Johnson |
MEC isn't the first place that comes to mind when you're in the market for freeride or DH gear, but the silver Pryme AL full-face helmet caught my eye. (Yes, my friends, this is the 'silver but not metal' item that I alluded to at the bottom of Gear Shots #1. Bet you didn't see that coming.) I figured it would be worth trying on the helmet just for the hell of it. And as soon as I put it on, I knew that I was going to buy it.
One-piece construction, light weight, an adjustable visor, a chin strap with a buckle rather than D-rings, 23 vents, and a cool colour were all bonuses. But what really sold me on the helmet was the price. For about $130 including tax, I had a helmet that will (hopefully) keep the front of my head in as pristine condition as the rest of it. We'll have the full review on the Pryme AL after I've got a few more weeks under the silver visor.
Next time on Gear Shots ... New father Cam McRae takes over the reins and thrills you with a first look at new products. Hopefully they won't all be baby-related.
Gear Shots #1 - Yakima RimRoc, SixSixOne Wrist Wraps, Evil Bikes SRS Chainguide
|
