“Intermediate jump trails are some of the most popular trails no matter where you go, so we really want to grow that out. And then obviously looking at some of that technical genesis bike classic singletrack that Maydena is known for,” he says. French says they also plan to go in after the trees are harvested to build new trails in the Mystic Bowl area.
There’s a very deep, wide visor, so you get a really good view of the road and behind you as you ride and it curves in to hug the sides of your face. The pointy shape is pure time trial, so it won’t be much use on the Sunday club run, but it certainly looks fast. The MET Rivale MIPS combines aero and ventilation features for an all-road road helmet.
29-inch wheels fit an interesting niche, as although they have slow acceleration, they carry momentum fairly well and have the smoothest ride quality. With a longer contact patch, they feature more stability and grip than the previous types. That said, there is a small weight penalty over the smaller sizes and they can be harder to maneuver tight turns on smaller tracks or trails. Getting more into the nitty-gritty of the construction of mountain bikes, There are four main types of materials that frames are made out of.
We found it comfortable for cooler weather riding and the enclosed design does work in the rain although the slightly bulky shape might not suit everyone. Certainly, if you’re riding regularly in a colder region, or commute year round, then it’s a lid we suggest you take a look at. Perhaps due to the extra protection, the Bell XR isn’t the lightest in class – a medium has a claimed weight of 285g while our large test helmet tipped the scales at 317g. It’s tightened with a wire and BOA dial system at the rear, which gives a secure, stable fit.
They will then pay a lease straight to the Council to operate in the park, as opposed to different bits and pieces going back and forth. “In that system, Blue Dirt was paying fees to the Alpine Community Plantation for operation in the park, and then Alpine Community Plantation paid Blue Dirt to undertake maintenance work in the park. And then all of the membership revenue from day passes and annual memberships went back to Alpine Community Plantation, and then some of that was going back to Blue Dirt to pay for the maintenance. In November last year, the Council voted to take on governance of the park under a sublicense agreement, where the day-to-day operations would be contracted out to a professional operator through a tender process. The solution was to introduce the membership model, which, despite some initial grumbles, has largely been a success—especially considering the second option was to close the park.
The shaping of the vents at the back and a more enclosed rear keep the drag low. Whilst we can’t vouch for the added watts this design certainly does provide really good airflow through the helmet in our experience. During the review period, we found this helmet to be exceptional in its ventilation ability and at the cutting edge for safety features.
The next big question is “what’s your budget?” As we go deeper into the specifications such as frame material and size, wheel size, and brakes, it’s important to have your price range in the back of your mind. Hardtails have a rigid frame and a single suspension fork in the front, which creates a few inches of travel. These can come with 26”, 27.5” or 29” wheel size and are available with any frame material. It’s for this ‘EPS volume loss’ reason that most helmet manufacturers will also recommend replacing a road bike helmet every three to five years. If a helmet doesn’t fit properly then it will not do the job it is designed for. Helmets are often available in different sizes relating to the circumference of your head.
The cons of these cables, however, are that they’re exposed to environmental conditions, which makes them vulnerable to rust. They also tend to stretch with extended amounts of use and require constant adjustments to combat this. Because of these factors, for mountain biking, which involves lots of braking, mechanical disc brakes are only found on very entry level price points, with most mountain bikes relying on the superior performance of hydraulic disc brakes. You are going to be wearing the helmet a lot, potentially for many hours at a time, so it’s imperative that the fit suits your particular head shape, no matter what a review says.
Although we couldn’t test the aerodynamic qualities of this against other helmets, it did feel fast when putting our head down and throughout the test loops we did. Kask designed the Sintesi to be a single, mid-priced helmet that worked as well for recreational road cyclists, commuters and gravel riders. Fit adjustment is via a 360° nylon string retention, operated by a rear dial which is easy to adjust and very effective. To keep the weight to a minimum, there’s only a little adjustment on the straps, with a single slide adjuster on the chin buckle. We did find this a bit restrictive but appreciated that the helmet is offered in two widths, which helped us dial in the fit a little more. Despite its undeniable aero aesthetic, the Ballista can still be used as an everyday road helmet thanks to good ventilation and easy BOA adjustment.
The ACP contracted Blue Dirt to run the shuttles, later to perform trail maintenance, and was in the process of launching bike patrol. The second entity was, of course, the Alpine Community plantation, which was made up of all the park’s stakeholders and was responsible for everything else—financials, operational management and safety, genesis bike marketing, etc. With a suspension system, riders have a solid cushion for the vibration and bumps the bike is going over, but with rigid bikes, your body has to provide this cushion instead. Rigid bikes differ from the previous two in that they don’t have any suspension system at all, which introduces a much smaller margin of error.