See all of our Project 24.2 reviews here!

Made in Italy.  That little phrase- though increasingly hard to find- is almost magical in the cycling world.  Not only does it signify a high-end product, but those three words evoke a land where food is enjoyed, style is effortless, and cycling is a part of culture.  Founded by an accomplished racer and in business for over 35 years, Vittoria make each and every pair of their shoes- from under $100 to over $400- at their factory in Italy.

Vittoria’s manufacturing flexibility is a big part of their current story.  While the company produces 81 stock model/color combinations in 27 sizes, three non-standard widths are available in addition to their standard width at no charge.  Even different-sized pairs are available for a nominal fee.  Want mountain uppers on road soles?  No problem.  Want carbon-soled, mountain-treaded shoes with uppers from the company’s stylish 1976 line?  You bet.  Vittoria USA can make any of this happen in 2-3 weeks from your order to when they land in your local bike shop.

With their $300 sticker coming well under high end Asian-made (not that there’s anything wrong with that) shoes from bigger brands, how have Vittoria’s Supra MTBs treated my feet?  Pretty darn well.  Click through for the details…
READ MORE ->

See all of our Project 24.2 posts here!

With Specialized providing the aft contact points for our Project 24.2 race bike, I suspected that my happy parts would be in good hands.  Falling under their Body Geometry aegis, Specialized’s saddles were developed in conjunction with one Dr. Roger Minkow to “eliminate numbness and soreness normally associated with other saddles by enhancing blood flow in men.”  Who doesn’t like the sound of that?  With a wide range of saddles in three sizes and with an excellent reputation for comfort, it was a safe bet that something would work for my body.  Click through to find out what I tried and why the Henge is my new dirt favorite.

READ MORE ->

See all of our Project 24.2 reviews here!

Along with the Valcon Carbon saddle reviewed here, WTB sent out some race rubber in the form of Nano TCS tires and WeirWolf grips to complete my Tomac Supermatic  race bike.  Out of the WTB line, the WeirWolf grip (which shares its knobby pattern with the Mark Weir signature tire of the same name) looked set to provide good control and grip to tired hands.  The tubeless compatible (with sealant) Nano TCS tire looked like a fast tire with enough of a casing to avoid late-night cactus-induced flats.  Were they up to the task?  You know where our secrets go…

READ MORE ->

See all of our Project 24.2 reviews here!

When they were announced last summer, Magura’s MT disc brake line grabbed a lot of attention.  With strikingly light weights and what was claimed to be the industry’s first carbon fiber master cylinder, gram freaks everywhere were at attention.  While the $400/wheel MT8s got most of the press, keen-eyed spec readers quickly noticed that by trading the carbon lever and bar clamp for aluminum and leaving a bit more material in the caliper, the MT6 gained a mere 32g per wheel, added a bit of power-enhancing stiffness- and more importantly saved $200 per set.

It was with these more-than-worthwhile compromises in mind that I bolted a set of MT6s to our Project 24.2 bike.  Four months and over a thousand miles later, I’ve been impressed with Magura’s latest.  Read on to find out why…

READ MORE ->

See all of our Project 24.2 reviews here!

The week before the our last big pre-24 hour race ride, a slick looking WTB Valcon Carbon saddle with carbon rails floated into the Bikerumor workshop for testing. Not many of us are dumb enough to put a brand new saddle on our bikes before we venture out on a big day. Luckily I commonly ignore common sense in order to check out new cool bike gear. I quickly mounted the saddle to my Tomac Supermatic race machine for our 92 mile shakedown ride. Click away to find out how the superlight perch fared on the 7.5 hour mountain bike shakedown ride- as well as at the subsequent 24 hrs In the Old Pueblo.

READ MORE ->

See all of our Project 24.2 posts here!

Though the brand doesn’t seem to get the respect that its high-end products deserve, I’ve long been a fan of Louis Garneau’s shorts. Always well made and in my opinion quite comfortable, Garneau’s shorts show excellent attention to detail. A 12 panel short (also available in a bib short verison) that makes use of the company’s antibacterial “most comfortable,” “all day on the saddle” Airgel Chamois, the Carbon Lazer seemed like it would be a great choice for 24 hour training and racing.

READ MORE ->

See all of our Project 24.2 posts here!

Looking for some gloves that I could leave in my mountain pack (and to save my white Castelli Chiro WS gloves from the indignities of off-road use), this winter I set out to find a new pair of cold weather mountain bike gloves. At my local REI, I stumbled on a pair of Giro’s Ambient 2s- and the fit was enough to convince me to give them a go. Consisting of a water- and wind-resistant softshell back, strategically padded synthetic Clarino palm, and funk-fighting X-Static fleece lining, the Ambient 2s seemed like a good choice for mountain biking in 30-45 degree weather. Were they? Hit the jump to find out.

READ MORE ->

See all of our Project 24.2 reviews here!

taking training more seriously

Given our intention to take our 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo training and racing a bit more seriously this year, it was only appropriate that Alex and I come up with a team kit.  Balancing the ability to stand out on the race course with the desire need to look good, can be hard- and we racked our brains for the perfect jerseys.  Eventually, a bell went off:  what about DannyShane?  Manufacturers of one of my favorite jerseys ever, DannyShane is a Texas-based company that makes high-end, environmentally-aware cycling gear.  With a pair of the company’s Tartan Race jerseys- in Tinsley green and Bellam blue- Alex and I would stand out on the race course, be identifiable as a team.  And stay sexy.  What about performance, you ask?  Take the trip past the break to find out!

READ MORE ->