Previously, at The Mont 24…
In 2012, my then 3-year-old Ay Ups seemed perfectly adequate for the race ahead. They were great for night commuting and the occasional fire trail social night ride I’d been doing with mates. Indeed, the previous year at my first ever Mont, they really did seem fine. It was an unpleasant surprise to find then, come race day, when scooting through the twisty Kowen Forest singletrack, their weaknesses jumping out like a hungry drop bear.

Mounted on the handlebar, the bright Ay-Ups’ intense hotspot and rapid drop-off to the sides created a tunnel vision effect. This forces the rider to scan with the helmet light and fill in the gaps between the hotspots and front wheel from memory. I found this very tiring and difficult to maintain at race speed on twisty rerrain.

Sections like Kowalski’s Sideshow and Rolling Thunder became particularly difficult at night, with the bar light pointing out into the inky black off the side of the hill around the fast banked hairpins. This left no choice but to use the helmet light on the foreground instead of looking around the corner.

The Ay-Ups just weren’t doing it. It was an unpleasant slog. I wasn’t sure if I was up for putting myself through that again.

Jump forward 12 months: a new toy arrives
When the MyTinySun light arrived late last year, I felt like 007 getting his new toys from Q before a dangerous mission. My manic work schedule (yes, I have a real job) meant midweek practice trail rides with the new kit didn’t happen. Nevertheless, I was quietly confident I had a secret weapon in my hands. For the Mont 24 MTB race in Canberra, the Ay-Ups were relegated to helmet light duties where the hotspot would be handy.

Turning night into day
Come the first night lap, I knew early on I was going well when I noticed how far forward I could plan lines and how relaxed I felt. The full, even beam from the MyTinySun meant peripheral vision could handle the load as in daytime and I no longer had to ride by memory. This set in motion a virtuous cycle. Not being constantly surprised, and being able to stay off the brakes much more when setting up for corners, helps maintain momentum instead of wasting energy. The increased speed and lower effort means flowing lightly over obstacles, if not popping the bike over them altogether, instead of having to grind and bounce my way through every rock garden and mass of tree roots.

Sections like Kowalski’s Sideshow that were tricky to ride fast, still required full concentration but were a blast to ride. The Sport 2700x allowed you to see clearly the exit line you were aiming for while still giving you a great view of the foreground and everything to the side and in between. This freed up the helmet light to do its job of searching ahead for what was coming next.

The result was a first night lap that was my fastest of the event: 1 hour 8 minutes-odd, according to the Garmin, on a course two kilometres longer – a massive improvement of 26 minutes over the last year, in the same conditions. This compared well with the elite’s night laps at around the 53 minute mark. Not bad for an old fart.

On the second night lap I found myself struggling a little, until I figured out I’d been running the 2700x in half-power mode for the first half. Out of habit I’d dimmed the light to conserve battery on the first long slow climb. In the rush to hit the mode button before arriving at the next fast technical section I had somehow missed clicking it properly.

Back on full beam, confidence returned. Shape-making on the bike and line selection improved and speed through the winding singletrack just seemed to lift of its own accord without extra effort.

A check on the Garmin as I crossed transition showed 1 hour 14 minutes and some seconds. Not at all bad, considering the first half. My last lap, in mid-morning Sunday sunshine, would come in at 1 hour 12 and some cramps. Consistent!

MyTinySun Sport 2700x light beam (on high)

For comparison, Ay-Up V4 Adventure Helmet + Handlebar kit
(Photos: Canon EOS 600D, set at F9 and ISO400 with a 21mm focal length for 15 seconds)

Excellent battery life
Why I felt the need to dim the light on that climb I am not quite sure. My lap times were never going to threaten the 2 hour 47 minute run time on full beam specified on the light’s spec sheet. The battery status indicator only just tripped over to indicating 75%  capacity ten minutes or so before hitting the transition area on the first lap, so the spec sheet run time seems quite realistic.

The light head does get more than a little warm on full power when standing still, but even spinning up steep gradients at 6-7km/hr seems to provide enough airflow to keep it no more than warm to the touch.

Mounting hardware that works
Despite spending several weeks fixed 24×7 on my commuter bike, the O-ring light head mount was just as secure on the Easton carbon bars of my race bike on the rough stuff. I shifted the aim up and down slightly a couple of times during the lap to suit the terrain, but this was a plus not a minus.

The Velcro fasteners kept the battery securely nestled up front between down and top tubes, and the cable connectors behaved perfectly.

The connectors are difficult to pull apart, which is confidence inspiring as the last thing you want on a fast rough descent is for your light to suddenly wig out from a dodgy connector. Gripping each connector end firmly and flexing from side to side loosens the connection easily without stressing the wires. I managed to deduce this by studying the plug’s design, and this omission is probably the only complaint I would have about the instruction sheet.

With great power…
One consequence of having so much light at one’s fingertips is that it imposes a responsibility to be careful with its use. The instructions carry a warning against looking directly into the beam when handling the unit due to the risk of permanent damage to your vision, and they’re not kidding.

On one occasion commuting home, after hitting full beam on a fast descent that is periodically prone to having oil sprayed across the kerbside lane by government buses, I came to a sudden stop behind a small hatchback at the red traffic light at the bottom of the hill. The full 2700 lumens fired straight in the back window. An almost instant  ”What the hell is that?!” exploded from the driver (I’ve cleaned up the language) followed by a sheepish mumbled apology from me and my hand quickly covering the light while I bumped the intensity down.

Light Modes
As noted in the race report above, it is still possible to get confused about which light mode you’re in. In a race situation stopping to check is not something you prefer to do, and taking one’s hands off the bar to dab the button carries some obvious risks! This is no different to any other competitor’s light and so can’t be highlighted as a disadvantage, rather it’s something I would like to see addressed in any MTB light set up.

My other suggestion about the modes involves the flashing mode, or rather the lack of a regular one. The only flashing mode available gives you an SOS morse code signal that cannot be disengaged without unplugging the light. It is obvious that MyTinySun are not aiming this light at the city commuting market, rather it is intended to attract the serious mountain biker or back-country rider. Having a light that can be more useful on commutes, however, would help to justify its price.

Conclusion
My experience at the Mont speaks for itself. For their intended use as off-road trail lights, the Sport 2700x really hits the mark. The remarkable light output with a wide and even beam spread changed my riding from grinding and picking my way carefully around barely-seen obstacles, to flowing my way to bettering my night time lap speeds. Even with a whopping 2700 lumens, these still work best in combination with helmet mountain light which can be a lower powered light with a hotspot.

I’m really grateful to the importers for the opportunity to test this light, as I had almost given up on night mountain bike riding. It transformed a challenging, unpleasant and tense experience into the brilliant fun it always should have been, and has restored my appetite for night racing. I can’t wait for the next event!

MyTinySun also have handlebar remote versions: Pro 2800x (also with 3 Cree LEDs) and a dual lamp (6 Cree LEDs) called the PRO 3600X. Yes, that’s right, 3600 lumens of light. That will burn holes into the landscape!

Great:
• Wide, even beam spread.
• Awesome total light output and punch
• Outstanding run time
• Easy to use
• No “off” phase when switching between intensity modes.

Not so great:
• No flash mode for commuter use
• Easy to dazzle other road users if you’re careless

MyTinySun lights are available directly from the Australian MyTinySun website, the Sport 2700x as review retails for $629 the 5.8Ah battery pack.

Photos 1 & 4 expertly taken by, and used with kind permission of, Aurora Images www.auroraimages.com.au, official event photographers for the Mont 24 Hour Race.

After a bit of casual chitchat about whether I was going for a ride later, they seemed satisfied and turned back the way they came. “We look forward to seeing the review” the constable intoned ominously on leaving.

I had to laugh. The powerful high-beam of the MyTinySun Sport 2700x’s spilled into the National Park and completely illuminated an unlit road late on a Sunday night; this had obviously piqued their professional curiosity. The constable is right: this light is very powerful. The 2700 in the light’s name refers to 2700 measured lumens, and not the inflated theoretical lumens of the emitter that other manufacturers use to boost the marketing value of their lights.

MyTinySun Sport 2700x light beam (on high)

For comparison, Ay-Up V4 Adventure Helmet + Handlebar kit
(Photos: Canon EOS 600D, set at F9 and ISO400 with a 21mm focal length for 15 seconds)

MyTinySun in the spotlight
The MyTinySun 2700x offers a very satisfying throw and, while the beam is slightly centre weighted, it offers a very even spread across a wide angle. This resolves the majority of the issues I’ve previously encountered with other brands of lights, such as losing the foreground when the bar-mounted lights point out into empty space on fast descending switchbacks, as well as fatiguing tunnel vision during technical trail sections.

The MyTinySun’s head is equipped with 3 Cree XM-L U2 LEDs in a finned black anodised alloy housing which also incorporates the main power and mode selection switch. The tempered glass lenses provide a wide 19 degree beam angle. It does get hot, but it is also German made, so it has to pass strict German safety regulations. The light head circuitry includes temperature overload protection to ensure the emitters stay within safe operating temperatures, automatically reducing power output to prevent damage to componentry in hot conditions. This unit comes in at a satisfyingly light 110 grams (excl. battery pack).

The Sport 2700x head uses the common ‘tool-free’ o-ring style of mount, but incorporates a nice toggle lever to enable easy release when required. While convenient, I did find the head moved around a little on my smooth carbon bars when trying to operate the switch with my thumb. Due to the heat generated on high beam after standing stationary for 10 minutes, bracing against the front of the head unit with bare forefingers to press the button was uncomfortably hot. However, I suspect this will be much less of an issue while riding as the motion of the bike provides cooling airflow, and most mountain bikers use full-finger gloves anyway.

An easy fix that improves mounting stability and reduces the risk of trail vibration (causing the light head to shift) is to use Velcro, 3M Dual Lock or the self-adhesive rubber strip that is provided with the MyTinySun unit.

The head unit is IP 67 waterproof, and the connector plugs are shielded by rubber covers to protect water from entering. It means you don’t have to worry about the light even if you hit a tropical storm. I personally would have preferred the leads on the battery and head unit to be each a couple of centimetres longer. I found it necessary to use the extension cable, which made the cable a bit too long, and wrapping it around the bars and stem got messy. There were some neat red Velcro cable tidies included in the kit, so I should probably just use these and suck it up instead of complaining.

The large 5.8Ah battery pack, supplied with the systems sold in Australia, provides for almost 3 hours of operation on high beam. Even with this larger battery, the total system weight comes to a very modest 550g. This is within 50g of the Ferei BL200s we reviewed a few weeks ago, for almost twice the runtime and almost twice the real output. Judicious use of mid beam on the climbs could extend a full battery to 4 or 5 hours duration easily.

Operating the MyTinySun Sport 2700x
I particularly liked the mode switch operation of this light. In Simple mode, there are three light levels and a simple bump of the button toggles between mid and full power. More importantly, you don’t have to pass through an “off” phase to get high beam back when starting a fast or tricky descent; bump the button and you’ve got it back immediately.

To get the third light level, low beam, say when you need to stop to fix a puncture, it is simply a matter of holding the button down for a second and releasing as soon as low is triggered. Bump it once to return to mid-beam again. To turn off, simply hold the button for one and half seconds until the button turns red. Simple to use, it shows the manufacturers have invested considerable thought into their products usability in the field.

The illuminated button doubles as fuel gauge by passing through a range of colours on its journey from green to red.

Engage an Expert
Expert mode gives you a choice of six setups, each providing a range of  light power levels in either Power or Eco programs. These setups give you the choice of going from 330 lumens to 2700 lumens in 3 steps, 330 lumens to 1800 lumens in 5 steps, or 330 lumens to 2700 in six steps, and using either the colour of the button LED or a main light flash sequence to indicate the amount of charge left in the battery.

Engaging Expert mode is as simple turning off the head unit completely (i.e. no status light) with the power connected and  holding down the button for 20 seconds. You then get to enjoy a light show while it cycles through all of the programs. The instructions cover the setup choices available and how to select the program you want.

When you next turn the light on, it remembers the mode and program you previously selected so you don’t have to go through the process again. Tapping the button steps you up and then back down the range of available  light levels in the program. In a competitive mountain bike race this could get a bit awkward with so many light levels, but cruising around at night far away from civilisation, this allows you to better match the light output to your needs so that you can squeeze the most life possible from the battery. These setups would be suited to back country touring and camping. If you get into trouble, there is an SOS flash option that can only be disengaged by disconnecting the power.

Returning back to Simple mode is a matter of holding down the button for 20 seconds again and enjoying another light show. For racing and training though, Simple mode is brain-fade proof, and on that count is just about perfect for my particular brand of insanity: 24 hour mountain bike team relay racing.

Let there be Light
To find out what I think of these lights in action and to read my conclusions, you’ll have to wait for Part II of this review. The MyTinySun is due to see some serious action this summer, so if you see bright lights streaming from Manly Dam in Sydney at night, you will know who it is. Hopefully there’ll be no red and blue flashing lights following close behind.

Until then, you can see more of the MyTinySun Sport 2700x on the MyTinySun website where they’re available for $629 with the larger capacity 5.8Ah battery pack.

The subjects of this review, the Scylla and Kratos tubeless ready tyres, are aimed at the cross-country market and are intended to prioritise speed and low rolling resistance over outright glue-like traction. They are available in a long-wearing all-black single compound or SDX “Greyline” black and grey dual compound. This review deals with the single compound  ”Tubeless Supra 1 for 3″ tubeless ready version. “1 for 3″ refers to the fact the tyre has been designed to be used with tubes on normal rims, normal rims with tubeless conversion systems, and UST tubeless rims. Not all tyres will work satisfactorily with all systems, but Rubena has done its homework here.

Of the two tyres reviewed, the Kratos has the more aggressive open tread with slightly more raised and prominent edge blocks. The Scylla, on the other hand, has the lower and more closely spaced tread necessary for low rolling resistance. As most of my local trails vary widely in surface conditions, I opted to fit the Kratos to the front as the primary control tyre, with the Scylla on the rear where its low rolling resistance would be best utilised.

The quality of construction of both tyres was excellent, at least equal to any of the market leaders, such as the Maxxis Crossmark or Schwalbe Racing Ralph. The sidewalls have what looks like an embossed cross-hatch pattern and the moulding was sharp and uniform. They beaded up easily on my Mavic UST rims, and mounted evenly and straight.

Tubeless ready tyres use a UST compatible bead, but rely on the use of liquid latex sealant to maintain inflation. The leaking of small droplets of sealant through the sidewall initially is not uncommon but, contrary to expectation, these tyres sealed up very well and displayed none of the slow leaking over the first few days commonly reported with other brands of tubeless ready rubber. They continue to hold air well and just require topping up once a week or so, the same as the full UST or tubed tyres on my other bikes.

The Scylla and Kratos were both very light, though in my enthusiasm to try them out I neglected to weigh them before fitting them. They were, however, noticeably lighter than the Schwalbes UST Triple Evos I’ve been running, which are very light for tubeless tyres. Both Rubena tyres have a high thread count casing, 127 tpi, which accounts for the light weight and supple feel of the casing in the hand.

While these tyres were marked as 2.25″ wide, they came in at less than that, more like 2.1″. This isn’t a bad thing, it is just something to factor in when purchasing and, maybe, go a size up in width compared what you’d use with other brands.

Sydney’s sandstone trails are notoriously hard on sidewalls and, unless you’re using full UST tyres, with some brands you can expect the sidewalls to give up well before the tread wears out. After several months riding in these conditions, the Kratos and Scylla have both worn very well; the sidewalls showing none of the usual marking up I would have expected by now.

The tread is obviously directional, although on the Kratos the arrow showing recommended direction of rotation was a little hard to find. These tyres rolled extremely well thanks to the high thread count and they accelerate briskly, as you’d expect from their low weight.

In terms of feeling hooked up to the trail, I’ll admit it took a little while to warm up to them. Much of that was due to setup. The first few rides I ran my usual setup, 25psi on the front and 32 in the rear, and the front of the bike felt washy. Riding at Manly Dam, on the first lap, I burped the front tyre after striking the side of a rock. Clearly 25psi was not enough for the Kratos, so I upped the pressure to 30psi to get the bead to re-seat and left it at that to see how it would go. What a difference! The steering was much more positive and I was able to concentrate on the trail instead of worrying about understeer, although I felt there was still a little room for improvement.

A couple of weeks later, it struck me that I might get a better result if I changed the direction of rotation. All tyres slide to some degree, especially on dirt. On front tyres, it is the edge of the shoulder lugs facing the centre of the tread that you see get chewed out first, since they take most of the load when cornering forces are at their highest. Switching that around, so that the lugs look “toed in” at the top (see photo), sets the shoulder lugs so they are toed out when on the ground. This allows the broadest side of the shoulder block to face into the direction of slide when leaning on edge, giving more bite.

That change brought about an immediate improvement in cornering confidence and predictability, with no tram-lining and no loss of response when changing direction. A return visit to Terrey Hills and Cascades (Belrose) felt much better. Riding in dusty conditions at Taree’s Kiwarrak State Forest, the front felt dialed in.

During this time the rear performed faultlessly. Despite the closely packed low profile tread knobs, climbing performance was excellent. It would still spit out and slip on the occasional loose rock on the really steep sections, as most do, but instead of losing all drive it would bite again to keep you moving forward. Riding the buff single-track at Hornsby’s Old Man’s Valley mountain bike park (due to be open to the public mid-December 2012), they stuck to the track like glue.

One of my occasional riding buddies, Smilie, reported outstanding traction using the 29er version of the Scylla at both ends of his bike at the Scott 24hr at Mount Stromlo: “I had these on at Mt Stromlo at the Scott event; I wouldn’t ride there again with anything else. They were flawless on the red loop – from riding there in the past with other tyres, it was cornering the downhill and luge like I was on rails. But around my local single track they are a bit sketchy where leaf litter after back burning has gone thru there. 9.5/10 at Stromlo , 7/10 at local trails”

One of my WA contacts, Cotic Tony reports “I’ve got them on my HT bike right now and think they’re the best 29er combination that I’ve used so far. I’m running the Kratos front, Scylla rear, running tubeless on Stans crest’s in preparation for the Dusk till dawn… At around 650g each, they nicely bridge the gap for those who want to run tubeless but were previously limited to the delicate but light TLR/2Bliss offerings or the reliable but heavy (900g Ardent) Maxxis UST tyres… On the trails here in WA, I’ve been really impressed with them.”

As the range and availability of Rubena Tyres expands over the next 12 months, they should definitely be on your list when next shopping for rubber at your local bike shop. I would have liked to have tried the 2.4″ sizes in the dual compound versions but unfortunately they weren’t available at the time of review. I will definitely be fitting a set of these to my bike when the Mont 24 swings around again in 2013.

In January 2013, the road racing and commuter tyres, tubes and sealant arrive on Australian shores.

Pros:
Light weight, high thread count
Impressive construction quality
Long wearing tread and surprisingly tough sidewalls
Ease of tubeless setup
Low rolling resistance
Kratos front and Scylla rear are an excellent combination across a wide variety of conditions from WA pea gravel to Sydney’s loose rocky sandstone trails and buff single track
Worth experimenting with direction of fitment to see what works for you

Cons:
The Scylla is less suited to use as a front, except on buff single track, but it performed very well as a rear in a variety of dry conditions
Small for the marked size: buy the next width up from your current brand

Rubena Tyres are imported into Australia by PCI Imports and are available from all good bike shops. The front wheel Kratos retails for $75 and the rear wheel Scylla  for $75 in the Tubeless Supra version.

The Ferei BL200 is one of the most recent entrants into this race and, at a recommended retail price of $229, is outstanding value for money. At a claimed 1600 lumens, it generates enough output to paralyse possums and fry feral rabbits around my local trails. While there is a defined hotspot, there is enough beam spread to be comfortable on all but the tightest of twisty trails.

The light head comprises two Cree XM-L T6 LEDs in a robust weather-resistant aluminium housing with one of the most nicely engineered tool-free handlebar mounts I’ve seen. Moulded rubber inserts are included in three different thicknesses to provide a snug fit across a wide variety of bars. The thinnest was a perfect fit for my Easton 31.8 mm mountain bike riser bars. So far there has been no slippage at all, despite using them on some sketchy, rough trails.

The included sealed battery is a compact 7.2V 4400mAh Li-Ion unit, and is supplied in a colour to match the anodised head unit. It comes with a rubber pad moulded in to the body to prevent frame scuffing, though, for riding in the dirt, I recommend applying some clear tape or Frameskin material to your frame first.

Besides the nominal 1600 lumen high beam, it has a tunable low-beam mode and a choice of three flashing modes. High beam is the default, a second click of the button drops the beam to low, and a third turns it off. Flash mode is engaged by starting with the unit turned off and holding down the power switch for a couple of seconds. A small LED flashes to indicate battery charge level and the high beam run time easily surpasses the claimed hour-and-thirty minutes.

As a commuter, it was reassuring to have flashing lights this powerful. I was concerned about not having the ability to aim the BL200′s at inattentive drivers, like you can do with helmet mounted lights, but so far my experience has, overwhelmingly, been that drivers not only notice you, but are more courteous than if you were driving a car.

In flash mode, my previous experience with a high-end Cateye “look at me” type flasher, was that drivers would either not register your presence or, more usually, seem to take the view that “it’s only a bike” and pull out in front of you anyway. With this amount of photonic grunt, drivers both notice you earlier and treat you with respect. The BL200s give you real “presence” on the road, even if you use them during the day.

One potential consequence of so much light output is blinding other cyclists; I’ve had to be careful to avoid using high beam when crossing the Sydney Harbour cycleway after dark, despite having the BL200s head unit pointed a couple of degrees below horizontal. Flash mode seems to be acceptable to oncoming cyclists with no complaints against them vocalised to date, unlike my usual Ay-Up V4s which used to regularly get grumpy comments from the commuter brigade.

The BL200s functionality would be improved for trail use by separating the on/off switch from the mode switch. While most experienced mountain bike riders would be likely to have a separate helmet light when out on the trails, it would be better not to have to pass through “off” before getting high beam again. I also found myself getting confused on a couple of occasions, inadvertently entering low beam adjustment mode when I really wanted flash mode. With time and practice this would be less of an issue.

This brings me to the subject of beam spread. One of the issues I experienced on the fast, tight, descending switchbacks at the Mont 24 this year was the serious tunnel vision effect from my Ay-Ups. Due to the narrow beam, the bar light would point off into space instead of down the trail, and I’d have to use the helmet unit to fill in the gap in front of my front tyre, instead of looking further around the corner. This meant slowly “tippy-toeing” around the corners with the Ay-Ups, riding the brakes hard instead of flowing, all contributing to mental fatigue and really not enjoying the sections of track that had me hooting and whooping at race speed during the day.

For mountain biking, the BL200s are a vast improvement over the Ay-Ups, and if the beam had a little less hotspot and only a little bit more beam spread without the sharp cutoff at the edge, they would have gone from being very good to just about perfect. For road commuting, the Ferei BL200s are exceptional.

I’ll be shopping for new lights very soon and these are definitely on the short list. As a mountain biker, teaming these lights on the bar with a B5 680 lumen light on your helmet will give you a sub-$400 setup that’s competitive with products twice the price.

Pros:
Beam throw is outstanding
Solid, stable tool free mount
Light and small setup
“Dude, get off my road!” flash mode, even in the day
Outstanding value for money for recreational mountain bikers and commuters

Cons:
Would have preferred a wider beam spread for off-road race use

The Ferei BL200s are available in black, red, blue, and gold/yellow from Ferei Australia for $229.

The iDV MiniHD ticks all of the boxes on the “must have” feature list: waterproof casing, 1080p and 720p video capture, accepts up to 32GB flash cards, compact form factor, and competitive weight. The last two items are not weight-weenie nice-to-haves; having a camera on your helmet, for hours on end, on a long bike ride does add to the load on your neck. The smaller and lighter the unit can be, the better. The iDV MiniHD is comparable in weight to the GoPro Hero2, and is only slightly bigger.

In some areas the MiniHD surpasses both the GoPro and the Contour. The unit comes standard with a backlit LCD display screen that enables you to play back footage on the unit and view in real time what the camera is seeing as it shoots. There is also a wrist-mountable remote that can be used to start and stop the camera and take still pictures. I had no issues using this with full-finger mountain bike gloves. This playback and remote control functionality has just recently become available for the GoPro as an extra-cost option.

The iDV MiniHD’s menu system is simple and very easy to navigate on the colour screen, to the point where I really didn’t need to read the manual to be able to get around and understand what each function did. Battery life was good and it easily captured my 90+ minute morning commute-come-training ride at 1080p.

The water housing and camera body both have a standard tripod screw mount. There are ports for HDMI, USB, and an external microphone, although the unit needs to be outside the water housing to get access. A screw-in adaptor is compatible with the GoPro tongue-and-bolt mount fitting, although it is a very tight fit. This allows you to tilt the camera up and down to adjust for helmet angle. Matching this there is a bayonet clip removable base plate which looks like it should be compatible with GoPro stick-on base mounts. Unfortunately, the centre rib is a slightly different size, so disappointingly it doesn’t fit into GoPro base mounts.

The same issue occurs with the bayonet adapter and baseplate as with the GoPro, with a small amount of slop compromising video and sound quality. This should be resolvable exactly the same way, with the application of a layer or two of electricians tape to the base to pack out and damp the free play. I didn’t encounter this issue on test, since I used the Kali Amara helmet with the inbuilt camera mount, which is quite tight on the slide-on rail mount.

Mounting options are a bit limited. The unit comes with the bayonet clip removable baseplate, and two self-adhesive baseplate mounts. Handlebar and stick-on side helmet mounts are optional extras.

So what does the video footage look like? In poor light it marginally exceeded the capability of the GoPro and for normal adventure use the quality was more than adequate. The field of view at 150 degrees is narrower than the 170 degree wide GoPro Hero2 and Contour Roam, but not excessively so. The detail it captured however was not quite to the same standard, so if you are looking to use it as a safety or evidence camera to capture vehicle number plates, this is not the unit for you. Whether this was due to lens or processor I am unsure.

Other  compromises were:
• the use of the slightly more lossy MOV file format, which is unsupported by Windows Live Movie Maker
• the power switch is not accessible once you close the casing; it needs to be turned on prior to insertion and the casing clasp is not accessible once the unit is screwed onto the mount  (although that may not be a bad thing if you skydive).
• no audible beep to let you know whether pressing the remote or casing buttons has done anything.
• if the unit’s battery charge expires while you are filming, the currently open file is not closed properly and becomes corrupted.

Most of these “niggles” can be worked around with a little planning, however, and purchase of one of the excellent value low-cost video editing packages that are available will yield a better result, regardless of camera used.

If you just want something to capture the experience of weekend rides, ski trips, or surf sessions with mates, this is more than enough camera.

Likes:
Performance for the price is good – less than half the price of the nearest equivalent Contour and GoPro models.
Viewscreen and wrist remote come as part of the standard package
Easy to understand and use menu system
Local support

Dislikes:
Registration plate capture not so good
Power down file save process needs work
Some aspects of operation with water housing need more thought
Beep to indicate button activation non-existent or inaudible

The iDV MiniHD retails for $250 and at the time of publishing is on discount and selling for $199. iDV cameras are available from some sports outlets as well as directly from iDV: www.idv.net.au

My riding mates took serious issue with that statement, insisting it was the height of retro cool. No doubt their view was helped along, I thought, by “Ye Olde English” typeface used for the Ellsworth logo on the blue anodised frame. Alright, if you say so, I’ll keep an open mind.

And it’s just as well I did. Despite using a monster rocker arm four-bar design approach that has been little changed for well over 10 years, it was a hoot to ride and pedalled superbly well.

The Evolve comes as either a frame only (with shock) that you can build up yourself, or it can be purchased built up with the specification level of your choice. The version I tested came with a Fox TALAS 95-120mm travel adjustable fork with 15mm through axle, Race Face Deus cranks with Salsa 34T single ring and chain guide, Shimano XT brakes, shifters and rear derailleur, and 12-36T 10-speed rear transmission. The cockpit was comprised of a WTB Silverado seat, Syncros FR seat post and Syncros FR stem, and Ellsworth’s own carbon bars. Wheels were Stan’s ZTR Arch 29er. The top end Fox RP23 Kashima Coat shock is supplied with all frames.

With a 100mm fork the head angle of the Ellsworth is a relatively steep 72.5 degrees, the seat tube angle 74 degrees, and the rear chain stays relatively long at 460mm. Normally such long stays would result in a bike that is sluggish to steer, but the steeper head angle counteracts this to give a lively feel.

The frame sizing is on the long side compared to most other brands. The supplied bike was a medium frame size, and at 610mm was just 5 or so millimetres shorter than my regular large size MTB.

Normally it takes me a couple of rides to feel at home on an unfamiliar bike. Not with this baby. Responsiveness in tight singletrack was excellent, and I felt instantly at home on a variety of terrain, from rolling fire road climbs to the twisty and technical sections of a very eroded Manly Dam.

On the flowy fire-trails of Terrey Hills, the big wheels just ate up the kilometres. On one group ride, supposedly at “social” pace, one of the guys complained “Hey, what’s with the race pace?” I wasn’t pushing hard (honest!) but the sections where a 26er tends to lose momentum, such as choppy, rocky trail surfaces and sand drifts, the big hoops of the Ellsworth just floated over with relative ease. Acceleration is a little slower, but once up to speed it just lopes along with less effort required.

A diversion to the out-and-back along Cowan Trail gave a preliminary taste of how the bike coped with more technical terrain. The 34T single chainring setup on the test bike and the bigger back wheel conspired to beat me on the tricky rock step-ups midway on the trip out, but the bike felt planted and sure-footed, coping easily with the rocky drops and steep roll-downs. On the trip back, attacking the loose rocky pinch climbs with a little more gusto saw me clear them with confidence.

The Instant Centre Tracking four-bar rear suspension felt like a contradiction.  The rear suspension pedalled like it was firm in the initial travel, but absorbed the hits with aplomb and felt like a bike with more travel. It also provided plenty of suppleness to keep the rear tyre in contact with the ground on technical climbs, without the sensation of effort being absorbed in power-robbing suspension bob.

The next test was on the iconic Manly Dam loop. Last time I rode this on a 29er, fork and wheel flex memorably shot me off-line though the rocky step-downs near the hydraulics lab, forcing a rapid unplanned dismount to avoid a crash. On the Ellsworth Evolve, the 15mm through-axle and stiff stanchions of the Fox TALAS 29er fork dispelled any concerns about steering accuracy. While a 100mm fork is recommended, I felt the 120mm on the test bike matched the rear end perfectly, and after a couple of flirtations with the 95mm travel setting, I left the fork at full travel for the remainder.

Winding through the singletrack required a little more body English than my 26er, but this is no bad thing and the increased stability and cornering traction was confidence inspiring. I had no hesitation in charging straight through the multiple technical descents the first time around on this bike, which with hindsight I find remarkable.

The Trig Track section, which is a tricky segment comprising non-stop baby head sized cobbles followed by a couple of hundred metres of step-ups and awkward rocks, was easier to negotiate, and with noticeably less effort.

One consequence of the longer chain stays is that lofting the front wheel over rocks and obstacles requires planning your moves earlier and shifting your weight further over the rear wheel, but this is something the rider readily adapts to. The roots and rocks that I didn’t quite clear, the big wheels just ploughed over.

After 8 weeks of exploring the trails with this bike I was not looking forward to giving it back, I was having that much fun. The 34T single chainring was fine on most climbs around my area, however with a 22 or 24T granny ring option this bike would have been almost impossible to resist.

Unfortunately, for me, there was one deal breaker that meant an application for funding to the Minister for Finance was off the cards: it is not possible to fit a drink bottle holder within the frame’s front triangle. There are bottle cage mounts fitted to the underside of the frame, but way down there is not only difficult to reach safely when riding at speed in the rough, the bottle is exposed to trail muck flicking up off the front tyre, including the inevitable horse poo around my local trails. A seat post triathlon cage could be used, I suppose, but then a dropper seat post is no longer an option and the bottle is still exposed to material spraying off the rear tyre.

I asked the manufacturer’s representative about this, and they said “it was not a concern for North American riders”, but I’d expect this decision is an issue for a large proportion of the Australian and Euro cross country and trail markets where the Evolve naturally fits. A Camelbak is not a complete substitute, as anyone who has loaded carb mix into theirs has learnt the following weekend when they discover black gunk growing in the bladder, tube and bite valve.

This isn’t going to bother everybody, though, and just how easy the Ellsworth Evolve 29er is to ride became clear the weekend after I gave it back: my much-loved 130mm travel 26er Cannondale Rize felt sluggish to pedal,  disturbingly twitchy, and unstable while barrelling down the Heath Track fire road descents in Sydney’s Cascades. It will be a while before I’m quite so quick to judge a bike on first impressions again.

Likes
Sweet and lively handling dynamics
Easy to ride and pedal
Fast and surprisingly good fun!
Surefooted feel on the trail
Handled a variety of different conditions superbly, without ever feeling either out of its depth or like “too much bike”

Dislikes
Lack of practical provision for  water bottle mounts is an odd choice for a cross-country mountain bike.

Ellsworth bicycles are imported by Paksport and you can ask your local bike shop or get in touch with Paksport directly (www.paksport.com.au). Pricing at date of publication:

X9 Build: $5649
Headset: cane creek 40 series
Stem: syntace f149
Bar: syntace vector alloy
Grips: Ellsworth odi lock on
Post: syntace p6
Saddle: WTB Rocket V Ellsworth
Wheels: Stans No Tubes Arch
Tires: Rubena Scylla /Kratos combination
Drivetrain and brakes: all SRAM x9
Fork: Fox Float (TALAS +$250)
Shock: Fox RP23 Kashima Coat

XT Build: $6249
Headset: cane creek 40 series
Stem: syntace f149
Bar: syntace vector carbon
Grips: Ellsworth odi lock on
Post: syntace p6 carbon
Saddle: WTB Silverado to Ellsworth
Wheels: Stans No Tubes Arch
Tires: Rubena Scylla /Kratos combination
Drivetrain and brakes: All Shimano XT
Fork: Fox Float (TALAS +$250)
Shock: Fox RP23 Kashima Coat

BNA was invited to test Kali Protectives’ Amara helmet. The styling of the Amara (Sanskrit for “immortal”, which is reassuring) follows the trend set by Fox with their Flux helmet, and provides greater protection for the rear of the head by extending down lower than most cross-country and roadie helmets. The weight is at the higher end of the range, coming in at around 350 grams, about 10 grams lighter than my equivalent size Fox Flux.

The front visor is of a break-away design, but is actually not removable. The Amara uses mid-to-high end in-mould technology, where the foam is moulded into the polycarbonate shell so there is no air gap. Kali calls this their “Composite Fusion Technology” and has taken it a step further by using separate polycarbonate bridges and inserts at various points to improve strength. Pleasingly, the outer polycarbonate shell extends all the way to the bottom at the helmet’s rear, leaving no bare foam unsupported at the base of the skull (unlike like many others in the same price bracket).

This helmet is without doubt the most comfortable I’ve used. The previous benchmark was set by a $300+ European roadie helmet, which unfortunately was non-AS compliant and which I did not buy, but which opened my eyes to a comfort standard I have been unable to match until the arrival of the Amara. This high end helmet combined the usual Coolmax + foam cushion strips with an integrated bug net.

The Amara does the same, with the padding and bug net forming a one-piece construction that is easily removed for washing. This may possibly make the helmet a little warmer during the summer months, but an unseasonably warm July mid-20-degree ride last weekend showed that for most conditions these concerns are unlikely to be a problem. Seventeen large vents ensure excellent air flow. Another upside is that I no longer present at work with Darth Maul helmet hair until I can get to the showers.

With the use of adventure helmet cams strongly on the rise, Kali have moulded an integrated mounting rail along the crown of the helmet. Four separate types of mount adapter are included, which will provide coverage for LED torches, “bullet” style cameras, GoPro-compatible cameras, and some types of helmet light.

I tried the Kali Amara with both GoPro and Swann HD helmet cams and found it to offer a significant improvement over the normal strap-on type vented helmet mounts (where it is almost impossible to prevent camera shake and fire cracker-like rattling noise across rough ground). The helmet offers similar mount rigidity to stick-on adhesive mounts, with none of the hassle of trying to find sufficient surface area to ensure the bond is secure. The video results were markedly better than any of my previous attempts with helmet mounted cameras.

In the event of a collision with a tree branch, the adapter will pull free, preventing you from “coathanger-ing” yourself.

The rear adjustment mechanism is identical to the Fox Flux, and provides easy to use and secure adjustment. Coming from the exact same Asian factory, I suppose that is no surprise!

On my particular review helmet there were a couple of small rough spots in the finish, but nothing to detract from the Amara’s function or aesthetics; a casual observer would probably not notice them at all.

I have been looking for a replacement helmet for a while, and after trying on multiple models in 7 or 8 different brands, I was prepared to spend a significantly higher amount to get similar comfort levels to the expensive roadie helmet I liked. I found nothing suitable until the Amara. To get similar results for a spend of under a hundred dollars was outstanding.

Likes:
Comfort – exceptionally good
Integrated camera mount
Competitive weight
Extended head coverage at the rear
Voluminous venting
Outstanding value for money
Styling

Dislikes:
Some small finishing issues
Possibly warmer to wear on 40C+ days

You can find the Kali Amara helmets online at Velogear.com for $79.95.

The inevitable change-of-season head cold that seems to catch me in its grasp each autumn had finally gone when the Baked Alaska arrived in the mail. Perfect timing. The forced week off the bike had seen all sorts of temperature variations in the weather from low teens to mid-twenties. I was pretty keen to avoid freshening my head cold by either failing to stay warm or by overheating, and the Baked Alaska looked like it would fit the bill.

While Aussies may joke about New Zealanders’ relationship to their sheep, the folks at Ground Effect have turned that close familiarity to their advantage in the materials selected for this jersey’s construction. Their slick technical Heatwave fabric combines a merino wool layer next to your skin with a polyester outer layer for fast evaporation. It certainly seemed to work: good for keeping the core warm, but without overheating you when the sun comes out. I could feel the material wicking away the sweat on the long steady climbs while doing hill repeats past Taronga Zoo in the early morning, and there was none of the itch and scratch I normally associate with having wool next to my skin.

The front of the jacket is in a contrasting colour and uses their soft shell WindFoil fabric to stop the wind from biting through your flesh on long fast descents. It has a “crinkly” feel in the hands, like it has a plastic layer built into the middle, but on the inside facing your skin is a soft polyester fleece. On the climbs the WindFoil breathed well. I felt no need to for extra ventilation on the hill repeats, although they’ve thoughtfully put in a long front centre zip to give you the option. Given that I’d normally don a rain jacket to stay warm, and then be forced to peel it off at the start of the first ascent, it proved a welcome change.

When descending, the WindFoil fabric came into its own. This is especially noticeable on the first long descent of my commute, as the climb up to the main road is only 200m and doesn’t really give me a chance to get properly warmed up before commencing a 7-8 minute 40-60km/hr descent. My arms were a little cool, but my torso was fine and the high collar added welcome extra insulation.

To test the companies claims about wool being low odour, I deliberately didn’t wash it midweek, and while I wouldn’t recommend that for hygiene reasons there was no smell when it finally went into the front-loader on Saturday morning.

The burnt orange and titanium grey colour scheme of the jersey I received would stand out reassuringly for cyclists mixing it with the notorious Sydney traffic without being obviously “hi-vis”. The jersey is also available in azure blue and jet black. At the back of the jersey are a pair of zip pockets with reflective piping. There’s plenty of room to fit your wallet, keys, phone, rain shell and building security cards. The back is nice and low to keep your lower back covered if you’re wearing non-bib knicks or baggy shorts. The only downside of this was that it showed up the inadequacies of my rain jacket which – compared to Ground Effect’s offerings – is on the short side. Riding during the flash-flood inducing deluges Sydney experienced in April left the bottom halves of the pockets saturated , but fortunately I had packed everything vulnerable in sealed sandwich bags. The rain jacket is showing its age, so I’m thinking this is a good excuse to take a look at Ground Effect’s rain shells.

Fit-wise, it’s not skin tight. It’s close enough to wick moisture away effectively, and doesn’t flap annoyingly in the slipstream. I’d describe it more as “fitted”. For reference, I’m a 185cm 80kg adult male, and the medium was a great fit. I’m not sure how big they build ‘em in NZ, but if you’re smallish on the stature scale you may find it a challenge to find an appropriate size, although if you’re female they do a similarly tasteful women’s apparel range with sizing adjusted accordingly.

While it’s not a full-on winter jersey, the Baked Alaska works very well indeed as a between-seasons top.  It takes the bite out of the morning chill, while still dealing well with perspiration and cooling needs. You can layer above and below with jacket and thermals if required as the temperature drops, and the pockets are roomy enough to cope with stowing the extra layers when you need to peel them off.

Likes:
+ WindFoil chest panel takes the bite out of the autumn chill (I’ve already decided I’ll be investing in a pair of Ground Effects’ WindFoil socks before winter starts in earnest).
+ Cosy high collar
+ Roomy pockets with accessible zippers
+ Merino and polyester works well to wick away perspiration
+ Long sleeves with thumb loops sewn in to help keep them in place

Dislikes:
- The emergency tyre patch sewn into one of the pockets is cute, but gets in the way.

The Baked Alaska is available online directly from Ground Effect for $129

So now that I’ve outed myself, let me tell you that if you’re serious about comfort on the bike, the Ground Effect Ringleaders are the bib knicks you want to look at, regardless of your preferred mode of mischief.

My first impression as I pulled them out of the wrapper was that these knicks are designed to last. The attention to detail is excellent and unlike some other recent performance sportswear purchases I’ve made, few if any shortcuts appear to have been taken. Choosing the cheap way out, such as going light on the stitching around the outer edge of the chamois to avoid chafing, has been ditched in favour of the application of careful thought to the design, giving equal weight to durability.

The material used in the construction of the Ringleaders has a matte finish and is soft on the skin. Flat seams have been used throughout the leg and hip area, and are positioned away from problem areas to limit the opportunities for friction and chafing. The “warm machine wash 40C” care instructions are reassuring; “hand wash only” is a phrase I’ve learned to view with suspicion.

New from Ground Effect this year is the “eXo skeletal” pad. It uses 3D anatomical shaping and multiple levels of foam to maximise padding where it’s needed, and remove bulk where it’s not. The raised blue saddle-shaped section of the chamois panel is bonded around the edge instead of sewn to its backing, removing seams completely from a critical area closest to the most vulnerable and chafe-prone part of my inside leg.

In an interesting departure from the rest of the market, the Ringleaders omit the silicone bead leg gripper seen on most midrange-to-premium shorts. Instead they use a double layer of textured lycra that they’ve branded their “Bandolier cuff”. I raised an eyebrow at this initially, however in use I found it moves up no more than my other bibs with silicone grippers, and it’s less restrictive.

The 12-panel cut provides a snug and creaseless anatomical fit which felt reassuringly firm, although not as tight as compression bibs. While tight-ish around the crotch and shoulder area when worn for the first time, I found the sensation disappeared once on the bike.

Flat seams, snug fit, high-tech chamois and other bells and whistles aren’t much use if it doesn’t all stay in place. I’m pleased to report that after a number of wet rides, cold rides, warm rides and long four hour plus rides, there were no creases, no sliding out of position and no bunching up in uncomfortable places.

Initially I was concerned the matte finish on the blue centre padding might be a source of friction, but my fears were baseless. I never once wished I’d applied chamois cream at the start of a ride. In fact the most memorable thing about these bib knicks is that I completely failed to notice them. This is as it should be. Unfortunately it is not as common as it should be, unless you spend a lot of money.

One comment I sometimes hear from bib knicks sceptics is that the additional “singlet” layer on the upper body must make your ride hotter. Yes, there is an element of truth to this. On the other side, though, it’s just not that noticeable and it has never been enough to change my decision to ride or race in bib knicks on a hot day. I’m of the view that on hotter days, with a higher perspiration load, it’s more important than ever to ensure things stay put without sliding around out of position. The Ringleaders do the job perfectly.

As a guide to sizing, I’m a 185cm adult male of about 80kg, and a medium was a good snug fit. Admittedly, my high school nickname was “stick insect”, but if you are a smaller build or female, your sizing options may be a bit limited.

Overall I’m quite impressed with how these shorts have performed. They are the equal of some much more expensive high-end Italian bib knicks I own, and they’re made by our bro’s over the ditch.

Likes:
+ Comfort
+ Fit
+ Solid and durable construction
+ Light enough to wear on a stinking hot day without boiling the radiator
+ Excellent value for money
+ Not available in white

Dislikes:
- They only sent me one pair!
- More size options would suit smaller riders

The Ringleaders Bib Knicks are available online directly from Ground Effect for $179

The Crooked Path to Victory: Drugs and Cheating in Professional Bicycle Racing is from Les Woodland was initially disappointing in terms of providing technical insights, and it doesn’t touch on any of the current controversies, but it does provide rich returns in understanding the culture of doping in cycling and its long history, going back to the start of professional cycling in the late 1800s and its roots in the ultra-endurance athletics fad of the 1870s.

Starting in the early 1890s with the horrendous 6-day solo races, pharmacological assistance went hand-in-glove with these gruelling  events, packaged by promoters and served to a mass audience hungry to be entertained by the suffering of others.

These weren’t 6-day stage races through the countryside, where the riders got post-stage massages, a civilised meal and a good night’s sleep. No, these went for six days non-stop, around rickety indoor wooden board tracks and around the clock. Clarification – are these track events? — yes The more tired and hallucinatory the riders got, the more the crowd packing into the stadium loved it. Shady promoters pulling out bottles of exotic substances with a grandiose flourish to keep the riders going were part of the spectacle. Dosed with cocktails of heroin, cocaine and strychnine, numerous talented riders met early and sad ends, a theme that is revisited numerous times throughout the book.

The book is not limited to drug-related cheating. In the early days of pneumatic tyres, it was common for riders and spectators to scatter nails across the road to slow riders they didn’t like. As the motor car became more accessible, drivers would from time to time attempt to take out riders from opposing teams. Sometimes groups of parochial spectators would lie in wait for competitors who were a threat to their local favourites. Sometimes they succeeded; sometimes competitors fought back or developed ruses of their own to beat the cheats.

The book is not all doom and gloom however, and the author, a cycling enthusiast, lightens the tone with amusing anecdotes of riders pulling the wool over the eyes of officials and other riders. Episodes are shared in which riders have played practical jokes on the peloton, some of which backfired spectacularly. The 1969 Tour de France stage between Clermont-Ferrand and Montagis is one example.

Rini “Tufty” Wagtmans attacked early in the neutral zone before the official start and then, out of sight around a corner, hid in an alleyway. The peloton, enraged, took off after him. What Tufty hadn’t banked on was how spectacularly successful his ruse would be, and instead of joining his pals at the back at a sedate pace for a laugh, he was reduced to chasing the bunch for miles, his face grimacing and his teeth clenched.

Through most of professional cycling’s history, making a satisfactory living has been extremely difficult. Except for the select few stars and team leaders who made good wages, the rest, the domestiques (whose job is to protect and assist the rider with the best chance of winning) would often only be given a couple of jerseys, some bike shorts and a bike, and make do with prize money that the team accumulated during a race. Endorsements from outside the bike industry were rare.

It come as no surprise then that “understandings” and “arrangements” were often made between riders to share out the limited money on offer, and race results were often the result of these arrangements rather than who was best on the day.

This background provides a rich vein of stories of riders bucking the arrangement and upsetting the established order, with personal feuds and careers made and destroyed. This is presented by the author in an entertaining style, as an example, riders who had won the World Champs or another major race and resulting in their cycling career finishing instead of being kick-starting.

Frequently race organisers would expect the “stars” and their teams to make their way from one multi-day stage race in Italy or Spain after having won or done well, and then a day later turn up in northern Holland or Belgium to start another gruelling race and somehow be in top form. It was difficult to resist the pressure to take “a little something to help” and ignore the long term consequences to one’s health for the sake of the team and the next pay-cheque. The “dirty little secret” of professional cycling was an accepted part of the peloton  followed into the sixties.

The development of the anti drugs in sport laws by the left wingers in French politics began in the mid-1960s, up until which time the “dirty little secret” of professional cycling was simply part of the peloton. As this is explored it marks the start of the battle between riders and testers which unfolds as a cat-and-mouse game. In rapid succession the author shares tales of hidden tubes being used to supply samples before  taking a journey closer to the pharmacological bleeding edge.

The tragedy and irony of the high-profile death on Mont Ventoux of British star Tom Simpson is explored and the seriousness with which detection was applied by sporting authorities through the seventies and eighties increase. Fascinating detail is given to explosive Festina affair of 1998 which even included a few political conspiracy speculations. The Festina Affair was a seminal event in sports doping and sent shockwaves through professional sport worldwide.

Interesting Whatever happened to…? vignettes look into the repurcussions for those who were caught and punished fleshing out how they dealt with (and sometimes didn’t deal with) the impact on their careers of being caught cheating.

A useful set of references concludes the book for avid readers wishing to explore cycling history and sports doping generally in more detail

While the book didn’t deal with the subject quite the way I expected, and doesn’t take a view on whether the current state of professional cycling is now “clean”, it was nevertheless a riveting read.  Instead of quickly-dated technical information, the book deals more with the structural issues in professional cycling as a form of entertainment, particularly how the tensions between the interests of promoters and cyclists themselves have often led to riders burning their candles at both ends. That it does this while remaining thoroughly entertaining is a credit to the writer and his tabloid journalism background.

Likes

• Easy to read, entertaining style
• Doesn’t gloss over the seriousness of the human issues
• Thought provoking without being “heavy”

Dislikes

• Typesetting could be better

My Rating:  4 out of 5

This book and more are available from the Woodslane Online Bookstore:
The Crooked Path to Victory: Drugs and Cheating in Professional Bicycle Racing is from Les Woodland