Today we’re going to review ten products, loosely related to mountain biking.
Some of them I bought, and some were sent to me by various companies.
Like everyone else I have my biases, but I’ll do my best to tear all these products apart.
Here goes.
Let’s start with the Sennheiser MKE2 Microphone.
It’s a clown nose sized microphone that attaches to the waterproof case of a GoPro
Hero 4.
It has its own circuit board and mini usb cable.
This whole unit is water resistant, and the clown nose is supposed to suppress wind noise.
It looks great for surfing, motorsports, and skiing, but I can only speak for how it applies
to mountain biking.
As many of you may know, most mountain bike vloggers use the internal mic on the hero4,
paired with a stabilizer.
The sound from this setup is so good, that it’s hard to imagine it being any better.
To use the MKE2, you’d need to nix the stabilizer and triple the size of the GoPro with the
case and mic.
What’s worse, it only works with a Hero4.
The Hero5 is out now, and that thing really does need a mic.
So we’ve established that the MKE2 is bulky, and barely applicable to mountain biking,
but how does it perform?
To find out I did a little test.
First I descended this rock face using a Hero 4 with just the internal mic and no stabilizer.
Listen to how that sounds.
Next I took the same line with the Sennheiser mic.
Okay, so it sounds REALLY good, almost perfect.
My friend Jordan actually wears one on his full face helmet and syncs the sound with
his chest cam, but most people wouldn’t be willing to go through all that trouble
or pay $200 for this.
As it applies to mountain bike vlogging, I don’t think the MKE2 is worth the trouble.
It could be great, but it would need to be smaller and work for the Hero5.
On to the MRP Ramp Control Cartridge.
This thing replaces the top cap on your Fox or Rockshox suspension fork, and allows you
to control the air volume, or ramp up.
Here, we have a fork without any ramp up.
It just squishes down with the same firmness the whole way.
Add ramp up, and it gets more progressive.
The MRP Ramp control Cartridge does this with the turn of a knob, which is a game changer.
Without this, you need to let all the air out and wrench off this top cap, which you
stick these tokens on to.
That’s a pain.
Having this knob allows you to actually adjust your ramp up on the trail, giving you the
perfect ride from minute to minute.
At a bike park you would want way more progression to keep from bottoming out.
On a windy backwoods trail you’ll want linear travel for a cushy ride.
The MRP Ramp Control Cartridge is relatively easy to install, and totally worthwhile, but
it ain’t cheap.
If you would benefit from this it’s worth the money.
If not, you can still use tokens for just a few bucks.
If you want to get a better understanding of air volume, click the link at the end of
the video for my tutorial on suspension fork settings.
Next is the Kali Protectives Interceptor Enduro helmet.
In my last video I reviewed the Smith Rover, which is a $120 helmet that I like very much.
The Kali Interceptor is $180, and inferior to the Rover in some ways.
In fact, the Rover has a nicer finish, a sturdier visor, and straps that lay flatter on your
face.
So, why would you get the Interceptor.
Well I can only speak for how it feels on my head, where it fits better than anything
I’ve ever tried.
It stays perfectly in place with barely any pressure on the straps.
The deal sealer is this solid mount, which can be used for a light or action camera.
It’s also supposed to be really good at protecting your head.
So I like the Interceptor enough to make it my primary helmet, but I wouldn’t want to
pay full retail for it.
There are just too many other options.
Let’s take a look at another Kali Product, the Venture gloves.
Let me start by saying that these gloves breathe well—almost too well.
The sides of the fingers are made from this light but durable fabric which lets air through.
The rest of the gloves are armored in all the right places, to protect your fingers
while bushwhacking.
I think they’re well worth $40, but they’re only good for the summer or warm climates.
I’ll need to get something heavier for the winter months.
Let’s move on to another video product, the Hero5 Session.
This has become my main 4k helmet cam.
The video and sound quality are adequate, and the form factor is second to none.
The battery life is enough for one long ride if managed properly.
I also love how easy it is to remove from its housing for 3rd person shots.
There are very few things I don’t like about the Hero5 session, but for most people it
may be overshadowed by the Hero5 Black.
For an extra $100 you get a screen and noticeably better video quality.
So, I think the Session makes a good auxiliary camera for enthusiasts and professionals.
If you’re looking for one do everything action camera, go for the Hero5 Black or the
Hero4 Silver.
That’s my two cents.
While we’re talking about GoPro, let’s take a look at the Karma Grip which I’m
still trying to fit into my equipment rotation.
It’s a stabilizer made by Gopro, which you can use handheld or with this $100 extension
cable.
I use this overpriced cable to mount the stabilizer to my chest and stick the handle in my pocket.
It’s really bulky, but the stabilization is exceptional.
This is why Phil Kmetz uses it, and he shreds really hard.
Still, Phil syncs his sound from a helmet cam.
Paired with the Hero5, the Karma sounds like total trash.
At best it sounds muffled.
At worst you can hear the motors.
To get a Karma, the cable, and a Hero5, you’ll be out $800.
You could pick up an Evo and a Hero4 for under 6 for near identical video, far superior sound,
and way less bulk.
So unless you’ve learned to tame this thing like Phil has, I’d wait for the next version
or pick it up when it goes on sale.
The next three product are from a British company called 76 projects.
They make some interesting stuff.
The first product is the Piggy, a bracket that repositions your water bottle cage to
allow for storage.
This is great because dropper posts have made saddle pouches a thing of the past.
With Jersey pockets only providing limited space, it’s nice to have some storage on
your bike for a tool, some food, your car keys, and other stuff.
You could actually strap just about anything, or even a mini tripod like I did.
For many riders the Piggy will be of no benefit, but some of you are looking for something
like this.
I’ll be using this on my hardtail during solo rides, free as a bird with no pack.
The next product is the cable bobbin.
This is a marble sized clip that lets you secure your cables.
The Bobbin adapts to whatever angle they cross at.
The thing about these bobbins is that they’re only marginally better than zip ties, while
being many times the size.
For that reason nobody will be buying these out of pragmatism, but rather for fun.
They’re sold in different colors, and 76 Projects even implies that they print you
a custom color.
Because the bobbin is fun and does everything it promises, I think it’s cool.
Just don’t expect it to make your bike faster.
On to something that looks like the bobbin, but does something far different; the cable
oiler.
This is meant to be put inline with a gear or brake cable and provide a port to add oil
to it.
If you went to junior high school you’re familiar with the concept of capillary action.
See how the oil kind of seeps into the port?
That’s how the oiler works.
Is it necessary or useful?
It could be, just maybe not for me.
I never have the same gear cable for more than a few months, so rarely do I need to
oil one.
I’m also concerned that this port could actually allow contaminants into an otherwise
sealed system.
What do you guys think?
Have any of you used this product at length?
Let me know below.
Now on to a product that isn’t related to mountain biking, but is related to video.
I use it often to create content for this channel.
Meet my dash cam, the Anker Roav.
Whenever your car is on, the Roav is recording.
When it runs out of space, it writes over the oldest footage, automatically saving any
instances where your car hit a bump or went bananas.
If someone messes with your car while it’s parked, it automatically detects the vibrations
and starts recording.
You can stick the Roav to your windshield and plug it into your power port, but I hardwired
mine to reduce clutter.
This would probably cost you between $50 and $100 to get done professionally.
For a content creator like myself the Roav is great.
If I see something interesting, or crazy, I can go back and pull the footage.
The video quality isn’t great though, and there’s no way to get rid of this watermark
without cropping.
The Roav is under $100, extremely reliable, and super easy to use, so I like it.
If it had a flat color profile and the ability to remove the watermark, I’d love it.
So there you go.
10 product reviews in one video.
If you found these reviews useful or just entertaining, give this video a like and subscribe
to my channel for content like this every week.
Before you leave a comment asking more about this stuff remember that google is your friend,
and that I left links to everything below.
Thanks for riding with me today, and I’ll see you next time.