As many of you long time readers know, our European contributor, c_g, has been busy feeding us all the euro-centric 29″er news as well as testing products that are sold here in North America, and the rest of the world. Now comes the news that c_g will be heading up a German language Twenty Nine Inches. Why a German site? Well, c_g is a native German, and Germany is a very “bike crazy” nation. Why not? Here are some thoughts that c_g shared and were instrumental in our approval of his efforts to start up the German language TNI…..

- “For the past years 29″ers have been a novelty here in Europe, but with the model year 2012 they have become mainstream and well established (we like to think partly due to our efforts ). One reason for me to start the new DE-site is I felt it was time to open up what’s done here on the US-/World-site of twentynineinches.com to the folks better at my native tongue – German. Thus from now on the German speaking folks all over the world will have the privilege to read 29″er – reviews, news and rumors- in German as well.”

Furthermore, it made sense for TNI to open up this new site since so much of what c_g and his tester/helpers cover is European only, or limited distribution products not seen in North America. The criticisms have been leveled at TNI for allowing such content, and we have taken that into consideration in this decision. Now c_g and company can focus their efforts on the TNI.de site when it comes to such product, but rest assured that they will be submitting product reviews and news that is pertinent to North Americans and others across the world.

With that said, here is what you readers can expect:
- The TNI.de site is run by c_g, a long term contributor of the U.S.-/Main-site (who will continue to contribute to the U.S. site as before) – with contributions by Guitar Ted, Grannygear and several other (not yet) regular testers like Banks, M1, …. (and more)
- The site will purposely keep the looks and the philosophy of the established site – because we believe in the way we do it.
- The tests featured in the new site will be run in the established and proven way – down to earth, written by and directed to people passionate about mountain biking in general and 29″ers specifically.
- The content will be parallel to some extent, which is a given, and we will be testing the big brands as well as the small newcomers.

As a early season highlight and to celebrate the “official site launch” we (namely c_g) will bring to you the news about ROCKY MOUNTAIN`s 2013 product launch following this recommendo post, where we were told some new mouth watering 29″er will be introduced.

Not only that, but c_g should have a special ride report on said bike to share afterward.

Also,you can expect to see the coverage of the BIKE Garda Festival, with (hopefully) lots of 29″er news as well, which will follow shortly.

So, check out the new site at http://www.twentynineinches-de.com/ and share that with anyone that you think may be interested. We think the German speaking 29′er fans will appreciate it.

Twenty Nine Inches - 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News

Ergon Does Gloves: You may know that Ergon does grips, but did you know they are also doing gloves as well?

We got to check out some of Ergon’s latest All Mountain/Trail full fingered gloves recently. (Ergon is also doing XC gloves too, by the way.) The HE2, (pictured), and the HA2 are pretty unique mitts. Check out what we thought by clicking here. We also got to check out another new Ergon product, the PC2-L pedals.

Ergon Does Pedals:
These are for your commuting or general purpose needs. Ergon waved their magic wand of ergonomic design over traditional flat pedals and came up with a unique take on something that you would think had been done to death. Did they succeed in their quest to make cycling better? Who are these pedals for, exactly? Check out my thoughts on the matter here.

Got iPhone?:

Lots of you readers out there probably have one of these iPhone gadgets. They can do a lot, and even can be used as cycling computers, navigation devices, and cameras.
So, if you want to take this gadget off road, how do you protect it without sealing it in a steel case and still be able to see it, hold it, and have it be functional? Grannygear checks out one way to do that in his review of Ballistic iPhone 4 cases right here.

More Gadgetry:

Many of you out there also use those iPhones and other mp3 players to get your groove on while riding.

So, to that end, Grannygear has been on somewhat of a quest for the perfect cycling friendly earbuds for his mp3 player. He came across something at Interbike, and one thing led to another, and well…..anyway, just go read his review of the “yurbuds” products that caught his fancy. You can find it on The Cyclistsite here.

Planet Bike For 2012:

Planet Bike sent over a few items for us to check out and I introduce those to you in this article on The Cyclistsite.

We have the pictured “Snack Sack” top tube bag, which I have been using and it is working out really well. Head on over to see about the other two products that are some timely items for the coming season. I’ll be updating these introductions with full reviews coming in the future.

And There’s More:

Check out the Clif Bar taste-a-thon Grannygear and I did in this article covering some of Clif Bar’s latest products. Also, Grannygear checked out hydration packs from Lezyne. You can read his thoughts on those right here. I finally finished torturing some Vittoria mtb shoes and you can read about the results here.

We’ll have another “Recommendo” post here on Twenty Nine Inches detailing our activities on The Cyclistsite, but you don’t have to wait. Check in with us over there often.

Twenty Nine Inches - 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News

High End Bib Shorts Shoot-out: Grannygear gets into some bibs and tests rides them for your reading pleasure. The shoot-out includes bibs from Craft, Ibex, and two models from Specialized. Check it all out here on the The Cyclist’s Reviews Page.

Hayes Prime Brake Review: Grannygear covered the Hayes Prime Brake in our last Recommendo listing with an introductory post on the installation. Now comes the full on trail review. Hayes Prime brakes are the latest hydraulic brake offering from Hayes Brakes, and have a ton of adjustability. Do they hold up under trail riding conditions? Find out here in our review.

When Things Go Flat… Probably a cyclist’s biggest pet peeve is flat tires. If you are still in the “Yes Tubes” category, or even if you want a nice pump to top off tires with, or use as a backup to a tubeless system, you might be interested in the next article in our Recommendo.

Topeak has introduced its “Race Rocket” line of mini-pumps which we got to review. Grannygear got the “roadie” pump, and Guitar Ted got the fatter, mountain bike pump to try out. These metal and rubber wonders were put through their paces here for you to go check out.

Cover Those Paws! Gloves are a mountain biker’s friend out there in the rough stuff. When you go down, (and let’s face it, we all go down and case it from time to time.), you want those mitts on so you don’t scrape up your hands. How about wiping away sweat? Or a runny nose? Yeah….gloves can be nice then too. But gloves can also be a pain….literally. So, Grannygear and I got to test these Answer Fall Line gloves recently.

They are full fingered, off-road type gloves. Great for mountain biking? Well, go here and check out our take on these important pieces of mountain biking kit.

An Updated Take On The Vittoria Kicks: I have been beating up on a pair of mountain bike shoes lately from Vittoria. While the name “Vittoria” may not be the first you think of when shopping for mountain biking shoes, you may want to throw that name into the mix next time you are looking for some shoes for off road adventures.

I have an updated take now on these shoes which have braved mud, wet, rocks, dust, and more. You can check out the latest on this long term test here on The Cyclist.

Upcoming On The Cyclist: That’s all we have for your reading pleasure right now, but stay tuned to The Cyclist for these posts coming up soon: We’ll have the latest on Spy Optic’s return to performance eyewear with a review of a couple of their latest models. We’ll also be updating you on the Specialized Command Post we talked about in our last Recommendo post. More gloves too! We get the latest Ergon gloves made to work with their grips. We’ll have a word or two about Shelter impact protection tape, and finally, we should be starting a long term test on Connex chain as well.

As always, thanks for reading The Cyclist and Twenty Nine Inches!

Twenty Nine Inches - 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News

Specialized Blacklite Command Post: Specialized Bicycles has had the Command Post in the line up for a bit now, but they have a newer version which has several improvements. Grannygear already has one and I’ll be testing one as well very soon. Check out Grannygear’s post here for all the details and also for a short description from Specialized’s own Nic Sims in a video clip included with the post.

Grannygear and I will be posting updates throughout the summer on how the Command Post works in with our styles of riding. You can either keep checking back on The Cyclistsite, or look for a link to future updates on the Command Post here in the Recommendo section.

Hayes “Prime” Brakes Install:
Grannygear got one of the first Hayes Prime brake sets to install and use on his “Project Long Legs” Specialized rig. These are Hayes’ all new design brakes that are available in a couple different levels and promise tool free adjustment of the reach and “dead stroke” while you are riding, if you should want to. Read Grannygear’s introductory post here where he details out the brakes and gives a description of what it took for him to install these brakes on the Project long Legs bike.

More information and updates will be coming up through the summer, so stay tuned to The Cyclistsite, or look for a future update here in the Recommendo section.

A’ME Heated Mountain Bike Grips:
Although North Americans and Europeans are transitioning into warmer weather, this is something you might want to keep on your radar for the colder months coming later in the year. I got the chance to check out these heated mountain bike grips by long time grip maker, A’ME. These are lock on type grips with special circuitry inside the grips which is powered by a high tech, Lithium Polymer battery pack.

These trick grips actually work pretty well. Check out the details in my report in the Reviews section of The Cyclistsite.

Vittoria “Impact” Mountain Bike Shoes:
While Vittoria may not be a brand name you think of in reference to shoes, (This is a different Vittoria- not the tire maker), perhaps you might want to file them in the mix for your next shoe purchase. I have recently received a pair of their mid-range “Impact” models to check out and they are pretty impressive out of the box. I’ll be using these as my primary mountain biking shoes throughout the summer months in a wide range of conditions, so look for updates on the Cyclistsite, or wait for the Recommendo link later in the year.

In the meantime, you can check out my introductory post on these shoes and read about what the Impact model has to offer.

That’s it for this round of “Recommendo”. Look for future updates on the products mentioned here, and more, on The Cyclistsite.

Twenty Nine Inches - 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News

Small Parts Testing: First up we have an article authored by our very own “c_g” on a few tidbits he has been checking into. Read about Eclipse Tubes, Paul Components “Thumbies”, and the Gear Clamp here.

fizik Aliante Versus Saddle: Grannygear does some time with the fizik Aliante Versus saddle and gives you his thoughts on how it worked out for him here.

Clif Bar Products: Looking for a new twist to the old nutrition routine? Tired of stuff that doesn’t taste like “real food”? Check out our review on several Clif Bar products, which you can read here.

Blackburn Toolmanator 1 & 3 Tools: Guitar Ted and Grannygear both put these multi-tools to the test recently. You can read all about the findings here in our Final review on these two tools.

Camelbak Groove Bottle: Grannygear and Guitar Ted also take a look at the water bottle that filters tap water. The Camelbak Groove. We give you our thoughts here. Oh yeah, and by the way, you can enter to win a free Groove bottle of your own. Just click the link to the article for details. (No Purchase Necessary)

That’s all for this edition of “Recommendo”. Stay tuned for more in the coming months!

Twenty Nine Inches - 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News