Check Out: Valve Stems, Axles, Hydration Packs, & More
A lot of gear comes across our desks here at Pinkbike. Check Out is an occasional round-up of everything our tech editors have gotten their hands on. Sometimes it's products we're doing long-term tests on, other times its stuff we're stoked on but don't have time to fully review. And, sometimes it's crazy shit someone sent us unsolicited and we're having a laugh.
Drankful Hydration MTB Waist Pack
Features
• 1.5L Square-shaped bladder for minimal bouncing
• Extra water bottle storage pockets
• Large storage compartment
• Cinch straps to compress gear
• Extra water bottle storage pockets
• Large storage compartment
• Cinch straps to compress gear
• Magnetic FidLock style buckle
• Waterproof zipper with Bluesign fabric
• Black with reflective strips
• $119 USD
• drankful.com
• Waterproof zipper with Bluesign fabric
• Black with reflective strips
• $119 USD
• drankful.com
 | Drankful's MTB hydration pack found its way to my house several months back as they were working to get the project funded through a Kickstarter campaign. Fast-forward and the pack is now fully funded with production models slated to ship out in time for the holidays. It's one of the more convenient packs to use from a user experience standpoint, being well organized and simple. The magnetic buckle makes it easy to quickly and securely fasten, and although the pack has a 1.5-liter reservoir being able to lash a bottle to the outside is helpful, especially in warmer weather when I want to have some sort of hydration mix in a bottle. I appreciate the pockets stashing away when not in use and not adding anything at all to the overall heft of the pack. The pack is well thought out, comfortable, and carries itself well on rough trails. It's always good to see a new quality product appear and be well-received and I think the crew at Drankful have done an excellent job in designing this one. |
Robert Axle Project Thru-Axles
Features
• 12mm and 15mm axles
• Available for nearly any frame
• CNC machined
• Available for nearly any frame
• CNC machined
| Robert Axle Project was born out of necessity as the transition to 12mm thru-axles made attaching BOB-style trailers to a mountain bike just about impossible. The axles are CNC machined and made out of 7075 aluminum with a stainless steel attachment point on the end to make attaching just about any sort of trailer you can imagine safe and simple. Axles are made to fit nearly any trailer and nearly any bike. There's a really easy-to-use axle finder on the company's website and, it proved quite easy for me to find an axle to attach a kids trailer to just about any bike I could think of. In addition to trailer axles, they make a range of other solutions ranging from axles for smart trainers to theft deterrents and more. Using the axle itself is straight forward as it could be. Just swap it out with your current one - it installs using a 5mm hex wrench. That leaves you with a solid bolt-on point for a trailer. For me, being able to attach our Thule kids' trailer to a bike I already have, rather than needing to purchase a cruiser just to ride the greenway is a no-brainer. It also works just fine for trail riding, although it does protrude a bit, but I'll take that over having to swap it out to go from sport to casual. |
Orange Seal VersaValve
Features
• Conical and rectangular grommets
• 4x valve cores
• 32mm, 48mm, 60mm, 80mm stem length options
• 4x valve cores
• 32mm, 48mm, 60mm, 80mm stem length options
| Orange Seal's VersaValve is designed to be an all-in-one solution for tubeless valves. The stems come with two different grommets, conical and rectangular, to ensure the best fit possible on a variety of rims. Additionally, there are six different color options to choose from when selecting lockring colors. The valves are available in four different lengths and are said to work well with just about any wheels out there from mountain to road to gravel. Valve stems seem to be almost a dime a dozen, but these stems from Orange Seal look to come with a nice package of accessories. I appreciate the extra valve cores as they do deteriorate and need to be replaced from time to time with sealant and it always seems to be something I notice right when I'm headed out to ride. Having a spare on hand, rather than needing to run to the bike shop or auto parts store is quite helpful. Additionally, having the option of different grommets can be useful in ensuring the best seal for whatever rim you're running. |
HandUp Pro Performance Gloves
Features
• Rolled fingertips
• Clarino leather palm
• Compression molded neoprene cuff
• XXS-XXL sizes
• Clarino leather palm
• Compression molded neoprene cuff
• XXS-XXL sizes
| HandUp gloves have made a name for themselves by offering minimalist gloves that function well without breaking the bank. For their Pro Performance glove, they partnered with Neko Mulally and asked for his feedback on what he wanted in a glove. The compression-molded cuff and rolled fingertips were priorities in this glove and it offers a more secure fit and feel than Handup's standard glove. I came across a pair of the gloves close to a year ago as they were in development and picked up a production version the other week, and I have to say that it's an excellent fitting glove. Where the standard gloves stretched out a touch for me throughout a ride, the Pro gloves offer a much more robust and snug fit, especially across the back of the hand. The rolled fingertips are comfortable and the cuff keeps everything quite snugly in place. I appreciate that the gloves still carry the minimalist feel of Handup's other gloves and while I've only managed a few rides in them, they seem to be holding up well and I don't expect to have any issues with them. They work great with touch screens and I don't have any complaints to speak of. Some riders may find they want to size up as the Pro model doesn't stretch out quite as much as the standard. |
HipLok Z Lok Combo
Features
• Ultra-light - 0.068kg
• Re-settable combination
• 10-year warranty
• Re-settable combination
• 10-year warranty
| Bikes are expensive and there seems to be more and more bike theft every day. Trailheads that were once pretty benign and not all that crowded are now packed, and I feel like we hear about someone's bike disappearing on an almost weekly basis. While there's no substitute for a burly chain lock anchored to a fixed object, especially in higher-risk situations, HipLok's Z Lok series offers a low-cost and low-weight theft deterrent that can be useful for those moments when you need to run into a store for a minute or two The lock is reinforced with metal and looks like a glorified zip tie, or zap strap, depending on your locale. It is small enough to toss in a bag or pocket and offers what I feel comfortable with as enough protection to deter a convenience theft. While the lock isn't going to stop someone with an angle grinder or even a hacksaw, it's better than risking not locking up your bike at all. I've been using the combo lock for everything from locking bikes to my hitch rack to a random sign by a store and it offers good peace of mind, knowing that someone is probably at least going to make a scene and be noticed if they try to run off with your ride. It's far less bulky than a cable or chain lock, easy to use, and has held up in the elements. For $25, it's a worthwhile investment, in my mind. |
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
- Cable lock, which I trust out-of-sight for 5-10 mins
- Hardened trapezoidal-link chain lock w/ ABUS shackle, which I trust out of sight for 45 mins (after-ride lunch)
That HipLok Z Lok looks great for bike parks, trailheads, and other low-key situations, but I wouldn't trust it for 5 mins in town.
Rim profile plays a part, but i think they became popular for 2 main reasons:
1) slight weight reduction.
2) laziness of the mtb industry just borrowing crap from road cycling. Took us decades to revise frame design, but this atrocity still stuck.
And of course, the basic illogical nature of this industry and its' love for bad engineering practice until someone finally says "enough is enough".
Don’t they all have outer threads?! How else would you screw a cap on them?
I meant threads that go all the way to the bottom so you can tighten them with a small flat nut to the rim, like presta tubeless valves. The thread for the cap doesnt help with that.
Also the thieves would get a notification on their apple devices that an unknown airtag is following them.
It still creates a window of opportunity to get back the bike though. *Mine is velcroed inside the frame and is unreachable without using a tool.
If I walk by an expensive bike that I'd really like to own, and it's unlocked in front of a store or something, I'm gonna look and think, "Wow. Nice bike. Wouldn't be leaving it like that if it was mine. Risky move. Hope that works out for them." and keep walking. I'm not going to think, "Woohoo! Free bike!", and jump on it and ride it away 'cause it was left unlocked.
A lock will slow down dishonest thieves, or make them keep walking in search of something easier to steal. If it does either of those two things well enough to prevent your stuff from getting stolen it's done its job regardless of how crappy or expensive it was.
The phrase sounds a lot like “gun regulation keeps guns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens,” which again sounds like flawed logic.
Currently on year 4 w/ my first pair of Handup gloves. Just got a small hole at the thumb where it contacts the bars this weekend. Will definitely be purchasing another pair of Handup gloves! Best I've found.
Be safe be well,
Robin