Gear Shots 9

RockShox Boxxer Ride, Camelbak Havoc,
and Race Face Impact carbon gloves

Tire clearance on these forks looks pretty impressive - there’s tons of room for a Maxxis Minion 2.7” - so you'll be able to run whatever rubber you'd like.

Turning radius is supposed to be increased this year, thanks to a redesigned upper crown.

Speaking of the upper crown, there are two options, both of which are forged: a drop crown and a flat crown that can be run with a direct-mount stem.

The Ride also boasts new one-piece magnesium lowers for increased stiffness and durability, HC2 damping, external rebound adjustment, Easton aluminum steerer, and Low Friction ano stanchions with a travel gradient marked on three sides of the stanchion.

Target weight for the fork is 7.2lbs, with the short crown, axle, and 200mm steerer length.

Camelbak used to be the name in hydration packs, but the competition is getting fierce these days. The Big C is hoping to regain some of its former market share by carving out a big slice of the freeride pie with its new Havoc pack.

Designed specifically for the big hit crowd, the Havoc is quite unlike all of Camelbak’s other packs you may be familiar with. Most of those have been designed for the Lycra-wearing set, or people who want to tackle an epic ride, but the company now has a much burlier offering created with you and I in mind.

The Havoc sports a spot for a full-face helmet, long straps to tie down armour, enough room inside to stash a pair of arm pads (or short leg pads), a lined pouch for goggles, and another for your iPod, one big mesh pouch for tools and snacks, and hook-and-loop straps for a pump.

The shoulder straps are comfortably padded as always, and the Independent Suspension™ attachment design is supposed to improve arm mobility while you’ve got the pack on.

Each of the straps on the Havoc come with a bit of hook-and-loop material at the end, so you can roll them up securely when they’re not in use.

One major difference on this pack from older Camelbaks is that the water reservoir now sits in a separate compartment right behind the back padding, rather than in the main compartment of the pack.

Capacity for the reservoir is 3 litres (100oz.), and the pack weighs in at 9.4lbs (4.26kg) when the reservoir is full. Each pack ships with a reservoir that comes with insulated tubing, and a 90° bend at the mouth-piece and a shut-off valve.

The Havoc is made of heavier-duty nylon than other Camelbak bags, and sports burly zippers to keep all your goodies inside. Colour selection is limited to black, but that’s all right because black goes with everything.

Only time will tell whether Camelbak is really able to win (back?) freeriders with the Havoc, or whether they've jumped ship for good.

When push comes to shove, you really only have four contact points between you and your bike. That being said, that which lies between your hands and feet to connect you to your rig deserves serious attention. Race Face has covered half of this equation by introducing the Impact glove.

The Impact glove is a carbon knuckled heavy-duty mitt aimed at keeping your hands intact when they make contact with all the great things the forest has to offer. The carbon knuckle piece is the main feature on these gloves, designed to take the worst hits without passing

The gloves have a stealth, almost military finish in all black with a low key Race Face logo.

The wrist area extends higher than most other gloves for added protection, with a thick neoprene strap to keep things snug.

One unique feature is the mesh fabric between the fingers to help keep your hands cool - a great plus for summer riding, but a bit of a drawback for winter months.

The fit of the gloves is no exception to Race Face's reputation for quality.