Reviews by User: Matt Oakley (32)

These crampons are great. You can set them up mono or dual point which is awesome, but without the right tools cutting the abs to work with mono can be a hassle. Unlike most ice climbing crampons these do not have a fully vertical frame which makes them a little more friendly for the ABS plate and hiking. I use mine for ice and general mountaineering. The bails and adjustment bar are pretty standard but they are more adjustable than the G-14s. These crampons work perfectly with my La Sportiva boots (Nepal Evo).

This bike is awesome. End of story. Put a 6" fork on it and some all mountain duty wheels on it and ride it all day every day. This is one of the most fun bikes I have ever ridden. The horst link suspension works really well. This bike climbs very well for its size and it is a blast on the down hills. this is a great all mountain bike.

The viper tools are very good tools over all. The new hydroformed shaft is much stiffer than the previous generation vipers. The shaft also has very good clearance over bulges. The leash system works the same as the old vipers except they removed a little stud from the leash, I'm not sure why. I'm not 100% positive but I think you could use the older leashes if you just cut off that little stud on the bottom of the leash. The laser picks are great on pure ice but you have to learn to use them, they are very sharp and will be a little hard to get out of the ice. The picks are also not very wide so mixed climbing is not the greatest for these picks. Going to a titan pick will be a good idea if you plan on doing any climbing involving rock. The laser picks also dull easily. The fang and strike on the handle are awesome. The do a very good job of protecting your hands and also make the grip very steady for leashless climbing. If you have large hands you will have a hard time using the tool with both fang and strike if your gloves are heavy. I have medium BD ice gloves and its a squeeze to get my hand on the tool. They are also made out of plastic and I doubt that they will last that long, they seem pretty tough but cold weather and being hit constantly won't be good for them. The tools are very natural to use for making placements. If you turn the tool around to use the adze or hammer however they can be quite awkward to use. The strike and fang get in the way a bit and make the tool a bit hard to handle. The adze I also feel curves down too much. I thing it would be easier to use it if it were a little more flat. Overall I think these are great tools and are quite versatile.

These gloves are very comfortable and warm. They also give fairly good dexterity for climbing and belaying. I have not had any trouble with them getting wet but I haven't used them in very wet conditions yet. They are a bit bulky but this hasn't interfered with my climbing at all. They also offer great protections for your hands. The sizing chart on backcountry seems to hold true, the glove feels small to wear but it is perfect when holding onto your tools.

This thing is really good and clean burning. It will boil water super fast. I would not suggest using it in cold weather though. When the canister is cold it does not have good pressure and you won't even be able to light the stove. If you use it in the winter keep the fuel in your sleeping bag so you can make your food in the morning without having to shove a cold metal fuel canister down your pants first... trust me...

I like the integrated pad, I don't think its very hard to take it in and out of the bag or inflate. The bag is definitely snug. Im 6'2" and pretty thin, I got the regular length bag and I can move around in it ok and the length fits. if you want to have anything in your bag with you like your boots though you may want a bigger bag. I can fit mine in next to my chest pretty comfortably but I wouldn't want the bag any smaller.

If you have an aluminum cassette body on your hub you need a cassette like this one. it has a large aluminum hub that the larger gears are riveted to. This keeps the weight down and not having individual rings keeps it from cutting little slots into your expensive cassette body. The wear is pretty good on these too. I have had one on my AM bike for over a year and it is still pretty decent considering the abuse I have given it.

These are really nice because they use torx on one side and Allen head on the other. This way you can tighten them without that stupid little flat head thing that no one ever has. The torx is a lot less likely to strip out too.

These are pretty much the best bang for your buck. They are not too expensive and they work really well. They are not as re-buildable as XO or as light but they work really well. They don't seem to hold up quite as well as I would like though. They have a tendency to get bent up pretty easy and the cogs get squeaky very quickly (particularly on muddy rides) and they seem to stay that way no matter how well you rebuild them. I have gone through about 4 of these in the last couple years but I will keep getting them because they work so well.

These brakes are really nice. the 7s are very adjustable and very easy to bleed. The modulation is great. The only bad part about them is changing the pads. Avid fixed the pad replacement on the Elixrs though. These are really awesome brakes for XC particularly if you are really picky about how your brakes are set up.

These are by far my favorite brakes. I have ridden juicy's, hayes, shimano, hydros, cable, all sorts of stuff. These things rock. they are small and light and look great. They have the best modulation of any avid brakes. They have a ton of power, more than juicys but not as much as codes. These are pretty much perfect for any mountain bike with the right sized rotors. I am running them on my DH bike with 8" rotors and 7" on my AM bike.

These shoes are pretty comfortable considering the angle and how tight they are, I have no problem wearing them for a couple hours non stop. I wear a 45-46 in normal shoes and a 43.5 in these. The edging is very solid on these shoes and the sole platform gives a lot of stability to your foot without loss of feeling. My only gripe with these shoes are the top of the shoes. The closure system is fast an comfortable but the shoes have no grip for toe hooking. I found these shoes make it pretty much impossible to get any really solid hook unless the rock is very sharp.

all of the Titus bikes are great I have ridden them all a decent amount and loved everyone of them. You really cant go wrong with this suspension design.

These things are sweet. They are really strong and hold onto the seat very well. They have a lot of adjustment too. The way it clamps to the seat is really good but you might be able to clamp the rails too tight if they are not solid.

These bars come super wide so you can make them as big as you want. They look sweet too.

If you need new rings look no further. These are the most durable, and best shifting rings on the market

Its pretty hard to mess up a bash guard made out of a piece of aluminum. Its a lot easier,and more fun, to mess it up when its on your bike.

These are really nice headsets. The only downside is the weight, but if you are using it on a DH bike who cares?

If you want a cheap headset that wont give you too much trouble then this is a good choice. They are not sealed bearings which is the only bad thing about this.

These shorts are awesome. They are very durable and comfortable. They are a bit hard to get over your legs because the fly doesn't open very far. I really like mine and just wear them around even when I'm not biking.

These are my favorite XC and all mountain tires. They clear mud pretty well unless it is really sticky. These tires corner very well, they are predictable and stay in traction. They run true to the listed size. I think these tires are great for north east single track.

These tools are pretty nice particularly for the price. I particularly like the leash, it tightens itself when you weight it and is very comfortable. The leash also has a thing to keep it from getting too tight. The tools do not have very good protection for your knuckles which sucks. I has several bleeding fingers after climbing with these tools. They have a pretty nice geometry and are nice for climbing pure ice. These would make a very good tools for someone new to the sport. If you want to do more serious climbing I would suggest a higher end tool, you do get what you pay for.

My cyborgs fit in them... barely but it does keep them in as tight of a space as possible which is nice for packing them. You do need to be careful of the points. The mesh top is nice for keeping things aired out but I would still take my crampons out to dry after a day of climbing. The bag is much easier to use than point covers.

I've been using these for rock and ice climbing. The are really nice for clipping tools to or screws while on the ice. for rock climbing I leave them on my harness and use them for extra runners and cordelettes. They don't move around on you too much (they do tend to shift slowing towards the back of my harness) and are really easy to get gear on and off of. If you want extra space on your harness these are a good cheap way to get it.

This leash works well and is infinitely adjustable. It is pretty easy to use but the loop that you use to get in and out of it is pretty big and could get caught on things. I use this on a mountaineering axe but this would work well with ice tools that don't have specific leashes. One nice feature is the buckle that keeps the leash from getting too tight.

These boots are great, they are extremely well built and the most comfortable boots ever. I mostly ice climb in these boots but also hike in them as well. One thing to be aware of is that when using crampons the heal bail can press into your heel if it is too tight. This isn't a huge problem is you are climbing but hiking in crampons like this can give you pretty bad blisters. Boots may be the most important piece of gear you can own so make sure you size them and fit your crampons properly.

I don't know why anyone would spend $400 on arc'teryx pants when you can get these. They have everything, removable suspenders, 2 way zippers on the fly, and hip vents, reinforced ankles, gaiters, waterproof knees and butt. they are a nice slim cut and a really good weight material. I can get my gore-tex pants over them no problem and they are comfortable. These will be perfect for ice climbing.

Every time you use this pack I think there is something else on it that makes it better. It does carry skis even though it says it doesn't. It has a place for everything and it is all accessible. It is prefect for rock and ice climbing trips. That is primarily what I use it for, but I'm sure it would be good for lighter backpacking trips. This really is the perfect pack for a day on the ice or rock.

all of the Titus bikes are great I have ridden them all a decent amount and loved everyone of them. You really cant go wrong with this suspension design.

After buying these shoes in a 42.5, 43, 43.5 and a 44 even I ended up going with the 43.5 I have another pair of scarpas in a 46 too so I had a hard time sizing these. The backcountry guys really helped me out with returning the ones I didn't want and I'm really happy with the shoes. They haven't stretched out a ton yet but I imagine they will a bit more. They heel hook really well and have great smearing and edging traction. They also have a pretty sharp toe and I have never put so much weight on tiny features with such good luck as with these shoes. Top notch shoes overall very high performance if they are tight enough. I have a narrow foot and the tops are a little loose but I have never noticed it affecting my climbing.

I think this jacket is good for both all day outside and as a casual jacket. I wear mine all day out ice climbing and then to go to work or going out. It is very comfortable, warm and protects from the elements very well. I wish it had inside pockets, they come in handy and velcro wrist cuffs would be really nice for climbing too. the wrists don't bother me too much because they are fairly snug.

Most of the time you try to make something that "does it all" it usually does none of them very well. This bike is a pretty good example of that. It is too heavy and the suspension is too inefficient for XC/AM riding, but at the same time its got too much carbon in the rear and the geometry isn't quite right for free ride. "Low Center Counter Rotating" is a fancy way of saying over complicated single pivot. I have seen a lot of ripped off head tubes on RMBs too, not sure if this bike has this issue too though.