Written by: FOLLY

Another rad weekend of mountain thrashery brought to you by Blevins Bicycle Co. x Giant Bicycles. Such a great time. Mountain bikes (a.k.a. squishy speed machines, a.k.a. no limit BRAAAAPmobiles) are so effing good! They’re like… big ass cross bikes.

Being that I’m new to the mountain scene I invited Davis Yarbrough to escort me around Alabama State Park Monte Sano. So many great technical trails. We rode pretty hard for about 2 hours and only hit up 16 miles. It was so good!

Alright… on to the Giant Anthem X 29er 3 review, comparing it to the Anthem 27.5 3. Right off the bat I noticed I was riding a 29er vs. a 27.5. Very different feel in this bike model for sure. The set up on the entry level Anthem 29er model is $500 less ($1,750 vs. $2,250) than it’s entry level brother in 27.5; this made a big difference. Why Giant did this… I’m not sure. 

I gotta be honest with this one. When I first hit the trail I was not amped on the Anthem X. Comparing the 27.5 to 29 back to back… you will not enjoy the change. I was up higher on the 29 (or atleast felt like I was) with downgraded components. Really it’s like riding a totally different bike so it’s a bit hard to compare the two even though they’re in the same family. So lets not.

What I loved about the Anthem X 29er 3:

– So… FAST! The rolling momentum just kept on! I picked a line. I dominate that line! It was so rad.

– You will roll over anything… ANYTHING! Climbing/Descending… it handled both very well.

All in all… about half way into the ride I adapted to the change. It was great. Davis and I would whip around the mountain laughing all the way (not really… I was wheezing most of the time). I loved being out on a squishy speed machine thrashing new trails.

I hope you will go check out the Giant Bicycles Anthem X 29er as well as the Anthem 27.5 and develop your own opinion. They will both serve you well. My opinion for purchase… if you have an extra $500 and wanna get into a bad ass entry level full suspension mountain bike… go with the Anthem 27.5.  If you’re on a budget or a hardcore 29er fan and would rather take that extra $500 saved on the 29er vs. 27.5 to upgrade components… the Anthem X would work well for that.  Jah blessed!

RIDE x CREATE

Photo by Janne Amunét

Photo by Janne Amunét

Wow… I’m not sure how Janne Amunét and I got internet introduced but I’ve loved everything he’s had his hand in. Just look at these two photos from his hashtag project #ESCAPENORTH featuring Mission Workshop goods being put to the test.

“The Arkiv bags and MW apparel got put through a test as they battled snowfall, water, arctic temperatures and sunny moments. Didn’t even faze us. Truly amazing.” – Janne

Go to I Never Stopped Looking to find out all the VERY rad stuff Janne dominates. OH… and if you ever need gear to defeat Norway’s NUTS winter chill… Mission Workshop has you covered. Cheers!

RIDE x CREATE

Red Hook Crit 2013 a film by Christian Thormann from crihs on Vimeo.

This is rad! Make sure to frequent No LIfe Like This LIfe to catch good stuff like this!

(MATT BLEASE)

As soon as I saw this bag drop I knew I wanted it! Simple design with a wide ass mouth to house all my junk while keeping said junk totally water proofed.

Some of the more valuable features I’ve found are the padded back that I’ve learned to love with other Chrome Industries bag like the Yalta (for reference… it’s the only other bag I’ve owned with the same backing), the “wide ass mouth”, the padded laptop sleeve, the longer handles (if I were to fill up the bag to its capacity [no easy task] I still have an easy way to pick it up. It’s the simple things), the front buckle clip has a little extended metal piece PERFECT for cracking open my beverage of choice, and the strength to weight ratio. This bag is so light and strong (aka Knurled Welded).

If you look closely to the two clips on each side of the rolltop you’ll see they are alternating clips. What does this mean? It means that you can either utilize securing the rolltop the way it comes… OR you can roll it and clip it to itself thus utilizing the side straps to wrap around the front to secure whatever packages you may have. I was blown away when I found this out and have yet to capture it being utilized this way.

When I first loaded the bag for a longer ride It appeared to have a limitation of separation within the main compartment. This was easily overcome when you look at the padded laptop sleeve as another compartment to house your cell chargers, wallet, keys, and so on. It does really well to keep electronics protected from those ice cold cans of adult beverage you don’t want sweating all over your cables or computer.

Really this bag embodies everything I love in a bag. Style, easy access, large capacity, and the throw x go mentality that works really well for my “organization” skills all while keeping protected from the elements.

Go to Chrome Industries and check out other snaps and features. You can also follow along on our Instagram and look up #FOLLYxCHROME for other Chrome products we’ve reviewed. I will be using the Knurled Welded Excursion Rolltop 37 exclusively so make sure to follow along to check out all the ways this bag can be used and abused. OH… did I mention this bag is covered for LIFE!! FOR. LIFE!! Chrome… always nailing it.

RIDE x CREATE

I love emails from rad people like this.

“I just want to share with you photos of my latest mural in Parañaque City, Philippines. This was done in a desolate area of the city that trees and shrubberies are just starting to reclaim. I was inspired by the persistence of nature especially the birds (a type of sparrow) that have started to thrive in the place. With the bird as the main subject I have come up with a piece which tries to show the entirety of its existence in a single glimpse. I have always been fascinated with the concept portraying time as a dimension in my art. Here, by juxtaposing geometric patterns with rendered figures I am able to achieve depth hence giving my work that extra dimensionality. I also incorporated some dried branches I found around the area to further extend this dimensionality.” – Crist Espiritu

Go check out more from Crist Espiritu below:

www.dozecollective.com/collective/crist-espiritu/

www.cristespiritu.net

www.flickr.com/photos/cristespiritu/sets/

Kyle Steed flying over a 5 stair

I love that Kyle has kept up with fun photos like this. It brings back so many good memories when we would skate every day/all day. Apparently I knew the rule of thirds before I knew the rule of thirds.

Kyle just had an interview post up over at WELD by WELD. You should go check it out to get a little glimpse into that crazy dudes world.

RIDE x CREATE

“Chrome Industries created the Coveted Jersey to recognize the dirtbags, and working class athletes who race alleycats, sprints, fixed gear crits, subfloor circuits, and single speed races. The jersey can’t be purchased; it’s only given to champions. Have the skills reap the reward. Wear it with pride.

Each year Chrome Industries invites artists and designers we respect to create the Coveted Jersey. In 2010 Garret Chow designed the first Coveted Jersey. In 2012 James Sellman made his mark. The 2013 Jersey was designed by Sean Light.

Our 2014 Coveted Jersey was designed by Death Spray Custom. Death Spray Custom is a London based artist that works with mediums he describes as dangerous or travel fast. We’ve admired his work for a while. He’s worked with friends Adam Eldridge on a frame and Thor Drake on 21 Helmets. For our Jersey, DSC was inspired by the disruptive camouflage pattern named Dazzle that was used on ships during WW2. The jagged, mismatched shapes made it difficult for the enemy to estimate a target’s range, speed and heading. “Camo is something that as a pattern maker, I adore as a thing of beauty, from it’s natural origins to the military use.” You can see why we like him. Find out more about the Jersey on Chrome’s Blog.”

RIDE x CREATE

I love simple and functional. This MULTI POCKET ADVANCED PULL OVER (M.A.P.) from Chari & Co. NYC nails it! Go to Chari & Co. NYC to check out this sweet piece of apparel.

“Pull over sweatshirt is made of a tight knit cotton and is treated with a nano silver technology procedure to be waterproof.” – Chari & Co.

Animated Illustration by Kyle Steed

Tell me you didn’t just smile and I’ll call you a liar.