Being a college student and an outdoor enthusiast at the same time is sort of like being being addicted to gambling while broke. It’s really hard to finance your obsession. For that reason, I chose the 456, a hardtail all-mountain frame, for my current trailbike. The On-One 456 is a steel hardtail frame designed to work in tandem with a 4-6 inch fork–hence the name 456 (catchy, right?). A bigger … Read more

I recently purchased a new helmet from a friend (meaning it was a gently used helmet, but new for me). A new ski helmet needed to happen. I have a mantra that goes something like, “If I am moving faster than I can run, I wear a helmet.” For one I have a lot invested in the gray matter held inside my cranium and I prefer to have access to … Read more

I’m going to have to eat my words and it’s all because I’m a sucker for a good deal: I bought a new climbing harness, the Mammut Mirage, at a reduced price with a fancy self-locking waist belt. In my climbing career I have ranted to various partners about how I disagree with gear companies making products easier to use at the expense of safety checks. Before starting a climb … Read more

Choosing components for an all-mountain bike build is significantly harder than choosing components for a more specialized bike. As if deciding on a build wasn’t hard enough, the do-it-all bike opens up a component choice can of worms. Why? Because there are so many options. In fact, you could probably come up with a different do-it-all build for every day of the week and still leave something to be wanted; … Read more

If you’ve ever spent time on a mountain bike forum, you know about the never-ending supply of topics with a title that goes something like “What bike costs under a grand and can do XC, downhill, dirt jumping, slopestyle…” Everyone wants a bike that excels at anything and eveything–the all mountain bike. The perfect bike, right? Well, sure, if it actually existed. As it turns out, there are some irreconcilable … Read more