Nidecker Race SL

Advantages: Great fun board
Disadvantages: Loses its pop

...I picked up a NS SL series board 3 seasons ago, so it isnt this seasons model I am reviewing. I still have the board the 155 length), and having now ridden, at a guess, 2 months on it in all conditions I can say that: From new, its great. Does just what it says on the tin - lots of pop, snappy turns, enough give in the tip and tail to make landings a cinch. When i first got it I was really pleased with it, and had a lot of fun with doing bigger ollies etc than I could before, but then a new board always has more zip in it than an old one. After about a month or so, I felt that it had lost a lot of that initial flex, and was losing more, faster than my previous board (a forum) had. Now, I am sure of it. The board is still fun, and I ride it a lot, but there is a lot more flex in it now than when I bought it and on a powder day I... Read review

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Advantages: Such a simple idea - nothing to remember or buy batteries for
Disadvantages: Setting clearances of magnets is fiddly

...shape of rear wheel bracket. Derailleur gears of the type fitted to racing and mountain bikes, with their wide 'cone' of several cogs mean that the rear light's bracket needs to be curved inwards to get it anywhere near the magnet on the spokes, whereas bikes with hub (or no) gears need a flatter bracket. On top of this option you then consider whether you want the pricier version (SL 120) with an up-to-two-minute*** power reserve or not (SL100), hence the four permutations. This slightly more expensive option was my choice. I stop at lots of traffic lights in the dark, so having a constant tail light matters to me quite a lot. However, I got mine for a pleasing £29.99 including P&P from www.timani-ltd.co.uk which is cheaper than the list price of the cheapest version. ***(On test, I could only make mine last about 30 seconds... Read review

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Advantages: Ultra light, roomy , quick to erect
Disadvantages: expensive

...“This ultralight, freestanding tent is for gram-counting geeks who like to swill their adventure in big gulps and have a little room to read at night!” Big Agnes We treated ourselves to this Seedhouse SL3 last year (SL3=super light 3 person). This is the tent we take with us our forays deep into the undergrowth and it was an extravagance as it cost us around £200. That probably sounds a bit steep but it was worth the money because its one of the lightest 3 man tents out there. It weighs in at a svelte 3 lb 15 oz and you can whittle that down to an anorexic 3 lb 2 oz if you are sure the weather will be decent and there is no nasty insect life by using the fast fly assembly When you are carrying everything you need every ounce makes a difference and the tent is big component of the overall weight. Cutting that weight down means you... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful