Bell ‘Super’ Helmet
Bell Helmets have culminated decades worth of helmet research and design into the new Bell Super XC/Enduro style helmet and it really shows. Everything from the straps and inside liner to the gopro mount and adjustable visor are made from high quality materials and the helmet itself just feels solid. The super drops low in the back and sides to cover more of your precious skull and has one of the most accommodating fit adjustment I’ve ever seen on a bike helmet.
Be sure to consult the Bell helmet size chart to see what size you should actually order. I had assumed that I would wear a LARGE size because I’m 6’2″ adult male, but after measuring my head, found that I should actually wear a MEDIUM sized helmet. Sure enough, this helmet fits like a glove! Looks great and I’ve already got some compliments on it the first day that I wore it out. I highly recommend this helmet for anyone who rides a mountain bike off-road and wants a serious helmet that looks cool too.
Long Term Update
The helmet itself is still in great condition after 2 years of rough travel and even rougher travel. The integrated GoPro mount, however, it was never really that great to begin with.
The mount fits inside of the front-most air vent and has two small velcro straps the attach to small pads inside the helmet. The problem is that these pads are only glued to the foam interior and, under the weight of the mounted camera, have become unstuck and will not stick again.  Bell has since released the Super 2 helmet which corrected this issue and added MIPS technology for added safety, so if you like the look of this lid and want an action camera mount that you can actually use, go with the newer model.
KH Spooner Brake Lever Extension
After 2 years of constantly tightening my Starfighter brake lever cap, it finally decided to fall off somewhere mid-trail. I didn’t mind much really however, after all the hassle and a few instances where the pointed tips slipped under a fingernail and pried up, I decided that maybe I didn’t need a brake lever cap.
I tried to adjust to not having the cap over the next few months, but quickly found that the skinny little lever was too difficult to find when I needed it most. Luckily, I had to place an order for the new KH T-Bar form the unicycle.com UK online store because it’s still sold out in the US, so I did some browsing while I was there and found the Spooner! I thought this clever little device to be long extinct, being completely replaced by the Starfighter on the North American sites, but low and behold there it was, still in stock!
I placed the order on a Tuesday in Maryland US, and received the package on Friday of that same week from London! I’m still amazed! So I bolted up the T-Bar this weekend and finally screwed on the little Spooner cap, and after a few quick sessions on my local trails, I can say that this is the brake lever cap for me.
The interior is molded to fit the contour of the lever perfectly and the 4 bolts screw in tight at all 4 corners and lock tight. I know this thing isnt going anywhere. And the feel of it, compared to the Starfighter, is so much nicer. It’s big smooth spoon shaped surface is easy to find with my fingers and hold onto, and it looks great too! I hope the fact that this little gem is still being sold in the UK means that it’s not going anywhere, otherwise I might need to stock up on them before they’re all gone!
KH Fusion Zero Saddle – Long Term Review
I think I’ve finally put enough miles on my Kris Holm Zero Fusion flat saddle to write up a long term review, so if you’re still not sure if you want to spend the money on the upgrade, check back soon to see what I think of this unique new offering from the legend himself.
If you’ve been riding for a while, like I have, the Zero Fusion will feel a bit weird at first, but that’s ok. Trust me, you will get used to it. Unlike almost every other uni saddle on the market, this saddle is almost completely flat and not very cushy at all, so you may have to make some adjustments after a few rides until the angle feels good. I followed the setup guide pdf provided by KH and found that the 3rd notch setting, suggested by the Kris Holm himself, to be the most comfortable after some test runs.
On the trail, the first thing I noticed about the new design was that there is a lot more useable surface area to sit on. I can scoot forward when climbing up a steep ascent without crushing my bits on the nose and I can move back and forth to find the comfy zone on uneven terrain. This in itself is huge. On even the nicest of the old saddles I was pretty much stuck in the middle and almost always uncomfortable.Maybe a smaller rider or a child would have more room on a conventional seat, but as an average build adult male, the Zero Fusion feels like it just fits my anatomy better.