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Outside magazine, December 1999	Page: 1 \| 2 \| 3 \| 4 \| 5 \| 6 \| 7 \| 8
Holiday Gift Guide 1999 Electronics \| Camping Gear \| City Wear \| Beach Toys \| Y2K Provisions \| Bike Stuff \| Stocking Stuffers \| Books

Deluxe extras to help you crank it up

The Marzocchi Bomber RAC ($1,600; 661-257-6630) is a formidable bump-soaker-upper, even though its construction is the exact opposite of a typical suspension fork's. The stanchion tubes (the skinny ones) are on the bottom and the stiff slider tubes are up top for precise steering. The fork requires disk brakes and an oversize axle— great excuses to buy even more new parts.

The phrase "remote control" is no longer solely relevant to garage doors and La-Z-Boys. Mavic's Mektronic Wireless Shifting System ($775 for shift-levers, computer, and rear derailleur; 888-466-2842) lets you channel-surf through the gears of your road bike. Instead of using cables and housing, this battery-operated setup sends a radio signal to your rear derailleur. Push one of three buttons on the lever or computer and— badda bing!— you're in high gear.

Giro's E2 mountain bike helmet weighs less than the contents of your wallet (ten ounces) and vents like an EPO-addled Frenchman (24 voluminous air slots and six internal wind tunnels). Looks faster than you'll ever be able to ride. $160; 800-294-6098.

It's not what the Ibis Cycles SilkTi has that makes it so unusual, but what it lacks. Namely, mechanical pivots for the rear suspension. The titanium chainstays actually flex to provide the 1.75 inches of rear-wheel travel. To facilitate this, Ibis (800-283-0943) has modified an increasingly popular style by making the chainstays flat, not tubular. The result is a lightweight frame (four pounds, including the rear shock) that absorbs small bumps yet remains stiff on climbs. Stiffer yet is the drink you'll need to absorb the price: $2,200 for what you see here.

Chromed wire baskets and jury-rigged milk crates do little justice to the look of your steed— especially when compared to the Paul Component Engineering Flatbed ($99; 530-345-4371). The rack mounts to a suspension fork and is appointed with aluminum tubing and poplar slats that add a touch of IKEA élan.

You won't find a single strip of reflective tape adorning the Castelli Half Moon bag ($75; 877-324-7448). Instead, the whole kit and caboodle flashes when headlight beams hit it. The secret? A coating of Illuminite, a hyper-reflective ceramic that doesn't make fabric look fit only for crossing guards.

That yellow racing stripe down the middle of the Continental Twister Pro Dual mountain bike tire ($55 for the Kevlar bead; 800-223-3207) isn't merely for looks. It's a grippy silica compound that, combined with the tire's nearly knobless middle, lowers rolling resistance and thus makes you a speedier spinner. A litter of five-pointed lugs on each side keeps you from slipping.