Karissa Lamb

I would say that this is one of my favorite gravel bikes we carry. The X-Trail is a nice happy medium. The geometry reminded me of an endurance road bike, with a slightly slacked out front end. Yes, it has road geometry but it wasn't super upright and uncomfortable.
Tons of clearance to roll on some beefier tires if you wanted to but the tires that come on this bike are also a happy medium. Slick down the center while also having some bigger knobbies on the sides. It rolled really well on hard pack and asphalt but it still gives you some grip when ripping on the gravel or off road.
My first ride was up and down fire service roads in the Uintah mountains here in Utah. I loved how it felt like a road bike on the smoother surfaces and then performed like a mountain bike on the rougher terrain.
A lot of people ask me which pedals they should run on their bike, I personally used mountain pedals. They're a bit burlier and more likely to take a hit better than say my carbon Look pedals I use on my road bikes.
In terms of gearing, this bike comes with compact gearing, you've got a 50/34 in the front and a massive 11x28 in the back. This is great for tackling those steeper climbs on the dirt.
Overall this bike is fun, playful, stiff, and burly. This bike runs a bit bigger.. According to the sizing chart I should be on the medium, but I am 5'8 with a 35.5 inseam and the medium was too big in terms of reach, so a small fits me perfectly. I suggest sizing down with this bike.

For additional questions, feel free shooting over an email or giving me a call directly!
Karissa Lamb
801-204-4567
KLamb@backcountry.com

I wanted to write a super long review about how much I am in love with this bike... but I'll keep it short. I also didn't want to be yet another 5 Star Employee review. But this bike is so perfect I couldn't help it. This is how a bike should feel. This is what true love is. I've had the chance to ride A LOT of different bikes during my life, and none have even compared to this. This is the Ferrari of all bikes. This bike wants to go fast. With every pedal stroke, the bike goes with you. Rather than feeling every single pedal stroke as a challenge, this frame and drivetrain just want to go forward... The new updated F10 is, in fact, lighter, stiffer and more compliant than the F8. Not that the F8 is inferior, but the F10 is just an overall better ride experience. Pinarello brought over a lot of aerodynamic elements from their Bolide TT bike. Less drag, more aero, lighter, faster, stiffer, comfortable, the list can go on.. what more could you really want from your race machine? I am 5'8" with a 35.5 in inseam and went with a size 53.5. For all questions about this beauty, feel free to call or email me directly.
KLamb@backcountry.com
801.204.4567

Owning a Mystery Ranch backpack has truly been a pleasure.. seriously this pack has a lot of features you'll want when searching for that perfect pack. Typically Mystery Ranch backpacks were/are designed with the hard working American in mind. Whether that be firefighters, military personnel, hunters, police officers, or outdoor enthusiasts, etc. This pack was meant to work as hard as you do. Aka, it needs to be durable.

The Cairn Backpack is made of 420 denier nylon, why is this relevant?.. Just a brief history lesson- this specific material was actually developed for the military for use in parachute backpacks- the only thing on the guys back that holds the parachute!

This material is durable, high tenacity, smooth, and incredibly light. In addition to the 420d nylon backpack simply being a beautiful, densely woven, tough-as-nails fabric, its smooth surface entirely lacks an affinity for pet hair, lint, sweater fuzz, and snow.

I actually really like the Y-shaped zippers. They're very convenient for the specific way I like to pack my gear. Typically when I'm loading up my backpack, I'll put the heaviest gear centered and next to where my back would be. I pack my medium weighing items toward the top, and on the outsides, I put the lighter gear and then, of course, my sleeping bag towards the bottom.

The shoulder straps are comfortable, as they are made of a padded mesh material that sits ergonomically without any annoying seams rubbing or chafing. The waist belt is adjustable and also just as comfortable. For proper sizing, I'd refer to Mystery Ranch's Fitting and Sizing chart.

If you're looking for a women's specific pack that is well-fitting, comfortable, durable, and versatile, the Cairn is a solid choice. They call it a mid-size daypack but it is more than capable of carrying enough gear for a week long excursion!

If you ever had the pleasure of riding this bike, then it was most likely love at first ride. The bike has a lot to offer and is a dream on the trail. Rider needs are constantly changing and Santa Cruz continues to give the people what they want.
The new 2017 version has a couple changes to the geometry which are good changes. In my opinion anyway. To me, they made it even better. It eats up the mountain and spits it out. No matter what terrain you come across, the 5010 is hungry and ready, giving you a fun but technical ride. Super responsive whether you're climbing or ripping down hill.
Jumping on the bike I was totally surprised it had 130mm of travel front and rear. Pedaling is so smooth! The pedaling platform is efficient with the suspension, which opens up really nicely on bigger hits and it often felt like it had much more suspension than 130 mm. Anyone who rides this bike says the same thing- It is poppy, nimble, snappy, fast and pretty much pops off everything and handles the techy descends like a champ.
Pros:
Light frame
Great up hill and down
Longer top tube
Thoughtful suspension
Lots of bike for your buck
Cons:
None
Verdict- The 5010 is definitely one of the best mountain bikes available on the market. It has been tailored to perfectly suit a large number of conditions. If you're looking for the ultimate experience, the 5010 will not disappoint.

I am 5'8", 156 lbs, 35.5 in. inseam. I rallied on a medium and it felt great all around.

For further questions, feel free to call or email me directly.
Karissa Lamb
KLamb@backcountry.com
801-204-4567

If you ever had the pleasure of riding this bike, then it was most likely love at first ride. The bike has a lot to offer and is a dream on the trail. Rider needs are constantly changing and Santa Cruz continues to give the people what they want.
The new 2017 version has a couple changes to the geometry which are good changes. In my opinion anyway. To me, they made it even better. It eats up the mountain and spits it out. No matter what terrain you come across, the 5010 is hungry and ready, giving you a fun but technical ride. Super responsive whether you're climbing or ripping down hill.
Jumping on the bike I was totally surprised it had 130mm of travel front and rear. Pedaling is so smooth! The pedaling platform is efficient with the suspension, which opens up really nicely on bigger hits and it often felt like it had much more suspension than 130 mm. Anyone who rides this bike says the same thing- It is poppy, nimble, snappy, fast and pretty much pops off everything and handles the techy descends like a champ.
Pros:
Light frame
Great up hill and down
Longer top tube
Thoughtful suspension
Lots of bike for your buck
Cons:
None
Verdict- The 5010 is definitely one of the best mountain bikes available on the market. It has been tailored to perfectly suit a large number of conditions. If you're looking for the ultimate experience, the 5010 will not disappoint.

I am 5'8", 156 lbs, 35.5 in. inseam. I rallied on a medium and it felt great all around.

For further questions, feel free to call or email me directly.
Karissa Lamb
KLamb@backcountry.com
801-204-4567

If you ever had the pleasure of riding this bike, then it was most likely love at first ride. The bike has a lot to offer and is a dream on the trail. Rider needs are constantly changing and Santa Cruz continues to give the people what they want.
The new 2017 version has a couple changes to the geometry which are good changes. In my opinion anyway. To me, they made it even better. It eats up the mountain and spits it out. No matter what terrain you come across, the 5010 is hungry and ready, giving you a fun but technical ride. Super responsive whether you're climbing or ripping down hill.
Jumping on the bike I was totally surprised it had 130mm of travel front and rear. Pedaling is so smooth! The pedaling platform is efficient with the suspension, which opens up really nicely on bigger hits and it often felt like it had much more suspension than 130 mm. Anyone who rides this bike says the same thing- It is poppy, nimble, snappy, fast and pretty much pops off everything and handles the techy descends like a champ.
Pros:
Light frame
Great up hill and down
Longer top tube
Thoughtful suspension
Lots of bike for your buck
Cons:
None
Verdict- The 5010 is definitely one of the best mountain bikes available on the market. It has been tailored to perfectly suit a large number of conditions. If you're looking for the ultimate experience, the 5010 will not disappoint.

I am 5'8", 156 lbs, 35.5 in. inseam. I rallied on a medium and it felt great all around.

For further questions, feel free to call or email me directly.
Karissa Lamb
KLamb@backcountry.com
801-204-4567

If you ever had the pleasure of riding this bike, then it was most likely love at first ride. The bike has a lot to offer and is a dream on the trail. Rider needs are constantly changing and Santa Cruz continues to give the people what they want.
The new 2017 version has a couple changes to the geometry which are good changes. In my opinion anyway. To me, they made it even better. It eats up the mountain and spits it out. No matter what terrain you come across, the 5010 is hungry and ready, giving you a fun but technical ride. Super responsive whether you're climbing or ripping down hill.
Jumping on the bike I was totally surprised it had 130mm of travel front and rear. Pedaling is so smooth! The pedaling platform is efficient with the suspension, which opens up really nicely on bigger hits and it often felt like it had much more suspension than 130 mm. Anyone who rides this bike says the same thing- It is poppy, nimble, snappy, fast and pretty much pops off everything and handles the techy descends like a champ.
Pros:
Light frame
Great up hill and down
Longer top tube
Thoughtful suspension
Lots of bike for your buck
Cons:
None
Verdict- The 5010 is definitely one of the best mountain bikes available on the market. It has been tailored to perfectly suit a large number of conditions. If you're looking for the ultimate experience, the 5010 will not disappoint.

I am 5'8", 156 lbs, 35.5 in. inseam. I rallied on a medium and it felt great all around.

For further questions, feel free to call or email me directly.
Karissa Lamb
KLamb@backcountry.com
801-204-4567

Lightweight, stiff-soled, easy to adjust on the go, easy to clean, reliable closure system, comes with multiple shim options for optimal customization on the sole of the foot. The Boa dial provides the adjustability that laces simply can't offer and provide even pressure on the upper part of the foot keeping it from sliding around. Laces of different length and color can be swapped out but is a bit of a process. Overall I'd say this is a solid choice when trying to find a shoe that has the ability to fit a wide range of foot shapes.

Yup. This hat does what you'd expect a hat to do. Covers most of your head and if you wear it the right way, it could protect your face from the sun. Choose a setting on this snap back cap, place it on your head with brim facing forward, backward, sideways, whatever. Live your life in your new hat, show some backcountry love.

I wanted to write a super long review about how much I am in love with this bike... but I'll keep it short. I also didn't want to be yet another 5 Star Employee review. But this bike is so perfect I couldn't help it. This is how a bike should feel. This is what true love is. I've had the chance to ride A LOT of different bikes during my life, and none have even compared to this. This is the Ferrari of all bikes. This bike wants to go fast. With every pedal stroke, the bike goes with you. Rather than feeling every single pedal stroke as a challenge, this frame and drivetrain just want to go forward, the Zipp NSW 404's could have something to do with that too.. The new updated F10 is, in fact, lighter, stiffer and more compliant than the F8. Not that the F8 is inferior, but the F10 is just an overall better ride experience. Pinarello brought over a lot of aerodynamic elements from their Bolide TT bike. Less drag, more aero, lighter, faster, stiffer, comfortable, the list can go on.. what more could you really want from your race machine? I am 5'8" with a 35.5 in inseam and went with a size 53.5. For any questions about customization, feel free to call or email me directly.

You've gotta give it to Wahoo for creating yet again, an incredible, user-friendly piece of equipment. With 15 hours of battery life, rest assured you'll be able to ride a couple of times before having to charge the BOLT. I love how easy set up is for this computer, as well as the high-def, easy to read customizable screens. You can also real time adjust the different screens right from your phone which comes in handy. I've had no issues connecting this to my Training Peaks account or even my TrainerRoad account. Super quick pairing with my power meter, HR Monitor, and cadence sensor. Overall pretty rad little device. It is simple, easy to use, and accurate. Oh, let's not forget it is more aerodynamic than all its competitors. Pretty sure my FTP went up 7 points. Overall stoke levels are high.

I wanted to write a super long review about how much I am in love with this bike... but I'll keep it short. I also didn't want to be yet another 5 Star Employee review. But this bike is so perfect I couldn't help it. This is how a bike should feel. This is what true love is. I've had the chance to ride A LOT of different bikes during my life, and none have even compared to this. This is the Ferrari of all bikes. This bike wants to go fast. With every pedal stroke, the bike goes with you. Rather than feeling every single pedal stroke as a challenge, this frame and drivetrain just want to go forward, the Zipp NSW 404's could have something to do with that too.. The new updated F10 is, in fact, lighter, stiffer and more compliant than the F8. Not that the F8 is inferior, but the F10 is just an overall better ride experience. Pinarello brought over a lot of aerodynamic elements from their Bolide TT bike. Less drag, more aero, lighter, faster, stiffer, comfortable, the list can go on.. what more could you really want from your race machine? I am 5'8" with a 35.5 in inseam and went with a size 53.5. For any questions about customization, feel free to call or email me directly.

A little tip about European sizing: Subtract 28 from the size number on these. The resulting number equals the equivalent size in American pant sizes. For example, a size 34 in women's pants in Europe equals a size 6 in American sizes. As stated by Fjallraven themselves, the sizing guides are just that, a guide. Fits will vary from style to style so if you have any questions regarding the fit of a particular piece, please email or call me directly.

These are seriously some of my favorite gloves I've ever owned. They fit nicely, are true to size, comfortable on the trails, breezy, and pretty durable. I thought they'd rip at the seams after one ride. But after 15+ rides, they've held up better than I thought. Highly recommended if you want a simple, comfortable glove without bells and whistles.

Dang it I am bummed out. These were rad in the photos, they were rad in person, they were rad on, until I had to button them up. I think they run small... I normally wear a 6 in literally everything. Free People, Lulu, Prana, Patagonia, etc. But these are tight. I thought maybe I ate too much food but remembered all I had was coffee that day... These are tight. I've got a booty and some muscular legs and these made it look like I was trying to fit into a child's pair of shorts. I could zip them up and button them up... but it did not look flattering. Nervous to size up in fear that they will be too big around the waist. But I'll continue the review if I do end up going with an 8.

So recently I went mountain biking down in Moab and wore this helmet. First, this helmet is light. Lighter than my road helmet. I barely notice it is on my head while I'm ripping and rolling. Second, it is comfortable which is my biggest MUST. Nothing drives me more insane than having things scratching my head, pulling my hair or flapping around. This helmet does none of those things which makes it the perfect helmet for me. Easy to adjust and easy to customize to your noggin. You might be thinking, "Is MIPS worth it??". To be honest, even if MIPS works, I don't think it will eliminate concussions altogether. Eliminating the rotational force might reduce the severity of the concussion. But, the fact of the matter is still your head is coming to an abrupt stop in a collision. Thus, your brain is still going to hit your skull one way or another, which is what causes concussions. Here's my personal opinion. Is there a chance that it will reduce the probability of brain injury even a little? Yes. Okay, sold. Can you really put a price on your life? When I crashed down in Moab, I hit my head pretty hard. But as far as we can tell, and by 'we' I mean I went to a couple Dr's to get checked out, I am perfectly fine after hitting my head on the slick rock. ROCK. No dirt. Rock. The only damage done is bursitis on my butt, hip, and knee. Next purchase will most likely be some knee helmets... aka knee pads.

I'll admit that I'm a lycra wearing roadie machine. But what I don't want to admit is I love riding mountain more. So what I've got to say about this high performing bike is not just from a roadie's perspective but from someone who gets to ride and test a lot of bad ass bikes..

The ASR: lightweight frame, smooth ride quality, super responsive, cross country race machine. This bike will annihilate any climb while easily destroying any descent. 2017 ASR is a lot longer, a lot slacker and the result is a modern cross-country race bike.It's a high-speed handler with tons of stability. Lightweight carbon seat stays, designed to flex a bit with the suspension.

I typically ride JEM Trail down in Hurricane, Utah every weekend and this bike rips. I think I rode with the shock wide open on most of the climbs and didn't sacrifice any traction. Nor did I feel like I was on a horse galloping.. it is a very compliant frame. It feels low and aggressive. I hate comparing this rig to an enduro bike because they serve different purposes.. but this can seriously handle some techy descents. The only things I'd really change about this build would be the grips, wheels, and saddle.

All and all this bike is solid and is for that person that enjoys the climb and wants to earn the descent.

Feel free to contact me directly for all your bike questions.

KLamb@backcountry.com 801-204-4567

I've ridden this and the SB5+. They are about the same... Some minor differences.
Again, I love the length of the top tube on the medium frame.. reach is great and felt nimble. All I could say when out on the ride was how nimble this bike felt. Nothing ever felt like it was getting stuck, it was flowy in the rock gardens and felt like gravity was on my side.

Climbing this version without the plus wheels was a little different.... ever so slightly. But not noticable if you werent paying attention. Bigger doesn't always mean better. When riding through the trail, this bike would send it. I say "send it" because it looked like I was being launched off a jump on a rocket. I mean this in a good way. I prefer to do as little work as possible when trying to get a gravity induced launch and this bike ended up doing all the work for me.

I ran this at a lower PSI without the plus tires as I wanted more of that "squishy" feel while also having a bit more control over the bike. While wider tires offer more stability, I liked the hair pins a lot more without the plus tires. This is obviously a contraversal topic so what I say isn't by the book or what everyone is thinking...

I took the SB5 through some pretty chunky, techy sections and this bike, AGAIN, delivered. The suspension is so responsive, instead of griping about how I should have gone with longer or shorter travel, everything just married really well together and couldn't stop saying holy shiz. Very little effort, HUGE rewards.

TO RECAP: If you want to do it all from XC to Enduro, this is the bike to get. Rear boost for stiffness, internal cable routing, a little bit slacker, a little longer top tube, sleeker lines. The 2017 SB5 climbs just as well as the 2016, but it is a bit more capable on the descents. Lightweight, great pedaling uphill, and a ripper goin' down. This bike delivers not only a sick ride, but a big fat smile on your face.

If you have a lady in your life lookin' for a bike or if you yourself are a lady and have questions, give me a call or shoot over an email.
KLamb@backcountry.com 801-204-4567

To start off. The biggest change with Yeti this year is every model will have two different levels of carbon to choose from. Turq and Carbon. Turq is the highest level of carbon available but can save you 250-400 grams going with that option. Which is more than you think.
This review will seem like I'm rambling on... But there are tons of things I want to get out. Let's just say I wasn't UNDERwhelmed.

I love the length of the top tube on the medium frame.. reach is great and felt nimble. All I could say when out on the ride was how nimble this bike felt. Nothing ever felt like it was getting stuck, it was flowy in the rock gardens and felt like gravity was on my side.

Even while climbing this bike performed better than I was expecting. When riding through the trail, this bike would send it. I say "send it" because it looked like I was being launched off a jump on a rocket. I mean this in a good way. I prefer to do as little work as possible when trying to get a gravity induced launch and this bike ended up doing all the work for me.

I took the SB5 through some pretty chunky, techy sections and this bike, AGAIN, delivered. The suspension is so responsive, instead of griping about how I should have gone with longer or shorter travel, everything just married really well together and couldn't stop saying holy shiz. Very little effort, HUGE rewards.

I was on pretty loose terrain- but the flowy sections were where the magic really happened. With the plus tires, it gave the bike some extra forgiveness and made for a cush ride. I came into this thinking I'd hate the plus tires and that they'd hold me back but they did not.

TO RECAP: If you want to do it all from XC to Enduro, this is the bike to get. Rear boost for stiffness, internal cable routing, a little bit slacker, a little longer top tube, sleeker lines. The 2017 SB5 climbs just as well as the 2016, but it is a bit more capable on the descents. Lightweight, great pedaling uphill, and a ripper goin' down. This bike delivers not only a sick ride, but a big fat smile on your face.

If you have a lady in your life lookin' for a bike or if you yourself are a lady and have questions, give me a call or shoot over an email.
KLamb@backcountry.com 801-204-4567
Side Note: I am 5'8, 150 lbs, Inseam 35in, Rode a Medium.