High5 Zero looks to bridge a gap in the market

For High5 Zero looks to bridge a gap in the market created by the likes of Zym and Nuun, who both offer similar tablets to help replenish electrolytes lost through sweating, which in turn can lead to cramp.

I put Zero to the taste test over a series of middle-distance rides (between 40 and 80 miles) and a handful of quicker efforts, and having regularly sipped away regularly, didn't feel a twitch of cramp. The tablets dissolve quickly, with very little residue, and it's easy enough to take a couple with you on the bike to top up if necessary.

Of course, there are plenty of variables which can induce cramp - for instance, diet or the intensity of the ride - but, with steady legs to date, can't complain about the effectiveness of Zero at this stage, having suffered from cramp once or twice during similar rides in the past. I will report back once Zero has been tested in warm, humid conditions, when hydration is far harder to keep on top of.

Each recyclable tube contains 20 tablets (£6.98), with High 5 recommending one tab for a weak mix and two for a strong mix. I found that rang true, with two tabs preferable in a 750ml bottle, if more expensive. The tablets are available in three flavours, Citrus, Berry (both tasty and refreshing) and Orange (untested). High5 have also introduced Zero Salts, which is the same product but flavourless.

High5 are quick to advertise that Zero, naturally free from preservatives, allergens, and artificial colours and flavours, has just 1.4 calories per 100ml and, more interestingly, that their research showed test subjects to burn 41 per cent more fat during exercise when using Zero. A bold claim - and I haven't seen any extra weight shed itself over the early course of this test.

That aside, Zero does what it says on the tin. It keeps hydration at the forefront of your mind, helps stave off cramp and tastes good too.

www.highfive.co.uk

View the original article here

The redesigned Rocky Mountain Slayer

The redesigned Slayer is made from Rocky Mountain’s own FORM tubing, which provides strength in high load areas and helps keep weight down. The custom-valved Fox RP23 air shock gives 165mm (6.5in) of travel. There’s also a tapered head tube and a granny ring guard to stop you dropping your chain.

The kink in the down tube makes it possible to run a bottle cage and a shock with a reservoir – rare on such a long-limbed machine. If enduro downhill racing is your thing, there are ISCG tabs to accommodate a chain device. Our 70 comes with a matt-black ?nish and sublimated graphics.

The Slayer platform is available in two lesser guises, but the 70 is the bells-and-whistles all-mountain buffet of parts. You get a Fox 36 TALAS R fork attached to an Easton Haven 55mm stem and carbon ?bre bar. The wheels comprise DT Swiss EX 500 rims and Rocky Mountain’s own hubs, rolling on chunky yet quick-rolling Maxxis Ardent tyres.

The real jewel of the spec sheet is the carbon ?bre RaceFace SIXC crankset, which is just about as bling as you can get. SRAM X9 shifting on a bike of this price may seem stingy, but shifting is crisp and those cranks more than make up for it.

Our 19in test model has a 46in wheelbase that, combined with the 66.5-degree head angle, orientates the Slayer towards descending. It always feels planted, and there’s a nice progression to the suspension – you know exactly where you are in the stroke at all times.

Thanks to the Slayer’s rich heritage we always sort of knew this bike would do well on the downhills. The big question was, would it climb? The 13.6kg (30lb) weight is a big advantage – although the short stem and long-travel fork aren’t overly geared to cross-country, you never feel as though you’re lugging that much uphill.

Rocky’s geometry employs a 76-degree seat tube to improve your climbing position once the bike is into its sag. As a result you get a slightly more upright feel than you do with other all-mountain rigs. It’s comfortable though, and shifting your weight forward is immediate. The rear end behaves too – it doesn’t wallow or bob, and grips well over more technical inclines.

Our only gripe is that we managed to bend the lever of the powerful yet ?imsy Formula The One brakes during a crash. Downhill is still the Slayer’s core strength though. It’s insane that a bike of this weight can descend as well as it does, and the adrenaline makes the climb back up even easier.

Bike specification:
Frame: FORM hydroformed 7005 aluminium Fork: Fox 36 TALAS R Shock: Fox RP23 custom valve Drivetrain: SRAM X9 shifters and mech, RaceFace SIXC carbon ?bre double crankset Wheelset: DT Swiss EX 500 tubeless compatible, RMB hubs Brakes: Formula The One Bar/stem: Easton Haven Seatpost/saddle: Easton EA70/Fi’zi:k Gobi XLM

View the original article here