Review: Cratoni C-Wild Helmet

The Cratoni C-Wild in brown, the ultimate non-conformist bike helmet colour.
How often do you see brown helmets? Just don't drop it in a wooded area.

I was hunting around for a branded bike helmet that was light weight and that wouldn't break the bank. My budget was puny, I didn't want to sped anything more than RM150. At the same time I am a firm believer in not buying replica helmets... talk about making a purchase into a difficult life choice! Anyway, after a month of looking around I ultimately across the C-Wild from Cratoni going for cheap at Chain Reaction Cycles.

It's not the latest model by the German brand but it looked good, was priced right (total damage was only about RM130 after currency conversion and shipping) and had all the bells and whistles you would expect from a premium brand.


FEATURES

If you're into weight, (come on, fess up, which serious mountain biker isn't into weight?) you'd be happy to know that the C-Wild is one of the lightest bike helmets out there. Weighing in at only 218g (official claim being 220g), it's easily 50-100 grams lighter than most of the expensive helmets worn by road bikers.

The other feature that I really appreciate the strap divider clamp that locks and unlocks with a key like twisting motion. Besides that there is nothing much else that is very special though, it is afterall a only bike helmet...

One of the lightest helmets in the market today. 

The side view with huge logo in case you forgot what you're wearing.

FULL FEATURE LIST

1. Lightweight at 218grams
2. Removable visor
3. Fantastic twist-lock type strap divider clamp
4. Simple but good size adjustment system (they call it Hyper Grip)
5. Reflective stickers at the back
6. Insect net
7. Good ventilation and airflow from front the rear
8. Appears to be made in Germany


THE ONLY PEEVE

While they helmet is great is every single way, the finishing of it could be better. The reflective stickers seems like an after thought that looks out of place and there is less than perfect plastic moulding on the visor. Very minor issues, but something to consider if it's something that'd bother you.


MORE PHOTOS

Reflector sticker and size adjustment knob (right), Twist-lock style strap divider clamp (left).

I love the oversized vents at the back. Let's a lot of air out, but if you fall backwards onto a branch... expect to get stabbed in the back of the head. :)

The only instance I could find on where this helmet was made. There were no "Made In ______" anywhere on the helmet or box.

~Use your Head, Save your Wallet.

Cycling Glasses Review: ESS ICE NARO

Protect your eyes. (Image sourced from http://www.performancebike.com)

You never really run out of things to buy when you're a cyclist, so today we're going to talk about sunglasses! You've seen fellow bikers wear them at FRIM, Putrajaya and wherever, but what would you buy and how much are you willing to spend?


WHY WEAR SUNGLASSES?!

I dare say that most bikers who do wear shades are those who cycle on the road, there isn't really much reason to require sun/glare protection when you're under foliage. Worse yet, I've seen fellows who wear dark sunglasses when riding under tree cover. I wonder how they can even see...

While sunglasses may not be something you need, it is recommended that you wear some form of eye protection. You don't want branches, gravel, bugs and the like to go zooming into your eye as your ride downhill at breakneck speed. Think there's little chance of that? Ask a motorcyclist how often something has flown into his eye while on the open highway. It happens a lot!

The last point is that some eyewear actually improve your vision without blocking out too much of the all essential light.


WHAT DO I RECOMMEND

ESS ICE NARO with Yellow Hi-Def Lens

I wear the ICE NARO from ESS.

I've been wearing these for ages, and I also wear them when I ride my motard. Why I wear them is because they are relatively cheap, they come with several lens options and the coolest reason of all... is that they are bullet proof.

Bullet proof! You read me right.

Shoot my glasses with a shotgun, c'mon I dare ya!

ESS has been making protective for the U.S military for sometime now and they have quite a few models of different design. The ICE NARO that I wear isn't the latest model, but it's the one that I found fits Asian faces really well. Because it's "narrower", yeah. Really.

How their system works is that they have swappable lenses, and for cycling I wear the Hi-Def yellow lenses almost exclusively.

Yellow lenses are known to create sharper images especially when it's foggy or slightly dark, which is often the case when you ride in the wee hours of the morning. The other reason is that I think wearing dark tinted glasses in the forest is ridiculous. You could go for the clear variety if you are simply looking for both eye and UV light protection.


COMFORT AND OTHER THOUGHTS

I can't say that the ICE NARO is the most comfortable to wear. They don't wrap around your head and you'd find that you would need the elastic strap to keep it in place most of the time. Also, if you keep swapping lenses in and out, you'd find that the pieces start to get a little bit loose. (You can buy replacement parts separately though)

The classic "smoke" lens for when you need proper sunglasses.

But I still recommend them highly? One thing is that they are insanely light, being frameless. The lenses are completely shatter proof and most of all they are rather cheap for something that works so well. Much cheaper than "dedicated" cycling eyewear from the likes of Oakley or Shimano.

For a good deal you can check out Apple Bazaar.com who are based out of Singapore. Or check out eBay where you can sometimes get your hands on military surplus. Otherwise, I have seen them being sold at outdoor gear shops around Klang Valley too.

Not the best in comfort, but you can bend and stretch for best fit.

~Wear Protection, All the Time.

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Bullet proof ESS eyewear + Montague Paratrooper = Win

Review: Shimano SH-MT43 SPD Mountain Bike Shoes

Years ago I used to use toe clips, they were great for that day and age, which was about 15 years ago. Clipless pedals were already available then, but they were expensive and most of the time the actual "clip/cleats" protruded from your shoes, making it both difficult to walk in and also ridiculous in the looks department.

The classic Toe Clip. (Image sourced from http://www.bywayofbicycle.com)

I wasn't quite prepared to go clipless, but I did want a good shoe to cycle in, so I decided to meet it halfway. Buy a cycling shoe, but without using the cleats.

After shopping around, I came by the Shimano SH-MT43, an SPD compatible cycling shoe that looked good and could perhaps double as a hiking shoe.

The beautiful SH-MT43

UNBOXING AND INITIAL THOUGHTS

I've seen many cycling shoes, both for road and mountain biking and one thing I really liked about the MT43 was the fact that the area where the "cleats" would be fasten on was covered. Meaning, the shoe didn't have gaping holes in it. Let me tell you why this is significant... if you leave in a country with frequent rainy spells. You DO NOT want to step into a puddle only to have water reach your socks from under your feet... sound logical? Believe me, many cycling shoes do not have that area covered by default. (ie: Shimano SH-M064G)

The shoe with the cleat area screwed up and covered.

Unscrewed, the four holes are where the cleats will be fastened.

You'd notice that there are also something that looks like a sticker. From what I've read, they aren't very useful. But what you are supposed to do is to stick them inside your shoe, over where the cleats will be. This is to minimise the amount of water that may seep through... but again, apparently they are of minimal help (they are made of paper!) and some seasoned mountain bikers recommend using aquarium sealant to plug up the gaps instead.

(Note: Cleats are not included with the SH-MT43. I've seen this asked online a lot. Cleats are normally bundled with your clipless pedals)


THE RIDE

I completed a 10km off road ride with these babies at FRIM and let's say my impression is a bit of a mixed bag.

The whole reason for using proper cycling shoes are:

1. To use the cleats, in this case it would be Shimano's SPD system.
2. To provide a shoes with a hard rigid sole so your feet/toes/etc doesn't bend when you pedal.

In my case, it'd be for the second reason.

Did it work as expected? I really don't know. They are definitely comfortable... no doubt about that. The sole was so rigid that it doesn't bend AT ALL, not even if you used your hands to bend them. But I can't rightly say that I felt any different from using these as opposed to regular sports shoes.

Walking definitely felt different though, since the front portion of your feet no longer bend as your walk. But in terms of cycling... not so much.

Moreover, I am now using non-fancy plastic pedals and the rubber sole of the shoes turned out to not like them very much. They felt slippery... probably due to the rubber being of the harder sort.


FINAL NOTES AND WHERE TO BUY

I had in mind to double up and also use these shoes for anything from hiking to a stroll in the mall (they do look good enough). But now I doubt I'd ever... they just aren't comfortable enough to do lots of walking in.

Plastic pedals don't hurt as much when they bash against your shins.

But if you are looking for a great and somewhat versatile SPD shoes that's affordable, you can and should consider these. I got them for only RM235 including shipping at Wan's Cycle. You can buy from them online. If you do, bare in mind that most cycling shoes use European Shoe sizing and if you end up being a 41, you may want to consider buying at 42 instead. I did, and it fit just right.


~Step on Pedals, Not Puddles.