Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Our Favorite Summer Mountain Biking Gear of 2016

our favorite summer mountain biking gear of 2016 version 1497975040
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Tearing up single track is one of the best adrenaline fueled adventures around. From alpine trails in Colorado, to mountain biking pump tracks and slopestyle courses in the Pacific Northwest, trail riding is gaining popularity all over America. Next time you’re heading out to turn your cranks for a few miles, take along some of our favorite mountain biking gear to make the trails even more fun.

Related: The Best Fat Bikes | Biking Down a Japanese Volcano

Recommended Videos

Dakine Seeker 15 $225

Dakine Seeker 15
Everything about this pack is built for all day rides. The hydration bladder is built to sit in a pouch at the lower portion of the pack, helping both stabilize your load, and providing a little extra comfort. The main pack body has separate compartments for your essential trail tools for on the fly repairs, extra layers, snacks, and race gear. What sold us is the excellently designed roll top closure. On our first ride we had a brand new DSLR stashed in the pack and got caught in a downpour. Not a drop of water got into the pack, saving our camera. Dakine hit all the high notes for the perfect pack for epic rides with this one.

POC VPD 2.0 Knee Pad $120

POC VPD 2.0 Knee Pad
We’re not as young as we’d like to think. That means looking for some extra protection around vulnerable joints – especially when riding in terrain that you’re going to crash in. We love the VPD 2.0 Knee Pads because the work with zero problems. The fit is dialed in so that sit on your knees while you pedal without slipping or having to cinch them uncomfortably tight. The VPD foam is soft to the touch, but hardens on impact for great impact protection. If you’re planning on riding all day long, you can strap them to your pack to avoid sweaty legs on every uphill.

Smith Optics Squad MTB Goggles $60

Smith Squad MTB Goggles
We were never sold on riding with full goggles until putting on pair of the Squads. Like Smith’s snow goggles, the Squads feature three layers of foam to wick sweat and provide comfort around the frames. However, Smith opened up the top of the goggles for extra venting – perfect for hard cranking on summer days. On an extra dusty day crushing laps in Grand Junction we were thankful for the extra protection and crystal clear vision.

Zoic Ether Shorts $80

Zoic Ether Shorts
Bike shorts need some padding for comfort and that’s it right? Wrong. You can ride your mountain bike in the same spandex as your roadie friends rock, but for serious trail riders a little extra comfort and style goes a long way. The Ether Shorts from Zoic provide some extra organization on short rides, stashing your keys a snack, and your phone with ease. They have a detachable liner with a luxurious chamois, and a comfort waistband that sits well under a pack and on the saddle.

Brooks England Femto Lights $22

Brooks Femto
It’s light, it’s fool proof, and it’s cheap. The Femto light is one of the few bike accessories that we stash in every single pack we own. Pushing on the lens cycles it through different modes. The Copper body calls back to a more civilized ideal of bike riding. It’s not quite as bright as some spot lights out there, but at $22, you can buy two and still have a spare hundred bucks for beer money.

Five Ten Kestrel Clipless Shoe $180

Five Ten Kestrel
In a world of neon and faux leather cycling shoes, the Kestrel is understated excellence. Boa closure ensures a perfect fit. A hybrid sole features both Five Ten’s Stealth C4 and MI6 rubbers for power transfer and grip when hiking your bike, and on large platform pedals. They also feature two-hole cleats for standard mountain biking clipless pedals.

Bell Super 2R MIPS Helmet $220

Bell Super 2R
The Super 2R is our favorite biking helmet ever, full stop. The full coverage fit of the helmet is both cool on the way up, and has extra protection in vital areas for your trip down. The MIPS liner has been shown to reduce impact forces by up to 30%. A detachable face guard is perfect for the budding enduro rider or bike park rider, without the investment of a dedicated full face helmet.

Topics
Austin Parker
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Austin Parker is a former contributor at The Manual Parker is a powder skier and sport climber and is no stranger hauling…
Warner Bros. is streaming full movies for free on YouTube
No one knows why the company decided to upload these movies now.
Tom Hanks in Bonfire of the Vanities

As first spotted by Gizmodo, Warner Bros. has quietly uploaded 30 free movies to its Entertainment YouTube channel. These whole movies are an odd assortment of cult classics and outright flops, but they're all available for free, and they weren't uploaded by some dude who is trying to stay clear of piracy laws.

None of these movies are all-time greats, but some of them were well-received when they were released, including Waiting for Guffman, Michael Collins, Mutiny on the Bounty, and Deathtrap. There are also a few movies that just completely didn't work, including Bobcat Goldthwait’s Hot to Trot (1988) and the woeful Tom Hanks vehicle The Bonfire of the Vanities. 

Read more
The 25 best Valentine’s Day gifts: Make this year memorable
Dazzle with an item from the heart
Couple watching the sunset together

Chocolates are overdone, flowers can be basic, and getting a reservation at your favorite restaurant can be a chore. This Valentine's Day, wow your partner with a thoughtful gift instead. We've assembled some of our very favorite items, from excellent flavored gins to pizza makers, carry-on bags, fitness tools, and more.

The best Valentine's Day gifts gifts say "I adore you" in that they're not just from the heart, but innately interesting. They do everything from filling creative voids to sparking new inspiring ventures. That translates to a remarkable list made up of things like the best coffee beans or the best vinyl records (because they never go out of style). Of course, we've thrown some sweet treats in the mix as well. You'll see, the best Valentine's Day gifts speak to all the many different Valentine's out there.

Read more
8 gripping shows like The Recruit you should watch next
These shows don't have Noah Centineo, but they're still thrilling
Netflix on a laptop

If there's one type of show Netflix has thoroughly mastered, it's anything adjacent to the spy/CIA/thriller/undercover genre. There are so many adventure series in this vein that they all start to blend into each other. Right as people were just wrapping up binging The Night Agent, Netflix had The Recruit ready to go. Noah Centineo stars as an inexperienced CIA lawyer who thinks he's got his career under control until someone with dirt on him starts to extort the CIA.

There's nothing inherently unique about The Recruit, but that doesn't mean it's not one of the most enjoyable watches on the streaming service this month. This thriller is like a good bag of potato chips. It's TV junk food that tastes great and helps with the afternoon munchies. If you're looking for a similarly constructed and themed series, these are the shows like The Recruit to watch next.

Read more