Airborne Goblin Evo

About a year ago I read a very positive review about the Airborne Goblin Evo. The bikes were sold out online and ever since then I have been stalking the local used bike ads hoping that one might pop up. (I joke with my wife that while other men might spend their nights lit by a dim computer screen searching for less savory topics, I will be looking at  and for bikes. Every once and a while, just to keep things interesting, I lean over and show her my most recent find, joking that if we didn't have kids....but I digress.


A month ago the above bike popped up online and I texted the seller immediately and aggressively asked to meet him the next day to buy it. I could not be happier.

The first thing I noticed was how stiff the bike felt. With through axles front and back, there is little deflection from rocks and the bike just seems to go where you point it. For the price, the build is fantastic with a Revelation solo air up front and decent components through out.


The slack head angle keeps the bike stable on descents but takes some getting used to on tight corners. The bike needs to be leaned over but when it does it is predictable and corners well. I am not sold on the Maxxis Ardent tires yet, but those can be easily changed.

The seatpost angle is a little steeper then my other bikes, but steep is good in this case. This bike climbs like a beast.  I feel more centered over the bike and the back tire holds like glue. However, with the steep seat tube angle I did add a dropper seatpost for descending. With the seat at full height, I felt a little far forward and it made it more difficult to lean the bike over in turns.  Add the dropper and all that goes away.


I have only been riding it for about a month, but so far I am impressed.

Catalyst Pedal by Pedaling Innovations

THE BACKSTORY

I’ve been riding consistently for over 10 years now and the first time I used clipless, they were too tight and would fall anytime someone stopped. At one point, I crossed a river and fell. I submerged completely, floating sideways down the river connected to my bike!  However, after several years, riding clipless became second nature and I never really thought about it. 

A few years back, I was having a bit of knee pain and had heard riding flats helped.  Again, the first few rides were a bit sketchy, but noticed not only my legs felt better, but flats were FUN!  I switched back and forth while I was racing some Super D and Enduro and really started to appreciate the benefits of both pedals.

In November, I was looking at getting a new pair of flats and saw the catalyst pedal from www.pedalinginnovations.com.  My first thought was how massive they were and wondered why on earth anyone would want something like that.  However, I like trying new bike bits and with a 30 day money back guarantee, I figured I had nothing to lose and ordered a pair. 

I received the pedals and they were noticeably larger than any other pedal I’d seen, but looked like quality pedals that will last.  For the first ride, we went to St. George Utah..   

FIRST RIDE REVIEW

My first thought was, “well, it’s a pedal”.

When I finally got to ride them, almost immediately, I noticed was the support under the foot.  While it felt a bit odd initially and will take a few rides to get used to, my pedal stroke felt noticeably stronger going up really steep inclines. This isn’t just “new bike gear” phenomena that occurs or some hopeful thought in my head since I dropped some cash on a new part.  This was my first ride in Utah with any really steep pitches in several months.  (I temporarily moved from Utah to Illinois.. Yes, it was a bad decision if you like bikes and if there are any job openings in Utah to help get me back earlier, let me knowJ) Along with that, I just had knee surgery the month before.   With these pedals, I had more power available where I could actually use a more deliberate pedal stroke while regulating the power to the pedals.  These were in spots, where normally I would either get a “running start” and go up as fast as I could or put it in granny and spin, or end up spinning out and walking.  This time, even after the surgery and living in the flat lands, I never got out of my middle ring on a 3X9 drivetrain (which is pretty good for me and about 20 miles of riding) or slipped a tire!  It really was pretty incredible.

The second thing I noticed is the amount of traction these things provided.  I have the first version of the FiveTen Freerider XVI Elements and while I’ve never had an issue slipping a pedal in those shoes, I’ve also never had a pedal with too much traction… until I put these on.   If you slip a pedal on these, you really need to check the organ between your ears and your bike handling skills, cuz it ain’t the pedal...  In fact, there was so much traction, I am actually going to remove probably 5 pins on each side and keep them as spares.

As you can tell, they climb and pedal well, but I was a bit skeptical on how they would feel while descending. I will need to put in more time with the trail sloped down to come to a final conclusion, but after the first ride, things are looking good.  I kept imagining just smashing into things and not being able to drop my heels like I normally do, but those concerns were un-founded.  I dropped my heels just fine and felt surprisingly agile.  It was similar to a normal flat pedal, but with loads of traction and support.  I’ve only had my feet tire out a couple of times with other pedals, but if someone has that issue, these pedals will pretty much solve it. 

What really sold me was the lack of knee pain and discomfort.  Initially, I started riding with the foot placed a bit forward from where I normally would, but not as far forward as shown on the little sheet that came with the pedals.  My recovering knee was feeling a bit off and by the end of the first ride (about 9 miles) stared to hurt a bit.  On the second ride, I put them where they were designed to be and during the first climb, no more knee pain or discomfort at all!!  It was there I decided to keep the pedals on for a long long time.  

With all of the positives, it will take a bit to get used to riding with a new foot placement.  After the 20 miles, it was already feeling pretty good, but I can't say I'm already used to it. I've heard people that are instantly comfortable.  I'm not one of those people, but almost there.

Lastly, Pedaling Innovations has outstanding customer service.  The pedals shipped during the Holidays while I was in Utah.  On my order, I put a note to ship to Utah if they shipped in December.  I got an e-mail saying the shipped to my address in Illinois and contacted James.  He immediately sent me another pair to my Utah address and mentioned if the other pedals were still in IL when I arrived, he would issue a return authorization.

I look forward to putting in more time on them and will write an update after several months.