Shimano

I bought this crankset as a replacment for the Truvativ OEM one that comes on the standard Specialized Hardrock (or did in 2004 anyway). The difference was stunning. Fair enough it costs a fair bit more (£120 fitted instead of ~£50) but it is more than made up for by the increase in performance. It is much lighter (about 900g instead of 'lots' ) and the external BB is so smooth. There is very little flex and they have only needed adjusting once or twice in the two years I have had them. When they eventually do need adjusting, or moving from one bike to another, it is a fairly straight forward process once you have the HT II tool (~ £10 from any local bike ...  Read the complete review

The Shiman Catana range has 4 reels in the range and vary in price from around £25-£30. Before i review the reels, i will give you a quick overview of what i think is important in a reel. I beleive the weight of the reel is very important as a too heavy reel will disadvanatge your casting ability, it should also have several ball bearings as they give the reel more power and make it smoother to use. I also prefer a reel that comes with at least one spare spool. The Catana range has 3 ball bearings which gives me the confidence to know that the reel will stand up to the strain of big fish ( I normally fish for wels catfish) but also be smooth ...  Read the complete review