Lost Co's Staff Picks 2025

Unlike some older Race Face models that Adam has had reliability issues with, the Turbines have been problem-free thus far, and when they time comes for service, they’re easily user serviceable to keep them spinning for years to come. With a relatively slim profile, chamfered edges to slide through impacts, and a competitive weight, the Turbines have quickly become an easy recommendation for anyone looking for maximum performance from their pedals. Unfortunately, they’re not the cheapest pedals out there, but if money is no object, then it’s impossible to ignore the Race Face Turbines in a color that matches your bike. 

If you're looking for a better budget option, Adam's spent a lot of hours on the Deity Deftrap pedals, with only good things to say about them, especially for the price! They're nearly as concave as the Turbines, and have a similar pin layout, giving almost the same experience underfoot at a fraction of the cost. They might not last until the heat death of the universe like the Race Face Turbines, but they'll get you out on the trails with cash to spare! 

CushCore installation has certainly gotten a bad reputation over the years, and for good reason. Wrestling these glorified pool noodles onto your rims and into your tires ranges from nearly impossible to a minor pain in the butt. How tricky this is depends on your rim and tire combo, but depends even more on your technique. Alex is our master mechanic, and their recommendation for a straightforward installation is to follow CushCore’s installation guide to a tee. While everyone’s got their homebrew tips and tricks, there’s no reason to overcomplicate the steps that CushCore themselves have clearly laid out. 

If you're looking to throw money at the problem to make it slightly easier, CushCore does make some tools that take the edge off installation. Their CushCore Bead Dropper tire lever has been the butt of some jokes over the years, but it's the best tire lever out there, and gets used for tire installations with or without CushCore every day around here. Another less talked about but equally helpful doodad is their Bead Bro, which keeps the tire from slipping back as you work around the circumference of the tire. Armed with these tools, you'll have a nicely damped tire in no time.

As the latest addition to the Lost Co Team, Cait has quickly cemented herself as an essential member of the service department, greeting everyone who walks through the door! Whenever she’s wrenching, the Park Tool AWS-1 3-Way Wrench is always close by, and that’s not surprising considering the majority of bolts on modern mountain bikes use either a 4, 5, or 6mm hex wrench. Derailleurs, stems, frame bolts, and just about everything else are fastened with either a 4mm, 5mm, or 6mm hex wrench, so keeping the three of those in an easy-to-use package is invaluable for any mechanic, professional, or amateur.

Park Tool isn’t particularly imaginative when it comes to naming any of their tools, and prefers to let the function do the talking. They've got a wide range of these AWS three-function Tri-Tools, with the AWS-1 being the most popular, but there are also options with Torx wrenches, smaller hex wrenches, and even more. Having a few of these in the toolbox is an asset to any mechanic, which is exactly why Cait is such a fan of this tool. 

In case you're looking to start a toolbox of your own, Park Tool has curated a perfect Home Mechanic Starter Kit, which includes absolutely everything you need to get you started, but unfortunately, it omits the very 4-5-6 3-way tool we talked about here! Their more complete Advanced Mechanic Tool Kit does include it, as well as an impressive array of tools to keep your machine running in perfect condition for years to come! 

Chris is our customer service specialist, helping countless customers get the right spring for their first coil shock, choose the right tires when the seasons change, or just serve as a quiet listener when someone needs it. Chris is also a proponent for preparation in all facets of life, including his bike rides. The OneUp EDC Pump and EDC Tool combo lives on every one of Chris’s bikes, and when paired with a tube, it can get Chris out of the vast majority of unfortunate situations he might find himself in out there. Offered in either 100cc or 70cc pump volume options, Chris prefers the 100cc version as it offers a little extra storage where he tucks either the OneUp Plug and Pliers kit or a C02 canister. When he has to pay the flat tire tax, he prefers the modern route of a plug + C02, but always has the reliable tube and pump if today’s tech comes up short. 

OneUp has done a great job of curating arguably the perfect tool to get you out of a jam. With a 10 function multi-tool, tire lever, chain breaker, steel spoke keys, and room for a quick link, you’ll be ready to fix anything short of a broken frame or a broken arm. The typical attachment for the EDC Pump is right by your water bottle using the included mount, but you can also easily toss it in a pack or frame bag if need be. It also has the added benefit of fixing your friend’s bikes, and if you’ve chosen your friends right, that could earn you a cold beverage sometime in the future. Invest now! 

A lighter weight alternative to the full EDC Pump hanging off your bottle cage storing just the EDC Tool inside your steerer tube. All that empty space is sitting there waiting to be taken advantage of, and OneUp has cleverly engineered the same EDC Tool that fits in their pump to perfectly slide into a steerer tube when paired with their EDC Threadless Carrier. 

Mike is the Creative Director here, and originally moved to the PNW to ride the exact conditions the Magic Mary was designed for. With ample spacing between the knobs, but with plenty of coverage, this is the perfect front and rear tire setup for year-round riding here. Schwalbe revamped their lineup with the Radial casing earlier this year, which Mike immediately noticed made a huge difference in how the tire can wrap around anything on the trail and generate insane amounts of grip. Lots of new products make marginal gains that are almost imperceptible while riding, but tire enthusiasts are definitely going to appreciate the capabilities of the new Radial Magic Mary. 

When shopping for a new tire, there are always tons of options, and Mike’s favorite Magic Mary is the Trail Pro casing with the Ultra Soft Rubber. That’s what he’s got on the front of the Turbo Levo, that’s used for testing parts around here, and just about everyone here at the shop has gotten a few rides on this bike with nothing but praise for the Magic Mary. When you’re shopping for your own Radial Magic Mary, remember to get the Ultra Soft rubber if it’s a front tire, and the Soft rubber if it’s a rear tire. That way, you’ll get maximum traction from your front tire, but your rear tire will last much longer while still providing plenty of grip. 

Another great Schwalbe option for those of you living in a drier climate is the Albert. With a strikingly similar knob layout ethos to the Magic Mary, it's got less space between each knob and overall shorter knobs to find grip in hardpack scenarios you'd find in most bike parks or high traffic riding zones. It may pack up with mud if that's what you're riding through, but the Magic Mary picks up right where the Albert left off. Overall, we've been huge fans of the new Schwalbe lineup, and we think you will be too! 

Mindy recently became a co-owner of The Lost Co after years of working behind the scenes as our HR rep. She and Steve are raising their kid in a mountain bike-focused household, which means their little girl is growing up with a set of handlebars in front of her. Kids Ride Shotgun is a brand dedicated to getting young kids out on the trail as early as possible, with a lineup of products that make our sport a little more friendly for toddlers and pre-schoolers. Their Seat and Bar combo was their girl’s first experience on a real mountain bike, and is perfect for riding on bike paths and light-duty mountain biking. Your kid sits right in your arms and gets a front row seat to whatever you’re pointing down. 

Now that Mindy’s daughter is a little older and doesn’t fit in her arms quite as well, she’s graduated to riding her own bike with the assistance of the Kids Ride Shotgun Tow Rope. Kids obviously don’t have the same strength to pedal as hard as we adults, so giving them a helping hand with the tow rope makes getting to the top of the hill much more realistic, and you get a little extra workout in too! These tow ropes are also perfect for e-bikers who want to give their analog friends a helping hand, making for a more level playing field on a group ride. 

 
Steve is the other co-owner of The Lost Co, and his choice of the Maxxis High Roller is a little less focused on his kid and purely focused on fun. The Maxxis High Roller launched last summer with a familiar name but a brand new tread pattern designed to find grip in a wide variety of conditions. Because conditions are so variable here in Bellingham, Steve has been a huge fan of this tire since its launch, but even more so once the EXO+ MaxxGrip version hit the market. That’s his year-round spec of choice for a front tire, and he enjoys a complimentary High Roller in the rear during the wet months. Summertime brings in the classic DHR II on the rear to tackle the dry and dusty conditions. 

Mountain biking is best experienced through a wide variety of riding conditions, and that’s exactly what the third-generation High Roller tire was designed for. With ample space between the knobs for the winter months and short enough knobs to hold their own in the summer months, it’s clear that Maxxis was aiming to bring a versatile tire to the market that would never be out of place on the pointy end of our bikes. That means we can recommend this tire to just about anyone looking for a new front tire, but if you’re riding dry hardpack exclusively, then the tried and true Assegai is a better option for you. 

By sorting us Lost Co employees in alphabetical order, I’ve ended up as the caboose today. I’m Tor, and I help Mike with the content creation and general marketing efforts around here. For my Staff Pick, I chose the Reserve Fillmore Valves, which I have to admit aren’t actually on any of my bikes right now. So I’m breaking the only rule that I set for this game we’re playing here, but I still think they’re a great product and wish that I had a set or two! Presta valves have been around for over a century, which means there’s certainly room for some more modern engineering to be taken advantage of here, and that’s exactly what Reserve has done. They get increased air flow compared to the old technology, making for fewer clogs and easier tire seating. 

Truthfully, these aren’t necessary at all, and I would only recommend that you make this purchase when your bike is dialed to the point of not being sure where to spend money next. That’s exactly why I don’t have these on my current Sentinel, but if you’re looking to take your dream build to the next level, the Reserve Fillmore valves are built for exactly that. As a bonus, they’re included with every set of Reserve wheels, even their value-focused aluminum wheels that feature the same warranty as their more expensive carbon fiber options they’re more well known for. 

But you don't need Reserve wheels to run these valves, and they'll work perfectly with any tubeless setup you're working with. Remember all those times you had to remove the valve core to get enough air flow to seat the tire? Yeah you won't need those tricks anymore. Plus, every time you check your tire pressure, you'll think to yourself, dang, those are some nice valves.