Product Review
G-Sport G.L.A.N.D. 2. By Sheepdog

Manufactures Website: G-Sport
Reviewer: Sheepdog
Price: $12 ea. plus $4 shipping.

 After a couple months testing, BG has its first product review. Yes, tested for months!

   G-sport was kind enough to send me a couple G.L.A.N.D.s to try out. I am going to blow the ending for you.. They work great, read the rest and you'll see why. I think George felt sorry for me, after beating my Profile cassette flange pretty bad in a matter of only 2 weeks (flanges... the rest was almost a year). I had a free coaster on the way and was concerned about how bad they would bend, as the flanges are taller and thinner than the Profile hub. About that time the G.L.A.N.D.s arrived. Great timing.


My old spokes. These were 14Ga. DT's. Cheaper spokes would have broken long ago. Imagine what my hub must have looked like.

First Impression:
When I got the package, I thought maybe there was only 1. It was merely a bubble pack mailer and hardly any weight. Upon opening I found two G.L.A.N.D.s and some stickers. The G.L.A.N.D.s are dished on the back, and are very well machined. To say I was impressed is wrong. I was surprised.  I really expected thicker, heavier, and I am unsure what else. I knew they would protect things, but the pictures are an illusion and do not do them justice.  Time for some new pictures George! Holding them is possibly the only way to really get an idea of how well made they are though.

Installation was simple. Remove the wheel and thread some zip ties around the spokes. Put your wheel back on and ride. They come with instructions, but you will most likely not need them. Its pretty straightforward except on the odd occasion it wants to sit crooked. Hey, you cannot fit EVERY hub on the market perfect. The fact that it can be adapted simply is a testament to its design. I put one on a Profile and another on an Odyssey Freecoaster. 

Riding Impression:
Upon arriving at the local park, a few people noticed them, but not many. They are not readily obvious. A few people were skeptical. All other guards have been alloy. After debating its design theories, it soon dawned on them it appeared to be a better way of doing it.

That night I pounded them on a rail backwards, same way I bashed the Profile and DT's. What better way to test them. The G.L.A.N.D.s came away with a few scratches, and a broken zip tie.  Next night, same thing. All told, it was small price to pay. I replaced them with a couple new ones from a auto parts store. This time a tiny bit looser than before (I tend to monster torque everything, not to mention the rail has a sharp corner that can snag things).


The backwards rail. Me trashing some DT's, and damaging an expensive hub (Profile Cassette)... Square rails suck for spokes and hubs...

The next night, I pounded the same rail and ledge for hours.. Not a single tie snapped. I landed on the guard many, many times with all my weight. It only showed a bit of scuff and that was it. The same pounding without, would have broken the hub flange for sure. No further problems have been experienced since, and I tried to break them.


Click on the rear one for a close up.

Over the next few months I rode them, a lot. They are hardly noticeable (visibly) when installed, very light, you cannot feel it when riding around, spins, anything. They probably weight less than 1/10 pound per pair... probably less.

Noticeable, but not very

The plastic does have some other advantages over aluminum. Its lighter, flexes, provides a cushion for impacts, and slides faster! That's right, my bike actually slides farther now. I ride a Fit (second gen. Series One), so its possible to hit the body, spokes, and flanges on your hub. This actually makes that just about impossible. The plastic has far less friction.


Notice the indent. Had the rail hit the spoke direct, it would have nearly destroyed it. With the G.L.A.N.D. there was no damage, and the G.L.A.N.D. lives on. You can also see the dish on back.

Conclusion:
So what do I think, well you know I like them. After seeing the designs from Standard, Snafu, and others, and having installed many of them, I honestly think this is by far the best design. It does not make you pry the frame apart every tire change, lighter, and actually makes you grind faster. I actually contemplated the others (before I saw this) and just thought they were lame designs. Profile has the right idea, but it only fits their hub, and it aluminum. Right idea, bad execution. Others also do not protect the spokes.

Yes, you could break zip ties. That's no big deal, and George is constantly improving it.  The last major update, he even offered replacements for previous owners.  I think the problem was my over tightening the zip ties and the way I was riding. Besides, what's worse, a broken zip tie, a broken spoke, or fighting your frame every time you take your wheel off? 

Are my spokes and flanges straight.. Yup! So am I keeping them? HELL YES! If you break spokes, bend flanges, or otherwise destroy spokes from grinding, Get some! It will be one of the best investment you can make. You will grind faster and further, and your wheels will thank you for it by staying tighter, and straighter. The only way they will come back off is if I stop doing backwards grinds, or I get some G-sport Vandal hubs.

I know it seems cheesy to give our first review a perfect rating, but damn I like them. 

BikeGuide overall official rating (1-5):
This one rates 5 Bg's.

Killer value, super low weight, great protection.

Some people will wonder how it rates a 5 even though I broke some ties. Does breaking 2 out of 12 zip ties really sound bad? Considering what I did to it and for how long.. I don't think so. I was not kind to it. I do not consider it a problem, as more of a safety feature. If the ties were stronger I probably would have damaged something. Instead they gave, and then snapped. It was still useable with them broke. I even pounded it harder compared to when I damaged the spokes last time, and I was running a much more fragile hub.