I tend to take a bit of advice from every source and disect it myself. Its worked 90% of the time when buying new parts. mtbr, bikeforums, ridemonkey and nsmb.com all offer differing perspectives. On ridemonkey and nsmb.com I know 100% I am getting reviews from people who race/huck/jump in varrying degrees. mtbr the guy claiming to ride dh and reviewing a part could in all likelyhood live in florida and never travel. On this forums I have opinions I trust and others I just laugh at often.
After all of that I go to my lbs and see from the horses mouth what survives in whistler. If everything matches up, I buy those parts.
Phantom is right too, if you treat it like ebay, 500 reviews with a high average regardless of the smack talk, is gonna be a good review.