The Gear in Review

[Jason B]

@krazygl00 39002 wrote:

You say their light is a “hit” with you? I was thinking of getting one; which one do you have? I really want a one piece light because moving the battery pack of my current light between bikes is a pain.

I have the Lezyne Super Drive, but it appears they have upgraded it to an XL model and looks tad bit different.

[krazygl00]

@TwoWheelsDC 39006 wrote:

I’ve got three pairs of these (and two or three pairs of the shorts) and have been pretty happy with them. For someone curious about switching, these are exactly what I’d recommend. After trying some Castellis though (bought on sale, I won’t pay full price), I’ve started upgrading to more expensive bibs and I can feel the difference, mainly in terms of compression, overall fit, and padding. That’s not to say the Ultra IIs are bad, they just sacrifice a bit of refinement to keep costs down. I fully admit, however, that part of my problem may be my Performance bibs seem slightly big, which may be allowing the pad to move a bit and chafe. The Castellis and Sugoi bibs I have are waaaay more snug, which I find helps a lot. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to wear them without tights yet, so I haven’t been able to evaluate them fully. C’mon spring!

If your Ultra II’s feel not snug enough, then I’d lay dollars to donuts you are right, that the ones you have are a size too big. Mine are not only snug, but are the most elastic and stretchiest cycling shorts I’ve ever worn. In fact, I have had the opposite experience with “higher end” bibs…I have a pair of full-length thermal bib tights from Castelli and they are way too un-snug. I feel like I’m swimming around in them.

@Certifried 39018 wrote:

HIT: This forum! There’s absolutely no way I would’ve learned 1/2 the info I now know about cycling, commuting, etc without this forum. The amazing community of people I’ve met is, by far, the most awesome!

YES! Great catch that no one else mentioned!

@Jason B 39030 wrote:

I have the Lezyne Super Drive, but it appears they have upgraded it to an XL model and looks tad bit different.

Thanks for the info!

[hozn]

@krazygl00 39036 wrote:

If your Ultra II’s feel not snug enough, then I’d lay dollars to donuts you are right, that the ones you have are a size too big. Mine are not only snug, but are the most elastic and stretchiest cycling shorts I’ve ever worn. In fact, I have had the opposite experience with “higher end” bibs…I have a pair of full-length thermal bib tights from Castelli and they are way too un-snug. I feel like I’m swimming around in them.

I second the rec for Performance Ultra II bibs (or shorts). I had been convinced that Pearl Izumi Attack shorts/bibs were the cheapest usable option, but then discovered these. I think the pad may be a little less sweat absorbing than some others, but I have found them very comfortable on multi-hour rides. And they are definitely very snug. The fabric and stitching/seams is top grade. I have several pairs of both the bibs and shorts, and agree that bibs are better, but the shorts compare very favorably to anything else I have tried. I can’t comment on longevity yet; I have only been wearing them for a season.

Hans

[hozn]

My $0.02

HITS

• Rothera winter cap – I was skeptical, because I think people that wear cycling caps tend to look like tools. But damn if this isn’t the best $40 I have spent on cycling apparel. Helps with the bright lights of trail donkeys, keeps rain out of my eyes, and the ear covering is really warm (and fits snugly).
• SmartWool Gaiter Mask – Wool is great and the more-breathable mesh section that covers the mouth makes it possible to keep this pulled up for longer than traditional fleece gaiters.
• Gore Tool SO jacket. Found a half-price model end of last winter. This thing is incredibly warm, but the pit zips keep it from becoming a sauna. My go-to jacket for this winter. (And when it rains my Novara eVent is a great fallback.)
• Velocity reflective rims – I built up a commuter disc wheelset with the Dyad reflective rims. I feel that it makes a noticeable difference with cars stopping at street crossings, but that may be imagined — one tends to do that after spending hundreds of dollars on something. Oh and Bikehubstore has been a fantastic enabler for my wheel-building obsession.

OK

• Banjo brother commuter backpack. I know that several people have said how much they love it. I like the bag, but this thing is very hot in the summer and after 2.5 years of regular use the corners/seams of the bag (especially bottom) have numerous holes where it’s worn through and the liner no longer kept out water. The liner they replaced for free (and it’s not expensive to buy a new one) so I continue to use the bag, but I wouldn’t describe this as the most durable pack out there. My expectations may be a little high; it certainly doesn’t help that I have taken a few falls with it when riding Lake Fairfax singletrack on my commute home.

NOT SO MUCH

• Topeak Headlux light. Great idea (forward+reverse blinky for helmet) but what a piece of junk. Light turns off when temps dip below freezing and strap is worthless (zip ties work, of course).

[americancyclo]

@krazygl00 38958 wrote:

@americancyclo 38916 wrote:

Costco Paradox Merino base layer

I think they are more like 15% merino I bought some of these too and posted about them in a merino base layers thread. They seem OK, but I haven’t done enough testing to really say for sure.

You’re right. I checked, 11% merino. still a good light baselayer, although when it dips down below 40 degrees, I usually opt for my Minus33 Yukon Expedition Crew

[DaveK]

@americancyclo 39124 wrote:

You’re right. I checked, 11% merino. still a good light baselayer, although when it dips down below 40 degrees, I usually opt for my Minus33 Yukon Expedition Crew

Target is selling a similar baselayer, I think it’s 12% wool. Unfortunately I don’t think the magical powers are activated until a higher percentage – I wore that for the Hains 100 and I was damn cold. Back to my 100% merino and it’s all smiles.

[KelOnWheels]

Off to test my new Ibex Woolies 150gm base layer! I shall report back after I spill some pho on it.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@DaveK 39153 wrote:

Target is selling a similar baselayer, I think it’s 12% wool. Unfortunately I don’t think the magical powers are activated until a higher percentage – I wore that for the Hains 100 and I was damn cold. Back to my 100% merino and it’s all smiles.

+1 I have a couple of the Target ones (Champion, I believe) and they are decent, but I have noticed they aren’t as good as the 100% merino for colder days and longer rides. I will say though, that they do a really good job of not getting smelly, which surprises me given their low wool content.

[PotomacCyclist]

I don’t think I bought too much bike gear this past year. But I did get some minor items:

THE GOOD

– Klean Kanteen insulated metal water bottle: I will still use Camelbak insulated plastic bottles most of the time, especially during races. But for longer rides on hot days, the Klean Kanteen might work better. The Camelbaks only keep water cold for about an hour, and cool for another 30 min. after that. The Klean Kanteen keeps the water COLD for well over 2 hours, as in really cold. It’s not practical for races because it doesn’t have a squeeze top. You have to unscrew the cap to drink. For long rides this year, I might bring a Camelbak insulated bottle for mid-ride use, and the Klean Kanteen as storage for more cold water.

THE BAD

– Can’t think of anything, mostly because I didn’t try that many new things last year. But I don’t recommend skinning your knees on a treadmill belt, something I did last week. (I was trying to do sprints/strides on a treadmill, out of town. Because I walked through snow to get to the fitness room, my soles were a bit slippery. The sprint was OK. It was the hopping off to the sides that turned out to be the problem. Down I went. I grabbed onto the rails, which was kind of dumb. That left me stationary while the belt grinded away at the skin just above both knees. Now I can’t ride for a week or two, until the wounds heal up.)

Undecided

– I finally replaced the heavy mountain bike tires with lighter cyclocross tires on my mountain bike. This is supposed to help me go faster on the heavy bike, but I haven’t done much outdoor riding this winter, so I don’t know how much of a difference there is. I never go off-road riding, so I don’t need heavy knobby mtn. bike tires.

– I bought a pair of Keen cycling sandals, to use on the mtn. bike over the summer. I only wore them a few times because I did most of my summer rides on the triathlon bike. They’re OK, I guess. I don’t know how they would feel on longer rides since I didn’t use them for any long rides.

I’ll add to the thread if I can think of anything else.

[mstone]

@PotomacCyclist 39198 wrote:

– I bought a pair of Keen cycling sandals, to use on the mtn. bike over the summer. I only wore them a few times because I did most of my summer rides on the triathlon bike. They’re OK, I guess. I don’t know how they would feel on longer rides since I didn’t use them for any long rides.

I tried a pair of Keen commuter sandals, but they were ridiculously narrow. I’m planning to try the other style (Arroyo?), which supposedly are wider.

[hozn]

I forgot to mention a great WIN:

Specialized Hydroflo bottles

I think these are much better than the Camelbak podium bottles. The flow is intense, plastic soft/ easily squeezable, and the top/valve disassembles for easy cleaning (my biggest issue with the Camelbak).

[KelOnWheels]

@KelOnWheels 39188 wrote:

Off to test my new Ibex Woolies 150gm base layer! I shall report back after I spill some pho on it.

HIT: It was most excellent. I wore it with a short sleeved jersey and an REI Novara cycling jacket I’ve had for ages. I got a wee bit chilly on the way home as the sun was going down and wished I had a long sleeved shirt on but overall it was really good for today’s weather.

MISS: Less good are my Smartwool leg warmers, which keep my legs nice and warm but have to be pulled up every 5 minutes. Probably work better on people with slimmer legs :p Also it would be nice if they covered all the way down to my ankles. Need to get some cycling tights!

HIT: The Cygolite 350 I got for Xmas is awesome! I got home before full dark but I could tell it’s going to be so much better than the 2-watt Planet Bike light I was trying to see with.

HIT: Tested out the Banjo Brothers giant commuter backpack today. With my rain jacket, BA vest, some maps and my lock cable in it it weighed 6.6 lbs and I was afraid it would feel really heavy on, but once I had it on it was really comfortable. I stopped a few times to fiddle with the straps to see if I could get it to sit lower – the top of the pack did block visibility a bit when I looked behind me. I got used to that pretty quickly though and being able to ride without my shoulders all hunched up was fabulous. The weird little phone holster pocket holds a Larabar and a lip balm perfectly by the way

MISS: the clear lenses for my Tifosi Slip sunglasses SUCK. (The tinted ones are fine, oddly.) They’ve got optic distortion going on that gets really noticeable as it gets dark out and I start seeing multiple reflections of traffic lights in them. Maybe I’ll try emailing Tifosi and see if they’ll replace them.

FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS: MY HANDS ARE TOO WARM, AND ALSO COLD. My full finger gloves get too hot and then my hands sweat and then my fingers get cold. I think a flip-top mitten sort of thing might be nice? Then I could ventilate as needed.

Also, my bike is hella uncomfortable after 20 miles or so My feet were numb and my wrists hated me. Also I think I hate my saddle. There was a lot of hate. There was a lot of happy bike riding grinning before that though. And also pho.

Halfway through my second Hains Point lap this afternoon I decided I need a road bike next year after I get my all-rounder bike this year

[TwoWheelsDC]

@KelOnWheels 39223 wrote:

MISS: the clear lenses for my Tifosi Slip sunglasses SUCK. (The tinted ones are fine, oddly.) They’ve got optic distortion going on that gets really noticeable as it gets dark out and I start seeing multiple reflections of traffic lights in them. Maybe I’ll try emailing Tifosi and see if they’ll replace.

Now that you mention it, my Tifosi photochromic lenses do this too…but I never wear them when it’s dark, so I thankfully don’t have to deal with it.

Being home for two 4-day-weekends in a row means I got well-acquainted with Chainlove and various other sales. Picked up a new helmet, a s/s jersey, a l/s jersey, some bibs, and some bib knickers, so I’ll have plenty of new gear to review for next year’s thread! My wallet is relieved I’m going back to work tomorrow…

[Dirt]

How could I forget the product that pretty much defined my year on the bike?

Forever Lazy Survival Suit.

[txgoonie]

HIT
Rapha: Don’t hate. They’re pretentious. They’re overpriced. Whatevs. I waited for their annual sale last year and got a few keys piece, all of which I absolutely love. The stuff is made ridiculously well and it fits like a glove. It’s all about fit when deciding between manufacturers. I have a small torso and with wide shoulders and monkey arms, and Rapha just fits me. The wool jersey fits like it was custom-made. The wool baselayer is a revelation. And the wind jacket is effective and reflective.

Wool: See above. Also a big fan of Smartwool socks.

Light and Motion: Urban 550 and Vis 180. Rechargeable. Good battery life. Light. Easy to attach and remove.

Bell: Now that I use one, I don’t know why I waited so long. Dinging is much more effective than “on your left.”

Fort Hunt Park: Hains Point is THE place to see and be seen to do intervals in DC, but just a jaunt down the MVT is Fort Hunt. It’s about 10-15 minutes longer to get there for me, but the generally smaller crowd and one stop sign (and light presence of popo) make it a really nice place to do uninterrupted workouts.

MISS
Specialized bottle cages with Camelback thermal bottles: It’s damn near impossible to get the Cambelbacks out of Specialized cages with out twisting and yanking and running your bike all over the road. The cages are great for plain Jane bottles and hold them snug over rough terrain. But it’s a bummer that I can’t use the thermals when it’s super hot out.

Kenda tubes: Unreliable. They just suck.

MEH
Ergon grips. Sometimes I like the larger platform, like when I’m cruising on flats on the MTB. Sometimes they don’t feel ergonomic at all. I’ve tweaked the angle a bunch of times and still aren’t sure about them.

[Author]

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