What are your cycling best and worst recomendations?

[Wasp]

Since spring is here or almost here, I thought it would be a good idea to share what cycling related clothing, shoes, lights, saddles, etc that have enhanced your cycling experience and have been well worth the $$, and then there are those items that look great, cost a lot, but don't quite function as advertised.

I'll start.
For me, hands down best purchase has been any of the PI amfib line. I have the lobster gloves awesome for cold weather riding. PI amfib drop tail bibs well worth the money, great for cold/raining weather kept me warm and dry all winter. PI amfib shoes covers kept the toes nice and warm/dry. The one thing I have purchased for the bike that I didn't think was worth the money was a camelback podium water bottle (LBS price $18 +tax), its ok to use in cooler weather but useless in the summer. In the summer I usually fill mine with ice then add a bit of water but after an hour or so out on the bike you end up drinking warmish water (yuck!)I need to find a water bottle that fits in the water bottle cage, is insulated, and holds at least 16 oz H2O.

Looking for good summer bibs, any suggestions?

[Veronica]

I have the podium ice bottle. I fill it with water and then freeze it. It's my daily water bottle at work and the water is still cold at the end of the day. My classroom temp ranges from 72 - 78 and the bottle sits on my desk

There is a stainless steel insulated version. My husband did a test with the stainless steel and a couple of other bottles to see how they all compared. You can read about it here.

Veronica

[Wasp]

I was thinking the SS was the way to go, thanks so much for the info

[malkin]

BEST REC: Keep trying saddles until you find one that works for you.
WORST REC: "This is a comfortable saddle!"


Second worst recommendation: "You (i.e. malkin) should be the tandem captain because you are a more experienced (and opinionated) cyclist.
Second best recommendation: The stronger and heavier person should captain the tandem.

Even better recommendation: Fuel, refuel, hydrate, and rehydrate!

Even better Bestest Recommendation: Go Ride Your Bike!

[goldfinch]

http://www.velofred.com/klickfix-con...aul-p-453.html

This bag fits on the seatpost of my very, very small framed bike. Finally I can go for long rides and have a place to put all my stuff, from food to discarded warm clothing.



My bad buy was the mini seat post bag, which would fit on the same klickfix adapter. The bag hangs too low and rubs my rear tire. Otherwise, it is a really nice bag. Unfortunately, I tossed the receipt and tags and can't return it. Maybe I can find a different bike to put it on.

I also don't like the podium bottle much. It is kind of hard to get it out of my bottle holders. But, I might get used to it.

I love my Giro Aeon hi viz helmet. It is bright. It fits perfect. It is light and well vented. http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodGO_2030473.html



Generally, I have been buying and wearing more high visibility clothing after wintering in Florida where the drivers are frightening. I have some high viz screaming yellow jersey's from TE, a high viz jacket, a vest, and a blaze orange jersey. TE has one of the best collections of high viz stuff anywhere.

[Grits]

My favorite things that I use the most are
(1) my Cannondale jacket with removable sleeves. What I like best about it is that the sleeves attach with magnets, and it is SO easy to take them off and put back on compared to zippers. They also come off as one unit and could even be worn as a bolero. The remaining vest has lots of pockets which come in handy. I'm not sure Cannonale still makes it.
(2) my Terry bolero. Perfect for cool mornings and packs away to almost nothing.
(3) Falcon Safety Aquablast air horn for dog deterent
(4) a bento box that attaches to my top tube. Very handy.

[Wasp]

[QUOTE=goldfinch;673171]http://www.velofred.com/klickfix-con...aul-p-453.html

This bag fits on the seatpost of my very, very small framed bike. Finally I can go for long rides and have a place to put all my stuff, from food to discarded warm clothing.



My bad buy was the mini seat post bag, which would fit on the same klickfix adapter. The bag hangs too low and rubs my rear tire. Otherwise, it is a really nice bag. Unfortunately, I tossed the receipt and tags and can't return it. Maybe I can find a different bike to put it on.

That's an awesome bike rack!, I have been looking for something like that. Thanks for the post, I'm going to get me one
I liked the helmet too. I tend to pick clothing that practically glow there so bright, just incase I encounter the odd dolt out there behind the wheel.

[Seajay]

Someone once told me the only suspension a road bike has is the tires. I've also read that the most performance you can get for the money is in tires.
So my #1 recommendation is to get the best tires you possibly can and run them at the pressure appropriate for your size.

[shootingstar]

Bike helmet with a visor: I like more sunshade in addition to my sunglasses. I don't pay attention to helmets in the store that don't have a visor.
Lobster gloves: Best for winter cycling and if you get paranoid when you have Reynauld's syndrome in your hands, like I do.
Schwable Marathon Plus tires: Very sturdy, strong. Less prone to flats.
Cycling skort (or a running skort for shorter rides): Great especially if you bike in Europe, where you want to blend in a bit more with locals, rather than look overly-spandaxed.
Fun bike bell. Yea, I got me a little bell ringer: he's a construction guy wearing a brass helmet: ding-ding! I'm a kid all over again. Yea, I got this little guy, on my commuter bike.

[7rider]

Worst recommendation/advice: "High visibility (clothing, accessories, gear, trim, etc) will make you safe."
No clothing - or color - has such magical properties. Unless it's a full body air bag or something. But that would be sort of awkward on a bike.
Color can help (no guarantees tho) make you visible, but that is a far different animal than "safe."

Best recommendation/advice: Assume that idiot in the car doesn't see you.
Corollary: Ride like you are invisible.
Ride defensively and ride safely.

[tealtreak]

Worst recommendation/advice: "High visibility (clothing, accessories, gear, trim, etc) will make you safe."
No clothing - or color - has such magical properties. Unless it's a full body air bag or something. But that would be sort of awkward on a bike.
Color can help (no guarantees tho) make you visible, but that is a far different animal than "safe."

Best recommendation/advice: Assume that idiot in the car doesn't see you.
Corollary: Ride like you are invisible.
Ride defensively and ride safely.

3X on these sentiments- I have half seriously told my bike friends that I am getting an orange flag like my Grandma put on her bike.....

[goldfinch]

You can't really assume that every driver can't see you. Life doesn't work that way. If we assume we are invisible we would stop at every intersection when there is oncoming traffic that might decide to turn. We wouldn't ride slower than traffic because someone might right hook us. We would never take the lane. We have to ride defensively and be as visible as we can be, but nevertheless we do make some assumptions about being seen. As a practical matter, we have to.

I never go out anymore without high visibility clothing and flashing lights but I know it doesn't make me safe. Maybe it makes me safer though.

[TigerMom]

Worst Recommendation: Garmin 800. Extremely difficult to use and expensive and, supposedly, you have to pay extra for the Garmin maps; but it is the only GPS map device that is small for biking with long battery life that I know of. I am not a computer genius, but both my husband and I have trouble downloading and seeing bike routes and getting turn-by-turn directions.

Best Recommendation: biking gloves are a must. The gloves help prevent skinning your hands when you fall, preventing hand sunburns, used to wipe your "snot", prevents branches from scratching you up, etc. I throw my gloves/albuterol inhaler into my helmet and hang the helmet on my bike, so that I will forget neither my helmet nor my gloves.

[OakLeaf]

both my husband and I have trouble downloading and seeing bike routes and getting turn-by-turn directions.

Where are you downloading the routes from? There's a problem with MapMyRide, has been for a few years now, and their lack of interest in fixing it makes me think they want everyone to subscribe and use their phone app, which makes sense - being able to download for free from there sucked revenue out of their stream.

Try RideWithGPS.com (subscription options also available, but their free maps work). I don't have the 800, I have the older 705, but I know plenty of people with 800s who don't have the trouble you're describing.


(Or - maybe I misunderstood your post - did you install some free maps? That might be your problem. I know there are free options available, but I bought Garmin's maps for ease of use as well as respecting the license.)

[gnat23]

Usually when I rave about "best", it has to do with a particular piece of equipment that saved my butt under particular conditions. For instance, tubular CX tires are friggen' magical when you're taking a sharp fast turn on gravel. It's seriously like velcro, not a single hint of slipping or wobbling. However, I cannot recommend putting tubulars on, say, a commute bike, unless you're good at gluing quickly under duress on the shoulder of a busy street.

I've found OMG IT'S COLD redemption from Rapha's merino neck gator, Specialized's Deflect gloves (especially when I was skiing and that was all I had, heh), and Defeet's Wool-E-Ator socks.

Now that it's finally getting warm, my "bests" are a little more generic: the new Specialized Purist bottles, Sidi Dominator 5 shoes, and the giant green tin of Bag Balm.

If there's been one thing that rubbed me the wrong way, literally, it was Castelli's super-short bike shorts that went under their magical riding dress. The shorts were the perfect length to complement the dress (and I have stories of my husband finally riding behind me on the singletrack), but a few hours of pedaling rendered the inside of my thighs raw like hamburger. Ouchie.

-- gnat!