Need to buy holiday presents for those special cyclists in your life? Here's a list of some great cycling-related items that will put a smile on the face of any bike rider.
The Kryptonite Evolution lock is more expensive than the low-end, cheapie bike locks you can find on the shelves at Wal-Mart. But there is a reason for that. This lock will generally hold under just about any circumstance. It's nice and heavy and secure and definitely worth the money. $50-60. More »
If I had one piece of advice to offer the cycling world, it would be this: don't buy cheap bike lights. I have learned through experience that what you supposedly gain in savings, you end up way short with what you lose to frustration, irritation and inconvenience when the bargain light only works intermittently or quits altogether in six months.
That said, many people will be turned away by the $190 price tag of NiteRider's MiNewt Pro750 bike lights. However, if you want this to be the last set of bike lights you buy; if you want to stop buying batteries that end up in the landfill; if you want to have a bike light that you can count on to work when you need it, every time; when you want a scorching bright light in a stunning little package, you'll find this to be money well spent. $190. .More »
Grease Monkey Wipes are a handy little thing to keep around, whether in your garage or in your bike bag. You'll be thankful you've got them when your hands are covered with grease and there's no easy way to get them clean. One little foil pouch produces a hanky-sized wipe with enough cleaning power and durability to take the grease right off your hands. And it's just the right size to throw a couple in your bike bag for those repairs on the road. $10-20. More »
Makers of the Proform Le Tour de France Generation 2 Indoor Cycle say that it incorporates the technology to take the feel of being the road and bring it indoors. The bike offers the real feel of every hill, variable wind resistance on the flats, and 24 digital gear controls to personalize every workout, and with Google maps iFit technology built in. $1500. Compare prices.More »
Craft has put together a very nice pair of cycling shorts here with its Elite bib shorts. Once you get past the great look and feel, what'll strike you most about these bib shorts is how light the fabric feels. You'll love the fit of the shorts and the lightweight material, cool and wicking, is its strongest features, a killer component compared to thicker material used in other shorts. $150. Compare prices.More »
Designing a bike helmet means figuring out the right balance of comfort, design, protection and affordability. It's very hard to hit the bulls-eye on all four features in one offering, but with its mid-range O2 helmet, Lazer has done a good job of hitting each of those features-- balancing each factor against the others with the end result being a very nice product. Around $110. More »
Having a dog is great. Riding a bike is great. But for many people, these two favorite activities have been incompatible unless you were talking about sticking the dog in a basket or cart, a place that your pooch may not tolerate for long.
What dog-loving bike riders (or bike-riding dog lovers, if you will) should be glad to learn about is a device called the Springer, which now allows one to take a dog along on a bike ride. It's a harness contraption that mounts to a bike, allowing your dog to ride alongside as you leisurely pedal along. Approximately $125. More »
Richard Burke, founder of Trek Bicycle Corporation, died in 2008 from complications of heart surgery. His son and Trek's current president, John Burke, recently penned a book about the man called One Last Great Thing - A Story of a Father and a Son, a Story of a Life and a Legacy. Hear about his father's work to build Trek and the leadership lessons he learned along the way. $20 More »
The Timex Ironman Run Trainer watch, though primarily intended for runners is a useful tool for many cyclists too - very functional in place of a sophisticated cyclocomputer. Obviously there are some cycling specific features that it lacks -- primarily monitors for a power meter and pedal stroke rpm (commonly known as your "cadence") -- but outside a core group of hardcore racing cyclists, those aren't relevant and in particular not of interest to those riding for fitness and general training. For my purposes the Run Trainer watch was more than sufficient to measure key cycling stats, but with extra flexibility and lots of extra features that really make it a nifty tool for bikers. $100-$250 depending on model and included options. Compare prices.More »
I don't know about you, but I pretty much love anything that has to do with biking. That's why I like my home-made bike chain key ring. I like bike t-shirts and bike hats. And I really like the belts made from bike tires by Tired Ol' Belts.
The belts they make have a number of cool features incorporated into them. First is that they are made of old bike tires, and that means you get to see and feel the tread simply wearing the belt. Next is the ingenious buckle design, which is a smartly designed bike chain that is used to cinch the belt tight. It looks great and is very functional. Finally, the fact that they are repurposing old tires, keeping them from the waste stream is a happy thing. As you likely know, there aren't many options for recycling old tires and tubes, so having this option as well is pretty sweet.
Pricing on the belts is $25-30, and the sizing is easy. Belts are generally shipped at 44-46 inches, and you simply snip off the extra length to get the belt to be just the right length for you. More »
Depending on where you live, late fall, winter and early spring can be very unpredictable, offering a broad weather spectrum to challenge the person who likes to get outside and do stuff. It can be sunny and beautiful or cold with rain or snow. But for the dedicated cyclist or runner, bad weather is not going to be something that keeps a person inside. It's just another thing to be reckoned with in planning the excursion, just like route, pace, nutrition, hydration, etc., all those things that are part of the workout
So sketchy weather is no problem. It just means that a person dresses for the conditions. Along with a hat, gloves and as many layers as needed, a good pair of tights on the bottom will generally do the trick.
In line with this, we recently had the opportunity to try out Craft's Storm tights, made for both men and women. Craft is known for its excellent line of active wear for cyclists, skiiers and runners -- you can read our review of Craft's Elite bib shorts here -- and the Storm tights are right in line with their other excellent offerings. About $100 from various outlets. More »
1. Kryptonite Evolution U-Lock with Cable
The Kryptonite Evolution lock is more expensive than the low-end, cheapie bike locks you can find on the shelves at Wal-Mart. But there is a reason for that. This lock will generally hold under just about any circumstance. It's nice and heavy and secure and definitely worth the money. $50-60. More »
2. NiteRider MiNewt Pro 750 Bike Light
If I had one piece of advice to offer the cycling world, it would be this: don't buy cheap bike lights. I have learned through experience that what you supposedly gain in savings, you end up way short with what you lose to frustration, irritation and inconvenience when the bargain light only works intermittently or quits altogether in six months.
That said, many people will be turned away by the $190 price tag of NiteRider's MiNewt Pro750 bike lights. However, if you want this to be the last set of bike lights you buy; if you want to stop buying batteries that end up in the landfill; if you want to have a bike light that you can count on to work when you need it, every time; when you want a scorching bright light in a stunning little package, you'll find this to be money well spent. $190. .More »
3. Grease Monkey Wipes
Grease Monkey Wipes are a handy little thing to keep around, whether in your garage or in your bike bag. You'll be thankful you've got them when your hands are covered with grease and there's no easy way to get them clean. One little foil pouch produces a hanky-sized wipe with enough cleaning power and durability to take the grease right off your hands. And it's just the right size to throw a couple in your bike bag for those repairs on the road. $10-20. More »
4. Profour Le Tour de France Generation 2 Indoor Exercise Bike
Makers of the Proform Le Tour de France Generation 2 Indoor Cycle say that it incorporates the technology to take the feel of being the road and bring it indoors. The bike offers the real feel of every hill, variable wind resistance on the flats, and 24 digital gear controls to personalize every workout, and with Google maps iFit technology built in. $1500. Compare prices.More »
5. Craft Elite Bib Short
Craft has put together a very nice pair of cycling shorts here with its Elite bib shorts. Once you get past the great look and feel, what'll strike you most about these bib shorts is how light the fabric feels. You'll love the fit of the shorts and the lightweight material, cool and wicking, is its strongest features, a killer component compared to thicker material used in other shorts. $150. Compare prices.More »
6. Lazer O2 Bike Helmet
Designing a bike helmet means figuring out the right balance of comfort, design, protection and affordability. It's very hard to hit the bulls-eye on all four features in one offering, but with its mid-range O2 helmet, Lazer has done a good job of hitting each of those features-- balancing each factor against the others with the end result being a very nice product. Around $110. More »
7. Springer Dog Leash for Your Bike
Having a dog is great. Riding a bike is great. But for many people, these two favorite activities have been incompatible unless you were talking about sticking the dog in a basket or cart, a place that your pooch may not tolerate for long.
What dog-loving bike riders (or bike-riding dog lovers, if you will) should be glad to learn about is a device called the Springer, which now allows one to take a dog along on a bike ride. It's a harness contraption that mounts to a bike, allowing your dog to ride alongside as you leisurely pedal along. Approximately $125. More »
8. Book Review: One Last Great Thing - Lessons Learned at Trek Bicycle
Richard Burke, founder of Trek Bicycle Corporation, died in 2008 from complications of heart surgery. His son and Trek's current president, John Burke, recently penned a book about the man called One Last Great Thing - A Story of a Father and a Son, a Story of a Life and a Legacy. Hear about his father's work to build Trek and the leadership lessons he learned along the way. $20 More »
9. Timex Ironman Run Trainer Watch with Heart Rate, GPS
The Timex Ironman Run Trainer watch, though primarily intended for runners is a useful tool for many cyclists too - very functional in place of a sophisticated cyclocomputer. Obviously there are some cycling specific features that it lacks -- primarily monitors for a power meter and pedal stroke rpm (commonly known as your "cadence") -- but outside a core group of hardcore racing cyclists, those aren't relevant and in particular not of interest to those riding for fitness and general training. For my purposes the Run Trainer watch was more than sufficient to measure key cycling stats, but with extra flexibility and lots of extra features that really make it a nifty tool for bikers. $100-$250 depending on model and included options. Compare prices.More »
10. Tired Ol' Belts - Recycled Bike Tires Make Sweet Fashion Accessories
I don't know about you, but I pretty much love anything that has to do with biking. That's why I like my home-made bike chain key ring. I like bike t-shirts and bike hats. And I really like the belts made from bike tires by Tired Ol' Belts.
The belts they make have a number of cool features incorporated into them. First is that they are made of old bike tires, and that means you get to see and feel the tread simply wearing the belt. Next is the ingenious buckle design, which is a smartly designed bike chain that is used to cinch the belt tight. It looks great and is very functional. Finally, the fact that they are repurposing old tires, keeping them from the waste stream is a happy thing. As you likely know, there aren't many options for recycling old tires and tubes, so having this option as well is pretty sweet.
Pricing on the belts is $25-30, and the sizing is easy. Belts are generally shipped at 44-46 inches, and you simply snip off the extra length to get the belt to be just the right length for you. More »
11. Craft Storm Cold Weather Tights
Depending on where you live, late fall, winter and early spring can be very unpredictable, offering a broad weather spectrum to challenge the person who likes to get outside and do stuff. It can be sunny and beautiful or cold with rain or snow. But for the dedicated cyclist or runner, bad weather is not going to be something that keeps a person inside. It's just another thing to be reckoned with in planning the excursion, just like route, pace, nutrition, hydration, etc., all those things that are part of the workout
So sketchy weather is no problem. It just means that a person dresses for the conditions. Along with a hat, gloves and as many layers as needed, a good pair of tights on the bottom will generally do the trick.
In line with this, we recently had the opportunity to try out Craft's Storm tights, made for both men and women. Craft is known for its excellent line of active wear for cyclists, skiiers and runners -- you can read our review of Craft's Elite bib shorts here -- and the Storm tights are right in line with their other excellent offerings. About $100 from various outlets. More »