Bike Equipment Thread: Questions, Tips, and Reviews

[cjump]

This thread is a place for all questions, tips, and reviews of the equipment we use to ride and work on our bikes. That includes clothing, shoes, and other accessories that make riding more enjoyable.

[Kobranzilla]

I will kick things off :)

I ride a Specialized Allez Sport, with Tiagra FDR and 105 on the Rear...stock Alex 400 wheels...since buying it used on ebay I have added clip on aero bars (for Tri's) a Cat Eye 3 computer for cadence and heart rate and a better saddle..

I have some issues with the FDR going from granny to middle...other than that the bike works great.

I am trying to decide what, if any, upgrades to make this winter as buying a new "fancy" bike is not in the cards with a baby on the way in Spring...Thought about new wheels, forward leaning seat post for the tri's, new FDR

What would you guys do? I guess nothing is always an option too :)

[cjump]

without thinking too hard, it sounds like your front mech's limit is off a bit. Maybe the limit is too far in to get the proper throw needed to jump up to the middle ring. if you need help with adjustments look at the Park Tools How-To (http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=75) and even Sheldon Brown's website (http://www.sheldonbrown.com).

upgrades are a touchy topic. most people will say it is the engine (which is quite true). after a proper fit, the wheels are the best upgrade. then IMO is the cockpit. in other words the points that you touch the bike. Saddle, handlebars, and in a roundabout way pedals.

[cjump]

Tip of the day:

Clean your white bar tape with a liberal amount Pledge furniture polish and a clean cloth. it returns the tape back to a nice bright white and leaves you with a pleasant lemony smell.

[Kobranzilla]

Yeah...definitely working on upgrading the engine this winter so I enter the season in better shape/form

might look into some lighter wheels this winter

[cjump]

tip of the day: carry your spare tubes in a baggy with a bit of baby powder or similar. this helps the tube slide easier against the sidewall of the tire while inflating. co2 and a twisted tube can result in a fun walk home or a pissed off wife.

[Twenty26Six]

We may have gone through this before (so feel free to link me elsewhere), but I need a trainer and a cheap one.

What's the cheapest home trainer I can get?

[cjump]

what is cheap and what type of trainer do you want?

the cheapest trainer i would feel safe about riding on is the Rav-X magnetic that can be found on Amazon for 109.99 which includes a riser block. i have spent some time on a blackburn mag trainer (the one we use for fittings) that can be found in the $120-130 range. no riser block but a solid warrenty from a company that isn't going away anytime soon.

fluid feels so much better and is more road like. the magnets heat up and lose their resistance more than any other style. the cycleops wind trainer is also decent.
IMO you are looking at $150 for anything decent...



... translation: buy a fluid trainer (cycleops or kurt) from eBay!

[Twenty26Six]

what is cheap and what type of trainer do you want?

the cheapest trainer i would feel safe about riding on is the Rav-X magnetic that can be found on Amazon for 109.99 which includes a riser block. i have spent some time on a blackburn mag trainer (the one we use for fittings) that can be found in the $120-130 range. no riser block but a solid warrenty from a company that isn't going away anytime soon.

fluid feels so much better and is more road like. the magnets heat up and lose their resistance more than any other style. the cycleops wind trainer is also decent.
IMO you are looking at $150 for anything decent...



... translation: buy a fluid trainer (cycleops or kurt) from eBay!

Thanks for the info. I'll start looking around for one. :)

I don't need anything spectacular. But, it would be nice to have something that I can hammer on without rolling away. Maybe later on, I could hook up something that measure my power output (if it doesn't have one already).

[Twenty26Six]

$115 +20 (http://cgi.ebay.com/Travel-Trac-Century-V-fluid-bike-trainer_W0QQitemZ250527848214QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCycling_Parts_Accessories?hash=item3a549f9716)

Or this Primo Elastogel... (http://cgi.ebay.com/Elite-Fluid-Primo-Elastogel-Bike-Trainer_W0QQitemZ290368418731QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCycling_Parts_Accessories?hash=item439b4e73ab)

[cjump]

i think i would go with a bigger company's mag trainer over either one of those.


http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-09-Blackburn-TrackStand-Ultra-Bicycle-Bike-Trainer_W0QQitemZ140357592653QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCycling_Parts_Accessories?hash=item20adf6e64d

http://cgi.ebay.com/Blackburn-Trakstand-Ultra-Trainer-Brand-New_W0QQitemZ380175584072QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCycling_Parts_Accessories?hash=item58843b0b48#ht_500wt_1102

[Twenty26Six]

Ok, so Blackburn, Kurt, Cycleops? I'll keep my eye on them.

[cjump]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Kurt-Kinetic-Cyclone-Trainer-With-Free-DVD-and-Shipping_W0QQitemZ300352799688QQcategoryZ36141QQcmdZViewItem?rvr_id=

[cjump]

bike tip of the day:

remember that your car travel rack can double as a repair stand.