|
|
| |
|
REI
Tenacity Bike Glove |
Here are
some great pieces of equipment. I picked these up at REI for $30.
They might seem a little pricey, but they're very nice gloves.
Some people don't like the full finger, but I think that they're
great for the extra protection, especially since the tips of your
fingers are the most sensitive parts of your hand. Even though
these cover your fingers, they are thin enough (since they're
summer gloves) so that you can still feel around and use tools
and whatnot. The palms even have those little rubber dots all
over it so it is super grippy and you'll have no problem gripping
the handle bars even if your hands are sweaty. Overall, I am very
pleased with these gloves.
|
Fox
911 Shin/Knee Pads |
Recently,
I decided that some knee/shin guards would be nice after jamming
my kneecap into the crown of my front shock, so I picked these
up for $60. Although this is definately on the pricey side , these
are some really nice knee/shin guards which offer a superb amount
of protection. Out of all the pads that I tied, these feel the
best to pedal in and also seem to offer the most protection. They
also extend very far up you leg and cover to top of your knee
cap as well. When strapped on, they don't slip down since there
are three straps (one above the knee and two below). The funny
thing is that it feels like the large knee protector is not actually
covering your kneecap, but rather, it seems to be a little bit
too low. However, I discovered that when you fall down, you actually
come down slightly below your kneecap, which is directly where
this armor chunk is placed. So far, I've been very pleased with
these pads and would recommend them to anyone who is looking to
really get into mountain biking.
|
Cateye
MC-200 Halogen Headlight
|
This is
a standard halogen headlight. It runs of 4 AA batteries. It tends
to wear down the batteries a little faster than I like. Since
its a halogen (as opposed to an LED, the light gets dimmer as
the batteries die). It is very bright when the batteries are new
though and I would recommend it as a good, economical headlight.
|
Specialized
40" Coil Lock
|
I got this
lock for my birthday. I haven't really used it too much, but it
seems like a very good lock. It has a kevlar core which is covered
in the metal coil. It also comes with three keys. One of the keys
even has a red LED light on it so you can see the lock hole in
the dark.
The lock is
only 40" long so its about long enough to lock up my front
wheel and frame at the same time. It can't get the rear wheel.
You can however remove the front wheel, put it next to the back
wheel, and then lock up both wheels and the frame using this single
lock. That seems like too much of a hassle to me, but at least
it works.
|
First
Aid Kit
|
This is
always a good thing to have with you if you go outdoors away from
civilization. I carry some simply things like band-aids, gauze,
and antibacterial wipes. Fortunately, I've never really ate it
too hard, but my brother has, he has battle scars all over the
place. Since I go with him a lot, its a good thing to bring.
|
Bell
Agressor II Helmet
|
Kiddies,
always remember to wear your helmet. It boggles my mind why someone
would go biking without a helmet. I think you actually look sillier
without a helmet. Anyway, this helmet is pretty cool. Its got
a good visor to keep the sun out of your eyes. It is well ventilated
so it keeps my head cool. The straps don't fit my head very well,
so I had to perform some slight modifications. Overall, this is
another good, economical buy.
|
Kelty
Trail Light Jacket
|
This jacket
is great for what its designed for. Namely, it is designed to
keep you dry. It does just that by not being breathable at all.
However, since my bike to school/work is only about 6 minutes,
I usually don't care about breathability. This jacket stops 100%
of wind and rain, but keeps all of your perspiration in. If you
can live with that, this is one of the best $35 purchase you'll
ever make.
|
Smith
Sliver Sunglasses
|
I like these
sunglasses alot. They work great for biking as they are polarized
and work at making bright spots darker, but keeping the dark spots
visible. In other works, they don't simply darken everything. Also,
they are iridium coated so they look cool and reflective when the
sun hits them. The only problem is that they're a little tight and
can give me a headache if I'm not moving around. |
Leatherman
Flashlight
|
This flashlight
comes with the Leatherman wave (see below). It runs on two AAA
batteries. It is very small and lightweight, but shines a decent
amount of light.
Here's a little
trick, when you're not using the light, turn one of the batteries
backwards. This way, if the head accidentally gets twisted, the
light won't turn on and drain your batteries. |
Leatherman
Wave Multi-tool
|
This is probably
the best multi-tool that you can buy. It supplements the bike specific
Topeak survival kit that I carry. It has a knife, file, serrated
knife, saw, bottle-opener, philips and flathead screwdriver, scissors,
pliers, and various other things to puncture or pry. Its held up
for a very long time and comes with a very cool carrying case (and
a flashlight also!) |
Bell
Air Thruster Pump |
What can
I really say about this? Its a good pump that I got for free.
It has both Schraeder and Presta fittings. It doesn't pump very
fast, but its small and lightweight.
|
REI
Talus 30 Backpack
|
This is
the backpack that I've ever owned, period. Its an REI Talus 30.
It has 2200 cubic inches of storage space, which is plenty for
any day trip. It is also very durable so you can throw in on the
trail without having to worry.
The only problem
with it is that it is so big that usually, I can't fill it up.
This causes it to be slightly floppy and it doesn't feel like
it hugs your back when you jump up curbs or bounce around. The
top flap tends to hit you in the back of the head in these situations.
|
Topeak
Survival Kit
|
This is
a pretty cool survival kit. Its pretty small (about 3.5 x 2 x
2 inches). It contains some metric allen wrenches, 2 spoke wrenches,
a chain tool, 2 tire forks, a tire repair kit, and an o-ring.
In addition to the stock items, I also carry some spare chain
links and an extra screw for my cleat on my shoe.
|
Adidas
Clipless Biking Shoe
|
These are
some pretty cool clipless shoes that I got for free when I bought
the bike. They about a half size too big for me and therefore,
I need to tie them really tight. They're a little bit hard to
walk in (really slippery) but on the bike, they feel great and
give me a good feel for the road. These make bunny hopping a breeze.
|
Gap
Sling Bag
|
Usually,
I leave my REI bag at school since its got all my books in it.
Therefore, I need a second bag to take around small stuff. I bought
this bag at the Gap because it was only 12 bucks. Its a messenger
style slight with only one strap. Its perfect for my purposes
of just riding short distances. It has a cell phone pouch in the
front. It also has three other compartments (1 large, 2 small).
It really is only good for short distances without much bouncing
around as it tends to swing around to the front as you're biking
along.
|
REI
Equipment Straps
|
You never known
when these might come in handy. They work great for securing stuff
to the outside of your pack, tying things together, and even as
a belt! |
Kryptonite
U-Lock
|
This is a hardened
steel U-Lock. Althought it is not as flexible as the coil lock,
it is a lot tougher. I've used this type of lock for the past 10
years and never had a bike stolen (of course, the bikes I locked
up were real piecers). This lock is a good one as it has about an
9 inch throat, which is good for locking just the frame up. You
need to coil lock if you want to lock up the wheels as well. |
Novara
Waterbottle
|
Novara is
basically REI's biking brand. This waterbottle is fairly large (maybe
3/4 liter) and does not leak. The top is very easy to open with
your teeth. I tend to use it as a waterbottle at work more than
biking though. It functions great for both applications. |
Rubbermaid
Tupperware Box
|
You might
think this is a joke, but this is probably one of the most used
pieces of equipment that I have. The box is rigid and will take
a fall well. This protects any fragile valuables that you might
be carrying (palm pilot, digital camera, etc.). You can simply line
the inside with a spare T-Shirt and you have instant impact protection.
It is desiged to actually be a shoe box, but it works great for
storing all the fragile stuff that you want to carry but don't want
to get knocked around. |
| |
|
