Gear Recommendations (old)

Not right now…but I’m not making the mistake of selling my recumbent this time, as you never know when my neck is going to go out again. Also the trike will probably come in handy when I get old enough to start worrying about broken bones from crashes. Anything to keep riding!

I have one of those bedrock bags and agree that it would be perfect for your application, Ferg.

[quote=Perlhammered]Ferg, maybe this bag is more what you’re looking for?
http://www.bedrockbags.com/gear/tapeats-handlebar-bag

[/quote]

I totally missed this. Yes, this is perfect, thank you! My only wish is that it was smaller and oriented like a holster…but this will do.

PSA: for whatever reason I was still wearing a lazer o2 ($80-120 hamlet). I just got a z1($170-250 hamlet) and holy shit is it so much nicer for me. I am a super sweaty person and it manages sweat so much better. The increased ventilation is as close as I’ll probably ever get to not wearing a helmet. My head was no more misty that any other part of me. And it is light and fits SO WELL.

get nice helmets people. It’s a new era.

i really dont like my z1 but you know

recommend me: lowrider panniers

Ferg, these are overdue comments, but:

Yes to Gabba. Superlative piece of kit that handles itself brilliantly in wet conditions for those of us who really dislike sealing up in plastic rain vests.

Bont are awesome, been rocking the Vapor/Vapor S for years. Some people complain they’re not the most supple upper (older models) and are perhaps too stiff but the benefits of the last make up for it atmo.

[quote=Recumbentist][quote=Perlhammered]Ferg, maybe this bag is more what you’re looking for?
http://www.bedrockbags.com/gear/tapeats-handlebar-bag

[/quote]

I totally missed this. Yes, this is perfect, thank you! My only wish is that it was smaller and oriented like a holster…but this will do.[/quote]

Looks like you could mount it to the stem instead of the bar, if you have a long enough stem.

[quote=turpencat]PSA: for whatever reason I was still wearing a lazer o2 ($80-120 hamlet). I just got a z1($170-250 hamlet) and holy shit is it so much nicer for me. I am a super sweaty person and it manages sweat so much better. The increased ventilation is as close as I’ll probably ever get to not wearing a helmet. My head was no more misty that any other part of me. And it is light and fits SO WELL.

get nice helmets people. It’s a new era.[/quote]

For real. I’ve been using a cheap helmet and just bought a nice unused catlike leaf from some old man on craiglist for cheap. It is light, lots of air flow, fits well and doesn’t make me look like a mushroom.

I have a clunky, cheap Bontrager helmet that I got for free, and I wear it during the winter because, for whatever reason, the shape is just better to fit over a winter cap. When it warms out, I take out my Giro Synthe and I am immediately reminded why good helmets cost real money.

The only thing I dislike about lightweight expensive hamlets is the ultra thin webbing they use for chin straps.
Higher speeds cause the piece in front of your ears to become super flappy no matter how much you adjust/tighten the straps. Never seems to happen on the mid/low price hamlets with thicker webbing.
Otherwise, totally agree.

[quote=Andrew_Squirrel]The only thing I dislike about lightweight expensive hamlets is the ultra thin webbing they use for chin straps.
Higher speeds cause the piece in front of your ears to become super flappy [/quote]

[quote=Andrew_Squirrel]The only thing I dislike about lightweight expensive hamlets is the ultra thin webbing they use for chin straps.
Higher speeds cause the piece in front of your ears to become super flappy no matter how much you adjust/tighten the straps. Never seems to happen on the mid/low price hamlets with thicker webbing.
Otherwise, totally agree.[/quote]

could probably get them in matchy-match Andrew Squirrel™ Orange

Ahem

I have never noticed this phenomenon.
Probably because I just can’t ride fast enough.

I considered getting some of those prosthetic side burns when I was doing lots of road riding but they look about as kooky as SPD sandals.

Best chain tool for home shop use these days? Also get me into a chain wear gauge - el cheapo special good enough?

Lightweight polyester hoodie with a double zipper?

I love this one Tutto Multi-Chain Tool – Pedro's NA because it does everything from 1/8" bmx chains to 11 speed. It was the best when I wrenched 6 years ago. Maybe there’s something better now but I kind of doubt it. The cheap park tool chain wear gauge is fine. You can also use a scale since the links are 1/2" you can measure a 12" span and if it’s even noticeably longer it’s likely toast.

There are lots of sub-$2 ones like this on eBay. I can’t imagine they’re appreciably different than a comparable brand new version, since it’s just a stamped or laser cut piece of metal.

using “portable” as a feature of a chain gauge is like when they put “gluten free” on a bag of corn chips.