ALL POSTS
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Whether you look online or stop by your local bike shop, you’ll notice there are an overwhelming number of lights on the market today. The lights range from compact low powered blinky lights to multi-thousand lumen lights designed to turn night into day. Power sources range from AAA batteries all the way to packs of rechargeable Li-ion battery cells. However, one thing a majority of the lights share is that they use LEDs and some variation of a button interface. Light & Motion Vya bike lights are designed to break the mold of traditional bike lights and incorporate useful ‘smart’…
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There are a few essential items everyone should have in their closets. First, is a favorite soft and comfortable t-shirt you can wear year-round. Second, a set of wool socks for lounging around the house or hiking in. Lastly, is a warm and cozy hooded sweatshirt that you hate taking off. While a simple $10 hoodie from a big-box store will keep you warm indoors, they don’t necessarily provide the same warmth and comfort outdoors. In this review, we’ll be looking at the new Ridge Merino’s Convict Merino wool hoodie that is designed to be your favorite hoodie. This is a…
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At its face value, the Fenix BC05R is not a particularly interesting bike tail light. It is easy to overlook at only 10 lumens with a traditional design and the low retail price of only $19.95. However, Fenix has leveraged their expertise in flashlights to incorporate a number of impressive features despite the low price point. The BC05R doesn’t have any smart features or associated cell phone apps to customize it, instead it excels at being a reliable and compact tail light. Instead of the traditional micro USB port, the BC05R has a USB Type-C port, a feature that the bicycle…
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As technology advances, electronics have become both more powerful and more compact while also reducing in cost. This means there are more and more ‘connected’ and ‘smart’ devices on the market. A majority of these devices seem like marketing ploys, like refrigerators that tell you when you are running low on milk. However, some ‘smart’ devices incorporate electronics to add creative and useful features. Today, we’ll be reviewing the Coros SafeSound Urban helmet, a ‘smart’ device that’s surprisingly useful. The Coros SafeSound Urban helmet combines multiple gadgets – tail light, bluetooth headphones, cycling cap – into a sleek and comfortable…
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If you do an image search for cycling, you’ll likely see super fit and attractive people riding with shorts and short sleeve jerseys with beautiful sunny backgrounds. Unfortunately, as a cyclist you’ll often have to contend with less than ideal weather days even if you consider yourself a ‘fair weather’ cyclist. For those less picturesque days, you’ll need versatile and comfortable clothes to stay warm. A well designed long sleeve jersey is something that can keep you warm on colder days and with breathability also prevents you from overheating. The PEARL iZUMi PRO Merino Thermal Cycling Jersey is designed to…
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It wasn’t long ago that commuter bicycle headlights were basic low lumen lights with bulky mounts. As technology has improved, bicycle lights have gotten better with the increased features, more compact form factors, and higher output. The Magicshine Allty 2000 headlight illustrates just how far we’ve come in terms of advancement. Not only does the Allty 2000 incorporate two Cree XM-L2 V60 LEDs, but there is an additional low-output LED designed to be used as a day-time-running-light (DRL). With a retail price of $149.99, the Allty 2000 is aimed at cyclists or commuters who want a high-powered all-in-one headlight. The…
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Often times, the hardest part of riding is just getting out of your front door. This is especially true on days when cold and dreary weather makes you wonder why a sane person would leave the warmth and comfort of your home. PEARL iZUMi developed the PRO AmFIB Cycling Jacket for these types of shoulder season days. The “AmFIB” refers to the 4-way stretch fabric which is both windproof and water-resistant while being a claimed 50% more breathable than typical membranes. In this review, we’ll look at the Men’s Medium size shell in Atomic Red. PEARL iZUMi also offers a…
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So I wanted to write this post after my mom got stuck in Singapore on her way to New Zealand as she was connecting thru Australia and did NOT have a Australian transit visa. We were meeting my mom in Auckland, New Zealand to celebrate her birthday last year. My mom had 2 connecting flights – one in Singapore, and another in Brisbane on her way to New Zealand. She had a tourist visa for New Zealand but wasn’t aware that she needed a “transit” visa (similar to Canada) to connect thru Brisbane as she wasn’t clearing immigration. She got…
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Light & Motion developed the Vya product line (note, these were previously marketed as Vibe) as a revolutionary approach to cycling lights. The “Smart Vya” headlights and tail lights integrate light sensors and motion sensors to automatically adjust the lights to conditions and power them on/off. In this review, we’ll be looking at the newly released Vya Switch which takes many of the innovative features of the Smart lights but re-introduces a user operated button to control the power and output modes. This may seem like a step backwards, considering the goal of the Vya lights was to make cycling…