ALL POSTS
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It’s commonly known that the ideal number of bicycles to own is ‘n+1’ where ‘n’ is the current number of bikes you own. If you have a dedicated commuter bike, you may be shopping for a road bike for long rides. If you have a light-weight road bike, you may be shopping for an Aero bike. As you collect bicycles, you’ll quickly realize (or your significant other will start nagging you) you need a better way to store them than leaning them against the wall. There are a variety of options when it comes to bike storage, from more permanent…
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“More is Better” is a common saying. When it comes to cycling, many people always search for more speed and more carbon fiber accessories. For a bicycle light, more lumen output is also something that never hurts. However, a brighter light also usually means a larger and heavier light and batteries. While we’ve been spoiled with 1000+ lumen lights with external battery packs, today we’ll be looking at the recently introduced Topeak Headlux 450 USB. The Headlux 450 USB featuring an impressive 450 lumens with an equally impressive small dimension at only 2.6” x 1.9” x 1.1”! Compared to commuter…
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The Fenix BC21R v2.0 bicycle headlight is an interesting alternative that slots between the typical flashlights and bicycle headlights. If you’ve done some research into an affordable bicycle light, chances are someone has recommended using a flashlight as a cheap alternative. By avoiding the ‘cycling’ label (and hence the cycling tax!), flashlights are significantly cheaper to purchase and can easily be used for other activities such as hiking or camping. Higher-end flashlights also have features you don’t typically see with bicycle lights such as replaceable batteries and modifiable optics. However, some of the major drawbacks to using a flashlight are:…
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We were in Sydney for less than 12 hours in 2018 and wanted to make the lost of it. How that came about was we wanted to treat my mom on a vacation for her birthday and when we asked her where she wanted to go, she chose New Zealand. Although there were direct flights to New Zealand from SF, we thought of doing a stopover in Sydney, see an old friend who I hadn’t seen in like 12 years. Although we didn’t end up seeing the said friend due to her work schedule, at least we were able to…
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Let’s face it, cyclists are an opinionated group. Whether it is debating over waxing a chain vs lube, the advantages of Dura-ace over Ultegra or what is the proper method of cleaning a bike after a rainy ride, every cyclist seems to have an opinion. When it comes to bicycle lights, one of the main things people argue over is how many lumens of output you really need. Well, Magicshine has determined that 8000 lumens is what everyone needs with the MJ-908 light. The 8000 lumen is a theoretical number that comes from the fact that the MJ-908 packs 8…
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In this review, we’ll be looking at the portable MaxxHaul 80725 bicycle repair stand. Unfortunately, cycling is an expensive hobby to be a part of. If you start out with a cheap handy-me-down bicycle, and realize you love riding for more than taking you to the post office, you’ll soon realize that you need more gear to ride longer and faster. You’ll quickly find yourself lusting over a couple thousand dollar carbon fiber bikes and the latest aerospace grade ceramic bearings. One way to save a little money is to start doing basic maintenance at home and save a trip to…
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The engineers at Magicshine have clearly been having too much time on their hands with the MJ 9 series of lights. This series of headlights starts with the affordable MJ-900 designed around a single Cree XM-L2 LED and a claimed 1200 lumen output. With each model above the MJ-900 the lumen output increases as more and more Cree LEDs are packed into the light head. How many LEDs is too many? With two LEDs, Magicshine claims 1600 lumens which should be sufficient for a majority of people. Not for Magicshine, as they also released a MJ-906 (5 LEDs) and the…
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When Medtronic was going to stop selling supplies for my Animas insulin pump, I had a choice to either switch to a Medtronic, Omnipod or a Tandem pump. Having used Medtronic and Omnipod for a couple of years prior, and a Tandem t:slim X2 on a Clinical Trial, I decided to go with the Tandem pump which now comes with Basal IQ technology. What that means is that the insulin pump suspends insulin delivery if the predicted glucose reading 30 minutes ahead of time is below 80mg/dl. This also means you need a Dexcom G6 CGM for this to work.…
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Sometimes you hear about a new product that seems so obvious, you wonder why someone didn’t create it years ago. The Orb bicycle bottle light is one of those ideas, it takes something every cyclist has, a Water Bottle, and combines it with a feature everyone needs – Nighttime Visibility. By integrating 4 downward facing LEDs into the bottle cap the Orb illuminates the entire bottle for a soft orange glow that can be seen from any direction. The illuminated bottle acts as a ‘to be seen’ type bicycle light, ensuring you have better visibility when riding in the dark. The…