ALL POSTS
-
After seeing the ‘something-out-of-a-Disney-movie’ Pena Palace on Pinterest feed, I knew we had to visit Portugal. Only after getting there, did I realize that Portugal is more than a land of fairy tale castles and home to one the best desserts in the world, the Pastéis de Nata! We were in Portugal for 7 whole days and visited Porto, Guimarães, Lisbon, and Sintra. We were there in late September in 2018 and flew in and out of Porto from the US. Weather-wise, Porto is a lot cooler than say Lisbon (like SF vs LA). It is also a lot less…
-
Padded bib shorts are an essential part of any cyclists wardrobe. Although bib shorts may look like a cycling version of a leotard, they are far superior to standard bib shorts and improve comfort and performance. Padded Bib shorts perfect an excellent blend of comfort with built-in chamois and fit with the use of straps to avoid waistbands from sliding. Whether you are a new cyclist or long-time cyclist, you’ll likely realize one barrier to quality bib shorts is the high retail price. As with many cycling products, there is a large void between cheap entry-level bib shorts and $100+…
-
As the weather gets bone chillingly cold, it becomes increasingly difficult to motivate yourself to ride outside. Cold weather or rain are magnified when riding at any speed due to wind chill and spray from your wheels. It only takes one ride with wet or frozen toes to persuade you to ride an indoor trainer or find alternate ways to exercise for the rest of the season. If you are stubborn and a glutton for pain, you’ve likely tried the various standard tricks to make winter riding more pleasant. Layering up, wool socks, shoe booties and even plastic bags are…
-
The bicycle water bottle is a ubiquitous accessory every cyclist has, but likely hasn’t thought much about after the initial purchase. Most water bottles are chosen based on exterior design, but underneath the covers there are a variety of valve styles and form factors. What makes a cycling bottle different from a standard bottle is the fact that you are typically using a water bottle one handed while riding. As a result, a cycling water bottle needs to be easy to grip and control single handed. In today’s review, we’ll be looking at the Elite FLY water bottles as well…
-
In this review, we are going to be taking a look at the Planet Bike Rojo 100 LED tail light. This is Planet Bike’s newest tail light and offers a daytime visible 100 lumens of output and is USB Type-C rechargeable. Building off the success of their Superflash series of tail lights, the Rojo 100 is a two LED design tail light that includes Planet Bike’s Courtesy and Superflash Turbo output modes. Based on specs alone, the 100 lumen output and $35 retail price of the Rojo 100 make it a strong contender in the crowded bicycle tail light market.…
-
Affordable cycling shoes are typically referred to as ‘entry-level’ or ‘beginner-friendly’ and usually have compromises to reduce the cost. This typically means multiple Velcro straps or bulky ratcheting closure systems and heavier multi-panel designs. The FLR F-11 Pro cycling have a budget friendly $99.99 retail price but more premium features not typically found in ‘entry-level’ shoes. For a fixture system, the F-11 Pro uses an ATOP dial on top and a single lower Velcro strap. Although it doesn’t have a carbon sole (which is rare at this price point), the nylon R250 outsole provides plenty of stiffness. The FLR F-11…
-
The Look Keo Memory Eyelet and Tab are clever solutions by Look that many people may not be aware of. Like most people, we rarely read the instruction manuals that come with products unless we really get stumped. Recently we got stumped with when an unlabeled bag with two unmarked screws came with a new pair of FLR F-11 cycling shoes. Although there was no instruction manual with the shoes to reference, through some trial and error it became clear the screws threaded into the center ‘fourth’ hole on the sole of the shoes. After some internet sleuthing, it became clear…
-
The Magicshine Allty series of all-in-one rechargeable bicycle lights offers an impressive range of lights with compact sizes and unique features. At the top of the Allty series are the Allty 1000 and the Allty 2000 lights which feature dedicated daytime running lights (DRL) and integrated Garmin style quarter-turn mounts. Today we’ll be reviewing the Magicshine Allty 1000 which uses a single Cree LED instead of the dual Cree LEDs of the Allty 2000. At an affordable $84.99 retail price, the Allty 1000 represents a strong commuter light offering from Magicshine. What sets the Allty 1000 apart from the typical…
-
Layering clothing is key to being comfortable in colder temperatures and baselayers are a critical part of layering especially if you are doing high intensity outdoor activities like hiking, running, or cycling. A quality baselayer balances breathability and warmth to provides you with thermal regulation to ensure you remain warm without overheating. In this review, we’ll look at two women’s PEARL iZUMi Merino wool baselayers – the Merino Thermal Longsleeve Baselayer and the Merino Longsleeve Baselayer. These baselayers are part of the 2019 winter collection from PEARL iZUMi and are made with a blend of Merino fabric and recycled Repreve…