ALL POSTS
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If you have a smaller bicycle frame or a mountain bike, you may not have enough space to use a standard bottle cage. To get around this, side entry variations of bottle cages allow the bottle to be removed side ways (either the left or right depending on the variation purchased) and avoid hitting your frame. Elite offers a large selection of bottle cage varieties that stand out from the market through minimalist design, lighter weight and great grip. In this review we’ll be taking a close look at the Elite Carbon Prism side entry bottle cage for right side…
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Lightweight carbon fiber cycling shoes are typically limited to higher-end collections of shoe manufacturers. This unfortunately means if your counting grams and you want stiff cycling shoes you have to shell out hundreds of dollars. The FLR F-XX II shoes are an exception to that trend, and feature stiff R500 carbon soles and impressive light weight (406 grams for our EUR 40) at a retail price of only $249. The shoes also feature a dual ATOP dial closure system to equally distribute tension in fine increments. The stiff carbon fiber sole and light weight make the F-XX II shoes an…
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We didn’t spend much time in Lisbon except for a day and 2 nights in total there as we wanted to go to Sintra as well and were short on time. Nevertheless, we saw what we wanted to see so no complaints. Unlike Porto, Lisbon gets very hot so be prepared to carry plenty of water, hat, and sunscreen if traveling during Summer/early Fall. Getting in We took the train from Porto to Lisbon and back. As with Italy and pretty much all of Europe, tickets are cheaper if booked early as opposed to buying them at the station. However,…
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“Affordability” and “Cycling” are two words rarely used in the same sentence. A short walk through the ‘entry-level’ bike section of any local bike shop or bike manufacturer’s website can give you sticker shock. If your budget for a new bike is limited to under $1000 dollars, you’re typically limited to single speed or townie bikes with lower tier components or older drivetrains. This is one reason we’re particularly excited to be reviewing the Decathlon Triban Disc 105 RC 520 today. Although the model name is a mouthful, the RC 520 has one of the highest specs for Decathlon’s Triban…
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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…
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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+…
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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…
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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…
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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.…