CYCLIST GUIDE
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Purchasing a used bike can be an easy way to save money when shopping for a bike as you can avoid the initial depreciation that comes with purchasing a new bike. However buying used has some risk to it, whether it is shady sellers or hidden damage you may have buyers regret post purchase. Trek’s new Red Barn Refresh program is one of the first factory certified preowned bike programs that seeks to eliminate the risk of used bikes and ensures used bikes find new owners to enjoy them. Each bike is “certified awesome” with a full 151-point inspection, servicing…
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Bontrager’s Blendr system is a modular mounting system that provides an integrated design to mount accessories on your bicycle. It’s a three piece design that combines a stem, base and mounting accessory to attach lights, computers or phones. While Bontrager has extended the system to include integrated handlebars, taillights and saddlebags, we’re going to focus on the core stem / base / mounts products in this guide. Bontrager also has a comprehensive compatibility chart that covers all the options and even legacy products no longer available we’d highly recommend taking a look at. There are a wide variety of accessories…
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Cannondale’s SmartSense system is an innovative and controversial approach to combining headlights, taillights and radars into a single seamless package. Rather than recharging three separate batteries and powering them on individually, the SmartSense system features integrated cable routing with a central SmartSense battery on the downtube of Cannondale’s bikes. This system is currently only available on the Synapse and Topstone bikes but we wouldn’t be surprised if it was extended to other model lines. A speed sensor on the front wheel allows all the devices to turn on automatically when the bike moves and shutdown if no motion is detected…
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Topeak’s Duo Fixer series is a clever saddle rail dual mounting system that can be used with a variety of tools, saddlebags and accessories. At the heart of the system is the Duo Fixer bracket which clamps onto alloy or carbon saddle rails and offers a lower QuickClick slot and an upper quick release tab mechanism. Utilizing a dual slot attachment design, the Duo Fixer provides a tool-free mounting to allow you to quickly install accessories or swap accessories between bikes. In this cyclists guide we’ll provide an overview of how the system works and an overview of the currently…
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If you’ve ever tried to coordinate or participate in a group bike ride you’ll know how frustrating it can be. Not only can you have unreliable participants who may start late, but some riders may run into mechanical issues or delays that cause them to miss the start time. Bryton’s new group ride and chat feature offers the ability to see other riders directly on your map and even send or respond to chat messages directly from your GPS computer instead of having to wait around or make calls to figure out if people are on their way. It’s a…
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Heat moldable cycling shoes allow you to customize your fit without the need for expensive fully custom shoes. Everyone has different feet shapes and sizes which is why one-size-fits-all doesn’t always work with everyone. There are a number of cycling shoes that offer the heat molding capability, with most of them allowing you to mold the shoes in the comfort of your own home. In this guide we’ll go over the process we used to mold our Bont Cycling Vaypor S and the Helix shoes. These extend to other Bont Cycling shoes and potentially other shoes, but please only use…
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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…