2007 Reviews
Alien Bikes Crank Set December 15, 2007The Warm Front December 1, 2007
Flat's I love Biking Bag July 24, 2007
Rudy Project Syluro July 17, 2007
Bagaboo Hunch July 10, 2007
Native Eyewear's Dash XP July 10, 2007
Planet Bikes Freddy Fenders May 29, 2007
Banjo Bags May 22, 2007
Banjo Brothers Commuter Backpack May 15, 2007
Flash Back May 9, 2007
Cyclaire Pumps May 1, 2007
Alien Bikes Crank Set
Alien Bikes takes a different approach to marketing, rather than building what everyone else is, they are building what they want. Joseph Santaniello has set out to make what he wants.
"If I couldn't build the bike I wanted, others were certainly in the same boat. So I set about spec'ing stuff the way I wanted, at a price I would be willing to pay. No concessions are made to the wider market. For example all my hubs are single sided. This is intentional. There are bags of flip-flop hubs out there, but I don't want a flip-flop hub. I also don't like machined brake surfaces on rims. End of story. I figured I don't know squat about marketing, about retailing, about any of that, so why try? I just figured that if I like it that way, somebody else will too. And I was right."
The thing is that this philosophy works, or at least I am one of these other people who feel the same way as he does. Great product, great price and no big logo were what drew me to there stuff.
When I got there new cranks and bottom bracket in the mail I was pretty impressed with the quality. No, it is not a Dura Ace quality crank set as another review has mentioned, but it certainly is not bottom of the barrel crap either. The 165mm crank arms are 5mm shorter than what I was used to using, but the difference in length did not seem to noticeable for spinning. I occasionally do get pedal strike though and so far this 5mm seems to have helped eliminate that.
The chain ring on these cranks definitely stands out, the quality is high, and the black with the silver from the 46 machined teeth just looks nice. I installed the bottom bracket on my conversion frame and it fit perfect. It gives a nice 42mm chain line, which on my bike worked out perfect. For the price you pay for this bottom bracket you are getting a great deal. Sealed bearings, and both threaded ends are metal for $14, can't beat that.
Admittedly the snow has hit us here in Canada, so I did not take this new set up on some epic ride. I did however track stand repeatedly on it, accelerate quickly and in general do everything I could to test these cranks out, especially the flex they may have. They have little flex, that is for certain. Much less flex than my old Sugino cranks that I had on my bike.
Price: $79.00 USD
Details:165mm cast cranks, square taper, 144BCD 46T CNC'd chainring
Pro's: Great Price, look nice, perform great
Con's: They do not come with crank bolt covers and I cannot find black crank bolt covers
Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
The Warmfront
Breaks The Chill
When I heard about The Warmfront I was intrigued. It seemed like a simple idea, a warm, wind resistant second layer that could easily be worn or removed while riding. Anyone who has ridden in the fall knows that there are many times when you get up early to ride and it is chilly, but 30 minutes in you need to remove a layer. The Warmfront provides the warmth that you need.
Warm and Fuzzy
After receiving The Warmfront in the mail and pulling it out of the package I was a little surprised to see that it really just looks like an oversized bib, it is designed to cover the bottom of the neck and the front of your torso. but this is what makes it easy to put on and take off. The Malden Mills fleece does however provide fair wind resistance.
I Gotta Get This Under My Jersey?
Taking it on and off while riding is easier said then done I found. If you wear a fitted jersey it is a tight fit and a bit awkward, but with a bit of practice it is easy with a more casual cut. Once removed, the Malden Mills fleece that makes it all nice and soft, also makes it lofty, so it is not the smallest thing to fit into your jersey pocket. It could be improved by updating the Fleece to a more technical fabric. This would reduce the size substantially, and solve the storage issue while riding.
Winter Warmth
Overall, The Warmfront did its job in keeping me warm when it was cooler out. It feels a little bulky for racing in, but makes a lot of sense for touring, and long highway rides. Now that winter is here it seems like a logical piece for a layering system, especially on those extremely cold days. I have now passed it off to a friend to test out for the winter, come spring I will let you know the long term results.
Price:24.99 US
Pros:Warm, simple concept, great in the winter
Cons:Bulky under a fitted jersey
Overall Rating:3.5 out of 5 stars
FLAT I LOVE BIKING BAG
GOT A FLAT?
For the last few years my girlfriend has had this great little purse that was partially made with an old inner tube. Almost everyone she knows has commented on how great it is and many have gone on to by there own. Shannon from Flat Bags sent me the I Love Biking Bag to test out. Once again it gets a lot of looks and comments, she knows how to make a good looking bag.
FASHION FIRST
I am a bit of a utilitarian cyclist, but I still have an eye for style. I love the look of this bag and many people commented on how nice it was however, as a guy, many people commented that it looked more suited for a girl. So I passed it on to my girlfriend for week number two of testing. She loved it.
HOLD THE LOAD
The bag is constructed well but lacks a back pad and heavier loads can get a little uncomfortable. The fact that it is partially made with recycled inner tubes is great, but I did worry about packing anything with sharp corners into the bag.
GREAT AROUND TOWN
All in all the I Love Biking Bag is a great around town "messenger" style bag. It can hold a lap top nicely and is a great for any not so heavy loads, like a trip to the bakery or carrying a few books around and stopping at the coffee shop. You are sure to get many comments on how cool the bag looks too.
Price:114.00 US
Pros:Great style, nice city bag or for a night on the town.
Cons:Not a true messenger bag, so lacks many features. Inner tube bottom seems weak.
Overall Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Rudy Project Syluro
A LOVE AFFAIR WITH RUDY
I will not lie, I am in love with all things Rudy. I own their Kontact helmet as well as the Jak 90 glasses that I use as my daily wear glasses. So when Avi from Rudy Project sent me the Syluro sunglasses I was excited and I was not dissapointed.
VIVA ITALIA
I will spare you the history of Rudy Barbazza and his pioneering work in Italian sunglasses, but the current Syluro sunglasses speaks of the history and future of the line. The Syluro is sleak and stylish and is a top quality sunglass you will see many tour professionals wearing.
Function and fashion are the name of the game with Rudy. The nose and ear pieces of the Syluro can easily be adjusted to fit most any face. You can even get an optical insert for those who require a sporty lens shape but still require a prescription.
Warranty
The frames come with a three year warranty and the lenses come with Rudy's amazing Replacement Lens Gaurantee. Scratch your lenses and you can get them replaced for only $14.95 US. This is an amazing deal considering how easy it is to scratch your lenses especially when you are an active cyclist.
The new Syluro is a must have!.
Price:239.00 US
Pros:Style and function, amazing warranty
Cons:Nil
Overall Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Bagaboo Hunch
NOT THE HIP POUCH OF YOUR YOUTH
Got a short trip to the store? Going out to a pub? Personally I hate taking a large bag on short outings, especially if I have little to carry. The Hunch is a small hip pouch with better styling than the hip pouch of your youth.
KEEP IT CLOSE TO YOUR HIP
The Hunch is a very simple design, basically a small version of a messenger bag that attaches around your waist. If can easily fit a small u-lock, camera, wallet, keys and more. The down side to it's simple design is that when loaded with all these things the belt tends to sag a lot and can feel like it is about to come off.
GREAT DESIGN
Bagaboo bags are made in Hungary and are great quality. The hunch has 3 seperate compartments. One large main one, and two smaller ones that are zippered. All the stiching is super tough and this bag seemed nearly indestructable, except for the belt.
NO SWEAT
Because the Hunch is on your hip, you don't get a sweaty back, which is really nice. It is worth getting and reworking the belt, because it is a nice handy bag to have.
Price:20 EUR
Pros:Great size for short trips
Cons:Belt is always twisting and hard to keep straight
Overall Rating:3.5 out of 5 stars
Native Eyewear's Dash XP
SUN BLOCKERS
A day cycling through the city can be hard on the eyes. Sunshine, wind, rain, and occasional debris can all reduce vison and create dificult riding conditions. A good pair of sunglasses should be at every cyclist disposal .
CHOOSE YOUR LENS
The Dash XP sunglasses by Native Eyewear have three interchangable lenses. One polarized, one clear and one sportflex lense. The sportflex lense replaces the amber lense often found with interchangable sunglasses.
NO MORE GLARE
The polarized lense offers great day time protection and fully blocks the glare produced by the sun reflecting off of cars and the roadway. The clear lense is great in little to no light conditions. I found that the sportflex lense produced too much reflection, becoming extremely distracting when riding. This was too bad as this type of lense is usually the one I prefer to ride with.
GREAT FIT
The frames have a great sporty look and fit medium to large sized faces. There is great ventilation just above the top of the lenses that prevents the lenses from fogging. The Dash XP also has Self-adjusting Cushional nose pads that are very comfortable. All in all they are a good multi purpose sunglass that are as much at home on the bike as they are at the coffee shop after the ride. And to top it all off they have a lifetime warranty!
Price:$130.00 US
Pros:3 types of lenses, good ventilation
Cons:heavy reflection on sportflex lens.
Overall Rating:3.5 out of 5 stars
Planet Bikes Freddy Fenders
FREDDY WHO?
I have no idea who Freddy is, but he sure makes a nice fender. Planet Bikes Freddy Fender Cascadia ATB has to be one of the longest product names ever but it sure is nice. The packaging is simple, a small amount of cardboard, wrapped around the fender, with a small bag of hardware for mounting. This is nice, less packaging to toss out.
EASY TO INSTALL
Full coverage fenders can be a pain in the ass to install, even the best of them. I found the Freddy Fenders to be easier then most, even though I had to use some of my own bolts to install them. There were more then enough bolts and zip ties provided, but my front fork is not really built for installing a front fender. It has a bolt hole, but I needed a shorter length to make it work. Really no problem if you have ever had to install fenders before.
NO MORE STRIPE
Not only are the fenders full coverage, but they also have mud flaps. This is an extra 130mm for water proof riding, really no chance of spray from the tires at all. The 60mm width is also great coverage for most tires, especially anything used for commuting.
LET IT RAIN
Planet Bike makes a great fender, and Freddy should be getting a raise. Don't forget that they also donate 25% to bicycle advocacy, pretty amazing in this day and age.
Price:$49.99 US
Pros:Easy to install, Tough
Cons:Had to modify hardware to make them fit.
Overall Rating:4 out of 5 stars
BANJO BROTHERS BAGS
THREE STRONG BAGS
Last week I reviewed the Banjo Brothers Commuter Backpack. This week we have three new bags from the Banjo Bros. to review, the Top Tube Bag, Market Pannier, and Waterproof Pannier. All the bags serve different purposes, but all are of great quality and sturdy construction.
SMALL AND CONVENIENT
The Top Tube Bag is similar to what triathletes use for food during there rides. It mounts to the top tube of your bike with two velcro straps and to the stem with another two. I am no triathlete however, but I did find it very useful. It is big enough to fit a cell phone, and keys, or a spare tube and patch kit, or any number of things you may need to carry around. I like it because it is not in your way, but when you need it, it is right with in reach.
A TRIP TO THE MARKET
I go to get groceries on my bike a lot, basically every week. At times I use panniers, others I use my backpack, and if I am getting a lot, I use both. The problem with many panniers is that you can load a lot of stuff in them, but they become hard to close and get awkward. The Banjo Brothers Market Pannier is great because the lid is designed to just cover the top of the bag, not cinch around it. This lets the lid actually close. I was able to fit a hug amount of groceries in the bag, and easily close it up for the trip home. It even had a nice little zippered pocket inside to hold my keys and cash.
LET IT RAIN
It doesn't really rain too much in the city I live in, it did however rain just in time to test out the Water Proof Pannier. At times waterproof stuff can seem like a pain in the ass. Buckles to undo, unroll the flap, fill...repeat in reverse. When it is actually raining though I see how it is useful. Fill it up and it keeps real dry, what a novel concept. The pannier is not the biggest I have used, but it does comfortably hold a sweater and a few books, without cramming it too full. And it keeps it all dry.
These bags are great additions to any commuters bicycle. The only real downside was the fact that I had to bend the hardware on the pannier bags to fit my pannier rack. Not a problem yet, but there is the possiblility of it becoming a week spot.
Price:$12.99 US (Top Tube Bag), $44.99 US (Market Pannier), $39.99 US (Waterproof Pannier)
Pros:well built, durable, stylish
Cons:hasrdware on panniers is not bomb proof
Overall Rating:og"4 out of 5 stars
BANJO BROTHERS COMMUTER BACKPACK
BULLETPROOF, WATERPROOF, AND MORE
Banjo Brothers are not brothers at all, nor do they play the banjo, in fact they are just friends. They do however know how to make bags. Their Commuter Backpack is made of seemingly bulletproof nylon with a replaceable waterproof liner. I have used this everyday for the last 2 weeks for every thing I have had to carry and had no issues at all. It handled the groceries, the beer, the bike parts, the baguette, even the bouquet of flowers.
JUST THE RIGHT SIZE
The quality of this bag is great, and it needs to be, obviously cyclist can be hard on their gear. It easily held the weight of a case of beer and felt comfortable on my back at the same time. I tried heavy things and light things, small things and large things, and the bag always felt comfortable with the weight distributed evenly. One thing I have found with other backpacks that I have used when cycling is that when filled of the back of my helmet often rubs against the bag. The way the Banjo Brothers backpack is designed, it sits lower. This makes it more comfortable, and creates a better field of vision when doing shoulder checks.
THE PERFECT SIZE BAG FOR ANYTHING (KITCHEN SINK EXCLUDED)
This Commuter Backpack will now be my regular bag when cycling. I do use pannier bags, but only have them on one of my bikes, so this makes is easy to carry large loads on my back comfortably. It is not a courier bag, but then again it is not designed to be. This bag will fit almost anything that you should want to fit in a bag. Trust me, this is one of the best cycling products I have owned.
A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING
To top off all the great stuff about this bag, the waterproof liner is removable. This creates even more space. On the front are great pockets to store all your small stuff, as well as a size pocket to store your mini u-lock.
Price:$79.95 US
Pros:waterproof, comfortable, great size
Cons:none!
Overall Rating:5 out of 5 stars
FLASH BACK
GETTING SEEN
Being seen on the road can be an issue for cyclists. Sometimes you just don’t want to have all the reflective gear on when you are just riding around town or making a quick trip to campus. There are times, however, when being seen is crucial. Flashback makes an array of reflective products to keep you visible on the road. I had the chance to try out the Kangaroovest, pant strap, and cycling flag.
FLAGGING A RIDE
I hooked the Flash Flag onto my pannier rack. It went on with ease and can be folded away when not in use. This is really valuable tool when riding in traffic. It gives drivers a better idea of the room that a cyclist needs. The Arm n’ Leg Band is a great way to keep your pants from getting caught in your chain ring or useful on your arm as another reflective piece.
KANGAROO?
The Kangaroovest is an easy to get on vest that provides great visibility in daytime and nighttime conditions. Made of a nice blue mesh, it can be warn overtop of your regular cycling gear without causing you to overheat. The reflective pieces used on this and all of Flash Back’s gear keeps you visible at a distance of up to 100 meters!
IMAGE ISN'T EVERYTHING
Theses products are great for being seen. I normally would not wear these around town, but when going on a bike tour on the highway I would not go without them. The added visual presence it gives you on the road is unbeatable. They are great products to wear at night or during the day for added safety.
Price::$35.99 CAN (Kangaroovest),
$3.99 CAN (Arm n’ Leg Band),
$9.49 CAN (Flash Flag)
Pros:Great quality, added reflective presence on road
Cons:Not very stylish
Overall Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Cyclaire Pumps
RE-INVENTING THE PUMP
Cyclaire bicycle pumps are not your average bicycle pump. They are so unique that they won "Innovation Of The Year" by Cycling Plus Magazine. What makes them so unique? For starters, you don't actually pump anything. Cyclaire's pull cord activates an internal pulley, which drives a double sided piston. It is this action that creates such a large volume of airflow with such little effort. I was lucky enough to test out their regular version which goes to 120 P.S.I. as well as there rapid pump which inflates to 80 P.S.I.
LEARNING CURVE
Because of this pumps design, it is necessary to fully read all instructions to make sure that you are operating it properly. In my first attempt to use the Cyclaire Rapid on a schraeder valve stem, I could not get it to operate properly. I then re-read the instructions and played around with the tightness of the valve nozzle. After all this practice I was able to successfully inflate the tire to the desired PSI. I then took the Cyclaire Bicycle Pump and attached it to my road bike, wanting to try it out on a high pressure tire with a presta valve stem. This time I had quick and easy inflation to 110 PSI. I found that when removing the pump from the valve at high pressure, resulted in a loss of at least 5 PSI of pressure. This is not the largest loss but it was notable.
BIG AIR, SMALL PACKAGE
For such a small and compact pump, the Cyclaire pump, produces a huge amount of inflation. It fits compactly in it's seat bag, but when needed provides a quick air source. It can be compared to an air compressor. A internal double piston pushes a large amount of air into your tire. This does create a down side however. I have never used a pump that created so much noise when in use. When pulling the cord a large amount of vibration and noise is created, not necessarily a problem, but also not the best thing in the world.
TOUGH AS NAILS
My initial thoughts about the Cyclaire pumps was that if I need to hold it down with my foot I am going to break the plastic. I was wrong. It seems to be overly strong for it's weight and the material used. Infact after fully testing it out in various conditions it still looks new, no scratches, let alone any cracks.
Price:£19.95
Pros:Extremely quick inflation. Strong and Durable
Cons:Loud, considering it is a pump. Vibration on the wrists
Overall Rating:3 out of 5 stars