Category Archives: Equipment

2009, 2010 Bikes On Sale

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With this being the start of the bike riding season (in most parts of the country), I’ve found that there are a lot of really good deals going on right now on many of name brand and high quality 2009 bikes.

I didn’t want to put together a list of what I consider to be the best individual bike deals (mostly because that is so dependent on the type of bike that you are looking for) but I did put together a page with the Best Buys Online by brand name and with direct links to the on sale categories for some of the most popular online merchants.

Check out “Best Buy” Bikes Online for some good deals on 2009 and 2010 bikes for sale online. There are more selections online but many of the 2009 (or older) models will have a limited selection in stock so this would be a good time to find the best deals.

I hope this helps with your online bike purchases.

Topeak RX Trunk Bag – with Fold-Out Panniers

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I have made my bike bag decision and I am sticking with the Topeak RX Trunk Bag DXP (with the fold-out panniers) that I purchased at REI yesterday. 

I like the size and I love the Topeak QuickTrack™ system to attach and remove the bag.

Topeak RX Trunk Bag Expanded

I was a little undecided about whether or not I wanted to stick with the more compact Topeak “RX” Trunk bag or if I wanted to move up to the larger Topeak “MTX”  bike bag.

For my purposes, I am sticking with the smaller (“RX”) version. I like to keep my bike bag permanently on my bike and for 95% of my riding, I only carry a few items with me. The other 5% of the time I bring some extra things for longer trips (a camera and camcorder, some tools, lunch and maybe a light jacket) and I believe that the RX Trunk bag, with the fold-out panniers should be able to handle this.

Actually, I was not really interested in the fold out panniers until I started to look into them and checked them out in the store. You lose most of the space in the 2 side compartments but with the extra space that you get when you fold out the panniers (or side pockets), I think that it is well worth it.

For those who prefer more space (for touring, longer trips, commuting, etc.), I would recommend the larger Topeak Trunk Bags (the “MTX” is a pretty good size trunk bag that has the fold out pannier option) and/or full size panniers.

If you are not familiar with the Topeak QuickTrack™ system, it is a patented mounting system that allows you to quickly and easily attach and detach the bike bag from the bike rack.

Topeak RX Trunk Bag Closed/Compacted

By lining up the rail on the bottom of the bag with the rail in the bike rack you slide the bag onto the rack until it clicks into place. To remove the bag you just press the yellow clip. It really does work quite well. No more messing around with Velcro straps.

Note: You do have to have a Topeak QuickTrack bike rack if you are going to use a Topeak bike bag but the racks are no more expensive than other brands and can also be used with bike bags from other manufacturers.

Since this bag is brand new, I don’t have any first hand experiences with it yet, but I know I will, in time, and I’ll be sure to update the about-bicycles blog or website pages with my experiences.

I am pretty particular about bike bags and I have learned quite a bit in the process of searching for this one so I have updated the Bike Bags Page on this site with the latest information.

OK, so I am a little partial to Topeak now and I have also favored REI a little too, but having preferences and making honest and helpful (hopefully) recommendations are part of what this site is about. 🙂

I’m sure I will have more on this topic soon, but that’s it for now.

Bike Bag Decisions and In-Decisions

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I am in the process of updating my bike bag and it has been quite a process due to the bike that I ride and my own in-decisions on which bag I want.

For many years I have just used a handlebar bag attached to the back of my seat. I don’t have a lot of space on my handlebars and it fits behind the seat and allows me to carry at least a small number of items that I need.

This year I had decided to finally get a rack and trunk bag setup which I had been looking into for quite some time now (although I will be updating this page very soon, see Bicycle Bags on this site for some good information and online resources for bike bags)

My own particular needs are primarily to have a fairly compact bag to carry some essential items on everyday rides but also be capable of handling larger loads for longer trips (or even utility rides to the store, etc. for small to medium sized items).

I had decided on a trunk and rack system, but the bike that I ride is a racing bike (Trek 1500) and therefore is not designed for luggage racks. 🙁 My bike does not have the threaded holes in the frame that allow you to easily attach a bike rack.

After talking to a guy at my local bike shop, I found out that I can attach a bike rack to the back of my (racing style) bike by using rubber coated clamps. It’s not the ultimate setup but I’ve tried it (2 times now (more on that later)) and it does work! One hint for a better fit and to avoid scratching the frame is to cut up an old inner tube and use it between the clamp and the frame.

OK, so yesterday I finally bought a frame (Bike Planet brand) and a very nice trunk bag (Cannondale Bobby Cargo Bag ($65)). This is a very nice trunk bag with a good amount of space, multiple compartments, a bungee cord on the top, a water resistant zipper and Velcro straps to attach to the rack.

I also looked at Topeak Bags but I didn’t really like the idea that you had to have a Topeak rack (with their “Quick Track” system) in order to use one of their bags (they do not have any other way to attach to the frame (like with Velcro)). So I didn’t go with Topeak.

After installing the frame on my bike and enjoying my new purchase, I started having second thoughts about the Topeak Quick Track setup. In addition to the convenience of the Quick Track system, I had found that there are a lot of really well designed Topeak bags out there and I had a lot more choices if I used their rack.

It turned out that the Topeak rack was no more expensive than other racks but allowed me to use Topeak Quick Track bags or any other bags whereas if you get another kind of rack you can use pretty much any other bag except for Topeak bags.

So I changed my mind and decided to go with the Topeak rack. This meant uninstalling and returning my first rack and buying and installing the Topeak rack. 🙁 This was quite a job for me due to the limitations of my racking bike (described above). So much for changing my mind!

Well, I’m going to have to wrap this up, but the story isn’t really quite over yet so I will be doing some more updates in the next few days.

Anyway, I found that there was a GREAT selection of Topeak bags out there once I got the Topeak rack. I ended up returning my original Cannondale bag and going to REI and getting a Topeak RX Trunk Bag DXP which I really like.

This trunk bag has fold out panniers in the side compartments. I wasn’t sure if I wanted that at first, but I am sold on it now!

My only concern now is if the Topeak RX Trunk Bag DXP is the size that I really want. Keep in mind that this is a pretty compact bag and not made for very large loads. It does expand and allow you to carry quite a bit of stuff but the “MTX” version of this bag is much bigger and only about 1 lb heavier so right now I am still undecided as to whether to stick with my 2nd purchase or trade up for the larger version.

Well, I am set on the Topeak rack and bags so now my final decision comes down to which size to get (or stick with).

More very soon…

2010 Bike GPS Updates

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The 2010 biking season has definitely begun here in Chicago now and I have spent many hours reviewing the latest cycling GPS units again this year.

I am considering a new bike GPS unit for this year and I think I pretty much know what I personally would get but in the process I have also reviewed quite a few biking and handheld GPS units in order to keep my Bicycle GPS page  up to date.

As I have mentioned, I have spent hours researching this subject. There is a lot of good information, comparisons and videos on the Garmin site and I have also reviewed countless entries in Bike Forums and reviews on other websites.

What I have found is that the Edge series is probably still the most popular cycling computers although some bikers do not really need the bike specific functions and still go with the hiking and handheld models like the Etrex series, GPSMAP 60csx or the Oregon or Dakota series.

Even though you know you are in the market for a cycling GPS unit, there are still some additional decisions that will need to be made. You need to consider if the mapping and advanced navigation options are important to you or if you would rather keep the costs down and are primarily interested in  the workout and training data. Also, if you are a mountain biker, you may have other requirements and priorities.

If you are primarilary interested in the training and workout data and would like to keep the costs down, the most popular units are the Edge 205 and Edge 305 units. The main differences between the 205 and 305 is that the 305 has barometric altimeter, heart rate and cadence where as the 205 does not.

If you are looking for a higher end unit with more navigation and mapping options then you will probably be more interested in the Edge 605 and Edge 705 series. The main differences between the 605 and 705 is that the 705 has barometric altimeter, heart rate and cadence (and a few other options)  where as the 605 does not.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, Garmin EDge 705I pretty much know what I would want (for my particular riding style and preferences) and I would choose the Edge 705. Even though I am really not that big on the heart rate and cadence attachments, I would like the barometric altimeter and you can also get the 705 bundled with Street Maps SD card which I would want and have to buy separately anyway.

As for the handheld and mountain biking GPS units, the GPSMAP 60CSxm eTrex Vista HCx, eTrex Legend HCx and the Oregon and Dakota units seem to be the most popular. The Oregon and Dakota are a little more expensive but they have the touch screen capabilities.

As you can see from this post, selecting a bike GPS unit can be a complicated process. Even though I have a good idea about what I would choose, I am also trying to keep the GPS page on this website up to date and help to simplify the process as much as possible for those who do not have the hours to spend researching bike GPS options.

I have just updated the original Bicycle GPS page , on this site, with the latest 2010 information and links so this page has some good current information and links for places to buy these units online.

I hope this helps a little bit for now. I am not done with my research for this year yet, but I did want to share what I have discovered so far.

Bike Speedometer Batteries

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Sorry for the delay in blog posts. I had actually hoped to be doing more rides and updates but the weather has not been that good for riding and I’ve had a few other things going on too.

Anyway, I had some interesting events before my ride today and wanted to pass on some useful (I think) information.

It’s been in the 40s in the Chicago area and even though it was pretty cold it really was a nice day for a ride if you are dressed well for it. Well, I got all prepared and dressed properly, hopped on my bike and found that my speedometer was not working! Damn!

So I worked out a beautiful plan to swing by our Walgreens, which has a connecting bike path to it, on my bike, get the batteries, change them outside and be on my way.

Here’s the useful information that I wanted to pass on. I have a Vetta wireless bike computer and I have already discovered that the speedometer will stop working when the transmitter battery OR the battery in the main bike computer are weak, even though the bike computer battery is still strong enough to  power the main display screen. So if you are not getting a signal, it could be the battery in the transmitter OR the main unit. I am only familiar with my own wireless computer but this could be the case with other manufacturers also.

OK, back to the story… I decided to try the battery in the transmitter first. So I locked my bike and went in to Walgreens and got a battery for the transmitter. Went out to my bike and ended up turning the transmitter cap the wrong way (duh! It says which way for open and close right on it!). Well, I ended up stripping the plastic cap on the transmitter and then was not able to get it off after that (oh well, accidents happen).

So I need to ride back home and work on that so I go to unlock my bike and the lock will not open!!! (so much for my beautiful plan). So I had to call my wife to drive over to Walgreens to pick me up. I asked her to bring my sheet metal cutters to cut the lock cable. Well, that worked just fine. It was so easy to cut that lock cable! (I am going to add another reply to my blog entry on bike locks about that one later).

Fortunately, I had a cadence sensor for this bike computer, that I no longer use and that had the exact same cap that I could use as a replacement for the one that I stripped. I managed to drill the cap off of the speedometer sensor and replaced it with the new cap.

Now, I get to step two. I checked the speedometer, with the new transmitter battery, and it still did not work. It turned out that it was exactly what I explained above. The problem was with the main bike computer battery even though all of the functions (time, odometer, settings, etc.) still worked just fine.

Well, I headed up to Walgreens and got a new battery for the main computer unit, changed it, reset the wheel size, odometer, time, etc., and everything worked just fine!

I finally got my ride in and it was a really nice ride. I did 17 miles and  saw 3 more deer on the Paul Douglas bike path today.

Exercise Bikes, Stationary Bikes and Bike Trainers

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I know that I am a little early for this category (there is still plenty of bike riding season left (even here in the Chicago area!)) but I have been wanting to add an Exercise Bike or Stationary Bike section to the site for quite a while now and I have just completed these pages.

The main pages are Exercise Bikes and Bike Trainers.

This was actually quite a bit of work for the number of web pages that I put up because I went out to a number of different places and actually tried out a large number of exercise bikes, in addition to spending some time researching them online.

I also have a friend that is quite an expert in exercise equipment (he has been in the industry for many years) and I have consulted with him and used many of his suggestions.

I will probably be adding more individual exercise bike pages as time goes on, but at least now there is a category for these items on the website.

On a side note, this has held me up as far as the editing of the Des Plaines River Trail video goes. That will be my next project on the bike site, but I can’t say when I will get it posted.

I still want to get out and ride while the weather is still good!

I am not a Bike Thief!

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But I could have been… OK, here’s the story: I bought a cheap bike for my son to use at college this year and locked it to the bike rack in front of his dorm when we dropped him off last fall. He ended up getting a skateboard and never even used the bike. He also lost the combination to the lock!

The bike was left out all year and we just went to pick him up from school yesterday. We still didn’t have the combination so I brought a hack saw, some sheet metal cutters and other tools with me in case I had a problem with the lock.

I didn’t want to waste a lot of time getting permission to cut the lock so I thought that I would just give it a try and if campus security came by, well, I’d just have to explain and beg for mercy (it’s the “easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission” theory).

So I put the tools in an inconspicuous, flowery shopping bag and went up to the bike rack (no ski mask to hide my face or anything!) I whipped out my hack saw and got ready for the heist. It took 10 to 15 seconds to saw through the cable lock! It was so easy. I had just done some research for my bike locks page and was reading about how easy it is to cut through cable locks. Well, I just proved it. I’ve read about it but it really sinks in more when you have actually done it and see how easy it is.

Bike lock easily cut with old rusty hack saw

Bike lock easily cut with old rusty hack saw

Even though I was in front of a dorm on a crowded campus in broad daylight. Ten seconds to cut through a bike lock did not drawn any attention. In this case it was our bike anyway but that event highlighted how easy it is to steal a bike if I really were a bike thief.

This lock was pretty thin and cheap but if I can cut through it in 10 seconds then 20 seconds for a thicker cable is still not really a problem.

So, if you have a cable lock, it’s almost useless against someone who really wants the bike.  A high quality U-lock is much better. See the bike locks page for the latest bike security and bike lock updates.

New Power Grips Pedal Straps

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If was a little overcast today and I put in a good 20 miles yesterday so I went to the local bike shops for pedal straps. Man, the bike shops were crowded today! It was still nice to get out and explore some of the latest bike stuff out there though.

Anyway, back to the pedal straps. At the end of the riding season last year one of my original pedal clips broke. I removed it and continued my ride and have been riding with just one pedal clip since then (not really a good setup).

My recumbent rider friend told me about Power Grips and that he really liked them. powergrips I have ridden his bent and have used them for a few miles and they seemed to work pretty well. I found them at REI and Performance but the two other local bike shops that I went to did not have them.

Well, I just put them on tonight. It was not all that easy to put them on especially since I was trying to use them with my existing pedal reflectors. As it turns out, I just had to sacrifice the reflectors (at least temporarily) for the pedal straps. The company says that you can order pedal reflectors specifically for these straps but I don’t know if I want to do that yet or not. The straps were a little expensive too ($25 at Performance).

Anyway, I finally got the straps installed and they seem pretty nice. I can’t give a total endorsement until I’ve used them for a while. What I do like is that they are very easy to get out of and I have had problems getting out of my old pedal clips pretty often. I have fallen a few times just because I couldn’t get my foot out of the clip in time. I’ve never fallen while riding it’s usually when I am already stopped but still clipped in then just shift or loose my balance (more embarrassing than anything else really).

Besides for being able to get out of them a little easier, if you want them a little tighter (for more power on the upstroke) you can push your foot farther forward.

I think that these are going to work out pretty well. I’ll let you know if they don’t or if there is anything else significant to mention after I have used them for a while.

Most Popular Bike Brands Research and Updates.

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I just completed another article for the bike site. This one is Most popular bike brands in US and really took quite a bit of research to complete! I read a number or articles and facts and figures on popular bike types and bike sales and also read through numerous opinions in various bike forums, etc. then put together my summary. I think the summary makes a real nice reference.