Gear Reviews and Tests

  • A year with a Garmin Edge 800 cycling computer

    A year with a Garmin Edge 800 cycling computer

    I’ve always been a gadget lover and even more, I’ve always loved data and information. When it came to moving a lot more than before, I wanted to motivate myself by starting to measure my progress. Since I was also running, I got me a Garmin Forerunner. It had GPS, could be attached to the…

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  • Big boy cycling, 10 rules of riding 100 kilometers

    Big boy cycling, 10 rules of riding 100 kilometers

    1. You’re Not as Small as Others, Don’t Try to Ride Like One I’ve always been big. That’s why I played basketball. I have had to learn to dodge objects in ceilings other people don’t even see. I’ve had to realize that most items produced for purchase are too small for me. Like outlet bicycles.…

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  • Advice for the first-time tourer: uh… “down there”

    Advice for the first-time tourer: uh… “down there”

    Right. I’m half-expecting to be flogged with an inner tube for TMI, but let’s be adult and sensible and learn how to avoid saddle sores. If you are affronted by discussions of the derriere, go to the next post now. In most of this series, I’m trying to cover the kind of information I really,…

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  • Saddle bag review: Topeak Aero Wedge Large

    Saddle bag review: Topeak Aero Wedge Large

    In my previous setup, I carried everything in a bright yellow dry bag that divers usually use. From that activity, I ended up with two of these water- and air-proof bags that traveled with me on the rack you see in the photo above. I used two bungee straps with hooks to keep everything in…

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  • 5 questions for finding the right bike

    5 questions for finding the right bike

    Ah, the eternal question – what kind of bicycle should you have. The forums are full of these questions, people asking about a specific type of bike wanting to know if that’s good enough for them. But not many people really think about what kind of bike they should have. First of all, there are…

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  • Review: X-Tools Workshop Prep Stand

    Review: X-Tools Workshop Prep Stand

    Building or repairing a bicycle without a stand is very, very difficult if you have to do anything that requires two hands or you have to spin the wheels or pedals. As you might already know, I am a tall person (195 cm, something like 6’4″) and I don’t know anyone who likes to work…

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