Here are a few ideas for Christmas from me. Most of the stuff I’ve used and would endorse. Others are just wishes. Okay, let me know if you have other good ideas.
I’ve only practiced “pinning” numbers on with these guys, (since I’ve been hurt most of the year) and they hold great. I hate safety pins and messed around a little with rare earth magnets, but these are much better. They are cheap and fun. Here is the link to their website.
Again, like last year, a Garmin mount is always great. I use this BarFly mount everyday and love the way they keep upgrading it. They make mounts for nearly every gadget you’d want to attach to your bike. Garmin, iPhone, GoPro, even Saddle bags. Here’s a link to their products.
This is a book by Jamie Smith. Jamie is a super announcer and a bike race geek. Here he uses humor to explain most tactics involved in the sport. It is fun to read. Easy to order at Amazon. $12.95.
A great headlight. Headlights have gotten so inexpensive nowadays that there is no reason that every rider shouldn’t have one just because. I bought a couple over at Amazon and they are amazing. Lights that would have been over $200 a couple years ago are now 20 bucks. They are too bright and even come with helmet mounts. Look for one with Cree and the more mAH, the better. Most are Amazon Prime eligible, so you can have them tomorrrow if you want. Link to them.
This is a King titanium water bottle cage. Not Chris King, who also makes super cool bikes parts, but King from Durango. These are the best, lightest bottle cages on the market. They are $60 each, but last forever. They also sell ti bike bells, titanium tire levers and other fun stuff. Here’s the link.
A great present is this, a Bose Mini SoundLink. I carry this around in a sunglass case for protection. It is pretty small, but packs a huge sound. It is bluetooth to your phone and sounds amazing. If you’ve ever listened to the a Bose Soundwave radio or any of their other products, you’ll get the same here. It’s around $200, but essential for a well-traveled bike racer. Here’s a link to their website. I think you can also get them at an Apple store and other places.
Okay, I don’t have one of these and have never used it, but it has to be great. This is a new Silca Superpista Ultimate floor pump. It is expensive, comparing it to other pumps, around $450. But, it is supposed to be the last pump you’ll ever get. I have a few of the original Silca pumps and if this is that much better than those, it will be great. It won the best of show at Interbike this past year, so he should be pretty awesome. Any bike rider receiving this pump for a present would be beyond excited. Here is their link.
The LeMond Trainer. As you guys might, or might not know, I’m not too big on riding indoors. But this winter, I think I’m going to have to bite the bullet and stay off the ice. I’m pretty sure I don’t need to fall down for a little bit. Anyway, the lower picture is from my hallway. I got a LeMond trainer, pretty much out of the blue. Plus a super nice note from Kathy LeMond. I haven’t put it together yet, but am going to take it with me up to Chicago, for Christmas and then to Cable, in case I can’t ski. The reviews on the trainer are stellar. Everyone says they are the best. Plus, everyone should be supporting Greg and his endeavors now. He deserves it. You can get the trainer lots of places. Here is a link to their website. There are full-on stationary bikes if a trainer won’t fit the bill.
I have a Lemond Revolution and it is tops. Heavy, but that means it doesn’t wobble when you’re out of the saddle in your basement. I have an early model and it sounds like a jet engine in the basement, but maybe its quieter now. The jet sound is kinda cool, tho. And we should be supporting Greg. I rode with him in the Catoctin Challenge a few years back and he’s a great storyteller. Kathy is very cool, too!
Hey Steve, I got a book this year called: 1001 bikes to dream of riding before you die. Ed Guy Kesteven; pub. Cassell. It is a nice mix of the iconic, the flash, the super-popular, and the eclectic. A touch of press release tone on some of the big name bikes but by and large really well done. Over 900 pages, a veritable brick. Best wishes for 2015.
Steve – great minds think alike! I have pretty much everything on the list except the new Silca … I cannot justify that and my Serfas and Leyzene do the job … keep up the site – one of my daily highlights.
USD $60 for a bottle cage? Yeesh. Cateye bottle cages work great for me. No bouncing out on the rigid mountain bike for decades now. < USD $10 in the U.S.
The critics will claim 10g of added weight will *destroy* performance. May as well go back to 36h alloy box-rim wheels. Right?
You would think that those “snap things” would mess up your jersey.
I hope that my 25 year old Silica is the last pump I’ll ever buy.
$10 stainless cages do the job for me.
I use the Race Snaps all last season and all my jerseys look the same as the day I got them. Our team uses them also and we are all happy to have finally found a alternative to safety pins. Reusable, Nondestructive, American Made.
If you are looking for a high end trainer for your basement look at the Wahoo KICKR. It is an erg so you can control watts irrespective of cadence via a bluetooth smartphone (iphone only?) app.
I saw a French chick bunny hop a CX barrier today and it BLEW MY FUCKING MIND!!!!
We wonder why everything is made offshore when a high-tech cree headlight costs less than 30 pieces of cheap plastic run off on a printer.
I’ve had the same King ti cage for 15 years. Never once lost a bottle out of it during a race or training. Never had a “training” MTB so it has also been on every single mile of MTB riding I’ve done in 15 years. Plus Ron Andrews, the guys that still makes every one by hand, is a former racer and cool guy.
I recommend ear protection when riding the LeMond Revolution. Had one for a couple of years and love it, but there is no way in hell I’d ride that thing without sound blocking headphones. It cannot be good for your hearing. LeMond promised a shroud to cut the noise, but that never materialized. I tried a homemade dampening system, which helped, but the headphones are just easier. I put on a movie and turn on the closed captioning. And it really is the best trainer, although I’m curious how the Wahoo Kickr compares.
I bought my Silca pump in 1974 and with a few replacement parts (washer, hose) it’s still pumping like the day it was new – 40 years ago. I’d buy the new one in a heartbeat but it too (like my original) would have to go in my will.