all purpose gear thread

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=&sku=25144&storetype=estore&estoreid=1518&pagename=Estore%3A%20New%20Shoes%20for%20the%20New%20Year
i kinda like the look of these tho i know nuthin of lake shoes

helmet hat: http://www.wired.com/reviews/product/pr_yakkay_helmet

oh god

lol

pearl izumi makes some nice mtb-specific shoe covers.

if thats real 80s style benotto disco tape on the pista, its proper.

also, i think those lake shoes are contraband what with kanga leather.

ouch
http://www.planet-x-warehouse.co.uk/?p=3746

....is this UK only, or global?

buy SRAM, ppl, support your american bicycle manufacturer!

I got a cycle computer from Tesco for £1.50 today. It even works. Bargain.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2009/tech/probikes/index.php?id=/photos/2009/tech/probikes/carlos_sastre_cervelo_testeam_s3/18rotorchainset

drilled out, eliptical and anodized. 70s meets 80s meets 90s in fucked up 2009 technological three-way. hope it works for carlos

intense

thinking baot putting track bars on lolpista. I'm going to keep the front brake (shimano 600) what lever should i look at getting?

paul e-lever

^^^

thanks they look nice.

How much of a numpty will I look like if I get this bag:

http://www.ortliebusa.com/cartgenie/images/large/officebag2.jpg

Reasons for considering, it goes on top of the rack so it works with my shopping baskets

alternative is this which is not so waterproof and I'm not sure if it's mounting hardware will work with the rack.

http://www.topeak.com/mediafiles/products/1887/

wait, so it actually mounts on your rear rack? why not?

It has nifty recessed mounting hardware:

http://www.ortlieb.de/_pdf_en/officebag2.pdf

I'm trying rationalise the expense. I don't think my current laptop carrying solution is very good, laptop bag stuffed into the shopping basket. Over the shoulder is completely out as my back is fucked, I am having physio at the moment. It is $209 and I'm not sure if REI will let me use my 20% coupon for it.

this looks good too but I'm not sure it is large enough

http://www.racktime.com/index/lang/en/rubrik/Bicycle%20Bags/artikel/Wall-it/

rats

http://www.racktime.com/pics/200/2008_11_24_11_32_41_4.jpg

http://www.racktime.com/index/lang/en/rubrik/Bicycle%20Bags/artikel/Wall-it/

i found an ortlieb hard shell on craigslist like new and very cheap, but didn't get as it didnt look to have a shoulder strap. also, sorta small.

if you handcuff to your wrist youll send the right vibe with it

those racktime bags look good to compete with my bikebureau, if it ever gives up. much much prefer black though.

should I get a carbon fork? Because the only thing stopping me is the potential ire of my SO and a sense of shame at spending unnecessarily. I'd like to be quicker and maybe dampen the ride a bit. I'd be helping the economy and all.

I want this, I want to be protected by laser force fields.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/06/self-powered-laser-for-safer-night-cycling.php

cool. but if you go between rows of stopped traffic, youd probly set it off yrself?

twelve horns! overkill. light on its own would be good though.

http://mantasaddle.biz/images/stories/manta_mbk_still.jpg

how about this then

http://mantasaddle.biz/

http://mantasaddle.biz/images/stories/manta_mbk_still.jpg

I guess you should just click the link.

what in the hell

Anyone wanna recommend me a bike pump? Here is the deal: This wouldn't be an emergency-specific thing b/c I am a big dude riding a bike w/ super-skinny rims & am going on increasingly lengthy outings over terrain rife w/ cracks, potholes etc. So, basically, my tubes need re-ups quite often, only to 80-90psi, but I'd like to manage that without a lot of stress & strain. I'd like to get a Zefal HPX, but would prefer something not frame-mounted, so I can fit it in a triangle frame-pack with other tools, etc. Can I get a size #1 HPX & fit it into a 16" frame pack, or would I be better off with one of the Topeak Morph series? The Topeak pumps are generally well-reviewed, but I'm suspicious of all the movable plastic pieces & how sturdy they would be over time.

Also, do I really need to spend $50+ on a carbon-fiber water-bottle cage? Being that my bike was manufactured in 1976, I'm guessing probably not. So, anyone wanna recommend me a decent cage, appropriate for an older bike w/out being too clunky/clattery?

Topeak have a great little pump called the pocket rocket which I have for exactly that purpose. It'll take you up to 120psi no worries.

if you just need to pump up between rides get a floor pump

if you just need to pump up between rides get a floor pump

― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Wednesday, June 10, 2009 10:05 PM (2 hours ago) [IP: 67.164.75.254] Bookmark

Thanks, tho I have floor pump. What I am concerned about is maintaining proper PSI levels over the course of 20-30 mile rides & replacing the occasional tube on the road. Again, the combination of being a burly fellow & encountering a fair amount of less-than-ideal road features ensures that I would do well to prioritize this, at least until the point where I am able to comfortably afford more modern & high-performance gear.

Thanks for the suggestion, Ed. I will look into the Pocket Rocket.

I'm rocking a 1976 Flandria btw:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2260/1534730409_8b85bf2f1e_o.jpg

Mine is actually an original Belgian racing model & not its (slightly downgraded) American equivalent. It is pretty great & has certainly given me a taste for the sport, but now that my curiosity has gotten me researching gear, etc, I'm feeling pretty isolated-in-1976 technology-wise - esp. after checking out a lot of the pics on this board.

Also, do I really need to spend $50+ on a carbon-fiber water-bottle cage?

dunno why anyone would need anything more fancy than this:

http://www.evanscycles.com/product_image/image/c4c/dd3/570/26379/product_page/specialized-e-cage-50mm-bottle-cage.jpg?1227116287

yours for 6 dollarpounds

Those Pake track frames... are they cheap for a reason?

mass produced in taiwan like every other off-the-peg track frame

i have heard, apocryphally, that "pake" is hawaiian slang for "junk" but would need this corroborated by an actual hawaiian. super cub?

u need a vintage silca with campy head rite? thats def 70s or prior teknologie

those pake frames are still pretty nice, esp. for the price... i bet they're made in the same factory as soma, surly, etc.

also, king stainless steel cages are relatively inexpensive and a super way to class up an old steel bike.

"Pake" means more like cheap. I think it originally meant Chinese (person), and the meaning kind of evolved from there.

note: this is just my understanding; I do not condone or sanction or pretend to really understand any of this.

To be clear, "pake" would be used like this:

He's so pake, he takes his girlfriend to McDonald's on her birthday.

Ok, back to bikes.

I'm not sure if locks are gear, but what kind do I need? I bought a faux vintage cruiser today, and the lady at the store recommended this 50 pound $90 kryptonite chain that I would wear around my waist when riding. It would seem to sort of destroy the BCBG look I am going for. But it's insured for the price of the bike if stolen. I preferred the look of the U lock--but she thought that the $40 version wouldn't be worth anything over an hour. I decided maybe I would just hardly lock my bike up at all if that was the case. Suggestions?

She also said I should detach the seat when I lock it!

any kryptonite lock is going to have a decent monetary guarantee, although you can only redeem those if you have evidence that the lock was broken (namely, the broken lock, which the thief would have to be kind enough to leave near the crime scene for you to retrieve). a kryptonite evolution lock (the black/orange one) is a good choice for not too much money (and the evolution mini fits in a rear pocket a la every hipster with a fixed gear bike). just stay away from really cheap u-locks and the master lock handcuff looking ones.

i guess it depends on how you plan on carrying it?

i am a hipster scumbag with a mini-U and i love it for its portability. however, i'm def taking my chances: my cx bike has quick release skewers and i rarely ever bring a cable to secure them (that, btw, is a good, light option: mini-u w/about 4' of kryptonite cable to run thru the wheels).

the heavy duty chains are just that: HEAVY. and wearing them around your waist will def destroy your look. however, if you put a plastic crate on your rear rack you can just drop it in there, no sweat.

yeah, do that

didn't mean to imply all who use mini-evo locks are hipster scum; i mean, messengers started using them for their portability, and they're pretty damn convenient... but it's hard to deny that they've become a fashion accessory for the buy-new-chrome-gear-to-match-the-season set.

i use a new york u-lock, which is not convenient at all.

no no, it's fine, i agree with you!