Interbike 2017 Cool Bike Gear-Part 1

This year's Interbike wasn't what it was in past years, there were a lot of big players in the industry that were no-shows at this year's show, however that didn't discourage me from finding some cool new bike products.  This is the first installment of my recap of the cool Interbike 2017 finds that I came across during the convention and if you ride like I do, I think you'll find these products as useful as I see their potential.

Garmin Charge™ Power Pack

For those that have the new Garmin Edge 1030 there is an available Garmin Charge™ Power Pack that gives users an extra 24 hours of battery life.  It fits seamlessly with the new Garmin Edge 1030 mount and if you would like to use with an older Garmin model it can be done by using an additional USB charging cable.  Available from Garmin and numerous Garmin retailers for $129.99.

Brilliant Reflective Strips

Brilliant Reflective Strips are a great way to give cyclists extra visibility to motorists and other cyclists in low light and night riding conditions.  They are made with 3M™ Scotchlite™ Reflective Material tape that is highly reflective which come in stick-on (removable) and iron-on (permanent) packs.  The stick-on strips work great on helmets and bike frames while the iron-on strips are an option for cycling apparel to use bio-motion to be better seen.  Colors available are Red, Blue, Black and Purple.  Available from the Brilliant Reflective Strips website, Erik's Bike Shop and on Amazon.com for $14.95/pack.

Maxxis Moosetrak

New to the Maxxis lineup for fatbikers is the Moosetrak studded tire, their first studded fatbike tire.  It comes in a 60 & 120 tpi folding bead, tubeless-ready casing that has a dual winter rubber compound.  This is a 26" tire that is an extra wide 4.8".  It has 258 concave studs and a tread pattern that is designed to have a low rolling resistance in hard pack conditions.  Price has not been determined yet, but expect them to start showing up at your local bike shop this Fall.

RideAir

New from RideAir Innovations is the RideAir Portable Air Tank.  It is a compressed air capsule that fits in a standard water bottle cage for inflating flats or adjusting tire pressure on the fly.  RideAir is refillable using a compressor or gas station air pump.  It can even be used to seat tubeless tires.  It has an inflation gauge so you know how much air you have left in it and is Presta/Schrader compatible.  RideAir is available in a variety of colors with or without a cable lock to lock it to your frame.  RideAir retails for $59.99 or with a lock for $69.99.  Available from RideAir Innovations and Amazon.com.

Interbike 2013 Cool Bike Gear-Part 4

After five days in Las Vegas for Interbike, I have seen anything and everything bike related.  There was so much to see that it took all three days at the show and both days at the Outdoor Demo to take it all in.  I felt like a kid in a candy store and there were many things that caught my eye.  This is the final installment of four posts highlighting some of the cool new products at Interbike 2013 that are now available, available soon or are coming to a bike shop near you.

Abus Bordo 5700

From Abus comes a new lock in their uGrip Bordo line, the Bordo 5700.  It has 5mm steel bar link construction that folds up into a small package and can be mounted to a bike frame with non-slip velcro straps or using the bottle cage bolt holes.  The premium cylinder safeguards against picking and the lock can be snapped shut without having to turn the key unlike previous models.  It comes in a variety of colors (black, pink, lime, blue and orange) and has a secure rating of 7 on Abus' own security scale of 1-15 (higher is more secure).  The Bordo 5700 folding lock has an MSRP of $69.99 and will be available at your local bike shop in Spring 2014.

 45NRTH Fasterkatt

45NRTH introduces a second boot to follow up the huge success of the Wölvhammer.  The Fasterkatt is designed to keep your feet warm and dry in cold, wet or muddy conditions in the 25° to 45° range.  With a waterproof breathable membrane and water resistant zipper, there is no more need for shoe covers with the Fasterkatt.  It is SPD compatible, has a sealed cleat pocket and a Hypergrip micro-glass outsole for extra traction on slippery surfaces.  The insole is made of waffled foam, wool felt and reflective aluminum to to keep your feet warm.      

The Fasterkatt comes in mens standard widths from size 38 to 50 (no size 49) and will begin shipping to authorized retailers the week of October 21st.  MSRP $225.

Scosche BoomBOTTLE

Scosche introduced its new rugged weatherproof Bluetooth speaker, the BoomBOTTLE at Interbike this year.  It is designed to fit in a water bottle cage or cupholder so you can take your music with you on your bike rides.  It has an omni-directional speaker cone that includes 2-40mm drivers and passive subwoofer to deliver rich sound.  The Lithium polymer rechargeable battery will provide up to 10 hours of continuous music playback on a single charge.  Integrated music controls allow the user to play, pause or forward tracks and adjust the volume.  With a built-in microphone, turn your smarthpone into a speakerphone and take calls without getting off the bike.  Wireless, it has a 33 foot range or can be used with non-Bluetooth devices with its built in auxiliary jack.  Color choices for the BoomBOTTLE include grey, blue, yellow, green, pink and are now available for $129.99 from the Scosche website.

Lightweights Power Reflectors

Lightweights Power Reflectors are powerful, high visibility reflectors made from 3M Scotchlite™ that can be applied to just about anything.  The reflective properties of this product are amazing and they can be seen from very long distances.  Stick them on clothing, bikes, helmets or backpacks to greatly increase being seen at night.  They come in many varieties including dots, tape, flex tape, shaft wrap, for clothing & gear and for wheels.  There is a multitude of color choices in many of the varieties to match or accent whatever they are being applied to.  I like the stealth appearance of the black tape that I applied to match the foam vents on the back of my helmet.  You don't even notice it in the daylight, but at night they reflect a very bright diffused light appearing larger than the applied piece.  Lightweights Power Reflectors can be purchased at Lightweights.org or from select retailers.

Giro Feature & Feather Helmets

I had a chance to demo one of the new helmets from Giro at the Outdoor Demo at Bootleg Canyon in 100° temps.  The Feature is a low profile enduro-style helmet designed for long-travel trail riding.  I was surprised at how lightweight and comfortable it was.  After a while I hardly noticed I was even wearing a helmet.  It has twelve vents with internal channeling to draw heat up and out of the helmet and kept me cool in the desert heat.  It comes with an adjustable moto-style visor and dial adjustment on the back of the helmet for a perfect fit. There are seven color choices to choose from.  

The Feather is part of the Women's Series Collection and has the same styling of the Feature helmet in a Womens-specific design.   It also comes with an adjustable moto-style visor and dial adjustment on the back of the helmet in five color styles.

Both helmets retail for $75 and are available direct from the Giro website or look for them at your local bike shop.