Gift Ideas for the Cyclist on Your List

The holidays are almost here and many of you have a cyclist to shop for.  I have compiled a list of  gift ideas for products that I use and enjoy.  There is something here for just about any type of rider and budget.

Fix It Sticks

($36)

The new Fix It Sticks Replaceable Edition is the ultimate compact multi-tool a cyclist wants with them for repairs or adjustments during a ride.  Its small size fits easily into a seat pack or jersey pocket and comes with 8 bits (2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, Phillips #2, Torx 25) to handle most jobs.  Steel construction gives Fix It Sticks 40 ft/lbs of torque and the "T" configuaration provides plenty of leverage.  Available from Fix It Sticks and select bike shops.

CatEye Strada Smart

($80/$140)

New this year is the CatEye Strada Smart which brings together a cycling computer and Bluetooth accessories (Speed/Cadence, Heartrate and Power) with your smartphone.  Works both in Mirror Mode and Sensor Direct Mode. 

Data summary from the CatEye Cycling app can be uploaded to Strava, CatEye Atlas and Training Peaks.  App works with iPhone 4S (IOS 6.1) or later and Android devices with Android 4.4/Bluetooth 4.0.  Available in Strada Smart and Strada Smart Package from Penn Cycle and other fine bike shops.

CamelBak Podium Bottles

($9-$25)

The CamelBak Podium line of water bottles has been a favorite of cyclists because of their innovative design and high flow spill-proof Jet Valve.  They come in a variety of models that include the Podium, Podium Chill and Podium Ice in sizes from 21 to 25 oz. depending on the model.  Chill and Ice models are designed to keep your water cold longer in warm temperatures or slow down freezing in the wintertime.  Available from Camelbak, Penn Cycle and other fine bike shops.

Banjo Brother Frame Pack

($33/$35)

The Banjo Brother Frame Pack is a favorite of commuters and gravel grinders alike for its convenient 2-pocket storage with easy access.  It comes in two sizes, small (70 cubic inches) and medium (102 cubic inches) that fit sloping frames down to 15".  Keeps snacks, spare tubes, keys and wallet close at hand and the medium pack is large enough to accommodate a 2L (70 oz) hydration bladder.  Available from Banjo Brothers, Penn Cycle and other fine bike shops.

SKS Airchecker

($25)

The SKS Airchecker is handy little digital tire pressure gauge that works with both Presta and Shrader valves.  It has a swivel head to make seeing the large digital readout easy at any angle and switches from Bar to PSI with the touch of a button.  Accurate readouts for low pressure fatbike tires to high pressure road bike tires with measurements up to 144 psi are what makes this a versatile multi-bike gauge.  The compact size fits in a seat bag without taking up too much space leaving room for other things like a tube and tire levers.  Available from Penn Cycle and other fine bike shops.

Finish Line Super Bike Wash

($9-$13)

Cleaning your bike and keeping it looking new is easy with Finish Line Super Bike Wash.  This safe for all surfaces, non-toxic and biodegradable product can be used two ways to remove dirt and grime with little or no scrubbing.  Spray it on and wipe it off or hose it off allowing you to clean your bike inside or outside.  Available in 1 Liter ready to use spray bottle, 1 Liter refill and 16 oz. concentrate at Penn Cycle and other fine bike shops.

Quad Lock Bike Kit

($70)

The Quad Lock Bike Kit is a lightweight and strong bike mount system for your smarthphone.  For those that like to use their smarthphone with ride tracking apps or for navigation, this kit is the way to go.  The Bike Mount attaches easily to the stem or bar with rubber O-rings or zip ties for a secure fit.  The dual action locking mechanism allows quick attachment or removal of the phone from the bike.  Quad Lock has models for Galaxy S4, Galaxy S5, iPhone 4/4S, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5/5S, and iPhone 6.  Available from Quad Lock and Amazon.com.

DeFeet Woolie Boolie Socks

($13-$25)

For the cold weather cyclist, any one of the DeFeet Woolie Boolie socks would be a great addition to their cycling apparel.  Made from American Merino Wool, Nylon and Lycra, this sock line is warm, comfortable, doesn't bunch up and is not itchy.  They come in heights from 1" to knee high in men's and women's sizes.  Available from DeFeet, fine bike shops and Amazon.com.
  

Scosche boomBOTTLE

($130)

The Scosche boomBOTTLE is a rugged IPX4 Splashproof/Weatherproof Bluetooth connectivity speaker designed to fit in a water bottle cage or cupholder.  Skip the earbuds and enjoy listening to podcasts or music while riding and still be able to hear approaching vehicles or passing cyclists.  With a 10 hour battery life and rich loud sound this speaker will keep you entertained on those long rides.  Available in a variety of colors from Scosche, Amazon.com and other online retailers.

Park Tool Chain Checker

($30)

Chain stretch can cause sloppy shifting, uneven drivetrain wear and premature cassette replacement.  Know your chain's percentage of stretch and replace it before it has a chance to do damage with the Park Tool CC-2 Chain Checker.  It is 10 and 11 speed compatible and has readings from 0 to 1 % of stretch.  For most chains replacement should be done at or before .75% of stretch.  This simple tool is easy to use and will take the guess work out of when to replace that worn chain.  Available from Penn Cycle and other fine bike shops.

Gift Cards From Your Local Bike Shop

Don't know what to get the cyclist on your list?  Gift cards from your local bike shop are always appreciated.  They can be used for tune-ups and overhauls, component and part upgrades, accessories, apparel, unexpected repairs (crash) or toward a new bike purchase.  Gift cards are available in a variety of denominations and are always the perfect size.

Product Review: Scosche boomBOTTLE

Scosche introduced the boomBOTTLE last year at Interbike and it caught my attention right away.  It's a rugged IPX4 Splashproof/Weatherproof Bluetooth connectivity speaker designed to fit in a water bottle cage or cupholder.  I liked the idea of the boomBOTTLE so much that I included it as one of the 20 products in my 4-part series of posts Interbike 2013 Cool Bike Gear.

Image Credit: Scosche Industries

First of all, let me go over some of the features of the boomBOTTLE.  As mentioned above, this speaker has IPX4 Splashproof/Weatherproof construction meaning it can withstand splashing water from any direction.  It's lightweight at less than 1 pound and has a shock absorbing non-slip exterior with dust and debris protective screens around the speakers.  Bluetooth connectivity gives it a wireless range of up to 33 feet and it has a 3.5mm auxiliary input for non-Bluetooth devices.  The dual 40mm drivers and passive subwoofer omni-directional speakers deliver sound 360°.  Control music playback with the multi-function button to pause, play and skip tracks.  Phone calls can be taken while riding using it as a speakerphone.  A long lasting Lithium polymer rechargeable battery provides up to 10 hours of use.

I enjoy listening to podcasts and music while I ride but the use of earbuds can interfere with me hearing approaching vehicles or passing cyclists.  The boomBOTTLE would be a safer alternative that would let me still hear the sounds around me while listening in on my favorite podcast.

I ride a lot of gravel roads so sand, dirt and mud do end up all over me and my bike on rainy days and wet conditions.  This I thought would be a good test of the boomBOTTLE's splashproof/weatherproof IPX4 rating.  Rides in the rain and on wet roads did not affect the performance of the boomBOTTLE and it continued to deliver a rich quality sound.  The slip-resistant outer coating and screens over the speakers protected it from the the water and debris flung at it from my wheels.

After these wet rides the boomBOTTLE was good and dirty and in need of a cleaning.  This was easy, I lightly rinsed it off under the faucet to remove all of the road muck it had picked up on the ride.  A quick wipe down with a dry towel and it was like new again.

The boomBOTTLE fit nice and snug in my water bottle cage and stayed put even on washboard gravel and bumpy "No Motorized Vehicles" doubletrack.  The battery life was exceptional giving me 10+ hours of playback on a single charge.  Using it 1 to 2 hours a day, a charge seemed to last the whole week.  When the battery status reached 25% a voice prompt stated "Battery Level 25%" letting me know it would soon need a recharge.  To protect the battery when the charge is too low it would beep three times, the power down tone would sound and it would shut down.  To conserve battery it would automatically shut down after 10 minutes when there was no longer a Bluetooth signal input.  Charging the battery does take some time, usually around 3 hours, but the long battery life definitely makes up for that.  The charging status LED let me know if it was charging (red) or had reached a full charge (blue) and was ready for use.

Pairing my phone with the boomBOTTLE for the first time was very easy and I was able to do so without reading the instructions.  Once paired, when turned on connection is almost immediate and a voice prompt will state "Power On" and "Connected".  The large buttons and placement of them made it easy to adjust the volume or pause and skip a track while riding.  When turning up the volume on the boomBOTTLE it would beep once when maximum volume was reached.  During windy conditions or when riding fast (16+ mph), maximum volume was needed to hear the audio over the wind noise and was sometimes hard to hear.  To overcome this, I recommend using a product like Wind-Blox to reduce the wind noise and give a better listening experience.  Don't get me wrong, the boomBottle is loud and has good bass with rich sound but wind noise across the ears can sometimes be even louder.  Another way to direct the sound from the omni-directional speakers to better hear the audio is to place the boomBOTTLE in a bottle cage on the down tube like pictured in the photo above.  This will better point the sound toward the rider than placement in a cage on the seat tube.

Integrated Music Controls (Multi-function button)

The multi-function button (MFB) located between the up/down volume buttons has many useful controls of the paired device.  A single tap of the MFB will play or pause an audio track, while a double tap will track forward and a triple tap will track backward.  To answer a phone call and use the boomBOTTLE as a speakerphone, tap the MFB once and do the same to hang up a call.  For phones that have voice control function, hold the MFB for two seconds and release and this will access the phone's voice control feature.  These integrated music controls work nicely when riding because they allow leaving the phone in a pocket and give the ability to control it with the touch of a button.

On the bike or around the house, this compact Bluetooth speaker delivers rich, clear and loud sound whether listening to music or spoken audio podcasts.  Using it is much safer than headphones or earbuds when riding my bike because I can still hear things around me like cars, pedestrians and other cyclists.  The battery life is great and the unit's construction is durable and water resistant for rides in any weather on the road or singletrack.  I would definitely recommend the boomBOTTLE to anyone that likes to listen to music or podcasts while riding their bike.  

The Scosche boomBOTTLE retails for $129.99 and is available in a variety of colors from Scosche, Amazon and many other online retailers.

*Note:  The Scosche boomBOTTLE was paired with a Samsung Galaxy S4 via Bluetooth the duration of testing for this review.

Disclosure:  Scosche Industries provided the review sample for this article, but offered no other form of compensation for this review.

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.