Blackburn - Air Stik 2Stage

I have needed a compact and reliable pump for some time now. I have been bumming pumps off of my riding buddies or carrying this old school hand pump that's about as long as the top tube on my bike but wasn't designed to be fastened to the frame. In short, carrying around a hand pump that I may not even need was a real hassle considering the amount of trouble it was to mount it to the bike. It was even too large to keep in my jersey pocket.

I used to have a CO2 pump that would fit in my jersey pocket (still do, actually), but I was always worried that when I would really need it the thing would malfunction or whatever. The few times I did use it, it would get frozen to my valve stem and more air would leak out. The other problem I had with the CO2 was that the pressure in my tire wasn't as high as I'd prefer if you have any considerable distance left to travel after changing a flat on the road.

Enter the Blackburn Air Stik 2Stage. I'm hoping this little beauty solves all my transportation and pressure needs.



Some details include:
- High Volume Mode and High Pressure Mode for faster inflation and with less effort
- Mode Switch on handle
- Aluminum barrel and shaft
- Rebuildable
- Presta-specific head
- 84 grams
- Cage mount included
- Max pressure 160psi
- Lifetime Warranty

Also, this pump comes with a handy mounting bracket that uses your water cage bolts for mounting. It is only about 6 inches in length and fits tightly to the frame. In fact, it is currently mounted on my seat post tube water bottle cage and hangs off the side but it's so compact that it doesn't even come close to hitting my ankle during the pedal stroke. That's one problem I had with my other pump (the big clunker that I tried to mount on my bike).

I give this thing two thumbs up!

Helmet Cam - Oregon Scientific Helmet Cam AT18

Another great find here. I haven't purchased this bad boy.... yet... But, let me tell you how I came across this little guy. I'm a member of a bike forum and I posed a question on there on "What to do if you're involved in a bike + car accident". I'll post more details in a bullet point list about the responses I got, but one genius idea was to have a helmet cam to record the commute. That way there's no dispute as to what happened. A lot of the people that responded had been involved in a bike accident before and there were a lot of things they wish they had done differently. Like, for instance, getting a police report and witness accounts. They all said the same thing, "If you don't get the facts there and then, its your word against everyone elses." So, that made me think that this little helmet cam (which can be attached to the handle bars) would make a whole lot of sense. The video isn't HD, but looks pretty good for what I'd need it for. And with the 2GB additional flash memory you can record over an hour of footage, which is exactly what I'd need.



It's only $99.00, plus $15.00 for the additional memory. Perfect!

Bike Peddler Take A Look Mirror

I've been doing some research on mirrors to use while riding in the city. I'm not a big fan of putting trinkets on my bike, so I've pretty much ruled out the type of mirrors that attach to the handle bars. That narrowed my search down a bit. After reading about mirrors that attach to the helmet, and bike mirrors in general, it became clear that mirrors have a tendency to vibrate with the wind and bumps while riding.

Ultimately, I've decided on getting the Bike Peddler Take A Look Mirror for US$16.00.

It's easily adjustable and it can be attached to either your eye glasses or helmet visor. I do not wear glasses but I use a mountain bike helmet so it's perfect for me.



Several time's I've been riding a long the street in the bike lane and a car or truck flies by with their tires in my lane. Hopefully, with this mirror, I'll be able to see a situation like this coming and I can move over in time to avoid a potential hazard.

Newer Brighter Cycling Jerseys - Performance Bicycle

Over the weekend I found some great deals on cycling jersey's at Performance Bicycles. I wanted to get the brightest colors I could find to increase the chances I'll be seen while riding on the road. I found exactly what I was looking for at Performance at a great price.


Price: US $19.99 (as of 21-Jul-08)

They are having a sale on jersey's so I picked up three. The neon yellow jersey really glows when out in the sunlight. The material is just the right density to allow the sweat to wick away from the body. I really like the feel of a sleeveless jersey, too!

I wore the bright neon yellow jersey this morning while riding to work and I could tell right away that the color makes a huge difference. Joggers on the sidewalk, from the other side of the street, were glancing my way and I know it wasn't because of my bulging muscles, it had to be the jersey. A lot of times when going through intersections I'll look at the people sitting in the cars waiting their turn at the light. This morning, I had a feeling that more people were watching me cross the street than usual. You could argue that I was more sensitive to this because I was trying to watch peoples reactions more closely, but I truly believe the bright jersey makes a very big difference.

Follow Up To - How Long Do Road Bike Tires Last

5 out of 5 stars.

As promised, I now have over 500 miles on my Continental GP 4000 road bike tires and I can tell you that I am very pleased with their performance thus far. I've really put these tires through the ringer since I've had them. I've run them through potholes, crevasses, grates, glass, metal and in attempts to avoid accidents, I've slammed on the brakes and had to slide them against the pavement. The outcome? You can't even tell it. to look at the tires one would conclude that I take great care to avoid any rough roads. They have very low rolling resistance and great cornering ability for my needs.

I'm sure I can easily get 4000 miles out of these tires. Maybe more.

I also feel I should mention that those times I had to slam on my brakes and ended up "sliding" my rear tire across the pavement, I was sure I would end up with a flat spot or a large scuff on the tire, but to my surprise there were no traces.

Product Review: Novara Cummuter Backpack

Over the weekend I picked up a new backpack to replace one that I had been using for a few years. My old one recently experienced a "blow out" in the main compartment at the bottom of the pack. Needless to say, I didn't want to get to work one day only to notice my skivvies had fallen out onto the street. There were also other reasons for the upgrade. The last pack I used was quite large; larger than I really needed. This caused a lot of wind drag when sailing home near the beach. There's a lot of wind near the beach and anything you can do to reduce the drag will make life a lot easier. So, I selected the Novara Commuter Backpack for its sleek design and rugged construction. This pack has a lot of great features. Separate compartment for toiletries, shoes, clothes, u-lock, cell phone / wallet, mp3 player, and rain poncho. That's right, this little pack also has its own rain poncho that's bright yellow. I typically carry 11-12 lbs including my kryptonite u-lock, but this pack does a good job at keeping the load close to your body and the shoulder straps are very comfy. There are some nice pads on the pack where it meets your back as well for added comfort.

All in all, I give this pack two thumbs up.

Novara Commuter Backpack



Click image to go to REI product details.

New Tire Report

So, I've ridden two days on my new Conti GP 4000 tires (gray tread) and I must say I'm pretty satisfied with my purchase thus far. The rolling resistance seems pretty decent and they corner very well. Today we did about 30-40 miles in the mountains and let me tell you, when you're climbing the sixth 4 mile hillside, you're glad to have the least bit of rolling resistance as possible. They weren't the cheapest tires, for sure, running at $50 each (at the local bike shop). You can spend less if you shop online, but sometimes you pay for convenience if you need tires now instead of waiting for them to be shipped to you. I also went through quite a few spots on route today with a lot of debris and potholes with no issues, no gouges or things of that nature. After about 60 miles, I give them a thumbs up. I'll post my thoughts after 500 miles, too.