[Closed] best bike item of 2014?!?!

switched to SPD's offroad in January, could never go back

Salsa Mukluk - so much fun. And the holiday on the Hebredes on it was superb.
1 x 10 with a 40t - perfect for my local riding.
Swapping my large Sultan for an XL Sultan - makes a great bike fit properly

Surly Jethro Tule. It's lovely.

And it opens bottles.

Brilliant - glad you pleased

The coaching session is valid because it changes your riding experience so dramatically.
So much more than any part you could change on your bike.
The people that put " a session with UK bike skills" are trying to help you.
They are just pointing out that the best money you can spend to improve your biking experience is on your own skills and not your bike.
If you believe otherwise your ego is definitely bigger than your biking ability.

A set of Diadora X Trail Carbon SPD shoes and Crank Bros Candy 3 pedals. Absolutely love them, given me a lot more confidence on the bike knowing my feet aren't going to go flying off the pedals at a moment's notice.

sonofozzz1 - Member

The coaching session is valid because it changes your riding experience so dramatically.
So much more than any part you could change on your bike.
The people that put " a session with UK bike skills" are trying to help you.
They are just pointing out that the best money you can spend to improve your biking experience is on your own skills and not your bike.
If you believe otherwise your ego is definitely bigger than your biking ability.

Its not an item though! I would agree that a skills course is the best bike related purchase that I have made this year, but the best bike item I have purchased this year is a set of DMR Vault Mag Ti pedals

I haven't bought much bikey stuff this past year: some spare gear cables, a helmet and some forks. I'd say the forks (Pikes) as they are noticeably stiffer than the ones they replaced.

They are just pointing out that the best money you can spend to improve your biking experience is on your own skills and not your bike. If you believe otherwise your ego is definitely bigger than your biking ability.

Can some off-road bicycle training make your forks stiffer? Huh?? Didn't think so.

Well if I can't choose my ukbikeskills session it would have to be....... My Pivot Mach 5.7 Carbon. 26 isn't dead!

CCDB inline shock.

Q. What's your favourite fish?

STW Answer. A Tiger.

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Yes it's a tiger fish, definitely wouldn't want to meet one.

I need another go because I remembered another one -
Mudhugger front mudguard

Can some off-road bicycle training make your forks stiffer? Huh?? Didn't think so.

Another +1 for a day with Jedi. That's made the biggest positive difference to my riding without a doubt.

1-1 session with Jedi
T-Rex and NW chainring
Pair of five tens

Wiggle Lifeline USB lights, bright, light, reliable, charge lasts ages, under 20 quid for a pair.

As far as products actually launched in 2014, I think the OneUp Rad Cage and RADr Cages are pretty innovative.
I can't think of any other products specifically launched in 2014 that I've actually tried!

For someone who has been cycling for 36 years, mostly using flats, can't believe I didn't buy any mtb specific shoes until now. A revelation in every sense of the word and there's no going back.

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SRAM CX1. Just does the job. Force hydro's are awesome.

No but it will assist you with weight distribution, cornering technique, line choice etc ultimately making your riding smoother so placing less strain on your equipment so the deficiencies of your forks may become less noticeable

I generally assume that everyone can do those things already but i'm realising that's not the reality of it. So yeah, if you don't know the basics of bike control, a coaching session will probably help. Some people get coaching to help with their confidence too (maybe after a fall or long lay-off), but if you have confidence in your abilities but not the bike (in this case - the front end) what do you do? Me, I did Pikes and the deficiencies of my forks went away 😀

The coaching session is valid because it[b] CAN[/b] change your riding experience so dramatically.

I've put a big bold can (of worms?) in there as it really requires one. If you are clueless, then after a lesson you'd be like 'wow! that's awesome, so stoked, best money spent ever!' etc. If you are competent then you might pick up a few pointers and a few things to work on. If you are good then you may not get much from it at all.

The ones praising coaching as the best thing ever most probably fall into the ex-clueless camp, but like born-again christians, they're the worst sort as they bang on about how marvelous it all is. 😉

And in that post, Euro neatly sums up why no competent sports person uses a coach.

Oh...

I'm going to add my Garmin to this thread, my 810 with cadence and HRM has been invaluable in evolving my riding style and enabling be to ride places I'd never even heard of.

What a great bit of kit 8)

Second the 810, it is very good on the road. Big step on from my old 500.

And in that post, Euro neatly sums up why no competent sports person uses a coach.

Oh...

Oh indeed. Some guys need/want coaching while others don't. Professional cyclists are more likely to need a 'coach' to help with training or diet or head work, not basic skillzzz. Here's a question for you. How much coaching have these slightly better than 'competent sports people' had?

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I'm not knocking coaching, i just don't see it as a necessity if you want to ride a bike well. I've ridden with a lot of people over the years. Some just starting out, some average, some decent, some good and a few very, very good indeed (good enough to make it their day job) and i've only ever met one person who had been on some sort of 'training course' (he fell firmly into the starting out/average pigeonhole). I know what that tells me.

Been convinced to try a 35mm stem

Carbon rims, my Roval Traverses have been relegated to my second bike

Specialized UK going the extra mile with our crashed frames and managing to find me some 15mm adaptors

love that it means so much guys

Zealous Division Frame - so much fun to ride
X-Fusion Slide forks - pumped them up to required pressure, not worried about them since.
Race Face Narrow Wide ring with XT clutch mech - Not lost the chain once despite having no other guide or guard.
Reverb seatpost - I never thought I'd find it so useful.

euro +1

went for a ride last week with two people i barely know... indeed i had never ridden with them before (a case of riding buddies being ill and passing on phone numbers).

we rode a fairly easy trail with quite a few roots, rocky ledges and switchbacks. i was amazed at how often they had to stop, get off their bikes and push down whilst i stood there and waited for them. i felt like a baby sitter.

on the way back to the van they were saying that in order to ride that sort of stuff (as i just had) they needed to go on a skills course. i tried to convince them that all they needed to do was ride more, watch other people ride and trust themselves a little more. we then rode up a little and i got them riding switchbacks (well, she was, he couldn't get his head around it).

in fact, i've experienced this loads whilst guiding. people watch you do something and then comment that they need to go on some sort of training to be able to do the same.

like when people say "i can't do that (be it a wheelie, switchback,drop whatever)" and i reply saying they can, they just have to learn it....

it does however mean that i'm considering setting up a bike coaching business. easy money, innit.

absolutely no point to this post...

Dynamo lights for my new road bike and a Prendas winter cycling hat, awesomez. My "new" MegaTR is good but not that much better than my old hardtail.

I don't think I have anything post 2012 on my bike. But, and this is strange, it all works rather well, I've not died yet and I'm regularly caught grinning inanely despite all this.

Saint shifter. Excellent.

Euro and alpin you are really making my point for me. Unless you are winning world cups I think you might be overestimating how good you are.
Fair enough some people may not want to improve their skills but even if you are a relatively good rider a lesson with the right coach can make a big difference to even very competent riders.
I'm quicker than the majority of people I've ridden with and on the rare occasions that I strava, my times usually put me in the top 10 percent on anything pointing down.
I'm not the best but I'm certainly not a novice.
Yet a session with the jedi still transformed my riding. No matter how good you think you are or your friends think you are there is always some area of your riding that can be improved if you are willing to learn.
Have you ever tried chasing a World Cup standard downhiller? I have and it really puts things into perspective.
And he was a guy that was finishing lower down the order.
Coaching may not be for everyone but don't make the mistake of thinking everyone that raves about it is a muppet.
These people of varying skill levels, both mental and physical have had a revelation and just want to share it with other riders.
I have the pikes, I have the xx1, I have the vault mag ti pedals I have the Capra. It all pails into insignificance compared to the coaching. For me it was that good. Maybe not for everyone.

For me?

A 16mm stubby spanner drilled to fit on the bottle bosses and 2x knarled bolts to hold in place for the alfine hubs.

And a re-conditioned manitou radium lrs.

Euro/Alpin - different people learn in different ways, some people can self-teach, some need to see a technique being demonstrated in order to learn, others need hand holding through how to. If you are a natural sports person and can visualise how to do a skill and then do it after a bit of practice then that's great, but many (most?) people aren't like that.

Like most things in life, there is an easy way to learn and a difficult one... Common sense usually promotes the easy path, which is getting someone to show you how to do something. Whether that is via a skills course or via a mate who knows already what they're doing, showing you how during a ride.

Irrespective of sport most athletes use coaching throughout their careers. it's the most effective way for them to improve. It may not be on the basic skills, but the principles are the same, just at a different level.

To suggest a skills course or coaching is not worthwhile for a rider who wants to improve their riding is utter bollox.

For me...

Kuroshiro Enso 685 rims, absolute game changers for Fatbikes. These are silly money though. Also Race Face Next SL cranks have to be up there. Again, game changing weight but again; silly price. The best sensibly priced thing? I'd definitely rate the superstar NW rings highly.

My winner? Vittoria XG Pro TNT cyclocross tyres for being able to cope with going mountain biking on properly rocky trails and not getting trashed.

Linking 2 coke bottle together for the ghetto style , never fails to seat the tyre first attempt now .

@ sonofozzz1 & skydragon ...

not knocking the idea of coaching. i would like to learn how to jump better with more control in the air... i'm sure spending some time with people that can jump would be just as beneficial as paying for a coaching session.

my problem lies with the idea that coaching is the only answer to peoples issues.

One of the following as all have improved my riding experience:
- Offset shock bushings from www.offsetshockbushings.com (although I have a Burgtec Ti set as well for when they wear out/fit to Wife's bike)
- Narrow/Wide 32t from Superstar
- minus 1 degree headset from works.
- 2.5 Minikn DHF EXO.
- Not buying a 650b/27.5/29/fat bike/CX bike

Tom KP

Carbine

My plane ticket to Israel. Great riding, friendly people and a good riding scene, would love to go back.
Places trump products for me these days. Using a Garmin more has helped there, a product for finding more places really.
Some good new kit this year though, fave is Nano 40C tyres on the CX bike. SRAM CX11 is cool. SP dyno hub, Edelux II light and a USB-out on the road-tour bike isn't new but new to me, impressed. My MTB hasn't had anything significant changed.

I'm going to check on CRC to see if they sell a tool that helps me put my head up my arse, but also increases my condescending ego ability. Save me spending any more money on coaching with Jedi.

Euro and alpin you are really making my point for me. Unless you are winning world cups I think you might be overestimating how good you are.

I don't get it. I'm not talking about how awesome/average/crap i am. I'm saying that it is possible to become one of the very best without coaching. Do you recognise any of the 4 bike riders i posted on the other page? (i would have posted more mtbers but i don't know much about them tbh). I could fill the forum with images of very talented riders who have had no coaching and that's the point i'm (badly) trying to make. If it's possible to become Mat Hoffman without coaching then is it not possible to become 5% of Mat without coaching?

So, if you want coaching, go for it. It can open up a whole world of fun. But try and remember there was a time, long ago, when there were no bicycle coaches and cyclists got by just fine.

Thomson dropper, easy.

For me too. First dropper I've had (reviews of reverbs put me off the idea for a while), but it's been excellent and oozes quality.

Dropper posts in general are a great addition to any bike.

Another vote for 1x10 and NW ring. I like!
I would also happily throw more money at The Jedi. No matter how long I have been riding, skills coaching showed me some basic but essential changes to my riding style that increased my confidence, gave me a whole new set of challenges, even on trails I'd been riding for years.

Lay down £1000's on a new bike, makes sense to spend a fraction of that on your own skills.

It's about enjoyment at our level. If coaching improved your riding by 1% and enables you to enjoy it more then it's good value. I'd wager some good instruction would improve any of our riding by a bigger margin than a pair of £200 Syntace pedals.....

i dont know why people want to learn how to jump, just find some where and practice. i would say 99.9% of use would make a lot better riders if we learnt how to corner, brake and learn lines better. just saying like

Jumping is fun though. 🙂

Better doesn't always mean faster...

alpin - Member

i'm sure spending some time with people that can jump would be just as beneficial as paying for a coaching session.

As long as they're people who can both clearly understand what it is that they're doing, then explain it in a comprehensible way. This isn't really that common- the amount of well meaning crap advice I've had from skilled riders probably outweighs the good.

It's still not a bloomin item though