Forum menu
Lately, a pair of new Specialized RBX Comp bib shorts. Their fantastic pad fully protected my undersides on a usually chafeworthy sportive on Saturday.
Patagonia capilene crew, r1 pullover and traverse jacket. I have used this system, in various combinations, for xc skiing down to -15, to mtbing during the summer heat and everything in between. All for just over £100 from the patagonia outlet store. Whilst still not cheap, it is very good value for money.
Reba Forks
Elixir brakes
Big Wheels
Track pump
work stand
lots of tools.
Aldi winter gloves from 2007 . Best glove ever
+1
Indestructible and perfect for most winter rides. Not bad for £4.
Also +1 Reverb.
And Crossmax SX wheels / Maxxis Exo tyres (tubeless) combination is spot on for all mountain shredding. I'd have forgotten what punctures are if I didn't have any other bikes.
schwable marathon plus tyres on the commuter 1000s of miles through the mean, glass strewn streets of london and not a single puncture
track pump, from decathlon, took me ages to get one, all those the wasted strokes!
hydrapak plug and play adaptor so i can use my hydrapak bladder with a camelbak tube n bite valve #bestofbothworlds
Chrome long merino wool socks. Worn all winter on and off road. And now in the summer too.
IceToolz ball ended allan keys. Multitools have their place, but a proper set of keys is much better.
Garmin 200: All you need from a bike computer (as opposed to a HR and power meter) and the GPS is much better than my 500.
Oakley Factory Pilot gloves - £16 great for XC and trail use.
ODI locking last brilliantly an don't slip.
XT brakes - 3000 miles in not touched them aside for 4 sets of pads.
Shimano cable cutters 23 years old and still brilliant.
Park tools - all the ones I have are ace.
Turner Bikes - you pay for and get quality.
Santa Cruz - as above.
Less impressed by Racing Ralph's (snakeskin)
Standard Conti Cross Kings
Intrepid shorts - very pretty but the stitching g around the crotch is woeful.
GorePhantom jacket - the middle cargo pocket need to be beefier as it sags a lot.
Wife
Rockshox Reverb and chunky monkey 2.4 tyres run tubeless!
Disc brakes. Still. 14 years afetr I first got some.
Lusso roubaix 3/4 knickers have been ace on the cold early morning commute.
Answer Fall Line Gloves are simply brilliant for my hands and are somehow great for almost all four seasons, they only lose it in the depths of winter.
Shimano winter boots... coz everyone needs a good pair of winter boots.
Another vote for the Reverb. So far it's been ace.
My road bike has been a brilliant investment too as has some of the Scott roadie gear that I've picked up cheap; the pro level bibs are great and so is the windproof gillet.
Reverb
Garmin 800
Giro Athlon
And, of course, a 29er
Garmin 705
Assos bibs (still no equal for the most demanding usage)
SKS p35 Mudguards
Thomson Seatpost, no issues, no dramas, no fuss. Only other seatpost that comes close was an original syncros one.
Any Shimano SPD pedal, again they just work without any fuss.
Fox 2008 Float 32 RLCs. Still going strong with less than recommended maintenance. Again they just work.
Giant Anthem 2010 - my first MTB... where it all started
iGotU GPS logger and Strava/Veloviewer - motivation and exploration
Sealskinz waterproof socks with AM41s - keeps me riding all winter
Rebas - transformed by GT Avalanche
Dealextreme/Lightmalls XML torches - night riding on the cheap
Original Camelbak MULE. Still my favourite pack for 3 season cycling.
Gore Phantom - years old and still the most versatile bit of clothing I've ever owned
WTB Pure V saddle - the fact I've used one for 10 years plus and never notice it says a lot
Reverb - couldn't live without one now
Reverb
Endura MT500 Jacket
Mucky Nutz Front Fender Bender
Osprey Raptor backpack
Thule Roof/Bike Rack
tubeless kit
ks dropzone
Park track pump
Lululemon Big chief bike shorts
I have 3 pairs, 6 years old now and I dont imagine I will ever need to buy any other shorts in my lifetime
Another vote for the Reverb here.
Also, X9 2x10. Can't ride any of my 3x9 bikes any more 'cos it just feels weird and I can't find the right gears. 2x10 just feels so much more natural.
Time Z Control pedals - moving to these from SPDs sorted out a whole load of knee & thigh pains I was getting. Been using them for years now and they just keep on working and not clogging with gloop.
Up until this weekend I'd have voted for the Fender Bender as well but mine started rubbing on the tyre on every big landing or step this weekend and was driving me mad. Can't work out why as it's been fine for the last couple of years......
NOT my Gore Phantom 2 jacket.Great jacket apart from Zip broke. you'd think it'd be good to go for that money, I saved ages to buy that jacket thinking it'd do me fine.. had to get a £12 replacement zip put in. if I wanted a shit zip, I'd've bought a shit jacket. Nice one Gore. I am now a beacon of bad words for Gore, from my one first experience of their stuff
This happened to mine after 1 year. Emailed gore. told me to take it to evans cycles where i bought it and got given a brand new one.Awesome service
29er - finally a bike that fits me
Deore disc brakes - cheap but just work and hardly require any maintainence
Decent kevlar tyres that makes tyre fitting/removal so much easier
Reverb
Joe Blow Track pump
Bike stand
Maxxis Ardents
Dakine Nomad Pack "normal" ride pack. Allows me to properly obsessively compulsively organise.
Osprey Helios "v.big" ride pack/hill walking daypack. 10 years old and still perfect.
Osprey Hydralics Reservoir - super nice and easy to fill.
Hope Pro II hubs - just work.
Stans Flow Rims - make your tyres a nice shape.
Howies Outback Jacket - ace UK conditions winter jacket.
Howies Jacket/Gilet - used mainly as a Gilet
Cheap TMARS dropper - a revelation.
Shimano AM45 shoes - perfect for UK condition 9 months of the year.
Shimano MW80 boots - for the other 3 months.
Fox Incline Gloves - no fuss but last well and fit right.
Topeak Mini 8 multitool - just right.
Another vote for Gore Phantom
Shimano XC50N have been good too
Time ATAC pedals, bought so long ago I don't even remember when. So simple, nothing to go wrong, and never clog up. Perfect.
A Decathalon Back pack for £13 - I do remember buying that in 1998. Now on its umpteenth bladder, and hanging on in there, just.
Gore Phantom 2
Hope Pro2/magic 819 UST wheels
New Deore Brakes
North wave Celsius - felt very smug with the crap winter we've had!
Ooh- Perfect Curve Glacier gloves. Came slightly too late- already frostnipped my fingers riding through last winter- but they're nigh on miraculous in the cold. Do make your hands smell horrendous though.
Endura Helium Jacket
Reverb
Hope socks
Endura Humvee shorts
510 boots
ODI Ruffian grips
OS maps.
Hope Pro 2 hubs.
The XTR rear mech that I had from about 2003 that lasted 100s and 100s of miles until a crash wrecked it.
Skins compression bib tights.
Hope Hoops
Formula The One brakes
Specialized Pitch
Fox 36 Vans
Reverb (for £130 😉 )
Superstar flat pedals
Dakine Nomad
Pedros tyre levers
Deore chainrings
Topeak master blaster minipump circa '97 still going strong but havent used in anger since...
Stans rims + Tubeless ready tyres
Kevevs - MemberNOT my Gore Phantom 2 jacket.Great jacket apart from Zip broke. you'd think it'd be good to go for that money, I saved ages to buy that jacket thinking it'd do me fine.. had to get a £12 replacement zip put in. if I wanted a shit zip, I'd've bought a shit jacket. Nice one Gore. I am now a beacon of bad words for Gore, from my one first experience of their stuff.
Jesus dude, I thought the focus of this post was "Great kit you're glad you bought"
Not "moan like a pussy about about something insignificant"
You haven't by any chance been mountain biking in Sweden lately?
Am I the only person that will be using this list for 'reviews' rather than magazines?! Great thread.
Specialized Storm Control tyres - light, cheap, durable.
SIDI Dominators - Perfect fit, good quality, super comfortable.
ODI Xtreme - Great grip pattern, little flange, nice size.
Best bike related thing I ever bought was a 'camelback mule' rip off bag from Aldi, the bladder that came with it was rubbish but the bag itself is still going strong after 5 years or so and it cost me a whole £9 😀
Others that come close:
Orange 5
RS Pikes
Tmars dropper post