Cycling Guide
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Cycling Guide: Buy List
The best of what's new in 2008: mountain bikes, road bikes, apparel, upgrade,
and the buy list.
Text by Steve Casimiro Photographs by Joshua Scott
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Mountain Bikes | Road Bikes | Apparel | Upgrades | The Buy List
League of American Bicyclists:
Find local club listings, tour groups, and more
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Power Tool
Back when I began using heart-rate monitors for cycling training, I knew that power meters were better devices, but I didn't care—the suckers cost $5,000. Power meters record how many watts your pedaling generates, an objective measure of effort in contrast to the beating of your heart, which varies with health, sleep, and training. Still, even as the gadgets dropped to $1,500, I stayed true to mi corazón. But now comes the $710 Polar CS600 with Power.
The CS600 works much like an electric guitar, with a small pickup strapped to your frame that measures chain vibration and converts it to wattage. At a glance, you see not just the watts you've generated but also cadence, speed, heart rate, and even slope incline. Regardless of whether you have a training plan, this is one useful gadget: It shows the power output for each leg, allowing you to correct an imbalance mid-ride, as well as the efficiency of your pedal stroke, which helps you focus on a rounder, better technique. Installation takes a couple hours, and the minimally insightful manual requires patience, but this power meter is the one to have. And that's coming from both head and heart ($710; polarusa.com). |
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Old Faithful
When a multitool is all that stands between you and, say, a ten-mile (16-kilometer) walk home, you develop a certain loyalty to the most reliable one. The Crank Brothers Multi-19 has seven Allen wrenches, four spoke wrenches, two open wrenches, a chain tool, and four screwdrivers. And it's never left me stranded ($30; crankbrothers.com). |
The Bike Buzz
New parts make sweet up-grades, but if you're tight on cash, just head to your local shop for a good ol' tune-up. Your rig will shift, stop, and pedal better—all for about 50 bones.
- A fan of energy gels but don't like spending two bucks per? Buy a 5.5-ounce Gu Flask and fill it with honey ($4; gusports.com).
- Swobo knee warmers: Wool. Swobo. Enough said ($58; swobo.com).
- MTBR.com is where bike geeks geek out, but it's SO much more than an equipment debate: The Regional Trails & Rides forum is perhaps the most valuable source of singletrack beta in all of ridingdom.
- I've built my single speeds from scratch, but converting an old hardtail is easier than you think. Pick up a Paul Component Engineering Melvin chain tensioner ($82; paulcomp.com).
Mountain Bikes | Road Bikes | Apparel | Upgrades | The Buy List
League of American Bicyclists:
Find local club listings, tour groups, and more
Subscribe now and save!
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