Vote for my photo in the VeloNews/Singletrack.com Contest

Help me win the photo contest over at singletrack.com.

http://singletrack.competitor.com/2009/11/features/pick-a-winner-phat-phat-tire-photos_4115

Vote for this photo of "Mike in Frick Park by Joe McManus"

If I  win last-years -off-color-free-socks-from-DeFeet I will thank you all!

-Joe

Review: Blackburn Flea USB Light - the best commuter light ever

Its the time of year when I am clearly focused on lights. Pretty dark when I leave for work or head home. A few years ago I bought a Niterider HID which was the answer for my mountain riding at night. But wearing a wired battery pack helmet mounted light is a bit cumbersome for my commute.

I picked up the Blackburn Flea USB light for commuting. It is the best commuting light I have ever used. 

The best part is that it is 40 lumes, weights 17grams, runs 3 hours on full or 5 on blink. Plus IT CHARGES OFF USB! wow

It has a charger that goes in your computers USB port (charge when you get to work...) and the light sticks to that charger with a magnet.

 

It attaches with a velcro strap to a helmet or handlebar.

It has four super bright LEDs.

I have been wearing it on my helmet, while on the road I use it in blink mode. I have had cars actually stop in the road because of the brightness/blink pattern of it. Plus you can aim it a car to get their attention if worn on your helmet.

This is amazingly bright, at $30 for it, not needing batteries I have no idea why you wouldn't use this. It is many times brighter than a Knog Frog light, which costs close to it. I want the rear version of this now.

I have used it to navigate the doubletrack dirt trails in the park by my house, I had to go slower but it was not a problem.

This is so light weight, bright and small I will just carry it with me from now on. 

Blackburn says:
The lightest, brightest rechargeable cycling light gets USB charging and color options.

- Ultra compact rechargeable Li-Ion headlight
- Uses four super-bright White Nichia™ LED’s
- 40 lumen output
- Includes USB charger
- Flexible and compact mounting system
- Standard, Overdrive and Flash modes
- Superlight at 17 grams
- 3 hour runtime steady, 5 hour runtime flash
- Compatible with Solar 1.5V chargers (available separately)

LED's: 4 Ultrabright Nichia White
Run Time (Steady/Flash): 3-5hrs
Batteries: Internal Lithium Ion Rechargeable
Charging: USB charger included

Review: Princeton Tec Swerve

I got the Princeton Tec Swerve when I realized the Bell Metro helmet I had been wearing just never really fit me, sure it rocked what with its helmet cover, ear warmers and vent hole plugs for winter riding. But it never fit right. One of  the nicest features of that helmet was the light clip on the back.

I switched to my other helmet and had no place for a helmet light. Helmet lights are a great idea because they get the light to a higher position which is more noticeable to drivers. At least I think so... The swerve comes with an abundance of mounting options and this works for me.

It is very bright with two 1/2 watt led's built in. Plus a really nice feature is the large on/off switch. Doesn't seem like much to care about, but when you have gloves on a big switch is so nice.

The light has one focused and one 180° light.

Now that its dark earlier be sure to keep a light handy, even if you are mountain biking, you never know when you;ll have to bail and take the road back.

Updated Review: SUGOI HOV Jacket and Pants

I have been wearing the new SUGOI HOV jacket and pants to commute in for the past few months and really like the stuff. They are great for commuting as they look like street clothes, breath well and are comfortable to ride in. This is an updated review of the SUGOI HOV jacket and pants I first posted on previously here: http://robonza.blogspot.com/2009/08/review-sugoi-hov-jacket-and-pants.html.

Let met just get this out of the way first, they don't like bike racing clothes. They are sharp looking an could pass for casual clothing. They are made from a bit thicker material, similar to Schoeller.

The jacket and pants will keep you comfortable between 30°-55°F. It is very breathable. The material is a water resistant, not water proof. In a light drizzle you'd be kept dry. But in any real rain, get out the rain gear. But thats fine, because if it was rain gear you'd sweat too much in it.

Whoever designed this stuff rides, they didn't include all sorts of extra pockets. There are two in the front and one on the rear for the pants, the rear pocket has reflective piping on it, nice touch. The jacket has one pocket on the front, also with reflective piping and a small one in the back.

The only thing I can say I don't like about the jacket is that there is a rear flap to keep water/muck off of your butt that uses a snap to hold it up. If you wear a backpack that button hits you in the middle of your back and digs in.

Other than that, they are great for commuting and riding around town.

SUGOI says:

SUGOI's new H.O.V. Jacket is part of a contemporary commuter line designed for people on the move. H.O.V. features a more leisure, every-day look that you can put on when you get up in the morning and wear all day. The H.O.V. jacket boasts sleek, modern lines with all the technical excellence that SUGOI is known for.

• Full separating zip with guard
• 1 front zip pocket
• 1 back zip pocket
• Adjustable hem snap tabs
• 3M Scotchlite reflective accents for added visibility

Update: SRAM Pitstop Flak Jacket Cable Housing

Back in the early spring I put SRAM Pitstop Flak Jacket Cable Housing on my cross bike. I liked how well it worked on the Avid road BB7 cable discs on my cx bike that I put it on my mountain bike too.

After months of use on my cross and mountain bikes, both with Avid BB7 disc brakes, I can say these things rock.

 The cables are high quality with minimal compression and have ferruls that have rubber seals and protrude through the cable stop about an inch to fit a plastic cover over. This is what keeps all the mud and water out.

 Not only do I ride in mud and rain, but I wash my bike with a hose after almost every ride. I am not miss shifting or getting that hard-to-push-the-shifter cable drag feel you get with normal cables and housing after moisture/mud gets in.

They cost a bit more than regular cables, but they will pay for themselves since you can leave them on much longer.

Totally worth it.

-Joe