VeloNews Gear Issue 2019

FD: A 1996 Schwinn Homegrown. I was a year away from getting my driver’s license and a buddy of mine scored one for his 15th birthday. I was extremely jealous. CC: A 1991 GT Xizang LE in all of its titanium glory. The racing heritage was second to none, under the likes of Rishi Grewal and Juli Furtado, and I couldn’t take my eyes off the poster in the local bike shop. SP: A Trek Y 5-0. Yep, the custom-painted Hawaii-themed carbon fiber full-suspension bike from the late-’90s, RockShox Judy and all. DC: A big-box store Royce Union mountain bike. It had a sweet RST suspension fork with somewhere between zero and 30 millimeters of travel depending on its mood that day, bar ends, and a burn-your-retinas yellow paint job. It was a…

If you follow me on social media (@browntiedan), you probably know more about my four-year basement renovation than you care to. It’s taking so long, in part, because I do a lot of research to make sure I do the construction right the first time, thus saving myself future headaches. It’s hard work and requires plenty of mental bandwidth. I’m fortunate that I don’t have to work that hard when it comes to bicycles. After spending almost 15 years wrenching in bike shops and writing about them here at VeloNews, I know a lot about them. In fact, everyone here in the VeloNews office has been turning pedals and wrenches so long that we know very well how to buy a bike, fix it, accessorize it, and ride it. That’s how this…

SRAM’s eTap AXS offers 12 speeds, but more importantly, it creates an entirely new approach to gear ratios. Your easiest gear is easier, your hardest gear is harder, and the jumps in between are smoother. The new gearing is complemented by a redesigned rear derailleur featuring the Orbit fluid damper, which helps keep the derailleur steady when you encounter road chatter, and also allows it to move freely when it’s smooth-sailing. The flat-top chain design is said to increase its strength, while the front derailleur battery has been moved slightly outboard to accommodate wider tires. And you can mix and match: 1X, 2X, lower gearing, or traditional road gearing. As long as it says AXS on the component, everything plays nice together. 330 Percentage in gear ratio difference between the hardest and…

NOTIO KONECT Pricing and availability varies Measure your drag in real time, and figure out how to make yourself faster by changing your gear and riding position. The Konect mounts quickly and easily to your handlebars and pairs with your Garmin head unit. It’s a personal, pocket-sized wind tunnel. REVELATE YAKATAGA DRY POCKET $125 The idea behind the Yakataga is simple: protect your most valuable items in an impenetrable bag, and make it easy to access. It’s designed to integrate with other Revelate bags just as easily as it can be converted into a should bag for off-bike excursions. Bulletproof and 100 percent waterproof. KUAT TRANSFER RACK $219 This relatively inexpensive hitch rack offers plenty of ground clearance for lower vehicles. It secures your bike without touching the frame, and it’s versatile: A one-bike add-on runs $109, transforming…

POWERTAP P2 PEDALS $900 Lighter and with a longer battery life than the P1 pedals, PowerTap’s P2 pedals measure left and right power and swap easily between bikes. They run on AAA batteries, making them ideal when you’re traveling. PRINCETON CARBONWORKS WAKE 6560 WHEELS $2,200 The sinusoidal oscillations on the Wake wheels help reduce the effects of vortex shedding, which means lower drag and more stability. These wavy wheels also come with White Industries CLD hubs with a titanium freehub. GOPRO HERO7 BLACK $400 GoPro’s newest camera has a host of cool features, and the most important one is its HyperSmooth video stabilization. Watch your recordings without getting motion sickness, no Gimbal required. PRAXIS ZAYANTE CARBON CRANKS $325 They’re lighter than Dura-Ace cranks at 615 grams and plenty strong, not to mention affordable. You can run them 1X or 2X, and…

SPURCYCLE SADDLE BAG $45 This lunch-sack-style saddle bag has plenty of space for tubes, tools, and tire levers. More importantly, the single-strap system makes it easy to snug this pouch under your saddle. REDD SALTED CARAMEL ENERGY BAR $36/12-PACK Stuff one of these in your jersey pocket for a long ride and you’ll have fuel at your fingertips. More importantly, these taste great, which isn’t something we often say about energy bars. SIS GO ENERGY GELS Prices vary Go Energy gels are thinner and less syrupy than most gels, which make them easier to swallow and digest during the ride. STAGES DASH M50 $249 The M50 gives you 15 hours of battery life at full brightness with its new, phone-quality Everbrite screen. You also get maps specifically tailored to cycling, with color-coded bike paths, separate bike lanes, and even highways you…