I put Alligator I-link housing on my Air9 last year, and I’ve been really happy with it. Ryan’s Titus needed new derailleur housing/cables, and I got a deal on some Nokon (which is normally much more expensive than I-Links), so I figured I’d give it a shot. Here’s the rundown:

Looks. If you’re interested in looks, then Nokon wins. That is, if you have enough of the segments to house your entire bike. On a mountain or CX bike, you’re going to need extras. I ended up using a standard piece of housing for the aft front derailleur section. Nothing like cursing your way through an entire install (more on that later) only to find you can’t finish it up right unless you purchase more parts. Here are some photo comparisons:

Installation: Alligator wins, hands-down. It’s pretty self-explanatory. You run the cable through the liner, then run the whole thing through the sections of links that you size to match the length of your old housing. The links snap together and slide on/off of the cable/liner very easily, so it’s a quick insallation.

Nokon, on the other hand, is a total pain. The sections do not snap together, so you have to thread them on to the liner in order to test-fit the housing length. They don’t thread on easily (their fit on the liner is really tight). It’s difficult to keep the liner flush with the hole where the cable exits the shifter, and the kit isn’t actually made to run the liner continuously (though I did it, anyway). Like I said before, if you’re installing it on to anything other than a road bike, you’re likely going to need extra Nokon links. The cables are fat and uncoated as well.

Performance: I’ve been using the I-links for several months now- ocassionally in some horrible conditions. They’ve never let me down. The Nokons seem to be ok for now, and I can’t see any reason why they wouldn’t do just as well. Time will tell on that one.The I-link system is reported to be lighter, also. I have not weighed them myself, but that’s the general consensus on various internet forums.

So, there you have it. My verdict is, unless you are wanting the “prettiest” housing system out there, go with Alligator. It’s cheaper, lighter, and 11ty billion times easier to install.

After the severe back pain I experienced at the Lock 4 six-hour race a few months ago, I decided to try a Wingnut pack (specifically, the Splitback model). They’re designed to sit lower on your back, distributing the weight of the pack across your hips rather than up on your shoulders.

First off, you are going to pay more for one of these packs than you will for a traditional “camelback” style pack. They also don’t include a bladder.

However, after just a few uses, the cost has been more than justified with me. I’ve been on multiple 4+ hour rides since I purchased it, and I haven’t experienced any back pain (I’d originally thought that bike fit/saddle/general fitness might have had something to do with my pain, but apparently not). The construction is excellent- it’s lighter than most packs, but handling it, you get the sense that it will last forever. My favorite part is the side pockets- they’re roomy and really easy to get to while you’re riding (I even manage to get to fish stuff out while wearing heavy winter gloves).

The capacity of the Splitback is excellent- it can easily hold a 100oz bladder and whatever else you want to pack in- when I’m out for a long time on the trail alone, I usually carry food, a small camera, phone, folding saw, extra gloves, multi-tool, emergency blanket, lighter, pocketknife, waterproof shell (if rain is in the forecast) and still have room to stash a layer or two if I remove one while I’m out riding. Unlike some other packs that can hold this much (530 cubic inches), the Splitback only weighs 13oz. Salomon makes a comparable one (weight/cost wise) that’s slightly larger but doesn’t feature the “lowrider” system of the Splitback.

I know I sound like a total shill here, but with the humongous improvement I’ve had in my ability to ride for hours without pain, I can honestly say that this is one of the best (if not the best) pack available.

Get one!

I picked one of these up while I was at Valley of the Sun over the weekend, and I am incredibly impressed with it. It’s really light (which is nice with my neck issues), and I LOVE the straps and inner fittings. The chin strap has nice padding, and the closure is adjustable, so it’s really simple to loosen or tighten on the fly while you ride (my straps always loosen up as they get damp & sweaty). The back has a twist-to-adjust thing on it, too.
Inside, it’s got a full sweat band in the front that keeps much more sweat off of your face than the usual interspersed pads on other helmets. The bug guard is nice to have, too, though there aren’t too many bugs out this time of year.

Here are a few photos:

Get one.

…possibly another addition to my “top 10 favorite things of all time” list.

Those of you that know me might know that I have HORRIBLE problems with cold hands in the winter. I have all the syptoms of Reynaud’s Phenomena, so cold hands to me aren’t just uncomfortable- they’re effing PAINFUL and put me at risk for tissue damage.

Because of this, good gloves are a must for me. I’ve got a pair of Pearl Izumi “lobster” gloves, which I don’t especially like because A) They’re PI, and I think that PI is trash for their latest ad campaign, B) the liner is really bulky, and C) if I sweat in them, they get reeeealy cold and cause my usual hand issues.

So, when it got cold out, I went out in search of something less bulky than the lobsters, and NOT made by PI (I swear, if you have any respect for female cyclists, you’ll avoid giving them your money). Enter the Descente “Wombat” glove. They’re a mid to heavyweight glove that have a cool little wind/waterproof “mitten” cover that can either wrap around your fingers or tuck into the back of the glove if not needed. They’ve also got a decent amount of snot-wipe area, and stretchy, articulated knuckles.

I LOVE these! The knuckles make them much more “wearable” than other gloves in the same category- meaning that you don’t have to take them off if you want to lock a door, use an allen key to adjust your saddle, zip your jacket, etc. The finger cover is the absolute BEST feature, though. I pull it over my fingers for the first few minutes of a cold ride while I’m warming up, then tuck it in, and will get it back out any time my fingers threaten to lose circulation… and it’s worked so far!

Yesterday was a great test- temps in the low 40’s, and two hours of riding followed by a 10 minute rest stop and another two hours of riding. Typically, the worst pain I experience is following a rest stop- my gloves are sweaty, then I stop, and both me and the sweat cools off, so when I start back, the cold, wet gloves will often cause the painful vasospasm associated with Reynaud’s. After my rest stop, I pulled the windproof covers over my fingers and it prevented this from happening! Not to say that my hands didn’t get a bit cold, because they did. They just didn’t get to the point of losing circulation & going numb.

As long as these don’t disintegrate like the Gore Vulcano gloves I bought last year, they’re WELL worth the $55.00 I paid at the LBS (you can get them cheaper online, but I can’t stand buying gloves w/out trying them on).

UPDATE: I wore them today w/temps in the 30’s, and they were comfy. I’ve seen reports of people using them in colder temps, but I think that I’ve found my personal limit for them.

Not only is Ibex wool wonderful, their customer service is awesome!

I ordered some arm warmers back in June, only to find that they were too big. I sent them back to exchange them for a small, but somehow I left the return address off of the return form (I guess I was assuming that if they’d sent it to me, then they’d know where to send it back).

Well, the replacements were sent to the only address they had in their system- my former apartment. I realized today that I hadn’t received the replacements (I hadn’t been thinking about winter clothes because it’s been hot). I emailed them, and figured out what happened. Even though I was the one that screwed up- they’re sending small arm warmers to me (at the correct address) anyway.

You guys rock.

Now that I’ve had a chance to use these, I figured I’d let everyone know that they’re generally as kick as much ass as you’d expect out of anything from Zipp.

I am very impressed by the base bars- they have a fat, grippy section in the middle for the aero extensions to clamp onto. I also like how the base angles downward ever-so-slightly (as opposed to making you choose between either straight across or angled steeply downward). The outer grips are also comfortable for riding since they’re fat & sort of hand-shaped.

The clip-on extensions are infinitely adjustable and the bend is just right to keep your wrists comfortable. I’ve also sweated on the elbow pads like crazy and they’ve yet to become stinky :)

The SRAM shifters & brake levers are nice, and the carbon ties everything together. The shifters are a new style that don’t rotate as far down as the current style, making it easier to pull the lever back up if it’s ever all the way down.

The verdict- get it now! You can’t go wrong with Zipp/SRAM.