6 More for the Open Road
In Issue 73 we shared a list of 12 products that we found fit for the all-purpose bicyclist. We shared 6 of these items with you online a few weeks back. Here are the remaining 6. Get your copy of Issue 73 with PELOTON Direct here. PELOTON…
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
In Issue 73 we shared a list of 12 products that we found fit for the all-purpose bicyclist. We shared 6 of these items with you online a few weeks back. Here are the remaining 6. Get your copy of Issue 73 with PELOTON Direct here.
PELOTON
SPORT FRUIT
“What the hell is in this stuff?” That was the response from one of our test riders after WCUP Sport Fruit rescued him on a long day. WCUP is a Belgian nutrition company and Sport Fruit is the antidote to all the chewy blocks out there. Each pack has three little bars that are 50-percent fruit pulp and 50-percent dextrose with 75 calories each. They are a source of super-quick sugar in the saddle and are very easy to chew. All WCUP nutrition is PH neutral to keep your stomach happy and Sport Fruit has a high water content, stealing less of your hydration to be digested. Plus, did we mention they taste fantastic? Lemon, Orange, Strawberry; $3.50 (3/pack); wcupusa.com
KÜAT PIVOT
Küat has done more than any other brand to improve the hitch-mount rack, delivering style and functionality in this much-maligned category. But even its stylish NV 2.0 can interfere with some tailgates, especially with bikes on board. Küat has created the Pivot, which elegantly solves this problem. It allows any 2-inch hitch-mount rack to be swung completely out of the way for easy access. With Küat’s typical solid construction and tight tolerances, it can even do it loaded with four bikes—up to 250 pounds total. It locks open and has an anti-rattle hitch pin. $295; kuatracks.com
GIORDANA AV EXTREME JACKET
Ride in extreme temperatures and you face extreme discomfort, and not just from the cold. Layer after layer can make you feel like the Michelin man. Giordana has used layers, but incorporated them into the same jacket, to give you all the benefit, with none of the bulk. The shell is made of eVent DV Alpine, which is both wind- and waterproof; the middle layer of Polartech Alpha 60 keeps you warm even in below freezing environments; and the inner layer wicks sweat away from your body so you won’t get chilled, even after big efforts. Reflective accents across the jacket will help keep you safe—since you’ll be so cozy your ride will likely run long. This kind of warmth and tech does not come cheap, but it’s worth every penny on a sub-zero ride. $500; giordanacycling.com
MISSION WORKSHOP ICON
Need a pair of pants that will be comfortable on a 14-hour flight, look good enough to wear out to the chicest Euro bistro and can do duty on a Vélib city bike? Designed in San Francisco with fabric made on the shores of Lake Como, the Mission Workshop Icon will have you strolling off the plane looking good and ready for adventure. The gray cotton/nylon-blend fabric has four-way stretch, a water-repellent finish and a feathered feel, while the cut is slim, but not hip-hugger tight. The zippered thigh pocket ensures you don’t sit on your phone, and it keeps it safe from street urchins. $285; missionworkshop.com
DYNAPLUG AIR
Tubeless tires have made adventure accessible to more bikes than any other technology, but that doesn’t mean they are bullet proof. When a puncture is so big it overpowers your sealant, don’t boot your tire and resort to a tube—plug that hole with DynaPlug Air. A threaded CO2 cartridge fixes to the DynaPlug Air; then, simply insert the repair nozzle, open the air valve to fill the tire, close the valve and pull the tool out. It leaves behind a plug to seal the hole, filling and fixing your tire in one motion. The kit comes with the DynaPlug Air tool, four plugs and two CO2 cartridges. It’s a lifesaver when you’re miles from home and the tube just won’t get you home. $75; dynaplug.com
LITESPEED CHEROHALA SE
When it comes to travel and adventure, durability is king, and when it comes to materials, none is more durable than titanium. The Ti masters from Litespeed have just launched what they consider the “most versatile all-road bicycle Litespeed has ever made.” It’s called the Cherohala and it’s just as at home with 35mm, 700c wheels as it is with 650b wheels and 2-inch tires. With oversized, thin-wall 3AL/2.5V Ti tubing, rack and fender mounts and flat-mount 160mm rotor disc brakes, the Cherohala can be loaded down for bikepacking or run light and lively as an everyday rider. $3,300 (frame and carbon fork) litespeed.com