Component and event reviews

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Wondering what’s the deal with the new gear on the market?  Maybe you’re thinking about checking out a gran fondo in your area?  I get my hands on a lot of gear and gizmos, and I share my impressions with my readers.  These component and event reviews are designed to give you an honest look at what’s on the market and if these parts and rides are worth your money.

Solos Smart Cycling Glasses Review

Imagine riding in a tight pack, shoulder to shoulder with the rider next to you.  The group rides under the 1K to go banner at high speed, nervously shuffling as the finish line beckons.  You take a split second to look down at your power meter display to set yourself up for the sprint.  In that moment, the rider in front of you taps his brakes and you hit his rear wheel, crashing hard.

Next, imagine flying down a sinewy descent, carving sweeping turns with aplomb.  You glance down at your computer to get a speed check and miss the small pothole in the road in front of you.  Your front wheel hits the square edge and flats the tire, you lose control and crash.

The Solos Smart glasses aim to make those two scenarios a thing of the past.  By creating a pair of cycling glasses with an integrated heads-up display, Solos has put your most critical information right in front of your eyes.  You never have to look away from the road to check your power or speed.  Keeping your eyes on the road keeps you safer.

Do these $500 cycling glasses stack up to their price tag?  Click through the jump and I'll go in depth on the newly released Solos Cycling glasses.

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Vittoria Corsa G+ Review

Vittoria has a reputation for producing some of the best tires on the market.  Their Corsa, with its corespun cotton casing and super gummy rubber is a favorite race day tire.  It's too fragile for training, though.  The sticky tread can wear in a matter of a thousand miles, meaning you may have to replace your tires 4 or 5 times per season!

That can get expensive, so Vittoria made a few changes.  The revised tread compound and added durability led to the creation of the G+ series of tires.  Click through the jump to read my Vittoria Corsa G+ review and find out if this is the perfect training tire for you.

Vittoria Corsa G+ Review

As with all of my reviews, I've run these tires through the ringer.  I've got around 1800 miles of smooth tarmac, dirt roads, busted up asphalt and post winter salt under them.  I'll include my opinions on Vittoria's technology, tire mounting, actual size, performance and durability below.

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Donkey Label Bike Tool Roll Review

Anyone who knows me will tell you I hate cluttering up my saddle with a saddle bag.  I'm a stickler for keeping things in my pockets.  If you want to get technical, it's in the rules.  Because of that, my pockets often look like an overstuffed lunch bag.  Or, you might think I've got half of a Home Depot shoved into my jersey.  Either way, it's not a flattering look.

For years, I used a variety of solutions to corral the various tools and gear in my pockets.  I switched back and forth from a pump to a CO2 inflator.  I tried different multi tools.  Tubes went into a separate pocket with a band around them.  Sometimes I just rubber banded everything together and stuck it in a pocket.  For a while, I tried using a small camera case to hold everything together.

The bottom line is if you like keeping stuff in your pockets, it's going to get messy at some point.

That all changed when my wife bought me a bike tool roll.  A Donkey Label bike tool roll to be exact.

Click through to see my review of the Donkey Label bike tool roll and learn how to purchase one yourself.

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Dura Ace Track Stages Power Meter Install

Power meter options for track bikes are very limited, and the Dura Ace Stages power meter is one of the most reasonably priced and simple to use on the market.  Based on the Dura Ace 7710 Octalink platform, the Stages power meter offers a simple, elegant power measuring solution for fixed gear bikes.  Painstaking refinement has gone into the algorithm used to calculate power to meet the unique demands of a fixed gear bike, improving performance and reliability in data recording.

Check out the video of the installation, re-posted from Periscope.  Throughout the installation, there's a little bit of Q&A about power meters based on questions from live viewers.  Click through the jump to watch the video and check out the video show notes:

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Lezyne Road Drive Pump Review

Lezyne has made a name for themselves with beautifully crafted, exceptionally functional aluminum cycling gear and their Road Drive pump is no exception.  And that's really saying something: you wouldn't think a pump could elicit such praise (you wouldn't expect their valve extenders to either, yet they do) but when you're sitting on the road with a flat tire, you'll be thankful you have this stuffed in your jersey pocket.  The Lezyne Road Drive looks to be a simple enough pump, but that's part of it's charm.  When it comes to pumps, the Road Drive sits near the top of the pile.

Road Drive: Keeps Rides Alive!

Fully aluminum construction hides the technological aspects of this little package.  Instead of a fixed right angle head, the road drive pump hides a little secret in its barrel: something called an ABS flex hose with built in air bleed.  Simply pop the cap off the pump, unscrew the ABS flex hose, flip it over and screw it into the end of the pump.  Now you're ready to go.

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