After a solid year of testing the Bont Vaypor road shoes, I’ll take a closer look at how these Bonts hold up to the (stiff) competition, what makes each product in Bont’s cycling line unique, and how to tell if it’s worth trading in your current kicks for a pair of Bonts.
Let’s begin by clearing up one common misconception: Just because you’re a woman doesn’t mean you have to ride a women’s specific design (WSD). If you’re struggling to find a bike that fits, trying a WSD model is a great first step. After all, companies try to design the best bikes for women to address their specific needs like a shorter reach and torso.… Read more
If you’ve ever struggled to ride in a straight line or nearly swerved off the road reaching into your jersey pocket, then cycling rollers could improve your balance and coordination. Any pro rider will tell you that it’s not necessarily the size of the engine that matters most, but how efficiently you use it. Developing a smooth, efficient pedal stroke will not only teach you how to ride more economically, it’ll also improve your balance and core stability. Not all rollers are created equal. Here’s our roundup of the best cycling rollers to fit the needs of recreational riders and racers.
If you’re looking for an upgrade for any mountain bike, handlebars determine how your bike fits and handles in profound ways. Consequently, choosing and setting up your handlebar is essential unlocking the handling potential of any mountain bike.
Dimensions – The width, height, and angles of a handlebar will determine how it it fits your body and suits your riding style.
Stages power meters are known for two things: bringing power meters into the budget range of the everyday cyclist, and gracing Team Sky’s Tour de France winning bikes.
But despite their endorsement from the pros, Stages haven’t totally dominated the power meter market. Issues with the reliability and accuracy of data, plus the waterproofing (or lack of) of the casing plagued earlier generations of meters, issues which Stages claim to have fixed with this year’s Gen 3 range.
It seemed natural to take the Pivot Mach 5.5 carbon X01 Eagle to the top of Burke Mountain in Vermont’s Kingdom Trails for its test run. Filled with rock gardens, gnarly roots and epic berms, these trails were made to rip and huck at speed. Is it a cross country bike, progressive trail or all mountain? Regardless of what you call it, the Mach 5.5 turned out to be the perfect tool for the job.
Your chain is the circulatory system of your bike – it transfers all the energy you put out into propelling the bike forward. Just like any other moving part, it requires lubrication of its hundreds of individual pieces.
The chain is entirely exposed to the elements, making it susceptible to contamination, corrosion, and drying out. Keeping your chain clean and lubed is a simple, but often overlooked process, so here is a quick guide to mastering chain lubrication, along with a few recommendations for the best chain lube for the job. Our top pick for lubing chains of all kinds is ProGold Prolink. It continually proves its mettle and has quickly become a workbench staple.
If you’ve been cycling for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard talk of something called chamois cream. And you’ve likely figured out that it has something to do with your undercarriage but, may not be sure exactly what it is or what the best chamois cream for you may be.
Maxxis has long been a standard-bearer for mountain bike tires, and every few years, they come up with the “it tire” that everyone wants.
At a time when momentum was growing behind pushing the definition of “cross country” riding to the fringes, they produced the Ardent, a tire of massive volume, thick casing, and chunky center tread that seemed out of place for only a short time. The Ardent set the bar for aggressive, fast-rolling tires (lower rolling resistance).
These can be a bit difficult to find in store, but I've had great success finding the Ardent 2.4 (and variations) over at CompetitiveCyclist. Typically the best prices and frequent seasonal discounts!
Its reputation as a good all-around tire has made it Maxxis’ number one top-selling tire, with multiple wheel sizes, a skinwall version for the NAHBS crowd, a lighter “race” version (Ardent Race) and even an e-bike specific version.
An aggressive tread in high-volume casing, designed with great traction in mind. The Ardent doesn't forget the racer with large block-style side knobs offering numerous edges for high-speed cornering. The center tread, while ideal for braking and acceleration.
With its medium-height tread, the ardent race bridges the gap between the xc-oriented Ikon and the trail-oriented ardent. The center knobs are ramped to reduce rolling resistance, and the side knobs are angled and stepped to provide great biting traction.
Next to buying a pair of cycling shoes, buying a helmet is one of the hardest bike gear choices to make. With such a wide selection of cycling helmets in the marketplace, where does one begin? Factors like safety, number of vents, weight, comfort, and price definitely come into play.
Kask ran the Protone through the expected wind-tunnel paces in order to design a model that dodges the wind whether you're head-on in the drops or in virtually any other cycling posture imaginable.
Kask Protone Helmet | Competitive Cyclist
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