Maybe you want to save some cash and the planet by leaving your car in park or have a fun way to cruise your local bike path on the weekends. Hybrid bikes are a fun and relatively inexpensive means of fun and transportation.
Take the Co-op Cycles CTY 3.1, for example. It scored a place at the top of our podium because, for less than a grand, you can score a reliable, high quality commuting bike. In the bike world, it’s really hard to find many other types of bikes that are worth buying for less than $1,000.
If you have been around mountain bikes for the last few years, you’ve probably heard riders making seemingly hyperbolic statements like “my dropper seatpost changed the way I ride,” or, “I can’t ride without my dropper.” You might think these riders are exaggerating, but they are onto something.
In the short history of mountain biking, a few inventions have revolutionized mountain biking to the point that most riders would not dream of riding without these features on their bikes. While there are exceptions most riders depend on suspension over rigid bikes, disc brakes over rim brakes, and tubeless tires over tubes, the dropper seatpost is the next revolution in this line.
Unless you have an endless supply of perfect roads and trails on your doorstep, at some point you’re going to want to carry your bike on your car. If you don’t have a huge trunk and a love of taking your bike apart and putting it back together again, this means you’ll need to buy a bike rack.
With hundreds of different styles and models of bike rack available, choosing the right one can be harder than picking your perfect bike. (And let’s face it, not nearly as exciting.) While you can ask your mates for recommendations, their needs are likely to be different to yours. The right bike rack for you will depend on your vehicle type, the number and style of bikes you need to transport and a whole host of other factors.
The good news? We’ve gone through the bike rack market to pick out the best racks across the five most common types: hitch, roof, trunk, truck bed and spare tire. Plus, we’ve summarised the pros and cons of each rack type to help you figure out which style will work best for you.
The wheels on your mountain bike can radically transform your ride in ways that no single component upgrade can. Stock wheels on many mountain bikes are relatively heavy, have hubs with mediocre drivetrain engagement, can be difficult to set up tubeless, and might not be as strong as their more sophisticated counterparts. In addition, wheels that have seen a lot of miles have fatigued rims and spokes that might not be worth the trouble to maintain.
Our buying guide breaks down everything you need to consider first, along with our favorite hoops for every disciple.
I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time searching for the perfect pair of bib shorts and, honestly, I’m not sure I’ve found them yet. It’s the old Goldilocks syndrome: you know, this one is too this, this one is too that, but this one is just right. Only, the ‘just right’ one is ridiculously hard to come by.
During my brief amateur racing “career”, our team kits were made by Vomax, then Sommerville Sports and, in my third year, Hincape. Of those three, Hincape wins hands down (and is still one of my favorites). The Hincape bib shorts have the best, least stiff, and most comfortable chamois. The leg grippers don’t cut into my thighs and they have the option of a shorter inseam length (which I much prefer, especially in summer).
In contrast, the chamois in both the Vomax and Sommerville Sports versions, is very stiff so that, even after multiple wears, it still pokes out in the back just below the tailbone (not the most attractive silhouette!) Also, the Sommerville shorts have leg grips of death. My entire team had to insert rolled up towels into the legs to try and stretch them out before we could wear them without cutting off our blood circulation.
Unfortunately, Hincape doesn’t seem to offer their standard team kit bib short for sale to the general public – at least I haven’t been able to find it. In my quest to find the perfect bib shorts, I think I’ve slipped into every chamois out there. Here are some of my favorite bibs and what I’ve discovered along the way.
Versatility isn’t a word commonly associated with triathlon gear. So we’re particularly excited to see a helmet that not only excels in aerobars but also offers roadies a real slipstream advantage. Rudy Project claims its Boost 01 aero road helmet reduces aerodynamic drag by 12% compared to traditional road helmets.
Boost 01 combines safety and aerodynamics into a unique and powerful design. Boost 01 features extreme ventilation and reduces aero drag by 12% compared to traditional road helmets.
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While it took longer for the Italian company to enter the aero road market, they finally have a dog in the fight. Aerodynamically engineered by wind tunnel master John Cobb, the Boost 01 marries the ventilation and comfort of an aero road helmet with the aerodynamic time trial design that’s set Rudy Project apart as the most worn helmet at the IronMan World Championships.
Having tested other aero road helmets, we strapped on the Rudy Project and put it to the test.
It’s a saturday morning and you’re stoked to ride. You’re at the trailhead early in the morning hoping to beat the crowds. But apparently you aren’t the only one with that idea. After the first mile you’ve passed 17 hikers, 5 dogs, and 3 other groups of riders.
These scenarios are not uncommon during summer weekends. But get to the trailhead at 9pm? Absolutely empty, you will have the trail to yourself.
Night riding is its own beast. But it doesn’t have to be if you bring your 2500 lumen Light & Motion light you’ll have a beam of light that isn’t even street legal in some places. At night the trails you’ve seen 100 times take a whole new form: when you’re ripping down the trail it’s only the small ribbon of light and nothing else to distract you, and best of all you’re doing this alone or with your buddies.
Just remember to grab your light before you go. Choosing the best light will make or break your PM trail time.
If you’re tired of battling endless headwinds, riding intervals for the 3rd time this week or if you’re just eager to try something new or want to find a sport where you don’t have to wear lycra, then BMX could be perfect for you.
But getting into the world of BMX can be a little confusing. There are several different types of BMX all with different styles of bikes, which will get very confusing if you don’t know what you are looking for. This buying guide will help minimize any confusion and help you find the perfect BMX bike.
If you’re a bike commuter like me, you know how important it is to have a good, reliable light. Bike lights provide two functions, both equally important. One is to be seen and the other is to allow you to see. There are a lot of options out there so it can be hard to know which one to go with. If you’re still trying to decide on a light, check we’ve rounded up and reviewed our favorite head and tail lights here.
First off, in case you were wondering, those little blinking lights don’t do much at all. They’re normally not bright enough to cut through rain or fog or haze. As a daily New York City commuter, I can attest to the fact that you really need to invest in a light with at least 350 lumens at its brightest. You want a light that you can operate at varying intensities and patterns – flashing, strobing, always on – depending on what conditions you’re biking through. And
You want a light that you can operate at varying intensities and patterns – flashing, strobing, always on – depending on what conditions you’re biking through. And it’s super helpful if your light is waterproof.
The Cyglolite Metro 400 has, as its name suggests, a 400-lumen output. In daylight flashing mode, it puts out 500+ lumens in short, bright spurts. It has 6 different modes, 3 steady, 2 flashing, and 1 walking and side illumination ports for better visibility.
