Tag Archives: Accessories

NiteRider Lumina 700 Light

I friend of mine goes on night rides often and this is the light he has. I got to check out the earlier model when he made the upgrade to the 700. Just a couple times and I could see the value in having a high output light.

Charges by mini USB, same as my phone, and can be set to only put out approx 40 lumens to have a run time of 18hrs. Or 1.5hrs at highest setting and 2 other levels in between plus a rapid flashing mode. Good clamp, good quick release, the on/off is a press button rather than a slide switch.

Over all a very good light. Not heavy, some US parts or assembly.. I can’t remember b/c i pitched the box. Pretty sure this will be added to the touring kit, and not as a replacement to my headlamp. I figure I will be on tour when the days are short and I may need to get someplace. Plus safety and shit.

Bought this on a deal.

niterider.com

Update: Stolen Jan. 2013 and it was worth it to buy another one.

Joby GorillaPod Micro 800 Tripod

Joby GorillaPod Micro 800 Tripod. Probably the smallest useable tripod.

I didn’t buy this, just saw one at the store. Kind of impressed and think it would be a good choice for a bike tour. Joby also makes a smartphone clamp that attaches.

Folded Length: 3 1/2 inches
Load Capacity: 1.7 lbs
Weight: 2.3oz (65g)

October 5th, 2011

Woke up at 8
Stayed in tent til 9
A light rain as I took the tent down but not long.
Weny back to breakfast spot Liam and I walked to yesterday.
Not a hard choice, I could see it from my camp spot.
French toast, eggs and large OJ. Same as yesterday.
As I sat there Tyler came in to say hi. Must have seen my bike outside. He gave me chocolate, just like the last time I saw him. Said Franky was in the coffee booth and wished me good travels.
Was going to jet but figured it wouldn’t hurt to get a coffee. Franky was there and said she would be in NYC this weekend. The occupy wall street thing was on her list of to-dos. And she asked about places to eat.

I was on the road by 11am. 7 South.
Cool and cloudy but dry and looking like there might be sun in the afternoon. The wind was on my back.
Not riding fast but not trying real hard. The roads were mostly flat. Some rolling small hills.

I had not really rode since the 22nd of Sept if I don’t count the race.

I’d spent more time in Burlington than anywhere. I had a good time. Made friends.

I don’t know how to put it to words but as I rode away I felt very down. Not for leaving. But for riding. I didn’t want to be riding a bike. I didn’t want to be so far from Brooklyn. But even if I was closer, or even there, I’d have felt no better. Pretty easy day for riding and the last thing I wanted was to ride.
What I wanted was to be at a party with refreshments. I want to be done. I don’t want to take photos. I don’t want to eat. Or stop for water. I want to be done. Soon. But I know I’m no better off. I have not changed.
Doesn’t matter. After about 50 miles I felt better.
Did about 97 miles
I’m almost exactly 200 from NYC. Of course this is measured by shortest route.
At about the half way point home from here right now there is a friend from Machias, Julia. She invited me to stay on my way home. I emailed her and learned she is leaving tomorrow for the weekend and won’t be back till Tuesday.
I would need to ride 100 miles to get there anyway.
But if I get a early/on time start tomorrow. And if the wind and roads are anything like today, 100 should not be too bad.

B-line.
Ball line.
Like a ball rolling down a hill. Shortest, straightest.

Tented up close to the road. An abandoned business. On a slab of concrete behind a tree. But under the overhang and next to the building.

Cooked soup. And almost burnt my tent down with this new stove fuel. It was acting up then a big fire ball popped out. After that I moved it outside the tent then it decided to behave normal.

Items that get noticed

In no order
-fenders, for the shiny hammered look
-Brooks saddle, for it’s springs or just being classic looking
-Arkel bar bag, for having a map holder/window
-frame, always just asking what it is
-bell, usually by the young or the old
-Catlike helmet, lots of holes
-PB in third bottle cage, “he’s even got the peanutbutter!”
-“Boda-Boda!” sticker, asking what it is
-organization in general, probably from neat freaks, ha
-coffee mug, for it’s biner
-broken screen on this iPod.

And the things I wish were noticed more.
-NYC flag. Its right on the front of my bike and almost no one has said a word about it.
-old Dura-ace brake levers. So baller but not one admirer except me.
-48 spoked wheels. I’m trying to start a fully loaded touring trend here and nobody sees this or cares.
-front rack. Totally custom & handmade.
-tent. it fits two

Inside Canadian Tire

Cinelli Cork Ribbon

Cinelli bar wrap has gone on every bike I’ve ever owned, all the ones with drop bars. I was looking at the Selle An-Atomica (made in USA) leather wrap so I would have something durable and matched my saddle but in the end I just went with what I had. It was spend fifty bucks or use what I had sitting around. Also I used a left over single strip of black under this white that is exposed. It looks like a normal wrap. I wanted a little extra cushion so I cut it up just right to hit the places my hand rest with the most weight then wrapped that up. Comfy bars.

The white does get dirty but unlike the black you see the dirt and it’s not hard to go a little soapy water on a rag and give it a wash.

Made in Italy

Bike Light Set

Shit is expensive. $25 each. I bought these when NYC cops were out to ticket bikers for everything.

Bought at local bike shop.

Cateye is made in China.

The rear blinky is a Planet Bike, who are based in Madison, WI but the light is made in Taiwan

Bike Peddler Take A Look Eyeglass Mirror

Bike Peddler Take A Look Cycling Eyeglass Mirror.

I used to use a Cateye BM-300G Racing Mirror (made in Japan) on my other touring bikes but when switching from STI to bar-end shifting I lose that option. I want to have a mirror when I think I need one, so this is coming along. We’ll see how long it lasts. One thing I liked about the Cateye was if I got a bug or dirt in my eye I would have a mirror right there and it worked for shaving my face too. That’s why I’m going to bring it minus the bar end plug part, it’ll be my vanity mirror compared to this tiny little thing.

One thing I like about this mirror is in the old photos of my dad riding his road bike, like from before I was born or only old enough to be carried in a trailer behind his bike, he had one of these.

Cost: $15

Made in USA

Ray-Ban RB2132-03

Today I went to pick up my new lenses in my old frames at Lenscrafters and as I was walking out I noticed these sunglasses. I was in a hurry to meet a buyer for a bike I was selling so I kept walking. Made the sale, so that’s money in the bank and one less thing to store. After shaking hands I walked away w/o a bike to walk home. The sun seems a bit brighter when not hunched over the bars, so I walked back and bought what’s really just a delayed impulse buy. I have AAA *wink* and that gets a discount, not just on eye glasses but sunglasses too. Not bad.

100% UVA and UVB
Classic, comfortable, black, comes with cloth and case. And it means I don’t have to bring my broken Tifosi sunglasses I bought 8 years ago. Perfect.

Cost: $73

Made in Italy

Camera Cleaning Kit

A lens cloth, dust blower and lens brush make up a basic cleaning kit for my camera. I’m not sure where these things are made, other than the cloth, it’s made in Japan.

Just more shit I have to carry but keeping my camera clean while out on the road is important.

I collected these items over time. All together I probably spent $20

If I lost any of these items I’d buy another right away because any one is not very expensive and does a specific job well.

Velo Orange Hammered Fenders 45mm

My friend talked me in to getting these. He helped me get a deal from his account with Velo Orange because he was already putting in an order.

It took me about two hours to install but they look good. They fit on my bike well, don’t make any real noise and have very good coverage. They say 45mm is good for up to 700×32 tires. That’s what I’ve got and don’t see myself going any larger in tire size so these fender should work fine.

I’ve been riding around with these on and they give the bike a good look. They draw complements.

Shinny.

Also, they call these hammered but they are more of a pressed-to-look-hammered. It’s not like some craftsman sat at a bench swinging a hammer at these over and over. If you have never seen these in person, they are clearly made by machine.

Not sure where they are made, my guess, not in the US.

Cost: $35

Jandd Extreme Front Rack

Well this was a waste of money. Not spatially compatible with my canti brakes.

Meaning that I can install the rack but I can not mount my panniers to it because the bar my bags hook to is above the brake. It should be lower.

I ordered this online. I should have set my eyes on one before making the purchase. To make some use of it I just put in on my other bike that has road brakes. It installed fine, but it has a second problem that will be a worry no matter what bike anyone puts this on.

The two corner bends of this rack that are closest to the head tube (the upper left corner of this image) will contact the down tube part of the bicycle frame if the wheel is turned too far in either direction.

That bend should should be more toward the front of the rack. This is a bad design. My guess is that Jandd made this with little testing and made so many, to keep costs low, that they are still selling them with fingers crossed that people buy out the last of the stock. At least I’d hope. If they still produce these currently without incorporating a re-design that would be a big mistake. Bigger than the mistake I made in buying one.

If this was made of steel I could maybe have a friend do some welding modifications. But no, it’s aluminum.

“Assembled in Mexico, USA components”

OP/TECH USA Super Classic Strap-Bino 3/8″

After using stock camera straps for a few years I, for some reason, decided to look for something more comfortable. Hmm. Maybe because the factory strap most cameras come with are really just logo holders. It’s not important to me that my camera strap is an advertisement, the opposite really. Give me simple black. But that’s not the main reason for this purchase. Comfort is. I might have my camera hanging from my neck all day. After getting this I’ve told some other new photographers about it. But it’s one of those things you gotta just try for yourself.

Tailored 2.0″ wide neoprene strap that uses a “Comfort-Stretch” binding with an internal “Control-Stretch” system for added support. There is a non-skid surface that won’t slip on shoulder.

Most new camera straps have quick-release clips on them, this is the Bino version and it’s the one w/o little plastic clips that hold the whole thing together. Makes no sense to me why anyone would want that. It only take about 10 seconds to remove the strap if I want it off the camera.

Bought from B&H store in Manhattan.

Cost: $20

Made in USA

optechusa.com

Cateye Strada Wireless

On my first and second solo tours I did have a computer on my bike. Later I did a supported group tour on a bike sent out by a sponsor and I didn’t add a computer to it until more than half the trip was ridden. I bought a cheap one on sale just to read the cue sheets better with some on-the-ground distance info from the cycle computer. It helped a little. But it had a wire and a big dumb button on the side that would get held down if I was not careful how I leaned the bike. Holding that button would clear all the info.

I remember a few people in the group had this model and spoke good of it. So wanting something better I ordered one from QBP for a little more that that dumb one I had cost.

Simple. One button. Wireless.

I did notice one thing about the wireless feature. Sometimes while riding, I might walk. I might walk a few blocks or a mile or more. If I have a computer I got into the habit of pushing the computer up from the stem mount. Just enough to break the sensor connection but not too much that it falls off. I guess my logic is that I only want to tabulate the distance ridden, keep my average speed up, and have an accurate ride time. Well with this one I can push the sensor halfway off the mount but that wont break the sensor. I have to put it in my back pocket if I don’t want to know that I walk 3 MPH.

Made in Japan

De Soto Arm Cooler Sleeves

These are a carry over from my last ride. When riding in southern Texas in July, some of the group I was with decided to buy some of these and the leg coolers too. I just bought the arm coolers and I’m really glad I did. There is no shade in Texas. Anyway, these fit good and do keep my arms cool on blazing, sunny, hot days. If I’m not wearing them they take up almost no space and weigh very little.

Cost: $35 (I can’t remember very well)

Made in USA

desotosport.com

Catlike Whisper Plus Helmet

This is a baller helmet. I got it for free when I worked on a job that hooked up promotional helmets from Serotta, the only US dealer. To be truthful this is the second one I’ve owned. I cracked my first one in a crash while working on that job. Serotta was nice enough to set me up with a replacement.

I can say it’s light and very airy and it does the job it’s meant to do.

Cost: free

Made in Spain