CYCLING GEAR
I’ve written several articles previously which mentioned, in one way or another, my interest in cycling. (See this article, or this article, or perhaps this article for some examples of related content.) Several readers had some questions about what type of cycling gear I use. Good question. So here’s the info – My Cycling Gear.
The photo above is an overall view of most of my gear. I ride a Trek 720 “Multi-Track” which is a fairly straightforward hybrid bike. Not the high tech, high speed racer and not the off road mountain bike. My Trek is good for street and paved / hard pack biking trails. Got some new tires as part of this year’s tune up – Bontrager with Kevlar liners. So if anybody shoots at my tires I guess I’m good. They are also supposed to be much more resistant to punctures and road impacts.
By the way – some have pointed out that “TREK” is a word / concept which seems to pop up with some regularity in my life. My Blog Name is Dr.B, The Photo Trekker. And I have written many times about my travels in my Road Trek. And now you know that my bike is – what else – a Trek. Must be some type of Karma or something?
I find it’s good to be safety conscious when riding and my rear view mirror is a concession in that arena. It’ a nice one made by Bell which attaches to the handlebar with a velcro wrap strap and is easily adjustable. Some prefer the small mirror that mounts on your helmet or sunglasses. I had trouble with that type. This one works just fine for me.
You are also probably aware that I tend to enjoy techie stuff. My biking is no exception. Above you will see the black glossy device mounted to the handlebar stem. That’s my Garmin GPS. Why – you may ask? Well, I sort of like to know where I’m going. Sometimes in strange new neighborhoods the streets seem to go all different directions. (What happened to plain old North and South roadways?) I can’t begin to tell you how many times I thought I could cut through a neighborhood from one street to another only to discover that I got lost in a maze. Now that’s one type of frustration when you are driving. But if you are riding a bike – well for me at least, I have a limited amount of energy and I get tired backtracking. Some streets dead end, others curve around and circle back. You never know. Finally I gave up and mounted my GPS. It’s great – now I have any overview of the area and get a much better idea of what route will be most efficient.
Here’s another view of the handlebar stem area showing my GPS unit. Hanging off the main frame bar beneath it you can just make out a black object. That’s a small storage pouch which has a velcro wrap to hold it to the frame bar. I pop my Tekkeon Charger into the pouch and then run a short usb cable to my Garmin GPS. I tend, occasionally, to take long rides and the internal battery on the GPS sometimes wouldn’t last for the trip. Powering the GPS with the Tekkeon was the perfect, if somewhat Geekie, solution. (It can also be used as a back up power source for other items like cameras, etc. Check out this Tekkeon article for more info.)
Beneath the main frame bar you can also see my water bottle. I always fill it before heading out. But quite honestly, by the time I’m ready for a drink – well the water doesn’t taste all that good. I’ve tried a variety of bottles – same result. Maybe I should add a bit of scotch? No – probably not a good idea. Drinking and biking don’t mix any more than drinking and driving.
Bike seats are notoriously uncomfortable. I finally upgraded to this one by I.C.S. Infinite Comfort System. The “Dual Density” seat has gel padding incorporated in “strategic” places. It helps some – I guess. I also have a small pack behind the seat made by Quix. I keep my keys, wallet, and a ball cap in there. I also carry a lock so I can secure my bike if I want to leave it while I wander off – to eat, photograph, whatever.
These are my new cycling gloves. I actually wore my old ones out. These are made by Body Geometry and they are great. Ventilated on the top / white side, the palms have gel padding in various places to further cushion your hands.
Finally there is the helmet. A fairly basic piece of head gear by Giro. Light weight and well ventilated.
So for my cycling needs – that’s the gear. The only additional piece of equipment on my outings is my iPhone. Keeps me in touch with others and serves as a back up safety device if I break down or run into difficulty. And it also runs my biking app B.iCycle which helps me keep a wonderful GPS track of my ride along with others statistics.
Ride Safe! ……….. And Enjoy The Adventure!
Dr. B, The Photo Trekker
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