Long(ish) Term Review

This just in:

It's still cold.

I haven't been riding the past few days because I'm not a fan of frostbite, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been riding at all this winter.   Way back in November I got my grubby hands on some of those shiny new grips from Lizards Skins.  They've been on Darth Maul (my rigid SS bike) for a couple of months now, which is plenty of time for me to form an opinion about them.

The verdict?

These are the cat's ass.

They're still grippy (of course), but that's not what I was worried about.  Being such a thin (and light) grip, they are actually really comfortable.  I consider my test run pretty accurate too since they are paired up with a rigid crabon frok.  Srsly.  Bumps, roots, and rocks are no match for the high comfort level of these.  I'm pleased, but really surprised.

What worried me the most though, was their durability.  They are thin, seem weak and fragile, and are a little on the pricey side if you buy them retail.  I was worried that they would tear up easily under normal use.  Granted, I haven't used them for a whole season, but most grips show signs of wear after that long anyway.  I had a small crash  a while back where I clipped a tree (which slammed my bike into the ground), and that shit didn't phase them. 

I are impressed.

I know, you look over there and see the Lizard Skins logo and think, “He's full of shit.  He wouldn't say anything bad about them if he wanted to.”

I'll tell you if I don't like something, or even if there is one thing I don't like about something.  The bad thing about these grips is the price, which could shy some people away.  You might think, “I can get some grips like that for way cheaper.” No, you can't.  These are definitely worth the money. 

You can trust me (most of the time.)  I won't use something I don't believe in, and I definitely wouldn't put a company logo up here if they weren't pretty rad.

And these grips are pretty rad. 

The Good

With no bad this time.

 Photo cred:  Off TheRoad Photos 

Usually after I do a race report, I take time out to talk about all the things I could’ve done better.  Harder efforts, less recovery time, more nutrition, etc., but I’ll skip it this time around.  Instead, I’ll talk about something that made my race pretty awesome.

I get support from various cycling companies (ahem, look over there to the right), and their products serve me well.  One item in particular stood out this time, and honestly I’ve been slacking in the review department for it.  What is it, you ask?

My choice of socks.

That is the DeFeet Cyclismo.  I got them back in March right before I raced down in Charleston, and they’ve been my go to race sock ever since.  The cushion on the bottom keeps my feet comfortable when I’m clipped in, and damn it, they are sexy too.  It seems like a lot of the races (and rides) I’ve done lately have been in the rain, and these socks are the cat’s ass when it comes to foul weather.

In my latest adventure, the weather was nice, but crossing a creek got my feet a pretty wet.  Even then, the Cyclismo stayed comfortable while I hiked up a million switchbacks and then descended down the mountain.  It didn’t take long for them to dry, and when they did they felt as fresh as when I first put them on.

They didn’t look so fresh though.

Don’t worry, they clean up real nice.

Since I first started wearing these for racing, every single event I’ve done has been an endurance race (on a single speed too, but whatever.)  Being in the saddle for hours at a time can be uncomfortable, but having the DeFeet Cyclismo along for the ride keeps my feet feeling mighty fine.  You already know that Defeet socks are the best on the planet (made right here in North Carolina), so I guess that makes these socks the best of the best.

They make me feel like a rock star, but that’s probably because founder and CEO Shane Cooper is a rock star.

Go get some and you can feel like a rock star too.

Testing 1…2…3

A while back I received some presents from the fine folks over at Backcountry Research (you know, makers of the now famous Awesome Strap.)  I’ve been testing a few of the items in question, now it’s time for the results for one of them.

Like my cool as shit Fönbag.

This was an item I never thought I would need, but it turns out that I did very much.  I’ve been using the Fönbag for a little while now, and it’s been on plenty of rides with me during that time.  I freaking love it, and I have no idea how I’ve been riding without it.  It keeps my smartphone safe and sound in its little protective case, so I don’t have to worry about anything happening to it.  I’m pretty rough on things, and I’ve been known to drop my phone a time or two.  Carrying it in my pocket during a ride made me nervous, but with the Fönbag I worry a helluva lot less.

Besides protecting the shit outta my phone, the fancy clear protector allows me to actually use my phone during my rides, so I can update my Face status, Twitter, and even participate in the newest form of cycling fun, Strava Terrorism.

Wait, what?

Check out this post over at Drunk Cyclist and join in on the fun.

Anyway, There’s not much exciting about my review of the Fönbag because well, it works.  No frills, no fuss, just a very practical (and stylish) accessory to take with you for your rides.  If you haven’t been over to Backcountry Research lately, then you should.  Get yourself some cool shit to help make you awesome like me.

I have a few other things to review, but I’ll save that for later.

Speaking of saving things for later, I have some new sponsor news too.  I’ll hold off on that one though for the time being.

See y’all tomorrow.

Tires Ain’t Pretty

Sorry, I was having a flashback I guess. That guy was in a bunch of tire commercials back in my hometown years ago. Anyway, yes I’m talking about tires, and these sure are pretty. My new Kenda Slant Six tires have been put to the test, so I figured I’d talk about them a little bit.





I’m a Kenda guy, and there’s no denying it. All of the bikes in my stable are equipped with them. I’ve used the Nevegal, which is good for not so good conditions. They don’t roll so fast, but they make up for it with their grip. The Small Block 8 (which up until now was my favorite), was my “go to” tire, and I used it pretty much for everything. They rolled fast and had really good traction, as long as the trail wasn’t too muddy. I have used many other models of Kenda tires, but I’ll skip the description for those. It's better that way, trust me.


Anyway, my newest tire (the Slant Six in case you weren’t paying attention) is a good mix of the Nevegal and the Small Block 8. They are brand new to the Kenda lineup, and I must admit that I was a little hesitant to try them. George gave me the idea, but I wasn’t sure if I would like them. He’s so slick he could talk a stray dog into buying fleas, so I made sure to get some when I got my new wheels.





My first test of them was at the 6 Hours of Warrior Creek. Nothing like trying something new during a race I guess. Since the first lap was a muddy mess, they pretty much sucked. Any tire would have sucked though, but things did get better. As the trail dried up, I really had a chance to test them out. I really, really liked them. They seemed to roll just as fast as the SB8, but there was much more grip in the corners. I felt like I was stuck to the berms (in a good way) when I flew around the corners, and I never lost traction.


After the dust settled (after the race of course), I was hooked. The Slant Six is now my favorite tire, and I will stick with it from now on. They were pretty easy to set up tubeless too. I know, I had some leakage, but that was my own fault. I kind of hurried the process, and paid for it on race day. After riding for six hours, they were completely free of leaks. When I first mounted them, they aired up just fine without any sealant. Next time I’ll take it a little slower when I do the tubeless thing.


Anyway, I like them. Will they work for you? I don’t know. I’m pretty brand loyal when it comes to stuff for my bike, so trying a new Kenda product wasn’t a difficult choice. They are much better than the Small Block 8 in my opinion, and if you run them on both front and rear you should have good results. I ride like a sack of anvils, so if you are more of a finesse rider then they may even be better for you. I’m not gonna tell you to go buy them though. I like mine, and that’s all that matters. If you try them and you don’t like them, don’t come crying to me. I don’t know shit about your needs. If you give them a chance though, you just might like them. Or not. Whatever.

No More Riding Dirty

Every so often, I get stuff sent to me here at the B-43 Worldwide headquarters. If it’s something I’ve never used before, then I like to test it out and report my findings here on the blog. These tests are always unsolicited, and usually consist of unscientific use of whatever product I have chosen to try out. If it’s something that I didn’t purchase myself, then I like to give the most honest review possible. That being said, no one has paid me for any kind of review for their products, other than a sample I may have received. Here’s the latest box that showed up:



I opened it up to find this:



This is the Clean Bottle. If you spent any time over the summer watching The Tour California (roadie stuff, I know), then you may have seen it before. It’s just a water bottle, right? Well, sort of. Here’s some info direct from their website:


Introducing Clean Bottle™, with a patent-pending,leak-proof , screw-off bottom. Gone are the days of trying in vain to wash out that funk at the bottom of your bottles. With Clean Bottle, cleaning and drying are easy.


Clean Bottle is made with 100% non-toxic, BPA-free plastics, making it safe to use over and over. Clean Bottle is also top-rack dishwasher safe, so you can run it in the dishwasher without fear of it breaking down.

And 10% of all Clean Bottle profits are donated to eco and cycling friendly charities that you vote for. It's the least we can do to protect the environment that has given us so many epic rides.


Okay, that all sounds fine and dandy, right? It looked like a good idea, and I must admit that I was intrigued by a bottle that opened up at both ends:







After playing around with it in my kitchen, I decided that it needed a real “on the trail” test (since I ride mostly on the trails.) I filled the bottle with my favorite electrolyte drink, and prepared for my ride:



I placed it in one of my bottle cages and told it to hang on:



I took a few laps around one of my favorite trails, grabbing the Clean Bottle every once in a while for a drink. I have to admit that I didn’t really pay much attention to how tight the lid was, but that didn’t seem to matter. Nothing leaked out, and I was able to ride without spilling a drop. The only thing I had to worry about was Little Miss Sunshine stealing a drink:



After my ride, I was pretty impressed (at least so far.) The bottle never fell out of my bottle cage. In fact, another rider that noticed the bottle tried it in his bottle cage and said it seemed to fit better. Plus one for the Clean Bottle. Now that I was finished with my ride though, I had to clean it.

I decided to test out the “dishwasher safe” claim first. Most water bottles I own are pretty much rendered useless after a round in the dishwasher. That wasn’t the case with the Clean Bottle. After the dishwashing cycle, I immediately filled it up again to test for leaks. I am proud to say that there were none. Just to be sure, the Clean Bottle accompanied me on my last trip to the mountains for an even better test. No problems there either, minus the one time I forgot to place it back in the cage properly. When that trip was over I washed it by hand, finding it really easy to clean after removing both ends.

A lot of us put more than water in our water bottles. You know, stuff like electrolyte drinks, recovery drinks, etc., which can get the bottle a lot dirtier than water would. I usually forget about my bottles after a ride and leave them rolling around in the back of my truck for a few days. It’s pretty hard to get the bottle clean again after that, but it doesn’t matter with the Clean Bottle. Just unscrew both ends and scrub away. Your bottle will be as good as new.

At $9.95 each they are a little more expensive than regular bottles, but the fact that you can get them clean makes up for the price difference in my opinion. I’ve thrown away some bottles before that I couldn’t get clean. The quality is pretty high for these bottles too, so it’s a good bet that they will last a long time. Don’t believe me? Well, go to their website and get one for yourself. If my review was convincing enough, then order three from them and they will send you a fourth one for free. I don’t get anything for it, but that won’t stop me from telling you how great they are.

I’m just a regular guy with a riding problem, and I’m not usually impressed with something as simple as water bottles. After testing it out on multiple rides though, I’m a Clean Bottle fan now for sure. So, what’s stopping you from going out and getting some for yourself? Nothing? Good. Go get some Clean Bottles and thank me later.

I’m Still Awesome

Well, sort of. I haven’t acquired any new skills or stumbled upon any training secrets, but the fact that I’m always rocking my Awesome Straps is good enough. Unlike the pathetic review that I had to do for those other products, you can bet your ass that I’m sincere when I talk about the products from the fine folks at Backcountry Research.


What’s with all of this Awesome talk anyway? Well, by now you all know about the genius invention known as the Awesome Strap and my undying love for it. Since I use it all the time, I’ve decided to experiement with the placement of said Awesomeness. The usual spot is cool and all, but some really smart guy said something about having the weight lower on the frame or something like that (I kind of half read what he said about it.) I figured that this past weekend would be a good time to try something different than the usual:




When I got to Lake Norman State Park da udda day, I grabbed my little bundle of awesomeness and looked for a new location. Even though I ride an XL (22 inch) frame, space is at a premium. I looked for a spot that would be lower, yet stay the hell out of my way while I was riding. After careful thought and consideration (basically closing my eyes and grabbing the frame anywhere), I came up with this:



Here’s a closer look:




That spot seemed to be out of the way enough so as not to interfere with my water bottles, yet it would be secure enough that I wouldn’t have to worry about it. As I rode the trail with the Awesome Strap in its new location, I soon realized that it wasn’t such a good idea. The spot was indeed out of the way, but it kind of interfered with my shifting ability. I didn’t notice it much because I hardly used my gears that day, but eventually it could become an issue when I need to shift a lot. While I am considering making this bike a single speed, it’s not happening for a while ( in due time, my friends.)


Shit. Just when I think I have something, it doesn’t quite work right. That’s kind of how my luck usually goes, so I would be heading back to the drawing board, so to speak. I finished the ride and thought about where I could strap my little Awesome buddy next time.


After looking over the frame a little before my ride at Sherman Branch on Sunday, I realized that there was really only one spot left on my frame (other than giving up and putting it back in the original location.) I noticed a prime piece of real estate on my seat tube, and it was just begging for me to uh, strap it on. Check it:



Again, here’s a closer look:



This was definitely out of the way, didn’t interfere with my shifters, and allowed me to keep the weight really low on the frame. After admiring my work, I took off on the trail to test it out. This time it was a success. It looks like I finally found a new home for the Strap of Awesomeness. It’s very secure down there, and the potential to gather a shitload of mud is probably about the same as it is when it’s strapped to my seatpost. I was happy. No wait, I was Awesome.


So yeah, I’m going on and on about the Awesome Strap, but it’s not some worthless product pimping just for the sake of blogging. I really dig the products from Backcountry Research, so that’s why I never shut up about them. Have you see the new and improved Awesome Straps? They look so kick-ass. Just check out the quote I “stole” from their website:


If your looking for the straps that can be fastened anywhere on your bike; that were purposely designed with relentless grip for securing your goodies when you hammer down ass clapping, high speed technical descents and climb like a scalded goat during epic rides, endurance and multi-day stage races…You found the right place.


Ass clapping. That’s so choice. Anyway, it looks like they will be available soon, so just hang on for a bit longer. I can’t wait to get my grubby mitts on one. If you have one of the current models, then be sure to hang onto it. They are destined to be a classic. Besides, it’s not like you’re gonna wear it out or anything. Just keep rolling with what ya got, and then get some of the new ones when they are available.

Stay Awesome, my friends.