Saddle bags are a needed thing in my life. Something that most bike shops forget to mention when they sell you that new road or mountain bike. Riding around with out tools, tube or inflation device is like driving around in your car with out a spare tire. Yes, you can call someone if you get a flat but that isn’t the empower cycling female I hope you are! Plus, a saddle bag can hold that phone for you as well.

Most folks don’t think twice about what saddle bag to put on their bike. They look at two things. Size and color. There is more to a saddle bag than you would think.

Tech spec of the Lezyne Micro Caddy

MSRP: $24.99-19.99
Sizes: Medium (tested) and Small
Colors: Black or White

What’s Unique of the Lezyne Micro Caddy

Two things caught me as I installed the Lezyne Micro Caddy.

The first is the white color. I love all things white and so far it has stayed white which is awesome.

The second is how the bag attached to the seat rails. It almost has wings that wrap back on itself. Making it so you don’t need a strap to secure the bag to the seat post to eliminate waggle.

A few other cool features:
• The multi-tool holder under the bag. This allows for easy access to do quick changes on the bike.
• Reflective piping around the bag. It doesn’t replace a light but it is nice.

Overall thoughts of the Micro Caddy

The bag is nice, it holds my goods under my saddle. I like the unique features that I haven’t seen on a bag before. More and more bike shops are carrying them which is also nice so that you don’t have to buy online. Something about being able to put it on your bike to see if you like it…you can’t replace it. The only thing I would change is for the interior to be white so I can see what’s in the bag easier!

This product was provided to me at no charge from Lezyne. My opinion is honest and opinionated, probably why you’re still reading. I wasn’t bribed or paid for this review.

We all know my obsession for lights and bags. I have so many of both as I’m always trying to find the perfect one. Rechargeable lights are something I really love. Especially the latest push for USB rechargeable. You see, before lights and bags I am a tech freak. iPad, iMac, MacBook Air, GoPro’s, Canon cameras, iPhones, you get the idea. I always have a computer with me, so charging a light through USB is really easy for me. Much easier than finding batteries at CVS.

Meet the Knog Blinder Arrow Light $44.99

I received a front light in the mail, and it has been on the front of my bikes since February. I’ve traveled with it to Frostbike, and utilize it anytime I’m on the road. I’ve had to charge it twice, it’s bright and easy to use. The mount works on all types of handlebar styles, widths and bends. The USB is easy to use, but you have to have the right room for it. It doesn’t fit in well right between two other USB’s due to the light size.

In Knog fashion they come in many colors & styles

Long term I plan to order a rear, as making a white front light bright seems to be easier than making a red rear light bright and eye catching.

Visit Knog’s website to view all styles!

This product was provided for free for review. I was not bribed or paid for this review. 

This review was put in play by Luna Cycles in Lenior, NC. I am very grateful for their time and assistance, and commuter knowledge!

Visibility is the bane of cyclists everywhere. As a daily commuter, I find myself riding in the worst visibility conditions: early morning light, evening dusk, rain, fog, and nighttime darkness. I wear high-visibility yellow, I strap a riot of blinking lights to the front and back of my bike – I’d get a head-to-toe glow in the dark tattoo if I thought it would help – all in a quest to be noticed by drivers. It was with this quest in mind that I jumped at the opportunity to try out the Fireball Mark II light from Bike After Dark.

It’s difficult to get worked up about a bike light. “Brighter!”, “Longer burn time!”, “5 quintillion LED’s working in concert to blind errant mammals that cross your path!” These are just a few of the tag lines that companies use to attract us to their products, which are essentially white or red flashlights that we strap to our bikes.

But right out of the box, the Fireball Mark II was waaaaay different

Two slender, foot long strips of circuit board with an embedded phalanx of 20 small, rectangular LED’s on each side and a ribbon cable attaching them together, stared up at me from their box, along with a USB to microUSB cable, a two USB port wall plug adapter and several small zip ties, which were included for installation purposes. A small manual directed me to the Bike After Dark website for installation instructions.

Installing the Bike After Dark Fireball Mark II

To say that a set of video instructions for installing these lights is overkill, is really only applicable in hindsight. As I wanted to be very PROfessional about this review, I did not launch into my usual figure-it-out-on-the-fly installation method and dutifully watched the instructional video. To be succinct, installation is dead simple. Fit one circuit board between two spokes, secure it with three zip ties through the three predrilled slots on the board, wrap the ribbon cable that connects it to the other light around the hub a couple of times and then zip tie the other board to two neighboring spokes. Done.

Using the Bike After Dark Fireball Mark II

The lights came pre-charged, so I got to try them out on that evening’s commute home. I turned on my two, small handlebar-type front lights which I have mounted midway down my fork and then hunted for the little ON switch for the Fireball lights. An immediately blinding white light emanated from my front wheel. It actually took me by surprise, evoking a Keanu Reeves-style “Whoa”. I headed out towards home and noticed car drivers slowing down and staring directly at me, that’s how attention getting the white plasma-ball of light emanating from my front wheel was. A curious stroboscopic pulsing of the light occurs when viewed from the front or the rear of the bike as it rolls down the street, while Persistence Of Vision (POV) gives the impression of twenty unbroken circles of light revolving around the wheel when the bike is viewed from the side. Patrons in window seats of restaurants took notice as I rode through downtown, pointing with wide-eyed wonder at the lights.

These lights score high in terms of giving you dramatic visibility, but I would not rely on them for seeing the road ahead when riding after dark. They provide the rider with some immediate forward visibility (10 to 15 feet), but not enough to routinely rely on for my taste. They burn astoundingly brightly for approximately two hours per charge, and are still functional albeit noticeably dimmer for several hours of use after that. They have suffered through fog, snow, and rain with great aplomb despite being little more than two circuit boards with a bunch of LED’s soldered to it. After six weeks of daily commuting (about 300 miles of riding and 15-20 hours of use) they look no worse for wear. Charging them is a simple matter of plugging the micro USB cord into the slim battery mounted on the board and then plugging it into the wall. A red indicator LED let’s you know that the battery is charging and the LED turns off to indicate a full charge.

Conclusion

These lights made me feel much more secure in my visibility in difficult conditions. I will be making a full front and rear set of these a permanent addition to my commuter bike in the very near future.

If you are looking for a different style of lights, and want to be seen from all sides – visit Bike After Dark for more details. This product was provided for free for review. I was not bribed or paid for this review. 

I am putting these two bags together in one review as other than straps and zippers they are much alike. 

Getting women to use bicycles as a form of transportation is rather important to me. I feel as society see’s more women on bikes, as more women empower their children and families to chose a bike, the more we success we will have with getting better laws, infrastructure and movement forward in the US for bikes.

Making biking easier, more functional, and well better looking is a huge step in to doing the above. I feel Bontrager is making strides in this.

Bontrager Vella Vana Messenger MSRP: $110

A streamlined messenger bag that comes in black or a deep purple. The unique feature of this bag is on the back, under a zipper two clips are hidden to firmly snap this bag on to your rack.

Other features in the bag include:

• A separate, elevated, sleeve for your laptop to keep it from hitting the ground
• Expandable when you need more room
• External key and wallet pocket
• Padded messenger strap

Bontrager Vella Camu Shopper MSRP $110

The basics of this bag are the same but instead of a messenger bag it is shaped to fit a paper grocery bag perfectly. The messenger strap is replaced with two hand straps and the top is closed by a zipper top.

The bag still has the installation feature onto a rack, expansion feature with a full zip around the bottom when you need to carry more and adds side straps to cinch down on the sides and keep things safe!

Things I Would Change (Cons)

The bags are really good and durable bags. They’ve encouraged my better half who is a true girly girl to branch out and use a bicycle for other things. With that, I have to make note of a few things that I hope in the next run they address.

• More mounts for blinky lights
• More reflective bits
• Some sort of tie down on the bottom for when I have precious cargo and can’t fathom the bag coming unhitched
• Maybe a rain fly
• More colors. Make it fun, make it eye catching. (Remember hi-viz yellow is the new black!)

 Some other cool photos and features

This product was provided for free for review. I was not bribed or paid for this review. 

I’ll keep you from reading my rant of why I feel that child bike seats are unsafe and can lead to danger for the child and adult. That will be saved for another day.

Earlier in the summer Burley sent out a D’Lite Child Trailer for review purposes. Walking into the review I knew from my experience in the past with Burley, their trailers and the quality they take around design and development – I would be pleased with the results of their D’Lite trailer. As my children are grown to 10 and 11 years old, I borrowed and stole children of all sizes for the review and testing. At the bottom of this is a ton of photos to hopefully document all the details that the D’Lite has to offer.

My Burley Trailer History

My first experience with Burley outside of selling them was back in 2005. The shop I was managing outside of Boston had a few rental Burley trailers to use on the local rail to trail. During the early spring before our rental period picked up I adopted a puppy. I used a kids trailer with a couple blankets and a short leash to transport my new puppy to the shop and back. She loved it, I loved it and it was perfect. Since then Burley has actually released the Tail Wagon which is a trailer designed for your dog!

My next experience with Burley was as a bike line. My small shop in Charlotte, NC stocked and sold their road line. Beautiful steel bikes, a dying breed. Since then Burley has restructured and really going after the trailer and pull behind niche.

My latest experience was with the Burley Travoy. An urban trailer I reviewed over at Commute By Bike. The review is also reposted on Bike Shop Girl with more photos.

Details of the Burley D’Lite Child Trailer

Rear Window Unzipped

Details pulled right from Burley.com

• Available in Green or Orange
• Replacement covers available in Yellow, Blue or Red
• Bowed-out sides for increased interior width/shoulder room
• Elastomer suspension system
• Exclusive height-adjustable handlebar that doubles as roll bar
• All weather cover with waterproof zippers
• Deluxe reclining padded seats
• Five-point harness and padded shoulder harness
• Removable, washable seat pad and shoulder harness
• Tinted side windows
• Adjustable sunshade
• Parking brake

Key Features

The things I found unique and completely Burley:

• Tinted side windows
• Rear window that zips down for airflow and the child can see around
• Drink and snack holders on both sides the seats
• Reflective piping and logos all around the shell
• Easy to use
• Push button wheels
• Standard 20″ wheels, not the plastic kind
• Did I mention easy to use?
• Adaptable to all types of bikes

My Overall Feelings

The D’Lite delivered as I expected it to. The trailer isn’t the cheapest out there, but if you purchase an accessory kit this could become your do all stroller, running jogger and kid hauler. The ability to completely flatten, pull the wheels off and stow it in the back of your vehicle is irreplaceable for the family on the go. Why not have one killer trailer/stroller/hauler instead of 3 that do 3 different things?

In the end I do believe that trailers are safer, allow you to bring two kids, clothing, and they are tucked behind UV windows, rain fly’s mesh, and a roll bar. 5 point harness system will keep every kid in place. Extra room allows you to put snacks and toys in with them, without the ability of them throwing it overboard.

I hope to explore how parents can get their children interested in riding in the trailer, how to do it safely and tips/ideas of how to get out with your family. In the end it is completely how the parent handles taking the their child, how they encourage healthy living and being outside.

Disclaimer: This product was provided at no charge. I was not paid or bribed for the review and was completely as judgmental as I am with everything else in my life.

Lizard Skins DPS Handlebar Tape Review

Details from Lizard Skins:
2.5 mm thick for that extra bit of comfort. At 82” of lengththere is ample length for any bar & 50 grams per set
MSRP: $38

Initial Thoughts

When I first saw the Lizard Skins handlebar tape popping up in the local bike shops I was intrigued. Anytime a company comes out with a product that is twice the price of their competitors they are either idiots or they have some amazing technology worth the cost.

Second thing I saw was that the Lizard Skins company doing a great job with merchandising. They give shops that order a certain amount of minimum product a great eye catching point of purchase. It is a handlebar that allows a consumer to try out the tape, some even have pieces of all the colors and styles available, this is the seller. The tape is different and Lizard Skins knows this – allowing you to try it. It reminds me of the really nice tape you can buy for fancy tennis rackets. It is a bit tacky to touch and only becomes more tacky if it becomes wet. It really hits on the name of the company “Lizard Skins.”

There are many colors to chose from, along with the thickness of tape. 2.5mm is the one I went with for better shock absorption, but there is also a 1.8mm for those that like to “feel their bars.” The color, pink of course!

Long Term Review of the Lizard Skins Handlebar Tape

While my review package of tape showed up in early summer, I wanted to put the tape through its paces. As the tape is almost $40 to wrap a handlebar I wanted to make sure it was worth the cost and continued to feel tacky, padded and pink.

Every time I get on my cyclocross bike with this handlebar tape installed, I am impressed. 600 miles on the handlebars, and the pink is still going strong. A bit dirty, but still pink and tacky.

Overall Thoughts

Not everyone needs to spend this much to wrap their handlebars. If you have a problem with sweaty hands, slippery handlebar tape, maybe have to wear gloves for grip, or you wear through tape a couple times a season.

This tapes for you. 

I’ll leave you with this. While at my local cyclocross practice a friend and gear whore, George, saw my tape, felt my tape, asked me about my tape then quickly went out and bought his own tape (not in pink). We both realized quickly that it is durable and perfect for cyclocross.

Disclaimer: Lizards Skins provided this tape free for review, I wasn’t paid or bribed. 

As cyclocross season is getting rolling, cyclocross product is rolling in the door for test riding and abusing in the name of reviews! One of the most sensitive subjects for cyclocross racers (other than bike geometry) is tire choice and pressure.

2012 Specialized Cyclocross Tires

Three new cyclocross tires focused on from the big S, Specialized Bicycles. One for each terrain, hard packed, mixed conditions, and wet or muddy conditions.

Specialized Trigger Tire

This is the tire for the hard pack conditions, and developed with the help of Todd Wells.

Details: Sharp but shallow diamond tread pattern in the center. Increased and more stable blacks in the shoulder for cornering in hard surfaces.

Trigger Tubular TPI: 290 Weight: 420g MSRP: $100
Trigger Pro TPI: 120 Weight: 275g MSRP: $55
Trigger Sport TPI: 60 Weight: 405g MSRP: $35

Specialized Tracer Tire

Details: One tread that covers all courses, a center knob providing good traction, shoulder knobs to adapt on hard or loose grounds.

Tracer Tubular TPI: 290 Weight: 420g MSRP: $100
Tracer Pro TPI: 120 Weight: 285g MSRP: $55
Tracer Sport TPI: 60 Weight: 405g MSRP: $35 

Specialized Terra Tire

Details: Sharp edged tread that clears well in mud and muddy

Terra Tubular TPI: 290 Weight: 425g MSRP: $100
Terra Pro TPI: 120 Weight: 305g MSRP: $55 

Tires in for Review

One set of each of the Terra and Trigger tires showed up and are being mounted to give you a full review! For now go check out Specialized full run of cyclocross tires on their website.

The FTC makes me tell you that I receive these tires for free for review. I was not paid or bribed, but I wouldn’t mind making a dollar on this.

While at Sea Otter this past spring I was hooked up with the new pink Answer Products ProTaper XC Flatbar. After installing and riding the bar for a couple months (15 or 20 rides) I can give some honest feedback.

ProTaper 650 XC Bars Details

Width: 685mm Weight: 235g (flat) Back Sweep: 3º Colors: PINK, Mango, Red, Green, Brunette (brown), Black

Answer ProTaper 650 XC Review

While the handlebar got me at the word “pink”, the weight and options are really what kept me interested. Even though flat bars really aren’t my gig, not giving enough sweep for my longer distance hauls. I ended up riding these bars for a couple months on my geared Airborne Goblin and then moving it to my Surly Karate Monkey single speed. The weight and taper were confidence inspiring, especially when you use a stem like Thomson that can sometimes crack handlebars when not installed correctly. A bike shop could carry a few of these bars in different colors and really add some flair to customers bikes. Check out more Answer bars on JensonUSA.com

This product was given to me at no charge for reviewing.  I was not paid or bribed to give this review and it will have my honest opinion or thoughts through out.

Pedals on a commuter are always an interesting dance.

Platform, clipless, toe clips, and then which brand/level? For my around town getter I try to keep platforms on year around to be able to hop on and just GO! The bike I keep at my office in Uptown Charlotte is this type of bike. Originally with BMX style platform pedals, $10 Wellgo pedals, they did well as a pedal but only when I had soft bottom shoes on. When I had dress shoes or some sort of heal the pedal’s “spikes” didn’t grab and became very slippery when wet.

Ergon PC2 Pedals

For 2011 I am on the Ergon Commuter Team where we are testing out their new products and talking bike commute goodness! In July I was sent a pair of their new PC2 pedals to give a spin and give feedback on. While this isn’t going to be a full review I did want to preview them and give my initial thoughts.

Details from Ergon on the PC2 Pedal

• Developed composite by Magura (the brake and fork company)
• Inner foot stop to keep correct foot positioning on the pedal
• Ultra narrow q-factor
• Integrated reflectors
• Anatomically contoured platform, 6º angle for better joint alignment, knee angle correction
• Maintenance free polymear bearings
• 3M-SafetyWalk™ creates a slip free platform
• MSRP $69.99

Initial Thoughts of the Ergon PC2

The PC2′s remind me of beach cruiser pedals with the sand paper feel on each side. This works very well and no matter the shoe so far, they hold a grip.

The pedals are size specific, I’m on a small pedal but at the maximum shoe size with a euro 42 shoe. Two of these pedals do feel very large in your hand, but once on the bike they feel supportive under feet and keep traction between your shoe and drivetrain.

After a handful of rides I am really enjoying these pedals. With an MSRP of $70 I hope they continue to impress me and provide a good alternative to BMX pedals and clipless for commuters!

There have been many reviews released for the Chrome Sherman “Utility” bag. These reviews are mostly by folks riding their track bikes down to the local velodrome, swapping out wheels and gearing to race that same bike. For me this bag introduces a new look at doing business as a mechanic and ease of use for tool storage.

The spring and early summer season is always my busiest. First to Sea Otter, a couple local endurance races, a 24 hour mtb race and a handful of South East crit series to hit up. As a racer, but more importantly as everyone’s friendly female mechanic it is my job to be organized and prepared for whatever you need at the race.

Using the Chrome Sherman

At first this bag is overwhelming, so many pockets and clasps. In fact three weeks after actively using the bag I found a hidden pocket to hold my chain whip and pedal tool! The bag trifolds to easily be carried on your back, or the top flap folds back to be clasped on a repair stand, fence or whatever is close by. Once you figure out all the pockets, what zippers, what velcro’s, and what can go where is when you can start pushing the bag to its extreme.

The Chrome Sherman for Daily Use

As I mentioned, I use the Sherman for different purposes than others. I use it as my tool bag, that travels on my back from car to pits, of garage to car to races. I’ve never ridden more than 2 miles with the thing on my back, but the bag is used daily with my bike tools.

To be able to grab the Sherman from where it hangs off my bookcase or repair stand, fold up the tri-fold and head off to wherever I am going. It is amazing. I’m not repacking all my tools, questioning where I left my measuring tape or 3-way. It is where I keep it, organized and always in the same spot.

If I am doing a full overhaul in my garage I will take out most the tools I know I’ll need and put them on the bench or on the wall for their homes, but this is more for speed than anything else.

What Goes in my Chrome Sherman

A random list of what is normally in my Sherman for daily use. Each race is different, if I’m going to a road race I may pull something different than a mtb.

• Full run of allen hex’s. from 1.5 to 10mm
• 4 main allen wrenches, 8,9,10,15
• Adjustable wrench x 2
• Chain tool
• Cassette tools
• Pedal wrench
• Side cutter
• Needle nose
• Phillips screw driver x2
• Flathead screw driver x2
• Shock pump
• Small squeeze of grease
• Wax based lube
• Teflon based lube
• Electrical tape
• Cable ends
• Small tackle box of misc parts (quick links, headset spacers, tire boot, co2 head, pens,
• 3-way
• Spoke wrenches
• Cable ties
• Zip ties
• Single speed cogs x2
• SRAM 9 speed chain (new)
• SRAM 10 speed chain (new)
• Tire levers
• 700c tube
• 29″ tube
• Mechanics gloves
• Small container of Stans NoTubes
• Crank tool x 2
• Shimano crank tool
• BB tool x 4 (outboard, octalink, square taper and Campy)
• Brake cables x2
• Shifter cables x2
• Brake housing
• Shifter housing

Overall Review of the Chrome Sherman

The Chrome Sherman is a bag that makes you think out of the box. (No pun intended.) It has allowed me to expand my services as a mechanic, and be more efficient when doing so. It handles cross country trips well, being shoved in the trunk of a car, or slapped on your back to haul on a bike.

There are things I would change, pockets I would expand, tool slots I would stitch in but for a non-custom bag at MSRP of $190 the bag does what it needs to do. Now at $190 you need to utilize the thing to death to justify the cost, but keeping my tools safe and organized in all conditions is worth it to me. Chrome, please add custom colors to the mix in the future!

Visit Chrome’s store for more details.