The highly anticipated and long awaited and highly controversial Top Five List of Cycling Innovations for 2010…(Note: Like the evil Public Teacher Unions in this country, Carbon-fiber products are not considered in this highly selective list as they are Un-American) #5 1988 Chouinard Overboots. I found these up in my attic stuffed away with a bunch of old climbing gear after last year’s Arrowhead, where I durn near lost me big toe to the frost bite! They work great in combination with my Lake Winter Boots and keep my feet pretty warm even in 20 below.
#4 Mountain Feedbag. A nifty little bag that affixes to ones handlebars. Allows easy access to food, EPO, and hemorrhoid suppositories, etc.
#3 Stranahan's Colorado Small Batch Whiskey. Guitar Ted gave me a bottle of this quality whiskey a few years back after the running of the Trans-Iowa and itz the best whiskey I have ever had the pleasure of imbibing. I shared a shot with me dear Dad a few months back in 2010 and we both wept tears of joy! And then he bought me a new bottle… Use just a bit of it to revive one’s senses after a long cold night out on one’s Pugsley or the like.
#2 Brave Soldier Chamois Lube. The best protection for the long long haul. Save your $$$ on those fancy-pants saddles and the Gucci bibs…instead get a few tubes of this stuff and ride ride ride….
#1 The Salsa Woodchipper handlebars…An amazing innovation that finds that tricky middle ground between off-road mtb bars and road-racing drop bars. I love these bars and highly recommend them for use with gravel road machines, touring bikes, as well as snow-bikes. Really, truly…a great innovation. I just ordered my second pair and I am super cheap.
Note: The youthful looking rider in the front of the photo above is using all of the above items, including the bright green/purple/black Chouinard Overboots, the Woodchipper bars, the Brave Soldier Product, a small Surly flash of courage (aka Stanahan), mt. feedbag...
Stranahan's...I helped polish off a bottle in Colorado a week ago with the Ride The Divide movie crew.
ReplyDeleteWoodchippers...heck Charlie, all you had to do was ask. But thanks for buying.
Chouinard Overboots...send over a picture. Curious if anything ever really changes.
I totally agree on the woodchippers. Although I mainly love them because I can get in the drops without my big gut getting in the way.
ReplyDeleteWoodchippers are amazing,the feedbag is a wonderful little product. I am also amazed as to the durability and awesomeness of my Pugsley. 31 days straight in January. I can't wait to meet up with you in April.
ReplyDeletebest,
Ari
Also thank you for mentioning me and the Slender Fungus in your list.
You are a Gentleman.
I actually like cycling when I go on vacation. For instance, instead of doing the city tours of the countries I visit, I get to know the city riding a bike. Last year I travelled to Argentina and rented one of those apartments in Buenos Aires and the rental company also gave me a rental bike for free. I went to every neighborhood by bike!
ReplyDeleteJules