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A few product reviews...(more reviews on individual product pages)
Posted by: Don
When you finally reach your cycling maturation age, which for me was 52, your utility/commuting bike will have a front basket and a handlebar just like this one. I could not be happier with the Oxford and as long as you keep your eyes on the road you will never know that you are not holding a Nitto! The Soma and Oxford graphics come off easily with fine steel wool. There is a ton of comfort in knowing you've reached the age where image is low on the list and being 'geeked out' is fun! Get some you will love them.
Nitto RM-013  |
Product: Nitto Dirt Drop Handlebar RM-013 Posted By: Eric Bell |
| Awesome bar! Very wide, nice flare too. These are bars I will keep for life. For me, I don't think I could find better bars for my Bridgestone RB-T. They are very sexy, usable in ALL positions. |
Velo Orange Grand Cru Seat Post, long set back
GrandCru Seatpost 
Posted by Richland, WA on 30th Jul 2012
I needed a setback seatpost that didn't cost $200 and this one fits the bill perfectly. I am more comfortable on my bike and it saved me money!
A pump that works when you need it to 
Posted by Don on 5th Sep 2012
I feel a bit silly offering up an opinion on an item that really should be as dependable as a rock. I know we've all had frustrations with portable pumps but really they aren't rocket science and I see no rocket science used in this one. However most of them work when they are new so only time will tell if this is the rock I've been looking for.
King Cage Andrew's Water Bottle Cage, stainless
King Cage works great
Posted by Boe on 6th Sep 2012
This cage works great, holds my long water bottle tight, dont have to worry about it falling out.
Frost river panniers are awesome!
Posted by Boe on 6th Sep 2012
Have had these on my Karate Monkey for about a month now. Mainly used for hauling groceries, very good capacity, look awesome, fairly easy to remove/install. I did have to add a toe strap to the front side for fear they might come off, other than that I would look no further if you want something unique yet highly functional.
Salsa Down Under Front Rack
Stout and Ready for 'Rough' Roads
Posted by Tucker A on 14th Sep 2012
I recently purchased this for use on my Surly Troll and was please to find this fit perfectly (level) on the Troll fork. I used this for a self-supported tour on the Bitterroot 300k (North Idaho Railgrades) and found it to be very robust as we ended up with many miles on some rough sections of dirt road.
My panniers are the bungie type and worked well on this and I assume the Ortlieb style hard connectors would also work well. I did not have any issues with the panniers moving around due to the 'nubs' on the lower portion and my panniers having a 'lock' to keep the top in place.
My only small issue was they seem to be lower than some low-riders and my panniers were bigger so everyonce in a while I did find some issues (curbs).
Overall a good product and would recommend.
Brooks B17 Standard
great right out of the box
Posted by Rick Konrad on 15th Sep 2012
I can't fully review because I just got it. Been on 3 rides. So far, so wonderful. I proofhided the seat and plan on only turning the
tension screw 1/4 turn per year.
Gilles Berthoud Stainless Fenders 700 X 50
Works with 40mm Schwalbe Mondial tires, doesn't shake rattle or roll.
Posted by Jim Pace on 28th Sep 2012
These have served me well on a 700 mile, 1/3 dirt 2/3 road trip through rural North Central Idaho on my Surly LTH. Quiet and durable. But the fit kit does not come with brackets (tabs?) to attach the back or front fenders to the frame underneth the brakes. I had to canibalize brackets from an old set of fenders I had in the garage.
JIm, come in and see us when you get back, you should have had everything you needed w/o the need to raid parts from elsewhere - The Bike Hermit
Shimano BL-R550 Flat Bar Brake Lever Set
Good,solid lever.
Posted by Kevin on 9th Oct 2012
While it's definitely not the best lever ever made, these guys hold their own when it comes to performance, value and quality. The only lever I like better is Paul's and while this is definitely no Paul's, it's a great lever and at a much lower price. It's very well made and feels solid in the hand, not "wiggly" or loose like some cheaper levers. I hope that Shimano keeps making this lever because it really is a good one.
Headset Spacer Bell
Great sound & look
Posted by tommyluke on 3rd Oct 2012
This bell looks great on my Surly LHT and sounds terrific. Outta my way slowpokes!
| Very nice touring crank! |
Product: Alpina 2 Triple Sugino Triple Crankset 48/36/24 Posted By: Ken W |
| This is a beautiful crankset. It arrived in a classy black box that says "Sugino, Spirit of Japan". The crank arms are beautifully forged and polished. There is laser etching on one arm of the spider that says "10 Speed Chain compatible" which is perfect for me since I will be switching between wheels that have 9 and 10 speeds. The chainrings are not polished and have more of a bead-blasted look. The middle and outer rings are ramped and pinned, but the inner 24 is not. I just got a Phil Wood bottom bracket to connect these to, and I chose a 113 mm symmetric spindle length to get the right chainline on my 28 year old touring bike. The original spindle was 126 mm, shifted right 5 mm. Even so, I had to adjust the new bottom bracket all the way to the left for optimum shifting. This is bike specific, so you should carefully measure your own. With the 113 mm spindle, my "Q factor" is 160 mm. So far, I have only shifted on the repair stand since I haven't built up the rest of the bike at the moment. The shifting is incredibly smooth and fast compared to my vintage triple! Several times I actually had to stop and look to verify that it had shifted. I can't wait to try it on the road. And a note for those of you who care about such things - the one I received has the more modern "Sugino" logo on it, rather than the older Crown logo as pictured above in the store. NOTE- BTN was surprised to read that as the others we have have the same logo as shown in the photo. |
| RackTime Rear Rack |
Product: Racktime ADDit Posted By: Scott Frey |
| I wanted a rack that would allow for mounting panniers while allowing room to also fasten items (racktop bag, tent, or sleeping bag) on top of the rack. The choices were RackTime and Tubus. The Tubus is nice in every respect but the price of the RackTime won me over. Design, construction, and looks were impressive and the price was surprisingly (no, shockingly) modest. Installation was easy. Hardly had to utter any bad words and only had one misstep (neglected to tighten where front attachment bars connect to rack). Could use a bit more detail on instructions for the mechanically challenged. Bottom line: No regrets. |
Excited to try my new Marathons HS420 
Posted by Steve on 14th Jun 2011
The UPS man always manages to sneak in and out without my noticing, but there they were my new Schwalbe Marathons in 700 X 28C. I was so excited! Upon opening the package several things were immediately apparent. First, I like the looks, especially the reflective stripe which may save my skin. Second, this is a fairly heavy tire, but in a good way, it should be durable, long wearing, and just safe. However, the third thing I noticed might not be so good, the beads looked uneven possibly from handling. OK, let's mount them. The tire I mounted on the front rim went right on and seated evenly, however it is big and it took some fitness to minimize rubbing. I guess that's good the wheel must be perfectly aligned now! However, the rear was another matter entirely. When I inflated this tire the bead almost separated from the rim at one spot. No way was I going to ride on a tire like that. So I let the air out and lubricated the bead to coax the bead into proper seating position. Well, when I inflated the tire again, the same spot started to bulge, but not quite as bad. So I left the air out again and allowed the bead to dry over night. This morning I inflated the tire and it shows only slight distortion. I rode the bike and except for the annoying sound of light rubbing everything seems fine. I guess I could take the fenders off, but I think a few miles will do the trick. All-in-all, the tires might require a little extra care in mounting, a lot depends on your rims and a little luck depending or your tires being like the one I put on front or the one mounted on back, but they look good and seem to handle and ride quite nicely. I use my bike for fitness and pleasure. I like 30 to 50 mile rides, but maybe someday I'll pack up and head to who knows where. Happy riding!
Pain-Free Handlebars 
Posted by Poe of CO on 29th Aug 2011
Absolutely love these handlebars! I have weak hands and wrists due to nerve damage and despite my best efforts, I simply cannot use drop bars on my bicycles, no matter how high I raise the stem. These have been a godsend as I'm able to travel long distances without pain. Even for those without hand issues, I think these could be a great option. They allow a more upright ride, but still provide multiple hand positions to prevent injury/numbness/etc.
Great tire!
Schwalbe Marathon Dureme wire bead
Posted by Tom L on 1st Sep 2011
After looking all over and having these tires on backorder with another company for 6 weeks, I found biketouringnews.com. They had the duremes in stock and I received them the same week! Great service.
I love the tires too. They are better in every respect than the Specialized Borough XC tires I replaced. Faster, smoother, quieter, better grip and FAR better puncture resistance without the weight of something like a marathon plus. I've ran over several goathead thorns and was amazed that they only went in about 1/8" and stopped. You definitely get what you pay for with these tires.
Very nice bag |
Product: Zimbale Traditional Canvas Saddlebag - 11 liter Posted By: Scot S. Holiday, Florida |
|
I had a hard time choosing between this bag and the Caradice that was a similar size. I only saw them online and they both looked nice. I chose the Zimbale because of the easy straps, the extended flap on the smaller size, and because Bike Touring had it with free shipping at a good price. It shipped on the same day that I ordered so I got the bag quickly. I am very satisfied with the service from this seller. |
Schwalbe dimensions
Product: Schwalbe Marathon Supreme (folding tire)
Posted By: Frederick Su
In the old days, I would twist and "figure 8" a wire-bead tire into thirds to carry as a spare while touring. These days, I couldn't possibly do that to a Schwalbe Marathon Plus because the bead is so extremely stiff. Luckily, Schwalbe offers the Marathon Supreme (and Dureme) as folding tires (the circumference collapses onto itself in a layflat design) to carry as spares.
Still, I wasn't sure which 700 Supreme size tire to buy, as I typically run a Marathon Plus in 700x38C, and the Supremes are offered in 700x35C or 700x40C. My Marathon Pluses barely clear my fenders. “Will the 700x40C Supreme clear my fender?” I wondered. In the end, I took a chance ordering the 40C because I wanted to put as much rubber on the road as possible.
Here are my observations:
The width of the 700x40C (42x622) Supreme, measured with calipers, was 37.8 mm, not the 42 mm listed by Schwalbe. So, I had no problem clearing the fender. The tire was installed on a Velocity Dyad (24 mm width outside measurement) rim with the tire pumped to 80 psi.
Hope this helps others.
