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5 Of The Best Cyclocross Cantilever Brakes

September 21, 2016 by Corey Davis

Cross season is finally here (#crossishere) and everyone has been busy for months training and thinking of new ways to get a leg up on their competition. Well at least the pros have. But for the rest of us trying to get ready now, the bike is an easy place to make a couple changes and see big rewards. Brakes are a big part of your equipment choices for road and mountain biking, and even more so for cyclocross. Brakes slow you down so how can they make you faster. Well the later you can brake going into a corner, the more time you can spend at a higher speed. Cyclocross cantilever brakes are slowly fading away with the new disk brake revolution, but cyclocross cantilever brakes still serve a purpose. Some of the top euro-pros refuse to ride anything else and the one big benefit for everyone else is that you don’t need an entirely different wheelset. Here are a few that are considered the best and why.

Avid Shorty Ultimate Front and Rear

These cyclocross cantilever brakes are well known and have been tested to the extreme for years. Avid is well known in the brakes department and have been supplying quality brakes for years. These brakes specifically are lightweight, claiming to be just 115 grams for the front and rear. One nice thing about these cyclocross cantilever brakes is they use regular road cartridge pads, opposed to V-brake pads. The pad height is easily adjustable and offers ample room for mud clearance.

TRP RevoX Carbon

TRP changed the game with the TRP RevoX Carbon cantilever cyclocross brakes. These brakes weigh 118 grams per set and deliver profound stopping power. They have dual spring tension adjusters and integrated barrel adjusters for easily changing the clearance and alignment on the spot. You can also adjust the angle of the pads for better stopping power for your specific wheel and can help to eliminate brake chatter. These are a bit more expensive, but you get what you pay for and brakes are not the place to go cheap!

Tektro CR710 Cyclocross Cantilever Brakes

These Tektro brakes are a great deal for someone looking to test the waters in cyclocross. Tektro’s cantilever cyclocross brakes are a bit heavier weighing 144 grams per set. This brake set works best with Shimano 7900 series and above. They do have a “barrel adjuster for cable/pad clearance adjustments on the go” which is a nice ability to have. These brakes are aluminum and strong enough to handle any abuse you put them through!

Shimano BR-CX70 Brakes

Shimano always makes quality products and these brakes work exceptionally well when paired with Shimano shifters. These brakes have a more open design for greater mud clearance and a lower profile to make run-ups more comfortable when the bike’s on your shoulder. These cyclocross cantilever brakes have “road brake cartridge style brake pad holder for compatibility with pads for carbon wheels”. These brakes are easy to use and will make a great addition on your cyclocross bike.

FSA SL-K CX Brake Set

The FSA SL-K line is known for being some of the best components available and the cyclocross brakes hold true to this. These brakes weigh only 113 grams per caliper and conveniently make changing pads easy. “The SL-K Cross brake has a stiff but light design, with easy to use cable adjusters integrated into the caliper. Open design clears mud easily, while maintaining a positive lever feel.” These brakes are for serious business and will not hold anyone back.

5 Best Messenger Bags

August 25, 2016 by Josh Friedman

Before the internet exploded in usefulness, reams of important documents got to their destinations in big cities inside a messenger bag. Yes, the internet supplanted even the venerable bicycle in some tasks. The messenger bag still lives on with the ever increasing number of people cycling to work. It is a great way to transport your own things and make your own personal deliveries.

What Makes a Messenger Bag Great

Why would you choose to use a messenger bag over a backpack?

You can slide the bag around in front of you while sitting on the bike to reach in and grab something. There is little chance it will fall off of your shoulder.
It is easy to pack any size load. If you have only a little bit to carry, it packs down well. If you have a large load, there will be a way to fit that too.
It is easy to strap really large loads to the outside of the bag if needed.
When properly loaded, the bag rests on your back, not on your shoulders (this does not work so well when you are walking with a messenger bag, though).
Tradition. It is what people on bikes use. When you use one, it is like a secret handshake, especially if yours is really beat up.

Key Features of a Messenger Bag

There is a lot that separates a good messenger bag from a bag that happens to sling across your shoulder.

A wide shoulder strap. It will distribute the load better than a skinny strap.
A cross strap that holds the bag in place. It goes from the side opposite the shoulder strap to the shoulder strap itself. This keeps the bag from sliding around.
Weatherproof. If you ride, you will eventually get caught in some bad weather. Whatever you are carrying should stay dry. How would a messenger look if they showed up with soggy documents?
Spacious and without restrictions. The bag should not have too much structure that it can limit what you load into it. You want to carry a laptop and work clothes? That will fit. How about ten folding tires, ten tubes and ten water bottles? That will fit too.

The Bags

Timbuk2 Classic Messenger Bag

Timbuk2 is one of the original messenger bag manufacturers to bring them to the masses. They are well made and should last for years. They make lots of different variations depending on your needs and desire for more structure. The classic is just that; it has all of the features you will need in a messenger bag without anything extra.

Patagonia Black Hole Messenger 24L

With responsible manufacturing practices and detailed craftsmanship in all they do, Patagonia’s messenger bag will serve you well for years. Again, it has a spacious design to carry all that you need, along with a highly waterproof coating and wide shoulder strap with cross strap.

Chrome Unisex Night Series Citizen Messenger

Chrome’s bag has all of the necessary features of a good messenger bag with a bonus – the should strap has a seatbelt-like release buckle. Getting a bag up and over your head with an awkward or heavy load can be tricky. The buckle gives you a quick exit.

R.E.Load Civilian 215 One Strap Weatherproof Messenger Bag Standard

The Civilian is a burlier choice with a heavy exterior shell and liner to keep your load safe. It also is a bit larger than the others in case you need to transport a lot of your things at once.

Banjo Brothers Messenger Bag

This bag has all the features you should be looking for in a slightly smaller package and a much smaller price. It is not as flashy as the others, which is part of why it is less expensive, but it should get the job done.

Load it Up

Selecting the best messenger bag for you comes down to personal size preferences. Lots of companies produce quality bags with all of the right features. Figure out how much you need to carry to choose your perfect bag. Then you will be able to carry your load protected from the elements confidently.

5 Best Cycling Water Bottles and How To Clean Them

June 29, 2016 by Sarah Lauzé

Cycling requires you to drink water. All of that aerobic (and anaerobic) activity will elevate your core temperature, causing you to sweat. You need to replace that sweat with water. The good news is that bikes are cleverly equipped to carry cycling water bottles in cages. Those cycling water bottles are often an afterthought, but like anything else, can be optimized to perform well.

Shape of Cycling Water Bottles

The shape of cycling water bottles is critical to ensure that it remains in your water bottle cage. An ejected bottle can spell doom for a ride; you could be out of water sooner than you thought. Make sure your bottle and cage have a deep enough indentation and tab to retain your bottle well. The shape will also affect how easy it is to return the bottle to the cage. There should be a little bit of taper on the bottom to ease entry. Shape also determines volume. Carrying more water is great, but if a bottle gets too big it can be cumbersome. Carrying less water can be fine if you do not need so much and it could make the bottle easier to handle for shorter rides.

Material of Bottles

Material affects two aspects of cycling water bottles – how easy it is to squeeze and what chemicals it exposes you to. A very stiff bottle will make it harder to squeeze when you need it most along with making the bottle more brittle, possibly affecting its durability.

Science has exposed more and more chemicals recently that detrimentally affect the body. This is after years of use when no one knew what the effects were. Some cycling water bottles tout their lack of certain chemicals in the hope that they will be safer. The most common chemical to drop is BPA, a known endocrine disruptor.

The Nozzle is Key

The nozzle where the water comes out is your closest contact point with cycling water bottles. It can color your entire experience. If the nozzle is hard with a small opening, it will be uncomfortable and will make it difficult to drink. Try a few different bottles to find a nozzle that works for you.

A newer feature of some cycling water bottle nozzles is that they lock. If they end up in the bottom of a bag, they should not leak. When they are unlocked, they are always ready to squirt water with a squeeze.

The top of your cycling water bottle should be a screw-on cap. A pop-on top is asking for it to pull off when you open the nozzle, dumping the contents all of over you.

Cleaning Water Bottles

Cleaning cycling water bottles is critical. If a bottle sits around long enough with water inside it, it will grow all sorts of organisms – bacteria, mold, and mildew, especially if it has left over sports drink mix. How quickly those things grow depend on a few factors: temperature, amount of water, how many organisms were in there to start and what you add to the bottle. The best idea is to clean more often than you think.

The best tool to use is a conical brush. It will be able to reach all of the interior surfaces of the bottle so organisms cannot hide. Use regular dish soap and water. A trick to keep mildew at bay is to use translucent bottles – mildew does not like light.

5 of the Best Cycling Water Bottles

Purist 22 oz Water Bottle by Specialized Bikes

This bottle is the newest gold standard in bottles, after Specialized held the crown for years with their Big Mouth bottles. It has all of the highest tech features: a locking nozzle, BPA free, and a slick surface inside that does not allow organisms to grow and makes it easier to clean.

Price: $16

Gemful Bottle With Dust Cap

Gemful are one of the few bottles that consider the dust and mud that can collect on the nozzle. They include an attach dust cover that is easy to remove while riding. This one is the perfect water bottle for mountain bikers.

Price: $17

CamelBak Podium Big Chill

CamelBak were the originators of the locking nozzle. The design still works well. An insulated bottle like this will keep your water cooler and more refreshing deeper into your ride. Conversely, if it’s cold out, adding warm water will keep from freezing for longer.

Price: $29

Pro Bike Tool Soft Bottle

Pro Bike Tool bottles use flexible HET (High Elastic Technology) material which delivers ‘More Fluid with Less Effort. BPA free and dishwash-safe – this is a great go-to for most rides.

Price: $19

Polar Insulated Bottle

These Polar Bottles are the most popular insulated bottle. They are also BPA and Pthalate free to keep you from ingesting unhealthy chemicals. They can keep contents both cold and warm. They also come in a huge variety of colors as you can see above. Their are over 30 options for you to choose from.

Price: $10-30 on average.

Bottles Matter

By thinking a little about the cycling water bottles you use, you can optimize your riding a little bit more. It may mean being able to drink more, carrying more, or being more comfortable.