I like to keep riding outside as long as I can. Road salt, snow and ice-covered roads are hard limits for me. But temperature is a moveable one. It’s quite easy to keep your core warm. And whoever heard of cold thighs. So shorts under tights and enough base layers
Continue readingTag: gear
cmkl.ca: How to steal rides from winter part 1: hands
I like to keep riding as long as I can. Road salt, snow and ice-covered roads are hard limits for me. But temperature is a moveable one. It’s quite easy to keep your core warm. And whoever heard of cold thighs. So shorts under tights and enough base layers to
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Hit the Trail, Amigos! Gearing Up for the Great Outdoors
A Trestles Elite Eco 20 Sleeping Bag….. Perfect. (And again, I get no commission from anyone – so far; though maybe I should reconsider that. I just promote things that I like, because I like them.) * I have more than a little experience wilderness camping, and in all seasons;
Continue readingcmkl: Something to wear on the wrist: Garmin Instinct first impression
I have been looking for a more versatile thing to wear on my wrist that doesn’t cost a month’s wages. I need it to track long cross country ski efforts, the occasional run, hiking, and to be a backup on canoe trips. I am aware that all of these activities
Continue readingcmkl: Tap-to-wake Montana GPS: oh Garmin what have you done?
Someone decided a feature of my beloved Garmin Montana GPS was in fact a bug. And now I’ve got a game-changing disappointment on my hands where before I had a must-have canoe tripping tool. See you used to be able to configure it so that you could tap its screen
Continue readingcmkl: Road cycling shoes for wide feet: what to do when you’re descended from ducks
I have been looking for cycling shoes to fit my wide feet for years. And I’ve finally found some. I’ve always wanted to wear the cool shoes. Topsiders, Cebos, Stan Smiths, pointy Oxfords, Doc Maartens. You name it. But most of the time, they never worked for me because my
Continue readingcmkl: Do wide tires make you faster – one rider’s experience
Now I’m just one numbers-obsessed rider. No expert. But I have been following with interest the whole inquiry into whether or not the road cycling religion of Skinny Tires and High Pressure Makes You Faster is actually true. And I decided to run my own tests. What did I discover?
Continue readingcmkl: Lobster gloves – the sequel aka why the Cyclery is awesome
So the Cyclery sorted me out, replacing my gloves with a better pair. This is why they are great.
Continue readingcmkl: Castelli Secondapelle bike gloves – barely there
Slick, and tight-fitting, they do indeed feel like a second skin. But that ‘minimalist’ thing gives them a tight timeline for staying comfortable.
Continue readingcmkl: Jerseys – for when you need to keep your shirt on
A lot gets said about jerseys. They’re part totem, part equipment. So there’s more lore, superstition and custom around them than most other bits of bike kit. I will explain a bit about what I think about jerseys which should explain what I’m reviewing and what I’m not, then I’ll
Continue readingcmkl: Bike gloves – hide the liver spots
Wherein I review all the warm weather, fingerless gloves I’ve ever used and wrecked. Including some I hope I don’t wreck for a long, long time.
Continue readingcmkl: Worn and torn
I have worn out my tires. In six months
Continue readingcmkl: Bibshorts: MAMIL sausage
Wherein I compare the comfort and usefulness of the various bib shorts I’ve used
Continue readingcmkl: Base layers: the old man and the undershirt
Part two of a series on my search for the perfect all-day cycling kit. Base layers.
Continue readingcmkl: Nikon AW1: So I have a new travel/tripping camera
The Nikon AW1. I like it. A GPS, waterproof, shock proof, with interchangeable lenses, 14MP resolution in a half pound package. Here are my observations, impressions and notes.
Continue reading