by Barry

Does this sound like you…?

Have you ever valiantly fought but eventually lost a battle attempting to remove your your pedals or cleats?  Have you ever had to hang your head and walk into your LBS or ask your non-judgmental bike mentor to help you remove your pedals because you couldn’t do it yourself?   If this sounds like you…today is your day to stop being such a loser.  Next time before you install a pedal or a cleat, add a generous portion of Phil Wood’s Waterproof Grease all up in and around the threads.  Don’t be stingy, get it in there good.  If after you install them a little excess squeezes out, simply wipe it off with a paper towel.

The other day, while I was preparing to clean my bike in the back yard, I found another helpful use for the grease:  I had difficulty removing the fittings on my garden hose so after I forced it undone,  I lubed up both ends of the hose with grease and am now able to quickly and easily unscrew it from the spigot and the sprayer head.   While this is perhaps not Mr. Wood’s original intent, it works great for this purpose too.  Perhaps you can think of other applications around your house.

So be a pal and run down to your local Spokes,Etc. and pick up a tube for yourself and for your formerly loser friends too.  Makes a great birthday gift, stocking-stuffer or pinata-filler.

Retails: $12.99 for 3 oz tube

Mapboard mounted and ready to roll

By Brian

I love the ease and simplicity of this rotating handlebar-mounted mapholder from ARVnavsupplies.com.

I used this product for the first time the other day.  What a world of difference!  The 9”x 9” is the perfect size for AR. Having the map right in front of me increases speed, ease of use, and is incredibly convenient.

Having my old map case slap against my leg while pedaling wasn’t so bad.  That is until you’ve been at it for 4-6 hours, you’re tired, and the case has hit the same spot on your leg for the 7000^thtime!  The map board does away with all that.  One advantage I see with this board over others is the rotation.  It rotates easily to allow you to orient the map as you go.

I definitely recommend this product.  I think the 9”by 9” is the perfect size. Any larger and it would interfere with my shifting any smaller and it would not have enough coverage.  The handle bar clamp is a little inconvenient to close, but once it is, it stays solid.  I think the shipping (almost 20% of the total cost) was steep in an age of free shipping, but the product is still well worth it.

Review by Todd

This February 7-19, 2013, Patagonia will hold its annual “Sale on Last Season’s Gear.”  I received word of the sale via a postcard delivered to my mailbox.  The postcard highlighted the sale of Patagonia’s Torrentshell Jacket at $58, down from $119-$129.

Now I have to say, LOVE this jacket.  It’s a super light, super dry, no-frills rainjacket that I don’t have to be concerned about destroying in adventure races because it’s not super pricey.  For reference sake, I was a very happy, very dry, and pleasantly warm racer in that Rev3 Epic deluge in 2011.  The attached hood has a tiny “visor” that’s a good compromise between the heavy, vision-blocking brims on some rainjackets and not having anything, especially if you’re like me and like to wear clear glasses on single-track at night and hate to have rain and water leaking down your face.  It’s definitely not an over-the-helmet hood, but it’s effective.

Large pit-zips allow for decent ventilation when it’s hot out and the jacket has small velcro patches intermittently placed next to the zipper that you can easily just semi-close for light sprinkles without zipping yourself in and overheating.