Bontrager RL Road Shoes

Bontrager RL Men's Road Shoe
$179

When the ratcheting buckle on my old pair of Nike Lance cycling shoes finally gave up the ghost, I was happy to have the opportunity to pick up a new pair of road shoes. Like any other category in the industry, there are a huge range of brands to choose from when making one's selection. I personally wanted a shoe that was mid-priced, between $150 and $250, with a carbon sole, a ratcheting buckle, and a comfortable fit. This narrows it down a bit, but not much. My favorite shoe brand has generally always been Sidi, with their Italian manufacturing and precise attention to detail. However, they are prohibitively expensive for many cyclists, especially with the features I was looking for.

I ended up deciding on the relatively new Bontrager shoes. I chose the RL (which presumably stands for Race Lite), the mid-level offering from the company. Their basic model is too heavy and has SPD compatibility, nice for spin classes but annoying after you bolt a Look cleat on and have the little plate underneath rattling around. I really like the shoes' fit, with a "derby" construction which divides the shoe upper all the way to the toe. This allows for a great range of flexibility to fit wider, or in my case narrower, feet. The shoes also have a comfortable, supportive, and well-ventilated insole. I have been happy with the stock arch support from the factory, but this is actually customizable, giving the shoes an unusual level of fine-tuning for various riders.

My major criticism of the shoe is that the buckle is "clunky" and not intuitive; there is a catch of some sort that forces you to push it closed against the shoe after each pull, instead of returning smoothly and automatically like all other shoe brands I have tried. At the time I bought the shoes, about a year ago, I was told this was something that would be fixed in subsequent production, but the newer shoes that have come in have been only marginally better, and nothing like the smooth operation of a Sidi, Shimano, or Mavic buckle. It seems durable though, as the teeth on the strap seem to be staying in great shape.

On the whole, my only quibble with the shoes is relatively minor. I have never experienced any performance detriment from the cleat deformation claimed by some others, and I have been very happy with their efficiency, fit, durability, and style. Overall: nice job, Bontrager.

Selle Italia Flite Gel Flow

Selle Italia
Flite Gel Flow Saddle
$200

Selle Italia is one of the classic saddle manufacturers in cycling. Since 1897, they have been making saddles for bike racers and recreational cyclists alike. The Flite was introduced in 1990, setting a new standard for lightweight saddles worldwide. The saddle has since been found on many manufacturers' bikes since then. Denis Menchov, this year's Giro winner, for instance, rides the current Team Edition Flite from Selle Italia.

The company introduced their Gel Flow technology in 2002, incorporating a central cutout and variable-thickness gel pads into the traditional Flite saddle profile. I have ridden one of these since 2004, and when Selle Italia revamped the Flite in 2008, I replaced my original Gel Flow with the new one, and it is still going strong. The current model is now lighter and more sculpted in shape. The spacing on the supportive part of the saddle is the same, but there is now less excess material around the back and sides.

One minor issue with the seat is that the structure in the central section of the saddle is not as stiff with the cutout. For this reason, I have seen some riders' saddles where the central part has deformed over time, bowing down toward the seatpost and potentially creating an uncomfortable shape to ride on. This only seems to happen over several thousands of miles, however. It's also a problem I have noticed only in the slightest on my own saddle, now 2 years old. Presumably heavier riders, and riders who tend to slide their weight from the back to the middle of the saddle, will eventually experience this problem more.

Personally, I expect my Flite to remain in good shape for years to come. I also recommend it, especially if you have tried less-expensive saddles in the past without finding one that is really comfortable. Made in Italy, with a full-grain real leather cover, the Selle Italia Flite Gel Flow is a comfortable, lightweight and stylish saddle for any road bike.

Louis Garneau Deluxe Gloves

Louis Garneau
Deluxe Gloves
$16

Louis Garneau is a Canadian company specializing in cycling apparel. Founded in the mid-1980s by Louis Garneau, a bicycle racer and Canadian track champion, the company focuses on developing quality apparel at competitive prices. They offer a range of comfortable, fully-featured jerseys, helmets, shorts, and other apparel to fit a range of riders' budgets.

I purchased their least expensive glove, the Deluxe, on a whim several months ago because I liked the style of it. The brown synthetic leather and black (or white) mesh back gives it a slightly retro look. I have some other gloves, but these were inexpensive and, I figured, worth a try.

For the price, it is in fact an extremely comfortable glove. Unlike many higher-end gloves, however, the palms are only slightly ventilated. If buying a glove to use in hot summer weather, one is probably better advised to go with a glove like the higher-end Pilota or Air-Gel. These offer more Ergo-Air palm venting to keep the palms cooler. Also, the Pearl Izumi Elite Gel-Vent gloves use a nice system to vent cool air to the rider's palms. However, all of these have a little more padding than I usually prefer, and on the hottest rides I generally ride gloveless.

In the weather we've been having lately, however, the Deluxe gloves have been great. In weather from 55 to 75 degrees, my hands have stayed very comfortable, and the gloves provide great grip for both road riding and mountain biking, and I have a wide range of grips and handlebar tape on my different bikes. Damp-weather grip has been really good as well, certainly better than riding gloveless in wet conditions.

So far, my criticisms are that the seams and the velcro closure could be of better construction. Also, a real leather palm would fit better with the gloves' style, and probably give them more long-term durability. The material used for the thumb wipe would also be more effective if it were a terry-style fleece material instead of the fine microfiber which is used. However, on the whole the gloves are comfortable, grippy, nice-looking and inexpensive, and are perfectly adequate for regular use, especially in the weather we've been having this spring.

Giro Ionos Helmet

Giro Ionos Race Helmet
$230

Giro started in 1985 with the development of a new helmet called the Prolight. Designed to offer more ventilation and lighter weight than any helmet had before, it propelled Giro to further success throughout the next decades and continuing today. Giro sponsors Pro Tour teams every year. It has also been Lance Armstrong's brand of choice since his battle with cancer in 1996, when it was one of the few companies that continued to support him after his diagnosis. Since returning to the pro peloton this year, Armstrong has ridden for Astana, who, along with the U.S. team Garmin-Chipotle and the Caisse d'Epargne team, are wearing the Giro Ionos.

This makes this review a bit like when I posted my thoughts on the Chris King NoThreadset. Again, we are talking about top-level pro quality equipment that is readily available to the consumer. In fact, all three team colors are available, if that kind of thing is your preference.

The helmet itself is incredibly well ventilated. Due to the use of carbon fiber in creating an in-molded sub-frame, the designers were able to remove a lot of material from the helmet and create huge vents and exhaust ports designed for maximum airflow. The helmet is also quite comfortable. My previous helmet was the Giro Atmos, top of the line at the time, but I find the Ionos to have a much more comfortable shape. It does not create any pressure points like the Atmos was prone to. It also features anti-microbial padding, and was one of the first helmets to offer this.

For most of the year, it really doesn't matter what helmet you have on your head. If the weather is cool and comfortable, or cold (so you have to bundle up your head under the helmet), they are all about the same, as long as they fit. All helmets sold in good quality bike shops meet the same safety standards. But when the summer months roll around, and stopping at a traffic light feels like visiting a sauna, the Ionos is a welcome piece of equipment. It also comes with a full replacement pad set and a velcro liner for winter riding. Expensive? Yes. Justifiable? I think so.

GORE Bike Wear Cross Jacket

GORE Bike Wear
Cross Jacket
$200

W.L. Gore & Associates began in 1958 doing research in plastics. By the 1970s, they had worldwide operations and had developed technologies used in the space program. With the development of GORE-TEX fabric, the company introduced a new standard for the outdoor industry - a fabric that was fully, 100% waterproof but allowed water vapor to evaporate from inside. The GORE Bike Wear brand began in 1985 in Europe. No one else at the time offered a line of waterproof, breathable, cycling-specific clothing. Now GORE Bike Wear is the leading cycling apparel brand in Europe, and in 2003 came to the US. They now offer the whole collection of clothing on this side of the Atlantic, and are renowned for their innovation, high standards, and attention to detail.

The GORE Bike Wear Cross Jacket is made from GORE-TEX Paclite material for absolute waterproofing and minimum bulk. The jacket packs down and is easily stored in a backpack or even a jersey pocket. This is one of my favorite pieces of cycling apparel. I always keep mine in my Camelbak for mountain bike use, and will carry it in my jersey for a road ride if the weather looks like rain. When I rode every day last month, I got rained on a lot and was extremely glad I had the jacket. It also is a great piece of gear to use as a windbreaker; having it in the Camelbak is great for winter mountain biking when it's really cold at first, but you warm up after 15 or 20 minutes.
My only criticism of the jacket is that the fit is quite loose, making it less than perfect for road use. However, GORE Bike Wear actually classifies it as mountain bike apparel. The loose fit does make it more versatile for layering or more relaxed activities like hiking. I ended up choosing it because of this versatility, but if you are going to be doing mostly wet-weather road cycling in it, I recommend a jacket like the Xenon Race Jacket, which is a Paclite shell with a tighter, more aerodynamic and cycling-specific fit.

Chris King NoThreadset

Chris King Components
1-1/8" Threadless Headset
$140

There are few purchases for any cyclist that can be justified as well as the classic Chris King sealed headset. For under $150 one can buy what is arguably the best headset available. This is extremely uncommon; just think how much it costs to buy "the best" shifters, or wheels, or even smaller items like cassettes, stems, or derailleurs. (The best front derailleur, for instance, is perhaps Campagnolo Super Record, or Shimano Dura-Ace 7900? Try $210 and $160, respectively.)

King headsets, on the other hand, are relatively inexpensive. They are almost universally found on high-end custom bikes. Until road bikes moved away from the 1-1/8 standard in favor of integrated bearings for lighter weight, these same headsets were found on pro level race-winning bikes as well. It is made with stainless steel sealed bearings of uncompromising quality while featuring precision machined aluminum cups for light weight. Every headset also comes with a ten year warranty, without limitation.

My experience is that these are great upgrades for almost any bike. Three of my bikes are equipped with them (all installed aftermarket) and all perform perfectly under any conditions. They are easy to service and adjust and, I expect, will outlive my frames. I am extremely glad that I spent the little bit of money on this top-notch, pro level component.