In the race for drivetrain domination, more = better. More cogs, more standards, more complexity. Bucking those trends, however, is microSHIFT’s ADVENT X group. Opting for only ten gears, ADVENT X takes on the competition not with more cogs, but with lighter weight, improved simplicity, and one very unexpected quality–availability.
Continue Reading “First Impressions: microSHIFT ADVENT X Components”
Ask five people to define adventure riding, and you’re likely to get five different answers. Most riders, however, will agree that it usually includes a healthy dose of two-footed exploration (planned or otherwise). Finding a shoe that’s suited to biking and hiking can be tricky. Thanks to Specialized, adventure riders get the best of both worlds with the company’s Rime Flat shoe.
Continue Reading “First Impressions: Specialized Rime Flat Shoes”
Do you remember wearing pants? No? That’s OK–we won’t tell anyone.
When you finally decide to ditch the sweats for actual pants, this custom Lezyne belt/buckle will have you looking like it’s 2019 again. The trim-to-fit belt measures 1.75″ x 48″, and is housed in a swanky, CNC-machined storage case.
In a year that could best be described as a never-ending dumpster fire, 2020 was an unexpected wellspring for flat pedal aficionados in the form of lower prices and refined functionality. Not wanting to miss out on the pedals’ increased popularity, shoe manufacturers responded with more choices for flat-friendly footwear. Is more necessarily better, though? To answer that question, I spent nine months testing flat pedal shoes from Five Ten, Northwave, Pearl iZUMi and Ride Concepts.
If there’s one thing that 2020 has taught me, it’s that every ride is a gift. Regardless of distance, speed, or any other metric, every journey has been an opportunity to regain some semblance of control, and experience joy in what’s been an extremely bleak year.
