Topeak Aero Wedge Bike/ Saddle Pack

A bit of an impulse buy, but now wouldn't be without it!
This great sized little wedge pack fits snugly and well under my saddle, allowing me to carry essentials. In my Topeak Aero I carry a multi-tool, tyre levers, spare inner tube and compact rain jacket.

The inside design is great. Down either side there are slip pockets, for slimmer items. This is where I store my multi-tool and tyre levers. The main central section is quite wide and long and easily fits a spare inner tube and compact rain jacket. The back of opening also has a small netted pocket which I store my door key or loose change in.
The exterior of the wedge pack is very high quality material, with the sides and bottom made from 1000 denier fabric with a tough Teflon coating. Embroidered logo on the side and logo badge on the front opening.
A reflective 3M scotchlite strip is located on the front opening, just above tail light attachment strap or hook.

The zip is very well made and has a lining so no leaks or rain penetration so far!
A feature I really like is the tail light attachment strap. Works with a Topeak rear light and simply it allows you to quickly and easily locate your rear light via the supplied clip that comes with the rear light. The clip is ridged so it allows you to slip the clip easily down through the strap but it is quite difficult to slip upwards because of these grooves on the clip, so eliminating any worries of your rear light coming loose or vibrating off whilst you ride.
Fitting and locating the Topeak wedge pack to your bike is again very easy and straight-forward. Firstly you fit the well made fixing bracket to your saddle rails. This enables the pack to be slid on and removed very easily by a one handed operation. Additionally you secure the pack around your seat post with a Velcro strap.
What appeals to me is that I can load the pack with essentials and then forget about them knowing they are secure and safe. Plus whenever I arrive anywhere and need to secure my bike I can just remove the pack with my rear light quickly and easily.
Highly recommended, £15 very well spent!

Chainstay Protector/Guard - Lizard Skin

An accessory I had noticed online and in retail stores were chain-stay protectors. Primarily made from a neoprene type material, in a variety of colours, my thoughts were generally quite dismissive.
"Why would you need an extra piece of material on your bike? ", "What good could they possibly be?" were some of the questions I asked myself.

After a few rides, when cleaning my bike, I started to notice a few minor chips and scratches on my chain-stay part of the frame. Then I became more observant when I was out on my ride, noticing that during downhill sections, my chain would 'slap' against the frame. This puzzled somewhat and concerned me a little, so the next time I was on-line I did a quick search for more information. I found a number of articles regarding the benefits of simply owning and using a chain-stay protector.
The neoprene types were recommended over self adhesive ones for a couple of reasons.

1. The neoprene dampens the chain slap noise on the frame.
2. The neoprene is harder wearing and provides increased protection
3. The neoprene is removable so easy to clean and reposition

So after a little bit more reserach I decided on a Lizard Skin. Now their neoprene protectors come in a variety of colurs and three sizes (jumbo, large & standard). I decided on a Large size, which does fit but is a little tricky to attach as it is quite a snug fit on the wider part of the chainstay part of my frame. Although by the nature of the material neoprenr is very flexiable so can be strectched fairly easily to fit onto the velcro fixing strip.
The choice of colours is quite vast from red, blue and black to lots of other variants. They are not exactly cheap for waht they essential are (a small piece of neoprine with a strip of velcro!) with prices around  £7 to £10.
Luckily I recieved my weekly update email from one of the online big boys, who had a weekend special of a number of products. One of which was the Lizard Skin chain-stay protector. I clicked on teh link in teh email and purchased the large size listed for just £3.40, plus 50p P&P. A real bargain, one happy shopper.

In my haste I did not fully check my order details. The one that I had purchased was the colour variant pink!
My mistake and error, but I consouled myself with the thought "on dear nevermind, it won't be too bad and will be probarley be covbered in mud and grease within a couple of rides so the colour is not important" or so I hoped!

My parcel arrived, I opened it and was a little alarmed at the bright pink colour, but for the price I paid was still happy to fit it on my bike.

Once fitted and in use, it really came into it's own. No horrible chain slap noise, plus more importantly no damge to either my frame or my chain. A great investmentment and well worth my £3.40.
I would highly recommend purchasing one, if you haven't alraedy.

Specialized Contour Locking Grips

Comfort Part Two
After upgrading my saddle (see earlier blog post), I also decided to consider upgrading my grips. The reason for this was quite simple. On longer rides (45 mins+) the heels of my hands became numb. I tried a number of different options; gloves with padding, different riding style, different riding position, to name but a few. Sadly all with no avail or success.
Therefore I decided to look into and start to research different grip options. Initially I started on-line, checking out the big e-tailers (Wiggle, Chain Reactions, Evans etc), then some review sites and forums. Sadly for me, nothing obvious or apparent was forthcoming. Therefore I took a trip to my local bike shop and asked their advice. They recommended a pair of Specialised Contour grips.

As you will immediately notice from the picture, the grips are designed ergonomically, under the Specialised Body Geometry range of products.
What initially appealed to me was the simple fact that the grip offered me more surface area to spread the load across my hand, particularly my palm and heel of the hand.
The technical spec and description from Specialised is as follows.....

 

Specialized 2011 BG Contour Locking Grip
These extremely comfortable, triple density ergonomic grips are anatomically designed to help cyclists ride longer by reducing hand numbness and fatigue.

• Unique ergonomic design mates seamlessly to the shape of cyclists' hands
• Medically designed by ergonomic specialist Dr. Roger Minkow to prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and cycling-related numbness/weakness of the hands, known as Cyclist's Palsy
• Flexible, ergonomically-shaped platform acts as a shock absorber and disperses pressure
• Softest density in key contact area to cushion the ulnar nerve
• Medium density body for secure grip
• Firmest density inner core for secure bar attachment
• Easily installed locking clamp ensures secure attachment
• BG Contour "Regular" Locking Grip - Suitable for majority of riders
• BG Contour "Narrow" Locking Grip - Smaller diameter for more aggressive riding styles or for cyclists with smaller hands

The grips are available in a choice of two colours (black/grey and brown) and sizes (standard and small)
Fitting was very straight-forward. The grips are 'locking grips', making the fitting and securing simple. Removing my old grips was a little more challenging, particularly if you want to remove them in one piece and reuse.
A hint or tip is to grease or lubricate the inside of the grip before you initially slide onto your handlebar. Once the grip is at an angle and position you are happy with, you then "lock" the grip via locking ring (this is the metallic ring at the right end of the grip in the picture above).
This secures the grip in place and ensure no slippage or twisting.
The only real issue and annoyance I have with these grips is the end caps. They are cheap plastic plugs that are very hard to fit. No matter what I tried (heating them up, lubricating, hitting with a rubber mallet) they did not fit either snugly or simply. I will at some stage upgrade to a pair of Hope Grip Doctor bar ends.

Summary
Overall I am very happy with the quality and performance of these grips. I would highly recommend them.