I have been on an ultralight backpacking kick. For me, discovering a new hobby or activity means one thing – gear! I love any excuse to buy gear and backpacking/camping has some of the most exciting things. When it came to looking at shedding weight, I thought about what sort of shoes I really needed. I am really new to this but I soon realized, I am not really doing any serious trekking. I am not climbing Everest or doing extreme bouldering. So, did I really need full on leather boots? I did a lot of research online, in particular at BPL, and found lots of people mentioning Inov-8. Admittedly, I am a brand whore and I had never heard of this brand. I don’t really trust new shoe companies because I don’t feel like they’ve had time to prove themselves. I decided to take a shot anyway and ordered a pair of their Roclite 295’s. They are trail running shoes, which I later learned are a popular style of shoe worn by hikers, particularly those that don’t anticipate heavy terrain.

This past weekend, wore them on a camping trip. We really didn’t do any serious hiking, just up and down a steep hill to bring gear but I did encounter varied terrain. The Roclite 295’s performed great. The first thing you notice is how lightweight they are; just 295 grams (10.4 oz) for the pair. The only shoes I own that are lighter are the New Balance Minimus Trail and they are made for minimalist running. The way Inov-8 was able to shed this weight was with the upper. It’s very lightweight and has a mesh material. These are not waterproof shoes but because they have so much ventilation, they are quick drying. I would rather step into a stream with these shoes than standard shoes because how how fast the Roclites would dry. The mesh also keep your feet cool, which is a welcomed feature.

The 295’s don’t skimp on protection where it counts, though. The toebox is nice and thick and I never stubbed my toes against rocks or shrubs.  Lots of reviewers comment on the great grippy sole of the Roclite 295’s. Now, I can see why. The nubs are nice, thick rubber and they have a satisfying amount of give to them. They are firm enough to give feedback when you are trail running but soft enough to reduce impact to your lower body. I experienced no slippage of any sort.

Overall, I am very happy with the Roclite 295’s. I bought my pair from Zappos for just over $100 but I have seen deals at various online sites where you can get them for less. I think if the conditions where you are camping or hiking are right, it’s hard to beat these shoes. In fact, they are now my goto shoe for any sort of hiking or camping outtings.

Confession: I’m a flashaholic. Yes, that’s right – I am really into high-performance portable lighting devices. That’s why I am really surprised at the technology gap between enthusiast models and what’s available to the mainstream consumer. The problem may be even more pronounced in bike lighting but the one company that has always impressed me is Light & Motion (known as LM here on out). LM is a small company located in Monterey, California that prides itself on excellent lighting solutions, particularly for the diving segment. They have won many awards for being a Green company, which I admire. I first heard about the Urban bike series around Summer 2011 and was excited because I felt a light like this was long overdue. I have experience with LM’s previous bike products, having tested the Seca 700 and Stella 300 but neither were designed for the commuter in mind. For example, the Seca 700 puts out a blinding amount of light which is great for 24 hour mountain bike races, but really overkill for a short ride to the office or the store.

I attended Interbike in Vegas and was lucky enough to have some one-on-one time with the founder of the company. This man definitely knows his stuff and was very confident in the design decisions they had made. I’ve always felt LM was ahead of the curve, readily adopting “new-ish” technologies long before their competitors.  I was impressed with the form factor of the light and I left feeling really excited about finally testing a commuter-driven light. I was sent a sample of the Urban 500 a few months ago and I have been spending time getting to know it.

Specifications

The Urban 500 is the brightest model in the Urban line. As the name implies, it puts out an impressive 500 lumens at the highest setting. It also has a medium (300 lm), low (180 lm), and strobe mode. The user interface is dead simple – simply hold to turn on or off, and click to switch between modes. One thing to note is that when you hold, it actually switches to the next mode before turning off. The light is a tube shape, which clearly is dictated by the battery type. They wouldn’t tell me what sort of battery it uses but I suspect it’s a Li-Ion 18650 or similar. The battery is non-removable which may surprise some folks. The downside is you can’t easily swap in a spare in the field. To me, this is a very small concern.  There are advantages to this, such as the weatherproofing benefits with the sealed housing.  Since the battery is rechargeable and modern batteries have an incredible amount of charge cycles, this light will likely outlast you. It weights 112 grams and measures just shy of 4” long and is 1.5” wide.  On the top you’ll find the raised button which should be large enough for even gloved hands. The rear has a tiny charging indicator. Left and right sides have amber indicators and the bottom has both the mounting bracket and the charging port.

Power Source

Charging is done entirely from the micro USB slot. I am happy that LM chose this interface because the industry has made it the standard, replacing mini-USB. If you have a modern cell phone (besides the iPhone), you may already be familiar with it. At least for me, I already owned half a dozen cables and adapters for it. In order to charge the unit, you have to remove the port cover at the bottom and rotate the mount 90 degrees to make room for the cable.  The quoted charging time is 5 hours. Since a typical computer USB port provides 500 mA of power, it might be safe to assume that the battery has a capacity of just over 2000 mAh, if you account for efficiency loss. While it’s charging, an amber light blinks in the rear. Green indicates it’s all done. The light also serves as an indicator of remaining battery life, so you know when to bring it in for a charge.  LM states that you can expect to run the light on high for 1:30 hours while it can run a staggering 18:00 hours on strobe. You’ll see why these are very acceptable, if not impressive numbers, later.

Light Engine

The business end of the light is the one that interests me most. It uses a single LED mounted under a smooth reflector that is slightly deeper than normal. I asked why they did not use an orange peel or medium orange peel reflector and they said they thought for their application, the smooth reflector was best. I am a big fan of MOP because it smooths out the beam pattern and hides artifacts in the light. However, after shining the Urban 500 against a white wall,I could not make out any issues with the beam quality. Also, when you are using the light on the road, the very heterogeneous nature of the environment means little flaws in the beam are less noticeable, or at least don’t matter.  The front lens feels like it’s plastic, as opposed to mineral glass. I don’t know enough about it to speak about light transmission properties but it seems high quality enough. I was informed that the LED is mounted in a way that makes the whole body a giant heatsink. This makes perfect sense and it’s how many modern lights are designed. Unlike flashlights, the Urban 500 has the added benefit of active air cooling since it’s cutting through the air while being driven on a bike.

As I’ve indicated, the beam quality is quite impressive. I like to shine my light a few feet in front of the wheel so I can anticipate debris or poor road conditions before I reach them. The beam angle is quite wide. I would estimate it is around 120 degrees. or greater. It’s difficult to tell in pictures or videos but it casts quite a bit of ambient light on the peripheral and to me, that’s more important than the hot spot (e.g. flood vs spot). In a pitch dark environment, you only need about 10 lumens to see. This is a very small amount of light but it will get you to the restroom or around the campsite. I am trying to illustrate just how much light 500 lumens really is. Even at the low setting, 130 lumens, the light has over three times the lumens as a light you’re probably familiar with; the 3D Cell Maglite that police officers carry has a light output of 45 lumens. For my general usage, I can’t imagine switching out of low very often. The only time I would switch to high is if I am competing with other light sources such as headlights from passing motorists. I find the strobe feature to be a nice addition but entirely useless for me. As a driver, you know how annoying it is to have strobe lights coming at you.

I feel like I should touch on the amber side markers. They are on constantly whenever the light is operational. This is a feature I haven’t seen in other lights and I think it makes a lot of sense. There are situations where drivers will overtake cyclists, even those with lights, because they claim they didn’t see them. The side lights mean that you are visible from all directions and in the driver’s peripheral.

Concerns

I am really impressed with the Urban 500 but I do think there are some (very) minor shortcomings that can be improved. Mainly, I was disappointed with the packaging and the finish on the lights. The box just has a cheap feel to it and the printing quality is below average. I already have some small nicks on the body of the light, even though it has had very minimal usage. It’s a shame because if someone was unfamiliar with the Light & Motion name and reputation, they might pass on buying the light at the store.  Another concern I have is I am not sure if the mounting bracket is removable. I see an allen wrench slot so I think it is but there’s no documentation verifying this. My concern is if the rubber strap were to ever break, you’d be left with no way of fixing it.

Wrap Up

I was excited when I heard about the Urban 500 and am happy to report that it met my expectations. The light is compact, lightweight, and packs a very high weight to output ratio. It uses a standard and widely available charging port and the battery would last weeks with even daily use. It packs some useful features such as a battery indicator light and side markers. At $159, I feel like it’s competitively priced, though I am coming at it from the viewpoint of someone who is very concerned about safety and is willing to pay for high-end lighting products. Light & Motion also sells an Urban 300 and Urban 180 ($99), which I feel offer more than enough light for the average commuter. Great job to Light & Motion for leading the pack, once again.

To watch all the videos, click here

If you’re anything like me, you are bookmarking every holiday gift idea and guide that comes across your RSS reader. I was tipped off to this awesome collaboration between two of my favorite brands and I wanted to share it with you. Nau and Snow Peak have teamed up to create a package for the on-the-go traveler who also isn’t too keen on disposable cutlery and dinnerware. I think it’d be perfect for a student or professional that packs their own lunch.

The set contains  the Nau Motil Pedal bag, Nau branded Snow Peak sport, chopsticks and a large cup. It’s limited to just 50 sets and retails for $180, saving you $50 when you buy the kit. It’s available on the Nau site starting today, December 5th.

Today, at a birthday party, a friend of mine joked that all the women were wearing boots because the temperature’s finally dropped below 65F degrees. I live in a pretty temperate climate, with 70F being the norm around here. However, we do get our cold spouts and around this time of year, I start turning to my favorite fabric to keep me warm. Icebreaker, the New Zealand company obsessed with wool, has not been in the cycling game long. At first, they limited themselves to the running and hiking crowds. I suppose I never wondered why they never made cycling apparel. After all, it’s all Lyrca these days and the only mention of wool is the nostalgic kind reminiscing of scratchy jersies long past. So, imagine everyone’s surprise when Icebreaker’s Circuit and Cadence series came out and they proved once again that wool does work on a bike.

Their latest offering is a commuter line which is different from their GT BIke line in a few regards. Most noticeably, the items are more casual, meant to be used more for trips to the office, rather than training rides. Icebreaker was kind enough to send me a long sleeve Commute Zip which I have been putting through the paces. The top is rated GT260, which in Icebreaker nomenclature, means the material is 260 grams per square meter. Their system takes some getting used to and I used to be really annoyed by it, but over time with some experience, you start recognizing whether you are too warm, too cold, or just right, and you take note of the weight of the material. For me, 260 perfect for midlayers and it’s exactly how I treated the Commute.

I am on the large end of small for Icebreaker clothing and this time was no different. Desiring a fitted top, I opted for the smaller size rather than a medium which would have meant I would have been swimming in the garment. The all black top has a contrasting red zipper that runs the full length. I appreciate the versatility the zipper offers. It means that I can wear this even in warmer months when the temperature is brisk. I am not sure who Icebreaker users as their zipper supplier but starting FW 2011, they really have stepped up their game. The main zipper tab is subtly branded and has curves and knurling that is very effective. The Commute Zip Thru was snug but comfortable, particularly in the shoulders and waits area. The entire rear bottom section is lined with the same rubber strips found in the GT Bike line, helping the Commute from riding up your behind when hunched over.  My only complaint regarding the fit is around the upper arms. It’s quite snug there and I felt a little claustrophobic around that area when I am walking around.

There is evidence throughout of a real attention to detail. For example, on the rear right shoulder, there’s a two inch reflective strip. Very much appreciated, but I would have liked a little bit more reflective material to improve safety. The left shoulder sports two lanes of red stitching, adding a stylish focus point to the garment.  There are two compartment zippers, one on each side, in front. Since the lining is somewhat thin, I would not suggest putting anything heavier than a thin wallet or light smartphone in there. A heavy set of keys would bounce around too much, making for an uncomfortable (and noisy) ride.

The mornings here are about 55F so when I put on the Commute Zip Thru for my ride to work, I like to put it over a thin baselayer. I usually go with an Icebreaker Tech T merino shirt or a Patagonia Capilene. Hunched over, in my drops, the LS Commute really shone. The rear grip tape kept it firmly against my back and there was ample material in the sleeves to accommodate any riding position while keeping my arms covered and warm. The best part is when I got to work, I strolled into the meeting without looking like I just came from a training ride and because wool is naturally neutral smelling, I didn’t smell like it either.

I did a month-long review of the daypack offering from Topo Designs. I had such a great time using the bag as my daily carry to and from work. It really is a perfect intersection of functionality, design, and price. The guys at Topo Designs, based in Colorado, are really nice. Simply put, they are the kind of small business owners this country needs. Go check out my detailed Road Test.

| Read the full write-up at Carryology |

Over a year ago, I caught wind that Civia Cycles was coming out with a more affordable version of their Bryan belt-drive commuter bike. It was to be called the Kingfield and they removed some features like disc brakes and switched to a cheaper internal gear hub (IGH) to drop the price a few hundred dollars. I spoke to my local bike shop (LBS), Wheelhouse, and promised I’d have them build the bike as soon as it became available. Fast forward to a few months ago and I was able to piece together my dream bike. It has a sort of modern yet classy look and I was careful with each component and accessory, making sure they fit the theme. I often chose leather over nylon, brass over plastic.

At first, I decided to keep a water cage and bottle off the bike altogether. I wasn’t planning on taking long trips with it anyway and I couldn’t imagine any sort of bottle & cage setup that would be aesthetically pleasing. After looking at some commuter builds online and perusing the Velo Orange website, I saw some nice looking steel wire cages. I picked one up and installed it right away. I still had the issue of the bottle, though. Luckily, around this same time, Nau collaborated with Klean Kanteen on a water bottle and I was asked if I’d like to take a look. I really thought it was just a regular Klean Kanteen bottle with some Nau branding. I was about to pass but at the last minute, I saw what looked like wood on the cap. I asked if it was actually bamboo and I was told it was.  I had to see for myself.

The bottle is a beauty. It’s the same stainless steel bottle Klean bottle you are familiar with but some some fun refinements. Like I said, the screw lid utilizes sustainably harvested bamboo. Food-grade silicone lines the threads for a water-tight seal and in keeping with the no paint, no plastic, and no rubber mantra, the logo is laser-etched. I’ve been bringing the bottle to work on my commute and it holds enough water for multiple days (I have a very short ride). The one thing I didn’t like about the bottle is the strong smell from the factory when you first open it. It smells like a mix of plastic and metal. It’s not bad, per se, but I think like with any new bottle, it would benefit from a few thorough washes with warm and slightly soapy water.

The bottle holds 27 oz (that’s over 3 cups!) and fits in a standard bottle cage just fine. Luckily for me, I don’t have any of the rattling issues I’ve read so much about. As far as I am concerned, this bottle has a permanent place on my bike.

I remember when I was younger, titanium was this magical material. Lightweight but strong. What more could you ask for? Well, at that time, anything made out of titanium was very expensive. Today? The picture is still mostly the same, but it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than it was five or ten years ago. I don’t own many titanium items, but I always marvel each time I hold one because it’s so lightweight. My grandma, who grew up during a time where quality goods were heavy and solid, took one look at my titanium watch and declared it cheap. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that light is the new heavy.

Snow Peak, one of my favorite quirky outdoors companies, sent me a titanium straw to check out. Why would anyone need a titanium straw, you ask? Well, why not? The thing weighs next to nothing. Honestly, it feels like you’re holding a plastic straw. It does not hold any residual flavors or odors, is easy to clean, and because it’s so strong, you can use it to jab juice boxes or even large soft fruit such as oranges and drink directly. To me, the best part is that it’s not disposable. I’d rather just keep one straw in my kitchen drawer that I can use for smoothies and cocktails than a bunch of plastic ones. Another great thing is unlike plastic bendy straws, the titanium one doesn’t suffer from the dreaded slit. You know what I am talking about; when a slit develops in the plastic around the bendy part and you are sucking in air instead of liquid.

At $15 the Snow Peak Titanium Straw is not cheap, but it’s not going to bust any wallets either. It’d make a great gift for a gadget freak or an ultra-light backpacker or camper. Or just someone who has everything.

I’ve been using Camelbak products for probably close to ten years. One of my earliest memories was a back and forth email exchange with one of their customer service representatives to ask very detailed question about the sizing and features of a particular pack. They didn’t make me go through some convoluted questions forum or make me create a user account just to get some support. Instead, this woman answered my questions quickly (the emails were so fast it was almost like a chat), and with such a positive attitude, it really left a smile on my face.

I don’t go on any hikes without a Camelbak. Since they’ve expanded their product line, I use CamelBak water bottles on my bike riders and there’s a CamelBak bottle on my work desk as I type this. A few months ago, they introduced their newly redesigned bladder called the Antidote. This is an important company milestone because the older model, the Omega, had served users so well for so long. I never thought that the bladder could be improved upon. You just don’t think about how to make something better sometimes; you just accept it as is.

That’s not to say the Omega didn’t have short comings. It was difficult to completely dry, even with the correct hangers. You never knew when to stop screwing the cap. The tube was not removable, which meant more cleaning issues. Last year, I bought one of Osprey’s new hydration packs. They partnered with Nalgene to create a new bladder. Let me tell you, way better than the Omega. It made the Omega look like a plastic bag. Uninspired. I knew that things could be different and I think Osprey’s release lit a fire under CamelBak.

The Antidote reservoir sports some cool features:

• Integrated dryer arms
• Quick link system
• Internal baffle
• Redesigned fill port

CamelBak decided to redesign the entire fill port area. Basically, a reservoir consists of the rubber bladder that holds the water and the area around the fill port, including the cap. This area is usually made of hard plastic. The plastic on the Antidote is a hard brittle plastic. To be honest, I prefer the hardened rubber type plastic on the Omega bladder. I feel like if I were to hit the fill port of the Antidote with enough force it would cause the entire area to shatter or chip. However, that’s a minor mark. What’s great about the new fill port is there are arrows indicating where to start your rotation and where it ends. Gone are the days of guessing. Gone are the days of figuring out how tight is tight enough.

The quick link system is their fancy way of saying removable tube and this is great. It’s a spring loaded lever that you slide which releases the tube. This makes flushing and drying the tube infinitely easier and CamelBak created new types of tubes that you can easily swap in, such as insulated ones for temperature sensitive liquids.   The internal baffle is something that we’ve all been waiting for. By integrating a baffle, it reduces the stack height, which makes it light flatter. It also controls the flow of water and prevents the sloshing that can really be annoying during a bike ride, run, or hike. What took them so long? Finally, the dryer arms plus the optional drying hook means no more damp bags. I’ve left Omega reservoirs hanging for a week and there was still moisture left inside.

So how does it all perform? Well, I took it on a hike a few weeks ago in a Boreas Repack 15. It performed well but to be honest, I didn’t get enough time to really feel a dramatic difference. It feels exactly like using a bladder inside a backpack. What can I say? I think the obvious changes a CamelBak customer would appreciate are the dryer arms, quick link system, and redesigned fill port. It’s hard to really appreciate the baffle initially. I think with enough experience with the new reservoir, I might notice reduced barreling. 

The Antidote is replacing the Omega so soon you won’t have a choice. This is fine and it’s a natural progression. Don’t think of the Antidote as a newer, better model. It is, but what it really is, is the evolution of the Omega. It’s the new Omega and besides the plastic choice around the fill port, I am all for it. They are not cheap, but they also last forever so pick one up!

Check out the complete gallery below

A few years ago, the fixed-gear/single-speed world really took off. At that time, there were only a handful of messenger bag manufacturers and nearly all of them were of the professional, respected, established types. By that, I mean the likes of Chrome and BaileyWorks; companies that ran like true businesses with legitimate websites and shopping cart checkout. However, there was a burgeoning group of craftspeople armed with fabric and vintage sewing machines who started a cottage industry all their own. One of these companies was Seagull Bags, based out of Columbus, OH.

I placed an order for a medium courier bag in a yellow and black colorway, to match my new Soma Rush track bike. Judging by the initial difficulties, I suspect I was one of the earlier customers. The workmanship on the bag was great but I had lots of issues with the fit. I emailed the owner and would wait weeks between responses. It took the better part of a year to finally get this fixed and even then I was never satisfied. Throughout the whole time, Daniel was really polite and patient so I couldn’t fault him for not being nice. But, it still bugged me how backlogged and inefficient they were. That’s actually a whole side-rant. Lots of creative types start a business without really understanding business. It takes a smart entrepreneur to know that they are capable of, then to hire people to help with the parts they are lacking.

Fast forward a few weeks ago. I had to carry a large package to work on my bike so I pulled down the Seagull bag because it is quite large. I rode to work it was quickly reminded why I didn’t like the bag. It just never sat right on my back and was uncomfortable. The strap dug into my shoulder and armpit and would always slide. I went to the website and noticed they had some new hardware and a different strap design. I emailed them and Sarah replied quickly. I asked if I could get my bag updated to fix the fit issues and if they could add a keyclip. She was so friendly throughout the whole transaction. They charged me a ridiculously fair price and had the bag back to me in no time. Communication was friendly and swift and the work was great. The changed out my strap and installed the clip and now it’s like I have a new bag. You can just tell from the website redesign, the new boxes (they ship UPS now in a branded box. It used to be USPS in a Priority box), and the additional staff that Seagull is here to stay.

And I am glad. I am all for the suburban hipster trying to make a buck but I’d rather have companies run by people who understand that when you take someone’s hard earned buck, you need to deliver; that the only time “it’s all good” is when it really is all good.

You might not have heard of WILL Leather Goods but you should know about them. Started by Bill Adler, an actor in the 1980’s, they’ve been operating out of Eugene, OR for 30 years now. Check out my review of their messenger bag, the Hopper, and see why I think it’d be the perfect carry piece for a young professional.

| Read the full write-up at Carryology |