GR: Hydration Packs (Oakley Tool Box 2.0 Pack and High Sierra Soak 2)

I have two hydration packs that I use interchangably depending on what type of ride I'm doing, so I figured I'd give my thoughts on both of them here. The one I use most often is the Oakley Tool Box.

You can purchase a newer iteration, the Toolbox 2.0, here.

I love this pack, and was actually able to get it brand new for $35 from a woman who listed it on Craigslist after winning it at a charity auction. I was stoked on that deal since it retails for $100 in stores.

Its pretty big, which is the pack's biggest drawback as well as its biggest asset. The dimensions are 16" H x 12" W x 8.5" D, and it holds everything but the kitchen sink, and I'm pretty sure I could even cram that in there.

The Toolbox has a dedicated spot inside for my ID, an internal pouch to hold a hydration bladder, several internal small pockets and organizer slots , and is very comfortable to wear. It also includes a helmet holder on the outside as well as a padded sunglass case that I think is pretty cool. The valuables pocket on top has extra external padding to protect its contents, as well as a soft lining inside, but is a little smaller than I would prefer. The Toolbox also has well designed pouches on each side for holding knee pads or water bottles which is nice.

Its a great pack, and I recommend it to anyone who usually uses a Camelbak HAWG or MULE, which are of comparable size but not as nice. The only problem is its size, and the fact that it can get heavy if I load it with a bunch of stuff.

For that reason, I own another, smaller pack, that I use for shorter rides where I don't need to carry as much. That pack is the High Sierra Soak 2. I bought it at Costco last year for $15 on sale (usually $20) and it is awesome. Its smaller than the Toolbox, and is comparable to an average size Camelback, but has more features than a Camelback and is way cheaper.

The High Sierra Soak 2 is a hydration pack with three additional pockets for gear. The bladder slips into a separate sleeve in the main pocket lined with a special Thermo-Silver insulation. The main pocket has an additional long, slim sleeve with a Velcro strap at the top for a bicycle pump. The larger of the two front pockets has three smaller sleeves along the bottom with elastic across the center to keep longer items from falling forward when you open the pocket. There is also a mesh pocket with a zipper sewn into the front flap of this pocket. A small plastic clip is sewn to the back of this pocket for keys, etc. The front panel of the pack has the smallest of the pockets. It is accessed by the zipper on one side of the pack. This pocket runs along the entire front panel of the pack.

Additional features of the pack include:
- Drain hole in the bottom of the main pocket
- Elastic shock cord on the outside of the pack for more gear
- Plastic clip on the front of the pack
- Mesh panel that comes out of a zippered compartment on the bottom of the pack for carrying a helmet (attaches to the pack near the main pocket's zipper so that the main pocket can still be accessed when a helmet is carried on the pack)
- Reflective strip near the bottom of the pack
- Extra adjustable waist strap that comes out of the sides of the pack near the smallest zippered pocket
- Vapel Mesh Airflow adjustable shoulder strap
- Hands free water reservoir pressure valve with a dirt shield
- 2 Liter hydration bladder with Z-Valve is included with the pack
- Insulated water tube cover
- Adjustable sternum strap
- Vapel Mesh Airflow padded back for moisture wicking
- Zipped expansion gusset for increased capacity (runs along both sides and the bottom of the pack)

The bladder is easily removed from the pack by sliding it up out of the insulated pocket. There is a large easy to use lid on the bladder. The tubing runs from the bottom of the bladder up to the top on the outside and through a hole in the top of the bladder. There are holes on the top on both the left and right side of the bladder so that the tube can be used on either side of the pack. The pack itself also allows for the tube to be attached on either side of the shoulder straps. The shoulder straps have both a sewn in loop for the tube and a Velcro fastened loop. To drink from the bladder, the dirt shield is removed and water flow is controlled by biting down on the valve and sipping. The dirt shield is attached to the valve via a small cord.

This was my first hydration pack. I am very happy with the bladder and valve. The bite valve is very easy to use, just put it between your teeth and bite down lightly to get the water to flow. The dirt shield adequately keeps the valve clean, but I usually leave it off when cycling for ease of use, letting it hang by its cord. I put it back on when running to keep it from flopping around.

The pockets allow for plenty of gear storage. I have packed in the full 2 liters (70 oz), a light jacket, energy bars, keys, cell phone, and wallet with room to spare.

I noticed at my last trip to Costco that they have them again this year, and have made some minor improvements including changing the dirt shield location in a good way. If I can get approval, I may pick up another one to use as a backup. You can't beat the price, and its a great pack on the trails.

GR: Garmin Edge 205

I've wanted to post my thoughts on my Garmin Edge 205 for a while now. I purchased it back in October, and it has become one of my absolute favorite biking accessories. In fact, its the one item I never leave at home. And on the very rare occasions where I've forgotten to bring it or the battery has been dead, I've been really disappointed.

I can't speak to all of the 205's features, since I honestly don't take advantage of all that it has to offer. My primary use for the unit is tracking the distance, duration, average speed, and location of each ride that I do. My favorite feature is its ability to export the gps map of the trails I've ridden to Google Maps and Google Earth, enabling me to see my route on those maps. Its a really cool way of reliving each ride that I've done, and since the inception of this blog, its been easy to just click on the maps I create and add them to my ride reviews, making for a cool scrapbook-style memory for each ride.

The 205 also has features like racing a virtual partner and setting up workout intervals with reminder beeps when you fall below a certain speed. But to be honest, I haven't used any of those. Since I don't really have a single, consistent ride that I do on a regular basis, racing a virtual partner hasn't been that important. Also, while I enjoy the improved fitness that comes with riding, the training features the Edge has don't do much for my casual trail riding style. But its nice to know the features are there...

The unit has great battery life. The websites say up to twelve hours, which I've never tested. I did ride with it running for a total of about seven hours over three days last weekend, and it showed no signs of quitting on me. There was still over 50% battery remaining even after all that time. The battery is chargeable via either USB or the included A/C adapter, which is nice. I generally download the data from a ride to my computer that same evening, and leave the unit plugged in to the USB port overnight to charge. The battery is not replaceable, so for those who do go on epic multi-day camping rides, that could be an issue. I am not one of those people.

Along with tracking speed, distance, time, etc., the unit also acts as a trail GPS, enabling me to see little breadcrumbs where I've been during a ride. The feature is nice to have, but the tiny grayscale dots on a smallish gray screen are not the easiest to see. However, if I was ever lost, it is nice to be able to re-trace my steps or use the "home" feature to help guide me back to my starting point. The screen overall is also more than adequate for reading the data that I want to see at a glance, even in bright sunlight.
The unit itself is also very compact and durable. It comes with both a stem and handlebar mount, and stays in place extremely well. (Its never fallen out of its mount for me, despite several rough crashes.) Its waterproof and mudproof, and has held up well in rain, snow, and high heat conditions.

The Garmin 205 includes software that helps with tracking ride data both on the computer and online. The Garmin Training Center tracks the time and date of each ride, as well as the total distance, total time, average pace, average speed, maximum speed, total calories burned, total ascent, and total descent for each ride. The website www.motionbased.com keeps track of the same data, as well as allows users to export the route to Google Maps and Google Earth as discussed above. Motionbased also allows other users to see your routes and permits members to share ride data and download new trails back to their Edge 205 devices. I have never done this, but would like to at some point.

The Edge 205 that I purchased does not have a heart rate sensor or cadence feature. Its big brother, the Edge 205, however, does have those features if that is something that you're looking for.

Interestingly enough, I think the Edge 205, along with this site, actually makes me ride more than I would if I didn't have it. The ability to compare my performance to previous rides, evaluate the distance and speed of a ride when its over, and see it displayed on a map afterwards makes riding more enjoyable for me. It also has made me try to go faster and try sections I otherwise would not, so that I can go back and review the data later and gauge my performance.

I purchased my Edge 205 from an Amazon.com third party dealer called Digitech Deals back in October. I only paid $109.99 with $10.00 shipping, which was a smoking deal. It is apparently no longer available through that dealer, and the cheapest I can find it on Amazon is $179.99. However, with the newer versions (the Edge 605 and 705) just being released, I expect the price of the 205 to go down quite a bit further. If nothing else, used 205's should be widely available from those people who choose to upgrade to a 605 or 705 and no longer need their old unit anymore.

Additional Manufacturer's Information for the Edge 205 is available here.

GR: Shimano SH-M075 MTB Shoe

Here are a few of my thoughts on the shoes I'm currently wearing, the Shimano SH-M075 MTB shoes.

They're an entry level shoe, and are the first pair I've worn, so my basis for review is not a comparison, but just how they feel.

I bought them at Soul Cycles with a very thoughtful and generous gift certificate from Mom and Dad and Adam and Pamella.

Dave Merten installed the cleats on the shoes for me, which I appreciated.

I went with the entry level model both for price reasons and because I was not sure I would be sold on going clipless. I'd heard some horror stories, and had my own concerns about how often I crash already, and how being attached to the bike would affect me in any future crashes. But I had also heard that clipless increases pedaling efficiency, particularly when climbing, so I wanted to give it a shot.

Dave recommended the Sidis, but I was not ready to drop that kind of coin on shoes, particularly because I wasn't sure that I would like riding with clips. So nay on those, at least for now.

The Shimanos I bought are relatively stiff, though there is still a degree of flex in the sole that I feel when I'm pedaling particularly hard. Its also a little tough to get them as tight as I want with just the three velcro straps.

The shoes are pretty durable, and I've gotten them soaking wet several times without any lingering adverse effects. They're starting to show some wear after 7 months despite taking pretty good care of them and riding about once or twice a week over that span. I figure with regular use at that pace they'll last a year or two before they start to come apart, which is decent for an entry level shoe, but I'd prefer ones that last a little longer and resist wear better.

They're also not particularly light. I bought them knowing they weren't carbon soled or anything, and its not like they're bricks, but they're on the high end of the weight scale. I don't really think that effects my riding much, however, considering the average distance I ride is about 10-12 miles per ride, and a few ounces of shoe weight isn't going to be much of a factor.
I do have a difficult time clipping in to my pedals with these shoes fairly often, which may be more the fault of the pedal than the shoe. However the design of the cleat at the bottom of the shoe seems to pick up and hold mud and debris very easily, which is not ideal. I don't have a basis for comparison, but when I decide to shop for new shoes, I'll be looking for ones that won't retain debris as easily.

Didn't buy them here, but seems to be one of the better deals online.

GR: Thule 934XT Hitching Post Pro Hitch Rack

Here's a review of another bike product that I purchased that works OK, but falls short in enough areas that I would not recommend it to a friend.

This Thule (prounouced Too-Lee) hitch rack looked good to me on the surface before I bought it. It seemed sturdy and purported to hold four bikes, so when Performance had it on sale and I had an additional 20% off coupon, I went for it.

The problem is, it doesn't really hold four bikes, at least not well. I've tried twice, and while I was able to push, pull, yank, and wedge four bikes on there, it was neither easy nor convenient. And the bikes were so crammed in together that they scratched each other up a little, despite my efforts to the contrary.

Also, this hitch rack does not have a lower stabilizer arm at the bottom, which I've seen on some others. As a result, when I have just one or two bikes on there, they swing around wildly while I'm driving, which makes me nervous. I tried to fix this by moving around the little rubber cups that the bike sits in, but they are virtually impossible to move, which is another unfortunate feature.

In addition, the rack requires me to use a wrench and screw it into my hitch every time I want to put it on the Tahoe or take it off. This helps make it stay on better, I'm sure, but is also a pretty big hassle. I'd rather have some kind of device that doesn't require tools to install and uninstall the rack each time. And the screw that it uses should be replaced by the aftermarket lock that Thule wants me to buy to make sure the rack isn't stolen by someone with a wrench of their own.

The annoying installation wouldn't be as big a deal if I could just leave the rack on there all the time. But because I'm not willing to pony up the ridiculous $40 or whatever it costs to get the locking screw, I don't want to risk leaving it on my Tahoe all the time. Plus, the way the rack is designed, it sticks out about two and a half feet from the back of my SUV's bumper, making it impossible to fit the entire truck with the rack on it inside the garage. I assume it sticks out so far because Thule wanted it to be able to be used with vehicles that include a spare tire on the back, but since mine does not, I don't appreciate that feature. And I can't just drill a hole farther up in the base, because it is required to be threaded for the installation screw. Aaarg.

Another problem is that this rack requires bikes to be mounted via their top tube (or in my case via a top tube adapter). While I knew this going in, I am sorry I bought a rack with this feature. First, it means that if I ride with a friend who has a full-suspension bike with a complex geometry and no frame adapter, I can't put his bike on the rack. It also creates the swinging problem mentioned above.

The rack does have a few decent features. It tilts down at the base to allow access to the rear hatch without taking the whole thing off, which is nice. The part that sticks out where you put the bikes also folds down when there are not bikes on it, which is nice for storage, but irrelevant because I have to take the rack off every time its not in use.

After living with it for 8 months or so, I realize that I'd strongly prefer the Thule T2 version, which looks like this:
The loading is much easier and better for the bikes, and it is even more stable. It also costs more than twice as much, and only holds two bikes (though you can purchase a two bike extension to the 2" version to haul a total of four bikes.)

Finally, perhaps the biggest problem with the Hitching Post rack has nothing to do with the rack itself, so its probably unfair to mention it, but I will anyway. With gas prices as crazy as they are right now, I try to drive the Tahoe as little as possible. The hitch rack only works on vehicles that have a hitch, so I don't use it as much as the little trunk rack that goes on the back of our Acura.

In any event, there are my thoughts. If you still want this rack for some reason, its available for purchase here

GR: Oakley Factory Pilot 2.0 MTB Gloves

Now for a piece of equipment that I can not wholeheartedly endorse...my Oakley MTB gloves. I went through some significant hassle to get them, which may unfairly play a role in my negative view of their performance. You see, I like Oakley stuff. Maybe its because I bought a pair of Oakley Razor Blades sunglasses in 6th grade and wore them to class every day. Maybe its because when I left those same shades on the back of my dad's Bronco a year later, and they fell off and were run over about a thousand times, Oakley replaced them with brand new ones for free. Maybe I'm just a brand snob. Whatever the reason, I own and will continue to buy Oakley stuff. It looks cool, generally performs well, and is backed by excellent Oakley customer service.

So when I saw Oakley made MTB gloves, I wanted a pair. But the price tag was a bit much. I mean, $60 for gloves? My Performance Bike versions cost $9.99, and had served me OK. But I wanted the Oakleys. And after scouring the interwebs for a few weeks, I came across an ad on Craigslist for a pair of new Oakley gloves, with original packaging, for only $30. Now that I could swing!

The problem was that they were owned by a guy in Irvine, and I couldn't try them on before buying. Undeterred, I emailed him and offered him $30 for them via paypal, including shipping and paypal fees. He agreed, and my gloves arrived two days later. And despite being a medium, they were too big. Crap.

I considered washing them to shrink them, but they're leather, so that seemed to be a bad idea. So I called around to some local Oakley stores, and found one with the same gloves in a size small. After a quick detour downtown and an annoying exchange-without-receipt-harangue, I had some sweet Oakley gloves. Sort of.

See, the problem with the gloves themselves (procurement issues and MSRP cost notwithstanding) is that they don't have that much padding, and are not as tactile as I would like. The do have silicon tips on the fingers, which is supposed to make them more grippy and tactile, but doesn't really succeed. Also, the silicone tips on a couple of fingers is already peeling away from the leather glove after just a few months. They also are pretty thin in the palms, and I can see having to replace them relatively quickly if they wear very fast in that area.

Another problem is that these gloves lack padding on the sides of the fingers. I'm sure this is an attempt to increase finger mobility, but the sides of the fingers are only covered by a thin layer of lycra-like material, which resulted in a deep nasty cut to my middle finger during a fall at Anderson Truck Trail back in January that is still scabbed over today.

I do like the fact that they breathe really well for full fingered gloves, and my hands never really get hot when wearing them. They also, like most Oakley stuff, look pretty cool I guess. They claim to have Kevlar padding (Kevlar?!) which could come in handy if someone starts shooting at me on the trail, and the tops of the gloves near the knuckles seem to be adequately protected.

So they're OK, and I'm going to keep wearing them until they do finally fall apart. But I can't faithfully recommend them to anyone else, particularly given the suggested retail price.

If you're still interested in getting a pair, you can buy them here.

EDIT [April 26, 2008]: I tore a hole in the palms of these gloves during a nasty fall at the Noble Canyon ride with the Skyline MTB group. I'm pretty annoyed about that. They didn't hold up very well.

GR: Fox Flux Helmet

For gear review #2, I wanted to post some brief thoughts on another piece of important MTB equipment I've purchased, the helmet. When I began riding I had a $15 Costco helmet that actually worked pretty well. It had an adjustable dial in the back, and was reasonably comfortable.

After riding for a few months, however, I wanted to upgrade to something a little lighter, with more vents and additional adjustability. After doing some online research, I decided on the Fox Flux helmet.


I've been wearing it since just before Christmas, and so far I'm a fan. It is lightweight and has a bunch of vents. My head never gets hot when I'm wearing it, (though that may be because its been winter since I've owned it). It has two adjustable tabs in the back which allow me to dial in the size to fit my oddly shaped head. Also, it covers much more of the back of my head, which is important to me because I have a very soft dome, and want as much of it covered as possible.

One thing I did notice is that it traps sweat inside the helmet, which is kind of a good thing. I never get sweat running down my forehead or temples when I'm wearing the helmet while riding, but when I adjust it or reposition it while stopped, sweat sometimes comes pouring down my forehead. It's a little weird, but not bad. I think the padding inside is just very absorbent, so when I move the helmet it squeezes the pads against my head more, like wringing out a sponge.

I actually ordered a different color than the one you see in the picture above, but Performance shipped me this one, and I decided to keep it. Now I think it's cool looking, which is a bonus.

So once again I recommend a product that I purchased. Which is not and will not always be the case. But I figured I'd rather write about the stuff I like, at least at first, than the stuff I don't. So get this helmet if you're in the market. You won't be disappointed.

GR: Fox Sergeant MTB Shorts

In between ride reviews I have been meaning to do some brief "gear reviews" of stuff that I've bought for biking. At some point I intend to review my bike itself, my helmet, my sunglasses, and some of the other things that I have purchased. Today I wanted to post up some of my thoughts on my MTB shorts, the Fox Sergeants.

When I started biking, I just wore regular athletic shorts. Then I quickly switched to some lycra shorts that worked better, but didn't look so great. After that I went with the athletic shorts over the lycra, but that was bunchy and uncomfortable.

So around Christmas I was searching ebay for some deals on *new* MTB shorts that included a chamois. I found a local guy selling a pair of Fox Sergeant MTB shorts with a very low reserve. I was the only bidder, and ended up getting them for $40.00, about half of what they cost in a retail store. I picked them up from his house on Christmas eve, and had myself a pretty good Christmas present a day early.

I've worn them on every ride since, and have loved them. The chamois pad is amazingly comfortable and removable for washing. The length of the shorts is perfect, and the crotch don't get caught on my seat when leaning back while going downhill. They even have an adjustable waistband on the inside, which I learned on the Noble ride I need to adjust since I've lost a little weight lately.

In any event, I have nothing but good things to say about these shorts, and would strongly recommend them. They're comfortable, stylish, light, and have a great removable chamois. They even have a couple of nice sized cargo pockets I've kept my camera and some gel packets in on some recent rides. I'd like to get another pair, but can't justify the expense at the moment. Maybe for an Easter present...

The 2007 model, which is the one I have, is on sale right now at Price Point for only $59.99. While I admit that this is still expensive for a pair of shorts, its still a great deal and I think they're probably worth it.