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NSMB Gift Guide: Dec 2nd

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While shopping for gifts this year, it's possible - likely even - that you encounter more confusion or difficulty than usual. Supply chains and labour shortages are leading to unpredictability and lots of brands and shops are out of stock of certain items. This week we're bringing you a selection of gift ideas that fall under the smaller/less expensive category (relative to other stuff in the bike world) that nevertheless are thoughtful gifts that can bring smiles to the recipient and enhance their ride. And, perhaps most importantly, all of this stuff is in stock and available!


LoamLab Counterpunch & Single Clamp Grips

LoamLab Components is a Squamish-based brand founded by Mark Haimes, a former DH racer and World Record Holder (more on that in the new year) who turned a nasty 5th metacarpal injury into an innovative idea: the Counterpunch.

By protecting the outer hand from impact, the Counterpunch reduces the risk of bar clipping injuries. Originally intended for use during a comeback from injury, when fear of another strike is justifiably palpable, it soon found a permanent place on many test riders' bikes.

The curved surface slides rather than grabs, making it less likely the bar will hang up and throw the rider, giving more confidence to cut tighter lines beside trees, and maybe take out a couple of wheelie bins on the way to the trailhead.

We've had some experience with the Counterpunch at NSMB and it works exactly as intended. It's a simple, lightweight piece of protection (and peace of mind) making it an easy way of adding protection to your hands without much of a weight penalty, at a reasonable cost.

Single Clamp Grips

How can you make thin grips feel more plump?

Firstly, by making the rubber eccentric to the bar. This puts more rubber on top and less on the bottom. It also eliminates the raised pressure point normally found at the end of thin grips.

Secondly, by removing areas of the inner core. This puts even more rubber under the heel of your hand where you need it most. And the cutaway at the thumb forms a flexible pad allowing for a small amount of flex that absorbs chatter and vibration.

Especially suitable for riders who like to hang the meat of their hand over the edge of the bar.

Counterpunch: $39 CAD and available direct from LoamLab.
Single Clamp Grip: $33 CAD
Counterpunch and Dual Clamp Grip package: $59 CAD

Stan's DART Tool

Stan's DART Tool repairs large punctures and slices. It has a unique shape and is also different in that it is designed to react with Stan’s sealant to form an instant, airtight seal. Its woven, laser-cut material will not fray or pull out when riding, but any excess material will wear off cleanly, so you can deploy it and then ride without worrying about losing your seal. A plastic tip adds strength when you're pushing it into the puncture.

The DART Tool comes in a light and handy package that includes two pre-loaded DARTs for sealing multiple punctures, or large ones - it also comes with a built-in valve core remover (these are less ubiquitous but frankly more useful than having bottle openers fashioned onto everything you own).

Buy direct from Stan's for $25 USD or $35 CAD

Tubolito S-Tubo MTB

The Tubolito S-MTB is the perfect spare tube and is truly an “aha” product because the first time you hold one, its weight (or lack-thereof) is always a shock. Thanks to its removable valve, the S-MTB can be rolled up to an extremely small size (Ø 3.5 x 5 cm) and despite a weight of only 45g (29”) it is as puncture resistant as standard butyl tubes. So for racers looking for the lightest setup or as a spare tube you can fit almost anywhere, the Tubolito S-MTB is a dependable performer, not to mention a great gift. 

37.95 USD | 50.49 CAD

WPL Wet Chain Lube

Bike Lube may feel like an unusual gift, but the mountain biker in your life will appreciate this. WPL's Wet formulation is designed to work in truly coastal conditions, with the added bonus that it's formulated to perform without a lot of the toxic, petroleum-based additives you'll find in most bike lubes. Like the wax on your skis, lube comes off of the chain and can end up in the soil or get washed into the water. In small quantities, that may not sound like much - but how many bikes are hosed off every day at the base of a bike park, or other high-traffic areas?

A tube of WPL lube is a great - and thoughtful - gift for the rider in your life who's thinking about their impact but doesn't want to sacrifice on performance.

$12.99 CAD - ask at your LBS or order direct from WPL.

Fenix E28R Rechargeable 18650 EDC Flashlight

We're big fans of gifts that work for riders - and rides - but also in your other walks of life, and Fenix has a solid reputation for reliable, high performance flashlights. The E28R is a powerful flashlight that runs either on one single 18650 or two CR123 batteries - and puts out an impressive 1500 lumens. It includes five different brightness levels - everything from 'dim candle-like' to 'please notice me while I'm out here walking the dog or looking for my dropped keys' to 'what was that snapping branch I just heard behind me?' plus a strobe mode. The E28R is compact and IP68 waterproof and comfortably fits in your hip pack or pants pocket - super easy to carry at all times, especially this time of year, whether as a backup on night rides, for safety, or 'just in case'.

  • Turbo: 1500 Lumens, 2.1 hours, 656 ft
  • High: 800 Lumens, 2.5 hours, 459 ft
  • Med: 350 Lumens, 6 hours, 295 ft
  • Low: 150 Lumens, 17.1 hours, 200 ft
  • Eco: 30 Lumens, 73.3 hours, 91 ft
  • IP68 waterproof Rating: Fully submersible to 6.5 feet for up to 30 minutes
  • USB Type-C Charging (Fast Charging)
  • Battery included: Fenix ARB-L18-3400 Rechargeable 3400mAh 18650
  • Compatible: Two CR123A batteries (battery level indicator will not work)
  • Length: 4.29 inches // Weight: 2.33 oz (Excluding Battery) 

You can order the Fenix E28R here. MSRP is $59 USD.

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RideWrap Shuttle Armour

It's called Shuttle Armour, but you need it even if you're not a shuttler: it's designed to protect the downtube of your bike right where it contacts the tailgate of a truck. Sure, you may not own a truck and you only earn your turns, but if you ever ride with someone that owns a truck and your bike may spend time riding in the back, this is a good way to make sure that mud and grit doesn't get ground into your downtube while it's hanging out back there. Easy to apply: clean your downtube, use the included cleaning wipe, then peel and stick. Also removable in case you decide to transfer it to your next bike.

$25 CAD and available from RideWrap or your LBS.

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OneUp's EDC Lite tool fits almost any mountain bike, is easy to install, and the tool has all the essentials for an average ride.

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And look at the colours!

OneUp EDC Lite Multi Tool

EDC stands for Every Day Carry, and it refers to OneUp's effort to get that sweaty monkey off your back. The EDC Lite tool is one of the best MTB innovations in recent years. It can be installed in half the time it takes to drink a beer, fits almost every mountain bike, and it's well equipped with 9 common tools to address most fittings on modern bikes. It stays in place, is easily deployed, and it'll save your ass without asking for thanks.

The mountain biker in your life will love it.

MSRP $40, €40, £35, $53 CAD

9 Functions:

⬢ 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8mm
⁕ T25 Torx
▬ Flat Head Screwdriver

EDC Lite

Trending on NSMB

Comments

taprider
+8 Jonas Dodd Zero-cool Cr4w Mammal Mike Ferrentino Pete Roggeman Hans Bauck Timer

"it also comes with a built-in valve core remover (these are less ubiquitous but frankly more useful than having bottle openers fashioned onto everything you own)"

thank you for writing that, such bottle openers are just an example of conspicuous consumption

it should be a matter of dude pride to be able to open any bottle with any object on hand (the weirder the more impressive)

Reply

rnayel
+3 Pete Roggeman Mammal taprider

My favourite remains Matthew Bond of NSMBA presidential fame opening bottles with his engineering ring, until one time, he was showing off and sliced his finger, and kept opening bottles. The dedication was formidable.

Chapeau M Bond!

Reply

pete@nsmb.com
+2 Mammal Andrew Major

You got it. I can appreciate a quality bottle opener, even if I rarely use them these days, thanks to craft beer trends and cans being better suited to trailheads and hot tubs. But their ubiquity only points to their semi-utility: it's easy to use any straight edge to open a bottle.

Reply

T-mack
+3 Mammal Pete Roggeman AverageAdventurer

The best on bike bottle opener hands down is an SPD pedal.

Reply

DarioD
+6 Corinne Summers Andrew Major Cr4w Mammal Stretch Pete Roggeman

If that Stan's Dart tool is too clunky, you can use one of these little bits to integrate the plugs into the EDC tool!

https://jankcomponents.com/products/love-dart-edc-pump-stans-dart-add-on

Reply

IslandLife
0

This comment has been removed.

pete@nsmb.com
0 DanL DarioD

Can't tell you how much I appreciate you dropping in to the comments to steer people away from one of my recommendations.

Reply

mammal
+1 DarioD

It's a good steer. That stans tool is huge.

Reply

DarioD
+1 Pete Roggeman

No steer intended, just a smaller piece of plastic

Reply

pete@nsmb.com
0

Sorry for the snark. I hadn't yet followed the link - I just did and you're right: that's a cool little add-on. With that said, you were not up front about your involvement with Jank, and that, sir, is bad form. Next time please be up front about it.

Reply

DarioD
+1 Pete Roggeman

My bad, still pretty new to this - let it be known that I'm a Janky boy.

Reply

pete@nsmb.com
0

Send me a note - I love what you guys are up to.

tashi
+1 DarioD

Damn, I like the look of this thing. Thanks for sharing.

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DarioD
0

For sure, I just hope Stan's keeps improving the design of the Darts themselves - they're a great solution!

Reply

Ripbro
+3 LoamLab cheapondirt Pete Roggeman

I put the counterpunch on my Christmas list this year. I like running 800 mm bars but have I clipped the end of my handlebars a lot this season. My pinkys have survived so far, but they need some help.

Reply

cheapondirt
+1 Pete Roggeman

I put them on my list (in the drawer of gifts for my wife to wrap) as well, because the claims of increased control piqued my interest. My LBS owner says they help him lean the bike more easily/confidently in corners. 22 sleeps...

Reply

TheBikeDads.com
+3 Mammal LoamLab Pete Roggeman

We have been totally loving our Loamlab grips and Counterpunch. Tired Dads always seem to be clipping bars and now we slide on by….

Reply

cerealkilla_
+2 Pete Roggeman Velocipedestrian

Yup, plus one on the Counterpunch. I really took the time to set up my controls perfectly, and haven't looked back. No more hand wandering on the bar searching for the right spot, just slide the pinky up against the nubbin.  The really good part has been the grip itself. I had struggled to find one I liked, but this one seems to have rubber in all the right places. That tubilito is appealing as a spare to back up my tubless. Instantly saves 150gms off my cheap crappy tube.  That's about 3g per $1. Way cheaper than adding carbon bits for those that count.

Reply

velocipedestrian
0

Good perspective. The $1/gram has been a guiding rule for decades.

Reply

RAHrider
+1 Pete Roggeman

Just bought counterpunch for my wife. She hates clipping her pinkies but she loves wide bars. Got one for me too. See how it goes before replacing all my hope bar end plugs.

Reply

morgan-heater
+1 Enurjetik

I carried one of those tubolitos around for a couple of years, when I finally had to use it, it lasted about 1/2 the way back to the car, and I ended up having to carry my bike for the last 3 miles. The weird detachable valve stem was the weak point, it somehow popped off as I was riding and I couldn't find it. Very grumpy.

Reply

Enurjetik
+1 Morgan Heater

That's a really good flag.  I've wondered about those stems.  They make a model without the detachable stem, right?  It's been a while since I checked out their product line.

Reply

morgan-heater
0

It looks like they do have one without the detachable stem. I might be willing to give that one a try, but I'd never use the detachable stem one again.

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Enurjetik
0

Can anyone comment on how well the counterpunch works with Wolftooth Fat Paw 36mm grips? I'm worried the hook may arch in too early to leave room for pinkies when running thick grips.

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cheapondirt
0

I speculate, for no reason other than occupying my mind during a 5am baby feed, it would most likely be ok. The ODI 2 clamp system which Counterpunch is designed around uses about a 32mm lock ring. So that's where the shaping starts. In radius terms, only 2mm less than the Fat Paws. Unless you have unusually thick fingers, I don't foresee any shortage of space in the "hook."

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Enurjetik
0

Great insights, @cheapondirt. Thanks!

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NotMeAtAll
0

I'd like to add something about flashlights. While Fenix is a good brand, You can get way more for the Price.

Lumintop FW4a has 3500 Lumens on turbo with a 18650 battery, is gorgeous and tiny. Emisar D4V2 with 26650 battery is a thing of beauty. I'm wating my sofirn HS20 headlamp arrive, its a dual led with 2 diferent modes.

Flashlight community on reddit has some pretty bang on takes on the best for the buck or aplication. https://www.reddit.com/r/flashlight/comments/o5cltd/arbitrary_list_of_popular_lights_summer_solstice/

Reply

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