kain0m profile

A really effectic piece is one of those pant leg savers (the ones that snap into a circle once kinked) around each ankle. Retroreflective in bright yellow.

They are low enough to be hit by the low beams of most cars, and their motion is very, very obvious. Additionally, a static wide angle red light on your helmet is also very helpful.

Such a shame that the majority of cold weather gear is black.

But i am 100% onboard the always on, organic motion train. Far better than those stupid flashers.

Strongly disagree. Noticing is one thing. Realizing you're not a stationary construction site, but a bike rider, is far more important. A flashing light doesn't telegraph that fact effectively, because it hides the little movements that are a tell-tale of "this is a human being".

140 lumens ARE enough to blind someone else up close (i.e. other cyclists). Just take your light and hold it two meters away from your face at night. You'll be surprised.

Amen. People that feel the need to aim a 1000lm light at my face are the worst. There is little you can do except stop and wait for them to pass. I've had a number of close calls due to "nightride-bros" hiding other cyclists or walkers behind their little sun.

Just FYI: this is from me as a cyclist. In a car, it's even worse, because you add windshield glare into the mix. 

Brighter does NOT mean safer. And flashing lights are idiotic, because they make it harder to judge where YOU are going. A noce, static lights gets the point of you cycling there across much, much more effectively.

Even a dim light aimed up is a major nuisance at best, extremely dangerous at worst. Especially for someone wearing glasses, a 300lm Headlamp can turn into something that overpowers anything else normally on the road.

A 1000+lm light that isn't aimed properly is as bad as, or worse than high beam car headlights (Xenon Headlights range from 1-2000lm). That is to say, a cyclist with such a light will cometely drown out anything else... I am (seriously) considering a high-beam light on my handlebar to "return the favor" to other cyclists. (I commute 5 miles one way in all conditions. I hate unaimed bike lights with a passion).

Absolutely. I recommend "not just bikes" on Youtube for any north American to get a perspective of just how perverted the NA lifestyle (and urban/suburban planning) has become. It is all about a deep car fetish, it dictates peoples' entire lives, and there is no element of choice. If the city is designed properly, you can do a lot of things more easily by walking/cycling/public transport than by car. If the city is designed properly, you can do a lot of things more easily by walking/cycling/public transport than by car. We're a family of three living in a suburban house, and only own one car - like most our neighbors. I am fortunate enough to be able to cycle to work safely and efficiently. My company doesn't even provide free parking for employees, instead they subsidize public transport tickets - a 5.000+ employee automotive company. 

Just to clarify: I love cars, and I work in the automotive industry. It just shouldn't be the "be all, end all" solution to personal transport.

Well written. I've bought into a "gnarly" hardtail a few years ago, and I agree - it is a different experience, but it is a fun one. They are amazingly capable, and it is easy to forget you're not on a squishy big bike. That is, right up until the moment where you're chasing one into a rock garden.

What I find is that riding a hardtail makes finding flowing lines so much more enjoyable - all of a sudden, you're gliding though some pretty nasty terrain, and picking up speed in the process.

There is a very similar multi-tool by Topeak. It's called the ratchet rocket, and come with good quality bits. There's also a version with torque sticks or a chain breaker and tire levers in the same pouch. Love that thing!

Side note, I never thought about using the extension as a handle. Makes total sense, that's why theres a hex in the end of the ratchet! Thanks for the tip!

Oh yes, the good old 3D printer. It solves many problems you did not have before owning a 3d printer. My first "real" print was a little bracket to attach the front of a kitchen drawer that had broken. I've also printed a holder for my shoe horn, a stand for my fountain pen, parts for RC drones, phone stands,... 

The real challenge is to know when NOT to print something, but to use another process.