The Love It/Hate It thread.

[Parera]

When I was a lurker, I read this forum a lot to collect bits of information on gear. And now that I'm out from under Creeper's Rock posting like a normal person, still collecting information, I've noticed a trend in my threads and others: certain gear aspects tend to be neglected. Namely, cockpit components. I thought it might be useful to just have a soapbox for people to wax poetically about their favorite gear, or even rant about some overpriced junk they bought.

The truth is, the overwhelming concerns of people posting on this forum are high ticket items; frames, groups, wheels. And rightfully so, this crap costs a lot scratch and people are hesitant to commit their dollars to something unless they are confident they are ending up with quality goods. Cockpits get some attention, but not enough; after all, bars/saddles/seatposts/pedals are the things that actually connect you to a frame/gruppo. And as anyone that has bought a bikeinabox, you end up replacing almost everything at some point.

I know from personal experience that a small item (bar tape is a classic) can really make a ride enjoyable, or if you're unlucky, miserable. So just channel the good/bad thoughts here.

 

[Parera]

To start off, I despise Specialized stems. Complete junk. They have these pointless shims that enable you to have 4 different rise angles instead of the standard 2. I really don't understand this design, makes the top cap fit awkwardly and really doesn't add much. We are talking about something that can simply be adjusted for using a 5mm spacer yet Specialized thinks they are being clever with these things. Being cheap, I kept one around far longer than I should have. Another nightmare from bikeinabox builds.

 

[bc_hills]

Junk: Anything contributed to biking by triathletes. Bento boxes, aero water bottles, those stupid bottle and straw containers that plop in between aerobar extensions (do they still use those?). And aerobars while we're at it.

By "junk" I mean stuff that takes away from the aesthetic line of a well designed bike. Bento boxes may be useful, but so are fanny packs.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Junk: Anything contributed to biking by triathletes. Bento boxes, aero water bottles, those stupid bottle and straw containers that plop in between aerobar extensions (do they still use those?). And aerobars while we're at it.

By "junk" I mean stuff that takes away from the aesthetic line of a well designed bike. Bento boxes may be useful, but so are fanny packs.

A bicycle to a triathlete is just big, expensive pair of shoes. To them, the 'bike' is the thing you do between the swim and the run. Something they have to endure, few like it. No successful triathletes came from cycling. Swimming, runners, but no cyclists become confused by this 3 sport 'sport'. Why nobody should look to those guys for advice on anything bicycle, like the above gent just said.

 

[Houdini]

Love: The big a$$ basket on the front of my delivery bike. Brought two full growlers to work for a buddy today.

Hate: handlebar bags – They get in the way of my hands and carry the weight too high on the bike.

Want to try: Decaleur bag – because it looks like it will have the convenience of my basket, which I love, be small and light enough for my epic adventure/touring bike, and not have the drawbacks of handlebar bags.

 

[richwagmn]

Hmmm...

Hate stupid lightweight stuff that not only doesn't work but can cause injury.

For example, a previous bike I had came with a USE Alien seat post. It had this super elegant clamp. I adjusted the seat angle and tightened the bolt to USE's specs and went for ride. First hard bump, the seat clamp slips and flips the nose of the saddle skyward which I came down on. Major kick in the balls. I stopped, caught my breath, pounded the saddle back down, rode back home and threw it in the garbage and ordered a thomson two bolt seatpost.

 

[ElChingon]

Well, I know for a fact we've covered bar tape and plenty of saddle and bar in many other threads which have gone way down in the queue, time to run a search but using google instead of the forum search.

1. Bar tape; I try them all, most recently bought the Lizard Skins DSP Bar Tape - 2.5mm rubbery type will put it on later this week. Also have a backup bar tape in case I don't like the Lizard Skin, Deda Elementi Logo Tape Silver Carbon, its kinda plastic-y which means easy clean up and not a stain collector, have it on the backup bike in white.

2. Saddles; recently bought the Selle San Marco Regale Carbon FX Saddle, but after several hundred miles the boys don't like the saddle too much. I had changed it because of an incorrect buy of a Prologo Saddle which was good but not as wide as well my sit bones (a new term for rear end ). In search for a new one now.

3. Bars; using the Deda Zero 100's and can't say they are super comfy but are stiff or not noodle-ly, contemplating the 35's. Other bike has the Easton E70's and are comfy but a bit noodle-ly at times especially present after riding the main bike too much.

4. Stem; Deda Zero 100 to compliment the bars, no problem.

 

[oldborn]

Hate fancy Schmensy Specialized bar tape and VDO computer.
Love Fiziik bar tape and as ElChingon mention that Deda zero 100 stem/handlebar combo.

Oh yes it is not cockpit but Miche 10 spd cassete sucks a lot.
Also you probably never heard before about Author, Czech bike and component company, their bottle holders sucks too.

I like Sigma computer and Justin Bieber most.

 

[Boeing]

Hate ESI grips

Hate Tandems and recumbents

Hate Tri bikes

Hate seat mount water bottles

and after yesterday hate my singlespeed mountain bike Im over it

 

[The Gnome]

under the seat tire bags with velcro straps in the wrong place...they end up rubbing your expensive shorts even when you cut them down...believe it or not, I have had to look and look for the proper bag...bags, and anything by Bontrager and Trek are fairly vile...Huey Lewis live bootlegs, Thomson seatposts and stems, Deda 215 ana bars I love...

 

[richwagmn]

Hate ESI grips

Hate Tandems and recumbents

Hate Tri bikes

Hate seat mount water bottles

For some reason I always feel like pushing recumbent riders over. Not sure why.

And don't get me started on Tri bikes. WTF?

 

[kuoirad]

Hate the Campy/Sora paradigm of thumb buttons for shifting...

 

[Parera]

Hate Tandems and recumbents

I saw three tandem recumbent bikes riding in a pace line the other day when I was dropping off parcels at the Post Office. I suddenly got the urge to run them over, but restrained myself.

 

[Boeing]

I have mad respect for paralyzed dudes in the hand driven recumbents however

big ups wide berth and priority etc.

 

[Parera]

I hate anatomic handlebar shapes. These things are pure pain for my hands, no idea why they are called "anatomic" unless they mean anatomically painful. I'm even over the whole "compact" shape. I think I will just stick with classic shaped bars from here on out. Love having a big flat drop to grip on too, just much more comfortable. And that gap in the hooks never bothered me. Has anyone used the Deda Newton Shallow Drops? Think I might give those a spin.

 

[oldborn]

BroDeal what dou you hate most?
Please be concise.

 

[richwagmn]

Hate. WTF stupid saddles of the month???? Really, find a "normal" saddle that fits.

http://www.smpselle.com/smp4bike/en/pro

 

[richwagmn]

BroDeal what dou you hate most?
Please be concise.

Character limit on a post is too small...

 

[Race Radio]

A bicycle to a triathlete is just big, expensive pair of shoes.

Classic!

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

Looking at my stable it seems the most common thing with all my 700c bikes is Lizard Skinz DSP bar tape. I have 3 road and 2 cx bikes all of them wrapped with it. I love me some lizard skinz, yes I do.

 

[Stingray34]

Hate fancy Schmensy Specialized bar tape and VDO computer.
Love Fiziik bar tape and as ElChingon mention that Deda zero 100 stem/handlebar combo.

Oh yes it is not cockpit but Miche 10 spd cassete sucks a lot.
Also you probably never heard before about Author, Czech bike and component company, their bottle holders sucks too.

I like Sigma computer and Justin Bieber most.

I also hate VDO computers. Love Ciclomaster wired.

Got an Author helmet a couple of years ago in Europe: complete junk, the strap distributers snap off.

LOve the body snatchers avatar. I'm the mother of Baby Bieber. The worst five seconds of my life.

 

[ElChingon]

Looking at my stable it seems the most common thing with all my 700c bikes is Lizard Skinz DSP bar tape. I have 3 road and 2 cx bikes all of them wrapped with it. I love me some lizard skinz, yes I do.

Well I'll be testing it out this weekend, will hold you to that

 

[ElChingon]

Love and hate my Garmin 500. Love the gps tracking and the plethora of data I never look at except when I actually remember I have it. Then hate the time it takes to find its satellites, yes one or two minutes is way tooooo longgggg!!!

 

[richwagmn]

Love Conti GP4000 clinchers. A new set is just sublime. Almost beats new socks.

 

[Boeing]

Love and hate my Garmin 500. Love the gps tracking and the plethora of data I never look at except when I actually remember I have it. Then hate the time it takes to find its satellites, yes one or two minutes is way tooooo longgggg!!!

thanks for the buzz kill i just got one