Category Archive: Gear

Stuff we use every day. Our requirements: durable and stylish.

The Secret to Living Happily on the Road Is…

The Secret to Living Happily on the Road Is…

For the last four years we’ve lived out of bags. Don’t get me wrong, it hasn’t been a bad situation at all. In fact, it was part of a wonderful live changing experience in which our bags served us well. As we settle into the next part of our life, I had a moment to look back on things that kept us happy while traveling.

 

Cure for the Chronic Over-Packer

Cure for the Chronic Over-Packer

Up until a few months ago I hadn’t really found the optimal way to carry my camera gear. It usually got shoved into a pack or shoulder bag. For me I just need to have things easily accessible and ready to shoot. Unexpectedly (but fortunately), I got connected with Colby Brown, a professional photographer that works with F-Stop, an outfit that makes really great (and highly functional) adventure camera packs and bags. It wasn’t too long before I had the Loka pack waiting for me on the front doorstep.

 

The ‘How To’ and ‘What to Bring’ Pages

The ‘How To’ and ‘What to Bring’ Pages

It’s time to pay it forward. After four years of non-stop travel we thought we’d put together some resources for other folks who might be planning some sort of adventure. Back in 2007, when we were preparing for our bicycle trip around the world, we did some research. In fact, you could say that we became a little obsessed with it. We read about other people’s trips, their routes, and the gear that kept them moving in the right direction.

 

Gear: Rolling Your Way to Pain Free Cycling

Gear: Rolling Your Way to Pain Free Cycling

Knee pain is a common complaint among cyclists. It’s not surprising since we can turn the pedals 5,000 times during a one-hour ride. For many, that pain comes from the IT band. ‘IT’ has the potential to keep you off your bike.

 

Gear – Hydration Packs: Battle of the Black Fuzz

Gear – Hydration Packs: Battle of the Black Fuzz

It’s dark, dank, and smelly. It seeps in without being noticed and can be a rude awakening when you’re getting ready for your next ride. It’s the black fuzz and it’s growing in your hydration pack.

 

Gear – Frankenbike: Build Your Own

Gear – Frankenbike: Build Your Own

Frankenbike is a word that you won’t find in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary. But, if you look beyond the norm and venture into popular culture, you might just find this definition; “Frankenbike – a bicycle assembled from various parts one has lying around or parts received from friends, the more mismatched the better.”

 

Gear – 29ers: Big Wheels Rollin’

Gear – 29ers: Big Wheels Rollin’

As someone who travels the United States building and riding mountain bike trails, I have encountered everything from soup to nuts when it comes to bikes. The one thing that amazes me though is the sheer amount of 29-inch wheels that I see at various trailheads. As a dyed-in-the-wool, full suspension rider from Colorado, I had to delve further into this supposed 29er revolution.

 

Gear – Belt-Driven Bicycles:New Standard or Just a Fad?

Gear – Belt-Driven Bicycles:New Standard or Just a Fad?

A belt-driven bicycle: it’s the next best thing. The progression of two-wheeled technology has brought many ‘next best things’ in all shapes and sizes. Remember GripShift and V-Brakes?

 

Gear – Bolt Circle Diameter: The Minutiae of the Crank

Gear – Bolt Circle Diameter: The Minutiae of the Crank

As cyclists, we are connected to our machines. Our butts sit on the saddle, own hands rest on the bars, and our feet are attached to the pedals, turning the cranks. Sounds simple, right? As you delve further into each little part, bolts included, you begin to realize that each component is an integral part of the whole…

 

Gear: Bamboo – Strength in Nature

Gear: Bamboo – Strength in Nature

What kind of bicycle rides like steel, dampens like carbon, and is as light as aluminum; yet is none of those?