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Five Under Fifteen: Quality Gear On The Cheap

by Brian Sather
Originally published in Oregon Cycling Magazine, October 2007, vol. 16, no.8.

The maxim “You get what you pay for” does not always apply to cycling products. Sometimes the high-end lightweight equipment is the first to fail you during a ride. By contrast, some inexpensive items turn out to be your favorite and most reliable. The products I regularly use cover the full range from high-end to low-end. I have avoided the urge to review dazzle and bling components in this article; instead, I chose to review the low-end items I have found to be quite useful.

3-IN-ONE oil
I have tested a variety of chain lubricants on my bikes, but I keep returning to 3-IN-ONE oil. After all, what other lubricant has been around since 1894? First invented for use on bicycles, the 3 in its name stands for lubricant, rust preventative, and cleaner. These are exactly the considerations your chain needs. This product can be purchased for about $2, and it is found in nearly every store. I am able to use this effectively on both my mountain bike and road bike year around in Northeast Oregon. A major advantage of 3-IN-ONE is the needle-type nozzle design. This, combined with an appropriate fluid viscosity, yields a perfect ingression of oil to the chain. I usually apply it to a clean chain with a swift application once over the entire length. Then, I revisit the chain with an aerosol dry lube spray about every other ride to keep it clean.

Nashbar NoFrame Sunglasses
Having your vision impaired by sunglass frames is very detrimental to safety and enjoyment of cycling. Most sunglasses are designed for good vision lines while in an upright posture. This yields frame locations that interrupt sight while in the cycling position. Frame bars below your eyes limit vision of your bicycle gears and computer, bars above inhibit looking ahead on the road or trail, and bars to the side limit peripheral vision. How about no frames at all? This concept is employed by the NoFrame sunglasses sold by Nashbar, and they cost only $10. At that price there is no need for multiple lens sunglasses; just buy all the colors you want from the selection of clear, orange, smoke, or yellow. These glasses are very comfortable and provide complete freedom in vision. The frame arms are a bit long for my head, but they do fit nicely under the retention system from my helmet which secures them in place for the entire ride.

Athletic Tape
This is the woven adhesive tape that athletic trainers use to wrap ankles and other body parts. What are you going to do with athletic tape on your bike? I’ve used it successfully as handlebar tape. The standard color is white, but it can be purchased in many different colors and varying widths: 1.5 inches is standard, but 1 inch tape is a bit easier to work with. The cost is about $3 a roll, which will cover your handlebars at least twice. There are many brands like Mueller and Johnson & Johnson and these vary slightly in design. The tape is naturally coarse and provides a surprisingly tacky grip that will give you a very secure feeling when grabbing the bar. Another bonus of athletic tape is that it can be easily taped over when it gets dirty. Some riders prefer more girth with their bar grip. I have big hands, and thought athletic tape would make my grip too thin. I put this tape on as a gag, but ended up liking it. An analogy from my golfing days is appropriate. With a golf club, you do not want a fat grip because it inhibits the hand motion and control of the club head during the swing. I’ve discovered a similar control feeling with the athletic tape. You are more at one with your bar and feel a sense of control over your bike. Decreased girth can also be an advantage for aero bars. A disadvantage of using athletic tape is the lack of padding for those that desire a softer feel. Another problem are the occasional threads that come free and stick up like unwanted hairs. These are easily remedied by pulling them until they break off. 

Bontrager Race Lite Bottle Cage
At 39 grams, these are light water bottle cages that will keep your bottles secure during bumpy rides. Plus the cost is low for a lightweight cage at less than $15. You will end up paying 3 to 4 times as much for carbon lightweight cages on the market, but only saving around 10 grams. The plastic Bontrager cage has proven to be solid cage for me, with many miles accepting and retaining bottles. Plus, these look nice and come in a variety of colors to match your bike.

Panda Licorice Bars
The Finns have produced a valuable cycling nutriment that I have recently discovered. Panda all-natural licorice bars come in the perfect size for fitting into jersey pockets, and they taste great. For review purposes I will compare this product to the benchmark cycling food: the banana. These are almost as cheap as bananas at about 39 cents a bar. This makes them much less expensive then most energy bars and gels. The ingredients are mainly molasses and wheat flour, with an added benefit of sodium. Each Panda bar provides 25 grams of carbohydrate which is similar to a banana, but Panda weighs less and tastes much better. Other important nutrients provided are calcium and iron. The banana has the advantage of biodegradable packaging and more potassium, but Panda trumps the banana with more electrolyte.

I recommend you give each of these products a try. There are probably better products available in each respective category, but for my money you cannot beat the value that these products offer.

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posted Oct 3, 2007