The knog party coil is one of a range of knog locks. It’s a cable lock with a silicone outer cover available in eight different colours. It looks pretty; it’s very knog. The party coil is 1.3 metres long, 10mm thick and comes with 3 colour matched keys. On the technical side, the party coil is a PVC coated, braided steel cable with a fibre core. According to knog, it’s this fibre core that makes the cable strong enough to offer some security. Apparently this core will result in the cable crushing before cutting, which will make bolt cutter attacks more difficult. I can’t confirm any of that because I didn’t cut into it. I was planning to, however.

When the cable lock first arrived, I had every intention of using it for a few weeks and then going nuts on it with my bolt cutters, side cutters, angle grinder and anything else I could find. The lock initially didn’t impress me very much. Yes, it looked very nice, but it didn’t look “butch”. When I lock up my bike I want potential thieves to see a good quality cable lock (and usually D lock as well) that’s too much trouble to bother with. I know that if someone wants my bike, they’ll get it, but if it’s too much hassle to steal, perhaps they’ll move on to the next bike. There’s a visual component to that security and the knog party coil looks too good.

Don’t get me wrong here, the lock is far from the “dental floss” cable locks you can buy, but it doesn’t look scary hard to cut. As such, I was going to have some fun with it; that is until I started using it. Knog know their customer base and they’ve taken a simple cable lock and made it just that little bit more convenient, too convenient for me to cut up.

According to the instruction manual that comes with the lock (yes, it has an instruction manual), the party coil can fit into your pocket. I tried it out, and it does; it will fit into the back pocket of your skinny jeans and it will also fit into your jersey pocket. The coil is very tight, but it’s not bulky, and it only weighs 300g, so it’s not going to drag you down.

The party coil is short, only 1.3 metres long, which I initially found disappointing. My 1.8 metre cable lock allows my to secure both wheels around a sign post or light pole without too much hassle. The party coil will just fit through both wheels and wrap around a bike rack or railing that’s very close to the bike, or if you’re willing to take the front wheel off and chain it to the frame, you can secure your bike to something larger. I’m willing to trade some slightly limited parking options for the convenience of the party coil and after using it for a few weeks I’m quite used to the getting the cable around my bike and whatever I’m chaining up to.

So my perception changed with a bit of use and the party coil now sees quite a bit of action when I’m out riding. When I have to lock up in the city, I take my shabby commuter bike with the rack and panniers, and I still carry my big cable lock and D lock. Now, however, I can easily take a lock with me when I’m on my racing bike or my fixie, which don’t have racks. I just stick the party coil in my jersey pocket and I can lock my bike up at the coffee shop or supermarket when I need to. Provided I don’t take too long or I’m not too far away from the bike, the party coil gives me enough protection to keep my ride safe.

There we have it, the knog party coil is a really useful lock. It looks good, and it’s convenient to carry with you. It’s not for every security situation, but it’s also not knog’s only lock. Knog have a range of stylish locks, from stylish D locks to stylish wearable locks, providing a range of stylish security strengths (their top D lock is rated 90% and the party coil is rated at 30%, but what that means objectively is anyone’s guess). There’s a trade off between security and convenience with the party coil, but now that I’ve used it, it makes me want to look at the other knog locking options.

Knog put a considerable amount of thought into their products and all they make is common bike accessories, but they make them better. The party coil is a simple cable lock that is just a little bit better, a little bit more convenient, a little bit more…knog.

The party coil can be purchased for $29.95 from knog online or good bike shops. See entire range of knog bike locks online.

BNA was invited to test Kali Protectives’ Amara helmet. The styling of the Amara (Sanskrit for “immortal”, which is reassuring) follows the trend set by Fox with their Flux helmet, and provides greater protection for the rear of the head by extending down lower than most cross-country and roadie helmets. The weight is at the higher end of the range, coming in at around 350 grams, about 10 grams lighter than my equivalent size Fox Flux.

The front visor is of a break-away design, but is actually not removable. The Amara uses mid-to-high end in-mould technology, where the foam is moulded into the polycarbonate shell so there is no air gap. Kali calls this their “Composite Fusion Technology” and has taken it a step further by using separate polycarbonate bridges and inserts at various points to improve strength. Pleasingly, the outer polycarbonate shell extends all the way to the bottom at the helmet’s rear, leaving no bare foam unsupported at the base of the skull (unlike like many others in the same price bracket).

This helmet is without doubt the most comfortable I’ve used. The previous benchmark was set by a $300+ European roadie helmet, which unfortunately was non-AS compliant and which I did not buy, but which opened my eyes to a comfort standard I have been unable to match until the arrival of the Amara. This high end helmet combined the usual Coolmax + foam cushion strips with an integrated bug net.

The Amara does the same, with the padding and bug net forming a one-piece construction that is easily removed for washing. This may possibly make the helmet a little warmer during the summer months, but an unseasonably warm July mid-20-degree ride last weekend showed that for most conditions these concerns are unlikely to be a problem. Seventeen large vents ensure excellent air flow. Another upside is that I no longer present at work with Darth Maul helmet hair until I can get to the showers.

With the use of adventure helmet cams strongly on the rise, Kali have moulded an integrated mounting rail along the crown of the helmet. Four separate types of mount adapter are included, which will provide coverage for LED torches, “bullet” style cameras, GoPro-compatible cameras, and some types of helmet light.

I tried the Kali Amara with both GoPro and Swann HD helmet cams and found it to offer a significant improvement over the normal strap-on type vented helmet mounts (where it is almost impossible to prevent camera shake and fire cracker-like rattling noise across rough ground). The helmet offers similar mount rigidity to stick-on adhesive mounts, with none of the hassle of trying to find sufficient surface area to ensure the bond is secure. The video results were markedly better than any of my previous attempts with helmet mounted cameras.

In the event of a collision with a tree branch, the adapter will pull free, preventing you from “coathanger-ing” yourself.

The rear adjustment mechanism is identical to the Fox Flux, and provides easy to use and secure adjustment. Coming from the exact same Asian factory, I suppose that is no surprise!

On my particular review helmet there were a couple of small rough spots in the finish, but nothing to detract from the Amara’s function or aesthetics; a casual observer would probably not notice them at all.

I have been looking for a replacement helmet for a while, and after trying on multiple models in 7 or 8 different brands, I was prepared to spend a significantly higher amount to get similar comfort levels to the expensive roadie helmet I liked. I found nothing suitable until the Amara. To get similar results for a spend of under a hundred dollars was outstanding.

Likes:
Comfort – exceptionally good
Integrated camera mount
Competitive weight
Extended head coverage at the rear
Voluminous venting
Outstanding value for money
Styling

Dislikes:
Some small finishing issues
Possibly warmer to wear on 40C+ days

You can find the Kali Amara helmets online at Velogear.com for $79.95.

And why don’t more people commute on their bike wearing their normal clothes? Some would have it that lycra is more comfortable. But surely the real reason is the risk of oil and dirt from the chainring soiling your clothing. There is also the danger of catching your trousers in the chain while mixing it with the smokeboxes. Or worst of all, looking like a complete dag by tucking your trousers legs into your socks.

The Hebie Chainglider is a clever solution to the problem of dirty chains and flapping trouser legs. At least for those of you with internal hub gears, a singlespeed or a fixie (and a beard).

The Chainglider is a plastic chaincase that fits just about any chain and fully encloses it to stop water and dirt getting in. As an aftermarket accessory it does not have any fitting points on the frame but is instead supported by the chain itself. This may cause some people concerns about the friction caused by having the chain constantly rubbing on the plastic chaincase. There was a specific issue with Rohloff hubs where the chaincase was rubbing on the Rohloff causing scoring and was therefore not recommended by Rohloff. This issue has since been addressed with a Rohloff specific design and Rohloff now says:

With the use/mounting of a Hebie Chainglider SPEEDHUB (typ 350) one has to pay attention that parts made of plastic are unable to scratch on the surface of the hub case!

With the first series of Chaingliders scratching marks occasionally appeared on the hub case by the grinding touch of the Chainglider’s rear side. In October 2006 the rear part has been modified to prevent a possible abrasion. Scratches on the surface cannot diminish the stability of the SPEEDHUB case – they’ re just ugly.
You can read more about this here >

So what about the friction issue? Well, here at BNA we don (metaphorical) white lab coats and spare no effort to test the products we review. For the Hebie Chainglider test I used my Velosmith Jota touring/utility bike with Rohloff hub, 44T chain ring and 16T sprocket and Rohloff SLT-99-T chain. All the drivetrain components have done about 11000km. The Hebie Chainglider is a model 350 and comes in two parts: one for the chainring and chain and the other for the rear sprocket. You need to order the parts to suit the size of chainring and sprocket on your bike and the type of hub.

The test approach was to set up the bike on a friction trainer then ride it at threshold for 5 minutes while recording cadence. The first run would be with a dirty chain. Then, leaving the settings unchanged, I would clean the chain thoroughly and repeat the test. Finally I would install the Hebie Chainglider and run the test again.

The idea is that power output at the pedals has to equal the opposing frictional forces from the trainer, gears and drivetrain multiplied by cadence. By riding at threshold I could keep my power output at the pedals reasonably constant, so more friction means lower cadence. By keeping the friction from the trainer constant and keeping the Rohloff in the same gear throughout, the only variation in friction should come from the drive train, including the Chainglider.

For the test I started with a fairly dirty chain after a week long tour on gravel rail trails and a muddy trip on the Main Yarra Trail to Westerfolds Park. I had wiped down the chain to remove the worst of the dirt and had oiled it lightly but had not given it my usual, thorough clean. I set up the bike in the trainer with my Garmin, tightened up the tension and adjusted the gears until I could not possibly pedal faster than 100 rpm in a burst, and with maximal effort could sustain around 80 rpm, which is right in my power zone.

Setting up was a good warm-up, so I started pedalling and started the Garmin. For 5 minutes I time trialled and by the end of it I was pretty wasted. To recover I got out the chain cleaner and got to work. To clean the chain I first ran the chain through a dry cloth to remove all surface dirt and grease. Then I used a Park tools chain cleaner with Ooomph brand degreaser, diluted 50:50, which cleans the deep ingrained gunge. After a thorough going over I then wiped down the chain with a cloth, recharged the Parktools cleaner with Oomph and had at it again. When done, I brushed the chain ring and sprocket clean and dried again by running the chain through a dry cloth. To lubricate I put a drop of Finishline on each link, spun the chain a bit then wiped off any excess.

All that was enough time to cool down and recover for the next test with a clean chain. I had cleaned the chain with the bike still on the trainer so everything was set up identically. Five minutes later the second test was complete and I was just as tired as after the first test.

For the final test run I had to fit the Hebie Chainglider. The chainring and sprocket sections each break apart into two parts so they can be fitted around the chain. The parts snap together easily starting first with the chainring section. The sprocket section is installed next; it slides onto the chainring section and is adjusted for the length of the chain. This is a little trickier as it is quite a tight fit using interlocking ridges. My thinking was to find the position that made the least noise and therefore least friction. I also had a good look at the rear hub and confirmed that there was no contact between the Chainglider and the gear casing. By the time I had fitted the Chainglider I had cooled down and recovered enough for the final test run. Another 5 minutes of hurt and the test was over.

The results were very interesting. The first run with a dirty chain gave an average cadence of 83 rpm. The second test with a clean chain gave a predictably better result of 85 rpm which is a little over 2% improvement. The surprise was the Chainglider, which gave 86rpm which is even higher than the bare chain. I can only put this down to having become used to the test. The test was not entirely scientific, but was reasonably objective.  I’m satisfied that it shows that a clean chain is better than a dirty chain and also that any friction from the Chainglider over a clean chain is negligible.

Turning the pedal on a trainer is one thing but what about on the road? I took it for a few rides on a mix of suburban streets and shared paths including the unsealed sections of the Main Yarra Trail between Ivanhoe and Templestowe. The Chainglider is hardly noticeable. There is almost no noise, certainly nothing I could discern above the whirr of the Rohloff. On the first ride, when under load,  I did hear some squeaking. I don’t like squeaks and rattles from my bike so I tracked it  down to the Chainglider rubbing on the third bottle cage that sits under the downtube. A bit of tape around the bottle cage at the contact point eliminated the noise as confirmed on the next ride. At times I was quite convinced I could hear less drivetrain noise with the Chainglider than without. Possibly just my imagination or maybe the Chainglider helps to dampen the noise of the chain contacting the chainring and sprocket. Certainly it was quieter than a dirty chain.

As for keeping the chain clean the unsealed paths were a good test. Recent rain meant there were plenty of puddles and mud although not as bad as the Goulburn River High Country Rail Trail that I toured on recently. Nevertheless, after several km of gravel there was a good coating of dirt on the Chainglider. A week or so of daily riding on that and it would be chain cleaning time.

The Chainglider certainly kept the chain from catching or soiling my trouser legs. It also worked to keep my trouser legs from catching in the chain and chain ring, and from any soiling from those. I did notice that my trouser cuffs were gently brushing the Chainglider on each revolution so it would be prudent to use trouser clips or (gasp) tuck your trousers into your socks, to prevent soiling the cuffs on the muddiest paths. It does however keep the the Chainglider nice and clean on top.

As a tourer who often takes to unsealed roads and rail trails, the Chainglider is a welcome accessory. Out on the road it’s often not easy to clean and maintain the drivetrain, so preventing it from getting dirty is a better option. For the commuter or frequent recreational rider who likes hassle free cycling and wearing street clothes, it adds a level of convenience. And if you commute in your office clothes it could even save you a bit of dry-cleaning from chain ring stains. It’s hard to put a value on convenience but given that it is aimed primarily at the Internal Geared Hub market, it is an inexpensive add-on. As we have seen, it does just what it’s supposed to do.

The chainring section comes in sizes for 38T, 42T, 44T and 48T and costs $50. The sprocket section comes in three type for sprockets 18-22T, a Rohloff version for 15-17T and a SRAM i-motion version for 18-22T. The Rohloff version costs $44.

The Hebie Chainglider is imported by Joad Sportz Supplies and is available direct or from bike stores across Australia.

Some people like to listen to music while riding, I prefer to crunch numbers. Seriously. The Garmin and the iBike both provide a vast array of data and even the camera tells me the time of day. Aside from providing some useful diversion to pass the time, these devices have practical uses as well. From just riding around to competing against the clock, having the right data from the right gadgets helps me to get the most out of my cycling.

Just riding around

Most of my riding is “just riding around”. I usually work from home, so I need to take opportunities to get out for a bit of exercise and fresh air. On working days the most important information is the time, as I often have a window of opportunity between teleconferences to get out. Of course I could use a watch, but why look at your wrist when you can look at your handlebars? They’re right in front of you.

My main reason for riding is to keep my weight under control, so I want to know how many calories I’ve burnt. The Garmin Edge 705 calculates calories burnt but is notoriously inaccurate. The data provided by the iBike is based on power output and is thus more reliable. It’s a great feeling to see you’ve burnt 300 Calories from a ride to Studley Park Boathouse then wipe it out with a yummy ice-cream.

Tracking calories burnt is a bit of a chore so to keep things simple I set myself a target distance to ride per week and I record distance travelled per trip. I can download that from the Garmin onto the Garmin Training Centre in order to track by week, month or year. I know from my analysis that I burn between 15 and 20 Calories per km depending on the intensity of the ride. That equates to a couple of grams of fat per km if I don’t indulge in those ice creams.

On weekends I like to explore new routes so my riding doesn’t become monotonous. For those rides I need to know where I am so I don’t get lost, and where I went so I can incorporate the ride into my mid-week schedule. The Garmin has a map with GPS navigation and records the ride into a file. I’m a keen mapper for Openstreetmap and use the GPS traces to record new roads and paths. For the more complicated routes, I plan them out first and load them onto the Garmin. Occasionally I use the navigation feature if I get a bit lost. I point to where I want to go on the map and ask the Garmin to take me there. It works best in this scenario over short distances.

Commuting
I occasionally go to the office for administrative stuff. As an infrequent commuter I have to carry everything with me. I used to commute in lycra then shower and change at the office but that means taking a complete change of clothes and towel as well as my laptop, security pass and other paraphernalia which in turn means remembering to do all of that. All too often I’d forget one thing or another which meant  turning around and going home for it. These days I commute at low speed in normal clothes and aim to not work up a sweat. That means I only need a pair of shoes (I ride with SPDs) and my laptop and pass.

The most important thing to know when commuting is the time, in order to know if you are running late or not, or whether you’re about to encounter the school run or heavy traffic. Distance can be useful so you know how far you have to go, but on a regular route you should already know that. When aiming to stay cool a power meter is incredibly useful. I aim to keep my power output under 100W, except for the steepest pitches where my limit is 150W, and that only for short stretches. One does have to get to the office in time after all. Cadence can also be useful to maintain discipline. It’s often harder, mentally, to ride slowly than to ride fast.

Training
Training for me means preparing for a specific event like the Alpine Classic. The single most useful data for this is power. Power meters let you train without having to replicate the conditions of the event. Climbing a mountain at speed requires a certain amount of power over a certain amount of time. You can train to produce the same amount of power on the flat for the same amount of time.

When I was training for the Alpine Classic I realised I might no be able to generate enough power for the final climb up Buffalo at my normal pace, so I needed to train how to climb at low power output. This means riding slowly uphill and is more about technique. For this, things like gradient, speed and cadence can be useful.

Before I had a power meter I used a heart rate monitor, but no longer bother. Power is much more responsive to your efforts and there are a huge number of tools out there for training with power. They usually centre on your FTP or functional threshold power. This is how much sustained power you can produce for one hour. One way to calculate it is with a sustained 20 minute effort with a power meter.  The iBike has built in workouts that you can then follow for different purposes.

Randonneuring
I don’t do any competitive cycling but I do Audax rides which are against the clock. The most important things to know on these rides are: how long have you been riding, and how far have you gone. The organisers provide cue sheets, but having a map of the route is also useful. Riders have been known to go off course. The Garmin takes maps that I build from Openstreetmap data.

Being endurance rides it’s important to conserve energy and last the distance. The biggest aid for that is power output. When I’m doing a hilly or undulating ride I’ll set myself a maximum power target and try to stay below that. Cadence can be useful to make sure I’m in the right gear and spinning rather than grinding. Knowing the headwind let’s me know if I should be in the drops and also helps find the sweet spot when drafting. Gradient helps me to understand why it’s hurting or why I’m going so slow.

The Garmin has a nice feature of alerts based on distance or time. I usually set an alert every 5 minutes or so to remind me to take a sip of water. I have a bad habit of not taking enough fluids when I’m on a long ride, so having a frequent reminder is a big help.

Touring
When touring the most important thing to know is where you are and how far to your next stop. Knowing the time is also important in case you need to get to the destination before it gets dark, and your average speed so you can estimate how long it will take. On hilly tours gradient can be useful for very steep sections so you know if you need to dismount and walk before coming to a grinding halt and clip-stacking.

If it’s important to conserve energy for days of long touring then power, cadence and headwind can be useful. Knowing how many calories you burnt can also be useful so you can be sure to replenish before the next day’s riding. In general I prefer to minimise the gadgetry on tour as it is one more thing that could go wrong and distracts from the joy of just watching the scenery

It’s great to have a video camera going as you ride along. You never know when something unusual will happen, like a lyrebird running in front of you. My camera set up works well for tours as it has a long battery life and recording capacity.  The camera batteries last over 20 hours and being AA cells are easily replaced when they go flat. The mini-DVR battery lasts about 4 hours but can be supplemented with a Powermonkey and recharged at stops with a plug in USB charger which is not a burden to carry around. In theory I could power the miniDVR from the dynohub but I’ve not yet tried that.

After the ride you want to know where you went for posting on blogs like crazyguyonabike. The Garmin lets you download the GPS trace for the route. Some stats like average speed, and calories burnt can be useful for planning future rides.

The Gadgets

Computer
The Garmin Edge 705 has been superseded by the Garmin Edge 800, but even though I love new gadgets I also like to make them last as long as they can and a bit more.The 705 has a multitude of features: speed, cadence, heart rate and power from ANT+ devices. A barometric altimeter gives altitude and calculates gradient. It tracks routes on GPS and also provides navigation with either the supplied maps or DIY maps you can build from Openstreetmaps.

Power meter
For the last few years I’ve used an iBike iSport which I am now upgrading to the new iBike Newton. The iBike is a “reactive force power meter” which means it determines power output by measuring the forces reacting acting against you as in Newton’s law “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”.  The forces it measures also provide additional information to the cyclist: an accurate gradient using an accelerometer, and wind strength

Camera
The camera is a model 21CWSHR “bullet cam” from RF Concepts (UK) which is a Sony CCD 480TVL 1/3″ colour camera with a 8 mm lens. A bit dated now but it does the job and, importantly, the external battery pack provides over 20 hours of continuous use from 8 AA cells. It is in NTSC format of 768×494 pixels and works well in low light with sensitivity of 0.5 lux @ F2.0. This type of camera can be mounted onto a helmet, hat, bike or just about anywhere and records onto any suitable recording device.

The recorder is a CC-KL509 Mini DVR with 16Gb SD card. My choice of the miniDVR is a result of evolution. I started recording fishing videos from the bullet cam onto a digital tape camcorder. The tapes only allowed 1 hour of recording even though the battery life was great at 9 hours. As technology improved I replaced the camcorder with an Archos AV-500 DVR with 80Gb hard-drive. The Archos battery life was about 4 hours and it had plenty of storage, but hard-drives don’t like rough treatment. The KL509 also has about 4 hours battery life that can be recharged via USB and the 16Gb SD card can hold about 12 hours of video. And of course it’s easy to carry around extra cards.

I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting ways to enhance my cycling experience. If you have a different gadget, or even novel ways to use the same ones I’ve got, post a comment below. Of course, having all this data is only useful if you can do something with it. Analysing it and planning ahead based on what you find is a story for another day. Keep an eye out for further instalments.

As KNOG expanded into locks and accessories, the design team always kept on the cutting edge. The new kid on that edge is the Blinder, a very bright 4 LED light with a front white light version with 80 Lumens and rear red light version with 44 Lumens. To put this into perspective, the KNOG Blinder GT stripe version I tested was uncomfortable to look at up close in daylight. On the roads at night or in difficult lighting conditions, it will be hard for other road users to miss you.

I like a product that is self-explanatory, where you can avoid reading a manual, but the KNOG Blinders took a little time to work out. The on/off switch needs to be pressed for a few seconds before the light turns on and, similarly, to turn it off the button needs to be pressed a few seconds. Compared with other lights where you press the button once, and then scroll through the light sequences with a click before the light turns off after reaching the last light sequence, this took a little more getting used to.

When the light is strapped on it is hard to reach the button to select the light sequence, but since the light is essentially set and go, this becomes a non-issue. One thing that got me about this light was the battery level indicator. The blinder lights provide (steady) bright light setting and rather than dimming over time (as the charge runs out) they simply turn off. I missed an indicator that would tell me more than the light has no charge or the light is fully charged, I would like to know that the light needs charging soon.

Let’s get it on!
Mounting the light is an interesting experience compared with other KNOG lights – with the Blinder the elastic silicone is paired with a metal clasp. Rather than just stretching a silicone strap onto a latch, the clasp is levered closed so the light sits tight. For round tubes with average diameters (e.g. seat tubes, handlebars), the lights mount well. A problem arises when the tubing is too small or oversized and when there are non-standard cross-sections.

On my race bike the handlebar diameter near the stem is oversized and it barely allows the Blinder to be mounted. My seat tube is aero and while I can fasten the light, the clasp will open itself immediately. Similarly, the seat stays on this bike too thin, so I couldn’t use the rear Blinder light at all. KNOG specify that the Blinder be mounted on bars/posts between 22 – 35mm in diameter, so it’s worth thinking about where you want to mount the lights so you’re certain they mount well.

The silicon in the mount became sticky with use and tended to attracted dust, though I am used to this and it doesn’t bother me.

The silicon and metal latch give it some flexibility to fit different tubes, though it attracts dust.

The rear light is slightly angled so it points back rather than towards the road.

Lights, Camera, Action
The KNOG Blinders are not lights for illuminating your path, rather they’re for allowing you to be seen on the road. In very dark places, the lights will light up a little bit of the road surface however, if you really need illumination, you need to look for a more serious light.

As a flashing LED, the Blinders will be brighter than most of the LEDs that you see and while I personally prefer a simply flashing sequence, there are four sequences to choose from plus a steady (non-flashing) light. For the constant (steady) light KNOG claims you will get 3 hours of battery life, while for the ‘eco-flash’ you will have up to 50 hours battery life on one charge. In the manual, a discharge function is described where the battery can be discharged for safe storage if the lights aren’t being used for a while.

There are different styles of Blinders, the ones I trialled were the GT stripes front and back and though they look great, I would steer away from the front light in this style. The transparent polycarbonate (lens) stripes wrap slight around the edge which means that while riding, the flashing light is in your field of vision which I found very distracting. The other Blinder styles are sexy so unless you really need the extra speed of the GT Stripes, opt for the Cross, Circle, Standard or Arrow Blinder lights instead.

And now for the cool bit…
It isn’t much fun shopping for ‘watch batteries’ when your light is going dim, and the rechargeable AA or AAA batteries many lights use need to be recharged with a dedicated charger. The Blinder, on the other hand, features a rechargeable battery that is recharged directly via a USB port, which means you can charge them up while you work (if you work with or near a computer) and they’re powered up for the next few commutes. This isn’t a new thing; KNOG already have USB recharging in their Boomer light, but the Blinder has four LEDs and is $40 cheaper per light.

The USB plug pops out easily and goes straight into the USB port of your computer. The plug is at the back of the light and is  sealed when mounted which will protect the electronics from water. Though I didn’t go the whole way and see what happens when the lights take a bath, I asked about waterproofing and was told that this has been thoroughly tested.

For a full charge, KNOG suggest charging the Blinder for 5 hours, which is quite a bit of time to tie up a USB port for. On my MacBook Pro (laptop) a bit of juggling was required to make space and realistically, without a USB hub, I can charge only one light at a time. Obviously, you can however charge directly from a power point if you have a USB adapter and this will speed the recharge time . Like a mobile phone, you will probably find yourself charging the Blinder regularly rather than waiting for it to run out.

So should I get some Blinders?

The Blinders are brighter than most LED ‘flashing type’ bike lights and I love the confidence of knowing that I won’t be overlooked by other traffic on the road. Coupled with the USB recharging, the Blinders are fully integrated and are a very convenient option (plus a little friendlier to the environment compared with disposable batteries). These are stylish lights and probably the logical progression in terms of design. At $49.95 per light, there are cheaper lights available, though they probably won’t have the USB battery charging, brightness and style of the Blinders.

I personally would steer away from the GT stripes version for the front light which I found distracting and opt for one of the other Blinder styles. There are 5 colours/styles available and you can see the lights and specs online: knog.com.au/gear-blinder-lights/

Tip: checkout the 4V and 4V Pulse Blinder lights which are coming soon and are a stylish strip of four lights.

Melbourne mum Sarah Garbuio, a keen cyclist, discovered that when her first child was born there were no jerseys available for the little ones. She wanted a cute baby jersey, decided to create her own, and thus Spin Baby was born. For road cyclists, lycra is the uniform and Gabuio recognised that children looked up to their parents dressed in lycra “and want to look like us”.

“It’s not just about being comfortable, it’s about embracing cycling with your kids and becoming positive role models.  You can buy football jumpers for kids, so why not cycling jerseys”? says Gabuio.

There are three styles available: ‘baby’ blue, pink and, my favourite, the mini King of the Mountains red polka dot jersey. The 100% polyester jerseys come in eight sizes from newborns to around 5-6 years and include a short front zip and back pockets, which are handy. These days the little ones start on balance bikes which are a fantastic introduction to two wheels before the coordination kicks in for pedalling and Spin Baby have the kids covered for their journey into cycling.

Buying these jerseys won’t break the bank either; they’re priced at $39.95 plus postage. They’re a lovely gift that will put smiles on faces and have the little ones looking just like dad or mum.

The Spin Baby jerseys can be ordered online: www.spinbaby.com.au

So what happens when you raise $215,000 instead? I asked Jim Houk of Revolights a few questions for Bicycles Network Australia (BNA) to find out how their plans have evolved after such successful funding as well as discussing technical and safety details.

If you are not yet familiar with Revolights, the quickest way to understand how Revolights work is to watch the short video (below).

BNA: With the success of Revolights on the US based crowd funding portal KickStarter where you raised $215,000, five times your goal – does this make Revolights a full-time project for your team?

Jim Houk: This has been a full-time “project” since we began our kickstarter campaign but the ultimate goal is to make this a full-time job! We have not achieved this goal yet but are in the midst of a large transitional period for the founding team and the company.

BNA: Do you see the Revolights as a replacement for lights at night or complimentary?

Jim Houk: We believe that one of the unique aspects of the Revolights bike lighting system is that it satisfies all of a cyclists lighting needs. It provides traditional headlight and taillight illumination as well as 360-degree visibility. This is an all-in-one bike lighting solution.

BNA: Have you come across any safety issues or regulations that affect or limit how the Revolights can be used on the streets?

Jim Houk: Our goal is to increase safety for cyclists and have not encountered any safety issues with our bike light system thus far. We are very aware of safety concerns and consider this the number one design priority. There are various regulations that bike lights must comply with across all jurisdictions. This is a huge undertaking that we’ve done a ton of research on. At this point, we are working to address the US regulations prior to our US launch in late June ’12. We plan to tackle international regulations as we move into those markets.

BNA: Without any doubt, the Revolights make a cyclist at night visible, are there any concerns that other road users could be distracted by cyclists with Revolights – considering how different they are to other lighting systems?

Jim Houk: That is something that has been brought to our attention and we think is a fair question. We feel strongly that our bike lights do a great job of identifying the location and direction of cyclists by mimicking other vehicles on the road. We really want to bring awareness that cyclists share the road with all other vehicles. Distractions are a reality on every road and the added visibility created by the Revolights bike lighting system help make the roads safer for everyone.

BNA: Often bike lights are shielded so that the rider sees the beam rather than the light source – with the Revolights, the light source will be directly in the field of vision – could this affect visibility (hotspots that close the riders pupils, and mean the visibility of darker / non-illuminated areas is poorer)?

Jim Houk: Another great question! The lights are actually timed to only illuminate the forward and rearward arcs of the wheels which eliminates this issue. In addition, while projecting 134 lumens from headlight, it is a more diffuse light that creates a “big picture” view of the road ahead as opposed to traditional lights which can  be a little more like having “tunnel vision”.

BNA: The battery has a projected life of four hours – could this be a rechargeable battery and do you see the possibility for longer life batteries or even hub dynamo power?

Jim Houk: The current version uses a Li-ion USB rechargeable battery which is a very efficient energy source for powering LEDs. We have plans to incorporate the wheel rotation as a power source in the future but don’t have a solid timeline for that version at this point.

BNA: The launch is due mid 2012 – are you however still thinking about phase 2 ideas or completely new ideas.

Jim Houk: We are working hard to finalize this version and get it to the market. While this is our primary focus, we do have phase 2 ideas (ie. wheel rotation as the power source) and different applications of this technology that will allow us to grow the business and address additional needs. We are very excited about the future.

BNA: Thank you kindly for your answers – we wish you ongoing success and a great start when Revolights become available.

You can keep up-to-date with Revolights on their website: www.revolights.com. The US retail price is $220 and will originally fit 700c (622mm) wheels. The wheels are planned to be released in the US in late June after which the team will look into overseas markets which is both in logistics (distribution) and safety standards compliance for each country.


Revolights Video

Note: The lights won’t flicker as in the video, this effect comes from shooting with the camera. Also when stationary, the lights won’t rotate instead on the production versions will form an static arc.

The Quad Lock however is not yet a reality, it has to be funded first and the team are turning to the popular US crowdfunding portal kickstarter.com to do this. The portal allows individuals and business to present their creative ideas in order to then attract funding. Each ‘backer’ is offered rewards depending on the value of their pledge, in this case the different versions of the Quad Lock mount and case are available.

On Kickstarter some projects don’t succeed, and the ones that do usually present an idea that appeals to a broad audience and features prototyping and solid planning to gain trust. On kickstarter you can find some videos that show the Quad Lock in action on a bike, and really interesting and topical, the iPhones video capabilities combined with the Quad Lock mount give you the option of a bike camera setup.

So this is an opportunity to support, and benefit from a good idea. Full details about the Quad Lock on Kickstarter >

Kickstarter.com also hosts a number of bicycle related projects, current active is the Fiks:Reflective Rim Stripes for Bicycles while two very successful projects (already funded and in production) are the TiGr: Titanium Lock and Revolights.

When you think of cycling wear, lycra and high-tech materials come to mind. While cycling is slowly becoming a serious form of transport in Australia, it is hard to imagine lycra becoming a standard dress-code in the office or at a retaurant in the evening. Cyclette is not about performance, rather it is about complementing and enhancing style while remaining practical when riding. It is truely V?locouture where cycling is both an aesthetic and practical part of a lifestyle.

Emma and Mindy of Cyclette

From their workshop in Darlinghurst, just off Oxford Street in Sydney, the spirit of the fourties, fifties and sixties are skillfully sown into cycling jackets, tops, shorts, pants, gloves, bags and even underwear for women. “Frock and Roll” perfectly describes the collection which doesn’t appear to be just cycling wear, attention to detail such as reflective strips and support in the right places mean the wear is well-suited to riding.

The collection is original, rather than looking at trends in Cycling Chic or the vintage revival Tweed Runs, the team at Cyclette have taken a more organic approach, drawing on their own sense of style and cycling experience. The collection is dominantly black and which with an occasional hint of red such as the lining of a cape or jacket. Polka Dots and Houndstooth (patterns) feature throughout the collection while bow ties provide a subtle accent.

Momentum Hooded Cape

The highlights are the capes, in particular the Momementum hooded cape that can be combined with other tops, the Switch Back ‘sash bag’ for storing smaller items while riding and, of course, the Granny Flashers underwear (title image) which have a big read love heart on the backside and incorporate, as per Cyclette, “tongue in cheek technology”.

While this is an Australian brand, the cycling wear has a very international feel and these garments would appeal to women in Europe, America and Asia. What’s more, this isn’t a variation or after thought of a dominantly mens brand, Cyclette is made for and by women.

The Cyclette collection of women’s cycling friendly fashion wear can be viewed online: www.cyclette.com.au

Trackstar Hooded Rain Cape

The largest style saddlebags such as the Carradice Camper can fit up to a respectable 24L, the smallest saddlebags such as the Brooks D-shaped bag only fit some spares and a patch kit.

The most well known saddlebag manufacturer is of course Carradice of Nelson, England. They make the quintessential English saddlebag; although their product range now features lines which are modern and innovative, they still produce their Originals line which is effectively an unchanged design nearly a century old, I am the proud owner of two of their models myself.  There are many other makers of this style of saddlebag such as Gilles Berthoud, Ostrich and Minnehaha just to name a few.

The subject of this review is a relative newcomer to the market, Zimbale which is the brainchild of a group of South Korean cycling enthusiasts. Their bag, the 2.0L saddlebag is one of their smallest bags and can be used either in it’s orthodox position attached to the rear of the saddle or alternately on the front hanging off the handlebars.

The size of the bag is about right for a day trip, you could easily fit a wind jacket, some snacks, a tool kit and maybe a book or two. The construction of the bag is more or less the same as the traditional type; the bag is made from waxed canvas with leather buckles and a wooden dowel at the mounting point. The cylindrical shape is closed by a zipper with a flap which buttons over the top providing a more or less waterproof bag. Waxed cotton is a durable, waterproof material so this bag would be perfect for storing not so water friendly objects like phones and wallets during a ride in the event of a surprise downpour.

The face of the bag also features a reflective triangle just like the Carradice bags for safety. I tested the bag over the course of a week or two on both the front and back. When it was on the front, it was in concert with a Carradice Nelson mounted on the back. This provided a nice convenient place to put things like my phone or snacks which could be easily grabbed at hand. The width of the bag was just about perfect for my 42cm wide bars.

Installation is very straightforward if you have a saddle with bag loops on it already like most Brooks saddles have.  If not, you can get adaptor loops which clamp onto the saddle rails.  The bag itself doesn’t exhibit the tendency to sway because of the small size, unlike larger bags which require a secondary support underneath such as a rack or what Carradice sells called a Bagman. My only criticism is that the bag doesn’t hold it’s shape, which could lead to a problem with smaller bicycle frames or people with their saddle height set low; items in the bag can cause it to then sag and rub on the tyres. On this bike (see photo) it was not so much a problem because it tended to rest on the front mudguard.

Overall it is a nicely made and reasonably priced alternative to other saddlebags. The workmanship is top notch and installation was a breeze. Compared to the Carradice saddlebags, they are near identical in performance, design and construction, although there are some slight differences in the details such as the style of the buckle.  The style of the bag would particularly suit it to a vintage ride, however it is also available in a black version with brown buckles which would suit a more modern bike. Saddlebags are a very practical style of bicycle luggage that hit a sweet spot between bulk and compactness, the Zimbale 2.0L is on the smaller side but is perfect for day trips, it’s small enough to not have to have the issues of larger saddlebags but big enough to fit essentials.

Zimbale bicycle bags are imported into Australia by Joad Sportz Supplies and are stocked by Bicycle Shops Australia-wide. The zimbale 2.0L has a suggested retail price of $85 making this particularly affordable. You can enquire with Joad Sportz Supplies regarding your nearest dealer: www.joadsportzsupplies.com.au