Purchase mistakes

[GreyhoundCycle]

Many mistakes in the first year of cycling...

1. Cell shorts - the padding is just wrong and stiching was rubbing my legs.
2. Cheap multi-tool and hand pumps(<$20)
3. A entry level Park Tool Floor pump - simply doesn't get to anything over 80-90psi

4. starting to doubt my X-Tech CO2 inflator is a piece of xxxx...

[waynohh]

Any bib shorts that aren't top of the line for a particular brand, even then they're not all worthy.
Selle strike saddles.
Heavily padded saddes.
Saddles without a cutout.
Crank brothers pumps - absolute junk.
Straight bars - bad wrist so only drop bars are comfortable, straight bars are unnatural.
Cranks with wide Q-factor.
Cheap bike shop front lights.
Any lube not my current favourite!
Any bike shop service.
Pretty much anything I've bought from a LBS as it's usually cheap junk with a high price tag.
Oregan Scientific ATC3K.
ContourHD - released 1080p version shortly after suckers bought 720p.
KMC X10 chains - wider than Shimano 10 speed chains.
Oakley Radar Paths - not enough coverage - switched to Range, awesome.
Oakley Radar Polarised - distorted vision.
26" slicks - not enough top speed, thin ones look stupid, thick ones are too heavy.
Rollers, fork stand, mat, etc - never used seriously, rather just ride properly.
Yellow bar tape - just as dirty as white and isn't colour coordinated :p
Road triple groupsets.
Shimano R500 wheels - rear wheel isn't in the centre of the bike, you'd think this would be an obvious thing to get right.
"Anatomic" shaped bars.
Enduro fork seals - you'd think for the price it was a rebuild kit, they're just seals which don't break in the first place.


Obviously I buy a lot of junk, but doing that I've found my favourite stuff:
Compact bars with flat tops
Compact cranks
165mm cranks
Road tubeless
Ksyriums (for strength, not for road tubeless - not the correct shaped rim bed for inflation)
SRAM groups, hoods and bar tape
DA/Ultegra cassettes and chains
Specialized saddles
Giordana body clone
Radar Range
Bright LED's with lithium batteries

[cavebear2]

Any Mavic wheel with a nylon bushing that substitutes for the inner bearing in the freehub. I'm over them - throw away product really, though with a few dodgy proprietry kit solutions.

Also not a fan of the valves in most Conti tubes, often leak, pull out easily and often need tightening.

Conti GP 4 season tyres - skid the rear tyre and you'll be missing the outer layer of rubber, although perhaps this was a quality control issue with some batches.

[DavidL]

I have had a good run with most items purchased, but:

- X-Tool took kit: Just rubbish tools that are lucky to even survive their first use.
- Netti Skull Cap: Elastic edge cuts into your skull and give you one hell of a headache after minimal use.
- Jaggard Jacket: Used about 10 times and the zips have all failed.
- Shimano R500 wheels: they are heavy and just stupid.
- Sinz Cranks: They are not machined to run the chainrings true
- Shimano Tourney: What is that junk? You would get better shifting throwing frozen chickens at the rear derailleur
- Kids 20" wheeled MTB's: From just about all manufactures are crap and not designed to be used off-road. (actually just about all kids MTB gear)
- Serfas Glasses: I loved them but cannot find them anymore, wish they had a home-ing function and would come back to me.

- David.

[Jean]

- Shimano Tourney: What is that junk? You would get better shifting throwing frozen chickens at the rear derailleur

[Mrfenejeans]

I had trouble thinking of anything, All i could come up with:

-Cheap Chinese Jerseys, bought one and could never wear it it just doesn't fit.
-Anaconda/Fluid Cycling Glasses - Have been rocking Salice 006's for a good 16months or so now

[silverine]

- Bellwether cycling jersey which according to the manufacturer site I should be size S, but too small when it arrived, luckily a friend which is smaller than me bought it off me.

- Torm jersey which a size larger because I opt for relaxed fit.. Should have bought the race fit.

- Shimano A530 pedal.. I thought I'm not going to get cycling shoes ever, but ended up with 105 with shoes+cleats

- Inner tube which has shorter valve than current one

- knog nerd 12.. still in the box because I got free computer when I bought the bike from LBS

[ldrcycles]

Really interesting reading some of these, as i ONLY wear cell knicks (more comfortable than any others i've tried, even super expensive Giordana), have had great service from my set of Shimano R500s and 2 sets of Mavic Aksiums, and my Selle SMP Strike Extra is the mst comfortable saddle i've tried.

Have to agree about Tourney and 'anatomic' bars though.

[gururug]

Bikelab bike fit, biggest waste of money ever.

[bigfriendlyvegan]

Maxxis detonator tyres. I've gone through two in the last month due to manufacturing faults. I know why they're called detonators after one blew up on me today. Luckily I wasn't barrelling down a hill or I would have been on the asphalt.

[LG]

Relating to my original post for Fizik bar tape. I've purchased another set from Wiggle this time, and while it looks the same as the last lot, this stuff is the real deal. Bloody internet fakes .

Interesting reading some of the issues people have had.

[ldrcycles]

Maxxis detonator tyres. I've gone through two in the last month due to manufacturing faults. I know why they're called detonators after one blew up on me today. Luckily I wasn't barrelling down a hill or I would have been on the asphalt.

+1, not much chop IME.

[Ross]

-Anaconda/Fluid Cycling Glasses - Have been rocking Salice 006's for a good 16months or so now

Good to know. I nearly bought a set of photochromatic glasses from Annaconda recently that were 1/2 price on special but the thing that stopped me was the label on the box said something like "these are fashion items and not to be worn while driving at night". Isn't that the whole purpose of photochromatic glasses, to wear them in low/no light situations?!

My purchase mistakes:

Mavic wheels - sturdy but crappy hub design and very un-aero and expensive spokes
Pearl Izumi knee warmers - made for Arnold Schwarzenegger I think, I bought small and they fall down while riding while Netti medium size ones fit perfectly
Maxxis Detonator tyres - heavy, slow, unresponsive, not puncture resistant at all but they are cheap
Polar 600 computer/power meter - first one arrived DOA, got a warranty replacement and put it on bike and used for a few months, not very accurate and still had intermittent problems then it died. Still sitting on my coffee table, can't even be bothered throwing it in the bin
Shimano R540 SPD-R pedals - look the same as Ult/DA version just a a bit heavier but seem to wear fast so you have trouble clipping in and out. There is a reason why they are cheap
USE Alien carbon seatpost - saddle clamp is a complicated design that is fiddly to install saddle and allows seat angle to slip back while riding. Very light though

[munga]

Relating to my original post for Fizik bar tape. I've purchased another set from Wiggle this time, and while it looks the same as the last lot, this stuff is the real deal. Bloody internet fakes .

Interesting reading some of the issues people have had.

glad you confirmed that the original stuff was inferior and probably fake.

[Shpox]

White Bar Tape.

To be fair though, this is exactly why I buy from Wiggle. Read hundreds of review and pick something that matches what you want with piece of mind. I haven't gone wrong since.

[bprb]

KMC X10 chains - wider than Shimano 10 speed chains.

I'm curious about this statement. Are you talking about the entire X10 range? How much wider than Shimano, and what effect did that have? Damage, or noise/bad shifting?

I've been using KMC chains lately on a 6700 gruppo, and have been happy with them.

[m@]

Maxxis detonator tyres. I've gone through two in the last month due to manufacturing faults. I know why they're called detonators after one blew up on me today. Luckily I wasn't barrelling down a hill or I would have been on the asphalt.

+1, not much chop IME.

+2, those things puncture at the smell of glass

My worst purchase was a top-of-the-line Sigma wireless bike computer (1609). Completely useless when running a headlight and not much better the rest of the time. I didn't shed a tear when the handlebar mount disappeared on a recent commute - Garmin time!

Other dishonorable mentions:

• Torpedo7 bibnicks (shoulder straps way too short, and they should make sleeping bags from the material used for the upper—warmest fabric known to mankind!)
• Bike shoes bought over the internet. Trial-and-error gets kindof expensive!
• 180mm XT Icetec rotor, which the LBS talked me out of fitting to the Anthem X29er

[Mulger bill]

My worst purchase was a top-of-the-line Sigma wireless bike computer (1609).

After the sterling service provided by a succession of 1606es, I just got one for me commuter. If you've jinxed me...

[LG]

A rear light with around 7 different flashing options. Only problem is the need to push the on/off button about 6 times to turn the ruddy thing off . Press it one too many times and I need to scroll through all the functions again to get to the off setting .

[warthog1]

Stronglight 53t chain ring. Complete rubbish had to remove due to woeful shifting.
May be useful as a ninja throwing star, not a chainring though.

[gregaudio]

A couple of times now I've bought Shimano items lower down the line than 105, namely road brake calipers & sealed BB. On both occasions I've been very disappointed and ended up forking out for the good stuff.

Also, didn't realize how flexy Shimano RS-10 wheels were 'til I replaced them with Fulcrum 5's. Well worth the extra $$$!