Efficiency & Operation

The JoeBlow Sport 2 Stage Pump is meant to be more efficient for filling tires with lower pressure. The Topeak site says it is 30% more efficient than other pumps due to its high volume chamber and use of both barrels.

From 0-30 psi, you use the 2 barrels, and from 30-160 psi, you use Stage 2 or one barrel to reach up to 160 psi. It has a dual-head design for both Presta and Schrader valves and comes with a needle adapter to fill up balls, etc. at home. It’s tall, which aids in not having to bend over so far, and has a sturdy, wide, and heavy base.

Topeak JoeBlow Sport 2 Stage vs Serfas FP-200

I emptied out my 700×38 gravel tires and did a comparison of Topeak JoeBlow Sport 2 Stage and the Serfas FP-200.

Round 1

Round 2

I found that the Serfas performed much better on the higher pressure end than did the JoeBlow Sport. However, as Topeak indicated, the JoeBlow outperformed the Serfas in lower pressures. In total, though, the final tallies were pretty negligible, with a difference of 3-5 pumps more using Serfas.

For me, whether or not to buy this pump really depends on what type of pressures you normally run. If you are riding a road bike, I wouldn’t see much difference. However, if you tend on lower pressures of 50 and below, the JoeBlow would help you save some pumping energy for your bike riding.

If you already have a pump at home, I think the difference is pretty negligible but if you are in the market for a new pump, and run lower pressures, the JoeBlow Sport 2 Stage would be a great pump for you.

Warranty

I compared this with my Serfas FP-200 pump I’ve had for quite a long time. I’ve always liked Serfas because of their warranty and how easy it is to walk into any shop that sells them without a receipt and get help with their lifetime warranty.

Topeak has a 2-year warranty but seems to have more requirements like a receipt.

Improvements

One thing I would love to see Topeak improve on is the presence of replacement parts online. Serfas’ webpage has a clearly marked replacement part category on its homepage and you can buy replacement parts for your pump easily on their site.

I couldn’t find this on Topeak’s website and it looks like calling customer service must be the way to go. I would love to see a more efficient process for purchasers to obtain replacement parts.

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Mounting System

The Po Campo Bergen II’s mounting system consists of two webbing straps that attach to your pannier and secured by two magnetic buckles that clip back to the pannier’s underside. Both the webbing straps and the magnetic buckles feel solid and durable. All told, the mounting system’s max weight is about 25lbs, per Po Campo.

The mounting system can be either fast and simple or fiddly and laborious, depending on your bike’s rack and the placement of the side stabilizer bars. I used the Bergen 2 on both a Gazelle Tour Populair and a Civia Highland. The racks are a little different but have similar stabilizer bars.

Attaching the Po Campo Bergen II to the Civia Highland was the fast and simple. I just flopped the webbing straps over the bar and the magnetic buckles magically found their way to the pannier’s attachment point. Removing it was a gentle tug upward the buckles released from the rack.

The Gazelle, however, with its more intricate rack and thicker rear side stabilizer bars, made attaching the Po Campo Bergen II fiddly. Flopping the webbing straps over the top bars and hoping they magically attached to the pannier was a lottery. Most of the time I had to wedge my fingers between the rack’s stabilizer bars and hope for the best.

Once attached, regardless of the rack, a convenient pull-down anchor hook attaches to the bottom of the rack for additional security and stability. And let’s not forget the Kinga handlebar bag! It attaches easily with two velcro straps.

Weather Resistance

Both the Po Campo Bergen II and Po Campo Kinga 2 come with coated zippers. The Po Campo Bergen II has an integrated rain cover that tucks neatly away in an easy-to-access zippered pocket. Bonus points that the Po Campo Bergen II ’s rain cover is a loud and obnoxious neon yellow to help drivers in driving rain see you.

Organizational Features

When commuting or shopping, organization options are definitely a nice-to-have. The Po Campo Bergen II provides quite a few organizational features, some great, some not so.

Exterior Pockets

The Po Campo Bergen II comes with a small pocket on the front of the pannier that is secured with a waterproof zipper (great!) and an unsecured pocket on the side on the end and is unsecured (not so). I use secured zipper for for my phone and wallet. The unsecured pocket is intended to be a water bottle pocket. At just under six inches deep, this pocket was too shallow to hold my water bottle or folding lock securely; however, it’s perfect to store the shoulder strap when not in use so that’s what I use it for.

Main Compartment

The main compartment (great) provides a laptop sleeve (not so), three organization pockets (not so) with elastic tops and a secured zippered pocket (great).

What makes the three elasticized pockets not so great is that they protrude out and every item I loaded got hung up on the pockets. Organization in a pannier is always good, however there’s a balance to be struck between just right and superfluous. If Po Campo removed these three pockets, balance inside the universe of the Bergen will be achieved.

The paddled laptop sleeve (not so) holds a teensy, tiny laptop. Of which I don’t have. But it holds an iPad, Kindle, Nook or any flat item that you’re transporting. The problem I found with the laptop sleeve is that it bulges inward and, like the three organizer pockets above, caused any item I loaded to get hung up.

This is due to the raincover pocket being on the opposite exterior side. The raincover pocket is small, so when the raincover is stashed, it’s like a wadded-up ball—which causes the laptop sleeve to bulge inward. So basically, adding items to the main compartment is a two-handed job. Not a deal breaker, just a minor annoyance.

Functionality

With 22 liters of cargo space and a suggested max load of 25 pounds, I found the Po Campo Bergen II ’s sweet spot to be for jaunts to the tap room, coffee shop or light shopping in which I wasn’t buying heavy items.

Since COVID19 has me working my day job from home, I’m no longer commuting to the office. But if I had to commute to the office, the Po Campo Bergen II would not be my first choice due to its smaller size. However, it’s ideal for shopping, thanks to its sturdy double-handle and detachable and padded shoulder strap that converts it from pannier to stylish cross-body purse or shopping bag.

And speaking of COVID19, many of us (mostly me) go all Howard Hughes at the thought of touching a shopping basket or shopping trolley in a store. The Po Campo Bergen II mitigates this because I can use it as my shopping bag. It also ensures that I don’t over-shop and over-load the pannier beyond its suggested weight limit.

Final Thoughts

There is no arguing that the Po Campo Bergen II is a seriously stylish pannier if you go with the color scheme Mosaic. If you don’t want to stand out in the crowd of bike commuters, Po Campo Bergen II offers a nicely-muted black.

What I like most about this pannier is its easy conversion to cross-body purse or messenger bag, making it a pannier that works just as well off the bike as it does on. Sure, there are some opportunities for interior modifications to make it a bit more functional, but for everyday light shopping and errands, you can’t beat the Po Campo Bergen II.

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Versatile, Multipurpose Use

The Chrome Cobra 3.0 Hoodie arrived in late January. In Minnesota, January means snowshoeing, fatbiking, bike commuting, Nordic skiing, travel and staying warm when binging on Netflix.

Its construction and style make it stand out as both a mid-layer and an outer-layer, but doesn’t look like it fits specifically in any real sport or activity category. This is a good thing because its non-binary style and purpose increases its versatility—a must, in my opinion, if one is going to spend $180 on a garment.

Bulk-free Warmth & Performance

As I said above, the Chrome Cobra 3.0 Hoodie works equally well as a mid-layer and an outer-layer. With light-weight merino wool baselayer, I wore it as a midlayer with a Northface Apex softshell jacket or down vest while snowshoeing. The temperatures on these tests runs ranged from 10 to 20 degrees and I was plenty comfortable. Mostly, though, I wore it as an outer layer fatbiking, commuter biking and Nordic skiing with only a Kora Shola yak wool baselayer Merino wool baselayer.

As with anything, you have to temper your baselayers to the temperatures. For example, I was sweating like cold beer glass on a hot day the day I Nordic skied in 20 degrees with a heavyweight baselayer. When fatbiking on a -5-degree day with just a heavyweight baselayer, I was freezing (and with freezing comes whining, moaning, cryonics, etc). You get the picture. Use your best judgement.

Features

The Chrome Cobra 3.0 is a blend of Merino wool and recycled polyester to combine breathability, warmth and durability. While 100% Merino wool is my fave, I honestly didn’t feel any difference with the polyester blended in. A couple other interesting features that the Cobra 3.0 offers are:

Two-way Zipper

For fatbiking and commuter cycling, this is a must for me because I’m generally wearing bulkier bottoms. Opening the zipper four or five inches below makes for a more comfortable ride when in the aggressive cycling position in the saddle. The zipper pull here is nicely glove-friendly, too.

Thumbholes

Of all the garments I own that have thumb loops, the Chrome Cobra 3.0 is the only one in which I don’t feel any biting at the base of my thumb. This is because the arms are delightfully long. Noice.

Rear Pocket with a Full Pass-through

Great for carrying tools, ID, money, and what have you but they need to be re-thought. The zipper pulls are microscopic and most definitely NOT glove-friendly. The Cobra 3.0 is an evergreen staple in the Chrome line, going back a decade with incremental updates made each year. So I’m kind of scratching head wondering why nobody thought to add glove-friendly zipper pulls to the pockets on a Merino wool hoodie intended to be worn in cold weather. (Note: the front zipper pull is glove-friendly, just not the pocket zipper pulls.)

Style

Beautifully longer in the back as a cycling jacket should be, I love how it has an element of being form-fitting but still has just enough room to accommodate any size baselayer. I also love how high the front zipper comes up, how it doesn’t sit at my throat and the delightful snuggle-effect it gives when fully zipped. My only criticism on the style is the color. It’s only available in black. This is not to say I want an option that includes pink (hell no!) but maybe a nice dark red.

Final Thoughts

If I was anal enough to do a rating scale on a scale of 10, I would give the Chrome Merino Cobra 3.0 Hoodie a solid 9 (I had to subtract a point for the microscopic zipper pulls). It is a highly-functional, highly-versatile, warm, breathable, well-designed and durable cold-weather Merino-blend hoodie for absolutely every type of cold-weather activity on your agenda. It’s even a fantastic piece for the shoulder seasons and for Spring and Fall hiking and camping. Even you yoga-goers will love it.

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Mounting & Weight

The Topeak VersaCage, which weighs in at a scant 4.5 ounces, comes with buckle straps and includes three VersaMount clamps just in case your forks don’t have braze-on’s or your bike lacks other areas on which to mount it.

Comparison with Blackburn Cages

Because not every cage is equal, I compared the Topeak VersaCage to the Blackburn cages I already own. Certainly, the Topeak VersaCage works for my gravel bike much better because the braze-on’s and screw holes are an exact match. That’s not the case with the Blackburn cages so I have to put it on the uppermost 2 braze-on’s or it won’t fit.

I do like the rounded shape of the Topeak VersaCage and I love that it comes with the VersaMounts. This would have been ideal for the last tour I did in Puerto Rico and when I had a bike that didn’t have fork braze-on’s. If that is your case, the Topeak VersaCage is for you and will help you get the braze-on’s you need.

The VersaCage’s straps are 27.25″ long, making them a little longer than Blackburn’s straps, which are 24″. With the longer straps of VersaCage, I was able to carry a larger sleeping pad with a 23.5″ circumference–something I couldn’t carry with the Blackburn straps. With that said, I could have still used a little longer straps.

Improvements

The one advantage the Blackburn had over the VersaCage was the no-slip texturizing in the straps. This could be an excellent added feature for the VersaCage in order to keep sleeping bags and the such from sliding as their straps are just material and nothing prevents slipping. If you have the straps around something larger, as I did, it can slip. I had to stop once to fix this on one occasion with a larger item in the VersaCage.

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I’ve heard about Chrome’s previous jeans created for folks that wear women’s clothing and I heard varied reviews. Being a curvy woman with hips, thighs, and a booty, I knew I could give these pants a true test.

Features

The Chrome Madrona 5 Pocket Pants, first and foremost, has 5 pockets; one rear pocket has a zipper. It is made of 4-way stretch cotton/nylon blend, it is quick-drying and has water/wind-resistant DWR, a reinforced waist and gusset, and a reflective stripe inseam that is exposed when you roll up the legs of your pants. They aren’t necessarily jeans, but also not pants, and seem as though they could work for a variety of occasions.

The Fit

Before deciding to test these, admittedly, I had it in my mind that the Chrome Madrona 5 Pocket Pants probably wouldn’t fit, nor would they be comfortable. I primarily thought this because I have a booty, wide hips, and thighs, and I normally find that outdoor gear companies do not make clothing for my body type. In addition, I’d heard about Chrome’s previous women’s pants and that they weren’t the best fit.

However, I am elated that I kept an open mind because these pants fit me perfectly! I was astounded! They were sufficiently high on my waist that my cheeks don’t pop out when cycling or bending over and they fit the rest of my body perfectly – even when they were likely a little too tight due to some unwanted COVID-19 pounds.

They felt comfortable and stretchy, so they didn’t limit my movement when biking. They are also true to size, so you don’t need to worry about sizing up or down. Given their stretch, I think they are forgiving for sizing as well.

The Test

Pockets are the most notable here, and yes, they are sufficiently deep. The zip pocket is meant to be for cell phones and mine fit – even with the case (I have en iPhone SE and a wallet case). The front pockets are not as deep as men’s pant pockets but my hand did fit in them. They also feature the pocket watch pocket on the right front side.

I did wear these in the rain one day, and I can attest to Chrome Madrona 5 Pocket Pants’ quick drying material. I didn’t have to sit in wet pants all day. Being that I got these in the fall, I wore them at the beginning of fall and winter. Due to their quick-dry nature, they are a bit thinner material and thus not the warmest. I would suggest they should not be worn below 40 degrees without another layer underneath. As I mentioned previously, the stretch is forgiving but if you don’t want these to be too tight and plan on wearing layers underneath, then you may want to consider sizing up. I tested them in the mid-20s and 30s and they are not sufficiently warm for those temperatures.

The roll-up reflective stripe cuffs are a nice feature for visibility and safety. The reinforced gusseted crotch is also a great attribute. It prevented that constant seam rub on the saddle and I’m hoping this results in a longer-lasting crotch, but I have yet to determine whether or not that is the case. However, it generally does allow for more freedom of movement.

Final Thoughts

All in all, and unexpectedly, I really loved the Chrome Madrona 5 Pocket Pants. They are very comfortable and fit so well! They have fantastic features for cyclists and do not restrict riding movement. These pants would be perfect for the everyday commuter as their style could accommodate many different environments. Personally, I think I will be buying myself an extra pair, and I recommend you get one too!

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Let me tell you more about Endura’s wonderful lightweight and breathable rain jackets.

Materials

The Endura Urban Luminite Jacket II is made of a 2.5-layer waterproof fabric, has fully sealed seams but is amazingly lightweight and breathable. The breathability of Endura’s jackets has always astounded me – and yes, they still keep you very dry! This prevents you from feeling that, “I’m stuck in a sweaty plastic bag”-feeling. No one wants to be full of sweat in cooler weather. It is worth mentioning that the water repellent finish is also free of toxic PFCs.

Features

Another way the Endura Urban Luminite Jacket II helps to regulate body temperature are the zip underarm vents. Open them up to help you keep cool or zip them up when you are cold. This jacket features two large and microfleece-lined front pockets and one chest pocket. The back of the jacket is also longer to help cover your tush. However, if you need the back cinched and tighter, there are concealed hem adjusters in the pockets. It has a higher neck to keep your neck warm – this is a feature important to me. The velcro cuffs keep them tight around your gloves.

Visibility

There are two different colors for the Endura Urban Luminite Jacket II and I have the fluorescent yellow option (there is also a “Pacific Blue” color). Needless to say, I am hard to miss. If that wasn’t enough, there are also large reflective panels for nighttime visibility. The blue option does not appear to have these features. If visibility is what you are seeking, the yellow option is the most appropriate.

Earth-Friendly

I learned something new about Endura when I was reading the Endura Urban Luminite Jacket II’s tag – in order to help reduce waste, they offer a crash repair service where possible for their garments. (Upon further inspection, I see this is only available to consumers in the UK and EU, but if this applies to you, check it out here.) They give 1% of purchases to social, environmental and global causes as well as they pledge to plant at least 1 million trees this year for carbon offsets.

Missing Attributes

There are a couple of features that I noticed are missing from the Endura Urban Luminite Jacket II that you might want to consider when deciding on which Endura jacket to purchase. On this jacket, there is no rear pocket. For cycling, I enjoy rear pockets to shove extra items into without bulking up my stomach area while I’m pedaling. If this is important to you, their Xtract Jacket II does have this feature. Additionally, there is no hood on this jacket. I don’t prefer hoods on my cycling jackets but I do like them for hiking. Again, they do have other rain jackets with that feature.

All in all, I love Endura’s rain jackets. They’ve always kept me dry and allowed me to regulate my temperature so I can stay warm on rainy days. If you need a new rain jacket or you aren’t happy with your current jacket, check out these jackets, they will not disappoint.

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Note: this rack can be used for the front and the back. I had difficulties getting the rack attached to my front fork. It appears that my bike doesn’t have enough rake to make it work – that or I didn’t do it right. Alas, I set it up as a rear rack. I went on a good ride to my parents’ place with a lot of gear to test this rack’s carrying ability.

Features

The Old Man Mountain Classic Sherpa Rack is made of welded aluminum making it sturdy and light. It can hold up to 70 lbs of gear, includes a hole for mounting a reflector, and is powder-coated matte black. As many are aware, The Robert Axle Project acquired Old Man Mountain. Therefore, you will receive thru-axles or skewers specifically designed for your bike, whether a fat, mountain, gravel, or hybrid bike. You can find the appropriate kit for your bicycle by using Old Man Mountain’s Fit Kit Finder.

Attaching the Classic Sherpa rack

Setting up the Classic Sherpa Rack was a little more difficult than I prefer. It comes with several bags of hardware, (but they are nicely labeled and organized), and printed instructions. You can follow their setup videos on their website here. In addition, you are required to remove your wheel in order to use the thru-axle. This could be a bit easier if you have a skewer versus a thru-axle.

Hauling

My experience riding with this rack was great. I brought lots of gear with me and I fancy the extra bars on it to attach bungee cords. It is plenty wide to haul large items, and with the fewer points of contact with the bike, there was less chance for the screws to the braze-ons coming loose or jiggling. The rack is lightweight and didn’t add many extra more pounds to my other gear. Weighing in at 700 grams (1.54 lbs) without the kit hardware, that’s an extremely light rack for the amount of weight it can hold. For comparison, the Jannd Expedition rack, (75 lb carrying capacity), I used to own was 2.2 lbs. This isn’t a huge discrepancy, but a little less weight always helps!

Considerations

Set-up and Removal

I use racks sparingly. Therefore, on most of my endurance races and tours, I pack light and use soft packs. Occasionally, particularly when the weather gets colder, I have to carry a bulkier lower-rated sleeping bag. As a result, I like to use a rack I can pop on and off quickly. This is because, as soon as I finish my adventure, I remove my rack for my next ride. The Sherpa Rack was not the quickest removal and setup I’ve experienced. On the other hand, if you always have a rack, or need one for a long-term cycling tour, it could be ideal for you.

Best for Tubeless Setups

Tire setup is another element I would consider when purchasing this rack. The Classic Sherpa Rack is great for people with mountain, gravel, and fat bikes that don’t have braze-ons on the rear or front fork like on my Salsa Warbird. Since the rack requires a skewer or thru-axle, if you get a flat, you will need to remove the wheel. This results in a more cumbersome and timely tube change than normal and could get difficult when on the road. Thus, I believe the rack would be more suited to people who use tubeless setups – which many fat, gravel and mountain bike riders already do. Tubeless setups make it less likely you have to take the wheel off to fix a flat. In my opinion, this would be the ideal way in which to use this rack.

Conclusion

The Old Man Mountain Classic Sherpa Rack is perfect for riders that constantly use racks, are long-distance touring, or ride bikes without many braze-ons. Additionally, it best suits tubeless riders. The rack’s carrying capacity and lightweight is ideal for long tours. Its fewer contact points provides less opportunity for screws to come loose and racks to jiggle, keeping your ride smooth and silent. If you need to prepare for summer cycling adventures, the Sherpa Rack is a great start!

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Road

GORE C7 CC

The GORE C7 CC Jersey ($130) is the fastest jersey of the Best Cycling Jerseys. First, a walk through its impressive aesthetics. Three deep and roomy rear stash pockets hold snacks, tool, phone or iPod. A secured zipped pocket on the outside of the middle stash pocket for key or ID.

Second, you’ll find its fit outstanding. Road cycling jerseys run the spectrum from being so slim-fitting to minimize wind resistance that they are uncomfortably constrictive to “athletic” fit, which gives you a little room to breathe normal. Neither are optimal. The ideal fit is a jersey that makes you feel like you’re wearing nothing at all. That sums up the GORE C7 CC jersey. I give it extra bonus points for a front hem that covers my belly when off the bike.

Gravel

GORE C3

The GORE C3 Jersey offers the functionality of a high-end performance jersey without the look and feel of one. Specifically, it has a relaxed fit through the shoulders, a 21-inch belly button-covering front hem (on size small), versatile (I’ve used this for urban, gravel, road and mountain biking), highly breathable (for humid rides), non-choking collar and soft. Yes, soft.

The texture of the fabric, which is actually 100% polyester, feels more like a merino wool blend. It has four highly functional pockets in the back: three unsecured (great for holding your iPod) and one secured zipper pocket for things you don’t want to lose, like a key, ID, credit card, cash or phone.

Urban

Maloja Curuna

Maloja may not be the first name that comes to mind in cycling apparel but the German brand deserves to be on everyone’s radar. The Maloja Curuna has a beautiful, relaxed fit that is comfortable and functional. This is a jersey that I’ve worn to grocery stores, farmer’s markets, Sierra Trading Post, commuting to work and everywhere else in between.

It has one secured zipper pocket on the back that is ergonomically placed to make it easy for me to reach behind and adjust my iPod or grab a packet of Gu without twisting my arm into the Gomukhasana pose. It’s also made from Maloja’s AirDry Polyester fabric, which contains millions of tiny perforations, making it feel more like a tight mesh than a piece of Polyester fabric. This means breathability is optimized and odor from sweat is mitigated.

A jersey for the serious cyclist who doesn’t want to look like a bike tool.

Mountain

Kaden Florence Jersey

Of all the jerseys in this review, the Kaden Florence ($80) stands out the most. First and foremost, Kaden Apparel is woman-started, woman-owned, women-centric. Without openly admitting my age, I remember (with no great fondness) mountain biking when there was no such thing as women-specific gear. I also remember when the industry’s needle of evolution turned ever so slightly that a few big brands begrudgingly instructed their male designers to make women’s shorts and jerseys (with lots of pink, flowers, swirls and questionable quality).

Fortunately, we are now living in an era where most cycling apparel brands have women designers designing the women’s lines. But, even better, we have boutique brands that are started, owned and designed by women—for women. This casts a much wider net for selection and choice.

Soapbox aside, the Kaden Florence jersey lends a simple practical style to the art of singletrack. There is no pink. No flowers. Swirls? Yah right. Think performance jersey cross-pollinating with skateboard fashion. The end result is a high-quality mountain bike jersey made in the United States that is soft, supple, comfortable and breathable in humid weather. A jersey to put on your radar for sure.

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Unfortunately, having had surgery this past winter, I wasn’t doing many endurance rides. Now that summer has kicked in, and I’m back to cycling longer distances, I experimented with Tailwind during training rides, and I used it during my recent 650-B endurance race. 

In terms of sports/endurance drinks this past year, I’ve been using the Skratch Labs brand. It’s not too intense of a flavor and doesn’t feel overly sugary (Gatorade or Powerade is a bit too much, and it’s kind of yuck with all that coloring). I had a big Skratch Labs bag, so I was stuck with the orange flavor for a long time. It was nice to have the Tailwind packets and finally get to do a flavor mix up!

Tailwind Nutrition provided me with two starter kits both of which includes the Endurance and the Recovery fuel in all of the flavors.

Endurance Fuels

The Kit

The starter kit contain eight endurance fuels; Lemon, Naked Unflavored, Mandarin Orange, Berry, Colorado Cola, Tropical Buzz, Green Tea Buzz, and Raspberry Buzz. The kit also includes three recovery fuels; Chocolate, Coffee, and Vanilla. For those that like to get a caffeine boost during their endurance events, as you might have guessed, the cola, coffee, and anything with the word “buzz” includes caffeine.

Flavors

When I received the starter pack, I was most excited about the Colorado Cola flavor. I haven’t seen another Cola flavored endurance drink before, but I do love Stinger’s cola chews, so I was highly anticipating that flavor. It didn’t let me down. If you are near my age or older, and remember the cola-flavored Bottlecaps candy, this is precisely how the cola flavor tastes! I quite liked it, and when kept nice and cold, that flavor, as I suspected, was my top favorite.

I was most skeptical of the Green Tea Buzz and the Naked flavors. They didn’t sound like they would be that good. After giving them a try, I was surprised that the Green Tea ended up being another favorite of mine, and the Naked is merely sweet and salty – and that’s it! My other preference was the Lemon flavor. It was pleasant, unlike other lemon drinks I’ve had.

Tailwind Claims

There are a few things to note about Tailwind Nutrition that are important to some of us consumers.

Vegan and Natural

All the fuels are all clear when mixed. Thus, you know you aren’t getting artificial ingredients. Tailwind Nutrition claims to be “clean and light with a mouth feel as close to water as you can get while still meeting your nutrition needs.” As Tailwind indicates, the flavors are mild and not overly sweet. I did find them to be light, and I like that they don’t have coloring.

They didn’t leave a heavy, lingering taste in my mouth. Like most endurance fuels, they have that sweet and salty taste – the perfect combination, I think. During my endurance race, I got lazy for a minute and didn’t want to dig more packs of Tailwind out of my rear pack to refuel, so I bought a Powerade instead. I regretted it shortly after and ended up dumping it out and stopping to find my Tailwind packet after all.

No “Gut Bombs”

Given Tailwind’s natural ingredients, they state that one will not experience “gut bombs.” In essence, no yucky tummy problems from artificial ingredients. I did not find myself with any “gut bombs” while using Tailwind. However, I don’t think I’ve personally experienced that with other endurance fuels (other than something like Powerade or junk like that). My tummy felt great the entire time, and I didn’t notice any GI upset.

Your Only Fuel?

Tailwind Nutrition states that you could easily use their fuel the entire time of a race. In a long endurance or multi-day race, I don’t find that this is enough for me. I need substance and real food. Usually, I have regular meals, and I drink a certain amount of endurance fuel/solid fuel per hour. I like to have something to munch on, so I don’t think that I could only do the endurance fuel for an entire race.

Recovery Fuels

Tailwind notes that they don’t add protein to their endurance drink because it’s proven not to improve performance. That aspect does not bother me, as protein was never a feature I sought in my endurance fuels. However, they do make some recovery fuels that one can use after their rides.

I want to preface this section by noting a few things about myself. I don’t regularly enjoy protein-type beverages. I find them a little too chalky, and I mainly eat healthily and don’t focus too much on “recovery” beverages. I do use protein powder at home, and I have only enjoyed a protein powder that I buy at my local coop, which has no artificial ingredients, and I blend it into smoothies. I’ve never liked any protein powder that is mixed only with water or milk. The texture gets me every time. That said, I was still willing to give Tailwind’s recovery drinks a try.

Flavors

The Recovery Fuels have three flavors: chocolate, vanilla, and coffee. I was most excited about the coffee because, if you didn’t notice from my favorite endurance drink above, I’m a coffee/caffeine junky. After a cold training ride where I got stuck in a downpour, I decided to mix the chocolate and coffee, heat almond milk on the stove, and make a recovery mocha to warm myself up.

Taste and Texture

Unfortunately, the taste and texture of the recovery drink was a miss for me. I found it to be a little chalky, but I also was a little surprised that the recovery drinks are also “sweet and salty.” I’m used to protein powders, only being “sweet.” That threw me off a bit. The way I enjoyed the beverage the most was in the mocha I made. I also made smoothies, but I think the salty taste in the recovery fuel got to me. However, as that is a unique trait (as far as I know), some people may find they enjoy that, which would be their reason for using Tailwind. Different strokes!

Unique features

On the Recovery Fuel packets, they have a dividing line where you can place your finger and shake the package to divide it into two different servings. Though it’s not rocket science, and we could do the same with any other type of packet, I hadn’t even thought of it before I saw it on their pack! Credit where credit is due – Tailwind Nutrition taught me something new!

Environmentally Friendliness

I’m always trying to be as environmentally friendly as possible. It can be challenging during bikepacking and endurance racing. I love that Tailwind Nutrition sells assorted eight packs so you can rotate flavors. Frequently I find myself becoming tired of the same taste over and over. On the other hand, they do sell bigger packets of 50 serving-size for those that don’t have that issue. The only downside about the assorted flavor packets is that I feel I’m more wasteful. This isn’t limited to Tailwind Nutrition, and I’m sure it has a lot to do with health codes, etc. However, as part of the endurance athlete community, I hope companies can eventually come up with more environmentally-friendly packaging. I would most certainly invest in those products.

Measuring Up: Tailwind Nutrition vs Skratch Labs

To provide a comparison of Tailwind nutrition versus another brand, I will compare the caloric values to my Skratch Labs fuel I have at home with the Mandarin Orange Tailwind packet with a serving (for a 12-16oz bottle) of Skratch Labs.

Tailwind’s Endurance Fuel

• 1 Serving (27g – a half packet) provides 100 calories, 25g carbohydrate, 25g sugar, 303mg sodium, 26mg calcium, 88mg potassium, and 14mg magnesium.
• Ingredients: Non-GMO Dextrose (Glucose), Non-GMO Sucrose, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sea Salt, Organic Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Magnesium Citrate, Calcium Carbonate, Organic Caffeine (Caffeinated flavors only) – Gluten-free/vegan/no soy/no dairy/non-GMO

Skratch Labs

• 1 Scoop – (22g) provides 80 calories, 20g carbohydrate, 19g sugar, 380mg sodium, 46.3mg calcium, 38.5mg potassium, 40.1mg magnesium.
• Ingredients: Can Sugar, Dextrose, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Oranges, Magnesium Lactate, Calcium Citrate, Potassium Citrate, Ascorbic Acid. – Gluten/dairy-free/vegan, kosher, non-GMO certified.

Analysis

The ingredients are very similar, with different amounts to each. You get a bit more sodium in Skratch Labs and calcium and magnesium, but less potassium. All of these are good for intracellular function, but I’ve read some, and it appears you don’t lose as much magnesium, calcium, or potassium as you do sodium. So I’m not sure the difference matters. Magnesium lactate and citrate are absorbed quickly by the body, but I did note that lactate (in Skratch Labs) can have some warnings for people with heart or kidney disease.

With regards to calcium carbonate and calcium citrate, it also seems that carbonate (used in Tailwind) is a smaller structure that packs in more calcium than calcium carbonate. It yields about twice the amount of elemental calcium as equal amounts of calcium citrate. As such, perhaps this is why Skratch Labs has a more significant amount. It appears for calcium supplements; carbonate is the way to go.

Interestingly, when I went to look for more about potassium supplements, I found this article stating potassium citrate is a better choice for sports drinks that chloride due to stomach upset. I’m stumped. I am not a scientist, so I cannot speak to this, but I can say I didn’t have stomach upset with either of these drinks. 

How It Started

Tailwind Nutrition’s business had an interesting start. Though not 100% women-owned, it started when Jeff Vierling found himself sick after the Leadville 100 and indicated continually having issues with fuel during rides. It prompted him to research extensively and come up with his own line of endurance beverages. His partner, Jenny, is also part-owner, and I’m guessing she took a significant role in early product testing.

Will I use it again?

I quite enjoyed Tailwind’s Endurance Fuel. It did as it claimed, and I enjoyed the flavors. I think I will be adding them to my repertoire of endurance fuels, if not switching to them completely. I will stick to assorted flavors, and I wonder if Tailwind will add new flavors to their lineup eventually? I hope so. It will keep us all interested and coming back for more.

The post Tailwind Nutrition Endurance & Recovery Fuel Review appeared first on gritandgearonline.com.

Comfort

When mentioning comfort, the Freel shorts are really no joke. It can be difficult to find a good fitting bike short for women as some brands just change the colors of the guy shorts they have, make them in smaller sizes and don’t really change anything about the style or fit of the short to hug the woman’s body just right. It does help that Wild Rye was started by adventurous women who understand the needs of like-minded women and making great quality products to encourage us to get outside.

Fit, Style, Llamas!

The moment I saw my llama covered Freel bike shorts, I knew it was a match made in heaven. But when I felt the material and put them on, I couldn’t wait to get out on my bike and show them off. The shorts fit like a glove. There was no pinching, restraint, or discomfort whatsoever during biking, hiking and just walking around.

Pockets and Durability

The shorts have a nice storage pocket that will hold a cell phone, energy bars, or other essentials you’d want to have fast and easy access to. The positioning of the pocket is perfect, so it doesn’t impede on your riding while sitting on your seat. You can feel the durability of the shorts, and the four-way stretch nylon fabric makes movement seamless and easy. They withstood hiking through rocks, shrubbery and trees, and with the abrasion resistant nylon, there was absolutely no worry about tearing the fabric.

Features

In addition to the features mentioned above, the Freel shorts are also water repellant, have UPF 50, they are breathable, have front pockets, a gusseted crotch, and are 88% nylon, 12% spandex. The shorts are true to size.

Final Thoughts

There’s no question that Wild Rye did beyond excellent with their Freel mountain bike shorts. I’d recommend these shorts to all female mountain biking crushers out there. While they may seem a bit pricey, ladies, if you want durable, quality, and comfortable mountain biking shorts, put the Freel shorts on your list. They are well worth it. Retail price, $119.

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