Welcome to a top-ten list of cycling items I would heartily recommend for any gravel cycling person out there. This list comprises my choices of the top-ten items I am most impressed with and which I use personally. These represent the things I would tell you to buy if you asked me.I should say some of these items were review items which I have continued to use. So, please refer to the Standard Disclaimer for how I view such things.
I also will be posting a few links to the company websites and in a few cases I will pass along some recent information on discounts and sales I am aware of. You should know II do not have any affiliate links, association with sales/discounts, or any ties whatsoever to promotions these companies are running currently. I have not, and will not ever, monetize Guitar Ted Productions.
So, let's get into the list. These are listed in no particular order, by the way. I also may have a few extra recommendos along with my choices in certain cases.
BIKEIOWA NOTE - These just the headlines - there is more detail on each product in his blog post.
- Ergon BT Gravel Handlebar Tape
Handle bar tape is something many of us do not give a lot of thought to beyond color. However; it can enhance your ride to a great degree if you choose your tape carefully.
- Ergon AllRoad SR Core Comp Saddle
Snub-nosed saddles are the fashion in seating for performance cycling these days. The first saddle of this type I ever tried was Ergon's SR AllRoad Core Comp. Ironically, it isthe only snub-nosed saddle I still use!
- Redshift Sports ShockStop Stem
Anyone who has read this blog for very long knows I am a big fan and user of Redshift Sports ShockStop stems. While many are excited by the prospects for telescopic front forks on gravel bikes, I do not subscribe to the hype. Most "all-road" applications should be focused uponvibration reduction, not the absorption of obstacles as in mountain biking.
- Redshift Sports Kitchen Sink Handlebar
Flared drop bars are a product of early attempts to make mountain biking more comfortable and controlled. When gravel cycling got going in the mid-2000's, the flared drop bar enjoyed a renaissance of sorts, and they became ubiquitous on most every gravel bicycle you see anymore.
- Twin Six Thermal Cargo Bib Shorts
It is getting cooler every day, and the Winter cycling gear is getting drug out of drawers and closets all across the world in the Northern Hemisphere now. One piece of kit I have purchased recently which I have found indispensable is the Twin Six Thermal Cargo Bib Shorts.
- Mint Socks
Socks are not an item which carries a great deal of importance when it comes to gear reviews or media attention. However; can you imagine a world where all socks were sub-par and youhad to wear them? Well, thankfully, that is not the case! Especially when we have Mint Socks to choose from as cyclists.
- Hand Up Gloves
Iwrote a review on HandUp Gloves which you may have seen recently. But I cannot leave them off this list because I really like their products. mean, ya gotta cover the hands sometimes, and right now the weather pretty much dictates we do this as cyclists. You may as well use a really great glove to do this with. HandUp makes really great gloves for any and all seasons.
- Bike Iowa PogieLites
When the winds howl and the cold creeps in wherever you don't want it, then the pogies come out! No.....they are not little gremlins, but they are like fairings for your hands. They keep the cold winds at bay, and create a little micro-climate inside which keeps your hand warmer.
- Feedback Sports Workstand
Repair stands are indispensable items for anyone who might want to do any sort of maintenance on their bicycle(s). Even if all you do is clean your bicycle or lubricate your chain, it is so much easier done with a repair stand.
- Foundation Elite Tool Kit
If you get a repair stand, and/or you want to do your own maintenance, you should check out this basic tool kit through Jenson USA from their Foundation series of tools. The Foundation Elite Tool Kit has all the essentials to get you started on doing basic tasks on your bicycle maintenance lis
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And there you have it! My Top-Ten Recommendations for anyone who might ask me what I would do for cycling gear. Of course, I havemore than ten thingsI'd recommend, but that would not fit the "Top Ten" thing now, would it? No.
If you found this useful, let me know in the comments. If you would like to see more posts like this, also, let me know in the comments. Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions!
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About Guitar Ted
Cyclist all my life. Guitarist since 18 years of age. Inducted into the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame in 2022, inaugural class. Work at Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective,and play guitar in the Heartland Vineyard Christian Fellowship band.