ETOU XC 3-mode 4-LED Bicycle Tail & Safety Light Review

Customer Ratings:

cheap, easy to install, and multiple times I've had it on blinky mode and forgotten to turn it off overnight, yet the next day still working fine! I keep an extra in my bag just in case the battery dies, but so far so good. completely worth it.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

My bike is my only transportation, so I use it everyday. My expensive cat eye light was stolen and I needed a quick replacement for safely commuting home at night. This was a quick fix, but ended up being a great purchase. I don't recommend it for night riding in the sense of seeing the path ahead, but for safety of letting cars know you're there, it's very bright. Also it is super convenient to take on and off the bike. I was worried about the rubber getting old and breaking from too much use, but so far so good after about 6 months of daily use.

Best Deals for ETOU XC 3-mode 4-LED Bicycle Tail & Safety Light

I ride through dark roads often, this light is very bright for being so small. It doesn't weigh much and stays put on the bike handle. The battery life seems to last long too. Could also be used as a good flashlight.

Honest reviews on ETOU XC 3-mode 4-LED Bicycle Tail & Safety Light

For the Low cost it seems like its good quality. Package contained 2 so that was a nice surprise. They fit nicely on my bike.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for ETOU XC 3-mode 4-LED Bicycle Tail & Safety Light

I've had these on my bike for about 6 months (one in white, one in red), occasionally leaving them out in a snow or rain storm, and they've held up fine. They don't turn on accidentally in my bag or jacket pocket, so I haven't had to replace the batteries yet. This is huge for me, since my Knog Frog Lights did that to me all the time and I was constantly replacing their batteries. I'm much happier now. They're also much brighter than my former single-LED lights. They don't do that much to illuminate the road, but they do a lot to alert cars to my presence. I like them a lot and can't believe they were so cheap! Note that it took about 3 weeks for them to arrive, though. Straight from China.

Discount Wheel Master Velocity A23 Wheel Set - 700c, 32H, 6700 10-Speed, QR

Customer Ratings:

I really didn't want to fiddle with a new wheel but my rear was creaking a bit too much after a few rides in the first week. I would suspect a well built wheel would be de-stressed prior to delivery to the customer. That said -I don't believe these wheels were EVER tensioned enough to apply spoke stress. On my tension meter I couldn't even register a kilograms force reading -meaning the tension was too low to translate accurately. I know just enough about wheels to make me dangerous with a nipple wrench -too much time was spent tensioning these up to a standard. (BTW, I used Bill Mould's DVD on wheel-building to guide me on the tensioning process -it's no-nonsense and to the point of a basic wheel build -not a documentary or physics discussion on the bike wheel like some of the books I have read).

Overall, Shimano Ultegra hubs great; A23 wide rim for cyclocross good; DT non-butted spokes okay; 32 holes and lightweight they are not but I purchased these specifically for the width with hopes of a smoother, better cross ride to learn the ropes and build some confidence at the races.

Lastly, with wider rims if you use cantilever brakes you might need to buy road brake pads and holders to allow for the extra space the wider rim uses. I paid 60 dollars for 2 pairs of Rival brake pads -you can spend less.

For us novices, it's really hard to justify paying 2 up to 10 times as much for pro level wheels.

The make-up of these wheels are decent so I think this would be a good buy if you are a newbie rider, are somewhat handy or you know somebody handy. If you have to take them to the bike store for pads&holders and retensioning figure on the extra cost.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Reviews of Trico Iron Case - Bike Travel Case

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $425.00
Sale Price: $379.95
Today's Bonus: 11% Off

I purchased the Trico case last month for a mountain bike trip. My brother purchased the Thule case for the same trip and we both highly recommend the Trico case over the Thule case. Obviously the Thule case will get the job done but the Trico case is much better. He went with the Thule case because it was compatible with the Thule roof rack. I don't see any reason you couldn't mount the Trico case on a Thule roof rack. I have a full suspension mountain bike with 5 inches of travel and I didn't have to take the fork off but my brother did with the Thule case (not a huge deal). Here are some reasons why I think the Trico case is better:

1) The Trico case is much more durable because it's made with a thicker and stronger material. I found the Thule case to be very flimsy which left spaces between the top and bottom shells when we closed the case.

2) The Trico case comes with two very strong metal braces that support the frame and fork when the hubs/wheels are removed. These braces allow you to compress the two shells together without damaging the bike. The Thule case does not have any frame/fork braces.

3) The Trico case has three layers of foam protecting your bike where the Thule case has two plus a useless thin layer of plastic that does not cushion the wheels at all.

4) The Trico case is a perfect rectangle with square corners giving it larger internal dimensions than the Thule case. This is why my brother had to take his fork off to get the bike to fit in the case.

5) The Trico case has more buckles and straps than the Thule case making it easier to close tight.

6) The Trico case is ready to go right out of the box but the Thule case requires you to attach the wheels and all the plastic buckles.

The biggest difference I found between the cases lies in the way the bike is packed.

The Trico case is packed as follows: bottom shell, FOAM, frame and parts, FOAM, wheels, FOAM, top shell. Then you apply pressure as required to close the case. The added pressure is just compressing the foam and will not hurt your bike because of the axle braces that I previously discussed.

The Thule case is packed as follows: bottom shell, wheels (NO PROTECTION BETWEEN BOTTOM SHELL AND WHEELS), thin plastic divider, FOAM, frame and parts, FOAM, top shell. You still need to apply pressure to close the Thule case and compress the foam like the Trico case but larger bikes can be damaged because the frame and fork do not have the metal braces and there is no padding between the bottom shell and wheels. The Thule case is also very flimsy and gets distorted when pressure is applied to close the case.

Like I said earlier either case will work but when you put them side by side there is no comparison. VeloNews has a great YouTube video that shows a full suspension bike being packed into the Trico case. The only Thule videos I found showed smaller road bikes being packed into the case and one was a women's bike.

One more thing I learned recently about shipping bikes is that if any of the dimensions exceed 47x31x11 the shipping charges go up by about $40-$60. This is why having the ability to safely compress the Trico case to 11in without damaging the bike is SO important. I paid $85 with $2000 insurance to ship FedEx Ground from coast to coast. UPS was about 25% more. I also found that weight was insignificant compared to the case's dimensions when it came to shipping charges.

I bought my case from Brands Cycle for $339.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

I purchased two of these upon the recommendation of a pro cyclist. We have Specialized Triathlon bikes and they fit perfectly. We shipped them to Hawaii for a race, and they arrived totally intact, bikes without a scratch, dent or mishap (as it should be).

These cases are so durable and rock solid I would even go to say short of the case being run over by a truck, they could withstand pretty much anything an airline or shipping handler could do to it, i.e. sliding, tossing, dropping, things piled on top of it, etc.

The only drawback I've seen so far is there is only one handle (Nylon strip about 2" wide) for pulling the case. That works fine until you need to go through a door, so you have to turn the case sideways to get through it. There are no handles to grab on the sides, so even the baggage handlers at the airport made a comment about that as it was cumbersome to move any other way than pulling it with the handle and rollers.

Other than that, it does the job exactly as intended and worth every dollar, especially when your investment inside is thousands. Truly an iron case.

Best Deals for Trico Iron Case - Bike Travel Case

My father and I rented a case for air travel from STL to PHX. It was worth EVERY PENNY for the peace of mind for my Cervelo (54cm frame), and his Look (53cm). It takes around 30-45 minutes the first time you break down the bike to get it into the box, for planning how everything fits in. I also only had to take off the bars and the seat. On the way back, it only took 15 minutes. The case is bombproof, absolutely NOTHING happened to the bikes. The cases we rented were all scratched and dented, too. They take the beating, not your bike. The only slight problem is that it can be a pain to tighten down the straps. By accident, I didn't fully tighten down the box all the way on the way to PHX. Nothing happened to the bike, but it was still something that could have been easier. Also, larger frames would have trouble fitting.

Pros:

-Relatively inexpensive

-Extremely solid

-Minimal breakdown for mid-sized bikes (around 54cm frame)

Cons:

-First time breakdown takes a while

-Large frames may be hard to fit in

-Tightening straps requires you to do some wrangling of the box

When I buy a bike box later this year, it's going to be this case.

Honest reviews on Trico Iron Case - Bike Travel Case

Purchased this recently and had the opportunity to use it for a round-trip direct flight this past weekend. I had previously been borrowing a friend's B&W hard shell bike case but being that they range from $400-600, I did not want to invest that much on my own given that I'll only fly with a bike a few times a year.

Based on reviews, pricing, and online research, I went with the Trico Iron Case. First impression upon receiving it was that it is visibly smaller the B&W case. However, once I disassembled my 'cross bike (56cm), I was pleased to find that it fit quite easily. It does pack well and given that it is a fairly tight fit, nothing moves around inside. Everything arrived after both flights in perfect condition.

Now, my issues with this case. Securing it shut is no where near as easy as the B&W case. It took me a few minutes to get the hang of the process for the step-wise fashion in which I must secure each strap. Time-wise, I'd say it takes 4-5x as long to actually close the Trico case once you have everything inside compared to the B&W. For me, that is fine. The issue comes at the airport, where the TSA must open your bike box and inspect. With the B&W, in my previous flights, it was a snap and no issue. With the Trico case, on my depature flight, since the TSA agent didn't have the same knowledge (or maybe care) I had in securing the case, it arrived with one buckle broken. I was advised by the airline that since the buckles are on the exterior and not integrated within the body of the case, they have no responsibility for damage. For the flight home, I now had 6 of the 7 straps functioning b/c of the broken buckle. Nothing broken on the way home, but they obviously had a slightly tough time closing it b/c the top and bottom halfs of the shell were misaligned.

The pull strap needs to be improved. I couldn't find one way of holding it that wasn't uncomfortable after pulling the box for a few minutes. I didn't have a very long walk from my car to the terminal, but I always felt like the strap was eating into my hand.

The case is solid in terms of protection....when packed properly. However, the stress of now not knowing if it's going to come back with broken straps or re-closed improperly coupled with the sub-par pull strap has me thinking that in hindsight, I'd have preferred investing in the B&W case of trying the EVOC bike case, which is at a similar price point.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Trico Iron Case - Bike Travel Case

When looking for cases, I considered several factors, price was a consideration, but weight and strength were also important. The cases I looked at included the Trico Sports Iron Case, the Tri All 3 Sports Velo Case, and the Biknd Helium Bike Case. The Trico Sports Iron Case weighs about 31 pounds and cost $290-$399, Tri-All 3 Sports Velo case weighs about 35 pounds and cost about $550-$600, Thule Round Trip which weighs 30.5 pounds and cost $327-$439 and the Biknd Helium Bike Case weighs 19.8 pounds and cost $600.

The Tri All 3 Sports case seems to be a stronger case and easiest to pack, with its internal cross bracing to support an aluminum frame and a rigid poly ethylene shell, but is quite a bit more expensive. The Biknd Helium case uses inflatable air bladders to provide protection and disperse pressure away from the bike. The Trico Sports Iron Case is very strong as well, but uses foam combined with the tough polycarbonate external shell to dispersing pressure from bumps and impacts. The Thule Round Trip uses a similar method of protecting the bicycle, but the shell is made of ABS plastic and several reviews I have read comparing the two said the Trico Sports Iron Case's shell seemed more durable.

Since I have only owned and used the Trico Sports Iron case, I can not say which case provides the best protection. I did however test the Trico Sports Iron Case I stood on top of the case (I weigh a 185 pounds), without causing any damage to my road bike's carbon frame or its wheels.

Packing the the Trico Sports Iron Case is pretty simple once one becomes familiar with how to disassemble their bike and how it best fits into the case. There are many videos on YouTube that provide detailed demonstrations of how to pack a bike. Essentially, the seat, handlebars, pedals, and wheels are removed. Spacer/braces are bolted onto the front and rear dropouts, replacing where the wheel hubs were, providing strength. On the first layer of foam inside the shell, the frame is placed and the handlebars are rested near the headset with the cables attached, which also distributes pressure away from the front of the frame.The seat and post, pedals and skewers, shoes, and bike clothing are wrapped and put in with the frame and can be wedge to relieve possible pressure away from the frame. The second layer of foam is placed on top of this and the wheals are laid cast side down overlapping each other a bit. Finally, the third layer of foam is placed along with the lid and the straps are connected and tightened.

The wheels and molded in grips make moving the case easy enough. The wheels are mounted with the wheels on the side and is towed similar to conventional luggage rather than on edge like the Tri All 3 Velo Case. This makes it wider and a bit more difficult to maneuver but also more stable. Because it is wide, flat, and stable, I use the tow strap to strap on other luggage onto the back of the case when towing to through the airport. I found the case fits easily into the back seats of all the compact rental cars I've used so far.

Conclusion. Upon researching various cases available, the Trico Sports Iron Case seemed to have a good combination of strength and weight for the price. After using it for a couple years of regular travel, I feel this case was well worth the money. It may not be the easiest case to pack or the strongest, but it gets the job done of protecting a bicycle, at a reasonable price.

Review of WTB Weirwolf Tire

Customer Ratings:

The WTB Weirwolf has a great tread design for hard pack snow and dirt, it works well in sand and is awesome through the rocks. It's not good in the mud as it tends clog very quickly and needs to be cleaned by hand.

The greatest disapointment was the fact that my 2.5" tire's only measure 2.35" so my $75.00 expense to get the widest tire's that will fit my frame was a waste of money, as my 2.3" WTB Exiwolf tires were in fact 2.3", they perform as well in all conditions and I never had to stop to clean the 3lbs of mud out of the tread. I became a fan of WTB products with my SpeedVee seat and my original Nano tires but the Weirwolf has been something of a let down.

I would not reccomend this tire because of the size and mud issues.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

I replaced Panaracer Fires that I had been using for several years with this Weirwolf 2.3. I immediately noticed better front grip and a better turning arc while I still had a Panaracer fire in the rear. So, I say to myself, if it works well up front maybe I will put one on the rear too. So I did (a 2.1) and I am not sure it is the best combination.

Other reviews say the tire is a little strange when you lean it hard into a turn first slipping a little and then biting well. I have not gotten past the squirreley feeling to get to the grip. It is very unsettling and while I did not notice it with the Panaracer in the rear, I do now. I rode an exposed side hill single track over the weekend and there were moments I was not comfortable with the grip.

The tire rolls great and is just as fast and the tires they replaced and I notice that climbing is better but that just may be due to the 2.3 replacing a 2.1 on the front. No tendency to "scritch" while climbing on the rear.

I am going to give the combination a solid try before I change anything again... maybe I am just uncomfortable with change.

Best Deals for WTB Weirwolf Tire

Sizing is inaccurate, I have 2.1s on now and mounted a 2.3, then compared the two with my caliper and I can't measure a difference. No complaints about the tires as I have ridden them for 3 years straight, they are great on every kind of terrain.

Honest reviews on WTB Weirwolf Tire

I got a pair of 2.1's for my Avalanche awhile ago.

Yes the bead is extremely tight and they are hard to put on, but I was able to do so with a couple metal tire levers. It wasn't too terrible, but if you're someone who needs to switch out tires frequently it could be a hassle.

I will also agree that these tires get clogged with mud quite easily. It's incredibly annoying. However, when they are clean and the trails are dry, you will get excellent traction.

I've used these tires for a few months of daily riding and they aren't showing any signs of wear yet. I'm a fan of WTB tires and seats.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for WTB Weirwolf Tire

The TCS version is a well made tire. I have the 2.5 (2.2-2.3 at best) TCS 29er tires front (24psi) and rear (30psi). They are perfectly and amazingly bouncy when set up tubeless. Running these tires with tubes is not nearly as senstive as tubeless. Of course some may not notice such subtle things. I ride a hard tail 29er and with these fatties, I get the the right amount of suspension for the trails I ride-intermediate, technical single track. They way they soak up bumps is brilliant. The side rails of the tread are not much use for me in dry conditions. THey bite well in moist, pack conditions.

Until I find a real 2.5 made this well, I'll likely buy another set.