Showing posts with label rei bike pumps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rei bike pumps. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Cheap Tour De France Stage One Elite Bike

Tour De France Stage One Elite Bike
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
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I purchased this bike after having to return a Tour de France Stage One Pro that arrived damaged. The component group and features of this model are far superior to the Pro but unfortunately the packaging wasn't and the bike arrived damaged.

As I put in my review of the Stage One Pro, the manufacturer must do something with their packaging! The bike comes wrapped in bubble wrap and cardboard with plastic sleeves affixed to the hubs that are supposed to hold the bike away from the sides of the box. When I opened up the box I found that every one of the plastic sleeves failed and the bike was resting on the rear derailleur. I pulled everything out and found a deep gouge in the seat tube that went down to the metal and the RD hanger was bent at a 45 degree angle. Had this bike been put together and someone tried to shift to the lowest gear the RD would have been flung into the spokes either destroying the wheel, the RD, the frame, or any combo of the three. I checked on the Cycle Force Group support site for a replacement derailleur hanger but they don't list any of the Tour de France hangers, which would be a serious problem down the road if there were no replacements available. There was also a manufacturing problem with the saddle/seat post combination as the saddle would not rest properly in the post and stayed at an angle.

This being my second bike from Cycle Force Group received damaged I returned it and have decided not to purchase a bike from their company. The bike itself is not to blame really and if you get one that isn't damaged it is a great setup for a beginning rider. The assembly is not difficult (based upon similarity with the Stage One Pro) but the manual requires patience as they cram every model they make into one booklet. I can't comment on the ride quality with this bike as I never finished the assembly.

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So I'm new to bikes and thought I would start out with something that would be on the inexpensive side but still got the job done. I looked around at different bikes and finally came upon the suggestion of getting this one since it was my first bike. The price I got it for here on Amazon was the biggest reason to buy it so I gave it a shot. The first bike that was sent to me must have been sent to someone else before because there were things in the package that were already open (ie. parts to the bike). There ended up being a very small almost unnoticeable broken piece of the frame that was essential to keeping the brake line on and working. I sent it back and get a new bike within 3 days and everything was perfect on the new one. The second bike had never been touched and it has worked out great for me. I'm going to be using it for a few sprint triathlons and commuting for the next while so we'll see how she holds up.

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Friday, May 30, 2014

Best Pro Series 63153 60" x 24" Hitch Mounted Cargo Carrier (Black) Deals

Pro Series 63153 60' x 24' Hitch Mounted Cargo Carrier
Customer Ratings: 5 stars
List Price: $202.17
Sale Price: $124.40
Today's Bonus: 38% Off
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I recieved this in 1 day...I don't know how it arrived so quickly. It comes in two pieces. You only need to attach 4 small and three large bolts and you are ready to go. Be sure to get a hitch pin ( sold seperately) I went to Home Depot for mine. This carrier is nice cause it is extra large, very sturdy, but not overly akward to attach. I store mine on 2 recycling bins so that I can easily slide it a bit to adjust for attaching to the hitch. You need a torque wrench ( or a friend who has one ) to secure the 11 bolts. Very simple assembly. This one is the larger size and I'm glad I chose it cause as you will find that in practical use you can haul many more items. I bought wratcheting straps, but the "octopus-style" bungee cords seem to work best for my uses unless you really have a top-heavy or tippy item. I also like the fact that with this one you can add lights...the cutouts are built in the frame. You dont need them for day errands but if I were driving long distance or night travel I would go for the lights. The frame seems very sturdy and I have kept it outside uncovered for several months now. There is the start of rusting at the bolt heads, but I suppose that is to be expected. Perhaps you could spray rustoleum on them as a preventitive. I also notice that there is a very light rust tinge along only one support bar where the steel mesh lies over and must be welded to it. If I could, I would store it in a shed or garage. The hitch bar has a rise to it and I wouldn't

buy one without the rise feature as it adds necessary clearance. Mine has had zero problems over gradings and culverts. For 125 dollars delivered, it is well worth the price for saving me and my forester the aggravation of loading messy/bulky/stinky items into my car and adding lots of cargo carring capacity.

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I will keep this short because my title sums up my overall sentiment.

Pros...

+ Solid construction

+ Design allows for good distance between carrier & bumper

Easy access to rear tailgate (SUV)

Plenty of clearance to open tailgate vertically

+ Assembly was straight forward, but allow for extra time

Follow directions; use a torque wrench for peace of mind

+ Impact to fuel economy was relatively minimal.

Hwy MPG was 17.8, vs 19.4, with ~200# load secured in rainproof duffle

Cons (minor)...

+ Packaging could use a redesign; incurred minor chips and scratches fixed with rustoleum

One of two zip ties holding arm broke allowing for it to swing in transit

The two corner supports need to be sturdy cardboard or foam, and need to be adhered

+ Item is bulky.

Practice putting it on & removing it a few times before your first use

Separate note on:

Assembly... Take time to consider how you will orient the arm. It is designed with a slight arc to allow for additional clearance, if you need it. Generally, car or minivan hitches will be lower to the ground than a hitch on a SUV or truck.

Recommended purchases... Consider the following (I bought these; added peace of mind and increase my overall satisfaction of the carrier):

Rola 59102 Expandable Hitch Tray Cargo Bag

Master Lock 1480DAT Stainless Steel Receiver Lock for 5/8' Receiver Hole

Grizzly Gear Large 36" x 60" Cargo Net with 16 Durable Nylon Hooks Stretches to 60" x 90"

Best Deals for Pro Series 63153 60" x 24" Hitch Mounted Cargo Carrier (Black)

Good:

This unit is bigger than the others. It is 24" wide, when most are 20". I like the extra space for holding those plastic boxes.

Arrived fast

Seems strong enough, looks good enough

Weighs 60lb. Easy to carry by rails with one person and lots of space. For tight areas, may be better with two people.

Not so good:

Shipping box, as others have said, seems inadequate. My UPS guy apologized and said I might want to inspect the package. I told him it's OK, the thing is strong metal, won't be broken but will be scratched. No big deal, since it's not fragile, but it should be better.

Assembly:

Very easy, I thought. BUT, you are asked to provide a torque wrench and not just any torque wrench. I have two, and one only goes up to 45 ft-lbs. Only my heavy-duty torque wrench can handle the 75 ft-lbs required by the 3 big bolts of this carrier. However, my thinking is that you could use a regular ratchet/wrench if you are a strong 175lb+ man and just tighten it as hard as you can. (You assume the risk if your bolts don't hold, of course.) Better to do it right at some point, or swing by any mechanic once you have it basically built but you could use it right away, and fix the torque later.

13mm and 19mm wrenches/sockets needed.

Honest reviews on Pro Series 63153 60" x 24" Hitch Mounted Cargo Carrier (Black)

After much research, I finally opted for this hitch carrier and I and so happy with my choice. Unlike the cheaper models, this carrier is extremely well built and sturdy. Very heavy too. I would not suggest this item for someone who is petite and does not have help to slide it in your receiver, because even for a large man, it is heavy and takes some finesse to do it alone. There were several comments about torque wrench, and you really dont need one. Just tighten up the bolts as tight as possible and you will be fine. Also, the size of this model beats the others by far. My suggestion, spend the extra 40 bucks and buy this model.

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I use this to cart our big cooler around and still have room for the kids and the dog in our SUV. It was easy to assemble. Took me about 15 minutes with my 6 year old helping to get it together and pop it onto the truck for the first time. Good size and stability.

I typically have two full coolers, a 150 quart marine cooler and an 80 quart cooler, on this along with miscellaneous camping bits like chairs and an easy-up. We've used is several times, and all welds and bolts are intact.

It was worth the money for me.

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Thursday, May 29, 2014

Review of Nirve Lahaina Women's Cruiser Bike (26-Inch Wheels)

Nirve Lahaina Women's Three Speed Cruiser Bike
Customer Ratings: 5 stars
List Price: $569.99
Sale Price: $529.99
Today's Bonus: 7% Off
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I love this bike. It rides really smoothly. I went bike riding with my family and had my daughter in the wee ride bike carrier. I thought because it only had three speeds that I was going to get tired really fast. But it turns out that the ride wasn't bad at all. I love the colors. The pictures does no justice on how gorgeous this bike is. Everywhere we went I kept getting compliments. One thing I didn't know is that you can't pedal backwards like you could on a regular ten speed bike. When you pedal backwards it's actually the brakes. It took about one week for the bike to delivery and I assume putting the bike together wasn't so hard. I let my neighboor assemble it for me. I do know from all the bikes he assemble this did take the longest. Because of the fenders.

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Love, love, love this bike! I bought the 3 speed automatic and find it so enjoyable to ride since I don't need to concentrate on changing gears. Also, I like the foot brakes back to basics in the most modern way. (I just purchased the Nirve Fifty-three for hubby.)

Best Deals for Nirve Lahaina Women's Cruiser Bike (26-Inch Wheels)

I love this bike. It is sooooooo comfortable, strong and the seat is very soft. It is a beautiful bike and you can tell its a high quality bike. I love it!!!!!!

Honest reviews on Nirve Lahaina Women's Cruiser Bike (26-Inch Wheels)

I absolutely am in love with my new beach cruiser. It's one of the best purchases I've ever made. I paid our local bike shop to complete the bike as I am not at all proficient in putting stuff like that together. I have only one complaint and that is the fact that the rear reflector fell off as I was riding it home. The nut was very loose I guess. I don't know if it's the shops fault or amazons but since the rear of the bike was the part that came 85% already done maybe it was whomever sent me my cruiser. The fender is so low on the tire that I'd have to remove the tire to put the rear deflector on so my dad bought me' a red flashing light that he attached just below the saddle. And now I also need to go back to the shop to attach the basket because he didn't have the proper tools. Other than the extra money spent and the faulty deflector, I am quite happy with my Lahaina Beach Cruiser

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I've owned mine for nearly 2 years now and I LOVE it. We go for family rides around the neighborhood and I even pull a bike trailer with my single speed Nirve.

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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Review of DynaCraft Girl's Barbie Bike (Pink/White, 16-Inch)

DynaCraft Girl's Barbie Bike
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
List Price: $89.99
Sale Price: $77.99
Today's Bonus: 13% Off
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Nice bicycle, really strong construction, comes almost completely assembled only to put on the handle, front wheel, seat and training wheels. Looks very nice. But it said that it comes with three brakes, but it only comes with two, rear caliper brakes and the coaster brakes. No front caliper brakes as advertised. But it is still worth the cost and really will last for a very long time.

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dont forget if you are buying a bike online you will have to put it together yourself. my little girl did not like waiting for me to build it. think we will go to the store next time.