Ask the experts

[Andeh]

I got a Specialized Neoshell jacket through a buddy's EP, and it's been great for the most part. Only complaint is that while the hood fits over a helmet, it is huge when not wearing one (i.e. doing trail work) and doesn't like to stay in place then. I was specifically looking for Neoshell because of my good experiences with it back when I used to be able to ski tour. Good material for biking for the same reason - high exertion so need to let heat and vapor out while keeping moisture out too.

[Falcon3]

Another "what rain jacket are you wearing?" I replaced a well worn Patagonia Torrentshell this season with a fancy Patagonia Granite Crest and it has been utter dog shit. Wets out in 5 min and turns into a cold wet bag. I've never returned a piece of outerwear before for poor performance, but might try with this one. Any recs? I tend to prefer mtb gear that is patterned for riding (drop set etc.), but it's not a requirement.

I wear a Patagonia Houdini Air and it’s awesome. If you’re pedaling in the rain (anything less than a steady rain), your interior moisture is probably higher than exterior anyway, so having good DWR but super breathable is more important IMO than actual waterproofness. I regularly do 3 hour rides in ~50 degree temps while it’s drizzling (not often riding in long heavy rain). I’m damp when I get back but not cold and not completely soaked.

Plus it packs up to about the size of an apple so it’s really easy to throw in the fanny pack when there’s a chance of rain.

I also wear the Houdini Air most of the time ski touring. It’s good to single digits with a wool base layer including days it’s dumping and you’re sweating.

[jamal]

My pearl izumi neoshell stuff is pretty good. Actually waterproof and really breathable. Can pedal around with the jacket on and zipped up and not be drenched from sweat. I'll even wear it as an outer layer in cold and dry conditions sometimes although it's not really ideal for that. Mainly it's what I bring when I think I have a good chance of getting rained on for awhile. I have the tight fitting road jacket plus the mtb one that works really well as a casual rain coat and even have worn it touring on warmer days. Downside is they're real expensive if you don't have a good discount somewhere but PI is on expertvoice and stuff. It's also not as packable as a super light jacket like a houdini or the thin roadie stuff. And yes it has a huge hood.

[evdog]

I tried a few lightweight "waterproof" jackets like marmot precip but eventually went back to goretex as the others always wetted out too soon in real rain. You're kind of damned if you do damned if you don't in rain due to sweat but real goretex still is the answer for me .

[bamboocoreONLY]

Have had nothing but good experiences in my flylow rain jacket, big pit zips are nice.

[frorider]

Another vote for BeFree here. Have been using for 4-5 yrs now. Only issue is occasionally the flow slows inexplicably and no amount of shaking or swishing will restore it. Not as easy to replace when you're on the road as they aren't sold everywhere like sawyers. But even the reduced flow is similar to Sawyer micro squeeze. And when they are flowing at full rate they are awesome. So fast. Even when just filtering a little it's much nicer. And I'm more likely to drink more because of that.

I used a micro squeeze earlier and eventually moved up to regular size Sawyer squeeze as it had better flow rate for maybe 1 oz extra weight. I found the sawyers had to be back flushed regularly even in clear water. And the bag they come with sucks to fill unless there are small waterfalls or strong flow, so I got a third party bag with wider opening. That's one reason I like the BeFree better, much easier to fill.

I used a Steripen for awhile and never had issues but I hate relying on battery powered devices if possible. And even in clear water you get some floaties in your bottle. So I prefer an actual filter to UV.

I'll keep using BeFree but wouldn't hesitate to use Sawyer squeeze again, just need a smart water bottle or other dirty water sack.

We’ve been power users of Sawyer minis for years — generally have to back flush every 4 days of use. We prefer the mini because it can stay in a pocket & allow all day rides w/o a pack. The key to filter nirvana for me was discovering the CNOC bags on a bikepacking discussion—makes grabbing 2 liters of water at a bug infested shallow stream super quick.

I’d like try BeFree sometime, especially since your review carries a lot of weight given the rides you do regularly

[toast2266]

Another vote for BeFree here. Have been using for 4-5 yrs now. Only issue is occasionally the flow slows inexplicably and no amount of shaking or swishing will restore it. Not as easy to replace when you're on the road as they aren't sold everywhere like sawyers. But even the reduced flow is similar to Sawyer micro squeeze. And when they are flowing at full rate they are awesome. So fast. Even when just filtering a little it's much nicer. And I'm more likely to drink more because of that.

I used a micro squeeze earlier and eventually moved up to regular size Sawyer squeeze as it had better flow rate for maybe 1 oz extra weight. I found the sawyers had to be back flushed regularly even in clear water. And the bag they come with sucks to fill unless there are small waterfalls or strong flow, so I got a third party bag with wider opening. That's one reason I like the BeFree better, much easier to fill.

I used a Steripen for awhile and never had issues but I hate relying on battery powered devices if possible. And even in clear water you get some floaties in your bottle. So I prefer an actual filter to UV.

I'll keep using BeFree but wouldn't hesitate to use Sawyer squeeze again, just need a smart water bottle or other dirty water sack.

We’ve been power users of Sawyer minis for years — generally have to back flush every 4 days of use. We prefer the mini because it can stay in a pocket & allow all day rides w/o a pack. The key to filter nirvana for me was discovering the CNOC bags on a bikepacking discussion—makes grabbing 2 liters of water at a bug infested shallow stream super quick.

I’d like try BeFree sometime, especially since your review carries a lot of weight given the rides you do regularly

Awesome, thanks for the intel! The "all day rides w/o a pack" are definitely what I'm after, and it sounds like either the Sawyer mini or the BeFree will probably accomplish that.

[XtrPickels]

My pearl izumi neoshell stuff is pretty good. Actually waterproof and really breathable. Can pedal around with the jacket on and zipped up and not be drenched from sweat. I'll even wear it as an outer layer in cold and dry conditions sometimes although it's not really ideal for that. Mainly it's what I bring when I think I have a good chance of getting rained on for awhile. I have the tight fitting road jacket plus the mtb one that works really well as a casual rain coat and even have worn it touring on warmer days. Downside is they're real expensive if you don't have a good discount somewhere but PI is on expertvoice and stuff. It's also not as packable as a super light jacket like a houdini or the thin roadie stuff. And yes it has a huge hood.

I think these were just on sale last week!

I was a big push for the use of Neoshell - There's no other material that allows moisture vapor transfer at the same rates. It's not the best for low-output activity in torrential rain... it will eventually wet from the outside in, but for anything active it's the best.

To know this, I did this testing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_42U...t=LL&index=109
Across multiple different branded and proprietary fabrics / membranes

[Boissal]

WeThe key to filter nirvana for me was discovering the CNOC bags on a bikepacking discussion—makes grabbing 2 liters of water at a bug infested shallow stream super quick.

Oooooh that's the bag I have, couldn't remember the brand but it works great! This spring I used mine to collect water from a melting snowpatch running down a dirt road. Barely any flow, I excavated a small hole, mashed the bag in there, got it filled up with silty water, ran it through the Sawyer mini straight into the bladder of the hip pack. So convenient.

[wkd-rdr]

Ok, expert question:

If I accidentally let about 2ml worth of fluid out of my FloatX, is it still rideable? (thought it was a pinch bolt , as I was adding a bigger spacer)

[climberevan]

You let oil out of the damper part? It's going to ride like total shit. They only have a few ml total. You prob won't break anything by continuing to ride, but a full damper rebuild/bleed is in order.

[toast2266]

If the oil got let out of the damper, the shock would presumably start making squishy-sucky noises almost immediately.

Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

[sfotex]

What's the deal with the latest scam on Face Book where they want you to pay with PP Goods and Services or checkout thru the facebook guaranteed stuff? So they mail you a box of garbage or something? I was going back and forth with a scammer with a $1000 Cervelo using pics lifted from a bike store in Arizona. He wanted me to pay with PP G&S, or I could come see the bike in a few days when he was home for the weekend.

The only thing I can figure is the scammers didn't want the account to get shut down on the middle of another deal?

[wkd-rdr]

If the oil got let out of the damper, the shock would presumably start making squishy-sucky noises almost immediately.

Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

Thanks both of you.
It still rides well, and no noise as of yet.
Perhaps I only let a little out, enough to matter. 2ml was a high number, probably closer to 0.5ml.

The larger spacer sure helped the ride, though.

[muted reborn]

I think these were just on sale last week!

I was a big push for the use of Neoshell - There's no other material that allows moisture vapor transfer at the same rates. It's not the best for low-output activity in torrential rain... it will eventually wet from the outside in, but for anything active it's the best.

To know this, I did this testing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_42U...t=LL&index=109
Across multiple different branded and proprietary fabrics / membranes

Nice work.

[SchralphMacchio]

What's the deal with the latest scam on Face Book where they want you to pay with PP Goods and Services or checkout thru the facebook guaranteed stuff? So they mail you a box of garbage or something? I was going back and forth with a scammer with a $1000 Cervelo using pics lifted from a bike store in Arizona. He wanted me to pay with PP G&S, or I could come see the bike in a few days when he was home for the weekend.

The only thing I can figure is the scammers didn't want the account to get shut down on the middle of another deal?

No idea - but when I was looking at used bikes I would let the seller know I was a serious buyer and then ask for a picture of the serial number below the BB, wouldn’t you know it, the scammers would make outrageous excuses or just stop responding. I got responses like “you don’t need that, I got the bike from the Official Store.”

Oh yeah, actually now that I remember I got ripped off by a fake e-commerce site and it set up a recurring payment on PayPal that took a while for their support team to unwind, but it honestly wasn’t that painful of a process. No idea how it would be on Facebook.

[jm2e]

Does anyone make a glove similar to the old Free The Powder gloves? I despise most bike gloves. I don’t want to feel like I have a pair of panties on my hands. I dig and do shit with my gloves on.


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[toast2266]

Does anyone make a glove similar to the old Free The Powder gloves? I despise most bike gloves. I don’t want to feel like I have a pair of panties on my hands. I dig and do shit with my gloves on.


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I've never used them, but hestra makes some gloves that look similar. Hestra pricing though.

Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

[Roxtar]

Does anyone make a glove similar to the old Free The Powder gloves? I despise most bike gloves. I don’t want to feel like I have a pair of panties on my hands. I dig and do shit with my gloves on.


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These:



https://www.pearlizumi.com/collectio...42471262978219

[Backward_Banana]

Does anyone have an old dropper lever laying around that they don't need? A friend's frankenbike has a 2x lever, super uncomfortable. Happy to pay beer and shipping.

[Andeh]

Does anyone have an old dropper lever laying around that they don't need? A friend's frankenbike has a 2x lever, super uncomfortable. Happy to pay beer and shipping.

I've got like 3 different BikeYoke dropper levers sitting in my parts box I'd be happy to send. Let me double check tonight.

[Huskier]

Super ultra technical performance question: The "Kids Ride Shotgun" Seat. My creature keeps sliding off the back when we ride uphill and I realize the whole thing has a tendency to rotate counterclockwise, bringing the pegs forward and the seat back. Really cranking on it it seems like the only way to eliminate this is to adjust so the lower footpeg bolt under the downtube is like braced against the downtube, which seems like a recipe for frame damage. Am I an idiot? What am I doing wrong here...

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[jm2e]

I've got like 3 different BikeYoke dropper levers sitting in my parts box I'd be happy to send. Let me double check tonight.

I probably have another 3 random levers. So if he needs 6 …….


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[evdog]

Does anyone make a glove similar to the old Free The Powder gloves? I despise most bike gloves. I don’t want to feel like I have a pair of panties on my hands. I dig and do shit with my gloves on.

I bring work gloves for doing work on bike rides since I don't like trashing bike gloves.

Lately I've been using the Milwaukee level 1 gloves from HD for trailwork. They are thin/comfortable enough for riding too. Just don't use them for heavy rock work, they get shredded. $7/pr

[XXX-er]

I use a super skinny ODI grip which allows me to use a padded work glove, I'm using some now that are all synthetic so they wear really well no leather to get stinky and i can thro em in the laundry any time