Bugs and gnats can play hell on eyeballs and even ruin a perfectly good afternoon ride when pedaling through the woods, especially near water. Smith Photochromic Glasses (Wildcat)Įye protection is a necessary summertime accessory here in the Southeastern United States, whether it’s bright or not. The Hope Seat Post Clamp is made from 2014 T6 Aluminium and Brass and comes in a variety of diameters (28.6, 30, 31.8, 34.9, 36.4 and 38.5mm) and colors (Black, Silver, Red, Blue, Purple, and Orange). I’m now using the Hope collar on two other bikes and am completely sold. After installing it and tightening accordingly, there was no more slippage, and I’ve since put a ton of miles on the S5 while training for a race and riding in it. It also has a unique bolt and triangular nut that appears to be designed to provide an even clamping force at the rear. Inspecting it closely, I realized it was deeper than most others. The local shop didn’t have one in stock, so I opened up my spares drawer and found a Hope Seat Post Clamp. Then I tried using carbon paste, but it still slipped.Ī mechanic friend recommended switching to a Thomson seat post clamp, which he claimed remedied this issue for him on a couple of occasions. I tried cleaning out the seat tube and clamp bolt, greasing the bolt, and retightening. Most recently, this manifested itself out of nowhere on my Pipedream S5 when using a standard Wolf Tooth seat post clamp. Common solutions include cleaning and greasing the clamp bolt or applying carbon paste to the seat post.
Unfortunately, this isn’t always easily remedied. I’ve managed to have three steel hardtails that developed the dreaded “slipping seat post” condition over the last couple of years, a tragic affliction where the seat post slowly slides down as you’re riding, no matter how tightly it’s clamped. I’m betting it’s even better than this one, which I didn’t think could be improved upon. Note that there’s a newer version of the Bismarck that uses Voiles for the handlebar straps. However, it’s also particularly handy because it has four super useful stash pockets that are perfect for chapstick, snacks, trash, and other items that are best stowed within reach. It’s unlike anything else on the market, and its primary purpose is to keep a water bottle in an easy-to-access location. There’s a reason why the Rogue Panda Bismarck Bottle Bucket is the first item in this Editor’s Dozen list: it gets moved to whatever bike I’m riding, and besides my One Up pump, it’s the only piece of gear I use on every trail ride and bikepacking trip. This not only helps preserve the finish on the fork, but it’s also easier to use. Lastly, Rogue Panda changed the fork crown strap to use a Voilé Nano Strap instead of fixed webbing. Also, instead of having a single strap that fixes the bag to the handlebars, the latest version has two, providing a space in between them that can accommodate a handlebar strap from another bag, such as a harness or roll, making it friendlier for use with other bags. The new Bismarck has just one option and can be reversed and used on either side of the bike by changing the lower strap mount. The previous Bismarck had a left and a right version, each with the mesh pockets reversed and a lower strap oriented accordingly. They made two excellent changes, however. It still has the same features: a built-in lightweight bottle cage, useful mesh pockets, and a front “balloon” pocket. I reviewed the Bismarck a few years ago, but last year, Rogue Panda gave this handy little bag a makeover. Rogue Panda Bismarck Bottle Bucket (V2)ġ12 grams / Made in Arizona, USA / $65 at Rogue Panda Note that all of these were picked because we’re really enjoying them, so the pros unsurprisingly outweigh the cons across the board.
Each is in a mini-review format with a quick writeup, photo gallery, and impressions. Some of these items were resurrected from the parts bin and others are relatively new to the market this year. Along the way, we tested a lot of new gear.įor this installment of the #editors-dozen series, we selected 12 items that have already seen a ton of use in 2023, becoming our newfound favorites in the process. After that, we stuck around our home in the southern Appalachians riding familiar turf in the spring, then went to Colorado to scout and work on a new route we’re excited to unveil soon. We spent the beginning of 2023 rambling about the Oaxacan backcountry on the San José del Pacifico and several other rides in the area.
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