I’ve been ridding about 100 miles a week now, and my existing gear has been showing wear and tear. I looked back at old posts, and wow, was I surprised. I bought this stuff 9 years ago! My Bell Solar helmet and Specialized road shoes are from April 2011. My pedals are pretty old too (from 2011 as well), but I’ve changed out the cleats a few times as they’ve worn out.
I was way overdue for replacement gear, and with all the riding, upgrades are justified (in my mind.) I had a few items in mind that needed replacing:
- A new Specialized S-Works Prevail II in white, featuring an integrated ANGi crash sensor (haven’t set this up yet) and MIPS protection.
- A new pair of Tifosi Amok sunglasses in white, with additional colored lenses (I usually use the smoke or clear lenses, depending on the weather forecast.)
- A new pair of Specialized Body Geometry Dual-Gel Gloves in black.
- A new pair of Specialized S-Works Vent road shoes in white. This is the most significant upgrade, as these are double what I’ve spent in the past on shoes, but they feature Boa dials, and a carbon outsole. They’re also heavily vented. They’re professional shoes!
- I needed some arch support, so I hit up Firehouse Cycles in nearby Yardley PA to pick up some Specialized Body Geometry SL Footbeds with medium arch support. They’re interesting.
- While I was at Firehouse Cycles, I thought about all my evening rides where I wasn’t very visible to road traffic coming towards me from both sides. I decided to pick up these Light and Motion Vya Commuter Combo cycling lights. To charge them, you plug in the units into any USB-A charging port. Once charged, plug them into the bike mount. I have one up front on the handlebars, and one under my saddle. Pretty slick.
- Lastly, while I’ve enjoyed my Rokform bike mount and phone case, it wasn’t doing it for me anymore. The phone case had split on one side, and I’ve often hit the bike mount with my knees on occasion. Once, I actually knocked my phone OFF THE BIKE MOUNT while peddling. This time around, I went with Quadlock. I bought a new phone case, a centered out-in-front bike mount, and also an arm band for when I go running/walking.
I’ve upgraded myself!