Bicycling

This article reviews a variety of bike locks, covering U-Locks, Folding Locks, Chain Locks, and Lightweight Locks. It examines each lock's design, durability, weight, and value, providing consumers with a comprehensive overview to help them make an informed decision. The top picks include Kryptonite's New-U New York Bike Lock, Altor's Apex Folding Bike Lock, OnGuard's 8020 Mastiff Bike Lock, and Ottolock's Combination Bike Lock.

The Altor SAF lock is an impressive anti-theft device, built to resist angle grinders, the most common tool used by bike thieves. It is designed for stationary use, potentially making it unusable for regular bike owners. However, it is a successful deterrent despite its size and weight being impractical for daily use.

The review presents an exhaustive list of numerous bike locks available in the market. Each product is evaluated on features like weight, frame mount, locking mechanism, pros, and cons. The article emphasizes the importance of securing bikes effectively and suggests choosing locks based on the level of security required.

The Giro Switchblade Helmet is reviewed as the best full face helmet that balances downhill safety and pedal-friendly lightweight design. Its chinbar is removable and easy to install, meeting downhill testing standards. It is admittedly stuffier than XC-style half-lid helmet, but manageable for all-day trail rides. Despite some shortcomings in the fit system for a $250 price point, it offers ample protection even without the chinbar. It is heavier but well-ventilated and provides a secure fit.

The review praises the Giro Sutton MIPS Helmet for its lightweight design, sleekness, new safety technology, and additional convenience features such as an integrated light clip and reinforced U-lock port.

The Smith Trace bicycle helmet features superior ventilation and eyewear integration, and retains Aerocore technology for improved energy absorption on impact. It is deemed a versatile, year-round helmet, and scores highly in quality, design, and value.

POC introduces a lower-priced, high-quality helmet, the Omne Air SPIN, designed for everyday bike riders and delivering strong performance in terms of weight, comfort, ventilation and design. It compares favorably with more expensive helmets.

The Gazelle Ultimate T10+ HMB has been praised for its versatility and speed, allowing for fast commutes and light off-road adventures. It boasts a sleek design with internally routed cables and a neatly integrated battery. The e-bike is described as sturdy, well-constructed, and reliable, with responsive control and maneuverability.

Hailed for its accessibility and affordability, Charge has enhanced its popular Comfort e-bike with the new Comfort 2, featuring larger volume tires, an increased rear rack weigh capacity limit, and new colors. This e-bike caters to a wider range of heights than its predecessor, and comes with an easily removable battery that can last up to 50 miles on a single charge. The Comfort 2 is priced at $1,899.

The Fuji Jari 1.5 bike is an affordable, versatile, and durable bike suited for both road and gravel. It features an aluminium frame, a 1X drivetrain, and a wide range of mounting options for everything from bottles to gear, making it ideal for adventure rides. The design includes large tire clearance, an all-weather carbon fork, and flared drop bars for additional control. The bike provides a comfortable ride, good gear selection, and good road and off-road performance.

The Liv Intrigue X Advanced E+ Elite e-MTB impresses with a lightweight carbon frame, powerful Yamaha-co-developed motor, sleek design, and user-friendly interface, promising an enhanced and confident riding experience despite its smaller battery and lack of an XL size.

The Liv Amiti-E+ 2 is an affordable, versatile women's e-bike that excels in both urban commuting and gravel bike paths, with both trail and commuter features.

The Liv Thrive E+ EX Pro is a high-speed, feature-rich commuter e-bike, equipped with customizable assist modes, lights, fenders, and navigation via RideControl App.

The surge in popularity of electric bikes introduces a wide variety of e-bikes from emerging brands such as Aventon, Rad Power Bikes, and Ride1Up. These bikes excel in design, technology reliability, and different capabilities, preferred for commuting, city use, and short trips. Key factors to consider include e-bike class, motor specifications, features like locking batteries, wider tires, lighting, certification, and conversion kits.

The Trek E-Caliber is a new, lightweight, XC-oriented electric mountain bike built to provide a nimble and agile ride for a range of trail types. It features a 60mm carbon frame, 120mm fork, a removable Fazua Evation pedal-assist motor, and an aggressive geometry design. Priced at $11,999, its build and performance balance with its high price tag.

"Other than the first bicycle I had as a kid—a Schwinn Scrambler—no other bike has changed my life like the [Tern Node] cargo bike has. I use it to run every errand around town and even to transport construction supplies."

The Aventon Pace 500 e-bike provides power and comfort despite its affordable price. With features such as torquey 500w rear-hub motor and comfortable saddle, the bike is designed for cruising and city travel. However, buyers should be cautious of the strong power delivery in low gears, which can be jarring for new e-bike riders.

This review provides an overview of various bike seat covers, discussing their comfort, materials, durability, and stability for different types of bikes and uses.

This extensive review evaluates various bike lights, emphasizing visibility, battery life, build quality, and value, including options for different riding conditions and budgets.

Comprehensive review of various bike lights, detailing their features, usability, and performance for different riding conditions, with both budget and premium options recommended.

The Gazelle Ultimate T10+ HMB is found to be a versatile e-bike, built for not only fast commuting but also mild off-road adventures. Its build quality, design, as well as ride and value for money make it a good investment for bike enthusiasts.

The Gazelle Ultimate C380+ stands out in the city e-bike category for its speed, smoothness and easy control. It features a belt drive, a Bosch motor that provides up to 85 Nm of torque and pedal assistance up to 28 mph. It also has a Gazelle's first class 3 eBike, an Enviolo 380 internally geared hub and a Gates carbon belt drive. It is priced at $4750.

The Cannondale Adventure Neo 3 is a highly equipped e-commuter bicycle that provides excellent comfort and efficient commuting experience with its range of features including the Bosch motor, lights, fenders, rear rack, and suspension. The bike's easy-to-navigate features make it a great alternative to driving in cities and provides versatility to handle both paved and dirt roads. However, its weight could present a challenge for some users for regular transportation and storage.

Review provides a detailed evaluation of Cannondale’s Topstone Carbon Gravel Bikes with the new Lefty Oliver suspension, highlighting its smooth and superior ride, heavy built quality and innovative design. The review also notes that while the bike is a bit pricey and heavy, the comfort, speed, control, and traction it offers are worth the investment.

Cannondale's Compact Neo E-bike offers practicality and portability, with a lightweight structure, unique aesthetic, and affordable price. The bike's small motor assists but maintains a traditional cycling experience. The bike features a TranzX folding stem and folding pedals, enhancing its compactness and practicality for storage and urban use.

The new Santa Cruz Heckler E-bike has notable improvements to its suspension, geometry, and assist system, making it a high-quality e-trail bike. It comes with a larger 720Wh battery and Shimano EP8 motor. Despite a recent recall due to battery latch issues, the bike has been praised for its long range and its ability to tackle diverse terrains seamlessly.

A capable multipurpose e-bike, the Specialized Turbo Tero 5.0 is part mountain bike, part commuter, and maybe even a short-haul bikepacker.

As you’d probably expect, the new Spectral: ON gets new geometry which is, let’s say it together, lower, longer, and slacker than before.

“With the Piston Pro X, Kuat elevated the hitch-mounted rack from a practical necessity to something much more desirable.”

It’s as capable and comfortable in traffic when you need to look over your shoulder as it is on private property when you need to keep eyes in every direction.

“Like other Surly bikes, it’s a lovingly constructed, highly modifiable base onto which you add the accessories of your next adventure, wherever that cargo takes you.”

“The Rover Waggin' Pet Trailer from Retrospec is sturdy and reliable, especially for its affordable price. It’s fast and easy to put together and folds down for storage or transportation.”

"The SAF lock is formidable and effective against angle grinders, but for real-world use, its practicality may be questionable."

"The Xtracycle RFA Utility is an e-cargo bike designed to evolve around your changing needs – and for the price of a decent used car, it should last you a while." Dan Roe, [Bicycling](https://www.bicycling.com/)

"The Charge City is a well-equipped, class 2 e-bike that can get you where you need to go with some help from a Bafang Hub Drive motor, or you can just hit the throttle and skip the pedaling."

"A sharp-looking helmet at a competitive price and weight (if it fits you.) But wind noise may be an issue." 

I was able to do the commute to do 30 mile round trips to and from work on a full charge while using five levels of assist and using the throttle to get over some of the bigger hills on the route.

Overall, the Diamondback is a fun, go-anywhere bike.