Sometimes, I cross the fine line between brilliant bargain hunter and mere low-rent cheapskate. And it usually happens with mountain bike products. Here’s my list of mountain bike gear that’s burned me the worst.
Specialized Shoes
After 10 years with a pair of Sidi Dominator 3 mountain bike shoes, it was time to get a new pair. I was hoping for a bargain, so I picked up a pair of Specialized Comp bike shoes. You can read my full review for all the dirt. Bottom line? Weak ratchets and a plastic-like feel that never seemed to mold to my foot like the Sidi Dominator 3.
You could say I saved $60 by buying the Specialized Comp bike shoes. But I think I set $140 on fire when I should’ve just bought the updated Sidi Dominator 4 in the first place.
Clarks Brakes
I was skeptical of disc brakes at first, and I whinged when I had to bring home a bike that had the Hayes Nine hydraulic disc brake. My skepticism didn’t last but a ride.
When it came time to slowly gather parts for a new bike, I realized that hydraulic disc brakes are a big chunk of change to buy separately Then I heard about a special deal on Clarks Skeletal disc brakes. There wasn’t much buzz about them – kind of like when I bought my first Santa Cruz Heckler way back in the pre-Superlight days. This was another chance to lead the way in finding something new!
Um, no. The Clarks Skeletal brake levers rattle like skeletons shagging on a harpsichord. Their stopping power is far below the generations-old Hayes 9 brakes, and far inferior to the Avid Elixir 5 brakes on my Santa Cruz Superlight. Never again.
Cytomax
For years, Cytomax kept my soreness and dehydration at bay. I loved the tropical fruit flavor. It was my gold standard.
A little more than a year ago, I picked up a new can of Cytomax. Mixed a bottle, froze it, hit the trails and took a drink. And nearly spit it right back out. Something tasted weird. And not in a way I could tolerate. Well, it turns out that Champion Nutrition added the sweetener Stevia to the ingredients. Sure, it’s plant based -- but I’m suspicious of low-cal sweeteners. Mind you, I didn’t know about the switch when I drank it. I detected the off flavor, researched and found out about the Stevia switch. So, see ya, Cytomax. These days, I’m in the middle of experimenting with Gu Brew, Nuun (bring back my cola flavor!) and Skratch Labs.
MagicShine Lights
For awhile, the MagicShine lights were THE hot pick for bargain hunters. Cue a battery recall, and everything just went down the crapper. The main MagicShine dudes, Geomangear.com, even went out of business. Look, I’m convinced light systems are overpriced. But even at the low prices of the MagicShine racer’s specials, they were still more TragicShine (or MagicShite?) than MagicShine. I hate to say it, but you have to lay out cash for good lights. And if you mountain bike at night, you need something you can count on. Nightrider, Lupine … stick with the big guys like them.
