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Which items have you purchased that have surprisingly worked far better than you expected for the price you paid?
Gloves from Lidl £5 waterproof and still going for 4 winters all seams intact
Swalbe marathon plus ride 2 work tyres 4 years 1 puncture
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Great question!
That’s impressive to get 4 years out of a pair of gloves. Actually, I have a pair of worn-out Specialized gloves I still wear which might be closing in on at least 4 years… Impressive use out of that tire too! Aren’t the knobs starting to get worn or cracked?
One product that comes to mind for me is the Light & Motion Seca 800. I’ve been running that light once a week for 6 years now, and it still lasts my entire 2-3 hour night ride. I thought for sure the battery would have died by now…
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Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres have a smooth tread
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Time ATAC pedals: All of them. Virtually indestructible and maintenance free. I have had them on my mountain bikes in one form or another since ’95. I’ve had the spring wear out or break on 2 pairs of them in over 20 years and amazingly the very first pair I bought is still in service one of my brother’s spare bikes. Speaking of cost I never paid more than $100 for any of them. Currently a set of MX8’s are on my daily driver.
Raceface bars and stems: Same story as with the Time pedals. Nearly impossible to break and inexpensive, I have had them on multiple bikes since ’99. Currently have a Chromag BZA bar on my daily driver (only because a Raceface in a similar style [the SixC] wasn’t available when I wanted it). So far so good, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed with them. The fit, feel and finish of Raceface is spot on as well.
Chris King headsets: Kind of a “Duh” with this one. Sadly too many different head tube styles now as do miss being able to switch these from bike to bike. They never wear out.
Defeet Merino Duragloves: These are a ridiculously great deal for how useful they are. They may be worn alone, but I find them to be an amazing glove liner in sub 40 degree weather. Plus for under $20 they are hard to beat.
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i bought a Mucky Nutz fender because I thought it looked cool on some guys bike..turns out it works great (and looks cool on MY bike)
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Soo many products, many with great results… but one that sticks out for me as unexpectedly “exceptional” was when picking up an inexpensive pair of Cannondale Roam Sport (SPD) (REI link) shoes in a pinch while on the road. They have lasted 3 years so far, and still tight and solid! Until I got these, I replaced shoes yearly at best. And the price was definitely right (no more than a pair of sneakers). They can be worn walking/hiking and driving (a car) due to well recessed SPD hardware. Unfortunately, they’re no longer available… 🙁
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I used to have a pair of Cannondale Roam shoes. Agree totally and yes looked for a replacement but no longer available.
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I had a old Camelbak mule that had some serious miles on it before I lost it. 97-2007 new ones are ok but nothing revolutionary.
My crank bros mini pump lasted longer than I thought it would too.
Chunky Monkey tires are still a great option to the heavier Minions.
Fat biking in the snirt is much more fun than I imagined and I ride it much more than I thought I ever would. I paid about as much for the whole bike as it costs for a decent fork. Saris trunk rack that came with my car lasted longer than the car.
DT competition spokes, Zenni prescription glasses, Nokian Extreme studded tires were great for commutes on the ice. Trailforks of course.
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Shimano M540 SPD pedals. Wasn’t really expecting anything exceptional, but they’ve been the only bike component I’ve had that has needed absolutely no maintenance. Through 3 years of mud, rock strikes, crashes, and hard riding they have been absolutely perfect. They still clip in every time and still spin smoothly. Target’s sports shirts make for great riding gear if you don’t mind a looser fit and don’t need a zipper or pockets. My parents have a saris bones 3-bike rack that’s almost 20 years old now, and it still works perfectly.
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1. Fox Float X2. Solid, reliable, and gave more plush to my DW-link bike.
2. Maxxis DHF WT 2.5. Best tire I’ve ever had. Wore a pair out this last summer. I don’t remember the last time I did that, always get side wall tears.
3. Ibis aluminum wide rim. Relatively cheap ($80 right now), nice and wide and pairs with above tires nicely. Has put up with a lot of abuse which I can’t say about carbon rims.
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Scott USA Strike Pro front hub. Been transferred to two other wheel sets from 2004. Still runs smooth. The rest of of the bike is probably deceased by now. Admit the wheel is not used much these days but BUT it could be. That is what I tell myself.
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I bought a pair of Five Ten Freeriders off the internet because I thought they looked cool. I used to only run clipless but these shoes were super grippy and comfy. I now run flats most of the time and picked up a pair of EPS Freeriders for winter.
The pedals the I’ve paired these with also surprised me. The cheap, lightweight yet strong RaceFace Chesters. Not sure if I’ll ever grab a pair of metal flats after riding the Chesters.
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Defeet Kneeker wool knee warmers. I bought these about 12 years ago and they just keep plugging away winter after winter. Since they’re made of wool, they work in a broad range of temps, they work when wet, they dry quickly, and they don’t stink. Probably the only downside to them is they get a little saggy after a couple rides and need a run through the washing machine to tighten back up.
Getting 12 years of riding out of something I paid $30 for is a record for me.
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Defeet Kneeker wool knee warmers. I bought these about 12 years ago and they just keep plugging away winter after winter.
Invest in some moth balls for those babies! Craig D. has holes all over his (now iconic) FM Wool Jersey from moth damage.
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@JeffBarber: “Invest in some moth balls for those babies! Craig D. has holes all over his (now iconic) FM Wool Jersey from moth damage.”
Despite the fun music, moths can be troublesome.
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Bike tool: Topeak JoeBlow Booster floor pump. Being able to easily seat tubeless tires, including ghetto tubeless, tires from camp has been the best! The booster seems to be built really well to boot and should last through years of beating around in my truck.
Maxxis Minion DHF DHR tires. I waited way to long to try these tires and love the 2.5 WT version. Most confidence inspiring tire through corners I have ever used. Excellent sidewall protection, reasonable wear, and makes me faster. Seems to be great for desert and mountain terrain of the Southwest.
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Columbia Roan Mountain jacket. $40 5 years ago and I still wear it almost daily for commuting to work and trail rides. After thousands of miles and numerous crashes, I still grab it out of the closet more often than the fancy technical jacket I bought last year.
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Pearl Izumi Pro Line bib. Was offended by the price, by the guy at my local bike shop told me to trust him and I can’t believe the difference! $200 and it’s worth every penny.
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