Adiankur

My birthday is coming up, and family wants to know what to get me and Im not sure about a few things.

Is the blackburn quad, mars 3.0 a good backup combo? My rear blinkie is planet bike superflash.

I want fenders for my bike, trek 4300, but not sure if there is a specific brand and if they get in the way of the rear rack. I saw some on nashbar and wasnt sure about them.

Helmet mirrors, anything special I should look for?

MTB shoe covers for riding in the cold and rain.

arm/leg covers.

Im still unsure of how good what brand is in relation to others.

Falkon 

I use those. They work really well. I've heard to check out the SKS fenders. I've been told that helmet mirror rattle around way too much and always are shifting with the helmet. I've been told to go for eyeglasses mirrors instead.

I don't really go for arm warmers or shoe covers, but I love my Pearl Izumi long sleeve jersey.

Why not ask for money for new wheels or winter clothing?

cyccommute 

Just about any rear light is good as long as it has sufficient LEDs. Not all front lights are equal however. Lots of people opt for the cheapest light they can get on the front because there's lots of ambient light when you are riding down the road in most towns. But stop to think about it for a moment. As you approach an intersection, your weak little light has to compete with the headlights of other cars, the taillights of cars, stop lights, reflectors, reflective signs and a whole slew of other stuff. A weak headlight gets lost in the background.

If you have a good bright light already, get another one on your helmet as backup. A helmet light is indispensible! You can point it where you want. You can flash people who might not see you in the eyes with it. You can actually see into a corner so that pothole doesn't suprise you.

SKS, Bike Planet and others are all good. Short ones don't cover your drivetrain as well. Long ones are harder to get to work without some surgery. None of them will really interfer with a rear rack.

Third Eye. Falkon says that the helmet ones rattle around but that hasn't been my experience. I'd rather not add any weight to my nose, so I'd go for a helmet mirror. The Third Eye has a large mirror and is very rugged. It will wear out eventually but it's cheap to replace.

Performance Neoprene. They are hot and you need to buy ones about 4 sizes too big to get them over your shoe. But they wear llike iron (I'm on my 5th season for the very stinky pair I have), they are cheap, and they are nice and toasty when the temperatures get below freezing.

Tights and jerseys. Arm warmers and leg warmers are okay when the temps are around 50. Below that you might as well not bother. For sub freezing temperatures, look at Pearl Izumi bib tights. They are much better than waist high tights.

Adiankur

I read that the third eye needs a visor or thin shell to clamp on to? is there another way to install it or another version im not looking up properly?

john bono

The blackburn quad is a decent head light for the "oh *****, it's getting dark and I won't make it back" moments. Beyond that though, it really isn't that great. Nowhere near enough power to light the road properly. However, if you plan on riding after dark routinely you are better off getting a powerful battery light as your primary, and using a generator light as your backup.

geo8rge

Helmet mirrors, anything special I should look for? I rarely use my 'third eye brand' in the day, although at night it helps as the headlights light it up as soon as a car gets behind you.

Fenders - probably worth buying and installing at well stocked LBS to make sure it fits.

Headlamp - Unless you night ride alot consider a maglite or better with a handle bar mount.

Adiankur

Well, it's likely to be awhile before I will be riding in the dark, which gives me time to get a more powerful light. once I get to that point, the blackburn would be my front blinking light and emergency backup. and it would be my current, "crap, its getting dark and I need to make it back" light.

ollo_ollo

For fenders, Giles Berthaud Stainless Steel: very good mounting hardware, super durable & good looking plus not that much more expensive than the plastic SKS, Planet Bike, Zefal alternatives.

cyccommute 

And, if expense is no object there are always Honjo, Berthoud carbon or, my favorite, Full Wood fenders. All three are works of art.