Likes:

• My new commuter road bike uses SRAM's Apex groupset. I really, really like the 32-tooth cog. Oh, the bike itself is awesome too!
• On the new bike, I have Ortlieb's Back Roller Classic panniers. Yes, I know, everybody loves them, so no surprise I do too. I have a longish commute carrying a laptop. Brisbane weather can be sunny one moment, flooding the next. So, having waterproof panniers was super-important to me. These panniers are definitely waterproof. My only complaint is the lack of pockets, but I can live with that.
• PDW Radbot 1000. Best rear light I've ever tried. I've progressively replaced all my other rear lights (PBSF, Cherry Bomb, and PBSF clones) with this.
• Garmin 800 GPS. This is the first bike-specific GPS I've used, and I like what I've seen so far. I'm using it just to record routes at this stage, but over the xmas break I'll be testing its navigation capabilities.
• Ground Effect Flash Gordon rain jacket. Excellent rain jacket that is actually breathable. I rode through a 1-hour downpour and got home toasty dry. I've also used it on day-long rainy rides and have been happy with their performance.
• Genuine Innovations Ultraflate Plus. I bought this to replace a push-to-activate CO2 inflator that self-destructed. I'm very pleased with the purchase. The trigger is useful to regulate the flow of CO2.
• KoolStop Salmon brake pads. Excellent stopping power in the wet.
• VAR tyre lever. Excellent for removing and reinstalling reluctant tyres. I bought this after it took me hours to remove and reinstall a Conti Gatorskin. Now I can do it in under 10 minutes.
• Ground Effect Ristretto base layer. Keeps me toasty on those cold winter mornings!

Tried, but the jury's still out:

• Topeak Road Morph G mini pump. Bought for the new commuter, this was intended as an equivalent to the Tioga pump I have on my other bike. Although they look the same and work on the same principle, I found pumping the Topeak pump a little harder. The L-shaped handle feels flimsy and I felt like I couldn't put much weight on it to pump. I don't know what pressure I achieved with it as I couldn't read the gauge (too busy actually trying to pump the thing combined with dodgy eyesight). I might need to practice using this a little more before making a final decision about like/dislike.
• Ground Effect Chipolatas gloves. They are wind resistant and kept my hands quite warm. However, I felt like my hands were a touch too warm and sweating was a problem. Also, the fit of the gloves wasn't perfect for me (though it might suit others). The seam of the gloves in the fingertips often wound up working its way under my fingernails. These gloves aren't in the "dislike" list because despite the occasional overheating and the fit, I still kind of like them.

Disliked:

• Ground Effect Helter Skelter rain pants. I really wanted to like these, but I don't. I used these during a days-long rain-fest a few months ago. I found that their length really worked against them. Because they're 3/4 length, they finish under the knee. Between sweat and the water that sprayed up the leg itself, the material would get stuck on my knee, causing the pants to impinge my pedalstroke. In the end, my solution was to tuck the bottom of the rain pants under the elastic of the leg of my knicks. All that said, they were effective at repelling rain. They're not as breathable as the Flash Gordon rain jacket, so I ended up a little damp, but overall they did the job.

Looking at this list, I've just realised something. I really, really need to stop spending money on bike stuff!

Max