Liked:

Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes, replacing the old Hayes MX4s. So much easier to adjust, and no more squeal (with organic pads)!

Planet Bike 2 watt headlight with Superflash. I run the light on flash in the daytime, and have had several motorists stop and ask which light I was running. Plus, the steady beam is bright enough to guide you home in the dark, as long as you keep it below 20 mph.

Dinotte 140L taillight. Its praises have been sung heavily on BF, which is where I was convinced to buy one. So I'll just say that if you've got a Benjamin burning a hole in your pocket, and a desire for motorists to give you more space, then buy a Dinotte.

Upright handlebars, namely the Nitto Albatross (although there are significantly cheaper north road bars out there). Relaxed, comfortable, upright body positioning is proof that God loves us and wants us to ride bikes. If you're out for speed, then they're not for you, but if you just want to get where you're going and enjoy your ride in the process, they're great. They do suck in the wind, which can be partially mitigated by riding up in the bends, but wind sucks no matter what, honestly.

Didn't Like:

Planet Bike Superflash taillight. The flash pattern is great (albeit annoying to ride behind) and the light is bright, but my third one just died on me. The first died with a bunch of moisture in the light, so both the second and third were wrapped with electrical tape, which kept moisture out, but they both just stopped working anyway. I know that a bunch of people have used this very bright and eye-catchining light with no problems, but for me, $75 later and without a working back-up taillight, I'm done with it. I'm buying a Radbot tomorrow.

:/ Meh:

Brooks B-17 saddle. The first month was painful, but after it broke in, it was as comfortable as my couch. Which meant that I would forget to get out of the saddle from time to time, which leads to sweaty ass, which ends in saddle sores. Now I know to remember to stand out of the saddle on long rides, but my old saddle was just uncomfortable enough to make me do it without thinking, yet was still comfortable enough to sit in for 30 minutes at a stretch, and was a quarter of the cost of the Brooks. Plus it was waterproof! Still, I have the Brooks, I've broken it in, and I'll keep riding it until some larcenous hipster walks off with it. Then I'll go back to the WTB saddle that came with the bike.



The Lady G'Cakes has repeatedly, when offered the chance to ride my bike, merely knocked upon the saddle (it sounds like knocking on wood), looked at me pointedly, and declined.