Best New Bicycle Touring Gear for Summer
The summer of 2015 will officially be here in just a few short weeks. As the days get longer and the weather continues to get warmer, it is time that you start to gear up and get ready to take some awesome bicycle tours this summer.
Of course, to make your summer trips as comfortable and pleasureful as possible, it always helps to have the latest and greatest items in bicycle touring technology. With great new products designed for cyclists like you coming out all the time, you should always be on the lookout for new gear that will improve your performance as a cyclist, and your enjoyment in general.
2015 has already brought us many awesome new items in cycling tech, and in particular, many new items that are ideal for those of you planning bicycle tours this summer. We’ve been researching scores of new products for bicycle tourists, and we’ve picked out our favorite essentials for you to bring along on your next bicycle tour.
Here are five of the greatest new items for bicycle touring in the summer of 2015.
Pearl Izumi X-Project 1.0 Shoes
The Pearl Izumi X-Project 1.0 Shoes are the perfect shoes for bicycle touring enthusiasts this summer. When on a bicycle tour, space is limited, and you should pack only what you need in order to avoid excess weight and bulk while on your bike. Accordingly, having a pair of cycling shoes that can also function as regular sneakers, and even hiking shoes, is a major advantage. The Pearl Izumi X-Project 1.0 Shoes allow for this sort of functionality, and will get the job done whether you are pedaling, hiking trailside terrain, or walking around on French cobblestone streets.
With a carbon fiber plate in the midsole, the Pearl Izumi X-Project 1.0 Shoes are durable and designed to withstand the force of hours of pedaling, but the shoes are also flexible and feel just like sneakers when you’re walking. The shoes were originally designed for mountain bikers, so if you want to clip in, you’ll need to get pedals with a two-hole design; however, when equipped properly, these shoes are ideal for road riders on bicycle tours who wish to do a little adventuring, hiking, and camping.
The Pearl Izumi X-Project 1.0 Shoes are incredibly lightweight and breathable, keeping your feet unburdened and comfortable during long rides or long walks around your outdoor surroundings. If you’re planning a bike tour this summer, definitely check out the Pearl Izumi X-Project 1.0 Shoes here.
Big Agnes Fly Creek 2 Platinum Tent
Packing down to something the size of a Nalgene bottle, and with a packed weight of just 1 pound, 9 ounces, the Big Agnes Fly Creek 2 Platinum Tent is one of the lightest, most easily-compacted tents that we’ve seen – which makes it absolutely ideal for stuffing in your backpack or panniers while on a bicycle tour. It goes without saying that camping on your bicycle tours is the best way to greatly reduce costs, and when you can pack a cozy tent that takes up this little space, you will feel that your decision to rough it was that much smarter.
Big Agnes is one of the world’s premier tent manufacturers, and the Fly Creek 2 Platinum represents the company’s effort to create an amazingly light tent that takes up virtually no space when packed down. Perhaps even more incredibly, the Big Agnes Fly Creek 2 Platinum Tent fits two adults comfortably and also features a vestibule area for excess gear, providing plenty of room – quite impressive for a tent that can easily be tucked under your arm when on the go.
If you want to camp on your bicycle tours, then the Big Agnes Fly Creek 2 Platinum Tent is for you! Learn more about it here.
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Sleeping Pad
Of course, if you’re camping along your bicycle tour, a tent is not the only thing you’ll need to get a quality night’s sleep. Nobody finds sleeping on the cold, hard ground particularly comfortable, and it’s certainly not ideal for rejuvenating your body before another long day of riding. Accordingly, you’ll want to make sure you have a quality sleeping pas that will give you the comfort you need to keep performing at your highest level. The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Sleeping Pad will do just that.
The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Sleeping Pad is an excellent ultralight option that will take up very little space in your pack, providing you with a comfortable sleeping pad that won’t preclude you from keeping your bags empty enough to bring other essential gear. Weighing just 12 ounces and packing down to a minuscule size, the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Sleeping Pad still provides plenty of comfort in its 2.5-inch thick, cushioned design.
When you need to catch some Zs before the next day’s big ride, you just plop the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Sleeping Pad down in your tent and you will have all of the comfort of an inflatable bed in a package that is a fraction of the size. See more about the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Sleeping Pad here.
SPOT Gen3 Satellite GPS Messenger
Sometimes, it’s good to have an insurance policy when you’re bicycling. We recently extolled the virtues of the ICEdot Crash Sensor, and while that is still an excellent, minimalist product for ensuring your safety, the SPOT Gen3 Satellite GPS Messenger is a similar product with more customizable options. This product will allow you to check in with your loved ones while on the bike, alert the authorities, send custom messages, and share your location, all with a few easy pushes of a button.
The SPOT Gen3 Satellite GPS Messenger has the same SOS emergency alert features found in the ICEdot Crash Sensor, but also gives you the option to continually geo-locate and track your progress in increments ranging from 2 to 60 minutes. It can then send updates to whomever you’d like at every interval. This will let your loved ones know that your ride is progressing as planned, without them having to call and check in – since you probably don’t want to be taking calls while you’re on the bike.
At just 3.4 X 2.5 inches, the SPOT Gen3 Satellite GPS Messenger can be easily mounted to your handlebars or simply left in a jacket pocket, and the device will do all the work for you after you program it.
For an extra safety measure and some peace of mind for both you and your loved ones, get the SPOT Gen3 Satellite GPS Messenger here!
Osprey Rev 18 Hydration Pack
On a bicycle tour, obviously, you’ll want a backpack. You’ll also want water. The Osprey Rev 18 Hydration Pack is the perfect solution that solves both of these needs in one convenient piece of equipment.
The Osprey Rev 18 Hydration Pack weighs just over one pound and allows room for 18 liters of gear in addition to its dedicated hydration pouch, which can hold 85 fluid ounces of liquid. With this pack, you can comfortably store some essential gear while eliminating the need to bring excess water bottles on your bicycle, saving both space and the annoyance of having to alternate water bottles all day long.
With a patented BioStretch harness, comfortable belt straps, and added shoulder and back support, the Osprey Rev 18 Hydration Pack won’t slow you down on the bike, but it will help you stay hydrated and conserve space in your panniers and other bags. You will hardly notice that this lightweight pack is there – except, of course, when you need to hydrate, in which case you’ll be very glad to have it conveniently on your back.
The Osprey Rev 18 Hydration Pack is one of the best ultralight backpacks for bicycle touring, and you can get your own here!
