Have you ever dropped an energy gel wrapper or struggled to open one while riding? Many of times I have fumbled in my jersey or pockets for one and the Hydrapak Gel Bot has the answer. Hydrapak sent over their 24 fl oz. version for our review.

The Gel Bot stores both your energy gel and water in one container. Loading the gel into the inner container with a 3.2 oz energy gel is simple and easy. The inner container removes simply by pulling it from the lid, add the energy gel, then you push the green plunger up removing any excess air. After re-inserting the inner container to the lid, add your water to the fill line, screw on the lid and you are set for your ride.

Now how are you supposed to get your gel and water? Does it come out together in a water mess? Absolutely not. When the nozzle is closed and you squeeze the bottle, gel. Open the nozzle and squeeze, water. It is so simple and easy, no more fumbling! I found clean up to be easy as well, just separate the parts and hand wash or top shelf it in the dishwasher.the 20 fl 0z. version is $13.99 and the 24 fl oz version is $14.99, not a bad price for this convenience.

Got air? Genuine Innovations has you covered with the perfect on and off the bike pump products. It all began from a simple idea in 1986 to create a controllable CO2 inflator for bicycles, they helped GT Bicycles and even Reebok for their “Pump” line, they grew from there. For our review they sent over their Mountain Pipe pump and Top Dog floor pump.

The Mountain Pipe is the perfect addition to your cycling tools. Weighing in at 115 grams it is light, so not only do I use it on the trails, but it is a perfect fit for the road as well. Built of alloy with brass internals it has held up well to being tossed, dropped and stepped on. Length of the Mountain Pipe is about 8 1/2 inches so it packs well of course in a pack but equally as well in a jersey pocket.The hand pump works well if you have time to manually pump up your tire, one note however, it is a “backup” pump, which I find is nice to have over just relying on CO2, but it will take a bit of time to fill the tire. I’m of the belief if it is hot, I’m tired, loosing sunlight or just late getting back, I reach for the CO2, otherwise I’ll go for the pump. Your CO2 cartridge stores nicely in the handle and it even has a little area for patches or other small items. The Mountain pipe fits Presta valves right out of the box, but also includes a Schrader fitting.
Removing the stored CO2 cartridge from the handle and twisting it into the top, you are ready to fill your tire. Pressing the fitting to your valve and then continue twisting the CO2 cartridge fills your tire quickly, twisting the cartridge the opposite direction slows and/or stops the flow of CO2. Once complete, you can put the dust caps back and stow the empty cartridge back in the handle. In the review I had a few flats and was glad to have the Mountain Pipe with me. I found it really easy to use and stores nicely. My only qualm with it is the dust cap on the cartridge portion doesn’t like to stay in very well, minor detail and not a deal breaker. The MSRP for the pump is $39.99, sure you can find some CO2 and hand pump combo’s slightly cheaper, but you get what you pay for.
The Legend floor pump has clean sleek lines, a brushed aluminum finish and it even pumps tires. With it’s sturdy steel base the pump holds up well and it’s 26″ height gives quick and ample fills to your tire. The movement of the pump is smooth and with the 50″ hose it is easy to fit to your tire valve in any location even on a trunk/hitch rack. The handle is comfortable to grip. When not in use the pump head stows away and keeps the hose under control. I did find the hose to stretch a bit so be careful to not pull on the hose section roughly.
The location of the gauge is a plus, right at the handle, and paired with the well marked air pressure markings it very easy to read. The dial has a marked bezel so if you need help remembering your favorite air pressure, they’ve got you covered. The gauge is spring controlled so in heavy pumping the gauge will go above the actual pressure, but will return to actual pressure quickly once pumping has stopped. This is typical for these type of gauges.

The pump head is universal for both Presta and Schrader applications so rest assured you not having to switch out a fitting. I found pressing firmly down on the Presta valve then lifting the lock latch made for a perfect seal for filling the tires. The one thing that you have to be careful is when opening the latch once your tire is filled. It pops back and hits the knuckles and can hurt, it would be great to see if hose pressure could be by-passed some way to soften the blow of the latch.

The Legend is a great off the bike pump, pumps very well, looks great and at $69.99 is well priced for what it offers. The pump is built to last and will provide years of service.

In the western United States – and California in particular – the market for cycling helmets is dominated by the highly-visible Scotts Valley manufacturer Giro, whose Atmos, Ionos and Aeon road helmets are ubiquitous on the heads of amateurs and pros alike. Giro have been highly successful at placing their product in the pro teams, and their designs are both technically advanced and attractive to consumers.

Outside the US Giro has a strong foothold, but the company shares the market with the established European manufacturer Lazer. Lazer holds the distinction of being the oldest helmet maker in the world in continual operation, established in 1919 in Belgium. Over the last 92 years, the company has been responsible for innovating and developing almost every generation of cycling helmet technology.

The Lazer Sphere occupies a position in the Lazer range just below the Helium and the Genesis, making it a strong competitor for upper-mid-range priced helmets like the Giro Saros. The current model features the classic Lazer profile: a sharply downward-sweeping front with a rather abrupt rear when compared to other road helmets. In fact, the Sphere has been redesigned to offer greater protection to the back of the head, and this model features a broader, more substantial rear arrangement, with some attractive and functional venting beneath the sweeping lines which separate the top portion from the lower back piece.

The Sphere is extraordinarily lightweight – just 292g, despite the manufacturer’s claim of 315g nominal mass. Compare this to my Giro Atmos, which weighs in at 297g and my Giro Ionos which tips the scale at 308g. The Sphere is a smaller helmet all around, with a very sleek fore-section which fits close and snug to the head. This racier profile is visually appealing, especially if – like me – you’re used to Giro’s mushroom-head effect. The lines are fast and streamlined, with higher side-sections and a more top-of-the-head feeling than other helmets I’ve worn recently.

The chin strap is the best I’ve ever encountered on a road helmet, and the adjusters are smooth, easy to manipulate and sturdy. The nylon is high-quality and soft, and is arranged to clear the edges of the ears without any rubbing. I could wear the Sphere all day and be perfectly happy; this is a profoundly comfortable helmet. The straps look a little odd when you see the shorter, faster profile of the helmet, appearing to fasten closer to the front than I’m used to on similar helmets. Since the Sphere is essentially a flatter, less bulky helmet, you notice things like straps and where they appear. This is not necessarily a criticism of the design, but rather a personal opinion on the overall appearance. On my regular helmets, the straps appear further back and deeper, essentially becoming less visible when seen from the side.

The adjustable interior cradles the head with flexible plastic bands covered with Lazer’s X-Static foam cushions, while an innovative tube-and-wire arrangement allows minute adjustments via the wheel on the top of the helmet. This seems to me a more user-friendly and precise system than the ones on my regular helmets, although I did worry about the wires relaxing during the course of a long ride. Essentially, the wires pull the cradle tighter around the crown of the head, but without a locking mechanism, the system is prone to slipping open again. That said, I didn’t notice any looseness during my riding with the Sphere.

The Sphere is well ventilated, with 21 vents (23 if you count the central holes at the back) placed thoughtfully to provide cooling to every part of the head. As I mentioned earlier, the Sphere rides a lot higher on the wearer’s head than many other helmets, so overheating is unlikely. However, ventilation is not an exact science when you account for the variables in each rider, including the shape of an individual’s head, his hair length and style, whether he wears a cap or not, etc. The Sphere definitely errs on the side over-ventilation, which ought to satisfy Sacramento-area summertime cyclists, for whom every little extra breath of air is a bonus.

If I had one enduring criticism of the Sphere, it would be the use of a moulded shell reinforcement on the exterior, which is finished in a high-gloss laminate. The effect is, unfortunately, a rather cheap-looking helmet which belies the high-tech, high-performance item underneath. I vastly prefer the look of both my Ionos and my Atmos, which have a low-gloss finish with careful attention to detail. The Sphere seems to cry out for a more sophisticated color-scheme, finish and shell design, and that is really the great downfall of this particular helmet.

For around $130, the Sphere offers very sleek European styling in an (unfortunately) slightly dowdy package, let down by too much glossy sheen. If you can see past the cheap-plastic look of the finish, the Sphere ought to make Californian cyclists seriously consider reaching for something other than the Giro.