Christmas is around the corner, and many of you might know a friend or two who ride bicycles. At TBA, we all ride and that means most of the products that we stock are already tried and tested by one of us. Here we give you a list of 10 products that we have shortlisted for presenting to your cycling friends. The reason why they are here is simple - because we swear by them.
SKS Slide Cage, Reviewed by Krishnendu Basu
I have used this for a 4 days kerala tour in the month of July this year. the speciality is the bottle cage is designed in a manner so that you can pull
the bottle out from the side rather than from top. This is great for
riders riding smaller frames . Smaller frames means smaller seat tube
which in turn means not enough place for a 750 ml bottle to be pulled
ot form top. Many times, a rider compensates this by using a 500 ml
bottle. The SKS cage solves this issue.
Gift this to : It is a great bottle
cage for just any rider, but invaluable for someone who doesn't have
enough space for a regular size bottle on seat tube.
Costs : Rs 820
'Your First
Triathlon' by Joe Friel
Triathlon
is
becoming
popular
in
India
and
is
a
great
way
to
stay
fit.
Joe
Friel
is
one
of
the
most
respected
Coaches
in
the
world
and
this
is
a
great
book
to
train
for
your
first
traithlon.
Gift this to : Aspiring triathletes
Costs : Rs 950
Camelback Podium
Big Chill , Reviewed by Krishnendu Basu
This undoubtedly is my
favourite water bottle on bike. Easy to squeeze and keeps water cold
for more than 1.5 hours on a hot day (when the bottle is filled to
his capacity). But the best thing I like about these bottles is the
valve design. You don't need to bite the nozzle and the throw is
awesome.
Costs : Rs 999
Gift this to :
Just any rider
Paceline Chamois
Butt'r
We
would
be
honest
to
say
that
this
is
one
item
that
none
of
us
at
the
store
have
tried,
but
I am
going
to
try
it
out
next
week
on
the
mumbai-goa
ride.
This
is
however
a
very
popular
accessory
among
long
distance
riders
and
lot
of
randonneurs
swear
by
it.
Gift this to : Long distance riders
Costs : Rs 1000
for a box ( contains 10 packs)
Zixtro Evo
Saddle Bag , Reviewed by Dani Singh
I have been using this bag for the last 6 months on Merida MTA. I have done a couple of brevets and use it for my everyday commute as well. What
I
like
about
this
bag
is
-
Can easily
take 2 Tubes, Toolkit, Patch Kit, Nutribar without an issue
The material
as well as the zipper is waterproof, so don't need to worry about it when it is raining.
Its hardcase
which means will take impact in case of a crash.
Installation
is very simple and can be fitted or taken off in a few seconds.
Gift this to : A
recreational or endurance rider looking to carry a few things on the
ride.
Cost : Rs 1890
Park Tool Chain
Gang , Reviewed by Chitti Babu
This
is
great
gift
for
riders
who
like
to
maintain
their
bike. I
have
been
using
this
as
a
standard
servicing
tool
at TBA for
the
last
1.5
years
and am very
happy
with
its
performance.
The
pack
consists
of
a
bottle
of
degreaser,
the
chain
cleaning
unit
and
a
cassette
cleaning
brush
.
The
chain
gang
helps
a
rider
to
do
a
super
quick
cleaning
job
of
the
drivetrain.
The
unit
also
accumulates
all
the
dirt
and
muck, so
there
is
no
dirt
and
grime
spilled
on
the
ground.
Gift this to : Riders who like to work
on their own bike.
Costs : Rs 2300
Hitech Haraka Running Shoes, Reviewed by
Gokul Krishna
I was reading the book Natural Running and understood the importance of a low profile sole. The idea is that a soft, low profile sole with minimal drop allows you to simulate natural running. Natural running helps in attaining some of the key aspects of running like mid-foot strike, high cadence and an upright posture. The Hi-Tec Haraka is a low profile running shoe. It can work both as a training shoe and race shoe. A softer sole may result in slightly lesser life (I have used it for more than 4-5 months, without any issue, though). This will suit a runner who is trying to improve his/her technique and has done reasonable mileage already. Not the ideal shoe for an absolute newbie. Pricing is extremely good for such a well made shoe. I particularly like the no-nonsense packing and deeply personal message. Gives us the assurance of shoes made with care.
Cost : Rs 2490
Gift this to : Gift this to a runner who is trying to improve his/her technique and has done reasonable mileage already.
Merida Agile Road Helmet, Reviewed by Ashish Joshi
I picked up this helmet when I upgraded to my road bike a month back. I picked this up because this is one of the best budget road helmets I have come across. I use the 53-58 cm size which fits perfectly on my head. The
large vents keeps your head cool even on a hot day with minimal
sweating. It is lightweight, has simple graphics and I like the fluorescent harness.
Costs : Rs 2700
Git this to : A rider who is in the lookout for a lightweight and aerodynamic helmet.
Zixtro Bug, Reviewed by Gokul Krishna
Does your friend commute to work or ride a bike for regular errands? The Bug will significantly up their coolness factor. A very compact bag, the Bug slings across one shoulder and has a waist strap to keep it extremely comfortable while riding. A tab or a small laptop / netbook will fit in bag. There are enough compartments to organize the space. The quality of the inside layers and material is superlative. The bag also has a net to keep the helmet outside the bag. I have commuted with this for a fair bit of time and have found it to be a great companion.
Cost : Rs
3890
Gift this to : A rider who uses bicycle to commute/run errands
Nightrider Lumina
750 , Reviewed by Krishnendu Basu
I have been using the older version of this
– The Lumina 700 ,for the last few months and have used it
extensively on roads and trails.
Off road usage :The light has a wide
beam pattern which is excellent for off roading. Throw is very
uniform and the screw on clamp is rock solid.The helmet clamp comes
with the standard package and is very useful for trail riding.
Battery backup is good for 3-4 hour hardcore trail ride. the enclosed
battery makes the unit compact.
On Road usage : At times the throw is
little wider that you may think is enough, but that could be beacuse
the light is tuned for off roading. On regular indian roads, a
combination of Low mode and walk mode is enough ( with short usage of
higher modes) will give you close to 10 hours of riding.
Gift this to : Riders who are looking
for a bright, lightweight, rechargable and super reliable light.
Costs : Rs 8000
