Russ Bainbridge

I backed the Peak Design phone case back in December of 2020 on Kickstarter and it has finally arrived! Since it was taking so long I opted for the Universal Adapter so it could work with whatever phone I had. This ended up being a good idea since I got a new phone after backing the project. Can’t wait to try out all the attachments for the case. The main thing I have noticed right away is the attachments are really made for the actual phone case and no so much for the Universal Adapter. This creates a decent gap between the my phone and the Slim Wallet and Tripod making them bulky and easy to knock off. This will definitely be a problem since I bought both of these products for using while out on a ride or run. The other attachments are quite solid designs though. I will give a better review in a few weeks.

Being a bike/tool nerd I got several bike tools for Christmas. The tool I have had my eye on for some time now is the Abbey Bike Tools HAG. I already have a hanger alignment tool, but it has some tolerance issues and a few other design flaws. The Abbey Tools is known for precision and longevity, plus it looks awesome. I could never justify to myself buying the HAG since my old alignment tool worked well enough, so I’m excited someone else decided to grab it for me even if they had no idea what it was and I had to explain it to them after they gave it to me. I also decided to order myself the lever setter attachment to make the HAG that much more useful. Next I got the Wolf Tooth Components Bar Kit One. Honestly, I wanted the Bar Kit purely out of curiosity and to see if I could get rid of using a saddlebag on my mtb. So far I’m impressed with the quality. It will be interesting to see how it holds up over use/time rattling around in the bars. Then I got an attachment for my DEWALT impact driver. I’m constantly working on odd projects with my impact driver and some spots are harder to get to than others. Hopefully this attachment will make those projects a little easier. And finally, I got the Park Tool PP-1.2 Hydraulic Piston Press to make working on the brakes that much simpler. I hope everyone had fun filled Christmas and I’m looking forward to another year of playing bikes with everyone!

Now that is a wrap on my ‘21 cyclocross season! I got the crazy idea to sign up for the Pan Ams masters 35-39 because only three people had signed up before me. By the time we lined up there was five. I had a rough start to the morning and it only got worse as the day went on. After missing my pedal at the start and my eye disability acting up I decided to just have fun and stay out of everyone’s way. Definitely had fun. Didn’t do so great staying out of everyone’s way. Sorry to the guy who cussed me out for missing my pedal and holding him up. I also got to meeting , , , and in person, which made that day so much better. Time to lick my wounds and try to get better for next season… and get to work on my new backyard CX course.

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! Somehow I was able to find a bike in my size! It is a Specialized Bicycles Stumpjumper. It is my first full-suspension bike and first dropper post, so if I post a photo from the ER in a few weeks you know why.😆 It has a 50-tooth big ring, which means it came with a huge dog freebie.😉 My kids also found the multicolored Arundel Bicycle Company cages at Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop while we were picking it up. We also stopped at the new ice cream place on the way home. 🐄

I finally have gotten around to testing enough that I felt like I could give it an honest review. It was originally designed for cyclocross but I’m trying out for running. I’ve got to give credit to Bike Shop CX and Sunny Gilbert for introducing me to it. Here is the link https://dadsendurancegarage.com/tnr-tape/

The final of 2018 is a special one! The owner was hit by a car and it left in the hospital for a month with a concussion and multiple broken bones. His helmet saved his life and shattered the car’s windshield. Doctors told him he was lucky to be alive but he would never ride again. Years later his not only riding but participating in events like Leadville Race Series 100 and . This wheel is from that horrible crash. What a way to remember where you came from and all you have overcome! Mavic