Things that Work

After years of being the guy who never flats, my luck has run out. Or maybe it's moving to a more urban area where there is glass and stuff on the streets. My solution has been to start using Slime Lite tubes. These have a slimy goo inside that self seals punctures up to 3mm wide, so I hope to get far fewer flats.

I've never been a fan of regular Slime tubes; at 200+ grams they are just too heavy. But the "Lite" version is listed at 158gm in the 28-32mm size, but only weight 144gm on my digital scale. That's only about 30gm more than a regular tube. At $9.75 they are not cheap, but worth it for me. We do have them in the Velo Orange store.

We also have good quality regular tubes at $3 each, just so you can stock up when you order other stuff.

Another one of my favorite little items is the generic two legged bike stand. Most of us don't need a full blown repair stand; they take up to much room and are expensive. But this little stand hooks over the downtube, cradles the bottom bracket shell, and lifts the back wheel up. So you can spin the crank, make adjustments to your drivetrain, do an entire overhaul or build up a frame. When you're done it fits in the parts drawer. Okay, it may not be as convenient as a full size professional $200 repair stand, but it only costs $14.50 in the Velo Orange store and will last forever.

Finally, I've been using Delta Inox stainless steel water bottle cages for a few years now. They are very light, elegant (in a modern way), and don't mark-up water bottles. They come in a silver mat finish that goes well with most newer bikes. $14 in the store.

Do you have any favorite "things that work"?