Shaun Rides His Bike

Day 11: Holing up in Granite City, IL

There is a big storm rolling through the area, so I decided to spend an extra day in Illinois before crossing the Mississippi. I may have a touch of residual fear from the last time I crossed the Mississippi, in 2019, when I got caught in a freak microburst storm on a highway overpass (thankfully, while on foot). Story here: https://cgoab.com/doc/page/?page_id=581586

Anyway, since I am stuck in an Econolodge motel room, I am going to make a post of mini-reviews of gear I am using this time.

Things I love:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Gevenalle GX shifters. These are just bar-end shifters literally bolted to aero brake levers. And they’re amazing! They look dorky, but they might be the best shifters for a touring bike. Even better than integrated shifters, because you can instantly change multiple gears. I don’t understand why Shimano doesn’t make integrated shifters for drop-bar bikes with MTB or touring derailleurs, but even if they did, I’d still prefer these!

https://www.gevenalle.com/product/gx/

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ BarYak Ultra accessory bar. I used to use a Nitto Lamp Holder 2, which is a really nice polished aluminum accessory bar, but it only works on 26mm bars. I put new Salsa Cowchipper bars on, and could no longer use the Nitto accessory bar. I quickly discovered that the commonly available accessory bars sold on the Internet are complete garbage, after I broke two or three of them with normal use. Then I discovered BarYak. These things are amazing, but they are also very expensive. The larger one is incredibly versatile, but the Ultra is perfect for my needs, and it is indestructible.

https://www.baryak.com/new-products/aua0ax69a420o93v3j8m2rpagvyp0l

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ DMR Versa pedals. I’ve used Shimano’s dual-sided pedals (PD-EH500 and others), but the platform side is too small, and isn’t grippy enough. DMR Versa pedals are real MTB pedals on one side, and SPD clipless pedals on the other. They’ve come in very handy on this tour already, such as when I was trying to get around the stopped train, and nearly fell a few times negotiating slippery mud.

https://www.dmrbikes.com/Catalogue/Pedals/VERSA/VERSA

Disappointed:

⭐⭐ First on the list is the PedalCell dynamo. I loved this device, and it worked great. For two rides. It stopped working on the way to the train station in Seattle. I thought it was probably a loose connection, and I didn’t spend much time troubleshooting it. The day I got stuck waiting for the train, though, I decided to see if I could figure out why it wasn’t working. I disconnected and reconnected it. I made sure it was spinning when I moved. I made sure there was resistance when I turned the head. Finally, I called their tech support number, and ended up talking to Adam, the co-founder. He asked for photos, so I sent them. Within an hour, he agreed the device was defective and gave me a choice between a refund and a replacement. Although the replacement won’t be available in time for this tour (damned supply chain issues!), I chose this, because I haven’t given up on this device, but my defective one has already been mailed home.

https://pedalcell.com/products/pedalcell

Dead, but probably got my money’s work:

⭐⭐⭐⭐ I’ve had a Noxgear Tracer (the original, non-rechargeable) for a few years, and it just stopped working. I tried new batteries, and it still didn’t work. I haven’t been riding in the dark, so I am not too concerned, but I do miss the security of having it.

Not enough data yet:

I replaced the Avid BB7 disc brakes with TRP Spyre brakes. I like my brake levers to have short travel, and I got tired of having to adjust the inboard pads with a Torx wrench. My first set of BB7s could be adjusted by hand, but their replacement was too tight for me to do it without a tool. The verdict is mostly neutral. I haven’t had to adjust for pad wear yet, but they work great.