What's Your Bike Gear Rabbit Hole?
 

Some people like to try every tire that comes out, some chase the perfect saddle, some amass countless bikepacking add-ons, but I seem to buy more handlebars than anything else. Over the last few years I've bought a Jones Loop, a Jones Bend, a Salsa Woodchipper, a Cowchipper, a Spank Spoon, a Ritchey Kyote, a Ritchey Comp Curve, a Surly Sunrise, a Surly Terminal bar, a VO Hwy 1 and a VO Neuevo Randonneur. Granted, that's across six bikes of various types, but my lovely wife has suggested that I might be a handlebar-aholic.

So I'm curious what particular area of bike gear others here find themselves continually pursuing. What's your rabbit hole?

Pedals were for awhile, but I settled on XTR trail pedals. I have a subset of those bars you listed. Leather saddles.

Bar tape, boxes full, looking for the right color or texture, finally settled on Charge U Bend tape, for my newer builds, then they stopped making it. Still looking for it’s replacement. Deda Mistrial, and Brooks synthetic closest so far. Still have lots of Newbalms and Benottos for my older builds.
Tim





Tim

spare parts.. just spare whatever, chainrings, i need a stack, sturmey archer hubs, i need the springs, box of 50 for 2 hubs, thank very much, how many nitto technomic stems do i need? i dont know, i’ll let you know after i use the 5 i have stashed… chains, 5. brakes, at least 10 pairs.

A salsa cow bell drop bar. Nitto drop bars. Nitto trekking bars. Jones bars and now Crazy bars. I have the Koga Denham Bars on back order but If the updated Crazy bars become available first I will try them.

I’d say handlebars and stems. I’ve done a bit of experimentation on cockpit over the last couple of years. Both my road bike and MTB had drop bars for a few years, but for the last year they have had touring bars. So I’ve got drop bars and Scott AT-3 and AT-4 bars left over.

But then every so often I get the notion to change back to one of the other options, so I probably will at least keep one set of drop bars and an AT-4.

Plus I’m riding only SS, so there is a bin of mostly derailleurs and friction shifters, in case, I want gears on a bike.

Otto

When my kids were into cycling I went through a 'lock' phase.
I bought kryptonite, steel, cables, chains, u-locks, combos, keys, stretchy, light weight, heavy, you name it, I got it.

Tires.

I used to never come close to wearing one pair out before wanting to try something new and different.

But now I have pretty well settled on RH Barlow Pass for my road/gravel bike and will soon be buying my 3rd set.

On my MTB, running 26” means there are few new and shiny things to tempt me, and I’ve pretty well settled on DHF for the front, though I’m still in search of the unicorn rear. I think the biggest thing I may like about my next MTB will be all the new options in 27.5 and 29.

Speedplay x-series cleats. I was always afraid they would become permanently unavailable. Also, Campy 10 speed record ultra chains.

That's funny -- I did the same thing with my kid. Never lost a bike, though!

Now yer talkin' -- I'm sure the new Crazy Bar will find its way into my garage at some point!

Helmets- I have purchased 15 over the last year and returned 13. I went crazy in that rabbit hole- reading all sorts of reviews, youtube vids, views on mips and alternative safety tech, etc. I finally have 2 that I really like, though neither is perfect. I need to go into business and design the perfect helmets since so many brands come really close with nice designs and features, and then crap the bed at the end with some small yet consistently annoying choice.

Jerseys- This last year I decided to go on a journey to find really nice jerseys- a few of em is all. Ive bought at least a dozen mid-high end jerseys and have kept 3. The online fit guides are comically off for many and most would fit around the waist and be long enough, but then a ton of extra fabric around my shoulders would flap in the wind. I would then look at the fit guides again and the companies would claim that size fits someone 20# heavier than me, which is laughable. A couple of higher end jerseys from Voler came were so long that I was able to sit on the jersey while riding my bike. I have a lower level Voler in the same size and cut that fits perfectly, so those higher end junk jerseys were really frustrating, especially since it takes 3 weeks for delivery due to them making the jerseys on demand.
Returned- Eleil, Voler, TwinSix, NeoPro, OrNot
Kept- Sigr, Donkey Label, Rapha(though thats out of laziness since the shoulders flap like crazy)



Actual bike components though?- nah, I am plenty happy with mechanical Ultegra(105 is fine too) and my commute bike has a set of canti brakes from 1989. I am pretty specific about my equipment, but also not very demanding to where I go down rabbit holes.

You have left me almost speechless!!!

Cross-county and telemark skis - about 20 sets. Bike related - they help keep me in shape for biking! :lol:

Handlebars, stems, bike frames, forks, cranksets, pedals, seatposts, saddles, messenger bags and probably a couple other things I’m forgetting.

I’m currently hauling all my bike junk out and organizing it all for my new workshop and am amazed by everything I’ve accumulated over the years. Just amazed lol.

My wife might be right about my “madness.” Don’t tell her or anything, though.

Oh, yeah, I can get into "That looks like a better locking system!" And probably compact tool kits.

Now I'm curious -- which ones made the podium?

That's a worthy thread topic all by itself!

https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycl...ormchaser.html

Kinda funny that the thread title is 6 helmets as that quickly escalated.
I kept a MET Rivale MIPS and an Abus Stormchaser.

The Abus is crazy light, has good ventilation, I love the sewn straps that lie flat, the buckle and strap retention is simple but effective, and fit works great. Padding is minimal, but with a cap I dont care. No MIPS, but I am not convinced that is vital.
The MET is really nicely finished, good ventilation, straps lie flat, comfortable padding, and retention dial is nice. The strap is meant to pull tight each time you put on the helmet which is different but easy to adapt to, but the strap retention band slips every now and then so the strap dangles until you slide it back up.
Both have easy sunglass retention, which was key.

In addition to fitting well and seeming to be well made, I have a couple of really odd and admittedly arbitrary demands- I need my glasses to be over the straps, so helmets where the strap is anchored out from the helmet is a no-go. I wanted white(which eliminated some good options for sure), and I didnt want to look like Toad from Mario.

I ultimately bought...
MET
Kask x2
Poc x3
Abus
Kali x2
Giro x2

Then additionally I tried in stores...
Oakley
Specialized
Bontrager
Lazer

This is me to a "T" , I am running out of space to keep it all. I can't bring myself to throw bike parts out. Derailluers , stems, pedals, cable housing and liner .... don't even get me started on motorcycle parts. Need a stock catalytic converter for an 07 S4RS, how about a take off aftermarket silencer for an 09 Hyper ? Monster 1200S rear mudguard ? 1098 Piston .....Its all in there somewhere.

Currently my garage looks like a motorcycle shop exploded inside a bicycle shop.

I think all my possible rabbit holes with respect to bicycles and cycling are too expensive and more money than I'd ever want to shell out money for. So I don't think I've ever gone down a rabbit hole. If I did, then I must have found the perfect solution the first time.

Panaracer has me hooked on all the different color GravelKing tires. I have more GKs than I have pairs of shoes!

Good lunch places to stop mid-century.

This is me. It all started with a 9 speed mtb RD. I went to look for an exact replacement and couldn’t find one, even on eBay. One popped up and after getting it, I needed another, and another…

Over the years I have tried to stockpile those parts which will be gone one day, from folding 26” mtb tires to Octalink V1 BB’s, to hubs, to freehub bodies to… whatever.

John

Edit added: And to add insult to injury, we started getting real rabbits a few years ago and I battle to protect my lawn. This year I lost.

Lately it's been pedals. I started riding Eggbeaters last year because the Bebops I grew up with are rare as hens teeth these days. Used pairs can be found for cheap all day long on ebay and craigslist and since I own so many bikes, might as well stock up. They're easy to take apart to overhaul and rebuild kits are cheap if they're needed.

Somebody mentioned locks and I got lucky there, basically one and done for me. A birthday gift from my dad when I started college was the Kryptonite New York chain paired with a good shrouded Master Lock he had in the shop. It's no featherweight at 15 pounds but I have been able to confidently lock my bike anywhere in the San Francisco Bay Area for 15 years without worrying about it. There's been more than one instance of bikes on the same rack as mine having their locks cut and stolen but mine was left alone. It's also long enough to go through both wheels. Won't trust or use any other lock.

Gadgets. Lights, bells, GoPro mounts, bottle cages, bottle cage mounts, and Xtracycle accessories. My lists on ebay and Amazon are extensive and I usually buy one or two things each paycheck just to try something new.

Bikepacking bike bags.. So many brands lol