Best and worst buys of 2009

rolf_f

Probably been done already but I really can't be bothered to check page 2

So, what are your best and worst buys of 2009?

Best for me are the 20 quid Lidl MTB shoes. I wear them every day I cycle to work. Probably had them about 8 months. Aside from the soles being a bit chewed by my MTB flat pedal pins, they are showing virtually no sign of wear. OK, they may be a bit heavy but they do the job and still looked tidy til the other day I went cycling on the South Downs and got them covered with chalk putty.

Worst buy, coincidentally another foot based product. My Endura MT500 overshoes - £20 less well spent. Despite much care on my part, the neoprene is developing holes after only a few uses. Even more annoying is that the holes to allow access to cleats (which I don't use on my mtb) have open stitching around them which snags on the pedal pins. As a result, I've had to redarn them and cover them with a mess of gaffer tape to try to protect them. Probably won't work. I just can't see that this is the best design solution to the problem. Any suggestions for a better product appreciated but, til then, these are my worst purchase of the year.

tailwindhome

Best purchase pound-for-pound was a set of Park Tyre levers, there is no pain like trying to get a tyre off with a cheap rubbishy set of levers.

Worst was the Giro helment, can't remember the model but is was about £40. Heavy, uncomfortable and hot. But now I have to wear it as I don't want to be the guy who had a helmet but didn't wear it.



Also bought a bike for £35 approx with the aim of off converting to single speed, didn't in the end but relisted on ebay as 'Fixed Project' and sold it for £70.

Allez Mark

As I just got back into cycling this year after a 12+ year absence. My best but was my new bike in Febuary. It's only the Spesh Allez 18. Upgraded the pedals. I love it.

Worst buy. Trek Bib Shorts. The stitching nearly rips my nipples off after about 10 miles.

Happy New Year. Im off out now to celebrate.

iain_j

Best buy, Fenix L2D. I was like a kid who'd just got the present of the century for Christmas when I took it for a test ride in the dark

Worst buy... hmm haven't bought much this year. Least used purchase was DHB leg warmers for the winter/spring transition. When it came to it I just went straight from longs to shorts. Legwarmers still gathering dust.

Chunkers1980

Not had a worst buy of the year... my bike is nearly finsihed and I'm real pleased.

Best buys.. xmas pressies

XT Chainset 113 quid
XTR Cable set 5 quid, well done Halfords bargain bucket
Hope QR 2008 Seat Clamp 7 quid
Commencal Handlebars 4.50 nice.

Happy new year peeps....

lost_in_thought

Best buy - viner maxima

Worst buy - assos f1 lady bib shorts.

stuaff

Best buy: Viner Magnifica. Of course.
Worst: Haven't got one really. The Planet X overshoes did not cope with the torrential downpours of November 28's FNRttC, but I doubt anything could have done!

stuaff

grr, dupe...

Jay dubbleU

Best buy - my Genesis Croix de Fer

Worst buy - Sealskin waterproof gloves that weren't

redvee

Lidl shoes again for me, still got the original blue pair on the go as well as the latter black pair. The only issue with the older blue pair is the velco strap has been stripped of the velcro where it passes through the buckle. The bad buy was the case for my Garmin, fored it back to Wiggle as it was far too big for the job.

singlespeedexplosif

best : Easton Attack TT bars. Yummy.
worst: the faulty Michelin Pro3Race tyre I bought in April, that lasted 11km before splitting on a fast descent

suzyb

Best buy - padded shorts

Worst buy - hybrid bike. Should have had more patience and asked advice first instead of rush buying what I thought I needed.

Aguila

Best buy: torn between Exposure Race Maxx light, ultegra SL chainset and rapha stowaway.

Worst: A full service from Evans for the commuter, sh!te workmanship and utter rip off!

fearby

Worst - Crud Road Racer mudguards that didn't fit either of my bikes.

Best - Dolan Dual commuter/training bike bought mainly because I couldn't get mudguards to fit

iain_j

Actually, worst buy, Halfords cone spanners. After just one service of the hubs the ends of the spanners had started to deform and kept slipping off the cones/locknuts.

cjcp

More of a good and bad buy list this...

Best:
Ambrosio Excellight wheels
Kona Jake frame
Conti GP4000S tyres
Club bib shorts
Michelin Mud 2s (cos I could ride in the snow )
Marmotte entry fee (maybe...)

Worst:
Conti Gatorskin (non-folding) 25mms

Runoutofgears

Didn't buy too much rubbish this year but;

Worst Buy, were Fox cycle socks which holed on first use

Best Buy, Shamal Ultra's and Pro3's

Wallace1492

Best: Specialised Tricross

Worst: DHB Overshoes and Gloves - overshoes wore out quickly, guess they not up for touring! The gloves were not waterproof, although they claimed they were.

0scar

Best buy overall is a Gore Phantom II from eBay, followed closely by a tub of vaseline for my lips on night rides.

Worst.. probably Altura Nightvision waterproof trousers - bought them at the Evans Gatwick sale, never wore them. Sold on eBay for a small profit though so not the end of the world.

Limburger

Best - SKS chromoplasics and a nice rear rack.

Worst - SKS chromoplastics and nice rear rack after it not very icy three days after fitting them. needless to say I chucked the bike down the road and wrote off both. Pretty much wrote the bike off after I had finished stamping on, then throwing it in the high street.

Tis the only time I was truly angry all year.

rolf_f

I should also add, to the worst buy list, the Truflo mini pump I bought. Can't even get 20psi out of the wretched thing. Utter junk. Makes you wonder if Truflo actually bothered to check the things worked after they'd made the first batch.......

bradford

Best buy was my new house! 8)

Worst buy was a Coyote vermont mountain bike :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

blakef111

worst buy: scott genius mc40 mtb frame, far too big for me and i only used it for 30mins before i decided to sell it and of course depreciation is huge

best buy: my fixie build, full bike built for £70 and its some of the most fun i've ever had on a bike

jonginge

Ooh, quite a few good things bought in 2009 so it's hard to pick. Hopefully, though, the bargainous DA carbon laminate wheels I've bought specifically for the marmotte will be the winner. I'll report back when I finally ride them in, say, March.

Worst buy was a replacement cadence sensor for my polar hrm. I'd knackered the first when it got snagged and bashed repeatedly by the crank arm. The replacement lasted a couple of months before I smashed it when my foot came out of the pedal during a sprint away from some lights*. Grrr, really bad design, so easy to knock and damage.


* no dangly bits were damaged during the genesis of this post

SCR Pedro

Best Buy: Probably my Giant TCR-A0, but I've had other awesome bargains this year.
Worst Buy: 105 Brakeset, thanks to the LBS who said that short-reach calipers would be fine :roll:

Pedro

Aidy

Best Buy:

Airborne Valkyrie

Worst Buy:

A train ticket.

ride_whenever

best buy was the new forks for my white bike/nasty commuter

worst buy: endura waterproof overtrousers, split at the ass seam

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Hmm, took some time to think about this question, but on reflection:-

Best: The inspired pressie from mum of a Buff and the 100mm 40 degree stem that will finally make my Felt F5C rideable again, by relieving pressure on my lower back.

Worst: Tough one. Possibly the Modolo Dumbo butterfly bars, as the Pylon8 will be mutating into an XC front suspension bike this year (following purchase of Tricross) and those bars are not strong enough for off-roading.

hells

Best: Trek 1.7, Kona Jake the snake, rear rack, panier bags, over shoes and buff
Worst: Several pairs of womens baggy shorts, they always have a really bizare fit too tight in some places and ridiculously baggy in others, on two of them the zips broke really quick. Best baggies are some Kona ones i got ages ago.

mark1964

Worst buy of 2009 is that 'Slime' inner tube protection plastic stuff. I've had three punctures recently with that stuff in my tyres and not once did it afford any protection. Rubbish!. Their liquid stuff is even worse to use as to squirt it in to the tube, you have to remove the inner part of the valve - very easy to lose on a dark December night!!. Plus the slime stuff gets everywhere. Complete rubbish, don't try and 'short cut' repairs with this stuff which is about as much use as a chocolate teapot. Avoid.

iain_j

Just thought of another, more worthy, worst buy. Two pairs of brake pads from my LBS - shame I can't remember the brand to warn you all to keep away. For longevity they were superb, after 6 months they were only about half-worn. As devices to slow or stop a bike, they were utter rubbish.

Another good buy to balance it out - DHB Merston bib longs. Toasty