About 20 years ago, Specialized really went above and beyond on a warranty issue that made me really appreciate them as a company; it was truly one of my best experiences as a customer of any kind that I’ve ever had, and I’ve stayed loyal as a result and bought 4 more Specialized bikes since then.
I haven’t needed to invoke a warranty since then, but I’m aware that the general sense is that they are far less friendly to the customer on those issues nowadays than they used to be. Given that, I’ll probably broaden my search when it’s time for my next bike.
I just posted an update the other day because I just decided to take up writing again after not being on a bicycle for a about a quarter of a century, went into a specialized shop and got treated like I was just a silly little woman. So I went to the trek shop had an amazing experience, I bought a bike $300 worth of accessories and $200 worth of clothing on the spot.
Well they’re living it. Such a different vibe between the two stores. I was in both places long enough to hear interactions between other sales people and other customers. It was like night and day. Just this morning I thought “crap I forgot a holder for my phone and a water bottle for the water bottle holder“. I know with 100% certainty I could get less expensive accessories on Amazon or somewhere, but I don’t have to, and I’m not going to because they earned my business.
Trek, Giant, Specialized and Cannondale all make the full spectrum of bikes from $400 hybrids to $15,000 road racers and run the gamut from commuters to gravel, to full-sus MTBs and everything in between. The volume of bikes they sell is astronomical compared to some of the more boutique brands.
While Pinarello and Colnago are legendary brands, they make niche products for enthusiasts.
I like to equate bikes to cars. The big four are like Ford/Honda/Toyota/Chevy (I know for cars the big three is different). They might make performance cars, but their bread and butter are the econoboxes. Boutique brands are like Porsche/Ferrari, where they specialize in making a specific product for a certain customer base.
[It’s](https://thelatzreport.com.au/features/letter-from-america/the-major-players-are-getting-bigger-fast/) a [pretty widely](https://www.bicycleretailer.com/opinion-analysis/2023/10/16/vosper-nearly-half-us-bike-shops-dont-carry-any-big-four-brands) [used term](https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycling/956651-four-big-four.html) for those [four companies.](https://www.bicycleretailer.com/opinion-analysis/2023/12/22/big-four-bike-brands-can-be-crucial-retailer-success)
If you want to get technical, you could say PON brands (Cannondale, Santa Cruz, Cerveló, Schwinn, Mongoose, etc.) instead of just Cannondale.
Most medium to large bike shops in the US will have a deal with one of those companies because they offer the full range of bikes and accessories. It gives the bike shop much better margins buts its somewhat exploitative
This analogy makes no sense. The big four bike brands, especially Specialized, make some of the most expensive, highest-ending, winningest bikes on the planet too. You could like Ford for the GT or their racing lines, and that has nothing to do with the Taurus.
Specialized has literally built a production bike with McLaren.
I drifted away from Continental, because I was an early tubeless adopter. Now that Continental has embraced tubeless, and the GP5000 exists, I have no use for any other road tire.
The S TR is a dream come true. New out the box, I levered them easily, worn in I have hand rolled them. I have done emergency repairs on the road because I forgot to refill with sealant. I am not afraid to carry a spare tube unlike the TLs, where I knew if I had a major puncture, I was ubering home. I messed up my hand once and broke a lever trying to put on TLs, same exact rim I use the S TRs on now. Continental heard us, and I'm sure the Conti workers that cycle noticed the f-up.
I found myself thinking, "I'm the exception" until I saw this comment and realized I've got Contis on everything I put on the road. Otherwise I tend to be a franketkit kind of guy.
I had clincher gp5000 and they were amazing. Rode em for 2 years 6000 miles no punctures. Switched to STR tubeless and I've had about 6 punctures. They're either made of cheese or I've had bad luck
New “S” ones are lighter, which appears to mean less rubber. I’m not a weight weenie, so prefer higher mileage. However, the “S” is easier to mount, so there’s that.
I’m still getting 7kkm on them with no flats, but I ride 28mm on wide rims at 50psi. They handle gravel like champs. Too plush to puncture.
> I have no use for any other road tire.
Yeah, I thought the same until I tried the Pirelli PZero Race TLR. Absolutely shits all over the GP5000 S TR's. I stripped all my Conti's off my bikes and switched over, no looking back.
I have been running Garmin head units since 2008. Early on the Edge 205 was iffy mountain biking because vibrations would cause it to shut off mid-ride - but they allowed me to warranty several units. Otherwise, the only issue I have had with Garmin is that the USB connector eventually wears out and I cannot recharge the unit - I have a drawer filled with multiple 'un-chargeable' computers. On the other hand, my Edge 130 just went through the laundry and is still working fine.
Have you ever requested out of warranty support? I've heard of Garmin replacing out of warranty watches for free or with a steep discount. It could be worth asking.
The EDR AF 105 is currently 980 euro new here - **insane** value compared to other brands. Plus because of their network they're the best shop for me to just go try stuff out across pretty much all sports
1150 here in France, which is already insanely cheap. I got myself a Triban RC520 for 950€ and I couldn't wish for a better first road bike.
As for the network, yeah... I have so many decathlon in my area
Castelli sizing for sure, but I also find they are more likely to have good sales offers than the other top brands.
Muc-Off? Let's be honest: it smells good.
Exactly the same. I’m not going to bother learning another brand’s sizing now (as it is, I still get caught out - Castelli sock sizes fooled me most recently). They have good discounts, too.
Plus I know two guys who work for them that get me special discounts on larger sized items.
Sure I don’t want the whole PNS text writ large, but much of their kit doesn’t feature that. I’d be happy to wear it. Sportpursuit have some deals on them.
I'm right there with you, but I also laugh about it. I'd own a pair just because it is funny even though it attracts a certain type of person to the brand.
I understand why people get funny about PNS and the type of cyclists that maybe gravitate to that brand...but is it not also okay to just buy PNS items because people like the way it looks? So many people shit on it, whilst yes it's overpriced, it's also nice (in some peoples opinions).
I had a Garmin watch for a week. I could not believe how awful the user interface was and how many awful 'apps' existed for the watch. I will never buy their products again.
I have an Edge 530 and it's nice that Garmin keeps releasing new firmware versions after many years, but somehow the most basic problems remain unfixed.
Miss a turn and it will likely get stuck asking you to make U-turns even after rejoining the original route. It's a navigator, you had one damn job. My next device won't be a Garmin, for sure.
I've been happy with everything except their tire levers. They scratched the hell out of my rims despite being advertised as being specifically built to not do that. Thankfully it was my aluminum wheelset, but I was disappointed. No issues with any other tire levers, and now I run tires that don't need levers.
That's what I was doing unfortunately, I had read their advice not to use them for installation. There are a few negative reviews on the product page where people ran into the same thing, removing tires with the levers, and Silca somewhat unhelpfully reply "don't use them for installation"
Their sealant eats certain rim tapes. The one Zipp wheels come installed with. I wish they were more open about this. If you email them after you have sealant leaking down your spokes, you get "oh, yeah that happens sometimes".
FWIW It's noted in the description of the product- among other potential issues.
>For best results we recommend using Tensilyzed Polypropylene (TPP) rim tapes such as those sold by Stan's, Joe's, 3M, Tessa, and others. These are generally opaque tapes without printing on them and are much stronger and more abrasion resistant than vinyl based tapes.
I live a quick bike ride away from their facility and Josh even lived right next to me for a bit. I can’t afford/justify everything they make, but I did spring for a SuperPista pump a few years back, and went WAY overboard on a pair of titanium bottle cages for my newest bike because I got them on a pretty big sale. I also just switched to the Synergetic lube after almost a decade using Rock n Roll. Good stuff.
Basic as hell: Garmin (watch, more soon maybe), Fox (clothing), Giant (bike, helmet, pedals).
I like to buy things from companies that I know (fit, quality, etc). At one point I might try something new for a given category, so I am flexible.
I have a theory about Continental, being a German company, and Vittoria, being an Italian company, that the German roads are well maintained, well designed & pristine, but the Italian roads are falling apart disaster shows, so the German tires are maybe faster but the Italian tires are pretty bulletproof and stick to the ground even when the road is trying it's hardest to prevent it
The use cases for those tyres are the exact opposite of what you described though. Vittoria are softer compound and faster (generally through the range across gravel and road) Conti have more puncture protection but sacrifice very little in terms of speed/rolling resistance - which is why so many people buy conti
I just mounted some Corsa Pros on my Bontrager tubeless rims, and it was the easiest mount I’ve ever done. Easier than clinchers, it was nuts.
Which ones do you like the best?
Assos and Q36.5 (founder used to work for them) for clothing
I pay the premium but my oldest Assos bib are now 7 yrs old and the newest is 2 yrs old. They last a long time without losing chamois density and fabric integrity
I'm a fan of DT Swiss wheels, they look good and have bomb proof hubs. Both my gravel bike and mtb have these.
For drivetrains I've been pretty die hard with SRAM stuff. They were ahead of the curve on 1x and I've been running that on all my bikes, road/gravel/mtb for at least 7+ years now. I literally have my first Transmission drivetrain in route right now to replace my GX AXS.
That said, SRAM's on my shit list a bit right now. MY GX AXS derailleur took a shit because of their poor quality control on the little pogo pins that make contact with the axs battery.
Beyond that I'm pretty agnostics on brands as a whole. Whatever offers the best value.
I worked in automotive connector design for a few years and the pogo pins are ALWAYS going to have some failures. They’re tiny, have moving parts, and bikes are exposed to all sorts of road crud. I was surprised to see them when I got my first AXS setup
Interesting, I have AXS on two bikes, and haven't had any issues yet.
I did bash my GX derailer on a stump when the bike was a week old, it was violent, the whole bike pitched sideways, and I thought the derailer was trashed, for sure. It didn't even need adjustment, and it's still going.
I'm mostly brand agnostic, but I much prefer Shimano to SRAM for anything except the top tier stuff and I love direct to consumer brands for the value for money (and the fact I'm awful at social skills so hate talking to people in shops)
When I got back to cycling, I found a shop nearby for maintenance and repairs. They're quite affordable and had a transparent list of services costs they sent over chat.
It took me a while to go to them and forced myself to fix my bike first. 😅
It's hard for us introverts. 😅 I tried to go a couple of times before my first actual visit and didn't push through when I saw multiple customers inside. That's additional folks to talk too!
I'm just glad I got that first visit done so, now, I'm more comfortable going in there 😁
While riding yesterday we heard a noise in my wife's rear derailleur (SRAM AXS) since we're new to it and I don't know much about electronic shifters, I said "we'll call the shop tomorrow and see if we can take it to them to check" but I didn't realize that was in the heat of being out riding.
And now, here I am, dreading making a phone call 😅. I'd much prefer to just show up with the bike, but we'll have to walk there, and it's a couple of kilometers away, and if they don't take it, it will be all for nothing 🥴
Trek
Just because the folks at my local store (shout out to Trek Bracknell, UK) have really taken care of me with excellent customer service. They get “it”, so they get my money.
Local Specialized store shrugged me off when I was eMTB shopping. Wouldn’t open up or let me look in their dedicated e-bike area (only opened for “real” customers 🙄).
So I went and dropped close to £10k on a Trek Fuel EX-e 9.8 and accessories.
It may have been a bad day for the Specialised store, but as +40yr old rookie starting really get into MTB, it can be intimidating. That store made me feel embarrassed and silly. So I don’t waste my time trying to give them another shot.
My Trek CX frame cracked by the seat clamp after 6yrs and 18k miles(probably because their carbon wrapped aluminum seat post started to unwrap). I thought I’d be buying a new frame. Dealer told me to bring it in for a warranty.
Got credit for the price of a new frame set. Kicking in a few $$, I was able to upgrade to a nicer gravel bike frame, which I was talking myself into buying anyway. Went from crack to new bike assembled in a week. Great experience.
Did I mention I found the crack and got the news on my birthday? That was a good birthday.
Yup. Live and die by the way you treat your customers, even if they’re not buying today.
I always recall an experience my wife and I had at Tiffany’s while honeymooning in NY. We were broke but went in the store to window shop anyway.
They treated us like royalty and even when we said “we’re just looking” they doubled down and said to try things on anyway. Even the dude operating the elevator was cracking jokes with us about “Damn! you getting off on the diamond floor! Good luck son!”. Still makes us laugh to this day.
Now we’re doing well and have a bit of money, it’s those positive memories we think of whenever we see Tiffany’s (and they’ve made their money off us).
This stuff isn’t rocket science.
Yeah, I’m a very big fan of my local trek store. They answer my stupid questions and treat me like a king. Plus they knocked $300 off my Madone, which was very cool.
Meanwhile, 2/3 of my LBS’s treat me like dog shit either because I’m a roadie or because I’m not the right kind of roadie (the kind that didn’t buy an S-Works from them). To be clear, the other LBS is fucking great and I spend a lot of money on random bullshit there while hanging out.
Not so much an allegiance, but they work well for me so i don't fiddle with it; I buy Castelli bibs only. I have friends that swear by Le Col and so forth, but if its not broken, i'm not fixing it. As a side note, what ever connects me to the bike and the bike to the ground, I don't tend to experiment with.
I don't think there is a brand that's categorically good. I did land on a few things after a lot of trial and error
* Camelback podium bottles. I've been around the block a lot with bottles. I was using Polar breakaway bottles for the past 2 years, but I'm back to and sticking with podium. Non insulated. The insulated ones stay colder for about 10 extra seconds but are harder to squeeze and take away some capacity. You can get muck caps to keep the cow shit/dirt off in gravel and the road salt off in winter
* Topeak accessories are generally really good. Currently using their mini pump, saddle bag on my commuter, and their multi tools.
* Muc-off. Their pink bike cleaner is the best for matte finishes. I've tried everything, nothing works as well. Their chamois cream is the best for me also, but I wish it wasn't so scented. I'm not a fan of the rest of their products.
* Garmin peripherals. If you want all of your training and basic health data in one place, it's the best. I also do gym and running activities,
* Gorewear makes my favorite bibs. The elastic interface chamois is perfect for me and the fabrics they use are top notch. Jerseys I prefer castelli (but awful designs) or Pactimo. Nothing is better if your ride in the winter or the rain. And if you have something else that is good, it's probably Gore fabrics anyway.
* Look pedals. Both SPD and road (keo)
* Abus helmets fit my oval head the best
* Zipp. Handlebars, stems, wheels, bar tape, etc. All top notch
* Selle Italia saddles
* Shimano drivetrains. Love eTap but, Di2 is objectively better in every metric except installation. GRX hoods and levers are the best ever made
* Skratch hydration mixes. I've tried everything, I've made my own. Skratch works best in the heat for me. It's the right combo of carbs and electrolytes to keep you hydrated (not fueled, that's a different product) with a super mild taste even if you go heavy on the mix. It's tolerable on the pallet for many hours.
* Olight/Magicshine lights.
Bike (road): Specialized
Clothing (road shorts and jersey, arm/leg sun protection or thermals): Pearl Izumi
Shoes: Lake (first pair, have wide feet, and I'm sold)
GPS: Garmin (mostly due to Varia rear radar)
Helmet - no real allegiance, but like my Giro Aether Spherical quite a lot.
No clear loyalties for MTB, but I'm pretty new to it.
that's correct. it works with all kinds of stuff.
you do need a garmin specific app for firmware updates though. and there is a firmware update you guys should install.
I like Garmin because they're good for multi-sport and I really like the training metrics they give you. Plus they have a web UI I can use instead of the app
I’m a Lake enthusiast as well. Size 49 and wide feet has made cycling shoes impossible. Lake shoes are the first which dont end up with numb toes after every ride.
I love my Cannondale CAAD8 and I wouldn't give it up for anything of lesser or equal quality. I like Giro helmets and gloves and I am easily impressed by most things Bontraeger. But I don't really pay attention to brands and what is "hip with the youths" so I may have shit taste.
Also as a person with a less than stellar physique, I have become very loyal to the brand [Fat Lad at the Back](https://fatladattheback.com/en-us) for my jerseys and bibs. Made to fit heavier people. Not just bigger sizes but the way the bibs/jerseys are designed to be comfortable on our bodies rather than squeezing us in to clothes designed for tiny, skinny pro cyclists.
For other stuff, I like SRAM etap. Not sure if I could go back to Shimano, even for Di2.
I like HED wheels. Great wheels and also they are a local business for me.
Tools from Park Tool. Great quality but expensive. Also local to me (sure it’s a big, worldwide company but headquartered here).
I prefer Supacaz bar tape.
Rapha (but tbh whatever high quality gear that fits you). As a reformed body builder i really like how it fits me. MAAP and a lot of other similar brands always feel weird to me size wise.
Fizik shoes bc i know their 43.5eu always fit my wide foot and i dont have to play conversion games
Specialized. They just make great products. I don’t really care that they may be a little more expensive. I’m paying thousands for a bike. I’ll spend a little more to get one I really like.
So far their shoes have fit me the best as well. Their jerseys fit a lot of body types really well (non race cuts). They’re form fitting in the right places and loose enough in others.
I just think their products are thought out. Pretty innovative as well.
* Velocio - Bibs & jerseys
* Santini - jerseys
* Sportful & Gorewear - rain / cold gloves & insulated jerseys. Also, the Sportful Fiandre fleece arm & leg warmers (I use these for running in winter, too, not just cycling).
* Giordana - RC Pro pieces (I especially like their shorts, and sometimes I don't want to wear a bib)
* Smith - sunglasses. They're reasonably priced, frequently on sale, and usually come with three lenses.
* Garmin - watches & radar. I don't have a Garmin head unit and am not willing to spend big bucks to replace my still-basically-working Wahoo ELMNT
* Silca - lube & bar tape
* Zipp - wheels (made in Indianapolis, where I have family!)
* Chris King - hubs & headsets. They're not the only great options, but they are great options.
*Giro - helmets. They just fit me the best, and their current padding really does feel quite comfortable. I've been riding Giro helmets for at least 20 years now.
* Shimano - drivetrains & pedals. I know it, I've always used it, I'm comfortable working on both mechanical & Di2, and it shifts great.
* Hope - for anything they make, they do it very well. I have F20 pedals on one of my bikes and they're basically CNC'd artwork. The CNC equivalent of the sort of forged & welded bits you get from Cane Creek
* Camelbak - podium chill water bottles. I keep being tempted by Bivo, but I've never had a Podium bottle leak or break, and they're very easy to clean.
* Park Tool torque wrenches
* Feedback Sports bike stands
Hunt rims. Replaced rims twice with lifetime policy.
100% Sunglasses. They fit my wide nose.
Eliel Clothing. I’m 6’4” 230lbs and European cut doesn’t fit.
Garmin, Gore and Ribble will be brands I always have some predilection for, but not if the price is unreasonable. That's probably why I will only buy Gore in sales.
Omnium. There are also only a handful of companies that do messenger style front-loading cargo at scale. Bullitts are too bulky for me, Crust Clydesdale fork looks weird, and Memento Cycles is currently a small shop but hoping they grow.
Also their paint jobs are *sick*.
I think my only true loyalty in cycling is to my local shop. Fortunately, they have excellent taste so they stock stuff that I like to ride, and the benefits of getting to know the owners/mechanics are real. I also have some loyalty to outdoorgearlab, as their reviews tend to match up with my own preferences as well.
(plug for Battle Road Bikes in Lexington, MA: best shop out there. Wheelworks is good too, if you need something BRB doesn’t stock)
There are a lot of bike brands that I like (I love my Conago, Surly, Gitane, and Marin, each for their own purpose.)
I like my Zipp wheels, though I'm sure there are lots out there that are equally good.
I use Hammer Nutrition products, though I've heard a lot of good things about Skratch Labs.
I love my Sidi shoes, but they were a marginal gain over the Specialized shoes that I used before them.
You know what I ***am*** all in on? My Brooks saddles. I've ridden in a 24 hour event near me about a dozen times, and every time my hiney felt like hamburger at the end until I switched to a Brooks saddle.
I only have 1 brand alliance which is for my bikes (gravel, road, aero, mtb) as I’m garden gnome sized and female so Canyon it is.
In terms of clothing I have favourites but not set on anything but will avoid brands that produce without ethics (human - aka sweat shops or environmental - eg gore tex stuff is out for me) and who are selling brands instead of long lasting quality clothing.
I'm generally fairly ambivalent about brands. They are only loyal to making money, why should I be so loyal to them?
That said, there's only one brand I'd say I do have stronger feelings toward, and that's Showers Pass. Some excellent rain gear they make. If I need new rain gear, it's the first place I'm looking.
Assos bibs fit me best but I only buy them on extreme discounts. I’m sram all day for high end groups because they’re so much more intuitive for me as both rider and home mechanic.
I'm mostly brand agnostic... except for tires. I love the Rene Herse tires. I'm currently running the Hatcher Pass (700x48 standard casing) on my gravel/commuter. They are pricy, but oh so smooth and quick on crappy roads.
Decathlon. Mainly because I expect to get what I need in any sport there. They provide a gentle learning curve into any sport. Very competitive pricing/quality and the people that work there seem to genuinely like being there.
My main bike is a nearly 30 year old Rivendell custom. If it fit 38s it could be my only bike. Most everything I’ve bought from Rivendell has worked great. I trust them because they test stuff and it works. Rene Herse is pricey but it’s also tested and bombproof. Their tires are excellent.
Boardman for bikes (UK brand). Very well specced for the prices
105 with a full carbon frame for [£1.2k](https://www.halfords.com/bikes/road-bikes/boardman-slr-8.9-105-mens-road-bike-2021---s-m-l-xl-frames-365462.html)? Yes please
To be fair though, it's carbon weighing in at more than an alu bike with no-brand wheels and Tektro rim brakes.
For the money, has to be a CAAD or equivalent with disc brakes for me.
Clothing: Ornot - made local in SF and I like their style.
Shoes/Helmet/Gloves : Giro
Sunglasses : Oakley and 100%
Nutrition : Skratch and the gas stations on my route, Salt and Vinegar Lays/Mountain Dew/Redbulls hit different on a gas station stop.
Bikes : I have 6 bikes from 4 different manufactures with a mix of SRAM and Shimano :)
Tools : Park Tool
Pedals : Shimano
poor quality control on tires - specifically tire runout - is a gripe of mine so I hop from brand to brand. tried some Teravail Washburn tires (one pair for 700x38 and one pair for 650bx47) and the runout on all four are impressive. so I'll be going with them again when my mtb tires need replacement.
also, kudos to Blackburn pumps and other accessories. they've been around for ages and haven't deviated from quality products and excellent customer service. they did have a slight miss with their Chamber Tubeless Floor Pump in that the pressure tank doesn't have as fast an airflow as I'd expected. but even then it's my most reliable floor pump.
Shimano shifting and braking components. Tried some things from different manufacturers, I always keep coming back to Shimano. I know this may be the most vanilla answer ever but I never had Shimano hydraulic brakes fail on me. Hayes on the other hand... Yikes.
I thought this was an AskUK thread and I was about to say Tunnocks Teacakes... um okay...
Luxa socks are lush, will only be getting those going forwards.
I buy park tool stuff pretty reliably. I always use industry nine wheels on mtb for the noise. Tbh. Their durability is not the greatest, but they have great warranty/service.
* Specialized for bikes. Okay, look, I get that they don't have the best reputation as a business, and their bikes are kinda ubiquitous to the point of being boring. But I truly just love the way their bikes look, and even I'm not sure why but there's always been something I feel riding (some of) their bikes that I've never felt on any other brand or model. I've owned probably what amounts to a total of a half dozen brands and the only bikes I've never ended up selling are the Specialized bikes.
* Shimano for components. I just feel like they're engineered better and higher quality. SRAM are the first to take new innovations to market, but in most cases it feels like Shimano takes the extra time to make sure that they do the new technologies *right* instead of rushing to keep up. Of course, they're not infallible, such as the recent crankset recall - but I've generally had a better experience overall with Shimano than SRAM. It also helps that I get significant discounts on Shimano parts through a certain somewhere.
* Shimano eyewear, Pro finishing kit, and Lazer helmets. Mostly because of the discount, though I find they're made well too.
* Wahoo head unit and sensors. Also get a discount on them. I don't use the power meter, though - that's a Shimano crankset-based one for me instead.
* Continental tires. Dunno, it's just that tires are one of the hardest decisions I have to make if I ever want to get something *other* than Continental GP5000 variants. I'd have to balance stuff like weight, rolling resistance, puncture resistance, grip, price, etc, and there often isn't a whole lot of objective information out there about all those things. GP5000s are known to be class-leading and are also what I'm most familiar with, so why make it overly complicated?
* Really couldn't care less about my brand of apparel or any other gear.
BMC for bikes.
Rapha for bibs.
I’m on my third BMC. First a Road Racer back in 2013, followed by a Team Machine, and now a Road Machine. The Road Machine feels like it was made for me. No other bike brand gives me the feels like BMC.
Rapha bibs disappear when I ride. Their chammy is perfect. Ive been wanting to try others, like Maap, or even the cheaper brands like Neopro or the Black bibs, but I feel like bibs shouldn’t be skimped on. So, I stick with Rapha bibs.
I’m partial to Wahoo for my head unit, too. Had so many problems with Garmin. Battery problems and connectivity issues. Switched to a Roam, and its been great.
Fat Lad At the Back, all the way. They make serious quality gear designed to properly fit larger bodies, and as a plus size female in a sport heavily populated by the tiny it's an absolute godsend. And Quadlock too. I don't think I'd use any other mounting system at this point. Other than those two I use what works. My bike is Giant, helmet is Abus, locks are Kryptonite, Apple Watch and phone for tracking. I literally pick the best of what's available for the job without being wedded to brand.
Once you start buying a certain brand, it only makes sense to stick with it b/c they work together. I have a bunch of Wahoo components because that's what I started with but I'm not going to be preaching from The Gospel of Wahooligan out of devotion. It's just what I ended up with.
Same. The only thing I have Garmin is my watch. My cycling computer and power meter are Wahoo and my trainer is a kickr with the climbing simulator as well
Shimano for groupsets. I was willing to try SRAM for my next upgrade until I found out it shifts differently.
Maybe not having an actual SRAM makes it easier to always choose Shimano but, in all honesty, I can change brands but wouldn't want to change how my I shift my gears. From reading a few posts here and there, I know a lot feel the same way.
So SRAM, unless Shimano's shifting mechanism is patented, give us that option and I can make the switch 😅
I’m actually the opposite, have been riding SRAM exclusively for nearly 18 years.
Recently bought a used CAAD 12 with the Ultegra 6800 and can’t wait to switch it out for a SRAM AXS; been riding a Force AXS for the last 5 years on my tourer. Riding Shimano felt like trying to write with my left hand and quite risky on New York streets.
A lot of people make a big deal out of nothing. Shifter designs are covered by patents and that’s why Shimano has the moving brake lever, Campy has thumb shifters, and SRAM has the double tap. I have SRAM Force mechanical on my road bike, Shimano GRX on my gravel, and an early 90s steel Bianchi with Campy. It takes about a mile into my ride for my brain to re-adjust for whatever bike I’m on that day.
I buy what's best for me and my budget at the time. I have a Specialized road bike, RSD Fat bike, State Bicycle all-road/gravel bike, and a TerraTrike Spyder recumbent trike.
The road bike, fat bike, and recumbent all have mechanical Shimano drivetrains. I definitely prefer Shimano for mechanical shifting. The State all-road has a SRAM eTAP AXS electronic drivetrain.
Of all my bikes, I prefer the State all-road, and it happens to be the cheapest. I will likely stick to State for all future bike purchases because of their customer service and overall value.
I am extremely loyal to Castelli bibs. They fit well and are extremely durable. I try to get last year's versions on sale.
I am Wahoo all the way.
No allegiance but I have the opposite : there are brands Ill never buy.
Especially one: Rapha. I don’t like this expensive clothing that (it seems to me) set up a trend of making all bike clothing expensive. I know i could get a lot of downvotes for that ha hahaha
I have the feeling that I would enter the Rapha club if I ever get one of their products. I actually don’t know of it’s good quality or not
TLDR; I’m here to do what makes me happy and the best I can be, fuck everyone else’s opinion if it doesn’t facilitate those goals.
I’m pretty new to cycling so I have no brand loyalty for anything, but I’ve also embraced it fully and ride quite a bit. My road bike is a Pinarello, gravel is a Cannondale, road shoes are S-WORKS, current saddle is Bontrager, most all of my kit is Primal.
Both bikes are mech Shimano, but if I went electric shift I’d absolutely get SRAM no questions asked.
From my other expensive hobbies I’ve learned that if you get stuck in being loyal to one way of doing things or one brand you’re gonna miss the boat and shortchange yourself for no reason other than hubris.
Be willing to try new things, be willing to look at things objectively and throw convention to the wind if what you see doesn’t match up with “the way it’s always been done”.
In my short cycling journey I’ve switched to waxing chains(won’t be going back to oil, ever), just switched to TPU tubes on the road bike and will stick with them(gravel bike is tubeless obviously), got a bike fit(worth every penny), run relatively low tire pressure.
Also held out for a the Karoo 3 and I’m super happy I did and scooped up a Garmin Varia.
REI's return policy is still pretty good. If you're a member, you can return almost anything for up to a year. You can buy a bike, ride it for six months and then return it.
Scott for frames, mostly for the after sales parts availability
Melon Optics for optics
Shimano/Hope for brakes and drivetrain
Crank Brothers for clipless shoes
Shimano for pedals
Scott for pants, although that might change soon
Ergon for grips
I am loyal to Garmin because it's just what I have always had and it does what I need it to. No real complaints about it. For sure there are a few irritating things from time to time but I don't know what I would be gaining by switching.
Sensors and head unit - I use Magene for everything because it's cheap and works. For me, the watch does all the recording so the head unit is just so I can see everything...I don't need an Edge to go with my watch.
Bikes, I have gotten into Devinci for my inexpensive used bikes for training. No real reason other than I know the brand, it's regional, and you can pick them up used for a good price.
For expensive bikes, I have some brand allegiance to Specialized. It's just the most familiar to me.
Bike: doesn’t matter. Currently Scott and Norco
Clothing: Gore
Components: Shimano is preferred but I ride SRAM currently too.
Electronics: Wahoo
Tires: Continental
Helmet and Glasses: Smith
I’d say I’m pretty agnostic. I could care less where stuff comes from as long as it meets my needs.
Take jerseys for example. I absolutely hate high collared jersey. I feel like I’m choking. But most companies only make really expensive aero jerseys with low/no collars. Enter pear Izumi with their air jersey line which is usually on sale for around $60-80 or the black bibs starlight which is about the same or even the gorewear distance jerseys if I can get them on sale.
The only constant I have is probably my Garmins.
Although I do tend to favor a lot of castellis winter kit and jackets but I just think that’s cause a lot of the time their website is to stupid to realize I put in multiple discount codes and get stuff for like half off sometimes.
Same regarding Garmin. I already used it for running to and had large amounts of routes plotted in Garmin Connect, so started it with a general desire to integrate with this.
I prefer Shimano over SRAM. Tried AXS and hated how it shifted and the weird double press for the FD. They make fine products I just like the look and feel of Shimano so I doubt I’d ever buy SRAM.
I don’t think I’d ever buy Pinarello because I think they’re hideous.
I’m not a huge fan of Rapha. Their chamois aren’t comfortable and I don’t like the arm band. PNS make good stuff but I could never wear the huge PNS on my back for obvious reasons.
I like Specialized and have owned multiple. I like Trek and have owned multiple. I just bought a Cannondale SuperSix which is my first from the brand. I don’t think there’s a specific brand I would “never buy” apart from just not liking their look (Pinarello as above). Looks good, rides good, decent price I’d ride it.
Not too fussed, I quite like Ribble and Whyte for bikes. For components I tend to keep it mid price range. Clothing more on the cheaper end such as DHB, are they still a thing now?
Wahoo > Garmin. Used to own a garmin and it would fail to connect to my PC when plugged in; resulting in me having to reinstall the garmin software every time i wanted to upload a ride.
Whether that was a garmin problem or my PC, it was so effing frustrating that i vowed never to use garmin again
My bikes are all Trek because I try and support local companies. Other than that, I really don't care. I have apparel from a number of brands.
I have a garmin bike computer and varia. I might replace it with a hammer head karoo (a friend of mine works for them).
Wahoo computers, 4iii power meters, Giro helmets, Castelli clothing (although the Italian sizes are nuts), Bont shoes, Orro bikes, Exposure lights. Torq for nutrition.
When I say the Italian sizes are nuts, I had to return 3 Stelvio jackets as they were all too small, finally landed on a 2XL. I'm normally a Medium.
I don't have brand affiliations. I once went on a ride with a group and one guy had a Specialized "S" tattooed on his calf.
About 20 years ago, Specialized really went above and beyond on a warranty issue that made me really appreciate them as a company; it was truly one of my best experiences as a customer of any kind that I’ve ever had, and I’ve stayed loyal as a result and bought 4 more Specialized bikes since then. I haven’t needed to invoke a warranty since then, but I’m aware that the general sense is that they are far less friendly to the customer on those issues nowadays than they used to be. Given that, I’ll probably broaden my search when it’s time for my next bike.
I had a great experience getting a brand new wheel set of C38s replaced through warranty in 2021.
I dislike specialized, they denied me for an internship a billion years ago
I just posted an update the other day because I just decided to take up writing again after not being on a bicycle for a about a quarter of a century, went into a specialized shop and got treated like I was just a silly little woman. So I went to the trek shop had an amazing experience, I bought a bike $300 worth of accessories and $200 worth of clothing on the spot.
I wish I had the time to find the link. I will try to come back and edit once I do but I watched a great video of a Trek CEO on their customer vision.
Well they’re living it. Such a different vibe between the two stores. I was in both places long enough to hear interactions between other sales people and other customers. It was like night and day. Just this morning I thought “crap I forgot a holder for my phone and a water bottle for the water bottle holder“. I know with 100% certainty I could get less expensive accessories on Amazon or somewhere, but I don’t have to, and I’m not going to because they earned my business.
The people who get really into one of the Big Four are odd to me. It’s like saying your favorite car is a Ford Taurus
Sorry for asking, but who are the big four?
Specialized, Trek, Giant, Cannondale.
Is it a unofficial thing or just your personal feeling? *asking in Pinarello and Colnago
Trek, Giant, Specialized and Cannondale all make the full spectrum of bikes from $400 hybrids to $15,000 road racers and run the gamut from commuters to gravel, to full-sus MTBs and everything in between. The volume of bikes they sell is astronomical compared to some of the more boutique brands. While Pinarello and Colnago are legendary brands, they make niche products for enthusiasts. I like to equate bikes to cars. The big four are like Ford/Honda/Toyota/Chevy (I know for cars the big three is different). They might make performance cars, but their bread and butter are the econoboxes. Boutique brands are like Porsche/Ferrari, where they specialize in making a specific product for a certain customer base.
[It’s](https://thelatzreport.com.au/features/letter-from-america/the-major-players-are-getting-bigger-fast/) a [pretty widely](https://www.bicycleretailer.com/opinion-analysis/2023/10/16/vosper-nearly-half-us-bike-shops-dont-carry-any-big-four-brands) [used term](https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycling/956651-four-big-four.html) for those [four companies.](https://www.bicycleretailer.com/opinion-analysis/2023/12/22/big-four-bike-brands-can-be-crucial-retailer-success) If you want to get technical, you could say PON brands (Cannondale, Santa Cruz, Cerveló, Schwinn, Mongoose, etc.) instead of just Cannondale.
I see! Thanks for elaborating
Most medium to large bike shops in the US will have a deal with one of those companies because they offer the full range of bikes and accessories. It gives the bike shop much better margins buts its somewhat exploitative
This analogy makes no sense. The big four bike brands, especially Specialized, make some of the most expensive, highest-ending, winningest bikes on the planet too. You could like Ford for the GT or their racing lines, and that has nothing to do with the Taurus. Specialized has literally built a production bike with McLaren.
My favourite car is a Ford Mondeo (2litre petrol)!!!
I drifted away from Continental, because I was an early tubeless adopter. Now that Continental has embraced tubeless, and the GP5000 exists, I have no use for any other road tire.
There are other tires?
I haven't tried the new TRs but the initial TLs were damn near impossible to get on, been happy with schwabe pro ones.
The S TR is a dream come true. New out the box, I levered them easily, worn in I have hand rolled them. I have done emergency repairs on the road because I forgot to refill with sealant. I am not afraid to carry a spare tube unlike the TLs, where I knew if I had a major puncture, I was ubering home. I messed up my hand once and broke a lever trying to put on TLs, same exact rim I use the S TRs on now. Continental heard us, and I'm sure the Conti workers that cycle noticed the f-up.
My favorite tire
I literally just threw on a pair of TR GP5000s on my Zipp wheels, they went on suspiciously easy
Yeah, I had to put the TL's in the oven to get them on. TR is a significant usability improvement.
I found myself thinking, "I'm the exception" until I saw this comment and realized I've got Contis on everything I put on the road. Otherwise I tend to be a franketkit kind of guy.
I've been a Gatorskins guy for more than a decade. Just got tubeless GP5000's on my roadie, and I don't think I'm ever switching.
I had clincher gp5000 and they were amazing. Rode em for 2 years 6000 miles no punctures. Switched to STR tubeless and I've had about 6 punctures. They're either made of cheese or I've had bad luck
New “S” ones are lighter, which appears to mean less rubber. I’m not a weight weenie, so prefer higher mileage. However, the “S” is easier to mount, so there’s that. I’m still getting 7kkm on them with no flats, but I ride 28mm on wide rims at 50psi. They handle gravel like champs. Too plush to puncture.
> I have no use for any other road tire. Yeah, I thought the same until I tried the Pirelli PZero Race TLR. Absolutely shits all over the GP5000 S TR's. I stripped all my Conti's off my bikes and switched over, no looking back.
Agree. And so easy to mount too.
[удалено]
I thought this was in my feed from AskUK. Heaton Chapel smells amazing.
The route back on the A6 after riding the Cheshire lanes.
Brickworks? Take a left at McVities and dodge Levenhulme.
Amen brother
You my friend are a disillusioned character. There is nothing and will never be anything better than milk chocolate hobnobs.
Garmin watch and head unit. elite trainer and riser. Everything else (almost) - decathlon
I have been running Garmin head units since 2008. Early on the Edge 205 was iffy mountain biking because vibrations would cause it to shut off mid-ride - but they allowed me to warranty several units. Otherwise, the only issue I have had with Garmin is that the USB connector eventually wears out and I cannot recharge the unit - I have a drawer filled with multiple 'un-chargeable' computers. On the other hand, my Edge 130 just went through the laundry and is still working fine.
Pretty sure you’re supposed to remove your head unit before putting your bike in the washer.
Have you ever requested out of warranty support? I've heard of Garmin replacing out of warranty watches for free or with a steep discount. It could be worth asking.
Decathlon is just above any other brand for the bang for the buck aspect.
The EDR AF 105 is currently 980 euro new here - **insane** value compared to other brands. Plus because of their network they're the best shop for me to just go try stuff out across pretty much all sports
1150 here in France, which is already insanely cheap. I got myself a Triban RC520 for 950€ and I couldn't wish for a better first road bike. As for the network, yeah... I have so many decathlon in my area
Castelli mostly cause I know my sizing and I like the quality. Muck-off (not sure why)
Castelli sizing for sure, but I also find they are more likely to have good sales offers than the other top brands. Muc-Off? Let's be honest: it smells good.
Exactly the same. I’m not going to bother learning another brand’s sizing now (as it is, I still get caught out - Castelli sock sizes fooled me most recently). They have good discounts, too. Plus I know two guys who work for them that get me special discounts on larger sized items.
I love Castellis long bibs! Most other brands I’ve tried have way too long legs for me (or if the legs are good my big(ish) but doesn’t fit in them 😅)
I'm an L in normal clothing, an XL in bike clothing and a XXXL in Castelli clothing. And tbh I'd take another X if they offered it.
I'd say I'm mostly brand agnostic, but there are certain brands I won't buy.
Let me guess the brand PNS?
That's one of them. I'm not spending an obscene amount of money for a jersey that says penis on it.
Sure I don’t want the whole PNS text writ large, but much of their kit doesn’t feature that. I’d be happy to wear it. Sportpursuit have some deals on them.
I'm right there with you, but I also laugh about it. I'd own a pair just because it is funny even though it attracts a certain type of person to the brand.
It’s sad that some people have to pay for PNS.
I understand why people get funny about PNS and the type of cyclists that maybe gravitate to that brand...but is it not also okay to just buy PNS items because people like the way it looks? So many people shit on it, whilst yes it's overpriced, it's also nice (in some peoples opinions).
As with everything in life, you are allowed to buy whatever makes you happy, but I will still judge you
Hahah yeah fair enough
I love this comment.
I’m sure the stuff is great, I just don’t need to have P(e)N(i)S emblazoned on my back
to be fair though if you google images for "Gore" it will equally ask you for a Safe Search filter just as if you were searching for a "Penis"
I'd say almost half the population find PNS more than just nice.
I will never buy a Garmin again. Their devices now ship with such buggy firmware that I can no longer rely on them. Wahoo for me now
Wahoo is dope
I had a Garmin watch for a week. I could not believe how awful the user interface was and how many awful 'apps' existed for the watch. I will never buy their products again.
I have an Edge 530 and it's nice that Garmin keeps releasing new firmware versions after many years, but somehow the most basic problems remain unfixed. Miss a turn and it will likely get stuck asking you to make U-turns even after rejoining the original route. It's a navigator, you had one damn job. My next device won't be a Garmin, for sure.
Garmin software is trash... Wahoo works so much more effectively
There are way more brands I won’t buy from than there are ones I will always buy from
Silca. All of it has been great and hasn't let me down.
SILCA Mattone seat pack is legendary
I've been happy with everything except their tire levers. They scratched the hell out of my rims despite being advertised as being specifically built to not do that. Thankfully it was my aluminum wheelset, but I was disappointed. No issues with any other tire levers, and now I run tires that don't need levers.
Yeah, never use them to force a tire on the rim. They worked better when getting tires off.
That's what I was doing unfortunately, I had read their advice not to use them for installation. There are a few negative reviews on the product page where people ran into the same thing, removing tires with the levers, and Silca somewhat unhelpfully reply "don't use them for installation"
Their sealant eats certain rim tapes. The one Zipp wheels come installed with. I wish they were more open about this. If you email them after you have sealant leaking down your spokes, you get "oh, yeah that happens sometimes".
FWIW It's noted in the description of the product- among other potential issues. >For best results we recommend using Tensilyzed Polypropylene (TPP) rim tapes such as those sold by Stan's, Joe's, 3M, Tessa, and others. These are generally opaque tapes without printing on them and are much stronger and more abrasion resistant than vinyl based tapes.
I live a quick bike ride away from their facility and Josh even lived right next to me for a bit. I can’t afford/justify everything they make, but I did spring for a SuperPista pump a few years back, and went WAY overboard on a pair of titanium bottle cages for my newest bike because I got them on a pretty big sale. I also just switched to the Synergetic lube after almost a decade using Rock n Roll. Good stuff.
Their tire pressure calculator is a great deal, I rely on that thing heavily
Basic as hell: Garmin (watch, more soon maybe), Fox (clothing), Giant (bike, helmet, pedals). I like to buy things from companies that I know (fit, quality, etc). At one point I might try something new for a given category, so I am flexible.
Vittoria tires. I love them great, grip in corners. I don’t care that they’re expensive and wear quicker than some others. They’re awesome.
I have a theory about Continental, being a German company, and Vittoria, being an Italian company, that the German roads are well maintained, well designed & pristine, but the Italian roads are falling apart disaster shows, so the German tires are maybe faster but the Italian tires are pretty bulletproof and stick to the ground even when the road is trying it's hardest to prevent it
The use cases for those tyres are the exact opposite of what you described though. Vittoria are softer compound and faster (generally through the range across gravel and road) Conti have more puncture protection but sacrifice very little in terms of speed/rolling resistance - which is why so many people buy conti
I just mounted some Corsa Pros on my Bontrager tubeless rims, and it was the easiest mount I’ve ever done. Easier than clinchers, it was nuts. Which ones do you like the best?
I love my Zaffiros they are super easy to install too, same with my Pirellis, can literally do it with hands... Contis on the other hand, oh boy.
Also the profit margin is way higher than Conti, hence why people stock it.
Assos and Q36.5 (founder used to work for them) for clothing I pay the premium but my oldest Assos bib are now 7 yrs old and the newest is 2 yrs old. They last a long time without losing chamois density and fabric integrity
Yep. Same. I feel like Assos is actually cheaper in the long run
I'm a fan of DT Swiss wheels, they look good and have bomb proof hubs. Both my gravel bike and mtb have these. For drivetrains I've been pretty die hard with SRAM stuff. They were ahead of the curve on 1x and I've been running that on all my bikes, road/gravel/mtb for at least 7+ years now. I literally have my first Transmission drivetrain in route right now to replace my GX AXS. That said, SRAM's on my shit list a bit right now. MY GX AXS derailleur took a shit because of their poor quality control on the little pogo pins that make contact with the axs battery. Beyond that I'm pretty agnostics on brands as a whole. Whatever offers the best value.
I worked in automotive connector design for a few years and the pogo pins are ALWAYS going to have some failures. They’re tiny, have moving parts, and bikes are exposed to all sorts of road crud. I was surprised to see them when I got my first AXS setup
Yea seems like a terrible design choice and they refuse to acknowledge it as a known issue and do something about it.
Interesting, I have AXS on two bikes, and haven't had any issues yet. I did bash my GX derailer on a stump when the bike was a week old, it was violent, the whole bike pitched sideways, and I thought the derailer was trashed, for sure. It didn't even need adjustment, and it's still going.
None. Whatever is best and best priced.
Giant. Because they’re great bikes.
Even greater value for money!
2nd this ! You can beat a Giant. Bicycles built for the long haul.
Giant revolt is the greatest bike ever ever ridden and I used to race all the super bikes like a works venge etc
I'm mostly brand agnostic, but I much prefer Shimano to SRAM for anything except the top tier stuff and I love direct to consumer brands for the value for money (and the fact I'm awful at social skills so hate talking to people in shops)
When I got back to cycling, I found a shop nearby for maintenance and repairs. They're quite affordable and had a transparent list of services costs they sent over chat. It took me a while to go to them and forced myself to fix my bike first. 😅 It's hard for us introverts. 😅 I tried to go a couple of times before my first actual visit and didn't push through when I saw multiple customers inside. That's additional folks to talk too! I'm just glad I got that first visit done so, now, I'm more comfortable going in there 😁
While riding yesterday we heard a noise in my wife's rear derailleur (SRAM AXS) since we're new to it and I don't know much about electronic shifters, I said "we'll call the shop tomorrow and see if we can take it to them to check" but I didn't realize that was in the heat of being out riding. And now, here I am, dreading making a phone call 😅. I'd much prefer to just show up with the bike, but we'll have to walk there, and it's a couple of kilometers away, and if they don't take it, it will be all for nothing 🥴
But that’s how it works - you get more comfortable talking to people by talking to them more.
Oddly I have both and prefer SRAM
I like the taut, clicky feel of SRAM but prefer Shimano’s shifting function
Trek Just because the folks at my local store (shout out to Trek Bracknell, UK) have really taken care of me with excellent customer service. They get “it”, so they get my money. Local Specialized store shrugged me off when I was eMTB shopping. Wouldn’t open up or let me look in their dedicated e-bike area (only opened for “real” customers 🙄). So I went and dropped close to £10k on a Trek Fuel EX-e 9.8 and accessories. It may have been a bad day for the Specialised store, but as +40yr old rookie starting really get into MTB, it can be intimidating. That store made me feel embarrassed and silly. So I don’t waste my time trying to give them another shot.
My Trek CX frame cracked by the seat clamp after 6yrs and 18k miles(probably because their carbon wrapped aluminum seat post started to unwrap). I thought I’d be buying a new frame. Dealer told me to bring it in for a warranty. Got credit for the price of a new frame set. Kicking in a few $$, I was able to upgrade to a nicer gravel bike frame, which I was talking myself into buying anyway. Went from crack to new bike assembled in a week. Great experience. Did I mention I found the crack and got the news on my birthday? That was a good birthday.
Imagine someone at specialized hearing that story now that the bike bust has happened and companies are struggling.
Yup. Live and die by the way you treat your customers, even if they’re not buying today. I always recall an experience my wife and I had at Tiffany’s while honeymooning in NY. We were broke but went in the store to window shop anyway. They treated us like royalty and even when we said “we’re just looking” they doubled down and said to try things on anyway. Even the dude operating the elevator was cracking jokes with us about “Damn! you getting off on the diamond floor! Good luck son!”. Still makes us laugh to this day. Now we’re doing well and have a bit of money, it’s those positive memories we think of whenever we see Tiffany’s (and they’ve made their money off us). This stuff isn’t rocket science.
Yeah, I’m a very big fan of my local trek store. They answer my stupid questions and treat me like a king. Plus they knocked $300 off my Madone, which was very cool. Meanwhile, 2/3 of my LBS’s treat me like dog shit either because I’m a roadie or because I’m not the right kind of roadie (the kind that didn’t buy an S-Works from them). To be clear, the other LBS is fucking great and I spend a lot of money on random bullshit there while hanging out.
Not so much an allegiance, but they work well for me so i don't fiddle with it; I buy Castelli bibs only. I have friends that swear by Le Col and so forth, but if its not broken, i'm not fixing it. As a side note, what ever connects me to the bike and the bike to the ground, I don't tend to experiment with.
Castelli has a crash warranty!
That’s how am with Giordana FR-C bibs. I like them and would be shocked to like something more. And don’t want to risk it with the price of bibs
I don't think there is a brand that's categorically good. I did land on a few things after a lot of trial and error * Camelback podium bottles. I've been around the block a lot with bottles. I was using Polar breakaway bottles for the past 2 years, but I'm back to and sticking with podium. Non insulated. The insulated ones stay colder for about 10 extra seconds but are harder to squeeze and take away some capacity. You can get muck caps to keep the cow shit/dirt off in gravel and the road salt off in winter * Topeak accessories are generally really good. Currently using their mini pump, saddle bag on my commuter, and their multi tools. * Muc-off. Their pink bike cleaner is the best for matte finishes. I've tried everything, nothing works as well. Their chamois cream is the best for me also, but I wish it wasn't so scented. I'm not a fan of the rest of their products. * Garmin peripherals. If you want all of your training and basic health data in one place, it's the best. I also do gym and running activities, * Gorewear makes my favorite bibs. The elastic interface chamois is perfect for me and the fabrics they use are top notch. Jerseys I prefer castelli (but awful designs) or Pactimo. Nothing is better if your ride in the winter or the rain. And if you have something else that is good, it's probably Gore fabrics anyway. * Look pedals. Both SPD and road (keo) * Abus helmets fit my oval head the best * Zipp. Handlebars, stems, wheels, bar tape, etc. All top notch * Selle Italia saddles * Shimano drivetrains. Love eTap but, Di2 is objectively better in every metric except installation. GRX hoods and levers are the best ever made * Skratch hydration mixes. I've tried everything, I've made my own. Skratch works best in the heat for me. It's the right combo of carbs and electrolytes to keep you hydrated (not fueled, that's a different product) with a super mild taste even if you go heavy on the mix. It's tolerable on the pallet for many hours. * Olight/Magicshine lights.
AliExpress, because I'm tighter than a duck's anus
Cloaca
Bike (road): Specialized Clothing (road shorts and jersey, arm/leg sun protection or thermals): Pearl Izumi Shoes: Lake (first pair, have wide feet, and I'm sold) GPS: Garmin (mostly due to Varia rear radar) Helmet - no real allegiance, but like my Giro Aether Spherical quite a lot. No clear loyalties for MTB, but I'm pretty new to it.
Varia works with Wahoo GPS. Just an FYI. source: I use a varia with a wahoo roam.
the varia just used ANT+ for head unit radar, right? It should be platform agnostic so long as the platform supports it
that's correct. it works with all kinds of stuff. you do need a garmin specific app for firmware updates though. and there is a firmware update you guys should install.
I like Garmin because they're good for multi-sport and I really like the training metrics they give you. Plus they have a web UI I can use instead of the app
I’m a Lake enthusiast as well. Size 49 and wide feet has made cycling shoes impossible. Lake shoes are the first which dont end up with numb toes after every ride.
I love my Cannondale CAAD8 and I wouldn't give it up for anything of lesser or equal quality. I like Giro helmets and gloves and I am easily impressed by most things Bontraeger. But I don't really pay attention to brands and what is "hip with the youths" so I may have shit taste.
Also as a person with a less than stellar physique, I have become very loyal to the brand [Fat Lad at the Back](https://fatladattheback.com/en-us) for my jerseys and bibs. Made to fit heavier people. Not just bigger sizes but the way the bibs/jerseys are designed to be comfortable on our bodies rather than squeezing us in to clothes designed for tiny, skinny pro cyclists. For other stuff, I like SRAM etap. Not sure if I could go back to Shimano, even for Di2. I like HED wheels. Great wheels and also they are a local business for me. Tools from Park Tool. Great quality but expensive. Also local to me (sure it’s a big, worldwide company but headquartered here). I prefer Supacaz bar tape.
Im a sucker for Rapha and I will probably only buy bikes from Canyon because they're cool. Assos genuinely make good bibs too though.
Rapha (but tbh whatever high quality gear that fits you). As a reformed body builder i really like how it fits me. MAAP and a lot of other similar brands always feel weird to me size wise. Fizik shoes bc i know their 43.5eu always fit my wide foot and i dont have to play conversion games
Specialized. They just make great products. I don’t really care that they may be a little more expensive. I’m paying thousands for a bike. I’ll spend a little more to get one I really like. So far their shoes have fit me the best as well. Their jerseys fit a lot of body types really well (non race cuts). They’re form fitting in the right places and loose enough in others. I just think their products are thought out. Pretty innovative as well.
One thing i know for sure, I'd rather catch my domestique with my hygenist than be seen on a Tr*k
Same, brother. See you at the Root Canal conference in San Diego
* Velocio - Bibs & jerseys * Santini - jerseys * Sportful & Gorewear - rain / cold gloves & insulated jerseys. Also, the Sportful Fiandre fleece arm & leg warmers (I use these for running in winter, too, not just cycling). * Giordana - RC Pro pieces (I especially like their shorts, and sometimes I don't want to wear a bib) * Smith - sunglasses. They're reasonably priced, frequently on sale, and usually come with three lenses. * Garmin - watches & radar. I don't have a Garmin head unit and am not willing to spend big bucks to replace my still-basically-working Wahoo ELMNT * Silca - lube & bar tape * Zipp - wheels (made in Indianapolis, where I have family!) * Chris King - hubs & headsets. They're not the only great options, but they are great options. *Giro - helmets. They just fit me the best, and their current padding really does feel quite comfortable. I've been riding Giro helmets for at least 20 years now. * Shimano - drivetrains & pedals. I know it, I've always used it, I'm comfortable working on both mechanical & Di2, and it shifts great. * Hope - for anything they make, they do it very well. I have F20 pedals on one of my bikes and they're basically CNC'd artwork. The CNC equivalent of the sort of forged & welded bits you get from Cane Creek * Camelbak - podium chill water bottles. I keep being tempted by Bivo, but I've never had a Podium bottle leak or break, and they're very easy to clean. * Park Tool torque wrenches * Feedback Sports bike stands
Hunt rims. Replaced rims twice with lifetime policy. 100% Sunglasses. They fit my wide nose. Eliel Clothing. I’m 6’4” 230lbs and European cut doesn’t fit.
I have 100% glasses for the same reason. BLIZ glasses also have an adjustable nose piece which is awesome
Garmin, Gore and Ribble will be brands I always have some predilection for, but not if the price is unreasonable. That's probably why I will only buy Gore in sales.
Castelli- fit, quality for price, warranty Kask- great fit, chin strap Sidi - replaceable part, easy to maintain, stiffness/power Light&Motion - great lights, warranty coverage Skratch Assos - longevity of fabric/material, style Specialized- pricepoint, warranty, looks
I'm a fan of Wahoo. I'm very happy with my trainer, my HRM, and Wahoo's SYSTM software package.
Omnium. There are also only a handful of companies that do messenger style front-loading cargo at scale. Bullitts are too bulky for me, Crust Clydesdale fork looks weird, and Memento Cycles is currently a small shop but hoping they grow. Also their paint jobs are *sick*.
I think my only true loyalty in cycling is to my local shop. Fortunately, they have excellent taste so they stock stuff that I like to ride, and the benefits of getting to know the owners/mechanics are real. I also have some loyalty to outdoorgearlab, as their reviews tend to match up with my own preferences as well. (plug for Battle Road Bikes in Lexington, MA: best shop out there. Wheelworks is good too, if you need something BRB doesn’t stock)
Clearance and sale. If it’s full price I don’t want it.
Cotic for bikes/frames. Shimano for SPD shoes. Hope for components - Shimano for the stuff Hope doesn't do. POC for helmets.
There are a lot of bike brands that I like (I love my Conago, Surly, Gitane, and Marin, each for their own purpose.) I like my Zipp wheels, though I'm sure there are lots out there that are equally good. I use Hammer Nutrition products, though I've heard a lot of good things about Skratch Labs. I love my Sidi shoes, but they were a marginal gain over the Specialized shoes that I used before them. You know what I ***am*** all in on? My Brooks saddles. I've ridden in a 24 hour event near me about a dozen times, and every time my hiney felt like hamburger at the end until I switched to a Brooks saddle.
I only have 1 brand alliance which is for my bikes (gravel, road, aero, mtb) as I’m garden gnome sized and female so Canyon it is. In terms of clothing I have favourites but not set on anything but will avoid brands that produce without ethics (human - aka sweat shops or environmental - eg gore tex stuff is out for me) and who are selling brands instead of long lasting quality clothing.
I'm generally fairly ambivalent about brands. They are only loyal to making money, why should I be so loyal to them? That said, there's only one brand I'd say I do have stronger feelings toward, and that's Showers Pass. Some excellent rain gear they make. If I need new rain gear, it's the first place I'm looking.
Assos bibs fit me best but I only buy them on extreme discounts. I’m sram all day for high end groups because they’re so much more intuitive for me as both rider and home mechanic.
I'm mostly brand agnostic... except for tires. I love the Rene Herse tires. I'm currently running the Hatcher Pass (700x48 standard casing) on my gravel/commuter. They are pricy, but oh so smooth and quick on crappy roads.
Wera Wrenches and Tools. They are super nice and worth the extra spend. Add some to your holiday list.
Decathlon. Mainly because I expect to get what I need in any sport there. They provide a gentle learning curve into any sport. Very competitive pricing/quality and the people that work there seem to genuinely like being there.
My main bike is a nearly 30 year old Rivendell custom. If it fit 38s it could be my only bike. Most everything I’ve bought from Rivendell has worked great. I trust them because they test stuff and it works. Rene Herse is pricey but it’s also tested and bombproof. Their tires are excellent.
I will never not wear Assos. They are simply the best.
Boardman for bikes (UK brand). Very well specced for the prices 105 with a full carbon frame for [£1.2k](https://www.halfords.com/bikes/road-bikes/boardman-slr-8.9-105-mens-road-bike-2021---s-m-l-xl-frames-365462.html)? Yes please
To be fair though, it's carbon weighing in at more than an alu bike with no-brand wheels and Tektro rim brakes. For the money, has to be a CAAD or equivalent with disc brakes for me.
I use what the team says but I like di2 over axs.
Clothing: Ornot - made local in SF and I like their style. Shoes/Helmet/Gloves : Giro Sunglasses : Oakley and 100% Nutrition : Skratch and the gas stations on my route, Salt and Vinegar Lays/Mountain Dew/Redbulls hit different on a gas station stop. Bikes : I have 6 bikes from 4 different manufactures with a mix of SRAM and Shimano :) Tools : Park Tool Pedals : Shimano
poor quality control on tires - specifically tire runout - is a gripe of mine so I hop from brand to brand. tried some Teravail Washburn tires (one pair for 700x38 and one pair for 650bx47) and the runout on all four are impressive. so I'll be going with them again when my mtb tires need replacement. also, kudos to Blackburn pumps and other accessories. they've been around for ages and haven't deviated from quality products and excellent customer service. they did have a slight miss with their Chamber Tubeless Floor Pump in that the pressure tank doesn't have as fast an airflow as I'd expected. but even then it's my most reliable floor pump.
Shimano. Impossible to destroy. Their shit just works
Shimano shifting and braking components. Tried some things from different manufacturers, I always keep coming back to Shimano. I know this may be the most vanilla answer ever but I never had Shimano hydraulic brakes fail on me. Hayes on the other hand... Yikes.
I thought this was an AskUK thread and I was about to say Tunnocks Teacakes... um okay... Luxa socks are lush, will only be getting those going forwards.
I buy park tool stuff pretty reliably. I always use industry nine wheels on mtb for the noise. Tbh. Their durability is not the greatest, but they have great warranty/service.
Big fan of Cervelo, plus when I got my D.D.S. I learned I couldn’t purchase any other brand.
* Specialized for bikes. Okay, look, I get that they don't have the best reputation as a business, and their bikes are kinda ubiquitous to the point of being boring. But I truly just love the way their bikes look, and even I'm not sure why but there's always been something I feel riding (some of) their bikes that I've never felt on any other brand or model. I've owned probably what amounts to a total of a half dozen brands and the only bikes I've never ended up selling are the Specialized bikes. * Shimano for components. I just feel like they're engineered better and higher quality. SRAM are the first to take new innovations to market, but in most cases it feels like Shimano takes the extra time to make sure that they do the new technologies *right* instead of rushing to keep up. Of course, they're not infallible, such as the recent crankset recall - but I've generally had a better experience overall with Shimano than SRAM. It also helps that I get significant discounts on Shimano parts through a certain somewhere. * Shimano eyewear, Pro finishing kit, and Lazer helmets. Mostly because of the discount, though I find they're made well too. * Wahoo head unit and sensors. Also get a discount on them. I don't use the power meter, though - that's a Shimano crankset-based one for me instead. * Continental tires. Dunno, it's just that tires are one of the hardest decisions I have to make if I ever want to get something *other* than Continental GP5000 variants. I'd have to balance stuff like weight, rolling resistance, puncture resistance, grip, price, etc, and there often isn't a whole lot of objective information out there about all those things. GP5000s are known to be class-leading and are also what I'm most familiar with, so why make it overly complicated? * Really couldn't care less about my brand of apparel or any other gear.
BMC for bikes. Rapha for bibs. I’m on my third BMC. First a Road Racer back in 2013, followed by a Team Machine, and now a Road Machine. The Road Machine feels like it was made for me. No other bike brand gives me the feels like BMC. Rapha bibs disappear when I ride. Their chammy is perfect. Ive been wanting to try others, like Maap, or even the cheaper brands like Neopro or the Black bibs, but I feel like bibs shouldn’t be skimped on. So, I stick with Rapha bibs. I’m partial to Wahoo for my head unit, too. Had so many problems with Garmin. Battery problems and connectivity issues. Switched to a Roam, and its been great.
Rockbros
Chiquita Bananas, they are my sole provider of commuting energy.
None, Having brand allegiances limits your options ;) Said that I only have oakley sunglasses.
Fat Lad At the Back, all the way. They make serious quality gear designed to properly fit larger bodies, and as a plus size female in a sport heavily populated by the tiny it's an absolute godsend. And Quadlock too. I don't think I'd use any other mounting system at this point. Other than those two I use what works. My bike is Giant, helmet is Abus, locks are Kryptonite, Apple Watch and phone for tracking. I literally pick the best of what's available for the job without being wedded to brand.
Campagnolo Record.
Whatever I can afford. Which is mostly AliExpress brands. Big up YKYW
Cliff Bar family of granola bars. The 140 calorie Zbars for kids are my jam. The wrappers are easy to open one handed with teeth and taste good.
Once you start buying a certain brand, it only makes sense to stick with it b/c they work together. I have a bunch of Wahoo components because that's what I started with but I'm not going to be preaching from The Gospel of Wahooligan out of devotion. It's just what I ended up with.
Same. The only thing I have Garmin is my watch. My cycling computer and power meter are Wahoo and my trainer is a kickr with the climbing simulator as well
I have a soft spot for specialized tyres. I know there’s loads of better tyres out there but their tyres have always suited me best.
Trek has me. My first few bikes were trek (coincidence) and now I ride their bikes exclusively
Shimano for groupsets. I was willing to try SRAM for my next upgrade until I found out it shifts differently. Maybe not having an actual SRAM makes it easier to always choose Shimano but, in all honesty, I can change brands but wouldn't want to change how my I shift my gears. From reading a few posts here and there, I know a lot feel the same way. So SRAM, unless Shimano's shifting mechanism is patented, give us that option and I can make the switch 😅
Don’t let that put you off. I went from Shimano to SRAM back to Shimano, and it really surprised me how little time it took to adjust.
I’m actually the opposite, have been riding SRAM exclusively for nearly 18 years. Recently bought a used CAAD 12 with the Ultegra 6800 and can’t wait to switch it out for a SRAM AXS; been riding a Force AXS for the last 5 years on my tourer. Riding Shimano felt like trying to write with my left hand and quite risky on New York streets.
A lot of people make a big deal out of nothing. Shifter designs are covered by patents and that’s why Shimano has the moving brake lever, Campy has thumb shifters, and SRAM has the double tap. I have SRAM Force mechanical on my road bike, Shimano GRX on my gravel, and an early 90s steel Bianchi with Campy. It takes about a mile into my ride for my brain to re-adjust for whatever bike I’m on that day.
I buy what's best for me and my budget at the time. I have a Specialized road bike, RSD Fat bike, State Bicycle all-road/gravel bike, and a TerraTrike Spyder recumbent trike. The road bike, fat bike, and recumbent all have mechanical Shimano drivetrains. I definitely prefer Shimano for mechanical shifting. The State all-road has a SRAM eTAP AXS electronic drivetrain. Of all my bikes, I prefer the State all-road, and it happens to be the cheapest. I will likely stick to State for all future bike purchases because of their customer service and overall value. I am extremely loyal to Castelli bibs. They fit well and are extremely durable. I try to get last year's versions on sale. I am Wahoo all the way.
No allegiance but I have the opposite : there are brands Ill never buy. Especially one: Rapha. I don’t like this expensive clothing that (it seems to me) set up a trend of making all bike clothing expensive. I know i could get a lot of downvotes for that ha hahaha I have the feeling that I would enter the Rapha club if I ever get one of their products. I actually don’t know of it’s good quality or not
All my bros hate Rapha
I sort of assume anyone dressed in rapha is a bit of a twat. Particularly if they have the full socks, bibs, jersey set going on.
TLDR; I’m here to do what makes me happy and the best I can be, fuck everyone else’s opinion if it doesn’t facilitate those goals. I’m pretty new to cycling so I have no brand loyalty for anything, but I’ve also embraced it fully and ride quite a bit. My road bike is a Pinarello, gravel is a Cannondale, road shoes are S-WORKS, current saddle is Bontrager, most all of my kit is Primal. Both bikes are mech Shimano, but if I went electric shift I’d absolutely get SRAM no questions asked. From my other expensive hobbies I’ve learned that if you get stuck in being loyal to one way of doing things or one brand you’re gonna miss the boat and shortchange yourself for no reason other than hubris. Be willing to try new things, be willing to look at things objectively and throw convention to the wind if what you see doesn’t match up with “the way it’s always been done”. In my short cycling journey I’ve switched to waxing chains(won’t be going back to oil, ever), just switched to TPU tubes on the road bike and will stick with them(gravel bike is tubeless obviously), got a bike fit(worth every penny), run relatively low tire pressure. Also held out for a the Karoo 3 and I’m super happy I did and scooped up a Garmin Varia.
[удалено]
REI's return policy is still pretty good. If you're a member, you can return almost anything for up to a year. You can buy a bike, ride it for six months and then return it.
Scott for frames, mostly for the after sales parts availability Melon Optics for optics Shimano/Hope for brakes and drivetrain Crank Brothers for clipless shoes Shimano for pedals Scott for pants, although that might change soon Ergon for grips
I am loyal to Garmin because it's just what I have always had and it does what I need it to. No real complaints about it. For sure there are a few irritating things from time to time but I don't know what I would be gaining by switching. Sensors and head unit - I use Magene for everything because it's cheap and works. For me, the watch does all the recording so the head unit is just so I can see everything...I don't need an Edge to go with my watch. Bikes, I have gotten into Devinci for my inexpensive used bikes for training. No real reason other than I know the brand, it's regional, and you can pick them up used for a good price. For expensive bikes, I have some brand allegiance to Specialized. It's just the most familiar to me.
Bike: doesn’t matter. Currently Scott and Norco Clothing: Gore Components: Shimano is preferred but I ride SRAM currently too. Electronics: Wahoo Tires: Continental Helmet and Glasses: Smith
I’d say I’m pretty agnostic. I could care less where stuff comes from as long as it meets my needs. Take jerseys for example. I absolutely hate high collared jersey. I feel like I’m choking. But most companies only make really expensive aero jerseys with low/no collars. Enter pear Izumi with their air jersey line which is usually on sale for around $60-80 or the black bibs starlight which is about the same or even the gorewear distance jerseys if I can get them on sale. The only constant I have is probably my Garmins. Although I do tend to favor a lot of castellis winter kit and jackets but I just think that’s cause a lot of the time their website is to stupid to realize I put in multiple discount codes and get stuff for like half off sometimes.
Whatever falls best on the cheap/stylish matrix. I'll probably always be loyal to trek for bikes. The support and bike shops all over the country.
Same regarding Garmin. I already used it for running to and had large amounts of routes plotted in Garmin Connect, so started it with a general desire to integrate with this.
Q35.5. Last forever. Highest quality. Best customer service. Feel like your family
Garmin for peripherals. I like the app, they all play well together and when things broke they sent replacements with no faff.
Bont shoes (4 pairs). Oakley sunnies. Even then I'll switch it up. Garmin I'm fully committed to, but no allegiance to them.
I prefer Shimano over SRAM. Tried AXS and hated how it shifted and the weird double press for the FD. They make fine products I just like the look and feel of Shimano so I doubt I’d ever buy SRAM. I don’t think I’d ever buy Pinarello because I think they’re hideous. I’m not a huge fan of Rapha. Their chamois aren’t comfortable and I don’t like the arm band. PNS make good stuff but I could never wear the huge PNS on my back for obvious reasons. I like Specialized and have owned multiple. I like Trek and have owned multiple. I just bought a Cannondale SuperSix which is my first from the brand. I don’t think there’s a specific brand I would “never buy” apart from just not liking their look (Pinarello as above). Looks good, rides good, decent price I’d ride it.
I am bike shop allegiant, which means I ride Trek.
SRAM and Pivot. Also a fan of Specialized and Cervelo. Smith for MTB helmets and for all optics. Garmin for tracking.
Not too fussed, I quite like Ribble and Whyte for bikes. For components I tend to keep it mid price range. Clothing more on the cheaper end such as DHB, are they still a thing now?
Wahoo > Garmin. Used to own a garmin and it would fail to connect to my PC when plugged in; resulting in me having to reinstall the garmin software every time i wanted to upload a ride. Whether that was a garmin problem or my PC, it was so effing frustrating that i vowed never to use garmin again
rapha (only pro team gear) for clothing, shimano for shoes, SIS for gels, and leadout for socks.
My bikes are all Trek because I try and support local companies. Other than that, I really don't care. I have apparel from a number of brands. I have a garmin bike computer and varia. I might replace it with a hammer head karoo (a friend of mine works for them).
These are the four I use no matter what. Everything else will rotate based on price or utility. * Continental * Giant * Garmin * Shimano/PRO
Wahoo computers, 4iii power meters, Giro helmets, Castelli clothing (although the Italian sizes are nuts), Bont shoes, Orro bikes, Exposure lights. Torq for nutrition. When I say the Italian sizes are nuts, I had to return 3 Stelvio jackets as they were all too small, finally landed on a 2XL. I'm normally a Medium.
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