Ah, the endless realm of bike accessories. Just when you thought every doodad and knick-knack had been created, ten more appear to adapt to changing standards, new trends or industry innovations. In this somewhat random roundup, we’ll check out some new goodies to keep you and your bike connected and protected.
First off, Zefal has recently released two new bike protection products aimed at the growing number of people riding pricey carbon fiber frames and components. Next up we’ll look at a new mount from WOMO Designs that hosts multiple Cateye devices, and then we’ll bring things full circle with a color-changing bike light that can do double duty as a front or a rear unit…
ZEFAL BIKE PROTECTION PRODUCTS
Zefal’s new Skin Armor is a clear adhesive protector (sticker, yes) that’s made of UV resistant polyurethane backed with weatherproof Glue Shield adhesive. The armor is impact and abrasion resistant to protect your frame from cable rub, chain slap, and small chips or dings. Probably the best feature of the Skin Armor is that it is designed to stretch in all directions, so it can smoothly bond to odd shaped frames.
The Skin Armor comes in two packages which cover a number of different areas on a frame- The Medium kit includes larger stickers for your down tube and rear triangle (one of each), plus ten small round and rectangular patches for addressing areas prone to cable or shoe rub, etc. The Large kit (as seen above) includes a larger down tube sticker and two rear triangle pieces, plus adds coverage for your top tube and crank arms. MSRP is $21.99 USD for the Medium kit or $31.99 for the Large.
If you ride carbon cranks you’ve probably used or at least considered something like Zefal’s Crank Armor. The company has just released their version of those little rubber hats that keep you from cringing when you glance your expensive cranks off rocks.
To install them you’d simply remove your pedals, slide them over the end of your crank arms and bolt the pedals back on. Crank Armor is made from soft but tough thermoplastic and a pair weighs just 20g. To match up to everyone’s bike the protective booties come in Black, Grey, Red, Cyan, Green and Orange. Their retail price is $13.99.
WOMO DESIGNS CATEYE ACCESSORY MOUNT
If you happen to like Cateye’s electronics, WOMO Designs has produced a new mount that carries two Cateye devices front row and center on your handlebars. The mount’s chassis is CNC machined from 6061-T6 aluminum, and the complete unit weighs 114g. Its dual clamp (31.8mm diameter) helps distribute mounting pressure on delicate, lightweight handlebars.
The WOMO mount offers two mounting positions which are designed to accommodate any combination of Cateye’s computers and lights, and with optional fittings it can also host other accessories like bottle cages or POV cameras. WOMO’s Cateye combo mount is made in the USA, comes in anodized black and the retail price is $80.
GEEEGO’S SWAP-COLOR LIGHT
The Geeego light uses 4 ultra-bright LED’s which provide visibility up to 600m. The color change is achieved by simply rotating a red lens on top of the white LED’s or leaving it off. The light’s waterproof body measures 34x34x20mm, it runs for up to 120 hours (in flashing mode) and weighs 10g without the battery. Using its simple rubber straps it should install just about anywhere in a snap. Check out their website for more info.
