At BikeRumor, lots of products make their way to our home offices and workshops before ultimately hitting the roads and trails. Try as we might, it’s not always easy to keep up with it all, and sometimes, it can be a challenge to give everything the attention it deserves. In our new Shifting Gear series (see what we did there?), we’ll be highlighting products that have just arrived, we’re excited to try out, or that we’re particularly stoked to tell you about but haven’t had a chance to review yet.
In this first installment, Jeremy unpacks some of the freshest gear in his testing queue. Shoes, lights, gear storage, wireless drivetrain upgrades, and waterproof apparel, he’s got no shortage of interesting new products lined up.
Kitworks Gear Tote: MTB Gravity Bundle
Cycling gear organization is a problem with many solutions, and I’ve been searching for the perfect one for years. Instagram apparently knows this about me and fed me a targeted advertisement for the Kitworks Gear Tote. I’m honestly kind of glad it did.
Kitworks is one of many brands selling rugged, adventure-oriented gear organization and storage products — Velocio and RUX recently co-branded something that looks somewhat similar. The brand sells a variety of gear storage solutions, including totes, gear boxes, and duffel bags, in various sizes. Everything appears to be deliberately tough and thoughtfully designed, with modular accessories that let you customize your storage space to meet your unique needs.
After browsing the brand’s website, I settled on the “Mountain Bike – Gravity” Gear Tote bundle. This includes the 55L gear tote, a mesh pocket system, a flap pocket system, a “wet+dirty” bag, and two small zippered gear cubes. All of these items and more are available separately on the Kitworks website, so you can pick and choose if you have something specific in mind. I went with the bundle because I didn’t want to think about it, and it seemed like a good selection.
The 55L tote is cavernous, and it’s easy to fit and see everything inside. It took me a little while to set up the other components of the modular system, but they’re fairly easy to attach to either the inside or outside of the tote. I’m still making adjustments to my setup, but I’m pretty impressed so far. It seems very well made and durable, and I really appreciate that the semi-rigid flat bottom keeps it from tipping over in my truck.
Fox Union All-Weather Flat Shoes
Fox introduced its new Union All-Weather shoes in the fall, and I got my hands on a pair a little while ago. They resemble the rest of the brand’s Union shoe lineup, but stand out with an extra-tall ankle cuff, which is taller than most other weatherproof shoes I’ve seen. They come in both clip-in and flat pedal versions, both of which feature the BOA Fit System and look virtually identical (other than the sole).
Fox doesn’t specify a waterproof membrane material used in the shoes, but it apparently extends all the way up the ankle cuff to keep water, as well as mud and debris, from making its way inside. With the extra-tall cuff, it should be much easier to overlap with pants, which will also hopefully prevent water from running down your legs and into the shoe. Otherwise, the flat version I have uses the same Ultratac rubber sole as Fox’s other models, so I expect pedal grip to be about the same. Inside, the footbed features adjustable arch support and a D30 panel intended to absorb impact and vibration.
My first impression is that they look surprisingly “normal” for the most part, except the extended cuff, which looks a little goofy until it’s covered by your pants. They are very difficult to get on and off — a shoehorn would probably help — but once on, they feel like regular riding shoes and are quite comfortable in my limited use thus far. The BOA Fit System does a good job of tightening them over the feet and won’t be annoying to deal with when wet. Overall, they strike me as a well-designed foul-weather shoe, and I’m looking forward to riding in some sloppy conditions with them soon.
Gloworm CX Core Mountain Bike Light
Last year, Gloworm finally cut the cord and introduced its first self-contained mountain bike light. Unlike the rest of the brand’s lineup of lights, the new CX Core houses the battery and light in a single unit, eliminating the need for annoying cords. It has four high-powered LEDs and boasts up to 1,750 lumens of output with multiple steady and flashing settings to choose from. The internal 6,000 mAh battery has a claimed 80+ minute runtime at max output and up to 10 hours at lower settings.
Beyond the cordless design, the wireless handlebar remote is undoubtedly one of the best features, letting you adjust brightness settings without taking your hand off the grip. It comes set up for use on the helmet, with a GoPro-style attachment, as well as stick-on and strap mounts. Gloworm also sells a bar upgrade kit so you can modify it to mount on your handlebar, too. The bar kit includes a sturdy bar clamp, as well as a swappable lens with a wider beam spread compared to the more focused beam of the helmet setup.
So far, the CX Core appears to be very well made, quite bright, and an excellent option for a helmet-mounted light. At 199 grams, it’s a little heavier than the Exposure Zenith I also have, but it doesn’t feel heavy on the head. Conditions are not great for night riding in my area right now, but I look forward to using this light more in the near future.
Shimano Deore Di2 Upgrade Kit
Shimano’s top-tier mountain bike components always get the most attention. Such has been the case with the latest Di2 wireless derailleurs and shifters that launched last year. But if I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that Shimano’s more affordable components perform nearly as well as their more expensive counterparts, just with a slight weight penalty.
So, when Shimano asked if I wanted to try out the Deore Di2 wireless upgrade kit, I said, Hell Yes! Assuming you’re already running a cable-actuated Shimano 12-speed drivetrain, the upgrade kit includes everything you need to switch to wireless. It comes with the Deore M6250 Di2 derailleur, wireless shifter, battery, charger and cable, and a 12-speed quick-link. Swapping the old for the new is very easy, assuming you have the tools and a little know-how.
I received this upgrade kit a little over a week ago. I’ve got it installed on my bike, but I’ve only taken one ride with it so far. My first impression is that it looks a little bland, but it works almost identically to the XT version that I have on a different test bike. The shifter has fewer “features” — like positional adjustability — but weighs less. The derailleur weight difference isn’t nothing, but together it’s only ~90 grams heavier than the XTR Di2 derailleur and shifter combo. Stick with a higher-tier cassette, and you’ll probably never notice. At $675, the Deore upgrade costs $185 less than XT and $310 less than the XTR upgrade kit — it could be the best value in wireless.
Patagonia Dirt Roamer Storm Kit
Patagonia’s Dirt Roamer Storm Jacket and Pants are waterproof and designed specifically for mountain biking in miserable conditions. Patagonia uses a 3-layer H2No shell, which they claim is “waterproof, breathable, stretchy, and recycled.” I’ve been a pretty big fan of Patagonia’s mountain bike apparel since the brand started making it again several years back. I’ve owned and tested a number of different shorts, jerseys, and jackets, but this is my first experience with any of the “Storm” gear.
The jacket is a pullover, but it has a 3/4 front zip and massive side zippers to evacuate air. It has a helmet-compatible hood and subtle features intended to enhance performance and durability on the bike. The pants feature abrasion-resistant reinforcement on the seat, crotch, and knees, along with ankle zips for easier fit over pads or shoes. The waist has a super low-profile adjustment system that works surprisingly well.
For my height and weight, 6’0″ and 170 pounds, the medium jacket and pants fit me perfectly and are very comfortable to wear. The inseam length of the pants actually works well for my long legs and overlaps nicely with the extended cuffs of weatherproof riding shoes. For fully waterproof gear, it’s lightweight and relatively packable, plus the material doesn’t feel as plastic-y as some of the other waterproof stuff I’ve tried. As with everything else I’ve gotten from Patagonia, the design, materials, and craftsmanship appear to be of the highest quality.
I’ve got one sloppy ride in the pants, but I’ve only worn the jacket around the house so far. We’ve got snow or sticky mud on the ground here right now, which has the local bike trails shut down for a bit, but I’ll be searching out some damp foothill riding in the near future to put this suit to the test. I plan to go all-in and pair this kit with the Fox Union All-Weather shoes, maybe stand in front of a fire hose and see how it all fares…
Stay Tuned…
In the coming weeks, I’ll be putting all of these products and more through their paces. I’ll do my best to follow up with in-depth reviews of each as conditions allow for testing and time allows for writing. Be sure to check back if you’re interested in hearing my thoughts on how they perform.
