Bike Parts that Help Dads Ride Longer with More Comfort

Here at The Bike Dads we still love to ride hard but the old injuries from us being reckless in our pre-kids era are definitely coming back to haunt us. The days of indestructibility and endless energy are long behind most dads as well…other than maybe Brett Tippie. The lack of sleep over the first few years of fatherhood definitely helps our Dadbods to require more maintenance. And the fact that we are spending more on physiotherapy than beer, reminds us of how times change with growing old.

        The constant search to make riding more comfortable while making sure we are able to charge long days in the saddle has brought us to four awesome products that are helping old guys like us to shred with a little more comfort.

Pedal Innovations Pedals

Luckily you grow thick skin when you become a Dad. Comments like “wow you look tired” and “you were in such better shape before you had little Sussie” are statements that more than few riding buddies have joked about at the trailhead.

        “Look at the size of those Pedals!”is the most common statement you hear when pulling your bike out of the truck on any group ride. Yes these pedal are huge but I love them. James Wilson, aka BikeJames on Pinkbike, is the guy reminding you to do more Russian get-ups and barefoot burpees. Not only being a fit dad, he has looked at how to improve pedaling and reduce pain by using the muscles that fatigue less to power your pedals. There is tons of Science involved and you can read about it here. This review is to explain why we like them.

        After I broke my back, I knew I needed to take a break from clip-less pedals. I scorpioned really bad and my bike stayed connected for longer than it should have. I have always rode flats in the winter months, but getting used to the flats and jumping with flats in summers was going to take some time. James recommends changing your foot position and lowering your seat to learn how to pedal differently. Yes, it did take a while to get used to. Thirty years of pedaling muscle memory does not disappear overnight. But slowly but surely using your quads more and hamstring less helped my lower back pain and helped improve my experience on the bike.

        Most people think about pedal performance in how they pedal up-hill. My favorite part about these Monster pedals was how they were on the downs. Last summer I craved steep trails and the platforms allowed my legs to keep up to my local pinners when my fitness was more than lacking after baby number two. I have used these pedals on long xc rides, at indoor bike parks, freezing my tail off  fatbiking, pulling the kids in the trailer and lapping my local freeride zone. Anyone who has spent time at Whistler or seeks air on their local trails has experienced jamming their ankles on landings. The support these pedals gave me on the downs and the new mid foot riding style led to less fatigue on the way down and more energy in the tank. 

        All in all, these Pedal Innovation pedals have helped me enjoy biking more than any other pedal I have ridden and they get the nod of The Bike Dad approved product. They have a 30 day money back guarantee and James and his wife who run the company truly stand behind their pedals and are rad parents. PURCHASE HERE

 

9.8 Fallline Dropper Seatpost

We were early adopters of dropper seat posts, I remember my good riding buddies making fun of me for spending $200 on a seatpost over 10 years ago. I ended up laughing at them as they soon came around to taste the koolaid.

I’ve ridden and maintained the majority of the dropper post out there on the market and there are some awesome ones out there. However, the maintenance that some of them require is a nightmare and I’ve had more than a few rides ruined by my post being stuck down or up.

The 9.8 Fallline post is from a core group of riders out of Canada. Their latest edition of a post is phenomenal.  The first thing I noticed was  the 200mm drop and when I researched their reliability/ease of  maintenance, I was sold. The internals are mechanical and release on a small amount of air pressure. When most think mechanical, ‘old school’ riders think of the early Gravity Dropper seat-posts and we all owe them a huge amount of gratitude for setting the seat-post revolution. However, their posts were extremely clunky and difficult to set drop and rise amounts.

The Fallline dropper is anything but clunky, the 200mm drop is phenomenal and has really helped me to become more confidence on the steeps. Getting that seat out of the way and the ability to throw my Hightower LT around has really helped my bike come to life. In the event that the post does fail you can still push or pull the post up and consequently a ride can never be ruined.

The latest remote for the Falline was a collaboration with Wolftooth and it is incredibly smooth and ergonomic. The setup is fairly easy but make sure you read the instructions or watch the videos. It is our favorite dropper post here at TheBikeDads.  With 200mm of travel and no need for a mechanical engineering degree to maintain, we will be saving up for more Fallline posts for all our bikes. They even produced a 100m drop one that is perfect for kids bikes. Brett Tippie’s daughter is riding one on her spawn and loving it. PURCHASE HERE

 

Rev Grips

Another product from a company looking to improve the comfort while on a bike. Brandon Aymar is the inventor of the suspension grip. He set forth to reduce fatigue from the death grip we all get from long days in the bike park and on the moto track. Rev grip are a suspension grip that run on elastomer bumpers and almost float on our handlebar, check out the technology here. The company is run by a rad dad- Marc Mila de la Roca, whose customer service is incredible.

These grips do provide subtle support, reducing the dreaded claw and allowing an extra few laps at the bike park. I have been running them on my rigid winter fat bike lately and definitely notice the benefit. If you are a fan of lock-on grips and want to give your arms and wrists a bit of a break we recommend you grabbing a pair. They come in a number of different diameters and colors to match your palm size and riding style. They come with a 30 day money back guarantee so you can’t go wrong. PURCHASE HERE

 

SQlab 611 Seat

Contact points on your bike can make or break your ride. Grips, pedals and seats are often the most overlooked purchases on your bike but a little thought can really help you ride longer and more comfortably.

NSMB.com’s reviewer Andrew Major is one bike review we totally respect and admire plus he is one rad dad. When he posted about the SQLab saddles I unquestionably put it on my list of products to research and try out.

SQlab will send you a fit kit for free to help you measure your sit bones. It is just a piece of corrugated cardboard with a special ruler to help choose which saddle to go for. The fact they send you one for free and follow-up to make sure you know how it use it… shows they really care about their customers and ergonomics on the bike.

The SqLab 611 saddle does take some time to get used to as an avid rider you rear end is probably adjusted to being supportive in a way that is not healthy your your under regions.  The nose does take some time to get used to when climbing steeps and the rear of the saddle will most likely be wider than what you are used to. So you will need a little time to adjust to this saddle. Don’t throw one on before the BC Bike Race or a trip to the Chilcotins.

The reduction in low back pain and the fact that my under regions don’t go numb after longer rides are why I love this saddle. The support after the break in period is awesome and I am slowly replacing them on all my bikes. PURCHASE HERE.

 

 

Do you have another must try product that help you be more comfortable on the bike  that still allows you to shred on a bike? Let us know and we will try to test it and spread the word.

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