We recently received a review of our Mercato Shopper. If you want to know more about the Mercato then read on.
“Axiom’s new line of Phoenix bags and panniers lets you head around town in style. The Mercato Shopper’s not exactly a traditional pannier, but does clip onto the side of a bike rack with built-in hooks cleverly hidden in a zippered pouch.” Read the full review.
Every time I read through the news, which is daily, it seems there is a new and disturbing article about an accident involving a cyclist and a vehicle, the cyclist always loses. What I find troubling is how many people are oblivious to the extra safety precautions they can easily take to avoid being another unfortunate and possibly preventable statistic.
Cycling Mirrors are not usually a very exciting subject. They often conjure the image of a dorky rider with a reflective vest, a helmet pushed far back on their head –displaying a good amount of forehead- and a milk crate secured with faded bungee cords on a rusted pannier rack –I apologize if this describes anyone reading this. Okay, that’s not true a lot of people use mirrors, but certainly not the majority.
But if you commute by bicycle they are an important safety item. Cars and the bicycles motorized cousins, the motorcycle have figured this out, even fighter pilots use mirrors (watch Top Gun closely, Tom Cruise has one in his plane), and we all know fighter pilots are damn cool, but in the cycling world the common mirror remains firmly in the realm of cycling nerds. They are clumsy, awkward and often just get in the way. I think that Axiom has a solution to all this nerdery, and lack of safety with its new FastFlash DLX Universal Mirror, and I’ll tell you why.
See the World around You: a Mirror is inexpensive safety
Have you ever noticed that when you do a good and proper shoulder check you tend veer a bit to the side of where you are looking, it might just be me but I think that could be dangerous. This is a normal tendency; you go where you are looking, but it could lead into the path of danger –also known as a vehicle. A mirror can help prevent you from straying into traffic, with a quick glance you can make sure the coast is clear, shoulder check for extra safety and then make your move. The mirror is an inexpensive way of keeping yourself out of harm’s way, and off the grill of larger vehicles.
Mount it Anywhere, I mean anywhere
The Fastlash was designed to be mounted anywhere and everywhere. You could probably use that as a party trick if you wanted, but it also means that no matter where you want to mount it you can. With more mounting choices than a Starbucks has coffee, you can make sure that you have the best position possible for your mirror. They can mount on: flat bars, moustache bars, cruiser bars, road bars, road brake hoods, over road tape, aero bars, 31.8 bars, and too many other places to mention here, you get the picture though.
Convex or Super-Convex that is the question
Well, maybe not the question but a question none the less. A regular convex shape gives you a medium-wide field of view and better long distance magnification; great for roads in areas with less traffic. Super-Convex shape for the widest field of vision possible, this is ‘most good’ for urban areas with higher density traffic. The optics have been designed to be free of any inconsistencies or ripples that you might normally find in a cycling mirror, and they have been given a treatment to make them scratch and shatter resistant.
Mirrors are inexpensive, they can help you avoid veering in front of traffic and give you a clear view of the world around you, how can you lose? Getting a mirror for your bicycle seems like a small price to pay for a lot of extra safety, but maybe that’s just me and I don’t like the idea of being a hood ornament.
This morning was one of those mornings. To start things off I couldn’t find my arm or knee warmers or gloves for that matter, then the presta valve on my rear tire literally blew off as I was filling it with air, leaving me to change a tube in the cramped storage room of my building. To top it off the gears were out of whack and I dropped my chain in the first two minutes of my ride -sigh. The net result was me being half an hour late for work. It was all my fault, I know, I hadn’t taken the time to give my normally trusty ride its spring tune up to make sure both of us were ready- oops.
I don’t want to sound like a bad midnight infomercial for tune ups but… “don’t let this happen to you” – now imagine yourself on the side of the road with an exaggerated look of frustration, shrugging your shoulders- and enter voice over “Get your spring tune up, NOW!” This sounds like common sense but taking the time to make sure your bicycle is in sound working order before your first ride can save you time and large piles of frustration.
Your best chance at success, unless you really know your way around a bicycle, is to take your bike to a shop. If you are reasonably sure that your bike is ready to roll and confident in your own skills then you can give it a once over yourself before your first ride. Check tire pressure, make sure your quick releases are tight, lube your chain and make sure nothing has come loose. But remember if you try and fix it and make it worse, it will be more expensive to get someone else to fix your mistakes. If its been a while and your bike needs a little more love or you want someone else tune your bicycle, then wheel it by your local shop and get a professional to give it a once over and the tender loving care it deserves.
The extra effort will make sure that your gears are shifting properly, your brakes will brake properly and most importantly that your bike is safe to ride. It may seem like a pain in the butt, but as I was poignantly reminded this morning it is a small price to pay to avoid a the cursing, stomping and generally unpleasant experience of dealing with repairs as you are about to go for a ride. Trust me.
