Outdoor Retailer’s Best Bike Gear
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The Salt Lake City trade show isn't a venue for the big bicycle manufacturers, but if you know where to look there's plenty of new swag for the two-wheel crowd. Here are a few of the most exciting bike bits and parts announced at OR.
–Aaron Gulley
www.aarongulley.com
IceBreaker GT150 Short-Sleeve Team Jersey ($130) I've been riding in IceBreaker's first gen of cycling gear for almost a year now, and it definitely lives up to the company's reputation for some of the finest merino on the market, with trim tailoring, well-executed details like sculpted rear pockets and zipper garages at the neck lines, and sharp styling. My only complaint was that, while perfect for fall and spring riding, the 200-weight wool was just a touch heavy for hot summer days. For spring 2012, the company is adding super fine 150-weight merino to the line, with a range of jerseys, meaning that I can now enjoy the soft hand, cool feel, and stink-resisting properties of this top-shelf wool year round.
Tern Bicycles Verge X20 ($3,500) A new entrant to the bike market (with plenty of experience gleaned from years at rival Dahon), Tern Bicycles is out to marry folding-bike utility to high-performance ride quality. The company debuts with 22 models, all of which use new folding technology, strong joints, and reinforced frame designs for a stiffer ride and better performance. The company's top-end offering, the Verge X20, might only have 20-inch wheels (designed by wheel master Rolf Dietrich), but it's spec'd out with road riding finery (think SRAM Red drivetrain, a specially designed FSA 55/42 crankset, and plenty of other high-end components) and weighs just 20 pounds according to the company. I was also taken with BioLogic, a sister company that's supplying Tern with hard goods, including a trick cycling app for iPhones, the ReeCharge Case that mounts your iPhone to the bars, and the smart Joule II Dynamo Hub that charges your phone while you ride.

Outdoor Research Sensor Dry Pocket ($25 for smartphone size; $35 for tablet) The inevitable dilemma of listening to music (or even just carrying your phone) on the trail is how to protect your expensive gadget from inclement weather and sweat. OR's genius little dry bag fits a smart phone snugly, has a clear window that's touch-screen compatible, and, best of all, sports a water-sealed headphone cable jack that keeps your unit buttoned-up at all times. If you're like me, this little gizmo will mean the end to a constant string of Zip-Locks.

Deuter Compact EXP Air 10 ($100) With technology trickled down from its line of mountain packs, this little day pack is one of the sleekest looking new hydration packs I've seen in a while. Though there's lots of organization pockets and even a built-in rain cover, you wouldn't know it from the stripped-down, tucked-away exterior. I love the hip-belt pockets for gels, electrolyte pills, and trash from bars. More than anything, however, the new harness system that keeps the weight off your back with a stretch-mesh suspended on the frame, looks like it should be exceedingly comfy.
Arc'teryx Trino ($200) Though it's not aimed directly at cyclists, this soft-shell jacket is destined to become a mainstay in my fall and winter riding closet. With Gore Windstopper on the front and the company's highly breathable Altasarias fabric on the back of the sleeves, sides, and back, it should cut the chill on the bike nicely while still allowing the heat and moisture to vent. And just try and find me a biker who won't appreciate Arc'teryx's attention to detail (see the cozy anti-chafe collar, stretch-knit cuffs, and zippers that can be opened with a simple yank on the jacket).
Camelbak Charge LR ($100) When I first heard about the idea of a fanny pack-shaped hydration reservoir (think: wing-shaped bladder that rests in your lumbar area), I wrote it off as a solution to a problem that didn't exist. But I've been riding in the Charge LR mountain bike pack now for a few months, and I have to admit that it works great. This year's Octane LR already debuted the idea for the 700c crowd, but I think the Octane shows off the real advantages here, namely new weight distribution that dramatically cuts the unwieldiness of sloshing water when you're throwing your bike around on the trails. I also like how trim the pack upper is as it feels like it almost disappears when you're riding. This piece is so good that we named it one of our ten Gear of the Show pics. My only criticism is that the bladder is currently available only in two liters, though I'm sure a bigger capacity is on the way.