Category Archives: Reviews

So I went shopping today and I stopped off at Campers Village specifically to get squeeze tubes, but I ran across a YakTrax display and remembered how I wish I had a pair last time I went hill training in the snow so I bought a pair. This will be my 3rd pair since I discovered these wonderful tools. They last me about 500 km before they start falling apart but let me explain that a little. First of all, the rubber holding everything together and the straps are indestructible and they never even came close to breaking. What broke were the coils that provide the traction. The coils broke because I used them on pavement with a lot of grit and sand and salt. I used them on pavement because in the spring and fall there are sometimes patches of bare asphalt and you just cannot avoid them. It … Continue reading →

My second trial with the Sierra Hydration pack turned out well with the bite valve bitter taste issue resolved. I guess cleaning it by soaking it in soap and baking soda really helped. The only other tweak I can think of is to put one of those small velcro straps near the end of the bite valve so I can latch it near my opposite shoulder for easier access during a ride, plus if the bite valve doesn’t close properly, the water won’t leak out because the bite valve elevation will be higher than the outlet/water level on the bladder. This has happened a few times, but nothing serious. Jo from Toronto has told me about adding ice cubes to the pack rather than trying to freeze a little water in the pack the night before your ride. My little experiment of freezing water in the pack worked well enough, … Continue reading →

High Sierra Model “Soak 2″ hydration pack (www.highsierrasport.com) cost me about $23.00 CDN including taxes. Compare this to the Running Room’s hydration pack at $45.00 CDN or a “Camelbak” at about 50 or 55 dollars. The Running Room’s pack seemed as feature full and as complex as the one I bought but I did not examine it in any detail, in fact, I gave it a passing glance after seeing the price tag. The Camelbak seemed small and featureless by comparison but it was cute. Again I did not examine the Camelbak. I tested this bike riding, and plan on testing it running as well… The High Sierra model I purchased and tested today was very good. It performed very well but I have an issue with it. Before I talk about it in detail, here are a few pictures: This the back view with the water bladder installed. The … Continue reading →