Newsletter Issue No. 1210
February 5, 2026
Getting Angled Drop Bar Levers Aligned The Same
Jim’s Tech Talk
By Jim Langley
My old teammate Matthew (he’s on a new team for 2026) brought his Santa Cruz Stigmata gravel frameset to the shop a couple of weeks ago. I assembled it for him with a new SRAM Rival AXS group, Easton carbon wheels and a Specialized handlebar and stem. Read more.
New SaltStick Energy Gummies – Quick Review
By Sheri Rosenbaum
Until the launch of SaltStick Energy Gummies last month, the company’s Caps and FastChews primarily provided electrolytes. With these new Energy Gummies, you get fuel and electrolytes. The fuel comes in the form of carbohydrates, and the electrolytes are sodium and potassium. Read more.
For bike navigation, is my phone good enough?
Question: For turn-by-turn navigation, do I need a bike computer or is my phone good enough? —John K.
RBR’S STAN PURDUM REPLIES: For navigation, your smartphone is good enough, and, at first glance, it may even seem like a better choice than a dedicated bike computer. Phones usually have larger screens than computers, and, unlike many current bike computers, they can provide spoken turn-by-turn navigation — not merely the beeps that the computers emit to alert you to check their onscreen map. Read more.
What kind of bike bag is best for carrying my stuff on a ride?
QUESTION: What kind of bike bag is best for carrying my stuff on a ride? I see seatbags of all different sizes when I’m out riding, but I also have started to see people riding with bags on their front handlebars, which seems more convenient. Some people even have bags on their top tube. What’s the right choice? —John R. Read more.
Other Cool Things to Read
Tech Crunch: Google Maps now lets you access Gemini while walking and cycling, interesting use cases
Digital Camera World: Can a radical new AI smart camera make cycling safer?
Triathlon Magazine Canada: Kristian Blummenfelt Appears to Have Recorded the Highest VO2 Max Ever
Question of the Week
What’s your ideal distance for a regular bike ride?
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End Notes
