I've used the original design for over a year with a few different saddle and post combos including carbon to aluminum rails and this has always been reliable. There was a great sale recently and I bought the Tropical Feather and I fell in love with the design and the added color to my bike. It disappeared yesterday on about the 5th ride it's been used.
This was a big surprise because I had this mounted correctly and it was bomber tight. There were some strong cross winds that must be responsible.
Now I really want another Tropical Feather for my bike, but I wonder if that wasn't part of the problem as the feel of it wasn't completely the same. I may decide to stick with the basic design since that has proven 100% reliable so far. No, I have to try one my Tropical Feather first to see if that was a fluke it really adds a nice touch! Darn it that it's gone already! Feathers are made to be lost so it is fitting.
I had the blue handled set already but really wanted this set.? I finally ordered! They are built like tanks, have precision tooling and all of these fit nicely into the hex bolts on the bikes I work on. Took a few uses to get the spinning technique mastered. I love this set, infact I loved them so much I bought the torx spinning set!
Spircycle makes cool stuff. I have a few of their bells for various bikes, and I saw these mirrors and they looked intriguing. I ordered a few of these and finally got out to ride with one. Wow is my short summary review. That is Wow in a good way. They are easy to install in the bar end of a drop bar. The adjustability has a wide range to dial in whatever you want - I have other mirrors that run out of adjustability so that the mirror is not quite where you want/need it to be. That is a big deal since anything that inhibits you from easily seeing behind you is a safety issue.
I have teh 50mm versions and was worried that this would be too large, but it is perfect for me. I can also dial in the correct angle to show my thigh and then a great view behind me. You have things that are OK and then things that are just right and make you smile. The Spurcycle mirror makes me smile. Thank you Spurcycle for another great product!
I already had several non-Ortlieb top tube bags, and I wanted the convenience and added security of a quick-release system that would allow me to bring my valuables into a market with me and didn't require me to fiddle with rethreading and adjusting straps each time I got back on.
The Ortlieb Fuel bag and Top tube bag use the same mounting system. Ortlieb offers the Ortlieb Mounting-Set to support the use of the same bag across multiple bikes. But if you are handy with an awl or hot nail, you can modify the bags you already own.
This system works very well in retrofitting other top tube bags. All the hardware you need to attach the quick release to your bike is included. I converted a Timbuk2 bag to take advantage of the M5 frame bosses. The included internal bag fasteners provide enough rigidity to remove the four frame and stem straps from the bag and rely solely on the bosses.
I no longer have to worry about:
1. straps wearing down the bike frame and stem finishes
2. a top tube bag flopping from side to side
3. leaving valuables or an expensive frame bag on the bike when I head into a store or overnight accommodations
Finally, if you pick up a couple of these, you can quickly move one bag between bikes and swap bags on your bikes depending on the ride's needs.
