3 things I've bought for under $100 that I really love - Gravel Edition.

 3 things I've bought for under $100 that I really love - Gravel Edition.

My last post on 3 things I'd bought ended up being really popular and generated some really fun conversation. It was interesting to see other folks offering up products they liked. So, I figured I'd do  another, similar post but, this time with stuff I've gotten that made my gravel bike, or gravel biking experience, better. 

So here we go:

1. LTWoo GR7 1x10 gravel shifters and derailleur - ~$80. 

If you spend any time on cycling forums (I frequent forum.trainerroad.com and Reddit) then you'll have seen conversation about inexpensive Chinese frames, bikes, and components. I'll confess I went down this rabbit hole. And after a few months of seeking out videos about it like this and this, I figured I'd take a risk and give it a try. I figured with it being so inexpensive, if it's terrible I'm not out that much. 

And I was pleasantly surprised. The LTWoo (pronounced, it seems, "L two") 1x10 Gr7 shifters have turned out to be great. My gravel bike came with Microshift and it worked ok. But it didn't feel great, and the shift cable was not concealed under that bar tape with the brake cable. It looked totally 90's and I wanted to upgrade it. 

I bought the shifters and derailleur and had to wait a few weeks to install it due to kid's sports and a busy work schedule. When the day came I was like a kid on Christmas morning. It went on easy, if you've ever worked on Shimano shifters on a road or other drop-bar bike, it's pretty par for the course. Adjustments were quick and easy. It looks great and works great. It's clearly modeled after Campagnolo shifters. Shifting is clean and crisp and the brake lever seems to work well with my brakes (which I'll be upgrading also at some point). I got these on AliExpress. 

2. Tifosi Optics Swick Sunglasses - ~$25.

I got these as a spur of the moment purchase at a bike shop while renting a gravel bike for my wife. She wanted a pair and got these for me. I hadn't worn Tifosi before but had been curious. At $25 dollars they're a great value. 

The optics are great, and I think they look pretty cool. I wear them on the bike, and I wear them for casual wear too. I like them specifically for gravel because they fit tight and won't rattle off your face, and if you totally beat them up and scratch them, you're not out that much money. There are a number of lens and frame colors too so can pick what looks good on you. You can get them on Amazon. 

3. Urban Cycling Men's Classic Blue Bib Short $59.99.

I started tinkering with clothes from this brand a few years ago. I first bought a purely road kit that I've reviewed here before. Urban Cycling offers great products that are a massive value for the money. They look great and fit great. I was so pleased with my first kit that I ordered another jersey and shorts. Here we'll focus on the shorts. These are bib cargo shorts. They fit and look awesome, I love the blue compression strip on the bottom of the leg. It's wide and has silicone as a gripper so they don't ride up. The fit is tight without being constrictive, and the chamois is cushy and comfortable. In my mind, you know your kit is good if you don't notice it. If you aren't picking at it and adjusting it constantly, and you barely think about it, you know it's good kit. 

I've been so pleased with these shorts, and this kit, that I became an ambassador for them. So if you end up buying a pair you can get 15% off by using this code: UrbanCyclingCode. You can pick these up on Amazon or on the Urban Cycling website: UrbanCycling.com.

There you go. There are 3 of my favorite things for gravel riding that I got for under $100. I'm curious to hear your input on your favorite things. Maybe I should have put craft beers or coffee in there too! LOL! 

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