Outdoors Magazine

Section

Sports & Outdoors

Riding, running, and the everyday kit that lives between the trail and town.

Showing 1–18 of 158 field notes · Page 1 of 9

Speedo Vanquisher 2.0 Clear vs TYR Nest Pro

Buy the Speedo Vanquisher 2.0 Clear, part 8-7750128104-1SZ, for four nosepieces and silicone seals. Ignore the polarization cell. Buy the TYR Nest Pro LGNST-014 in Black/Green for the unibody at 1.28 ounces and a latex-free line.

Tifosi Swank 1500411281 vs goodr OG

Buy Tifosi Swank part 1500411281 for the Smoke Bright Blue Mirror lens at 23 grams. This color's bullet does not say polarized. Buy goodr OG G00352OGBK1NR for the polarized UV400 bullets and the 21-gram cell.

Crankbrothers M19 vs Topeak Mini 20 Pro

Buy M19 11465 for a chain tool the bullet rates from 8 through 12 speed, at 175 g without the case. Buy Mini 20 Pro 60102536B if your chain is not 11-speed and you want the levers.

Continental GP 5000 700x28 vs Schwalbe Pro One 28

Buy Continental 0101625 for two black 700 by 28 tube-type GP 5000s. Buy Schwalbe 11653975 for one black tubeless Pro One at 700c by 28. Read the sidewall.

Crankbrothers Stamp 7 vs Shimano PD-M520

Buy the Stamp 7 Small, model 16281, for a purple platform and shoe sizes 3 to 10. Buy the PD-M520, model PDM520L, for SPD shoes. Check the box for cleats.

Cygolite Metro 500 USB vs NiteRider Lumina 900 Boost

Buy the Metro 500 USB, part MTR-500-USB, for 500 lumens and a printed one-hour high mode. Buy the Lumina 900 Boost, model 6771, for 900 lumens, and unlock it before you ride.

Giro Register MIPS vs Bell Avenue MIPS LED

Buy the Giro Register MIPS, 54–61 cm, for 22 vents and a removable visor. Buy the Bell Avenue MIPS LED in the same size for the lighted dial. Measure your head. Retire either helmet after a crash.

Topeak JoeBlow Sport III vs Lezyne Macro Floor Drive

Buy the JoeBlow Sport III for a 160 psi steel-base pump and ball needles. Buy the Macro Floor Drive for 220 psi. Do not confuse it with the HV.

CamelBak Podium Chill 21 vs Elite Fly 550

Buy the Podium Chill 21 when you want a cold drink in one cage. Buy the Fly 550 when you want the short light bottle and you will refill. Confirm the sizes.

Lectric XP4 vs Aventon Level 4 REC

Buy the XP4 if the bike has to fold into a trunk or an RV. Buy the Level 4 REC if the week is a paved path and you will not carry 68.5 pounds upstairs. Look at both on SickEBike.

Osprey Duro 6 vs Salomon ADV Skin 5

Buy the Duro 6 when you want two 500 ml flasks in the box. Buy the ADV Skin 5 in the chest size the chart names. A bouncing vest is the wrong size.

Garmin Forerunner 165 vs COROS Pace 3

Buy the Forerunner 165 for AMOLED and Garmin Coach. Buy the Pace 3 for battery and a noon-readable face. Lock GPS. Write the turnaround. Wear a sock that is not cotton.

Salomon Speedcross 6 review

Buy the Speedcross 6 for wet leaf and a rooty XC if the last fits. Mesh dumps a seep. GTX keeps a puddle in. Wear merino or a toesock. A rail trail wants a different shoe.

Run a Tuesday XC loop when days equal nights

Equinox day on empty XC grass. Wear a sock you already raced, lamp the dark start, and write the turnaround on the watch.

Ride a Monday gravel after the harvest trucks leave

First weekday of fall on empty county gravel. Pack waterproof bags, lock the cafe stop, and write the turnaround before equinox dark.

Ride a Sunday rail trail when the hardwoods turn

The crushed-stone corridor empties after Saturday. Wear a helmet you already fitted, lock the bike at the cafe, and treat early dark as the turnaround.

Climb outdoor crags before the October freeze

Late-September granite is often the best stone of the year. Wear a helmet, climb a face that actually dried, and walk off before the talus goes black.

Ride fall singletrack when the soil firms

Wait for the dirt to actually firm, ride a hardtail on real trail, set tire pressure, and write a turnaround because mid-September dark is earlier than July.