Our Senior Test Editor’s Favorite Solutions to 11 of Cycling’s Most Annoying Problems

You may love your bike and gear, but there is always room for improvement. Below, you will find 11 innovations designed to enhance your comfort, performance, and overall enjoyment while riding.

Some are a little goofy, some help the environment, and others add life to expensive gear. But all are ingenious solutions that can help riders of all abilities.

In my recent story, “I've Worked as a Cycling Tech Editor for 30 Years—Here's the Gear I Spend My Money On ,” I mentioned that I’m happy to spend extra on bib shorts. But in the comments, a rider said, “If you're long-waisted, finding bib shorts that fit is really not an option.”

Well, actually ... 🤓

Options do exist for riders who need extra length in the bib straps or the shorts inseam, though as a non-tall person (I’m 173cm), I can’t vouch for their fit or comfort.

The Black Bibs offers a collection of tall cycling bibs in several lengths and variations. They even have a long strap/short inseam bib if you want to show off an extra bit of leg. The brand also offers tall jerseys.

Aero Tech Designs offers several tall bib optionswith two-inch longer straps and inseams. It also offers a complete collection of gearfor tall riders, including winter gear.

I’ve also heard whispers that (some) premium apparel brands will, for the right price, make one-off bespoke apparel for any body type. No brand advertises this, so it may take some effort on your part to figure out the secret handshake to make it happen, but I assume this is a case of money opening doors that are closed to most of us.

As we learn more about the damage that microplastics can cause to the environment and animals—including humans—it seems imperative that we do more to reduce the amount flowing into our ecosystems.

Cycling apparel is primarily made of synthetic materials, tiny amounts of which shed and are flushed into water systems with each wash cycle.

The Guppyfriend is a polyester wash bag designed to catch microfibers so you can dispose of them properly before they are flushed down the drain.

Perhaps your first question is the same as mine “But what about the Guppyfriend bag itself—won’t it shed microplastics?” Well, the brand claims that the bag is made from a non-shedding monofilament.

Even if you have wool clothing, you might still consider using Guppyfriend.

For one, many “wool” cycling garments are blends that contain synthetic materials. Velocio’s Concept Merino long-sleeve jersey is 75 percent wool but 25 percent synthetic, while Rapha’s Classic jersey is just 36 percent wool and 64 percent (recycled) polyester.

Another reason laundry bags are a proven way to protect delicate clothes in a washing machine is to extend the life of expensive apparel. Cycling apparel companies even recommend the Guppyfriend.

Newer Garmin GPS cycling computers incorporate replaceable quarter-turn mount cleats. These are the equivalent of a frame’s replaceable derailleur hanger, a fuse that gives way in an impact, preventing damage that might break the computer’s case.

I learned how effective they are last October. While chasing the few seconds I needed to take a KOM on a descent, I tucked the front end and sent myself and the bike tumbling at high speed. I hit my head hard enough that I went to the ER to get checked out (that’s life on blood thinners). While the bike emerged largely unscathed, my Garmin Edge 540 took a hit, breaking the cleat.

Garmin sells the replacement part for $10, but it was out of stock when I looked, which led me to discover that Frames and Gear makes a machined aluminum alternative ($29 and free shipping).

I want to point out that the Frames and Gear replacement is three times the price of Garmin’s. Plus, the aluminum F&G part might not provide the same breakaway function as Garmin’s plastic part. But with Garmin’s part out of stock, the F&G part got me up and running again.

For devices without replacement tabs, you can pick up an inexpensive (about $10) 3D-printed glue-on replacement mount for your broken Garmin or Wahoo device. If you prefer something more robust, Dog Ears offers aluminum replacement mounts for $28.

No, not that Universal Derailleur Hanger. This is a rescue part for bikes with quick-release rear wheels.

Yes, QR. Thru axles—because disc brakes—are the mainstream now, but there are many great rim brake bikes still rolling out there that deserve to keep rolling.

This part is low profile, so it is easy to pack into a saddle bag. If a frame’s derailleur hanger is damaged or broken, replace the rear wheel QR’s nut with this hanger. The rear derailleur will probably be out of alignment, and shifting won’t be perfect, but the rider can keep pedaling, which is much better than walking.

In the old days, racers would grab a newspaper at the top of a pass and shove it down the front of their jersey to ward off wind chill on the descent. Low-tech as it is, this method worked very well. Although it still happens—and is weather/season dependent—it is a less common sight now.

It was this low-tech hack that inspired Albion’s Burner chill blocker. It’s essentially a remnant from a lightweight puffy jacket. The Burner is very light (about 20 grams) and highly compressible rectangle of Primaloft that you place over your chest when you need a bit of warmth and wind protection. It has no straps and is simply held in place by the jersey and/or bib-short straps.

I’ve had one of these little units for a long time and bring it with me on any ride over high passes or riding vacations. I’ve used it maybe 10 times, but each time, I was so thankful for the Burner that I now consider it one of my essentials.

View full post on Youtube

Although most new mountain bikes feature 1x drivetrains with clutched rear derailleurs and healthy rubberized chain slap padding, the chain is still a heavy hunk of metal that can still bounce and slap enough to create noise and sensations you can feel at the pedals and throughout the frame.

Rali’s Chain Mag incorporates strong magnets into a chainstay slap guard to reduce the noise and sensation of a slapping chain.

When the chain is in smaller cogs and sits closer to the chainstay, the magnets pull and stick the un-tensioned top run of the chain to the guard, reducing the potential for slap. When you pedal, chain tension lifts the chain away from the guard.

And that’s it: Super simple and no moving parts.

When things get so rowdy that the magnets aren't enough to tame chain bounce, the Rali guard also features tall ribs to cushion and silence chain slap.

Most riders set their saddle nearly level—when the bike is on level ground. But the saddle’s attitude changes with the ground beneath the bike.

Uphill, the nose of the saddle rises; downhill, the tail of the saddle rises. For short climbs and descents, this isn’t a big deal. But for longer climbs, this change in the attitude of the saddle can result in the rider slipping forward on climbs (trying to counteract this slip can be tiring), and unwanted pressure on the groin. And on descents—especially steep ones where you’re hanging off the back of the bike—the high-tail saddle becomes a clearance issue.

These challenges are especially true for mountain bikers who ride much steeper grades than road riders.

Aenomaly’s SwitchGrade ($185) is a compact mechanism—machined and assembled in Whistler, BC, Canada—attached to the top of a seatpost which offers three saddle pitch positions: neutral, minus-10 degrees (nose down), and plus-12 degrees (tail down).

Selecting a position requires pulling the lever under the saddle nose and shifting your weight slightly.

Aenomaly says the benefit is a flatter saddle on climbs (better pelvis alignment, more comfort, less upper body fatigue), and up to 30mm more saddle clearance on descents.

The SwitchGrade was developed for mountain bikers, so it is primarily designed for use with a dropper seatpost. Aenomaly offers many adapter kits that allow the Switchgrade to work with the most popular dropper posts.

Notably, the SwitchGrade is currently incompatible with the RockShox Reverb AXS. And should you want one for your drop bar bike, it will work with some rigid posts.

When I first saw Koo’s Billy, I thought it was a ridiculous product.

But then they sent me one. I still think Billy is silly after installing it on a bike and riding with it. But to its credit, it works exactly as promised.

And if you can’t stash your eyewear in your helmet because the vents and temples don’t play well together, this is an answer. I sometimes found it faster and less fiddly to clip my eyewear into the Billy than to shove them into helmet vents, so if you’re less confident about riding with one or no hands on the bars, consider this little widget.

I will start with a PSA here: This is a bike-fit product, so don’t try it without consulting an expert first. You use this widget to address a concern, it is not a product you use because some rando on social media says it’s cool.

With that out of the way, Form’s extender plates go between a road cycling shoe’s sole (three-bolt, AKA Delta, or four-bolt/Speedplay) and a cleat, providing more extreme cleat positions than allowed by a shoe and cleat alone.

Form offers two versions: one primarily designed for 10mm more medial or lateral cleat position (with either zero or 10mm aft position adjustment), and one that offers eight or 20mm more aft (AKA “mid-foot”) cleat position (with three millimeters of extra medial/lateral range).

Form says the plates add 3.5mm of added stack and are flexible enough to work with the curvature of all road shoe soles.

If you’re looking for extended position options for two-bolt cleats, the evangelists at Mid-Foot Cycling offer plates for Shimano and Crank Brothers cleats.

I keep a ratty moving blanket in my car to stand on while I change into my kit before a ride and back into my civvies after the ride. It pads rocky ground and keeps my socks from getting dirty and wet while I change my shoes.

This tote bag from Fox Racing has a fold-out changing mat that is a more durable and elegant version of my moving blanket. It’s also a good-sized tote that can carry a clean riding kit and doubles as a hamper for a grungy used kit when the ride is over.

If you purchased a larger cycling computer like Garmin’s Edge 1050, your existing K-Edge out-in-front mount may be too short.

Rather than spending 50 or 60 bucks on a new K-Edge mount, you can purchase a 20-dollar offset puck from the company. This shifts the computer insert forward enough to allow you to use the 1050 with your existing mount.

Unfortunately, using the offset puck eliminates compatibility with K-Edge’s combo mounts for lights and cameras. So you can use your fancy new compouter, but you’ll need to make other accommodations if you run something on the bottom of your K-Edge mount.

For now, Garmin only offers the offset puck for the Garmin-style quarter pattern—you can’t turn it 90 degrees and use it with Wahoo’s new Ace. However, I’d expect K-Edge has a similar option for Wahoo to be in the works.

Matt Phillips

Senior Test Editor, Bicycling

A gear editor for his entire career, Matt’s journey to becoming a leading cycling tech journalist started in 1995, and he’s been at it ever since; likely riding more cycling equipment than anyone on the planet along the way. Previous to his time with Bicycling, Matt worked in bike shops as a service manager, mechanic, and sales person. Based in Durango, Colorado, he enjoys riding and testing any and all kinds of bikes, so you’re just as likely to see him on a road bike dressed in Lycra at a Tuesday night worlds ride as you are to find him dressed in a full face helmet and pads riding a bike park on an enduro bike. He doesn’t race often, but he’s game for anything; having entered road races, criteriums, trials competitions, dual slalom, downhill races, enduros, stage races, short track, time trials, and gran fondos. Next up on his to-do list: a multi day bikepacking trip, and an e-bike race.