More Goods From Dick Supporters

I'm gonna condense two things into one post.  Because.

The last time I was asked to come up with a wish list of GORE Bike Wear items, I scratched my head.  What could I actually use that does more than just add to the pile of things my loved ones will have to figure out what to do with when I am ded?  In other words, what could I use that doesn't just duplicate something I already have?

I've got enough Faster Mustache kits to start an outlet store, so I'm all full up on summer gear.  I'm also prepared for just about all the weather I'd ever ride in or at least want to in the foreseeable future.

But this caught my eye:

The Element Urban GORE Windstopper Hoody.  I already have two soft shell Windstopper jackets, one that my employer bought for me that looks sorta bike-dorky and another one that has removable sleeves and a bunch of pockets (similar to the PHANTOM 2.0 WINDSTOPPER® Soft Shell Jacket).  It also looks way bike-dorky, but it's great for cold NC winter rides that warm up a little bit later in the day.

But the dork aspect of them does not lend to wearing them out and about.  As much as I might identify myself as a "cyclist," I don't always wanna look like one most of the time.

So the hoody....

It's Windstopper, so it's windproof, water repellent and breathable.  It's fleecy on the inside and doesn't have a bunch of zippers and pockets and piping and general flair indicative of your average piece of "cycling wear."

In other words, I don't feel like a dork when I wear it.. or another chode walking around Trader Joe's in a puffy coat when it's 40° outside.  The sleeves don't hike up my arms when I'm riding, and bonus points for being none more black (although you can get it in camo). The only turdy aspect of its acquisition was the timing.  I only got to wear it a handful of times before the temps relegated it to the closet to wait until the fall... or the Breck Epic.

The other ambassadorial thing I got more recently was the Transformer XX floor pump.

Something that I didn't know I was going to get.  Something I didn't know what I would do with when I got it.  I currently have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to tire inflation options.

This is the part where I share with you what a moron I am.

I put it over in the corner at first, unsure what to do with it, and of course I never looked at the user manual.  Eventually, I noticed the things sticking out that folded out into a bike stand.  I have something similar that was given to me more than a decade ago which I use when I wash my bike or do some maintenance that doesn't really justify breaking out my work stand (which stays folded up 95% of the time).

It's wobbly and ill-fitting, but someone who didn't find it very useful gave it to me.

I flipped out the collapsible legs and positioned the hooks and thought to myself, "This would be a handy thing to take to a so-many-hours-of-racing-around-something type events."  It doesn't take up much more space than a regular floor pump, but it holds the bike pretty steady for minor repairs.  I did think it was a bit awkward using the pump with the bike in the stand tho...

Because I'm a moron.

I was looking at something else on the Topeak site when I saw this image:

Ummm... oh. They come apart.

Which totally explains the yellow button that I spent at least five seconds trying to figure what it does out on my own before giving up on it.

Okay then.

I've been using the stand portion a lot.  Like I said, minor repairs that don't justify the effort of breaking out the proper stand or just standing my bike up so I can stare at it better when I walk into the room... because that's what we people who identify as "cyclists" do.

So, yeah.  This pump would be dope for home use and traveling to events or car camping or what have you.  And if you don't think you have room for this in your luggage, the Transformer RX is even more portable.  Like sick whuh portable...

because it actually is a pump AND a stand in one... like what I thought I got... but didn't.

Now I have too many pumps but at least there's always one within reach, and I can stare at my bike which is always a win.

None of my pumps are similar enough to totally replace one of the others, so thus is mine own conundrum until The Pie and I move into the not-so-tiny-home future we're planning for our old selves.  At that point, I'll need to reduce the number of things for others to deal with when I'm ded.

I do wish the Transformer RX was in the back of my Honda Fit of Rage instead of the Mega Morph because of its versatility, but definitely not enough to add yet another pump to my inflated issues.

So many different versions of a chicken burrito on this menu of mine.