GearFlogger

Feedback Pro Elite bike repair stand

In sports where weight counts - and let's be clear, that's pretty much anything powered by us sickly humans - we're used to shelling out extortionate sums for matchbook-sized gear. Every once in a while it's nice to get something a little more substantial for your hard-earned Benjamins, and the Feedback Pro Elite bike repair stand definitely satisfies that urge.

The Pro Elite earns a Solid from none other than Undercover Brother. It weighs a perfectly portable 13 pounds but feels like something you could tune an Abrams tank on, and the fit and finish are Ferrari beautiful. It's not just the look and feel that are so great; beauty goes all the way to the bone with the Pro Elite. The tripod base is stable on just about any surface, it adjusts six ways from Sunday and will clamp any bike you can throw at it with nary a wiggle.

To mount a bike just push the clamp in until it contacts the tube, then give the knob a couple twists to tighten it up. Release is even easier, just push the red button and bang! - you've nuked China! No, not really, it just releases your bike with one-finger ease. Mountain bikes, cyclocross bikes, anything up to the rated 85 pounds is no problem. Even the storage is well designed: you can partially collapse the tripod base to stand it in a corner, or fully collapse it, rotate the head down and stuff it in the included (!) travel case. We can even vouch for the price, because this should be the last stand you ever buy.

$261.00 at REI

Maloja FtanM Men's Multisport Jacket

Maloja clothing is always dependably different, and in a good way. Their men's FtanM jacket, cryptic naming aside, is a perfect example. It's a soft shell and so much more.

The FtanM uses a three layer construction that puts Maloja's Stormshell LIght technical layer on the inside and bonded wool on the outside. The result is a windproof and very water resistant hooded jacket that is fully capable hiking and climbing in the mountains. The cut of the jacket is perfect, not too tight and not too loose, and it qualifies as a minimalist shell with a simple 3 pocket design and one adjustment point, a hem drawcord with two cordlocks.

As capable as the FtanM is, you may have to force yourself to take it into harm's way, because it's a really nice-looking jacket. The look and feel of the wool outer layer will make you reach for the FtanM when it's time to go out on the town, and might make you think twice about knocking around in the backcountry.

Either way, the beauty of this and a lot of other Maloja pieces is that you have a choice. Wear it for performance or wear it for looks, you can have it all with the FtanM.

$299.00 at Maloja

Giro Chronicle MIPS Bike Helmet

Back in the dinosaur days, there was an advertising campaign for helmets that billed them as "courage for your brain." Courage is fine, but what's even better is straight-up armor, and the best brain buckets these days use MIPS: multi-directional impact protection system.

MIPS is basically a helmet within a helmet. The outer part rotates around the inner part to dissipate the force of impacts at an angle, which are most impacts for heads that are moving. Giro has always been a leader in helmet design, and so no surprise they've got a bunch of MIPS helmets including three mountain bike models.

The Giro Chronicle is the middle of the three. It's a great helmet, providing maximum protection with minimum fuss. The liner is comfortable, the adjustments easy and the goggle compatible visor has three different positions: all the way up for maximum visibility and cooling, all the way down for shade. The 14 vents provide generous airflow without sacrificing protection, and the chin strap is a set-it and forget it design.

One thing about the Chronicle that we really appreciate is how far down the back of the helmet extends. It provides a lot of coverage for the tender part of the base of your skull, something not all helmets do. If it's time to upgrade your melon cover, definitely go MIPS and definitely put the Giro Chronicle at the top of your list.

$109.95 at Backcountry