jdrman

The difference between using poles and not using poles is huge. On a long recent hike, I was sore from my waist down for days. After using these poles, I did twice the distance and had very little soreness as my upper body shared in the workload. These Black Diamond poles are great. The anti-shock works well and isn't noisy. The locking mechanism is amazing - it stays completely locked at all times. I like the expanded gripping surface in case you need to use two hands on a pole. One of my hiking buddies had anti-shock Leki poles and they squeaked and were noisy. I highly recommend the Black Diamond poles!

I think this bottle is pretty good. I like the size and shape and the looks. It has a twist valve for on and off. My only gripe is it is a bit rigid, and it takes effort to drink (either squeezing the bottle or sucking hard). It works best with a bit of both. That's not a huge issue, and I still use it regularly on my bike.

I have two of these jackets. I had one to wear underneath my hard shell in very cold conditions, but I was wearing it constantly at other times during the year! So I got a second black one for daily use. The jacket looks great (it has a slimming effect), has the pit zips for ventiliation, and has a nice amount of stretching or "give" to make it extremely comfortable. It's a quality-made and versatile jacket that can be worn throughout the year. I highly recommend this jacket!

I love this bottle. It's a good size (750 ml), easy to open, is leak-proof, has a nice handle to carry on your finger, and is BPA-Free. I carry mine with me everywhere to stay hydrated and keep my dozen or so plastic bottles per week out of the landfills. Plus, it looks cool! Highly recommended!

I love these shorts! They look great (I would not be caught wearing those skin-tight spandex shorts), have nice padding in the seat (but not too much), are non-restrictive and have two layers (inner layer with padding and support, and a roomy outer layer with elastic waistband and pockets). Also, they are not cotton so they have wicking properties and dry fast if you hit water on your ride. I will definitely buy a second pair.

I am very happy with this shirt. It feels good, smells good (1% activated carbon for odor control, and best of all looks great! It has a slimming effect and my wife commented on how nice it looked on me. I'll be buying more of these shirts.

I think this is a great hat, but it is too small for me. I wish they offered it in multiple sizes. I gave it to my 9-year old son and it fits him great.

This is a terrific jacket. It's very light, shrugs off the rain, and is easily packable. The armpit vents are great to stay cool. And it looks good too (I get many compliments on it). I tried both this and the corresponding Mountain Hardware Epic version and they were very close, but I liked the Marmot Precip better. I highly recommend this jacket!