Shimano

These wheels are easy to overlook going by the spec sheet alone, but these wheels are much better than the specs would suggest. They are super responsive and more comfortable than I expected, certainly not to the level of something with a 25mm internal width, but they handle rough pavement surprisingly well. The stiffness is really impressive, I'm able to put out about 1000 watts in short bursts and I don't notice any lateral flex or spoke deformation at all. They hold air better than any wheels I've previously used, I think that is partly due to the GP5K AS TR tires, but Shimano definitely made this wheel the right way. These are probably the most stable wheels in crosswinds that I've ridden and they hold speed nicely as well. Shimano might have a more modern design in the works at this point, but these wheels are still really solid performance wise and the ride feel is amazing, they feel fast even at lower speeds which makes them a lot of fun to ride. When they are on sale it is a great value.

Good quality chain at a reasonable price when on sale. Like everything else the price of Shimano Dura Ace R9100 11 speed components are not cheap and seem to go up especially as the parts become scarce. The chains seem to be easier to acquire than other parts and for the most part have not appreciated as much. I am committed to a mechanical groupo as newer ones use disk brakes which my 20 year old Litespeed frame cannot accommodate. I am glad that Biketiresdirect.com puts them on sale often as I go thru 2 to 3 chains per year.

Lucked into an opportunity to get an Italian-branded frameset for an amazing deal, and needed an Italian threaded BB for it. Have used the the English threaded version of this BB for a few of my previous bikes as well as for friends' bikes that I've worked on and they've always been a great value. The Italian threaded one I picked up recently wasn't any different - aside from the thread direction :-D - and BTD had it on sale which really made it a no-brainer.

I've tried some of the knock-off BB's that are out there, and they will work alright initially, but they don't stand up to the same abuse as this Shimano one and with BTD you're not spending much more than the knock-offs anyway, and over time you're really saving money because you don't need to buy a new one every few months. You can also spend a lot more to save a watt or two or to add some bling, but if you just care about your BB working well and want the best bang for your buck, I'd look no further.

Oregon winters are wet and chilly, and these boots make all the difference. I use them for road riding, with SPD pedals. They don't leak up through the cleats as some shoes do, and the shell is truly waterproof. I find them comfortable down to about 33 degrees, with thick socks. I've ridden in heavy rains for hours many times and they never leak... except, as with every winter shoe I've used, water can get in from the top, and the neoprene collar will soak up some water. But even after riding for several hours, this has not resulted in water leaking down into the shoe. If you're really hard-core about dryness, use gaiters to cover the upper shoe collar, and pull your rain pants down over the gaiters for a perfect seal. I do recommend getting the WIDE version, even for normal feet, as the "normal" fit version made my narrow feet feel pretty claustrophobic. Lastly, the soles are very good for walking, when you need to.