Reviewed: Orange Seal Endurance

 

    I have been riding tubeless for years now. I have always used Stans until this season. I will say that I have never had a problem with Stans but I always seem to make a mess. I did get to the point where I was only spilling a few drops on the floor while adding new or fresh setup. Whenever I would go into the shop to set it up I would inject Stans into my wheels but didn't have the equipment at home. Brian at EPBC tossed me a jug of Orange Seal Endurance and told me to try it out...

    I would have to say that my first impression was a good one. The bottle comes with a screw in applicator tube to inject the sealant into your wheel for leak free setup. because of this the whole tubeless setup start to finish took me just a few minutes. That in itself was an improvement over Stans. Also a bottle was less expensive. Put that on top of the ease of setup and we have a winner.

    First ride out I went to our MTB Clubs new trail that is still a little furry in spots. I intentionally rode through a few thick spots that we are planning to cut into trail. There were plenty of thorns and who knows what the trail surface looked like. I was pioneering! When I was finished my ride My pressure was close to starting but no flats. I did have a few thorns in my tires. Sealant did its job. I have been riding the Endurance blend for 3 months now and will not be going back to Stans as long as I can get Orange Seal.

(Pic was taken after I dismounted tires to see how the sealant reacted)

Bad Run of Luck...

        
        I have been trying to ride as much as I can recently. I have a lot going on right now and my work schedule has been crazy but I have still managed to get out on a few good rides. My road rides have gone off without a hitch besides one incident with my water bottles. On the other hand my mountain rides have been plagued recently with breakdowns, flats, failing components, and a forgetful rider. In a way I hope that I am the only one with this problem. One ride was just a flat on my front which was not setup tubeless, (long story)but that is fixed now.

RD was toast!

At least it was a nice day!

        Another ride I forgot my shoes, so rode my candy's in sneakers. That same ride a large stick got lodged on my cassette somehow and one pedal stroke brought it around and pulled my rear derailleur up, around, and into my spokes. Brought me to a quick stop. No spokes were broke in this incident. did twist the RD but the hanger survived as well. That  could have been  a expensive fix! Thanks to Eastern Panhandle Bicycles for having a RD in stock. Got me back on the trail in days!





      


       Next mtb ride I forgot my Osprey pack, no  water or tools I charged on, found a bottle in my car and filled it with mountain stream water. As if that wasn't enough my non-drive side crank arm came loose and worked its way off. With a walk back to my car I found a multitool and repaired the crank arm and finished the ride. Did I mention that this was not the first time that crank arm worked off, happened a few rides after purchasing the bike, I chalked that up to me not checking torque like I should have. Time for some Loctite!
  
        I hope the rest of this season turns around. I don't mind a few hiccups and breaks, proof of use, but this is getting out of hand. I'd like to get a few rides in without issue soon. Can anyone else relate?

Beef with the Industry

I have been riding bikes for many years now. I started with a beginner bike and worked my way up through bikes and now have a quality bikes for multiple disciplines. I also bought cycling clothes early on. It was mostly cheaper kits.(I tend to head straight for the closeout racks) I have decided that it is time to upgrade my clothing.

This may be more of a question/rant then a worthy post but are quality cycling clothes really worth the money?

I was reading through this months issue of Bicycle Magazine. They did a 4-5 page gallery of the new kit lineups from many different companies. There was maybe one kit that squeaked under the $300 mark. Am I alone in thinking that's a ridiculous amount of money for shorts and a jersey? Are people really spending that much regularly for cycling clothes?

I am always hunting for a deal. I also buy a lot of leftover stock from my LBS. My most expensive bibs were $70 and I cringed buying those. Maybe I just need to ride once in a top quality kit. I guess its just easier for me to see the value of a good bike and components. The same thinking roles over to clothing as well but I'm not there yet! For now I will probably replace my lower end bibs with the new equivalent.

I want some feedback from you, what are a few brands that you feel are worth their price tags? I hope to hear back from you!