Best buys of 2008

[stutho]

What has been you best cycle related buy of 2008? (Excluding bikes)

I have bought very little this year.  My most used bit of kit is a pair of sealskin gloves (~£20)   

[freddered]

My red Aldi Winter Jacket.  £14.99.  Ridiculously good value.

[stutho]

My red Aldi Winter Jacket.  £14.99.  Ridiculously good value.

I am still using the one I bought 2 years ago! Bargain agreed!

[geocycle]

Schmidt dynohub and IQ fly.  After what seems like months of commuting in the dark both ways they have already paid off the cost in terms of performance.

[freddered]

Schmidt dynohub and IQ fly.  After what seems like months of commuting in the dark both ways they have already paid off the cost in terms of performance.

I'm sure my B&M Cyo will be on my 2009 shortlist but I haven't used it enough yet.

[geocycle]

I'm sure my B&M Cyo will be on my 2009 shortlist but I haven't used it enough yet.

Yep, the cyo came out a month or so after I bought the fly -typical.  Still very pleased with the fly for my current usage. Light tech is changing very quickly at the moment so it's hard to know when to buy or what's round the corner.

[jawj]

Easily these Endura overshoes: http://www.endura.co.uk/Product.aspx?dept_id=107&prod_id=26

Ooh, and another vote for the IQ FLy please: It's really astonishingly bright and I'm not jealous of you Cyo owners at all, oh no. Are incandescent bike lights a horrible distant memory yet...?

Also the HEL braided hoses recently installed on one set of disc brakes have proven to actually make a difference to the feel of the brakes (and I thought they just looked snazzy...)

(You can tell it's December just by people's suggestions so far: waterproofs and lights!)

[brummie]

In no particular order:
(i) Schmidt Edlux as far as lights go is  v e r y impressive ... ( STILL got an E6 secondary & B&M round light available for sale if anyone interested - see classifieds )
(ii) RST frameset
(iii) Stans -no- tubes system on my mtb.

[pastafarian]

- Ground effect Two Timer convertible jacket/vest
- Optimus nova multifuel stove
- a small rubber band (cost me nothing and was used as a parking brake on tour)

[avdave]

Shimano MW80's, used today for the first time but I'm pretty sure they'll top my list. So nice to go out on a cold day with a biting north wind and have warm feet.

[jimmer]

Dear All,

Magura HS33 hydraulic rim brakes and braided hoses, helped me to put to bed envy at mates' disk brakes.

Pitlock skewers, what price piece of mind when locking up in central Brum?

Thudbuster LT, made Glentress and Cannock a butt friendly breeze.

Finally succumbed to the pleasure of leather and got a Brooks B17. Defo top buy.

Yours, James

[beatsboy59]

Has to be the awesome Fenix TK11 bar mounted torch,closely followed by my Aldi winter jacket.

[Cake]

For me, it is the Aldi winter cycling gloves i use - £3.99 (if i remember correctly).  I bought these in January and they are still going strong.  I bought a spare pair when they came on sale again in Oct-Nov.  Good value for money.

The other item i was pleased with was the Smart 0.5 watt rear light (£9).  It gives me great confidence that i am doing all that i can to be as visible as possible.

[Fred A-M]

E3 Supernova front & rear light & Schmidt Hub (late 2007 strictly speaking but benefits in 2008).

Gore Bodywarmer/Windstopper (yellow/black) with detachable sleeves - by far the best item of cycle clothing I've ever bought.

[PH]

Carbide rims and Tektro cantis.
These for my non Thorn touring bike, the Raven already had a Carbide rim.  better wet weather braking, no more black gunk and should last years.  I notice the price has shot up, glad I got in there before it did.
That's it really, I bought very little bike stuff last year.  When I ran out of bits I wanted I had to buy a new bike