CHOOSE GEAR THAT INSPIRES YOU TO HAVE FUN E

EVEN THOUGH I TEST LOADS OF CYCLING gear for a living, sometimes I get locked in on particular items and find it difficult to enjoy competing products, even if those products have obvious advantages.

- TARA SEPLAVY

I objectively test and review the gear that comes my way, but when I find certain things I especially love-like gloves, socks, drink mix, saddles, or grips-I am known to buy several of the same item so I have spares on hand if one gets destroyed or to wear when the others are dirty. It's like the cycling gear equivalent of stocking up on your favorite Trader Joe's items in case they get discontinued, I guess.

Full-finger gloves are on my hands almost every time I kit up to ride on the trail or road. And when I find a pair of gloves that fit just right, I will wear them until they practically disintegrate. For nearly two decades, my favorites were the Troy Lee Designs Air Gloves. My first pair came my way in about 2003 as hand-me-downs from a rider I sponsored. The gloves' fit was amazing and TLD often offered the Airs in obnoxiously bright colors-I owned dozens of them. But my favorite thing about those gloves was a tiny detail molded into the Velcro strap across the back of the wrist: "Pop Wheelies."