At Chain, we mean it when we say, "If we won't ride it, we won't sell it." This doesn't mean that certain products don't have drawbacks, or that we always agree about what is the best pedal or light or waterproof bag. It does mean that we will give you an honest opinion about the pros and cons of anything we sell you. Bicycle accessories are complicated and sometimes finicky, and you deserve to know every detail about them. We don't just sell stuff, we teach you how it works, how to use it, and how to take care of it.
We have chosen the best of the best at each price point to satisfy all your commuting, recreational, and performance needs. That said, we do ask that you share your experiences with our products and service. We can only ride one set of tires or use one light at a time, but there are hundreds of you out there with real-world experience that can help us make riding better for others. Helping us achieve a wider base of knowledge about your component and accessory experiences only helps our other customers get more into cycling. It is a win-win for everyone. Below are some of our accessory and component lines:
By far our proudest achievement in product placement is the Specialized Body Geometry line of saddles, shoes, gloves, grips, and helmets. Specialized is the most pirated performance brand in the cycling world for a good reason--no one tests their products more thoroughly through professional racing, staff and shop input, and consultation with in-house medical and engineering staff. In any town, this is the brand of "contact" products (the places where body meets bike) that you are most likely to see on bikes owned by experienced riders. No matter the brand or shop loyalty, Specialized BG products are common fixtures on local group rides.
PlanetBike is the industry leader in lighting and weather-proofing for your bike. Their full line of performance lamps, racks, and fenders are a feature of any commuter-wise shop. All of their lights come with batteries, quick-release mounts (anti-theft), and multiple bracket options for variable frame tube and handlebar sizes. A leader in advocacy, PlanetBike gives as much as 25% of its profits to pro-cycling organizations.
The Saris line of bicycle racks is unmatched in quality, beauty, durability, and warranty support. Their staff includes award-winning Italian designers and friendly office folk who are always eager to help us match a rack to a car. We instruct you how to use your Saris rack, and offer a free demonstration for buyers.
Another rack company that is leading the way in low-entry-point and wheel-mounted hitch racks is Swagmann. For ease of mounting, foldability, elegance, and price, no one even comes close. This is a small company with a big following. We enjoy their personal service and warranty support.
If you want a quality rack-mounted pannier (saddle-bag), top bag, or seat bag, then Detours is your company. Aside from making the most beautiful bags in the world in simple primary colors, these durable totes have numerous hidden features, like rain covers, hidden pouches, and no slip waterproof bottoms. Detours also works with global communities to provide employment opportunities.
Employee Favorites
James Thompson: Velox Rim Tape, Specialized Armadillo Nimbus Tire (26*1.5), and MotorTabs
Over the years, I've seen hundreds of "I keep getting flats" problems solved by installing a new rim strip or replacing the OEM rubber with a good quality cloth strip. Velox is the best. A good rim strip protects the tube from spoke nipples (on cheap rims) and nipple holes (nicer double-walled rims). Velox has just enough stickiness to stay on a clean rim, but not so much that it leaves "the yuck" behind when you change it out. I'd trade a thousand so-called "flat protection systems" for one good Velox. Good to install next time you fix a flat.
I have an Armadillo Nimbus in circulation on a pedi-cab towing bike. We regularly ride these bikes with the tires compressed halfway (even at full pressure) because of towing loads up to one-half standard ton (about four Gator Linebackers). In 15 months of pedi-cabbing, this tire has no flats and still retains a healthy tread profile. The front tire, also with no flats, looks almost brand new. I plan to mount this tire on the Chain Reaction Wall of Fame when it finally dies. This is the Bret Favre/Lance Armstrong/Bobby Bowden of bicycle tires. It takes a beating, and keeps on going beyond what you'd expect. Buy two armadillos and get free installation, a value of $12.
MotorTabs are made in the good ol' U. S. of A. by people who love performance and hate corn syrup solids. They are dry, individually-packaged effervescent tablets of a small cookie shape. You put them in a water bottle and let them dissolve for ten minutes, obviating the need to carry expensive, voluminous, and corn-fructose-filled sports drinks. MotorTabs are a special mix of natural sugars and electrolytes. The sugars are very light (about 60 calories per tab), and the tiny bubbles are soothing. The salts give MotorTabs an initially saline flavor if you are accustomed to traditional drinks, but this becomes desirable and pleasant after you realize their superiority to off-the-shelf beverages. You'll feel silly for ever having drank anything else.
Thomy Bolduc: Speedplay Pedals
Aside from being the industry's lightest pedal, Speedplay Zero road pedals also have the best cornering clearance. This is also a mechanic's pedal, with no moving surface parts, best-in-class needle bearings, and an easily accessed grease service port. As a professional bike fitter, I also like the adjustibility of heel-in and heel-out float to accommodate various pedaling styles and performance levels. Free installation, meta-tarsal positioning, and seat height adjustment.
Ian Knabe: PlanetBike Superflash/Blaze Combo Light Set
The "superblinky" is blinky-licious and blindingly bright. Staff reports include visibility from 1.5 miles on a clear night in luxurious midtown Gainesville, a feature not to be undervalued in a town of inexperienced drivers and late-night partygoers. The front lamp is a half-watt mega-beam that I use around the house as a flashlight. Both lamps have a solid and blinking mode and quick-release removal to prevent theft. We call this the "Mom-and-Dad" light set during back-to-school season, because if Mom and Dad love you, they'll buy this light. Free installation, batteries included.
I also like the PlanetBike Freddy Fenders. Named after an obscure but talented Chicano-country songwriter from South Texas, this "rain-diversion device" has an infinite-adjust fender arm system, is made of just the right kind of bendable-no-breakable plastic, and comes in traditional black or obnoxious yellow, to bring some color into your cloudy day. Avoid that mud-butt skunk stripe on your way to work, school, or your local hangout. Free installation.
Duncan Niederlitz: ONgaurd Locking Wheel Skewers, Wald Front Basket
Tired of carrying a wheel cable or worrying about your mad rims getting ripped off? OnGaurd locking skewers are for you. These replace the traditional quick-release skewer and include a proprietary key for each skewer bolt. It is difficult to find two keys that are alike, so your thief is unlikely to be able to make off with your "twenty-sixers." Besides, the low profile of the keyed skewer bolt is mad righteous pretty.
While you don't want to overburden your steering column with books and dogs and things, the mid-sized Wald Front Basket is ideal for carrying that breakfast burrito you couldn't finish before leaving the house, or that half-finished coffee thermos that simply must be attended to at the next stop light. Easy to install and less expensive than a down-town dinner, another signature product from the people that make the stuff that makes your bike useful.