Review Methodology

I want to explain my review methodology so that you, the reader, can get the most value from my reviews. The reviews that I conduct are geared towards the cyclist who, like me, probably rides more than 2,000 miles per year. We are considered dedicated cyclists who ride alone or in groups; and, we will typically average somewhere between 16mph and 26mph over a 30 to 50 mile ride. We compete with ourselves by trying to ride farther and/or faster than previous rides; or, we may compete with other dedicated cyclists. In addition to our regular rides, we also typically engage in the occasional century, sportive, gran fondo, and possibly an official race or time trial. This type of cyclist is more than a casual or recreational rider and could even be an amateur racer.

Even if you do not fit within this broad category of dedicated cyclist you still should find value in these reviews. I approach each review as I approach researching my own purchases of cycling products that I use or want to use. Like other dedicated cyclists, I want to find products of high quality that are priced fairly and that will provide some benefit to my cycling. Like some dedicated cyclists I often ride alone and I cannot afford for products to fail when I am far from home. Also, there is the safety aspect to consider as some products can directly affect the safety of a ride such as a helmet, wheels, or tires.

I review each product thoroughly before I decide to purchase. My reviews are based on factors such as quality, design, and cost. After I purchase, I look at ease of installation, clarity of instructions, quality of design and construction, and whether the product performs as described. For my reviews I break all of these factors into four categories: Installation, Usage, Quality, and Cost. I then summarize each of these categories and give a positive or negative recommendation for purchase.

For each of these four categories I will assign a rating from one to five stars. Here is what each of these five ratings generally mean:
1 Star  - This is the lowest possible rating and indicates that products rates very poor. This indicates that you should look to another product for your needs.
2 Stars – This rating indicates that the product is above poor but doesn’t meet the average. This typically means that there are better choices available.
3 Stars - This rating indicates that the product is average. It may be ok for the recreational rider or even the dedicated cyclist depending on the category in question. For example, a product could rate this level in cost but be excellent in quality. Each person will have to determine which category is more important.
4 Stars - This rating indicates that the product is above average and is a good choice.
5 Stars - This rating indicates that the product is the best in its category. I try to only give one product this rating per category, but there may be occasions where more than one product could achieve this level.

For me, the research that goes into each product not only helps me determine what to purchase, but also enables me to learn more about cycling in the process. So, I hope that you will find reading these reviews as valuable as I have found in writing them.