For Hailey Moore, summer in Colorado is a full-steam-ahead season, a fleeting trio of months when the alpine is most accessible. Read on for Hailey’s 2024 Summer Product Picks and a closer look at the gear that keeps her going this time of year.
Growing up in North Carolina, I am an appreciator of all four seasons, but summer in Colorado has transformed my understanding of that particular slice of the celestial cycle. Don’t get me wrong, it can still be plenty hot, but climbing to higher elevations usually rewards you with cooler temps and—of course—getting to be in the presence of the mountains. It’s during this time of year that I log my most time on the bike and do my best to prioritize the big days that will, in turn, become meaningful memories. Long days in the saddle are also the most revealing test for any piece of equipment and, below, I’ve compiled a list of the products that I’ve been turning to again and again this season.
Fuse Lenses — $39.99+
I am absolute hell on sunglasses, often breaking or losing my favorite frames. But I’ve managed to hold onto these 100% Campo frames for several seasons and, fortunately, they’ve also become my favorite shades: they’re light and don’t slide down my nose while riding, and they have bendy arms (that have held up well to my abuse) that are also grippy, keeping them secure feeling when paired with a helmet, or running hat. Unfortunately, 100% no longer makes this frame style and over the past few years the original lenses accumulated significant scratches. This summer, I heard about the lens replacement company Fuse Lenses and sent in my banged up Campos for a refresh.
Before (left); after (right)
While I love the fit of these frames, I always thought the original lenses were a little too sepia-toned and during the replacement process with Fuse, I was able to select a lens with a slightly more neutral tint. Fuse offer stock-option lenses for an impressively large array of mainstream sunglasses brands, but they also allow customers to send in other frames for custom-cut replacements if Fuse doesn’t offer a specific model; for an upcharge, Fuse will install the new lenses for you (either stock, or custom) or provide instructions on how to replace them yourself. Given the baseline cost, I’d recommend Fuse lens replacements for the more extreme ends of the sunglasses spectrum: upgrading a great thrift-store find, or keeping your favorite, higher-end frames alive. Best of all, Fuse offers a no-questions-asked one time warranty replacement on all of their lenses and frames.
Bobo’s PB&J Oat Snacks (Strawberry)
I’ve never been the best at the gas-station refuel maneuver; I tend to gravitate toward liquid calories like chocolate milk, or quickly downable ice cream sandwiches, as too many chips or candy quickly turn my tongue to sandpaper, and I’ve worked in too many bakeries to enjoy the fake pastries on more than a superficial level. I blame my mother for being kind of a health nut and for raising me with a limited tolerance for the ultra-processed. Even when starting rides from home, I often struggle with deciding on what to carry that I will actually want to eat on the bike. Boulder-based snack company Bobo’s new PB&J Oat Snacks have been a bit of a revelation in this department.
I’ve found these on the shelves of Whole Foods as a box of four ($5.49/ $1.37 per bar) but will likely plan on ordering my next supply straight from Bobo’s site (Bobo’s also lists them as being available at a variety of other grocery stores, Target, and Walmart). Online, a 24-pack case goes for $35.99, or $1.49/bar, slightly pricier but worth it for me because a box of four bars will be gone in a ride or two. Bobo’s also offers a discounted price on the 24-pack case if you sign up for a subscription (30-,45-, or 60-day increments) and has a loyalty rewards points program.
Sony RX100 vii – $1,299.99
I’ve been contributing to The Radavist for almost five years, regularly for the past two. Becoming a core contributor and product tester required a steep learning curve in photography for me, as I’d previously been content documenting my personal travels on my iPhone. Always ready teachers, John and Josh still set the photographic bar pretty high and, in recent years, I’ve been trying to level up. Not unlike bikes, I think the lexicon of photography is, perhaps, half the battle in breaking into this technical craft. Learning the language and how to manipulate your camera’s settings so that the composition in your head gets translated to the photograph can be complicated.
The scratching seen around the edge of the screen is actually just nicks to the thick screen protector.
While I have a more robust mirrorless camera for dedicated Shop Visits, bike portraiture, and event coverage, I can’t bring myself to haul it on 95% of my bike tours. When I first decided that it was time to put more effort into documenting my travels than pulling out my phone, my partner and I invested in a Sony RX100 vii and it’s become a regular addition to my travels, on and off the bike.
So glad I carried the Sony RX100 vii on a tour through Italy last fall.
The larger sensor of my other (Sony) camera is undoubtedly superior in rendering the full spectrum of lighting scenarios, but I’ve come to love the RX100’s simplicity and portability. At just 302 grams, the RX100 doesn’t add much to my bike’s setup for touring, or my everyday bag while traveling. As an impressively featured point-and-shoot—F2.8/F11 [W], a 24-200mm lens, and five shooting modes—it’s also relatively covert. I still can’t help but feel self-conscious sometimes when walking through a new city, and I pull out a massive camera to get the tourist shot. The RX100 still delivers a high-quality image and indulges my desire for stealth mode.
Slovenia with the RX100 vii
I realize that the price tag for this point-and-shoot makes it the spendiest item on this list (and, it’s more expensive than the 120-millimeter Rockshox Sid Ultimate fork on my hardtail), but I honestly do feel like I’ve “gotten my return” on this product, through hundreds of photos that take me back to cherished places and memories, and by making my photographic learning curve a little gentler. When I first got this camera, I would get anxious if I tried to shoot in anything other than Automatic mode, but now I keep the dial set to the Aperture Priority mode and know my way around the other settings. The most telling metric of value, though, since I acquired the Sony RX100 vii, is that the more I carry it, or another real camera, the less satisfied I am with those on-the-fly iPhone snaps.
RockGeist BarJam Brackets and Carbon Bar 2.0 — $140
I’ve spent more time on my hardtail this summer than on my drop-bar bikes and, as a result, I have had to make some significant changes to my bike-camping setup. Smaller triangles mean smaller frame bags and, thus, getting more creative with top-tube and down-tube storage options. For me, riding more technical terrain has also translated to slower speeds such that I can’t justify a dynamo hub-powered light on my mountain bike. Instead, I run two Fenix PDR35 flashlights: one mounted on my helmet and one mounted on the bars. Fenix’s handlebar mount is rock solid, but pretty bulky and I soon realized that the tightening bolt interfered with my usual bar roll and harness. My brake reservoirs were also competing with the ends of my bar roll in this confined space.
The RockGeist BarJam system provides an elegant solution for distancing your bar roll and harness from the bars, while also protecting your shift, brake, and dropper cables from rub. The BarJam system includes two 6061 aluminum bolt-on brackets (available in 31.8 or 35.0-millimeter clamp diameters) that pair with a short carbon bar that serves as a supplementary attachment point for a bar roll and harness. So far, I’ve been really happy with this solution and love how tidy it keeps my MTB’s cockpit.
Ride Attire: Ornot Women’s Power Dry Riding Shirt and The Radavist Klunker Socks
I’ve already shared a few casual shorts that I’ve been riding in this summer, but thus far I’ve neglected to mention my new favorite top to pair with them: the Ornot Women’s Power Dry Riding Shirt ($65). True to Ornot’s brand standards, this semi-fitted top is (very) minimally branded and the fabric is milled and sewn in the US. The fabric has a woven feel, looks more refined than a tech tee and doesn’t seem to hold onto stank the way that other sporty fabrics do. I’ve found that the one little stash pocket on the back best holds a bar, or other snack, as something as heavy as a phone wants to tug down on the shirt and move around. I’ve been reaching for this shirt for many rides and I especially love how casual it looks for a post-ride pizza or coffee hang.
I’ll admit it: I’m a sock snob and, while this may seem like a shameless plug, I’ve been rocking The Radavist’s (new!) Klunker Socks ($18) on the regular. Whether riding or trail running, these socks provide the perfect level of compression and the Suedwolle 90/10 merino wool blend holds its shape well over extended use. If you’re looking for a summer weight sock with a wool feel, look no further than the Klunker socks.
Pearl Izumi X-Alp Summit MTB Shoes — $150
I bought a pair of Specialized Recon 2.0s two summers ago as my first “MTB” shoe. I really like being clipped in while riding, but—when I bought the Recons—I was still at a point in my cycling trajectory where actual clipless MTB shoes seemed too burly and lacking the efficient stiffness I was accustomed to coming from riding drop-bar bikes. And, I don’t think I’d fully accepted at that time how much hiking there would be in the kind of mountain biking I was becoming interested in. While the Recons have been completely serviceable for hike-a-bike, they’re by no means a purpose-built backcountry shoe.
This summer, with little-to-no tread left on the forefoot of my Recons, I was forced to start searching for a more worthy replacement. I considered trying out a pair of the Specialized ADV shoes that Spencer has become a fan of (because: laces), but ultimately decided to look for options that would cater more specifically to the hiking side of mountain biking. After picking up a pair of Fizik Terra Ergolace (because: laces, but also a Vibram-rubber sole) and a pair of Pearl Izumi X-Alp Summit, I’ve much preferred riding and hiking in the X-Alps. While the Boa closure on my well-worn Recons never failed me, it always worried me, and this is still a long-term concern I have with the X-Alps. Still, in addition to also featuring a Vibram-rubber sole, I have found the lug pattern on the X-Alps more grippy feeling for HAB, and the X-Alps’ heel cup feels more secure as compared to the Ergolace’s lower heel counter. Though this has translated to the X-Alps feeling a little toasty on the hottest days of the year here, I also appreciate that there’s a bit more protection in the upper.
