albert_03

Following the suggestions in a previous thread, I tried ESI silicone grips wrapped with a tennis overgrip tape, like Prince Duratac. The overgrip is reasonably tacky and is much more durable than the foam grips. When the tape is dirty/torn, just re-wrap the grip. Overgrip tape is cheap, relative to new grips. YMMV.

I bought a set of Nike soccer shinguards for under $10. (Mercurial Lite or some such.) Probably hard to beat for value, light, easy to wash. They protect enough of the shin to prevent damage in all but the worst mishaps. If you want them ventilated, drill some holes. Depending on what I'm doing, I wear Gform knee pads, but I almost always wear the shinguards. YMMV.

This is tangential to the original poster's question, but relevant. Bikers have historically talked about gear ratios, but that's only part of the equation when you're considering how "hard" or "easy" a bike is to pedal. There has been a move by some (reference given to Sheldon Brown's website above) to talk instead about Gain Ratios, instead of gear ratios. Gain Ratio is a preferred measure in my view because it is a (unitless) number that takes wheel size AND crank length into consideration, as well as gear ratio. I wish use of this measure would catch on faster. With skinny road bike tires, it didn't make as much of a difference because all the wheel diameters were very close and varying crankarm lengths was not really common. So many old school roadies just talked gear ratios. (I'm kinda guessing this is how it happened, but bear with me.) Now there are a lot more common wheel sizes (20, 24, 26, 650B, 29er), and tire width and effective wheel diameters can be all over the map. (E.g., the Surly Krampus.) Here's my explanation of the Gain Ratio (just skip to the Bold if you're bored): Gain Ratio = Bike Travel / Pedal Travel (think arc lengths, s=r*θ) = radius_wheel*θ_wheel / radius_crank*θ_crank. Since the angles through which the crank and wheel rotate are related by the gear ratio (number of teeth), substitute using θ_wheel = (front chainring teeth/rear cog teeth)*θ_crank. So, Gain Ratio = (radius_wheel/ radius_crank)*(front chainring teeth/rear cog teeth), or Gain Ratio= Radius_ratio * (Teeth_chainring/Teeth_rearCog) This is a unitless number that takes crankarm length AND tire size into account. If you do a couple of calculations for different bikes, especially stocks vs mods (use data from Inspired's website, for instance), you may gain some insight into why certain gear ratios /gain ratios are preferred, which are equivalent, and how much the gain ratio can change when you make seemingly minor gear or cranklength changes, or when you put on a really fat rear tire. NB: You should try to use the effective radius of the installed tire in these calcs; measure vertically from ground to center of rear axle.

Truing your wheels is only part of the story. High,UNIFORM spoke tension is key to making a strong wheel, and as a bonus it will stay true longer.

I have G-form knee and elbow pads; they've worked well for me, even ride XC w/ the knee pads occasionally without discomfort. Like most reviewers, I've found they run small, so measure and then order one size larger.

I've used custom orthotics in my shoes for a long time. Generally, I just look for shoes that have removable insoles (most do except some lightweight running shoes) and then just swap them out with my orthotics. Don't try to put your orthotics into any of your shoes without first removing the insoles that came with the shoes originally - it'll throw the angles off in addition to making the shoes too tight (and heavy). [Yes, this may sound obvious, but I've talked to a lot of PTs who've seen this.] I've found that to avoid irritation that can lead to inflammation (and then to some type of longer term 'itis' if you're not smart) it helps to change shoes and insoles regularly. So, I don't generally wear the same shoes two days in a row. (I'm talking about shoes in general here, as I don't have a multitude of riding-only shoes.) And I will occasionally wear the original insoles instead of the orthotics, just to change things up. So, I guess I'm saying orthotics aren't a big deal, just follow your doc's advice and don't try to "work through" pain and inflammation - that's how you end up with chronic (permanent) conditions. Cuts, bruises, and sore muscles are one thing; tendonitis is a completely different ballgame. Enjoy your riding,