Looking for the best all-natural granola that money can buy? Then get Bear Naked!

This has nothing to do with taking off your clothes - Bear Naked is the company that makes the granola! If the price is any factor, this is what you call a premium granola! (It’s typically $5-6 for a 12 oz bag, one of the highest priced cereals out there.)

For the price you do get a granola that is made with all-natural ingredients and whole grains, vegan friendly, certified Kosher, and even hand-crafted in small batches with REAL freeze-dried blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and hearty nuts.

Once you have some, you see how good it is! They have a lot of good flavors, but today we’ll look at a classic, Peanut Butter & Jelly.

The big question on my mind was, “is this going to taste like a real pb&j sandwich?”

You know what, this peanut butter & jelly flavor does remind me of a good ol’ pb&j sandwich! You can see it contains whole grains, peanuts, and dried raspberries (just like bread, peanut butter, and jelly.) So if you take a handful and chew on it, and close your eyes and flashback to childhood, visions of fresh pb&j sandwiches should dance in your mind!

After consuming a few bags of this stuff, whether straight from the bag, with milk, or with yogurt, there was a clear winner. Grabbing this granola out of the bag by the handful was the best way to eat it! It’s really fun to just open the bag and eat.

You could put it in a bowl and eat it by the spoonful, too, but that requires a bowl and a spoon. C’mon, utensils aren’t fun!

I preferred to pick out the dried raspberries and eat them first, and then I’d scarf down the rest by the handful. It has a great flavor, like natural peanut butter.

Overall, this just plain tastes good, and the texture is just right. It has a satisfying crunch, but it’s still soft, so you can chew it easily.

However, in milk, it’s not so great. It’s still OK, but eating it plain is so much better. It seems like the milk takes away some of the good, natural flavor. Peanut butter and jelly is perfect as is - if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

Although this is so good, I guess I should also consider, “Is this Bear Naked granola healthy?”

You bet it is. All you have to do is look at the ingredients list and realize that you can pronounce everything on there!

Key ingredients include whole grain oats, expeller pressed canola oil, peanuts, honey, sweetened dried red raspberries, coconut, natural peanut butter, whole grain crisp rice, brown rice syrup, ground flax seed, oat bran, and natural grape flavor.

For a cereal that comes out of a bag, that’s as close to unprocessed food as it gets!

As with most granola, this is high in fat - 7g per 1/4 cup serving. But that’s mostly from the natural peanut butter, so it’s a healthy fat. Just 4g sugar per serving! That all adds up to 140 calories per serving. (Although I have no problem eating an entire bag at once, which is 11 servings, or 1500 calories!)

If pb&j isn’t your thing, there are other Bear Naked flavors, such as Fruit and Nut, Peak Protein, Heavenly Chocolate, Blueberry Walnut, Banana Nut, Apple Cinnamon, and Peanut Butter. If granola isn’t your thing, Bear Naked also makes hot cereals and trail mix.

And let’s not forget…

Bear Naked and Cannondale sponsor a sweet mountain bike team!

That’s actually how I first heard about this stuff. I got a taste of this great granola courtesy of Brandon Draugelis, one of Bear Naked/Cannondale’s top racers on the east coast.

After that I found it in the stores and had to continue buying it!

And get this - if you save your empty granola bags, you can send them back to Bear Naked to get recycled. To say thanks, Bear Naked will then send you free gear like a t-shirt or reusable grocery bag!

My final verdict is…

This granola is awesome! I like it best plain, in handfuls right out of the bag. It tastes great, is fun to eat, and it’s healthy!

It can get expensive (like all other natural/organic food,) but it makes for a good treat, so I recommend having some when the craving hits.

Official website: bearnaked.com

In a desperate attempt to slim down for a big bike race in July (and get six pack abs in the process,) I was actually willing to buy and use diet pills. Normally I wouldn’t give any sort of diet pill a second glance, but this was different… this was an all-natural fat loss pill designed for bodybuilders who need to lose that extra bit of fat to look their best for competition.

It’s called Lean Out, and it’s a “fat transport system” from Beverly International.

So it’s not actually a “diet pill” per say. It’s more of a supplement that will preserve your muscle tissue and help you burn more fat for energy. While that is ideal for bodybuilders who need to be super cut and lean, it also sounds pretty damn good for a cyclist trying to slim down.

Heck, anyone that’s trying to slim down probably wants to lose fat instead of muscle. In most cases, when you ramp up your training and restrict calories, your body will end up burning muscle tissue for fuel. Even if you have some extra belly fat, your muscle is fair game.

So after hearing about Lean Out (thanks to the free fat loss bootcamp in Cyclo-Club,) I knew it was just what I needed to lose body fat without sacrificing my hard-earned muscle. Best of all, it was priced at about $30 for a 30-day supply - you won’t find a deal like that on any ‘infomercial miracle diet pills.’

Lean Out - How it Works

Let’s face it. Losing weight is a simple formula. But losing fat, that’s extremely hard!

So… aside from genetics, you’ll need a healthy diet and intense exercise, plus some serious supplements, to really shed body fat (without losing muscle at the same time.)

Beverly’s Lean Out formula is a big help. It’s primarily composed of lipotropics, which have the ability to dissolve and metabolize fats. In essence, they emulsify stored fats and dump them into the blood stream to make them more available for your body to use as an energy source.

Lean Out also contains L-Carnitine, the amino acid that transports those newly available fatty acids to the mitochondria in your body. In biology, we always referred to the mitochondria as the “power house” of the cell because that’s where your energy comes from! They suck up fat and incinerate it, producing energy for you in the process.

All the while, this and other ingredients are protecting your lean muscle tissue. It almost sounds too good to be true!

There are a few other ingredients, too. I’ll let Beverly explain them directly:

L-Carnitine (600 mg): Maximizes the retention of muscle tissue while dieting. Essential to convert stored fat into energy.

Methionine (1000 mg): Speeds fat and cholesterol utilization, mobilizes fat from the liver to be released and used as energy.

Choline (1000 mg): A special emulsifying nutrient that helps to break down cholesterol and prevents it from sticking to artery walls with Inositol to utilize fats.

Inositol (1000 mg): Aids in fat transportation, metabolism, and redistribution of fat in the body.

Chromium Picolinate (200 mcg): Aids sugar metabolism, improves blood lipid profile, helps fat burning and muscle gains. Moderates insulin release and keeps blood sugar levels stable.

CoQ 10 (10 mg): Helps convert fats and sugar to energy in the cell, while protecting the heart.

Betaine HCl (100 mg) B-12 (100 mcg) and Biotin (450 mcg). Vital factors in converting fat to energy.

Lean Out also acts as an appetite suppressant, although I’m not sure which ingredient is responsible for that. I think it’s a combination of everything.

Lean Out - My Test

After testing out some intense weight lifting this past winter in the Susquehanna Experiment, I had a little more upper body muscle, so I wanted to drop some fat to make sure I was still light enough to climb well on my bike. (I had bulked up from 158 to about 167 lb, and I could definitely feel the extra weight on the climbs!)

I started taking Lean Out according to the instructions on the bottle, which was basically 4 pills per day - one with each meal and one before a workout. I was going with one after my three largest meals, and one before my hardest workout. So the bottle would last me 30 days.

At first, I wasn’t too sure how to adapt my diet. I always keep a fairly healthy diet, but I was doing some weight training and lots of cycling, so obviously I was still getting plenty of sugar and carbs while riding. Should I have been eating more protein and fat? Who knows.

But I was exercising quite a bit and eating fairly normally (which was a lot, but definitely not overeating.)

Well I did that for about 10 days. I went from 165 to 166 and was looking fatter than usual. What great diet pills…

So I reevaluated my approach and did more research, leading me to these instructions from Beverly International. I saw some people did 4 pills, then 8 pills, then 12 pills daily. (Double or triple what I was doing!)

So I decided to bump things up to 6-8 pills per day. When I did that, I definitely noticed the “appetite suppressant” starting to kick in. While 4 pills per day did nothing whatsoever to suppress my appetite, 6-8 made me avoid eating!

So I got through about five days with the 6-8 pills per day, plus my normal workouts, but with less food. Let’s say normally I’d have four meals per day plus snacks. I switched to two meals per day plus snacks. Finally, I was able to drop down to 164 and then 163.

It wasn’t all good though… the lack of food sapped ALL my energy. My second day at 163 I got on my bike… and rode about 10 minutes in my granny gear. Afterwards I just went home and passed out.

I was eating less, but what about all my fat? Why wasn’t I getting any energy from it? (It’s not like I was starving myself. My extra low calorie days were still probably 2500 calories!)

That was the big downfall. So I ended up making sure I ate enough, and I always ate strategically to fuel my workouts. I was still low on energy, but I made it through my Lean Out test. (Which ending up being approximately 25 days.)

Lean Out - Final Results

In the end, I did see some results from my Lean Out test. Below is the “before” picture from June 2 along with the “after” picture on July 2.

If you look real close, you can see just a little bit more definition in my upper abs in the “After” shot.

I went from 165 to 163, giving me a net loss of 2 lb. That’s not amazing, but there’s a good chance that entire 2 lb was body fat!

Although it gets interesting… I first went from 165 back to 167, and then down to 163. So that was a little odd. But crazier still, in the days following my Lean Out use, I went to 161 for a few days then 159 lb. A delayed reaction, perhaps? Or just the buildup of Lean Out still in my body?

Whatever it was, I did have positive results, and I think this Lean Out stuff is pretty cool! (Even if my weight crept back up to 162 the next day…)

Although I was able to cut from 166 to 161 in May before my triathlon, without any pills like these, I don’t think much of that lost weight was body fat. And I gained it back shortly afterwards, anyway. So the Lean Out seems to be the way to go to lose fat.

Where to Buy Lean Out

I bought mine online at Supplements to Go. I got two 120ct bottles for $45 + shipping, which ended up even cheaper than ordering through Amazon.com.

Even with the cheapest shipping option (USPS,) they shipped my order within two hours and I got it in three days. (Ordered Wednesday, arrived Saturday.) I’m very happy with them.

My final verdict is…

Based on my overall experience, I would highly recommend this to all athletes or anyone trying to lose body fat (either to improve your health or to look good.) If you’re exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet, you should see some results from this.

You’ll have to test it to see what works for you though. I gained weight at first, but then I figured out a better dose for me, and it started to work. Just make sure you’re eating enough - I still don’t think my fat stores were utilized for energy that well, since I almost bonked a few times. (I guess I’m just used to eating a lot!)

In the end, I dropped quite a bit of weight, starting at 165 in June and hitting 159 lb on July 3. I hadn’t been that light since last November!

Official website: www.beverlyinternational.com (or see the Lean Out page.)

Buy online: www.SupplementsToGo.com

No matter how many people say carbs are bad or that you shouldn’t eat processed foods like bread, the chance of me giving up bread is slim to none! Bread is just so versatile it finds its way into every aspect of my diet.

I always like to try new breads, especially sprout bread (which is made from sprouted grains, so it’s more like a vegetable than a bread,) so I couldn’t resist this Mestemacher Sunflower Seed Bread. It looked moist and dense like sprout bread, which would be great, especially with the good protein and fat from the sunflower seeds.

And there was a big “made in Germany” logo on there, so I had to get it. They make some interesting bread over there!

So I grabbed the little loaf without even looking at the ingredients, sure I had made a good choice. After all, the bread was low in fat, high in fiber, cholesterol free, Kosher, and even preservative free (which was possible because the bread was actually pasteurized.)

But then at home, I actually read the ingredients…

Ingredients: Whole Kernel Rye, Water, Whole Meal Rye, Whole Meal Wheat, Sunflower Seed Salt, Yeast.

This “Sunflower Seed Bread” turned out to be rye bread with a few sunflower seeds added in. It seemed so healthy, though, so I tried it anyway. (By the way, I absolutely hate rye bread!)

I was worried at this point… with good reason, because it tasted like crap! I just hated the rye smell and flavor.

So I toasted a piece and then smothered it with peanut butter, hoping to make it edible. I could handle one bite, but it still left that rye aftertaste, so I couldn’t eat anymore.

But despite my limited tests, I still got a good idea of the texture. The texture was dense and chewy, and when I picked up a slice, it seemed almost rubbery. You could taste the seeds in there, though. They weren’t bad, but they were a little on the rubbery side, too.

I just wasn’t thinking though. I thought this was going to be made of actual sunflower seeds based on the appearance. I didn’t read the ingredients to see it was basically all rye flour.

Also, I only remembered that there is healthy food in Germany. I forgot the finer details, like the part about many foods being prepared differently in Germany (vs here in the USA,) some of which just don’t appeal to me. Sourdough bread for example. Both sourdough bread and rye are popular in Europe (if I remember correctly,) so it’s like a double whammy of things I don’t like!

It’s just the fine chocolates and greasy stuff like Wiener schnitzel that appeal to me!

Here’s the funny thing though. I gave this to someone who loves rye bread… and he didn’t like it, either! I’m getting a gut feeling that most Americans really won’t go for this style of bread.

However, your pets might…

That’s our pet rooster ripping a piece of this bread right out of my hand. Too bad he blinked for the camera! (The chickens loved this stuff the first two times they got it, but even they got sick of it after a while!)

My final verdict is…

If you like rye bread and sourdough bread, you might like this (especially if you are from Germany.) It’s fairly healthy and has an interesting texture.

If you like typical white or wheat bread, or if you’re just looking for sunflower seeds, this is NOT the bread for you. I think it should be labeled “RYE BREAD with sunflower seeds added” instead of “SUNFLOWER SEED BREAD.” I couldn’t eat it, and I don’t see many Americans liking it, so buyer beware!

Official website: www.mestemacher.de

After five or six long years with my Giro Boreas, I figured it was time for a new lid. The helmet seemed OK structurally, but pads and straps just don’t last that long!

So I found a good deal on the Giro Eclipse and ordered one, looking forward to the fresh straps and pads! It came with fresh straps and pads, which was mind blowing because I had forgotten just how much padding I was missing in my old helmet!

As usual, the helmet also came with an emergency info sticker, but that was useless. What really mattered was that I had a fresh new helmet, so keep reading for my experience with the Giro Eclipse helmet…

Giro Eclipse - The Initial Test

The first thing I noticed is that this is a very plain helmet. It has a generic design, and I got a white one, so it should blend in anywhere. It doesn’t look like a cheap department store helmet, though.

The Eclipse comes with a Roc Loc 3 adjustment system, which lets you adjust the helmet while wearing it. It requires two hands to operate, although you can make the adjustment while you’re wearing the helmet.

This thing was light, too! Compared to my older Giro Boreas road helmet, this thing is light as a feather! It’s listed at 256g, which is even lighter than the Pneumo, Atmos, and Ionos, Giros high-end helmets! (According to retail catalogs, those expensive helmets range from 260-290g.)

With the Eclipse on my head, it’s like I’m not even wearing a helmet. It’s that light! The only problem is the straps, which cut into the sides of my head and ears. (That’s what makes me remember that the helmet is on.)

The ventilation also works great. The Eclipse has 24 vents plus internal air channels to keep the air flowing all over my head. I did some long, hot rides out on the road and this thing kept my head very cool.

Those 24 vents are a little small though. I can’t stick my fingers in to scratch my head! Some helmets have a few vents wide enough that you can scratch your head without removing the helmet, but this one does not.

Finally, I have not crashed in this helmet (and would prefer to keep it that way,) so I can’t say how strong it is. But it looks pretty solid despite the light weight.

Giro Eclipse - A Few Complaints

I like most aspects of this helmet, but a few things really irritate me. The worst of which is the straps. The straps are extremely stiff and they just won’t lay flat against my head, making it extremely uncomfortable. I was hoping for the straps to get worn in, but they haven’t yet.

Even if they do, I’m not sure if the problem will go away. The straps on my other helmets were attached in such a way they lie flat against my head. The Eclipse has a different strap routing system through the Roc Loc 3 fitting. I was able to adjust it so it isn’t too painful, but it’s still annoying. Argh!

The other annoyance is fitting my sunglasses in the vents. To store my sunglasses on my helmet securely, I have to bend the arms out and stick them into two tiny vents. Not only is it hard to do while riding, the tight fit means my sunglasses leave black streaks along the front of the helmet!

One thing to be careful with is the thin plastic straps that control the Roc Loc 3 system. Sure, the thin plastic is light, but I’m wondering how long it will be before these things break in half if they get brittle from the sun and my sweat.

Finally, while the two handed adjustment is not a problem, some helmets these days come with one hand adjustment systems. (Something to think about before plopping down $230 for an expensive Giro.)

Giro Eclipse vs. Expensive Helmets

How does this budget helmet compare to an expensive helmet like the Giro Atmos? The Atmos looks fancier and costs a lot more, and it might have better ventilation considering it is more vent than helmet!

But as we have seen, the Eclipse is actually listed as the lighter helmet.

The big concern is safety, though. Yes, the Atmos meets the required standards… but it doesn’t look like it! I’m betting the Eclipse would do a better job in an accident.

Even in a minor mishap, you could wreck near rocks or tree branches. If you’re wearing an Atmost, that stuff will poke right through the giant vents without even touching the helmet! So you might not get a concussion, but you could get a stick poking into your skull!

Or, just from riding through thick brush, some could get through the vents. Large bees might find a home in there too!

Or worse, think about a hail storm and the marble size hail that could hit you, unhindered by the helmet!

That’s why I like the Eclipse, because it keeps me safe on numerous levels!

My final verdict is…

The Giro Eclipse helmet is pretty good for $50. I would recommend it to other Giro helmet fans on a budget. (Try PricePoint, Nashbar, or Performance Bike, although this is a 2007 helmet on closeout, so you might not find the right color and size combo.)

Just give it some time to get “broken in” and expect to put up with a few quirks, such as the out of place straps and annoying sunglasses/vent connection. Other than that, it’s light, safe, and pretty comfortable. And at this price, I can’t complain too much.

Official website: www.giro.com

After four years of mediocre to pathetic performance, the Bontrager Select wheels that adorned my Trek 1500 finally gave out. I had put up with the sloppy hubs and flimsy rims for a couple years, but when the rear rim started to crack in multiple locations, I knew it was time for some new hoops!

Time was of the essence though, as I had a race in two weeks! So when I wondered “where can I get a set of quality wheels for a decent price?” I immediately went to the Neuvation Cycling website and browsed the options. (And I ordered a set that night.)

Neuvation Cycling was just ingrained in my mind as the best bang for your buck in wheels, and without time to do more research, I jumped on the deal. I did check a few reviews, just to make sure I wasn’t confusing Neuvation with someone else, but that was it. Most of the reviews were overwhelmingly positive, although quite a few people on RoadBikeReview.com complained about hub flange failures.

But since a lot of the reviews were from 2005, I figured the third revision for 2008 (i.e. Aero3) had that fixed, so I wasn’t worried.

Since I was putting money down for new wheels, I went ahead and upgraded to ceramic bearings, too. At just $20 per wheel, it was the best deal on ceramic bearings I had ever seen, so I couldn’t pass that up.

Out of the box

The wheels came packaged very nicely in separate boxes. Upon lifting these boxes, the UPS man and I both questioned whether or not there was anything within the boxes. They were that light!

Each wheel came with a little bag for the quick release and spare spokes. There were two spares up front and four for the rear (two for each side, as the drive-side and non-drive-side spokes are slightly different.) That was awesome, because searching for replacement spokes can be a royal pain.

All wheels should come with spare spokes, including wheels that come on complete bikes. It would be so much easier and really ease my mind to just have a spare spoke in my toolbox, especially when you have these nice bladed spokes.

As for the graphics, they are big, shiny silver stickers. They might even be brighter than reflectors! I think they look good (especially on my silver bike,) but if you don’t like flashy graphics, just peel them off. They are big, one-piece stickers, so it should be easy. (I ended up peeling one off. It was easy to remove but did leave a sticky residue.)

These wheels were also totally true and round. So far, so good.

Preparing to install and ride

While the wheels are beautiful, the black spokes are very dusty. My hands turned black in no time after carrying these around. So… I took some rubbing alcohol and wiped them down. That took off all the extra black dust, and once the spokes dried, they looked just as good as before.

Spinning the wheels was a new experience. The freehub was nearly silent! You could really sneak up on people with these wheels.

The rim braking surface was definitely high quality - it’s nice and rough for better braking; very well machined for the task at hand. The rim has a center groove as a rim wear indicator, which is easy to read and should be accurate since it spans the entire rim.

A little problem was that the braking surface had very limited space though - the rim wall was very short. My brake pads are much taller than the braking surface, so they end up hanging down and hitting the stickers. (Which isn’t great, but I had to adjust it like that so the pads didn’t rub the tires!) Look for some narrow Dura Ace brake pads if you need new ones, as brake pad overhang is annoying and dangerous.

Before mounting the tires, I had to tape the rim. John Neugent recommends Velox 16mm cloth rim tape. It’s probably a good fit, but I used 17mm Forte cloth rim tape and it fit fine, although it did take up A LOT of space in the rim bed.

Which leads me to…

Mounting the tires was very hard! I tried to mount my tires with my hands only (which I usually do,) but it didn’t work, and my thumbs were sore for days afterwards! It wasn’t that difficult with a tire lever, so you’ll probably want to go ahead and use one and spare your hands the pain.

Or… use the 16mm rim tape, which could make a tiny difference, and give you just enough extra space in the rim bed.

On the bike

My very first thought - get narrower brake pads! There is a very annoying braking sound when the pad hangs over and hits the rim.

Otherwise, these wheels were awesome! For starters, they roll super fast. I always got dropped on descents and I thought it might be my crappy wheels. Thankfully, now I know it was the wheels! With the M28 Aero3 wheels I can’t believe how fast I descend. They are fast on straight descents, but they’re even faster through sharp downhill turns.

I think the great stability stems mainly from the wheel’s stiffness. When I pedal, I can feel the bike go forward with each stroke. It’s way better than my previous Bontrager Select wheels which flopped side to side as I rode!

Another new feeling I had was during a 50 mph descent in heavy crosswinds… these felt a bit different than my previous wheels, as this rim is deeper and has bladed spokes (presenting a greater surface area for the wind to catch,) but it didn’t feel hazardous. Rather, it was just a bit different, and I got used to it after a couple rides.

(With my regular wheels, the wind would blow my body to the side. With these, the wind will start to take my bike out from under me right before it tries to topple me over. That might sound bad, but it’s not a big deal as long as you can handle a bike.)

Durability and Long-term Use

I’ve only been using these for a month, so I can’t be too certain about their long-term durability just yet. They are pretty strong, though.

On my first two rides, I babied these wheels. I avoided rough roads and dodged small cracks - and the wheels stayed true. The third ride, though, I hit a rough patch… This little rough spot caused the rear wheel to go slightly out of true laterally.

I would expect that with cheap machine-built wheels, but after hearing so much praise about these wheels staying true for years without service, I’m disappointed that one patch of rough pavement (not quite a pot hole) did the damage. (On my third ride!)

After that incident, especially when leaning into corners, I could feel the rim hitting the brake pads slightly. And I’m only 165 pounds - surely Neuvation’s strongest wheel can hold up to a 165 pounder!

On a more positive note, there was no serious damage to speak of after a month of use on various road surfaces.

What I hated about these Neuvation Wheels

Just my luck… I bought the M28 Aero3 at full price, passing up a chance to get the Aero2 as a substantial discount. (Like I said, I didn’t want an older version that might have those hub flange failures.) Since the Aero2 was being discounted, I thought the Aero3 wheels were pretty new.

Well, a couple weeks later the Aero4 came out and the Aero3 was on sale for about $250 a pair. That sure beats the $350 I paid!

I could have bought the same wheels at Performance Bike (the Titan) and used them until the Aero3 went on sale, and ended up with two pairs of wheels for about what I paid for one set!

But you can’t change the past, so I’ll just make the most of what I have.

My final verdict is…

For the first two rides, I loved these wheels - great performance for a decent price. Supposedly they are on par with $1000 Mavic wheels, although I can’t verify that as I haven’t used top of the line wheels like that. But the Neuvation’s felt great compared to my old Bontrager Select wheels.

But if I were doing it over again, I might go for the Titan wheels from Performance Bike. They’re the same wheels at like 60% off. The difference is that they are machine-built instead of hand-built, and there is not as much customer support or ’satisfaction guarantee’ service as with Neuvation. But my Neuvation wheels needed trued after three rides, so that’s not saying much for these “hand-built” wheels.

On the other hand, the Aero3’s are now on sale, so this might be a good time to grab a set.*

Official website: www.neuvationcycling.com

(*If you’re reading this after the Aero3 has sold out, you have two options. If you want to spend as little as possible, get a set of Performance Titan wheels. If you value customer service and hand-built wheels, get some Neuvation M28 Aero4 wheels.)