Lezyne Steel Digital Drive

The 26” tall Lezyne Steel Digital Drive features a steel barrel and piston, a wooden handle, an aluminum base and a nylon-reinforced braided hose. It’s a classic looking design with a few modern touches.

As you would expect from a full-size floor pump, it easily achieves 100 psi with a max rating of 160 psi for the track racers out there. Lezyne claims that the digital gauge is accurate to within 3% and my ordinary analog gauge seems to confirm measurements well enough.

The digital gauge is relatively simple with no backlighting, just a simple pressure reading in either PSI or bar. It uses a standard CR2032 battery that’s easily accessed from the face of the unit. The lack of backlighting makes it a bit difficult to read in my shadowy basement, but said feature would probably drain the battery quickly. As it is, Lezyne claims the battery should last at least one year.

The Steel Digital Drive is available with one of two pump head configurations—dual valve or ABS Flip-Thread Chuck. We received the latter of the two, which is probably the more interesting of the two designs. The chuck is reversible for Presta or Schraeder, and it threads onto the valve. At first I found this a bit inconvenient, but I came to appreciate it. If that’s just not your cup of tea, they do include a L-shaped slip chuck adapter which also makes the pump usable on disc wheels.

The chuck also features an air bleed system. When used in Presta mode, the small button releases pressure from the hose, making it easier to remove the chuck. For Schraeder valves, the button releases pressure from the tire. The Steel Digital Drive retails for $90. www.lezyne.com

Aero Tech Designs Men’s Urban Pedal Pushers Commuter Dress Shirt

The Commuter Dress Shirt from Aero Tech Designs is touted as being “ideal for travel” so I took my pair of shirts to task in Japan for a two-week cross country trip. While “wrinkle free” might be a bit of a misnomer, they looked good enough to eat at one of the finest restaurants in Tokyo, yet were technical enough for me to stay comfortable while walking eight hours in Kyoto with a raincoat on top. And I think the Commuter Dress Shirt actually contributed to my bowling abilities, or at least I can’t blame it for missing that 7-10 split in Nagoya.

Some of the casual commuter clothing I’ve tried on as of late seems to be made for people with pipe cleaners for arms. I’m not Popeye, but I need room to move and the Commuter Dress Shirt provides a relaxed cut. Normally I prefer my cycling shirts to be as simple as possible, but I did find myself grateful for the zippered chest pockets for the peace of mind that I won’t be losing anything valuable.

The slightly stretchable and very comfortable lightweight fabric is made from 88% spun nylon and 12% recycled polyester. Unlike traditional cotton shirts, when you roll up the sleeves, you aren’t left feeling like you’ve got a bulky mass at the elbow. The lightweight fabric also bodes well for wearing the Commuter Dress Shirt on hot and sunny days when UV protection is important—the fabric has an ultraviolet SPF of 50+, which should please my friends in Arizona. And for my friends back in the soggy Mid-Atlantic, the fabric has a water-resistant coating that makes surprise thunderstorms a little less bothersome. The $50 Commuter Dress Shirt is made in the USA and is available in three colors and six sizes, S-3XL. www.aerotechdesigns.com

EighthInch