Pretty much the same review as I wrote for the verona knee warmers. They are of good quality, but have nice fleecy, white lining on the inside. So when you put them on and they stretch, they appear gray (with perhaps a bluish tint). The white fleecy lining shows through when worn, but if they are on the shelf they are indeed black.

Just so you know in advance.

Okay, I have the Verona Arm, Knee, and Leg Warmers. They all do a nice job and seem to be of good construction. I've been using all of them for a few months now, and haven't had any issues with seams popping or coming undone (a chronic issue in some warmers). They also stay up nicely, and don't ride down once you get them situated.

Here's the weird part about them. They aren't black- except when you aren't actually wearing them. They have a nice fleecy liner on the inside- which is white. So when you put them on and they stretch out, the white shows through a bit (combine white and black, and you get gray, with almost a bluish hue).

So they are good quality GRAY warmers.

Couple of comments on dog booties in general to start. (we have 3 sets of different booties and have used them in all sorts of conditions).

First- You need to train your dog to use them *before* you need to use them. Duh. You can't just slap them on and head into the wilderness the first time. Put them on for a few test runs in advance. Most dogs hate them, so be patient, reward them, and use positive reinforcement. Duh. Try not to laugh at your dog when you first put them on. Remember positive reinforcement.

Second- Booties require a lot of adjustment and readjustment along the way. They move around and twist, and are totally unnatural for dogs. Check and readjust frequently with positive reinforcement and treats. Otherwise you'll lose them.

Third- if you are using booties because your dog slides on tile or hardwood floors, his/her nails probably need trimming. Less active dogs need constant toenail trimming, just like people. In nature, toenails are worn down by being outside constantly running running around. Suburban dogs have long toenails because they are sedentary like most of the population (sad but true). (We trail run 15-30+ miles a week with our dog. We also play tennis with her because tennis courts are great for naturally filing down dogs. We still need to trim Daisy's toenails occasionally).

Fourth- Dog's feet toughen up with use. If you have an urban dog that doesn't get much trail time, booties won't really help that much. We use booties only when we really need to- like when crossing miles of trail with granite, or sharp scree fields, or powdery snow that packs up in toes. For "normal" trail conditions or dense spring snow, Daisy is good for 15-20 miles without booties. I put them on only when necessary, and take them off when I don't.

The vibram grip trex booties are much better than the non grip trex, As I've mentioned, we have three different sets. The non grip trex slide around a bunch. For snow, we use the winter ones that are essentially a climbing skin on a dog booty. Much lighter and softer for snow.

Anyone buying a 159gram saddle is concerned about weight over comfort. It was a good price on BT, so I picked one up for the road bike. Weight was spot on on my postage scale.

Just be warned, this thing is minimalist- As in VERY stiff with little padding. My butt is still deciding whether to keep it in service, as I only have about 12 hours on it so far (on the mountain bike). I've had a few minimalist saddles in the past that were sub-200 grams, but none as stiff as this one. It replaced a cushy WTB saddle that weighed in at 310 grams- so saving 150 grams (5+ ounces) is cool. When I put the Cutter saddle on, I had to raise my seat about 1/2" (that's how little padding it has).

Bottom line, if weight weeniness is a priority, check it out. Also worth a look if you have previous experience with minimalist saddles. If you want comfort and squish, avoid this one.

Picked this up on SAC. Probably gonna get another one because it just blows the doors off my previous favorite, the Black Diamond Spot.

I was a little skeptical on a $80 retail headlamp, but this thing is packed with features I hadn't realized- Like the 3 flashing LED lamps on the battery pack (great for running or cycling at night). I'm not a huge fan of lights with a separate battery pack, but for the massive power, I'll deal.

The high beam spot is kinda square in shape, not a big deal. But holy cow is it bright! I think it rivals my $300+ Princeton Tech cycling headlamp (without a bulky battery pack). The spot is tightly focused and great for distance viewing. I'd be totally comfortable cycling at night with this as a primary light source (combine it with a handlebar mounted light for tight singletrack night riding).

One other feature I didn't know about is the lens rotates back to protect it from scratching, and prevents it from accidentally being turned on in a pack and draining the batteries- great simple idea.

Suggestions/concerns for this headlamp-
- the battery case cover is a rubber gasket. Not sure how effective this would be in really wet weather or accidental submersion (good thing I'm in sunny California).
- adjusting the leadlamp headstraps takes time to work through the battery pack. Not a big deal but more time consuming than other headlamps I've had. I haven't tried it on a helmet yet.
- there should be a steady mode for the rear facing red LEDs. It could be used as a way to keep track of a partner while hiking/running in the dark without losing night vision (to see a partner 50-200' away in marginal light conditions). The flashing mode would be annoying for anyone following at close range.

Great paddle!! I got one as a dedicated flatwater/distance SUP paddle. I also have an adjustable Werner Carve. The Nitro is noticeably lighter when changing sides (which makes a difference if you are paddling for hours at a time). I don't notice any flutter with the dihedral- something that bothered me with some other paddles.

I personally prefer a smaller/higher cadence paddle- easier on the shoulders, and easier to maintain a faster stroke. I have a really large surf SUP paddle, but think I'm going to a smaller paddle for surfing as well. After paddling with a smaller paddle, my surf paddle seems just too big and slow. Seems like I can accelerate faster with a smaller paddle (counter intuitive, but that's my experience).

Highly recommended.