Tag: StemCAPtain

Hands On: StemCAPtain Bottle Opener

You and your riding buddies have just finished an all day mountain bike adventure and you are back at the car digging into the cooler to reward yourselves with a tasty beverage. Where’s the bottle opener?!?! There are none on your key chains and no one in the parking lot has one. Sure, you are mountain bikers and nothing is going to keep you from a cold bottle of suds, but slamming the bottle on the side of the guard rail can often lead to a sudsy mess and half of your hard earned beer on the ground. StemCAPtain has come to the rescue with their headset top cap that doubles as a bottle opener.

This past VeloSwap in Denver, we had a chance to chat with Mike Hogan, one of the StemCAPtain owners, who handed us a bottle opener to try. Bikes and beer goes hand and hand, so on the bike this opener went. The installation was just as easy as the StemCAPtain Clock and StepCAPtain Thermometer that we tested earlier this year and the entire install took less than two minutes to put on the bike. Continue reading Hands On: StemCAPtain Bottle Opener

Hands on: StemCAPtain Thermometer

KISS…“Keep It Simple, Stupid!” This is the acronym for a principle to remind designers and engineers to avoid unnecessary complexity. Sometimes I feel that certain manufacturers miss this concept and make their products overly complicated. I was reminded of this recently while trying to program a cycling computer…I was so frustrated by the unclear layout and logic of programming that I nearly chucked it out the window. StemCAPtain has a product out there that reminds me all of the time of the ‘KISS’ concept. It is simple, yet provides information at a glance with not fuss once it is setup properly.

For the past couple of months, I has been using the thermometer version of the StemCAPtain on three different bikes. If you are not familiar with their products, we did an entry on the company back in March of all of the different versions of their products under that they offer. We received both the clock and thermometer versions to evaluate a few weeks later. I was most interested in the thermometer version since the none of my cycling computers have a thermometer feature. Continue reading Hands on: StemCAPtain Thermometer

Hands On: The StemCAPtain Keeps You On Time

Back in March we mentioned the StemCAPtain in an entry titled “TIME to Ride with StemCAPtain” and happily a few weeks later we had our very own to test. We were sent the thermometer version and the clock version of the StemCAPtain with both red and black bases. The thermometer version is still being tested, but here is our reaction to the clock version.

The clock version of the StemCAPtain is one of those products whose success is based on either working or not working – there is really no middle ground. It is a simple accessory that replaces your threadless headset stem cap with an aluminum base cap that acts as a holder for the clock, thermometer, compass or picture frame version that you choose. The faces of the clock and thermometer are available in both black and white so we received a black faced clock and a white faced thermometer. It is true that the functions that the StemCAPtain perform are redundant if you have a cycling computer with these features, but the Stem CAPtain performs them in a more stylish way and frankly simple way when compared to most computers. Also, as a bonus with the clock version, you can leave your wrist watch at home an have one less tan line! Continue reading Hands On: The StemCAPtain Keeps You On Time

TIME to Ride with StemCAPtain

We’ve seen no shortage of cycle computers, and today these feature GPS in addition to tracking distance, calories burned and of course speed. But a pair of Colorado mountain bikers, Graeson Lewis and Mike Hogan, have opted for a more retro and stylish approach with their StemCAPtain clocks.

Essentially, the device replaces the generic – and frankly boring – handlebar stem cap with a timepiece or other similar round gizmo. These include waterproof thermometer or compass (think of that as old school GPS). The installation is simple enough. Remove the old stem cap and replace it with the aluminum base of the StemCAPtain and then snap in the clock or other insert. A silicone gasket at the bottom reportedly keeps it snug and rattle-free.

So do these caps do anything that a cycle computer doesn’t do? Not really, but it is a sort of nifty and easy swap out, and can add a bit of individuality to a bike. The StemCAPtain is available directly from the company, with prices ranging from $19.95 to $26.95 US. Time to ride.

[Via Gizmag.com: StemCAPtain – not a bike lock, but a bike CLOCK]

StemCAPtain Official Website