KOM Cycling Products: Quick Review – by Grannygear
Editor’s Note: Riding Gravel has done a review of some of these items from the viewpoint of Guitar Ted. You can find that review here.
A package of KOM Cycling products arrived some time ago and I have been playing around with the bits and pieces for a while now. KOM has a pretty good selection of bike computer mounts as well as tubeless tire stuff. I have one Wahoo mount and a bit of the tubeless goodies to use and here is how that worked out.
Wahoo Colored Mount: $16.99 :
Shown in 11 colors, the Wahoo mount is solid and clamps easily on the bars with no wiggling or waggling. The ‘click’ in is solid and secure. This should be a simple thing to use and it is, but there were two things about the Colored Mount that bugged me. One was the amount of off-set between the bar clamp and the computer mount center. In order to have the computer sit centered in relation to my stem the bar clamp had to be quite a ways away from the stem edge. And since the space competes with lights and computers and bags, etc, anything that steals precious bar space is not welcome. Now I wonder if this offset is to accommodate wider MTB stems? I do not know.
The other thing that bugged me was that the computer sits crooked, like the entire mount unit is made crooked. This is actually the second one I have seen from KOM that is this way and I do not understand why. Also, the mount places the computer a bit high as in ‘even with’ the top (or above the top) of the bar. What that does is shadow any light I have on the bars and block my small Bontrager blinky light from one direction to the side. I prefer how my stock Wahoo mount locates the computer lower in relation to the bar’s horizontal center.
Total Tubeless Package: $24.99:
Now after the disappointing computer mount, I was not too eager to mess with the tubeless stuff, but that was an error on my part. Because I have found this to be so darn handy that I smile each time I use it. Included in this kit is a combo of their tire plug kit and the sealant injector. First the plug kit.
Up to this point I have not used the tire plug kit but I have no doubt it will work. Why? Because I have used the automobile equivalent to these plugs for years with good results. The waxed thread strips are easy to insert and since there is no sharp pointy plug attached to the repair piece (like Dynaplug uses), there is no worry about anything in the tire that would need to be removed if you finally do have to put in a tube. It’s small and easily fits in my saddle bag and the extra strips are cheap and easy to carry. The repair kit is $16.99 on its own and a pack of 16 repair strips is $6.99.
Now the Tubeless Sealant Injector…I expected it to be a gimmicky thing. How wrong I was. It’s a peach. I often remove the Presta valve core and inject sealant that way, both for new tires and of course for previously mounted tires. I use a small squeezy bottle that held Orange Seal with a section of clear tubing that slips over the valve stem. It works but it is fussy.
But the dedicated attachments that work with the Tubeless Sealant Injector syringe are so much better that I am smitten with this little dear. The syringe allows me to suck up just as much as I want with the fine pointed tube, either out of a bigger bottle or a small cup, then I can swap to the valve interface tubing thingy that attaches to the Presta valve and squuueeeze it all in with not a drop spilled. Perfect. It even has a little plastic valve core remover tool in the kit.
At The Finish: The Wahoo mount was a disappointing product. I admit I am a bit obsessive regarding things being straight. Maybe even OCD. Although I can sleep at night knowing something is not straight. Still, it bugs me. So between the wide offset of the clamp and the wonky computer position…I’ll pass on this guy. The plug kit and the injector were wins. The Injector on it’s own is $12.99. The plug kit on it’s own is $16.99. The Total Tubeless Package is $24.99. I think it is such a deal. So much so that the repair kit is living in my gravel bike saddle bag. The injector kit is living in my tubeless bucket of wonder tools.
You can find these items and more at KOM Cycling’s site: https://komcycling.com/
Note- KOM Cycling sent over its Wahoo mount and Total Tubeless Package at no charge for test and review to Riding Gravel We were not paid, nor bribed, for this review and we always strive to give our honest thoughts and views throughout.
