Second Opinion Reviews

Ian and Brian talk about Brian's 2017 Jamis Renegade Expat Bike!

Ian is a utilitarian cyclist to the core, and is there a more pure expression of that than traveling from one metro area to another by bike? The Marin Four Corners is designed to take you the distance, at an affordable price. Come find out if they hit the mark!

Ian and Brandon have both ridden the Sirrus more than any other bike. And while neither of them currently ride it on a regular basis, they have a lot to say about how it fits into various types of lifestyles.

With just a modest collection of tools, you can make most adjustments and fix most problems that commonly come up while riding a bike! In this episode, Ian shows what he has with him at all times on his bike, and discusses three ways of carrying those tools.

That triangle in the middle of your bike frame isn't doing you any good sitting empty! A frame bag takes advantage of that space for cargo capacity. Listen in to find out how Ian likes Apidura's entry into this product category.

Revelate has come up with a unique mounting solution for their Spinelock seat pack. They claim it's the best thing since sliced bread, how well does it live up in practice? Join Ian on this review to find out!

Ortlieb is well-regarded for their urban and touring panniers, but how about their bikepacking gear? They have one of the largest saddle packs in the business, let's find out how it holds up!

Bike phone mounts are a very difficult product category to do well; they're usually either not durable, or too easy to steal, or too expensive. Rokform has focused on solving the first two problems, but the products are indeed expensive. Come listen to Ian give a verdict on whether they are worth the price!

Brian will be the first to admit, his new bike trainer setup was absolutely a pandemic purchase; but he's hoping that these will be items that he will use for many years to come!

Ryan reviews the wonderful MacBook Pro with M1 chip! It's an incredible machine, but you might be satisfied with a MacBook Air - find out more!

Ryan reviews the S21 Ultra. It's way better than the S20 and laterally better than the Note 20 Ultra.

Ryan reviews what might be the last Samsung Note ever!

Ian has been using Android 11 for five months now, so he is definitely ready to give you a thorough review of the latest version of Android! And not a moment too soon, since Android 12 developer previews are just over the horizon...

Ian is joined by Meghan Griffin to chat about The City We Became, a novel that uses a multidimensional sci-fi/fantasy story to shine a light on the social and political strife facing many of our cities today. It's a real good book.

Ian digs deep into his well of feelings to talk about one of his favorite games of all time.

Ryan Rampersad reviews the Pixel 4a with Ian R Buck. The verdict: it's pretty good.

Grappling with what the world will be like as we approach post-scarcity is a daunting task; Let Go endeavors to do so in the form of a graphic novel. Ian R Buck is joined by Quentin Pongratz and Daniel J Pool to discuss it.

Sometimes you have to change a tire while you're out on the road, and you'll need a small, reliable pump to do that. The Ninja Pump brings a lot to the table!

A bike is a significant investment, one that you should protect with a proper lock. This is the smallest, lightest folding lock Ian has used, does it compromise on security to achieve that?

Unlike many other phone holsters in its price range, the X-Mount Pro attaches to your bike under the stem cap. Did they cut any corners to keep it so affordable? Find out in our review!

The key to bike camping is having the right equipment. Big Agnes has designed the Fly Creek specifically for bikepacking, which is a promising sign! Let's find out how they did.

Once you've fallen on your bike on the ice once, you'll only ride studded tires in the winter from then on. Ian has been using the 45NRTH Xerxes studded tires for the last few seasons, and he is ready to review them for you!

You need a bike headlight and taillight, so why not buy them together? This is an extremely affordable set of lights, does the quality hold up?

The Vis 180 Micro has been discontinued, but there are still useful lessons to be gleaned from it!

Being seen at night by road users behind you is essential on a bike. What kinds of innovations does the Vya bring to the table?

Being able to see and be seen when riding in the dark is critical. Does the Urban 500 have what it takes for daily ridership?

Being able to change an inner tube on the road won't help you if you can't pump up the new inner tube! A frame pump like the Pocket Rocket will help you get back on the road.

A bike is a significant investment, one that you should protect with a proper lock. Folding locks are a recent innovation in the bike lock space; is the Foldylock a useful, durable lock, or just a gimmick with a cute name?

Having access to navigation on one's phone while bike riding can be quite essential. Also essential: making sure that your phone won't fall off of your bike. Ian has been using the Roam Co-Pilot phone mount for several years, and he is here to review it for you!

The Pizza Rack is easily the most unique aspect of Ian's bike build. It provides not only railings for panniers to attach to, but also a generous platform to place objects on top. Come find out how well Ian likes it!

The Ortlieb Back Roller Classics come with a serious pricetag, so they have serious performance to match?

Ian used this pannier set for his daily commute for a couple of years. How well has it stood up, how easy is it to use? Find out in today's review!

Ryan reviews the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra: the most expensive mainline phone ever from Samsung and a merely OK camera -- why not!

Ian's sunglasses fog up when riding his bike during the winter. Will these over-the-glasses ski goggles solve his problem?

Ian has been wearing a pair of Tifosi Slips for cycling and as general-purpose sunglasses for over seven years. They aren't sold anymore, but they hold a lot of lessons for what to look for when buying a pair of sunglasses.

HyperDot is a new "dodge everything" arcade game from Twin Cities developer Charles McGregor. Ian really enjoys these kinds of games, let's find out how HyperDot stacks up!

Ryan reviews the standard Nvidia SHIELD TV 2019. The verdict: the remote is kind of confusing, but at least it's a good remote.

The Google Nest Mini (the second generation of the Google Home Mini) is the new entry-level Google Assistant device. Join Ian to find out what changes and improvements have been made in this new iteration!

Apple has brought the "Pro" moniker to the iPhone line! Join Brandon Johnson as he explores what makes this not just a new flagship phone, but a Pro phone.

You love listening to podcasts, so you deserve to be using the best podcast player to consume them! In this roundup, Ian R Buck exhaustively reviews over 20 different podcast players to help you find the one that is best for you!

Ryan reviews the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 1, and the verdict is there are not enough apps for this to even be a smart watch.

Brian overviews the AirPods Pro!

Ryan reviews the Anker Soundcore Motion+ Bluetooth Speaker, and describes his criteria for using and purchasing a modern speaker against the alternatives.

Brian Mitchell gives a quick 12 minute review of the new Apple Watch Series 5.

Ryan reviews the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ review: it's a great big phone, it looks better than any previous model, the headphone jack does not matter and so much more!

Android 10 is here, and brings with it dark mode, gesture navigation, and tweaks to many many things! Ian has been using it for a little over a week, and he's ready to tell you all about the changes.

Ryan reviews the Sony MDR-v6 headphones, lasting in some form or another since 1985, a studio classic - find out Ryan's recommendations with these Sony headphones for studio use!

Ian and Ryan have both been using the same studio headphones for monitoring and editing, and they are ready to tell you all about them!

Ian used a USB gaming headset for many years. What lessons can we learn from it when buying headphones in the future?

Chris Rampersad, Ryan's mom, joins Second Opinion to review the Google Pixel 3a. A nice phone for those not looking for a true flagship device.

Since Google has been making phones without headphone jacks, it is important for them to sell headphones that can be used with those phones. Are the wired USB-C variety worth using? Find out in our review!