|  | Beyond the BuyFiguring out the world, one thing at a time |
|  | By Eric Yang June 1, 2024 • 10 min read • Edited by Caitlyn Shaw |
| | In this issue: A home is the ultimate product What should my kid's first bike be? A few easy gift ideas for Father’s Day
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| | Welcome to Issue 2 of Beyond the Buy, a newsletter where I try to make sense of the world, one product at a time. I’m Eric Yang, the founder of Gear Patrol and I’ve spent nearly two decades working in product journalism helping people discover and understand products.
And in case you missed it, here’s the first issue.
I’d love your feedback. Send ideas, tips or thoughts by replying directly to this email. Also, purchasing through our links supports the work we do at Gear Patrol. |
| | Something InterestingA home is the ultimate product |
|  | This is the house we built. Studs to home in 48 hours. One heckuva fulfilling way to spend a weekend. |
| Two weeks ago, I was in Tijuana, Mexico with an organization that builds homes for those in need. As I was carrying shingles and hammering nails, it reminded me of my long-held belief that a home is the ultimate product.
A few thoughts: At its essence, a home provides shelter and safety from the elements and a place to be with our families, friends, pets and loved ones. But a home is also where we pursue our interests and express ourselves. We turn spare rooms and garages into workshops, hobby HQs, and trillion-dollar startups. With remote work, many more now run their careers and businesses from them too (I do). We also take naps. The home is a canvas where we express ourselves. It’s the grandest of product ecosystems.
I don't have the space to go down a rabbit hole on home ownership, but for the 13 million people in America with negative net worth, a home can also be a catalyst to break the cycle of poverty.
We participated in this house build as a family and it truly made an impact in our lives. We’re excited to introduce our kids to a new annual tradition. Whether it's Habitat for Humanity, Building Homes for Heroes or even a non-secular organization like Homes of Hope, which we participated through, I recommend taking some time to make a difference in someone else's life with the ultimate product: a home. |
| | | Something TestedWhat Should My Kid’s First Bike Be? |
|  | | Answer: The Priority Start 16" ($329)💡
State of play: I get this question a lot. It’s an important product purchase. And because we're in the home stretch of 100 days of May it felt like the right time to talk about the classic summer activity: riding bikes. But it made me wonder, riding bikes doesn’t seem as centric to kids' lives as they once were. It turns out that's not a coincidence: Kids are riding less: According to People for Bikes, bike ridership amongst kids is decreasing and 10-20% of middle school kids do not know how to ride a bike. I can't help but wonder if that stat might have been the opposite 40 years ago. Kids are busier: It’s hard to imagine my childhood without a bike. A bike was the key to adventure and freedom, even if only for a few blocks. But as a busy parent, living in a major metro, it's also easy to see why it happens. Busy, over-scheduled kids are increasing. It’s easy to see why kids might not be on their bikes much. Speaking of busy kids, I highly recommend you read the book, The Anxious Generation if you haven't already. Everything is about the kids: Fewer kids riding bikes means less adult bike riders. This is not good for the cycling industry long-term, which is already struggling in a post pandemic world. Tariffs and sub-optimal urban planning are further headwinds for bike ridership. Keeping kids safe: In the UK, children are riding bikes less because there are increased concerns for safety and the behavior of angry motorists. I don't have empirical evidence, but I'm sure that applies to parents everywhere. Riding bikes is more than mobility: Riding bikes enhances everything from sensory-motor to emotional skills for kids with and without developmental disabilities.
Putting your kid up on a bike is a life-long skill and a super fun activity so let’s talk about what your first kid's bike might look like. |
|  | | What is it? The Priority Start 16" is a 16-inch bike for kids roughly ages 3-7 years of age. First, it's just so damn cute. In person it looks like a scaled-down model of an adult commuter bike, but there's something about the 16, especially in white, that looks like a Pixar model. Handsome and classic.
The good thing for you is that this bike is very much real and both of my kids have logged a lot of time on a Start - 5 years to be exact. Our older son has grown into a bigger model, which is also a Priority.
A few things to note: 👌 Quality: It's easy to justify buying cheaper things for your kids knowing they'll quickly outgrow them or break them, but if you know you'll be keeping this bike longer or passing it along to a sibling, I recommend spending a bit more to buy something of quality. A well-maintained bike can last decades. I’m confident that kids notice and grow to appreciate quality from an early age. 🛠️ Low Maintenance Drive System: A key feature of Priority bikes is their use of a belt driven drivetrain instead of a chain. This bike features the renowned Gates Belt carbon-cord belt. Chains are fine power transfer mechanisms, but for a "set-it-and-forget-it" lifestyle, they are prone to work: they fall off, are greasy, and have a proclivity to catch loose clothes. 🫨 What about balance bikes? I think balance bikes are a bit overhyped. We owned a Woom balance bike, and while they're great products, my kids didn’t take to them. Bless them, they're also not the most coordinated little humans yet. No child follows one path and I encourage you to avoid worrying about what other people are doing. A normal bike and training wheels worked for us. 🗽 Local to New York: Priority is renowned for their service. The one time I've had to touch base with their service to get a replacement bolt and washer, Priority responded quickly and had a replacement out to us quickly. 📖 A Great Story: The founder, Dave Weiner, was a former CEO of a software company and took a kickstarter campaign into a company that now sells 25,000 bikes per year. It's an incredible journey. You can listen to it on "How I Built This" with Guy Raz on Wondery. I’ve been fortunate enough to watch Dave and his talented team build this company. He’s passionate about cycling and it’s amazing to see what they’ve accomplished.
Who’s it for: |
|  | How I’d spec it: Ours is blue, but I love the white. We purchased the recommended Wald training wheels, which have plenty of room for adjustment. Get a helmet.
Point of View: There are a lot of bikes out there and I haven't tested all of them. I'm just sharing with you the results of my own research process and our experience with this bike. We've recommended these bikes to many friends and have only heard positive things. The brakes have required a bit of tightening over time and the rear hub bolts stick out a bit once you graduate from training wheels, but otherwise the bike has been flawless.
Whether it's a Priority Bike Start 16 or otherwise, it’s summer so let’s get those kids out on bikes.
Don't take my word for it: |
|  | Here’s one of my little guys starting out in 2019 on our Priority Start with training wheels. Look up, dude! |
| | Something ElseThree Father’s Day Things |
| A few affordable indulgences for the discerning dad. I’ve loved all of them. |
|  | Dad Loves Coffee and Camping Yeti Rambler French Press, $110 This is the kind of bougie meets outdoors shit that I have no logical justification for liking so much. Maybe it's the juxtaposition. For comparison, a Bodum Chambord will run you about $40 and a Fellow Clara, also one I like and recommend, is $79. The Yeti might be a stretch on price, but I think it’s fun. There’s not enough of that in products these days.
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|  | Dad Loves A Good Video Game Super Mario Brothers, Wonder, $59 This game is outrageously good old-school 2D fun brought to life with up to 6 players. It’s a delightful game in a way only Nintendo can pull off and plays as casually or complex as you want. It’s given our family months of fun together. Our youngest who can barely handle a controller loves playing it with us (Yoshi is invincible) and our nephews and nieces love it alike. There's a reason why NPR called it a "masterpiece". I’d even go to say that it’s worth getting a Nintendo Switch for.
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|  | Dad Loves the Classics Criterion Collection Subscription, $11 per month Speaking of masterpieces, this subscription will satisfy even the most discerning of cinephiles in your life. It won't beat owning the classics on 4K Ultra HD on Blu-Ray, but there are over 1,600 films available on demand for less than the price of one movie ticket per month. What's the Criterion Collection? In their words, "…dedicated to publishing important classic and contemporary films from around the world in editions that offer the highest technical quality and award-winning, original supplements."
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| | |  | Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol |
| Bikes & Zen: A love letter to bicycle maintenance and repair. Porsche: The 911 goes hybrid. Gasp. Andrew Maness asks if progress betrays substance. Headphones: Sonos released their first-ever headphones, the Ace. Tucker's been testing them the past couple of weeks and released his review. Listen: Gear Patrol launched audio versions of select articles. This ain't no AI-voice either, you'll hear directly from real Gear Patrol staff. Costco (again): The Economist does a deep dive into why Costso is so loved (paywall). Beer: A new Napa Valley is arising in New York’s Hudson Valley…. but for beer (paywall) Touch Grass: Even advertisers are telling you to get off your phone.
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| | | | | | | | | | Hi, I’m Eric Yang…
What I Write About: The world through the products we create, use and collect. My Background: I’m the founder of Gear Patrol and based in Los Angeles. I’ve been in media for over 20 years, most of them working in lifestyle, news and product journalism. Previously I worked at CBS and Scripps. My Interests: I’m passionate about products and experiences in general. I love technology, cars, hi-fi, photography, parenting, infrastructure, manufacturing, design, watches, camping, grilling, trap shooting, gaming, old Macs, travel, the media industry, and the business of Hollywood. My Perspective: I see the world as a busy parent and a media business operator. That makes me elastic to prices and ideas if they save me time, preserve brain cells, or get me pumped. I believe consumers are smart and have enormous information at their disposal. Yet, they need more help than ever to decipher the information firehose and crave a point of view. Follow Me: At this newsletter or LinkedIn. |
| | Have an idea, tip or feedback? Respond directly to this email to reach me. |
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