Life In The Saddle

I love this edit. Having seen the Kona Unit in the flesh earlier this week, it has inspired me to think about how I can get 'Far from Home' on a bike like this.

View the Kona Unit at Wiggle (Link)

I rack up a serious number of miles commuting on the bike, and the search for the perfect tyre choice is an ongoing pursuit.

Cyclocross tyres offer that extra grip and off-road adventure capabilities; but they are slow on tarmac. Narrow road tyres are more likely to puncture (especially with a pannier load), and they are less likely to grip in challenging winter conditions. With the tubeless Roll-DIAC Tyres from the Vee Tire Company though, I think I might have found the solution.

The Roll-DIAC is the same tyre as the 'Rain-Runner' in the current Vee Tire range; but it will soon be released in this new guise, featuring a larger 30c volume option (as tested here). The tyre promises exceptional grip and puncture protection, in all conditions.

Easily mounted up tubeless, using the Lezyne Overdrive Pressure Pump and Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex Sealant, the tyres looked good quality from the outset.

Out on the road, the tyres are impressively fast. The relatively light casing and …

When I tested the original Octal Road Helmet back in 2015, I was extremely impressed (read the review here). The Octal had some pioneering new looks, but it also delivered better comfort, protection and ventilation, than almost any other helmet I had worn.

The new Octal X cross-country helmet has been created with the same core principles as the Octal Raceday road helmet; including the impressive ventilation, featherlight weight, and a safety rating that is so high that it is no wonder POC Sports are often likened to Volvo.

Added protectionWhere the Octal X differs from its road counterparts, is in its additional safety features. The principle evolution is an extended helmet shell, which goes back further on the rear of the head. The extra protection is especially valuable because of the greater incidence of 'over-the-bars' accidents in XC mountain biking.

The aramid bridge design that has been introduced in other POC helmets, is also included in the Octal X helmet. This unique…

The Maratona dles Dolomites is quite probably the oldest cyclosportive in the world.

The first edition, in 1987, was a celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the Societá Ciclistica Alta Badia-Raiffeisen. The route snaked over seven Dolomite passes: Gardena, Selle, Fedaia, Duran, Forcella Staulanza, Falzarego and Valparola. It took even the fastest rider over ten hours to complete the 175 kilometre course.

From the first edition, the route morphed and developed. By 1990, it looked significantly different: it was 184 kilometres long, and included the Valparola Pass, the Tre Croci Pass, Misurina Lake, the Cimabanche watershed, Cortina, the Giau Pass, Colle Santa Lucia, Caprile, the Fedaia Pass, Canazei, the Pordoi Pass, Arabba and the Campolongo Pass. Featuring over 5,000 metres, it was an incredible challenge to competitors.

As the years moved forward further, the number of Maratona participants grew and grew. The routes developed as well, but remained challenging ascents of multipl…

I am a firm believer in 'Whole Foods'. Foods that haven't been messed with, or processed; foods that are as close as they can be to the simple natural ingredients that compose them. The range of KIND Nuts and Spices snack bars are some of the best 'Whole Food' bars that I have come across.

The ingredients list on the back of a KIND bar doesn't read like an essay. With less than 20 component parts in most of their products, and no unpronounceable names of preservatives and additives, these are simple products that taste great.

My particular favourites are the 'Peanut Butter & Dark Chocolate' flavour, and the 'Maple Glazed Pecan & Sea Salt'. Both seriously tasty.

Whether it is a snack bar at coffee time, or fuel for the ride; these bars are a great mix of energy, protein and fibre.

Simple. Natural. Tasty. #kindawesome


View the KIND bar range a kindsnacks.co.uk

The range of helmets and sunglasses from POC Sports has fast become a favourite of mine. They might be 'Marmite' in their looks, but they are exceptionally comfortable, and the performance of the sunglasses is second-to-none.

The new POC Do Half Blade sunglasses, with the Dust Trail COntrast lenses, are no exception.

Fit and Feel The Do Half Blade glasses use a composite frame, injected with POC's unique Grilamid material. The result is a sunglasses frame that provides exceptional flex characteristics, but is also super strong.

Combine the flexibility of the sunglasses' arms, with the assured fit of the Hydrophilic rubber used on the nosepiece, and you get a secure and superbly comfortable fit.

Lenses The lens that I chose for my POC Do Half Blade glasses is the 'Light Blue/Electric Mirror' Dust Trail option. This is a light-reactive tint, which excels in changeable trail light conditions.

The lens provides the ability to ride from a shaded wooded area, into b…