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Review - Stance Off-Road and All-Road Cycling Socks

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I first tried Stance socks a number of years ago, when I was sent a pair of their bright and colourful patterned running socks. The brand has an incredible following, and with good reason; the socks both perform superbly and look exceptional. Their latest jump into the world of cycling socks is an exciting new extension to the range.

Stance socks are made to look interesting and distinctive. Yet, unlike some 'standout brands' they also offer industry-leading performance in terms of cushioning, fit, and feel.

The two technologies that contribute most significantly to the performance of all the socks within the Stance range are the Feel360 supportive fit, and the silver ion fabric technology.

Good fitting socks make far more difference than people realise; a sock with the correct cushioning, arch support and heel support can make as much difference to comfort as the shoes that you wear. The Stance Feel360 technology provides a true wrap-around feel, which delivers great comfort…
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Weekend Watch — 'PEDAL'

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I came across this film earlier this week, and images from it have been flashing through my mind ever since. It makes me long for the open road again—for the escape and adventure.

This week I published a new blog: 'The Expedition Journals' — theexpeditionjournals.com. The sister  site to Life In The Saddle will be dedicated to long-form story telling from my biking, hiking, kayaking and running adventures.

Putting the new site together, and watching this short film reinforced something in my mind—I have a deep-seated love of 'the journey'—a desire to escape and see new places; whether by bike, boat, or on foot.

"Sometimes it breaks me. But mostly, it makes me..."
I am still putting together plans for my 2019 'Big Tour'—I am undecided on the destination, bike type, or distance.

When piecing together my ideas though, a particular quote from Hera's film comes to mind "you do not feel alone when you are out in the nature, but when you return to…
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Review - Vaude Men's Steglio Softshell Winter Cycling Jacket

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The Vaude Steglio Softshell Jacket is an innovative high performance winter cycling jacket; featuring a superb fit, deep winter insulation, and an eco-friendly weatherproof shield. It is packed full of well thought-out design elements, and much like other Vaude kit I have tested it is standing up admirably well to a winter of use and abuse.

The Steglio Windproof Softshell Jacket is a two layer jacket. The inner fabric is a soft brushed fleece material, which traps in valuable body heat. The outer is a windproof softshell material and uses Vaude's unique S-Cafe® oil coating (derived from used coffee beans!) to provide an eco-friendly non-PFC water-repellent finish.

The fit of the Steglio jacket is articulated and close fitting, but it has room for layering. The sleeves feature contoured seams to provide a comfortable fit when in the riding tuck; while the long low cut of the back panel provides protection from rear wheel spray, and the hem is held firmly in place by a gripper arou…
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Review - JetBoil Flash Stove and Java Coffee Set

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My JetBoil MiniMo Cooking System has accompanied me on more adventures than I can count—it is a compact and efficient gas cooking set-up. The release of the new super-fast boil JetBoil Flash with integrated Java coffee press looked to be the perfect secondary solution for shorter trips—where I wanted fresh coffee on the go, with a super portable stove.

The JetBoil Flash Stove uses JetBoil's patented FluxRing technology to deliver an incredibly fast boil time of less than 100 seconds for a full fill of 500 millilitres. The flux technology works by minimising heat loss from the burner and transmitting the maximum amount of energy into the cup.

The FluxRing cup screws directly onto the base burner unit and is insulated by a neoprene jacket with inbuilt heat indicator. The cup cosy also has an integrated webbing handle strap.

Each JetBoil Flash comes with a support stand for the propane gas cartridge, and a heatproof plastic lid. The cover that pops onto the base of the unit for pro…
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Review - CocoPro Coconut Water Recovery Drink

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I have a new favourite post-workout/ride drink, and it is not a powdered recovery shake. CocoPro is a light, refreshing, and low calorie electrolyte recovery drink, with a good amount of protein for muscle repair, and only natural sweeteners.

I can honestly say that in the last year, I have given away at least ten times the amount of powdered recovery shakes than I have consumed myself (I have a lot of grateful friends). The reason is simple: I do not like the amount of sugar found in a lot of 'recovery' shakes, and I am also making a conscious effort to get as far away from processed foods as possible—instead, forming a diet with energy and protein sourced from natural wholefoods.

Coconut water is wonderfully natural electrolyte drink; far removed from the 'energy exercise' drinks found saturating the market. So, what is an electrolyte drink? The essential electrolytes most commonly found in the human body are sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, chloride, calcium, magne…
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