Life In The Saddle

The Aussie Grit range of off-road bike shorts, jerseys, gilets and jackets is the brainchild of Australian F1 driver Mark Webber, who has always held a passion for mountain biking and high-level design. It is premium quality apparel, created to excel at providing both comfort and performance out on the trails.

I have been testing out three clothing pieces from the Aussie Grit range: the Flint Thermal Bike Gilet, the Flint Bike Shell Jacket, and the Flint Men's Bike Shorts.

Despite the time of year, and that two of these garments are foul/cold weather kit, I have managed to get a decent bit of time in the saddle wearing them, and I have been impressed by the quality and design.


Aussie Grit Flint 2018 Men's Bike Shorts Review 'Baggy' cycling shorts are tricky to get right. Some brands go for tough and durable fabrics, but at the expense of the clothing feeling cumbersome and overly warm in the summer months. Others go for super lightweight materials, but with the compr…

Juice Lubes produce some great bike cleaning and lubricant products. With the summer heatwave finally giving way to showers, and subsequent mud, I have been making use of the new Dirt Juice No Nonsense Chain Cleaner to get my drivetrain back to sparkling cleanliness.

To make the most of this powerful degreaser, I have been using it in conjunction with two of Juice Lubes' other cleaning products: the 'Scrubber From Another Mother' cleaning brush, and the 'Dirty Little Scrubber' chain cleaner.

The thing about good chain lubes, is that they are designed to 'stick like s**t' to the chain, because that way their lubrication properties last longer. The problem with that is that it requires a strong degreaser to remove the caked-on lubricant once it is time to start afresh. Luckily, the No Nonsense Dirt Juice Chain Cleaner has proven to be as strong as they come...

First I treated the chain by filling the 'Dirty Little Scrubber' up to the recommended fill…

I have tried and tested the majority of mountain bike pedals on the market today: from the reliable and cheap Shimano M520, to the innovative and expensive Look S-Track. To date though, I have yet to try the Crank Brothers offering. The Eggbeater has always intrigued me, and I recently had the chance to test and review it. This is my feedback...

The Crank Brothers Eggbeater 3 pedal is the lightest mountain bike pedal on the market today, and yet it boasts 4-sided entry and a high pedal-to-shoe contact area. It achieves this through the unique compact spring design; which allows the cleat to engage with the pedal in the recess of the shoe's lugs, whilst the tread lugs themselves stand firmly on the axle of the pedal either side of the spring.

The minimalist design is created to not just be lightweight, but also highly effective at shedding the mud and debris that might build up on a bulkier pedal. This makes the design highly attractive to mountain bikers, cyclocross riders, and …

Compression clothing boasts a number of potential benefits, from improved performance to better recovery and a reduced chance of injury. The true effectiveness of compression clothing depends on a lot of design factors though. The compression clothing range from Swiss brand Compressport features some of the most effective products that I have tried to date.

In this review, I am looking specifically at the Compressport V2.1 Full Length Socks, and the Compressport Full Leg Compression Sleeves.


Compressport V2.1 Full Socks The Compressport Full V2.1 Socks are designed to be the only compression socks you will ever need. Whether you are wearing them for recovery, running, travel, or everyday, they feature a multitude of design considerations that aid both comfort and performance.

The most important thing with compression clothing is that they do compress your muscles; promoting blood flow to and from your extremities. Compressport use a very detailed sizing chart to ensure that you get …

Life is nothing if not a series of challenges. Challenge keeps you alive and kicking: pushing boundaries and training hard, so you can kick down doors that would otherwise be left firmly shut.

One of the hardest parts of a challenge though, is gauging where to set the bar. Too high, and you won't achieve. Too low, and it isn't truly a challenge.

The #WildWight was an adventure challenge of a new kind; for both myself, and for my trek buddy Fraser. It was ambitious… 114 kilometres of fast walking over two days, with a lot of elevation. I have done long treks, but nothing quite to this level. It was achievable, but unfortunately on this attempt it proved to be a bar too high…

We began at 06:30 at Ryde Pier. The sun was coming up, and a strong westerly wind was immediately in our faces as we turned onto the Coastal Path that we would follow for the duration of the day.

Past Quarr Abbey, through Wootton, and onwards to East Cowes. The time past quickly as we chatted about anythi…