Life In The Saddle

Arm warmers, Leg warmers and Knee warmers are useful pieces of kit. You can convert your nice pair of bib-shorts into long-legs for the winter, or your favourite jersey can be used on colder days as well. In my cycling wardrobe I already have some Altura Leg Warmers and some dhb Arm Warmers, both of which are serving me well. However, for Christmas last year there was a new addition; this very reasonably priced set of dhb Pace Roubaix Knee Warmers from Wiggle . Having worn them for the first time on yesterday's Sunday ride, I have to say they are a great bit of kit and extremely well made. The first thing that you notice before putting them on is their contoured fit; unlike my arm or leg warmers, which are simple 'tubes' of fabric with one stitch-line, these have contoured stitching to fit the knee joint. It makes a massive difference, both to comfort and flexibility. I had no problem with irritating material build-up behind the knee, or of the embarrassing '

Video clip of the last 10mins of John Tiernan-Locke's impressive win in Stage 2 of the Haut Var last Sunday. A small breakaway of four was clear on the final climb, and then GreenEdge's rider Simon Clarke broke off the front of the quartet. As the climb seriously ramped up in the final kilometre though, Tiernan Locke appeared from nowhere out of the chasing peleton, and soared confidently past Clarke and El Fares on the final push. This is certainly an impressive Tour of the Meditteranean for John T-L and the Endura Racing Team!

The Perfect Athlete from Duncan Elms on Vimeo . As the Track World Cup is on at the moment, I thought it would be interesting to look at what makes the current UCI Kierin World Track Champ tick. This short video follows Shane Perkins, the Australian track racer in his training regime - it is pretty intense!

OK, so this is an advert. But I have to say, it is one of the best I've seen in a long time. Some great athletes certainly have ridden Trek in the past, and I'm sure they will continue to do so well into the future. For me though, this video really shows the beauty of our sport - it takes a huge variety of people, to some of the most stunning places on the planet; and then pushes their bodies and minds right to the edge. I hope you too can look beyond the corporate message, and see this for yourself. Have a great weekend.

Wiggle Bike Shop: £10.99 When you come to replace a tyre, it is probably the best time to gauge whether it has been a "good tyre" or a "bad tyre". As you lever it off the rim, you are probably either thinking about how many miles the tyre has racked up or how few punctures it has had (a good tyre) OR you are thinking how on earth has that side-wall exploded like that? or why are so many nasty little flints getting through this expensive puncture protection strip (a bad tyre). Luckily, when I came to take the Vittoria Rubino Tyre off the rim of my winter/touring bike it was the former thoughts that were occupying my mind. This tyre, which comes in at an incredibly reasonable £10.99 has frankly been outstanding. I put the tyre on the bike back in August of 2011, before I set off on our fully loaded touring trip through France and Spain [ Tag Link ]; as you can see from the picture of my bike to the left, it wasn't exactly a light load to be borne by a 25

A great little clip put together by Sky Pro Cycling's co-sponsors IG Markets, about Cav's new lead-out train. If the Tour of Qatar is anything to go by, then (when Cav doesn't crash) Sky will certainly be a very strong contender for the Green Jersey this year I reckon.

If you are new to bike racing this season, then sometimes the pre-race nerves mean it is hard to remember what you need to take to a race event. One of the guys on the Wightlink Race Team @JamesEbdon has put together this great Kit List of things to take with you when you go racing: Bike (in good working order!) Helmet Race kit (shorts, jersey etc...) Cycling Shoes Race Licence Money (£20 should cover it) Rucksack or small gym bag Food Water Energy drink Recovery drink    Sunglasses Leg warmers & Arm warmers Tube, pump, levers HR strap if you have one Clothing to keep warm (jersey, gilet, winter jacket...) If you've got any more ideas of things to take, please feel free to comment below. Thanks Jimbo - really useful stuff!

I only managed a very steady 2 hours on the bike this morning, and I feel slightly disappointed by that. Normally a Saturday ride would be at least 3 hours and involve a fair bit of fast pace riding. I need to drill something into my thick skull though; my body knows better than my mind what it wants, and is capable of doing. Today, after a long week of work, a hard ride on Wednesday, and a lack of sleep due to some unfortunate circumstances (such as our washing machine draining its contents all over the floor sometime around mid-night!); my body and mind were feeling rather fatigued.  It's tough knowing that race season is approaching and that your team-mates are gearing up for their first race (good luck guys!). But sometimes you just need to relax and take it easy. I'm going to have a restful afternoon and an early night and perhaps tomorrow my legs will feel up to something. Recovery is a fundamental part of our sport; we push our bodies hard, often to the limit, and

It's Your Ride from Cinecycle on Vimeo . OK, so there is some blatant advertising from Hutchinson in this video; but at the same time, there is some fantastic camera work, impressive fixed wheel riding and a pretty girl so it can't be all bad - enjoy!

After our three week tour in France and Spain, keeping kit and weight to a minimum, here is what we decided the essentials to take were:  Bar Bag:   Wallet Passport and E111 Phone  Camera  Sunglasses  Bike Lights  Map (in waterproof mapcase)  Solar Charger  Ipod  Pannier One:   Berghaus Flare 700 Sleeping Bag  Thermarest Sleeping Mattress  Baby Wipes  Toilet Roll  Headtorch and Spare Batteries  Book, Notepad and Pens  Plastic Bowl,  Mug and Spoon  Pillow Case  Washing Line  Stove  Board Shorts and Casual Shirt  Compression Tights Pannier Two: Plastic Bags and Freezer Bags   3 x Cycling Shorts  2 x Jerseys  3 x Socks  Short Finger Gloves  Full Finger  Waterproof Gloves  Thermal Top  Sealskinz socks  Buff  Beanie  Leg Warmers  Soapbag: Toothbrush and Paste, Suncream, Moisturiser, Chamois Cream, Razor, Shave gel, Shampoo/Shower Gel,  Washing up Liquid, Talcum Powder, Travel Wash  Penknife  First Aid Kit: inc. Gauzes, antiseptic cre

Some days in the life of a Siberian cyclist... a dazzling rush through some random encounters from Rob Lilwall on Vimeo . I was lent his book last summer, and it is a fantastic read. Last week I came across this vimeo piece from Rob Lilwall. It is a rough cut trailer of his video footage mostly taken between Australia and Afghanistan. On the 30,000 mile, 3 year journey, he had no back up and no sponsorship. To get this footage he just balanced the camera on a rock and rode past it, or sometimes asked somebody he met (and trusted!) to film him riding along. See www.cyclinghomefromsiberia.com for more info on the trip.

The Holstee Manifesto Lifecycle Video from Holstee on Vimeo . holstee.com/manifesto Description: The Holstee Manifesto is a call to action to live a life full of intention, creativity, passion, and community. The LifeCycle Film came about as a desire to bring the energy and passion behind the Manifesto to life through something we love--biking. As we seek to live mindful lifestyles that leave a positive impact on the people and world around us, biking has become a passion that is much more than a transportation alternative. It is a way of fully experiencing the city we love and all of its details. This Film is a celebration. It is a celebration of gatherings, of diversity, of life, and of the beauty of shared experience. We hope you enjoy.

Ride statistics from January compared to December 2011. Not a bad month, mileage count helped by the century ride twice round the Isle of Wight early in the month, things are looking good for the start of the season in March. Click On Image To Enlarge