Once the clouds had cleared, today's ride provided some stunning winter sunshine and landscapes. After several weeks of wind and constant rain, it was so good to feel a bit of warm sunshine. Here's a few photos...
The best-selling Scicon Aerocomfort Bike Bag has received some significant design updates. With thru-axle compatibility, added protection, and an overall lighter weight—the Scicon Aerocomfort 3.0 is even more of a market-leader than before. Back in 2013, I reviewed the Scicon Aerocomfort 2.0 ( read the review here ). That bag has had some significant use: for transporting bikes on planes, trains, and even yachts. With many of my bikes now having thru-axle designs though, the Aerocomfort 2.0 had required some questionable 'bodging' on my part to make it usable. I was therefore relieved when the new 3.0 was released—this new design is much improved. Thru-Axle Compatibility One of the biggest differences with the Scicon Aerocomfort 3.0 Bike Bag is that it will accommodate 12 mm thru axles on the front and rear of the patented suspension frame system. To fit thru-axles, you simply remove the QR inserts in the suspension frame, then use your bike's existing axles t...
The Muc-Off C3 Ceramic Lube Dry Chain Lubricant is the latest bicycle chain lube released by the UK-based brand Muc-Off—the pioneering experts in bike lubes and cleaners. I have become a complete convert to using dry chain lubes for road and off-road bicycles—all year round. A dry wax-based lubricant offers lubrication for your bike's chain without the risk of contaminants sticking to the lubricated chain's surface and creating a damaging grinding paste—as is the case with 'wet' oil-based lubricants. The Ceramic C3 Dry Chain Lube from Muc-Off is an innovative new dry chain lubricant that utilises ceramic nanoparticles and synthetic polymers to create a super durable low-friction coating for your chain. The key with any dry chain lubricant is the application. It is vital that you strip the chain of all previous dirt, grease, and oil before applying a dry chain lube; if you do not, then the chain lube will simply slide off the oily surface and will not dry onto the...
There aren't many things more frustrating or demoralising when you're out on a bike ride, than realising that you have a puncture. That sound, feel and moment of realisation, as your little world deflates. There's only one thing for it, pull up by the side of the road or trail and fix it. But there are so many options when it comes to puncture repair, and it's difficult to know which option is best; below I take a brief look at some of the methods and options you have when the puncture devil strikes... Prevention: Self Sealing Tubes Prevention is often better than cure, that's certainly the case with punctures. There are two primary ways to prevent punctures on bikes: the tyres, and the tubes. Get yourself a good set of tyres on a road bike and you will usually be able to eliminate all but the worst punctures. For some tyre recommendations, check out my reviews page: ( LINK ). However, when you're mountain biking the tyre is rarely enough to prevent th...
The market for disc brake pads for gravel bikes, mountain bikes and road bikes is saturated; there are hundreds of different brands producing disc brake pads claiming to last longer and perform better than the competition. So, what is the difference between a set of low cost disc brake pads from eBay/Amazon versus the high-end pads from SwissStop? Are SwissStop disc brake pads worth the extra money? To find out, I have been doing some extensive disc brake pad testing over the last few months. October to February is obviously a period of wet winter riding, and I have been testing the following list of brake pads on road, gravel and mountain bikes—to create the ultimate test for any disc brake set-up. The disc brake pads on test: SwissStop Disc 34 RS (Shimano Road/Gravel) SwissStop Disc 32 RS (SRAM Road/Gravel) SwissStop Disc 31 E (MTB SRAM Avid) Superstar Sintered Shimano Road Disc Brake Pads (Shimano Road/Gravel) SOMMET Resin and Semi-Metallic Disc Brak...
Ortlieb have cemented their reputation as ' the original waterproof pannier brand ' with good reason—their bags are superbly made and designed. I bought a set of Ortlieb Back Roller Waterproof Panniers for my 2011 France and Spain Tour and they are still going strong a decade later… When Ortlieb (eventually) made their approach on the fast-growing bikepacking market the expectation level was appropriately high. Could the German brand deliver equally exceptional luggage for the rack-less touring market? In this review, I am looking at the Ortlieb Frame-Pack TopTube bikepacking frame bag. This bag is designed as a solution for riders who want to use their frame's main triangle for storage space, while still being able to house water bottles on the frame (it only takes up the top half of the frame triangle)—this is my preferred set-up. The best bikepacking frame bag, for me, will fulfil the following five criteria: It maximises the available space within the frame triangle It...
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