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 new Rapha Handlebar Bag has fast become a favourite bikepacking 'day ride' handlebar bag. Rather than just write a product review of this compact handlebar bag though, I thought I would also look inside—to see what comes with me on a solo self-sufficient gravel ride. This is my pack of essentials to keep you riding all day… It has become increasingly important for us to become self-sufficient on our rides; the outbreak of Coronavirus in March 2020 closed most shops, cafes, and even public conveniences, as well as making solo riding a necessity. Luckily, experience with off-road and back-of-beyond bicycle touring has taught me a few tricks to avoid needing to depend on support or re-supply stops when out on the road or trail. I used to favour a saddlebag as my on-bike bag for carrying spares and tools, but that choice has evolved over time; a small handlebar bag does not restrict your view of the front wheel at all, it is a lot more accessible than a saddlebag, and it
Cable actuated disc brakes get a lot of bad press. There is some justification for that — most of the systems lack the modulation and performance of their hydraulic counterparts. There is however one set of cable disc brakes that shines above the rest — the TRP Spyre SLC Disc Brake. This lightweight and sleek cable disc caliper excels in both design and functionality. My Kona Private Jake arrived in 2016 with a set of TRP's Spyre-C disc brakes fitted as standard. Those brakes worked very well for over 25,000 kilometres of use and abuse; I rode the bike for daily commutes (including a salty daily ferry journey), and I rode the bike fully loaded over the highest cols in the Pyrenees on the #CoastsandCols tour. The Spyre-C took all this abuse in hand, and always produced the stopping power I demanded. This year, with the Kona Private Jake hitting a 25,000 kilometre anniversary, I decided it was time to upgrade and replace a number of the parts. To be honest, most of the compone
Low temperatures and winter storms push wind-chill factors to sub-zero. Bike riding does not have to cease in freezing conditions though; with the right clothing, there is no reason not to enjoy your cycling, even in the icy months of winter. In this blog post, I offer my tips and advice for the right clothing to keep you comfortable when cycling in the depths of winter… 1 – Long Sleeve Base Layers Cold hands when cycling in low temperatures? Long sleeve base layers are the key to comfort here. Your hands are an extremity—they are one of the furthest points from the central boiler pump that is your heart. In order to keep them warm, you need to keep the blood that is flowing to them warm. Protecting your lower arms from wind-chill and insulating them with a long sleeve base layer will aid warm blood flows down your arteries all the way to your hands. The best long sleeve winter cycling base layer I have used is the GripGrab Expert Seamless Thermal Long Sleeve Cycling Bas
It is the start of turbo trainer season. Dark winter nights and icy roads may well drive you inside before long; to sit on a static bike in front of the television. I don't often find myself riding indoors, but when I do, I'm grateful of having a good quality trainer to ride on. Here's what I'm using this winter... The Elite Crono Hydro-Mag ElastoGel Trainer. It probably has one of the longest turbo trainer names out there. There is a good reason for that though, because it is a feature packed static trainer that is a great tool to add to your 'pain-cave' arsenal. Here is what sets it apart from the pack, in my opinion... Fluid and Magnetic Technology Combined Fluid resistance turbo trainers are renowned for providing a smooth progressive resistance as you increase your effort and speed. Fluid technology gives a great road-like feel, and the resistance can be controlled by moving through the gears on your bike, with a harder gear equalling a higher l
On the #BlackForest400 I was caught out by sub-zero temperatures through the nighttime section—an insulated thermo bicycle bottle like the Elite Deboyo Ombra Stainless Steel Bike Bottle would have been the perfect solution. It is also the ideal substitute when cafés are closed, or you are wilderness riding. The issue on the #BlackForest400 was not so much that I had not expected the cold temperatures, but rather I had failed to anticipate the closure of almost every garage and takeaway in the Ardennes region, on the night before Good Friday... The situation meant that I could not stop for a much-needed warm drink in the middle of the night. A thermal insulated vacuum bottle, like the Elite Deboyo, would have allowed me to fill up before the shops shut up, and have a warm drink to get me through the night. The Deboyo Insulated Vacuum Bottle is also the ideal solution for very warm days. Thinking back to my climb of the Col de Montgenrve on the #7Countries7Passes , when the tempe
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