Life In The Saddle

Proteins are an essential element for repairing, rebuilding and creating new muscle; they are the 'building blocks' of muscle formation. Each protein is made up of BCAA's (Branched-Chain Amino Acids), and research suggests that delivering essential BCAA's to your muscles, before and after strenuous exercise, will help to boost muscle repair post-activity. Conventionally, amino acid supplementation comes in the form of pills and capsules. Muc-Off have opted for a new tack with their Athlete Performance Range; delivering BCAA's directly to the muscles through the skin, in the form of rub-on balms. Their range comes in a three part series, with the amino profile of each product varying to provide a targeted approach. You can either use one or all of the products during one training/recovery session. First up, there is the Explosive Power Balm. This contains Arginine Aminos, which are used to make nitric oxide (NO) in the body. Science suggests that a higher lev...

Last week, I posted my Fifteen Festive Stocking Fillers for Cyclists - 2015 ; it contains some great little products that I thought any rider would be delighted to receive. In this blog post, I've picked out ten more products from the past year of testing; they all retail for less than £50, some less than £10, but they are all great gifts. Hopefully they will provide some further gift ideas for the keen bike rider in your life. Pocpac Any-Road iPac 3X Phone Case I use a waterproof phone wallet almost every day of the week, and the ones from pOcpac are some of the best that I've trialled. This new 'Any-Road' case is an artistic extension to their great range of cases, which I reviewed on the blog a while back. It features a lovely design on the reverse of the case, as well as the standard pOcpac strong zip, well placed camera window and internal divider for cash/cards. The 3X version fits an iPhone 6 or a Samsung Galaxy. View the pOcpac range (Link) Se...

The Garmin Edge 810 has been classified by many to be the ultimate GPS computer. It is a compact unit, which has mapping capabilities, as well as full training software, and the ability to connect it to any ANT+ measurement unit. However, for many touring cyclists, the need for training software is limited, and the importance of mapping capabilities is the highest priority... enter the Garmin Edge Touring. The Edge Touring comes in at a significantly lower price than the Edge 810. It is a stripped back, mapping specific cycle computer, which focusses its devoted attention on guiding its user, rather than providing in-depth training data. The Edge Touring is the same size as the 810. It also similarly has a colour touch screen display, two easy-to-press buttons for start/stop/pause and lap, and a waterproofed port on the back to insert a mapping micro-SD card and a USB connection cable. Unlike the Edge 810 though, the Touring is able to meet a price point, by stripping back the u...

Christmas is coming, and that means stockings! In this post, I thought I would feature fifteen of the best cycling products that I've tested over the last year. They are all ideal stocking fillers, which don't cost the earth and would be ideal gifts for anyone that is into cycling. From energy bars to tyre levers, there's a real mix... Bounce Balls Bounce Balls are tasty little energy snacks, which are packed full of natural goodness. They contain carbohydrate from rice bran and starch, and whey protein to keep your muscles in shape. As a Christmas themed option, the new Cacao Orange flavour is seriously tasty with a morning coffee! View the Bounce Balls range (Link) Tate Labs Bar Fly SLi Mounts Keep handlebars clutter-free with an out-front mount. These new SLi mounts from Tate Labs are the best that I've used; I have the Bar Fly Sli BAM to hold a GoPro and Garmin Edge on my road bike, as well as the SLi-D MTB mount on my 35mm mountain bike bars. There...

With winter imminent, and autumn weather systems bringing rain, wind and single-digit temperatures to the UK, investing in a good waterproof jacket is advisable, if not essential. The Starman Storm Jacket from London-based brand Huez*, is made to hold off the worst that the British weather can throw at you. It is the pinnacle of their Sport range, featuring high-end fabrics, fit and reflective technology. I've been testing it out for the last month, on some seriously wet and windy commutes. It has proven to be impressive, both in terms of design and function. The Huez* Brand  Huez* apparel may be a new name to many readers; it's an interesting brand though, which is well worth knowing about. Based in London, its overarching mission is to produce riding apparel that blends fashion with function: producing clothing that is at home both on the bike, and on the street. Clothing that allows you to " *make your escape ". Whilst all their kit is made to look styli...

I used to not really get 'cross. As a mountain biker, I didn't understand why you would want to reduce your off-road stability with narrow tyres and bars. As a road cyclist, I couldn't grasp why you would want to make autumn and winter even wetter, muddier and plagued with mechanicals, than it was already. Things have changed... Back in the summer, I test rode the Verenti Substance CX ( review link ). For a month, I switched out my usual commuting steed, a 1997 steel touring bike, for this knobbly tyre machine. It was a whole load of fun! No longer was I confined to the lanes and cycle tracks on my commute. Before long, I had added dozens of new routes home; linking up bridleways, farm tracks and unmade roads. At every opportunity, I was jumping off curbs, tearing down tracks and thoroughly enjoying kicking up some dust and dirt. The Verenti went back, all too soon; but it left me yearning for a bit more excitement on my daily rides to and from work. I tried ridin...

A good set of handlebar grips can transform how your mountain bike feels. Grips are a key contact point, and getting a good hold on your bars will not only aid comfort, but also control and feel. The Hope Technology SL Lock-On Grips are a great example... Hope Technology are renowned for producing high quality kit, and these grips are no exception. Produced by hand in their Barnoldswick factory, it is clear that Hope have paid every attention to detail. Starting from the inside out, the Hope SL grips have a high quality plastic core, which smoothly slides onto the bars. This core is an impact resistance tube that allows the grip to retain a solid shape and feel, while having minimal impact on the weight of the product. On each end of the high impact tube, are stainless steel locking collars; these minimal wraps are securely tighten up with hex bolts, and prevent any kind of slippage on the bars. On the lighter colour models, you can actually glimpse the hand-crafted machining on ...