Life In The Saddle

I give my electronics a tough life—my laptop, phone, cycle computer and headphones get thrown into bags and pockets on a daily basis; knocked around like skittles. A lot of that abuse can be countered with good protective cases, and Thule make some of the best electronics cases I have used.  The Thule Gauntlet MacBook Sleeve is the perfect protective case to keep your laptop safe when it is placed in a pannier or jumping around in your rucksack on a daily cycle commute. With a semi-rigid outer, structured protective corners and a cushioned interior, the Gauntlet case shields and cushions your laptop from knocks and bumps, as well supplying a degree of protection from spray or moisture. A 13-inch laptop will fit comfortably inside and is held securely by webbing straps in a clam-shell design; so you can actually use the laptop while it is still in the case. Smart, effective protection from Thule. >> Shop the Thule Gauntlet MacBook Sleeve 13 Disclaimer: Tim Wiggins is a Glob...

The range of nutritional supplements in the PhD LIFE product portfolio supplies nutrients and vitamins to help improve your daily life; from waking up with energy to getting restful sleep. I have been testing out a selection and thought it would be interesting to fill you in on the science and function behind these lifestyle nutritional products from the well-reputed brand. DIGEST – To Support a Healthy Gut and Digestion Your digestive system plays a key role in your athletic performance, fat loss, energy levels, and even your mental health. We know more about the role of gut health than ever before, and experts now urge us to consider the gut microbiome as a "virtual organ" in the body Gut health goes beyond how well you digest your food and the level of nutrients you can absorb from your diet. A healthy gut environment will impact your mental health and mood, cognitive abilities, strength, ability to lose weight, and long-term risk of disease and illness. The PhD LIFE range...

Keep it simple. That would be a good strapline for the BTR Waterproof Bicycle Handlebar Bag. This compact handlebar bag is designed to be a completely waterproof capsule that easily attaches to the handlebars of any road or mountain bike — to safely house your valuables and ride essentials. For bikepacking trips, gravel adventures, and long road rides a small waterproof handlebar bag is a great idea — read my post ' What Is in Your Gravel Adventure Handlebar Bag? ' to see what comes in mine. The BTR Waterproof Handlebar Bag is as simple, but as effective as they come; with an exceptionally fair price tag too. The design is straightforward. The bag is 20 centimetres wide and made from durable waterproof fabric, with a classic roll-top closure to ensure that even the worst weather conditions cannot infiltrate the interior. The bag attaches to the handlebars with three hook-and-loop (Velcro style) straps; two over the handlebars, and an extra strap that can go around the headtube...

Caps and hats are back… I seem to be wearing some sort of headwear year-round these days: snapbacks and baseball caps to shield from the sun in the summer; beanies and wide brims to keep the chill and downpours off in the winter months. The Chrome 5 Panel Cap is a smart baseball style cap, with a 360-degree reflective profile—making it the perfect choice for darker days. I got the Chrome 5 Panel Cap thinking it would be perfect for night-time running; with its well-ventilated design and reflective profile, it looked to be the ideal solution to keep winter downpours off my head while also increasing my road presence in low light conditions. It definitely ticks that box, while also acting as an absorbent headband—keeping sweat out of your eyes. As well as acting like a beacon on top of your head when you are running, the Chrome 5 Panel Cap has also proven to be a great accessory for cycling; it can be worn underneath a helmet to keep rain and windchill off your head. A great piece of mu...

What is Britain's most famous highway? What is our Route 66? The road that springs to mind for many is the Great North Road. Stretching from London to Edinburgh, this 400-mile route holds a long and interesting history as a fundamental trading and touring route. The Great North Road by Steve Silk looks to tell that story, from the saddle of a bicycle. In 1921, the Great North Road ceased to exist, at least on paper; the old road was replaced by the A1 motorway that is now the backbone of traffic traversing the length of the UK from London to Scotland. One hundred years later, journalist and cyclist Steve Silk takes on the challenge of riding the length of the archaic route over the course of 11 days. Travelling by bicycle, he heads north from London at a casual 14 miles per hour; searching out milestones, coaching inns of a by-gone era, and of course coffee shops… The 'Slow Travel' journey provides some interesting and humorous discoveries along the route, with a pedal-by-...

We all have a favourite pair of jeans; denim that gets worn day-in-day-out, whether you are heading down to the pub or into the office. For me, the Opus jeans from Vulpine have become that pair. These are cycling jeans that are smart enough for almost every occasion, but practical and comfortable enough to be worn all day, on and off the bike. Let's start with the basics, the fabric… the Vulpine Opus jeans are made from a soft and stretchy cotton elastane blend, utilising Repreve TruTemp365® recycled fibres—which offer moisture wicking and high breathability performance. The fabric is soft against the skin and flexible enough to allow you to move and stretch as you ride. Old school jeans would be stiff and abrasive when pedalling a bike, but the Vulpine Opus Jeans allow you to spin the pedals with ease and extraordinarily little restriction. Next up, seams… or rather, seam placement. Seams are irritating, and when you are sat on a bicycle saddle the seam that runs through the seat...