Life In The Saddle

For those that have not heard of the Café du Cycliste brand, you have been missing out. Established in the beautiful city of Nice on the French Côte d'Azur, this brand produces some of the finest quality and most stylish riding kit on the market today. As part of their new Audax range, the Café du Cycliste brand has released the Ingrid long sleeve jersey—a winter cycling jersey designed for those long-distance adventures. With special fabric, clever pocketing, and a unique hooded design—it offers something quite different for the endurance rider. The first thing that strikes you with the Ingrid jersey is the fabric. Unlike the windproof softshell fabrics found on most winter cycling jerseys and jackets, the Ingird instead uses a brushed micro-fibre fabric—most akin to a micro-fleece that you might in a hiking shop. This fabric is impressive; it provides superb insulation, but also offers exceptional moisture management—allowing perspiration to be wicked away and letting it eva...

The fi'zi:k Terra Ergolace X2 is a rugged and adaptable mountain biking shoe, with a traditional lacing system and semi-flexible lugged sole; giving it a more casual look and feel, and offering the versatility to also use the shoe as a casual off-bike shoe. The Terra Ergolace X2 is happy tackling any terrain—both on and off the bike, thanks to the versatile fabrics and sole tread pattern. I have been utilising this shoe mainly for running everyday errands and shopping trips rather than on the slopes of a mountain; but in this domain as well, the Terra Ergolace X2 excels… Ergolace Technology The fi'zi:k Ergolace technology refers to the unique way the shoe's uppers and lacing system combine together to provide maximum support for the foot.  The upper of the Terra X2 is made from hardwearing ripstop woven fabrics, and has an asymmetric traditional lacing system. The flexible fabric and lacing system allows you to adjust the volume within the shoe and create a cradle of ...

The Crankbrothers Double Shot 2 Pedals are a hybrid pedal with one side offering a flat platform pedal and the other side a clip-in pedal. I have been using these pedals on my errand-running Kona Dr Dew urban trekking bike and they have proven to be the perfect match. The pedal body is made from premium grade aluminium with moulded pins and ribs to enhance grip on the flat side of the pedal. The clip-in mechanism of the pedal is made from stainless steel with a stainless-steel spring. Inside, there are top quality Igus glide bearings and Enduro cartridge bearings that are lasting well, even with the challenging conditions of winter. Crankbrothers pedals use their own unique cleat, made from a brass alloy. Some riders complain that these are soft and get easily damaged; but from my experience if they are recessed well within the lugs of your mountain biking shoes then they last a decent time. Crankbrothers pedals come with a five-year warranty that provides peace of mind that thes...

Camping and cycle touring or bikepacking are the perfect ways to explore this summer—offering a sustainable, hassle-free, and low-cost adventure.  From my experience on past bikepacking tours and camping trips, I have compiled this list of my Top 10 products for both outdoor pursuits. It is a mix of compact gadgets and more luxurious accessories—all of which can help make your camping experience that much more enjoyable.  1 – Voited CloudTouch Camp Blanket  This is the ultimate camp blanket—if I had one as a Scout, I would have been the envy of the entire troop. It is insulated, water and stain resistance, machine washable, and made from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles.  The CloudTouch 4-in-1 PillowBlanket is a luxurious outdoor blanket that is built to last. It uses recycled 50D Ripstop REPREVE® on one side, and luxurious CloudTouch™on the other. CloudTouch™ is a 100 percent recycled high-loft insulation fabric that is soft and fluffy, with the feel of real wo...

Cycle clothing is a long way behind the curve in terms of sustainability; unfortunately, companies within the industry have been slow to recognise the value of natural fabrics that are sustainably sourced. Bamboo clothing is one of the more sustainable clothing choices, and the range of activewear from the brand BAM Bamboo Clothing has fast become my go-to choice for casual wear.  It would be difficult to make a rain jacket out of bamboo, but BAM have had a good go at making one that is sustainable and as recyclable as possible. The BAM Rowtor Waterproof Jacket  (and Women's Longaford Recycled Waterproof Jacket ) is a lightweight and breathable rain jacket; made from 98 percent recycled material.  The Rowtor jacket has proven to be a top performing shell jacket out on the trails, whether on hiking trips, or on off-road bikepacking adventures. It is a fully featured performance shell jacket, with a slim-fit cut, adjustable hood and hem, two zippered front pockets and a 10...

The second review of a Moon bike light in as many weeks... they must impress me. This review is of the sleek and slimline Moon Helix and Moon Helix W lights; a red and white (rear and front) light that pack a powerful and intelligent punch out on the road, in both daytime and night-time running modes. The Moon Sport Helix Max is a powerful 250-lumen rear bike light. In the box you receive the light unit, a smart quarter-turn mount that fits to a seatpost or aero seatpost with a flexible rubber strap, two lengths of strap, a saddle-rail mount, and a USB-C charging cable. The Moon Sport Helix Max W is a 350-lumen front bike light. In the box you receive the light unit, a similar quarter-turn mount that fits to a handlebar with a flexible rubber strap, and a USB-C charging cable. Both lights function very similarly; so, from here on when discussing the functions, I will refer to both lights as the Helix Max. Lighting Modes The Helix Max has two static modes: pre-set to 80 lume...