Life In The Saddle

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 chilly 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 ...

The Gobik Polartec Long Sleeve Envy Jacket is a close-fitting outer layer made from Polartec's innovative NeoShell® fabric—the world's most breathable waterproof fabric. This is a winter cycling jacket that feels more like a long sleeve jersey, thanks to its stretch and performance cut; but it offers the protection of a deep winter outer shell. Polartec® NeoShell® was developed by the American brand to offer the optimal balance of waterproof protection and breathability that is sought-after in active wear. The fabric is used in hiking jackets, cycling jackets, and waterproof trousers with tremendous success, and this deployment in the Gobik Polartec Long Sleeve Jacket is a strong example of utilising the fabric well. The NeoShell® fabric provides a high stretch bonded three-layer covering, with taped seams to prevent water from seeping in. The high cut collar, lower cut rear hem and YKK® Vislon® AquaGuard® zipper all enhance the protection and coverage provided by the jack...

For many years, I would have advised against using a pressure washer to clean your bike; the high pressure jets can wash grease out of areas such as wheel and bottom bracket bearings, and damage suspension seals. However, last year Muc-Off released what they claimed to be a world-first — a pressure washer designed specifically for bicycles and motorcycles, safe to use on the above areas. I have been testing it out over the last few months. The Muc-Off pressure washer is a compact unit and weighs just six kilograms. It comes with a neat 30 litre dry bag that can safely house all the component parts, and allows you to transport it without fear of leakage. The unit plugs into a standard three pin plug and a Hozelock style water connector, then you are ready to clean. You get a choice of three lances: bicycle, motorcycle, and spray. In this order, they vary on their pressure output, with the bicycle lance being just the pressure deemed safe for bicycle washing. There is also a snow...

Open ear headphones are a game-changer. Now you can listen to you favourite tunes and podcasts while you ride, run, walk or drive, without the loss of the all-important 'surrounding sounds' that can offer valuable warning signs of hazards in your vicinity. I have tested a few open ear headphone designs over the years, and the new OpenRock X from OneOdio are some of the most comfortable and best performing of the bunch. With impressive adjustability and sound quality, they provide everything you need from an everyday headphone. Straight out of the (impressive) packaging, the OpenRock X feels like a quality product. The charging case houses the two headphone units, and offers a total of 48 hours of playback when both the case and the units are charged together. The headphones will also 'fast-charge' to give an hour of playback with just five minutes in the charging case; handy for when you forget to put them on charge before your workout. Sound quality from the OpenRock X...

Boundaries were made to be broken. Comfort zones made to be crushed. Three days of diverse and incredible riding on the Italian Dolomite Giara… The idea for this adventure was born at the end of the #5MaratonasChallenge , when my host Igor Tavella from Holimites gave me the GPX file for a ' wild card ride ', which took me on several sections of gravel road — it opened my mind to a great opportunity… Igor said that when I returned to the mountain range I should bring a gravel bike; so that we could further explore these ' roads less travelled '; roads that can take you high above the asphalt, onto the plateau of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The idea of a three day adventure was born: starting from Badia, we would complete a figure of eight loop of gravel passes and paths in the Alta Badia region; stopping overnight at two remote alpine rifugios, which themselves perfectly complement the idea of a 'back-and-beyond' far-flung adventure. Ideas became p...