Life In The Saddle

Are you sitting comfortably? Saddle sores are a serious concern for many cyclists; at best they can be a cause of discomfort, at worst they could end a ride or adventure. After many long distance bike rides such as the #BlackForest400 and #7Countries7Passes , these are my tips for preventing and treating saddle sores. 1 – Saddle Choice Having the correct width and length of saddle makes a huge difference to the chances of encountering saddle sores. Too wide, the saddle will rub on your seat bones. Too narrow, you will sit on your perineum rather than on your seat bones. Recommended reading:  'How to Choose the Right Bicycle Saddle for You' 2 – Saddle Height The height of your saddle plays a significant role in determining the pressure and friction on your nether-regions. If your saddle height is too high then you do not put enough pressure on the pedals; increasing the pressure on your perineum or sit bones and increasing the rocking motion in the s...

Choosing the right bicycle saddle is similar to looking for a comfortable pair of shoes; there are numerous factors to consider—both physiological and with intended use. In this article, I offer  7 Tips to consider how you can choose the right bicycle saddle for your anatomy and style of bike riding. 1 – Seat-Bone Width The first thing to consider is the distance between your seat bones. Your seat/sit bone width determines the ideal width of the saddle you should choose. You can measure your seat bone width using a piece of corrugated cardboard: place the cardboard on a hard bench, and sit firmly on it. Rock forwards slightly to mimic a riding position, and elevate your feet to press your seat bones down onto the cardboard—so that they make an indent. Then, mark the centre of the two indents and measure the distance between the two points. This will give you your seat/sit bone width. A narrow sit bone width would be 100 mm or less, medium 100 to 130 mm, and wide over 1...

"There is no such thing as bad weather ", or so the saying goes... In reality though, riding a bike in wet and cold conditions is a challenge. It can be made easier, safer, and more comfortable though, by using the best cycling kit and accessories available. In this post, I have laid out some advice to help you stay comfortable and safe in inclement weather conditions. Hopefully they make your next venture out in cold and damp weather that bit more bearable. Mudguards My first suggestion, is that if you do not have them already... "Get Some 'Guards' ". Cycling mudguards are a vital element in staying comfortable in wet conditions. Even the best waterproof jacket will struggle after hours of being bombarded by rear wheel spray; while your face and feet will be grateful for protection against a front wheel showering. You can now get lightweight mudguards that will fit almost any bike: from traditional full-length road mudguards , to the minimalist As...

Sleep is the primary pillar of effective recovery—getting enough quality sleep is therefore fundamental to endurance sports performance. I have learned the hard way what a lack of sleep can do to your health, wellbeing, and cycling success; in this post I look at seven of those lessons, and tips on how you can improve your sleep quality and recovery. Getting 7-9 hours of sleep every night is a critical part of recovery. It is during the deep sleep period that our bodies begin to fully repair and rejuvenate themselves, readying themselves for the next effort. Key growth hormones are released when you are in undisturbed sleep—so it makes it a fundamental part of performance improvement. 1 – The Sleep Routine The most important ingredient in getting superior quality sleep on a regular basis, is to create a regular sleeping schedule. You often hear people say "I wake up at the same time, even when I am tired…"—this is natural—it is because our bodies like routine and so we h...

A base layer is the foundation of any layering system—it keeps you cool and dry in the summer, and warm and dry in the winter. Over time though, the fabrics become saturated by sweat and can breed bacteria; there is a simple solution—washing them with a tailor-made fabric detergent and conditioner, such as those from Nikwax. Base layers are designed to wick perspiration away from your skin; this means absorbing the moisture and transferring it to the outer air for evaporation. Unfortunately, over time the absorbing nature of base layer fabrics means they also collect bacteria, which can breed and smell. To rejuvenate a cycling base layer, or a technical running tee, you simply need a fabric detergent that is stronger than most. Be careful though, as technical fabrics and wool fabrics are delicate in their nature; Nikwax produce a dedicated 'Sweatproofing' range, including BaseWash and WoolWash to clean the fabrics. After you have cleaned the fabric, it is a smart move t...

Supporting the arch and heel of your foot when cycling is crucial to both performance and injury prevention. Supportive insoles such as those from SOLESTAR help to hold your foot in a safe and secure position—allowing for maximum power transfer and maximum support throughout your pedal stroke. When you push down on the pedals, it places great force through the arch and ball of your foot. You transmit power through a relatively small surface area underneath your shoe's foot bed, so cycling shoes are made to be stiff, so power transfer is not lost by flex in the shoe. However, few riders consider the lost power from the foot itself flexing during the pedal stroke; equally they do not consider the potential for injury when your foot abnormally contorts. During work I did with Phil Burt, the lead physiotherapist at British Cycling, he highlighted how important the structure of a cycling shoe is to power transfer. For the Beijing and London Olympic Games they designed custom carbo...

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post ' What is In Your Gravel Adventure Bar Bag? '—it had a great reception and led to another conversation in a similar vein— What to pack in your cycling jersey pockets for a long unsupported off-road endurance ride? This is my line-up of jersey pocket riding essentials for bikepacking and gravel adventures… First, I recommend reading the ' What is In Your Gravel Adventure Bar Bag? ' post before reading this one—because for me, the bar bag is the best place to store most of your essentials on an off-road adventure—as there is less chance of items flying out on bumpy trails. So, what comes with me in my cycling jersey pockets is therefore a selection of easy-to-access essentials—ones that you might want to grab whilst riding, when you cannot stop to access your bar bag. The Jersey — Sportful Super Giara Jersey My gravel jersey of choice is the Sportful Super Giara Jersey . This cycling jersey was designed with gravel and off-road ...

Last month I wrote a piece for The Expedition Journals that referred to my 4C's of Expedition Execution: Care, Comfort, Communication, and Contingency. This post focuses in on the second of those—Comfort— in particular, the importance I personally place on having a comforting cup of tea on a bikepacking or bicycle touring adventure… First, to add some context, here are my 4C's of Expedition Execution: Care – This starts with careful and thorough planning of an expedition, and continues with a careful and sensible approach to all aspects of its execution. Comfort – This does not mean opting for luxury; but considering comfort over potential discomfort or distress. For example, if you are wild camping in sub-zero temperatures, take the right season sleeping bag rather than opting for a summer season one to save weight—it could save you from hypothermia. Communication – Aim to keep communication as constant and as flowing as possible at all times. This supplies reassur...

Sugru is an amazing mouldable glue. Out of the packet it looks and feels a bit like Play-Doh, but then once moulded into shape it sets solid in 24 hours; creating a strong and slightly flexible bond on all manner of base materials. These are my five top uses for Sugru in the cycling world—some great hacks and fixes for cyclists. Shoe Vents If like me, you suffer from cold feet when cycling, then blocking up those 'cooling' vents on the bottom of your cycling shoes is a sensible start to solving the problem. You can tape over the sole vents, but it will not stay put for long on wet winter rides; Sugru offers a far more permanent plug, and one that can be easily chiselled out if you need some summer foot ventilation after the cold months have passed. Light Buttons Another area that I have discovered suffers from water ingress on extremely wet winter rides, are the buttons on your cycling lights. I have had several lights fail on me because of water ingress, and t...