Life In The Saddle

Bicycle riders can be a tricky bunch to buy gifts for. This 2019 gift selection could provide some great ideas for cycling gifts. Not all of them are two-wheel specific, but all of them are fun and useful presents for a cyclist in your life. Nite Ize Doohikey Key Chain Mini Pen-Knife This great little knife clips to your keys and provides you with a compact blade for those essential tasks. Whether it is cutting cable ties on your event numbers, or unpackaging the endless supply of cycling kit and components that arrives at your door; this sharp little locking blade is a super little companion. I personally find it especially useful for trimming tubeless tyre plugs and cutting race numbers down to size. >>  Shop the Nite Ize Doohikey Key Chain Knife here  << Smoove Universal Chain Lube This is my go-to bicycle chain lube; whether riding road, gravel, or mountain bike, and whatever the conditions. It uses a unique wax-based formula that completely...

Fed up with a wet back (and crack), and want some protection from road and trail spray? This new Rain Fly guard from Tate Labs could well be the solution... Many readers will have seen and/or used an  Ass Saver  mudguard. The neat laser-cut plastic flap slots underneath your saddle, and provides valuable protection for your rear; while adding only minimal weight and aerodynamic drag. It is a KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) approach, to reducing the "mud-slick" effect. The Ass Saver works well; but it isn't without its faults... The most significant downfall for the Swedish designed product, is that it rather too easily goes askew; exposing your back to your rear wheel. The second, is that it doesn't really provide protection for the back of your legs, or for a saddlebag or rear light housed on your seatpost. The new Tate Labs Bar Fly Rain Fly promises to follow in the lightweight minimalist footsteps of the Ass Saver, but to overcome the two short-comings. The...

Puncture essentials include a spare tube, tyre levers and an inflation device (pump or CO2). The Bar Fly Air Lever combines two of these into one lightweight and easy to use package. The Bar Fly Air Lever set contains two tyre levers, made of a strong composite material that won't damage your wheel rims. One of these levers then has an integrate CO2 inflator head; which fits to the valve on one interface, and allows you to screw a CO2 cartridge into the other interface to inflate your inner tube. The design is simple, yet logical. The inflator is actuated by the amount that you screw the CO2 cartridge into the head unit; and the head unit fits both Presta or Schrader valves. Weighing in at just 40 grams, yet built to last many tube changes; this is a great invention from Bar Fly Bike. View the Bar Fly Air Lever at barflybike.com (Link)

Last year, I reviewed the Tate Labs Bar Fly SLi Garmin Mounts ; they had an innovative dual-purpose design, which could accommodate both a Garmin and a light or GoPro. Tate Labs have now released the upgraded Bar Fly 4.0 computer mounts though, and I was keen to see the difference… Greater computer compatibility With previous Bar Fly mounts, you were restricted to buying either a Garmin, CatEye or Polar option. With the new Bar Fly 4 mounts, you are able to accommodate any of the above, as well as the Wahoo ELEMNT, Mio, Powertap Joule, GoPro, or a light - all in one package. The Bar Fly 4 computer mounts allow greater compatibility, because they have an interchangeable computer head. This means that even if you are upgrading your computer to a different brand, your mount will still be usable. Dual-purpose mounting - for light/GoPro and computer  Similar to the Bar Fly SLi mounts, selected models in the new Bar Fly 4 range also allow you to mount a GoPro or a light on t...

Mudguards are an essential piece of winter kit. In my book, they are as important as the winter jacket or overshoes that you invest in. However, when riding cyclocross or mountain bike in the winter months, you are left with the problem that full length fenders don't allow enough mud clearance. This is when mudguards like the Bar Fly Rain Fly series comes into play. Last year I reviewed the Bar Fly Rain Fly Rear Mudguard , and it impressed me greatly. I've had many readers comment on it as well, as it has remained on my Kona Private Jake since the original review. In this review, I'm looking at the new Bar Fly Rain Fly Front Mudguard. This straps to the downtube of the bike, and provides valuable protection for your feet, shins, and your water bottle. Easy to fit First of all, the Rain Fly front guard is blissfully easy to fit. You simple zip tie it to the downtube in three places, then bend it to fit the profile of your front wheel. Job done. Lightweight Y...

Back at the start of 2014, I reviewed the original Tate Labs Bar Fly Garmin Mounts  on the blog; they proved to be very well made and very secure. They were so good in fact, that I've been using them ever since, on a variety of bikes. Earlier in 2015, Tate Labs announced their latest range of mounts, the SLi series. These mounts are made of similar high-strength plastic composites, and they are usable across all of the latest Garmin range. The critical new development though, is that you can now bundle the computer mounts with different add-ons, to make them extra versatile and useful. In this post, I take a look at the Tate Labs Bar Fly SLi BAM Garmin Road Mount and the Bar Fly SLi-D Mountain Bike Garmin Mount. For the SLi Road Mount, I've trialled two of the additional add-ons, which allow you to mount a GoPro and a light, underneath the out-front mount. Tate Labs Bar Fly Sli BAM Road Mount - GoPro and Light Bundles Tate Labs have taken their award winning Bar ...

My main cycling computer is the Garmin Edge 510 , it's a great bit of kit and has a huge amount of functionality. However, I recently tested a Cycleops Joule computer in a PowerTap package and was impressed by the Bar Fly out-front mount that came supplied with the computer (something that is not supplied with the Garmin). By placing the unit further out you reduce the amount you need to bend your neck to see the screen, whilst also reducing the likelihood of knocking the unit when you are out of the saddle. Those are two notable benefits, so having been pleased with the Bar Fly mount for the CycleOps Joule, it seemed a good bet for a Garmin out-front mount too; I opted for the Bar Fly 2.0 and the Bar Fly Mtb... The Bar Fly 2.0 Mount Starting with the build quality of the mounts... The Bar Fly mounts are made of a strong composite material, they weigh very little, but they are solid enough to last well. There are metal mounts on the market, but experience s...