Life In The Saddle

Your bicycle chain is the link between the power you put down through the crank arms and the cogs on your rear wheel—that when turned, propel your bike forwards. That means your chain gets a tough time; it transmits all that power as it bends and stretches around your drivetrain. A bicycle chain is composed of inner plates and outer plates, held apart by pins, and with a bushing/roller on the pins that allows the chain to roll around cogs. All these metal surfaces touch each other as the chain works, which means friction. Bicycle chain lube goes a long way to helping reduce the friction on a bicycle chain (read my previous blog post on ' How to Choose Your Bike Chain Lubricant '. But, over time that friction will wear away at the inner-plates, pins and bushings of your chain, causing it to streeeetch… Chain stretch is a bit of a miscommunication of what is actually happening with your chain as it wears. Your chain does not stretch as such, but the distance between two bushings/...

Do not underestimate the upgrade that a carbon chainset and top-level bottom bracket will have to performance; the crankset of a bike is the primary power transmission tool, and its design therefore plays an integral role in the efficiency, feel, and performance of your bike. The Praxis Zayante Carbon Crankset is one of the best value, best made carbon crankset upgrades you will see on the market today. The name Zayante comes from a redwood tree covered climb in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Northern California; a secret training ground for professionals, and a road steeped in history. The name alludes to the relatively hidden, but undeniably valuable upgrade that the Zayante could make to your performance. The Praxis Zayante Carbon is designed for road cycling or gravel bikes, with ultimate versatility. The carbon crank arms come in lengths of 160 / 165 / 170 / 172.5 and 175 millimetres; built onto a unique stepped Praxis M30 spindle—that requires a Praxis M30 Bottom Bracket to fi...

Big wheels on modern 29er mountain bikes demand flat top bars; they allow you to achieve that low powerful position for speed and efficiency. Extra bar width is also a real virtue—letting you to pump the bike over challenging terrain, and to keep control of your steering as you tear through the countryside. The Ultimate USE RIP handlebars were a much warranted and long-awaited upgrade to my trusty Pivot Les 29 mountain bike. This bright orange bike is approaching its ten-year anniversary, with countless race miles on all kinds of terrain across Europe, from the Dolomites to the forests of Denmark. The core of the bike remains the fantastic carbon fibre frame that I first enjoyed in 2013, but over the years I have been progressively upgrading the bike rather than splashing out on a new ride. The Ultimate USE RIP Flat Carbon Handlebars were designed for aggressive XC riding and racing. Their flat profile, with an eight degree sweep and 720 mm width, provide a powerful low position ...

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...

In my 'Ride Upgrades' series I look at changes you could make to your bike that make a real difference to comfort and performance. In this post, I consider the trend of using wide flat handlebars and negative drop stems on 29er mountain bikes. About 'Ride Upgrades' Nobody can accuse me of shying away from gradients; in 2018 I rode over 400,000 metres of elevation gain—the equivalent of climbing Everest from sea level 45 times. Yet, I have never been a 'gear geek—I am happy to ride last year's bikes, and I ride components into the ground rather than replace them prematurely. It would appear I am an ambassador for "don't ride upgrades—ride up grades". However, I know full well that there are upgrades that make a notable difference to comfort and performance. This blog series looks at those enhancements that could provide you with a notable marginal gain. 'Wide and Low' I am a huge fan of 29ers. I remember when the big w...

The Selle Italia SLR Boost Gravel Superflow Saddle is designed for gravel bike riding. Featuring gel inserts to reduce vibration, titanium saddle rails to absorb trail buzz, and a sleek low-profile design to offer style and performance—this is a saddle made for adventure. The SLR Boost Gravel is Selle Italia's latest offering for the growing Gravel segment of the market; engineered specifically to enhance riding comfort on difficult terrain and during endurance gravel events. Available in two sizes, I opted for the smaller version (S3), and have been testing it out over the last month… I have become a great advocate of the cut-away design for saddles—it offers greater flexibility in the centre of the saddle and reduces pressure on the sensitive perineum region. The SLR Boost Gravel Superflow is a superb example of this kind of saddle design; with a cutaway section, short nose, and flared sides to effectively support your seat bones. To improve comfort on rough terrain, Selle...

Thru-axles on bikes help to increase rigidity, strength, and performance compared to traditional quick-release axles. Thru-axles are becoming even more common on disc brake bikes because of the need for minimal flex in the hub area—to avoid disc rub. Recently though, I experienced a disconcerting and debilitating failure of a thru-axle. On a gravel ride, I punctured; on going to remove the rear wheel from the frame I found the axle had slightly seized into the frame; then in an effort to undo it I ended up rounding off the hex-key head that is used to release/tighten the axle. On returning home, I managed to use some monkey grips to loosen off the axle; but it was certainly rendered useless for future fitment. So, I started looking for replacements... The French brand Shift-Up produces a number of custom bicycle components, including a wide selection of after-market thru-axles. When the Shift-Up axles arrived, I was impressed by the quality and strength of both the axle and the bol...

Can a bottle of chain lube ever be worth a 100 GBP expenditure? The new absoluteBLACK GRAPHENlube claims that yes, it can. The most scientifically advanced bicycle chain lube on sale today, this new graphene based dry lubricant can offer serious friction reduction, efficiency gains, and reduced component wear rates. Before I tell of my experiences with absoluteBLACK GRAPHENlube, here is the science bit (taken from the absoluteBLACK website)... GRAPHENlube – 5 Claimed Advantages 5 Watt efficiency gain over 900 kilometres, in dry conditions Extend the life of your drivetrain Repels water and does not attract dirt  Dry paste-like coating stays on the chain for up to 1800 kilometres in dry conditions Does not contain harmful solvents GRAPHENlube – The Development and Product GRAPHENlube is a wax-based water emulsion with a special mix of high-purity graphene. It is liquid when you apply it, but becomes almost solid when it dries on the chain. Wax-based lubricants show far greater to...

With the growing popularity of sweep handlebars (a.k.a. wood-chipper bars) I thought it was about time to see how they could improve the ride of one of my gravel / cyclocross bikes. To test and review, I fitted the new Easton EA70 AX handlebars and Easton EA70 stem to my Kona Private Jake . I have not upgraded much on my 2016 Kona Private Jake; the stock components are genuinely superb. With the more recent models of Kona gravel bikes featuring sweep handlebars though, it suggested it would be a worthwhile upgrade to test. The Easton EA70 AX Handlebars are an alloy sweep bar aimed at the gravel and adventure market. The handlebar features the same top section as the well praised Easton EA70 road handlebar, but the drops flare out at 16 degrees to provide a wider grip for greater control on rough terrain and descents. Sweep bars come in varying degrees of angles, some with a very extreme flare. Easton deemed that a 16 degree flare was optimal for easy switching between hand p...

There is a plethora of bicycle disc brake pads on the market, but ask professional bike mechanics what their preferred option is, and SwissStop is often the popular choice. The brand produces disc brake pads for all kinds of bicycle; from road to cyclocross, and mountain bike. In this blog post I report back on my review findings after testing the complete range of SwissStop disc pads both off-road and on-road over the last year, with close to 25,000 kilometres of riding. SwissStop make four different models of disc brake pads: Green Organic, Yellow RS Racing, ExoTherm, and Silver Endurance. All of these pads are organic (not sintered) formula pads; providing a low noise and rotor-friendly contact with the disc brake rotor. All the pads are also designed to be stable at extremely high temperatures, such as those encountered on long mountain descents. The pads differ in the composition of the organic formula though, and also in the case of ExoTherm there is a different back panel. ...

I have been using oval chainrings on my road, gravel, and cyclocross bikes for six years now. I have tried multiple brands, and the offering from AbsoluteBLACK is one of the best designed and best value elliptical chainrings out there. I fitted the Narrow-Wide Absolute Black CX Premium Chainring to my Kona Private Jake to give it a thorough test. Oval chainrings claim a number of benefits: such as reduced fatigue, higher cadence, and more efficient power output. I have tested them on everything from ten mile time trials to my ultra-distance rides such as the Ride the Trafalgar Way and #BlackForest400 ; for me, the biggest notable different is a higher average cadence, especially when fatigued. A higher cadence means reduced strain on your muscles, a more efficient engine, and a faster ride; considering these notable benefits, I have taken to using oval chainrings on all my road and gravel bikes. The Absolute Black oval chainrings are a well thought out, and well-designed option ...

Even many high-end models come with hard rubber handlebar grips. One of the best upgrades you can make, in my opinion, is to switch these out to soft silicone foam grips like those made by USA brand ESI Grips. Silicone foam MTB grips offer improved cushioning, comfort, and grip compared to harder compound grips. Just like tyres, the softer compound increases the contact area between your gloves and the bars, and therefore reduces pressure points. Of course, the softer nature also helps to provide more cushioning from vibrations, which further enhances your ability to hold and control the handlebars. ESI Grips claim to be the ORIGINAL 100% silicone grip producer, and still make all of their products in the USA. Their range is extensive – with a variety of cushioning levels, and a variety of grip widths. I have tested the ESI Racer's Edge, ESI Fit XC, and the ESI Fit CR Grips. My favourite of the three is the Fit CR, which is a mix of 'Chunky' deep cushioning and the ...

It is common to hear " the best upgrade you can make to your bike is a new wheel set ". That is not strictly true, but undoubtedly good wheels ensure you get the most from your frame and components, and it is often the item skimped on when a manufacturer builds up a bike. I fitted the Dreckschleuder wheel set from German manufacturer Tune to my Kona Rove for the #RoadsFromRome . This, no question, was an incredible upgrade... Understanding wheel upgrades… Before jumping into the review proper, I think it helps to consider why a new wheel set could be an upgrade to a bike: Rolling Resistance - The first is rolling resistance, or rather the ability to reduce rolling resistance. Consider that every time your wheels rotate you are relying on the numerous bearings inside the hubs to make it as smooth and as friction-free as possible. Therefore good quality bearings, with good quality seals to keep out the friction-inducing muck, will make a huge difference to the effort-...

Some bells are better than their counterparts. Louder, clearer, more melodic, and crucially able to deal with repeated 'dinging'. I used to destroy those cheap plastic bicycle bells every few months on my commute (I am no shy dinger). But then I got sent a Spurcycle Bicycle Bell. It is the business. The Spurcycle Bicycle Bell is not cheap — it's £49.99 RRP. That means it needs to be damn durable to outlast the equivalent number of plastic bicycle bells that could have been purchased for the same amount of cash. This bike bell is a thing of beauty though, and really does tick all the boxes. The Spurcycle bell is precision made in the United States of America. It comes in a classic pure metal finish, or in a matt black coating. Its compact all-metal construction (even the strap that goes around the handlebar is metal) means that it looks and feels like it will last a lifetime of aggressive dinging. And, that dinging is a good ding... The Spurcycle bell sounds with a...