Life In The Saddle

For over five years I have been using a Wahoo ELEMNT for daily rides, trans-continental bike tours, and everything in between; it has done the job admirably, but it hasn't been perfect. Earlier this year, I was introduced to the Hammerhead Karoo 2 GPS Cycling Computer. I was intrigued. This American brand has produced a cycling computer with the power and screen quality of a modern mobile phone, and with some very neat features. After a few months of testing, this is my review… The Hardware Before diving into the functionality of the Hammerhead Karoo 2 GPS, it is worth considering the unit itself and the hardware that it is composed of. The Karoo 2 uses a 3.2" HD colour screen, with 292 PPI; that is significantly more definition than any other cycling computer I have used to date. The unit is housed in a lightweight polycarbonate shell, with the option to customise the colour with add-on kits—as I have done with the funky orange colourway! Inside, there are high-performance ...

Bellroy make brilliant products. From their All Conditions Phone Pocket and Card Wallet that come with me on everyday adventures, to their Passport Wallet  and holdalls for travel further afield. The new Bellroy Laptop Caddy is a fantastic addition to the range, which is perfect for transporting your laptop from home to boardroom, whether in your bicycle pannier or rucksack. Neoprene laptop sleeves are easy and cheap to come by, but after a year of daily use and abuse they will look tatty and stained. The Bellroy Laptop Caddy uses a wipe clean fabric, with a water-resistant zip, to create a protective compartment for your electronics that keeps them safe from dust, moisture and dirt. It has stayed looking smart and presentable after intensive daily use. When unzipped, the front panel of the Bellroy Laptop Caddy hinges down to reveal a smart organisational compartment; with stretch mesh pockets designed to house your mouse, pens, charger cables and plug. This innovative design...

This autumn, I have been testing out three of the latest lights from Lezyne – a brand that I have relied upon heavily in the past to provide reliable, long-lasting and high-powered illumination of my rides. The trio of lights that I have on test from Lezyne is comprised of the Lezyne Micro Helmet Drive Pro 800XL, the Lezyne Lite Drive 1000XL headlight and the new Lezyne Strip Pro Alert Drive rear light. I have been consistently impressed by the individual performance of all three lights, as well as how well they work together in tandem to increase your visibility and provide superb illumination of the trail or road ahead. Review – Lezyne Micro Helmet Drive Pro 800XL First up is the lightweight but powerful helmet mounting Lezyne Micro Helmet Drive Pro 800XL. The Helmet Drive has that distinctive Lezyne CNC-machined shell, with built in cooling fins for heat management and optimal performance; it mounts to your helmet using a versatile Velcro mounting strap with a plastic composi...

See.Sense is a cycling technology and data company from Northern Ireland; since 2015 I have tested three different versions of their award-winning bike lights , and the new ICON3 is their latest and most developed bike light set. The brand has used their eight years of experience to produce what is undeniably one of the smartest and technically developed bike lights available. As with previous See.Sense models , the ICON3 was released after a successful campaign of crowdfunding on Indiegogo; the campaign smashed the original funding targets – testament to the number of bike riders and investors that believe in the See.Sense product. As the new flagship model within the See.Sense range, the ICON3 is crammed with even more tech than the preceding models. It comes equipped with increased brightness and smarter features, as well as USB-C charging and a new 'twist and lock' mount system. The ICON3 is 20 percent brighter than its predecessor: pumping out 350 lumens from the re...

I have been using a set of Aftershokz bone conduction headphones daily, ever since I reviewed the Bluez2 headphones back in 2015. The Shokz OpenRun Pro headphones are the re-branded and most up to date model within the Shokz range. This latest model offers a few notable updates over its predecessor – the Aftershoz Aeropex. The updates include better sound quality, a better noise-cancelling microphone, quick-charge functionality, and an outstanding ten hours of runtime. In short, these new headphones take an already exceptional product and improve upon it. About Bone Conduction Headphones Bone conduction headphones allow for an open ear listening experience—where the headphones sit next to the ear, rather in the ear like an earbud. The result is that your ear canals are kept clear, so you keep your ambient sound listening capabilities—a vital safety consideration for cyclists and runners, as well as a necessity for optimum balance and stability. Back in 2015, with the Aftershokz Bluez2 ...

The Shanren Miles Cycling Computer is marketed as "your first GPS bike computer” – a budget level GPS cycling computer that evolved from a Kickstarter campaign, and has since developed into an impressive budget product offering. The Shanren Miles GPS retails for just $89.99 and features full ANT+ and Bluetooth connectivity for speed, cadence, heart rate and power meters. The Miles GPS also claims to be the world's first GPS computer to feature a power estimation feature that can compute real-time and normalized power without a meter fitted to your bike. While the Shanren brand is not as well-known as companies such as Garmin, Lezyne, or Wahoo, they seem to be making some impressive ground. First Glance The Shanren Miles GPS has a non-touch screen 2.1" LCD display. There are three physical buttons located on the bottom edge of the GPS that have different actions depending on the active screen. The primary actions for each button are: Left Button (Data Display / Record Ride...

The Moon Meteor Storm Dual Bike Light is one of the most technically advanced and versatile front LED bicycle lights on the market in 2020. Featuring two different tone LEDs for enhanced daylight and night-time visibility; a powerful output to illuminate the road or trail; and a highly impressive battery life—the Meteor Storm Dual could be the only front light that you need for year-round bike riding. Straight out of the box, the Moon Meteor Storm Dual feels and looks like a well-made lighting unit. The CNC aluminium case is a compact size to fit on your handlebars; it is fully waterproof and sealed; and it comes with a secure quick release handlebar mount, a helmet mount, and a remote function control button. The light features 2 CREE XM-L high brightness LEDs—one of which is a warmer yellow colour to help with visibility in foggy, misty, or wet weather conditions—by reducing glare. This neat development works very well indeed, and it is simple to change between the 'warm whi...

There are some bicycle components that impress me straight out of the box—the Moon Nebula Rear Light is one such product. Beautifully made, with an impressive 200 lumen output, and an outstanding battery life; this is one of the best rear bicycle lights I have had on review to date. The Moon Nebula has a sleek aluminium body and a featherweight profile of just 44 grams. The slimline casing holds one 50 chip LED—that has an impressive lumen output and offers particularly good side visibility. The Nebula comes with a plethora of attachment options. First there is the Universal Strap Mount, which allows you to securely attach the rear light to any shape or diameter seat-post or seat-stay—whether oval or round. You then also get a belt clip and saddle rail mount—to supply even greater versatility. The Nebula has four steady modes and four flashing modes—toggled between using the mode/power button. The 'memory mode' function means the light stays in your last used mode when it is po...

The Aftershokz X-Trainerz MP3 Player Headphones use an open-ear listening design utilising the same superb bone-conduction technology found in the Aftershokz Aeropex Headphones (reviewed last month) . This model is different in that it is designed as a stand-alone MP3 player, particularly suitable for swimming. The Aftershokz Aeropex have very quickly become my favourite headphones for cycling and running ( read the review here ); they offer incredible sound quality, but with the phenomenal benefit of not affecting your ambient noise hearing or balance. The Aftershokz X-trainer attracted my attention because of this positive experience, and because I was looking for a set of headphones to use for water sports—when I do not have a Bluetooth phone/MP3 player connection to hand. The X-Trainerz is IP68 waterproof rated and designed so that it is compatible with swimming goggles, caps, and earplugs. It has a standalone 4GB file storage capacity and supports all major audio file format...

A phone is an essential piece of equipment for a bike ride. Cyclists use their phones for staying connected, calling in emergencies, and documenting their adventures. A good phone case is a well justified accessory though, as the life of a smartphone can be a tough one in a cyclist’s jersey pocket. The Otterbox Defender Case is a quality modular bumper phone case, which supplies superb drop protection and functionality for your iPhone. I am familiar with the Otterbox brand, having used their Defender case on an iPad for several years. That case has saved the iPad from many drops, knocks, and spills; even when the device has been carried to work in a pannier on a daily cycle commute. It was with this familiarity and reliability in mind that I selected the Otterbox Defender as my choice for a robust phone case to keep my smartphone safe on cycling adventures. The latest Otterbox Defender case features several great upgrades, as well as keeping all the winning qualities of the old...

I have been using a set of Aftershokz bone conduction headphones daily, ever since I reviewed the Bluez2 headphones back in 2015. The Aftershokz Aeropex is the brand's latest release model and offers several notable upgrades: including IP67 waterproofing, a lighter and slimmer frame, and an outstanding improvement in clarity and unit functionality. Bone conduction headphones allow for open ear listening—where the headphone sits next to the ear rather than featuring an earbud that blocks the ear canal. The result is that you keep your ambient sound listening capabilities—a vital safety consideration for cyclists, as well as being necessary for optimum balance and stability. Even back in 2015, with the Aftershokz Bluez2 headphones, I was impressed by the Aftershokz bone conduction open-ear technology. I remember being sceptical whether the sound would be comparable to normal headphones, but I was amazed by the clarity of the audio. The small downfalls of the Bluez2 model were s...