Life In The Saddle

Waterproof thermal cycling socks can be a great asset in the cold months of autumn and winter, especially on muddy and wet cyclocross and mountain bike rides. The new Bridgedale Waterproof Stormsock Thermal Socks are a great example. Overshoes are ideal on the road, and even for most off-road pursuits; but their capabilities are diminished if you are required to dismount and walk through mud or water; in these environments you find water and mud seeps in between shoe and cover, and quickly soaks your socks and feet. The solution I have found is waterproof cycling socks – these allow you to walk through anything up to ankle deep puddles, and retain warm and dry feet. The Bridgedale Stormsocks come in a variety of cuff lengths and thermal insulation levels; I have been testing the mid-range option; the Bridgedale Stormsock Midweight Boot, which is cut as a standard crew-length sock just above the ankle. The socks are made of a three layer construction: with a soft Terry pad provi...

GULP! That is the usual feeling when mid-race you look at your rear tyre and confirm the squidgy feeling... you've punctured. GUP (actually spelt GÜP) is a quick-fix sealant solution to get you back riding, fast. It is usable for tubes, tubeless, or tubular tyres. This is one product that you hope you will never need to use in earnest, and luckily to date I haven't had to trial it in a 'race' or 'ride' situation. However, to test its performance I did deploy a can of GÜP to fix a flat on a wheelbarrow, and another to simply inflate a tubeless MTB tyre whose sealant had dried up... Application is easy... Rest the bike against a wall or tree, and position the valve of the punctured wheel at the 12 o'clock position Unscrew the Presta valve about 3/4 of the way out (not the valve core, just the valve closing mechanism). Note: GUP also works with Schrader valves Place the can over the valve. DO NOT push can all the way up against the rim With one hand,...

Three days. Three stages. Three chances to explore the gravel roads in the beautiful Lucerne region of Switzerland. The TorTour Cyclocross Stage Race provides a lung bursting, leg busting challenge. The concept of the TorTour Cyclocross event is familiar to me; I rode the winter edition in 2017 in the Schaffhausen region just south of Zürich. That event featured snow, sub-zero temperatures, and a plethora of winter kit. This premiere edition of the Summer Cyclocross is in the foothills of the Alps, and delivers a contrasting mix of dust, grit, 'shark-tooth' climbs, and summertime temperatures. The Prologue The three-day event starts with a 20-kilometre prologue on the Friday evening. A chance to test the legs, or rather give them their first beating of the weekend. Short course racing has never been my forte, and my aim for this first stage was simply to stay safe and minimise time loses ahead of the longer stages. From the moment the start gun sounds it is a ...

Last February, I rode the TorTour Ultra-Cross Stage Race in Zürich. It entailed three stages of snow and sub-zero temperatures, but proved to be fantastic racing (read the report here). This year, I am heading to the Lucerne region of Switzerland for the inaugural TorTour Summer CX Ultra-Cross Stage Race. This is what I'm packing… The Event The TorTour CX is a three day programme: featuring a short prologue stage on the Friday afternoon, and then two longer weekend stages that head out into the challenging Swiss Alps. The total distance is 200 kilometres, almost entirely off-road on gravel paths and single-track. I haven't ridden in Lucerne before, but I have visited on family walking holidays. It is a beautiful and challenging landscape, with steep alpine peaks punctuated by azure blue lakes. Racing in February for the TorTour Winter CX demanded the best winter kit available; there aren't many situations where you are racing for four or five hours through the sno...

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...

This is why cyclocross is so very much boss...

I fitted the Vee Tire Co. Rail Tyres to my Kona Private Jake CX bike for testing a few weeks ago, and they have quite honestly revolutionised the ride. That bike has always been fast and capable, but this set of new treads has made it an off-road speed demon. The Vee Rail tyres mounted up easily on tubeless-specific Novatec rims, using the Lezyne Digital Pressure Overdrive Charger Pump . I used CaffeLatex sealant for both tyres, and both were inflated to 36 PSI (2.5bar) for testing (my standard cyclocross tubeless test pressure). The first thing that surprised me with the Rail tyres, was how fast they roll on tarmac. The tread pattern suggests that they should roll well, but they honestly feel as fast as a 32c semi slick tyre. Given their added volume and weight compared to skinnier treads, this is impressive. Head off-road though, and the Rail tyres really excel. On gravel they absorb the vibration and shock, thanks to their added volume and tubeless low pressures. On sand t...

Commuting on a bike is a great way to stay fit, relieve stress, and avoid the traffic. What is the best bicycle to commute on though? The most interesting, safe, and versatile option? I commute around 10 hours a week, which amounts to between 250-300 kilometres. I've been putting in these early morning and evening rides for over 5 years now, and have commuted on everything from a mountain bike, through to a single speed road bike. However, I now think that I've discovered the ideal commuting bike… the cyclocross bike. Getting 'cross I wrote a post last year on ' Getting 'Cross ', where I discussed a new found love of the world of mixed-surface riding on a cyclocross bike. What also quickly became evident after a few months of commuting on a cyclocross bike, was that it was an incredibly good bike to use for the job: more interesting, more robust, and more versatile than anything I'd used previously; as well as safer, in many respects. This yea...