Life In The Saddle

How far can we ride into the frozen wilderness? Will we experience comfort or despair under a blanket of snow? Will we find grip and traction on ice rink roads? Will we freeze? These questions, and many more alike, flash through our minds as we leave the port of Copenhagen — our ferry steaming ahead towards Oslo, the Norwegian fjords and the snow-covered forests beyond. An adventure into the unknown for three intrepid bikepacking musketeers. It is thick fog as we cruise into the Oslo fjord the following morning. The sun rises low in the sky, and we catch glimpses of the snow-covered landscape on the horizon. This is the land of the Vikings, and we'll need to summon their courage to ride out into the frozen wilderness. Our spiked ice tyres rumble on the tarmac as we head north west out of the city and into the hills. The roads soon empty of cars, and the snow deepens on the verges. It is not long before we leave the tarmac behind, ducking under a barrier that signals the start of a ...

Cyclists can be a difficult bunch to choose birthday and Christmas gifts for. I hope that this selection of products will offer some new and interesting options for stocking fillers or birthday gifts for the two-wheeled fanatic in your family or friend group. From bar tape to body lotion, and hip bags to hand torches; there is sure to be something in this gift list that would be a good present for the cyclist you know and love. Marvellous Maps Great Britain Adventure Map I love maps and I love adventure. This Great Britain Adventure Map provides incredibly detailed coverage of the best adventure possibilities that the UK has to offer. From ideas about hiking trips, to beaches, historic highlights, sea kayaking destinations, bicycle touring routes, and long-distance driving routes; there is sure to be something that tickles your fancy and inspires your next adventure. I have spent hours poring over it, and each time I find another highlight that I add to my bucket list of places to ex...

By popular demand, and after countless hours of testing, GripGrab has launched the new Explorer Waterproof Gravel Shoe Covers. Based on the popular Flandrien Road Shoe Covers , this off-road cousin brings style and waterproof functionality to off-road riding Following the launch and popularity of the Flandrien—which combines the retro style of the 'Belgian bootie' with modern waterproof technology—riders asked for a more robust off-road version that could put up with the demands of gravel riding. Now, with the launch of the GripGrab Explorer Waterproof Gravel Shoe Covers , that time has come. Hours of design work and in-the-field testing, through several generations of prototypes, have led to this new release from the Danish brand. Design and function The design, functionality and features of the Explorer Shoe Covers were meticulously developed in cooperation with enthusiast gravel riders (myself included)—providing feedback from numerous test rides in varying conditions. T...

Last year I wrote a post 'What's in Your Gravel Adventure Handlebar Bag?' – it proved to be popular, perhaps because it provided a glimpse into my personal choices for my ride support kit. In this post, I turn to my road riding set-up, which is distinctly different from my gravel bike bag—with a lighter weight and more streamlined kit.  An obvious difference with my road handlebar bag is that to keep weight down, I also use a saddlebag on my road bike to house my tool kit, spare tube and repair kit. I also store my pump on the frame of my road bike rather than in the handlebar bag—to further distribute weight. I do not do these two things on a gravel bike because these two areas tend to receive too much in the way of wheel spray and muck. Omitting the tool kit from the line-up, you will see that my adventure road cycling handlebar bag is also subtly different in design and contents… Apidura Racing Handlebar Bag Mini Pack I have long admired Apidura kit, and their new ...