Life In The Saddle

Earlier in the season I reviewed the Club Jersey from UK brand Chapeau ; it was an impressive introduction to the cycle clothing brand. The Club Bib Shorts and Etape SS Jersey are the range-topping offering from the brand, and they are exceptional in more ways than one… Race Specification Fit The race fit is the thing you will immediately recognise when pulling on the Etape Jersey and Club Bib Shorts for the first time. These are some of the best fitting and most comfortable pieces of cycling kit that I have tried to date. I selected the same size in the Etape kit as I had in the Club jersey (Small), but it is far more form fitting and race-orientated in its cut and design. The jersey has a close cut profile, with a deeper rear hem and longer sleeves to accommodate a more aggressive position on the bike. The bib shorts are a great length in the thigh, but still have a good compression feel, and the bib straps are comfortable and stretchy enough to accommodate different rider h...

Kask make some of the best bicycle helmets in the world, for some of the best riders in the world; look no further than Team Sky, Wiggle High5, or Jeremy Powers. The Valegro helmet is their latest release, and pushes boundaries in terms of comfort, performance, and Italian style. The Valegro was developed with input from Team Sky Pro Cycling, and is designed to provide the best comfort and ventilation when cycling in hot conditions, and particularly when climbing mountains at lower speeds. The shape of the helmet was crafted in the wind-tunnel, but rather than the sole focus being on aerodynamics there was also a consideration of how the airflow was working to cool the head of the rider; looking at creating effective through-flow that encourages cooling and is aerodynamically efficient. To facilitate "thermo-cooling" Kask have placed 37 ventilation holes on the Valegro helmet, which is more than on their previous models. These vents whip air through the helmet at spee...

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...