Life In The Saddle

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 Lonely Planet rated the Isle of Wight as one of the best places in the world to explore by mountain bike; it might not have mountains, but it has hundreds of miles of fantastic natural trails with a wide variety of terrain, and spectacular views. I have been riding a mountain bike on the Isle of Wight trails for as long as I have been walking, and I can safely say I have explored every bridleway and bike path the Island has to offer. These five routes link up my personal favourite sections and paths; with a range of lengths and intensities to cater to different rider abilities. For routes for Gravel Bikes and Road Cycling, check out my other Explore-IOW posts. Wight Mountain Bike Route #1 — Red Squirrel Trail Difficulty – Easy Distance – 22.5 kilometres (14 miles) Elevation Profile – Flat (170 metres elevation gain) The Red Squirrel Trail is a signposted family friendly mountain biking route on the Isle of Wight. The below selection of the route is a circular loop sta...

There are few backpack brands that have so rich a heritage as Deuter; and there are probably no other mountain biking backpacks that have the prestige of the Deuter Trans Alpine Pro. I have always known someone that has one of these iconic go-anywhere packs, then this year I had the chance to own and test one myself. Here is my review… The Deuter Trans Alpine Pro 28 is designed for epic adventures. The rugged design, extensive storage options, comfortable back system harness, and bike-specific features create a backpack that will carry your kit safely and securely on explorations into the most testing terrain. A Comfortable Carry  The harness design is the thing that sets great mountain biking backpacks apart from good ones. The Deuter Trans Alpine Pro 28 features a superbly comfortable back system—combining Deuter's AirStripes technology with Air-Mesh shoulder and waist straps. Anatomically shaped breathable shoulder straps adjust to your torso, while a sternum strap and 'h...

Bike frames, whether made from carbon fibre or steel are surprisingly robust—they can withstand big drops, heavy loads, and the constant pounding of rough terrain. What they do not deal so well with are the stone chips, cable rub, and pinpoint impacts that can occur during everyday use. These are a few simple tricks to help protect your bike frame from damage—helping to prolong its strength and life. Chips and cracks on bike frames and paintwork are most likely to occur in a few select areas. The chainstays and downtube are prime subjects; where chain slap and pebble dash bombard the frame. Luckily, there are a few inexpensive and neat tricks that you can do to protect your bike frame. Chainstay Protection Most people know that the drive-side chainstay on a bike is vulnerable to chain slap—that annoying clacking as you ride over rough surfaces and the chain bounces on the stay. At best it will chip the paint—at worst it could cause more serious frame damage. On any frame it...

My first pair of full-carbon road cycling shoes came from Suplest—they were superb. The Swiss brand paused distribution to the UK for some time, but now they are back; with that, the Suplest Crosscountry Edge+ Pro Off-Road Cycling Shoes, featuring BOA's new IP1 closure system, flashed up on my radar as a strong candidate for the top spot in the gravel and off-road cycling shoe category. The Swiss always seem to make exceptional kit. It is a cliché—but it is true, in my opinion: Motorex —the best bicycle cleaners and lubes; Victorinox —the best knives in the world; SwissStop —the best brake pads in the world. The country prides itself on first-class workmanship, which shines through in the attention to detail in design, and in the faultless execution of their products. Suplest, is no exception… The new Suplest Crosscountry Edge+ Pro Off-Road Cycling Shoes take an innovative approach to fit and function—helped in no small part by great collaborations with BOA dials, Solestar in...

There is nothing quite like the feeling of stumbling in from a freezing winter ride and resting up in front of a roaring log fire with a plate of steaming hot pub food in front of you. Equally, a sunny summer beer garden is one of the best places to relax. The Isle of Wight is fortunate to have many superb country pubs that make ideal rest stops on a cycling tour. This blog post looks at my seven favourites… The Pointer Inn, Newchurch For many years this was my local, but that did not stop me calling in there for a post ride meal on many occasions. Serving up incredible home-cooked food, and with a classic country pub atmosphere; it is a wonderful place to stop whatever the time of year, with its warm cosy fires for the winter and large beer garden for the summer months. I heartedly recommend Rob's 'Newchurch Pie'—the pub's signature dish. The Buddle Inn, Niton Riding the Undercliff Road from Ventnor to Niton is a pure delight—even more so now it has been shut t...

Giro have always been pioneers of interesting cycling shoe designs. Giro Empire road shoes rekindled a passion for lace-up cycling shoes, and now the Giro Code Techlace MTB shoes take things one step further; with a tri-closure system of laces, Velcro, and a BOA dial. These off-road shoes were my choice for the #CelticCrossTrail tour because of their superb comfort and performance. I have always liked Giro shoes. Look back on my previous long distance trans-continental tours, and you will spot that I wore Giro Privateer MTB Shoes for both the #CoastsandCols tour and the #7Countries7Passes . The Giro designs always seem to fit well, and most importantly they go the distance; providing comfort and durability. The new Giro Code Techlace MTB Shoes follow the trend. The Giro Code Techlace is a mountain biking evolution of the Giro Techlace shoe, which was launched by Giro in 2018. The Techlace concept uses laces attached to a Velcro tab for the two front closures on the shoe; this s...

There are few things that stop me from riding my bike. Icy roads though, instil fear into my mind. Cycling with spiked tyres on a bicycle is something that I have never explored before; but on realising they could provide the solution to the risk and fear associated with ice covered roads and trails, I was interested to test them out. I have been riding the Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro MTB tyres in some challenging conditions, to see if they deliver… I decided that the roads of the Isle of Wight did not provide enough of a testing ground to explore the capabilities of the Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro. So, to find out what they were able to offer, I headed to the frozen land of Norway, in January. Three days of 'Ice Biking' started from the city of Oslo. It wasn't long after rolling (noisily) off the ferry from Denmark that we found our first ice rink bike paths. Normally, the sheet ice spread across these paths would have me wincing in fear; but, miraculously, I had traction… ...