Life In The Saddle

Earlier this year I tested the LedLenser MT10 Handheld Torch , and I was extremely impressed by the quality and design of the unit. More recently, I have been trying out another product from the Outdoor range in the German brand's line-up - the MH10 Headtorch. The LedLenser MH10 is designed to be a versatile and lightweight headtorch; ideal for walking, running and many other outdoor pursuits. Unlike a lot of headtorches that integrate the battery into the lamp unit itself, the MH10 has a separate battery pack on the rear; this has a number of advantages... Firstly, it means the battery pack can be larger; facilitating a massive run time of 120 hours on low power mode, and six hours on high power. Second, it makes the headtorch a lot more balanced on your head; providing greater comfort and reducing the need to over-tighten the strap to avoid bounce. Thirdly, it has allowed LedLenser to put a small red light on the battery pack, to give a surprisingly effective aid to rear vi...

The range of handheld and head torches from LedLenser are market-leading, in terms of quality, technology and performance. The MT10 handheld torch is one of their latest releases, aimed at the outdoor adventurer looking for a compact and powerful handheld torch. It might seem odd that I am featuring a handheld torch on Life In The Saddle, given that it doesn't come with bike-light attachments. The reasoning is that with a little adapting, this could be a superb bike light or helmet light; equally, as it stands it is a great light to use for camping, touring and adventuring - all things that many cyclists enjoy. Meet the M10 The M10 is the mid-range handheld torch in the LedLenser Outdoor line-up. The unit has a 1,000 lumen max light output, which lasts for 6 hours. On the low power efficiency setting the light has an incredible 144 hours burn time. Clever lighting technology The beam on the LedLenser M10 has an adjustable focus; so you can pinpoint in on an area a lon...

Last week, I reviewed the Znex  Notstrøm Power Bank ; an innovative portable power source for USB devices, which looks and feels much like a hand pump, but will deliver 10,000mAh of charge. The ØM3 front light, is another tool from the German brand Znex, which partners with the Notstrøm to provide a compact and well made night riding light. The ØM3 uses 3 CREE XM-L LED bulbs, which pump out 950 lumen on maximum power. Combined with the high capacity Notstrøm battery, the light will run on that maximum power setting for just over four hours (impressive!), and then for another hour in reserve (activated by switching the light back on after it has "run down"). The unit is pretty light at just 150 grams for the head unit and 290 grams for the Notstrøm; it is also made from aircraft grade aluminium, so it's robust and waterproof, too. The light has four modes: low, medium, high and ultra-high; and you can toggle between them using the illuminated button on the rear of th...

The photo to the right was taken as I raced into London at the end of the Trafalgar Way ride . After 300 miles non-stop, eight counties and a hell of a lot of wind, rain and hills, the last thing I wanted to worry about was lights. Luckily the NiteRider Lumina 400 works faultlessly. NiteRider is a brand which I have to admit wasn't overly familiar to me before I read up on it a bit; in short though, it's a brand that triumphs quality, practicality and compact designs, for everything from commuting lights to high performance off-road lights. The Lumina 400 falls pretty much in the middle of NiteRider's range; it's not super powerful, but it's compact and not too hard on the wallet. It makes a perfect commuting light, which has the power to be used on unlit roads as well. Straight out of the smart packaging, the Lumina looks and feels like a quality light. The ribbed outer casing promises to help dispel heat build up, whilst the ports, button and lens look...

Dawn breaks over Pendennis Point, Falmouth, one of the most westerly towns in the UK. Overnight an Atlantic storm has battered our hotel, and whilst the rain has ceased for now, the wind is still extreme. Time to start a bike ride to London. The Trafalgar Way holds a lot of heritage, especially for someone that has grown up near the Victory in Portsmouth. In 1805, when Admiral Nelson died in the battle of Trafalgar, Lieutenant Lapenotiere rode non-stop along this route from Pendennis Point to Admiralty House in Whitehall, London. The journey took him 37 hours and he used 21 horses. I planned to attempt it on a push-bike, in 24 hours. Joining me on the journey was a team of riders that would do certain legs of the course with me, as well as a support crew in a camper-van and a film crew. It was to be a real team effort. We headed out of Falmouth, down the cobbled high street and up into the hills behind the town. The weather was mild, and the wind was from behind, all set for ...

Most of the time when I’m out night riding I use a Hope Vision 2 front light ; it’s a quality piece of kit that at 480 lumens packs a good punch for lighting the road or trail. However, Wiggle recently had a batch of lights in for staff to test and the Lezyne Megadrive jumped out at me as an impressive bit of kit, so I've been giving it a trial out on the bike. Let’s start with the unit itself. Compared to the Hope V2 head unit (which has an external battery pack), the Megadrive is heftier both in terms of size and weight. Sat on your handlebars it is a noticeable presence, and takes up a fair bit of handlebar real-estate. However, the weight and size is there for a good reason; this self contained unit is made of beautifully CNC machined aluminium, with a self contained battery pack: It is built to last. This follows a theme with all Lezyne products I have tested; Lezyne pumps  are similarly made to a superb quality level and can be seen as a long term investment, as op...

Many of you will have heard about the hit-and-run accident that I had at the end of January: riding down Leamington Spa High Street, a car parked on my side of the road (but facing towards me) pulled out into my line of traffic and hit me head on.  The total impact speed must have been around 30 mph, and resulted in me laying on the road, front wheel buckled, bike in tatters, and the driver of the car nowhere in sight. The accident got me thinking: Perhaps wearing bright yellow team kit is not enough to be seen these days... Perhaps Fluoro is coming back into fashion for a reason... Perhaps my commuting gear isn't bright enough... The more I considered these questions, the more I started observing cyclists on my daily commute into uni; poor lights, black coats, black rucksacks, black bikes... the list goes on, but what it boils down to is that some cyclists don't help themselves. Well, my Wightlink-LCM team kit is pretty darn bright, but I decided that even I could do...

Hope made it into my list of 'Favourite Bike Brands'  for a good reason; their equipment is flawlessly made, to the highest level in their UK factory. Having been so impressed by my Pro 2 hubs, the Hope Vision 2 front light was a favourable choice when I was looking for a light to use for the Chain Reaction Mountain Bike Night Marathon in Ruthin last weekend. Straight from the box the light doesn't disappoint, it is beautifully made from robust and strong, precision CNC machined stainless. The light comes from two high power LEDs, which on full chat will push out 480 lumens of light. In my opinion, and experience of going down some bloody big Welsh mountains in the dark with this light, this candle-power is easily enough for almost all night riding. The handlebar mount is secure and well made, with a superb quick release clamp allowing good grip on the bar, far better than the perishable rubber bands that are used on some cheaper lights to secure the lamp unit. Cha...