Life In The Saddle

Christmas and birthday gift ideas for cyclists can be tricky, especially when the two-wheeled fanatic in your life seems to have a wardrobe packed full of cycling kit and more bikes and bike parts than you could possibly imagine necessary. In this post, I look at some alternative gift ideas for cyclists, focussing on the adventure cycling and bikepacking niche. All these products are gadgets and accessories that I have tried and tested on recent adventures, and that I believe would make great gifts for the bike rider in your life. LifeSaver Wayfarer Water Purifier Earlier this year I visited Sri Lanka – a country where even many locals choose not to drink the tap water for fear of contaminants. Purchasing and carrying bottled mineral water with you can be difficult and tiresome though, so a high quality water filter is the easiest (and most environmentally friendly) solution. The Lifesaver Wayfarer Water Purifier is made in Britain and claims to be ' the world's safest ...

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 ...

Camping and cycle touring or bikepacking are the perfect ways to explore this summer—offering a sustainable, hassle-free, and low-cost adventure.  From my experience on past bikepacking tours and camping trips, I have compiled this list of my Top 10 products for both outdoor pursuits. It is a mix of compact gadgets and more luxurious accessories—all of which can help make your camping experience that much more enjoyable.  1 – Voited CloudTouch Camp Blanket  This is the ultimate camp blanket—if I had one as a Scout, I would have been the envy of the entire troop. It is insulated, water and stain resistance, machine washable, and made from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles.  The CloudTouch 4-in-1 PillowBlanket is a luxurious outdoor blanket that is built to last. It uses recycled 50D Ripstop REPREVE® on one side, and luxurious CloudTouch™on the other. CloudTouch™ is a 100 percent recycled high-loft insulation fabric that is soft and fluffy, with the feel of real wo...

The new Rapha Handlebar Bag has fast become a favourite bikepacking 'day ride' handlebar bag. Rather than just write a product review of this compact handlebar bag though, I thought I would also look inside—to see what comes with me on a solo self-sufficient gravel ride. This is my pack of essentials to keep you riding all day… It has become increasingly important for us to become self-sufficient on our rides; the outbreak of Coronavirus in March 2020 closed most shops, cafes, and even public conveniences, as well as making solo riding a necessity. Luckily, experience with off-road and back-of-beyond bicycle touring has taught me a few tricks to avoid needing to depend on support or re-supply stops when out on the road or trail. I used to favour a saddlebag as my on-bike bag for carrying spares and tools, but that choice has evolved over time; a small handlebar bag does not restrict your view of the front wheel at all, it is a lot more accessible than a saddlebag, and it...

I have been testing several products from Nite Ize over the last few months, and this handlebar phone mount is a fantastic little accessory to keep your smartphone secure and visible on your handlebars when you ride. As with other Nite Ize products that I have had on review , it also has an impressive quality level and some neat features. The design of the handlebar phone mount is simple: silicone straps wrap around the four corners of your smartphone; then the mount itself straps to a handlebar (or pushchair bar) using a universal wrist watch style adjustable strap. When strapped in place, the phone can be fully rotated to allow you to either use the unit in landscape or portrait mode, or to mount the holder to either a horizontal bar or one pointing directly ahead (such as a bike's stem). Once in the holder and mounted to the bars, the phone feels secure. I have used this on off-road bike rides, and the phone remains safely in the mount. It is also impressive how well the str...

The Nite Ize Radiant 750 Front Bike Light is a compact but powerful rechargeable LED bicycle light; ideal for frequent commuting, or as an auxiliary light for longer rides on unlit roads. Its highlights include the simple and universal tool-free mount, and the superb build quality. The Nite Ize Radiant 750 puts out 750 lumens on maximum power and will last for two hours run time in that high output mode. On low power mode it lasts 17 hours, at 75 lumens brightness — this lower power output is not enough to light up an unlit road, but it is certainly enough to 'be seen'. The front bike light mounts using a universal tool-free wristwatch-style strap handlebar mount, which the light then slides into. The box also includes a helmet mount — providing plenty of versatile mounting options. It also works great as a torch off the bike. The build quality of the Nite Ize Radiant 750 is high, and the unit is weather resistant and robust in feel. The internal lithium ion battery rec...

Bicycle riders can be a tricky bunch to buy gifts for. This 2019 gift selection could provide some great ideas for cycling gifts. Not all of them are two-wheel specific, but all of them are fun and useful presents for a cyclist in your life. Nite Ize Doohikey Key Chain Mini Pen-Knife This great little knife clips to your keys and provides you with a compact blade for those essential tasks. Whether it is cutting cable ties on your event numbers, or unpackaging the endless supply of cycling kit and components that arrives at your door; this sharp little locking blade is a super little companion. I personally find it especially useful for trimming tubeless tyre plugs and cutting race numbers down to size. >>  Shop the Nite Ize Doohikey Key Chain Knife here  << Smoove Universal Chain Lube This is my go-to bicycle chain lube; whether riding road, gravel, or mountain bike, and whatever the conditions. It uses a unique wax-based formula that completely...