Life In The Saddle

A question often asked in the bikepacking and cycle touring community is “ how do you keep clean and maintain good personal hygiene on a multi-day cycle tour? ” The secret for me, lies with a few products and techniques. These are my tips for healthcare, hygiene and skincare on bike touring expeditions. The first thing to consider is the potential problem areas for hygiene and healthcare when clocking a lot of miles in the saddle. All these problems can be traced back to three root causes: bacteria, weather, and bodily fatigue. These three factors solely or jointly cause issues like saddle sores, infection, sunburn, windburn, and gastrointestinal discomfort. To protect from and help cure the above ailments, I use a simple choice of products that come with me on most bicycle touring adventures… 1. Mum&You Biodegradable Baby Wet Wipes These wipes are an essential for cleaning yourself and your equipment when on a bicycle tour. You can use them to wipe away sweat and bacteri...

We put our bodies through a tough time when we are out on the bike or head out into the wild. Our muscles might feel the strain, but you should also consider what the wind-burn, abrasion, UV-rays, and cold temperatures can do to your skin. Here are some top tips for looking after your skin when you are enjoying an active outdoor lifestyle.   My featured brand in this piece is Weleda—who make by far the nicest and most effective range of natural skincare products that I have found to date. They are sustainably sourced, feature organic ingredients, and hold zero micro-plastics or petrochemicals. Lip Balms and Barrier Creams  Throughout the year I apply Weleda Skin Food Lip Balm before a ride. This natural balm helps to avoid painful chapped lips caused by windburn and sunshine.   In the wintertime, I use Weleda's Weather Protection Cream—it creates a unique natural protective barrier from the drying effects of the winter elements. In the summer, I compliment this with th...

It is an often-asked question by non-cyclists: why do male cyclists shave their legs? Is it for speed, is it for aerodynamics, is it hygiene, or is it style? Or is it just tradition? I have been removing my leg hair for over a decade, and it has become second nature now. Yet, when asked the reason for doing so, it is often hard to pin down an exact motivation. In this blog post, I thought I would try and sum-up my Top 5 reasons for why cyclists shave their legs: reasons from my own personal experience of riding a bike—both clean-shaven and hairy legged. (1) Hygiene For me, the main reason that cyclists should shave their legs is hygiene. If you have ever been tasked with cleaning the alloy wheels of a car, you will know how hard it is to remove the baked-on layer of brake dust, oil, road salt and general road grime. The front wheel of a bike sprays a cyclist's legs with a similar concoction of nasties when they ride on the road, as well as potentially a more rank mixture when...

Your skin takes a battering when you ride in all weather — in the summer sun you can be left burnt and overheated; in the winter winds you can be left cold and dried out. The new range of skincare products from UK brand Bullet and Bone is designed for active sports; providing preparation, protection and recovery for you skin and muscles. The range consists of four products: Muscle Activating Rub, Vapour Release Balm, Protective Moisturising Spray, and Cooling Recovery Body Wash. All of the products are designed with a specific purpose that should provide comfort and enhanced performance when taking part in active sports. Bullet and Bone Muscle Activating Rub The Bullet and Bone Muscle Activating Rub contains natural ingredients such as ginger, tea tree, and black pepper, which give it a subtle and pleasant smell compared to many warming balms on the market. The natural warming effect comes from the ginger and black pepper extracts, while the willow bark and clary extracts hel...

There is a lot you can tell about your body, from the outside. Dark sunken eyes suggest fatigue; cramps suggest dehydration; yellow skin suggests anaemia. Yet, there is a huge amount that cannot be identified or seen without looking deeper within: underlying health problems, weaknesses and illness; these are far more likely to show up in your blood, even if you look and feel okay superficially. ForthEdge offers a unique service: blood profiling, by post. Blood accounts for about seven percent of human bodyweight, but it is critical to every bodily function we perform. It is also an incredible resource to learn about our bodies. The bio-markers contained within our blood cells can provide valuable information on everything from vitamin balance to hormone levels. For a bike rider, the health of your inner bodily system is fundamental, and profiling your blood is the most effective way to monitor and understand it. I was recently contacted by the UK based blood profiling company...