Life In The Saddle

"A peloton of Wiggle riders headed out from Wiggle HQ yesterday, and joined Mark Beaumont as he rode into Portsmouth on the first leg of his 'Round Britain Training Ride'. Mark is preparing for this 'Round the World in 80 Days' record attempt later this year, and Wiggle are thrilled to be supporting him!"

Three days of mud, gravel, sub-zero temperatures, and flat-out racing. An invitation to ride the world's first ever cyclocross stage race, seemed like an opportunity that couldn't be missed... Race Report: Stage 2 - 74km - 1,530m elevation I pushed from the gun - trying to hold my own in the front group.  I didn't quite push hard enough though; before long, the five front-runners had got a gap, and I was left in the chasing pack. Nothing for it... solo bridge time. It turned out to be a long bridge to cross. Almost an hour of sitting at threshold, trying desperately to regain the wheel of the last rider in the group ahead. Eventually I made junction. Exhausted; I clung to the wheels. By now the two professional riders were long gone into the distance, and our small second group comprised of two Swiss junior riders (one the U23 National Champ), a super-strong German, and myself.  Up. Up. Up. Today was a day of hunting vertical. From vineyards, through ...

My Eastway Emitter R0 is a truly custom build. At the start of 2016, we decided to do something a bit different with Team Wiggle bikes; rather than have identical loan bikes for the year, we would each have a frameset, and be responsible for building it up ourselves. The idea allowed us to choose parts that truly fitted our style of riding, and that were optimal for purpose. My Eastway Emitter is built up for endurance road riding, and has a distinctly Italian theme. The build kit features a Campagnolo Record mechanical groupset; as well as Campagnolo Zonda 2-way Fit wheels, fitted with Hutchinson tubeless road tyres (Read my blog on ' Going Tubeless on Road Tyres '). The finishing kit comes from fi'zi:k; whilst accessories come from LifeLine, Scicon Bags and Bar Fly. It might not be the lightest or most high-tech build, but it is comfortable and reliable. You need good reliable kit when you're riding  200 mile unsupported missions , and travelling abroad for ...

It's 5:03am: I'm rolling out. The weather man wasn't kidding when he said it would be raining. It's hammering it down. Lights on, stomach full of porridge and coffee; it is time for a Spring Classic. The plan is simple. Ride to the Yarmouth ferry, and cross to Lymington; then ride up to the start of the Wiggle New Forest Spring Sportive near Lyndhurst; ride the route; then, ride home. 200 miles. Simple. The first 30 kilometre leg is wet; as the weather man had warned it would be. I arrive at Yarmouth with sodden shorts and dripping gloves. Thank goodness for Castelli Nanoflex warmers and Gore Windstopper technology; at least most of my body is still warm and functioning. On the ferry I dry my gloves with the hand dryer in the toilets; then pull out the route map, and plan the next 295 kilometres left to ride. Rolling northwards through the forest, the clouds begin to clear. The sun is coming up, and I'm beginning to get a bit of feeling in my hands and feet ...

Some GoPro footage from our Team Wiggle week in the Dolomites at the Giro Delle Dolomiti. Read the full blog here (Link)

The Dolomites hold a special place in my memory. A camping holiday at the foot of Mount Marmolada, well over a decade ago, is one of the first family vacations that I can really recall. The craggy peaks, green valleys and glaciers of the Dolomite Mountains struck me with awe, even at the age of eight. I was sure that coming back to the region for this year’s Giro Delle Dolomiti stage race, would re-ignite my love of the place… it did! The Dolomites and the Alto Adige are two mountain areas that sit in the South Tyrol region of Italy. SüdTirol has an interesting history; it used to be part of Austria, before it was claimed by Italy following the First World War. The loss of the region was a major blow to the Austrians, as it is an area that is rich in resources, fertile land, and has also always been a famed holiday destination, notably with Austrian royalty. South Tyrol has also always been a fantastic place for outdoor pursuits. Its mild climate, mountains and valleys, make ever...