Life In The Saddle

I have a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife that has featured in my 'every day carry' for almost a decade; it still performs like new and is an invaluable asset. I recently discovered that the Swiss brand makes a bike tool, and I was keen to see if it lives up to the same exacting Swiss standard. The Victorinox Bike Tool is effectively a mini socket set: the magnetic 5mm hex key detaches from the tool holder and then you fit any bit piece to it: the range includes 2-6mm hex keys, a T25 Torx key, and flat and cross-head screwdriver bits. All the bit pieces are made from high tensile stainless steel and have a very good fit in bolt heads—promising not to round off fittings, if used correctly. The body of the tool also features two clip-in tyre levers that are made from strong plastic composite, and do a good job of levering stubborn tubeless tyres from wheel rims, as well as having a nice rounded profile to protect the tube. The whole bike tool weighs just 92 grams and is 100mm ...

A life of adventures, both on two wheels and more recently on the water, demands reliable and versatile equipment. The Victorinox Ranger Grip Boatsman is quite probably the only pocket knife tool that you will ever need for exploring the back-and-beyond and open waves. I grew up in a family of sailing enthusiasts and spent many summers teaching sailing to cadets. One thing that was drummed into me from an early age was the importance of having a good knife with you when you are on the water. A sailing knife is a necessity to handle frequent tasks like seized shackles, but also it is a vital safety aid in the event of you becoming entangled in rigging or ropes. As my summer explorations began to focus around bikes as much as boats, I began to appreciate the importance of a good pocket knife for these adventures as well. Wild camping and cooking necessitate a good blade, and accessories like a corkscrew, bottle opener, can opener and pliers, are useful for obvious reasons. The Vi...

For the past three years I have written quite extensive lists of stocking filler ideas for cyclists ( check them out here ); but this year I decided to try and narrow it down to a 'Lucky 7' picks. Here are my wheely great little gift ideas of 2018... (1) Victorinox SwissCard Lite After trying the Victorinox Bike Tool earlier this year I was keen to see what other gadgets the swiss brand had that would be suitable for a cyclist's jersey pocket. The SwissCard is a great little tool, which would easily slip into a rider's 'Every Ride Carry' and provide them with an extensive range of useful pocket tools: including a pen, mini knife, scissors, torch, screwdrivers, and tweezers. Of course it has the predictable faultless quality from Victorinox, which should mean that it lasts a lifetime. >> Shop the Victorinox SwissCard Lite here  << (2) Velopac RidePac Cyclocross The Velopac ( first reviewed on the blog here ) has become my favourite ri...