Life In The Saddle

Outdoor pursuits in the winter months are tough on your skin, body and immune system. Windburn and cold temperatures take their toll on delicate skin, while your body often takes knocks and abuse in cold temperatures. The range of skincare and wellness products from Weleda is what keeps me functioning at my best through the freezing and wet months; this collection of products is my personal go-to. >> Use the discount code TIM24 to get 30% off Weleda at Weleda.co.uk     Winter Skincare Weleda Skin Food Face Care provides you with the protection, rejuvenation and cleansing that your face needs when it is being blasted by rain, wind and snow. Start using the Nourishing Day Cream to hydrate and soften the skin before heading out into the elements, then cleanse with the Nourishing Cleansing Balm and Nourishing Night Cream when your day of adventuring is done. The Skin Food range has long been my favourite range of moisturisers, providing un-matched levels of soothin...

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 ...

Cyclists can be a difficult bunch to choose birthday and Christmas gifts for. I hope that this selection of products will offer some new and interesting options for stocking fillers or birthday gifts for the two-wheeled fanatic in your family or friend group. From bar tape to body lotion, and hip bags to hand torches; there is sure to be something in this gift list that would be a good present for the cyclist you know and love. Marvellous Maps Great Britain Adventure Map I love maps and I love adventure. This Great Britain Adventure Map provides incredibly detailed coverage of the best adventure possibilities that the UK has to offer. From ideas about hiking trips, to beaches, historic highlights, sea kayaking destinations, bicycle touring routes, and long-distance driving routes; there is sure to be something that tickles your fancy and inspires your next adventure. I have spent hours poring over it, and each time I find another highlight that I add to my bucket list of places to ex...

For as long as I can remember I have been a user and advocate of natural medicine. I recall putting arnica gel on bumps and bruises as a small child; smelling the relaxing tones of lavender in the bathroom after an active day in the garden; or drinking cups of honey and ginger tea to soothe a dry throat or a cough. At its heart, natural medicine considers the harmonious connection between people and plants — using it to help us recover and thrive in our everyday lives. For the last two years I have been a Weleda Arnica Ambassador. In that time, I have enjoyed learning even more about Anthroposophic medicine: the holistic view of the human being that promotes a healthy balance between body and mind, using the power of nature and plants. In this blog post, I share some of my favourite products from the Weleda range. These balms, lotions and gels are what I consider to be the perfect choices for an outdoor enthusiast's bathroom cupboard; helping you to relax, rejuvenate and repa...

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...

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 ...

The #NorthWestRoad is a three day micro-bikepacking adventure. Starting in Lymington on the South Coast, it will take in the English regions of the Cotswolds and Gloucestershire hills, before heading into Wales through the Wye Valley and up to the Shropshire Hills; the micro-adventure ride will then finish in the city of Manchester. The route promises to be varied and challenging route, with daily mileages in the region of 180 kilometres—mostly on small country lanes and B-roads. This is the kit that I have personally selected for this micro-adventure bikepacking tour... Luggage and Camping Kit Arkel Orca 25 Small Waterproof Panniers Prototype Frame-bag BTR Waterproof Wedge Saddlebag BTR Deluxe Pannier Rack Top Bag Nordisk Telemark 1 LW Lightweight Tent Rab Neutrino 400 Down Sleeping Bag Vaude Performance Sleeping Pad Rab Incline Light Lightweight Casual Shorts Rab Infinity Microlight Down Jacket GripGrab Merino Tee Polygiene PackTowl Microfibre Towel OverBoard Waterproof Bags  ...