Life In The Saddle

Low temperatures and winter storms push wind-chill factors to sub-zero. Bike riding does not have to cease in freezing conditions though; with the right clothing, there is no reason not to enjoy your cycling, even in the chilly months of winter. In this blog post, I offer my tips and advice for the right clothing to keep you comfortable when cycling in the depths of winter… 1 – Long Sleeve Base Layers Cold hands when cycling in low temperatures? Long sleeve base layers are the key to comfort here. Your hands are an extremity—they are one of the furthest points from the central boiler pump that is your heart. In order to keep them warm, you need to keep the blood that is flowing to them warm. Protecting your lower arms from wind-chill and insulating them with a long sleeve base layer will aid warm blood flows down your arteries all the way to your hands. The best long sleeve winter cycling base layer I have used is the GripGrab Expert Seamless Thermal Long Sleeve Cycling ...

Has it finally arrived? Has the weather finally taken a turn to the cool, clear and crisp conditions of winter? I think it might have... With that, it seems appropriate to talk about my favourite pieces of winter riding kit for 2016. These are all accessories and clothing that have come with me on almost every ride this winter, and have helped me to rack up the kilometres during the Festive 500  and towards my 2015 totals . Perhaps you'll find some ideas to keep you riding in comfort... GripGrab Arctic Overshoes Fleece-lined foot warmers. The Arctic Overshoes from GripGrab are serious cold weather protection. The 4mm thick neoprene, the welded and taped seams, and micro-fleece lining, mean these will withstand even the worst winter weather. I can vouch that I have never had cold feet when wearing them. View the GripGrab Arctic Overshoes at Wiggle Primal Paradigm Jacket The Paradigm Jacket from Primal Europe is about as protective as winter jackets come. Con...

Christmas is coming, and that means stockings! In this post, I thought I would feature fifteen of the best cycling products that I've tested over the last year. They are all ideal stocking fillers, which don't cost the earth and would be ideal gifts for anyone that is into cycling. From energy bars to tyre levers, there's a real mix... Bounce Balls Bounce Balls are tasty little energy snacks, which are packed full of natural goodness. They contain carbohydrate from rice bran and starch, and whey protein to keep your muscles in shape. As a Christmas themed option, the new Cacao Orange flavour is seriously tasty with a morning coffee! View the Bounce Balls range (Link) Tate Labs Bar Fly SLi Mounts Keep handlebars clutter-free with an out-front mount. These new SLi mounts from Tate Labs are the best that I've used; I have the Bar Fly Sli BAM to hold a GoPro and Garmin Edge on my road bike, as well as the SLi-D MTB mount on my 35mm mountain bike bars. There...

Winter riding gloves are right up there on my list of 'the most important pieces of kit'. Get them right, and your hands are kept comfortable over those long winter base miles. Get them wrong, and you'll be struggling to grip the brake levers when the temperature plummets. The Hurricane gloves from GripGrab have long been a favourite of mine, and as winter riding gloves go, they certainly "get it right". They were my glove of choice through much of last winter's inclement weather, and they provide that delicate balance between insulation, padding, feel and protection, which are all sought after at this time of year. There's an exciting new change to the GripGrab Hurricane glove for Autumn/Winter 2015 though… They've gone Fluoro! Not only do they retain their great technical features, but now they've got a Hi-Vis safety benefit as well! So, what makes the Hurricane such a great glove? The first fundamental of any good glove, is fit. This ...

Winter riding is when good kit really plays a part; not just in ensuring your comfort, but also making sure you have the continued ability to get out and explore on your bike. Cold extremities, whether it be numb fingers or frost bitten toes, are a potential game-stopper. Luckily though, with the advances in kit technology in the last few years, there are solutions to keep you riding for hours and hours, even in sub-zero temperatures. My chosen kit for my feet and hands comes from Danish brand GripGrab ; this kit is quite easily the best protection for your extremities that I’ve found. In this blog, I consider some of my go-to accessories, which get used time and time again in the cold months of winter. GripGrab Hammerhead Overshoes Easily my favourite overshoes on the market, and I think I've got most of the Isle of Wight team loving them now too; the GripGrab Hammerhead  is a superb combination of waterproofing, windproofing and thermal insulation. They're made of...

A few weeks back, I wrote a post on Wet Weather Riding Accessories , which featured the SealSkinz Mid-Length Waterproof Socks and the SealSkinz Waterproof Cycling Cap. Both products are invaluable when the heavens open on a long arduous ride. With the mercury falling in the last couple of weeks though, I've also been thinking about winter riding accessories, and the SealSkinz Extra Cold Winter Cycle Gloves are one product that has come into frequent use. Like many, I struggle with cold extremities in the winter; when you're spinning along on gentle base mile rides or short commutes, it is hard to get sufficient blood flow to your hands and feet to keep them comfortable. To deal with this, the SealSkinz Extra Cold Winter Gloves are designed to provide maximum insulation for your hands; keeping your digits warm and flexible, even when the ground is hard and frozen. The gloves have a thick double layer construction, with an inner liner made of fleecy Primaloft fabric and a ...

Wet weather has hit the UK in abundance in the last few weeks, and I've had more damp rides than dry ones. The old mantra of " there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad kit choices " rings truer than ever in damp, dark and cold conditions, so here are a few accessories that are definitely the " good kit choice " and should make things more bearable when the heavens open. GripGrab Neoprene Gloves I've been using neoprene gloves for years, but up until this year it has always been for sailing... Neoprene provides fantastic protection from the wet and cold, and even if the water does infiltrate into the gloves, they remain warm (something you don't get with polyester gloves).  During the 2013 Festive 500 I did in fact end up drafting in a pair of my Magic Marine neoprene gloves to use in the torrential downpours; they worked well, but I was very pleased to hear that GripGrab were bringing out a cycle specific pair earlier this ye...