Life In The Saddle

A hoodie is the perfect bit of kit for relaxing off the bike, especially after a long winter training ride or a cold cyclocross race. The Rhapsody hoodie from Primal Europe is designed to have a dual purpose though; it is intended to not only be great for chilling out in a casual environment, but also perfect for short rides and nipping around town on errands. On a week off the bike in South Tyrol last month, I tested it out; doing a good bit of relaxing, as well as running up a few mountains... The first thing that you notice with the Rhapsody hoodie, is the fit. This is a product made for cyclists. It features a good body length, so that you're not left with uncomfortable gaps when you're bent over on the handlebars; the sleeves are a good length too, and have large soft cuffs to keep out the chill. Overall, it has a great slim fitting silhouette, and is very comfortable to wear. The hoodie comes in two colour schemes, the first a stealthy grey, and the second (the one ...

Everyone likes kit comparisons. Whether it is what you take on a mammoth assault on the Himalayas, or what you carry in your everyday life (your EDC); it is interesting to compare personal preference and choice. In this post, I focus my attention on my off-road carry, and what comes with me on a cross-country weekend ride. Saddle bag or hydration pack? Hydration pack or saddle bag? For a long time, I've tossed up the pros and cons of riding with these luggage options on a mountain bike. There are significant benefits and disadvantages of both, but at the moment I've pared back my riding kit a bit, and I'm opting for the freedom of a saddle bag and jersey pockets. This is my XC Every Ride Carry (ERC)…  The Saddle Bag: Scicon Hippo 550 Saddle Bag The Hippo 550 is one of Scicon's biggest saddle bags. Yet, it is still compact enough that it doesn't swing about under your saddle and create irritating thigh rub. It uses Scicon's patented and highly effe...

This is my kind of fireworks night...

Going travelling with a bike is one of the greatest joys in life. It can have its difficulties though; one of which, is the need for a pretty extensive packing list. In this post, I thought I'd feature five products that always make it into my wash bag, whenever I travel to a big ride, event or training camp. Sportique Century Riding Cream Any big ride deserves chamois cream. Whether it is hot and dry, or damp and humid; protecting your seat region from friction is a worthwhile preparation. The Century Riding Cream from Sportique is one of the best I've tried, and is formulated using natural ingredients, with a pleasant scent. You'll be grateful of this when you rack up the miles. Sportique Elements Cream It's not just your seat region that will benefit from some TLC when you are training/racing hard, you should also consider how you are protecting other areas of exposed skin. My favourite 'barrier cream' for riding, is the Elements Cream from Spor...

Finding a rucksack that ticks all the boxes for daily commuting, can be difficult. First, it needs to be the correct size for the amount of kit that you take with you on a day-to-day basis. Second, it needs to be durable, as it's likely to take a fair bit of abuse on daily service. Then, there are other important features to consider, such as comfort, organisation and kit protection; all of which are important to hassle-free commuting. In the past, I've reviewed the Thule Pack 'n Pedal Commuter Pannier , and the  Pack 'n Pedal Trunk Bag . Both are commuting specific pieces of luggage, from the well-known Swedish brand; they both proved to be great quality and have great functionality. This year at Eurobike, I caught the first glimpse of the new Thule Pack 'n Pedal Commuter Rucksack, and I was keen to test it out… Everything in its place  The first thing that struck me with the Pack 'n Pedal Commuter Rucksack, is that it has quite clearly been designe...