Life In The Saddle

On my recent trip to the Italian Dolomites , I rode more elevation gain than I have in any other week previously. I rode longer climbs than I have ever encountered before. I raced, in two Italian mountain bike marathons; the X-Bionic Cup and the Südtirol Sellaronda HERO Dolomites , the latter of which is officially the hardest MTB marathon in the world! I learnt a lot; both about myself, but also about my bike and kit choices. With that in mind, I thought I would share a few of my kit insights; from a week of 'proper' marathon mountain biking! Lesson 1: Take a 'proper' waterproof jacket When it rains in the mountains, it properly rains. Thunderstorms were a frequent feature of my trip; and when one takes you by surprise, you can be left both uncomfortable, and potentially very unsafe. On my first day riding out from Val Gardena, I climbed straight up to the peak of Stevia; above the snow line, at 2,312 metres. On reaching the summit, the heavens opened. I ha...

Life. Death. Love; and Cycling. I had heard of the Dutch best-seller 'Ventoux' long before it was translated into English earlier this year. It is a captivating, inspiring, humorous, yet saddening, real life account. It will draw you in, and keep you reading; whether you're a cycling enthusiast or not. It is an account of six friends from The Netherlands, who set out to climb the 'Giant of Provence'. The innocent trip evolves into a life changing, and indeed life-ending experience, for members of the group. It is a tale of a tragic death, and the discovery of love; which leads to the dissolving of what was an inseparable friendship group. 30 years on, and the group are brought back together; by a long-brewing urge to re-live and commemorate what happened on the Ventoux. Now, pursuing careers as a crime reporter, a travel agent, a repentant ex-drugs dealer, a successful university lecturer, and a play director; the remaining five, from the original six, revisi...

Clement Pneumatics are known for their top-end cyclocross tyres, which have shod the wheels of many past and current champions. In recent years, they have also started adding some new diversity to their range though; with the introduction of the X'plor tyres (something I'm keen to try on my Kona Private Jake), as well as the Strada LGG road tyre, and now the new LCV road race tyre. The LCV is named after Lucca, a picturesque town in Tuscany, which has hosted some of the most prestigious races in the road cycling calendar. The name is intended to suggest what the LCV is built for... road racing. The LCV tyres use a mixture of threads-per-inch, as well as a puncture protection belt and herringbone file pattern tread; the result is a supple casing, but also a tyre that should handle all road surfaces, in all conditions. With Clement's great reputation on the cyclocross circuit, I was keen to see how the new LCV stood up to the UK roads... The results have been good. I ...

My review of the Eleven Vélo Ride Pouch was the start of a great relationship; the smart leather ride wallet is now securely part of my ' Every Ride Carry ', and it comes in my jersey pocket on almost every outing. It is a great way to keep all your small ride essentials and valuables together; safe and protected. The Ride Pouch was a joint project; between Australian cycle clothing brand Eleven Vélo, and San Francisco based bag makers, WaterField Designs. It seems I wasn't the only rider to become a fan of the product either, as WaterField Designs have produced a huge number to date; all made by hand in their San Fran workshop. With so many riders using their product, WaterField Designs started getting some great feedback from out on the road; then, as great brands do, they took on-board those constructive criticisms, and have developed their new Club Cycling Pouch. The Club Cycling Pouch isn't a replacement for the original Ride Pouch; rather it is designed t...

My Kona Private Jake is a seriously versatile bike, and probably the most used of ' My Rides '. From commuting to racing; from weekend-blasts to two week tours; the Private is a do-it-all rig. I haven't changed a huge amount in terms of the specification of the bike, but there have been some subtle tweaks and alterations. Here's how it is currently set up... Bike Specifications: Frame: Kona Race Light 7005 Aluminium Butted - Medium/Large Fork: Kona Carbon Headset:  Full Speed Ahead Stem: Kona Road Deluxe Handlebar: Kona Road Front brake:  TRP Sypre disc brakes 160mm rotor Rear brake:  TRP Sypre disc brakes 140mm rotor Rear derailleur: SRAM Rival Clutch Mech 11spd Shift levers: SRAM Rival 1X Cassette:  SRAM Rival 11-32 11spd Chain: KMC 11spd Crankset:  SRAM Rival  Bottom bracket: SRAM Rival Pedals: Shimano M520 pedals Wheelset:  Novatec 30 Disc Wheelset  Front tyre: WTB Cross Boss Tubeless Rear tyre:  WTB Cr...