Life In The Saddle

The Chrome Industries Mini Kadet Sling might look like a little like a miniature satchel to the uneducated eye; but in fact, this sling bag is far from begin a masculine handbag. Rather, it is a robust and incredibly useful everyday carry—based on Chrome's prestigious heritage producing some of the best urban cycle courier bags in the world. When you travel regularly, for work or pleasure, you find that juggling a water bottle, wallet, notebook, jacket and other small essentials becomes a tricky task; to the extent that you become rather envious of the practical handbag that your (normally female) travelling companion safely stashes all such belongings in. Enter a solution—the Chrome Mini Kadet Sling Bag. Based on the iconic Kadet Sling Bag that has been popular with bicycle couriers, commuters and travellers for many years, the Mini Kadet is the super compact sibling—offering five litres of storage capacity in a robust and durable design. This is the perfect way to carry your ...

These little protein balls use just a handful of natural ingredients to produce the perfect jersey pocket snack. Containing slow release energy from natural oats; protein from nut butters, tahini paste and hemp protein powder; as well as natural sweetness from honey, and superfood seeds such as chia seeds—these little natural energy balls offer a balanced and tasty bite-sized snack. Ingredients 200 grams Naturya Cocoa Mama Organic Overnight Oats 100 grams tahini paste (or nut butter) 50 grams dates (pitted) 1 tbsp set honey 1 tbsp runny honey 1 tbsp water (add more if mixture is too dry) 1 tbsp Lotus Biscoff Spread (optional) 1 tsp vanilla essence 100 grams desiccated coconut Method Place the desiccated coconut into a small bowl and set aside Place all other ingredients into a food processor and mix until they reach a dough-like consistency Using your hands take tablespoon sized amounts and roll them into balls Roll each ball in the desiccated coconut Store inside a re-used seal-tight ...

Hutchinson bicycle tyres have taken me across continents, to the podiums of mountain bike races in the Italian Dolomites, and now it seems they are set to conquer the gravel scene… " Touareg " means ' free folk '—it is the name of a nomadic tribe in the Sahara Desert. The French brand Hutchinson Tires selected that name for this tubeless gravel tyre because of its special ability on rugged (mostly dry) off-road trails. This is a gravel bike tyre for back-of-beyond adventures. Hutchinson Tires maintain a build quality level that from my experience is second-to-none. They were one of the pioneers of tubeless bicycle tyre technology, way before it became mainstream; over the years they have perfected the balance of protection, weight, grip and immaculate fit that is sought after in all tubeless set-ups. The Touareg tyres are a mixed-surface gravel tyre, intended to be used primarily on dry and loose terrain. The tread pattern is a file-style arrow pattern that strikes...

When Ortlieb released the Back Roller Classic Rear Pannier they set the standard for waterproof bike bags; it has always seemed like other brands are playing catch-up in their wake. With the phenomenal growth of bikepacking in recent years, the German brand has turned their attention to the rack-less (not reckless) world of adventure cycling. The Ortlieb Seat Pack brings to bikepacking what the Back Roller Classic did for cycle touring; it is a faultlessly designed, fully waterproof, yet beautifully simple product. Over the last year I have been testing the Ortlieb Seat Pack on everything from shopping errand runs to multi-day bikepacking adventures. It has performed superbly, time and time again. While other brands have integrated metal frames and complex strap systems into their bikepacking seat packs, Ortlieb have adopted the KISS (Keep It Simply Stupid) approach to the Seat Pack. Rugged webbing strap and clamp-close buckles do not slip or break, but hold the bag securely under...

Just before the world went into Lockdown in March 2020, I squeezed in a last minute trip to Portugal's Algarve—to explore some of the amazing and unique gravel riding on offer there... Dust rises, rocks ping from beneath tyres, and the scent of wild rosemary and jasmine fill the air as I barrel down the narrow twisting singletrack to the serene Guadiana River below. This is only my first evening in the Algarve, but I have already added it to my list of ' Gravel Riding Meccas '. I first came here last December—seeking respite from the cold and grey of the UK winter. Then, the region delivered unquestionably—with 18 Celsius temperatures and dusty trails, explored on a rental mountain bike. That first trip also opened my eyes to an iconic point-to-point bikepacking adventure that could be staged in this unique landscape… The Via Algarviana is an ancient hiking route spanning the Algarve from the Guadiana River on the Spanish border to the Cabo de São Vincente lighthouse at the...