Life In The Saddle

I ride a gravel bike on the Isle of Wight more than I ride any other; it is the perfect way to explore the vast network of quiet roads and exciting open trails. In this post, I have tailor-made a selection of the best gravel cycling routes on the Isle of Wight, with suggested pit-stops and highlights. The Isle of Wight roads, trails, and tracks are my home. I have toured all over the world, but whenever I come back to this small island off the South Coast of the UK I am amazed at how diverse and beautiful the riding is here. 'The Island' is very easy to get to with a bike—use one of the three car ferry routes from Portsmouth, Lymington or Southampton; or come as a foot passenger and bring your bike for free on the Wightlink FastCat  from Portsmouth Harbour train station. You can get to the Island from Central London in just a little over three hours. Once you are here, there is a plethora of bike-friendly accommodation: from hotels and B&B's to campsites and Eco-l...

We are nearing the end of winter here in the UK (I hope), but I wanted to share one of my favourite pieces of the season: the Le Col Pro Jacket, featuring Polartec® Power Shield Pro®. The Pro Jacket is branded as Le Col’s ' fastest winter cycling jacket ', thanks to its close fitting cut and high performance fabric. Polartec® Power Shield Pro® is the star of the show, with its highly breathable, waterproof and windproof properties, and its four way stretch. Polartec® Power Shield Pro® is a new bio-based performance fabric, it uses Biolon in 45 percent of its composition; a renewable, non-GMO, non-PFAS, plant-based nylon with a 50% lower carbon footprint than virgin Nylon. With 20K breathability and 20k waterproofing, Power Shield Pro® offers a durable, waterproof and windproof layer to shield you from the elements.  Power Shield Pro® also uses a new molecular diffusion technology that moves water vapour out of the fabric while maintaining a barrier against water droplets. B...

The Lake District has long been one of my favourite destinations in the UK, with its never-ending green wilderness, craggy peaks and glistening lakes. I have been to Cumbria on many walking holidays, but I have never taken a bike there; but, I think this book is the final motivation to change that... ' Gravel Rides Lake District ' is a pocket-sized guide to 15 of the best gravel bike rides in the beautiful Lake District National Park. Ranging in distance and difficulty, from 17 to 270 kilometres in length, there is something for every gravel cyclist, with a mix of terrain and backdrops.   The guide has been put together by local expert Andrew Barlow, and the routes include colour 1:50,000 Ordnance Survey maps, simple directions, and profiles of each route. There are also details of great local cafe stops, and a link to downloadable GPX files. It is a brilliant easy to follow pocket route guide.  >> Shop the 'Gravel Rides Lake District' by Andrew Barlow Disclaimer:...

As cycling culture evolves, and adventure riding  becomes a more mainstream activity, it is interesting to watch the development of new 'bikepacking apparel' and adventure specific riding kit. The truth though, is that adventure riding and bikepacking are just cycling combined with other well-known outdoor pursuits, such as camping, hiking and mountaineering. As such, it may well be that kit from those pursuits can be re-purposed and utilised on your bikepacking adventures — reducing the amount of kit you need to buy, and the effect of doing so on the planet. In this blog post, I have selected two of my favourite pieces of outdoor apparel, both of which are fantastic for bikepacking adventures: the Rab Electron Pro Lightweight Down Gilet and the Rab Power Stretch Pro Pull-On Mid-Layer. Review – Rab Electron Pro Lightweight Down Gilet A lightweight down jacket has featured in my bikepacking kit list  since my first tours, but switching it out for a down gilet is a more ...

I have been using Shokz (previously Aftershokz) open ear headphones for almost a decade now, and their performance is second to none in terms of sound quality, build quality and design. The new OpenFit from Shokz offers an ultra-lightweight, open-ear construction without the band design used on the OpenRun Pro, making it more suitable for everyday wear as well as for active sports pursuits. The flexible ear hook design of the OpenFit headphones allows it to fit to any ear shape, and remain securely and comfortably in place for hour upon hour of listening. The DirectPitch™ technology produces an immersive audio experience with deep bass notes and fantastic clarity, whilst still allowing you to listen to the external environment and maintain your situational awareness. Battery life on the Shokz OpenFit is superb, with each charge offering 7 hours of listening, and each full charge of the case/unit offering 28 hours of listening. A useful fast-charge function also allows you to top u...