Ride Stats: September 2013

• September has been a fairly good month; nothing spectacular, nothing too bad
• Mileage up above 1000 again
• High hour count in part due to lots of commuting
• Speed down a bit compared to normal due primarily to a lack of racing

Lots of BIG rides coming up in October, more news soon...

Review: Road Rags Hoxton SS Jersey

Back in the Spring I reviewed the superb Road Rags Smithfield; a long sleeved top with a turtle neck collar, it fast became my favourite base layer on cold morning and evening rides. With autumn now in full swing in the UK, and the temperature at a cool and refreshing level, I have once again returned to merino wool, this time with the Road Rags Hoxton.

This short sleeved jersey could in fact be worn all year round; combined with a base layer and arm warmers in the winter or by itself in the summer months. It is a superb go-to cycling utility top. That’s the beauty of merino wool; it keeps you warm when the temperatures are down, but when things heat up it is super breathable, so continues to be comfortable.

The Smithfield impressed me greatly because of the quality of the merino wool. Its high fibre construction meant that it was not only very warm, but also fantastically durable; putting up with machine washes far better than most merino fabrics. The Hoxton is definitely from the same mould; it is not as thick as the Smithfield, but it retains the same high micron count, which makes it durable and soft to the touch. Another top that is built to last.

The Hoxton uses a classic short sleeve jersey design; a close fitting round necked collar (no zip), relatively long length sleeves with raglan cuffs, and double ribbed edging on the sleeves, hem and collar to add strength and durability. On the rear there are two small pockets with neat wheel shaped wooden buttons. These pockets struggle to take much weight without contorting the jersey, but they are useful for slipping lighter objects like keys and a phone into.

Out on the road the Hoxton is a pleasure to wear. The ribbed neck was a little tight initially (probably more a problem with my ex-rower’s neck/shoulders), but it soon loosened up and became comfortable. In the warmer weather the Hoxton is perfect by itself; being soft on the skin it doesn't cause any irritation or discomfort. In the cooler autumn winds, I’ve paired the top with a merino base layer to add a bit more warmth and wind resistance.

What I like most about the Hoxton is that in fact it doesn't look too much like a cycling jersey. Yes, it has rear pockets and a tail drop rear hem, but it could easily be branded as a casual top as well. I've felt just as comfortable chilling out in a café with the Hoxton on, as I have out on the bike. Merino only adds to this versatility, as it doesn't generate offensive smells even when it gets a bit damp with perspiration; meaning that you could quite easily ride into work wearing the Hoxton, then sit at your desk in style and comfort.

The Hoxton is branded as a “utility top”, and versatile it is. Wear it all day on and off the bike, and you will be comfortable and temperate. The wonders of merino in a high quality short sleeved top, it will keep you contented in many a season.

The Hoxton is available from roadrags.cc for £95

Review: Intrepid Apparel Campaign Shorts & Freedom Gilet

The end of the road season means one thing... mountain biking! Over the last month I've been enjoying hitting the trails and getting muddy again on the mountain bike, and in the process I've been testing out some cool new kit from a great British company Intrepid Apparel.

The Freedom Gilet (RRP £69) and the Campaign Shorts (RRP £85) are perfect for Autumn mountain biking; robust, warm and designed to cope with the English weather. They've been a great bit of kit to pull out of the cupboard and throw on when it's time to rip up the trails.

The Freedom Gilet
The Freedom Gilet is quite easily one of the most robust and well designed gilets that I have tested. It is made for hours of use and abuse on the trails, with some very cool and well thought out design details.

The gilet is made of a breathable softshell fabric, with a warm microfleece lining. Thicker than other gilets I have used, it is perfect for wearing with a long sleeved jersey on a cool morning and is very effective at keeping your core well insulated from harsh autumn winds.

The softshell fabric is my preferred choice for gilets; it is wind-proof and water-resistant, yet it breathes well to avoid uncomfortable moisture build up under your layers. The fabric is also impressively robust, go screaming down a bramble covered trail and the gilet brushes off all the overhanging branches without tearing a thread or showing any signs of damage.

Aside from the fabric choice, the design of the Freedom gilet is also impressive. The chunky contrast colour zip on the front promises years of service. The secure zip chest pocket with rubber fir tree tag is a nice place to put your lift pass or other light objects. Then, the larger rear pocket with internal phone holder is ideal for keeping things safe even when the trail gets rough.

The Freedom Gilet is a product designed to cope well with the elements. Its styling is great for both on and off the bike because of its relaxed fit and sensible colour scheme. For £85 it is a great piece of kit, certainly when those frosty mornings on the trails become all the more frequent I will extremely glad to pull it on over my jersey.

The Campaign Shorts
Baggy mountain bike shorts can be a hard bit of clothing to get right; all too often they are loose around the waist, cause uncomfortable friction, or are too warm for warm weather riding. The Campaign Shorts have made a very good attempt at eliminating any chance of such criticisms.

The fabric choice is perfect for all-mountain shorts in my opinion; it is a three way stretch material, with rip-stop properties. Highly breathable and with the added benefit of front thigh vent zips, it has stayed cool even when the temperature has warmed up on Autumn mornings. The fabric seems to be hard wearing, showing few signs of many miles in the saddle on the normally weaker patches such as the seat area.

In terms of fit and styling the Campaign shorts are also impressive. The cuffed hems are comfortable on the knees and the ratchet waistband adjuster was useful, as the 'medium' I had on test (normally a 32 inch waist) came up a little big. The fly zip and popper buttons secure the waistband very well, and there are even belt loops if you need them. Overall, the fit is cycling specific enough to stay put even with enthusiastic pedalling, but also highly functional off the bike.

Onto the added features of the Campaign shorts, and there are plenty to impress. The fleece lined pockets with magnetic fasteners are a really nice touch. The zippered cargo pockets with a phone pouch and a key clip inside are another. There is also a fleece lined rear pocket and very nice embroidered logos. Certainly with the number of pockets on these shorts, if you combine it with the Freedom Gilet you barely need to take a hydration pack with you for kit storage.

Baggies are hard to get right, but Intrepid seem to have pretty much nailed it with these in my opinion. They are good for keeping you protected, warm, comfortable, and for holding plenty of kit both on and off the bike. The fit is slightly on the generous size, but that is easily overcome with the ratchet waistband adjuster, and apart from that I can't fault the product. Built for life both in and out of the saddle.

Review: Lusso Carbon Roubaix 3/4 Length Bibs

A couple of weeks ago I reviewed the Lusso MaxRepel Knee Warmers, which proved to be a great bit of commuting kit; useful for the cooler mornings to protect your knees, and then stuff in your bag when you commute home and the temperature is more kind.

With the mercury falling quite consistently now though and summer almost certainly gone for another year, three quarter length bibs provide that much needed bit of extra warmth over shorts. The Lusso Carbon Roubaix three quarter lengths are a great example of this autumn/spring item of kit; I’ve been testing them out over the last few weeks and have been pleased with the results.

The Roubaix Lycra is a fleece backed material that is both warm and soft, whilst also being effective at wicking away moisture. This fabric is used for the entirety of the bibs on the Lusso Carbons, and therefore provides effective protection from the cold for both your core and your legs. To ensure that even with this high cut the fit of the three quarter lengths is not compromised, a small front zip is used; this is a great feature, and well thought out to optimize both warmth and ease of use.

Like the MaxRepel Knee Warmers, the Carbon Roubaix three quarters uses the same neat elasticised leg gripper with rubber dots. The gripper is both comfortable and effective at keeping the base of the legs in place. What I really like about this area of the Lusso bibs though, is the more breathable white panel on the upper calf/lower knees; not only do these help to avoid the sweaty back-of-the knee syndrome, but they also show up very well from behind when riding in low light Autumn conditions.

The chamois in the Carbon three quarter lengths is a good quality, quite large, foam pad. I have found it to be comfortable for long hours in the saddle, as well as coping well with multiple machine washes.

Perhaps the most unusual and innovative feature of the product is the single seam construction. The garment has a single seam on the front of the leg, which whilst looking slightly different, makes the legs extremely comfortable, as there are no seams behind the leg or on the fold of the knee. It's a feature that is definitely in the minority in a world of “panelled” shorts, but it seems to work!

Overall, the Carbon Roubaix three quarter lengths provide great value for money, with an RRP of £64.99. They keep you warm with the mid-weight fleece backed Lycra, the high cut fit is pulled off well with the zippered front, and the single seam construction means the risk of uncomfortable friction is minimised.
Well worth checking out at: www.lusso-clothing.co.uk

Review: Tacx Antares Rollers

Autumn is rolling in, which means shorter days, wet weather and colder weather. For some that means night riding, for some that means indoor training. I like to do a mix of both, and having borrowed a set of Tacx Antares rollers from a friend last winter when the weather got bad, I decided that adding a set to my training arsenal would be a great addition.

Mention cycle rollers and the blue conical drums of the Tacx Antares will often spring to mind; they are widely recognised to be one of the best value and best made sets of rollers available. They haven't changed a lot since their first incarnation, but they have been tweaked to make them a superb example of the product.

In this post I give a review of Tacx Antares, then in a subsequent post I will give you some example sessions that are perfect for rollers.

Built to last - Tacx have a strong reputation for building high quality products. Last year I reviewed the Tacx Tao Bottle Cage and Shiva Bottle and I can safely say I don't think I'll ever buy another brand of bottle cage; the Tacx Tao is a piece of kit that just works and continues to do so. I'm pleased to say the Tacx Antares is much the same; it uses high quality bearings in the rollers, and strong plastic and metal for the runners. This is an investment for your training regime, and it is built to last.

Adjustable runners - The key to a good roller set up is getting the right extension distance of the front wheel roller. Firstly, you need to make sure that it is the correct distance forward, so that the bike is correctly balanced and easier to control. Second, you need to make sure both runners are equidistant extended, otherwise you put strain on the bearings within the front roller and produce a horrible creaking noise. The Tacx Antares has a good system of a small metal button underneath each runner, this can be set to exactly the same distance on both sides (distances for wheel bases of your bike are provided in the manual), you are then guaranteed to avoid the dreaded creaking roller effect. Simple.

Value - The Tacx Antares is one of the cheaper models available on the market (though still retailing around £170); you can spend more and get added features such as "rockers" that allow increased stability when sprinting on the rollers, as well as resistance units that can be added to allow higher powered training. However, in my experience these are rather unnecessary for roller training; as you will see in my later posts, the best sessions for rollers are high cadence sessions, technique sessions and recovery sessions. Therefore adding resistance or an increased ability to sprint on your rollers is not really necessary; if you want to do really high powered sessions indoors, use a turbo instead.

Overall - The Tacx Antares has become the benchmark for cycle rollers for a good reason; they are well made, strong, easily transportable (especially with a Tacx Carrier Bag), and they provide everything you really need for roller training. In a subsequent post I will expand on these training sessions in more detail; considering how rollers can be used for warm-ups, technique, recovery and high cadence training.

The Tacx Antares Rollers are available from Wiggle Bike Shop (Link)

Review: Sportique Balms and Body Care Products Mk2

A month or so ago I reviewed a number of Sportique Balms and Bodycare Products; they were so good that I felt compelled to share my thoughts on some more products in the range. The quality has been similarly impressive...

Elements Cream
Wind, rain, sweat and dirt are hard on your skin; the Elements Cream is designed to protect against the "Elements". The cream is effectively a high quality moisturiser; stopping chafing and chapping of skin that is exposed to the weather conditions. For example, in the colder weather I have used the Elements Cream on my lower legs that are left exposed below knee warmers. The cream is effective at keeping your skin from drying out and chapping, and is easily absorbed and applied.

Elements Cream is available from Wiggle Bike Shop (Link)

Shea Butter Hand Cream
Your hands are another area that often suffers in colder weather. It is important to keep them moisturised as the skin on your hands is a major barrier to infection, and for keeping out bacteria that you touch with your fingers. Hand cream doesn't have to be just for girls, this one has a nice citrus scent to it, and is very good at relieving dry hands that are dried out from hours of riding in the rain and wind.






Moisturising Body Balm and Body Soap
Work Hard. Play Hard. Play Clean. A motto that I've always tried to live by. OK, so it doesn't really mean that you have to avoid getting dirty whilst you are riding, but it is nice to get clean when you get home. The Sportique Body Soap and Moisturising Body Balm are ideal for this.

The Body Soap has a very pleasant aqua scent to it; perfect for freshening up. It's highly effective at cleaning off road grime from your legs, arms and face, yet it doesn't seem to dry your skin out as much as some other shower gels that I have used. Put simply, it works! Definitely a theme developing with the Sportique products.

The Moisturising Body Balm is a similarly pleasant and effective product to use. Post shower or post sport, the moisturing balm helps to soothe, calm and rejuvenate damaged or irritated skin. That could be wind burn, sun burn or even just scratches from branches and plants at the side of the trail; the balm has proven effective at alleviating the problem. It has a pleasant botanic smell, and a long lasting effect.


Warming Up Cream
In my last review I used the Warming Up oil from Sportique, the Warming Up Cream is effectively a cream version of the oil (predictably I guess). Containing the same active ingredients it is similarly VERY effective at warming up the skin and muscles, to the extent that you need to be careful how much of this you put on. Warm up time greatly reduced! Ideal for the colder weather.
Warming Up Cream is available from Wiggle Bike Shop (Link)

Foot Spray and Deodorant
Fortunately I can have a shower when I get to work, or indeed after most of my bike rides. However some cyclists require a good quality deodorant to keep them smelling sweet after some time spent in the saddle. The Body Deodorant I have on test is the "Powder Fresh" version, it is scented a bit like talcum powder; pleasant enough, and certainly better than "Sweaty Cyclist".

Fortunately I have also never had trouble with Athlete's Foot, but I know plenty of people that do. Hours of having your feet stewing away in a pair of cycling shoes can breed some unwanted fungi. I lent the Foot Spray to a friend to test, and he has been singing its praises as an effective measure to keep your feet smelling fresh and fungi free. It's a great product to help freshen up after long hours of riding.


Shaving Kit: Shaving Cream, Shaving Oil and After Shave Balm
Definitely one of my favourites in the Sportique range, the shaving products are some of the nicest I have used. The Shaving Cream is designed to be used with a traditional shaving brush; it has a gentle botanical scent, a non-greasy texture, and provides a smooth moisturising shave. Many cyclists don't just shave their facial hair, and the Sportique Shaving Oil is ideal for keeping those legs race smooth, avoiding razor burn and irritation. The aftershave balm is definitely my favourite though; it is cooling, has a very nice scent to it, and is highly effective at soothing your skin. Stay smooth.


The Sportique range is distributed in the UK by Saddleback.co.uk. A distinct theme has developed with every product I have tried from the range is that these are products that really work! All too often I have sampled botanical based products that don't really seem to do what they say on the tin (or bottle), Sportique has never failed to deliver...

The Cooling Cream is effective at relieving inflammation, the Elements Cream provides better protection from irritation by wind and rain than any other product I have tried, and the Shaving kit is easily some of the nicest I have sampled. If you are looking for a gift for a cyclist, or indeed any active individual, the Sportique products would be a superb choice; they are bound to impress.

Review: Arkel Tailrider Trunk Bag

A few weeks back I was impressed by the Arkel Small Handlebar Bag when I reviewed it; the bag was superbly made, built to last and had some innovative features such as the fully waterproofed main compartment. In this review I take a look at another of my pieces of Arkel touring luggage: the rack-top Tailrider bag.

Rack-top trunk bags like the Tailrider bag may seen unnecessary to some tourers... “why not just strap a waterproof roll-top bag to your rack?” That’s the attitude I took on my France and Spain trip, and came away from it much wiser. Roll-top bags are fine if you are just storing one thing in them, but when you want to store many small items in them they become a bottomless cavern. With minimal organisational compartments in your typical touring panniers, you often want to keep the smaller, easy to grab items in your rack-top bag. Organisation is therefore crucial.

The Tailrider is designed with organisation in mind. Flip open the pelican-like lid and you reveal a padded main compartment with mesh pockets down the side to keep small items in; there is also a moveable divider to hold larger items securely. Then on the outside of the pack there are two zipped pockets; ideal for tools and similar objects. If you want to know where your kit it and make it easy to grab in an instant, the Tailrider is a HUGE improvement over using a roll-top bag as a rack bag.

The bag is built from Arkel’s incredibly strong rip-stop Cordura; it comes with a little sample of the fabric with the branding “Can You Rip This?”... I couldn't. Certainly, this is a product built to last. The other well thought-out features include the padded foam handle, the expandable lid that significantly increases the carrying capacity of the bag and the strong waterproof zips.

Even with the waterproof zip and the water-resistant Cordura, the bag gains added protection from the elements with the ultra high-vis yellow rain cover that pulls out from the front of the bag. There is certainly no risk of not seeing the bag when the cover is on, and even when it isn't, the reflective strips on the sides, and the light clip on the rear will provide plenty of scope for making sure you’re seen.

The bag attaches to the rack using four strong Velcro straps; these seem to hold the pack securely, and although they are not quite as quick as some of the “slide-on-slide-off” rack pack designs that I've seen from other manufacturers, it does mean that you can transfer it between bikes easily and it saves a significant amount of weight.

Quite simply, this a very well designed bit of kit. The materials are as good as they come, the streamlined shape looks good whilst also being functional, and the attention to detail is clear with small features such as the rain cover and waterproof zip. I've been using the bag for commuting and will certainly be taking it on my next touring trip. It's big enough to take all the small essentials that would get lost in big deep panniers, and if you are a bit of an organiser like me, it provides the perfect way to carry your "quick to grab" kit.

The Tailrider retails for £70 in the UK from arkelpanniers.co.uk

Weekend Watch: The Team Garmin Sharp TDF Stage 9 Story

The story of Team Garmin-Sharp's 2013 Stage 9 Tour de France win from Humans Invent on Vimeo.

Weekend Watch: Chris Akrigg Trial Trials

Trial Trails from chris akrigg on Vimeo.
"Never really know what to say in this little box! I guess the original idea behind this edit was to go for a spin without getting off for them bloody gates, cliffs, stiles and things, or as i like to call it a triple XC ride. All aboard the Mongoose Teocali . Anyway you get the idea, hope you enjoy. NEXT..................."

Weekend Watch: Wiggle Honda Chasing Rainbows Promo

Chasing Rainbows Promo - Team Wiggle Honda from Cyclevox on Vimeo.

I know it's not the weekend. It's not even close. But this is awesome, can't wait to see the full documentary, and very proud to be a part of the company that supports this team.

Weekend Watch: Mike Cotty's Les Alpes Adventure

This is truly amazing. A non-stop journey from Évian-les-Bains to Nice (666kms). Inspirational.

Review: Look S-Track Race Mountain Bike Pedals

Shimano M520 SPD pedals have long been the standard for mountain bike clipless pedals; they are durable, easy to use and good value. However, like even the higher end Shimano SPD models, the M520 presents a number of compromises. For example, they're quite heavy, not great at mud clearing and their spring adjustment can take quite a bit of fine tuning; not to mention the contact area with the cleats is relatively small.

Look is one highly innovative French firm, and the original inventor of the clipless pedal. For a long time they have been a real force to reckon with in the world of road clipless pedals with the Look Keo. However, they have always been on the fringe of the mountain bike pedal range, previously with the Quartz pedal. With the entry of the new S-Track pedal I think that could all change...

Look appear to have taken the check-list of minor faults with the Shimano products and ironed them out completely whilst producing the Look S-Track. This is a pedal that provides a light, secure and high quality contact point with your bike. Over the last two months I've been testing out a set on my mountain bike, I have to say I'm rather impressed.

Build Quality, Weight and Looks!
For starters, just look at them! (no pun intended). The injected carbon fibre body, aluminium deflectors and spring wire system both look the part and play a crucial part in the great performance of this pedal system. The pedal is designed and built in France to the highest standard. Inside, there are 2 ball bearings and a needle bearing in each pedal unit; all of which are sealed in with a lip seal and independent bearing seals. This is a product built to last! 

Maximum Contact Area
Mountain bike clipless pedals face a difficult problem; unlike road pedals they need to have small cleats to fit between the grippy lugs on the sole of mtb shoes and to aid mud clearance. However, the result is that they have a low cleat-to-pedal contact area, which impedes power transfer. The Look S-Track is designed to overcome this problem...

Innovative Cleat Design: The cleat is the first area that has been adapted to aid contact between the foot and the pedal. The cleat itself is around the same size as a Shimano SPD cleat, however it looks and performs fundamentally differently. Firstly you get a pack of spacers to go between the cleat and the sole of the shoe; these ensure that the cleat is spaced down from the sole and therefore contacts the plate on the pedal. The second feature is the replaceable rubber "feet" on the cleats; these mean that when the cleat does contact the plate of the pedal, it does so with a shock-absorbing contact point and it is not a metal-on-metal loose clunky contact. These two features provide the overall effect that the cleat engages with the pedal directly and with minimal movement, therefore minimising power loss.

Versatile Cage Design: The second feature that dramatically increases the contact area between the foot and the pedal is the innovative removable cage design that comes with the Look S-Track Race pedals. The crampon cage fits over the pedal body and is secured by four allen key bolts. The cage means that the pedal then contacts the sole of the shoe to a significantly greater extent (see third large photo below), as well as protecting the pedals from bumps and knocks. The removable cage adds a whole new dimension to the clipless pedal; effectively turning it into an 'All-Mountain' platform pedal in a matter of minutes. In terms of power transfer and foot stability, it makes it superb.

Minimal Adjustment
It's not just the contact point problem that has been re-considered with the S-Track though, so too has the engagement system. The Shimano SPD system relies on an adjustable spring on the rear of the pedal that is forced out and then clips back when you push your foot into the pedal. The problem with the system is that over time the spring loses its elasticity and you need to adjust it to get the optimal retention rate. The S-Track pedal, similar to Crank Brothers pedals, uses a bar system that you clip into. The benefit of this is that you can rotate the foot slightly with reasonable force, but it is held securely fore-and-aft. Engagement is slightly less positive than with the Shimano design, largely due to the rubber pads on the cleat dampening the metal "clunk" engagement, but once you are used to it the system works very well. The real benefit it that there is no adjustment to be made; you don't have to pre-set spring tension or float, the system simply holds your foot securely how it needs to be held (in-line to pedal motion).

Overall
The Look S-Track is an innovative design, which looks great and works very well. It clears mud respectfully, it has a considerably better power transfer once set up with the correct shims between sole and cleat, and it is improved even further by the versatility provided by the removable cage design. The pedals aren't cheap, retailing at £130 RRP, but you have to consider them an investment; they really are built to last, and are the chosen pedal of world champion athletes such as Christoph Sauser. There is no denying that the S-Track will be a very strong competitor for the higher end Shimano and Crank Brothers models.

The Look S-Track Race Pedals are available from Wiggle Bike Shop (Link)

Review: Lusso Max Repel Knee Warmers

Once again I am a cycle commuter, and most of my mid-week miles on the bike are done in the early morning or in the evening. Those morning commutes, even in August, can be a bit on the chilly side. With temperatures hovering around 10 degrees Celsius, I feel far more comfortable covering my knees up and protecting vital joints from the chill.

  

The Max Repel Knee Warmers from Lusso have been my choice for the last week, and I’ve been impressed by their quality and performance.

Lusso is a British brand, making high quality, high value cycle clothing. The Max Repel Knee Warmers are designed to provide good insulation and protection in wet conditions. This is done through the use of a high density lycra material that helps to “repel” the water that is sprayed onto it.

The warmers grip well, using small gel dots on an elastic gripper on both the upper and lower ends. They are true to size, and they have a neat seam on the back of the knee, which allows for an articulated joint area that is more comfortable when the knee is bent.

Quite simply, they do the job very well. They keep your knees warm in the cold and the wet. They have coped well with multiple machine washes, despite the small branding sticker coming off in the first wash, and they look the part! Protect your knees this autumn, they are the pivots on the pistons that power your pedals!

Lusso kit can be bought from select distributors and direct from www.lusso-clothing.co.uk.
The Max Repel knee warmers have an RRP of £29.99