Archive for October 2013

Home » Archive for October 2013

Ride Stats: October 2013

Biggest month on the bike to date in terms of hours
Not bad considering I had two weeks with minimal slow riding due to a cold
Base miles mostly - hence slow average speed and low HR
Lower cadence than ideal, but probably due to lots of commuting (free-wheeling and stopping affects average)
Weight is stable at off-season 73 Kilograms

Back in the spring I reviewed the Phew CC Early Winter Gloves (Link); a lightweight full finger wind-proof glove that is perfect for the changeable conditions in spring and autumn. Earlier this month they brought out their new Lobster Mitts; a set of gloves that promises to keep your hands toastie even when the thermometer continues to fall.

Lobster mitts have been around for some time. I had a pair a number of years back that were split two fingers, two fingers and thumb; grouping the fingers together dramatically increases warmth and reduces the surface area of the glove exposed to the elements.The problem with this past pair was that it made gear changes rather difficult because of the clumsily large fingers. The Lobster Mitts from Phew.cc have changed that; they have the index finger separated from the others, allowing easy shifting as if you were wearing normal gloves, but with the other three fingers still benefiting from being in a shared pocket of warm air.

The Lobster Mitts are made of the same Windster fabric as the Early Winter Gloves; a fabric that provides warmth and protection even when the going gets tough. It is able to shrug off rain showers, and is easily up to dealing with many machine washes. On the palm there are little gel gripper dots that are handy for when things get wet and slippery on the controls, and on the thumb there is a microfleece wipe.

One feature that really stands out for me on the Lobster Mitts is the Velcro neoprene cuffs, which seal up nicely around the cuffs of a long sleeve jersey or winter jacket.

The fit of the Lobster Mitts is quite roomy, which is good to allow layering underneath. Indeed I found them at their most comfortable with a pair of merino liner gloves worn inside; this allows a bit more cushioning on the palms without being bulky, and helps to provide an extra insulating layer.

Overall, the Phew Lobster Mitts work very well; either worn by themselves or paired with liner gloves, they give great versatile protection from the wind and cold. At £24.99 from Phew.cc (Link) they are also a bit of a bargain! They are lasting well, and I think they could easily be worn throughout even the coldest winter when paired with good liners, and then stripped down to just the outer shell when things get less chilly. Well worth checking out.

BIG IT UP! The 25mm Tyre Takeover!

BMC Racing, Team Blanco, FDJ, Omega Pharma, Orica-Greenedge, Argos Shimano, Sky: just some of the teams that were running 25mm tyres this year. 700c x 23mm is no longer the norm, pro teams are switching up to bigger profile rubber all over the peloton, with research showing that it can provide significant gains both in terms of aero-dynamics, grip and comfort.

I’ve long been running 25mm tyres on my winter/touring bike as it helps to cushion the load better, provides a bit more grip, and is less susceptible to pinch flats when the bike is heavily burdened. However, for racing I have always used Conti GP4000S tyres with 23mm profiles, or at the most extreme I tried a 21mm Vittoria for a time trial once. That might no longer be the case...

The thinking was that the smaller profile tyre has a lower surface area, so lower rolling resistance and also less weight (rotating weight as well, so even more significant). 25mm tyres were only to be used on particularly rough terrain and for heavily laden bikes. New research has proven this wrong.

From Schwalbe

Firstly there’s the rolling resistance argument. BikeRadar has a great article explaining why a 25mm tyre may in fact have lower rolling resistance. The argument runs along these lines: If a 23mm tyre and a 25mm tyre are run on the same pressure, with the same rider, then the contact area will in fact be the same; it is just that the 21mm style will have a longer narrower contact area and the 25mm will have a shorter fatter contact area. (See diagram from Schwalbe)

The interesting thing is that the longer flatter profile of the 21 or 23mm tyre is less rounded than the 25mm profile, which means it doesn't roll as well. Therefore at the same pressure (say the recommended pressure of most clincher tyres), there will in fact be less rolling resistance from the 25mm profile than the 23mm profile.

The second factor that comes into play is aerodynamics. In the pro peloton there is also an increasing tendency to use wide profile rims; these are considered stronger, but more importantly more aerodynamic. A wider profile is seen to “roll” through the air better than a thinner profile (think Zipp Firecrest). To match with these wider rims it is better to use wider tyres, as it lessens the chance of pinch flats and creates a better join between rim and tyre (less of a curled shape).

Cycling is a sport where every tiny gain counts for something, and wider tyres and rims are one of those little gains that seem to have been taken on board. The days of 21mm or even 18mm tyres on racing bikes are apparently long gone. Certainly for 2014 I am going to be making the switch, more out of curiosity than anything else. I’ll report back on the blog to let you know if I have noticed the “marginal gains”.

Review: Lezyne MegaDrive Front Light

Most of the time when I’m out night riding I use a Hope Vision 2 front light; it’s a quality piece of kit that at 480 lumens packs a good punch for lighting the road or trail. However, Wiggle recently had a batch of lights in for staff to test and the Lezyne Megadrive jumped out at me as an impressive bit of kit, so I've been giving it a trial out on the bike.

Let’s start with the unit itself. Compared to the Hope V2 head unit (which has an external battery pack), the Megadrive is heftier both in terms of size and weight. Sat on your handlebars it is a noticeable presence, and takes up a fair bit of handlebar real-estate. However, the weight and size is there for a good reason; this self contained unit is made of beautifully CNC machined aluminium, with a self contained battery pack: It is built to last. This follows a theme with all Lezyne products I have tested; Lezyne pumps are similarly made to a superb quality level and can be seen as a long term investment, as opposed to many competitor's “disposable” products.

Onto the power! When you are used to riding with 480 lumens as your max power, stepping up to 1200 lumens on the Megadrive was a little bit like turning on the sun. This thing has got some kick! In terms of battery life it will do about 1.5 hours on "Overdrive" (1200 lumens), and 2.5 hours on "Enduro" (600 lumens), the latter of which is still easily enough to light up the road or trail! The unit is charged up via USB cable, and takes quite a long time if it is fully run down (9hrs) when plugged into a computer, although this is reduced if you plug it into a USB mains plug directly.

The removable battery on the Megadrive is a less common feature on modern high powered bike lights (like Exposure), but one that has some significant advantages. Batteries do have a finite life to them and this system means you can replace one when it gets old. It also means that you can carry a spare battery pack with you when you are on an “Epic” ride, so that you can extend your run time even more.

If there is one thing that slightly lets the Megadrive down it's the plastic handlebar mount, which in my mind is a little bit out of place given the beautifully machined CNC shell of the light itself. However, plastic can be a wise choice when you consider that the the handlebar mount is likely to be left in place and exposed to bike washes, weather and knocks. It is also less likely to mark the handlebar when it is tightened on there, so perhaps it has been chosen sensibly.

The Megadrive is an impressive bit of kit; built to last and built to perform. At under £150 on Wiggle at the moment as well, it present very good value compared to similarly powerful and high quality units from Exposure and Hope. Well worth considering.

The Lezyne Megadrive is available from Wiggle Bike Shop (Link)

Image from Wiggle Lights Comparison Tool

Weekend Watch: Best of Red Bull Rampage 2013

Photo Blog: Five Autumn Warmers

A short photo blog: five bits of kit to keep you riding and enjoying your time on the bike this autumn:

Solo Arm Warmers and Knee Warmers - Reviewed Here (Link)

GripGrab Race Thermo Overshoes and Leg Warmers - Available from Wiggle Bike Shop (Link)

For debris strewn roads - Vittoria Rubino Tyres - Reviewed Here (Link)

For warm feet - GripGrab Winter Cycling Socks - Available from Wiggle Bike Shop (Link)

For the showers - Santini 365 Transparent Jacket - Reviewed Here (Link)

Review: Arkel Dolphin 48 Rear Panniers

This is the final piece in the jigsaw of my series of reviews on Arkel’s Lite Touring kit, to date I have reviewed the Arkel Saddlebag, the Small Handlebar Bag and the Arkel Tailrider. All have impressed me greatly. In this review I consider possibly the ultimate waterproof rear pannier: the Dolphin 48.

Look at most round the world bikes and the long distance touring panniers that you will see on them increasingly resemble roll-top dry bags. Gone are the majority of external pockets and flip top lids, and instead we see a focus on keeping kit dry and safe without the need for a rain cover, and with a distinct focus on durability.

For my France and Spain touring trip I used a set of Ortlieb panniers, they then got used for almost two years of daily commuting to university and stood up well to the challenge. However, the Ortlieb panniers, though durable, had a number of niggling feature downfalls that stopped me from truly accepting them as the 'ultimate touring pannier', Arkel's Dolphins have gone a long way to correcting these niggles in my opinion.

Firstly, the main feature of any roll-top bag, the closure. Waterproof bags are only as good as the seal on the opening and the Dolphin 48’s system works well. Two rigid plastic strips on the top of the bag lock into each other, and then you roll the bag down and clip it onto the adjustable straps on either side of the bag.

The system is highly effective, and the independent straps on either side are a more secure closure than on the Ortlieb Classic Rollers in my opinion, and they present no risk unclipping or unrolling. Check out the video at the bottom of the post to see how it works.

Second up is the pocketing. The Dolphin 48 has two large independent roll-top compartments, separated by an open top storage pouch with a drainage hole at the bottom. The open top pouch is a neat idea; allowing you to store wet kit or shoes safely without contaminating other belongings. The smaller roll top pocket is also a much welcomed feature over the Ortlieb's one pocket; allowing easier access to smaller items. There are also two mesh pockets on the rear of the panniers that could carry extra water bottles, tools or damp kit; a very useful addition!

The third impressive feature of the Arkel Dolphin 48 is the back panel. The Ortlieb back panel uses an internal plastic panel to strengthen the bag for fixing it to the rack; the problem with this design is that unless the back of the pannier is lined up perfectly on your rack, the lower struts of the rack can rub on the pannier and damage the waterproof material. The Arkel system by contrast has the plastic mounting plate on the outside of the pannier; this means that if the bag rubs against the rack on rough terrain it will not damage the waterproofing material or damage the looks. This is a significant improvement in my opinion.

The final thing that stands out on the Dolphin 48s is the CamLock system used to attach the bag to the rack rails. This uses a neat nylon clad metal cam, which is opened by pulling up on a handle, then once the metal hook is placed over the rail of the rack, the cam swivels round and locks the bag in place. The CamLock system is simple, but it works. Because the cam is independent from the hook, both can be made stronger and both are replaceable if they get damaged (all Arkel products have a lifetime warranty!). The metal rail that the cams slide along is also stronger and more effective than others I have seen on panniers. Put simply, it is robust and it works; I haven't had a single Dolphin pannier pop off the rail of my rack.

The other smaller features that stand out to make the Arkel Dolphin panniers a great set of bags include the small D-rings on the top to lash other luggage to, the rear light clip and the reflective trim on the front and rear to increase visibility. It's features like these that show attention has been paid to the details.

Overall, the Arkel Dolphin 48s are a great set of luggage panniers; just as suited for carrying the weekly shopping as going on a round the world tour. It is worth noting that similar styled Dolphin panniers are available in 40 and 32 litre options as well, for those needing less space. Personally, I like the fact that you can pile everything into your panniers and you don't need to worry about lashing things precariously onto the outside.

The Dolphin 48 panniers are available from ArkelPanniers.co.uk for £164 RRP (for a pair). That's quite a price, but these panniers are really built to last and I fully expect to be using my set in a decade's time. It's a worthwhile investment for any touring cyclist.

Hints and Tips: Training With Rollers: Session Plans

Rollers are a superb training tool; a few weeks ago I reviewed the Tacx Antares Rollers, a set that have become famous for their great value and build quality. In this post I'm following up the review with some session ideas that you can use your rollers for.

Rollers are particularly useful for working on technique, high cadence training and recovery. The low resistance means they allow you to easily spin at a high RPM; working on elements of your cycling that can be hard to target out on the road or on a turbo trainer.

Recovery Spin Session (30 minutes)

This session is designed to be done post-race, or on a rest day. The objective is to get blood flowing to your muscles to flush out lactic acid that has built up during hard efforts. The “intervals” are very low intensity, but are added to bring variety and interest to what could otherwise be a monotonous spin session.

5 mins – 100 RPM Gentle Spinning (100 Watts)
1 mins – 120 RPM Fast Cadence (140 Watts)
5 mins – 105 RPM Gentle Spinning (120 Watts)
1 mins – 130 RPM Fast Cadence (140 Watts)
2 mins – 90 RPM Right Leg Emphasis
2 mins – 90 RPM Left Leg Emphasis
4 mins – 100 RPM Gentle Spinning (100 Watts)

High Cadence Pyramid Session (45 minutes)
This session is designed to work both on low cadence stability and high cadence control.The focus is on building your cadence gradually but maintaining your pedalling technique. You shouldn't be bouncing around on the saddle, try and keep your upper body stable and work on powering those legs round at a higher RPM with each set.

10 mins - 100RPM Gentle Spinning (Warm Up) (100 Watts)
1 mins - 115 RPM Fast Spnining
1 mins - 100 RPM Gentle Spinning
1 mins - 120 RPM Fast Spinning
1 mins - 100 RPM Gentle Spinning
30 Secs - 120+ RPM Fast Spinning
30 Secs - 100 RPM Gentle Spinning

Repeat Last Five Minutes 4 Times

5 mins - 100RPM Gentle Spinning
5 mins - Steady High Cadence with progressive power - Select the big ring up front and the largest cog on the cassette, spin the gear up until you get to 120RPM, then change into the next hardest gear on the cassette. KEEP GOING until your cadence starts to fall below 100 and you can't get it higher. Then start to shift back up to the easier gears on the cassette (pyramid training). If you find this hard to get near this kind of cadence using the big ring gears then use the smaller ring and start mid-way down the cassette (you may have to change up the big ring mid-pyramid if you do this).
10 mins - 100RPM Gentle Spinning (Cool Down).

The Single Legged Spin Session (40 mins)
This is a technique rather than a fitness session, and is designed to help even out any power imbalances in your leg strokes. Stay in the same gear as you use for the warm up (small ring) when you move into the first set, but cycle one legged for the next 10 minutes. The best way to do this is to unclip your "resting" leg and just place it on the pedal.

10 mins - 80-100RPM Gentle Spinning (Warm Up) (100 Watts)
1 mins - 80-100RPM Left Leg Emphasis (try to maintain 100 Watts)
1 mins - 80-100RPM Right Leg Emphasis (try to maintain 100 Watts)

Repeat Last Two Minutes 5 Times

10 mins - 100RPM - Now change up to the big ring on the front and ride fairly hard with both legs. Try to keep up the same feel of fluidity and smoothness that you were working on.
10 mins - 100RPM Gentle Spinning (Cool Down).

All these sessions could also be done on a turbo trainer, but the benefit of using a set of rollers like the Tacx Antares Rollers is that they will really work on your bike handling, core stability and technique. They will also help to keep you engaged and switched on throughout the training session!

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

Mini Review: OneLife iD Mini Tags

Carrying some form of ID with you when you are out on the bike is a no brainer. If you come off and get knocked out (or worse), the emergency services will want to contact your next of kin as soon as possible, and it’s one hell of a lot quicker and easier for them if you have some form of ID.

The MiniTag from OneLife iD is a compact and cheap way of taking some form of identification when you don’t want to be taking your wallet with you on your bike rides. It is one third the size of a normal credit card, and can feature three lines of contact details on the back as well as your name (sorry I'm not going to show a photo of my family’s phone numbers to you guys, that’s just a bit too weird). The scanner code on the front then links to your online profile, which can store lots more information, including allergies etc.

You can attach the tags to a saddlebag, helmet, jacket zipper or similar. Anywhere that you think will be visible to the emergency services.

You get three tags for £5.99 from OneLife.com, which is good value considering the benefits that it could provide. They would make a very worthwhile stocking filler or gift for friends and family.

Review: Solo RT Thermo Roubaix 3/4 Length Shorts

With winter approaching and the temperatures falling rapidly, reaching into the wardrobe and pulling out a pair of three quarter length bibs is becoming a more frequent occurrence.

A few weeks ago I reviewed the great Solo Super Roubaix Arm Warmers and Knee Warmers; but as the mornings become even cooler, three quarter lengths are the next step in keeping comfortable when you’re out on the road or trails.

Solo.cc kit has proven to have some great characteristics in all my reviews to date; whether it was the warm winter jersey and base layer review that I published in the spring or the arm warmer review more recently;all the kit has proven to be well made, well designed and has a great fit. I'm pleased to say the Retro Tech ¾ length Thermal Shorts follow the theme.

Starting from the top down, the bibs on the Retro Tech three quarter lengths are high cut and very comfortable; although they may present some problems when nature calls, they keep the warmth in and the chill out very well, and the strong elasticised fabric avoids any bunching around your mid-section when you are in a tuck on the bike.

The Thermo Roubaix fabric used for both the bibs and the lowers comes from M.I.T.I (an Italian brand), and is a beautiful fleece backed material that has proven both highly breathable and warm even in the worst of conditions. Its higher density thread count also means it is very good for wet weather riding, as it adds an element of water resistance to the fabric.

Moving down, I was extremely pleased to find the Cytech 'Road Performance Carbonium' chamois in these shorts; I've trialled this pad in other bibs before and it really is superb. Providing just the right amount of pad density and pad width, the technical make up of the Carbonium is spot on in my opinion. The pad also washes well on a normal machine cycle, and remains comfortable even for long periods in the saddle. Coupling this feature with the flat-locked seams, which means there is no uncomfortable abrasion from this area as well, it makes these a perfect garment for long winter miles.

Like the Solo arm warmers and knee warmers the Solo RT ¾ Thermal Shorts feature the great reflective Solo logos on the front of the calf, and reflective tabs on the rear. These are the kind of features that can be overlooked in a design process, but in fact make a real difference to visibility in poor lighting conditions.

The lower cut of the legs of these “shorts” means that really they are closer to tights than shorts. This is no bad thing; it means that I can quite easily see myself wearing this product right through the middle of winter. Coupled with overshoes they will provide almost equivalent protection to full length tights, but without the irritating lower ankle that you get on some tights.

At £155 RRP, the Thermal Roubaix ¾ lengths are no bargain bucket special, rather they are a superbly made, great fitting set of bibs, with a great chamois and a cut that makes them extremely versatile in the seasons that they could be used for. These can be viewed as an investment; if you are putting in long miles this winter, make sure you do it in comfort.

Distributed in the UK by Paligap.cc, select Solo kit is also available from Wiggle.co.uk

Wednesday Watch: The Lance Armstrong Lie - Trailer

OK so it's Tuesday, but this could be interesting...

Weekend Watch: Red Bull Rampage

Red Bull Rampage starts next week. Prepare for some more of THIS...

Weekend Watch: Tony Martin's World Champs TT Win

SPOTTED: Tony Martin warming up on a set of Tacx Antares rollers. Reviewed on the blog here.

Review: Solo Super Roubaix Arm and Knee Warmers

Autumn is a season of change, some days it is close to zero Celsius in the early morning, but then by mid-day it can be in the mid-twenties. Weather like that calls for flexibility in your kit choice, and warmers are a superb accessory to accomplish this.

In the spring I reviewed a wide variety of kit from Solo.cc; the Solo Cycle Clothing Review received a great audience, and I was thoroughly impressed by the products that it featured. The Solo kit proved to be well thought out, made to the highest quality and it performed admirably during testing. To extend the review of the Solo range I am here reviewing the Roubaix Arm Warmers and the Roubaix Knee Warmers; both products that are perfect for the cooler weather. In a later post I will also be reviewing the rather fantastic Roubaix 3/4 length bib shorts.

Solo Super Roubaix Arm Warmers
You could be excused for thinking that all arm warmers are equal; just Lycra tubes that keep your arms a bit more comfortable in cooler weather. Wrong! In my experience (and I've tried a few) there is a wide variety out there. Some are too big for most cyclists' upper arms and so slip down leaving a chilly gap, some are simply straight tubes which causes them to bunch up uncomfortably around the inner elbow, and to be honest some just don't look great (bright red ones spring to mind).

The Solo Super Roubaix Arm Warmers however tick all the right boxes. They are close fitting and have a superb gripper on the upper arm, they have contoured stitching to avoid uncomfortable bunching, and they come in a very slick black with a reflective "Solo" logo on the lower arm and a reflective tab on the rear.

The Super Roubaix fabric is soft, breathable and not too bulky. It has been effective at keeping the chill out on many cold autumn mornings, yet the thinner design means the warmers aren't too large to roll up and stuff in your back pocket when the sun comes out.

The feature that really stands out for me with the Solo arm warmers is the contoured fit, which makes them quite easily one of the most comfortable sets of warmers that I have used. The Solo reflective logo on the sleeve is also a great addition; it shows up incredibly well in the photos and therefore I'm sure it will in traffic as well.

Retailing for a recommended price of £29, the Super Roubaix is around the mid-price range for arm warmers, but with some of the best performance and comfort I've seen. Well worth checking out.

Solo Super Roubaix Knee Warmers
The Super Roubaix Knee Warmers use the same high quality fabric as the arm warmers, but utilise it to protect your vital knee joints from the cold as well.

The knee warmers also use a flat seam construction throughout, which means that you avoid any risk of uncomfortable chafing seams around the moving joints. They also have the superb reflective Solo logos on the lower shins, which in my mind are a great feature both for safety and for looks (not to mention effective branding).

The grippers on the Super Roubaix Knee Warmers are similar to those used on the arm warmers; a soft silicon strip on the upper and lower cuffs. They seem to be effective at keeping the warmers in place. I was concerned when I first put them on that the narrow gripper band on the thigh might be uncomfortably tight and not spread the load like other knee warmers I have tried such as dhb Roubaix warmers. However, any concerns were unfounded; the Solo knee warmers have proven comfortable even when worn for 6 hours in the saddle.

Selling for £34 these are great value for high end warmers; a very comfortable bit of kit that is well worth adding to your spring/autumn wardrobe.

Look out for my review of the Solo 3/4 length Roubaix bib shorts coming soon as the temperatures continue to fall...

Distributed in the UK by Paligap.cc, select Solo kit is also available from Wiggle.co.uk

Wednesday Watch: 2013 World Champs Shimano Race TV

Photo Blog: GripGrab Autumn Products

At the start of 2013 I became a GripGrab Local Hero. The position has allowed me to test many of the products from the GripGrab range, and I have to say they are some of the best that I have ever used.

Earlier in the year I did a photo blog on GripGrab Summer Kit; the post got a great reception and I had many people asking me about the products on Twitter. To introduce a few more of the fantastic GripGrab products to you readers I thought I would do another one, this time on autumn themed kit. If you have any questions or want to know more about the featured products tweet me or leave a comment at the end of the post.

The GripGrab range is available in the UK from Wiggle (Link)