Time ATAC XC4 pedals overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A kit review for pedals? Yes! Because ATAC XC4 aren’t your normal bicycle pedals. In a world dominated by Shimano pedals, ATAC XC4 pedals offers numerous advantages. Knee problems can be solved by pedals? During an Audax ride I did in 2023, I was chatting with a rider … Read more
West Biking 25 litres panniers overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Panniers are essential cycle touring pieces of kit, as well as extremely useful for commuting. Generally speaking, price tends to be an indicator of quality, and you get what you pay for. However, there are exceptions! Around seven months ago, I decided it was time to replace … Read more
Elite Cycling Project Malmo winter cycling gloves overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Suffering from semi-frozen fingers isn’t fun, and when the cold weather hits, you need decent winter gloves. Your winter gloves must be waterproof, and equally importantly, windproof. They also need good insulation. Not my first rodeo The Elite Cycling Project Malmo winter cycling gloves offers … Read more
Provisional* overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sleeping mats are not all the same, and the difference in price between entry-level and top-end sleeping mats can be eye-watering. Generally, sleeping mats fall into three categories:1) Inflatable mats,2) Self-inflating mats, and3) Closed-cell foam mats *A provisional rating, as I’ve yet to test this mat in sub-zero conditions. Sleeping mat … Read more
Micronew shifters overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ My bike has a 3 x 9 drive. It started out with a double chainring, but as it’s used as a touring bike, I changed to a triple chainring setup. As it happened, I had two older Shimano Sora shifters for dropped bars that I fitted, and it all worked … Read more
Overall rating: For anyone who relies on their bike for commuting, utility cycling, or cycle touring, dynamo lights are probably the best upgrade you can make. No more forgetting to charge your lights, or getting stuck after dark, without lights. With dynamo lights, as soon as the wheels start turning, your lights are on. It … Read more
Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐ The Zefal T3 bag attaches to the top tube with Velcro-type fasteners, and has a clear pocket for your smartphone. It’s generously-sized, but you need to decide for yourself if that’s a benefit, or not. Road-tested I took the T3 bag along when I cycled (more or less) the bottom half of … Read more
Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Aero bars on a touring bike? Yes, I fit Profile Design Legacy II aero bars to my touring bike. My primary motivation was not to gain any aerodynamical improvements. No, instead I wanted a way to get weight off my hands and wrists, especially on longer rides. I intentionally left it some … Read more
Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Head torches are severely under-rated, and are critical bits of kit. They come in extremely useful when cycle commuting, cycle touring and when camping. On night-time rides, riders who use battery lights are usually able to remove their lights to illuminate parts of their bike, for example when mending a puncture. Us … Read more
Aero bars, also called tri-bars, are attached to your bike’s handlebars, with the primary purpose to get your body into a far more aerodynamic position. They’re mostly used by riders doing time-trials or triathlons (hence the tri-bars moniker) but they do offer benefits outside of those two fields. I recently ordered a set of aero … Read more
Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐ Do read the update to this review further below. I know my cunning plan was to never replace my ageing old Garmin Edge 500 GPS unit, and instead rely on the superb RideWithGPS app on my phone. It was for this exact reason that I bought a rugged, waterproof smartphone. Some flaws … Read more
The cycling industry is flooded with solutions looking for problems. This never-ending search for innovation seems driven not be any real need to make cycling better for you, but rather to ensure you keep upgrading your bikes, and buying new bikes. After all, if everyone rode the same bike for 20 years, new bike sales … Read more
Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐ I recently purchased two Chilli-Tech Mk II Bullet helmet cameras – one for me and one for my youngest daughter. For a few years I’ve been riding with a VTIN camera, and I’m quite happy with that, except for battery life. The Chilli-Tech Mk II has a battery life of roughly 4.5 … Read more
The Cambridge Dictionary defines “getting cold feet” as “to suddenly become too frightened to do something you had planned to do, especially something important such as getting married”. This post is not about that kind of cold feet. This post is all about keeping your feet warm on a bitterly cold winter’s ride. After all, … Read more
Water: the source of life I needed a personal water filtration system, and picked the Sawyer Mini for good reasons. You consist of 55% to 60% water, and your blood is around 90% water. You need to drink water every day (even if it’s contained in other drinks, such as coffee). Though there doesn’t seem … Read more
Another tent? For the past 10+ years, I’ve been using a little 2-person tent I bought from Tesco for £12. It’s just big enough for me and my kit, provided I sleep diagonally in it – and I’m not very tall! I’ve slept in that tent during very strong winds, on Dartmoor, and I used … Read more
The battle of getting tight tyres onto a rim It’s easy to see where the TyreKey got it’s name from – it looks much like a large key. There are two versions of the TyreKey, and I was given the newer version to try, which was redesigned to cope better with fatter tyres and wider … Read more
Trangia copy? Yes, mine’s not an official Trangia, but a very well-made copy that you probably wouldn’t be able to tell apart from the original. Why did I get a copy? Easy – I wanted just the stove, and didn’t want to spend much, as this will be my backup stove. Why a backup stove? … Read more
Tyre Glider – A new tool in the battle of fitting a tyre If you’ve ever struggled getting a very tight-fitting tyre on, or off a rim, then you will know it can indeed be a battle! Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres are probably the tyre most people complain about, though on the plus side, they … Read more
Good reputation Podsac has built a well-deserved reputation for great kit. Indeed, while cycling the Grand Union Canal, my mate Dom found that Podsacks are so waterproof that they made his bicycle float! As a result, I didn’t have any reservations when I ordered these from Planet-X. For clarity, I bought these at full price, … Read more