Real world fitness
For Christmas 2014 I was given a pair of Rapha Winter Gloves, but they were a size Large, which was just a little too snug for my hands. Unfortunately, given the weather was way more wintry than what we saw in late 2015, they’d sold out of the larger sizes, so I didn’t get to …
In my experience what to wear during the Autumn and Winter is the biggest issue that stops people cycling as the weather deteriorates. It’s a can of worms that has too many permutations, so you need to try options and see what works best for you. Note!! You will get your clothing wrong at times …
Over the years I’ve used a variety of short-finger mitts for both road cycling and mountain biking, but over the past four years or so I’ve settled on some Specialized Body Geometry (BG) mitts. These seemed to have the right mix of firmer gel pads and flexibility to suit my riding styles. However, since my …
I’ve been using some neoprene Shimano overshoes for cold/wet road rides for donkey’s years and they’ve become rather shabby – with tears at the heel encroaching on the zips. It was time for a change… However, given that the Bianchi (and my road shoes) tend to avoid those days when the weather decides to through …
I’ve had my US Postal bib shorts for twelve-plus years and it’s testament to their quality that they survived this long. They’re a bit thin in places, but they’re not indecent, so I carry on wearing them… on a mountain bike. I absolutely wouldn’t be seen dead on a road-bike in these shorts. Friends will …
Having invested in my first Rapha kit, I set around sorting a complimentary baselayer, and the only way was merino. The Rapha jersey was a long-sleeve, slightly heavier weight, winter version, so to increase the versatility I was after a long-sleeve and a short-sleeve base. The Rapha baselayers, lovely as they might have been, were …
My first Rapha purchase was a T-shirt, it’s dark green with a pleasant pink Rapha logo on the front… and it’s kept it’s shape over four years of regular wear… it may just be a T-shirt, but it’s a really good T-shirt. My second Rapha purchase was a Team Sky long sleeve jersey for my …
Baselayers are one of those overlooked pieces of kit… why invest in something that doesn’t show, doesn’t keep the rain or wind off, further does it really make much difference what it’s made of? Over nearly 30 years of outdoor pursuits, I’ve moved through the various technologies and am now about to embrace ‘proper’ merino …
The joy of the winter sales… we’re gradually building a small Rapha collection, starting with Louis’ Rapha Team Sky Long Sleeve supporters jersey. There’s loads of comment & opinion around the Rapha, it’s one of cycling true Marmite brands – you either get the concept of high quality albeit expensive clothes or you’ll question why …
I have a mixture of on and off-road kit – it all gets well-used and I know what works well, and what doesn’t. I’ve found that my favourite Euskadi shorts are amazingly comfortable in the saddle, but that the bib straps rub my nipples… I discovered that opposite ends of the budget can produce great …