Reviews & Guides
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October 24, 2019
When it comes to summer cycling kit one item that most
riders will need is a decent pair of fingerless gloves, or mitts as they are
better known in the cycling world. Not only do they help to give extra grip and
comfort on the handlebar but they also help to prevent road rash if you do have
an off.The mitts I’d been wearing for the last few years had
finally seen better days, so I was in the market for some new ones. Choosing a
pair should be easy but being indecisive I must have tried about 10 different pairs
on before deciding on the Hirzl Grippp Tour SF 2.0 gloves.For those of you that don’t know Hirzl are a Swiss born
brand dedicated to designing and producing high performance -
October 08, 2019
While the UK is renowned around the world for the
abundance of top quality, purpose-built trail centres (as you’ll find in our
handy trail centre guide!), we’re also blessed with some incredible natural
riding too! While we may lack the huge mountains you’ll find overseas like the
Alps or Pyrenees, there’s plenty for riders to sink their teeth into if they
want to leave the comforts of a way-marked trail centre behind and head out
into the wild.Natural rides are great to break the monotony of
perfectly groomed trail centre rides. With tougher climbs, rougher descents and
more added to the fact you’ll have to navigate yourself, all without the
promise of a brew and cake at the end, natural rides challenge you mentally,
physically and technically in a way trail centres often struggle to match.
While they lack the convenience of the trail centre experience, there’s -
September 11, 2019
With nutrition and hydration playing key roles in how we
perform on the bike we felt it was important to take a look at a number of ways
in which cyclists could benefit from improved nutrition
and hydration – and we don’t just mean grabbing a Mars bar or a pasty before
you go out and a swift pint on your way back home, either! You know who you
are.Many of us will have something to eat before we go out
for a bike ride, stocking up on energy and venturing out ready to tackle the
road or trail ahead. You probably also grab a quick swig from a hydration pack
or water bottle when you feel thirsty or need a boost. That’s perfectly fine
and highly advisable, but does that mean you’re eating and drinking in a way
that will keep you fit and healthy? -
August 30, 2019
As a cyclist, it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that the only ways you can train are on a bike, either indoors during the winter or outdoors once the sun appears by simply getting out there and racking up the miles. The truth of the matter is that any form of exercise that you can get will benefit you in some shape or form, developing your general fitness and allowing you to press on for longer with your improved endurance.
Whether you’re a road cyclist or you’re more of a
mountain biker, weight training and plyometrics are both incredibly beneficial
to you as a cyclist. By being stronger and fitter you’ll be able to ride faster
and further for longer, driving your -
August 12, 2019
The gym isn’t for everybody and sometimes the weather and
family or work commitments mean it’s not always possible for you to go for a
ride on your bike; but a lot of gyms are putting on regular spin classes that
represent a short, sharp form of exercise so you can keep your legs going.There are a lot of forms of exercise that are seen as
fads, coming along and getting a bit of publicity for a short while before
disappearing from public consciousness as the novelty wears off. Spinning isn’t
one of these and is still without a doubt one of the most popular fitness
classes – and forms of training – that you can do, even if you’re not a
competitive cyclist.If anything it’s a common misconception that you need to
be a cyclist to take part in a spin class. In actual fact, you just need to be
up for the -
July 25, 2019
The springtime and school holidays represent the ideal
time to get outside. Thinking back to our own childhood’s, being off school
meant spending hours in the garden or out in the park with friends and family;
perhaps even out on bike rides and as we’ve reached that time of year again
it’s time to turn our attentions to our own children and how to get them into
cycling.The countryside, National Parks and playgrounds are often
filled with people riding their bikes and as the weather improves we’re likely
to see more and more ditching the car and cycling to work instead – perhaps
making your kids take note and think how much fun it must be to ride their
bikes. -
July 04, 2019
Learning to ride a bike can be a huge part of any child’s life. It can set them on the way to a love of bikes and cycling that will last a lifetime. It can help them grow in confidence and enable them to get out enjoy the outdoors on two wheels from a very young age, developing all kinds of skills in the process. Learning to ride a bike can be hard though and it takes time and patience from both child and parents but it’s much easier if the bike is the right size!
Not only does size matter, but even from a young age kids
can be pretty set in their ways in what they want their bike to look like, so
picking one that they adore will not only keep them happy but encourage them to
ride them more! To help you find which size is right for your child we’ve put
together a quick sizing guide to help you get the right one, as well as
highlighting some of our best-selling kids’ -
June 27, 2019
“If it’s not on Strava it didn’t happen!”, is often a phrase
you’ll hear hurled around by roadies and mountain bikers all over the world, but
what exactly is Strava and what is the big deal all about? Chances are if
you’ve been a keen cyclist over the last 5 years or so, you’ll either use, or
have at the very least heard of, Strava. Strava is hugely popular, with 25
“activities” uploaded every second and 15.3 million every week. Strava can be
used for running and swimming as well as cycling. For those not in the know,
we’re focusing on the cycling features of the app, so here’s our quick start to
guide to what it is, what it can do and how it can benefit you as a rider.For years riders have tracked their rides with GPS cycle
computers and Strava is very much along the same kind of lines. Not only can
you upload files from your GPS computer to Strava after, or even -
June 14, 2019
If you frequent any cycling news-related websites at the
minute, you’ll be met with a plethora of new bikes and kit aimed at gravel
riding. But what is a gravel bike? Is it just a road bike that you can use on
gravel paths? Or is it a mountain bike for people who don’t want to ride the more
technical, treacherous trails?For a lot of people there are more questions surrounding gravel
bikes and riding than any other discipline, so we thought we’d
assemble a quick guide to help you make sense of cycling’s latest craze!What is gravel riding?
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May 29, 2019
One of the many reasons that we all fell in love with cycling at a young age was because we would go out on family bike rides in the summer or at weekends, taking in the local countryside and getting to ride around off road without the worries about traffic. Now, as we raise our own families, it’s time to pass that enjoyment down to our own children and to reminisce by taking our kids on similar rides to those we used to go on with our parents.
Getting the kids out in the fresh air and way from the games consoles has always been a challenge, but cycling represents the opportunity that we need. They’re active, they’re having fun and they get to control where they go and at what speed (to an extent!!)