Boxing Day Bonanza!
Firstly, Happy Christmas! Hope you all had a lovely day with your nearest and dearest.
I guess it is sod’s law that Christmas Day, the day when I had no time to ride, had the most wonderful blue skies and winter sunshine. Plus it wasn’t event that cold! Fortunately I had managed to get out for a ride on Monday (23rd), although there were still quite a few flooded points after the torrential rain we’ve had recently
Having to go through flooded parts of the lanes is always a bit of a worry, you never know what is lurking underneath!
Away from the floods it was a really nice ride and lovely, mild winter weather.
Boxing Day arrived and the rain had returned so I made my post Christmas return on Zwift this morning, brushing off the overindulgence with a blast of Emily’s Short Mix and a 40km trot round the virtual Surrey Hills. As I heard several adverts on the radio for the start of the Boxing Day sales, it got me thinking about bike products that I would look to pick up on the cheap if the opportunity arises. Here’s five products that won’t be the most well known, but they are a staple part of my kit.
Squirt Bike Lube – simply the best bike lube I’ve ever used. My drivetrain runs so smooth after an application with Squirt and it lasts a long time too. I have two in my shed, the long lasting and low temperature versions and they’re well worth the £10 price point
Fabric Lumaray V2 Light – quite simply a brilliantly designed front light that doesn’t clutter up your cockpit. The Lumaray clips into your standard Garmin mount (comes with Wahoo adapters) and your Garmin then clips into the top of the light. Available for £25 in some places, the Lumaray carries a 60 Lumens LED and that light covers 270 degree visibility. Clever.
Veloforte Energy Bars – there are a lot of energy bars on the market and it really does come down to personal preference but these are by far and away my favourite. 100% natural, they are created with the aim of giving riders a balanced intake of protein, carbs, electrolytes and minerals. My favourite is the Avanti variant which are vegan and gluten free in addition to being 100% natural but you can buy a mixed case of bars to try for £16.50
Science In Sport Immune Gels – currently available in a brilliant ginger flavoured limited edition, the SiS Immune Gels are great for the winter season. The 22g of carbohydrate in each gel is coupled with a blend of vitamins and minerals to support the immune function. These are currently on offer for £9 for a 10 pack on the SiS website
Cycling Podcast Friends Of The Podcast Subscription – For those days when the weather makes you turn your back on the outside. If you have an interest in pro cycling as well as riding your own bike then the Cycling Podcast is a must in your audio rotation. Lionel Birnie, Richard Moore and Daniel Friebe (as well as many regular guests) present a regular show (daily during Grand Tours) that is full of great feature and incredibly easy to listen to. A ‘Friends’ subscription gains you access to exclusive episodes throughout the year that focus on specific aspects of pro cycling and are very enjoyable. Get rid of your GCN / CW addiction and get on board with these guys
So, there you go. 5 things that I’m positive will enhance your cycling experience through this winter, enjoy!
IAIN
