Category: Featured

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Featured Features

Chorizo, Pine Nut and Spinach Spaghetti

Chorizo, Pine Nut and Spinach Spaghetti

Chorizo, Pine Nut and Spinach Spaghetti

Our Nutritionist says:

“Everyone should aim to eat a protein of nuts and dark green leafy veg daily because of their health giving nutrients. Along with these, lemon provides load of antioxidants to fix cell damage caused by endurance training so don’t hold back on these ingredients. Olive oil also supports a healthy heart and if you want to reduce the saturated fat content even further, replace chorizo for seasoned chicken.”

Joel Enoch, Sports Nutritionist - joelenoch.co.uk

Ingredients:chorizo_NutBox_cyc
40g chorizo
Zest of and juice of half a lemon
Pinch of sea salt
1 tbsp virgin olive oil
150g spaghetti
25g pine nuts
125g baby leaf spinach

 

1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, adding a small pinch of sea salt.  Cook the pasta as per packet instruction (reduce by 1 minute for a more authentic al dente Italian style.)

 

2. Zest half the lemon and chop finely; mix with juice from half the lemon and stir in olive oil.

 

3. Chop the chorizo or bacon into small bite-size pieces.

 

4. Four minutes before the pasta is ready heat a frying pan gently and add the chorizo or bacon to the dry pan – no need for extra oil.

 

5. As the meat begins to cook toss in the pine nuts to toast. Keep everything moving as pine nuts tend to ‘catch’ and burn.

 

6. When the pasta is ready put the baby leaf spinach in a colander (keeping a handful of leafs back for serving) and drain the pasta through it to wilt.

 

7.  Return the pasta and baby leaf spinach to the pan, tip in the chorizo/bacon and pine nuts and mix together with the lemon and oil until the pasta is coated.

 

8. Serve with the remaining handful of baby leaf spinach on top of the dish.

 

Download the Recipe HERE

 

Categories
Featured Reviews Tech

beatbike

beatbike

beatbikeThere is an indisputable love or hate factor when it comes to folding bicycles and an equally binary set when it comes to the subject of electric bikes. Where then is this likely to leave people when it comes to the two-in-one beatbike?

 

Divided is the obvious answer, and so it may prove to be, but stick with us on this and rest assured we were firing on all cynicism cylinders too when we first took delivery of the beatbike for an extended test period…

 

First the tech: beatbike has an anodised alloy frame, folds flat to around 300mm, incorporates an 80watt hub motor – powered by an internal lithium ion battery – for a maximum speed of 12mph and a maximum running time between charges of 3 hours. It ships in a carry case and, packed, looks not unlike lugging a set of golf clubs around.

 

Unfolding the beatbike takes a little practise – a good few minutes and some colourful language should do it on first attempt, but with a little practice it’s actually a doddle. The pedals flip up, then handlebars clip into place and are secured with a lever pad, the front upright swings into place by simultaneously pulling up a lever (this is the tricky rubbing head/patting belly trick bit at first) and the rear upright lifts into position. The only non-integrated part is the separate seat-post and saddle, which slot in and secure with a swing-fastener. Re-folding the beatbike is, obviously, just a case of repeating the above in reverse order – there’s a knack to the whole process, but it’s a perfectly simple one to get the hang of.

 

beatbikeThere’s something both urban and a little utilitarian about the aesthetics of the beatbike, it does lack the graceful lines that have made Bromptons such a design classic, but in a slightly industrial and brutalist way it’s really rather lovely. There are spots of tape, where a neat anodised clip would have added appeal, but most of the angularity is a functional aspect of having the majority of the tech contained within the frame. Its looks, we have to admit, grew on us considerably over time.

 

We’ve been taking the beatbike out on test for over two months to get a full flavour of what it’s all about and repeatedly people have flagged us down to demand to know more and, invariably, ask to have a go. Not one person got off the beatbike without an enormous smile on their face and this, perhaps, is the secret to the bikes potential success. Cycling should, after all, be fun.

 

To get your motor running, to channel Steppenwolf, it’s a simple matter of switching on via the controls mounted on the left side of the handlebars and selecting from the three speeds – the motor runs as long as you keep pedalling (without effort) and cuts out either as soon as you stop or when the breaks are applied (front disc, rear drum.) The breaks are sharply responsive, without being dangerously over-eager and the only things that takes any real practice is getting used to the more upright position on the bike and understanding the turning circle.

 

Aside from when power-assisted there are no gears on the beatbike so pedalling uphill on a 14kg frame tests the legs, but then that’s what the motor’s really for…

 

It’s important to put this bike in context: As a ‘final-mile’ commute bike, it makes enormous sense (the carry bag converts into a rucksack, a really nice touch), as an option to take on a canal boat or caravan holiday, ditto and for getting out and just having untold fun in a park it’s hard to beat. There are some limiting factors in terms of the distance/time between charges but the beatbike compares well here with other makes that weigh considerably more.

 

Are we going to convert any ‘real’ cyclists here? Maybe not, but they’re the ones missing out on the fun, which beatbike delivers in spades.

 

The beatbike is currently only available in anodised silver, but a larger range of colours are promised – it retails at £499.99, just about on the money for an electric folder and less than half of what you might expect to pay for something like the Raleigh Velo XC.

 

Cyclo is offering its readers a £50 discount on the beatbike; just use code ‘cyclo50’ at the checkout at beatbikes.com

 

Categories
Featured Tech

Proviz Neutron Lights

Proviz Neutron Lights

Proviz Neutron LightsThere’s really nothing Cyclo likes more than simple efficiency and the Proviz Neutron Lights perform – quite literally – brilliantly. The Neutron is part of the Proviz own-brand range of bike lights and for those of you not in the know Proviz specialise in the retail of all things hi-viz from helmets to reflectives and cycling jackets.

 

Proviz Neutron Lights – one front, one back – are dinky water-resistant rubberised nodule-lights not unlike the Knog (Cyclo review here), which use a double LED to produce 36000MCD (millicandela) per light visible up to 650m. Of course that’s the distance at which the light is visible not the distance at which it provides visibility, but it does produce a decent crisp white light to front with a decent spread – there are also a choice of three modes: rapid flash, slow flash and solid.

 

The Neutrons attach quickly to pretty much any part of the bike by wrapping the silicone loop around and slipping it over the plastic clip – it’s a neat enough system although the plastic, the weakest point, is vulnerable in the case of a spill and is fairly unforgiving against the frame, so watch for scratches over time.

 

The Proviz Neutron Lights, whilst somehow not quite up to the sleek design aesthetics of the Knogs, are bright, light (just 22g each) and small enough to slip into a jersey pocket for those ‘just in case’ moments when the weather catches you out. At just £14.99 for the pair they are also cheaper than other similar manufacturers – compare the say the Lezyne Femto Drive LED Light Set at £21.99 or the Knog Frog Stobe Light pack at £19.99 (both available from Wiggle.co.uk)

 

Full details and online purchase of the Proviz Neutron Lights at provizsports.com Follow Proviz on facebook and Twitter.

 

Categories
Featured Features

Conditioning for Cyclists

Conditioning for Cyclists

Conditioning your body for exercise is key to avoiding injury and, for cyclists, there are some very key, prominent areas that are commonly injured. More often than not knowing which muscles to stretch and which to strengthen can prevent such injuries. Physiotherapist Claire Warburton looks at some of the most common problems…

 

Lower Back Pain

This is the most common complaint I’ve seen in cyclists. We all lead very sedentary lifestyles where work often involves long periods of time in a sitting position. This means that our hip flexors become very tight and overactive. This in turn causes the gluteals (your bottom) to be inhibited (not work very well) and you have a muscle imbalance. As the hip flexors originate from your lumbar spine as they become overactive they pull on this and you feel stiff and in pain.

 

Common Causes: Overactive hip flexors, weak core and gluteals.

Prevention: Stretch your hip flexors, strengthen the core and the gluteals.

 

Iliotibial Band Friction Syndrome

The iliotibial band (ITB) runs from the side of your hip down the outside of the leg and into the front of the knee. If your gluteals are not strong enough then as you push down on the pedals your knees will drop inwards past the midline and the ITB will tighten up in an attempt to stop this. Over time the ITB will become very tight and cause some pain, often at the insertion around the side and front of the knee.

 

Common Causes: increased side to side pelvis movement in the saddle, weak gluteals, overactive hip flexors.

Prevention: Strengthen the gluteals, roll or stretch the ITB and increase the saddle height.

 

Hamstrings Strain / Pain

When making the transition from trainers to cleats often the hamstrings will bear the brunt. In trainers all your power occurs when you push down and in cleats you have a much more equal balance between pushing down and pulling up as your feet are fixed to the pedals. Due to this change if your hamstrings are weak or too long or too short then you will feel pain. Commonly this pain is felt in the outside of the hamstrings, close to the head of the fibula bone just below your knee joint.

 

Common Causes: Weak hamstrings, overactive quadriceps and hip flexors.

Prevention: Stretch the quadriceps and hip flexors and strengthen the hamstrings and gluteals.

 

Calf Strain / Pain

The calf muscle plays a key role in how much power you can generate when you pedal. A common mistake is to push through the ball of your foot and allow your heel to rise up. When this happens the calf will be held in a shorten position through the push down and pull up phase of your pedal stroke. A good way to be more efficient is pedal as if you are trying to scrape your heel along the ground. There shouldn’t be too much movement from your calf at your ankle as the calf will be lengthened and shortened by the bending and straightening that occurs at the knee.

 

Common Causes: Incorrect pedal technique, cleats positioned incorrectly and overactive calf muscles.

Prevention: Alter the cleat position, stretch the calf muscles, have a bike fit to assess the pedal technique.

 

Neck Pain

Again our posture plays a part in how we feel when cycling. When we sit at our computers, iPads, phones we often allow the neck to be held in a sustained position and the shoulders hunch forwards. This causes a lot of stiffness in the upper back and weakness in the deep postural neck muscles. Add this to a poor bike position and you will find you are reaching too much for the handlebars and the neck has to extend more than it comfortably needs to.

 

Common Causes: Stiffness in the upper back joints, poor bike fit, poor core

Prevention: Roll or stretch the upper back, strengthen the core and neck muscles and have a bike fit to assess your neck position in relation to your reach to the handlebars

 

Feature by Claire Warburton, Physiotherapist at BodySync – You can follow Claire on Twitter @cawarbu

 

There are numerous guides to conditioning and strengthening online and Cyclo would also recommend Anatomy, Stretching & Training for Cyclists: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting the Most from Your Bicycle Workouts by Lisa Purcell, available from Amazon.co.uk

 

Please note that the above is intended for general guidance only and is not intended to supersede the advice of your own medical practitioner(s). If in doubt always seek the advice of your GP, physiotherapist or other healthcare professional.

Categories
Featured Recovery

Massage Oils

massage oils

Massage OilsThe effort of a long ride or hard training session warrants, if not demands, a little post-exercise pampering and a massage – from gentle warm down to deep tissue – is a great place to start. Everything from the feet to the calves, quads and hams benefit from massage and there are plenty of resources online to teach you the simple techniques to speed recovery and prevent the dreaded DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) that can creep up on even the most experienced of ridesr. With this in mind Cyclo looks at three of our favourite massage oils…

 

St Kitts Arnica Massage Oil - The St Kitts Herbery was founded by Susan & Paul Johnson back in 2001; initially a true kitchen-table enterprise that has now grown enormously but stayed true to its original ideals, creating high quality botanical products using largely traditional methods. There are those that swear by arnica for reducing bruising and if you’re amongst them then the excellent St Kitts Arnica Massage Oil is the one for you. Even if you doubt the properties the addition of lavender, birch tar and rosemary to the grape seed, sunflower oil base makes for a silky smooth massage that smells good too and is popular with physiotherapists.

 

A 100ml pump bottle of St Kitts Arnica Massage Oil retails at £9.95, details and online purchase at stkittsherbery.co.uk

 

Aptonia Relax Lotion - If you’re looking for pure simplicity at a low price the Aptonia Relax Lotion is an all-round massage oil, good for both warm-up and cool-down. The combination of glycerin, and hydrogenated castor oil makes for a smooth application and the viscosity works exceptionally well if used in conjunction with massage tools like The Stick. The use of linalool, alcohol denat base and menthol in the mix goes some way to providing a cooling effect on the skin and the addition of various citrus notes takes the edge off. Really at the opposite end of the spectrum to the bespoke nature of the St Kitts offering but, for the price, a trusted addition to the kit bag.

 

Aptonia Relax Lotion comes in 150ml bottles at just £3.99 and is available instore at Decathlon and online at decathlon.co.uk

 

Body Shop Sensual Massage Oil - Don’t let the Sensual bit put you off (or maybe it hasn’t) because despite being described as ‘ideal for couples’ and being inspired by traditional Polynesian massage rituals this is a solid candidate for post-exercise recovery. Being Body Shop the list of ingredients looks somewhat arcane and takes some deciphering – ‘helianthus annuus seed oil is sunflower oil by any other name – and it certainly packs a lot in. The mix is well judged for either a simple hands-on massage or a deeper trigger point massage with (non-sensual) massage tools and the smell, which at first feels a little overpowering and difficult to place, actually grew on us after a few sessions.

 

A 150ml bottle of Body Shop Sensual Massage Oil retails at £10 and is available either in-store or at thebodyshop.co.uk

 

Categories
Featured Features

Hydration Apps

Adequate hydration can be key to training and racing, but remains surprisingly easy to get wrong with even mild dehydration quickly contributing to a drop-off in performance.  Whilst truly techie solutions such as those being developed by BluFit with their ‘smart’ water bottle, which can communicate and sync to a dedicated app, are still in the pipeline (no pun intended) there are already a number of less complicated solutions for smartphones available. Cyclo filled up a bidon and fired up the phone to put some of the best to the test.

 


HydrationQuench

Developed by Sport Physiologist Stephen Fritzdorf, who has worked with the Danish Olympic Team since 2008, Quench is a deceptively simple iPhone app, which allows the user to relatively quickly gauge their hydration requirements. To use Quench you have to weigh yourself (preferably naked) before your training session and input this information along with the amount of water you have in your drinks bottle. Post workout you simply repeat the process and the app tells you four key pieces of information: your hydration status (under-, perfectly- or over-hydrated), how much fluid you need to take on immediately, how much needs to be taken on over the next four hours, and how much would be ideal next time – basically so that you can learn from your mistakes. The interface is clean and crisp and the one thing it aims to do, it does perfectly and without fuss or clutter. Quench, which is free, is available for iPhone only at itunes.apple.com

 

HydrationiDrated

A really well designed and frankly quite pretty hydration app, iDrated is basically a log system to record how much you are drinking – and when – with options to prompt you when it feels you are falling below the ideal requirements. It requires relatively little set-up, just the inputting of basic data such as age, weight and ‘exercise level’, before going to work as a sort of water-based diary. The interface and gesture controls are notable with nothing overly complicated to get in the way of reminding you to drink the correct amount at regular intervals and there’s an option to review your hydration status from the last two months – although really techie number-crunches would probably like a liker back-calendar. iDrated is iPhone only and sells at £0.69 – available at itunes.apple.com

 

HydrationTemple Wellness and Fitness

As the more expansive app name suggests Temple Wellness and Fitness goes beyond simply measuring hydration and allows the tracking of exercise and fuel intake too. Set-up takes only a few seconds but there’s plenty of customisation to be done should you wish – for example it’s possible to redefine a ‘small meal’ as whatever calorific value you see fit or change fluid measurements from ounces to litres; for a fee of 69p you can also pick a different graphic ‘theme’ for the app. Once set-up Temple is basically a diary entry system for whatever you get up to in terms of exercise, food and drink – tap and swipe to tell it what you are doing, eating or drinking and it logs everything and displays all the results in neat tables and graphics. Although there is a ‘reminders’ feature to nag you if you fail to eat, drink or move regularly enough (or make entries to say you have). Temple really works on the principle that if you can remember to log things in an app it will work as a self-motivating reminder to stay hydrated and fuelled too. Temple Wellness and Fitness is iPhone only, free and available at itunes.apple.com

 

HydrationHydrate

As simple as the spot-on name suggests, Hydrate is a log (water log?) for Android which is quick and clean to set up and just as simple to use. Enter a daily target for drinking fluids (with a choice of US or metric units) and then it’s just a case of simply logging what you have when with a tap of the app. Working along similar – though simpler – lines to Temple, Hydrate encourages you to remember to drink right just by the fact that you are remembering to log your activity. Historical data may not be as beautifully presented as in other apps, but it’s perfectly functional and uncluttered so revisiting training sessions and seeing if results tally to adequate hydration couldn’t be easier. Hydrate is available free for Android at play.google.com

 

Categories
Featured Nutrition Reviews

GU Electrolyte Brew

GU Electrolyte BrewGU launched the world’s first energy gel all the way back in 1991 and for many athletes its outstanding credentials and impressive range of flavours – Jet Blackberry, Lemon Sunblime, Vanilla Bean to name but a few – keep it at the number one spot. And when it comes to sustained hydration during training or racing the equally impressive GU Brew is also worth your attention.

 

Three of the four available flavours (raspberry, orange, lemon/lime) may seem a little conservative compared to the GU Energy Gel range, but Blueberry Pomegranate adds an unusual twist and all four do a good job of cutting through the slightly salty taste that blights many electrolytes. The flavours are all-natural and you can tell; there’s no bitter chemical aftertaste and they are subtle enough not to overpower.

 

Taste of course is just one element – and frankly not the most important one – but GU Electrolyte Brew stacks up well where it matters too. Fundamentally an electrolyte drink needs to replace the ‘body salts’ lost during strenuous exercise, when these are depleted the neuromuscular system’s ability to work effectively is compromised and the result (at least the most noticeable immediate result) is muscular cramping. The raspberry, orange, lemon/lime flavours all pack in 327mg of sodium and 52mg of potassium, whilst the Blueberry Pomegranate ups the levels of sodium to 490mg, but cuts potassium to 40mg. There’s not a huge effective difference between these levels for the average athlete, although the added sodium could prove beneficial in more extreme conditions…

 

In addition GU Electrolyte Brew includes a dual-blend of carbohydrates; the mix of maltodextrin and fructose (‘complex’ and ‘simple’ carbs respectively) is at 2:1, a ratio that is considered optimum for absorption. The dual carbs both provide energy during training and help maximise the absorption in the stomach of both fluids and the potassium/sodium electrolytes. In short they help rehydrate you quicker.

 

A single 34g sachet makes a larger than average 621ml drink – the rather odd volume probably the result of GU’s American heritage where it would make a far more round-sounding 21floz.

 

GU Electrolyte Brew is sold in boxes of 16 sachets at £41.60 or more reasonable (but perhaps less convenient) canisters containing 35 servings for £30.

 

Further details of GU Electrolyte Brew at guenergy.co.uk and online purchase from, amongst others, chainreactioncycles.com

 

Categories
Featured Features

Sausage & Pea Penne

Sausage & Pea Penne

Sausage & Pea Penne

 

Our Nutritionist says:

“After a hard evening training session this is a quick, tasty and no-fuss way to get the protein, energy and electrolytes you need to recover effectively. Add kidney beans and/or extra veg for more vitamins, minerals and healing antioxidants.”

Joel Enoch, Sports Nutritionist – joelenoch.co.uk

Ingredients:SPP_NutBox
150g penne
25g frozen peas
4 pork sausages
Pinch of sea salt
1/2 tbsp virgin olive oil
Chilli flakes or chopped fresh red chilli
Zest of half a lemon
1/2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
100g half-fat cre?me frai?che
Handful of basil leaves

 

1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, adding a small pinch of sea salt. Cook the pasta as per packet instruction (reduce by 1 minute for a more authentic al dente Italian style.)

 

2. As the pasta cooks, de-skin the sausages and take out the meat, chopping roughly into small pieces.

 

3. Heat the virgin olive oil in a large pan (it needs to be big enough to later add the pasta), add the chilli flakes or chopped red chilly and the sausage meat, cooking gently for 5 minutes.

 

4. Two minutes before the pasta is ready add the frozen peas to the pasta water and cook together.

 

5. One minute before the pasta is ready add the lemon zest, wholegrain mustard and cre?me frai?che to the sausage pan, reduce the heat and simmer gently.

 

6. Drain the pasta and peas, tip into the sausage sauce, season with black pepper and stir together.

 

7. Serve sprinkled with the torn basil leaves.

 

Download the Recipe HERE