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Books Featured Reviews

Every Inch of the Way

Every Inch of the Way

Every Inch of the WayAt the start of Every Inch of the Way, author Tom Bruce, explains that this is not a book, ‘…full of arty descriptions about beautiful places, it doesn’t have any clever metaphors; it’s just my story.’ And so it proves to be – an everyman story (assuming said ‘everyman’ is capable of pedalling 14,379 miles) that covers the globe and proves how liberating two wheels can truly be.

 

Setting off in March, 2011 from his home in Cheshire, Bruce goes unsupported through Europe to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and beyond to China before tackling the trans-American route to his end point – some nine and a half months later – Daytona Beach, Florida.

 

The beauty of the read is two-fold. Firstly Bruce is not setting out to break any records or prove anything about the human condition (though resilience, endurance and self-reliance are certainly discovered along the way) and, secondly, his story is simply told (as he promised it would be). There are no pretentions to the writing, no soaring similes or flights of poetic licence, just a good old-fashioned adventure yarn with the many people me meets and sometimes cycles with providing as much colour as the remote destinations. Bruce is as interested in people – and occasional beer (‘beer tastes so much better after a day of exercise’) – as he is in either cycling or proving his ability.

 

For cyclists Every Inch of the Way may well inspire; perhaps not an epic of these proportions but it’s certainly hard not to read and then immediately want to take to the open road on nothing more complex than two wheels. Every Inch of the Way by Tome Bruce (ISBN-10: 148208306X) is available in paperback, £8.99, or on Kindle either illustrated at £6.98 or sans-photos at £4.99. Either way for pictures and for further information see tombrucecycling.com - buy online at Amazon.co.uk

 

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Featured Nutrition Reviews

Chia

Chia

ChiaIt’s inarguable that modern diets are woefully short of Omega 3 – an essential fatty acid most commonly consumed in the form of oily fish. Its use has long been associated with a range of impressive sounding health benefits including blood pressure reduction and, perhaps more importantly for cyclist, reducing inflammation throughout the body, which in turn brings biomechanical gains during exercise.

 

One of the latest ‘superfoods’ to market, packed to the brim with Omega 3, protein, antioxidants and fibre is Chia; cultivated for centuries by the Aztecs and tribes of the Southwest of America it was once so highly prized as to have been used as currency. The Chia Co actually produce all of their products in Australia (a similarly ideal climate) and follow a broadly environmental regime for minimal global impact.

 

The seeds themselves (or the oil, which is also available) can be used in many ways – added to smoothies or breakfast cereals, baked into flapjacks or homemade energy bars, sprinkled on salads or added to a variety of recipes, many of which are available on the company website. Eaten alone they have relatively little taste, slightly nutty – rather like a bland sunflower seed.

 

Usually we wouldn’t hesitate in recommending a natural ingredient that contains so many potential health benefits; however recent studies (particularly those led out of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center [sic] in America) have suggested a link between Omega 3 fatty acids and an increased risk of prostate cancer. In actual fact most of the ‘links’ are the result of media misrepresentation and a lack of understanding of results (by the press) but if you want to do your own research then the abstract from the Journal of the National Cancer Institute that inadvertently kick-started it all can be found here. Chia is certainly a potent source with much to recommend it.

 

Chia is available in a variety of pack sizes from 8g ‘shot’ packs (£4.79 for ten) to 1kg jars at £19.29 – further details and the new UK online shop can be found at thechiaco.com.au

 

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Featured Nutrition Reviews

Creative Nature 38g Bars

Creative Nature 38g Bars

Creative Nature 38g BarsIf you about what you put in your body (and frankly you really should) you can’t help but have noticed the proliferation of natural-credential energy bars hitting the market recently. Now Creative Nature a young, ethical organisation established to ‘promote health, creativity and respect for the environment’ have launched Creative Nature 38g Bars. The bars come in four flavours – Blissful Berry, Heavenly Cacao, Sublime Seed and Tropical Treat – all cold pressed and using 100% natural and, with the exception of the seed bar, raw ingredients.

 

The Blissful Berry variety contains cranberry (an excellent source of polyphenol antioxidants) and goji berries along with apricots, pineapple and sultanas. There is a refreshing tartness to the bar that cuts through the sweetness and it delivers 122kcal with 27.9g carbs, just 0.1g of saturated and 6g of dietary fibre.

 

Heavenly Cacao is a mix of dried fruits including dates, cranberries and cacao (i.e. cocoa) in a blend of powder, nibs and butter – with a taste like luxury fruit truffles it’s easy to forget that this bar is actually healthy. 132kcal per bar with 26g carb (just 14 of which are sugars, lower than the Blissful Berry) and – to be expected – higher saturated fats at 1.1g, still nothing to be concerned about.

 

Tropical Treat – the juiciest of the bars by far – blends pineapple and coconut, but it’s the tang of raw ginger that comes through. 124kcal per bar with 24.5g of carbohydrates (13.8g from sugars), 2.7g of fibre and 2.8 of fat – 1.9g of which, the highest of the varieties, is saturated.

 

Sublime Seed, the only one of the four varieties we didn’t much like, uses roasted peanuts, sunflower seeds and hemp protein to serve up 170kcal, 16.7g carbs and 3g of fibre. Although not personally to our taste, the bar is commendable in delivering a seed bar that is moist and easily digestible rather than being like something to hang in a birdcage. With 6.5g of protein in the mix it’s also the most useful bar for post-ride recovery.

 

The range is an excellent addition to the natural energy bar market; good clean tastes, ample ‘goodness’ (two to three bars per hour for a hard ride – on par with most sports-specific gels) and with bountiful green and ethical credentials to back them up. Given their small, jersey-pocket-friendly size they definitely deliver; the Heavenly Cacao, for example, hits you with the same carbs as the much larger 55g, similarly marketed, Chimpanzee bars (see Cyclo review here).

 

Creative Nature 38g Bars RRP £0.99 and are available, from amongst other places, hollandandbarrett.com – for further information on the company see creativenaturesuperfoods.com

 

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Apparel Featured Reviews

Odlo Evolution Cool T-Shirt

Odlo Evolution Cool T-Shirt

Odlo Evolution Cool T-ShirtJust like the Columbia Total Zero T-Shirt (see review here) the Odlo Evolution Cool T-Shirt is not a dedicated cycling jersey – so no lumber pockets, rubberised hems and the like – but with Odlo responsible for supplying some impressive cycling apparel elsewhere and with the Evolution promising good thermal control Cyclo thought it more than worth a look…

 

Constructed from 100% man-made fibres (79% Polyester, 21% Polyamide) the Evolution is incredibly lightweight with thinner, meshed sections between the shoulder blades and under arm for venting. The fit is necessarily snug so that moisture (sweat) can be wicked away and this it does with impressive effectiveness even under test at near 30degrees.

 

Despite the close, almost second-skin feel the comfort level is good with a combination of ergonomic fit and 3D circular knitting tech (the same system used for the tubular construction of Buff Headwear), which removes the need for side seams. Unfortunately this is slightly let down by quite bulky arm seams, which we found gave some discomfort across the top of the shoulders once wicking sweat – something exacerbated by the fact that we were wearing a Camelbak for hydration during the test rides. Additionally there was a tendency for the top to ‘ride up’ at the back; a constant reminder that the Odlo Evolution Cool T-Shirt isn’t specifically designed for the bike.

 

This is undoubtedly a well-made piece of kit and for warm recreational rides, possibly for commutes too, it works effectively in terms of both wicking and breathability. Arguably there’s a place for this almost year-round too – as a thermal base you could find yourself layering with this right through the shoulder season months. But when it comes to pure temperature control the Columbia Total Zero T-Shirt is the hands-down winner…

 

The Odlo Evolution Cool T-Shirt has a RRP of £35.00 and is available in sizes S-XL and three colours: blue, white and black. For further information see odlo.com

 

For our review of the Odlo Trail Jacket see here and for the Odlo Swiss Power Jeresy here.

 

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Featured Nutrition Reviews

MuleBar Energy Bars

MuleBar Energy Bars

MuleBar Energy BarsAn energy bar with impeccable organic and Fairtrade credentials, an energy bar highly rated by top athletes (including many Tour de France riders), an energy bar that tastes great. Most manufacturers would rest on their laurels if they could tick just one of those, not so Mulebar who seem determined to go the extra distance on all counts. So how do the MuleBar Energy Bars stack up?

 

Variety is key when it comes to getting adequate nutrition on the ride and MuleBar offers a choice of seven unusual flavours: Liquorice Allsports, Pinacolada, Mango Tango, Summer Pudding, Apple Strudel, Hunza Nut and Jimmy’s Choc Orange – intriguing, no? We found all but the Liquorice Allsports both tasty and true to description (different strokes, etc. and you may well love the Allsports too), and crucially, so as to avoid hydration issues, the bars are moist and easily digested without recourse to the bidon.

 

Not only do these taste like real food, they’re made from it too and the company is committed to introducing further organic and Fairtrade ingredients as they become available – want more ‘green’ credentials? Some of the wrappers are decompostable (and more will be soon) and the company is signed up to the ‘1% For the Planet’ scheme where 1% of sales goes to a network of more than 3000 approved environmental organisations worldwide. Nice to know that something fuelling your ride is also helping protect the planet…

 

Nutritional values natural fluctuate between flavours but to take Summer Pudding (our flat-out favourite) as a fairly typical example a 56g bar serves up: 187Kcal, 38g of carbs (29g of which are sugars – most of which from the fruit ingredients), just 3g of fat – 0.4g saturates – and 3g of fibre for good measure.

 

There is, of course, a growing move towards all things natural – even organic – but MuleBar are far ahead of the game when it comes to variety and taste. Summer Pudding will fuel us through the next few months and when the weather changes we’ll gladly switch to Hunza Nut. Or Apple Strudel. Or Mango Tango. Or…

 

MuleBar Energy Bars are available at mulebar.com with boxes of 12 are £19.00 and boxes of 24 £38.00

 

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Extras Featured Reviews

Solarsport UVPro

Solarsport

SolarsportGood things come in small sizes, right? Certainly the case with the excellent Solarsport range served up in cycling jersey-appropriate 25ml pump sprays; UV protection in SPF 15, 20 and 30 options that goes on cleanly at the push of a button. Of course application to the face is still going to require a degree of digital dexterity, but broadly this is a solution that means no more messy hands from cream – or, perhaps more importantly on the bike, no more muck and grime rubbed in with the cream. Whilst this isn’t a waterproof option and the relatively low SPFs will require an application or two (we topped up twice on a really long, hot ride) Solarsport is probably the perfect go-anywhere option for cyclists. It’s non-greasy – so won’t compromise the grip on the bars – and can even be sprayed onto hair to protect the scalp should you choose to ride sans-helmet. Solarsport 25ml pump sprays, with a minimum of 200 ‘pumps’ inside, start at £4.99 with the all new UV-Pro30 ‘Dry in 5 Seconds’ ‘cremespray’  costing £5.99 , which we think makes them pocket-friendly in more ways than one…

 

Exclusive Cyclo Offer: Dry Sunscreen Pro-Pack (UV Pro30 + Solarsport Original spf 20) for only £9.99 PLUS get another UV-Pro30 absolutely FREE. To take advantage of this offer visit solarsport.co.uk and enter discount code Y7495754RO at the checkout…

 

Solarsport

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Books Featured Reviews

A Lake District Grand Tour

A Lake District Grand Tour

A Lake District Grand TourIf the Tour de France looks too exhausting to contemplate (even watching) and the Giro is a distant memory how about a Lake District Grand Tour? Part travelogue, part cycling guide and part beautifully sketched social and natural history, Mike Carden’s book takes readers through the literal ups and downs of one of the UK’s most spectacular and diverse landscapes.

 

Heading off with his son Richard in tow – actually most often out front rather than ‘in tow’ – Carden sets about tackling routes via every lake in the Lake District in a nine-day odyssey that is as beguiling as it is (seemingly) simple. The written style, like much of the cycling involved, is relaxed and a gentle, dry humour makes light of proceedings whilst delving into some true gems of archaic local trivia that could have you winning a specialist pub-quiz round hands down. Like any good bike ride there is food aplenty (‘man-size pies’ loom large) and whilst nine-days around the Lakes might not sound like the kind of epic quest that makes for inspiration, Carden does an excellent job of ‘selling’ the area as a must-see destination.

 

Each chapter covers a day in the saddle – for example the 56miles from Gramere to Cockermouth – and whilst the book regrettably lacks pictures there are frequent QR codes that link to the accompanying website (lakedistrictgrandtour.co.uk) for itinerary details, places of interests and further reading; a resourceful approach to publishing. In fact the lack of pictures is perhaps not a downside at all; Carden does a more than adequate job of describing the wonders of Lakeland and there has seldom been a photograph that does adequate justice to the majestic beauty anyway.

 

As US President Woodrow Wilson said – and Carden notes in his book – ‘No doubt God could have made a lovelier country than the Lake District, but I cannot believe he ever did.’ A Lake District Grand Tour is gentle and lyrical, but above all it is an open invitation to come and cycle by the shores of Ullswater, Grasmere, Wast Water, et al. And why wouldn’t you want to? Read the book – take the tour, Lakeland is waiting.

 

A Lake District Grand Tour (ISBN-10: 095566022X) is published by Bike Ride Books, RRP £8.99 and available from Amazon.co.uk

 

See also lakedistrictgrandtour.co.uk for further details.

 

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Apparel Featured Reviews

Columbia Total Zero T-Shirt

Columbia Total Zero T-Shirt

Columbia Total Zero T-ShirtAlthough not a dedicated cycling jersey – you won’t find lumber pockets here for stashing those gels and bars – the new Columbia Total Zero T-Shirt had Cyclo intrigued enough to want to put it to the test. With more than 70 year’s of experience in production of sportswear and outdoor apparel, Columbia’s latest range features ‘Omni-Freeze ZERO’ technology, a system of almost invisible blue rings in the fabric, which react with sweat to actually lower the temperature of the material and, consequently, the wearer.

 

The Women’s Total Zero Short Sleeve V-Neck Top which Cyclo put to the ride is available in black, white, light blue and lilac (the latter two more poetically called ‘Riptide and Velvet Morning); it’s quietly stylish with relatively little branding aside from a discreet Columbia logo on one sleeve. The fit is snug, a necessity for ensuring that the sweat-activated tech actually comes into contact with sweat, and despite not featuring any rubberised banding to the hem (we didn’t really expect any – again: this is not a dedicated cycling top) it stayed perfectly put during test and didn’t ride up at the back.

 

And the cooling technology? On a relatively warm ride of three hours (circa 22degrees and bright) there was certainly a distinct feeling of cooling – not the artificial sense created by some garments that use menthol impregnation, but actual temperature control. Add to this the fact that it wicked sweat incredibly well away from the skin, which naturally adds to the cooling effect via wind and evaporation, and has UPF 50 sun protection and this T begins to look like a credible top for the bike.

 

Okay, so we missed having a jersey pocket and some of the swish branding from a ‘real’ cycling top, but as an option for a summer ride – particularly a more relaxed, non-competitive ride – the Columbia Total Zero makes perfect sense to us.

 

The Columbia Total Zero retails at £35 and is available in sizes XS-XL, along with more from the Columbia range, at blacks.co.uk

 

For more information on Columbia see columbiasportswear.co.uk