Category: Reviews

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Nutrition Reviews

Clif Bar

Clif Bar

Having recently enjoyed reviewing – and obviously eating – Bounce Energy Balls (review here), Cyclo thought it about time we introduced you to one of our all-time favourite ride snacks: Clif Bar. Whilst Bounce are pretty much the new kids on the nutrition block, Clif are currently celebrating 20years of delivering wholesome, nutritious goodness having made their début, appropriately at a cycle show, in September 1991. A couple of years before CEO and Founder Gary Erickson had been enjoying a 175mile bike ride when he tried a friend’s sports bar, hated it and thought “I could make a better bar than this…” Two years of experimenting in his mum’s kitchen and having named it after his father, Clifford, Erickson realised his ambition.

 

Clif Bar are available in three flavours in the UK – Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, Choc Chip and, our favourite, Crunchy Peanut Butter, whilst in the US consumers are spoiled by a far wider choice including the intriguing sounding Iced Gingerbread, Spiced Pumpkin Pie and Black Cherry Almond. In common with Bounce, Clif sport impressive natural and (largely) organic credentials along with a thoroughly home-made look and texture. They weigh in at 50g and because they are both filling and slightly on the chewy side they lend themselves to nibbling rather than gulping down in one hit – something that can be advantageous when trying to drip-feed your body the suitable nourishment on a long ride. Taking the Crunchy Peanut bar as a fairly representative example of the whole range the delivery of goodness is impressive for weight: 193kcal per bar with 9g of protein and just shy of 30g of carbohydrates; as you should be looking at an ideal protein to carb ration of between 1:3 and 1:4 (as this is where the absorption of carbohydrates works most efficiently) Clif Bars are spot on. 13g of the 29.5g of carbohydrates are (natural) sugars and less than a quarter of the bar’s 4.5g of fat are saturates. Pretty much every other important vitamin and mineral is also present – from A, D, E and C through Magnesium and Zinc for body-salt balance.

 

Clif Bar may have been around for two decades, but are still hard to beat.

 

Available individually from numerous high street health food and sports shops or as boxes of 15 online with an RRP of £19.99

 

 

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Extras Reviews

Rudy Project Rydon ImpactX

Rudy Project Rydon ImpactX

With the sun (mostly) shining on us now, Cyclo thought it high-time to take a look at some more sunnies and, having previously cast our eyes over the cheaper end of the market (dhb and Madison Vision, click here for review), we thought that the budget-busting Rudy Project Rydon ImpactX shades deserved a look. Renown Italian designers Rudy Project have worked closely with pro cyclists for more than a quarter century – Ivan Basso and Vincenzo Nibali amongst their collaborators – and are the official suppliers to, amongst others,  Rabobank and Omega Pharma-Lotto, all of which means these guys really know what they’re talking about.

 

So, how do the Rydon ImpactX measure up? In a word: beautifully. A blend of sci-fi sounding materials are employed in their construction including Carbon, Aluminum, Magnesium, Silicium, Titanium and Kynetium and although we’re pretty sure they made that last one up it all adds up to an almost weightless experience. Pretty much every inch of their construction can be gently flexed and adjusted for a fit that feels utterly bespoke and the ventilation system ensures that nothing ever fogs up the view. In terms of the lenses themselves, again the Rydons are almost impossible to beat. The “ImpactX” classification means that they are guaranteed (for life) as indestructible and the combination of polarization and photochromic (changing in tune with light levels) elements give a crystal clear image. The change in lens darkness is also impressively fast, whilst some photochromic lenses seem to take forever to adjust to sudden loss of sunlight the Rydons react like a switch has been flicked.

 

Additional and replacement lenses can be bought for around the £30 mark (prescriptions available for considerably more) and should you wish to switch them mid-ride the quick release system is efficient and effective – unlike, say, the over-engineered Oakley Jawbones. At the best part of £150 a pair you certainly wouldn’t want to lose your Rydons, but one thing’s (officially) guaranteed – you’ll never break them…

 

Categories
Reviews Tech

Official Tour de France App 2011

Tour de France app

Tour de FRance AppJust imagine a Tour de France app that offers up live minute-by-minute race updates, live GPS tracking on stage maps and course profiles, highlight videos, results and standings, rider profiles and much more. Well keep imagining, because the app from developers ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation) fails on almost every level. In principle it looks solid enough, but the problems for Cyclo started at about the same time as the race started – although the 2011 event was clearly underway the app’s countdown still had some way to go. Once the tech had finally caught up with real events the commentary feed proved well written and had a friendly, personal tone and is far and away the app’s most successful feature. Unlike Stage 1 though, it was all downhill for the Official Tour de France App 2011 from here.

 

For a start the suggestion of “live GPS tracking” is rather (probably not intentional) misleading. Don’t you think we would have heard of individual riders were going to be sporting trackers? Well the reason we hadn’t heard that is simply that they don’t. Instead the tracking is provided by support vehicles which then feed accumulated data back to official Tour de France servers from where it is syndicated to various media and technology organisations. But this “little white lie” isn’t the big problem with the ASO app – the integration of data is poorly handled, it lacks intuitive navigation and the rate of software crash is marginally higher than a badly clustered peloton; in fact Day 2/Stage 2 saw the app fail so frequently that it barley ever got past the Skoda splash-screen advert. Cyclo clearly isn’t alone in experiencing such catastrophic app failure either if feedback on the Apple store is anything to go by: “…all it does is crash at the first page.”, “Very poor, crash, crash, crash..”, “Avoid!”, “Skoda should be ashamed.”

 

On the off-chance that you can get the app to run it might have been a nice touch to include details of up-coming stages (or indeed the opportunity to go back and revisit previous ones) but here again ASO fail miserably. It really is hard to find anything good to say about the product and its failure is made all the more disappointing when you consider what a wasted opportunity this is. The world’s greatest cycling event really does deserve a world-class app to support it and this is certainly far from that. Remember these succinctly wise words: ‘Avoid!’

 

Amaury Sport Organisation, iPhone £0.59, iPad £2.99

 

Categories
Nutrition Reviews

Munchy Seeds

Munchy Seeds

Munchy SeedYou may have noticed by now that Cyclo likes to snack on a ride (and before and after one too if truth be told). And, always on the lookout for something a bit different, we were more than happy to take a nibble at this interesting selection of snacks from Munchy Seed, which are available in a variety pot and packet sizes, including a jersey pocket friendly 30g sachet.

 

They come in a good variety of flavours too: the Omega Mix and Pumpkin Mix both add a slightly salty crunch, the Chilli Mix throws in some heat and the Vanilla Pumpkin comes on like a little sugared-almond mouth explosion. In addition to being mighty tasty, these nibbles add a reasonable dose of protein to your ride  too, which in turn of course, helps the body to absorb carbohydrates during exercise. Munchy Seeds also boast a strong “Natural” pedigree and the company website is awash with information on the health benefits of everything from Apricot Kernels (an anti-spasmodic effect to help strained muscles) to Nutmeg (easing digestive problems), Hemp (circulatory boosts) and Flax (Omega 3). Always nice to find an extra trick for your goody bag that doesn’t bloat you on artificial nastiness and better still when there are so many potential benefits.

 

For their weight they pack a punch in the pure nutrition department too; although they vary from variety to variety the Omega Sprinkle, for example, delivers 613kcal, 28.4g protein and 13.1g carbohydrate (1.5g of which is sugar) per 100g serving.

 

200g tubs cost £3.50, 30g sachets around 60p or a variety pack of sachets (6 of each flavour, 24 in total) are £12.50. Available from selected supermarkets and health food shops, or online at munchyseeds.co.uk

 

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Extras Reviews

Abus Combiflex 202 Lock

Abus Combiflex 202 Lock

Abus CombiflexAccording to the British Crime Survey the number of yearly bike thefts in the UK is pushing 533,000 – the equivalent of one bike being spirited away every minute – and if you read Cyclo’s recent news story (if not, why not?) on the shocking state of the country’s cycle larceny you might think it high time that we reviewed a bike lock. Well your wish is Cyclo’s command. We thought we would start with an entry-level cable lock and so turned out attention to the Abus Combiflex 202. The Abus brand has been around for more than 80 years (the name is an initialisation, apparently, of August Bremicker und Söhne KG) and was founded on the principle of “Security calls for quality!” So how does the Combiflex measure up to that particular battle-cry? First the stats: the Combiflex is the size and weight of your average mobile phone (it also looks uncannily like one when retracted), has a 2.5mm thick plastic-coated, steel cable, which is 90cm long, and is held secure by a simple 3-digit (re-settable) combination lock.

 

Quick impressions may not be that great and indeed it’s unlikely to repel the most determined of bike thieves, but for use in low-risk areas or for quick-stops (pub?) it’s a simple and elegant solution. It’s big – or rather small – advantage is its size and weight, especially when a hefty D-Lock is an alternative. The Combiflex fits easily into a pocket or seat-bag and is discreet enough to take anywhere or keep with the bike as a back-up plan for when you forget to take your “regular” lock out. We did find that, on occasion, the lock didn’t quite click home as intended – so double-checking that everything’s secure is essential.

 

Certainly not the most blagger-proof lock on the market (nor would you expect it to be at £20.00) but as a keep-with-you go-anywhere solution it’s hard to beat.

 

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Extras Reviews

NiteRider Lightning Bug

NiteRider Lightning Bug

NiteRider Lightning BugGreat things, Cyclo are often told, come in small packages. This is certainly a truism that can be applied to the remarkably small and truly great NiteRider Lightning Bug – something of a miracle in micro-lighting for bikes. There was a time, not so long ago, that a bike light was the size and weight of a brick and if you were lucky, under just the right circumstances, you could illuminate the far end of the garage. Now, thanks in large part to LED development (though sometimes to HID systems and battery evolution) things are very different indeed. The Lightning Bug is available in three flavours – the 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 – meaning, fundamentally, with either 1, 2 or 3 LEDs. Each can also be bought in 6 different colours (including black or white for less exuberant cyclists), they weigh in at between 22g (1.0 and 2.0) and 36g for 3.0, and have a battery life in excess of 100 hours. Crucially they also kick out an incredible amount of light, and although they can’t replace the legally required main front light they are an indispensable and highly recommended bonus aid to safety.

 

Battery replacement and fitting to the bike couldn’t be quicker or easier and these tiny silicone-bodied beauties are versatile enough to attach to seat-posts, handlebars, forks, seat stays or even, depending on the style of you brain-protector, your helmet. A single button switches thing on and off, or through a variety of brightness or flash-mode which vary with model.

 

NiteRider Lightning Bugs are widely available – prices vary but expect to pay in the region of  £9.99 for the 1.0, £12.99 for the 2.0 and £14.99 for the 3.0

 

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Extras Reviews

Chafe-Ease & Anti-Blister-Stick

Chafe-Ease & Anti-Blister-Stick

Chafe-Ease and Anti-Blister StickNothing – with perhaps the exception of poor weather and falling off – spoils a good cycle ride more thoroughly than good old fashioned chaffing. Even the most expensive apparel can rub you raw when you least expect it, after months of loyal service without so much as an uncomfortable seam suddenly that dreaded hot-spot develops. The first of Cyclo’s two favourite products for dealing with the problem is Chafe-Ease made by the New Zealand company Nature’s Kiss – we came to this via their better known and long-available Recovery rub which works wonders on tired legs. Chafe-Ease is a relatively thick (but non-greasy) cream that combines Calendula Officinalis, Hypericum Perforatum (St John’s Wort) and the essential oils of Tea Tree and Lavender that can be rubbed in pre-ride to any areas that you know are likely the rub (perfect for brand-new kit that still needs a but of breaking in) or used post-ride to treat areas of irritation. Also a general moisturise, Chafe-Ease works well, we’ve discovered over long winter months, in treating cracked skin on exposed fingers. At around the £10 mark, it’s not the cheapest ticket on the market but worth the extra few pounds as the 90g tub seems to last forever.

 

Our other recommendation is the Anti-Blister Stick made by Steroplast (around £4.50) – this was first recommended to us by a runner friend but we find it translates well to two wheels. Really intended to treat blisters on the feet, it actually works brilliantly as an emergency anti-chafe, being about the size of a match-box and easily slipped into a jersey pocket. The semi-solid stick, which works in a similar way to push-up deodorant sticks, and combines palm butter and hydrogenated avocado oils for an effective and non-greasy result.

 

Both are widely available online.

 

Categories
Recovery Reviews

Happy Foot Kit

Happy Foot Kit

Happy Foot KitOf course we know that as cyclists you’re all good at looking after aching quads and calfs post race (right?) but if there’s one thing Cyclo finds tender after a long time on two wheels – apart from perhaps out nether regions – it’s the soles of our feet. However flashy your footwear it’s inevitable that a good long slog on the bike is going to take its toll, with the plantar fascia – the band of tissue not unlike a ligament that stretches from your heel to your middle foot bones – often taking the brunt of the abuse. We were delight to receive (goodies always welcome) the wonderfully named Happy Foot Kit from Opal London and set about indulging our oft-abused appendages.

 

Contained within the cheekily foot-shaped bag (not the most hardcore pro-looking bit of kit so you might want to just keep it safely at home) is 100ml of cooling aromatherapy peppermint foot gel and a ribbed massage foot roller which is excellent for relieving aching feet and simple to use – just put it under the sole of your foot and move it backwards and forwards. It also has an excellent application for use if you are suffering from the otherwise hard to treat Plantar Fasciitis (a painful inflammation of the aforementioned plantar fascia which can be caused by overdoing things) and also as a simple in-flight exercise to help in the prevention of DVT. The cream is effective and soothing; no claims of true medicinal benefit made, but the simple act of massaging in is revitalising.

 

Cyclo certainly wouldn’t claim that the Happy Foot Kit is anywhere close to an essential addition to your cycling toys, but the results are undeniably satisfying after a long hard sportive. Feet are so easily neglected and this could be your chance to rectify the situation and pamper them just a little…

 

Available for £7.00 at www.originalrecovery.co.uk