Christmas gifts and treats for cyclists - 2

Continuing on from my previous post on Christmas gift ideas for cyclists, here are a few more things that you might want to treat yourself with.


Rapha Women's Brevet jersey

This lovely jersey was designed after a group of riders did the Paris Brest Paris audax ride in 2011, and wanted to produce a jersey that was comfortable for wearing over long distances such as 1200km. It's designed to keep warm and dry as you go through the potential elements over the long distances.

Also three small pockets, plus a large zip pocket at the back allows you to carry quite a few provisions along the way. You don't need to ride anywhere near that distance to qualify to wear this jersey, but when wearing it during your rides over the winter you can be sure that the blend of merino wool in the fabric will keep you warm.

As well as that, wool has really good wicking properties if you work up sweat. I must say it feels cosy and warm on my skin, and I really like the feel of it.

I particularly like the horizontal strips across the chest and back, which make you highly visible. There are now newer incarnations of the jersey that I have (which is what is pictured), with reflective stripes across the arms and available in a wider range of colours.

Rapha Women's Brevet jersey II: £130



On top of the Brevet jersey, and for additional warmth why not wear the Souplesse insulated gilet as well. Insulation at the front means the gilet keeps you that bit warmer, and the fabric is also windproof and quick-drying too in you get caught in a shower. As the fabric is breathable it makes it efficient at regulating body temperature so you don't overheat while riding. Another useful piece of kit for winter days.



Rapha Women's Souplesse Insulated Gilet: £140

rapha.cc









Where There's a Will - Emily Chappell

For a bit of holiday reading, you can't go wrong with this inspirational read by one of the UKs leading ultra distance bike riders.

Emily's autobiographical talks about how she came to do the Transcontinental Cycle race in 2016, and was the first female finisher in that race. You also hear about other tales of triumph and failure of her fellow bike riders on the ultra cycling circuit, as well as dealing with the grief following the death of her friend, Mike Hall.
A highly recommended read, as per my recent review.

Where There's A Will: Hope, Grief, and Endurance in a Cycle Race Across a Continent (Hardback): £12.99

www.waterstones.com







Cube Nuroad WS Women's Gravel Bike 2020

I had the opportunity to try out the 2019 version of this bike when I rode the Festive 500 last year.

It handled pretty well off road, and coped in the times when I went into muddy areas such as on the Marriott Way in Norwich, and the Longdendale Trail in the Peak District.

There were also areas I went where the terrain was quite rugged, for instance on the Pennine Bridleway, and I had no problems handling the bike. I would just recommend putting on detachable mudguards on the bike at this time of year! The spec of the 2020 bike doesn't seem to have changed much from last year, apart from the frame colour. Here is the review I wrote for Cyclist.


Cube Nuroad WS women's gravel bike (2020): £999

www.cube.eu


Muc-Off 8 in 1 Bicycle Cleaning Kit

This neatly packaged box contains a wide selection of brushes and sponges to use for shifting the dirt from the hardest to reach nooks and crannies on your bike, and of course you have the signature bike cleaner and the bike protect sprays included.

I've used Muc-off for years and it never fails to leave my bike sparkling clean, even after the dirtiest of bike rides with my cyclocross bike.

And if you really want to be treated, see if your nearest and dearest will gift you one of the popular Muc-Off pressure washers too.

Muc-Off 8 in 1 Bicycle Cleaning Kit: £39.99

www.muc-off.com


Related post
Christmas gifts and treats for cyclists - 1

Daily photo - 12: Liv Avail Review published

My review of Liv Avail as seen on the front page of Cyclist magazine

My review of the Liv Avail women-specific road bike has gone live on the Cyclist website, so all can now read my thoughts on it when I tested it.

It's always get a warm feeling when I see my work published to a wider audience. There's something quite satisfying about how something that just started as a few words on a Word document eventually comes to life in a magazine online or in print.

It is something that I have done for 10 years and something that I don't get tired of. Some years ago I wrote articles and reviews for Cycling Active (an old IPC Media/Time Inc magazine) and Cycling Weekly regularly. Sadly Cycling Active closed, so I just do the occasional article for Cycling Weekly. Recently I have written for Rouleur online and Velovixen women's blog. Sadly, other women's publications I have written for have not worked out so well. Sportsister hardly had any budget, and Total Women's Cycling folded when its parent company went into administration.

Maybe it works out better if women's cycling articles are included within a unisex cycling magazine, given that women's publications have not had the best track record.
That is a debate for another day, but for now I want to soak up the satisfaction of having produced something that can hopefully inform, educate and/or entertain a reader.


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One day one photo - 9: Gifts for a cyclist

I recently left my job as a medical writer in a PR agency in London, and I have now moved to an advertising agency still working within the fine art of wordsmithing!

Just what I always wanted!

On my last day at the PR agency I was pleasantly surprised to receive a couple of leaving gifts. It was even more impressive that my colleagues bought me cycling-related gifts! And moreover, things that I don't already have, and I will certainly use!

My co-workers know how much I like everything about "la petite reine", and for that reason I thought it would've been hard for them to know what to get someone who may already have all the cycling-related things I would want.

But in fact, a pizza cutter (complete with a disc wheel!) and a mug are a couple of things I had never thought of getting myself. Well I am partial to a bit of Sloppy Giuseppe, plus I recently added pizzas to my repertoire of home cooking meals so there is definitely scope for use. I could certainly take the mug to my new place as a good mug is always hard to find in the office!

However, in reality as they are pretty nice gifts I will try to preserve them and use them only from time to time while I fondly reminisce over the fun times I had at the old place! Thanks guys!

One day one photo - 5: Bike to work day

Apparently it was Bike to Work day last Wednesday. I didn't know until after the fact. After all, every day is bike to work day for me (as long as its not raining)!

I enjoy riding to work. It sets me up nicely for the day, and I am in a much better mood when I have started the day cycling through London and admiring the view from Blackfriars Bridge with lots of other cyclists around me.

Commuter cyclists waiting at traffic lights on Blackfriars Bridge

Yes, the Cycle superhighway has definitely made a difference to the cycling experience in London. Cycling is so much more convenient and it's great to be in a lane separated from the traffic. The part of the Cycle superhighway that I use starts from St George's Circus, near Elephant and Castle and runs through Southwark, over Blackfriars Bridge, past Ludgate Circus and finishes just before Smithfields.

I am not the only one who enjoys riding on the Cycle Superhighway. The cycle lanes get busy with loads of cyclists and when the sun comes out, as it has been a lot recently, you get hundreds of riders out at rush hour. It's almost like being in an organised cycling event, with people of all shapes and sizes and on different styles of bike representing on the streets of London. In fact, when we are all waiting at the traffic lights on Blackfriars Bridge at rush hour the line of cyclists extends to almost the length of the bridge. It's crazy!

When I started commuting by bike through London about 15 years ago it was only really the hardy and the daredevils that ventured out on push bikes. We were very much in the minority and negotiating the traffic was makeshift and pretty much seat-of-your-pants stuff. But now, it's great to have various cycling facilities like separate cycle lanes, specific bike traffic lights, racks to lock your bike and in a few places even track pumps on the pavement. We can now begin to say that London is becoming a bike-friendly city. And that can only be a good thing.
 

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And the April Yellow Jersey goes to.....

Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven

She's not exactly a cyclist, even if her Employment Minister famously said in 1984 that the jobless population should "get on your bike and find a job". The story goes that when Margaret Thatcher ran into financial difficulties at Oxford University some of her upper class friends had a whip-round and raised money towards the purchase of a bicycle.

I am not sure how much Margaret rode her bicycle in the end. She was always keen to show her femininity and wouldn't engage in anything that would make her appear "less ladylike". (She was reportedly never seen without a handbag, and she didn't possess a single pair of trousers.) So the idea of riding a bicycle didn't come naturally to her. Mrs T was conservative with a small c as well as with a big C!

But that's not the reason why she gets this month's yellow jersey. Like her or loathe her Margaret Hilda Roberts has had an enormous impact on British politics and British society in a way that no other prime minister since Clement Atlee (1945-1951) has had.

She infamously destroyed the trade unions, and the closure of numerous coal mines under her watch had a negative impact on various communities, largely in the North of England and Wales. The Scottish have never forgiven her for introducing the Community Charge (aka Poll Tax) north of the border ahead of everywhere else in Britain. And don't even get the people of the Emerald Isle started on her influence on Anglo-Irish relations. Margaret Thatcher died a few weeks ago, 23 years after leaving office, but many people have never forgiven her for her policies against them and their own.

However, some of Thatcher's policies inspired a generation. One of my favourite groups when I was growing up was Soul II Soul. By lead singer Jazzy B's admission the birth of his group was assisted by the Enterprise Allowance Scheme introduced by the Thatcher governnment during the 1980s. This scheme also gave financial help to a number of Britain's most popular comedians, "Britart" artists, recording studios and musicians that pass themselves off as staunchly left wing.

On the day Margaret Thatcher's death was announced four weeks ago people gave a variety of reactions. Mayor of London, Boris Johnson paid tribute by saying that "This country is deeply in her debt. Her memory will live long after the world has forgotten the grey suits of today's politics." At the same time in Brixton, South London an impromptu party was held to celebrate her passing. Thatcher certainly did not leave people feeling neutral about her!

For me, Thatcherism meant the chance to move up in the world - the chance to own your own home and, if you wanted, open your own business or be creative. It instilled into people a "can-do" attitude. Furthermore,  many say that Thatcherism formed the blueprint to the Labour Party that we have today!

How well all her policies really worked is debatable. There were some policies that I did not like at all, for instance her opposition to sanctions against apartheid South Africa, and her lack of interest or investment in sport. However, the pure principle of effecting a much needed change to the economical and political landscape in the UK, is in my opinion, commendable. That is why Maggie gets the yellow jersey for this month.   

Back from the land of the Cycling Tifosi

So Sardinia came and went more quickly than I thought it would.

Well, sitting here on a rain drenched London evening makes it hard for me to imagine that just a few days ago I was worrying about Fred catching too much sun while hanging out on Capo Testa.

We had a really fun packed week.

The first day was a bit of a blur. We'd been up at 1.30am on Saturday morning to make the tedious journey up to Stansted for our 6.15am flight. Our arrival in Alghero was then followed by a long coach transfer along a twisty road. We finally reached our hotel, just outside Santa Teresa Gallura in the early afternoon.

It was great to finally touch down and find ourselves right on the Mediterranean coast. Our hotel, La Marmarota, was a type of holiday complex. It was quite idyllic to look at - set right on the coast, among palm trees and very colourful flora. The waves were wafted across the shores at the bottom of the gardens, as the sun shone down. If we looked hard enough we could just make out Corsica. I actually felt quite spoilt to be "just a cyclist" in such a lovely setting.

With all the excitement of finally having arrived in Sardinia we set up our bikes and rode out to the nearby town of Santa Teresa Gallura, 4miles away. It was quite a pleasant town with that sleepy Southern Italian feel about it - children playing in the streets, sleeping dogs etc. As Santa Teresa wasn't really touristic there was definitely an authentic Italian feel about the place.

The following day, with a bit of trepidation and apprehension, we started the Giro Sardegna, and we made it through the week. (Details in the next post.)

My memories of the week are :
The toughness of the riding. For many, the Giro might be a glorified training camp before the Gran Fondo season kicks in for real, but essentially this is still treated and ridden as a race - doing a race every day for a week is not easy !!

All plans to go sight-seeing in the afternoons went out of the window, as my main concern was to recover/rest up in time for the following day !

Riding along at barely 10miles an hour into the characteristic Spring wind of North West Sardinia.

Being in such a complex meant you had all your fellow racers around you. People were very friendly and always interested in talking to you. I got to meet many people during my week. Note to oneself - study more Italian for next time.

Being called onto the stage to be "podium girl" handing out prizes to the winning riders in front of a large audience. Well, who would say no to kissing a load of Italian blokes ??

On the last stage, being paced around the 170km-course of the Gran Fondo Costa Smeralda by some very noble Italians. Christ I needed it, I was cream crackered !

The copious amount of food that was on offer for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We might have ridden almost 600km, but I bet I still put on weight by the end of the week !

Strolling around the wild, rocky coastline of Capo Testa - the most northerly tip of Sardinia.

By the last day, the Saturday, there was a real "the party's over" feeling. People had had a great week, and were sorry it was coming to an end. When people parted company it wasn't a case of "Good bye" but more, "See you next year".
I certainly hope to be back there again.

Oh, to be in LONDON - The Great Tour Send-off

The Tour de France has started ! And what a great place for it to start !
Of all the places where it could start, nothing could match the wonderful scenes in London. It's not always guaranteed that when the Tour starts outside of France that it would be in the best place that country has to offer.

The team presentation at Trafalgar Square, under Nelson's column, with concert by R'n'B singer, Lemar. A prologue that went through all the famous sites - Whitehall, Houses of Parliament, Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, the Mall. Stage 1 filing out of London passing the London Eye, St Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge and then finishing at Canterbury Cathedral. A bike course fit for Kings - shame they couldn't stop and take photos !

As a spectator it was pretty surreal - being able to walk around these places that are normally heaving with traffic. From Friday to Sunday major thoroughfares like Whitehall, the Mall, Park Lane were ruled by pedestrians and cyclists.


We spent Saturday afternoon watching the prologue - all 189 of them at various points of the course - along Victoria Street, Buckingham Palace, and Constitution Hill. I made this point my final viewpoint as I got to see the riders travelling in both directions, and it was also to the 1km to go mark. Being opposite Green Park, where there was a big TV screen meant there was commentary as well.

Stanley moved on further to watch the riders at Hyde Park corner, where they were greeted by enormous crowds in Hyde Park.

My memories of the prologue are :

The sight of French Gendarmes on their French registered motorbikes and in French police cars in the middle of London !

The sheer speed of the riders as they passed - especially Fabian Cancellera - in excess of 55km per hour.

The sound of some of the director sportives shouting at their riders over a tannoy as they followed them in the team car - Venga Venga ! Andiamo ! Allez Allez !


The party atmosphere among the 2 million spectators that thronged the streets.

The ear shattering roar from the spectators as certain riders came past - notably Bradley Wiggins, Geraint Thomas, Mark Cavendish, David Millar Fabian Cancellera, Andreas Kloden and Alexandre Vinoukourov.

The warm sunshine that was especially arranged for the day.


I didn't go to watch Sunday's proceedings as I had to prepare for the road racing I was doing that afternoon. From what I saw from the TV though, it looked like there was just as much enthusiasm along the roads through Kent. More than a million lining the streets. And they say England isn't a biking nation !!

I hope the riders had as great a time during the event as we had watching it.


Whatever you think of Ken Livingstone, you've gotta hand it to him on this one. I can't imagine any other Mayor of London laying on such a fiesta ! Thanks alot Ken !

Cycling around the Amalfi Coast

Thankfully I left Gragnano quite quickly, and then was on a country road that began the steady climb up to Agerola.
As it was a Friday, people were still at work so the roads were relatively quiet once I was away from the coast. There were just a few villagers around here and there. They generally said "Ciao" to me and looked at me with a mixture of curiosity and awe at the fact that I was about embark on the 12km climb.

As I progressed further and further up, signs of human life became more sparse and the vegetation changed from something almost tropical to something akin to the hills, though not alpine. The citrussy smells from the coast gave way to the smell of pine, as I neared the summit.

This was a long climb but it wasn't of alpine proportions. The gradient was farely manageable. I could have done it faster, but I wanted to take the time to look
behind me and admire the view below. The coast was a long way down, and I was able to get a full appreciation of the profile of the countryside and the sea below. It looked really spectacular - the jagged rocks of the coastline against the smooth cool blue of the sea. It looked beautiful.

Suddenly I was sucked into a cold, dark damp tunnel which seemed to be never-ending. It was actually 1km long and was still going uphill. That was probably the most unpleasant section of the whole ride.
Immediately out of the tunnel the road plunged down-hill, and I was flying through quaint hillside villages as I made the rapid descent towards Agerola.
I managed to stop and take a few pictures of the different villages. They were literally jutting out, clinging onto the edge of the mountains and hanging over the sea.

I also took a photo of a plaque that was dedicated to the memory of Fausto Coppi, one of Italy's most famous professional cyclists.
Pushing onwards, the road just continued a steady descent with lots of switchbacks, some of which were quite tight. I could see a number of inlets ahead of me, underlining the irregularity of the Amalfi coastline.

Finally at the bottom of the hill, just outside Amalfi I turned left to head towards Praiano. I may have been at the bottom of the hill, and on the coast road, but this road was by no means flat. There were constant rises and dips - thankfully nothing too steep. The rises provided good points from where I could take photos - which I took advantage of.

I soon arrived in Positano - this was a very pretty village. Even prettier than is shown in the guide books. However there were 2 snags for me about this place. Firstly, the fact that it was so attractive, made it a massive tourist magnet. Therefore there were loads of cars and buses. And given the small size of Positano, it made the roads just heave with traffic - often gridlocked, as tourist buses, local buses, school buses, delivery vans and cars tried to pass each other on the narrow streets. That was a shame. the second snag for me, was that the main area of town meant that I had to plunge down 150m to go there and have a look - meaning that I would have to ride back up the steep narrow streets to re-join the main road to Sorrento. All good training I suppose.

The road back to Sorrento was pretty staightforward, more ups and downs, with a couple of steep sections at Colli San Pietro and Picco San Angelo. Both were around 10% - not really what I wanted at the end of day's cycling. However the run in to Sorrento was a dream. It was a fast 5 mile descent all the way from Sant'Agata sui due Golfi back to the hotel.

I was pleased with the day I had, and rewarded myself with a good glass of the local wine.

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So why go to the Amalfi coast?

7th Giro Ciclistico della Penisola Sorrentina e Costiera Amalfitana - Part 1

7th Giro Ciclistico della Penisola Sorrentina e Costiera Amalfitana - Part 2

7th Giro Ciclistico della Penisola Sorrentina e Costiera Amalfitana - Last part 

From Flanders to Amalfi