At only £24 this is quite a good waterproof breathable cape. It is quite lightweight and can be carried in a backback on saddle bag. Because it is quite thin, it will have limitations to waterproof. After prolonged heavy rain, it will start to seep through. If you need a much tougher waterproofing then you will need a heavier cape.

Trekmate Waterproof Capes at Amazon

Disposable Emergency Poncho’s

This emergency Paddimac Poncho is ideal for fitting in back pocket. It weighs only 123g and could be a real life saver in a sudden downpour. At only £2.99 this is a great buy for the person who rarely needs a poncho and doesn’t want to carry much weight araound

• Paddimac Poncho

Related

• Waterproof Cycling Capes

The Schwalbe Durano Tyre, claims to offer the best puncture proof protection of any tyre.

The tyre is based on a SmartGuard belt for extremely effective protection against penetration punctures. During winter training, I am always on the look out for the tyre which offers the best winter puncture protection. I have been quite happy with the performance of Armadillo Tyres They are pretty sturdy and offer great puncture protection.

If anything the Schwalbe Durano offer an even greater level of puncture protection. Their best feature is that they are very resistant to glass cuts, the kind of cut that you might get on a Continental Grand prix 4000 tyre. They last very well. The drawback is as you might expect – they have a higher rolling resistance and feel somewhat slower. But, for a training tyre, that is a small price to pay for greater peace of mind.
Definitely recommended

Schwalbe Durano Tyres at Wiggle

Best Puncture Proof Tyres

Frosty Morning in Oxford - 5 degrees

The Northern hemisphere is in the grip of the coldest winter for many years, if this keeps up, the UK will probably be soon running out of salt.

Nice Ear Warmers!

It does have it’s advantages, Oxford was very beautiful in the frosty morning. But, for cycling, the beauty of frost is soon lost to more practical considerations. The weather forecast is even worse for the next few days, so I have been trying to make the most of weather. I managed another 50 miles yesterday, despite my water bottle freezing up. I was wrapped up pretty well with several layers and a thermal jacket. For me, the biggest problem is cold hands and cold feet. This is what I wore to avoid cold hands:

My 3 Gloves and self heating hot pad!

• one inner layer – one hot pad, – a second inner layer – a third thicker ski glove. Well it worked!

My hands were quite warm. If you don’t have my poor circulation you may find this set up too much, but, it does show if you really want to cycle in cold weather you can.
It is a strange feeling cycling when it’s so cold. You are certainly always very relieved to get home!

Related

• Hand Warmers – pack of 40 for £21
• Hand Warmers – pack of 10 for £12

I’ve been testing some epix winter cycling gear. I’ve tried some armwarmers, legwarmer and booties for my shoes.
The style is distinctive – made to look like a carbon fibre mould. They look good especially the Winter booties.

I like the winter booties, they have a relatively thin layer of Garvia which is soft and smooth. These are thinner than my thicker neoprene overshoes and consequently not as warm. However, the advantage of being a bit thinner is they are less likely to rub against the crank – which is often a complaint of thick overshoes. These will be excellent for early season races – where it’s cold but I don’t want to wear heavy thick neoprene overshoes.

The leg warmers are great. Nice and warm, comfortable material and with a zip for easy taking on and off over cycling shoes.

The arm warmers are similar to the leg warmers. I struggle to find arm warmers that are thin enough, and these are a similar size to others. So unless, like me, you have arms like matchsticks you will find these fit well. They are a decent length – some armwarmers are too short.

Overall good quality clothing with a design with a difference

www.epixgear.com

One of the great challenges for cyclists is to be seen at night. Cycling at night is potentially dangerous and statistically there are more fatal accidents at this time of the day. See: How Dangerous is Cycling at Night

When choosing Bike Lights consider:

• Some small lights are quite feeble compared to the power of car lights.
• It is easy for rear lights to get covered by a long coat.
• Legally you are obliged to have lights fitted to the bike. So don’t just use clip on lights for your clothes. The problem with these lights is that they may pointed in the wrong direction. I’ve seen bike lights pointing towards the sky – maybe useful for flying craft, but not much good for the taxi coming up behind.
• Some motorists say flashing lights are more easily picked up. But, I would recommend using flashing lights only with a constant one as well.
• A backup set of lights is essential for serious night commuters

Reflective clothing is as important, if not more so than good lights. At the least avoid dark clothes. Reflective clothing is good for cars approaching from the side.

Related

• Night photos of cyclists
• High Viz jackets
• Best cycle lights

Reflective Clothing online

• Reflective Clothing at Evans Cycles
• Reflective Clothing at Wiggle

These visibility belts are an excellent item for cyclists to have. They are light and easy to put on. They are fine for the summer, when it is too hot to wear a full viz jacket.

Cyclists often suffer from poor visibility even if they are using a small light. These High viz belts can make the difference between being seen and not seen. Once at work they can easily be put into pocket.

High visibility belts at Evans Cycles

High Viz jackets

Reflective Clothing

When getting a turbo trainer, you are wanting a trainer that is

• Easy to assemble and put bike on
• Quiet
• Stable
• Variable power adjustment
• Easy to transport

Continue reading →

Ordinary tyres are not ideal for using on turbo trainers. They quickly build up heat, make a lot of noise, and will wear down quickly. It is also quite possible to get a puncture using an ordinary tyre. If you are going to be doing some specific turbo training, it is worth buying a specially designed tyre.

Continental turbo Tyre. This bright orange tyre is designed specifically for turbo use (and should not be used on the road). It has special compounds which reduce heat, noise and wear. Enabling you to pedal to your heart’s content without worrying about your neighbours or a burnt out tyre.

As it is made from stiff rubber, it is difficult to get on or off. It is best if you can have a dedicated wheel for turbo training. You may well need to resort to metal tyre leavers to get it on.

Certainly not something you want to be changing frequently.

Continental turbo training tyre

Related

It is quite dangerous to cycle at night without lights. See: How dangerous is it to cycle at night? Also, without lights, you could be on the receiving end of a fine. – fines for cyclists A good pair of lights is essential. For the serious commuter, you will also want a backup pair of front and rear lights. Also, don’t forget reflective clothing, as this can help for side visibility.

Best Cycle Lights

Cateye LD-610 Rear Light

I am a great fan of this powerful Rear LED light by Cateye

60% brighter than the old LCD-600, this uses 5 very powerful LED lights spaced out, for a strong effect and visibility.
Rear Light at Evans

Cateye EL530

EL530 is now 50 percent brighter still making this almost untouchable in terms of performance. – Using one ultra bright white LED within Cateyes patented Opticube lens. this light now has a 1500+ candlepower light output with a maximum 50 hours run time. At £54, it is a serious light, but gives unparalleled performance. Looks pretty impressive as well.

Dynamo Lights

Dynamo Lights have gone out of fashion a little since the development of strong LEDs has reduced battery use. However, Dynamo lights are still popular in cycling countries such as Holland. Dynamo Lights mean you will never be without light. Modern versions are better at staying lit when stationary at traffic lights.

Dynamo Lights at Evans

Cycle Lights at Wiggle

Cycle Lights at Evans Cycles

Night photos of Cyclists

The Ammaco 3000 AS Series road bike.

Not the best known bike, Ammaco is quite hard to track down, they don’t seem to have a website, which doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. I heard they were made by PCM Group Ltd, but, I’m not sure.

This bikes looks in good condition and I like the look, though the brakes seem a throw back to 1980s fashion. It kind of looks strange a very modern design in terms of paint and then these old fashioned brake levers. The gears are mounted on the handlebars.

Maybe OK for an entry level bike.