New Wiggle dhb Kit Review

This week I have been mostly wearing dhb ... the latest threads from Wiggle. dhb, for those not in the know, is online cycling retail giant Wiggle's own clothing brand. I was pretty excited to get to choose two items from their autumn/winter range to review because I'd always secretly admired their distinctive but classy designs - and with lower end prices I'd long thought the brand looked hot - but not so hot as to tempt me to buy it.

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Amazing Value Autumn Kit from Aldi!

Last week, discount supermarket Aldi, launched it's latest range of fab cycling gear and accessories. It's first come, first served for savvy cyclists with an eye for a bargain. Already selling like hotcakes, this autumn Aldi is stocking a wide selection of new and improved clothing and accessories for casual and commuter riders, as well as high performance pro-cycling gear for the more serious cyclist.

As well as the clothing range, there are some serious accessories available such as the Garmin Edge 810 (£179.99) which has an advanced touchscreen cycling GPS, suitable for use both on and off the road. Aldi is selling the Garmin more than £200 cheaper than the RRP! 

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Lumo: New Range Launched on Kickstarter

It’s usually a good evening when we end up at Look No Mum Hands at the end of the day. It was extra special this Tuesday night as the bright and talented Doug and Lucy Bairner, founders of LUMO, were there too. They were lighting up Old Street with a Kickstarter campaign as they launch three new products to their line.

For those of you that don’t know, LUMO have been around for over a year now, designing and manufacturing some very special urban cycling wear. Their ‘pub test’ (would I wear this down the boozer?) has resulted in some great looking practical clothes that look cool, work well on the bike and are visible at night time. They achieve this by hiding strips of LED lights within the seams that are invisible unless switched on via a hidden rechargeable USB battery pack.

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Lumo Bermondsey Backpack Review

The long, hot summer is coming to an end - this weekend's Bank Holiday marks the turn towards autumn with glorious mellow weather and shorter days. It's back to work for most of us and time to get organised and be visible on our commutes again.

Ride Velo picked up a the military inspired Bermondsey backpack from Lumo at Spin London back in May. Lumo, of course, is famous for its innovative illuminated cycle wear but its products stand up to scrutiny even without the super effective built-in flashing lights.

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BZ Optics Photocromatic Bi Focal Lens Review

A couple of years ago Cycling Weekly conducted a survey of its readership which revealed that the average cyclist is 43 years old, 5 foot 10 inches in height and 12 stone. At the time I fitted the profile almost exactly and could identify with the many challenges facing such a typical rider: young whipper snappers tearing past me up hills, struggling to find the time to ride with work and family commitments and the occasional creaking bones. 

However, there is another problem for this age bracket, and one that I find myself increasingly suffering from: long sightedness which makes it impossible to read a Garmin, Strava data or Google map without fishing around in the back pocket for a pair of reading glasses.

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Giant Alpecin’s 'Bulletproof' Bib Shorts

If you watched John Degenkolb, Warren Barguil and Tom Dumoulin of Team Giant Alpecin on the Tour de France this year, you may have noticed a difference in the team kit they were wearing. Their special edition July white kit symbolised a new start after a terrible pre season training accident which saw their key team members badly injured and unable to compete for months afterwards. Look even more closely, however, and you may notice that their shorts, although still the traditional black, feature a mesh design that claims to protect the riders if they find themselves skidding across the tarmac.

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Review: The Light Blue St John's Retro

With Eroica Britannia just one week away, Ride Velo has been busy preparing for the three day festival and, in particular, the Sunday morning bike ride. This must be undertaken on a pre-1987 bike... with a couple of exceptions. 

Two of the new 'sport range' of Light Blue bicycles are eligible for Eroica Britannia even though they are were only released last year - they are the Kings and St Johns retro steel bikes - and they are gorgeous! Ride Velo was lucky enough to take three of the new range out for a photo shoot back in December: the Robinson, Trinity fixed and the St Johns. We loved them all, but it was the St Johns that I kept coming back to.

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Cargo Bike Fantasy

That old Velominati rule of the ideal number of bikes one should own being 'n+1' (where n= the number of bikes currently owned) still holds strong at Ride Velo Towers. That nagging, incessant desire of wanting just one more bike has gone from vintage to fixie to another Italian road bike in a matter of months. That terrible, beautiful, aching feeling that wastes valuable time, puts off important work and chores has returned with a yearning and intensity that is suffocating and leaves one with a horrible guilty feeling after hours wasted online. Its focus has veered in a whole new direction, my web browsing history reveals a new world, one that has opened up to me in a way I had never expected. I’m after a cargo bike.

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Lumo Regents Parka Jacket Review

It’s amazing how many cyclists (and I include myself in this bracket) refuse to wear garish reflective clothing to make themselves more visible on the bike at night despite numerous close shaves and worse as we battle with London traffic. As someone who cycles to work, to the pub and down the shops I steadfastly refuse to look like a plonker the moment I dismount and become, no longer a cyclist, but a pedestrian, cinema goer, or shopper. But the bright sparks at Lumo have given us the option of both looking stylish and visible to night-time traffic.

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Chamois Panties Review

A common dilemma for urban cyclists and commuters is 'to lycra or not to lycra?' Around South London I've noticed that about half do and half don't. Personally I never get lycra-ed up to go to work or for a jaunt around town. This is partly because there are so many red traffic lights it's almost impossible to get sweaty, and partly because I'm embarrassed to waddle around with a huge chamois pad between my legs, click-clacking on the floor and sliding and around in my cleated road shoes like a demented duck!

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REW Reynolds Classic Racing Shoe

The Tweed Run fast approaches. We’ve been bidding and been outbid on eBay for tweed jackets, plus fours and paisley ties for weeks as we desperately try to coordinate our retro outfits for that uniquely British event. For spring not only heralds those serious, brutal, gritty Classics like Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix, the snow and hail of Liege-Baston-Liege, there are more sedate affairs to be contested here.

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The Best New Summer Kit

Most of us were blessed with glorious summer weather this weekend - perfect for dusting off the short-sleeved jerseys and exposing our winter white legs! But under the beautiful blue skies, the contents of Ride Velo's cycling drawer looked decidedly grey and, in one or two spots, moth-eaten (why do moths love merino so?) Ride Velo decided it's clearly time for a cycling wardrobe update. Here's our top pick of road cycling wear to get your heart racing this summer. 

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Lidl's £25 Bike Workstand!

Twitter was all abuzz last week with news that Lidl have begun to stock a foldable bike workstand for what sounds like a very economical £24.99. Too good to be true? Luckily, Ride Velo Towers, our new premises, happen to be directly opposite Brixton’s very own branch of Lidl so we went over to investigate.

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Frog Bikes Review

Frog bikes have only been going for just over 2 years but they are fast becoming the go-to brand for parents wanting to buy a quality bike for their kids.  Last week they launched their new Union Jack bikes at Lee Valley Velodrome, fronted by Olympic champion Joanna Rowsell whose signature features on the frames. And they are soon to begin manufacturing their frames from a factory in Wales.

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Spring: Looking Good for Less

Ride Velo never ever appreciates cycling in the rain and snow. With Easter approaching, it’s time to throw off those waterproofs and wintery layers and embrace spring and some new cycling gear. But you don’t have to spend a fortune as there are some great bargains to be had. Here’s Ride Velo’s selection of the best spring kit:

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Amazing Deals on Kids' Bikes This Week

Get your kids into cycling at an early age – it’s fun, healthy and an essential skill for life! From your toddler’s first balance bike to family cycle rides together, kids can learn to enjoy the great outdoors and feel safe on a bike they love. Yes Christmas is over - but now could be the perfect time to snap up a bike for your little loved ones. Retailers have got some fantastic discounts on children's cycles this week and here are our favourites for ages 2 to 12:

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Power Protein Bar Taste Off!

Energy bars are part of every serious cyclists' life, whether we like it or not! Personally I prefer protein bars for a more sustained energy release, but as someone who avoids dairy, that leaves me with two unappealing options: going to a specialist health-food shop for a disgusting blend of hemp protein and macrobiotic goo, or making them myself. So Chapeau! to PowerBar who have brought out a tasty vegan cereal bar we can buy in sports shops! Two other zesty new flavours are also on the PowerBar menu: Lemon Cheesecake and Jaffa Cake to refresh your tastebuds. 

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