Cyclist
In the Drops: Koo Bora-Hansgrohe glasses, Ornot Bag, 66°North kit and ultra processed foods
Happy Friday, cycling fans.
Top news this week is that issue 149 of Cyclist Magazine has hit the shelves and features rides in the Dolomites, Gran Canaria, Mallorca plus the history of the Cannondale SuperSix and more. Grab a copy from the Cyclist Shop or any great newsstand and enjoy some raucous reads. Or better still, subscribe to have it delivered to your doorstep every month before it goes on sale elsewhere.
The latest episode of the Cyclist Magazine Podcast dropped this week too and is a cracking listen. James and I are joined by Maria Leijerstam, a British adventurer and world record holder who cycled to the South Pole. Maria shares some pretty epic – and slightly terrifying – stories about her journey.
Will covered the launch of Brompton 12-speed and reviewed the P Line Explore, Robyn dissected recent pro cycling news and highlights and I went behind the scenes at RideLondon.
If January means you cycle inside, we’ve got the best turbo trainer workouts. Alternatively, if you are made of harder stuff and are pedalling outside, here are five tips for cycling into a headwind.
On a personal note, this will be my last In the Drops as I’m heading off freelancing. You can catch me and my adventures on social media at @emmasecole.
In the meantime, I leave you with the wonderful team that is Cyclist.
Koo Bora-Hansgrohe Alibi sunglasses
Ever wanted to ride like a pro but not do the gruelling training? I’m afraid that’s not possible, however you can at least look the part with these Bora-Hansgrohe-themed Alibi sunnies from Koo.
Featuring Bora-Hansgrohe green frame and arms, the half-frame design allows for maximum visibility and this pair of Alibis come with fuchsia photochromic mirror lenses ideal for protecting your eyes from sunlight.
Bring on the sunshine. There must be some somewhere in the UK.
- Buy now from Koo (£210)
Ornot handlebar bag
The Ornot handlebar bag is a delightful storage option that boasts a multitude of pockets and shovel loads of practicality.
The bag has a 3-litre capacity, which translates to plenty of room for snacks, gloves, a phone, a packable jacket and tools, all of which can be carefully organised in the bag’s plethora of pockets.
The attachment system is super-easy and robust, there is no lolloping about when riding as the bag stays secure on the bike. I particularly like the rigid frame that means the bag always has a good structure and shape.
The handlebar bag is made from ecopak-recycled fibre and has a PFC-free DWR treatment, meaning it isn’t treated with harmful chemicals. What’s more, Ornot is a Climate Neutral Certified brand, which means it measures and offsets its emissions.
It comes in ecopak white (shown in the pictures), black and coyote (a sort-of-brown) if you prefer the more muted tones.
- Buy now from Ornot (£69)
66°North Snæfell jacket, long sleeve top and backpack
First up is the Snæfell (pronounced Sny-feddle) shell jacket, which is a super-versatile piece of kit. This is the sort of jacket that will cover you for every occasion, commuting, MTB, cycling in the rain, ski-cycling (cool, right?), kayaking, bikepacking, hiking, or simply walking your dog. Or cat. I saw a guy on social media whose cat goes on hikes with him.
Anyways, made from Polartec NeoShell, the Snæfell shell jacket is waterproof to 10,000mm, is highly breathable and has ample pockets. It comes in sizes XS to 2XL.
Pair this with the 66°North long sleeve top (this one is called the Grettir in the colour Alpine Grimmia – fancy) and you are in for a treat. The Grettir is made from Polartec Power Dry and is what I have been wearing cycling in the recent freezing temperatures.
66°North also does a 15-litre backpack that comes in 17 different colours. Seventeen! But even cooler is the bag is made from leftover fabric cuts and it has a super soft quilted inner lining, which is good for cameras and laptops and whatnot. I move around a lot so I’m always lugging stuff around and this backpack is proving to be a master in comfort, style and size on and off the bike.
- Buy the Snæfell jacket from 66°North (£435)
- Buy the Grettir zip neck from 66°North (£95)
- Buy the backpack 66°North (£120)
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Saviour Cycling Apparel’s socks offer pro performance and pro looks
In a world where every colour of the rainbow can be expressed in a graphical design & woven into a sock, we still keep coming back to the perfect aesthetic of the white sock, as has the majority of the pro peloton. Saviour socks are designed in the UK, technically engineered in the Netherlands & manufactured in Italy, the heartland of cycling couture.
Utilising Q-Skin construction for softness & compression, they’ll never sag or slip even after prolonged wear. You’ll not find a better sock outside the pro peloton. With 10 designs to choose from, 5 Monuments & 5 simple colour bands, you have a Performance white sock to tastefully compliment any jersey or kit combination.
We can’t all ‘go pro’ but we can look pro!
Ad feature ends
What I’m into this week: Unprocess Your Life: Break Free from Ultra-Processed Foods for Good by Rob Hobson
Research shows that one in seven of us across the globe is addicted to ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which is utterly bonkers, one in seven!
It gets worse. According to the British Heart Foundation, more than half of the calories an average person in the UK consumes per day come from ultra-processed foods. Gross.
Unprocess Your Life by Rob Hobson is an educational and eye-opening cookbook that explains all you need to know about UPFs and how to make delicious meals that don’t involve them.
Hobson breaks down the layers of processed-ness, distils the good from the bad and the ugly, all the while offering some inspiring recipes.
Happy weekends!
The post In the Drops: Koo Bora-Hansgrohe glasses, Ornot Bag, 66°North kit and ultra processed foods appeared first on Cyclist.