Product Review: Chia Pods (Mango)

Superfoods and surfing - what an awesome combination! No wonder I was powerless to resist when I saw the new ad on TV for Chia Pods being endorsed by surfing superstar Kelly Slater...!!

Buy whatever this man tells you to buy!!  ;-)

OK, well maybe I'm not that easily sucked in.  But the ad did enough to peak my interest.  I'm always interested in new things to try, and these new Chia Pods looked like they might be worth a swing past my local supermarket for a test run...

What is Chia?

Chia is a seed, and lays claim to being a superfood due to relatively high levels of Omega 3, fibre and protein compared to other plant-based foods. A quick google search shows its a huge favourite amongst health and diet personalities.

Does that mean its great and deserves its 'superfood' status? Well, I'm not a nutritionist, so you need to do your own research there.  But it does appear to at least be a nutritionally sound food that you could safely add to your diet.

What's a Chia Pod?

So onto the focus of this review!!  Chia Pods are a pre-prepared bowl of Chia seeds, mixed with coconut milk and (in my case) mango pulp for flavour.  When I ducked into my local supermarket, they also had banana flavour and vanilla bean flavour.

The Pods come as convenient single-serve bowls, and include a surprisingly sturdy orange spoon to eat it with.  Pop off the lid, and you are greeted with, well, I'm not sure how to describe it - so here's a picture:

Looks like, ummm, mango chia?

It looks a lot like a chia seed pudding.  The smell was definitely one of mango, but what made me happy was that its a very natural mango aroma - definitely not fake mango (which can be pretty distinctive!).

How does it taste?

More important than anything is the taste. Life's too short to suffer through inedible foods, no matter how good they are for you!  There are plenty of tasty and healthy snack options out there, so any new products need to hit the flavour mark.

The moment of truth... Incoming!

Let's get this out of the way first - I really, really liked the Chia Pod. Yummy, delicious, tasty. A double thumbs up from me!

Its a difficult texture to describe. It is definitely light, maybe a bit gel-like. Perhaps a little like tapioca, but in texture not taste.

The chia seeds themselves are very bland. They are one of those foods that are a great carrier of flavour without having any themselves.  So my mango-flavoured Chia Pod had a very pleasant, light mango taste. Very easy and enjoyable to eat.

Nutritional Info

For those that love their numbers - my mango Chia Pod had 149 calories.  This was made up of 9 grams of fat (including 3g of Omega 3 and 1g of Omega 6), 13g of carbs (including 11 g of sugar), 6g of fibre and 3g of protein.  A full analysis can be found here.

The Final Word

A small snack without too many calories that tastes great - all good.  But the best thing about this product is its incredibly simple ingredients list - chia seeds, coconut milk, and mango. That's it, nothing else. For me, that elevates it above many other 'convenience foods' that have added sugars, flavours and preservatives.

The only pressure point for this product is the price.  I paid $3.60 for my Chia Pod at my local Woolworths supermarket.  Not cheap, and possibly expensive depending on your budget.  If money is no object, then buying this is a very easy decision.  If you are on a tight budget - then use this as inspiration for buying bulk chia seeds and trying to 'make your own' at home!

The Final, Final Word!

Thumbs up!  Buy it and try it - you won't be disappointed.  Makes a fantastic mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack that is genuinely good for you.

Product Review: Ass Saver rear mudguard

Some products are so simple, when you first use it you smack your forehead and say, "Why didn't anyone think of this before?!"  Firmly in this category is the Ass Saver 'emergency rear mudguard'...

With all the wet weather around in South-East Queensland over the last few months, I have gotten very sick of getting home with a wet bum and wet, muddy back (or backpack!) from all the puddles and damp roads I've ridden through.

While a proper fender is the obvious solution to this - it is not a viable solution for my roadbike.  They are a pain to fit, there are no lugs on my bike, and they look ridiculous.  While shopping for a few bits and pieces, I stumbled across these Ass Saver mudguards at Cell Bikes, and so I added one to my shopping cart to give them a try.

This review can be summed up very briefly - these things are cheap, but totally awesome! My Ass Saver (in blue to match my bike, but they come in 10 different colours) was fitted to my bike in literally less than 10 seconds. It looked sharp, and it did a fantastic job of keeping my back & bottom dry.

On my roadie - looks great & is very effective.

They fit a huge range of saddles. I have four different saddles at home (my normal roadie, the mountain bike, the fixie, and a spare saddle), and the Ass Saver fit easily on all of them.

On my spare saddle - so you can see how it 'clips' to the saddle rails...

The Ass Saver is also super-light, weighing a tiny 15 grams. Plus it looks really good on the bike, which is a bonus.  It turned some heads at the work bike-rack, everyone wanted to know what it was and were impressed by it.  To top it all of, it is Euro-approved - these Ass Saver mudguards were used by both the Lotto-Belisol and Vacansoleil teams during this year's wet and windy Milan-San Remo Classic.

You can see the red Ass Saver on the saddle of Andre Greipel here...

If you ever take your bike out on wet roads - do yourself a favour and buy an Ass Saver.  I bought mine from Cell Bikes for the princely sum of only $9. They have all 10 colours available, so you can colour match to your bike (or be boring and buy black).

So in summary - buy this product!!  It gets 10/10 dry bums from me...  :)

Product Review: Swisse Choc Energy Bars

Not long ago, I did a review of Winners Energy Bars in Choc-Berry flavour.  They were a hit for me, and I'm happily working my way through a box I bought on a clearance special from the local supermarket.

Ducking in to grab some bits-&-pieces a few weeks ago, I came across another product on special - Swisse High Carb Energy Bars (Chocolate flavour).  They were half-price (woohoo!), so I grabbed a handful and threw them into my trolley to try out later.

For those who care about the important figures - these bars have 230 calories, 4.7g of protein, 5g of fat, 38.3g of carbs (of which 8.5g is sugar) and 22mg of sodium.

As a rule, I don't eat prior to training rides less than 90min long (in the morning, pre-breakfast that is). And so I normally would only wolf down a muesli bar before setting off on longer bunch rides. Similar to the Winners Bars I tried, this is where I used these bars - usually before setting off on my 2-3hr Planet Cycles shop rides on a Saturday morning.

Do they work?

Yes, definitely. I didn't get any of the telltale signs of energy deficit during my rides with this bar, and (probably more importantly) no 'energy spike' that inevitably leads to an 'energy crash' later.

More importantly - the taste!

For me, taste is probably the most important criterion in these reviews.  Most of the commercially available bars are pretty good for what they are designed for - so (assuming a similar price) taste is the governing factor when I make my choice. It's a lot harder to eat when you aren't looking forward to the experience!

The texture of these reminded me a lot of a chocolate crackle (a chocolate rice crispie treat, for those readers not in Australia!).  I definitely picked up on the 'rice bubble' type texture straight away, a real contrast to the oat-style bars I've had before.  I was surprised to read the ingredients list later to see rolled oats were the major ingredient!

These bars weren't as sweet as I expected them to be either - a huge plus for me.  Nothing worse than that cloying sweetness you can't get rid of, and you still have half a bar to go... 

Probably my only real criticism was they were a little dry to eat, and I definitely had to consume them with a bottle of water handy to wash it down.  That's just a personal preference for me, I'd prefer a bar that's a little more moist in texture.

A second opinion

My 14yo daughter grabbed one of these bars as we dashed off to her weekend waterpolo game.  She took a bite, and said, "Oh wow - these are great!"

She loved the mix of oats and chocolate rice crispies, and thought they were the best bar of that sort she'd eaten so far.  The lack of sweetness was also a big plus for her, but she disagreed with me that the bar was 'dry' in texture and thought it was just right.

Would I buy these again?

Yes, I would - but they probably wouldn't be my first choice.  Purely on the taste factor, there are a couple of others I prefer.  But its not that the Swisse bars taste bad, I definitely enjoyed eating them - its just that there are others I enjoy more.

The bottom line is that if you prefer a 'rice crispie'-style texture in your bar, you should definitely give these a try.  You will really love them.  I know I'll be keeping some on hand for my daughter as a quick and easy pre-event 'meal' for her swimming and cross-country running seasons.

For that matter, if you see them on special at the supermarket (like I did), definitely grab a few to try for yourself.  Even if you end up preferring others, they taste pretty good anyway and do their job of providing a lasting energy hit.

Work trip cross training at Coogee Beach

I've been steadily plugging away in this first quarter of the year, sticking to my basic (and slightly boring!) plan of gradually racking up consistent mileage and hours on the bike.  So far, two-thirds into this 3-month base period, everything is going to plan (apart from all the rain!!).

For the last week (Sunday to Friday), I was sent down to Sydney for a work trip.  My hotel was much better than usual - I was staying at Coogee Beach, straight across the road from the ocean! A beautiful spot - and after the last month or so of constant grey, rainy weather in Brisbane, the opportunity for a post-walk beach swim everyday was very exciting.

Coogee Beach

Of course, I wanted to do something to put some training stress into the legs while I was there.  Nothing too serious, but some sort of exercise that matched in with the current base training phase so I could keep up my training habit.

So the plan was to do a couple of walks! I figured a couple of long walks (not strolls, but pushing myself) would do the trick, and give the legs some different training stimulus to cope with.

Fortunately, Coogee was the perfect launch point for the Eastern Beaches Coastal Walk route.

On Sunday, I spent a couple of hours walking from Coogee to Tamarama Beach and back again.  This was a stunningly beautiful walk, following the cliff edges and coastline on a well-marked pathway.  It was challenging in spots too, with some massive long stairways taking you up and down the cliff faces.  It was hard to pick a favourite part of this walk, but Gordons Bay was a highlight as it seemed like such a secret, hidden spot that was a surprise to come across.

Gordons Bay

For the next couple of days, my legs were sore! I was pretty happy with that too - it was good to know I'd managed to get some decent exercise in.  I think the stairs had a lot to do with it...

Later in the week, I headed in the opposite direction, and walked the Coogee to Maroubra Beach trail - another solid 2-hours.  While this pathway wasn't quite as pretty - it used a few backstreet detours and I thought Maroubra was a bit of a hole - it still had some beautiful sections.  The highlight was definitely Lurline Bay, a rocky inlet where you had to scramble along the surf-beaten rocks to rejoin the path at the far end.

Lurline Bay

Along with the swims at Coogee Beach each afternoon, these long walks (roughly 2-hours and 10km each) were great training alternatives.  Their long length and hilly profiles ensured I got some decent base training benefit out of them - plus they were just beautiful, scenic walks to do as well!

The Eastern Beaches Coastal Walk stretches from Bondi to Maroubra, passing through Tamarama, Bronte, Clovelly, and Coogee beaches along the way.  Definitely the best section is Bondi to just south of Coogee.  If you find yourself out that way with a few hours to spare, I would highly recommend it!!

Product Review: Winners Choc-Berry Energy Bar

Many times on this blog, I have mentioned that as a C Grade Cyclist I am all about value-for-money, bang-for-buck, and cheap-but-effective.  As such I don't normally buy 'energy bars', and usually buy up bulk quantities of my favourite muesli bar ("Carman's Muesli Bars") whenever they come on special at the local supermarket.

A few weeks ago though, as I browsed through the aisles looking for marked-down goodness, I came across a box of Winners Energy Bars (Choc-Berry flavour) that had been knocked down to half-price as it was getting close to expiry.  always one to snap up a bargain, I grabbed them with both hands and hoped that I wouldn't have buyer's remorse later...

For those who care about the important figures - these bars have 183 calories, 5.2g of protein, 4.6g of fat, 27.7g of carbs (of which 9.1g is sugar) and 21mg of sodium.

As a rule, I don't eat prior to training rides less than 90min long (in the morning, pre-breakfast that is).  And so I normally would only wolf down a muesli bar before setting off on longer bunch rides.  This is where I used these bars - usually before setting off on my 2-3hr Planet Cycles shop rides on a Saturday morning.

Do they work?

Yes, of course they do - they provide energy.  I wouldn't say any more or less than my normal muesli bar hit, although I got the feeling they lasted a bit longer energy-wise...  That's not measurable in any way though, and could have been just placebo.

More importantly - the taste!

Taste is always subjective - but I really liked these. The texture was terrific, chewy and a little moist, and very easy to eat. I felt like I was eating something 'substantial' which is what I prefer for pre-ride food.

The actual flavour made me think of a cross between a Carman's muesli bar and a Cherry Ripe chocolate bar - in a good way!!  Just enough chocolate to flavour the bar, and a nice berry taste without being sweet.  Thumbs up from me.

Would I buy these again?

Yes, I would - with the caveat that I would only buy them on special.

I honestly believe that most 'energy bars' are massively over-priced for what they are.  I got these for around $1.50/bar, which I thought was very fair.  But I wouldn't pay more than $2/bar for them (or any other bar).

If you are the sort of person that likes buying products in this category though, then put these on your list.  Great taste and texture, ticks off the energy needs, fits easily into a rear jersey pocket.

Strava - what is it good for?

Don't know what Strava is?  I'm tempted to say you've been living under a rock!  Depending on who you talk to, Strava is either the best or the worst thing to happen to cycling in a long time...

Essentially, Strava is simply a recording tool for your rides.  You use a GPS (via either your smartphone or bike computer) which records your ride, and then you upload it later to Strava.  Simple so far, right?

What Strava is most famous for is its KOM (or QOM for the ladies) leaderboards.  Segments are created (a segment is just a stretch of road - doesn't have to be uphill - and can be any length, long or short) by users, and then a leaderboard is created that ranks you on an all-time list for that particular stretch of road.

These KOM leaderboards have polarised the cycling community in many ways. Some see it as just a fun way to test yourself, others see it as wrecking the usual convivial nature of group rides and turning everything into a race.  Personally, I think its just a bit of fun - but that's not why I'm talking about Strava in this post.

The real value of Strava is in training analysis. Keep in mind I'm talking about the free version here - there is also a premium 'paid' version that lets you record and analyse power and heartrate as well.

Keeping you honest

If you asked me 6 months ago how often I trained, I'd say "Oh, roughly 7-8 hours a week".  Looking back at Strava, I know now that on my biggest months, I averaged just under 6 hours a week!  Even my best weeks were no higher than 7 hours (with just the one outlier - a 9 hour week).

Knowing what I do (and don't do!), has helped me to develop some realistic training goals for the next month and year ahead. 

Micro-analysis

Strava shows weekly volume graphs (in either mileage or hours), which allows you to match up how you are feeling and performing with how you have been training, and thus start to look at how best to improve.

As an example, I've been able to see where I've felt in the best form and other periods where I've felt sluggish, and consider my training loads around those times to identify some correlations.

Speed graphs

One of the more recent additions to Strava has been 'speed graphs'.  Basically, for each ride (or segment) it will show a graph of your speed from start to finish.

This aspect is very useful for racing.  I've been able to look at some criteriums I've done, seen how the speed has changed over the course of the race in an easy-to-view line graph, and matched that up to when I've felt flat or struggling.

Similarly it has helped with my longer interval training.  I can see how my speed has waivered (or not) for some intervals and gotten to understood where I've backed off and could've pushed harder, or conversely been pleased when I've seen how I've managed to hold my pace high throughout each interval.

Not a magic bullet

Don't get me wrong - I know I am talking Strava up here, and I feel I've gotten a lot out of it now that I've racked up about 6 months worth of data into it.  But I should point out that simply recording data into the application won't change anything (unless you get pleasure from staring at pretty graphs).  The value is having the data there to analyse, and that analysis is facilitated by having a variety of easily accessible formats (eg graphs, calendars) in which to view it.

So should you use Strava?

If you've never used Strava, or simply written it off as a way for ego-driven speedsters to show off their best times, then I'd urge you to look more closely at how Strava can work for you - it really is so much more than just a 'leaderboard'.

It's ease of use (Android or iOS app on your smartphone), simple user interface on your PC, and super-low cost (free!) mean there are no real barriers to entry.  Personally, I use my Android smartphone to record my rides - I just initialise the GPS function before I set off, throw it in my back jersey pocket, and away I go.  I then upload the ride data at home using my own wifi, so I don't need to use mobile data at any stage at all!

Allow yourself to gather a few months worth of data to give yourself a good basis for training analysis, and then go from there.  If it turns out not to be your thing - then so be it.  But if you have an interest in developing your training off the back of real data, then you should give this application a try.

September 2012 Review

I am having a great time at the moment, enjoying a 2-week family holiday at Burleigh Heads. It has been a perfect mental recovery time, and I am having a wonderful time.  Fortunately, I was able to bring the bike with me to keep up a bit of mileage and maintain a bit of consistency in the legs.

But first - my stats for the month:
Mileage - 539km (year-to-date total - 3833km)Weight - 77kg (1kg loss)

Very happy with my consistency again, and I can certainly feel the difference its making in my legs.  I'm comfortable and strong on the bike at the moment, and my form is tracking in the right direction.  Its very motivating, and I'm looking forward to testing myself in some club and Open races during October.

One of the highlights has been 'road/track training' at the Nerang Velodrome on the Gold Coast.  I took the chance to join in while I'm down here on holidays.  Basically, it involved 100 laps on the 365m outdoor velodrome (on road bikes), with every 10th lap being a sprint.

It was a very, very hard session!  There was a decent crowd of 20-30 riders, with a mix of abilities across all grades all riding together.  To be honest, I probably spent the same number of laps circling on the outside of the velodrome gasping for breath and recovering as I did in the paceline!  It was a heap of fun though, and was a great mid-week hit-out to smash the legs.

That's it for now, the beach is calling me (holidays are tough stuff!) - plenty of time to reflect on what's to come when I rejoin the real world next week...  :)

Bling City - Eurobike 2012

I have mentioned before that my mantra as C Grade Cyclist is "value for money" over all else.  My bike-related purchases all reside in the low to mid range, and I will scour the specifications and build quality to make sure I extract maximum bang for my cycling buck when it comes time to buy.

But of course, that doesn't mean I don't take the time to drool over top-end gear.  And drool season has officially started, with the first of the 'big two' trade shows starting in Germany - Eurobike!!

"Demo Day" at Eurobike 2012

This is the first opportunity for cycling fans to see the new cycling products coming out for next season, by all the major cycling manufacturers.  You can expect to see the official launch of new groupsets, wheels, bike frames, tyres, and many assorted accessories.

New Sidi shoes - I want, I want, I want!!

Personally, I'm a sucker for wheelsets.  I absolutely love staring at the brand new light-as-a-feather carbon fibre hoops brought out by the different manufacturers.  I have my fantasy budget (or my "if I win the lottery" budget), and carefully study the new product offerings to decide what I'll buy if my numbers come up and I have an unexpected windfall to spend...

Mavic's new Cosmic Carbone SLE - yummy!!

 

This is definitely the time I wish I was a well-respected, reputable cycling journalist - rather than a wannabe cycling fan/blogger - so that I could snaffle myself a press pass and mingle with the crowds at this cycling mecca!

Vuelta a Espana 2012 - preview & predictions

The final Grand Tour for 2012 has just begun - the Tour of Spain, better known as the Vuelta a Espana.

The Vuelta often (and unfairly) lacks some of the following that the Giro and the Tour de France attract.  Perhaps people are 'cycling-weary', especially after a big year on the ProTour that included an Olympics as well.

Nonetheless, this year's Vueta is worth following!  It is very different to this year's Tour de France, in that the Vuelta route is much more for pure climbers.  There will be some interesting battles, and a number of questions will likely be answered...

Who will win?

Alberto Contador (SaxoBank-Tinkoff)

The big story of this year's race is the return of El Pistolero - Alberto Contador - after his suspension for use of clenbuterol.  He is almost an unbackable favourite with the bookmakers.  I believe he will win, but not by the crushing margin many are predicting.

In his favour is the fact he hasn't raced the Giro, Tour, or the Olympics, and will have fresh legs.  I believe this is the key factor that will see him prevail over the likes of Froome and Van den Broek.  Against him is his lack of racing - anyone who has raced before knows there is no substitute for 'race fitness'... 

Expect to see Alberto Contador wearing the red leader's jersey at the conclusion of the Vuelta...

Who will come 2nd & 3rd?

Chris Froome (Team Sky)

Second at least year's Vuelta, after losing valuable time early on trying to sheperd Bradley Wiggins to teh win (sound familiar?).  Second at this year's Tour de France, and arguably could have won himself if given the leeway to do so.  There is no doubt the Kenyan-born Brit has the ability to win a grand tour one day.

I believe he will come second again in this race though, mainly because of his tough Tour de France and Olympics campaigns.  The fresh legs of Contador will be too much for the talented Froome to overcome...

Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha)

Another rider with fresh legs, and a grand tour pedigree, is Joaquim 'Purito' Rodriguez. This punchy Spanish climber has podiumed at grand tours before, but has never broken through for the win.

He is not in the same class as Contador, but will challenge Froome hard for 2nd place.  Apart from having fresh legs, Rodriguez's big advantage is his ability to win stages and take advantage of the generous time bonuses on offer at the Vuelta.  This will put him at a huge advantage over Froome...

Close, but not quite...

Jurgen Van den Broek (Lotto-Belisol)

For me, VdB was the big surprise in this year's Tour de France. He showed genuine improvement, and made the big step up in class to show he is capable of winning a grand tour some time soon.  Like Froome though, I don't think he'll be able to back-up after a very tough Tour and will finish just off the podium.

The Rabobank Dilemma

Robert Gesink vs Bauke Mollema

This will be an interesting race within a race.  Rabobank has a 'dual leader' strategy for the Vuelta, giving both Gesink and Mollema freedom to do their best for the overall.

On the one hand you have Gesink, who has promised much as a grand tour contender but has never broken through for an overall podium.  Then you have the 'young gun' Mollema, who is desperate to prove himself as worthy of outright team leader status.

By all accounts, both riders get on well and the team dynamic is very good. So it will be fascinating to see which of these riders prevails as the standout for Rabobank.  It will likely decide team leader status for next year's Tour de France...

Viewing in Australia

SBS Television is showing a handful of stages live this year - do yourself a favour and watch this year's race. It should be a great mountains battle between the key contenders...

February 2012 Review

Having a tough run of it with weather in 2012 - but first, to the stats for this month:

Mileage - 391km  (2012 total so far - 699km)
Weight - 82.5kg (down 2.5kg for the month!)


So February was a shorter month, meaning managing an increase in mileage was terrific.  I'm slowly getting up to where I want to be (500+ km/month) - I just need the 'stars to align' in terms of weather, illness and work.

February saw just over a week lost to weather, and a full week lost to a bad cold I had.  Putting that into perspective, my mileage total for only two effective weeks is really good! However, I need to stop having these 'relatively good' months, and put together a really strong month of heavy kilometres.

Hopefully March will see everything come together. Its been an inauspicious start, with a broken rear spoke leaving me without a rear wheel. On the upside, its also pouring rain - so maybe all the obstacles will be over and done with at the same time! Let's hope so.

The other great news is my weight-loss journey continues successfully. Another consistent month, and I'm down more than 5kg for the year! My goal of getting my weight below 80kg isn't far away, and I haven't felt like wavering at any time so far - it can't be far off now...

No major goal races this month, but the plan is to race in my club criteriums as often as possible. There is no substitute for hard racing kilometres, and I'm looking forward to how my legs handle it.  I'm also planning to join in some longer group rides this month - both with the club and some shop rides. This should set me up well for the longer road races I'm planning to hit later in the year.

I'm looking forward to getting my rear wheel back from Planet Cycles tomorrow afternoon, the skies clearing, and getting into a big March!

Book Review: "One Way Road" by Robbie McEwen

Let's get this out of the way early - I am a huge Robbie McEwen fan.  I have loved watching him race over his long professional career, especially his ability to win a sprint without the benefit of a well-drilled leadout train.  With this in mind, I couldn't wait to get my hands on his recent autobiography "One Way Road".

The book starts off with what I consider to be one of Robbie's greatest ever wins - Stage 1 of the 2007 Tour de France, from London to Canterbury.  After crashing with around 20km to go, and then losing contact with the peloton, McEwen's team drag him back to the back of the race with a few kilometres to go.  He then manages to work his way through the speeding race pack, and snatch the stage win at the last moment with a powerful sprint.

I vividly remember lying on my couch just after midnight, watching this stage. I was gobsmacked at Robbie's ability to win this stage after all seemed lost. So starting the book with this epic tale was a great start for me.

The book goes on to talk about many aspects of McEwen's life - from his early childhood growing up on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, through to training with the AIS teams in his late teens, to trying hard to breakthrough on the tough European professional cycling scene.  I won't go into detail about these stories, as they are brilliantly told in this book.

One thing there is an abundance of in the book, is Robbie telling us all what a terrific racer he is! Multiple times, he points out how he has beaten all the great sprinters of the modern era.  I have read some criticism of this aspect of the book - but I take something different away from it.  I think it gives an insight into the 'winning mindset' a great sprinter has to have.  It is clear that Robbie truly believed that he was the best sprinter on the road, and he could win every time he raced.  Maybe this incredible self-belief is what it takes to turn you from a 'handy sprinter' to a three-time Tour de France green jersey winner...

I also really enjoyed some of the insights McEwen gives into particular cyclists (such as Cadel Evans), and how he handled himself in the peloton.  He delivers a very frank and refreshingly honest assessment of some riders, but you leave with the impression that he is being very fair and without a nasty 'agenda' - there are no 'sensationalist' perspectives in here that are designed to create controversy and sell more books.

Clearly, I love this book.  If you are a cycling fan, then its a definite must-read.  If you are a more casual observer of the cycling world, or enjoy a good autobiography, then I think you'll also find a lot to like about this book as well.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Product Review - Cell Bikes 2012 'Rapido' cycling jersey

I was lucky enough to get my hands on one of the latest jersey offerings by Cell Bikes a few weeks ago - the Cell "Rapido" jersey.  Its bold black, yellow and white colour scheme is certainly eye-catching, so after a few rides I thought I'd give a quick review on its performance.

So what makes a cycling jersey a good cycling jersey?  In my opinion, you need a few things:

• light, breathable fabric
• good length zip for hot days
• comfortable fit
• decent rear pockets
• good looks!!

Let's start from the top.  The Rapido jersey fabric felt terrific.  I wore the jersey on a 2-hour solo river loop on a muggy Brisbane morning, plus a couple of 1hr+ cycle-commutes. The jersey didn't stick to my skin, but breathed very well. Sweat was wicked away, keeping me comfortable throughout the whole ride. Best way to describe it is that I didn't notice the jersey during the rides - so a big tick for that criterion.

The zip is a "half-length" zip - which for me is a good compromise.  I'm not a fan of full-length zips, as I feel like they make the jersey fit not-quite-right.  And the super-short zips don't suit the warm Queensland climate.  This half-length zip is a great compromise between the two lengths.

The half-length zip.

For sizing, I prefer my jerseys to be figure-hugging - but on the tiny bit loose side (definitely not skin-tight!). Nothing baggy or flapping in the wind either.  I have the "Large" size jersey, which fit just right for me at 175cm tall and about 87kg heavy.

Love handles?? What love handles...??

Good-size rear pockets are crucial for any cyclist doing longer rides.  I typically stuff in them a small wallet, my mobile phone, some ID, maybe some muesli bars or a banana, and an extra tube. There was plenty of room in the Rapido jersey pockets for all my gear, and getting them out while riding was a breeze.

Plenty of room in the three rear pockets.

The final criterion is good looks. This of course is a highly subjective and personal one.  Personally, I think the black, yellow and white colour scheme looks striking and terrific.  A bonus is the black torso section helps hide my paunch a little too!!  A definite thumbs up for me.

So why should you buy this jersey?

Obviously, I like this jersey.  But to be honest, there are lots of great jerseys out there that also 'tick the boxes' of the above criteria.  What makes the Cell Rapido jersey better than them?

The answer is this - $24.95.

I recently read one of the major Australian cycling magazines, which had a 'fashion spread' covering lots of the major clothing manufacturers.  I couldn't believe that the cheapest jersey featured was $99!!  A quick look in a couple of local bike shops near me showed their cheapest jerseys were $59 - and some of them were inferior to Cell's Rapido.

Some of the really high-end jerseys - like Assos for example  - are great. Very 'technical' materials that fit extraordinarily well. Are they better than Cell's offering? Well, yes they are. But you are paying $200+ per jersey for the privilege.  If you have the disposable income to afford this, then go for it.  It isn't value for money though - you are not getting a jersey that is 8-times better than the Rapido. In fact, you aren't getting a jersey that's twice as good...

And at the end of the day, that really is the bottom line for the Cell Rapido. You get a very good jersey, at a ridiculously cheap price. The only reason you wouldn't buy this is if you don't like the looks. Otherwise, its the best value jersey buy you'll get anywhere.

Happy cycling!!

What an awesome jersey!!

Welcoming Whitey - unboxing my new fixie.

Is there anything more exciting than getting home and finding a box like this waiting on your front doorstep??

Is it Christmas already??

Yes - it's a new bike!!  A brand new white fixie, courtesy of Cell Bikes.

Even better, it was free. A few weeks ago, Cell asked via their facebook page for people to do some testing of the new search facility on their website, with the promise of a possible prize for those that assist.  Being a sucker for a freebie, I dutifully searched for 10 random things on their site, and emailed in feedback.

A week later, Cell announced that 9 lucky testers would receive a discount voucher code, and 1 super-lucky tester would receive a free fixie. You can imagine my excitement when my name was announced as the winner!

Delivery was super-quick, typical of Cell's service levels. I let Cell know what size & colour frame I wanted just before lunchtime on a Wednesday. And the next morning, at about 10:30am, the bike was on my front door-step. That's from Sydney to Brisbane, in under 24hrs from ordering - impressive...

So on a lazy, sunny Sunday afternoon, I settled into the task of unboxing my brand new Cell fixie.  Here was what came in the box...

Wow - that's a lot of white...!!

The frame, rear wheel, cranks, chain, forks, stem, and brakes were already assembled. All the cabling was also in place.  The only things that needed to be attached were the handlebars to the stem, the front wheel, the seatpost, and the pedals.

Assembly was very easy. A basic guidebook is included in the box, but only someone with zero knowledge of bikes would need to refer to it. No-one should feel intimidated by having to do this themselves, as 90% of the work has been predone by Cell. Only simple tasks, requiring some undoing of bolts, fitting a tube or wheel, and replacing the bolts, are left to do.

A great sign of Cell's build quality was that all the threads on every bolt and screw had a generous smear of pink grease. It makes you feel very confident that care and attention has been paid to the pre-built sections of the bike.

No fancy tools are required either. I completed the entire build with the following equipment.

• Some allen keys
• a 15mm wrench (an adjustable wrench would be fine)
• a knife to cut open the box and remove some cable ties

These are all tools that any self-respecting shed or garage should have in them anyway...

So about 30 minutes after unpacking the box, Whitey was officially born!!

Welcome to the world, Whitey!!

A long-term test and review will be forthcoming in a few months time.  But of course, that doesn't mean I can't tell you about my first quick spin on Whitey.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this bike. I am very happy on Bluey (my Argon18 Radon, running a 10-speed groupset), so what more could I expect from a fixie?

As cliched as it sounds - riding Whitey was just plain fun! Spinning up and down the street - not training, commuting or racing - just riding. I was genuinely amazed at how enjoyable it was riding this bike...

As I said - a long-term test will come down the track.  But first impressions are very, very positive.

The details:

The Cell Fixie is currently only $350 - simply outstanding value for money. It comes in either white and black, and in 4 different frame sizes.  The frame and forks are steel, and it has an alloy seatpost.

The wheels have 32-hole aluminium rims, and they are stopped with Radius side-pull brakes controlled with "bmx"-style levers. The rear wheel has a flip-flop hub - fixed on one side, and a freewheel on the other.

If you've ever thought about dipping your toes into the world of fixies - well here is the easiest, cheapest, and best-value option for you to do just that.

Hey Dad - I think your new bike fits me just right...

Book Review: "The Death of Marco Pantani" by Matt Rendell

During my 8 month's off the bike (and thus no cycle-commuting), I have the joys of a 90min each-way bus commute every day. Not fun - but on the upside, I've done a lot more reading in this 8 months compared to usual... 

My latest read has been "The Death of Marco Pantani" by Matt Rendell. 

At its most basic level, its a biography of one of my favourite all-time cyclists. When I ordered it from the library, I was looking forward to reading about the enigmatic Pantani, his fantastic swashbuckling riding style, and what made him tick.  Instead, what I ended up reading was a tragedy - the chronicling of a man's sad descent into drug dependency and hopelessness...

Matt Rendell did a terrific, throrough job of what must have been a difficult book to research. He seems to have interviewed a huge number of the key people in Pantani's life - including his parents, agents, team-mates, doctors and medical staff. It is very comprehensive.

The comprehensive nature of the book is probably, for me, its only downfall in terms of 'readability'. Personally, I found it getting bogged down a number of times in very exacting detail - either of interviews, or exacting minute-by-minute recounts of different events. If Matt Rendell was aiming to make this a reference book, then perfect - he nailed it. But as a casual reader, I found these parts difficult to get through, and wished he'd shown a little more brevity.

That said, I am very glad I read this book. I am a huge fan of professional cycling, but must confess my knowledge of cycling history pre-the Armstrong Era is pretty weak. Rendell's book really illuminated me on cycling of that era, and gave me a sense of perspective and context of many of the historical names of that time.

This book was also, in an emtional context, tough reading. As a lover of pro cycling, some of what I read was straight-up depressing - my initial feeling was of how corrupt and dirty cycling was, and how could it ever emerge from such depths. And as a psychology graduate, I was stunned and appalled at how Pantani - who was clearly in severe mental and emotional distress over many years - could be allowed to reach such a terrible state. Did no-one see the warning signs? Were they that oblivious?

Looking at what I've written so far - it looks like I'm saying "don't read this book".  But in fact, I think the opposite - its a must-read. As a modern cycling fan, it gives you a huge understanding of how far cycling has come by understanding where its come from. More importantly, its given me a much greater sense of the pro cyclist as a 'person', and not just a pedalling machine that turns up ready-made in lycra at the start of each race.

Definitely buy it (or borrow it from the library, as I did). Don't expect a rollicking, easy read - but do expect a read that will leave you with a greater knowledge and perspective of both Pantani and cycling in general.