Author Archives: Andy Kumar

Castelli lightness full finger gloves review

Posted in Cycling apparel by

There is no doubt about it. Castelli make some amazing cycling gear, and a pair of high quality gloves are a crucial component of kit for any roadie. Having already embraced Castelli as my signature cycling gear of choice, I decided to kit out fully (more reviews to follow) and get some Castelli gloves. Although I commute in Altura and DHB, I keep my Castelli gear (generally) reserved for weekend rides. My first choice of gloves were the Castelli Estremos, which are probably the warmest offering Castelli has, and one of the best regarded gloves on the market. However, winter has been very mild this year, and I don’t think I need my hands to be overly toasty!

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Personalising my road bike helmets

Posted in Cycling apparel by

After experiencing the transition periods between the run-bike-run phases during my first Duathlon in September, I have given some consideration to how best personalise my gear. Perhaps one of the easiest, and most important, pieces of cycling equipment to personalise is your helmet. I came across some personalised name decals on eBay, and managed to pick-up a pack of eight for Ā£6.99, which seemed pretty reasonable.

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CycleOps Jet Fluid Pro turbo trainer review

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Buying my first turbo trainer took a fair amount of effort and research. With so many options on the market, it was not an easy decision to make. After a fair amount of browsing and reading online reviews, I settled on the CycleOps Jet Fluid Pro. I was very tempted by, and almost took the plunge with the Wahoo KICKR, but being priced at Ā£836 (Wiggle) vs Ā£237 for the CycleOps Fluid Pro, I decided on the latter. I did need to invest in another rear wheel, cassette and speed sensor for the CycleOps set-up, but it still seemed to be the most cost-effective and practical option based on my present training needs. There are many benefits to owning an indoor trainer, and in this blog post I’ll be providing a mini-review of the CycleOps Jet Fluid Pro, as well as exploring some of my reasons for buying one and my set-up.

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My journey to clipless pedals (Shimano PDM-530)

Posted in Cycling by

Starting out on a road bike, like many other first time cyclists, I was hesitant and reluctant to immediately move over to the clipless side. I am sure that many fellow road cyclists will read the title of this blog post, yawn and move on. But for me, the transition and journey to clipless pedals has been interesting and exciting, as well as the subject of a fair amount of contemplation and research.

When I first got a road bike back in June, going clipless was not even a consideration. I had read about the benefits of better peddling efficiency, feeling more connected with your bike, etc. And all the other common arguments that roadies throw at you. Looking around on forums, the concept of rocking flat pedals was ridiculed with mockery and the sign of being a rookie. I strongly disagree with that, and genuinely feel that there is no licence or test to pass to clarify oneself as a proficient cyclist. But I digress. So how and why did I make the transition?

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Cycliq Fly6 review

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The Cycliq Fly6 is a very interesting bike light. I was first intrigued by this product as it not only features a powerful and unique rotating 30 lumen light, but also packs in a 720p camera. Not being keen to mounting a full sized camera to my helmet or bike, this really won me over and the Fly6 was soon on my wish list. Fortune would have it that this wish list was picked up by a family member who got me this great product for my birthday! Here are my thoughts.

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iPad Pro; to buy or not to buy?

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I have been contemplating the purchase of an iPad Pro, ever since itā€™s unveiling at Appleā€™s ā€œSpecial Eventā€ in September 2015. Featuring a gorgeous 12.9ā€ touch screen retina display, full-sized keyboard and an intuitive stylus, it wad the iPad all techies had been waiting for. To top it off a powerful A9X chip to handle ā€˜realā€™ productivity, a feature which has been lacking from iPads of the past. Yes, this all seems very familiar and Microsoft Surface has been on the scene for a few years now, but we all know that no company can provide the same intuitive and seamless experience that Apple can. So launch day has finally arrived (11th November) and I am sitting here writing this blog post on my retina MacBook, and not the iPad Pro. This has been one of the least hyped Apple launches I have seen for a new product category, and I am wondering why. Letā€™s take a brief analysis.

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My first hoverboard! Review of the Phumitech self balancing scooter

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Having seen these hoverboard-like devices increase in popularity, I have always been curious about the actual purpose they serve. Are they easy to ride? How are they controlled? Are they really safe? How fast can they go? A number of questions popped into my mind, and I passed by them without too much excitement. I was fortunate enough to be sent one to review and report my own thoughts on. I was curious for sure, but never did I expect to be so very impressed!

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The self balancing wheel ships in a very attractive box, and would make for an ideal gift. Included in the box is the scooter itself, a wall mains plug charger, warranty card and instructions.

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Garmin Varia radar review

Posted in Cycling gadgets by

The Garmin Varia rearview radar is (in Garminā€™s own words) the worldā€™s ā€œfirst cycling radar that warns of vehicles approaching from behind up to 140 metresā€. Welcome to the 21st century of cycling gadgets! During this blog post, I will be (briefly) providing an overview of the main features of the Varia radar, my own reasons for purchase and what the benefits of such a light system are.

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Garmin cadence sensor review

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The Garmin bike cadence sensor is designed to wirelessly measure pedal strokes per minute (cadence). I was intrigued by this measurement as a way to better keep a constant cycling cadence throughout my bike rides. I do like to analyse as much data as possible after my rides, as a way to track my performance, and any potential areas for improvement. Unfortunately, power sensors are still very costly, but with the cadence sensor available for under Ā£30, decided that it would be a great addition for some vital data analysis.
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