I’d better open up by saying that I wasn’t on a drug crazed trip in our capital city. No, I’d simply gone down to London to spend time with our son, a photographic artist who lives in the south of the city. Yes, a man after my own heart, whose apartment is filled with bikes and bike parts, all fixed gear machines, including a folding one! He has other bikes… numerous at the family home, but London is for riding real – and that means fixed gear.
A bike saddle is the most personal part of your bike, and it can make all the difference in the world. That’s why getting the right saddle for road cyclists and triathletes is so important. While a good saddle is barely noticeable, the uncomfortable one will make you beyond miserable. Unless you want to make your best friend’s thigh chaff and lower parts numb, you need to find the right saddle. But what exactly does that mean?
Well, to put it simply, women-specific saddles usually have a cut-out to relieve soft tissue pressure. The use of a wider saddle helps to accommodate a woman’s wider-spaced sit bones. Sit bones are the bones that make up the area in your buttocks that are the most likely to feel pressured during a ride.
Whether you’re viewing the rolling greens of the countryside, conquering the mountains or planning a cycle across the bustling streets, the bottom line is – your bottom is in the line. No matter what the scenery might offer, without the right saddle and perfect padding for your tush it isn’t fun and you won’t be able to push as much power as possible. There’s no reason to tolerate aching muscles and pressure points when you can find a seat that goes the extra mile.
Know your body
Sitting at an altitude of 1968m the Cormet de Roselend connects Beaufort(744m) in the Beaufortain valley in the west and Bourg-Saint-Maurice(840m) in the Tarentaise Valley to the east. The climb has a rich TDF history. It was first featured in the 1979 Tour de France and ten times since. In 2019 the climb was cut from the tour as a mudslide rendered the climb impassable. It returns in 2020 for stage 18 and just happens to follow our preferred route over the Cormet!
I used to be a bit of a philistine when it came to coffee, coffee was just coffee and instant tasted okay. That was until I started drinking freshly ground and freshly made coffee. What a revelation and how bad instant now tastes. Far from being any kind of connoisseur, but I can now appreciate the subtle undertones of flavours in different coffees, although this has created a bit of hole for myself, demanding good coffee wherever I travel, even bikepacking.
Vitamin D is vital for growth and maintenance of the bone and in regulation of electrolyte metabolism, protein synthesis, gene expression, and immune function – lots of important things for athletes. These vital functions are essential for all individuals, and they’re especially so for the elite and recreational athlete.
Riding a bike seems a simple process. However, it’s not until we start to look at the technical aspects, that we can really begin to reap the full benefits. Steve took a reluctant trip for bike fit and came back a changed rider… with lots of bikes to change too 😉
Larisa has lots of cycling to do this summer, and she gives an independent review of this stylish performance ladies cycling kit from DS Pro. If you want to look feminine and have the best technicity, look no further.
The Bowland Badass, whilst starting in the quiet village of Garstang, is an epic 167 mile road cycling route in Lancashire and Yorkshire, with a series of epic and tough climbs. It was run as a sportive, and we’ve included the route here, so that you can ride it yourself at any time, either in a one day adventure, or as a cycle tour over a weekend.
Designed For Cycling design and produce high technicity and high performance ladies cycling clothing. They also design the most chic and stylish cycling kit for ladies, and their Girls Rule range is typical of this high end ladies cycling kit brand
Ben Thorpe Photography