Cycling Kit: Upgrades, Different Brands & 'Culling' (Jan, 2026)

Buying cycling clothing & accessories can be quite strategic & challenging.

When I first started I had zero idea about fit, quality, colour coordination or even general coordination...

From the beginning I prioritised a quality bib short, but spent less / worried less about top fit, and socks and other accessories were just an add-on / whatever. Adding to the choice-making was also fluctuating weight, meaning I've often dabbled in a concoction of gear from across the past few years.

While you can be mismatched and an absolute beast on the bike, like a well-coordinated outfit, when you feel and look good, it tends to give you extra motivation - for me, that's important.

I've been wearing a lot of Le Col kit in the past year or so, and pretty much exclusively buy from them. The bibs and tops fit my build really well, particularly the aero kit (as i've slimmed).

Recently though i've been experimenting with different brands and fit shapes to switch it up. While I own some kit from MAAP (and I really like it), they're too expensive to own and have multiple outfits (like PNS). The aero summer jerseys I have are really cool, but at £180 a pop, the price to quality increase just isn't there. 

Other brands I've just tried/looked into to: 

• Castelli I've returned too often to go there again - the clothes are made for people at 50-60kg - not me!
• Rapha I find uninteresting in design and a couple of items i've bought in the past / been gifted haven't fitted me well / felt nice fabric wise
• Kalas I have in a club kit - superb quality, fit can be a bit different, non-custom kit seems to be quite boring
• The UC kit looks cool but i'm not convinced of the long-term quality - willing to be convinced!
  
• Assos I like, but everything feels very racy / aero in a way that isn't entirely comfortable? Feels like I should be in Z4 hammering all the time, not cruising in flat lanes 

With the death of the high-street (and some brands opting to not bother), it's quite challenging to find without the buy & return method, which (depending on the brand) can actually cost you money!!

Looking outside of the standard brands I'm often marketed, I've started spending into brands that specialise more and feel different, or that i've never seen.

I've mentioned MAAP - their aero summer shirts (short and long) are amazing in terms of fit and feel, and it's undeniable (like Standert for bikes) their designs are super cool and different.

Spatz is one that primarily make waterproof overshoe covers (for the grim UK weather!). They're a UK brand (in Leeds), so buying/supporting them is a plus, and the quality of their products stands out.

After buying a pair of black aero shoe/socks, I decided to try out their bib short range - reviews say they're super solid, they seem quite flexible, chammy is good and the leg grippers (on pure feel alone) are better than others I've used. They also have two different pockets (the cargo range) which i've never used before. They're overall quiet discreet so can be paired well with most other cycling bits I own.

At £80 on sale, considering the fit/feel/quality, they're feel like a bargain, so hoping they hold up. I also bought the white aero shoe covers for a change from black + to make £100 because....

They came (free) with a pair of sunglasses when spending £100! I decided on the gold one's as I have a clear / white pair of glasses already. First impressions - they're more sunburnt orange than gold, and they're HUGE (which I'm not sure I like). The case is really solid. Let's see how they wear - they do feel comfy.

Another brand I've been marketed which are really nice is Bonk (bonkcyclingclub.com/). OK, they're not really an on-bike cycling brand, but I own a couple of their off-road t-shirts (which have great designs / hold up really well), so I decided on a cool casquette (mostly for gravel) and a really fresh pair of white socks, which are good quality. I got a couple of fun bike bottles too. I believe they're designed by an individual in Belgium and aren't so much a company - happy to give my money away to someone going it solo...

Other than that, I did re-up a bit with Le Col, buying their newest LCCC jersey (the polka dot plays tricks on your mind...), a replacement set of shoe-covers (I lost one... god knows where!) as well as a black pair of their Pro Bib Shorts.

Interestingly these Bib Shorts (I own a pair in a light grey) come now with a cargo pocket on the back - not entirely sure what for, but I'll put my name and contact details maybe?? Similar to the Spatz one's they're really discreet logo wise (photo slightly enhanced) so they'll pair well with other black / dark items I have from other brands. The chamois on them is super stiff and requires a bit of bedding in, but they'll last and they're really solid. 

Feels like i'm fairly set for the Spring/Summer, and have 'Condo'd' much of what I won't wear - now to buy the wardrobe to organise it all!

Going into 2026. A reset year.

Been off the boil.

Typically i'm really hyped coming into the New Year with target events, mileage goals and trips planned. Smashing & grinding on Zwift, looking for the first sunbreak through the clouds and the temps increasing, giddy to get out and hammer some hills.

Don't even. 2025 was a disappointing year, bleeding into 2026.

In January (25) I had my first serious accident, rear-ended by a motorbike who hit some black ice and who wrote off a new wheel set. After a few weeks off (fortunately just deep bruising, I think..) and a few good rides after, things got really exciting as I received my dream bike - a brand new Cervelo S5. 

Unfortunately (despite a few really good weekends out), the excitement was relatively short-lived as I picked up a strange hamstring injury which has never gone away. Cancelled the Ventoux trip, cancelled anything big, took it easy, but still it persisted, with sore knees, achy hips and other reoccuring ailments meaning I was fairly off/on. Throw in the flu, long work weeks and quite a bit of stress / ennui. Not brilliant, and losing the will, tbh.

Needless to say, there were some great days out in 2025 and generally lovely local riding:

2026 is a reset year.

As I sit in bed with 2026's first/finest virus🦠 and not having been on a bike outdoors since November (!), I'm recognising that age (unfortunately) is catching up with me and my health is not as solid as it has been (or I secretly hoped). Alas.

Positive steps. Booked in with a recommended physio, dropped some bad habits, focusing on getting better sleep/rest, a daily yoga routine and a better work/life balance.

It's slow progress, but I'm hoping on the other side I'll have a better foundation, with better habits that lead to less bad days. Fingers crossed.

For now, I do have some events to be hopeful for...

• A few gravel sportives (first in Thetford, Cannock Chase and North Yorks Moors)
• Some Audax's - starting in March/April - my first time trying out this format, excited!
• Weekend away in Suffolk (tbc on route/discipline, likely road)
• Another long day out in the Cotswolds
• The creme de la creme - 5 days in Sept riding around Lake Como, Italy

I have a few other potentials (unbooked as it stands) with Chase The Sun (South), the Gralloch, so we shall see how the 'rehab' goes and go from there.

Outside of riding, 2026 is another big year of change - potentially the biggest yet for a long time. Who knows where i'll be living in 4-6 months time. Regardless, hoping to focus on getting better, then getting stronger.

 

2025 - Part 1: A Malady

It's been emotional.

After coughing and spluttering my way into 2025, I've been pretty excited to crack on with this year. Last year was something else, so I've been so excited to think more positively, excited to carve out the year and create markers to look forward to. I close my eyes, see the Sa Calobra climb, Les Cingles, those smooth roads in Nice/Monaco... you get it.

It really hasn't been smooth sailing so far. Firstly, the weather. Just ghastly, impossibly windy, or impossibly cold, meaning when I (or we, the whole UK cycling scene lol) can ride, it's 2-3hrs & 4L of water on a stiff trainer to get by. Most Brits are built for the cold, but this is anti-cycling weather in all its glory.

Secondly, my first serious accident on the bike. Shot out the door after the first glimpse of good weather and... bang. Rear-ended 50+ mph by a motorcyclist - my bike a total write-off. Nothing I could've done. Two weeks off the bike, stiff and bruised and confidence shot, feeling slightly lucky I wasn't in hospital or worse. And obviously no road bike - a bike I really did/do love and have ridden thousands of miles on. Twat.

Still, things are looking up. The weather is perking, temps rising, and exciting things (one that's already arrived!) are around the corner...

1. Firstly, NEW BIKE DAY. One of the great perks of a permanent job (+ passing probation, yay) is the ability to afford a new bike (inadvertently now a replacement). And it's a good one. Never thought i'd own a 'super-bike', but I bought a Cervelo S5 on sale - a-frame cockpit, deep section wheels, electronic shifting, the works, only a marginal one grade down from bikes that Vinegaard has won a Tour de France on. It's not going to make me win anything, albeit joyous days and weeks out... (pics below).
   
   
2. A few big days out, inbound. UK for now, but the start of April is the first club ride out in the Cotswolds, a gorgeous part of the country to cycle in. Mid-April is the gravel event, traversing around Salisbury Plains, with a glimpse of Stonehenge on the bike - never ridden in Wiltshire, so excited to crunch some rocks there. 
   
   
3. June/July... More gravel events, some local (Norfolk Broads), Chase The Sun (South) & potentially the Dunwich Dynamo (if i can find a way home..). But the most exciting is - Ventoux. Originally planned trip for August (which fell through), i've deposit'd some cash to ride Les Cingles to coincide with Stage 16 of the Tour de France. Fucking. In my veins.

Lastly, photo dump of some of the better, brighter days so far in 2025. Onwards. Allez.

Onwards: 2025

The last couple of months of 2024 were a blur; a cacophony of illness, job busy-ness and shocking weather (week in week out!). All resulted in me narrowly missing my 2024 miles target - sad. On the positive side, I put an extra 2000 miles on the road/slop and increased my UK heatmap on Strava, enjoying some brilliant days out on the bike both solo and with friends.

For 2025 i'm reviewing my plans - I've booked Salisbury Plains, Norfolk X and Sherwood Pines GG. Considering Chase The Sun in June, and, depending on timings/non-cycling holidays looking at a Tenerife/Majorca cycling IN THE SUN + the Ventoux trip (fingers crossed it happens) end of August.

Regardless of trips, I've set myself a target - to cycle EVERYDAY in 2025 - long, short, outdoors, indoors - peddle every day, record something from everyday. Let's go.

~ Insert Nov-Dec JPEG below ~

Hiatus - Life Updates ~ Sept-Oct

I've been quiet.

September was a busy month - a mix of long-days out on local lanes, trips away to see friends and celebrations (anniversaries, birthdays, etc). It was also a busy, busy period of job applications, interviews and pitches, which hasn't given me a lot of time to pause and reflect.

The good news - I have a new permanent job! The type of job i've been waiting for - a great career move and the financial stability to start getting excited about new trips, upgrades to the bike(s) and potentially other life changes. Obviously, that means a reduction ride time, and perhaps a shift in what I need (ie. 6 hours a week means I hardly need loads of bikes) so i'm reviewing my initial bike upgrades in favour of more specific adventures as well as more targeted weekenders.

Given it suits me more, my (fairly light) indicative schedule leans a lot towards gravel:

• Sherwood Pines Glorious Gravel long (Jan-March)
• Scarborough / North Yorks Moors (TBC - Date)
• Norway Gravel (recce) ?? (May)
• Slovenia Glorious Gravel (June 3rd-June 8th)
• Dunwich Dynamo > Suffolk (20th July tbc)
• Provence (Ventoux) - (31st - 5th September)

I'm also hoping I can apply for a Glorious Gravel season-pass to cut the costs of the rides and jump onto one's as/when my schedule is light/I can. Otherwise, I also want to try and get a couple of Audax's under my belt, body, mind and time permitted.

For now, it's back to (probable) damp weekend club rides, indoor sessions and hopefully some slippy, sloppy gravel winter fun!

Oakham to Southampton - Two-Day Bikepacking Trip!

Two or three times a year I take the painstaking trip down to Southampton via train to stay with my best friend Aaron.

I like travelling by train, particularly off-peak on a good weather day - music, book, podcast, a slow pace plod to somewhere. However, the train down to Southampton is not my favourite - dull, disjointed and uncomfortable. It's either my old work journey (Cross-Country, LNER to London) then a trip across to Waterloo and a busy commute train down to Southampton Central, or a trip across country to Coventry, then down via Oxford, where you end up on trains with little facilities, bad visibility and often irritating people.

A mad thought popped in my head. Should I go by bike instead? It's a pretty long-way, 150+ miles as the crows fly, so obviously a longer cycle route. I pulled together a few different routes on Komoot, one starting from Leicester, one starting from Oakham, mostly avoiding any cities (Northampton, Newbury) and taking in better scenery and (hopefully) quieter roads and lanes. It worked. My gravel bike is perfectly set up for touring (steel frame, 42mm commute-style tyres) so I opted for a mixed terrain route, taking in some passable byways, away from civilisation. I opted for that, starting from Oakham. Done.

Stamford > Oakham via train. Glorious weather day. I arrived in Oakham wanting coffee, but decided 20-miles was a sufficient reward stop for a caffeine injection and that Market Harborough was about right for it. The first 5-miles out of Oakham were a brutal reminder of the difference between a normal bike and a bike packed full of gear. I got into the easy gears and reminded myself this is a long-couple of days, easing up some pretty gnarly hills I hadn't ridden before.

Great Bowden was the first stop for coffee, just shy of Market Harborough, changing on a cafe called the Bowden Stores. Very posh.

After the initial hills in the first 16-18 miles, the route flattened out, and I moved onto the NCR6, a disused steam railway line that's now a 14-mile track connecting Market Harborough and Northampton.

I'd been particularly looking forward to cycling this and it didn't disappoint, like a far better maintained Cinder Track route I'd cycled earlier in the year up near Scarborough. The tunnels (darker because of the thick layer of steam oil from years of the trains running through) were so pitch-black even my double-lumen light struggled to give me great visibility, but added to the fun and adventure. Glorious.

14-miles, over in a flash. Quick pitstop in Northampton for coffee and a cracking toastie. Over half-way. From Northampton the journey slowed and got bitty. I think route-wise I ended up on more bridleways than perhaps I needed (some private, with a ticking off from a couple of farmers), but there was a lot of beautiful scenery, and the weather had perked up and it was pleasant and warm. 

Around 5pm I finally arrived at my overnight stop in Upper Heyford. I'd signed up to use Welcome To My Garden, where other cyclists (and friends of) offer pitches in their gardens to travellers for free. A lovely bloke called Roger offered me a pitch for the night, including free electricity, and a couple of cups of coffee.

Ideally, I would've preferred to put another 10-miles on the clock to have less to cycle on Day Two, but those are the breaks, and I settled into a rather nice and spacious garden, accompanied by a puppy dog called Sky and some (noisy) chickens. I found a local supermarket, and a small pub - after a couple of pints of Meantime and some grub, I hit the hay to get ready for a long-day two.

Day Two, 90ish miles to Southampton. I set off slightly later than I wanted to, a combination of waking up late and nattering away to Roger. Fortunately the wind had died down from the day before, but my legs were stiff and I knew this would be a slower day. My aim was to get past Newbury on the map by midday.

The route started with a flat 13-miles to Oxford - perfect place for a coffee stop. Again, the morning weather was glorious. After a swift cortado I cycled through Oxford and onto the Thames Path - as an ex-Londoner, I forget how much I miss the bustle of city-life and how much there is going on. I meandered through, taking it in, enjoying the morning rowers out and the boat-dwellers waking up.

Once out of Oxford, I made my way to Abingdon. I know a couple of people from this area of the world, so nice to see where they live/grew up. I cycled through Drayton > Steveton towards East Hendred, the start point of the North Wessex Downs National Landscape. I've never cycled through the NWDNL before (it spans all the way east to Letchworth on a map) but I was intrigued and it's always good to see another AONB in the UK. My passage through the NWDNL was about 30-miles, coming out at the other side to Andover.

It was hilly! Which was to be expected. As experiences go, it was OK - I won't be rushing back. What surprised me was the lack of anything there - if you cycle in other AONB you find villages with coffee shops, restaurants, ice cream parlours. Here there is nothing. A barren (untouched) pretty-ish wasteland. In some ways, it's probably a good thing, something that tourism hasn't touched. But it's inconvenient.

After 10/15-miles I ran out of water, with the biggest climb of the two-days yet to come. The nearest shop was out of the way, and not in the right direction. Very fortunately I found a very receptive kind man who let me in his kitchen to fill up my bottles - he couldn't believe I'd cycled from Lincolnshire!

I made my way through the NWDNL, getting tired, with the weather a bit miserable and my energy stores feeling low, despite the 30-odd miles or so left. I finally made it out of the NWDNL and arrived into Andover - wow. I got out quick. I crammed in all my gels, bars, did a bidon of water, and pressed on. Romsey was my marker - once I was in Romsey, I was on the home-stretch. Somewhere around here I lost my favourite jacket, which must've slipped out of a gap on the back of my bike - not pleased.!

One of the interesting things about the route, even when I was tired or getting a bit grumpy, was that it never failed to surprise me. Even in the last stretch, I hit an interesting trail that took me off the main road/traffic, which perked me up, or a really good cycling lane, which made things just that bit easier. Even when I got to Southampton I hit a mile trail through Southampton Common - completely empty and like a MTB track - fun! 

I finally made it to Southampton (great cycling infrastructure!), crawled over the Itchen Bridge to Woolston, my final destination, 93.2 miles later, and 168.8 miles over the two-days. Beer o'clock.

The key learnings:
Cut any residual weight down. Don't carry a laptop on my back ever again. Make sure there are shops for water and mark those on my map. Always carry a waterproof jacket even when its 20c+. Check your inflatable mat for leaks (yep) and don't do 90 miles in a day unless absolutely necessary. 

This Year is a Year of CHANGE

I keep hearing that phrase. It's kind of true. Things are changing, and ever-moving.

After settling into life as a cycle commuter in a 9/5 job local to me, my job situation went awry, with the (un/fortunate) result of me being back on the job market. The 'nicest commute in the area' is no more.

The change has, however, given me a renewed sense of self, and a desire to 'go-get' and put myself out there to find the next steps of my career, either as a salaryman or as a more free-roaming creative/entrepreneur. For all the faults that job had, it felt like people were more entreprenurial, scrapping at ideas and side-hustling - being among that 24/7 is quite good for you.

Since leaving, I've had some promising 'big career' job leads, but I've also started a course, am building my online portfolio, creating a local flyer for tutoring/services and networking to find 10 small jobs rather than 1 big job. I've also started thinking about my own business ideas too - and, always, my dream of working in something related to cycling. I've started filming (and learning!) to kickstart a YouTube channel, something i've wanted to do for a long-time, mostly held back by lack of confidence.

For now, it's back to enjoying the good weather, and how fortunate I am to have choices and nice bikes. Ciao.