Road Bike Components Archives

Bike Gears: How Do They Work?

Want to understand how bike gears work? Confused about the terminology? This post has all the information you need, explained in simple terms (by a simple man).

Trek Domane with Campagnolo Zonda C17 wheelset

Campagnolo Zonda C17 Wheelset Review: My Quest For A New Pair Of Road Bike Wheels

I have a habit of using things until well after they’ve stopped working properly.

Partly this is my profound Yorkshireness (deep pockets/short arms), partly inertia. Unless something gets really annoying, I’m unlikely to do anything about it.

Early in 2018 (yes, this is a long term review!) my rear wheel got so annoying I finally decided to do something about it.

I needed to buy myself some new road bike wheels.

Cue the intro music.

Best Road Bike Pedals 2020: The Sportive Cyclist’s Somewhat Ultimate Guide

Fitting the right set of pedals to my road bike has improved my enjoyment of cycling immeasurably. As they say, er, pedals maketh the ~~man~~ bike.

For too long it seems I used the wrong pedals. In the end I developed chronic pain in my knee, I couldn’t ride for more than an hour, and the muscles in my right thigh shrank (fact!).

When I got the right pedals (and the left ones), the pain went almost overnight.

In this post, I’m going to attempt to provide a guide to pedals in general and then sort out the best road bike pedals in 2020.

So ~~strap~~ clip in and lets go for a ride (with words…)

Shimano 105 vs Ultegra: Is It Worth It To Upgrade?

There comes a time in every road cyclist’s life when it becomes clear* that the quickest way to progress to professional standards of performance is to splash more cash on a random bike component.

(*Not all that clear)

That time occurs before you buy your bike, roughly a week after you’ve bought your bike, then on a weekly basis until you cycle off this mortal coil.

So now is the time to consider whether upgrading from Shimano 105, a perfectly functional bike groupset, to Shimano Ultegra, a perfectly functional bike groupset, will take you from dog-dog to Froome-dog.

Speedplay Zero Stainless Clipless Pedals: A Long-Term Review

Welcome to my review of the Speedplay Zero Stainless pedals.

I bought my first ~~real six string~~ pair in 2013. I got another set a few years later (let’s say 2018 – I just checked). Both are still in use, on my ‘trusty winter bike’ and ‘best road bike’, respectively.

I recommend them to anyone that will listen (and a few that won’t).

So, with me having summarised my conclusions in advance, let’s get into the review.

Hit it!

*Mont starts dancing*

LifeLine Essential Clip-On Rear Mudguard (or Fender) Review

I’ve had a revelation. And it involves my arse. By way of explanation, here is my review of the LifeLine Essential Clip-On Rear mudguard (Fender).

As a result of being a bit more committed to riding when the weather is filthy (partly in order to find opportunities to test high performance outer wear), I’ve tended to return from rides with mud and ‘road juice’ sprayed up my back and my backside.

I think US readers may refer to this as the ‘buttside’, but I am not sure.

The gunk hasn’t only covered my person. It’s covered my bike.

Whilst I’ve been good (“good girl Daddy” as our youngest proclaims) at rinsing down the bike after each ride, it isn’t ideal having megatons of megacrud splatter-gunned all over the rear, whether it’s mine, or that of the bike.

Shimano Dura-Ace vs Ultegra: Clash Of The Groupset Titans

In this post I compare the key differences and, more importantly, the similarities between Shimano’s Dura-Ace and Ultegra groupsets.

Judging by the popularity of my other posts comparing different rungs on the Shimano road gears product ladder, I thought it high time that I looked at the tippity top of the company’s groupset range (Dura-Ace) and how it compares to the next rung down (Ultegra).

So, behold, here are my considered musings (alright, ill-considered musings).

Best Saddle Bag For Road Cyclists 2017 – Buyers Guide

I’ve bust my saddle bag. Which is a bit of an (under) arse (storage issue).

So, since I’m researching my buying options for its replacement, I thought I’d write a post to share my findings.

To be clear, I’ve not seen any of the following bags in the ~~synthetic material~~ flesh (or if I have, they’ve been in the background to other bike shop adventures). I’m not able to provide you with a hands on review.

Instead, this is something of a meta-analysis (a systematic review; a hedge fund of funds). In other words, I’m going to surf the internet, looking at saddle bags, choose and buy one and then report back.