There’s a moment when you catch a glimpse of yourself and wonder who you are, the enormity of all you’ve done, when the sum of good and bad don’t cancel each other out. Roads taken, and those you’ve missed. Promises made and broken. The loves, the dreams… close your eyes and see the road coming [...]

You’ve got to love Dave Zabriskie’s sense of humor. From the product name to the application instructions on the attractive packaging there’s plenty to smile about. On the other hand saddle sores and perineal irritation are no laughing matter. By the time the problem has you squirming on your seat it’s too late and you [...]

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Those of you who read Velodramatic regularly know I have a dark addiction to high-end cycling kit. I go one or two weeks without feeding the habit and my pedal stroke breaks down (more ankling [...]

Strip away all the fancy layers we wrap ourselves in to get on our bikes, and what are you left with but the basics. Enter Rapha’s supremely comfortable 2008 Bibs and silky-soft merino Base Layer. OK, nobody said the basics couldn’t be fancy.

In 2007 I bought my first pair of Rapha bibs and loved the [...]

Australia’s Knog is probably best known for their tiny Frog LED lights; clever loops of silicon that wrap themselves around handlebars, seatstays, chainstays and in my case, the light loops of my Rapha Fixed Backpack.

Of course, Knog has a lot more to offer: powerful lights, urban bags, laptop bags and the subject of this [...]

For a moment, wearing Rapha’s Touring Shorts, I’m an Edinburgh schoolboy again. The Moray House uniform: shorts; shirt and tie; jacket and cap. That was the last time I wore shorts as beautifully tailored as these, though in a smaller size and much heavier fabric.

The touring shorts are cool, light and wonderfully constructed in the [...]

I swear I’ve not abandoned my beloved Specialized Trail 120s but I was immediately attracted by Jenson USA’s deal on the Lake MX400 shoes. The MX400 is a premium, full-carbon, customizable model that weighs in at a trim 350g. Originally priced somewhere north of $400 they were reduced to a more palatable $149. They’re [...]

Last night I took the plunge and purchased a year’s subscription to Cycling TV so I could get up at the crack of dawn to watch Paris Roubaix. After a few technical hiccups logging into the service (probably due to the volume of traffic) I settled in with Anthony McCrossan and Brian Smith for the [...]

Cup of Gold Snack Bars
I have to thank Mykle Khong, Tech Manager and Maître de at my LBS, San Jose Trek, for introducing me to cycling’s best kept snack secret, the Cup of Gold. It seemed fitting to photograph this “snack bar” as a true dessert; the combination of chocolate, low-fat peanut butter and oats [...]

If like me, you happen to be a regular reader of thewashingmachinepost you know that Scotland is the perfect proving ground for foul weather gear and winter kit. Declaring a jacket wind or waterproof in the Hebrides carries a little more weight than saying it’s warm and comfy on winter mornings in San Jose California. [...]

Yesterday I received a copy of the premiere issue of Embrocation magazine. I met its editor, Jeremy Dunn, on the Rapha Occidental Continental last month. On that day Jeremy demonstrated the strength of his legs by hanging with the unstoppable Ira Ryan until the last punishing climb, the magazine showed he’s got some real design [...]

4,000 Road Miles and Counting on my Favorite Specialized Cycling Shoes
I’ll admit I liked the look of the Specialized Trail 120 shoes the minute I first saw them. True to their brand name, they’ve really turned out to be something special.

The rare 3/4 height offers great ankle support throughout the entire pedal stroke and [...]