Components

Historically, I’ve always ridden on high-tech, gel-filled, cut-out, super light saddles. Saddles that promise much, but often deliver little but discomfort. There are websites offering ‘saddle trials’ for those who, like me, suffer frustration in the process of finding a comfortable women’s saddle. I’ve most often taken the trial and error approach, to the point where I currently have about four or five redundant saddles in my shed.

Vittoria Randonneur Trail are the closest I’ve come to genuinely competent dual-use tyres, capable of slicing through the singletrack and frolicking in the forests without being overly ponderous over asphalt. Perfect for off the beaten track expedition touring, the 700c siblings (35 and 38mm) lend themselves to cross bikes doubling as winter trainers/playthings. However, 1800g (pr) is quite considerable-especially in terms of rotating weight so urban terrorists and bikes on calorie-controlled diets should look elsewhere.

A comfortable saddle has got to be any cyclist’s Holy Grail. Buying a new saddle is almost always like Russian Roulette and the aftermath can be nearly as unpleasant. Over the years, my posterior has been weighed, measured and found lacking, all in the name of getting a saddle that fits and will keep me comfortable when riding. So, it was with some trepidation that I tried the Brooks Flyer S, the women’s version of the company’s suspension saddle Flyer model.

Benny Hill esque moniker aside, Bill’s Bike Babes race sticks are faithful Cinelli Spinacci copies. Apart from some minor shortcomings (the finish on our test pair could’ve been better) ample adjustability and modest weight means they’re bang on for long runs on the winter bike and budget TT builds using standard diameter drops or pursuit style bars.

To be mated with the excellent ENO hub, White Industries manufacture a splined fixed gear cogs made out of 8620 case hardened steel, 78 grams of it for a 18T cog to be exact. The cogs are precision cut to mate to the fixed gear hub, rather than the traditional screw on method.

The White Inudstries ENO hub is a very clever bit of kit. If you are looking to convert/simplify/butcher an old geared bike into a single speed or fixed gear for duties as a winter hack, commute/pub/hipster bike, or for whatever reason, the chances are that the frame will have vertical rear drop outs.

Tektro's 720 are the best cantilevers I've used with drop levers and would be choice upgrades for the lower profile original equipment (OEM) type often fitted to mid range production cross/multi sport and Audax bikes. That said their broad profile and sharp styling doesn't look out of place on older mountain and touring mounts either. Frankly, there's no reason to pay more unless addicted to exotica or desperate to shave every last gram.

Interesting thing number 1: these groupset components aren’t made by Shimano, SRAM or Campag.

Interesting thing number 2: they’re very light.

Interesting thing number 3: they’re highly affordable.

Microshift are a Taiwanese company who’ve been around for a few years now and Upgrade Bikes have just begun UK distribution for their products, which cover both road and mountain biking.

With an asking price around the £200 mark, Miche’s Xpress are a very worthy wheelset for mid to upper end road fixer builds. They might lack the outright rigidity of a deep section aero rim but machined sidewalls and super smooth CNC machined hubs complete with sealed cartridge bearings mean they’ll laugh at the grottier months- they’re good enough to double as track hoops too.