2. Mountain bike SPDs on a road bike
There are two widely-used systems for clipping into pedals: road bike cleats, which use a large, three bolt plate to join you to your bike; and off road SPDs, which use a smaller, two bolt plate.
Using off road pedals and shoes on road bikes is perfectly viable, and it offers you a couple of small advantages. The cleats are embedded into the sole of the shoe, so you can get off and walk normally. And the pedals are double sided, so you can clip in on either side. Easy.
It's not a particularly cool look, and Brad Wiggins would shake his head in disgust - but doesn’t have to get off his bike every couple of hours or so and walk into a café looking like a drag queen in high heels.
3. Marzipan
A slab of this almond sweetness will keep you fuelled for a whole ride - and, unlike a bar or gel, it can’t be eaten all in one go (unless you’ve got the guts of Hades).
Marzipan has a relatively low GI, so break off small pieces regularly and you’ll be good for the session. Plus it’s cheaper than a load of sports bars.
4. Zipp 1080s
When is a disc wheel not a disc wheel? When it’s a Zipp 1080. Admittedly Zipp don’t make them anymore, but eBay is a wonderful thing: look around for long enough and you can be guaranteed that one (or preferably two) will turn up.
The sections on the wheels are so deep they look like a disc, feel like a disc, but handle like a deep section. Clearly Zipp feel their 808s do the job, which is why they ceased production of the 1080, but what do they know about cycling that I don’t?
Oh hang on…
Zipp 1080
5. Brooks Team Pro titanium saddle
One of the hazards of cycling is pain in the ‘road to nowhere’ area, which results in people constantly swapping saddles in search of posterior nirvana. After years of thinking the grass is always greener by buying and trying different saddles, I opted for buying one and sticking with it. My weapon of choice is a Brooks Team Pro Titanium, and I now value it so highly that my wife says I’d rather watch a movie sitting on it than the sofa.
She’s not too far from the truth - though I’d choose the bike and the rollers as well as the saddle!
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