Using a KMC 'missing link' removeable chain connector on my chain

Recommend : A removeable chain connector on your chain
Why ? : It makes changing chains or shortening them much easier

Here I am using the KMC 'missing link' bicylcle chain connector. This is by far the easiest removeable chain link I have used, though I have heard they have altered the design of the new one slightly, possibly due to it potentially falling off too easily (not happened to me).

When buying a removeable link, make sure it is not one that can only be put on once.

I recommend this KMC 'missing link' and presume the newer one is just as good.

Long John's for commuter cycling : Aldi v Lidl

Long johns : Aldi good, Lidl bad

About : Men's base layer trousers for commuter cycling
Comparing : Aldi brand versus Lidl brand (both around £15)
Verdict : Aldi pair is great whilst Lidl pair is itchy and uncomfy

Note : I have only worn the Lidl pair twice and the Aldi pair about 5 times. But I will be using the Aldi merino long johns as my 'base layer trousers' on cold days.

The base layer trousers on review :

Aldi merino long johns

Aldi merino long johns

Aldi Crane Merino base layer long johns
Price around £15
100% merino wool
Weight (size x large) : 172g
SKU : 25335774 (?)
Verdict : Great

Lidl merino long johns

Lidl merino long johns

Lidl Crivit Natural Merino Performance Trousers
Price around £15
42% merino wool / 58% polyester
Weight (size 38/40 GB) : 126g
SKU : 8051564772201
Verdict : Itchy and uncomfy.

Aldi long johns

Aldi Crane Merino base layer long johns :
These were comfy and well-fitting. Seem to wick away moisture decent enough for commuter cycling.

Lidl long johns

Lidl Crivit Natural Merino Performance Trousers :
These were really uncomfy. Really prickly causing itchiness, and you always knew you were wearing them. Not sure why they are not 100% merino. Perhaps to make them lighter and more 'performance shaped' (?) I wore them on a day that turned out quite hot and they were quite sweaty to wear, but I cannot tell if they should perform any differently on a hot day. The Aldi long johns say they 'cool' you in hot weather.

My verdict :
For commuter cycling anyhow, I suggest the Aldi pure merino long johns easily. Both were the same price (£15) in September 2014. 

My review : Polaris Windgrip Gloves (Vortex Wind Protection)

Current opinion (after a year of use)
These gloves seem to serve a very limited purpose for me, so I can't recommend them. They seem to let cold through at not too cold conditions, but are too hot for mildy warm conditions.   

Bikewagon : Good youtube site about bikes

Bikewagon youtube site

Bikewagon looks a good youtube bicycle site for learning about bikes from basic to pro. For novices, the 101 series of videos seem excellent for learning about basic sizes etc.

UK : Boardman Hybrid bike in Cash Converters

I saw a cboardman hybrid bike in a Cash Converters shop. I guess this will rarely happen. The newest version is £499 in Halfords, so assuming it's in decent condition it seems a bargain at £199. Disc brakes.

Halfords UK : Boardman Hybrid Bike 2014

UK : Cycle multi-tool in Wilkinson Stores

Cycle Multi-tool I would suggest for commuter cycling it's a good idea to have a multi-cycle tool that is lightweight and will fit most bolts and screws on a commuter bike. There are multi-tools that include a lot more but I prefer a multi-tool that is as lightweight and small as possible.The allen keys seem to fit all the bolts on my bike. In the UK I went for this : Wilko Multi-cycle tool Price : £3.29 Shop : Wilkinson Stores

BTWIN Fit 500 Road Bike : An ideal commuter bike ?

About : BTWIN Fit 500 Road Bike
Other names : BTWIN Velo Route Fit 5
Available in : Decathlon only
UK Price : £379.99
This is about the UK version

In the video I believe this bike to be the black bike

BTWIN Fit 500 Road Bike

If I was designing an ideal commuter bike, this would be the sort of bike I would come up with. For me everything is pretty much ideal and I could then add/change a few parts easily. For me an ideal commuter bike is basically a road bike with a flat handlebar and adjustable handlebar stem and lots of comfort (e.g. a big fat saddle), practicality (e.g. a rear mudguard)  and safety features (e.g. lighting etc).

BTWIN bikes seem to be a Decathlon brand, and I have only seen them in a Decathlon store. There is a cheaper 'entry level' bike (the 300 ?) but it looks a bit too wimpy to me. Decathlon seem to market road bikes with flat bars as 'fitness road bikes'. I don't use a pannier etc, so for me a 'fitness road bike' is an ideal base for a commuter bike. I am a bit confused as to the name of this bike as the name in the shop (BTWIN Fit 500) seems to differ from what I believe is the bike on the website (BTWIN Velo Route 5)

UK : Ridge All Terrain Pro bike helmets in Halfords

UK

I saw this helmet in Halfords.
Brand : Ridge
Helmet : All Terrain Pro RF6
Price : £24.99

I haven't seen this helmet anywhere else. Don't know if it's exclusive to Halfords. It looks a pretty decent helmet, and one of the least silliest looking I have seen. It also has a good fit with the padding strips being thin so you don't look so much like Atom Ant. It has a backlight too. And a dial adjuster. Overall it looks decent to my naive eye for the price.

Link for Halfords page

UK : Wilko worth a visit for commuter bike accessories

Some bike accessories in Wilko

click for fullsize image

About : UK, bike accessories in Wilkinson Stores, especially the inexpensive high-power lights.

Wilko Stores seems like the new Woolworths. They have a bike accessories section and to me they are getting their appeal to the commuter biking marketing pretty accurate.

Personally I think high power lighting is a must for commuter cyclists, and Wilko have inexpensive front and rear light on sale, and you can press their buttons in the shop.

I took this photo in store to give you an idea. You may not buy anything there but at least you know it's worth a glance.

Look out for : Their single high-power lighting. Front is about £10 and rear about £8 ? 

Possible purchase : XLC Everyday Trekking Saddle SA-E03

I am constantly looking for an even comfier bike saddle for my commuter bike which is not too weighty and preferably on the less expensive side.

I spotted this in Go Outdoors (UK) for £18.49 (including the member discount).
XLC Everyday Trekking Saddle SA-E03
Note : There are men's and ladies versions
Also 2 colours : Black and Brown

At the moment I am using a Selle Bassano Virtual saddle which I find pretty decent for comfort and weight for the price, but the XLC Everyday looks a bit wider which I think I need, but still pretty 'sporty'. Maybe I'm wrong. Keep in mind there are 2 versions of the saddle, one each for men and women. 

I will investigate this further.

---

links
XLC website :XLC Everyday Trekking Saddle SA-E03 mens
Go Outdoors website : XLC Everyday Saddle mens

Amazon UK : XLC 'Everyday' SA-E03 Saddle (mens, black)
Amazon USA search : XLC saddle

UK : Hi Viz vest out of Poundworld

For UK readers
Hi Viz vest from Poundworld (cost £1)
Includes 2 reflective stripes that go all around

Comes in 3 sizes I think (small, medium, large)

I got this hi viz vest out of Poundworld. In some shops these used to be ridiculously expensive (some still are) but I guess the likes of the pound/dollar shops smashed their monopoly. It's only £1 but it seems decent quality. To have the 2 reflective strips all around is great. Its 100% polyester and can be washed at 40 degrees a maximum of 25 times. This one is a 'large' size. Plenty of room. Great for commuter cycling. In the UK if you are going to buy a hi-viz then this one should certainly be considered. I don't like 'full jackets' or suchlike. It is also 'meshlike' (albeit, quite close meshing) which should help with sweating.

Amazon USA search (all depts) :  'Hi viz vest'
Amazon UK search (all depts) :  'Hi viz vest'

update : Nov 2015

Apparently UK trading standards forced it's withdrawal in 2014 as their tests suggested the grey trim has almost no reflective property.

Daily Mail article Nov 2015

I did a quick photo test using a torch comparing it to Boardman overshoes and a Decathlon arm strap. my 'test' was inconclusive (to me)

Rerflective backpacks

reflective gray backpack

hi-viz backpack

I spotted these backpacks in Sports direct (UK)

I especially like the gray one as it's cooler looking and presumably glows under lamp light. It's £25 though. I'm presuming there are other alternatives.  The bags were being marketed for 'runners' but would be great for bike commuting I guess. It looks like they have waterproof zips but there is nothing saying the bags are waterproof.

Yellow 15l bag bag. Much Lighter. Presumably only 'hi-viz' and doesn't 'glow' (not sure). Was £12.

Gray 15l bag. Seems sturdier than the yellow bag. Presumably scothlite or something similar. Was £25. 

Reflective ankle straps (accessories of interest to me)

A pair of decent reflective ankle straps are always welcome to a commuter cyclist. With a quick skim search of google, they do seem a bit expensive. The best known 'brand' I have heard of are Respro.

I would say it's best to have the velcro type for ease of use, but maybe there's reasons to get another type.

My ideal commuter cuffs ankle cuffs would have :
velcro
silver colored all round
quite wide, for bad weather wnyhow

Here are 3 that caught my eye with my skim search of Amazon, but I am not endorsing them

UK

USA

USA

UK : Polaris Windgrip Gloves (vortex protection)

This product may only be available in the UK
Review 
Polaris Windgrip cycle gloves (with vortex wind protection)
Cost : Around £20
Reason bought : As lightweight windproof gloves for cycling.

Verdict : They are ok as a lightweight windproof spring/autumn cycling glove with lots of freedom of movement but their use is limited to me due to weather and temperature concerns. 

Main points :
Lightweight, windproof, showerproof, with lots of silicon gripping on palm, made of 100% polyester

What they are not :
For very rainy condition ? Not breathable ? Very little thermal insulation.

These gloves seem to be only available in the UK (or perhaps the EU). Polaris seem to be based in Derby UK. There is not much about these gloves on the Polaris website or on the internet in general.

UK : Wilko Wireless Cycle Computer £7.50

For UK readers
I spotted this in Wilkinson Stores recently

Wilko Wireless Cycle Computer for £7.50, reduced from £15

Previously I bought what appears to be the common 'cheap' wireless cycle computer off Ebay (called something like brand name 'Sunding' wireless cycle computer) for about £8 via Hong Kong which I found to be useless junk (I will write about this later).

I have since bought a 'Bell' Wireless Cycle Computer for £15 which I found to be good. After my 'Sunding' experience I guessed it was unlikely I would get a decent wireless cycle computer for under £15 (I would consider Cateye since I expect them to be quality), but my guess is that this will be of a decent standard (not confirmed).

Hopefully this is a new standard price for wireless cycle computers rather than a brief sale. I would guess that wireless cycle computers will make the wired type obsolete over time.    

Review : Selle Bassano Virtual bicycle saddle

Review : Selle Bassano VIRTUAL bicycle saddle
Price : £14.99 in Decathlon (UK)
Verdict : Excellent comfort for the price (after 2 months of use). Recommended

My expertise : novice commuter cyclist
Priorities : Comfort and lightweight at a cheap price

About Selle Bassano VIRTUAL bicycle saddle :
Weighs : 305g
For all types of bikes ? (but mainly commuting cycling ?)