Decathlon B-Twin brand : 1st place I look for bike components

Decathlon (UK) is a shop I now look at first for bike components. The usual choices for brake and drivetrain components etc are Shimano and Sram and seem to have a decades long duopoly.

Recently I noticed Decathlon have bike components using their B-Twin branding. I trust this shop and they have a casual returns policy, and they also tend to offer quality products as their own brand at much cheaper prices than alternatives.

So currently they are my first point of reference when looking for anything to do with cycling including clothes

There are only a few stores in the UK. They have the same type of store presence as IKEA.

Decathlon UK Cycling dept

Items I have bought

7/8 speed 11-34 tooth rear derailleur : £7.99
to replace Shimano

V-brake pads 

Commuter Waterproof Overshoes : my list

My search for an ideal commuter bike waterproof overshoe is ongoing
Here I will keep a list of my consumer journey

Table : list of waterproof overshoes I have tried or interested in
Purpose : To help me buy or recommend a set of overshoes for my size 11 trainers/shoes in wet weather 

Waterproof Overshoes List

Velotoze	Bought sept 2015 Like the concept (Sleek, light, easy to carry ) but ripped when removing  after 3 goes Too easy to rip ? Struggled to put on (without talc) Maybe not for ordinary footwear and maybe my size 11 trainers were too big for the size (large)   verdict : not for consumer cycling ?
Boardman overshoes (Halfords) £14.99	Bought Nov 2015 update zip is poor quality. broke. protection wasn't so good in the bin

List of cycling wind noise blockers

Cycling ear protectors (from wind noise etc)

I am compiling a list of 'ear protectors' that are designed to protect the ears from wind noise when cycling. This is an ongoing project

List of wind blockers tried : my opinion

Airstreamz (formerly Cat Ears) Tried. Didn't notice any difference. Fit to your helmet so can't be worn without. Too expensive

Windfree : Tried. Felt these worked at low speeds but not above that. Say under 15km (speed + windspeed) Once you get to around 15km speed (or wind is that high) the protection dips, though I guess it still helps a bit. You wear on ears so no helmet needed. Can be sweaty when hot, or wet when raining. Doesnt't block non-wind noise. I would design it to dampen all noise a bit (say at the front). Very awkward to buy (2014 ... from Swedish website. Amazon would be nice). Too expensive.

Finger test : if you put a finger in front of your ear when air is passing you at speed you can see how good ear protection could be. The 2 I have tried came nowhere near this.

Verdict : Still would choose to design my own but for now I use windfree

List of known wind-blockers (2015)

AirStreamz 

cat-ears pro 2014

Former name : Cat ears

Price : around $12 - $22
Buy at : Their website. Based in Denver Colorado
http://www.cat-ears.com/

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Slipstreamz

Price : Around $22 ?
Buy at : their website. South African company ?
http://www.slipstreamz.com/

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Wind-blox

Price : £15/$15 ? 
http://wind-blox.com/

Blog Discounts (courtesy of Windblox) :
10% discount on Wind-blox website : use code gocommuterbike (see this comment)
15% off Wind-blox pro on their site : use code gocommuterbikePRO (see this comment)

Available on Amazon

Amazon USA : Wind-blox 

Amazon UK : Wind-blox

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Windfree

Price : 31 Euros ?
Based : Sweden
http://www.windfree.se/en/home

update jul21 :

Been using this for years. Works like a mic muff. Diffuses low wind noise.

It works for me, until around 14kph  (then I guess still dampens real noise).

A bit warm in hot weather but def worthwhile for me <14kph (maybe <15mph. I can't recall). 

 

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Windrush headband

A thick headband with ear protection
price : £25 plus shipping ?
Windrush website (Sweden) : link

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.   

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 : 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.