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 

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. 

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

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 ? 

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)

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.