Pick ’n’ Mix
Holidays are comin’! Holidays are comin’!
1 VELOPAC CX MULTI– TUBE SNOOD £10, velopac.cc
Beef-stew is a terrible password because it’s not stroganoff. And Velopac’s Multi-tube is a terrible oven glove because it’s so light. But that’s where its limitations end, because being a snood it can morph seamlessly (which it also is) from hat to scarf to balaclava to bandana. You can even tie one end and fill it with shopping such as a whole chicken, which is the exact same size as the human head. 2 PARK TOOL EWS-1 £12.99, freewheel.co.uk
Bike maintenance is a lot like being prime minister: it’s grubby and it’s crucial you have the right tool for the job. Enter the ESW-1, a threeway wrench with a puller tip and a pusher tip to remove or install Shimano Di2 cables, plus a slotted tip to replace the old ‘two penny fumble’ to remove the battery cover on your heart-rate strap.
3 HYDRA TECH PRO PIOGGIA WINTER OVERBOOT £44.99, hydratechpro.bike
Seams leak, zips split and it’s easier putting a jacket on a tantrumming four-year-old, but Hydra Tech Pro might just have cracked that Rubik’s Cube of bicycle kit, the overshoe.
Accepting you will never keep feet dry (just ask your cleat bolt holes), Hydra opts instead for warmth and durability, meaning the Pioggias are water-repellent, windproof and thermal, with stitched and taped seams, Kevlar heel and toe bumpers and reflective detailing. Also available in black. 4 WIZARD WORKS BAGS £43/£70, wizard.works
Locksmiths stay open during the pandemic because they are key workers. And Wizard Works is permitted its name because its nimble bike bags are magical to behold. Fantastically bright day or night thanks to their Dyno-rod orange and reflective panelling, the Teeny Houdini seatpack and Wiz
Viz bar bag are beautifully made and roomier than a wizard’s sleeve. 5 REVVIES ENERGY STRIPS £9.50 (4x5pk), revviesenergy.co.uk
While Revvies might sound like the sort of thing Zammo took at the local Grange Hill rave, they are in fact caffeine strips that dissolve near-instantly on the tongue, delivering 40mg of caffeine straight to the system for purported performance gains. Because you can’t drink espressos mid-ride. Unless you stop. Which can be quite nice. But winners don’t stop.