Rapha Chris King Espresso Tamper

As far uber-desirebale super unnecessary accessories go, there are few that match the unexplainable pulling power of the Rapha Chris King Espresso Tamper.

Superbly finished, this professional grade espresso tamper is a 446 gram hunk of finely machined stainless steel and aluminium, the top is finished in the iconic style of a Chris King headset.

Bike Box Alan Review

For some time I've considered my options and the pros and cons of both soft and hard cases. Soft ones provide less external protection and potentially make the rear derailleur and hanger vulnerable. On the flip side, they are cheaper, lighter and some even have excellent compartments for wheels.

 “A hard case that not only is user friendly, but also turns heads at the airport and makes you feel like a travelling pro.”

After crawling the web for a while, I came across Bike Box Alan (www.bikeboxalan.co.uk) from the UK. The boxes look stylish, put an emphasis on toughness and are sold over the Internet at a reasonable price. There are many colours to choose from and the website has examples of pro themes such as HTC Highroad, Sky Procycling and Radio Shack-Nissan-Trek. The sky is the limit when it comes to customising the Bike Box Alan!

Bar Fly Garmin Mount

Last week I caught up with a good friend of mine who was in town, while here he presented me with a little gift... a Tate Labs Bar Fly Garmin mount.

Reasonably new to Australia via Baum Cycles, the Bar Fly is designed for the Garmin Edge 200/500/800 and creates a cleaner aesthetic by allowing you to move the unit from the stem to front of the handlebars.

Miniature Cyclists

Out and about roaming the back streets of Paris last year I stumbled across the most fantastic little model shop that specialised in metal figurines. The shop was almost hidden down a laneway and had it not been for the eagle eyes of Mrs Liberte I would have missed it all together.

Sartorial Elegance - Rapha Trousers

Having a total love affair with a pair of Rapha Trousers picked up in the recent sales.

Could be the best $72 ever spent on a pair of pants.

~VL

Specialized Rib Cage Carbon

A new bike deserves new cages and you know what they say... you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink from old bottle cages!

~VL

Rapha Chamois Cream

A bit of a touchy subject (look away now girls); but in the last couple of weeks I had been experiencing a considerable amount of discomfort in the downstairs area as I tried to break in a new pair of knicks.

I've been riding for a number of years and thankfully to date had not previously experienced any rubbing, chaffing or pain from any of my knicks. I'm not sure if I this is because I am (was) super tough or just pretty good at choosing riding gear. Either way; it seemed my luck had run out as I spent more and more time riding the pain train.

Strava iPhone app

I had been waiting on the arrival of a new Garmin Edge 200 GPS for the last couple of months (I ended up with an Edge 500 but more on that later) so I could join all the cool kids on Strava. One day a couple of months ago I stumbled across the Strava iPhone app and decided to give it a go.

Core Carbon Titanium Skewers

A few months ago I was out riding to Kinglake with some friends when one of them (in between the torture he was dishing out) pointed down to his wheels and shouted in excitement "hey check out my new Core Carbon titanium skewers".

Using what little energy I had available (between heaving breaths) I mustered up the words "yeah.. they look sweet", to which he promptly replied "they are really awesome, 45 grams and only $50... you should get some".

Cadence Collection Cycling Cap

Let's face it, we all love presents; and I was chuffed to bits when one of my mates presented me with this Cadence Collection cycling cap as part of my birthday present.

In addition to the stylish look, the cap is great quality and has a sweat band on the inside... a nice touch and a very welcome addition. It's also great to see a 'Made in the USA' label instead of the usual 'Made in China' you find on most garmets.

Cadence Collection make some really great pieces. The range of clothing can be found at a limited number of local stockists and online at www.cadencecollection.com

~VL

Rapha Espresso Machine

Hey, you know what I love… a good coffee. You know what else I am quite fond of… Rapha. Do I need it all in one… not so sure about that?

I came across this earlier today, it seems Rapha has teamed up with Rocket Espresso Milano to produce a limited edition Rapha Giotta espresso machine.

I think my Knog Frog lights might be cursed?

It seems that somewhere along life's journey I have picked up a curse. This curse has taken the form of a debilitating affliction that attacks the life of any battery that I put in my Knog Frog lights.

No matter how hard I try I just can't seem to get reasonable life out of the CR2032 coin batteries required to power these mini strobes.

A tribute to the Micropump

I have a confession to make, despite my best attempts to look like one, I am not a pro cyclist (clearly)!! If I was I would have a Skoda estate following me around and on the bike in case I need a quick wheel change and a push up the road whenever I get a flat.

Unfortunately like most mere cycling mortals I have to change my own tyres and when the need arises I still carry an old fashioned hand pump with me on every ride. I know that in order to be getting one tiny step closer to ‘pro’ I should be carrying some fancy gas canisters so I can quickly change the tube, pop a canister and get back on the bike within two minutes, but something within me resists the urge to change, I just can’t make the switch. Perhaps I am trying to maintain a link with the days of yonder... a kick back to a simpler time?

Velo Liberte Man Purse

Recently I have noticed a new trend amongst a number of my cycling chums; the ever increasing presence of the Rapha Essentials Case. This uber cool leather purse like storage pocket seems (at the moment) to be the coolest item you can throw down on a coffee table in front of your cycling buddies post ride.

The craftsmanship and style of the Rapha Essentials Case is undeniable, but with dimensions of 15cm x 9cm, and a price tag of $55 it doesn’t provide today’s post GFC budget conscious cyclist with the best bang for his buck.