News and Comment from East of England Bike Shop, Revel Outdoors

I am determined to commute to work through the winter. Last year the faff of putting on the necessary lycra to ride my Orbea road bike the 5 miles in, to then change again at the other end kept putting me off. Well, the cold didn’t help either! Anyway, this year I might just manage to keep up the winter commute with my new Marin San Anselmo Alfine commuter. With some very sensible SKS mudguards (they might stop the bike looking quite so sleek but when the road’s wet you won’t complain about them!) and some decent lights and clothing I have no excuses! So far, so good. It’s a fantastic bike to ride – not hugely slower than the road bike but a more comfortable position. And no derailleurs to clean!

Testing the San Anselmo in the Yorkshire Dales

I have a problem with cold feet, particularly on longer rides.  This year I’m determined to keep myself warm, with the Pearl Izumi Barrier GTX winter boots:

Keeping Warm - Pearl Izumi Barrier GTX winter boots

So far, they’ve been almost too warm!  But the real test will come on a long winter ride when it’s really cold.  They’re certainly comfortable, and well made.

Using the MRP 1.X chainguide with a 36T Renthal chainring.

MRP 1.X Chainguard and single chainring

I’ve been amazed how well this works, particularly for riding around Thetford Forest where there aren’t any great hills.
- Less weight (I’ve removed the l/h shifter, front mech and 2 chainrings)
- Less to think about: gears are simply up or down (9 of them), and no need to “prepare” for a hill
- The chainline is much better, I’m typically in the middle of the block now.

I’ll move up to a 38T chainring when my legs get as strong as national champ Oli  Beckingsale .