POC is a Swedish company whose mission is to save lives with its safety gear. The company was founded in 2005 and made its first marks at the ISPO Trade Show in Munich where it primarily addressed the skiing market. At the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics, US alpine ski racer Julia Mancuso won the gold medal in giant slalom and pictures of her wearing a POC helmet and goggles were published all over the world. Since then, POC has evolved and developed protection for different categories including free-skiing, snowboarding and bike disciplines.

For commuting on your bike, you may not want to wear a racing helmet, so the POC Crane commuter helmet is the perfect solution. The POC commuter helmet is a cross between a typical skate-style helmet, an aero road helmet, and a standard commuter style helmet. 

Features

• Dent-resistant construction
• Progressive core dual density liner
• Lightweight design 
• Full wrap shell for increased durability
• Odour-control technology

The commuter helmet is a term apparently used first by by Bell in 2004 when they introduced their Metro model. To most it means a rounded in shape helmet rather than the typical elongated road helmet that we are more used to seeing. 

Protection

Protection should be the first thing you consider when buying a helmet, but realistically it may not be a consideration at all. Most people I know when buying a helmet, 90% of the choice is looks and colour. Let's assume the CE mark will protect us. It's a polycarbonate shell, so that will take care of most knocks and bumps. It has a thick layer of polystyrene material inside that (of course it will be a more fancy and dense substance than what your TV is packaged in) and plenty of padding. I would say as helmets go this will offer top protection. 

Ventilation

Ventilation is a big consideration when buying a typical road helmet, especially if you are planning a big tour in Europe in summer, although it is probably less of a consideration in the UK. This helmet has 10 large vents and the padding keeps a nice air flow round your head making it surprisingly well vented. 

Padding

Being used to a typical road helmet, I found this helmet much thicker in material and thicker in padding. I am not crash testing this, or hitting it with a hammer, but I would rather be wearing this helmet if I was to take a blow to the top of my head. The padding makes this helmet feel like it is sitting on a velvet cushion on your head. Luxury at its finest!

In the rain

There is no visor on this style of helmet so any rain is coming straight down. However, as the material is fairly thick around your entire head it does have about 1 inch overlap on your head. Less than a typical visor but still enough to keep a bit of rain out of your eyes. 

Fit and Adjustments

Under the chin, the commuter bike helmet fastens with a magnetic clip and the length can be adjusted from one side. At the rear of the helmet are two push fits so you can change each side independently to get a snug fit on your skull. It is very easy to get a nice snug fit and it stays in place. Sunglasses will sit under the straps on this helmet. The straps come from the centre and meet under your chin. It is not possible to have the arms of your sunglasses over the straps. 

Verdict

Overall, this is a really comfy helmet and it feels solid and well made. It is definitely a design statement and if you are after a commuter-shaped helmet then this is an excellent choice. Great fit, nice padding, and importantly looks very cool. 

The Lifeline 375 Lumen Front Line Bike Light is simple to use and very affordable. Weighing in at 115g, it isn't too heavy and from the casual to the committed cyclist, it offers a great light that will see you down some pretty dark roads.

Some people prefer something with a lot of Lumens, and with lights going much brighter than this, there is a lot of competition on the market. However, lights with more Lumens do end up coming with a higher price tag. It is worth considering what you expect your light to do before spending over £100 on one bright enough to light up a whole road.

The Lifeline is perfect for a number of activities both on and off road. I tried it on well-lit streets as well as darker paths and felt safe in that I could be seen by other road users as well as see in front of me.

The light has three modes, all accessed by a single button on top. The first mode is high-beam which will last around an hour. If you use this one constantly it is worth being aware that it will run out quite quickly and I would only advise using this when you really need it due to its time limitations.

The second mode is low light which will last a respectable 4 hours and this is perfect for commuting. The third mode is a flashing mode, again good for commuting and increasing visibility and you get around 9 hours in this mode. If your journey is a mix of dark paths and lit streets, it is really easy to quickly change between modes.

Charging the light uses a USB cable meaning you can easily recharge it at work before your journey home. It takes 4 hours from a dead light to be fully charged again.

It comes with a really easy-to-use bike mount and has three rubber size adjusters, fitting the majority of handlebars. It is quick to get the light on and off the mount, even with gloves on. The same goes for operating the light with gloves on. The button is easy to press with or without gloves.

The light is hooded meaning that the beam has a slightly longer top than the bottom. This works really quite well and doesn't then blind oncoming traffic, whilst being bright enough for you to see.

Testing the water resistance of the light wasn't difficult in Scotland. It has rained a lot lately. It is worth noting that the light isn't waterproof (nor does it claim to be), but it is water-resistant so it will withstand a short shower.

The price of the light is really not bad. If you look around it can be cheaper and it is a good light for the price. It is easy to use and perfect as a multi-purpose commuter/weekend rider light.

When you buy a special item to add to your collection it is a nice bonus when it arrives in its own custom box. I see this leaning towards a nice stocking filler for a grown up cyclist! 

The Castelli Flanders Base Layer features perforated 100% polyester mesh underarms for additional cooling. On my first test ride it was 9 degrees Celsius which isn't overly cold, but cold enough to layer up, and I found that the mesh does allow your arms to breathe. 

As with most base layers, not many people will actually see it when you're wearing it, which is a shame as this is some seriously stylish underwear. The detail on the back has the same attention as you would expect from a jersey.

Fit

This top has a very long body which is just what you want from a base layer. There's nothing worse than a cold midriff when your top rides up as you're cycling! The fit is snug and follows the contours of a typical cyclist's frame.

Light-weight

As this top is so lightweight it is very quick to dry; I put it on a radiator and it was dry in a few minutes. The lightweight design also means that you will forget you are wearing it so it isn't big and bulky under the rest of your cycling wear. It dos not feel like a thermal item of clothing if that is what you are used to and if you are riding in deep winter, you'll want to wear two of these. As Castelli recommend, doubling base layers is very effective.

Why Flanders?

Flanders is a town in Belgium that acts as the perfect location for cyclists of all levels and abilities. Visit in spring for the Tour of Flanders, famous for the cobbled climbs. Riding that takes in history, beautiful scenery, and plenty of climbs and amazing roads. If you visit in the spring or winter be sure to take your new matching Castelli base layer.

Verdict

Overall this is an excellent top. Take care removing it when you are hot and sweaty as it clings to your skin. It is pretty thin and I can imagine if you pull it off in a hurry it could tear.

Polaris Bikewear is a brand that has been around for a long time. Based in Derbyshire, they have become one of the best-known homegrown cycling brands. I was very much looking forward to trying out their kit. Polaris sent me an entire outfit, which made testing a lot of fun.

The Garmin Vector bike pedals give you a power rating for your ride which you can use to partner with Strava and obtain very detailed data about your cycling and training.

When I purchased the Garmin Vector 1 I was under the impression that a future software update would allow you to monitor your full pedal stroke. This update never came, until I heard of the Vector 2. The Vector 1 shows plenty of data and like most data files out there it really has no point unless you use that data. I find myself focusing on average three second power while riding. Live power is too up-and-down, for example if you're pulling out from the lights, overtaking another cyclist, or if you stop. But having a constant three second average on show gives you enough time to flatten out your efforts.

When you cycle the same routes and the same hills you can really get to know what your max effort is and how much more you have in the tank. Of course, your body will really tell you if you have anything left to put down, but sometimes it is nice to know for real; “you can do this”.

For the first year of riding with the Vector 1, I didn't even bother with heart rate data, but I was introduced to Strava fitness and freshness that relies on power and also heart rate data to show you how strong you really are. I'm not sure how accurate or reliable the data from Strava but it uses your power to produce fitness and freshness. According to my personal graphs, my fitness is much better in the summer which does marry up with my bike riding and training.

Strava Fitness and Freshness. You will require a premium account, power meters, and heart rate data to access this.

Best Efforts Power Curve

Watts per kilo

Another great thing that you can get from is Strava with your power data is your FTP and also your power to weight calculations. In theory, you don't need Strava for this data but Strava pulls all the data out for you in a nice graph that you can really visualise and start to understand.

So the consideration to buy a power meter is certainly a big purchase and there are now more options on the market than ever before. Coming in at £999.99 and costing more than the price of an average road bike, it was something I had to weigh up between either getting a new set of wheels, or an awesome power meter. My reading, research, and tips and tricks from friends told me to get a power meter. It will make you a stronger rider whereas carbon wheels will just allow you small benefits but not actually improve your ‘engine’. 

Verdict

Riding for several years with a power meter on its own won't make you faster, but it will build your power if you use the data to start to push yourself harder and harder. Can I justify a spend of £1000 plus to get what I currently know? Is that extra bit of data from Garmin worth over £1000? If you use the data properly, then this piece of kit can really improve your performance, and if you are a seasoned athlete or cyclist, then this can be invaluable.