Real Product Reviews

Helium Lazer Helmet Review

January 25, 2012
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Helium Lazer Helmet Review

Not only do I have my review of the Helium Lazer helmet today, I also have details on how you can win one of your own.  Be sure to check out my thoughts and opinions as well as the video about what I think of this cycling helmet. I have been in serious need...
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Posted in Contests, Real Product Reviews, Video Blog | 73 Comments »

Using P90X2 to Improve Your Cycling

January 18, 2012
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Using P90X2 to Improve Your Cycling

Note from Darryl: We didn’t participate in this historic day of people blacking out their websites.  To be honest, I haven’t even had a chance to see what all of this is about so I never had a chance to grab myself an opinion on it.  I’m definitely one for free speech and individuality which...
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Posted in Real Product Reviews, Stretching and Conditioning | 12 Comments »

The iBert Safe-T-Seat

January 13, 2012
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The iBert Safe-T-Seat

Looking for a cool way to carry your infant on your bike?  You might want to check out the iBert Safe-T-Seat.  As some of you may know, I have a bike crazed baby in the house…and if you’d like to see how much he loves bikes, check out this video from last year’s TdF....
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Posted in Real Product Reviews, Uncategorized | 9 Comments »

#bikeschool: Ryders Caliber Photochromic Review and Giveaway

December 27, 2011
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#bikeschool: Ryders Caliber Photochromic Review and Giveaway

We’ve got Professor @egggman in today with a review of the Caliber Photochromic sunglasses from Ryders Eyewear.  Mike is a year round cyclist and experiences all seasons and conditions over there in Ontario, so he’s sure to provide a full review on their performance. Enter to WIN: Oh, and we’re giving away a pair of...
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Posted in #bikeschool, Contests, Guest Post, Real Product Reviews | 48 Comments »

#bikeschool: Fat Cyclist

December 13, 2011
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#bikeschool: Fat Cyclist

Many of you will have read the trials and tribulations of Elden Nelson, more commonly known as ‘Fat Cyclist‘, on his fantastic blog. The longstanding blog, cited by many as being the finest collection online, has charted the news, satire and heart-felt peaks and troughs of life for many years now. Fat Cyclist will...
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Posted in #bikeschool, Contests, Real Product Reviews, Uncategorized | 5 Comments »

A Cyclist Crashes “The Running Event” Party

December 10, 2011
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A Cyclist Crashes “The Running Event” Party

Austin has been invaded by thousands of #runnerds this week as the National Running Expo called “The Running Event” rolled into town.  I’m a cyclist, right? So what would I want with a running event?  Well, an expo of this magnitude brought with it a bunch of fantastic companies that cater to both the...
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Posted in Real Product Reviews, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

#bikeschool: MET SineThesis Review

November 29, 2011
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#bikeschool: MET SineThesis Review

After the recent article here at LovingTheBike regarding the cleaning of your cycle helmet, I realised that I’d had my one and only bike helmet for about 5 years and maybe I was due for an upgrade. I used lots of reasons in my head to justify a new helmet but essentially it was...
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Posted in #bikeschool, Pro Cycling, Real Product Reviews | 7 Comments »

“A Very Dark Place” – The Sufferfest

November 11, 2011
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“A Very Dark Place” – The Sufferfest

The logo you see above should do one of two things to you when you see it. It will either fill you with intrigue and excitement about what you have been missing out on and are about to experience, in which case I envy you dear reader… or it will fill you with a...
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Posted in Real Product Reviews, Uncategorized, Winter Riding | 9 Comments »

Cold Weather Cycling with the Twin Six Fall Collection

November 9, 2011
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Cold Weather Cycling with the Twin Six Fall Collection

Yes, cold weather cycling clothing is necessary even in Texas…especially if you dislike being chilly as much as I do. You’d think that a guy like me who’s from Canada would find even the coldest temperatures in Austin to be balmy sun tanning weather, but that’s exactly why I’m here and not there.  I am the biggest...
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Posted in Contests, Real Product Reviews | 89 Comments »

Roks and Bloks

November 2, 2011
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Roks and Bloks

No, I didn’t forget the c’s in the title to today’s post…..this one is all about two secret weapons I always take with me on certain rides.  Yep, I’m talking Clif Bar Shot Roks and Shot Bloks today…..plus we have a nice little giveaway for you as well (see bottom of post for details)....
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Posted in Cycling Nutrition, Real Product Reviews | 52 Comments »

I Absolutely Recommend Hemp Hearts

October 13, 2011
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I Absolutely Recommend Hemp Hearts

I don’t often highly recommend things to people (well okay, I do recommend cycling).  But this is one thing that I honestly feel will improve your life and your cycling.   - Darryl It’s not very often that I come across something that really makes me want to promote the heck out of it. One...
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Posted in Real Product Reviews, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Loving the BITE: The Big Daddy’s Falafel Wrap

October 13, 2011
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Loving the BITE: The Big Daddy’s Falafel Wrap

We’re doing something a little bit differently for today’s Loving the BITE.  Thursday’s are usually the day that our resident sports nutritionist, Kelli, provides you with another one of her fantastically healthy recipes along with the details on why it is good for you.  But today I’m going to post a review about the...
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Posted in Real Product Reviews, Uncategorized | 8 Comments »

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Which individual supplements should I take?

I generally eat pretty healthily and stay relatively fit but I wonder if I’m getting enough vitamins and minerals. Is there a product (available in the UK) that contains the right mixes of daily vitamins and minerals and if not, which individual supplements should I take to compliment a healthy lifestyle. (ps… I don’t want to take so many pills that I rattle!)

Kelli’s Answer:

Thanks for the question!  First a disclaimer: It’s always important to talk to your personal health care provider about supplements -some should not be taken due to medication interactions and individual conditions.

Now, my general recommendations:

Although a healthy and balanced diet is most important, I do believe that most people, and athletes especially, need a good multivitamin/multimineral, extra vitamin D, and fish oil (or another source of DHA/EPA omega-3s) in addition to healthy foods.  Mostly, I recommend this because our soils have been over-farmed (which decreases the amount of nutrients in our foods), our waters are polluted (which is one reason we can’t eat as much seafood as we’d like), and our ability to get outside and get sunlight year round has decreased with more time spent inside and at a desk.  And, there’s a lot of exciting research that supports higher levels of vitamin D supplementation than previous recommendations.

Generally, I recommend these daily supplements:

  1. Rainbow Light multivitamin (see http://bit.ly/AwnPQ1 - they have a separate multivitamin for men and women).  This is one of my favorite brands as it contains a good mix of vitamins/minerals, probiotics, enzymes and “green” nutrients.  And, it looks like you can get it online in the UK, at least, according to what turned up in my trusty google search.
  2. 1000-2000 IU additional vitamin D (in addition to the amount in the multivitamin and in addition to what you get from sunlight)
  3. 1000-2000 mg DHA/EPA (in combo, and in addition to ~12 oz. fatty fish per week).  Nordic Naturals is a really good brand – you want the source to be small, low-mercury fish such as anchovies, shrimp, sardines, etc.

Additionally, individual athletes may need extra iron, probiotics, calcium, etc.  But, these 3 pills are a good place to start for most healthy athletes.

As you look for supplements, the keys are to find ones that 1) have what they claim they have (no exaggerated claims) and 2) don’t have anything that’s harmful.  You don’t want lead or other dangerous heavy metals, and I try to stay away from colorings, flavorings, and unnecessary additives.  Since this industry is not really regulated, it can be hard to find good brands that have support from a 3rd party expert.  I often www.consumerlab.com, a completely impartial 3rd party site that tests supplements and reports on their ingredients.  They don’t have every brand, but it can be a good starting point.  I hope this helps!

Please send us your questions for our Expert Sports Nutritionist, Kelli Jennings to “Ask the Sports Nutritionist“. Kelli Jennings is a Registered Dietitian with a passion for healthy eating, wellness, & sports nutrition. For more information go to www.apexnutritionllc.com.

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