Have you heard of Stomp The Pedal?  It is a company run by the lovely Natarsha Tremayne, known to everyone as Tarsh.  The brand was born as Tarsh loved cycling but was fed up of boring kit.  So she started her own brand and that is where STP started.

Tarsh is colourful, always smiling, super positive and just all round lovely.  I am bias as she is a friend and during Ironman Italy, where I was with over 20 members of my triathlon club Havering Tri, we adopted her as part of our little group as she was there alone.  Only she is never alone as everyone knows and loves her.  I recall her coming down the red carpet at the end and Paul Kaye recognising her from a distance and cheering her through the Ironman archway.

Tarsh also sits on her turbo for hours!  Literally hours!  At the recent London Bike Show I was chatting to her as we were at the Casquette stand listening to the talk on saddlesore (I wrote a blog post on this subject that you can read here).  Anyway I ended up saying to Tarsh that I didn’t know how she sat on her turbo for so long and she very confidently said it is down to her bibs.  Tell me more……

I have kit that ranges from cheap to expensive and actually my most expensive pair of bib shorts are my least comfortable ones so I am not claiming that the more you pay the better they are as that is not the case in my experience.  However, if I can find kit that is comfortable and stops soreness downstairs then yes I am happy to pay for that luxury.

If you follow Tarsh or Stomp The Pedal you will know that she truly believes in her brand and any product she brings to market has been tested by herself both in training and in events.  For example she has spent a long time trying to perfect a tri suit and recently debuted this at Ironman Marbella 70.3 and shared what needed to be changed noting that ‘by the time this suit comes to market I will have done everything I can to make sure it looks good, performs well, is comfortable and the cut is flattering.’  I love that she shares this on her social media so her followers, customers and friends know what lengths she goes to in order to get that perfect product that she puts her name to.

So when Tarsh said to me she was going to send me some bib shorts to review I was excited.  If honest, I couldn’t wait to try them to see if they were as good as she said but also quite a bit nervous – reviewing kit from a friend?  What if I didn’t like them?  True to her word she sent me the bibs and added a note saying she would really appreciate an honest review pros and cons.

So be it!

That evening I had a session on my plan on Zwift so the shorts were first tested on my Wahoo Kickr turbo trainer.  A lot of people will know that as there is no natural movement on a turbo it can cause discomfort and this is definitely something I suffer with.  Was trying them on a turbo to start with harsh?  I figured that was how this conversation started so why not?  They were fab! No soreness or the need to fidget which is my tendency to try and alleviate any sore or numb parts.

Let’s rewind a little.  The bibs come in a kit bag, with a little handwritten note from Tarsh herself and a bag or haribo – everyone loves a freebie little bag of sweets right?  These were eaten before I got on the turbo I am not ashamed to admit.  The bag is also super handy and came with me last weekend on a trip for a cycling sportive.  The material on the bibs is great, laser cut leg finish with the branding on the band.  The chamois was at first glance thinner than I thought it would be and I will admit I was worried this meant I was going to be more uncomfortable if anything, but I was totally wrong.

They stayed put too and didn’t rise up on the leg, which some bibs can do. The straps are also made of a mesh material and comfort wise is always my preference as I find those with solid straps can dig in and especially on longer rides this can be uncomfortable and the last thing you need is to be stopping and having to adjust. But as I said these stayed in place and were extremely comfortable.

They washed up great – no hand wash either, which I find really annoying with kit.  I wash my bibs after every single use and training most days I don’t have time for hand wash (who does?!).

So the next test?  I was heading to Great Yarmouth with friends (who also know Tarsh and are STP fans) to do the Tour de Broads event.  Again was the second test being a 100 mile ride harsh?  My training is gearing up for an endurance event and I need longer mileage so seemed the perfect opportunity.  The ride ended up being 108 miles in total.  In the freezing cold, rain and savage wind.  How were the bibs?  Again they were fab!  I actually had no soreness down below at all. I can’t stress how much this is a positive for me!

So far so good.

I did find after the ride that I had a loose thread.  Not anywhere that will create a hole but on one of the legs where there is some double stitching on my front thigh (not sure I am explaining this right).  Anyway message sent to Tarsh who was super appreciative of the feedback and offered immediately to return so she could send back to the supplier and replace with a new pair.  So great customer service too!

The bib shorts I have are the STP signature black bibs, they are £100 and would I buy them?  Hell yes!

Now the main question is what jersey do I get? I have my eye on the new jersey inspired by Audrey Hepburn that is simply stunning and my bibs need a matching jersey right? Would be rude not to!

I was gifted the bib shorts, but all opinions are my own.

Back in June last year I completed a trial of Hello Fresh for Healthy Living London.  You can read the review here.

I was sceptical.  If I am honest I was thinking it would take some convincing for me to be converted.  Why was I sceptical?  I am a self confessed food snob and I was worried the food would not be fresh and it would be boring recipes that I would soon get bored of.  But I was happy to be proved wrong

Following the two week trial I was really impressed!  I even purchased the cookbook for my grandparents.  I then signed up to continue with the meals and over eight months later I am still a fan.

I like being able to choose in advance what I want to have for upcoming weeks and that I can put on hold if I am on holiday and resume once back.

I found I got stuck in a rut before using Hello Fresh where I would be so busy with full time work and training alongside a family including a dog and often settle for a bagel for dinner and wonder why I woke the following morning wanting to eat everything in sight.

I genuinely haven’t had a bad meal since subscribing to Hello Fresh.  I have had an item missing and phoned and the customer service was great – very apologetic, credit added to my account that is then taken off future orders and sorted quickly.  For a period I did notice the portion size of the fish and sweet potatoes seemed to be getting smaller plus carrots seemed to be quite bendy but I provided some feedback and haven’t had a problem since.

It works perfectly for me and my family.  I have a husband, son, dog, full time job and train at least four times per week.  Being able to open the fridge and simply pull out a bag with everything I need and follow a clearly laid out recipe card step by step is a saving grace.  My husband and son also don’t eat meat and that has not caused a problem either – we always ate more fish than meat anyway but found the recipes easy to adapt and if I picked a meat one could almost always divide and do him a portion with some fish I would buy or vice versa.

All of the meals are created by the Hello Fresh chefs and nutritionists so I know what I am eating is good for me.  I don’t need to worry about portion size as you pre determine how many people you are cooking for.  It also keeps it interesting – in the time I have been having these meals I have not yet had the same one twice.

And all the packaging is recyclable and the bags and boxes come with cute little messages encouraging you to do just that and recycle them.

If you are tempted check out the website here and if you use the code LISATHA you get £20 off your first box too!

The only person I couldn’t convince was my step dad.  He said he is not keen on all that origami they sprinkle over everything – I think he meant oregano ha ha!

Let’s talk women’s cycling kit.  There is a general feeling among some women that there is not a lot out there for us ladies who like to cycle though I would disagree – there is a lot and most brands who sell male cycling kit also sell female cycling kit.  Perhaps the misunderstanding comes about because they are not exclusively women only brands.

Anna’s Legs is a premium brand of padded cycling leggings.  You will find these to purchase exclusively at Velo Vixen.  Why are they called Anna’s Legs?  Simple and effective – the lady who designs them in called Anna Glowinski and to quote the brand ‘The focus of the collection is legs, the tools that enable us to pedal our bikes and take us as far or as fast as we want to go. Anna has been designing cycle clothing for nearly a decade and her experience as a cyclist goes into every stitch.’  I have seen them before, I know of the brand, but I do not own a pair myself and there are various reasons for this.

I was sent a pair of the new leggings to review and was keen to do so to give me a first hand view of the product.  My 2019 is all about the bike and so this is timely and I have a lot of opportunity to test the kit!

First of all they arrived and the leggings come in a little bag, which was cute.  Especially the note on it saying not to forget your bottom!  Aside from a good saddle I don’t think I would ever cycle again without padded bottoms of some sort – comfort is key here and a good pair of padded shorts/leggings/bibs are a must!  There is nothing worse than a sore under carriage (sorry there is no nicer way to say that).  Inside the bag is also a long tag with lots of hints and tips how to look after your legs as well as describing the product design.  I particularly like the ‘take your knickers off’ note and I remember when I first started and was told this I wasn’t sure if someone was winding me up – no underwear?  Definitely no underwear!  This can cause chaffing and also will defeat the use of chamois cream (a cream used to stop friction between skin and clothing).

Then came to looking at the leggings and I will admit I held them up and my first thought was that I was unsure if they were going to fit – they looked quite small.  I am a size 14 and that is what these are though do note that on the website you will want to check the sizing guide as the purchase is made with the options for S/M/L/XL.  The design of the leggings is a high waist, and at first the shape looked a bit odd holding it up, however, I say odd as they are just shaped very differently at the waist/top of the leggings than any of the other shorts/tights that I have.  However, I needed have worried as they were perfect!  Sturdy material – being a woman any pair of bottoms has the obligatory squat test just to check and these passed easily.  Washing instructions printed directly on the material so no need for an annoying flappy tag.  Pocket on the back to fit a key/card.  Reflective logo and tabs on the ankle too.

Added perk maybe was the ever elusive thigh gap lots of woman seek (not me but it does seem to be a thing).  Perhaps just for me but the design and pad positioning gave an automatic thigh gap.

So the first test was on the turbo trainer, which is a bit harsh as the lack of natural movement on a static bike trainer can result in being sore despite the best of kit (for me anyway).  I needn’t have worried as they were super comfortable so I was impressed before I even got them out on the road!

The next test was out on the road.  Given the choice I am an outdoors girl and will always opt for being outside on my bike rather than inside.  Again really comfortable, the waistband didn’t move around and they were warm too – well as warm as any kit when its only 1 or 2 degrees outside!  I was a little gutted that I got the ever present oily chain ring mark on my pretty leggings!  I realise not everyone gets this but I do (a lot).  Also I am 5 foot 6 and there was some gathering behind the knee – not a big deal at all, however, for anyone shorter I would assume the standard length, which these are, may possibly be too long in the leg?  They also washed up fab.

So why hadn’t I tried these before?  For me I have always used either bib shorts or bib tights, depending on the weather.  This is personal preference but I find them more comfortable and don’t want the muffin top or be worrying about moving my kit around whilst cycling – I just want to get on with the actual cycling itself!  These didn’t move around though and didn’t roll over at the waist either (there is a silicone grip on the back of the high waist to keep in place – similar to what you may have seen at the bottom hem of jerseys).  I also felt that given my preference was for bibs (which generally cost more) that the price was on the high side, however, they are marketed as a premium brand.

Now lets talk price.  The leggings I tested are the new Forest Print Padded Tights and they are priced at £99.  I have paid, in the past, as little as £15 for bottoms and as much as £145 and I am sure you can find lower and higher if you looked.  I am a member of a cycling club and take part in a number of club rides and sportives, which means my riding distances could range from 10 miles on the turbo to almost 200 miles at an event so for me comfort is key and whilst I am far from having an endless budget if it is fit for my purpose it is worth the investment.  I also like to speak to others for opinions before spending out a lot on kit – the £145 bib shorts I mentioned earlier were no more comfortable than the £15 and that is extremely frustrating!  To date I must say the bib shorts/tights from my cycling club are by far the most comfortable and would always be my go to as a first choice and they are £70.99 for the shorts or £137 for the tights and in my opinion worth every penny.

I spoke to a number of women I know who cycle recently for their opinion to try and gain a general overview to gauge what they look for when purchasing cycling kit.  My intention was to try and find out what their preference is regarding shorts/leggings/bibs, the main priority when purchasing kit ie comfort/appearance and also what they felt a reasonable price to pay would be?  The majority seemed to opt for bibs, comfort is the main priority with appearance being quite important also and the prices they would be willing to pay ranged from £30 to £100 though the average was around the £50/£60 mark.

Kit will always be a contentious issue and can be very expensive if you let it or can afford it.  When I first started cycling my kit mainly consisted of what I would ‘borrow’ from my husband that he didn’t use too often.

Now I have had the chance to try a pair of Anna’s Legs I am impressed and I would buy them, though I think if I am honest it would take some to get me to convert completely from bibs though the ease for rest stops is quite the bonus without bibs. I am currently eyeing up the reflective glowing hearts as these would be great for my winter training and add to being safe and seen.  They also have a couple of three quarter length bottoms in the sale right now in certain sizes if you want to grab a bargain before the summer months come!

I was gifted the cycling leggings, but all opinions are my own.

Craft is a brand that I am familiar with, however, more from the European events I have attended and not so much in the UK.  This is a shame as the kit I have had has been great and affordable!  Anyone who is into any form of exercise will know that kit and equipment come at a price and even buying the essentials can quickly add up.

I recently reviewed the new Craft Fuseknit Jersey, that you can read here, which came just at the right time as the weather started cooling and I am certain will be one of my most used items through the winter months.

I am signed up for a number of events in 2019 and so I am aiming to ensure my training continues through the winter and good kit will be a massive benefit.

When my husband and some friends completed Ironman Dubai 70.3 instead of a finishing tshirt they were given a gillet (slightly odd for a country with such high temperatures but great for them) and it is an item that is handy especially over the winter when trying to get layering right.

Given the opportunity to try out the Craft Urban Run Body Warmer it was an easy yes.  The body warmer is pretty much the same as a gillet, and I didn’t even have to complete a half ironman to get one ha ha.

So the body warmer is again another Craft item that at first glance looked great though it was the same size as the jersey but more snug around the chest area when trying on for the first time so I was unsure how I would get on with it (and yes, I am quite large chested).  As the large is the biggest size in this item for women I tried again and decided to give it a go and see how I got on.  It fit and I could zip it up but not being the best runner I was slightly concerned that being tighter across the chest would not help with the breathing aspect of running and well breathing is pretty crucial in life!

Off I set with the dog for my first run in it and like the jersey I decided I may as well test it in weather that it claims to have benefits in.  The label stated it was quick dry, water repellent and wind protective.  I was setting out in the cold with rain coming down and bitter cold winds – lets see how good this item really is.

It was great!

I came back with a drowned rat of a dog from the weather and sopping wet hair but with the jersey and body warmer I wasn’t cold at all.  Don’t get me wrong I had been for a run so will always work up a sweat but it was that sort of weather where I procrastinated going in the first place then figured right Craft kit lets see what you’re made of (don’t worry I wasn’t actually debating with the items of clothing).

The gillet had beads of rain all over it that literally just wiped off and was dry to the touch straight away.  The jersey was pretty much the same.  The body warmer fit really nice, was super comfortable and actually very flattering.

I have since run in it twice and walked the dog in it too.  When I layer up I always worry I will actually end up too hot but this is really lightweight and was just right.

The body warmer is £65, which is a lot cheaper than most leading brands when I was looking for running gillets.

I was gifted the jersey and gillet, but all opinions are my own.