the test zone
cycle tour special
Ooh, gadgets!
We’re living in a connected age where
the Li-ion battery is king – devices are getting smarter and smaller than ever. Here are some quality gadgets for recovery, fun and tracking your cycling journey.
back to gear
Solar charging debuted on the premium
Edge 1040; now it’s trickled down to Garmin's more affordable devices. They claim that solar charging gives you an extra 25 minutes per hour in battery-save mode during daytime rides, resulting in a battery life of more than two days on one wall charge. Considering how much stuff us cyclists have to charge these days – derailleur batteries, lights, phones, even our bikes! – not having to worry too much about your GPS makes life so much easier.
The 540 is crammed with all the features you need to track your ride, including ClimbPro which automatically shows upcoming elevation to help you manage your effort. There’s also a host of adaptive coaching features to help you train, plus full-colour navigation. For the price, we reckon it’s one of the best bike computers around.
Want to bring the gees to the Cycle Tour?
Attach this potent little Bluetooth speaker to your handlebar and crank out 'Eye of the Tiger' up Suikerbossie. It’s a fun way to take your tunes with you, but please respect the fact that under normal circumstances – like on a Sunday coffee ride, or on a peaceful hiking trail – most people don’t want to hear your 80s rock playlist… It's IP67 water- and dustproof and the sound quality is excellent for a speaker that only weighs 230g. Fully charged, there should be enough juice to last more than four hours, or one lap of the Peninsula.
Massage guns have become popular
in recent years, and not just for cyclists. Runners, paddlers, gym bunnies, rugby players… Being able to give yourself a deep tissue massage at home does wonders for recovery, circulation and mobility.
If you’ve never used one, it’s a relatively simple device that typically has an oscillating attachment that delivers rapid and repetitive pulsations to whatever part of your body you choose to use it on. This stimulates blood flow, relieves pain and stiffness, and helps with flexibility.
We like the Botthms Lite Massage V1 because of how quiet it is – only 45dB, which is about as loud as a refrigerator hum. It’s compact, the speeds are adjustable, the battery life is good and there are various attachments for targeted treatment.
Use it after your ride while you’re watching TV and you’ll feel way better the next day.
Massage guns have become popular in
recent years, and not just for cyclists. Runners, paddlers, gym bunnies, rugby players… Being able to give yourself a deep tissue massage at home does wonders for recovery, circulation and mobility.
If you’ve never used one, it’s a relatively simple device that typically has an oscillating attachment that delivers rapid and repetitive pulsations to whatever part of your body you choose to use it on. This stimulates blood flow, relieves pain and stiffness, and helps with flexibility.
We like the Botthms Lite Massage V1 because of how quiet it is – only 45dB, which is about as loud as a refrigerator hum. It’s compact, the speeds are adjustable, the battery life is good and there are various attachments for targeted treatment.
Use it after your ride while you’re watching TV and you’ll feel way better the next day.
Solar charging debuted on the premium
Edge 1040; now it’s trickled down to Garmin's more affordable devices. They claim that solar charging gives you an extra 25 minutes per hour in battery-save mode during daytime rides, resulting in a battery life of more than two days on one wall charge. Considering how much stuff us cyclists have to charge these days – derailleur batteries, lights, phones, even our bikes! – not having to worry too much about your GPS makes life so much easier.
The 540 is crammed with all the features you need to track your ride, including ClimbPro which automatically shows upcoming elevation to help you manage your effort. There’s also a host of adaptive coaching features to help you train, plus full-colour navigation. For the price, we reckon it’s one of the best bike computers around.
Want to bring the gees to the Cycle Tour?
Attach this potent little Bluetooth speaker to your handlebar and crank out 'Eye of the Tiger' up Suikerbossie. It’s a fun way to take your tunes with you, but please respect the fact that under normal circumstances – like on a Sunday coffee ride, or on a peaceful hiking trail – most people don’t want to hear your 80s rock playlist… It's IP67 water- and dustproof and the sound quality is excellent for a speaker that only weighs 230g. Fully charged, there should be enough juice to last more than four hours, or one lap of the Peninsula.
