Sport
The right cycling clothing – defy wind and weather!
Summer is finally here, and as we all know that could mean anything from sunny 25°C to rainy and windy 10°C.
During the summertime most people try to spend their time outside with their families, to have BBQs, to have a pint in the beer garden or set out to explore the beautiful English landscape by bike or foot. But whatever you’re planning on doing, preparation is key. When it comes to the subject of clothing for cycling it is really not as trivial as it seems. This is particularly noticeable when the temperatures fluctuate significantly (so at any time of the year really). There are a few things to consider, which we will explain exactly in this article.
Personal comfort counts
First of all, of course, it is important that the clothing is tailored to you and your body. If you sweat heavily, it doesn’t do you any good to throw on an inexpensive rain jacket. Are you freezing easily? Then there is probably no way around thick cycling shorts and thermal shoes. Finding the right recipe is not that easy and experience has shown that you have to try a little bit to see what works best for you in which weather.
The head: pay attention to fit and ventilation
Let’s start at the top: our head is naturally covered by a helmet when cycling. In summer you can make sure that the ventilation openings are as large as possible so that no heat builds up, especially when it is hot. If it gets colder, you should make sure to keep your head warm. A thin headband can be the right choice, but if the temperatures continue to drop, you should use an under-helmet cap. These have the advantage that they are flat and therefore take up little space under the helmet.
Also, make sure to always protect your eyes with glasses and your skin with sun protection.
The upper body: the material makes it
For the upper body, the onion principle is required, which can fully develop its advantages especially in cold temperatures. An insulating long-sleeved undershirt, for example made of merino wool, provides warmth, while a wind and waterproof jacket prevents you from cooling down due to the wind, rain or snow. In rougher weather conditions it is also absolutely necessary to make yourself visible to others. Additionally to light sources on your bike, you should also consider wearing a high visibility vest to be seen by other in the fog or rain.
At the end of the arms there are two extremities that require special attention: the hands. We use them to steer the bike, but otherwise hardly move them. Especially when it’s cold, they cool down quickly and when it is hot, they might get sunburned. That can quickly become uncomfortable. To be on the safe side, take a wind- and waterproof variant with lining, with enough grip and padding.
The feet: the right choice of shoes
The choice of shoes is not too difficult and depends primarily on the type of bike:
Road bike shoes for example are light and stiff to allow efficient power transmission, while mountain bike shoes have a more flexible sole. Socks can also make a not insignificant contribution to well-being on the bike, because if they don’t sit properly, blisters and pressure points can occur. Therefore, they should sit very close to the foot and, if possible, not slip.
Sport
Wigan Athletic’s James McClean reveals autism diagnosis in heartfelt Instagram message
Danny Jones
Wigan Athletic and Ireland star James McClean has revealed his recent autism diagnosis in solidarity with the ASD community and to help support the international week of awareness.
The Latics, long-serving Irish international and former Premier League winger informed his followers of the personal news in a heartwarming social media post with his young daughter who is also autistic.
In contrast to his four-year-old girl, Willow-Ivy — whose autism was recognised early on — McClean has only just learned of his own diagnosis, having “decided to go and get an ASD [autism spectrum disorder] assessment” after spotting “so many small traits in her” that he sees in himself.
Taking to Instagram, the 33-year-old said he felt there was no better time to make this announcement than during Autism Awareness and Acceptance Week (27 March-2 April) and stand in solidarity with his daughter and others who are on the spectrum.
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As he details in the caption: “The last 4 years have been life-changing in the most amazing way but also very difficult at times as her daddy watching her overcome so many obstacles in her life and learning how to manage the challenges she faces on a daily basis.
“The more Erin [partner] and I learned about autism the more we began to recognise I was very similar to Willow in more ways than we thought… It’s been a bit of a journey and now having a diagnosis I feel it’s time to share it.”
He goes on to admit that he “debated for a while going public” but that he’s now “done this for Willow-Ivy, to let her know that [he] understand[s] and that being autistic won’t and should never hold her back from reaching her goals and dreams.” Such a lovely and inspiring message.
No one should ever feel like they need to hide what makes them the person that they are a secret. We applaud you for speaking out, James, and wish you and your little girl all the best.
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Image — James McClean (via Instagram)
Sport
Rodri slams ‘rubbish’ Scotland despite historic 2-0 defeat as Scott McTominay scores yet again
Danny Jones
Manchester City star Rodri has called out Scotland for their “rubbish” tactics and style of play following their now famous 2-0 win over Spain.
Scotland hosted Spain at Hampden Park stadium on Tuesday night in the first round of Euro 2024 qualifiers and after having beaten Cyprus 3-0 on 25 March, the Tartan army managed an even more significant victory over the three-time champions, beating them for the first time since 1984.
Speaking to media after the game and obviously disappointed with the result, the Man City midfielder said that he didn’t feel the scoreline fully reflected the game and had a very clear opinion on what he thought of the home side’s performance.
In a word: “rubbish”.
Rodri went on to argue that, in his mind, “this is not football”, claiming that the opposition were “always wasting time” and trying to “provoke” the Spanish players by going to ground after most tackles.
The 26-year-old was also critical of the officials, intimating that the referee had the opportunity to intervene but simply “said nothing”.
On the contrary, the Scottish reporter interviewing challenged the Spaniard by suggesting that many fans within the ground would argue that Spain were guilty of the same “in terms of how quickly the players went down”. Rodri naturally disagreed.
Either way, it wasn’t time-wasting that made the headlines on the night, it was Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay, who bagged yet another brace to send the national stadium into pandemonium with his third and fourth goals for Scotland in the last two games.
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The 26-year-old opened the scoring inside just seven minutes and grabbed his second similarly early into the second half with an instinctive volley.
Along with his double against Cyprus at the weekend, that makes four goals in the last two games, with many Reds noting his heroics have come a key time with the likes of Casemiro suspended and Austrian international Marcel Sabitzer potentially injured again.
McTominay might have dropped out of United’s first-choice midfield when everyone is fit but has still proven himself to be a solid squad player.
Moreover, perhaps this international break has helped him send a message to Erik ten Hag ahead of a key period for the club.
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Image — Viaplay Sports UK (via Twitter)/Scott McTominay (via Instagram)