The best shoe dryer under £25

Well it's a bet wet outside today isn't it. This has me thinking of the one gadget I could not live without. I mountain bike in all conditions and this include heavy rain. I live near fort william and to say we get rain would be an understatement. So if I didn't bike in the rain I wouldn't bike very often. I want to share with you the one gadget that has changed my after biking game. I don't know about you but I have a lot of biking shoes. A lot ok too many but I have my favorite and I alway want to wear them and therein lies my problem. They get very wet on rainy days as do my feet. Yes I wear sealskinz so my feet are not wet by my shoes certainly are. 

I was searching the internet for solution when I had a eureka moment. A shoe dryer. I decided I didn't want to spend a fortune on this as well I spend enough money on my favorite pastime so I chose Upstartech Boots Dryer Electric Foot Warmer From amazon. This cost me £16.99 as it was on sale at the time it's now £21.99. I have just checked my order date and it was my birthday oh well it must have been a birthday gift from me to me. 

Here is the description 

Unique Functions of the shoe dryer:
The boot dryer is the only one of its kind to include a 120-minute timer, with the option to keep it
running as long as 2 hours and have it shut off automatically,without any damage to your shoes and boots

Ultra Effective:
Silently dries and deodorizes footwear, Less electricity use, Keeping your footwear comfortable and dry. Antimicrobial and deodorant dehumidification: Adopting the innovative technology, helps remove odors from perspiration and bacteria, dries, dehumidifies,and deodorizes

I was a bit apprehensive for this to arrive. It arrived quickly and I put it to the test almost immediately. Let's face it we get the rain up here all year round. This is how it arrives and how you store it which is nice and compact. 

To use you just fold out the little arms and pop your shoes on top of them to dry them. It is super easy to use you just decided the program from the control panel. To dry I just used the preset button which is set to 20 minute intervals. You can easily change the amount of time you would like your shoes on for. 

Here's my timings that is use this is to get my fivetens completely dry. I mean completely like they were never wet in the first place.

Completely soaking less shoe more canoe 2/3 x 20 min

Wet 2 x 20 min 

Damp 1 x 20 min. 

To deodorize all you need to do is press the ozone button. I have only used this a couple of times. Mostly on my husbands shoes. 

I have used this shoe dryer since july and I can honestly say this is the best purchase I have made under £25. If you are looking to make a practical gift this is the one I would give anyone. I could not recommend this shoe dryer enough. It has by far changed the game for me in drying my shoes. No of course this shore dryer can be used for any shoes from your ski boots to your normal trainers and even gloves. Yes I have even dried my knee pads on these. This dryer really has changed my kit drying game and I am so happy I have found it. 

Please excuse the bad photos I have been waiting for my new phone for so long and I wanted to get this out incase you are looking for a good shoe dryer. 

I hope you enjoyed this shoe dryer review and I hope this can help you keep your feet warm and cosy instead of kinda dame and cold. 

I built My husbands his dream downhill bike using Hope Technology components and Orange DH Frame.

Today I am sharing a video with you all. This is a bit nerve-wracking for me. I have been blogging for so long and I share my life with you all but youtube is still a very scary place for me. You would think I would be so comfortable in front of the camera but I always feel a bit weird about it. 

Here we have me building my husband a new downhill bike. I am not a mechanic but I want to learn to be a bit more independent when it comes to mechanics. 

We were on a bit of a budget but I am so lucky to be a Hope technology ambassador and get a massive discount on products. So this made his dream a possibility without completely breaking the bank. First, we had to find the right second-hand frame. After what felt like weeks of searching for the right frame. Wow, the prices of second-hand bikes has sky rocked lately. It is a bit insane. We eventually found an Orange bikes DH frame for a steal. There was in like-new condition. We thought there was a scratch on it but it turns out to be the decals on the frame. It is in mint condition besides that. We used a few things from his old bike like the suspension fork. You will see in the video. 

All the Hope technology components used and there RPR 

27.5 wheels Fortus 30 Pro 4 Front 110x20mm £160

27.5 wheels Fortus 30 Pro 4 Rear 12 x 150mm blue hubs 6 bolt £265

2 x Floating rotors 200mm 6 bolt blue £50 each

Brakes Tech 3 V4 blue front and rear (black hose) £190 each

Evo crankset blue 165mm for 83mm threaded BB  with 36 tooth blue chaining £265

Stem downhill direct mount blue 50mm £100

Headset spacers blue £10

Top cap blue £20

Lock on grips black £25

Grip Drs blue £20

Total for Hope tech items at RPR £1345

The Frame is an Orange bike 324 bought from Pink bike for £650 (I think) 

Magic mary tyres £40 each 

Pedals Shimano M424 SPD £45

handlebars - Nukeproof Horizon V2 Alloy risers £65.99

Chainguard  £45.99

Total cost £2231.98

We used the suspension fork from his old bike and an old chain. Which broke first run lucky we had a new one at the ready. 

I hope you enjoy this little video 

Getting back to biking after injury

We have all been there. You have been having a great time riding your bike and the next thing you know you are face down in the dirt and you are literary eating mud. It is a hazard of our amazing fun sport. Accidents happen. It is easy to get disheartened when you have a big fall and get injured.

I have been biking for about 8 years and I have had my fair share of injuries from my favourite past time. To name a few I tore my ACL, I have had concussions, I even broke three ribs before my wedding day. I could spend this full post talking about my injuries But this is not what this is about. I want to talk about how to get back on the bike after an injury.

First You need to heal. You need to follow your doctor or physio advice. Rushing back on the bike before your body is really is not the best idea and will lead to more injuries. So listen to the medical professionals and follow their program until you are ready to return to biking.

Start your return to the trails slowly. You need to remember how to bike again. No one just jumps on their bike after injury and they are exactly where they left off. This is not going to happen. For a start, your fitness will have taken a hit in the recovery from your injury. So you need to build it back up.

Let's start slowly hit the blues at your local trail centre. Take it easy. This is a good time to work on your biking form and skills. It is also a good time to remember why you love biking. It is ok to feel nervous on the bike. It is ok to be a bit frustrated that you are not where you want to be when you return to the bike.

Let's talk about your mind. Our mind is a funny place when it comes to injury and getting back on your bike. You will have a lot of thoughts from excitement to nerves. Mountain biking is as much a mental game as it is a physical one. You need to give yourself time to remember that you do have the skill to return to mountain biking. you will get back to where you were when you had your accident. It is ok to not feel ok on a bike. Don't be afraid to express your feeling. You will overcome this feeling but you need to start slowly. There is no point in overthinking thing, like why you could no longer go off a drop you have done 100 times before. It will come with time. Right now it's about just getting back on the bike and having fun.

The recovery phase is all about building your confidence back up. You can look into getting some coaching if you are struggling to find your feet again there are so many amazing coaches out there.

As you start to feel more confident in your ability you can start to hit the harder tails that you love. Everyone one of us is different. It may take you longer to rebuild your confidence and that is ok. This is your recovery journey and no one else. An injury can take a bit toll on your body and mind and it can make you a better rider. You will learn things in the recovery stage that you didn't know about yourself.

If this is your first injury believe me you will get your confidence back and become a better rider. We learn a lot from our mistakes and this is just another learning curve. This is a perfect time to think about your biking routine. Do you struggle with flexibility on the bike? Get arm pump? This is a great time to form some new habits in your biking journey. Even just learning to stretch and foam roll can make a huge difference and help you to remain injury-free. Taking better care of our bodies will translate into better riding. Let face it these professionals do it for a reason. So lets not only get back on our bikes but let's form one new habit to help us stay injury-free.

Pit downhill or walk the talk trail, Ben Cathros new trail Pitlochry

We were on our way home from a week in the Tweed valley. I love the trails down there. We did so many trails we haven't done before But enough about that. You are here to hear about the Pit downhill or walk the talk trail or ben Cathros trail whatever name you know it by you are here to read about it.

I wanted to start this with the directions. I always find that finding the trail is half the battle. Here is how to find the parking in my photos but if this is full please use Ben Vrackie car park or if drive past that there is a very small and quiet car park. We may have camped in both of these locations in our van conversion. If you are a van camper. Do me a favour and take your rubbish home. I spent some time picking up broken glass. Let's respect the countryside ok. Side note both car parks have a bin. So no excuse. Really.

So there is only a very small parking place here and it says its national trust. Our national trust membership is paying for its self again!. 

Next, you ride along this little road until you see the golf course. 

This is the walker path going through the golf course. Please stick to the path when cycling up the trails. We don't want to annoy the golfers. 

Once you turn out of the gravel walkers path you will see this little path just follow it along to the end. 

You have reached the main climb here you follow the fire road all the way up to the mast. 

Pass the mast and you will see this little push up path.

This then is the push-up path which will take you to the start of the trail. It is well used and you will find the top with ease. There is a fork in the path you need to head to the right. I forgot to take a photo there sorry guys. It should be easy to find. Stop following the big vehicle track and head to the right. 

You are at the trail start and ready for the fun to unfold. 

Here is a video of the trail. This is my hubby doing the trail. Full discloser I had the start of sinusitis and was feeling a bit rubbish so I made him do the filming. Let's face it he is faster than me. He is on his Whyte hardtail. Full description in the youtube description. 

Trails review from me. 

For me, this is the trail of dreams. There are so many different elements which make this such a good ride. There are some gnarly features. I personally would not reccomend this for a beginner if I am completely honest. It was quite slippy the first day we were there and the second day it was wet and this is a different beast in the wet. 

There is everything from huge slabs you can jump or roll,  gap jumps over logs to jumps and rooty rolls. Then there are fast and flowy sections. You will see on the video the full trails. If I am completely honest and you know I will always be I was a bit scared of the goat section. This is an easier section but I have a weird fear of falling and of small heights so the edge of this was a bit hardcore for me. But of course, I did it fine it is all in my head. Yes, I know weird fear for a girl who loves to mountain bike. 

Info about Pitlochry. 

If like us you are a van camper or just passing thought here are a few bit of information you might like.

Best cake - Hands down Hetties teas. I somehow follow them on Instagram and I have been desperate to try their cakes I have to say it lived up the hype and more. Two massive takeaway cake slices £4.50. You will not be disappointed in this place for cake. 

Pitlochry has a Gregg - Hubby was happy. 

The best place to eat  Cafe Biba Pitlochry We had two pizza's and two beers for £25 and the pizza were delicious and massive. I wish I had time to try the pancakes here It is now on the to-do list. 

Public toilets are open 9am-9pm and are 50p 

Shop There is a massive Coop Which is open 7am to 10pm daily. 

Oakley O-Frame® 2.0 MTB Goggles review

Today we have a bit of a kit review post. When I am looking for mountain biking kit to buy I am always surprised by the lack of real reviews. So I thought I would start doing review posts on this site. Today I have Oakleys O-Frame 2.0 MTB goggles. I bought my Oakley O-frame 2.0's from Oakley direct. Which if I am completely honesty was a bit weird. The first thing I noticed is it is actually quite hard to find the MTB goggles on their site? Why is this? I have no idea. you seem to have to search MTB in their search bar. 

 Anyways I was looking for a new set of goggles to go with my New Troy lee designs helmet. If you would like a review of that to let me know. 

I really wanted a pink pair to match my helmet but this was an impossible task after numerous hours searching the internet and emails to different companies it looks like a pink matching google to this helmet was not going to happen. I have never known anyone who has Oakley O-frames 2.0 Mtb goggles so this kinda made me decide to buy them. Oakley sponsors some of the worlds best riders so surely they would have the best googles so I thought I would give them a try. 

As you can see I went for the Oakley O-Frame® 2.0 MTB Goggles in Black Gunmetal /Dark Grey. There are four colour combos to choose from.  I have popped in lots of photos on this review as I really want to show you these goggles. These are currently £40.80 with free postage and packing direct from Oakley. 

I had a few reservations about these goggles but, to be honest, I have them about all goggles. I have a really small head and face. I am an extra small in helmets and I am a firm member of the pea head club But these looked like this would match my helmet and I love My Oakley Cycling glasses I have so thought why not. 

What Oakley says about the Googles 

As an evolution of the legendary O Frame® goggle, the O Frame® 2.0 PRO family has Oakley DNA pumping through every vein. The O Frame® 2.0 PRO MTB extends the O Frame® 2.0 PRO style and performance to a mid-sized fit, but there is nothing medium about it. The large lens with streamlined frame geometry expands peripheral view in every direction. 

 High Definition Optics®Oakley’s patented High Definition Optics® (HDO®) eliminates distortion to give you clearer, sharper, and more accurate vision.

First thing I noticed when they arrived was the extra lense. This is a huge bonus as I was going to order another one. Let's face it is biker go through lenses pretty quick. Well, I do up here in highlands. There is a lot of bad weather in Nevis range and this, in turn, makes me wear my goggles in all conditions and they get scratched a lot. Huge bonus there. I have normally ridden with 100% youth googles. 

The quality of The Oakley O-Frame® 2.0 MTB Goggles really is amazing. Everything just feels Lux. The fleece lining of the goggle is so nice to wear and it really is super comfortable. The design is really nice it envelopes your face and feels super secure without making you feel squashed. If you have worn goggles you will know what I mean here. The straps have rubber gripper meaning no more having to adjust your goggles once the Oakley O-Frame® 2.0 MTB Goggles are on they are on and not going anywhere. I have rattled down Fort William downhill and these do not move. 

 Vents 

We need to take a minute for the vents on Oakley O-Frame® 2.0 MTB Goggles. They are incredible. I mostly ride Fort William we get Rain in very direction. I have struggled in the past with lens fogging. I mean it is to be expected with what I do and the conditions I ride right? Well, I am happy to say I am yet to have these fog up on me during a run. The ventilation on Oakley O-Frame® 2.0 MTB Goggles are designed to perfection. The air appears to be able to keep the lens fog-free no matter what the conditions. This for me is the best part of the googles. 

I have no hesitation in recommending these goggles to you. They really are worth the £40 price tag. To be honest I would be happy if they were double the price. They are the best goggles I have ever had and will be buying them again. 

I have popped in a few more photos for you to have a good look at these goggles for yourself. 

Dont forget you can ask me any question you may have I am always happy to help. 

Why I love Zwift - One year update from a mountain biker

There are a lot of ways to keep fit at home and there are main reasons to work out to stay healthy. I want to talk to you about how I have managed to get fitter and healthier from the comfort of my own home. I have been on a fitness journey for most of my life. I am now the fittest I have ever been and If I am completely honest there is one thing to thank for this improvement. Zwift 

What is Zwift?

Zwift is an online cycling app. How to explain Zwift. It is half fitness half video game. Do not get it twisted when I say video game this is a sweat making fitness-enhancing platform used but novices and professional athletes alike.  I know this sounds strange but let me tell you more. There are so many ways to utilise Zwift. For a full rundown on what Zwift is check out my Zwift for beginners post. 

In nutshell, It is a fitness subscription service that you need a few bits of kit to get the best out of it but that is all explained in my other post. 

Why I Zwift? 

I was looking to up my cycling fitness for mountain biking and after a lot of googling, I found Zwift. As you will have read in my Zwift for beginners post I had to shell out a bit of money to start out on my Zwift journey. I was a bit apprehensive would I actually use this? Was I wasting money? Lots of hesitations but I have to say for my fitness this was the best money I have ever spent. 

You might not know this but I am a full-time blogger. I work from home. Contrary to a lot of peoples thoughts about this occupation I spend a lot of time working and I have to make time for my fitness. 

I have tried road biking around here but I am still very nervous about this. I get quite scared with some of the traffic here and I have been nearly knocked off a few times. I have also been verbally abused. I love in a gorgeous part of the Highlands But it is a one road in one road out kind of place and this leads to a lot of traffic on these roads. This became an increasing worry for me on my road bike. I read about how road being really improves you cycling performance on your mountain bike and I wanted to get cycle fit. 

Why I love Zwift

Since taking the plunge and buying everything for Zwift over a year ago I have become addicted. 

I love Zwift. There is a real community in Zwift. it is a really nice place to be. You are surrounded by other like-minded people from all over the world. 

There are so many ways to get fit from workout plans, to different challenges to group rides or just hitting the never-ending routes. Zwift added different challenges all the time so there is always something new to try or do. This year has seen two new additions with the chance to ride in France and Paris. These are welcome additions and even include the biggest climb in Zwift over 5000ft. 

I am the fittest I have been in my life and this is all down to Zwift. I have set my target at 50 miles per week on Zwift and I try to hit 100 miles per week with a combination of mountain biking and Zwift. If you had told me this before I had started this I would have laughed at you. I would have thought me maintaining that would be insane but most weeks I do a little over 100 miles in case I need to have some time off. 

With being the fittest I have ever been I am the smallest I have ever been. For me, this has taken some getting used to. My fitness journey will be different from most people. You see I was once a size UK 24. I am now a size 8. I struggle a bit with actually believing how small I have become. Notice I don't say slim. I will never see myself as slim but that is my own issues. More on this at a later date. 

My biggest Zwift Challange to date 

Before lockdown, I discovered Zwift route badges. I think they only came out a few weeks before I discovered them. Then I found Zwift insider checklist This has all the route badges on a checklist. (this was pre the new french routes) Well, I love a list so this was the challenge I want to achieve. I got the route badge fever and started to hunt them all down! with this, in my sights, I have a firm goal and I love the sence of achievement I have managed to get nearly all of them. I only have 8 left to go. These are the biggest ones. These will be hard as I can not get off my trainer. My trainer will switch off and I will lose the badge. But I will also do a full pro and cons list of my trainer which I will link in here. 

One year in the bag what have I learned with over a year on Zwift. 

I have learned that if you stick with it you will achieve results. Zwift has changed my life. That sounds dramatic but I am by far the fittest than I have ever been. I am lighter and faster uphill on my mountain bike. I have bike confidence I never had on climbs before. Thanks to Zwift I can ride longer days in the saddle with no problems at all. I can do more days in a row without needing a rest day. I am a better mountain biker because of this online platform. 

I will be continuing my Zwift journey and I will keep you all updated. I will be upgrading my trainer shortly and will do a full review of the old and new one. 

I hope you enjoyed this little Zwift post Do let me know if you like it. 

super fun ways to get fit and healthy

The best way to get fit and healthy is to do it the fun way. Here are some super fun ways to get fit and healthy and burn calories.

Swimming

Swimming can be a really fun way to get fit and healthy. If you can’t swim that much yet, focus on just getting your form right. Many people think they aren’t good swimmers because their form is a little off and they get tired easily. If you perfect your form, you’ll be able to swim much better. You should find it quite therapeutic! There are aqua aerobics and things you can do too, which are nice and low impact if you have bad joints.

Pole Dancing

Pole dancing isn’t the seedy sport that people make it out to be. It’s so popular lately because it helps to teach balance, strength, and a variety of complex movements. You will be able to hold poses you never thought possible as you progress.

Rock Climbing

Climbing things is a great way to get fit, but you don’t need to climb up a real rock face to do it. Rock climbing can be done indoors these days, which is great when the weather is bad or you’re a beginner. You’ll be surprised at how hard it is!

Dancing

When you’re dancing, do you even know you’re working out? Dancing is really high energy and loads of fun, so it’s great for replacing a boring cardio routine. You could do Zumba, belly dancing, or any other kind that takes your fancy. There will be classes for all ages.

Trampolining

Trampolining can burn a ton of calories, and you’re having so much fun you don’t even realise you’ve worked out until afterwards. By heading to a trampoline park you could get fit and have a wonderful time while you’re at it!

Adult Gymnastics

Never quite been able to grasp a handstand or a cartwheel? Go to an adult gymnastics class! You’ll be able to learn all the moves you weren’t able to do as a child and feel proud of yourself. You’ll get much stronger too!

A Sport’s Club

If none of this appeals to you, there’s bound to be a sport’s club out there that does. There’s dodgeball, football, netball, and so many more clubs you could join. It’s never too late to get into a sport!

Don’t be afraid to try something new, especially when you’re benefiting your health like this! Drag a friend along with you the first time if it makes you feel better. Bear in mind going alone could mean you make all kinds of new friends as well as get fit! You can find out how many calories you burn by using an exercise calorie calculator This way you can really find out how hard you have worked in your new fun way to get fit.