Ventoux

Our guest writer & friend Leigh send us few lines about his experience with us at Mt Ventoux a couple months back...

Firstly thank you so much for organising it Stef. Even when it went tits up with the airport strikes you managed to sort it all for us.

It was an amazing trip and I look forward to going on more with Saddle Drunk in the future. I was surprised how easy it was to get to Ventoux from London with the bikes on the plane and train. It was great that you had booked everything for us. Made the journey very straightforward, even after I went to the wrong terminal to begin with.

The accommodation was perfect. Plenty of space for us, very near Ventoux and came with great chef 😉. I loved the warm up ride to the very snazzy bar on the mountain. Excellent way to prepare for the next day's ascent(s).

From a cold grey London in the morning I was now sitting on the mountain in the afternoon, enjoying beautiful views with great beer and greater company. Who could ask for more. I absolutely loved climbing Ventoux.

I couldn't have asked for better weather and better climbing companions. Apart from obviously reaching the top twice the highlight really was the hybrid pain au chocolate/almond croissant (most delicious pastry I have ever had).

I will definitely be back to climb the mountain again. I need to bag the 3 ascents now. It is an addictive climb which really is legendary. Thank you to yourself and Dave for making the weekend such a joy.

Thank you very much Leigh & if you like more informations for our next trip across the continent please email us at ride@saddledrunk.com.

Merry Xmas.

Yellow Jersey Insurance -Bicycle & Travel Insurance

Yellow Jersey – Bicycle and Travel insurance

We have teamed up with Yellow Jersey Cycle Insurance to offer you the best cover for your bicycle & travel needs.

As a customer of SaddleDrunk, we’re pleased to offer you a 5% discount on any and all policies. Get in touch for your discount code today....promocode... SADDLEDRUNK5

Yellow Jersey offer specialist cover for bicycles which includes all the standard cover you’d expect but also other key features like race fee cancellation, crash damage, wheel cover and even theft from inside a vehicle.

Yellow Jersey are the official supplier to the British Triathlon Federation as well as sponsors for pro teams and athletes alike.

Yellow Jersey also offer a 60% discount on all additional bikes after you insure your first so they are super competitive!

See below a short summary of the bike insurance cover and what it includes.

Bicycle Insurance Features

• Worldwide Cover as standard

• Crash damage while training and racing

• No increase in premiums if you make a claim

• 20% renewal discount

• Race wheel, pothole protection

• Race fee cancellation

• Theft (including from vehicles)

• 48hr transition cover

• Damage Cover in transit to bike or box

• £1000 bike box cover as standard

• £250 accessories cover as standard

• Optional clothing, helmet and wetsuit cover

• Roadside recovery

• 60% “multi bike” discount

• Family cover

• Available as short term or annual policies

We believe this is a comprehensive and very competitive policy from Yellow Jersey. If you claim it will not affect your home insurance, they do not increase your premium and they actually give you an automatic 20% renewal discount. Finally, the policy even includes a free YJ DNA+ forensic protection system worth £36.

Yellow Jersey also offer travel insurance

Why do I need a specific Cycle Travel Insurance?

In much the same way as you buy travel insurance for winter sports, Yellow Jersey provides travel insurance specific to cycle events / trips.

If you already have travel insurance, ask yourself two simple questions:

• Have I checked it covers holidays where the primary purpose is cycling e.g. a training camp or cycle tour?

• Have I checked it covers me if I’m taking part in an event e.g. a long distance sportive, a charity ride or a triathlon race?

A lot of people are unaware that travel insurance provided by their work or banks excludes claims if they come off their bike whilst on a cycling specific holiday. Some travel insurers will cover cycling if it’s an incidental part of your holiday e.g. you hired a bike for a day with your family, but not if the primary purpose of the trip is cycling. So if you were racing an Ironman in Austria, taking part in the Mallorca 312 or simply training with a group in the Pyrenees your normal travel insurance is likely inadequate.

A lot of popular cycling routes and destinations in Europe have only private hospitals nearby whilst state hospitals are few and far between. No matter where you are or what type of cycling you will be enjoying, if you have cycle travel insurance with Yellow Jersey, you can relax and ride with complete confidence that you’re covered.

Since active people rarely confine themselves to a single discipline, Yellow Jersey annual policies also include a FREE Winter Sports Package worth up to £80.

Further info on bike insurance:

Why choose Yellow Jersey to insure your bike?

There are lots of reasons why you should get specific insurance for bicycles. These include:

• All claims are handled in-house and Yellow Jersey aim to get 95% of customers back on the bike in 14 days or less.

• Yellow Jersey cycle insurance claims will have no effect on your home insurance’s no claims bonus.

• Yellow Jersey do not you charge you extra at renewal if you’ve made a claim; in fact, you automatically get a 20% renewal discount.

• Yellow Jersey annual bicycle insurance even comes with a Yellow Jersey DNA+ forensic protection system, to help with theft prevention, worth £36.

Short summary of both:

Yellow Jersey Insurance

Yellow Jersey Cycle Insurance offers a pair of complementary insurance products to cover all eventualities for training, travelling, riding and racing.

Bicycle insurance providing complete cover for your bike in the UK and overseas from crash damage and theft, to race fee cancellation and third party liability.

Cycle-specific travel insurance covering you for medical mishaps and repatriation when riding abroad, on top of all the features you’d expect from a standard travel insurer.

Christmas Orders Updates

Ciao a tutti!

Days are running fast and we are already at the end of October and it won’t be long before Christmas is here!

So in order to avoid the Christmas rush, any Christmas order for items not on stock would need to be placed by 15th November to ensure production and delivery in time for Christmas. 

For any order placed after 15th November and required for Christmas, please email store@saddledrunk.com to check availability and/or request a speedy production which we will always try to accommodate, if possible. 

Ciao & Be safe

SD Team

Leith Hill NO DRILL...

Ciao a tutti,

Few weeks I was at the Leg of Steel cycling event organised by Ful On Tri and I have some people from the community of Leith Hill,a cycling mecca for Londoners & non Londoners...but for those HILL CLIMBERS....

This what they say about the drilling at Leith Hill.

RISK TO WATER SUPPLY

Drilling through aquifer – Sutton & East Surrey Water objected on grounds of “risk to water supply” (BBC News)

RISK OF SERIOUS AIR POLLUTION

Gas aring “permitted between 7am and 7.30pm except in an emergency”

IRREPARABLE DAMAGE TO ANCIENT SUNKEN LANE
Coldharbour Lane is hundreds of years old, near unique and only 3.8 metres wide in places – a recent survey shows landmark trees at risk

TRAFFIC CHAOS & ROAD SAFETY

Over 1,000+ HGV movements up and down Coldharbour Lane, including a massive self-propelled oil rig 19 metres long and 60 tonnes crane. Safety concerns for cyclists, mountain bikers, walkers and joggers

WIRED-OFF COMPOUND ON PUBLIC LAND

3 metre high security fencing around C. one hectare of natural forest woodland supporting threatened species of ora and fauna – the area will be clear felled

35 METRE HIGH MASSIVE OIL RIG

Nearly twice the height of Leith Hill Tower, it is so tall it needs an aircraft warning light and 24 hour oodlit compound

DESECRATING YOUR AONB & GREEN BELT

Proposed drill site in Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a place of great landscape heritage in the Green Belt. The impacts
of the development could not be wholly reversed - it’s estimated it would take 25 years to replicate the appearance of the site.

RED LIST SPECIES ON SITE

Birds that frequent the site are on the
RSPB Red List as globally threatened with severe decline (up to 50%) in UK breeding population and loss of range in last 25 years

LOCAL DEMOCRACY OVERRULED

A sustained community campaign won a public inquiry in 2012 but was overthrown in 2014 by a High Court ruling in favour of drilling “in the national interest”

EXPLORATORY DRILLING OR FULL SCALE PRODUCTION?
Planning permission to date is for exploratory drilling but the oil company refuse to rule out full scale production

METHOD OF EXTRACTION

Conventional drilling may give way to novel extraction methods through ‘acidisation’ – toxic chemicals pumped deep into the earth to loosen the so-called ‘tight’ oil

MASS INDUSTRIALISATION OF THE WEALD

Referring to ‘tight oil’, Stephen Sanderson, CEO of UK Oil & Gas Investments (UKOG) says “This type of oil deposit very much depends on being able to drill your wells almost back to back so it becomes very much like an industrialised process”

SURREY HILLS AREA OF OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY OIL PRODUCTION

Other sites in planning, preparation or production include Brockham, Horsehill, Albury, Broadford Bridge, Palmer’s Wood (Godstone), King’s Farm (South Godstone), and others. Brockhamoilwell.co.uk

NEGATIVE IMPACT ON PROPERTY PRICES

“There is no compelling need for oil site in Surrey Hills” public inquiry told.

THIS NEED NOT HAPPEN BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP...

Share this with story with your friends & family.....Save the Cyclists & Non Cyclists...

Save your Segments,KOM,PB

SAVE YOUR LIFE FROM LORRIES

Vegan Shoes for Trendy Cyclists.

Style & Fashion are main priorities for the sports people during and after the activities.Hence our meeting with VYOM London to discover more about their Vegan Shoes.

I met with Ravi & Vishaal and this what they have said to me.

Our vegan shoes are hand crafted in the United Kingdom by our brilliant artisan shoemaker using only premium graded faux-leather. We have an uncompromising commitment to deliver innovative designs with a strong focus on style and quality.

Our brand strives upon maintaining a harmonious relationship with the wider community of planet Earth; our obligations serve both wildlife and mankind equally. 

We set out to make shoes that combine flair and elegance whilst providing a high standard of craftsmanship.

Vyom London will always be about Vegan, Style & Quality.

We believe that sharing is caring – our creative fashion sense is for the whole world to experience!

Our designs are timeless and elegant with a modern twist. We use the best materials which are rich in texture, colour and comfortability.

Oxford Two Tones

The result is a Premium Vegan shoe without the compromise on craftsmanship. Along with taking care of our wildlife, it’s our duty to also be eco-friendly. Thus our premium graded faux-leather is sourced from Polyurethane (PU) instead of PVC leatherette which contains chlorine, a toxic chemical which produces dioxin during its manufacturing process and can be very harmful to the environment. Furthermore, in regards to its material properties, PU is very comfortable and highly durable in all weather conditions.

Each and every one of our shoes is hand crafted by the finest Goodyear Welted process which is still considered one of the finest methods of shoe constructions.

The process involves the upper part of the shoe to be shaped over the ‘last’ and fastened on by sewing the synthetic strip (also known as the "welt") to the inner and upper sole. As well as using a welt, stitching holds the material firmly together.

Oxford Toe Rose

The result is highly valued for being relatively waterproof by minimizing water penetration into the insole and the relative ease of resoling. Each one of our shoes is constructed with a high density resin sole, thus enabling them with great strength and durability. 

Handmade in UK

From the very beginning we promised ourselves that we would always go the extra mile and never take short cuts. We wanted to do things the ethical way, not the cheap or the fast way.

We have always been keen in supporting our home grown British economy; hence our shoes are made in the small town of Northamptonshire. The craftsmen and women in this artisan factory have been making shoes for generations and they have the tradition, experience and passion to deliver a world class product. 

Style & Design

The first range which we are kicking off with is our Timeless City Collection - catered for the urban city worker. We ensured that our designs were in line with tradition and yet we explored our boundaries to give it that special innovative flare to stand out from the rest of the crowd. 

The shoes will be available to purchase in our online store from tomorrow.

Please visit the store & be part of the new style of shoes.

SD TEAM.