My 3 hour trail ride turned into a 3.5 hour excursion as I encountered some mechanical difficulties just about as far away from home as I could possibly be on the route. I was heading, I think, for FARTHING DOWN.
Luckily for me I realised the nature of my impending mechanical doom (earlier today) just outside of Cycling Made Easy in Coulsdon.
30 minutes later I was good to go.
The point of this post is to thank them and give a heads-up to anyone in the area. They did an awesome job doing some quick repairs and ROB seemed to know FAR too much about maintenance for my liking.
THANK YOU GUYS
From my brief experience today; a highly competent bike repair shop. They also had an inordinate amount of electric bikes of every type (I thought there only was one type). There were even carbon fibre mountain bike…with electric motors, handy for your non-sporting friends for a day out of YOUR choosing (they can keep up).
https://vimeo.com/103996199
Last Updated on 16 January 2026 by the5krunner
My favourite kit and nutrition
- Injinji – Runners protect your toes. Avoid discomfort and minor injury. Run more. Run faster. I use them.
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter — The small adapter that keeps your charging cables tidy. Essential for race day. I use one.
- Garmin charging puck — the fastest and most reliable way to top up your Garmin before a session. I use one.
- Ravemen FR300 — Front light that mounts directly under your Garmin or Wahoo head unit. Keeps your bars clean and your beam pointed where it matters. I use one.
- Body Glide – The blue anti-chafe stick that all swimmers and many runners use. I use it.
- Maurten — The race nutrition trusted by elite athletes. Gels and drink mixes engineered to be easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Garmin Varia RTL515 — A radar rear light that alerts you to vehicles approaching from behind. Pairs with your Edge or Garmin watch. I use this model.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2 — The power-meter pedals most serious cyclists choose. Accurate, easy to move between bikes. I use this model.
- Garmin Forerunner 970 — A serious choice for a pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Polar H10 — My daily driver for accurate, waking HRV readings.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3 — The bike computer that has the feature Garmin lacks: usability. I use mine on most rides.
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID
