Indecisive? Step this way… The Point AR from Mango (and it does come in colours other than orange) has been designed with you in mind. When it comes to road v trail, your choice is binary. We’ve all witnessed scrawny roadies dismounting and carrying their beloved frames across even the shortest stretches of gravel. But the Point AR is properly versatile. It features a lightweight yet tough aluminium frame with seamless welds and internal cabling, so it will hold its own with the Lycra brigade on Sunday morning. But it also has grabby disc brakes and wide-clearance carbon forks, so you can swap in knobby tyres and mudguards if you want to get down and dirty on Saturday afternoon, too. Better still, Mango is currently offering £100 off. Boom! Decision made… (mangobikes.com)
Price: £749, reduced from £849
Frame: aluminium with carbon forks
Gears: Shimano 105
Here comes Santa…
The festive jumper is already a feature of office parties and Saturday drinks all the way through December. Now, thanks to Scimitar, you can wear one on your Sunday morning club ride, too, or maybe just to brighten up your commute. There are three on offer: this Santa jersey, a Christmas pudding one or a green elf jersey. They are well made and comfortable. The jerseys cost £30 and are exclusive to Halfords.
Winter wimp outs
Cold weather is usually a great excuse for letting yourself off your winter training. But why not take the festive spirit outside with you? Indulge yourself with some guilt-free Christmas food bingeing, then do some sport. It’s also a great way to bond with friends and family. We all know about the classic Christmas family walk, but what about an open water swim, a run or a bike ride? Graham Buckle provides a perfect case study. He’s a swimming vicar who choses floating over bloating at Christmas. Here’s a little film from Wiggle which will get you in the mood…
Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @MartinLove166
