Some riders are more equal than others

In this edition of Arrivée, we confront the controversial subject of e-bikes – those magical machines that give cyclists some stealth technology – an added super-charge when our bodies can no longer respond adequately to the rigours of riding. Would their acceptance by Audax destroy its ethic, or would it, as Arrivée managing editor, Ged Lennox suggests, create an inclusivity that would allow older or less able riders to continue to enjoy their sport?

O you who turn the wheel and look to windward, Consider Phlebas, who was once handsome and young as you

– T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land

I’M A BIG FAN of Iain M. Banks and his Culture science fiction series – gritty and insightful. In his first book of the series Consider Phlebas, he imagines a human future in which one can choose to live to any age, be any gender and, indeed, any species one desires. Iain died of cancer in 2013 at the young age of 59. Like all of us, and Phlebas, he was, sadly, all too mortal.

Russel Crowe, as Maximus in Gladiator, famously said: “What we do in life echoes in eternity.” What a lot of hyperbolics, Max… In truth, if we’re really lucky, our life will be remembered as a photo on a dusty mantlepiece until a house clearance dumps it into a carboard box, on to a charity shop, then oblivion. But hey, until then we all keep going as long as we can, don’t we? You see, it’s not death, it’s this slow decline into the photo-frame that bothers me the most – even if it’s my preferred option.

Christmas last year in the gym, keeping fit for the never-to-happen season of 2020, a percussive pain starting in my chest then moving down my left arm, had me to the doctors quick-sharp. The doctor was incredulous, saying: “You are far too fit to have a heart problem” – and the ECG confirmed a perfect heart rhythm, blood pressure, pulse 46 bpm. Reassured I carried on, but the pain became chronic, even when walking. Oddly it improved after an initial 15 minutes on a bike.

And so, to hospital. Never mind your life-long vegetarianism, your fag-free cycling, your alcohol abstemiousness, it’s all in the genes. The CT scan showed a single blocked coronary artery, probably like the one that killed my dad at 49, the last of five heart attacks he unknowingly suffered.

Because of a life in the saddle, my own heart had spontaneously developed a curious little diagonal bypass that was supplementing the blocked section, explaining the odd improvement when warmed up. Weird on the outside and weird on the inside – but it saved my life. Cycling is really good for you – mostly – but never ignore a pain in the chest, no matter how fit you think you are.

The stent fitting too was like science fiction. Fully awake and watching the action on a big monitor, the entire procedure took just 18 minutes. My impressive surgeon at Cheltenham hospital said: “That’s it. I don’t want to see you here again for at least 20 years. Give it a few weeks then get back on your bike.”

There’s nothing like a brush with death to put life into perspective, and during those few weeks of recovery I fell to worrying about losing cycling. So, I contacted the helpful and efficient Sasha Castling at Ribble Bikes to enquire about the new SL-e for this review. I was also, coincidentally, in touch with Richard Betts who was writing his story about having to stop Audax for issue 149 (page 14). His extraordinary tale put my comparatively minor problem into perspective. He is a truly remarkable man, calmly accepting the things that cannot be changed, so I asked him to road-test the bike. You can read his real-life case study on the following pages.

Richard’s story highlighted a paradox for me though. The Audax remit is:

… to encourage, promote, develop and control the sport and pastime of noncompetitive long-distance cycling in all its forms amongst all sections of the community in the United Kingdom and

throughout the world. But, the rules also insist: … the vehicle

must be powered solely by the rider.

No matter how you read it, this pair of statements appear, to me at least, to be oxymoronic – contradictory if not discriminatory, excluding as they do anyone who is physically compromised. Does not “all sections of the community” include people with disability then?

I find this quite a difficult problem to square because all of us already use technology to enhance our performance. As a kid I slogged to school on a Hercules 3-speed steel lump every day – now I have a sleek titanium mount (not to mention a titanium stent) which weighs a fraction of that monster and has 22 gears. We use high-energy gels and science-guided diets,

we drink isotonic formulas to enhance hydration, we use a range of painkillers when needed, we train indoors with hi-tec internetconnected virtual platforms like Zwift, we wear form-fitting clothes to streamline our bodies and keep us warm. The development of carbon fibre is another big advantageous technology. But the latest iteration of e-bikes, that offer a way back for now-compromised riders like Richard, present a genuine problem for us, simply because they could not have been imagined or accommodated in rules that pre-date their invention.

I can’t believe that anyone in our own inclusive culture would deny a rider access to a much-loved sport, a chance to keep up with, as yet, more able friends and enjoy again this life-enhancing activity, on the grounds that they are physically reduced. Furthermore, what difference would it make? Surely, we don’t look down on anyone unless we are helping them up. After all, Audax is defined as a non-competitive activity. Essentially, we ride together against ourselves, the distance, the terrain, the weather and the clock – but never against one-another. Audax is not a race – it says that in the rules too.

While I genuinely admire the truly magnificent physical and mental strength of many of our star riders, who do things I would not even want to dream about, I also feel deeply sympathetic to heroic people like Richard Betts who, having suffered and overcome terrible illness, find themselves excluded by rules that have not been reviewed in the light of new technology.

This technology might be becoming invisible but it’s not going away, already presenting us with a challenge that we will have to confront as the science future of e-bikes becomes the every-day normal. With their tiny secret engines and ever-extending range, they are truly a paradigm shift, not just in the Audax context but also hugely important as sustainable transport in the uncertain future we face of catastrophic global heating, which will certainly make us nostalgic for our current crisis.

We have a choice: either we close ranks and police every ride to make sure no-one is breaking the sacrosanct rules, or we just change those rules and embrace inclusivity, creating a category in our rides that allows for assisted bikes – an e-signature that is fully recognised, clearly defined and positively awarded. This route will prolong our lives on the road and on the planet, until we all fade inevitably into the future and then on to the mantelpiece of history. If we’re lucky.

Please note: this opinion piece has nothing to do with Audax UK or its policy – it is a point of view. Please feel free to write or comment to the author who, as editor of Arrivée, will be happy to present your perspectives in forthcoming editions. No swearing please… gedlennox@me.com

MOTOR HUB DRIVE M1 36V 250w – Max. Torque: 40N.m – Ratio: 14:1 Max Speed – 26km / h 11v and disc compatible Diameter 100 mm Weight 2.1 kg

Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it

Claire, my authority and life partner, tells me I don’t need an e-bike… yet. But I’m not convinced I can resist the temptation. The SL-e arrived in its high-spec Pro format with full carbon frame, Mavic carbon wheels, a beautiful Fizik saddle, 22-speed Shimano Ultegra groupset (di2 is standard in the Pro version) including disk brakes and Ribble carbon seatpost. And then there are the handlebars. Don’t let me go on, but the handlebars… what a difference a handlebar makes. A single piece of t-shaped carbon, flat topped with completely concealed cabling, the handlebars alone made the ride more comfortable than any bike I have ever ridden.

Getting on this bike and just riding it, even without the power drive, felt like such a big step-up that I was hooked from the start. Clearly, the carbon wheels made a difference as I have never before ridden on carbon – the deep v-section rims did catch the occasional side wind but then so do all deep-section wheels. My first little outing to Cheltenham, just 44km, I did without the motor as it’s pretty much down-hill and I wanted to get the feel of the machine.

Immediately I noticed how stable it was – because the majority of the weight is in the rear hub which puts the centre of gravity low. It felt firm and connected to the road, unlike the skittish play you sometimes get on full carbon mounts. This is a real bike, designed for endurance – the addition of a motor is just a bonus. And that seems to be the philosophy behind it, everything is as sleek and smooth-running as you would want. If you were to swap out the wheels you would have a very light, high-end road machine.

As you will read in Richard’s report on the next page, unassisted, the SL-e is a beautifully crafted road bike. And the ride is so comfortable it just takes all the pain out of cycling, especially the handlebars. Whereas I always suffer some nerve pain in my left hand on any distance, the pre-set angle and flat profile seemed to suit my riding position perfectly. I forgot about the tingling and just got on with the riding. The combined aerodynamics of the bars and the frame could certainly be felt in the legs. When you get to where you are going it really doesn’t feel like there’s any problem turning back.

My return run was with a small group of boy racers who wanted to check the bike out. Of course they left me

The Ribble Endurance SL-e comes in three sizes and three configurations, adjustable to order. The frames are carbon and the engine is the same for all three models

Bar belles… a joy to handle

tried it

for dead, on the flat approach to the Cotswold escarpment, as they were all fit youngsters, love ‘em. But then we came to the hills. Young Steven (who was interested in buying an SL-e for his less-strong partner) has a very nice road bike which reports his power output (not something I’ve ever needed) so I switched on my 250-watt engine as we approached the climbs and he tried to stay with me. When his own power output got to 450-watts (wow) he had to give up. Climbing up Painswick Beacon is no joy ride and I have done it many times, but what a feeling to top out with energy to spare and the pack way behind.

If you’ve ever ridden a tandem, this bike feels like you have a strong stoker. When you push on the pedals your torque is sensed and you can feel the motor respond and augment your effort, when you slow down or coast it follows a heartbeat later. You use the gears in the way you would any road bike and apart from the barely perceptible hum when the motor slips in, you would not recognise the engine function at all. It is intuitive and very natural. From a standing start the assist kicks you up to speed shockingly fast, which is great at traffic lights and busy junctions.

An Audax rider needs to average 21-26kph on a long ride and so, much of the time, you are not using the engine, which reduces incrementally from 24kph and cuts out completely at 25kph. The transition is very discrete and when you are cruising the flats no battery power is expended. The biggest help is in undulating territory, which can sap your energy – that’s when the engine comes into its own. If you want to move you have to push the pedals, there is no sitting up, but it will just aid you when your legs are weary, or you are cold into a headwind and still miles from home. It’s like a very kind friend who just loves to help.

If there is one tiny wish, I would want a way to customise the cut-in/out speed so I could extend the range of the bike if I needed to. If the engine activation speed was 20kph I would probably only ever need to use it on hills. As it is, I find myself pushing hard to prevent the motor cutting in, but then I am a bit competitive like that. And I could just turn the motor off of course.

So how far can you go on a single three-hour fully charged battery? I tested the operational distance on a 36km loop from home which has 370m hillage per circuit. I managed four full rounds before the red glow of

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Shimano Tiagra 4700 2x10 Speed Shimano 50-34T x 11-32T Gearing Tektro Mechanical Disc Brakeset Mavic Aksium Elite Evo Disc Wheelset Mavic Yksion Pro UST Tyres LEVEL 1 6061 Alloy Handlebar & Stem. Ribble SL Carbon Seatpost with 5mm Offset. Prologo Kappa RS Saddle From: £2,799

Enthusiast

Shimano 105 R7000 2x11 Speed Shimano 50-34T x 11-32T Gearing Shimano 105 Hydraulic Disc Brakeset Mavic Aksium Elite Disc Wheelset Mavic Yksion Pro UST Tyres LEVEL 5 Carbon Integrated Handlebar & Stem Ribble SL Carbon Seatpost with 5mm Offset. Fizik Antares R5 Saddle From: £3,299

Pro

Shimano Ultegra R8050 Di2 2x11 Speed. Shimano 50-34T x 11-32T Gearing. Shimano Ultegra Hydraulic Disc Brakeset. Mavic Cosmic Pro Carbon Disc Wheelset. Continental Grand Prix GT 28mm Tyres. LEVEL 5 Carbon Integrated Handlebar and Stem. Ribble SL Carbon Seatpost with 5mm Offset. Fizik Antares R5 Saddle. From: £4,999

www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ ribble-endurance-sl-e/

the battery warned I was on the dregs but it still got me to 151km on the lowest assist setting (there are three levels). If you were to try a 200km ride on fairly kind territory and did the first leg unassisted you could easily make it round. Very impressive, but of course you will be doing it alone – for now at any rate – because this stealth technology is against the rules.

● Overall conclusion: The Ribble SL-e is a wonder… For anyone recovering from injury, especially knee or leg issues, it can get you moving and back on the road faster and more effectively, sustaining your core fitness until you can go it alone once again. Or if you are just thinking of hanging up your cleats and taking it easy because you no longer love the sport this machine will bring you right back into the joy of cycling, because when you finish your ride you won’t feel utterly destroyed. On those bitter winter days the SL-e will tempt you outside when you would have prefered to sit by the fire. Please, can I keep it… oh, and did I mention the handlebars?

e-bike sparks surge of super power into weary legs…

I USED TO ROW on the River Severn with a good friend. He suggested we cycle together to and from the rowing club to increase our fitness levels in order to improve our performance at regattas.

I couldn’t keep up with my rowing buddy on my antiquated mountain bike, so he suggested I bought a road bike. This opened up a new world for me and soon cycling took over from rowing as my preferred activity for keeping fit. My friend then moved to Australia. Missing his companionship I decided to look for cycling events I could enter as a solo cyclist. I tried an Audax event and was immediately smitten. I also made friends with fellow Audaxers and experienced a great sense of camaraderie.

As I’ve detailed in previous contributions to Arrivée, my RRTY attempt was terminated after seven months due to the sudden onset of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in August 2012. After an extensive stay in hospital and some challenging treatments such as chemotherapy and stem-cell therapy, I entered full remission and began the slow recovery process.

The long-term impact of my illness left me with nerve damage and the corresponding muscle wastage and reduction in strength. My right calf muscle has wasted away so much that I can no longer balance to stand-up on my pedals on steep inclines. The factor that affects my cycling the most, though, is chronic fatigue – a by-product of the invasive cancer treatments. This can leave me feeling completely wasted after cycling for just a couple of hours.

However, I recovered enough to attempt and succeed in completing a 113 km Audax in 2015 called

Ill-health forced Richard Betts to finally give up Audax events at the age of 61. So he was an obvious choice to put an e-bike through its paces. To say that his experience dramatically changed his opinion of the machines is a massive understatement. Here’s his review…

the Morley Meander, on a reasonably flat course in Norfolk. I completed a few more 100km events over the following years but the effort was overpowering my weak immune system and I would often suffer from infections following these events.

With the realisation that I was not getting any stronger or fitter at cycling and the increasing frequency of poor health following Audax events, I decided to retire from Audax and limit my activities to social cycling. Like many things, I did not appreciate how much I enjoyed Audax until it was taken away from me. Ged Lennox, the managing editor of Arrivée and all-round good bloke, asked me to contribute a case study to an e-bike review he was conducting. He told me that I was the perfect candidate to assess the e-bike, with my Audax and medical history. I’ve toyed with the idea of riding an electric bike for a while but felt

❝We’d ridden a mere 200 metres and I was in raptures already about this magnificent machine. Riding this bike was like an epiphany. My 61-year-old legs suddenly felt like 25-year-old legs ❞

that this was something more suitable for those of more limited ability. To be honest I also felt that the experience of riding an e-bike would be so far distanced from that experienced riding a conventional bike that it would be short on enjoyment.

So, I met up with Ged in the southern Cotswolds on a sunny autumnal day to give it a go. Ged had identified a 40km course with some significant “lumps” and of course breath-taking scenery. Ged rode his favourite bike, a titanium framed, Van Nicholas. I rode the Ribble Endurance SL-e-bike.

I examined the e-bike carefully while Ged went

through the simple operating instructions. The first thing that struck me was that this e-bike would be mistaken for a standard bike by most people. The battery was encased in the down-tube which had a surprisingly small cross-section. The electric motor was part of the rear hub, no bigger than a Rohloff hub-gear. There is no obtrusive electric wiring, all electric control being administered from a single illuminated button on the crossbar.

So, this is the classic wolf in sheep’s clothing of the e-bike world! On first impressions, very aesthetically pleasing.

The operation of this bike from the electrical control button was intuitive and extremely straightforward. I could summon three levels of power – green, amber and red – by merely pressing this one control button. “How simple and how clever,” I said. We’d ridden a mere 200 metres and I was in raptures already about this magnificent machine. Riding this bike was like an epiphany. My 61-year-old legs suddenly felt like 25-year-old legs.

I was finding the bike very easy to ride on the lowest level of electrical assistance, the green level. I changed up to the amber level by pressing the button twice. I could feel the motor surging. It was like taking an energetic Labrador for a walk!

I saved the red power level for a couple of steep ascents. This was impressive. I’ve never been able to cycle up slopes that quickly, even when I was young and athletic. The important thing was that I didn’t have to leave the saddle to get up the steep inclines which was a major benefit.

Finally I turned the electrical assistance off completely and found out that I could cycle just as easily, and certainly faster than my Audax bike. The weight of the e-bike is a mere 12kg, so not much different to a fully laden Audax bike.

This low weight combined with aerodynamic features such as the carbon wheels and handlebars provide a very smooth ride. This was an important observation, because I then realised that if your battery had run down on a long ride you would be able to complete your ride fairly easily as a conventional bike.

Trialling this e-bike has completely changed my attitude to going electric. I thought those sorts of bikes were basically mobility scooters for old men. I can now see that you can get a proper bike with electric assistance which doesn’t make you feel like you’re joining the geriatric club before your time.

The great thing about the bike is that it looks and feels like a high-quality, carbon road bike. Its good looks provoked favourable comments by all my cycling buddies. You would definitely feel chuffed to have this in your bike collection at home. In fact, this could be your only bike and fulfil many roles, including riding Audax events.

I’m certain that in my state of compromised

❝Audax rules do not allow the use of electrically-assisted bikes to complete an Audax event. I can appreciate this, but wonder if a keen cyclists like me that require a bit of assistance?❞ health I could complete and more importantly, enjoy a 100km event – and possibly a longer one.

However, as we all know the Audax rules do not allow the use of electrically-assisted bikes to complete an Audax event. I can appreciate this, but wonder if a separate category could be created for keen cyclists like me that require a bit of assistance?

I’m also a golfer, albeit not a very accomplished one. However, I’m lucky to play a sport that recognises that we are not all young and athletic but we all want to enjoy the sport and take part in competitions, but we need a bit of assistance. This is where the unique handicap system comes in. This week my old boss travelled down to play me at golf at my home course, The Worcestershire Golf Course in Malvern. He’s a younger, fitter, and more skilled golfer with a handicap of nine. I’m not so good. My handicap is 27. Your handicap is based on your scoring history. This meant that he gave me 18 shots, which on a standard golf course of 18 holes equates to a one shot per hole advantage for me on all holes. This resulted in a very close enjoyable game.

Much though golf is criticised for its rather traditional, stuffy image it has made an effort to diversify and become more inclusive. Electric golf buggies and mobility scooters are now allowed on golf courses to help the less able to enjoy the sport. Golf is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK, following years of decline.

So, do we also want to move with the times and increase the inclusivity of Audax by providing an e-bike category?

This is sure to be a divisive question for the Audax community, I realise, but in a time of change this

separate category could be created for

seems to be the ideal time to tee-off the discussion.

Different strokes for different folks… Richard stands with the Ribble SL-e on the first tee at Malvern golf club.

Torino-Nice Rally

The ride is a touring event that starts in Turin and ends in Nice, taking place in early September. There is a recommended route but no obligation to stick to it. The route includes around 485km of tarmac and takes in two Grand Tour cols alongside 240km of rocky gravel-based military stradas, often at an altitude of 2,000m or more. Route information is also available for anyone wanting to do the ride at other times. The ride is free aside from a small donation to the Smart Shelter Foundation. Find out more on the event’s website.

Equipment: I took an Isen G.O.A.T. steel-framed touring mountain bike. I used tubeless 2.1 tyres which worked well on and off road. I was glad to get no punctures – particularly as when I returned home I discovered all the back-up inner tubes I’d taken were the wrong valve type and would have been useless. I used a variety of fashionable “bikepacking” bags, strapping a lot of my equipment to oversized bottle cages on the fork. A single front chainring and a wide range cassette gave me a lowest gear of 32x50. Unusually for me I suffered no mechanical issues aside from the odd bolt working loose.