BIKE Magazine - May 2019

USA Cycling - Toruing adventure cycling - Training - Nutrition - Bike review

UK’S LEISURE CYCLING AND TRAVEL MAGAZINE

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MAY 2019

2 BIKE MAGAZINE

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BIKE MAGAZINE 3

CONTENTS

INSIDE MAY 2019

06 MARTYN ASHTON Interview Martyn Ashton is a former British and World Champion mountain bike trials rider, stunt rider and team manager. > Interview

12 Bamboo

48 OREGON: BIG CYCLING

Bamboo bikes are growing in popularity and are currently on display at The Design Museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cycle Revolution Exhibition. Interestingly they appeal to the desire for bespoke and self-built. > New

20 Bikepacking The discovery of bikepacking was, for me, something of an epiphany.

With limited time and opportunity to go riding off-road, I would revisit the same local trails time and again.

54 CYCLING TRAINING PLAN

> Fat Tyres and Camp Fires

28 Helsinki to Singapore First of all, and simply because nowadays we all pack at least two or three electronic gadgets when cycling about; power. > Series

4 BIKE MAGAZINE

BIKE MAGAZINE 5

WELCOME

Welcome

to the May issue With my bike insurance coming up for renewal I got thinking about how not to get my bike stolen. I have always been one of these selfish people who tries to take my bike with me wherever I go. I got away with this when I commuted for work purposes with Sustainable Transport Charity Sustrans; nonchalantly draping my bike upon my shoulder like a bag, swooning through office receptions saying “it’s for a meeting about cycling, the bike comes with me.”

This approach has led to uncomfortable feelings of arrogance and certainly yields little success in the public domain; particularly, and understandably, in places that are concerned about cleanliness and safety, namely medical centres, clothes shops and respectable restaurants. In actual fact, when travelling locally my scooter has given more scope within these mopped and hoovered environments.

Other tactics have proved useful.

I used to think that the sprint to the café stop on group rides was to get the order of a bacon butty in before the other fifteen riders did.

Not so; it’s to get your bike safely against the café wall with three other bikes leaning on top, thus virtually unstealable. When riding solo or in a smaller group, sitting at the café

window can work, as long as you have adequately risk assessed the dash to the outside, silly cycling shoes considered. For the more anxious amongst us this can result in the sinful lack of attention to how good a slice of cake that really was.

It is akin to that disrupted nap on a train when the only available seat is not within sight of where the bike is placed. Having to open a watchful eye at every stop reminds me of the cat napping once there were babies in the house.

Let us not forget the art of “popping in.” Just how quickly can you purchase a supermarket item or pick up a prescription? Faster than it takes to steal a bike apparently, even though rapid movement in lycra resembles the ridiculous Mr. Bean.

All of this could be dealt with through a decent lock. That extra weight, taking-up-space, more faffing, “am I the only one with a lock” lock. Oh well, I could argue that all of the above is keeping me fit and on the ball. > Leah Alger - Editor

Magazine Team

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USA Cycling - Toruing adventure cycling - Training - Nutrition - Bike review

UK’S LEISURE CYCLING AND TRAVEL MAGAZINE

BIG CYCLING:

OREGON BAMBOO BIKES BIKEPACKING FAT TYRES AND CAMP FIRES

HEALTHY CYCLING £5.95 / €6.59

PRINTED IN THE UK

MAY 2019

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MAY 2019

6 BIKE MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW

MARTYN ASHTON

Interview

BIKE MAGAZINE 7

INTERVIEW

Martyn Ashton is a former British and World Champion mountain bike trials rider, stunt rider and team manager. Now presenter of YouTube channel Global Mountain Bike Network and producer of You Tube films – Road Bike Party 1, 2 and 3 and Back on Track. He is also an ambassador for the charity Wings for Life having suffered a life changing accident in September 2013 which left him paralysed from the waist down. Last July he rode a modified mountain bike on the trails in Argon Festiniog, North Wales.

Gary: Your Facebook page shows you are obviously inspiring a huge number of people.

Do you think you have pushed the boundaries of disability mountain bike riding?

Martyn: Good question. I am really lucky to have support from the cycling industry to get back out on a bike, particularly from close friends who are professional riders themselves, but also the energy from the cycling community. I certainly feel I had a lot of help so I don’t want to take all the credit for it. The way I achieved it was essentially to adapt a sit ski seat (a winter disability sport) onto a mountain bike. I really liked the idea of being on two wheels and the fact no one had made this adaption before captured people’s imagination and we had a really great time, seen in the video. People like to see people having a good time. If that inspires people then great, it’s my job as a professional mountain biker to make mountain biking look good fun.

Gary: Guys have been riding four-wheeled mountain bikes in the Lake District for a number of years. How important was it to you to get back on two wheels?

Martyn: I think the four-wheeled bikes look super fun, there is also a three-wheeled version that looks pretty amazing but for whatever reason two wheels captured my imagination; leaning into a corner, balancing the bike that was what I felt excited about.

Gary: Is there a market equivalent of the electric bike I saw you riding around on in the first part of your video?

Martyn: I have several bikes and this is the same bike design as I used in the Back On Track video. It is a mountain bike frame with a sit ski seat and an existing mountain bike ego motor – throttle actuated bike – more like an off-road motor bike. There is a fine line between what is mountain biking and what is not, and I am not sure what I think about it but then I love motorcycles. If I was to do a downhill video with an electric bike it would need to be a different style to a traditional mountain bike video. Back On Track was a traditional downhill video. I love it, the slight anxiety of knowing I couldn’t stop is fun and having people around you whose job it is to not let you stop rolling along is hilarious.

They had huge enjoyment out of that and

that feeling of ‘OMG’ we’ve got to keep him moving! Going out and riding your bike is something you do with your mates. When I think about going riding I think laughing and banter. Electric bikes are slightly different and I’d be thinking something slightly different than riding a normal mountain bike trail. I like riding motor bikes so I am in both camps. The electric bike is safer because I can choose when to stop. A downhill bike with no motor is a bit like ‘let’s see what happens’.

Gary: You also mention your family quite a lot in your writing and videos. Are your family the driving force behind your rehabilitation? I see that your son is becoming a trials rider.

“ I am really lucky to have support from the cycling industry to get back out on a bike” Martyn: My son Alfie actually quite likes BMX at the moment. He’s into quite a lot of stuff at the moment.

Gary: How old is he?

Martyn: He’s fifteen and up for anything. Like any fifteen-year-old he’s pulled in lots of different directions – great person, lots of positive energy, a really happy kid. My injury affected him.

Gary: How did it affect him?

Martyn: Life changing for all of us, changed all the plans but we’ve been through an experience where we’ve come to a different understanding

8 BIKE MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW

“ Somebody has said I should try an adapted plane” of how things are and how things work.

Definitely they are a huge support for me. Can’t imagine what it would be like without them. They have been amazing.

It’s changed all our lives. I think we do a pretty good job sometimes; our matter of factness about it is disarming to some people. I’ve got a really positive view of my situation and have had one from the moment I had my accident. I was lucky enough to realise that I was alive and that gratitude has never gone away. It got me on the right path almost immediately and we’ve got a great understanding of it.

Gary: I guess it is easier for them to be positive if you are positive?

Martyn: I guess so. I don’t want to make it sound like I’m Mr Cheerful. I definitely have my off days but it’s just normal stuff. Like today it’s not very nice weather wise and that makes me feel, just like anyone else, oh I wish it were sunny today. When it’s raining I don’t sit inside and think oh I can’t walk.

Gary: Do you think – oh I can’t get out on my bike today?

Martyn: The bike and getting back on it has not been the big mission that my FB page would suggest. I didn’t think oh I have got to ride again – I presumed I would which says a lot about the people around me. My accident taught me a lot about life, what is really important.

Years ago I would have thought bike riding is what it’s all about and that is what defines me. It doesn’t.

Gary: So the accident has almost created a bigger picture?

Martyn: I’m very grateful for the situation I’m in. I’ve learnt a lot and I have a lot to learn. I was fortunate to have a long and fun riding career. I’ve got a sad story to tell if I choose

but everybody has got a sad tale to tell.

It took me until 40 to find it out but the journey I’m on has been a good one and you don’t know where it is going.

Gary: Finally, your whole idea behind your concept ‘Try Before July’ is that there are so many things you might want to do but actually you just have to get on and do them. What are you planning next?

Martyn: I tried to focus on ‘Try Before July’ as a goal for myself. It feels great to try something new and that’s when you realise it’s great to be alive. I’ve got a list of things people have offered to help me do – one of them is flying! Somebody has said I should try an adapted plane.

If it is horrendous I want it to be as horrendous as possible. I hate flying I think because I spent so much time flying so I could compete that it has put me off so I’m not sure if I will do it or not.

Another goal is World Run – organised

by Wings for Life.

Gary: Tell us about that.

Martyn: World Run is a running race that happens all over the world at the same time but instead of having a finishing line, the finishing line chases you. You run off and then 15mins later a car starts off on the same track and

chases you down. It is so much fun as you can almost sense the car behind you as the furore builds. The car is usually driven by a celebrity and in the UK in 2015 it was David Coultard. It is in May 2016 in Cambridge – it has been at Silverstone for the last couple of years. Being in Cambridge is going to be really cool because there will be lots of support from the public. My wife Lisa ran alongside me and we got about 10k but there are runners who take it really seriously. The level of runners is from both ends of the scale, from ultra marathon runners to my dad who is 80 years old. You can watch it digitally and it’s all live. The global winner ran 76km.

It’s a brilliant event.

The charity Wings for Life organises it and their mission is to find a cure for spinal cord injury. It’s really important and I feel that in the future they will find a cure and if I can do my bit to help then I will.

A big thank you to Martyn Ashton for talking to us at Cycling World.

Join Wings for Life on May 8th 2016. Be part of the only global race where the finish line catches you.

BIKE MAGAZINE 9

Eat, Sleep, Ride, Repeat.

It’s good to get away and see somewhere new. And when you’ve finished a long ride, exploring new places, it’s good to have a little bit of comfort; a cold drink, a hot drink, a microwave, gas hobs, running water, a sofa, double beds with mattresses. The things we take for granted in our own homes. The 6-berth OPUS® Camper Trailer can offer you all of those comforts, plus a whole lot more, including the ability to carry up to 6 cycles on it’s roof. OPUS® takes care of the simple things, leaving you more time to concentrate on your routes.

Start planning your next route today with OPUS®

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10 BIKE MAGAZINE

CYCLING MIRROR

THE MIRROR

THAT CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE Jamais Contente (Never Happy): the name of the car that, way back in 1899, was the first to go at 100 km/h. This name could also describe Carlo Dondo (1942): he is never entirely satisfied with his creations; his first thoughts are how he can improve them and simultaneously invent something new and useful

Being an inventor is not a job, but a state of mind.

It’s a kind of virus that gets into your bloodstream as a child, one that Carlo soon learned to recognise and take advantage of amid the one thousand and one necessities and surprises of everyday life. Finding in Switzerland a more receptive and productive base than in Italy, he left when he was just sixteen years old.

The idea of the drop bar mirrors came from a traumatic experience of Carlo Dondo, after two serious accidents on his custom made racing bike. Two accidents that could have been avoided if only he hadn’t had to turn around to check the traffic behind him. His innate passion for cycling urged him to find a solution suitable for all road bike enthusiasts.

N SAVE YOUR LIFE

ack in ribe ons; sly

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The license plate device Carlo invented in 1984, for which he won his first Silver and Gold medals in Geneva and Brussels, was already a consolidated business at the end of the last Millennium. So much so that a few years’ much so that a few years after selling his business to a third party he started to focus on and improve every aspect of the product range that embodies his entrepreneurial philosophy: the Sprintech® Racing drop bar mirror for racing bicycles and the Sprintech® City for MTB were born. Just as had happened for the license plate device, when the drop bar mirrors were presented at the Innovation Exhibition in Martigny in Switzerland in 1996 they won the second prize for Innovation and in

s all

n his first Silver and Gold medals in Geneva and ast millennium, so much so that a few years

2012 the Gold Medal at the International Invention Exhibitions in Brussels and Geneva.

Today, the Sprintech® mirrors have earned the reputation among cyclists as the best in the industry. When other brands rattle and spin out of position, Sprintech® mirrors hold true. Riders value the superior quality of these products thanks to their sleek design and ease of fitting. They are unobtrusive, adjustable and secure positioning when riding over cobbles or bumps. Once used, you will wonder how you navigated the roads without them!

SEEING WELL is only the first half of safety. The second is BEING SEEN. Carlo understood this early on and, between one ride and another, he began to reflect on this. Something that would ALWAYS be visible while riding, especially for the biggest threat to cyclists: the car behind them.

As a result, SPRINTECH® VISION 360° was created, uniting reflective power and movement.

Tests carried out the perception distance at a speed of 50 km/h at dusk/darkness goes from 25 METRES without Vision 360°, to a staggering 150 METRES with two Vision reflectors affixed to the back wheel’s spokes; making cyclists visible 9 seconds earlier. This is more than enough time for car drivers to adjust their speed and avoid any danger to the cyclist. Recognition for the innovation and its usefulness again came from the panel at the Brussels International Exhibition in 2012 where SPRINTECH® VISION 360° won the Gold medal.

The SPRINTECH® products are made in Switzerland. More information can be found on www.sprintech.eu

BIKEMAGAZINE MAGAZINE 21 11 BIKE

BICYCLE SAFETY ACCESSORIES

WWW.SJSCYCLES.COM When it comes to safety and dependability, there is one choice that has proven to stand out above the rest, SPRINTECH, made in Switzerland. Easy to install and instinctive to use. Unobtrusive, adjustable and light, only 28grams including the mounting plug.

B Y

Sprintech® Racing and Sprintech® City mirrors have AWARD W earned the reputation among cyclists as the best in the industry. When other brands rattle and spin out SPRINTECH® R ® bar mirror for r of position, Sprintech mirrors holdRACING true.

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and SPRINTEC city bikes and invented and p the Innovation invented andfrom presented at the Innovation The idea of the drop bar mirrors came two in Martigny, S traumatic experiencesExhibition of Carlo Dondo.

Two in 1996 where in Martigny, Switzerland serious accidents on his tailor made racing bike. the prize for I in have 1996 where they won the prize for and in 2012 at t Two accidents that could been avoided if only he hadn’t had to Innovation turn his head to check and in 2012 at the BrusselsInternational E the traffic behind him. His innate passion for Belgium wher International Exhibition in Belgium where the gold m bicycles urges him to find a solution suitable for all racing bicycle enthusiasts him.the gold medal. they like won

for racing bikes and SPRINTECH®

SPRINTECH® RACING and SPRINTECH® CITY are made in Europe.

CITYoffor city bikes and74MTB were They are all original creations Carlo Dondo, cyclist, years old.

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12 BIKE MAGAZINE

BAMBOO BIKE

BAMBOO Bamboo bikes are growing in popularity and are currently on display at The Design Museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cycle Revolution Exhibition. Interestingly they appeal to the desire for bespoke and self-built.

BIKE MAGAZINE 13

BAMBOO BIKE

“bamboo was an accessible material for a person to build his or her own frame from” Bamboo bikes are growing in popularity and are currently on display at The Design Museum’s Cycle Revolution Exhibition.

Interestingly they appeal to the desire for bespoke and selfbuilt.

The origin of bamboo bikes in the UK goes back to the 1890s with the Bamboo Cycle Co. who were based in Wolverhampton with a showroom in Holborn, London, from where they delivered bicycles to aristocratic families. These early bamboo bikes were joined using steel lugs and sold as a premium product to the elite classes. The late 19th century simultaneously saw the growth of cheaper steel bicycles, which quickly came to dominate the market. Bamboo bicycles began to re-emerge in the mid-1990s with the recognition of composites as a viable bicycle material in conjunction with an increasingly eco-conscious population, but it was once again a premium product. The biggest growth currently in bamboo bikes is workshop and home-build kits due to the workable nature of the material.

The founders of Bamboo Bicycle Club began building bamboo bikes in 2010 and established the Club in 2012. They quickly realised that bamboo was an accessible material for a person to build his or her own frame from. It also allows the builder to create a unique frame customised to suit their body shape and needs, offering something very different to massproduced frames. The founders of the club compare their frames to existing bikes on the market and find bamboo to be comparable and in some ways better than traditional frame materials.

The Club has now been running for over three years and runs workshops in London whereby people of all ages and abilities can create their own style of frame; including road bikes, track bikes, fat bikes, tandems, BMXs and they also offer a custom frame design option as well. In 2013 the Club launched a homebuild kit allowing people who are unable to travel to London to build their very own bicycle at home. Each kit is supplied with everything needed to build a frame, including a jig and detailed step-by-step instructions with supporting videos. The kit is extremely popular, with exports to over 30 countries. The Club also started an educational programme in 2014, encouraging the next generation of engineering, designers and cyclists.

Every builder creates their own unique bicycle and rides away on something made with their own hands. Testament to the durability of bamboo bicycles includes a London to New Zealand trip crossing the Pamir Highway in winter followed by monsoons in India. Other journeys include the San Marino Etape along with countless sportives and an everyday commute to work.

Bamboo is an unconventional material to build with. Unlike steel and timber, it has no certification and choosing the correct bamboo (from over 1,500 species) is key to the build.

However, bamboo is extremely well-suited to bicycles due to its natural shape and excellent tensile strength. Unlike timber,

14 BIKE MAGAZINE

BAMBOO BIKE

bamboo has a denser cell structure on the outside rather than the inside, giving it a tensile strength three times that of timber. Bamboo is not the only material in a frame, as it is impossible to join together with a conventional dovetail joint. Modern composites following the principles used for carbon bikes (carbon and glue) are used, allowing strong and durable joining methods.

Building a bamboo bike is not without its challenges. Although bamboo is the predominant material, a metal shell needs to be inserted into the frame for bearings etc. This can create problems with thermal expansion and the linking of two different materials together. It is therefore vital that the bamboo culms (stem sections) are selected for the right part of the frame, e.g. the denser base of the plant is most suited to the seat-tube to deal with the compressive loads. Another issue is fitting components, which have been designed for conventional materials, most evident in creating wheel clearance for a fat bike with 4.7 inch wheels. With a steel frame you simply bend the chainstays to form an elegant shape to accommodate the wheel whilst also allowing the crank to rotate. However, bamboo cannot be bent and formed easily, so it requires specific treatment. Additionally, most bicycle manufacture will replicate a build thousands of times with the same geometry and components. Conversely, no two bamboo bikes are the alike, each needs to be matched with its own components. Thus, in principle every single one is a prototype.

The Club is committed to continued development. The founders are passionate about the advancement of natural composites to complement and even replace existing materials, and believe bamboo bikes are at an elementary level and that much more can be achieved. Bamboo’s properties allow for greater manipulation, creating light-weight, aerodynamic bikes and an improved ride. It offers a sustainable alternative to an industry dominated by carbon with an average life of three years before going to landfill.

April saw a weekend event at the London Design Museum exploring a “future bike.” The club 3D-printed the

lugs (connections) and joined them using bamboo. The demonstration explored the concept that 3D printing will become mainstream but limited by size. Therefore, printing lugs is feasible, but not a full bike. Bamboo can be easily grown and harvested locally and used as the tubing.

Another exciting development is a move into the growing cargo bike production.

A recent build with University College London saw the creation of a cargo bike for Africa, highlighting the need for bespoke solutions to serve local communities. The Club have also partnered with other universities in Oxford and Portsmouth to apply their practical knowledge with academic research and testing.

The Club’s community is ever-growing and shares a key mission: An open

forum where builders can share their knowledge and experience to create a better understanding of potential future challenges and developments.

“Yeah, no problem David, I’ll build a bamboo bike”, on the phone to the Ed. My geeky radio-controlled aircraftbuilding youth would see me through.

Well yes and no. Yes, because you will need a handy side and no because, well, even then you’ll find this an interesting challenge.

First off, the guys at the Bamboo Bicycle Club offer a build workshop (£495) if you want the kudos but think you might create a faceplant trap if left to your own devices. The kit itself is very comprehensive, including extra tubes should you mess up. I was a little disappointed by the initial look of the supplied vertical/horizontal (you choose) dropouts which were rough cut slabs of alloy, but I suppose there is the fun of finishing them how you like. The included instructions are well-presented little booklets full of logical steps, photos, and hints. They stress that you

read thoroughly before; there are a few errors: but thankfully mainly grammar, spelling, and formatting so nothing to stuff you up. At worst it resulted in a bit of unnecessary head-scratching, or just a good snigger.

The tubes are joined in a supplied jig to which the metal parts (BB, head tube, dropouts) are attached. The process of carving them to butt neatly together is at once time consuming and beautiful.

A neat little online program calculates the curves onto flat paper, which wraps around the tubes. It’s designed for welded steel so I had to play with the dimensions (and contact the author) to get it right. I guarantee you will feel like a master craftsman: calloused, slashed hands whittling away delicate spirals of bamboo. The satisfaction of the tubes locking together without any glue is immense.

Before gluing, I bulked up the jig with tape as I wasn’t happy with the play in the headtube and BB areas – visions of riding down the road with one crank higher than the other haunted me nightly.

The tubes were wrapped in paper, scraped back at the ends (glue doesn’t stick to the waxy skin) and tacked into place with cute little pouches of resin.

I actually got this wrong, letting it set wonky at the BB. Frantic web searches for “debonding epoxy”: a heat gun and then it was re-glued. It’s possible, just so you know!

The final stage is wrapping in hemp soaked in two-part epoxy. And it sure is a messy time. No matter how careful you are (and you’re working against the epoxy-curing clock) it will get everywhere; just be thankful you don’t have to take photos as well! By the time it was done my head was swimming with vapour. It looked rough as guts but the next morning, the tape compressing it together came off to reveal a satisfying smooth satin finish. It cracked satisfyingly off the jig and I ripped the paper off like a five-year-old birthday boy. It was a bike! That I had made! How fitting that it’s a bike, that eternal image of freedom and choice.

The kit sums up life so well: it ain’t easy, but work at it and you’ll get something beautiful. I can’t wait for the parts to come so I can get on board for the ride review.

BIKE MAGAZINE 15

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16 BIKE MAGAZINE

2

Cycling World August 2015

BIKE MAGAZINE 17

August 2015 Cycling World

1

18 BIKE MAGAZINE

OXFORD BIKE WORKS

CUSTOMIZED TOURING BIKE FROM OXFORD BIKE WORKS SECONDS I’ll start with a little history – my eldest brother died early last year and left us siblings some money. I was of course saddened by his demise, but he had had a full life. I decided that to commemorate his life I needed to buy something special that would remind me of his time and also change my world for the better. Well of course I decided to buy a new touring bike. A bike that might take me around the planet if I felt that brave, or at least on some long distance adventures in Europe and the near East.

The internet taught me many things about touring bikes. They are built for longevity and to go far reliably, day after day carrying your kit with you. They must be fixable should you find yourself in a small village in Tamil Nadu with only a backstreet repair man to help you.

There are many bikes on the market but not many of them fit this niche bill. Not many of the large bike manufacturers are concerned with touring bikes, and very few bespoke bike builders cater for this market. But I found a man who can.

His name is Richard Delacour and he started up Oxford

Bike Works three years ago. During this time he has built over 220 touring bikes, built both to his own specs and to order. He partners with a local wheel builder should you require hand built wheels.

Richard runs a totally personalised, customized service to build the bike you need. I opted for the Model 2, with handbuilt wheels and my choice of frame colour. There are many optional upgrades and changes available, so unlike buying a bike off the peg, you get to choose each component if you want to.

The process of getting the bike built was a pleasure. Richard listens to the customer, only starting a bike when he’s sure what the rider wants. He gets the customer to think about what he/she really needs. Thus he will always try to have a face-toface meeting and fitting session at his workshop near Oxford. I made the journey and found it very useful as it included a test

ride and minor adjustments to make it the most comfortable ride possible.

So far the ride has been most pleasing. The bike is strong, reliable and comes with a guarantee. I opted for 26 inch wheels rather than 700c giving me good stability. I chose the flat Humpert Ergotec handlebars with Ergon GP 5 bar ends, giving me a range of seating positions for comfort during those long days in the saddle.

The Model 2 comes with Shimano Deore XT 30 speed transmission as standard, giving the ability to climb the steepest hills fully-loaded, as well as being able to cruise at 40km/h on a club run. Richard also offers a chainset with steel chainrings so that you can cross continents without needing spares.

Both the Model 1and 2 can be built in 8, 9, 10 or 11 speed

BIKE MAGAZINE 19

OXFORD BIKE WORKS

formats depending on the type of touring you are doing. If you’re headed off across the Sahara, 8 speed strength might be preferred. If you’re planning a fast Land’s End to John O’Groats, you might choose the 10 or 11 speed options.

I was offered a wide choice of tyres at no extra cost, from 1.25” (32mm) to 2” (50mm), and Richard spends the time finding out what type of terrain you want to use the bike over before making suggestions.

All in all, for little more than the cost of an off-the-peg machine I bought a decent steel-framed tourer, properly fitted, with custom gear ratios, tyres and a choice of quality saddles. But perhaps the best thing was that I could go to his studio and see a range of touring bikes in the flesh, when in so many bike shops there might be just one in the shop – and they’d rather you didn’t take it for a test ride.

Specification Weight: 18.3kg (with battery) Frame: Aluminium Gears: 2 speed SRAM Automatix hub

Motor: Front hub 250w with torque sensor (at pedal Battery: 36v Lithium-ion Brakes: Tektro caliper rim-brakes Lights: LED front and rear Sizes: 54.5cm, 58cm

20 BIKE MAGAZINE

BIKEPACKING FAT TYRES AND CAMP FIRES Laurence McJannet, author of new book Bikepacking, offers a beginner’s guide to mountain bike camping on Britain’s wild trails.

BIKE MAGAZINE 21

BIKEPACKING

The discovery of bikepacking was, for me, something of an epiphany. With limited time and opportunity to go riding off-road, I would revisit the same local trails time and again. In need of a liberating night beneath the stars one evening I packed a rucksack, strapped a bedroll under my top tube and headed for the hills. After a short singletrack ride towards the setting sun I hunkered down in a clearing to enjoy the solitude and tranquillity of a place that should have been familiar but in the twilight seemed magically transformed. In spontaneously setting off on this wild camp I had unwitting done what I do each time I go bikepacking now – turning a simple ride into an exploration, an experience, an adventure.

Bikepacking can be a wonderfully exhilarating way to explore the outdoors, whether it’s the countryside around you or the furthest-flung wilderness. It can be a challenge, a step outside your comfort zone, or just a way to add a new dimension to your favourite ride. At heart it’s a fusion of mountain biking and lightweight camping – allowing you to set off on self-supported, overnight forays into Britain’s beautiful wild spaces. Using a vast network of bridleways, forest trails or ancient byways, you can embark on adventures big or small, from short loops to epic journeys. I have ridden the length of Wales on bikepacking adventures, and ventured deep into remote glens in the Scottish Highlands to spend the night in isolated mountain cabins or bothies. I also still grab the

embarking on multi-day journeys since mountain biking began in the 1970s.

Riders who adapted their old cruiser bikes to tackle off-road terrain were immediately drawn to explore the vast wilderness of America’s Mid-West and beyond and were soon combining old logging trails and disused railroads to carve out cross-country routes hundreds of miles in length. British riders are now discovering that we have all North America has in microcosm – our island is a wonderful distillation of coast, field, lake, valley and mountain, all of which can be experienced in a weekend ride and camp. It’s an island that is almost tailor-made for off-road adventure rides.

Though you can spend a night in a pub, B&B, bunkhouse or on a campsite on an off-road journey, for me the epitome of bikepacking is a wild camp in the heart of the countryside; after all, when you head into really remote terrain it is often the only option. There is nothing more memorable than making your camp for the night on a mountain plateau or by a lake shore, or slinging your hammock between trees at the edge of a silent forest. And there’s something quite special about knowing you are the only soul for miles, lying beneath the clearest of stars, with breathtaking views the last and first things you’ll see.

Of course, there are issues surrounding the legitimacy of wild camping. After all, some 90% of English land is in private hands – so the chances are someone will own the land you chose to camp

“Time to make a chane Invendit aspella boribusda aspella atet ella quodi” > Pullout quote caption byline

chance, when I can, to camp out on my local hills, riding straight to work in the morning. There is a real sense of achievement returning home after a foray into the wild, no matter how brief.

With a working bike, some simple kit, determination and an adventurous spirit, your explorations will know no bounds.

Bikepacking is in its infancy in the UK, though American riders have been

on. Although unpermitted wild camping can be seen as trespass, it is not a criminal offence unless you cause a disturbance or damage or are offensive.

Ideally you should ask permission of the landowner, though this is often impractical. Look out for signs asking or ordering you not to camp or light fires and be prepared to move on if asked.

However, with a little common sense,

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consideration and discretion it’s easy to find appropriate places to camp, allowing you to enjoy a wild night without disturbing anyone, or being disturbed yourself. Wherever you decide on, arrive late and leave early, cause no damage and leave no trace, and stay no more than a night. Choose a spot that’s away from paths, roads and houses, and lay a simple bivvy bag in the trees or behind a hedge. Tarp shelters or bashas are useful in bad weather, and can be pulled down in minutes. And although a tent is more obtrusive, the microlight varieties that work best for bikepacking tend to be low and compact, though again use these with discretion.

If you are new to sleeping wild the best way to start out is to find a quiet spot not far removed from a town or village where you can remain entirely anonymous. You are not in so wild a spot as to be completely isolated, and the knowledge that civilisation is a few fields away can be comforting at first. I can guarantee that you’ll want to expand your horizons and will be planning a far-flung wilderness escape before long.

There are places wild camping is permitted, such as large parts of Dartmoor and Scotland since the 2003 Land Reform Act. The rights of those fishing on the foreshore – the area of shoreline exposed between high and low tides – or navigating rivers and canals to sleep there at night were enshrined under the Magna Carta. And owners of land in mountainous areas tend to be tolerant of wild camping, too, especially if you are above 450m and more than an hour’s walk from the nearest road.

If wild camping seems a little too far out of your comfort zone you could join the Backpackers Club, which provides a list of pubs and farms where you can camp free of charge. It’s worth joining the Mountain Bothies Association too. Its 81 maintained but unmanned bothies are in some of the remotest and most beautiful parts of Scotland and the north of England, and your £20 will support the wonderful work the volunteers do to keep them open and habitable throughout the year (see www.mountainbothies.org.uk).

When it comes to gear, it is easy to be seduced by the dedicated bikepacking bikes, kit and microlight camping equipment that is now available, but

to begin with you don’t need lots of fancy kit. If you already ride off-road, or go camping, however infrequently, the chances are you already own much of the equipment you’ll require. With as little as an old mountain or hybrid bike, a bed roll, sleeping bag and bivvy bag, you are ready for your first bikepacking adventure.

The new breed of bikepacking bikes (often called ‘backcountry’, ‘gravel’, ‘drop-bar adventure’ or ‘dirt racer’ bikes) and ‘fat’ bikes are designed to haul kit and carry a rider in relative comfort over long distances and varying terrain. Each is a variation of a traditional mountain bike or cyclo-cross bike, and tends to have no suspension front or back to make the bike more efficient on longer journeys, while the ‘fat’ bike (originally developed for riding in snowy or sandy conditions) features balloon-like tyres and reinforced rims for increased stability and traction.

The beautiful thing about bikepacking is its pared-back simplicity – embarking on a journey with just what you need to get by. Upgrades may make sense the more you do it: dedicated or better designed or made kit will tend to be lighter or last longer, allowing you to ride further in greater comfort. But as the saying goes, it’s not about the bike. Somehow just the act of slinging a sleeping bag beneath my saddle imbues me with an urge to pedal off into the unknown. Each time I ride now I feel my horizons expanding, literally and metaphorically. By taking the paths less travelled, your tyres can be the first to touch a trail in weeks, months – years even. Spending a night in the woods close to home can lend a whole new perspective to a loop that you ride often, while continuing along a trail you’ve always meant to explore further, camping en route, can lead you into wonderful uncharted territory.

With a little planning, you can cover huge distances on multi-day rides, even finding your own food and water as you go.

Putting a little adventure into my riding made me fall in love with mountain biking all over again, it’s opened my eyes to the world around me and helped me reconnect with this island’s beautiful wild places. My bike’s no longer just a bike – it’s become an adventure on wheels.

Kit, tips and luxuries The bike

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BIKEPACKING

The best bike for bikepacking is the one you already own. You don’t need a frame with eyelets or rack mounts for panniers, and even a road bike can be fitted with wider, more robust tyres to cope with canal towpaths and paved bridleways. A hybrid bike can cope with most rides too, though a proper off-road hardtail will give you more scope for planning longer, more technical rides.

Eating/drinking Take food that doesn’t need cooking at first, or eat before you go. If your first adventure rides are near your home, you can have breakfast when you get back. Two 750ml water bottles should be enough for short rides.

Upgrade: A full suspension bike will aid comfort on longer rides and cope better with more challenging terrain; the larger 650b or 29in wheels are great for manoeuvrability. The new generation of rugged ‘fat’ bikes will handle anything you can throw at them and are surprisingly agile given how ungainly they can look.

Upgrade: An all-in-one stove and pan with gas canister will transform your overnight experience (my favourites are Alpkit’s BruKit all-in-one and the MSR Pocket Rocket stove). Packet soups, rice or noodles become a gastronomic delight. Other useful additions include a ceramic mug and ‘spork’ (a combined spoon and fork), a Camelbak or similar water bladder for drinking on the bike, and the ultimate luxury – a hipflask.

Bags

Fixing things

You’ll need a backpack of around 30 litres, ideally with double straps rather than a single-strap messenger bag.

Try to keep as much load off your back as possible, and pack only tools, hydration, cameras and other items you might want regular access to.

You’ll need at least one bag attached to the frame to carry your overnight kit, though two or three spread evenly across the bike work better. It is best that these are waterproof (drybags are available from most outdoor retailers and come in a variety of sizes, with loops, eyelets or straps to give you loads of mounting options). However, for your first ride a bin bag can work well, attached with bungee cords, Velcro or adjustable straps.

A simple multi-tool, pump, tyre levers and spare inner tubes are essential, and a headtorch is useful too. A basic first aid kit and phone with spare battery will let your loved ones sleep a little easier – remember to tell them where you are going and when you’ll be back.

Upgrade: Dedicated frame bags from the likes of Alpkit, Apidura and Wildcat Gear are waterproof, hard-wearing and surprisingly voluminous, and fit snugly to almost any bike.

Sleeping

Upgrade: A spare foldable tyre can give peace of mind on longer journeys; failing that a patch of plastic milk bottle can be used to reinforce a split tyre sidewall.

Clothing It’s always prudent to take a waterproof jacket, though it needn’t be a cycling-specific cut. Bring extra layers, sleep in your riding gear, and add layers as you need to. Woolly hats are invaluable, as is a spare pair of socks.

Upgrade: Merino wool base layers are the cosiest and a down jacket will provide bags of insulation.

A simple bedroll and sleeping bag will do. Sleeping mats are light but cumbersome – though you can strap them under your bars or saddle if you have room. Spare clothes in a dry bag or bin bag make a luxurious pillow.

Shelter

Upgrade: A compact down or threeseasons sleeping bag with hood is easy to carry and keeps you warmer, and therefore happier. A self-inflating mat improves comfort and takes up little room.

Upgrade: A tarpaulin shelter with reinforced eyelets, some cord and tent pegs will give you loads of options to help stay dry.

Without a tent, an orange survival bag or preferably a breathable bivvy bag are pretty much essential for wild camping in Britain.

Get out there and enjoy the ride.

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Aurelie and Marco

HELSINKI

TO SINGAPORE With lovely weather on our doorstep, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing better than to sit in front of a map and start planning your first weekend trip of the year.

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HELSINKI TO SINGAPORE

The trouble is that you may not be sure what to put in those pannier, or maybe your old sleeping mat needs a well deserved retirement. Well, here’s a few items we have carried halfway around the world which are worth mentioning and might give you some ideas for that upcoming trip.

First of all, and simply because nowadays we all pack at least two or three electronic gadgets when cycling about; power. Obviously, these days, the first thing that comes to mind is a power bank and yes, we do have a biggy; 22.000mAh is no joke! So far on our trip it has never let us down, even though we were pretty close a couple of times, but the point is that if you’re thinking about literally going off the grid for a while, you’ll need to carry some sort of power storage or something really reliable with which to recharge those batteries and in our case it’s a solar panel.

Ok, small parentheses here; both power bank and solar panel? That’s a question we asked ourselves a lot before leaving and now, after almost a year and 10.000 miles we are mega happy to be carrying that weight. We are not technology addicts but we do, for example, love music so having a full green battery on our iPod is a must at any time.

Back to the hardware. Both our solar panel and power bank are RAV Power and there’s not much to declare; they shipped fast and do exactly what they say on the tin. When folded the panel is smaller than an A4 and open it lays comfortably on top of the tent in between the rear panniers and, with a max power output of…, on a sunny day it charges as well as having the mobile plugged in the mains.

By far the item whose purchase replaced a lot of our sleeping time, after the bike itself of course, has to be the tent. The tent will be your home for however long you’re planning to travel (and hopefully future endeavours too) so it’s not something you buy lightly. There are endless manufacturers, types, materials, shapes and prices to choose from and making a bad choice could have nefast results on your journey.

Having said this, and hopefully haven’t put anyone off, we went with a 3 people’s tent for a bit more

comfort on those rainy days when cycling is the bad option and staying dry, drinking coffee and reading a book is the obvious one. A bigger tent means more weight but when everything-but-the-bike is safe, dry and only a few inches away from you, you kind of forget about those few extra pounds.

After many hours spent in front of the screen we finally bought a Vango Halo 300 Pro and, unfortunately, it hasn’t been plain sailing all the way; there seems to be an issue with the fiberglass poles which started to misshape straight away and we have not been able to solve this issue with the manufacturer. Having said that, we still believe that it’s pretty good value for money and are impressed by the packdown size of it every morning.

While on the subject of sleeping, we think our mats are also spot on! Sea to Summit is well-known for quality and reliability and for the first time in our lives we put our rest in the hands of the Irish brand and haven’t regretted it since. Their Neo Air is comfortable and insulates incredibly well against cold and humidity. The cherry on top is the amazing repair kit that comes with this mat which has, kind of, saved our lives once already. Maybe the only downside to this otherwise amazing product is the type of valve used which makes finding a pump a bit of a challenge (we adapted our old one using 2 inches of watering hose).

Aurelie and Marco are cycling from Helsinki to Singapore and fundraising for two bycicle related associations.

To find out more: 421adventure.wordpress.com or @421Adventure on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

“Moving over to a more practical need while touring: communicating with the locals”

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have come to really appreciate that; we were never really big fans of our previous burners sounding like jet planes taking off while making coffee in the morning. You can build your own set yourself depending on needs and budget. We have the Teflon pans model and are more than satisfied with the buy.

And, if like us, you’ve reached that age where resting your head on a folded sweater is no longer appealing, let me introduce you to our best pillow so far, the…… We were really surprised to actually like this pillow as much as we do and if anything happened to our current one we would definitely try to acquire another asap. It packs down really small, it’s very easy and quick to inflate, it’s big enough to hold your head adequately so that it doesn’t roll off the sides and it even has a few millimetres of viscoelastic to make you forget that this is just a mini lilo!

Apart from cycling and camping, something we really love doing is cooking. Again, if you think about going off the trail for a few days, it’s unthinkable, at least for an Italo-French couple such as ourselves, to eat just power bars or warmed up canned food for various days. In the past we used simple propane stoves but for our longhaul trip to Southeast Asia we decided to change gas canisters for liquid fuel (ethanol to be concrete) and we love it!

Just like anything else, there are a number of pros and cons to consider, but ultimately what really tipped the balance was the fact that, in 95% of the cases, we are not in a hurry when it comes to eating. Our Trangia burner is probably slower than any other type on the market but it’s also the quieter, making absolutely zero noise, and we

And to finish the camping section of this article, something that we really missed on our previous bikepacking trips across Europe was a common light so that we didn’t have to feel like miners wearing our headlights. We just tried our luck with a portable camping lantern by LE (Lighting Ever) and we loved it from the second we took it out of the box. Longlasting battery which doubles up as a power bank, 4 light modes with battery indicator, foldable stand, hooks and, last but not least, a mega powerful spot light which will light the way up to 1 kilometre away.

Moving over to a more practical need while touring: communicating with the locals. We knew that our European languages would have their limitations and having to cross about 27 countries on our current trip, we didn’t really feel like learning all those tongues. With Internet not readily available all over the world we often posed ourselves the problem of the good old language barrier. Then one day we stumbled across “The Wordless Travel Book” on Amazon. It’s simply an A5 (perfect for the handlebar bag) booklet full of

images of everyday objects, foodstuff and lots more. It has already taken us out of a couple of sticky situations (we were glad to have it while in Russia) so we have laminated it just in case. A great way to spend 6€ if you ask me!

And finally, to help us through the twisting labyrinth of tarmac (if we’re lucky) from here to there, just a few quick words about our navigator; after all, we are supposed to talk a little about cycling! Our biggest concerns from the very beginning were the duration of the battery and satellite reception and we think we have found a very good compromise in the Garmin Touring Edge.

It’s compact, it charges pretty quickly and its battery lasts all day and it has, so far, never left us stranded anywhere because of poor connection. It’s just an easy to use and no frills bike navigator whose only shortfall is the lack of a thermometer.

Inevitably, whatever gear you have, you’ll end up having a great time out there because travelling by bike is not about what you have in your panniers but all those things that cannot be put in any place, apart from your memory. So, our best advice is not to worry about it too much really, things will work out in the end and if they don’t, at least you will have learnt a valuable lesson about how to choose your gear better next time!

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32 BIKE MAGAZINE

LONDON - PARIS

LONDON TO PARIS Multi-day cycling events are becoming increasingly popular amongst leisure riders. The pros have Le Grand Boucle, not to mention the tours of Spain and Italy, to satisfy their need to don lycra every morning and cycle ludicrous distances for weeks on end

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LONDON - PARIS

4 days 500 kilometres 250 riders 1 goal

“the rain is a minor consideration”

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For amateurs like my wife Jacqueline and I, the nearest thing to riding like a pro for a number of days can be found in one of the many London to Paris challenges now available.

The Bloodwise blood cancer charity’s bike trip, set to enter its ninth year in 2019, is reputedly one of the best. Ride captain Tom Morton singles this event out as “not just another long distance ride.” It is he says, “… special in so many ways. There are over 140 London to Paris rides every year, only a few, four or five, are in the top league.”

The Bloodwise ride mimics a pro event in many aspects. It has a ‘broom’ wagon (albeit a hop-on, hop off version!); motorcycle outriders; medics; rolling road closures on the French side, all the way to the Eiffel Tower; mechanics offering instant roadside wheel changes; an army of physios to untangle stiff, twisted muscles; a TV crew careering around the peloton on motorbikes; a road book for every rider, and even a crowd of raucous supporters (friends and family) at the Arc de Triomphe.

And just like some professionals of not so long ago - if not currently (but who honestly knows?) - this ride is all about the drugs! Unlike those secretive pros, it’s a fact the organisers are not ashamed to flaunt. That’s because the substances in question are neither testosterone nor EPO. Instead, the drug therapies Bloodwise are there to better understand, treat and beat all 137 different types of blood cancer as part of their research.

While getting to Paris under your own steam is inspirational enough, doing so in aid of such a cause, in the company of an extraordinary group of fellow cyclists, elevates this endeavour to a wholly different plane. It is truly special as Tom Morton asserts and for most, deeply emotionally. In the end, what leaves the biggest lasting impression are not the miles covered, but the people in whose company are covered.

DAY ONE, GREENWICH TO CALAIS – 126.9km - 1,164m The adventure starts in London’s Greenwich Park early on a Thursday morning. 250 jittery riders, including my wife and I, prepare our bikes, attach numbers, fiddle with timing chips, make last-minute kit choices and gulp down a final strong coffee. After a farewell talk from Cathy Gilman, Bloodwise Chief Executive, we all ride off en masse, heading for Folkestone some 126km away. At first, getting out of London feels a little like we’re commuting to work in rush hour. While there are no rolling road closures on this first UK leg, the moto riders still help us along.

Once in the Kent countryside the vibe changes. Approaching Lympne Hill, the surroundings are positively bucolic.

But the serene inner calm induced by the gentle scenery comes before

a storm all of its own. There are soon the leg-crunching ramps of ‘The Hill’ to contend with. Less than a kilometre of climbing may seem paltry but you gain 94m in that distance , with Lympne Hill, according to Veloviewer, having a maximum grade of 24% alone.

It’s a timed hill climb, recorded by DB Max, so us riders are at liberty to put our heads down and compete– with most heads being down by the summit as riders gasp painfully for breath. By the summit as riders gasp painfully for breath. Thankfully, the remaining run into the bus park is flat and short. We queue to load our bikes onto the lorries which will transport them through the Channel Tunnel before we hop onto the coaches and follow their path.

DAY TWO, CALAIS TO ABBEVILLE – 136.7km – 1,179m Day two is the longest and hilliest portion of the ride and will soon turn out to be the soggiest. We are now split into our speed groups - fast, medium and social (never ‘slow’). Rolling out of Calais you immediately feel the benefit of being on an effectively closed road event. We are cruising along inside a motoristfree pocket created by the lead car, the van at the rear and the moto riders constantly buzzing ahead to block off road junctions.

Early on, I suffer a pinch flat in my back tyre and have to stop. Luckily, mechanics are there in a flash. Ride captain Tom Morton whips off my rear wheel. I’m given a spare and deposited back in the group. Just like the Tour, apart from the short, cheeky, lift in the van. If only getting punctures on the commute to work could be resolved like this.

My own wheel has my number stuck to it and the service wheel has a distinctive yellow-striped tyre, making it easy for the mechanics eventually to reunite repaired wheels with their owners. It’s a system which will be tested to the limit later in the day when the heavens open and the puncture count starts rocketing.

After a lunchtime baguette we are cycling along in double file when the rain hits. Quick as a flash, my riding companion observes that this two abreast, or “two by two” configuration, as he expresses it, is very apt given the Biblical nature of the downpour which has started.

The deluge keeps up all afternoon leaving those of us wearing waterproof socks to curse our choice. They are so effectively waterproof that the rain, which has run down our legs, past our overshoes and INSIDE the socks, does not drain out. We pedal along with our feet in ‘bags’ of cold water, where they slosh around like goldfish won at a fairground.

Neither the rain, nor the unrelenting headwind, does anything to dampen our spirits. In fact, some relish the wet

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conditions seeing them as merely another challenge to be tackled and overcome. To the many pedallers in the group who have lived through, or are living with, extreme blood conditions, a September shower is nothing. Eighteen-year-old rider Joe Smale, for instance, was diagnosed with leukaemia for the third time just four years ago – then had a bone marrow transplant. Steve Mitchell, doing the ride for the second time, is preparing to meet the donor who saved his life once he reaches Paris.

For Anil Pindoria the rain is a minor consideration. He joined the group at Greenwich after having already just ridden there from Paris. He covered the reverse of our journey unsupported, carrying his own luggage.

He suffered one puncture and rode our days three and four in one go.

We are nevertheless happy to reach Abbeville and squelch to our hotels. The day’s elevation in our road books looks like the angry, jagged, teeth of a rusty old saw. Everyone is tired. Even the hard-as-nails ride captains admit to feeling ravenous after their exertions.

The other very special thing about the ride into Beauvais is the warm reception we receive from the town. Our bike storage area for the night is the local fire station. We are greeted amongst the fire engines and utilitarian concrete buildings by an official delegation. There are even waiters in ties proffering glasses of wine and orange juice.

There’s a heartfelt speech by one of the deputy mayors, Francois Bramard, welcoming us and praising the important work Bloodwise does in tackling blood cancer. Madame Bramard gamely translates her own speech into English while Mark Wilson, from Bloodwise, has his address translated by colleague Dan Henchman. Proceedings are rounded off with the presentation to the deputy mayor of a Bloodwise London to Paris medal.

DAY FOUR, BEAUVAIS TO PARIS – 102km – 948m This is the big day. The relatively short ride into the French capital where many of us have friends and family waiting to cheer us across the finish line.

No rain, fewer hills, shorter distance. Day three offers the first real chance to take in the French countryside and relax – as far as that is possible. We pass sleepy villages, gently rolling fields, the odd war cemetery and hear, rather than necessarily see, a succession of agitated dogs who bark lustily from behind garden fences as they sense our alien presence from the massed swishing of tyres.

It starts with a series of hills. None is too challenging but Tom Morton and the other ride captains are kept busy planting “the hand of God” on the small of struggling cyclists’ backs and pushing them up the inclines. Tom explains that those who stop pedalling completely at this point quickly receive some, “polite constructive feedback” from him. He says propelling another cyclist upwards may be hard, but he also gets a “buzz out of overtaking other riders whilst pushing someone up a hill.” Plus, it means there’s never a shortage of people willing to buy him a drink in the evenings.

When we do encounter people, they are unstintingly encouraging. ‘Allez!’ yells a man caught short outside his front door in nothing but a dressing gown. An elderly lady clasping fresh baguettes under her arm nods approvingly as we whizz along. Most people wave and offer a cheery ‘Salut’ or ‘Bonjour’. Children invariably wave, while same extend a hand in expectation of a high-five.

Top level, amateur competitive cyclist, Nic Baxter, is able to perform this task with both hands. Tapping out a rhythm just behind him, I watch as he deftly propels a gasping rider up using his left hand. In one movement Nic lets go of rider number one, switches grip on his handlebars, and starts supporting flagging rider number two with his right hand. “Chapeau”, doesn’t really cover it.

Riding in a group, there’s ample opportunity to strike up conversations. Pro riders spotted whispering to each other are normally cobbling together some – possibly nefarious - tactical deal which could influence the outcome of their race. Bloodwise riders chewing the cud as they pedal, are doing just that - chatting. It may be impossible for the committed speedsters in the fast group to indulge in idle chit chat, but the social group was not given its name lightly.

Nic and Torq Fitness founder, Matt Hart, also put in long shifts wielding a long stick as they pedal which they use to help the phenomenal handbike athlete, former Paralympian and leukemia survivor, Dr. William Tan, make it over some of the bumps. The camaraderie between these three is infectious and aptly symbolises the spirit of the entire ride.

DAY THREE, ABBEVILLE TO BEAUVAIS – 115.3KM – 786m

I ride for a while with one cyclist who asks how I’ve been sleeping. I mention that an attack of cramp woke me in the middle of the night. No sooner said, he reaches behind to his jersey pocket and produces a slender metal cylinder. “Try that as soon as you feel it starting,” he says. Ridiculous as it may sound, I quickly feel like a secret doper. I palm the tube and stuff it in my own back pocket. Apparently, Liquid Magnesium is the way forward when it comes to dealing with cramp. I thank him but protest, “Surely you need this for yourself, don’t you?” But he shakes his head as we freewheel past scenes of rustic charm, “I have eight more of those,” he tells me. Dubious substance passed from one cyclist to the other? Again, we’re just like the pros (or the ones who cheat, at least).

While we have motorcycle outriders smoothing our way, the French drivers we do encounter are refreshingly accommodating. Many salute us cheerily even although they’ve been held up at a junction for long minutes while our charity peloton trickles through. All of which adds up to an incredibly positive cycling experience.

Speed groups are dropped after lunch and we ride into Paris as one massive peloton. Timing the traffic-free passage of so many riders past the Arc de Triomphe and across the Seine under the curious collective gaze of the tourists on top of the Eiffel Tower is quite an art.

Our pace therefore is dictated to us by the moto riders who have a very limited window to work with.

This may make for something of ‘slow, stop, slow,’ kind of ride, but clattering over the Parisian cobbles is exhilarating and smiles spread across faces as we start recognising parts of the French capital. It ends in a flash when we turn off the main road and into a sports centre to cross the official finish line, right next to the Eiffel Tower.

Beer is thrust into our hands immediately and we’re given our medals by roaming members of the Bloodwise crew in a charmingly informal manner.

There are tears and reunions. Almost everyone vows to do it all again “next year”. It’s the best cycling event I’ve been part of. And it’s an occasion when drugs, in the sense of those used to fight blood cancer, go together with cycling perfectly. Not something to hide, but to be immensely proud of.

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BIKE REVIEW

RALEIGH REDUX 2019 Summary A sleek, purpose built high speed eBike, with excellent weight distribution and smooth power transfer, 10-speed drivetrain and powerful hydraulic disc brakes to match.

Stiff thru-axles and a rigid Aluminium alloy fork are balanced out by fatter 2.0â&#x20AC;? Schwalbe tires, great for comfort and varied urban terrain.

Available in three frame sizes for improved fit, durable chain-guide doubles as a bash guard, grippy pedals, locking grips and adjustable kickstand, great electric system and great display.

A little more ridged from last years model, however this can improve responsiveness, connecting you to the bikeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agile experience.

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BIKE REVIEW

PRICE: £3,499

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To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This review was sponsored by Raleigh Electric. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased, this video and written review are not meant to be an endorsement of Raleigh products.

The Redux was a favourite of mine last year. Although it had some room for improvement, it was a nononsense urban bike well built for speed. For 2019, it is great to see Raleigh has refreshed and upgraded the Redux, making it an even stronger competitor. There is a cost to pay; £3,499, up from last year’s £3,199, so let’s dive in and see if it is worth it.

The bike has been redone in many ways, most notably the switch from a Brose Drive TF motor to a Bosch Performance line speed motor rated at 28mph. This change really compliments the ride, and helps the new Kiox display, and Bosh battery system stand out. Speaking of which, by moving to the Kiox and the 36v 13.4ah battery, it really makes for some interchangeability across other Raleigh products and Bosch lines as well. The intergraded lights are back and are great with a 500 lumens headlight at the front and 11 lumens 2 LED rear light placed out of the way so most bags won’t obstruct the view.

Meeting the road is a pair of Schwalbe Supermoto X tires with performance Green Guard puncture protection that are 27.5” x 2.4”. These tires are a great in-between for staying on the road but still adding some comfort as well as capabilities if the terrain gets a little bumpy. But other than the tires and the locking grips, the comfort doesn’t rally stretch too much further. It’s got a ridged aluminium alloy fork, now has a ridged stem, and there is no longer a standard suspension seat post. It is a 31.6mm post so you can swap it out with a Thud Buster or Body Float if desired. The rigidity is sometimes spoken of as a drawback on other bikes, but for a high-speed bike like the Redux, its actually somewhat of a compliment. Similar to the stiff suspension in high-end sports cars, the rigidity gives you a real feel for the road and adds to the responsiveness and agility of the experience. The rear rack is great and will hold things like a backpack or bag, but it is limited to just 10kg for maximum load. That is equal to about 22lbs which you could reach pretty easily as cargo weight tends to add up. Other features include an alloy chain ring guard, adjustable length kickstand that is away from the crank, bottle cage bosses, and sandpaper grip pedals.

Bosch offered three Performance Line motors at the time of this review and they all produce a bit of electronic whirring noise, use energy faster, and introduce some reduction-gearing drag compared to the Active Line motors (and many competing products). What you get in exchange is higher torque output, up to 63 Newton meters in this case, and high-speed 120 RPM pedal support. As someone who enjoys spinning quickly (pedalling fast) it’s nice that the Bosch Performance Line Speed motor can keep up and won’t fade out when downshifting into climbs. Imagine that you’re pedalling towards a hill and begin downshifting in anticipation, to make climbing easier, the motor will simply spin faster without dropping support as you approach… and it probably won’t stress the chain, sprockets, and derailleur as much when you do. This is because the Bosch motor controller, which measures rear wheel speed, pedal cadence, and pedal torque 1,000+ times per second, also listens for shifting and reduces pressure automatically. Given the mid-level Shimano Deore drivetrain with ten gears and wider range of supported speeds here, zero to 28mph (45km/h) you may be shifting more frequently than a Class 1 or Class 2 product, which only supports up to 20 mph (32km/h). For brakes, the Redux features 180mm Tektro Orion hydraulic disc brakes with adjustable reach levers. In the rear, we see 160mm disc brakes, these are a really good setup for stopping those higher-speed moments. The front has a 15mm through axle for strength and rigidity while the rear has a 12mm through axle. Other mechanicals feature 170mm FSA alloy crank arms and a11-32 tooth cassette. All in all a system made to work in harmony with with bikes capabilities.

Powering the 2019 Redux iE is a high-capacity Bosch PowerPack 500 offering 36 volts and 13.4 amp hours for nearly 500 watt hours of capacity. It’s one of the most widespread electric bike batteries in the world right now and uses the same form factor and mounting interface as the older, lower capacity, Bosch PowerPack 400. This means that finding replacements, borrowing additional packs, or renting batteries when traveling becomes much easier.

The plastic casing is durable but lightweight, especially compared to the new PowerTube 500 which weighs ~6.3lbs verses ~5.7lbs.

PowerPack batteries do stand out a bit visually because they mount on top of the frame tubing, but Raleigh

MAKE:

Raleigh MODEL:

Redux iE PRICE:

£3,499 BODY POSITION:

Forward SUGGESTED USE:

Urban, Commuting ELECTRIC BIKE CLASS:

Speed Pedalec (Class 3) Learn more about Ebike classes WARRANTY:

2 Year Comprehensive, Lifetime Frame MODEL YEAR:

2019

BIKE MAGAZINE 43

The Original Student Bikes.

From £225

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BIKE REVIEW

has done their best to sink the battery down into the downtube and even added a plastic shield to cover the top portion, blending it into the frame beautifully. The pack clicks down and secures with a high quality ABUS Ampero locking core. You can order locks and other accessories to match this key, reducing clutter and making it simpler to unlock the bike and battery. I noticed that the core is spring loaded, so you don’t need to insert and twist the key when mounting the pack… just be sure to push down until you hear it click.

Raleigh dealers (and really any Bosch certified eBike dealer) can help you adjust the mounting interface over time if you notice rattling or loosening, it’s a durable convenient design. And, that goes for the charger as well. With half a kilowatt-hour of capacity in this battery, the faster 4-amp Bosch charger allows you to spend more time riding vs. waiting, and yet it’s about the same size and in some cases lighter than many generic 2-amp chargers included with cheaper e-bikes. I like the wide proprietary plug design as well, because it isn’t likely to be mixed up with other chargers or get broken as easily.

You can charge this battery on or off the bike frame, making it great for commuters who need to charge inside at work, and you won’t be as likely to drop the battery during transport because it has a big plastic loop handle at the top. To maximise the life of this and most Lithium-ion batteries, try to keep it above 20% capacity and avoid extreme heat and cold. If you know you won’t be riding for some time, store at ~50% to reduce stress on the Lithium-ion cell chemistry.

One of the most noticeable updates for 2019 is the Bosch Kiox display panel vs. the Bosch Purion. This thing has a colour LCD with Gorilla glass screen, an active Micro-USB charging port, connects via magnets and is removable, but cannot be adjusted for glare because it mounts in a fixed position over the stem. In terms of actual use, the Kiox provides more detailed menu readouts; including 1% stepped battery percentage vs. a five-bar infographic with wider 20% steps. Its colour readout provides a fast and comfortable way to interpret assist levels (grey for Off, blue for Eco, green for Tour, yellow/gold for Sport, and red for Turbo). The screen on the Kiox is smaller than Purion, Intuvia, and Nyon, but the colours make it easier to interpret without having to squint and actually read. Because of how it’s mounted, my guess is that the Kiox may also take less damage if the bike tips or crashes. I think

it’s actually designed to pop off vs. cracking the mounting bracket when taking direct hits. Interacting with the display involves some button clicking. You begin by charging and mounting the battery, then press the power button on the display unit. The Kiox has power and lights buttons positioned juste below the screen. Most interactions are done through a remote button pad, which is mounted within reach of the left grip.

This pad has a +, -, left, right, select, and walk mode button. It boots up in the second view, showing your assist level with a swirling colour infographic. different parts of the swirl line fill based on how much power you exert as a rider and how much power the motor exerts, when active. You can arrow left or right to change screen readouts, and I especially like the ones towards the right, which show a range estimate based on remaining battery capacity and the last mile of riding. The display now loops around, so you can keep clicking right and end up back at the first screen, which shows a settings menu. This menu is very deep with options around units (mph vs. km/h), backlight brightness, and Bluetooth accessories including a Bosch eBike app. For now, Bluetooth seems to be reserved for use with aftermarket heart rate monitors and I have not fully tested it. I’m reviewing this product in North America, but Europe is a bit ahead with the release and apps. The two markets differ slightly and I’d recommend working with your local dealer to learn more and get help with software updates.

MOTOR BRAND:

Bosch Performance Line Speed MOTOR TYPE:

Mid-Mounted Geared Motor Learn more about Ebike motors MOTOR NOMINAL OUTPUT:

350 watts MOTOR PEAK OUTPUT:

575 watts MOTOR TORQUE:

63 Newton meters BATTERY BRAND:

Bosch PowerPack 500 BATTERY VOLTAGE:

36 volts BATTERY AMP HOURS:

13.4 ah BATTERY WATT HOURS:

482.4 wh BATTERY CHEMISTRY:

Lithium-ion CHARGE TIME:

5 hours ESTIMATED MIN RANGE:

25 miles (40 km)

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Okay, all things considered, the Kiox is an excellent display unit. It brings a lot of improvements over Purion and Intuvia but probably does contribute to a higher price point. For more information and pictures of the Kiox, I’ve created a guide in the EBR forums here.

complimented well with the new Kiox display

The Redux (officially pronounced re-ducks) is a bit of a “re-do” from last year. The previous model was a great bike, and some of these changes have made it even better.

The Bosch system is a little heavier, but keeping that weight in the middle with hydraulic brakes and shift detection makes for a more fun and responsive ride. Those looking for a cushy experience may have to add some additional comforts like a suspension seat post for example, or look at another bike entirely. But thats what makes the Redux so fun, it is unapologetically made to serve a grand purpose: to go fast on real streets. Those looking for a sports car like experience on a bicycle will love the high top speed, lightweight frame, ridged yet responsive feedback, smooth Bosch motor, and stop on a dime brakes. Having the other features like the thicker tires, rack, and intergraded lights help too. The 2 year warranty, optional Beeline service, Raleigh heritage, dealer network, and Bosch reliability really make those on the fence much more inclined to jump in and speed off.

The rigidity may not be for everyone, but it can provide rider feedback and increase responsiveness, similar to a high-end sports car with stiff suspension

As always, I welcome questions and feedback in the comment section below. Whether you own a previous version of the bike, have taken a test ride, or are brand new to the space, my goal is to provide an objective and honest resource. You can also join the EBR forums and share your own photos, videos, and review updates to help others! Have fun out there, and ride safe :)

Pros: The Redux is a great starter platform for sporty urban commuting, it has bottle cage bosses and mounting points for a rear rack As a Class 3 electric bike, you get motor assist up to 28 mph which is perfect for people who enjoy faster rides or have a tight schedule Relatively light weight at ~51.5lbs for the medium frame, considering it has a 500 watt hour battery pack, the triangle on the frame is very wide and open making it easier to lift and carry The Bosch Performance Line Speed motor is a welcome addition and is

Thru-axles keep the wheels stiff and support larger tires, this allows you and the motor to transfer energy more efficiently into the bike but also get some comfort on bumpy terrain

Minor detail, but I like the kickstand they chose because it stays out of the way and looks nice, it’s slightly fatter than other stands and holds the bike well Larger batteries mean longer charge wait times, so it’s great that the Redux iE comes with the fast Bosch 4 amp charger Some electric bicycles are notorious for dropping the chain while riding on rough terrain (my Uncle owns the Stromer ST1 Limited and it falls off all the time for him) but Raleigh has used a chain guide (two plates sandwiching the chainring to keep the chain on track) The pedals are large, stiff and have sandpaper grips on top to improve traction, as a guy with medium-sized feet I appreciate these over cheaper cage style platform pedals Three frame sizes to choose from to improve fit and ride comfort, I was on the medium frame for this review, 2 frame styles this year (high-step and a step-thru that is more of a mid-

ESTIMATED MAX RANGE:

65 miles (105 km) DISPLAY TYPE:

Bosch Kiox, Removable, Magnetically Attached, 1.9” Transmissive Backlit Color Display, Automatically Adapts to Lighting Conditions, Buttons: Power, Lights READOUTS:

Clock, Assist Level (Off/Gray, Eco/ Blue, Tour/Green, Sport/Yellow, Turbo/ Red), Light Icon, Batter (Percentage and Infographic), Units (MPH or KM/H), Current Speed, Power Meter Infographic (Shows Rider Input and Motor Input), Range Estimator, Trip Distance, Trip Time, Power (Watts), Cadence (RPM), Average Speed, Max Speed, Heart Rate, Double Battery Readout, Settings DISPLAY ACCESSORIES:

Independent Button Pad on Left, Buttons: Walk Mode, +, -, Left, Right, Select, 5 Volt 500mA Micro-USB Port on Lower Edge of Display, (Navigate to Settings with Left Arrow then Click Select Button) DRIVE MODE:

Advanced Pedal Assist (Measures Wheel Speed, Pedal Cadence and Pedal Torque, Over 1,000 Readings Per Second, Power Output Relative to Pedal Input: Eco 55% 40 Nm, Tour 120% 50 Nm, Sport 190% 55 Nm, Turbo 275% 63 Nm) TOP SPEED:

28 mph (45 kph)

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step) so consider stand-over height, Raleigh has a large dealer network in the US so you can probably find and test ride this bike easier than some other brands

distribution and a nicer look

Excellent weight distribution and a sweet appearance thanks to mid-drive motor and downtube-semi-integrated battery, they blend in perfectly with the overall look Hydraulic disc brakes offer good stopping power and the adjustable reach levers are good for large and small riders with different length fingers (or if you wear gloves)

Bosch Performance Line motors tend to produce more noise because of the power on offer and reduction gearing design, the 20 tooth chainring here will spin 2.5 times for each crank revolution and that produces a bit of drag if the bike isn’t powered on or you’re trying to pedal beyond the maximum supported ~28 mph top speed… it will not impact coasting beyond ~28mph

Pedalling with assist on a Bosch Performance Line motor feels very responsive and fluid, the motor controller measures rear wheel speed, pedal cadence, and pedal torque over 1,000 times per second, it’s one of the most advanced drive systems around

I really like this eBike, but you definitely pay for the Bosch drive systems, name brand Schwalbe tires, upgraded hydraulic disc brakes, and multiple sizes… it’s nice that you can buy Raleigh products from dealers and take test rides + get service over time (and that also contributes to the higher price)

Another feature of the Bosch Performance Line motors that I really appreciate is how they can support higher pedal rates without fading out, you can reach 120 RPM (pedal strokes per minute) and the motor is still there for you, this means you don’t have to shift gears as frequently if you prefer to spin instead

Its a shame we lost the suspension seat post and stem, definitely a more ridged ride this year, but others will appreciate that

You can charge the battery on or off the bike frame and it has a big loop-handle at the top for secure transport, the charging port on the bike is near the left crank arm which could collide but the proprietary Bosch plug is very sturdy compared to most other chargers so that’s less of a concern here, I like the rubber cap and leash system that Raleigh designed to cover the charging port, it was easier to seat and won’t get lost I really like the battery choice and mounting design here! They opted for the lightweight, less expensive Bosch PowerPack 500, but sunk it into the down-tube for lower weight

Cons:

The maximum weight on the rack is set for 10kg, it would have been great to see it bumped up to 22kg because the 10kg (22lbs) can be reached before you know it in some cases Keep an eye on the little rubber cap used to cover the magnetic charging interface at the top of the battery, this rubber protector doesn’t have a leash and can easily be set down and lost if you don’t keep an eye on it Not a big deal given all the capabilities of the Bosch Kiox display, but it should be noted that it while it can be removed, it cannot be adjusted for glare

BIKE MAGAZINE 47

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OREGON

OREGON: BIG CYCLING Text by Neil Wheadon

> Neil Wheadon

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OREGON

Worldwide bicycle touring for many brings images of South East Asia or New Zealand, however North America remains off the radar for many considering a cycling holiday. Now consider that with no language barrier, familiar food and fabulous cycling, it’s a destination that once discovered is hard to beat.

Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest, has made huge efforts over the past ten years to become a cycle friendly State, so much so that Portland has become almost revered amongst American cyclists as a fabulous example of what can be done. In the winter of 2014 I put a tour together with Cycle Oregon for a nineteen-day tour of the western part of the State. As a result, eleven of us flew in on a warm September day to be met by Chris who runs the appropriately named ‘Bike Friendly Guest House’, complete with a fully tooled up workshop making bicycle re-assembly a piece of cake.

Exiting Portland along blissfully quiet roads we crossed Cascade Bridge and headed northwest to join the Banks Vernonia cyclepath. Built in the 1920s to transport lumbar, it was Oregon’s first “rails to trails” project and provided 21 miles of tarmacked bliss through the Douglas Firs.

Arriving at an isolated bed and breakfast north of Vernonia, our host Glen explained with a smile that due to trees and fire risks, the fire department required them to have a 5000 gallon pond on hand; rather than have a stagnant pond in the garden he’d plumbed in the hot tub which was much enjoyed by everyone. Dinner was a feast of ribs, pasta salad followed by apple crunch all washed down with a glass of wine from a local winery.

Morning arrived and it was pretty obvious that our hosts were having as much fun as we were. Glen reminisced about his long lost Peugeot PX-10 bike and Sandy snapped away with the camera, so rather than the planned 09:00 start we got away an hour later - but isn’t this half the fun of cycle touring?

We were immediately greeted by great tarmac, a flat road and the logging trucks. Logging is big in these parts, which sounds worrying.

However they are great drivers, always overtaking with metres to spare, so far from intimidating. We were travelling through an unpopulated land. Even the elk at the elk viewing area had disappeared, houses were few and far between, and other than the views, there were few distractions. If you stopped awhile and let the ticking of the freewheel cease, the silence was amazing.

Food stops are a reflection of local life and needs, giving a real flavour of the area.

Country music blared out, car parks were littered with huge pickups and Red Dodge cars with vast exhausts. Inside more clues; chainsaws and stuffed animals decorated the walls and the TV tuned to the hunting channel: yes we were in ‘real men territory.’

You could hear them from the road as we turned along 38th street. The sea lions of Astoria marked the start of four days down the Pacific Coast. Hundreds had taken over a set of jetties, splashing about in the morning sun, creating quite a sight. Under the enormous Columbia River Bridge - akin to a giant Meccano kit - to arrive at the coast near Seaside, courtesy of the 1.5 mile long boulevard that runs next to the beach. All, thanks to Oswald West, the14th Governor

“As far as the eye could see there were blackened rocks of all sizes. ‘It’s like the moon up there,’ I’d been told, and NASA must have agreed when four astronauts trained here in the 1960s” of Oregon in the early 20th century, who declared that all coastline up to high tide is public land, and so the terrific view of the coast at Oswald State Park at the top of a long climb was worth every pedal stroke and testament to his vision.

In parts, the ride hugged the coast tightly, past herons, cormorants and pelicans. Were we really in Oregon or Florida? The roads varied between super quiet and reasonably busy as the road southwards alternated between quiet roads and route101. However, with over 10,000 cyclists a year doing this ride, shoulders were wide on the busy bits due to good planning.

At Depoe Bay we spotted the spouts of grey whales as they migrated from Alaska to Baha peninsula, learning that in the summer 90 reside here and are unique in filtering sea floor sediment for food. It was here that we met a round the world cyclist from Oxford. He’d bought a bike two months before his trip and

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after fifteen months had traversed Russia through to Japan. Now heading down the West coast, he was due to finish his trip in Panama.

It wasn’t just the sea views that entertained us. At Heceta Head, the state acquired the lighthouse which had been built in 1894 and are the process of renovation to bring it back to the standard to which the keepers kept it all those years ago.

The only hiccup was a volunteer overpolishing the original English lens and managing to push out the central section of one of the prisms: $25,000 later, it’s thankfully been repaired.

North America’s largest sea cave was passed, filled with sea lions and for $12 you could take a lift down and say hello to our flippered friends. So it went on, fantastic vistas, ascents and descents in the company of other cyclists heading south. The most remarkable was a guy riding a road bike with an enormous backpack heading for Brazil!

Waving farewell to the coast with one last fabulous view, it was inland to Florence before finishing the coastal section at Reedsport.

The next phase of this remarkable State was the Cascade Mountains.

Stretching from Southern Canada to Northern California, and we had to get over them. We headed east along route 38, then along Umpqua River scenic drive as it snaked through the forest. Roosevelt Elk are the largest mammal in Oregon and they so enjoy the meadow grass in the valley that they stay put and a scenic turn off has been built. The pace had changed; gone was the frenetic coast, replaced by a backcountry life as we headed eastwards.

Beep went the waffle iron. Breakfast is big in the States in all senses of the word. Pancakes, oatmeal and coffee were the favourites and they would fuel us up for another glorious day through the mountains. Onto the “Row River Trail”, at 16 miles one of an increasing number of rails to trails projects in the USA. ‘You guys are awesome’ cried an American lady as she realised where we were going and joined us down the trail on her bike, guiding us past the covered bridges that are a feature of the area.

Ascending towards Oakridge, the road paralleled a small river, quiet and

peaceful. I’d expected a few logging trucks but we were passed by only two cars all day. There were plenty of facilities, campsites and toilets and all the time we slowly plodded upwards, topped the climb and descended to our motel for the night where the English manager had written “Welcoming United Kingdom cyclists” on the board outside: a lovely touch.

Onwards to the McKenzie Valley where the hot pools were enticing and we enjoyed a dip in pools at a barmy 104 Fahrenheit surrounded by folks in all varying degrees of undress.

‘I’ve been here all summer’ said the resident naturist and went on to explain that the water came from the cave at the top into which he dared not enter.

The McKenzie pass is one of Oregon’s classic rides and for us, the last day over the Cascades. It’s a scenic byway as the moss covered sign proudly told us with the added bonus that trucks were banned. Rain started to fall, passing the 2000 foot then 3000 foot marker with the rain continuing and no let-up in the gradient, it became harder and colder.

We weren’t quite as cold as John Templeton Craig who froze to death delivering mail in 1877, but passing his memorial and grave, it was starting to feel like it. Never mind onwards and upwards, a change was in the offing and at just under 5000 foot it flattened and we were able to speed along skipping the puddles as we passed prairie flats. Then suddenly the most incredible change took place as we entered a lava field. As far as the eye could see there were blackened rocks of all sizes. ‘It’s like the moon up there,’ I’d been told, and NASA must have agreed when four astronauts trained here in the 1960s.

As the rain fell harder and the wind blew stronger we reached the top and piled into the Dee Wright Observatory, a shelter built out of lava in 1935.

Mercifully the sun came out shortly afterwards as we descended 12 miles for a rest day at Sisters, named after the two mountains that glowered from above.

The sun shone and so did the snowcapped mountains, with a dusting of snow from the night before, so good that even the locals were taking pictures. We’d conquered the Cascades and could now settle for endless plains and good agricultural

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land that the pioneers had striven so hard to acquire. Volcanic activity littered the area and at Smiths Rocks, it reached a crescendo. Ominously present is a series of enormous rocks fashioned by the wind from volcanic activity, now a Mecca for rock climbers with over a thousand possible climbs. Being an American park, the walk from the parking lot to the viewpoint wasn’t far at all, revealing the Crooked River that wound about at the base of several of the more impressive (and high) rock faces. The river led to another of nature’s fantastic attractions; Pallisades State Park. Making Cheddar Gorge look like a furrow made by a pointed stick, vertical walls hundreds of feet high enclosed a flooded valley.

From 1803 the first Europeans arrived in Oregon.

History tells us that Native Americans were shunted onto reservations and it was through Warm Springs Reservation that we now headed.

It was immediately obvious why this area had been chosen. It was dry, hilly and almost devoid of life, and for a people used to roaming the prairies it must have been devastating. To make a living today is tough in these places, so there was little aside from the two huge casinos built into the barren landscape.

The Deschutes River marks one of the reservation’s boundaries. In 1908 two railroads were built on either bank by two separate companies; one survived, the other didn’t.

The legacy - a lovely eight-mile ride along the riverbank, in the company of fly fishermen.

However the Native Americans had a far better idea. Instead of a rod, they simply built wooden platforms over the narrowest point and dipped a big net to catch the migrating salmon.

The last major climb of the holiday took us up Route 197 with a steady gradient of 6 % before descending into Dufur, home of the Dufur Pastime Saloon, a place where every conceivable wall was covered in Elk and deer heads, beer mirrors and sketches of Wild West stars.

The 197 wound its way south, but we chose to take the back roads through the freshly cut corn. As far as the eye could see was an ocean of yellow, with the occasional isolated farmstead on the horizon. Past abandoned houses and mill houses we went, before finally following a delightful valley towards Cascade Locks. From the quiet of the countryside, it was a rude introduction to the Columbia Valley.

The interstate roared as we rode an almost abandoned road just above it. Compare this to the UK, where it would have been a rat run. In the USA even though there are fewer roads, vehicles stick to the major roads and local knowledge of other roads can be zero. Comments like ‘I’ve never been along that road’ even though there may be only three roads into town are pretty common.

The final stage of our tour was a trip down the mighty Columbia River. With perfect timing the

Columbia Discovery Centre appeared on our right, beautifully illustrating the story of this historic area. What stood out for me was just how poorly the Native Americans were treated. 160 years ago Warm Springs Reservation had been set up, but the Native Americans had retained fishing on the Columbia utilising the rapids and waterfalls to catch the salmon. Along came white man, who set up fish wheels in the 1920s that industrially stripped out the salmon; the railway on both sides split villages in half; and then, as a final insult, Roosevelt in the 1930s dammed the river in several places to provide work and electricity. Result: no rapids, no fishing, and no meeting point for the tribes, so in 1957, the treaty was redrawn, compensating the Indians 27 million dollars in exchange for an almost complete loss of social life.

Back on the road again, we rode the King of Roads or historic Route 30 as it’s now called.

Running alongside the river, this engineering feat from 1915 must have been remarkable, and much was still in evidence. The glorious triple white wooden barriers instead of galvanised metal, stone arches lining water culverts, and the intricate use of concrete to create lovely bridge decorations. As the Model T Ford had limited horsepower like us, the gradients were gentle so all we had to do was find a low gear and spin away.

So proud of their road were our predecessors that they made a monument of certain points, so the climb to Rowena Crest was marked by a pull in and fabulous views east along the river. The engineering marvels continued at Mosier twin tunnels. Finished in 1921 after two years work they proved too narrow for the modern car, so were filled in after the interstate was built. In 1995 work started to reopen them and now they are a shared hiker/biker path.

Our last day and a different attraction; waterfalls.

‘The highest number of waterfalls in a State park,’ an advert proudly proclaimed. Wahclella and Horsetail falls came and went, then came the mother of all falls, Multnomah. This was so popular that it had its own gift shop, snack bar, and even its own birthday party a week ago; 100 years since a white man stared at the double waterfall taller than Niagra. Onwards and upwards, literally, as we climbed the perfect 5% grade to the aptly named Vista House. Here was sited a sandstone monument to the highway, a mix of gothic and art deco architecture that you could climb and admire the views eastwards along the Columbia River.

So the gorge had finished, the river long since tamed by dams in the 1930s had widened and the valley walls softened. The final part of our journey took us into Portland and back along the southern bank of the Columbia River courtesy of a bike path which seemed a fitting end to 19 days round this fantastic State.

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TRAINING

CYCLING TRAINING PL Have you got your 2019 achievements ready to conquer? You can now create your very own schedule to help you achieve them. Begging of the year is the time for new resolutions, but without a thought timetable your achievements are not likely to proceed further than your instagram story.

PLAN

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TRAINING

Scheduling your own tasks and blocking them within your weekly timetable perhaps is a bit of unnerving task, which is the reason many would prefer the assistance of a professional by buying a book or following an online course.

A pro trainer will easily create your year plan and break it down to days. But it’s not the only way. The most famous selfcoached athlete is ex-world champion Lizzie Deignan, and she does pretty well for herself.

“A dream becomes a goal when action is taken towards its achievement.” > Bo Bonette

So how do you go about creating your own plan?

Start by looking at your very own calendar Normally, people would start thinking about what they want to achieve. However, before they do that, they need to look at their own availability. Figure out how much time you can allocate for training daily, weekly, monthly; what activities you will be able to train during that time, and, certainly, location is very important.

Make sure everything is on your timetable - meetings with friends, work-related tasks, trips away - try not to miss any chance you have to add any extra miles into you schedule.

Try to be as honest as you can when scheduling your own tasks. Be realistic about your achievements. Remember, if you put half the effort you will only get half of the result.

Pick a ‘First’ goal, and ‘Second’, and ‘Third’ goals Now that you’ve got an idea what your training capacity is, you can think about selecting those big dreams, before turning them into realistic goals.

Gallagher suggests that if you’re setting yourself a time based goal, you can be pretty data driven about it if you want.

“With a sportive, or a time trial goal, you can use examples of others. On Strava, you can see the rides of thousands of people who have taken part in an event. If an athlete has a premium account you look at their power to weight on key climbs and equate it back to yourself, to see what is an achievable goal.”

Naturally, take what you find with a pinch of salt, not many people update their Strava profile if they gain weight.

From here, you can look to choose a the ‘Second’ goal. Ideally, this will be a few months before the ‘First’ goal and similar in terrain, discipline and distance so you can use it to look at nutrition and preperation as well as fitness.

A few ‘Third’ goals aren’t a bad idea, to keep you motivated along the way. “A time trial, a hill climb,” Gallagher suggests, “something to keep your mind engaged or to see if your threshold power has improved.”

For the likes of road racers, it’s a bit trickier. It’s often said you should never set ‘winning a race’ as a goal, since it’s not controllable (though most of the pre-Grand Tour interviews would suggest otherwise).

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“You can only make yourself fit enough to be able to win. Then on the day, it’s up to your decisions – and luck as well. As long as you hit the start line with the potential to be at the front, and the potential to be up there and go for the win, that’s all you can do.”

Naturally, you can adjust your plan to make yourself competitive at the style of race you want to perform well in.

“If it’s a flat race, you want to improve your sprint, your leg speed. If it’s hilly with two-minute climbs, you want to improve climbing and five minute power. You want to come to a race knowing your fit enough to win, whether you win or not isn’t always in your hands.”

One of the hardest elements of planning your own training is periodisation – a system of ensuring that the year builds up to the major goals, in time to peak for the main event.

Traditionally for road cyclists, this means a rest period in late autumn, ‘base miles’ in winter, FTP work early in the year followed by ‘sharpening in spring’ before a summer of maintenance.

Gallagher isn’t so keen: “I would say that method is quite ‘safe’.

But that traditional block is starting to go out the window, I rarely use it.

“Most people don’t really have enough time to get the sort of volume that would generate enough strain to create a progression. You’d need to be doing at least 10 to 14 hours a week. Otherwise, you need to be doing high intensity training to make yourself stronger.”

Instead, he suggests that you take an honest look at yourself, pick out your weaknesses, and focus on them in six week blocks.

“Periodisation can only happen from meeting objectives at each period. You should be looking to make changes every six weeks, in that time you’ll have done enough to see a good ramp in fitness or training.

“Evaluate after each six week block, but be truthful with yourself. Only when you’ve hit the targets that you set yourself, can you move on to the next block. Don’t be afraid to repeat a block.”

Your blocks don’t have to be based on power, heart rate or speed – they may be around technique or work off the bike.

“You might want to improve your ability to climb steep gradients,” Gallagher suggests as an example. “That isn’t necessarily all about a high peak power, it’s about creating power seated.

“So maybe you need to work on neuromuscular strength, and off-the-bike core work. Just be clear what you need to improve on, per block.”

“You might want to improve your ability to climb steep gradients.”

> Gallagher

BIKE MAGAZINE 57

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