ebikes - bike reviews - products - touring - news - fitness - food - helmets
UK’s Leisure Cycling and Travel Magazine
ROADTRIPPING IRELAND PAGE036
SEPTEMBER 2018
TEAM GB picks up 10 Championships medals on the track in
Glasgow NEW
Giro Aether
Road helmet review
IZIP E3 MODA eBIKE REVIEW An urban oriented speed pedelec
Cycling in
PAGE016
Denmark £5.95 / €6.59
PRINTED IN THE UK
SEPTEMBER 2018
Cycling 9 miles along the beach from Blokhus to Løkken. Absolutely amazing!
2 BIKE MAGAZINE
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BIKE MAGAZINE 3
CONTENTS
INSIDE SEPTEMBER 2018
12 New Giro Aether Road Helmet It’s called the Aether. It looks like Giro’s Synthe, with a few subtle improvements — and one very significant development. The current Synthe MIPS has a conventional low-friction, thin plastic “slip plane” placed in between the foam liner and the retention system. > Helmet Review
16 IZIP E3 MODA
40
The IZIP E3 Moda is a commuter-ready urban electric bike that comes complete with wide 60 mm alloy fenders to keep you dry, a sleek rear rack for clip-on panniers, and integrated LED lights. > eBIKE Review
Cycling Around Denmark “The first tour around central Jutland went really well so we moved on up to North Jutland and did a second mini tour from Aalborg to Skagen...”
Roadtripping Ireland
> Cycling Touring
We’ve seen the fjords of Norway and the picturesque lakes and hills of New Zealand’s South Island, but what did Ireland have to offer? And what could the peloton expect to encounter come this Sunday?
22
> Cycling Touring
Propella 2.2 Lightweight Efficient Affordable Urban Electric Bike
> eBIKE Review
36
54 Amateur’s Adventure Always looking for the next big challenge, I knew I’d struck gold when I heard about the Haute Route Triple Crown; three stage races, each seven days long. Combined they would cover 2,650 kilometres through the Pyrenees, French Alps and Dolomites. > Cycling Touring
Special thank you to our contributers: Sarah Bishops, Fred Godfrey, Ruth Donaldson, Albert Bishop, Helen Sparkle, Mike Blacksmith, Christine Grimm, Pete Jones, Juliana Buhring
4 BIKE MAGAZINE
BIKE MAGAZINE 5
WELCOME
Welcome
to September issue
Hello or Hej, this is what they say in the lovely European country of Denmark where cycling is not just a hobby but a way of living. In this issue, on page 40, you will read about the cycling adventures of Christine Grimm who travelled on the inspirational trip from Fanø to Skagen in Denmark. And because we are huge fans of the eBikes, on page 16 you will find the review of IZIP E3 MODA, which is urban eBike capable of going 28 miler per hour. Lightweight, efficient, affordable urban electric bike? This is what Propella 2.2 will offer. More about this on page 22. Rider’s safety is always our priority so turn to page 50 to read about the mirror that can save your life. > Michael Stokes - editor
Magazine Team Editor: Michael Stokes T. +44 (0)20 7097 5177 E. editor@bike-mag.com Production Manager: Jack Adams T. +44 (0)20 7097 5177 E. jack.adams@bike-mag.com Subscriptions Manager: Kate Chesterman T. +44 (0)20 7097 5177 E. accounts@bike-mag.com Advertising Digital or printed media packs available on request. Sales Manager: Hannah Wale T. +44 (0)20 7097 5177 E. hannah.wale@bike-mag.com
Sales Executive: Alexander Jameson T. +44 (0)20 7097 5177 E. alexander.jameson@bike-mag.com Sales Executive: Chris Smith T. +44 (0)20 7097 5177 E. chris.smith@bike-mag.com Distribution BIKE Magazine is distributed by Global Media Hub Ltd, Nicholson House, 41 Thames St, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 8JG Printed monthly. Publisher Webify Media Ltd 59 Jodane Street, London
ebikes - bike reviews - products - touring - news - fitness - food - helmets
UK’s Leisure Cycling and Travel Magazine
ROADTRIPPING IRELAND PAGE042
SEPTEMBER 2018
TEAM GB picks up 10 Championships medals on the track in
Glasgow NEW
Giro Aether
Road helmet review
IZIP E3 MODA eBIKE REVIEW An urban oriented speed pedelec
Cycling in
PAGE046
Denmark
Cycling 15km along the beach from
£5.95
0 608603 999976
Blokhus to Løkken. Absolutely amazing!
PRINTED IN THE UK
SEPTEMBER 2018
6 BIKE MAGAZINE
NEWS
PEARL IZUMI
24 HOURS CYCLING Roger Legeay will start the race to the 520 teams for the 10th edition!
The audience will be there for the 10th anniversary of the Pearl Izumi 24 Hours Cycling of Le Mans and the maximum of 520 teams has been reached long before the regular closing date of registrations.
consecutive year for the riders’ safety militant movement, “Je double – Je m’écarte de 1,50m”.
2464 riders from 11 nationalities will rush forward the Le Mans circuit on Saturday 25th of August at 3.00 pm. Nearly 70 riders will face up to the « Dunlop uphill » solitary, but the majority will be divided into teams of 2 to 8 members. From experienced cyclists to Sunday sportsmen, everyone will come to live at his own pace his “24 Hours of Le Mans… by bike” in a joyous and relaxed atmosphere.
Used to the Top 10, Socopa will participate with three teams including one driven by Dany Maffeïs. The CC Nogent-surOise rider won fame by doing the absolute best lap of the Bugatti circuit in 5 minutes and 11 seconds, at more than 29 miles/h.
Professional cyclist from 1973 to 1982 including seven Tour de France, then sports manager of Peugeot, Z, Gan and Crédit Agricole teams, Roger Legeay will start the race. “It could not be some other way!”, cheerfully comments Romain Gasnal for the organisation. Race’s Godfather and technical advisor since the first hour, he will take the start for the 10th
Beaten in the sprint in 2017, all eyes will be turned on the Socopa Viandes 1 formation for the overall victory.
We will also count on the Sarto Endurance Team, 9th in 2017 for Baum Cycles. This Dutch formation might be a serious candidate for the podium. At the end of July, the team finished 2nd of the Rad am Ring, the 24 hours race that takes place on the german Nürburgring circuit. Many personalities will be present such as Sandy Casar. Professional cyclist from 1999 to 2013 for La Française des Jeux team, he will race for the pleasure to discover the Le
BIKE MAGAZINE 7
NEWS
“2018: 2464 registered riders” > Le Mans
Mans circuit with the french National Police team. Tony Hurel and Julien Guay will race in a team of 4 riders for Roadborn. They come as friends and for fun but they remain real competitors… watch this space! For the non-competitors and families, do not miss the morning event “La Matinale Le Maine Libre”. More than 1500 people are expected to discover the Bugatti circuit during this one hour ride. This cyclo-tourist gathering is open to everyone with every kind of bikes. The access is free for accompanied children under 10. Spectators will have free accesses to the venue and exhibitions proposed in the Village. Dedicated areas will be set up for them on each side of the Dunlop, the perfect place to enjoy the race start or the Championnat de France des Clubs de la Défense. All the ingredients will be gathered to have a great day with the family. THE PEARL IZUMI 24 HOURS CYCLING (FIGURES) - Information: www.24heuresvelo.fr/en/ - Video: www.24heuresvelo.fr/?videos=24-heu-
res-velo-pearl-izumi-2018 - 2018: 2464 registered riders - 520 registered teams: 68 singles (5 women), 42 pairs (5 mixes), 135 teams of 4 riders, 215 teams of 6 riders (25 mixes and 2 women) and 60 teams of 8 riders (11 mixes and 1 woman) - 31 international teams (118 riders): Germany, Australia, Belgium, Cyprus, Scotland, United Arab Emirates, United States, Italy, Netherlands and United Kingdom. - Bugatti circuit: 2.600 miles – Uphill: 656 yd. from 3,5 % to 7 % - Downhill : 1094 yd. at 2 % - La Matinale Le Maine Libre: One hour bike ride from 12.15 pm to 13.15 pm on Saturday – Registration on site: 10 € - Visitors: Access to the circuit by the main entrance “Circuit des 24 Heures” - Free entrance and parking at disposal - Championnat de France des Clubs de la Défense: On Saturday from 8.00 am to 10.00 am – Information on www.ligueouest-fcd.fr/
8 BIKE MAGAZINE
NEWS
TEAM GB
picks up 10 Championships medals on the track in Glasgow > Sarah Bishops
Women’s team pursuit, Laura Kenny and Ethan Hayter among top performers The track events of the 2018 European Championships have come to a conclusion, with Great Britain sweeping up ten medals in total.
BIKE MAGAZINE 9
NEWS
> Ethan Hayter
> Laura Kenny
> Katie Archibald
> Neah Evans
The medal count was skewed in the direction of gold – with four in total, to three silver medals and three bronzes.
Kian Emadi, Hayter and Tanfield put in to take World Championship gold in March.
The events saw both celebrated Olympic champions such as Jason Kenny, Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald back in action – but they also offered the opportunity for newer stars to show their improving form, notably Ethan Hayter secured gold in the omnium ahead of Olympic gold medallist Elia Viviani (Italy).
On the same day, 21-year-old Emily Nelson collected silver in the 10 kilometre women’s scratch race, losing out to Dutch powerhouse Kirstin Wild, with Jolien D’Hoore (Belgium) third.
Women’s team pursuit still on top form The women’s team pursuit squad of Laura Kenny, Neah Evans, Katie Archibald and Elinor Barker set a promising scene on the opening day (Friday, August 3) – taking gold ahead of Italy, and Germany in the bronze position. GB’s women’s squad lost out on the top spot to the USA at the World Championships in Aleldoorn, but secured a time of 4 minutes 16.896 seconds in Glasgow, averaging out at 56 kilometres per hour. That’s notably (and quite understandably) slower than the world record time Team GB set at Rio, which was 4-10236 – but significantly quicker than Italy’s European Championship time of 4-25-384. The success came soon after the men’s team pursuit squad’s less successful outing. Together Ethan Hayter, Steven Burke, Kian Emadi and Charlie Tanfield took bronze – with Italy securing gold and Switzerland’s team wearing silver around their necks. It was a far cry from the dominant performance Ed Clancy,
Ethan Hayter shows his potential Graduate of London’s Velo Club Londres and closely linked Herne Hill Velodrome, Ethan Hayter showed huge potential, winning the men’s omnium on Saturday August 4. The 19-year-old entered the final discipline – the 25km points race – in fifth position in the overall standings.
“I love winning, and I love doing it when I’m in the race” > Laura Kenny
10 BIKE MAGAZINE
NEWS
However, he picked up a total of 133 points, placing in seven of ten sprints – to jump ahead to first place. Defending Olympic champion Viviani collected 113 points in the final race, to take second with Denmark’s Casper vol Folsach third. Hayter started track cycling at the historic velodrome in 2013, and has joined Team Sky as a stagiaire for the remainder of 2018. Pairing up with Ollie Wood on Monday August 6, Hayter and his hand-holding partner took bronze in the men’s madison, whilst Belgium’s duo of Robbe Ghys and Kenny de Ketele claimed the crown and Germany’s Roger Kluge and Theo Reinhardt sat in silver. There was more success from the younger ranks on the final day at the velodrome, Tuesday August 7, when 21-year-old Jack Carlin took bronze in the keirin and 20-year-old Matthew Walls managed gold in the elimination. Laura Kenny is back, and winning Laura Kenny collected her second gold of the proceedings in the elimination race on Sunday August 5. The 26-year-old secured her 12th European title, out-sprinting German Anna Knauer whilst Russia’s Evgenia Augustinas was the last to be eliminated from the race before the two went head-to-head. Kenny, who gave birth to son Albie just 11 months ago, later revealed she’d been awake five times overnight with the youngster. Asked if she enjoyed the race, four time Olympic champion Kenny said “I find it really stressful… I love winning, and I love doing it when I’m in the race… but before I’m so stressed because I feel like people are thinking ‘she’s definitely going to win this’, because of what I’ve done in the past, so I get unbelievably nervous.” Double silver for Katie Archibald It was a proper home games for Scottish Katie Archibald, though she wasn’t able to defend her title in the individual pursuit or the omnium. On Saturday August 4, Archibald lost her pursuit title to German Lisa Brennauer, accepting second after coming three seconds adrift of Brennauer’s time of 3-26-879.
On omnium day – Monday August 6 – Archibald again took the second step, this time to Kirstin Wild. The 24-year-old won the elimination race, and then gained a lap in the points race – unfortunately taking Wild with her. In the end, Archibald collected 144 points to Wild’s 156. On Tuesday August 7, Archibald paired up with Kenny in the madison – a discipline where she holds the UCI rainbow stripes with Nelson – but the pair missed out on a podium spot, in fourth. Archibald has had a difficult summer, breaking her collarbone in May, recovering following surgery, and then crashing out of the Women’s Tour in June. Great Britain’s medal breakdown Friday Aug 3 SILVER 10km women’s scratch, Emily Kay; Kirstin Wild (Ned) gold, Jolien d’Hoore (Bel) Bronze BRONZE men’s team pursuit; Italy Gold, Switzerland silver GOLD women’s team pursuit; Italy silver, Germany bronze Saturday Aug 4 SILVER 3000m individual pursuit, Katie Archibald; Lisa Brennauer (Ger) gold, Jastyna Kaczkowska (Pol) bronze GOLD omnium, Ethan Hayter; Elia Viviani (taly) silver, Casper vol Folsach (Den) bronze Sunday Aug 5 GOLD elimination Laura Kenny; silver Anna Knauer (Ger), Evgenia Augustinas (Rus) Monday Aug 6 BRONZE men’s madison (Ethan Hayter and Ollie Wood); gold Belgium, silver Germany SILVER women’s omnium; Katie Archibald, Kirstin Wild (Ned) gold, Letizia Paternoster (bronze) Tuesday Aug 7 GOLD men’s elimination, Matthew Walls; silver Rui Oliveira (Por), bronze Szymon Krawczyk (Pol) BRONZE men’s keirin Jack Carlin; gold Stefan Bötticher (Germany) and silver Sébastien Vigier (France)
BIKE MAGAZINE 11
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ROADTRIPPING IRELAND PAGE042
SEPTEMBER 2018
Print & Digital
TEAM GB picks up 10 Championships medals on the track in
Glasgow NEW
Giro Aether
Road helmet review
IZIP E3 MODA eBIKE REVIEW An urban oriented speed pedelec
helmets
Cycling in
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Denmark
Cycling 15km along the beach from
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Blokhus to Løkken. Absolutely amazing!
PRINTED IN THE UK
SEPTEMBER 2018
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12 BIKE MAGAZINE
PRODUCT REVIEW
NEW
GIRO AETHER Road helmet
BIKE MAGAZINE 13
PRODUCT REVIEW
Giro Sport Design
has a new flagship road helmet. It’s called the Aether. It looks like Giro’s Synthe, with a few subtle improvements — and one very significant development. The current Synthe MIPS has a conventional low-friction, thin plastic “slip plane” placed in between the foam liner and the retention system. But the new Aether utilizes something Giro and MIPS have developed in partnership over the past three years, which they’re calling MIPS Spherical. First seen in Giro’s Avance MIPS snow helmet, MIPS Spherical takes the concept of protecting the brain from rotational forces to the next level. The other common alternative to those standard MIPS plastic liners is to integrate the slip plane directly into the retention system, like Giro has done with the RocLoc Air in the new Vanquish aero road helmet, and the similar Float Fit system in the Bell Zephyr. But with Spherical MIPS, there’s instead an elastomer attachment placed between two layers of expanded polystyrene foam — the internal liner and the outer shell — allowing them to rotate independently during an angled impact. As with all MIPS systems, the goal is to minimise how much the head violently twists upon impact, with the theory being that reducing how much the brain abruptly spins inside the skull helps to prevent brain trauma. Though the full product name of the helmet is Aether MIPS, that’s a bit redundant; unlike with other Giro models, there is no non-MIPS Aether. This helmet only exists because of MIPS Spherical technology; it’s in the DNA of the design. The result is a MIPS system that spans the entire inner liner of the helmet, yet is invisible to the naked eye, with claims of better ventilation, lighter weight, improved comfort, and increased aerodynamics over the Synthe. Also increased? The price. We’ll get to that a little later. But first, the backstory. MIPS: WHAT IT IS, WHY IT MATTERS For all the R&D Giro has put into MIPS Spherical, they are not here to tell you it’s a safer helmet. It might be safer, but you didn’t hear that from them. For legal reasons, Giro — like most manufacturers — will not make specific claims about helmet safety. Every crash is different, every brain injury is different, and in-house attorneys warn against making promises to consumers about the performance of a helmet in an accident. What Giro will say, however, is that within the constraints of laboratory testing, test engineers were able to see “repeatable benefits” with the MIPS Spherical system — a technology first incorporated into its £600 Avance snow sports helmet in 2016, which was designed to protect against both highspeed crashes on ice as well as repetitive gate
impacts during slalom racing. Instead, Giro and MIPS are eager to tell the story of how much science and research goes into developing their products. That research includes three in-house tests that Giro began developing five years ago to help prove or disprove the MIPS concept — tests based around rotational, rather than linear, impacts.
“most manufacturers — will not make specific claims about helmet safety” The vision behind MIPS (MultiDirectional Impact Protection System) began in 1995 when Hans von Holst, a Swedish brain surgeon, repeatedly found himself operating on trauma victims who had been wearing helmets when their heads hit the ground; their skulls were not fractured, but they had still suffered brain injuries. Von Holst contacted the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and began research into head and neck injury
14 BIKE MAGAZINE
PRODUCT REVIEW
prevention. After conducting thousands of helmet tests, Holst and partners Peter Halldin and Svein Kleiven determined that most accidents result in oblique impacts — meaning slanted, neither parallel nor at a right angle — which causes rotational violence to the brain. Existing helmets may have done their job in protecting the skull, but they weren’t doing enough to protect the brain, which is more sensitive to internal shear than to linear impacts. The human brain is soft, like gelatine or tofu, and suspended in cerebrospinal fluid. It doesn’t compress, but when your head violently rotates in an impact, different layers of the brain will accelerate at different rates. As a result, the billions of tiny nerve cells that comprise the brain can stretch and tear. Yet, until recently, traditional helmets had historically only been tested for linear impact, not those more complex forces that occur when sliding or twisting. The first prototype of a MIPS-equipped helmet was tested at the University of Birmingham in 2000, but it would be another decade before it was embraced by the cycling industry. Some might suggest that MIPS is no more than a marketing gimmick, but recent data says otherwise. In an independent study released last week, developed by Virginia Tech university and the USbased Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), helmets were ranked on the theoretical risk of concussion based on a more modern test protocol; the lower the percentage, the higher the ranking. The first 30 helmets to be included in the test covered a spectrum of prices and styles, but only four earned the top five-star rating: the Bontrager Ballista MIPS, the Louis Garneau Raid MIPS, the Bell Stratus MIPS, and the Specialized Chamonix MIPS. The top six rated helmets all use MIPS technology, and none of the bottom 10 were equipped with MIPS technology. Granted, the study didn’t directly compare MIPS and non-MIPS versions of the same helmet, so it’s not 100% conclusive that adding MIPS makes a helmet safer. But it’s powerful circumstantial evidence. The relationship between Giro and MIPS has grown so close over the last five years that former Giro general manager Greg Shapleigh, who had been with the brand since 1990, left to join MIPS last summer. At a June product launch for the Aether in Scotts Valley, California — just outside of Santa Cruz — Shapleigh was on hand to speak about MIPS and the brand’s partnership with Giro in developing the Aether’s MIPS Spherical technology.
“MIPS is thrilled to have a partner like Giro,” said Shapleigh, who acknowledged that during his time at Giro, the helmet brand originally expressed skepticism of MIPS technology. “While some partnerships between MIPS and helmet brands are more commercial, this is more of a collaborative partnership, and MIPS only has a few of those. There’s no financial arrangement, and we know that Giro will use whatever works best. But our mindset is the same — to reduce the risk of brain injury.” To those who still aren’t convinced, here’s how Eric Richter, Giro’s senior brand and business development manager, addresses that cynicism: “We all ride. Our friends ride. Our families ride. There is no reason for us to create anything less than our very best.” DOME: GIRO’S IN-HOUSE TEST LAB Inside Giro headquarters in Scotts Valley is the DOME test lab — DOME is an acronym for Design, Observation, Materials, Engineering — which includes text fixtures, 3D printers, injection- and thermal moulding equipment, an in-house wind tunnel, CNC machines, and more. The test lab is shared by Vista Outdoor brands Bell, C-Preme, and Giro, and is used to design, develop, and evaluate helmets for power sports, cycling, and snow sports. Among the text fixtures demonstrated to the media during a tour of the DOME in June were the BRAD, Mono-rail, and Sled, all designed to evaluate how well helmets manage rotational motion. From an engineering perspective, MIPS defines rotational motion as “a combination of rotational energy (angular velocity) and rotational forces (angular acceleration) that both affect the brain and increase the risk for minor and severe brain injuries.” After Giro was first approached by MIPS, following a period of review and discussion, DOME engineers sought a second opinion. They reached out to a Phoenix-based crash-testing lab called Exponent, where hundreds of crash-test dummies have their heads repeatedly slammed and twisted for test purposes. Exponent’s testing confirmed that MIPS technology was effective, and DOME and Exponent began designing their own rotational-test lab equipment, as none was on the market. In 2014, Giro unveiled its first MIPS-equipped helmets. Early research MIPS had conducted determined that most often during crash, brain injuries occur when the head strikes at an angle. Simulating that angular impact allows Giro, and MIPS, to develop ways to redirect and attenuate, or absorb, the energy of an angled impact.
Synthe model without MIPS protection For 2019, there will no longer be a Synthe model without MIPS protection. In fact, Giro claims there are now only two helmets in the brand’s entire cycling line that don’t offer a MIPS option; within the United States, every cycling helmet now comes in a MIPS version. It’s worth pointing out that the non-MIPS Synthe earned four stars (out of a possible five) in that Virginia Tech-IIHS test, ranked 13th out the 30 helmets tested; the Synthe MIPS would be expected to score higher. I’ll be very interested to see how the Aether scores, though there’s been no timeline given as to when Virginia Tech and IIHS will conduct their next round of tests, or whether the Aether will be included. Also, it’s worth keeping in mind is that while MIPS Spherical is proprietary to Giro, MIPS partners with dozens of other helmet brands. As Giro’s Eric Richter acknowledged, “Technically, another brand could try to replicate a spherical system using MIPS’s essential elements.” It may look different, and it may go by a different name, but we should expect to see this technology in other helmet brands in the future. Which brands, when, and what it might cost are unknowns.
BIKE MAGAZINE 15
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Glastonbury Abbey is the perfect pitstop l Cycle racks summer cafe
l Order a picnic hamper
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Find out more at www.glastonburyabbey.com or on 01458 832267
Registered charity no. 1129263
16 BIKE MAGAZINE
eBIKE REVIEW
> Fred Godfrey > Journalist
BIKE MAGAZINE 17
eBIKE REVIEW
IZIP E3
MODA An urban oriented speed pedelec
An urban oriented speed pedelec, capable of 28 mph pedal-assisted speeds, complete with wide alloy fenders, a streamlined rear rack, and integrated LED lights. Powerful hydraulic disc brakes with adjustable levers, the front rotor is larger at 180mm and uses a quad-piston caliper which improves stopping power and cooling. Three frame sizes and two style, the mid-step frame is easier to mount but might be not be as easy to lift up or hang from some bike racks, it also doesn’t have room for bottle cage bosses. Wide 2.4” Schwalbe Super Moto-X tires offer stability, comfort, and puncture protection, alloy chain guide reduces drops and protects clothing, the Brose motor is quiet, smooth, and very natural to pedal with, beautiful battery integration. The IZIP E3 Moda is a commuter-ready urban electric bike that comes complete with wide 60 mm alloy fenders to keep you dry, a sleek rear rack for clip-on panniers, and integrated LED lights to help you see and be seen. It’s feature complete, meaning that you really don’t have to add anything to deal with rain or night riding, and it’s a Class 3 ebike, meaning that it can reach top speeds of ~28mph vs. just 20mph for most other ebikes. Priced at roughly three-thousand dollars, the bike is backed by IZIP’s leading two-year comprehensive warranty and growing network of dealers in Europe. This product is strikingly similar to the Raleigh Redux iE, because both brands are owned by the Accell Group. Amazingly, the E3 Moda is priced lower than the 2017 Redux iE that I reviewed… and that product didn’t include the fenders, rear rack, or lights. IZIP is a less well-known brand compared to Raleigh, and their products tend to offer additional value and are sold through
continued
18 BIKE MAGAZINE
eBIKE REVIEW
independent electric bike dealers as well as online through the official website. This electric bicycle uses the trusted Brose TF motor, a high capacity integrated battery pack, and fancy removable LCD display with integrated USB charging port. I love that the step-over model comes with bottle cage bosses on the seat tube, and understand why they wouldn’t quite fit on the stepthru (which is really more of a mid-step frame in my opinion). It’s wonderful to have multiple frame sizes and styles to choose from, and I love how the tubing is reinforced with angular gussets on both the top tube and down tube for strength and stiffness. This is a stealthy electric bike
It
because the battery is hardly visible from the side and the the dark colour scheme blends nicely with the compact black motor casing. Furthermore, the Brose mid-drive is tilted up in such a way that it hides behind the 48 tooth chainring. I love that this chainring has an alloy guide to keep the chain on track, and want to emphasize just how quiet and smooth the motor is. It’s one of my favorites. Driving the IZIP Moda is a 350 to 530 watt mid-motor from Brose.
offers an impressive torque output of up to 90 newton meters and can support up to 120 pedal strokes per minute. These specs are very competitive, and my own experience riding on this and other ebikes that use it have been very good. I love how quite and smooth it operates, in large part due to an internal Gates belt drive that transfers power between the gearing system. It feels more natural than the nylon gears of other systems. While the motor does not offer shift detection, like Bosch, it does respond quickly when you ease back on pedal force. The motor
controller measures rear wheel speed, pedal cadence, and pedal torque. I have found the pedal torque signal to be the most noticeable, meaning that if you only pedal lightly, the motor will only activate a little bit. The Brose TF stands for Trekking Fast and designates the higher speed output potential. At ~7.4 lbs, it’s average in terms of weight, and that weight is positioned well at the low-center point of the frame. Both the front and rear wheels feature quick release, which is one of the big benefits of utilizing a mid-drive vs. a hub motor system. It’s very efficient because it leverages the gears that you shift through as a rider… just ease off a bit when shifting so you don’t mash the sprockets and derailleur as demonstrated in the video review above. The bike comes stock with a midlevel Shimano Deore 10-speed drivetrain, but the spread is only
BIKE MAGAZINE 19
eBIKE REVIEW
11-32 tooth vs. 11-36 or 42 tooth. When combined with the larger 48 tooth chainring, it’s really designed for medium and high speed riding, and you don’t really have the low gears for steep climbs. That shouldn’t be an issue given the higher torque potential of the motor and smooth efficient tires, but I wanted to call it out. There’s also no one-way clutch system to tighten the chain and reduce bouncing, and I didn’t see a slap guard on the right chain stay of the demo bikes. The trigger shifter mechanism worked very well, with two-way action on the high shifter and three-shift action on the low shifter. All in all, the drivetrain is good enough, but probably one of the areas where they compromised a bit to keep the price point low. Powering the motor and beautiful backlit display, as well as a full sized 5 volt 500 milliamp USB port on the base of the display panel, and both Blueline LED
lights is a 36 volt 13.8 amp hour Lithium-ion battery pack. The capacity is quite good, slightly above average for the 2018 season, and the battery casing felt solid and tough. Because the casing is made of aluminum alloy and not plastic, the pack does weigh slightly more than average at 6.4 lbs (compared to ~5.7 lbs for the similar-capacity Bosch Powerpack 500). Thankfully, this weight is sunk into the downtube, which improves handling and keeps it hidden. I love how this opens up the middle triangle of the frame, providing plenty of space for a bottle cage on the seat tube (for the step-over
model) and making the bike frame easy to lift and hang on some car racks. I feel that IZIP could have added a second set of bosses on top of this battery pack or maybe below the top tube, but that’s a minor consideration. At least the wires on this bike are mostly hidden and the paint matches throughout. Basically, there’s a dark frame colour and all of the little hardware accessories are black, giving it a mean cool look. The battery did vibrate and rattle a bit during my ride test off-road on the Raleigh product called the
Tamland iE (which uses the same battery design), but that wasn’t an issue on the Moda. The battery pack was easy to charge on the bike and to remove for off-bike charging, using the key slot at the bottom left side of the downtube. It’s nice that you do not have to leave the key in when inserting the pack, just push it down until you hear a click. I also appreciate the stable kickstand, that doesn’t get in the way of the left crank arm. The included four amp battery charger is faster than average and not especially heavy or large, but I do worry about the magnetic cap at the top of the battery. Just try not to misplace the cap or the electrical connector pins that it covers will be exposed and get messy with dust and water over time. By comparison,
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eBIKE REVIEW
Stromer electric bikes use a very similar Rosenberger charging port design but have included a plastic leash to keep their cover from getting lost. I’d love to see that from IZIP and others in the future. The other gripe I have with the battery pack is that it must be physically turned on before the display and ebike will work. The power button is located way down near the base of the seat tube, and could be tricky to reach if you forget before mounting. Once it has been activated, however, the display can be turned on and off with a separate power button for up to two hours, before it automatically enters sleep mode. Also, be careful when unlocking the battery pack because the key cylinder is positioned very close to the left crank arm and could get snagged or bent if a keychain is attached. I do like that the battery pack has these little plastic ledges near the base, for easy removal, but there isn’t really a handle to hold once it’s off, so be careful not to drop it. Avoid extreme temperatures when storing and charging lithium ion batteries like this, and try to keep them above 20% full at all times to reduce stress in the cell chemistry. Operating this bike is fairly intuitive in terms of button and display arrangement. The display is large, clear, and mounted high in the center of the handlebar, making it easy to read. I have done an in-
“The included four amp battery charger is faster than average and not especially heavy or large” depth guide and video on the display in the EBR Forums here, but will also go into some detail below. Once the battery is activated, the display automatically powers up as well. It’s a grayscale LCD that has a dim mode and a bright mode that activates automatically whenever you press the navigation buttons. It’s handy, and saves power this way while also reducing distraction at night. There’s a power button at the top right edge of the display that basically puts it to sleep but does not de-activate the battery, you can accomplish that by holding the button for several seconds. On the right edge of the display, there’s a light button that power on the headlight and taillight. If you hold the light button in, it will cycle to automatic mode, which uses a built-in sensor to switch the lights on and off as you ride. Just below the light button is a menu button that cycles through readouts, and this button is duplicated on the remote pad which is mounted within reach of the left grip. On this button pad, the center circle button is what changes menus. Above the circle is an up arrow and below the circle is a down arrow. These arrows let you navigate through three levels of assist (Cruise, Tour, and Sport), or you can go all the way down to Off and then hold the down arrow to activate walk mode. I love that the bike has a functional walk-mode because some big companies have disabled it on their US products. The walk assist only goes up to ~4mph (~6km/h) but is useful for pushing the bike if you get a flat tire or have to climb up a steep section of trail that isn’t rideable. For an electric bike like the E3 Moda, that weighs 52lbs without cargo, it could be especially useful when the bike is also loaded with gear. All in all, this display is elegant, simple to use, and offers more precise battery charge level feedback than a lot of competing devices. You get a 10-bar infographic with each bar representing a 10% step. The Brose Classic Original display is removable, easier to find and replace than some custom proprietary solution, and provides most of the menus I like, but didn’t seem to have a dynamic range estimate like Bosch, Shimano, and some others.
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eBIKE REVIEW
PRO
> Ruth Donaldson
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eBIKE REVIEW
OPELLA 2.2 7 SPEED
Affordable price and lightweight design Lightweight, efficient, affordable urban electric bike, offered in one frame size and one colour scheme (matte black with anodized blue accents), deep dish rims and reflective tires look cool and keep you visible at night
Driving this bike is a proven 250 watt nominally rated planetary geared hub motor from Bafang. It’s not as powerful as 350 or 500 watt solutions, but it’s smaller and lighter… and it won’t draw power as quickly. The casing is black, to match the spokes, and Propella chose a 14 amp pure sine wave controller for smooth quiet activation. Even though the motor isn’t super impressive on paper, it offers a satisfying zip. My Mom was riding around the block, experimenting with the different levels of assist, and felt most comfortable on level 2 (out of 5). This is also where I landed, and I actually felt good peddling without assist much of the time. While the maximum assisted speed on this electric bike is slightly lower at ~16.5 mph, it’s not difficult to reach and exceed 20 mph because the tires are so efficient and there’s no drag being produced by the motor system. For comparison, most ebikes are heavier and some gear-less hub motors do introduce a bit of magnetic drag. An example of this is the OHM Urban. The demo model that I reviewed was outfitted with a slightly smaller 44 tooth chainring (vs. 46 tooth on the final build) and shorter 165mm crank arms (vs. 170mm on the final build) and this sped up the pedal cadence. The rear cassette offers a very limited 14 to 28 tooth spread across seven sprockets, and uses a basic Shimano Altus derailleur, but it works well for this application and is at least one step above Shimano Tourney, which weighs more and often comes with sluggish shifting mechanisms. With the Altus shifters, you can downshift three sprockets with one finger motion. As
continued
24 BIKE MAGAZINE
with most geared hub motors, there was some electronic whirring in the higher levels of assist and the 12-magnet cadence sensor introduced a bit of start and stop delay compared to a torque or multi-sensor, but it still performed well. I appreciate how the motor almost disappears between the cassette and 160mm disc brake rotor. Since the battery pack is shaped like a water bottle, this ebike is fairly stealthy. Powering the Propella 2.2 is a compact, lightweight, lithium-ion battery pack that’s about half the capacity of most ebike batteries for this generation. It offers 36 volts, 6.8 amp hours for a total of 244.8 watt hours of capacity. Coming back to the power-sipping motor and pedal assist only Class 1 configuration of this ebike, I’d estimate 15 to 35 miles per charge. That all depends on the level of assist you choose, how much effort you expend peddling, how much you weigh, what the terrain is like, and even how windy it is. The display panel has a little battery info graphic with four bars, and I believe that the outer border also counts as a bar, but that’s not nearly as precise as a percentage readout. When Brent reviewed the Propella 2.0, he said that the battery meter would sag as he pedaled in the highest level of assist which means it’s probably relying on a realtime voltage meter. There’s also a four-LED readout on the top of the battery casing, which can be activated by pressing the rubberized power button there. Same thing, not super precise with information, and there’s no range readout on the display. I feel like I’m making a mountain out of a mole hill here, because the bike is fun to pedal and lightweight, but these are drawbacks compared to most of the fancier products in the space right now. The charger that comes with the Propella is also very basic. It outputs 2 amps, but that’s alright given the lower capacity, and it weighs just 1.2lbs, so it’s easy to toss into a backpack. The battery can be charged on or off the bike frame and attaches securely with a metal locking cylinder. Propella improved the battery interface for the 2.2 so you slide the canister down and back for a more secure fit. I didn’t test the 2.0 so I cannot say how much of an improvement this is. It looks similar and felt secure when riding. I tested the bike across grass and off curbs and the battery didn’t rattle much. I like the handle that is built into the top of the battery casing and really appreciate the blue accents and minimalist Propella logo. As I was handling the battery, mounting and dismounting, charging and lifting it, I discovered a rubber flap on the bottom with the USB symbol. Apparently, there used to be a functional USB Type A port here, but Propella was having issues with phantom power draw and decided to scrap it. I really like having USB power options for picnics and camping, but I also appreciate minimalism and reliability. It’s too bad that they had to remove it, but perhaps we’ll see a USB port on the display or added back in someday. Note that the battery cells used in this pack are 18650 size arranged in 10 series, 2 parallel form Panasonic, which is known for being higher quality. They are covered under the one year comprehensive warranty and replacement or additional packs are just £295 compared to £800+ for most
500+ watt hour packs I see from competitors. As much as I’ve complained about the basic battery infographic and lack of USB charging, I really like the display that Propella chose for their ebikes. This thing is compact but feature rich, it comes with an independent control ring that mounts within reach of the left grip, and has adjustable brightness! No, it’s not removable or even adjustable to reduce glare while riding… it just stays in place. But, maybe being smaller, it won’t get scratched or attract as much attention at the bike rack? There are three buttons to interact with: M, Up, and Down. The M button probably stands for Mode but also acts as a power button. Once the battery is charged and mounted, just press the M button for a couple of seconds and the monochrome LCD blinks to life. The King Meter J-LCD unit shows your battery level, a clock at the top right, assist level (0-5, it starts on level 1), speed readouts, and trip distance readouts. You can cycle from current speed to average speed and maximum speed by holding the Up arrow and cycle from odometer to trip meter by tapping the M button. Holding Up and M simultaneously will activate
the backlight (which was difficult to see in my daytime filming conditions), and holding the Down arrow will initiate walk mode (which moved a bit faster than I expected). By holding Up and Down simultaneously, you enter into a settings menu where you can set the clock, adjust backlight brightness (1, 2, or 3), and change units from miles to kilometres. All things considered, it’s a nice display that leaves plenty of room on the handlebar for mounting your smartphone, a headlight, or other accessory. Propella has been around now since 2015, with their first product being delivered in 2016. They have had two successful crowd funding campaigns, delivered most of their products on time, and earned a lot of trust. It sounds like they are moving away from crowdfunding because it adds to the cost and there is now a following. The product is certainly attention grabbing, but it backs the looks up with solid performance and thoughtfully selected hardware that will last. I didn’t go into it much in the video review, but they also sell suspension seat post upgrades (great for people with sensitive back or neck), a lightweight carbon fibre front wheel, and addi-
BIKE MAGAZINE 25
tional chargers and parts. The founder, Ben, was easy to reach and talk to leading up to and during my review process. It’s neat to see how closely he and his team are looking at each component, considering slight adjustments in the chainring and crank arm sizes… I’m not used to seeing that and I think it reflects positively on them. They appear to be listening to customers but also balancing that against reliability, we see this with the removal of the USB port on the battery. During my test rides, the kickstand got in the way a little bit while peddling because it was mounted pretty close to the left crank arm. At least it wasn’t mounted at the centre point of the bike (which can cause pedal lock), but it was still an annoyance for me. I considered removing the stand and asked Ben about it. He said that they were already working to move the stand back by about one inch to reduce heel strikes. Assembly went pretty well but there was an issue with the plastic end cap
breaking off of the front wheel and leaving some plastic inside the axle. I had to use the quick release skewer to bang it out using a hammer (and some foam to protect the quick release lever). I want to call out the purpose built nature of the frame which has some internal routing for electrical cables in the downtube and a reinforcement gusset plate near the headset (on the base of the downtube). The battery mount used two bolts that were spread farther apart than standard bottle cage bosses, and this adds strength to the design. The deep dish rims look neat but can catch some side winds and impact steering, especially if you upgrade to the carbon fiber wheel, and they require longer 60mm presta valve inner tubes that can reach all the way through. Big thanks to Ben and his team for partnering with me on this post and standing by to answer all of my questions. As always, I welcome your questions and comments below or in the Propella forums.
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BIKE REVIEW
ALL NEW GLENCOE It combines an aluminium frame with 650B tyres and a very different approach to geometry It’s decently equipped for the money but it is a little on the heavy side, though that doesn’t ruin its appeal. Pros: Calm and stable handling, comfortable, fun on the descents, all-season capability Cons: A bit heavy
Some bikes are easy to pigeonhole. Some are not. The new Whyte Glencoe is a case in point. Whyte pitches it primarily as a road bike, albeit one that is intended, with its big tyres and relaxed geometry, to be able to tackle the poorly surfaced roads most of us have to contend with better than a conventional road bike. ‘Take the rough with the smooth. Ever set off for a gentle road ride but ended up in a jarring tussle with the cracked and potholed British asphalt? Not anymore. Whatever surface the road throws at you, there is now a road bike that really can cope with it all – the Whyte Glencoe. It’s a bike that defines the emerging RoadPLUS category, purring along on smooth tarmac – but when the going gets tough, the Glencoe really comes into its own,’ says Whyte. As such it’s ideal for just about everything, from commuting, audax and touring to leisure rides in the countryside. Provided it’s dry, it’ll handle dirt tracks and firm gravel tracks too, but a gravel bike it’s not; it’s very much a road bike in spirit. Maybe we can call it an allroad bike along similar lines to the Merida
Silex, Pinnacle Arkose, Genesis Datum and any other of the current adventure bikes that blur the line between a road and cyclo-cross bike. All about the geometry It’s the geometry that really sets the Glencoe apart from a conventional road bike. You need to approach this bike with an open mind. The focus for Whyte was to provide much more stability than a conventional road bike, to boost the confidence of cyclists unnerved when riding down bumpy and treacherous descents, or simply offer a smoother and more comfortable ride for dealing with the poorly
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BIKE REVIEW
surfaced roads that a traditional race bike with 23mm tyres isn’t really suited to. The key difference to a normal road bike is that it’s longer with slacker angles, with a long front center (BB to front hub) designed around the use of a short stem and very wide handlebar. The head angle is a relaxed 70 degrees, but a short-offset fork ensures this doesn’t lead to a floppy steering sensation (‘offset’ is how far the front axle is offset from the steering axis; a shorter offset creates a bigger trail, trail being the distance between the contact patch of the tyre and where the steering axis hits the floor). That shows a hint of mountain bike influence, Merida being the other notable brand that also takes a few lessons from the off-road world with its Silex. The length added to the top tube has been taken out of the stem, so the overall reach is more or less the same as a regular road bike. That means the position feels natural and familiar, even if the way it’s achieved is different from what you might be used to on a road bike. It has also been entirely designed around 650B wheels from the outset, and so can make the most of the large volume the 47mm wide WTB Horizon tyres provide, offering a smooth and comfortable ride with bags of traction for slippery surfaces and debris-strewn descents. Ride and handling
“For riding urban and rural roads at a comfortable pace”
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BIKE REVIEW
Swing a leg over the Glencoe and the first thing you notice is the massively wide handlebar. It’s Whyte’s own design, measures 50cm wide with compact drops and a very tight radius at the corner bend between the tops and hoods.
to be a lightweight race bike. It’s rugged and tough and is designed to take a thrashing.
It’s one of the most interesting aspects of the bike and provides a ride characteristic that is more akin to a mountain bike than a road bike. When riding out of the saddle it reminds me of a mountain bike with stubby bar ends.
There’s a lot of choice at this price, and one bike that leaps to mind as being a credible rival to the Glencoe is the £1,250 Pinnacle Arkose 3; you get a lighter carbon fork, a Shimano 105 2x drivetrain and 37mmwide WTB Riddler Comp tyres, and it’ll accept 650B wheels and tyres as well.
It does feel a bit odd at first if you’re coming off a road race bike, but within a few miles, and especially after a couple of descents, it becomes very natural and comfortable. The shallow drops mean you can ride easily in a more aero position when you’re getting a wiggle on. I was bombing down all my favourite descents with more speed and less nervousness than any endurance or gravel bike I’ve tested recently. The wide bar gives you plenty of control through the bends and despite what you might think about the short stem, there is absolutely no twitchiness to the steering, it’s all very calm and relaxed. It’s not docile or slow though. Okay, so the high weight does blunt its progress a little on steeper gradients, but the Glencoe is still agile enough if you need to suddenly carve around a massive pothole you’ve only spotted at the last moment, or you just like to corner with gusto. Despite their girth, the 650B WTB Horizon tyres are deceptively quick. They don’t feel sluggish and draggy until you push on at higher speeds where your heart rate/power shoots up. Keep the speeds reasonable – 20-28kph, say – and they roll along really well. You can run the pressures low: I experimented with 40-45psi and found a good balance of rolling resistance and cushioning. To sum up, the Glencoe represents an exciting and radical reinterpretation of what a modern road bike could be. Frame and equipment The Glencoe has an aluminium frame and fork with full internal cable routing and additional rack and mudguard mounts, made use of on the test bike by Whyte’s own mudguards (an optional upgrade). The seat clamp is a neat internal design with a rubber bung to stop the bolt head filling with dirt, and there’s a good old external bottom bracket. Some might expect a carbon fork but the £1,299 price tag has obviously led to some compromises, although thankfully the build kit is all good stuff. The aforementioned WTB Horizon tyres are mounted to wide profile WTB tubeless-ready rims, a SRAM Apex 1x groupset takes care of shifting, while braking is courtesy of TRP Hy/Rd brakes with 160mm rotors. With a 44-tooth chainring and 11-42 cassette the gear range is sufficient for tackling the rolling hills of the Cotswolds and some of the steeper gradients around Stroud. The Hy/Rd brakes work well, with nice lever feel and plenty of power, but – and it’s been said before – they are a bit portly and it would be nice to see a full SRAM brake setup, though the smaller mechanical hoods are nice to use. The rest of the equipment is all Whyte-branded stuff: an aluminium handlebar and matching stem, seatpost and saddle, which I found to be pleasantly comfortable on longer jaunts. The Glencoe is no lightweight at 11.56kg and it’s easy to see where some weight savings could be made, but Whyte has clearly focused on keeping the price as low as possible in an admirable attempt to make the Glencoe as accessible as possible. I’m certainly not going to say it rode lighter than the weight would suggest, but it’s unfair to criticise it for the weight when it’s not trying
Rivals
Conclusion For riding urban and rural roads at a comfortable pace and maybe throwing in the odd canal towpath, the Glencoe is a real delight. The handling really sets it apart from conventional road bikes, with a stability and relaxed manner that few road bikes can rival. The tyres provide loads of comfort and are virtually bombproof when encountering holes and rocks. I’d prefer proper hydraulic disc brakes, and I’d love if it was a little lighter, but those aren’t big enough concerns to take the shine off what is a really well-designed road bike that offers a brilliant ride. Verdict Amazingly stable and comfortable ride ideal for rough roads
BIKE MAGAZINE 29
BICYCLE SAFETY ACCESSORIES
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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 in have 1996 where they won the prize for and in 2012 at 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
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30 BIKE MAGAZINE
LIFE CHANGING
GIRO CHRONO
PRO JERSEY Short Sleeve > Albert Bishop
It is positioned as the American brand’s top line performance jersey, and it really doesn’t disappoint – but you do pay quite heavily for it. Pros: Close aero cut, top performance, good practicality, nice styling Cons: Slightly tight arm hems, cost As you can probably tell from the pros and cons listed above, when it came to identifying the Chrono jersey’s strengths and weaknesses, I was taxed far more with one heading than the other. The truth is, after sitting for 20 minutes trying to come up with downsides, all I could think of – bar the price – was the fact that the arm hems were a little tight.
compression, as well as high durability. The higher density of the back panel adds an air of quality and longevity, while the lighter laser-holed front panels and mesh flanks assist with breathability. It’s very difficult to overheat in the Chrono jersey in normal conditions, and it’s rated to an SPF of 50.
In a race-cut jersey designed to sit on the skin, it’s hardly surprising that it’ll feel a little small in areas where I’m larger than the average racing cyclist (the arms being one of a few areas), but even with the band-like hems, it’s certainly not the most uncomfortable I’ve been in a jersey of this type.
There’s no flapping around the torso when on the move in an aggressive position – perfect for a jersey with a nod to aerodynamics – but that doesn’t mean it’s restrictive. The shoulders allow plenty of space in a medium for someone with wide shoulders to fit in, which means the zip doesn’t feel too tight when done all the way up.
Mainly that’ll be because the undersides don’t have a tacky gripper like some jerseys, instead allowing the hems to find their natural sit point. And the surrounding fabric (the whole jersey, in fact) is very flexible so it can mould to the body remarkably well. Giro calls this fabric a ‘gradient stretch woven’ material, which is very breathable and light while not looking (or feeling) like a mesh-type fabric. It’s very cool against the skin, especially when you’ve been getting a sweat on, and that bodes well for the kind of weather that the UK has been enjoying this summer. Stop at the top of a climb on a cool morning after giving it the beans and you can literally see the moisture steaming off the fabric. Other benefits of the fabric are said to be a light
The bottom line is that it’s very comfortable indeed, with sizing slightly on the generous side so even a 188cm, fairly bulky (albeit slim) guy like me can fit in a medium.
“three good-sized pockets on the back, with the middle pocket overlaid by a zipped security slot for phones”
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LIFE CHANGING
The size chart suggests that a medium would be slightly too small for me, but it fits like a glove – even the collar fits around my wide neck comfortably. There are three good-sized pockets on the back, with the middle pocket overlaid by a zipped security slot for phones and/or keys. There’s no weather protection for it, mind, but that’s hardly a priority in a performance jersey like this (even though I’d like to see some sort of sweat-andshowerproof lining). The waistline features an elasticated band with some Giro-branded gripper styling embossed upon it, and it does a grand job of holding the jersey in place. Tighter-fitting jerseys like this can have a habit of working their way up, especially when the fit is marginal – but on me, the Chrono Pro stayed firm, keeping its length on my back. I like the superficial design too – there’s detail in the honeycomb-like design of the shoulders, with a fade-plus-diagonal grading down the body. It looks especially smart in the ‘Black Cascade’ colour we have on test, while there are white and blue alternatives too. I can’t fault the overall build quality either, and it stands up well to 40 degree washes despite recommendations to machine wash cold. You’d hope that it’d stand up to some punishment too, as it costs £129.99. That’s a high price – a tenner more than Le Col’s Pro Air jersey. Yet, I’d say the overall quality and comfort puts it in competition with Le Col’s premium HC jersey, which is £20 more. There are a number of very good summer jerseys for around the £90-£95 mark, though, from the likes of Sportful, Monton, new brand Saikels, and Hommage au Velo with its very good Bourlon jersey for £95, which does make the Giro look a little overpriced. Despite that, I’m still very impressed by how well the Chrono Pro works – it offers racy performance in a sympathetic fit, and looks good too.
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GRANFONDO
A GRANFONDO WITH A GROWING INTERNATIONAL APPEAL Interest is growing amongst cyclists outside of Italy in the Granfondo Stelvio Santini: 1,760 riders from foreign nations will be competing this year, a 9,3% increase on the last edition. The largest group comes from Denmark followed the United Kingdom and Spain. On Sunday, June 3, the 3,000 –strong field will do battle on the Stelvio Pass – a fantastic way to celebrate International Bicycle Day.
> Helen Sparkle
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GRANFONDO
About a 3,000 riders will line out at the start of the 2018 Granfondo Stelvio Santini with 1,760 of their number travelling from various corners of the world to take on the historic climbs of the Alps. The event’s international appeal is growing and this year it falls on a very significate date: International Bicycle Day, selected by the United Nations to raise awareness of the many advantages of using bikes both for transport and leisure, and to encourage the development of national and international strategies to promote cycling in all its forms. What better way to celebrate this special day than by tackling the legendary hairpins of the Stelvio on the roads that have written some of the most exciting chapters in cycling history? The morning of Sunday, June 3, will see 46 flags flown to represent the nations taking part in this year’s Granfondo which to date has seen a 9,3% increase in entries from abroad over the previous edition. This jump is a strong indication of the growing interest and appeal the Valtellina cycling event is stirring up internationally. It is as gruelling, however, as it is fascinating with cyclists choosing to follow one of the three routes offered by the organisers, all of which share a start-line at Bormio and finish-line at the top of the 2,758-metre Stelvio Pass.
“The epic character of the race and spectacular nature of the area it passes through attract participants from all over the world” > Paola Santini Facts and figures The guests of honour at the event will be Polartec Kometa, the Continental team launched by the Alberto Contador Foundation to support talented young road cyclists, and which will be in Alta Valtellina for a training clinic. Also at the start will be Alessandro Vanotti, a former professional road racer and Santini ambassador, Eugenio Alafaci of Team Trek-Segafredo, Karol Ann Canuel, a professional Canadian rider from the Boels Dolmans team, and Amalie Dideriksen, who was crowned World Champion in Doha in 2016 and is also on the Boels Dolmans team. On Sunday, June 3, 1,760 foreign riders from 45 different nations will be lining out. Italy aside, the country the Granfondo Stelvio Santini has appealed to most is Denmark with over 400 entrants, followed by the United Kingdom and Spain. “The epic character of the race and spectacular nature of the area it passes through attract participants from all over the world,” commented Paola Santini. “And we are naturally happy with and proud of the growing numbers of international riders taking part.” Many women cyclists have also signed up for the Granfondo Stelvio: there will be 187 in total at the start, making up around 5.5% of the total entry field. “This result is thanks to the promotional and public relations work done in the past editions by the organisers and the tourist promotion bodies,” adds Mario Zangrando who organises the Granfondo Stelvio Santini with US Bormiese. Three routes Of the three routes, the long route has proved the most popular with 1,849 cyclists lining out for the 7.00 am start from Bormio for a 151.3-kilometre race that will see them doing the gruelling Teglio and
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GRANFONDO
EVENT INFORMATION: Name: Granfondo Stelvio Santini Location: from Bormio to the Stelvio Pass (Province of Sondrio) Edition: 7th Long route: Bormio - Teglio - Mortirolo Bormio - Stelvio (151.3 km, 4058 m elevation change) Medium Route: Bormio - Teglio - Bormio Stelvio (137.9 km, 3053 m elevation change) Short Route: Bormio - Sondalo - Bormio Stelvio (60 km, 1950 m elevation change) Participant numbers 2018 edition: 2,600
Mortilo climbs. After that they return to Bormio and set off uphill again on the Stelvio climb, enduring an overall elevation change of 4,058 metres. The popularity of the toughest route is strong indicator that tackling extreme challenges remains a powerful motivator for lovers of the sport. In all, 730 opted for the 137.9-kilometre medium route which has a 3,000-metre elevation change but does not include the Mortirolo. The remaining cyclists will be doing the 60-kilometre short route from Bormio to Sandalo and back which includes the Stelvio climb and a 1,950-metre elevation change. The classifications After the introduction of the new classifications last year, the Granfondo Stelvio Santini will have the same final standings again this year to cut the risk of high-speed downhill accidents to a minimum. The first classification will be divided according to the three different routes and fashioned on the individual riders’ total time trial times: those of the long route cyclists will be calculated on the basis of the Teglio, Mortirolo and Stelvio climbs, while for the medium
route, the results will be the sum of the Teglio and Stelvio times. Lastly, the short route classification will be calculated solely on the Stelvio climb time. The top-ranked cyclists in each category will be awarded with a Granfondo Stelvio Santini King Of The Mountain (men) or a Granfondo Stelvio Santini Queen Of The Mountain (women) jersey. A second classification will be fashioned the basis of the elapsed time between start and finish lines with competitors listed in alphabetical order and in order of their overall times. Additionally, three Kings and three Queens of the Mountains, i.e. the “grimpeurs”, male and female, that clock the best times on the three climbs, will also receive a special polka dot jersey: the Teglio climb jersey is sponsored by Retelit, the Mortirolo is sponsored by Trek and the Stelvio by Santini. Last but very far from least, the three teams with the largest number of entrants will also receive prizes as will the team with the most finishers, to highlight the communal spirt of amateur cycling. A wellness partner and a dedicated jersey From this year also QC Terme Bagni di Bormio is the wellness partner to the Granfondo Stelvio Santini. A partnership that reinforces the cycling event’s connection to the local area: il QC Terme Bagni di Bormio and Granfondo Stelvio Santini both deiver unforgettable experiences in the stunning natural surroundings of the Stelvio Pass which is absolutely unique in terms of its beauty and history. The Wellness Prize of a special Santini jersey will be awarded to the two oldest finishers (male and female).
The compulsory official jersey All participants will receive the official race jersey as part of their race pack. It must be worn throughout the race to help facilitate checks and also, of course, because the sight of so many identically-dressed riders all massed together at the start will be truly spectacular. Designed and made exclusively by Santini Cycling Wear for this seventh outing, the slim-fit jersey is light, breathable and hugs the body’s contours without restricting movement, making it perfect for both male and female cyclists. One detail that highlights Santini’s commitment to the environment is the presence of a fourth side pocket to allow the wearer stow cellophane energy bar and gel wrappers until they get to the next “green” island where they can dispose of them responsibly.
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ROADTRIPPING
IRELAND Ireland’s a country – or two to be precise – that can lay claim to a few legends of the sport: double Grand Tour winner Stephen Roche and four-time Tour de France Green Jersey winner Sean Kelly (not to mention his long list of other achievements). Then there’s a new generation: Dan Martin and son of Stephen, Nicolas Roche
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We’ve seen the fjords of Norway and the picturesque lakes and hills of New Zealand’s South Island, but what did Ireland have to offer? And what could the peloton expect to encounter come this Sunday? CyclingTips’ Dave Everett was joined by Roadtripping veteran Szymon Kotowski and photographer Kristof Ramon to capture this amazing land. I’m going to steal a phrase that Wade used in his intro to the Roadtripping New Zealand piece: “proximity syndrome”. Ireland is only an hour’s flight from my home in the north west of England but I’ve been there so few times. I’ve ridden my bike there once before, but only saw the inside of a peloton and several hotels while suffering on the Milk Rás back in about 2003.
> Mike Blacksmith
Many of my mates had waxed lyrically about the lovely scenery they’d encountered on past trips to Ireland. But the memories of being cold and of suffering overpowered even the slightest tingle of interest. For me the guaranteed promise of sun further south always won the battle when deciding where to ride. But when I got an email from Wade asking if I fancied a few days on my bike, clocking up some miles (or kilometres depending if we were in the north or the south of the island) on roads the Giro peloton would be tackling, it was a no-brainer. This was the opportunity to undo that proximity syndrome, to actually see what I’d missed by not racing on the front of that peloton back in 2003. My cycling buddy for the trip was to be seasoned roadtripper Szymon Kotowski. Szymon had inspired me (and many
saw Kristof and I learning a little about how each of us acts in a rather awkward situation. Let’s just say that confusion filled the Mexican restaurant and, perhaps unsurprisingly, we didn’t end up eating the rest of our chips. There we had it: the bonding exercise done and dusted, a talking point for the night cemented, and a lesson learnt with regards to what could happen if we went off the rails with one too many of the local beverages. Tuesday morning rolled round and we woke in our room at the Trinity City Hotel in Dublin — a hotel that that was certainly better and more opulent than I remember from my Milk Rás days. If the bright colours and street art canvases on the walls didn’t kickstart us for the day the prospect of hitting new cycling territory certainly did. I didn’t know too much about what to expect or what route we were to tackling and I soon got the impression that Kristof and Szymon didn’t either. The mission for our roadtrip was to check out the roads that the Giro d’Italia would be visiting in Ireland. However, with Stage 1 being a 21.7km team time trial in Belfast, while I’m sure it’ll be turned into a virtual stadium for a day this Sunday, it probably wasn’t going to make for very adventurous riding or good photos for our purposes. For a trip that had me imagining emulating the Giro route we were soon choosing roads that ventured well off that of the Giro’s chosen path. And why not? A peloton of 200 odd guys plus a convoy of team cars and a caravan of comical
“The mission for our roadtrip was to check out the roads that the Giro d’Italia would be visiting in Ireland” others I hope) with his Roadtripping Norway piece last year. The man snapping the shots for our trip was to be Belgian photographer-extrodinaire Kristof Ramon. I knew his stuff and was excited to meet both he and Szymon in person. As on any trip it’s that first hour of contact that helps the team to bond, so while waiting for Szymon to land at the airport, an incident involving burritos, a girl (who perhaps drank too much) sat down with us and decided that our chips were hers,
commercial trucks throwing goodies out all has to stick to pretty wide and safe roads… or as wide and safe as the Giro organisers see fit to send the peloton down. With just two cyclists and a photographer we could venture on to roads that the peloton could only dream of taking. After a little research, a rough itinerary that had been offered up to us by the Tourism Ireland and a few Twitter messages thrown in to the mix (including a tweeted
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tip from Garmin-Sharp Irish rider Dan Martin) we were soon up to speed as to what roads we should be hitting. South of Dublin to the Wicklow Mountains we headed. Just 15km or so south of Dublin is the Wicklow Mountains National Park. Why on Earth this place hasn’t made it into the Giro route boggles the mind. The again, I may have just answered my own question when I was speaking about narrow and windy roads. We parked at the start of the range, unpacked the car, spent what felt like an eternity inflating tyres with a mini pump, put the bikes together and finally got the cycling part of the trip underway. From where we parked the first hill climbed for only about 4km — a good little leg-opener. There was no massive mountain as the name would suggest, but a short kick of a climb with swooping, wide corners through the marshy hillside. It was a great start to what would be three days of exploring the Giro route and finding some stunning roads. This road continued, winding through the green hillside, rising and dropping.
The first small town we eventually came across was Blessington. This gave us a chance to check the map, harass a couple of locals and get advice as to what roads we should tackle next. The owner of the local corner shop recommended the same route the tourist board and the twittersphere had: a trip around the reservoir and along Lake Drive. We’d struck it lucky. The stereotypical Irish weather conditions had given way to beautiful blue skies and warm sunshine. The knee warmers came off and the legs basked in some early season warmth. Better still there was a serious lack of traffic. Lake Drive took us along yet more winding roads and into the village of Glendalough. Here we paused for a brief pit stop, checking out an impressive sixth century Monks tower…and eating the largest Mr Whippy ice cream I’ve ever seen, courtesy of Kevin’s Kitchen. With that we were off again, back up towards the roads that we’d started the day on. This time though we went via a stunning road that seemed to hide itself from view until you were actually upon it.
A quick right-hand turn at the top of the climb and we started to descend what I had originally dismissed as a road to an abandoned quarry. This took us away from the marshy lands we’d started out on and pushed us in the direction to a much more yellow and brown landscape.
From its base the Old Military Road quickly opened up and with it came views over a waterfall that all three of us hadn’t expected. Water gushed down the side of us as Szymon showed me that his winter spent riding in Spain had left him very strong.
Even though it felt like we had just been rolling along at the start of the ride, gaining a bit of height and then losing it on the short snappy down hills, from where we turned it just seemed to descend constantly. The roads narrowed and got even windier. Here we felt away from everyone, just the odd farm and secluded hideaway dotting the landscape.
A short but impressive climb took us back to roads we’d started on, this time via a few rough and broken sections. We piled the bikes and camera equipment into the car, pleased and surprised at what day one had brought us. It was just over one hundred kilometers to get us warmed up, but riding stages 2 and 3 of the Giro d’Italia over the next couple days will most definitely smash the legs.
“Just 15km or so south of Dublin is the Wicklow Mountains National Park”
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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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CYCLING DENMARK
AROUND
We spent the first week on the lovely island of Fanø
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Fanø to Skagen Inspirational trip
The first tour around central Jutland went really well so we moved on up to North Jutland and did a second mini tour from Aalborg to Skagen.
Fanø to Nysø We packed up our tent and loaded the bikes with our panniers. Katrin the woman who owned the camp site on Fanø had very kindly agreed to let us leave the car there until we got back. It great to be back on the bikes again and especially on Fanø as it just felt that we were back 20 years ago. When we got to the port we had just missed the ferry, the next one wasn’t until 1:10pm so as we had an hour to spare so we decided to go and have a pancake at the Panakoken Hause which as normal was absolutely yummy. We caught the 10 past 1 o’clock ferry which left on time and it soon had us at the ferry terminal at Esbjerg. We had decided to take bike route 2 to Varde. The first part of the route was through the port and the industrial part of Esbjerg it was full of supply and construction boats for offshore wind farms. We then past the the ‘Blue Water’ shipping company which I seem to remember from the last time we were in Esbjerb. As always there was a good bike route with traffic lights for the bikes and as we got to the main roads underpasses to take you under them. In the distance we could see the big white statues of the ‘Men of the Sea’ which we remembered seeing from the ferry back in 1999, we just had to see them close up. They are clearly quite a tourist attraction now with a large car park and hot drinks stall and it was impossible to get a photo without anyone in it, but at least it gave them some scale. Our route from there took us on a gentle climb up through Fovrfeld a residential area on the outskirts of Esbjerg into the countryside of central Jutland. Our first village was Guldager with its typical white church and on through quiet countryside to Alslev where we stopped at the Dagli Brugsen to pick up some juice and a few snacks. Soon after leaving the village we came across a small holding with all the animals outside, including a large flock of chickens which is kind of unusual in Denmark as they generally keep their livestock in sheds. We soon reached the outskirts of Varde on a good bike route, we had thought of
missing out the center but the route looked busy with traffic and it had no bike route so we stuck to route 2 which took us into the center past a set of military barracks for the Danish Sargent’s school. When we were in the center of Varde I must have missed the route 2 sign as we carried on along a good bike route that was separated from the road. It wasn’t until it ran out at a busy junction did I check the SatNav and realised my mistake. We had planned on staying at a shelterplad only a few miles away but there was another marked on our map so we headed up the road that we were on. The traffic was a little heavy as it was clearly rush hour at Varde and the road had no bike route. Thankfully we weren’t on it for very long as we couldn’t find the shelter pod marked on our map so we took a track through the plants that would take us across to the road that we should have been on. Just as we got into the woods John spotted a sign for a shelterplad so we turned up the track and found it. Unfortunately it didn’t have a water supply and there was a woman there with 5 screaming kids who were clearly going to stay the evening. We decided to go and find the one we had planned at staying at, I wonder why? We continued back up the track and just as we got to the road John spotted a forest information board and it showed that there was a second shelterplad marked near a lake a little further on, we decided to have a look for that one. A short distance along the road there was a forest center and I said to John let’s get some water as there might not be any at the shelterplad as there wasn’t any at the last one. There was a car parked outside and I rang the bell several times but there was no answer and just as I was leaving I spotted an outside tap on a barn. I said to myself I am sure no
> Christine Grimm
“first village was Guldager with its typical white church and on through quiet countryside”
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one will mind if I fill up our water container. With the water container full and strapped to my bike we headed off to find the shelterplad. A track through the woods brought us out to a large lake with several picnic benches and a large grill under a wooden shelter. It was a beautiful spot and the lake was clearly the result of sand and gravel workings and there were several people on the beach some of whom were swimming, we didn’t blame them as it was a lovely summer’s evening. We didn’t know whether he could camp there so we decided to cook our evening meal using the table in the grill hut. Whilst we were cooking I went to have a look for the shelterplad it was in fact only 50m away in small clearing just a short distance from the grill hut. There were three shelters and someone was cooking dampers on the fire in the middle. I said ‘hello’ and ‘it looks quite busy here’, the guy who was cooking dampers said that there was one shelter free but I said that there is no problem as we have a tent and we will put it up near the grill hut. After we had eaten our evening meal we put up the tent on a nice grassy spot. The family who were cooking dampers came past to use the loo. They were Danish and had come to the lake to stay the evening in the shelterplad and to go mountain biking around the trails in the forest. It was so lovely to see a family enjoying the outdoors. it was a super warm summer evening and we were treated to a lovely sunset, John just couldn’t stop taking photographs. Soon after we had gone to bed I heard footsteps on the gravel, there seem to be someone in the grill hut where we had parked our bikes. As it was dark I grabbed a torch and went over to see who it was. I think he was more surprised to see me, he introduced himself as Sebastian he had intended to sleep in the Shelterplad but on seeing it busy and being late he didn’t want to disturb those there so had decided to kip down in the grill house, he hadn’t noticed our tent in the dark. I wished him a good evening and I settled back into our tent.
“Our route from Næsbjerb took us through some quiet little lanes to Øse where we joined bike route 7” Nysø to Vorbasse We woke to a lovely sunny morning and it didn’t take us long to have some breakfast and pack the tent up. As there were a few caches in the forest we did a little bit of a circular route around the lake to take in a few of the caches that were close to the tracks before leaving the forest. It was a shame that we couldn’t have spend more time in the forest as there were some good caches but as it was nearly 11.30am we thought that we had better get going as we still
had a long way to go if we were to get to Vorbasse. Our route from the forest was on easy gentle quiet roads and after an hour or so we got to Næsbjerb. As we entered the village we came across their recycling center, it was so nicely laid out and clean, there was even a brush and shovel there for keeping it clean. Why can’t we have things like this in the UK? In the village center we stopped at the Brugsen to buy some lunch and opposite and next to the church was a picnic bench. It looked very new and the planting around it was also new. As we were brewing up a couple of elderly gentleman came past and said something to us in Danish, we explained that we were English and didn’t understand Danish. They clearly didn’t speak English but we got the gist that they were pleased that we were using their new picnic bench. After our lunch we had a look around the church, it was good to find one open as most of the churches in Denmark are usually closed. We really like the Danish churches they look so lovely with their white painted render and the graveyards are always so immaculate. As we looked around there was a boy clipping the hedges and we felt a bit guilty in walking on the pea shingle which had been racked with lovely lines. Our route from Næsbjerb took us through some quiet little lanes to Øse where we joined bike route 7 which then took us through Nordenskov and on to Tofterup. Along the road we came across a field that had been planted alongside with a flower bed. It looked lovely and such a great idea as it attracts bees and other insects which help with the pollination of crops. If only every farmer in the UK did something similar it would be great. At Wester Starup we stopped to have a look at the church and pick up the cache there. From Starup we could have continued on the bike route 7 to Vorbasse however it went a slightly longer route around by Hovburg. I could tell that John was getting tired so we decided to take the more direct route which saved us about 4km. The road was quiet and traffic free and after going through some heath land it was a reasonably flat road through several plantations. On getting to the outskirts of Vorbasse I asked a boy who was building a wall as to where the campsite and a supermarket were and he pointed us in the right direction. It is always a worry when you get to somewhere as to whether the campsite will be there as our map was 20 years old! I think for our next tour we must buy and up-to-date map. Vorbasse We said we would have a rest day here as it was John’s first ride and it was a good thing we did as it rained overevening and most of the morning. But by lunchtime it had stopped so we went and had a swim in the Fritidscenter leisure pool which was free as it was included in the campsite fee. After that we did a few geocaches around the village which was fun as they took us firstly to the Æ gaaedhus which was an interesting half timbered house in the center of the village complete with some unusual sculptured stones. We then went on to do a multi-cache at the ‘Vorbasse Krigshavn’ which is the small lake in the village. There is a theory that the name originated from the war in 1864 between the Danes and Germans. Legend has it that as it was announced that a hostile column of German soldiers on horseback was moving towards Vorbasse, the Danish dragoons gathered at the lake’s
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edge. From there they galloped out to face the enemy, fighting a mighty battle and sending the German hussars back home with their tails between their legs. Since then, the lake has been known as Vorbasse War Port. The lake has a small plastic warship floating in it which is ceremonially placed there each spring. It apparently did have the turret from a submarine in it at one point but this was moved to the campsite. Our last multi-cache took us to the site of the old railway line that used to run through Vorbasse. Vorbasse to Lindknud We left the campsite and headed for the final stage of a multi-cache that we had worked the coordinates out for yesterday. It was in a small forest only 550m away from the campsite. When we got to GZ the cache was quickly found and while I was signing the log John had found several fungi to photograph. Our route took us back towards the center back passed the campsite before turning south down a tree lined tarmacadam road which had a ‘Dead End’ sign with a little road coming out of the red bar. We hoped that you could get through with bikes. After a couple of miles the road became gravel alongside fields of
golden barley and wheat. It was nice riding in the sunshine, we stopped at a small car park area where there was a picnic bench just for a drink. There was a sign showing details of a coast to coast walking route that ran through the footpaths. From there the gravel road became narrow and certainly not easily passable by a car. We rode it OK until it became too sandy and it was difficult to ride so we had to push the bikes for quite a distance. In the meantime the lovely morning sunshine had disappeared and the clouds had rolled in and we had a few showers as we pushed the bikes. We must have had to push the bikes for about one and a half a mile which John found a bit hard on her back. It wasn’t until we got to a farm that we were back to a good gravel road. From there we cycled to a junction at Vittrup where there was a viewing point as it was was one of the highest points in Ribe county. During the war the Nazi’s had set up a radio listening point there. Having climbed the tower for the view which wasn’t bad although the tower could have been a bit higher as the trees had grown up blocking the view to the north. At the bottom there were some picnic benches so we stopped for a brew and some lunch. It was quite windy but we managed to have
lunch without getting showered on. Just down the road from the viewing point was a cache in the woods so we decided to go and find it. Well at least I did John got distracted by all the fungi in the wood and spent her time taking photographs of them while I found the cache. From there it was about 1 mile on the gravel road until we met the main road to Lindknud which thankfully was a tarmac road. It was only a couple of miles to Lundkund and part way along the road at Langdyssen we stopped to have a look at ‘Store Jyndovn’ a Viking long barrow. It is a 117m long and 8m wide long barrow from the Neolithic period, which is one of the largest prehistoric monuments in South Jutland. The barrow dates to around 3500 BC and is clear evidence of the earliest farmers’ views about the dead and their treatment. We had seen similar sites in Denmark on our previous tours. From there it didn’t take us long to get to the outskirts of Lindknud. Just as we stopped to get our bearings l noticed that there was a cache a few hundred metres just down the track to our left so we thought we would take that in as our way into the village. It was just as we had got a couple of hundred yards down the track that we came across the shelter pod. It seemed quite new and well appointed with a fireplace and earth closet the only thing that it didn’t have was any water. We contemplated using the shelters but unfortunately the wind was blowing directly into them, so as there was good grass we would pitch the tent behind a small copse of trees that would give us shelter from the strong wind. Having pitched the tent and whilst John was organising the gear inside I nipped into the village to get some water. Lindknud to Torp We had a very comfortable evening at the shelter pod. As there had been good grass and it had been quite windy the shelters were a bit exposed so we had elected to use the tent instead. I had woken early and as we had run out of milk I nipped off to the Brugsen in the village to get some and a few rolls for our lunch. With the tent packed up we headed around the village to take in a couple of the local caches before heading off on the bike route towards Holsted. It had been lovely and sunny earlier in the day but as we cycled on the cloud cover increased and it looked more likely that it might rain. When we got to Brørup gammel
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Kirke there was a funeral taking place which is always very sad to see. The road from Brørup gammel Kirke once we had left the main road was a nice surfaced gravel road which took us through some farms towards Tirslund. We stopped for some lunch at the Tirslundstenen which is a 3.5m high glacial erratic granite stone, which is 16 metres in circumference and it is the largest stone in Jutland and the second largest in Denmark. It had been threatening to rain all morning but we managed to make a brew under the trees and escaped most of a small shower. When we got to Tirslund we picked up bike route 6 which took us on to Holsted Stationsby which was another rather dreary Danish town. Denmark is rather funny in that its villages are usually very nice but their small towns can sometimes be a bit dull and dreary. After seeing a train go through at the railway crossing in town and finding a shop for some supplies we headed off again on bike route 6 towards Hejrskov where the bike route passed under the railway line. At Sønder Lovrup we turned off the bike route 6 and took in a few caches on the road north of the river Holsted. As we were riding along the road near Varho we could see dark black clouds ahead of us which looked like heavy showers and we hoped that it would miss us. We stopped to put our waterproof tops on and debated as to whether to put on bottoms as well but we thought it would miss us. Unfortunately it didn’t and our shorts got absolutely soaked. Fortunately for us the shower didn’t last long and we cycled through it and then we were treated to a lovely full rainbow which made up for the soaking. After the heavy shower the sun came out and by the time we got to Gørding kirke we were nearly dry. We stopped at the church to pick up a cache and then headed for Torp where we hope to stop for the evening. On getting to Torp we had the choice of camping at a organic farm or stay at a shelter pod. We decided to look for the shelter pod which we knew was near the scout place. There was a sign for the scout place that took us down a track to some cabins where judging by all the parked cars and the noise of people was the scout place but no sign of the shelter pod. We decided to go and camp at the organic farm back up the road. It was a lovely place with very friendly people who had dogs, cats and ducks. One of their cats took a liking to us. She was a gorgeous tortoiseshell cat and being the cat friendly couple we are we gave her loads of fuss and she stopped with us while we cooked and ate our evening meal. When we decided to put our heads down we gently put her outside, but she just climbed back in through the vent. We closed that and popped her back out again. She had clearly decided that she was going to sleep with us come what may and then she cramponed her way up to the top of the tent and yowled. The damage to the tent had been done, so we just let her in and she spent the evening curled up between us under the duvet. Torp to Fanø
When we got up in the morning I checked the damage to our flysheet, there were 37 holes where the cat had cramponed up it. Oh well it was our fault we shouldn’t have encouraged her in. What with the holes that the sheep had put in it when we were in Norway two years ago, it will definitely have to go off to Scottish Mountain Gear for some repairs. We had some repair tape with us but we didn’t want to overstay our welcome so we decided to leave it until we got back to Fanø. We decided to pack up the tent and stop and have our breakfast somewhere further up the road. We said our goodbyes and paid the woman for our stay and headed off. Luckily just about a mile up the road we found a shelter by the side of the road with a table and benches. The only thing was that it was guarded by an enormous Hornet on the wood work. Fortunately it seemed docile and as soon as the sun warmed it up it flew off. Suitably refreshed from our breakfast we headed off towards Esbjerg along bike route 6. It was easy cycling and the bike route was clearly marked. There were a few caches along the route which always makes the cycling a bit more fun. At Tjæreborg we stopped at a Brugesen for some lunch and very conveniently there was a picnic bench outside for us to eat and brew up on. At Sønderby we joined route 1 and followed this all the way into Esbjerg. It is a long straight road but it has a cycle track running alongside it away from the road so it was pleasant to ride on. We could see the large tower from the power station near the docks in Esbjerg so we knew we didn’t have that far to go. Fortunately some very kind cacher had put a whole lot of caches along the cyclepath so it helped to keep John going as I could tell that she was by now getting tired. We remembered this route as we had done this part of bike route into Esbjerg 20 years ago and to be honest it didn’t seem to have changed
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that much. We were soon in Esbjerg and at the ferry terminal for the Fanø ferry. We were lucky with our timing as just as we bought our tickets the guy told us to hurry as the ferry was just about to leave. It was good to be back on Fanø and we decided to celebrate by stopping at the Pannekoken Haus for a well earned pancake before getting back to the campsite. All in all it was a good little tour which proved to John that she could still do it. Aalborg to Skovgården Shelter pod We had arranged with the campsite owner that we could leave our car in a field adjacent the campsite. So having packed everything up on the bikes I left the car where the woman had indicated and we set off. Our plan was to head west from Aalborg on bike route 55 to get to the coast and then follow route 1 up the coast as far as Skagen. After all the heavy rain that we had had yesterday it was a bright sunny day as we followed the the bike route which took us past the port and then over a pedestrian and cycle bridge over the river to the northern side of Aalborg. It was pleasant cycling on bike routes through a park and then through some residential areas with modern flats although there was a bit of a head wind coming off the water. Fortunately the bike route took us inland to Voerbjerb past some allotments and summer houses to a small lake which was clearly used for water skiing. The route was lovely as apart from a very short section alongside the main road we had been on tracks and we hadn’t seen
any cars. Just before Torpet we continued on what must have been an old railway line which continued all the the way to Aabybro and a little way beyond. The first bit was on fine gravel but at Biersted it became tarmac. It was so pleasant to ride along with fields of wheat and barley interspersed with a few woods. At Vadum there was a little diversion off the railway line via some small country lanes but after a couple of miles we were back on the old track bed. One kind cacher had placed lots of caches along the way which made for a bit of fun finding them. At Biersted we stopped for some lunch at the Shelter pod that was just off the bike route before continuing on along the old railway path till we got to Aabybro. Here we stopped to buy some supplies but as we left the town we picked up the bike route which again followed the old railway line which finally stopped at Ryå where we met a road which fortunately had a convienient bus shelter so we took advantage of its seat to stop and have a brew. From Ryå we were now on proper roads but there wasn’t much traffic. We cycled on for a few more miles amidst woods and farmland until we got to Moseby where we started to look for the Shelter pod. We got to where it was marked on the Shelter app and there was a small wooden sign with faded writing on it and we could so easily have missed it. We followed a track down through the woods which brought us out in a field and the Shelter pod was just
down the field edge. There were two shelters and a camp fireplace. The shelters were in good repair and after I had popped along to one of the houses that were back on the road to get some water we settled in for the evening. The shelters were nicely situated as they caught the evening sunshine and later after we had eaten our evening meal we were treated to a lovely sunset. Skovgården Shelter pod to Løkken We had a very peaceful evening and we had been quite comfortable in the shelter. After some breakfast we packed the bikes and headed off towards the coast. We were initially on quiet roads and at Mosetoget we stopped at a small grassed area where there was an old locomotive and a few wagons on a small length of track apparently it was a train that was used to move clay to a brickmakers nearby. There was a multi cache associated with the spot so we decided to solve the questions and find it. The final stage took us through the lovely woods that were close by. A little further on we picked up route 1 and the route then took us through into a small forest on good tracks which eventually brought us into Blukhaus. Blukhaus is very much a seaside town which although it has a very modern with a central square surrounded by modern shops it had some lovely old thatched buildings most of which seem to be restaurants or bars. We stopped at the Tourist information office where
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and as we left Løkken there was a very unusual sky, the clouds all looked pockmarked. I have never seen such a cloud formation like it before. Our route this morning was generally on small roads as we cycle out of Løkken and at Nørre Lyngby we past a sign to the ‘Fishermans Rest’ an English Pub selling ‘Fish & Chips’. If it hadn’t been so early in the day we might have been tempted! When we got to Sønder Rubjerg route one took us along a main road which in comparison to others was fairly busy with tourist traffic going to visit the Rubjerg Knude Fyr. We stopped at a museum just north of Nørre Rubjerg at the old coastal farm of Strandfogedgården it was very interesting as although it was in Danish it had some good exhibits explaining the geography and geology of the North Jutland coastline.
I bought an up to date map. Although we have moved to using electronic maps on my phone and the bike routes in Denmark are well marked I still quite like following a paper map in the map case on my barbag I have decided . As we were in a town we decided that as it was lunchtime we would find a restaurant and have some lunch. Suitably refreshed we headed off along route 1 which took us through the town and on to the strand. It was very much like the strand on Fanø with hard packed sand which was easy to ride on but unlike Fanø strand this went on for 15km to Løkken. Like Fanø strand cars and buses drive up and down it and there were cars and camper vans parked in various points along the beach with people bathing and children building sandcastles or flying kites. As I was cycling along an ice-cream van came alongside and I had a chat with the guy driving it. He was asking us how far we had come and how far we were going. I asked him how the ice cream sales were going and he wanted the weather to warm up a bit more as proportionally he sold more ice-cream as the temperature went up. We stopped part the way along the strand to try and take a photo of the both of us to put on our Facebook page. We wanted to get both us and the bikes in the shot so a handheld selfie with my phone wasn’t going to work so I was trying to balance my phone on the top of a litter bin when a couple on bikes stopped and the young woman asked me if it would be easier if she could take the photo for us. They were a young couple from Copenhagen who were staying in one of the chalets that
were dotted about in amongst the dunes. We thanked them and wished them well for the rest of of their holiday. It was just while I was putting my phone away that I noticed a man running across the dunes towards us. He was stark naked and ran passed us dodging the cars that were passing and ran into the sea and began swimming. Clearly a common occurrence on Danish beaches as no one batted an eyelid! As we got towards Løkken the sand started to get a bit soft so we had to move on to the wave washed hard pack next to the sea. It was lovely cycling along with the waves crashing gently to our left. We soon got to Løkken and turned up the hard and into the town itself. Løkken is another big seaside resort, after visiting a supermarket we soon found the campsite. It was a nice campsite more geared up for caravans and it had a lot of cabins for hire. I asked for a quiet location and the guy at the reception directed me to a nice grassy area between a row of cabins and not too far from there kitchen and lounge area. This must have been one of the best we have come across it was really light and clean with superb cooking facilities. It gave us an opportunity to relax and charge up the phones and chat with some Danish couples who were watching a local football match on the TV in the lounge area.. Løkken to Lønstru It was quite overcast as we set off this morning
After stopping for some lunch at the museum we headed back up the road and a little further on from the museum we could see the huge sand dunes that make up Lønstrup Klint that dominates that part of the coast. Situated in amongst them is the Rubjerg Knude Fyr. It is a lighthouse that sits on the top of Lønstrup Klint which is a 60m cliff above sea level. The lighthouse was originally built in 1900 but eventually stopped functioning as a lighthouse in 1968. The sands shifted so quickly that the original buildings that were surrounding it that were once used as a museum and coffee shop were swallowed up by the shifting sands and were abandoned in 2002 and later demolished in 2008. The lighthouse tower remains but not for much longer as the erosion on that coast line is 1.5m a year and by 2023 the lighthouse will probably have fallen into the sea. It was a good walk across from the carpark to the lighthouse and back and there were a couple of caches to find along the way. We had a good view from the top of the lighthouse looking back in land at the lovely white painted Kirke at Gammel Venebjerg. From the Rubjerg Knude Fyr it was only a short ride into Lønstrup and it was good timing as it was 5.30pm, time to find the supermarket and then the campsite. Our timing was also just right again as no sooner had we got the tent up at the campsite then it started to rain. Fortunately the campsite had a kitchen and a place to eat our evening meal. That evening as we got into our tent we found we had a visitor, a great big toad who had clearly come out with the rain to have an explore around for food. Lønstrup to Hirtshals After last evening’s rain we woke to a bright sunny morning and after packing up the tent we sat outside the kitchen area to eat our breakfast and to soak up the morning sunshine. After our breakfast we headed back up route 1 which was mostly on small roads through a myriad of summerhouses through Harrerenden and then the seaside resort of Skallerup. Just after Skallerup we must have made a slight wrong turn somewhere as we ended up in the Klithusegaarden equestrian center which didn’t seem to matter as it was open to the public.
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We stopped for a while to look at the horse and ponies and watch a farrier shoeing a horse which we always find fascinating.The route from there took us to the Skallerup Inlanddunes reserve. Just as we got to the little visitors center we meet a family of tourers who were cooking a meal on a Trangia stove on the picnic bench outside. They were a family from Sweden cooking up their lunch, I said that it smelt good but the young lad didn’t look too impressed. They had been out touring for a few days and staying in the shelterpads en route. They reckoned that they now needed a campsite for a good shower. We told them that the site at Lønstrup was good and had good showers. The visitors center was interesting as it was clearly an converted old barn. What was interesting was the fact that the bike route was signposted right through it. Unfortunately the interpretive boards were all in Danish but we got the gist of what was on the reserve. Several Swallows had made their nests in the roof of the center and kept flitting in and out of the two entrances and there were several young Swallows sitting on the roof beams waiting to be feed. Once we had left the reserve we were back going through to open farmland with some ripe Oat fields ready to be harvested near Kæsgård. From there the bike route took us through the Tornby Plantage. We decided to stop for some lunch at a couple of picnic benches at a car park just into the woods. There were a couple of other tourers sat at one of them and we said hello and got chatting to them. They were Isabelle and Peter from Colorado who were doing the North Sea Bike route from Bergen to Hamburg. We talked about how we had toured parts of the NSCR ourselves and they were interested in doing the British section which we haven’t as yet done. We talked about that idiot Trump, they like us couldn’t believe that he got elected. They said that in the poor Afro-American areas they had to queue for up to 4
hours to vote as they had deliberately put in too few polling stations. We talked about the Shelter pod and I showed them the Shelter app. After a long chat we finally said our goodbyes and wished them well for the rest of their tour. The track through the plantage was undulating and at one point we came to a bend in the track and there was a proper road sign with ‘Løse Sten’ written on it. Sure enough there was a steep drop to a bend with loose stones which we took carefully. What bike route in a forest in the UK would have a proper road sign or even a warning sign of some sort? The plantage was clearly popular with horse riders as we came across several. When we got to the outskirts of Hirtshals we spotted the lighthouse and the sign to the bunker museum and we turned in to have a look at it. They opened up one of the Bunkers and there was an exhibition in it and a couple of the rooms laid out as they would have been during WWII. Outside there were an extensive network of bunkers and radar stations. We explored a few of them and then had a look at the lighthouse climbing right to the top. Hirtshals to Tversted Plantage We wanted to go on the Bunker tour which was at 2.00pm so we decide to go to the Nordsøen Oceanarium in the morning. The Nordsøen Oceanarium is the biggest sea life center in Northern Europe and it was quite interesting place with numerous different tanks full of different types of fish which you could get right close to see the fish. It was a enormous building with several levels and you really need the plan they gave you to navigate around it. We heard announcements for the Seal feeding and it took awhile to work out how to get there as it was outside but up a level. When we eventually found it was one of the best bits as the seals were so comical when feeding and it was quite fun to watch. After having some lunch at the restaurant in the Oceanarium we headed back over to the lighthouse and the Bunker museum only to find that I had misread the sign and that they only did the tours in July. We decided anyway to go explore the area ourselves. One of the bunkers had been taken over by the local primary school and the children had turned it into a garden. It was quite nice to see a icon of war turned into something peaceful. After exploring the various bunkers which were very similar to the ones we had explored on Fanø we thought we had better get going if we were to get to Skagen. On getting back to the bikes we bumped into 9 Norwegian guys who were touring on various odd bikes, there was 3 guys on a extended tandem pulling a huge Plastic Tuborg beer bottle on a trailer, two guys on cargo bikes one with a trailer with a sound system on it. And a couple of others on standard
bikes with trailers. We got chatting to them they had just got off the ferry and were going to tour around Denmark. They had been doing this tour together for the last 12 years, we called it the ‘Jolly Boys Outing’ after the Only Fools and Horses TV show. We said our goodbyes and wished them well for their tour. It didn’t take us too long to get back across Hirtshals and back on to route 1. We were soon back on easy-going gravel tracks through the woods of the Lillelien Klitplantage. John always likes cycling through woods as there are usually plenty of fungi to photograph and at one point she found this huge Wood Ant nest which must have been at least 3ft high. Unfortunately the good weather of the morning hadn’t lasted and it become overcast but it wasn’t cold. The route took us along more forest tracks through the Uggerby Plantage where we came across this amazing mobile wood chipper. The guy operating it was so adept with his use of the grab arm and he made short work of clearing a huge pile of fir tree tops and brashings. As we approached Tversted the track passed through sand dunes and there was a lovely arched bridge over the Uggerby Å. When we got to Tversted village we ask a guy for directions to a supermarket and he directed us to one that was only a couple of hundred meters down the road. Suitably provisioned up we head back onto route 1 on a small road until we got the Tversted Plantage where we were again back on to forest tracks. We soon found the Shelter pod which was just off the track near the Østerklit Stokmølle which was a lovely old mill. One of the shelters was being used by a family so went and used the other one. I went over to the mill to get some water and we sat in the shelter having a brew. The family in the other shelter packed up their bikes and headed off, we thought it was a little late to be setting off. But about 5 minutes after they left it absolutely threw it down with rain, 10 minutes later the family reappeared and got back in the shelter. It rained solidly for the rest of the evening so it was probably a good idea that the family did turn back as they would have got absolutely soaked. Tversted Plantage to Skagen After it had been raining all evening we woke to a beautiful morning. What a lovely spot to wake up in. It was quite still and there was a mist over the heath and heather and the windmill looked pristine white in the morning sun. Everything was steaming in the morning sunshine after the evening’s rain and there were small frogs jumping across the path as I walked across to the mill to go to the loo. There were Swallows and House Martins zooming around the building and perching on the sails of the windmill. Inside the windmill the old machinery was all still there and there were some old wagons and a sledge. As I returned I met John coming across the heath she too commented on the number of frogs. On my return I got the stove going and we had breakfast. One of the nice things about using the shelter pod is that you don’t have a tent to pack up and after last evening’s rain it would have taken a while to dry it out, although in the morning sunshine it perhaps wouldn’t have
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take too long. Just before we left we went over to have a chat with the family who were in the other shelter. They were from Hungary and were cycle touring around Denmark and were off to Hirtshals the way we had come yesterday. They were hoping to go to the sealife center and we told them that they would enjoy it and we wished them well for the rest of their journey. Our route to Skagen took us again on forest tracks out of the Tversted Plantage to Skiveren where there were some lovely thatched houses with pink rendered walls they reminded us of being back in Suffolk. From Skiveren we joined a road which took us to the white painted Råbjerb Kirke. We had been heading east but a couple of miles from the Kirke we turned north on more tracks across heath and dunes and passed close to the Råbjerg Mile which was a huge set of sand dunes and we could see people standing on top of them. The whole of this top end of Jutland is built of shifting sand moved by the action of wind and waves and the tip at Grenen above Skagen is growing daily. From the Råbjerg Mile we back into the forest of the Bunken Plantage and guess what it was full of concrete bunkers but this time judging by the design these were not German bunkers from the Atlantic wall but looked more modern probably from the cold war. After the Plantage we came to the village of Hulsig where the bike route took us past the local railway station just as train was about to come in so we stopped to have a look. They were spanking new trains with sliding doors and the carriage was level with the platform and we watched a woman easily push her bike onto the train. They were so much nicer than our old Greater Anglia trains. From Hulsig our route took us north on a good tarmac bike route initially across heathland and then in to the into the Skagen Klitplantage. It was a popular bike route and we met quite a lot of recreational cyclists. In the forest there several picnic benches along the path complete with there on water standpipe, these Danes have things well organised. We soon reached Kirkkilit where our campsite was. It was a lovely afternoon when we got to the campsite and we put up the tent and got the gear inside. We decided that we would have a cup of tea before we headed off to have a look around Skagen. To save time we decided to use the cooking place at the campsite it gave us an opportunity to charge our phones. Mine phone being completely flat as I was without the e-werk. I must admit both of us nearly fell asleep sitting there and John said if we don’t get going soon we will never get going. Just as we left the cookhouse it started to spit with rain so we hurried back to the tent. We hoped that it was a shower but it rained almost continuously throughout the rest of the afternoon, that evening and the evening. It was so heavy at one point during the evening that it woke us both up as it hammered down on the tent. Skagen We woke to a reasonable morning which seemed to get better as the sun came out as we
were having breakfast. There was was hardly a cloud in the sky then so we got everything out of the tent in the sun to dry it and get the tent dry after all that overevening rain. John kept saying that the clouds are starting to build and I don’t like the look of those clouds we need to hurry up. I said the forecast is for good weather. Anyway she was right as I had just rolled up the exped mats when it started to rain. There was a mad scrabble to grab towels and jackets that were out drying and we dived back into the tent. Fortunately it was a short shower and it came out sunny again. We were keen get the tent packed away dry as we were heading back to Aalborg on the train and then back home. With everything packed away dry we headed off towards Skagen and on the way spotted the sign to The Sct. Laurentii Kirke known as ‘The Buried Church’. The original church had been buried in the shifting sands and what remains today is the whitewashed tower which dates back to the 15th century. The rest of the church was demolished in the 18th century and the church tower was left as a sea mark. From there we rode into Skagen itself and stopped at the Kystmuseet which is an open air museum with examples of old Danish houses, windmills and an old Lifeboat House.We had a look around the center of Skagen and its port lined on one side with busling seafood restaurants before heading to the most northern point of Denmark the Grenen. Along the way we came across the Vippefyr a most ingenious lighthouse beacon. It was such a simple idea as the beacon was on the end of a large counter weighted arm so the beacon could be easily raised and lowered in was originally built in 1627 and the present one is a replica. The road out to the Grenen has a good cyclepath running alongside it and part way along we passed the ‘Grå fyr’ (grey lighthouse) which was built in 1858 as a replacement for the ‘Hvide fyr’ (white Lighthouse) which we had past earlier just north of the town. The ‘Grå fyr’, which is 46 m high and was designed by Danish architect N.S. Nebelong is Denmark’s second tallest lighthouse. The honour for the tallest being taken by the Dueodde Fyr on Bornholm, which is apparently one metre taller. We soon got to the carpark area for the Grenen which means ‘the branch’ in Danish which is a bank of sand on the Skagens Odde and is the most northern tip of Denmark where the Kattegat and Skagerrak seas meet. We did try and cycle to it but the road was too sandy so we returned to the car park area and caught the Sandormen (the sandworm) which is a large coach trailer pulled by a tractor. It took us right out to the point where the the Kattegat and Skagerrak seas converge. It was quite dramatic as the waves were crashing onto the spit from both sides there were black skies ahead and
behind us. John elected to take her boots off and stop with a foot in both seas. On returning to the car park and our bikes the black skies over Skagen were very dramatic and we got some good photos before heading to the Skagen Bunker museum which was close by the to the carpark. It was a good move as just as we got there it started to rain. The Bunker museum was very interesting and by far the best we’ve seen in Denmark. Not only did it have some of the rooms recreated as they would have been in WWII it had some other relics from the german occupation. The most chilling exhibit was the list of deaths by each country in WWII. When we got back out of the museum we had missed the heavy rain and headed back into the town. Our train to Aalborg wasn’t until 6.30pm so we decided to go and have something to eat at the seafood restaurants near the port. Suitably refreshed from that we head for the station. The local train to Frederikshavn was the same train that we had seen at Hulsig station and with its sliding doors and carriages at the same level as the platform it was so easy to wheel our bikes on to it. However when we got to Frederikshavn we had to change trains to an intercity train to Aalborg. These clearly hadn’t changed in the last 20 years as they still had the 3 huge steps to negotiate with our heavily laden touring bikes. Once we had them on the carriage there were places for them but it was hard work! The train ride to Aalborg was fairly uneventful and we got off at Aalborg Vestby St. Although it was a high level station above the road it fortunately had a lift to get us and our bikes down to the street level. From the station it was a short distance along Kastetvej to the campsite where we found our car in the field next to the campsite. After loading the bikes onto the bike rack I quickly popped next door to see the woman in the campsite reception to tell her we were back a we had picked up the our car. We then headed south to get us on our way home.
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BIKE 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, a kind of virus that gets into your bloodstream as a child and that Carlo soon learned to recognize and to 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, which 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.
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. From 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. This means that the cyclist is 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.
HE MIRROR THAT CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE
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 after The SPRINTECH® products are made in selling this business to a third party he started Switzerland. Contente to (Never Happy): theevery name of the car that, way back inMore information can be found on focus on and improve aspect of the www.sprintech.eu product range that embodies his entrepreneurial as the first to go at 100 km/h. This name could also describe philosophy: the Sprintech® Racing drop bar mirror ondo (1942): he is never entirely satisfied with his creations; for racing bicycles and the Sprintech® City for houghts are how he can them and MTB were born. Just improve as had happened for thesimultaneously license plate device, when the drop bar mirrors omething new and useful. were presented at the Innovation Exhibition in Martigny in Switzerland in 1996 they won the inventorsecond is notprize a job a state ofinmind, a kind forbut Innovation and 2012 the Gold of virus that Medal at the as International Invention in learned to your bloodstream a child and that Exhibitions Carlo soon Brussels and Geneva. e and to take advantage of amid the one thousand and one
es and surprises of everyday life. Finding Today the Sprintech® mirrors have earned in theSwitzerland a reputation amongbase cyclists as the in the eptive and productive than in best Italy, which he left when industry. ust sixteen yearsWhen old.other brands rattle and spin out of
position, Sprintech® mirrors hold true. Riders value the superior quality of these products thanks to of the drop came a traumatic theirbar sleekmirrors design and easefrom of fitting. Last but experience of least, the mirrors are unobtrusive, ndo afternot two serious accidents on his adjustable custom made racing and secure positioning when riding over cobbles o accidents that could have been avoided if only he or bumps. Once used, you will wonder how you ad to turn around check the traffic behind him. His navigated the to roads without a mirror!
assion for cycling urged him to find a solution suitable for all e enthusiasts.
nse plate device Carlo invented in 1984, for which he won his first Silver and Gold medals in Geneva and , was already a consolidated business at the end of the last millennium, so much so that a few years
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52 BIKE MAGAZINE
BOARD GAME
THE GREATEST
CYCLING BOARD GAMES Anki Toner’s Barcelona home is stuffed to the rafters with cycling board games. Here is a selection of his favourites. Throw a six to continue reading…
DIE FRIEDENSFAHRT, 1959 The Peace Race was first held in 1948 with the intention of easing tensions between Eastern Bloc countries following World War Two. The ‘Tour de France of the East’ was hugely popular behind the Iron Curtain, making double winner “Täve” Schur (featured in Rouleur issue 30) a national hero – voted the GDR’s sportsman of the year nine times in succession. The game included a set of cards portraying the first 12 winners of the race, including Britain’s own Ian Steel in 1952. Confusingly, the very first edition in ’48 was split into two legs – Warsaw to Prague, then Prague back to Warsaw – hence the two Yugoslavians sharing one card: August Prosinek and Alexander Zoric. VUELTA CICLISTA A ESPAÑA, c. 1990 The Seur team ran from 1988 to ’92, with Malcolm Elliott, points winner at the ’89 Vuelta, racing in the colours of the parcel delivery company in its final season. It may be a surprisingly modern game for Toner to pick out as one his favourites, but the three-dimensional mountain and magnetic cyclists – plus following cars – make this Seur-sponsored beauty stand out. We’re not convinced it would stand up
to much abuse from petulant children (or adults, for that matter) but this Vuelta-based game looks grand. VELO-FLASH, 1950s Based around two races – Paris-Roubaix and Paris-Tours – Velo-Flash features 14 playing cards of the greats: Bobet, Anquetil, Bahamontes, et al. But it gets better. The 7” single shown above features race commentary provided by former Tour de France rider, journalist, and TV and radio presenter Robert Chapatte – inventor of the eponymous Chapatte’s Law, his widely-quoted calculation that a chasing group of riders requires 10km per minute to catch a lone escapee. It is an aleatory (or multitrack) disc, so although the narration always begins the same, ten different outcomes to the race can emerge depending on which groove the needle has dropped into. Great idea, but sadly not brilliant execution. “You play the game and then when you get to the final sprint, you play the commentary record,” says Toner, “but if any of the riders they mention is not in the leading group, then it doesn’t count, so it’s stupid. It doesn’t really work.”
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“There may be 70 games related to the Tour de France but there’s only one Eddy Merckx”
TOUT AUTOUR DU TOUR, 1960s
EDDY MERCKX, C. 1970
Another of Toner’s favourites from his extensive collection, although “not exactly a board game,” he says. “I saw the spinner as a child, sold as a toy, and somebody has made a game from it. But it is very beautiful.”
There may be 70 games related to the Tour de France but there’s only one Eddy Merckx. The winner of this game is the team amassing the most prize money, which is a nice touch true to professional cycling. Backhanders may not appear in the rules, but no doubt alliances can be forged and bundles of notes in brown envelopes surreptitiously slipped into back pockets – just like the real thing.
The central carousel is, indeed, gorgeous. It comes with rudimentary hand-typed rules, the goal being to circumnavigate the roughly France-shaped route before progressing into the centre and winning at the Parc des Princes – last used as the Tour finish in 1967 before moving to the velodrome at Vincennes the following year. JEU DU VELDIV, 1932 The Vélodrome d’Hiver was infamously used as a temporary prison for over 13,000 Jews during the Second World War before their deportation to the death camps. This game harks from a more innocent time when the Parisian track was better known for bike racing. Presumably it sold well, as there are several differing versions in existence. “La distraction de toute la famille” as it says on the leaflet included, and who could argue with that?
The box also contains the not inconsiderable bonus of a large print of the effortlessly handsome Mr Merkcx, resplendent in his Molteni jersey, playing away and seemingly rather enjoying it. We’re guessing The Cannibal was winning at the time.
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INDUSTRY INSIDE
AMATEUR’S ADVENTURE > Pete Jones
BIKE MAGAZINE 55
ADVENTURE
Always looking for the next big challenge, I knew I’d struck gold when I heard about the Haute Route Triple Crown; three stage races, each seven days long. Combined they would cover 2,650 kilometres through the Pyrenees, French Alps and Dolomites. It would include a staggering 62,500 metres of climbing, all in a span of four weeks. Every stage was tough. Most days had over 3,000m of climbing. Most days covered more than 120 kilometres. Most days involved over six hours in the saddle, no matter whether it was 40°C in the shade or 5°C in rain. This meant it would be not only a physical challenge but required mental toughness. I’d need the stamina to be able to wake up early every morning and look forward to riding throughout most of the day – no matter what the body, weather or mind said. In short, it was exactly the type of adventure I was looking for. It also didn’t hurt that it was set in the most stunning regions of Europe. The three Haute Route stage races led the participants over the most iconic climbs of the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France offering those spectacular views one usually only sees on TV.
Each and every stage had something special to offer. Whether it was climbing the Tourmalet, time trialling up Alpe d’Huez or meeting the sunrise on top of Passo Fedaia. The three weeks of riding delivered 21 reasons to love cycling. This video put together by the organisers gives you an insight into just how spectacular the terrain we covered was. But it definitely wasn’t a walk in the park. I want to shed light on what goes on behind the scenes of racing so many tough stages in a row; the incredible feelings of joy and accomplishment but also the raw emotions of exhaustion, doubt and sadness. Most of the time, all those feelings in one day. It’s the type of roller coaster it is hard to convey with words alone, so I put together a “raw and real” video diary, where I am sharing my experience of what it means to go through the ups and downs of so many days of racing. It is fascinating how energy levels, mind set and physical appearance change in a matter of days, and even hours.
HAUTE ROUTE PYRENEES: HAVE I BITTEN OFF MORE THAN I CAN CHEW? In the first of the three stage races we tackled the Pyrenees and 910 kilometres with 19,300 metres of ascent. With relentless climbs like the Col du Tourmalet, Aubisque and the Peyresourde it was clear this was not going to be any easy introduction. The Pyrenees are steep and wild, covered in forest with narrow roads heading up the mountains and little traffic. This was a cycling paradise…well most of the time! There was no energy left for admiration of the scenery on the first two dark days. I was absolutely shattered from the steepness of the climbs. I was under prepared, both physically and mentally after making the final decision to take on the challenge of the three stage races in a row at the last minute. I didn’t have the right gearing to make it more manageable, either on my bike or in my mindset. Those first couple of days were like a smack in the face. Now, that I had seen what I would be facing for another 19 days I couldn’t help asking myself: Have I bitten off more than I can chew?
“This was a cycling paradise…well most of the time”
56 BIKE MAGAZINE
ADVENTURE
Not the beginning I was hoping for: Pyrenees stage 1, 174km and 3,450m of ascent
renewed mental energy was sapped right away, as the video below shows.
But when you hit the bottom, there is only one way to go and that’s up. By day three I was standing on top of the Tourmalet and I had this feeling of determination. It was a long, relentless climb but now I looked beyond the pain in my legs. I looked around and there was so much to see – right from the wildflowers on the side of the road to the craggy jagged mountains stretching to the horizon.
Oh what a difference the weather can make: Dolomites stage 1, 170km and 2,000m of ascent
At the Haute Route Pyrenees, I learned that preparation – mentally, physically and equipment-wise – is absolutely key. Smaller gearing, strength training and being ready for seven hard days is crucial to not only survive, but also enjoy, such a difficult stage race. HAUTE ROUTE ALPS: BONDING There was only one rest day between Haute Route Pyrenees and the Alps which was used for the transfer from Toulouse to Nice. In numbers, Haute Route Alps had less distance but more climbing than the Pyrenees. The 896 kilometres had over 22,200 metres of ascent, including Col de Glandon, Col de Madeleine, Alpe d’Huez, Granon and Izoard. The steep, wild climbs in the Pyrenees were exchanged for the majestic, long ascents that carry a longstanding cycling history. This stage race included the entire spectrum of emotions for me – from my highest moment of crossing the finish line with two newly made friends on day three to the lowest point on day five, as you will see in the video below. This stage race laid out the struggles, but also the beauty of cycling. There is nothing quite like the strong bonding and camaraderie a shared adventure can deliver. I also learned the hard way how much suffering a tough day on the bike can entail, when it comes on top of so many other tough days on the bike. The heat combined with the demand of the stages drained my energy. My toughest day of the entire Haute Route Triple Crown: Alps stage 5, 182km and 4,500m of ascent Due to a prior commitment to participate in a Shimano media camp, I missed the last two stages. But those two days were not much of a break, because now I was riding in Austria instead. To top it off after the media camp, I spent all day on my feet at Eurobike. HAUTE ROUTE DOLOMITES: STORMY WEATHER In contrast to the last one-day break between the stage races, there were five days between Haute Route Alps and Haute Route Dolomites (and seven for me with the media camp). Good thing, because I was a wreck, not so much physically but mentally. Some of the Haute Route Triple Crown racers (21 men, 1 female) were concerned that they would lose their mojo for the last stage race. But I definitely needed the break because there was something else that especially required mental stamina for the Haute Route Dolomites; the unpredictable weather. The Dolomites were steeper than the French Alps so I was happy that I still had my 32-tooth gearing. We were facing 852 kilometres with over 21,000 metres of climbing. I went into this last stage race with mixed feelings. Had I recovered enough from the last one? The real test was day one. The worries about the weather were justified. It was raining cats and dogs for the entire day. The event organisers changed the course to avoid climbing up to the high elevation which actually made it longer, not shorter. My
By day three we had cast aside the stormy weather, so now it was just back to battling our way through the remaining kilometres and climbs. WHY HAUTE ROUTE TRIPLE CROWN IS LIFE IN A NUTSHELL In the end I made it through. No, I couldn’t claim the Triple Crown, or the full distance, given the couple of stages I missed due to prior commitments but I’m glad I didn’t let those plans stop me from taking on the other 19 days of the adventure. To me this was life in a nutshell. It wasn’t about the medal or the title. It was about having a goal, taking the good things and blocking out all the things that can stand in your way. It was about knowing myself, listening to how I felt physically and mentally and pushing through in the way that was best for me. This was not just another race or ride; it was a life-changing experience that tested me on multiple mental and physical levels. Now the really big challenge is how to find the next adventure. Not sure what’ll top this!
BIKE MAGAZINE 57
Stylish, affordable, cycle-friendly accommodation with 14 rooms sleeping up to 43 people. A great base for exploring the Cotswolds. Individual and exclusive bookings all welcome. thebarrelstore.co.uk stay@thebarrelstore.co.uk 01285 657181
Train and stay on the worlds toughest triathalon course
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58 BIKE MAGAZINE
WOMEN CYCLING
BIKE MAGAZINE 59
WOMEN CYCLING
CYCLING
FOR WOMEN’S
RIGHTS I grew up in a world where I was denied my basic human rights. In fact, I did not even know I had rights. > Juliana Buhring > www.julianabuhring.com
“seen as a second class citizen because I was born a woman”
I know what it means to live trapped in an abusive environment, in fear of powerful people controlling your very existence. I know what it’s like to beat the streets begging for enough money to eat that night, of living hand to mouth, from day to day, unable to envision anything else for your future. I was deprived of an education that should be the right of every child. I suffered through every childhood sickness without ever seeing a doctor or receiving medical care. I know what it feels like to be trafficked from country to country, stranger to stranger, without parents to protect me, never knowing where and under whose care I would end up. I know what it is to have no home. To be the “immigrant” in every country because I had no country of my own. I know what it means to be seen as a second class citizen because I was born a woman. To believe my only purpose on this planet was to be a slave to the whims of men. That my sex existed to please the man, to shut up, cook, clean and bear him babies. I know what it means to be silenced for speaking the truth. To be beaten and punished for having my own mind, for wanting to pursue my dreams, for being myself. I know what it is like to grow up in a world without rights, without choices and only a bleak vision of a future without hope or dreams.
Today, I am free to do what I like and go where I please. I have all those rights that were once denied me. Millions of women around the world do not. I empathize with those women, because I know their suffering intimately. I am living in freedom while they are still denied theirs. Historically, the bicycle has always been a symbol of freedom and emancipation to women and so this year, I am dedicating all my rides and races to my sisters around the world who are not yet free and who continue to live without their basic human rights. Listed below are some of the organisations that are doing much to help these women around the world. If you feel like I do about any of these causes, please donate towards the wonderful work these NGOs are doing. They need all the help we can give them.
60 BIKE MAGAZINE
WALES
MISSED OPPORTUNITY FOR WELSH GOVERNMENT TO IMPROVE PUBLIC ACCESS Charity says Welsh Government is ignoring huge swell of public support for change
BIKE MAGAZINE 61
WALES
As cyclists celebrate 50 years today (03 August) of being legally allowed to ride on bridleways in the UK, Cycling UK is urging the Welsh Government not to lose momentum in its proposals to improve public access. The right for people to cycle on bridleways was granted by the Countryside Act 1968 when the law commenced on 03 August 1968. These changes were due to campaigning by the Cyclists’ Touring Club, now Cycling UK, and this right to ride has allowed generations all to enjoy the wonders of the UK’s countryside from the saddle. This move fifty years ago helped grant cyclists in England and Wales access to just over 20% of all rights of way. However, since 1968 there has been little change, meaning people riding bikes and/or horses are not allowed on 80 per cent of the rights of way network. The UK’s rights of way network frequently interchanges between footpaths and bridleways, with often no noticeable change in quality between the two apart from a different signpost. This has clearly created confusion among the nation’s cyclists, as Cycling UK’s report “Rides of Way” discovered 74 per cent of people cycling on the UK’s rights of way network found it “unsuitable”. Duncan Dollimore, Cycling UK’s head of campaigns said: “While Cycling UK today celebrates our victory 50 years ago of being able to ride on traffic free routes in our countryside, we’re also looking to the future and what else can be improved.
“There’s a huge sway of public support for change to rights of way in Wales, and it’s a missed opportunity if they continue to sit on the fence on this important issue.” Recently, the Welsh Government proposed to open its rights of way up to allow more cycling. This was roundly welcomed by Cycling UK through its Trails for Wales campaign, and other campaigning organisations which all saw the need for a change in access policy. There was a large amount of public support for these proposals, with 16,468 out of a total of 17,391 responses supporting change to access laws in response to the Government’s consultation “Taking Forward Wales’ Sustainable Management of Natural Resources” in September 2017. Mr Dollimore added:
“There’s a huge sway of public support for change to rights of way in Wales”
“As Wales and the rest of the UK celebrates, the fantastic achievements of Geraint Thomas in the Tour de France, now’s the opportunity for the Welsh Government to build on his legacy and do more for the everyday cyclist. “The Government sought the public’s
opinion for their own proposals on how they could improve conditions for cycling off-road. A minority disagreed with an overwhelming majority, and now progress on public rights of way has been kicked into the long grass.” Despite overwhelming public support for their own proposals, the Welsh Government in June 2018 announced, “now is not the right time for substantive reform” citing “strong but differing views”. Cycling UK has since written to Minister for the Environment, Hannah Blythyn AM, seeking an explanation for this move, and seeking a meeting to discuss next steps and how to improve countryside access pending future changes to the law. Mr Dollimore said: “Improving public access, particularly in the creation or restoration of connected routes is a public good. Farmers, visitors and local communities in Wales will all benefit but let’s not wait another fifty years for this to happen.” In the UK, only the Scottish Government has passed laws to improve access, with the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. This law allows people the right to access and cross land for recreational and educational purposes, unless expressly forbidden to do so. Consequently local tourism has boomed, with cycle tourism estimated to generate between £236 and £358 million for the Scottish economy each year.
62 STYLISH MAGAZINE
SHOWCASE
© National Trust Images. Registered Charity Number 205846.
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A treat for cyclists
cycling
T E Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia, loved cycling. When he left the RAF in 1935 he cycled to his Dorset home, Clouds Hill, from Yorkshire. This year we want to encourage visitors to cycle to Clouds Hill, rewarding them with a special Clouds Hill shortbread biscuit. The cottage is open Tuesdays to Sundays, 11am-4.30pm, until 30 October.
We combine your home and bike insurance under one policy to save you money
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Cycling on the shores of Loch Rannoch The highlands are a region synonymous with drama and
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GIVE YOURSELF THE WINNING EDGE
Experience
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With our bike camera, you can watch that trail run you did this morning again and again, and share the excitement with your family and friends. If it was your best ride ever, wouldn’t you want to prove it? - Records the action while you ride - Wi-fi control through smart phone - Video and snapshot modes - 360° pivot for selfies - Minimal vibration, polished aluminum mounting bracket - 3-7/8” (9.84cm) extra wide angle mirror lens - Colorful LED indicators
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BIKE MAGAZINE 63
Performance by Nature
™
Biomaxa chamois creams have been scientifically formulated from key natural ingredients to lubricate, soothe and assist in the repair of skin on any length of ride. Our mix of Lanolin, Manuka Oil and active Manuka honey assists in prevention of chafing & saddle sores and helps protect against infection & irritation. Biomaxa Ultra-Ride™ is for regular use and active conditioning of the skin for all purpose riding (<4hrs) Biomaxa Pro-Ride™ is for riders with sensitive skin or the serious cyclist or professional rider that needs premium performance in harsh conditions (>4hrs)
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64 BIKE MAGAZINE
CYCLE TOURING FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVE The Atlas Mountains, Atlantic Coast, Sahara Desert … Morocco is the ideal place to have an amazing cycling adventure this spring. Hire a bike or bring your own to enjoy the great weather and fantastic landscape of this exotic country on Europe’s doorstep.
visitmorocco.com
muchmorocco
