Cycling World May 2016 Sample

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INTERVIEW WITH MARTYN ASHTON

May 2016

BIKEPACKING

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22 October – 1 November 2016

Madagascar Cycle Challenge This exciting cycle challenge takes us to remote Madagascar, where spectacular scenery and amazing wildlife awaits. Our adventurous route takes us east on a mix of roads and dirt tracks, through highland plains and lush forest to the coast.

After almost 500km of pedalling, we finish by the white sandy beaches of the Indian Ocean, safe in the knowledge that you are helping Macmillan ensure that no one has to face cancer alone.

visit macmillan.org.uk/madagascar or call 020 7840 7875

rveindic E t Ro me

Cycling World

21-26 September 2016

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Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017), Scotland (SC039907) and the Isle of Man (604).

Venice to Rome Cycle Challenge Join Team Macmillan for this 620km ride from the canals of Venice to the historic Italian capital of Rome.

Our route is hilly, with some long climbs and takes us south through the rolling hills of Tuscany, passing traditional villages and fruit farms. You’ll feel incredible as you finish in Rome, but most importantly you’ll have done something truly amazing to help people affected by cancer.

visit macmillan.org.uk/venicerome or call 020 7840 7875

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a m l Where will you finish?

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RideLondon-Surrey 100 Sunday 31 July 2016

Paris

London to Paris Cycle Challenge 13–17 July 2016

May 2016

To sign up and for more information visit macmillan.org.uk/findacycle email cycling@macmillan.org.uk or call 020 7840 7875

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Cycling World

12 14 16 20 22

Spin – The Urban Cycling Festival Sustrans Rides Interview: Martyn Ashton Cycle Touring Festival 2016 Taipei Cycle d&i Awards

BESPOKE & HAND-BUILT FEATURE 26 28 30 34 37 39

Bamboo: A Fast Growing Frame Material Bike Review: Bamboo Bike Home-build The Peloton in Miniature Book Review: The Bicycle Colouring Book Bespoke Products: Editor’s Pick B-Hide: Hand-crafted Bicycle Saddles

REGULARS 24 40

Products: Editor’s Pick

from Oxford Bike Works

42 66 68 70

Book Review: Bike-inspired Creativity

Bike Review: Customized Touring Bike

Ask Anita: A Lot of Baggage Training and Nutrition: Fuelling Your Rides From the Workshop: How to Change a

79 82

The Bicycle Diaries: Bregovi, Serbia to

Tran, Bulgaria

Film Review: Stars and Watercarriers

UK CYCLING 44

Sustran’s Traffic-free Cycle Ride: Brighton

Sea Front

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Cycling and Caravanning in Devon

May 2016

Spoke

CONTENTS

NEWS

FEATURES 50 60

Bikepacking: Fat Tyres and Camp Fires Cycle Insurance

OVERSEAS CYCLING Giro d’Italia Starts in the Netherlands Ride a Giro Stage: Maratona Dles

Dolomites

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The Silk Road: 5,000km on a Handmade

Cargo Bike

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Ireland Cycles Against Suicide

May 2016

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David Robert

ED's LETTER May 2016

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Four-deep beats a lock

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

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

Other tactics have proved useful. I used to think that the sprint to the café stop on group rides was to get the order of a bacon butty in before the other fifteen riders did. Not so; it’s to get your bike safely against

the café wall with three other bikes leaning on top, thus virtually unstealable. When riding solo or in a smaller group, sitting at the café window can work, as long as you have adequately risk assessed the dash to the outside, silly cycling shoes considered. For the more anxious amongst us this can result in the sinful lack of attention to how good a slice of cake that really was. It is akin to that disrupted nap on a train when the only available seat is not within sight of where the bike is placed. Having to open a watchful eye at every stop reminds me of the cat napping once there were babies in the house.

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

All of this could be dealt with through a decent lock.

That extra weight, taking-up-space, more faffing, “am I the only one with a lock” lock. Oh well, I could argue that all of the above is keeping me fit and on the ball.

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Cycling World

CONTRIBUTORS

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Richard Peploe; Tim Ramsden; Isidore Prévalet, Anita Powell; James Marr, Chris Burn; Rod Lupton; Helen Hill; Laurence McJannet; Lawrence Brand; Scott Christian; Rebecca Lowe, Colin O'Carroll, Helen Summer, Wendy Johnson, David Robert.

Picture by Pier Maulini/SWpix.com Giro d'Italia - 30/05/15 - Stage 20 Saint Vincent - Sestriere Alberto Contador on the Col d’elle Finestre climb

alice@cplmedia.net Sales Executive Declan Wale dec@cplmedia.net Sales Executive Harry Barrow harry@cplmedia.net

Free Cycling World App Subscription for British Cycling Members

For more info visit www.cyclingworldmag.co.uk

Although every effort is made to ensure the content of features in Cycling World is accurate and correct, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributors, manufacturers or advertisers. No guarantees can be made upon the safe return of any unsolicited copy of photographic images. Thepublisher reserves the right to alter or amend any submitted material that is printed in Cycling World. All material in Cycling World is the copyright of the publisher and any reproduction of said material would require written permission from the publisher. ©Cycling World Limited 2015 ISSN: 0143-0238

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

May 2016

CYCLE TOURING FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVE

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2016

NEWS BRITISH SUCCESS AT PARIS- ROUBAIX

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an Stannard of Team Sky sprinted to third place at this year’s cobbled Monument, the 114th edition of Paris Roubaix, on April 10.

Stannard’s podium place equals Barry Hoban’s success in 1972 and Roger Hammond's in 2004, thus breaking a long dearth of a Brit on the podium for the queen of the Classics.

The race was won by Matthew Hayman topping a long and dedicated domestique career in a race that he has ridden a recordbreaking fifteen times. At 37, the Orica Greenedge rider upset all the favourites, starting with four-times winner Tom Boonen, who had to be content with second place. The win was all the more remarkable as early escapee Hayman, who had already twice made it in the top ten of the race, had broken his arm only five weeks previously and had hardly raced since. Hayman gives Australia their second win after Stuart O'Grady's in 2007.

Cycling World

A week earlier on Sunday 3 April

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history was made at another Monument, The Tour of Flanders.

Both the women’s and men’s Road Race World Champions won their respective events. Peter Sagan won the first monument of his career at the 100th Tour of Flanders, and in doing so, became the first world champion since Tom Boonen in 2006 to win in the rainbow stripes. Sagan made his race winning move on the Paterberg, distancing Sep Vanmarcke and riding into the finish 25 seconds ahead of Fabian Cancellara.

Britain’s Lizzie Armitstead won the women’s Tour of Flanders with the World Champion taking a narrow victory ahead of Emma Johansson with teammate Chantal Blaak in third. The Tour of Flanders is one of the most prestigious races in women's cycling and has been a key target for Armitstead in recent years. Her previous best result had been second in the 2014 edition.

Marianne Vos was last wearer of the rainbow stripes to win Flanders, in 2013.

Stannard trails Boonen in Arenberg

22 MILLION BRITS CAN CYCLE, BUT NEVER TURN A PEDAL

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esearch reveals that 45 per cent of the adult population never cycle, despite knowing how to.

The YouGov poll, commissioned by the ETA, shows that although the majority of Brits can cycle (93%), more than half have not cycled in over a year. Almost one in three has not ridden a bike in a decade or more.

The research underscores the disparity between men and women.

Men are more likely to have learned to ride, own a bicycle and to cycle more often. Northerners are less likely to have learned how to ride and have less access to a usable bike than those living in the South.

The type of person least likely to cycle is a divorced, retired woman with no children, living in the West Midlands. The type of person most likely to cycle is a single, never married, man with two children, 18-24, living in the south east of England.

There are many reasons why the uptake of cycling is low, but of these 22 million potential cyclists, 60 per cent have no easy access to a bike.

The ETA is aiming to reach out to these potential cyclists with Back on a Bike, a community outreach project that allows people the chance to try a comfortable bike in safe surroundings. www.eta.co.uk/trust/back-on-abike

May

POLICE TURNING BLIND EYE TO LAW-BREAKING CYCLISTS, CLAIMS NICK “MR LOOPHOLE” FREEMAN

Nick Freeman, aka Mr Loophole, said that despite cycling as a mode of transport rising sharply nationwide in the last decade, only 839 cyclists in the whole of London were fined last year for riding on pavements, compared to 6,423 in 2011.

In Manchester, 189 were fined for the same offence in 2011, but last year this had slumped to just 43. Its officers also fined just four cyclists last year for riding at night without lights.

Last year in West Yorkshire, its police forced handed out just seventeen fines in total to cyclists breaching a number of laws, including riding at night without lights (two) and failing to comply with the indication given by a traffic sign (three).

In Merseyside last year only twelve cyclists were fined for failing to stop at junctions compared to 35 in 2012. And there were only 222 penalty notices issued to those riding their bikes on footpaths

compared to 1,208 in 2011.

These tumbling figures are against a backdrop of the increasing number of cyclists on Britain's roads. In 2014, it was said there were 645,000 cycle journeys a day across London as a whole.

Mr Freeman said: “For a number of years now I have been calling for bicycles to have identification plates so those riders who break the law can be caught and prosecuted.” He added “The laws are there for a reason and I don’t believe our police forces are taking them seriously.”

Nick Freeman, aka Mr Loophole

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by Wladyslaw

op level, British professional cyclists are among the 150 sportspeople that a London doctor has claimed he has helped take banned performanceenhancing drugs.

The Sunday Times investigation of April 3 revealed that Dr Mark Bonar claims to have prescribed banned substances to ‘British Tour de France cyclists’ as well as premiership footballers, tennis players, a boxing champion and a cricketer.

A Sunday Times undercover reporter posed as a would-be Olympic runner’ and filmed Bonar prescribing a course of EPO. Bonar works in the Omniya Clinic in Knightsbridge, London where he gives anti-aging treatment. His activities had previously been reported to UK Anti-doping in 2014 by a

sportsman with evidence of Bonar’s prescription of banned drugs, including testosterone and EPO. UKAD reportedly dismissed the evidence as of ‘little or no value’.

Bonar commented on the Sunday Times investigation: “Some of these treatments I use are banned on the professional circuit. So you have to be mindful of that. Having said that – I have worked with lots of professional athletes who do use these treatments.”

The Sunday Times could not confirm that any of the sportspeople Bonar claimed he treated had any involvement with him, either denying being treated by him or declining to comment, the paper said.

UKAD announced that an independent review will now be undertaken relating to the Sunday Times’ claims.

May 2016

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olice are turning an increasingly blind eye to cyclists breaking the law, the country’s top traffic lawyer has claimed.

‘BRITISH TOUR DE FRANCE RIDERS’ AMONG DOPED SPORTSPEOPLE

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Spin The Urban Cycling Festival

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his May Spin returns to London’s Old Truman Brewery, celebrating the diversity of the cycling world, and arrives in Manchester for the first time.

Over 30,000 visitors will explore Spin Manchester (6th-8th) and Spin London (20th-22nd). The biggest names in the cycling industry are exhibiting alongside the freshest, most innovative and exciting start-ups. Bike brands like Cinelli, Fondriest, Condor, Sarto and Bianchi nestle beside tech brands such as Blaze, Sherlock and Lumo.

Spin hosts The Summit this year, collecting the UK’s most prominent speakers, personalities and professionals from across the cycling world, giving visitors the chance to ask the questions they want answered. Q&As, presentations and interviews with Chris Boardman, Martyn Ashton, Patrick Seabase. On the 21st, Spin Women takes place with three headline discussions with the most influential women in cycling, including athletes, entrepreneurs and activists.

Spin’s founder Alex Daw says: “It’s fantastic to return to The Old Truman Brewery this May to where Spin started, and we’re so excited to come to Manchester for the first time. Spin’s success is born from two things; our visitors and supporters, who continue to define us as the freshest, most exciting and innovative cycle show. People who have been to Spin know how versatile and fun it is, how much energy there is from everyone involved. This year, Spin is the biggest it’s ever been and with support from Immediate Media we continue to go from strength to strength, building a bike show that people love.”

There’s a long list of things to see and do, including visitor favourites The Art Hub and The Frame Lab plus a cinema, performance area and an Authors’ Area. Add to this craft beer, street food and Workshop Coffee; it will be a refreshing weekend. In Manchester Cup North Coffee Festival bring their well-established show to the event.

Cycling World

Spin – focused on providing a consumer-focused festival based on grassroots and community cycling.

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Manchester | 6th-8th May | Victoria Warehouse, Old Trafford London | 20th-22nd May | The Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane

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FACT 34:

During Deloitte RAB riders will cycle through 23 counties and 3 countries in 9 breathtaking days 800 riders / 150 support crew / 969 miles / 9 days

10th - 18th September, 2016

Enter now at www.rideacrossbritain.com Head to facebook.com/rideacrossbritain to find out 49 other facts about the UK’s largest and best supported End to End ride

Brought to you by:

May 2016

Sell out event in 2014 and 2015

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S

ustrans is once again calling on cyclists of all ages and abilities to take on various exciting fundraising events across the UK this summer.

Liverpool at night

The rides cater for cyclists from all different backgrounds to attract a wide-range of participants. This is achieved by the London, Bristol and Liverpool night rides that offer a reasonable challenge, through to the Sea to Sea and Land’s End to John

O’Groats (LEJOG) rides for the more experienced cyclist. Whatever ride people do, they will raise money towards maintaining the National Cycle Network.

Cycling World

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Kate Jones, events fundraising manager at Sustrans, said: “As well as the 18-day LEJOG, there are other routes of three, two and one day(s). They are all fantastic events which raise money towards the general upkeep of the Cycle Network.”

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Many of the rides use the National Cycle Network which Sustrans first developed in 1995.

The Network is now over 14,000 miles long.

RIDES AT A GLANCE

challenge that takes in the luscious scenery of England, Scotland and Wales returns for a second year. The ride takes a whopping 18 days and visits the very best parts of the National Cycling Network.

Riders will be supported the whole way, led by experienced Sustrans staff and local volunteers with great knowledge of the route, first aid and bike maintenance.

Accommodation at bike friendly B&Bs, breakfast and lunch will also be included and riders will have their luggage transferred.

Admission for the trip is £1,800, plus there is a £1,000 fundraising target or upfront donation.

Bristol to Bath Path

SUSTRANS' RIDES

LONDON, LIVERPOOL AND BRISTOL NIGHTRIDER

For the more casual cyclist with less time to spare, the night time bike ride offers a unique moonlight cycle through three of Britain’s most iconic cities.

Experience the thrill of witnessing London landmarks including Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf, Buckingham Palace and the London Eye in a 100km circular route.

The tour starts and finishes at Lee Valley VeloPark on the 4-5 June at 10:45pm.

Take in the famous sights of Bristol including the Old City Docks and the Clifton Suspension Bridge as you complete this 100km circular ride by moonlight. The ride starts on the 25-26 June at 10.30pm.

The Liverpool Nightride is a 100km circular route designed as three loops, with a 50km loop across the Wirral (subject to permissions to use the tunnel) and two x 25km loops in and around the city. The ride starts at the 16-17 July 10.30pm.

Sea to Sea (Irish Sea to the SEA TO SEA (C2C) North Sea) 140 miles Stretching between the Irish Sea and the 21 May – 23 May London Nightrider North Sea, this 140-mile route proves immensely popular with 15,000 people 62 miles 4 - 5 June riding it each year.

Bristol Nightrider 62 miles 25 - 26 June Liverpool Nightrider 62 miles 16 - 17July Land’s End to John O' Groats 1,040 miles 30 July - 16 August For more information, visit www.sustrans.org. uk/2015events.

LAND’S END TO JOHN O’GROATS The epic 1,040-mile

After dipping your back wheel in the sea at Whitehaven, this stunning ride will follow quiet country lanes and paths into the beautiful Lake District, Cumbria and the North Pennines, covering 79 miles of traffic-free paths that meander through heathland, moor, dales and England's historic industrial heartlands. It'll then cross the fabulous Millennium Bridge in Newcastle before finishing at Tynemouth.

The trip costs £250, plus there is a £250 minimum sponsorship target or upfront donation.

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May 2016

Registered charity number: 277424

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INTERVIEW: MARTYN ASHTON

Cycling World

By Helen Hill

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artyn Ashton is a former British and World Champion mountain bike trials rider, stunt rider and team manager.

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

Helen: Your Facebook page shows you are obviously inspiring a huge number of people. Do you think you have pushed the boundaries of disability mountain bike riding?

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

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

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

Martyn: I have several bikes and this is the same bike design as I used in the Back On Track video. It is a mountain bike frame with a sit ski seat and an existing mountain bike ego motor – throttle actuated bike – more like an off-road motor bike. There is a fine line between what is mountain biking and what is not, and I am not sure what I think about it but then I love motorcycles. If I was to do a downhill video with an electric bike it would need to be a different style to a traditional mountain bike video. Back On Track was a traditional downhill video.

I love it, the slight anxiety of knowing I couldn’t stop is fun and having people around you whose job it is to not let you stop rolling along is hilarious. They

had huge enjoyment out of that and that feeling of ‘OMG’ we’ve got to keep him moving! Going out and riding your bike is something you do with your mates. When I think about going riding I think laughing and banter. Electric bikes are slightly different and I’d be thinking something slightly different than riding a normal mountain bike trail.

I like riding motor bikes so I am in both camps. The electric bike is safer because I can choose when to stop. A downhill bike with no motor is a bit like ‘let’s see what happens’.

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

Martyn: My son Alfie actually quite likes BMX at the moment. He’s into quite a lot of stuff at the moment.

Helen: How old is he?

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

Helen: How did it affect him?

Martyn: Life changing for all of us, changed all the plans but we’ve been through an experience where we’ve come to a different understanding of how things are and how things work. Definitely they are a huge support for me. Can’t imagine what it would be like without them. They have been amazing. It’s changed all our lives. I think we do a pretty good job sometimes; our matter of factness about it is disarming to some people. I’ve got a really positive view of my situation and have had one from the moment I had my accident. I was lucky enough to realise that I was alive and that gratitude has never gone away. It got me on the right path almost immediately and we’ve got a great understanding of it.

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

Martyn: I guess so. I don’t want to make it sound like I’m Mr Cheerful. I definitely have my off days but it’s just normal stuff. Like today it’s not very nice weather wise and that makes me feel, just like

May 2016

Martyn: Good question. I am really lucky to have support from the cycling industry to get back out on a bike, particularly from close friends who are professional riders themselves, but also the energy from the cycling community. I certainly feel I had a lot of help so I don’t want to take all the credit for it. The way I achieved it was essentially to adapt a sit ski seat (a winter disability sport) onto a mountain bike.

I really liked the idea of being on two wheels and the fact no one had made this adaption before captured people’s imagination and we had a really great time, seen in the video.

People like to see people having a good time.

If that inspires people then great, it’s my job as a professional mountain biker to make mountain biking look good fun.

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anyone else, oh I wish it were sunny today. When it’s raining I don’t sit inside and think oh I can’t walk.

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

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

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

Martyn: I’m very grateful for the situation I’m in. I’ve learnt a lot and I have a lot to learn. I was fortunate to have a long and fun riding career. I’ve got a sad story to tell if I choose but everybody has got a sad tale to tell. It took me until 40 to find it out but the journey I’m on has been a good one and you don’t know where it is going.

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

Martyn: I tried to focus on ‘Try Before July’ as a goal for myself. It feels great to try something new and that’s when you realise it’s great to be alive. I’ve got a list of things people have offered to help me do – one of them is flying! Somebody has said I should try an adapted plane. If it is horrendous I want it to be as horrendous as possible. I hate flying I think because I spent so much time flying so I could compete that it has put me off so I’m not sure if I will do it or not. Another goal is World Run – organised by Wings for Life.

Helen: Tell us about that.

Cycling World

Martyn: World Run is a running race that happens all over the world at the same time but instead of having a finishing line, the finishing line chases you. You run off and then 15mins later a car starts off on the same track and chases you down. It is so much fun as you can almost sense the car behind you as the furore builds. The car is usually driven by a celebrity and in the UK in 2015 it was David Coultard. It is in May 2016 in Cambridge – it has been at Silverstone for the last couple of years. Being in Cambridge is going to be really cool because there will be lots of support from the public. My wife Lisa ran alongside me and we got about 10k but there are runners who take it really seriously. The level of runners is from both ends of the scale, from ultra marathon runners to my dad who is 80 years old. You can watch it digitally and it’s all live. The global winner ran 76km. It’s a brilliant event.

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

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

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

MAY 28TH TO

JUNE 5TH 2016

National Go Canoeing Week is our annual celebration of all things paddlesport!

Whether you have never picked up a paddle before or you are a seasoned pro there is something for everyone.

With hundreds of events and challenges on oer across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. You will ďŹ nd adventure on the water whatever your level!

Discover more:

www.gocanoeingweek.org.uk www.gocanoeingweek.org.uk

May 2016

GET INVOLVED!

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CYCLE TOURING FESTIVAL 2016

Cycling World

Scott Christian reminisces on 2015, and looks forward to this year’s event at Waddow Hall, Clitheroe

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arrived, slightly drive fatigued, after crossing from the east coast and the slightly windswept coastline of Scarborough, having just lapped up the Tour of Yorkshire. I had ventured over the border from the rose of Yorkshire to the rose of Lancashire, the perceived hatred is a publicity gimmick which does promote interest but in reality is nothing more than light-hearted banter.

As a cyclist, you get to visit some glorious places, that most who travel at speed in metallic monsters fail to see or experience. Clitheroe was such a place, historic narrow streets and the trip advisor favourite, a castle! The venue for my inspired weekend was Waddow Hall, just on the outskirts of the town. I was camping and I soon met my neighbour, a grey-haired adonis appearing from a simple canvas shell who I immediately recognised him as Stephen Lord. I immediately liked the guy, he was the epitome of friendly and considering he is ‘Mr Adventure Cycling’ there was not a pretentious bone in his ageing body.

‘Wild Atlantic Way’ and she explained in detail her trek around the coast of Britain.

Then after lunch, it was Europe with Kevin Shannon and Hannah Reynolds. Kev has spent a lot of time walking in Serbia and cycling through Europe and Hannah, as well as being a fitness editor for Cycling Active, is also a minefield of information on France. I love her book ‘France en Velo’ written with John Walsh, the illustrations are wonderful, the feel of it imbues a raw Gallicness.

Cyclists are weird, I know because my DNA is overwhelmed by all things two-wheeled, I admit it (crikey I feel like I am in rehab)- we invariably are selfish, committed, resolute but ultimately likeable human beings. There is no pretension, this small group of speakers are well-known authors, successful in their own way but what a great bunch and hopefully they will become

May 2016

Click here to read more Cycling World

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